VIDEO: The Baseballs - "Chasing Cars" (Snow Patrol cover)

The Baseballs do a awesomely kitschy '50s cover of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars". I'm amazed at how much time and energy were put into the making of this video. The Baseballs also do retro remakes of "Umbrella", "Hot 'N Cold" and other Top 40 hits. They can be found on their YouTube channel.

VIDEO: Rob - "Little Secrets" (Passion Pit cover)

This guy reproduced Passion Pit's "Little Secrets" using the program Pro Tools. Love it.



DOWNLOAD: Rob - "Little Secrets (Passion Pit cover)"

-Jami

fanterview: Gregory and the Hawk

Four years ago I interviewed ("fanterviewed") Meredith Godreau of Gregory and the Hawk. For your retro viewing pleasure, I've dug it up from the annals of my laptop. Circa Spring 2006. It's pretty squonchy, due to the fact that I was seventeen and didn't know what I was doing.

DOWNLOAD: Gregory and the Hawk - "Boats and Birds"

Where did you come up with the name Gregory and the Hawk? Who is Gregory? What does his hawk have to do with it? 

I picked the name because in addition to having a personal meaning for me, it has a sort of storybook quality to it and i liked that.  Then people started thinking I was two people.. and one of me was a boy!  But maybe there's some truth to that.  I've been thinking of just shortening it to GATH.  That's what I call it in my head.

How have websites like myspace and purevolume affected your popularity?
First they asked for my name and location.  Then they asked for my email.  Then they asked me my favorite foods.  When I told them "cinnamon and sugar," they baked a pie and gave everybody a piece.

Are you currently trying to find a label, or going to stay independent?
I try to keep enjoying guitar, playing shows, sharing my music, and going to see my friends play no matter what.  And then I try to stay prepared in case an opportunity comes around.  It would have to be a very small label with other musicians I respected because I'm not about to do it for the money.  I think about it a lot though, and I honestly don't have an answer.

Your title song , "Boats and Birds", is simply gorgeous- both haunting and melodic, like a dream. What was the inspiration for this song?
Thank you, that's such a nice compliment.  I guess that one's about love & some of the sadness associated with it, like most songs.

VIDEO: Natty Holmes - "Little Lion Man" (Mumford & Sons cover)

Once upon a time, four years ago, I had a little music blog called fanterview, and I interviewed bands on it, and I loved it, and I gave up on it, as I am apt to do. Sad story. However, I love music, and so does my sister, Cori, and we love finding weird little things on YouTube and sharing them with people. So here we are!

I spend an inordinate time using YouTube-to-mp3 generators to get random covers. Here is one of my latest favorites-- this girl doing a lovely little rendition of Mumford & Sons' "Little Lion Man":




And here is the mp3:

DOWNLOAD: Natty Holmes - "Little Lion Man (Mumford & Sons)"

Bonus mp3:
DOWNLOAD: Natty Holmes - "The Cave (Mumford & Sons)"

-Jami

Lollapalooza!

Lollapalooza 2010 was, for me, very successful (minus this psycho girl we were standing in front of while waiting for Metric.) It was the most laid-back Lolla I've ever scheduled. Instead of running around like a crazy person, like every other year, catching twenty minutes of this set and fifteen minutes of that set, I went around slow as molasses. It was still very satisfying.

Mumford & Sons and the New Pornographers were definitely my favorites. I was expecting a good show from the latter, partially because my enjoyment is highly contingent on my recognition of songs, and the New Pornographers are one of my favorite bands. But I was absolutely blown away by Mumford & Sons.

Some of my favorite women:

Neko Case of The New Pornographers

Amy Millan of Stars

Many more photos on my flickr set here.

-jami