Tag Archive for 'The Swell Season'

SuperForester Mathew’s Journal – Music (Part 2)

mathew published on November 20, 2010 in art, celebrity, superforest journal and zeitgeist. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Hey SuperForest!

I know I promised I’d post this earlier, but life caught the best of me. And if you didn’t know I promised, awesome! Either way to be sure to check out Part 1 of this Journal series!

So, NPR releases some of the most amazing and intimate mini-concerts! Just 10 to 15 min of awesomeness, and I want to share another some of my favourites with you! These guys, like I stated in my last post, are full of music. They burst music from their hearts and soul, and it is fantastic to listen to and hear. Please sit back relax and enjoy this beautiful Saturday, and just breathe..ahhhh.

First up is…one of my favourite artists of all time. He is brilliant, his message strong, and his heart full. The man is K’naan. You can find all the posts on SuperForest about him here! He is truly wonderful, and full of life and passion. Soak this man and his music in.

Next! This is a band I got to know because of NPR, and wow I love them! Enjoy the good vibes of Fanfarlo. They are sheer brilliance!

Once again a personal favourite I have shared with SuperForest before: The Avett Brothers! These guys are amazing. So full of life and energy. Love them!

Now let your ears feast on Raphael Saadiq! This guy makes me want to boogie! I absolutely love what this guy has to offer. Seriously enjoy this one, SuperForest!

And last! Perhaps the two people who really embody my ideal musicians, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who make up the Swell Season. I love these two brilliant human beings, and they are both simply beautiful. Thank you’s to both of them. (I have shared this video before, but it is worth it to share it here again!)

So there you have it SuperForest! Music that speaks straight to me, and musicians who I feel truly embody music to its fullness. I am always in the search for new and exciting musicians, so please head over to SuperForest Soundtrack to recommend to us YOUR favourite artists! I look forward to your sharing. Have a beautiful Saturday (and weekend) SuperForest!

Much, much musical love,

Mathew

SuperForest Presents: Friday Films

heather published on April 16, 2010 in art, celebrity and zeitgeist. 6 Comments Tags: , , .

Hello SuperForesters!!! It’s Friday! A great day for kicking back with a tasty beverage, having dinner with family or catching a movie! This week’s film is: Once.

Once is a charming, honest film about an Irish musician and a Czech woman who connect through music. For those of you who are familiar with this film, I’m sure you’re also familiar with The Swell Season, the musical group created out of the film. Both the film and the group are made up of two main musicians: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

This film is SuperForesty because it is honest, transparent, artistic and inspiring. I am sure there are many other reasons as well, but I thought I’d start there. The sheer honesty that is felt in the interactions between the two main characters is so refreshing, almost arresting. When they are hanging out on the streets of Dublin, you feel like you’re there with them, which I think is a feeling a lot of big studio films lack. When they’re having more intimate, quiet moments, you feel the honesty. You can literally feel his loneliness.

The music that resulted from this movie is amazing. Raw, emotional songs, at times a full sound, at times quietly acoustic. Perhaps part of the reason this film was so honest and beautiful was that the two leads were actually connecting romantically behind the camera. Apparently they had known each other for years and ended up having a relationship after the movie wrapped. I have since heard that they are no longer romantically linked, but you can’t deny their musical chemistry if you’ve ever heard their music as The Swell Season.

This movie gave me flashbacks to when I used to crush on moody musicians back in my early university days, when the feelings are so strong, music sounds better, everything seems more dramatic. But it’s not all brooding and melancholy in Once. In the end, it is an inspiring feeling that stays with you because of the generosity shown and the dreams that are pursued. 

I highly recommend this film if you haven’t seen it! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!