Artists: Blu and Exile
Album: Below the Heavens
Song: Dancing In the Rain
No need to over-analyze; just listen.
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A Web Log for professional appreciators and mediocre musicians |
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Artists: Blu and Exile
Album: Below the Heavens Song: Dancing In the Rain No need to over-analyze; just listen.
Artist: Len Barry
Album: 1-2-3 Song: 1-2-3  I'm planning on beginning my own radio program at my school, but I have been finding it difficult in deciding what music I would broadcast.
I came to the decision of broadcasting oldies. K-RTH 101.0 in Los Angeles is a radio station I have been listening to since my early days on this planet. My earliest memories consist of being in the back seat of my family's car with this station on the radio. I would emphasize on the hit singles on the late 50s, the Motown Pop explosions of the 60s and 70s, the British Invasion, US Rock n' Roll, and early 70s soul, and the golden years of Capitol and Decca records. One single that stands out is Len Barry's "1-2-3." This recognizable hit from 1965 is a beautiful example of U.S. pop music in the 60s. It has all those audible motifs of the music of that time: moderately fast tempo, a copious load of horn orchestration, and "sing-a-long" lyrics. This tune will be apart of my repertoire if I should happen to get the ball rolling on my radio program.
Artist: Ralf van Meer
Song: Valse Romantique Composer: Claude Debussy (1890)  Over the course of the past couple of years classical music has become an increasingly favored genre of mine. When I try to get to know someone, one of my customary questions is "What kind of music do you like?" Any response will have me engaged and even more so if that person would happen to mention artists I have yet to regard. But there is one response I loathe and, quite possibly, will leave a bad impression on me from my new acquaintance.
"I like ____ , ____ , and ____ ; except classical music." Que? Why do some individuals possess some detestation towards classical music? Did it try to rape your ears as a child? I can understand why children and younger individuals don't welcome Classical music into their lives; because it ain't hip. It ain't rocket science. But I cannot fathom why twenty-somethings and older don't hold some value in Classical music. It's strikes me as odd. Claude Debussy is my favorite late-Romantic era composer. Hell, last year, I took up piano lessons because of him. I attempted to learn "Clair de Lune" and have since learned everything besides the last two pages of the suite; because, like most romantic music, it is extremely intermediate. When I find the time this winter I will try my hardest to complete the song. In my biased opinion, his impressionistic style is heavenly sublime compared to most romantic composers, such as Tchaikovsky or Chopin. Debussy can take you into another dimension with his divine technicality and could do it in simplistic methods. Valse Romantique is one of those pieces by Debussy where you'll fail at attempting to dissect the style. This waltz has delicately placed arpeggios, deep rich tones, and mimicking minor dissonances with vibrant vibrations. Ralf van Meer, an engineer that plays music as a hobby, plays a beautiful interpretation of this piece that can be a great introduction to romantic era styles.
Artist: Ted Leo + the Pharmacists
Album: Shake The Sheets Song: The Angels' Share 
I have no clue what happened to this band. Haven't payed too much attention to them this year. They have been seriously neglected in my Zune media player. I've seen this band live twice. For a trio of white dudes, Ted Leo and the RX can really get you movin' with their high paced energy. The Angels' Share is some good ole' Rock n' Roll with alternative-country overtones. I can't think of much to say for this song, but I think it is universally enjoyed by all for being such a bad-ass tune. Take a listen for yourself, you'll understand when you let these Soundwaves orgasm in your cerebrum. Happy Siterday!
Artist: People Under the Stairs
Album: O.S.T. Song: Acid Raindrops 
Artist: Polaris
Album: Music From the Adventures of Pete & Pete Song: Summerbaby WHEN did my earliest joy for playing guitar occur? Let me take you back... My favorite show as a kid was the Adventures of Pete and Pete on Nickelodeon. That show had the best writing evah and no show has been able to match its unique and absurdly beautiful surrealism. And Artie will always be the world's strongest man, in my opinion.  Polaris was the band the produced the intro song for the show. "Hey Sandy" will remain as one of my most treasured intros for a television show. It's a staple of my youth and every time I hear it it transports me back to a carefree world with endless Saturday mornings and Ren & Stimpy cartoons.
 "Summerbaby" remains one of my favorite tracks from this album simply because Younger Pete played guitar for this track on the show. Obviously, he is not in the actual recording; hey may be singing on the chorus "Nobody knows, nobody knows!" but I could definitely be wrong. It's catchy, you won't be able to resist singing.
 This tune flat out grabs a hold of you from the get-go with the slickest bass lines from a 90's tune and mysterious guitar flanger effects. The drumming will have you keeping rhthym in your head and everytime I hear I can't help but start moving my ass.
This healthy dose of nostalgia possesses lyrics that are equally surreal as the show's content itself. "Do you see a lot of angels up there like you? / Wolfgang and Vincent Van Gogh, / Have you seen Josephine? / Someone from town like Marshall Brown or someone you know?" Mark Mulcahy, lead singer for Polaris, can combine such crazy lyrics into an extremely catchy tune. "I was around / Nobody knows, nobody knows" remains as the songs most recognized lyrical element. The tune is often blasted from my car stereo when rollin down the I-10; I hope some lucky bystander recognizes the song and can recollect similar memories. As I listen to this, I can remember the episode in which younger Pete would recite these words while playing his Fender Strat. I wanted that. WHEN I saw this, my life was pivoted into a new musical direction. I can say that with extreme confidence. Today, I am unashamed in saying that Nickelodean changed my effin' my life.
Artists: Jeff Tweedy / Bob Dylan
Album: I'm Not There Soundtrack Song: Simple Twist of Fate  I'm a HUGE Wilco aficionado. I'm constantly following what this band is doing and what side projects their working on. I saw I'm Not There earlier this year at my home; I saw it twice actually, back to back. That's how much I enjoyed this friggin pelicula. The soundtrack, in my opinion, besides the five different individuals that play Bob Dylan, is the most staggeringly beautiful element of the film.
Jeff Tweedy is my generation's Bob Dylan. I won't go into too much detail about why, but listen to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco and you'll understand my convictions for the band. You might not like the music, but hopefully you can understand why I do. This song appears on Dylan's Blood On the Tracks albums, including the NY sessions album. One of Dylan's most critical albums, many of these songs were interpreted by many contemporary artists for I'm Not There; I suppose this album had an impact on them as well. The song is about love lost, lyrically it is somberly colorful, but in a good way; but isn't most good music? Very Dylanesque, I say that because many critics had thought Dylan lost his way in the early 70's. It's a good thing he got his ass divorced and heart broken, then we wouldn't have such sincerely written music. What I enjoy about this album is that Dylan's songs are not covered to extreme interpretations. Many bands who release their own interpretations of songs can take it a little too far attempting to make the song one of their own creations. Tweedy's version, besides replacing the harmonica in Dylan's version to a country-fiddle, is a perfect example of how those influenced by an artist can imitate their songs without taking it too far. The song feels like it was recorded in a "jam-session" atmosphere. Where the musicians knew the chords, ryhtym, and lyrics and just played the damn song in a simple, respectable manner. Tweedy adds his own little inflections to the song but their's nothing in the song that stands out as an attempt to make this song his own. |
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