Author Archives: Krissie

Download Now: Parachute Musical, Kill It Cut It Down

Posted on by
1
Parachute Musical Kill It Cut It Down

Parachute Musical's Kill It Cut It Down is an "abandonment of old ways"...in other words, a fabulously frenetic pop record worth investing in.

Before I ever heard Parachute Musical play a note, I knew I would love them.  Why?  Simply because lead singer Josh Foster is Christopher Jak‘s doppelganger – and I do not need to repeat again how much I love Mr. Jak.  Pretty sure he already considers me a stalker.  But I digress…

In all seriousness, the first time I saw Parachute Musical play, I was H-O-O-K-E-D.  It would be hard for these kids to avoid the Ben Folds references thanks to Foster’s stand-up, high energy, knock the keys around piano stylings, but they deserve to shine without the comparison.  Absolutely fantastic up-tempo melodies, witty lyrics, perfect pitch vocals, downright mad crazy bass lines – all topped off with some mean shaker and tambourine skills – it’s edgy pop perfection, really.

So count me among the faithful that logged onto their website Tuesday morning to download their new album, Kill It Cut It Down for a measly $2.  Talk about rewarding your fan base; the price goes up by $1 every day until it gets to $10. So add marketing genius to their skill set. [Go get the album.]

The foursome, who originally hail from D.C. but relocated to Nashville a few years back, have created an 11-song musical novella that is certain to carve a swath to some big time attention for them.  Along with Foster, Tom Gilbert (guitar), Andrew Samples (bass) and Ben Jacoby (drums) address traditional youthful angst in a dizzying carousel ride of love and relationships, heartbreak, insomnia, self-discovery, disappointment in people, impetuousness and regret – in their own words, a “quarter-life crisis in full effect.”  It’s a logical and welcome progression from 2008’s Everything Is Working Out Fine In Some Town. Yes, young bands can grow up gracefully, and it’s awfully fun to hear in the case of Parachute Musical.

My favorite tracks include the 70s reminiscent “Stubborn Young Manhood”; the title track and its pounding, rhythmic chorus line that I’ll inevitably find myself walking around singing arbitrarily for the next several days; and the sharply uncharacteristic “Losing You,” noticeably lacking Foster’s killer keys and instead sporting a very Dion and the Belmonts-esque sing songy guitar foundation.

The long and short?  If have a need to relive your impassioned younger years, you’re going to adore this record. But more importantly, if you enjoy a good piano tune, appreciate great vocals, a devilishly catchy melody and clever wordsmithing, and absolutely need to discover a new band whose star is shining bright, you must jump on into Parachute Musical’s Kill It Cut It Down – and don’t bother with the ripcord. This is music worth freefalling into.

More Parachute Musical:  Web | Facebook | Twitter

The Sunday Funday Playlist – August 21, 2011

Posted on by
2

1.  Atlas Hands – Benjamin Francis Leftwich

My British singer-songwriter obsession continues this week.  Heard this song in the background of a Royal Pains episode and had to have it.  It’s like a grown-up lullabye; I’m in love with BFL’s soft-spun, raspy vocals.

2.  Down Down Down – Charlie Simpson

I’d like to thank PledgeMusic for turning me onto this British singer-songwriter (see, it’s a trend).  I do love alternate percussion and rhythm in a song, so the soft snaps early in this song totally appeal to me – add in some strings, wide-open vocals, and the building symphony and you’ve got an instant fan in me.  Even though you can’t buy his full-length album Young Pilgrim yet here in the States, you can pick up this track and two others on the Down Down Down EP for free on his website.

3.  The Storm & The Eye – Matrimony

I can’t get enough lately of Charlotte’s own Matrimony, a husband and wife duo (and fabulous band) who are making their second appearance on the Sunday Funday playlist.  I saw one half of Matrimony, Jimmy and some of the band plus and incredible fiddle player, do a somewhat impromptu opening set for Andy Zipf this week.  It was a stunning little set performed on the outdoor patio at Common Market, with weather to match, and I have been listening to their music incessantly all week.  This song is probably my favorite off their EP of the same name. The Irish jiggish fiddle at the end wins me over every time.  The band just announced they’ll be going on tour this fall in support of Langhorne Slim.  Get out to see them if you can.

4.  The Rebel Lovers – The Well Reds

Big excitement in Krissie world this week – getting to see The Well Reds live!  My friend Dru first turned me onto this band earlier this year, and their Violet EP has earned a top spot in my “most played” for 2011.  Anytime you combine driving guitars and keys, you’ve got a winner in my book.  Cannot wait to see them live on Thursday! “The Rebel Lovers” is my fave track of the EP.

5.  Good Enough – Honor By August

Honor By August rocketed into my world back in 2006 when I reviewed their album Drowning Out the Television for Alternative Addiction and they’ve been a big part ever since.  I will never get over the thrill I get seeing them play live.  Whether they are stripped down acoustic or completely rocking out, I never leave one of their shows without a huge smile on my face.  Last night at The Evening Muse was no exception… and this song is a HUGE reason why.  The first time I ever saw them play it (at some little bar/wing place in Columbia, SC), I remember telling Evan afterward that the guitar solo was ridiculous.  And it remains ridiculous.  Last night, he played it with A BROKEN HAND.  So, for putting on a big ass rock show last night, the boys get the final spot in this week’s Sunday Funday Playlist.  They’re back in Charlotte at the Double Door on Sunday, October 23 with The Alternate Routes.  Don’t miss it.

What’s On Your Workout Playlist? Vol 2.

Posted on by
1

A good running playlist (and the promise of a beer afterwards) will get me through any race happy! Virginia Beach Rock n' Roll Half-Marathon September 2008

We’re down to less than 12 weeks before the Savannah Rock n’ Roll Half-Marathon – time for the serious training to kick in. This will be my fifth half and while running and I will never be besties, I do get a huge sense of accomplishment out of it.

However, I would not be able to run a foot without my trusty little iPod Shuffle and my favorite Philips earbuds (which I fear may die before the half…dang fraying wires). Forget my carb count and food intake, how much water I’ve consumed, or how much sleep I got the night before – the key to my success on long runs is my running playlist. Unlike a lot of runners, I don’t craft my playlists around BPM; I more or less go with songs I love, things that inspire me, that bring back good memories (so that when I’m cursing the hill at mile 8, at least I’m doing it with a smile!).

I like to run to the same playlist so that I know where I should be…you know, when “Pumped Up Kicks” is on, I should be at roughly 3.5 miles. That kind of thing. But, as my training moves along and I figure out where I’m hitting walls and when I’m on cruise control, my playlist evolves to help give me the boosts that I need – or remind me to slow it down. There’s nothing better than hearing Moby’s, “Bodyrock” at mile 9 when I’m flagging and re-finding my groove!

So, as previously promised, I’m posting the updated & revised version of my playlist here. From the search stats on the blog, I’ve figured out that a LOT of people are looking for workout and running playlist songs, so I’m happy to share so that maybe one of you will find something new. I’ve linked every song to its iTunes, Amazon and/or Bandcamp page for quick and easy buying (after all that running, I know, it’s too much effort to have to track down these tunes!). There are even a handful that are available for free download – take advantage of these aritsts’ generosity and pick up some tunes for your running playlist!

Let me know if you have any great additions for me or if you find something new here that’s been a great addition to your playlist!

Happy running!

The Sunday Funday Playlist – August 14, 2011

Posted on by
1

Quiet week for the JrzyGyrl.  Lots of work.  Makes for loads of listening time.

1.  Home – The Wealthy West

A side project of Brandon Kinder from The Rocketboys, another Austin, TX band, The Wealthy West is right up my singer-songwriter power alley.  Where The Rocketboys are full-band rock n’ roll with a little reminiscent of Coldplay, The Wealthy West is more toned down – really sparse arrangements (although not all acoustic – check out the organ on “Another Bad Idea”), contemplative lyrics and perfect little melodies.  Brandon’s voice is a bit chameleonesque – reminds me of Greg Laswell every once in awhile.  This little self-titled 5-song EP won my heart this week and got some serious action.  “Home” is my favorite track; seriously, how can you not love acoustic guitar, harmonica and banjo?

2.  Demons – Marcus Foster

Props for this one go to Music for Those Who Listen.  In the same post that gave me Ben Howard last week, he also turned me onto Marcus Foster, a soul-filled folky singer from the UK….think Brit version of Ray LaMontagne, minus the angsty depression.  Really loving his Tumble Down EP (despite the fact that I can’t buy it in the U.S. and am forced to listen to it on SoundCloud) especially this track, which has been the perfect accompaniment to my mood this week.

3. Anybody – The Soldier Thread

I was turned onto Austin, TX’s The Soldier Thread a few years ago by Stephen, who was a member of Alpha Rev’s management and promotions team at the time.  Lately, I’ve been a little obsessed with them, especially after seeing their acoustic act live a few months ago.  Patricia Lynn’s voice is pure freaking gold.  They put this song up for free download a few weeks back, and it has been getting lots of play – I love that this song, and their song “Matador” are serious empowerment songs. This week, “Anybody” shot to the top of my playlists. Not only did they put up a video of Patricia and Justin doing an acoustic version which is absolutely beautiful, but it also became my new favorite song to run to as it closed out my new running mix.  Download the song for free by clicking on the download arrow above or visiting their Facebook page.

4. When I Get My Wings – Will Hoge

With work ruling my life this week, I find myself desperately looking forward to my long beach weekend escape with seven of my closest friends in nineteen very long days.  Of course, the impetus behind the trip is a two-night stand at The Windjammer by none other than Mr. Will Hoge.  If you know me, my anticipation for his new record, Number Seven, is not at all surprising.  If you don’t know me…well, suffice it to say that Will is one of my Top Five artists of all time, and my absolute favorite artist to see live.  This will be the first single off the new album, and although you can only get it streaming right now, it has still gotten significant play from me.   Check out snippets off the new record at willhoge.com, listen to an interview that Alternative Addiction did with Will about the new record here, and read the story behind this song over at American Songwriter.

5. Take in the Sunlight – The Kin
My favorite Australian duo is back!  I feel so lucky to have seen these guys perform live on several occasions on The Rock Boat; there’s definitely a magic that siblings who perform together have that no one else can match, and these brothers are simply profound. Harmonically, they are sheer perfection together. The guys did a song for a documentary called “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” about a man’s quest to lose weight and create a healthier lifestyle; “Take in the Sunlight” is the “theme” for the documentary, and I gotta tell you, it is an inspiring song.  So much so that it made it to my running mix, even though it’s not really an uptempo song.  They released it as part of EP with a few older songs (“Diamonds,” “Waking Up Shining,” “One Thing”) Unfortunately, the track can’t be found anywhere on SoundCloud, so I can’t put in a clip.  However, someone was nice enough to record them singing it at the opening of the film…and it’s almost better because you can really get a feel for the incredible intensity The Kin has live.  Thanks to BigCityVegan for sharing the clip on YouTube.