What Is Bella Listening To...Minus the Bear Edition

Hey,

Sorry this post is late but I had an event this morning that required me to get up super early, so I went to bed quite a bit sooner than I normally do. Consequently, this post is late. But, it’s here! J

Like I promised, it’s another installment of “What is Bella Listening To,” where I show you what I have been listening to for the past week or so.

So…here we go!

5. “Sleeping Ute” By Grizzly Bear- The song leads in with a single guitar and gradually adds in all the other instruments, including a prized tambourine. Just like the cowbell, songs just need more tambourine. All the instruments kind of clash in a beautiful way; if any other band did this, I’d call it cacophony, but with Grizzly Bear it’s sheer genius.

4. “It’s Real” by Real Estate-This track has a lovely flowing feeling to it, swaying rather than jumping.  Ridiculously catchy, the oh’s  surrounding the chorus will be stuck in your head for the next four days, at least. Though it is repetitive, it never gets boring, a sign of a truly well-composed song.

3. “The Fix” by The Minus The Bear- I included this song not only because it’s an amazing song, where the momentum really climaxes just before the first chorus and then keeps fighting right until the end, but also for the memories associated with it. I went to the MTB concert last week and some hipster fist-pumped through the entirety of this track and to be honest, it’s a fantastic song for that, especially those quick hits in the chorus. 10 Bears out of 10.

2. “Excuses” by Minus the Bear- I did promise a lot of MTB last week, didn’t I? J I love this song because it shows a slightly softer side of the band who are known for loud, powerful guitar riffs and crazy synthesizer parts. It glides, soaring through the stunning melody, but is powered by Erin’s drumming ability and Jake’s convincing vocals, highlighted by the raw, emotional lyrics, a rare sight for the band. I think this might be my favorite MTB track.

1. “The Listing” by Minus the Bear (Live at Daryl’s House, episode 62)- Yes, I realize this is another MTB song but I feel little shame in including it here as it’s live, it’s with Daryl Hall (yep, from Hall and Oates), and the setup is beyond incredible. I love the arrangement, all the vocals float together, creating a gorgeous harmony, and the guitars work really well with each other. Jake, the bearded guy, is one of my favorite lead singers, and together with Daryl, it’s like a power duo, really. Both guys really go for those big notes, and they never fall short.

If you haven’t seen Daryl’s web series before, you should check it out. He’s collaborated with other groups/artists like Patrick Stump and Jason Mraz.

That’s it for this week. I hope you enjoyed my MTB influenced music choices this week. Next week, I have something special planned so check back next Friday. Be sure to comment, tweet me, or e-mail me with your thoughts.

Until then,

Bella

Minus the Bear concert Review

Hey!

Sorry for not posting last night, but I absolutely knew I could not pass up the Minus the Bear concert. Even though I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather recently, I went and I am so glad I did. I found them a few years ago when I was listening to our public radio station which mostly plays classical music during the day and alternative/indie music at night that sounds closer to wailing than music. Somehow, a gem like Minus the Bear’s “My Time” made it on there and then I ended up finding the song for free on a Dangerbird Records (their old record label) sampler a few days later. Ever since, I’ve been hooked on their music.

Minus the Bear’s sound is kind of like Mutemath and Fall Out Boy and Arcade Fire all mixed up together, yet with an unexpected twist. It’s polished, dissonant, intricate, harmonious, pure and raw all at the same time. And bottom line: it’s fantastic.

They came on right at 10:00 (I arrived at 9:58…perfect timing on my part) and opened right up with Steel and Blood, an explosion of guitar riffs and hard percussion. Seamlessly, they transitioned into an oldie “The Fix,” which got the dedicated fans in the crowd going crazy. Jake’s voice soared over the instrumentation nicely and the chorus was completely perfect: hard and rough yet not too over-the-top. Genius. They went into “Diamond Lightning,” mellowing it out a bit, but cranking it back up with “Toska” and “Secret Country.” Then, they went into the crowd favorite: “My Time,” where every single person was moving, most cradling their drinks,  (except for underage me…I think I was the only one under 18 in that whole place, even though it was an all-ages show), rocking back and forth and some guy was even fist-bumping (who fist-bumps in Iowa? Well, props to him, I guess).  The band seemed to feed off the energy, going hard and furious on this song. They cooled it down a bit with “Absinthe Party At the Fly Honey Warehouse” and “Knights,” though neither song dragged. By this time, I was beginning to feel pretty tired so I hung around for “Let’s Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band,” “Throwin’ Shapes,” and “I’m Not Totally Down with Rob’s Alien,” and heard the full-bodied glory of “Double Vision Quest” as I walked to my car.

Overall, the concert was amazing. All of the guys are incredible musicians who give it their all, no matter if they’re playing the newer stuff from “Infinity Overhead” and "OMNI" or their earlier songs off of “Highly Refined Pirates," "Planet Ice" or "Menos El Oso." They put on an incredible show and based on the crowd, I’d say all who came had a great time. Including the couple who danced to nearly every song, an impressing feat considering Minus the Bear’s music isn’t exactly perfect“ dancing” music.  haha it was fun to see the crowd so involved.

If Minus the Bear is coming to your town, I would highly suggest you go! If not, at least check out their music which is available on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

Next week, I’ll do another “What is Bella Listening To” installment, which may or may not feature a ton of Minus the Bear songs.

Until then,

Bella

No Blog Post Tonight

Hey,

So, tonight I'm going to see Minus the Bear in concert. Therefore, my blog post/review will be up tomorrow, Saturday, March 1st.

Here's to hoping we don't have another Panic! At the Disco experience, I guess. :)

Until then,
Bella

The Good, The Amazing, and the Superamazing Playlist

Hey,

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “What is Bella Listening To,” so tonight, I present my new playlist.

Here we goooo….

Relapse (Cosmonaut Grechko Remix) by Jhameel and Blue Satellite- I’ve highlighted Jhameel before, but this track is totally different from his normal music. It’s a remix of one of his original songs “Relapse” and the remix brings something new to an already great song. It makes the list because of the strong piano lines intermixed throughout the track, the perfect distortion, and the lyrics are sheer poetry. Put all these elements together, you have an amazing song. Worth checking out, even if you’re not into electro/remixes (as well, you might have heard this song if you’ve been to Hollister recently).

Act Like You Know by That Work- I love the electro meets alternative feeling of the song. Like “Relapse,” it’s slightly different from what I highlight on my blog, but sometimes, it’s a good thing to listen to all sorts of music. Anyways, I love this song because that chorus is constantly stuck in my head, the singer’s voice is so unique, excited yet soothing, and the lyrics are just as stunning as the music, for example “Ain’t got no eyes for no other…/you make it hard to get over/this feeling’s just too much…/I’m catching a fever.” Lovesick, yet with perfect syntax. Love it.

Flexxin’ By Dutch Uncles- String sections can truly enhance a song, as demonstrated in this track. This one really grew on me. Additionally, I like the layered vocals, catchy chorus, and the lead singer’s croon—so sick. J

Empty Party Rooms by Minus The Bear- One of my favorite bands! They are coming to my town in March and I really hope to go see them. The tickets are super affordable and I’ve listened to them for several years now. They are known for their flawless harmonies, steady beats, and ridiculously memorable lyrics. This song is no exception. It builds, crescendos, decrescendos, and repeats with perfect accuracy. Jake’s vocals blow me away each time, too. J

Pawn Shop Blues by Lana Del Rey- Oh, Lana. I realize I’ve reviewed like a million of her songs, but she has a ton of unreleased material on Youtube, a freaking goldmine for music lovers like me and considering the song has two million views, I suppose I’m not the only one who loves her unreleased material. The main difference between her unreleased music and her released music is her unreleased is relatively undoctored. “Pawn Shop Blues” is just plain and simple elegance flowing from her lips with a barebones arrangement of strings and guitars. The lyrics carry the song and you can feel her emotion, sympathize with her plight: selling things that an ex gave her in order to bury the memories. We’ve all had those low points—metaphorical or not—and Lana—or Lizzie, if you want to be specific—has a certain knack for connecting on several levels with her listeners, not just spewing hatred or sadness.

 I like to contrast her with Taylor Swift. Both women write music (though Lana usually only requires one other person to help fine tune her lyrics, not write them for her, whereas Taylor usually uses two or more people) about their lives—autobiographical songs hold a special place in our hearts, don’t they?—but Lana varies her subjects, discussing love, but heartache, depression, memories, and even fantasies. Taylor, on the other hand, writes about love, breakups, and love, usually repeating and recycling old subjects and material, pawning it off as a new single. (Not to mention, she’s dated like half of Hollywood now, right? I love that Lana is so secretive about her private life; it makes me respect her even more). Point being, just because someone wants to write about their lives in their music doesn’t mean it has to be fluffy with repetitive lines and identical songs. That is why I love Lana and why “Pawn Shop Blues” beats “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” two break-up/never reconciling songs but one clearly outshines the other. Just my musings for the night. Overall, “Pawn Shop Blues” is one of my favorite songs of Lana’s and I wish she would release it so I can get it on my iPod. Such beauty. J

Well, that’s it for this week. Next week, I’ll get to part Three of the Twilight soundtrack reviews; I’m trying to mix it up here and there.

Until then,

Bella

Best Songs of 2012

Hey,
It's almost 2013! Seriously, I cannot believe how quickly this year has flown by. As quickly as it has gone, we've had some incredible music come out this year. At the risk of sounding cheeky, can I say it may have been one of alternative music's best years? Granted, the crap on the radio was still crap ("Whistle", anyone?) but I think the alternative scene is improving and spreading into popular culture, maybe even just a little bit. I think fun. wins the award for best out-of-nowhere hit single and follow-up single with "We Are Young" and "Some Nights." I love seeing bands getting some validation, even it means I have to put up with obnoxious 12 year olds tweeting "OMG!!!! We R Young!" Yes, you are. You're 12.
Anyways, my intent was to do a 12 best songs of 2012 list, but there's just too many good ones, so I'm doing 15 best songs; I couldn't narrow it down!
Here is my list of the 15 Best Songs of 2012:

15."Relax My Beloved" by Alex Clare
14. "All Alone" by fun.
13. "Little Black Submarines" by The Black Keys
12. "Empty Party Rooms" by Minus the Bear
11. "Run Boy Run" by Woodkid
10."No Diggity" by Chet Faker
9."Body Electric" by Lana Del Rey
8. "Speak Up" by POP ETC.
7."Before the Dive" by St. Lucia
6."Holiday" by Electric Guest
5."Because I Know That I Can" by Andy Burrows
4."Demons" by Imagine Dragons
3."American Daydream" by Electric Guest
2."Handshake" by Two Door Cinema Club
1. "This Head I Hold" by Electric Guest

15. "Relax My Beloved" by Alex Clare. Alex Clare gained notoriety for his song "Too Close," which blended blues and dub step seamlessly. However, I think it's safe to say that "Relax My Beloved" is a million times better. It combines his soulful vocals with that Sonny Moore-influenced sound in the background and sounds absolutely beautiful and almost raw in a strange way. The lyrics have captured my heart with such lines as "then maybe again/ we will weep like we've done a thousand time before," and many others. Great song.

14. "All Alone" by fun. I reviewed fun.'s album a while back, and I still am in love with "All Alone." Between the gentle instrumental intro, that ridiculously creative percussion line, one of the best lines of the year: "how do you cry/ with inanimate eyes," and Nate's powerful vocals, this remains one of the best songs off their album and another reason why I am proud to support these guys! They're awesome! :)

13. "Little Black Submarines" by the Black Keys. Ah, the Black Keys. I was angry with them at first for not putting their newest album on Spotify, but after actually listening to it; I understand why. It's too good to put on Spotify. I realize how pretentious that sounds, but seriously, listen to it and you'll see why. The Black Keys specialize in polished blues/ R&B and that perfectly describes track 13 on my list. "Little Black Submarines" showcases their dirty guitar licks, gravely vocals, and their talent of reviving music of the past (and doing an excellent job, if I say so myself).

12. "Empty Party Rooms" by Minus The Bear. I first listened to this band a few years ago when their label, Dangerbird, offered a free sampler off Amazon.com. The song was amazing and I keep coming back for more. And this band never disappoints. "Empty Party Rooms" has a very mellow tinge to it. Certainly, it is more laid-back than most of their usual stuff and I like it for that very reason. Critics tend to criticize (hence their title "critic") bands for experimenting and trying new stuff. I call bull. This song belongs on the album as much as the others and I love the chill sound. Still, it is a very complex song with beautiful guitar lines, heavenly background vocals, and Jake's capable voice carrying the song.

11. "Run Boy Run" by Woodkid. Woodkid is the musical alias of Yoann Lemoine, a French director. This is definitely a different track; I like different. :)  I like the strong lyrics, beautiful vocals, manic percussion, and the string section.

10. "No Diggity" by Chet Faker. "No Diggity" was super big back in the 1990's and Chet Faker put a really cool, grungy, emotional spin on it. Where the original feels sexy and all like "make it rain," this rendition is more vulnerable and honestly, more convincing. I believe him when he says he likes the way I "work it." Whatever that means. Additionally, his raspy, convincing vocals have won me over.

9. "Body Electric" by Lana Del Rey. I realize Lana is a slightly controversial choice, considering she is somewhat mainstream, but I think she is still holding onto her indie roots. This song is too intricate to get played on the radio and the lyrics area sickeningly deep, which means the song would get pushed aside so Lil Wayne and every other pop princess can sing about how much they like butts and sex. Mini rant aside, this song builds and climaxes perfectly, and Lana Del Rey's vocals are absolutely electric.

8. "Speak Up" by POP ETC. Formerly known as the Morning Benders, POP ETC is what would result if The Ready Set and Panic! At the Disco had a lovechild together. And a beautiful lovechild it is. I love the dreamy string section, slightly distorted vocals, and floating sensation of the verses that directly contrasts with the steadier bridge into the chorus. Very cool song.

7. "Before the Dive" by St Lucia. I remember highlighting this song about a month ago and I've yet to get it out of my head. Which, in my book, is the mark of a good song. St. Lucia's incredible talent really shines through the track, boasting a stunning orchestral section, a dangerously catchy intro, and poetic lyrics. Love it.

6."Holiday" by Electric Guest. The introduction of the song alone warrants getting placed on the list, but because of the creative guitars in the background and the line "she's a painted face," they earned spot number six. :)

5."Because I Know That I Can" by Andy Burrows- I love Andy Burrows.Based on how often I've reviewed him, I suppose that's fairly obvious. :) He has a convincing voice and is a talented songwriter. This song has a very "Condor El Pasa" by Simon and Garfunkel vibe and paired with Andy's voice it has won me over.

4."Demons" by Imagine Dragons. This song begins slowly and about 45 seconds into it, it just all goes "KAPOOOF!" I don't think that's a word. Regardless, the track is a beautiful concoction of forbidden love and the best use of a bass drum I've heard for quite some time.

3 ."American Daydream" by Electric Guest. I know this is the second song by the same band, but it's so good I felt like I had to highlight this one as well. The percussion gives the song a sort of monotonous feeling which enforces the lyrics "we keep going/don't stop running" and the distortion on Asas vocals also increases the dragging feeling. Still, I think it's one of the best songs on the album, simply because they dared to be different.

2."Handshake" by Two Door Cinema Club. I love these British bands. They bring something interesting to the music scene, not that American/European bands don't. Don't get me wrong. But, like a lot of other British bands, TDCC fits into their own little genre. They're not quite solid Alt rock, nor are they pop, but a strangely delicious blend of the two. As well, TDCC writes some of the best lyrics: "She said the devil will want you back/ And you'll never find love in an open hand/ Shut your eyes, so you see I'm there/ And know you'll always have this if you stay this mad." So good.

1. "This Head I Hold" by Electric Guest- Yes, another Electric Guest song. They are one of my favorite bands and their album Mondo maybe one of the best debut albums ever. This song earns the number one spot for five reasons 1) Asa's falsetto is incredible the way it soars and makes the song really distinct, 2) That drum line at the beginning...that's the kind of stuff that made Darren King, the drummer of MuteMath, a legend, 3) the keyboard the complements the other instrumentation,4) the infectious melody, and 5) The lyrics! The lyrics make the song. A truly fantastic track.

Thank you for reading this and every other post. You guys rock and I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

Until then,
Bella

My Playlist

Hey,
Well, I haven't done a "what's on my playlist" sort of post for quite some time, so here we go. :)

In no particular order...

5. Clap Your Hands by Sia
You may know her because, frankly, she's kind of everywhere right now. She collabed on seperate tracks with David Guetta and Flo Rida. I say, good for her. I've been listening to her for about three years now and totally respect her decisions. So, while everyone's tweeting now "OMG, Sia's such a good singer. I love her music!" or "I am titanium. :) #YOLO," I can sit back and laugh, because they have no idea that she's been around for years and that quoting lyics makes them look kind of dumb. Sure, I'm guilty of quoting some here and there, but never on Facebook/Twitter or getting a tramp stamp with them. That said, I do write down lines I like from songs, but only well-written songs. I should do a post about that sometime...I love this song because it's catchy, the lyrics are fun, Sia has a powerful, unique voice, quite unlike any other female vocalist I've heard before, and it sounds incredible turned up super loud. :)

4. Credible Threats by One AM Radio
I found this band a few years back when Amazon had a free sampler from their label, Dangerbird. This song is weird, which makes it very cool. Allow me to explain before you roll your eyes, dude. The musical aspect is amazing, with the steady, manic drum part, the beautiful synthesizers, and the perfect harmonies; the song reminds me of something from the 1960's. But, the lyrics are all about ways the guys could die. It's similar to Pumped Up Kicks, though Credible Threats came first; it's an upbeat song with very mellow, depressing, out of the ordinary lyrics. The best part: it works.

3. Pacchua Sunrise by Minus the Bear
I also discovered this band through the free Dangerbird sampler on Amazon and I feel deeply in love with their song "My Time." I've listened to quite a bit of the their stuff and while I hate their super early stuff, their newer stuff (in the last 5 years or so) is incredible. It's worth mentioning I am a sucker for acoustic stuff, and this song is no exception. With the lead singer's emotional vocals that straddle the line between raw and polished, the simple, strong beat, and the minimal instrumentation. I like how they just let the lyrics do the heavy-lifting and don't try to bury them with heavy guitar lines or an attenion-seeking bass line. Approved!

2. You Always Make Me Smile by Kyle Andrews
This song has been making me dance like a little girl--a talentless little girl, but that's okay--since January or so, but I fished it out a month or so ago because it's a perfect summer jam. It's bouncy, fun, and the romantic lyrics make all us single people want to find a person just so we can play this song for them. Just me? Oh, well. I like the guitar in the background too. :)

1. Do Or Die by 3OH!3
These guys have a new album coming out this fall and you can bet I'll review it. If you're listening to this song while or after reading my review, you're probably wondering why I have this song in my playlist. Honestly, it's just so different from everything I ever listen to. It's catchy--which doesn't necessarily mean it's good music; I understand that--and has some dubstep in it, which is cool with me, though I'm certainly not a dubstep fan. I like that they did something Fun. did; they used autotune as an instrument, not because it's ncessary. It gives it a very futurtistic feeling, very Star Trek, spaceage. What I also like is that they experiment with different music styles. I'm all for experimentation as long as it's not forced. But, I like this song, so, that's all. :)

Next week, I'll review some music videos hopefully. :)

Until next week,
Bella