Goodbye 2010!

Another year is about to be put into the books. I suppose this is as good a time as any to thank any and all of you who have stopped in here at Music Hound throughout the year to check out the podcasts and random tracks of new, old, and/or different music. Please continue to drop in from time to time to see what I've come across lately and don't forget to COMMENT, COMMENT, COMMENT. Otherwise, I have no idea if people are enjoying the episodes and other assorted odds and ends or if I'm simply screaming into the wind.

In order to send off 2010 in style, here is My Jerusalem's fittingly titled, "Farewell," the last track off of their debut album released this fall called, Gone For Good. This indie rock supergroup of sorts is perhaps under most people's radar, but they craft orchestral pop ditties that are heartbreakingly beautiful. So, go and check them out.

Goodbye to you, 2010, you've been fun. Hello 2011.

Have a Happy and Safe New Year, everyone!


My Jerusalem - "Farewell"

Interview with Givers

Check out my interview for The Silver Tongue with Givers, an amazing quintet from Louisiana who blew me away both times I've seen them live at the Knitting Factory. If you don't know, now you know...

http://thesilvertongueonline.com/?p=20785

Cut of the Week 12/21/10 - Christmas Once More...

This one I simply could not resist. What sums up what Christmas is all about more poignantly than the 1977 David Bowie and Bing Crosby duet, Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth? Yes, the staged encounter is terribly awkward (Bowie to Bing: "Are you the new butler?") with Bing making self-deprecating jokes at almost every turn and Bowie's what-am-I-doing-here confusion practically written on his face.

However, the worlds-apart dynamic between Bowie, who was at the height of his glam-rock powers in 1977, and Bing, representing the fading old guard (he actually passed away one month after this was recorded) doesn't belie something sweetly sad about their performance - almost like an estranged grandfather and grandson spending an afternoon together. For me, there is a quality of timelessness to this song and especially this performance. Despite how strange it may appear on paper, it just works.

Watch. Listen. Enjoy. Happy Holidays everyone!

Cut of the Week 12/15/10

Like it or not, it's that time of year known as Christmastime. Aside from the overlooked religious aspect, it is a time when our appetite for consumption is in high gear. With that said, I'm certainly no grinch. Christmas marks the end of another calendar year and the beginning of a fresh one, with all the promise of new (and better) things to come.

Encapsulating that feeling, here is John and Yoko's 1972 classic single that is simultaneously a celebration and protest song that stands up to the test of time and retains its quiet power after all these years due to its gorgeous simplicity.

Enjoy.


John Lennon & Yoko Ono - "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"

Cut of the Week 12/08/10

December is upon us and the Arctic chill has set in. So, I decided to feature a track that will certainly keep you warm because your body will have no alternative other than to bump and shake in rhythm to this Curtis Mayfield soul/funk groove from his 1971 album, Roots. Funk doesn't get much thicker. So stay warm and enjoy this one from the incomparable Curtis.


Curtis Mayfield - "Underground"

Episode #28: Bittersweet Vol. III

Here is the third installation of my Bittersweet Series. Hopefully without repeating myself, the songs featured on this mix are generally of an introspective, downtempo vibe. I did not set out to develop an overarching genre here, however looking back at it now I seemed to have been leaning towards a folk aesthetic on this one. Yet, there is music both old, such as The Beach Boys and Big Star, and new, with the likes of Sharon Van Etten, Beach House, and Midlake picking up where those pioneers left off.

Anyway, with the year (and decade) coming to a close, I thought that it was high time to have a mix that may help us to look inward and think about where we have been before focusing on where we are heading next. It’s simply a mix of some really pretty music that covers quite a bit of ground while still seeming to belong together.

Give it a listen and enjoy.

Track Listing
1) Watch The Sunrise (3:45) – Big Star
2) A Crime (3:14) – Sharon Van Etten
3) Curs of Weeds (3:31) – Horse Feathers
4) Postcards From Italy (4:18) – Beirut
5) The Distance (2:49) – Peasant
6) In The Ground (4:13) – Midlake
7) God Only Knows (2:52) – The Beach Boys
8) Haikuesque (When She Laughs) (3:33) – Bibio
9) Congratulations (3:57) – MGMT
10) Master of None (3:19) – Beach House
11) Far, Far Away (3:20) – Wilco
12) Fallin in Love With You Again (4:09) – Imelda May
13) With All My Heart (3:25) – Clem Snide
14) Carmelita (Live) (4:22) – Warren Zevon with Jackson Browne
15) At Least You Feel Something (5:56) – Small Sins
16) Walking On A Wire (5:28) – Richard & Linda Thompson