St. Vincent...on Gossip Girl

Weird, yes I know. But I saw it. And couldn't resist. It really is true.

Around 20min -ish to the end.
http://cwtv.com/cw-video/gossip-girl/

Episode "Crazy, Cupid, Love". Song is "Cheerleader" off St. Vincent's new album Strange Mercy.

And the episode ends to "Baby Says" by The Kills.

Pretty awesome music for an episode of Gossip Girl

St. Vincent.

So lately I've been listening to a little St.Vincent (stage name of Annie Clark). It's this strange, enchanting mix of guitar riffs, airy melodies, and interestingly placed synthesizers. And of course, they're Annie Clark's voice. HER VOICE. It has that perfect balance of strong but vulnerable. She sings with such longing, and such feeling that it leaves your heart hurting from how beautiful it is. It all culminates into  that kind of music you can't classify and you don't know WHY you like it, but you just DO. It's infectious. A few standouts from her newest album (Strange Mercy) include "Champagne Year" (refers to the year in which you turn the same age as your birthday) - which is has an interesting balance of empty instrumental sections and powerful, questioning sections that highlight her amazing voice. It seems almost like an ode to midlife crisis with the lines "I make a living telling people what they want to hear" - it captures that feeling we all have, we all know. The feeling of being false to yourself and living in a lie. And of course, there is the title song "Strange Mercy" which is quirky and catchy, with interesting riffs and captivating vocals which border on hazy. It also has another one of those empty instrumental sections which seem pivotal to Clark's work. Another one of my favorites is "Actor Out of Work" from her 2009 album work which borders on pop with bubbly riffs and repetitive lyrics and runs. Similarly pop influenced is "Marrow" off that same album in which she chants "H-E-L-P, help me, help me". St. Vincent seems to simply have something to offer everyone.

Fallen Empires

Snow Patrol's new album Fallen Empires came out last Sunday (or actually to be more precise, THIS Sunday...Jan 22) stateside and I picked it up in store today. It was well worth the extra 3 months of waiting. It's definitely a progression of Snow Patrol's sound, but still retains many elements of the Snow Patrol that we all know and love. There are some really interesting instrumental songs on the album, including "Berlin" and "Broken Bottles Form A Star" - which a perplexing but genius end to a solid album. Of course, There's "Called Out In the Dark", the pop-y and catchy single released from the album and "This Isn't Everything You Are", a  breathtakingly beautiful ballad. There are still Snow Patrol's signature ballads - like "New York", another intimate and chilling song. Also provoking is "Those Distant Bells". There are also some songs on the new album such as "The Weight of Love" and "The Garden Rules" which are both reminiscent of earlier Snow Patrol, but also seem to suggest a new direction at the same time. All in all, it's a fantastic album that really showcases Snow Patrol at it's best.

Keep Calm And Party On

New Year's Eve is inevitably a party night. Heavy drinking, heavy dancing, and heavy partying. From the writers here at Christie Road, here's a compilation of track that are both danceable, catchy, and perfect for New Years Eve.

NEW YEAR'S EVE PLAYLIST:
-Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys
- Lucid Dreams - Franz Ferdinand (How can you NOT dance to this?)
- Hurricane - Panic! At The Disco
- Pink Lady - Feed Me
- My Mistakes Were Made For You - The Last of The Shadow Puppets

- House Music - Benny Benassi

- Scatta - Skrillex
- Twilight Omens - Franz Ferdinand
- Mr. Brightside - The Killers

- Generation For Sale - Phace

- Beat it - Michael Jackson (Classic. Don't Hate.)
- Something To Die For - The Sounds
- Death - White Lies
- Houdini - Foster The People (Screw "Pumped Up Kicks")
- In The Next Room - Neon Trees
- Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites - Skrillex
- Love - Foster The People (You have to L-O-V-E this song)
- My Propeller - Arctic Monkeys
- The Age of Understatement - The Last Shadow Puppets
- Tony The Beat - The Sounds
- Last Day of Magic - The Kills

FOR THE MORNING AFTER:
- Breakfast - EMA
- Sunday Morning - The Velvet Underground (How perfect, right?)
- New York - Snow Patrol

- Autumn Fire - Jordan Rudess
- This Isn't Everything You Are - Snow Patrol

- How Deep is Your Love - Bee Gees

- Far From Heaven - Dream Theater
- Alcoholiday - Teenage Fanclub
- Black Balloon - The Kills

- Wait For Sleep - Dream Theater

- Sentimental - Porcupine Tree
 - Wish You Were Here - The Sounds
- Velocity Girl - Snow Patrol

White Lies

The White Lies (Previously Fear of Flying) are a band from Earling, England. Their sound is kind of like a fusion of The Killers, Franz Ferdinand and Interpol with some Joy Division thrown in (The vocalist - Harry McVeigh sounds a bit Ian Curtis.) I can't believe that I have not listened to them earlier...just as I started to think that it was getting near impossible to find other artists that I like, here come the White Lies.  Their music is a solid dance rock - it has a good beat with sprinklings of synth and Harry McVeigh's voice completing it all. Their album To Lose My Life...(2008) is infused with organ every now and then and gives the impression of a sort of dark euphoria. Their most recent album - Rituals (2011) has a little more of a darker sound and is more mature than To Lose My Life, with more soaring melodies and contemplative lyrics than the dance-rock of To Lose My Life. Rituals, to a certain degree, reminds me of Florence + The Machine at points, employing some of the same part whimsical writing techniques. As a whole, the sound of Rituals is a little heavier and when breaks of light do come through in the music, it's a brilliant triumph.

Christmas music

Why can't all christmas music be this boss.

Click here to listen to An Operative Me Christmas on bandcamp.

Anyhow, while you're enjoying that, here's a list of christmas music I have been enjoying to a great extent.

1) White Christmas-Frank Sinatra. Yes, I actually like his stuff!

2) Jingle Bell Rock-Bobby Helms. The original.

3) White Christmas- Jordan Rudess. By far, the most liberal version of white christmas I have every heard.

4) Carol of the bells-August Burns Red. Surprisingly good

5)Silent Night, Holy Night- Joe Satriani.

6) White Christmas-Zakk Wylde. I might be just a little obsessed with White Christmas.

7) Santa Claus is Coming to Town-Dokken

8) Another Rock and Roll Christmas - Iron Maiden

9) White Christmas - The Drifters.

10) We are the Night- Dabin. Dubstep is actually pretty awesome.

Yes, I realize that it's after christmas. But who doesn't like listening to Christmas music?

Merry Christmas

Peer pressure.

Merry Christmas everyone!