Check out another thing I wrote for NPR’s Song of the Day, on Evangelicals’ song “Midnight Vignette” from its album, The Evening Descends. To read the full review and hear the song click right here!
Continue reading NPR Song Of The Day: Evangelicals, ‘Midnight Vignette’
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You ever get a song stuck in your head and struggle to get rid of it? Ever hear a snippet of a song somewhere and struggle to place it, even though its on the tip of your tongue?
I almost always have music running through my brain. Whether its song ideas or snippets of thing I have recently (or not so recently) heard. Sometimes I dream about a song (a soundtrack to my dreams I suppose), and while I almost never remember the actual dream, but by the time I am in the shower I try to force myself to remember what song it was. Often I cant get that song out of my head until I figure it out and listen to it on my headphones while walking to work. Most of the time I treat it like a game…trying to figure out what the song is before I have to look it up.
Anyway, I bring this up because this week’s Radiolab delves into what makes music so catchy and why we can’t get them out of our head. The topic has now been rattling around in my head about as much as a Kylie Minogue pop song.
If you’re not familiar with Radiolab, it is a radio program from NPR and WNYC that in which hosts Robert Krulwich and Jan Abumrad explore and explain the scientific and philosophical. Its smart and funny and yet the sound they construct is pushing the boundaries of radio production. It sounds musical and stream of consciousness like early avant garde electronic music mixed with highly sampled synapses firing at rapid speed.
And yet at the heart of the show, Radiolab tells amazing stories that resonate with the listener and make you think. At its best, its completely mindblowing.
Take a listen to the Pop Music episode of Radiolab HERE!
A lot of ink has already been donated to the rarity of quality when it comes to actors\actresses-turned-musicians. I think most people tune out when there is that crossover because more often than not, it doesn’t feel legitimate.
In a great AV Club blog post they assert that in the music industry where there are so many hard working bands and artists out there who never seem to make it big, having an outsider use their fame as a means to suddenly undertake a music career, without the process of starting from scratch, it essentially leaves a foul taste with music fans. I would tend to agree, considering that the track record is less than great.
All of this is just a roundabout way of saying that She and Him — the duo of M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel — feels to me like the beginnings of something much more real.
The origins are well documented elsewhere (see every recent music magazine (real or web), blog or public radio outlet), but their debut Volume 1 is a relative success, more so if compared to the efforts of other former actors’ albums (looking at you Russell Crowe, Eddie Murphy and Shaq).
The other night (last night maybe?), Ward and Deschanel appeared on Conan O’Brien backed by none other than Yo La Tengo. The performance is short and she comes off a little nervous, but having listened to the album quite a bit, it’s nice to see the two of them making such endearing music, not to mention Ward getting some greater success and attention. Check it out below.
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‘Nuff said.
Check out this piece for NPR’s Song of the Day about Blitzen Trapper’s “Silver Moon” from its latest EP. To read the full review and hear the song click right here!
Continue reading NPR Song of the Day: Blitzen Trapper, ‘Silver Moon’
So in response to an article I stumbled upon (article link here) — which basically says that if you receive a promo cd, and for whatever reason throw it into the trash, you are “illegally distributing” said music — I’ve decided to present a model that would rework the entire music industry into something more digestible in our modern world.
A few suggestions:
1. All music must be approved by a centralized “Audio Czar” appointed every 4 years by the U.N.
2. All content will be distributed over approved channels and “secure” methods: namely audio cassette with the tab punched out so you can no longer record over it.
3. All chord progressions must be standardized to fit into 3 easy to digest categories: County, Rap, Classical
4. All tours will be made “green” which means that tours now consist of people gathering in a large space powered by workout bicycles as they watch a projection of the band playing from a pre-recorded session. All audio output will be from pre-authorized cassette tape recordings. Tours will last One (1) day per year simulcast in no more than 30 different markets.
5. A dress code will be issued for “rock-star” attire which will conform to the rigid standards of penal institutions. Jump suit colors are customizable.
6. A music tax will be added to all gasoline purchases to help offset the costs of pirate music operations, and unauthorized audio cassette playback.
7. All cassette playback must be pre-scheduled and authorized by previously mentioned Audio Czar. All unauthorized playback will constitute piracy and require that cassette tapes be mailed back (at consumer cost) to the appropriate disposal center.
I think that does it! Man I can’t wait for the future of Rock ‘n Roll.
Here’s a piece for NPR’s Song of the Day on Brad Mehldau and his trio playing Oasis’ hit “Wonderwall” on his new live album. To read the full review and hear the song clicken Sie hier bitte schoen.