Eric B. & Rakim- Microphone Fiend

Eric B & Rakim - Microphone Fiend
Uploaded by hiphopmomo

Me>Universal

(anyway, very little time today, but there it is. hopefully it doesn't fuck with anybody's browser)

The Birthday Party - Junkyard

Murray Hewitt wonders how Nick Cave's career would have went without the hair gel.



All sorts of fun and abrasive stuff in this video to enjoy or hate or laugh at or whatever.

Edward Elgar, Nimrod from Engima Variations

More Elgar this week. Here is a movement from his Engima Variations, a piece he composed as a set of 14 variations on a theme, each movement meant to represent a friend of his.

The Pop Group - She is Beyond Good and Evil

This one's for Aaron especially - I see your Can, McQuillin, and I raise you a Pop Group. (I didn't even realize when I posted it, but it's the same cracker-ass cracker. He gets around.)

Tangle Eye - Parchman Blues

Son House yesterday made me think of the Tangle Eye album, which is composed of new instrumental tracks set to vocal takes from old Alan Lomax prison/collection records. I like it, even though it's forced sometimes, and I've been listening to it today.

Son House - Death Letter Blues & Bonus: Tallest Man On Earth - King of Spain

First, Son House:



I saw Kristian Matsson, better known as "Tallest Man on Earth," at the Triple Door on Monday. He's short -- maybe 5-foot-8. (I'll get to Son House in a minute.) He played an electric acoustic guitar (as opposed to the acoustic guitar on the Shallow Grave LP), which was jarring at first but was appropriate for the rather spacious venue. It was an outstanding set -- we heard nearly everything from the LP plus a few new tunes, including King of Spain (taken here from a Jan. '09 show):



(For the record, the crowd at the Triple Door approved of the explicit reference to Dylan. And he really can't stand still when he's up on stage.)

He closed his encore with Death Letter Blues, played hard and fierce and, I thought, just a little ballsy for a guy who is making his way as a songwriter. It very nearly outshined his own material, which, of course, is the danger. Then he signed autographs and spoke with concert-goers by the merch table for at least a half hour after the show ended. We asked him to sign a poster and a vinyl copy of the record and talked for a little while about his tour. To everyone he spoke with he seemed gracious and humble and unassuming and really I'm just saying he's the best. Heart.

(He's playing in Chicago on April 5 at some place called Schubas, Aarons and Obles.)

Can - Vitamin C

It's time for something a little fun. Those Germans can do anything!

Bird & Dizzy- Hot House

Toots and the Maytals - Love Is Gonna Let Me Down

This came up on the ipod today, and I ended up listening to it like 5 times in a row, for whatever reason. So I guess I sort of have to post it, right?

Edward Elgar, Cello Concerto

Elgar is most famous for his Pomp and Circumstance (graduation march). This recording of his Cello Concerto features Jacqueline Du Pre who is probably the most famous performer of the work.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Roulette

The Three Mile Island incident happened about a week after I was born, and this was the Boss's response. The song is incredibly prescient given the subsequent events that would happen in Pripyat 7 years later, even being written from the point of view of a fireman (firemen bore the brunt of the direct impact from Chernobyl, and no one told them a fucking thing about what they were facing as they climbed among the ruined structure, while bits of the naked reactor poured thousands of röntgen per hour into their unprotected bodies.)

Mekons - Wild & Blue

The Mekons. Night.

Dan Deacon - Build Voice

I really, really like his new album.



(Be patient with it, the audio builds gradually over the first 15 or so seconds.)

k-the-i???, Lead the Floor

What? Can't I post something different for a change? I defer to Eric whether this is 'good', but I like it well enough...

INI- Step Up

I was going to do an Eric Dolphy cut off "Last Date", which featured Misha Mengelberg, then make the whole "Bolo Zenden is awesome" tie in. But fuck it, I'm not posting an 11 minute track. So, um, yea, this is off "Center of Attention", an album by Pete Rock and a bunch of "some dudes", basically. The Dutch tie in here is that I once listened to this album in Friesland. Alright, that's a pretty lame tie in. Whatever.

The Dells - I Can Sing a Rainbow/Love Is Blue

Couldn't find this on the youtubes, so I will try something different.

*crosses fingers that this doesn't crash the site for anyone*

Edit: I'ma take off the embedded one and just post a direct link. For Craig.

Here.

Ravel, Bolero

More Ravel this week. Bolero is by far his most famous composition. The same melody is played over and over again for seventeen minutes, a little louder each time.

Funkadelic - You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks

Well after that thing there's only one remedy, and that is to get funkay

Fred Astaire & Cyd Charisse - Girl Hunt Ballet from The Band Wagon

Yeah, we're doin' this.

The Clash - Clampdown

I wanted something with a little muscle today and, given little time to prepare a post, decided to go with a staple.

Fol Chen - No Wedding Cake

I told you this would happen, I told you...

Jorge Ben- Camisa 10 Da Gávea

Jorge Ben is a big Flamengo fan, and this is a song about their best ever player, Zico. I'd considered doing a Jorge Ben song last week, and then I read it was Zico's birthday the next day, which pretty much sealed the deal on this. Nowhere near the best song of his, but fuck it, the only way this could be more awesome is if it somehow incorporated the ABA. But you knew I'd say that.

Maurice Ravel, Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

Here is a concerto by early 20th century composer Maurice Ravel. He wrote it for a famous concert pianist who lost his right hand in the WWI. The entire piano part is written for one hand, as the title suggests.

A Tribe Called Quest - I Left My Wallet in El Segundo (Vampire Mix)

Hat tip to Eric for putting the suggestion in my head. The spin that I'll put on it is that I actually like the remix version better than the original. Yes, I said those words and no, I'm not ashamed of them. I like the reggaefication and the Spanish horn stabs in this version.

Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons

Elvis Perkins in Dearland - I Heard Your Voice In Dresden

This has been on steady rotation for me since I picked it up about a month ago. It's Elvis Perkins (of course), but this time he's backed by a full band.

Röyksopp - Happy Up Here

Real life space invaders? Fuck... YES...

The Square Roots- Common Dust

So, tonight is the first night with The Roots as Jimmy Fallon's house band which is just...ugh. But here's something from their often overlooked first album, "Organix", when The Roots were still square. Mostly because 90% of their other stuff seems to have embedding disabled. So, fuck you, Universal Music Group.

Neko Case - Furnace Room Lullaby

I haven't had a chance to listen to the new one yet, but tonight I am finally going to make a point of sitting down and enjoying. Meanwhile,



Also, a closing-in-on-30 ROY candidate!