Category: helloMike
Old Things That Are New To Me: The Deep and The Seeds
Today I’m doing some research on a band for an upcoming review. While surfing around the internet for articles and official bios, I found many passing references and comparisons to two other bands, both I had never heard of before, as being influences. Those bands are The Deep and The Seeds; both relics of psychedelic folk pop of the 1960’s.
Tossing out obscure or little known bands happens a lot in music reviewing, sometimes it’s a bit heavy-handed or pretentious, other times very helpful. In this case, my interest was peaked, so I did some (very) basic info gathering — on All Music Guide, Wikipedia and YouTube, of course.
From what I’ve gathered, The Deep were not all that notable for the era and their name doesn’t carry much weight compared to similar acts of the time. The Deep formed in the mid-1960s, never toured or gained much of a devoted following, but their lone album, The Psychedelic Moods of The Deep, is thought to be one of the first times the word ‘psychedelic’ was used in an album title.
Wikipedia’s entry plainly describes their rock and roll sound as “protopunk at times, while at others, their music delves into more psychedelic sounds,” while AMG’s brief bio says:
“They took a middle ground between the Seeds, the 13th Floor Elevators, and Kim Fowley with a thinly produced, goofy psychedelia on which tomfoolery abounded. Though basically a silly exercise, the group had their interesting moments, and certainly had a greater sense of melody than either Kim Fowley or the Seeds.” (AMG)
Here is a sample of one of their songs, a slow ballad with melodramatic sighs that almost recall French pop songwriter, Serge Gainsbourg’s song “Ballade De Melody Nelson”:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KhTXaj86uE[/youtube]
As for The Seeds, well they were more well known, and had a much lengthier career. Fronted by vocalist Sky Saxon (born Richard Marsh) and guitarist Jan Savage, The Seeds played bluesy, psychedelic garage rock, and were once called — by blues legend Muddy Waters — “America’s own Rolling Stones.”
The band’s first single “Pushin’ Too Hard” was a commercial hit — rising into the Top 40 in 1967 — and immediately spawned ‘sound-alike’ follow-ups, “Mr. Farmer” and “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine,” “in an attempt to replicate their success; the latter came the closest to being a hit, just missing the Top 40.” (AMG)
“Pushin’ Too Hard” on Shebang (hosted by Casey Kasem):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmHTyLBIZ1g[/youtube]
“Can’t Seem To Make You Mine” on American Bandstand:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV8KvKYRxig[/youtube]
Like countless bands at the time, the group turned towards the arty and more experimental psychedelic rock, no doubt influenced by The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s, but never produced another hit and disbanded at the end of the decade.
After the break up of The Seeds, Saxon joined the Ya Ho Wha religious sect and released several albums as the Yahowha 13 in the mid 1970s.
It’s hard to tell how much influence bands like The Deep or The Seeds have had on the landscape of pop and psychedelic rock (especially compared to more notable “The” bands from the era: The Beatles, The Byrds, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Turtles, The Stooges, The Kinks, even The Monkees — not to mention Hermans Hermits and Love), but clearly their sound has left a small imprint in current acts who mine the hooks and poppy clatter, whether they know they are or not.
NPR Song Of The Day: Suzannah Johannes, ‘Horserider’s Smile’
Wrote a piece on another Lawrence, Kansas artist, songwriter Suzannah Johannes, and her song “Horserider’s Smile” for NPR’s Song of the Day. Read the piece and hear the song here.
Continue reading NPR Song Of The Day: Suzannah Johannes, ‘Horserider’s Smile’
2008 Roundup: Best Albums of 2008
My yearly disclaimer: This list doesn’t try to out-do any other list out there with my extensive knowledge of obscure choices that no one has heard of… mostly because I rarely have enough time to hear everything. This is just a list of my favorites that I frequently listened to during the last year… anyway, let’s dig in.
Top Albums of 2008:
1) Bon Iver — For Emma, Forever Ago
I got an early copy this album around this time last year (and even included it on my best of 2007 list by mistake) and it is quite a testament to this music that it has rarely left my headphones during the course of the year. The haunting and evocative sounds of Justin Vernon — the creaky, yet warm guitar strums, the soulful and ghostly vocal harmonies and the loose, almost unfinished arrangements — allows this record perhaps the most intimate and personal performance of the year. Songs like “Flume” and “Skinny Love” and “The Wolves (Act I & II) are instant classics. This is perhaps one of the few albums of 2008 that I will still be returning to in ten years time.
2) Thao — We Brave Bee Stings And All
I would imagine I played Thao’s music more than almost any other artist this year, outside of Radiohead’s In Rainbows (which I would almost call this year’s best album of the year, had I not named it that last year). After all this time I have written about Thao countless times here and on NPR, I booked her for a Tiny Desk Concert, I saw her a few times in concert, I pushed her on almost anyone who would listen, and I lived with this record for over 12 months. It’s raw, energetic, and honest and distinctively Thao and no one else. I am glad that people are really starting to pay attention to her music because this strong debut shows much promise for in coming years. Can’t wait to hear the next batch of songs.
3) Sigur Rós — Með suð à eyrum við spilum endalaust
For some reason, all everyone talked about when it came to this album, was how they didn’t sound depressed and dreary any more. While I agree, this album has a few songs that are as about energetic and joyful as any song Sigur Ros has ever done, I never quite got why everyone thought previous works (especially tracks off Agaetis Byrjun and Takk…) did not have the same celebratory feel. Either way, there is an otherworldly beauty and ethereal quality in all of Sigur Ros’ music, and this album captures that plus an almost tribal feel. When the Jedi finally defeat the Empire in Return of the Jedi, I think the first track, “Gobbledigook” would be an appropriate choice of music to put on when you ask the Ewoks to dance.
4) Fleet Foxes — Fleet Foxes
Sometimes you hear and album for the first time and it reminds you of so many different bands you love that you feel you already know the songs intimately. Such is the case with Fleet Foxes who immediately conjure allusions to Crosby Still & Nash, Neil Young, The Band, Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket and the British folk of the late 60s and 70s… and probably much more. But this is not a slight to the band at all; they are able capture the rural country folk, the stunning lilting harmonies and rich ambiance of the past while creating a unique spin to call their own.
5) Gnarls Barkley — The Odd Couple
Forget about those who say this album was a let down because there was no monster hit like “Crazy” here. In fact in some ways, forget about Danger Mouse and Cee Lo’s last album St. Elsewhere completely, because outside that huge freakshow of a hit, it to me falls so much flatter compared to The Odd Couple. With songs that seamlessly fuse Spaghetti Western, spy movie soundtracks, Latin, gospel, hip hop, psychedelia and much more, Gnarls has created a low key and cohesive classic album. Plus their costume still rule.
6) Department of Eagles — In Ear Park
This was a late addition because I only got ahold of this album last month. But in that time, Department of Eagles’ brand of chamber indie rock is incredibly catchy and made a push well into my top ten. This band is the work of Daniel Rossen, who before this band got a chance to get noticed, performed in his other band Grizzly Bear. Much of that same instrumental mentality from Grizzly Bear carries over in this collection of songs, but I think they sound much more comfortable and less fussy. A definite must-listen.
7) Shearwater — Rook
It’s safe to say at this point that Shearwater is no longer simply a spin-off side project from Okkervil River, not that that was even all that debated for most. But Jonathan Meiburg and company’s latest, Rook, is one of the most inspired and original rock albums I’ve heard in a long time. Meiburg’s voice is full and operatic and simply amazing, while the arrangements and songs are inventive and off kilter enough to be interesting while also incredibly emotional. If you have not seen them perform, make sure to check out the wealth of coverage on NPR (including a great Tiny Desk Concert), because these songs take on a whole new personality live.
8) The Walkmen — You & Me
Before this record, I had always dismissed The Walkmen as a band that sounded the same as many other bands I didn’t like. I don’t know if something changed with my tastes or something just clicked with You & Me, but the Walkmen seem to have perfected that boozy, washed out, yet athemic rafters-shaking sound. But its songs like “On the Water” and “Canadian Girl” display a depth of songwriting and more subtle approach perhaps showing that after the band’s long woozy night, they’ve found a delicate moment of clarity.
9) Girl Talk — Feed The Animals
Holy crap, this is the dance music I’ve waited for my entire life and didn’t even know I was waiting for it. I think if more clubs had DJs that mashed up this many songs I love (and many I NEVER thought I’d ever even listen to in the first place), into such a seamless segue of music, I think I would’ve been out on the floor much more often. Half the fun of Gregg Gillis’ music is knowing that he used to be a biomedical engineer before quitting to pursue music, and the other half is spent trying to decipher all the songs and samples he uses to create such a glorious production patchwork.
10) The Lord Dog Bird — The Lord Dog Bird
I think when I first heard this record, I was struck by the intimacy of it. Reportedly recorded on antiquated tape machines alone in a bedroom and it really sounds like a dude laying down take after take of tinny guitars and quiet howling vocals that are just loud enough to be picked up by the crappy microphone and quiet enough not to disturb the neighbors. This album is full of repetitive and intricately interlocking guitar melodies and the occasional thump of a bass drum… and that’s about it. But the songs are dark, meandering and thoroughly satisfying.
11) Beach House — Devotion (read my write up on NPR’s Song of the Day)
12) Sun Kil Moon — April
13) Conor Oberst — Conor Oberst
14) Ghosty — Answers (read my write up on NPR’s Second Stage)
15) Beck — Modern Guilt
Seven Strong Runners Up:
Sam Phillips — Don’t Do Anything
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks — Real Emotional Trash (read my write up on NPR’s Song of the Day)
Okkervil River — The Stand Ins
David Bryne & Brian Eno– Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Nada Surf — Lucky
Portishead — Third
Evangelicals — The Evening Descends (read my write up on NPR’s Song of the Day)
Six Promising Debuts:
Little Joy — Little Joy (read my write up on NPR’s Song of the Day)
Crystal Stilts — Alight of Night
Sera Cahoone — Only As The Day Is Long
School of Seven Bells — Alpinisms
Plants and Animals — Parc Avenue
She & Him — Volume One
Five Disapointments (based on my enjoyment of previous albums):
I know many people have either My Morning Jacket or TV on the Radio in their top albums of the year lists, but there was something about both of those that as a full album just didn’t do it for me. Each definitely have some stand out songs (a couple amazing tracks even), but the overall flow, the overproduction, the muddied direction and cohesiveness of the albums just fell flat compared to previous albums.
My Morning Jacket — Evil Urges
TV on the Radio — Dear Science,
Wolf Parade — At Mount Zoomer
Ryan Adams — Cardinology
Brendan Canning — Something For All Of Us…
Four Honorable Mentions (or things I liked but not amazing):
Black Keys — Attack & Release
Mates of State — Re-Arrange Us
Death Cab for Cutie — Narrow Stairs
These United States — A Picture Of The Three Of Us At The Gate To The Garden Of Eden
Three Jazz Releases Worth Hearing:
Medeski Martin & Wood — Radiolarians 1
Brad Mehldau Trio — Brad Mehldau Trio Live (read my write up on NPR’s Song of the Day)
Dave Holland Sextet — Pass It On
Two Albums I Just Got Around To Listening To (But think I will like once I spend some more time with them):
The Acorn — Glory Hope Mountain
MGMT — Oracular Spectacular
One Band That I Still Just Don’t Get The Appeal:
Vampire Weekend
Well thats it for now. Let us know here what you think. If you have a favourite or feel we’ve left something off…write to us at bestmusic2008@hellocomein.com or right here in the blog comments.
You can check out some of our picks for 2007 here: Greg’s list. Mike’s list.
Music on TV: This Is The One
Last night I was watching the indie comedy Eagle Vs. Shark, starring Loren Horsley and Jemaine Clement, who of course is most known for playing “Jemaine” on Flight of the Conchords. The film itself was very okay; weird and awkward characters in the Wes Anderson or Napoleon Dynamite vein, but a bit too quirky for its own good. So while it was a middling to sort of bad movie, it did have a couple songs that, like a Wes Anderson movie, really stood out.
Both are from albums I have, but don’t listen to very often for some reason or another: “The Body Breaks” by Devendra Banhart from Rejoicing in the Hands…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqvlfveHTQ8[/youtube]
and “This Is The One” by The Stone Roses from their self-titled album.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXfnZ7HYD_k[/youtube]
Both of these songs are pretty great and have made me want to go back to these records again for another listen, in particular, the fantastic athemic Britpop of The Stone Roses. If there’s one good thing about so many quirk-fest films coming out ever year, its that you know the soundtracks are going to be pretty great and you might find a new artist or rediscover an old one in a new light.
Hot, Flat, and Crowded — Fuel Effiency
Today’s NYTimes’ Green Inc. blog had an entry of note that has some relation to topics we’ve started to talk about here. The piece says that while the automaker’s noble journey back to Washington D.C. in hybrid cars from their fleets may look an attempt to go green, in reality, those cars are far from fuel efficient.
Robert Nardelli of Chrysler drove his company’s Aspen Hybrid S.U.V., which gets 22 miles per gallon on the highway and 20 in the city. Ford’s Alan Mulally drove an Escape Hybrid S.U.V. — 31 m.p.g. on the highway and 34 in the city. And Rick Wagoner of General Motors drove a Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Sedan. His was the most efficient on the highway, averaging 34 m.p.g., but only 26 in the city.
What’s wrong with this picture? For starters, although these vehicles may be hybrids, by any real-world standard they are not particularly fuel-efficient. Hybrid technology can only do so much to improve the gas mileage of a huge, heavy, over-powered car.
A reality check for those who would like to compare: The Toyota Prius — a hybrid — averages 48 m.p.g. in the city and 45 on the highway. Here in Italy, the popular and highly praised Fiat Grande Punto (not a hybrid) can get nearly twice the gas mileage of Mr. Nardelli’s car — 41.5 m.p.g. in the city, and 56.5 on the highway, depending on engine size.
One thing Friedman (on pages 14 through 17) has noted, is that the United States has long settled into a plateau when it comes to fuel efficiency. Ever since President Carter’s energy initiatives (which from 1975 – 1985 ensured that American passenger vehicle mileage went from 13.5 miles per gallon to 27.5 and light trucks from 11.6 to 19.5), the country’s presidents have done very little to increase standards, let alone maintain them.
It was President Reagan who turned the environmental movement into a polarizing and partisan issue, by actually lowering the standards and slashing budgets of most of Carter’s alternative energy programs. He was known to be against environmental regulation which began a series of freezes in progress which continued through the Republican Congress majority during the Clinton administration and even further into the current Bush administration.
With no mandated improvement in fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles, hybrid cars will stay middling in the ranges listed above and could have little to no impact. Friedman has proposed that to make the conversion, older oil-based technologies should be taxed to make them more expensive than alternatives, and there should be incentives provided for those who convert to new fuel-efficient technology, whether in the auto industry or other businesses. President-elect Barack Obama has expressed that something like this will be a priority in coming months.
Without a push in this direction, this ‘gesture’ by the three automakers to drive into DC with hybrids is little more than a parade to get money.
Best Song I’ve Heard All Day: Computerized Pulsing Beats Edition
(part 458 in a 1001 part series)
This is another record I just dug out of my giant mail bin full of unlistened discs… one that I had overlooked until I read about a song on NPR’s Second Stage and thought I’d give it a once through.
Not sure what it is about this song… the computerized pulsing beats, the synth lines, the ominous and dissonant vocal melodies? But this song by Fol Chen (from their album Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made) is really working for me.
“The Believers” by Fol Chen
[audio:https://hellocomein.com/soundbox/HelloShuffle/bestsongallday/FolChen_TheBelievers.mp3]Hot, Flat, and Crowded — Mission Statements
Greetings for another installment of this blog book club experiment. I want to take a step back and explain why we decided to read Thomas Friedman‘s book Hot, Flat, And Crowded in the first place and what it’s even really about.
I think in many ways, this past election cycle has invigorated people’s interests in politics and global issues and we are at a crossroads: its a ‘now or never’ time to figure out solutions and innovate to many of the worlds growing problems… or at very least set ourselves on the path towards that goal. What Friedman’s writing does so well is illuminate this information, but explain in a way that allows non-experts to understand.
So what the frak is Friedman referring to in his book? What is his mission statement? Here is a recent appearance the Daily Show that really distills it down:
“The core argument is very simple: America has a problem and the world has a problem. America’s problem is that it has lost its way in recent years — partly because of 9/11 and partly because of the bad habits we have let build up over the last three decades, bad habits that have weakened our society’s ability and willingness to take on big challenges.
“The world also has a problem: It is getting hot, flat and crowded. That is, global warming, the stunning rise of middle classes all over the world, and rapid population growth have converged in a way that could make our planet dangerously unstable. In particular, the convergence of hot and flat and crowded is tightening energy supplies, intensifying the extinction of plants and animals, deepening energy poverty, strengthening petrodictatorship, and accelerating climate change. How we address these interwoven global trends will determine a lot about the quality of life on earth in the twenty-first century.” (Friedman, p.5)
This pretty much lays out the concept of the book, but I find a few things interesting even within these two paragraphs, (and we can and will certainly explore these more as the book goes on):
America has lost its way since 9/11 — I find it fascinating now 7+ years after this event, that we are perhaps finally realizing we have been in shock as a country (though might not want to totally admit it yet), and it has actually disrupted our way of life. So in many ways you could say the terrorists have gotten what they wanted.
However, I wonder if because of all this, it could be the single defining event to jar us from complacency and actually strengthen us in the long run. No one seemed particularly invested in developing new renewable energy or beginning any sort of environmental movement until it became both an economic factor (we can’t afford not to develop to create new jobs, new technologies etc) and a national security factor (we can’t afford to depend on unstable countries to power us and the rest of the no longer emerging, but ’emerged’ world). Maybe one positive in those attacks was the eventual altering of our ‘bad habits.’ Would be sort of ironic.
One other quote seemed particularly relevant considering all the recent talk about the ‘Big Three’ automakers asking for bail out money:
“But what the Detroit executives never tell you is that one big reason the public wanted SUVs and Hummers all those years was that Detroit and the oil industry consistently lobbied Congress against raising gasoline taxes, which would have shaped public demand for something different. European governments imposed very high gasoline taxes and taxes on engine size — and kept imposing them — and guess what? Europeans demanded smaller and smaller cars. America wouldn’t impose more stringent gasoline and engine taxes, so Americans consumers kept wanting bigger and bigger cars. Big Oil and Big Auto used their leverage in Washington to shape the market so people would ask for those cars that consumed the most oil and earned their companies the most profits — and our Congress never got in the way. It was bought off.” (Friedman, p.17)
As Friedman and many other have said many times since, the Big Three domestic automakers, GM, Ford and Chrysler, have played a part into getting us to where we are now by creating products that are wasteful and expensive to own and maintain, not to mention closing factories in the United States and moving elsewhere for cheaper labor.
I find it interesting that now they are asking the public to loan them billions to stay afloat, as well as the billions they are asking for developing a new fleet of ‘greener’ vehicles and create new jobs.
Here is a recent appearance of Friedman on NBC’s Meet the Press regarding an ‘car czar’ and the evolving economic crisis (Friedman starts at about 4:40):
Anyway, I’ve written enough for one night. Curious what you all think.
2008 Roundup: A Few Great Songs
So it’s that special time of year. I’m in the process of putting together my Best of 2008 albums list, which really just means going back and re-listening to the albums I’ve heard, digging up the ones I haven’t and pretending that any ranking system I come up with really matters in the first place. (It doesn’t, but still fun.)
I’ve often found it to be difficult to narrow down a list of full albums I truly loved, and sometimes it’s much easier to come up with outstanding tracks peppered throughout. I thought I’d share a couple here in anticipation of the full list… all seem to fit together in the same mood.
One song I keep wanting to hear is “Canadian Girl” from The Walkmen’s latest album You & Me. Before this album, I was never really a fan of The Walkmen, but this album is quite great and very well could be in my top ten when all is said and done.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A8Gd8Tpcyk[/youtube]
Here is another performance of yet another song I’ve loved all year: “Out of Reaches” by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks from Real Emotional Trash. Love the guitar solos on this song (even if not pulled off perfectly in this video), and the very singable (for Malkmus) and poppy melodies.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP8vUFxYsJU[/youtube]
Lastly, here is “See These Bones,” a great lead off track from Nada Surf’s latest album Lucky.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPbLZkJAUe8[/youtube]
You can check out some of our picks for 2007 here: Greg’s list. Mike’s list.
Reblogging: Tonight You Belong To Me (Redux)
For anyone who has followed this blog in the past (hi Aryn and Greg!…and, well, Mom!), you might remember a post I made awhile back about the old classic song “Tonight You Will Belong To Me”. The song — written by in 1926 by Billy Rose and music writer Lee David — is perhaps made most famous by Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters in The Jerk, but has been performed by countless others over the years.
Adding to the list now, (thanks to a tip off from Aryn, via Boing Boing) is author, humorist, actor, Daily Show Resident Expert, and PC, John Hodgman, who sang the song with internet-acclaimed musician Jonathan Coulton.
Not sure why this song seems to have had a revival in recent years and become one of the staple duets but its such a great song, so I can’t complain. Take a listen here:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvQZqaTMgug[/youtube]