Added to iPod
October 13, 2007 | Filed Under Music | No Comments
It’s a music FRENZY!!!
First - I added two CDs from magazines I picked up at Heathrow Airport: one just called DJ (filled with techno stuff) and another called The Word, which has new tunes from John Fogerty, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and Alison Moyet.
Then:
Geroge Harrison - “All Things Must Pass” The 30th Anniversary Edition.
Vangelis - “Vangelis Odyssey” Mainly from his soundtrack work.
Underworld & Gabriel Yared - “Soundtrack to Breaking and Entering” Not very Underworld-like, but pretty
Band of Horses - “Cease To Begin” Nice record of moody alterna-pop. Wouldn’t seem out of place on a Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack. Oddly - there is a song on the record titled ‘Detlef Schrempf’ (anyone? anyone?)
Fat Boy Slim - “Late Night Tales” Part of a series of chill-out mix CDs - where a known artist throws together his favorite tunes. This one is a lot of fun - filled with old vinyl recordings.
M.I.A. - “Kala” This young, Sri Lankan woman mixes hip-hop, techno and World vibes with fierce lyrics and brass balls. This is one of the best records of the year!! Check it out.
Radiohead - “In Rainbows” I paid three pounds ($6.00) for this download. That is because their last couple of records were worthless, pretentious twaddle. Well, I’m glad I only paid six bucks. Though the new record is much better than previous offerings - it is still f–ing BORING! They make Coldplay look like a rock band! Why does the band even have a guitar player? Do they need the dues?!
Lou Reed - “Berlin” and Big Star - “Sister Lovers” These are two classic records. Along with “Tonight’s The Night” and Nilsson’s “Pussycats”, these are among the most messy, painful and brilliant records in the Rock canon. Lou has described “Berlin” as his Hamlet. It is about a tortured relationship that ends badly. But the record is produced to within an inch of its life by Bob Ezrin. Horns, strings and a full, crisp production provide the background to some of Lou’s most heartbreaking tunes. “Sister Lovers” was the last Big Star record. No contract. No sales. No hope. Alex Chilton can be heard dissolving into drugs and alcohol on the album. But his talent shines through the songs and the vocal performances. It is scary and well worth the trip.
Added to iPod
September 29, 2007 | Filed Under Music | No Comments
let’s see….
Stray singles by Foghat, The Mighty Lemon Drops and The Beastie Boys.
Frank Zappa - “apostrophe” Who you jiving with that Cosmic Debris?
The Monkees - All the best of the Monkees. They DO deserve a place in the Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame. If the Bee Gees can be there, then the Monkees are GOD!
Milla Jovovich - “The Divine Comedy” Most people think of Milla as their favorite, sexyist zombie killer (I have seen ALL the Resident Evil movies). But she is also a singer! Her vocals have appeared on a number of electronica albums - including Crystal Method’s great “Legion Of Boom”. This record was recorded in 1994 - when she was 19. Think of a cooler Sarah McLaughlin. The Gentleman Who Fell was the sort-of hit.
Also an “Arabic in 60 Minutes” CD for my trip next Saturday to Kuwait. You HAVE to know the basics for ANY country you visit. Even if you stumble through - the attempt means everything.
Added to iPod
September 23, 2007 | Filed Under Music | No Comments
on to lighter material….
The Guess Who - “Greatest Hits”
Robin Lane & the Chartbusters - From Boston. Their first and best.
Robyn Hitchcock - “Eye” From 1990, this is a mainly acoustic record. I got it mainly for the lovely “Queen Elvis”, but there are some very good cuts here.
The Beat Generation - Just cherry-picked my favorites from this 3-disc box set of beat jazz, readings, interviews and more. Mostly music, though.
Added to iPod
September 15, 2007 | Filed Under Music | No Comments
First, I had to chance down that song from the new iPod commercial. Turns out to be a song by Feist called “1234”. Feist is also one of the singers from Broken Social Scene but is having a nice solo career as well.
And:
The Who – “Who’s Next”
Sex Pistols – “Never Mind The Bollocks” Every iPod should come with this record…
Elvis Costello – “Blood and Chocolate”
Loreena McKennitt – “The Visit”
Velvet Underground – “Live MCMXCIII” Their reunion concert in Paris.
I also have my October Global Rhythm CD that takes us from Sweden to Cuba to Zimbabwe to Brazil and back. All kinds of good sounds here: an easy reggae from Toots & the Maytals, Bossa Nova from Luciana Souza and a fun tune by an Italian/Somali woman named Saba called “Jidka”. And 12 other bits of the World….
Added to iPod
September 8, 2007 | Filed Under Music | No Comments
where was we…?
Adrian Belew - “Desire of the Rhino King” This is an amalgam of his first three solo records.
Steve Hackett - “Time Lapse” One of his many live records.
Pink Floyd - “Animals”
Soundgarden - “Superunknown”
P J Harvey - “Dry” Her great first album.
Dr. John - “Gris Gris” Gris gris gumbo ya ya…
Then there was this little oddity I picked up the other day. It is a two disk set called Rogue’s Gallery and it is calls itself a collection of “pirate ballads, sea songs & chanteys”. I don’t know where they found these songs but they are too cool. AND they are sung by a wide assortment of artisits: Bryan Ferry, Bono, Nick Cave, Richard Thompson, Loudon & Rufus Wainwright, Stan Ridgway and more. Some of these songs are FILTHY!!! (check out “Good Ship Venus”) But it is a surprise a minute CD and I HIGHLY recommend checking it out.
Added to iPod
August 30, 2007 | Filed Under Music | 1 Comment
It’s all classic rock, all the time!
Nick Lowe - “Jesus of Cool”.
The Feelies - “It’s Only Life” A true ’90s classic!
The Black Crowes - “Shake Your Money Maker”
AC/DC - “Back In Black” Like Led Zepplin, still not on iTunes
Elton John - “Honky Chateau” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
Marc Bolan/T Rex - “20th Century Boy” The best greatest hits collection. From 2002.
Dar Williams - “End of the Summer” From 1997.
Jules & the Polar Bears - “Got No Breeding” Ah, Boston… Wore this album out a few times. Searched Mr. Shears out one night - somewhere near Emerson. We were drunk. He was drunk. Perfect Friday. Great record.
Then I went surfing for singles on iTunes and picked up the best of Tears For Fears, Elastica, Ruby, Hoffamoose?, City Boy, and Mr. Ringo Starr.
That makes it 7,647 or 23.1 days (if you’re counting).
Added to iPod
August 24, 2007 | Filed Under Music | No Comments
A few interesting ones…
Beastie Boys - “Check Your Head”
Bob Dylan - “Blonde On Blonde”
Pavement - “Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain”
Rilo Kiley - “Under The Blacklight” This is their first album in about four years. And it is a good pop record. However - for all Rilo Kiley fans - part of the joy of their music was the lyrics. Those lacerating words and small landmines wrapped in cotton candy and Jenny Lewis’s sexy, gorgeous vocals. This album - on a major label - is just confection. You’ll find no “spring surprise” here - just fine pop craftsmanship and great vocals and catchy guitar licks. Which is not bad. But it is hard to listen to the songs and know you don’t have to flinch.
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - “This Is Somewhere” The new album! YEAH!!! She is fantastic and the bands kicks butt. Sure - there are a couple of weak songs - but that does nothing to deminish tunes like “Ah, Mary”, “Apologies” or “Flying or Falling”. Awesome record. I can’t wait to see her in two weeks in Central Park!
Added to iPod
August 22, 2007 | Filed Under Music | No Comments
The truth is I have created a stack of CDs at home that I need to upload. This is all I managed on Saturday.
Steve Hackett - “Wild Orchids” This is his most recent album of new material (2006) and it is pretty strong. Mr. Hackett left Genesis back in the early 80’s and STILL puts out solo records and has a massive following everywhere but the States.
Various Artists - “Ska Is Dead” Though not to these ska all-stars. Big D & the Kid’s Table to the Toasters to the Pietasters to Fishbone to Catch 22. A great party CD.
Various Artists - “Supperclub Lounge Vol 3″ Techno/Ambient from a restaurant/club in Amsterdam. The first time we went was amazing. Five years later, it was beyond boring.
Mozart - “Requiem in D Minor” Roger Norrington conducts. Another great party CD.
Yes - “Close To The Edge”
Tranquility Bass - “Let Your Freak Flag Fly” One guy - Mike Kandel - is Tranquility. He produces all the sounds on this techno/jazz/drum & bass hippie groove. Great album from 1997!
Then I found a CD of a bunch of folks reading Hunter Thompson’s Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas. Those people include Jim Jarmusch, Harry Dean Stanton, Laraine Newman, Harry Shearer and others, with an intro and outro by HST himself. It might not be fulfilling to sit and listen in one sitting, but it should be great added to the shuffle.
Added to iPod
August 15, 2007 | Filed Under Music | No Comments
It’s been awhile. Still haven’t uploaded anything I came home with from the Warped Tour (where is that stuff?) But these bring me to 7350 songs or 22.2 days.
My Morning Jacket - “Okonokos” This is their double live record. Also their recording of “Rocket Man” that appeared at the closing of Californication.
Police - “Reggatta De Blanc” Not a big fan anymore, but this is good.
Squeeze - “East Side Story”
G Love - “Lemonade” Can G Love be bad?
Healing The Divide - This is the name of a charity for the benefit of the Dali Lama and the people of Tibet and this is the CD of a concert given at Lincoln Center in 2003. The Dali Lama speaks. There is an invocation by the Tuvan Throat Singers. Anoushka Shankar plays. Philip Glass plays and so do some Navajo indians. THEN there are four songs by Tom Waits and the Kronos Quartet! What a wierd and amazing pairing. And it works.
Warped Tour
August 6, 2007 | Filed Under Main, Music | No Comments
This may be only my fifth time to the Warped Tour, but they are in their 13th season as the pre-eminent traveling punk rock summer show. This year was one of the best for me because… I think I was finally able to enjoy myself. Trust me – there is a big difference between chaperoning 12 year olds and being the driver for seventeen year olds. No hyperventilating this year and we hit no traffic either coming or going (a major miracle!). Just a pleasant, music filled ten hours on blacktop in the hot sun.
Ska was big on the menu this year. We started off the morning with Bigger Thomas, a fun local band. Then the Toasters, though I had trouble finding their stage. (Signage, people. Is that so hard?) Then the Fabulous Rudies from San Diego, who were great onstage with a cool guitar player – however the CD doesn’t even sound like them. Later, there were some alterna-ska bands like Pepper and Big D & the Kids Table. Good music and more interesting to me then the usual diet of shrieking-white-twenty-something-males who dominate the stages.
However, my main band was Bad Religion. Since I started going to these shows, it has been painfully obvious that 99% of the attendees were AT LEAST 20 years younger than me. Bad Religion has been around since the 80s – still talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk – and are as old as I am! Their new record “New Maps Of Hell” continue their tried and true brand hard rocking social commentary. So – I wanted to be in the middle of this audience. As close to the stage as I could get. Ergo – I was in the mosh pit. Let me pass on what I have learned over the years about moshing, slam-dancing and crowd surfing. There is etiquette involved. Surfing is a bit problematic because you don’t know which direction the surfer is coming from until they land on the back of your neck. But everyone understands this and you move them along until the reach the front of the stage and are lifted off the crowd by very large security men. If a surfer falls – you pick them back up. (Oddly, most surfers – at least at this show – were girls). As for the dancing – a mosh circle is organic. It forms where ever it forms. A song begins, some people push back to create the circle and there you are. With the “slam dancing” (for lack of a better term) that happens in the circle, you just push the “dancers” back into the circle. They run into you – you push them back. If anyone falls, they are immediately helped up. Someone will pick up your cell phone or glasses to keep them from being crushed. Dancers are all sizes, shapes and genders. One guy next to me had two withered arms and was right in there with it. You might get hurt, but no one is hostile or violent. In fact, the highlight of the set (and the band was perfect!) was when the crowd surfed a guy and his wheelchair.
Let me say that again – they surfed a guy WITH HIS WHEELCHAIR! He held it in front of him as the crowd gently carried him to the front. The band stopped dead in the middle of the song to acknowledge this move, we all cheered and the show continued.
And, really, how bad can humanity be if something like that can happen?
Added to iPod
August 4, 2007 | Filed Under Music | 2 Comments
Well, tomorrow is my fifth trip to the Warped Tour. Where I will once again “blister in the sun”. I’ll see Bad Religion and paramore while there and see if anything else is interesting. Chris and friends will be crowd surfing to God knows what…
Here are some new tunes:
Joe Jackson - Greatest hits. Actually just cannibalizing Itunes to create a greatest hits of all albums except “Jumpin’ Jive” - which I have in its entirety.
John McLaughlin - “Electric Guitarist”
Spoon - “Ga Ga Ga Ga” The new one. One of my new favorite bands.
fIREHOSE - “Flyin’ The Flannel” From Mike Watt and the boys back in the day.
Psychedelic Furs - The “Sister Europe” LP.
Teenage Fanclub - “Bandwagonesque” The only one I really like. Very Big Star-esque.
Also - Today I sat in Yankee Stadium and watched A-Rod hit his 500th home run! We had just sat down and it was over. First pitch. Had to get home and watch the replay to really see it happen.
Twilight Singers
July 31, 2007 | Filed Under Music | 1 Comment
Remember Greg Dulli and the Afghan Whigs? For a time they were one of the most exciting and frustrating bands around. When they were hot (like on Gentlemen or the beginning of 1965), no one could touch them. But there were also many misfires – songs that didn’t quite go anywhere. Half-baked material. Half-baked concerts. Then they were gone.
A brief Google search for Mr. Dulli found him fronting a band called the Twilight Singers and releasing their 2006 album “Powder Burns”. I have had this on my iPod for a while and it just gets better with every spin. This is a whole record – solid from start to finish. Notes on the website say it was started at the lowest ebb in his life and eventually saw Mr. Dulli turn himself around during the recording. The album was completed in the French Quarter soon after Katrina. That’s why a tinge of darkness – twilight, if you will – strokes all these songs. It is some of his best work and the band is phenomenal! Muscular guitars, propulsive rhythm section, a cushion of strings here, a flourish of sax there, and Dulli’s smoky vocals squeezing every ounce of drama from the lyrics. From the opening licks of “I’m Ready” to the blistering “Bonnie Brae” (featured on last season’s Rescue Me) to the gorgeous “The Conversation” and ending with “They Ride”. Mr. Dulli is on his game and THAT is cause for celebration. People – This is what rock albums USED to be like before everything became lame and whiny. Screw the Shins, Wilco and their ilk.
Buy it and hope they tour.
Added to iPod
July 29, 2007 | Filed Under Music | 9 Comments
On a lazy, rainy, hang around weekend - what’s there to do but watch horror movies and upload tunes?
Brian Eno & David Byrne - “My Life In The Bush of Ghosts”
Uncle tupelo - “Still Feel Gone”
John Coltrane - “A Retrospective” Three-disk set.
Versus - “Two Cents Plus Tax” Great pop from this NYC band.
Richard & Linda Thompson - “Shoot Out The Lights” A classic.
PIL - “The best of..So Far”
Now a very special addition. I spent my Saturday night (since no one else was home) recording old vinyl. These four were part of my life in the early ’80s in Boston. They are pretty much one offs because they all came out in 1980-81 and - hell, there was a LOT of good music coming out in that period. Each of these bands got lost - where never picked up or developed - and that is all she wrote. But I loved these records because of the time, the place and my life at that point.
Interview - “Snakes and Lovers” This album was just self-titled in the States. You all know “Adventurers”, right? “Hide And Seek”? The lead singer sounded a bit like Richard Butler of the Psych Furs.
Private Lightning Their only LP. Fun Boston band I saw open for the Boomtown Rats at the Orpheum. Big sounds, big songs and a beautiful woman playing violin. What could be bad?
The Vapors - “Magnets” Everyone knows the song “Turning Japanese”. Well, this was their second and much stronger LP. Songs of fear and paranoia with a new wave beat. The lead single was a bouncing little number about “Jimmie Jones”. The title track a fabulously dramatic take of the Kennedy assasination. What ever happened to these guys?
Original Mirrors Self-titled LP. Another Motown-meets-new wave enterprise (good cover of “Reflections”), but not nearly as mannered and self-conscious as some of that stuff got (remember the Style Council?). A bright, shiny sound with good crunchy guitars. Friday night in Boston under the Great God Citgo! Kenmore Square - here we come!
Added to iPod
July 27, 2007 | Filed Under Music | No Comments
a little of this… a touch of that…
First off - my new Global Rhythm disk from the magazine of the same name. Nice mix of different things. For techno, we have a cut from Joi off their new album and a duet between Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale. There’s a new tune from Zap Mama and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Also, the Skatalites and that new band out of China - the 12 Girls Band (which really has 13 girls). Then:
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Just a collection of singles from CSNY. CN, CSN and just S.
Jacqueline Du Pre & Daniel Barenboim - “Five Cello Sonatas” Talk about a storybook couple… The bad thing about this live recording is that you can hear constant coughing! I mean - I would have shot the guy from the stage! Does this happen on a lot of live classical CDs?
Martha Argerich - “Live from the Concertgebouw” Great pianist!
Various Artists - “The Soundtrack to Desert Blue” Very indie soundtrack. Never saw nor heard of the movie before, but it carries two cool and otherwise unavailable Rilo Kiley tunes: “The Frug” and “85″. New album out soon…