listen.

all hallow's eve!

The Festival of Hallowe'en is a celebration of the end of the fertile period of the Celtic Goddess Eiseria.
It is said that when Eiseria reaches the end of her fertile cycle the worlds of the dead and the living interlap. This happens on October 31. Masks are worn to show respect for the Goddess Eiseria who, like most Celtic deities, does not wish to be seen with human eyes.

fun, no?

halloween is probably my favorite holiday. i love pumpkin flavored things. i like scary movies. i like carving jack-o-lanterns. i like costumes and i LOVE zombie makeup. it's like a giant grand slam of fun.

what are you all going to be for halloween? i'm going as the salmon of knowledge.

despite all my love for halloween -after a little search of my music library it appears i have no true "halloween" themed songs.
alas.

BUT!

i do have a few songs with the word WITCH in them. and they are all good songs!

sooooo let's listen. to them!

witchcraft. ella fitzgerald.
sure this is a frank sinatra staple. but ella's version is good. a gentle jazzy lounge swing. 

The Mistress Witch from McClure (or, The Mind That Knows Itself), sufjan stevens
such a pretty little sufjan song (and for the record, hipster olympiad, this is the first sufjan we've posted.)

They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!
to celebrate that -- let's post another sufjan song - because it mentions ZOMBIES!

Witches Promise, Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull and autumn go so well together.

Season of the Witch, Donovan
donovan rocks. when i was little my siblings and i used to play my mom's old donovan records all the time. 

and for good measure:

vertical thoughts 5

i found this song while doing a Space Camp with CollaborationTown all about Nightmares.  we were working heavily with Edgar Allen Poe stories and doing all these exercises in an old church in the dark, with some flash lights. we used to use this song. it's crazy and WICKED creepy. it is by the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players & Stephen Mosko.

if i were having a halloween party i would get a cd player, hide it in my bathroom and play it on repeat.

FUN!

and because i love the tell tale heart:

happy halloween!
g
aka
the salmon of knowledge

sing it, sister

i think we've got a good thing going here with all this old-school gospel, so I'm sticking with it.  because it's so good. and then maybe we can let that take us toward some soul/gospel from the 60s. who's with me??

first, a few tracks from Harry Smith's 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, which is this incredible collection of almost 100 songs from the '20s and '30s: gospel, roots, bluegrass, etc.  it's completely out of control, and deserves way more than the cursory mention i'm giving it here. it's a masterpiece.  expect more later.  and here's a totally adorable picture of harry:

so to start, this recording of Rev. Sister Mary Nelson totally blows my mind. Listen to her voice!  no seriously, listen to it. please. this was recorded in chicago in 1927. Mary was a Pentecostal preacher in Tennessee.  she's really not fucking around:

the gambler the drunkard, the liar, and the adulterous too
well all these false pretenders, and all them hypocrites too
better get ready for judgement, better get ready for judgement morning
better get ready for judgement, my god is coming down

and i love her backup singers.

Rev. Sister Mary Nelson, Judgement

according to the notes accompanying the anthology, Texan Blind Willie Johnson (1900-1949) was blinded at age seven when lye was thrown in his face.  intense.  and then in 1949 his house caught fire, which he survived, but he got wet, developed pneumonia, and then died when the hospital wouldn't take him in because he was black.  good lord.

this call-and-response was recorded in 1930 with his wife Angeline on backup. his pipes are just about as gravelly as Sister Mary Nelson's.  amazing.  and I love the contrast with Angeline's sweet voice.

Blind Willie Johnson, John the Revelator

one last one from the Anthology: this one recorded in Chicago in 1928, "vocal quartet with guitars, tambourine, and clapping".  so good, with such a great build!

The Elders McIntorsh and Edwards' Sanctified Sisters, Since I Laid My Burden Down

next stop: MAHALIA JACKSON. pretty much universally regarded as the greatest gospel singer ever. i love this picture.

both of these songs are amazing. what a voice. i particularly love her "when the saints," recorded in 1958. not sure when "walk in jerusalem" is from.

Mahalia Jackson, When the Saints Go Marching In
Mahalia Jackson, Walk In Jerusalem

we'll end with a couple tracks from volume 2 of the Soul Gospel series that came out recently.

here's Martha Bass singing on the joys of being born again. Martha's daughter Fontella is also totally amazing, and did that hit "Rescue Me".

Martha Bass, Since I Been Born Again

and finally, from 1978 (you can totally hear the disco influence), the New York Community Choir. more call-and-response.  and love those tight harmonies on the verses!

NYCC, I'll Keep a Light in My Window

doesn't that one just make you want to put a candle in your window, and then bust a move?

god, there's so much more, but I think we'll have to leave it at that for today. enjoy.

>ben

i hear music in the air

today boys and girls let's celebrate folk music, shall we?

maybe we'll start with a little old school gospel.
i used to work at this great little cafe - taralluci e vine on 10th and 1st.
and regulars would make us mix cd's -- usually on a theme

i was (and still am) big into old gospel/folk/bluegrass
and one regular made me some AMAZING old gospel mixes.
and we are talking - small town -- revival -- let's sing our love for the lord.
(let is be known that i am not some born-again-revivalist and all spiritual beliefs aside - these songs can be appreciated simply as music)

above my head, i hear music in the air - the southern sons

i love the title of this song (i love the song too.) talk about a different time? these dudes are an amazing quartet.

milky white way - the trumpeteers

aren't they great songs? anyway - the main reason i am posting today is to celebrate

OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW
an (attractive) group of bluegrass/folk musicians from nashville.

i'm sure you've heard of them -- they've got two great albums out:
O.C.M.S. and BIG IRON WORLD.
(sadly they don't come to nyc too often) (dudes - if somehow you see this....please come again...pretty please.)

anway - they sing a lot of amazing old folk songs -- and i want to share some of them and some older versions of them -- i enjoy these songs - similar to my love for standards -- these songs belong to the people and are ours to sing - and be interpreted by so many artists from so many generations. it has so little to do with copywright and mp3's and royalty fees.
it's about life - and sharing our stories - and (most importantly) sharing it through song.
here are some good ones:

tell it to me

tell it to me, the tenneva ramblers

this is The Tenneva Ramblers - i love it.  recordings like this are a time capsule.

such a bizarre song. or rather i never sang folk songs about cocaine killing my honey-dear.

union maid

union maid, judy collins and pete seeger

judy collins and pete seeger singing this at a woodie guthrie tribute. i like how they sing slightly different lyrics while they sing together.

cc rider

easy rider, odetta

the odetaa version is soooo good. i really like the slight title change. i also have rockin versions by elvis and ella f.  wait for 3:40 when she sings about being a catfish. such. a. good. song.

down home girl

down home girl, the rolling stones

the is from the stones' album The Rolling Stones, Now! they do a lot of old blues stuff on it. it's an album you should totally check out.

okay. i have to stop now -- or i am going to share all there songs.

they are such an awesome band -- if you don't already listen to them -- go get one of their albums.

peace
geo

trouble in mind

oh mercury in retrograde!  thwarting my plans for a wonderful Old Crow Medicine Show post....alas... you all will have to wait a few more days.
i know you can't stand it -- but be strong.

so in lieu of that post i bring you TROUBLE IN MIND.

now, as you are probably well aware - i rather enjoy various versions of standards/folk songs, etc. and if you ever received a mix from me  - you know i like interspersing several great versions of a rad song on mixes.

that being said -- for your enjoyment here are several versions of this amazing blues song:

TROUBLE IN MIND

"trouble in mind, that's true
i have almost lost my mind
life ain't worth livin' - feel like I could die.
i'm gonna lay my head on some lonesome railroad track
let the 219 train ease my troubled mind"

does it get better than singin' the blues?

Trouble in mind, Aretha Franklin

Trouble in Mind, Johhny Cash

Trouble in Mind, Dinah Washington

i totally underappreciate dinah washington. she is simply amazing.

and my two faves:

Trouble in Mind, Ella Fitzgerald
i love a lot of musical instruments and the electric organ is definitely high on the list (probably below accordion and above harpsichord (( i like variations of the piano the way i enjoy variations of a coffee maker)))

trouble in Mind, Nina Simone

from her live in newport album. Dammit. this song is just a masterpiece. from her "let's go boys!" to the band right up to her "bam bam bam - YEAH....allright" at the end - i am with her.

remember as the songs says:

you won't be blue always. The sun is gonna shine through your back door someday.
g

as a corollary - somehow, for me, this belle & sebastian song has been linked with trouble in mind.  So I am sharing it  as well-- like a nice wine and cheese pairing.

big john shaft

---------------------
and we've FINALLY been able to tally the BYE BYE BLACKBIRD: rock the vote!
a record number of you (NINE PEOPLE!) voted.
and it looks like liza won (I know a certain babrablogger who is very happy...)

those unison voices in your head

so, i've been meaning for a while to write a post about the use of double-tracked unison lead vocals.  which might sort of be like writing a post about "the use of the acoustic guitar", or "the use of piano", seeing as how it's not all THAT uncommon (though admittedly, less common than the acoustic guitar or the piano), but still.  when it's done well, the effect can be truly intense, lush and beautiful. 

not that i know a whole lot about the process, but it's basically when a singer records two takes of a melody and layers them on top of each other, so the slight differences in nuance or inflection add a real texture to the line. it's one of my favorite things, and three of my fave bands of late (all previously featured on listen.) have used it to great effect. it's best appreciated on headphones!

First of all, i refuse to stop inundating you all with the gorgeous music of Horse Feathers. [side note: i just discovered HF's daytrotter session, which included alternate takes of two of my favorite songs from the album, and two unreleased tracks. please go, listen, download, enjoy.]  Justin double-tracks his vocals a lot on the album, and this song is double-tracked throughout.  it's another of my faves from the album, and probably my favorite when we saw them live: at their most dynamic and intense.

horse feathers, falling through the roof

loney, dear is another recent discovery-then-obsession, and he does a lot of double-tracking. it's interesting on this song because the double-tracking comes in and out pretty subtly. i hear it first about 0:37 in on "i've been counting on it since ten".  then of course on "time, i had a chance, i had a chance..." it's pretty in-your-face. beautifully so. anyway:

loney, dear, the meter marks ok

and i'll try and spare you the redundancy of how much i generally love sleeping states (see here, here, and here) but this is my favorite song from the new album.  except i can't listen to it without feeling (more than) a tad melancholy.  it's all about the beginning of a new relationship, promising to take it slow:

i won't rush things, i'll be your friend first.
i'll take you out for lunch and i'll ask you those things i forget:
like, would you like to go for a walk? and,
would you like to take my hand?
and i'm asking you, please? come on, please? 

Of all these songs i'm posting today the double-tracking is probably most obvious on this one because Markland's voice is SO front-and-center in the mix, it's like he's singing inches from your ear. you can hear him open his mouth before he starts each line.  and then, on the second refrain of "please..." (which he hears back from the chap he's courting), the double-tracking multiplies and expands into full harmony. gorgeous. heartbreaking. genius.

sleeping states, the next step

i really can't do a post about double-tracked vocals without including the song that first introduced me to the concept, and which, as far as i'm concerned, is still one of the gold standards for the effect. i could go on and on about the beauty of this song (not to mention the entire album), but instead i'll just say that Jeff Mangum's precision in singing unison with himself is kind of mindblowing.  and the part at the end when the double-tracking (like in the sleeping states song above) expands into a multi-part harmony is amazing. one of my favorite songs of all time.

neutral milk hotel, king of carrot flowers part 1

>ben

covers for friday

boy and girls.

this heat and humidity? sigh.

you know what we need?

COVERS!!!

am i right, or am i RIGHT?

(this may or may not be because i just keep listen.ing to the songs from the melancholia post and all the new amazing barbra that was brought into my life...)

anyway. put your heart on your sleeve and get ready to FEEL.

hearts and bones, jessica molasky
the AMAZING jonathan schwartz brought this AMAZING song into my life on his AMAZING saturday/sunday show on wnyc.  he rocks and so does jessica molasky.  i wish mr. schwartz was my uncle - and we could meet up for lunch - or go see a concert somewhere every once and a while.  i digress: he said, and i agree, that not many people can cover paul simon - for most people can't convey all the emotion needed for his songs  - except ms. molasky and this cover.
tonight: pour a glass of wine, dim the lights and put this song on repeat. 
"why won't you love me for who i am, where i am?
that's not the way the world is baby..."

LIFE!

god only knows, john pizzarelli
coincidentally - ms. molasky's husband (life partner? not sure what their technical definition is) and this past may they were at the OAK ROOM. alas tickets were about $70 with a two drink minimum.... if they ever read this - you guys are amazing and if you feel like doing a show at pete's candy store in williamsburg - it would be packed. and i would be the happiest boy in the world. 

and this song? gorgeous.

hey jude, ella fitzgerald
goddammit. jordan actually threatened to hit ella in the mouth for singing this amazing cover. what a song. let her into your heart jude. do it. for ella.

a case of you, diana krall
i could drink a case of you and still be on my feet. oh joni. my life will not be complete until i give joni (and now diana) a hug.

angel of the morning, nina simone
less of a cover and more of a standard.
i'm old enough to face the dawn.
the most poetic walkin-home-after-a-hook-up song ever. period.

and for good measure - here is the feist video for my moon, my man:

have a good friday!

g

Guest listen.er mateo with the BARBRABLOG you've been waiting for!!

Hello, listeners, guest poster Mateo here.  Today at the listen blog, we have the post that you have all been begging for.  We've read your comments, poured through the thousands of emails, and decided it was finally time to give you what you want:

 

THE BARBRA STREISAND POST

 

Today we'll be picking a few favorites from throughout Barbra's career.  From old standards to funky 70's covers, this post runs the gamut.  But what do they all have in common?  The voice of a beautiful, Jewish angel.

 

Happy Days are Here Again
Starts out sad, ends up angry, this song is a beautiful paradox.

 

Come to the Supermarket (In Old Peking)
Without a doubt, the most dramatic song you'll ever hear about grocery shopping.

 

Time and Love
If your dentist has taste, he'll be playing this in his waiting room.  A masterpiece of Easy Listening.

 

Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered
She.  Was.  Born.  To.  Sing.  This.  Song.

.....
Addendum: i'd actually never heard this solo version of Happy Days, but if it's not QUITE gay enough for you, here's Barbra singing it as a medley-duet with Get Happy sung by Judy Garland.  Delicious. >ben
Judy and Barbra - Get Happy/Happy Days are Here Again
.....

melancholia

so.
the fall is good for so many things:
pumpkin ravioli, squash soup, wondrous bicycle weather, all hallow's eve, trips upstate, fun clothes, reading poetry in prospect park - among other things.
it's also a good times for those that enjoy being melancholy.

you know - take a long bike ride listening to joni mitchell, then stop down by the grand st. water front and read an ee cummings poem -- then maybe watch annie hall.... which i may or may not LOVE doing.

even when it's 70º and i have to pretend is it brisk and autumnal outside.
(on a side note: this weather?)

anyway - i have found some new fall tunes i am SUPER into. i'm talkin: play-on-repeat-for-an-hour into.

the first came to me via another paste magazine sampler.
fionn regan - an acoustic folk singer.

according to his myspace music page he is from wicklow, ireland.

the song i found:
put a penny in the slot

is a truly beautiful song about a relationship ending.  on his myspace you can sample some more before you log on to the itunes store and buy the album. 
this song, obviously, got me thinking about all the random things you wind up with in your apt during/after a relationship - suspenders, books, cds you don't like, the list goes on.  i remember once - i sent this guy i was dating a postcard that i found at an art gallery that i thought was really funny - it was three naked woman wearing skeletor masks- all of whom were ENORMOUSLY pregnant with giant breasts and they were wading in the ocean. ANYWAY, i wrote: "dear _____,  vacation is wonderful - wish you were here! xo geo" (or something to that affect.) they next day - homeboy dumped me. the point? well a day or two later he received the post card. ha. i found that knowledge funny.  so - he wound up with a naked skeletor woman postcard (and my yoga mat.)
_______________
The Limes
this cool mp3 blog said the gramophone tipped me off to this cool band/music project happening called The Limes.
what are the limes you ask?
well, according to myspace they are:
"..an inter-continental band consisting of Toy Fight, Orouni, Mina Tindle, John Hale and Henry Sparrow. Started with the simple idea of sharing musical ideas between the Atlantic, members submit material to each other to interpret and record. A large amount of "musical trust" (we like it that way) is placed in each other, as well as the hope that fresh and interesting music can emerge from the crossing of borders."

Beyond Blue

"when we were young we wore rose colored glasses."
sing it sister.
what a rad song - i've listened to it about 30 times today. i get obsessed, what can i say?
i LOVE the percussion.

attractive little group, no?

anyway - go to their page -- you can listen to other songs.  and then you can go the members own pages and enjoy their music.  and then sit and marvel about how much new, good music just came into your life.

anyway: i hope this project yields many, many more songs.

------------

i also came upon this ABBA track (now this song is sad too, but it's abba sad - meaning up beat.)
but it is sooooo dramatic. i love it. really fun to dance to in your apt.

ring ring
lady - get some self worth. you just sit by the phone waiting for it to ring?
at least go for a walk. i love it!
my friend jordan drunkenly described it as "bye bye birdie meets nothing" when i played it for him on the L train the other night coming home from a bar. i think that fits very well.

and since we're talkin melancholy love - here's a little walt whitman and an indigo girls song.
(side note - the other day ben mentioned that people hate on the indigo girls. call me a lesbian trapped in a gay man's body - (actually my old boss, chezza, said i was a straight man trapped in a lesbian's body, trapped in a gay man's body....) i digress - THERE IS NO NEED to hate on these wonderful women and the music they brought us.

the wood song

  As I Lay With My Head In Your Lap Camerado

  As I lay with my head in your lap camerado,
  The confession I made I resume, what I said to you and the open air
     I resume,
  I know I am restless and make others so,
  I know my words are weapons full of danger, full of death,
  For I confront peace, security, and all the settled laws, to
     unsettle them,
  I am more resolute because all have denied me than I could ever have
     been had all accepted me,
  I heed not and have never heeded either experience, cautions,
     majorities, nor ridicule,
  And the threat of what is call'd hell is little or nothing to me,
  And the lure of what is call'd heaven is little or nothing to me;
  Dear camerado! I confess I have urged you onward with me, and still
     urge you, without the least idea what is our destination,
  Or whether we shall be victorious, or utterly quell'd and defeated.

oh. walt. sigh.

okay. wow. i guess this is what happens when you spend all night and day listening to the above three songs - you wind up reading whitman to the soundtrack of the indigo girls. not a bad place..

peace
geo

more live music!

okay, so it's been kind of a live music binge here at listen. lately.  as you know, we saw sleeping states and horse feathers (twice) last week.  in case you missed it, here are some photos:

sleeping states at mercury lounge, 10.08. how cute is markland?

horse feathers at knitting factory, 10.09.

horse feathers at silent barn, 10.10.

anyway, all of these shows were totally awesome, and i'm not going to shame you for not being there, but i will say you missed out.

but there's going to be ANOTHER totally awesome show this tuesday night at the living room. and i think it's free!

at 11:30 (late for a school night, i know) Jennifer O'Connor is playing.  Now, when i was just a young buck, fresh off the train from Idaho, I spent a lot of time at the metropolitan, which for those of you who don't know (who are you?), is a gay bar in williamsburg. (that sentence sort of makes it sound like i don't still spend a lot of time at the metropolitan, which may or may not be the case.)  well, i quickly made friends with my favorite bartender, this awesome chick named Jennifer. we talked a lot, i bitched to her about stupid guys that broke my heart, etc etc. Well, i knew she played music, and then the next thing I know she gets signed to Matador and is like this hot-shi* indie folk rocker. so that's kind of awesome, and she's totally awesome, and her music is totally awesome. so listen up:

Jennifer O'Connor - Sister
this is a really sad, honest, kind of deceptively upbeat song about losing her sister. 

i know a lot of people are haters on the indigo girls these days, and frankly i haven't heard like their last 3 records, but i used to be obsessed with them (there. i said it.), and in some of Jennifer's stuff I hear shades of earlier Amy Ray in top form.  like this next one!

Jennifer O'Conner - Exeter, Rhode Island

and one of the earlier performances tomorrow night is Hotel Lights, which incidentally is the ex-drummer for Ben Folds Five.  I'd never heard of Hotel Lights, but i checked it out and it's really great, so I'm excited to see him.

Hotel Lights - Small Town Shit

(there's more to listen to on his website, i highly recommend listening to you come and i go.)

in subway ad news, i really wanted to share with you all my own personal favorite ad these days which is the new manhattan mini storage ad featuring a painfully attractive mostly naked man that either cheers me up or makes me angry, depending on my mood, but i cannot for the life of me find a digital image of it to post.  so the next time someone sees it, can they take a photo with their phone for me? thanks.

>ben

sing you sinners!

hey hey kiddos!
have you all heard about erin mckeown? 
after you read this post and listen -- you will have heard. (i LOVE the future perfect!)
how did we find out about her?

well.... several months ago my friend dan s. gave me a copy of PASTE magazine
paste comes with a cd of all these tracks of various artists (i think it is an emusic tie in... no?)
anyway! the one track was:

melody, erin mckeown.

and i dug it. emailed it to ben.  times passes....

a week or two ago ben emails me some more erin mckeown.
i dig it even more.

if you a viper, erin mckeon

(i love it when people sing about smokin grass!)

he tells me to go to emusic and buy her new album LAFAYETTE.
(which is a live recording of her Joe's Pub show. get it? Lafayette? yeah, it took me a few minutes)

anyway - i am sharing a few tracks and encouraging all to go to emusic and get SING YOU SINNERS or LAFAYETTE or any of the other albums.  it's folksy - country - type music with a little love for the american songbook/songs popular during the vaudville era.  her voice is great - quiet at first - then she kicks it into gear with a full sound.   i like troubadours, and she reminds me of one.

from lafayette

slung-lo

blackbirds

(this isn't bye bye blackbird. so chill out)

how cute is she????

----------------
also. yesterday was coming out day! did you shame your closeted friends?

just kidding! did you call your fancy little cousin/nephew that loves unicorns and/or your niece that is most likely a lesbian just to tell them you love them?  here is what bush's new abstinence campaign says about a kid coming out....
good to know money is being put to that as opposed to an HPV vaccine for all teenage girls or education that would actually do some good.  here's what the hater had to say.

-----
AWARD TIME
and awards for worst movie tag line goes to......

BEE MOVIE with HONEY JUST GOT FUNNY!
(applause)


i mean. what the fuck are you talking about?
if there is one thing i have been waiting for it's honey to finally get funny.
is this movie about honey FINALLY loosening up? like some sort of along came polly but with a pot of honey instead of ben stiller? or is it about a bee falling in love with renee z?
either way: i'm not seeing it AND someone was, most likely paid a lot of $$$ for that sentence. sigh.

other tag lines they should have used:
bees say the darndest things!

don't worry about all those bees dying. as you can see here they are alive and CRAZY!

pretend we're pixar.

------

and the award for THE STUPIDEST AND  MOST ANNOYING AD CAMPAIGN CURRENTLY CLOGGING OUR SUBWAY (the SAMACCCOG pronounced SAM-a-kog or THE SAMMY for folks in the biz)

goes to our favorite waste of paper/resources: PAGE 6!
with their six = sex campaign.

so hard to find images of all 300 CLEVER CLEVER CLEVER variations....BUT my personal faves are:

Feeling SIXy?
SIX Therapy
and
Put More SIX in your sunday

DAMMIT! WE GET IT! you swith out the i for an e and it is the word sex. are you 8?
does saying the word SEX make you giggle?

i picture waking up on a sunday morning...thinking...damn, i sure do feel SIXy...i wonder what i could...
BAM! all the sudden my brain flashes image after image of the horrible ad campaign and i am running down the street to the deli to buy my very own NY POST (i don't have to buy the magazine becomes it comes FREE with the paper.  which is like saying the Metro section comes free with the NY TIMES. i still have to buy the fucker to get it....so....it isn't...free...the price just isn't changing...)

-------

and finally:

did you all hear about 88 yr old Doris Lessing and the Nobel Prize for Lit?

the press pounced on her when as she was getting out of a cab with her groceries asking her about winning - she hadn't even heard. HA! it's a funny clip.

that website calls her a bitch -- but i don't think she was that nasty. she's just an old lady.

i LOVE it when she says: "Look, I've won every award in europe - every bloody one - so this is..delightful."

-------
if you made it this far:

onion radio news is funny!

have a good weekend!
geo