Celebrating life's special moments... and everything in between.
I’m going to be a little short and sweet today. Still recovering from the long week and weekend of work. But since my work today revolves around music research, I figured I had to pause to write a happy listening post.
This cover of Hey Ya is a soft acoustic version by Mat Weddle (aka Obadiah Parker) that has had a hold on my heart for the last few years. Enjoy!
Mat Weddle - Hey Ya{photo from Valentina e Federico on Flickr}
This one’s a triple threat from two different bands. These quirky and cheerful indie renditions of Daft Punk’s Digital Love have me dancing around the apartment and singing along loudly. Seriously… my cat would confirm this since I almost tripped over him with my happy dancing.
Aphabeat’s acoustic version is my favourite, so I saved it for last. It’s impossible not to hop and spin around to this one. It’s just too cute to resist!
Alphabeat - Digital Love (Acoustic)
{photo from Lívia e Rafael on Flickr}
Beirut is the type of music I can listen to all summer long. It reminds me of far away places, waves crashing on beaches, sunshine and good company. There is something very… well, let me just quote Wikipedia since whoever wrote the article on the band there seemed to sum them up perfectly: “the music combines elements of Eastern European and Balkan folk with Western pop music, fusing the American mainstream and indie-rock culture and the World Music market”. …that’s exactly what I was trying to express.
So because I couldn’t pick a favourite, I’m featuring two spectacularly romantic songs by Beirut today. The first is Elephant Gun and the video is a gorgeous piece of art incorporating modern dance. I absolutely love the styling for this video. You know how much I love confetti!
The second song is Postcards From Italy and the video featured here is a beautiful piece from For You Love Me featuring husband and wife team Josh and Naomi Davis from The Rockstar Diaries. I just had to share it!
Today I bring you a tender tune from folk/rock band Milton Mapes. There’s something undeniably epic about this song. Sometimes, simple words or a single embrace can mean everything to a person. Enjoy!
Milton Mapes - Your Sweet Voice
{photo from Leah Mae on Flickr; check out her official site here for more beautiful moments she’s captured}
An adorable ballad from quirky musician Kyle Andrews is this week’s Happy Listening. “Andrews captures that giddy, butterflies-in-your-stomach type of love in song form” (Stereo Subversion). I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Enjoy!
Kyle Andrews - You Always Make Me Smile
{photo from Instante Fotografia on Flickr}
This song has been a pretty big deal this past year, and if you haven’t seen or heard of it yet (whether from this adorable father and daughter duet, or those NFL ticket commercials), then I would assume you live in a cave of some sort. I actually heard this song blipped last spring on blip.fm before any of the recent media attention/use. But I’m actually happy that this loveable folk tune caught on. And if you haven’t caught on yet, get listening! I am featuring 2 versions, the original and an RAC remix. Woo hoo – more of a good thing! Enjoy.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (RAC Remix)
…and here’s a little extra treat. That father-daughter duo made a big television debut recently. Check it out.
{photo from Genevieve (aka gen_dwyer) on Flickr; take a look through Genevieve’s blog for more beautiful shots}
The Decemberists have a new album out which I am crazy excited for, but for this post I am going one album back, to The Hazards of Love. Originally written as a rock opera that was set to be staged (and thankfully wasn’t, as I felt the decision to have it “visualized” by various talented artists was a much better extension), I was pleasantly surprised to find that this album was collection of beautifully composed songs that could stand strongly on their own. That’s not to say that the narrative isn’t apparent while listening to the entire album through. The plot is a love story: a woman named Margaret who falls in love with a shape-shifting boreal forest dweller named William. This track is the watery finale to the tale, with William (Colin Meloy) singing out the wedding vows.
Happy Listening!
The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)
{illustration by Julia Pott; image from fest21.com}
I hope everyone had an amazing (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend. I was actually away from the computer for the entire time I was home visiting family, and it felt wonderful! So I’m thankful for that. :)
I usually do music on Mondays, but since yesterday I was still in ‘holiday mode’ here it is now. Lately I have been listening to the new Mumford & Sons album. I’ve heard it a couple of times featured on Grey’s Anatomy and a friend even had it playing at his bonfire over the weekend. Perfect music for the fall, I’d say! …although this track does hint at the cold season just around the corner.
Stay warm and enjoy!
{photo from Andrezza Dias on Flickr}
This Happy Listening is inspired by a little film I went to see recently called… SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD!!! (Sorry… was that too loud for you?) Well, with a tagline like: “An epic of epic epicness”, I just couldn’t help myself. It’s an action/comedy directed by Edgar Wright based on the comic book series Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley. It just happens to take place in little area known as Toronto, Ontario – a place I like to call ‘home’. Michael Cera (who happens to play the lead character Scott) calls it home too. Well,… he probably has multiple homes now across North American, but hey – he seems to respect his roots, especially with his role in this film. To sum up the plot for you (in case you have no idea what I’m talking about): Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy must defeat girl’s seven evil exes in order to win girl. Simple, right? Happens all the time…
And now, a little cover number from the soundtrack. Enjoy!
Beachwood Sparks - By Your Side
Photo Credit: Via IMDB – Double Negative – © 2010 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
In celebration of life in my new apartment (because it seriously has me giddy still, even after 2 weeks), I give you 3 (yes, 3!) versions of the song First Day of My Life. The original I intended to post is by Bright Eyes, but I happily stumbled upon the other 2 versions and wanted to share them all. Choose your favourite!
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
The Sarcastic Dharma Society - First Day of My Life
The Impaled Peach - First Day of My Life
{image from Megan Robinson (megatronison) on Flickr}
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