Music For Your Monday - Ben Howard

Ben Howard.

I've got a thing for British singer/songwriters (doesn't everyone?) and for the last few weeks I've had Ben Howard's new album Every Kingdom on repeat. He's 25, from the U.K. and he just has this voice. Hard to describe, but definitely reminiscent of Nick Drake with some Simon and Garfunkel mixed in - very folk, with something more.  Growing up with two musical parents, he says he was strongly influenced by Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, both of whom his parents played for him as a child.

His record was released here in the states on April 3rd, but already went gold in the U.K (U.K. gals - are you already fans?) He played South by Southwest and has dates this month at the Troubadour here in L.A. (Sold Out) and the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee. A great lyricist with evocative vocals and spot-on arrangements, his songs are insightful, sometimes romantic and other times desperate and sad.  Whatever mood he's in, I'll be there to listen. 

My two favorites from the album are Keep Your Head Up (video above) and Old Pine (below).  In Keep Your Head Up he sings:

I spent my time watching

the spaces that had grown between us.

And I cut my mind on second best

the scars that come with the greenness.

I gave my eyes to the boredom

still the seabed wouldn't let me in.

And I tried my best to embrace the darkness

in which I swim. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Lyrical Inspiration - Music On Canvas

At the beginning of the year, I was browsing the rugs over at Design Within Reach when I came across the picture above. What I thought was a canvas painted with song lyrics turned out to be Joaquim Ruiz Millet's Manuscript Rug, which features a poem he wrote in his native Catalan. I pinned the image and kept coming back to it day after day.  Soon I started thinking that maybe I could do something similar on a canvas. 4 months and many late nights later, I finished my version of Millet's rug. I decided on the lyrics from Coldplay's Fix You, a song that has special significance for my husband and I, and we hung it this weekend at the bottom of our staircase. 

Generally, I'm not the DIY type, but this is a project just about anyone can do. The supply list is short: 

1. a canvas - mine was the largest pre-made size available at Aaron Brothers

2. white and black acrylic paint

3. paint brushes

4. Grout tape (available at your local hardware store) - which I used to make lines on the canvas prior to painting the lyrics). 

First I painted the entire canvas white and let it dry over night. Then I decided approximately how wide I wanted the words to be, and measured & marked the entire canvas using the grout tape. When I was done, it looked like a legal pad of paper, but I taped the lines instead of drawing them with a pencil. After a little trial and error, I realized it was best to write the entire song out on the canvas freehand, and then go back to touch it up. Trying to make every word perfect on the first try wasn't realistic and you risk losing that "I just jotted down the words" feel to it. This is a great project to make your own and experiment with typeface and even color - here are a few more pieces using lyrics as art to get your creative juices flowing. Have a great week everyone! 

 Lyric Sign by The House Of Belonging, $125, etsy.com. 

Isn't She Lovely Nursery Print by The Lemon Peel, $23, etsy.com. 

Johnny Cash Lyric Print by Damn The Frame, $15, etsy.com.

Aloha OE Lyric Art Print by Raw Art Letterpress, $18, etsy.com. 

Listen Up! Singtank

Although I generally tend to skew a little alty when it comes to my music, I will always embrace a good pop group with open arms.  If you read this blog regularly, then you know I also have a love-affair with all things French (cliche I know, but it's the absolute truth). So its no surprise that when I heard the first single from SingTank's upcoming album, I was hooked (now I just have to wait till May for the album to be released).


 

Singtank's Joséphine and Alexandre De La Baume.

Singtank is Joséphine and Alexandre De La Baume, a brother/sister duo from France who worked with producer Nelle Hopper (who has collaborated with Massive Attack and Bjork) on their debut project. Their sound varies, from fun pop grooves that will no doubt be turned into club remixes, to softer more introspective tunes. In "The Party's" Alice and Wonderland themed video, this duo shows they can be playful without taking themselves too seriously.

In "Nuthouse", you can hear a more introspective and serious sound, both musically and lyrically.

I must also admit that a tiny part of the allure of this group is Josephine's amazing personal style. There is a great interview with her here talking Singtank, personal style, how French girls stay chic, and her favorite pair of shoes. She has that effortlessly chic style (with a touch of masculinity and sexiness at the same time) that I'm always trying to replicate. And I love that she says that French girls always look like they didn't try, but they really do:) She also happens to be married to DJ/Producer extraordinaire Mark Ronson - talk about a creative duo!  So download "The Party," and get ready for the weekend - Happy Friday everyone!



Joséphine De La Baume in Harper's Bazaar, 2011.



Listen Up - Daughter

One of my dreams has always been to attend the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, TX.  We've talked about going year after year (especially since my husband used to live in Austin), but haven't made it out yet.  It is always one of THE BEST places to discover great new music and technology is making it easier and easier to virtually attend many of the shows. I've been listening to some of the acts playing this year (which include Quiet Company!), and when I came across Elena Tonra's hauntingly beautiful vocals, I was completely hooked.  

Daughter is Elena Tonra and her boyfriend Igor Haefeli, both of whom hail from London. Their first EP, His Young Heart, was released in June of last year and their second record, Wild Youth, followed 4 months later (both are available on iTunes). With a soulful, moody voice that reminds me of Dolores O'Riordian of The Cranberries, Tonra casts a lovely, melancholic spell that is pure, simple and so delightful.  At the ripe old age of 21, she is beyond her years in both her songwriting and stage presence and I know we will be hearing a lot more from Daughter in 2012. My two favorite tracks from the new EP are Youth (listen below) and Medicine.  You can check them out on their Myspace page here and taken a listen to the video of Tonra singing "Run" above. Awesome, right? TGIF and have a great weekend! 

Nurture Yourself - New Music From Quiet Company

The members of Quiet Company. 

I thought I would say Happy Friday this week by introducing you to some new music for your weekend listening pleasure.  Hailing from Austin, Texas, one of the great (if not the greatest) music towns in the U.S., Quiet Company was originally formed in 2005, with lead singer Taylor Muse at its helm (Muse was a member of the band Eisley before he joined Q.C.).  They released their first album, Shine Honestly in 2006 and their second Everyone You Love Will Be Happy in 2009. A single from this album, "It's Better To Spend Money Like There's No Tomorrow, Than Spend Tonight Like There's No Money," was nominated for an Independent Music Award and the band was invited to play at the South by Southwest music festival in 2010.  They have also played with many notable acts like The Toadies, Rooney and Evan Dando.  With some similarities to The Decemberists and one of my favorite bands, Death Cab For Cutie, Q.C. has a sound all its own and Muse's melodic voice moves you with its despondency and sincerity.

Their fourth and most recent album, We Are All Where We Belong, was released in November and I've had it on regular repeat over the last several weeks.  Q.C. worked with Tim Palmer (who has worked with Pearl Jam, U2 and The Cure) to mix the album and the result is a truly fantastic record.  The beautifully written lyrics on the majority of the songs exude sadness, regret and are incredibly introspective - all characteristics of the kind of indie rock I love.  Lead singer, Taylor Muse, says about the album: "It is easily the most personal thing I've ever written. It is essentially a break up record, only the romance that's ending was between myself and religion."  On "Set Your Monster Free," Muse is singing to his daughter about his own experiences and encourages her to "make up her own mind, because you don't have to waste your time holding on to beautiful lies."  In "Are You a Mirror?,"my favorite song on the album, he addresses his daughter again and sings:

One day you will look me straight in my eyes. 

And judge me for the things I've been in your life. 

I hope you love me when you know me well. 

I hope you love me when you know me well.

Because I look inside you and see myself

I look inside you and I see myself. 

Many of the lyrics border on tear-jerking and make me think of our favorite Death Cab song, I'll Follow You Into The Dark.  Although he addresses some dark moments in his young life (including the time he nearly killed himself), heartbreak, and loss, this is a moving album that will touch your heart, make you smile, and make you think.

This is the first video off their new album for the track "Fear and Fallacy, Sitting In A Tree." Have a great weekend and I'll see you Monday!

Nurture Your Family - Holiday Playlist

I'm hosting Christmas Eve this year for the first time and instead of just playing KOST 103.5 in the background (if you live in L.A., you know what I'm talking about), I've been working on putting together a playlist of holiday music I actually WANT to listen to.  Like the mix tapes we used to make, its nice to intersperse the traditional with some instrumental numbers and some fresh takes on classic songs.  No matter what your musical tastes, I hope you can find something here to add to your holiday celebrations.

I'll probably be referencing our October trip to France several more times on this blog, but I couldn't get enough of French music while I was there.  We had dinner twice at the same tiny restaurant not only because of the great food, but the incredible live music.  A Christmas Night in Paris (available on itunes) was released this year and has wonderfully French instrumental versions of many traditional Christmas songs, along with a few French originals, including the crowd pleaser, la vie en rose.  Close your eyes and you'll feel as though you are walking along the Seine on a crisp December night. 

Frank, Dean, and Sammy all get together on Christmas With The Rat Pack, an album that never gets old. Songs like "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" and "Baby Its Cold Outside" transport you back to a Christmas season where men wore fedoras and ladies always had mink stoles and gloves.  This is a classic that everyone should have. I love playing it while I'm baking or wrapping gifts and it always puts us in a holiday state of mind. 

A friend who lives and breathes music recently told me that A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of his favorite holiday albums and I was initially surprised.  But after listening to all the tracks, I understand why.  Although almost all the songs are instrumental, they are upbeat and great background music for a holiday gathering.  And if you grew up watching Charlie Brown like I did, it will remind you of your childhood and add extra warmth and nostalgia to your Christmas. My favorite track is "Christmastime Is Here."

An all female, singer/songwriter album, Hotel Cafe's Winter Songs has both original songs and many holiday classics, all done superbly by people like Fiona Apple, Colbie Caillat, KT Tunstall, and Sara Bareilles.  Each song definitely reflects the artists style and sensibility so you may just want to buy a few tracks, but Fiona's rendition of Frosty the Snowman is a must!

I met Zooey Deschanel in my early 20's when I was working in PR and every time our paths crossed, she couldn't have been more down to earth, sweet, and friendly.  So when she hooked up with country-folk artist M.Ward to form the duo She and Him in 2007, I was excited get my copy of their 2008 debut album, Volume One (which I loved)!  This past October, they released their third album, A Very She and Him Christmas and I immediately scooped it up.  This simple album is joyous and guaranteed to make you smile.  My two favorite tracks are "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "The Christmas Waltz."  

Nurture Yourself - Listen to Lana Del Rey

Whatever your tastes in music, I can't imagine any music lover not being taken aback by Lana Del Rey's hauntingly gorgeous voice.  This 25 year-old New Yorker is somewhere between Feist and Adele, but has her own unique, soulful sound.  Quick trivia: Lana Del Rey's name is a combination of old Hollywood actress Lana Turner and the Ford Del Rey (her real name is Elizabeth Grant).  When I saw the incredibly beautiful video for her song "Video Games" on MTVU (which she directed), I was hooked.  She has two singles (Video Games and Blue Jeans) now available on itunes.  Turn up your volume and listen.