CC:365

There is a lot of great Creative Commons licensed music out there, but it can be hard to find things that you like. Grant Robertson started a podcast at the beginning of this year called CC:365 where every day for a year he would post a CC-licensed song. I listened from the beginning and wrote a fan letter and then found out that Grant was moving up to Halifax, which is close to me and where I work every day. Things were rolling along quite well, but after 142 days and 143 songs (one was a preview) there was a bit of a break and Grant asked for help with the podcast and I eagerly jumped in and now there are 5 people doing it as a team that rotates the awesome power and responsibility of picking songs. I'm coming up to the end of my first round of picks and I love it. I've been able to convince three new people to officially release Creative Commons licensed tracks, so I feel as if I've really accomplished something. Now I have about a month to come up with another seven picks, so I've got to keep looking. tags: cc365, music, creativecommons
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Mermaid Avenue

Ain't nobody that can sing like me
Way over yonder in the minor key

One of my favourite singer / songwriters is Billy Bragg who is not afraid to combine music and politics together. He's able to mix the personal and the political in an entertaining way that also enables change. I'd heard a few of his recordings of some Woody Guthrie songs, but I didn't know the story until I saw the documentary about the recording of Mermaid Avenue, Man in the Sand. The film follows Billy Bragg as he works with Woody Guthrie's daughter Nora, who gave Bragg access to the huge library of unrecorded Guthrie songs to record some for the first time. Bragg brought the band Wilco to the project to collaborate with and the film about the project hints at some tension between them, but the music transcends that. The documentary is narrated by Nora Guthrie and she tells the story of her father as we see Bragg collaborating with the members of Wilco as well as Natalie Merchant in adding music to the lyrics that Woody wrote. It's fascinating to watch the process and to see Bragg with Nora as they talk about the man and his music. It's a great documentary that combines music, history and people together.
My favourite song from the project is She Came Along to Me (with the acoustic version from Live at the Barbican my preferred recording), closely followed by Birds and Ships, featuring Natalie Merchant's vocals. Overall the recordings are solid but some of them feel a bit overproduced. I also purchased some Billy Bragg bootlegs with Guthrie songs and I prefer the live versions. Maybe the live performances fit in better with Guthrie's lyrics or it's just hearing a great performance live, but the different versions are fascinating (as well as Billy's banter between the songs). With the recordings and the film, I'm realizing what a huge influence Woody Guthrie has had on folk and popular American music. tags: woodyguthrie, billybragg, mermaidavenue, music, dvd, review, film
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Transatlanticism

This is the moment that you know
That you told her that you loved her but you don't.

Gentle, understated and evocative are the lyrics and music of Death Cab for Cutie. I first heard Ben Gibbard's voice and lyrics through The Postal Service and I just bought (from the iTunes Music Store) Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie. At times I feel as if I'm reading the journal of a slightly-angst-ridden young man (which could have been me at one point). A beautiful mingling of sweetness and pain.
There is no shortage of angst out there, but the magic touch that Gibbard seems to bring is the way that the lyrics meet the music and how his voice shapes those words. It's very difficult to explain in words and it's probably the type of thing that you'll either like or not, but it really works for me. The song Tiny Vessels is one of my instant favourites with a brutal honesty in the lyrics and a simple musical arrangement that builds to something larger and more complex. The album is filled with songs that mix pop-sensibilities with angst into songs that aren't top 40 singles, but aren't musically obscure.
With a new album out next month and a touring DVD out in a couple of weeks, Death Cab for Cutie will probably be mentioned here again soon... tags: deathcabforcutie, transatlanticism, review, music
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Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes are a simple duo that have a knack for catchy, quirky songs that I love. With a bluesy feel and a 70s rock sound I always seem to have the same reaction and the album grows on me. At first I think that it's ok and usually have an early favourite song that is the catchy single and then I listen a bit more and the other diverse songs start to grow on me. With Get Behind Me Satan, it's the same. The moods shift from song to song and you never know what to expect other than a lovingly-crafted collection of songs. My favourite quirky song on the album is "Little Ghost" which is the infectious and old-timey story of a man who falls in love with a ghost. Fun and sometimes I even sing along.
The other interesting thing is that it was the first album that I bought from the iTunes Music Store. It was a very simple process and I can see doing it fairly often. With this album I also got the music video for "Blue Orchid" (an energetic romp through an old house directed by Floria Sigismondi) as well as a digital booklet in PDF form. Neat. technorati tags: whitestripes, review, music, getbehindmesatan
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Skimskitta

The very first online audio that I purchased was Skimskitta by Mira Calix. I found out about Mira Calix through a feature on CBC Radio 3 (click on the Mira Calix link on the Flash-enabled page). The sounds I heard there were intriguing as well as her process of creating ambient musical soundscapes with bits of sound from nature as well as electronic sounds. So I listened to the excerpts many times and kept my eyes open for any CDs. Eventually I found some, but they were a bit expensive. Then I found Bleep, which is Warp Records online digital music store. I was able to listen to all of the tracks on Skimskitta and I bought and downloaded the tracks.
It's hard to describe what she creates. It's ambient and rhythmic and I think that much of it works on a subconscious level. I have to be in a fairly receptive mood, but every time I listen I hear more. My absolute favourite listen to again and again and again track is I May Be Over There (But My Heart is Over Here). (If you have the Flash plugin installed you can listen to the track through an embedded player by clicking on the name of the track.) The emotion and progression of the sound is breathtaking. I don't know how to describe it, but it's as if she reached into my heart, transcribed the notes within and then constructed the sound so that it resonates in my soul. technorati tags: miracalix, review, music, skimskitta
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Real Gone

The music was like electric sugar.

The arrival of a new recording by Tom Waits is always exciting. The latest one, Real Gone, is bold and wonderful. While he could coast on his inherent coolness, he and long-time collaborator Kathleen Brennan have stayed in the same lyrical territory, but musically it's a bit more radical, but crisply produced and a joy to listen to. Waits and his musical accomplices wander through diverse musical terrain with infectious beats that get into your head and roll around in your mind and touch your soul. Tom Waits is like an old friend who you always look forward to seeing again to find out what he's been up to.

He's the type of wheel you don't fall asleep at.

The tracks are amongst some of my favourite songs and I've been listening to it almost constantly since last night. What is interesting is that many of the songs continue threads started on other albums with rhythms, sounds and noises that remind you of the ancestors. The family was involved with the production as well with son Casey providing some turntable and percussion support. A few seconds in to the first track, "Top of the Hill", he had me. It's a hypnotic mixture of rhythmic sounds with a toe-tapping beat. Listening to "Dead and Lovely" I have an image in my mind of a dance hall filled with elegantly dressed couples dancing while the dark lyrics and smoky rhythm fill the spaces between the dancers.

What's more romantic than dying in moonlight.

The meandering poem "Circus" paints the dirty picture of a circus and those who are trapped inside it and follows on from tracks like "9th and Hennepin" from Rain Dogs and "What's He Building in There?" from Mule Variations. "The Day After Tomorrow" could be the completion of a trio of tragic letters home that started with "Tom Traubert's Blues" from Small Change and continued through "Time" from Rain Dogs.

I know that rose like I know my name.

Who would have known that something with so many experimental elements could feel so familiar. But that's Tom and I'm glad that I have another glimpse of more of the musical territory that he's exploring with his friends and family.
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Medúlla

It's tricky when
you feel someone
has done
something on your behalf

Björk is a fairly unique and talented individual. Her new CD, Medúlla is built around her distinctive voice. While it's not completely acapella, it's a fascinating collection of soundscapes and minimalist lyrics that I really like. I heard the track and saw the video for "Oceania" and I fell in love with it. This can be a dangerous thing as the rest of the songs may not be as enjoyable. The interesting thing is that the other tracks on Medúlla aren't a lot like "Oceania", which is probably the most mainstream of the songs, but I love the diversity of the other songs. Each song takes you on a little journey with amazing stereo explorations of sonic and emotional spaces. The design of the CD by M/M is beautiful as well with a striking photograph of Björk on the cover by Inez & Vinoodh. I find that Medúlla is the perfect way for me to take a break from everything that tends to swirl around me every day.
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Talkin' Honky Blues

I hadn't heard anything from Buck 65's new CD, Talkin' Honky Blues, but I loved the other CD that I bought, so I got it and I love it. I'm listening to it right now on my new PowerBook (but that's another Titanium-tinged story for later). It's filled with great lyrics, catchy loops & rhythms, great instrumentals, and just good songs. One neat aspect thrown into the mix is the addition of live musicians which move the CD into the world of carefully-crafted, alternative music. It's an eclectic combo with Buck's distinctive voice forming the core and music elements that remind me of Portishead and Ennio Morricone along with a sprinkling of Tom Waits. I don't want you to think that Buck 65 is derivative... he's original and not derivative... there are just some family resemblances. It's eclectic, very listenable, and beautifully crafted. I think this could be "The Big One" that moves Buck 65 into the larger consciousness of the music public. But, I've got the CD and he's doing ok, so whether greater success spoils him or not won't affect this lovely little disc. The CD has some enhanced CD content (which is something I'm partial to) with a video that provides a neat glimpse at Buck 65 and some info about the CD as well as a link to the "Buck a Month Club" where I'll be getting more music every month. Now it's in heavy rotation in iTunes and in the CD player in the car.
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Hail to the Thief

I've been listening to the new Radiohead CD, Hail to the Thief over the past week. It's a bit downbeat, but that's to be expected, and it continues to move forward by striking a balance between pop and experimental elements. There are two songs on the CD that I love: the first single, "There there" and "Punchup at a Wedding." The two songs seem to be some of the less processed, and more built around the band playing (who knows if that's how the tracks came about, but that's how I think about it). The video for "There, There" is an amazing stop-motion animation with Thom wandering through forest filled with anthropomorphic animals. The video is at the "Radiohead Television" site, and if you check out the site at the top of the hour you can see a half-hour show, "The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time" which features music from the CD combined with more experimental video and animation as well as some live stuff. It's a neat progression from the videoblips used to market "Kid A" in a more viral sense. I've only seen one episode, but I liked it. One quirky thing that I've noticed is that it looks as if the site isn't working when I access it with Safari, but that was because the pop-up blocking feature was stopping it from happening... so you have to allow unrequested pop-ups for that site to see the show (just make sure you turn it back on after you leave the site). The band is doing the rounds like every other band now as it seems they've become much more well-adjusted as human beings following the grind of "OK Computer" documented by Grant Gee in "Meeting People is Easy".
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Square

One of the things that I love about living in Nova Scotia is that I keep discovering lots of talent all around...it's not that there hasn't been talent in other places where I've lived and grown up... there is, but being a little bit "from away" gives you a bit of a different perspective. The latest NS musical discovery that I've made is a guy originally from Mount Uniacke called Buck 65 (with his secret identity being Richard Tefry). He's got a Tom Waitsian sense of language, but combined with a great hip hop sense that is based in his reality, which is closer to my own reality which has it's own rural elements.
Every now and then you realize what a small place this part of Canada can be. I drive a lot and listen to the radio or music a lot as well. In the lead up to the East Coast Music Awards there was a lot of coverage on CBC Radio of the musicians nominated for awards and Tefry was on the radio with a great interview and an intriguing song. A day later a guest I had brought in to my class at work turned out to also be Buck's manager, so then I figured when I had a chance I should pick up the latest CD, which is called Square. The cover looked familiar and I realized that it was drawn by James Paterson of Presstube fame. Jeez... he studied in NS too...and used his Flash skills for the site supporting the CD (where you can listen and decide to buy it for yourself). The CD is great (which is probably why it won "Best Urban Recording") and is divided into 4 tracks. Definitely not a collection of singles, but a series of long-form explorations of different ideas, beats and sounds... I really like it and will be a regular consumer of his work.
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Elephant

A CD that I bought a couple of weeks ago is "Elephant" by The White Stripes. I had heard a few of their songs and seen the amazing Lego video for "Fell in Love With a Girl", but I decided to take the plunge and buy the new CD without hearing any of the tracks. I really like it and I listen to it a lot as I drive home from work and in iTunes. It's a neat blend of styles that all link together with Jack and Meg White playing pretty much all of the limited range of instruments. A great sense of humour runs through the CD which has elements of NY punk, Blues, Led Zeppelin, and Folk... with strange echoes of The Rocky Horror Picture Show... it's hard to explain, but I think that I'll pick up some other CDs from The White Stripes.
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England, Half-English

One of my favourite musical artists is Billy Bragg. He's got a new CD out with the Blokes called "England, Half-English." I've been listening to it a lot and especially love the title track as well as "Take Down the Union Jack" and "Saint Monday." He's touring around and will be in Canada, but not very close to Nova Scotia... maybe someday. He keeps doing great stuff and I keep listening to it.
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Internet Radio Dying a Painful Death

On June 20, 2002 my favourite Internet radio station, SomaFM went off the air. I'd first found them through iTunes in the Radio section. Their station "Secret Agent" played cool ambient music interspersed with clips from spy movies. I loved it and listened to it often. I also listened to their other stations. But in the US the Library of Congress made a decision that would mean stations would have to pay retroactive royalties for the past two years in addition to what they already pay to ASCAP and BMI. The Recording Industry Association of America are trying to squeeze as much revenue as possible as people seek out alternatives to the flavour-of-the-week backed by massive marketing budgets and cross-owned media giants.
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Tom Waits Interview

To coincide with the two new CDs that are out, the AV Club of The Onion features an interview with Tom Waits. He's got an amazing way with words as when asked to describe his collaborative process with Kathleen Brennan: Well, you know, "You wash, I'll dry."
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Two New Tom Waits CDs!

I'm the proud owner of not one, but two new CDs from Tom Waits. Alice and Blood Money are more great additions to the library of one of the most unique and talented artists around. The packaging and photography of the CDs are gorgeous as well. But you shouldn't judge a book by the cover and the lyrics by Tom and Kathleen Brennan crawl into your soul, settle down and spend some time in there. As Tom says about Blood Money on the Anti label's site: I like a beautiful song that tells you terrible things.
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