The Sleepy Jackson
Luke Steele. If that isn’t a name destined for show biz, I don’t know what is. Luke is the main man in The Sleepy Jackson from Perth, Australia, one of the most isolated big cities on God’s green earth (The most, maybe?). He’s a man of many instruments influenced by George Harrison, Walt Disney, and Woody Guthrie. Since ’99, he has released two full albums, 2006’s Personality (One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird), and 2003’s Lovers, which this song comes from.
The Sleepy Jackson:
Rain Falls for Wind(mp3) – from Lovers.Here’s The Sleepy Jackson Official Site | MySpace
Site Note: So I just added this feature that allows people to see a preview of a web site just by hovering your mouse over a link. Pretty cool in my opinion. I showed my buddy Jim at work, and he looked at me like I was crazy, and said, “Dude, uh, Safari 2.0?!!”. I guess Safari on Macintosh has this as an option in their browser. Mac snob.
But anyways, I think it’s cool. What do you think? Your results will determine whether it stays or goes. Does it annoy the crap out of you? Or are you okay with it? Do tell. No comments mean you indeed do not give 2 shits either way, and I’m OK with that.
Selections from the Mansion of Fun
David Johansen has a cool thing going with his weekly radio show on Sirius Disorder. It’s David Johansen’s Mansion of Fun, and it’s really exposed me to some great music from the past that I would never hear elsewhere. He keeps a steady rotation going of old 60’s Motown, latin jazz, garage rock, classical, opera, really old stuff from the first half of the 20th century, and on and on. His musical tastes cover the wide spectrum that I too am attracted to.
So I thought it wouldn’t hurt to throw a few into the ring that I’ve recently enjoyed. The first couple come from Nino Rota. Oh, you’ve heard his work… Four words: Theme from the Godfather. He’s an Italian composer who provided music for a bunch of films (including several Fellini films). He passed away in 1979, but his music remains, including these two from a movie entitled Giulietta Degli Spiriti, a 1965 Fellini film. Certainly a classic Italian vibe to it. It’s not for everyone (hipsters beware!), but if you’re like me, and you like a wide variety of music piping through your ears, then you just may enjoy it.
Nino Rota:
Rosa Aurata, La Ballerina del Circo Snap(mp3) – available on iTunes
Now if you’re ready to feel like you’re in a 19th century cathedral mass, listen to this. Written by French composer Gabriel Faure in 1865, this is a work for mixed chorus and organ inspired by 17th century dramatist Jean Racine (the lyrics come from a prayer written by Racine).
Gabriel Faure:
Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11(mp3) – my version comes from this CD, which I got off eMusic (90 downloads per month for $20)Listen to Lanois
I finally picked up my first Daniel Lanois solo album. Every time I’ve heard his solo stuff I’ve been drawn to it: spare, atmospheric, and rich. Lanois, of course, is the producer extraordinaire behind U2, Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, and scores of other artists. From 1988 to 2001, he set up shop in Kingsway Studios on Esplanade Avenue in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Here’s a taste from Shine, his 2003 release. Bono joins him on this one. It was written during the All You Can’t Leave Behind sessions.
Daniel Lanois:
Falling At Your Feet(mp3)Daniel Lanois’ Official Site.
Buy Shine…….
Prince wins a Golden Globe
Congrats to Prince for a successful night at the Golden Globes, where he won the category of Best Original Song…
The award was given out very early in the show, and not only did I miss it, but so did Prince. He was on the way there, stuck in traffic. He was acknowledged later in the show and stood up and bowed from his table.
The winning tune is “The Song of the Heart” from the movie Happy Feet. Before tonight, I had listened to the song all the way through about 1.75 total times. Not that crazy about it to tell you the truth. But who knows, it may grow on me.
You can judge for yourself here…
The Clash rage at the US Festival
Joe Strummer was not happy when he hit the stage at the US Festival in 1983. There’s different stories about what was pissing him off so much. But the gist of it was that the Clash were upset when they heard that Van Halen took a million dollars to headline the third and final night of the festival. The Clash, by contrast, refused to go on stage until US Festival organizer Steve Wozniak (of Apple Computer) agreed to donate a large sum of money to charity. There was even a backstage shouting match between Joe Strummer and David Lee Roth, if you can believe that. Oh to be a fly on the wall on that day.
Well, what resulted was a very spirited set, with Joe Strummer taking some time between songs to rant and rave against consumerism and the American way. This is also guitarist Mick Jones’ last performance with the Clash.
RIP Joe Strummer: 1952-2002
The Clash / “Clash Calling”
Saturday, May 28th, 1983
Glen Helen Regional Park
San Bernardino, CA
US Festival ’83* The only imperfection of this show is that “London Calling” cuts out about half way through and jumps about halfway into “This is Radio Clash”. Don’t worry, you’ll get over it quickly.
London Calling / This Is Radio Clash
Somebody Got Murdered
Rock the Casbah
The Guns Of Brixton
Know Your Rights
Koka Kola
Hate and War
Armagideon Time
Sound of the Sinners
Safe European Home
Police on My Back
Brand New Cadillac
I Fought the Law
I’m So Bored with the USA
Train In Vain
The Magnificent Seven
Straight to Hell
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
ClampdownWhen the Saints Go Marching In
Seeger Sessions Style.
Bruce.
Marc Anthony Thompson.
Patti Scialfa.Beautiful…
(and congrats to the New Orleans Saints…take it all the way!)
The Pride of New Orleans – for a great Anderson Cooper interview with lower Ninth Ward resident Herbert Gettridge, click that link.
Flip, Pinto, and the Dead
Time to promote!
Here are a few goodies sent my way, completely and utterly unrelated to eachother.
Lil Flip’s New Video: Yes, this man looks like he would very much like to eat your children. But that’s just Lil’ Flip. I won’t pretend to know a thing about Lil Flip. I only know him as one the many “Lil”s in the hip-hop world. And after reading about him on Wikipedia, I now know that he’s had running feuds with Paul Wall, Hump, T.I., and Slim Thug. He’s Houston bred and he was discovered by DJ Screw. You got that? ‘Cause there’s gonna be a quiz.
Lyf Jennings joins Lil’ Flip here for this new video from Flip’s forthcoming album. Oh cool, I can say this now… it drops in March. See? I still got it. Anyway, I still like to catch up with what’s going on in hip-hop these days. Of course I’m one of those mid to late thirty somethings that spent their formative years listening to the pioneers: Run DMC, Eric B. & Rakim, Whodini, Public Enemy, etc. etc., and no hip-hop will ever top that stuff for me. But yeah, it’s good to check in every now and then. And this isn’t bad. I like the message and the flow.
But I do like Paul Wall better. Sorry Flip (I’ll check more of your stuff out, I can’t judge you on one song).
Lil Flip Feat. Lyf Jennings: Ghetto Mindstate (YouTube)
PINTO! Andreas is the man. He’s in a Swedish band called Pinto, and he emails me from time to time with his latest stuff. In fact, I’m motivated to post their latest tune simply based on the subject line of his latest email: “Oh Lord Jesus Christ it is that guy from Pinto again!” And to describe Pinto’s latest, he puts it this way….
Let me put this simple. We has either made an awesome hit song or a really annoying two minute track that reminds you of Hooters (and sadly I’m talking about the band). Hopefully it is the first. I really hate Hooters (the band that is).
Awesome.
Pinto: Talk to Me Now (mp3)
Listen:
[audio:talk_to_me_now.mp3]
You can download a thousand Swedish meatballs worth of tunes over at their web site. Go Pinto go!
Grateful Dead’s Live at The Cow Palace, New Year’s Eve, 1976 On January 23rd, Rhino will be releasing a classic Dead show from New Year’s Eve 1976. I’ve got a copy on the way for a sweet upcoming giveaway, so stay tuned.
While we’re waiting for the 23rd, check out this cool e-Card to listen to some tunes. You can follow links there to order the CD.
Clickit.
The Rumble Strips
Thanks to old buddy and Anglophile Mark for mentioning this song by the Rumble Strips, a UK band. Currently, they’re in L.A. making a debut album with Tony Hoffer, known for his work with Beck, The Kooks, and Air.
The Rumble Strips: Motorcycle
Listen:
[audio:motorcycle.mp3]Check out their releases so far (a couple singles and an EP).
Their Official Site | MySpace – check out “Alarm Clock” on their MySpace page too. Good stuff!
The Dark Side of New Orleans
Can the people of New Orleans get a break please? Nine days into the year, and nine people slain violently. Mayor Nagin had a press conference today, and while he stopped short of issuing a curfew in the city, he is going to set up checkpoints between the hours of 2am and 6am (when most of the violence occurs).
A reader (C.) sent me a link today to this commentary by Chris Rose from the Times-Picayune (thanks to C. also for title of my post).
…how close to my house do I allow the shots to come before I claim no mas? How many more friends and acquaintances will die stupidly in their cars and yards and doorways before I realize that I have become more afraid of and for my city than ever before and am bordering on a siege mentality?
I’ve written about this before — the pervasive predatory element of New Orleans — and truth to tell, I don’t have anything new to contribute to the conversation. But then again, I can’t sit here at my desk and write about anything else — the Saints, the weather, the Road Home, trash collection, whatever — without thinking that it’s all kind of moot when the cloud of murder descends over the city… READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
I don’t have anything poignant to say. Gun violence is a problem everywhere here in the U.S. Every level of government has tried to remedy it somehow: education, harsher sentencing laws, etc. etc. But how to instill some sense of respect for human life in these murderers? How will it ever improve?
Ugh.
Aaron Neville: Amazing Grace (YouTube) – from Jazz Fest 1990
In more uplifting local N.O. music news, Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis sat in at Cafe Brasil with Bob French and Friends last night on Frenchmen St. How cool it would be to live in a town where you could stumble across a scene like this on a random Monday night. Frenchmen Street. I’m kicking myself for not checking out while I was there.
Happy Birthday to the King
Ickmusic sends a shout out to the skies above….Happy 72nd Birthday Elvis!
I watched King Creole a couple of times over the holidays to help prime me for my trip to New Orleans. Here’s a quality moment from the film when Elvis the bus boy jumps up on stage at the request of the film’s heavy, Maxie Fields, played by Walter Matthau. The female lead sitting next to him is Carolyn Jones, aka Morticia Addams from The Addams Family.
Happy Birthday King!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKmmRY3-fwo&w=425&h=350]