Sometimes my iTunes ends up on a song I don’t remember at all and I’m amazed at what I find. “Lunar Sea” from Camera Obscura’s Underachievers Please Try Harder is a beautiful song. It reminds me of the theme song played over the opening credits of a movie or TV show. Maybe it’s because the song feels like it belongs to another time.
From Underachievers Please Try Harder:
“Lunar Sea”
The NYTimes covered this video last week in the article “A Private Dance? Four Million Web Fans Say No.”
Matt Harding traveled the world and video himself dancing a goofy little dance. It’s a really heartwarming video and it reminds me a lot of Davey’s Dance Blog.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is some of the best television ever created if you ask me. I reluctantly agreed to watch the first few episodes after some intense coaxing from a friend. I was hooked almost immediately. Since then I’ve watched the entire series more times than I’m willing to admit in print.
I love Joss Whedon’s sense of humor and style. His musical Buffy episode is great — he wrote all the music and lyrics himself. It might not be Sondheim, but it’s pretty awesome.
Yesterday, Joss and friends released the first episode of their musical mini-series, Dr. Horrible Sing-Along Blog, on the web yesterday. I haven’t seen all of it yet, but I am very excited!
Here’s the quick, offical synopsis:
The story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to.
Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone is one of my favorite albums. It’s weird, irreverent and often jarring; the album sounds like a couple of adolescent boys hyped up on Fun Dip decided to make a rock album where no idea was too big or too far out there. My favorite thing about The Unicorns were their lyrics: they were always clever, playful, and fresh.
From Who Will Cut Out Hair When We’re Gone:
“Child Star”
But that was a long time, many band members, and a band name ago. The Islands’ new album, Arm’s Way, has much of the same energy and lyrical cleverness, but the youthfulness has aged into a less chaotic sound.
“Creeper” is a great example. Nick Thorburn, always obsessed with death in its various forms, sings about being stabbed by an intruder in his home. It’s not some cliche love song. It’s musical equivalent Drew Barrymore’s scene in Scream. And oddly enough, it’s danceable and fun.
Some might complain Arm’s Way doesn’t sound like Return to the Sea or Who Will Cut Out Hair When We’re Gone. But the imagination and creativity Thorburn puts in his music never ceases to entertain me.
From Arm’s Way:
“Kids Don’t Know Shit”
Islands will be playing the Siren Festival at Coney Island this weekend.
It’s been busy for the last month. Between my day job and my freelance work, I haven’t had any time to devote to update Brontosaur.us, but I’m back.
Have you heard Estelle’s “American Boy?” Estelle is another British import; “American Boy” is a completely infectious, dancey pop song. I first heard the song on So You Think You Can Dance.
The SYTYCD-edited version of the song is clunky; it doesn’t capture the groove of the entire song. I was a little surprised by how satisfying and engaging the full version is. Kayne and Estelle compliment each of so nicely, much like that buzzy-beat in the chorus compliments the softer sections. The song is so catchy it has inspired several remixes and even white guys to dance around with each other.
Try to resist.
From Estelle’s Shine:
“American Boy” [featuring Kayne West]
