The Girl

Now is finally the time to post about the band I love the most! This band is one of my top five favourite bands of all time and this indie group happens to be called City and Colour. I have been a fan of City and Colour for quite some time and my 'fan-ship' has grown for the band over the years. Every time I listen to a song written and performed by Dallas Green (the man behind City and Colour) I become completely captivated by the deep words he writes. As of today I have now been to two City and Colour concerts. I also have started a memorabilia collection with various City and Colour t-shirts and a signed Vinyl Record of The Hurry and The Harm (signed by Dallas Green himself).

The song that I am featuring today is one of his most upbeat songs from the 2008 Album Bring Me Your Love. Normally the songs Dallas Green writes are very deep and depressing; which is something that I do not mind listening to because I feel as though it relaxes me. The song The Girl is one of my favourites because it is upbeat and has a happy tune that is easy to sing along to. 

One of my favourite lyrics pulled from the song is: "while I'm off chasing my own dreams, sailing around the world, please know that I'm yours to keep, my beautiful girl." There is something about this lyric that makes me thing of living a perfectly happy and fulfilled life. 

Take a listen and enjoy! 

Kansas City

I recently came across a band that is a talented group of artists who call themselves, The New Basement Tapes. This unique band is a collaboration of artists including:  Jim James, Elvis Costello, Marcus Mumford, Taylor Goldsmith, and Rhiannon Giddens. The group formed in 2014, which was also the year they released their album called, Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes. 

The unique story behind this group revolves around Bob Dylan and the dozens of  hidden “basement tape” songs he had written in the late 1960’s. In the basement of a small house is where Dylan collaborated alongside other artists to create a plethora of hidden lyrics. The album, Lost On The River: The New Basement Tapes, is a process that has been going on for 47 years and was finally released within the last year. This album is a huge celebration of never before heard Bob Dylan masterpieces that were never released to the public. The New Basement Tapes have created something magical that was built from a legendary artist who brings so much talent to the music world. He was generous enough to share his hidden lyrics with the five artists that make up The New Basement Tapes. 

The song Kansas City is one of my favourite songs on the album. This song is a dishevelled love story about a broken heart and having to “pay for what you break”. Marcus Mumford from Mumford and Sons is the lead vocalist for this song and is also backed up by a wide variety of artists and instrumentals. This is such a captivating song that takes you to a deep place of thought and can bring out many different emotions when you follow along with the lyrics. 

For Emma, Forever Ago

Justin Vernon is the artist behind the indie band Bon Iver. He is one of those singers who I usually listen to on a daily basis. The calming tone of his voice has the ability to put anyone in a completely relaxed state. Vernon has a vocal range like none other and is known for the extremely high pitches he reaches in most of his songs. Bon Iver is a group that I can rely on to take me to another planet and to help clear my mind of all negative thoughts. 

Take a listen to any one of his songs and I guarantee it will put you in a calming state of mind. Some people say it is sad or depressing but I believe that it is calming and good for the soul. It is the type of music for yoga, rainy days, bed time, reading, studying, long winter walks and many more moments such as the ones listed. This video is a very unique interpretation of the song For Emma from the album, For Emma, Forever Ago.

In an article that I recently read about the video, Vernon said that, "this album is meant to be played in front of small crowds..." and that is exactly what this video shows. The video is of Bon Iver in Montmartre, Paris, France. The harmonies in this video show the incredible talents of this band. The specific locations they choose to perform provides amazing acoustics that amplify their harmonies. Imagine walking down the street in Paris and hearing the sound of this walking towards you....