Now that July is here, here's my half-year half list.

5. Panic at the Disco: Pretty. Odd.
This album was surprisingly enjoyable as a whole. While there are not many songs that particularly stick out to me, there are still some precious gems, like Behind the Sea, which features guitarist/songriter Ryan Ross on vocals, and the eccentric closer, Mad as Rabbits.

4. Colin Meloy: Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke
Can I even put this here? This is a solo tour exclusive, and it's a shame. It's incredible. When I heard about it, I was pretty skeptical. Sure, he did wonderfully covering Morrissey, but Sam Cooke? I was not so sure.I'm glad that I was won over easily. The first track,Cupid, drew me in immediately, and the brief but lovely EP is an amazing little slice of Meloy's diversity.

3. Ballyhoo!: Cheers!
Addmittedly, I did not even know about this band like 4 months ago or so. But my best friend's brother told me to listen to them, so I did. This reggae rock album is purely wonderful. I don't really have words for it. Just, listen for yourself.

2. Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend
I know, I know. They're the "it" band. This year's Artic Monkeys. But, unlike AM, or The Strokes, I really think there is substance behind the band. People constantly compare this record to Paul Simon's Graceland. But, in all honesty, is that really a terrible thing? I'd much rather a band sound like a musical genius than say, My Chemical Romance. I'd choose VW over bands that make terrible, generic music anyday.
The record is poppy, and catchy, and intricate. Gorgeous string arrangements, afrobeat drums, quirky keyboard riffs, yelping vocals. I think that all sounds like the makings of a truly classic modern record.

1. Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs
From the atmospheric opening of Bixby Canyon Bridge to the dreamy ending of The Ice is Getting Thinner, there is not one damn thing about this album that I do not like. I'd say I absolutely adore every millimeter of this record, but sometimes the 4 and a half minute long intro to I Will Possess Your Heart drags a bit. But, the rest of the song is beautiful in the creepiest of manners. No Sunlight is a catchy little number about losing optimism, and Cath... is amongst their finest. Talking Bird is a slowly winding path into the slow and slight You Can Do Better Than Me. The grooviness of Your New Twin Sized Bed is mesmerising. Grapevine Fires angelic chorus is one of the most gorgeous harmonies I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. The upbeat pounding of Long Division is a welcome refresher. Pity and Fear's tabla experiment worked out well, providing the band with a lovely little detour from their usual sound. And the slow, sad The Ice is Getting Thinner is one of the best closers in a very long time. All in all, a incredible record from start to finish.


-O

We've not been here in a while.

I guess I haven't had much to write about. The new Death Cab album came out, and it's great. Listen to it any way possible. Trust me on this. I can't wait to see this material performed live.

In Bonnaroo news, in case you weren't aware, David Cross had to cancel. Damn. I was looking forward to standing in line for hours to see him. He was replaced by Louis CK though, so that's cool. He's funny. Just ask Dane Cook. (OHHH!)

I haven't made another Roo mix, I know, but I've been having trouble listening to anything but Narrow Stairs.


-Orange.

It's a bit early still, but technically, it is the season.

2008 Spring Mix
1. The Elected: Fireflies in a Steel Mill (from Daytrotter)
2. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: Our House
3. Nick Drake: Pink Moon
4. The Flaming Lips: Do You Realize??
5. The Traveling Wilburys: Handle With Care
6. Panic at the Disco: Mad as Rabbits
7. Feist: I Feel It All (Remix)
8. The Good Life: Under a Honey Moon
9. The Grateful Dead: Friend of the Devil
10. Fleetwood Mac: The Chain
11. Fiona Apple: Across the Universe
12. Incubus: Are You In?
13. Iron and Wine: The Devil Never Sleeps
14. Guster: Fa Fa
15. Soul Coughing: Circles
16. Peter Gabriel: Games Without Frontiers
17. The Dandy Warhols: Bohemian Like You
18. Superdrag: Sucked Out

I started on a soft note, went out with a pretty rocking jam, I'd say (at least in comparison), and it flows pretty well, I think. I've been rocking it pretty frequently.

http://www.mediafire.com/?t4zm9du1yyd

Orange.

PS Sorry about there not being a clickable link. The link wasn't showing up when I posted it.

im getting myself in the mood for 'roo

someone asked for this on a community that i watch, so i figured id up it here, too.

i think we had it up once before, but either way, that link has expired.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/li73qv
radiohead, live at bonnaroo, 2006! (i forgot what year they played when i upped it, but i assure you its the correct set.)

hope someone enjoys this. its a huge file though, so beware!!!

~apple.

I've pretty much been a ghost here.

And everywhere else. On a good note, that's allowed me to listen to more new music.

Good: REM "Accelerate", Death Cab "I Will Possess Your Heart"
Okay: Vampire Weekend's self-titled (I definitely understand the Paul Simon Graceland comparison), (suprisingly!)Panic at the Disco "Pretty. Odd".
And lastly, I listened to Bon Iver. I don't really get the hype that's startng to build. Call me crazy. I could not get into it. I tried. :\


-Orange

and now

im swearing off music indefinitely.









just...no.

although i swore off american idol a few years ago, ive been sucked back in this season. i was watching the other night, and jason castro sang leanord cohen's "hallelujah" (most people know this song as covered by one jeff buckley.)




now, the jeff buckley version was released on "grace" which, according to my copy sitting in front of me, was released in 1994. (p.s. what a good fucking year for music!) this was 14 years ago, give or take a few months.

when i opened itunes two nights ago (ironically, to up "grace" to my ipod) i noticed the top-selling singles...number two was "hallelujah" by jeff buckley.


there's something really powerful in that. a tv show that almost wasnt has the ability to bring a song from the attic of indie back to the mainstream 14 years after the song was released. maybe in this is the answer to where the future of music lies.


just a thought.


~apple

THE HOLD STEADY

so, brand new is my favorite band, right? but my current buzz band is, and has been for a few months now, the hold steady.

http://hypem.com/search/the%20hold%20steady%20stay%20positive/1/

joke about jamaca
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CuF2Ao_ZjQc

ask her for some adderall
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FdLD-KB6A_M

lord, im discouraged
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FGh9coUzCaI


as far as ive seen, there isnt a streetdate yet, but im a happy camper just knowing that theres new stuff floating around.

~apple.

in case you havent seen it everywhere else

here is the line-up for this summer's bonnaroo festival.






i cant figure out how to make the whole poster show up. go to www.bonnaroo.com for more info.

i cant wait.

Dear Jack,

The Story of Andrew McMahon has a new trailer. For some reason, blogger won't let me imbed the trailer, so go see it here.

For those of you that don't know (I'm going to go with 99.9% of you, since I'm fairly sure only Apple does know) I have Lupus. I was diagnosed the same time that Andrew got diagnosed with Leukemia. At the time, Something Corporate were one of my favorite bands, and now their spot has only been replaced with Jack's Mannequin. Anyway, reading about Andrew's struggles and his eventual win with his battle helped me a lot with my own. So, Andrew, thank you for all the hope you instilled me with.
Also, buy/go see this (I'm not sure about it's theatrical release), and buy The Glass Passenger with it comes out. Nothing but good will come from that I'm certain.

With much love,
Orange.

im in a sharing mood, watch out!

someone asked for this a few days ago, ive just been too busy/frustrated with mediafire to get this stuff upped, but here it is...
xx=tthxxp://www.mediafire.com/?dxtl9vddtyz
random brand new covers and covers of brand new songs...
including brand new/jesse lacey covering:car (built to spill)am i wrong (love split love)accident prone (jawbreaker)oh comely (nmh)two headed boy pt2 (nmh)web in front (archers of loaf)upward over the mountain (iron & wine)
jesse and kevin devine covering trailer trash (modest mouse)
and straylight run covering play crack the skykevin devine covering jesus christ
please comment when taking. thanks!
(x-posted to indie_exchange)

~apple

After months of speculation and rumor, the Kids are coming back. A well-placed source tells PEOPLE exclusively that New Kids On The Block are indeed getting back together.
The band's Web site, www.nkotb.com, which had been dormant, is now back up and running in anticipation of the official announcement, which the source says will be made in the next few weeks.




from:http://lauhal63.newsvine.com/_news/2008/01/27/1257960-new-kids-on-the-block-stage-comeback-




I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~apple.

loving and leaving:for jen

loving and leaving:for jen.

http://www.mediafire.com/?0mbyx0bx3t2


track listing:

1. cant stand losing you~the police
2. gone for good~the shins
3. not the sun~brand new
4. go away~eisley
5. please come home~dustin kensrue
6. am i wrong~love split love
7. hear you me~jimmy eat world
8. blue in the face~alkaline trio
9. you wont know~brand new
10. if you had a bad time~alkaline trio
11. trapeze swinger~iron & wine
12. naked as we came~iron & wine
13. 23~jimmy eat world
14. upward over the mountian~iron & wine
15. sell my old clothes, im off to heaven~saves the day
16. someday you will be loved~death cab for cutie
17. we will become silhouettes~the postal service
18. exit music (for a film)~radiohead
19. pictures of shorelines~further seems forever
20. smoke~natalie imbruglia
21. settle for a slowdown~dierks bentley
22. dont look back in anger~oasis
23. just until sundown~further seems forever
24. gone~n'sync
25. toolsheds and hottubs~straylight run



i made this for a friend, but thought id post it here, too.

phenoemena~winter 2008 mix

track listing:

1. phenomena~yeah yeah yeahs
2. turn on me~the shins
3. rollerskate skinny~old 97's
4. web in front (archers of loaf cover)~jesse lacey
5. apologize~timbaland
6. at the stars~better than ezra
7. open water~thrice
8. emily jean stock~clap your hands say yeah
9. just live heaven (cure cover)~gatsbys american dream
10.massive nights~the hold steady
11.when i get to 11~the terrible twos
12.handle with care~jenny lewis and the watson twins
13.your love(outfield cover)~midtown
14.it beats 4 u~my morning jacket
15.no one~alicia keys
16.banditos~the refreshments
17.your ex-lover is dead~stars
18.still alone~straylight run
19....slowdance on the inside~taking back sunday
20.say goodbye good~the promise ring


http://www.sendspace.com/file/gd325n


enjoy!!!

~apple

God i wish i could hate you...

Oh, how i miss midtown. Seeing Gabe with his new band all over MTV this week is really making me more angry than seeing someone on MTV should. I hate that he broke up Midtown to create a band that really should have MAYBE existed for one song...the theme to snakes on a plane.

I wanted to badly to see Midtown again...and was given a chance a few years back, but that was yanked out from underneath us because of some reason like a few of the members couldnt get to vintage vinyl or something. i dont remember exactly what the reason was, but i do know that a few weeks later, midtown ceased to exist and cobra starship was all over the place.

i guess this started a back in '03, when gabe was part of the real world/road rules challenge. i remember them being on the beach and gabe coming out from the water to introduce to the cast what the next challenge was going to be. i know that is when a friend of mine (who previously was a HUGE midtown fan and was the person who got me into the band to begin with) decided he could no longer be a fan of the band. he called gabe a sell-out. if only we knew then how right my friend was.

some weeks i get really excited to see bands featured on MTV. others it makes me want to cancel my cable subscription. this week falls to the latter.

It's the end of the year, so here I am, forcing my opinion down your throat.

Top 10 albums
10. Thrice: The Alchemy Index Vols. 1 & 2
09. Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
08. Eisley: Combinations
07. Paul McCartney: Memory Almost Full
06. The Apples In Stereo: New Magnetic Wonder
05. silverchair: Young Modern
04. Dustin Kensrue: Please Come Home
03. The National: Boxer
02. The Shins: Wincing the Night Away
01. Iron and Wine: The Shepherd's Dog

Honorable Mentions
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Raising Sand
Straylight Run: The Needles The Space
The Weakerthans: Reunion Tour

Favorite b-sides
Brand New: (Fork and Knife)
Iron and Wine: Carried Home
Kanye West feat. John Mayer: Bittersweet Poetry

Favorite vocals
Stacy/Sherri DuPree (Eisley)
James Mercer (The Shins)
Dustin Kensrue (solo/Thrice)

Best concerts
Brand New/Kevin Devine and The Goddamn Band/Manchester Orchestra
Brand New/Thrice/mewithoutYou
Bonnaroo 2007
Manchester Orchestra/Annuals/The Never
The Hold Steady/Art Brut

Best TV shows
House
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
South Park

Best video games
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (DS)

Most Anticipated albums of 08
Death Cab
Chris Walla
The Hold Steady
Brand New
Jack's Mannequin
Thrice
Bob Mould
B-52's [I'll admit. I'm pretty curious]
The Lemonheads

-Orange

end of the year

so, i guess its that time of year again for all the end of the year best of lists. i SUCK at creating them because i can never remember what came out during the course of a specific year.

this year is especially hard for me because the only thing ive wanted to listen to for the majority of it has been the devil and God are raging inside me by this blog's collective favorite band, brand new.

there are two albums that i can remember coming out this year. the shepard's dog by iron & wine (another collective favorite...i did spend like two months this year listening solely to their bonnaroo set from a few years ago. im very sad that i was a year too late on the bus for that) and under the boards by saves the day.

i was told to take utb back. i was told its really no good, but a lot of people didnt dig sound the alarm either, and i was pretty into that one, so i dunno. i think its funny that i made a big deal about getting to the store to buy this one and its still sitting in front of my record player, unopened.

the shepard's dog is amazing. i think that it should be on everyone's top 10 this year. there is something about Sam Beam that reaches down to the deepest, darkest recesses of my soul and makes me happy and alive. i could never say enough good about iron & wine. seriously.

maybe after reviewing a few other lists, ill be able to come up with something more conclusive, but really, im getting too old to start listening to new bands.

id be willing to bet that orange has a list brewing, though.



~apple.

So, this is a re-upload? For the 3rd time.

Sorry the link to the Christmas mix was almost constantly down. Mediafire.com kept deleting it[and ONLY it]. So, I decided to use a different uploading site.

So This is Christmas? [take 3!]
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=43FNAN56

This should work. If it doesn't, I'm going to cut a bitch.



-Orange.

Currently spinning: The songs that make my heart sing. a compilation.

first, i have to say that the summer, and especially bonnaroo, ruined me. i really cant enjoy myself at indoor shows anymore. all i wanted to do last night at the show was dance barefooted in the grass and maybe lay down and enjoy some sun between sets...but since we were at the house of blues in atlantic city, that was impossible.

anyway, we saw mewithoutYou, thrice, and brand new last night.

mewithoutYou were really incredible, and probably put on the most energetic set of the night. its really a shame that the people that were there during the set talked through most of it, but they talked through thrice and brand new, as well, so i guess they paid 35 dollars to sit around and talk? i dunno. i dont know a lot of mwY's stuff, but i do know a few songs and they didnt play them. i still really enjoyed them and am very anxious to see them again.

thrice was thrice. dustin makes me a happy girl and teppei is the sickest musician i have had the oppertunity to see. orange and i have concluded that teppei and vin from brand new need to record an album together. it would be the most wicked thing known to man. everyone would love it.

thrice played a few songs from the artist and the ambulance, which is one of my favorite albums ever. they played a few tracks from vheissu, and a really old song (deadbolt, i think, though im not sure) that was really conducive to a live performance. they also played some stuff from the alchemy index, and while the fire stuff is full of energy and very angry, which is also conducive to a live show, the water stuff is really mellow and didnt really flow well with the rest of the set. now im not saying that the water stuff isnt good, because its really georgeous, i just feel like maybe the water stuff should be toured on its own, maybe with the earth stuff, its thats going to be as mellow as this.

Now, we all know that brand new is my favorite band (or at least was until very recently) so ive seen them nearly a couple dozen times. they are always entertaining, in my opinion, and of course last night was no different...but i HATE brand new fans. they are obnoxious and ridiculous. and most of them are the worst kind of fangirls. i am a fangirl too when it comes to jess, but i try very hard to keep my obession under wraps when im in public, and these kids magnify it to the point of silliness.

i am in love with jesse lacey's voice to the point that if i could just marry it, i would. if i could keep it in a bottle and use it to lull me to sleep on sleepless nights, i would. his voice is sex. i would much rather sit around my room with my headphones on and listen to bootlegs though, then be in an environment such as the one we were in last night. no drunkies dancing into me. no people shoving past me. no one talking over jess singing bridges acoustically. mmm.

i hope that seeing them in philly this week will be a bit better of an experience.

anyway, setlist? setlist!

welcome to bangkok
sowing season
millstone
sic transit gloria...glory fades
shower scene
me vs. maradona vs. elvis
luca
the archers bows have broken
morrisey cover (ask orange for the title, because i dont remember it)
not the sun
degausser
jaws theme swimming
you wont know
limosine
jesus christ

and the encore
untitled.


round two on thursday, and three on friday. lets see what happens.

Well, kiddies, it's Black Friday.

Don't go to shopping. You'll die. Thanks!

But this means that Thanksgiving is, and it's okay to be prepared for Christmas!

So, I made a fun Christmas mix. It's got pop and ska and Blues Traveler! What more could you ask for? Seriously.


So, This Is Christmas?
01. Damien Rice: Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
02. Brand New: Oh Holy Night
03. Coldplay: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
04. Copeland: Do You Hear What I Hear
05. Death Cab for Cutie: Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)
06. The Long Winters: Christmas With You is the Best
07. Eels: Christmas is Going to the Dogs
08. Barenaked Ladies (feat. Sarah McLachlan): God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
09. Bing Crosby & David Bowie: Little Drummer Boy
10. Jack Johnson: Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
11. Blues Traveler: Christmas
12. Thurl Ravenscroft: You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
13. Jimmy Eat World: Last Christmas
14. Thrice: Carol of the Bells
15. Bright Eyes: Blue Christmas
16. They Might Be Giants: Santa's Beard
17. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: Mr. Heat Miser
18. Reel Big Fish: Mele Kalikimaka
19. Save Ferris: Christmas Wrapping
20. No Doubt: Oi! to the World
21. The Vandals: My First Christmas as a Woman
22. MXPX: Christmas Night of Zombies
23. Taking Back Sunday: The 12 Days of Christmas
http://www.mediafire.com/?41emzitzmwh

So, I'm planning on burning this and giving it to a few friends. But, if you download it from here, you'll get these lovely bonus tracks:

Nick Hexum of 311: Mele Kalikimaka
Spice Girls: Christmas Wrapping
Rilo Kiley: Xmas Cake
Blink 182: I Won't Be Home for Christmas
Rev Run (feat. Mase, Puff Daddy, Salt & Pepa, Onyx, and Keith Mur): Santa Baby
Tenacious D (feat. Sum 41): Things I Want
Aaron Gillespie & Kenny Vasoli: Yule Be Sorry
http://www.mediafire.com/?2b35ip6domz

-Orange.