Laid Back
Ick’s Pick: Josh Rouse’s El Turista
Mar 17th
I knew next to nada about Josh Rouse before hearing of his new album El Turista a couple weeks ago. The review I read spoke of laid back Latin-inspired rhythms, the kind of vibe Stan Getz and João Gilberto exuded. That’s my kind of vibe.
After streaming the album on Lala (sounding like a broken record with Lala lately), I was hooked. One listen is all it took. And I know there are those of you out there who will lock in the same way I did.
Take some time right now – listen to this record on the nifty little widget down there.
Then, here you go: El Turista (Bonus Version)
New Tunes: Scott Warren’s Quick Fix Bandage
Aug 25th
Scott Warren is a L.A. based musician and front man for the Indie band Signal Hill Transmission. A few weeks ago (July 28th if you’re keeping track), Scott released his solo debut Quick Fix Bandage. The lead song, “Before You Say Goodbye”, has made several appearances on my iTunes – and in my head – over the last several weeks – most notably on a hike in Telluride in late July. “The reality sets and the reality…”. You’ll see what I mean.
It’s a solid album – mellow, leaning toward the rootsy side – and bookended by the grand finale of America’s “Sister Golden Hair”, one of my mellow 70’s rock favorites.
Scott Warren – Before You Say Goodbye” (mp3)
Buy:
Visit: Scott Warren’s Official Site | MySpace
All the Dark Horses
Mar 25th
This tune came out of nowhere one day, swooped me right up and carried me along with it. Beautiful song, beautiful lyrics, and judging by the strong 2004 album that this song is a part of (‘Weightlifting’), a grossly underrated band.
They’re Trashcan Sinatras, the boys are from Scotland, and this is “All the Dark Horses”…
Trashcan Sinatras – All the Dark Horses (mp3)
Trashcan Sinatras – All the Dark Horses [Live on KCRW, Dec. 9, 2004] (mp3)
Buy:
Links: Download the chords (pdf) to “All the Dark Horses” | Official Site | MySpace
Ick’s Picks (Week VIII): JJ Cale’s ‘Roll On’
Feb 26th
Pumping out these Ick’s Picks every week is making this year fly by. Week eight already? Can someone please tell me how we’re almost in March?? Thankfully, it is my favorite month: Cactus League baseball, a beer festival, and my anniversary. Oh wait, let me reorder, my wife reads this, you know. March is my favorite month: MY ANNIVERSARY, and yeah, that Spring Training and beer festival thingy is all right too, whatever.
That said, this week’s pick is the new album by JJ Cale. There weren’t any releases this week that had me jumping up and down in excitement, so I decided to take a listen to JJ’s new one, because he’s written some seriously solid tunes: “After Midnight”, “Cocaine”, “Call Me The Breeze”, and “Travelin’ Light”. These were the four JJ Cale songs I was familiar with due to their covers by Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Widepsread Panic, respectively. And after hearing the originals over the years, Cale’s versions were just as solid, and a tad more laid back, which suited my style.
I’ve listened to Roll On this week about five times. It’s a well produced mash-up of roots / acoustic / jazz sounds that are all pleasant to the ear. There’s nothing that absolutely blows me away, though I do have three favorites: the guitar on “Cherry Street”; the undefinable groove of “Fonda-Lina, whose namesake has “her bosoms hangin’ over the window sill / It’s a story as old as Jesus / Fonda-lina has a void to fill.”; and “Old Friend”, which faces the passing of time from the wise perspective of Cale’s 70 years: “I hear all the old folks are gone / I guess we’re the ones now / That’s the way it goes / those crowded days are behind us now.”
Clapton appears on the title track, and the legendary Jim Keltner plays the drums on some tracks, but other than that, Cale handles pretty much all the instruments by himself. It’s a solid piece of work, and probably an album that I’ll appreciate more as time goes on (like a lot of them seem to be). It would also suit me well to dip into some of Cale’s older records. There a reason he’s been covered so many times over the years.
Buy Roll On
Links: JJ Cale’s Official Site |MySpace
Here’s a stellar live version of “Call Me The Breeze”, with JJ and Mr. Clapton (sweet guitar, Eric)…
The Mellowness of the Shug
Jan 12th
Like Michael mentioned in his 100 Words post today, when your music library gets too big, the challenge is to figure out what to even listen to. A lot of great artists and songs seem to go underground for a while, and pop up in a shuffle a few months down the road. One that plopped back on to my radar today was Shuggie Otis and his psychedelifunky 1974 album Inspiration Information.
It’s a mellow Monday, so a couple of laid back joints here. “Island Letter” sounds like a cousin of Prince’s “Crazy You”, if you ask me. And I know you did. I heard you.
Shuggie Otis – Island Letter (mp3)
“Freedom Flight” is thirteen minutes of dream-inducing lite funky jazz and sweet sax & guitar effects. Close your eyes and drift off. But not if you’re at work. NSFW. Definitely NSFW.
Freedom Flight (mp3)
Check out Inspiration Information
Little Sea Horse
Aug 4th
Non-parents may want to move on to the next post, ’cause this one’s a little ch-ch-cheesy.
I’ll make it short & sweet – my four year old daughter attended her first day of kindergarten today. I’m a proud papa, and I’m sort of blown away that I have a child who is now going to school. Seasoned parents are nodding their heads, while at the same time shaking them in a sort of “you have nooo idea what you have in store for you” way. It just keeps getting more and more interesting, folks, and I’m just underway…
Well, a couple of weeks ago, my girl had a sort of “graduation” ceremony at her YMCA preschool. Her class was referred to as the Sea Horses. As the Sea Horses shuffled through in a controlled-chaos single file to receive their cute little certificates, with their cute little caps on, I had this Bruce Cockburn song going through my head. It comes from a brilliant 1976 album called In the Falling Dark.
I count this and Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaw as two of my all time favorites. They soothe and calm me, and bring me to a good place when things seem a little jagged and confused.
The lyrics merit an appearance here (bolded by me):
Little seahorse
Swimming in a primal sea
Heartbeat like a
Leaf quaking in the breeze
I feel magic as coyote
In the middle of the moon-wild nightIn the forge-fire time
Your mother glowed so bright
You were like a
Voice calling in the night
And I’m watching the curtain
Rising on a whole new set of dreamsThe world is waiting
Like a Lake Superior gale
A locomotive
Racing along the rail.
It’ll sweep you away
But you know that you’re never aloneLittle seahorse
Floating on a primal tide
Quickening like a
Spark in a haystack side
I already love you
And I don’t even know who you are
Nice eh? It’s enough to make a tough dad get a tad misty eyed. And that’s okay. Congrats kiddo – I have no earthly idea how I ever got along without you.
Bruce Cockburn – Little Sea Horse (mp3)
Buy In the Falling Dark
To illustrate even further how much I love this album, here’s my favorite off the record:
Lord of the Starfields (mp3)
A Heavenly Day
Feb 27th
There I was this past weekend, wrapping up a late Sunday afternoon car wash in the driveway (washing the hell out of my wife’s car due to the guilt of trading myself up for a new Honda Ridgeline – naughty, selfish husband!). I had the iTunes streaming down to the garage stereo (because I will perform no household or automotive task without background music – that would be silly).
As dusk set in, and I was pulling her car into the garage, this song came on. I sat silent for a few, taking in the song. I sighed in contentment, closed the garage door, and went on with my night. It was already a good weekend. Patty Griffin made it even better.
Patty Griffin – Heavenly Day (mp3)
Buy Children Running Through:
The Bird and the Bee
Jan 27th
Ickmusic contributor the Great Gonzo returns! – Pete
Hello, Ickies. I know I’ve been pretty quiet, sorry about that. Last semester was a doozy, and things have been hectic over the holidays. But I’ve returned!
Today, I give you The Bird and the Bee out of L.A. I first came across this group in late 2006 when I heard their EP again and again and again and again. The EP contained 4 tracks, three of which were slated for their upcoming full length, the fourth a Peaches remix of “Fucking Boyfriend.” I was drawn into the band’s unique sound. Laid back, yet poppy. Indie-ish, yet polished. And a hint of jazz (they are, after all, on Blue Note).
The male component of the duo is Greg Kurstin, formerly of Geggy Tah. Yes, *that* Geggy Tah. But don’t let that turn you off. I promise, The Bird and the Bee are much more sophisticated than their 1996 hit, “Whoever You Are.” The female lead is Inara George, an aspiring actress turned musician.
The group’s 2007 self-titled full length is simply splendid. I’m generally horrible at description, so let’s let the band speak for themselves, eh?
The Bird and the Bee – “Again and Again” from their self-titled full length
Later in 2007, the band released an EP, Please Clap Your Hands
The Bird and the Bee – “How Deep Is Your Love” from Please Clap Your Hands EP
And it looks like they’re planning another release for 2008. Do these folks sleep?
Buy The Bird and the Bee music at the Amazon mp3 store
The Bird and the Bee (MySpace)
The Bird and the Bee (Official Site)
Jumping on the Band (of Horses) Wagon
Jan 23rd
I’m late to the Band of Horses bandwagon. I guess my inclination is to shy away from the darlings of the indie critics and hipsters. Well, I made a mistake for not checking these guys out earlier. Since the beginning of the year, Cease to Begin has been on regular rotation over here in the House of Ickmusic. Lead singer Ben Bridwell’s voice is the key for me – gentle and soothing.
The album is top notch from start to finish, but it’s this track – the finale – that I could literally put on Repeat for a day straight and never tire of it.
Band of Horses – Windows Blues (mp3)
Buy: Cease to Begin
Links: Official Site | MySpace
A Few Moments with Joni Mitchell
Nov 30th
Joni Mitchell first came into my consciousness more than 20 years ago when Prince mentioned her as one of his biggest influences in an interview. He’s covered Joni’s “A Case of You” (“U”, naturally, when Prince does it) over the years, and “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” has that Joni influence as well.
Oh, I’ve heard “Big Yellow Taxi”, and I’ve seen her sing with The Band in The Last Waltz
But I heard her new single, “Shine”, in the car a few weeks ago (on Sirius of course – “terrestrial” radio would never play such a song – at least not in Phoenix: Radio Wasteland America). It’s a beautiful, fascinating song. I can’t quite measure the feeling it gives me. It’s contentment, but guilt. Joy and sadness, if that’s possible. Just read her amazing lyrics to this song. Well, listen first, then go back and read along the second time.
It’s raining steadily outside right now for the first time in ages. Has been all day. It’s dark, quiet, and all I hear are the rain and this beatiful song. They perfectly complement each other.
Joni Mitchell – Shine (mp3)
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Buy: Shine
Joni’s Official Site
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