Monday, October 31, 2005

Antony Haunts

Antony's eerie vibrato might be the most haunting thing you hear all day.

From last week's performance on Letterman:

Antony & The Johnsons - You Are My Sister (Live on Letterman): mp3 / avi

Friday, October 28, 2005

Plantman Knows

While I was away on my trip, I met this guy who knows former Pavement drummer Gary Young. Gary played drums one of his band's songs. We sang this one together in class.

Gary Young - Plantman (mp3)

TGIF...

And TG I'm home. The sun shines down, and it's a perfect day for this:

Prince - Let's Go Crazy (12" Special Dance Mix) (mp3)

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Sloppy Drunk Blues



Carr was the most influential male blues singer and songwriter of the first half of the 20th century, but he was nothing like the current stereotype of an early bluesman. An understated pianist with a gentle, expressive voice, he was known for his natty suits and lived most of his life in Indianapolis. His first record, "How Long — How Long Blues," in 1928, had an effect as revolutionary as Bing Crosby's pop crooning, and for similar reasons. Previous blues stars, whether vaudevillians like Bessie Smith or street singers like Blind Lemon Jefferson, had needed huge voices to project their music, but with the help of new microphone and recording technologies, Carr sounded like a cool city dude carrying on a conversation with a few close friends.

...although Carr died of an alcohol-related illness shortly after his 30th birthday, what made him a key figure in American music was his records, not his lifestyle. His followers dominated blues for more than 20 years and affected every aspect of the African-American pop scene.


-from elijahwald.com, originally printed in the New York Times.

Mp3s from Leroy Carr: Complete Recorded Works 3 (1930-32):

New How Long, How Long Blues, Part 2
Sloppy Drunk Blues
Hard Times Done Drove Me To Drink

Monday, October 24, 2005

Hahn and Zhu's Mozart Sonatas



From Minnesota Public Radio:

All four of these sonatas display a different personality. That's the great thing about Mozart, Hahn explains, "His writing is distinctive, and intriguing. You can identify his music immediately." The fact that Mozart was able to pull off composing one completely original work after another is a testament to his amazing ability. This new collection of Mozart sonatas with Hilary Hahn and Natalie Zhu is a wonderful testament to their talent, and to the legacy of a composer who has touched generations of music lovers.


The Intro is fascinating - listen to it before you listen to the tracks.

Wolfie is smiling.

Mp3s from Mozart: Violin Sonatas K. 301, 304, 376 & 526:

Intro (Hilary Hahn on women's equality in these sonatas)
Mozart - Sonata for Piano and Violin in F, K.376, 1. Allegro
Mozart - Sonata for Piano and Violin in G, K.301, 1. Allegro con spirito.mp3

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Erotic City

Whether you're standing on the dance floor or kneeling in the convent, this 12" is guaranteed to bring out the freak.

Prince - Erotic City (12") (mp3)

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Half Note, Fully Satisfied

For twenty-something dollars, Coltrane and his Quartet will take you places you never imagined.

From the two-disc live album One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note:

Afro-Blue (live)(mp3)

The title track alone is worth the cost. I'm not posting the best stuff on the album, though, because that would be bad form.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

I've Got The Blues, & An Uncanny Sense Of Smell...

It seems about half of the bluesmen from the 1930's were blind. You know, plus or minus a few percentage points.



Blind Boy Fuller mp3s:

What's That Smells Like Fish
Big Leg Woman Gets My Pay
(from Blind Boy Fuller, Vol. 4, 1937-1938)

Sweet Honey Hole
(from Truckin' My Blues Away)

Friday, October 14, 2005

Whirlwind, Heat, and Flash



Yes, my royal friends, although I cannot hear you plainly, I know what you are murmuring.

The words to Louie, Louie are printed on Disc Two of Goo, Deluxe Edition.


Sonic Youth mp3s:

Isaac

Can Song

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Blind Willie, Satisfied

Here in the northeast, the rain continues to fall, but I'm still satisfied. Still, the blues feels right in this weather.



Blind Willie Johnson mp3s (from Praise God I'm Satisfied):

The Rain Don't Fall On Me

Praise God I'm Satisfied

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Why You Love Helena Noguerra



Because Helena looks great in chocolate. No, not the color...the food!


She wears chocolate well, at the Salon Du Chocolat.

Ummm...oh yeah, she sings pretty, too.

Helena mp3s, from Nee Dans La Nature:

Je T'aime Salaud

I Can't Get You Out Of My Head (...thinkin' 'bout ya, Kylie Minogue!!)

Friday, October 07, 2005

The Comas Videos

I just noticed that The Comas recently added videos for Tiger in a Tower and Sister Brewerton to their website, to go along with the other vids they posted (RealPlayer required).

The Strokes - Take It Or Leave It (.mpg video, Live on Letterman)

People have mixed feelings about the leaked Strokes songs. I've only heard "Juicebox," and I love it.

Here's an old clip from Letterman that might sum up how they feel about the hype/anti-hype.

The Strokes - Take It Or Leave It (.mpg video, Live on Letterman)

Pete Seeger & Arlo Guthrie - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Live)

Wasn't Scorcese's documentary on Dylan fantastic? I loved the footage of Pete Seeger, sweating and dismayed after trying to pull the plug on Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival, but the plug wouldn't give.

No plugs in this favorite of Dylan fans.

Pete Seeger & Arlo Guthrie - Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (Live) (mp3)

From Together in Concert

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Ramones - MTV Medley

This is taken from the 1995 MTV Movie Awards. It's the Ramones, playing a medley of all the nominations for Best Movie Song, in about 2 1/2 minutes. The nominated songs were:

Above the Rim (1994) - Warren G.
- For the song "Regulate".
Lion King, The (1994) - Elton John
- For the song "Can You Feel the Love".
Pulp Fiction (1994) - "Urge Overkill"
- For the song "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon".
With Honors (1994) - Madonna (I)
- For the song "I'll Remember".

Ramones - 1995 MTV Movie Awards Medley (mp3)

Monday, October 03, 2005

Sia - Breathe Me video

Astralwerks describes it as "an amazing clip created with 2,500 Polaroids, proverbially making this video worth 2,500,000 words."

Real: Hi / Lo

Windows Media: Hi / Lo

Five Years Of The Arcade Fire

The Arcade Fire covered David Bowie's Five Years during their show in Austin on September 25th. They also played intense versions of No Cars Go and Headlights Look Like Diamonds. You can download the torrent here (registration required, and worth it).

Arcade Fire (Live, Austin, 9-25-05) (mp3):

Five Years (David Bowie cover)
No Cars Go
Headlights Look Like Diamonds

Sunday, October 02, 2005