Incoming: Second Dan, Jon and Roy and The Sapiens

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Add new tag, Incoming, mp3, Music

I’ve been putting off this latest Incoming installment because I’ve been waging a war within myself. What should be done about the email submissions received I either don’t have enough time to listen to within a respectable time frame, or the ones that just don’t do it for me? This blog is just a hobby, and sometimes it’s hard to squeeze it in amongst all the other stuff you’ve gotta think about when you’re a grown up person with, like, responsibilities and whatnot. I do enjoy receiving submissions, and I think it’s important to feature only those that I like, because I need to be a little bit discerning about these things. That way, you guys know that the stuff I’m featuring is good quality gear, and not just any old thing that somehow makes its way through the ether to my inbox. So, here’s the latest stuff that I reckon sounds pretty damn good.  

Second Dan is a band that I’d never heard of until I was contacted by their publicity guys the other day. After doing a bit more digging, I was surprised to discover that there have been two incarnations of Second Dan, the first of which won the Triple J Unearthed competition here in Australia in 2003 with the frenetic track ‘Running Out Of Feelings’. After listening to their gear, I am not at all surprised that they won.

After enjoying some success in Australia, the two original members of Second Dan, Dan Rosen and Dan Karni (band name mystery solved) decided to move to New York. However they broke up when Karni decided he wanted to head back home. A chance meeting between Dan Rosen (vocals) and ANOTHER Dan(ny) Reisbeck (bass) led to the current lineup – Adam Lerner (guitar) and Sonny Ratcliffe (drums).

Second Dan play indie rock that’s right up my alley – slightly retro sounding with catchy hooks and playful backup vocals. The standout track for me is ‘The Elephant Came Down To Earth’. Two seconds in, I was hooked. Great keys, infectious riffs and a change of tempo right toward the end, with a few shoo-do-dos thrown in for good measure. Thank goodness for digital music – this is one track that would wear down a few record needles.

The debut album is Bringing Down Goliath and you can catch them live in New York in July and August, though it would be good for them to come back here to Oz some time. I’d definitely be nabbing me a ticket!

The Elephant Fell To Earth – Second Dan

Running Out Of Feelings – Second Dan

Jon and Roy are a two piece outfit from Canada that play a brand of acoustic roots that is laid back and mellow without becoming tiresome (achoo-Jack-Johnson-achoo). The title track from their latest album ‘Another Noon’ is quite lovely, and is a song that you Northern Hemisphere folk will be hearing a lot more on a new V-Dub ad this year. The rest of us will get to enjoy the whole thing now, without being irritated by it later on whenever we turn the TV on! Good on them though – these days bands need to do all they can to get their songs out there (music blogs are also good for this now, aren’t they!) Jon and Roy are well worth a click or two here, so download and enjoy!

Another Noon – Jon and Roy

DT Stylee – Jon and Roy

The Sapiens are an energetic rock outfit  with a punk-like edge from Chicago and their latest album Rind is due out next Friday. They also wear matching suits when they perform. Awesome! Title track ‘Rind’ is fantastic and was stuck in my head for hours the other day, despite being followed by loads of other gear as I listened to my iPod while doing the washing. What’s the problem, battery’s low? I couldn’t stop singing it, much to the irritation of those around me. Note: they were only irritated because they weren’t lucky enough to be listening to it themselves. And perhaps because my singing skills leave a little bit to be desired!

Rind – The Sapiens

So, to sum up. My conscience is a little less clouded now that I’ve dealt with some incoming mail. You’ve nabbed a few awesome new tracks to party and/or mellow out to. And at least a few bands are happy to score some props here at It All Started. Ahhh…can’t you just feel the love?

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Things they didn’t tell us at uni

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Add new tag, mp3, Music, self-indulgence

My university lecturers sure have a lot to answer for. I spent four years and thousands of dollars sitting in musty, drafty lecture theatres, frequently nodding off and wondering idly how many times one should use the word ‘notion’ during a 60 minute dictation about Piaget’s stages of cognitive development, only to discover that it was a giant waste of time. What about the real issues? Not once was I warned that I may have to ask a 12 year old child to hand me the chocolate biscuits that they’re eating noisily with their friends during a whole school assembly. Not once was I told that perhaps that child would stuff them all in their mouth, and then put them in my hand half chewed and wet. Not once was I told that I would then need to sit with those biscuits in my hand for the rest of the assembly because there was no bin nearby, crumbs caught between my fingers and saliva slowly seeping into my skin.

I don’t think any amount of university training can prepare you for being a teacher. I honestly believe that only about 30% of what I “learnt” at uni was useful. There was a whole lot of sitting around listening to lecturers banging on about stuff that I’ve never heard about or thought about since I burst out of that stuffy lecture theatre, eagerly anticipating my next tooth cleaning or lobotomy. In addition, the methods the lecturers used to teach us completely contradicted the methods that they told us we should be using when we became teachers. For example, making people sit down and listen to one person talking for two hours straight is not a good way to teach them. They were always telling us to make our lessons interactive, to involve all participants, to encourage different points of view, yet would do the complete opposite while trying to teach us. And to make matters worse, most of them hadn’t seen the inside of a classroom since Piaget sat them down in person and subjected them to the M&M test.

They certainly never told me about all the other crap that I’d end up having to deal with every day. The politics. The lack of resources. The completely different ways that each school operates, even though in theory they exist to achieve the same basic goals. Difficult parents. Late lunch orders. Chasing a feral cat off school property so that the kids will stop running after it at lunch time. Repairing broken hurdles because the school can’t afford to buy new ones. Constantly asking kids to be quiet and to sit down, to the point where I hate the sound of my own crabby voice. Spending countless hours worrying about other people’s children. The list goes on.

I have to say, I’m not entirely sure why I’m even writing about this, since all I’m really doing is making myself miserable. Some of it has probably got a lot to do with the fact that I’ve just had two weeks holidays, and went back to school today. And when you have a break from your job, after the initial euphoria of the first few days of freedom, you often go through a period of reflection in which you evaluate what has just passed. Or I do anyway. The first day back is tricky too, since my body clock is still tuned to ‘freedom’ and not ‘sparrow’s fart’ (early morning, ie. when the first sparrow awakes and releases any night time buildup). I also think that some of it might be because this is only my third year out of uni, and that after teaching for two years in a school where I had a lot of freedom to do as I pleased (covering all the required curriculum of course) I find myself a lot more constrained at my new school.

Maybe I’m just being a big sook. In fact, it’s highly likely. And despite what you may think, I do actually love my job. Not the extra crap that goes with it, but I do love it when you’ve been plugging away at a topic in class, and that one kid who is a bit behind the others finally looks at you in wonder and says “oh yeah…I get it now!”. I think my most treasured moments too come with the more ‘difficult’ kids, the ones you’ve really got to work to win over. There’s a real sense of accomplishment that comes when this kid who has spent weeks throwing all kinds of obstacles at you (figuratively speaking guys) finally decides that you may be alright after all, and you’re not there to make things harder for them, but that you want to help them achieve their best. It’s a nice feeling.

Anyway. I think this is the most self-indulgent I’ve ever been here at It All Started, and I feel that it’s time to stop swimming in my own self-pity before my fingers get all pruny! I was so busy drowning (in) my sorrows that I couldn’t find a suitably relevant track in my music collection, so instead I’m leaving you with a track that I came across the other day at Music For Kids Who Can’t Read Good. It’s by David Vandervelde, it has a lovely melody, cruisy vocals and is the perfect antidote to all my nonsense. Enjoy!

Someone Like You – David Vandervelde

Everything’s gonna get lighter

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Add new tag, Mates Of State, mp3, Music

Even if it never gets better…

Mates Of State are husband and wife duo Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, who between them play a swathe of instruments and use beautiful vocal harmonies to create infectious indie pop. I was both horrified and relieved to learn that Jason once applied to medical school, but opted to make music instead. Phew. That was a close one.

Here’s a couple of tracks from their latest album Re-Arrange Us.  ‘Get Better’ showcases Gardner’s ability to switch from the high sweet vocals featured in the first verse, to the grittier belting out of the chorus. I especially love the end, with the abrupt ceasing of all noise bar the beautiful fade out of strings. And I know I talk about strings a lot here, but I can’t help it. They speak to me.

Get Better – Mates Of State

‘My Only Offer’ is a toe-tapper with a recurring boppy piano sequence, some call and response and a few ‘oh-oh-ohs’. Wonderful.

My Only Offer – Mates Of State

And this earlier track from 2003’s Team Boo is a disjointed unpredictable slice of pure fun.

Ha Ha – Mates Of State

Update: Kori also writes a blog detailing life on the road. Check it our for their own personal view of the gigs they do and the people they get to meet.

Coverage – La Mer

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Add new tag, Coverage, Kevin Kline, mp3, Music

Kevin Kline is awesome. I’ve loved everything I’ve seen him in. A Fish Called Wanda, Fierce Creatures, In and Out, Dave, Life As A House…the list goes on. I also thought he was fantastic in French Kiss, with Meg Ryan. He plays a French scoundrel who plants a rare vine and a stolen necklace in Meg Ryan’s bag while on a flight to France, in order to get through customs. Straightlaced Meg has conquered her fear of flying in order to win back her fiance who’s dumped her for a French floozy.

The rest of the film involves Meg chasing her fiance and Kevin chasing Meg in order to recover the vine and the necklace so that he can start his dream vineyard. There are some great oneliners throughout the film, as well as some breathtaking shots of the French countryside.

The soundtrack is great too, featuring loads of French music. Kevin Kline also shows off his vocal talents with his cover of ‘La Mer’. It’s beautiful.

La Mer – Kevin Kline

Incoming: The Sweet Serenades

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Add new tag, Incoming, mp3, Music, The Sweet Serenades

When Martin Nordvall of The Sweet Serenades contacted me the other day I immediately knew he was a good guy because he told me he is a teacher just like I am. What a top bloke!

Martin is one half of Swedish indie pop outfit The Sweet Serenades, which he started with his friend Mathias back in 2002. According to them, their sound is mainly influenced by great songs, broken hearts, sexual frustration and musical acts as Tom Waits, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, ACDC, Eddie Meduza, ABBA, The Technicolors, The Perishers, The Shins and many more. We call it Jungle Rock. Or Testosterone Pop.

So, onto the noise. I don’t know about Jungle Rock or Testosterone Pop, but I do know that these guys are making some infectious stuff. My favourite track ‘First Taste Of Trouble’ explodes out of the speakers with an arresting vocal and catchy beat before the “oooh oooh ooohs” kick in. You can’t help but bop along to this one. ‘I Can Never Die’ is complete with hand claps, chimes and a breakdown near the end with some yelling in the background that makes me laugh. ‘Coming Closer’ has a female vocal that makes for a nice change of pace, and actually reminds me a bit of Little Birdy lead singer Katy Steele.

They’re currently working on their debut album which is due to be released in September this year on Lyon Records.

The verdict: This is catchy stuff people. Jump on the bandwagon now, before it gets too crowded!

First Taste Of Trouble – The Sweet Serenades

I Can Never Die – The Sweet Serenades

Coming Closer – The Sweet Serenades

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Odd Spot #4

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Add new tag, Alice Cooper, Kate Nash, mp3, Music, Odd Spot, The Accidental

A Californian man who fed dye-stained cash into a betting machine at the races tried to collect a winning bet and was arrested. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Fred Dillon, 63, was unable to spend cash from a bank robbery because it was marked red by an exploding dye pack.

Illuminated Red – The Accidental

Two 19th-century rhino horns stolen from a museum in Cape Town, South Africa, could be deadly if sold as a popular aphrodisiac because they are drenched in poison. Museum chief Jatti Bredekamp said taxidermy mounts used to be soaked in arsenic and DDT.

Poison – Alice Cooper

Grammy-nominated violinist Philippe Quint wept when he claimed a $US4million ($A4.24million) violin he left in a taxi in New York on Monday. The driver found the 1723 Antonio Stradivari Ex-Keisewetter violin, on loan to the musician through the Stradivari Society, a day later.

Navy Taxi – Kate Nash (repost by request)

This is what stars sound like when they sing

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Add new tag, Fave Find, Lanterns On The Lake, mp3, Music

They hail from Newcastle Upon Tyne (what a lengthy yet awesome name), they used to be known as Greenspace and their influences include (the wonderful) Sigur Ros, Arcade Fire, Mazzy Star, Joni Mitchell and Explosions in the Sky, amongst others.

Trading as Lanterns On The Lake since last year, they’re starting to gain some serious blog attention (thanks MP3 Hugger) for their luscious, dreamy self-described ‘sparkly indie, melodic, post-rock, cinematic-folk-pop’.  Led by the ethereal vocals of lead singer Hazel Wilde, their music is the sort that makes me want to spend summer nights watching colourful lanterns sparkle on a distant shore under a sky of shining stars.

‘I Will Lay You Down’ has grabbed me especially, it’s gorgeous. I can’t find the lyrics anywhere, so I’ve had a tentative stab at writing them down myself. There’s a couple of words that I wasn’t sure of, so if you know what they are, let me know and I’ll fix them up.

You’ve got to trust yourself
You are your only hope
There is no guiding light
There is no holy force
Do what you’ve got to do
Be all you can
There is no calling all (?) divine plan

I don’t need a prophet
To tell me their lies
All hail to the one
I’ll love til I die
At least he’s here
And knows how to dance when you’re afraid

I will lay you down
I will bring you flowers
I will lay you down
I will bring you flowers

So you’re tired
Your heart beats
In ways you can’t explain
Take all you need
Give all you have
I know you’ve been too far between

We don’t need a prophet
All seeing from above
Just be all you can
You’ve got to do what you love
At least it’s real
And you’ll know
How to dance when you’re afraid

I will lay you down
I will bring you flowers
I will lay you down
I will bring you flowers

Say what you like
Why I’m only the life that I bleed (?)
And say what you like
Why I’m only the songs that I breathe

You’ve got to trust yourself
You’ve got to trust yourself

I will bring you flowers

I think this track is about concentrating on the way in which you live your life, without worrying about whether or not you’re going to be rewarded or punished by a ‘holy force’, or go against a ‘divine plan’. Care for yourself and those you love and ‘dance when you’re afraid’. Sounds like a pretty good philosophy to me.

‘Caught On The Way’ is also beautiful. Make sure you check these guys out for their other-worldly sound and the dreamy vocals of Hazel Wilde. Not to be missed.

I Will Lay You Down – Lanterns On The Lake

Caught On The Way – Lanterns On The Lake

This Year – Lanterns On The Lake

Hiccups

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Add new tag, Leftovers, mp3, Music, The Mountain Goats, Vampire Weekend

Ugh. Sometimes I hate technology. I also hate my lack of ability to manipulate it for my own purposes without going completely insane. I tried changing my theme this morning because I’m a bit tired of this one, but no matter what I tried I couldn’t find the perfect fit. I think my laptop tired of my efforts also because it decided to go into slowmo mode and, not being the most patient person in the world, its attempts to piss me right off worked beautifully.

So I’ve reverted back to my original theme, and am so frustrated with the process that I’m only going to post two tracks of the possible five or six that I was going to include to celebrate what I thought was going to be a new look here at It All Started. Hmmph!

I think I’ll go stick a fork in my eye. It might be more fun.

Woke Up New – The Mountain Goats

One (Blake’s Got A New Face) – Vampire Weekend