Posts Tagged ‘music’
Simple Man
At the end of my 8th grade summer, before I headed to high school, I bought the ‘Almost Famous’ Soundtrack. I listened to it on my walkman over and over again. One of the songs on that album was “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
I loved everything about it. It was so prolific to me. My dad had raised us on rock ‘n’ roll and we never drifted too far from that. But not only did the music speak to me they lyrics made sense.
Every time I listen to the song now it makes me smile. To know that I “got it” way back in middle school. Though naturally as an emotional teenage girl about to enter high school things quickly became quite complicated.
Nevertheless, I still smile knowing that the lyrics had/have profound meaning. My brother, he and I being the best pals that we always were, was also soon taught of how amazing this song was and forced to listen to it on repeat until it too became a favorite of his.
In many ways the words must have resonated with John a lot more than they did me.
I love my life. I love San Francisco. I love what I do every day. However, I’m not so sure it’s so simple. I tend to have my hands in many different opportunities and tend to choose the “hard way” when it comes to a lot of things, especially relationships. I love a challenge!
I’ve been working on a project that in many ways will determine my immediate future. No pressure, right?! I’ve been getting little sleep and, per usual, trying to balance many things at once. I did make it up for a run along the water this morning. When I ran this morning it was still dark out. The bums were stirring, the pigeons were crowding the sidewalks and the businessmen were starting to file into their skyscrapers downtown.
Once through the city and along the water my run becomes much more enjoyable. Every time I look out at the ocean in the dark I think of how my brother and the lobstermen like him wake up to a black sky and an even blacker ocean almost every.
It makes me smile so big, run a little faster and feel that much closer to home and the beauty of simplicity to be here next to the ocean in the dark.
“…Take your time… Don’t live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
Go find a woman and you’ll find love,
And don’t forget son,
There is someone up above.
Be something you love and understand.
Be a simple kind of man.
Won’t you do this for me son,
If you can?
Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold
All that you need is in your soul,
And you can do this if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.
[Chorus]
Boy, don’t you worry.
You’ll find yourself.
Follow you heart,
and nothing else.
You can do this,
if you try…”
Hardly Strictly
The 2013 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Music Festival was a few weeks back. (Surprisingly this isn’t the last music festival I went to- gotta love the music scene here in SF!)
Anyway, I’m not generally a huge fan of bluegrass, but have always been a lover of blues and rock ‘n’ roll. I found several awesome bands, though still definitely bluegrass, they had some of those rock and bluesey elements (and raspy voices) that I adore.
Seeing as I hadn’t done a music post in quite some time I thought I’d deliver a triple threat. Enjoy!
My sister introduced me to this band several months ago on one of our musically induced road trips up the coast of New England. They were, from what I gathered, the most talked about band at Hardly Strictly. Furthermore I got to meet one of the band members who was ever so humble and incredibly darling.
While I chose one of their more upbeat songs for this post, I am a huge fan of their slower tunes. Check out ‘On My Mind’ and ‘Under the Highway.’
Love this guys voice. The lyrics to most of their songs are either a. fun and/or b. deep.
‘Mary Anna’ and ‘Neon Tombstone’ are also awesome jams I adore.
Also one of the most talked about bands from the weekend. I’ve found people who like all sorts of genres of music can relate and dig their tracks. Looking forward to following their career.
To a legend…
…Happy 70th Birthday Mr. Jagger!!!!
To a living legend….cheers!
This guy is the greatest. He’s partly responsible for starting a bond between my father and I over rock ‘n’ roll music that has held us together through the different stages of our lives. He’s an icon. He’s an inspiration. He is Mick F’ing Jagger.
I will always, always, always, turn the volume up whenever a Stones song comes on and probably always let a little part of my guard down. Their music will remain to be that amazing to me.
When “Gimme Shelter” comes on and you don’t let loose or “Wild Horses” starts bellowing and your heart doesn’t break a little bit, well, then, you and I may not have all that much in common.
New Track: Mikal Cronin
Last weekend I got invited to see Mikal Cronin at Rickshaw Stop on a whim. As I didn’t have any plans and I don’t know that I’ve ever said no to a live music event, I gladly accepted.
Total win. Not only was the Rickshaw Stop a pretty sweet venue I hadn’t been to yet, the drinks were surprisingly cheap for a bar in SF, let alone a music venue. Oh yeah, and the music was awesome.
As I had just started listening to Mikal Cronin’s music a few days before while at work, I was not expecting the show to be as intense as it was. At first listen it comes off a little poppy. Turns out it’s poppy music people love to get aggressive to.
No honestly, while this song, “Weight,” does sound a little more on the pop side, I think it’s because Cronin is a singer/songwriter whose higher pitched vocals are actually louder than the rapid beat and guitar in the background. Which makes for a really loud, really fun live show in a smaller venue.
His music kind of reminds me of the Strokes, an all time Melissa Leiter favorite.
The overall vibe I get from Cronin’s music is a very California-I-don’t-care-let’s-go-hang-on-the-Santa-Monica-pier attitude. Don’t ya think? 😉
New Track: Big Tree
I first heard of this awesome little group years ago. My sister went to school with one of the incredibly talented members of the band. I liked them back then, but that was when I was more in a heavier rock stage of my life, not that I don’t still love heavy rock.
Anyway, last time I was home my best friend and I somehow ended up in my sister’s car having a serious dance party to this jam…
I don’t know if it’s the timing of where I’m at with my life, the memory from having so much fun with my sister and co. that night, the fact that Big Tree now resides in SF or the humble happiness the music creates, but I absolutely adore this song.
In this song you can individually hear how each musician contributes his/her talents to the song and yet when you listen to them all together it makes for an even more powerful tune.
In so many ways this song reminds me of moving to California. Yet, it doesn’t make me long for the way my life was when I first put my foot on the gas to leave the East coast. Instead this song acts as a reminder to me that this is the journey. Through the ups and downs life remains so beautiful.
As I’m about to turn 26 I try not to look back. It was a rough year to say the least. I finally feel like I’m at the end of such a dark chapter of my life.
When I came back to San Francisco from Portland last weekend I felt like I was coming home. This is where I’m supposed to be. I have no idea where I’ll be a year from now, nor do a dare venture a guess. To quote the writing on the inside of my Grandma’s memorial service program, “you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.”
Moving to California didn’t turn out how I ever imagined it would, yet I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. This song has a fabulous way of reminding me of that.
New Track: Generationals
I heard this tune by the Generationals a few weeks back and it instantly put me in a better mood:
As it comes up again and again on my playlist I find I can’t help but relax a bit. It’s a perfect tune for the weather in SF this week and despite any set backs or pains that have come up, this song always does at least a little bit to help me shake it off. The sunshine surely doesn’t hurt either!
It’s one of those songs that gets me to start running in zig zags down the side walk when it comes up on my running playlist. Does anyone else do that?
All around, it’s just a feel-good jam. Enjoy your weekend.
New Track: Vampire Weekend
I remember first hearing of Vampire Weekend from a friend I studied abroad with in London back in 2008. I instantly fell for their sound and bumped their self-titled cd on repeat for a while. Now that I’ve heard those songs too many times to count, I’m excited for new album due out this May.
In Vampire Weekend’s new track, “Diane Young,” you hear a whole new sound from the East coast band.
The song still has some of the same tendencies of previous Vampire Weekend songs; fast-paced lyrics and a solid beat. I really like the contrast of the slow-mo fire and the rapid music in this video. Their sound is much more electronic.
I’m not sure how I feel about the song’s morphing electronic vocals, but I am a fan of the lyrics and the lead singer’s voice.
While they’ve seemingly grown as a band with their musical capabilities, they still have that same Vampire Weekend-feel, which, to me, reminds me of a new age Cape Cod. Maybe I just think that because of their track titled “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” or maybe it’s the Kennedy reference in the lyrics in this song. Either way I like it.
New Track: The Neighbourhood
I can’t decide if I like this video or the song better…
I came across this song on the Rolling Stone SXSW playlist the other day. Expect to hear more “New Track” posts off this list.
Anyway, I really like the LA feel both to the song and the video. I also like that the video is in black and white. The whole style is very ’50s James Dean, rock ‘n’ roll, raw and romantic, clearly not in the traditional sense of the word.
I’ve seen the views for this video jump tremendously over the past few days. I can’t tell if this is going to be one of those “cooler” indie songs that only the in kids know about or if it’s going to go main-stream teeny bopper style and get totally over played. I’m kind of leaning towards the latter.
Either way, right now I’m really enjoying the flow, the lyrics, the video, the 1990’s Romeo and Juliet movie-feel (would you say that’s accurate ?) and the music. Hope you do too!
New Track: Haim
I was recently introduced to Haim, a group of sisters who formulated the band in LA, CA years ago but never became all that popular until their music exploded on the UK scene. Their music video for their latest track, “Falling,” already has over 739,000 views.
The few popular tracks they have recorded have exploded all over YouTube. I’m telling you, these girls are in the process of taking over the indie music scene. I’ve been following them on Facebook and it seems that almost every day they have added more tour dates, including this year’s Bonaroo music festival.
The sisters, who look like they just walked out of an American Apparel store at all times, are extremely talented and have incredibly unique voices.
While seemingly just another indie girl band embodying all that is “hipster” these days (even their music video has what we might call an Instagram filter over it). They are incredibly talented and are so much more than a style. I was absolutely convinced of this when listening to the acoustic version of their “Go Slow” track.
All of their songs have this 80’s feel to them that make it all too easy to dance to in your chair at work while your coworkers look at you like, “What the?! It’s 10 am on a Tuesday.”
Whatever, I totally dig their sound. Furthermore, as a 20-something girl always trying to find meaning in life’s everyday adventures and constantly stumbling and learning from the falls, the lyrics are very relatable.
“Don’t stop, no, I’ll never give up
And I’ll never look back, just hold your head up
And if it gets rough, it’s time to get rough
They keep saying
Don’t stop, no one’s ever enough”
New Tracks
Okay, AS MUCH as I LOVEEE Christmas, it’s refreshing to no longer be listening to Christmas carols and back into rocking different indie Songza channels at work.
New music, you have been missed.
Heard this song today. It was just the right chord, raspy voice and lyrics to perfectly suit my mood. I love the simple folky-ness to it. As much as I have little patience for distractions, I love when a song totally grasps my attention and pulls me into my own world. Enter today’s new track choice. Enjoy.
The Leiter side of life... 
