Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
16 Oct 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: chromeo, hard to say no
Chromeo: “Hard to Say No” (2014)
Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo, along with Bruno Mars, Pharrell Williams, Mayer Hawthorne and others, form the vanguard of a retro-funk movement that has the 2010’s sounding remarkably like the early 1980’s. In a good way.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/06/04/songs-you-may-have-missed-119/
16 Oct 2015 Leave a comment
in General Posts Tags: beach boys, brian wilson, murry wilson
From early 1965. As the Beach Boys record what would become their second #1 hit, a drunken Murry Wilson (father of Brian, Carl and Dennis) offers the kind of unsolicited input that eventually led to the Boys purchasing a fake mixing console that he could man harmlessly.
Murry’s “help” mostly seems to take the form of taunts, put-downs, muzzy musical advice, and morale-crushing references to how much better they used to sing–and includes his infamous “I’m a genius too” at 2:09.
Notorious head case Brian comes across as the clear-headed one here. And despite Murry’s request to stop recording, Brian makes sure the tape keeps rolling to preserve their exchange. As a result, we have this audio document of the relationship between the band and the father they ultimately had to fire as manager.
Murry’s presence so marred the recording of “Rhonda” that the Beach Boys recorded a new version weeks later.
Incidentally, in a vindictive attempt to top his own sons’ act Murry Wilson began managing a cover band called the Renegades, changing their name to the Sunrays. They hit #51 with “I Live for the Sun”.
14 Oct 2015 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: in a manner of speaking, nouvelle vague
Nouvelle Vague: “In a Manner of Speaking” (2004)
French production team Nouvelle Vague’s moniker is well-chosen: it translates into English as “new wave” and means “bossa nova” in Portuguese. And how handy for them, specializing as they do in bringing a beguiling Brazilian sensibility to MTV-chic artists such as Joy Division, Modern English, Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order and the like.
It makes one ponder what a timesaver it’d be if other artists employed the helpful tact of couching their mission statement in their band name.
“The Alan Parsons Project” could have been called “Vangelis with Lyrics”. “Electric Light Orchestra” might have been “Diet Sgt. Pepper”.
Young fans of southern rock (if there were such thing) could have been spared much confusion if “Lynyrd Skynyrd” began calling themselves “A Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute” after 1977. And how much of your download budget could’ve been better utilized had “Mumford & Sons” given fair warning and called themselves “The Bad Avett Brothers”? Perhaps “The Trans-Siberian Orchestra” might have chosen a name like “Nobody Cared About Us When We Were Savatage, But Hey–Christmas!”
I suppose that last one might not have fit on the music hall marquee.
Anyway, if you’re into Bossa Nova covers of the Clash–or need some ironic dinner music for your next chill party–check out the New Wave Bossa Nova of Nouvelle Vague.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2017/01/25/songs-you-may-have-missed-608/
14 Oct 2015 Leave a comment
in Video of the Week Tags: what is jazz
14 Oct 2015 10 Comments
in General Posts Tags: i got a man, positive k
One-hit wonder Positive K’s lone Top 40 entry (#14 in 1993) becomes a more interesting listen when you learn the rapper did both the male and female vocals on the song. It being his debut, perhaps there was no budget for guest vocalists? At any rate, the “female” voice was K’s own, the pitch adjusted with the aid of studio technology.
Every Moment Has A Song 