Art is the music we make from the bewildered cry of being alive. ~Maria Popova
13 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: harlem shakes, niagara falls
Harlem Shakes: “Niagara Falls” (2009)
Another band that unfortunately split after releasing just one full-length album, New York’s Harlem Shakes’ too-brief oeuvre has been described as “quietly ambitious”. It did take me a few listens, but that’s the way of most music that has real shelf life.
Lead singer Lexy Benaim’s vocals are just one of a diversity of endearingly off-kilter hooks on this record. They made a joyful, infectious sound. I wish I could have heard more from these guys…
13 Mar 2012 3 Comments
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: jeremy fisher, scar that never heals
Jeremy Fisher: “Scar That Never Heals” (2007)
I don’t know if I’ve heard anyone channel Paul Simon as plainly as Jeremy Fisher does here. But it’s 1972 Paul Simon so it’s cool. It’s not a sound Paul uses much anymore, so somebody might as well. I saw this guy open for the Proclaimers and his highly enjoyable set was a nice bonus.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/07/03/songs-you-may-have-missed-438/
13 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: farmer's daughter, fleetwood mac
Fleetwood Mac: “Farmer’s Daughter” (1979)
Originally written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love and appearing on the Beach Boys’ 1963 Surfin’ U.S.A. album, “Farmer’s Daughter” was resurrected by Fleetwood Mac as a concert encore and is an exquisite showcase for their harmonies.
Lindsay Buckingham even duplicates Carl Wilson’s chugging guitar sound. A live version, recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in front of crew and a few friends during the Tusk tour, was actually released as a single but did not chart.
This version, from the reissued Tusk album’s bonus disc, is a little cleaner-sounding, although the live recording is pretty flawless itself.
“Glad to help you plow your fields.” Indeed.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/04/27/songs-you-may-have-missed-401/
12 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: nowhere to be and all day to get there, the bills
The Bills: “Nowhere To Be (And All Day to Get There)” (2005)
The Bills’ 2005 album Let Em Run is one of the most stylistically schizoid albums I’ve ever had the confusion of listening to. It touches equally deftly on folk, jazz, bluegrass, zydeco, ragtime…and sea chantey. The record begins with the type of overture you’d associate with an opera, in which several of the melodies to follow are represented, each in a distinct style. Genres change with dizzying frequency throughout the rest of the album, sometimes mid-song.
The Canadian band who shortened their name from the Hill Billy Band to simply the Bills hasn’t been heard from since this, their third album. But clearly they were a unit whose competence over a diversity of styles was quite impressive. And this particular track is still the only song I know to use the word “insouciance”, for what that’s worth.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2023/01/02/songs-you-may-have-missed-735/
12 Mar 2012 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: donald fagen, steely dan, viva viva rock n roll
Donald Fagen: “Viva Viva Rock ‘n’ Roll” (Live) (2007)
With the talent Donald Fagen takes out on the road for accompaniment, one might be forgiven for wishing they’d, I dunno…tear it up a little more often. But since they’re mainly playing Steely Dan songs, I won’t complain about that. Still I love this little live encore nugget, unheard by many Dan fans.
12 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: liquored up and lacquered down, southern culture on the skids
Southern Culture on the Skids: “Liquored Up and Lacquered Down” (2000)
“This one’s dedicated to big hair…and high balls”, says guitarist and vocalist Rick Miller as he introduces this song on SCOTS’s live album. Although their sound is typically more along the lines of a country/surf guitar/rockabilly blend, “Liquored Up and Lacquered Down” isn’t a bad calling card for their winking, deliberately white-trashy, double-entendre laden, good-time party sound. They’ve carved out a sound and a look of their own: Miller is a walking tribute to bad taste in clothing; bassist Mary Huff, who sports the big hair herself, just might be dressed like a waitress from a roadside greasy spoon if you see them live. And you should. Hank definitely did NOT do it this way.
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/06/12/songs-you-may-have-missed-425/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2015/04/05/recommended-albums-61/
Every Moment Has A Song 