Something a little off-beat...

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998 boasting a great storyline and a grasping sountrack. Yes... Video game soundtrack. But what I have here is not your ordinary soundtrack, it is the soundtrack remixed with rap songs. Normally I wouldn't post something like this but it is too good to leave out.

Jay-Z - No Hook (Meeting the Owl)
Pimp C, Li\'l Keke & P.O.P. - Knockin\' Doorz Down (Hyrule Field)
Clipse - Virginia (Lost Woods)

I really have nothing to say about these songs EXCEPT they were remixed really well. Like, these are good...and you wouldn't expect that when you say Zelda+Rap.

It's a line that's always running...

Afropop. Short for African popular music and one of the greater influences on Vampire Weekend. Vampire Weekend describes their genre as "Upper West Side Soweto" and they sound just as cool as you'd think. Their self-titled debut album was released in January of 2008 and was a smash hit in the UK. Their upcoming album, Contra, is scheduled for release on January 11th (UK) and 12th (US) of 2010. The band released the first track, Horchata, as a free download on their website not too long ago and just recently released the first single, Cousins.

Vampire Weekend - Cousins

The song Cousins has a different sound compared to the first album but overall I like it. If you get a chance check out the first album too.

A little taste of home... (Part 2)

Before reading this post PLEASE listen to this song.
Of Montreal - Gronlandic Edit.mp3

If you actually listened to that song then this shall be relevant to you. When my sister first played Gronlandic Edit for me I had no idea what I had just heard. My sister has never led me astray and I have liked every song and artist she has showed me because she has a good taste of music, but it was truly the eccentricity that had just entered my ears that had indeed caught my attention. Of Montreal is a local Athens band formed by Kevin Barnes. They are signed to the Elephant Six Collective along with Elf Power and other bands. Of Montreal is similar to the rest of Elephant 6 because they follow the basic guidelines of pop with catchy melodies and memorable choruses. This band is absolutely splendid and I would definitely recommend them to anyone who is looking for something new and different.

Wait... The ship sank?

Every morning I prepare myself for school with a little Modest Mouse. But not just Modest Mouse in general, Florida by Modest Mouse. Off of the fifth album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, Florida is 2 minutes and 57 seconds of music that always wakes me up and gets me energized. It has become a ritual that I play a few songs by other artists and Modest Mouse and then when I'm 3/4 of the way to school I hit play on Florida. 

Florida

"Put all your clothes inside, even as I left Florida"

Florida has a catchy beat and Isaac Brock (vocalist) is definitely not one to bore with his voice. I'm not entirely sure what the song is talking about other than the obvious. It's an interesting song by a very interesting band. Modest Mouse isn't necessarily unique in the way they sound but they slow down and speed up throughout their songs and their singing isn't perfect but they make it sound very good.

RIOT IN THE STREETS!!

For those of you who have been missing out on the delectable sounds of Ra Ra Riot, you have been missing out on life my friends. Formed in 2006 in Syracuse, New York, Ra Ra Riot consists of vocalist Wes Miles, bassist Mathieu Santos, guitarist Milo Bonacci, cellist Alexandra Lawn, violinist Rebecca Zeller, and drummer Gabriel Duquette. All very talented as well. Earlier I talked about Matt and Kim and how their lyrics were nonsensical... well... Ra Ra Riot's lyrics mean something. They, along with many of the bands I've posted about, have a very unique sound. Their use of classical string instruments is absolutely stunning.


Around this time last year, Ra Ra Riot came to play in Athens, but I missed the show because it was the weekend before exams. It's hard for me to pick a single song, so I'm posting a few of their songs here to give you a feel for this band.

Ra Ra Riot - Suspended in Gaffa
Ra Ra Riot - Too Too Too Fast
Ra Ra Riot - Can You Tell
Ra Ra Riot - Dying Is Fine
Ra Ra Riot - Ghost Under Rocks


I have no words to describe this band. They leave me speechless every time and I am in such a good mood when I listen to them. Although I posted multiple songs, my absolute favorite is Can You Tell.

"My beds too big for just me

and when you turn your eyes,

I promise I won't care"

Because we all love to party...

Many of you may have seen the recent Bacardi Mojito commercial, and if not I posted the link for you anyways. If you notice the song in the background it is Daylight by Matt and Kim. Matt and Kim are a musical duo of piano and drums respectively. Matt once said in an interview that their lyrical writing process consists of the two thinking up cool sentences and throwing them out there and developing off of those few sentences. The song Daylight features a catchy piano riff that is easy to play and memorable to all. Matt and Kim popped up out of seemingly thin air as the general public had not heard of them before the Bacardi commercial. The duo was easily able to catch the public's eye and soon come home with a Woodie for Best Video of the Year ('09).

Matt and Kim - I wanna
Matt and Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare

These two songs are lesser known than Daylight and they are also two of my favorite songs by Matt and Kim. Matt and Kim was brought to my attention last year by some of my Lacrosse team mates and I quickly fell in love with their nonsensical lyrics and rhythm. I wanna is a great song except it makes absolutely no sense.

"I wanna sleep through the weekend

I wanna try

I wanna walk on my own floor

before I die

and now, now the band tunes up

and now remember all your lines

and all morning I woke up

and all day long no time

I wanna bring back the bison

I wanna try

I wanna close up the cabinets

before I die"

I'm not even going to begin to try and interpret this. It's just nonsense and it's so great. This is not to say I don't like meaningful music and it is also not to say they are less than any other musician. Musicians are different and they write from the heart. Sometimes its just the feel of playing the music that comes from the heart and you don't know what to say. And lastly I believe that Matt and Kim actually do give thought to their lyrics. The song Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare is again nonsensical but it is the concept of the song that makes sense.

Then again I could be completely wrong and have no idea whatsoever...

Until next time.

Let it burn, eh?

Arcade Fire. Canadian. Up there with bands that I love. I'm not sure how many members there are in the band but I feel it is more than your average every day band and I'm almost positive they've performed with full orchestras before. Arcade Fire is a great band to relax to and one of my favorite songs is the acoustic version of Wake Up featured in the Where the Wild Things Are trailer. To my disappointment there was absolutely no sign of the Arcade Fire in the movie but the soundtrack by Karen O was quite delightful. The lead singers Win Butler and Regine Chassagne (husband and wife) both have soothing voices that are easy to the ears and very natural.

Whether it is the overdriven guitar in Wake Up or the calm beat of Une Année Sans Lumière the Arcade fire are always great to listen to either to wind down or just straight up listen.

Wake Up

Wake Up is one of my favorites for it's choral beginning and good honest lyrics. I like the idea (or atleast this is what I take from the song) that we are all told at a young age that everything is just peachy. We don't really have to worry about much and pain doesn't come by that often... but oh we are told wrong. The song tells children that the sooner they see the truth and the sooner they grow up the less pain there is in store. If you expect to be heartbroken in life (because it's bound to happen at least once) then you will see things may not always work out and you will become more grateful for what you have.

Until next time...