The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's that time of year: the time of year when music blogs around the world publish their year-end best-of lists. Being a music blog, we are taking part: tomorrow, we will be publishing our list of the best singles of 2000, and on Sunday, the best albums of 2000. Thanks for reading..happy holidays!

Happy Birthday Dave

Today, Dave Brubeck turns 90. Why not take 5 and chill out with this song for a bit?



I was going to post a live performance of this from the 60's, but I really prefer the slower tempo of the album version.

La Bomba de Tiempo

Another entry in the series on music in Buenos Aires. La Bomba de Tiempo is a largely improvised drum circle/percussion fest that goes on every Monday night at Ciudad Cultural Konex. It's a pretty impressive experience. The microphone in my camera doesn't exactly capture the power of the band, but the video gives you a pretty good picture of what goes on.

Bieber x 800%

In response to Jay's post, here's another Bieber track: "U Smile." Only this version is slowed down by 800%. Nick Pittsinger is the genius (or at least the first guy to have the idea) who created it; I know I'm certainly not the first to post it, but it's worth reposting. There's not much to be said about it that hasn't been said, really; Buzznet may have said it best when they called it "the soundtrack to approaching the gates of heaven." Anyway, check it out.

 J. BIEBZ - U SMILE 800% SLOWER by Shamantis

This Is Embarrassing: Goot, Bieber, Glee

Okay, this is embarrassing. YouTube has a way of getting me to watch or listen to things I would never give the time of day. I say this like I have no control over what I search for (things like this), but that would be like believing that Obama was really a Christian born in America. Here are three videos that I've watched way too many times.

One of the best/worst categories of YouTube videos is the self-made pop song cover. There are different kinds, from webcam videos to slick productions like this nerd in the top video. He's singing an American Idol-ish version of "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz, a catchy song that sounds better after four drinks, that I can't help but really like. Getting past the dance beat in the original, this Alex Goot character strips the song down to an acoustic guitar, piano and electric keyboard, and drums, that really emphasizes how good the melody is. He performs all the instruments himself, like a modern day Prince... or something like that. He also does a cover of "California Gurls," which nearly cancels out all the goodwill he accumulates with "Dynamite."

The next embarrassing song I love right now is *sigh* "Runaway Love" by Justin Bieber. I would be lying if I said I first heard this as part of Kanye's sample in his "Runaway Love" remix with Raekwon that splices the song with "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing To Fuck Wit," but I was well aware of "Runaway Love" long before. I hate to say it, but it's a really good song. The YouTube video of the song describes it as "Michael Jackson-ish," and I would have to agree, except Biebs can't really dance or sing and hasn't started molesting boys.

I was at a dive bar in Athens after the Arkansas game a few weeks ago, and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler came over the speakers. I knew the words way too well, and I have Glee to thank for this knowledge. Glee is at its best when it combines the perfect song and video that actually pushes the plot forward, which, you know, is what a musical does. Although the show is incredibly manic and devolves into one-liners and awkward song choices performed by adults (I'm looking at you, Will Schuester), it does hit it out of the park sometimes. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" has all that you need: a song that captures the emotions of the characters, a well executed video (but why are they randomly doing ballet?), and Jonathon Groff's incredible hair. (Take that, Schuester! I really don't like that character.)

No time like the present.

Before I start on my music related post ( which is short and unorganized), I just want to thank Dave for inviting me into this little blogosphere. I hope Argentina is treating you well, and I am indeed going to thrash you in fantasy hockey this year.

Onto the music.

A little background - I don't like to call myself a musician, but I do like to think that I take music (especially the electric bass guitar) more seriously than the average guy who says "Yeah, I slappa da bass". I reserve the word 'musician' for those that are not only technically skilled, but also knowledgeable in music theory. Along those lines, I don't believe too strongly in the idea of "talent", really. Skill is born primarily out of the amount of deliberate practice you put into your work. That is the sheer number of hours you are challenging yourself, and effectively learning. I like to think that I practice deliberately. But saying "I'm a musician" should have broad implications in practicing, reading sheet music, theory prowess, improvisation, exploration of genres, and becoming one with your instrument. Saying "I'm a bassist" also has broad implications in the different ways to commemorate, respect, and praise Jaco Pastorius.

I definitely can't read sheet music anymore. I used to be great at it. I know I've changed instruments from the xylophone in 1995, but its impossible now. I know more Latin. If anything has helped at all, (if there's any aspiring bassists out there wondering how to start learning to read sheet music, this may be helpful) it would be going over the most famous, first section of the Bach Cello Suites on the 4 string bass. Its incredibly tiring, but just about every note in the entire two minute piece is an eighth note. This is perfect to help you learn the notes if you look at the tab alongside. Its also great exposure to basic major and minor scales. Learning it in its entirety an incredibly tall order, but broken up and slowed down, its a helpful learning tool.

Thanks for taking the time out to read me. I have a lot of thoughts, especially about music, and its often difficult for me to really convey them. Like if you try to shove six people, or two fat dudes through a door at the same time, no one gets out.

That's my brain.

Some Other Fantastic 2010 Music

Here are some other excellent things I've heard/thought of that have come out this year:

Forgiveness Rock Record - Broken Social Scene
I was initially disappointed by this album, but it's grown on me a lot. I think at first I was hoping for it to be another You Forgot It in People, which is unfair for two reasons: one, You Forgot It in People is one of the greatest albums ever, and two, Broken Social Scene is not the same band that it was eight years ago. Bands evolve. They've got a different sound now, and it took me a little while to be cool with that.

"Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" - Arcade Fire
Gotta throw another track from the Suburbs on here. Man, this song is incredible.

"Fuck You" - Cee-Lo

"Cold War" - Janelle Monáe
One of the best videos of the year as well. Actually, the whole album (The ArchAndroid) is pretty great.

"Monster" - Kanye West ft. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver, and Nicki Minaj
This is a weird track, but I like it a lot. The production is fantastic, and Nicki Minaj absolutely kills this track.

"Elastic Love" - Christina Aguilera
I actually really like a lot of this album (Bionic). Her lyrics can be over-the-top to the point of silly, but it's really well produced, and her singing, no matter what you think of the lyrics, complements the productions pretty well; there's another high-profile Nicki Minaj spot here too, on "WooHoo." "Elastic Love", though, is the standout for me.

Heartbeats - Grum
This is just a really fun electronic dance record in the vein of French house (even though he's Scottish) with a big '80s disco thing going on. Can't play it without dancing. I am dancing right now.

And finally, this week, Royskopp released Senior (the sequel to Junior, one of my favorite albums of last year), and holy shit does it kick ass and take names. This is a very different album from Junior; it's largely instrumental, and has more of an instrospective, downtempo feel, but you can still come in at any point and know immediately that it's Royksopp. They've crafted a really unique and characteristic sound within the Scandinavian electronic scene. I dig it.

VMAs 2010: A Toast to Douchebags

Being without cable, I scrounged around various websites of dubious legality and watched the MTV Video Music Awards live and streaming. I subject myself to these kinds of punishments – award shows – because I like seeing what the celebrities are wearing, if the comedians are funny, and if any musical performances transcend past the false context of the occasion. I always watch the Emmy’s, Grammy’s, and Oscar’s, so the VMAs are nothing out of the ordinary for me. (Sadly, I don’t watch the Tony Awards, ruining my chance to win a viewer EGOT.)

The main conclusion I come to about the VMAs, and this is how it is every year, the actual musical talents are blaringly obvious compared to the popular dancers and performers. Even the authenticity of Linkin Park – they’re still around? – was evident compared to the artists that can’t sing (Taylor Swift) or put more emphasis on the performance (Usher, Justin Bieber).

Kanye West, in a red suit with a ripped black t-shirt and gold chains on his chest, mopped the floor with most of the performers even if the song he chose (something from the new album, I’m guessing) wasn’t a banger like some of his new tracks (See: “Monster” and the “Power” remix). Taylor Swift’s song earlier in the night addressing the 2009 VMA incident (“Imma let you finish…”) was pretentious, doubly so when compared to Kanye pushing the envelope of pop music under tremendous personal and media-driven scrutiny.

The VMAs are what they are, a two-hour long commercial with pretty, skinny girls in tiny dresses and bands and artists that record labels spend millions of dollars promoting, in order to do what? The channel, the host, or the musicians aren’t subversive in any way. The outros to commercials are sponsored by Taco Bell. You can go to Rhapsody.com to buy the song Drake is currently performing. Make sure to use your hash tags properly when you tweet about this. The show celebrates the music that’s only heard on the radio or seen on YouTube while promoting reality shows that take airtime away from music. (Chelsea Handler aptly pointed that out.)

It’s hard to believe that the channel cares about music when the best female pop singer, Robyn, is pushed into singing a minute of one of the best songs of the year, “Dancing on my Own”, on the way out to commercial, indie rock is ignored, and MTV’s biggest star, Lady Gaga, didn’t even perform. Think how fresh it would be if Big Boi, who released the best rap album of the year so far, did "Shine Blockas", or if Arcade Fire performed "Sprawl II". Alas, we're stuck with Paramore (a pretty, skinny girl, but this time in thrift store clothes) (I do like "Airplanes") and Kim Kardashian. Free Weezy.

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A non-music note: Chelsea Handler wasn’t funny and seemed unprepared. The pre-packaged skits where she met the Best New Artist nominees were the highlight, as were other prepared bits, the opening with Lindsey Lohan and jumping into the hot tub with the Jersey Shore cast. Every time she mentioned a celebrity in the audience, she would look and ask where that person was sitting. Isn’t this why you and your production team rehearse and prepare camera shots before the live show? During the Emmy's a couple weeks ago, when Jimmy Fallon made a Late Night joke, a camera was pointed directly at Conan O'Brien's face.

Jazz in Buenos Aires: Thelonious Club

I recently moved to Buenos Aires, and one of my objectives while here is to investigate the jazz scene (needless to say, I'm interested in immersing myself in the city's music scene as a whole). At a 12:30 a.m. show a couple Saturdays back, I got my first taste. The venue was Thelonious Club, one of the more renowned jazz clubs in Buenos Aires, in Palermo. It was the late-night crowd, people who were clearly there because they were down to see some good jazz. And the band kicked ass: Levas Cruzadas, a 9-piece brass band: two trumpets, two trombones, three saxes, a tuba player playing the bass parts, and a drummer. Their sound was based in New Orleans jazz, but they also had a Balkan music side, as well as an experimental side, and a South American attitude. The drummer was laying down some excellent jazzed-out march beats. And Thelonious was a good venue for it; the seating was a bit limited, but it's a really nice space for jazz. Part one of the jazz search was a success.

Some Songs I've Been Obsessed With Lately

"In for the Kill" - La Roux
"I Can't Hardly Stand It" - The Cramps
"Today" - Jefferson Airplane
"The Suburbs" - Arcade Fire
"Paradise by the Dashboard Lights" - Meatloaf
"Shutterbug" - Big Boi
"Gentleman" - Fela Kuti
"Dancing on My Own" - Robyn
"Never Going Back Again" - Fleetwood Mac
"Power" - Kanye West

..and finally: "I Pharaoh" - Sun Ra

2010

I haven't written anything here for awhile, but damn, I just have to say that 2010 has been an incredible year for music so far. In March, the White Stripes released one of the great live albums of all time, Under Great White Northern Lights. In July, the Books returned with their fourth album, The Way Out, further cementing their place as one of my all-time favorite bands, and Big Boi finally released the long-delayed Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, the first great Outkast-related album since 2003's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. There have also been excellent albums from LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz, Rihanna, Beach House, M.I.A., Robyn, and Born Ruffians just to name a few, not to mention all the ones I haven't heard yet (I have a long list of things to listen to). And finally, last week, Arcade Fire released their mindblowing third album, The Suburbs. Their first, Funeral, was one of my favorite albums of the past decade, and though I haven't gotten as into Neon Bible, I liked it a lot as well. Honestly, though, I think this is the best thing they've ever done. Maybe it's because I'm still under the spell of having just discovered it and being blown away, but man, I'm blown away.

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

I'm currently listening to Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" album. I recently obtained a copy of it on vinyl and it's pretty amazing as expected. The reason I wanted it so badly on vinyl is because I heard from my friend Mike that the format was more conducive to the way Marvin wanted his audience to hear it. The six tracks on side 'A' are all part of a theme and variations more or less on the opening/title track ("What's Going On"). I am hearing this as I listen to the album and it's even more obvious how all the songs link together when you listen to the tracks straight through as the needle makes its way towards the center of the disc.

Side 'B' is three separate tracks, one of which is "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)" - an amazing track on its own. The liner notes on the album cite James Jamerson and Bob Babbit on bass. I knew that Jamerson did work on many of the tracks on this album. His bass lines are so solid, and it's refreshing to hear them on vinyl. Babbit's work is equally impressive and having seen a documentary about The Funk Brothers and the Motown story, I have a stronger appreciation for his bass playing as well. He had some big shoes to fill after Jamerson passed away and he does a great job here.

So far this album is pretty great. I've heard most of the songs on it before, but hearing them sequentially makes such a difference. Another standout track in my opinion is "Save the Children", part of the side 'A' opus. This song is quite an emotional one in my opinion and hits a very important note just before going into a very religious-themed diatribe entitled "God is Love". "Mercy Mercy Me" is the closer to side 'A' and definitely hits a peak in terms of bringing these first six tracks full circle. The sax solo at the end is especially good, but it is the last few chords of the song that make me smile the most. I swear I've heard this ending used (sampled?) in other songs before. It is very memorable, and pleasing that he brings it back to a minor key to end such an astounding twenty minutes of music. Epic is the only way I can think to describe the ending of side 'A'.

Side 'B' kicks off with a diverse sounding song called "Right On". At seven minutes, this track has room for a lot of different parts, and it's obvious Marvin was trying to accomplish a lot with just this track alone. It's nice to hear flute as a principle instrument again, something he did on some of his older tracks from previous albums  (see: "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" for an amazing flute solo). "Wholly Holy" is the second track on side 'B' and is really over before you even know it. It's really slow compared to the rest of the album, but it's a nice break from the medium tempo soul grooves that make up the majority of the album. "Inner City Blues" ends the album and as stated before is an amazing track. It is definitely in my top three, if not my favorite, from the nine tracks on this disc.

I'm sure I will end up listening to this LP many times over again. It is definitely worthy of repeated listening. From the beginning introduction that sounds like a laid-back 70's party scene with dialogue comprised of greetings such as "What's happenin' man?" to the bongo-filled backbeat that slowly fades out to end the album on side 'B', this album is pure soul music with just enough jazz thrown in to make it stand out from the rest. Thank you, Marvin Gaye, for releasing this piece of work.

May god (as you know him) rest your soul, and may your music live on forever in this genre we have come to know as 'soul music'.

review by DD (also posted here: http://www.freestylepiper.blogspot.com)