BuzzSugar

Sampling Sasquatch: Joshua Morrison

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:34:17 -0700

I'm so excited for this weekend! I'm packing my shorts and tent (along with laptop and sunglasses) and heading out to George, WA, for the Sasquatch Music Festival. Woo-hoo! It's not the largest music fest of the year by any stretch, nor is it the most well-known, but that's what I really like about it. It's an intimate experience, and blessedly devoid of young Hollywood. In other words, it's very much "by music lovers, for music lovers." Add to that the gorgeous outdoor setting of Eastern Washington (and I promise to take photos), and I've got one heck of a good time ahead of me.

This week I'm giving you a taste of some of the smaller, lesser-known bands and musicians I plan to check out live this weekend. I'm starting with Joshua Morrison who, like a lot of the artists playing at Sasquatch, is a native of the Northwest (though he currently resides in Kentucky). If you like the slow, stripped-down, and sometimes melancholy sound of bands like Iron & Wine, then you will probably enjoy Joshua's music. I'll admit, I'm a little addicted right now; I think his lyrics are gorgeous and moving. And here's an interesting fact: Joshua joined the military and wrote many of his songs after serving in Iraq.

You can get his entire album titled Home from iTunes here, and I have one of his songs for you to listen after the jump. To take a listen for yourself and tell me about your first impressions, read more.

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Getting Into: Tom Waits

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 07:00:13 -0700

With Scarlett Johansson's album of Tom Waits covers, Anywhere I Lay My Head hitting stores today, some folks may be wondering: Who's this Tom Waits character, and why would someone like ScarJo want to cover a bunch of his songs?

Waits is one of the great American songwriters, but several of his best-known songs became famous only once covered by someone else. He penned "Downtown Train," but that song will forever be associated with Rod Stewart; same goes for "Jersey Girl" and Bruce Springsteen. Yet Waits is a distinctive (if quirky) singer in his own right, performing some of his songs in little more than a growl but occasionally revealing a tender side to his voice as well. He's prolific, and his catalog of 20 albums might seem daunting, so in this edition of Getting Into, I wanted to suggest some ways to get acquainted with Waits without feeling overwhelmed. Here's my guide:

Beginner: Mule Variations and The Heart of Saturday Night
Mule Variations was the first Waits album I owned, so I can vouch for its effectiveness at getting a new listener intrigued in his music. What's great about this 1999 recording (which won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album) is that it contains within its 16 tracks a big portion of the Waits spectrum. There's the sweet and tender ("Hold On"), the rockin' ("Big in Japan"), the growly ("Filipino Box Spring Hog") and the goofy ("Chocolate Jesus"). If you can find even one song to like, chances are you'll like other Waits material, too. The Heart of Saturday Night feels very different (for one thing, it's from 25 years earlier, so Waits' voice sounds significantly smoother), but it's a great showcase for Waits' songwriting, perfectly capturing the emotion of a jazzy Saturday night out on the town . . . followed by several long, lonely hours at a dive bar and a sad breakfast at a local greasy spoon.

For my intermediate and advanced selections, just read more.

Intermediate: Rain Dogs, Small Change, and Bone Machine
Rain Dogs is one of the best-known Waits albums. Like Mule Variations, it covers a wide range of styles, from ballads to country music to straight-up pop - and there's even a polka! The 1985 album includes Waits' "Downtown Train," which Rod Stewart would later make into a top-10 hit; it also has "Anywhere I Lay My Head," the song from which Scarlett's album takes its name. Small Change again goes back to the jazzier feel of the early Waits era and has some of the funniest songs that may have ever been written about a drinking problem ("The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)"). And I recommend Bone Machine here largely because at this point, you'll be able to appreciate the hilarity of Waits' scratchy voice singing "I Don't Wanna Grow Up," which the Ramones later made famous.

Advanced: Waits' soundtrack albums, including One from the Heart, Night on Earth, and Alice; Orphans
One of the most intriguing things about Waits is his film work: He's appeared in several films by director Jim Jarmusch and written the soundtrack for another: Night on Earth. I've always been intrigued - and a little spooked - by Alice, a recording of songs Waits wrote as an opera inspired by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. And Orphans, the newest release, is three discs of collected songs that never found a home on any of Waits' other projects.

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Getting Into: The Magnetic Fields

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:31:43 -0800

Today, the Magnetic Fields - the quirky pop band fronted by the deep-voiced Stephin Merritt - release Distortion, the band's first album in four years. It's already garnering positive reviews, and so in its honor, I thought I'd suggest a way to navigate through the band's nearly two-decade career. While there are lots of good starting points, here's my guide to Getting Into the Magnetic Fields.

Beginner: The Charm of the Highway Strip and i

These are two fairly different albums, as Magnetic Fields releases go: One, 1994's Charm of the Highway Strip, is heavy with synthesizers, while 2004's i is mostly acoustic. But they're both good introductions to some of the Fields' standard tricks. Both are concept albums, for one thing: Highway Strip is full of songs about traveling, while i is, well, 14 songs starting with the letter I. Both are also good introductions to Merritt's story-like lyrics and his deep and unusual voice. You may not adore them both - personally, Highway Strip is my favorite Fields album and i my least-favorite - but if you like either one, you'll find more to love in the band's catalog. Also, if you want an intro to Merritt's music in general, not just the Fields, check out the Pieces of April soundtrack for a great overview.

For my intermediate and advanced selections, just read more

Intermediate: 69 Love Songs

Merritt's magnum opus is exactly what it claims to be: 69 songs about love, spread over three 23-song discs. It's a lot for a beginner to digest, but it's the perfect thing to turn a casual fan into a more serious one. The songs run the gamut of musical styles, from sweet ballads to country-tinged anthems to songs so drenched in synth it's hard to make out the lyrics. (It also has a fair number of songs sung by band members other than Merritt, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on how you feel about his voice.) Merritt's known for his acerbic wit and cynical lyrics, and that's certainly present here - there's a song called "The Cactus Where Your Heart Should Be," for heaven's sake - but there are also some legitimately sweet and hopeful songs, including "Asleep and Dreaming." If you're buying, spring for the boxed set rather than buying each album individually: The booklet is worth it.

Advanced: Holiday, Get Lost, The Wayward Bus/Distant Plastic Trees, and Merritt's multitude of side projects.

These three Magnetic Fields albums are a bit less refined than the ones mentioned above. That doesn't mean they're not worthwhile, just that it helps to be familiar with the band's sound before checking them out. I particularly recommend Holiday, which is one of my favorites - but which is so fuzzy at points that I thought my speakers were broken when I first heard it. It's also worth checking out side projects the 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, and the Gothic Archies, which released a collection of songs to accompany Lemony Snicket books.

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Getting Into: Neko Case

BuzzSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 07:05:08 -0800

How often have you said "I really think I would like that band, but I've never gotten into them"? Therein lies the inspiration for Getting Into, where I'll help start your education about a singer, band, or film director by telling you what albums or movies you'll need as a beginner, intermediate, and advanced fan. (Got ideas for Getting Into posts? Leave a comment or send me a private message.)

The inspiration for today's post comes from tdamji, who recently suggested taking on the genre-straddling music of Neko Case. It turned out to be particularly good timing: Today, a bonus edition of Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, Case's most recent album, hits stores, including a second disc of tracks from earlier in her career. Plus, Case's first solo album, The Virginian, recently got reissued. If you've been hearing about Case but didn't know where to start listening to her - or if you're familiar with her through the New Pornographers but don't know her solo albums - this is how I'd recommend navigating through her discography:

Beginner: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood and Blacklisted

Case's music is particularly tough to classify, shifting between indie pop, alternative rock, gospel, and folk standards with ease. I'd happily put Fox Confessor in the hands of anyone who claims not to like country, as its lush arrangements and spotlight on Case's soaring, unwavering voice defy all genre constraints. I didn't name it one of the best albums of 2006 for nothing, and it's only grown on me since then, thanks to songs like "Hold On, Hold On" and "Maybe Sparrow." The new, expanded edition may be the only album a beginning Case fan really needs. But for good measure, it's worth picking up 2002's Blacklisted, which is a bit more sparse but still full of accessible songs, especially standouts "I Wish I Was the Moon" and "Deep Red Bells."

For the intermediate and advanced selections, just read more

Intermediate: The Tigers Have Spoken and Furnace Room Lullaby

To delve more into Case's country roots, check out The Tigers Have Spoken, a live album Case recorded in 2004. There are some strong original songs on the album, including the spirited "If You Knew," but it's most remarkable for Case's take on traditional folk songs ("This Little Light") and country anthems penned by the likes of Loretta Lynn. Furnace Room Lullaby is a more personal album - including two tributes to Tacoma, Wash., where Case spent most of her childhood - and while its sound isn't strictly country, its lyrics deal with themes of lost love and working-class struggle. I'm not sure I've ever heard a more honest tribute to a hometown than Case's "Thrice All American," my go-to Furnace Room track.

Advanced: The Virginian, Canadian Amp, and various live recordings and side projects

The Virginian, Case's first album, is a rough-and-tumble, bluegrass-heavy affair, not nearly as polished as her later work but an incredibly fun listen all the same. (For some hints on where The New Pornographers came from, check out Case's duet with AC Newman - back when he was still Carl - on "Bowling Green.") Canadian Amp, meanwhile, is a quiet EP recorded in Case's kitchen; it's a shame it's so darn hard to find, because "Knock Loud" deserves to be heard. At this point, it's also worth looking into Case's various side projects (I'm fond of The Corn Sisters, Case's country duo with Carolyn Mark). Her most recent live album, Live From Austin, TX, is a strong collection of songs, but frankly, you'd be better off downloading this live concert NPR recorded in Washington, DC, which keeps the spirit of Case's live shows intact, meandering stories and all.

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Getting Into: Belle and Sebastian

BuzzSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:30:00 -0700

Today I'm taking on Belle and Sebastian, the Scottish indie pop band that combines childlike wonder with an adult sensibility (and a string section). Relentlessly literary and always clever, Belle and Sebastian makes some of the smartest danceable music I've ever heard. Here's how I'd recommend getting into Belle and Sebastian:

Beginner: If You're Feeling Sinister and The Boy with the Arab Strap

Together, these two albums are a great place to start your Belle and Sebastian collection. Between the two, they run the full gamut of B&S emotions, from peppy and upbeat ("Seeing Other People" from If You're Feeling Sinister) to contemplative ("It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career" from Arab Strap) to both ("Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying" from Sinister). Between the two, Sinister probably has better individual songs, but Arab Strap is the kind of album that slowly seeps into your bloodstream until you can't remember what life was like before you heard it.

To see the intermediate and advanced selections, just read more

Intermediate: Tigermilk, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, and Push Barman to Open Old Wounds

Now that you have a feel for Belle and Sebastian, it's time to go back to where it all started: Tigermilk, the band's first album, which saw very limited release in England in 1996 but wasn't widely available in the United States until 1999. The album includes some absolutely essential B&S songs, including "She's Losing It." This is also the stage for picking up Push Barman, which compiles out-of-print EPs and includes some of the most beautiful, and most unusual, songs the band has recorded. Finally, Dear Catastrophe Waitress includes a large number of songs that make me chuckle aloud, including the ode to an office affair "Step Into My Office, Baby."

Advanced: Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, The Life Pursuit, the Storytelling soundtrack, and various related projects

Now's the time to venture into albums that, frankly, aren't as strong but still have plenty to recommend them. The Life Pursuit, the band's most recent album, is maybe its most carefree, though it's almost too uncomplicated. Fold Your Hands Child nearly turned me off the band - when it misses, it misses big - but it also includes one or two of my favorite songs, including the heartbreaking "I Fought in a War." By this point, you'll be able to take what you like from these albums and ditch the rest. Also, check out the more recent projects of former band members Isobel Campbell (The Gentle Waves) and Stuart David (Looper), who were key in the band's early sound.

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Getting Into: Sleater-Kinney

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Today, I'm taking on Sleater-Kinney, the acclaimed band that transcended its riot grrrl roots to achieve wide recognition. The group went on indefinite hiatus in 2006, not long after releasing its most broadly embraced album, The Woods. Luckily, the band - guitarist/singers Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein and, from 1997 on, drummer Janet Weiss - left behind a decade of strong recordings. Here's my guide to Getting Into Sleater-Kinney.

Beginner: Dig Me Out, The Hot Rock

If I were told I could only listen to two Sleater-Kinney albums for the rest of my life, these are the two I would pick. Dig Me Out, the band's 1997 album, marks the first time the elements of S-K's sound - overlapping vocals, thrashing guitars, wedge-in-your-head choruses - converge into a coherent whole; "One More Hour," the album's second track, is a pretty good indicator of whether you'll like Sleater-Kinney or not. The Hot Rock, released in 1999, is the natural extension of Dig Me Out, a more mature and somewhat more slickly produced recording that is arguably the band's greatest start-to-finish album.

For the intermediate and advanced selections, read more

Intermediate: The Woods, Call the Doctor, All Hands on the Bad One

Once you've gotten comfortable with Sleater-Kinney's style, it's time to go both backward and forward to hear where the band's sound came from and where it would ultimately wind up. Call the Doctor, from 1996, is less polished than Dig Me Out, showing more of the group's punk/garage band roots; it's worth owning if only for "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone," a powerful, infectious staple of my high-school mixtapes. The Woods, the band's final album from 2005, finds Sleater-Kinney at its broadest and most experimental, with fuzzy guitars and a wide variety of song styles - but you'll hear the group's familiar, signature overlapping vocals here, too. All Hands on the Bad One, the group's 2000 release, boasts some good songs of its own, but it's most interesting as a transitional album, bridging the gap between the band's early sound and its final recordings.

Expert: Sleater-Kinney, One Beat, and the singles and live recordings

At the expert level, it's time to go way back - all the way to 1995, when the disbanding of two other riot grrrl groups (Heavens to Betsy and Excuse 17) led to the rise of Sleater-Kinney. The band's self-titled first release is the group at its scrappiest and most raw, but "The Day I Went Away" is an almost eerie indicator of things to come. The electronica-tinged One Beat, from 2002, may be the group's poppiest album, and it's amazing to think of the evolution between that album and the fuzz-fest of The Woods. Wrap up your education with some of the group's singles; I'm partial to "Get Up," which has two B-sides from The Hot Rock era. Finally, check out this recording of the band's final live show; the sound quality isn't perfect, but the set list hits all the high points of Sleater-Kinney's decade-long career.

Getting Into: Bob Dylan

BuzzSugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:30:00 -0700

How often have you said "I really think I would like that band, but I've never gotten into them"? Therein lies the inspiration for a new BuzzSugar feature called Getting Into, where I'll help start your education about a singer, band, or film director by telling you what albums or movies you'll need as a beginner, intermediate, and advanced fan.

Today's Getting Into idea comes from WhiplashGirlchild, who recently wrote in asking which Bob Dylan albums she should buy next. Actually, this whole Getting Into idea was inspired by Whip, so a big thank you to her! (Got ideas for Getting Into posts? Tell me in the comments or send me a private message.) Here's my guide to Getting Into Bob Dylan.

Beginner: Bringing It All Back Home, Blonde on Blonde, and Highway 61 Revisited

This is the triumvirate of seminal 60s albums that every Dylan fan should own. In addition to essential tracks like "It's All Over Now Baby Blue," "Like A Rolling Stone," and "Visions of Johanna," you'll gain an understanding of how Dylan transformed his harmonica-heavy folk music into a new type of rock by introducing electric guitars and Hammond organ. Plus, "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" from Blonde may be one of the best melodies Dylan has ever written.

For the intermediate and advanced selections, read more

Intermediate: Blood on the Tracks, The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6: Live 1964, Desire, and Modern Times

For your next phase, jump ahead to Dylan's best 1970s albums - you'll need Desire if for no other reason than to own “Hurricane” and “Sara.” To familiarize yourself with young Dylan, scoop up this recently released live double album; it features all of his best early songs, and it will make you realize how the charming singer captivated young fans with just a voice and a guitar. (Also good for this is the 1967 documentary Don't Look Back.) Now that you're a fan, don't forget to pick up his most recent album, Modern Times, and ponder how much Dylan's still got it.

Advanced: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Planet Waves, Time Out of Mind, and everything else.

Start venturing into earlier studio recordings, like the groundbreaking Freewheelin', and ponder the extraordinary versatility of "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and "Masters of War." Then dip into some of Dylan's '70s work with The Band; I like Planet Waves because it's so uncharacteristically romantic and reflective. For another taste of recent Dylan, acquaint yourself with the 1997 Grammy winner Time. Then, of course, there is everything else, and even the bad albums have at least one worthwhile song - though really, you should avoid Dylan and the Dead.

Tousle Me Softly: Get the Look

Sponsor — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:45:00 -0700

Tousled hair is at the top of everyone’s must-have hair list. Sure, you can attempt to get those perfect tousled waves, but with the new Herbal Essences C ollection Tousle Me Softly, it’s possible for everyone! Here, we give you the step-by-step for perfect hair regardless of your hair type. Now it’s easy to get the sexy, beachy waves that you crave this season.

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Get the Look: The Cullen Living Room

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:00:13 -0800

Twilight had some serious design eye candy, so it's no surprise that New Moon would follow suit. This photo of the Cullen's living room is making me a feel a pang of envy. The apple greens and beige mixed with the abstract artwork, flickering pillar candles, and plethora of flowers creates a moody vibe that is totally calm and almost otherworldly. These colors wouldn't normally be my go-to colors, but seeing this beautiful space has me itching to redesign my home. I thought I'd see if I couldn't re-create the look in case you're digging it too. Learn how to get the look when you read more.

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Camilla Dallerup Quits I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

PopSugarUK — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:21:26 -0800

Camilla Dallerup has quit the jungle on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

She's had a tough few days in the jungle and definitely didn't seem to have acclimatised to the new surroundings on the first few shows. Tune in tonight to hear why she ditched the camp and see ex-boxer Joe Bugner head in to the jungle.

I want to hear what you think - are you sad she's left the jungle? Or will this not affect things too much? Let me know!

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