Recovery Filler: Thank You, My Twilight [LIVE]

This is without a doubt my favorite song by The Pillows (and that is really saying a lot because I love most of their music), and I was surprised to hear how well it sounds during their live performance of it. Some bands have a lot of trouble with live shows but these guys really nailed it. Feel free to enjoy it as much as I did... oh, and check out more of their music on youtube. I could give you a long, drawn out, history lesson as to why they are worth your time, but just hear for yourself. Oh, and the fact that they've been going strong since '89 may help a bit. I'm just saying.

Album of the Moment #2: The Hazards of Love

So I have been meaning to do this for months now, but every time I plan on doing so something else comes up. It's especially sad that such a thing kept happening because The Decemberists are without a doubt my favorite band ever and I even bought the album just to support them (if you know me then you also know why that is a big deal).

The Hazards of Love is the band's fifth album (and second under the Capitol Records label) and is probably their most successful one to date. I say probably because although it has not yet sold as many copies as at least one other album, it did debut at #14 and managed to sell 19,210 copies in its first week. The album was also #1 on iTunes during that time.

Now, the fun part. What makes the Hazards of Love such an interesting album, aside from the great lyrics, rhythms, and all that jazz, is that it centers around a love story that is played out across the album with recurring characters. The band's lead singer, Colin Meloy, is joined by Becky Stark (of Lavender Diamond), Shara Worden (of My Brightest Diamond), and Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) to spin a tale of love, pregnancy, jealousy, betrayal, and murder.

"The Hazards of Love centers around a love story, similar to the use of recurring stories in The Crane Wife: a woman named Margaret (voiced by Stark) falls in love with a shape-shifting forest dweller (voiced by Meloy). A jealous forest queen (voiced by Worden) and an ensemble of recurring characters bring conflict to the album's story arc." -Wikipedia

So yes, The Hazards of Love is a seventeen-track, 58:36-minute, adventure of sound and narrative. The band has been on the road promoting the album with their "A Short Fazed Hovel Tour" since the beginning of the year and it came to my area earlier in June but I was forced to miss it because I wasn't really interested in going to a concert by myself. I went to their concert when they were promoting their last album, The Crane Wife, back in 2006 and I caught a part of their concert (illegally from across the street) when they performed outdoors with The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 2007 so it isn't like I haven't seen them before (and with their current popularity I am sure they will be back soon).

I am planning to do a full album run-through as the summer goes on that will attempt to sum up the entire album song by song and hopefully lay out the entire story. So, if you don't have the album, and don't have the internet essentially because you couldn't possibly miss this is, then I suggest you give it a listen! Do it! Do it nao!!

The Decemberists Play Their New Album in Its Entirety at SxSW

So I have been a huge fan of The Decemberists for some time now (they have held strong as my favorite English speaking band), so when they release new music I am no small amount of overjoyed. The Hazards of Love is the band's fifth album, their second under Capitol Records, and features a host of new sounds and styles from the indie rock superstars. But that's enough about the album itself for now (I plan on doing a full impressions post when I receive my copy), because the reason why I am posting this is to draw all of your attention to the fact that the band played the entirety of the album, in order, at South by Southwest 2009.

Yes, the band, along with Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond and Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, hit the stage in Austin around 1 a.m. this past Thursday and played through the entirety of the fifty-eight minute album. The performance included numerous costume changes and elaborate set designs in an effort to keep with the narrative theme of The Hazards of Love. You can listen to the full performance, which includes two old favorites at the end, here at npr music's site. The page also offers a bit more info as well as a few pictures from the show. I have listened to the full one hour and twenty-two minute live podcast and I must say that this is far beyond what I expected, which is really saying something. Enjoy everyone and be sure to check out the album on iTunes now or wait for the full release March 24th!

Album Of The Moment #1: Viva La Vida

Well, it seems like Coldplay has done it yet again. Whatever "it" is anyway. After a little over three years since their last album, X&Y, their long awaited follow up has proven to be even more successful than the before-mentioned multi-platinum record.

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, better known as just Viva la Vida, is Coldplay's fourth studio album and has reached more than ground-breaking proportions. The album dropped in early June, though I just got my "hands" on it, and managed to sell over 721,000 in United States in just the first week. The album debuted at #1 in 28 countries, and in the first week it had reached #1 in 58 countries. Viva la Vida was certified as platinum on seven sales charts, double platinum in the U.K., and Gold on two more charts.

Moving away from the sales success of the album, Viva la Vida really seems like a fresh new look at the band. The album's title means "Life Lives On!" or "Long Live Life!" in Spanish and the album's cover artwork is a painting called "La Liberté guidant le peuple" which is translated as "Liberty Leading the People." The painting was done by a renowned 20th century Mexican painter named Frida Kahlo. Coldplay has stated that the album draws from Hispanic influences because it was mainly recorded in churches and other areas in Latin America and Spain. However, the band has since pushed the fact that the influences can't be found in any specific sound, but in the general feel of the songs. I love the entire album, but if I had to choose a favorite song it would have to be either "Lovers in Japan" or "42."

Coldplay is touring avidly, as they have done in the past, promoting the new album, you can check dates and locations here, and hopefully you will be able to get out and see them perform these amazing songs live. They play near me in early November, but I have yet to acquire the funds to see them. In any case, go out and find this album whether or not you are a fan of the band, because afterward you just may find yourself to be one. You never know.