What We're Watching: We Were Pirates' Better Off With Out You

DC has so many great bands, and I'm going to try and feature more of them. Especially music from friends, cos what's the point of having a blog if you can't do that?

We've always liked We Were Pirates, and their new album Change is top notch. I'll put a review up in the next few days, swear it.

Until then, check out the video for the band's first single "Better of Without You." Zombies need love too.

Side note, any one else thinks Mike (the lead singer) looks like a younger Britt Daniel from Spoon?

What We're Watching - Mark Ronson's A La Modeliste

This has kinda been ruling my world since I saw it at the beginning of the BCS Championship Game. Trombone Shorty, the artists formerly known as Mos Def, Ms. Badu and the Dap Kings. Plus Mark Ronson behind the boards.

I don't know what the Hyundai/GRAMMY RE:GENERATION project is, and don't really care (what's a Skrillex?). I know this song is excellent.

What We're Watching - Yuna's Come As You Are

It is no doubt ballsy to cover a Nirvana song. It's fairly iconic, and you want to make it your own, but you really can't improve too much on the original.

So to cover something as haunting and lyrically loaded as "Come As You Are", seems like an idea that might be better to walk away from.

Yuna, with her debut EP Decorate out on the FADER label, brought her minimalist approach to the track. But instead of the guitar singer songerwriter vibe she gives off, the cover is backed with a drum machine, some tinkling keyboard, skitter skatter electric noises, and her haunting ethereal voice.

There's no way you believe her when she croon "No I don't have a gun."



You can stream Yuna's Decorate EP at Soundcloud

Buy Yuna's Decorate EP at the Amazon MP3 Store

What We're Watching - Wye Oak's Fish

Wye Oak's video for their song Fish (off Civilian) is a just as gorgeous as their lush beautiful music.

With spectacular artwork from fellow Baltimoreans Katherine Fahey and Michael O'Leary, it's silhouetted shadow puppets will stick with you.

f you don't have Civilian you should get it. It's a fantastic album.


Wye Oak - Fish (Official Video) from City Slang on Vimeo.

What We're Watching - Superchunk's Crossed Wires video

Superchunk always does solid, kinda goofy videos. The clip for the song Crossed Wires (off 2010's EXCELLENT Majesty Shredding) is no exception. Sort of a basic premise of strapping a camera to cat, you see the kitty party with strippers, hang with some bums, and stickup Jon Wurster. Entertaining all the way around. Also a reminder that Majesty Shredding is a good springtime album.



Buy Superchunk's Majesty Shredding from Merge Records

Or from the Amazon mp3 Store

What We're Watching - Hanni el Khatib's Loved One

What's that? You're looking for some catchy authentic sounding garage rock?

I think you'll be digging Hanni el Khatib's Loved One. It's from his album Will The Guns Come Out which drops in June.

Played over shots of people enjoying a seaside midway, and a single camera chasing some doe eyed model, this is priming the pump for summer time.

What We're Watching - Wale's The Break Up

Wale is leading a one man effort to get you to love the DMV.

And his video for his song The Break Up has lots of stuff we like in it. It's got shots of Howard's yard, sped up soul samples, and Morgan Freeman as narrator. It even kinda makes me want to like 500 Days of Summer, which in my humble opinion, is one of the worst films ever made.

Anyway, watch it, and wish you were in DC for this awesome spring weather

What We're Watching - Bruce Springsteen's Tougher Than The Rest

I really liked the Title Tracks cover of Springsteen's Tougher Than The Rest. It's a sweet, older love song, kinda showing what love really is: tough, abused, scratched and beaten up on the edges. Title Tracks makes it a little more tender, but Springsteen's original with that gruff voice makes it the best.

What We're Watching - Black Lips Vide for "Go Out and Get It"

Cos it's fun and warming up, here are The Black Lips drinking, singing and having fun on a boat.

What We're Watching - The Rural Alberta Advantage's Stamp video

We really like the RAA's song Stamp. It's driving, tons of energy, and those great lyrics from Nils Eldenloff.

So it's nice to see the band have a little fun with the video. It's the story of a two fans overly in love with the band - a super fan guy, and a groupie girl. Will they fall for each other?


The Rural Alberta Advantage - Stamp from Saddle Creek on Vimeo.