Songs in Commercials, Seventh Installment

It's been awhile... My TiVo keeps me from watching too many commercials, thank goodness!!!

The Silver Seas - Imaginary Girl (used in Kenmore commercial)
Emilie Mover - Ordinary Day (used in Bounce commercial)
Ryan Lindsey - Let's Go Out (used in Payless Shoe Source commercial)
Chairlift - Bruises (used in iPod commercial)
The Blue Van - Silly Boy (used in Samsung commercial)

Thanksgiving Mix

Despite having a mini-freakout upon realizing that Kraft stopped making the "Garlic Cheese Roll" which I have always used to make my Cheese Grits Casserole... Thanksgiving is looking to be a lovely, relaxing time in our household (if you're wondering, Velveeta & garlic powder did the trick... still, not the same! Come on, Kraft!)... Although I am vowing yet AGAIN never to go to Kroger on the afternoon of the day before Thanksgiving.

But, I figured, why not use any excuse I can to make a mix! Being that Thanksgiving is all about family, that's the theme I chose for this group of songs. Some are happy family songs and some are extremely dysfunctional. Enjoy! And Happy Turkey Day!

Cold War Kids - We Used to Vacation
Dar Williams - Family
The Format - On Your Porch
Great Lake Swimmers - I am a Part of a Large Family
Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
Johnny Cash - Daddy Sang Bass
The Judds - Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)
Loretta Lynn - Coal Miner's Daughter
The Louvin Brothers - The Family Who Prays
Patty Griffin - Sweet Lorraine
Sparks - In My Family

Madi Diaz

I took about a year off from blogging (on a regular basis, at least). I just haven't had much time to search out new music, much less write about it. But tonight, I am inspired to make time for it. Thanks to Let Me Like It, I discovered the most amazing Madi Diaz. I feel a bit foolish, because she is a resident of Nashville and plays locally fairly often. Tonight, I've been listening to her songs and feeling my heart break just a little, and in the best possible way... It's so rare to find music that makes you feel something. Her newer stuff is much more poppy, less confessional singer-songwriter. But even when the music shimmers & shines... her voice is still there, and it's still breaking your heart.

Love You Now
Side

RIYL: Catherine Feeny, Kathleen Edwards, Tift Merritt, Everybodyfields

Baby Mix!

So, last weekend I threw a baby shower for Amy J., one of my oldest, bestest friends. And, because I will take any excuse I can get to make a themed mix, I made a CD full of songs with baby in the title. I left off some of the cheesier ones like "Baby, Baby" by Amy Grant. I don't think any of these songs have anything to do with "baby" in the "newborn" sense, but they are still fun nonetheless!

Marvin Gaye - Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
Jackson Browne - Somebody's Baby
Chuck Berry - Oh Baby Doll
Nina Simone - My Baby Just Cares For Me
Buddy Holly - Maybe Baby<
Dinah Washington - Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't My Baby?
Barbara Lewis - Baby, I'm Yours
The Supremes - Baby Love
The Shirelles - Baby, It's You

Songs in Commercials, Sixth Installment

This batch has an "old school" theme. Enjoy!

Lipps, Inc. - Funkytown (used in Areva commercial)
Donovan - Catch the Wind (used in Mass Mutual commercial)
Dolly Parton - More Where That Came From (used in Target commercial)
Dinah Washington - Relax Max (used in Doubletree Hotel commercial)
Squeeze - Tempted (used in Heineken commercial)

Sweden & Denmark

A recent trip to Denmark prompted me to post five songs from the fabulous country:

Efterklang - Step Aside
1 2 3 4 - Minor Chords
Diefenbach - On the Move
CALLmeKAT - Sweet You
Alphabeat - The Hours

Other favorite things about my visit Denmark:

- Listening to the big band at Tivoli
- The big swing at Tivoli
- Sleeping off jetlag at Kongens Have
- Seeing George Michael perform his final show in his "final tour" at the soccer stadium (total coincidence; I love George Michael but not enough to warrant a trip to Copenhagen!)
- Carlsberg beer



And then, a short flight to Stockholm and two short days in Sweden! It was so hard to choose just five songs for Sweden!

Ida Maria - Oh My God*
Hello Saferide - Anna
Jennie Abrahamson - Songs We Sing
Robyn - With Every Heartbeat (Live Lounge acoustic version)
Robert Svensson - Young Enough

*Yes, I know she is technically Norweigan. But she's living in Sweden (or so says Wikipedia) and she is one of my current favorites, so I couldn't resist!

Favorite things about my time in Stockholm:

- A trip to my childhood by entering Villa Villekulla at Junibacken
- Stumbling upon a show at tiny club Mosebacke Etablissement and discovering Jennie Abrahamson and Robert Svensson (see above)
- Eating at least two Daim candies per day (and Dumie, Bilar, Plopp, looking back I think I ate too much candy in Sweden!)
- Doing the cheesy Absolut icebar thing

Songs in Commercials: Fifth Installment

Some really great songs this time! I had to include the one from the Saab commercial, even thought it's almost a year old... 'Cause not only do I love the song but I love my 10 year old Saab. :)

Nikolai Dunger - Something in the Way (used in Volvo commercial)
Nina Kinert - Through Your Eyes (used in Saab commercial)
Nicole Adkins - Maybe Tonight (used in Old Navy commercial)
Noah & The Whale - 5 Years Time (used in Saturn commercial)
Walter Meego - Forever (used in Heineken commercial)

Songs in Commercials: Fourth Installment

So, this has become a bit of an obsession... I am now intent on finding the song in the Eucerin commercial. I was disappointed to find out that the song in the Quilted Northern commercial was created specifically for the company. Anyway... Life has been very busy lately, and has left little time for my sweet "hi-fi heart" but I did find five more songs recently heard in commercials. Quite a good batch if I must say so myself!

Miss TK & The Revenge- No Biters (used in Clearasil commercial)
The Icicles - La Ti Da (used in Target commercial)
Lights - The Last Thing On My Mind (used in Old Navy commercial)
JuJu Stulbach - Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (used in GE commercial)
Alice Peacock (w/ John Mayer) - Bliss (used in Hershey's Bliss commercial)

Yet Even MORE Songs from Commercials.

Ok, this is kind of fun. Five more songs from commercials!

Tim Myers - A Beautiful World (used in Target commercial)
Landon Pigg - Falling In Love in a Coffee Shop (used in Debeer's commercial)
Dragonette - Get Lucky (used in JC Penney commercial)
Amos Lee - Sweet Pea (used in AT&T commercial)
Brendan Benson - What I'm Looking For (used in iPhone commercial)

More Songs from Commercials!

So it seems a lot of people liked the last batch, so I decided to put together another one! Enjoy! Feel free to make suggestions as well.

Melpe Mene - I Adore You (used in Volvo commercial)
Ben Lee - We're All In This Together (used in Kohl's commercial)
Cao Fang - In Summer (used in GE commercial)
Alison Krauss & Robert Plant - Killing the Blues (used in JC Penney commercial)
Orba Squara - Perfect Timing (This Morning) (used in iPhone commercial)

Songs from Commercials

Just a batch of songs I've recently heard in commercials and felt compelled to Google to find out who the artist is... Except for the Simone White song, which I found randomly on the Stroopwafel myspace page (I had a craving, and sadly am not anywhere NEAR The Netherlands at the moment)... And later found out it was in an Audi commercial, which was a good excuse to use it! Well, and the Hem song, which I recognized as Hem but hadn't heard that particular song. Enjoy!

Joe Purdy - Can't Get It Right Today (used in Kia commercial)
Lights - February Air (used in Old Navy commercial)
The Flatmates - Happy All The Time (used in Payless Shoes commercial)
Simone White - The Beep Beep Song (used in Audi commercial)
Hem - The Part Where You Let Go (used in Liberty Mutual commercial)

A Hi-Fi Heart Valentine's Mix

Here's a very random mix of love songs in celebration of Valentine's Day!

The Blow - Parentheses (the cool kids love song)
Daryl Hall & John Oates - You Make My Dreams (the cheesy 80s love song)
Flight of the Conchords - Business Time (the comedic love song)
Guillemots - Made Up Love Song #43 (the off-kilter love song)
The Postal Service - Such Great Heights (the required indie love song)
Queen - You're My Best Friend (the athemic rock love song)
Ray Lamontagne - Shelter (the unconditional love song)
Rufus Wainwright - My Funny Valentine (the required listening love song)
Sondre Lerche - The More I See You (the jazzy coffeeshop love song)
Stevie Wonder - I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) (the quintessential love song)

ENJOY! And Happy Valentine's Day (or Singles Awareness Day, whichever you prefer).

xoxo

New Releases - 2.5.08

[Another Cover Songs Edition!]

I am embarassed I didn't know about Sons & Daughters before now. This album is full of fierce, female fronted rock. But it's catchy too! Enjoy this cover; it's the b-side for the "Gilt Complex" single.

Sons & Daughters - Killer (Seal/Adamski cover)


It's hard to believe that this album is just being released in the U.S. It was one of my early favorites in 2007, thanks to Basia's sweet vocals and all the ukelele! She recorded this Sam Cooke gospel classic for the US iTunes version of Oh, My Darling.

Basia Bulat - Touch the Hem of His Garment (Sam Cooke cover)


All is Well is subtle and delicate and so gorgeous that it overwelms me at times. Only after a few listens do you start to notice the variety of instruments in the background, because it all melds and flows so effortlessly.

Samamidon - Fall On My Knees (trad.)


Other honorable mentions for 2.5.08:

Hot Chip - Made in the Dark (addictive indie-dance)
Nada Surf - Lucky (shimmering pop)
HorrorPops - Kiss Kiss Kill Kill (tongue-in-cheek Danish-punk)
Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge (unlikely troubadour)
Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here (mellow Americana/pop)
Air Traffic - Fractured Life (inoffensive Brit-rock)
Kamera - Resurrection (80's-throwback pop)

New Releases - 1.29.08

[Cover Songs Edition!]

If you like Feist, Cat Power and the like, then you are bound to like Thao Nguyen. Her voice has a lazy, sultry sound (akin to Catherine Feeny). Enjoy this cover; it's the iTunes bonus track.

Thao - You've Really Got a Hold On Me (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles cover)


AllMusic.com describes Yoav as a "mix of Nine Inch Nails, Justin Timberlake, and Peter Gabriel." I would have never though of the Nine Inch Nails or JT comparisons, but I can hear it now. Pensive & dark singer/songwriter with percussion skills.

Yoav - Where Is My Mind (The Pixies cover)


I can't believe that I almost forgot about Shelby Lynne. I Am Shelby Lynne was one of my favorites back in 2000. This album is her tribute to Dusty Springfield, produced by Phil Ramone. She does a fine job on one of my all-time favorite songs "How Can I Be Sure" (seriously, best bridge ever!).

Shelby Lynne - How Can I Be Sure (The Young Rascals cover)

Other honorable mentions for 1.29.08:

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (blogged-to-death prep-rock)
Joe Jackson - Rain (AAA radio-friendly)
Louis XIV - Slick Dogs and Ponies (catchy retro-rock)
Chris Walla - Field Manual (Death Cab solo)
The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead (Dylan-esque indie)
Xiu Xiu - Women As Lovers (too-weird-for-me noise)
Radar Bros. - Auditorium (subdued indie)

Yael Naïm

I must admit I first took notice of Yael Naïm last night when I saw the MacBook Air commercial (and subsequently fell in love with both the computer and the song). Then I realized I had actually heard her voice before on the Readymade FC album Babilonia, which I bought on a whim in Paris over two years ago. I think I bought it because Feist was a collaborator on one of the songs. And, just for fun, some trivia about Yael (courtesy of Wikipedia):

1. Naim was born in Paris in 1978 to Jewish-Tunisian parents.
2. At the age of four, she moved with her family to Ramat HaSharon, Israel, where she learned Hebrew and trained as a pianist.
3. She served in Israel Defence Forces as a soloist in Israel Air Force Orchestra.
4. The songs on her self-titled album are in French, English, and Hebrew.
5. The album entered the French album chart at No. 11 the week after its release.

Yael Naïm - New Soul (used in the MacBook Air commercial)
Yael Naïm - Toxic (Britney Spears cover)
Readymade FC feat. Yael Naïm - The Only One
Readymade FC feat. Yael Naïm - Slide

RIYL: Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae, Sia, Cat Power

My Fifty Favorite Songs of 2007

THIS IS JUST A LIST - THE LINKS ARE DEAD

Without further ado, I present to you:

"My Fifty Favorite Songs of 2007: A Hi-Fi Heart Mixtape"
(in alphabetical order, with absolutely no pressure from hipster trends, and with a dash of country songs thrown in just 'cause this is Nashville!)

Adele - Hometown Glory

Alison Krauss & Robert Plant - Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)

Alphabeat - 10,000 Nights of Thunder

Aqualung - Something To Believe In

Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running

Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You

Basia Bulat - Snakes & Ladders

Bishop Allen - Rain

Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You

Brooke Waggoner - Wonder-Dummied

De Novo Dahl - Shout

Delta Spirit - Strange Vine

The Everybodyfields - Aeroplane

Feist - 1234

Fergie - Clumsy

Gabrielle - Love Me Like You Do

GoodBooks - Passchendaele

Groove Armada - Song 4 Mutya

Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am

Jack Penate - Spit at Stars

Joshua James - The Soul and the Sea

Kate Nash - Mouthwash

Kate Walsh - Your Song

Kelly Clarkson - Sober

Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love

Los Campesinos - You! Me! Dancing!

Mandy Moore - Nothing That You Are

Mark Ronson (Feat. Amy Winehouse) - Valerie

Miranda Lambert - Dry Town

Noah and the Whale - Rocks and Daggers

Paramore - Crushcrushcrush

Patty Griffin - Heavenly Day

Radiohead - All I Need

Robyn - With Every Heartbeat

Rogue Wave - Chicago x 12

Ryan Adams - Everybody Knows

Sara Bareilles - Love Song

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles - The Day We Met

Sigur Ros - Hljomalind

The Silver Seas - This Country Life

Spoon - The Underdog

Sugababes - About You Now

Sugarland - Stay

Taylor Swift - Our Song

Tegan & Sara - The Con

Those Dancing Days - Those Dancing Days

Travis - My Eyes

Wilco - Either Way

Yelle - Ce Jeu

Zookeeper - Ballad of my Friends

New Releases - 1.22.08

So there were a TON of new releases yesterday. I tried to sift through them all, but The Yellow Stereo did a far more thorough job than I ever could. So I'll be lazy and just link to it.

The only addition I have for you:

Rooney - Forever Young (Youth Group cover)
(from the "I Should've Been After You" EP)

And, in case you care, my most highly recommended albums released from yesterday are:

Cat Power - Jukebox (more covers!)
Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces (acoustic goodness)
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (fun dance/rock)
Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning (acoustic GREATness)
Jack Penate - Matinee (domestic arrival!)
Steve Poltz - Traveling (acoustic cleverness)
Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause - The Rustic Contemporary Sounds of... (rocking rootsiness)
Bodies of Water - Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink (California throwback sounds)
The Whitsundays - The Whitsundays (quiet prettiness)
Hey Willpower - P.D.A. (indie Mika-meets-JT)

New Releases - 1.22.08

So there were a TON of new releases yesterday. I tried to sift through them all, but The Yellow Stereo did a far more thorough job than I ever could. So I'll be lazy and just link to it.

The only addition I have for you:

Rooney - Forever Young (Alphaville cover)
(from the "I Should've Been After You" EP)

And, in case you care, my most highly recommended albums released from yesterday are:

Cat Power - Jukebox (more covers!)
Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces (acoustic goodness)
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (fun dance/rock)
Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning (acoustic GREATness)
Jack Penate - Matinee (domestic arrival!)
Steve Poltz - Traveling (acoustic cleverness)
Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause - The Rustic Contemporary Sounds of... (rocking rootsiness)
Bodies of Water - Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink (California throwback sounds)
The Whitsundays - The Whitsundays (quiet prettiness)
Hey Willpower - P.D.A. (indie Mika-meets-JT)

New Releases - 1.15.08

[Cover Songs Edition!]

Band of Horses guitar player and North Carolinian Tyler Ramsey released his second solo album this week. It is a quiet, melacholy affair with lovely finger-style acoustic guitar picking, reminiscent of Leo Kottke.

Tyler Ramsey - These Days (Jackson Browne cover)


The Battle of Land and Sea is the dreamy sounding duo of Sarah O'Shura and Joshua Canny. After first listen, it's impossible not to think of Mazzy Star. Trivia: O'Shura recorded several songs while in the nude, but she won't tell which ones.

The Battle of Land and Sea - Harden My Heart (Quarterflash cover)

This duet with Canadian songbirds Anne Murray and Nelly Furtado is dreadful, amusing, and fun all at once. Anne Murray's voice was never truly great, and it's teetering on unlistenable at this point, but still - Useful for kitsch factor alone!

Anne Murray with Nelly Furtado - Daydream Believer (Monkees cover)

Other honorable mentions for 1.15.08:

Magnetic Fields - Distortion (title-says-it-all)
The Eels - Meet The Eels: Essential Eels 1996-2006, Vol. 1 (nice introduction)
The Eels - Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities & Unreleased 1996-2007 (serious fans only)
The Steeldrivers - The Steeldrivers ("rhythm'n'bluegrass")

New Releases - 1.8.08

For those of us that weren't alive in '69-'71, I'm happy to say that we now have a chance to hear (and see) some of the best performances from The Johnny Cash TV Show. This duet with Joni Mitchell is particularly wonderful.

Joni Mitchell & Johnny Cash - Girl From North Country

"My Declaration" was the song that introduced me to Tom Baxter back in 2004. He is often compared to Jeff Buckley, but I find Tom's music to be much more accessible. Short of paying $30 for an import CD, it's pretty much impossible to buy his music in the US. A travesty!

Tom Baxter - Better

This is (Willie) Wisely's fourth album, and it features lovely and melodic singer/songwriter pop. He has a famous friend in Jenna Fischer (Pam of "The Office"), who appears in his video for "Through Any Window". It's like if Badly Drawn Boy made an album full 70s AOR.

Wisely - California

Other honorable mentions for 1.8.08:

Sia - Some People Have Real Problems (smooth/soulful pop)
Kate Nash - Made of Bricks (US release, finally!)
Marah - Angels of Destruction (bluesy roots-rock)
Amanda Shaw - Pretty Runs Out (New Orleans fiddler)