The Magic That is Ohbijou!

So I saw this band open up for Great Lake Swimmers a few months ago, and we were all blown away. But they seemed like one of those bands that are awesome live, but maybe not so good recorded...you know, the kind of band that has a sort of UNRECORDABLE spark or something. I finally heard the record "Swift Feet for Troubling Times" last weekend (thanks Iain!!) and now must eat my words. The magic, I think, is captured remarkably well...it's lush and pretty and catchy and sweet. Lots of violins, harmonies, banjos and a clever title to boot. This is from their website: "Laying in bed, in a fit of unbridled happiness, hitting me like an unexpected sneeze, I looked at you and said....ohbijou.” aww...how romantic...another perfectly pertinent adjective for the magic that is OHBIJOU.
Favourite songs: The Otherside, The Woods.

Water!

In honour of May 24 and cottages and the like, here is this. Water, beaches, sailing, whatever. THOSE things. Those things the loser boating community can't experience because of this shit weather, which makes me pretty happy, though I'm sure the boaters don't care about that or anything else really (which is a boater characteristic, they all have it, even kayakers).

You know, I want a boat! If anyone has any information on how I could get myself one and live on it forever without getting attacked by pirates or sea police or water vehicle safety guys, it'd be nice.

This is a right "WAVE" of mp3's (ha, ha) and took seventeen years just to upload and link to, so there are no descriptions or anything.

1. Genessaret (Going Out Over 30,000 Fathoms of Water) - Anathallo

2. Water - Jason Mraz

3. Underwater's Where The Action Is - Kelley Stoltz

4. Whilte Waves - Shearwater

5. Paper Boat - Belle and Sebastian

6. It's As Clear - Let's Go Sailing

7. A Seafood Song - The Divine Comedy

8. Where There's A Will There's a Whalebone - Islands

9. Seaside - The Kooks

10. Sea Legs - The Shins

11. Between the Moon and the Ocean - Bon Savants

12. Ocean - poor Yorik

13. You're the Ocean - Teitur

14. Beach Song - Speechwriters LLC

15. Ride A White Swan - T. Rex

16. Moving Pictures, Silent Films - Great Lake Swimmers

17. The River - Marz (with an umlaut!)

18. My Love (Diplo Remix) - Justin TimberLAKE?!

19. Tidal Wave - David Gray

20. The Flood - Bishop Allen

21. The Great Salt Lake - Band of Horses

22. Stowaway - Tullycraft

23. Some Things Make Your Soul Feel Clean - Duke Special

24. Big Boat - M. Ward

25. Kaskaskia River - Sufjan Stevens

26. Catch The Wind - Donovan

27. Sailed On - Landon Pigg

28. Know Which Way The Wind Blows - The Postmarks

29. Heaven - Swimmer

30. I Know There's An Answer (Beach Boys cover) - Sonic Youth

On thirty-first thought, I don't know if the boating community would ever allow me to have a boat of any kind and I should probably forget about it and go back to my sad ghetto wall-painting dreams.

Bonus! The Ocean Doesn't Want Me - Tom Waits

Wolves!

This is a, um, wolf. C/O Google Images, where else. I especially like how that gisele...horse...thing just stands off to the side, like Dick Cheney in that one youtube video, or you know, the wolf's modeling agent. He's ready to make a hit on whoever tries to renegotiate his client's contract. However, the wolf's poses smack of stasis and his career will go nowhere.

Anyway, yes, of course, it's been noticed before. Wolves, or well, the word at least (both plural and singular...) are everywhere - everywhere! There are other words like that, too, that just kind of pop up in songs and song titles and band names and such, so watch out because this may become a regular thing - this week, wolves, next week: the sea. Maybe.

Anyway it took me about twelve years to figure out how to put up these mp3...things...so I hope this works for you.

Wolves at Night - Manchester Orchestra
I begin here with what is hands down my least favourite track on the list. I accindentally uploaded it with the rest of the stuff and it's got the wolf thing so I might as well leave it. It's all just noise, made even more grating and unpleasant to listen to by his nasally and awkward-sounding voice. Enjoy.

The Wolf - Miniature Tigers
Oh, the dreaded handclaps! Not only do I hate them no matter what the context, this is worse because the song already has this very marked, pounding, repetitive thumpy-ness about it. The lyrics are kind of lame, also... "I'm on your trail, I can smell your blood, I've had enough with unrequited love", okay. Kind of a weird metaphor. And then it seems he forgets the metaphor altogether to moan for a while about how "everyone's looking at you like they want to...everybody's looking at you like they want to..." want to what? Oh, go home with you. Sure, I want to take a wolf home, and have it in my bed, and share rabies with it (by the way the new Chuck Palahniuk book is not good). All things considered, though, I kind of like this one.

The Reputation of Ross Francis - My Latest Novel
Because I love this song, and the album it's on - which is of course called "Wolves". Oh, it's gorgeous. If there's one song here that you bother downloading, let it be this one (if you've not already of course).

Say Wolf in the Summertime - Page France
I apologise for the sound quality. Just imagine, though, how good it could sound on a proper recording, or how it would've been live - when he sings, "damn near fell in love..." or later, when the girl comes in, or, "why do you care when the notes go wrong/I'll sing it for me, it's my own damn song..." - this is absolutely the best spring/summer song, or at least, my favourite, for now. If only I could find a better version of it...

Bluebells - Patrick Wolf
You know.

The Bonsai Tree - Peter & the Wolf
Anyone I have shown this song to thus far has hated it...why!? It's so simple and sweet, and as absolutely lame as this sounds, if Bonsai trees could make music I say they'd sound a little like this. I was really fond of the Peter & the Wolf story with music when I was a kid (regretfully, I've got it only on vinyl and am too lazy for Limewire so no mp3's...), and I flipped when I found I liked this (band? guy?) almost as much. Again, this is a more or less seasonally appropriate song, I think. I love spring far too much for my own good.

Middle Distance Runner - Sea Wolf
You're A Wolf - Sea Wolf
Well then. This is all very folksy stuff, so I'm sorry if you hate it. I like Middle Distance Runner best but the other obviously has the more appropriate title. Is it May 8th yet? Sea Wolf's EP, Get To The River Before It Runs Too Low (lyrics from this very song! The second one, that is), comes out then. Not that I've heard more than maybe four songs, but I recommend it in advance but don't hit me if it sucks. I'd be excited enough to know the date today if I wasn't so broke, but hey.

Raised by Wolves - Voxtrot
I'm a hypocrite who can't think up enough wolf songs, kay, thanks, bye.

Things I Don't Know - Wolf Parade
I managed to keep Wolfmother out of this, and I held back on that one TV on the Radio song, but just couldn't keep away from both the Patrick Wolf thing and the obligatory Wolf Parade track. This is kind of new though, eh? I think? At least that's something.

And as it happens that is really all I have to say about Wolves. 'Night!

Sverige

Sweden is home to your favourite and soon-to-be-favourite musicians:

El perro del mar, Peter Bjorn and John, Shout Out Louds, I'm From Barcelona, the Cardigans, Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, Dungen and the Sounds, to name but a few since there's way more.

For a country of 9 million, it's quite a powerhouse.

Listen here!