dirty projectors, stillness is the move

Happy Monday. Here's a little vid of the Dirty Projectors doing their hipster, indie version of Beyoncé. Minus the dance moves, those are not so amazing. Still a great song and cool llama.

jenny wilson - like a fading rainbow

Jevan has been reminding me for a few weeks to watch this video. I'm not great at taking time to watch videos and he knows that. Hence the reminding. It's not that I don't trust his recommendations, he's usually spot on when it comes to finding things that would be to my liking. My thoughts are, it's a video, what's so special? I'll check it out when I get a few minutes, if I remember.

As the video begins, it has everything to me that embodies the South. In fact, it easily could have been filmed outside the front door of the house I grew up in. The grey-blue skies just before dusk, grassy fields at the end of summer and a soulful voice singing the woes of a life without. All remind me of the South. Then the dancing begins. There is nothing Southern about these moves. It could only be that of a Swede. Jenny Wilson to be exact.

If you need instant gratification, watch the Youtube version above. If you're really interested, you can watch the widescreen version that you will have to download if you're not on a mac. I highly recommend the latter, because the colors are more than gorgeous.

handsome furs - live at the larimer lounge

Handsome Furs - Larimer Lounge from casey keasler on Vimeo.

Live video of the Handsome Furs song Nyet Spasiba at the Larimer Lounge on Sunday, June 14, 2009

I haven't posted much of anything in a few weeks. You may wonder why, you may not care. In case you are interested, my lack of posting is not for lack of want. I wish I could write everyday. At this point, other obligations have kept me from this here blog. I won't bore you with details. As it happens, they are rather boring. But what I'm about to share with you is far from boring. It's a great show I caught two Sunday's ago.

Jevan turned me on to the Handsome Furs a few years back. I put their song, What We Had, on repeat for at least a month. This year, they released, Face Control. They are still the husband wife duo they started as and are rocking just as strong. A guitar and a drum machine. That's all they really need.

They came through town a few weeks back and played the Larimer Lounge. I happened to stand on a stool and catch one song on video. The sound isn't great, blame it on the hand held digital camera, not that I was three drinks into the evening. The energy and dance moves do however, make up for the sound quality. At least I think so. I hope you feel the same.

grizzley bear - two weeks

I'm sure most of you have already listened to Grizzly Bear's new album Veckatimist. But before you go any further, make sure you take a couple of minutes to watch, and listen, to this video short put together by J.Tyler Helms edited with footage from Albert Lamorisse's, 1956 film, La Ballon Rouge.

monolith festival

Summer is the season for music festivals. Whether it's camping at Bonnaroo or doing the city thing at ACL and Pitchfork, there are a ton of festivals out there to enjoy music, people watching and an all around laid back time.

As much as I enjoy traveling to a music festival, this year, I'm sticking close to home. If are looking for a festival to add to your end of summer agenda, I highly recommend Monolith Festival in Morrison, Colorado, September 12 and 13. Red Rocks is a great venue and September in Colorado doesn't get much better. The folks at Monolith are keeping things exciting by posting daily updates to the lineup. There are still more bands to be added. You can follow the updates on facebook or twitter. Here's the list so far.

Looking pretty good if I do say so myself.

THE THERMALS

CYMBALS EAT GUITARS

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS

THE GLITCH MOB

DEER TICK

M. WARD

VIVA VOCE

HOLLYWOOD HOLT & MILLION $ MANO

THE ANSWERING MACHINE

DANIELLE ATE THE SANDWICH

THE DANDY WARHOLS

TWILIGHT SAD

THE ANTLERS

SAVOY

THE PIRATE SIGNAL

PASSION PIT

HARLEM SHAKES

MONOTONIX

WOODHANDS

GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV

THE WALKMEN

FRIGHTENED RABBIT

THUNDERHEIST

THESE UNITED STATES

METHOD MAN & REDMAN

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE OF HEART

HEALTH

GIRL TALK

STARF*CKER

THAO with THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN

SPEAKEASY, TIGER!

althea and donna - uptown top ranking

As I type, I’m cringing just a little while thinking how to explain the details of this week’s Music Monday. On paper, this song is against my music sharing ideals. During the year it was released, it was number 1 in the UK Singles Chart. That same year Althea and Donna became the youngest female duo to reach number 1 ranking in the UK charts.

I want you to know I'm not cringing because I'm a music snob. I’m not by any means. I happen to like all genres of music. My reasoning is simple, my place in the blogging world is not about promoting a number 1 single. In fact, it's just the opposite. But, the photo above should shed a little insight in the song of the week. Does 70's Jamaican roots reggae sounds good to you?

Produced in 1978, this one hit wonder of a song, was my summer anthem a few years back. Producer, Joe Gibbs used a re-recording of the riddim from Alton Ellis' 1967 song I'm Still In Love. While I’ve already declared Lisztomania to be my summertime song of 2009. This one will get it's play time too.

Althea and Donna - Uptown Top Ranking

the national & st. vincent - sleep all summer (crooked fingers cover)

I'm not sure how it became the middle of the week. Wednesday evening at that. I even double checked. Thinking it couldn't possibly be Wednesday. But in fact, it's true. It is Wednesday and I'm just now posting for music Monday. Maybe it's the short week that has me running mad to keep up. Whatever it may be I truly apologize for the delay. However, you will hopefully be happy that I'm posting a great song on a Wednesday rather than something thrown together to make my self inflicted deadline of Monday. You don't mind. Do you?

I'm sure you all know the National and there's a good chance you also know St. Vincent. Well they did a little collab cover of Denver band, Crooked Fingers song Sleep All Summer, for Merge Record's 20th anniversary CD that is part of the larger "Score!" box set. This compilation includes covers by some of the most popular indie bands encompassing Merge's 20 years. I recommend you pop over to Merge to check out the incredible collection as there are only 7,500 copies available. The best part, all proceeds benefit charities chosen by the SCORE curators.

Here's the song. I think you'll enjoy.
The National & St. Vincent - Sleep All Summer

elvis perkins in dearland

With a name like Elvis Perkins, you need a great introduction. And a great introduction is what I happen to be lacking at the moment. What I am going to do is give you a little history. Because somehow, that tells the story better than any introduction I could concoct.

Elvis Perkins, affectionately named after Elvis Presley by his father, began playing music at a young age. His father, actor, Anthony Perkins and mother, Berry Berenson, whose photography could be regularly seen in Life magazine, raised Elvis and his brother, Oz, in Los Angeles and New York City. In 1992 his father passed away due to complications related to AIDS. Then on September 11, 2001 his mother was aboard the catastrophic American Airlines flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles that crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. All of the sudden the sadness and the deep rooted need to write Ash Wednesday, his first album, makes complete sense. It was his mourning.

If his first album, Ash Wednesday, was the funeral, his sophomore album across the music review world has been likened to the second line in a traditional New Orleans funeral procession. This second line is the lively troupe of brass musicians who trail behind the mourners, injecting a spirit of spontaneous celebration into an otherwise somber affair. Often the parade attracts a group of followers just to enjoy the music.

While his eponymous album, still somber, has a glimmer of hope that was nonexistent in his first record. It feels like the perfect following to his much hailed solo debut, Ash Wednesday. Friday night, I had the pleasure to see Elvis Perkins in Dearland live. During that show I was able to get a small peek into what felt like a private moment among very close friends and feel the old soul quality of Elvis' voice. The Other Lives opened and both put on an incredible performance.

Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Shampoo

phoenix - wolfgang amadeus phoenix

Phoenix - 1901

I'm tired. I've been working hard all day and am still feeling the aftereffects of last night's mint julep over indulgence. There's nothing like whiskey, mint and sugar water to make for an evil Sunday. Still, I have more work to do and a very early morning tomorrow. At this point, the only thing that is going to keep me going and also let me get some sleep tonight, read no caffeine, is listening to Phoenix's new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. It's true, the album is that good. In fact, it's infectious, dance in your seats good. And it's out in the US on May 26th.

While I'm being honest about the whiskey, and the dancing in my seat, I might as well tell you this album has been on repeat. The thing is, I don't see myself tiring of it anytime soon. I've already apologized to my neighbors for the number of times they will hear it on my back patio this summer. Soon enough they will be singing Lisztomania word for word. I'm sure of it. I'm only waiting for the weather to warm up a bit. After all, it is just the beginning of May.

As with most new albums, bands need to promote. You know what this means, Phoenix is on tour. Don't miss them if they stop by your city. Just don't forget to get your tickets before they sell out, if they haven't already.

Like my new media player? We can thank my hubs for that one!

the thermals

I've been waiting to see Portland based band the Thermals live for what seems like forever. Back in January I posted about how I was hoping they would release something, anything, this year. And both wishes came true this month. On 04.07.09 they released their 4th album, Now We Can See, and last Friday night I saw them live. The best part? The wait was completely worth it. They brought the bouncing-off-the-walls-raw-punk-energy to the tiny Marquis Theater one would expect after listening to their albums. Know what's even better? They sound great and are on tour right now. So I recommend you check out their schedule and put it on your calendar as something not to miss. You won't regret it. Not one bit.

Here's a little video I shot while at the show. The sound isn't great because I snuck behind the speakers to get a better view. You know, one without dozens of bobbing heads. Normally this is something I wouldn't do. When I decided the Thermals would be the next Music Monday's post I became my own version of superwoman because I squeezed and bumped unapologetically past people to show you this energy. Watch Kathy Foster's head. Her hair had me mesmerized the entire show. Props to my mom for rockin' this killer cut back in 1989.


Untitled from casey keasler on Vimeo.

it's been a good winter...

for Justin Vernon. I can't remember exactly when it was I first listened to his band, Bon Iver, whenever it was I was immediately hooked. The name Bon Iver is Vernon's interpretation of the French word, bon hiver, meaning good winter. Something he picked up while watching reruns of Northern Exposure. Remember that show? Anyway, during the first snowfall of the winter locals would emerge from their homes and wish one another a 'bon hiver'. Whether it was a good winter or not, Vernon holed up in a cabin in Wisconsin in the middle of the winter and wrote his first solo album For Emma, Forever Ago.

There's something about his heartbreaking falsetto that is strangely beautiful to me. Because of this I couldn't help but wonder if there was a tragedy that spurred the album. I'm typically not interested in the hows, whens and wheres musicians create their albums. But this one in particular stood out. I later found Vernon and his former band, DeYarmond Edison, moved from Wisconsin to North Carolina. As the band settled in NC their creative interests split. After about a year and an album later the group dissolved and Vernon returned to Wisconsin. During that winter in his father's remote Wisconsin cabin, Bon Iver was born. What was intended to be a few snowy Wisconsin months of solace and recovery from both heartbreak and illness turned into For Emma, Forever Ago.

His semi new EP, Blood Bank, was released in late January of this year. It has a similar lo-fi, woodsy sound. And, this fan shot 80's cover from a live show might bring back a few memories.

where the wild things are

This post isn't exactly all about music. But, yes there is a but. The trailer for the film I'm want to tell you about is backed by one of my favorite bands, Arcade Fire. So, since I'm the boss on this here blog then I say it qualifies. At least a little. And that's all I have on the music end for today. I hope you are satisfied. I think you will be if you'll just watch the trailer.

As for the rest of the post, my most memorable childhood book is Where the Wild Things Are, written by Maurice Sendak. Did you ever have a favorite book as a kid? Was it the Cat in the Hat or maybe Curious George? What about Beatrix Potter? I remember my mom reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin to me over and over again too. In fact, she read all of Beatrix Potter's books to me. While each are wonderful and I'll probably read them to my own children at some point when the time comes, I want to tell you what I love most from Maurice Sendak's, Where the While Things Are. It's the illustrations, hands down. They bring the book to life. Part friendly, part scary, these illustrations give a typical story of a boy meeting up with imaginary monsters an edge. When the book was written in 1963 the illustrations were somewhat scandalous. Some parents felt the monsters portrayed were too grotesque for children.

Fast forward more than 45 years and the film, adapted by Spike Jonze's and Dave Egger's has similar issues. It took some time to get fully through production. Something about financial issues and the monsters made kids cry at a pre-screening. I liken the crying during the film to this generation's equivalent to the book. Kids these days probably wouldn't think twice about reading the book and seeing those monsters. Is this film completely kid appropriate? Not sure. I'll leave that up to each parent to decide. Am I excited to see the film? Yes, but it will have to wait until October 16, 2009. Until then, the trailer will have to hold me over.

Image: from Where the Wild Things Are

no one does it like you

Each December the hubs and I put together a list of our favorite songs. Throughout the year we are listening and watching for new tunes. So when he showed me Pitchfork TV's video of Department of Eagles playing No One Does it Like you from a rooftop in NYC, I knew it would make the cut.

As great as it is to see the band play on a roof top in the city, the official video for the song is that much more incredible. On March 24th, at the MOMA in NYC nonetheless, the video for No One Does It Like You was released. Apparently it was produced via favors and kindness because no one had any money. Regardless of finances and who did or didn't get paid, the video was produced by the Directors Bureau, directed by Patrick Daughters, who directed the famed Feist, 1234 video that apple used for their nano campaign and Marcel Dzama, who also designed the costumes and sets. You can't go wrong with dancing ghost solders.