Quick Video Post – My Current Addictions:
The Duke Spirit - The Step and the Walk[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBK9P2AEBjA[/youtube]
Colin Meloy (in an elevator) - We Both Go Down Together
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm3WvDpPBac[/youtube]
Joseph Arthur - She Paints Me Gold
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUIse7stipw[/youtube]
Busta Rhymes - Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On 'Em)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTFbaE2WYFo[/youtube]
- Echo
When Puppets Ruled The World
A&R Brings You Our Top 5 Favorite Videos Involving Puppets!
1. Weezer (MySpace) – Keep Fishin' Getting right down to it we have Weezer featuring the most famous puppets of all, The Muppets. No one can deny the warm fuzzy feeling we get from the blissfully innocent Muppets. This just proves that bands are really just pseudo-adults hanging on to childhood for dear life.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=9nQWTMaNII4[/youtube]
2. He Is Legend (MySpace) - The Seduction As a band, He Is Legend is known for their creativity and diverse musical repertoire. In this video, they use their track's range of dynamics to tell the classic story we all live; guy puppet falls in love with girl puppet, monster eats girl puppet, guy puppet enters the belly of the beast to save girl puppet. The highlight is definitely that the monster does the screaming parts. Great choreography guys.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=-dHAX1tanNM[/youtube]
3. Supergrass (MySpace) - Pumping on Your Stereo In the range of puppet videos someone has finally dared to take puppeteering to the next level by becoming puppets themselves. Supergrass parallels their cartoony musical vibe with an equally colorful and jovial visual.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=WXL_Xb0zT5g[/youtube]
4. Interpol (MySpace) - Evil As it turns out, this may be the creepiest video of A@R's puppet countdown. Interpol created this video to usher out their much anticipated sophomore release, Antics. This is by far my favorite track off the album and perfectly answers the question; If you were in a terrible car accident, teetering on the edge of life and death, would you experience it as a morose, semi-conscious dancing puppet? Yes, I believe you would.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=RNtGYdm2rOY[/youtube]
5. Mr. Oizo - Flat Beat This video has the least amount of props, production, and finance, but that didn't stop it from becoming an international cult hit back in 1999. I remember seeing it as a kid at 4am on what used to be Much Music and getting lost in some sort of smiley trance. This childish play on the executive lifestyle is both refreshing and playfully cynical.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=YQXiew-DQH4[/youtube]
- Broken Humor
A Luscious Mix of Words and Tricks:
Most of you probably already know about these guys, but in case you don't, do yourself a favor and check out your new favorite band: The Shins (myspace). To quote Garden State, "it'll change your life, I swear." You'll probably start off light with a song or two saying "ahh, they're pretty good." Next, you'll move on to albums, then discographies. Eventually, it'll get to the point where you stop going to school/work because you're locked in your room all day listening to your favorite Shins song (which changes daily) on loop. Then come the interventions, the rehab, the withdrawal, etc. So just know what you're getting yourself into before you check out the latest gateway band to hit the streets. I'd recommend every song they've ever made...
...But if I had to pick some to start with:
- "Caring is Creepy"
- "New Slang"
- "Kissing the Lipless"
- "Fighting in a Sack"
- "Turn on Me"
- "Sea Legs"
- "Pressed in a Book"
Another one of those "best kept secret" bands is The Appleseed Cast, a group most of you probably heard of, just never actually heard. They've been my study/sleep/background mix for the past six months. They're by far the most relaxing, melodic indie band that I know of, and I think the subtle vocals and ethereal guitar lines are what really makes it. Also, from a musician's standpoint, these guys know what they're doing. They use technical concepts creatively, and blend it all in such a way that you wouldn't even notice unless you were looking for it.
If you like indie music and sex, then you'll like:
- "Steps and Numbers" (featured above)
- "Blind Man's Arrow"
- "Hanging Marionette"
- "Ice Heavy Branches"
- "On Reflection"
What do you get when you mix Shins-sounding vocals with Appleseed Cast-sounding music? Give up? Well, you get the up-and-coming Band of Horses (myspace) of course. Their albums Everything All the Time and Cease to Begin are chocked full of beautiful guitar lines with perfectly complementing vocal hooks from start to finish. I can't listen to them without feeling like I'm in a scene from a movie. And as a sidenote, if you check out their myspace, tell me the band members don't look like they're involved in an all out beard-growing competition. That's probably where they get all their Samson powers from. Anyway...
These are for you:
- "The Funeral" (featured above)
- "No One's Gonna Love You"
- "Island on the Coast"
- "Detlef Schrempf"
- "Is There a Ghost"
- Stansford
Yacht Rock #11?
Damn right it is.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX1Nh6c80wo[/youtube]
For those of you not in the know, 'Yacht Rock' 11 is the sweetest thing since.....well, the last episode of 'Yacht Rock.' JD Ryznar and Hunter Stair tear it up again in what seems like the 2nd-to-last installment of the Yacht Rock dynasty. Guest cameo? Pie-to-the-face-right there is! Jason Lee as Kevin Bacon. Enjoy Kenny Loggin's escape from Jimmy Buffet's cult-like compound, with the help of Michael McDonald, James Ingram, and smooth, smooth music. Cut everybody!
- Echo
Armed & Ready’s Most Anticipated Albums of 2008:
2008 Releases Guaranteed to Make You Tingle in Your Giblets:
1. Death Cab For Cutie (Myspace) - Narrow Stairs
Why Should We Be Excited: Ben Gibbard is one of the most talented singer/songwriters of our generation. Add Chris Walla to the mix and I’ll promise you nothing but gold. It’s been almost three years since the release of Plans and we’re all dying for a new collection of songs to spin and spin and probably never get sick of. Gibbard was quoted saying he’s is throwing away the overproduced recording mechanics and getting back to the purity of what made Transatlanticism such a potent record. Coming early this spring, I’m sure starving Death Cab fans will take Stairs with open arms, flaws and all.
A&R Suggests:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=tInDoGtKBs4[/youtube]
Why Should We Be Excited: I'm just going to say it... I forgot how to dance and it's all your fault Mr. Fink. It's hard to believe that Wet From Birth was released way back in 2004. I dare anyone to stand still when "Desperate Guys" or "Worked Up So Sexual" starts bumping in the club. Hell... I'd start dancing in the library if The Faint was even playing in my head. I guess it's time to dust off my dancing shoes and get ready for their August release. I was dying for some new cardio anyway.
A&R Suggests:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=uFMxKY-DXUM[/youtube]
3. She & Him - TBA
Why Should We Be Excited: This project is so fresh that we don't even have links for you! No website, no myspace, and very little hype. She & Him is the acoustic collaboration of indie-film starlet Zooey Deschanel and folk icon M. Ward. We've all heard her singing here and there in films like Elf and Winter Passing, but little did we know Zooey spent her time off screen making demos and singing nights in smoky L.A. nightclubs. Soon enough she met up with M.Ward for a movie collaboration and the two hit it off. Convincing her to really take her projects seriously, the two combined their talents on a tentatively untitled album due to grace your ears sometime this Fall.
Not the Best Quality, but Here's a Taste:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=mAMlyAGHdkA[/youtube]
4. Tilly and the Wall (Myspace) - TBA
Why Should We Be Excited: Jamie Pressnall, the percussionist of the Omaha quintet, was quoted saying the new album is more punk. Wait... more punk? Let me remind you that Pressnall's percussive instrument is nothing more than a pair of tap shoes. More punk? I'm confused. Regardless, Tilly and the Wall have given us two solid albums of quirky, and ever-so-catchy dance tracks like "Bad Education" and smooth steady acoustic ballads like "Let it Rain." I can't wait to see what they'll be bringing us early this June.
A&R Suggests:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=XZCZRTcY3uA[/youtube]
Also, look for albums announced this year from:
The Flaming Lips, Camera Obscura, Lily Allen, Ladytron, The Bronx, Mew, Alkaline Trio, CSS, Metric, and what's that? Oh yes, it's a new one from The Presidents of the United States of America.
- Broken Humor
A Maze of Amazing!
I'll admit it, back in college I experimented a little...with "experimental post-hardcore." I don't even know what that means. I feel like the people that make these genres up are the same people that invented Mad-Libs. If I had to label the following band, I would use about eight adjectives that, when put together, mean "I like to party." Therefore, I'd call The Receiving End of Sirens (myspace) technIcaL/sIcK/EnergeTic/melOdic/exPerimentAl/progRessive/well-crafTed/heavY music. They say a singer can make or break a band. But with two amazingly talented singers, these guys are musically dressed for success. Throw in some catchy riffs, syncopation, and a hint of random keyboard sequencing and you've got a unique sound that'll keep your musical taste occupied for a while.
Check-check it:
- "Dead Men Tell No Tales"
- "Planning a Prison Break"
- "The Evidence"
- "The War of All Against All"
- "Smoke and Mirrors"
Part of the genius behind The Receiving End of Sirens comes from one Mr. Casey Crescenzo (the guy on the keys in the video above). He broke apart from the band in 2006, and took an eclectic group of songs he had written over the years that didn't really fit the format of the band and started The Dear Hunter (myspace). Now, how to describe this music...it's like he wrote a bunch of musical styles and concepts onto a deck of cards, and then played 52-pickup. This guy definitely thinks before he writes music, and he knows what he's doin'. And on top of all that, his albums are tied to a detailed story he has written (holy concept-albums, Batman!). If you get a chance, try to get your hands on the first two albums:
- Act I: The Lake South, The River North
- Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading
Bold and underlined music suggestions don't lie:
- "1878"
- "City Escape"
- "Battesimo Del Fuoco"
- "The Church and the Dime"
- "The Bitter Suite 1 and 2: Meeting Ms. Leading and Through the Dime"
- "Evicted"
- "Red Hands"
- Stansford
Five New Videos To Make You Happypants:
MGMT - Time To Pretend:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=XVnRzEjpUmE[/youtube]
We Are Scientists - After Hours:
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=ER2yuiP2v2g[/youtube]
Goldfrapp - A&E:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRYvHYxezzk[/youtube]
Electric Soft Parade - If That's The Case, Then I Don't Know:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaXWW7SSH94[/youtube]
Phoenix - Long Distance Call:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKkkGjnt3-Q[/youtube]
The Messengers of Style: Foxy Shazam
Its official, Foxy Shazam has brought the hot sex with their sophomore album Introducing released… TODAY! That’s right; Armed & Ready is now bringing you reviews in real time. These
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=jqK1dE0FWo0[/youtube]
A&R Suggests:
The French Passion Animality Opera - The Flamingo Trigger
- Broken Humor
February’s 30 Songs To Dance To In The Shower:
Shampoo your hair into a faux-hawk, grab the shower head, Louvre, or bar of soap like a microphone and dance, monkey-boys and money-girls, dance! Some are old, most are new, but without adieu after adieu, here are the '30 Songs To Dance To In The Shower' (in nooo particular order, elitists) for you, our readers, to dance to in this romantic month of February, 2008:
1. Ratatat – Wildcat
2. Handsome Boy Modeling School – Holy Calamity (Ignore video, Song only)
3. Roisin Murphy – Ruby Blue
4. The Secret Handshake – Gamegirl
5. Jamie Lidell – A Little Bit More
6. Paramore – Here We Go Again
7. The Mooney Suzuki – Alive and Amplified
8. Say Anything – Wow, I Can Get Sexual, Too
9. Justin Timberlake – What You Got
10. Self – Meg Ryan
11. Eagles of Death Metal – I Only Want You
12. Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke
13. N*E*R*D – She Wants To Move (Remix feat. Common, Mos Def, Q-Tip & De La Soul)
14. We Are The Fury – Now You Know
15. Gnarls Barkley – Smiley Faces
16. Bumblebeez – Dr. Love
17. The Fratellis – Flathead
18. Joe Esposito – You're The Best (Classic Clip)
19. Britney Spears – Toxic (fucking right I said it)
20. Kate Nash – Foundations
21. We Are Scientists – The Great Escape
22. Nouvelle Vague – Dancing With Myself
23. Jonny Classic and The Classic Johns – Cosmic Dancer
24. The Von Bondies – C'Mon C'Mon
25. La Caution – Thé à la menthe
26. Cobra Starship – Guilty Pleasure
27. Kenna – Freetime
28. Billy Joel – Big Shot (look at that guitarist's stache!)
29. 311 – Don't Stay Home (Yes, horribly embarrassing video, but we love them.)
30. Arctic Monkies – Brianstorm
31. Bonus Round : Head Automatica – Beating Heart Baby
Warning(s) – The [former] law schooler in me feels as though there should be two warnings for this list of 31 incredible songs:
1. If dancing in the shower gets too serious, said dancer may slip and fall. Use this list responsibly, as doing 'The Carlton' could lead to serious head injuries, spinal cord damage, and even death.
2. This list will make you better looking, young skywalker. Be prepared for even more MySpace solicitation, neighbors calling the cops because it is just...too...sexy, and most importantly your loved one(s) will start rubbing against you on an hourly basis. This may create chafing, as Vaseline Intensive Care or unscented Lubriderm work great. Yes, this list indirectly causes chafing. No, Vaseline and Lubriderm are not paying us for this e-mention...yet.
- Your Gracious Echo
By Your Powers Combined, I am The Legion of Doom!
What's better than rocking out to all your favorite singles from high school and beyond? How about colliding them together into beat riddled, dueling mash-ups? That's just what musical engineers Chad Blinman and Trevor Keith did with masterful creativity and wicked precision. Under the alias The Legion of Doom (Myspace), the duo seams together tracks from punk, alternative, and hardcore bands with layers of electronic beats. The first experiment Incorporated was released containing 14 mash-up of 28 bands including Saves the Day, Thrice, Brand New, Coheed and Cambria, Alkaline Trio, mewithoutYou, Green Day, Oasis, Thursday, and Senses Fail, just to name a few. Due to the illegality of these musical cage matches, the album was only able to be released through p2p programs and subsequently spread like wildfire from one fan to another. Since the release of Incorporated in 2006, Legion of Doom has been commissioned to mash tracks up for horror flicks like the Saw trilogy, Underworld, and Resident Evil. Although they have yet to release another full album, you can always catch new tracks floating around in the vast seas of pirated music communities.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ybS3OcgwXg[/youtube]
A@R Recommends:
“Dangerous Business Since 1979″ - mewithoutYou vs. underOath
"At Your Funeral for a Friend" - Saves the Day vs. Funeral for a Friend
"Lolita’s Medicine" - From Autumn to Ashes vs. Dead Poetic
- Broken Humor
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