Welcome to a special Thursday edition of Remix Wednesday. I wanted yesterday to be special all by itself.
So last month before I’d even started thinking about doing this October Avalanche series, I posted a remix of “Since I Left You” (link). This is what inspired me to do this entire series.
So here we are, talking about the final EP the band put out, At Last Alone. Nine tracks, 5 remixes, 4 rare/unreleased.
I’m only going to highlight my favorites today, but true fans will want the entire EP.
2.A Different Feeling (Ernest St. Laurent Remix) (removed 2/13/09)
A much softer version, of the song. This is my favorite way to enjoy this song, and it’s more polished feel comes across nicely, in a way that does not seem to betray the original.
4. Electricity (Dr. Rockit’s Dirty Kiss) (removed 2/13/09)
My favorite remix of Electricity, it reimagines the song in an entirely different way. The remix brings new light to some of the more obtuse sounds hidden in the song, as well as introducing some really cool new sounds. I prefer the original version, but this one is really cool to listen to also.
5. Thank You Caroline (Andy Votel Remix) (removed 2/13/09)
Thank You Caroline is one of the rarer tracks by the Avalanches, (anyone missing the original version can email me) but all the while still one of the best. Thank You Caroline is an original piece of music by The Avalanches, and it blows my mind in it’s simplicity. This remix pays excellent tribute to the late great song, until about halfway where it starts to do it’s own thing.
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Only one week left! I’ll be going over some stuff where The Avalanches did remixes for other bands. It’s going to be great, so come back next week on our usual time (Wednesday).
100 posts. I can hardly believe it. I guess you could say we’re pretty legit now. Maybe? Well, I really didn’t think that I would last this long, or that I would have this much success. So first of all I would like to thank all of you loyal readers. Without you guys this would just be me rambling to myself for no reason about music I already know about. So thank you for your support and encouragement. It is my desire that for the next 100 hundred posts that we would provide a place for you to come and discover new music that doesn’t suck and that is helping make this world a better place. So in my effort to do just that and my desire to honor a band that is not only one of the many inspirations for writing this each week, but the band that gave us our name. So it is with my pleasure to introduce to you….Umbrellas.
I first discovered this band right before the release of their self-titled debut off of their record label The Militia Group in the summer of 2005. From the moment I first heard the piano intro to the opening track, ‘ The City Lights’, I knew that I was going to fall in love with this band. Scott Windsor has created the perfect blend of pop music: between his soft and airy voice, the catchy melodies flowing from the piano, smooth guitar riffs, tight drum beats, and then throw in a little hint of depeche mode-like electronica. It is like heaven in my ears. And I haven’t even mentioned his phenomenal lyrics. Some say he’s pretentious. I say he’s brilliant. There were many moments during my first experience with this album that literally gave me goose-bumps. The first one was through the entirety of the aformentioned opener. It can still do it to me almost three years later. It is an absolutely fantastic song.
And then the second moment came in the song that brought us to where we are today, ‘Ghost’. This song builds to an incredible chorus where Windsor just belts out such a gorgeous refrain that contains the words from which we got our name. It’s hard to not get goose-bumps just thinking about that first listen. But it isn’t just the chorus that gets me. I love every word to this song, and I hope that you will come to appreciate it as much as I do. And I hope that hearing this song will also give you a greater love for our site and the history behind it.
It’s the excitement, the anxiety, then the let down.
It’s the vivid dreams that fall away from our memory.
I won’t be your sorrow anymore,
or that crutch that validates those pictures inside your head.
When you hear this song I hope your ears bleed.
‘Cause it’s in this song that I hear you.
When you hear this song I hope you head for the hills.
It’s there that you’ll find me and you’ll lose me.
‘Cause it’s there that you’ll be beautiful.
Simply gorgeous. Well I’m not going to even touch on their sophomore release today. But I’m sure you’ll read about it here at some time in the future. Until then…I hope your ears bleed.
Here is a great live performance from Feist and her boy toy Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene. This song was recorded live last year on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. This song is completely unreleased as far as I know. These two sound great together, which I’m sure you will agree. It’s great little tune, with very sweet lyrics. Hope you enjoy it.
ED-Correction: This song has in fact been released. It can be found on Drew’s soloish album, Spirit IF…. I add the “ish” because a good majority of BSS were involved in the project, and the actual album cover reads: “Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew”.
I cannot get enough Efterklang, a band from Copenhagen, Denmark. I like to refer to them as Sigur Ros’ way more eccentric (and as a result strangely more attractive) sibling. I don’t know about their popularity over in the Nether-regions, but based on their upcoming tour it seems they are making some headway in the States. I plan to go see them when they hit up Hotlanta in May, and if their videos are any indication of what their live show will present I am pretty excited to see them. And since they have quite a few video’s out (their songs just beg to have images accompaning them; heck, I am even working on a video featuring their song “Mimeo”) I thought to myself, “Why limit today’s post to just one music video?” So I am going to do something crazy and offer up three. I know, it is a special day.
It should also be mentioned that the last video is not technically a music video, but rather clips from the documentary “In A Dream” by Jeremiah Zagar. I felt it was too beautiful a song and video to exclude based on a technicality.
Welcome to a special Thursday edition of Remix Wednesday. I wanted yesterday to be special all by itself.
