point juncture, wa and u.s.e

I'm failing you all horribly. I apologize for that. And while I would like to think I have many readers that are just hanging on my ever last word, I know that this is not that case, and in that way I slightly feel better about the situation.

Okay, so here it is, I have two Pacific Northwest bands I would love to share with y'all. Let's start with some indie rock, shall we?


Point Juncture, WA - a four piece indie rock outfit that oddly enough hails from Portland, Oregon, not Washington state - released their 3rd album titled Heart To Elk this past February.

Now I'll admit, I was first tipped off to this band through it's showcase as one of KEXP's song-of-the-day picks (which if you haven't checked out KEXP, please please do). Number 9 on the album, Melon Bird, with it's commanding bassline and trash can drums, opens slowly. It's a whole minute and 20 seconds before you hear Amanda Spring's voice glide into the mix. My first impression was how much it emotionally sent me back to the 90's. Something about it transported me back to 7310 16th NE. It was as if I was 11 on a Saturday afternoon and my dad had 107.7 The End turned way up as I played Where In The World Is Carmen San Deigo? on his laptop - something that almost always required his assistance. I don't care what the box said, that game was way too hard for a 4th grader!

Once Tasted Ever Wanted summons the likes of The Cardigans with it's candy sweet female vocals and horn clad chorus. This album feels open, it has a spaciousness to it that allows for all the weird and not so weird sounds to find room. Recorded in the basement of their house, you can hear the damp, rainy cold seep into the songs. That's not to say I think that this album feels dark because it doesn't. And maybe I'm saying this because I grew up in the Emerald City, but there is a peaceful element to all that grey.

That's exactly it; Kings Part II feels like a rainy day. The drums sound like rain pattering on the roof, the slow strumming of the acoustic guitar call upon Spring’s simple yet silky words. Nothing left to do but stay inside and read Presidential Ambition ;)

Melon Bird - Point Juncture, WA
Once Tasted Ever Wanted - Point Juncture, WA
Kings Part II - Point Juncture, WA




Okay, now switching gears completely, let’s talk some U.S.E – aka United State of Electronica.I don’t what it is about Seattle but apparently we like to foster bands that feel compelled to incorporate our country in their name (i.e. Presidents of the United States of America). How patriotic. I think…..

At a cursory glance U.S.E. is just another Daft Punk rip-off. Kids jumping on the bandwagon of what Thomas and Guy-Manuel started 10 years earlier.

But as I delved deeper into their album shades of Tahiti 80 - Climb the Wall (Umbrella of Love) - and VHS vs Beta - Open Your Eyes - began to shine through.

And what separates them from the pack is the sense that it’s just this group of kids that love a good dance party who won’t let the gloominess of the typical “Seattle sound” - enter Kurt Cobain, Elliot Smith, even Death Cab to some degree –get them down.

I can only imagine what one of their shows would be like. I’m super jealous that they played one of the christening shows for the new and improved (well I still need to see about that) Crocodile Café. Sometimes I really hate LA.

I still have some reservations concerning U.S.E.’s self-titled album. It has some pretty cheesy moments. Take Emerald City. I’m completely in love with the chorus (even if the lyrics are a bit amateur) but the verses are something to be desired. And while some of you may think I would love any song that chants “Emerald City” over and over again (punctuated with “I love it”/ “We love it”) may this prove you wrong.

But than again, I am the master of well-crafted cheese. The next time you see me cruising down the 10 I just might be pumping my fist in unison with my fellow Seattleites.

Ultimately I can’t deny a band trying to make something just plain fun.

Climb the Walls (Umbrella of Love) - U.S.E.
Open Your Eyes - U.S.E.
Emerald City - U.S.E

If you like what you hear head over to mannheimworldwide.com where you'll find their entire album for free/by donation.

wanna dance?

See you May 23rd ;)

Oh, and if you want to see the official music video here ya go:

I'm still partial to the knock-off, but maybe that's just me.

carrie fisher = music muse?

That's it. I'm moving to Africa. 

I thought that maybe I wanted to give New York or London a try but no, I can hear the other half of my heart calling me to Kenya.

...Or at least that's how I feel as I'm driving south on the 405 at 9am while Paul Simon's "Crazy Love, Vol. II" blasts from my car speakers.

Now, even as a wee 2 year old I loved "You Can Call Me Al" (I remember watching that video along with my personal 2 year old fav, Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"). But now, as a 23 year old, as I listen to Simon's Graceland album, it has new meaning. Being relatively fresh to the "real world" I find companionship in Simon as I musically travel through these 11 tracks from 1986. It's an album about rebirth, about new beginnings, about starting over. And it's all done through a flowery filter.

Like I mentioned before, I can't stop listening to Crazy Love, Vol. II. After having pried into Simon's background (something my older readers probably wouldn't have had to have done seeing as though in this song Paul sings "it's all over the evening news, all about the fire in your life") I found that much of Graceland was written while he was going through his second divorce, his divorce from Carrie Fisher. 

It's strange though. Considering the subject, I would have either guessed it to be overtly sad and filled with sorrow or dark and angry oozing with hate. While the lyrics are about the end of a once lovely relationship the melody seems to suggest something else. It is light and airy, hopeful and sunny and I can't resist it.

Crazy Love, Vol. II - Paul Simon

The title track also has crept into my veins and has inspired this somewhat buried side - my adventurous side. As Simon declares "I'm going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis Tennessee" I immediately am heading east as the whole United States races past me (oh how I wish). Plus who doesn't love his little Lou Reed moment as he recites "whoah so this is what you mean".

Graceland - Paul Simon

Short people are so awesome ;)

And if you still aren't convinced, there is just something to be said about those bass lines from the 80's. That, and the use of the flute. But more on that later.

perfect media player where are you?

So I'm here at work waiting for a freaking hour and a half video to stream over from Washington DC.... what better time to research how to embed audio into my blog.

I have been researching for the past hour and a half while the "Confess" episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County blares in the background. Sadly I'm not as far along as I would have hoped. I'm trying a new method but am going to be constantly on the hunt for better, prettier methods to give you all a chance to listen to all the songs and artists I write about here at the clear spot.

So bare with me.

ps I hate Vicki!

Oh, and here is something for you to snack on:

Virgin Mountain - Loch Lomond

simply pop

So check it. I have two wonderfully smooth and punchy tracks sung by two wonderfully smooth and punchy female vocalist. The first being "Somebody's Baby" by El Perro del Mar. 

At first glance it may look like some latin band's cover of the fairly dated Jackson Browne tune. Instead it's a Swede's fresh take on good old fashioned bubblegum pop. How did I stumble upon this toe-taping, head swaying song you may ask? Well, you may or may not be familiar with La Blogotheque's Take Away Shows series (if you haven't seen any of these you MUST go there immediately), but as I was perusing the videos I came across this one featuring El Perro del Mar and Lykke Li. 

You see my friend Richard had sent me a link to Lykke Li's music video for "Little Bit" and I was on my usual internet rampage to get more info about this girl with the beautifully layered video so when I saw this I was intrigued to get a "live" taste of what this artist had to offer. Instead, I was tipped off to El Perro del Mar - the music project of Sarah Assbring.  So take a listen to both her live version - here - and her studio rendition.  

Now for lady #2. 

Okay, so technically the next song comes from a duo (one part female, one part male) but the vocalist is a woman so I think it still counts. Inara George has one of my top ten favorite voices of any modern day female vocalists (Leslie Feist being number one, of course) and Greg Kurstin's cool and quiet ways make him a man of mystery and intrigue - not to mention the fact that I find it so cool that one of his major musical influences is Burt Bacharach. I first fell in love with this band when I saw them at the troubadour for the release of their self-titled debut, "The Bird and The Bee". Since then they have put out a number of EPs. However, last month they came out with their second LP entitled "Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future". The track I can't seem to get enough of is "My Love".

Somebody's Baby - El Perro del Mar

My Love - The Bird and The Bee

As a side note: The Bird and The Bee get extra points for being so kind to me. You see, two years ago, when I was trying to figure out who I wanted to record for my junior project I thought I would just shoot for the stars and ask them to come in to my class so I could record them. So I sent them a message through myspace and to my complete surprise a few days later Inara responded with the sweetest message. She was so appreciative that I had thought of them for this project but was sorry to turn it down seeing as though they were traveling around the country on tour. Now whether or not this is completely true is not the point (I doubt they would have come in even if they were in LA) but the fact that she even responded will forever insure that The Bird and The Bee will always hold a special place in my heart.

the sea and cake

So I didn't want the weekend to end without sharing my song of the moment. All weekend long I've been playing Weekend by The Sea and Cake over and over and over again. It really has a bounciness to it that makes your stride just a smidge longer and a sunniness that makes it feel like summertime, even if it only lasts 2 minutes and 42 seconds. 

So check it out.... you have a whole 76 minutes left before the working week starts again (which reminds me of a nice little Costello tune ;)

Weekend - The Sea and Cake

Hello.... to anyone that is listening.

I have always struggle with intros.... introduction paragraphs for research papers, introducing myself to new people at parties, even those 30-60 second intros on albums that usually consist of some instrumental orchestration used to sonically open you up and bring you in.... in some way or another the "beginning" usually succeeds in making me nervous. 

I'll tell you right off the bat I'm not a wordsmith (I have friends that are) and I'm not particularly gifted at being articulate (I talk a lot with my hands, which, on the internet really does me no good). But I have an undying love for music and random things in life. 

I suppose at times I'm a walking cliche.... a young twenty-something looking to learn about life and love among the confusing and sometimes ridiculous happenings of young adulthood with the backdrop of the big city - cue b-roll of Los Angeles - shadowing over her (wow, this girl is cheesy). But seriously, if nothing else I'm hoping that this web log (yep, I totally had to google "blog" to figure out where the heck that word came from) will serve as a virtual record of my life's musings as well as keep those I don't get to see often enough (I'm talking straight to you Ooka clan) in the know about my life. Who knows, we may even start a conversation or two ;)

So here goes.....