coffeeandirony.org

“We wanted to begin a band that sounded gigantic”, We the Living say on their website, but oddly enough, this 3-member indie rock/pop band from Tennessee mostly crafts songs that are beautifully contained and tender, even wistful. Their website is a little too wordy and cerebral (probably an influence of Ayn Rand, from whose book of the same name I assume they got their name) – their first album apparently is split into “heaven” and “earth” sections and their Myspace page lays forth a manifesto about “spread [ing] the idea that everyone needs a personal philosophy”. Since their music is lucid and unpretentious however I won’t hold it against them. Download their newest EP, “Boom Forest”, by signing up for the mailing list. I just did and the EP consists of 5 exquisite songs. Check out “Left and Leaving” and “Re: Stacks” below.

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You can also check out their website and Myspace page

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Popmatters reviews Aqualung’s new album “Magnetic North”. I’m headed to Barnes and Noble(or possibly Borders) to buy it this weekend, but in the meantime, you can listen to the first single off it, “Fingertip”, here at Berg Loves Pizza.

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So new that they don’t even have a Wikipedia page yet, Color of Clouds has been described variously as indie folk and electroacoustic, though for the record I tend toward the former categorization. Color of Clouds is made up of a trio from Brooklyn which consists of singer-songwriter Kelli Scarr (formerly of Salt & Samovar), Dan Chen, former keyboardist for Nicole Atkins & The Sea, and producer Nate Greenberg. All three knew each other from electronic band(now disbanded) Moonraker, and got their start when Chen and Scarr, both recovering from breakups in 2008, decided to turn their loss into music. Greenberg was then recruited to polish and produce their songs. They released a debut E.P. entitled “The Look” in May 2009 which was well-received, with the title track being featured on One Tree Hill. They’ve also been featured on Ugly Betty, Damages and Mercy. Their self-released debut album, Satellite of Love, comes out April 6.

Color of Clouds Myspace

Satellite of Love Tracklisting:
1. Brother
2. Wonder
3. Satellite of Love
4. Left You
5. Lullysome
6. The Look
7. I Want You
8. Haunts Me
9. Let Go
10. Cinderella
11. Come Back to Me

Brother:

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Haunts Me(acapella):

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“Brother”, a wistful folk gem driven by Scar’s silvery vocals, reminds me oddly of some of Hansard and Irglova’s softer songs, particularly Irglova’s “The Hill”, with its exploration of a relationship riven with guilt and blame and love and loss.  “Haunts Me”, on the other hand, with its religious undertones and electronica-tinged pop, reminds me of State Bird’s  “The Golden Glowing Mask”. The final track, however, the only other one to  be pre-released, has more tinges of folk and country.

Read an excellent review here

Now we only have to wait until April 6th!

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MEDVIEDENKO
Why do you always wear mourning?

MASHA
I dress in black to match my life. I am unhappy.

-The Seagull, Anton Chekhov

Song of the day: Dark Dark Dark – “Bright Bright Bright”

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In the Sun, She & Him – She & Him is the insanely cool collaboration of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, and this is the single off their second album, set to be released in March

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Blow Me Away, Breaking Benjamin- first single from the rock band’s new album Dear Agony

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Pick Up the Phone, Dragonette – insanely addicting pop hit from the Canadian electropop group’s second album Fixin’ to Thrill

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Good Riddance(Time of Your Life), Green Day

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Scars, Allison Iraheta - marvelous second single from the American Idol contestant’s first album Just Like You

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The “Play On” round-ups are where I highlight a random assortment of amazing songs I’ve discovered in the past few weeks/months.

1. “Meme Si (What You’re Made Of)”, Lucie Silvas & Gregory Lemarchal. I must’ve listened to this 30 times in the first week of discovering it, and a week later I’m still listening around twice a day. Obsession doesn’t even begin to cut it. “You’re not in love this time – but it’s all right”.

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2. “Dear You”, Josh Aeur. Oddly, this reminds me of “Hey There Delilah”. As classic as the Plain White T’s song? Probably not, but it’s held good for me through months of re-listens and I firmly believe it will become a classic.

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3. “Hazy”, Rosi Golan feat. William Fitzsimmons. A stellar little gem resonant with tenderness. “Without you, things go hazy”

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4. “From Sarah with Love”, Sarah Connor. One of those iconic love songs that comes along every once in a while and perfectly captures a certain mood/situation. Helped Canadian songstress Sarah Connor on her road to stardom.

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5. “Poison & Wine”, The Civil Wars. Wait for the chorus, and fall with the same mad crash that I did. Then listen every day for at least two weeks. “I don’t love you, but I always will”.

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Amazing beyond reason

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Song from The O.C. soundtrack – Nada Surf‘s “If You Leave”.  Nada Surf is an American alt-rock band formed in 1992. They released their fifth album “Lucky” in 2008.

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This is one of my favorite songs possibly of all time, by Nashville alt-country band Strays Don’t Sleep, made up of Matthew Ryan and Neilson Hubbard, which formed in 2006, had great success, and disbanded the same year, for reasons I’m unclear about.  I first heard this song featured on One Tree Hill, but it wasn’t until after listening to and loving it for a while that I found out that it was written by Matthew Ryan about his brother, who was sentenced to prison for 30 years.

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It’s been a long year
Since we last spoke
How’s your halo?..
I never believed you
I only wanted to
Before all of this
What did I miss?
Do you ever get homesick?
I can’t get used to it
I can’t get used to it
I’ll never get used to it
I’ll never get used to it

..You alone with those pills
What you couldn’t do I will
I forgive you
I’ll forgive you

For blue, blue skies

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“all the other girls here are stars—you are the Northern Lights
they try to shine in through your curtains—you’re too close and too bright
they try and they try but everything that they do
is the ghost of a trace of a pale imitation of you
I’ll be the one to drive you back home Kathleen”

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