In an attempt to write more, I'll now be publishing new material every Thursday night. plus your regular randomly posted crap...
Our fourth video playlist on esoteric topics, this one is bands that mention other bands in their songs. I found I could probably do this one with just Dead Milkmen songs! Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0QOmyo1JgZc9OcrqQsPvLUw_0OSue5mS
1) LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge (Can, Suicide, Daft Punk, The Beach Boys, Modern Lovers, Yaz, This Heat, Pere Ubu, Outsiders, Nation of Ulysses, Mars, The Trojans,
The Black Dice, Todd Terry, The Germs, Section 25, Althea and Donna,
Sexual Harrassment, a-ha, Pere Ubu, Dorothy Ashby, PIL, the Fania
All-Stars, the Bar-Kays, The Human League, The Normal, Lou Reed, Scott
Walker, Monks, Niagra,
Joy Division, Lower 48, The Association, Sun Ra, Scientists, Royal Trux, 10cc, Eric B. and Rakim, Index, Basic Channel, Soulsonic Force, Juan Atkins, David Axelrod, Electric Prunes, Gil Scott Heron, The Slits, Faust, Mantronix, Pharaoh Sanders, The Fire Engines, The
Swans, The Soft Cell, THE SONICS)
2) LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk is Playing at My House (Daft Punk)
3) House of Love - Beatles and the Stones (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones)
4) They Might Be Giants - We're The Replacements (The Replacements)
5) They Might Be Giants - Au Contraire (David Bowie, Bach)
6) Elvis Costello - This is Hell (John Coltrane)
7) Bruce Cockburn* - Last Night of the World (Superchunk, Friends of Dean Martinez)
8) Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love (George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Smokey Robinson, Bob Marley, Sly and Robbie, Kurtis Blow, James Brown)
9) Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water (Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention. The Rolling Stones)
10) Lard - 70s Rock Must Die (The Bee Gees, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Aerosmith)
11) Tacocat - Crimson Wave (The Cramps)
12) The Dead Milkmen - You'll Dance to Anything (Siouxsee and the Banshees, The Communards, Book of Love, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Public Image Ltd., Naked Truth)
13) The Dead Milkmen - The Thing That Only Eats Hippies (The Grateful Dead, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, David Crosby)
14) Mojo Nixon - Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Lovechild (Debbie Gibson, Rick Astley, Tiffany)
15) KMFDM - Sucks (KMFDM, Michael Jackson, Depeche Mode, Madonna, Kylie Minogue)
16) Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip - Thou Shalt Always Kill (Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, Johnny Hart, Desmond Dekker, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Syd Barrett, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Crass, Minor Threat, The Cure, The Smiths, Nirvana, The Pixies, Oasis, Radiohead, Bloc Party, The Arctic Monkeys, Pheonix)
Showing posts with label Elvis Costello. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elvis Costello. Show all posts
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
RIP Allen Toussaint
One of the giants of New Orleans jazz has left us. Allen Toussaint passed away early in the morning today (November 10th). While others more well informed on jazz will write a lot more on his legacy, I wanted to shed a bit of my own experience with his music.
Allen Toussaint grew up around music in a shotgun shack in New Orleans and is one of the most celebrated and successful musicians from the always vibrant New Orleans music scene. He was a musician, mainly on piano and vocals, a producer, a mentor, a composer, a song-writer and an arranger. The people he's worked with could fill a book. He's written music for Al Hirt, The Neville Brothers, Lee Dorsey, The Rolling Stones, Irma Thomas, The O'Jays and more. His greatest successes came as a producer in the 60s and 70s, for artists like the Nevilles and Lee Dorsey. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Allen Toussaint was in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005 and he was among the musicians feared killed by the storm, but he survived. He left New Orleans for New York. He was instrumental in raising money and rebuilding the city, along with other big names from the New Orleans scene. His 2009 album, The Bright Mississippi, ended up on many critics best of lists that year,
From my own experience, I know Allen Toussaint's music for three reasons. The first is fairly obscure, for Devo's cover of "Working in a Coalmine" from New Traditionalists. Devo's version of the song morphs it from a sad, soulful ode to the hard work and toil of a coalminer into a quirky, staccato new wave track about working robotically and enjoying it. I also found that Warren Zevon's "A Certain Girl" was a Toussaint song, a song that I enjoyed from Zevon and seems a bit out of place in his catalogue of songs, having a whimsical and playful tone that Zevon's usual somber and biting songwriting lacks. In 2006, Toussaint was tracked down by Elvis Costello, who helped him raise money for New Orleans relief and they collaborated on a wonderful album called The River in Reverse.
Released soon after Hurricane Katrina and while the tragedy was still fresh in everyone's mind, Toussaint and Costello's mutual and considerable gifts came together to make an album startling in it's emotion and beauty. Toussaint's piano playing deftly dances between sorrow and grief to hope and triumph. The River in Reverse celebrates the power of the human spirit, the joy of music and the soulful humanity of New Orleans. I'm not ashamed that the album moved me to tears several times upon listening to it that year, and I listened to it a lot. I chose it as one of my favourite albums that year.
Allen Toussaint was in Madrid for a concert when he passed away. He was 77.
Allen Toussaint grew up around music in a shotgun shack in New Orleans and is one of the most celebrated and successful musicians from the always vibrant New Orleans music scene. He was a musician, mainly on piano and vocals, a producer, a mentor, a composer, a song-writer and an arranger. The people he's worked with could fill a book. He's written music for Al Hirt, The Neville Brothers, Lee Dorsey, The Rolling Stones, Irma Thomas, The O'Jays and more. His greatest successes came as a producer in the 60s and 70s, for artists like the Nevilles and Lee Dorsey. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Allen Toussaint was in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005 and he was among the musicians feared killed by the storm, but he survived. He left New Orleans for New York. He was instrumental in raising money and rebuilding the city, along with other big names from the New Orleans scene. His 2009 album, The Bright Mississippi, ended up on many critics best of lists that year,
From my own experience, I know Allen Toussaint's music for three reasons. The first is fairly obscure, for Devo's cover of "Working in a Coalmine" from New Traditionalists. Devo's version of the song morphs it from a sad, soulful ode to the hard work and toil of a coalminer into a quirky, staccato new wave track about working robotically and enjoying it. I also found that Warren Zevon's "A Certain Girl" was a Toussaint song, a song that I enjoyed from Zevon and seems a bit out of place in his catalogue of songs, having a whimsical and playful tone that Zevon's usual somber and biting songwriting lacks. In 2006, Toussaint was tracked down by Elvis Costello, who helped him raise money for New Orleans relief and they collaborated on a wonderful album called The River in Reverse.
Released soon after Hurricane Katrina and while the tragedy was still fresh in everyone's mind, Toussaint and Costello's mutual and considerable gifts came together to make an album startling in it's emotion and beauty. Toussaint's piano playing deftly dances between sorrow and grief to hope and triumph. The River in Reverse celebrates the power of the human spirit, the joy of music and the soulful humanity of New Orleans. I'm not ashamed that the album moved me to tears several times upon listening to it that year, and I listened to it a lot. I chose it as one of my favourite albums that year.
Allen Toussaint was in Madrid for a concert when he passed away. He was 77.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
RIP George Jones
Lately, we've been losing a lot of fantastic musical talent. Stompin' Tom Connors, Magic Slim, Richie Havens, Christina Amphlette, Rita MacNeil. And on Friday, George Jones.
Simply put, George Jones was one of the finest singers ever to record music, in whatever genre. His ability to convey emotion in a very simple way was his hallmark, and lead to some devastatingly sad country songs. His accomplishments in music were huge. Over 150 hit songs, 14 of them #1s. He's in the Country Music Hall of Fame and in the Grammy Hall of Fame. He's the recipient of the US National Medal of Arts. Many, many awards for vocalist of the year, both for the CMA and Billboard. He's one of the best selling country artists of all time.
Jones' work has always been with me. My mother was a huge fan of classic country and George Jones seemed to always been on the turntable. Mind you, when I was growing up, I really disliked classic country, but, as it wont to happen, one's sensibilities change and mature as one ages. I grew to appreciate and even love some of George Jones' songs. His songs “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “She Thinks I Still Care” can reduce me to a sobbing, blubbery mess on a good day.
After I discovered Elvis Costello, I found out about his affection for George Jones and my respect for his work grew even larger. Costello recorded an album called Almost Blue in 1981, a straight up country album which his label, Columbia, called “career suicide” and initally refused to release it. It was released anyway, and it didn't sell well. It's still a striking example of Costello's range as a performer, going from the “angry young man”, swaggering roots-punk of his first three albums to Almost Blue's tender and steel-guitar drenched country covers. Costello recorded Jones' “Good Year for the Roses” for this album, then wrote “Stranger in the House” for Jones.
One of my favourite stories was from the liner notes of one of Costello's Ryko re-releases. Back when Jones was young, he was famous for his drunken binges and missing concerts, so much that he was known as “No Show Jones” at one point. He's also famous for his ride into town on a riding lawn mower to buy more booze, since his wife had taken away his truck keys. Costello said he was playing a concert in Nashville, and Jones, a long time friend, couldn't make it, so Jones sent a basket with sparkling apple juice in it. A far cry from the boozing of his early years.
Another one of my favourite George Jones' tunes is “White Lightning”, an upbeat track about moonshining. One of my favourite strange cover is of The Fall doing this song:
George Jones was 81 years old at his time of passing. We won't soon see another singer of his calibre. RIP George Jones.
Simply put, George Jones was one of the finest singers ever to record music, in whatever genre. His ability to convey emotion in a very simple way was his hallmark, and lead to some devastatingly sad country songs. His accomplishments in music were huge. Over 150 hit songs, 14 of them #1s. He's in the Country Music Hall of Fame and in the Grammy Hall of Fame. He's the recipient of the US National Medal of Arts. Many, many awards for vocalist of the year, both for the CMA and Billboard. He's one of the best selling country artists of all time.
Jones' work has always been with me. My mother was a huge fan of classic country and George Jones seemed to always been on the turntable. Mind you, when I was growing up, I really disliked classic country, but, as it wont to happen, one's sensibilities change and mature as one ages. I grew to appreciate and even love some of George Jones' songs. His songs “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “She Thinks I Still Care” can reduce me to a sobbing, blubbery mess on a good day.
After I discovered Elvis Costello, I found out about his affection for George Jones and my respect for his work grew even larger. Costello recorded an album called Almost Blue in 1981, a straight up country album which his label, Columbia, called “career suicide” and initally refused to release it. It was released anyway, and it didn't sell well. It's still a striking example of Costello's range as a performer, going from the “angry young man”, swaggering roots-punk of his first three albums to Almost Blue's tender and steel-guitar drenched country covers. Costello recorded Jones' “Good Year for the Roses” for this album, then wrote “Stranger in the House” for Jones.
One of my favourite stories was from the liner notes of one of Costello's Ryko re-releases. Back when Jones was young, he was famous for his drunken binges and missing concerts, so much that he was known as “No Show Jones” at one point. He's also famous for his ride into town on a riding lawn mower to buy more booze, since his wife had taken away his truck keys. Costello said he was playing a concert in Nashville, and Jones, a long time friend, couldn't make it, so Jones sent a basket with sparkling apple juice in it. A far cry from the boozing of his early years.
Another one of my favourite George Jones' tunes is “White Lightning”, an upbeat track about moonshining. One of my favourite strange cover is of The Fall doing this song:
George Jones was 81 years old at his time of passing. We won't soon see another singer of his calibre. RIP George Jones.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Covers Courageous #5: Elvis Costello - Pouring Water on a Drowning Man
In 1995, Elvis Costello released his second album of covers, called Kojak Variety. While his first covers album, 1980's Almost Blue, was a straight up country album, Kojak Variety covered a number of Costello's favourite singer songwriters, often using obscure takes from them. For example, his choice for a Bob Dylan cover was "I Threw it All Away", not exactly the best known Dylan song.
"Pouring Water on a Drowning Man" has a nice pedigree for a song. The song was written by Drew Baker and Dani McCormick and has been covered by David Allen Coe, Ry Cooder, Percy Sledge and, most famously by James Carr, amongst others. Elvis' take on the song is pretty stripped down, mostly an acoustic guitar with a slick blues singer vocal take. It's a highlight on an overlooked album from Elvis' catalogue.
http://youtu.be/0oxDW1LO1Jw
"Pouring Water on a Drowning Man" has a nice pedigree for a song. The song was written by Drew Baker and Dani McCormick and has been covered by David Allen Coe, Ry Cooder, Percy Sledge and, most famously by James Carr, amongst others. Elvis' take on the song is pretty stripped down, mostly an acoustic guitar with a slick blues singer vocal take. It's a highlight on an overlooked album from Elvis' catalogue.
http://youtu.be/0oxDW1LO1Jw
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
My Top 20 Disks
I was talking with my girlfriend about this last night, I think it bears re-posting,
--
Not necessarily the best albums in the world, but 20 albums that changed how I view music:
Growing up, grade school and junior high
1) To it and At it - Stompin' Tom Connors (1973): I grew up on old classic country like George Jones, Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride, Porter Wagoner and Loretta Lynn. But this was my favourite as a kid. It's just a fun album and sing song enough to appeal to a kid. The title track is absolutely infectious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVjWCwZ8MI8
2) Highway to Hell - AC/DC (1979): I got this in Grade 7 as a secret Santa Xmas present from a friend I figured traded in the classroom to get my name for the gift (Thanks Andrew!) This was one of the first albums I ever owned and started me down the road to liking metal, if you call this and Def Leppard metal... I'll admit, my cousin who was living with us at the time also influenced me into metal. The funniest thing I remember about this album is how I didn't understand anything anyone said. I listened to the album on headphones many many times trying to figure out the lyrics, then suddenly, something clicked and I understood them.
3) The Cars - Heartbeat City (1984): In junior high, I started reviewing music for the school newspaper. The Cars were one of the first albums I reviewed and one of the first albums I owned on tape. I count this album as my introduction to new wave and the start of my life long love of the genre.
4) Rush - Grace Under Pressure (1984): This was the soundtrack to my junior high days. I never really enjoyed Rush's progressive stuff, but their synth-drenched stuff from the 80s appealed to me. I loved the video for "Distant Early Warning".
Senior High and Early College
5) Devo - Freedom of Choice (1980): I heard this for the first time in 1986 and it changed my life. I learned a lot about music during my grad years in 1986-87. New wave at it's finest. This album taught me that music didn't have to be generic to be good and that I didn't have to like everything else my peers liked. Devo's anti-establishment, geek-culture style appealed to me deeply at the time, and still does to a certain extent. Some of what they say becomes truer as each day goes by.
6) Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bullocks (1979): More music I heard for the first time in my grad year. I had never heard music so angry before. This, along with #7, got me into a brief punk phase which I grew out of really quickly.
7) The Ramones - Rocket to Russia (1978): More punk, this appealed to me because it was angry, melodic and kind of goofy. I'm less of a Ramones fan now, but this album affected me quite a bit.
8) Depeche Mode - Black Celebration (1986): Late 80s music was hair metal and the start of the shoegazer movement. Black Celebration spoke to this confused and depressed teenager a bit more than Jesus and Mary Chain's "Psychocandy" which was also in high rotation at this time.
9) Men Without Hats - Folk of the 80s Part III (1984): My intro to synth-pop. Driving, insistent and insanely catchy. I still love this band dearly, despite them being seen as a joke by most people.
10/11) Big Black - Atomizer (1986)/Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel - Hole (1984): A friend of mine gave me an unlabelled tape with both of these albums on it. I had no idea who or what I was listening to, but it changed me. The music was offensive and talked about things that no normal human being would talk about. This was my first introduction to industrial music, though I didn't know what it was at the time.
University, College Radio and Beyond
12) REM - Green (1988): One of my go to albums during my first years of university, melodic, moody and a bit frothy. Not a great album, but it was a fave at the time.
13) Skinny Puppy - VIVIsect VI (1988): My other go to album from university. It was my solace against the constant crap music my roommate played, who liked Lee Aaron, Honeymoon Suite and Alice Cooper. Depressing and violent, fit my disturbed mood at the time perfectly and it was another step along the road to my love of industrial.
14) Ministry - Land of Rape and Honey (1988): If I could pick one album that changed my life, I'd pick this one. A friend introduced me to Ministry in my first year in university and I fell in love with industrial (thanks Craig!). This album had the perfect balance between primal rage and musical precision. It remains one of my favourite albums of all time.
15) Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate (1986): This is the other album that I'd pick that changed my life. A friend at the college radio station lent it to me and the earnestness of the songwriting and rawness and ramshackle nature of Elvis's music spoke to me like nothing had before. It really took me a while to twig onto his work, I didn't buy my first Elvis Costello album until 1993, and it was one of his lesser albums, "Spike", but now he's my favourite musician of all time. I own every album he's put out.
16) Talking Heads - Fear of Music (1979): After I got into college radio, my tastes in music really expanded. I had discounted the Heads as a one hit wonder, but when I began to listen to their catalogue, I quickly changed my mind. The texture and feel of this album falls together so easily and flawlessly, it's hard not to love it.
17) The Pixies - Doolittle (1989): Not much needs to be said about this album. Perfect mix of quiet and loud. Shaped music for years to come.
18) The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1964): Hard to believe I didn't get into the Beatles until the 90s, but that's the truth. This was the first Beatles album I owned (given as a gift, thanks K!). I own every Beatles album after it now, but nothing before it. It's beautiful in it's own oddly structured way. Abbey Road is my fave Beatles album, but this was my first.
19) Pan Sonic - Aaltopirii (2001): My first real excursion into electronic minimalism. This album is stark, composed mainly of static, sparks and drones with no lyrics. Altered again the way I look at music and how it's constructed
20) Polysics - Hey! Bob! My Friend! (2001): Polysics are my current obsession. They take the oddball new wave sound of Devo and add in the energy of hardcore punk. Both Dadaist and rump-shaking at the same time.
Honourable mentions: Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon, Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A., Beck - Sea Change, Cub - Betti-Cola, They Might Be Giants - Flood.
--
Not necessarily the best albums in the world, but 20 albums that changed how I view music:
Growing up, grade school and junior high
1) To it and At it - Stompin' Tom Connors (1973): I grew up on old classic country like George Jones, Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride, Porter Wagoner and Loretta Lynn. But this was my favourite as a kid. It's just a fun album and sing song enough to appeal to a kid. The title track is absolutely infectious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVjWCwZ8MI8
2) Highway to Hell - AC/DC (1979): I got this in Grade 7 as a secret Santa Xmas present from a friend I figured traded in the classroom to get my name for the gift (Thanks Andrew!) This was one of the first albums I ever owned and started me down the road to liking metal, if you call this and Def Leppard metal... I'll admit, my cousin who was living with us at the time also influenced me into metal. The funniest thing I remember about this album is how I didn't understand anything anyone said. I listened to the album on headphones many many times trying to figure out the lyrics, then suddenly, something clicked and I understood them.
3) The Cars - Heartbeat City (1984): In junior high, I started reviewing music for the school newspaper. The Cars were one of the first albums I reviewed and one of the first albums I owned on tape. I count this album as my introduction to new wave and the start of my life long love of the genre.
4) Rush - Grace Under Pressure (1984): This was the soundtrack to my junior high days. I never really enjoyed Rush's progressive stuff, but their synth-drenched stuff from the 80s appealed to me. I loved the video for "Distant Early Warning".
Senior High and Early College
5) Devo - Freedom of Choice (1980): I heard this for the first time in 1986 and it changed my life. I learned a lot about music during my grad years in 1986-87. New wave at it's finest. This album taught me that music didn't have to be generic to be good and that I didn't have to like everything else my peers liked. Devo's anti-establishment, geek-culture style appealed to me deeply at the time, and still does to a certain extent. Some of what they say becomes truer as each day goes by.
6) Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bullocks (1979): More music I heard for the first time in my grad year. I had never heard music so angry before. This, along with #7, got me into a brief punk phase which I grew out of really quickly.
7) The Ramones - Rocket to Russia (1978): More punk, this appealed to me because it was angry, melodic and kind of goofy. I'm less of a Ramones fan now, but this album affected me quite a bit.
8) Depeche Mode - Black Celebration (1986): Late 80s music was hair metal and the start of the shoegazer movement. Black Celebration spoke to this confused and depressed teenager a bit more than Jesus and Mary Chain's "Psychocandy" which was also in high rotation at this time.
9) Men Without Hats - Folk of the 80s Part III (1984): My intro to synth-pop. Driving, insistent and insanely catchy. I still love this band dearly, despite them being seen as a joke by most people.
10/11) Big Black - Atomizer (1986)/Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel - Hole (1984): A friend of mine gave me an unlabelled tape with both of these albums on it. I had no idea who or what I was listening to, but it changed me. The music was offensive and talked about things that no normal human being would talk about. This was my first introduction to industrial music, though I didn't know what it was at the time.
University, College Radio and Beyond
12) REM - Green (1988): One of my go to albums during my first years of university, melodic, moody and a bit frothy. Not a great album, but it was a fave at the time.
13) Skinny Puppy - VIVIsect VI (1988): My other go to album from university. It was my solace against the constant crap music my roommate played, who liked Lee Aaron, Honeymoon Suite and Alice Cooper. Depressing and violent, fit my disturbed mood at the time perfectly and it was another step along the road to my love of industrial.
14) Ministry - Land of Rape and Honey (1988): If I could pick one album that changed my life, I'd pick this one. A friend introduced me to Ministry in my first year in university and I fell in love with industrial (thanks Craig!). This album had the perfect balance between primal rage and musical precision. It remains one of my favourite albums of all time.
15) Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate (1986): This is the other album that I'd pick that changed my life. A friend at the college radio station lent it to me and the earnestness of the songwriting and rawness and ramshackle nature of Elvis's music spoke to me like nothing had before. It really took me a while to twig onto his work, I didn't buy my first Elvis Costello album until 1993, and it was one of his lesser albums, "Spike", but now he's my favourite musician of all time. I own every album he's put out.
16) Talking Heads - Fear of Music (1979): After I got into college radio, my tastes in music really expanded. I had discounted the Heads as a one hit wonder, but when I began to listen to their catalogue, I quickly changed my mind. The texture and feel of this album falls together so easily and flawlessly, it's hard not to love it.
17) The Pixies - Doolittle (1989): Not much needs to be said about this album. Perfect mix of quiet and loud. Shaped music for years to come.
18) The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1964): Hard to believe I didn't get into the Beatles until the 90s, but that's the truth. This was the first Beatles album I owned (given as a gift, thanks K!). I own every Beatles album after it now, but nothing before it. It's beautiful in it's own oddly structured way. Abbey Road is my fave Beatles album, but this was my first.
19) Pan Sonic - Aaltopirii (2001): My first real excursion into electronic minimalism. This album is stark, composed mainly of static, sparks and drones with no lyrics. Altered again the way I look at music and how it's constructed
20) Polysics - Hey! Bob! My Friend! (2001): Polysics are my current obsession. They take the oddball new wave sound of Devo and add in the energy of hardcore punk. Both Dadaist and rump-shaking at the same time.
Honourable mentions: Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon, Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A., Beck - Sea Change, Cub - Betti-Cola, They Might Be Giants - Flood.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Forgotten Music #11: Rockpile - Teacher Teacher
More from the LiveJournal vaults. Strangely appropriate since I just replaced my CD copy of Basher.
Rockpile is a collaboration between Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds, two musicians who got their start together in the legendary pub-rock band Brinsley Schwartz in the 70s. After that band broke up, Lowe and Edmunds started solo careers, but always worked back up for each other. Their band became known as Rockpile. While both men were successful as solo artists and recorded as back up on each other's albums, Rockpile only appeared once under that name with that 1980 album Seconds of Pleasure. The album is the usual mash up of rockers and covers of classic R&B and blues. "Teacher Teacher" was the standout track on the album, though the entire album is stellar, especially "When I Write the Book" and "Heart".
I got into Nick Lowe a bit late in the game. While I'm a huge and longtime fan of Elvis Costello's work, I didn't pay much attention to Lowe, but knew of his work through Elvis's albums. Lowe has produced several of Costello's albums (as well as many other artists on the early days of Stiff Records) and wrote "(What's So Funny Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding", one of my favourite Elvis tracks (It's also one of the few tracks I can count on to make me start bawling like a baby at times). I picked up his best of, Basher, a few years ago and fell in love with is work right away. I've played Basher so much that it's very scratched now and can't be played anymore without skipping. Good think Nick's got a new best of called Quiet Please out now. Weirdly enough, I discovered Dave Edmunds after Lowe and I love his work even more than Lowe's now.
http://youtu.be/n9_9k8-W1Po
Rockpile is a collaboration between Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds, two musicians who got their start together in the legendary pub-rock band Brinsley Schwartz in the 70s. After that band broke up, Lowe and Edmunds started solo careers, but always worked back up for each other. Their band became known as Rockpile. While both men were successful as solo artists and recorded as back up on each other's albums, Rockpile only appeared once under that name with that 1980 album Seconds of Pleasure. The album is the usual mash up of rockers and covers of classic R&B and blues. "Teacher Teacher" was the standout track on the album, though the entire album is stellar, especially "When I Write the Book" and "Heart".
I got into Nick Lowe a bit late in the game. While I'm a huge and longtime fan of Elvis Costello's work, I didn't pay much attention to Lowe, but knew of his work through Elvis's albums. Lowe has produced several of Costello's albums (as well as many other artists on the early days of Stiff Records) and wrote "(What's So Funny Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding", one of my favourite Elvis tracks (It's also one of the few tracks I can count on to make me start bawling like a baby at times). I picked up his best of, Basher, a few years ago and fell in love with is work right away. I've played Basher so much that it's very scratched now and can't be played anymore without skipping. Good think Nick's got a new best of called Quiet Please out now. Weirdly enough, I discovered Dave Edmunds after Lowe and I love his work even more than Lowe's now.
http://youtu.be/n9_9k8-W1Po
Monday, April 4, 2011
The March 30 Day Song Challenge Part 5
Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy: Golden Boy with Miss Kittin - "Campari Soda"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHMUDFv7cYg
Undeniably camp and too bubbly not to enjoy ironically.
Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad: The Beatles - "In My Life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI0Q8ytD44Y
The Beatles have a way of cramming hills of emotion in just a few chords. This is a great song and it always makes me sad.
Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding: Elvis Costello - "Wave a White Flag"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC2f_j1zPtc
I suggested this to a past girlfriend to use as the wedding march. She didn't see the humour in it...
Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral: DEVO - "Beautiful World"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwnIQT1lOA
Devo's outlook on the world is similar to mine: vaguely optomistic, but ultimately brutally realistic.
Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh: Weird Al Yankovic - "CNR"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLnapb-30hA
A spot on parody of the White Stripes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHMUDFv7cYg
Undeniably camp and too bubbly not to enjoy ironically.
Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad: The Beatles - "In My Life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI0Q8ytD44Y
The Beatles have a way of cramming hills of emotion in just a few chords. This is a great song and it always makes me sad.
Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding: Elvis Costello - "Wave a White Flag"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC2f_j1zPtc
I suggested this to a past girlfriend to use as the wedding march. She didn't see the humour in it...
Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral: DEVO - "Beautiful World"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwnIQT1lOA
Devo's outlook on the world is similar to mine: vaguely optomistic, but ultimately brutally realistic.
Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh: Weird Al Yankovic - "CNR"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLnapb-30hA
A spot on parody of the White Stripes.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The March 30 Day Song Challenge Part 4
It seems when this gets imported to Facebook, the fancy HTML Youtube links get stripped out. So, I'll be including simple HTML links with the embedded Youtube links so anyone reading on Facebook can enjoy the posts too.
Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate: Oakridge Boys - "Elvira"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdFghZmdwXk
My pre-teen years were country years. Grew up with country. Hate everything but classic country now.
Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Refugee"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yai8fxLok8
I don't listen to commercial radio, but I like Tom Petty and he can be heard on the radio sometimes. I'll pick him I guess.
Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio: New Pornographers - "Crash Years"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KZANuDcRO4
The New Porngraphers are talents and play music catchy enough to be played on commercial radio, so let's hear them!
Day 19 – A song from your favorite album: Elvis Costello - "Sleep of the Just"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpstsuRa6v8
More Elvis, go figure... "King of America" has long been my favourite album, and this is one of the best songs on it.
Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry: Ministry - "Stigmata'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxaPj19VnRA
Nothing beats trashing around to some classic industrial to cure the angrys.
Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate: Oakridge Boys - "Elvira"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdFghZmdwXk
My pre-teen years were country years. Grew up with country. Hate everything but classic country now.
Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Refugee"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yai8fxLok8
I don't listen to commercial radio, but I like Tom Petty and he can be heard on the radio sometimes. I'll pick him I guess.
Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio: New Pornographers - "Crash Years"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KZANuDcRO4
The New Porngraphers are talents and play music catchy enough to be played on commercial radio, so let's hear them!
Day 19 – A song from your favorite album: Elvis Costello - "Sleep of the Just"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpstsuRa6v8
More Elvis, go figure... "King of America" has long been my favourite album, and this is one of the best songs on it.
Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry: Ministry - "Stigmata'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxaPj19VnRA
Nothing beats trashing around to some classic industrial to cure the angrys.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The March 30 Day Song Challenge Part 3
http://shellacandvinyl.blogspot.com/ for links my Facebook friends.
Day 11 – A song from your favorite band: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - "Oliver's Army"
More Elvis? Okay!
Day 12 – A song from a band you hate: Pink Floyd - "Wish You Were Here"
I could easily but Nickelback here, but that's too easy. I hate almost everything Pink Floyd have ever done. I can tolerate "Animals" on a good day...
Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure: KISS - "Strutter"
Awesome, the only KISS song I truly like.
Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love: The Rolling Stones - "Sympathy for the Devil"
I'm well known for my dislike and, at time, outright hatred of classic rock. But this song is very, very cool.
Day 15 – A song that describes you: DEVO - "What We Do"
I can think of a few DEVO songs that describe my philosophy of life. "Through Being Cool" would be my second choice
Day 11 – A song from your favorite band: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - "Oliver's Army"
More Elvis? Okay!
Day 12 – A song from a band you hate: Pink Floyd - "Wish You Were Here"
I could easily but Nickelback here, but that's too easy. I hate almost everything Pink Floyd have ever done. I can tolerate "Animals" on a good day...
Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure: KISS - "Strutter"
Awesome, the only KISS song I truly like.
Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love: The Rolling Stones - "Sympathy for the Devil"
I'm well known for my dislike and, at time, outright hatred of classic rock. But this song is very, very cool.
Day 15 – A song that describes you: DEVO - "What We Do"
I can think of a few DEVO songs that describe my philosophy of life. "Through Being Cool" would be my second choice
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The March 30 Day Song Challenge Part 2
Day 6 - A song that reminds you of somewhere: Stompin' Tom Connors - "Bud the Spud"
Reminds me of Prince Edward Island obviously.
Day 7 - A song that reminds you of a certain event: Oingo Boingo - "When the Lights Go Out"
Weekends of WH30K in the clubs rooms at the University of Lethbridge.
Day 8 - A song that you know all the words to: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - "Pump It Up"
Yes, there will be a lot of Elvis Costello on my list. Thanks for asking.
Day 9 - A song that you can dance to: Mohammed Rafi - "Jaan Pehechaan Ho"
I dislike Indian music, but this sound like 50s rock and roll with East Asian lyrics. I love this song mostly because I love Ghost World and Thora Birch's mimicking dance to this song at the front. And I love Thora Birch. Thora, call me.
Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep: Brian Eno - "Music for Airports"
I used to fall asleep to Brave New Waves on CBC 2. By the time I got to falling asleep, Brent or Patti would be playing something spacy like Brian Eno. Now I fall asleep to the sportscast on TSN.
Reminds me of Prince Edward Island obviously.
Day 7 - A song that reminds you of a certain event: Oingo Boingo - "When the Lights Go Out"
Weekends of WH30K in the clubs rooms at the University of Lethbridge.
Day 8 - A song that you know all the words to: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - "Pump It Up"
Yes, there will be a lot of Elvis Costello on my list. Thanks for asking.
Day 9 - A song that you can dance to: Mohammed Rafi - "Jaan Pehechaan Ho"
I dislike Indian music, but this sound like 50s rock and roll with East Asian lyrics. I love this song mostly because I love Ghost World and Thora Birch's mimicking dance to this song at the front. And I love Thora Birch. Thora, call me.
Day 10 - A song that makes you fall asleep: Brian Eno - "Music for Airports"
I used to fall asleep to Brave New Waves on CBC 2. By the time I got to falling asleep, Brent or Patti would be playing something spacy like Brian Eno. Now I fall asleep to the sportscast on TSN.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
The March 30 Day Song Challenge
Lots of my facebook friends are doing this challenge there, but since I have a music log, I'll do it here. I'll catch up to the current day soon.
Here are the guidelines if you want to join in:
http://wordsandbeats.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/the-30-day-song-challenge/
Day 1: Your favourite song: Elvis Costello - "Blue Chair"
A question I've long pondered and decided several years ago. The only other songs that come close are "Imagine" and "Stigmata". Strangely enough, the studio version isn't on Youtube, just the doo-wop B-side version
Day 2: Your least favourite song: Whitney Houston = "I Will Always Love You"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19rC-Fl-KwM
I could easily pick a Led Zeppelin song here, but this song just sends me into a frothing rage whenever I hear it. The high points in the vocals are absolutely unbearable.
Day 3: A song that makes you happy: Polysics - "New Wave Jacket"
Polysics make me smile every time I hear them. Their spastic energy is impossible to deny.
Day 4: A song that makes you sad: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love and Understanding"
I could easily put "Imagine" here too. One a good day, this song leaves me a blubbering mess.
Day 5: A song that reminds you of someone: George Jones - "He Stopped Loving Her Today"
This could be one of my sad songs too. This song reminds me of my mom, she loves old country.
Here are the guidelines if you want to join in:
http://wordsandbeats.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/the-30-day-song-challenge/
Day 1: Your favourite song: Elvis Costello - "Blue Chair"
A question I've long pondered and decided several years ago. The only other songs that come close are "Imagine" and "Stigmata". Strangely enough, the studio version isn't on Youtube, just the doo-wop B-side version
Day 2: Your least favourite song: Whitney Houston = "I Will Always Love You"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19rC-Fl-KwM
I could easily pick a Led Zeppelin song here, but this song just sends me into a frothing rage whenever I hear it. The high points in the vocals are absolutely unbearable.
Day 3: A song that makes you happy: Polysics - "New Wave Jacket"
Polysics make me smile every time I hear them. Their spastic energy is impossible to deny.
Day 4: A song that makes you sad: Elvis Costello and the Attractions - "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love and Understanding"
I could easily put "Imagine" here too. One a good day, this song leaves me a blubbering mess.
Day 5: A song that reminds you of someone: George Jones - "He Stopped Loving Her Today"
This could be one of my sad songs too. This song reminds me of my mom, she loves old country.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Elvis Costello makes the rounds
Nov. 2 was the release date for Elvis Costello's newest album National Ransom and Slicing Up Eyeballs has a good run down of his recent talk show circuit performances and interviews. Check it out:
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2010/11/06/elvis-costello-fallon-letterman-colbert-morning-joe/
I know what's going to be in my CD player for the next month or so (once Amazon delivers it, that is)
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2010/11/06/elvis-costello-fallon-letterman-colbert-morning-joe/
I know what's going to be in my CD player for the next month or so (once Amazon delivers it, that is)
Monday, October 11, 2010
RIP Solomon Burke
Legendary soul, blues and R&B singer Solomon Burke passed away on Sunday. Burke was 70. He apparently died on a plane flight in Europe. He was touring at the time.
Burke's work spans the range between blues and soul, with R&B, rock and country sounds seeping into his work. His most successful period came in the 60s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Here's Burke doing an early hit, "If You Need Me".
Burke underwent a resurgence in popularity in the early 2000s, after releasing Don't Give Up On Me in 2002 on Fat Possum, then releasing a couple of albums on Shout Factory. Since I never miss a chance to mention Elvis Costello, here he is doing Burke's "The Judgement", which Costello recorded on his album, The Delivery Man.
Burke's work spans the range between blues and soul, with R&B, rock and country sounds seeping into his work. His most successful period came in the 60s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Here's Burke doing an early hit, "If You Need Me".
Burke underwent a resurgence in popularity in the early 2000s, after releasing Don't Give Up On Me in 2002 on Fat Possum, then releasing a couple of albums on Shout Factory. Since I never miss a chance to mention Elvis Costello, here he is doing Burke's "The Judgement", which Costello recorded on his album, The Delivery Man.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Nick and Elvis kick off tour
Most know my love for Elvis Costello, but I also have a deep love and respect for Nick Lowe's work. Nick wrote "(What's so Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" with Brinsley Swartz back in the 70s and Elvis covered it early in his career. Elvis's version is equal parts punk fury and soulful rock, and one of my favourite songs he's ever done.
Elvis and Nick are touring now on the Costello Sings Lowe/Nick Sings Elvis tour, which should be a good one. I always lack the money to go see Elvis, but I will someday, before either he or I die.
Here's Elvis and Nick doing "Peace Love and Understanding" from the tour in San Francisco. (from the excellent 80s music blog, Slicing Up Eyeballs.)
Elvis and Nick are touring now on the Costello Sings Lowe/Nick Sings Elvis tour, which should be a good one. I always lack the money to go see Elvis, but I will someday, before either he or I die.
Here's Elvis and Nick doing "Peace Love and Understanding" from the tour in San Francisco. (from the excellent 80s music blog, Slicing Up Eyeballs.)
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