Art in One Form or Another

SXSW Bound

I'm heading to SXSW this week. Last year marked my inaugural trip to Austin and it was a truly great experience. There is so much music out there and this event gives me a chance to load up my iPod with great tunes for the next year.

All Songs Considered

I don't typically post about music (aside from this morning!) but NPR's All Songs Considered had an awesome segment this week about the best albums of 2009.Host Bob Boilen talks with Monitor Mix blogger Carrie Brownstein, NPR Music editor Stephen Thompson and All Songs Considered producer Robin Hilton opened my eyes  ears, to a numbers of gems. Great to know there is still good music being created.

I and Love and You

I was driving back to my hotel from dinner in Boulder, Colorado last night, and this Avett Brothers song came up on KBCO. For whatever reason, it struck a chord.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

I first came into contact with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at Rachael Ray's party at SXSW this year and I was instantly blown away.

Recently listed on Rolling Stone as a band to watch, I couldn't agree more. Download 'Home' and you will understand the hype.

Here's what they had to say:

Ask anyone who's held hands with a stranger or danced barefoot in the front row at an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros gig: The 10-piece folk-rock ensemble's shows are more like shamanistic tent revivals than rock concerts. Former Ima Robot frontman Alex Ebert, the singer-songwriter mastermind behind the group, embraced his hippie heart after losing his major-label deal, moving and getting back to basics. "I didn't have a cell phone, we didn't have Internet," says Ebert, who embarked upon his new life with girlfriend Jade Castrinos.

On their recently released debut LP, Up From Below, Ebert channels his psychedelic tendencies into tunes that are alternately joyful ("Janglin," "Home"), jaunty ("40 Day Dream") and gothic ("Desert Song"), with echoes of the Arcade Fire and the Mamas and the Papas. Ebert attributes their sound to a conscious effort on his part to connect with his most childlike musical impulses.

Small Stakes Spurs Concert Poster OCD

I've always loved music album art. By extension, I have an equal passion for concert posters.

That's where Small Stakes comes in. Named after a song by Spoon, Small Stakes is headed by head designer Jason Munn who shares the band's retro aesthetic and less-is-more philosophy, which I fully subscribe to. Each poster speaks to the bands personality and Munn's interpretation only puts these musicians on a bigger stage.

Monday Morning Mix

After a few days off from work, it's going to take a serious playlist to accompany the volts of coffee that I am going to drive through my system this morning. Here's what will be blasting in my office:

• T.I. - Live Your Life
• Scissors for Lefty - Next to Argyle
• Wolf Parade - Shine a Light
• The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight
• Kanye West - Heartless
• Akon, Lil Wayne & Young Jeezy - I'm So Paid
• Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
• My Morning Jacket - I'm Amazed
• AC/DC - Black Ice
• The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name

The Audacity of Dope Mix 2008

To kick off 2009 I just received Terminus Records founder Jeff Bransford's musical year in review. "The Audacity of Dope Mix 2008: Strange You Can Believe In" looks to be another gem. The six CD, 132 song compilation covers the best tunes from Bon Iver to The Walkmen. Safe to say this mix will own my iTouch for the next few weeks!