Category: Music

You guys are getting a lot this week, because I will not be posting any music next Friday (the 30th)…mostly because I will not have time in the coming week to find stuff to share with you.

Now that I’ve said that, here’s your final Friday Music post of 2005:

First off, as I told some of you, I returned to composing during this past week. One of the cool things that I discovered is that in addition to being able to record with digital instruments directly to the hard drive, I can also record vocals using my iMac’s built-in mic! So this song features the first time that I’ve sung anything on one of my own tracks…nothing big, just a vocal loop that says “this is not what we are; this is not what we do.” So, without further ado, I give you: @nubis – “American Taliban.”

This is one of the album tracks from Dresden Dolls, and it’s one of my favorites. For this song, they drop the Brechtian punk cabaret thing, and manage to do a take on early 60s Motown girl-groups. The lyrics are hilarious…all about the feeling one gets from seeing the same car that your Ex used to drive. Dresden Dolls – “The Jeep Song.” “I guess it’s just my stupid luck, that all of Boston drives the same black fucking truck.” Love it.

Cheb i Sabbah is a legendary Algerian-born, San Francisco-based DJ who creates what he calls an “Outernational Mix,” of dance music, mixing Arabian, African, and Asian sounds with the latest in electronica. I absolutely love his work, and I can’t believe that I’ve gone this long without including something from him. Cheb i Sabbah – “Kese Kese.”

To completely switch gears: I am a complete score-nut. I loves me some film music. This has led me to discover some really interesting stuff. For example: Lisa Gerrard, the female vocalist for Dead Can Dance, who has done film score work with Hans Zimmer on Gladiator, among others, worked on an amazing score for TBS’ fairly pedestrian mini-series version of Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot”, which came out last year. (The one with Rob Lowe). The score is much better than the film itself: Lisa Gerrard – “Salem’s Lot Aria.”

Here’s a little present for and her girls….as well as , since this is her favorite song from the show: A lovely little ditty from “The Simpsons”, from the episode with the Burlesque house, La Maison Derierre. The Simpsons – “We Put The Spring In Springfield” I think we should come up with a Canterbury version of this song. “We put the canter in Canterbury”, perhaps?

A bit of lovely, dark, grind-y electronica: Massive Attack – “Angel.” Some of you may recognize this, since it’s been used in a number of films, notably Guy Ritchie’s Snatch.

I’ve been really impressed by the stuff that I’ve heard from Sufjan Stevens. I need to pick up more of his stuff. I posted “Chicago” last week. This week features another track from the same album (“Come on Feel the Illinois”): Sufjan Stevens – “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out To Get Us.” He’s got some goofy titles, that boy. But the songs are simply beautiful.

Absolutely rip-roaring rock-n-roll– the new single from The Strokes grabs me instantly with the “Peter Gun”-esque spybeat bassline, and then throttles me into submission by its sheer kickassitude. The Strokes – “Juicebox.”

Hip-hop doesn’t get much better than Jurassic 5. They came from the alternative side of the genre, and for a long time were a purely underground thing. They’ve flirted with mainstream success here and there, but generally their stuff is too smart….not enough bling-and-bitches for pop success. Layered over classic jazz and soul samples, structured by two of the best DJs in the world (Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark), each member of J-5 (Akil, Zaakir, Mark 7even and Chali 2na) lay down some of the most amazing rhyme riffs I have ever heard. The sheer verbal dexterity and rhythmic inventiveness of the rap floors me….on every single track. These guys put serious thought into what they’re saying…no Diddy-esque “Uh-huh Yeaahhh” over recycled beats here. Jurassic 5 – “A Day At The Races.”

…and lastly: I decided against making this a Christmas-themed Friday Music, figuring that you can hear tons of holiday music all around, anywhere you care to look. That said, I did feel like I should include one Christmas song. This one is very dear to my heart…..it’s just very much “me.” The Kinks – “Father Christmas.”

Hope you enjoyed my weekly mix tape in 2005. More will be coming in the New Year.

On second thought, the Friday Music installment later this week will NOT be Christmas-themed.

You can hear non-stop Christmas music on multiple radio stations, and besides: I’ve got some really cool non-Christmas-themed stuff that I want to share.

So: Bah, humbug. You’ll take your usual non-holiday selection, and you’ll like it!

First track this week is from a great album I picked up, entirely comprised of club remixes of Ennio Morricone soundtrack compositions. I put this particular track on the soundtrack mix CD that I use for my SERENITY RPG campaign as well: Ennio Morricone – “For A Few Dollars More (Terranova Remix)”

By request of a couple of folks (including my LJ-less brother, who reads this journal), here’s another one of my “@nubis” tracks. I love the samples that I used in this (especially the main hook that starts at 1:40), and it’s one of my favorites of my own work: @nubis – “Bootstompin'”

A little Funk, for those so inclined, to getcha ass movin’ on a Friday afternoon: Average White Band – “Pick Up The Pieces.” It’s a fairly famous instrumental, so most of you will recognize it, even if you aren’t familiar with the group or the name.

Along with Bright Eyes (who did the “Road to Joy” song that I posted a few weeks back), there is another male singer-songwriter who is very much the flavor-of-the-moment in the Indie crowd. I had seen various music blogs talking about him, but I hadn’t really listened until this week. This guy does some really, really beautiful songs….and I especially like this one: Sufjan Stevens – “Chicago.”

This song may strike some of you as a bit incongruous, coming from me, since it is, on it’s surface, a “Jesus song.” A friend of mine introduced me to it, and prefaced it with “ignore the title…give it a chance.” I did, and damned if this isn’t very nifty. It’s one of those creepy Appalachian-esque wailing tracks that sends shivers up your spine. Mindy Smith – “Come to Jesus.” Listen to the lyrics, and figure out why it gets seriously creepy with the last verse.

Here’s a track that I’ve been listening to quite a bit recently. Not much else to say about it, other than the fact that it makes me feel like dancing around my office, and that the bassline is very reminiscent of Norm Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky.” (Those of you at KU will probably have problems accessing this, since it’s hosted on a Russian server) Goldfrapp – “Ooh La La.”

In the late 90s, this song got more attention for its video and the Doctor Seuss-ian hats worn by the singer than for the quality of the album. I really love it…very much a turn-of-the-century take on classic soul and dance music, very much reminiscent of seventies-era Stevie Wonder (you know, back when he was good): Jamiroquai – “Virtual Insanity.”

Last track of the week is another new tune from a new group that I recently discovered. I expect to hear this break on the Buzz (local alterno-station, for those non-KC area folks reading this) any day now. The Sunshine Underground – “Put You In Your Place.”

Next week: The Dreaded Christmas-themed Friday Music….