Sunday Soul - Ben E. King
From my jukebox to yours...
Ben E. King - Spanish Harlem : Spanish Harlem 7"
Ben E. King - First Taste of Love : Spanish Harlem 7"
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Thanks to John Travolta and Saturday Night Fever, the above image will forever by seared into our culture's collective conscience and will resurface whenever the term Disco is ever brought up or the 70's as a decade looked back upon. Which is unfortunate, because there was a lot of other artistic endeavors going on in music besides the Gibb brothers. Honest!An all-female trio that formed for a laugh back in '79 before becoming a fixture on the Leeds post-punk scene, Delta 5 became active figures in the Rock Against Racism movement. This three minute gem was covered by Chicks On Speed among others. Bassist Bethan Peters recorded with Fun Boy Three in later years (read more about them here).Liaisons Dangereuses - Los Ninos Del Parque (12' mix)
A big one for Derrick May, Carl Craig, DJ Hell and more, this groundbreaking, much sampled piece of stomping, unsettling electronics from '81 was the mysterious brainchild of D.A.F.'s Chrislo Haas and Beate Bartel from Mania D. Singer Krishna Goineau is behind the mournful vocals, singing in German, French, Spanish and broken English on the band's only recorded album (read more about it here).
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Some albums you listen to just lack a straight edge for you to follow. You listen to it and try to find its shape so you can fit it through the opening in the box of musical genres, but come up short. Rue Melo's self-titled debut album is like that. I've been listening to it; I've been loving it; I've been trying to think how I can encompass it in a nice tidy package (to no avail).
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I'm going to keep this short and sweet, just like the tunes on The Terrordactyls' self titled long play debut which came out at the beginning of this month. They've packed fourteen tracks into a little under thirty-seven minutes. We're not talking about a Ramones album here though - these little ditties are cute, quirky, and offbeat. Besides lyrics that are straight out of left-field (yet still make perfect sense), the duo of Michael Cadiz and Tyrel Stendahl playfully add complementary instrumentation such as toy pianos and kazoos. Additionally, Kimya Dawson (former Moldy Peaches member) makes a guest appearance on one of the tracks, Devices (which you can listen to below). The short and sweet of it - a perfect CD to just enjoy beginning with the very first listen.
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There have been some comparisons made between veteran odd-balls Modest Mouse and the new Berkeley, CA group Please Quite Ourselves. While there are some textual and constructive similarities between the two, I would argue that the pair are quite far apart. Don't get me wrong here, I'm a huge fan of the Mouse, but with their music, the off-kilter approach (in terms of lyrics, in terms of notes, in terms of who knows what's gonna come next...) has begun to feel expected at this point. It's almost a fabricated clumsiness. One that you still enjoy, you just know that it's coming.
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There are some things you just don't mess with. Memphis soul music from the 60's and 70's is one of them. There was a certain set of conditions, personalities, and influences that came together to make something perfect that can never be replicated. Sure, you can try to cover a classic song from the period and pay homage to artists who shaped the development of music in the United States. But to put together a complete album? You better have eaten all of your Wheaties.
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The Nicky Click is made up of many characters and people. Some are: Nicky Click, Petunia Pie, Penelope Parinoid, Plum Precious, and you. When Nicky Click writes in her diary it is Petunia Pie talking. She makes their words and feelings into these songs you hear. This is the new wave of girls making up the words in their bedrooms which will save the world. Nicky Click is a paperdoll unfolding in front of you, so many girls exposed, each so unique. The paperdoll unravels into many, yet all stay connected and fall back into one. May you listen to this in your own bedroom and feel something. May you find your own beat, may you discover all those dolls inside you. Don't give up, your soul will see light and joy again. Beathe and remind yourself you exist and it is just life.
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Welcome to the third installment of the Sunday Spotlight. Today, you'll have a chance to meet Dawn Kinnard. Dawn grew up in Pennsylvania in a church run by her Baptist preacher father (Tori Amos anyone?). When she turned sixteen, she became obsessed with Elvis and swore that the King was the only man for her to marry. Her original plans included attending art school. When she couldn't raise enough money to enroll, she trained to work as a hairdresser (maybe cutting Elvis doo's for Vegas preachers?). In her early twenties she was riding her beloved Harley-Davidson cross-country until she sold it to finance the recording of her first eight tracker in a makeshift studio she set up in her dad’s church. From there she headed south to Nashville and was discovered by her manager singing in a bar."I've cut you some slack...This could be taken in two ways in my mind...I as the writer may not be trustworthy. And the song is about trust...
I've done you a favor
I've tied your mind
and denied you a savior"
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Perhaps no other name is as instantly recognizable in the American west folklore as that of the outlaw Jesse James. His name is the stuff of legends and is sure to survive as long as the image of the wild west cowboy. Numerous films have been made to secure his place in our cultural memory, the latest being The Assassination Of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
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House and Techno music, while good at getting you to move your body, often lacks a humanistic touch that connects with anything deeper than your sweat glands. Mlle Caro and Franck Garcia are here to combat that stereotype with their 
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Band members Jeff Excell, Jeff Knight, and Ryan Fly tossed their plastic chairs into the Arno river in a fit of drunken exuberance while studying abroad in Italy. While celebrating their noble deed, they came up with a name for their band: Chairs In the Arno. Definitely a Kodak moment. After returning to their homeland, the trio recruited Becca Hsu to share vocal duties as well as tickling the keys of a moog synthesizer. In this final form, the band put together their debut album, titled File Folder, which came out in October.
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Welcome to the second post in my new Sunday Spotlight series. Last week, we took a peek into Marco Mahler's mind as he revealed the inner trappings of his song Fields. In case you weren't around for it, the purpose of the series is to pry open artists mind to see what makes them really tick. I'll be asking artists whose music I'm particularly enjoying to open up about a track from their latest effort.She actually doesn't like the song very much. She thinks it's too silly and she always says that it's really about video games and not about her. She is a tough one.2.) Your album, as well as seeming musical outlook, and the third track on the album specifically for example (Walk On Water) instantly made me think of the Violent Femmes (and their track Jesus Walking On the Water). Any influence there?
I am a fan of the Violent Femmes and we do get that comparison a lot. Interestingly, I've never thought of them as an influence and never directly attempted to do the kind of thing they are doing, but it seems that it's just naturally turned out that way a bit. I also never really connected the two water-walking songs. "Walk On Water" actually used to be a totally different song with different chorus, but I rearranged it and wrote a new chorus, which recontextualized all of the content and meaning. It was the case of a slow, mopey histrionic number transforming into a bouncy alt-countryish tune.3.) You've been asked to write a brand new score for a video game (new or old). Which one would it be?
The greatest video game of all time, which also happens to have the greatest game theme song of all time, is M.U.L.E. If they ever make a new version of the game (I used to play it on the Commodore 64), I'd kill, or at least cut a line, to have a chance to update the theme music for the hipster kids of today. (I COMPLETELY remember both the Commodore 64 and this game and LOVED it as much as it sounds like Mike did!)
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By no means will I suggest that he was a perfect man. Few of us are. His musical legacy is one that will not be forgotten though.
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Jon Foreman, lead singer of the uber-selling band Switchfoot, has revealed plans to release a series of four solo EP's over the coming year, aptly titled according to their release schedule as Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Having decided that major label is not the way to go with the band deciding to move to their own label, Jon has taken the retreat from the spotlight one step farther with these EPs, which offer a personal release for him. “Because of the autobiographical nature of these songs, they became a self portrait that was far too personal for a band to release,” says Foreman. “Tim, Chad and the rest of the band have been pushing me to get these types of songs out there for years. So I decided to let them go.”
The feelings continue with the second track, Southbound Train. Like the leaves falling from the trees, there's a sense of fading here: fading love, fading beauty, fading memories. The remainder of the EP's tempo picks up, but the sense of weariness in Jon's voice remains. The EP closes with a sense of loss realized; "My love goes free..."
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Having a three and a half year old daughter requires a lot of headphone listening at night. Yesterday I got an early Christmas present - a sick pair of Skullcandy headphones (pictured above). Not only are they pimped out to the max (way beyond my hip-o-meter), they are a huge improvement over my previous headphones. My only complaint - I do look a little like Princess Leia (and not with the metal bikini from Return of the Jedi) with them on. Otherwise, Perfect-O!
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You know you have to be doing something right when the original hard rock grrrrl Joan Jett is impressed enough when she sees you play once and signs you to her label (aptly titled Blackheart Records) on the spot. If that's not enough evidence, then how about when your idol (in this case Morrissey) invites you along to open for him, and you've only put out one album. Cha-ching! So is the case with San Antonio trio Girl In A Coma.
12/13 - Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's w/The Cliks
12/14 - San Antonio, TX - Ruta Maya Riverwalk w/The Cliks & Kick It
12/15 - Dallas, TX - The Cavern w/The Cliks
12/18 - Corpus Christi, TX - The Pavillion w/The Toadies
12/19 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit w/The Toadies
01/16 - Clermont-Ferrand, France - La Cooperative de Mai w/Morrissey
01/18 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie w/Morrissey
01/19 - Lille, France - Aeronef w/Morrissey
01/21 - London, England - London Roundhouse w/Morrissey
01/22 - London, England - London Roundhouse w/Morrissey
01/23 - London, England - London Roundhouse w/Morrissey
01/25 - London, England - London Roundhouse w/Morrissey
01/26 - London, England - London Roundhouse w/Morrissey
01/27 - London, England - London Roundhouse w/Morrissey
01/30 - Doncaster, England - Doncaster Dome w/Morrissey
02/01 - Sunderland, England - Empire w/Morrissey
02/02 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Playhouse w/Morrissey
02/04 - Paris, France - Olympia w/Morrissey
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Bring up the name Booker T. & The MG's, and the majority of people will connect it with the instrumental Green Onions (only the second track the members recorded - and actually first intended as the B-side!). What most people don't realize is that the group was the house band for legendary Southern soul label Stax Records. What that means is that if you listen to almost any track recorded by the label in the 60's, whether it's Sam & Dave, Wilson Picket, The Staple Singers, or countless other Stax artists, you're also listening to Booker T. & The MG's.
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Going to be kicking around the house Wednesday evening? Tune into internet site JamNow for former Swervedriver frontman (and future with the announcement of a reunion tour in 2008) Adam Franklin. Having released his latest solo outing Bolts Of Melody earlier this year (under his own name even), Adam will be conducting a live audio interview and performance during which he'll discuss the album as well as the news about the band getting back together next year. The webcast will take place at 3:00pm ET on Wednesday. Can't make it? Fear not - it will be available on-demand the following day at the same link.
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You might remember me writing about the the sophomore release The Welcome Kinetic by Pramod Tummala's band Morning Recordings in October. If not, travel back in time and read about it now. Don't have the time? Here's what I said about it then: "Going deeper into the album will reveal pieces that focus as much on the instrumental aspects of the music as much as the lyrical / vocal content. You'll feel as if you're sleepwalking through a melancholy etherealness that washes over you with the lightest of ambient strokes." The album is theoretically divided up into ten tracks, but in reality, they feel like they all piece together to form one large musical tapestry.
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A few weeks ago, I wrote about Johnny Cash’s Christmas special from 1976. The following year, Johnny came back to release another special, one which once again featured Johnny and June and a collection of their friends. This one is also now available from Shout! Factory and is the perfect alternative to watching The Santa Clause (any of them).
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Welcome to the inaugural post of a new feature that I'm starting here on Mainstream Isn't So Bad - the Sunday Spotlight.“New notions of aesthetics may seem pathetic to youIt’s a defense and justification for me to stay true to my own musical standards and ideas.
Because you're nostalgic and you do,
What’s already been done, I don't see the fun”
“The senses perception is pastIt’s the idea of seeing things for what they are, of describing what’s actually really there instead of what it seems to be on the surface, deranging the senses, breaking down patterns in perception, becoming a clean slate and then you’re able to really see. Bob Dylan, Henri Poincaré, a mathematician and physicist who was influential to both Einstein and Picasso, Charles Baudelaire and Arthur Rimbaud are people I was into when I started thinking about those kinds of ideas.
Conception will last
The vast ignorance, delivers the difference
Between reflecting gases
In front of dark space and the sky”
I don't like to over do it in the recording process. I don't like adding something if I don't feel like it really should be there. It feels right to me when there's only a handful of elements, each with its own solid purpose and clarity, that complete each other instead of interfere with each other or fight with each other over the space available.2.) I've read that your wife is an accomplished poet and reading her work has influenced you. Have any of her verses found their way into your music?
Nothing directly but my writing changed after I read hers. In 1's And O's [another track from the album] her writing's influence shows the strongest, I think.3.) Not being familiar with Swiss music what-so-ever, are there any elements of it in your work, or have you been more influenced by English / American artists?
Mostly by English / American artists, some other international, and very little Swiss. The Swiss music market is small and can sustain only a small number of full-time bands and musicians.
In addition to Fields, listen to Orange Chinese Car below for a better feel of Marco’s work. The entire album is just as richly and deeply constructed as Fields and deserves a concentrated listen. This isn’t the type of album that you can play in the background to fully appreciate. Its hushed lyrics and instrumentation require undivided attention. I’ve seen it described elsewhere as “music that captures the dawn of Sunday morning and embodies it through verse and song,” and I couldn’t agree more. I can’t think of a better way to experience the album than listening to it while lying in bed as the sun rises on a quiet morning.
Many thanks to Marco for being so open and generous with his thoughts and inspirations. His album, Design In Quick Rotation, is available now and would be an excellent addition to your holiday wish-list.
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Confession time - I love romantic comedies.1. The Pogues - Love You Till The EndMost of the songs come from other albums, with a few exceptions, including the beautifully captivating title track by the adorable Nellie McKay.
2. James Blunt - Same Mistake
3. NEEDTOBREATHE - More Time
4. Laura Izibor - Carousel
5. Hope - Fortress
6. Ryan Star - Last Train Home
7. Paolo Nutini - Rewind
8. Toby Lightman - My Sweet Song
9. Chuck Prophet - No Other Love
10. The Academy Is... - Everything We Had
11. The Stills - In The Beginning
12. Flogging Molly - If I Ever Leave This World Alive
13. Nellie McKay - P.S. I Love You
14. John Powell - Kisses and Cake
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Winter has hit for real here in New England. To fight off those short winter days and the wintertime blues, here's some Don Ho for you:
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So over the last few weeks, I've been listening to three albums that all wildly (and uniquely) experiment with the definition of music. And while I'm talking about all three here, by no means do I suggest that they have much in common other than their uncommonness.
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That being said, you can imagine how excited I was to see Elvis Perkins when he rolled into Northampton, MA last night. Having missed him earlier in the year (which I kicked myself for as early as that very night), I vowed not to do the same given another chance. Providence delivered, so as a birthday present to myself, I bought a pair of tickets about a month ago.
I’m not going to reiterate what so many people have said about him. I’m not going to throw salt into the wound by repeating his tumultuous life. I will however repeat what I wrote about him earlier: his album was one that struck such personal chords that I could not ignore it. No other release this year came close to feeling as soul-baring as his. No other felt so genuine.
That being said, how does an artist replicate such a personal exhibit night after night in front of a crowd? Well, he did, and he didn’t.
The set opened up with two of my favorite tracks from the album: It’s Only Me and Good Friday. Elvis and his band Dearland then continued to play most of the rest of the album, with a few new songs mixed in to boot: Hey!, Shampoo, 1-2-3, Goodbye, and Doomsday (which appropriately ended the evening). And to show how atypical his style is, the lone cover song of the evening was Weeping Pilgrim, a gospel song written in 1859 (listen to another version of it below – one that’s only about 80 years old!).
Listening to the album gives one a feeling of melancholy, a sense of enduring sadness. In concert, the songs took on a different feel to them. Part of it was the bountiful harmonica work (very Dylanesque) provided by Elvis, but it went beyond that as well. Perhaps it was the complete band behind. Perhaps it was the live setting that dictates a sound to fill the hall. Perhaps Elvis has come to grips with some of the emotions behind the songs. Regardless, the music lost some of the intimateness and confessionary flavor it conveyed on the album. In its place is something else: maybe hope. All of the new numbers carried an upbeat current in them (even with the instrumentation that they employed). In some ways, the concert was almost a chance to experience the album in an entirely different way. Think about where the album starts, how it developed in his Daytrotter Session, and now project out a few more steps in the same direction to get an idea of what I mean.
Other notable numbers during the night included a new version of All the Night Without Love (available on iTunes – with something like a Flamenco feel to it almost), The Dumps (the B-side to All the Night Without Love, listen to it below), and a bluesy rendition of It’s A Sad World.
A wonderful evening of music - in many ways new music.
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When one thinks of The Beatles, their contributions to pop music are immeasurable. Something you might not realize though is how prolific they were for only being around for only roughly ten years. That's it - ten short years. How many bands languish in obscurity for ten years before producing something that is truly memorable?
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The whole purpose of this page is to get you switched on to music you might not have heard. Please be a ravenous consumer and go out and buy any and all artists and albums mentioned on this page. If you are the owner of a sound file and would like it removed, please contact me post haste. If you are a prospective listener of a sound file, get it while it's hot, cuz it won't last forever!
