Watch this video. I've been a fan of the song for months, and now it's the free music video of the week on iTunes. Mellow vibe + interesting visuals = I'm there.

current obsessions:

the lack of postings here is evidence enough of my hiatus from music EN GENERAL (sad, i know, good thing you can't be hired from an unpaid gig...oh WAIT)...but here is a selection from my updated "current obsessions" playlist.

-the whitest boy alive. first clued into them by the kate spade muzak soundtrack. new single 'island' is a perfectly engineered blend of mellow vocals and spacy synth melody.
-the weepies. part of my summer fix, revisited because the folksy, contemplative lyrics are too good to pass up. specifically "all that i want."
-kate nash. that damn "mouthwash" song is always stuck in my head.

moonlight and brandy, sweet talk and candy

In August 1981, network known as MTV aired its very first broadcast.  That December, MTV hosted it's first Christmas special.  Enter Billy Squier, who had recorded a new Christmas tune in the studio and was ready to perform it live with the "MTV Chorus."  In a truly great television moment, Billy and the MTV-ers performed Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You for viewers all across the country.  As everyone knows, this is one of my most favorite Christmas songs of EVER.  And this live performance is without a doubt the most stellar version of the song that exists.  

And now, I give you a historic moment in music television:

great late-night performances

Last night's late-night lineup on NBC featured two really great musical performances.  First, Relient K did a really fun version of Sleigh Ride on Jay Leno:

Then, my boyfriend Robin and the rest of the Fleet Foxes graced the Conan O'Brien audience with their presence, performing a lovely rendition of English House:

Hooray for the television!

anal bum cover.

So I've been thinking a lot about album covers lately. Perhaps it was a delightful mention by mitochandrea of some lego parodies. Or all of the chatter about Britney's Rodarte dress (swoon) in the art for Circus. Or maybe it's the upcoming Nasher exhibit The Record (curated by the one, the only, the adorable, Trevor Schoonmaker; on display in fall of 2009) which encompasses album art as well as literal album art-- sculpture created from LPs.

These things all made me wonder (cue introspective Carrie- Bradshaw-is-typing-on-her-Macbook-music), in this day and age of digital music, how relevant is album cover art anymore? Unless I happen to glance down at my iPod or read a review of a new release, I am ashamedly unfamiliar with the graphics chosen to represent the band's work. So readers, is this true for you too?

photo credit: 1

andrea's top five

TOP FIVE HOLIDAY SONGS FOR ALL YOU ALT-BROS WHO CLAIM TO HATE HOLIDAY SONGS:

5. The Weepies, All That I Want

Holiday cheer +  The Weepies + Enough said.

4. The Hives and Cyndi Lauper, A Christmas Duel

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding this recent collaboration, and it's obvious why.  Sounding as much like a great rock song as a Christmas song (disregarding the percussive jingle bells), this definitely deserves a listen.

3. Weezer, We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Rivers Cuomo rocking out Blue-Album-style to a song that even your grandma likes.  The best part is the guitar solo reminiscent of Say It Ain't So around 0:54.  (Side note: The Christmas with Weezer EP was just released TODAY, and it's already on heavy rotation here in my apt.  It's killer.  Get a copy post-haste).

2. Beck, Little Drum Machine Boy

I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of the Little Drummer Boy, but leave it to Beck to take this humdrum tune and kick it up about 62 notches.

1. Fountains of Wayne, Valley Winter Song

This song describes my dream life.  Hearing Chris Collingwood sing "The snow is coming down/on our New England town/and it's been falling all day long" is a really, really fantastic thing.  The lyrics and melody perfectly match the overall feeling of the song.  Also, I want to be this lady when i grow up.

photo credit: 1

a present from sufjan!

my sufjan elf that i dressed up here.

Asthmatic Kitty, the record label home of several indie darlings such as Sufjan Stevens, has put up an adorable Christmas-themed website.  Activities include playing dress-up with Sufjan, printing Christmas ornaments and listening (free) to select tunes from Songs for Christmas.  Oh, and the best part - an amazing 8-bit Christmas video game, which makes Sufjan look like he's trapped inside a floppy disk on your Commodore 64.  Brillz!

kanye's way or the runway

Frock and Roll is back from the dead again, bringing you some breaking news. Kanye West, fresh off the release of his Auto-Tune-heavy sad song album 808s and Heartbreak, has announced that he not only wants to volunteer his services as a fashion intern, but might take some time off from music to do so. I applaud him taking this dream seriously (he's already designed men's shoes for Louis Vuitton) and joining the ranks of unpaid interns everywhere, but this just screams Sean Avery, Part Deux. Can you see Kanye schlepping Starbucks and spending hours organizing the showroom, like a real intern? That will teach you how the fashion industry really works. All bitterness aside, let's face it -- Kanye's clothes would be the shit.

[Showbiz Spy via The Cut, photo credit: 1]

andrea's top five

TOP FIVE INDIE LOVE SONGS:

(to put a smile on the face of every debbie downer!)

5. Belle & Sebastian, If You Find Yourself Caught in Love

A happy-go-lucky tune from the darlings of British twee.  Give the whole thing a listen, because the B&S-ness doesn't start til about a minute in.  Yeah, yeah, the intro is pretty, but the last three minutes of the song are far superior.

4. Ingrid Michaelson, The Way I Am

Sure, it was overplayed last year.  Yes, it was on a commercial.  For Old Navy.  But goddamnit, this song is the musical equivalent of a cup of hot chocolate (with 5-6 marshmallows) and you can't deny it.  

3. Nick Drake, Northern Sky

Ah, Mr. Drake.  The king of folk ballads, the sultan of serenades.  At least 10 of his songs could have potentially made this list, but Northern Sky tugs at your heart strings in a way that the others don't.

2. The Maccabees, Toothpaste Kisses

What The Maccabees accomplish with this song is rare: it's cute and kitschy, but also genuine.  If you don't enjoy the lyrics/melody/vibe, you may or may not lack a soul. 

1. Alexi Murdoch, Song For You

Maybe it's my hopeless romanticism, but this song always sets my heart aflutter.  Alexi is poetic, lyrical and very sexy.  He's even been compared to the late, great Nick Drake, which is hard to question.  Oh, and did I mention he went to DUKE for a brief spell? (bonus points).

photo credit: 1, 2

foxes. a whole fleet of them.

This needs no introduction.  Take it away, Robin.

Fleet Foxes - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque.

happy thanksgiving, from gin and sonic

while we at gin and sonic are busy stuffing our faces, take this time to adequately prepare yourself for the awesomeness that will be our upcoming christmas music posts. happy turkey day!

everybody loves a baby

Have you seen the new Dove commercial?  With the adorable cover of the ol' Tony Jackson standard Pretty Baby?  You know, the one that creepily announces "And I'd like to be your sister, brother, dad and mother too," but it's ok because the lyrics were written in olden times?  

Well friends, after perfoming an exhaustive search, I have finally discovered the artists behind the song - an unsigned group out of Milwaukee called Minnutes.  Their MySpace page displays the phrase "Happy music for a sad world," and indeed it is.  Click here to listen to Pretty Baby and a few other gems from Minnutes.

photo credit: 1

disturbing trend

Feist's "1 2 3 4" did have an elementary school charm to it, so I guess it makes sense that the brooding songstress scored a segment on kid favorite Sesame Street. But what's in it for bands such as The Shins, MGMT, and Jimmy Eat World? They've all been booked to appear on the seizure-inducing Yo Gabba Gabba. And a personal favorite, Nebraskan tapdancers Tilly and the Wall, just made an appearance on Sesame Street, performing the ever-so-deep Alphabet Song.


Tilly & the Wall on SESAME STREET from Team Love on Vimeo.

Are toddlers the new target marketing group? Does this have something to do with Tilly's new album O? Someone please tell me if you know any 3-year-olds who can make an iTunes purchase.

a long delayed notes on a show

Coldplay, Saturday Night Live Taping, 10/25, New York

Please excuse the tardiness of this belated post, but I would like to regail you with a tale of the greatest day of my life.

Somehow I am the luckiest person ever and managed to win the NBC ticket lottery, securing spots for Lindsey and I to attend a live taping of the greatest sketch comedy show ever to exist. That in itself is unbelievable news, but Lindsey's obsession, Jon Hamm, star of AMC's retro drama "Mad Men" was hosting, and the musical guest was MY FAVORITE BAND OF ALL TIME, COLDPLAY.

In a bittersweet turn of events, funny gal Amy Poehler was absent, whisked off to give birth to her and Will Arnett's born-to-be-hilarious offspring. But this meant that we all scored in the music department--to fill the time slots of her previously scheduled skits, Coldplay played 4 songs instead of the usual 2 song allotment. Recent chart toppers "Viva La Vida" and "Lost!" were joined by blast-from-the-past "Yellow" and a super-bonus of new single "Lovers in Japan." The live broadcast cut off "Lovers in Japan" after about 10 seconds, but the studio audience heard it all. We were sitting on the left hand side of the balcony, directly in front of the stage, MERE FEET away from the band. The sound was incredible, and I couldn't believe their musical passion, as evident then as it was a couple years ago at a much larger outdoor venue. All four songs sent Lindsey and I into cardiac arrest.

This video gives you a pretty good idea of our ecstasy. (And if you pause at 7 seconds, you can pick Linds and I out of the crowd!)


P.S. Watch this skit. You won't regret it.

notes on a show

Ari Hest, Julian Velard and Marianne Keith, 11/06, New York

ari and julian

I am pretty much in love with acoustic rock crooner Ari Hest. Freshman year of college, Iza and I borrowed a car from an acquaintance we barely knew to schlep to Raleigh for his concert on the eve of my Chem 21 final exam. The venue was hardly full, but the imaginary duet with Norah Jones-- he sang her parts in falsetto--and the chance to meet him after the show were TOTALLY worth an almost failing grade in the class. Since then, I've grown up (I'd like to think I'm a bit more responsible) and so has Ari.

iza, ari, and myself way back in 2004.

Last Thursday's performance at Village hotspot Le Poisson Rouge, an intimate cabaret-style venue with seating in the round (and a stellar bar menu-- choices include tater tots, PB&J, and milk and cookies), was nothing short of amazing.

Opener Marianne Keith is today's answer to the Paula Coles and Jewels of the 90s...and while I have a clear preference for male singers, her performance was sweet (to the point where Lindsey and I wondered if fellow concertgoers thought we were on a lesbian date). Her song "Kiss Me in the Rain" is full of folksy flavor and sentiment.

Next up was piano rock hottie Julian Velard. I was unfamiliar with his poppy, carefree music before that night, but I left a fan. His energy is contagious, his humor is raunchy, his songs are guaranteed to make you happy. Lindsey describes him as John Legend meets Matt Costa, with a frat boy attitude. Our personal favorite-- a spirited cover of Chris Brown's "Forever."

Finally, the man of the hour, Sir Ari Hest (not actually knighted but royalty in my eyes). Drawing his set list heavily from 52, a one-song-per-week project begun in January of 2008 after leaving his record label, Ari's trademark baritone and contemplative guitar once again reached the very depths of my music-loving soul. He made sure to touch on old favorites such as "Annemarie" and "So Slow," but the song that nearly brought tears to my eyes was an acoustic/sans band rendition of the sweet sweet lullaby "I've Got You." I LOVE this song--its lyrics capture the earnest longing of true affection, wrapped up in a simple melody that still showcases Ari's vocal talents. Basically I died.

I managed to pull myself together for a joint Ari/Julian encore cover JEWET (a jew duet) of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love." Julian prefaced their performance with a snarky "This is a fucking classic and you should be fucking honored that we played it." Honored indeed.

notes on a show

Deerhunter, 11/05, Philly

Imagine this.  Five gawky youngsters walk on stage.  The lead singer is clad in a j. crew-esque sweater (complete with polo underneath) and sports a mop of perfectly combed blonde hair.  Lights go down.  The five awkward kids proceed to TEAR THE HOUSE TO SHREDS.  

This is precisely what happened at last night's Deerhunter show.  These guys can really engage a crowd.  Fresh off the release of their latest album, which arrived on Halloween, the band will be jamming across the U.S. of A. until December 6th.  I would definitely recommend catching a show if the band heads your way, as they have great stage presence, a top-notch sound system, and very cool effects of the Frampton-talk-box genre.

The best moment of the show was when the band played my personal favorite, Little Kids.  The live track stayed true to it's recorded version, but the power of five musicians in a small venue pushed it to a new level.  Ethereal it remained, yet head-banging it became.  

Go to iTunes to download a copy of Microcastle and click here to hear more from Deerhunter.

just wait and see, charlie brown. i'll see the great pumpkin.

happy halloween from gin and sonic.

here's a treat for you (no tricks).

photo credit: 1

andrea's top five

TOP FIVE CREEPTASTIC SONGS FOR HALLOWEEN:

5. Mirah, The Garden

A great (and creepy) departure from Mirah's norm.  Plus, it brings back memories of how cool this was.

4. The Decemberists, Shankill Butchers

A song about killing people!  Actually frightening.

3. The Pierces, Secret

I thought this song was genuinely awesome the first time I heard it, 

but it's creep factor went off the charts when it was featured in a truly creepy scene of Gossip Girl.  The purposefully poor quality at the track's start, as well as it's sinister lyrics make it deserving of a spot on this list.

2. Camille Saint-Saens, Danse Macabre

Yeah, it was written in the 1800s, but that doesn't mean it won't rock your face off.  This has always been one of my a

bsolute favorite classical pieces, and it's a fabulous anthem for October 31st.  If you want the history behind the song, click here.

1. Bat for Lashes, What's a Girl to Do

This song sounds like it was WRITTEN for Halloween.  There's the organ and the soft-spoken vocals, but most importantly, there's the music video.  Plus, Natasha Khan is so damn cute that her ability to creep me out is quite admirable.

photo credit: 1

take it back

It doesn't take the expertise of an amateur music blogger to notice the wave of retro-esque female singers hitting airwaves-- Amy Winehouse paved the way for a slew of female crooners (Duffy, Adele, etc) ready to take us back to the glory days. But as Stephen will attest, I just can't get Gabriella Cilmi's song "Sweet about Me" out of my head. It's not terribly new, but it was featured on an extra steamy episode of girl drama Lipstick Jungle. And now it's the soundtrack to all of my daydreams involving me and cougar bait Robert Buckley.

photo credit: who can resist that beautiful piece of man?

the strokes + the o.c. = japanese motors

If you're a fan of The Strokes (who isn't), and if you like jamming to West coast lo-fi, then LISTEN TO THIS.  They're called the Japanese Motors, and they sound like the love child of Santa Barbara and Williamsburg.  With their first L.P. released only four days ago, these boys are getting lots of internet attention and playing a slew of gigs along the East and West coasts (how appropriate).  For a lesson in how to perfectly meld together the two coasts, watch the new video for Single Fins & Safety Pins below:

Bonus: they sound great live.  Watch this video for proof.  Then click here to hear more from the Japanese Motors.