Hello Boys and Girls
Jesus and Mary Chain - The Power of Negative Thought
82 songs of feedback bliss. A wonderful pot of gold at the end of the boxset rainbow. One listen to this box and I'm transported directly to a glorious decade called the Mid 80s to the mid 90s. The foundation of my musical education. PJ, REM, The Replacements, JAMC, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, Van Halen, Def Leppard, The Cure, Pink Floyd, Smashing Pumpkins, NIN. I need to go spike my Jolt cola with some "borrowed" rum from Papa and plug in my walkman.
Roy Obison - the Soul of Rock and Roll
My boxset joy.
Ben Folds - Way to Normal
That man is funny and ironic and serious. The Piano kills as do the lyrics. This is the closest to "Five" as he has sounded since that trio broke up. Maybe it's because they played that one off show. Inspired? Who knows. Just enjoy this version of normal.
Joseph Arthur - Temporary People
A nice return to form and closer to basic rock. Still space but not just to show off rather on this one it fits within the song.
Ani DiFranco - Red Letter Year
A shock to the ear on first listen. Beautiful music? Lovely music? Not Ani (don't call me Annie). Surely not the "in your face/maverick" singer and song writer. I'll call this cd serene. First cd since becoming a mom.
Also check
Mercury Rev, MMW, Bella Fleck (for a Christmas LP), The Iguanas, Taj Mahal, and Tom Morello the Nightwatchmen.
More later
Bro
----------------
Now playing: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Hearts
via FoxyTunes
Showing posts with label Ben Folds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Folds. Show all posts
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Songs for my Funeral
This a long time coming. No not my death but my first posted mix. I will not go into a huge description about how the name of the mix came about rather just listen. So here is the playlist for "Songs for my Funeral Part One: Songs 1-13"
The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
John Lennon – Watching the Wheels
Sun Kil Moon – Lost Verses
Todd Snider – Alright Guy
Ben Folds – The Luckiest
Peter Gabriel – In Your Eyes (Live)
Faces – Ooh La La
Pixies – Dig For Fire
Slobberbone – Lazy Guy
Talking Heads – Road to Nowhere
The Pogues – Love You ‘Till The End
Tom Waits and the Kronos Quartet – Diamond In Your Mind (live)
I Am Kloot - Proof
Another mix will be coming soon(ish). Yes it will Part Two.
More later
Bro
Saturday, August 23, 2008
When 5 was 3 now just 1
hey look...it's another lost CD. Yes about bloody time and for more Lost Treasures head to NEXT music.
This time I pick Ben Fold's "Rockin' the Suburbs"
Before I begin with my mini rant about radio missing out yet again let me tell you that you must see the man live. Solo? With a Band? It just doesn't matter just do what needs to be done to see him anytime he is close to where you live. He makes stadiums feel like your living room.
Ben, Live. Army.
Ben with just the piano. Army.
Too much fun. Honestly you come out of the concert on a high. The man is truly talented.
So what about "Rockin' the Suburbs" The CD?
Really besides the occasional "Brick" this man gets almost no radio love. Why? I don't know and how strange is it that when he does get radio play its about an abortion. I guess he doesn't test well. That is a good thing. He is man that must be experience in full not some 30 sec clip over the phone. Bloody silly but that is how music on the radio is picked.
So about the cd is it...
Catchy? Check
Intelligent? Check
Fun and funny (yes those are two different things)? Check and Check.
Now this cd really isn't too different from his Ben Folds Five work but the main change was the fact that Ben played almost all of the instruments including guitar and dropped two band members. Guitar is important to note as the trio was piano, drums, bass. Still really no big surprises just classic sounding Ben making mid tempo masterpieces.
Wonderful start to the cd with "Annie Waits".
This song just gets to me. Beautifully written. You can just picture Annie seeing the "headlights cresting the hill" and being disappointed when the car continues past her house...it's not her "friend". Here are two quite good fan vids.
Zak and Sara
Funny. Weird. Not normal. Brilliant. Yes. Plus hidden swearing.
Rockin' the Suburbs
Great video.
the next two songs will be played at my funeral.
If this next song doesn't choke you up you have no feelings. This is why we love music.
The Luckiest
and a song he wrote for his son.
Still Fightin It
Link to "embedding disabled video"
So yes go get this cd. Period. Thats it. Oh and radio get smart before you become an afterthought...opps too late. Well almost too late.
More later
Bro
This time I pick Ben Fold's "Rockin' the Suburbs"
Before I begin with my mini rant about radio missing out yet again let me tell you that you must see the man live. Solo? With a Band? It just doesn't matter just do what needs to be done to see him anytime he is close to where you live. He makes stadiums feel like your living room.
Ben, Live. Army.
Ben with just the piano. Army.
Too much fun. Honestly you come out of the concert on a high. The man is truly talented.
So what about "Rockin' the Suburbs" The CD?
Really besides the occasional "Brick" this man gets almost no radio love. Why? I don't know and how strange is it that when he does get radio play its about an abortion. I guess he doesn't test well. That is a good thing. He is man that must be experience in full not some 30 sec clip over the phone. Bloody silly but that is how music on the radio is picked.
So about the cd is it...
Catchy? Check
Intelligent? Check
Fun and funny (yes those are two different things)? Check and Check.
Now this cd really isn't too different from his Ben Folds Five work but the main change was the fact that Ben played almost all of the instruments including guitar and dropped two band members. Guitar is important to note as the trio was piano, drums, bass. Still really no big surprises just classic sounding Ben making mid tempo masterpieces.
Wonderful start to the cd with "Annie Waits".
This song just gets to me. Beautifully written. You can just picture Annie seeing the "headlights cresting the hill" and being disappointed when the car continues past her house...it's not her "friend". Here are two quite good fan vids.
Zak and Sara
Funny. Weird. Not normal. Brilliant. Yes. Plus hidden swearing.
Rockin' the Suburbs
Great video.
the next two songs will be played at my funeral.
If this next song doesn't choke you up you have no feelings. This is why we love music.
The Luckiest
and a song he wrote for his son.
Still Fightin It
Link to "embedding disabled video"
So yes go get this cd. Period. Thats it. Oh and radio get smart before you become an afterthought...opps too late. Well almost too late.
More later
Bro
Sunday, July 22, 2007
John Mayer and Ben Folds in Concert
From NEXT listener Michael. thanks Mike.
Walking up the stairs to the open lawn at the Tweeter Center in Camden, everything just feels good. The weather, the crowd, and on stage is James Morrison, a master craftsman of feel good music. My family was together for this one, and it is the first concert that my children are able to attend. James Morrison is a very approachable first act, and while admittedly not familiar with most of his recordings, he seems like a warm man who truly enjoys performing. He sings well, plays guitar well, and his songs set the mood. He performs for a crowd that is slowly filling the venue to capacity, and definitely draws his biggest response when he plays the single now getting air play in New York, “Under the Influence.” But his music, after some time, is less interesting than the other performers scheduled for the night. Just when things start sounding repetitive, however, Morrison shows promise with a charged performance of his most energetic song, “Call the Police.” The song is a great finale, and a nice lead in to the man about to take the stage.
When Ben Folds walks out, he strides to his piano like a puma with its prey in sight. He is tensed, leans into the keys, and begins his set with the energy that would fill his entire performance. “Gone” gets much of the crowd on its feet, and he quickly flows from one song to the next. All of them are familiar to the crowd, who join him in singing each of his selections. His words can cut, as sarcasm and condemnations are used in a variety of pointed lyrics. But his point of view is clearly appreciated by this group, many of them choosing to sing louder as the songs take their more aggressive turns.
Ben Folds is an exceptional songwriter, and is certainly not one dimensional, so it is no surprise when he chooses to be sentimental. A switch to this side of his music comes with the song “Landed.” Later, there is the subtlety and sadness found in the song “Jesusland.”
Throughout his set, Ben Folds demonstrates that in addition to song writing, he is a very talented performer. He, and the other members of his trio, are technically sound at all points. Even as his keyboard playing becomes frenetic, and his words flow more rapidly, he is on key and delivers the songs flawlessly. To his credit, he focuses on the playing, choosing to avoid the cliched banter too many musicians insert into their sets when on tour. The only disappointment is that he didn’t play personal favorites such as “Still Fighting It” which is obviously a concern I may not have shared with too many of the fans now screaming as his performance concludes.
While some remained seated for the first two acts, it is clear the night is approaching a peak as John Mayer takes the stage. The crowd is loud, and clearly has been waiting for this, and now all rise as this amazing young performer begins his set. The first two song choices are safe, the radio hits all would know. In fact, these two songs probably sold a significant percentage of the tickets to the night’s show. He works through “Bigger Than My Body” and “No Such Thing” and the audience sings in unison. I look at my son, standing on his chair, delighted to be screaming at the top of his lungs, too. My wife is smiling, my daughter’s eyes are wide open. The party has started, but the greatest aspect of the night is first hinted at in Mayer’s third song “Belief.”
John Mayer chooses to introduce this song with a guitar solo that masks the song that he is about to play. But it also reveals, as his virtuosity is finally exposed. This John Mayer can often hide behind the breathy delivery of his lyrics, and the occasional falsetto. Since the beginning of his career John Mayer’s music has been the sort to make women swoon, but there are reasons he has recorded with B.B. King and John Scofield. Just as there are reasons he began this day sharing a stage in New York City with Eric Clapton. John Mayer can flat out play the guitar.
Like Ben Folds, the emphasis is on the music. The guitar licks are flowing now, and his familiarity with traditional guitar rock is increasingly apparent. He is wise to lean back on the familiar, as the crowd happily joins him in singing “Waiting On the World to Change.” But again, this side of Mayer is familiar, and his craftsmanship as a pop song writer could never be questioned. It is, however, only when you see him live that you begin to recognize he is not just another pop star. John Mayer is more likely the heir to the throne in American Jazz/Blues guitar.
The show continues towards a predictable, cathartic end, and as this great party winds down, I realize I have seen much more than I expected. At its best, live music represents an opportunity for comradery with like minded music fans, and a chance to see aspects of a performer that haven’t been captured in a studio. These elements, played out in a great venue, have lead to tremendous entertainment, and I realize my children may not recognize how fortunate they have been tonight. To mark the occasion, we’re sure to save the ticket stubs, as my wife and I both feel Mayer’s best years are ahead of him. And to think, I thought I felt good walking in to this concert.
Walking up the stairs to the open lawn at the Tweeter Center in Camden, everything just feels good. The weather, the crowd, and on stage is James Morrison, a master craftsman of feel good music. My family was together for this one, and it is the first concert that my children are able to attend. James Morrison is a very approachable first act, and while admittedly not familiar with most of his recordings, he seems like a warm man who truly enjoys performing. He sings well, plays guitar well, and his songs set the mood. He performs for a crowd that is slowly filling the venue to capacity, and definitely draws his biggest response when he plays the single now getting air play in New York, “Under the Influence.” But his music, after some time, is less interesting than the other performers scheduled for the night. Just when things start sounding repetitive, however, Morrison shows promise with a charged performance of his most energetic song, “Call the Police.” The song is a great finale, and a nice lead in to the man about to take the stage.
When Ben Folds walks out, he strides to his piano like a puma with its prey in sight. He is tensed, leans into the keys, and begins his set with the energy that would fill his entire performance. “Gone” gets much of the crowd on its feet, and he quickly flows from one song to the next. All of them are familiar to the crowd, who join him in singing each of his selections. His words can cut, as sarcasm and condemnations are used in a variety of pointed lyrics. But his point of view is clearly appreciated by this group, many of them choosing to sing louder as the songs take their more aggressive turns.
Ben Folds is an exceptional songwriter, and is certainly not one dimensional, so it is no surprise when he chooses to be sentimental. A switch to this side of his music comes with the song “Landed.” Later, there is the subtlety and sadness found in the song “Jesusland.”
Throughout his set, Ben Folds demonstrates that in addition to song writing, he is a very talented performer. He, and the other members of his trio, are technically sound at all points. Even as his keyboard playing becomes frenetic, and his words flow more rapidly, he is on key and delivers the songs flawlessly. To his credit, he focuses on the playing, choosing to avoid the cliched banter too many musicians insert into their sets when on tour. The only disappointment is that he didn’t play personal favorites such as “Still Fighting It” which is obviously a concern I may not have shared with too many of the fans now screaming as his performance concludes.
While some remained seated for the first two acts, it is clear the night is approaching a peak as John Mayer takes the stage. The crowd is loud, and clearly has been waiting for this, and now all rise as this amazing young performer begins his set. The first two song choices are safe, the radio hits all would know. In fact, these two songs probably sold a significant percentage of the tickets to the night’s show. He works through “Bigger Than My Body” and “No Such Thing” and the audience sings in unison. I look at my son, standing on his chair, delighted to be screaming at the top of his lungs, too. My wife is smiling, my daughter’s eyes are wide open. The party has started, but the greatest aspect of the night is first hinted at in Mayer’s third song “Belief.”
John Mayer chooses to introduce this song with a guitar solo that masks the song that he is about to play. But it also reveals, as his virtuosity is finally exposed. This John Mayer can often hide behind the breathy delivery of his lyrics, and the occasional falsetto. Since the beginning of his career John Mayer’s music has been the sort to make women swoon, but there are reasons he has recorded with B.B. King and John Scofield. Just as there are reasons he began this day sharing a stage in New York City with Eric Clapton. John Mayer can flat out play the guitar.
Like Ben Folds, the emphasis is on the music. The guitar licks are flowing now, and his familiarity with traditional guitar rock is increasingly apparent. He is wise to lean back on the familiar, as the crowd happily joins him in singing “Waiting On the World to Change.” But again, this side of Mayer is familiar, and his craftsmanship as a pop song writer could never be questioned. It is, however, only when you see him live that you begin to recognize he is not just another pop star. John Mayer is more likely the heir to the throne in American Jazz/Blues guitar.
The show continues towards a predictable, cathartic end, and as this great party winds down, I realize I have seen much more than I expected. At its best, live music represents an opportunity for comradery with like minded music fans, and a chance to see aspects of a performer that haven’t been captured in a studio. These elements, played out in a great venue, have lead to tremendous entertainment, and I realize my children may not recognize how fortunate they have been tonight. To mark the occasion, we’re sure to save the ticket stubs, as my wife and I both feel Mayer’s best years are ahead of him. And to think, I thought I felt good walking in to this concert.
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