The Subject of Rap: Emmanuel Jal - "Warchild"

Child Soldiers. I've read numerous books on the subject. I've watched horribly graphic and horrid documentaries as well. It is a real and present problem in the world that is growing. In a culture that is full of self-centered hip-hop artists who sing about fame, money and women Emmanuel Jal, a Sudanese Hip-Hop artist and former child solider, brings with him both a depth and authenticity that is refreshing to the genre. He has something to sing about. It makes me think of Raps origins which can be found in the oral traditions and histories of Africa. Here are a few links to some resources about the issue of child soldiers if you are interested. Wikipedia. Amensty International. And here are some suggested readings. Children at War. A Long Way Gone. Here is a link to an interview with the author of Long Way Gone and a documentary on the issue. I warn you that it is pretty heavy stuff. Don't go there lightly. I studied this issue at university and it broke my heart then just as it still does today.

Emmanuel Jal - "Warchild"

Guilty Pleasures #1: Areosmith - "Back in the Sadle Again"

I have decided to start a series of posts that I will add to over time about different guilty pleasures of mine. I belive that the atmosphere in which you choose to listen to a particaular song can dramatically effect the listenability of a particualr work. There are certain songs that I wouldnt be caught dead listening to in any normal settting. However, there are exceptions to this - i.e. - Areosmith, which I pretent to loath, and their song "Back in the Saddle Again." I want to go ahead and appologize to any Areosmith fans out there. I mean no ill will. I just don't really like the band or the music that much - on your average day. Yet, their are times in my life when I want to rock out to this song. Important times in my life. Not your average day mind you, but times when you need a little mood music. Times like - the begging of a road trip for instance. Thoese are times when music like this is appropriate and dare I say even needed, or wanted.

Who am I kidding I crave this song at the beginning of a road trip. This and Gene Autry or a little Willy Nelson, Kenny Rogers, the Muppet's (maybe that's the really guilty pleasure)... It just fits. I can't explain it. I just know for a fact that it is true. It's cheesy. It's wrong. It's dirty. But it's the truth and I love it.

So without further adieu I give you Aerosmith, "Back in the Sadle Again."

And I am so ashamed. How about you guys out there in cyberland... what music is your guilty pleasure?

Areosmith - "Back in the Saddle Again"

Top 5 Bands I Can't Get Into, but wish I could.

The Top 5 Bands I Can't Get Into, but wish I could...

Now don't get me wrong people, I am not saying that I hate these bands, I really want to like these bands. I have tried very hard to get them under my skin. Each of the bands that I am about to mention I even think are great bands and have great songs, I just can't connect. In fact, there are several songs from each band that I love - if not adore. However, I just cant get into them no matter how much I wish I could.

Yet alas, as a band - as a collection of work - I just can't sit down and listen to a whole album by any of these, even though I want to, even though I ave tried. The old me even lied to people... "yeah! I love that band...'s one song - what ever the hell it's name was, great stuff. There from _________ (insert random place that sounds close or cool), right?"

I know, I know what you are thinking. And sadly it's true, I am not so cool after all. So in an attempt to redeem some of my dignity I have posted below one of my favorite songs from each of these bands. Just to show you that I am not totally closed minded. If any of you out there want to post your favorite songs, or even albums, by these guys feel free to comment on this post - please prove me wrong. Help me see the light! Or just join me and tell me your "Top Five Bands I can't get into, but wish I could."

So here they are...

Number 1: Dare I say it, Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love


Number 2: Dave Matthews - ummm...

Ok, I honestly can't think of any... sorry. I just don't care for good old Dave.


Number 3: Weezer - Buddy Holly (a little on the nose, I know)



Number 4: Bella & Sebastian



Number 5: Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit - I know... the obvious choice.

Pass the Drumsticks: Thanksgiving Jazz - Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis

There is just something about jazz music that makes it perfect for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. And it just so happens that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not just beacause jazz fits so perfectly into the the family mix and that it comes before I am totally sick of Christmas music, but also because it is not over commercialized. It is a holiday that still retains some of its original authenticity.

Because of this, I have chosen to provide everyone with a little thanksgiving jazz. There are two tracks that I have discovered which I am going to be spinning on Thanksgiving day: The first, "Autumn Leaves" by Miles Davis; the second, the Louis Armstron version of the Fats Waller song "All That Meat and No Potatos." I hope you enjoy both of them. I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving Day! Just remember to take a deep breath and don't try to fake it - be real people.

Louis Armstrong - "All That Meat and No Potatoes"



Miles Davis - "Autumn Leaves"

News Flash: I've Got a New Blog

Hello all, I just started another blog about non-music matters.  It's called "Searching for Authenticity."  Check it out by clicking here!  I truly hope you enjoy both of my blogs.  I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who has posted comments on this blog.  I have really enjoyed them and your involvement has inspired me to do the same on all of your blogs.  Thanks again. 

Erik Satie: Gnossienne No. 1 & No. 3

I am feeling somber today.  I have had a stream of odd dreams over the last few days from red gloves growing out of pies as they are cooked to my friend Michael and me attempting to stop an assassination attempt on Barak Obama.  Dreams are odd things.  I truly believe that they mean more than we give them credit for these days.  I need to start writing them down as soon as I wake up so I can think about them the next morning in all their detail.  You are probably asking yourself, "What does this have to do with music?"  

Well, it may be a looser connection than many of my posts,  but in short, these works my Erik Satie make me feel as if I am dreaming when I listen to them.  They are almost painfully slow, yet beautiful and enticing.  They draw out of me deep emotions, thoughts and images like dreams.  I can't really explain it, yet, it utterly captivates me. 

Another reason for this post has to do with classical music recordings.  I truly did not understand the importance of knowing several different recordings of a piece of music.  I had heard these pieces before but played at a much faster tempo.  For me hearing Erik Satie's work played at this  slow tempo made it come alive to me.  My favorite recording of this piece is by Branka Parlic.  I have posted a link to Gnossienne No. 1 (my favorite piece of the two, you should really check it out!) because the youtube poster disabled the embedding capability for that video, but not Gnossienne No. 3.   So enjoy them.  If you are interested you can click on the titles of each song (above) to hear the faster version I was talking about.  Both versions are good, but I really love the slower ones which you can find below. 

Gnossienne No. 1 (played by Branka Parlic) 

(Click Here for video)

Gnossienne No. 3 (played by Branka Parlic)

My Grandfather: Coldplay - "Fix You"

Well, last week was certainly weird.  I experienced a snapshot of life.  From the celebration of two new cousins births, to a wedding celebration, and lastly, my grandfather's funeral.  The range of emotions over the course of this weekend were, to say the least, extreme.  

Wednesday, November the 12th, my Grandfather passed away after years of struggling with Alzheimer's. I write this post with a mix of emotions, not knowing really were to begin.  Funerals are funny things. 

It was hard watching my grandmother touch the cold hands of her deceased husband, and it was even harder to watch her touch his cheek and run her hands through his hair.  But I watched mesmerized as she touched her fingers from her lips to his time and time again which sent my mind racing back in time to when they first kissed so many years ago.  And then to their wedding day.  It was both the most beautiful and painful thing I have ever seen at the same time.

The funeral continued on and many remarks were made telling of the various qualities and eccentricities of my grandfather.  How he could fix anything.  How if you asked him if he wanted a scoop ice cream he would always say, "I believe I will."  Then one of these remarks caught my heart more than any of the others.  It was about how he would often have a glimmer of a tear in his eye as he would listen to his classical music.  Up until that point I had held it together, not that I was even trying, it was at that point that I felt my bottom lip pulled uncontrollably down and out from me, my facial muscles beyond any control, the tears streaming from my eyes.  As I sat and listened, I realized though I have surely have been told before, how much I am like my grandfather.  And how much I miss him. 

Though he had been gone for a long, long time because of Alzheimer's, his body had not left, and therefore the emotions of that loss had been lying in wait.   I remember after I returned from London and I saw my grandfather for the first time in months.  He looked up at me and smiled warmly, walked over to me reached out his hand and said "How do you do? I'm Joe." To which I responded "I'm good Joe, nice to meet you."  As I talked to him later I told him that he reminded me of someone, someone that I had the highest respect for, to which he just smiled and winked.  Time slips away from us so quickly.  There is so much I wanted to learn from him, to continue to learn from him.  And while sitting on that pew thinking back over the years, I realized that I am still learning from him and that I always will be. 

I love you, granddaddy.  I will miss you.  This is for you.

Coldplay - "Fix You"

"Fix You" sung by Young At Heart

Building Bridges: Gnarles Barkely, Radiohead and Christopher O'Riley

As many of  you know, I absolutely love the band Radiohead.   Perhaps even more of you wonder why.  To explain my love I could try to show you the pervasive operatic themes the permeate their melodies, or the deep electronic rhythms and organic beats that create the foundation for their music, the catchy guitar riffs, or even the significance of their experimental music that influences other musicians today - but none of that would really matter to many of you, would it.  Nope, didn't think so.  So I am going to try a different approach.  

When introducing your ear to new music, I am a firm believer in building bridges.  Mostly because that is how I have come to love certain types of music I once hated.

In this case, I am attempting to build a bridge to the band Radiohead - whom many just simply find "scary" or "weird."  I have selected the song "Reckoner" as a starting point off of their near perfect album "In Rainbows" from 2007.   Reckoner is a simple and powerful song that has very operatic vocal harmonies and lots of soul.  I am posting two versions of this song for your listening enjoyment.  The first is a cover by the band Gnarls Barkley - you remember, they did that absolutely amazing song, "Crazy," a few summers back; and secondly, the original version by Radiohead.  Both versions of this song are awesome.  Gnarles Barkey opens up the music of Radiohead to their audience and in turn introduces Radiohead fans to the alternative soul scene.  It is a two way street.  Not only has Gnarls Barkley covered songs by Radiohead, but so has the classical pianist and host of "From the Top" on NPR, Christopher O'Riley.  There is also his version of "Exit Music for a Film" written  by Radiohead after both versions of "Reckoner."  It is one of the ways I was first introduced to classical music, along with films I have mentioned in previous posts.  I hope you enjoy all of them. 

With all of that said.  I just want to leave you with one thought about building bridges.  In music, as I just illustrated , different types of listeners can be introduced into new types of music.  I truly believe that music is not the only medium that this phenomena occurs.  It happens with cultures, it happens with ethnicities, or at least has the ability to.  So I encourage all of you to not only stretch your musical pallet and explore the many different forms and genres that music takes around the world, but to also to get out there and met someone different than you.  Whether it be culturally, economically, or even politically explore someone else point of view and see what makes them tick.  In the end you may learn more about yourself than the other person.  Celebrate the diversity and the freedom we have to express it, especially here in the good ol' US of A!  Don't hate what you don't understand or even what you may disagree with - in the end the hate and demonization of those with whom you disagree accomplishes little.  However, what does accomplish something is reaching across aisle because it builds bridges.  

Gnarles Barkely - "Reckoner"

Radiohead - "Reckoner"

Christopher O'Riley - "Exit Music for a Film"

Radiohead - "Exit Music for a Film"

Listening Seasonally: Damien Rice - "The Blowers Daughter"

I truly believe that different styles of music, much like clothing or types of food, are best in different seasons.  It's an eating thick hearty stews in the fall as opposed to salads in the summer kinda thing.   Musically there are sounds that just fit cold windy days and nights.  My meat and potatoes of this time of year create sounds the totally surround you.  Bands like Radiohead, Damien Rice, Snow Patrol and Sigur Ros just feel right in this weather.  Bands like the Beach Boys or Bob Marley just seem out of place.  Their open airy sound just lets in a draft.  

While I am exaggerating of course, I really do listen to different types of music year round - even the Beach Boys,  there are just certain types of music that fit during different times of the year.  Around this time of year I mentally put pack up and put away a lot of my light "warm weather collection" and unpack the heavier stuff from my "cold weather collection" from seasons past.  Then I put them on as I would a warm sweater, sip my hot cocoa, and celebrate the arrival of the colder weather. 

Coincidence or not, most of the artists I love during this time of year come from England, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, etc... you know the colder places.  In the summer I find myself diving deep into the warmer climates of Africa or South America.  While there are blaring exceptions to this trend or maybe I am crazy, I do often find this to be true.  

So today, in my ode to fall mood, I'm listening to one of my seasonal favorites "The Blowers Daughter" by the Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice from his debut album "O" in 2002. 

"The Blowers Daughter"