Tag Archives: music

Sharon Van Etten “One Day” Still Great Every Day

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Sharon Van Etten @ The Red Palace

Image by mikekatzif via Flickr

There are certain albums I get attached to very quickly and then as the week rolls on I am distracted by the bright shiny songs on another album. Once in a while, there are albums that, no matter what the weather is outside or what emotional state I’m in, I will always come back to celebrate.

Sharon Van Etten‘s 2010 release, “Epic”, is an album I hold close to my heart like a security blanket – or rather, an insecurity blanket when you take most of the lyrics into account.

“One Day” is my second favorite song from that album, its only competition being “Save Yourself”, which almost made me cry (I’m a big cry baby) when I watched her performance on NPR’s Tiny Desktop Concert. I literally watched the video on repeat for a good half day.

Enjoy (hopefully as much as I do):

Dark, Sultry and Danceable: Anxiety in an MP3

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There is something to be said about a song that can at once be dark and foreboding while also seductive. The single, “Pretend“, from electronic artist Emika gets an orchestral revamping of epic proportions by The Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble.

The original tune is, if you can imagine, even darker – and almost a bit industrial. Both versions give me “the good kind” of anxiety. Grab a free download of the new version here. Check out the original here: 

 

BBFE’s album, Mr. Machine, comes out in the US on October 25th and they’re tour hits Chicago that very same night at one of my favorite venues, The Empty Bottle, where tickets are cheap, bands are incredible and there is a photobooth.
The Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble

Monday Morning Rainy Day Jams

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Zola JesusZola Jesus is not a mainstay in my music collection but her upcoming album, Conatus, has the makings of a great soundtrack to a rainy day when I’m not in the mood to deal with other people in my general vicinity. Today, for example, is the perfect day to stream her release thanks to NPR’s “First Listen” series.

My first thoughts: She sounds like a less-powerful Florence Welch without the octave range – but there is something very appealing about her voice, even in its monotony. Below is one of my favorite singles from the album so far. What are your thoughts?

My Favorite Release This Week: Katie Herzig

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Every week, I write a New Music Tuesday column for AfterElen.com. As you can imagine, not all releases are like the others – so I’ve decided to post my favorite release from each week’s post right here.

These are the albums  that make me want to kiss random strangers on the streets because we live in a world where music can be THIS DAMN GOOD! Take Katie Herzig’s album, The Waking Sleep, for example:

Today’s top spot is taken by this gal from Nashville whose music has appeared on shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars and Drop Dead Diva but has only appeared on my playlist for the first time today. What is it with this week being the one in which I find out about incredible musicians who have been around for a while but never appeared on my radar? The Waking Sleep is so refreshing, I guess maybe like the title suggests? I’m not one to read too much into things but it truly gives a feeling of waking up right after one of the best night’s sleep and being ready to tackle the world. I am, dare I say it, smitten with this album.

via New Music Tuesday: 9-20-2011 | | AfterEllen.com.

From the opening song, “Free My Mind”, she had me at hello. The electronic elements are so minimal and the orchestral arrangements are so beautiful, her music sounds like nothing I’ve heard in a really long time (if ever).

Katie will be playing at the Park West Theater this Friday, September 23rd and tickets are a bargain at $17.