Remember Graceland?

Ran across it on my ipod and had to jump out of my top-rated shuffle to play the whole album. I had forgotten how consistently good it is. It was a long time ago that I was listening to it on tape cassette. I have a tendency to rate albums by whether or not they have the "interrupt" problem - all good songs except that one excruciating sucker that interrupts your listening pleasure by forcing you to skip over it every time. Graceland doesn't. And every song to song transition just fits.

Of the many albums that succeed in that department, I've still got Rodrigo y Gabriela's 11:11 on top of my list. The album starts by hitting you over the head with a brick (Hanuman) and moves through every song to an ending so unearthly that when it has faded away you wonder what happened and where you are... it releases me from a dream every time.

But back on topic, anyone know what Paul Simon's doing now? Maybe it's time for a google search.

That Brass Section!

Just got the album Round I by the High and Mighty Brass Band. Was meandering through show listings and ran across their site. A minute of Lil' Mary was enough to seal the deal. Now I need to remember to synch my ipod for the morning commute. Deliciously groovy is my pronouncement on this one.

Jets Overhead

The album is No Nations. Excellent. Mellow, atmospheric, not moody.

Irish Punk Rock from LA?

There's nothing like a great movie soundtrack to introduce you to new music. This time it was Leap Year, and a blurb of a song on a cassette tape in the movie. All it takes is a minute to tell you love something. So as is my way, I replayed the end credits multiple times until I had all the songs written down, then hunted through them on amazon and iTunes.

The end result was finding Within a Mile of Home by Flogging Molly. The song itself is fantastic and the album totally worth buying. Awesome!

On an Island in the Sun

Yesterday I had a Weezer Day, rode my bike past the ballparks in Pittsburgh all the way to Washington's Landing. I made it up all 3 levels of the ramp and over the bridge to the lookout without stopping. Felt very good about that because hills are not my thing. A beautiful blue sky on a bright sunny day, and Weezer on the ipod. I played Island in the Sun because I was on an island, in the sun. Relaxed and enjoyed the river view for a few moments before heading back to the office. Seven miles round trip, not too bad for a lunch hour.

Weezer

Just got Weezer's green album. We had the blue (Buddy Holly is awesome, and of course my favorite the classic Undone), and got Pinkerton from a friend. But I had forgotten about the green, and the fun of Island in the Sun and Hash Pipe!

I'm told they've been on Yo Gabba Gabba, which my kids love, but I've never noticed. I'm somewhat programmed to tune that stuff out, but I should start paying attention...

Rodrigo y Gabriela

Two nights ago at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh. Left work on the North Shore, zigzagged past Heinz Field and the ballpark, then over the Sixth Street bridge and cheap parking right across from the theater. Five minutes to drive, and five dollars to park. Supper and cosmos at Olive and Twist.

Then across the street to hear first the Alex Skolnik Trio. What a great electric bass, tall and skinny, with the body ending inches beneath the bridge, on a 3 foot spike. Played by a tall thin floppy haired guy who looked like a peanuts character. They played a "little jazz tune by Judas Priest". I could listen to everything produced by Judas Priest and never recognize that song.

But the evening revolved around the utterly fantastic music of Rodrigo y Gabriela. I don't even know where to start in explaining how amazing it was. So I won't. Another few days to recover my senses, and I'll try again.

Back to Franti

Yeah, I'm back on Michael Franti & Spearhead again, still remembering how their show was totally worth the 3 hour trek to Coumbus. A Little Bit of Riddim just rocks.

Ten Days Later

... and I'm still listening to Empire nonstop. How many albums are out there where you don't skip over any of the songs? Not a lot for me, there's always at least one I don't want to hear. And what a strong finish to the album - Anybody Listening? Fantastic.

My friend Michele talked a friend of hers into driving us out to Hershey Stadium from Philly when we were in college. I remember her dragging me through the crowd, climbing over chairs, to get up to the second row for the opening band that she loved. They didn't make much of an impression on me other than a lot of long blond hair, but the rest of the concert, wow.

I had a Mia Hamm-style shirt removing moment during Jet City Woman, screaming like crazy because a black and white slideshow of shots of Seattle started flashing behind the band. It began with pictures of sidewalks, and I went nuts yelling that it was Seattle. Michele was asking "what the f***, it's a sidewalk". But it was Pioneer Square, you can't mistake it. Then on come the shots of the Space Needle and other parts of the city. Maybe I missed home more than I realized, who knows. Either way, one of the best performances ever.

They were great in their heyday, and I'm thrilled to finally have Queensryche digitally. Even after 10 days non-stop.

Forgotten Favorite

Queensryche, Empire, one of those great albums where there isn't a single song you skip over as you listen. They're just all that good. Nearly forgotten favorite because I had it on, yes that's right, tape cassette.

I Don't Know

This is Lisa Hannigan on youtube - thanks to Chuck for posting the link on Facebook - it's absolutely lovely.

An Upcoming Show

... is Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh. March 3rd, I think. I'm psyched to have tickets and just heard this news from Al:

"You are seriously in luck! I just found out the Alex Skolnick Trio is the opening act, with Alex sitting in with RYG."

Time for some serious preview listening!

After the Hiatus

For 4 months I've been silent, but have not been living in silence...

some highlights of my endless commuting have been:

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Hanuman, found for free on Amazon, led me to listen obsessively to the entire album - it's amazing. To quote a friend of Al's, they're badasses.

Sean Paul - where the heck have I been for the past decade?? I'm thoroughly enjoying Trinity, especially Yardie Bone and Eye Deh a Mi Knee, though I have a soft spot for the version of Give It Up To Me with Keyshia Cole.

Queen Ifrica - love this Yad to the East, can't wait to listen to the rest of Montego Bay!

Radiohead - got a bunch of music from a friend and really want to listen, but I keep getting stuck replaying Packd Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box. Moves straight into Pyramid Song so nicely.

from Today's Big Thing

Goth Single Ladies shared by a facebook friend - totally funny.

Alice in Chains

Day after tomorrow, at the House of Blues in Cleveland.

iheartradio

Labor day is over and it's back to work. The mountain of stuff to do, however, is lightened by a link sent to me by one of our PM's, to GenXRadio in Louisville. My age group must be obvious. I clicked the link and tuned in to REM, Losing My Religion. Timely and appropriate, as I sit here next to my stack of books to read, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins next in line after Free to Choose by Milton and Rose Friedman, and before Last Child in the Woods, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and finally Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Ah, the intellectual life of the GenX-er, harmonized with our intellectual music. We're the lost generation, the under-employed and over-educated, according to pop culture definitions...

So following through from the GenXRadio link, I found my way to iheartradio where reside all my favorite stations from my 90's in San Francisco. Be still my PC GenX heart!

Labor Day Weekend

Family parties are generally music-less affairs around here. So the mental radio is running random items. I think the Canfield Fair being in session and the trip with the kids to see the cows, ponies, bunnies, roosters, ducks and sheep are the reason for Lime Juice Tub by the Aussie Bush Band to be on repeat play in my head.

They Might Be Giants

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a paleontologist when I grew up. Adults seemed to think this was weird. I had a Land of the Lost lunchbox because in 1977 that was the only one we could find with dinosaurs on it. Other kids seemed to think this was weird.

But now dinosaurs are cool! And TMBG is even cooler for this song!! I am a Paleontologist.

Rootz Underground

The first time I played "my new favorite song" for the kids, I said "raise your hand if you hear a lion." Now they raise their hands every time they hear it. In The Jungle has become a favorite - my daughter asked me to play it repeatedly in the car yesterday evening. After about the 6th play she fell asleep to this groovy tune.

I completed my album the day after buying the song. Also great are 20 Centuries and Hammer.

Bob Marley on Noggin

I was sitting at the kitchen table, surfing around for commentary on the new Snow Leopard OS, while my 4 year old daughter watched Noggin on the small tv on the counter. My head popped up in surprise when I heard Bob Marley's Three Little Birds. On Noggin?

The song has special meaning for me. We heard it numerous times in the stressful days (due to a forced move and evil landlord) leading up to our wedding, and called a local KFOG dj (Buzz Lightyear, or a name that sounded like that...) in San Francisco who spent 10 minutes on the phone with us trying to figure out which Bob Marley song it was, based on the lyrics. In the end he couldn't figure it out, but he told us to go buy Legend because if it was a well known song that disc would have it. He was right. To this day we still have the 2 inch tall Buzz Lightyear toy from a local fast food joint during that time, which we keep in memory of his valiant and kindhearted effort on our behalf.

So I knelt down by my daughter's chair and sang the entire song along with the Noggin video. It was lovely, and she pointed to a baby bat and its parent in the video, sitting on a tree branch, and told me the little one was her and the big one was me.

Three Little Birds is my favorite Marley song of all time and this video is a great way to introduce it to little children. There's a reason this song was in the fresh fish iMix from day one.

With a little bit more googling, I found a blog with this commentary (Zooglobble) suggesting that the song is a shortened version of a track from a Ziggy Marley compilation. Ziggy Marley has a new children's cd? Apparently B is for Bob came out this May. It's Bob all the way, but Ziggy compiled the album and re-mixed the songs. They're beautiful and lighthearted. I may be behind the times, but I'm certainly enjoying catching up now!

Bugs Bunny Music, Part 2

So back to those operatic favorites we all know and love (in some form or another... my playlist isn't called Bugs Bunny Music for nothing). Scanning youtube for videos of Largo Al Factotum yielded some comedic versions. The first is amusing if for no other reason than the hairstyle of the swinger, oops, I mean singer. And of course, we have that classic Tom and Jerry cartoon. The Barber of Seville is a comedy after all, so I figure it's all good if what amuses you happens to be some stylish feathering.