rbi baseball....simply the best

I'm not much for gaming.  I get it.  Really, I do....but something has been lost in all of this.  Is realism what we're after?  perhaps.  kids these days play with real guns, real tiger woods', real autos.  but I'll take fat chubby sluggers any day of the week.  I was fortunate enough to relive some glory this past week on my visit to St. Louis, and you'll all (well, maybe just me) be happy to know that i still have what it takes in the best video game ever. 

Here's two funny tricks that i have pulled myself, and if you ever really cared about the best gaming system of of our childhood, you did too!  kudos to the video posters.  Some people just might have too much time on their hands....of course I found these on youtube, so what does it say about me. 

State of Love and Trust is back!!

At one time in my life I listened to just one band and there was a more specific time of my life when I listened to just one song.  That song was State of Love and Trust and this is the first time I have seen it  covered and I really, really enjoy this cover done by Gaslight Anthem.

Mumford and Sons-The Cave

Check out Mumford and Sons here.  Takes me about 5 seconds to realize that I really like there music.  Will probably pick up there newest album Sigh No More this week.  Good stuff.


Here are some things I would like to mention but will not write extensively about
1) Kobe Bryant is not Larry or MJ or Magic or Oscar Robertson or Bill Russell.  We don't dislike him because he is smug.  We dislike him because he is trying to be something that he will never ever be, no matter how many championships the teams he is on wins.
2) The National's cd is pretty great.
3) A radish, although not my favorite tasting vegetable, tastes great when it comes out of your own yard
4) Soccer is not the worst game in the world.  And even if it is its not completely unwatchable.

In Case You Weren't Sold on Woodpigeon's First Posted Song....

OKAY, maybe i'm late to the party...or maybe I'm the first one here.  http://www.baeblemusic.com/ is freaking awesome.  apologies if you already knew this.  But i just discovered it, and i'm giddy.  if you're looking to waste some time reading about, listening to, or watching performances (and you reading this site is evidence you are!), go to baeble.  You won't be disappointed. 

Here is Woodpigeon's entire performance from their "Guest Apartment."  Dude can sing, i'll say that.  forgive me, but i'm obsessed.  Apparently, they won't let me link the entire set (3 songs) here, so this is the same song as before....but click on the "watch the full concert."  below this video.  you won't be disappointed.


Watch the full concert at baeblemusic.com

The Plants and Animals (Canadians, go figure) session is pretty badass as well.  Here's one song, with the whole concert link below as well. 


Watch the full concert at baeblemusic.com

What I'm Diggin' Lately: Woodpigeon

by: Mitch Miggenburg
those darn canadians have done it again.  This is the band i'm listenin to at the moment.  I stumbled on this guy on the Black Cab Session website (link to be posted in a few!).  This is the song I like best, "And As the Ship Went Down, You Never Looked Finer."  You know everybody on the boat drowns, but they looked good!  that's awesome. 
For some reason, this reminds me of a Ce N'est Rien song.  If you like it, check out his others...I like 7th Fret Over Andres as well.

Here's their website, where you can stream and preview the entire album if you're not impulsive and like to buy entire albums having only heard one song, like me.  And their other goings-on.   I don't think you'd be disappointed.
http://www.woodpigeon-songbook.com/

The first video is from Baeblemusic.com and it is great.



the second is the same song but from the Black Cab sessions


Wood Pigeon from Black Cab Sessions on Vimeo.


go Canadians, go!

VESSALO Day 7....we made it kids

last day of the VESSALOS.  and maybe these weren't videos.that.everyone.should.see.at.least.once so much as they were videos that I just really liked.  again, i hope you've enjoyed watching them as much as i have posting them. 
another little twist here on the last day.  most of the videos here have been live versions with somewhat questionable quality.  i have purposely tried to find a little better quality videos here.  a little more production value if you will.  I chose three of my favorite bands of the past 5 years.  in no particular order:

First:  My Morning Jacket - Off the Record
gotta love Jim James.  I saw them about a month ago, and this song brought the house down.



Video #2:  Kings of Leon:  Notion
for whatever reason, this band has really caught on in Europe, but have lagged in popularity here.  I know Sunsets doesn't really get the hype, but i'm telling you....a very tight band with amazing arrangements, a unique voice, and unbelievable live show. 



Video #3:  Band of Horses:  Laredo
I would not forgive myself if I left off my Charleston boys Band of Horses.  This is not my favorite song on the new album, but I loved the acoustic version done here with no drums.  Dig it.



Hope you all enjoyed first-annual VESSALOS!  stayed tuned for more from Charleston SC.

VESSALO Day 6: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. (that's an order!!) / Alec Ounsworth

Let's keep this ball rolling shall we?  One of my favorite bands of the 'oughts.'  One of the better debut albums i can remember.  His voice is not for every one, but it sure scratches me where I itch!  The first video is an acoustic version of my favorite tune off of that album....."Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood."  they are going out to bars, and they are getting into cars....i have seen them with my own eyes!  america please help them.



The second is not Clap Your Hands, but their lead singer Alec Ounsworth and his new project...Flashy Python - might be worth looking into if you like his voice.  Their's something i just really like about two dudes playing guitars in a room.  It's their Tiny Concert from NPR.  and it is great if you ask me.

VESSALO Day 5: Jeff Mangum

Okay, hitting the homestretch here...hopefully you guys are enjoying watching these videos as I am finding them and writing a word or two about each.  And we would be remiss if we left Jeff Mangum, of the band Neutral Milk Hotel) off of any singer/songwriter list of any kind.  A tremendous talent, but definitely a tortured soul....he can just flat out write a song.  Sunsets purchased this cd in 52.5 Records in Charleston, SC some time around 2004 or so).  The album came out in the late 90's, so we were a little late to the party....but we immediately fell in love with NMH.  And if you don't listen or haven't heard of Jeff Mangum...go back and revisit....it's not too late!!  He has not released in album since 1998, and if you would like to read more...here goes. (yes, i'm into wikipedia lately)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Mangum

The first video speaks for itself.  I am still partial to Sunsets version in The Clap in the Winter of 2009 (look for it in the older posts here at Sunsets....a real treat!), but the energy in his voice is undeniable.


The 2nd is probably my favorite Neutral Milk Hotel song.  Not the best version I have ever heard (the other musicians aren't exactly "ON" in this one.  But, I love five things about it...
1.  It's recorded on my birthday....New Year's Eve.  The best day to drink of the year!
2.  The sweater he is wearing slays me.  It looks like he's attending a "Bad Christmas / New Year's Sweater Party."
3.  He looks like he might want to kill everyone in the room on more than one occasion in this song.
4.  The horns. (again, not exactly on it, but great sounding nonetheless)
5.  The weird instrument that I don't know near the 3 minute mark.  He laughs at the guy playing it as if to say, "That's a silly little instrument you're playing!  Seriously!" around the 3:17 mark. 

VESSALO Day 4: Ben Harper

Here's a couple videos from one of my old-time favorites.  I've gotten away from Ben Harper in the last couple of years, but he's one of the better live shows I've seen.  This first song was extremely cool live.  I was at a Ben Harper show in Charleston probably 9 or 10 years ago (man we're getting old).  Anyway, the second the bongo intro hit, all you could see was the biggest, craziest plume of marijuana smoke rise from what seemed like every crevasse of the auditorium.  An indoor show!  A small, artsy type of place.  Still....a fun song, no matter what time of year.....HERB, the gift....from the earth, and what's from the earth is of our greatest worth....so before you knock it, try it first....and you'll see it's a blessing no it's not a curse!  classic.



the second video is a combination of two of my favorite all-time voices.  You'd be hard-pressed to find a better combo!

VESSALOS day 3

Video #5:  Yusuf Islam (who?)
Day 3 of the Videos Everyone Should see at Least Once Series brings a different kind of twist from the usual indie-rock fare.  One of my favorite older artists, and an unusual and intriguing character to say the least - Yusuf Islam, or the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens.  I only knew bits and pieces of this interesting man's life.  I cannot do his life justice in my words, so I've attached a couple of links so you might learn more on your own.  A religious convert, educator, philanthropist, and one helluva musician.  The video?  My favorite of all of his songs...Father and Son.  It always seems to get a little dusty in the room when i hear it.  Sung on BBC sometime around 2007 I believe.  Enjoy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Stevens

http://www.yusufislam.com/

VESSALO #4

Day 2 of the VESSALOS!
Nirvana: Polly (from Nirvana Unplugged in New York, 1993), About a Girl, Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam

OK, so I couldn't quite decide which one I liked best...so I included all three.  And quite honestly,  I could have posted this entire set.  These songs flood my mind with some of the best memories and times of my life, and shaped my taste in music forever.  I think i discovered this album in 1994 - sophomore year of high school, and remember it as one of the 1st albums where you could listen to it in it's entirety, each song seemingly better than the last.  It saddens me to think about Kurt's last moments and I shudder to think what could have been.  But maybe he was right...perhaps he truly did answer Neil Young's question that it was better to burn out than to fade away.  RIP Kurt.

Song ONE:  Polly
Taken from Wikipedia (I know, not the most reliable of sources, but interesting nonetheless) a description of how Kurt came to write the lyrics:
--According to Michael Azerrad's 1993 Nirvana biography Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, "Polly" is based on the true story of a female rape victim from Tacoma, Washington. The girl, 14, was abducted in 1987 while returning from a punk rock show, and was raped and tortured with razors and a blowtorch by her abductor Gerald Friend. Cobain's only narrative flourish is that the victim manages to escape by flirting with her captor Gerald Friend, convincing him to trust her. This allows her to escape while he stops for gas.[1]


Song #2:  About a Girl
Arguably my favorite 1st track of any album i can remember.  Nostalgic for sure.  Pay close attention to David Grohl's turtleneck....high comedy. 


Song #3:  Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam
Definitely fits my "Obscure Cover Song" bill.  Completely random, but amazing stiill the same

VESSALO #3

Regina Spektor:  Us
Lollapalooza, 2007
Most of the people at Sunsets know I don't care much for female singers.  It's not that i'm sexist, i'm just not that into it.  The following is, I guess, an exception to the rule.  She is certainly sexy and can sing with the best of them.  This song always makes me feel a little bit better...regardless of the situation.....we're living in a den of thieves!

VESSALO #2

Ryan Adams:  Oh My Sweet Carolina

I remember where I was the first time I heard this song.  Actually in South Carolina.  Charleston to be exact.  Sitting in my bedroom with headphones on.  Middle of June...hot, hot, hot.  There's humidity...and then there's Charleston, SC in the summer.  Something about being at, or right at, sea level.  Makes the temperature outside down right unbearable.  But this song always makes me remember the good parts of the south that i've come to love soo much.  Warm weather, the beach, good-looking women, barbecue, and bourbon.  mmmm.

Videos Everyone Should See At Least Once Series (from here on known as VESSALO!)

by: Mitch Miggenburg

Okay, hopefully Sunsets won't mind me starting a new feature here.  Summer break has started for all of us teachers out there, and with it...much free time.  So, with that...and my obsession with watching singer/songwriters on YouTube, I will begin this weeklong series with at least one, and possible 2,3, or 4, videos posted per day of songs that i think everyone should see at least once in his life.  Mostly songs that mean or have meant a great deal to me at some point in my life.  Some will be obscure, others will not.  Hopefully, you will find a few you like as much as I do.

So, without further adieu...let's get this thing started:

VESSALO video #1:
Iron and Wine:  Trapeze Swinger
Taken from the Green Man Festival in August of 2008.  This song has literally brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion.  I've listened to it on repeat in my car for 6 days straight.  It was the only song I wanted to hear.  I think it's possibly in the top 10 best songs ever written.  Just a masterpiece.  Kind of long at 7 minutes and 44 seconds, but honestly...it won't seem that long.  It's one of those you never want to end. 

By: MM


This video always makes me laugh. I love John Darnielle. There is something to be said for someone who is unapologetic for what he likes...even if it is Ace of Base. Enjoy a good laugh. And don't ignore that urge to sing the chorus. Belt it out...you know you know it!

Great Lake Swimmers

by: Mitch Miggenburg

Well, i've finally kicked my little Tallest Man on Earth habit (well, not completely, but i'm slowly weening...shoot me).   I am now obsessed with NPR's Tiny Desk concerts  (which ironically Tallest Man has a GREAT one,but I digress). This is what I'm into now.  Great songs to sit by the pool, beachside, or on the back porch with a stiff drink or an ice cold beer.  Ah, summertime at last....enjoy the Great Lake Swimmers
I like all three, but my favorite is the third song (around the 9:30 mark...Various Stages)  Try to disregard the extremely awkward conversation in between songs.  It gets uncomfortable at times!