Listen To Jonsi's (yes, Jonsi from Sigur Ros) Album a Week Before It's Released

Jonsi is perhaps best known as the singer for the Icelandic super awesome band Sigur Ros. He's also the guy who picked up a bow rather than a pic  to play his guitar, and holy freaking crap does he create some beautiful sounds out of that instrument. Srrsly, I've never heard anything else like it.


As many band front men seem to do these days (see Thom Yorke), Jonsi has branched out own his own to create a solo project.


His first sans Sigur Ros project was a collaboration with his boyfriend Alex and was simply titled "Jonsi & Alex." The result was more experimental and ethereal than Sigur Ros (as is that were possible). I enojyed it. It WILL put you to sleep though, as it is very soothing and ambient.


So now Jonsi has his own solo project, and where his previous work has been somewhat dark and mysterious, his new stuff is way upbeat. You might even consider it something to dance to .. if ... you're,  into .... that .. kind ... of thing.  


So the new album is called "Go" and you can listen to it here.... FREE!


There's also an interview with him and he also DJ's at NPR. Topics in the interview include Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath as well as his musical beginnings in Iceland, and the new album.


I'm not really sure what to make of this new sound yet. Sigur Ros, it ain't, but it will probably find a space in my ipod. If you're new to this whole Icelandic-bowguitar-atmospheric-ethereal sound, you should probably check out a little of Jonsi's work with Sigur Ros. It's quite amazing... I recommend it to all my friends.

This is a beautiful song with beautiful imagery of Iceland to match

(check out his use of the bow on the electric guitar.. GENIUS)

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Neil Young Shows a Little Love for the "Southern Man"

There's a lot of great music out there that was recorded years ago. Neil Young just so happens to have recorded loads of it. The problem is that he, and others like the remaining members of Pink Floyd and The Beatles, is not getting any younger. So there's not too many more times these amazing acts are going to be able to get around and tour.


Well Neil has decided to grace us with a few live shows, and so far most of the announced dates are down here in the good ole South. Thankfully, he will be coming to Nashville, so I won't have to travel to see him. He'll be playing the Ryman Auditorium later this year. 

I actually saw him in concert (sort of) at The Ryman a few years ago. He was there filming "Heart of Gold."
It wasn't actually a concert, per say, but he did take a break from filming to play an acoustic set that included some great songs like Needle and the Damage Done, Old Man, and After the Gold Rush. Nice.
It was also super cool because several of Nashville's greatest musicians showed up to lend a hand.
It was an amazing experience because this event was not open to the public. Tickets were circulated among those "with connections". The only reason I got a ticket was one of my patients had a family member who plays for Neil, so he gave me the hook up.


Interesting aside: I stood behind Merril Streep in line to buy beer. Cool.


Anyhoo, here's the dates for Neil's tour...
May

26 – Louisville, Ky. @ Palace Theatre
29 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Fox Theatre
30 – Spartanburg, S.C. @ Memorial Auditorium

June
1 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium
2 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium

Notice that he's coming to Nashville for two dates. Nice.

This post was really just an excuse to post the following gems of musical goodness...

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It's Good To Be Beck

It seems that Beck has been pretty bust these days. In addition to producing artists like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Jamie Lidell, 

he's also been inviting friends over to cover some of his favorite albums.

This select group of musicians has been called Record Club, and has included artists yo umay have heard of like, um Devendra Banhart, MGMT, the Liars, Feist, Wilco, and Nigel Godrich (srrsly, this dude is everywhere). His brother-in-law Giovanni Ribisi even stops by to lend a hand.

So, what exactly are these super cool people doing together you ask. Well, they are recording  cover versions of great albums and recording what happens so people like me can blog about it, and people like you can read/watch and think "that's fucking awesome! thanks for sharing."

Thus far, they have recorded Skip Spence's "Oar" (Feist and Wilco), "the Songs of Leonard Cohen" (MGMT and Devendra Banhart), and "The Velvet Underground and Nico" (Nigel Godrich and Giovanni Ribisi). They are currently working on covering "Kick" by INXS (which one of these is not like the other) with St. Vincent and the Liars.

This is a pretty cool idea, I think. Please enjoy the following nuggets of audio goodness and let me know what you think. Do you think it's a good idea to cover/remake albums?

This version of of "i'll be Your Mirror" is absolutely a beautiful song.

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico "I'll Be Your Mirror" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.


Record Club: Songs Of Leonard Cohen "So Long, Marianne" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

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Like You've Got Something better to do on Sunday Night

I'm always trying to find new cool stuff to provide you with sights and sounds to make your brain happy. Well, tonight's your lucky night. The BBC has done it again. Their new 11 part series on nature shit debuts on Amurican tv tonight.


I so love the BBC. I so love nature, especially the animal part. So this is my latest joy-inducing bit of goodness. The BBC films our world like no one else does. Their images are like buttah. That is to say, the footage they get is unsurpassed because they will send their film crews out into the middle of nowhere and promise to kick them in the shins and babysit Amy Winehouse if they don't come back with award winning stuff. To avoid such misery, their film crews will build hideouts and stalk/wait for animals to come along and do what animals do. 

So imagine some dude sitting in a shrubbery waiting minutes/hours/days to get footage of a bug hiking up a 10 billion foot tree for a shot at a piece of ass from a she bug. They shoot this bug booty call from every conceivable angle, throw in a little CGI, and have David Attenborough narrate the whole thing. The result is an incredibly interesting story and shows the particular critter's behaviour in a way that also shows their personality. Of course if someone filmed my life and David Attenborough narrated it, that would actually make for some interesting television.


I happened to get a sneak peak at this series while on a boat in the middle of the ocean on one of my recent dive/shark stalking adventures. I must say that it is highly entertaining and does not disappoint. 


Here's a little clip about the big beetle that could. I must say that it is the funniest animal clip I've ever seen (this clip is long but the funny part starts at 1:35, 5:08 ad after is classic, 5:55 LOL) . He is persistent.




The 11 part series begins tonight on Discovery and Animal Planet...

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Build A Better Mouse Trap

You should check out this video for the song "This Too Shall Pass" by OK Go! It is filled with much goodness and it will make you smile. 






That was awesome!! I'm going to try that in my garage this weekend.

Ok Go, originally formed in chicago, now resides in LA. The forming members met as teenagers and have been performing together since 1998. they got their name from an instructor at a camp for the arts who would give instructions for an assignment and then would say "Ok Go!". 


They got their big break in 2007 when their video for "Here It Goes Again" became a You Tube sensation, won them a Grammy, and displayed their penchant for treadmills.


Put these guys in your ipod.... Ok GO!

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My Girlfriend Has A New Record...

My wife recently commented on a blog post, and in doing so basically gave me the green light to have a girlfriend. She kindly selected Zoey Deschanel for me. Way to go honey!


Well, it appears that my supposed concubine's band has a new album coming out next week. She and Him's second album entitled Volume Two will be released on Tuesday, but you can listen to the whole thing right here. 


Deschanel wrote the songs, which are a collection of musings and longing for love, but the way she sings, it ends up sounding like she's smirking while singing. It's like she's saying "yeah, like i'd be pining for someone. i'm freaking hot!! they should be pining for me!! this shit ain't real."


You: "isn't this music a little girly sounding?"
Me: "um, sort of. maybe. yes. Fuck You! it's cool."
You: "chill out dude."
Me: "sorry. i still think you should check it out..." 


...  here's a video for the song "in the sun"

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Who Else See the Leprechaun say "Yeah!" ..... "yeah"

Many of you (although I'm not sure that "many" people are actually reading this blog... leave comments!!) may have already seen this, but damn it's so funny that it bears repeating. Happy St. Patrick's Day Y'all

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