Human Resources is going to thank us for this later

How's this for a good time...Fitz and The Tantrums performing "MoneyGrabber" for KEXP on a Tuesday afternoon.  "MoneyGrabber" was the last song I heard on my drive into work yesterday and it made a Monday seem bearable.  Fitz is right when he's talking to the crowd.  If everyone listened to this kind of soul stirring soul before and during the workday, HR wouldn't have a thing to worry about.

Fitz and The Tantrums - MoneyGrabber

I wait for something good, for something great

We got a peek of spring weather recently here in Annapolis.  I think it officially gave me the itch for a new season and better weather.  Until the sunshine really rolls in to stay, I'll just have to make due with some warm music.

I was reminded of this song the other day and I'm having trouble getting it out of my head.  There is an undeniable joy in the music of Ben Kweller and I can't think of a better way to visualize it than this video for "Penny on the Train Track" of his grandmother dancercising to the song.  Enjoy...

Ben Kweller - Penny on the Train Track

We've got a lot to learn from each other. We have got to stick together.

You know that Magic 8 Ball result, "All signs point to..."?  For me lately, all signs are pointing to Ra Ra Riot.  I'm a little late to the party by music blogging standards, but that's all right.  I've at least made it to the party.  Maybe with a little over indulgence, I can play catch up.  You see, Ra Ra Riot seems to be around every corner for me these days.  I had heard "Boy" and thought it was worth learning a little more about the group and the other music they've put out.  Last Friday, I made a visit to Annapolis's (or is it Annapolis'?) new record store, Ka-Chunk!! Records (fellow Annapolitans, go check it out so I'm not the only one keeping the store in business), got my hands on Bon Iver's "For Emma, Forever Ago" on vinyl (I think the vinyl format lends itself well to Bon Iver's sound, but that's a subject for a different post...also, I think I'm digressing too much) and stumbled across Ra Ra Riot's sophomore effort, "The Orchard."  An impulse buy and an afternoon of work later, I went home to attempt to straighten up my house before friends came by and put my new records on for some cleaning accompaniment.

Ra Ra Riot's "The Orchard" starts off innocently enough, as the title track's ebbs and wanes on the strength of the string section coupled with the smooth vocals and meandering bass line.  There are a few points in the song that give a nice little taste of what is to come.  Like any solid opening song, it says "Welcome to the album, we hope you enjoy your stay."  Then the drums and staccato bass of "Boy" kick in...now, I'm not normally the most dancy of music listeners, but when "Boy" and some of the other bouncier Ra Ra Riot songs are playing, I just can't help myself.  There is an infectious energy to the music that just dares you not to join in.  "The Orchard" is strong front to back, too.  In addition to the catchy hooks of "Boy" and "Too Dramatic" that reel you in and let you know you're in for a really good ride, songs like "Do You Remeber" and "Too Dramatic" anchor the back end of the album and leave you wanting for more.

Since I was cleaning up during my first listen, I was just hearing things on the surface.  What really strikes me about Ra Ra Riot's music is the surprising complexity and depth of their arrangements.  I only say surprising because the depth coexists happily with the consistently catchy pop melodies that pepper most of the album.  "The Orchard" is a very well balanced collection of songs.  Melancholy, urgency, joy, sorrow, sweeping sound vistas, quiet little ruminations...I'm amazed that so much of the emotional spectrum shows up in the instrumentation and lyrics of the only 40ish minute running time of the album.  For Ra Ra Riot, I think that the sum is much greater than the parts.  As it is said in their song "Oh La" for their first album (in a different context, but I'll just go ahead and shoehorn it in here), "We've got a lot to learn from each other.  We have got to stick together."

I mentioned earlier that allsigns point to Ra Ra Riot.  The musical guest on last Friday's Jimmy Kimmel Live (a repeat of the January 20th show) was Ra Ra Riot.  My favorite radio station then replayed their Ra Ra Riot private artist showcase on Saturday and Sunday.  Then just yesterday, I learned that the band will be making a stop in Baltimore at the beginning of March.  Something tells me that I should make an effort to get out to that show.

Ra Ra Riot - Boy



Ra Ra Riot - Oh La

More Ned Ryerson than you thought you could ever handle

Someone put this together from one of the most rewatchable comedies of my lifetime.  I can't quite explain why exactly, but I really enjoy it.



BING!

Who is Joe Grass and where can I hear more?

The other day, I was looking through the YouTube offerings from LaBlogotheque and came across the following haunting, melancholy take on "God Only Knows" by a fellow named Joe Grass:



My immediate thought was the title of this post, "Who is Joe Grass and where can I hear more?"  His website, http://www.joegrass.com/, only offers the promise that a new website is on the way.  I can only hope that new website arrives soon and carries with it news of a Joe Grass tour making its way into the USA and stopping somewhere in my vicinity.  Until then, I'll just have to hope the internet has more of these clips to be found.


JOE GRASS - We Waited from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.

January Hymn

As many of my friends and I recover from the aftermath of last night's football game that saw our beloved Steelers claim the AFC Championship, I offer up this little gem from the Decemberists' recently released "The King Is Dead."  Winter held a tight grip over the northeast this morning and as Colin Meloy wonders on "January Hymn"

     April all an ocean away
     Is this the better way to spend the day?
     Keeping the winter at bay

"January Hymn" is a small song about lost love with the usual amount of great songwriting imagery we've come to expect from a Decemberists song.  I'll just go ahead and let Mr. Meloy tell the story himself:


Colin Meloy Plays New Songs at Make It Pop! (#1 of 2) from opbmusic.org on Vimeo.

Punching the time and climbing life's long ladder

Sorry for the last couple of posts being a bit short on the rambling (but never short on good quality music).  I've been locked in the never ending battle between work and everything else I'd rather be doing.  Work is winning, but I'm about to turn the tide.  In the meantime, every good person owes it to themselves to take in the fantasterifficness of Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs playing a barn.  If anything, you absolutely must cheack out "Henry Nearly Killed Me (It's A Shame)" (starts about 6 minutes in with Ray rocking a harmonica).

Iron & Wine on Daytrotter

On January 25, we'll all be able to get our hands on the latest collection of the wonderful music bouncing around Sam Beam's head.  Until then, we can go over to Daytrotter and let them serve us an appetizer before the inevitably juicy main course.  I haven't listened to or watched the Daytrotter session yet.  I'm downloading it as I type.  I have enough confidence in Mr. Beam that I'll just blindly recommend that anyone who might stumble across this blog should listen to as much Iron & Wine as possible and rush out to the store (if you're into CDs and liner notes like me) or click your way through your digital music venue of choice an the 25th for the new album, "Kiss Each Other Clean."  I've only heard one song off of the album so far, the happier, darn near bouncy, less whispery "Tree By The River."  It'll be interesting to hear if the rest of the album is infused with the energy of "Tree By The River" or if we'll be treated to more of the simmering passion of much of Sam Beam's previous work.  Regardless, I'm excited (as if you couldn't tell).

Go.  Download.  Watch.  Enjoy.

A Seabass Says Interview: Drew Kennedy on Self Employment and Songwriting

I'm very happy to present the first ever Seabass Says interview.  If you've been here before, you may have noticed that the name Drew Kennedy has made an appearance or three.  As I've mentioned before, Drew is an old friend carving out a place for himself in the music industry and the Texas scene.  Next week, Drew and company will head into the studio to record the forthcoming "Fresh Water In The Salton Sea" and the world is invited to watch (read the details on Drew's site or just drop by the ustream feed when it goes live).  Before recording the album and between shows, rehearsals, sleep, hom life, booking shows, and whatever else he's juggling these days, Drew was kind enough to exchange emails with me over most of December.  I'll warn you that this is a long read (over 8,000 words), but I believe a good one (I have to thank Drew for approaching this in such a candid way).

I'll throw this up front, so you don't have to wade through too many words to get a peek at what "Fresh Water In The Salton Sea" has in store for us:

Drew Kennedy - The Captain and the Highway

On to the interview -->

Next Year, Baby

I don't think I have anything worthwhile to say about the New Year that hasn't been said before.  Early January is a great time of ambition and starting anew.  I'm a big fan.  Here's to '11 being everything you hope it can be.

To ring in 2011 here at Seabass Says, I'll turn it over to Jamie Cullum reinforcing that the piano is, in fact, a percussion instrument.

Jamie Cullum - Next Year, Baby