Top Artists/Albums/Songs to Sleep and Nap To

Sometimes, going to bed in silence is out of the question. Maybe your roommate's having sex in the bed next to you. Or maybe sirens have turned the peaceful night into a parade. Or maybe you just want to fill the silence around you with emotion, passion, and melody. Either way, looking for a good album to play can be quite tricky. And thus, The Top 10 Artists To Go To Sleep to:

Artists
Suggested Albums

10. Iron and Wine - Super mellow, super relaxing. Our Endless Numbered Days. The Shepherd's Dog.
9. Art Tatum - Mellow old jazz. Just great. The Complete Capitol Recordings.
8. Kings of Convenience - Slow, non-directional, comforting, familiar tunes. Riot on the Empty Street, Declaration of Dependence.
7. Sufjan Stevens - Long-time favorite. Expansive, easy flow, easy-listening. Seven Swans, Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State, Come On Feel The Illinoise!
6. Vetiver - Smooth, easy, simple, happy acoustic tunes. Tight Knit, Things of the Past.
5. Elliott Smith - Classic. Sad, beautiful melodies to focus on before bed. Elliott Smith. XO. Either/Or.
4. Au Revoir Simone - Smooth, easy beats, relaxing. Perfect to drift off to. Still Night, Still Light.
3. Mark Kozelek - Red House Painters. Sun Kil Moon. Both of Mark's bands clear the air and leave a sad, peaceful atmosphere. Songs for a Blue Guitar (Red House Painters), Tiny Cities (Sun Kil Moon).
2. Sigur Rós - One of my favorite bands of all time. Awesome to head to sleep listening to the soft, layered sounds of the classic Icelandic band. ( ), Takk..., Ágætis Byrjun.
1. Justin Vernon - As himself, Bon Iver, or Volcano Choir, Justin Vernon has a gift at making sleep music. For Emma, Forever Ago. Blood Bank EP. Hazeltons. Unmap. In that order.


But sleep comes in different forms. Sometimes, you listen to music to go to sleep for the night. Other times, you want to close your eyes, sleep for a half hour or so, and listen to the music. So, for those times, The Top 15 Albums to Nap to:

15. Ambulance Ltd - Ambulance Ltd.
14. Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore - Dear Companion
13. The Dodos - Visiter
12. The Antlers - Hospice
11. Explosions in the Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
10. Holly Miranda - Sleep on Fire EP
9. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Sun Giant, too)
8. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
7. Jose Gonzalez - Veneer
6. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young - So Far
5. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
4. Mark Olson and Gary Louris - Ready for the Flood
3. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
2. Beach House - Teen Dream
1. The xx - The xx

And a few sleeping songs that are great by themselves:

3. Avett Brothers - If It's the Beaches
2. Pomegranates - I Feel Like I'm A Million Years Old
1. Kevin Drew - Love vs. Porn

Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore - Dear Companion

"This is only a song. It can't change the world." The chorus from "Only A Song", a track off of the great album, Dear Companion (a collaboration between Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore, and Yim Yames (My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk)), really sums up the gist of the album. The lyrics are real, the emotion is real, and I love this album for real. I've always been one to enjoy a good indie-folk album. Sufjan Stevens, Iron and Wine, Wilco, The Avett Brothers. All favorites. And in a lot of ways, this is similar. But its simplicity and meaningful vocals make this something special. I can't stop listening to it. Tempo changes, small yet unignorable builds, cool melody drop-offs. I just really appreciate the feel of it.

My favorite song on the album, "Try", is gorgeous. The pretty lyrics are easy to hear. And while it's not necessarily a happy song, it is incredibly uplifting. The song ends with, "Give, give, give. How to give it all to someone not yet born? It must be how we've learned to love." The song, along with the rest of the album, captures that desire to simplify everything in life into its beautiful essence. Life, death, birth, love, tragedy, struggle, achievement, the unknown. It's refreshing. I also really enjoy the tracks, "Something, Somewhere, Sometime" and "Sweet Marie".

Be sure to check out Dear Companion. The three Kentucky-based musicians created a truly real, simple, and lovable album. Also, a portion of proceeds go to Appalachian Voices, an organization trying to end mountain top removal coal mining. Be sure to check that out, and Ben Sollee's myspace page here. On Sub Pop Records, Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore have definitely created something worth listening to.

Pica Pica @ by:Larm - Sunkissed Live @ Blå 2/20

So I've found myself in Oslo, Norway. I decided to study abroad, did some paperwork, and now I'm here. And after buying a coffee pot and a Norwegian sweater, I knew I had to find a way to check out the renown Oslo music scene. As it turns out, I sort of walked into a bustling industry-geared music festival called by:Larm - a showcase of Scandinavian bands at bars and clubs all over the city. And while I'd heard of a group (Katzenjammer), the other hundred bands were completely anonymous. So when I found myself at Blå on Saturday night, I was excited and intrigued with a list of unknown artists - The Megaphonic Thrift (kind of hard lo-fi with a touch of thrasher ambience), Fjorden Baby! (A heavy-beat, high energy poppy dance band), Put Your Hands Up for Neo Tokyo (a cool ambient/rock band with Why?-like vocals and unique guitar work), and a slew of others that I walked in for a song of two.

But coming from The United States where music has different influences, radio stations, record labels, and people, Pica Pica had one of the most captivating live sounds that I've ever heard. Headed by Rebekka Maria Markstein (of Maribel fame), Pica Pica's sound stemmed from her voice. Both clear and ambient, her voice created a sense of unique non-direction. Lacking huge peaks or catchy melodies in the traditional sense, I was absorbed into the vast and expansive feel of emotion, raw beauty, and continuance.

At times, I wanted to compare Rebekka's voice to that of Holly Miranda, My Brightest Diamond, or Mirah. And her beautiful vocal tone is similar. But her style was so different and new to me. On stage, her multi-linguistic songs, stories in Norwegian that I didn't understand, and new ways of musically expressing ideas and life were personally incredibly refreshing and fulfilling. The ambient feel and lack of clarity in the style made the rest of the show seem more clear. More clean. More fresh. Something that, as I've explored Norwegian nature, design, and food, seems to truly express what is Norwegian music.

Check out her Myspace here.

Bad Veins - Bad Veins

Bad Veins, a Cincinnati-based duo, is the definition of catchy indie rock. Emotional, resonant, peaky. Their self-titled debut album is full of pleasant and refreshing breakdowns, high highs, and a fantastic raw feel. The hooks are BIG and relentless. Layers of background 'oh's, round-like vocals, and a multitude of smooth instruments (strings, keyboards) make songs feel big and complete. And a creative, driving drum beat pulls the great layering together with loud lead vocals, making for an incredibly catchy and enjoyable album from beginning to end.

My favorites (though I find myself humming parts of almost every song) are "Afraid", "The Lie", "Dryout", and "Go Home". Listen to how well they capture broad emotion in a big, big way. The lyrics aren't great, and the vocals do get a bit whiny, but everything just comes together so damn well. The mix of upbeat and downplayed are great, and the sudden peaks are incredibly effective at making you notice what's going on in your speakers. Finishing up a tour with We Were Promised Jetpacks, Bad Veins is yet another band that makes me proud to be from The Nati.

Go Home

Check out their myspace here.

Or check out the video for the song, "Gold and Warm".

Beach House - Teen Dream

Mellow, clean, gorgeous, and oddly happy, Teen Dream, the new album from Baltimore's Beach House, does an awesome job of making simple songs sound vast and clear. The simple layers of pretty background vocals, distinguished guitar melodies, easy drum beats, and hazy lead vocals come together perfectly. The sound itself isn't anything revolutionary or new, but that doesn't detract from how great I feel after listening to the album. The open and expansive sounds of the opening track, "Zebra" are incredibly relaxing and soothing. However, "Norway" and "Walk in the Park" are my favorite tracks on the album. I just recently moved to Oslo, Norway to study, and "Norway" does an unbelievable job of projecting a perfect musical image of what Norway feels like - festive, a little odd, beautiful, lonely, almost nondescript, yet special. Really cool.

Released on Subpop records, I'll definitely be listening to Teen Dream a lot in the next few months. It just has a great feel to it. It's incredibly comforting. Truly dreamy. Pleasant. Loveable. Easily forgotten. Yet easily remembered at the same time. Check out their myspace page here.

Tops of 09, Props to 0-10

Well, it's officially 2010. This past year has been pretty fantastic musically. I grew a lot personally in my own musicality while some really awesome were albums released. I also ate a lot of egg drop soup, discovered thai food, spent a summer in LA, found love, embraced twitter, and was up 33% on my investments. I saw some unbelievable live shows - White Rabbits, Monsters of Folk, The Avett Brothers, Dr. Dog, and The Antlers were especially fantastic. I fell in love with Jazz vinyl, especially with the late Art Tatum. And Dave Brubeck. I also ate a lot of bagels. And without further ado, a few lists of what I enjoyed from 2009.

Top 15 albums of 2009:

1. The Antlers - Hospice
2. Grizzly Bear - Vecktimest
3. The xx - The xx
4. Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers - Songs in the Night
5. Dark Was The Night Compilation
6. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us
7. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
8. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
9. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
10. White Rabbits - Its Frightening
11. Vetiver - Tight Knit
12. Pomegranates - Everybody Come Outside
13. Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
14. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
15. Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

Top 4 movies of 2009:

1. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
2. Inglourious Basterds
3. Up
4. The Hangover

Favorite 6 Singles of 2009:

1. "Home" - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
2. "Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear
3. "Percussion Gun" - White Rabbits
4. "The Train Song" - Feist and Ben Gibbard
5. "Kettering" - The Antlers
6. "The Blackest Purse" - Why?

Top TV Moment:

1. Dexter Season 4 Finale. OMG!

Philly, Best Of

After spending a few years in Philly while studying at Temple University, I've come up with my own random list of Best Ofs for Philadelphia in the form of 'Top 3's". Most likely, your favorite one that I missed was number 4. Sorry in advance.

Concert Venues
1. Trocadero - Awesome architecture. In China Town. Egg drop soup after!
2. TLA (Theatre of Living Arts) - Right on South Street. Feels small, but is a big venue.
3. The First Unitarian Church - Remember when your band played in a church basement? This is it. And I've seen some unbelievable shows while being 5 feet from them. And they sell used vinyl...

Restaurant in Chinatown
1. Pho Cali - Best Pho ever. Cheap, delicious, excellent service, great bubble tea smoothies!
2. Banana Leaf - delicious Malaysian cuisine!
3. Wong Wongs - Really not much better than the rest of the stuff. But Wong Wong's is a fantastic name.

Brunch Places
1. Sabrina's - The Italian Market location is bangin'. So good. Makes for an awesome date.
2. Fitzwater Cafe - Not an extensive menu, but the food is amazing and fresh.
3. Temple Rainbow - On Temple's campus. Best Sunday morning breakfast 5 minutes from my house. With a sign on the window for 'Waffle', you know it's good.

Places to People Watch
1. Rittenhouse Square - Especially when the weather's nice. Great people walk around, perform, look like their dogs, etc...
2. The Broad Street Line Subway - From Jesus preachers to people passed out, definitely interesting characters...
3. Liacorus walk - The main walk on Temple's campus is packed with benches up and down both sides. Makes for great anonymous staring.

Temple University Food Trucks
1. The Crepe Truck - $5.25 for an amazing crepe (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) and a drink. Open late.
2. Eddie's - Best hoagies. Great bread, friendly people, cheap cheap cheap.
3. The Green Truck - Great salads. Fresh ingredients, great menu. Long wait at times though...

Philly Foods
1. Soft Pretzels - Philly's soft pretzels are amazing. Great breakfast with a cup of coffee.
2. Rita's Water Ice - Good stuff. Not quite Graeter's ice cream in Cincinnati, but it's surprisingly incredibly refreshing.
3. Tasty Cake Butterscotch Krimpets - Mmmmmm

Cheesesteak Places
1. Jim's - On South Street. Chopped.
2. Geno's - The way the whiz seeps in. Oh man.
3. Tony Luke's - Just has some awesome bread. Great pork sandwich too...