“…the songs are always accessible and welcoming to the listener, they have a warmth, like they’re inviting you in and handing you a beer. Plus their sense of melody, and of course their economy of hooks is still astounding—they can do so much with so little, sound so epic in under a minute. I can’t think of any other band that does that.” – Ezra Feinberg, Citay
Archive for the 'Music' Category
The Acorn, \"Brokered Hear\" acoustic, in the van
WOW. WHAT a KICK-ASS song! The harmonies and rhythm are as tight as the studio version, ignore the compression and listen;
All those people
What they don’t know might kill em
They say I’m unhappy
Why can’t I sleep at night
They say all I wanna do is laugh
All I wanna do is laugh
And I don’t wanna hit the other kids in anger
Oh, but I do
Even when I don’t want to
All I wanna do is clap
All I wanna do is sing
And I don’t wanna sing another song in anger
Oh, but I do
Because I have to
Oh and it makes me think about things I shouldn’t be
Takes my breath like fire underwater
But if you’ve gotta run
Well then you’ve gotta run
Save no tears for the morning, oh
All us people
What we don’t say might kill us
All we say all I wanna do is laugh
All I wanna do is laugh
And I don’t wanna hear another word in anger
Oh, but I do
When you don’t have to
When I sleep tonight when will the morning come my way
What if it doesn’t
Well then you’ve gotta run
And when you’ve gotta run
Save no tears for the morning, oh
All us people
We’ve got fire within us
From a discussion of this fact, including the bonus that the musicians are striking, cancelling concerts;
“Take the emotion out of it and look at it from a completely rational perspective. Before a union, a musician in an orchestra was paid what he could command from the owner. If a private owner, and the orchestra a success, the first chair players get the salary they earn, as do the lesser players on down. Now, unions come. The government sticks a gun in the private owner’s snout and demands he pay ALL the musicians MORE than he was paying the best one. The total payroll rises. The customers do not care – they will not all pay more to see the orchestra. Revenues go down. The private owner is forced to either close or take handouts. When the economy crashes, suddenly there isn’t any more money for handouts. Do you see the problem?”
Beginning with the opening drum roll of Springsteen’s “Badlands”, and the patented Telecaster drone of “Because The Night”, Bethany Cosentino also channels Liz Phair as the Crystals through Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound. There’s never been a summer song that layers wistfulness over a hint of menace like “Boyfriend” does, from “Crazy For You” streaming online now at urban outfitters;
Urban Outfitters – Features – Exclusive Album Stream: Best Coast.
30
Apr
Friday Music – Passion Pit
NERDS!
Yes, dwell on the indie backstory, or their ubiquity if you want, but this song – “Little Secrets” will rock your face off, if you let it;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6NqCRYy68s&feature=youtube_gdata
Motley look, great band. Canada wins again!
The Dears Money Babies on YouTube
I don’t usually look to musicians for economic illumination
- (except maybe blues musicians - this IS a Depression, after all, and blues IS Depression Music) -
…but I just LOVE The Dears’ “Money Babies”;
Our money is elastic. Our money is elastic.
Gotta get milk for the baby and our money is elastic.
Decapitative laughter is keeping us alive.
Cavalcades of losers, losing their minds.
Hoping for disaster. Settin’ off alarms.
Amid all of the deranged. Amid all the charmed.
Do you remember that time when we thought we were gonna die?
Well, baby nothing much has changed.
And yet they haven’t been the same since at all.
Our money is elastic. Our money is elastic.
Gotta get milk for the baby. Gotta get milk for the baby.
(Honorable Mention – not economic, but also Canadian – Hey Rosetta – “Red Heart”)
Oh, and – Holy Shit! – The Hold Steady – “Constructive Summer” – (Joe and I can relate to this)
Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer / I think he might have been our only decent teacher / getting older makes it harder to remember / we are our only saviors
22
May
Beautiful, Sad, Friday Music
Yesterday I heard this startlingly beautiful ode to love and mortality;
Iron and Wine – “Naked As We Came”
She says wake up it’s no use pretending
I’ll keep stealing breathing her
Birds are leaving over Autumn’s ending
One of us will die inside these arms
Eyes wide open
Naked as we came
One will spread our
Ashes round the yard
She says if I leave before you darling
Don’t you waste me in the ground
I lay smiling like our sleeping children
One of us will die inside these arms
Eyes wide open
Naked as we came
One will spread our
Ashes round the yard
05
Apr
Why I Love Guided By Voices
People sometimes ask me “why are you so fired up about some stupid band that has been out of existence for 5 years, anyway?
Well, there’s this;
Friday Music Twofer
One from a band with ‘cookie monster’ vocals and an R-rated name, (and playing in Philly at the First Unitarian Church this Sunday 6/26) but joyous, soaring guitar and melody – “The Other Shoe”;
The other from 2004 – Jessica Grassia of Toronto’s Golden Dogs sparkles on what could be the New Jersey State Anthem; “Construction Worker”