One Meathead's Guide to Good Music

Out-of-towner Vocalists Make Me Love The English Language

Do you ever remember thinking that the Beatles or Led Zeppelin were great American bands? As a five or six year-old lacking sufficient context, that was a legitimate thought of mine. Was it just the fact that they were working in an American of music like Rock and Roll or Blues that made me believe that? I’m not totally sure and I’m guessing that even though my ear has matured enough to know better, I’m still nearly as easily tricked into thinking singers must be fellow countrymen…or maybe I’m just hoping that was the case. I can’t exactly tell.

Twist and Shout by The Beatles - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVlr4g5-r18

I Can’t Quit You Baby by Led Zeppelin - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONRyqvsCJLQ

Perhaps its my deep-seeded American Exception sawalism, but I always think its justified when I find myself trying to learn more about a band and when their tour will bring them to a nearby venue.

Take, for instance Tame Impala, a perfect example of a band I’ve indulged recently; they have made me listen to lyrics (kind of a departure for me) and do so with pleasure. I was pretty sure they were foreign (and they were, hailing from Perth, Australia) but their vocals, often trance-inducing and seeming to float along with the melody, had me paying more attention to them more closely. Were they English and trying to draw on some retro sound of the late 1960’s? Were they American and forcing some kind of Lennon-esque lilt? I wasn’t certain about it, but I found myself digesting a bunch of their songs listening not only to their intriguing instrumentals but figuring out some of possible influences that I could hear in their lyrics. Have a listen:

Elephant by Tame Impala - https://soundcloud.com/#other-voices-web/tame-impala-elephant

Really though, did it matter that they are not from around here? Not in the least…their coming to me (Richmond, VA) in June and I couldn’t be more excited. And I perked up more when I found this video of the kids from PS 22 in New York singing an A Capella version of Tame Impala’s Feels Like We Only Go Backwards. To hear how a different set of voices can perform a song and be just as listenable as the original version, its hard for me to think that words have little to do with that being the case.

Feels Like We Only Go Backwards by PS 22 Chorus - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GPGiJCzSK4

Feels Like We Only Go Backwards by Tame Impala - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljzehPvr9zk

Listening carefully to their music wasn’t what surprised me since they have put out great stuff, top to bottom. But paying attention to lyrics is something a little different for me. Like I said before, its a bit of a departure for me. When I learn song lyrics, its kind of by mistake. I’ll listen to the song as a whole and maybe pick up how the vocals are delivers the words against the instrumentation and if its clear enough, I’ll remember some words. 

So, when I began thinking about why I presume a band or singer to be American when I’m not totally sure about their background, I also wondered if, of the whole, I like foreign artists more than American ones. I can’t say whether that is true and I would like to think that’s not the case, but I realize now that I’m just more susceptible to singers with quirks in their singing voices. While a great deal of American singers I like have prominent accents or dialects (Hank Williams, Sr., Johnny Cash, Jack White), the majority of singers with those vocal varieties come from overseas.

In recent years there have been a few artists that stick out in my mind. In past six months in particular, I discovered the British band Django Django and the Danish group Efterklang.  When I heard these bands I was aware that they were from overseas and I enjoyed them because their spectacular music, but was really drawn in by their vocals. It was immediately noticeable that had a quality that differed from the typical middle-American style.

Default by Django Django - http://noondaytune.com/post/43216669073

Apples by Efterklang - http://soundcloud.com/efterklang/apples-efterklang

But I recall another foreign singer whose interesting background coupled with an equally exceptional set of pipes that I found attractive. A couple of years ago I first heard of Charlotte Gainsbourg, after she had done some work with Beck. She was the daughter of Serge Gainsbourg; a French pop icon known for his love songs, who at one point recorded an album with her when she was a teen. Charlotte has since been an actor in numerous films and but had also recorded three more albums on her own. The one I referred to at the top was “IRM” (the French acronym for MRI) which was called as such due to a life threatening boating accident she suffered from prior to recording the album. The song I found so enjoyable was the titular IRM, in which her voice was mono tonal as she explaining her experience while undergoing the procedure.

IRM by Charlotte Gainsbourg - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7KxvSwmzkY

Part of what tells the story is that monotone, but I also believe there’s something to her being a non-native English speaker. For some of her work this might be more obvious, but her voice is not great because its a sexy French voice, its exotic because it introduces a variance to the listening experience, especially for my American ears. I love it because it brings something else to table for me, as does all of these other artists. Maybe that’s why I secretly wanted them to be American.

Music Is Free….(sometimes): Get It When You Can

Here’s a couple of givens: (1) Digital music has made it ridiculously easy to listen whenever you want and (2) the market is dilute with mainstream and independent artists giving you a near-infinite array of choices. With this in mind, I  find myself on music blogs and media websites, on twitter to find musicians and record companies, on soundcloud and even on youtube to find older songs and albums.

That said, I’m still of the age that the process of going to a record store, searching for just the right album and then going home with my own copy to intently dissect became somewhat of ritualistic experience.  I’ve always liked the idea of buying the music I’ve really enjoyed as it was almost as if I took a stake in the product. So I believe its often best put your money where your mouth is, when you have the money of course.

Lately, I’ve been trying to stretch my dollar a bit further so I’m always looking for way to get my music as cheap as possible. But I’ve never liked the idea of getting ‘ripped’ music or even paying for streaming services like spotify. So in addition to buying CDs, I’ve looked elsewhere to get good music. In my search I found couple of great options. 

First, I downloaded Google Play’s Music Manager. If you already have a Gmail account, its very easy to set up your own Google Play music cloud. After doing so, I was able to upload everything I had from Itunes (which was mainly uploaded music from CDs) as well as any Mp3 downloads I had. When I set that up, it came with a bunch free tracks already in the cloud (mostly older stuff that I wouldn’t normally listen to).  Furthermore, this gave me the ability to listen wherever I had an internet connection.

Next, I found that social media has given me some great opportunities to download free music as long as I was looking for it. I remember seeing limited time opportunities from tweets by Underworld, St. Vincent and the Cloud Nothings to get a free album, a free new single, & free limited edition live tracks. Keeping an eye open for these may take a little extra effort but the payoff can be very much worth it.

I think my favorite finding was the summer music compilation released by Adult Swim.  Fucking Amazing mix of artists both in terms of amount of genres and in the collection of quality. Just in this summer’s Adult Swim Singles Program alone had bands like Wye Oak, Flying Lotus and the Hives. This and past year’s Singles Programs are still available for download, making it the easiest outlet to have your own copies of tracks from up and coming artists. Furthermore, Adult Swim has made a number of other tracks available at their music website.

Adult Swim Music - http://video.adultswim.com/promotions/201206_singles/

But most recently, I’ve tried to find a “more legit” way to get my music. I’ve never liked using itunes so I figured I would give Amazon.com a try. With the massive scale this vendor distributes, it has the ability to occasionally pass the savings onto the consumer. So I tried searching for “free music” and hit the mother load. Best of all, “purchasing” the music this way adds to the sales numbers, thus ultimately benefiting the artists in some roundabout way…makes me feel good anyway.  Surprisingly enough, the first album I got was a compilation from Merge Records, one of my favorite labels.  Like the Adult Swim mix, I was able to get some great songs by artists I know as well as lesser known ones.  Overall, a great find and one that’ll keep me going back to see what I can get next.

Anyways, if you can afford to buy new music I would advocate for that path to ownership. But if you’ve got a tighter budget, these are just a couple of ways you can get the goods.

My Version of a Halloween/Hurricane Playlist

I was thinking I’d never do this while I’ve had a tumblr, but I think Halloween is a great time of year to showcase a bunch of songs I dig. I guess most of my previous posts tend to shape into something resembling a playlist, I’m going to be more explicit since I don’t have much to add beyond the fact I think the sound of these tracks really fit the theme.

I’d say I have pretty eclectic tastes but a good number of the songs I like have a certain air of eeriness to them. Regardless of whether I’m listening to Jazz, Hip-hop, Folk, or Rock, lots of my favorite stuff is often in a minor key, have darker themes, or have generally creepy elements to them.  Just so you know, this list is including a couple of older songs that are really perfect for Halloween or impending doom, but for the most part these are mainly findings of mine during the past year or so that I think are great. And spooky (oooooh…lame).

(late edit) Also great when cooped up indoors during a hurricane…(read like you’re yelling ‘Khan!!!’) Sandy!!!!

Anyways, here’s the list, enjoy:

Eels - Fresh Blood http://soundcloud.com/alexandroid/eels-fresh-blood

Dawn Golden and Rosy Cross - Blacks http://soundcloud.com/dawn-golden/dawn-golden-and-rosy-cross

Portishead - Only You http://soundcloud.com/dackgogi/portishead-portishead-only-you

2:54 - Creeping http://soundcloud.com/twofiftyfour/2-54-creeping

Sleigh Bells - Demons http://hypem.com/track/1mav6/Sleigh+Bells+-+Demons

Mux Mool - Skulltaste http://soundcloud.com/muxmool/skulltaste

Mark Lanegan Band - The Gravedigger’s Song http://hypem.com/track/1kdsq/Mark+Lanegan+Band+-+The+Gravedigger’s+Song

Nine Inch Nails - Piggy http://hypem.com/track/v6f7/Nine+Inch+Nails+-+Piggy

Lower Dens - Candy http://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco/lower-dens-candy

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Gangs in the Garden http://soundcloud.com/black-moth-super-rainbow/06-gangs-in-the-garden

New Albums: Having a Banger This Summer.

New albums, in general, have been demolishing this summer. As I write this, I’m listening to the St. Vincent/David Byrne collaboration, “Love This Giant.”  Just the latest to come down the pike… so good to start off with. I think I saw a tweet  posted last night describing it as brassy and loud. I totally agree and could not be happier. For anyone that likes Byrne from his band, the Talking Heads, they will probably be quite pleased. A great flow from start, with their leading single Who, straight through ‘til the end.  I gotta say that since I first heard about this album I was intrigued but not excited about it, but I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve heard and as the single has…I’m sure the album will continue to grow on me.  And of course…. Annie Clark, you rock.

David Byrne and St. Vincent - Who: http://soundcloud.com/barquemgmt/who-david-byrne-st-vincent

Maybe its just me but when I think of summer, I’m more used to singles dominating the landscape. Yes, its a product of my listening habits, but I’m just hearing more complete works.  In the last few of weeks alone, I’ve also heard great new releases from Cat Power and Dan Deacon, with “Sun” and “America” respectively, which were also wire-to-wire stunners. Just watch Deacon’s music video for True Thrush to see something brilliant and awesome. Then maybe dig into Cat Power’s Ruin, which was the first song I heard from the album and was simultaneously comforted and riveted by singer Chan Marshall. Damn, I love her voice.

Dan Deacon - True Thrush (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnXiXlF7olo

Cat Power - Ruin: http://punchmagazine.net/2012/09/03/albuns-a-sair-do-forno-1/

Beyond that we’ve had some newer bands Yeasayer with “Fragrant World,” Purity Ring with “Fireshrines,” Django Django with a self-titled release.  Of course, they were found with the assistance of NPR’s First Listen, so another shout out to their Music department. But there were also the heavies that brought it…Jack White with “Blunderbuss” and the Dirty Projectors with “Swing Lo Magellan” were just a couple with soulful, whole-hearted efforts that I thought were easily likable and yet outside of the pop framework.  

Jack White - Blunderbuss (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sInSN2_d6hc

The Dirty Projectors - Offspring Are Blank (video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuKqAO-6Cwo

Now, I gotta see some of these bands to make sure I’m not hearing a fluke…something I totally doubt will occur but I’m anxious just the same (in a good way).  Now, the summer’s closing out, the festival season has come to an end, and I’m excited to hustle crosstown on a crisp night to pack into the theater as opener comes on.  Now, I get to see if this rash of records brings the goods when live and directly in front of me. I’m hopeful they’ll keep it going in the fall.

Little Brother…kinda fits for me again

I think it was the summer after my sophomore year of college in 2003 when I came home with “The Listening” by Little Brother.  I had just lost a ton of online files, “shared” via the post-Napster site KaZaa, and was just happy enough to burn a couple cd’s worth of Okayplayer-affiliated hip-hop groups.

One of Many… a brainchild of The Roots: http://www.okayplayer.com/

This was namely Essaywhuman-era Roots, Talib Kweli, Yasin Bey (Mos Def - kinda on board with the new name), but also Dr. Doom, Blackalicious, Mr. Lif, Common and even some D’Angelo. I came across some sort of hype of Little Brother’s impending release and took Okay’s word for it. I found the self-titled track off of “The Listening” and just dug into it for months til I had enough cash to buy the whole album. The Listening had a cool satirical take on the hip hop culture at the time, which sort of meshed with my understanding of good rap (and good music for that matter); something original and fun that doesn’t place an emphasis on image that overshadows quality. I’m pretty sure I picked up on some of these artists cause I thought it was cool to divert from the mainstream favorites at the time (Jay-Z and Roc-a-Fella, Eminem and 50-cent) but also I think I was trying to make up for being too drunk to go to the Talib Kweli concert during homecoming that year (still really bummed about that).

The Listening by Little Brother: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYLKWTwMSE8

Regardless of how I found them, it took til the first line of that title track to know I would like these guys: “Yo, I bought a brand new album today; decided to take it home, kick off my shoes, relax and play and spin it for the whole joint; ‘cause I like to get the whole point…” Deconstructing an album from beginning to end has pretty much been the way I’ve consumed my music from the start. And while I don’t recall all of the songs of their debut recording, I can recall playing that CD constantly throughout the summer until it got lost during the blur of a party. I remember Phonte and Big Pooh as a couple of crisp, funny lyricists that produced a dialogue with the listener like on the songs The Yo-Yo and Whatever You Say. Meanwhile their DJ, 9th Wonder, was a dynamic producer with the right sound for every one of their tracks. His services were immediately in demand by rappers all over hip-hop, which I guess ultimately spelled the demise of the group. But between “The Listening” and their follow-up “The Minstrel Show” and their mixtape released as “The Chittlin Circuit,” there was enough on display to see these performers as up-and-comers in the industry. I wouldn’t categorize them as “back-packers” at the time but they certainly held a niche in the market which I considered was under appreciated. 

The Yo-Yo by Little Brother: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCGV4MV5J2M&feature=relmfu

Whatever You Say by Little Brother: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSVUPMccM8c&feature=relmfu

Now, I find that its tougher to enjoy an entire album the same way unless you make a concerted effort to block out the myriad of distractions in the age of iTunes. As previously noted, I am big proponent of the song-aggregating website, the Hype Machine. While it helps me find new and otherwise undetectable music, it also simultaneously discourages full-album consumption. I consider it a necessary mutation to my listening habits. However, one of my favorite counterbalances to this over the past couple of years has been the full-album previews that have been available on NPR Music’s First Listen page. Its been a welcome break from a world of hit-bombardment by mainstream pop music, the advertising industry and other versions of the short bursts we endure everyday.

NPR’s First Listen page: http://www.npr.org/series/98679384/first-listen 

Along with First Listen, there’s a number of resources that provide great reviews to the latest offerings. Notably there is Pitchfork, the popular music website whose ratings are famous for its seemingly scientific objectivity. Yet, let reviews be just a tool secondary to your own ears to decipher what is good. When I want to figure out if a band went all out in a recording session, I’ll take three or four full-length listens before have a decent gauge on an album. Even then, I’ll still find new gems after even more runs through a disc as I come closer to full appreciation. Coming back across some of those old tracks from Little Brother, I heard some of that and it got me thinking about what else is in the dark corners of that album. I’ll definitely have my eyes peeled for “The Listening” on my next trip to the record stone. 

Pitchfork: http://pitchfork.com/

Live Music Is Good. Look For Some.

I probably don’t have to tell you how a good concert feels. Rolling into a venue and feeling the anticipation and buzz that you can cut with a butter knife. Shouldering through the crowd to find the right spot on the GA floor. Getting blown back by the force of the sound. Being overwhelmed by hearing your favorite songs. Freaking out when they come back for the encore. Walking out of the concert with a slight feeling of both exhaustion and energy. Overall, that’s simply special.  But usually this experience is associated with a band you know and love.  Furthermore, once that band leaves you’ll probably have to wait a year, two or perhaps more for them to return. Maybe you had to travel a ways in order to catch that group, so what now?

Personally, I know a bunch of folks that only seek out the bands with whom they are familiar but I urge anyone to give your local music scene a try. I happen to have a great bunch of smaller bars and venues that make it inexpensive and easy to see a bunch of shows on a weekly basis. When you’re trying to make things work on the cheap, its good to have an attainable variety to check out. Even in the smaller city that I reside, there’s lots to choose from including theaters, arenas, clubs and outdoor stages. But regardless of where you live, that shouldn’t limit the ability of my approach to finding good shows. It  involves three things that might may be tough for everyone to follow: initiative, a good attitude and trust. 

I don’t pretend to be an instructor as I present this tactic but its working for me. If you really want to find good music then you’ll automatically start seeking it out, but if its not something you care too much about seeking it out might not be a top priority.  The thing is, you’ll probably find a few bars or venues you like and so you can use those spots as your starting point. Regardless, you could use those places to find the particular bands you like and stick to them or conversely find a good venue through seeing a certain band there. That search is the initiative. 

You could just stop at that, but I think keeping a good attitude during the search is key to finding an almost endless flow of the good stuff. Most likely there are going to be a slew of less-than-stellar performances along the way, but if there’s a place that’s got a majority of likable musicians I’ve been able to enjoy those more than I’ve disliked the ones I haven’t.  Those forgettable acts have been easy to ignore and yet they don’t leave me jaded for the next band or musician.

This will usually lead me to trusting those venues and going back for more. It might be how that place makes you feel or the types of music that gets played or whether you have a great time when you go to see a show. There’s somewhat of an attraction that’ll allow me to take in whatever those places have to offer at a low risk and its usually worked out for me. Give it a shot. 

Jazz Covers: So good…so so good.

Earlier this year I found a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit by the Robert Glasper Experiment that was absolutely phenomenal. As I had mentioned in a previous post about Cults covering Leonard Cohen’s Everybody Knows, I believe the proper way to pay tribute to a band’s original creation is to make the song one’s own. In the world of jazz, its nearly impossible to duplicate a track from another genre. However, its really quite a joy to listen to a cover that gets taken in new direction and Robert Glasper has done just that in his take on the Grunge classic (man, its weird to use those two words together).

Robert Glasper Experiment - Smells Like Teen Spirit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onXoreYFMhU

Live version of the Robert Glasper Experiment - Twice (by Little Dragon) into Smells Like Teen Spirit: http://soundcloud.com/nottoobadu/robert-glasper-experiment

This of course does not overshadow the version by The Bad Plus, which I first heard last year and loved.  It was just as uptempo as the original with some great twists and turns. I was initially floored and thinking back to it now leads my mind more toward how I was introduced to jazz in the first place. My dad had a copy of John Coltrane’s “My Favorvite Things,” which was kick-started by the track of the same name that everyone knows from The Sound of Music.  It completely turned my head to the intrinsic improvisational qualities that jazz can bring out from track to track. Hearing this new take on a familiar old tune brought chills up my neck. Until then I really didn’t think too much about the genre of jazz until I got into the sounds of the unrivaled “Hard Bop” era brought on by Coltrane, Miles Davis, Art Blakey and their contemporaries. My Favorite Things quickly became one of my go-to songs and certainly my favorite covers of any variety and remains as such.

The Bad Plus - Smells Like Teen Spirit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKllfSfgB4k

John Coltrane - My Favorite Things: http://soundcloud.com/mauraelliott/my-favorite-things-by-john

Of the contemporary artists that have really caught my attention, I must say I’ve enjoyed the interpretations of Vijay Iyer the most particularly with a cover of M.I.A’s Galang on the album “Historicity” and what appears to be one of his favorites, Michael Jackson’s Human Nature on his current album “Accelarando.” I first heard Galang while trolling through my favorite music site, The Hype Machine. I honestly had no clue M.I.A. could be covered by a jazz group, but Iyer absolutely dominated it and I only recognized the original from the bits and pieces of the song from the Vijay Iyer Trio version.

Vijay Iyer Trio - Galang (Trio Riot version): http://hypem.com/track/12h10/Vijay+Iyer+Trio+-+Galang+(M.I.A.+Cover,+Trio+Riot+Version)

On the other hand, the cover of Human Nature came up while I was listening to a live set that was recorded in late 2009 after the demise of the King of Pop.  After listening to Jackson’s music throughout much of my formative years, it was easy to overlook his greatness after enduring years of controversy and god knows I tried. But Iyer managed to parse the hideousness of Jackson’s personal life from the brilliance of his musical contributions over the years.  His focus was the beauty of the song’s message and how he was greatly influenced by Jackson’s work throughout much of his life.  Then the group proceeded with a delicate, yet powerful delivery of a great song which was true tribute that left his own prints on the finished product. On an objective level that moved me and solidified me as a fan of his music and left me looking for more gems throughout the jazz landscape.

Vijay Iyer Trio - Human Nature: http://soundcloud.com/jesus_rodriguez/vijay-iyer-human-nature

My trip hop favorites and the style for which they paved the way

The English are geniuses. Why couldn’t we have had the electronica boom in the ninties that flourished in Europe and particularly in the U.K. Even though techno was pretty much invented in Detroit, there was no mainstream foothold and the American brand basically floundered for years.  I was certainly a fan of the major techno groups as previously noted; Underworld, Orbital, as well as The Chemical Brothers …yeah pretty obvious choices but they’re great.  This style served as a base of English electronica scene for the majority of the 90’s, however there was a fringe, fusion style known as trip hop that molded techno with jazz and rhythm & blues. That was the most intriguing genre to have been born out of the Techno world, which would have been very well served by american musicians and composers, but appeared to be mastered by the Brits.  In my mind, there are two groups that was the peak of perfection for Trip Hop: Massive Attack and Portishead.

These groups come to mind as amalgams of talent-rich musicians with the ability to mold cacophony with melody to create an interesting and strong compromise of genres.  Mostly culminating in dark, emotive tones, both bands generate songs that have tended to sink into my head (many of the songs that come to mind include a low, reverberating bass-line that I point out as a stark contrast to the songs of their contemporaries in club-style techno groups).  To point out particular examples of this, I point to the classic Teardrop by Massive Attack and Portishead’s All Mine. I figure these songs are some of their more well known as Teardrop has come in a number of commercials and television shows, including the theme from the show “House” while All Mine from Portishead’s self-titled album, works as a comprehensive display of their orchestral ability.  

Teardrop by Massive Attack: http://soundcloud.com/slek/massive-attack-teardrop-1

All Mine by Portishead: http://soundcloud.com/shakers/portishead-all-mine

The gravitas that both groups carry has sustained for me over the years as everything they have produced has seemed careful and meticulous. That might just be due to the infrequency of their releases but its been enough to make those tracks all the more valuable in my opinion.  Furthermore, this leads me to believe their influence has resonated with musicians that have started to fill the current pop landscape. Groups like M83, Mount Kimbie, Gotye, Mogwai, Phantogram, et cetera are really starting to gain some traction in the mainstream pop world (not to mention fill up my Hype Machine favorites). M83’s  Midnight City and Gotye’s Someone I Used to Know have truly charged off the ground and momentum only growing as M83’s Anthony Gonzalez having been on tour constantly for most of the past year and Gotye’s Wally De Backer getting a nice little bump from Saturday Night Live. These artists give a nod from the Trip-hop genre as they have been able to build off of the foundation of artful blending of organic and electronic sound with vocals.

Midnight City by M83: http://www.yourmusicradar.com/djs-mixes/m83-reunion-remixes.html

Someone I Used to Know by Gotye:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvIGY

SNL Digital Short featuring Gotye: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/snl-digital-short-gotye-backstage/1396595

I have particular leaning towards two lesser-known artists on that list (Mogwai and Mount Kimbie) being that I think they match more with the sound and tone of Portishead and Massive Attack in a slightly more hardened and raw sense than the previous mentioned pop acts of M83 and Gotye.  This is not to say, I don’t like or appreciate those two, but Mogwai (with Earth Division from this year’s compilation for the Occupy movement “Occupy This Album”) and Mount Kimbie (with Before I Move Off from “Crooks & Lovers”) provide a conglomeration of differing sounds that progress into something interesting and almost off-putting at times, which has only drawn me in more as a result.

Earth Division by Mogwai: http://soundcloud.com/occupy-this-album/mogwai-earth-division

Before I Move Off by Mount Kimbie (along with rest of Crooks & Lovers): http://www.mountkimbie.com/music/crooks-lovers-lp-2010/

The Trip-hop sound, that I feel was embodied by Portishead and Massive Attack left an intriguing stamp on electronic music as those groups gradually fostered a comprehensive approach to push the genre beyond the strict dance scene. It has seemed to take a while for groups “spawned” from that style to catch on, but it appears to have gained a strong following now and hopefully it means there is a greater appreciation for those that seemed to influence their rise in recognition.

Everybody Say Yeah: Tribute to MCA

Please let me be the latest to say news Adam Yauch’s passing comes as a significant blow to our culture. His contribution to the music world, as part of a seminal trio in hip-hop, was groundbreaking in that there had seldom been artists that have been able to gain such wide appeal on so many levels. Foremost was the influence that the Beasties had on kids from all over and artists of all types… Their style is wild.

Yeah, so I won’t exactly be waxing poetic on Yauch as my knowledge of his life beyond the band is cursory at best (which is how I’ll be presenting my thoughts on MCA, so please forgive me as I will unknowingly ignore key aspects of his life). But I must say that the Beastie Boys were extremely well-rounded as a group which cycled through a lifeline from ex-punks to party boys to progressive lyricists to thought-provoking artists to elder statesmen of hip-hop.

Beastie Boys - Transitions: http://unpianomusic.com/4891/mca.html

This evolution was one that was revered and sought-after but difficult to replicate even by long-standing artists. Few artists that could boast a career as long as the Beastie Boys ever had the ability to claim fame beyond one or two major milestones along the way.  Meanwhile, entire swaths of the Beasties’ following could be carved out of certain points in their timeline that would otherwise suffice any normal-sized band. Between the Fight for Your Right crowd and the Intergalactic fans, I felt there were generational shifts among the types of fans that were attracted to their music. Maybe I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure my “generational Beastie awakening” was their musical zenith, which occurred when I heard  ”Ill Communication”. Nothing ever really rivaled Get It Together, which featured the heavyweight that is Q-tip…though I’m biased. And then I point to the Sabotage music video and realize that I’m right. 

Beastie Boys - Get It Together (ft. Q-tip): http://hypem.com/track/6gnf/Beastie+Boys+-+Get+It+Together

Beastie Boys - Sabotage (Video): http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x175lf_beastie-boys-sabotage_music

All that said Im troubled I didn’t know more about the man. From what I knew about the group’s efforts to affect change in Tibet, it appeared to me that Yauch - through his own focus of social equality and spiritual leanings - was purposefully advancing public awareness of this an other issues. Now, I wouldn’t say that I became interested in the issue or that I necessarily believe that the Tibetan Freedom Concert campaign pushed my support in any particular direction on the politics of the matter. What I will say is that the Beasties’ public push of this global problem was an effort that did bring a certain inequity to my attention. Further to the point, it brought the issue out of anonymity into common social awareness in a way that didn’t feel contrived as some have in the past (remember, this is just my under-educated opinion), kinda like Live Aid. 

If nothing else, Yauch’s dedication to the subject felt genuine to me. Maybe I needed it to be considered as such, but at the time there seemed to be a lack of seriousness in pop culture. The years that made up my formative adolescence was missing a group or figure in popular culture to whom kids or young adults could relate. Bill Clinton was too old, paparazzi culture was just starting to get out of hand, MTV was starting to lose its way and the internet was in its nascent stages.  Then the Beasties along with Perry Farrell seemed to create some positive momentum away from the Heroin overdoses and East/West coast hype that plagued rock and rap. Amid everything else that was glittery and fake that America was embracing, we also seemed to grab hold of this as well. This was a testament to the idea that we still had some shred of reason and also that we (kids) had some celebrities worthy of our admiration. Glad they were all there to take on that mantle. 

Though not of equal importance of the loss of Yauch, it must be stated that this  is unfortunately the likely end of the Beastie Boys. Certainly MCA cannot be replaced, so there’s the rough realization that this is the end of an era. As the group had been active over multiple decades, there seemed to be an ubiquitous air that the Beastie Boys would always linger. When Yauch announced that he was suffering from cancer, it still seemed that he would automatically beat it back.  Yet his demise will ultimately spell the end of the group in its current state.  

I don’t know if I’m able to do a proper tribute but as I was positively effected by the music and activism of Yauch, his life is certainly one to celebrate and remember. Rest in Peace Adam Yauch, a.k.a. MCA, you will be missed. 

Not TLC, But Crazy Sexy/Cool.

From early on I can remember being exposed to some of the most sultry, enticing female voices.  Between Anita Baker, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell; I’ve had the luxury of getting to hear a sampling of the blues, jazz, soul and folk before having to endure the likes of Raffi or whatever kids’ genre musicians who were approved for general consumption…Ok maybe I Raffi came first but the ladies came to mind first.  Yet, the woman whose singing I found most inviting and seemed to carry characteristics of each of the previously mentioned singers was the lady I always thought Stan Lee modeled Rogue off of: Bonnie Raitt. 

Bonnie Raitt - Angel From Montgomery: http://hypem.com/track/1khq1/Bonnie+Raitt+-+Angel+From+Montgomery

Holy shit, anything she sang off of “Nick of Time” would pretty much have me locked in - whether it was a soft acoustic love song like I Can’t Make You Love Me and then she’d ratchet things up with Thing Called Love.  It wasn’t enough that she had me engrossed with her slight raspiness, but add a little of that steel slide guitar and you can tell why she’s been one of my all-time favorites for quite some time. 

Bonnie Raitt - I Can’t Make You Love Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW9Cu6GYqxo&ob=av2e

Bonnie Raitt (at Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame) - Thing Called Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vqrQ_47B4U&feature=related

Then again, I needed some reminding since I’ve been (ahem) a bit distracted to pay attention to her previous release (“Souls Alike”, 2005).  But as soon as I heard about “Slipstream” on NPR, I needed to have a listen. And I heard it…it was the same voice I grew up to, as if it were 1989 and she came out with an immediate follow up to “Nick of Time”.  And in an almost expected stroke of genius, she rolled out a perfected cover of the Gerry Rafferty classic, Right Down The Line. ‘Ohhhh Baby!’

Bonnie Raitt - Right Down the Line: http://soundcloud.com/bonnie-raitt/right-down-the-line

That’s when I turned back to NPR Music for more and saw Norah Jones was about to release her new album after a sea change in her style had occurred since linking up with Danger Mouse as a producer. I first paid attention to her music when I heard a song off of her collaboration album ” …Featuring” from 2010, on which she paired with the Foo Fighters - Virginia Moon.

Norah Jones w/ Foo Fighters - Virginia Moon: http://soundcloud.com/mohamed-a-sharif/foo-fighters-featuring-norah-jones-virginia-moon

Ever since then I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve heard and it fell right into line with the aforementioned style of female vocalists with her breathy, voluptuous delivery. On “Rome” with Danger Mouse and Danielle Luppi she had taken part in the Spaghetti Western revival/tribute album, in which I feel I can hear a bit of a toned down Shirley Bassey (am I crazy?…sure).

Danielle Luppi, Danger Mouse & Norah Jones - Black: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xni35x_danger-mouse-daniele-luppi-black-feat-norah-jones_music

Propellerheads w/ Shirley Bassey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE_1tCasi_Q

So this new album “Little Broken Hearts” has had a similar effect as Bonnie Raitt’s “Slipstream”…I get drawn in by the aural delights of her voice and then stay to hear the appropriate orchestral accompaniment (thank you, Danger Mouse). Furthermore I enjoyed the how the album portrayed a single theme amidst an array of tones from sad and exhausted to relieved and resilient.  …If you get a chance, listen to the whole album streaming from the guardian music blog while its available… It’s certainly has the quality of an album I’ll be hearing for years to come and it doesn’t hurt to have the throwback album cover to enjoy while listening.

Norah Jones - Little Broken Heart stream (limited time?): http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/apr/16/norah-jones-little-broken-hearts-stream