89 posts tagged “music”
No editorial. Well, a tiny bit, I guess. Turn this up loud- what a great f-ing guitar riff!!!
3 great MN tunes:
I picked up the new DVD/live CD combo A Positive Rage at the show last night. Haven't listened to it yet, but here are a couple of brand new "bonus tracks," presumably from the Stay Positive sessions. Both feature Franz nice and loud in the mix. Finn and Kubler are churning out songs at a pretty amazing rate- in 5+ years, they've released 43 album tracks, another 11 or so b sides, and at least 5 unreleased songs.
Always behind. Read year-end lists, and then scramble to acquire them. Realize they suck. Keep listening.
First off- an old song. But one I had never really heard before. Mick Taylor is the man!
logically followed by
I've been a bad blogger lately. I'm going to try and focus on uploading more music.
This is the time of the year that I'm usually getting a crapload of CDs to listen to, after perusing the hundreds of "Best albums of the year" lists. I still have a lot to listen to, but I'm digging Real Emotional Trash, from Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. Now I regret not seeing him when I've had a chance recently. I've always appreciated the Pavement legacy, though I was never a *huge* fan. I think Slanted and Enchanted and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain are both very good albums, but overrated by many in the indie rock world. I did get to see Pavement live at First Avenue, and they put on a great show.
Anyway, here are a couple tunes off this one. The drums are really good- which makes sense, because I just read that Janet Weiss (of Sleater-Kinney fame) is now in the Jicks. One more note- I don't remember Malkmus sounding this much like the Matt & Dan Wilson.
Plus, I loved the lyrics:
I'll be true to you
oh yeah you know I will
and I'll be true for ever or until
I go homeGod, it's great to be alive
takes the skin ride off my hide
to think I'll have to give
all up some day
(Neko Case on backup vox, I found out later.)
At some point, I found out this was a cover- a song written by Daniel Johnston, whose name I was kind of familiar with- influential crazy/eccentric singer-songwriter guy? Then I watched "The Devil and Daniel Johnston." A must-see, if you haven't already. Here's the original version:
Mama Africa is dead. Obama's election victory must have brought a smile to her face, though. If you don't know much about the role of music in the long, hard struggle against Apartheid in South Africa, watch the movie Amandla!, or read my wife's grad school thesis. As usual, the New York Times features a couple good tributes:
Miriam Makeba, 76, Singer and Activist, Dies
Taking Africa With Her to the World
A shout out to my wife, who's living in Marin right now. As usual, Conor has a way with words:
the kinda love that makes my back hurt
...
I close my eyes, I see a stair case
leading upwards into blank space
...
i know that trouble's been your good friend
kept you company on the weekends
kept you company even once your mind was made
...
we should move to Sausalito
living's easy on a house boat
let the ocean rock us back and forth to sleep
So- I first heard the Avett Brothers (rhymes with "pave it") right around the first of this year. They grew on me like a fungus. A pleasant one. I had been listening to Emotionalism, their 2007 album, thanks to my pal Stephanie Jane. Every time I listened to the album, I liked it a little more. I mentioned them in my best of 2007 music post.
Then, in early July, while preparation for seeing the Avetts at Monolith (which I still have to blog about, goddammit), I got a hold of their earlier album Two Thieves Gone. And was blown away. If you haven't heard these songs, please listen, start to finish, through decent headphones or speakers. If you don't like them, I don't think we can be friends. Seriously.
