You guys. David Wax Museum are back in Pittsburgh tomorrow night for a show at Club Cafe. Yes, the Boston-based band with the donkey jawbone will be playing at everyone's favorite PGH venue. Here's a track which epitomizes their Mexo-Americana stylings with an English-language version of a traditional Mexican folk song:
Be sure to check this track and others in their Daytrotter session. Be sure to check some other sweet performances which are floating around the interwebs, like this NPR Tiny Desk Concert which opens with this tune:
And most of all, be sure to be at Club Cafe tomorrow night at 8 (7 Central).
"...your careless heart invites me in, just to see me go..."
Just a note - for anyone living in or near Pittsburgh with similarities in musical taste to the stuff you see on this blog, I've added a concert calendar tab. I'll try to add as many interesting shows as I can, but it won't be comprehensive, just a sampling of shows on my radar.
Please feel free to alert me to any shows in which you're interested, and I can add them to help raise awareness.
Regina Spektor probably doesn't need the hype from my little blog, and I've already discussed a few of her tracks. But this one, from her new album that drops next week, is just spectacular and I felt like telling you why I feel that way, so here goes.
The first several times I listened were at work with the volume low, unfortunately not the best way to fully appreciate music. However, even in that setting, the musicianship and composition struck me. When I got around to giving the song its proper due and absorbing the lyrics, it only deepened my enjoyment. On the surface, the song is a lament for masterworks of various art forms as they are neglected by today's reality TV society. If you like, you can likely find several layers of deeper meaning as well.
The most poignant metaphor, for me, is the violin. A Stradivarius is in itself a masterpiece, but it only becomes a true wonder when in the hands of a brilliant musician. If it's sitting in a display case, the beauty of its sound is lost... "They've forgotten, forgotten how to sing..."
Here's the track on Soundcloud:
A Letterman performance from last week, complete with a Steinway & Sons grand piano and Regina's trademarked oddball vocalizations - this time in the form of laser sound effects:
A few weeks ago, my job had me travel to Nashville to work on a prototype system we have set up with a customer. Same prototype that had my in Tennessee twice last year, but this time I was there all week and had a bit more time to enjoy the city. Plus, it was spring instead of winter, so the city was coming out of its shell a bit and more lively this time around.
Last year, I stumbled across a girl with some pipes in one of the honky tonk / bar establishments on Broadway (downtown Nashville). When I found out I'd be back in town, I checked her website, and sure enough, she was playing at a different venue right down the street. As is the nature of bar entertainment, she and her band were playing a bunch of covers, from Beatles to Bon Jovi. I put in a request for her original song, "Arizona", which I'd heard her play last year. Since I already posted that song back then, here's an introspective ballad where Rachael Johnson reflects on the trials of her musical journey and trying to make a living in one of the musical meccas of the world:
Tonight's special: a flash mob on a train. Copenhagen Philharmonic playing Grieg's "Morning Mood" from "Peer Gynt" (you'll recognize the tune from countless movies / cartoons / commercials). Flash mobs are so 2011, in a way. But still, this is a pretty good concept - bringing classical music to commuters to brighten up their morning. Interesting note: in the original play "Peer Gynt", the scene for which this was written has something to do with fending off a swarm of apes...
I honestly thought this mashup was my own idea, and I pitched it to my buddy Mike last weekend, who burst my bubble by mentioning the Weezer cover. Perhaps I'd heard this before but blocked it from my consciousness, perhaps I legitimately came up with the same idea as Rivers Cuomo & Co. Let it be known, however, that in my head, the "can't read my, can't read my, no he can't read my poker face..." part was directly over the hook from Kids; whereas Weezer just segues from one song into the other. Let it be known that it's unlikely I'll ever post Gaga other than this cover - just not really what I'm into these days. Let it also be known, however, that she's a musical genius, but also a savvy businesswoman who figured out that she could achieve much greater fame and fortune by going the extravagant pop diva route than playing classical music or just being a girl with a piano. While we're on covers, who can forget this gem?
Just watched the movie "Happy Thankyou More Please" with Hermano. (Arrested Development fans will appreciate the reference, especially given that a Bluth is in this film...)
While the film is far from perfect - you'll have to accept a few far-fetched plot devices and some perhaps trite & overused rom-com cliches - I found it quite enjoyable. Maybe that can be chalked up to having a crush on Kate Mara (spoiler alert: she can sing, which exponentially magnifies any crush for an audiophile.)
One of the main themes is that we are all worthy of love. Yes, we all have flaws, sometimes fatal ones. We all make mistakes, sometimes major ones. But, if we're willing to look, and willing to demonstrate love to others, we might just find that there are people willing to accept our shortcomings and love us despite them. And heck, that might just be the inspiration we need to overcome some of those shortcomings and better ourselves.
Anyway, I've spoken before about the impact a soundtrackcanhave on a movie, which holds true for this track (and others from Jaymay) and its use in the film. I'll leave it to you to decide whether to watch the film and discern for yourself the profundity of the song's usage, but the song stands alone just fine:
Don't let fear and doubt hold you back. Don't give up on your dreams because they haven't come true just yet; don't give up on people just because they've disappointed you; don't give up on yourself even if you've screwed up colossally. Take a chance, make a move, live your life. You only get one, and it's beautiful despite the rough spots - make it more so by living to the fullest.
You guys. Fun. Is. Spectacular. A combination of, dare I say, fun melodies with upbeat and catchy instrumentation, topped off with (at least on tracks like this) powerful and introspective lyrics. They're exploding across the airwaves, on both the indie and popular stations (and fortunately, "We Are Young" hasn't been mutilated for the Top 40 stations like Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know".)
This one (especially the acoustic performance) captures the power of Nate's vocals and the emotion he conveys. The song's message is one of hope and perseverance.
Sick acoustic version recorded for Record Store Day (4/21/2012):
I stumbled upon Be Honest, Ruth Bryan! through The Ballard Sessions, which are Seattle's version of Pittsburgh blog Draw Us Lines' Echo Chambers. The trio of ladies from the Northwest bring some haunting harmonies and exquisite instrumentation, and in a bipartisan spirit, let a couple of dudes play along as well.
This track is pretty self-explanatory, but I'll give you a few brief thoughts nonetheless. The point of view makes for quite the intriguing take on the story. Dads don't like it when married men fool around with their daughters. Heck, dads don't like it when any men fool around with their daughters. And arpeggios in minor keys are a double-edged sword, but when done well, they can really hit the spot:
Tonight is one of those rare nights when I post a cover. Generally, while I do believe some covers are worthwhile, I try to go with the original version (or at least post both). But in this case, odds are you're familiar with the original, and the cover just has that ethereal quality which merits attention.
Interesting to note that this song may have the most comments of any song I've ever viewed on songmeanings.net. Also that the band had to fight pretty hard to get past this one track from their first album, and Thom Yorke apparently pretty much hates the song now.
Carrie Manolakos cut her teeth on Broadway, and now she has released an album of original tunes. If this performance is any indication, she's got the pipes to make for some quality songs.
Here's an excerpt from an article that has been making the rounds on the social media sites:
"This Cover of Radiohead's "Creep" Will Make Your Ears Orgasm. If you're in a hurry, skip to 2:25 for the crescendo, but you should really listen to the whole thing. It's upsettingly good."
~ Neetzan Zimmerman, Gawker
Seriously, listen to the whole thing; the emotion conveyed in the quieter parts of the song is just as good as the payoff. The high note, the harmony, the control through it all... just wow. And the instruments are spot on, as well.
And here's the original, just so the Radiohead fans don't lambaste me:
