The Great Escape

It’s Thursday, and quite a nice one at that. I made many, many grade nines do the chicken dance today, what could be better? A chance to embarrass kids who are already extremely insecure, count me in. Today was our grade nine gamerama, which I think is a stupid invention. Like I said, grade nines are already about as insecure as they come, they don’t need further embarassment, yet I found myself standing by my station making them do the chicken dance. Todays subject though, is quite past the insecure stage, and his music is pretty darn amazing.

In English class we’ve been watching the movie One Week. Anyone heard of it? It’s a fantastic indie Canadian film that follows this guy on an adventure after he’s been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Not only is it a great movie, but it also has a fantastic soundtrack. It’s mainly indie Canadian music, and some of my very favourite artists are featured. Joel Plaskett, Wintersleep, Emm Gryner, and the Great Lake Swimmers to name a few. But also a new discovery for me. Patrick Watson. The second I heard it I knew it was love. So the minute I got home I looked up the soundtrack and found the song. To my even greater surpise, the video is really awesome too! It’s pretty cute as well. Of all his songs I’m a real fan of The Great Escape, and Big Bird In A Small Cage, but there all pretty fantastic. Below is the video for The Great Escape, I’m really loving it lately. Enjoy.

I’m a real fan of the animation style used in videos like this, and the combination of it with his voice is really something else. It’s a really sweet idea too. I think it may actually be one of my favourite videos. It really reminds me The Low Anthems Charlie Darwin video, and that’s a good thing. I’ve had this song on repeat over and over since I got home. For now though goodnight until next time, and if I don’t talk to you again, have a fantastic thanksgiving.

P.S. Go out and watch One Week, it’s really worth it.

To The Dogs Or Whoever

Okay, so this Monday really sucks. Not only is it the very first day of the week, which never works out well, but I also happen to have a sucky cold. How much do colds suck! Your all snuffly and sneezy, and feel really crappy, but yet you’re not flat out sick. It really sucks, but maybe some good music will change things. Get ready for what I hope to be a pretty awesome Random Playlist!

1. The Temptaion of Adam – Josh Ritter
2. September Lily – Hawksley Workman (I’ve been in a very Hawksley mood lately, he’s perfect for fall)
3. The Second Cigarette – The Burning Hell
4. Hollerado Land – Hollerado (this a great new Indie boy band I’ve discovered)
5. Semi Suite – Tom Waits (you gotta’ love yourself some Tom, especially on a sick day)
6. The Ecstacy of Dancing Fleas – Penguin Cafe Orchestra (you also gotta’ love yourself some Penguin when your sick too, it’s also very good for studying)
7. That’s Amore – Dean Martin (enough said)
8. Poli High – Harry Nilsson (if you haven’t ever heard The Point, get on it, as a kid it was one of my favourite things to listen to, and still is)
9. He Drinks Gas – Donovan Woods
10. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen (the perfect way to end a random playlist)

So, this was a pretty good playlist, if not a little strange. And after reviewing all possibilities I think Josh Ritter is perfect for today. Nothing fixes a cold better than a folky indie guy, in my not-so humble opinion anyway.

Once again, my dad discovered Josh Ritter, right after his CD The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter came out in 2007. After listenening to his CD’s, The Historical Conquest is for sure my favourite. I really love the Bob Dylan-esque country twang, but mixed in with a little more folk. He’s always really reminded me of Fionn Regan in that way. In The Historical Conquest of Josh Ritter, I find each song just gets better and better. I’m especially a fan of To The Dogs or Whoever, The Next To The Last Romantic, The Temptation Of Adam, and Still Beating. Below is the video for The Temptation Of Adam. It has a real old-timey feel, which makes sense because I find his music has this old country blues thing going on.

I think it’s a really interesting video, and his voice is really something else. His lyrics are really interesting to, if you actually listen to them. Not quite what you’d expect him to be singing about. Plus, after watching this video I started to see a bit of a resemblance to Horse Feathers, both in voice and looks. I hope you enjoy the video and the artist, he’s pretty awesome. And I’ll talk to you later, ’cause it’s nap time.

Cuntry Boys & City Girls

It’s Monday and I’ve just endured one of a rural towns greatest jewels, the annual fair. And what does this great event have you might ask. Well it has horse pulls, truck pulls (which I thought was going to be farmers trying to pull trucks, turns out it’s just trucks pulling weight, not quite as exciting), medicore and overly priced rides, so much deepfried food I think I broke out just from being there and the cherry on top, the demolition derby. Now if you don’t know what that is, don’t be ashamed, in fact be very happy you have no idea what it is. But I’m going to burst your little happy bubble and tell. Basically the demolition derby is cars smahing into cars, “smashy smashy” as one car fondly put it. It’s where people gather to drink and smoke and until they pass out. And I literally mean until they pass out. Atleast one person does every year. It’s sort of like a morbid disturbed small town ritual. But it was back to normality again at school today. Stressful, fluorescent light normality, but normality all the same. And the topper of this very normal day, Radom Playlist Monday. So I’m going to stop my incessant chatter and get right to it.

1. Heavy Soup – Cornershop (the perfect start to a random playlist)

2. Cousins – Vampire Weekend

3. The City – Sarah Harmer

4. Sweet Baby James – Taylor (’cause everyone needs some sweet baby James)

5. Cuntry Boys & City Girls – The Fratellis (their pretty super awesome and the title goes along pretty well with the fair, there’s not much like a Cuntry Boy)

6. Bright Future – Bowerbirds

7. ‘Til You Come Home – Peter Katz (this is a very, very sweet song)

8. It’s All Been Done – Barenaked Ladies

9. A Thousand Suns – Hey Rosetta!

10. Ashes to Ashes – Danny Michel (this is super great. You take a momumental artist like Bowie and than a budding artist like say Danny and get him to cover this monumental artist and what do you get but a pretty darn awesome covers CD)

This might have been one of my favourite random playlists. It has all the great components of a pretty awesome playlist. I think I’m going to go for Vampire Weekend today. The video for Cousins is pretty amusing and it’s a great band. I’ve already ranted far to much on Vampire Weekend so I’m just going to show the video and you can see the greatness all for yourselves.

I would love to bang on things going down a street to. Especially sped up like that. I am so tired tonight though that I must go to bed (yeah I know it’s only 8:30, what can I say) so until tomorrow, Goodnight and dream all about Vampire Weekend.

Fall Back Down

Alright, so day 1 is complete. Only like 200 and something days left. And believe it or not, it didn’t suck quite as much as anticipated, even the early wake-up, but that’s enough talk about school. Let’s get down to the real knitty-gritty (I always loved that saying), the topic for today. Now I must warn you, today is a bit of a weird one. It’s all about covers. And this cover story (haha) is a really fantastic one. I recently bought Lights Acoustic EP and completely fell in love with her song Fall Back Down, and than realized it was a cover. Now a few days ago I decided to look up the original and came across quite a find. Now for those of you who don’t know Fall Back Down is a Rancid song. So I’ve decided to post both videos and you can see quite the transformation Lights did with the original. Punk to sweet light pop, who knew.

First here’s Lights version. It’s pretty adorable, and makes you fall in love with her all over again.

Now after that nice little song, here’s a bit of a change-up, or a punk-up if you will.

I must say I laughed pretty hard over it. I guess I’m not a punk girl (but we already knew that). I do appreciate the lyrics though, and it does seem like a good first day of school song.

You Won’t Make A Fool Outta Me

It’s Monday! And the last Monday of the summer! It feels like just yesterday I was writing my first post about school being over and now here we are talking about school starting. So this Random Playlist better be pretty darn good to make up for the crappy day.

1. Rolling Sea – Vetiver

2. You Won’t Make A Fool Out of Me – Flogging Molly (especially tomorrow)

3. Song For The Road – David Ford (another really great indie boy)

4. One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong – Leonard Cohen

5. Don’t Bring Me Down – Electric Light Orchestra

6. Body – Thao with The Get Down Stay Down

7. Emergency Exit – Beck

8. Ol’ 55 – Tom Waits (this is one of my favourite Tom songs right now)

9. Josephine – Teitur

10. Here We Come a’Wassailling – Arthur & Friends (Before judging me, let me explain. I’m pretty huge into Christmas and Arthur and one year my parents bought me Arthur’s Christmas CD. It became one of my favourite CD’s at Christmas and I need to listen to it every year. I also loved the fact that it drives my Dad crazy. Plus I love feeling like a little kid again. It’s slightly embarassing to have it but I’m going to embrace my childhood as much as I can!)

I think today is the perfect day for David Ford. He has this I don’t care what anyone thinks air about him and I personally really appreciate that. Plus he makes pretty awesome music. Especially his songs Song for the Road, and State of the Union. He has this really interesting sound and a pretty awesome voice. Below is a video of him singing Song for the Road. I like how down-to-earth he seems, not to mention how well he sings. So sit back, relax and if you’re in the same boat as me, enjoy your last night of freedom.

I think it’s pretty cool to just see him sing. Not to mention how great of a song it is. But for now I have to go to bed because sadly it is a school night.