100 Words on “Daylight”
I honestly don’t think that I’ve ever taken a cue from MTV but I was flipping through the channels and came across the video for “Daylight (mp3)” by NYC hipster hype du jour Matt & Kim. The hook was embedded deep and after finding the track (free & legal, go figure) it’s gotten more then a few spins in just a few days. It’s fun yet abrasive and quite frankly disposable, but I dig the hell out of it. I played it for my wife and she dropped this gem “It’s catchy, but catchy doesn’t mean its good”. Take that Brooklyn!
[audio:01 Daylight.mp3]Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
The Friday Five: January 23, 2009
If you’ve been working for the weekend, well you are in luck because it’s just about that time. That’s right, it’s Friday and it’s time to kick back hit the shuffle button and let the music take us where it will. Today we’re firing up iTunes to battle the post-lunch dip!
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
“For Giuseppe Franco” – Frank Zappa (from Trance-Fusion)
This is an outtake solo from “Hot Plate Heaven at The Green Hotel” recorded December 17, 1984 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, Washington. And to think, this is an outtake…
“Dirty Mind” – Prince (from Dirty Mind)
Listening to this era’s records is making me antsy to hear the new record.
“Linger” – The Cranberries (from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?)
Definitely in my top 5 of 1993, there really is nothing to compare to this record.
“Tomorrow, Wendy (live)” – Concrete Blonde (from Still in Hollywood)
A stark and poignant song written from the view of a woman coping with the AIDS virus and the frustrations and challenges to faith that come with it. This particular verse has always stood out as particularly powerful:
“I told the priest, don’t count on any second coming.
God got his ass kicked the first time he came down here slumming.
He had the balls to come, the gall to die and then forgive us.
No, I don’t wonder why, I wonder what he thought it would get us.”This live version holds nothing back with Johnette Napolitano delivering every line with the utmost conviction.
“Dear God” – Sarah McLachlan (from Rarities, B-Sides, & Other Stuff)
A quiet and introspective take on the XTC classic. I adore Sarah’s voice and could listen to her sing the phone book.
Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!
The Friday Five: January 16, 2009
If you’ve been working for the weekend, well you are in luck because it’s just about that time. That’s right, it’s Friday and it’s time to kick back hit the shuffle button and let the music take us where it will. Today we’re firing up iTunes to battle the post-lunch dip!
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
“Jamie’s Cryin'” – Van Halen (from Van Halen)
“… Hey you two I was once like you and I liked to do the wild thing”
“Crash Into Me” – Dave Matthews Band (from Live in Chicago 12.19.98)
I’ve recently discovered that Dave Matthews has a twitter account that he uses quite actively (clearly via his iPhone and Twitterific). He provides a view into his twisted head and preoccupation with his farts (and sharing photos of himself in various states of clown make-up).
“Golden Ring (feat. Tammy Wynette)” – George Jones (from The Bradley Barn Sessions)
An absolutely classic tune from the master
“Direct Line to the Telepathic” (mp3) – Flickerstick (from Welcoming Home the Astronauts)
Before American Idol, Rockstar:INXS, Making the Band and other awful music-based reality programs was VH1’s “Bands on the Run” which placed 4 bands in vans and sent them out to tour with challenges along the way. It was sort of like MTV’s “Road Rules” with twice the alcohol and prima donnas’. Dallas, Texas’ Flickerstick won the competition and a recording contract. The band released one major label record and an indie follow up (along with a pair of live recordings) and it was announced late in 2008 that they had decided to go their separate ways. They will play a final show on Jan 24th at the House of Blues in Dallas. In honor of this great band I’m sharing this epic track with you all.
“Jet City Woman” – Queensrÿche (from Empire)
I’ve got a real soft spot in my musical heart for Queensrÿche, specifically this time period between Operation:Mindcrime and Empire.
Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!
One Last Song
The return of American Idol (and my overall ambivalence towards it) reminded me that 2009 will bring the release of young Josiah Leming‘s record. You may recall Josiah as the most talented contestant to not make it past the second round of auditions last year. After some additional exposure via the Ellen DeGeneres show, Warner Bros. scooped up the singer and sent him to London to record his debut record. In late 2008 he released an EP titled Angels Undercover which provides a small glimpse of the singer-songwriter’s talent. I’m looking forward to hearing the recorded version of this tune “One Last Song”, which sold me on his ability to write a hell of a tune.
Buy Angels Undercover: Amazon | iTunes
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
100 Words on Collections
Have you ever been overwhelmed by the amount of music in your collection? With the advent of the mp3 and the plummeting cost of storage it’s now possible to amass a collection thats only constrained by your resourcefulness. Even pre-internet I was a collector and have amassed a huge collection over the years. It occurred to me today as I was struggling to find something to listen to that the job of finding the right album to suit my mood was increasingly difficult. I combat this with extensive tagging and playlists but there are days where it just fails me.
The Olympic Symphonium
The Olympic Symphonium – More in Sorrow Than in Anger (Forward Music Group, 2008)
What is it about the great white north that fosters such beautiful, introspective and intimate music? I suppose that I could make some crack about folks being locked up in their cabins for months on end, but in reality it’s more attributed to the fact that the Canadian government actually provides funding for the arts. Regardless, there is an abundance of wonderful music coming from our neighbors to the north and my most recent find is The Olympic Symphonium.
The trio of singer/songwriters share vocal duties with a roster of guest musicians filling in the blanks. Contemplative and complex the 10 tracks on More in Sorrow Than in Anger range from pop tinged twangy folk to heartfelt dirge. Where this record truly shines is when it’s pared down to the trio such as on “Malleable” where the intimacy abounds to the point where you can hear birds chirping in the background, the creak of a chair and the slight harmonic overtones of the guitar.
This is a perfect Sunday morning (or snowy afternoon) record. It stood up to many back to back repeat listens and did not for a moment lose its charm. Take a listen to the sunny “Intentions Alone” for a view into More in Sorrow Than in Anger.
The Olympic Symphonium – Intentions Alone (mp3)
The Friday Five: January 09, 2009
If you’ve been working for the weekend, well you are in luck because it’s just about that time. That’s right, it’s Friday and it’s time to kick back hit the shuffle button and let the music take us where it will. Today we’re firing up the iPod to battle the post-lunch dip!
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
“Sister Christian” – Night Ranger (from Midnight Madness)
Yeah! Now this… this is the way to kick off a shuffle. In the world of truly kick-ass power ballads this definitely is ‘all-time’ material. Who would ever think that a tune written by a big brother watching his little sister grow up would cement’s the bands place in history.
“Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad” – Prince (from Prince)
Here’s the thing, Purple Rain is classic, Parade is sublime and there are few that would argue that Sign “☮” the Times is anything but a masterpiece. But for me Prince‘s 1979 self-titled album is the record that I turn to time and again for my purple fix. From “I Wanna be Your Lover” to “Bambi” this is, for me, the best quick fix.
“Your Boyfriend Sucks” (mp3) – The Ataris (from Blue Skies, Broken Hearts… Next 12 Miles)
This power pop gem pulls absolutely no punches. Hell, the first line about sums it up… “You’re better off without him, don’t call him… He’s breaking your heart.” From the band’s 1999 release, this tune along with “I Won’t Spend Another Night Alone” won me over as a fan back then and I still look forward to hearing their brand of pop-punk brashness.
“Crush” – Dave Matthews Band (from Before These Crowded Streets)
Writing the perfect love song is a task where many a man falls short; Dave Matthews is not one of them.
“The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove” (mp3) – Dead Can Dance (from Into the Labyrinth)
In the early 90’s my desire for new and ‘different’ music was insatiable and one of my favorite ‘finds’ was the dark baroque (and often Celtic) music of Dead Can Dance. Recorded at Quivvy Church (in County Cavan, Ireland) Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry blend world and ethereal music to a profound effect. This track features Perry‘s deep baritone singing of, as Perry put it, “the abstract relationship of myself and woman “.
Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!
New Prince Site
For the first time in nearly a year Prince has an official web presence again. It’s a place holder at the moment but promises many of the features of the NPGMC. The media player is playing “Crimson & Clover”, “(There’ll Never B) Another Like Me” and Bria Valente‘s ““Here I Come”. Of particular interest is the TV on the bottom of the site featuring a scene from Purple Rain (the 25th aniversary is this year, could we finally get a remaster?)
You can find it all at www.lotusflow3r.com.
The Friday Five: January 02, 2009
Happy New Year!
Welcome to the first Friday Five of 2009. We’re kicking the New Year off with a look back as I hit shuffle on my Top 100 of 2008. As you can guess I have a bevy of playlists that I maintain to keep a good balance of new/unheard music and my personal favorites. This particular playlist was created to help me write up the Year in (Ick)Music 2008 column and I liked it so much that I put it on countdown style (counting down from 100 to number 1) on New Years Eve.
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday 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 more the merrier!
But hey, enough of my yakkin’… Whaddaya say, let’s boogie!
The Five:
“Staying In Love” – Raphael Saadiq (from The Way I See It)
A rave up to kick off the first shuffle of the year, this song is a great start to any playlist!
“Say You Will” – Kanye West (from 808s & Heartbreak)
As far as track one, side one cuts go this one definitely is up there. Setting the mood of Kanye’s heartbreak perfectly this track is an introduction to the state of his (apparently) fragile psyche.
“Details in the Fabric (feat. James Morrison)” – Jason Mraz (from We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.)
This one has made a previous appearance on The Five. From September 26, 2008… This tune opens to an answering machine message from Mraz cohort Bushwalla clearly dealing with a bad day. The song itself has a lilting yet uplifting message “Everything will be fine, everything in no time at all, Hearts will hold”. The song closes with a second message where he strikes the single oddest metaphor I’ve ever heard “I feel like you’re an island of reality in an ocean of diarrhea. And I love you buddy. Ok. Bye.”
“Another Day” – Jamie Lidell (from Jim)
True blue-eyed soul from the UK. This one made my Top 10 and I have a feeling it will continue to spin up whenever I need a little lift. Jamie stopped by KEXP (Seattle) back in May ’08 and turned in this brilliant stripped down performance…
“I Wanna Know” – Alan Wilkis (from Babies Dream Big)
You know that scene in Pretty In Pink where Jon Crier does his best Otis Redding impersonation? That’s what I always think of when I hear this track, Alan is a rather unassuming white guy who is able to capture so damned much soul that it should be illegal. If you still have not picked this record up, you are missing out.
Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!
The Year in (Ick)Music – Michael’s List
Like Pete I spend a good bit of time finding ‘new’ artists that are not exactly new so parsing out the records that are truly from this year takes a bit of doing. But using iTunes and last.fm I was able to do pull the data together that is the basis for my year end list. It’s not entirely scientific, but this list is truly representative of my favorites of 2008.
But hey, enough of my yakkin’. Whaddaya say, let’s boogie! – Michael
Albums of the Year:
1. Jason Mraz – We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
2. Kings of Leon – Only by the Night
3. Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line
4. TV on the Radio – Dear Science
5. Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
6. Ayla Brook – After the Morning After
7. Estelle – Shine
8. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
9. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
10. Black Kids – Partie Traumatic
The Rest…
Kensington Prairie – Captured in Still Life
Incognito – Tales from the Beach
The Great Outdoors – Spring, Summer, Fall
Counting Crows – Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Coldplay – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis – Two Men with the Blues
Q-Tip – The Renaissance
Raphael Saadiq – The Way I See It
Nine Inch Nails – The Slip / Ghosts I-IV
Paul Gilbert – Silence Followed by a Deafening RoarSongs of the Year:
1. Kings of Leon – “Sex on Fire” (from Only by the Night) :: This track is, in a word, undeniable. The Followill clan have grown into the sound that the areas they play demand. Just one listen will implant the tune deep in your subconscious and have you wanting to hear it again.
2. The Roots – “Rising Up (feat. Wale & Chrisette Michele)” (from Rising Down) :: It’s rare that I’ll actually use the repeat function but this track has spent many a spin back to back. The D.C. Go-Go backbeat combined with Chrisette Michele‘s heavenly vocal hook serve as a dynamic bed for Black Thought and Wale to drop a vicious set of verses. Black Thought professes “The best is that which I accept and nothing less” and provides nothing short.
3. Jason Mraz – “A Beautiful Mess” (from We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.) :: Jason Mraz has built his career around mind bending metaphors served over a bed of light, airy and sun kissed acoustic pop. For the closer to his We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. he offered up a humble assessment of a relationship that I think everyone can relate to in some form or another.
4. Hot Chip – “Wrestlers” (from Made in the Dark) :: Attentive readers will know this one made my Valentines Day Card to my wife this year. The sentiment of “It’s me versus you in love” plays out over a sparse and simple (for Hot Chip, anyway) arrangement.
5. Adele – “Chasing Pavements” (from 19) :: An unrequited love song for the ages, Adele delivers with a soul much older than her nineteen years on this earth.
6. Ra Ra Riot – “Too Too Fast” (from The Rhumb Line) :: I’m still a bit puzzled as to why more folks are not all over the indie pop of Ra Ra Riot. This track is as good (albeit not as twee) as anything on Vampire Weekend‘s record.
7. Black Kids – “Hurricane Jane” (from Partie Traumatic) :: Internet taste-makers be damned, this is one of the best Prince tunes of the last 10 years.
8. Jamie Lidell – “Another Day” (from Jim) :: A few bars short of a straight up gospel barn burner, this bit of blue eyed soul raises the roof to one of the more underrated records of 2008.
9. Ayla Brook – “Leave Anymore” (from After the Morning After) :: A stark and lovely recording, the kind where you can hear the creaking of the floor and rattle of the snare is exactly why this record made my Top 10.
10. Alan Wilkis – “It’s Been Great” (from Babies Dream Big) :: Hi-Fi for the Lo-Fi set, “It’s Been Great” is a testament to the talent that is Alan Wilkis. Sure, you may not have heard of him yet but I’m certain that you will be hearing plenty from him in the future.
The Rest…
Estelle – “American Boy (feat. Kanye West)”
Kensington Prairie – “Photographs”
Katy Perry – “I Kissed a Girl”
Raphael Saadiq – “Staying In Love”
Duffy – “Serious”
R.E.M. – “Supernatural Superserious”
Panic at the Disco – “Nine in the Afternoon”
TV on the Radio – “Halfway Home”
Q-Tip – “Dance on Glass”
Coldplay – “Viva la Vida”
Kanye West – “Heartless”
Santogold – “Shove It”Cover Songs of the Year:
Prince – “Creep” (from Purple Storm in the Coachella Valley) :: There was no lack of oddity to Prince‘s turn as headliner at this year’s Coachella Festival. Be it the fact that he could not seem to pronounce the namesake properly to the disjointed but funky as hell set list it was by all accounts an amazing experience capped off by his brilliant take on Radiohead‘s “Creep”.
Susanna and the Magical Orchestra – “Condition of the Heart” (from Controversy: A Tribute to Prince)
Soweto Gospel Choir – “Pride (In the Name of Love)” (from In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2)
Doveman – “Almost Paradise” (from Footloose)Disappointment of the Year:
You know it’d be easy to call out The Chinese Democracy as the Disappointment of the Year, but I can’t say that I’ve even heard all of it. I have, however, heard the live record that Prince included with his 21 Nights coffee table book and can say that I would have expected much more from a run of 21 nights (plus all those aftershows), than the mere morsel provided by the man himself.
Best Live Show of the Year:
Photo Courtesy of B.RosenDave Matthews Band at Hartford, CT June 14, 2008 :: When word came that keyboardist Butch Taylor would not be joining Dave Matthews Band for their 2008 summer tour I wasn’t sure what to think. While not an original member of the band he had been a fixture since 2001 and had put his fingerprint on the band’s live sound over the last few years. With stunt guitarist extrordinaire Tim Reynolds in his space I was moved by the reinvigorated band that I saw. Alive with an energy that I had not seen in years. It is bittersweet for me that this would be the last time I would get to see Leroi Moore perform. On more than one occasion I recall turning to my wife and saying “I can actually hear Roi’ again” during the show.
Best New (to me) Artist:
Incognito :: I was on a huge Acid Jazz trip late in the summer and it was discovering Incognito that kicked it off. Under the uncompromising leadership of Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick the band has consistently produced some of the best Jazz Club fusion over the last 29 years.
Chrisette Michele :: Had her record I Am been released in 2008 it would have been at the top of my list. I was introduced to Miss Michele via her spot on The Roots track “Rising Up”. Her voice shined so bright that I felt compelled to track back to pick up her record.
