The Friday Five: July 10, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
Foo Fighters – “My Hero” (from The Colour and the Shape, 1997)
One of, if not my absolute favorite Foo Fighters track.
Warrant – “Heaven” (mp3) (from The Best of Warrant, 1996)
We all have our musical skeletons, mine just happen to have lots of hair… 20 years (!!!) later I still love this tune.
Jason Mraz – “Butterfly” (from We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., 2008)
Don’t let his sensitive singer-songwriter facade fool you, Mr. A-Z can write some downright dirty tunes. Our example today: a romantic ode to a lapdance…
Wilco – “I’ll Fight” (from Wilco (The Album), 2009)
I just got around to listening to this record yesterday and am looking forward to listening to it again.
Lazlo Bane – “Overkill” (mp3) (from 11 Transistor, 1997)
I vividly recall the first time I heard this… catching the video (when MTV still cared enough about the ‘M’ to do so) and being glued to the television. Opening on the familiar chord progression followed by Colin Hay in a bellboy outfit and giving to what, to this day, is one of my favorite covers ever. Mr. Hay even comes in after the bridge to lend his signature vocal to the final verse. Brilliant finish to today’s five!
Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!
Discovering Discovery
As side-projects go, the pairing of Rostam Batmanglij (keyboardist for Vampire Weekend) and Wes Miles (vocalist for Ra Ra Riot) makes perfect sense. The results however, are as far as you can imagine from the twee indie pop of the pair’s respective bands. Trading in guitars, violins and afro-beat for synths and 808 drum machines, Discovery is an unabashed love letter to the days of electro-pop past.
The record opens with the one / two punch of the jubilant summertime “Orange Shirt” followed by the equally brilliant (and insanely catchy) “Osaka Loop Line”. “Can You Discover?” is a chopped and screwed re-imagining of Ra Ra Riot‘s “Can You Tell”. Angel Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors lends her vocal shine to the hook of “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend”. The dynamic “So Insane” is easily my favorite track of the bunch and is shaping up to be a contender for my summertime jam. The record covers the hipster spectrum from reggae-tinged (“Swing Tree”) to R&B through twee-tinted glasses (“Carby” (featuring Batmanglij‘s bandmate Ezra Koenig)) to a timely (albeit, ironic) cover of The Jackson 5 hit “I Want You Back”. The record wraps just shy of 30 minutes and almost begs an immediate second (and third) listen straight away.
It’s not ground-breaking but Discovery‘s LP could very well be the indie-pop record of the summer.
You can stream the entirety of LP at Discovery‘s Official Site.
Discovery – “Osaka Loop Line” (mp3)
Buy LP: Amazon (available for only $3.99!)
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
The Friday Five: July 3, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
Editor’s Note: After a 4 day work week that felt more like 7 it’s time to unwind, but before I start my holiday weekend I’ve got a quick shuffle to share. Have a safe and great Independence Day weekend.
Harvey Danger – “Flagpole Sitta” (from Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?, 1997)
The Gaslight Anthem – “Great Expectations” (mp3) (from The ’59 Sound, 2008)
Van Halen – “Jamie’s Cryin'” (from Van Halen, 1978)
Prince – “Controversy” (from Controversy, 1981)
Bobby Brown – “Roni” (mp3) (from Dance! … Ya Know It, 1989)
What tunes are getting you started today?
The Friday Five: June 26, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
Today my shuffle is a celebration of the King of Pop and the memories tied to his music, I encourage you all to share your five today whether they be related to Michael Jackson or not…The Jackson 5 – “ABC” (mp3) (from Greatest Hits, 1971)
This brings to mind watching the Jackson 5 cartoons with my little brother.
Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (from Thriller, 1982)
I remember watching Clash of the Titans at my Aunt & Uncle’s house followed by my first viewing of the classic video.
Michael Jackson – “Human Nature” (from Thriller, 1982)
Like much of his music, this brings me back to summers spent playing outside, clutching my little red AM radio, devouring all the music of the day.
The Jackson 5 – “The Love You Save” (mp3) (from Greatest Hits, 1971)
One of the first bass lines I ever bothered to sit down and actually learn note for note.
Michael Jackson – “Man in the Mirror” (from Bad, 1987)
My memory of this song changed forever yesterday. Upon hearing the news it was this song that came rushing to me. It bears repeating that despite it all, Michael cared with a child like innocence for the troubled of the world. This is what I will cherish. This as well as his music is what I will share with my children. The legacy of the artist who tried to change the world, and who, to some degree, succeeded.
What’s getting you through the day?The Friday Five: June 19, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
Editor’s Note: I’m happy to turn the reins over to Alan Wilkis for this week’s Friday Five. You can find my review of his stellar latest release Pink and Purple here. See you all back here next week… – Michael
The Five:
Did the iPhone shuffle today for a little Friday 5, and was quite pleased with the selection! It could have been scary, folks… like Norwegian Death Metal, followed by Japanese Noise, followed by Yanni (hey, you never know)… So, thank you SHUFFLE-GODS! – Alan
“In the Stone” (mp3) – Earth, Wind, and Fire
I LOVE EWF, and I especially love this song. The musicianship, production, songwriting, performances are all superb, as is the norm for them. I love how you can hear that the percussion + clavés were recorded in a big room, differently from the rest of the band – it creates such a cool sense of space in such a subtle way… I also love how on the verses, the bass and kick drum lock in so tightly and play something slightly differently every two bars – really keeps things interesting, but in a subtle way…“Journey to Reedham (7AM Mix)” – Squarepusher
I have a distinct memory of the first time I heard this song in college, and it was one of those rare instances of complete and utter musical jaw-dropping. It’s just total ear-candy, so fun to listen to LOUD and/or on headphones especially, drum-programming bliss and a great intro to the insane genius of Squarepusher… The melody and bassline are so simple and so repetitive, but beautiful, and somehow mesh perfectly with the frenetic, totally unpredictable, and awesome drum-programming – I really was floored the first time, and was once again, today.“Apeman” – The Kinks
The Kinks are just the best… I only discovered this song recently but it puts a gigantic smile on my face – instantly memorable, lyrics are hilarious & dripping w/Ray Davies’ characteristic wit… Has that “fed up with the world, I’m getting outta here” vibe – the perfect soundtrack to giving the finger to everyone as you quit your shitty job, Half-Baked style…“La Polka Du Roi” (mp3) – André Popp
André Popp is unreal… If you haven’t dug into him, get familiar! This man was a total crazy genius French composer, classically-trained but w/a real taste for modern tape experiments / studio tricks… He would invent really avant-garde/extremely forward-thinking methods, but he wouldn’t use them in cheesy pretentious ways – no “technique for the sake of technique” a la many others… Rather his music would still come out very listenable and accessible, and fun as all hell.On this song, he had the vocalist sing and record her part – he then played the recording of her voice in reverse and transcribed what the syllables sounded like in reverse. Then he had his singer learn the reverse-melody and reverse-lyrics, and record her singing that… And then played the new reverse recording in reverse, AGAIN! The lyrics wind up being a very peculiar-sounding, but still totally intelligible (if you speak French!)… He did this with a lot of his instruments as well… So weird and so ahead of his time… AND MIND YOU THIS IS LIKE DECADES BEFORE COMPUTERS… I’m talking razor-blade slicing two-inch tape for every little edit… And actually hearing the idea in his head and figuring out how to do it, rather than clicking a button on a laptop…
Also, coincidentally, David Lynch borrowed this technique for all the dream sequences in Twin Peaks… Wonder if he was a fan?
“High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In“ – Tortoise
Tortoise is hands down among my favorite bands in current existence, and are definitely SOMEWHERE on the all-time short-list for me, too… I like to describe Tortoise as the soundtrack to my imagination… I honestly feel like I’m dreaming when I listen to them – so many styles/sounds/genres/decades of music all mushed together seamlessly…This is the first track on their upcoming new record, and I’ve been waiting for this damn thing for YEARS!!!!! So there was quite a lot of anticipation for me, as you could imagine… And lo and behold, I hit play, and THEY DELIVERED… AS USUAL… All the trappings of what I love about Tortoise all boiled down into one awesome tune… Awesome SOUNDS, repetitive but very grooving feel, puts you in a trance and then keeps taking you up and up…
So, yeah, I love Tortoise…
What’s up next on your shuffle?
Review: Alan Wilkis, “Pink and Purple”
Brooklyn-based electrofunk wizard Alan Wilkis recently gave me an early peek at his latest release Pink and Purple. For those of you not familiar with Alan, let me bring you up to speed the self-described “musician, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and general musical mover-and-shaker” first came to my attention last year with his self-released debut Babies Dream Big (Review). Earlier this year he dropped a brilliant remix of Pheonix‘s hit “1901” which only served to build the anticipation for his new material which has been in constant rotation since it landed in my inbox.
The six tunes that make up the Pink and Purple are clearly derived from the synth-laden funk rock of the early 80’s but it’s never derivative. There is something immediate and familiar about the tunes and where where his previous release Babies Dream Big may have lacked focus, Pink and Purple is concentrated and intense. The auto-tuned double entendre’s flow with the lead track “Snuggle Up to Nail Down” and erupt with 4 bars of pure shred bliss. The juxtaposition of the electronic and analog meshes perfectly. “N.I.C.E.” could bring a tear to George Clinton‘s eye it’s so funky and “Gotta Get You Back” makes me long for the days of my youth and is an rollerskating rink classic and is an early contender for the track that I will wear a spot on the hard drive with. The closer “Time Machine” builds to an completely unexpected epic guitar driven finale that absolutely begs for a continuation.
With all the great (and not-so-great) music coming out of Brooklyn these days it’s hard to know what’s worth the precious listening time, but if you still own a Swatch, love Hyper-Color, Rubik’s Cube and Brat Pack movies look no further because it’s Mr. Wilkis’ world and he’s here to make you dance.
Alan Wilkis – “Gotta Get You Back” (from Pink and Purple)
Buy Pink and Purple: Official Site | iTunes
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace | on Twitter
The Friday Five: June 12, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
Willie Nelson – “Always on My Mind” (mp3) (from The Essential Willie Nelson)
I may be committing an act of blasphemy, but this is – in my opinion – the quintessential version of this song. Released in 1982, this earned Willie a Grammy award (Best Male Country Vocal Performance) and the songwriters Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson Thompson the Song of the Year and Best Country Song statues. This tune is easily in my top 10 favorite ballads.
Incognito – “Rivers Runnin’ Black” (mp3) (from Life, Stranger Than Fiction)
Not my favorite Incognito record, but this is a specifically strong (mostly instrumental) track. This band never lacks for groove.
Chrisette Michele – “Playin’ Our Song” (from Epiphany)
This record, while good in it’s own right, was a disappointment for me. After the power and range displayed in her debut I Am, this record feels flat. It’s a decent modern R&B record but suffers from the input of her songwriters trying to hard to sell a ‘hit”. The biggest offender here is the track “Another One” which is essentially Beyoncé‘s “Irreplaceable” with different lyrics. Oh, and the real rub here is they were both written by Ne-Yo.
Janet Jackson – “That’s the Way Love Goes” (from Design of a Decade: 1986-1996)
Mmm… Good Tune!
Old Californio – “From the Mouths of Babes” (from Westering Again)
You may recognize Old Californio from Pete’s Ick Pick column (link). This is actually one my favorite cuts from that record and has stood up to multiple listens. As a matter of fact I think that I’m going to go listen to the whole record again now.
What tunes are brightening your day?
The Friday Five: June 5, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.The Five:
Editor’s Note: It’s a busy day here in the Northeast but The Five is still playing in the background… here’s what is spinning with some twitter-sized thoughts:
Frente! – “Labour of Love” (from Labour of Love)
Aussie acoustic-pop act better known 4 their intimate cover of New Order‘s “Bizarre Love Triangle”. I actually like this record quite a bit.
Metallica – “Battery” (from Master of Puppets)
& now 4 something cmpletly difft! ive 2 admit that I dont listen 2 enough classic Metallica. I hold their present against their past glory.
ALL – “Hot Rod Lincon” (from Allroy’s Revenge)
Punk tribute to the Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen classic.
Prince – “The Arms of Orion (feat. Sheena Easton)” (from Batman)
Mama said if you ain’t got nuthin’ nice to say don’t say nuthin’ at all.
Johnny Cash – “A Boy Named Sue (live)” (from The Legend of Johnny Cash)
This 1 brings back memories of sitting the back of the family station wagon. Johnny, Waylon, Willie & the boys were always the soundtrack.
What’s keeping your day rolling?
Dave Matthews Band: Live @ The Beacon Theater
Tonight Dave Matthews Band will celebrate the release of their new record Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King with an intimate show at the historic Beacon Theater in New York. The show will be broadcast live beginning at 9:00 PM EST on the Fuse network as well as online over at Hulu. Through a twist of fate (and the amazing detective skills of my better half) I will be in attendance tonight and will be sure to post a full review of the show as well as the new album in the coming days.
You can listen to the Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King in its entirety over at Pandora.
Buy Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King: Amazon
The Friday Five: May 29, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
Toad the Wet Sprocket – “Nothing Is Alone” (mp3) (from 1992-09-16: Fox Theater, Boulder, CO, USA)“And now the song so happy that Todd had to sing it.” From 1990’s Pale this remains one of my favorite Toad songs.
Stevie Wonder – “Sir Duke” (from Songs in the Key of Life)
To say that this song is one of the nearest and dearest to my heart would be an understatement. This song is truthfully sunshine for the soul. Don’t believe me? Next time you are having a bad day, put it on. You’ll thank me later.
Just to prove my point, here’s the set up. Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket, see what I did there?) has played so long that the venue has sent him and the crowd out into the streets where Glen along with Nickel Creek bring the encore to the streets and close the evening with a joyful rendition of Stevie’s classic “Sir Duke” (mp3).
Chaka Khan – “I Feel for You” (from Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Volume One)
Okay, so this is a Prince track featuring Grandmaster Melle Mel – that’s him on the “Ch-ch-ch-chaka-chaka-chaka Khan” – and Stevie Wonder on Harmonica. I mean really, how can you go wrong?
Prince – “Sexy Dancer” (from Prince)
Hey, look at that. It’s almost as if iTunes is paying special attention today. Stevie, Chaka, Prince… this could rank in my top 10 fives!
Jamiroquai – “Virtual Insanity” (mp3) (from High Times: Singles 1992-2006)
With the exception of the Toad the Wet Sprocket tune that kicked us off, this has turned out to be one damned funky five. The futuristic blend of soul, acid-jazz and funk of Jamiroquai has always resounded with me and this track is no exception.
**BONUS**
Down to the Bone – “Greedy Fingers” (mp3) (from Supercharged)
Okay, I’ve only done this once before… but the sixth track to shuffle up was just so good and fit the overall shuffle so well that I simply had to include it. More soul, acid-jazz and funk only this time of the instrumental variety. If you’ve never heard of the UK’s Down to the Bone consider yourself schooled in coolest collective of UK’s jazz groove.
Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!
