Musical Wishes for the 21st

My birthday, or the biggest celebration in the last twenty-one years, is approaching and instead of buying me alcohol, I'm requesting something less expensive and more useful--music. Here is a list of albums I would like to poach from those willing to be poached:

Peter Bjorn & John - I am seeing them in November and I realized I have only 1/5 of their stuff.

• Peter Bjorn and John
• Falling Out
• Seaside Rock
• Living Thing

Wilco

• Being There (Discs 1 & 2)
• Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Phoenix - Don't even get me started about how mad I am that they canceled their D.C. show, that would have been on my birthday.

• United

Ben Folds

• Way to Normal

--I will gladly accept any album/song you have of these following artists. Compliments to Brittany Kemp, my music guru.--

• Hard-Fi
• Calvin Harris
• Duffy
• Emiliana Torrini
  

--and now for the guilty pleasures--

Kanye West - Whatever. I don't even like Taylor Swift.

• 808s and Heartbreaks

Britney Spears - I only like one song, "Unusual You," and it happens to be worth getting all the shit that comes along with it.

• Circus

Jay-Z

• The Blueprint 3

If you are willing to share music, send it on over. Regardless, enjoy the 27th as if it were your own 21st birthday.

New Album: Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio

I've been waiting so long for Sondre to put out a new album--about three years, just like the rest of the world. It's well worth the wait. At first, I was just repeated listening to the songs because I was trying to study up for the upcoming concert. This album is definitely his best ever. The flow is wonderful and the string arrangements heavenly. I'm glad he's hung up the electric guitar for a bit to focus on his roots.

It's also very hard to write objectively about an album that you can't stop listening to because all the songs, right now, are "the best EVER." So I'm going to write about those which I think will be my favorites for the long run.

Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio

1. Good Luck

2. Heartbeat Radio
When I listened to this song, I just knew that this album was going to be spectacular. It's very head-boppy and has such a warm feeling with the string instrumentals. His point about the radio is so true though--whenever you want to find that one song, it's never there.

3. I Cannot Let You Go
This is my favorite song of the album and gets the entire thing flowing. The slow "a cappella" guitar transitioning into the keyboard and drum section in the beginning is divine. I love the tempo, I love the beats. I also love the accentuated "let you go" with the voice/piano/computer. Overall, it's the best song of the bunch.

4. Like Lazenby

5. If Only
Really cute. At the concert, Sondre said that this is about childhood dreams, to achieve some and to give up the others. How fitting--I'm living mine at the moment. I love the mix of the syncopated beats with the soft acoustic guitar and I'm such a sucker for a good beat.

6. Pioneer

7. Easy To Persuade

8. Words & Music

9. I Guess It's Gonna Rain Today
This song is about Bergen, Norway, and its rainy weather (400 days out of the week, as Sondre said), but it might as well been about Baltimore. The music is raw and the melody is simple. It's very poignant and you can't help but to listen to this on repeat, sipping a cup of tea, watching the weekly torrential downpour of Maryland.

10. Almighty Moon
The end of the album always has good songs. "Almighty Moon" is probably an overlooked solid song. And I like the text painting with the "running around" lyric.

11. Don't Look Now
I like this song because it's bouncy, and you know how much I love that bounce.

12. Goodnight

And as an extra boost of Sondre Lerche, here's an interview of him talking about his album and songs, courtesy of NPR--so cute! Go out and buy this album. Even better, go out and see him live. It is worth the investment.

Sondre Lerche at the 930 Club (9/11/09)

Sondre has proven again why he's the best to see live. His concert on 9/11 was perfect for his new album--low key and homey, with only his vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, and a few spare guitar strings. I was so surprised that it was a solo act since most of his new songs included an entire string orchestra providing the background. But, he made it work. In fact, he made it even better. I'm still reeling from girlish giddy-ness because of how adorable he is, on stage and off. I got a signature and an awkwardly posed picture to go down in the record books. Two bucks more and I would have sprung for that vinyl.

I loved "If Only," one of my favorite songs of the new album, which he said was about achieving some dreams and forgetting others. "I Guess It's Gonna Rain Today" was very sweet and poignant. I liked it on the album but I love it now that he performed it. Others from his new album were "Heartbeat Radio," "Like Lazenby," "Pioneers" (which I always thought was a throwaway song), "Easy to Persuade," and "Words and Music" (a little sappy for my taste). I wish he had performed "I Cannot Let You Go" because that a standout in my mind. Out of his other songs, his rendition of "Sleep on Needles" was most surprising. I had never paid too much attention to that song but he really ramped up the energy and the guitar strumming. He also performed (in his words) an epic version of "Two Way Monologue" and "My Hands are Shaking," which he broke a guitar string for both songs. He mostly stayed away from Phantom Punch, only playing a toned down version of "Say It All." As an encore, he sang "Modern Nature," arguably my favorite song of his to see live because he duets with the audience.

He was only on stage for roughly and hour and the time flew by so quickly. But, he was absolutely fabulous on the guitar. Back in 2007, he had his bandmates with him and I had no idea he was that good. It was so amazing to see how songs produced with six or seven instruments can be recreated using only one, and sometimes with a guitar string hanging off during the big solo. Compared to his 2007 concert, I definitely enjoyed the newer one better. However, during his older concert, I felt more connected to him during the concert. This could have been because Serena and I got to the 930 Club 10 minutes after he started and were standing next to the bathroom in the nosebleed balcony. If we were there at opening, I totally would have been that girl bouncing up and down right next to that stage...and would have got that set list too.

So, to summarize--Sondre, I love you. Thank you, thank you for a concert that was even better the second time around.