First off: an apology. The past few days I've been away, and I've been absolutely dreadful about updating here at Coco Cappuccino. For this, I humbly bow my head and beg forgiveness and weep stale tears that taste only of bitterness and salt. And all that jazz.
And to make it up, today's post will be... extra awesome. Or something. At least extra long. Double Day!
"Headlights" by Cherry Tulips
Oh my soul, this makes me want to drift away on a pool float. But just about everything makes me want that these days.
"In the Dark" by The Whigs
Warning: great song, but the end gets really intense, and it sounds like construction work and harsh electric guitar and oh! it's just a mess.
"I'd Write You a Song" by Very Truly Yours
If you caught my "Ello Guvna" post, Very Truly Yours does remind me of Camera Obscura a bit.
And on another note, if the option to watch a video called "Kazaky - Love (Official Music Video)" comes up after this one, save yourself 3:34 of your life and don't press play. It was one of those terrible things where you just can't look away, no matter how confused you are and how hideous it is.
"Too Dramatic" by Ra Ra Riot
I like these guys. After a concert we came up on stage and they stayed to talk to us for a while. Beautiful people!
"Rodeo" by Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom Teeth is Meghan Smith, who (judging solely by her music) is perfect and precious.
"Face of Light" by Rival Sons
Das sum interestin' facial hair he got goin on. Or neck hair rather. But truly, there's a real mix of rock, soul, and something else that I don't feel knowledgeable enough to name. No, to the song, not his neck hair. You're so weird.
And with that, I hope I've made up for my shortcomings the past few days. I've got tons more in store, so keep checking back, and I'll get back to that daily thang I do!
It's true. I do. I wish every day was Cover Thursday. But being trapped in eternal Thursday would be really rough. I mean, I'd miss Tuesday and Sunday and the whole crew. So I guess one seventh of the time is enough.
Still... Excited cause I got this stuff to show you.
Yaël Naïm's cover "Toxic" by Britney Spears
Sure Yaël Naïm. Let's put umlauts over every single letter. Just to make that äs ëäsÿ äs pössïblë för evërÿbödÿ.
Michaela Vachuska's cover of "Older Brother" by Pepper Rabbit
I really, really wanted to post "Older Brother" on Monday, but I fought that urge because I knew I'd want to post this for cover day. Good call.
Jayme Dee's cover of "Creep" by Radiohead
It's a little less pitiful and a little more just melancholy with a girl singing it, but maybe that's just me. I love it in any case.
Today, my friends, is a chill day; it's the kind of day where you need/want to sit back and listen to something 100% effortless. And if it's not that day for you today, it will be soon, and you're gonna need music like this.
"Afternoon" by Youth Lagoon
Who says chill can't still be upbeat?
"Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean" by Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky may be the most beautiful study music of all time. Or sleeping music. Depending on how much coffee you haven't had.
"Ave Maria" by Bach/Gounod (Bach's Prelude in C Major with Gounod's melody, in case you were dying to know)
It never hurts to dip your toes in the classical universe. This song won out over Debussy's "Claire de Lune" even though that scene at the end of Ocean's 11 won me over forever.
Now chill out, go get a cup of tea/coffee/your drink of choice, take a breath, and do what you need to do.
Any attempt to describe how much I love this music video would be futile. At the end, I literally teared up. And when I say literally, I don't mean it the way California girls use it. I mean, I actually wiped a teardrop from my eye.
"The One You Say Goodnight To" by Kina Grannis
This is my second Kina song posted, but the first was her cover of "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman. Lovely girl.
"Die Young" by The Sweet Serenades
The men in the heart costumes. Watch those two. They have maracas.
And before I go today, I would like to say that I really wasn't expecting anyone but myself and this random Russian viewer to see this blog, but I absolutely adore more than anything helping other people find music that they will love like I do. So thank you. For you, I will continue to scour the face of the earth for more beautiful tunes to send your way. Any time you've got questions, comments, brilliant observations, or song suggestions, you can send them to heycococapp@gmail.com, and hopefully get a response asap! Love to hear from you!
And hey, my Russian friend that continues to follow, you're the man. Or woman.
Привет! Спасибо! Моё судно на воздушной подушке полно угрей!
So, Jedi Knight that I am, I shall summon that particularly strong Force and call upon my light saber of musical goodness to slice through the darkness within us that is silence.
Don't think about that too much.
"(In the End) There's Only Love" by Ewert and the Two Dragons
Now you can tell all your friends you listen to an Estonian band. And then you can feel cultured. Because that's what we're all looking for, right? Estonia is where it's at!
"Magdalena" by Brandon Flowers
That's Brandon Flowers of the Killers, in case there are, like, hundreds of Brandon Flowers running around these days. Does anyone else think he looks like Michael Buble? Maybe a lil? Distant cousin status?
"Beautiful Tango" by Hindi Zahra
There's a sort of 1920s quality to her voice. Also, she's Franco-Moroccan which is both awesome and explains a lot about the music video.
Ok, and here's the thing. That "Call Me Maybe" song? I thought it was a joke. Honestly. I thought it was like a Rebecca Black deal, and everyone was listening to it because it was so bad. But it's real. And people are listening to it because... because... because...
Because they lack that auditory part of the brain that processes pitch?
Technically it's Sunday where I am, so the daily post is happening. Right now. Partially because I don't want to forget which songs I wanted to post. Partially because I have a massive monster of a paper to write tomorrow.
"Pretty Face" by Sóley
And yes, I did copy and paste to get that accent over the "o."
"Down River" by The Temper Trap
I went through a phase where I only listened to this song. Like, last week.
"Two Doves" by Dirty Projectors
No matter where I am or what I'm doing, if I am listening to this song, I'm elsewhere.
"Those who danced were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Nietzsche
I've been thinking about that quote a lot lately. Wondering what it means exactly to be a dancer, where the music is coming from and how to listen for it. Are you dancing right now?
Except I sort of doubt it was actually Nietzche who said it...
It's been one of those weeks were I have very little left to say by Saturday, so I'm launchin' straight past the shenanigans and into the music world.
"Kid On My Shoulders" by White Rabbits
In case you were in need of a bit of angry music today. If so, I also suggest this guy.
NO, wait, wait, wait, no don't actually click on that link!
*Disclaimer: This video is fairly graphic in a strange, violent way. Don't watch if you're not into that. If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. "No One Does It Like You" by Department of Eagles
But sometimes I feel like this song will make me float away.
"French Navy" by Camera Obscura
Favorite part: around 0:50 when she says, "You make me go oo-oo-ooh!"
See how I started with the most intense song and cooled down so by the time "French Navy" came around, everything was chill and happy? See how I did that?
Aw yeeah! Why is it that everyone adores Fridays when they're still weekdays, and Saturdays, which are wholly devoted to being weekend days, seem a little less exciting? Whatever. It's Friday, and for this I shall sing and leap about and show you some hot tunes.
"Coin Laundry" by Lisa Mitchell
Oh, hey girl who lives in a secret world inside the laundry room. That's not weird at all.
"My Body" by Young the Giant
I'm so out of touch with society that last week my use of Fergie as an example of a superstar provoked laughter, but I feel as though it's safe to assume most people have heard Cough Syrup by now, so I thought I'd post another gem of theirs. About to go to their concert! Kind of stoked.
"My Valentine" by Paul McCartney
And yes, that is Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp. Paul. Oh, Paul.. Got to love the mildly haunting love songs.
On another semi-related note, the Beatles' sons are thinking of forming a band. Yeah, you read that right. James McCartney is spearheading this thang, followed by Sean Lennon, Dhani Harrison, and either Zak or Jason Starkey (Ringo's boys). The only one not totally on board is Zak, but lil bro Jason has been suggested as the alternate drummer. *Insert crack about Ringo here* If you're interested in some of their work, there's a couple links below.
James McCartney's "I Only Want to Be Alone"
Dhani Harrison's band Thenewno2's Shelter
Sean Lennon's "Dead Meat"
Zak Starkey's "Won't Get Fooled Again" Drum Fill (because as far as I know, Jason Starkey doesn't exist on the internet, and hence mustn't at all)
They all have pieces of the puzzle. Think together they might be able to pull on those phenomenal genes of theirs and form a decent band? Here come the sons.
Nope, sorry for the misleading post name. No Culture Club covers today. Buuut it is Thursday, which I have designated as weekly worldwide cover day! And you have no choice but to accept that.
Zee Avi's cover of "First of the Gang" by Morrissey
I have a girl crush on Zee Avi. She did that NPR Tiny Desk Concert in 2009, and I thought I died.
G. Love's cover of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by Paul Simon
I don't know why more people aren't all over G. Love. He started Jack Johnson! Errybody loves Jack Johnson! Almost errybody.
Starf**ker's cover of "Girls just Want to Have Fun" by Cindy Lauper
Love the fact that it's men singing about how girls just want to have fun. Oh, you ironic Starf**kers, you! You slay me.
I think it would take some valiant effort to redo Karma Chameleon anyway. No offense to Boy George fans if you still exist. But the first person to show me a decent rendition of that song gets the naming rights to my first born son, and I'll do your taxes next year.
Is anyone else feeling the upbeat, adorable acoustic guitar songs today? Oh, you too? My goodness, I'll play some for you!
The latest obsession:
"Ho Hey" by The Lumineers
And, oh my soul, I love the way he stomps the light bulb. And the flowers hanging from the ceiling. But maybe it's just that I'm strangely drawn to suspenders.
"Simple Girl" by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Yeah, life is gonna be ok. You can tell when you hear this song.
But you have to wonder who is in charge of making these music videos. This one stars Wayne and Garth.
"Easy to Love" by Ivan & Alyosha
Precious? Way.
And to think I almost forgot one of my most classic guitar songs about a girl in the history of my listening career!
"The Girl" by City and Colour
Oh, it will just never get old.
Well, that is about all the acoustic adorability that I can throw your way in a single day. Why isn't adorability a word? This is something that keeps me up at night sometimes.
Crazy? Well... That may be. But I keep thinking of songs that I want to share, and, really, I'm not very good at waiting. And honestly, why wait when all I want to do is spread love in music form?
So, without further ado, Tuesday Tunes Two!
"Work" by 1,2,3
In my opinion, this is by far the most effortless song by 1,2,3. It definitely gets your foot tapping.
Don't get whiplash! This one's much calmer than the last toward the start! A little more like study music.
"Motocycle Club" by Too Young
Saw them open for Cobra Starship. Might have liked them better than Cobra Starship. Don't tell Cobra Starship that. Who names their band Cobra Starship?
"Love Battle" by CatPeople
There's more than a minute after the song of credits, which is odd, but I guess when you've got to paint so many trees for the music video, somebody's gonna want credit.
And now, I absolutely promise I'm done for the day. Promise.
The title of this post really doesn't have anything to do with today's music picks. I just like it.
"Cannibal Queen" by Miniature Tigers
Let's get this straight.. I love the song, but man does this video freak me out. It's ok if you want to minimize the screen the first time you listen to it so that your brain doesn't associate the song with the video for the rest of your life.
"The Quiz" by Hello Saferide
Old, but pretty sweet!
"Toothpaste Kisses" by The Maccabees
Too cute. Thanks, Britain.
"Million Years" by Alexander Ebert
Yes, that's the same Alexander of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros! Glorious? Yeah.
So, that's all good and swell. Doesn't music make it all ok?
Today... Today has a weird mood. Like a forest green. Which might not make sense and really just adds to the overall description of today's mood. So I have some weird mood songs for you.
"Too Young to Burn," by Sonny and the Sunsets
Perfect.
"Old Home Movies" by The Botticellis
Their song "Flashlight" is pure beauty, but I can't find a version of it that I like online anymore. I adore The Botticellis despite the fact that they have a grand total of like... 10 songs.
I'm not entirely sure what the affiliation is between The Botticellis and Sonny and the Sunsets, but they're supposedly "related projects." You figure out what that means.
"Deep Sea" by Oh Land
And on that note, I say everyone should fall asleep. Dream sweet things, all.
All day this guy's been running around in my head:
"Eight Days" by Chelsea Williams
This girl has some serious talent. Let's be real, how many of the richest musical artists today even hold a candle to her? Those are pipes.
And it's not in video form, but an old friend of mine has a gorgeous voice and has recorded a few songs, so here's a link Grace's song, "Beautiful" on SoundCloud. Very soulful.
This is an ode to a few of my favorite songs by bands with punctuation in their names that make me a little embarrassed to talk about with normal people because I look like some sort of elitist hipster who listens to bands with names that have punctuation in them. But wait, I do. Foiled!
"Chinese Translation" by M. Ward
It's a peaceful one.
"Sleep Forever" by Portugal. The Man
I didn't link the official music video, which I don't suggest if you're not into 13 minute videos with super creepy/disturbing parts in the middle. If you're not, you also shouldn't ever listen to "Metanoia" by MGMT which is 13 minutes long and the entire thing is a little creepy. In a good way! ...cough...
"Light House" by NewVillager (notice the lack of a space)
The video for that is... well, weird. But beautiful. And I'm pretty much obsessed with it.
"Song About California" by Hey Ocean!
Isn't her voice just sweet?
No, but hey! I listen to music because I LIKE the music! Not because the weird names that the vast majority of the population hasn't heard of make me look in-touch with some deeper, underground culture! No, wait guys, come back! Come back!
Friday! Time for a little Rebecca Black here at Coco Cappuccino!
Yeah, just kidding. I didn't even have you fooled.
In the spirit of a little Friday excitement for the weekend, I've been grooving on some upbeat songs like...
"48 Roses" by Mariachi El Bronx
With four different lovers and 48 roses, probably what he actually needs is a secretary to follow him around keeping track of names and dates. Though that could lead to 56 roses.
"This Girl" by Punch Brothers
Mariachi, bluegrass, I'm all over the place today! This is just such a sweet song.
"One Day Like This" by Elbow
So old, so perfect. Listening to this song is akin to laying in a field of marigolds and watching the the sun set.
Aaaaaand today wouldn't be complete without a personal favorite (I must say that so often):
"The Rabbit, the Bat, and the Reindeer" by Dr. Dog
The best part of the whole song is that moment at about 1:34 when there's the slightest beat and the two discordant chords before launching into more vocals. Chills.
Thursday covers.. Can that be a thing? What I love about covers is the fact that can take a song you totally loved (or didn't love so much) and make you love it in a completely different way. Lookout
The Kill's cover of "Pale Blue Eyes" by Velvet Underground
Secretly, we all wish we were Alison Mosshart.
Alex Cornell's cover of "No One" by Alicia Keys
This is almost definitely my favorite cover of all time. I am not really a massive fan of the original song, but this cover holds a seriously special place in my heart.
Kina Grannis' cover of "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
So much love.
Aaaaand that about does it for the first Thursday cover day!
The music here isn't necessarily new music, but it's good to have one place to find a collection of gems, so here are a few of those songs that make life worth living.
"Paris is Burning" by St. Vincent
How phenomenal is she?!
"Hold On" by Alabama Shakes
Currently that song that is stuck in my head almost 24/7.
"Sail" by Awolnation
Why does this song make me want to try to parkour?
Mostly, this is a place for music and musical exploration. From time to time, there may be editorialesque rants, bits of art or culture or life, but for the most part music is the most important pursuit to which I dare dedicate myself.
To start things off, this is a song by I Blame Coco called "Spirit Golden." She's not me, but I like her, and this song is beautiful, so ha.
