We hate your hate

I have decided to come full circle with this post and once again talk about Broken Social Scene as one band. Their self titled album is amazing and deserves its own entry on my list. This album was much anticipated by myself and many others. I try not to have to many expectation when my favorite artists put out new music just in case I am disappointed, which has happened to me a few times. I bought the album the first week it came out and opened it up and I smiled as I read the inscription written on the inside cover - "we hate your hate." I love this band. It is not quite as good as "You Forgot It in People" but it is a very close second.
This album is full of sound and emotion. The music builds and builds and it often sounds as though Kevin Drew is shouting above the swell of an orchestra. I love playing it loud and driving fast in my car - it is the perfect combination.
This album was released in 2005 and I am still waiting for its successor. Please BSS, I miss you.

So that concludes week two of my music blogs. I have really enjoyed writing about music even if it was only you reading it Miranda It was great to reacquaint myself with beloved music. I think I will take a break from the music blogs for now but perhaps I will revisit it some time. Happy listening!

Favorite track: "Major Label Debut" - "I'm all hooked up"

Goes to show love is crazy

Just a slight diversion from my last post as today I am featuring one of the members of Stars. Amy Millan has one of the most angelic voices I have ever heard. It is almost childlike but powerful in its quality and clarity. I must admit I prefer her as a member of Stars but her solo album "Masters of the Burial" is lovely. It is a simple album that lulls along and could sing you asleep. I am just getting to know it as it is new to me but thought it deserved to be included in this weeks list.
This album is a mix of her own work as well as covers but she puts her own stamp on each track and her own material is my favorite. I listen to this album with a smile on my face and my heart feels light. A feel good album that yes doesn't have a lot of depth or layers but is definitely worth a listen.

Favorite track: "Day to Day" - "My love for you is like a river. It runs and falls and goes on forever."

"I am trying to say what I am wanting to say without having to say I love you"

This next post is dedicated to Stars. A delicious band that I have seen live and I am always entertained. If it isn't Amy Millan's clear, soft voice then it is the dramatics and enthusiasm of Torquill Campbell. My favorite Stars album is "Set Yourself on Fire". This album is terrific from start to finish. I have listened to it countless times and is one of my favorites for road trips. For me it is the perfect mix of fun pop music and slow ballads. Each track tells a story and makes me sing along.
I always have to mention the album "Up In Our Bedroom After the War" because it is a close second in my heart. It is equally delightful and I love what Campbell had to say about it when they were creating it he said "What is the darkest possible situation that I could turn into a beautiful pop song."
My only complaint about Stars is having to wait so long between albums.

Favorite track: "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" - "I'm not sorry I met you. I'm not sorry it's over. I'm not sorry there's nothing to save."

I'm addicted to your aging face

Kevin Drew. The leader of BSS and a man of extraordinary talent. His album Spirit If... was made with many members of BSS actually it has a total of 23 contributors. This album does showcase his songwriting and him mainly on lead vocals. This album is raw and in your face. His lyrics often shocking and makes you think "his childhood must of been messed up". But what I really appreciate about Drew is that he doesn't hold back. He puts himself out there, his music is real and honest. Drew is a fan of epic music and rarely do I hear a band pull that off as well as BSS and it translates well into Spirit If...
I LOVE the last track. It reminds me of a camp song with everyone sitting in a circle singing their hearts out while one guy strums the guitar. I like the idea that they all really get along and appreciate each other's talent. Hearts, hearts.

Favorite track: "Lucky Ones"

Killing time but it won't stand still

Sigh... Jason Collett. I adore this man. With his long skinny legs and Bob Dylan-esk voice. The first time I saw him he was opening for BSS at the Starlight Room and my ears perked up. He has a layed back attitude when it comes to his music and at times when I listen to him sing he almost sounds bored. But he has a few solo albums and two that I adore, the music very catchy and his ballads poignant. I love both albums so I had a hard time choosing between the two but I am sticking to my predictable pattern and choosing the first I heard "Idols of Exile". I love his lyrics and this album got under my skin almost instantly. When watching him on stage he is usually under the influence, unless it is an 11am session at Folk Festival where he is nearly comatose, but knows how to put on a good show and is always playful with the audience. He was born to write music and sing and anyone can tell. For another excellent album that will knock your socks off check out "Here's To Being Here". I just went to his website and his new album is being released early March. I am thrilled and that probably means he will be touring again!

Favorite track: "Hangover Days" - "out the Columbia hotel window I threw my heart into the streets."

"The saddest part of a broken heart isn't the end so much as the start"

The next album on my list is by Leslie Feist, one of the former yet still dating Kevin Drew so still participates from time to time, members of BSS. Feist as you know her became famous with the release of her album "The Reminder" even though she has been on the scene for awhile now. I would like to choose - surprise, surprise - my first listen to Feist which is her album "Let It Die". This album is delightful from start to finish. It has a lovely French flair since she recorded it while living in Paris. It also has a 70s feel to it which makes me want to wear go-go boots, which I have never owned, and dance around with a disco ball. Back when I used to own cds I use to spin this in my cd player and sign along. It is an album that stays with me and I like to hum when it floats through my head.

Favorite track: "Mushaboom" - "And we'll collect the moments one by one I guess that's how the future's done"

Broken Social Scene

So I have enjoyed blogging about music I love so I have decided to continue. Well at least for one more week. I had an idea of a theme that has gotten me excited. I was originally thinking that I would blog about Canadian artists I love but there were waaaaaaay too many to choose from. Then I realized I could do an entire week on just my favorite band and as the title suggests they are Broken Social Scene (BSS). BSS is not just one band but many all in one beautiful, glorious group. Out of BSS you have:
1. Kevin Drew who released a solo album that I will later feature
2. Brendan Canning who also did a solo album
3. Feist - awesome!
4. Metric - danceable
5. Apostle of Hustle - nice Cuban flavor
6. Stars - another of my favs
7. Amy Millan - also a member of Stars that has some delightful solo material
8. Jason Collett - adorable and he has some of his own terrific albums

Now I am sure there are even more I don't even know about.

The album I have selected to feature today is my first BSS exposure thanks to my brother Ben who also adores this band. At the time the BSS was 10 members strong and even had 5 other guest artist contribute to "You Forgot it in People". If I were to create my top 10 favorite albums, which maybe I will someday, this would be on it hands down. I have listened to it countless times and have never tired of its brillance. For such a large group their cohesion is amazing. I think it is awesome to have so many creative people, so many with song writing abilities to come together and make some this perfect and not have one person stand out more than another. They all share vocals and yes most songs are written by Drew but there is no showboating allowed is BSS. I also must say I love an indie rock band that includes lots of strings on an album, so delightful. So there you are my favorite band.

Favorite track: "Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl" park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me

Saved the best for last

Okay so I am writing this post before the week is done but have decided to save it to the end. Not only does Radiohead fit perfectly into my list but they are also one of my favorite bands of all time. Each album I purchase I end up loving - even something as strange as "Kid A". It is hard to explain how or why I love them so much but it is mainly Thom Yorke. It is great when a band can have staying power like Radiohead and still produce amazing music. I never get bored of them and even their latest "In Rainbows" is brilliant.
So I debated about which album I would select for my list because there are many to choose from but I decided on "OK Computer". Unfortunately, I didn't discover Radiohead until I was in university so I missed out on "The Bends" until later so "OK Computer" was my first exposure to Radiohead and has left the most lasting impression on me. I know this sounds strange but if one day I meet a guy and I feel like I felt when I first heard Radiohead that will be a pretty good sign that he will be someone I want to get to know better. So yes music is my boyfriend - what can I say. I think The Hidden Cameras say it best in there song appropriately titled "Music is My Boyfriend" - "I found music and he found me."

"To be alone with me you went up on the tree"

I changed my mind a few times on this post. I had a few albums that I was choosing between and wasn't sure what was going to make the cut. I actually had selected a different album and started writing about it but I needed to include Sufjan Stevens on my list. Even thought his music doesn't exactly fit in with my list so much of his music does move me in the same way as the rest of the music included on this list. I adore his voice and his lyrics and how he builds his songs with such grace and ease.
The album I am selecting is "Seven Swans" because it was my first introduction to Sufjan. As you may have noticed on many occasions the first album I hear of an artist is often my favorite. If it is someone I really enjoy it becomes imprinted on me and is always a tough act to follow. I am very loyal.
I remember listening to "To Be Alone With You" and realizing that I could worship God even when the music wasn't overtly Christian. I grew up learning that there was a clear line between Christian and non-Christian music and I always felt guilty for my deep love of secular music. I listened to that song and God spoke to me and I felt love and now every time I hear it I hear God singing it to me. It is quite possible that Miranda you are the only one reading these and you are already familiar with Sufjan but the word has to get out there - he is amazing.

My next artist/album is Sigur Ros. His music is so beautiful and if you have never heard of him I am sure you have heard his music and just not realized it. His music is often in the background and has made many soundtracks. His mix of English, Icelandic and some unknown language makes an amazing landscape for the cacophony of sound. He is an acquired taste and definitely not for everyone but when you take the time to listen I am sure you would not be disappointed.
I enjoy all of his music and his latest "Med sud I eyrum vid spilum endalaust" is more upbeat than his usual and more accessible than his older albums. Iin sticking with my theme my choice for this list is "Takk" because it falls somewhere in the middle of the musical spectrum. It is a pretty album and somewhat simpler than some of his others. The tracks are a "normal" length and have a lighter quality to them.
With Sigur Ros you have to listen to love it and I love it.

It's time for mercy, pretty please

This next album is one that I know my friend Miranda will appreciate. We have been long time Jann Arden fans and she even more hardcore than myself. She has sat in front row at her concert on more than one occasion. The album I have chosen is "Time for Mercy". It is actually Jann Arden's first album and I confess has always been my favorite. She has made many more great music since and even music that is more popular and familiar to others but "Time for Mercy" is always my fall back album. Jann is always someone I will play when I want to feel sad and especially Mercy. The only track that trumps these songs for me is on her "Happy?" album "Hangin' By A Thread" - oh I have cried many a tear listening over and over to "Hangin' By a Thread." Now this was quite a few years ago and I honesty don't use Jann Arden as a tool for my sorrow but I am listening to "Time for Mercy" as I write this and I am smiling. Even though it is emensly sad it is full of hope at times and honest which anyone can appreciate.
So there you have it. An oldy but a goody.

Needle in the Hay

This post is not about one album but instead one song. It's author is Elliot Smith who's music is generally brooding and melancholy so would fall into my list very nicely but I don't know Elliot Smith enough to be able to include one of his albums in my list. But this one song I love and it kills me every time I hear it. It does have a lot to do with the fact that it accompanies the saddest scene I have every witnessed in a movie. It is in The Royal Tenenbaums just after Luke Wilson's character finds out the truth about Margot's past. He is in the bathroom and cuts his hair and shaves his face looks in the mirror and says "I am going to kill myself tomorrow." It breaks my heart but I LOVE that movie. I have seen it several times and that scene always gets me and it is largely because of the song "Needle in the Hay."
So there you are not an album but an artist who knows how to write a good tear-jerking ballad.

"You told me to be patient you told me to be kind"

So Miranda inspired me to share more music that I love. I have decided to write about one album a day for the next week. Now most of you who know me and bother to read my blog know the music I like and have probably heard all of this already but oh well. For this week I decided to choose a theme and these are all albums that fall under what I like to call the "lovely and sad" category. They each have a melancholy tone but I adore them. The second album on my list is by Bon Iver and is entitled "For Emma, Forever Ago". I still remember driving in my friend's car and she had it playing. There were a few of us in the vehicle and we were chatting during the trip but this album caught my ear as we drifted in and out of conversation. I found the disc at the Edmonton Public Library and instantly I knew the album would be one I would enjoy and by the third track I was in love. It has quickly become one of the albums that I often play over and over. When I am trying to decide what to listen on my iPod on more than one occasion I don't scroll past the B's.
This album was written like Hospice during a period of isolation. Justin Vernon went away to a cabin in the woods during winter to write and record the songs. As I listen I often imagine the cabin and wrap a blanket around me and sit back and enjoy.
So give it a spin if you haven't already. The EP Blood Bank is also good.

Sorrow and beauty

I have been in love with the album Hospice by The Antlers these days. It is a very sorrowful album full of angst and describes a man who meets and falls in love with a woman in the hospital who is dying of cancer. I listen to it and it is so haunting and my eyes will often well up with tears. I love music.
It is the weekend and I plan to be lazy. I finished my first knitting project, it was a very satisfying feeling, and I have begun another. I should say goodnight I was just listening to Hospice for about the millionth time and was overcome yet again and felt like blogging about it.

The year is new

I am learning how to knit. Yes I know totally cliche. But this time I am determined. It is my third attempt but this time I am investing time and persistence and I stated an actual project instead of the many rhombuses that have been created out of my lack of skill. I have had fun being crafty lately. I have always stated that I am not crafty and I am sticking to my guns because it does not come naturally to me. But I do enjoy a creative outlet and I am thankful that I am okay with not being perfect at it.

So it is 2010 but I do not make resolutions because of the disappointment that inevitable follows. So instead I will say that I aspire to be less complacent - this translates to different aspects of my life which I will not get into.

My week in review:
Highlight: Appliance shopping with Sarah. We bought 2 appliance within 7 minutes at Home Depot and celebrated our skill with a high-5.
Low light: My favorite client died over the holidays and I am devastated. I will miss him and hope I get to see him in heaven some day.

Happy New Year to you.

The photo on the left is my most recent craft project and the one on the right is proof that I am learning to knit.