Music Mixes: March 2012

The Cure - Friday, I'm In Love
Dr. Dre - I Need A Doctor
Flo Rida - Good Feeling
Florence + the Machine - Breaking Down
Florence + the Machine - Lover To Lover
Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons - Walk Like A Man
fun. - I Wanna Be The One
fun. - At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)
fun. - Walking the Dog
fun. - Some Nights
Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know
Jessie J - Domino
Kelly Clarkson - What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)
Mumford and Sons - The Banjolin Song
Noah and the Whale - Love Of An Orchestra
The Rascals - People Got To Be Free
Regina Spektor - All The Rowboats
Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancin'

Music Mixes: February 2012

Beyonce - Best Thing I Never Had
The Black Keys - Tighten Up
Camera Obscura - Swans
Camera Obscura - Honey In The Sun
Chairlift - I Belong In Your Arms
fun. feat. Janelle Monae - We Are Young
Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts
Jason Aldean feat. Kelly Clarkson - Don't You Wanna Stay
Jessie J - Stand Up
Kanye West - All Of The Lights
Lady Antebellum - Just A Kiss
Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
Mika - Elle Me Dit
Noah and the Whale - Shape Of My Heart
Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
The Strokes - You Only Live Once
Young the Giant - Apartment
Young the Giant - My Body
Young the Giant - Cough Syrup

Music Mixes: January 2012

Wow, haven't done one of these in a long while. Here we go:

Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent - also, Kate Nash's cover.
The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice
Camera Obscura - Swans
Camera Obscura - Honey In The Sun
Chairlift - I Belong In Your Arms - doesn't the intro sound like Baba O'Riley? A little?
Grouplove - Naked Kids
Gym Class Heroes - Stereo Hearts
Kelly Clarkson - Addicted
Matt Nathanson - Faster
Mika - Elle Me Dit
Noah And The Whale - Jocasta
Noah And The Whale - Rocks & Daggers
Simon & Garfunkel - Cecilia
Simon & Garfunkel - I Am A Rock
The Strokes - You Only Live Once
The Strokes & Regina Spektor - Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men
Young The Giant - Apartment

Coldplay in Madrid

This concert was freaking amazing. And I know I say that a lot, but for this concert I mean it. I had behind-the-stage seating, but it definitely wasn't worse in all aspects. It wasn't exactly mosh pit, but we got to see the band first, before they went onstage. Also, the a lot of the stage effects looked really cool from the back - probably better than if I was in the front. I got there early, so I had a seat pretty close to the stage. Sometimes Chris Martin or Jonny Buckland would come around to the back and we would get a faceful of Chris or Jonny. (Hi there!)

The venue: Plaza de Toros de las Ventas.

Snazzy light-up wristbands

Yellow. Of course.

Jonny and Chris. Bromance :)

Jonny and Guy (I think?) doing what they do best: rocking out.

Chris Martin in a confetti storm. They were butterfly confetti, if you were wondering. I wanted to grab one as a souvenir, but I couldn't isolate one.

More GPOChrisandJonny. (This is all during In My Place.)

The stage.

Will, Guy, Jonny, Chris. I forget what song it was, but it was good. Like all the others. (With the possible exception of Every Teardrop) I think it was Til Kingdom Come. Up In Flames had this same layout, except Chris was on piano.

Also, I did not know that it was possible to set off fireworks in the rain. I guess you learn something new every day.

Set list:
Mylo Xyloto
Hurts Like Heaven
Yellow
In My Place
Major Minus
Lost
The Scientist
Violet Hill
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
Paradise
Up In Flames
Til Kingdom Come
Politik
Viva La Vida
Charlie Brown
Life Is For Living

Encores:
Clocks
Fix You
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

Coldplay - Paradise

I am suddenly and somewhat inexplicably obsessed with this song and music video. (Aren't all obsessions somewhat inexplicable?) I think it's because I had a formidable collection of stuffed animals when I was younger. Well. I still do.

Also, I like the word Parlophone.



I like the part where the elephant uses his trunk to hold onto the bar in the metro. I wish I had a trunk for that.

Doesn't Chris Martin the elephant look so excited to find the rest of his band? That makes me really happy. I like to think that my stuffed animals became friends and formed a band in the Serengeti*.

*Wikipedia informs me that the Serengeti is in Tanzania and Kenya, and the elephants in this music video were in South Africa.

Ten Reasons Why This Video Wins.

1. Upright bass. Like an electric bass, but more intimidating.
2. Resonator mandolin. 'Nuff said. Also, it appears to have a peg at the fourth fret - what the heck? I think it's separate from his capo. *edit: electric banjo. That explains the peg.
3. Accordian, which is like a piano except more ridiculous because one side is a piano but the other side has 120 buttons, and then you have to work the bellows at the same time. Ben Lovett armed with an accordian = 1 pianist + 3 brass players. I want to learn how to play the accordian.
4. Acoustic guitar with untrimmed strings, which would be a tremendous health hazard to anyone standing to the left of Marcus Mumford, except everyone's eyes are closed 90% of the time so it's ok.
5. I have the same Kyser capo as the aforementioned Marcus Mumford.
6. Crazy-ass microphone.
7. Foot-stomping.
8. Everyone is really good-looking.
9. Brit-tish, anyone?
10. Oh yeah, and the song is amazing. Even live. Especially live.

Recent Music Obsessions

Ellie Goulding - Lights. The original is better than the Bassnectar remix. Others may disagree, but I think it sounds too rushed and overproduced, like when you play with a picture in PhotoShop, and you keep adjusting the colors and then you realize ten minutes later that it looks ridiculous. I dunno, maybe it's because I listened to the original first.

Here's the remix, for reference.

Ellie Goulding - Your Song. Originally by Elton John. HM thinks Ellie's is better. I tend to agree, if only because her video has an awesome hat and cat.
The fact that Ellie can sing two such different songs as Lights and Your Song that well is a testament to her versatility and general BAMFness.

Ellie Goulding - I'll Hold My Breath. Actually, I really like pretty much all her songs.

The Strokes - Killing Lies. My first Strokes song. I see that they perform at all the indie rock festivals, but I've never looked up their songs. Crucial error on my part.

The Strokes - You Only Live Once. The top-rated comment for this music video on YouTube reads: "STAND UP DRUMMER! FOR GODS SAKE STAND UP!" 153 thumbs-ups. OMG dying over here.

Vienna Teng - I Don't Feel So Well. Another amazing artist I never got into until now. Which is inexcusable because I first heard of her at the Jason Mraz concert in 2008. She didn't perform, but there was an ad for her in the program, and HM was like, "Ooh Vienna Teng! I love her!" And now, three years later, I finally listened to her songs.

Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man. Yet another artist I kept hearing about but only listened to half-heartedly until now. Why do I do this to myself? Also - yay upright bass :) reminds me of SB. And, electric mandolin. I love how those things look and sound, but I especially love their name.

Mumford & Sons - The Cave. I'm pretty sure I listened to this song before a few times before I really got into it. I think most of Mumford & Sons' songs are like that.

I feel like I was supposed to listen to some Bon Iver too, what song was it?

Oh yeah, Skinny Love. Not a bad song, but I haven't gotten into it yet. Maybe if I listen multiple times.

Arcade Fire - Deep Blue. The quintessence of hipster indie rock (until The Suburbs won the Grammy for Album of the Year, and, as they say, the hipsters didn't know how they should react). Um, why do they have so few music videos?? I tried to look up Crown Of Love but I couldn't find it either.

Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks. Random: first heard of this song on NPR a few months ago, on a feature called "Songs of this summer" or something. Right after Party Rock Anthem.

Coldplay - Fix You. I always have periods of indifference towards this song, which is probably because the verse portion of the song is not exceptional. All the other parts, however, are. Especially the bridge. Wordless bridges are almost always better than bridges with words (see: Mumford & Sons) (with the exception of Mika's We Are Golden). It's too bad songs these days almost always have bridges with words, unlike oldies songs. Bands nowadays are too in love with the sound of their voices. Anyways! So excited to see them in concert.

Ingrid Michaelson - Parachute. Non-acoustic version. I had had only the acoustic version for several months, because AK gave me it way back when. I had a sudden resurgance of obsession for this song, which prompted me to buy the non-acoustic version from iTunes. It may or may not be better than the acoustic version. Acoustic versions are great, but sometimes you just gotta have a bit of bass (definitely JH's insidious influence (jk)). Acoustic version here for reference. I was in El Corte Inglés the other day, and I heard this song and I was like OMG I LOVE YOU INGRID YOU MADE IT OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO SPAIN! But no, it was the Cheryl Cole version, which I normally tolerate/like, but since it was not Ingrid, it was slightly disappointing. (over it though)

Billy Joel - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song). Workin' too hard can give you a heart attack-ack-ACK-ACK-ACK-ACK :D

It's strange that I have so many new song obsessions. Usually at least a third of my song list are old favorites, a portion is old songs that I rediscovered, and the rest is comprised of new discoveries. I guess that's what happens when you leave your iTunes library at home and can't (remember to) listen to old songs on repeat.