Washington - Holy Moses

Megan Washington is an Australian artist that I recently discovered by clicking random video's on Youtube. The song I discovered was "Holy Moses".

I must say that this is one of my favorite videos. Its packed full of imagery, and unique style and camera shooting. As for the song itself, it has that strong drum beat that I love and even manages to work in a kazoo! (Remember being six and playing with a kazoo?) Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts:




-Sean

The Last Days of Summer

The last few days of summer are here, and I can't say I'm not happy to see this season come to a close. I'm not a fan of the warm weather,

I'm more of a autumn/winter bird. I'm counting down the days till pumpkin picking, applecider, hiking, skiing, jumping into my comfy sweaters and sipping hot coco while watching the snow fall down.

Ciao
-Sean

Florence + The Machine - What the Water Gave Me

Many of you have heard of Florence & The Machine. The UK singer has made it big in the US, she's performed on MTV, Dancing with the Stars, and a number of other television shows here in the States. Her debut album Lungs was one of my favorites (Drumming Song, a single, was stuck in my head for months).  However Lungs has been out for some time now and many of her fans have been waiting for some new music and she provided.

Her latest single is "What the Water Gave Me", the single is melodic in principle. It starts off slow, with a simple beat that slowly builds up and up. Many say Florence & The Machine makes people want to sing, and this song is no exception. Check out the video below and let me know what you think

Florence + the Machine - What The Water Gave Me [Official Music Video] from Back Alley Journals on Vimeo.

-Sean

I Apologize.

Sorry for the lack of blogging but in the beginning of August my three year old HP laptop took a nose dive and no longer works. But now I have a new laptop so I can keep Buffalo Street nice and updated. Sorry once again~!

-Sean

Gustav Holst - Mars, Bringer of War.

I love powerful music, music that has a strong and epic feeling to it. Usually I can find this is classical music. I prefer what I call "build ups". Its where a song starts out rather simple and melodic, and then builds into a full orchestra that overwhelms the ears.

If you've never heard of the Celestial Classics then don't worry, most haven't heard of it by name. You have however heard most of them in the big blockbuster movies as their frequently used to give a sense of emotion or pace to a scene. Gustav Holst is the composer of the Celestial Classics that range from Mercury to Neptune (sorry they hadn't discovered Pluto by the time he passed away, which didn't matter now-a-days).

Mars, the bringer of war is my favorite, I sometimes put it on mix cd's and crank the volume up and let the full impact of such a powerful song chill me to the bone. Check it out below and let me know what you think (and if you can name any movies you've heard it in):


-Sean

A Good Wednesday

-Sean

Goyte & Kimbra - Somebody That I Use to Know

As you all know I'm a fan of Kimbra (congrats to her by the way for being signed to a major label, and also Welcome to America) she recently posted the video for a song she's featured on. The song is called Somebody That I Use to Know by Goyte, featuring Kimbra. I have to say I've had the song on replay non-stop for a while now.

The song is simplistic in its beat, but the harmony between both Goyte and Kimbra works wonderfully. This is a song that works on the small details, the mixing is incredible.

Check out the video below and let me know what you think:


-Sean

The Nature of Sunday

Today I found myself feeling somewhat artistic and adventurous, so I grabbed my Nikon and headed out to the trails behind my complex.

Here are some treats from the day:

Clare Maguire - The Shield & The Sword

Clare Maguire is an artist I recently stumbled onto my accident (literally, I used StumbleUpon for some new music taste and she popped up).

I have to say that Clare Maguire's song "The Shield & The Sword" is a mesmerizing piece of music. Its simple in its strong beat, yet complicated and flowing with the orchestrated violins in the background.

Her use of lyrics is quite effective too, as she repeats "I no longer love you, no longer love you" you get the sense of complex issues behind such simple words.

Check out her video below for The Shield & The Sword


-Sean

Oh, The Sunshine

I've always thought it was important to take a vacation right before summer. The prices are usually MUCH cheaper, and they're less tourist mucking about. So, in my tradition of a May-cation (a vacation in May) I headed down to Florida to visit my parents whom live there.

Now before you read on you should know that I'm not exactly a Florida person. I hate the sun (due to my pale skin), I hate sweating, I hate large insects, and I hate horrid drivers. Florida, unfortunately, has all these things. However, this vacation was an excuse to get away from home for a short while and see my parents.

Florida is a land of "communities", basically meaning that there are almost no neighborhoods per-say. Most people live in "gated communities" and in between these "gated communities" is a whole lot of nothing. Now coming from a city like Buffalo, which is chocked full of neighborhoods and different districts, I found the whole place so oddly set up. It didn't help that all the streets are numbered, not actually named. So I frequently got last when I meant to take 101st Avenue, but there were 101st St, 101st Rd, 101st Blvd etc etc.

I did however manage to jet ski and "island hop" while in Florida. My parents own two jet ski's, and its usually their staple entertainment on a hot (and by hot I mean 95 and not a cloud in the sky) afternoon. We rode up and down the international coast way, hoping from island to island and basking in the sun. I myself sat under a tree with 45spf on my face, and 35spf on every square inch of my body haha.

It was relaxing, not really having to worry about work, or home, or whatever small things that get in my way. I did miss my boyfriend terribly though. I'm a big affection person, and not having someone to hug or hold hands with for a week was taxing on my mind.

Overall the trip was wonderful, I got to spend time with my parents, get away from the stresses of a normal life, and just be- well, be me. Here are some pictures from the trip.

-Sean

Kimbra - Cameo Lover

I've written numerous times about Kimbra here on Buffalo Street, and it seems as long as she keeps creating fantastic music, the more I shall be writing about her.

Just a reminder Kimbra is a musician hailing from New Zealand (and based out of Australia now) her music is a mixture of rock, symphonic melodies, pop, and a dash of soul. Her latest video"Cameo Lover" highlights her unique balance of all these different elements.

I've always loved music video's that showcase a simple idea but with surprising imagery. Cameo Lover is no exception, with a simple white background and eye popping colors and visuals its a mesmerizing video. I actually started to dance at my desk while watching the video, which ended badly for my elbow which I banged on the corner, though its an injury I'll wear with pride.

 Her music is yet unavailable on the US Itunes, but is expected to come later.

Check out her video below

Kimbra - Cameo Lover (Official Music Video) from Kimbra on Vimeo.
To learn more about Kimbra you can follow her on twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/kimbramusic
Or check out her Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/kimbramusic


-Sean

Small Moments

Sometimes I think of how lucky I am. I'm a person who wants to take pride in all the small moments, and I have a boyfriend that allows me too. Here's to you Lee, thank you.

-Sean

First Aid Kit - I Met Up With a King

Sometimes, usually when I'm not even looking, I'll stumble upon a great band or singer. First Aid Kit is the fruits of this stumbling.

Hailing from Sweden (though they seem oddly Texan to me) the duo is made of two sisters. Their musical styling seems like a toned down version of american folk music, but with a more modern twist. Their lyrics are usually simple, but effective and usually harbor a deeper meaning.

Here is their single off their 2010 album: I Met Up With a King.

Let me know your thoughts.

-Sean

So Sorry.

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. I just got a promotion at work so its been rather hectic. So as a sorry gift. Here is a musical trailer for Princess Mononoke.

-Sean

Homenaje a Ghibli by Diego Galobart from ENL Autonoma on Vimeo.

DEV - Booty Bounce

Every once and a while I find myself in need of mindless dance music. I don't mean that as an insult to any artist, its just me justifying my insane need to dance around my bedroom to get rid of excess energy and thoughtful, provoking lyrics don't really accomplish that.

With that said I present to you the latest single from DEV. You may recognize her as the girl who sings the "Feeling so fly like a G6" in the Far East Movements hit song "Fly Like a G6".

This song is pure dance pop. And that's just what the doctored ordered. Check out the video below and let me know what you think. You can purchase her new single here (Booty Bounce (Original)) on Amazon for .99 cents.



-Sean