How to Play Air Guitar

hi, I'm bobby. i've got the tunes if you've got time.

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When Your Mind’s Made Up - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Once (Original Soundtrack)

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No Room In Frame - Death Cab for Cutie - Kintsugi It's been a long time, Mr. Gibbard. Much has happened since frontman of the longtime heartfelt brood-fest that is Death Cab for Cutie released the curiously unfamiliar sound that was Codes and Keys. Two divorces proceeded, one of a literal sense and one of a metaphoric. Separation is a hard thing to go through and throughout the years it has remained a consistent theme in DCFC's discography. Ben Gibbard's divorce with actress Zooey Dechanel was by no means private. In a world dominated by instant news and social media, this is of no surprise. Thus, after the content and smooth Codes and Keys, all of us were wondering what DCFC would be after such a traumatic event in Gibbard's life. Friends, the result is above. Death Cab is known for some pretty slick and vivid wordplay when it comes to their lyrics. Camouflaging true intention with beautiful imagery and complex metaphor. Never before have I heard a piece from the outfit that is so direct. Was I in your way? / When the cameras turned to face you. There's not much to mask with such harsh words like this. In a way, the straighforward-ness is a much needed breath of fresh air for the band. However, they didn't lose the musical experimentation they were attempting in Codes and Keys, in fact they improved upon it. It doesn't feel broad and directionless but rather focused and purposeful. Which brings me to the other divorce I was talking about. Chris Walla, guitarist and songwriter of DCFC for 17 years has parted ways. This also sent shockwaves throughout the DCFC fanbase. Though it has been confirmed that Walla's involvement with this album was extensive, the thought of his absence hereafter gives the entire album a wistful vibe. In terms of his contribution, the mixing is sublime and the guitar centric focus brings the listener back to the hay day of the band. Many of the riffs are evocative of Plans and Transatlanticsm, easily the groups best work to date. The achievement of this piece reminds me of Vampire Weekend's 2013 release Modern Vampires of The City. Not familiar in terms of the sound but of the fact that the group took the lessons they learned about tightness from their recent releases but stuck to their roots from their stronger releases. 

I'm not gonna say Death Cab for Cutie is back with a vengeance but I will say that they have my attention. With Ben Gibbard back in his comfort zone despite not being in the most comfortable place right now, the band has never felt so realized. I look forward to what comes next.    

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Rent I Pay - Spoon - They Want My Soul

I was lamenting to a friend of mine the other day how utterly unimpressed I am with 2014's releases. Following last year's powerhouse discography of tunes, I expected something more than abysmal one ride wonders. She said, "I have you heard the new Spoon album?" to which I said, "Spoon is still a band?". Spoon has been pretty absent from the airwaves, their last release was the exhausting Transference in 2010. Four years is a long time to be hiding. However, when you come back you want to make a comeback. I think they have. They Want My Soul is a musically tight, catchy, self aware road trip of an album. This piece in itself is a culmination of how much Spoon has stretched themselves musically looking for the right fit. The lyrics of this piece scream of the frustration the outfit has had throughout the years of people telling them what they should be or what they should be selling. "Everybody knows, just where you've been going/And if that's your answer, then no, I ain't your dancer" bites over the pulsing sharpness of the guitar strums makes the language both defiant and exciting, Tracks like "Do You" have that catchy strumming and vocal panache that gives it such delight where as tracks like "Inside Out" are dream-like and complex. Spoon has had 4 long years throwing darts at the wall looking for musical and artistic freedom and all I have to say is bullseye, gentlemen. Enjoy!

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The Writing's On The Wall - Ok Go

Never stop making music videos, guys. 

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Ragged Company - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Nothing But The Water

I'm going to talk on this album more specifically in a future set of posts. So for right now, I'm going to instead write about this group as a whole. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals have one of the most interesting musical profiles I've come across. Sometimes they are a blue-grassy, soulful plate with a twist of funk. Other times they are primarily country/folk with this weird garnish of indie rock stylings. And at other times they are borderline electronic rock with groovy beats. Despite this overabundance of genre hopping this band still continues to feel refreshing on almost all of their albums. That is in no small part due to the vocal chameleon and powerhouse Ms. Grace Potter is. She has a voice that can at times be evocative of Janis Joplin with its' raw, rocky, raspy (alliteration is fun!) quality and at other times can have the effortless simple beauty and emotional quality of Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell. This malleable voice gives the group the ability to try on all these genre's without it getting to tight around the waist. However, though this band may be a jack of all trades it is indeed a master of none. Though all of the different genre's don't sound foreign to GP&N they also could immerse themselves in it a little more. Many of the tracks on the various albums of their discography sometimes solely rely on Grace Potter's vocal talent to lead the band through to the end. (Not this album above though, this one in my opinion has the strongest legs to stand on, but more on that later) However, that doesn't make this group any less of ear candy. Do yourself a favor, sit down, tilt your head back and get lost in this song for awhile. Also just wanna point out, she was only 22 when she made this album. Enjoy!

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Hooked On A Feeling - Blue Swede

Thank you, Marvel. For making it socially acceptable to rock out to Blue Swede again. Also, everyone go see Guardians of the Galaxy. If you don't like it, you don't like joy and I don't want to know you. 

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Damien Rice - My Favourite Faded Fantasy - My Favourite Faded Fantasy

About fucking time, man. You better believe I'm going to do a full review of this much anticipated album when it's fully released. Until then, feast your ears on this gorgeous piece. November is gonna be one big ugly cry my friends. 

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Thank You Mario, But Our Princess is in Another Castle! - The Mountain Goats

God bless you, Mountain Goats. 

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Philosophize In It! Chemicalize With It! - Kishi Bashi - Lighght

Finally. FINALLY I have found an album in 2014 that is truly spectacular. I'll write more on this album once the year comes to a close. But in an otherwise abysmal year in releases, this stood out. Wildly fun, musical intricate and just damn tight tracks. Enjoy!  

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Watch Me - Paul McDonald & Nikki Reed

Pretty smooth stuff right here.

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Desire - Ryan Adams

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Love Is Blindness - Jack White - Sixteen Saltines

In honor of his newest work (which I'll get around to posting about eventually) here is one of my favorite pieces from heavyweight Jack White. You may remember this from the most recent Great Gatsby movie. Just damn, can this guy shred on the guitar. Enjoy!

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Pulaski at Night - Andrew Bird - I Want to See Pulaski at Night

Last year I posted a list of my favorite albums of the year. Andrew Bird's nearly entirely instrumental EP I Want to See Pulaski at Night was inches away from making that list. I also posted a live version of this song as well but I wanted to write more about it. I have always been so incredibly blown away by everything Andrew Bird is. Receiving Suzuki training at age 4 and creating some of the most complex arrangements of music i've ever seen from a single person has never left me underwhelmed. This EP is a thing of beauty. Some of the smoothest most soothing sounds I've heard in a long while. Other than the song above, the entire album is instrumental only. So, if you need some background music while doing some housework, homework or you want just generally great lounging music...get yourself a piece of this. 

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Midnight - Coldplay

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Home - American Authors

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An Introduction to the Album - The Hotelier - Home, Like No Place Is There

I'll be honest, this album didn't hit me until many many months after listening to it for the first time. About 2-3 years ago me and my buddy went to see these guys in Brooklyn back when they were just "The Hotel Year". They played to room that consisted of the band they were headlining for, the venue owners and me and my friend. Let me tell you something, I'll never forget that concert. I sat there as the frontman Christian Holden commanded his voice in spectacular fashion. Baring his soul and making the room vibrate at the sheer power of his vocal strength, playing to what looked like an empty room. It's been a long time since that night at the Party Expo in Brooklyn, now the band has rearranged their name and brought forward a hell of a lot of maturity with them. Their sophomore effort, Home, Like No Place Is There is for lack of a better word... a god damn masterpiece. Say what you want about the merit of the emo/punk rock genre, this is so much more than that. There's a tendency with a genre like this that when you hear it, all you hear is screams for the sake of screaming. Where the lyrics are melodramatic and they scream them at you so you know how invested they are. With The Hotelier, it's different. The mere conviction behind each and every one of the songs will affect you, even if it takes you months to realize it. The raw quality in the vocals reminds me of Andy Hull from Manchester Orchestra when he was at his peak. Not screaming because he can, because the piece needed him to. Also, this album is the group in their lyrical prime. This song in particular. I've replayed it dozens of times and I'm still floored how excellent the lyrics are. In a year where I've been generally unimpressed with the new albums coming through, this is a beacon of hope that it still hasn't all gone to top 40 shit.

Here's their bandcamp if you guys wanna listen through more. Support these guys, they deserve it. http://thehotelyear.bandcamp.com/ 

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The Gardener - The Tallest Man on Earth