Category: Music

Here we go again:

First of all, ego-stroke time. Here’s my first result from composing in Reason, which I posted about here. I’m fairly happy with how it turned out. I’ve got a few more things in various stages of completion. I think this one is finished….I think. @nubis – “Begin.”

OK…now that’s out of the way—Here’s something to get you moving. This is a trance track from the Global Deejays, built around an extended sample of “If You’re Going To San Francisco,” which nicely re-invents the song for a new century, and more accurately reflects the current feel of the city: Global Deejays – “The Sound of San Francisco (Short Progressive Edit)”

More and more songs protesting the continual outrages perpetrated by the Bush adminstration are being released. I’ve got a couple of them here, which are both new, and which stand not only as political statements, but some pretty nifty music as well. First up: Late 70s music star Ricky Lee Jones (“Chuck E’s in Love”—which is one of my faves, I’ll have to post it some time) teamed up with the members of the neo-swing band Squirrel Nut Zippers, and produced this retro-30s-sounding piece: Ricky Lee Jones – “Have You Had Enough?”

Second — neo-soul artist Ben Harper has a song on his newest album which absolutely blasts the government for, among other things, the criminally incompetent response to Hurricane Katrina, and manages to make it a damn near perfect early-70s-style funk-soul number, full of righteous anger and wakka-chikka guitar: Ben Harper – “Black Rain.”

The 30s riff of “Have You Had Enough” puts me in the mood for some music from that period, so here is a modern recording of one of the best songs of the era. This one is taken from the soundtrack to Swing Kids, a jaunty little film about smart hip people watching their country descend into fascism….Hmmm…. Janis Seigel – “Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen.”

More international hip-hop for : This time, another French outfit. I’m totally digging the 18th-century-esque music sample they built this around….in the words of Eddie Izzard, that’s just so fucking FRENCH. La Ouf Mafia – “78 Equipe du Barbare”

More hip-hop. I’m fairly certain that I probably posted this waaaaaaaaaaay back at the beginning of Friday Music, but it’s one of my all-time favorites, and it’s a great way to show geeks that a lot of these rappers are geeks too. This is Tribe Called Quest, who allowed a group of young rappers called Leaders of the New School to guest star on this single….so this marks the debut of one Mister Busta Rhymes. He displays his geek cred on this track with the line “Raaah Raaah, Like a Dungeon Dragon…” and then went on to become a star. Tribe Called Quest – “Scenario (feat. Leaders of the New School)”

Completely switching musical styles — here is one of my favorite orchestral soundtrack pieces: the “alternate theme” for James Bond that John Barry composed for the second bond film From Russia With Love, and which was used in several films which followed. I’m dying to do a dance remix of this. John Barry – “007.”

Lastly, we have what I consider one of the best songs from Prince’s later period. It got enough airplay and video exposure to be included in his Greatest Hits collections, but it’s nowhere near as well-known as his earlier work. Love the harmonies on this (and the zills, courtesy of his then-wife Mayte). Prince – “Seven.”

Enjoy.

Kind of an odd mix this week, but hey, I’ve been in an odd mood.

First off, a novelty song which is currently topping the charts in France. A record producer did this as a joke for his friends, but it ended up being released and now is pumping out of speakers at every French beach this summer. It’s an African-dance-style tune about the headbutt (“coup de boule“) by French footballer Zidane that ended up directly contributing to their World Cup loss to Italy. Sample lyric: “Zidane, il l’a frappé, la Coupe, on l’a ratée…” (Zidane hit him, the Cup – missed it) La Plage – “Coup De Boule”

A double-shot of Muse for you, since I’ve been listening to them so much recently. First, a track from their previous album, Absolution (and was most recently used in the final episode of Doctor Who Confidential–as those of you watching it with me when I heard it can attest…OK, I squeed a bit. Shaddap.) Muse – “Hysteria.”

Second from Muse, as requested, a copy of the song whose video I posted recently: Muse – “Knights of Cydonia.” This, of course, is the current single from their new album, Black Holes and Revelations, which you need to go get right now.

Everybody knows Wang Chung, either from the ubiquitous 80s single “Dance Hall Days”, or the later attempt at godawful pop, “Everybody Have Fun Tonight (Everybody Wang Chung Tonight)”. I was a huge fan of Wang Chung…the early stuff was very cool, kinda dark synth-wave. The album featuring “Dance Hall Days”, Points on a Curve is great, and they followed it with the soundtrack to To Live and Die In L.A., which was absolutely brilliant (I’m especially a fan of the second side, which featured pure instrumental tracks). Then they went Pop. They put out the album Mosaic, which included that “Everybody” song, which was fairly popular. Bleah. End of story, for most folks. They did attempt a return to their earlier sound, with 1989’s The Warmer Side of Cool, which included a single which got some airplay. I loved it, but since it wasn’t “Everybody Wang Chung Part 2”, it failed to hit with the general population. Here is that single: Wang Chung – “Praying To A New God.”

While we’re on the subject of the 80s — Local Lawrence band The Harvey Girls have released an EP of 80s covers, Our History is Your Kitsch. It’s really good stuff, and if you go to their website, you can download the whole thing for free. Here’s a track from the EP, which is a good example of how good this stuff is: The Harvey Girls – “White Wedding.”

Another new band that I’ve discovered in the past week, who I admit I first listened to purely on the basis of their name: The Victorian English Gentlemens Club – “Stupid As Wood.” They’ve got a website as well, where you can hear other songs. Check ’em out.

More Midlake, for the folks who have told me that they really love it. The album, The Trials of Van Occupanther, is now out. Go get it. Midlake – “It Covers The Hillside.”

Earlier this week, I discovered that the song “Kiss Kiss” by Stella Soleil, which I like and posted a bit ago…..is actually a cover. Sort of. It has entirely new lyrics, but uses the music from a 1999 Turkish pop song, which I heard for the first time on some World-music show on KJHK on Monday night. Now that I’ve heard the original, I actually prefer it: Tarkan – “Simarik.”

Sticking with the sort-of Middle-eastern vibe for our last selection, this is a track from DJ Cut Chemist’s new album, The Audiences Listening, which uses Middle-eastern instrument samples and more. Very cool: Cut Chemist – “The Garden.”

Enjoy.

New Scissor Sisters!!! I’ve been sitting on this one since downloading it last Saturday, and there were several times this week when I thought about doing a special weekday music post just so I could share my enthusiasm for it — the Scissor Sisters have a new album coming this September, called “Ta-Da”, and this is the first single from it. I am ecstatic to report that it’s just as brilliant as the tracks on their self-titled debut, and that they’ve maintained the “every cool sound from the 70s put into a blender and time-machined into the 21st century” feel of their music: Scissor Sisters – “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing.” Ironically titled, dontcha know, because hearing it, I do. I really, really do.

A double-shot of Japanese hip-hop for : These are two tracks from the Japanese group The Teriyaki Boyz, produced by (and featuring as a guest) Pharell from the Neptunes. They both appear on the soundtrack for “Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” — a movie which I have not seen, but will probably catch when it comes to HBO or something, if only to jazz to the electro-urban Japanese soundtrack, and to marvel at how the little kid from “Sling Blade” turned into a driver in illegal street races. Teriyaki Boyz – “Cho Large,” and Teriyaki Boyz – “Tokyo Drift.”

Staying in Japan for a moment, here’s a track from the third soundtrack release for “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” — and I have to say that I absolutely love the music from this series, maybe even a bit more than I like the actual show. This is the best track from the album, in my opinion: Yoko Kanno (Featuring Gabriela Robin) – “Torukia.”

My recent post about Steely Dan touring with Michael McDonald got me thinking — not about Steely Dan, oddly, but about my favorite Michael McDonald song. It’s a song that he wrote while he was with the Doobie Brothers, and was pretty much the last big single that they had before breaking up and McDonald going solo. I really love this song — I love the poetry of the lyrics most of all: “He came from somewhere back in her long ago….The sentimental fool don’t see…Tryin hard to recreate what had yet to be created once in her life .” The Doobie Brothers – “What A Fool Believes.”

One of my favorite “writing soundtracks” is the soundtrack to “Ocean’s 12” –a very cool collection of retro-sounding caper-film riffs. I actually had the album long before I saw the movie….Unfortunately, this is one of those circumstances where the soundtrack was FAR better than the film. The film certainly isn’t awful, but it wasn’t great…and the soundtrack is brilliant. Check this track out: David Holmes – “165 Million Plus Interest (Into) The Round Up.”

Speaking of retro-sounding caper-film riffs — I’m a big fan of the “Acid Jazz” genre: modern composition that mixes traditional jazz with electronica and hip-hop-inspired beats and sounds. This is a track from 1995, by Ronny Jordan, which features Japanese turntablish DJ Krush (whom I’ve posted before) providing the beats, and a very “finger-snappin’ beat-poetry” spoken word voice-over by Dana Bryant. Very cool: Ronny Jordan (feat. DJ Krush and Dana Bryant) – “The Jackal.”

As a change of mood, here’s a nifty bit of work by the UK band Maximo Park (whose single, “Once A Glimpse”, I’ve posted before). I still haven’t picked up the whole album yet — but, given how much I liked the earlier single, and now this one, I really should: Maximo Park – “The Coast is Always Changing.”

Another one of my favorite tracks by DJ Shadow — and this is one of those where I actually prefer the remix to the original. This remix features Mos Def, whom I’ve raved about on many occasions. DJ Shadow (feat. Mos Def) – “Six Days (remix)”

There you go. Enjoy.