what to listen to?

These have strangely been the days I listen to music often. Let's put it this way, "no music no life" has always been the furthest from my truth. I'd rather listen to a good engine scream to be honest. But with the drive I have now (good open top motoring, not so busy country roads) and the extra speakers right around my neck I finally got myself wanting to look for that missing piece of puzzle.

Here is what I've come up with in my journey to a second music discovery.

Indie

Everything that has indie in its names, indie rock, indie alternative, alternative rock, indie pop. I can't listen to anything else. For 3 years, I have tried everything on the horizon, well besides death metals. I find indie music a breath of fresh air, the only thing that goes into my ears through to my entire being without the cynicism.

But soon after my decision to stick with indie music I was hit with a dilemma. As I find out more about a particular band, I start to lose interest in them. I don't want to know who they are. I don't want them to become widely popular (main stream-ish), case in point, The Black Keys.

So the most sane thing to do is I get what I can from Internet indie outlets that bring in the unknowns and the lesser knowns. Still the damage is there. When I'm 50 years old, I'll look back to this decade seeing a blank sheet of music history when I chased the invisible. (I don't pay attention to who they are. The chances of them being played on the radio, now or ever, is a whopping zero.)

I'd rather have that than current pop, hip hop, pop rock, please god no. And I'll have the occasional opera tracks. Thanks.

McCartney - Sullivan Theater

I was watching McCartney on Letterman last night and his performance was absolutely brilliant. He and his band gave a 22-minute mini concert on the marquee of Ed Sullivan Theater (45 years ago?) in front of slacking New Yorkers on a hump day afternoon.

CBS clip of said live concert that was not on the show itself

I am not a fan of the Beatles but I'm scared to death these older legends are biting the dust one after another. You don't have to be a fan to recognize something truly special. And you don't have to have always loved them to mourn them. A piece of what was taken for granted is lost forever. Let us savor every last bit of your brilliance sir Paul.

most fascinating thing

Björk explaining how a CRT TV set works.



Bizarre!!

Jero the enka singer

Jero, a 3/4 American and 1/4 Japanese, is the first black enka (演歌) singer that made it to the main stream by releasing his debut single Umiyuki　(海雪) this past month. It's getting good reviews on amazon japan.

He's making frequent appearances on daytime TV and music shows as of late, which give him a lot of exposure beyond the usual gaijin attention. He's a decent singer and with his unique hip-hop fashion style he may very well be here to stay.

Another interesting fact is that the lyrics are written by Uzaki Ryouto (宇崎竜童), who also wrote the majority of Yamaguchi Momoe's (山口百恵) biggest hits in the 70s and 80s.

Street clothes + Enka = sure, why not? I'm rooting for him.



Guy has a blog: blog.goo.ne.jp/jeroenka

Everyday Normal Guy

I like this rapper. mofo!

Pandora Stations

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years you probably know of a website that provides great music for free - Pandora. (a personalized radio station, you be the DJ kind)

Here is a place where folks like us go to share said created stations. Highly recommended.
pandorastations.crispynews.com

Broken Flowers OST

...is a great selection if you are in a mellow sunlit coffee shop mood. I wish there was one around here where I can drink that occasional cup of coffee alongside some readings.



























1. There Is An End - The Greenhornes
2. Yegelle Tezeta - Mulatu Astatke
3. Ride Your Donkey - The Tennors
4. I Want You - Marvin Gaye
5. Yedermo Sew - Mulato Astatke
6. Not If You Were The Last Dandy On Earth - Brian Jonestown Massacre
7. Tell Me Now So I Know - Holly Golightly
8. Gubelye - Mulatu Astatke
9. Dopesmoker - Sleep
10. Requiem, Op.48 (Pie Jesu) - Oxford Camerata
11. Ethanopium - Dengue Fever
12. Unnatural Habitat - The Greenhornes

Chie Ayado

One of my students lends me an album by a fairly well known Japanese jazz singer, Chie Ayado. Here is my attempt to write a review.

album reviewed:

"Best", 2002
1. Over The Rainbow
2. Oleo
3. Tennessee Waltz
4. Route 66
5. Yozora No Mukou
6. Spinning Wheel
7. Every Breath You Take
8. Moon River
9. Leaving On A Jet Plane
10. Everybody Everywhere - band version
11. Woman Of Ireland ～MNa Na h-EIREANN
12. Get Into My Life - solo version
13. Slow Dancer
14. Low Rider
15. Get Back
16. You Are So Beautiful

She has a very deep, clear, and strong voice. One can hardly believe the voice comes from a relatively small Asian woman. But I had the chance to see a live performace by another Japanese jazz singer in New York, who also has a voice that might be categorized as a spinto, in other words a lyric soprano or tenor. Recently, Ayado has been gaining ground in Japan.

Criticism:
While I enjoy her resourceful voice, the way she uses her vocal vibration is overdone. That really really gets on my nerves. She does a number of cover songs, which is not new in Jazz. But there could have been better selections.

Verdict:
Some songs recommended, but there are better jazz singers out there, perhaps plenty. You probably find this review somewhat biased, and it is. I was told repeatedly she's great. However since I put on the first track of the CD I got disappointed, sorry you Ayado's fans out there. That first track doesn't belong there.

VH1 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock

Top 20:

20 Alice Cooper
.
19 The Clash
.
18 Ozzy Osbourne
.
17 The Ramones
.
16 Cream
.
15 Pink Floyd
.
14 Soundgarden
.
13 Queen
.
12 The Sex Pistols
.
11 Aerosmith






Top Ten:

10 Kiss
.
9 Guns N' Roses
.
8 The Who
.
7 Van Halen
.
6 Nirvana







Top Five:

5 Metallica
.
4 AC/DC

.

.

...

.....

drumroll please

.....

...

.

.


3 Jimi Hendrix



2 Black Sabbath



1 Led Zeppelin

source: VH1, click link for the rest of the list(1-100).

The Sound of Silence

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.

"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you."
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
In the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls."
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.

Verve//Remixed

Highly recommended:
history of the Verve label:

The Verve catalog grew throughout the 1950s and 1960s to include most of the major figures in jazz, though Granz tended to record established artists, sometimes in decline, rather than new talent. It also recognized the potential of comedy albums, producing Spike Jones' first LP, Dinner Music For People Who Aren't Very Hungry in 1956 and several best-selling albums featuring live performances by Shelley Berman beginning in 1960.

Granz sold Verve to MGM Records in 1961 for $3 million. Albums were now produced by Creed Taylor, but new recordings ceased, for twenty tears, in the late 'sixties .

In the seventies the label became part of the Polygram label group, at this point incorporating the Mercury/EmArcy jazz catalog, which Phillips, part owners of Polygram had earlier acquired. Seagram bought Polygram in 1998 and merge it with its Universal Music group. Both Polygram & Universal's jazz holdings were folded into the Verve Music Group.

Since 2002, the label has released a series of Verve Remixed compilation discs where classic tracks by Verve artists are remixed by contemporary electronic music DJs.

Verve//Remixed


Verve//Remixed Vol.2


Verve//Remixed Vol.3

album art: amazon.com

Live 8

LIVE 8 is part of a day of action across the world which kick-starts The Long Walk to Justice that calls on the leaders of the world’s richest countries to act when they meet in Gleneagles on 6th-9th July. On July 2nd in London, Edinburgh, Philadelphia, Berlin, Paris and Rome millions will be coming together to call for complete debt cancellation, more and better aid and trade justice for the world’s poorest people.

Download all your Live 8 videos here.

Live 8 logo and pic: live8live.com

30 most famous music videos

of all time! Well according to this guy. He put together all the videos based on a list compiled by VH1 in 2005.

Some of them certainly bring back very fond memories. Ah...the 80's!


01 Michael Jackson - Thriller [1983]


02 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax (Banned Version) [1983]


03 Madonna - Justify My Love (Uncensored) [1990]


04 Fatboy Slim - Weapon Of Choice [2001]


05 Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody [1975]

06 Blur - Coffee And TV [1999]

07 Fatboy Slim - Praise You [1998]

08 Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer [1986]

09 Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love [1986]

10 Robbie Williams - Rock DJ (Uncut) [2000]

11 George Michael - Outside [1998]

13 Madonna - Like A Prayer [1989]


14 A-Ha - Take On Me [1985]
(my all-time fav)

15 Beastie Boys - Sabotage [1994]

17 Adam Ant - Prince Charming [1981]

18 Madonna - Vogue [1999]

19 Michael Jackson - Black Or White (Long Version) [1991]

20 The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star [1979]

21 Britney Spears - Baby One More Time [1999]

22 Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson - Scream [1995]

23 Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly (1999)

24 Aerosmith Feat Run DMC - Walk This Way [1986]

25 Dire Straits - Money For Nothing (1985)

26 Robbie Williams - She's The One (1999)

27 Beyonce Feat Jayz - Crazy In Love (2003)

28 Chris Isaak - Wicked Game (1990)

29 Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (1983)

30 Eric Prydz - Call On Me (Uncensored)(2004)

Download them here.
video caps: various studios

free quality music...

...available in torrent download: (no, it's NOT illegal)

Ambient Nights

My favorite so far is Brighton Beach. It sets the right mood and reminds me of the place with the same name (15 minutes from my old apartment) in Brooklyn that might or might not have inspired the title.

lesser-known Internet radio stations

ChroniX Aggression is listener-supported, commercial-free, Metal/Rock/alternative Internet only radio station


ETN.fm - Trance and Progressive

And for the well-known just in case:

SHOUTcast is Nullsoft's Free Winamp-based distributed streaming audio system.

site logos: respective sites