New (And Free) Music In Rotation

I subscribe to several vodcasts through a program called Miro. I'm sure that iTunes could also do the same thing, as all Miro does is RSS subscription and video playback. Use this for the feed: http://del.icio.us/rss/popular/system:media:video For instance, this video came my way: http://motionographermedia.com/carl_burton-drift.mov Eerie and beautiful all at the same time. Better yet, I get a ton of cool new videos and artists this way.

A while back I came across a video for the Irish indie rock band, Evil Harrisons. Unfortunately their home website, http://www.evilharrisons.com/ has gone by the wayside. Now that URL points towards their MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/evilharrisons I no longer have that video, but you can view a clip on their YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMlOQpTHN5k Unfortunately, you can no longer DL songs for free, but check out their latest EP through iTunes. I'd love to find a way to get a hold of their older material.

Here is a Sigur Ros video that came my way: http://www.heimafilm.com/heima_trailer.html The images completely put their music into context for me. Can't say that I love them, but it is somewhat interesting. Someone on LastFM pointed out you can DL more Sigur through their home page: http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/media/

Another video came my way though this RSS. Check out this video for The Mountain Goats: http://telemusicvision-server.com/videos/The.Mountain.Goats-Woke.Up.New.mp4 There is one free download up on LastFM that I DL'ed. They have a ton of material up on their website: http://www.themountaingoats.net/mp3/index.html The Jack & Faye 7" is a great place to start. Here is another site with more DL's: http://www.the-collective.net/~sashwap/goats/ I guess they have a live taping policy and allow distribution of their live music.

The same website has a link at the bottom to DL Neutral Milk Hotel songs: You can find that here: http://www.the-collective.net/~sashwap/media.html I haven't had the opportunity to listen to much of their music, so the jury is still out on the NMH (but I hear great things, and LastFM suggests that I might like NMH based on some other bands I listen to).

On a final note, I rented the movie Mutual Appreciation by Andrew Bujalski. He is comparable to Richard Linklater in the sense that the entire movie is driven through lengthy dialogue and little action. Whereas Linklater has a knack for making mundane conversations compelling, Bujalski uses one-line interruptions and dead space. Bishop Allen, the main character in the movie, is also the lead singer in a band of the same name.

A while back Bishop Allen (the indie band) released a series of songs through their "EP Project". A four song EP was released once a month, every month for a year. Hence there is the December EP, January EP, February EP, etc. The songs were somewhat rough around the edges, but contributed to two subsequent albums. You can download several MP3's off their home page: http://www.bishopallen.com/index.php

What a great way to discover new music.

Tags: Miro, RSS, vodcast, videocast, iTunes, LastFM, del.icio.us, Evil Harrisons, Sigur Ros, The Mountain Goats, Neutral Milk Hotel, Mutual Appreciation, Andrew Bujalski, Bishop Allen

Ween, Live in Princeton

My wife and I went out to dinner last night. Chick-fil-a. Yum. We pull into our driveway around 7:00 PM. Darted into the house to check email.

Oh, what's this? Urgent message from my friend Sarah B?

Tonight, Wednesday---8pm
Princeton Community Park North
(Rt 206 at Mountain Ave)
Princeton, NJ
Admission - free!
From a myspace bulletin
For directions, please go to www.bluecurtain.org
For additional parking, please go to Ween.com and check the 'stickie' on the Ween Forum.

Stealth show-- only advertised to a small audience and word-of-mouth. I figure, "Oh well... looks like we missed out. We'll never get there in time" (even though Princeton is only 15 minutes away). By the time my mouth had wrapped itself around that final sentence, my wife had darted into the other room. In a matter of five minutes she was ready with keys in hand; we vamoosed with no time to waste

What a nice surprise.

Parking was absolute mayhem-- cars were parked, bumper-to-bumper, for a good mile south of the park. Fortunately the venue is smack dab in the middle of my 12-mile Sunday run, and I knew of an alternate parking lot. We pulled up on the other side. No problem, the lot was completely empty.

We strolled right through the park towards the summer stage. The "venue" was just a few rows of bleachers on the hillside and a concrete slab you might call a stage. No gates. No backstage. No security. This was the type of place you might expect to see Shakespeare in the park, or an afternoon show for the kids at Princeton Park North. Not quite the venue you might expect to see a popular alternative rock act.

The band started 20 minutes late and played a 100 minute set (my estimation). Had some soundboard difficulties early into the concert: low volume on mics, house right speakers kept cutting out, and a muddy mix. It took the stage crew far too long to work out all of these niggles; once they did, the sound was perfect for the rest of the evening.

By sundown the tiny venue was packed, the crowd was pumped, and Ween started playing into the audience's energy. The show was worth every penny (so to speak), and then some.

THE SET:
Fiesta
Don't Get To Close To My Fantasy
Mr. Would You Please Help My Pony
Gabrielle
Slow Down Boy
Bananas And Blow
Voodoo lady
The Party
Exactly Where I'm At
Back To Basom (PA kicked out...no vocals)
Buckingham Green
Stay Forever
Take Me Away
Touch My Tooter
Got To Put The Hammer Down
Wavin' My Dick In The Wind
Tick!
*It's Gonna Be A Long Night
*Polka Dot Tail
#*Ohio

ENCORE:
The Mollusk

*-With Rev B.Ill on Guitar
#-With Rev B.Ill On Backing Vocals

Tags: Princeton, Ween, concert

88.5 GAAT - The Beatles, Abbey Road

Any one of the Beatles will easily make the WXPN's 885 Greatest Albums of All Time list. Well, Magical Mystery Tour might be the only exception here, but even a weak Beatles album tops out the best effort made by any other band. My guess is that the Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Revolver, and The White Album win trifecta.

Hands down, these albums were amazing productions that shaped the face of pop music for years to come. Just think of all the musicians that credit their beginnings to being transfixed by a certain album, or how entire sub genres of music were born out of one song in particular. It’s mind blowing. I dare say that Rock and Roll might never have evolved into what it is without the help of the Beatles. Typically these three albums are hailed with that sort of praise.

It seems rather pointless to vote on these records considering they will most likely make the top 100, and are not necessarily my favorite of the Beatles (albeit, they are up there). Gasp! Call me a heretic. With so many great albums to their credit, I chose to vote for something just as worthy, often sitting in the shadows of more praised. Consider this: Abbey Road.

That album cover made famous by false rumors. It showcases songwriting contributions from all four (although Lennon, and McCarthy still dominate). The flow from one track to the next is just as cohesive as Sergeant Peppers. Songs range from serious to silly; guitar driven to orchestrated. Although Let It be was the last album to be released, Abbey road was the last to be recorded. As the final product from the Fab Four, it deserves recognition.

With the advent of CD’s, MP3’s, and I Pods, you loose the concept of A-side, B-side. Digging out an older tape or record, and you’ll realize that this is an album divided. The first half moves along with some memorable songs. “Come Together,” “Something,” and “Here Comes the Sun” are probably the most well known from overplayed rotations on your typical classic rock radio station. Not to be ignored, “I Want You” and “Oh! Darling” are sung straight from the heart; you can hear it in the timbre of their voices and in the guitar riffs.

“You Never Give Me Your Money” suite, a segue of seemingly half-finished songs, fills the second side. I’ll contend that you need to listen these songs straight through in one sitting; an I Pod shuffle just doesn’t do this portion justice. I can’t believe how catchy these short musical segments are, or how much raw emotion they carry. From the raw energy of “Polythene Pam” down to the sweetness of “Golden Slumbers,” The Beatles bring you on an emotional roller coaster.

(As a side note: They Might Be Giant’s on the last track(s) of Apollo 18 is the only other recorded attempt at recreating the vibe set by Abbey Road's second half. Well, they managed in their own geek-rock style. I guess it was an art that was bound to be imitated)

The power of music is to evoke emotions and memories. Any of the Beatles’ songs do just that, but never as finely as in Abbey Road.



A review of my top 10 albums to date:

Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes
Abbey Road, The Beatles

Tags: 88.5, WXPN, The Beatles, Abbey Road, music

"Earn It" ~ Mauger and Conroy

Today I uploaded the another MP3 under the Mauger and Conroy songwriting collaboration. "Earn It" was produced from our second song writing session. This time I came to the table with an interesting chord progression and Brian was able to find lyrics to match. This song was recorded in my living room on a beastly hot day in July. This time I chose to play through my electric guitar, seeing how the acoustics's tone didn't translate well into the recording. I played a clean tone on semi-hollow, little bit of spring reverb, out through the tube amp, into the mic, and then into a laptop. Brian recorded his voice at a later date. Like "Sigh Alone," this song was was composed, revised, rehearsed, and recorded under two hours. Since then, we have tweaked the chord progression in the bridge and several lyrics so the song will flow better.

Tags: Mauger, songwriting, guitar, audio recording, MP3

88.5 GAAT - Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes debut album, Violent Femmes, is a solid album, from start to finish, and I’m not sure why. There is absolutely no production value- songs have a spartan assembly of bass, acoustic, snare, and the occasional xylophone. Most of the songs are suited for open chord guitar strumming, mostly in the key of G. Lyrics are ridden with teenage angst about sex and love lost, and Gordon Gano doesn’t croon as much as whine (which seemingly fits the part).

So what makes this album stand out amongst others? Everything clicks- it has that magic; call it a busking band breakthrough. Each song consistently hits the mark. I first heard the album back in ’92. I could hardly believe it was recorded ten years earlier, as it still sounded fresh. To my ears it doesn’t sound dated, even twenty years later; then again, maybe my taste in music is frozen in the mid 90’s.

This was the first album where I learned every word to every song; the type of record to play in a car filled with your best friends, radio blasting, shouting out lyrics to “Add it Up” or “Kiss Off,” driving with no particular destination in mind. Nights where three hours spent in a Jersey diner in the middle of the night (or was it morning), nursing a cup of coffee didn’t seem unreasonable. Nights when South Street still had Zipperhead, tattoo / piercing parlors, squatters, and the streets closed for pedestrian traffic. Vintage clothes and clove cigarettes. Ah, the smell.

Senior year of high school, both the Ramones and the Violent Femmes were playing in concert the same night, but different venues. I had to pick one or the other. The one Violent Femmes album was weighed against the Ramones’ entire career. Sad to say, but the Femmes won out that duel. This is one of my shameful regrets, Joey Ramone is dead, and I’m seeing the Femmes in concert later this summer. Ah well, it was a great concert, wonder if I can still squeeze into that concert T.

Tags: 88.5, WXPN, Violent Femmes

88.5 Greatest Albums of All Time

One of my favorite radio stations, Philly’s 88.5 WXPN, is hosting the “885 Greatest Albums of All Time” contest. Rules are simple enough- vote for your top 10 albums, in order from most to least favorite. Soundtracks, compilations, and tribute albums are acceptable, whereas compilations and “the best of…” are not. Sounds easy right? We are talking the top 10 albums, as complete albums, of all time. I relate this to the question of “If you were deserted on an island with CD player in hand…” A significant question indeed!

Does one choose based on gut instinct alone, or should there be some written code to guide the entire process? Pick 10 CD’s; what would be my criteria? Every contest needs criteria; and the teacher side of me is itching to write a rubric, but I won’t. Music has a magic that can’t be quantified; there is just something special that makes me return to certain albums time and time again. I can’t put my finger on that special quality, but it is definitely there. It’s like your first kiss- maybe not the most passionate, but certainly was a memorable moment. My top choices will be based on gut instinct all the way; however, I feel the need to justify my picks. Let me at least explain some considerations that needed to be made.

First, the CD must be enjoyable in its entirety. None of this, “Well tracks 1 though 5 are great, but the last half of the album really drags.” No fast-forwarding over songs. Like a good read, the entire CD has a dramatic arc, and is probably best enjoyed in its entirety. Every song is a winner; this is what makes a top album so rare.

Second of all, it must be an album that I actually own, or have “borrowed” for an extensive period of time. I don’t think of this contest as the ‘top ten albums ever made’, as much as the ‘top ten in my own personal collection’. Sure, people might down upon me if I don’t vote Frank Sinatra, Charlie Parker, Elvis Presley, or Aretha Franklin. No doubt that they have produced some of the best albums of all time; they weren’t the albums of my time. I’m looking to create a soundtrack to my life, my top ten.

Hey, 885 albums means there is plenty of room for diversity. Having said that, I won’t hesitate to vote for more obscure albums. For example, at least a half-dozen Beatles’ album will make the 885 top albums list. Each of their albums is an amazing product, from start to finish, worthy of recognition. I know that Sergeant Pepper or Revolver will most likely be in the top 25 albums. So why not mention another Beatles’ album that might easily get overlooked. I’m propelled to pick those unsung masterpieces that deserve long-awaited praise.

In honor, I’d like to post an album a day, over the next three weeks. Each post will highlight the album, and justify its place in my top ten. In culmination, I’ll judge each of these 10 albums, and rank each from one through ten in one final post.

Tags: WXPN, 88.5, greatest albums of all time

"Sigh Alone" ~ Mauger and Conroy

I was donated my first acoustic, and old 1970's Epiphone, junior year of high school. Taught myself how to play the most popular open chords: major, some minor, and a few 7th. The guitar had unforgiving high action combined with Dean Markley Acoustic Blue Steel in 12's.

On the upside, high action and heavy gauge strings made the guitar ring out in beautiful tones; on the downside, bar-chords were nearly impossible. Couldn't even finger Bm, which is necessary in most open chord / acoustic songs. Forget playing any lead or solo work: sliding was tough enough, bending a no-go. Songs were limited to the G-C-D or A-E-D (that good old I, IV, V) progression with the occasional capo key change thrown in for variety.

Strumming simple chord changes could suffice with a powerful voice commanding the melody. Just look what it did for David Grey; I'm not David Grey, and it didn't work for me. Either I have no potential for vocals, or just have never tried correctly. Drove Caroline to near insanity hearing the same three chords, played the same way, time after time.

Fast forward 10 years- still strumming those same three chords, though I am now capable of throwing in a Bm or a crippled acoustic style F. Ten years of misspent self-teaching and practice; all I had to show for that time was more strumming patterns and quicker chord changes. Since I couldn't sing, I would only play a verse and chorus before getting bored. Caroline challenged me to learn a song all the way through; though how fun is it to strum Indigo Girls or String Cheese incident without lyrics? I learned one or two songs, and attempted the open mic in town. At that time, I was under prepared and still too unskilled for live performance, although my desire to play drove me onward.

Typically I waited 15 minutes before closing to jump up on "stage". Figured by that time most of the audience left or were too wasted to notice. Also it would give me enough time to build up liquid courage, vitamin B. This approach didn't calm my shaky nerves. The more nervous I became, the harder I would finger my chords, the faster I'd strum, and quicker I'd fatigue. A combination of shot nerves, muscle tension, and sweat would add to the sloppy playing.

That may have been it if Larry, Agnes and Ed, the resident musicians, hadn't jumped up to accompany me week after week. Larry put in bass lines, Agnes was amazingly versatile on just the snare drum alone, and Ed soloed over any chord change. They taught me to relax, to play musically rather than aggressively. Gave me enough courage to jump into different blues jams, where I could play my three chords with confidence.

That fall I resolved to take guitar playing a little more seriously. Started taking guitar lessons at the local mom-and-pop. Turned out that my guitar teacher could not have been a better match. We saw eye to eye on equipment, tone, and appreciation of various musicians. Early that winter I was gifted an electric semi-hollow with amp by my ever-supporting wife, Caroline. Think she was finally glad to hear me strum something other than three basic chords. Later that winter I joined my first band, The Earthtones, and by spring had played two live shows. Early summer I started to collaborate with Mauger, a writer / singer, to compose original songs based on his poetry. Large step from playing three chords repetitively. Call it the power of resolution to make it happen.

I now understand when people say, "Played guitar for 10 years, but have only really played for less than a year," I've been there myself.

Today I uploaded my first MP3 to Soundclick under the Mauger and Conroy songwriting collaboration. Sigh Alone is the product of our first session. Brian had lyrics and a melody in mind; I retrofitted the guitar chords to fit what he already had in place. The song was composed, revised, rehearsed, and recorded in under two hours. Don't expect polished- the song has a rough demo quality. Somehow my guitar lost bass and mid frequencies during the recording process- either the mic wasn't aimed at the sound hole or during equalization. The result sounds more like a steel drum than acoustic. Gives it an interesting and unexpected tone.

Maybe years from now I'll look back and wonder why I ever choose to put this song up on Soundclick. It's my teaching philosophy that "Life is a journey and not a destination"; and thus this song is a "process and not a product". For now I couldn't be more proud.

Tags: guitar, band, music, audio recording, MP3, Soundclick, Mauger