music

Hello Again Gretchen, Hello Cruel World

Feb 112012

haven’t done as well as I thought I would
I’m not dead but I’m damaged goods
And it’s gettin’ late
I’m a rusty hinge, a squeaky wheel
at the bad end of a shaky deal
cursed by the hand of fate
and ooooooh – I’m a very lucky girl
yeah ooooooh – hello cruel world

Hello Cruel World
by Gretchen Peters

It’s amazing to me how a song lyric can capture ones feeling better than one is able to express it.

I love this title track from Gretchen Peters new album. It’s a breath of hope and an admission that despite the hardships that life might deal, she is facing it on her own terms. This album feels like a continuation, or the next chapter after her 2007 album Burnt Toast & Offerings, which is also a fantastic album.

Woman On The Wheel is another song on this album not to miss. I won’t spoil the punchline for you by posting it here. You will have to go listen to it yourself.

Other favorite songs from this album: Saint Francis, The Matador, Dark Angel, Paradise Found…okay, I pretty much like them all. Another thing I like about Gretchen’s song are that they can be listened to on a deep level. There is plenty their to consume and process. But the songs are also wonderful as background music, when you just need something going in your ears. My only regret is that I can’t buy this album on vinyl.

Gretchen, allmusic.com lists you as a country singer. I would never call myself a “Country Western” fan. But if what you sing is country then, almost thou persuadest me to like country. Regardless…welcome back to my iPod. Hello again Gretchen.

Going Home…Hopfully Not Soon

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Feb 032012

Old Ideas Going home without my sorrow,
Going home sometime tomorrow,
To where it’s better than before.
Going home without my burden,
Going home behind the curtain,
Going home without the costume that I wore.
-from Going Home by Leonard Cohen

I listened to Leonard Cohen‘s new Album, Old Ideas, in it’s entirety while walking my dog the other night. I was blown away, and came away with an incredible peaceful feeling.

Cohen has only gotten better with age. His voice is deeper and more pure than I have ever heard it. At age 77, he is a world treasure. And so, it’s obvious from this album that he sees that his time left here is limited.

My daily realization is that my time is limited too. The day you understand in your gut that some odd 4 score of years is not very long is a day you will always remember. Many of us will not even make it that far.

I ordered the LP of this album from Amazon. I was hoping that it came with digital downloads like many LP’s come with today. I was pleased to find that it came with the CD, for times when I am on the go. But the truth is that there is nothing like listening to music coming from a vinyl record. I can’t explain why, but I notice things I don’t notice while playing CD’s or listening to iTunes. Not to mention my love for album cover art. So when I really want to immerse myself in music, I put on an LP, put on my headphone and sink in deep.

My only complaint is that I am a slightly disappointed in the LP pressing. It’s slightly warped. I expected more for this 180g ‘audiophile’ pressing. It’s not bad enough to cause any problems…just disappointing.

The song Anyhow is perhaps my second favorite song on the album, after Going Home. I can’t get over how Cohen can weave words. I love all the song. The remaining 8 songs all tie for a close third place.

Whether these songs are Old Ideas or new thoughts, this album sure feels as comfortable as Going Home.

Fight Test

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Dec 052011

I don’t know where the sunbeams end
And the starlight begins
It’s all a mystery
And I don’t know how a man decides
What’s right for his own life
It’s all a mystery
‘Cause I’m a man, not a boy
And there are things you can’t avoid
You have to face them
When you’re not prepared to face them

Lyrics from Fight Test by The Flaming Lips

Do You Realize

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Nov 302011

Do You Realize – that everyone you know someday will die -
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes -
Let them know you realize that life goes fast
It’s hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn’t go down
It’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning round.

Lyrics from Do You Realilze?? by The Flaming Lips

Am I Blue?

music, nantoka 2 Responses »

Nov 222011

Last Thursday night I finally had the chance to see the Blueman Group. Sarah and I were in Las Vegas for Minecon, so we took the opportunity go to the show. What can I say? It’s what I expected. And it was fun.

At one point the Bluemen picked a Muslim lady from the audience, escorted her on stage and did a Twinky eating skit with here. It was. Extremely uncomfortable to watch. She was obviously uncomfortable. She ended up being a rather good sport, although the end of the skit grossed her out so severely that she nearly lost her stomach.

Camera and video are prohibited during the performance, but the Bluemen came to the lobby afterword so that we had the chance to gaze at each other instead of exchanging pleasantries.

Song: Business Time by Flight of the Conchords

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Dec 202008

Not quite safe for all audiences, but terribly funny! Anyone who has been married for more than, say, 10 years (maybe less maybe more) will understand. This isn’t the version from the album, but pretty close. He tends to improvise .

If you want to find the song to download so that you can listen to is again and again and again, visit this link. Enjoy.

Most of the Time

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Nov 132008

Bob Dylan’s new release this year, Tell Tall Signs, is #8 in his bootleg series. It’s a series of rare and unreleased songs from his work between 1996 and 2006. He never ceases to amaze me how he can put so much meaning and feeling into song after song.

One example is the song, Most of the Time. The original version is good, but the alternate version on Tell Tale Signs is incredible. What I love about this song is his ability to say one thing but mean another.

It’s an incredible album, one of the best of 2008.

Looks Are for Free

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May 012008

100 Year Picnic, one of my favorite independent bands has released their newest full length release, Tales of a Modern Splash. The album is full of great songs; multi-layered and perfectly textured, each song has it’s own story to tell.One of my favorite songs on the new album is Looks Are for Free. It, like a few other songs on the album has properties that remind me of the Beatles, though to call Jeff Greeneberg and Edwin Pierce another John and George would be to misunderstand their motives. 100 Year Picnic’s music is mostly based around their families that they both love and tolerate, and this can be seen in their songs.Another favorite from the album is Isolation, an alt country ditty that paints a picture of a run down yard and a neglected relationship. The chorus is full of truth:

She said, you and your isolation,What are you trying to escape from,Can’t stand to walk away,So let me back into your life,It takes two to make one wrong thing right.

Don’t miss the song, Come On. It’s about living life to its fullest. It’s wonderful. I’m sure that I’ll have Tales Of A Modern Splash on my mp3 player quite a bit this year.BTW: one of my all time favorite songs is also by 100 Year Picnic, It’s called Mary Faye Tucker. It’s the story of an annoying sales-person selling resort timeshares.Enjoy! Life’s a 100 year picnic…

Album: Keep Your Eyes Ahead by The Helio Sequence

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Feb 252008

I can’t put my finger on who Helio Sequence remind me of, but that is a good thing. I suspect it is because they have a unique yet familiar sound that is immediately appealing. There is something very Flock of Seagullsish about the title track, Keep Your Eyes Ahead. And close to the end of the album in Broken Afternoon you can hear Bob Dylan’s influence. It’s very beautiful and very transparent.

But my favorite song on the album is the first track, Lately. Listen to the song and think of each line as a fib, as if the singer is trying to convince himself that his words are true. It’s a very powerful song.

Helio’s lyrics are understandable, literate and interesting with enough vagueness but not too much to be meaningful.

This is my favorite album so far this year. I won’t be surprised if it ends up on my 10 best for the year.

Artist: The Helio Sequence
Album: Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Label: Sub Pop Records
Download: Keep Your Eyes Ahead (Linked from their website…go check it out.)

Album: Gum by Cornelius, an amusment park in January

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Feb 152008

Cornelius is the stage name for Keigo Oyamada, a highly creative Japanese artist who chose his name in homage to the movies of Planet of the Apes.

His newest album, Gum, is ears candy with nutrition, not just empty calories. It has the depth to satisfy the heart as well as the ear. It’s a fascinating journey, or as I like to see it, as enjoyable as a day at an amusement park.

Cornelius, by nature is experimental, but he provides just enough traditional pop/rock footholds to make the album approachable, even if you have never heard him before (assuming you are in the mood for something a little out of the ordinary).

As someone who has spent time in Japan and enjoys Japanese Pop/Rock and even the use of hard to understand and sometimes nonsensical English, this album doesn’t strike me a cheesy like so many uses of Japanese English. The use of English, Japanese, and in some cases voices for sound’s sake are reasonable, interesting and fun.

Every song on this album is enjoyable. My favorite is “Music”, both the English and Japanese versions, remind of me Manhattan Transfer. Kling Klang is as Zen as it gets. Linked here as an mp3 download is “Gum” the title track that I really wonder if the Japanese sounds mean something in code as they switch from one ear to the other. Listen and see what I mean.

Artist: Cornelius
Album: Gum
Download: Gum (mp3)
Buy album at Napster