Because I had to stay at the C stage the whole day to get good pics for Beirut, I missed a lot of bands I wanted to see. I also got there a little late, and missed what I heard to be the best act so far. Apparently Plants and Animals was amazing, and all I heard throughout the day was how good their set was. Oh well. I managed to catch some solid acts, Beirut probably being my favorite of the day. They were also joined by Final Fantasy towards the end, whose set I kind of heard from across the park (did he open with a "My Body Is A Cage" cover?) Yeasayer surprised me again and turned in an energy-filled set that I was more than pleased with. And the National was, you know, the National: they were solid. Click da pic for a bigga view.
Well I'm off to Chicago to bring you guys (hopefully) good coverage of what I think is the festival with the best lineup this summer has to offer. Some fantastic acts are playing P4k Fest, so count on what should be day to day coverage on stuff like this:
Ok, ok. Fleet Foxes actually won't be there, but I'll take any excuse to watch that video. Anyway, all these videos are from La Blogotheque, which we all strongly suggest you visit.
While this is in fact Tuesday, I still have the spirit of MMM. I thought this week I'd just give you some videos of things I've been listening to lately. The first is something I think all of us here at f/k would agree is quite stellar. While Donovan hopefully has a signed copy of the vinyl in the mail, the new Decemberists album The Hazards of Love leaked onto the internet a couple of days ago. The instrumentation is quite different from their previous efforts, which makes for a very interesting listen. All the songs are quite dense, and multiple listens are certainly necessary. In any event, enjoy Meloy as he croons in his usual manner, and showcases what we now know is "Isn't It a Lovely Night" and "The Rake's Song."
The next is something I've given a second chance to. Madvillainy by Madvillain is one of the most critically acclaimed hip hop album of the 21st century, though some argue that's it's not hip hop. I am by no means a rap fan, or even a hip hop fan. But there is just something about how the lyrics flow perfectly with the beat. Madvillainy was released on an indie label, so I guess that makes it fine to blog about on f/k. Here's "Accordion," a fantastic track from the aforementioned album, and probably a song that you won't hear on regular hip hop or rap stations due to its brevity and odd accordion sound.
What I can only imagine is the dream of every person in every school band, everywhere. Footage of Yorke working with the USC marching band and other backstage preparations prior to the fantastic Grammy performance. If anything, it's more of Thom dancing.
Finally, I thought this needed to be posted again. Because, let's face it, it's the world's greatest.
A fantastic combo of old and new...Beirut released a double EP in record stores today, titled March Of The Zapotec / Realpeople Holland. They split it in half, so that the first disc is classic Beirut, and the second disc is an electronic side that is some sort of solo project for singer Zach Condon. What’s the outcome? A fantastic combo of old and new. For your listening pleasure, I’ve decided to post a sample song from each disc. “The Shrew” is from March Of The Zapotec. Full of tubas, trumpets, and other various horns, there is something about its simplicity that makes it great. “My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille “ is arguably the best song of the dual EP set. It’s dancey and joyous, with a steady bass drum and some catchy synth to seal the deal. I highly recommend that you go out now and download the full release. Enjoy.
It should come as no surprise to any reader of this that I and my fellow fork/knifers are huge fans of Beirut. I am particularly a fan of their first album, Gulag Orkestar, which really offers the listener a wide array of sounds and displays breathtaking musical proficiency. My second favorite track off the album is a short but beautiful song called "Scenic World." (Number one is obviously "Postcards from Italy") I was, therefore, blown away by this live version of "Scenic World" that I found a little while ago. They convert all the electronic parts from the original to violin, and I have to say that it works magnificently. I therefore have posted the video from this beautiful performance for all to see and enjoy.
This is a brand new song called "My Night With A Prostitute From Marseille". The group is Beirut. They are awesome. The song is from one of their two upcoming EP's, both scheduled for release on February 16th. Thanks to my friend Kevin for showing me this song!
In my opinion, Beirut is one of the most unique and entertaining groups in music today. Led by Zach Condon, they've released two full length albums of brilliant material. They sound like a pop band from the 1800's roaming the streets of Italy or France that's been thrown into the modern world. Every time I put on a Beirut record I'm struck by the gorgeous quality of Condon's voice. He's a 23 year old from Santa Fe, and his beautiful baritone vocals lead Beirut's songs with an undeniable strength. Below, I've posted an mp3 of the video above, as well as one of my favorite songs from Beirut, "Nantes". I hope you enjoy!
Now, on to real business. For the next twelve days leading up to Christmas, I'm going to post a Christmas song, because it's just too gimmicky to let pass by. We'll start off with a fantastic song by Sufjan Stevens. While he may be falling off schedule on his whole "Album for Every State" project, in '06 he released a box of five EP's featuring only Christmas songs. So you may see another of Mr. Stevens songs in the future, because they're all quite good. Enjoy, and start getting in the holiday cheer.
Everyone here at fork/knife absolutely loves music, and we hope that you do too. If there's a particular artist that you're liking, then we recommend you support them and go buy their music and/or go see them in concert.
forkknifeblog@gmail.com
If you're an artist or you represent an artist and you wish for any of your songs to be taken down, email us at the email above and we'll be more than happy to comply and remove it.
Because I had to stay at the C stage the whole day to get good pics for Beirut, I missed a lot of bands I wanted to see. I also got there a little late, and missed what I heard to be the best act so far. Apparently Plants and Animals was amazing, and all I heard throughout the day was how good their set was. Oh well. I managed to catch some solid acts, Beirut probably being my favorite of the day. They were also joined by Final Fantasy towards the end, whose set I kind of heard from across the park (did he open with a "My Body Is A Cage" cover?) Yeasayer surprised me again and turned in an energy-filled set that I was more than pleased with. And the National was, you know, the National: they were solid. Click da pic for a bigga view.
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