Camera Crowd's Best of 2006

This year for music has been F-A-N-tastic: long-time favorites two-stepped back into the music world again. (look: Cat Power, Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens...) On the other hand, new favorites settled so quickly into our ears that we're almost scared to wonder if 2007 can top this year.

Okay, so we couldn't figure out who would get to write on these four albums, since we both loved them immensely and we mean immensely. To the point where Anne called dibs on all four of them, but realizing that wasn't exactly fair. We decided to rest assured that you knew who these four were and decided to not fistfight over googletalk about who gets to write about comeback Chan Marshall, Austin favorite indie pop Voxtrot, Jenny Lewis's first solo album or Voxtrot-keyboardist Jared Van Fleet's solo EP. Although it would be interesting to see how that would go over.

Camera Crowd's Picks
(Not in any order)

The Greatest Cat Power

Living Proof - Cat Power



Rabbit Fur Coat Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins

Rise Up with Fists - Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins




Falls Sparrow House

foxes (sighing like a furnace) - Sparrow House






Your Biggest Fan Voxtrot

Trouble - Voxtrot



Anne's Picks


Lightness Peter and the Wolf
Some bloggers have touched on Peter and the Wolf, but too few haven't even mentioned Red Hunter's first official release Lightness. This album revolves around Hunter's seemingly hundred-year old voice is full of wisdom and comes off as if its owner has traveled every corner of the world and sat down to tell stories, which is of course in the form of the songs. Ooooh along, listeners!

The Highway - Peter and the Wolf

Gulag Orkestra Beirut
A breath of fresh air and lifts the listener out of troubles and into the cobblestone European scenery. There is plenty to sing and dance along to and youngster Zach Condon is the tour guide around the place providing a warm golden trumpet sound to melt anyone's heart.


After the Curtain - Beirut

The Life Pursuit Belle and Sebastian
Hello, polished version of Belle and Sebastian. For longtime, B&S fans this may sound fatal and a sure sign of disappointment, but relax it only means a new direction for this catchy Scottish band. This album introduces Stuart Murdoch flexing his voice into new places making the listener think twice during "Sukie in the Graveyard" and double-checking it wasn't a David Bowie song lost in the mix. Lively electric guitar solos and in-the-gut drums rolls the album forward while hooking onto your pants to throw you in the passenger seat along for the ride into the new horizon.

Sukie In The Graveyard - Belle and Sebastian


Charlie's Picks

5:55 Charlotte Gainsbourg
Having influences from her world famous father Serge Gainsbourg, Charlotte easily infuses together a feeling of calmness and rush in this album. With help from the band electronic pop band Air, listening to Charlotte Gainsbourg's 5:55 is like going on a short drive while cars blur by and slowing down time, creating this tiny moment of peace.

5 55 - Charlotte Gainsbourg

Show Your Bones Yeah Yeah Yeahs
A lot of people I know counted out Show Your Bones because it brought out a totally different sound compared to Fever To Tell. This time around, Karen O and the gang provides us with a much softer sound, not the Yeah Yeah Yeahs we know. And was this a bad idea? Absolutely not! Give this album a couple of listens and it'll reveal the other side of YYY's we weren't familiar with. The softer side that still packs a powerful punch.

Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Ys Joanna Newsom
It's pronounced (ees) and it was on a lot of bloggers favourite list. Joanna Newsom and Ys lived up to the hype of many bloggers and critics. It's nothing but praise for this 55 minute beautifully painted canvas of music. I just hope, with 2007 right in the corner, bloggers and critics would focus more on her music rather than what she wears on her shows. I recommend getting into Milk-Eyed Mender first before getting your hands and ears on a copy of Ys.

Cosmia - Joanna Newsom


love, Team Camera Crowd
(Anne and Charlie)

Camera Crowd Holiday Buzzz

The big day is only four days away, I'm done with my shopping and you are too right? You know how we seriously love playlists here at the Camera Crowd, so we've come up with several Christmas songs to get you through the hordes of last minute shoppers and the number of unexpected paper cuts while wrapping those presents. With hundreds of shoppers buzzing around for last minute bargains, you're going to need something pleasant playing in your ears to avoid that holiday "buzz".

(If you already bought the Sufjan Stevens : Songs for Christmas box set, or you took time and entered our contest to win one like our reader Susan, then you are all set and ready!)

If you're low on cash and don't wanna resort to the all popular gift card, then check out the affordable gift ideas on our holiday gift guide below.

P.S: I included a song from a duo I discovered lately and they're really good, It's Snow Song from Habitat, expect more from them after the New Year.

1. Christmas is Coming - Vince Guaraldi Trio (Peanuts)
2. Sister Winter - Sufjan Stevens
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Coldplay
4. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Death Cab for Cutie
5. Jinglebell Rock - The Arcade Fire
6. Handjobs for the Holidays - Broken Social Scene
7. Christmas Cake - Rilo Kiley
8. Snow Song - Habitat
9. Warmest Part of The Winter - Voxtrot


~ Love, team Camera Crowd
(Anne and Charlie)

Introducing new members of team camera crowd

Every three months we welcome new photographers onto our photoblog. This is part of our efforts to build a tight-knit photography community online and also let music lovers rest their ears and open their eyes to photography from around the world. Since camera crowd is only six months old, this is our second group of photographers. We'd like to say thank you to everyone who submitted applications and wish the first three camera crowd photographers good luck. We're still learning how to crawl our way around this tricky blogosphere, so thank you for reading and growing up with us.

Go ahead and get acquainted with the three photographers who will post on the camera crowd photoblog from now till March. Click on their names to check out some of their work on their flickrs and don't forget to check the two latest thumbnails on the right of the page for new photographs.


Jane Camille Berger from New York, New York

"I take pictures of everything, but I love portraits more than anything. I love the idea of capturing the essence of a person---their vulnerability and complexities."

Glen Hentz from Chattanooga, Tennessee

"I'd like to give others a glimpse of the world they might have missed in the everyday hustle and bustle that is life."

Veronique Moseley-Labordus from New South Wales (NSW), Australia

"Hopefully others will take something from that image...be it inspiration, an emotion, a memory re-surfacing, a conversation starter, a desire to understand or explore that which the image portrays. No matter what the response from others, ultimately, I capture the moment as an image for myself. Nothing beats the feeling of taking an image which feels "just right". Bliss..."

~Love, team camera crowd
(Anne and Charlie)

Win a Sufjan Stevens: Songs for Christmas box set!

Seems like no one is interested in wanting this box set, oh well. I guess we'll stray away from contests for awhile, thank you for reading and such.

Okay so we have a winner! Hooray Susan! That's the Christmas spirit!

Funny how Barnes & Nobles accidentally shipped us one extra box set! So we thought one of you readers may want it. So in the spirit of giving, all you have to do to win this unexpected contest is to print out the provided Sufjan Stevens cutout and take a photo of Mr. paper-doll-Sufjan anywhere you'd like. Take him out to the park or have him stand on the dashboard of your car. We'll pick winners based on humor and creativity, you may even add speech bubbles if you'd like.

Just give us the link to your photo as a comment and we will announce the winner this Monday...good luck!

Download this cutout and take a pair of scissors and cut along the dashed lines. To make Sufjan stand up on his own, try folding the bottom flap. If you're taking Sufjan outside and it's windy outside, be sure to bring some tape so Sufjan doesn't blow away!

>>> Download Sufjan!

What's in it...?
This festive box set is filled to the brim with five EPs, some stickers, a Sufjan Stevens' family portrait with a comic strip on the back and the extensive liner notes include short stories from Sufjan and his friend Rick Moody, the cute animated music video of "Put The Lights On The Tree" and has chords and lyrics to every song! Here is a visual guide of the contents in the box set and it will surely get you in the Christmas spirit.

How this came into existence...
In the liner notes is the story of how Sufjan came to hate Christmas and then reconciled with the holiday by covering classic Christmas songs and also creating his own starting in 2001. I'll include two short excerpts, I tried to capture the gist and not reveal too many details, but reading the whole thing in its entirety is of course what will give you the feeling of satisfaction and understanding. Sorry for such the choppy transition, but I didn't think many were up to the challenge of reading 100% of this type-heavy post. So here are two short excerpts:

(...A bad experience with Christmas had ruined the holiday when he was still young...)

Even today, whether I'm at home in Brooklyn or in some distant East Asian country, Christmas still leaves a plastic taste in my mouth, a toxic residue that reminds me of tube socks. Is it any wonder then, that after years of enduring the Stevens Family Christmas Crisis, I grew to despise the Holidays with the kind of deep antipathy one usually reserves for things like racism and terrorism and corporate fraud?

(...grown up Sufjan burns a plastic spatula in his apartment reminding him of the tube sock smell...)

I turned to the one thing I knew well: music---the singular kind of language I could use to communicate the things that mattered most. And by music, I mean Christmas music. "Angels We Have Heard On High." "It Came Upon A Christmas Clear." "Take Me Back to Toyland." And so, that very same day---in the Year of Epiphanies---I decided to to make a Christmas album, spending the next week or so fastidiously singing, vigorously strumming, mindlessly humming, and joyfully jingle-jangling a collection of Yuletide carols, which I would record and mix and burn to disk and wrap in newspaper and send to my family back home, as an offering of peace.

Preview & purchase...
If that made you curious, go on and enter the contest or give it to a friend who could use a little Christmas spirit! We featured this as a gift idea along with others in the post below. Asthmatic Kitty has re-stocked the box sets and have already started shipping the back orders. You can also stream the whole box set right here on Asthmatic Kitty. Here's a preview of the box set with one song you can download from each of the five volumes:

Tracklisting:

Songs For Christmas Vol. I: Noel

1. Silent Night
2. O Come O Come Emmanuel
3. We’re Goin’ To the Country!
4. Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming
5. It’s Christmas! Let’s Be Glad!
6. Holy Holy, etc.
7. Amazing Grace

Songs For Christmas Vol. II: Hark!

1. Angels We Have Heard on High
2. Put the Lights on the Tree
3. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
4. I Saw Three Ships
5. Only at Christmas Time
6. Once in Royal David’s City
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!
8. What Child Is This Anyway?
9. Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella

Songs For Christmas Vol. III: Ding! Dong!

1. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
2. Come on! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance!
3. We Three Kings
4. O Holy Night
5. That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!
6. Ding! Dong!
7. All the King’s Horns
8. The Friendly Beasts

Songs For Christmas Vol. IV: Joy

1. The Little Drummer Boy
2. Away In A Manger
3. Hey Guys! It’s Christmas Time!
4. The First Noel
5. Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!)
6. The Incarnation
7. Joy To The World

Songs For Christmas Vol. V: Peace

1. Once in Royal David’s City
2. Get Behind Me, Santa!
3. Jingle Bells
4. Christmas in July
5. Lo! How A Rose E’er Blooming
6. Jupiter Winter
7. Sister Winter
8. O Come O Come Emmanuel
9. Star of Wonder
10. Holy, Holy, Holy
11. The Winter Solstice

~ Charlie and Anne (team cameracrowd)

Camera Crowd Holiday Gift Guide

Christmas is only two weeks away and if you still don't know what to get your friends or what to do with that $10 bucks you have left, don't panic. Here at the Camera Crowd, we've come up with some neat gift ideas, ones that won't burn your wallet, a couple that will, and several that will go towards a good cause. Also just because we link to one store, does not mean you can't shop around. So if you let out a humbug at the price, shop around before that perfect gift is officially off your list.

Finally, sometimes the best gift you can give to someone isn't something tangible that you can get with a swipe of a credit card. Spend some money here and there, but most importantly spend time with the people you love. Cheesy yes, but this part is easily forgotten when people are agonizing over finding that "perfect gift".

Let's start off with some picks and a few random things we thought were cool.

Charlie's Picks:

CD's:

Voxtrot : Raised By Wolves
Your Biggest Fan just came out but Voxtrot's first EP, Raised By Wolves is by far my favourite out of all them. All five tracks are just loveable. If you're planning a 25 minute party for yourself anytime in the future, then this CD that started it all is a must.

Raised By Wolves - Voxtrot

Buy Me

Phoenix : It's Never Been Like That
This Parisian quartet can easily explode and be the next "it" band. I got a first taste of Phoenix two years ago after seeing Lost in Translation. They have a "perfect for radio" sound, so get to know Phoenix before the teeny boppers take over.

Long Distance Call - Phoenix

Buy Me


Oh No! Oh My! : Oh No! Oh My!
Another band from good ol' Austin. Oh No! Oh My! will have you singing, whistling, and head bobbing. Seriously! A bird outside my room tweeted along with the the tunes of "Walk In The Park." I had to stop the song cause it was just getting creepy.

I Have No Sister - Oh No! Oh My!

Buy Me



Dvd:

Amelie
You know I love my French flicks, and this is just one of them. Played by my favourite actress, Audrey Tautou, Amelie goes on a quirky mission to make everyone happy and at the same time chasing true love.
Buy Me



Jeux d'enfants ( Love me if you dare) English Title
It's another French movie, starring the beautiful Marion Cotillard. It started out as a harmless game between a boy and a girl, as time passed by, the dares get tougher and began torturing their lives. It's a crazy adventure from beginning to the twisty end.
Buy Me


The Simpsons on DVD (any season available right now; 1-9)
The Simpsons is by far my favourite sitcom out there. It's one of the longest sitcom still running up to this day, I remember seeing the first episodes of The Simpsons when I was around 8. Classic man, classic.
Buy Me



Anne's Picks

CD's:

Beirut: Gulag Orkestra
Hearing this, makes me feel like I'm walking down the cobblestone paths of Europe and a group of troubadours are playing on the sidewalk with every possible instrument you could imagine. You can't help but to have fun to sing, dance and clap along to.

Postcards From Italy | Beirut

Buy Me

Sparrow House: Falls [EP]
Sit back and take a breather this holiday to Sparrow House's soothing debut EP, you deserve it. To the lone guitar on "When I am Gone" and "Last Fall" to the a fuller lush sound of "You Sang Along" and "Blindfold Waltz", this is the cure to those bad days. Curious? Read our lengthier post on Sparrow House and Falls.

Foxes (sighing like a Furnace) | Sparrow House

Buy Me

Sufjan Stevens: Songs for Christmas [box set]

I hope you've heard about Sufjan's box set by now, if not you probably either live under a rock or just woke up from a coma. Aside from all of that, don't feel embarassed, but do treat yourself to the Christmas covers and new Christmas favorites that Sufjan Stevens presents in five volumes. Stream the whole thing here!

{We will have a post soon with more downloads and information on to learn how to win one!}

Put The Lights On The Tree | Sufjan Stevens

Buy Me

DVD's:

The Office: Season Two
Michael Scott, the "best boss in the world", is in charge of Dunder Mifflin, a paper company based in Scranton, PA. Although, this already sounds too dull to be a TV show, it really isn't, thanks to the power-hungry, though harmless Dwight and down-to-earth Jim who pulls pranks on him. Pam is the receptionist who assists Jim in the mischief of annoying Dwight to his wits. Through all that we have Michael Scott and his antics trying to make his employees think he is funny and a good boss. This is shot documentary style or some call it mockumentary and there are parts where you have a character who just talks to the camera. This is not slapstick humor, where someone gets hit with a wrench, this is subtle humor that lasts in the long run.

Buy Me


A Charlie Brown Christmas
There is nothing that beats this Christmas classic. It offers something to all ages. When I was younger I'd enjoy it for the animated characters and songs and now I also discover the subjects they touch on too: the question of whether consumerism has "consumed" us with the tin-colored Christmas trees. The lonely neglected tree that Charlie Brown brought to his friends. Make some hot chocolate and feel like a kid again.




Buy Me


Almost Famous
Possibly my favorite movie of all time. William Miller is a 15 year old outcast growing up under the wings of a protective mother gets thrust into the world of rock 'n' roll writing for Creem magazine and soon Rolling Stone magazine. The movie was based on the director, Cameron Crowe's own life as a teenager writing for Rolling Stone. This coming of age story will make you feel every emotion possible and will shuttle William and the viewer through the '70s when rock 'n' roll was on the edge of falling into the jaws of money machines.


Buy Me

Camera Crowd's Picks:



Holga
The cool thing about the Holga is that you don't have to be a great photographer and the pictures that will come out will look pretty amazing. This is for casual photographers and also a lot of seasoned photographers love it too. It's plastic and is easy to carry around, each with a neat color wheel to tint the photo if you'd like! Every Holga is different; light leaks and scratches enhance the individuality of every Holga. Learn more about Holga and just look at some of these!



Buy Me


Yellow Bird Project Tee Shirt
Get a name crossed off your list and help out, cool huh? Not only that but these tee shirts are designed by some of our favorite bands: Rilo Kiley, Stars, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Devendra Banhart and more! It's called the Yellow Bird Project and it's a nonprofit organization working to raise awareness of the charities and the bands that design the tees. The bands themselves choose which charity the money goes towards and all the shirts are printed on American Apparel.

Buy Me



Filter Magazine Subscription
The gift that keeps on giving, well at least for one year. Give a magazine gift subscription, they may not be "wowed" on Christmas Day, but they will thank you for the rest of the 364 days when they don't have to go out and buy it themselves. Instead, it will just arrive in their mailbox all ready to read with the morning cereal. Also the Filter magazines that are bought in Barnes & Nobles and any other bookstores don't have the sampler that is included every issue for the subscribers and who does not want a nice mix CD once in awhile? For the people who like to keep up with music, movies and all good stuff like that.

Buy Me



Poketo Wallet
Durable vinyl wallets that has unique designs on them that can fit in your pocket! They hold coins, bills and credit cards, the usual stuff is now organized in a neat two-fold wallet that the owner just can't stop showing it off.


Buy Me/more designs

Flickr Pro account
For the avid photographers and also to the ones who don't want to resize every single photo they take to fit the 100mb limit. Unlike the limit of having only 200 photos uploaded onto a free Flickr account, people with pro-account has unlimited storage and no monthly limit. Also unlimited photosets, ad-free browsing, permanent archiving of all the photos you upload and the ability to replace a photo. Convinced yet?

Buy Me

~Charlie and Anne (team cameracrowd)

Upcoming release: Memphis's A Little Place in the Wilderness

∞

Although Canada is America's next-door neighbor, we still have not even skimmed the surface of the Canadian music scene. It is time to extend a hand and help them cross over this great divide. I have a feeling this long distance relationship will work. Maybe this is because I use to live in Toronto for five years, but also the Canadian bands that have crossed the border have been nothing but a breath of fresh air. Note: Arcade Fire, The New Pornographers, Stars, Do Make Say Think Metric, Feist, Broken Social Scene and now Memphis! Here's to making this list longer.

{If you are in a hurry, skip to "on the album..." paragraph.}

Where it all started...
On the gray streets of New York City where dreams are said to come true Torquil Campbell met Chris Dumont and formed a band with some of Campbell's childhood friends: Chris Seligman, James (Jimmy) Shaw and Adam Marvy called Luxe, this was in the early '90s. After awhile Seligman and Campbell moved onto the beloved Stars, while Shaw teamed up with Emily Haines forming Metric in 1998.

Dumont, who was originally from North Carolina continued working as a carousel operator in New York's Central Park. Campbell invited him to Vancouver one summer and Memphis arrived into the world. The two released an EP called A Good Day Sailing in 2002 and for the next two summers was filled with writing and recording for Memphis's first full-length album, which was released in 2004 on Paper Bag Records. They recorded their sophomore album, A Little Place in the Wilderness, in a Vancouver hotel room and at Studio Plateau located in Montreal during the winter. Canada had its hands on this album since August, but we will still have to wait to see it on shelves in early 2007.

On the album...
There are too few albums that I know of, which I can play the whole way through without skipping a track or two. Good thing Memphis's upcoming album, A Little Place in the Wilderness falls into that category. I can pop it in the stereo and sit back comfortably without lifting a finger. And as I sit back and ponder with the welcoming laid-back pop sounds that will make listeners dreamy-eyed and hopeful, I feel a soft, airy atmosphere that will wrap around even innocent bystanders.

This airy feel is partly from Torquil Campbell's unique voice that sounds weightless and smooth paired with the subtle echoes that makes it sound like there are two Torquil Campbells instead of one! Fear not, there are playful jazzy songs like "Incredibly Drunk on Whiskey" incorporating a saxophone and clarinet and a lively, fun "I'll Do Whatever You Want" that may feel more like it belongs in the Stars catalog.

There is a lone violin that will dip and soar throughout, but unlike the climatic feel of Stars, there is a gentleness in all the instruments on the album, like the yearning of the pedal steel and the long notes by Jimmy Shaw (Metric) on trumpets and bass. Even the drums sound somewhat distanced from the listener with its faraway crashes of cymbals. This all helps the listener sink into Campbell's voice and dream away.


Track by Track

{Hover over the track title for a short description and right click to download}

A Little Place In The Wilderness | Memphis

1. I Dreamed We Fell Apart
2. In The Cinema Alone
3. Incredibly Drunk On Whiskey
4. Time Away
5. A Ghost Story
6. A Little Place In The Wilderness
7. I'll Do Whatever You Want
8. Swallows And Amazons
9. In The Highest Room
10. The Night Watchmen
    

Links

>>> Memphis's Official Site
<<< Hear more songs on MySpace
>>> Buy the import!
<<< Watch video of "I'll Do Whatever You Want" directed by Daniel Handler who wrote the Lemony Snicket series

Word of advice: since there is not a set release date decided (early 2007...sometime) for this album just yet, you can go sign up on their mailing list so you won't miss it when it does. Just go to their site and click on news, type in your email address and you're all set.

~anne

A fond farewell to James Kim

If you live in the Bay Area, you're all too familiar with the missing family of James Kim a senior editor at San Francisco's CNET where he reviews the latest digital audio gadgets. Eleven days ago, they he and his wife and two kids were reported missing in the Oregon mountains. After over a week of frantic search and rescue, authorities found his wife and kids on Monday, but James was still missing. It was said that after they ran out of food and have burned all the tires on their car for heat, he set out alone and went looking for help.

Today, his body was found on a ravine near the Siskiyou National Forest. Everyone had high hopes and were positive he would survive. James Kim is leaving behind his wife Kati, and daughters Penelope and 7 month old Sabine. All of this is just heartbreaking. Even though I dont know him personally, I always tuned in to his reviews back in the days when he used to work for TechTv. You will be missed James.


Fond Farewell - Elliott Smith
I Will Follow You Into the Dark (live) - Ben Gibbard
Amazing Grace - Sufjan Stevens


Links

S.F Chronicle
CNET
doe - the clothing store the Kim family owns that's located on Haight St.


-Charlie

3 minute entry : Eglantine Gouzy

If you know me very well, you know that I'm an avid fan of the French language. I can never get enough of French musicians and French flicks, especially ones starring Audrey Tautou. But I made a mistake in high school and decided to take three years of Spanish instead of French thinking it would help me in the future, so far it hasn't. Even though I don't understand diddly jack except for a couple of phrases, I still love and appreciate French, It's just sounds so soft and fluid to the ears.


Here we have Eglantine Gouzy, I've been meaning to write about her for months now but something always comes up and I end up posting about someone else. You might recognize her from the "4 Woman No Cry" 2005 compilation from Monika Enterprise, if not then you might wanna check that out, it has three other interesting foreign female musicians. To me, Eglantine Gouzy's sounds crosses between a French Bjork, a pinch of electro pop and a tiny hint of Coco Rosie. If you absolutely love having the fluidity and beauty of French streaming in your ears, then you'll definitely love Eglantine Gouzy.

Sorry folks, she's only touring the Paris area right now. Boo!


from her latest album, Boamaster.

Boa - Eglantine Gouzy

more songs

Buy Boamaster

Check out 4 Woman No Cry


-Charlie

How do you view the world?

I apologize for being so late with this post. I am currently watching Love Actually for the first time and it's so good...not that you should care, but that is my lame excuse for this late post, which we actually promised to post on Friday and not 12:24 AM on Saturday.
Please have a lovely weekend.

Time has come for new photographers to send in a portfolio for a chance to be part of team camera crowd. We switch out photographers that live all over the world every three months.

Camera crowd photographers post on our photoblog and share their view of the world through the lens. Not only that, but it's a nice showcase for your work and help you get connected to other photographers.

Our past photographers were Nicole from Buffalo, New York, Amanda from Elkhart, Indiana and Kennedy from Paris, France. We are sorry to let their talents leave the photoblog, but we are also looking forward to the new photographers who are to join camera crowd soon.

So, how do you view the world?

How to apply:

1. You have to create your own flickr account, if you don't have one already. Don't worry flickr is free and it's easy to create one.

2. After that upload all the photos you want to show us onto your new flickr.

3. Lastly there is a Q&A to fill out and email that word document to us with the subject line as, "Camera crowd application".

Deadline: December 17th

Links from post:

<<< Camera crowd photoblog
>>> Create your own Flickr account
<<< Download the Q&A
>>> E-mail it to us

Here's a little something to listen to while filling out that Q&A or while creating that flickr account.

1. Photobooth | Death Cab for Cutie
2. Photograph | Eagle*Seagull
3. Click Click Click Click | Bishop Allen
4. I Turn My Camera On | Spoon

~anne

An Evening with The Greatest

It started out as a dream the night before the show, call it a "Moon Pix" moment. I had a dream I was already in the crowd staring at Chan Marshall sing but woke up way too early and the end got cut off. I knew I had to create my own storybook ending.

It was cold and rainy Sunday night in San Francisco, people were coming back home from their Thanksgiving trip, I was making the trek to the famous Fillmore. I had half an hour left before the doors opened, so with my spare change, I decided to hit Safeway and buy Chan a bouquet of flowers. While waiting for the show to start, I kept thinking to myself, "is she going to take them?" and " what if im too shy to give them to her?"

As usual, the great Memphis Rhythm Band started the show by playing a couple of songs, I didn't know if it was the band or the Fillmore sound system, but the acoustics sounded so clear. Then the notes to "The Greatest" started playing and Chan Marshall made her way to the stage with her usual green collared long sleeve and black tank top show attire. As soon as she put down her drink, I reached my hand out and handed her the flowers, this was easier said than done. My heart was running laps in my chest as Chan grabbed the flowers and smiled and shook my hand.

Halfway through the show, she sat on a speaker next to me, and we were literally less than an inch apart. That whole moment was hazy, I couldn't even remember what song she was singing. She takes her hand and pets me in the head before she got up. Yeah, what a moment.

The majority of the songs she played were from "The Greatest", i wish she had played more from "You are Free" though. Chan also sang a couple of songs from her "Covers Record" including Gnarls Barkley's song, Crazy. She sang her heart out even though that was an early show and had another show right after.
The crowd was great too, barely any kids around and it was mostly adults in their late 30's and 40's.

All in all, it was thirty dollars well spent. Minus the interactions with Chan, it was exactly like my dream, colourful and beautiful, and this time, i knew how it ended.


The Cat Power show that was streamed on NPR.org last week is still available for download. It's an okay substitute if you haven't seen her live, although it won't do justice.

Cat Power in Concert NPR.org

The Greatest (Live @ La Cigale Paris) - Cat Power

more photos from the show


-Charlie

From the Camera Crowd, To the Dancefloor

Although the Thanksgiving holiday is nearing its end, Christmas is right around the corner and so are the parties that come along with the holidays. I hope you won't have to be stuck at one where the same tasteless music is played over and over again, but if you are the one throwing the party, here are a few bands that will make your party dance-ilicious. Hint: you can also use this playlist to practice your dance moves when no one's looking...

Click on the song title to download!
Click on the artist/band name to find out more!

{ Once the Hype Machine records these songs onto our recent tracks page, you can click on their neat pop up flash player to listen to these songs and then just download the ones you like. Just click on the pop-up flash player located to your left to listen to this playlist now! }

From the Camera Crowd, To the Dancefloor

1. The Adjustor | The Octopus Project
2. IMpossible | Figurine
3. My Patch (Hot Chip remix) | Jim Noir

(found this on Quick Before It Melts blog)

4. This Charming Man | Stars {a Smiths cover!}
5. Glass Danse | The Faint
6. (You Can't Blame It On) Anybody | Phoenix
7. Crazy | Gnarls Barkley
8. Hotel | Broken Social Scene
9. Loose Ends | Imogen Heap
10. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger | Daft Punk
11. Mushaboom (The Postal Service remix) | Feist

Also check out anything from Ratatat, neat Brooklyn band that churns out lyric-free rock/electronica music like no other. They are also currently on tour with The Faint. And hey, if you want the easy way out, buy The Faint's Danse Macabre and Ratatat's Classics and you're set for almost two hours of music for your party.

~anne

Oh I'm Happy When It Rains [Playlist]

Photo by: Andre Gallant

Ignoring freak snow storms, the start of November or the week of Thanksgiving is usually the start of rainy/snowy season. For as long as I can remember, I've been a "rain, rain don't go away.." kid. I totally prefer the rain over a nice sunny day. Sunny summer days just give me headaches and makes me grumpy. There's something about the sights and sounds of the rain that makes it so beautiful. And there's nothing else besides music and a warm sweater that would perfectly go along with the rainy weather.

I've put together several songs that would have your senses thanking you during those wintery days. Most of these songs have little or nothing to do with the rain, but each and every one of them is soothing to the ears just like a warm cup of real green tea flowing down your throat(not that snapple/arizona crap).

And one more thing, before you carve that big turkey/tofurky of yours, think about the less fortunate who aren't having a big meal this thanksgiving. Try and help out the less fortunate by donating canned goods at your local supermarket. Or if you wanna go further, help out on Thanksgiving day at your local soup kitchen, it's only for a couple of hours on Thanksgiving morning. I did just that a couple of years ago and volunteered at a local church in San Francisco and served food to the homeless. So do what you can, there are millions out there who are starving right now, even the people who don't celebrate Thanksgiving, even one can of stuffings can make a difference.


Happy When It Rains playlist


1. Happy When It Rains - The Jesus & Mary Chain
2. A.M slow golden hit - Hotel Lights
3. Rain And Sun - We Will Build
4. Say - Cat Power
5. Leaving Philadelphia - Denison Witmer
6. Some kind of Chill - Arizona
7. Day Six - Explosions in the Sky
8. Wraith Pinned To The Mist And Other Games - Of Montreal
9. Warmest Part Of The Winter - Voxtrot
10. Acid Tongue (Live) - Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins



-Charlie

3 minute entry : Magic Bullets

I mentioned Magic Bullets a couple of weeks ago in my Voxtrot show post, and this Bay Area band has been on repeat on Chan (my mp3 player) ever since. Their hip swaying beats are seriously infectious and unstoppable.

It's sad to say that I'm not familiar with a lot of San Francisco musicians, I'm too caught up with what's coming out from Austin and somewhat ignoring my own turf. This band is slowly changing that. After seeing these guys, I'm much more open to the sounds of San Francisco. We'll make our mark on the map soon, I hope San Francisco can be the next Austin, or the next Montreal.

Magic Bullets is a band that will no doubt have you shaking and burning the dance floor. This band who "keep their hair and songs short" can easily headline a show with no disappointments. They will release their debut c.d titled "a CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love" in early 2007.

For now, we only get a tiny slice of the hot cake.

Lay Low - Magic Bullets

New Kicks - Magic Bullets

more songs

Tour Dates: (they're only touring the San Francisco Bay Area right now)

Nov 29 2006 - Bottom of the Hill w/ Nightmare of You

Dec 11 2006 - The Knockout-- DONUTS



-Charlie

Chapman - Unexploded Bombshell

It's not often you get a musician to bare his or her soul and have their triumphs and tragedies come out beautiful on a c.d. Anne and I can name one from the top of our head, Elliott Smith.

Don't worry, this isn't going to be a comparison to Elliott, it's more about Dom Chapman, a singer, songwriter from London. Having written his first song on the inside of a shoebox lid at age 5, Chapman has gone a longway. After bouncing from club to club singing and being involved with two different bands, he finally decided to go solo and write his own album.

We all go through a time frame in our life where everything just seem to go a different way. Halfway through the album, Chapman suffered a lot of heartbreaking losses in the family. I won't go into details as to what they were, but lets just say if they happened to you, they'll keep you depressed for months or even longer. The events made a big impact on Chapman's album. The heartbreaking yet have a "positive" outlook feeling is definitely in the songs. I'm a big fan of singer/songwriters who are equipped with a piano, and Dom Chapman is one of them. Certain songs on this c.d can easily make it to a Zach Braff movie soundtrack.

Dom Chapman's album titled " Unexploded Bombshell" is a chronicle of Chapman's life stripped down to the soul and the beautiful layers of his voice and the piano.

Burning Bridges - Chapman

The River - Chapman

listen to more songs on his myspace

Chapman website

Purchase the c.d:

CDBaby.com

itunes



-Charlie


p.s : Yousendit has been acting weird lately, so if you download a song that's skipping and what not, just tell us and we'll fix it. Thanks.

Why you should listen to Explosions in the Sky

∞

*latest update on 11/22*

At first, I was going to make a post titled: The Music Lover's Guide to the {good} Instrumental/Post-Rock Bands and I even typed up intro paragraphs to a brief history of instrumental/post-rock bands, but once I started typing about my favorite instrumental band, Explosions in the Sky, I couldn't stop.

It became a bit too long to add on four or five more bands, considering that would probably turn the reader into a zombie, who will then proceed to drool on the keyboard over the text-heavy entry. So I will take this one instrumental band at a time. Although, I will confess right now that I don't know any other instrumental bands as thoroughly as I know of Explosions.

Explosions in the Sky

Munaf Rayani (guitar)

Mark Smith (guitar)
Michael James (bass)
Chris Hrasky (drums)

Oh, Explosions in the Sky my first instrumental band and one of my favorite bands ever. Somehow Austin bands are drop dead amazing. Their first album, How Strange Innocence was recorded in 2000 with only 300 copies made. It was released on the label Sad Loud America and now they are signed onto Temporary Residence Limited and molding the modern instrumental movement(if there were a movement, they would be the forerunners, promise). From the evolution of a span of six rewarding years: three full-length albums to one EP and two compilations; it is safe to say they have earned their place in the ever-growing/changing instrumental genre-land.

Who is this Explosions you talk of?...
If you are new to Explosions, you should start with their latest album, The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place, go backwards discography-wise. Don't worry, I will have a discography chart at the end of the entry. You may have heard Explosions and not even know it, they were pretty much the whole soundtrack in the movie, Friday Night Lights. They wrote new songs for the movie and yes, the {good taste in} music supervisor was Brian Reitzell(Marie Antoinette/Stranger Than Fiction). There is also a recent Cadillac commercial with "Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean"and "Your Hand in Mine". By the way, the TV series Friday Night Lights is nothing like the movie. So watch the movie and immerse yourself in a good plot/acting and music!

Something cool...
Their whole The Rescue: Travel in Constants Vol. 21 EP is available for download here(click on the album with the Lassie look-a-like and there will be a popup with mp3s), since there were limited copies to this Temporary Residence EP series. This was the first time they recorded something themselves and every song on there was made up on the spot! It took them two weeks to finish it, with eight days for improv and rest for mixing and messing round with tracks. This E.P. also shows Explosions in a different light, recording by themselves in Michael's house, the shorter songs, improvisation and using different instruments. There is a sense of hope on this E.P., a lightness that was on their 2000 debut album.

What they're doing now...
They recently finished up recording their fourth album in Minnesota and it should come out either in late February or early March. *on February 20th in the US and on the 19th for the UK and rest of Europe. The album is called All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone and clocks in at 44 minutes long with six songs on tracklist.* It was produced by John Congleton who also produced The Earth is Not A Cold Dead Place. They're playing at the Drift in Los Angeles tomorrow night and have just announced new tour dates for, Brooklyn, New York City, London, Brussels and hinted a future North American tour. Get tour dates here or scroll towards bottom for the dates. They also have a pre-sale to avoid the crazy surcharges for the Brooklyn show at Warsaw and the Wordless Music Series in New York City, hurry before the public gets their hands on them on Nov. 15th.

*I found some more info on Explosion's new album, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone from a Pitchfork news entry. The album will have a limited edition and deluxe versions bundled up with six remixes from Four Tet, Eluvium, Adem, Jesu, Mountains and John Congleton's own Paper Chase. You can hear what will be the second track, "Welcome, Ghosts" of their new album here. Here is the tracklisting...

All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone | Explosions in the Sky

1. The Birth and Death of the Day
2. Welcome, Ghosts
3. It's Natural to Be Afraid
4. What Do You Go Home To?
5. Catastrophe and the Cure
6. So Long, Lonesome

The bonus disc (sweet!)

1. The Birth and Death of the Day (Jesu remix)
   
2. Welcome, Ghosts (Adem remix)
   
3. It's Natural to Be Afraid (The Paper Chase remix)
   
4. What Do You Go Home To? (Mountains remix)
   
5. Catastrophe and the Cure (Four Tet remix)
   
6. So Long, Lonesome (Eluvium remix)
   

More Cowbell has an entry on Explosion's new album and has a larger photo of the album's art cover!

About them live...
I have seen them twice live. Their sets are usually about an hour long and they play without stopping. No small talk on stage, these guys play straight through. Adjusting pedals and strings inbetween songs, but its hardly noticeable with the distortion and just single-note strumming leading into the next song. They don't just stand there and play, they jump, their hands crash against the strings, they crawl on stage, they nurse the sounds and release them into the air, they come alive. It is the most awful thing to miss an Explosions show, and it is the most beautiful thing to attend one.

Discography:

Sad Loud America/Temporary Residence Ltd. (2000/2005) How Strange, Innocence Explosions with a heap of distortion and then some. But it has this "lightness" as they mention on the liner notes. Sounds as if it's underwater, the distortion if anything highlights the lighter parts and those moments of clarity is the beauty of the album. It really does remind me of the ocean, like the new artwork by Esteban Rey interprets it: the see/sea-saw turbulence and then the calmness of the ocean after a storm. Best song on there, "Look Into the Air" hands down, the beginning is ineffable.

Temporary Residence Ltd. (2001) Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever A metamorphosis, no lightness, just dark. Complete pitch black dark and confusion, what an album. At times, they sound like a noisy Mogwai and pull a complete switchup to minimal Godspeed You! Black Emperor feel. There are also clips inserted in "Have You Passed Through This Night?", a voice-over, sound of a gunshot, a line taken from the movie The Thin Red Line". Even unfolding the sleeve there is a drawing of a plane that says, "This plane will crash tomorrow". A lot of cymbal riding and resonating even after songs have ended. The drums are incredibly important in Explosions, not just to keep rhythm or be background noise. The distortion here is well-placed! This album...when it's loud, it's LOUD and then its so quiet you feel like you're in a church.

Temporary Residence Ltd. (2003) The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place Like a white wall from far away, but close up with so many subtle nuances. Their sound has evolved so much, but we can still hear ten seconds of it and say its an Explosions album. It is an extremely minimalistic stripped down, bare-bones album, hardly any distortion. Their most accessible and popular album. Their well known songs like "First Breath After Coma" and "Your Hand in Mine" are on here. I love "Six Days At the Bottom of the Ocean" and "Memorial" along with the rest. This is a long album with each song over the 8 minute mark. It is truly so epic and heart-clenching. If this isn't beautiful, I don't know what is.

Current Tour dates:

02-19 Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
02-20 New York, NY - Society for Ethical Culture Concert Hall (Wordless Music Series)
02-26 Brussels, BEL - AB Box/Ancienne Belgique
03-01 London, UK - KoKo's
03-11 Sunrise, FL - Langerado Music Festival - Markham Park

Downloads&purchase:

...from How Strange, Innocence

Look Into The Air | Explosions in the Sky

...from Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever

A Poor Man's Memory | Explosions in the Sky

...from The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place

Memorial | Explosions in the Sky


Links:

>>> Explosions in the Sky's Official Site
<<< Download The Rescue EP (click on bottom left album for mp3s)
>>> Buy Explosions in the Sky's albums
<<< I live in New York, where's the pre-sale?
>>> Read synopsis on Friday Night Lights
<<< Hear new song, "Welcome, Ghosts"!

~anne