Azure Ray: “Don’t Leave My Mind”

Here’s a wonderfully-shot video from last year of Azure Ray playing “Don’t Leave My Mind” live:

Azure Ray on Tour

The band Azure Ray is currently touring Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy) before heading to Japan and Korea.

Below are videos from recent Azure Ray concerts:

“Don’t Leave My Mind”:

“Make Your Heart”:

“Sleep”:

“If You Fall”:

Azure Ray’s New Album

Azure Ray released their new album, Drawing Down The Moon, last week. The album is the duo’s first in almost 7 years (although Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink have each released albums individually in the meantime).

Hear Azure Ray’s new song “Don’t Leave My Mind”:

Azure Ray is also going on tour. See tour dates below:

10/10 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
10/11 – Tallahassee, FL @ Engine Room
10/15 – Houston, TX @ Walters
10/16 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft
10/17 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10/20 – Tempe, AZ @ Rhythm Room
10/21 – San Diego, CA @ The Loft
10/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
10/23 – Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse
10/24 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
10/26 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
10/27 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
10/29 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
10/30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room
11/01 – Denver, CO @ High Dive
11/03 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
11/04 – Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
11/05 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
11/06 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
11/08 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
11/09 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
11/10 – Toronto, ONT @ Horseshoe Tavern
11/12 – Boston, MA @ Harpers Ferry
11/13 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
11/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
11/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
11/17 – Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel
11/18 – Carrboro, NC @ Arts Center
11/19 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt
11/20 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree

Songs: Water, Lakes, Waves, Seas, Oceans

This collection of songs features water, lakes, waves, seas, oceans, etc. as a predominant theme (literal or figurative):

“Some Are Lakes” by Land of Talk:

“With Arms Outstretched” by Rilo Kiley:

“Waves” by Holly Miranda:

“Catch a Wave” by The Beach Boys:

“New Wave” by Against Me:

“Black Waves” by Jason Boesel:

“Big Wave” by Jenny Lewis:

“Smile and Wave” by Maria Taylor:

“Wires and Waves” by Rilo Kiley:

“The Ocean” by Tegan and Sara:

“Treading Water” by Nada Surf:

“The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future” by Los Campesinos!:

“Led To The Sea” by Jenny Owen Youngs:

“Ship Lost At Sea” by Phantom Planet:

“River” by Hanson:

Honorable Mentions:

“Chandelier Lake” by Tilly and the Wall

“Draining A Lake” by El May

“Lake Charles” by Lucinda Williams

“Waves that Never Break” by The Like

“Waves” by The Elected

“Something In the Water” by The Jealous Girlfriends

“Black Water” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

“Sea of Doubts” by Azure Ray

“Sea King” and “Lost At Sea” by Eisley

Month Songs

ATS featured songs with “June” in the title here. What about the other 11 months?

“Here Comes September” by Waikiki (now called Howling Bells):

“April Skies” by The Jesus and Mary Chain:

“August” by Rilo Kiley:

“November” by Azure Ray:

Not on YouTube:

“March Ate Me Alive” by Noise Addict

“Mid November” by Johnathan Rice (listen here)

“7 September 2003″ by The Elected (listen here)

Article Recap

Here are two recent articles featuring interviews with Eisley and Azure Ray.

Stereo Subversion interviewed Eisley’s Stacy Dupree last week. Click here to read the article.

In other Eisley news, 4/5 of Eisley are now either married (Weston, Chauntelle, Sherri) or engaged (Stacy).

Niche Magazine put Azure Ray (Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink) on their February cover. The interviewer clears up a lyrical question in the song “Time Lapse Lifeline” and asks about different song’s meanings on Ladyluck.

Click here to read the entire Niche magazine February issue online.

Songs About Songs (Meta)

Many songs are responses to other songs, and whole albums are devoted to the idea. For example, Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville is a song-by-song response to the Rolling Stone’s Exile on Main Street.

This post, however, features songs that allude to other bands or reference people in other bands.

“Speak Easy” by Maria Taylor is about Conor Oberst:

“First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes (Conor Oberst) is about Maria Taylor:

“Do The Panic” by Phantom Planet directly references Al B. in the first verse and Charlotte (formerly) of The Like in the second verse:

Acoustic version of “Do The Panic”:

“Better Love” by Steel Train directly (and indirectly) references Scarlett Johansson in the second half of the first verse:

“Much Better” by the Jonas Brothers alludes to Taylor Swift and her song “Teardrops on My Guitar” in the first verse:

“You Bring Me Down” by The Like is about Mickey Madden of Maroon 5:

“Two of Those Too” by Maria Taylor is about being in Azure Ray with Orenda Fink:

What are some other good songs about songs/songs about other bands?

Twitter Updates

1. Azure Ray now has an official Twitter: @azureraymusic

2. Uh Huh Her announced on their Twitter that they will be in Paris in mid-April to play some shows: @UhHuhHerMusic

3. Eisley will play SXSW with Kashmir on March 18: @Eisley

Azure Ray in Studio

Today, Maria Taylor posted on her Twitter that today was Day 2 of recording for Azure Ray!

Azure Ray, comprised of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink (friends since they were 15), haven’t released an album since 2004.

Most Unique Song Titles

Here’s a list of several very unique, interesting, and/or weird song titles. (The songs are, of course, also really good).

Azure Ray/Maria Taylor:

“These White Lights Will Bend to Make Blue”

“Cartoons and Forever Plans”

The Like:

“Under the Paving Stones”

“Mrs. Actually”

Ben Lee:

“Away With the Pixies”

Jenny Lewis & Rilo Kiley:

“Carpetbaggers”

“The Execution of All Things”

“Science Vs. Romance”

Los Campesinos!:

“Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats”

“The End of the Asterisk”

Eisley:

“Mr. Pine”

“Vintage People”