Category: helloMike

Today in the middle of some rather tedious work, this song popped up on my iPod:

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The song of course is Curtis Mayfield‘s classic “Move On Up.” With is amazing funky groove and even funkier, incredibly recognizable horn arrangements, it served as a nice late afternoon energy boost.

I then naturally had to go listen to “Touch the Sky,” perhaps my favorite Kanye West song (from the Jon Brion co-produced Late Registration). The song features those same distinctive horn lines set to its own killer beats.

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Now those riffs will be rattling around in my brain all weekend*. Could be worse…

*UPDATE 7\14: Sure enough this horn line echoed in my brain ALL bloody weekend. I was at the Washington Nationals\Houston Astros game where I continued to find myself whistling the notes in line for chili dogs, while in the rest room, while keeping score. My sister kept catching me every time I began to sign or whistle it, even under my breath. No THAT’s a catchy hook.

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article for NPR Music based on an interview from WNYC’s Soundcheck with David Byrne. Byrne’s latest project, called Playing the Building, transforms an antique pump organ and the old Battery Maritime Building in New York into an actual musical instrument.

The keyboard triggers mechanical devices that rattle, pound, clank, vibrate various motors, rafters and pipes and allows the public to literally play the building. Not only are the sounds stunning, but the building space itself is also visually amazing.

I’m so fascinated by this project since it finds music in unexpected places, finds beauty in such a great architectural and artistic space and because it’s very nature lets anyone — not just learned musicians — play and experiment with the sounds. I think I might have to take a weekend jaunt up to NYC to experience it for myself.

Go to NPR Music to read the article, listen to the piece and see a photo gallery I curated.

New York Times also wrote a good article about it here and have a little video as well.

Pitchfork also went down to the installation and shot this great short video feature below.

Blues-rock legend Bo Diddley died today at age 79. As great of a guitarist and early rock and roll icon as he was, the first thing I thought of when I heard the news this morning was this:

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Ironically, this was my first introduction to Bo Diddley when I was a kid. This commercial, if I recall first aired during the 1989 All-Star Game, at the height of Bo Jackson-mania. Obviously as a huge Royals fan growing up, Bo Jackson was THE guy. So if this Bo Diddley character was cool enough to appear in a commercial with Jackson, he was certainly worth checking out. Luckily my father had a few of this records that he was more than happy to share.

Perhaps not the most logical introduction to an artist, but definitely a memorable one for a young, impressionable soon-to-be music lover.

If you haven’t checked out a far more eloquent write up of Mr. Diddley and his fantastic music, go to NPR Music, Greg Kot’s music blog at Chicago Tribune, All Music Blog, and New York Times.

Awhile back (September 2006 to be exact), I caught an easter egg joke about my beloved Kansas City Royals on The Simpsons. Back then I wondered if one of the writer’s was either from KC or a enough of a fan to sling such a subtle joke about the perpetually terrible team.

A little less than 2 years later, season 19’s finale episode “All About Lisa” had yet another Royals reference, this time a bit more blatant.While the Royals aren’t nearly as sad sack as they once were, they certainly have enough left over to maintain that reputation, even in Springfield. While the first was perhaps a coincidence, this second time makes me wonder who on the show is writing the team in…also makes me wonder if I’ve missed other instances.

Anyway, check out these two prominent screen grabs from the episode:

The joke comes in short scene with Bart and the Comic Book Guy that sets up Bart and Homer’s brief coin collecting hobby. Following Bart’s disappointment that Lisa gets hired as Krusty the Clown’s unpaid intern, Bart is convinced by Homer to sell off his Krusty memorabilia. In exchange, Bart asks for the “Radioactive Man vs. Muhammad Ali” comic book issue, but Comic Book Guy counters by offering his “Radioactive Man meets the Kansas City Royals” issue instead…obviously lesser in value.

I had a particularly strong run of songs on my commute this morning, so I thought that I’d share it here for awhile. Don’t always listen to shuffle on my ol’ pod but sometimes it just sounds so good. Here, with only a few exclusions is what I heard this morning while stuffed into the overcrowded sausage casing that is the metro. Enjoy.

1) “Jacknuggetted” by Manitoba from Up In Flames

I think I prefer Dan Snaith’s work much more when he was known as Manitoba rather than Caribou, especially this record which is such a nice mix of 60s pop melodies, glitchtronica and sad bastard melancholy. So many fantastic intertwining melodies and sounds here, yet totally catchy.

2) “Tropical Iceland” by The Fiery Furnaces from EP

This might be one of my favorite songs this duo has ever put out… I often find their hyperactive ADD songs an incredibly difficult listen; as soon as they lock into one motif or idea its already gone and moved on to the next, which I personally find jarring and somewhat alienating… though that might be the appeal.

3) “Shelter From the Storm” by Bob Dylan from Blood On the Tracks

This is one of my favorite songs from possibly my favorite Dylan album. While still folky like his earlier work but to me more introspective and melancholy than those political songs. Just great…At this point, what else can you say about the icon?

4) “The Owl” by Peter and the Wolf from Lightness

Not even really that familiar with this album, but the M.Ward-esque (at first I even thought it was M.Ward) lo-fi, old timey AM radio recording quality set to this folky song has me wanting to revisit this.

5) “American Hearts” by AA Bondy from American Hearts

A very calm and incredibly melancholy alt-country song sometimes is just so beautiful. Simple yet says all you need sometimes. Bondy is a great emerging talent.

6) “Everglade” by Tortoise from TNT

An extremely ethereal and minimalist piece from Tortoise, but the contrapuntal composition is still incredibly thought out and precise. I’d love to hear another album by them at some point soon.

7) “Blossom” by Nick Drake from Family Tree

From last year’s release, this song is one of about thirty-something tracks pulled from home archival recordings. Listening to this song, much like the rest included on the collection, it feels like we’re hearing some intimate, quiet moment that we weren’t necessarily supposed to hear. With Drake’s dark baritone voice occasionally cracking and his dexterous finger work sometimes not perfect, the song itself is quite pretty, even in its unrefined state.

8) “He Needs Me” by Shelley Duvall (arranged by Jon Brion) from Punch Drunk Love soundtrack

I decided to include this song instead of the “He Really Needs Me” instrumental score version that actually came up. I chose this one mostly because Duvall’s fragile voice really compliments the instrumentation here. Not sure how much of this version is actually the song as it originally existed in Robert Altman’s Popeye and how much was re-scored under Brion, but the song is so perfect in P.T. Anderson’s film.

UPDATE — 6\15: I finally found a clip of Shelley Duvall’s original rendition from Popeye. So obviously here you can hear that beyond the churning circus-like organ (or harmonium? mellotron?) most of Jon Brion’s version for Punch Drunk Love was rewritten. It is really cool that Brion incorporated the original motif into not only this new rendition, but the entire score. His score works on another level when Adam Sandler’s character Barry finds the harmonium in the street and occasionally pecks out a few notes coinciding with Brion’s experimental score. Great stuff.

9) “I Don’t Sleep I Dream” by R.E.M. from Monster

Certainly not the best song on an album that is certainly not the group’s best. But I think this record is underrated when it comes to R.E.M. albums, but that also might be a relic buying and loving this album back when I was in middle school. It definitely has it’s rocking moments and many of the guitars sound so crunchy and great. Might be worth a re-evaluation perhaps.

10) “Crosseyed and Painless” by Talking Heads from Remain in Light

Fantastic song on my favorite album by Talking Heads. They were so ahead of their time. I could listen to this song forever.