Vampire Weekend – Contra

Vampire Weekend is back with their follow up to their critically acclaimed self-titled album with Contra, a collection of ten songs that are sure to please the very same hipster crowd that brought to them to the world a couple years ago. The album has done very well for itself, debuting at the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 list.

I don’t have much against Vampire Weekend themselves, except for their image and the sorts of fans that I’ve come into contact with here and there. I don’t have much to say about them, other than I dislike it, but the album is a good follow up to their first album. Opening with the energetic Horchata, the album moves through the tracks with much of the same quirk, energy and odd vocabulary/diction that characterized the first album. Indeed, their unique sound is what attracted such a wide following to the group, and for good reason.

This album is full of the quirky sound and feel: Horchata comes right out of the gate with interesting percussion and deliberately stilted lyrics, White Sky with it’s high pitched chorus, the Caribbean-sounding California English, Run, with its driving beats and horns, the hyperactive Cousins and electronically infused Diplomat’s Son. There’s a lot of sound packed into this album, a bright range of styles and themes all brought together by this group. The album doesn’t feel overburdened as some others might, which is a huge plus for the group – they’re able to manage their weird sound by expanding their styles, using that as part of their image. And it works, really well.

Contra follows up Vampire Weekend nicely with a lot of the same tone and feel, but there’s some additions here. The music feels a bit more energetic, especially with their first single, Cousins. Like Vampire Weekend, their sound is precise, clipped and very polished. More importantly, it doesn’t feel as if this album is trying their other works, which is important, given how much hype the first album generated upon its release.

This is much of what I’d been hoping for – when the band first hit, their sound attracted a lot of people to it, and it seems like the band was one of the most popular ones for 2008. Generally, meeting the hype for another album is an incredibly difficult task, and there’s a number of popular artists out there, such as Norah Jones, Coldplay (With X&Y), and A Fine Frenzy, who’ve put out quality work, but work that doesn’t *quite* make the same impression that their original work did when it was first released. It’s always a bit disappointing, but we move on with it. So far, Contra has really impressed me in that it doesn’t copy the successes of Vampire Weekend exactly – there’s still a bit of innovation here, and a demonstration that there’s room in the band for more sounds and changes.

Hortchata – Vampire Weekend
Giving Up The Gun – Vampire Weekend

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One

A year ago today, after some contemplation, I started off on this little experiment of a music blog. One year later, 425 posts and a total of 121,433 and 143,160 page visits (somewhat less unique visitors – this number is low, because I added on tracking a couple months after I started.) I’d say this is a success. The site has really grown over the past couple of months, and I’ve tried a number of features, such as the Cover and Original, Acoustic and Original, Live and Original, Artist Evolution, 80 Bands Around the World, Artist Comparison and a couple others. Some of those I haven’t kept up with, but it’s been a fun ride thus far.

The name Carry You Away came from a couple of songs, most notably Cary Brother’s song Who You Are and Rilo Kiley’s The Angels Hung Around. The idea was that music carries one away while listening. I liked the idea when I heard Who You Are, and it stuck.

From The Angels Hung Around:

“…’Till the angels hung around
as they carried me away.”

From Who You Are:

“…You try to, but you can’t move
As the windows crash around you
No one there to carry you away”

My main mission here is to highlight music that I like. Over the past year or so, my tastes have grown considerably, and I’ve found that there’s a lot of stuff out there that I like. I’ve become a more competent reviewer and writer, partially because of the amount of writing that I’ve had to do for this site, and my tastes in music is more refined. I’ve met artists, taken tons of pictures, and found hundreds of new artists and songs that I never would have come across otherwise.

So, thank you to everyone for making the site a success, and for hearing what I’ve got to say about things.

Beginnings - Chicago
Thirty One Today - Aimee Man
One Week - Barenaked Ladies
One (Blake’s Got a New Face) – Vampire Weekend
One Good Year - Slaid Cleaves

Who You Are - Cary Brothers
The Angels Hung Around - Rilo Kiley

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The Best of January

So, it’s that time of the month again, and it’s a new year with a bunch of really good songs to start off the month. It’s been an interesting year so far, with the markets going all wacky and a Presidential primary that’s really heating up, so here’s something to distract you:

Who Cares? – The Alternate Routes
Are You Lonely – The Alternate Routes

The Alternate Routes released a limited CD that took many of the songs off of their first album and turned them acoustic. The result is spectacular – the songs here are plunky and take on a life of their own.

All In It – British Sea Power

British Sea Power released their latest album, Do You Like Rock Music?, recently, with this as the first track – which has a good beat, sound and feel to it – this one’s a winner. And it just builds and builds, and does it well, which is always fantastic to hear with a song.

Gravity – Coldplay

Here’s a live song from Coldplay that’s new – something that might be on the upcoming album, which is due out sometime in the first half of the year. This feels like classic Coldplay – it’s nice to hear that they haven’t lost their touch.

Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irgolva

This song is almost the perfect ballad

Kids - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Sunshine Sunshine – Goodtimes Goodtimes

Goodtimes Goodtimes is a band that released their first album last year, and which I’ve since picked up from a couple of music blogs. They have a fantastic guitar groove and vocals. Vocally, they sound a little like Josh Ritter and Paolo Nutini. These are some songs that really get me up, which I like.

Pretty Good (John Prine) – Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Josh Ritter

A great cover from Grace Potter, and a fantastic duet that I got to see this past summer, and one that I’ve been looking for for ages. Finally!

Spaceship - Jason Spooner
Black and Blue - Jason Spooner

Jason Spooner has a nice laid back feel, with some comforting lyrics and a delicate guitar to boot. Lazy driving songs, perfect for the highway.

Little Black Sandals – Sia
Soon We’ll Be Found – Sia

Sia, whom Zero 7 fans might know from her collaborating work with them, as well as her prior solo albums, is back with problems. Some Real Problems, and this album is no sweat – light, tight and a fantastic listen. Sorry, did that sound corny?

A-Punk – Vampire Weekend

One of the biggest bands from last year before they even released their first album, A-Punk is a fantastic example from these guys. Great guitars, drums and vocals here.

Lying For The Song – We’ll Write
Never Seems To Rain – We’ll Write

These guys have a good feel for rhythm and sound, one that takes me back to some nostalgic college days before I began to worry too much about things. It’s a refreshing sound and one that I’ll be keeping my eyes on.

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Upcoming Album – Vampire Weekend

One of the bands to come out of last year was Vampire Weekend, an indie rock group out of New York City. They tore up the music blog scene towards the end of last year, and they deserve it.
Of all the groups out there right now, these guys probably have the best sound. They have influences from africa and indie-pop music.
Their first, self titled album is due out next week on the 29th. The album’s a killer one – it has some absolutely fantastic tracks: Mansard Roof, Oxford Comma, A-Punk, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, Campus, among others. They’ve got a great drum and guitar lineup, as well as some absolutely fantastic lyrics and song writing.

M-79 – Vampire Weekend
Campus – Vampire Weekend

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New Video – A-Punk

I’ve talked about Vampire weekend before. They’re a fantastic new group out of New York. If you give them a listen, you’ll hear a very unique sound that has influences from afro-pop, indie, rock and who knows what else. I’ll be doing a longer writeup on these guys closer to the album’s release, but here’s a new video from them:

Their first self-titled album comes out on January 29th.

A-Punk – Vampire Weekend

Hype – Buy – Look

The Best New Discoveries of 2007

Now that the new year is upon us, I’m going to spend the week looking back on what I liked from 2007. First up, the best new artists that I came across.

Last year was particularly rich in music for me over the entire year, but even more since I’ve started this site. I’ve come across a number of really good artists. Many thanks to everyone who’s gone out and shared a little of what they’ve liked with everyone. I’ve gone out and purchased more music than I ever have before, through iTunes and hard copy and even vinyl. Here’s some of my favorite new discoveries this year:

Adam Ezra Group
These guys I just discovered a couple of weeks ago, and are a smaller indie band out of Connecticut who’ve just started out and are playing smaller gigs around New England. If you like Dispatch or Blues Traveler, you’ll likely like these guys. They’ve got a ton of songs up for grabs on their website, and they’ve got a pretty energetic live show.

Small Town City - Adam Ezra Group

The Alternate Routes
The Alternate Routes really released their first CD back in 2005, but they re-released Good and Reckless and True to fairly good radio coverage – You’ve probably heard Time Is A Runaway on the radio. I got to see them twice this summer, and their first album is a fantastic first effort on their part, there’s a bunch of really good sounds. A good one for any Ryan Adams fans out there.

Time Is A Runaway - The Alternate Routes

Blitzen Trapper

These guys were highlighted on NPR, which led me to check them out. They’ve got a bunch of really good songs and a new album out this year that I really enjoyed, especially Sci-Fi Kid and Wild Mountain Nation.

Sci-Fi Kid - Blitzen Trapper

Ferraby Lionheart

I loved this guy – Ferraby Lionheart’s got a wonderful sound along the lines of Rufus Wainwright. He’s been busy this year, with his first album, called Catch the Brass Ring and a self-titled EP. Catch the Brass Ring was in my time five albums of the year, and comes highly recommended from me.

Vermont Avenue - Ferraby Lionheart

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irgova
These two guys starred in the movie Once, which I’ve heard a lot about. Neither are actors, but singers, and covered a Dylan song for the soundtrack I’m Not There, which I also want to see (I think I have to wait until DVD). They also contributed to Once’s Sountrack.

You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irgova

Gregory Douglass

Douglass was recommended to me earlier this summer. He’s another Vermont musician, and has been doing gigs in the area. Hopefully I’ll be catching him next February when he comes to the Higher Ground. He’s got a really easy sound, somewhere along Rock and Soul. He just released his latest album Up & Away, which is quite good.

Hang Around - Gregory Douglass

Jesca Hoop

I think Jesca Hoop is one of my favorite new artists of the year. A breakout hit from Myspace and KCRW in California, she’s really gotten big in the blog world with her really unique sound and songwriting. Kismet is her debut album this year.

Money - Jesca Hoop

Jess Clemons & The Cooperative

Jess Clemons is another musician who I’d gone to high school with (the other being Grace Potter from the Nocturnals). She’s about to release a self titled album that sounds really good, and is someone to check out if you like Grace Potter.

Make-Out Song - Jess Clemons & The Coopertive

Kate Nash

Kate Nash, out of England, has her first album, Made of Bricks, coming out soon. She’s got a really cool sound. She’s got spunk and energy, and her entire first album is a fun one to listen to.

Foundations - Kate Nash

Priscilla Ahn

I saw Ahn open for Cary Brothers earlier this year, and she did fantastically on her own. She’s done a bit of work with other artists before, with Cary Brothers and Amos Lee, providing backup vocals, and now She’s released her first self-titled EP earlier this year and should have her first album out shortly, which I’m looking forwards to.

Lullaby - Priscilla Ahn

Sara Bareilles

Bareilles became a big internet hit with myspace and iTunes earlier this summer with her song Love Song. She has an incredibly strong voice and is probably one of the best female singers to come out this year. Love Song’s getting a lot of radio play, but there are a bunch of good songs on her album.

Love Song - Sara Bareilles

Skye

Skye came to my attention with a fantastic cover of Gorillaz’s song Feel Good Inc. She was a singer with another band, but is now solo, having released her first album Mind How You Go recently. She’s got a soft, easy sound that’s good for chilling out.

What’s Wrong With Me? – Skye

The Softlightes

I found these guys with their video for their first single, Heart Made of Sound, which is probably one of my favorite songs of the year, and probably one of the best videos that I’ve seen. Very creative. These guys have a wonderful sound with their first album, which came out earlier this spring, Say No To Being Cool, Yes to Being Happy. If you like Death Cab for Cutie, these guys sound similar, and very upbeat.

Heart Made of Sound - The Softlightes

Vampire Weekend

I suspect that these guys will make their big splash next year when their first album is released. They’ve already been huge this year on the internet, and it’s easy to see why – these guys are fun and interesting and really out there. They’ve got a weird afro-indie sound that’s pretty cool. I suspect that they’ll be one of the bigger indie bands to come out this/next year.

Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend

Some other groups that’ve been around for a long time that I just came across:

Josh Ritter
Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albanians
Brandi Carlile
British Sea Power
Cary Brothers
Arcade Fire

Coming Up, the best Albums and Songs of the year.

Hype – Buy

New Vampire Weekend Video

This looks fun, perfectly fits with their sound:

Ladies of Cambridge – Vampire Weekend

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Some New Artists

Over the past couple of weeks and months, I’ve come across a couple of new groups that’ve really grabbed my attention. We’ve got indie, folk, alternative and country all represented here.

Vampire Weekend

I’ve seen these guys rumbling around in the blogosphere for a little while now, and I suspect that we’re going to hear a lot more from them in the very near future, as they will be releasing their first, self-titled album January 29th of 2008. They’ve already released an EP on iTunes, called Mansard Roof, which is quite good. These guys have a very fun, distinctive sound – sounds very caribbean to me for some reason, which is funny because of their name. They’ve got a bit of a European tour going on now, and will be coming back to the US shortly.

Ladies of Cambridge – Vampire Weekend

Visit their webpage: http://www.vampireweekend.com/

Jess Clemons and the Coopertive

Grace Potter was one student who came out of my high school with a very bright future in music – Jess Clemons seems to be following the same track. This is the second recent singer that I’ve come across that I know personally. While I’m sure that she’s going to be compared a bit to Grace Potter, and while there are similarities, I think that her sound is much closer towards the folk range, towards Alison Krauss or Nancy Griffith. She’s got a really good voice here, and I think she’s got a lot of potential. She’s just released her first independant album.

Well The Tide – Jess Clemons and the Coopertive

Check her out here: www.jessclemons.com

Kate Nash

Kate Nash has a very similar sound to Regina Spektor, and with a distinctive London flavor to her sound. She’s got a lot of spunk and energy with her music and a wicked independant streak with her lyrics. Very catchy, great voice, etc. I’m a fan. She’s just released her first album, Made of Bricks, back in August.

Mouthwash – Kate Nash

She doesnt’ seem to have a webpage yet, but here’s her myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/katenashmusic

Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans

I came across this guy through Mainstream Isn’t So Bad the other day, and this song just sucked me in. These guys are out of Alberta, and are on album number 5. This song’s on their upcoming Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! album, due out in November. Don’t be detered by these guy’s label as country, this song is fantastic with it’s lyrics, rivaling that of the Decemberists. I love this song because it’s really based in history, which is really cool to listen to. I can’t wait to hear more.

Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier – Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans

Webpage: www.corblund.com

Hype – Buy

Best of the Month: August

Over the past month, I’ve been collecting, listening and buying songs as they catch my interest, and here are my picks for the best of August:

Radio Nowhere – Bruce Springsteen
The boss is back with the first single in a couple of years now, and this one’s pretty damn good. Solid guitar work and drive behind this one, with a solid track once again.

Don’t Stop Now – Crowded House
Even A Child – Crowded House
Crowded House is back after, inadvertently. Starting out as a solo album with the older members of the band added on, they’re back with a bit of a better sound than before, with two fantastic songs, Don’t Stop Now and Even A Child.

Ashes and Wine - A Fine Frenzy
Rangers - A Fine Frenzy
A Fine Frenzy, whom I’ve talked about before, is off to a fantastic start with her first album, with a sweet voice and beautiful piano accompaniment, all the while displaying some fantastic lyrics. Ashes & Wine and Rangers are two of the best songs off the album, although the entire thing is pretty damn good.

The Pretender - Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are back with their latest single, The Pretender, which starts off slow before exploding into a really good song. I’m not sure if it’s as good as Best Of You, but it’s still a pretty good track.

Mr. Columbus - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Falling or Flying - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Grace Potter and The Nocturnals exploded with their first major studio release, This Is Somewhere, refining their sound and sharpening their already fantastic songwriting skills. Mr. Columbus and Falling Or Flying are two of the best tracks from the album, although you’d be hard pressed to find a bad song on that album.

Boy With A Coin - Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine’s latest single shows a little experimentation, adding in a bit of a faster rhythm and a richer sound than some of his older songs, but it’s an a really catchy track that’s just amazing.

1973 - James Blunt
I wasn’t a fan of Blunt’s first single, You’re Beautiful, but 1973 really won me over, I’m not sure if I’ll check out the rest of the album, but this one’s a much stronger track that’s good in it’s own right.

Killing for Love - José González
Down The Line - José González
José González is following up the amazing Veneer with In Our Nature, with more original works, but a couple of covers as well (Teardrop). Killing for Love and Down The Line are two really good tracks that highlight his acoustic guitar work and lyrics.

Close Call - Rilo Kiley
Dreamworld - Rilo Kiley
Rilo Kiley’s been the talk of the blogging and media community for the last couple weeks with her new album, Under the Blacklight with some of the best pop music out there. Blending some really cool guitar work and vocal talent, this album’s certainly a really good listen. Close Call and Dreamworld are my two favorites from the album.

Hold On (iTunes)– KT Tunstall
K.T. Tunstall’s back with a new single, for her upcoming album Drastic Fantastic, which is fast, hyper and sounds like a fantastic followup to her last release, Eye to the Telescope.

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa – Vampire Weekend
This is a fun offbeat song who’s just released their first self-titled EP. It’s light, poppy, indie music at its best. These are some guys to keep an eye on.

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Vampire Weekend

NPR’s All Songs Considered mentioned these guys on their last podcast, and the first image that springs to mind is some sort of gothic-y type music. Much to my surprise, that’s pretty far from the truth, as these guys have a very unique sound. It’s light, airy and very lyrical, with what sounds very carribean or something similar. It’s a cool sound, and I’m guessing that these guys will have some cool things coming to us.

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend (Link Fixed)

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