Hopefully it is finally starting to feel like SUMMER in your part of the world. Some would argue that it always feels like summer here in Southern California and well, they would be right, but there is something about school being out and the beaches getting crowded that sort of seals the deal. I have just sent my two kiddos off to summer camp so I finally have some time to catch up on stacks of New Yorkers, books I have been stashing away, and of course the latest and greatest in music.
Sorry for the lapse in Music Monday blog posts for the past two weeks. I have been experiencing some frustrations with the playlist website that we use; namely, it suddenly will not allow me to post certain songs due to licensing issues. I think I have worked out some of the kinks but I still won’t be able to always post what I want to when I want to. In the meantime, I am exploring some alternatives.
Without further adieu, here are this week’s Music Monday picks:
“Monday Morning” Death Cab for Cutie from the album Codes and Keys
Death Cab is back with their seventh studio album and this song is appropriately titled for this day of the week. The entire album is very good and you can catch them live on tour this summer.
“We Have Everything” Young Galaxy from the album Shapeshifting
This Canadian group has been around since 2005 and has toured with big acts like Arcade Fire, Death Cab, etc. but I have not heard of them until now. For this recent album, the group recorded their songs in Canada and sent them overseas to Sweden where acclaimed producer Dan Lissvik electronically enhanced them.
“Old Man” by Redlight King from the album Something For The Pain
I heard this song last week on the Howard Stern show. Yes, I listen to Howard - I have for many years. While I’m not a huge fan of his tawdry antics, I do think he is one of the most talented comedians around and his interviewing skills are unrivaled. Anyway, Howard and many of the guys on his staff are huge Neil Young fans and they were discussing this song and whether or not it was a good use of the “Old Man” riff. I must think so as I have listened to it a lot over the past few days!
“Morning Thought” by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. from the album Morning Thought
I first heard this Detroit duo when they performed a live set on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic here in Los Angeles before they headed down to SXSW. In addition to making great music, these guys have a good sense of humor (see band name for proof of that) and they blog for the ESPN music site.
“Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” Coldplay from their yet-to-be-named fifth studio album
I can hear the collective groan now...“Ugh, Coldplay?” What can I say? I like their sound and they are one of my favorite bands to see live. This song is from their upcoming fifth studio album and while it does sound an awful lot like every other song they have put out there, I don’t think that is really such a bad thing. Their music just makes me feel good. And if you were at their Glastonbury show this past weekend, well then you were really lucky.
“Summertime” performed by the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong from the Porgy and Bess soundtrack
This song is dedicated to Erik Rogers who passed away a few days ago from brain injuries sustained after falling off a step ladder while trimming trees. Erik was part of a close circle of friends that I am lucky to have in my life and we are all shocked and devastated that he is no longer with us. Erik and I shared a love of music, especially jazz, and in high school we always swapped Ella Fitzgerald cassettes. This song is one of my favorites, and Erik’s too, and I close out this week’s Music Monday with it as a tribute to my friend.
Cheers, Lisa
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