if you're interested i now have a "tumblr" blog that's very similar to this but updated a lot more often found here: http://swoodyj.tumblr.com/

Favorite albums of 2011

This was kind of a weird year for the music i enjoy. Looking at the best lists from paste, rolling stone, spin, etc... to me i'm pretty disappointed in what i find. If i didn't know any better i would of felt that nothing really good came out at all this year. but if you dig a little deeper there was some really wonderful music. here is my top 10. 

#1 Mayer Hawthorne - How Do You Do 

this album is full of honest, soulful, pop goodness. just as good as his past release "A Strange Arrangement". totally dig it.

#2 La Sera (self titled) 

dreamy summertime pop love

#3 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Belong

shimmery nostalgic pop rock. also great for summertime listening. 

one of the best music videos this year as well.

#4 Vivian Girls - Share The Joy

fantastic girl garage rock for your bones. also the best show i went to this year. i even got to have dinner with them afterwards. sooo cool.

#5 Seapony - Go With Me

dreamy jangle pop yum. definitely my biggest musical inspiration this year. 

#6 Coasting - We're Never Going Back

more garage pop girl group action.  

#7 Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong

one of the very few alums found on the other best of lists i agreed with. if you're a fan of honest simple jackson brown-esk rock. you'll totally love this. i found out about these guys perusing the old vh1 and was surprised to see such great music being played on the tv.

#8 Yuck (self titled)
great cornucopia of music here. all the songs found on this album are so different from each other it's hard to say i'm in love with the alum in whole. but those songs that stick out are really incredible.

#9 Pet Milk - Philadelphia Punklife
keep an eye out on this band, they're gonna be the hippest thing since sliced milk.

PET MILK "CHRISTIAN SOLICITORS" from herb shellenberger on Vimeo.

#10 Shannon and the Clams - Sleep Talk

crazy dirty retro fun doo-wop garage rock madness. 

(Shameless Plug)
Secret Abilities - Love and Monsters
also i would love if you checked out my bands album released this year.

Secret Abilities - Long Way From Home (official video) from tyrone davies on Vimeo.

A Friendly Holiday 2011

Here it is in all it's glory. Please Click on the bands to hear more great music.

1. Intro by Davin

2. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm by S.L.F.M.

3. White Christmas by Michael Gross and The Statuettes

4. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas by Purple Mums

5. Light The Candle Spin The Dreidel by Secret Abilities

6. A Winters Carol by Eriksonn & Todd

7. What Are You Doing New Years Eve? by The Dawn and Dew

8. It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas by Dennis Driscoll

9. December Story by B.C. Sterrett

10. The Peace Carol by Jesse & Charley Tucker

11. Burning Latke by The Radioactive Chicken Heads

12. Santa Lost His Sleigh by Butt-Out

13. It's My Mother and my Father and My Sister and the Dog by Barry Louis Polisar

14. Six White Boomers by Danger Button

15. Go Tell it on the Mountain by Loralee Jessen Nicolay

16. Frozen Embers by Morrow Hill

17. Christmas Time by Drunk and Horny

DOWNLOAD

Secret Abilities - Long Way From Home (video)

Untitled from tyrone davies on Vimeo.

xmas list

Love & MONSTERS

Check out my new album. HERE

2011 Halloween Mix!!!

Secret Abilities Presents: Tricks or Treats 2011 (an all hallows eve mix)

DOWNLOAD

most of these songs were found at this wonderful blog Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else

SECRET ABILITIES!!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE!

A friendly holiday mix in the works

after 4 years i have decided to put together another friendly holiday mix involving musical friends of mine. I have been lucky these past few years to have befriended some really great artists and i felt it was time. i would like to make a big deal about this cause of the time spent by the artists on recording the songs and the time and money spent by me on putting it together. i think i'm only going to make 100 numbered physical copies but i will post it here and a few other places for free. here is the line up so far: click on the artist to check them out.

Michael Gross and the Statuettes - White Christmas

Butt-Out - Silent Night

The Dawn and Dew - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

SLFM - I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
TODDlers (Eriksonn & Todd) - A Winters Carol
Brad Rizer - Mary Did You Know?

Dennis Driscoll

Barry Louis Polisar

Hi My Name Is Ryan

BC Sterrett

Burnt Reynolds and His Hot Bones

Mayson Lee and the Rock and Roll Space Studs

The Radioactive Chicken Heads

Purple Mums

Morrow Hill

i should be adding around 5 more bands to the album. also it's due out late november. 

8tracks R 4lovers

i have an 8tracks account now. check it out to stream more of my mixes. i believe for the most part that will be the source of the mixes i post in the future.

(click on the above image to check it out) 

or

http://8tracks.com/swoody-j

What music inspire my music writing.

Davin Abegg the song writer of Secret Abilities shares his top 5 bands that inspire him in writing songs for SA:

#5 The Pixies: I admire the wild untamed emotion of The Pixies.They also have a harsh male vocalist and an easy to listen to female vocalist. (recommended songs: Hey, Caribou, Where Is My Mind, Wave Of Mutilation)

#4 Nirvana: Kurt Cobain once said that he structures his songs as if he were writing childrens music. amen brother (recommended songs: Sliver, Heart-Shaped Box, In Bloom, Something In The Way)

#3 Daniel Johnston: If it wasn't for Daniel Johnston I wouldn't have even started writing and singing my own music. his music is the most honest you can find. (recommended songs: Life In Vain, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievience, Sorry Entertainer, Speeding Motorcycle, Museum of Love, Some Things Last A Long Time)

#2 Hank Williams: simple structured song writing that rip out your heart strings. I always think of my grandpa when listening to Hank Williams. (recommended songs: Lovesick Blues, Long Gone Lonesome Blues, Lost Highway, Weary Blues From Waitin', Howlin' At The Moon)

#1 Groovie Ghoulies: 3 chord punk rock about monsters and broken hearts need I say more? (recommended songs: The Beast with Five Hands, (She's My) Vampire Girl, Tunnel Of Love, Zombie Crush, Lets Go To The Moon, (The Girl Is) An Unsolved Mystery, Hair of Gold (And Skin Of Blue), She Gets All The Girls, Outbreak!)

Skatterbrained

this blog is really great check it out! a lot of really great music mixes.
skatterbrain.org

happy moms day

Thrift Store Finds Vol. 2

here it is, my second mix of songs from random records i've found at thrift stores around where i live. enjoy.

1. Good People Sometimes by Mr. Rogers
2. A Groovy Kind Of Love by Mrs. Miller
3. Sabre Dance by Les Baxter
4. Daydream by The Gunter Kallmann Choir
5. What A Lot Of Flowers by Richard Harris
6. Mmm, Nice! by Bob Thompson, His Chorus and Orchestra
7. Onward Christian Soldiers by Bill & Jean Bradway
8. I Want To Hold Your Ear by Bert
9. Misty by Bill "The Candyman" Kehr
10. My Dad by The Holker Family
11. Dancing In The Kitchen by Rod McKuen
12. Computer Age (Push The Button) by Newcleus
13. Break The Ice by John Farnham
14. A Hard Day's Night by Sandy Nelson
15. El Angle De Mi Amor "Dream Lover" by Los Moonlights
16. Nightmare by Artie Shaw and His Orchestra
17. Besame Mucho by Rene Touzet and his Orchestra
18. Sweet Hour Of Prayer by Dorothy Matar
19. On Temple Square by Jessie Evans Smith
20. Phonemena (for soprano and tape) by Milton Babbitt

Download

Eux Autres is good.

Mrs Miller has my heart.

i have had mrs millers 1st album for a few years now and i don't know why but i can't get enough of it. last week i found her 2nd album and i think it's even better.
here is a little of what wikipedia says about mrs miller: "Mrs. Miller, was an American singer who gained some fame in the 1960s for her out-of-tune versions of popular songs. She sang in an untrained, Mermanesque, vibrato-laden voice. According to Irving Wallace, David Wallechinsky, and Amy Wallace in The Book of Lists 2, her voice was compared to the sound of "roaches scurrying across a trash can lid." 

Miller's rendition of "Downtown" sounded like a karaoke version as she sings over a professional instrumental section. She briefly breaks into giggling and several times apparently forgets the lyrics. Nevertheless, "Downtown" reached the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in April of 1966, peaking at #82. The single's B-side, "A Lover's Concerto," barely cracked the Hot 100 that same month at #95."

here's a neat site dedicated to her: http://www.mrsmillersworld.com/