Author: bella.king

The Melodic Tree’s top 10 albums of the year

10. Post Tropical – James Vincent McMorrow: The dramatic change between Post Tropical and Early In The Morning was something that was shocking and yet extraordinary at the same time. McMorrow’s shift from folk to a more soulful sound seems to suit his voice that can hit beautiful falsettos.

9. Be Impressive – The Griswolds: Australian pop-rock rarely sounded as good. With catchy guitar riffs, such as in their hit song, “Beware the Dog,” and infectious lyrics, this is a stellar debut album from the Griswolds.

8. Sonic Highways – Foo Fighters: The concept of this album is one-of-a-kind and the way the Foo Fighters recorded it was original to say the least. Collaborating with different bands in each of the cities where they recorded, it is undoubtedly the most creative album of the year. Even with all of these collaborations, there is still the climatic sound of the band laced into it.

7. Supermodel – Foster the People: Foster the People returned this year with what feels like one of the best pop albums of the year. The dark lyrics are matched cool and bubbly instrumentals making the themes in this album virtually inconspicuous.

6. Everything Will Be Alright in the End – Weezer: The comeback from Weezer seems like a breath of fresh air from their previous two records, Raditude and Hurley. The hooks on this album return and gives the fans just want they want. It is reminiscent of their old days and yet guides us into their future.

5. They Want My Soul – Spoon: This follow-up to their 2010 Transference feels as though it’s a new era for Spoon and this is their first album with new guitar and piano player, Alex Fischel. This is a great comeback for the band after taking a few years off. There are hints of new influences throughout the album and yet, there is still the grit that has given Spoon their signature sound.

4. Sun Structures – Temples: The debut from Temples is the perfect album for anyone nostalgic for the 1960’s and 1970’s. With mellow vocals and keyboards, there is no doubt that Temples understand their abilities. The rhythms from drummer, Samuel Toms, on this album are beyond what most bands as young as they are capable of doing.

3. Singles – Future Islands: 2014 was quite the breakout year for Future Islands and it’s obvious with this album why so. The emotions in the lyrics and voice of Samuel Herring are strong and the backing instruments are just as climatic. The synthesizer on this album is one of the many elements that make this album so phenomenal. Singles is of those albums that will be on anyone’s playlist.

2. Young & Sick – Young & Sick: Artist and musician, Nick Hofwegen goes under the pseudonym of Young and Sick for both his art and music. His self-titled debut is a synth-driven R&B album with infectious bass lines. Whether or not you like R&B, Hofwegen seems to incorporate so much into the songs on this album, there is at least one element that everyone will like.

1. Strange Desire – Bleachers: Bleachers’ debut album Strange Desire can seemingly transport its listeners to a John Hughes movie. With climatic songs such as “I Wanna Get Better” and “Rollercoaster” that brings his melancholic lyrics together with intricate melodies and create something refreshing in the world of alternative rock. Frontman, Jack Antonoff creates new and exciting concepts on this album whether it is eccentric collaborations with Yoko Ono or incorporating Grace Dunham’s, Lena Dunham’s younger sister, talking about graduating college into his music.

The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1. Seasons (Waiting On You) – Future Islands

2. Sleep – Summer Heart

3. Like A River Run – Bleachers

4. Keep in the Dark – Temples

5. Down and Out – The Griswolds

6. I’ve Had It Up To Here – Weezer

7. Do You – Spoon

8. Heartache Fetish – Young & Sick

9. Pseudologia Fantastica – Foster the People

10. Lampshades on Fire – Modest Mouse

11. Crystalized – Young the Giant

12. Honeymoon – SomeKindaWonderful

13. In the Summer – Finish Ticket

14. Through the Dark – The Mowgli’s

15. Texas – Magic Man

16. Karaoke – Smallpools

17. Kathleen – Catfish and the Bottlemen

18. Fiona Coyne – Saint Pepsi

19. Uma – Panama Wedding

20. Red Eyes – The War on Drugs

These are the least pirated musicians of the year

The highly popular download website, BitTorrent, has released data about the most downloaded artist legally, and leaving Thom Yorke, Radiohead frontman on the top spot.

Yorke released he second solo album, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes only on BitTorrent as a download in September. Yorke explained about his album’s release: “It’s an experiment to see if the mechanics of the system are something that the general public can get its head around. If it works well it could be an effective way of handing some control of internet commerce back to people who are creating the work.”

This experiment worked in his advantage as the album received 1.1 million downloads in the first week of the release.

Among the other artists whose music was legally downloaded on BitTorrent are Diplo, De La Soul, and Hundred Waters.

BitTorrent’s 10 Most Legally Downloaded Artist of 2014
1. Thom Yorke
2. Diplo
3. Gramatik
4. De La Soul
5. Zeds Dead
6. G-Eazy
7. Ace Hood
8. Mad Decent
9. Vinyl Williams
10. Hundred Waters

Hear N.E.R.D. reunite on new song “Squeeze Me”

N.E.R.D., which consists of Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley, have reunited for their first song in four years. The song, “Squeeze Me,” is on the soundtrack for the new SpongeBob SquarePants movie.

When talking about the song to Vanity
in an interview, Hugo said: “We’re trying not to think too much in a cartoon sense, but more just like a psychedelic, otherworldy type of thing. If you want to draw a parallel, maybe think of what the Beatles did with Yellow Submarine.”

This is the first release from N.E.R.D. since Nothing which was released in 2010. Listen to the track on Hypertrak here.

Will Butler shares new Christmas song, “Christmas 2014”

The upcoming New Year will be busy for Arcade Fire’s Will Butler as he prepares for his first solo album, Policy, and his supporting tour. The Butler brother gave the gift of a new original holiday song “Christmas 2014.” Listen to the song here.

Arctic Monkeys release short documentary, ending AM world tour

Alternative rock band, Arctic Monkeys, recently posted a short documentary about their tour recently in South America.

The film has the band performing “R U Mine” from their latest, 2013, release, AM on what could be the last leg of the album’s tour.

The video also has behind-the-scenes footage. Watch the video here.

Recently, the band went on Twitter to warn fans of a “fraudulent promotion” of a nonexistent gig of theirs.

The band were supposedly set to play in Malaysia on February 28 in Malaysia according to the fake posters but the have have since confirmed that the show is not happening. They posted, “Following our show in Rio, there are no further live shows planned. Please disregard fraudulent promotions.” The poster for the fake show was posted alongside the band’s announcement.

Arctic Monkeys marked their final date on the AM tour in Rio on November 15. The band are yet to announce if they have plans to return to touring.

The National are tree ornaments in new Bob’s Burgers’ Christmas video

The National and the widely popular FOC animation show, Bob’s Burgers, have had an interesting relationship over the course of these last few years. The relationship began in 2012 when the band covered Linda Belcher’s “Thanksgiving Song” and in the following year, they performed “Sailors In Your Gravy Boats.” Earth rendition taking a darker turn than Linda Belcher’s General peppy spirit.

The National now turned the song, “Christmas Magic” into a melancholic rendition. In the video that goes along with the song, the band are ornaments on a Christmas tree. Watch it here.

550 celebrities weigh in on the Lennon or McCartney debate

Alex Turner, frontman for the Arctic Monkeys, is one of over 550 celebrities to be asked between John Lennon or Paul McCartney in a documentary.

The Scared Goose productions documentary was posted online earlier this month. It was shot over the course of ten years and the producers asked musicians, actors, comedians and an various other celebrities which of the pair they preferred.

Celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Aaron Paul and John Lyndon chose Lennon. On the McCartney side were Aerosmith, Psy, Star Wars director J.J. Abrams.

Paul McCartney described the man who killed John Lennon in 1980, Mark Chapman, as the “jerk of jerks.” During a TV interview, McCartney was asked about how his relationship was with Lennon until his murder. McCartney said that their relationship healed before his death even though things ended poorly for the group.

The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1. San Francisco – Foxygen

2. Cali In A Cup – Woods

3. Moth Wings – Pond

4. I Follow You – Melody’s Echo Chamber

5. Into Black – Blouse

6. If I Were To Lie – Bear In Heaven

7. Better Than Mine – Allah-Las

8. Baby – Devandra Banhart

9. 2080 – Yeasayer

10. Dance Floor – Apples In Stereo

11. Someday Soon – Harlem

12. Be Brave – The Strange Boys

13. Answer to Yourself – the Soft Pack

14. Younger Days – Hooded Fang

15. John Brown – Papercuts

16. Overwhelmed With Pride – Avi Buffalo

17. My Troubled Heart – Christopher Owens

18. Waterfall – The Fresh & Onlys

19. Class Historian – Broncho

20. Think Of You – Bleached

David Fincher to direct an HBO series about the music video industry

Before directing films such as Se7en, Gone Girl, and The Social Network, director David Fincher directed music videos like The Rolling Stones, Sting, and Madonna in the 1980’s. He will now direct a new HBO series about the music video industry.

Fincher will direct Living On Video, which is a comedy about the industry in 1983 in Los Angeles. The series will be centered around the main character, Bobby who recently dropped out of college and headed to Hollywood hoping to direct a science fiction epic but only gets a job as a PA at a video production company.

The series will be similar to the structure of Entourage where Bobby gets into contact with directors, publicists, crew members, and record executives of the “then-exploding video industry.”

The development of Living On Video came from Fincher, Rich Wilkes (xXx) and Bob Stevenson, who was a collaborator with Fincher in his early director days. Wilkes and Stevenson are also set to write the series. The casting is still going on but a pilot is already given a thumbs-up by HBO executives.

HBO also picked up Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger’s tv series about a record label executive living in New York City in the 1970s.

Fincher has still been stepping in the music video directing ring even after winning an Oscar. He recently directed Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” which won a VMA for Best Direction.