Category: <span>Music that I love</span>

Music that I love

CoverSong – Early Warnings by Foreign Born ‘Boys Like…

BetsyMoyer · (COVER) Early Warnings by Rostam / Foreign Born
palisades colorado rostam boys like us remix of foreign born early warnings

No one gave me permission… but I borrowed from a live recording of a Barbara band rehearsal from New Years Eve 2010 in Palisades, Colorado, and turned it into this.

At the time, we were bent on a more organic cover version of the more electronic remix of Foreign Born’s “Early Warnings” by our favorite producer mastermind Rostam, from Vampire Weekend. Derek is playing his big old Palisades piano live, Frank is strumming out a few percussive chords on an acoustic guitar while Jerrod and my brother are beating and stomping around on things like the pine wood floors, some buckets and toy tom drums. Derek’s sister Blakely and I are singing live and dancing around the room.

After arriving back home with a rough room recording, I played around with the audio track in Garage Band. I added my own vocals on the verse, chorus and some embellishment – on top of the live recording, and there is a very swirly aesthetic giving it the dreamy fake feeling that it deserves.

I have always enjoyed it, even at the time hearing from Frank and Derek to forget the recording existed… Barbara’s days are long gone, but after going back to it time and again, I finally decided to upload it to Soundcloud for posterity.

Then this happened!

@BetsyMoyer this is awesome!

— Rostam Batmanglij (@matsoR) February 22, 2015

and then it was played on Princeton radio.

Music that I love

Låpsley

Låpsley

I’ve stumbled upon the lady version of James Blake. I think she is my soulmate. I can’t capture my squee with words, for a lady music maker that appreciates a duet enough to texture her own vocals to such effect that I thought for a moment at the beginning that she WAS duetting with a James Blake clone. This shameless move really creates a storytelling event of a song and I’m in full support!

The bedroom producer style electronic act is sparse with big effect, full of heartbreaking vocals with tinny effect that remind me of something that I want back! These songs are a lovely inspiration and are sure to be the soundtrack for a good part of my 2015.

I’ve had Station on repeat for days, and one thing that I’ve come to realize after several listens, that there is a beautiful nostalgia here for a time that I was cruising Los Angeles streets late at night with boots on, listening to other electronic acts with similar sound… including the much more organic and rusty sounds of the Rural Alberta Advantage. The song “Summertime” in particular.

I love how music can transport you with such tangible emotion to another time!

More to come from this breakout as she gains momentum. She’s on XL records along with my beloved beatmakers and autotune shakers, XX and Vampire Weekend… Rostam and Jamie XX forever… and now Låpsley too.

Music that I love

The Luxembourg Signal

practice

I’ve most often passed on public karaoke but I’ve ALWAYS sat there watching others, longing to be the one singing that song, or racking my brain for the tune that I could nail, if only I had the guts.

Somehow or another I have ended up with friends who have invited me to voice some back up here or there and I’ve even performed on a published EP and on stage all but TWO times for a brief and seemingly promising (but now defunct) project called Barbara. Now I’ve landed myself front of stage with a bandful of incredible talent, to sing 7 songs at The Satellite in Silverlake, Los Angeles. NBD…… just jumped from – afraid to karaoke to LEAD SINGER ROCK STAR.

On this day, the day of the show… I’m pretty emotionally spent. I’m so tired that I can’t even cognitively deal with the reality that 12 hours from now, these past few months of work will have been for a moment that is past. I feel a bit weak and terribly mentally ill. Nonetheless, we are made better by pushing ourselves into our wildest dreams.

betsy moyer the luxembourg signal

Music that I love

New Fav: Reptar

Much gratitude to WeListenForYou who prompted me over to the MySpace page of Athens band, REPTAR on Monday. In the tradition of virality I now karmically pass this new discovery on to you. And because I LOVE our digital age, I emailed Poof and the boys for some info and permission to provide you with some tunes. Seriously, they are so very charming. Both signed their responses with love and let it suffice to say that the tone was more than humorous. “Of course wed love to get you some of our music! duh gurrrrllll!”

Friday night would be on the top 10 list of favorite nights ever if I could walk to Central here in Santa Monica & catch these guys playing. Maybe some day! The music is so undeniably appealing and fun that I can only imagine being present for their raucous dancepants. If you like Animal Collective and MGMT, or the recent ditties by The Naked and Famous don’t even bother asking yourself if you will like Reptar!? ***duh gurrrrllll!

I want to tell ya to relax and just enjoy the sounds for their FUN DANCEABLITY. However, its became evident by the repeat play and the girlish way that I daydreamt that Context Clues was not a song, but the script based on our love story typed out by a vintage typewriter and delivered to my home that they are songwriters TOO  songwriters that don’t know where I live or where I make romance!

So.. here’s the scoop. the Athens, GA quartet is a buncha younguns, college kids that must be spending a ton of time on the road convening between schools from Asheville to Atlanta, and playing gigs from Atlanta house parties to SXSW to Raleigh. 2 released singles (available on iTunes) and the forthcoming EP were produced by Ben H. Allen, who has worked with Animal Collective, Deerhunter, The Whigs, Matt & Kim, & Gnarls Barkley.  If that isn’t a sign of faith in the talent and the future success of this band, then you can just take my endorsement. ;)

OR hit play below and decide for yourself! I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Reptar: Context Clues

Reptar: Houseboat Babies
If you were lookin for a new anthem, this is it. It’s The Curish and would make the perfect soundtrack to a Brat Pack revival movie scene about young hipsters sexting in dark bars and smoking Williamsburg Camels.

Reptar: Canabbis Canyon

Reptar on Facebook

Reptar on MySpace