Kings of Leon, Ryan Bingham

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       Kings of Leon - Taper Jean Girl off their 2004 album Aha Shake Heartbreak

You know that I could use somebodddeeeey. Everybody knows that line. But before Sex on Fire and Use Somebody made them a huge hit, Kings of Leon had already been making great music. I have not listened to their very first album, but Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of the Times (album #'s 2 & 3) are both really well done the whole way through. Listen to the entirety of both of those albums and you will forget how much radio stations ruined "Use Somebody" by playing it so damn much. "Taper Jean Girl" is my favorite from Heartbreak. It gets me moving right from the start every time I hear it. I know my co-workers and all previous roommates I have had hate me for my constant foot and pen tapping, but it's not my fault. Blame the Kings of Leon.

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       Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses - Direction of the Wind, off of his 2010 album Junky Star

Ryan Bingham made me convinced that I don't care as much about sports as I used to. Quick background; I pretty much had two things going on in my life when I was younger; sports and school. I still love sports, and I think that will be ingrained in me forever, but I've found a lot of other things that I enjoy, and I've found that there is not as much time for those things if you are constantly thinking about who's in first place. (The exception is Notre Dame football, which I will always make time for.)

So, I had my sights set on seeing Bingham at a small bar in Philly last October. For two or three months prior to the show I was excited that the show was coming up. My wife and I were planning on going. However, my wife is also a big Phillies fan (full disclosure; I've become one since moving here four years ago.) The Phillies made the NLCS, my in-laws got tickets to game 1 in Philadelphia, and it just so happened to be on the same night as the concert. In the past we've gone to a lot of games, and I always enjoy going. But on that night, all I really wanted to do was go to the concert. I went to the game and I had fun, but the Phillies play at least 162 games a year... and Ryan Bingham will only play at the North Star Bar once. 


That made me realize that I've turned a corner. Sports isn't my favorite thing to do anymore. I still enjoy playing, but until the playoffs, other things are more important. So, in that very specific way, this song is appropriate to me since it's saying that there is a change in opinion, a change in thinking. I'm just not as into sports as I used to be. I've figured out there is a lot else out there that is interesting and develops you as a person, rather than just allowing you to remember that Mark McLemore was the Orioles' second basemen in 1993. Sports can teach you a lot about life, but you have to have the other parts of life in order to put those lessons to practice. 


In "Direction of the Wind", Bingham's talking about how there has been a change in the way people think about social issues; race, class, civil rights. He thinks it's a change for the better and he's hoping that it catches on and continues in that direction. It's interesting to me to see the opinions of a young guy (Bingham is 29) from West Texas and how different they are from what you might have expected from that region in the past. I can think of a few other instances (Brad Paisley comes to mind), but there aren't too many country artists that really try to tackle tolerance and social equality in their music. His music sounds like old school country/americana, but his lyrics are clearly that of the younger generation. 


By the way, this is a video of the song being performed at the concert that I missed.

Slightly Stoopid, Free Energy

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       Slightly Stoopid - Jimi off their 2007 album Chroncitis

Continuing on my high school musical interest rehash trail, I think you should check out Slightly Stoopid. They are from near San Diego and I got introduced to them because my friends thought they sounded like Brad Nowell from Sublime in one of their songs. If you are looking through their albums and notice a trend, don't jump to conclusions. I was not a stoner in high school, I just happened to love stoner music. One day it's going to be fun when my kids find my Slightly Not Stoned to Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid album. SS albums generally include one or two punk songs, several reggae/rock songs, one or two hip-hop inspired beats, and at least one or two really mellow songs that I love to throw on and chill out to whenever I'm on a beach. I was in the Bahamas last year and I put Chroncitis on my iPod, sat down by the water, let the waves hit me, and got a really bad sunburn. Sitting there, looking out at the water, and listening to that music is exactly what a vacation should be. "Jimi" is one of those songs that makes me think of the beach. Plus it shows off their style and talent with the guitar.

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       Free Energy - Dark Trance, off of their 2010 debut album Stuck on Nothing

I heard Free Energy first on WXPN, which is the local public radio station here in Philadelphia. They are based in Philly and they have a good 70's/80's rock vibe that fits in well here. "Dark Trance" has the power chords and guitar solos that a good hair band song might have (I say "good" hair band very lightly). Seems to me that this song is about not dwelling on past opportunities, not letting past mistakes deter you from taking chances in the present. Their album overall is lacking in variety of song style, but each song by itself is pretty solid. I think their lyrics are strong, so I'll be waiting to see if they open up their musical direction on their next album.

Low Life, Secret Knives

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       The Low Life - Four Walls off their 2003 album Thixotropic

These guys were a band from the D.C. area but they have since broken up. I'm not sure if it was due to creative differences or lack of making money, but I've always felt somewhat responsible. I got introduced to them while I was in high school when I got their original EP from one of my friends who was on their street team. Then, one day while walking around campus at college during my freshman year, this guy walked up to me and said "Hey, you want this CD? These guys are playing tonight." So I snagged it and it happened to be The Low Life, Thixotropic. I already knew I liked them, so I probably would have bought the album if they didn't just give it to me. That night I dragged two of my friends to the free show. There were only 40-50 people there, and it was obvious that the majority of them had no idea who the band was, but it was fun. So, at that point I'd gotten two free CD's and a free concert. I know they got paid for the gig and I did buy a t-shirt, but somehow I've always thought, "maybe if I'd just bought their music they'd still be together." "Four Walls" is the last song on the album and it's more mellow than the rest. Check it out, and because I think I owe them, here's a link to the lead singer's new web page http://www.evanbliss.com/ He's making music on his own now.

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       Secret Knives - The Garden, off of their 2010 album Affection

The Secret Knives are from Wellington, New Zealand, and it's another band I discovered from indierockcafe.com. I know nothing about them and I have no New Zealand stories, but I was intrigued by their sound. It's a mix of electronic and alternative rock. I listened to their album (available here) and it's one of those that you can get lost in, but in a good way. I'm not sold yet on the whole deal, but "The Garden" is a good start. 

Ben Harper, Bassnectar

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       Ben Harper -  Bring the Funk off his 2003 album Diamonds on the Inside

Ben Harper might be most well known for his slower, stripped down songs such as "Burn One Down" and "Walk Away", but plenty of rock and reggae songs fill out the 8 full length albums that he's put out over almost 20 years. My favorites happen to be the funkier songs. "Bring the Funk" has a great bass line. I can't find a good video of it, so find it on iTunes. 

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       Bassnectar - The 808 Track, off of their 2010 album Wildstyle 

This one's just a straight up bass heavy electronic jam to start your weekend right. I stumbled across these guys because I was trying to listen to a bunch of bands on the Bonaroo line up that I've never heard before. I wasn't expecting electronic bass heavy music (probably should have, given their name), but then I remembered that hippies love acid, and acid loves electronic music. Happy Friday.

Ben Folds Five, Miniature Tigers

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       Ben Folds Five -  Fair off their 1997 album Whatever and Ever Amen

In college I had the chance to see Ben Folds solo on campus for like $15, but at that point I basically only knew "Brick" and "Rockin' the Suburbs." My other choice was probably to go play beer pong and make fun of my friends, so naturally I passed on the concert. Now I realize I should have gone. So many of their songs are perfect sing alongs, which would have been amazing with a drunk college student crowd. If you can't get into "Fair" and start jumping around when the pace picks up (while completely disregarding the fact that the song is about a bad break up and/or a domestic dispute) then you are nuts, or not drunk enough. 

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       Miniature Tigers - Tropical Birds, off of their 2010 album Fortress 

This is a good driving album for the summer, so listening to it now in March is getting me excited for my upcoming trip to California over the summer. They opened for Ben Folds in 2009, which I just learned in the course of research for this post. So if blogging doesn't work out, I always have the subconscious genius thing going for me. Anyway, check out this band. They are relatively new and from Brooklyn. Light and airy melodies fill the album with a few more rock worthy tunes mixed in. "Tropical Birds" is one I can see myself listening to while cruising the PCH with the top down. 

Hayes Carll, The Strokes

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       Hayes Carll -  I Got a Gig off his 2008 album Trouble in Mind

I grew up pretty much only listening to country music (with some Billy Joel and Sinatra mixed in) until I was about 10. Around then I stumbled across the Foo Fighters on my radio, my cousin introduced me to Sublime, and music was never the same for me. But country music will always be my musical foundation. Whereas DBT and the Avett brothers use country/roots as a stepping off point for their own styles, Hayes Carll sings straight up country music, and I respect that. I saw him live last year and I can attest to the fact that his album doesn't do justice to his remarkably strong twang. The lyrics of his broken dream/down on your luck storytelling will keep him off most radio stations, but they are great stories and even better music. I Got a Gig is a fast paced song in which Carll creates a rhythm with his stretched out vocals that basically negates the need for a bass drum. He just came out with a new album in February that I haven't had a chance to check out yet, but if it's like Trouble in Mind it will be a great pick up. This is a weird video, but it's the only album version of the song I could find. 

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       The Strokes - Macchu Picchu, off of their 2011 album Angles 

I heard this song for the first time today, but I've listened to it a few times now, and it was the one that most caught my ear the first time through their new album. Other than "Last Nite" which came out when I was in high school, I haven't really paid much attention to the Strokes. I like this song though. It's got a slight ska feel at first but it's also got the power chords that I remember from Last Nite. Here's a link to their website, where they are streaming their entire new album. 

http://new.thestrokes.com/featured/listen-to-angles-here

Band of Horses, The Decemberists

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       Band of Horses -  Islands on the Coast off their 2007 album Cease to Begin.
I really like the feel of this song, and after hearing it, but without really listening to the lyrics, it really did sound like a beachy song. I've been reading a lot about songwriting and when I came across an article where lead singer Ben Bridwell was interviewed about this album I was completely shocked. He said in the interview "The lyric actually says ‘eyelids want to close,’ but I always thought it sounded like ‘islands on the coast,’ so I named it that to screw with people." Awesome, right? Dude just named the song what it sounded like to mess with people's heads. The lyrics in their songs are often hard to understand because he sings with abnormal timing, splitting up lines and even individual word. But I guess part of the fun of listening is to try to figure out what he's saying. This song happens to be about the end of a chapter for the band, as it was written when they decided to move from Seattle to Charleston. It's a bittersweet song because the reason they were leaving Seattle was broken friendships, but they were happy to move to Charleston to start a new chapter. I think the lyrics convey the disappointment over the problems from Seattle but the melodies and the upbeat tempo convey the hope of good times in Charleston. And they've definitely had good times since they moved to Charleston. They are one of my top 5 bands at this point, so listen to them when you get a chance

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       The Decemberists - Calamity Song, off of the 2011 album The King is Dead 

By now this album is two months old, and if you haven't heard about it, you haven't turned on the radio, looked at iTunes, or been to a Best Buy in quite a while. For a band that I used to hesitatingly recommend to others due to their penchant for wearing Civil War era clothing, they sure have gotten a lot of major air play and national acclaim for this album. They write a lot of songs about obscure historical events, but Calamity Song is about a combination of disasters that leads to chaos. I can't begin to explain how or why some of the lyrics are what they are, but on this song and in general on the album they have managed to transition their own very unique form of the Americana genre. And they definitely have not left behind their storytelling.