Printers, Babies and Rollarskates

So, chances are you've seen that new HP Printer commercial with the baby zooming across the U.S in a baby bouncer (also called a play saucer). She zooms past cows in a field and weaves through traffic like a pro. It's actually pretty humorous. The video was too big for the blog, but I did manage to get the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p02DgHeGdyI&feature=related

There's a little folk song that plays during the commercial that's stuck in my head so, of course, I had to look it up. With a little digging I found the song- "Brand New Key" by Melanie Safka.



Melanie Safka, who often went by just Melanie, was most popular from the late sixties through the late eighties, though she's really one of those singers who was never really that popular. She's still recording though. This particular song came out in 1971 on the album Gather Me. I love the lyrics and the folk influence, especially since I'm going through a indie folk/indie/folk stage. Have fun with this one kids.

-Whitni

You Like It Or You Don't

Two words dudes- Alternative Country.

Now, I bet you're thinking, what the hell is alternative country? Where did this genre come from and the biggest question of all- is it any good?

According to my sources (my sources being the same sources you have, the internet), alt-country became popular around the 1960s, with peeps like Gram Parsons and The Byrds. Artists like Neil Young and Wilco (who have an album on the countdown) have made the combination of country and experimental music/rock/indie successful. Some say a young man named Ryan Adams is also a trooper at making good alt-country, but I beg to differ.

The album in review, Heartbreaker, was the first solo album for Adams. It came out ten years ago when he decided to trek out on his own without his band, Whiskeytown. If you were to Google this album and then look at my review you'd probably be a little confused. All the reviews speak highly of Adams, saying this album is a masterpiece, great alternative country, blah blah blah blah blah. I'll tell you what it really is- it's boring!

Now, I'm not saying that compared to punk, rock, grunge, etc, it's boring. I'm simply saying this album is nothing to rave about. For a majority of the songs it felt like Adams didn't really put a whole lot of effort into his music.

Of course there were a couple of good tunes. I liked the song "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)" a song with just the right mixture of pop, twang and grit (no, that's not a genre) to create something worth recording. Songs like "My Winding Wheel", "Bartering Lines" and "Why Do You Leave" also throw some good stuff in there.

One song, "Oh My Sweet Carolina" started out all right. With just a guitar and Adams, it made you feel like you were sitting under a shade tree in Alabama. But then, it all came crashing down. Emmylou Harris just had to start singing, messing the whole thing up. If that name sounds familiar, it is! Harris also partnered up with Conor Oberst, the lead singer of Bright Eyes, who made the first album we reviewed on this blog. You can read that review at http://summermusicproject.blogspot.com/2010/06/and-countdown-begins.html

Listening to the album a second time around I could see a little bit more talent, a little bit more potential. You obviously hear Adams has a good voice, but this just wasn't his best album. Alternative and country aren't the easiest genres to mix and you've got to have a good sense of your musical self to do it well. I haven't listened to Adams more recent stuff other than a cover he did a of Oasis's "Wonderwall", which was good! Just listening to this cover made me confident that Adams is figuring out who he is, in a musical sense, and what kind of music he wants to make. That said, this cover, in my opinion, definitely does NOT top the Oasis version of the song, which is one of my favorite songs of all time.



But you can decide for yourself right here!



Overall, Ryan Adams has talent. It's just much harder to find in this particular album. Listen at your own risk.

-Whitni

Gram Parson, who was a country rock musician, said this of alternative country-
"It's music...either it's good or it's bad... either you like it or you don't!"

Converse(ly) Speaking

I love the Converse brand. The shoes (I have two pairs, Whitni has three, our little sister has one), the socks (yes, I have socks), the clothes (Whitni has a Converse jacket), everything. Even the logo, which I am considering getting a tattoo of. I know, it sounds crazy, right? I mean, its just a brand.

Right?

See, I don't see Converse as just a brand. I also see it as a statement. But more on that later.

First, a little history. Production of the shoes started in 1908, and were available to women, men and children. There were shoes for sports like tennis and basketball. Soldiers (yes, soldiers) wore them in World War II, and Converse was officially recognized for its contributions. In military training today, they still use shoes/boots manufactured by Converse.

Celebs have been wearing them forever. And in the '50s, wearing Converse was considered an act of rebellion. The number of youth wearing them increased dramatically. This continued through the '70s and '80s, until the popularity started going under. And it just got worse and worse, until, in 2001, Converse filed for bankruptcy. In 2003, Nike bought Converse, and this is where we stand today. (Thanks www.conversestore.net/History1.html for the info)

I never got to wear Converse before Nike got them, and some people complain that the shoes are not the same, but I wouldn't know. All I know is that I love the shoes and what they stand for. I think Converse stands for youth, for activism, for originality, for the present day, as well as the past. Converse is a sign of the times.

It's a shoe for every person. You can find the old-fashioned black and white All-Stars, some Converse boots for that fashionista in your life, or some One Star strap-ons, Nemo style, for your favorite nephew.

When people tell me they don't own a pair of Converse, I always ask why not. Many say they never thought about it, or they just don' think it would look good on them. Not true, and I encourage everyone to go out to your local show store, or go to www.converse.com, and find yourself your shoe.

Because Converse is a multi-generational shoe, and it holds no boundaries.

-Rai

P.S- Happy Halloween!!! Now go design some black and orange Converse!!

Houston, We Have Video

So, on this chilly Thursday night I, Whitni, have successfully figured out how to connect this blog with the wide array of music located on the infamous Youtube. Okay, well, there is one little catch. I can't seem to find too many videos small enough to fit on this blog.



I did, with a little digging, find a video to fit. In the future, the videos Raivynn and I will post may be a little bigger than the page, but we'll try and keep it Summer Music Project sized.

Anyway, this song is mildly new. The album, I And Love And You, has been out since September 2009, but the video has only been up three months. The band is The Avett Brothers, and they hold themselves to a kind of folky rock, sometimes splashing some indie up in there. The song is "Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise" and I love it. It definitely gets screen time on my Ipod and the video is a masterpiece. This, in my opinion, was probably one of the best songs of 2009. You decide for yourself.

If you’re loved by someone, you’re never rejected.
Decide what to be and go be it.

-Whitni

First Five Weeks Of Radio: Yes, It Was Awesome

Hello fellow muses! If you didn't read the previous post, I have a radio show, and it is called 'Cooler Than Real Life'. Pretty awesome eh? It is supposed to encourage people to go out into the world and find new music! Or at least listen to the radio again...

If you are reading this and you are a listener- THANK YOU!!! You don't know how much it means to me to know that I'm not talking to myself for an hour, and I promise to do my best to make CTRL the best it can be. I ask only two things of you, and you can even choose one out of the two.

1) Call in. Really, this helps me know that people are listening, and therefore, you can prevent me from rambling (sorry about that). The number is 304-341-7441, and I won't/can't put you on air, so now you can't make anymore excuses about not calling. Pros- You can request a song. Epic(ness).

2) Tell your friends. This one might be a little harder, because you don't want to sound like a walking advertisement. I get that, that's why I'm asking you as a friend (via radio) to just mention how you listen to this great music program. However, if you don't like the show, don't rag please. I won't like you for it, you sound lame, and why are you even still listening in the first place???

Thanks guys. Stay cool.

Rai/Vince





The name of the song is first, then band, with the album in parenthesis.

Radio Broadcast 1 (Sept. 28, 2010):
1)Enterlude by The Killers (Sam's Town)
2)When You Were Young by The Killers (Sam's Town)
3)Come To Me by Koop (Koop Island)
4)The Old Apartment by Barenaked Ladies (Greatest Hits)
5)Someday by Sugar Ray (14:59)
6)Atlas by Fanfario (Eclipse: The Movie Soundtrack) *Band Of The Week*
7)Weekend Wars by MGMT (Oracular Spectacular)
8)Long Distance Call by Phoenix (It's Never Been Like That)
9)Wasting Time by Jack Johnson (On and On)
10)Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauren Hill (The Miseducation Of Lauren Hill)
11)Another Girl by The Beatles (Help!)
12)Ottoman by Vampire Weekend (Ottoman-Single)
13)Friends, Lovers Or Nothing by John Mayer (Battle Studies)
14)Exitlude by The Killers (Sam's Town)

Radio Broadcast 2 (Oct. 5, 2010):
1)Your Star by The All American Rejects (The All American Rejects)
2)It's A Disaster by Ok Go (Oh No)
3)Expectations by Belle and Sebastian (Juno: The Movie Soundtrack)
4)Undone (The Sweater Song) by Weezer (Weezer (The Blue Album)
5)Roll With It by Oasis ((What's The Story) Morning Glory)
6)Such Great Heights by The Postal Service (Give Up)
7)Something In The Water by The Jealous Girlfriends (The Jealous Girlfriends) *Band Of The Week*
8)Oh, My My by Ringo Starr (Ringo)
9)The Mystery Zone by Spoon (Transference)
10)Giving Up The Gun by Vampire Weekend (Contra)
11)The Ballad Of John and Yoko by The Beatles (1)
12)There's Hope by India.Arie (Life and Relationship)
13)Death And All His Friends by Coldplay (Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends)

Radio Broadcast 3 (Oct. 12, 2010) *Whitni's (My Twin Sister) Picks*
1)Bones by The Killers (Sam's Town)
2)Animal by Neon Trees (Animal-Single)
3)Consolation Prizes by Phoenix (It's Never Been Like That)
4)Dashboard by Modest Mouse (We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank)
5)Five Minutes To Midnight by Boys Like Girls (Boys Like Girls)
6)Great Expectations by The Gaslight Anthem (The '59 Sound)
7)Give It Away by Red Hot Chili Peppers (Blood Sugar Sex Magik)
8)Four Trucks Sitting In The Snow by Paper Airplane (Middlemarch) *Band Of The Week*
9)Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners (Too-Rye-Ay)
10)Polythene Pam by The Beatles (Abbey Road)
11)She Came In Through The Bathroom Window by The Beatles (Abbey Road)
12)It's Working by MGMT (Congratulations)

Radio Broadcast 4 (Oct. 19, 2010):
1)WTF? by Ok Go (Of The Colour Of The Blue Sky)
2)Talk by Coldplay (X&Y)
3)Sunday Morning by Maroon 5 (Songs About Jane)
4)Creepin' Up The Back Stairs by The Fratellis (Costello Music)
5)Give Me Novacaine/She's A Rebel by Green Day (American Idiot)
6)Friends by Band Of Skulls (New Moon: The Movie Soundtrack) *Band Of The Week*
7)Remember The Time by Michael Jackson (HIStory: Greatest Hits)
8)Is Love Forever? by Spoon (Transference)
9)Another Place To Fall by KT Tunstall (Eye To The Telescope)
10)White Sky by Vampire Weekend (Contra)
11)Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey by The Beatles
12)Cave In by Owl City (Ocean Eyes)
13)Different Names For The Same Thing by Death Cab For Cutie (Plans)
*At one point in the broadcast I played "In Step" by Girl Talk (Feed The Animals)*

Radio Broadcast 5 (Oct. 26, 2010):
1)Fire It Up by Modest Mouse (We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank)
2)Miles Davis & The Cool by The Gaslight Anthem (The '59 Sound)
3)Stuck In The Middle by Mika (Life In Cartoon Motion)
4)M79 by Vampire Weekend (Vampire Weekend)
5)The Remedy (I Won't Worry) by Jason Mraz (Waiting For My Rocket To Come)
6)Of Moons, Birds & Monsters by MGMT (Oracular Spectacular)
7)Must Get Out by Maroon 5 (Songs About Jane)
8)I Adore You by Melpo Mene (Bring The Lions Out) *Band Of The Week*
9)Mayonnaise by Smashing Pumpkins (Siamese Dream)
10)My Girl's Ex-Boyfriend by Relient K (Mmhmm)
11)Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles (Magical Mystery Tour)
12)My List by The Killers (Sam's Town)
13)Jind Mahi by Malkit Singh (King Of Bhangra)
14)Thriller by Michael Jackson (HIStory Greatest Hits)

New To Me, New For You

Let me start off by saying this song isn't exactly new. It came out in 2006 (gasp, I know, so long ago this was!) on the album "Inside In/Inside Out". But since I just recently stumbled across it and cannot get enough of it I decided not to be selfish and share it with all my music loving friends.

The Kooks are a lovely little English indie pop band from Brighton, East Sussex. Headed by Luke Pritchard, the band has released two albums and are working on a third as of April 2009. This certain song, "She Moves In Her Own Way" is a soft, guitar picker song with an undeniable upbeat flavor that makes you want to smile and go hug someone. It hit big in the UK, but we here in America let it pass us by. Tsk tsk tsk. I have to say, I can't get enough of this one. Don't be stupid, look it up.

-Whitni