listen.

it is good friday after all....

hey listeners.

I had a bigger post in the works, but I figured as it is good friday we may as well enjoy some Mahalia Jackson.   Now, I say it time and time again every time i post gospel: i am not trying to spread some religious doctrine, i am not part of any organized religion, BUT as a musical genre it is pretty amazing when done right.

And you know who does it right? The Queen of Gospel -- widely regarded as the best singer in the history of the genre -- Mahalia Jackson.

Supposedly, and by supposedly I mean: according to wikipedia, she was constantly asked to record secular music throughout her life but refused.  While I feel like I should respect an artist standing up for themselves I kinda wish Mahalia had recorded a standard or two: Anything Goes, It's Too Darn Hot, Little GIrl Blue.... the list goes on...

I digress. This woman has soul. Lots of it. And she lets it out on that stage. Enjoy her live recordings - the two I have are: In Concert Easter Sunday 1967 and Live At Newport 1958

From the Easter Sunday Concert:

Come on Children, Let's Sing - Mahalia Jackson

Elijah Rock - Mahalia Jackson

There is Balm in Gilead - Mahalia Jackson
(isn't this one just so beautiful?)

I'm On My Way - Mahalia Jackson

Didn't It Rain - Mahalia Jackson
(this is my favorite song of hers)

It Don't Cost Very Much - Mahalia Jackson

Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho - Mahalia Jackson
("You make me feel like a star!" Well, Mahalia, you break my heart.)

okay... that's all.  ENJOY!

g

Arms with Hospitality: this saturday in alphabet city

Though this may sound like an etiquette course on appropriate arm gestures to use while greeting guests into your home, it's ACTUALLY going to be a really good show on Avenue B this weekend.

Todd Goldstein, self-described "Brooklyn-based mid-20s-type" (we already like where this is going) better known as Arms, plays the ukulele, guitar and various other instruments, and sings in a quirky, beautiful voice that at first reminds me a tad of Michael Stipe, then gets progressively more unique and unplaceable.  I stumbled upon this video of him playing the brilliant song "Kids Aflame" live in Prospect Park:

To hear what he does with this song in the studio rather than a tunnel in the park:

Arms - Kids Aflame

It will be the title track from Todd's forthcoming album, due on June 8.

This Saturday, he's playing at Midway (now called rehab apparently): 25 ave B @ 2nd St, NYC, 9pm.

Hospitality will be playing as well -- also Brooklyn-based, they're a quartet operating in a quaint chamber-folk realm reminiscent of early Belle & Sebastian and the like, with lyrics that wouldn't be out of place on Tigermilk or If You're Feeling Sinister: "You're the only girl on the team, you don't golf, you don't smoke, you don't understand the jokes" from Betty Wang, below.  It appears as though they're doing a little residency at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg right now, playing every Thursday night.

Hospitality - Betty Wang

and now for some links:
Arms website / Arms on myspace / Hospitality on myspace

see you saturday?
xoBen

the grass is blue in nyc and youtube goes to iceland

hey listeners

just a small post about two little new items for you all today.

first:
Did you guys catch the article in last weeks NY TIMES about Bluegrass thriving presence here in our fair city?

The Sound Is Rural, the Setting Urban

i know it was a week ago - but i think you can access all the Times articles now.
you just have to become a member - which is free.

anyway it's a great article by Nate Chinen - a basic BLUEGRASS NYC 101, if you will.

they also had a day by day guide:

The Week in Twang, Day by Day

Be sure to check that out and maybe I'll see you at the Saturday Night Jam at Sunny's Bar in Redhook.

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

and if you're on a computer this friday be sure to check this out:
(from Sigur Ros' myspace bulletin (for real):)

Sigur Ros and YouTube make a little bit of history this Friday (Mar 7) with the band taking over the entire front page of the site around the world for a whole day, becoming the first group to ever have a feature-length music DVD streamed on the channel, with their acclaimed 'Heima' documentary shown in its complete 97-minute glory.

(**here is the actual link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=lr4s7KeCbV8 **)

All 12 available slots on YouTube's home page will be devoted to the Icelandic quartet for a full 24-hours, putting them before a global audience of hundreds of millions. The link-up follows the success of 'Minn Heima', a competition hosted by YouTube (http://www. youtube. com/group/MinnHeima) for fans of the band to create their own little version of 'Heima', using audio and video clips posted online. The 10 best entries, as judged by the band, will be featured on the home page, alongside the film itself, as well as a special message from the band, taking time off from recording their new album in Reykjavik.



YouTube has only previously hosted a handful of long form presentations, none for music DVDs. It is the first ever UK home page "takeover" since the launch of http://uk. youtube. com - the localized home page that allows for country-specific video rankings and comments.



Simultaneous with the YouTube promotion, the band will launch www. sigurros. com, giving away a free audio-visual download clip of the song 'Ny Batteri' filmed live in Reykjavik in the summer of 2006 as part of the Heima tour. 'Ny Batteri' is just one of a dozen additional songs not featured in the film that the band are intending to make available via the site in the near future. Information about the forthcoming album will also be revealed via www. sigurros. com…


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okay, that's your culture for today!
have a good one!
g

Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned

One of the best things about listen becoming part of hypemachine is that we've met (albeit, electronically) a lot of great new musicians/bands.   

one of those bands that we have met is Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned.

(Photo by Brittany Worgan)

all it takes is a is a brief glance at this photo to get the boys at listen very excited: an attractive motley crew armed with brass instruments, accordians, and typewriters (as percussion) - not to mention costumes and fake mustaches. it's basically what i create in my mind when i make up a cool fantasy band (not that i do that).  we then got more excited once we listened to their music: epic, orchestral, folksy-americana-roots-type music with great melodies and lyrics. 

move your memories part II, sgt dunbar and the hobo banned

i'm a sucker for horns but then when you start throwing in things like singing saws i'm gone.

what's their story?

Sgt Dunbar & the Hobo Banned is an Elephant 6 inspired music collective from Albany, NY. The banned began as a website for founders Alex Muro, Tim Koch and Dan Pardee to post songs that they wrote and recorded. Over time the project turned into a real band, lots of people picked up instruments and joined in, and some of those people eventually joined the band. The Hobo Banned now has nine members and regularly performs shows with at least seven. They have won local acclaim for energetic and over the top live shows and wide acclaim for their multi-layered home recordings which have been called "Philosophically minded songs as conjured up by the Salvation Army band on acid".

the weight, sgt dunbar and the hobo banned

great, no? catchy, no? you'd love to see them live, wouldn't you?

well, if you live in NYC you're about to get your newly-formed-wish granted!
that's right boys and girls, sgt dunbar is playing a show in williamsburg this week!

the show is THURSDAY MARCH 6 @ 8PM @ The Lucky Cat
    245 Grand Street  (between Driggs & Roebling)
the show is FREE and they'll be playing with Born at Sea.

Realism Is the Purest Form of Art,   sgt dunbar and the hobo banned

okay, we'll see you all at the lucky cat on thursday...

g

i'm 28!

hey listeners.

you know why the day felt so great when you woke up today?
because it's my 28th birthday!

that's right. i'm 28!

I'm 28, toni basil

ha. isn't that song crazy? my 28 is a much happier and a little more chillaxed than toni's. and yes, that is toni basil of "hey mickey" fame. she began recording in '66 and this was one of her b sides. crazy, no?
i mean, that song is SO dramatic, her life is literally drying up at 28 because she is single (i assume). i say i assume because she doesn't really EVER say what is ruining everything except for that fact that she is 28.  and why chose 28? probably because a lot more rhymes with twenty-eight than with twenty-nine or thirty.

anyway - since it's my birthday i am just going to post some of my favorite songs. 
a little birthday playlist for me:

the state i am in, belle and sebastian

judy and the dream of horses, belle and sebastian

elephant gun, beirut

right around the corner, detroit cobras

there is a mountain, donovan

love throws a line, patty griffin

make me a pallet on your floor, gillian welch

and now that we seem to have made our way to gillian welch why don't i share this neat radiohead cover i just found:
black star, gillian welch

also in honor of my birthday here are two you tube clips i cannot get enough of:

1st the muppets of sesame street teach us about the subway. amazing:

2nd pearl bailey and dinah shore singing mac the knife:

 

yay for march 3rd birthdays!
g