With the recent passing of Wilco's ex-axeman/ambient noise generator Jay Bennet it is hard not to listen to the new Wilco album and think of what kinds of contributions and collaborations he might have produced. Their is a decidedly less country influence than on previous Wilco offerings but that could just be Jeff Tweedy expanding as a songwriter. they even have a song called Country Disappeared but although it is a lilting ballad, has little to do with Country music and eventually becomes a call for Social Justice.
The biggest change I see in the band is the new guitar player/noise creator is much more progressive and less blues based than Bennet. Therefore the album marks a different sonic direction for the band. Light rockers like Wilco (the song), and You Never Know both set a very nice groovy vibe.
There are songs that sound a bit forced into the "standard" Wilco sound such as Sonny Feeling. It sounds like a retread of some of their better songs that tries to take it further but fails. On the whole the album is a successful experimentation with the Alt-country sound that has come to mark Wilco for the last few albums. Some great lyrical moments pepper the tracks as well and taking a close look at the lyrics will prove rewarding.
A few weeks ago I caught Jason Mraz on Saturday Night Live and was blown away. He did a nice reggae (with a full horn section) rendition of I'm Yours and a flawless performance of Lucky with Colbie Cailat (which just might be my favorite song at the moment)
The whole album is a diverse and yet simple collection of songs that all have great melodies and the playfulness of his voice never gets boring. I have been a big fan since his first few songs and although he is not as raw and risky as on past favorites as The Remedy and their are not pointed jabs at the Spice Girls but the album is still a brilliantly produced collection of feel good pop gems.
After a few seconds of twitter and crash of the opening track and title track, very much in expected U2 territory, as Bono's voice enters, it becomes clear: U2,as a band, have outgrown Bono as a vocalist. (see "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" or further evidence") I don't mean to say he sounds bad, it's just that his voice isn't able to be variable and fluid as the arrangements have become. It would have been better for him to use the spoken and drool Leonard Cohen/Lou Reed style of the verse of "Cedars of Lebanon" rather than the screaming and cracked style he emplys elsewhere. He still has it the lyric writing area, with gems such as :
"It's not if I believe in love
If love believes in me"
From my, so far favorite track, Moment of Surrender. Get on Your Books have a nonsensical lyrical style that mirrors Beck but attempts to approach to approach Bob Dylan but falls short. Breathe is the only other track that has really grabbed my attention so far. While a little earnest, tis is what we have come to expect from U2. I am thankful they haven't taken the Rolling Stones route of sticking with a tried and true branded sounded and risked themselves on this album, again, with new and unusual sounds that continue to showcase the strengths of Edge's musical arrangements, and guitar playing (there are actual guitar solos on quite a few tunes) and Larry Mullen's exceptional ability to add rhythmic complexity to often simple grooves.
I feel the need to add to this review that for many years of my childhood I slept under two six foot plus posters with these guys faces staring back at me from the Rattle and Hum and Unforgettable FIre days. I haven't really liked much of their more recent music but I felt it was time to check in with the lads from the green country and see what aging rock stars do with their spare time. Ultimately it seems there are enough ingredients to make this a huge album, some of it sounds like old school U2 from way back to New Year's Day and I WIll Follow. I predict we will see their faces all over the telly again as the album climbs up the charts.
I have fallen in love with a great new artist (courtesy of my musical connoisseur mate Barry!) Son Lux's one man electronic composition : At War with Walls and Mazes, is the first work of post-modern worship I have ever experienced. I say post-modern because the album seems to hold together so many diverse and even opposing genres, sounds and grooves. One moment a song is lilting along with a soft synth sound accompanying his dry and fragile vocal phrasing and within a few seconds it is crashing and surrounded by a swirl of break beats and church choirs drenched in gallons of delay. Some of the songs are a lesson in rhythmic mastery, as they test the boundaries of time signature and the limits of groove. Somehow it all seems to hold together in a space that is so full of emotion and atmosphere that you are transported to another realm where the traditional rules of structure and melody no longer apply. One of his best devices is that he keeps the lyrics on the minimalist side of the fence. Rather than trying to show how clever he is lyrically he goes with repeated phrases (all ripe with meaning and substance) that weave in and out of the mix as it unfolds and enfolds you into its universe of sounds.
Where have all the holy ones gone No one is left to condemn us
There are sounds here that I have only ever heard in my head and I really can't say enough about the beats. They are really the center piece to an ensemble of layers that will take you to other worlds but not dream worlds. These songs sound like what it sounds like to be alive today: touched with sadness and doubt while clutching after a measure of healing and hope. What more can I say : I am in love with this music!
He has lots of free downloads and remixes on his blog: Son Lux Blog
He also did a fantastic remix of a Radiohead song you can download here:
Son Lux Radiohead Remix
Finally here is a little video to give you another sense of what he sounds like:
This is my ego
It’s just my false self
Something like my reflection on the wall
It’s not real or everlasting
In fact it’s not even me at all
This is my shadow
I’m something larger
This is just my witness to the fall
And that I am broken but still keep hoping
That there’s healing for one and all
I am not an island
My spirit knows no bounds
I am not thoughts or feelings
As crazy as it sounds
This is my dark side
My alter ego
The one who’s here when I’m not around
He keeps me humble by making sure I stumble
But each time my truer self climbs off the ground
I am not an island
My spirit knows no bounds
I am not what’s before you
As crazy as it sounds
We are eternal
And everlasting
But right now we’re in disguise
As something ghostly but thank God not mostly
But still enough to sometimes cry
We are not an island
Our spirits know no bounds
But the light must have the darkness
As crazy as it sounds
(written and performed on a baritone ukulele on Nov 28,2008)
While rocking harder than my favorite Ryan Adams albums, Cardinology is a solid collection of songs that continue to amaze me that this man can write such compelling melodies and interesting lyrics and live such a seemingly reckless life. Maybe it is all show but every time I have seen him on TV he seems about to lose control and smash his face repeatedly into the base of his mic stand to beat out the anguish and heart ache that have always haunted his better compositions. So far "Born into the Light" and "Let us Down Easy" are my stand-out favorites but I can tell that after a few days they will all hold equal sway.
The only thing more exciting than a new Michael Franti and Spearhead album is one produced by Sly and Robbie in Kingston! All Rebel Rockers is the reggae-fied follow up to Yell Fire! (which still gets much play on my iPod) This time out the heavy rock guitars are replaced by all manner of dub sounds. The reggae vibe bounces around the spectrum from the old school Ska of the opening track Rude Boys Back in Town to the thoroughly modern dancehall of A Little Bit of Riddim with stops at the rock tinged Hey World and Sound System. Franti samples Bowie and The Police with equal effectiveness without ever feeling too derivative. All I Want is You is a very spaced out dub ballad that has some incredible sounds layered around a very simple song structure. Overall the songs seem a bit less engaging than Yell Fire! but there are plenty of them that really groove so its all good. Lyrically the same themes arise throughout: love, justice, anti-violence and the power of music to heal and liberate the inner soul.
You came here to chill But I came to rock And to smash the empire With my beat box
If you want to hear what conscious reggae/rock sounds like in 2008, All Rebel Rockers is cut straight from the source.
Spinning around getting down with the world again
Looking for places and spaces where I can fit in
It seems that some would have me lie down
Some would make me crawl
There's hardly any space at all
A mind can explore sometimes from simply reading the news
In the midst of the floods and the wars and people being abused
It seems that some would have me lie down
And do what I am told
While some are bought and some are sold
We can't serve the God of Justice
And turn away from someone's need
We can't claim the God of Comfort
With much more than we need
Try as I might I find it hard to label the blame
What's wrong with the world and with me are somehow one in the same
It seems that some would have me called out
And made to feel ashamed
It seems that some enjoy the pain
The harder and stronger I fight hoping to defend
It all comes crawling and crashing back to me in the end
It seems that some would help me fall down
And swallow what I'm sold
With their prescription pots of gold
We can't claim the God of Justice
Right along side our gods of greed
We can't serve the God of comfort
Then use violence to bring peace
It is not very often that a song immediately gets under my skin. Even some of my all-time favorite songs required a few listens to really sink in. Then along comes this little number by Billy Bragg: Waiting for the Great Leap Forward. Basically a three chord folksy tune that really puts its finger on the pulse of our modern times. With verses dealing with the corruption in Cuba to the war in Iraq:
The cold war is over but the stakes are getting higher Now I'm afraid of collateral damage and of friendly fire I don't believe we can defeat no axis of evil By putting smart bombs in the hands of dumb people
His commentary doesn't end with war politics as he looks into the promised future expansion of humanity with a slightly cynical stance.
One leap forward two leaps back After all this time you can still send me a fax
Here is a clip of Billy performing it live:
The best version is available from a live recording on iTunes. He makes some very funny jabs between lines that remind me of early Bob Dylan humor and commentary.
It isn't until the sixth song on Conor Oberst's first 'solo' album that it begins to feel like a Bright Eyes album if only a slightly less overwrought than usual Bright Eyes album. That sixth song is a Johnny Cash inspired tune called I Don't Want to Die (In This Hospital) It rocks, in a retro-country way, into familiar territory as Conor allows his voice to be shredded in a way that perfectly pitches his angst and emotional abandonment. Not all of the songs have as much musical depth and many lack the kinds of full arrangements that have become a signature part of Conor's recorded sound. There a few stand out compositions that stretch a bit beyond the usual folk-song genre, sometimes to great affect on Milk Thistle and Moab. There are, as always, a few Biblical allusions such as Lenders in the Temple and the previously mentioned Milk Thistle with its reflections on heaven. Souled Out!!! is one of the more intriguing tunes on the cycle. Mostly a country rock fuzz anthem about Conor's neighborhood (two streets over from the barrio) which devolves into a chanting chorus of :
"You won't be gettin' In You know by now
We're Sold Out in Heaven."
As catchy as this songs is it is hampered by Conor's self conscious production style that allows the song to be interrupted by random studio babble and waves of crashing noise and whistles. Sausalito sounds as smooth southern california country as Jackson Browne or Tom Petty. The collection seems to have been rushed out rather than fleshed out and so contains a slightly looser feel than most of Conor's other recordings.
That being said, Conor is still channeling his, often fragile, emotions through interesting melodies and rhythmic textures while he contemplates death like "Flying kites in the winter time". I am one person who is glad that he is...
Translated from Icelandic into english the new Sigur Ros' album is titled "With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly" This is an amazing consolidation of all that I want in an album. Epic songs that touch your emotions more than your mind (it helps that the lyrics are intentionally nonsensical) At times I am reminded of U2 if Bono had enough faith to really push his voice into strange and wonderful territories. I wouldn't put on this album unless you want to fall into a deep and melancholic mood but they make melancholy sounds so lush and shot through with fragile beauty so its a sweet sorrow.
if we get too close to the light
we will burn our wings
and soon we begin to realize
why angels cry when they sing
when they sing for us
oh they sing for us
if we drift too far in the night
and we loose our way
where the angels no longer guide us
through the darkness of our days
then they cry for us
oh they cry for us
when they sing for us
oh they sing for us
'cause we might never be the same again
we were battered by the rain and wind
we might never find our home again
we think we've fallen
now we stumble around
we think we've fallen
we think we're chained to the ground
we run too fast for our spirits
till we lose the pace
as if the angels were trying to catch us
to wipe the glory off our face
but they sing for us
oh they sing for us
though the chains no longer bind us
we still struggle with their weight
and the angels try to remind us
that we all share the same fate
then they cry for us
oh they cry for us
Momofuku Ando created instant noodles and Elvis Costello titled his instant album, momofuku, as a verbal tribute. I think 2008 is shaping up to be a great year for music. Dig! Lazarus Dig! hasn't worn out its welcome after a month of listening and along comes a new album by the bratty Brit that is often too smart for his own good. This time out he rocks through a number of songs that sounds like retro nods to his former glory and mixes in a few odds numbers that seem to take the album way off the standard rock/pop landscape. Elvis' voice and song-writing seem as strong as ever but his lyrics are beginning to show cracks in the armor that has established itself over the last 30 years of lyrical gems. Some of the songs sound great but lack the extra wit that many would expect from EC. He sings some very nice vocal harmonies and occasionally wants to enter into Burt Bacharach territory but that isn't a bad thing.
I read an interview with EC recently where he said he misses the times when people sat down and put on a record and listened to the whole album in one sitting. He said that he was still making albums to be listened to in that fashion but no body did it anymore with the Ipod and it's shuffle features. So I listened to the whole thing in one (iPod) sitting and decided that he has a point. After only browsing a few songs previously none of them really grabbed me: however, during the complete listen the songs seems more well developed and even complemented one another in both arrangements and pacing. If you are an EC fan and want to here some new tunes from the best pop star with the worst teeth, even before Madonna, give this album a chance.
"I don't know what it is but there's definitely something going on upstairs"
From the opening dissonance of what sounds like a rusty saw being scraped with a carnival drill, you can sense that the bad seeds are ready to play bad. Gone are the soft soothing string arrangements that represent the softer and more reflective side of Cave's persona. This collection of songs is full of menace and swagger. Even the beautiful Hold on to Yourself is driven through with a dark and slightly twisted timbre. Jesus on the Moon offers a classic Cave narrative style that drifts nicely towards a lush and satisfying conclusion. Night of the Lotus Eaters is a tasty bit of wordy weirdness. The mood is so thick and the band is very understated only creating more pent-up energy and tension.More News from Nowhere closes out the cycle nicely but maybe chugs along for a bit too long. One of my favorite tracks has been Accidents Will Happen from the pre-release EP. I am a sucker for a ragged voice and a folksy guitar. When the band drops in the songs becomes anchored and eventually deconstructs into a wildly poppy harmony-fest. We Called Upon the Author is a fantastic song on man levels. it has some rather unusual sounds and an even better lyric packed with witty wisdom. I love the line "I go guruing down the street..." Brilliant! Glad to see that Nick fallen into the same curse that plagued some of Leonard Cohen's middle period recordings. I Dig it Dig it Lazarus Dig it !!
"There is a chord in you that I could not find to strum" - Jesus of the Moon
"I used to be down the faithful man Now I'm hanging with the doubting Thomas's" - Accidents Will Happen
If the two songs on the pre-release EP by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is any indication of the quality and tone of their forthcoming new album then we are in for a real treat. The title song strikes a swagger and grooves through the best of Cave's Grinderman experiments in grit and grizzle. Accidents Will Happen is a country-fied stomper full of loose and lively lyrics that wrap around a dense mix of layers that eventually give way to a background vocal part that sounds like the beach boys before a rusty guitar melts the mix in half. The Ep also comes with a fantastic video for Digg!!! with Nick and the boys channeling Ron Jeremy's mustache in front of a project urban scape. "I don't know what it is but there's definitely something going on upstairs!"
Apparently good music still finds its way through the rusted corridors of what has become of the music industry. UK based The Feeling have crafted a sophomore album full of catchy tunes and more Beatles musical references than you can shake a pair of tight leather pants at. "Love it When You Call" has restored my faith in pop song-writing, while rocking like early Cars and swooning like the Beach Boys, this tune is pure aural ear candy! Rose' is a nice mid-tempo track anchored by a soothing arrangement of lush vocal melodies and piano twinkles. From the first track, Sewn, the hooks just keep coming and the production is full of nice subtle surprises without ever sounding contrived (A hard thing to do when the band trades in such familiar retro-ish territory). I have only been listening to this album for a few days but already its my favorite collection of songs in many months!
When I was a youngster working the racks at the local music store, we used to get our choice of the promotional albums that the managers had already picked through and decided were crap. Boy did they make a mistake with a the disc A MAN CALLED E. I was intrigued by the odd looking man playing a toy piano on the cover and when I finally heard the music it contained I became a committed fan of Mark Everett or the mysterious man called E. He reminded me of Brian Wilson but with a less hippy-fied take on the world. I continued to purchase his two fantastic solo discs before he formed, probably my favorite all time band : Eels. When I worked at Sony Music Studios in NYC, the highlight of my employment was the chance to sit in the front row as Eels taped their Sessions at West 54th Street, TV gig. I was like a school girl seeing The Beatles - really!
I say this all to set the context for my thoughts on their newest release of rare and unreleased tracks : Useless Trinkets. It is a comprehensive (50 tracks) romp through their experiments, remixes, live recordings and songs that just never made it onto their official releases. For an Eels fan the title is a bit misleading because, for my money, the BBC live recording of Manchester Girl is far from useless. We also get to hear unexpected bursts of genius or tour-weary insanity in tracks like My Beloved Mad Monster Party and My Beloved Monstrosity, both punked up and jazz twisted takes on the very beautiful and delicate My Beloved Monster. Saw a UFO ends the eclectic cycle and hits all the notes of classic Eels material: aching melancholy, beautiful melodies, observations about the strange times we live in and a childlike hunger for love. I hope E is cleaning out his closet to move forward but I hope he continues to write with such honesty, playfulness and depth.
5. The Reminder : Feist This album finds a nice middle ground between the bristling pop of 1234 to the sleepy wash of Brandy Alexander. Even before the iPod commercial, I was flipping around on the television and I caught the first verse of 1234. I paused to listen and by the end of the song I was hooked. The rest of songs stay midtempo but completely satisfying.
4. Grinderman : Grinderman This album is full of more cock and swagger than an aging Nick Cave should be allowed to flaunt. The guitar tones will melt half of your face right off if you lean into the speakers at the wrong moment. Cave's profound grasp of literary device give the lyrics an equal sting. No Pussy Blues just might be the pinnacle acheivement in the evolution of the crotch rock genre. You get a real sense that Nick and the boys are having lots of fun playing in the mud - "I must above all love myself!"
3. Cassadaga : Bright Eyes It appears that young Connor Oberst is growing up, but slowly. Cassadaga is a jangly romp that seems to present a more restrained Conor coming to terms with his inde-cult fame and pans for the future. The title is a telling reference to the Cassadaga Spiritualist Centre where Conor went seeking a spirit guide for the future. Coat Check Dream Song is one of the true songwriting jems that Mr Oberst has shuffled forth.
2. In Rainbows : Radiohead "It's about that anonymous fear thing, sitting in traffic, thinking, 'I'm sure I'm supposed to be doing something else' " is the way Thom Yorke characterized the themes within In Rainbows. When I listen to this record I feel in many ways that I am finally listening to OK Computer's anticipated sequel. That is both because some of the songs and fragments have been featured in Radiohead live shows since the OKC period but because the band has fused together in interesting and hypnotic ways that have been more fragmented on the albums inbetween. This one will last longer in my iPod than Amnesiac.
1. How to Sell Soul to a Souless People Who Sold Their Soul : Public Enemy After 7 years of watching from the sidelines as hiphop literally slides into the gutter, Chuck D steps up to the mic and lays it down with power and prose. I could have used a lot less Flava Flav and a few more guests to round out Chuck's wisdom. Nothing slams harder than Black is Back and both album versions of Harder than you Think but the most impressive track might be The Long and Whinning Road where Chuck mellow raps the titles to every Public Enemy album as well as about 50 Bob Dylan song titles. A word play that I think might have even impressed Mr Zimmerman himself. On a final note they should give an award for the best album title ever and it should go to PE for this album!
I posted some new recordings in the music section of the site. It is the last cycle of songs that I wrote through 2007. Here is a bit fo a breakdown on the songs:
Intro-Function :This is a raw and funky mash up with a sample from a 1930's radio ad for the Edison Phonograph. It features Arjuna Watson playing some smoking harmonica licks.
Want it to Be :This track started as a test for a new drum program that I downloaded and evolved into a spoken word/hip pop groove. The main vocal part was improvised in one take. I really like the line "we're all naked in our branded clothes". This song definately marks a different direction for me in the musical future. It is also the newest song in the batch. If the hrad drvie hadn't have failed I was going to add a reggae chanting type vocal performed by a friend of mine. I was able to add some smooth back groudn vocals by mrs seeward!
A Living Power : This is on of the few tracks that I was completely finished with. It is a very loose and trippy reggae influenced instrumental backing a sample of Ghandi talking about his perception of God - A LIving Power.
Rise and Fall :This is not a cover of the great song, Rise and Fall, from the first band I was ever in called The Reign (or Tuen depending on who you ask) This is a different song that I wrote a few years ago after a very sudden visit to NJ. The song was a way of expressing how the slow process of growth in our lives is like learning to find the ryhme of life. I really like the line "I need a new king, one that doesn't need a throne" This was a reference to Jesus being the kind of King that didn't oppress us like all the other things that we give power over us.
Refuse to Shine :This song was written a few years ago when this website was getting heat for being dangerous to people who are not prepared to think. In many ways I had to feel the weight of personal attacks in order to learn a new way of seeing the world and myself. 'all true lovers were torn apart by the darkness'
Positively 4th Street :I recorded this bit of Dylan venom during that same period that I referenced above. The two songs seem to work together in my mind, the first representing the way I was struggling to find a path of love and still choosing to be a light and this one was a way of exorcising those parts of me that just wanted to howl. AJ also plays some really nice harmonica on this track. All his harmonica parts are recorded in one take, cuz he is just bad ass like that!
Change the World :I have had this song around for a long while. I have tried to record it in so many different styles but nothing seems to fully be where I hear it going. This jerky reggae version was a very rough mix that Gregg White did one day while showing me some protools tricks. It is the only mix from this incarnation of the song that survived so enjoy!
Go to the music section now to download your very own copy!
"Hail Mary, Mother of God I got a whole host of angels Shufflin in my iPod
Saul Williams has to be one of the most interesting people that I discovered while floating through the Integral Universe. He is a crazy post-modern black poet that sounds like his head is exploding with spontaneous wisdom when he speaks. His newest disc is produced by Trent Reznor which accounts for the gritty synth tones and the heavy beats driven sound. While Saul's most impressive gift is an almost fluid like flow that bounces way, way beyond the normal hip-hop playground. Although I wouldn't call this hiphop, it has more than a few nods to the mothership and 70's funk but the overall tone is much harder. The verses rarely seem to get up any momentum but when they do it becomes a heady blend of ideas and eloquence. The idea of having a Niggy Tardust alterego already tells you that Saul is directly engagin with black identity and his constant use of the n-word can only be assumed as sarcastic. The chorus of Niggy Tardust is a flip on the standard hiphop call and response :
"When I say Niggy, You say nothing"
Niggy .........
Imagine a masterful poet having some fun stretching his high level awareness into the often stuffy box of pop culture. At times it is brilliant and at times it simply breaks apart under the strain of trying to be accesible. I like it better than most NIN I have heard.
Another cool thing about the album is that is is offered for ANY price, ala _in_rainbows. Download it here.
When I scroll through my iTunes library most of the realestate space is taken up by Radiohead songs. I am a confirmed fan and so today was a special day with the release of their newest offering: In Rainbows. The critics have been supportive of the music on this disc and skeptical of the distribution methods. Each customer is allowed to set their own price for the digital-rights-free download of the album. They should have added some sort of incentive to pay more, something along the lines of the highest price paid gets free tickets to the first show on the upcoming tour. The songs all seem to naturally sit alongside the rest of thier rather extensive catalog. There are plenty of dense and moody atmospheres for Thom's voice to slide and twist around. The drumming is always a standout for me and already these songs have some of the most interesting grooves and percussion sounds I have ever heard. It usually takes a few listens for me to 'get' where they are coming from but this one seems to be accesible right away. I already feel in love with : Nude and Reckoner. While some of the songs sound like they could have fit onto Yorke's solo project, however as a whole, they are less laid back and more minimal than previous Radiohead albums.
If you liek Raidohead and want to get your digital copy go here be patient, milions of people are trying to download all at once (or at least hundreds =)
It is not often that an artist or a song grab me intensely and right away but the other night I caught the last few moments of Feist playing on the Late Show. I think the Polyphonic Spree were sitting in as the choir for the performance of the ultra-catchy '1234'. Her voice and the playful, yet bittersweet, tone of the song just reached out and grabbed me. I was compelled to go to iTunes and download the whole disc and I am glad I did. The songs all sit at a mid-tempo range and often sound like a less groovy, more moody, version of Dido with off kilter elements that approach Portishead. Her voice is, at times, blistering and at others sweet and pure. If you are looking for some music to help you wallow in the melancholy, this is it!
About two years ago I remember watching Flava Flav straight clowning on VH1 and thinking "I wonder what Chuck D is thinking about all this attention Flav is getting?" With the release of the new Public Enemy album (the first on in almost 8 years) we can safely assume that it made him angry! This disc might be the best hip=hop as political tool album ever. It is loaded with powerful funky beats, blistering social commentary and more than enough crazy hype-man Flavor Flav.
There is even a song rapped by Flav himself that details his life in the surreal life/flava of love spotlight over the last few years. Chuck D and his straight to the gut tone and factual commentary. Chuck is going after the rest of the hiphop community and showing no mercy with lines unleashed at 50cent and Krs-one with a guest spot leveling of P=Diddy
Once upon a time in jamacia queens
An icon gets shot and no-one knows what it means
It was just another murder scene so lets get on with the bling-bling
the Ching-Ching and half naked chicks that can't sing
The production style is more wu-tang than kanYe but that provides more weight and grit to Chuck's flow. I just have to add that the title "How to Sell Soul to a People Who Sold Thier Soul" is the greatest album title I have ever heard - Chuck D should be recognized with the stature of people like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton because I bet he has the ears of quite a few young soldiers - lets hope his messege gets through.
A few years ago I was blown away by Common's last album BE. I was excited about the release of his next mostly kanYe West produced disc. Most of the tracks bump in a soulful way like DJ Filla used to produce and a wiki search for the ablum credits reveal that kanYe used a beat that was created by the late Filla as a tribute. Common says the album is an attempt to find music that will be timeless and still address current issues. There is much more oldschool b-boy type spitting on this disc than on BE and the subject matter is slanted in the direction of celebrity culture. it doesn't seem like he is offering much of a critque by dropping names like "Will and Jada, Jen and Vince" . The People produced by kanYe and The Game produced my Will.i.am are stand out tracks. The final track Southside features kanYe himself blowing common away with a rapisfire tribute to chi-town. Well worth the long wait and a great teaase for kanYe's own disc set to drop on aug 21st.
Over the last year or so I have been working on a batch of recordings of some new songs. About two weeks ago I learned a hard lesson about backing up your projects. My external hard drive that was housing my protools sessions decided to give up the virtual ghost. I was able to scrape together various semi-complete and demo versions of the songs. It is a blessing because I would most likely have continued to tweak the recordings into oblivion. It was almost like a musical cleansing process. I have been much more creative and inspired in the last few weeks since deciding to call these songs 'finished'. Here are some mp3 versions of the songs. I made up some enhanced cds with some fo the live performance videos from this site and called the package 'the ghetto prophet' a reference to Jesus from one of the songs in the cycle. Here are the tracks:
Intro-Function :This is a raw and funky mash up with a sample from a 1930's radio ad for the Edison Phonograph. It features Arjuna Watson playing some smoking harmonica licks.
Want it to Be :This track started as a test for a new drum program that I downloaded and evolved into a spoken word/hip pop groove. The main vocal part was improvised in one take. I really like the line "we're all naked in our branded clothes". This song definately marks a different direction for me in the musical future. It is also the newest song in the batch. If the hrad drvie hadn't have failed I was going to add a reggae chanting type vocal performed by a friend of mine. I was able to add some smooth back groudn vocals by mrs seeward!
A Living Power : This is on of the few tracks that I was completely finished with. It is a very loose and trippy reggae influenced instrumental backing a sample of Ghandi talking about his perception of God - A LIving Power.
Rise and Fall :This is not a cover of the great song, Rise and Fall, from the first band I was ever in called The Reign (or Tuen depending on who you ask) This is a different song that I wrote a few years ago after a very sudden visit to NJ. The song was a way of expressing how the slow process of growth in our lives is like learning to find the ryhme of life. I really like the line "I need a new king, one that doesn't need a throne" This was a reference to Jesus being the kind of King that didn't oppress us like all the other things that we give power over us.
Refuse to Shine :This song was written a few years ago when this website was getting heat for being dangerous to people who are not prepared to think. In many ways I had to feel the weight of personal attacks in order to learn a new way of seeing the world and myself. 'all true lovers were torn apart by the darkness'
Positively 4th Street :I recorded this bit of Dylan venom during that same period that I referenced above. The two songs seem to work together in my mind, the first representing the way I was struggling to find a path of love and still choosing to be a light and this one was a way of exorcising those parts of me that just wanted to howl. AJ also plays some really nice harmonica on this track. All his harmonica parts are recorded in one take, cuz he is just bad ass like that!
Change the World :I have had this song around for a long while. I have tried to record it in so many different styles but nothing seems to fully be where I hear it going. This jerky reggae version was a very rough mix that Gregg White did one day while showing me some protools tricks. It is the only mix from this incarnation of the song that survived so enjoy! Also after the song ends their is a special song that comes in. It is called That Girl and was written just after one of the first lunches that mrs seeward and I had together.
Hey kids! Its time to cake on the black glitter nail polish and eyeliner, Bright Eyes has a new album! Cassadaga is the long awaited follow up to last years big three release combo (I'm Wide Awake, its Morning, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn, and Motion Sickness) The first track, Kill or Be Killed, is a nod in the direction of 'The Big Picture' which kicked off the passion and beauty of 'lifted....' but it never comes close to the same level of reckless abandon that has marked most of Conor Oberst's best songs. It just seems to float in a haze without ever really grabbing you by the throat and iluminating your mind with a potent cocktail of stark truth and weary hope. The same can be said for the rest of the 13 song cycle as well. There seems to be a lack of energy and excitement throughout. That is not to say that there isn't upbeat songs, for instance, Coat Check Dream Song, has a nice upbeat and bristling rythym section that pushes the, mostly punk country, arrangements into new terrritory. Coat Check is the strangest sounding song in the buch with some truely odd lyrics and vocal treatments:
The world was not of interest
Though her days were never dull
Her bed beneath a crucifix
On guests performing miracles
With the Son of God just hanging like a common criminal
"When I do wrong, I am with God," she thought
"When I feel lost, I am not at all"
Oh, I’ve made love, yeah, I’ve been fucked, so what?
The arrangements are very nice all around but the most important element (Conor's almost over-the-top energy and abandon) are notably absent. You can hear glimpses of it during 'No One Would Riot For Less' but even that is a pale version of songs like 'The Bottom of Everything' and 'Waste of Paint'
I have only been listening to the songs since yesterday but so far none of them seem as well crafted as Conor's previous tunes. I am very picky about how words are phrased in a song and I have always loved the way Conor finds interesting grooves to set his extremely wordy verses within, but this time there are lots of places where the phrasing seems forced and unnatural. If I had to choose a best song so far, it would be No One Would Riot For Less. Classic Cars is an interesting story about Conor's love affair with an older 'Patron of the Arts" with this verse:
And I keep looking for that blindfold faith
Lighting candles to a cynical saint
Who wants the last laugh at the fly trapped in the windowsill tape
You can go right out of your mind trying to escape
From the panicked paradox of day to day
If you can’t understand something then it’s best to be afraid
There is some speculation online that this song is about Wynona Rider but who knows? A few images seem to crop up in many of Conor's lyrics and this time out there are lots of references to pyramids and bricks and empires falling apart and lots of signs that Conor is struggling to find his place in the midst of a world that seems to scare him into a panic.
She’d talk forever about the phases of the moon
Saying, "Everything is a cycle, you’ve got to let it come to you
And when it does, you will know what to do"
Without even knowing I guess I took her advice
I wouldn't go as far as to say that this album is weak but it seems as if Conor is in the middle of some sort of emotional transition, I just hope that it isn't going to tame the wild-eyed and free-flowing nervous energy that we have come to expect from, Conor, the sad-hearted bard of the suburban wilderness.
There has been lots of talk about Conor Oberst, the central voice of the revolving door collective Bright Eyes, being the future of rock and roll. I would have to agree that Conor has already shown an impressive range on both the songwriting and lyrical fronts. Last year saw the release of two albums that veered violently into vastly different directions. While all the sad-hearted emo kids wait with baited breath for the newest full length Bright Eyes album (set to drop on April 8th) they will have to be satisfied with the Four Winds EP and a pre-release single ("No One Would Riot For Anything Less") from the new album. The EP is a six song cycle that seems to blend the best of last years two musical directions. There are plently of acoustic and country flavored sounds layed among the dense and electronic flurries of machine created sounds. "Reinvent the Wheel" is a rollicking journey cut from the same cloth as "Bowl of Oranges" but with a more dense arrangement pushing the boundaries towards country soul at times. "Cartoon Blues" is a rocking track that even references one of Conor's cult-classic songs "Padriac My Prince" a stand out line "People are made up of water and fear, if there weren't women present we wouldn't be here, so lets make life worth living". "Stray Dog Freedom" reminds me of Golden Smog and Wilco at times as it rushes and pulses its way toward distorted chaos and tense beauty. The EP is a solid collection and seems to be pointing further towards a new more dense and distorted Bright Eyes than we have seen in the last few years - with the except of the fantastic "Lover I Don't Have to Love". The Pre-release single "No One Would Riot for Less" is a beautifully crafted almost classical ballad that offers both sharp social commentary - "Little soldier, little insect, you know war it has no heart, It will kill you in the sunshine or happily in the dark" and stunning string arrangements. If this is what the new album sounds like then we are in for a treat! Conor's voice sounds even stronger and more crisp than on "Wide Awake it's Morning" and the mood that this song sets is very powerful. I hope the new album can walk the fragile line between heavey emotional energy and bouncey swirling joy that has been the terrritory that Bright Eyes inhabits. Until April 8th, go and check out the new tunes on iTunes! You won't be sorry!
Last year during Easter, I wrote this song caled : Angel of Light. I have been singing it a few different ways over the last few months. Nicole came up with a beatiful harmony to add beauty to the arrangement. I wrote the song about the idea that there is a part on each of us that would rather nail Jesus to the cross than to bow down and worship Him. We performed the song last Sunday at our communites Sunday gathering. Gerrard Knowles and Ricky Nixon joined us and added their flavor to the mix.
You can hear the mp3 by clicking the title above or you can save it to your computer by right clicking and choosing 'save target as...'. If you are using a Mac then its ctrl click!
You may have seem them here singing while walking down a street in Paris, but the densly harmonic four piece Grizzly Bear are actually based in Brooklyn, New York. Their sophomore disc Yellow House is a fantastic collage of over the top vocal layers and strange folksy textures. The music feels very futuristic and old at the same time. Much of the song have simple arrangements that act as launching off points for all four guys to get into the vocal gymnastics ala Abbey Road Beatles on tracks like 'Little Brother' and soaring like radiohead on the single 'Knife'. While keeping things clear and simple throughout, Grizzly Bear has crafted a very original, if not bizarre at times, sound that will appeal to those that like to chuck on some headphones and get lost in the soft layers of multi-track harpsichords.
Jonny Greenwood, as the mad scientist stationed at the guitar in Radiohead, has been the architect behind some of the most amazing sounds that were ever wretched out of a guitar (and keyboard and wall of delay/distortion effects units and 1940's style soviet army radios) His latest accomplishment is curating the Trojan Records compilation ; Jonny Greenwood is the Controller. This disc is packed with 17 funky old school reggae cuts that are sure to get your body movin'! Lee "Scratch" Perry makes three appearances with his 'Bionic Rats' being a stand out track. You've got a cool reggae cover of the popular torchsong 'Fever' by Junior Byles and a spaced out 'Flash Gordon Meets Luke Skywalker" by the Scientist & Jammy & The Roots Radics. This collection is sure to warm the hearts of reggae fans and maybe turn on some black-clad Radiohead fans to look even deeper into their affection for all things black. There is something funky, groovy and comforting all at once about the sound of old reggae. It has a smooth rythmic sense and that helps but I think its the low-fi (thick as mud in parts) that really transports me to another world. If you are interested in checking out the healthy state of pre-marley reggae and ska, you must check out this collection!
A few yers ago Ice-T made a point that you are not truly infamous until the President of the United States says your name. In Bob Dylan's case, the Pope will have to do. In a new book released this week, the current Pope recalls his times with Pope John Paul. He recalls that he did not support Bob Dylan playing at an event in the 80's, calling Bob a false prophet. You can read more here. A few week's ago Simon Scowl of American Idol, made a statement that Dylan was boring, banning forever the spirit of art and creativity from the set of Idol (unless by some strange twist of fate ZeFrank decides to audition next season as his next mission).
Every year I watch the Grammys with my computer open. Here are the results:
The Police sounded rather tight(they also sounded loose in the appropriate places) given that they haven't played together in more than a few years. I wonder of a new album is in the works? Overall I wasn't overly impressed with their performance. I was hoping for a medly or even a rearrangment that took them in new directions but I guess you don't mess with a good thing.
Tony Bennet saying this "I want to thankTarget, the best sponser I ever worked for!" right after Stevie Wonder dedicated the Grammy to his late mother was a strange clash of values. Speaking of Target there was an ad with The Beatles Hello Goodbye in the background (is Michael Jackson responsibile for this? Is he selling off the rights to Beatles songs to ads to pay he huge debt?
Prince's one word introduction of Beyonce.
I am glad Mary J because her blowing through an extra long list of names was a bit disappointing. I wanted to hear from her at least she thanked Jesus first! =) Her second speech had a little bit message to it - the peak of fame can expose who you really are.
I liked Justin Timberlake's performance but I could do without the JT in-your-face cam.
The tribute to James Brown was sensational !!
It was clearly a year for the Dixie Chicks (or at least anti-war sentiments being validated) and Rick Rubin, Both winning multiple awards. The Arctic Monkeys went home empty-handed and that is a shame because their album blows the doors off of The (once mighty) Red Hot Chili Peppers. I have grown tired of the RHCP as of late and particularly Anthony Keidis' mumbled nonsense. James Blunt also failed to win an award after being nominated for five.
It was cool to hear Bob Wills' San Antonio Rose! I have been in love with Mr Will's and his Texas Playboys. I remember I was accidentally sent a recording of His Greatest Hits from one of those pre-internet monthly music clubs. I decided to open it and give it a listen partly because of the connection to Gram Parsons but also because of the crazy sequined suits that the Playboys were wearing on the cover.
I wonder why the Eagles didn't perform to celebrate their life-time achievement award? Rascal Flats played some note-for-note renditions in their place while Don Henley was honored with another award from the music cares foundation.
All in all it was a good show from a musical standpoint - much better than a few years back when almost every song performed was hip-hop. Once again I would like to thank - target!
On Friday night Dec 1st, we are having an HIV/AIDS awareness benifit concert to raise money for the Bahamas AIDS Foundation. The show will be packed full of wonderful and inspiring arts such as: Anku and Leah Eneas, Vision, Andrew Jones and Spirithouse and my band Clergy plus more. The show will be webcast live at this link. The link will only work during the actual show time between 7and11pm eastern standard time. If you have the chance check it out!
If heartaches brought fame in love's crazy game,
I'd be a legend in my time.
If they gave gold statuettes for tears and regrets,
I'd be a legend in my time.
Over the last ten years of Johnny Cash's life he spent much of his free time hanging out with super producer Rick Rubin. It should be no surprise that Rubin had the multitrack rolling the entire time. Out of the vault of these archives, American Recordings has released A Hundred Highways as the first of a promised series of afterlife echoes of Johnny's soul. Although his voice is less commanding and more frail than his better days, the essential elements are all there: raw and emotionally engaging lyrics, gentle fingerstyle guitar picking and a bucket load of charm. Rose of My Heart reads as a gutwrenching ode to his departed wife June even though it was not written by Johnny he lives inside of it entirely. . Many of the songs chosen are very self conciously about death. My favorite is a Cash composition called "I Have Come to Believe"
I couldn't manage the problems I laid on myself
And it just made it worse when I laid them on somebody else
So I finally surrendered it all brought down in dispair
I cried out for help and I felt a warm comforter there
I am Free From the Chain Gang Now is a fitting end to the cycle with Johnny's voice in top form amid the simple but achingly beautiful arrangement. It is comforting to reflect on these lyrics in relation to Johnny's spirit now:
Like a bird in a tree I got my liberty and I'm free from the chain gang now
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash
Last night the video for Johnny Cash's new single "God's Gonna Cut You Down" premiered on mtv. It was a celebrity fest featuring Iggy Pop, Justin Timberlake, Bono, Chris Martin, Kanye West, Jay Z, Rick Rubin and a ton of other notable faces. At first the video felt like a commercial for the RED campaign but as the music settled in it felt very different. It was as if the tone of the song was critiqueing the whole notion of celebrity. Ultimately saying "God is even gonna cut you down if you are famous". Check out the video on mtv.com. I will have to go and download A Hundred Highways, Johnny's last album (unless Rick Rubin has more gems up his sleeve).
There has always been an interesting subgenre of music percolating around the edges of funk and hiphop. I call it White Boy Stomp. Going back to the days of the original Elvis, various white boys have channeled the deep funky and raspy soul of blues artists like Robert Johnson. Lately this subgenre has broken into the edges of the mainstream with artists like Jack johnson, Citizen Cope, and G Love and his Special Sauce.
G Love has been making strange and bouncey grooves for quite awhile without much commercial attention but, with guest spots by his pals Ben Harper, jack Johnson and Blackalicious, this may be his breakthrough moment. Lemonade is packed full of nice organic funk grooves that propel his gravelly voice forward and make the booty shake as well. Check out "Can't Go Back to Jersey" for an example of how infectious his songs can be.
Speaking of funk, last night on VH1 they had a HipHop honors show that, in part, paid tribute to Afrika Bambaadaa with George Clinton and Bootsy Collins groove with Erica Badu, the Roots and Q-tip. Quite a mind expanding moment of cosmic funk directly from the mothership!
"Burning up the atmosphere and cutting down the trees
The billion dollar bombing of a nation on it's knees
Anyone not marching to their tune they call it treason
Everyone says God is on his side"
Kris Kristofferson, who is turning 70 this year, has broken his 11 year hiatus from recording albums. It is clear he has been taking tips from his old pal Johnny Cash's collaborations with Rick Ruben. Most of the 11 songs are simply him and his acoustic guitar. The firey insight of his lyrics on tracks like "in the News" and "The Burdan of Freedom" prove that he has been doing a lot of thinking about the current state of our world. Often he comes down on the side of compassion and weary faith. His voice has been worn, no doubt, from years of all night outlaw jams. At times the raspy tones add depth and authority to his melodic phrases and at other times they reveal a fragility and tenderness.
There is a song entitled Pilgram's Progress which might be seen as a follow up to one of his more popular tunes The Pilgrim.:
I get lazy, and forget my obligations
I'd go crazy, if I paid attention all the time
And I want justice, but I'll settle for some mercy
On this Holy Road through the Universal Mind
Kris' brand of faith tends to mix language with much new age phrases like the "Universal Mind" but he seems to tie it together with compassion and love as his core of his faith. There are references to evolution and just about every songwriter that Kris has ever worked with and then some: Jimi Hendrix, Shel Silverstein, Waylon Jennings ......
Kris Kristofferson's version of patriotism is a sorely needed model. On Wild American, he sings:
"When they burn your brother down in the name of Freedon
I don't care if it's left or right
It's wrong"
It is interesting to compare the themes on this album to the themes on Bob Dylan's newest release. Where Bob seems very inwardly focused lyricly, Kristofferson is very aware of the social dimensions of life. bob makes some great observations but Kris seems to cut to the heart and engages with the world in a way that Dylan may have grown tired of doing. Just a thought!
If you like to listen to outlaws telling it like they see it - buy this album.
I bought m first Leonard Cohen album (on cassette) while I was in High School. The frayed hippy behind the counter asked me if I was planning on committing suicide. There was somethin comforting about the dark and mysterious voice speak singing some of the most emotionally aware lyrics I had ever heard. I became a lifelong fan after learning to play "Tower of Song" on my first borrowed guitar. So the thought of a full length documentary (and soundtrack tribute) on Leonard's life held a strong appeal.
This is not the first Coehn tribute album. The first one I foudn was "I'm Your Fan" which assemble a cast of alt rockers (John Cale, James, Loyd Cole and others) and then there was the more mainstream tribute featuring Bono, Billy Joel and Bonnie Raitt about ten years ago. This newest tribute has some inspired selections and a few that miss the mark. Some stand out tracks are : Jarvis Cocker doing "I Can't Forget". His slightly worn voice sets the arrangement buzzing with life and energy. Rifus Wainwright doing "Chelsea Motel #2" a song about Coehn having an affair with Janis Joplin in the famed bohemian hangout. Nick Cave makes an appearance on the live reworking of Suzanne and the studio recording of the title track I'm Your Man.
When speaking of Cohen, it is poetry and blazingly intimate insights that rule the day. Some of His best songs are represented and refashioned to allow them access to an audience that might not be able to get past Cohen's dark and coarse baritone. Cohen himself makes an appearance on possibly the weakest tracked backed by U2 and Bono's weary fallsetto.
Hearing these songs in fresh garments made me dig into Cohen Chords and relive the heady days of first learning that I could actually sing Cohen's songs with my voice!
"I'm raising up an army of tough sons-of-bitches,
I'm recruiting my army from the orphanages"
Bob Dylan has crafted another cycle of songs in a series that have had critics marveling at his longevity and lasting talent. Modern Times is a disc that holds all the hallmarks of Dyan's legend: insightful and playful lyrics, downhome blue collar grooves, solid backing musicians and a voice that sounds like a cracked bell clanging the apocalypse.
Like many of Dylan's recent offerings, he is interested in death and dying. He is interested in quite a number of things as well but the all seemed to be looked at from a eye that is shaped by the perspective of life's frailty. Songs like "When the Deal Goes Down" and "Beyond the Horizon" both speak of death as a welcome release from the struggles and tensions of living. His faith seems to be at the core of his ideeas, once again, with lines like "One day I will stand beside my King" and "Love waits for one and all".
There is a flavour of blues and jazz throughout that at times seems like a retro nod to the prerock era on songs like "Spirit on the Water" and "Beyond the Horizon" but mostly there are blues rock grooves pulsing forward liek the image of a train that finds its way into may of the lyrics.
Most of the songs top 5min with a few that almost make it to nine minutes. The production captures a very spontaenous and live feel without ever feeling sloppy. Lots fo guitars and te occasional harmonica solo round out the arrangements with swampy tones. Much of the mud and soupy parts from the last few Dylan albums has been cleaned up in favor of a much cleaner and clearer sound. His voice has the worn crackle that fans have grown to love (and critics have learn to look beyond)
So far I am enjoying i more than "Time Out of Mind" ut not as much as "Oh Mercy". It does my heart well to see Mr Zimmerman still working in the Tower of Song.
"Everyone addicted to the same nicotine Everyone addicted to the same gasoline Everyone addicted to a technicolor screen Everyone trying to get their hands on the same stack of green" - Yell Fire!
With Yell Fire!, Michael Frante has crafted an album of deeply thought provoking and groove laden songs that observe our modern world with a keen eye and compassionate heart. Mostly written during his travels through the war torn middle east, from this perspective he comments on issues of war, religious tolerance, globalization before finally circling around love and faith as his main recurring themes.
"Those who start wars never fight them and those who fight wars never like them" - Time to Go Home One of the most engaging things about the way he deals with these issues is that he never gets mired down in us/them types of rebellions. He seems to be really commited to things that unite rather than divide. On one song he is throwing quick shoutouts to different groups of people and he includes both those that are struggling for peace and soldiers fighting overseas. It is this refusal to take sides against other people (even when he clearly disagrees with them) is the most refreshing thing about the tone of this album. While many of the songs have spiritual themes, he also refuses to allow matters of spirituality to be grounds for division basically saying in a few different ways that God is bigger than any one religion. This is a point that I think needs to be explored at length in our violently zealous times. Rather than pointing his fingers at the people who are causing the issues we are all facing he instead decides to point a finger toward hope and faith in a better world. Sweet Little Lies is an idealists escape from harsh realities that turns into a call to action with the invitation to make this better world possible. "Sweet Little Lies Tell me sweet little lies When I can't stand the truth Tell me sweet little lies And help me make them come true" Light Up Your Lighter bristles with a more realistic survey of the true nature of the war machine and the tendancy for soldiers to get high to escape the horrors of being paid to kill.
As clear and insightful as the lyrics prove to be, on the first few listens, it is the wonderful arrangements and the Bob Marley meets Rage Against the Machine grooves that get under your ass and force it to start shakin. Most of the album was recorded in Kingston Jamaica with Sly and Robbie (two former members of Bob Marley's studio band who have made a lasting career of adding funk to everyone from Peter Tosh to Sinead O-Connor) The music is consistently funky even when the arrangements are simple and the tone is soulful. On One Step Closer to You the mellow groove kicks back and forth between something that Shaggy might hope to produce and old school dancehall chanting. The effect is a feeling of spontaneity and life that sparkles throughout the album.
The stand out songs include : Yell Fire, East to the West, Sweet Little Lies and Light up Your Lighter. This is a collection of songs that look at our world with deep convictions and an open heart. If we lived in a better world this would win every award for album of the year but if we lived in a better world, this album would never have been written. "Everything a little upside down and the world keeps spinning round and round"
I have been experimenting with some new musical ideas. I found an audio clip of Ghandi talking about truth. I built a loose reggae type trance track behind it. Then I cut it up and made it more subliminal. I really like the things that he says:
"I can thinly perceive of a living power, God, holding all things together"
"In the midst of darkness, light persists, in the midst of pain, joy persists, life persists"
I love Ghandi's answer to the question "Are you a Christian?" he often replied "Ask the poor". That displays a deep understanding of the nature of Christianity that most people who call themselves christians don't even grasp. This song 'A Living Power' is the first in a series of post-everything anti-religious worship music I am working on. I will post more songs(and maybe videos) as they are recorded.
A few months ago a friend turned me on to the first single from this DJ Dangermouse/Cee-lo collaboration Gnarls Barkley : Crazy. I really liked its laid back but groovy feel (as did a record number of people apparently) and looked forward to hearing the whole album. I was reminded a few nights ago when I saw Cee-Lo's pudgy face emerging from a Darth Vader mask on the MTV movie awards that I needed to download this album.
My brother told me that his CD version of the album contained the sales pitch "this is the kind of music that Marvin Gaye would be making if he was still alive". I am not so sure about that but it is very groovy pop music. The lyrical themes and production styles are firmed embedded in pop culture. There is a song referencing Transformer's the little robot/weapons that every kid wanted to play with in the mid 80's. Feng Shui, Online, St Elsewhere and Go-Go Gadget Gospel are all examples of how Gnarls is conciously mirroring the world around. I found it thrilling to see a Violent Femmes cover (Gone Daddy Gone) on the album. During the aforementioned mid 80's I obsessively listened to the Violent Femmes in ways that may have had lasting damage.
The songs are all very catchy and very short. The longest song is only 3min25secs with most clocking in at under 2min30secs. I would have loved for a few of them to have grooved a bit longer. There is a space funk vibe to most of the instrumentation and even a few parliment inspired helium funk voices.
I am glad to see DJ Dangermouse being creative, his Grey Album really unveiled the power of the Mash-up and Cee-Lo has been behind some of OutKast's best joints.
I like Jamie Kennedy and his strange characters/multiple personalities. His show The Jamie Kennedy Experiment was entirely funny and better then Punk'ed anyday of the week. His latest Comedy Central (also on iTunes) show is called Blowin' Up. It is the semi-improv adventure of Jamie and his sidekick Stu's attempts at getting a record deal for their comedy rap album. The style is Spinal Tap for the MTV generation. The songs are very funny and play off of a type of absurd irony such as "Rollin' with Saget" is the product of a series of failed phone calls to get an established rap artist to guest on their disc. Instead of giving up, when no one is interested, jamie calls in Bob Saget and the white boy gangsta irony flows.
The show is also a clever send-up of many of MTV and VH1 shows such as Diary among others. They ride around in Jamie's Hummer, much like Dave Navarro used to do on his show. Their video podcast (on iTunes) is a funny parady of Behind the Music where they describe the very funny thoughts behind the songs. It seems that Stu is the major creative engine(writing most of the songs) and much of the shows humor plays off of Jamie established celebrity. Together they make a funny team. I laughed myself silly when they got made up in black face and performed as an opening act to Oscar Winning hiphop artists : 36Mafia. You should download the songs, they are very funny!
As far as independent record labels go, Saddle Creek is one of the few success stories. Started as a college assigenment, Saddle Creek has grown into one of the hippest labels to ever come out of Omaha (OK, the only record label to come out of Omaha). With the strength of Bright Eyes, The Faint and Lullaby for the Working Class, Saddle Creek has, in ten short years, moved from photocopying black and white cassette labels to international distribution.
This DVD is an intimate retelling of the formation of the label and most of its bands and collectives (Where are the Get-up Kids?). It seems that you need a color chart and monthly calendar to figure out who is in which band. Conor Oberst floats very close to the center of almost everything happening from being the first artist released to the first one to sell over one hundred thousand records. He has played in most of the bands at one time or another and seems to be a true fan of those that he hasn't. The interviews are pretty square, simply telling the story right into the camera. A few moments of humor and interesting antics pop up but it is mostly an opportunity to bask in the unexpected success.
The best part of this DVD is the bonus section with many rare performances that shed light on the early days of emo. You get to see Conor in his first band at around 15 or 16 (Commander Venus). They rock out in Lawrance Kansas to a crowd of about 4 or 5. There is also a priceless piece of footage of Conor at about 17 or 18 playing piano with very uneven results. Again the crowd is very small but the passion and commitment are undeniable. He wails with abandon even after he falls off the groove many times. Each time he picks himself up and tries again. A lesson in perseverance as he ends with "that was the most embarrassing thing I have ever done in my life".
If you are a fan of any of the Saddle Creek roster bands or just dig independant music, check out this DVD for about two hours worth of recent history.
Mark Everett aka E, the driving force behind Eels, has been making sweet and melodic music about overcoming misery for over ten years now. He has pushed the borders of his Brian Wilson flavored melodies to incorporate elements of both punk and funk without losing his ear for a great pop song. This time out his CD/DVD is a live recording with a string quartet thrown in the mix. The songs span the last few ablums of his career and he even throws in an unexpected Bob Dylan cover (Girl of North Country).
His songs lend themselves very well to the extra layers of harmony and the occasional string flurry of the quartet. The arrangements are fantastic with the drummer really holding a master-class in how to groove without destroying the fragility of the song. The DVD comes with over 2 hours of music and various backstage tomfoolery. I always though E must be a manic despressive so it was nice to see him showing a playful sense of humor.
If you like the self effacing pop of Eels as much as I do then this DVD is a must have collection of their best songs in their most lush arrangements. Be sure to check out the "Day at the Office" section in the bonus menu - very funny stuff!
It is hard for me to really capture the way I feel about Conor Oberst and his collective Bright Eyes. I have said many times "I love this or I love that" but it seems like Bright Eyes are in a different catagory altogether. I have heard everything that Conor has released under the Bright Eyes moniker and I enjoy it all! The music and the words seem to move me in an emotional way that very few artists do (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons) . When I read articles saying that Conor is the future of rock music, I tend to agree. He was even spoofed on SNL. Bright Eyes has also cropped up on David Letterman
This Bright Eyes disc is a collection of live recording from their tour of the United States in 2005. I saw them in Miami on this tour and I remember being impressed with how well he sounded live. Altough he seemed drunk by the end of the show, his voice was solid and the small four piece band covered the multi-layed arrangements fairly well considering that some of his best songs were recorded with up to 25 musicians. Most of the songs are from his last country flavoured disc "I'm Wide Awake It's Morning" (Train Under Water, Old Soul Song, The Bottom of Everything) with a few new and rare songs thrown in for good measure. The politically charged "When the President Talks to God" is a high point and a great example of Conor's relevance and power as a songwriter. The song bristles and stings with political and social commentary while feeling timeless altough locked within its protest-song template.
I am looking forward to a new studio album (not due until 2007) to see whether he can hold on and not burn out. In the meantime check out this for passion and finesse.
I am a bit slow to the Artic Monkeys' party. I have heard the hype over the last few months but it wasn't until this weekend that I finally geave their disc an intense listen. They have been compared to many other brit pop precursors such as Blur, Oasis, and Streets. I can hear the resemblance but I also hear a bit of The Specials mixed in as well. The ska flavored "Fake Tales of San Fransisco" remind me of the Elvis Costello produced Specials. The Monkeys definately have a more current attitude and owe more to punk than to reggae but I can hear the shifting time signatures and syncopations left over from the ska craze in the UK.
I love that this disc sounds like a band jamming in a garage. Albeit a rather tight and punchy band. They are pretty up front about the fact that they have only been playing their instruments for less than 5 years. This gives their music a very spontaneous edge that older musicians often lack. "A Certian Romance" bounces nicely and offers a bit of balance to the balls-out pub crashing of the rest of the albums.
This is the kind of music that I want to hear when I am pissed off and I am looking for something to calm me down and remind me that a bit of edge can make life a little more fullfilling. I hope they can continue to make brisk and spiking pop songs after they have their best days crammed into smelly tour buses.
"I want to be as free as the spirits of those who left
I'm talking Malcom, Coltrane, my man Yusef
Through death through conception
New breath and resurrection"
Chi-town MC Common Sense opens his newest disc by name dropping Malcom X and John Coltrane. A fitting opening given that the album "Be" explores black identity with spot on cultural observations that even Bill Cosby would be proud of. My friend Derek gifted me with this album a few months ago and it hasn't left my van's cd player since. Every song is a fun but dense layering of fantastic hiphop production(thanks to Kanye West!) and probing social commentary. Moving all over the urban landscape, from court room drug dramas to street corner substitutes for the family structure, Common is telling it like he sees it but only in order to get a deeper message out. Some of the content would seem at home on a 50 Cent single were it not for the added message of positivity and reflection. Common is not just painting a picture of what life on the urban streets is like, he is painting a picture to speak a pointed critique into his own cultural world. Take for instance:
Bush pushing lies, killers immortalized
We got arms but won't reach for the skies
Waiting for the Lord to rise
I look into my daughter's eyes
And realize that I'ma learn through her
The Messiah, might even return through her
If I'ma do it, I gotta change the world through her
Part of the message he is sending out is a spiritual one. The track "Faithful" explores the notion of God as woman. An interesting recontextualization for a matriarchal african-american culture. The song reflects on the reality that without positive male figures in the family and community, the image of woman could be a more resonant image of what love and fatihfulness should look like. He puts a spin on this idea a bit by not making God into a Mother but in a female lover. An image that finally comes around in the second verse to reflect on the way men should treat the woman in their life.
There is so much I could say about the themes and content of this disc. I may write a longer more indepth review but for now know this: Kanye West guests as well as a quick cameo by Dave Chapelle and Common's father. If you like hiphop and are tired of the booty shakin' nonesense that is out there, you must own this disc!
A few years ago the worship band at NPCC recorded a CD. If you click the image above of the band(I don't have an image of Duane Higgs who also played amazing bass parts on the cd) you can hear the songs. If all goes well, we will be recording another batch of songs this year! | 2006.02.10 12:02 | music
You might not think of Sinead O'Connor as a spiritual person. She is infamous for tearing up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live in the mid 90's while saying"fight the real enemy". I have been a causal fan of her music for a while but I just got to hear her album Faith and Courage. It waas released in 2000 but didn't make much of a comercial impact. I have to say that I love this album. The songs are powerful, catchy and relevant. She even seems to feel remorse about her public displays of anger:
Here are some lyrics from the song "the lamb's book of life"
I know that I have done many things
To give you reason not to listen to me
Especially as I have been so angry
But if you know me maybe you would understand me
Words can't express how sorry I am
If I ever caused pain to anybody
I just hope that you can show compassion
And love enough to just please listen
Check out "no man's woman" and "healing room" they are my favorites!
It is cool to rip all of the files off of your friend's Ipod. This weekend I was fortunate enough to grab Barry Taylor's music selection. I now have 1786 new song files to search through! The first one I checked out was a singer/songwriter named Jospeh Arthur. It is very rare that an artist grabs me with such intensity so quickly. It has happened before but not often. After about two lines of his song Redemption's Son, I was sold. His music is so beautiful and intense. I don't know enough about him to know if the content in this song is autobiographical but if it is then this is one of the most touching songs I have EVER heard.
I know i'll never make it on the cross -
Spent my days looking for what my daddy lost -
He was too proud to have a boss -
Sold himself out then he couldn't afford the cost
No one knows how he felt -
Hung himself in the country jail -
There were those who said he would burn in hell -
I don't think they knew him very well
Angel of love -
Shine a light on us -
I was born to be -
Redemption's son
Why do people like Britney Spears make millions and true talents like Joseph Arthur go unnoticed, maybe a line from another one of his songs says it best "the devil is the lord of this world... ...none of the good dreams come true" Have mercy on us Lord
|I was checking out a new music magazine called Paste and I came across Matisyahu. He is an Hasidic Jew and a very talented reggae artist as well. Welcome to the post-modern milieu =) I downloaded his first two albums and they are really good. He throws shoutouts to "bob nesta" and others. I am starting to believe that reggae is God's language.
Bob Marley in the rawest form! Before Chris Blackwell had a chance to add some white musicians from Texas, this album was already rockin. The band sounds so militant. They have a razor sharp groove and Bob's voice just sounds like it comes from the wind. This album has two of my favorite Marley songs : Stir it Up and Rock it Baby. You just have to listen to the bass part on Rock it Baby. Pure Genuis! I wonder if Bob felt insulted that they added more musicians to help his music find a wider audience? Why do intelligent record executives always underestimate the tastes of thier consumers? I loved this reissue and the liner notes are quite interesting as well. I would highly recommend this to anyone who like Bob Marley (are their people who don't?)
When I first bought this disc, it was because I wore out my copy of thier earlier disc "Things Fall Apart". Have always had respect for them doing HipHop with live musicians. Although this album is a departure from strickly live productions, it is still loaded with funky grooves and witty quips. The Tipping Point was a great book by Malcom Gladwell but there is no reference to the book in any of the tunes. There are a lot of sports references though. The lyrics are fantastic :
Yeah, it ain't nothin like I rush I get, in front of the band
On stage wit the planet in the palm of my hand
When a brother transform, from aynonomous man
To the force, crush whoever might of thought I was playin
I'ma flame some, sentence the shit, the cold twist to slang
Thicker than big boy baby, mom, sister pain That's tight! Click the image to go to a very well designed website about this album.
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