With an album cover like that, who cares?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Devo-lution Will Be Televised. On Youtube.
Devo has a new Youtube 'reality' series, and it is a lot of fun:
You're going to be seeing these guys a lot here lately, I have a feeling. And that's OK with me.
See them tonight on the Colbert Report, too.
You're going to be seeing these guys a lot here lately, I have a feeling. And that's OK with me.
See them tonight on the Colbert Report, too.
Devo On Letterman
In case you missed it last night, here's Devo doing one from their new album Something For Everybody:
And yes, they do sound "fresh".
Now someone make sure they come to STL. Please?
And yes, they do sound "fresh".
Now someone make sure they come to STL. Please?
Josh Ritter: The Curse
One of the better new releases this year has been Josh Ritter's new album, So Runs The World Away. And now he has a nice video to accompany it, for the song The Curse.
It's your typical mummy comes to life, falls in love with a pretty archeologist. But wait! Before you say "yeah, who hasn't written a song about THAT?", please note that the video is a gem performed all by puppets! And the video was created by Josh's drummer, Liam Hurly, who is also a puppeteer. It's a great, deceptively simple video:
You can read more about the creation of the video over at NPR, where they have a nice description from Liam.
It's your typical mummy comes to life, falls in love with a pretty archeologist. But wait! Before you say "yeah, who hasn't written a song about THAT?", please note that the video is a gem performed all by puppets! And the video was created by Josh's drummer, Liam Hurly, who is also a puppeteer. It's a great, deceptively simple video:
You can read more about the creation of the video over at NPR, where they have a nice description from Liam.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Norah Jones Covers The Kinks At Bonnaroo
Well, this was a welcome surprise. I admit to liking the Kinks but never truly falling head over heels for them. This cover version sounds more like a lost piece of Americana, something from the Band's discography, rather than a track from an English rock act. Here's the song "Strangers", which was originally released on the album "Picture Book"
She sounds good, doesn't she? Here's the lyrics:
Where are you going I don't mind
I've killed my world and I've killed my time
So where do I go what do I see
I see many people coming after me
So where are you going to I don't mind
If I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
So I will follow you wherever you go
If your offered hand is still open to me
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
So you've been where I've just come
From the land that brings losers on
So we will share this road we walk
And mind our mouths and beware our talk
'Till peace we find tell you what I'll do
All the things I own I will share with you
If I feel tomorrow like I feel today
We'll take what we want and give the rest away
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
Holy man and holy priest
This love of life makes me weak at my knees
And when we get there make your play
'Cos soon I feel you're gonna carry us away
In a promised lie you made us believe
For many men there is so much grief
And my mind is proud but it aches with rage
And if I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
She sounds good, doesn't she? Here's the lyrics:
Where are you going I don't mind
I've killed my world and I've killed my time
So where do I go what do I see
I see many people coming after me
So where are you going to I don't mind
If I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
So I will follow you wherever you go
If your offered hand is still open to me
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
So you've been where I've just come
From the land that brings losers on
So we will share this road we walk
And mind our mouths and beware our talk
'Till peace we find tell you what I'll do
All the things I own I will share with you
If I feel tomorrow like I feel today
We'll take what we want and give the rest away
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
Holy man and holy priest
This love of life makes me weak at my knees
And when we get there make your play
'Cos soon I feel you're gonna carry us away
In a promised lie you made us believe
For many men there is so much grief
And my mind is proud but it aches with rage
And if I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
Sage Francis: The Best Of Times
Li(f)e, by Sage Francis, is a very good release that came out a couple of weeks ago. Here's a key track from the album, The Best Of Times:
Sage Francis has a handful of dates in the States before heading off to Europe. The closest he has come to St. Louis was in May, when he came to the Blue Note in Columbia. It doesn't seem like we get many of the indie rappers here, which is a shame. I'd like to check out more of these types of shows:
Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre - 6/14/10
Austin, TX - Mohawk - 6/15/10
Houston, TX - House of Blues - 6/16/10
Orlando, FL - Club at Firestone - 6/18/10
Atlanta, GA - The Loft - 6/19/10
Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle - 6/21/10
Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel - 6/22/10
Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar - 6/23/10
Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero - 6/24/10
New York, NY - Webster Hall - 6/25/10
Rap oftern gets categorized as simple-minded. It is, and can be, so much more in the right hands. I think Sage is a perfect example of a person using the musical form to get across his ideas and personality. Here's the song Got Up This Morning. As a sidenote, the video also has Buck 65 as one of his card-playing buddies, and Jolie Holland sings the female parts.
Sage Francis has a handful of dates in the States before heading off to Europe. The closest he has come to St. Louis was in May, when he came to the Blue Note in Columbia. It doesn't seem like we get many of the indie rappers here, which is a shame. I'd like to check out more of these types of shows:
Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre - 6/14/10
Austin, TX - Mohawk - 6/15/10
Houston, TX - House of Blues - 6/16/10
Orlando, FL - Club at Firestone - 6/18/10
Atlanta, GA - The Loft - 6/19/10
Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle - 6/21/10
Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel - 6/22/10
Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar - 6/23/10
Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero - 6/24/10
New York, NY - Webster Hall - 6/25/10
Rap oftern gets categorized as simple-minded. It is, and can be, so much more in the right hands. I think Sage is a perfect example of a person using the musical form to get across his ideas and personality. Here's the song Got Up This Morning. As a sidenote, the video also has Buck 65 as one of his card-playing buddies, and Jolie Holland sings the female parts.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
One For My Baby
Johnny Mercer was a classic songwriter. It's interesting to compare Fred Astaire to Dean Martin, the different takes on the song. Fred is surprisingly dark with his take, and Dean is, well, Dean. The guy ALWAYS looked like he was having fun. No breaking champagne glasses for him.
The Astaire clip has about 4 minutes of his film, superfluous for this comparison, but the best clip I could find.
I wasn't around when these songs, these versions, were released. But I still feel a pang, realizing that they are slowly slipping away. And by 'they' I mean all of these songs that were before our time. The obsession with 'what's next' at the expense of what came before is a crime.
The Astaire clip has about 4 minutes of his film, superfluous for this comparison, but the best clip I could find.
I wasn't around when these songs, these versions, were released. But I still feel a pang, realizing that they are slowly slipping away. And by 'they' I mean all of these songs that were before our time. The obsession with 'what's next' at the expense of what came before is a crime.
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