The Mystic Valley is Mystical!

There has been one thing that had clashed between Paul and I for a long time, and that is one man by the name of Conor Oberst. Now, as many of you hipsters know, the new Conor Oberst self-titled album officially came out in the U.S. on August 5th, though it has been on the internet for quite some time. I remember when I found out about the album, then, when I found out about the tour. I was at the Philadelphia show on August 11th, (I know I suck at updating, I meant to that night, but I couldn’t get on the internet with my Mac and felt bad using my friend’s desktop) and to be honest, it was the best show I believe I’ve ever been to. Now, many of you cringe at the mention of the man who is affiliated with Bright Eyes, who is Bright Eyes. However, I tell you, listen to Conor Oberst. It is some of the best work I’ve heard in a while and it is racking up the plays on my iTunes. So, put your prejudices behind you.

The opening track is called “Cape Canaveral” which is a beautiful and elegant song, and my personal favorite on the album. Close seconds are “Milk Thistle” (I cried during this one at the show, I’m not afraid to admit it, it was beautiful and touching) and “Souled Out!!!” which has a new video out:

Now, while this may not tickle the fancy of many of you out there, it certainly did to the large amount of hipsters that waited outside the Troc that fateful night. Many, like me, were excited, but concealed it behind their apathetic attitudes (I didn’t, sorry) and arrived early, providing some in line laughs and eye rolling. Now, the show was sold out, very packed, and I hope if you ever go to a show with a parent that doesn’t know show etiquette that they stand in the back, drinking like good parents that need to pass the time. They truly can be irritating when they elbow you, telling you to back off. If that woman reads this, Sorry, I was being shoved against you, too. I didn’t want to be, trust me. There were plenty of others I’d prefer to be pushed against. For the most part, the fans were friendly and good natured, being apathetic and smoking and talking outside the venue. It had a great feeling, as it was a very intimate show, and I’d advise you all to go to a show if you can. I recently found out that there will be two shows in New York City this November. So, buy your tickets and relax, giving a good listen to the music.

Songs can be found here: myspace.com/conoroberst and are available in your local Borders, F.Y.E. or iTunes.

 

So, since it’s been so long, and I feel bad, I propose a challenge to Paul. Let’s give each other bands to blog about, so we just don’t pick things we are already opinionated about. What do you think, buddy?

Jump Little Hipster Children!

Today I bring to you the mind-blowningly incredible (yet tragically disbanded) South Carolinian alternative rockers Jump, Little Children. It’s funny because if you take the comma out of the band name, they seem to be imperatively encouraging you to sneak up on small children and beat them senseless. Oh, punctuation, where would I be without you? Off jumping little children, I guess. But let’s forget my little grammar lesson–I’ll leave that to Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

Jump, Little Children was formed in 1991 at the North Carolina School of the Arts. They began their career playing Irish folk but soon began incorporating more of an alternative rock/pop sound into their original work. Their work ranges from electric guitar-heavy alternative rock to peacefully acoustic and folksy pop. Whatever the orchestration in the background, lead singer and guitarist Jay Clifford‘s voice drives right through it and is among the purest and most distinct in music today. He never seems over matched by a song or sounds like he’s straining his voice; it is always effortless and beautiful.

On the other hand, when Matthew Bivins takes the lead on vocals, Jump, Little Children‘s sound changes entirely. Often backed by Clifford‘s harmonies or ethereal background vocals, Bivins spins tales slam poetry-style atop the atmospherically appropriate bass and drums. The vignette style lyrics read like scenes of a play and Bivins’ performances of these songs are known to captivate audiences at live shows.

I have two picks for today. One Jump song featuring Clifford and another featuring Bivins.
While there are many Clifford Jump songs I could pick from, my personal favorite is a track off of the 2001 record Vertigo called “Lover’s Greed:“

(Close Your Eyes ran a close second; you can find it here.)

As for a Bivins number, it was difficult to choose. It’s a toss-up between The Singer, Body Parts and Habit. Because this is a great live performance, and because I can’t find The Singer on YouTube, I give you pick #2: Habit.

If you like these, I suggest you check into more Jump, Little Children (official site / myspace). Sadly, the band is on indefinite hiatus after a messy situation with their record label, but they have plenty of music in their repertoire, and it’s all good. Also, they’re all pursuing their own side projects. Jay Clifford‘s new solo CD, Driving Blind, is absolutely incredible. You can check him out at his myspace. I highly recommend his song “Know When to Walk Away“–even if Zach Braff is making the video for it. I hope it’s sooo quirky and hip and underground like Garden State.

With lips of an angel, I’m sure you get over 9,000 kisses.

There is one hit that keeps returning to radio stations around the globe since it came out in 2006. A month of it on the radio was enough, thank you. Actually, it would have been much nicer if it never existed, since this song is a misdemeanor and continues to be played on every “hip” radio station which focus on R&B and other hit songs. This godawful song is “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder. For those who have not had the pleasure of listening to this horrendous track, let me explain the overall meaning of the song. But first, the music video.

The greasy, black haired frontman is upset in this video. He has a blonde in his bed, oh but he wants the brunette, so he calls her up. Unfortunately for him, he can’t have both. Oh, the agony! He tries to charm her, but fails because, well, look at him. If a guy was singing a horribly produced song about how my lips were like an angel’s to me over the phone, I would turn him down too. He is feeling very down about himself because he can’t get what he wants, and I just feel so bad for him. Their oh-so-hip rock melodies drift through our radios and make the listeners cringe and change the station.

My question is this: If the sound of this song, the call this man is making for a woman with “Lips of an Angel,” is aggravating everyone, then why does it continue to be played on radio stations around the country? We have a duty to stop this song from playing anymore.  

Do we really want these men to continue plaguing our music venues, our MTV shows, and our radio stations? The answer is no. We want fresh, good, good looking artists to appear in venues and our radio stations. Hearing these men preform is not something pleasant and seeing them in general is not something to remember. The front man has a coy attitude which is clear in the above picture. He knows the distress he is causing the music scene, you can see it in his stance. “Lips of an Angel” has played too long. This must be ended. It was annoying enough when it first came out two years ago, and it should have ended there. There is no need to force it down our throats now. It is not a hit anymore, so why are we being forced to listen to it?

The music scene really needs to take these things into account. Annihilate the music that plagues us. It’s the only way.

 

Highly Suspicious? Give in to your Evil Urges anyway.

Today’s pick comes from My Morning Jacket‘s new album Evil Urges, which is set to drop on June 10th.

The unexpectedly funky, Prince-esque Highly Suspicious, rife with kick drum beats, riffs and falsetto, could make any indie kid want to throw an impromptu dance party/rave in his or her living room–which is saying something significant. No idea if the song itself is saying anything significant; I can’t understand what Jim James is singing (do I hear something about peanut butter pudding surprises? Uhh.. possibly?)–just know that he sounds cool singing whatever it is. Think Beck’s Midnite Vultures meets Stevie Ray Vaughan (Or “some kind of metal musical starring Michael Jackson,” as a good hipster friend of mine put it), then listen to it here:

In their upcoming release, the Kentucky-based alternative rockers will pick up where they left off on ‘Z’, continuing their evolution towards a more eclectic mix of genres. While it’s a bit more experimental than what we might expect from My Morning Jacket, the new album has a little something for everyone, from the country-tinged rock single I’m Amazed for the older fans, to riff-heavy tunes like Remnants and Aluminum Park for fans of MMJ in the One Big Holiday vein, to more low-key, atmospheric numbers like Touch Me I’m Going to Scream and the uncharacteristically narrative Librarian. Like its predecessor, Evil Urges is an all around must-have album.

You can preview the entire album at My Morning Jacket’s myspace or check out more at http://mymorningjacket.com/