Every now and again, I get super obsessed with a record, and this week belongs to Chandra. I first heard Chandra years ago, when I was writing for a website that reviews bizarre, hip, and unique vinyl finds called Waxidermy. Someone had happened upon a copy of this long out-of-print (circa 1980) gem of an EP, Transportation, and shared some MP3s. When I heard the tracks, I was totally floored.
Why, you ask?
Because Chandra Oppenheim is (well, was) a 12-year-old girl dynamically and powerfully fronting a no-wave/experimental disco band (think early Talking Heads or B-52's, only weirder) that sounds as confrontational, dissonant, beautiful, and odd as any of the work out of the active NYC no wave/noise scene of the day. Beyond that, these were her own compositions, with subjects ranging from the city's confusing subway system, to a girl named Kate "who thinks she's really great, but she's not." (Ever since my first exposure to this song, every time I meet someone named Kate, these are the first words that come to my mind.) Hearing these well-written, exceptional tracks was, as they say on Waxidermy, "face-melting."
Is this children's music? Electronic? Post-punk? Experimental? Pop? The answer is yes.
Somehow, I missed the re-issue of the Transportation EP late last year, but I'm sure glad I discovered it now, even if a few months late! Now with four additional tracks (from a 14-year-old Chandra) tacked on, the EP sounds better than ever. The newer tracks are more accessible, and she's accompanied by an all-teen backing band to boot. Although Chandra abandoned her band to focus on school before these bonus tracks could be released, it's a thrill to get to hear them now.
Oh, how I wish I lived in a world where the Chandras of world replaced the Miley Cyruses, Selena Gomezes and Demi Lovatos.
It would sure be a lot different.
Check out some tracks below, and let me know what you think.
It's a miracle I didn't call in sick today, 09.09.09. By noon the faithful brown box was sitting on my doorstep.
Help!, so to speak. Weigh in and tell me if you've heard the mono box set, and what your first impressions are. My listening has been totally random. I've listened to Help! (mono set), Hard Day's Night, Sgt. Pepper's, and Disc 1 of Mono Masters.
Unless you've got a stupidly high end gramophone player and a collection of pristine LPs (for the stuff that was ever on LP vinyl) - have they ever sounded this good? Certainly in 20 plus years since these came out on CD the first time, technical advances alone, make them sound way better, but I like the unobtrusive hand with which Abbey Road have polished these up. To my ear they're not only clean as a whistle but the dynamic range seems huge and there is infinitesimal tweaking that you seldom notice. A little lift in the bass here, guitar there. I haven't done an A/B comparison yet, which will be the true test.
I can't list everything that's struck me in the last couple of hours (mostly positive), but if you've snagged a copy of these, check out the woodwinds at the beginning of "When I'm Sixty-Four", all the percussion in the reprise of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (Strewth! - Chad Smith and Alan White etc. owe Ringo a debt of gratitude). The Mono Masters is mostly stuff I haven't really heard unless it was on the radio or from a jukebox, so things like the depth of the sound at the opening of "Love Me Do" (single version), left their mark.
Packaging is cute too. I have to laugh at the irony of reducing the original album art to the size of a CD. Anyone old enough to remember this stuff, first time around needs a lot of help reading the original notes!
But before you go perusing, browsing, and downloading, make sure you enter the code (JULY4MP3) into your account (that's the part that makes it free). You can find simple instructions on how to do that here. But do it quick--it all goes away, much like the fireworks, BBQ stains, and sleeping in, on July 6th (ok, so maybe the BBQ stains will stick around a bit longer).
It's limited to one per customer, but if you want to share the FREEdom with someone else, send them to Amazon MP3where they can download their own favorite version, as well.
Have a safe and fantastic 4th of July, and happy birthday, America!
Most
musicians probably take for granted the fact that they can carry around their
instruments to concerts and band practice. In today’s world, a small
Fender amp and Stratocaster are all a musician needs to get rolling. And in
yesterday’s world, as we learned in anthro-musicology news last week, something
as simple as a little vulture bone and mammoth tusk made a fine instrument some
35,000 years ago.
On
the opposite end of the scale – literally – fast forward several thousand
millenia and consider that one particular instrument of choice is so large that
it probably requires an installation plan, building permits, and perhaps an
architect. Yes, I’m talking about the world’s largest instrument: the
pipe organ.
While recently digesting some minutia related to Renaissance piano concerto transcriptions with my friend
Pete who provided background research for this piece, he brought up an interesting point that there seems to be a recent resurgence
of the pipe organ in concert halls nationwide. That’s right, it turns out that pipe organs are
not just for Sunday School anymore, even though many followers of the craft
still convene in grandiose churches, as they did in Seattle last weekend to pay
homage to the pipes and not necessarily the holy water.
Could this new movement bring pipe
organs into the mainstream of the classical music world? Or does the fact that
so many pipe organs already exist in concert halls indicate a fait accompli for
pipe organs beyond the hallowed walls of churches everywhere? To help answer it
all, let’s look at some of these noble beasts up close and personal based on
their most notable features:
The Newborn: We start off by highlighting the pristine William J. Gillespie Organ which is the newest concert hall organ to be built and resides at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, CA.
The
Queen’s Throne: Certain to help sell tickets with its good looks and towering
majesty, the organ inside Meyerson Hall in Dallas epitomizes the
"new" wave in concert hall organs.
The Cubist: As one might expect, one of the most visually spectacular,
and extremely controversial new pipe organs is the monster Rosales Opus 24 in
the new Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles.
The
Big Boy: One of the most recent additions, and attracting tremendous attention,
is the new Dobson (2006) at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.
The Southern Bell: One
of the smaller blowers in the ring of newly christened organs calls Music City
its home in the Nashville Symphony's new concert hall. Hmm, I do love me some
honky tonk mixed with a little organ music on a Friday night to kick off the
weekend.
The
Postmodernist: In the category of Things
To Come (a couple years away), Casavant is currently building a major organ
for the new Kauffman Center in Kansas City.
The Orphan:Alice Tully Hall in NYC is still awaiting the
glorious return of its pipe organ after it was removed prior to the hall's
acoustical renovation.
Calling attention to the new concert hall trend, the New
York Times states that, "An organless Tully
means that New York has no major concert hall with a pipe organ, bucking
a nationwide trend.
The Nip & Tuck Class: (currently
or recently under renovation):
The Storage Rack: Speaking of Steere, we would be remiss not to
mention that Springfield, MA (Pete’s hometown) has a fine concert hall with a 1902
Steere organ that has been in crates for 30 years in the basement of a
municipal building. The Steere & Turner company was located in Springfield
and subsequently bought out by Skinner (then the General Motors of the organ
world) in the 1920's.
Long story short, it’s an active
time in the pipe organ world. And, of course, we have not even touched on
pipe organs in churches, from which many glorious sounds are emanating from
pipe organs everywhere. But for secularists and other organ-obsessed fans
everywhere, the options for enjoying some pipe music in multiple locales are growing, and
growing, and growing.
I've figured out why I'm transfixed by Chickenfoot. There is no difference between this brand of hard rock and one of my true loves, Grand Opera. Stay with me on this one.
Both have a long established tradition of terrible lyrics.
Both, at their best, are often unoriginal. They recycle clichés we've heard before and fans are in awe of the ornamentation around those clichés and the way they're linked together.
Both are best practiced by performers that are somehow larger and louder than life.
Experiencing both (if you're into this stuff) you know what's coming next and it only makes it better.
I could go on - hair, costumes, make-up - all over the top. Is anyone still reading?
Chickenfoot, lyrically and in many other ways, is a mess, but an exquisite one. Hagar, at the age of 61, while he doesn't attempt an F above high C, anymore, still has mind-boggling tone, phrasing, and diction. Satriani, steps back from the July 4th pyrotechnics he's known for and becomes an ensemble player with almost no equal. If you have the privilege to catch these guys live, you'll get to appreciate how he summarizes all that is multi-tracked on the album in his live performance. Michael Anthony provides an omnipresent depth, pumping out classic hard rock bass lines, and Chad Smith steps away from his signature inner syncopations of RHCP, to this cast-iron back of the beat, pedal work, and sharp, precise upper register stuff. Ensemble work doesn't get much better than this.
Other reasons I might like this album are that I can't hear any Auto-Tune, and there isn't an iPod app' that makes it any better. -- Hugo Munday
While recovering from surgery to correct gastrointestinal bleeding, Koko Taylor, the Queen of the Blues has passed away at the age of 80. I've taken this from the press-release put out by Alligator Records today.
•
Grammy Award-winning blues legend Koko Taylor, 80, died on June 3, 2009 in her hometown of Chicago, IL, as a result of complications following her May 19 surgery to correct a gastrointestinal bleed. On May 7, 2009, the critically acclaimed Taylor, known worldwide as the “Queen of the Blues,” won her 29th Blues Music Award (for Traditional Female Blues Artist Of The Year), making her the recipient of more Blues Music Awards than any other artist. In 2004 she received the NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award, which is among the highest honors given to an American artist. Her most recent CD, 2007’s Old School, was nominated for a Grammy.
Born Cora Walton on a sharecropper’s farm just outside Memphis, TN, on September 28, 1928, Koko, nicknamed for her love of chocolate, fell in love with music at an early age. Inspired by gospel music and WDIA blues disc jockeys B.B. King and Rufus Thomas, Taylor began belting the blues with her five brothers and sisters, accompanying themselves on their homemade instruments. In 1952, Taylor and her soon-to-be-husband, the late Robert “Pops” Taylor, traveled to Chicago with nothing but, in Koko’s words, “thirty-five cents and a box of Ritz Crackers.”
In Chicago, “Pops” worked for a packing company, and Koko cleaned houses. Together they frequented the city’s blues clubs nightly. Encouraged by her husband, Koko began to sit in with the city’s top blues bands, and soon she was in demand as a guest artist. One evening in 1962 Koko was approached by arranger/composer Willie Dixon. Overwhelmed by Koko’s performance, Dixon landed Koko a Chess Records recording contract, where he produced her several singles, two albums and penned her million-selling 1965 hit “Wang Dang Doodle,” which would become Taylor’s signature song.
Koko Taylor was one of very few women who found success in the male-dominated blues world. She took her music from the tiny clubs of Chicago’s South Side to concert halls and major festivals all over the world. She shared stages with every major blues star, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy as well as rock icons Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.
Taylor’s final performance was on May 7, 2009 in Memphis at the Blues Music Awards, where she sang “Wang Dang Doodle” after receiving her award for Traditional Blues Female Artist Of The Year.
Survivors include Taylor’s husband Hays Harris, daughter Joyce Threatt, son-in-law Lee Threatt, grandchildren Lee, Jr. and Wendy, and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements will be announced.
•
The release then finishes with quotes from the press.
It's hard, even unfair to chose her best single recording. Certainly Live From Chicago: An Audience With The Queen ranks up there with the likes of B.B. King's Live at the Regal, as one of the greatest live blues albums of all time. She'll pull your emotions all over the map on this recording, with able assistance from lead guitarist Michael “Mr. Dynamite” Robinson. I'm also really partial to the 2007 "let-me-show-you-how-its-done" tour-de-force Old School cited in the release above.
Because of its long, storied history, jazz has existed in recorded form
longer than the format, or even concept of the album has, which
certainly complicates making a list of the 100 Greatest Jazz Albums of
All Time. There were many incredible, influential, and vital jazz
musicians who never released a single album--many, if not most of those
who created and shaped the genre in its early days are included in that
group. However, this is a list of the greatest jazz albums of all time,
not the most influential or innovative jazz musicians of all time. Here
are the rules we used to compile our list:
• Legitimate album releases only: no collections, compilations, singles, or EPs.
• Reissues, even those with tacked-on bonus tracks, qualify for inclusion.
• While we typically only allow one album per artist, due to the
collaborative nature of jazz as an art form, and the drastically
different styles played by single artists within one career, we will
allow multiple albums by the same artists.
Don't agree with our list? Think we hit the right note? Let us know in the comments below.
My fellow editors and I put our heads together and nailed down a list of the 100 greatest records by artists who can do it on their own. Hit the comments to let us know where we made horrible, unforgivable mistakes, but head over here to read up on our selection criteria for the list in case you care to do something wacky like make an informed argument. We like arguments. That's partially why we make lists.
My '80s obsession is prettywelldocumented--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!
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
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:
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.
Do you love gettin' down with your significant other to hot, sensuous, romantic, sexy music? We sure hope so, because hot on the heels of our 100 Greatest Debut Albums of All Time list, and just in time for Valentine's Day, comes the 100 Greatest Romantic Albums of All Time. Does our list of tunes make you swoon, or is the heat you feel coming out your ears with anger? Let us know what you think of our choices in the comments.
You are "Diamond" David Lee Roth--floating in space. Eddie Van Halen heads and Van Halen's triumphant logos are floating around, waiting to crush you. You shoot them with your finger. Sammy Hagar's head comes in for the final kill. You win.
For the first in an ongoing series of the "100 Greatest *fillintheblank* of All Time" lists, we decided to use our collective knowledge to run down the best ever debut albums. Dig our picks below and let us know where we went horribly, horribly wrong in the comments.
When I last blogged about the '80s, I was hitting the pop pretty hard. Nothing has changed here except for the tempo. It's time for a slow dance. Let's begin:
"Hands To Heaven," Breathe I always had a soft spot for these guys. They were good looking, European, and the song is totally killer. Fun fact: as a kid, I thought when they said "my restlessness" that they were saying "my breast-lessness," of course he didn't have breasts! It was only a few short years ago that I realized what he was actually saying.
"Seasons Change," Expose Some things never change. I still get the chorus of this song stuck in my head on a near-weekly basis, because it's true.
"No One Is To Blame," Howard Jones If I said I had never put this song on repeat and bawled my eyes out, I would be a total liar. It's "life's not fair" lyrics have totally resonated with me at many times in my life. It's a great song that holds up well, and will never get skipped in shuffle mode as long as I'm at the controls.
"Foolish Beat," Debbie Gibson Though she's now known as "Deborah," she'll always be Debbie to me. What set Ms. Gibson apart from all the other pop starlets of her day, not to mention today's current crop, is that she wrote and produced her own records. Like, all of them. Bravo Debbie/Deborah!
This song has been used in the soundtracks to several movies as of late, and for good reason. While it's undeniably '80s, it has a timeless quality to it. The video itself is something to behold--is that hair crimped? Is that guy playing a giant stick? Did he just smash it in a fit of passion at the end? What ever happened to those clothes? Fun fact: this band went on to become Underworld.
This is the most epic pop ballad ever made. There are countless "moments" in this song and video--from her pronunciations ( "crying, cryaang, cryying," "O-I needed was a simple hello") and her outfits (what adult has that much pink in their bedroom?), to the headbands and the weird looking model dude. This is a perfect '80s experience rolled into 4 minutes and 41 seconds, and the reason karaoke was invented.
As some of my co-workers graciously pointed out to me, several of these songs appear to have quite a bit in common with the "genre" known as smooth jazz. It really threw me for a loop. At first I felt a little hurt, then sad, then I realized they were right. Does this mean that I like smooth jazz? I really, really, really, really hope not. Does this mean I'm throwing out my love of all things '80s to save my hipster cred? Ha! I'd rather like smooth jazz then quit the '80s--look for more coverage of my favorite decade in the future. Got any special sub-genre of '80s you'd like me to cover? let me know in the comments.
Microsoft Songsmith is a computer program that uses the power of witchcraft* to automagically create a beat that matches whatever any old amateur vocalist sings at a PC.
Some evil genius decided to test the limits of the software by feeding it the isolated vocal track of David Lee Roth singing on Van Halen's "Runnin' With The Devil." Listen to the trainwrecky goodness here.
For more trainwrecky goodness and/or fun, harass folks with the David Lee Roth soundboard or take a look below at Microsoft's horribly misguided, unintentionally funny ad for Songsmith. Be warned that the video is rated "S" for songtastic.
-- Jeff Reguilon
* By "witchcraft," I mean "sophisticated computer science." I think.
I've been swimming deep into the murky, day-glo waters of '80s pop music lately. DEEP. Like, I-can't-see-anything-around-me-anymore-because-I'm-so-far-down-the-sun-no-longer-reaches-me deep. I've been finding music I missed the first time around and discovering that I love it as much as the memory-laden favorites I always seem to crave. So, in what is sure to be a failed attempt to flush my mind of some excess nostalgia, I'm going to post some '80s videos. I hope you don't mind, but I really need to feel less alone here. Let us begin:
Ready For The World, "Oh, Sheila" The best part about this video/song is that they're from Michigan, and obviously have some serious thing for Prince/Minneapolis--however, when the singer speaks, he has some sort of weird fake British/Irish/Euro accent (more on fake accents later).
Bardeux, "Magic Carpet Ride" I know Bardeux are kind of an early era Madonna knock-off, but this song is way fun, criminally out of print, and kind of undeniable.
The Jets, "Crush On You" Best '80s band ever? Possibly. It's not hard to believe that this band is made up entirely of one family, but it *is* hard to believe that there were 17 kids in the family. SEVENTEEN. KIDS.
Tina Yothers (yes, *that* Tina Yothers), "Baby I'm Back In Love Again" I scored a copy of this on vinyl a few years ago, and I'm so glad I picked it up. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I love this song so much, but it's pure '80s teen pop, and that's something I find incredibly hard to resist. It's surprisingly not embarrassing for young Miss Yothers either--unlike the b-side track "Girlie, Girlie," where she sings in a fake Jamaican accent. It's totally unbe-freaking-lieveable. You think I'm lying, but I'm not.
I could truly post '80s videos all day. However, I'll spare you--but not for long. Watch out for another upcoming '80s-centric, youtube-filled post focused on my most favoritest genre of '80s music: pop ballads.
On the heels of big Smiths reunion rumors comes news that fellow Manchester band Stone Roses are also possibly, probably reuniting, according to Austrailia's The Age.
The world's a pretty different place than it was when the world was under the influence of Day-Glo and irreverent hippie/electro/rave stuff. I wonder what today's Stone Roses would sound like. And, in feeling old news, their pivotal, highly influential debut album turns 20 next year.
Here's one of the best songs to reference the Stooges ever written.
