Let It Rock: It’s About Time

By Sues

Do you ever feel like you’ve heard so much about an artist that you don’t even bother to listen to them? Maybe it’s just that I like to discover music on my own, but if someone over-talks a band or a musician, I sometimes feel like I know them and don’t take the time to listen to them. This week I took the time to listen to a musician I’ve been hearing about for years: Pete Yorn. And I gotta say, I finally know what all the talkin’ was about. I also discovered a totally new artist(s), God Help the Girl, and went back to an old favorite who performed some of his classics live, Michael Buble.

God Help the Girl – God Help the Girl

If you’ve never heard of God Help the Girl, it’s because they haven’t been around very long. You might actually kind of know them better as Belle and Sebastian. I’ve always had mixed feelings toward Belle and Sebastian, so when I heard the male lead singer, Stuart Murdoch, released God Help the Girl, I was less than psyched. Then I heard it was actually the soundtrack to a yet to be produced musical film and I was even less excited. But I gave it a listen anyway and was super pleasantly surprised.

It’s actually quite awesome. The album pulls together several female vocalists, none of whom I’ve heard of, but all of who sound a bit like Zooey Deschanel. The title track is totally fabulous about a completely independent single girl who is a bit ashamed by how she’s getting pulled in by a guy: “There is no way I’m looking for a boyfriend/There is no way I’m looking for a scene…The dawn will touch me in a way a boy could never touch/Their promise never meant so much to me.” See? Independent girl. But then, “I sit for hours just waiting for his phone call/I’ll leave the chocolate hidden in the fridge/I’ll play his message/Analyze his intonation/Please stop me there, I’m even boring myself.” But in the end “If he gave me a sign/I’d think about it for a week/I’d build it up/And then I’d let him down.” Typical girl and something we can all relate to. Other standout songs on the album include “Perfection as a Hipster,” “Come Monday Night,” “Funny Little Frog,” and “I Just Want Your Jeans.” OK, all of them really. I would totally see the God Help the Girl musical movie if it ever comes out. Please, let it come out!

Pete Yorn – Back and Forth

I’ve been hearing about Pete Yorn for years now. Seriously, years. I saw the name all the time, but for some reason never listened to him. It got to the point where people would mention Pete Yorn and I’d be all “Oh yeah, Pete Yorn, of course.” I felt like I knew him, but I didn’t at all. Until now. Actually, he started following me on Twitter and posted a few of his songs and I took the time to listen. And then got excited for Back and Forth to come out. And I’m already a fan of it.

There are a few songs I’m largely “meh” about, but for the most part I’m totally into the album. And some of the lyrics are totally genius. In “Paradise Cove” Yorn sings, “I got what I wanted but it wasn’t enough…When you talk, it makes me cringe/You want so bad to have meaning/But you’re empty and draining.” But “Social Development Dance” has the best lyrics of all; maybe of any album ever. Pete sings, “I tried to find out what had happened to you/I Googled you in quotes/Got no results.” How awesome is that? The song is actually quite sad and the subject was Googling the girl to find out how she had died….but genius, nevertheless. My other favorite tracks include “Close,” “Shotgun,” and “Thinking of You.” And it’s the kind of album where the more I listen to it, the more I like it. I’m glad I finally took the time to listen to Pete Yorn. Thanks for following me on Twitter; ah, the power of social media!

Michael Buble – Meets Madison Square Garden

If you were to ask me for a list of my all-time favorite people (I have a lot of them), it wouldn’t take me very long to get down to Michael Buble. I think he’s one of the greatest, and most under-rated, singers of our time. Maybe it’s because he’s so handsome or maybe it’s because he does a lot of covers, but I just don’t understand why this guy doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Yes, he sings the songs of greats like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennet, but you know what? He does it in his own way and is in some ways better than the originals. But I don’t think he’s even trying to compete with them; he’s just bringing a different angle to them and attempting to get more people into these classics.

When I heard Michael Buble was coming out with a new album, I got really, really excited.  I wasn’t too pumped for a live album, but when I listened to Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden, I was actually happy for this live album. And I might even say he sings the best I’ve heard him on it. He’s a total showman and does an awesome job at talking to the audience, adding interludes into his song, and simply making all of his shows fun. And this album has all my favorites on it like “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “Lost,” “Everything,” and, of course, “Home.” He does fun things like beat boxing in the middle of “Call Me Irresponsible” and joking around with the audience. For the full effect of Michael Buble’s new album, I highly recommend picking up the DVD too. Because trust me, he’s not bad to look at.