Listening to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Little Shadow today, I was feeling like this song is sort of in the same vein as Tanya Donelly's Keeping You (which I posted the other day). I think the "little shadow" refers to a child, her child? Does Karen O. have a kid? Maybe, I dunno, but that's what it makes me think of, a mother asking her child to follow her to the end. I really like the line, closer/shadow/for all your strides/still you're caught between/all this sorrow, like she's trying to shield the child from the sadness in the world. It comes off as very sweet and tender.
I think I must have listened to this song about 15 times today. It's on their newest album, It's Blitz!, which dropped a couple months ago. For a few dollars more, there's also a limited version of the album with four extra acoustic tracks tacked on at the end, one of which is a cuckoo clock with strings version of this song. I kinda like it, but it's too peppy and doesn't breathe melancholy the way that this version does.
I think I've officially gone soft. I'm kidding, I really like the lyrics for this. Sung from a mother to a daughter (newborn?), with the mother telling how things have been far from perfect...until now. I dunno, it's a really sweet sentiment, and I love Tanya Donelly's voice. My favorite line is I've used and been used, I got over it. It's just life, it happens, and she tells it plain and simple.
Check this song on her 2002 album, Beautysleep, however, I actually prefer this live version, recorded in 2004. The original sorta sounds like a wind-up toy or something, I think it's the drums that do it. This version sounds more pure and less cluttered...from the heart, but maybe it's just me.
I recently went to check out Bettye LaVette and Booker T. I had only heard a couple of Bettye's songs, not too much really, but I did like what I heard. What got me to buy a ticket was this video of Ms. LaVette performing The Who's classic, Love Reign O'er Me, with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey in the audience. Watch for yourself, it looks as if those two were going to cry. She was that good.
Not knowing much about Booker T., I was keen on catching his set. I'd always seen his name, from time to time, on Stax albums, his own band (Booker T. & The MGs), but I'd never been properly exposed to his music.
I left work early so I could arrive on time. I got there about 10-15 minutes after 8 (hard to find parking)...AND BOOKER T.'S SET WAS ALREADY DONE. I suspect he came on around 7.30 or something. Seriously! It was about 8.30, I had gotten a drink and ventured forth when I heard the words, "Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Bettye LaVette!". I swear I've never been to a show where the headliner came on so early. Some friends were supposed to meet me there as well, and they were nearby, so I texted them immediately to let them know she was on. They hustled down and barely made it in time to catch the last three or four songs. Crazy.
So I ended up missing Booker T., and Bettye LaVette was fantastic. I was surprised when she also busted out an Aimee Mann cover, which I now know is on her album, I've Got My Own Hell To Raise. If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of Aimee, so that was a nice treat. I also picked up Booker T.'s new album, Potato Hole, and it's really cool. Seems like it's mostly covers, but there are a few songs I am unfamiliar with. I particularly like the cover of OutKast's Hey Ya.
Get this. The other night, I had a dream that I was in a band with Zack de la Rocha. How's that for strange? I was singing with him on Freedom, from the first RATM album. I'm not sure if the rest of the band were there in the dream, though. What a weird feeling when I awoke.
Hmm, it's been a while, but now the Sharks stumbled out of the postseason, so I suddenly have some time on my hands.
This post is gonna be kinda lame, because I'm pretty much regurgitating someone else's post. But the main point, I think, is the music. Basically, I ran into this post over at the wonderful Soul Sides, so please be sure to check that out. I think I've always known Laura Nyro's name, but I've never checked out her music for whatever reasons. So when I saw her name pop up in my trusty RSS reader, I was a bit perplexed as to the appearance on Soul Sides. I always thought Nyro was one of those singer/songwriters in the mold of Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, or Carole King. From what I've read, I suppose I was sorta right to cast her in that mold, but that's not the point. The reason she showed up on Soul Sides is because she recorded a really cool album of Motown covers and R&B songs, called Gonna Take A Miracle. Labelle show up on vocals, and the whole thing was produced by Gamble & Huff, who pretty much invented Philly soul.
So, I listened to the Jimmy Mack cover, because I like the original Martha & The Vandellas track. Let me tell you, my jaw hit the floor. The cover is great, maybe even as good as the original. It's joyful, loose, infectious and hand-clappy fun. I can't get enough of it. Also, I'm gonna toss in this cover of Major Lance's Monkey Time, just because it fucking kicks ass. The song segues into Martha & The Vandellas' Dancing In The Street and, once again, it's incredibly fun. I love near the end when there's a pause and she belts out "Wish I could shimmy like my sister can, I just dance! dance! dance!"
Hell yeah.
Laura Nyro and Labelle> Jimmy Mack
Laura Nyro and Labelle> Monkey Time/Dancing In The Street
I just stumbled onto Grand Duchy the other day when I read that Frank Black is gonna be playing here next month. I was sleuthing about, looking for tour dates and I found out that he's got a new project, Grand Duchy, that he's doing with his wife, Violet Clark. Awesomeness.
Grand Duchy's album, Petit Fours, just dropped this week and it's pretty fucking cool. It's difficult not to compare the music to that of the Pixies. It's also difficult not to compare Violet Clark to Kim Deal. Naturally, there is some of that Pixies flavor there, except some of this is a bit more synthy. According to the bio, Violet is more of an 80s music fan and has injected some of that 80s synth love into this album. Her voice is not as wispy as Kim Deal's; she really stands on her own.
Listening to the album today, I got around to the middle and this track absolutely destroyed me. I had to stop what I was doing and listen to it a few times in a row. I love when a song does that to me. I can kinda make out the lyrics, I think it's about aliens (Black Suit: kinda like the song Men In Black from his album, The Cult of Ray). It sounds so eerie and menacing and it totally fucking rocks. Check it out, and check out more of their music here.
Messing around with another video. The "You and I forever, for all time" line in SPC ECO's For All Time sorta makes me think of the movie Stardust. I threw them both together and this is what came out.
Okay, that last post was quite the rant, so on to better things. The new Bat For Lashes album, Two Suns, drops today. I confess I've been listening to it for a while and I like it quite a bit. Dreamy, ethereal, tribal, mystical, magical, fantastical; She really makes me think of Kate Bush, whom I adore to bits. All that said, she's not without a sense of humor, as evidenced by the cover of the first single, Daniel. It's a haunting song about love found and lost, realizing they were just "kids in the eye of the storm" and how she's plagued by the eternal "search for the flame". I am pretty excited, she's going to be playing here this summer. Check it out.
I'm kind of a completist nerd and I don't really have a problem with it. So of course, I went and ordered the new PUFFY b-sides compilation, Puffy AmiYumi X PUFFY, even though I already had most of the songs on the disc. Not such a big deal, right? I didn't even balk at the big price tag on the disc even though it was kinda expensive. I didn't care that the cover is awful (my nephews could do a way better job). I think the thing that really ticked me off was that they included three "BONUS TRACKS!!", according to the sticker on the back. Two of them are the themes to the Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi show, one "Spanish TV Mix" and one "Portuguese TV Mix", each about a minute long. MEH. The final "Bonus Track" is Ami and Yumi singing Happy Birthday to who the hell fucking knows. Maybe it'd be cool if they were able to do it Marilyn Monroe style or something, but you know that ain't gonna happen. It just comes off as so retarded. Who signed off on this? The girls? The label? It's just such cheap bullshit. I'd be perfectly happy if they didn't included these so-called bonus tracks. This is just stupid. It's like, what's the fucking point? Seriously. Hear for yourself.
Does anyone else remember this? To celebrate their 40th anniversary, in 1990, Elektra Recordsissued a two-disc compilation calledRubaiyat. It was basically one of those incestuous affairs featuring then-current Elektra artists covering songs from Elektra's past. Metallica did Queen's Stone Cold Crazy. The Cure mope through The Door's Hello I Love You. Pixies rip through The Paul Butterfield Blues Band's Born in Chicago. Faster Pussycat do a very amusing hair-metal version of You're So Vain. You get the idea.
Which brings us to what is perhaps my favorite track out of the entire 39; The Sugarcubes getting all campy with their take on Sailcat's Motorcycle Mama, complete with motorcycle engine revving. Honestly, I've never heard of Sailcat, but this song cracks me up. It's a standard rebel youth anthem about a guy trying to lure a girl to spend life on the open road, I'm guessing inspired by the movie Easy Rider and the Hells Angels motorcycle culture of the time (the original dropped in 1972). The interplay between Einar and Bjork makes me grin; the best is when they all shout out "WE'LL BE A TRIO BUT BABY MAKES THREE OHHHHH!" It's a lot of singalong fun. This compilation is dirt cheap these days and, along with this track, there are a few gems on it that make it worth the space on your CD rack.
Still going through my box sets, I just ran into this song the other day. I don't know the specifics behind this song, like what was the motivation behind it? It's a great song that comes off like a PSA. Maybe it was written specifically for that purpose, but wouldn't the world be that much more cool if all PSAs were Motown songs? Maybe The Supremes singing a song about using protection during sex, or Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell delivering a fiery performance about the evils of crack cocaine (sort of like that James Brown/Marva Whitney duet I posted a while back, that would be awesome). You know, something like that. I think more peeps would be apt to listen when it's not some retarded jingle or some stuffy old white guy in a suit preaching to you. I love this lyric, it's oh so true: "just remember/this simple rule/to be the driver/and not the mule", sing it Brenda, you rock. If I had heard this song when I was a kid, I'd probably have a PhD by now. Well, maybe.
A few of us started something up just for fun. It's called One-Word Album Reviews, and it's pretty much as advertised. Come on by and laugh at us, or maybe add your own one-word album reviews in the comments. Or something.
I've posted about this before, and I'll say it again. This is my favorite Marie Antoinette moment. Pure majesty. (I watched the movie again, last night).
I recently started (slowly) collecting Hip-OSelect's Complete Motown Singles box sets, so there will probably be these random Motown posts of hidden gems I'm running into. This one in particular is Frances Nero's Keep On Loving Me.
I've never heard of her at all, but according to the wiki article, Frances won a contest out of 5000 contestants and won a dozen long-stem roses, $500, and a one-year recording contract with Motown. This is her one Motown single, and it's absolutely wonderful.
I can't believe it's been twenty years, but there ya go. I was listening today to the Katydids' self-titled debut album. Produced by the original Jesus of Cool, Nick Lowe (1989, man...I still can't get over it), it's chock full of jangly pop goodness. It won't blow you away with originality or powerful, emotional lyrics, but it's a very pleasant and catchy album. It's light, breezy and sounds good turned up on a sunny, spring day.
One of my favorite songs on the album, Lights Out (Read My Lips), finds vocalist Susie Hug being playful and coy, egging her partner on. She tells him he "can have a chapter in the middle of the night", and encourages him to "read more, read on". It's kinda cute and has a high sing-a-long factor. They released said song as a single, as well, and included an acoustic version as one of the b-sides. The b-side is pretty straight ahead, and is practically the same as the original, sans drums. They released one album, Shangri-La (produced by Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds), after this one and broke up after they were dropped by their label. You can probably find this album in the used bins for a fiver or less, it'd be worth a pickup.
One of my favorite Elliott Smith songs is Pitseleh, which means "little one" in Yiddish. It's so filled with anguish, despair and even self-loathing. He knew he had this great thing, this relationship, except it was doomed because he's so flawed. So he tried, but it just didn't work out. And as he realizes it'll never work, he ends with the line, "I never meant to hurt you", and shuffles away underneath grey skies. Being a seasoned veteran of a million fucked up relationships, my heart just breaks when he sings "The first time I saw you/I knew it would never last/I'm not half what I wish I was." I guess it's not necessarily a good thing to be able to relate to his songs, but there is beauty in this sorrow.
Last week, the new PUFFY single finally arrived in my mailbox. I have to say, I'm not entirely taken with it. It's fine, but it doesn't jump out at me and make me want to listen to it over and over like some of their other tracks and records. That said, one of the b-sides, My Story (variation by agraph), caught my interest. I like the music on this track, but the vocals kinda clash with it. Maybe if they could have redone the vocals with something more low-key, sinister and sexy. I do like this idea, even if it's only a remix at this point.
I've been thinking lately that there are some artists who could use a change of pace, PUFFY being one of them. Don't get me wrong, I love the power pop stuff. I think, for example, that the association with Butch Walker isn't a great one. Last summer's Avril Lavigne-penned/Butch Walker-produced All Because of You single was a travesty. It's just time to move on from that sound. Either that or somehow talk Andy Sturmer into coming back.
I think, though, if they could reinvent themselves in a sort of an electronica mode, not necessarily subdued but not dance-y, maybe something whispery, it would be interesting even if it were not a success. You've already got the cash, you've already got fans; why not try?
Speaking of new singles, Perfume have a new one coming at the end of the month, called One Room Disco. There are a couple covers for it, the red/white/blue cover is the limited edition (includes a DVD) and the dollhouse one is from the standard version. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this one, it might be a grower. The last one, Dream Fighter, bolted out of the gate and knocked my socks off the first time I heard it. This one lacks the immediacy of DF so far, but I'll be giving it more of a chance when the actual disc shows up in my mailbox. If you're actually interested in making a purchase, I usually head over to yesasia.com as they've got a ton of cool stuff to add to your collection.
*EDIT* sorry, I just kept the one pic of the limited edition, they were breaking so hopefully this work. If you'd like to see them both, head over to Perfume City.
Listening to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Little Shadow today, I was feeling like this song is sort of in the same vein as Tanya Donelly's Keeping You (which I posted the other day). I think the "little shadow" refers to a child, her child? Does Karen O. have a kid? Maybe, I dunno, but that's what it makes me think of, a mother asking her child to follow her to the end. I really like the line, closer/shadow/for all your strides/still you're caught between/all this sorrow, like she's trying to shield the child from the sadness in the world. It comes off as very sweet and tender.
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