What's Your Summersong?

I'm going to put this out there and if you like, take it. And if you don't, you can send it right back: By the looks of it, I'm guessing no school or parent would let any member of the band Eels near their children. Looks are only skin deep, but I think their skin is pretty thick.

I was asked at work the other day what my summersong was and Eels' "Fresh Feeling" was the first thing that popped to mind. Why? This song seems to pop up almost daily during my 4-mile morning bike ride to work, creating the perfect soundtrack to the rolling fields, streams, llamas, horses, sheep, cows and bridges I pass each day en route to my music industry job in Boulder.

Birds singing a song,
old pain is peeling,
this is that fresh
that fresh feeling.
Words can't be that strong,
my heart is real,
this is that fresh,
that fresh feeling.

Without taking the time to write-out, ponder and second guess a list of my top 5 Summersongs, here they are in no particular order apart from #1:
1. Eels - Fresh Feeling
2. Apostle of Hustle - My Sword Hand's Anger
3. Delta Spirit - People, Turn Around
4. Josh Ritter & Hilary Hahn - Girl In the War (live)
5. Frightened Rabbit - Backwards Walk

Why else do I love this song?
1. A friend recently put this on a mix and though I'd heard it before, this seemed to be one of the songs that needed a re-introduction to my playlist.
2. Yet another song originally introduced to me by Braff and Scrubs

I think I love you. I think I'll wreck you. Oh no.

This blog is a direct result of spying on the MySpace of Mountain Tempo's dear friend whose name "rhymes with 'lasagna'" - her words. She even blogged about KaiserCartel and posted a nice video that is definitely worth checking out...which may have started my obsession with this emerging band. Needless to say, a recent string in me was plucked and when I found out I actually had the whole album, I was blown away by several more KaiserCartel songs. One day later and I think I've logged over two dozen plays of their lead track, "Oh No." Despite the ironic reasons that allowed the song to infiltrate my head, I also dug the building choir-like harmonies and Courtney's voice that has hints of Zoey Deschanel (She & Him, Elf), Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), and maybe Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies singing "Sweet Jane").

KaiserCartel - Oh No

Let's get it straight so the picture up top doesn't throw you off. Brooklyn's couple,KaiserCartel, has no relevance (that I'm aware of) to an actual Kaiser or a cartel. Currently, Benjamin Cartel is an elementary art teacher while Courtney Kaiser is an elementary music teacher. I'm curious if the parents of Cartel's and Kaiser's students realize one used to be a backup singer for John Mellencamp and that they have a kick-ass band touring the entire nation during the summer?

KaiserCartel has an album out now from Bluhammock Music titled March Forth. I highly suggest you hike to your local music store and get a copy of your own...it's very rare now-a-days that I can listen to an entire album without my forefinger anxious to skip a song here and there. Plus, with lyrics like "Along the way, the headphones play, I can hear you. You're my favorite song, I wanna sing it again..." how you could you skip it?

KaiserCartel - Favorite Song

The Fab Channel

I can't keep a hidden gem from you for too long, it wouldn't be fair. Now let's keep in mind that I don't condone pushing traffic away from my blog. Rather, let's just say you keep checking in every day and when you're busy at work and you need some music in your background besides Pandora or iTunes, I'm giving you another option.

The Fab Channel is an online concert archive featuring over 900 live concerts from artists of all sizes and from genres across the board. With a team of 25+ producers, directors, camera people (only PC here at The Mountain Tempo), interns, editors and (I'm assuming) a great legal/licensing brain, Fab Channel have been allowed to capture full-length shows from the famous venues, Paradiso and Melkweg Amsterdam.

Among showcasing rising hip hop stars, punk, R&B, electronic, and indie rock from around the world, they have been given permission to film some of my favorites, including Damien Rice, Iron & Wine, Bright Eyes and Josh Ritter. Not only can a viewer pick and choose which song to watch from the setlist, Fab Channel, like Pandora, recommends similar artists, provides a brief bio on each artist and allows you to build a playlist of songs from multiple artists/concerts.

So, take a listen/look at Fab Channel or watch my favorite two shows Iron & Wine || Josh Ritter.

John Mayer covers Tom Petty

John Mayer just released a live album on July 1 featuring selections from his performance at The Nokia Theatre in L.A. Admit it, the first time you heard "Your Body Is A Wonderland," you thought it was a catchy make out song from the "guy who sure sounds a lot like Dave Matthews." Then, the onslaught of 15 year-old girls caught on to his talent and liking him turned into an embarrassing chore. OK, maybe it was just me. Since then, I have come to appreciate Mayer and the other oddities and talents that surround him. Case in point:



1. He dressed like Borat on his cruise boat. He also is not foreign to the comedy stand-up scene...seriously.

2. He looks like

Edward Scissorhands/Johnny Depp a bit.

3. The guy really does know blues and Chappelle wasn't afraid to call him out on it.



4. Hilarious viral videos:

and the best one here

5. A cover of Tom Petty's All-American, California-skateboarding, Jerry McGuire-yelling, pop song. Mayer's 22-track live album, Where The Light Is: John Mayer Live In Los Angeles, is available now off of Sony. With both in attendance, fans at the Mile High Music Festival in Denver this weekend may be lucky enough to see Petty and Mayer perform this together.


John Mayer - Free Fallin' (live from the Nokia Theatre)

Whitey Ford Sings the Folsom Prison Blues

I'm guessing if you're in love with the Man in Black's original styles and traditional sound, half of you will absolutely despise this post. The other half will get a kick out of churning projects featuring artists putting new spins on Johnny Cash staples.

Rumor has it that Snoop Dogg is contributing to the album Johnny Cash Remixed with a version of "I Walk The Line," to be released October 14th. In the meantime, Everlast, Grammy winner and former House of Pain front man, just released the video for his upcoming single covering Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." As a huge fan of Johnny Cash, I'm going to take the side of "change" and say that I think Everlast did a uniquely crisp cover of this song. Cash certainly doesn't need more publicity or mainstream coverage to solidify his stature as a music legend, but it's fun to watch classic songs re-emerge and transgress different genres. Regardless of your opinion on Everlast's take on the song, it proves once again that Cash is still completely relevant in today's music scene.

Without further ado, I'll let you take a listen to Everlast covering the Man In Black. This version of "Folsom Prison Blues" features accompanying rhythm from "Insane In The Brain" by Cypress Hill and will be released in September on Everlast's new album, Love, War and the Ghost of Whitey Ford on his own label, Martyr Inc.

Everlast - Folsom Prison Blues

Sneak Peek for Monday...

(Scroll down a bit for today's official post on Spoon)

I just got a new song in today that I will discuss on Monday's post and am a bit excited because it's a unique project. I wanted to drop a hint and forewarn you so that you check back to The Mountain Tempo on Monday, mid-morning. So...here's the hint:

Better Late Than Never with Spoon

I've heard the album before, I've heard all* the tracks and I'm a fan of the group. How did I not hear the last track? At times it's frustrating or embarrassing but at other times, it's a pleasant surprise to discover a "new" song that's been out for several years from a band you know.

I was climbing with Matt early yesterday morning before work and unfortunately for him, the second he got on the wall, loud techno music would play which isn't necessarily his cup of tea to say the least. Each time I roped up, a soundtrack full of indie-alt music would begin. Despite the climbing soundtrack, he still managed to monkey up the wall more efficiently and effortlessly...maybe due to the animosity the techno built up inside of him. I digress...As I was starting a new route, a song came on with a familiar voice but then the tempo abnormally slowed down as a voice that was similar to Robert Plant's began a crescendo with the beats. Embarrassed as I asked the gym DJ who it was, I found out the voice was Britt Daniel and Eric Harvey of Spoon.

Spoon - Vittorio E.

Austin-based Spoon has been on the scene for several years now and recently stepped into the spotlight by providing the bulk of the soundtrack for Will Ferrell's Stranger Than Fiction. You may have seen them recently on SNL or on any of the Late Shows due to their recent album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. If you're in Denver in two weeks, they'll be a main act at The Mile High Music Festival on Saturday. This "new" song is the last track on their 2002 release, Kill The Moonlight, from Merge Records.

Sigur Rós is speaking gobbledigook and I like it

Sigur Rós is back with another album and I think their lyrics are as meaningful and deep as I could've imagined. In addition, their use of innuendos and metaphors are so hilariously deep and provokingly political, dating back to the rise of the Roman Empire and transgress all the way through the Bush Administration. OK, because some of you don't know Sigur Rós that well, you may not understand my sarcasm there.

You see, Sigur Rós sings all of their songs either in Icelandic, Volenska/Hopelandic (a type of constructed gibberish of nonsense syllables that the band made up) or usually, a combination of the languages. In fact, it's rare that people from Iceland even know what they say due to the falsetto yammering of the lead singer in combination with their mysterious self-built language. We do know that the band name comes from one of their sisters, Sigurrós, which means "Victory Rose" when translated to English. Apart from that, a visit to their site will fill you in a bit more as to their language, pronunciations, and definitions. Good luck.

Sigur Rós recently released their 5th album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (ummm...yeah, good luck saying that one) from EMI and XL Recordings. Though it finally revelas their first song in engligh (barely), the albumas a whole has a bit more tempo and energy to it than many of their previous ones. However, if you do like their older dreamy and symphonic-filled songs, you will not be disappointed.

Sigur Rós - Ára Bátur

Sigur Rós - Suð Í Eyrum

Their single that's being pushed is a slightly more indie-sounding rock song that is definately filled with more energy than I've heard from Sigur Rós before. Here's the video for "Gobbledigook" though I should warn you there is not much cotton or poly-pro involved with the video shoot so if you're not over 18, don't click play.

From Paul McCartney to Death Cab For Cutie

Long before you listened to Postal Service or Death Cab For Cutie there was Monty Python. Before Monty Python, a character named Apollo C. Vermouth produced a top 5 single for a band called Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and even let them appear in his groups film. Apollo C. Vermouth was Paul McCartney's pseudonym.

The Bonzo Dog Dada Band were a rock-comedy band that emerged from the minds of British art college students in the 60's. After renaming themselves to The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and eventually settling on The Bonzo Dog Band, they caught a break when they were allowed to open up for the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour. Paul McCartney went on to produce the single "I'm The Urban Spaceman" for the group which landed a top five spot in 1968 in Britain.

After a few comical albums, people realized that besides constant sarcasm and dark-comedy, the Bonzo Dog Band actually had music talent. Fast forward a few years and one musically-focused album that wasn't received by the public too well, the Bonzo Dog Band broke up. In their wake, they not only spent time with the Beatles, The Who, and the Kinks, but they also performed a song in each episode of the British children's television program, Do Not Adjust Your Set. The show was full of emerging actors who credit The Bonzo Dog Band as a major influence for their eventual project, Monty Python. Oh yeah, a band from Bellingham, Washington took their name from a Bonzo Dog Band song too...

The Bonzo Dog Band - Death Cab For Cutie

The Bonzo Dog Band's performance of "Death Cab For Cutie" from the Magical Mystery Tour:

I will now sell 5 copies ofThe Three E.P.'s by The Beta Band

Yes, it's my favorite comedy by a long shot and I could easily pull 50 blog posts about topics covered in this film. Yet another Nick Hornby novel-turned-film, High Fidelity was released in 2000 and still causes me to quote lines from it every day at work and seek some of the obscure artists Hornby re-introduces. Jack Black and John Cusack capture the perfect music guru/snob persona that we each encounter at **fill in your local indie record store here**. This past weekend, I drove to Gunnison for a few days of fun in the sun and when the Beta Band's "Dry The Rain" came on during my car time, I couldn't help but laugh out loud and think of the one guy in this scene bobbing his head as the groove hit him.

The Beta Band were a British band that have roots in Scotland as well. I say "were" because they broke up in 2004 after a farewell tour. Though much of their earlier music was never publicly noticed or played, the band had a cult following through their quirkiness, bubble-pop rap songs, antics and the slight publicity that their live shows and first EPs stirred. Not long after High Fidelity was released, more magazines and college radio stations took notice and now you can hear one of their songs every commercial break on any given major television station. The Three E.P.'s was released on Astralwerks in 1999 and lead off with my favorite track by the Beta Band

Beta Band - Dry The Rain




And don't worry, here's a little extra bonus song for you. Remember the group Sonic Death Monkey or Kathleen Turner Overdrive or Barry Jive And The Uptown Five?

Mondays aren't THAT bad are they?

Quick Trivia: without scrolling down, can you identify anyone of the two groups pictured to the left?
The long weekend is over and most of you are probably sun burned, tired and wishing you had one more day to recoup before starting the week over. The Mountain Tempo is here to say Mondays aren't all that bad and that Friday is only four short days away. Here are three Monday songs to distract you from any paperwork while you plow through your first and second cups of coffee of the week.

According To AllMusic.com, John Phillips was getting pressured by members of his group to come up with some new material after the enormous success of their previous top five hit, "California Dreamin'." Apparently, his reply was: "Okay, tonight I'm going to write a song with universal appeal." In 1966 The Mamas & The Papas revealed Phillips' "Monday, Monday" on their album If You can Believe Your Eyes And Ears, which secured them their only #1 hit. I did some research and found that "Monday, Monday" was released on OVER 130 different albums ranging from "Best Of..." albums to compilations, to karaoke to...you name it - 130 different albums! The success of writing "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday" supplied Phillips a paycheck of over $100,000 a year in royalties alone - and that was in the 70's.

The Mamas & The Papas - Monday, Monday

Side fact: John Phillips co-wrote the #1 hit, "Kokomo" for the Beach Boys. His daughter, Chynna Phillips, went on to form Wilson Phillips with the daughters of Beach Boy, Brian Wilson.

After the split of Uncle Tupelo 1994, Jeff Tweedy and some remaining members formed Wilco, while Jar Farrar went on to form Son Volt. Wilco released Being There in 1996 which may crack my top 20 favorite albums due to their establishment of newer Americana by bending country, rock and folk together. In this album they drew inspiration from specific Beatles and Rolling Stones songs. An example of the Stones influence on Wilco can be heard in the song "Monday," which is considered Tweedy's best writing and rocking to date.

Wilco - Monday

Yes, that was Stevie Nicks in the photo up there back in her day and as some would say: She sure was easy on the eyes. "Monday Morning" is the opening track to Fleetwood Mac's self-titled album released in 1975. Written by Lindsey Buckingham, the song is definitely full of lots and lots of passion and jubilant chords that could easily be heard in a pop song released today. Another coincidence amongst Monday-themed songs from California groups is pointed out by Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic when he summed up Fleetwood Mac's song with: "The title itself is interesting, given that the only other unisex California group to achieve this kind of acclaim and drama were the Mamas & the Papas, whose "Monday, Monday" was their sophomore hit."

Fleetwood Mac - Monday Morning

Happy 4th! Now get your American on

So, it's not that I'm lazy, I promise...it's that I think you are - which is completely fine on a day off, mind you. You should be out of the office like me, playing in the hills, listening to music and drinking coffee with friends and family. So, if you are reading this, thank you very much. But, listen to the songs, smile and then get back outside. Nonetheless, Happy 4th of July! I'll post on two songs today that have roots in the heart of America. No, I'm not talking Cougar Mellencamp's Midwest. I'm talking New York and New Jersey, the core of America's melting pot.

It would be anti-American if I were to post on American rock and roll with a reference of the east coast with out highlighting The Boss. What is the single act one can do to prove he or she is the MOST AMERICAN? Simple. Go put on some trashed Levi's, a white v-neck and drive a convertible Ford Mustang down route 66 with an American flag on your antennae - all while blasting Bruce Springsteen over your speakers. Extra points if you stop for a vanilla shake and some Freedom Fries at the diner along the way.

Bruce Springsteen - Born In the U.S.A.

I can admit that my generation doesn't see Simon and Garfunkel as the quintessential American music icons like The Boss. hell, high schoolers nowadays probably think Kid Rock or Fall Out Boy as true American rooted rockers. Yikes. I will say that Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel have influenced American Music deeper than most realize through their writing, Latin and folk infused styles, coupled with the era in which they drew upon and sang about. As told to me, they owned and formed much of the 60's culture as the most successful folk-rock duo. "America" was written by Paul Simon and released in 1968 on the album Bookends. It dances around the notion of a fictional trip of discovering or finding America (the social trends and inner-culture) with Kathy Chitty, Simon's girlfriend from his time in England. We can dig deeper to cover references to the Beatles, Dylan, Diamond and more, but it's the 4th of July so I'll let you peruse should you feel so inclined. I chose a version of "America" from Simon and Garfunkel's album Old Friends: Live On Stage, that captured live performances in New York and New Jersey in 2003.


Simon & Garfunkel - America (live)

Carney testifies

It's a half-day at work today and I'm gearing up to for a weekend in Gunnison with a bunch of coffee, bike riding, climbing and fishing with Ben. I'll still make sure to post a 4th of July-themed blog tomorrow for those of you unfortunate enough to be outside but fortunate enough to still read my blog! In the meantime, I must introduce you to Carney, a young firecracker band from L.A. who are all in their early 20's.

Brothers Reeve (lead vocals and guitar) and Zane Carney (lead guitar), front the band that draws easily noticeable influences from Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley, and Johnny Lang. In fact, singer and rippin' guitarist, Reeve Carney was a member of Lang's touring band in the early 2000's before settling down and establishing his own group. I can't reiterate enough as to how much I hear the vocal and guitar remnants of BOTH Buckley and Zeppelin infiltrate Carney's style and swagger on "Testify." I highly suggest you turn up the volume to 11 when you take this home.

Carney - Testify

Carney released their E.P. Nothing Without You on Interscope Records with their full album on the horizon. Although the other songs available on their E.P. don't have half the electricity that "Testify" offers, I'll still be excited to hear their full-length album as the band just finished up a vast tour surrounded by great reviews and a notable stop at Bonnaroo.

Is Filmmaker Is Vincent Moon Is Mathieu Saura

Do you know Vincent Moon? I'd bet you know of R.E.M. and maybe some of the 80+ smaller, emerging bands (Grizzly Bear, The Shins, Beirut, Arcade Fire, Jens Lenkman, Vampire Weekend, The National, Bon Iver, Jason Mraz, Jose Gonzales, The Kooks, etc.) that have let Vincent Moon have their way with them. Mathieu Saura, aka Vincent Moon, is a Parisian filmmaker that is making a pretty big name in the music, blog, and film scene and has yet to hit his 30th birthday.

I'm no filmmaker though I consider myself a huge fan of great storytelling, cinematography and acting. So, I asked a close friend in the film industry (who has worked with Vincent Moon) about his style and whether it's really THAT groundbreaking or magnificent. The answer was partially what I expected. Moon is definitely no slouch in film making but he's not blazing new trail either. He found a niche, a handful of thirsty clients and now he's cruising with the bigger boys. He simply films "improvised" performances by emerging bands in one take and applies smoothly sly camera moves, capturing bands in unique locations. The aspect that boggled me was that no matter the location or where the camera traveled, the sound remained impeccable, from the cramped elevator full of 9 band members to an empty parking lot. Maybe Moon is a fantastic or standard filmmaker, but much of the accolades should be headed toward his sound engineer.

There's been a bit of hub-bub (yes, I just used "hub-bub") going on the past week about Moon's latest video featuring Bon Iver. But, I'd rather draw focus on a few of his more admirable pieces of work: The Arcade Fire, The National and Beirut. There are well over 80 videos posted on Moon's La Blogotheque, most of which are worth watching, if only you had the time. That's why I'm here - to show you the BIG highlights among the dozens of shows and hundreds of songs. Nothing more needs to be said other than for you to hit the play buttons on all three videos and watch the unique film setting, camera work, and sterling sound quality that is captured by Vincent Moon and his team. The bands aren't half bad at what they do either.

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (in an elevator)

The National - Start A War

by lablogotheque

Beirut (featuring Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear) - Cliquot

Damien Rice Part 2:Cameos and a new album?

As I mentioned before, it is odd (or isn't it?) how artists collaborate with other artists in the same genre regardless of personality, schedule, origin, etc. Maybe it's because they wanted to impress me...or most likely because each share that one common root: phenomenally outstanding songwriting and singing. I won't do a full history lesson of a song like I did for Ritter or trace roots and vast webs of friends in great detail. I'll just catch you up a bit on Damien Rice in Part 2:

As mentioned in Part 1, Damien has spent time busking on the streets after leaving his previous band, Jupiter, who went on to form Bell X1. Through his musical connections in Ireland, Rice is also part of a band that is a collection of various musicians. Ready for this? The Cake Sale features Lisa Hannigan (remember her voice on "9 Crimes?"), Paul Noonan (Bell X1), Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol), Nick Seymour and Graham Hopkins (Crowded House), Nina Persson (The Cardigans) and two more little guys in the industry - Josh Ritter and Glen Hansard (Once, The Frames, The Swell Season, helped start both Ritter and Rice...).

Rice has also collaborated and performed with the heirarchy of my creme de la creme list. Thanks to a head's up last year by my musical detective over at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends, I was elated to find out that Damien Rice had performed with Ray Lamontagne in France to cover a Bee Gee's classic.

Damien Rice & Ray Lamontagne - To Love Somebody (live)

In 2007, Rice joined the stage with David Gray for Live Earth's leg at Wembley Stadium, London, to cover the 1956 pop song, Que Sera, Sera.

Damien Rice and David Gray - Que Sera, Sera (live)

And don't worry, according to Damien's site, he'll be coming out with another recording soon. He just finished a 10-day road trip where, he and friends drove (in a mini, mind you) from Ireland to Barcelona armed with a portable recording studio. His goal was to stop along the way in random places where he aimed to write and record a new song in each of the ten days and then compile each recording on a new album, Nuevo. We'll see...