Enjoy Your Day

Dead Man’s Bones - In The Room Where You Sleep
Off their self titled album.

Dead Man’s Bones is actor Ryan Gosling’s band with his friend Zach Shields. Their debut album came out in October of this year and featured L.A.’s Silverlake Conservatory Choir. This is a different kind of sound, Rolling Stone explained it as, “The Arcade Fire, Tom Waits and the cast of Sesame Street performing a Kurt Weill musical.”

The pair knew from the start they wanted to perform with a children’s choir, Shields says, “When we first wrote the songs, all the vocals were for the children’s choir to sing…we were never going to sing on the record. But when we were working out the parts for them, we started singing and decided to make it into a duo between us and the kids.” And also, while touring to support the album, Gosling and Shields decided, “they’ll perform with a different choir in each city and host a talent show for local entertainers rather than have opening bands.”

Pitchfork gave the album a 7.1 out of 10 saying that, “Overall, I’m as surprised as you are with Dead Man’s Bones. So many ways for it to go wrong, but instead it’s a unique, catchy and lovably weird record, with highlights that could hold their own with the best indie singles of the year.”

The concept behind all of this is so different and fun. Using the children’s choir on the album as well as having different choirs around the country perform with them is such an amazing idea and is so inspiring for these kids who will get the opportunity to do it.

Jason Segel & Nathan Danforth with the Broken West performing Dracula’s Lament
From the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

I previously posted Jason Segel performing a song he had written with the Swell Season. When I did my presentation for my Participatory Media class about this project, I pointed that entry out as my favorite on my blog. I even talked about how he wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the performed the songs for the Dracula musical himself. So when I saw this from Craig Ferguson, I figured I had to post it. I didn’t think Jason Segel would popping up on my music blog, and I definitely didn’t think he would make 2 appearances. But I guess that just goes to show he is talented in all different areas, not only is he an actor and a writer, but a singer and song writer as well.

Forgive Durden - The Missing Piece (ft. Lizzie Huffman)
Off their album, Razia’s Shadow: A Musical

Forgive Durden’s album, Razia’s Shadow: A Musical was released in October, 2008. The album, as it’s stated, is a rock musical written and recorded by the lead singer of Forgive Durden, Thomas Dutton. There are performances by other artists on almost every song on the album, including, Chris Conley from Saves the Day, Max Bemis from Say Anything, Brenden Urie from Panic at the Disco, Casey Crescenzo from the Dear Hunter. They all perform as different characters in the musical.

Dutton says to Alternative Press, “The album tells the story of a world divided in two by the selfish actions of a powerful and egotistical, yet insecure angel. After generations of darkness, the world is eventually brought back together by the love and sacrifice of a couple brave enough to fulfill their destinies.”

Listening to the album in its entirety the storyline comes together beautifully. This is the second song on the album, and probably one of my favorites. Lizzie Huffman’s voice is so soothing and beautiful, it makes me a little bit jealous. I think this is a wonderful album and if you’ve never heard it before I suggest giving it a run through when you’ve got the time. Also, you can check out the artwork that goes along with the musical on the web site for Razia’s Shadow.

Saves the Day - Hold
Off their EP, I’m Sorry I’m Leaving.

This video is Chris Conley, lead singer of Saves the Day performing the song Hold in an alleyway. Saves the Day is my all time favorite band, I wrote about them in one of my previous entries. This song may be my all time favorite song, if not, it’s definitely in the top 3. There’s something about it that just pulls at my heartstrings. I think everyone at some point in their life can relate to the way it makes you feel. When you’re heartbroken and you feel like your life might just stop at that very moment. But everyone gets through it and you come out a better person in the end.

I especially like this video of the song, because he is performing in an alley for a handful of people. Singing his heart out. Then the cops come and tell him that he has to stop playing because there are people sleeping in the buildings around them. But the Officer lets Chris sing the last verse of the song first and then applauds and asks him when his album is coming out. I like performances when they are raw like that, just a spur of the moment acoustic guitar set. It’s like you’re sitting around with your friends playing music.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

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Hot Rod Circuit - Now or Never
Off their album, Sorry About Tomorrow.

Hot Rod Circuit’s first album was released in 1999 and was titled, If I Knew Now What I Knew Then. After that, from 2000 until 2007, they released 4 other albums including Sorry About Tomorrow in March, 2002. I haven’t listened to any other album besides this one, I’m not too sure why. The band parted ways in 2007 and lead singer Andy Jackson formed a new band, Death in the Park.

In 2002 when this album was released I was getting ready to graduate from High School. I was young and driving and enjoying my new found freedom with my friends. About a month ago, I heard the song The Pharmacist (which is also off Sorry About Tomorrow), and it brought me back to those days.

I was graduated from high school and starting off community college with a lot of my friends from high school. We had a very close group of 6 friends who hung out together almost every single night. We would each go about our business, going to class, going to work, doing what we had to do. Then at night we would all get together, playing cards, watching movies or going out. I know there are a lot of people who aren’t still friends with people from high school, but I still am. I’m still very close friends with those same people and this album reminds me of them.

This is one of my favorite songs off the album.

Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
Off their album, I’m Wide Awake it’s Morning.

The band Bright Eyes has released 8 studio albums and 4 EPs. This album, I’m Wide Awake it’s Morning was released in January, 2005 along with Digital Ash in a Digital Urn which was released the same day. The lead singer of Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst has been writing songs and performing since he was 13 years old. I previously posted a song by Monsters of Folk, another band that Oberst is a member of. He’s an extremely talented man, who is not too much older then me, which makes me feel a little bad about myself.

I don’t follow much of Bright Eyes, I only own Lifted or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, which was released in 2002 and I’m Wide Awake it’s Morning. There is so much more that I haven’t even heard by them. I know that they are talented, and Conor Oberst is talented, I just have never gotten any further into their albums then those 2.

This song, First Day of My Life, is my favorite off of this album. It’s such a loving and innocent song. The video, which was directed by John Cameron Mitchell, is so sweet and I love how honest everyone sitting on the couch seems with one another. The couples look like they are truly in love and that the song was written for each of them. The really girlie part of me is waiting for a boy to come and sing this to me.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

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Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
Off their Self Titled album

Third Eye Blind formed in San Francisco in the early ‘90’s. Their self titled album was their first, and that was released in April, 1997. The album had 5 singles, including this song, and sold over 6 million copies in the U.S. making it their most popular. They have since released 3 other albums, Blue in 1999, Out of the Vein in 2003 and Ursa Minor earlier this year.

I’ll be honest and say that I have only listened to their self titled album. When the album came out I was in 7th grade, and I absolutely loved it. After that, I never really thought about them again. I actually haven’t really thought about them too much until just recently. This past summer I went to the Bamboozle Music Festival in Rutherford, NJ. It’s a 2 day festival, and the one day I went, Third Eye Blind happened to be playing. I really wanted to see them since I never saw them live before, but their time conflicted with another band that I really wanted to see. The other band won. But as I was walking over to the other stage I could hear Steven Jenkins voice echoing through the lot. I was a little upset that I wasn’t there watching it.

But after that, I still didn’t really listen to the album again until about a month ago. Someone posted the song, Motorcycle Drive By and I immediately had to listen to this album. It brings back so many memories from when I was younger. Being 13 or 14 years old, no worries or cares other then school and friends. It reminds me of hanging out at my old friend’s house, someone I don’t even talk to anymore. But back then the group of us were inseparable. I would take their bus home from school and we would just hang out all afternoon. None of us had any responsibilities. If music can bring you back to a certain place, this album definitely brings me back to carefree days in middle school.

Boards of Canada - Dayvan Cowboy

Submitted by James

Apple Genius Playlist

For those who use iTunes and have an iPod or iPhone, you probably know about this feature. You select a song from your iTunes library and hit the Genius icon. From there iTunes finds songs that go well together and makes a playlist from them. I, myself never really paid attention to the little atom icon. I would make my own playlists and call it a day. But something happened the other day to change that.

I just parked my car and was gathering my stuff together to walk into class. I had my iPhone in one hand, headphones in my ears, and was juggling my bag, my keys, my water bottle in the other. I just so happened to be listening to Simon & Garfunkel on my drive to class, so that’s what was on while all this was happening, El Condor Pasa (If I Could) to be exact. Well, in this shuffle, I happened to hit the Genius button, and what happened next was something amazing. This accidental playlist was everything I could have wanted. Songs that fit my mood and songs that put me in a better mood. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t have to skip a song the entire time. Every song was a song that I wanted to listen to.

I could have made this playlist myself, don’t get me wrong. But this is such a good idea for on the go. Sometimes I don’t have the time to sit there and pick and choose songs but I still want some variety. Shuffle works, but there are those times when the same songs come up over and over again or it picks every song you don’t want to listen to. Genius Playlist solves that problem. It takes the dirty work out of making a playlist. I will definitely be using this feature more often, and if you never have before, I suggest you check it out.

Click through to check out my Playlist…