Cataldo Wednesday March 28, 2007

I cannot say enough good things about Cataldo. He is without a doubt the best thing I have discovered in recent memory (and I’ve discovered some good shit in recent memory). Cataldo is basically Eric Anderson, a college student from St. Paul, Minnesota/Moscow, Idaho along with some friends. He regularly tours to Olympia which is how my friend/neighbor Caitlin (of Menomena obsession fame) found him. He is unsigned and is not actively searching for a label, which is pretty awesome. His self-titled 2005 release is one of those rare albums on which you will like every single song. It is full of well-written and performed love songs with guitar and some electronic backing (and hand claps!). Don’t let the lack of a label fool you, this is a well recorded and produced album full of amazing songs. A second album is slated to come out this summer after the minor setback of having his computer with all of the songs he had recorded on it stolen a few months back. Check out these two tracks and head over to his website for 3 more (and an all-around entertaining experience).

[mp3] Cataldo-Wedding Cake
[mp3] Cataldo-Headed Back to Boston

Official Site | Myspace | Buy Cataldo

 

 

Dear Les Schwab Amphitheater, Wednesday March 28, 2007

You are dead to me.

Dead. To. Me.

Seriously, could you possibly schedule more crappy, washed-up country acts? I guess I should have known when you replaced Modest Mouse with AFI last summer that the Coldplay/Death Cab/Beck/Flaming Lips honeymoon was over.

Sincerely,

Kayla A. Morrison

Chris Garneau Monday March 26, 2007

 

Chris Garneau is a new solo artist from Brooklyn, NY. Other than that there is not a whole lot of information on Mr. Internet about him. His first album, Music For Tourists is full of emotional, piano-driven songs. He sounds vaugely like Elliott Smith with some layered vocals (I’m trying so hard not to fall into that cliche of labeling any singer-songwriter as “sounds like Elliott Smith.” I’m looking at you, every music promotor ever) but his arangements are much fuller and more orchestral, including things like cello, violin, and french horn. There is no guitar on this album, and it works because the piano arangements are interesting enough to support his lyrics. He could could also be described as a more interesting Damien Rice, they have similar voices, but Garneau’s music has more variety and is somewhat more upbeat. I’m pretty sure that this first song is going to end up on my “favorite tracks of ‘07 list” so I would strongly suggest that you check it out.

 

 

[mp3] Chris Garneau-Castle Time

[mp3] Chris Garneau-First Place

 

 

Official Site | Myspace | Buy Music For Tourists

Psapp Saturday March 17, 2007

 

 

Here is another band that I found in the radio station while frantically looking for things to play. Apparently the entire world already knows about them (at least on a subconscious level) because they did the Grey’s Anatomy theme song. Too bad I like my medical dramas ER style: badly written and far past their prime.

 

Anyway, Psapp is a duo consisting of Galia Durant and Carim Glasmann which hails from London. Their music could be described as electro-pop, but it goes beyond that tired label with fresh sound effects (toy instruments for example) and jazz influences. They also really really like cats. Their website includes a game where you (as a cat) must save keyboards from killer fish with knives. Also check out their myspace for an audio pronunciation guide of their name (with a British accent!)

 

[mp3] Psapp-Hi

[mp3] Psapp-The Words

 

 

Official Site | Myspace | Buy The Only Thing I Ever Wanted

 

 

Side note: Decemberists DVD. It’s pretty amazing, the concert on it is not their best because Colin Meloy was a little sick/losing his voice I think, but the documentary and music videos are awesome. Plus there is approximately 30 seconds of footage from the show where they opened from The Pixies in Bend and from a show at what I’m pretty sure is The Paramount in Seattle.

 

 

Oh How I Love Menomena Saturday March 10, 2007

I know, I know, it’s kind of a cop out to just post another video…but cut me some slack: this week I took 2 midterms, wrote 3 papers, did a presentation, played the same concert 7 times, and spent 4 days on a bus WITH BAND KIDS. Plus, this is a good’n.


I didn’t think I liked Menomena until my friend/neighbor Caitlin called and requested them during my radio show every single day for like 3 weeks. After hearing “Wet and Rusting” approximately 12,000 times they kind of grew on me. For those of you living under a rock, Menomena are a trio out of Portland which has recently been getting a lot of attention. Their music regularly involves a bari sax and piano and that’s pretty much all you need to know. Their latest album Friend and Foe has the most ridiculous cover art I’ve ever seen. There is no track listing anywhere on the packaging and there are cryptic numbers and song titles on the actual CD. Only after much annoyance about having to look up title information on the obscenely slow radio station computer did I figure out that if you put the CD in the case and close the cover the song number and title show up through holes in the cover artwork. Genius.


Anyway, This video, for the aforementioned “Wet and Rusting”, is el oh el funny and it involves lots and lots of typewriters, so you really can’t go wrong.

“Wet and Rusting” video

Official Website | Myspace | Buy Friend and Foe

dear two loyal readers: Wednesday March 7, 2007

I’m sorry!  I’m am drowning in a sea of papers and tests right now so this here blog is feeling a little neglected.  You can blame band tour/midterms for that.  But stay tuned because next week there will be updates! about bands! such as Jordan O’ Jordan!  and The One am Radio! and Let’s Go Sailing!  It will be an UPDATE BONANZA!