01 - Buena Vista Social Club

I have been a bad blogger (not sure many people read this anyways). Time and motivation have been limited this month, but I've been wanting to honor this album with an entry for quite a while, and it's time to suck it up and just do it!

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Two weeks ago I was sick. I had a fever for a few days, moved only to refill on fluids, and I watched A LOT of movies. It seemed I had exhausted all the movies I could stomach from the Netflix instant que, when I came upon a documentary featuring one of my favorite albums: Buena Vista Social Club.



(Or you can watch it on YOUTUBE!!)

This documentary takes us to Havana, where the actual Buena Vista Social Club thrived in the 40s and 50s. However....

(wikipedia):
"Shortly after the Cuban Revolution of 1959, new Cuban President Manuel Urrutia Lleó, a devout Christian, began a program of closing or nationalizing all gambling outlets, nightclubs, and other establishments associated with Havana's hedonistic lifestyle. This had an immediate impact on the livelihoods of local entertainers. As the Cuban government rapidly shifted towards communism and an effort to build a "classless and colorblind society", it struggled to define policy toward forms of cultural expression in the black community; expressions which had implicitly emphasized cultural differences. Consequently, the cultural and social centers were abolished, including the Afro-Cuban mutual aid Sociedades de Color in 1962, to make way for racially integrated societies... The measures meant the closure of the Buena Vista Social Club."

To make a long story short, this club boasted the best of Cuba's musical talent... vocalists, pianists, guitarists, the heart and soul of Cuban culture, which by the 1990s were largely forgotten. In 1996, nearly 50 years after the closure of the Club, american guitarist Ry Cooder and Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos González after intending to record a collaboration between Cuban and African Highlife musicians, were unable to do so because the musicians from African could not get their visas. Instead they decided to tap the local talent and record an album of Son Cubano music. The rest, as they say, is history.

This is an introduction to the group directly from the documentary, starting with singers Ibrahim Ferrer & Omara Portuondo, two of the best singers to ever come out of Cuba. Absolutely stunning voices.

(The link may not work because i'm illegally embedding it, but follow it to youtube):



The talent and stories only get better from there. One by one they introduce and share the stories of other legendary Cuban artists such as singer Compay Segundo (who was 90 when the album was being recorded) and piano player Rubén González (who was 77 at the time).






This movie was a true sensory delight. The sights. The sounds. The emotion. The history. I had listened to the album dozens of times, but after watching the movie and listening to it again, it had a brand new richness for me. I think one of the ultimate reasons I love music is because it is so much bigger than the individual compositions alone. It can invoke feelings and memories, all the while documenting the soul of a person, a group, a culture, and even a nation.

Many of these men are dead now, but because of this music their names, their culture, their country, and the Buena Vista Social Club will live forever.

05 - Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings

A sassy lil' mama from Augusta Georgia and her band, The Dap Kings.



This embedded npr player brought to you because I am an html ninja.




For more info, I do recommend the wiki, their website, and go buy "I Learned the Hard Way" (I would tell you to go to a show, but they're doing Europe until 2011).

04 - North Carolina at Pickathon

I am taking a trip in August. A trip which was meant and timed to be celebratory, and as of today I found out that this celebratory trip will in fact be premature.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I digress.

This journey is a mix of business and pleasure which will take me to Denver(ish) Colorado to visit friends and to attend the Mile High and Folks Festival, Monterey California for a remote sensing class put on by NOAA, and Portland Oregon for a jem of a festival, and my feature for today, Pickathon.

I discovered this festival after searching for tour dates for the Punch Brothers (A little band thrown together by Chris Thile... who used to have this little band by the name of Nickel Creek.. maybe you've heard of them). They're performance at bonnaroo was outstanding and I was thirsty for more. While perusing dates and locations, on a whim I clicked on Pickathon.

That was all it took.

The line-up boasts over 40 incredible artists hailing from all over the country... and Canada!. What was most interesting though, was the strong showing of groups from North Carolina. Second only to the host state of Oregon, there are 5 native North Carolinian groups representing this year; 3 hailing from Asheville, 1 from Durham, and 1 from Raleigh. Compelled by the desire to represent for our great state front row center at the shows of Megafaun, Woody Pines, Town Mountain, Sallie Ford, and none other than Chatham County Line, I went all in.

This is why.

Megafaun - The Longest Day
My hometown of Durham, NC


Woody Pines - Satisfied
Asheville, NC



Town Mountain - I'm on Fire
More amazing strings of Asheville, NC


Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside - I'm worth it
Asheville, NC by way of Portland, OR
(LOVE HER)


Chatham County Line - Birmingham Jail
Inspired by the Chatham/Wake County border... headquartered in the city of Raleigh, NC


Chatham County Line has also worked alongside NC's own Tift Merritt, who I will see at Folks Fest in Colorado.

Unfortunately I will have to leave the festival early to make it to my class in time, but something tells me camping 3 days in the woods, listening to the music of my origins, set during the Pacific NW summer, will be an experience worthy of every penny and frequent flyer mile spent.


For a sample of the entire festival, click here for the Pickathon Radio Widget.

Enjoy ya'll!

03 - bonnaroooooooooooo

I am so bummed about missing it this year. Many have said this year isn't one of their better lineups. I disagree.

See for yourself...

I could just camp out at 'Which Stage' today. Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue... Gaslight Anthem... Umphrey's... The National... Michael Franti. Although I would definitely go over and see the Carolina Chocolate Drops at 'That Tent'... and Edward Sharpe at 'The Other Tent'... but then there's The Gossip... and I would definitely bounce over to 'What Stage' to see Damian Marley and Nas and then again after The National for some Tenacious D and maybe leave Michael Franti early to get a good spot for Kings of Leon. Then The Black Keys!!!!!!! Or the Flaming Lips?? Then GALACTIC! Or LCD Soundsystem!? What to do?!

And that's just FRIDAY!

Thievery Corporation. Tori Amos. The Avett Bros. John Butler Trio. Nneka. Norah Jones. Mumford and Sons. Medeski Martin and Wood. Ok Go. Lotus. Ozomatli. Phoenix. Miike Snow. The Temper Trap. Langhorne Slim. Regina Spektor. Ingrid Michaleson. So many others.... Steve Martin is even there as a Banjo Man!

...... sad panda :(

In an effort to channel the hippies out there in that cow pasture in Tennessee I am listening to bonnaroo radio. Pound-for-pound it is the best music around.

Click here to listen

Oh well. Anyone up for the 10 year anniversary next year?

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UPDATE!


Bonnaroo on NPR!

Bonnaroo on Youtube!

No longer sad panda! :)

02 - Neko Case

Because she gets it. Favorite artist. Period.

"music is an unbiased voice in the dark… no matter who you're not getting along with or there's no one you can talk to, the benevolent voice in the dark still loves you. It's kinda like your dog... it's unconditional love"

01 - Toubab Krewe

Stuff white people like? Not updating their blogs....

... and black music that black people don't listen to anymore.

Just kidding. I've been really busy with work. Actually, I am [was] working right now, but i'm working partially to free up time for fun. One of those *potentially* fun activities is going to the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC this weekend to see the homecoming of the one and only, Toubab Krewe.

I don't have time to write a lot, but if you haven't noticed, I dig world music... and definitely African world music. Well this bunch of mountain boys from Asheville, NC have spent a great deal of time in west Africa, mostly Mali. They're work is solely instrumental, and for someone locked in a room with no windows looking down a scope at itty bitty organisms all day, it helps me transcend my itty bitty world to the vast, open, and mystical African plains..... or something like that.

I first saw them at Bonnaroo 2009. This is video is from that exact show:
"Sirens"


And this is the video that makes me regret not going to Bonnaroo this year. This is Justin from the Toubab Krewe playing the Kora with Matisyahu. SO AMAZING.

For those who don't know Matisyahu yet, it's a Hasidic Jew who sings reggae. Here, he beat boxes for 6 minutes.

07 - Miike Snow

Burial (Beautiful song... really well directed... watch full screen)


Black and Blue (Starring the UK version of "The Dude")


Silvia

06 - Little Brother

MVRemix: To start off, just for the record, how did you come up with the name Little Brother?

Phonte: The name Little Brother was just, um, it just means, the artists we grew up listening to, you know, I'm saying the Tribe, De La, Public Enemy, you know what I'm saying… They were like our big brothers in the game, now they got a little brother following in their footsteps and carrying on the tradition of good music.





There is hardly a soul in the triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) who doesn't know Little Brother. Phonte, Big Pooh, 9th Wonder, the whole Justus League, these are the guys that taught me about hip hop. As my appreciation for these guys grew, I worked backwards to get an appreciation for their 'Big Brothers' like A Tribe called Quest. The influence is obvious. Maybe that song "Still lives through" sounds familiar... maybe a bit like this...




I feel like these guys are my big brothers. That may sound a bit... off, but if you know me you might know why. These guys represent the city I came from. They make me proud to be from Durham. They are incredibly talented and their music has been the gateway to exposing me to other incredible artists. These guys have also given me incredible strength... knowing how hard they work to make their dream come true. Hip hop is their passion.. it's their life... and they do it well. Making a life out of hip hop is not easy. The 'rap game' is brutal and those with the most talent don't necessarily make it to the top. But they turn that struggle into rhymes, put it to fabulous beats, and let it continue to fuel them instead of holding them back. I think we can all take a lesson from that.

Link for the 'Lovin' It' music video



You make me step my game up!

"Roflcopter"... "Lollerskates"

05 - Céu

.... is my GIRL.

She is from São Paulo, Brazil and was introduced to me by those crazy Brazilians at the University of Hawai'i in the file sharing bonanza that happened aboard all our cruises. I was given almost a gig of Brazilian tunes and was able to single her out as exceptional pretty early on.

Her name in Portuguese means "sky" or "heaven" (similar to spanish, "cielo") and she represents a heavenly mix of styles. This interview in Reuters details her influences a bit:

Q: Your music pays tribute to a lot of rhythms that have roots in Africa and the Black culture, be it Samba or Reggae.

A: I have a passion for Black culture, from Jazz divas to Afro beat. Everything comes from Africa.....

Q: You picked up a Bob Marley song "Concrete Jungle" and put it on your first CD. Wasn't that scary?

A: I am a fan of Jamaican music from the 70's... It's also a lyric that reflects our reality in Sao Paulo, it's a Kingston-Sao Paulo connection in a way.

Q: You lived in the United States for a year in 1998/1999, how did that influence you?

A: I came here to learn about another culture, to study music, to be embedded in the culture of Jazz, the music of the streets. New York has a lot of that. I started listening to artists that I wasn't aware of, like Erykah Badu, Lauren Hill, singers and songwriters that put their toes into hip hop. Until then, I only listened to Brazilian music.


A rock solid combination if you ask me.

I know all the words to her songs. Well I sort of don't... because it's in Portuguese... but I have listened to her so much that I can sing the Portuguese (as best as I know how...)

Like this song Lenda...


Or Malemolencia....


As i'm sure you can tell her band is pretty amazing too. So in the event that you need to do any woo-ing in the near future I suggest you brush up on your Samba, pick up a bottle of Casa Valduga Merlot, feature this Brazilian vixen on your mp3 player of choice, and let the games begin (reorrrr!!)

04 - Ok Go

I love these guys, creative lot they are. What brings me to them today? I will share a story....

I'm working in my office on this rainy Sunday afternoon and in the wake of graduation i've been left a bit blue. The last of the masters students who have been great friends have finished and moved on. The last of my undergraduate friends have graduated and are moving on. The last of my close friends in the area will leave at the end of the month. The friends that have already moved on have luckily been good about coming back (can't wait to be writing at the beach with Mrs. Waugh-and-a-half) but today I am stuck feeling a bit sorry for myself.

As the music is always shuffling as I am on my nerd grind, what should pop up but a song by Ok Go - Crash the party. It's rebellious and fun and it made me smile. Then I thought, you know what.. a lot of things about these guys make me smile. Most notably, their music videos.

Perhaps you're familiar with this wildly popular treadmill production:
Here it goes again (fast forward to 20 seconds in-the other video that I couldn't embed has 51 Million views)




In searching for this video, it led me to THIS JEM (a spot-on remake by some high school kids)



As I looked for their other videos, I came across their newest video from their album 'Of the Blue Color of the Sky' and it is UNBELIEVABLE. Think Scotty Smalls's Erector Set domino contraption on crack.




Now this foray into the abyss of internet distractions may seem counter productive, but I would argue otherwise. After attending the lecture by one Jorge Cham, creator of PHD Comics, I feel okay taking time for mental health. If you were to graph my productivity it would resemble a roller coaster at Busch Gardens and let's just say I spent the entire last week going uphill. But despite everything... the long days, the long weeks, the thinning social life (an unfortunate casualty of higher education) you still gotta find things that make you smile. Between Ok Go and the dizzying spiral of web queries following as a result of this blog entry my face now looks like this:

:D

... and I am rejuvenated and ready to return to conquering my spreadsheets!

03 - Emily King

I've got data compiling. So what do scientists do when compiling? Goof off!!

Emily King is my age, a 24 year old Cancer from New York City who I learned about through (and reminds me of) another 24 year old New Yorker (a certain blond Virgo). She has a beautiful, sassy, jazzy, slightly latin sound that resonates with the sound of the streets of NYC. I have been to NYC... at least a dozen times, and experienced it as both a tourist and a local and you can literally feel the city in her music. It's got soul, flavor, and toughness.

Though she's been nominated for a grammy and is associated with the likes of Alicia Keys and Biggie, she's still largely off the mainstream radar. She may not be for everyone (mainly for the ladies, but the fellas love her too), but she's got what Stephen Colbert might call "Truthiness". She sings from the heart about a real life of struggle and I respect that alot. No matter what is going on, I can find a song with a sentiment that I identify with, and sing right along with her.

Happy Friday!

Walk in My Shoes


Walk in My Shoes with Lupe Fiasco (awesome version)



U and I



Moon



Hold Me

Sampler

Some kibble for the mind, body, and soul

The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio



Dinosaur Feathers - I Ni Sogoma


Bon Iver - Come Talk to Me (Peter Gabriel cover, but so much more...)



So many rivers but they all reach the sea....


Blissful company goes from sea to sea
From the depths of the valley to the mountain peaks
So many stories and so many fables of how the king sings of how the wall wails
Jerusalem to the Holy Himalayas
From Mount Zion to the hills of Jamaica
All land is holy, all land is sacred
All shall leave this world completely naked
Completely naked, completely

02 - Bonobo

Bonobo(n):
1) Species of monkey also known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee
2) A human and/or species of monkey that enjoys sexual activities
3) The stage name of British musician, DJ, and producer Simon Green

Yes it's all true i'm afraid. I however will discuss the latter of the definitions.

Bonobo is a favorite. I work, play, chill, think, everything to this music. I would feel remiss as a fan by tainting your first impression of the music with some poorly articulated explanation of why I like him so much. What I will say, is that I have A LOT of memories attached to these songs. Distinct, vivid memories. Because I often play it in the 'background', it is not until I listened to the songs later that I associate it with specific memories.

I have an aaaaaaaamazing memory associated with this song
(from the album 'Dial M for Monkey'... a nod to the chimpanzee I suppose)



And this one... I dance to. I stop what i'm doing (as long as i'm alone) and go back to my roots as a dancer and express the hell out of myself. For some reason now every time I hear this song I think of the time on the last Antarctic cruise I was up late working all by myself with my headphones in... I heard this song and just stopped what I was doing and started movin'...
(From the album Days to Come)

01 - My Morning Jacket

A fantastic end to April.. a fantastic beginning to May.

April was a hell of a month for me. I faced ridiculous amounts of adversity. Ridiculous. However, I still managed to make some pretty monumental achievements and this concert was the perfect celebration of those achievements. Yesterday evening my friend Ms. Felzein and I dined outside on a blissfully warm and sunny afternoon, we attend a fabulous concert by The Jacket, painted the town while consuming an ill-advised amount of alcohol and street-cart fare, and I am confident that we walked the equivalent of 'a lap' around the entire city of Raleigh.

Time of your life, eh kid?

My Morning Jacket may not be your typical rock band. Jim James does not have a typical voice. This song "Touch me i'm going to scream part deux" was my anthem for the night... boy did I shout out the words to this song. Not because I actually thought "touch me i'm going to scream", but it alludes to some wisdom that a very good friend bestowed upon me recently. It's easy to lose perspective of your own happiness when you're feeling overwhelmed or uncertain. Instead of living for the happiness that is to come...

...seek the happiness of this moment. Here. Now.


Ohhh this feeling is wonderful, don't you ever turn it off...


................................................
PS - I also LOVE LOVE LOVE this song: Gideon. Best heard live (if you get an album, get Okonokos. It's a live recording and my personal fave)

10 - The 90s

For the last few weeks Ms. Ladd and I have been reminiscing through a lot of memories. The loss of a friend and his love for hip hop(throw your hands in the ayerr if yous a true playerrr), the rediscovery of the show "The Wonder Years", and most recently the band 'Savage Garden' (like a chica cherry colaaa). Oh the days of the babysitters club, mary kate & ashley, nickelodeon, Cher and Dion in Clueless, brandy vs. monica, britney vs. christina, backstreet boys vs. nsync, and the glory days of Total Request Live (when MTV ACTUALLY played music) and the battle of the rock bands Blink182, Limp Bizkit, KoRn, Kid rock, and who could forget.. Sisqo's Thong Song (which has recently become popular again).

This is in no way a 'Best of the 90s' list, but it is a list of songs that bring back a lot of memories, for better or for worse. Enjoy.

just a friend - biz markie - 1989
we got the jazz - a tribe called quest - 1991
real love - mary j blige - 1992
Dream - the cranberries - 1993
red light special - tlc - 1994
big poppa - biggie - 1994
sabotage - beastie boys - 1994
hold my hand - hootie and the blowfish - 1994
always be my baby - mariah carey - 1995
just a girl - no doubt - 1995
1979 - smashing pumpkins - 1996
one headlight - The Wallflowers - 1996
I want you - savage garden - 1997
How's it gonna be - third eye blind - 1997
all my life - k-ci and jojo - 1998
faith - limp bizkit - 1998
I want it that way - 1998
the boy is mine - brandy and monica - 1998
got the life - korn - 1999
baby one more time - britney spears - 1999
genie in a bottle - christina aguilera - 1999
(I know.. but you can not deny their star power...)

09 - Raheem DeVaughn

... was on NPR tonight. Say whaa?

Any one who is familiar with my Palmer Station playlists may know the name Raheem Devaughn or at least the song 'Woman' which made it's debut in the Antarctic during LMG 0802 (then again you may not remember it...). Some rolled their eyes and doubted my vision into this man's talent. Well guess what.. All Things Considered just affirmed that I knew what was up!



So tonight, Raheem DeVaughn hung out with Guy Roz and talked about his new record 'The Love and War Masterpeace'. When asked about the concept of the record, Raheem responded:

'The Love and War Masterpeace is just that... we're all in a place internally where we are trying to master our own peace'...'everything is pretty crazy right now. I wanted to make a record that capture those moments, but was also uplifting at the same time'

He has always written socially conscious music, and is especially known for his respect and reverence for women, but the novelty of this record is the political messages embedded within. According to NPR, this song 'Bulletproof' has been compared to Marvin Gaye's 'Inner City Blues'




There are also spoken-word interludes throughout the record featuring the voice of Dr. Cornell West, who is a professor of African American studies at Princeton. From what I have heard so far, it adds fluidity and a real dimension of depth to the album. But fear not, it still has the traditional fabulous R&B love flavor. Listen at your own risk... I take no responsibility for the good vibrations that result (... okay, maybe i'll take just a little credit)

08 - Vieux Farka Toure

Son of Ali Farka Toure, I believe he has officially surpassed his father in popularity. While his father awakened the world to the sound of soul and blues that can be found in Mali, Vieux has made it modern and delivered it to the mainstream.

I first had the chance to hear him at Bonnaroo, which is quite conscious of including world music in their vast musical repertoire. I now own his album Fondo and it's quite amazing. Below is only a small sample of his sound, but I am in the lab working and jamming to it, and if you decide to listen to more I think you'll find that he's got what it takes to make the day go by pretty smoothly.

Artist: Vieux Farka Toure
How I found it: Bonnaroo
Style: West African soul/blues/rock
Favorite Album: Fondo
Song picks: Fafa, Ai du

Testimonial - Ben Harper

(I wrote this over a week ago and never posted it)


He's a prolific musician and chances are you know his work. 'Steal my kisses' was all the rage in '99 and 'Woman in you' was in almost every playlist I made from highschool through college. His list of collaborations is long and distinguished < insert joke here >. He's a two time grammy winner, plays a mean slide guitar, and writes socially conscious music to go with his activist resume. But of his qualifications, what endears his music to me most is the unparalleled, mind blowing, soul liberating experiences I have had at his live shows. I'm going to share with you two experiences which I hope compel you, by ANY means necessary, to see him LIVE.

bonnaroo 2007
I spent a lot of time at the bluegrass tent, mostly because John Paul Jones of Led Zepellin produced over half the bands and was playing mandolin with them to boot. Rumor 'round the tent was that he would be playing with Ben Harper and I knew that was a show I couldn't miss. When Jones finally made his entrance, he started accompanying with the mandolin. But then.. he picked up the bass.. and he began playing the haunting, groaning intro to Dazed and Confused, and to this day, when I play the video clip and remember that moment electricity runs through my entire body - head to toe. It sounds cliche, but the moment was truly transcendent. Ben's strikingly emotive voice, the gravity of hearing a legend like John play brought the song to life in a way I had never experienced before. It took me back in time. It was a place in time that I had obviously never been, but I somehow felt connected to it. If I had to pinpoint the instance where I first truly understood what it meant to love music, that would be it.

The song 'Better Way'
The performance of this one song stands out in my mind more than any song i've heard at any other show, save the one listed above. I'm going to paint a picture, and when i'm done, close your eyes. Play the song. Turn it all the way up, and picture you're there with me.

A concert in an intimate outdoor theater on the leeward side of a hot NC summer. It's the release tour for 'Both Sides of the Gun', an album inspired by a nation discontent with recent government action and inaction, most notably in the wake of Katrina. Barefoot in the grass, enveloped in a warm sticky humidity, and standing in a light rain that had been persisting for hours, they start to play 'Better Way'. There is an undulating fog of mist and smoke hanging over the crowd, which is suddenly filled with a fluorescent purple light pouring from the stage. Light threads visibly between hundreds of hands and fingers outstretched in the sky. Ben sings, pleads to us, his voice in the air as thick as the mist and as palpable as the rain drops falling on our hands and face. He comes to the end of the stage, the people surrounding him, reaching out to him, they begin holding him up.. he screams:

"Reality is sharp it cuts at me like a knife
Everyone I know is in the fight of their lives,

and I believe there's a better way!"

An anguish so genuine it brought tears to my eyes...

Yes I believe there's a better way...




I also recommend watching the music video.

07 - Farewell Milwaukee

Holy crap. So i'm new to the party, but Pandora brought this group up today and i'm HOOKED.

Their sound is reminiscent of Caedmon's call (for those who know them) and the lead singer kinda sounds like Keith Urban. It's folky/rocky/truthy/sad-happy/fairly pop-y.. and o-so-accessible.

I don't know much, but I know they have a new fan in me.



And I love the album art (click for their myspace)

06 - People Under the Stairs

After 2 weeks of 80s this 50 degrees feels cold as hell. But i'm on the back porch anyway...still writing, drinking a beer and chillin' out with PUTS... People Under the Stairs.

These cats are chill as hell. Double K does the beats and the rhymes and Thes One ryhmes, produces, and handles the bi'ness. They have a style similar to A Tribe called Quest and Jurassic 5 with a purer form of DJing than most groups today. Their beats are fresh and funky and their lyrics are well constructed with humor, puns, poetry, and inspiration. At the same time, they still hold onto their Cali origins.. I feel that i'm cruisin' the palm tree lined streets of LA right there with em.

True to their lyrics in "Montego Slay":
'two cats making it fat it's like that
with a rap similar to a pi-ti-pat of a cat'

Artist: PUTS - Thes One and Double K
How I found em: Bonnaroo
Favorite Album: O.S.T., Carried Away
Song picks: The Outrage and Beer

(But I LOVE Montego Slay, San Francisco Knights, Empty Bottles of Water.. actually everything from OST)



This next song is hilarious.... plus they sample the 'Price is Right' theme (1:53)... which is ridiculous

sometimes Chimay.. yell it like TIMMAY
You like hangin' on twitter.. and we like BEER

Sampler

Fun songs for the day

... and as always, for optimum enjoyment.. turn it all the way up!!

Soul - Crown City Rockers


In Search of - Miike Snow


Lisztomania - Phoenix


Lights and Music - Cut copy


Half Mast - Empire of the Sun


Hot night hounds - Annuals

05 - Deer Tick

If it's good enough for Neko it's good enough for me.

Deer Tick opened for Neko when I went to see her in Charlotte a few months ago. In terms of opening acts, they would be what urban dictionary might call 'the shit'. Their sound is unpretentious, a rock/folk band with nuances like the occasional violin, and they're music is inspired without being overly dramatic. Lyrics with real stories and just a dash o' poetry. Plus John McCauley's voice has an edge to it that really makes the whole thing just.. work.

However, I think my favorite thing about them is their personality. Most specifically John. The whole band was pretty stoned during the show but John provided commentary between songs (and even during songs) that left me in stitches the entire show.

They may not gel with you immediately, but I think if you give them a chance they'll grow on you. But if you go to a show, you are guaranteed a good time.

Artist: Deer Tick
From: Providence, RI
How I found it: Neko Case's opening act
Favorite Album: War Elephant
Song Picks: Ashamed, These Old Shoes

This gives you a sample of how talented and humorous he is..



I just found this animation for this song.. really sweet!

04 - Jack Rose

An artist gone too soon.

I'm not going to say much, as the music speaks for itself (and i'm a little busy right now), but Jack Rose is a phenomenal guitarist. He plays 6-string, 12-string, and lap-slide guitar using open tuning. It's a beautiful sound, and depending on the piece that can mean 'happy' or haunting.

Artist: Jack Rose
From: VA originally, PA mostly
Style: Inspired by Ragtime, Country-Blues
How I found it: His posthumous fame, NPR weekend edition did a feature in honor of his passing (12.05.09)
Favorite album: As 'Dr Ragtime & Pals' - (Self-Titled)

03 - The Fairfield Four

I am a child of the South. There are a lot of things about the South I was not brought up with because I was also a child of 'Yankees'. None the less, there are some things that you absolutely can not escape appreciating, especially in North Carolina.

Green. Sweet tea. Carolina beaches. Rocking chairs. Shuttered windows. BBQ (don't try to fight with me on how to prepare it). College Basketball (Let's go Duke) Porch sittin'. Sundays. Story tellin'. Bluegrass. Gospel.

There is so much history in the South. Jump on 58 and head down to the beach. Charleston. Savannah. The small towns. The farm land. The old men who have lived simple lives and still have the most harrowing of stories. If you don't live in the South, it's hard to describe how rich a space it is. I've been in it my whole life and have recently been reflecting on my place here. One thing is for sure, no matter where I end up, I know I will always have a place to come back to.

I am looking out onto a beautiful Sunday morning through giant white shutters, trees filled with green and purple buds, sun shining, listening to the soulful sound of a southern gospel group, The Fairfield Four. This group is the sound of the South. The history of southern gospel music is rooted in the revival movement and features messages on how God is the solution to everyday problems. This typically "quartet" style group with tenor-lead-baritone-bass members is easy to appreciate, Christian or not.

Artist: The Fairfield Four
From: Nashville, TN
Style: A capella Gospel group
How I found it: My pops
History: Started as a trio in Nashville' Fairfield Baptist Church in 1921 and have had a total of 16 members. They perform mostly as a quintet now and were featured briefly in O Brother Where art Thou.

02 - Ten Years Gone *My song*

I don't think I can go any further with this blog until I explain 'My song'. Perhaps it is a fallacy to believe that I can sum the whole of my existence into a single song. Especially this early in my existence. And maybe it is. But that doesn't mean that I haven't tried. And that doesn't mean you shouldn't either. It's an excellent soul-searching exercise.

I can recall the moment that I discovered 'my song'.. drivin down the road about 3 years ago, wind in my hair, listening to a song I had heard a thousand times before. Then it hits me. The great philosopher Bob Marley once said, 'One good thing about music is that when it hits, you feel no pain.' There is wisdom in his argument, but I fundamentally disagree. I know plenty of songs that when they 'hit'... I feel pain. Everywhere. My chest, my eyeballs, my gut, my throat, my toes, the very top of my skull. Ten Years Gone is one of those songs. When I was listening to it that day, it was like I was hearing the song for the first time. I heard an aching in his words, what he lost, what he still has, what he remembers, what he learned. I didn't just have one emotion, I think I felt all of them.

Pain. Love. Sadness. Hope. Remorse. Longing. Joy.

What this actually says about me I've scrutinized only minimally. Through the process of learning how to be an 'educator' I have found that I am a 'Global Learner', meaning I can see the big picture and easily reach conclusions, but I struggle when trying to articulate how I got there. I feel a deep connection to the essence of the song but internally I wrestle with the specifics of why. So here is my crack at the specifics.. as best as I can tell you:

I have taken most strongly to the first 3 lines 'then as it was, then again it will be etc.' It is technically a song about Robert Plant's first love who made him choose between her, and his music (obviously he chose the latter). It was a love so powerful that even though it's 'ten years gone' still stirs profound emotion. It's about finding your soul mate 'we are eagles of one nest, the nest is in our soul' ... and yet you're left gut wrenchingly heartbroken knowing that it will never be, 'Flyin' skys of fortune, each have separate ways', completely confounded by the mess left in the wake of your choices 'kinda makes me feel sometimes, didn't have to go' and yet you still come out alive.. and breathing.. 'changes fill my time, baby that's alright with me' still mindful of your pain 'in the midst I think of you and how it used to be', but ultimately still capable of love.

You hear this story not only in the lyrics, but perhaps more significantly in the music itself. The guitar seems to say everything the lyrics do, even culminating in a finish that is as triumphant as the revelation of love itself. Plant, Page, Bonham, Jones... maybe i'm putting them on a pedestal, but in the end what this song amounts to for me is a great work of art. My favorite work of art. It may or may not prove to ring completely true, but I can probably let you know in ten years.


Ten Years Gone - Led Zeppelin

Then as it was, then again it will be
An' though the course may change sometimes
Rivers always reach the sea
Flyin' skys of fortune, each have separate ways
On the wings of maybe, downing birds of prey
Kind of makes me feel sometimes, didn't have to go
But as the eagle leaves the nest, it's got so far to go

Changes fill my time, baby, that's alright with me
In the midst I think of you, and how it used to be

Did you ever really need somebody, And really need 'em bad
Did you ever really want somebody, The best love you ever had
Do you ever remember me, baby, did it feel so good
'Cause it was just the first time, And you knew you would

Do your eyes not sparkle, Senses growing keen
Tastin' love along the way, See your feathers preen
Kind of makes makes me feel sometimes, Didn't have to go
We are eagles of one nest, The nest is in our soul

Fixin' in my dreams with great surprise to me
Never thought I'd see your face the way it used to be
Oh darlin', oh darlin'

I'm never gonna leave you. I never gonna leave
Holdin' on, ten years gone
Ten years gone, holdin' on, ten years gone

01 - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

(I've decided to start the 'tracks' over each month)

Hello Spring!

And say hello to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This wacky multi-member band will get your toe tapping and put you in the best of moods, no matter the circumstance or season. But since we have been granted this beautiful day, I now gift you the songs to make you beebop your way through it. Enjoy!

Artists:
* Alex Ebert - vocals, guitar, percussion, piano
* Jade Castrinos - vocals, guitar
* Nico Aglietti - guitar, synthesizer, keyboards, vocals
* Stewart Cole - trumpet, percussion, keyboards, tenor ukulele, vocals
* Tay Strathairn - piano, vocals
* Aaron Older - bass, vocals, banjo, percussion
* Josh Collazo - drums, percussion, vocals
* Orpheo McCord - percussion, vocals
* Nora Kirkpatrick - accordion, vocals
* Christian Letts - guitar, vocals

Auxiliary Talent

* Chris Richard - vocals, percussion
* Anna Bulbrook - violin, vocals
* Aaron Embry - keyboards, piano, vocals
* Tyler James - piano, vocals
* Ryan Richter - guitar, lap steel, vocals
* Michael "FARF" Farfel - announcer, general laugh man, management

From: Sunny California (of course..)
Style: Folk/Indie/a tad bit psychedelic
How I found it: indiestreetcred.com
Favorite Album:Their one and only album, Up From Below
Song Picks: 40 Day Dream, Home
Fun Wikipedia anecdote: After breaking up with his girlfriend, moving out of his house, and joining a 12-step program for addiction, Ebert began work on a story about a messianic figure named Edward Sharpe. According to Ebert, Sharpe "was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind...but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love." Ebert later met singer Jade Castrinos in Los Angeles. In the summer of 2009, as Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Ebert and Castrinos toured the country with a group of fellow musicians in a big white school bus.

04 - Steve Wilson And Wilsonian's Grains

Crunch time on the teaching portfolio. Due tomorrow. If you know me, you can visualize me wearing holes in my scalp from running my fingers through my hair, intravenously supplying caffeine, and generally looking all kinds of frazzled.

Not so, my friends. Not today at least. Why?

My walk to the library to assume my position for the next 24 was set to a backdrop of crystal clear blue skies, 70 degrees, and yes.. I spent entirely too much on that mug of coffee. And as I began to channel my inner educator and reflect on the, admittedly, ridiculous volume of 'professional development' seminars i've participated in, I turned to jazz.

Jazz is so many things for me. It was always in my home growing up. The rolling 'tings' of the cymbals, the syncopated beat of the drum, the crooning sax or wailing trumpet, the punching expressions from the piano, the deep, unimposing commentary from the bass, these sounds are familiar and comforting. These sounds in concert envelop me in a calm serenity that I can only equate to drinking a tall glass of red wine.

And on days like today when I need to focus, what classical is for some, jazz is for me.

So, thanks to the 'Jazz Concert' section of the NPR music page, I am zen-ing to this:

Artist: Steve Wilson and Wilsonian's Grain
Piano: Orrin Evans Bass: Ugonna Okegwo
Drums:Bill Stewart Sax: Steve Wilson
From: Steve hails from Hampton, VA but now lives in NY
Style: Jazz
Concert: Live at the Village Vanguard

I highly recommend you give this group a try. You can:
1) Listen using the player below
2) If you want to download an mp3 of the concert, right click HERE and "Save Link As"

03 - Miyavi

He's Japanese. He's an awesome guitarist. He is, in fact, a dude.

Great guitarists come in all shapes, sizes, and hairstyles (and hats, if you're Buckethead). Eccentricity is almost a right of passage, and Miyavi is no exception. His image is... unconventional (although less so for Tokyo), but what is undeniable is the man can play.

Artist: Miyavi
From: Tokyo, Japan
Style: He's a rockstar... and he knows it.
How I found it: Friend - (Thanks to Ms. Felzein)
Favorite Album: YouTube/MySpace (I don't own an album... yet..)
Song picks: Selfish Love, Survive

Selfish Love - Highlights his guitar skills


Survive - Highlights more of his 'rockstar' side

02 - Ray LaMontagne

Day 2 and i'm already getting snarky commentary about my motives - this being a distraction from tasks like my "thesis"... pshhh! - well Mr. Reineman, you're only half right ; )

At this time, I am going to give Reineman his due credit as the one responsible for first turning me on to such musical gems as Emmylou Harris, Spoon, and Ray LaMontagne. Ray has been his preoccupation as of late, and I must say that it's a good one. So share, I will.

(my first attempt at a quick and dirty synopsis)

Artist: Ray LaMontagne
Style: His voice is definitely the star, great mix of Acoustic/Soul/Folk
How I found it: Friend
Favorite Album: Trouble and Till the Sun Turns Black
Song pick: Jolene

Been so long since I seen your face
Or felt a part of this human race
I've been living out of this here suitcase for way too long
A man needs something he can hold onto
A nine pound hammer or a woman like you
Either one of them things will do




If you haven't discovered NPRs 'All Songs Considered' online concerts yet, here's your first look. (I'd describe more about it, but that's a whole other entry completely).

01 - Intro (with Kaki King)

Perhaps it is ill conceived to start a music blog now, given the kajillions (approximate) of other things demanding my attention (at this moment i'm starring down the table at about 60 lab write-ups that need to be graded. wahh wahh whahh). But it is music that keeps me sane. It is my therapy, and it is just as important to invest in one's mental health as much as anything else, now isn't it?

My motivation? Well life, at least the way I perceive it, is a raucous din of jubilation, consternation, anticipation, frustration, etc. and it can be difficult to address all of these emotions at once, especially since they each seem to demand center stage! So, just as the elderly have a cabinet full of treatments for what ails 'em, say Viagra for vertility or Ginkgo biloba to help them remember to take the Viagra, I have found that there is a tune out there that can remedy each one of life's impromptu dealings, and from what I have heard from you, friends, is that you dig the way I self-medicate.

My mission statement: I will, with great pleasure, post my flavor of the day/week/month (and all related, accessory information) and I hope that somewhere in this list of 'jams' you find the songs that lift you up, get the party started, tap your toes, indulge your sulking (every now and then), invoke reflection, or help you stop thinking all together (as I often feel I need to do).

Finally, a disclaimer. I am no music expert, I am simply in search of the sounds that ring true for me.

So with papers to grade and rain falling, I am compelled to leave you with a delightfully moody (Live!) piece by Kaki King: So Much for So Little. (While you're at it, play 'Montreal' too..)