Music

There are 54 posts filed in Music (this is page 3 of 6).

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

Every few years, Jeremy and Jennifer hold a Christmas party with lots of food, wine, and song.

Tiffany says the singing is unusual, and maybe it is. I remember lots of singing at the gatherings I went to as a kid, but a lot of those were Mennonite events too. Music is an important part of the Mennonite tradition, and, especially, of the Gingerich family culture.

Three years ago, the Gingeriches came together to record a CD of their best-loved hymns. This year they produced an album of Christmas music, mixing traditional songs with lesser-known stuff. I remember singing the following in Tom’s choir class in high school:

Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light

Though I like the CD of hymns better than the CD of carols, the best song from either album can be found at the end of the latter disc. I’ve never heard this song before, but I love it:

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

Well done!

A Fine Frenzy

Serendipity is a wonderful thing. Some of the best things in my life have come through chance encounters. Here’s a new Seattle band called A Fine Frenzy, which features 22-year-old Alison Sudol. I love her music. Apparently I was meant to hear it, as it came at me from three discrete and varied sources last weekend.

So far my favorite song of the bunch is “Rangers”:


A Fine Frenzy — Rangers (live)


A Fine Frenzy — Rangers

I like “You Picked Me”, too.


A Fine Frenzy — You Picked Me

Actually, I like just about everything I’ve heard from her.


A Fine Frenzy — Almost Lover

Here are some others:


A Fine Frenzy — Whisper


A Fine Frenzy — Come On, Come Out


A Fine Frenzy — Lifesize

A Fine Frenzy has an album out: Once Cell in the Sea. I recommend it highly.

Video Killed the Radio Star

“Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles was one of my favorite songs when I was in high school. I loved it because of its sweet poignancy, not because I think it’s kitschy. Browsing YouTube, I found a zillion video clips of the song. Here are some of the best.

First, the original:

Here, 25 years later after the original, a liver version from The Buggles (in which the opening sounds very Spandau Ballet-esque!). This version is actually very good. Uptempo!:

Here’s the version by The Presidents of the United States of America, used in the film The Wedding Singer:

I like this live cover by a band called The Feeling:

Here’s a remixed dance version:

This guy calls himself Duke Special. Apparently he has a little following. He sounds promising. (Here’s Duke singing “Tainted Love”.

“Video Killed The Radio Star” played on the theremin by Jon Bernhardt at the Ethermusic 2005 festival in Asheville, NC, August, 2005. Video shot by Jason Barile of thereminworld.com:

Finally, here’s my favorite version of the bunch. I’ll quote smileypen, who posted it to YouTube:

I was roaming Balboa Park before a wedding and this three piece band caught my attention. A small boy with an upright bass, a bespectacled giant with a mandolin, and an unassuming girl with a harp. They call themselves The Wrong Trousers. Talk about odd choices in musical instruments. But they have tremendous talent. Their style won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no denying they know their instruments and are comppletely unique. These kids are still in high school! A good size crowd had formed and they were getting lots of cash donations.

I agree. I love these kids.

Concert Review: The Black Angels at The Doug Fir

I went to see a show with Paul and Susan last night. The Black Angels, a band from Austin, Texas, were playing at the Doug Fir Lounge. I didn’t know anything about the group going in — hadn’t heard a single song — but after the concert, I’m a convert. These guys rock.

Imagine James, Love and Rockets, and The Doors blended together and transported to 2007, and you might have some idea of The Black Angels sound. I suppose it’s easier to just post a video:


The Black Angels — “Black Grease”

Here’s a live performance of the same song recorded last July.

There are no singles here. No memorable melodies. Instead there’s a wall of sounds, a rich, complex and powerful sonic wave. It’s impossible to decipher the lyrics, but so what? It’s not about the lyrics. It’s about the sound.

(Actually, I was able to find lyrics to “Black Grease”!)

Black Grease by The Black Angels. You’re a storm. You’re so emotional, moody and controlled, sly and involved. You’re alright. You come to me in times. You make me realize I’m not the kindest guy, but I give give give give. I give what I can give. So just give give give give. Give me what you have, dear. Slow, you kept me in that storm. You showed me things galore, made me want much more. And now denied the things I saw inside (the things I saw inside) is what really caught my eye. And you give give give give, give what you can. And I’ll live live live live, live while I can, dear. You’re so surprised. You see me put up fights. You hear me realize. You come along for rides. You’re just so kind: the eagle with red wine. You made me see that bright eye between me and time to just kill kill kill kill. You kill what you can. And you kill kill kill kill anything you want.

This isn’t music that I normally identify with. I’m more of an ABBA Euro-pop kind of guy. But trust me: I can go for the deep, soul-stirring thrum of a band like The Black Angels. This is quality stuff. YouTube has several videos of the band’s live performances, such as:


The Black Angels — “First Vietnamese War”

Some bands are dull in person — you might as well have stayed home and listened to the record. The Black Angels were exciting, though, despite the fact they barely acknowledged the crowd. (And despite the fact that a couple of the members seemed completely wasted.) There are six members to the group (seven for one song), and they swap instruments back and forth. The percussionist becomes the drummer becomes the guitar player, etc. One of their main instruments is a “drone machine“.

In this video, the regular drummer is playing guitar center stage.


The Black Angels — “Snake in the Grass”

In that previous video, did you notice the video of lava projected behind the band? Last night while the band played, old grade school movies (including this one) were projected onto the stage. (I was standing just below the film projectors.) One film was about Native Americans, one about astronauts, one about health and hygiene, and one about geology. It was strange, but effective.


The Black Angels — “Sniper at the Gates of Heaven”

The band’s official site has more information, including some free downloads. The Internet Archive has a a few Black Angels concert recordings. Finally, here’s a recording from the band’s last appearance at The Doug Fir in July. Unfortunately, this video doesn’t capture the sheer wall of sound the band can produce:


The Black Angels — “Better Off Alone”

p.s. Despite lousy service, I liked the restaurant at The Doug Fir. The food was reasonably priced (and tasty), and the decor is awesome: a blend of Jetsons-style early-60s modernism and good old-fashioned Pacific Northwest log cabin. It sounds strange, but it works. It was fun to chat with Paul and Susan, killing two hours before the band took the stage at 11pm.

Music for Nine-Year-Olds

Naomi is a writer. From time-to-time she sends out stories of her family life via e-mail. (She really needs a blog, but she won’t listen to reason.) Last weekend she sent out a bit entitled “Sk8er Boi on God’s Planet”, which describes the challenges of guiding her oldest daughter, Lydia, safely into the world of rock music. Naomi writes:

So suddenly my 9-year old daughter has become fascinated by the rock music scene. I had anticipated this, of course, but I was hoping that our Machiavellian plot of making her an early reader would serve to make her a late bloomer in the realm of teenager music. No such luck; she is apparently multifariously precocious.

But despite my misgivings, I was (at first) greatly comforted by the fact that her first love is Avril Lavigne and not Britany Spears. For those who don’t know, Avril is on the dark-eye-liner, black-clothes-wearing, pouty-lipped, politically cynical angry-at-the-entire-world end of rock music women, balanced on the other end by Brit’s cheerleader act. (no prejudices here, folks; as a Christian I love everybody equally. Really.)

As a fellow who loves music, I’m very excited that a kid I know has finally reached the age to be interested in rock. I don’t know Lydia well, but Naomi’s message still prompted me to spend two hours on Sunday (two hours that would have been better spent writing) gathering together songs that I hoped a nine-year-old would like (and that a nine-year-old’s mother might approve of). I was careful to choose songs that sounded “hip” without being risque.

But when Kris found out my plan she said, “What are you doing? You can’t make a mix for a nine-year-old girl. She’ll think this is her parents’ music. She’ll think this is lame.” I was mortified to realize that she was right. Still, I remember that I liked some of my parents’ music when I was a kid. And they listened to some of the stuff I liked. Maybe there’s hope.

I wrote to Naomi asking her advice. She replied:

I checked with Lydia, and she’d love to get your “Lydia mix.” She is not nearly as snobbish as she could be, partly because of her terrible isolation from anything pop culture. I kid you not, only a year ago she came home from school and asked “Mom, what’s Pokemon?” The scariest thing is not that she didn’t know Pokemon (scary enough) but that she still sees me as a source of accurate information about kid culture. That one will change soon enough!

So, in order to vet this mix for Naomi and for those of you hip to nine-year-old culture, here’s the pool of songs that I’ve managed to collect. This is slightly longer than a CD, so a couple of songs have to go. Which ones? Are there others that might be included? For each song I’ve listed the artist, provided a link to the lyrics, and posted a YouTube video. (I hope the latter doesn’t kill things for people.)

Lydia’s Mix

Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone

Gnarls Barkley – Smiley Faces

Hilary Duff – Come Clean

Wilson Phillips – Hold On

Kylie Minogue – I Believe in You

Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles

Green Day – I Fought the Law

Go-Go’s – We Got the Beat

Girls Aloud – Sound of the Underground

Rick Springfield – I’ve Done Everything For You

Sarah Washington – I Will Always Love You


This isn’t the version I’m putting on the CD

Natalie Merchant – Wonder

Diana Anaid – Last Thing

Jewel – Intuition

t.A.T.u. – How Soon is Now?

Avril Lavigne – Take Me Away

Us3 – Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)

The Decemberists – The Chimbley Sweep


This is not the official video, obviously, because there isn’t one.

Apples in Stereo – Signal in the Sky

The Might Be Giants – Why Does the Sun Shine?

R.E.M. – It’s the End of the World as We Know It

A*Teens – Mamma Mia (ABBA cover in Spanish)


Actually, I may send Lydia a copy of this CD. I love it.

  • Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You

    • The Postal Service – Such Great Heights

    Pat Benatar – We Belong

    Sixpence None the Richer – Kiss Me

    Basically, I’m looking for fun songs that I can imagine a young girl dancing around to. I tried to picture a young Kris Gates bellering along to these songs. If I could picture it, they stayed. (Of course, I had to draw the line at Helen Reddy, which I know Kris used to sing along with.) I really wanted to put on some other songs, like The Black-Eyed Peas’ Hey Mama, but I recognize they’re inappropriate. Please, readers, I beg of you: help me create a CD that a nine-year-old girl would love. (I hope to be able to use this for other nine-year-olds as they crop up during the next few years.)

    The Crane Wife, Annotated

    I’ve been listening to the Decemberists’ new album, The Crane Wife, for weeks now. (A loyal foldedspace reader sent me a copy a month before its release.) I meant to post a preview weeks ago, but time passed, and now the preview is a review of sorts.

    First, you may wish to visit my previous entries about this Portland group:

    With one exception, this is a fantastic album, a tapestry of words and music unlike anything I’ve heard before. (Well, actually, it reminds me some of Natalie Merchant’s Ophelia.) It’s like the promise of The Decemberists come to fruition. The more I listen to it — and I’ve heard it about forty times in the past month, according to iTunes — the more I love it. It just gets better and better.

    The Decemberists are a hard band to describe. They’re sort of alt-folk-rock with lots of pirates and death and stuff thrown in for good measure. Colin Meloy, the lead singer and primary “face” to the band, is a big fan of The Smith’s Morrisey (and, in fact, has released a solo CD covering five of his songs). Meloy has a penchant for penning witty songs filled with archaic words and vivid images.

    Though their last album had a couple of standout tracks, it was actually the group’s weakest effort to date, marred by too much topicality. They’re best at doing quirky, quaint story songs; they’re not so good at political statement.

    The Crane Wife, I’m pleased to say, is a return to form. It features many lovely songs, and they lyrics are Meloy’s strongest to date. In fact, I like the album so much that I spent most of my free time today transcribing lyrics and annotating them. (You can see the results at the end of this post.)

    This album is built around a theme: the Japanese folk story of the crane wife. Three of the songs (contained in two tracks) are directly related to the story; the others are less so, but still fit thematically, except for the woeful “The Perfect Crime 2”, which is the one track I’ve unchecked in iTunes (so that it never plays unless I specifically select it). (“The Perfect Crime 2” isn’t the worst Decemberists song. That would be “The Sporting Life”, which is simply painful to listen to.)

    Here, then, is my attempt at transcribing the lyrics. I made a pass on my own, then googled for other people’s efforts (such as here and here). Some of the other transcriptions make sense; others don’t. What I’ve posted here is my best guess at most of the lyrics. I welcome corrections. I’ve annotate the more obscure lyrics — I welcome corrections on these, too.

    Enjoy!

    Continue reading →

    Twenty mp3s of Great Songs from 1901-1920

    New visitors may also enjoy Vintage Film Sampler: What to Watch When You Don’t Know What You Like (an introduction to the films of the 1940s and 1950s), Graphic Novels for People Who Hate Comics and Sesame Street Video Clips.

    It’s a shame most people are unfamiliar with American Popular Music. It’s great fun. It occurred to me today that a lot of this music is in the Public Domain — I could rip mp3s from my collection and post them. So I have. All mp3s in this entry are in the Public Domain — download and share!

    The best way to introduce this music is probably to offer the entire 1991 RCA collection called Nipper’s Greatest Hits: 1901-1920. This disc is long out-of-print. It sells for $190 on Amazon. One copy recently sold for $60 on eBay. In the early days of eBay, I lost a bidding war for this disc. I contacted the winning bidder, and she graciously made me a copy of the disc and the insert.

    According to the liner notes:

    The selections of Nipper’s Greatest Hits: 1901-1920, are redolent of those days when performers played and sang into a simple acoustical horn whose vibrations were sensitized onto the wax of a revolving disc. Today’s digital restoration of the early shellac records not only eliminates unwanted ticks, pops, and surface noise; it also amplifies the sound signal, so that in this compilation one hears those musical pioneers in their best guise.

    Here are all twenty songs from the set, displayed in chronological order, not track order. The song title links to an mp3; the performer name links to additonal information (generally from wikipedia).

    This isn’t a comprehensive list of popular music of the era. Two of the biggest songs — “After the Ball” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” — aren’t even included. However, it’s a good representation music that was popular one hundred years ago.

    Many of these songs sound quaint to our ears. Recording technology was primitive before 1925, and the best way to get a good recording was to be loud. Opera singers and brass bands made great records.

    If you like this music — and I doubt that many of you will — check out modern interpretations of the songs. I’m particularly fond of After the Ball, which I own on vinyl. Joan Morris does a good job with piano accompaniment (though her style is operatic).

    For more information on early American popular music, explore:

    I’d love to start a weblog devoted to this stuff, but with this blog, my personal finance blog, and my comics blog (not to mention some secret stuff), I’m positively blogged out.

    Please please please forward other sites that feature early American popular music.

    Download This Song

    MC Lars publicly denounces the record companies:

    I’m telling you, this whole thing — me sitting on my laptop posting this bootleg video from YouTube about music piracy (and outmoded business models) to my blog — is so 2006 that it hurts.

    But this is the future, folks.

    This is now.

    [via the ever-prescient Andy Baio, who says this is old, but new to him — it’s new to me, too, and probably to most of you, as well — mas aqui]