Pop-rock quartet OK Go have released their first album in over a decade, And the Adjacent Possible. From the left, Dan Konopka, Andy Ross, Damian Kulash and Tim Nordwind.Piper Ferguson/Supplied
another band that I don’t know but everyone else does
Since 2006, when they released the single-take video for Here it Goes Again, OK Go has been known for their playful, mind-bending music videos – featuring everything from treadmills to zero gravity, drones and even a Rube Goldberg machine. But the music video for A Stone Only Rolls Downhill – the lead single from the first Ok Go album in over a decade, And the Adjacent Possible – is more than just a marketing vehicle. As mesmerizing as the new video is, it’s also the product of emotions not generally associated with the pop-rock quartet. Like despair, for example, and cynicism.
So what are their videos about??
a song of some despair
from Damian Kulash
he’s the father to twin six-year-olds – because he has to hold back from telling his kids how messed up the world is. “But I also don’t want to lie to them,” he added. “They can’t grow up deluded, but I don’t want to ruin their lives with despair right now, either.”
Globe and Mail
and a band known for its videos – what are their favourite??
“This is a weird and wonderful corner of the world to have found ourselves in,” Kulash says, reflecting on the band’s visual legacy. “We were lucky to stumble into this niche, where thinking of art projects that are challenging and inspiring became something of a brand for us.”
OK Go – WTF? – Official Video
OK Go – Here It Goes Again (Official Music Video)
OK Go + Pilobolus – All Is Not Lost – Official Video
Jacob Collier – 100,000 Voices
Jacob Collier – 100,000 Voices
This is the first time I have bought an album by a musician I am featuring before we even play the show. I found Jacob Collier by accident last week when we on the show were talking about how musicians can so easily collaborate.
Watch this short video on him – incredible! A musical genius I had never heard of before. We could do a whole show just on him.
Here is the YouTube video I totally stumbled upon – my first time hearing and seeing Jacob Collier. Really worth the view.
What he says about this “I was challenged to improvise a piece of music with an orchestra, with no plan, no sheet music, no rehearsal, and no prior discussion. Here’s what happened.”
Jacob has very rightly–I believe–been called “The Mozart of Gen Z.” I’ll go a giant step further, I feel that Jacob Collier is Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler, Copland, Stravinsky, Bob Brookmeyer, Gil Evans, John Coltrane, Quincy Jones, Martin Scorsesse, Samuel Barber, Led Zeppelin, Lenny Bernstein, and Nadia Boulanger all rolled up into one blazing comet of pure creativity. AND HE IS ONLY 29 YEARS OLD! Why is that sentence in all-caps and neon-green font? Because I pray that his age means that we get MANY more decades of Collierian magic from him!
You also need to see this from his latest album “Djesse, Volume 4”
Jacob Collier – World O World (Official Score Video)
and who is this beautiful choir?
The Aeolians of Oakwood University was originally organized in 1946 by the late Dr. Eva B. Dykes. Since its inception, the choir has traveled widely, touching the hearts of both young and old with their inspirational singing.
I actually heard Foxwarren this morning on CBC – our songs are not usually found there. I chose Foxwarren because the band features Andy Shauf who I think is amazing.
Foxwarren is Andy Shauf, Avery Kissick and Darryl Kissick, Dallas Bryson, and Colin Nealis – and they have announced their new album, 2, out May 30th via Arts & Crafts.
From Killbeat Music, we learn that Foxwarren has actually been around for a long time
During the last decade, Shauf has become known as a uniquely imaginative and precise storyteller – a perpetually restless songwriter and musician, always using some fresh fascination, skill, or concept as the catalyst for albums he would write, play, and produce almost entirely by himself. These ever-evolving interests are evident from 2016’s The Party through to 2023’s Norm. But before Shauf’s solo acclaim, he was a member of Foxwarren, which initially consisted of Shauf, the fraternal rhythm section of Avery and Darryl Kissick, and guitarist Bryson. Their self-titled debut album arrived in 2018, almost an entire decade after the formation of the band, garnering solid reviews, packed live shows and some of Shauf’s most celebrated music, immediately overcoming any suggestion whatsoever that this was just a side project. Multi-instrumental ace Colin Nealis – a member of Shauf’s touring band – officially joined Foxwarren after their summer touring in 2019.
and another cool video
Arkells – Come On Teacher
As a surprise birthday (50) present, a group of artists got together to make a great cover album of a lot of his songs.
More here:
For more than 30 years, Joel Plaskett has carved out a singular space in Canadian music—equal parts melody maker, indie-rock elder, and community builder. Whether touring coast to coast or working out of his beloved Fang Recording Studio in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Plaskett has fostered a sense of collaboration and creativity that’s deeply personal to the people who’ve worked with him—or simply grown up listening to his music.
To celebrate Plaskett’s 50th birthday on April 18th, more than 20 artists came together to create a surprise double album titled Songs From The Gang, pulling from across his massive catalog to reinterpret his songs with affection, energy, and originality. The project was organized entirely behind his back—an undercover love project orchestrated by longtime manager Sheri Jones and a tight-knit crew of collaborators, friends, and fans who wanted to give back to an artist who’s given so much.
and of course here is the original from 17 years ago
Joel Plaskett Emergency – Come On Teacher
the album
Songs from the Gang:
1. Frank Turner – “You’re Mine” 2. Arkells – “Come On, Teacher” 3. Sloan – “I Love This Town” 4. The Sheepdogs – “Down at the Khyber” 5. 45 Portland Street Band (feat. Eric Stephen Martin, Alexander Gallant, Aquakultre, Sarah Swire) – “Drunk Teenagers” 6. Jenn Grant – “Lying on a Beach” 7. Alan Doyle – “Hey Moon (A Campfire Song)” 8. David Myles – “Happen Now” 9. Jah’Mila – “Harbour Boys” 10. Reeny Smith, Haliey Smith, Micah Smith – “Wishful Thinking” 11. Matt Andersen – “Natural Disaster” 12. Julian Taylor – “Compete with Loneliness” 13. Two Hours Traffic – “Deny, Deny, Deny” 14. Peter Elkas – “Beyond, Beyond, Beyond” 15. Bahamas – “Please Don’t Return” 16. Mo Kenney – “Lonely Love” 17. Alan Syliboy & the Thundermakers – “Nowhere with You” 18. City and Color – “All the Way Down the Line” 19. Rose Cousins – “Nothing More to Say” 20. Shotgun Jimmie – “Face of the Earth” 21. Jill Barber & Matthew Barber – “Light of the Moon” 22. Steve Poltz – “Absentminded Melody” 23. Erin Costelo – “Old Friends”
Arcade Fire – “Year of the Snake” – Pink Elephant
After a three year absence, Arcade Fire have returned with a new track, “Year of the Snake”. The track will be on their upcoming album Pink Elephant which will be released later this spring. In March, the band performed outside of Austin, where they debuted some of these new songs. The video is kinda cool.
Waterboys – “Blues for Terry Southern”- Life, Death and Dennis Hopper
The Waterboys are a rock band formed in 1983 by Scottish musician and songwriter Mike Scott. Mike Scott has remained the only constant member throughout the band’s career. My two fave Waterboy’s songs? I’ll tell you:
Southern was responsible for writing or at least help write Hopper’s film Easy Rider.
Rabies – “Adderall Girl” – single
There are multiple bands named Rabies. One is a punk rock/skatepunk band from the Czech Republic. There’s a skate punk/hardcore band from Venice, California, also named Rabies. Ours is a power pop/punk band from the suburbs of NYC. In the early 1980’s, The Rabies released a pair of singles, which have since become highly sought-after collectors items. The track I chose comes from a 2020 single, “Adderall Girl”
Brian D’Addario – “Flash in the Pan” – Till in the Morning
Brian D’Addario is one half of Old Fellas perennial choice brother act The Lemon Twigs. It’s his debut solo record. Brother Michael and fellow Twig is on board for a number of tracks. At first listen , it doesn’t sound substantially different from previous Twig efforts. This isn’t a bad thing .
Japanese Breakfast – “Mega Circuit” – For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)
Grammy nominated Japanese Breakfast is an American band formed in 2013. I always assumed it was a solo project where vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Michelle Zauner simply used that name. For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) is their fourth studio album. This a great article from the NME that includes a video for the track Mega Circuit.
Whole-Hearted 
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