flecteco

bon iver - fragile world

2009-06-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

hope this hasn't been posted already. i'm feeling a bit lazy and didn't feel like checking. if it is, it's a song worth having up twice anyway.

not sure if the video is a professional or a youtuber's work (or maybe both). enjoy, dudes.

test education piece

2009-05-04T12:17:00.001-07:00

Super-Science: Friend or Foe?

2009-03-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

The CERN Large Hadron Collider is still not back online, but when it's finally repaired I heard The Glorious Veins are going to play a concert underground in Geneva to commemorate its reopening. Sweet, huh?! That is, unless they get swallowed up by one of the miniature black holes created by the sub-atomic collisions. I really hope that doesn't happen, because then I'd have no more awesome rock and roll to go see. Here are The Glorious Veins playing their pre-apocalyptic thriller jam, Sub-Particle Supercollider.

P.S. Shake the room and start a fire, and also beware of underground rock and roll...

peter bjorn and john

2009-03-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

so this is a cool song called "amsterdam" by peter, bjorn, and john, from their album writer's block. the video is footage from the bbc series planet earth: while it's not an official music video, it's a pretty cool pairing of visual and audio content.

Gotta Love Lykke Li...

2009-03-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

This girl sang and blew my mind. I don't know why I love these simple sounds so much. Doesn't matter, the video speaks for itself. Check her out on myspace or whatever, I think she's on tour right now.

-GuyBro

Vainglory

2009-03-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

My brother's band is not quite on Clapton's or Bela's level, but they're coming along nicely. By the way, whoever shot and edited this video did a really good job. So what do you all think? Here's one of their crowd-pleasers, 8 Ball. G's n babes, I give you The Glorious Veins...

-GuyBro

a little more clapton...

2009-01-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

so i know we just had some clapton on here a couple of months ago, but i came across this cover of "i shot the sheriff" and had to post it because it reminded me why i think clapton is so good:

you look at him (especially in this particular video) and he looks so everyday, kind of nerdy even... he reminds me of what a floor manager at best buy would look like on vacation--white sneakers, khaki shorts, big, short-sleeved button-down.

but then he just rips his guitar to shreds... in a way unlike anyone else. i mention the way he looks because it's apparent that he doesn't need to enact an image to capture his audience like a lot of musicians do. and not to diminish visual appearance as rock expression (because music has many visual counterparts to it), but, in clapton's case, he's just a relatively non-descript-looking dude who just lays down some serious jam here.

hope you like the video now that i've said my piece. thanks for reading all that.

old video of bill withers doing "use me" and "ain't no sunshine"...

2008-12-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

this eric clapton guy is pretty good...

2008-11-18T08:15:00.001-08:00

kelly joe phelps for those who don't already know him...

2008-11-17T09:39:00.000-08:00

seeing KJP tonight. cool video.

Obadiah Parker covers Idioteque

2008-11-05T20:50:00.000-08:00

i thought this was a pretty cool adaptation of an already cool song. hope you enjoy. [the guitarist - mat weddle - is also the guy whose acoustic version of outkast's "hey ya" has become popular in the past year or so...]

gabe dixon band...

2008-10-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

courtesy of friend dave mcclizzle. he caught em on npr. this is their single. cool.

Wood Brothers

2008-08-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

saw these guys last week at the rams head in annapolis. awesome, relaxing, acoustic tunes. myspace.

john butler trio

2008-08-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

the video gets out of sync with the audio, but it's still an intense song called "ocean." i haven't really gotten into much of their other stuff... it fits neatly into the acoustic category, but this song really took me by surprise. hope you enjoy.

i want some funk like this...

2008-08-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

via my friend steinle.

Instant Funk. I Got My Mind Made Up. 1978
by capitainfunkk

tom petty via the feet

2008-08-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

i found this on college humor, but it's less funny and more remarkable. i struggle to play with my hands... the level of talent-potential in the world is incredible.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

ryan montbleau band

2008-08-07T06:48:00.000-07:00

i saw this dude open up for martin sexton at a show in milwaukee's pabst theatre awhile back. it was a virtually perfect night. free parking, $2 pbr cans, stef, my bro and his wife. extremely tight. for those who are down with ray lamontagne/martin sexton please check this dude out.

i recommend the song 'stretch' and 'the boat song.' on his myspace page. let me know what you think.

to add to pat's beatboxing flute...

2008-08-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

inspector gadget flute beatbox.

Nathan "Flutebox" Lee & Hanif Khan

2008-07-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

so this particular song is the coolest one i found of flutebox, but it's not the one that shows off his fluteboxing the most (it's muted a little bit by the tabla here). to hear stuff that is more just him beatboxing into his flute, there are more videos at this myspace page:

Swaraj Music

I posted this song, though, because it's my favorite.

Nathan 'Flutebox' Lee & Hanif Khan (tabla) Live

burning spear from the cab driver...

2008-07-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

on my way out to the airport last week, the cab driver cranked some sweet reggae tunes and i asked who it was. turns out it was an album called alive 97 by burning spear. great reggae jams. i'd heard of burning spear and had some of their music but this album is great.

old crow medicine show

2008-07-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

since i started teaching myself the guitar a couple years ago (and learning with humble progress), i've found that one of the coolest ways for me to connect with a song is to learn how to play/perform it.

i just heard this song for the first time today, during an impromptu jam session with some friends, as we learned how to play it. then i went and downloaded it. it's pretty dylan-esque, and sort of makes me want to go for a walk barefoot through a field holding hands with a cute girl.

nothing like a good song that's as simple as it is catchy.

Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes!!!

2008-07-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

For my first post, I will make a few bold statements... 1. the Fleet Foxes "Sun Giant EP" (April 2008) is the best release of 2008 (unless Michael Jackson decides to come out with a new record, but I wouldn't hold out for that) 2. the Fleet Foxes "Fleet Foxes" album (which came out last month) is in the Top 5 releases this year. 3. If you haven't heard either of these please do what you have to do to get them immediately, like iTunes (if you don't like either of them I will personally send you a check for whatever you paid for both).

http://www.myspace.com/fleetfoxes -> make sure to listen to the "Mykonos" and "White Winter Hymnal"

Also, this past Tuesday was a huge release day for anyone into trip-hop, electronica, jam music with new albums from STS9 and Ratatat, both of which are impressive.

derek trucks and susan tedeschi...

2008-07-10T05:44:00.000-07:00

pumped to see this group this weekend.

Exodus Damage

2008-07-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

The best thing (or one of the best things) about going to show is finding new music. My husband and I went to the Empty Bottle in Chicago a few years ago to see The Mountain Goats. I came away a huge fan of John Vanderslice.

hip-hopella (posted by pat lafleur)

2008-07-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

a cappella music can be kind of nerdy, honestly. lots of nerds sing a cappella. there's nothing nerdy at all about this song, though. it's a legit hip-hop song called "my ride" by stat quo... overtop only vocals, vocal percussion, and some clapping. there's not a lot of hip-hop attempted in the a cappella genre, i feel, so it's pretty awesome hearing how they make it work.

listen to the song here.

the devil and daniel johnston...

2008-07-07T06:42:00.000-07:00

i saw a really cool movie last night. it's a documentary called the devil and daniel johnston. it's about a musician/artist/filmmaker/manic depressive guy (i think we can all relate). it's about art, music, family, life, relationships etc. i don't want to talk it up too much but i would ask that you just watch the trailer and then get it from netflix and then watch it and then if you don't like it i'll send you five bucks in the mail. seriously. (thanks to emily for recommending it!)

if this doesn't make you smile, you're dumb...

2008-06-23T17:23:00.000-07:00

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

bela inspires me to get blogging again...

2008-06-18T07:02:00.001-07:00

a friend saw this doc at the silverdocs documentary film festival in washington dc yesterday and said it was awesome. throw down your heart.

check out the trailer. and the website.

awesome song by my morning jacket...

2008-05-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

generally speaking i like 'my morning jacket' but i definitely don't like everything they do. this is the best song i've heard from them. it's called 'if you touch me, i'm going to scream part two' from their new album 'evil urges.' i heard it on npr's all songs considered spring preview. thanks to heckster for sparking my interest in this group early on.

here's the link to the song.

i won't do this often but...

2008-05-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

i think it's pretty important.

whenever a major disaster hits and tens of thousands of people die, i always feel weird. i feel bad for not feeling bad. but the fact of the matter is that i don't know those people, those human beings that were killed. they live really, really far away. i don't know what their neighborhood looks like, their house looks like, where their kids go to school or what they do for a living. i really don't know anything about them at all. but they are human beings and some estimates for the myanmar cyclone and china earthquake are getting beyond the 100,000 mark. if something like this happened in the US, everyone would be up in arms. that also makes me feel weird.

anyhow, i heard a piece on npr that i thought i should share. melissa block, a npr reporter was in china during the earthquake and put together this report for "all things considered." in this story she takes one example of literally millions of possibilities and shows the impact this devastation is having. she follows a young couple as they search desperately for their two year old child and the child's grandparents. it's a pretty intense, personal story and melissa block clearly cannot hide the emotional impact it's having on her (and she shouldn't try to in my opinion.)

i think it's important when stuff like this happens to take a step back and think about it. it forces you to ZOOM OUT. look at the world from outer space and look at your problems compared to that world and take a big deep breath. we get mad when we get a can't get the video looking just right, can't find our car keys or are going too slow on our apartment remodeling project. thinking about a story like this is not really fun and doesn't make you feel awesome but it sure makes you grateful for the important stuff; life, good health, family and friends.

imagine that you're in their shoes when you listen to the story.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90447603&ft=1&f=1004

p.s. if you feel compelled http://directrelief.org/ is a good charity working on this stuff.

cool happy little video...

2008-05-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

go to their site for full resolution.

The Day Off from Karen Abad loves Dinosaurs. on Vimeo.

mraz...

2008-05-14T08:32:00.001-07:00

i know, i know. i have mixed feelings about this guy too but he has an undeniably good voice and did an awesome version of 'at last' at a concert a couple years ago. that kind of demanded my respect. he did strike me as sort of an arrogant tool as well. this is a new sound, more mellow and loungey. very cool. click here to play.

band makes video using surveillance cameras...

2008-05-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

awesome.

bowerbirds...

2008-05-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

very cool video courtesy of blogotheque. more here.

#90.3 - BOWERBIRDS - The Ticonderoga
by lablogotheque

a great, great moment...

2008-05-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

so i'm sitting in a upscale steak place in austin, texas sometime last year. it's my future brother in law's bachelor party. i just ordered a huge ny strip steak and i'm enjoying an ice cold newcastle. life is good. there are a dozen guys at a super long table, some reminiscing about college years and others just getting to know each other for the first time. we're all feeling very manly. steaks, beers, and a bachelor party. time goes by. dinner is delivered to our table and it looks perfect. the sides = awesome. steaks = incredibly awesome. we all think the night could not get any better. then, a woman with a very small frame takes the mic right at the very end of our table. even the mic seems big when she holds it up to her face. she sits on a stool very comfortably. she's joined by a keys player and a bass player (if my memory serves.) the music starts (ultra relaxing jazz.) the moment she opens her mouth all conversation at the table immediately stops and 12 dudes slowly turn to look at her. it's a great moment. her voice is incredible. she sings effortlessly, casually and passionately at the same time. she's into it, but not TOO into it. so rarely do you see that when you're watching music. just the right amount. several beers later we learned she advanced pretty far in american idol a couple years back. it was great to see her in such a small and intimate place. i hope that in a couple more years, more people will know who she is.

her name is kat edmonson and she just released a single, youtube style. available below. it's a catchy, politically motivated tune. be sure to listen to the stuff we heard (think billie holiday, ella, eva cassidy) at her myspace page.

if you can't relax to 'what a difference a day makes' i don't think you'll ever to be able to relax again.

ferrell gap commercial...

2008-05-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

funny.

bryan sutton and chris thile...

2008-05-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

my brother steve introduced me to bryan sutton and chris thile back in the day. really awesome bluegrass players. thile (of nickel creek fame) is now touring with a group called 'the punch brothers.' they'll be in the DC/MD/VA area in a couple weeks. myspace here.

AWESOME and beautiful video set to radiohead...

2008-05-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

my new favorite video site is www.vimeo.com/hd. the hd/timelapse stuff is awesome. especially by philip blossom. this is probably my favorite so far. go to the site to watch in FULL HD and full screen it. great resolution etc.

South Bank HD from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

bonnie 'prince' billy...

2008-05-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

from pauly. for nick drake, david gray or sufjan fans. this guy is worth checking out if you don't already know him. thanks paul.

his myspace page is http://www.myspace.com/princebonniebilly

PAUL WRITES: Every once in a great while you hear an album that you know from the first time you listen to it, will change the way you feel about music... I have been getting into Will Oldham and his music for maybe six months, except I didn't really make the connections. He has made music under a bunch of different band names (Palace Music, Palace Brothers, Will Oldham, and a bunch others) but he is best known as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy...I picked up one of his newer albums called "The Letting Go," and I was completely blown away by each track. Please do what you have to do and get this album... I think its even available on iTunes. This guy must have been a huge Nick Drake fan... but he has his own folky, backwoods sound... its hauntingly reverent and yet completely refreshing.

UPDATE: Paul says to listen to 'Lay and Love.'

lastFM is a great way to find new tunes...

2008-05-06T14:33:00.001-07:00

lastFM triumphantly declares that it's "the social music revolution." here's their pitch, "Last.fm connects you with your favorite music, and uses your unique taste to find new music, people, and concerts you'll like." it's certainly worth signing up. i'm still getting the hang of it.

www.last.fm

cool people playing drums on ladders...

2008-05-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

thanks pat! (it's kind of loud so turn down your speakers before you start.)
and here's pat singing pretty woman with the remnants.

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

traffic...

2008-04-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

another courtesy of nick gillespie. this would have been a classic for godfrey miles.

grace potter and the nocturnals...

2008-04-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

allgood is shaping up to be the top jamfest this summer. i pulled the trigger and ordered my tickets today so you'll likely see a bunch of new artists that will be playing there in july. the first cool new find for me is 'grace potter and the nocturnals.' they've got a really cool southern rock/jammy/soul thing going on. i dig it. the myspace page is here.

check out "apologies" for really good vocals.

from jesse walker at reason...

2008-04-30T06:55:00.001-07:00

curious george remix.

great new find!

2008-04-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

funky happiness from the brooklyn funk essentials. check this jam from 2001 in france. watch threw when she brings the whole crowd down and back up! it's a great moment at 5:45. everyone is together in that moment. thanks to friend rhys for introducing me!

myspace here. the song 'need' is pretty sweet.

the song 'i got cash' is very funny and contains some foul language.

cream jam from back in the day...

2008-04-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

this and previous post courtesy of nick gillespie. get through main part to the jam.

hot shot robots should play this...

2008-04-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

charlie daniels is famous for devil went down to georgia but this song has some cool funky elements. the words are crazy. "you outside people best leave us alone."

these go to 11...

2008-04-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

classic.

peter tosh, mick jagger and paul coletta...

2008-04-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Dan,
It's spring, and to me like all seasons it reminds me of different kinds of music... spring = new life, mystery and intrigue, but also reggae. This is a hilarious music video from 1978 of the amazing Peter Tosh (who grew up a close friend and band mate of Bob Marley before splitting off into his own equally amazing and much less talked about career) and his band featuring Mick Jagger.

sneakin' sally...

2008-04-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

a robert palmer tune. this guy is hilarious because he looks like he is going to have a cup of tea or something. great tune.

alvin also recommends this one 'looking for clues.' very funny 80's video. http://youtube.com/watch?v=1S9Or_bEGQI.

picture funky band (hot shot robots) playing both. great tunes. thanks alvin.

akon and t-pain...

2008-04-14T10:33:00.001-07:00

pretty funny animation.

an oldie but a goodie...

2008-04-14T10:11:00.001-07:00

phish.

well shot smoothness from the kings...

2008-04-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

of convenience. very cool video. only one shot. put it on when you're done working and want to just hang out and drink some ice tea or lemonade (or an arnold palmer.)

feed your soul...

2008-04-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

i just randomly found this dude on youtube. sings acoustic gospel. very good. coffey anderson. the israel and the new breed version of this song is one of the most uplifting songs ever. PERFECT to start a day. download from itunes and listen tomorrow morning. if you don't like it, i'll send a dollar in the mail.

backwards videos are sweet...

2008-04-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

the pharcyde - drop

http://youtube.com/watch?v=co3qMdkucM0

"i'm so blessed to have spent the time...

2008-04-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

with my family and the friends i've loved in my short life, i have met so many people i deeply care for." those are the lyrics that the band yeasayer sings in an impromtu subway concert in france. the video comes courtesy of the awesome site blogotheque and my good friend paul coletta. the videos relate the spontaneity, energy and fun of music making. if you pick one video on the blog to watch, please watch this one. thanks paul!

#87.1 - YEASAYER - No need to worry / Redcave
by lablogotheque

AND ANOTHER VIDEO.

#87.2 - YEASAYER - 2080
by lablogotheque

myspace page is here. for those in DC they will be playing at the black cat on this thursday april 10. listen to 2080 on their myspace page.

failure is always the best way to learn...

2008-04-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

when i grow up i want to be a professor. in my 'welcome to dr. hayes class' i'm going to give a speech about changing the way we view mistakes. instead of being awkward when someone else makes a mistake on a video we are going to CHEER! HOORAY FOR MISTAKES! HOORAY FOR MISTAKES! because failure is the best way to learn.

PLANET B-BOY DOCUMENTARY...

2008-04-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

now playing at e street in washington d.c. check out this trailer. looks awesome. breakdancing has evolved.

official website is here.

soulive is one of the best bands...

2008-04-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

around. and this video is very cool. funky, rocky, jazzy, and soulful.

2008-04-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

josh: it's best to listen to either bob marley or sitar music to start your day, even when you don't quite feel like it.
me: i may disagree with you on that. but first i need to use the bathroom.
josh: I just feel like they each give you a unique feeling that you can carry about your day. Marley makes it feel like it's 10 degrees warmer out (unless it's 95, then it feels like it's 93.5), and like it's time for a cold newcastle and some frisbee golf. Sitar music makes you feel like you could destroy people just by thinking about them, but that you won't, because you're THAT at peace and merciful. So I think that covers a wide portion of the spectrum of useful morning attitudes.
me: wow. you've put some thought into this haven't you? i was actually thinking about it yesterday. i agree with the feelings associated with the different types of tunes. i would add that listening to sitar music without thinking about it makes me feel worldly and culturally competent despite the fact that i haven't actually gone to india or the middle east. i just went into itunes and bought a cd.
josh: i thought of it this morning while i listened to bob marley and sitar music
me: personally i need funk in the morning. it's like a cup of coffee. it gets me going. i don't want to limit exclusively to funk because it can change depending on my mood but 99 times out of 100, an old school phish jam, the meters or the greyboy allstars get me going properly.
josh: yeah i see that. i just don't have much phish around, but they could be added to the list
me: i have 17 gigs of phish. i could probably get you some. i've also been listening to this rap song by twista. a rip off of 'lovely day' by bill withers. it's called sunshine featuring anthony hamilton. it's a thuggishly refreshing way to start the day.

SUNSHINE BY TWISTA FEATURING ANTHONY HAMILTON

animal vs. buddy rich...

2008-04-03T13:52:00.001-07:00

king of wishful thinking...

2008-04-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

i love this song. the video is weird.

animal, the muppet drummers inspiration...

2008-04-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

spread the love vibration...

2008-04-02T21:46:00.001-07:00

here's a tune by josh rouse. he's got a cool and laid back thing going on. thanks for my cousin laura grace for introducing me to him awhile back.

funkalicious...

2008-03-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

this is the first rec of many to come from my friend paul coletta. in his note to me he describes the band orgone as 'soooooo funky' and, at first glance, it appears that they are incredibly funky. and fun funky. they get into it. excuse the bad video quality. thanks paul!

myspace here. npr interview and session here.

one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite groups...

2008-03-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

this one is for you swope! big country by bela fleck and the flecktones.

james brown and pavarotti...

2008-03-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

seriously, what can i write about this? pavarotti and james brown singing 'it's a man's world' with a full orchestra. must watch.

the party we're all looking for...

2008-03-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

the band is breakestra. pure funky dancing fun. if anyone can find me a place like this is DC i'd be much obliged.

steve kimock and the all good festival...

2008-03-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

check this tune from the 2004 allgood music festival. nice and funky. don't think kimock is on the roster for this years festival but it looks pretty good. check the schedule here. i'll be there.

tal wilkenfeld...

2008-03-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

this is a 22 year old bass guitar player from austrailia named tal wilkenfeld. in this clip she plays with jeff beck and takes a solo about halfway through. she is a very natural gifted player and shows she can also funk it up pretty good in this clip. (watch the whole way through to see the reaction of the dudes in the crowd at the end.) i'll just put it out there, and i know this is not politically correct, it is so cool to see a female playing the bass guitar will such skill. the talking heads and a female bass player but she certainly wasn't close to as good as this woman is. i haven't ever see anything like it. thanks to the one, the only, mike alvin for the tip.
wikipedia here. myspace here. official page here.

this dude is unreal...

2008-03-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Watch more DIY videos on 5min.com

just for now by imogen heap...

2008-03-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

courtesy of my friend pat lafleur. this is a REAL talent.

pat says, "not only is the song itself beautiful in a spiritual way, telling people to take time with their problems and not rush into feelings of hopelessness, but also it's so great to watch her build the song up literally from nothing, using only recording equipment and her voice and hands. i think it's cool, and saw it for the first time while on the ship. AND being an a cappella nerd definitely made it that much cooler for me. it made me feel good. hope you agree!"

forgot ray lamontagne...

2008-03-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

in that list of great voices. amos lee, martin sexton, marc broussard AND ray lamontagne. check out this tune from a bbc broadcast.

it's friday, relax...

2008-03-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

and enjoy this version of 'i can see clearly now.' courtesy of my friend matt welch. listen in the middle when he holds 'sky.'

steve heck would send me this...

2008-03-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

not surprised in the least that i could count on my good friend steve heck to send me a super cool video and song by a band called 'the dining rooms.' (i would have liked to have been there when they all decided that was a good name. 'seriously, let's be the dining rooms, it'll be sweet.') anyway, simple, driving layered song with some cool acoustic guitar and piano stuff mixed in. definitely a relax on the couch with headphones on after long day at work type song. enjoy.

rockin' out with muse...

2008-03-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

in the ben harper documentary 'pleasure and pain' he talks about how we find our music. he makes the point that even greater than the influence of tv/radio is the influence of friends. that's cool and true.

i try to live my life with a general attitude of openness and optimism. in that spirit i've taken my friend jonny o's advice and followed the youtube links to a 'muse' video. i've heard them before, had a vague recollection and was skeptical. they rock pretty hard and normally i'm not a fan of that. i'm also not always a fan of crazy effected instruments but the bass line in this song is awesome. the video is intense and well made. (and i have muscles just like that dude.)

thanks to jonny o. (and dave and his brother andy) for the tip.

broussard = unreal vocals...

2008-03-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

martin sexton, amos lee, and marc broussard are some of the best vocalists around. the true test of a musician is to take away everything electronic and let them give you chills. check out 'gavins song' for that effect and 'you met your match' for some funky goodness on broussard's myspace page. crank up the headphones please.

more from mark abis...

2008-03-17T23:22:00.000-07:00

please please listen to STRONGER THAN DESIRE on mark's myspace page.

detlef, horses and more...

2008-03-17T23:07:00.000-07:00

thanks also to shorty for sending the song 'the funeral' by band of horses. cool song. starts slow and picks up in the middle.

to hear with what might be the very best song name of all time click on 'DETLEF SCHREMPF.'

sigur ros from shorty...

2008-03-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

thanks to mike sciortino for this suggestion. a great song without the visuals but add them for a FUN and refreshing video that will surely make you smile.

sweet catch...

2008-03-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

remember in the back yard when playing catch how you would purposely create additional drama to make a basic game of catch more fun? we used to do, 'bottom of the ninth base loaded 2 outs, 3-2 pitch' 300 times in a row. then throw a leading ball so our buddy would have make a spectacular diving catch to save the game. i promise i won't post too many videos from the 'incredible' category but here's one that's worth it.

keepin' it loose...

2008-03-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

amos lee has an incredible voice.

porcupine tree...

2008-03-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

cool piano sound in this song 'lazarus.' thanks to friend and overall awesome guy dave mcclizzle for the tip.

a harder progressive rock song HERE.

porcupine tree myspace page HERE. OFFICIAL SITE.

cool video music site...

2008-03-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

a friend of mine, will pangman, has been working with a production crew doing great videos from south by southwest. he's working on a series called 'all roads lead to austin.' a bunch of interesting bands you've likely never heard of. good mix of interviews and live tunes. artfully and creatively photographed. CLICK HERE to see all roads lead to austin.

here's another video by digforfire.tv that's super cool. it's st. vincent singing in 'other music,' a record shop in new york. enjoy! (st.vincent myspace is HERE.)

mark abis a terrific new find...

2008-03-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

thanks to brother andy for sending me this guys name. really cool style. acoustically mellow voice with obvious talent on the guitar. andy recommends the songs PINK TULIPS available on mark's myspace page here.

honestly, i can barely contain my excitement...

2008-03-13T21:42:00.001-07:00

those of you who know me well, know that i'm a pretty excitable guy. i sometimes get TOO excited about stuff. i must say, i am very excited. not only does the npr music site stream live concerts from south by southwest, but they also have VIDEOS of various musicians playin' tunes. those of you who know me well, know that i appreciate a good video every now and again. well most of these are good videos, some are truly great (jose g.) very high quality, well photographed and featuring great, young, and exciting musicians like jack johnson, the bowerbirds, ingrid michaelson, and jose gonzalez to name a few. they shoot jose gonzalez in the austin art museum. really cool man. please take a look. click artists name to get to the page.

sondre lerche seems pretty good too. the dirty projectors are kind of weird but have some really awesome harmonies.

i've said it before and i'll say it again...

2008-03-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

national public radio has the best music website on the internet. new music for any style. right now they've taken it up another notch by streaming LIVE SHOWS from the south by southwest music/film festival in austin, texas. i strolled by the site tonight to be pleasantly surprised to hear my morning jacket live in concert. awesome! what a feature. it's true, i love npr. i REALLY REALLY encourage everyone to go over to the music site at npr. now i'm enjoying the choro ensemble which is fun and light brazilian music. click on the picture above to listen!

acoustic talent shows...

2008-03-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

the bowerbirds. i don't like everything they do but i think it's a really cool and raw acoustic sound. listen for really nice harmonies in the chorus. lead singers voice is simultaneously soothing and piercing.

Aussie party...

2008-03-13T06:24:00.000-07:00

reporter is extremely beautiful and also very annoying/patronizing. this kid plays it perfectly.

jose gonzalez plays the guitar...

2008-03-10T14:31:00.001-07:00

S13.6 - JOSE GONZALEZ - Fold
by lablogotheque

enough said. happened to meet him a show last week. thanks very much to shelby of the cassettes (click here for myspace page) for the ticket. the show was sold out and i sat lonely at the front door until shelby showed up with an extra ticket. video is nicely shot but needs work on the audio. thanks for video tip from jamie dasher.

OTHER VIEWS ON HEALTH CARE...

2008-03-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

i met congressman paul ryan (r-wisconsin) and he seems to be a very cool guy. not only because he went to miami university (ohio) AND camp manito-wish YMCA in northern wisconsin, but also because he is by all accounts a 'small government' conservative. (isn't it a shame that i need to use that qualifier?) congressman ryan has taken principled stands on social security, health care and earmarks. click on the picture above to watch congressman ryan's video on health care. he also has a more detailed issue paper here. good article about ryan from the weekly standard here.

GETTING EDUCATED ON HEALTH CARE...

2008-03-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

i've been interested in health care for awhile now and i've had great debates with intelligent people about what's wrong with the health care system and what we should do to fix it. at this point it's clear that there's not going to be a strict free market solution or a strict government solution but some mix of the two. it's really important that when we make decisions about a national healthcare system we are well informed. nothing has informed me better than this program i heard on npr. there are four commentators and i think they all believe in some form of modified universal health care, which surprised me, but they are articulate and knowledgeable. click on npr to see the article and listen to the segment.

THE WIRE AND THE WAR ON DRUGS...

2008-03-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

if you haven't seen it yet, i think that the HBO show 'the wire' is the best show on tv. it's a critique of many things, but mainly the war on drugs and institutional failures across the board. the show is a thoughtful examination of incentive and motivation. reason editor radley balko recently interviewed co-creator of the wire ed burns. i find his comments on education, the war on drugs and the war in iraq most interesting.

click on the picture to get to radley's interview.

CLICK HERE to listen to the ed burns, terry gross interview from npr's fresh air.

original video by matt costa...

2008-03-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

check it out. he's got a good voice. this is an upbeat song. good use of stills and good shooting/editing throughout the video.

the street and the ragball

2008-03-05T14:52:00.000-08:00

click on the picture below to see a trailer for a documentary i worked on in berlin, germany. it's an incredible story and a very beautifully photographed film. release date is a mystery but i'll let everyone know when it comes out. comments welcome.

drudge links to hayes brothers packer blog...

2008-03-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

go to www.packergeeks.com for the latest packer news.

it's not true...

2008-03-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

is a great song by this dude william fitzsimmons.

tunecore had this to say.

"although the lone man with acoustic guitar is nothing new, fitzsimmons somehow transcends the cliché. his restrained vocal delivery, the perfect finger picking, melodies, memorable lyrics, and the minimal electronic bleeps/bumps/hisses hinting at a rhythm section form something entirely unique."

i find him quite soothing and not at all pretentious. comparisons are easy to make but for the sake of letting people evaluate and decide on their own, i won't make any.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this guy and check out some more tunes.

bonafied lovin'

2008-03-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

i think this crazy animated video and this band 'chromeo' are a good way to kick this off. thanks to mike alvin for the tip.