The Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

It's kind of amazing how culture has manipulated phrases and words to their own liking. For instance; Whenever you need me, I'll be there. As nice of a thought The Jackson 5 had in this ballad it is impossible. When someone needs you, you don't automatically pop up, ready to go. Yea, it's kind of a confusing thought, but the best english teacher in the world, Mr. Loope (Mr. Norris) taught me to look out for misused phrases. Do you know what awesome means? What is it, then? Wrong. Awesome means to be awe-inspired, which is to have the breath of God move through you. I guess it is possible that some things are truly awesome, but I doubt that it includes about 98% of things that get the label. Just take count of how many times you hear the word in one day. Unique is a biggie, too. In order for something to be unique, it must be one of a kind. The single lone example of a specimen. There are thousands more stretched and manipulated phrases that have completely different meanings than what they are used for.

The Dirty Projector's are unique. I have never heard anyone like them. the storied indie band has been making one-of-a-kind music for a good while, too. The Dirty Projectors is the creative brain-child of Yale drop-out Dave Longstreth. Dave recorded his first album The Graceful Fallen Mango in 2002, exposing the indie world to his spontaneous rhythm spurts and flailing vocals. Longstreth recorded his first album on a four track, contributing the band's artistic approach to lo-fi/hi-fi music production. Before producing the bands newest album, Longstreth recorded with many other various artist, the only one of which I have ever heard of is [[[[VVRSSNN]]]]. (AGH INDIE IXPLOSION)(<- that's a comment from me, not the band name. Dang it vrsn) , released five more albums, including an internet only release, a Don Henley tribute album, a full ten piece orchestral collaboration, and a reinterpretation of Black Flag's album Damaged. I mean, honestly, this guy is grabbing the word obscure by the cajones.

Bitte Orca plays off of many famous indie sounds, while maintaining it's own image. In places the band is a stripped down Minus the Bear; in others, a poor man's Vampire Weekend. The pseudo-hit "Stillness is the Move", is reminiscent of both Arab sitar, and hip-hop back-beats. The band's three female side-kick singers add vocals that would be found on a Rihanna track; very strict foundations with tags and descants galore, giving the song tremendous variety. The song ends entirely different than the beginning would suggest.

There is not a single song anything like "Stillness is the Move" on the album, and probably in the rest of the band's repertoire. They are masters of experimental music. One song will sound grungier than a angst/acne induced garage band, while the next is pretty enough for a wedding. "Remade Horizon" let's the Grizzly Bear in the group pull out and blissfully serenade with precise harmonies and ska guitar. You might be thinking, Man, "Andy's a hypocritical idiot. He talked about how this band is unique by stating who they sound like"(just like that, too) but you've got to hear the music to understand. If anything, Bitte Orca is a testament to the power of experimentation. The Dirty Projectors are making a new thought, a new word. Their music could pave the way for musical sounds to come.

This is a great song too. Listen to it now........NOW!!!

Cover Of The Day-Just Like Heaven

SCREW LANE KIFFIN. I HOPE L.A. OPENS UP AND IS SWALLOWED BY THE DEVIL HIMSELF. There, that cats out of the bag. I've been a little upset by the events of the last couple of days. Sorry, I had to release somewhere. But, my music won't leave me for a wealthier listener, that's for sure. I hope.

For the longest time, my view of the Cure was very mistaken. I saw the Cure as a couple of old gothic emo's who had a knack for white makeup and depressing songs of ex lovers and suicide. I guess I got the image from seeing images of the lead singer in magazines and such. I know, I know, don't judge a book by its cover, but have you seen the guy? Look. He looks like the best friend from My name is Earl had a makeover from Courtney Love. He's a strange guy. Nuff' Said.

However, one day I was scrounging Paste, my favorite music magazine's website for anything worth hearing and found this cover on the site's "Awesome of the Day", which is one of the coolest near daily pop culture 'splosions ever. This is my favorite cover of all time. It is remarkable. And while the two musicians are extrenuosuly (don't question me) remarkable at making music, the absolute spontanaeity of the video makes "Just Like Heaven" so relinquanient (I said don't question me). The video is shot in some suburban driveway outside of Atlanta. The camera is shaky and sound quality is mediocre at best. The singer, Damion Soumi, founder of the To Write Love On Her Arms campaign, has some serious trouble with the higher sections of the song. The audience of about four praises the performance with sarcastic South Park imitations. Through its imperfections, the song is perfect. Here is "Just Like Heaven", by The Cure, who I now have great respect for, and "Just Like Heaven", by two guys enjoying music.

Cover Of The Day-Superman

I am an absolute huge fan of covers. There's something about the different spin on songs that really impresses me. Anyways, I'm going to post a good cover every few days or so.

To start out, here is a great cover of the Scrubs theme song. The original is called "Superman" by alt-rockers Lazlo Bane (It's a whole band, not a person. That kinda threw me off at first). It has a strangely serene banjo and theramin part (I think. That's what it sounds like. I don't know. I need to find that out) that keeps the song from doing anything but trudging along, but that's alright because it's kind of what the song is about in the first place. The song was used as the theme for the often hilarious show for the 8 season run.

Now, a new version of the song by WAZ is played for the spin-off Scrubs: Med-School. The show is not as funny as the original, but it still has the quirky attraction like the original. The new song has a lighter pop to it. It sounds younger and less experienced than the original, following suit with the show itself. Both songs manage to fulfill their purposes, and are catchy enough to draw anyone into the show. Good pick Comedy Central/ABC.

Young Money - We Are Young Money

Before I type a single word on my next review, I have to let you know my stance on hip-hop and rap (I don't know the difference, so don't question my authoritay) Hip-hop is one of my favorite types of music, but I also listen to fewer rap artists than any other genre of music. For me, rap is special because its a process that just has to click. Much of my white boy music can be great for strictly musical talent, great instrumentation, nice lyrics, etc., but hip-hop has the right to break that rule. Some hip-hop song's can be simple as a backbeat of edgy drums and an aspiring cocky young artist spewing egocentric monstrosities like an AK-47; and it works. I don't know how but it works. Well, It can work. At the same time it can be a disaster.

Cue example...

Let him take you to da movie. He knows you like.

No one should be subject to that. No one.

Anyways, I guess i just want you to know that I am not a "music-lover" who hates rap because "It's not music"(I was too cool for rap in middle school, but in middle school I liked Good Charlotte, so...). I've even got rappers for every season. Winter is for Jay-Z, Spring is Kanye time (Don't hate on Kanye. Yea he's a douche, but he's a hip-hop pioneer; a genius. Late Registration is one of my favorite albums of all time (No MTV awards pun intended), so shutup...), Weezy in the summer, And T.I. fills in the fall slot. However, half of that group has been/are going to be incarcerated soon, so I may have to find a sub for this summer.

Oh yea, I can't stand Gucci. Sorry obnoxious middle/upper class white frat boys who feel "hood" after listening to him. Garth Brooks is probably next on your playlist.

Cue review...

Young Money is a rap supergroup composed of two prominent rappers, a la Lil Wayne and Drake, and various smaller rapper such as Jae Millz (Windmills and s*&^, yo), Gudda Gudda (gutter? good? don't know what he's getting at), Mack Maine (reppin Augusta; Compton of the North East), Nicki Minaj (From that obscure welding class you took sophomore year), Lil' Chuckee (Need I say More), and Lil' Twist (And shout). The group is all under Young Money Entertainment, owned by Lil Wayne himself. This squad should be required to produce semi-decent material. They've all shown their chops before and should have some talent.

Unfortunately, they group is not what they should be. Every song is the perverted rambling of a group of immature adults who find a sexual metaphor for everything in life. Seriously, the entire album is a verbal porno. It seems that there is a checklist to make songs for Young Money.

• The song must contain 3/4th's "creative" metaphors on how to sleep with seven women at once
• Always mention how ever many toilets are in your house. Don't question this.
• Talk about how much you don't want to fight, but never end that remark without saying that you will fight/kill people. Otherwise you're just a soft. Pansy
• Try your hardest to mention the Meca of Young Money; "New Arlins"
• Reference your drug uses. That way it's like a game of hide and seek with the DEA.
• NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, GET LIL' WAYNE ON THE TRACK SOMEHOW. EVEN IF IT IS A RECORDING OF HIM WALKING AROUND IN TAP-DANCE SHOES, GET SOMETHING OF HIM ON THERE.

That's right, the whenever the kid's get in trouble (apparently you can only talk about consummating so much), the kids call daddy Wayne to fix the track. And sure enough, the three deceiving hits that convinced me to buy the album feature more Weezy than any of the other 12 excruciatingly mediocre tracks. In those three songs, "Every Girl In The World", "Bedrock", and "Steady Mobbin", Dwayne Carter manages to salvage the mess, but Papa Wayne can't get the crew out of trouble on the rest of the mess. The album cover is painfully ironic as angry looking Daddy Wayne is permanently crying over his groups attempt at an album. Drake somehow got out of a good portion of the album, and is the least connected to the project in the group. There are some truly bad verses from the people you would expect ("My momma calls me Gudda"). Nicki Manij is one of the hardest to hear. Nicki Manij sounds like the ridiculously vulgar spam porn messages in chatrooms, vocalized. She is nasty. She doesn't have a problem in stating to the world that she is the biggest slut in the history of desperate rap groupies. She is disgusting bait to lure in obliviously horny teenagers to the music. It disturbs me that she puts material into the public to be heard, because it is destroying any image of complexity rap is trying to convey. Let me give you a heads up, just don't listen to "Bedrock", "Play in My Band", "F@#$ Da B$%^S@#$", "Roger That", "Street's Watchin", or "Finale", as they all feature the musical travesty. And speaking of musical travesties, Lil Wayne spends the first 50 seconds of "Mrs. Parker" saying "Mrs. Parker" and "You will never let a n#$%%^ fall" thirteen times, which is miserably annoying. Lil' Wayne should be punishing both his "kids" and himself for the piece of crap that is We are Young Money. Don't believe me? Listen for yourself.

Brandi Carlile- Give Up The Ghost

Well, school's back, and I couldn't be more excited...........My classes are decent, I guess. Pre-Cal is going to suck, badly. I'm just ready to cruise out of the big SD and sail right on to the significantly bigger UT. But, you don't care. You are hopefully reading this for advice on music. So without further ado, I present, Brandi Carlile.

Brandi Carlile, born in Ravendale, Washington (about 50 miles from Seattle), began singing on a local country radio station at the age of 8. At 17, she learned how to play guitar after catching a glimpse of rock and roll from Elton John's Tumbleweed Connections. Brandi started working her way up the ladder, takings gigs wherever she could, and eventually began opening for bands like Dave Matthews, Indie.Arie, and Shawn Colvin. In 2005, Brandi Carlile signed with Columbia Records. She released her self-titled album in 2005, The Story (produced by T Bone Burnett) in 2007, and Give Up The Ghost (produced by Rick Rubin) in 2009. For those who don't know, that is heck-a impressive.

Brandi's voice is the central driving force behind every song she belts. Everything else is trivial; beautiful, eloquent, and genius, but trivial. She has such extreme control over her vocals, that she can captivate audiences from of all ages (her shows are known to entertain a large assortment of toddlers), and to everyones listening pleasure, she has managed to showcase all aspects of her vocal ability on this masterfully crafted 11 track album. On her senior year epiphany "That Year", Brandi pours out her feelings for a boy without realizing the harsh beauty in her words. As the song plays, I envision high school slowly reeling into the darkness before my eyes while I watch in apprehensive acceptance.

In one of the most dramatic mood shifts of all time, Brandi suddenly revs up the engine and takes her audience on a sunny road trip on brightly rolling "Caroline". With terribly catchy melodies and a full barrage of wild west piano riffs, honky tonk guitar, and imaginative storytelling, the song takes listeners and throws them into a state pure music happiness. One verse in the song takes its time weaving intricate details of the never ending touring and her love for the "stars and lights and birds" before nonchalantly declaring, "I love you best". The song rolls on to an end like a train lulling into station, always ready for another round.

Brandi's backing band is subtly phenomenal. The focus never really strays from Brandi, but there is not a song with a single musical hole to b filled; everything fits together like a jig-saw. The pieces all click together as the perfect compliment to the sultry folk Brandi lays out to the world. The album is directed towards any one in pain, of any sort. Brandi seems to be asking you to give up the ghost in your life, whatever may be holding you back from the joys of living. So, put in the album, sit back, and deal with your troubles later; just focus on a beautiful sound when you are given the chance.

For the love of everything good, give Wing a chance.

Do you enjoy the frolick and merriment of late night drunk karaoke? Do you enjoy the sound of a woman slowly being impaled by butter knife? Well then, you are going to LOVE Wing. Wing is your creepy little old asian neighbor from down the street who will invite you in her house and feed you hard candy until your gums bleed; all the while asking you questions of your favorite hobbies and if you like girls yet. Have I got across how creepy Wing is yet? Ok, this is the male version of Wing.

Do you get it yet? Anyways, pretend that this creepy lady from down the street is so god-awful that someone gave her the chance to record not one, not two, but sixteen albums, all available for your listening pleasure on her website and Itunes. She is an even more concentrated form of William Hung. She really might be the worst singer of all time, all the while being one of my favorite singers of all time. It's almost awe-inspiring how she perseveres in her career. She knows that the music must be heard. Allow me to list some of the classic albums Wing has released.

1. Wing Sings All Your Favorite's
2. Wing Sings The Beatles
3. Wing Sings AC/DC
4. Wing Sings More AC/DC (because one album couldn't cover all the awesomeness)
5. Dancing Queen By Wing
6. Wing Sings Elvis
7. Beat It (Featuring Beat It, The Man In The Mirror, Candle In The Wind, and My Heart Will Go On)

So I've established that Wing is a pretty amazing woman; utilizing one of the worst voices in history to reach out to almost no one. But I'm determined to change that. Buy one of her albums. Please. It would make both mine and Wing's days a little better. On a side note, If you tack on three extra dollars to the purchase of one of her albums (only on her site) she will sing to you over the phone. Honest to god, I'm not kidding. She will call you up and sing you the song of your choosing. Even if you just want one song, purchase something, play it loud for everyone to hear, and brighten your day more than you ever dreamed possible.

Michael McDonald?

It's a bit old now, but I just got the chance to hear Michael McDonald with Grizzly bear on the track "While You Wait For The Others", and I am shocked. The same man who has excreted some of the absolute cheesiest music in history; the same man who has raped various christmas songs for every ounce of their worth, recorded a great song with one of the "hippest" indie bands on the music scene today. While the thought of Michael McDonald in skinny jeans and a tight denim button-up might haunt my dreams, his voice really shines behind the super mellow guitar fidgeting. Now I want to hear Rick Astley singing "Mansard Roof" with Vampire Weekend.