Deep in the Internet abyss, past the viral videos and all the insufferable memes lies Common Ground, a haven where one can find solace and camaraderie through a shared passion for music.
If you can't get enough Common Ground, you may be in luck. Starting tomorrow, you can listen to us (Lucien, Michela, and friends) live every Friday from 2-4 PM. We're doing a radio show called "Diversity in The Workplace" and you can listen live from WTBU: The Beat of Boston University. We'll play some music, do a little talking, and maybe even plug the blog. Enjoy!
Listen up folks – literally. The Coachella Festival slated for April 15-17 in Indio, CA has released its lineup. The directors of the three-day extravaganza again seem to be attempting to cater to both indie and mainstream audiences, a trend becoming increasingly evident over the past few years. Check out the list which includes Arcade Fire,Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Cold War Kids, The National, Morning Benders, Nas, Black Joe Lewis, Sleigh Bells, Titus Andronicus, and more Common Ground favorites. Also included...Cee Lo Green.
As you may already know, the indie-rock super stars, Arcade Fire, have been nominated for three Grammys this year. Their 2010 album, The Suburbs, faces competition from Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Eminem, and Lady Antebellum in the Album of the Year category. The Suburbs is also up for Best Alternative Music Album while the track "Ready To Start" has been nominated for Best Rock Performance by A Duo or Group With Vocal. On top of these honors, the band has also been given the nod to perform at 53rd Grammys (February 13th, 8pm).
In other Arcade Fire news, the band will debut Scenes From the Suburbs, a short film directed by Spike Jonez at the Berlin International Film Festival, taking place February 10-20. The film has been referred to as "a science-fiction B-movie companion piece for the record" and in an interview with Pitchfork, lead vocalist Win Butler said "my brother [William Butler] and I and Spike wrote it together, which was really fun– it was like total amateur hour.” Enjoy a clip from the film:
What do you get when you cross Bob Dylan, Wanda Jackson, and Jack White? An innovative combination of vintage old and vibrant new - classic black with a splash of girly pink – a marriage evident in Wanda Jackson’s new music video released on Tuesday. Covering Dylan’s 2006 “Thunder on the Mountain”, the rockabilly star joined forces with Jack White and his Third Man Record team to produce The Party Ain’t Over out January 25th. Take a look at the rip-roaring fun here:
Back on the 11th of December the Cold War Kids played a few songs over at Jack White's Third Man Records in Tennessee. Now, a few videos of the act making their way to the band'sYoutube/Vevo page. Here's the unreleased "Skip The Charades." You can also check out a performance of "Louder Than Ever"from that show. Also check out the new "Louder Than Ever" music video.
Gregg Allman, famed founder of the band that bears his name, released his latest album Low Country Blues on Tuesday, his first in fourteen years. Produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett, the album consists of eleven covers and one original. Mostly blues interpretations,the tracks seem to connect Allman again to his Nashville roots, albeit in more relaxed arrangements than those he always played with his “brothers”. You can listen to the album on Rolling Stone.
The Denver based DeVotchKa releases 100 Lovers March 1st on Anti- Records. The diverse band achieved some acclaim in 2004 with "How It Ends." They also provided the majority of the music for the Little Miss Sunshine Soundtrack which was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack at the Grammys in 2006. Anyway, the bandonce again draws from an eclectic mixture of musical influences on their new track "100 Other Lovers." Listen to it here on Stereogum.
~ More News and Notes ~
- The energetic funk revival band, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears is set to release Scandalous on March 15th. . This is Sugarfoot, off their 2009 debut, Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!
- In an odd turn of event, The Dire Straits' classic radio anthem, "Money For Nothing" has been banned in its uncensored form in Canada. Read more about it at Rolling Stone.
- A Grateful Dead videogame in which "players will explore a Grateful Dead-themed world." Read about it at Rolling Stone.
- Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxestweetedthat their second LP "is done and mastered." He later went on to tweet, "that happened a little while ago. Announcements soon, but no turning back now I guess.”
- The Strokes are set to release their first album since 2006 later this year. Angles will drop March 22nd in the USA
- Common Ground writer, Lucien Flores has begun contributing to the Daily Free Press' new blog. Here he weighs in on the three bands that he most wants to see live at Coachella.
The fickle nature of popular music never ceases to amaze me. Most recently, I have been stunned by the worldwide celebration of Cee Lo Green’s “Fuck You” (“Forget You” is the radio edit).
First leaked on the web, the piece was released as a single in August 2010 to promote his November album The Lady Killer. The single peaked at #9 on the U.S. Billboard Charts, currently holds #1 on the U.K. Billboard Charts, and dominates radio stations throughout the U.S, Europe, Japan, and Australia. “Fuck You” has additionally been named TIME Magazine’s “Song of the Year” and has garnered a Grammy Nomination for the same category, helping The Lady Killer acquire four additional Grammy nominations.
He's everywhere...
In the midst of this popularity, I find myself unable to escape Cee Lo. Toggling between radio stations has succumbed to frustrated channel surfing to escape incessant repetitions of the piece. Innumerable album covers featuring an aviator-clad Cee Lo sprawl across entire shelves at music stores. One can’t even sit down to enjoy a relaxing, simple, episode of Glee without hearing a “Fuck You” remix. Emerging lightheaded from this dizzying Cee Lo domination, I am here now to ask: “Why?”
Granted, Cee Lo has produced some quality music in the past. Partnered with the fantastic producer, Danger Mouse, Green released St. Elsewhere and the single “Crazy” in 2006 under the pseudonym “Gnarls Barkley”. Green’s silky voice paired with the flowing and shapeless backing strings was an innovative combination that earned the duo two Grammys and Rolling Stone’s prestigious “Song of the Decade” award.
Cee Lo, what has happened? While catchy, this new piece is terribly uninspired. While innumerable critics and teenage fans alike have been praising “Fuck You” as cutting edge, it is completely derivative. Have we forgotten the 1960s and the 1970s? The opening piano on Green’s track sounds strikingly similar to that on The Foundation’s “Build Me Up Buttercup” and the female backing vocals on “Fuck You” could have been lifted from any Supremes record. Cee Lo has clearly listened to Motown his entire life – why don’t most recognize it too?
This is how I feel
The lyrics fail to compensate when the music falls short. There is a complete lack of poetry; instead of utilizing animated adjectives to articulate his emotions, he unimaginatively confronts his gold-digger heartbreaker by simply swearing at her. Additionally, in trying to maintain a cool and biting cadence, Green doesn’t even sound distraught.
Song of the year – really? Is this the best music can do? There are multiple groundbreaking artists who are continually snubbed in attention, sales, and awards. If this kind of imitative and lyrically-pedestrian music continues to capture listeners in rapture, I fear the demise of creativity.
Jog your memory with these hits, music that combines catchy hooks with actual emotion and inventive poetry. Hopefully it will bring you back to a time when the christening title of “music” was a little more sacred.
"Do You Love Me? (Now That I Can Dance)" - The Contours
Here's some music news and song samples to whet your appetites for a few of 2011's new releases from The Decemberists to Okkervil River, Cold War Kids, Danger Mouse, and more. Enjoy.
Okkervil River appeared on Jimmy Fallon last night and debuted their song, “Wake and Be Fine," Their new album, I Am Very Far is to be released May 10 and will be added to the list of albums to the right. If you don't know Okkervil River, I'd take a listen...they're pretty good.
So The Decemberists new album, The King Is Dead, leaked the other day. I'll have a review up before the end up the month, but in the meantime, you can listen to it over atNPR. Here is the opening track, "Don't Carry It All." The album is slated for a January 18th release. They're playing January 24-26th at the Beacon Theatre in Manhattan and January 28th-29th at the House of Blues in Boston. Be sure to check the Boston Music Scene page as well.
Danger Mouse is collaborating with Italian composer Daniele Luppi on a new album inspired by the film soundtracks of Ennio Morricone. For this project, entitled Rome, Danger Mouse procured the help of Jack White and Norah Jones. Hear snippets of a few songs below. This blogger's personal favorite is the Jack White sung track that comes at just about 2:00 minutes in. Rome drops March 1st.
Kentucky based indie rockers Cage the Elephant release their new album, Thank You, Happy Birthday, today. The band appeared on my music radar in 2008 with their twangy indie-blues song, "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked." However, their debut album was nothing great and it remains to be seen if their follow up album will resonate with audiences. A review will be up before the end of the month, but until then this is "Shake Me Down."
Cold War Kids' Mine Is Yours comes out January 25th, but if you can't make it until then without new Cold War Kids material, enjoy "Royal Blue" and "Louder Than Ever."
The Black Keys released Brothers May 18th and yet audiences still can't get enough of them. They were on SNL last week and on Letterman yesterday. Check out the band playing their hit single "Tighten Up" on SNL. The rock duo also played "Howlin' For You" on SNL and Letterman (wish they would have changed it up).
So that's a wrap for now. We'll have more on these albums when they finally drop, but until then, keep on listening and of course, reading Common Ground.
Cold War Kids released a sampler of 5 songs off Mine is Yours. Now two of these songs ("Royal Blue" and "Louder Than Ever") have already been released, but this is the first taste of the other three tracks. Also, I forgot to mention it earlier, but the band is playing at the House of Blues in Boston on March 22nd. Tickets are $20 so pick some up today. I'll be going...maybe I'll see you there?
~ January 12th ~
The Black Keys were once again on late night television last night, gracing Stephen Colbert with their presence on his Colbert Report. On the show, Colbert enlisted help from the Ohio-based garage rockers and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend to aide with his selection for the Grammy for Best Alternative Album. Of course, the Black Keys supported their own Brothers while Ezra supported Contra. Eventually, Colbert had the two bands face off in a Sell-Out Off and hilarity ensued. Colbert also poked fun at Arcade Fire, Band of Horse, Mumford & Sons, and other artists.
Despite its traditional christening as “the people’s music”, folk has always experienced rocky popularity in mainstream culture. The 1960s revival not only captured the world with its subliminal simplicity and return to roots, but also encapsulated the tradition to vinyl, making it marketable for the first time. Yet, once dusty work boots began to be shined on Carnaby St. and Sunset Blvd., electric instruments began to drown true folk artists out, returning the genre to shadows -- until now.
With Mumford & Sons’2010 debut album Sigh No More¸ folk fans can again breathe with ease. As if personifying the driving percussion and honest passion that dominates their music, Mumford & Sonsbattled past the inhuman electronica that dominates both Top 40 and Indie charts this yearto finally return folk to the mainstream.
Mumford & Sons Bring Folk Back
While many connoisseurs previously marked a folk revival with the recent popularity of groups like The Avett Brothers, Iron & Wine, and Fleet Foxes, no group other than Mumford have been able to capture the organic ecstasy found in the community that is created when folk music is shared. The title of “folk” cannot be arbitrarily assigned when a group employs acoustic guitar, banjo, and hollow bass on their tracks; rather, folk is a mindset. On their official website, Mumford explains that they formed to “make music that matters, without taking themselves too seriously.”
This is folk.
Sigh No More may be as flawless as a debut album can be and the finest of the album are most definitely the five first introductory tracks. The opening vocals in the title track“Sigh No More”quotes Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing to pierce and plead for forgiveness. Despite this agony, Mumford then showcases his ability to economize spirit in simple phrases. Crooning “Man is a giddy thing”, Mumford communicates man’s insatiable need to always pursue love, leading the track to finish in a Druid-dance pounding celebration of passion.
The album marches on with “The Cave”, a musical search for true identity. Mumford showcases his storytelling abilities here, not only with his emotive and engaging voice, but also in his various allusions to ultimate folk tale, Homer’s The Odyssey, which serves as an acknowledgement of his predecessors. The following“Winter Winds” weighs the consequences of falling in love and creates a wall of sound that would make Phil Spector proud.
“Roll Away Your Stone” exhibits the band’s range, beginning with a Celtic waltz which transitions into a skiffle that shuffles into a hoedown explosion, all while hailing the “newly impassioned soul” that emerges from darkness and ruin. In “White Blank Page”, Mumford impugns his former desire, furious with her rejections of his unconditional love and heartbroken that she has chosen another. Mumford’s emotion is most tangible on this track and his indignation breaks the listener’s heart as well.
While the second half of the album is not as radiant as the former, the band still remains strong. “I Gave You All” builds off the theme of “White Blank Page”, but offers a softer treatment while still showcasing Mumford’s poetry: “If only I had an enemy bigger than apathy, I could have won.” The following “Little Lion Man” currently sits at #64 on Billboard’s Hot Top 100 and has proven to be the band’s most famous. The track berates a modern-day “Cowardly Lion” and while effective, it is puzzling why the group chose it as its single over their more memorable tracks.
London Town Boys
The following three tracks, “Timshel”, “Thistle & Weeds”, and “Awake My Soul” all sound relatively similar, but still exemplify the group’s ability to recreate hymnals that have been sung around tables and campfires for centuries. The penultimate track “Dust Bowl Dance” is slightly out of place in the middle of the other love songs, but captures an American folk sound mixed with piercing electric guitar, again illustrating the group’s potential for diversity. Sigh No More closes with “After the Storm”, a somewhat flat, but still gently poetic piece that speaks of the struggle to “know life” after the “decay” of a lost love.
Granted, the album could be reorganized to present a more concrete chronology of the love story and the band could work to diversify their sound. It must be emphasized, however, that this is a debut album and mirrors the iteration of most beginning artists. No band since Arcade Fire’s 2004 Funeral has showed this much potential through a debut album.
The People's Music
While universal appeal is a rare achievement for any music group, this blogger recommends that everyone should listen to Sigh No More. In the midst of their organic instrumentals, emotive vocals, and intelligent and poetic lyrics, everyone can find a piece of Mumford to cling to. It is this reality that truly defines this album as folk – Mumford & Sons is the “people’s music.” As if to underscore this definition, Sigh No More has reached #8 on Billboard’s Hot Top 200 Albums list and #1 on its Rock, Alternative, and Folk charts, indication the world has embraced Mumford. The group has additionally garnered two 2011 Grammy nods. To be characterized as folk, music needs to not only use the rustic instruments common people have played for centuries, but it also needs to encapsulate its unabashed emotion and storytelling qualities that have continually brought groups of diverse people together in song that has a touch of divinity in its unity.
2010 was the year the two-piece blues-based rock outfit, the Black Keys, burst through their garage door and cemented their reputation as premier indie rockers. While guitarist and vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney of Akron, Ohio were certainly not unknown after amassing an impressive career of five albums, two EPs, and one collaborative hip-hop experiment, the Black Keys now appear to be gaining the most mainstream success they’ve ever garnered after releasing their latest album, Brothers - and the accolades keep on coming. Their hit single, “Tighten Up,” reached number one on the Billboard Rock Songs Chart and has since been nominated for the Grammys’ “Best Rock Song.” The band has additionally been nominated for three other Grammys including Best Alternative Music Album and has earned Rolling Stone’s second best album of the year title. Furthermore, one cannot turn on the TV, go to a movie, or boot up a videogame without hearing a new track from the Black Keys. Is this praise deserved? Well in a word: yes.
Brothers continues the Black Keys’ musical growth where 2008’s Attack & Release left off. Prior to that album (produced by Danger Mouse), it was fairly easy to identify any Black Keys song as most sounded remarkably similar; the Black Keys never left the realm of dirty and riff-tastic blues-rock. With Brothers, the Black Keys weren’t afraid to take risks; Dan Auerbach experiments with a whispery falsetto that provides the perfect counterpoint to his ever-raspy howl and the band utilizes more keyboard and bass than ever. These changes are certainly welcomed and make Brothers sound much more soulful, complete, and polished than any previous effort, making it arguably the Black Keys’ best outing yet.
Dan Auerbach Turns His Swag On
“Everlasting Light” opens the album with Auerbach’s beautifully crunchy guitar and Carney’s deep drum beat driving the song before Auerbach unveils his shiny new falsetto. This song is a total throwback to late 60s and early 70s blues rock, yet doesn’t sound like any previous Black Keys song to date. “Everlasting Light” is a perfect opener for the album, showing the listeners that Black Keys have indeed grown. The strongest tracks on the album continue this arrangement of crunchy guitar and messy drums, from “Next Girl” to “The Go Getter” and “Sinister Kid” and the aforementioned “Tighten Up.” The latter is incredibly catchy, beginning with a light whistle hook before Carney’s fill-heavy drumming and Auerbach’s soulful vocals kick in. About 2/3rds through the song, the music melts apart before being revived with an even hazier and messy sound for the last minute. The bonus track “Ohio” may actually be one of the better songs on the album; after its sing-song opening and bluesy verses, Auerbach delivers a powerful, Neil Young esque solo for over a minute to close out the track in what sounds like an unintentional homage to the great guitarist whose song of the same name is a classic. Another great track, “The Only One,” has a gentler feel to it, yet sticks with the sonic theme of the album. This kinder, gentler sound is continued with the last four songs of the album as compassion and passion drip from Auerbach’s grizzled mouth.
Patrick Carney Pounding Away
While the tracks on Brothers depart from the typical Black Keys sound, the album itself does not change up that much. The album clocks in at just under an hour (not including the bonus track) and a little diversity would do the album wonders.
Ultimately, Brothers is a very promising album for the Black Keys. The band has grown considerably from their early days as garage-rock rockers who would churn out albums in a day and it will be very interesting to see what the band does from here. Will they continue growing or stick to their tried-and-true methods?
Overall Grade: 8.5
Other thoughts:
This isn’t necessarily a criticism of the album, but of the band’s live shows. While, they are certainly very energetic live, they tend to have very repetitive set lists. Minus a few of the new tracks, the set list for the Brothers tour was basically identical to a show of theirs from the Attack & Release tour. I would love for them to diversify their sets.
If you can't get enough Common Ground, you may be in luck. Starting tomorrow, you can listen to us (Lucien, Michela, and friends) live every Friday from 2-4 PM. We're doing a radio show called "Diversity in The Workplace" and you can listen live from WTBU: The Beat of Boston University. We'll play some music, do a little talking, and maybe even plug the blog. Enjoy! 
Listen up folks – literally. The Coachella Festival slated for April 15-17 in Indio, CA has released its lineup. The directors of the three-day extravaganza again seem to be attempting to cater to both indie and mainstream audiences, a trend becoming increasingly evident over the past few years. Check out the list which includes Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Cold War Kids, The National, Morning Benders, Nas, Black Joe Lewis, Sleigh Bells, Titus Andronicus, and more Common Ground favorites. Also included...Cee Lo Green.
As you may already know, the indie-rock super stars, Arcade Fire, have been nominated for three Grammys this year. Their 2010 album, The Suburbs, faces competition from Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Eminem, and Lady Antebellum in the Album of the Year category. The Suburbs is also up for Best Alternative Music Album while the track "Ready To Start" has been nominated for Best Rock Performance by A Duo or Group With Vocal. On top of these honors, the band has also been given the nod to perform at 53rd Grammys (February 13th, 8pm).
The Denver based DeVotchKa releases 100 Lovers March 1st on Anti- Records. The diverse band achieved some acclaim in 2004 with "How It Ends." They also provided the majority of the music for the Little Miss Sunshine Soundtrack which was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack at the Grammys in 2006. Anyway, the band once again draws from an eclectic mixture of musical influences on their new track "100 Other Lovers." Listen to it here on Stereogum.
