Video of the Day: Feist - I Feel It All

I could never say no to fireworks.

Georgie James

Artist: Georgie James
Rocking Out With Your Congressional Reps In: Washington, DC
Album: Places (2007)
Source: Well, I stole a poster off the bathroom wall at Cafe du Nord
Sounds Like: Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs, with some definite 1960s influences (Zombies, Beatles)
Check-ch-check-check-check-ch-check 'em out: official site, myspace, amazon, iTunes

Have you been searching for an upbeat, fun album to hum along to while walking along the sunny boulevards of California? Well, look no further than the duet of John Davis and Laura Burhenn, performing under the name Georgie James. These two met up in the nation's capital--Davis having previously drummed for Q And Not U and Burhenn having worked on some solo projects. They quickly got to writing, and were soon signed to Saddle Creek Records (Bright Eyes, Cursive, Tokyo Police Club).

Places is a fairly homogeneous album in the same way that the Gin Blossom's New Miserable Experience is: the songs are all catchy, but by the end, you easily forget which song was which. The vocals are shared between Davis and Burhenn, and they really do blend nicely when layered. I'll let the album speak for itself instead of rambling on . . . seriously, it's worth a listen. My favorites right now are "Henry and Hanzy," "Look Me Up," and "Need Your Needs," but I can listen to the whole thing straight through and not even motion towards the 'skip track' button. The video for "Need Your Needs" is below.

Video of the Day: The Shins - "Phantom Limb"

An excellent song, whether you're driving down the 101, snowboarding in Tahoe, or just looking for some footage of children reenacting some of history's greatest foibles. Donner party, Joan of Arc, Conquistadors . . . what else do you need for a lighthearted music video?

Video of the Day: Badly Drawn Boy - "Year of the Rat"

It seems I'm on a cartoon music video trip right now, reminiscing about junior year in the ULC at Georgia Tech. Ah, the awkward hugging . . . now, if only I could hug my master's project and have it turn out all shiny and complete.

Video of the Day: Aberfeldy - "Love Is An Arrow"

That little eskimo hussy! My favorite is the dance that starts around 1:40 . . . yeah, that was probably some caucasian intern doing "original choreography," if you ask me.

Video of the Day: Weezer - Buddy Holly

A classic video. Oh, and check out the latest single from their upcoming self-titled 'red album' here. It's the first new Weezer song I've liked in a long while. In terms of sound it's a mix between the 'blue album' and Pinkerton. And if you haven't seen the new cover, it's pretty sweet.

Image courtesy of weezer.com

Video of the Day: Death Cab for Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart

Death Cab's latest single. I'm very much looking forward to Narrow Stairs.

Video of the Day: A-Ha - Take On Me

Oh, 1985! Where have all your amazing graphics gone? And seriously, where are all those girls obsessed with comic books? I bet Scott's Friday nights would be a whole lot more exciting if they were still around . . .



[Just kidding, Scott; we know you'd still have no chance. Now update your damn top 5!]

Video of the Day: Fat Boy Slim - Weapon of Choice

In the spirit of classic favorites and guest stars, let's watch Christopher Walken do what he was born for: dance to Fat Boy Slim!
Christopher Walken in "Weapon Of Choice" by Fat Boy Slim!


And of course, it wouldn't be fair NOT to include the great stick figure remake.

Video of the Day: The New Pornographers - Use It

Another video with people controlling people. And it has David Cross!

Thao Nguyen

Artist: Thao Nguyen (Thao with the Get Down Stay Down)
Albums: We Brave Bee Stings And All (2008), Like The Linen (2005)
Source: Gym class, freshman year of high school. No, seriously; she was on my basketball team.
Home Sweet Home: Falls Church, VA and, more recently, San Francisco, CA
Sounds Like: Feist mixed with Bjork, but "more young and hip" (according to Sibo)
Choose Your Own Adventure: official site, myspace, amazon, iTunes

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down at Bottom of the Hill in SF

Before the write-up, a story (and some background) . . .

Thao is better known to the authors of this blog as Teresa Nguyen. The three of us (Saldivar, J. Scott, and myself) went to high school with her in the lower suburbs of Washington, DC around the turn of the century. My musical exposure to Teresa began during the summer after freshman year, when most of our class enrolled in summer school for computer science. Teresa and a handful of other kids would sometimes come over to my basement and jam, covering songs like Cake's "Let Me Go," Clapton's "Cocaine," and Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl." I am proud to say that I was indeed Thao (Teresa) Nguyen's first drummer (yeah, that was the sound of me high fiving myself). Although Thao and her Fender Telecaster didn't frequent my basement too much after that summer, she and another classmate (Brenna Clerkin, who has an amazing and powerful voice) started performing in an acoustic duet known either as Brenna & Teresa or Other Girls. They recorded two albums together (Three Words and Open Mic Night) and had a great following . . . within our school, at least. Oh, and she also recorded an album called The Toledo Sessions with another aspiring high school musician, Andrew McAlpine (of Andrew M. and the Coalition of the Willing) our senior year. I was fortunate enough to drum for Brenna & Teresa at a few shows, including a gig at at Jammin' Java in Vienna, VA, and a talent show at our school, which we won.

Thao not holding back at the Gelateria Naia on the campus of UC berkeley

Thao went on to William & Mary for college while Brenna went to the University of Virginia. That was about where my knowledge of their musical careers ended until just a few months ago. This past January, while browsing the free concerts coming through UC Berkeley, I noticed this "Thao Nguyen" character who would be performing at an upcoming show. I thought nothing of it until I saw where she was from . . . and then here college . . . and then her picture. Hot damn, my friend is a rock star! So I did some research into what she'd been doing the past few years and was absolutely blown away by her music, accomplishments, and the press that surrounded her recent release. I showed up at the Berkeley performance a little early and surprised her. It was a bit surreal, seeing all these fans who not only enjoyed the music, but already knew all the words and lined up to get merchandise and autographs. Great stuff. I've since seen her another two times, opening for Xiu Xiu at the Echo in Los Angeles and at Bottom of the Hill in SF.

Past & Present: Me [left], Get Down Stay Down drummer Will Thompson [right], Will's friend (?) [center]

OK, now for the real review: Thao Nguyen is a singer/songwriter with some sweet yet quirky vocals and a penchant for framing mature concepts and emotions in what sometimes sound like children's stories. Although her solo acoustic work has an intimate, haunting appeal, her voice and guitar work really shine through when accompanied by her friends (the aforementioned Get Down Stay Down). The live performances are full of energy, with the whole band clapping, stomping, and bouncing around the stage. We Brave Bee Stings And All was released by Kill Rock Stars earlier this year, and was produced by Tucker Martine (Laura Veirs' drummer and producer of The Decemberists and Sufjan Stevens). Some of my favorites off the new album include "Swimming Pools," "Beat (Health, Life And Fire)," and "Bag Of Hammers." Listen carefully and you'll even hear some banjo picking in that first one!

If you're looking for some free cuts, check out the sessions she did with NPR and Daytrotter. She's cool enough to post her entire album on imeem (below), but always remember to support my local artists! Currently, they are finishing up a US tour with some final dates in the North West. Next, it's across the pond to headline some shows in Europe, followed by a tour on the East Coast opening for Rilo Kiley.

A little fun fact for those interested . . . the track "Tallymarks" off her album Like the Linen features a line (the one that starts with "Don't explain love to me") that is a near exact rip from a previous recording ("Family Man," off of Open Mic Night). Of course, on "Family Man," Brenna is actually singing the line. Caught you borrowing from yourself, Teresa :-)

Video of the Day: Mistah F.A.B. - Ghost Ride It

I'm really not sure if the hyphy movement is still alive, but living so close to Oakland, I feel obliged to post this grand display of NorCal hip-hop. My favorite lines? Well, start at about 1:35 and work your way through references to both Casper and Patrick Swayze. Genius.

Farewell to an old favorite...

I know this isn't very music related, but it's very radio related. I'm not sure how many people reading this have heard of the Don and Mike Show, but it's been broadcasting from the DC metro area for the last 23 years. I first heard this show when I was a freshman in high school and have been listening to it ever since. In an era when "shock jocks" became the popular format for most talk-comedy shows, Don and Mike were different because they didn't need vulgarities and gross bits where people eat/do disgusting things. It was a unique brand of humor that struck me as actually entertaining, a quality lacking in radio these days.

Don Geronimo (aka Michael Sorce) retired today, marking the final broadcast of the Don and Mike Show. Though his partner, Mike O'Meara, and the rest of the crew will continue with the Mike O'Meara Show, it will never be the same. The chemistry between the "radio gods" was unparalleled and resulted in many moments that made me feel silly for giggling so much at the radio. It sounds dumb, but from 3 to 7 PM every day I could count on these guys to make me laugh, no matter the circumstances. I doubt this will be the last I hear from Don Geronimo, as he has mentioned that he could possibly return to radio in the future, but until then, good day to you sir. Thanks for all the laughs.

Video of the Day: Blur - Coffee & TV

This is my all-time favorite music video.

Video of the Day: Pinback - Fortress

Vivid colors (or lack thereof), dancing/fighting stickmen, and best indie music video of 2005 (MTV).

Video of the Day: The Go! Team - Junior Kickstart

Another funny video with people in costumes.

Concert Update: Thao Nguyen

I have been meaning to give Thao an appropriately epic write-up for weeks now; alas, my procrastination in the real world has caught up with me and I'm actually quite busy. So hold onto your pants--I'll lay down a real post on Ms. Nguyen soon enough. In the meantime, however, I'll be seeing her twice this weekend and thought I'd post the show times in case anyone in the area is interested.

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down (opening for Xiu Xiu)

Friday, April 11: The Echo [Los Angeles, CA]

Saturday, April 12: Bottom of the Hill [San Francisco, CA]

And if you don't mind mediocre videography or the supreme audio quality of a compact digital camera, have a look at the video I shot of Thao playing on the campus of UC Berkeley a few months ago:

A brief explanation: Thao (Teresa) is a high school friend--and former band-mate, of sorts--of the authors. She is now a rock star, which will be further elucidated later. Her myspace and official pages both have some free tunes to check out.

Video of the Day: Hot Chip - Over and Over

Excellent video and a great song.

Video of the Day: Petra Haden - Don't Stop Believin' (Journey Cover)

As far as an a capella cover, it's pretty damn good. The low talky parts are a little odd, but the rest is great. Enjoy.

Surprise! It's the Counting Crows!

Guess who showed up today on the campus of UC Berkeley to perform a surprise concert? None other than Cal alum Adam Duritz and his band, the Counting Crows (no, he did not graduate from Berkeley . . . but hey, a drop-out is still an alum, apparently). Hot of the release of their new album this past Tuesday, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, the band appeared in lower Sproul plaza semi-unannounced today to play a set. I heard secondhand from a labmate about 45 minutes before the concert that it was going to happen, so I meandered over and--sure enough--a concert ensued. They played for about 90 minutes in front of a crowd of about 1000, covering old and new material and taking plenty of time to chat about life. Very low-key for such a big band, and definitely a pleasant surprise for a Friday afternoon. I guess that's the benefit of doing my grad work at a slightly larger school . . .

who likes laser tag!

"I think they're using real lasers!"