WHO: Menomena

WHAT: “Mines“

WHERE: I came across this band while meandering through the hipster hodgepodge that is the Urban Outfitters’ floor layout. “Five Little Rooms” came on the store speakers, and it wasn’t until I started getting looks from other customers that I realized that I had just gotten lost in the song and had sort of spaced out. Once I regained consciousness, I whipped out the iPhone and Shazamed what was left of the song.

WHY: These guys have a really cool Interpol meets Kings of Leon sound that makes me want to pour myself a Capt. & coke and just chill the F out. I enjoy the fact that from song to song I’m caught off guard by which direction “Mines” takes, making for a really interesting album. The sometimes moody sometimes upbeat (yet always sans pop) tracks on this album make it my new favorite happy hour soundtrack. Two drinking references… I sound like an alcoholic.

BONUS: Amazon is selling “Mines” for only $3.99 TODAY ONLY!

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WHO: The Gaslight Anthem

WHAT: “American Slang“

WHERE: I’ve been meaning to check out this band since their first album came out in 2007. I recently came across their new song “American Slang” from their new album of the same moniker on a mixtape I downloaded. After hearing the single I knew I had to hear the rest and decided to give these guys a proper listen.  Oh how I regret all the time (and albums) I’ve missed spending with The Gaslight Anthem.

WHY: Although slightly mellower than their older stuff (yes, I did my homework) this album still packs a lot of good old american rock. After one listen you will feel like you’ve had this album for years because all the songs have a comforting Springsteen-esq sound. What really hooked me were the lyrics (naturally) that deal with just trying to survive life… something I can relate to very well right now in my new city. I posted some of the more mellower tracks, but don’t be deceived, there are some good “rock out” ones too.

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Filed under: Heavy Rotation, New to Me Tagged: american slang, boxer, rock & roll, she loves you, springsteen, the diamond church street choir, the gaslight anthem, we did it when we were young ]]> http://daysounds.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/day-42-the-gaslight-anthem/feed/ 0 Rock gaslight http://daysounds.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/day-41-we-were-promised-jetpacks/ http://daysounds.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/day-41-we-were-promised-jetpacks/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:01:05 +0000 Rock http://daysounds.wordpress.com/?p=418 ]]> “Right foot / followed by your left foot / We gotta get you home / before your curfew / and into your bed”

WHO: We Were Promised Jetpacks

WHAT: “These Four Walls“

WHERE: While on a Cinco De Mayo bender running around downtown Chicago, a drink special brought myself and my Dag, Crissly, into a bar called Hub 51. It was in said bar, that I met Al, the bartender, who besides being a really cool guy also had great taste in music. Al was really big into this band that had played in town a while back called “We Were Promised Jetpacks.” I had read something about the band in one of my music mags, but I had never followed up with a listening session. Once I returned home, I looked up WWPJ and I have been a fan since.

WHY: It’s hard to explain why WWPJ are so addicting. The more I listen to this album the more I like it. Maybe it’s the scottish accent, the transitions from calm vocals to all out yelling, or just the fact that the lyrics convey so much with so little words. “These Four Walls” is definitely full of emotional rock that has been perfect during my recent road trips and while seeking refuge from the crazy Chicago thunderstorms.

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WHO: Good Old War

WHAT: “Good Old War“

WHERE: After hearing a Good Old War song on the “SPIN‘s 2010 Bamboozle Mixtape!” and then reading about their new album in the July AP, I gave into the music gods’ hints that I should check out this band and looked them up.

WHY: Ever since I downloaded Good Old War’s new album and then subsequently their first album, “Only Way To Be Alone,” I have been obsessed with these guys. Good Old War have a super relaxed feel good sound that is an instant upper, even if some of their lyrics are a bit depressing. The catchy sing-along choruses are addicting without being obnoxious. This is one of those bands that I continue to be stoked about every time I play their albums.

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There are so many good songs on these two albums, I included more songs than usual. Enjoy.

WHO: The Builders and The Butchers

WHAT: “Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well“

WHERE: Let me start off by saying I’m a sucker for cool band names. The more interesting a band’s name is the more likely I’m going to want to check them out. Chalk it up to classic consumer behavior I guess. Well needless to say that the moniker “The Builders and The Butchers” definitely  jumped out at me from the “Listeners Also Bought” section of iTunes while I was downloading the new Murder By Death album. After a few tracks I was completely hooked and almost forgot that I had originally gone on to iTunes to download another band. Moral of the story: Good band names always win and Apple knows its shit.

WHY: Anyone who is into folk and The Decemberist, like myself, will instantly love The Builders and The Butchers. TB&TB are basically a more upbeat folk version of The Decemberist. I can’t really explain it, but there is just something really interesting about the song arrangements that keeps you interested from beginning to end on this album. Oh and if you like this album be sure to check out their first self-titled album.

PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAG!

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Filed under: Current Obsession, Heavy Rotation Tagged: devil town, down in this hole, golden and green, murder by death, PBR worthy, salvation is a deep dark well, the builders and the butchers, the decemberist ]]> http://daysounds.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/day-39-the-builders-and-the-butchers/feed/ 0 Rock buildersandbutchers http://daysounds.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/day-38-local-natives/ http://daysounds.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/day-38-local-natives/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:01:06 +0000 Rock http://daysounds.wordpress.com/?p=385 ]]> “And even though I can’t be sure / Memory tells me that these times are worth working for”

WHO: Local Natives

WHAT: “Gorilla Manor“

WHERE: Never underestimate the value of the free mixtape. Being a music junkie I can’t help myself when I come across an offer for free music. Now sometimes there is a reason it’s free, it sucks. But there is an occasion when what’s being given away actually has some substance. The source of the free music can also influence the value. I have found gold twice now with SPIN Magazine’s free online mixtapes. The recent “Campfire Songs: A Bonnaroo Mixtape 2010” offered by the music mag was not perfect in its entirety, but there were some gems, namely the Local Natives. After hearing the So Cal band’s “World News,” I was instantly hooked and wanted more.

WHY: After six long months of living in Indiana, I have finally moved up to Chicago. Moving is a nightmare whenever and wherever you do it, so I have needed chill music while packing and unpacking my life. The very So Cal laid back vibe of Local Natives’ “Gorilla Manor” has had the right mix of uptempo beats and chill vocals to keep me motivated yet relaxed (even when I lost my car keys 30 minutes into unpacking and had to wait 3 hours for a locksmith to arrive, yeah that sucked).

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PS: Kudos to B Ball & “Chigger” for keeping on me about updating this thing. Only people who read it anyway, Ha. Thanks Girls!

WHO: Smashing Pumpkins

WHAT: “Siamese Dream“

WHERE: To be honest I think I came into procession of my first Smashing Pumpkins album by accident. I remember not being that big of a fan of SP when they were big in the 90′s. I think it was when I went to college that I either found the “Siamese Dream” CD or to be embarrassingly honest I may have just bought it because of the commercial success of the song “Today.” Regardless of how I came about owning “Siamese Dream,” I remember becoming obsessed with “Disarm” and actually not ever listening to “Today” all that often. Go figure.

WHY: Although the song “Today” was not my favorite on the “Siamese Dream” album, it did become of personal importance to me by my 18th birthday. Let me just get out of the way that I am fully aware that the song, contrary to what the lyrics might lead you to believe, is actually a song about committing suicide. It is actually because of the subject matter that made this song become important to me. The song is essentially about completely giving up on your life because things seem to be too hard. Let’s just say I went though a lot of shit growing up, and I played this song on my 18th birthday as a reminder to myself to continue to strive and not to give up. Using a song about giving up as a reminder not to give up may seem a little backwards, but it works for me. After playing “Today” on my 18th birthday, I have continued to make it a point to listen to that song on every one one of my birthdays as a reminder that I made it another year without giving up. Today marks my 10 year anniversary of not giving up… oh yeah, did I fail to mention it’s my 28th birthday today?! Oh and Smashing Pumpkins are from Chicago too so they still work into my Chicago themed picks for the week… BINGO!

CHECK OUT: TWLOHA: To Write Love On Her Arms – “A non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.”

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WHO: Fall Out Boy

WHAT: “Take This To Your Grave“

WHERE: Not to sound completely cliché but I do feel like I was a Fall Out Boy fan long before they became huge. I remember being at Lou’s Records in Encinitas with my Buddy Crissly (like Bruce Lee), and as always I was checking out all the new albums on the listening stations. I came across FOB’s “Take This To Your Grave” and immediately fell in love with their extreme I-hate-you-esq emo lyrics. After many memorable concerts (including one where I blacked out due to mosh pit heat exhaustion) and 4 albums later it is weird to think how big they have become and how instead of seeing them on side stages with a few 100 people, they now play sold out arenas… they grow up so fast, HA. Anyways, even though FOB’s sound has moved out of my current musical taste spectrum, I’m still a fan. By the way, when I blacked out, I came to right as FOB came on, so I didn’t miss the show.

WHY: For most of my college years Fall Out Boy was my favorite band. Many road trips (and errands) have been spent (and some still to this day) with “Take This To Your Grave” blasting out the open windows of my truck while I screamed along with Patrick Stump, FOB lead singer. The main reason for FOB’s appearance this week is because in keeping with the theme of Chicago related songs while I’m in Chicago, I could not leave out FOB’s song “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago.” This song contains one of my all time FAVORITE sing-a-long lyrics:

“You want apologies / Girl, you might hold your breath / Until your breathing stops forever, forever / the only thing you’ll get / Is this curse on your lips: / I hope they taste of me forever“

Oh and the fact that Fall Out Boy is originally from Chicago doesn’t hurt  either. I also had to include one bonus FOB song, “Grenade Jumper,” in honor of my Dag for leaving the west coast to come celebrate with me in Chi-town.

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WHO: Frank Sinatra

WHAT: “Nothing But The Best“

WHERE: Who in my generation can ever really remember when they first heard Frank Sinatra? I feel like Sinatra has always been there for kids like me, kind of like the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Kids of the 80′s just grew up knowing of these artists and generally accepted they were great. I don’t think it’s until I grew up a little that I realized for myself the subtle cool that is Frank Sinatra. For the sake of expounding my recent interest in “old blue eyes” I have to give credit to Amazon’s daily deal on mp3s. A couple of weeks ago Amazon had a really good deal on a best of Sinatra collection that I couldn’t pass up.

WHY: Besides the fact that Sinatra is timeless, I am kicking off a week in Chicago today and could think of no better song than Frank’s Chicago adoring anthem “My Kind Of Town.”

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WHO: Right Away, Great Captain!

WHAT: “The Eventually Home“

WHERE: A few days ago I was reading the May issue of the my bible, aka Alternative Press magazine, and was naturally really excited to read about one of my favorite bands and that month’s cover story, Manchester Orchestra. The article on MO began almost immediately discussing the side project of lead singer, Andy Hull, called “Right Away, Great Captain!” Being an avid fan of Andy’s voice on the MO albums I was instantly compelled to whip out my laptop and check out RAGC’s Myspace page (yes, there is still ONE good reason for Myspace). After hearing his much mellower alter ego, which only surfaces once or twice on Manchester Orchestra tracks, I was completely hooked.

WHY: It’s been nothing but thunder, lightning, and rain here for the last couple of days, so the mellow, depressing, at times haunting, and very Bright Eyes esq sound of Right Away, Great Captain! has been an appropriate soundtrack to the views out my window. As an added bonus both RAGC! albums actually tell a story about a sailor out at sea (how appropriate) and his return home to find a cheating wife. The story begins on “The Bitter End,” the quieter of the two albums, and ends with “The Eventually Home.”

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