Beirut

Beirut - Elephant Gun

Put yourself in any movie featuring Europe that was made in the 1960s. What music would you hear crossing the canals of Amsterdam, climbing the breeze up to Montmartre, filling the beer halls of Munich, or crawling out of alleyways of Prague? Now picture that being sung by a guy who, from the right angle, kind of looks like Marty McFly. You'd have Beirut. If you're not sold yet, I don't know what's wrong with you, but it is something deep and terrible.

Also, though not an official video, this allows me to share my favorite song of theirs, Mount Wroclai (Idle Days). No, Wroclai is not a real mountain. I looked it up. But I really kind of wish it was.

Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy - This Lamb Sells Condos

Of course Owen Pallett had to dub his solo project Final Fantasy. He couldn't make it easy to find his music on YouTube between edits of the games to play up the epic romance of Tidus and Yuna - or of Rikku and Yuna, depending how your tastes roll - usually set to Utada Hikaru or Evanescence.

Owen Pallett, if you recognize the name but have no idea where from, is the man responsible for the strings of The Arcade Fire. He does that here, while singing. Apparently seeing him live, an honor I've yet to have bestowed upon mine head, is awesome. Just from videos I can see that. Great crowd interaction, and I love seeing artists record and loop live. It's just fun to watch.

And although the above song, and corresponding video are amazing, the song below is actually what got me listening more. He opens by saying, "Thanks for not asking if this is The Dream Of Win And Regine." That, and He Poos Clouds all have videos.

Final Fantasy - This Modern Love (Bloc Party cover)

STEFAN: Was it you who got me into Owen Pallett?

ME: You're welcome.

STEFAN: Yeah, that was awesome how you did that.

Also would like to add that this pleases me. A good deal of my favorites are on there.

We are Scientists

We are Scientists - Inaction

Pop isn't a crime, folks.

If you check out their site, you'll find they are every bit as weird as the video indicates. All of their music is of that indie-pop type feel, with several songs that are just a bit out there. Not so far you can't reach it, but just far enough that people like me can appreciate it. Songs with titles like 'On the Nature of Empirical Truth' which tell you that 'dogs are smart but not like pigs are.'

I was aiming for some sort of 'new music post every Friday' schedule, but well. Friday I was AFK, and there's nothing to be done for it. Not like its absence weighs heavily on my reading public. So, double-dose this week. Because I love sharing music.

Next one... I don't know. Would the Eels be insulting? A friend who claimed to be a fanatic of All Things Indie Rock had never heard of them/him, so I'm not entirely certain how to treat a band that's been on the scene since 1995. I feel it'd be like asking a movie buff if he's heard of Kurosawa.

I'm thinking I'll go with Final Fantasy.

iPod 5 Song Shuffle

Todd, you're on.

1. The Futureheads - Decent Days and Nights
2. Placebo - English Summer Rain
3. Kasabian - Processed Beats
4. The Decemberists - Shanty for the Arethusa
5. Muse - Muscle Museum

Holy shit. That actually turned out better than I expected.

Architecture in Helsinki

Architecture in Helsinki - Hold Music

I was thinking of opening up with Muse, but if you haven't heard of them by now, you fail. In fact, there are a plethora of bands I could have listed, but chose not to, for that reason. I feel saying bands like Shiny Toy Guns, The Decemberists, or Air might just be insulting. At the same time, maybe not.

Just the same. Architecture. Band from Australia. Probably the boppiest, happiest thing you're likely to hear in a long time. I don't see the point in any further writeup. The music is there.

Next week: probably We are Scientists. Because powerpop is not a crime.

Why Do I Hate When People Get Famous?

There are two things that I fully admit to being:

1. Music Nerd
2. Elitist

And unfortunately, those are being simultaneously tested as one of my Tier-2 Bands became a featured video on 'the YouTubez.'

Two Gallants is a folk rock duo from San Francisco which I can readily describe as "Like Bob Dylan, but Angrier." A heady blend of raspy vocals, self-loathing, and empty bottles of Pinot Noir, they aren't a band I'd recommend going to see after you've driven six hours, as I have in the past. (But that concert at Bimbo's just before New Year's was totally fucking worth it.) Absolutely incredible and lulling. Best to listen to when stoned, although I can't personally vouch for that one. I can only assume.

Now that they're popular can I still like them? I don't know.

I'll just take a page out of their lyrics: steady rollin', and I keep goin'...

To understand my ranking: there is only one tier-1 band, and that is Muse.