Scotland Week: Frightened Rabbit

So to round out Scotland Week, I’m going to end with Frightened Rabbit whose third studio album Winter of Mixed Drinks will be released tomorrow (March 1st) in the Europe and March 9th in the U.S.

Thanks to NPR, I got a First Listen of the album yesterday! Here are my thoughts:

In a way, Winter of Mixed Drinks reminds me of a Decemberists’ concept album. There isn’t exactly a plot here but Frightened Rabbit does seem to tell a story about a bitter breakup with threads of crushed hopes and spats of depression throughout. The great thing about Frightened Rabbit is that their melodies sound so upbeat that you really have to be listening to the lyrics to catch the weight. I love it.

Here’s a quick run-down of the tracks:

• Things: A stronger sound that I’m used to with Frightened Rabbit. The vocals yell “I didn’t need these things” and while the song follows the typical build in the instrumentation, the starting line isn’t quiet and pensive but forceful.
• Swim Until You Can’t See Land: My favorite track on the album, this song is about escape from troubling memories and broken relationships. I have yet to decide whether it’s a positive or negative song because I think it has echoes of both frustration and relief.
• The Wrestle: This song is interesting because it is layered with foreboding synths and fuzzed out guitars as if you are wrestling with something repressed.
• Skip The Youth: This song starts with repetitive clash that gets annoying but that makes the break into the melody a great catharsis. And then the end of the song is swallowed again in the clash. I especially love the harmonies in the backing vocals here and imagery like “all the hammer and scrape has been chipping away at the luster of life”
• Nothing Like You: Very cheeky, almost like kids taunting each other on the playground. “This is a story and you’re not in it”
• Foot Shooter: This song dresses up the sadness of “getting washed away” in bold beats and Oo’s.
• Not Miserable: Even though this song is full of denial, I really like it for some reason. It’s almost as if telling yourself over and over again that you’re not miserable will cause you to you to actually feel happier.
• Living in Colour: Mmmmmm … I lied, THIS is my favorite track.”‘I am floating with my eyes closed” and colorful harmonies enveloping me.
• Yes, I Would: My attention always wanders on this song because Living in Colour is just so great. It’s almost about moving on whether you want to or not.

Once you’ve previewed Winter of Mixed Drinks on NPR, check out my favorite songs from Frightened Rabbit’s The Midnight Organ Fight …

Sound Snack: Luke Leighfield

That’s right everybody … Sound Snack is back! And today we have Luke Leighfield

catchy music + pat-on-the-back lyrics = all around positive atmosphere

(I haven’t felt this empowered since listening to Ben Lee)

P.S. You need to get his new album Have You Got Heart? It’s just fabulous.

Scotland Week: Kitty the Lion

Kitty the Lion is a fantastic pop/rock/folk band out of Glasgow. The band began as singer-songwriter Anna Meldrum and grew into a full-grown lion in 2009 when Meldrum met like-minded musicians Joe Rattray (upright bass), Nick Roan (drums), Sorren Maclean (guitar), and Callum Wiseman (mandolin).

This band is so new that I don’t have much to stream for you. Your just going to have to go their their Myspace and have a listen. You should especially check out Hazy Ocean Lullaby and Catalytic Converter. They haven’t released an album yet but you can download Lion in the Bed from iTunes.

I recommend their music because it’s intelligent and fun and just darn catchy. I think they are definitely a band to keep your eye (and ears) on!

You’re my … you’re my spark plug
You’re my … You’re my accelerator
You’re my … You’re my catalytic converter

Don Quixote (Coldplay’s New Song)

Update: Originally referred to as “Don Quixote”, the song is apparently called “Spanish Rain“

Coldplay debuted a new song last night in Buenos Aires called Don Quixote:

The folks over at Coldplaying.com have been trying to figure out the lyrics. Here’s what the words MIGHT be:

So we left La Mancha
Headed out for higher plains
Me and Sancho Panza

Looking for adventure
Rosinante at the reins
To the windmill’s answer

You’ll never be lonely
You’ll never be lonely ever again
You’ll never be lonely
You’ll never be lonely again

I heard you never get wet in Spanish Rain!

So they sent for a doctor
For examining my brain
Finished. Not too clearer

When the world, when the world just seems a little bit too cruel
Gonna leave it better
Make one better

So tell that princess
Tell that princess right down that train
Tell that princess
She’ll never be lonely again
I heard you never get wet in Spanish Rain!
I heard you never get wet in Spanish Rain!

Ole, etc.

I bet you never get wet in Spanish rain.

What do you think? Like the song? Are we going to hear it on the next album? Do you prefer “Don Quixote” or “Spanish Rain” as the title?

Update (3/22/10)
Lyrics to this song are tricky to pin down because Chris Martin seemed to change them a little bit with every performance. Based on a video from their Rio de Janeiro concert, the third and fourth verses are different:

So they called the doctor
Now they’re examining my brain
Saying I’m not too clever

But when the world just seems a little bit too cruel
Then I make one better
One where we’re always together

Austin Christy feat. John Mayer

I love John Mayer’s music but he’s been a jerk lately. I’m still a little ambivalent about him but his jam with 11-year-old fan Austin Christy certainly brightened my day. It also happens to blow my mind especially considering my frustration with hugely popular musicians being so removed from “the masses.”

From Yahoo – John Mayer Duets With 11-Year-Old Fan:

Singer John Mayer found himself in hot water earlier this month after he famously dished about private details regarding exes Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson, and even worse, was widely accused of racism for other comments he made in a Playboy interview. Repeated apologies and tearful onstage apologies did little to curtail the damage done to his reputation.

But Mayer may have found redemption in the form of an act of kindness toward a fellow musician: an 11-year-old named Austin Christy. The boy’s dreams came true at a John Mayer concert in Philadelphia on Sunday night, when the celebrity singer-guitarist invited young Christy onstage to play a song in front of over 25,000 fans.

Mayer’s gesture was prompted by his tween fan’s clever attention-grabbing tactic. Austin, who says he’s been practicing Mayer’s songs for over two years, showed up at Sunday’s show carrying a homemade sign that displayed a hand-drawn guitar and the plea “Can I play ‘Belief” with you?” Mayer couldn’t resist.

In a popular YouTube video of the random act of concert kindness, Austin calmly shares the stage with Mayer, acutely focused on his performance of the song:

“I was really excited. I was thinking that it wasn’t real,” the New Jersey sixth-grader gushed to a reporter after the show.

Christy also told the Courier Post Online, “I thought it was pretty cool because a lot of other artists wanted to play with him and he picked an 11-year-old out of a lot better artists.”

Austin says he learned the particular song he played, “Belief,” for his mom JoAnna, who was there with him in the front row when his pleas were answered.

And Mayer didn’t share just his stage with Austin. Afterwards, the multimillion-album-selling artist gave the boy the red Squier guitar and guitar picks that Austin had borrowed from Mayer for the performance.

Mayer signed the guitar’s base: “To Austin, You rock. Keep playing. See you at your show.”

The incident sparked so much goodwill from fans that when Austin and his mom finally headed home from what was surely one of the best nights of their lives, they were escorted by bodyguards to help them through the crowd of smiling fans.

If John Mayer’s Twitter activity is any indication, the singer, who has been uncharacteristically silent since the aftermath of the Playboy scandal, had his own spirits boosted by his act of onstage kindness.

Just hours after his performance with his young-musician fan, he tweeted, “8 out of 8 band members agree, Philly is always an awesome show. XO J”

What do you think? Was it just a play for forgiveness or was it a genuine act of kindness?

Scotland Week: Glasvegas

It’s probably just because of lead singer James Allen’s accent but whenever I hear Glasvegas, I feel like I’ve just popped an Everlasting Gobstopper in my mouth. It seems like a strange analogy but Glasvegas has a big, bold sound that you can’t get your ears around completely. You always hear something new in the “not quite sweet but not quite tart” sound. One downside is that their songs tend to sound very similar but they’re still worth a listen.

For Fans Of: The XX, Frightened Rabbit, White Lies, Locksley, Oasis

My two favorite Glasvegas tracks are “Daddy’s Gone” (Thanks, Chuck) and “Geraldine” …

Shane Macgowan & Friends “I Put A Spell On You”

A quick little something that I just needed to share. All proceeds from the sale of this all-star cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’s “I Put a Spell on You” will go to Concern Worldwide to aid Haiti…

Scotland Week: Paolo Nutini

Making up for lost time – Part III
And this one is for today (Thursday)

I’m going mainstream with Paolo Nutini. The best way for me to describe Nutini is by comparing his two albums:

1. These Streets: Not exactly emo but there’s some hard-core brooding going on here. Most recognizable are “New Shoes” and “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty.”

2. Sunny Side Up: Bright and shiny, Nutini’s second album takes on a upbeat theme. Still great music.

Scotland Week: Pearl and the Puppets

Making up for lost time – Part II
This one is because I didn’t get around to posting for Wednesday …

Pearl and the Puppets is 21-year old Katie Sutherland from Kirkintilloch, Scotland. No album yet and I’m going to tell you that I honestly don’t know much about her but this sweet and down-to-earth singer-songwriter has a lot of potential to make it big. Keep your eye out for this one.

For Fans Of: Lenka, Regina Spektor, Meiko, Priscilla Ahn, A Fine Frenzy

Scotland Week: Amy Macdonald

Making up for lost time – Part I
I failed you a little bit with Scotland Week by missing a few posts. I’m determined to make this up to you RIGHT NOW!

Because you got Coldplay on Tuesday, here’s a relatively mainstream musician who actually qualifies as Scottish: Amy Macdonald.

Macdonald released her first studio album, This Is The Life, in 2007 and her second, A Curious Thing, is to be released on March 8th. Her lyrics are rawly emotional, her music is catchy, and her voice is husky. What more could you want?

For Fans Of: KT Tunstall, Brandi Carlile, Diana Birch, Adele