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..."
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...
So this one is somewhat tongue-in-cheek (I mean, late '90s pop, amirite?) But despite the cheesiness of the song, it still has one of my favorite lyrics of all time, and on Fat Tuesday, I thought it was appropriate.
Ponder, if you would, the depth of this statement in light of today's first world societies and the shallowness of the religious "sacrifices" made during the upcoming season:
I found this band on thesixtyone the other day (a site worth checking out - fun way to discover new tunes). They're an instrumental outfit from Texas, named after a small town quite a ways away from the bigger cities. Their sound, however, is much larger than their namesake.
Balmorhea (pronounced Bal-moor-ay) bring lush orchestration and soaring melodies, reminiscent of carefree summer days. This track features a backbone of piano with strings along for the ride. A subtle guitar breakdown laced with ethereal vocal harmonies gives you a breather before the climax, when the pace picks up and claps join the strings and vocals in a manner reminiscent of The David Wax Museum. This type of tune could easily be part of a movie soundtrack, but stands alone as well:
A few of my friends (you know who you are) got this song in my head tonight the old fashioned way - by singing it. The Felice Brothers don't match up to The AvettBrothers (in my humble opinion), but they still put on a rip-roarin' show with some boot-stompin' tunes such as this one. It's just a little ditty about the inherent evils of cheating on your significant other whilst he is familiarizing himself with the inherent evils of mixing alcohol and guns...
Here's a beautiful track from a group who are no longer together. The subdued string section is woven together with the guitar for a tapestry to backdrop the powerful lyrics. The intensity of the longing to find meaning in life, and find "home", is staggering. Probably you've had times when you felt that way; I know I have. There's a lot about the world that is depressing, and even the masterpieces (man-made, like cathedrals, or natural) are prone to decay into entropy. Yet, the beauty of these things gives us hope, and a desire to preserve the existing wonders of the world, and perhaps to create some new ones.
There are probably ties to human relationships here as well - home doesn't have to be a a physical location; sometimes it's finding the right group of people who make you feel comfortable and loved.
This unofficial fan-made video has some starkly contrasting visuals:
So I intended to be all clever and post this song in November, but I plumb forgot. Lucky for you, it also mentions December, so I can still use it and feel somewhat clever. But even if it were May, the song is amazing.
It's from the early days of The Avett Brothers, so it's much more raw than the more polished recordings of the "Emotionalism" and "I and Love and You" albums. The emotions are just as raw and powerful. The intensity of the feelings expressed will pull you right into the moment. Pretty much all of us can relate on some level - whether it be a fleeting crush who doesn't reciprocate, or an extended relationship derailed when one lover moves away.
Here's the Crackerfarm backstage recording of Scotty A. singing the tune, from Kent, OH in 2008 (my bro and some good buddies were at the show, but I missed it). By the way, Crackerfarm has dozens of similar (and similarly awesome) videos of the Bros. Avett singing stripped down versions of their catalogue - check them all out!
And here's an intimate performance from a stage in a high school in Manhattan - being at a show where they bust out a song like this is just a transcendental experience:
"if I had money, would it all look good
and if I had a job now, like a good man should
if I came to you tomorrow, and said let's run away
Would you roll like the wind does, baby would you stay?"
It's unlikely that tonight's post will be groundbreaking to you; most people have at least heard of Coldplay by now. But their latest radio hit caught my ear today, so there you go. I still feel like Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head are my fave albums by these guys, but they're consistently solid.
This track deals with the loss of youthful innocence and idealism; the realization as we move into our adult years that we're not all going to be pro athletes, astronauts, princesses, models, rock stars, the president, or whatever else we dreamed of in our youth. Most of us end up shifting our paradigm and creating new dreams for which to strive. Most of us endure hard times, but often we emerge stronger and discover a life that is better than the one we'd been imagining. The truth is, life is what you make of it, and paradise is enjoying your life for what it is, not some far-off mystical perfection.
Live at Austin City Limits:
And here's an... interesting... music video. I think you'll be able to see the correlation between the protagonist's plight and journey and the song's meaning. Also, elephants on unicycles are arguably as awesome as hiphopopotamuses and rhymenoceroses. Although I could do without the holding up of cardboard signs with song lyrics - that part is like some bad truck commercial.
Quickie tonight. This one may not be for everyone, but as always, I urge you to give new things a shot, because it's good for you. Although technically this song isn't brand-spanking new, but rather a few years old...
The Brit-pop duo cranked out a catchy tune, a little on the repetitive side, but in a fun way. And the video is... interesting. How do you make a cheap yet somehow awesome vid for a song? Two parts white people, one part deliberately terrible choreography, one part your cousin's videography skills:
Been a while since I posted some Regina Spektor. This one falls somewhere near the middle of the Spektor Weirdness Scale - it has some odd vocal utterances and disturbing imagery, but isn't nearly as strange as certain other tracks ("Oedipus", "Aching to Pupate", I'm looking at you.) I think my favorite thing about Spektor is she's absolutely unafraid to try new things, be herself, and just have fun with her songs.
The song starts with a driving piano rhythm, explodes with mechanical sounds, and features a sick string breakdown for the bridge. The subject matter here is pretty heavy; I'll leave the details for you to work out on your own but the gist seems to be an homage to / railing against the technological age, or maybe some kind of futuristic dystopian world...
Several clutch live performances are online; here's one from House of Blues (Boston) to start you off:
(look for "Live in London", "Live Paris Bataclan", and "Bonnaroo 2010" for some other sweet ones - better video than this version but this one has that intimate venue feel)
And here's the album version, coupled with one of the most fitting fan videos I've ever seen. The scenes are from Joss Whedon's "Firefly" and "Dollhouse" shows, and although I haven't watched Dollhouse, Firefly was great.
It's the Fifth of November, and if you're like me, you may watch V for Vendetta tonight. Mostly because Natalie Portman looks good even with a shaved head, but also because of Occupy Wall Street - standing up to The Man, fighting against... wait, what are we fighting against? Hopefully something bad...
The movie is about a totalitarian government in the UK in a futuristic dystopian society, and a vigilante who fights against the evils of said government, wearing a Guy Fawkes mask symbolically in reference to Fawkes' efforts to overthrow the British government centuries ago. There could be a lot of debate about the meaning of the film and the motives of the characters, as well as the justness of their causes. It's interesting to note the religious side of the original Gunpowder Treason - Fawkes was part of a group of Catholics trying to overthrow a Protestant government and restore Catholicism's power backed by the British crown. So depending on whether you consider Protestants to be tantamount to Totalitarians...
Of further interest is the use of the end of Russian composer Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture at the climax of the film. The score has become popular in America and is often used in a patriotic sense here, and it's somewhat implicit in the movie that V is using it to stand for freedom and patriotism as well. However, despite what most Americans likely think, the music was not composed to celebrate American victory over Britain in The War of 1812 (hmm, more irony that a British freedom fighter would use it, if that were true). Believe it or not, there was more than one war going on in that year, and Tchaikovsky was actually telling the story of the failed attack by Napoleon's army on Moscow, and celebrating the defense of the Russian city. Hence the elements of the French national anthem and "God Save the Tsar" within the music.
Bottom line, it's a fine piece of classical music, and the final few minutes - complete with cannon fire which is called out in the score - are spectacular. To quote the great Calvin: "And they perform this in crowded concert halls??"
I'd love to debate the historical, political, and religious ramifications of all this information with you some time, but for now, just enjoy the music, and remember to stand for what you believe in.
And here's the last two minutes, for those of you who aren't patient enough for the whole thing:
One of my favorite parts of the trilogy of Lord of the Rings soundtracks, the theme of the Riders of Rohan is weaved into numerous moments in the score, but is first introduced with horns about halfway through this track. If you've seen the films, you will recognize the music from the first meeting of Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn with the Riders. The first part of the track is full of chaotic sounds which evoke the tense mood of the meeting, until things are set straight between the two parties.
It's amazing how a good soundtrack can enhance a movie; this is but one example.
PS - for another occurrence of this theme, this time primarily with strings, check out "The King Of The Golden Hall":
We're going soundtracking tonight, and it's all because The Best Movie Ever was on TV whilst I was eating dinner. That's right, Jurassic Park. Okay, maybe not the best movie ever, but pretty great, no? If you're somewhere around 25-35, you probably were blown away by the animatronics in the film like I was. Looking back 18 years later, the dinosaurs don't look nearly as awesome as we thought they did back then... must be how people who watched Star Wars as kids feel about the effects when they watch the movies again.
I loved dinosaurs as a kid; still pretty much do. The movie (and the book upon which it is based) is, at its heart, a cautionary tale about modern progress in science and technology. It's full of spectacular lines, mostly by Pittsburgh's own Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm.
"Now, eventually, ah, you do plan to have... dinosaurs... on your dinosaur tour...right?"
Of course, you have the action/adventure/drama of the dinosaurs escaping and chasing the humans around. But the real winner is the score composed by John Williams. The soundtrack complements each scene perfectly. The triumphant trumpet call as the helicopter approaches the island, the wondrous tone of the strings as the guests behold the brachiosaurus for the first time, the foreboding and unsettling horns as they approach the complex... the symphony enhances the film - precisely the intention. Bad movie soundtracks can be unoriginal and uninspiring, but good ones can really deepen the experience.
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As a footnote - while Google searching for Jeff Goldblum, I found some tragic news (which apparently escaped my attention for two years, for which I cannot forgive myself...)
While we're on the subject of vigor and spirit or enthusiasm in tubes, here's another oneder for you (don't know what a Oneder is? We'll get to that one of these days...) The Verve hit it big with this one in 1997, and never really matched that peak again. But, as a wise man once said, "it's better to go down in a blaze of glory than to rot in a state penitentiary!"
I love the soaring strings in this one, and the way they set the tone of the song - hopeful, despite the sobering aspects of the lyrics.
The song's about, you guessed it, life in general. Most of us spend most of our lives trying to "make ends meet" and being "slave(s) to money"... not exactly a spectacular fate. Many people in the world don't even have it that good... and yet, pretty much everyone experiences the sweetness of life along with the bitter...
"Well I've never prayed, but tonight I'm on my knees..."
So my friend Jake's friend Scott posted this song a while ago on his song of the day blog*, and I checked it out and was impressed. I didn't want to just go post it myself right away though, because that just seemed like copying. But I heard Jake and a couple other friends** play the song today and it just hit me, so now you're getting it tonight.
* - wait, you mean I'm not the only person in the world doing this?
** - friendly post tonight, eh?
Harmonies and instrumentation. This song has them. I like those things. Self-described as "liturgical post-rock", Gungor's sound is rich and full. The way the song builds just resonates, and the breakdown with the glockenspiel is great.
Live version:
Album version:
"All this earth Could all that is lost ever be found? Could a garden come out from this ground, at all?"
How can I choose just one? Just saw The Avett Brothers perform live for the tenth time, and just like the previous nine times, they brought it from start to finish, and did not disappoint. Well, to be honest, they did disappoint, but only in that they didn't play their entire catalogue... to be fair, they have to be in Columbus for another show Saturday night so we'll have to forgive them that one.
If you haven't guessed, TAB are pretty much my favorite band. I'm trying to show restraint and not overhype them on the blog (I went all of April and most of May without using them) but after a show like tonight, I can't help it.
I'm going with a song that hasn't made an album yet, but surely will be on their next release... the first time I heard it was last year's Pittsburgh show, and it blew me away. I'm glad to have heard it once more this year; Seth is my favorite (by a nose), and this one's lyrics are just swell. Can't wait for the album version, but the live vid should give you a feel for the energy the boys bring every time they take the stage:
"Money won't do the trick, but it will help to open the doors we need it to to help someone else..."
Going back to the college years here. Super fun song, perfect for a road trip. Probably not a lot of hidden meaning, he's just remembering teenage summers and young love... good for him. Video is pretty interesting (it has nuns!)
"We're looking up at the same night sky, keep pretending the sun will not rise..."
Josh Groban has one of the best voices I've ever heard. This song is probably my favorite of his. If you don't know Italian, you'll have to appreciate it on the musical level, and/or look up a translation of the lyrics, but it's just a cool sounding song, which uses dynamics incredibly well to convey the emotions of the singer.
Live performance on YouTube (skip the chitchat at the beginning), album recording linked via Grooveshark:
(rough translation; anyone fluent in Italian can feel free to correct it:)
"For the love that I give you and the love that you do not know has shipwrecked me for the love that I have not and the love that I would like and for this pain and this love that i have for you truly, that guides me through these storms..."
"E' per l'amore che ti do E' per l'amore che non sai Che mi fai naufragare E' per l'amore che non ho E' per l'amore che vorrei E' per questo dolore E' questo amore che ho per te Che mi fa superare queste vere tempeste..."
For some reason, this song seems fitting in light of major world events recently. This world is a pretty messed up place, and we humans are at the root of most of the problems. And yet, this world is also a pretty amazing place, and we humans have some pretty great things to enjoy about life.
Collective Soul knocked out a string of hits in the 90s, and one of my favorite purchases from one of those old music clubs was their "7even Year Itch" greatest hits album, released in 2001. This track dates back to their self-titled 1995 release (what were you doing in 1995?). It's a little laid back compared to some of their heavier songs, but it's great in its own right, and even has some sweet strings interwoven between the main instruments of the band.
"has our conscience shown? has the sweet breeze blown? has all the kindness gone? hope still lingers on..."
This song epitomizes everything that is great about The Avett Brothers, and this particular live version even more so. You get a feel for their softer side at the beginning, and it builds into a foot-stompin' ruckus by the end. Scott throws in a witty aside between lines ("...disregard your father's word"..."...what does he know?"), and you get the mid-song instrument change after Scott breaks a string on his banjo. They have a guy whose sole purpose during shows is to re-string guitars and banjos after they fail to withstand the frenetic strumming of the brothers. The unbridled passion is evident in every show, in every song.
