Uh, the thing that gets the most media coverage is essentially the equivalent of a bar fight, right? It’s, uh, Kim Kardashian’s ass or Charlie Sheen’s crazy, or you know, name the celebrity…Demi Moore now is having trouble and the world becomes fixated on these people because, um, America thinks that being rich is actually the way to go, and they think that being famous is actually the way to go. That’s what we’re told and that’s what television does, and that’s what movies do. And it’s the idea that like, the self is not important—what’s important is trying to be someone that you’re not. And I think that it’s the exact opposite that’s important in life.

And you know everybody knows this too but its cloudy, fucking cloudy. Looking at magazines and seeing people be rich, and famous, and successful and thinking “I wanna be that person,” but I think what’s really important is the fucked up unique people that we are as individuals. And I think that society keeps telling us that that’s not it, that if you fix your nose or you lose weight or you do whatever the fuck, it’s better and that you need to be somebody that you’re not, when really I think that we all need to teach our kids and teach ourselves that actually being the person you are is actually the most important thing you can do. I don’t want my kid growing up thinking, fucking, that he or she is not the coolest person in the world, you know what I’m saying? That they’re not like—who they are in their weird, wacky—if they have a fucked up nose, or if they’re…like…not good at math, but they’re, you know—if they’re—that kind of unique shit. Playing music you see it more and more, right? I play music and every time I write a song I think, “I’m trying so hard to clear away the shit,” and it’s so hard to write what’s just actually in you.

So I’m not preaching in any way, I’m just saying like as people every day we have to get up and we have to try really hard to be our unique selves. And if people tell us that that’s not cool, then those are the people we don’t fucking hang out with. Seriously, cleaning up the plate a little bit. You don’t need that many friends. So I wrote this song in the hopes that—I wrote it for myself, for those days where you feel like being you is not enough and that’s actually not true at all.

Matt Nathanson, Before “All We Are” (1.29.2012)

Don’t remember what I was watching that this popped up as a related video on Youtube, but this cover of Gorillaz “Feel Good Inc.” by Dustin Prinz is…just watch it. Not only does he kill it on the acoustic guitar but he manages to play and sing the rapping verse part—which have totally different melodies. Oh, and he kind of sounds like Jack Johnson, so there’s that.

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62 plays

Metric’s “Satellite Mind” has been on the short-list for songs to post up to 34th & Now for a week or two. Then I found this this acoustic version that bumped it right to the top of the list. Emily Haines’ voice is spot on.

My life in medical school—as told by Dave Matthews’ facial expressions.

My life in medical school—as told by Dave Matthews’ facial expressions.

I wore down the replay button with this one. Anyone who reads 34th & Now knows how much I dig acoustic Matt Nathanson performances and this is one of the best recordings of one I’ve seen yet—let’s be real nothing compares to acoustic live but I’m currently stuck in the middle of the Caribbean so….yeah. Anyway, this version of “Run” is, like I said, fantastic. Matt & Aaron Tapp manage to take a pretty highly produced male-female duet (female vocals by Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles on the album) and strip it down to a one-man-vocal acoustic song while maintaining the emotional integrity and sincerity that make the album version a fan favorite.

For the love of good music I strongly insist you reblog this. Hell, I don’t even care if you re-up it yourself rather than a reblog, just make sure it gets spread around. Budding indie/guitar/music enthusiasts (read: potential future music snobs like me) need to hear that there’s more out there than Bieber, Weezy, and Gaga.

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227 plays

I had this song stuck in my head for days not remembering who it was by and then Liz posted some new albums for me in our shared dropbox and, lo and behold, there on Band of Skulls’  Baby Darling Doll Face Honey was “Light of the Morning.”

This song will never get old. Here’s Dave Matthews with a solo performance of “Crash Into Me” from the Abbey Road studio in London. Crash is probably my favorite song of all time as well as the leading cause for my love of the acoustic guitar.

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24 plays

Empire Records came up in conversation yesterday which made me think of the soundtrack which in turn led me down 90s nostalgia lane. The opening riff of Gin Blossoms’ “Till I Hear It From You” is so epic.

Lee Jeffries is an accountant from Manchester by profession but for the past few years he’s traveled around the world photographing people he encounters on the streets, particularly the homeless.

He spends time getting to know each of his subjects before shooting them, which is evident in his work. The breath taking portraits seem to suggest details of each individuals life, taking a hard unflinching look at their personal condition.

Jeffries was just announced as the 2011 Digital Camera Photographer of the Year and you can read more about him at the Independent.

(Via powerofthebeard)

These are, simply put, fantastic.

Religion is Like a Penis

It’s fine to have one.
It’s fine to be proud of it.
But please don’t whip it out in public and start waving it around.
And PLEASE don’t try and shove it down my children’s throats.

Here’s UK pop group The Saturdays giving a great rendition of Madcon’s version of “Beggin” for MTV UK.  For those under the age of 50 and/or the musically uncultured, the Madcon version isn’t an original either, “Beggin’” was originally released in the 60’s by Frankie Valli (well…it was really The Four Seasons but somehow it was released as a Valli solo track but that’s neither here nor there.) The point is, here’s a  great cover of a great cover. It’s like Inception for your ear drums.

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.
David Brinkley (via loriamb)
Throwback pic of my Martin DCME when from when I was starting to get into photo editing. Don’t worry that cracked appearance is all Photoshop. I think it came out pretty well.

Throwback pic of my Martin DCME when from when I was starting to get into photo editing. Don’t worry that cracked appearance is all Photoshop. I think it came out pretty well.

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533 plays

Feel the fists
As they bang on your closed mind
Those who judge
Bang a gavel on your own time


My buddy D.O. is a student at Ross but is also blowing up the Miami rap scene. He just threw this one up on Soundcloud. More tracks up at the D’Originators page.

I rarely post two videos back to back and never post the same song but both the studio and acoustic versions of “Parachutes” are so good that I couldn’t choose one. Plus, the acoustic version features Ingrid’s bandmates more. When Liz and I got to watch Ingrid from backstage at The Troc in Philly, Elliot Jacobson (drums), Kris Kuffner (bass), and Allie Moss (guitar) were all super nice. Jacobson, who I’ve met a few times and who was named Modern Drummer’s #1 Up and Comer for 2010,  is totally crushing it on that cajon in this version.