listen.

not ALL idahoans are despicable, lying, self-loathing republican hypocrites!

some are. Senator Larry Craig, for example.  After decades of rumors and allegations of homosexuality, concurrent with a senatorial track record that gives the most conservative congresspersons a run for their money in terms of supporting legislation that has contributed to an environment of intolerance and oppression of gays, Craig got caught in an airport bathroom trying to have an "encounter" with a plainclothes cop.

now. i have complicated feelings about this. i'm troubled by cops actively hunting down gays, even though i don't think anyone should be having sex in public restrooms. i'm troubled by the fact that much of the national dialogue on this will probably focus more on the fact that he was trying to have gay (read: perverted) sex than on the hypocrisy of this in relation to his anti-gay voting record. i'm troubled by the fact that no one will point out that some of the responsibility for gay men looking for sex in bathrooms has to rest on the society that doesn't really want to let them have sex in their own bedrooms.

but i still think larry craig is a pathetic liar.  and i feel the need to say that he doesn't represent all idahoans.  some idahoans are self-respecting idahomos (like me), and some idahoans make REALLY GOOD MUSIC.

so i'll end the tirade here, and move onto some good tracks from native idahoans:

i'd actually never heard of Josh Ritter until last week, which is sort of strange considering he's currently based in Moscow, Idaho which is about 30 minutes from where I went to high school.  Anyway, pretty straightforward good folky country.  I read somewhere this song got really popular in Ireland, which makes a weird sort of sense.

Josh Ritter - Me and Jiggs

speaking of high school, one of my favorite albums of last year was from the portland duo horse feathers -- frontman justin ringle was a friend of mine in high school and post-high school, before i moved to nyc and he moved to portland.  it's a pretty genius album (entitled "words are dead") and i love this song in particular.

Horse Feathers - Walking and Running

and it's basically impossible to have a post about idaho musicians without mentioning built to spill.  these are two of their older tracks: one about young love in twin falls, idaho; the other an epic masterpiece from their best (in my opinion) album "perfect from now on".  it includes one of my favorite lines of theirs: "we're special in other ways. ways our mothers appreciate."

Built to Spill - Twin Falls

Built to Spill - Kicked it in the Sun

and then doug martsch, the built to spill frontman, did a solo album a few years back. it's really good. all folky slide guitar and the like.

Doug Martsch - Dream

go idaho!

>ben

wednesday = friendsday

sometimes we get a little busy with our non-blogging lives here at listen.  (how does one become a professional music blogger? can we send our resumes somewhere?)  so today we get by with a little help from our friends.

with some more melancholy covers!

derek "ice man" r. turned us onto another sad bowie cover (so much thematic unity here!) from one of our favorite modern troubadours, M. Ward.

M. Ward - Let's Dance (David Bowie)

and julia "i like my yoga hot" h. showed us the way with a sad version of the already sad Jackson Browne-penned, Nico-popularized These Days.  This one from St. Vincent.

St. Vincent - These Days (Jackson Browne/Nico)

A few more we'll throw into the mix:

Antony and the Johnsons cover Beyonce (you heard me right).  Both of us Listen.ers (and Ms. Julia H.!) actually saw him perform this with the Brooklyn Philharmonic back in March, but this version is from Sweden I think.

Antony and the Johnsons - Crazy in Love (Beyonce)

Nina Simone takes on Leonard Cohen's Suzanne. and it hurts. a lot. in the good way.

Nina Simone - Suzanne (Leonard Cohen)

and to wrap it all up -- a slightly more upbeat one -- the theme song for today!

Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 - With a Little Help from my Friends

i figured out why you never see feist and janice in the same room at the same time:

THEY ARE THE SAME PERSON!!!

so feist appeared on letterman the other night and gave every little music lover a chubby because she was backed up by a chorus of clapping bedazzled arm band wearing rockers -- new pornographers, mates of state, broken social scene, the national and bearforce 1 - um, i mean grizzly bear --   she did (as you can see for yourself) a rockin' 1234 with horns and a banjo. 

i mean you throw in some bango and brass and i am a happy, happy man.

as i was watching it however i realized feist is janice from the muppet show. 

i'll let you be the judge --

SEE?

i proudly rest my case.

and to celebrate here are a few versions of the rainbow connection
(you'll notice the kermit version is missing -- i'll send that tonight - i have the muppet movie soundtrack at home)

the carpenters -
she sort changes some of the lyrics in little ways -- random.
also - the scary chorus at the end? it's like the song is peacefully coming and then - BAM! -  scary sopranos!

Download The_Rainbow_Connection..mp3

judy collins.
sigh. i love judy collins.

Download 1The_Rainbow_Connection.mp3

kiki and herb.
it speaks for it self.  it kind of goes crazy at the end and hits a brick wall of showtunes. 

Download The_Rainbow_Connection.mp3

so expect some kermit action later (YEAH!)

geo

you didn't even know you WANTED a laidback late summer d-d-dance jam

but then Junior Senior charmed you with their new single, Can I Get Get Get, from their new album Hey Hey My My Yo Yo!  (word repetition theirs, exclamation point mine).  If you're skeptical at first, stick around for the glorious shimmery harmonies in the chorus at 0:38. they just might win you over. this song makes me want to throw a burger (local grass-fed beef please) on the barbecue, crack open a Corona™, and start an impromptu patio dance party. too bad i don't have a patio or a barbecue. or even a Corona™, at the moment. One can always dream.

Junior Senior - Can I Get Get Get

For the video, apparently they invited their fans (I don't remember getting the memo, but oh well) to make home-made videos to the song and send them in, and then they edited their favorites together. here 'tis.

Does that guy on the Williamsburg Bridge look familiar to anyone else?

Also, just FYI, the little guy at the very beginning is "Junior" who I think plays most of the instruments, and the guy in the letterman's jacket in the desert is "Senior" who does most of the singing.  And likes dudes.

These two sang about their charming gay-straight pairing on their last album.

Junior Senior - Chicks and Dicks

<

Which sort of reminds me of when I was in a lo-fi duo (for about 5 minutes in '03) in Lewiston, Idaho with my friend Shon.  We called ourselves 100m Dash and did mostly covers, but we had a theme song which Shon wrote called Sorry, Ladies.  The chorus, sung by shon, went: "sorry ladies, i've got a girlfriend, and he likes your boyfriend."  we thought that was pretty clever.

Now.  Word on the street is that some people in my social circle aren't CRAZY about Can I Get Get Get, and for you, I offer another dance masterwork from another Scandinavian glorious shimmery pop outfit, also about wanting to explore something a bit further with someone who maybe doesn't seem quite as interested.  I have no idea what that must be like.

Abba - Take A Chance On Me

>ben

i hated her so much...it..there are flames...

a bunch of us boys watched CLUE last night and laughed a lot.   

anyway -- i had a plan for a monday post but clue has been floating about my brain and i kept singing this song to myself as i pedaled to work in this wonderfully breezy august weather.  so thanks to the extraordinary immediacy of itunes i am able to provide you all with the song!

The Crew Cuts - Sh-Boom!

and also a you tube link to mrs. white's true feelings about yvette...

and clue led us to think about an american werewolf in london  - which led me to think about some of the music in that movie
(the 20th anniversary of that film is happening in sept...)

especially the doo wop blue moon right after they shoot david at the end

The Marcels - Blue Moon!

and just for fun here's a little creedence clearwater revival and for a different type of fun i've attached a photo of david turning into a werewolf.  i mean who knew werewolves were so...you know...sigh.  at least that nurse got to have some fun before they shot him...
lucky nurse. lucky, lucky, LUCKY nurse....

where was i?

oh. bad moon rising!

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising

geo

speaking of somber covers...

When geo and I (and sean!) saw camera obscura at the seaport friday night, we were pleasantly surprised by the Brooklyn-based opening band, The Last Town Chorus.  At first we were perplexed by the fact that the entire band was seated, but then we realized that the frontwoman (Megan Hickey) plays the lap steel, which clearly requires her to sit down.  And when the frontwoman is sitting down, everyone else onstage better be, too.

They played a genius cover of David Bowie's modern love -- all countrified, slowed-down, gorgeous, and sultry.  Her voice makes me think of Cat Power and Joan as Police Woman, and that oozing lap steel calls to mind Brightblack Morning Light.  Good stuff.  Here's the album version of the bowie cover, from TLTC's new long-player, Wine Waltz.

The Last Town Chorus - Modern Love (David Bowie Cover)

And just for reference, here's Bowie's totally upbeat original.

David Bowie - Modern Love

And TLTC's ode to what might be my favorite non-homestate state, Oregon, from their first (eponymous) album.

The Last Town Chorus - Oregon

-ben

[Addendum: I was wrong. the TLTC Modern Love I've posted here is not the album version. It was recorded live on Minnesota Public Radio in May. Apologies. >b]

a day late...

but by no means a dollar short.

i figured you would all forgive me - how can one pass up a sunny friday with my bicycle(george of the jungle) and my friends(i forget their names).

we even checked out the new "park" down at N. 8th and Kent (in the 'burg).  now, i do not mean to seem ungrateful - because it is wonderful to be able to sit on a grass field and feel the breeze coming off the east river - but what is is with these williamsburg parks? have they never heard of trees or bushes or flowers?  sigh.  these feelings are mostly due to my pent up frustration from my gardening being confined to a patio on the BQE.  it's hard life i lead - and i only hope my courage will inspire others.

now onto the afor-promised  (we also get to make up words here at listen) songs.

i've got this swell camera obscura cover of the abba song super trouper it's kind of like the carpenters' ticket to ride -- i.e. in the running for MOST SOMBER COVER EVER EVER.  i LOVE it. they didn't sing it at the concert BUT they did rock - so i shan't complain.

Camera Obscura - Super Trouper

i was gonna throw another camera obscura b side at you -- but i am having technical difficulties with that track -- so here is a favorite of mine: lloyd, i'm ready to be heart broken.  one of the best song titles ever (in my opinion.) i feel like i know that mind set perfectly. bring it on, lloyd! i can take it - hell, i even WANT it. brake my heart...

(only i would have to insert a GIRL'S name...'cause i dig chicks...)(JK ROWLING)

Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heart Broken

and to make up for being a day late here is a little elvis presley for all you hip shakers.  viva las vegas.

now, not that i encourage this behavior - BUT- it is an amazing song to ride your bike to.

and/or play really loudly and dance to in your apt.  (i would not not say i've done both and enjoyed it greatly.)

Elvis Presley - Viva Las Vegas

i may have screwed up the links, etc. so please be kind. i shall try to fix it if i have (or ben will...)

enjoy - and get ready for some fun tunes this week..
here's clues as to what is in store:

some one's in the kitchen with her strummin' on the ol' banjo...

and advice for the obscurer...

geo

wherein we KICK.IT.OFF.

So geoffrey and I have started a music blog!  We are aggressively shirking any allegiance to a specific genre, or era, or level-of-attractiveness of musicians, or any other such criteria.  we're just going to post good music that we like, and talk about it.  And sometimes we'll show you pictures, and sometimes we'll talk about our lives in relation to this music, and sometimes we'll talk about music shows we go and see, and who knows what else we'll talk about.

But for now let's kick it off with a pair of totally disparate tracks which might begin to encapsulate the breadth of genres we'll be sharing with you.  In the future, we'll try for a little more aesthetic unity within posts, perhaps, but who knows.

First up, we've got Stevie Wonder's funkdafied interpretation of the Beatles' classic, We Can Work It Out, which I've been completely obsessed with of late. Work it out with me baby, indeed.

Stevie Wonder - We Can Work It Out

And then, a new upbeat little number from everyone's favorite homosexual-with-violin-and-looping-pedals, Owen Pallet, aka Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy - Flare Gun

So there you have it.  Some classic funky soul, some new indie rock, and a homosexual canadian to boot. that pretty much sums us up.

Geo may be writing later with some camera obscura for you (in honor of their performance at river2river tonight), but he just texted me and said he's laying in the park. Life must be really hard.

>ben