Mix Tape Monday: Jay Rodger

featuring

Jay Rodger

Photos from Jay Rodger’s Myspace

Okay. Confession. I first came across Jay here while looking at some recent Bobby Long videos. He has a pretty dang good cover of Crooked Sky that popped up in a search:

So naturally, I went looking for more of his works and I came across his myspace where he has a few original songs posted for a listen. I knew pretty quickly that I would like to feature him here on Mix Tape Monday.  Especially when I started reading his blog entries.  He made me laugh at his self-deprecating ways.

It’s sweet when I’m in the music, like really feeling the song I’m playing and the rest of the world gets lost around me. It’s a great feeling when the audience links to the song, and at the end when I open my eyes I can see people daydreaming all around the room….

Or maybe I’ve just bored them.

We’ll go with the first yeah?

Source

Um, yeah. He sounds like my kind of people. And others seem to agree that he is definitely someone to watch.

From Studio 49:

In amongst the theatres, tourists, students & building sites that currently reside in a small town known Stratford-upon-Avon there lies a single singer / song writer by the name ‘Jay Rodger’. Jay, taking influences from a range of musical greats brings it all together in a unique style of songs that can only be described as ‘Groovesum’. Think Bob Dylan meets Imogen Heap – sailing melodies that glide over delicate guitar playing, catchy hooks & an entrancing style of performance – Jay has it all.

All videos from dh130i’s youtube channel.

Want more?? You can find Jay on myspace, twitter and reverbnation.

And now it’s your turn to talk….what did you think of ol’ Jay here? Yay, nay? Let us know!

Communion Music is Amazing. Still.

The Flowerpot

The peeps behind Communion Music and The Flowerpot are teaming up for a collaborative musical project from July 12th- 18th. What does this mean?? Well, I will let the Flowerpot tell you itself.

From their website:

Flowerpot are teaming up with the Communion team for an original and extremely exciting project. In this one week in July we’re turning the venue into a recording studio, bands will be invited to The Flowerpot with the idea of collaborating with other musicians. Songs will be written, songs will be recorded, gigs will be played, gigs will be recorded, photos will be taken and films will be made. The whole thing will then be compiled into a double album that will be released later in the year.

So who will be involved in this effort? According to the website, Red Hot Velvet, there will be several of the Communion Music artists, including, yes, one Mr. Marcus Foster!

The likes of Mt Desolation, Lissie, Angus & Julia Stone, Kill It Kid, Matthew & The Atlas and members of Mumford & Sons will spend the week working on new songs together, alongside a host of exciting young artists including Communion signing Marcus Foster, Kyla La Grange, and The Staves all for a future album release.

And here I was all sadpanda missing him! Obviously he reads SoS and decided to let me know what’s been going on*. Duh.

Now just because we are over here in the States doesn’t mean that we won’t be able to join in the fun, so to speak. What do I mean by that?? Well, upon further investigation, I noticed on the Communion website a log-in section for exclusive content of this upcoming project. There are only a couple of test posts up currently, but I am hoping that this page will be updated nightly with small samples of each night.  One can only hope, right? So, if you are interested, take a moment and register yourself HERE. It looks to be hosted on a wordpress format so I am thinking that if you already have a WP login that you can just use that.  I went ahead and set up a new one, specifically for their site so if your current log-in doesn’t work….well….then feel free to leave me rude comments about how I wasted your time. ;)

So, are you as excited about this as I am?? Or do you live in London and plan on attending a session or six two? If you are, please let us know! I would love to hear about this from someone who is there!

Also, while we gotcha online here, do you follow us on Twitter?? Why not? Come join us and be there for when Amber gets drunk. Again. Her #drunktweets are WIN.

*- no he doesn’t.

Confession– I miss Marcus.

There. I said it. It is out there. I miss Marcus. In a totes non-creepy way. Well, as non creepy as it can be coming from someone who blogs about him on a regular basis. And I am not alone you see. I broke down earlier yesterday and DMd Amber with my little confession– and you know what?? She misses him too! In a totally non-stalker way too.

I mean, let’s get something straight here. We had a hella time in El Lay– obvi– but it’s been so long since we’ve had a glimpse of Marcus. Until yesterday that isthe day of my birth. Coincidence?! Pfft. I think not. That was totally Mr. Foster’s way of saying Happy Birthday. #Duh

Ooorrrr maybe he was just drunk and got twit-pic’d by a friend.

Either way, it made me want more. So naturally I fired up my luvah, I mean my laptop and began my quest. My Marcus Quest if you will. And you know what I found?? Some kick ace vids of Marcus when he was in Italy!! Check it:

Of course, I have to add my fave song, You, My Love:

Demons:

Movement:

All vids were found on nonokob’s channel. There are a bunch more posted so be sure to check it out!

::sigh:: all bettah now.

How bout you? Are you missing Marcus? What are you doing in his “absence” to make it all better??

Happy Birthday LiLi, My Accountability Partner

In case you haven’t heard, and you probably haven’t cause LiLi’s been keeping it on the DL, today is her birthday! WOOT! Well, okay, we are girls and birthday’s don’t usually necessitates woots anymore. More like moans and groans and pulling the covers back over our heads and asking for someone to wake us when the day is over.

But, since it’s not my birthday, I think we should celebrate. Big time. I’m talking the way that I celebrate every time I am at

Please repress this moment. This one. Right here.

a Sam Bradley concert… with a lot of beer, a memory that represses everything the next morning and we place ALL the blame on Jason Segal! Let’s do this!!

In case you all didn’t know, LiLi is my accountability partner at all shows featuring men of a British variety. I mean, she is kind of the worst one ever cause she let’s me get drunk, embarrass myself and then blogs about it for everyone in the world to see (including Sam, we know you are a faithful reader Sam!), but I still love her. It’s like she’s trying to teach me a lesson about not getting drunk at pretty much every show I attend, but yet here we are, and I am still holding beer #5.

Serious Sam moment here…

LiLi and I met through another website and then met in real life through an event that was all centered around that movie that we don’t often (okay, really ever) mention on this site. You know, the one. Don’t play coy with me.

But you know when that moment was that we became besties? The Sam, Marcus, Bobby hoe down in Dallas, pretty close to one year ago tonight. And you know what, for the past year, rarely a day goes by where I don’t talk to LiLi. Where she doesn’t literally make me LOL, to the point where people around me give me weird looks and think I am drunk (which, regardless of what you see at the Sam shows, I AM NOT!).

Please ignore my beer.

LiLi is seriously my sister from another mister, and I’m glad that in all of this craziness, I was lucky to gain such a kick ass friend that I wouldn’t trade for the world! ::hugs::

End Serious Sam moment.

Now, all of you, get down to the comments and leave my girl some love! Tell her she has the best granny panties EVA! Tell her how you also showed one of the guys the BEST fanmade drawings/pictures of them ever! Tell her how you felt so sorry for her when she escorted my drunk ass around at the last Sam show!

Or, you can just wish her a happy birthday. That is totally allowed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILI!!

Where we conquer LA. And Amber gets drunk. I blame Jason Segel.

ohaithere Sam and Co....totes forgot my camera ::facepalm::

Once upon a time, LiLi and Amber packed up their little bags (well, mine was little…Amber’s could hold a small child) and flew out West to have some girly time and see one Mr. Sam Bradley at the Hotel Cafe. In case you didn’t know, Sam is playing there every Tuesday until July 13th– so if you are in the area, go check him out. And then send us pics. Word.

Now, if you know Amber or I, or hell, if you have even read one post of this here little blog, then you know that we don’t take things too seriously ’round here. That’s just us. I mean, yes, we like to give the news on the guys but we can’t help but add in our own thoughts to things. So, if you are looking for a specific-music-theory-analysis-complete-with-set-lists then sorry….this isn’t it. What it is though, is a re-telling of two fangirls’ trip to see someone that they really like. Hell, we should like him. We blog about him. But I digress….

So, pull up a chair and take a stroll with us down memory lane as we re-live our Sam experience via gchat:

We try to start off on the right track….but derail quickly:

LiLi: sooooo
Sam show
let’s talk
go
Amber: sooooo
LiLi: initial thoughts
Amber: i was drunk
LiLi: LOL
right (see below) Amber: cause apparently that’s what i do when i go to Sam shows
i can’t help it
LiLi: um…do you remember whispering in my ear all night?
it was amazing
Amber: sort of
i’m glad you loved it!
LiLi: hahaha
i was like, whoa. this is how some porns start
Amber: Sam would know
LiLi: pfft….you mean OTTO BAUER*, yo
why didn’t you yell out “Otto!”??
Amber: PS I swear I saw Otto while we were eating dinner
LiLi: STFU
where?
Amber: we were at Pinches Tacos
i spotted a blazer and a white vneck
LiLi: BWAHAHAHA
so by Otto you meant Sam
Amber: i was like… Sam?
no, it wasn’t Sam
it was his doppleganger fo sho though
LiLi: everytime i saw that pinches taco i was like, uh….do they know what that means is Spanish?
Amber: it’s all mexicans working there, so I’m gonna go with yeah, probably
LiLi: LMAO
Fucking Tacos
that is brill

Where Amber remembers….nothing:

LiLi: anyhoo– what did you think of the show?
do you member it?
Amber: um, yeah, parts of it
seems like there were a lot of songs I didn’t know
LiLi: awesome. i love it.
yep
a lot of new stuff
and a new guy
i am tipping one out for Dave
Amber: yeah, hello random new guy who made me buy a poster
LOL!!
This ones for my homie, dave
LiLi: that was Two.Shoes
Amber: Who the fuck is TwoShoes?!?
LiLi: he’s on twitter.
Amber: I’m so confused…
LiLi: and wordpress
Amber: I miss Dave
LiLi: and tumblr
i feel creepy right now
that i know all that
Amber: as well as you should
LiLi: and that i told him that i knew that
Amber: you did not?!?
LiLi: yes. yes I did.
he was like, “uh, just buy a poster lady”
Amber: hello stalker!
LiLi: well…i….okay….
::hangs head::
there are no words
but at least i didn’t whisper it into his ear like I did Marcus that one time
::facepalm::
Amber: bwahahaha!
no worries
Marcus was too busy loving your granny panties
LiLi: dood
for reals
who wouldn’t
i was smart last night though…went with the low riders
was it just last night?
geez. i feel like it was days ago
Amber: i know, felt like 3 days ago
LiLi: word

Regrets, Serious Sam and Amber making LiLi a hooker:

LiLi: any regrets?
Amber: um, everything?
LiLi: BWAHAHAHA
Amber: is that a good answer?
LiLi: maybe that 11th beer?
you said, “Here Sam, sign your Serious Sam picture”
Amber: my biggest regret is that my friends didn’t stop me
LiLi: um, hell to the no
at least you weren’t the one that showed him the pic of Otto.

[LiLi edit: watch this. trust.]

Amber: TRUTH!
Amazingly, I did not have that much beer flowing through me.
LiLi: i was dead that that point. and not in that good way.
but Sam took it all in stride.
Amber: he seemed to be on his game for the night with the fans
LiLi: and during the show– cause let’s go ahead and get this out there– Sam gives good eyes
Amber: YES!
She moves me, I love that song and he was giving MAD eyes the whole time!
gah
LiLi: fo reals.
and, imma go ahead and say that me likey the Whiskey
Amber: i like that song, but I dunno… she moves me was my fave
cause of the eyes mainly, but whatevs
LiLi: well, it helps that you are like 6 feet tall.
you can see it all
maybe i am jeal
whatevs
Amber: next time, go for the hooker heels!
I’m sure Otto can help you pick some out
LiLi: BWAHAHAHA
word
can you imagine though?
me in heels?
i would die
Amber: can you die by twisting an ankle?
nah, you should try
LiLi: um
Amber: and make sure i am there when you do
LOL
LiLi: i would trip and fall and break my neck
i can barely walk as it is
ps– i may or may not have fallen on that damn motorized walkway thingy at the airport tonight
and people saw
Amber: shut up
LiLi: no
i won’t
and yes. i did.
i told you when we left that I usually trip on those damn things
and here you are wanting me to get all hooker
Amber: you did, i remember
LOL!
I’m sorry
i take it back
a little
LiLi: hahahaha

Click to read where we get serious about Sam, and blame Jason Segel for everything:

Read more

Mix Tape Monday: Andrew Soloman

presents…

What is it about a man, his guitar, and a field... ::le sigh::

Andrew Soloman

This special selection come from our dear friends over at SAMaM Global, who we <3 big time! We just found out that Andrew is coming to the states for the first time ever to perform, and we just have to make sure his first time is amazing!

From his bio:

Andrew Sloman “epitomizes the talent, craft and sublime skill of the great British singer songwriter – understated but remarkably versatile both in terms of vocal lines and the melodies of the music” (Rick Lippit, Live Music FM).  He has supported Sting, The Automatic and The Zutons on European tours and his music is regularly featured on shows like Tom Robinson on Radio 6. Andrew plays all of the instruments on his first EP, “Tides,” except for the string arrangements written together with the Mizenus Quartet; a group of extraordinary women from the Royal Philharmonic, BBC Welsh, and Glasgow Symphony Orchestras. The record, which was recorded and produced at his home in London, was released in October 2009 and continues to receive rave reviews. “Tides” is available now on iTunes.  His highly anticipated sophmore album, “Deadwood,” will be released summer 2010.  Coming to The National Underground in New York, Alberta Street Pub in Portland, 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, LeStat’s Coffee House in San Diego and more.

AND if you can make Andrew’s first show our in sunny California, SAMaM Global is gonna make the pot just a wee bit sweeter for you! The first 20 fans to buy a $5.00 advance ticket get a free autographed “Tides” CD!

Sweet, right? Just email ahartman@samamglobal.com to purchase. Here is the cool flyer and deets for the show:

Dakota Live Music Lounge
07.05.10
1026 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-8200
Tickets $5
And for those of you who can’t make it,  you can join Andrew’s mailing list,  and get a free song! www.andrewsloman.fanbridge.com. So you can try him out, no risk! Don’t you love that?!
Plus, you can check out Andrew on all the social media places:

Nothing beats Hump Day like Marcus Foster

At the Prophet Bar, Dallas, Texas

Woke up thinking it was Friday, only to realize it was Wednesday. Hump Day. The one day that just seems to mock me….so close to Friday and yet so far. Normally I just lay low in the office, guzzle twice my body weight in coffee and search for pics of the guys just work.

But today was different. Today I woke up and logged on to my luvah, I mean laptop and saw a couple of tweets from one Marcus Foster alerting us that Q Magazine has picked “Shadows of the City” as their Track of The Day.

You bet yo’ sweet little bootie that I clicked that link like a mad woman. And there he was, along with the previous day’s picks, all courtesy of the peeps over at Communion.

Here’s what Communion had to say about Marcus:

“After initially getting him in the studio for a track on the Communion Compilation we decided to make an EP from which this song is taken. It’s got such a raw dirty energy to it and is about as brand new as it’s possible to be, as we finished mixing it yesterday! The song features a ghost choir consisting of Kev Jones, drummer Chris Maas, Marcus and Matt Hegarty from Matthew and the Atlas from yesterday’s track.”

Read it in full (and hear the track too) HERE.

Also, be sure to check out Monday and Tuesday’s picks, Pete Roe and Matthew and the Atlas, respectively. I am sorta, okay a lot in love with Pete Roe right now. Go and check them out and let us know what you think!

So, what did you think of the new track? Do you like the choir and drums and all that? Or do you prefer the “solo sound”. (Yes, solo sound. That is a technical term that I just made up.)

Bobby on Jersey Shore??

Okay. You got me. Not the show. I repeat, Bobby Long will NOT be appearing on Jersey Shore. Although, what I would give to see him hanging out with The Situation and making late night confessionals about Snookie and her crazy hair ways. But I digress….

What I am talking about is that according to this website, one Mr. Long will be partaking in the XPoNential Music Festival, in Camden, New Jersey, from July 16th-18th.  While these dates have yet to be announced by Bobby or listed on his myspace, he is listed on the festival’s Official Site, along with his own artist page.

Of course, things change and this all has yet to be confirmed but for more info, including how to purchase tickets, you can visit XPoNential Musical Festival’s Official Site

So New Jersey-ians. (Jersey-ites?) Wait…what do you call someone from New Jersey?? Anyhoo, all you that live in or near Camden, have you been to this festival before? Would you go if Bobby was to play there? Let us know– and also, what to call a New Jersey native too. Please and thank you! ;)

Bobby on Fearless! And further proof we are the worst #fangirls EVA!

As probably all of you know, Bobby was on Fearless Radio Monday doing a kick ace interview, playing some tunes and all around being his typical awesome self. Cause that is what he does. #duh

Download (yes, I said DOWNLOAD, as in you can put it on your iPod and listen FOREVER!) at Fearless Radio!

Unfortunately, real life has been kicking both me and LiLi’s behind lately, and, um, we haven’t gotten to listen yet. We are SO going to, as soon as either of us can stick our heads up out of the water for more then 3.25 seconds and breathe. So, in the mean time we decided you all should listen to it, write a brief summary (500 words or less) on what Bobby said and be sure to include at least 3 quotes that equate awesomeness from the Bobster.

Please and thank you!

Oh, can’t forget this! Best summary gets a superly awesome prize… this VIDEO of Bobby on Fearless!

Wait, I guess I shouldn’t have given you the prize before you did the homework. DAMN!

Mix Tape Monday: Frightened Rabbit

Featuring Frightened Rabbit

Source: http://wearefrightenedrabbit.com/

When I was living in Austin, my little group of friends and I used to get togther a couple of times a year for some rad mix tape parties. The rules were simple, bring your choice of adult beverage and at least 10 copies of whatever mix tape cd you created to share with everyone at the party. And then we listened. And drank. And discussed. By the end of the night there are always at least a dozen new itunes purchases or plans made to hit up Waterloo the next day to buy more from the artists we liked.

Sadly, I am back in the Big D and couldn’t make the last party earlier this year– but those awesome friends of mine went ahead and set me copies of their mixes anyways and that is how I discovered these guys– Frightened Rabbit.

From FatCat Records:

Though the past year has seen Frightened Rabbit finally step into public view, with more extensive touring and three full-length albums now publicly available, the past few years have largely been about the band quietly, committedly honing their sound, and cultivating their art. Now a five-piece comprising Scott, Billy, Andy, Gordon and Grant, the origins of the band are rooted in 2003, when Scott began playing solo shows under the name Frightened Rabbit, mostly in support of fellow art-schoolers Shitdisco. Recordings were made on a tascam 4-track recorder, with Scott playing all the instruments (some more proficiently than others). Though looser, sparser, and certainly more lo-fi in terms of production values, their early demos still attest to a burgeoning talent with a defined personality, and a now familiar penchant for being able to nail a near perfect pop song.

In 2004 Scott’s brother Grant moved to Glasgow, contributing drums to certain recorded tracks, and playing live. Frightened Rabbit became louder and better. They burnt 50 copies of their subsequent demo, and sent some out to labels, resulting in three tracks being hosted on the FatCat MP3/demo website, and marking the beginning of a wonderful relationship. In 2006, Billy joined the band playing primarily second guitar, making Frightened Rabbit in the band’s own words, a wee bit better and louder still. That February they went into The Diving Bell Lounge studio with Glasgow based producer Marcus Mackay to record some songs over the course of a week. The intention was to record a better quality demo, but the resultant recordings ended up as the bands debut LP ‘Sing The Greys’, of which 1000 copies were pressed and released that May on home grown label Hits The Fan.

An incredibly accomplished live outfit (seemingly without any effort whatsoever), further live dates followed into 2007, including a brief but successful US jaunt, culminating in a sold-out show at The Mercury Lounge in NYC, before the album was even available in the US. After an intense spate of writing, rehearsing, recording, and remixing, and of course playing more live shows, ‘Sings The Greys’ was remastered by Alan Douches, and re-released in significantly revamped form by FatCat in Autumn 2007, along with debut single ‘Be Less Rude’. Rounding off the year with the incredible ‘It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop’ single, 2008 has been another busy one for Frightened Rabbit.

The band’s second album, ‘Midnight Organ Fight’, was released in April 2008, and is a progression in terms of songwriting, sonic depth, and as a fully realised entity. Recorded by Peter Katis (Mercury Rev, Interpol), ‘Midnight Organ Fight’ was conceived and realised in a much shorter time span than its predecessor, with the intention of creating a more coherent, ‘pop’ sounding album.

In July 2008, a live rendition of ‘Midnight Organ Fight’ was recorded in Glasgow, and mixed by Mice Parade’s Adam Pierce, entitled ‘Quietly Now ! – Midnight Organ Fight Live And Acoustic At The Captain’s Rest’. The stripped-down instrumentation brings singer Scott Hutchison’s vocal delivery – now wrenching, now soaring – to the fore, showcasing the emotive lyrics and memorable melodies that have earned the band their passionate following.

Live album ‘Quietly Now ! – Midnight Organ Fight Live And Acoustic At The Captain’s Rest’ was released in March 2009, the band’s first release with additional member Andy Monaghan on guitar and keyboards.

The band are currently working on a new full-length album, ‘The Winter of Mixed Drinks’. With a release date set for March 2010, excitement is already building up around it. Having recently returned from a US tour with labelmates Brakes, We Were Promised Jetpacks and The Twilight Sad, the remainder of the year is set aside for more studio work and UK/Ireland tours with Gomez and Modest Mouse, as well as recruiting fifth member Gordon Skene as another multi-instrumentalist and backing vocalist.

The first song I heard from these guys was Fast Blood and I was hooked from the get go. I almost had to check the mix cd track listing as I could have sworn I was listening to some old Smiths song or even an Interpol song that I had somehow missed. Which makes sense now that I see that the album Fast Blood is on, Midnight Organ Fight, was recorded by the awesome Peter Katis.

Check it:

Source

And these other musical goodies:

Source

Source

Like what you hear?? You can check out more of Frightened Rabbit on their myspace, twitter, facebook and Official Site. You can also purchase their albums via iTunes or go and see them live.

What do you think of these guys? Isn’t it like going back in time and putting on your old Smiths albums while laying in bed dreaming of being a grown up one day? Or did I just reveal my true age? Whoops. Moving on here…..do you have any new artist that you would like to share with us? Let us know and they could be featured on Mix Tape Monday!