In honour of Bob Dylan, I figured I'd do an obscure song from his catalogue. For those that don't know, the Traveling Wilburys were a super-group formed of George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. Orbison died two weeks after the band released their first album Volume One, and the remaining four stayed together to record a second album, Volume Three. "Nobody's Child" was recorded for a benefit album for the orphans left after the overthrow of the Nicolae Ceauşescu dictatorship. The song was included as a bonus track on a Traveling Wilburys box set a couple of years ago, so you can get it pretty easily now.
To be fair, this song and the video is crushingly depressing, but it's a very moving song. It's not a new song either, it's been recorded by artists ranging from Hank Williams Jr. to Hank Snow to the Beatles. The harmonica in the song does make an honest effort to cheer things up, but the song's message is just too sad to make it that uplifting. I like the band because every member takes a step back and works in a band setting, not letting ego getting in the way. Bob Dylan, especially, seems in a strange place in this song. It's just a weird little nugget in each of the musician's catalogues and a stellar song that has been forgotten over the years. Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
RIP Gil Scott-Heron
2011 continues to be a bad year for losing influential musicians. Hip-hop, soul and jazz pioneer Gil Scott-Heron has left us. He passed away on May 27th after falling ill after a tour of Europe. He was 62.
Scott-Heron grew up in Tennessee and went to college on a literature scholarship. He published his first book, The Vulture, in 1970 and in college, he met Brian Jackson, who he would go on to record with during the 70s and 80s. His first album, Small Talk, came out in 1970 and laid the ground for the eventual insurgence of hip-hop, fusing spoken word with jazz, soul and funk and talking about social and cultural issues.
He released music throughout the 70s and into the 80s, with his usual political and social commentary, using the backdrop of Brian Jackson's jazz and soul as the music for his words. He stopped recording in 1985 after being dropped from the Arista Records line up, but continued to tour. He released an album, Spirits, for TVT Records in 1993, which included his critique of hip-hop music, "Message to the Messengers".
After two prison stays in the 2000s for drug possession, Scott-Heron released I'm New Here in 2010 on XL Records, his first album in over 15 years. This was followed with a remix album with Jamie XX called We're New Here in 2011.
Scott-Heron grew up in Tennessee and went to college on a literature scholarship. He published his first book, The Vulture, in 1970 and in college, he met Brian Jackson, who he would go on to record with during the 70s and 80s. His first album, Small Talk, came out in 1970 and laid the ground for the eventual insurgence of hip-hop, fusing spoken word with jazz, soul and funk and talking about social and cultural issues.
He released music throughout the 70s and into the 80s, with his usual political and social commentary, using the backdrop of Brian Jackson's jazz and soul as the music for his words. He stopped recording in 1985 after being dropped from the Arista Records line up, but continued to tour. He released an album, Spirits, for TVT Records in 1993, which included his critique of hip-hop music, "Message to the Messengers".
After two prison stays in the 2000s for drug possession, Scott-Heron released I'm New Here in 2010 on XL Records, his first album in over 15 years. This was followed with a remix album with Jamie XX called We're New Here in 2011.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Cancon Round Up for May 26, 2011
As I recover from my hospital trip, and as the Stanley Cup finals take up more of my attention, as well as keeping up with work, another sporadic update:
Cancon Round Up for May 26: Alyssa Reid (Top Canuck at #8), Martin Solveig and Dragonette, Kristina Maria, Fefe Dobson, Three Days Grace, Raghav, Shawn Desman, Girlicious, JRDN (8/40=20%, still very low Cancon on the Canadian charts)
Chart talk: Nothing much going on in the Canadian charts, but Adele is still on top of the American charts, and now sits on top of the Canadian charts. The Lady Gaga hit machine has 5 singles currently on the US charts. And, as usual, the three Glee singles from last week have disappeared completely. Glee sucks.
Cancon Round Up for May 26: Alyssa Reid (Top Canuck at #8), Martin Solveig and Dragonette, Kristina Maria, Fefe Dobson, Three Days Grace, Raghav, Shawn Desman, Girlicious, JRDN (8/40=20%, still very low Cancon on the Canadian charts)
Chart talk: Nothing much going on in the Canadian charts, but Adele is still on top of the American charts, and now sits on top of the Canadian charts. The Lady Gaga hit machine has 5 singles currently on the US charts. And, as usual, the three Glee singles from last week have disappeared completely. Glee sucks.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Cancon Round Up for May 19, 2011
As I continue my recovery from various injuries, updates will be sporadic...
Cancon on the Canadian Top 40 Roundup: Alyssa Reid (peak Cancon at #7), Martin Solveig and Dragonette, Kristina Maria, Three Days Grace, Fefe Dobson, Shawn Desman, Raghav, Girlicious, JRDN (8/40=20%, one of the lowest Cancon figures yet!)
Chart talk: Adele scored her first American #1 last week and continues to hold on to it this week. I'm pretty happy for her, she has a great voice and is a wonderful talent. The Glee hits continue to plague the US Top 40, with version of "Rolling in the Deep" and "Friday" (for some weird reason...). Steven Tyler's first solo song "Feels So Good" debuts at #35 on the US Charts.
Cancon on the Canadian Top 40 Roundup: Alyssa Reid (peak Cancon at #7), Martin Solveig and Dragonette, Kristina Maria, Three Days Grace, Fefe Dobson, Shawn Desman, Raghav, Girlicious, JRDN (8/40=20%, one of the lowest Cancon figures yet!)
Chart talk: Adele scored her first American #1 last week and continues to hold on to it this week. I'm pretty happy for her, she has a great voice and is a wonderful talent. The Glee hits continue to plague the US Top 40, with version of "Rolling in the Deep" and "Friday" (for some weird reason...). Steven Tyler's first solo song "Feels So Good" debuts at #35 on the US Charts.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Lates earshot Reviews
Sorry for not updating earlier. I had been suffering from a nasty sinus infection that laid me out for a good week. But, during that time, I finished the latest four reviews for Earshot Online. Enjoy!
Betsy Charge - S/T
Morbid North - Sick and Tired
Salinas - S/T
We're Not Popstars - S/T EP
Betsy Charge - S/T
Morbid North - Sick and Tired
Salinas - S/T
We're Not Popstars - S/T EP
Sunday, May 1, 2011
RIP Poly Styrene
Not 6 months ago, I was talking about the death and influence of Ari Up on the world of punk rock. This week, we lost another innovator and influences for women in the punk rock movement. Poly Styrene of The X-Ray Spex. In today's world where women are given more of a fair shake in rock and roll, it's easy to forget how segregated things were in the 70s. If you were a woman in music, you were usually a pop singer, a piano player/jazz singer, or a groupie. The punk movement was more inclusive, women and men were treated equally. Among the most important women bands to come out of the UK punk scene were The Slits, Siouxsee and the Banshess and X-Ray Spex.
Poly Styrene (born Marian Elliot-Said) was double ostracized, being a woman, and being from half British/half Somali descent. X-Ray Spex played a noisy, post-punk tinged version of punk that reverberated through the underground scene. Her abrasive and screaming style of singing inspired the Riot Grrl movement. If there were no Poly Styrene, there would be no Sleater-Kinney, no L7, no Gossip, no Le Tigre.
Like a lot punk bands, X-Ray Spex had a very short career, only releasing one album, Germ Free Adolescents. Styrene released a couple of solo albums over the years. Her last, Generation Indigo, was released a day before her death on April 25, 2011 of breast cancer. She was 53.
Poly Styrene (born Marian Elliot-Said) was double ostracized, being a woman, and being from half British/half Somali descent. X-Ray Spex played a noisy, post-punk tinged version of punk that reverberated through the underground scene. Her abrasive and screaming style of singing inspired the Riot Grrl movement. If there were no Poly Styrene, there would be no Sleater-Kinney, no L7, no Gossip, no Le Tigre.
Like a lot punk bands, X-Ray Spex had a very short career, only releasing one album, Germ Free Adolescents. Styrene released a couple of solo albums over the years. Her last, Generation Indigo, was released a day before her death on April 25, 2011 of breast cancer. She was 53.
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