The Blue Indian music site asked me to do a write up on my favorite eleven albums of the year. I usually make a list on my own and I had previously published my 2010 list on their site so I was ready. As usual, I spent way to much time fretting over the order.

Head over to my 2011 Staff Picks article at TheBlueIndian.com to see my list, read my insights on the bands, and listen to samples from all eleven records.

On a related note, I designed the graphics for the series using images from my 2010 trip out West. The graphic above is from my foggy visit to Bryce Canyon National Park.

Top 11 Albums of 2011 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

I re-edited the video to work with the pacing of Commerce’s track and we got it in on time. They didn’t win the contest and despite my bias, I think that is very, very unfortunate.

Music Video for Commerce’s “Juno” cover is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

It was a long and tiring day but totally worth all the energy spent. I got to see a couple great acts again (The Rocketboys, Parachute Musical, and the always amazing Amy Godwin) and I was introduced to some other talented artists I’d never heard of before the event (Kopecky Family Band).

I’m a big advocate of “more is less” when it comes to sharing photo galleries but I’ve made an exception this time since the 84 photos below represent 12 different musical acts!

Bragg Jam 2011 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

My role in the CD release was not a musical one, but that of album art designer. I based the design on some photos I took in the d’Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge of northern Louisiana (on a Sunday morning) last Fall during my road trip out West with my son. While I’ve contributed art to other musicians’ albums before, this was my first time to take on the entire project from photography, to typography, to graphic design.

** You can order a physical copy of the CD from CDBaby or digitally via iTunes.

Tabernacle Worship Experience Album Art is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Jym Davis and I both shot video of her performance and over the last five months he edited together this great video. It features live footage from the show intercut with stock images courtesy of NASA. The stock imagery was shot through various organic filters such as a Lensbaby, water, and oil. In fact, other than simple layering of video clips, no digital effects were used – it is all in-camera techniques that we worked on together.

Julianna Barwick Live Music Video is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

We decided months ago to collaborate on visuals for his latest release ADVENTURES, and I’m pleased to roll out the official video for “Transatlantic,” the fourth track off that LP.

You can download the track for free at http://grmnygrmny.com/tracks/adventures/04-transatlantic.mp3

Germany Germany – Transatlantic Music Video is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Here is a sampler of some albums that caught my ear in the first four months of 2011.

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the play button next to the track titles, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left. As always, I hope this sampler inspires you to learn more about the bands and support them by purchasing their music and attending their shows.

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – “All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands”
From the compilation Seven Swans Reimagined
onjoyfulwings.bandcamp.com
When Sufjan Stevens released his epic Age of Adz/All Delighted People albums last year a lot of fans complained that they want to hear Seven Swans banjo strumming Sufjan again. Anyone who gave his new work a few listens was won over eventually and embraced his new sound and ideas (myself included). However, the geniuses over at On Joyful Wings made everyone happy again with the release of their for-charity compilation Seven Swans Reimagined. The collection features Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, The Gregory Brothers (sorry, no autotuning from them this time), Unwed Sailor, Half-Handed Cloud, David Crowder Band, and more. You can stream the album for free on bandcamp or drop a mere $10 to download it in super-dee-duper high quality. Best of all, the profits go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.

Iron and Wine – “Walking Far From Home”
From the album Kiss Each Other Clean
www.ironandwine.com
“Walking Far From Home” was the first single Sam Bean released from this album and it blew me away on the first listen. Like his song “The Trapeze Swinger,” he throws out conventional song structure for a never ending, ever beautiful song that is the purest example of poetry set to music. I defy you not get chills when the piano and ooo’s & aaah’s kick in after the line “I saw sinners making music and I dreamed of that sound, I dreamed of that sound” at the 30 second mark.

Lykke Li – “I Follow Rivers”
From the album Wounded Rhymes
www.lykkeli.com
This Swedish artist’s debut album in 2008 didn’t grab me like this sophomore effort has. I’m sure the comparisons to Bjork are rampant, if not only for their shared Scandinavian heritage. However, her ability to marry beautiful visuals with her music (both in videos and performances) is something she shares with her Icelandic contemporary. Be sure to head over to her YouTube channel and watch some of the stunning (and bizarre) music videos she has released this year.

Baths – “Pop Song”
From the album Pop Music/False B-Sides
www.bathsmusic.com
I not only got to interview Will Wiesenfeld of BATHS this year, but caught him in concert. On his tour he was selling digital downloads of this b-sides album. I’ll be honest and say it’s hit or miss – there are a couple tracks that I can’t stand. However, the good tracks are so great they completely overshadow the bad ones. Worth it.

Braids – “Plath Heart”
From the album Native Speaker
www.braidsmusic.com
I saw Braids open for BATHS in Atlanta and had no idea who they were. Wow. So far, my best new find of 2011. Seeing as how this is their debut album, I can’t wait to see what they have to deliver down the road.

The Head and the Heart – “Rivers and Roads”
From the re-release of their self-titled album
www.theheadandtheheart.com
Yes, I’m cheating here… sort of. THATH earned the #1 spot on my Top Ten Albums of 2010. In January they signed to indie super label Sub Pop and re-released their album in April. The album was completely remastered and featured the new track “Rivers and Roads” which was a fan favorite from their live shows. If you haven’t seen this early live performance of the song be prepared to have your mind blown.

Explosions in the Sky – “Human Qualities”
From the album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
www.explosionsinthesky.com
It’s been a solid 4+ years since these Texas instrumental post-rockers gave us a studio LP. Their return delivers the tried and true – their original sound that won them so many fans in the first place.

Adam Randall – “The Vanishing World”
From the album The Vanishing World, Part 1
www.adamrandallmusic.com
Adam Randall (of The Adam Project) released a digital mini-album this winter that really highlights his strengths. The stripped down production lets the poetry of his lyrics shine. I saw him perform with a full band at the SEVEN DAYS arts festival in Tampa, FL a couple months ago and he showcased some incredible new material; some quiet and intimate and a few loud and raucous. The “Part 1″ of this album’s title has me really pumped about the Part 2 and really hoping for a Part 3.

Julianna Barwick – “Flown”
From the album The Magic Place
www.juliannabarwick.com
By far, Julianna Barwick’s The Magic Place is one of the best things to come out this year. Her vocal arrangements cover you like waves as each beautiful layer of her looping voice washes over you. Whenever I need to relax and clear my mind, I play her music and peacefully slip into bliss. Like her previous work, her choral loops are front and center, but the sparse instrumentation she brought to the table with this album is what makes it. There’s no better example than the simple piano melody that fades in at the end of “Flown.”

Radiohead – “Morning, Mr. Magpie”
From the album The King of Limbs
www.thekingoflimbs.com
There is a satirical BBC video that sums up perfectly a lot of music lovers’ feelings about Radiohead over the last few years, but I’m not in their camp. The group has been my favorite band ever since I first heard OK Computer back in 1998 on my little Sony Discman that skipped if you look at it wrong. While their latest (mini) album is worlds apart from that pinnacle of rock music they put out 13 years ago, it still holds up for me. I’ve also seen a lot of criticism saying that The King of Limbs is just another Thom Yorke solo project and I disagree. As I listen to their latest offering I can hear Phil Selway’s signature uneven percussive rhythms, Colin Greenwood ever present on the bass, Ed O’Brien’s voice complementing Yorke’s as he croons out backup vocals, and of course Johnny Greenwood’s brilliant soundscape throughout. Yorke’s influence is of course very strong, but I’m not complaining. It’s as he said himself, “We’re like the U.N., and I’m the U.S.”

The Raveonettes – “Forget That You’re Young”
From the album Raven in the Grave
www.theraveonettes.com
I was a late joining The Raveonettes fan club and I almost cancelled my membership in 2009. It was their 2008 album Lust, Lust, Lust that won me over and their 2009 album that was lost on me. I didn’t want to get over excited about this 2011 release for fear of being disappointed again. I’m happy to say they returned to shoegazing noise pop of their earlier albums that I love so much. While probably not the best representative slice of the sound & feel of the album, “Forget That You’re Young” is definitely my favorite cut.

If you are a copyright owner of any of these tracks and wish to have them removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.14 – Early 2011 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

I was commissioned to design the art for these digital release comps and have made three so far. It’s been fun creating a series that is tied to a running visual theme. I’m looking forward to making plenty more!

Check out my designs, then head over to LittlestSounds.com to download the 90+ tracks for yourself.

Littlest Sounds Compilations is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

** FIRST, A PLUG FOR THE BAND ** Catch Yo La Tengo this Friday, Jan 28th at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse

Some couples have a song that defines their relationship. Maybe it was the song playing on the radio when they first met. Maybe it was a song they sang along to in their car when dating. Maybe it was the one they danced to at their wedding reception. No matter the reason, they claim it as theirs, as “our song.”

My wife Heidi and I can’t pinpoint a single song but we do have a single band that is most definitely “our band”:

Yo La Tengo

It all began in the summer of 2000. We started dating and Yo La Tengo released And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out – an album all about falling in love. We both loved that record and spent many a late night in my car listening to it as we looked out over our college town (from this parking lot). For her birthday that year, I took her to our first concert together to see them play in Knoxville (and they still have a photo of that marquee on their web site). We would scour record stores together looking for obscure singles, EPs, and collaborations they released.

Today I can hardly listen to a single YLT song without having a vivid memory come to mind of some moment in the last 10 years of my wonderful relationship with Heidi. Sometimes it just makes me smile and other times my eyes begin to water.

If there is a common thread through YLT’s 14 studio albums, 12 EPs, 14 SPs, four compilation albums, and five film scores & soundtracks it is relationships – the good and the bad moments in them (but mostly the good). Ira and Georgia, the band’s founding members, have been married for over 20 years so they have a bit of experience when it comes to relationships and they approach the topic with a certain degree of maturity.

We know the YLT discography pretty well (and remember it’s a HUGE one), so we picked out some of our favorites and organized them into sets of three. Each set covers a different stage that every (healthy) relationship goes through. I’ve also included snippets of lyrics that we love from each of the songs. I hope it leads you to fall in love with Yo La Tengo too.

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the play button next to the track titles, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left. As always, I hope this sampler inspires you to learn more about the band and support them by purchasing their music and attending their shows.

<< FALLING IN LOVE >>>>>>>>>>

<< CONFLICT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

<< CONFLICT RESOLUTION >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

<< ENCOURAGEMENT >>>>>>>>>

<< COMMITMENT >>>>>>>>>>>>

If you are a copyright owner of any of these tracks and wish to have them removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.12 – Yo La Tengo on Relationships is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

If you live in Middle Georgia, I highly recommend you catch as many of these shows as possible. They really are incredible lineups of talented musicians and tickets only cost $7.

LOST IN THE TREES w/ Butterflies

8pm, Thursday, January 20th (more info)

I went with a pretty literal “in the trees” idea for this poster. The photo is of Kenny Jensen on our 2007 Fontana trip. The barcode-ish looking lines are actual barcodes for the characters that appear below them on each row.

FRONTIER RUCKUS w/ Austin Crane (Valley Maker)

7pm, Friday, January 21st (more info)

I’m a huge Austin Crane fan and seeing as how his Valley Maker project is about the narratives in Genesis I couldn’t pass that up as a theme for the poster. The photo of the valley in the bird (crane) silhouette was taken in Zion last fall.

MATRIMONY w/ Space Ghost

7pm, Saturday, January 22nd (more info)

The tie-ins to the headlining band are a bit more subtle on this poster than the others. The collection of dots is called an Ishihara Color Test and is used to determine if and to what extent one’s vision is red-green color deficient. Most will see the ∞ symbol I hid in the circle but a small percentage (most likely males) won’t see it at all. I myself can’t see it and created the diagram with my wife’s help. For those who didn’t take advanced math or physics, the ∞ symbol stands for “infinity.”

TBI Macon Concert Posters is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

That’s great news, but the problem is promoting three back-to-back shows. To help out, I created a series of 30-45 second promos featuring music by different musicians performing at the shows.

LOST IN THE TREES – Thursday, January 20th (more info)

Video edited from footage by Jym Davis
[youtube id=8OSNefJS53I]

AMY GODWIN – Friday, January 21st (more info)

Video edited from public domain footage on archive.org
[youtube id=W8C0KalrozA]

AUSTIN CRANE (VALLEY MAKER) – Friday, January 21st (more info)

Video I shot on salt flats in the Mojave Desert
[youtube id=ReXR603_DCM]

MOLLY PARDEN – Saturday, January 22nd (more info)

Video I shot with a Lensbaby at Lake Wildwood in Macon, GA
[youtube id=-wyGfEpiUfA]

MATRIMONY – Saturday, January 22nd (more info)

B-roll footage from a Junior Boys music video I shot with Kenny Jensen in Florida
[youtube id=tNxZ3PL3DD4]

If you live in Middle Georgia, I highly recommend you catch as many of these shows as possible. They really are incredible lineups of talented musicians and tickets only cost $7.

Macon Concert Video Promos is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Normally I post a sampler of my Top Ten albums of the year on this site. However, this year, as a result of my collaboration with TheBlueIndian.com, I’ve posted my Top Ten mixtape over on their site.

You can jump over to their site and have read/listen to my picks for the best of the year.

Mixtape Vol.13 – Favorites of 2010 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

I was in college from 1998-2001 and those were some wonderful years for music. When I browsed through my music collection one year really stood out – 2000. Pedro the Lion put out his incredible concept album. The Sea and Cake rolled out one of their best albums to date. On that same day, Radiohead turned the music world upside down with the release of Kid A. And Yo La Tengo gave us the songs my wife and I fell in love to. What a year!

Enjoy this collection of classics!

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the artist name and track title, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Aphex Twin – “Flim”
From the 1997 album Come to Daddy
http://warp.net/records/aphex-twin
Richard D. James, aka Aphex Twin, is pretty much the godfather of electronic music. I really got into this genre in college and that was when he was at the top of his game. On the “Come to Daddy EP” he had some brain-bashing loud tracks, but also snuck in beautiful melodies like “Flim”.

Pedro the Lion – “Never Leave a Job Half Done”
From the 2000 album Winners Never Quit
http://www.davidbazan.com/
This album was a game changer for David Bazan’s Pedro the Lion. His music got heavier, darker, and the great song stories he was known for writing expanded into larger stories as concept albums.

This album loosely tells the tale of an adulterous politician who murders his wife. Dark stuff for sure, but Bazan ends the album with a beautiful, hopeful line about God’s grace:

count it a blessing that you’re such a failure
your second chance might
never have come

Damien Jurado – “Ohio”
From the 1999 album Rehearsals for Departure
http://damienjurado.com/
Jurado and Bazan go hand in hand. Both singer/songwriters who create beautiful stories, both hail from the Northwest, they played in a band together in high school, and even collaborated on Jurado’s 2000 album “Ghost of David” (guess who the David in the title is).

Rehearsals for Departure is probably his most beloved album, and “Ohio” is definitely the classic Jurado song. It tells the tale of an abducted child preparing to return to her mother after many years. The story is told from the perspective of some unknown friend, lover, or guardian who hates to see her leave but understands her need to be reunited with her mother. It’s incredibly moving.

Jim Guthrie – “Trust”
From the 2000 album A Thousand Songs
http://jimguthrie.org/
I found out about Canadian musician Jim Guthrie via the old music pirating FTP servers of the late 90s. Somebody with a server full of ripped music had an song of his that I downloaded. He was such an obscure indie artist, I had to mail order his other CDs directly from him.

Guthrie put out three more solo albums after A Thousand Songs and went on to join the bands Royal City, Islands, and Human Highway. However, we’ve never enjoyed his other projects as much as his solo work. In college, my wife and I would listen to him all the time and it felt like we were the only people on earth who knew the secret of this genius.

Stereolab – “Fuses”
From the 2000 album Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night
http://www.stereolab.co.uk/
While not considered Stereolab’s greatest album, this was the first CD of theirs that I owned. The album was produced by indie rock superstars Jim O’Rourke and John McEntire and took the group in more of a jazz fusion direction. I think it was the electric keyboards that won me over, but the bursts of horns didn’t hurt either.

Like their friends Yo La Tengo, this group is a music making machine. In 18 years they cranked out 11 LPs and countless EPs. They finally called it quits last year but I’ve got more than enough of their tunes to keep me entertained for another 18.

Boards of Canada – “ROYGBIV”
From the 1998 album Music has a Right to Children
http://www.boardsofcanada.com/
Elusive is an understatement when used to describe these two Scottish brothers. They haven’t performed a live show since 2001 (though they’ve released three full albums since 2002) and they never do interviews. Half the time they release music under other monikers making it hard to discover. Why I don’t know – because they are musical geniuses and everything they create is gold. If I was forced under threat of death to make a top three favorite bands list, these guys would be in it.

Music has a Right to Children is considered by many to be one of the greatest electronic albums ever made. While electronic music is normally thought of as being digital, these guys record onto analog tape reels and run them back and forth layering, looping and degrading them to achieve a very nostalgic sound. What they create is a bit like audible Super8 movies.

Radiohead – “Idioteque”
From the 2000 album Kid A
http://www.radiohead.com/
I heard Radiohead’s OK Computer during my senior year of high school. I was attending a conservative Christian boarding school in West Africa and secular music was not allowed. The CD was sent to me by a relative in the US (thanks Aunt Jane!) and I kept it hidden in my dorm room. I remember dubbing dozens of cassette copies of it and handing them out to my friends. I can’t think of any other album that had such an impact on my appreciation and love of music. But that was 1997 – this is a 1998 to 2001 mixtape.

In 2000, the band followed up the album that couldn’t be beat with something just as amazing. Kid A changed the entire landscape of popular music. I’m not exaggerating here. That album was the bridge from the 1990s’ grunge/alternative/post-rock scene and the 2000s electro pop sounds with beeps, bleeps, and samples. You can’t hardly hear a single song on today’s Billboard 100 that doesn’t do something Radiohead made mainstream with Kid A. It was a beautiful turning point.

The track “Idioteque” is a perfect example of the new direction popular culture took in the 2000s. The song is driven by an electronic beat and its entire melody is a four chord progression sampled from an experimental piece of electronic music composed in the 70s. That piece by Paul Lansky is in turn taken from Wagner opera “Tristan and Isolde” composed in the 1850s. Is that not the direction music has gone today? Or even the world? There is nothing new under the sun.

Fiona Apple – “Fast As You Can”
From the 1999 album When the Pawn
http://www.fiona-apple.com/
It seems that both musician Fiona Apple and film director P.T. Anderson’s brilliance peaked in the late 90s when they were dating each other. Their collaboration on several amazing music videos for this album are a perfect example of that (1, 2, 3, 4). I still love both of those artists (though I don’t think they love each other any more) but they haven’t matched the creative genius they achieved when they were acting as each other’s muses.

The Innocence Mission – “Where Does The Time Go?”
From the 1999 album Birds of my Neighborhood
http://www.theinnocencemission.com/
My wife introduced me to this group in college and they seem to have this incredibly timeless sound to them. She calls is “comfort music,” a description no doubt aided by lead singer Karen Peris’ beautiful, dreamy voice.

Bonus: Check out Sufjan Stevens’ cover of their song “Lakes of Canada”

Aimee Mann – “One”
From the 1999 album Magnolia Soundtrack
http://www.aimeemann.com/
Yet another work of genius inspired by P.T. Anderson. Aimee Mann performed most of the songs on the soundtrack for his wonderfully complex film Magnolia. I loved that whole album but haven’t been able to get into any of her follow-ups.

Moby – “Porcelain”
From the 1999 album Play
http://www.moby.com/
Moby’s “Play” album was huge success. To this day it stands as the best-selling electronic dance record of all time. No matter who you are, I can guarantee you’ve heard at least some of this album because it was the first ever album to have all of its tracks licensed for commercial use. It has shown up over and over in countless commercials and films. There’s a reason for that – the album was great from start to finish. Sure we’re sick of hearing those 30 second snippets played over and over in ads but you can’t deny that Play is a new classic.

The Sea and Cake – “Afternoon Speaker”
From the 2000 album Oui
http://www.theseaandcake.com/
My brother-in-law Kenny Jensen is The Sea and Cake’s greatest fan. He has introduced countless people to this jazzy rock band and they are all grateful. I know Kenny will read this and I’m sure I couldn’t do Sam Prekop and this talented crew justice with a short summary. I will say that one of the things that I love about The Sea and Cake is how simple their music sounds on the surface, but how complex the layers are beneath it. Unity in diversity would be one way to describe it.

Sunny Day Real Estate – “How It Feels To Be Something On”
From the 1998 album How It Feels To Be Something On
http://www.sunnydayrealestate.net/
When I hear Sunny Day I instantly think back to Y2K when I was cruising around Seattle in a van with old high school friends with How It Feels… blaring as we looked for ways to party the millennium away. The band broke up and then re-united twice since their first album in 1994 and rumor has it they are working together again on a new album. I’m not sure they could ever match their first three albums simply because of the nostalgia I have for those records now.

Steve Reich – “Music for 18 Musicians: Section I”
From the 2000 record re-issue of Music for 18 Musicians
http://www.stevereich.com/
While this piece was composed and premiered in 1976, it didn’t find its way to a CD release until 2000. My friend Jym Davis opened my ears to Reich with a 10-disc box set he acquired while working at Knoxville’s Disc Exchange. Steve Reich and his contemporary Philip Glass were favorites during my college years and always seemed to be on repeat (that last bit’s a joke that you’ll get once you hear some of their minimalism).

Yo La Tengo – “Our Way To Fall”
From the 2000 album And Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
http://www.yolatengo.com/
I saved the best for last! My wife and I may be these indie rock veterans’ biggest fans. Since 1984 they’ve released fourteen studio albums, twelve EPs, fourteen SPs, four compilation albums, and five film scores & soundtracks.

When dating my wife in college this band was the one we loved together. And there’s no better soundtrack for a couple that is falling love and wants to spend the rest of their lives together than And Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out.

Here are just some of the beautiful lyrics from “Our Way To Fall”

I remember a summer’s day
I remember walking up to you
I remember my face turned red
I remember staring at my feet
I remember before we met
I remember sitting next to you
I remember pretending I wasn’t looking
So try and try even if it lasts an hour
with all our might try and make it ours
cause we’re on our way, we’re on our way to fall in love

It helps that Ira and Georgia, two of the three band members, have been married for well over two decades and write honest songs about their love for each other – through the good and the bad. It also helps that each album is a great balance of slow sentimental tracks, upbeat pop tunes, and insanely loud improvised rock jam sessions. We’ve seen them in concert together three times and they are some of the best times we’ve had together. Not only are the musicians incredibly talented but their songs remind us that we are still on our way to fall in love.

Sneak peek: an upcoming mixtape will consist solely of Yo La Tengo songs – after all with a discography the size of theirs I could probably make 11 more mixtapes.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.11 – Oldie but a Goodie is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

While I was in Johannesburg, I saw another big win for Africa – more specifically, a win for African musicians. The day before the World Cup began, FIFA held a 3-hour long “Kick-off Celebration Concert” at Orlando Stadium in the township of Soweto, just outside Johannesburg.

Though the show’s headliners were imported superstar acts like Shakira, Black Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, and John Legend – in between those performances were African musicians who weren’t as well known to the rest of the world.

Following are my photos of those acts as well as some info about them and links to sample tracks and videos. Enjoy!

Lerato “Lira” Molapo (South Africa)

I hadn’t heard of this young South Africa star before. She opened the concert with famed South African flugelhornist Hugh Masekala. Here’s her video from her single “Feel Good“.

Angélique Kidjo (Benin)

Dubbed the “Queen of African Pop”, Kidjo has been recording since the early 90s. She has been nominated five times for Grammys and won one in 2008 for “Best Contemporary World Music.” She is well-known enough that she got to perform on the center stage at the concert and even did a duet with John Legend (after all, she’s been on the Simpsons, on a Jim Carrey film soundtrack, and has recorded with Santana). You can watch her Kick-Off Concer duet with John Legend here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1m-9LcCMY8

Soweto Gospel Choir (South Africa)

One of the main reasons I was taking pictures at the concert was to photograph the Soweto Gospel Choir. I was expecting them to perform on their own, but they ended up just having supporting roles as backup singers for acts like Shakira, Angélique Kidjo, and others.

Amadou et Mariam (Mali)

This was the act I was most looking forward to. I was really disappointed that they performed only two songs on a small stage while the elaborate Black Eyed Peas set was disassembled. Nonetheless, they killed with “Welcome to Mali”. This couple is so good that they’ve made it on three of my mixtapes.

Vusi Mahlasela (South Africa)

Another South African I wasn’t familiar with, Mahlasela is an “African folk” singer whose music was a big influence during the anti-apartheid movements in the early 90s. Part of his performance was an acoustic guitar instrumental piece to accompany an short documentary about Nelson Mandela.

Boureima “Vieux” Farka Touré (Mali)

Son of the legendary Ali Farka Touré, “Vieux” is a relative newcomer having released his first album in 2006 (months after his father’s death). His music definitely shows off his remarkable talent on the guitar which he inherited from his father. You can watch his performance of “Fafa” at the concert on YouTube.

Tinariwen (Mali/Algeria/Libya)

This group of Tuareg rebels cranks out some serious blues rock with a Middle Eastern twist. I do admit that their style didn’t quite fit in with the energetic pop that made up the Kick-Off Concert. As a result they got a lot of flack (especially from racist Twitter users). Nonetheless, I highly recommend you check out these legendary poet guitarists’ discography. Watch their FIFA performance of “Amassakoul’n'Ténéré” here.

Blk Jks (South Africa)

These Johannesburg locals had a rough start to their set with song on which Alicia Keys joined them. They followed that up with take on a popular apartheid protest song – something that  all the South Africans present loved, but all the foreigners were a bit perplexed by. I’d recommend you look up their polished records released by Secretly Canadian instead of judging them by their World Cup performance.

K’naan (Somalia)

I put K’naan’s “Wavin’ a Flag” on my last mixtape and thought he was still a relatively unknown hip-hop artist. When I got to South Africa he was everywhere! Mainly because Coca-Cola had licensed his song and built their entire World Cup advertising campaign around it. The man that I first heard of thanks to a small NPR SXSW showcase is now and international superstar and I couldn’t be happier for him. My only fear is that he might sell out to the mainstream crowd as the money flows in and the expectations are high. What has me concerned is the way he (or perhaps The Man) rewrote “Wavin’ a Flag” lyrics to make the song that was originally about his troubled & traumatic childhood in war-torn Somalia a generic football anthem. Here is his World Cup performance.

**Addendum – “But what about South Africa’s own The Parlotones?” you ask. “You don’t have any photos of their performance – in fact, not even a mention of their appearance at the concert!” That is because I was too busy covering my ears with both hands – I physically could not take any pictures. I’d sum them up as a crappy, poor(er) man’s version of Snow Patrol that dresses and wears makeup like My Chemical Romance. I was NOT impressed. Judge for yourself.

World Cup Kick-Off Concert: African Musicians is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Following are a few photos, the music video, and interview with the band. You can see more of my photos from the concert at TheBlueIndian.com. You can hear more of the band’s music (as well as download some tracks for free!) over at www.parachutemusical.com.

“No Comfort” music video

TheBlueIndian.com Q&A with Parachute Musical

Parachute Musical: Photos, Music Video, & Interview is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

World Cup Kick-Off Concert: The Stars is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

The concert at Orlando Stadium was attended by nearly 30,000 fans from all over the world. It was one of those wonderful occasions where people of all races, nationalities, religions, and languages come together in unity and peace. I was amazed at how well everyone behaved (despite the large quantities of alcohol being consumed) and the general excitement in the air was contagious.

This will be the first of a series I’ll post of photos I took at the show. Click the images to enlarge them.

World Cup Kick-Off Concert: Fans is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

I honor of my upcoming trip, I’ve put together this mixtape of some of my favorite African musicians. Their styles are as diverse as the continent and its cultures. From Alpha & Lucky’s reggae grooves to Fela Kuti’s afrobeat jams, it’s all different and it’s all good.

Enjoy the tunes and if you hear something you like visit the artists’ web sites and support them by buying their albums.

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the artist name and track title, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

The Very Best – “Mfumu”
From the album Warm Heart of Africa, 2009
http://www.myspace.com/theverybestmyspace
Esau Mwamwaya is from Malawi but teamed up with a London DJ/production duo to create The Very Best. They blend traditional music of Malawi with dance, hip-hop, and pop. You can download their debut mixtape for free.

Youssou N’Dour – “Pullo Ardo”
From the album Rokku Mi Rokka (Give and Take)
http://www.youssou.com/
Called Africa’s most popular musician by Rolling Stone, this Senegalese Grammy winner is a legend. He started singing in the griot tradition of his ancestors and made the style his own. Even if you don’t understand his Wolof lyrics, you’ll be singing along in no time.

Alpha Blondy – “Cocody Rock”
From the album Cocody Rock
http://www.myspace.com/alphablondy
This reggae star was the Ivory Coast’s most popular singer. I saw him once in a hotel lobby and he was surrounded by adoring women. “Cocody Rock” is one of his most famous songs and he actually traveled to Jamaica to record it with Bob Marley’s backing band The Wailers.

Tinariwen – “Assouf”
From the album Aman Iman (Water Is Life)
http://www.tinariwen.com/
Former rebels trained by Libya’s Muammar al-Gaddafi, these Tuareg warrior poets traded their weapons for instruments. The music collective has been playing together since 1979, but it wasn’t until 2000 that they began to get international recognition. You’ll be blown away by the guitars on this track.

Toumani Diabaté’s Symmetric Orchestra – “Ya Fama”
From the album Boulevard De L’Independance
http://www.myspace.com/toumanidiabate
Diabeté is an incredible Malian kora player. His Symmetric Orchestra is composed of other West African griots that play a variety of traditional instruments like the djembe, balafon and bolombatto.

Saka Acquaye – “Concomba”
From the album High Life
Acquaye was a popular Ghanaian musician best known for his contributions to the highlife genre – a free jazz style with calypsonian roots. This album is 2002 a reissue of an original record from the 1970s.

Amadou & Mariam – “Je Kiffe”
From the album Welcome to Mali
http://www.amadou-mariam.com/
I’ve had this amazing Malian couple on my mixtapes before so I won’t go on about how awesome they are again. This song has some great lyrics about choosing your friends well.

Rokia Traoré – “Yorodjan”
From the album Tchamantché
http://www.nonesuch.com/artists/rokia-traore
Yet another amazing Malian musician! Though Traoré’s style of simple guitar and vocals departs a bit from the country’s traditional music you can still hear its roots. Her voice is simply stunning.

Ayub Ogada – “Obiero”
From the album En Mana Kuoyo
http://www.myspace.com/ayubogada
It’s a shame this Kenyan musician has released only one full album. He had a couple tracks appear on some soundtracks since then and had an EP released on iTunes in 2007. After that he returned to Kenya and sort of disappeared. I can only hope he sends some more music our way in the near future.

K’Naan – “Wavin’ a Flag (Live at SXSW 2009)”
Original track from the album Troubadour
http://knaanmusic.ning.com/
Somali born K’Naan creates a great blend of hip-hop and reggae. This live version of “Wavin’ a Flag” is from a show sponsored by NPR’s All Songs Considered. I prefer it over the album version because it has an extra verse at the beginning about the violence he saw as a child in his war-torn homeland. Hear his entire SXSW 2009 set here.

Salif Keita – Sina
From the 1987 album Soro
http://www.myspace.com/salifkeitamusic
Salif Keita is royalty – a descendant of Sunjata Keita, who founded the Mali Empire in 1240. He has been dubbed the Golden Voice of Africa and his afro-pop sounds have been influencing music since the early 1970s.

Lucky Dube – “Prisoner”
From the 1989 album of the same name
http://www.luckydubemusic.com/
For 25 years Lucky was South Africa’s most prolific and popular reggae star. He cranked out over 22 albums before he was murdered in 2007. I was living in Ghana at the time and I distinctly remember how emotional a taxi driver was on that day. It was sadly ironic, that men living the lives of crime that Dube so often sang against would take his life.

Hermas Zopoula – “Jesus Hiesu Luri”
From the album Espoir (Hope)
http://asthmatickitty.com/hermas-zopoula/
A Christian from Burkina Faso, Zopoula is a singer-songwriter whose music varies from simple guitar & balafon to the catchy, slightly cheesy pop I heard all the time growing up in West Africa.

Ali Farka Touré – “Erdi”
From the album Savane
http://www.myspace.com/alifarkatoureofficial
Mali-born Touré blended West African music with its American cousin – the blues. Internationally renowned for his skills on the guitar, Rolling Stone put him in their 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list. Savane was the last album he released before he died in 2007 and it considered to be one of his best.

Fela Kuti – “Shakara”
From the album Shakara
http://www.felaproject.net/
Nigerian afro-pop pioneer Fela Kuti is on the comeback. In 2008, an off-broadway musical was written about his life, this year his entire catalogue is being reissued, and next year a biopic directed by artist Steve McQueen will be released about him. Listen to this awesome funk track “Shakara” and you’ll be glad Kuti is popular again.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.10 – African Edition is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

Hit their MySpace page to get a feel of their music. You can also get a free song download on their official website.

The Middle East @ The Masquerade is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development

I should note a few worthy new releases that didn’t make this mixtape: The Knife‘s opera Tomorrow, In A Year, Eluvium‘s Similes, Clogs‘ The Creatures in the Garden…, The Album Leaf‘s A Chorus of Storytellers, Peter Gabriel‘s collection of cover songs: Scratch My Back, and Shearwater‘s The Golden Archipelago.

Enjoy the tunes and if you hear something you like visit the artists’ web sites and support them by buying their albums.

You can listen to the individual tracks below by clicking on the artist name and track title, or download the zip of them all by clicking the green arrow to the left.

Jónsi – “Go Do”
From the album Go
http://jonsi.com/
Jonsi is the front man for the popular Icelandic band Sigur Ros. This is his first solo album and it sounds a bit like a more upbeat and optimistic variation on his usual band’s music. It is also the first time he has sung in English (he usually sings in his native tongue and sometimes in his own gibberish language “Hopelandic”). I also recommend you check out the article Christian magazine Relevant recently ran on “The Spiritual Side” of his music.

Aufgang – “Good Generation”
From their self-titled debut album
http://www.myspace.com/aufgangsonar
When I read the first line of Pitchfork’s review of Aufgang I knew I was going to love it. They said ‘If you’ve ever listened to Bach’s Goldberg Variations and thought, “Pretty cool; could use some hot beats,” then you’re going to love Aufgang.’ They were right. The album blends piano, live drums, and electronica incredibly well. Some tracks highlight the piano, others the beats. Overall it makes for a great, unique mix. Now if they’d only remix some of the classic Glenn Gould recordings!

Frightened Rabbit – “Swim Until You Can’t See Land”
From the album The Winter of Mixed Drinks
http://www.myspace.com/frightenedrabbit
This Scottish indie band is back with their 3rd studio album. Somehow Scott Hutchinson manages to sing about sentimental love and heartbreak without getting sappy. He’s also one of those vocalists who can make his voice waiver and crack without detracting from the song. And man can he sing a catchy hook!

Four Tet – “Circling”
From the album Love Cry
http://www.myspace.com/fourtetkieranhebden
The latest electronic tunes from Keiran Hebdan (aka Four Tet) have a heavy dance influence than his past work, but it’s his minimalist tendencies that keep me coming back. I’d easily place Four Tet in my Top 5 electronic musicians of all time (up there with greats like Aphex Twin and Boards of Canadad).

Broken Bells – “The Ghost Inside”
From their self-titled debut album
http://www.brokenbells.com/
Oddly enough, I’ve never listend to much of The Shins’ music or work produced by the legendary Danger Mouse. Broken Bells is a collaboration of The Shins’ lead vocalist James Mercer and Danger Mouse’s Brian Burton. They kept this project a secret for 5 years before finally putting out this incredible and eclectic album. Every track offers something different and unique from Mercer’s vocals and Burton’s soundscape.

Beach House – “Walk in the Park”
From the album Teen Dream
http://www.myspace.com/beachhousemusic
Beach House’s third dream-pop album is their best yet in my opinion. Singer Victoria Legrand’s voice is one of the best around and is what makes this indie band shine.

Damien Jurado – “Cloudy Shoes”
From the album Saint Bartlett
http://www.myspace.com/damienjurado
One of my favorite singer/songwriters, Jurado’s latest is a bit of a departure from his well-known (loved) folk singer style. This opening track from Saint Bartlett has a grand cinematic quality to it that just slays me.

Laura Gibson & Ethan Rose – “Boreas Borealis”
From the album Bridge Carols
http://www.myspace.com/bridgecarols
Laura Gibson is a soft-spoken folk singer with one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. She did no wrong by collaborating with Ethan Rose, an ambient electronica musician for this album. The way they created the album is like nothing I’ve heard of before: she would sing random vocalizations and snippets of verses a’capella and he would cut&paste them over top of his atmospheric tracks. Read more about the process at www.bridgecarols.com

Pantha Du Prince – “Lay in a Shimmer”
From the album Black Noise
http://www.panthaduprince.com/
Haven’t figured it out yet? I love minimal techno. This track really starts kicking around 1:49 where musician Hendrik Weber cranks up the bass line.

Vampire Weekend – “Cousins”
From the album Contra
http://www.vampireweekend.com/
Expectations were really high for Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album and in my opinion they delivered. Not only is “Cousins” one of the standout tracks from the album, but it has a great music video to accompany it. I can pretty much guarantee that this album will be on my Top Ten of 2010.

Freelance Whales – Generator ^ Second Floor
From their debut album Weathervanes
http://www.freelancewhales.com/
This band is new on the indie scene and didn’t skimp on their debut album which packs in a whoopin’ 13 songs (the trend of late seems to be new bands putting out 4-6 song EPs to start). You can’t help but love this band which seems to have all the right ingredients: unique instruments (like a harmonium and waterphone), band sing-along oooh’s and aaah’s, some synths, and oh yea, a xylophone (of course). They even started their career by playing impromptu shows in the subways of New York. I caught them live in Atlanta earlier this year and you can see my photos & video of them on my blog. Be sure to add these guys to your “bands to watch in 2010″ list.

Washed Out – “Untitled #2″
From the 2010 tour-only EP
http://www.myspace.com/thebabeinthewoods
The brains behind Washed Out is Ernest Greene of Perry, Georgia (yup, the little ole’ Perry just down the road from Macon!). So far he’s only released two EPs and one of those was on cassette tape. Folks lucky enough to see him live have a chance to buy a CD-R available only at his shows. His music reminds me a lot of M83 and Memory Tapes.

Jóhann Jóhannson – “End Theme”
From the album And in the Endless Pause There Came the Sound of Bees
http://www.johannjohannsson.com/
Jóhannson is a brilliant contemporary composer up there with Max Richter. He has scored lots of films from his homeland of Iceland but also scores music for the stage and art installations. This latest work has some truly beautiful piano and choral segments in it and is one I like to put on as I drift off to sleep at night.

If you are a copyright owner of one of these tracks and wish to have it removed, please contact me and it will be promptly removed. These tracks are not posted for profit, but to promote the artists and their labels.

Mixtape Vol.9 – 1st Quarter 2010 is a post from: William Haun Photography, Video, and Web Development