Peter Piper / Take Me To The Mardi Gras
Show of hands: who knows the genesis of the bell & percussion groove of Run-DMC’s “Peter Piper”?
I stumbled on it tonight. I was listening to Afrika Bambaata’s radio show on Sirius Backspin on the way home from work today. He was playing short clips of some of his favorites from back in the day. He played a minute or so of “Nautilus” by Bob James. Nice funky, jazzy little groove. I went on to Blip.fm to track it down. Didn’t find it, but I did see “Take Me To The Mardis Gras”.
I clicked it, and – lo & behold – the source of “Peter Piper”! The song itself was written by Paul Simon, released a year earlier (1973) on Simon’s ‘There Goes Rhymin’ Simon‘. Bob James added that memorable percussion and his own flair to the song on 1974’s Two.
Bob James has to be flattered, but I also think he’d be pissed to know that people go their lifetimes not knowing that his creation is the backbone of one of the classics of early hip-hop.
Bob James / “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” (Blip.fm) from 1974’s Two
Bruised Orange – Anger Management with John Prine
Some days are better than others. And when I find myself with my patience thinning (way too frequently as I get older, it seems), I always think of the chorus of this John Prine song…
You can gaze out the window get mad and get madder,
throw your hands in the air, say “What does it matter?”
but it don’t do no good to get angry,
so help me I knowThe sage advice of John Prine. What good does it really do to raise your voice? To pound your fist? To yell an expletive that your neighbors can probably hear from the street? With reality slapping you in the face every day – bills, a family to support, short tempered kids (where’d they get THAT from?), stupid drivers – well, it’s hard not to lose your cool.
And when I feel it coming on, I always try to take myself to this John Prine song..
For a heart stained in anger grows weak and grows bitter.
You become your own prisoner as you watch yourself sit there
wrapped up in a trap of your very own
chain of sorrow.Stop. Take a deep breath. Put everything into perspective. And don’t sweat the small stuff.
Stay cool, peeps.John Prine – Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow) [mp3]
From Bruised Orange
Take a look at this 1980 Soundstage special, with John driving around his hometown in Illinois, telling the story behind the song…
Bruce Meets Band of Horses
Not only did Bonnaroo bring together two of my favorites in the form of a Phish-Springsteen collaboration, but, as it turned out, Bruce also found time to catch Sunday’s set by Band of Horses. And as you can see from some brand new pics posted to BoH’s blog, Bruce hung around to meet Ben Bridwell and the band afterward. Thanks and props to Christopher Wilson Photography for capturing the moment!
My musical universes continue to converge.
Check out Band of Horses Tour blog with more pics of the encounter, and a bunch of others from Bonnaroo.
By the way – if you’re a Boss fan wondering about Band of Horses, check out this Amoeba in-store video for a good intro.
Photo Credit: Christopher Wilson Photography
Back…Further Back
Towards the end of last summer, in my usual cock and balls shaft worship of each and every issue of NME, I downloaded the “Track of the Week” for August 4, 2008. More often than not, NME’s track of the week is a little clubbie, a lot indie avant garde emo shoe gazing and just alright. On that particular week, however, I knew I was beginning yet another sacred quest. Because the song I downloaded on that day, my friends, was absolutely spectacular.
I love following a UK band when they first start out. I’ve done it with so many groups and have a ton of fond memories. I recall the day back in 2000 when I purchased the “Yellow” single by Coldplay and then proceded to hyper frantically playing it for anyone who would listen. And then to watch them just blow up….so unbelievably cool! Hell, I think I was the first kid on my block to buy the “Supersonic” single by Oasis back in 1994. So when I first heard “Make This Work” by Magistrates, I felt that feeling…of nostalgia for a time that I had not yet experienced.
Though, I knew there was something remotely familiar about the song, and when I went to their MySpace site my deja vu was quite understandable. The Essex lads bill themselves as being a cross between Prince and The Talking Heads. First of all….what a combination. And second…they actually sound exactly like that! Quite a feat indeed.
They have spent the better part of the last nine months in the studio and last month released their second single, “Heartbreak”…also a corker. And, if you live in the UK, Magistrates are slated to open up for mother fucking Blur (!) at a series of shows this summer.
I am getting that same feeling that I got when I heard “Yellow.”
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?
New Tunes: Reed KD
Here’s a good first impression: Reed KD out of Santa Cruz, California.
Right up my alley, really. Uptempo, spirited, folksy & rootsy. The bass drum makes me think of Zeppelin’s “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp”, and his voice sounds juuust a bit like Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses. Something about the annunciation. I dunno. I dig this one.
From his new album: In Case the Comet Comes
Visit: Official Site
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
Bonnaroo: Bruce Springsteen on stage with Phish
As a Bruce and Phish fan for more than a quarter century and almost 20 years respectively, my mind was just about blown last night when I was reading through my Twitter feed, and saw this from Bruce’s official Twitter:
I guess the opportunity was ripe, with Phish and the Boss co-headlining the festival, but it just didn’t seem within the realm of possibility that these two forces in popular music – different realms of the spectrum, one could argue – would collide and collaborate. But it happened. At the end of Phish’s 1st set on Sunday night, Trey Anastasio introduced his “boyhood and still hero”, Bruce Springsteen.
They tore through “Mustang Sally”, “Bobby Jean”, and “Glory Days”. And suffice it so say, I’ll be scouring the interwebs for any and all video of this moment. Bruce was also spotted taking in Band of Horses earlier in the day as well. It just keeps coming together, doesn’t it?
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?
Ick’s Pick (Week XXIII): Mos Def’s The Ecstatic
Call it the power of television. I tuned into Letterman on Monday night to take in the entertainment that is Howard Stern in the guest chair. I always enjoy the interaction between Howard and Dave. The musical guest that night was Mos Def. He was on promoting his new album, The Ecstatic. I came back to the performance about midway thru, but I was immediately hooked. The song was “Quiet Dog” – a DJ, a drummer, and Mos Def on two large timpani drums. A tribal rhythm, really unique, and another example of how one encounter can hook a new fan.
I bought The Ecstatic the next morning, and it’s pretty much been bumpin’ here all week. Favorites are “Quiet Dog” (intro features some interview audio from the late Fela Kuti), “Twilite Speedball”, and “The Embassy” (another unique intro – a pilot’s in-flight announcement, with some tweaking). Hell, he’s even got a Spanish language rap, “No Hay Nada Mas”. At least I think it’s got something to do with love.
A refreshing album. I haven’t even cracked the surface…
Buy Mos Def’s The Ecstatic on Amazon (still only $3.99).
Hear the whole album on MySpace Music
Visit: Mos Def’s MySpace