ChordStrike

An '80s Moment with Alan: Ladies of the '80s

My '80s obsession is pretty well documented--I find myself falling further and further down the rabbit hole of (hopefully) endless '80s obscurities, and I'm loving every minute of it. In this post, I've chosen to focus on some of the ladies of the '80s. I'm not talking about Madonna, or Cyndi, or Cher, though I'm tempted to go there (hey that rhymed!), I'm gonna take you some places you may have never been before. Follow me...

Bardeux, "When We Kiss"
I'm putting this one first because you have to watch it. Now, I know I've posted a Bardeux video before ("Magic Carpet Ride"), but that was before I re-discovered/remembered this gem, and I would be remiss if I didn't share it with you. "When We Kiss" makes "Magic Carpet Ride," both from the magnificent but totally out-of-print album Bold As Love, seem kitschy and quaint by comparison, not that there's anything wrong with that. "Kiss" is a straight up slow jam with some cheesy-ish raps and a vibe that someone needs to resurrect, because this track is on fire. I would totally cruise down the street with this blasting out of my stereo anytime, any day. Make special note of the use of what may be the cheesiest fake sax/trumpet/trombone synth sound in the whole wide world. It's very presence in this song elevates it to a higher plain. Plus, I want to live in the fantastical soap opera world where this video was shot--a world where these girls are my best friends and I can borrow those sunglasses.

Kim Wilde, "The Touch"

You may know Ms. Wilde for her hits "Kids In America" and her truly stellar remake of the Supremes' '60s hit "You Keep Me Hangin' On," but today I'll shine the spotlight on a lesser-known track--"The Touch" from her all-but-forgotten and totally out-of-print '84 album Teases and Dares. Not only is the song totally great in that way that only the '80s can conjure, but the video is a complete WTF mashup of Cinderella and the frog prince, complete with scary drag queen evil step-sisters. Don't miss the incredible dance she does with her arms at the end, which begs to be replicated on dance floors and in bedroom mirrors across the world.

Frida, "I Know There's Something Going On"

Oh Frida, you were always the overlooked lady in ABBA, but once you went solo, you kind of completely totally ruled. In this Phil Collins produced track (and album--his signature drums are all over this one), Frida reveals a side of herself absent from any of her previous musical efforts, the side of her that rocks. She teases with her verses, then eventually lets loose into a paranoid robo-chorus for the ages. I think the whole album is about her split from former husband and bandmate Benny Andersson--it has a real jilted lover vibe to it, and this song is pure magic.

Jane Weidlin, "Rush Hour"

Before she was the hot/cute/sweet dominatrix lady on that one VH1 show, Jane Weidlin was a member of and main songwriter for '80s staples the Go-Go's, but in the years between the two, she was a pretty rad solo artist. If I were ever to make a list of the greatest songs to drive to, "Rush Hour" would have to take my number one spot--it's loads of fun, but really kicks in with it's catchier-than-a-cold chorus. Here's proof of its greatness in video form (bowties! everywhere! dolphins!):

Jane Child, "Don't Wanna Fall In Love"

From one lady named Jane, to another. This Jane, Jane Child, is a lot different from the last one. In this era of "Don't Wanna Fall In Love," she has what may be the most extreme mullet ever worn by a human, or any other form of life (or is it some sort of hair cape?), not to mention her, at the time, totally frightening earring-connected-to-nosering-chain-thing, that just seems kind of dated and cute now. Note the fantastic scene near the end where she rocks out facing the wall of a surprisingly well-lit NYC street.

Pebbles, "Girlfriend"

While this a great pre-pills Paula Abdul knockoff, fast forward to around 2:20 and again around 2:50 for the really good part--one of the greatest shout bits in an '80s pop song ever: "To believe, or not to believe, that is the qwes-tee-yawn. It just takes a street degree. You've lied your last lie, and I've cried my last cry, I'm out the door baaaby! There's other fish in the sea." Do they think pronouncing the word "question" like that makes it more high class? Perhaps in a world where one earns a street degree, it does.

Did I miss your favorite super obscure '80s lady? Got any other ideas for nooks and crannies of '80s music I can uncover? Let me know in the comments. See you next time!

--Alan Wiley

Best Music of March, 2009: Troubadour by K'Naan

It’s already been a really strong year for hip-hop releases. Cases in point:

1.    January 20: Mr. Lif drops "Obama," on inauguration day, no less. The song offers a refreshing dose of restraint to temper the nearly dogmatic mania running rampant for the man these days.

2.    January 27: Zion I’s The Takeover is an instant classic. Producer Amp Live rips jazz, funk, gospel, big band, and more, and emcee Zumbi (just) keep pace.

3.    February 3: P.O.S. finally lives up to his potential with the aptly named Never Better. Besides the killer raps and the rough instrumental bravado (compliments of Doomtree), the album also comes in one of the best CD packages to come out in a while, a sort of artistic cross between Radiohead’s In Rainbows, the Roots’ Phrenology, and Funkstörung’s Disconnected.

4.    February 10: Beastie Boys release the 20th Anniversary Edition of Paul’s Boutique. ‘Nuff said? Not quite. Lest you think you've heard it before, this edition includes a nine-track "B-Boy Bouillabaisse," not to mention a long-overdue remastering that'll appeal to more than just stick-in-the-mud audiophiles.

5.    February 17: N.A.S.A.’s Spirit of Apollo boasts guest spots from an absolute A-list of contributors, from David Byrne and Kanye West to Gift of Gab and Karen O. Ever wondered what Kool Keith and Tom Waits sound like together? Now you know.

The pick of the pack, though, is K’Naan's Troubadour. After his debut album--The Dusty Foot Philosopher--took Canada by storm and collected a 2006 Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year, the pressure was on for K’Naan’s major label follow-up. Troubadour, in a word, delivers. Lyrically, the Somali ex-pat out-rhymes the majority of his native English-speaking counterparts with a mix of violent personal history and charismatic uplift, the occasional melodic chorus, and a voice that’s fairly compared to Eminem’s but more accurately recalls the upper-register nasality of Pharcyde’s Booty Brown. Pop-leaning cuts like “Dreamers”  and “15 Minutes Away” duck in and out of instrumentals that borrow from Afrobeat (“Fire in Freetown”), a world/soul sound that hits its apex in the gorgeous “Wavin’ Flag,” and hip-hop’s best use yet of a Bob Marley sample (opener “T.I.A.”). Recorded at Marley’s legendary Tuff Gong studio in Jamaica, the album gets a heavy dose of collaborative energy from such diverse contributors as Mos Def, Chubb Rock, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine (“Bang Bang”), and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett (“If Rap Gets Jealous”). In a year that has already seen an early girth of really strong rap releases that eschew the superficial violence, misogyny, and inanity of most radio fare, Troubadour stands as a front-runner for Hip-Hop Album of the Year.

If interested, we've also got a limited-time stream of the entire album and an interview with K’Naan.

     --Jason Kirk

Pylon's Randy Bewley dead at 53

Guitarist Randy Bewley (photo: top left) of the legendary Athens, GA band Pylon died yesterday after a heart attack and subsequent car crash. He was 53.

Formed in 1978, Pylon, along with their kitschy brethren the B-52's, launched Athens post-punk. Their distinctive, angular style was highly regarded within the tight-knit world of early '80s underground rock, especially on the East Coast, and they toured nationally opening for U2. Pylon disbanded shortly after the release of their second album Chomp.

R.E.M. has often cited the band has a major influence, covering Pylon's "Crazy" as a Fables of the Reconstruction era b-side.

The Pylon compilation Hits was released in 1989 and the band reformed, opening for R.E.M. on the Green tour and recording a new album before breaking up again in 1991. There was a New Year's reunion  concert in 2005. The band had been playing sporadically since.

"We are so very saddened to hear the news of Randy’s passing,” R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Pylon have always been an inspired catalyst to R.E.M. and the Athens music and art scene, and beyond.”

--Patrick Whalen

A.C. Newman On Tour

I had the great pleasure of catching New Pornographers front man A.C. Newman live in concert in Seattle last weekend and I would strongly encourage everyone else to do the same! I will admit that prior to the show I was expecting to mourn the absence of the brilliant Neko Case (also a member of New Pornographers and one of my all-time musical heroes), but A.C. more than thrilled the crowd with a selection of pop delights from his buzz-worthy new solo album, Get Guilty. 

The tour’s second greatest asset is nerd-core newcomer Dent May, who played songs from his aptly named new release, The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele. Sadly for those catching this show in another city, you will not be fortunate enough to hear the music of Seattle-based opener, Cataldo (who I suspect you will hear more from in the future), but you just might be lucky enough to catch L.A. darlings, The Broken West, who will be joining Newman mid-tour in support of their latest release, Now or Heaven. 

A.C. Newman Tour Dates:

•    2/24 Sacramento, CA Harlow’s*
•    2/25 San Diego, CA Casbah*
•    2/26 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour*
•    2/27 Santa Barbara, CA Club Mercy*
•    2/28 San Francisco, CA The Independent*
•    3/1 Eugene, OR John Henry’s*
•    3/10 Ithaca, NY Castaways*
•    3/11 Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace*
•    3/12 Montreal, QC Il Motore*
•    3/13 Providence, RI Club Hell*
•    3/14 Boston, MA Paradise*
•    3/15 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom*
•    3/17 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s**
•    3/18 Washington, DC Black Cat **
•    3/19 Chapel Hill, NC Cat’s Cradle**
•    3/20 Atlanta, GA The Earl**
•    3/21 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge**
•    3/22 St. Louis, MO Blueberry Hill**
•    3/24 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar**
•    3/25 Chicago, IL Logan Square Auditorium**
•    3/26 Pontiac, MI The Pike Room at The Crofoot**
•    3/27 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop**
•    3/28 Pittsburgh, PA Andy Warhol Museum**

*with Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
**with The Broken West

Check out Dent May and his Good Feeling Music:

--Shelby Earl

Chordstrike Wants you to Win a Box of Box Sets!

Look at this cornucopia of pop culture goodness!

AC/DC : Plug Me In (2 DVD set)

Every stage of the world's most electrifying rock band! The Plug Me In 2DVD set contains over 5 hours of rare and unreleased LIVE video from AC/DC.

Doo Wop Love Songs

A 4-CD collection featuring timeless vocal hits from Frankie Lymon, Jerry Butler & The Impressions, Ben E. King, The Crests, The Marcels, Gene Chandler, The Skyliners, The Flamingos, The Moonglows, Dion & The Belmonts, The Coasters, and many others!

Indiana Jones: The Soundtracks Collection

Includes remastered versions of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade --expanded to include previously unreleased music -- as well as the original Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull soundtrack.

Johnny Cash The Collection: At Folsom Prison/At San Quentin/America --the classic live prison recordings, plus, deluxe.

Judas Priest Metalogy

4 CDs and a DVD, digitally remastered and hell bent for leather.

The War: A Ken Burns Film - soundtrack

A CD box set companion to the film that includes the stunning soundtrack, as well as three additional compilations from Burns, and war-era favorites featuring recordings from Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Also included are new tracks from Wynton Marsalis and Norah Jones.

Roy Orbison The Soul of Rock and Roll

An all-inclusive anthology honoring the greatest singer ever in rock, ever.
 

"Tasty," you say? It could all be yours. Sign yourself up for a chance to win.

No purchase necessary. Enter by 3/23/09. See official rules for details.

Current Email Digest subscribers can participate: If you have already subscribed to the Email Digest and only want to enter the sweepstakes, you only need to fill out the entry form. Make sure you are using the same email address in this form as the one you have used to subscribe to the Email Digest.

Hanson / Fountains of Wayne / Smashing Pumpkins / Cheap Trick Members Form a Supergroup? Yes. Yes They Do.

Taylor Hanson (Hanson), James Iha (ex-Smashing Pumpkins), Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) and Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) have formed a band and are calling themselves Tinted Windows, and I'm kinda speechless about that. Witness:

Their album will be released on April 21, 2009. I expect the end of the world will not be far behind.

--Alan Wiley

Great Ladies of March

When trying to decide on my first post for ChordStrike, I went through many options in my head:  Should I discuss some unsung favorites?  That might be better for later.  Should I discuss some recent live shows I've seen?  There are some coming up that I would rather write about when fresh.  Then I started thinking about some things I've heard are coming out, or have been lucky enough to hear.  Two immediately jumped out at me, and my music geek brain immediately made parallels between them.  So here we go...

Let's talk about the new albums by Neko Case and Marianne Faithfull, two ladies with serious power, and a couple of connections involving their new records.

Let's take them in order of release.  On March 3rd, Neko Case sends Middle Cyclone out into the world.  You can feel the evolution on this record, a line (albeit not a straight one) from the live fun of The Tigers Have Spoken to the more experimental Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.  Her records are growers for me - I always immediately find something to like about them, but they continually unfold for me during each consecutive listen.  However you want to look at it, it's a great record, by an artist who continually evolves and comes out with fantastic music.  As an added bonus, she does a cover of one of my favorite songs ever - Harry Nilsson's "Don't Forget Me". 

Now, here comes the music geek brain connection...

Marianne Faithfull was friends to the late Mr. Nilsson.  I heard her tell a harrowing story at a show about 11 years ago about his coffin being mangled by an earthquake not long before his funeral.  Then she launched in to this same song, which she had recorded live for her album 20th Century Blues.  That song would have fit in very well on Easy Come, Easy Go(releasing March 17th), as well.  What we get instead is an album of inspired covers - from Billie Holiday to The Decembrists.  We also make stops along the way to song originally written or recorded by Dolly Parton, Smokey Robinson, Brian Eno, and - you guessed it - Neko Case ("Hold On, Hold On").  Working with Hal Wilner, who also produced her brilliant Strange Weather, Marianne Faithful works with some excellent partners on the record, Nick Cave, Keith Richards, Cat Power, and Antony Hegarty among them. 

Despite some truly amazing and high profile titles coming out in March, my top choices belong to these lovely ladies of song.

--Robert Arambel

Semi-formal Pavement reunion last weekend

Tripwire reports on the Pavement reunion that took place Saturday... as a wedding band.

Bob Nastanovich, Pavement drummer/singer/toaster/fancy dancer, got hitched in Nashville. His old band mates rocked the reception. Apparently word got out and fans crashed the event but were flummoxed by the funk and 80's repertoire.

Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Bill German's Top 5 Parties with the Rolling Stones

When Chordstrike heard that Bill German, the original publisher of the storied ‘Stones ‘zine Beggars Banquet, was interested in being a guest blogger, feral ponies couldn’t keep us away.

Under Their Thumb largely covers the 80’s, an era of transition for the band to corporate, from corporeal, excess. But we wanted to know about the parties anyway. German's recollections hint at his unusual relationship with the 'Stones.

 

Bill German's Top 5 Parties with The Rolling Stones
 
When you hang around the 'Stones, every night is party night.  But here are five parties from the past that still stick in my mind.  
 
February 10, 1983, at Corso in New York -- The night began with a red carpet premiere at Loews Theatre on Second Avenue for the Let's Spend The Night Togetherfilm. The after-party, at a Latin discotheque called Corso, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, was full of celebrities like Christopher Reeve, Cheryl Tiegs, Billy Joel, and the members of the Stray Cats. I spent much of the party hanging out with Keith and Ronnie, and they indulged me all night. Later that night at Studio 54, I decided that this was how I wanted to spend the rest of my life: Attending 'Stones parties and writing about them.  When I got home, I informed my parents that I was quitting school to follow the 'Stones. 
 
July 26, 1985, at the Palladium in New York -- It was Mick's 42nd birthday party and I kind of invited myself. Jack Nicholson was there, as were the members of Duran Duran, and Patti Scialfa, the future Mrs. Springsteen. The party thinned out around 2 AM.  Keith and Ronnie were nowhere in sight, and my date was getting tired. I told her I needed to make a quick pit stop before we headed out.  But I opened the door to the men's room and discovered that's where the party had shifted. A dozen people, including Keith and Ronnie, were smoking, drinking, and carrying on.  Ronnie was leaning against the sink, and Keith had his boot on a urinal.  "William!" exclaimed Keith.  "Welcome to our new office!"
 
June 1, 1986, at Ronnie Wood's house in New York -- It was a surprise birthday party for Ronnie's 39th birthday.  I got there late, so I was spared the indignity of shouting "Surprise!" but it would've been fun seeing Ahmet Ertegun and Andy Warhol jump out from behind the sofa.  I spent a hundred bucks on some fancy books for a gift, which was a lot of money for me then.  When Ronnie unwrapped my gifts, he said, "Great, you're finally returning the books I lent you.” 
 
November 3, 1988, at U.S. Blues in New York -- This time, it was my party. I was celebrating the tenth anniversary of my newsletter, Beggars Banquet, and I wanted to thank everyone who'd ever helped me in the previous ten years.  Of course, that included Keith, who happened to be the only Stone in town that week. At one point, I saw Keith talking to my parents, the two kosher deli workers from Brooklyn (imagine Seinfeld’s Costanzas).  My dad had introduced himself and Keith replied, "You've got quite a boy there!"
 
February 23, 1986, at the 100 Club in London -- This is the only party on the list that didn't take place in New York.  Technically, it wasn't a party.  It was a memorial.  The 'Stones and I went to London to attend a special service for their late pianist, Ian "Stu" Stewart (a founding member of the 'Stones, who died at age 47 of a heart attack).  There were 200 invited guests, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, and Jack Bruce.  The only music that was scheduled for the evening was a performance by Rocket 88, the boogie-woogie jazz band that Stu was a member of.  But when Rocket 88 finished their set, Mick, Keith, Ronnie, and Bill Wyman took their place onstage and launched into "Route 66."  Charlie wasn't there yet, so Simon Kirke of Bad Company sat in on drums. Mick told the crowd: "Let's do some songs Stu would want to play. This is totally improvised.  Any requests?  Yell 'em up."  In all, they performed eleven songs. Charlie did arrive and take his rightful place behind the drums.  Clapton came up to do "Key To The Highway," "Confessin' The Blues" and "I'm A Man."  Jeff Beck came up to do "Bye Bye Johnny."  Jack Bruce helped out on "Little Queenie." Townshend joined Mick on "Harlem Shuffle." I've got a photo of it in Under Their Thumb.  Without question, this ranks as my favorite 'Stones concert of all time.

-- Bill German

SASQUATCH! MUSIC FESTIVAL Official Line-up Announced

 

Festivals have been all the rage for ages now, but Washington State's own Sasquatch! Music Festival at the beautiful Gorge Amphitheatre is a mind-bending three-day music celebration that gets more massive by the year. Tickets aren't cheap, but one look at this year's line-up and you'll find yourself babbling "recession? what recession?"

Memorial Day Weekend | May 23, 24, 25, 2009
The Gorge | Quincy, WA

Music line-up includes Jane's Addiction (feat. all four original members), Kings of Leon, Nine Inch Nails, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, TV On The Radio, Animal Collective, Silversun Pickups, Bon Iver, Santigold, Of Montreal, Explosions In The Sky, Devotchka, Peter Bjorn & John, Gogol Bordello, M. Ward, The Avett Brothers, Doves, Calexico, Grizzly Bear, M83, Girl Talk, The Gaslight Anthem, The Walkmen, Chromeo (dj set), Deadmau5, Mugison, Sun Kil Moon, Airborne Toxic Event, Blitzen Trapper, Shearwater, BLK JKS, The Wrens, Tobacco, Monotonix, King Khan & The Shrines, St. Vincent, Passion Pit, John Vanderslice, Bishop Allen, Blind Pilot, AA Bondy, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, The Dodos, Beach House, Arthur & Yu, The Submarines, Owl City, Viva Voce, James Pants, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, The Builders & The Butchers, The Dutchess & The Duke, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele, Fences, School of Seven Bells, Death Vessel, Horse Feathers, Hockey, Point Juncture, WA, The Pica Beats, Loch Lomond, Vince Mira & more to come.

Comedy line up includes Zach Galifiankas, Demetri Martin, Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job, Todd Barry, Jon Benjamin, God's Pottery, People's Republic of Komedy & more.

Tickets go on sale Saturday February 28th at 10AM and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, sasquatchfestival.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone in Seattle (206) 628-0888, in Oregon (503) 224-4400, and in Eastern Washington (509) 735-0500

--Shelby Earl

Five Favorites

A few albums that have been in heavy rotation for me this week, in no particular order and for no particular reason except that we like to share good music.

Lal Meri, self-titled, Six Degrees Records

Alela Diane, To Be Still, Rough Trade
Old 97s, Blame It On Gravity, New West Records
M. Ward, Hold Time, Merge Records
A.C. Newman, Get Guilty, Matador Records

--Lucas Hilbert

R.I.P.: Louie Bellson dies at 84

Before there was "Hot for Teacher," there was Louie Bellson. The Italian-American rhythm dynamo is best known for his work with Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman, but he was also a trailblazer of the double bass drum.

Bellson died on Valentine's Day in Los Angeles. Born with a mouthful of a name--Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni--Bellson composed thousands of tunes, published numerous books about percussion, and recorded dozens of albums. The last among these was the cheekily named Louie & Clark Expedition 2 (with trumpeter Clark Terry), a five-star cut and a fine swan song.

More knowledgeable fans of Bellson and his music are encouraged to craft a community biography for the Louie Bellson page at Sound Unwound, and those into Dorsey, Goodman, and their ilk would do well to tune into KUOW's "The Swing Years and Beyond." Seattle's NPR station plays five (!) hours of the stuff every Saturday night.

Here's a taste of Bellson's soloing circa 1950, posted by a high-strung YouTube contributor:

Rhythm in peace, Louie!

     --Jason Kirk

Iron & Wine U.S. tour dates announced

May 04 The Vera Project, Seattle WA (w/Yogoman Burning Band)
May 05 Triple Door, The, Seattle WA (w/Alela Diane)
May 06 Cafe du Nord, San Francisco CA (*Swedish American Hall (above Cafe du Nord) w/Yogoman Burning Band)
May 07 Cafe du Nord, San Francisco CA (*Swedish American Hall (above Cafe du Nord) w/Magic Leaves )
May 08 Masonic Hall at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles CA (w/ Alela Diane and DJ Small Town Talk)
May 09 Troubadour, Hollywood CA (w/ Yogoman Burning Band)
May 12 Lakeshore Theater, Chicago IL (w/Katie Stelmanis)
May 13 Schubas, Chicago IL
May 17 Abrons Arts Center, New York NY (w/Lia Ices)
May 17 Abrons Arts Center, New York NY (/partyface)

Best Music of February, 2009: "Merriweather Post Pavilion" by Animal Collective

Why it’s significant: Animal Collective seem to have tapped into a hidden pop need with Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Merriweather Post Pavillion is full of vaguely familiar, lightly fearsome sounds, with disorientating repetitions and just a gist of language.  It’s also kind of cute. It might be a classic.

The lads of Animal Collective have put in years of grunt work, amassing a surprisingly supersized fan base and many loving tributes from the culture creepers. But the recordings are polarizing. Many find them interesting but tedious. With Merriweather Post Pavillion the drawn out experimentation of the band’s past is crafted into a singular, beguiling whole.

The opening track, “In The Flowers,” could put a quizzend smile on any face that ever listened to Pet Sounds, read a Rough Guide, danced with glow sticks, or opened a triple gatefold.  It then gets somewhat stranger still, banging away in the manner of theatrical post-punk outfits way back there in the closet. This is followed by the pastoral “My Girls,” a sweet and catchy stretch of maximum minimalism dressed with blue-eyed soul.  One of my favorite tracks, “Lion in a Coma” (awesome homophone) riffs on Isicathamiya (awesome South African a capella). Such un-europop sounds are present within many an Animal Collective number. In contrast to the weighty and open sonics, the album’s lyrics seem light and inward; romantic, askew poesy concerning family and friendship.

Despite its eccentric qualities, Merriweather Post Pavillion, is incredibly listenable. One might ignore it like any pleasant pop record at a party or café. When you feel like digging in, Merriweather Post Pavillion rewards your attention. It feels like you’re in on something special.

--Patrick Whalen

Download "Let's Get it On" Free

Through Valentine's Day 2009, you can download the ultra-classic Marvin Gaye loverman jam "Let's Get It On" absolutely free over at Amazon MP3. Download it and play it often, but please don't blame any subsequent unintentional babymaking on us.

Also, not to get too shilly or anything, but the album from which this song comes, plus four other albums from our list of the 100 Greatest Romantic Albums are on sale for $5 each through the weekend. Just thought you might like to know.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Bruce Springsteen on Rolling Stone...again?

With perfect timing for his Super Bowl performance, Bruce Springsteen was on the cover of the February 5th issue of Rolling Stone.  This made us wonder, how many past covers has The Boss been on?  Our friends at Rolling Stone provided the answer (eleven), and the old covers...enjoy!

 

 

Music is the Thing: An Interview with K'Naan

Plenty of rappers rhyme about the hardships of their origins, but few hail from 'hoods like Mogadishu. The Somali capital has been one of the world's most violent cities for at least a generation, so when K'Naan portrays poverty and lawless gangsterism, you know you're not in the presence of hip-hop's historically familiar posing.

K'naan's debut album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, was nothing short of revelatory. A musical and lyrical masterwork, the bilingual album won him major accolades in Canada--his adopted home--and yielded some of the notable connections who joined forces for the follow-up, Troubadour (coming out Feb. 24).

ChordStrike recently caught up with K'Naan in New York. Listen in:

     --Jason Kirk

Blossom Dearie: 1926-2009

Though it was overshadowed by all of the hoopla surrounding the Grammy Awards this year, it should be noted that jazz vocalist/pianist Blossom Dearie passed away on Saturday, February 7. Though more popular in Europe, and especially Paris, than in her home country of the US, she's always been a favorite of mine for her unique delivery, and soothing style. Dearie's singular child-like voice gave her music an innocent, yet romantic quality (her self-titled album landed in the #22 spot in our 100 Greatest Romantic Albums of All Time list), that I've never heard captured by any other singer.

Though she's best known for her bebop music, my favorites all seem to come from her late '60s-mid-'70s period. Here are a few:

"Dusty Springfield"

"I Like London In The Rain"

"Sweet Georgie Fame"

Really, the truth is, you can't go wrong with Blossom Dearie. If you haven't had the opportunity to get to know her music, do yourself the favor--you will not regret it. Every time one of her songs shuffles into my earphones, it always brings a smile. She was an incredible performer who left a legacy of incredible albums in her wake, and will be incredibly missed. R.I.P. Blossom.

--Alan Wiley

Chordstrike Revisits Groundhog Day

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You now have the option of subscribing to the daily Chordstrike digest. If you do, each day we will send you a little piece of the day's latest Chordstrike posts.

Like, if you subscribed today, you would get an email tomorrow letting you know that I wrote a post telling you that you could subscribe today, which would really be yesterday, by then, to the daily Chordstrike digest. You could click through to read the whole post about what you would read if you did, or just be satisfied knowing that you had already done it.

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Best Music of February, 2009: "Noble Beast" by Andrew Bird

Why it's significant: Andrew Bird's sprawling Noble Beast blends pop overtures with intricate strings and filigreed lyrics, creating a new take on chamber pop.

Noble Beast plays like one easy prolonged ambling moment. There are no sharp angles; nothing is ostentatious or synthesized. It's simply the sum the band and their warm wooden instruments creating a cohesive introspective mood through intricate acoustic lines and well-mannered orchestrations.

While it seems meant to be heard from start to finish like a proper album, certain songs do stand out: "Masterswarm," with its circular, melancholic Brazilian-influenced melody, "Fitz and Dizzyspells," with its catchy pop sensibilities and whistle-solo humor that's reminiscent of the early Kinks at their most witty, "Effigy," which starts with an Eastern-influenced coda and develops into sunlit '70s folk at it's most pleasing, and "Souverian," that envelops from plaintive and lovelorn to post-rock meditative. Though not a drastic departure from his last album, Noble Beast defines Andrew Bird as a virtuosic violinist, gifted songsmith, and creative lyricist.

--Gabi Knight