listen.

swimming with laura

Great Lake Swimmers have sort of barely been on my radar for a while now, basically just to the extent that I knew I'd heard a few songs that I'd really liked.  Well I finally got around to picking up (or "picking up", as in downloading from emusic) their most recent album, last year's Ongiara. And it's really super good.

They are a trio of handsome Toronto-based gents, with that guy in the front there Tony Dekker doing the songwriting, singing and guitar.

Amanda saw a picture of them and told me I'd like them even if they played cowbells and tinkertoys, which frankly is off the mark because I think a band based primarily on cowbells and tinkertoys would be totally awesome no matter how cute they were, but I get her point. Still, though. They're really hitting the spot for me right now. Kind of a hazy, countryish folky blend of banjo, guitars, some other random instruments, string arrangements from Canada's awesome one-man-band du jour Owen Pallett (another fave of mine), and then there's Dekker's vocals, which make me sad in that good-sad-but-still-sad way. Kind of a perfect soundtrack for yesterday's cozy afternoon at home, avoiding the rain outside by making quiche and drinking too much coffee.

Here are a couple of my faves:

Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine

Great Lake Swimmers - Where in the World Are You
(you know those double-tracked vocals get me every time. also love the strings on this one.)

And an older one, from their 2005 album, Bodies and Minds:

Great Lake Swimmers - Various Stages

Just for fun, here's the video for Your Rocky Spine, which I think is completely adorable:

And as I was listening to Great Lake Swimmers yesterday, I threw some Laura Gibson into the mix, which was totally perfect.

The young and mesmerizing Laura, on Portland's genius Hush Records (see also big faves of mine Loch Lomond, not to mention hush alums The Decemberists of course), has a voice that breaks your heart and a simple, pared down approach to a classic introspective country folky sound. So good.

From her 2006 album, If You Come To Greet Me:

Laura Gibson - This is not the end

Laura Gibson - Country, Country
("Everybody in the country knows I always sing them country songs, and always fall for country boys."  Ditto that, Laura.)

And she just released this awesome limited edition EP (available for purchase and download here!) called Six White Horses, which is all reinterpretations of traditional songs, including this one I remember singing as a kid (but I don't think the lyrics we sang were this creepy):

Laura Gibson - All the Pretty Horses

Enjoy.

>ben

rainy days and mondays always get me down...

oh KAREN! so true....

Rainy Days and Mondays, The Carpenters

Well, rainy days don’t always get me down, I rather love them, BUT a rainy Monday can sometimes get one down.... rather a good song for a day like today.

Let’s indulge in some rainy day music, shall we?

It’s Raining, Irma Thomas
Drip drop....a great soul tune. 

I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today, Nina Simone
Yes Nina, I do too.

Early Mornin' Rain, Peter Paul and Mary
Sigh.

You’re Gonna Need Me, Dionne Warwick
my friend just shared this tune with me.... perfect for a monday, no?

That’s all. Just some good tunes for gray day.

covers for the weekend!

so i've really been digging this handful of covers lately.  they're somewhat all over the map musically, but i guess they're sort of all about longing.  in very different ways.  i always get obsessed with revisiting the originals when i get really into a good cover version, so i've included those as well.

HEAD OVER HEELS
what a f-ing good song. you know a good cover when it makes you hear a song in a completely different way, and this Samamidon version really cracked the Tears For Fears song open for me.  And now the T4F version is killing me too.  Some really hard-hitting lines throughout, but this section leading into the chorus really drives it home for me:

You keep your distance with a system of touch
And gentle persuasion
I'm lost in admiration could I need you this much
Oh, you're wasting my time
You're just wasting time
Something happens and I'm head over heels
I never find out till I'm head over heels

I never find out till I'm head over heels.  Seriously.

Samamidon - Head Over Heels
This fella has a new album "All is Well" coming out... omg MONDAY.  So... more on him soon.

Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels
hearing this song and revisiting whatever my emotional landscape was in the late 80s gives me a very bizarre feeling.

and here's the buh-zarre video from T4F, just for good measure.

IRREPLACEABLE
Beyoncé's version is, of course, pretty awesome.  But I rather like D's take... he seems to be playing against a surface reading of the lyrics which I think is a more compelling interpretation: whereas Beyoncé is empowered and on top of her shi*, i think D sounds a little more precarious, like deep down he fears his lady actually might NOT be so irreplaceable...

D - Irreplaceable

Beyoncé - Irreplaceable

SEXUAL HEALING
It's just such a good song, with one of the best opening lines ever: "Baby, I'm hot just like an oven, I need some lovin'."  And these three versions are so awesomely different; so differently awesome.  I couldn't possibly pick a favorite. Though I might say I'd have to choose Hot Chip's version as the soundtrack for the healing it describes. Possibly with the fellow on the right there. If that's an option. Thanks.

Hot Chip - Sexual Healing

Hot 8 Brass Band - Sexual Healing

Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing

alright kiddos. enjoy and have a beautiful saturdaysunday.

xoBen

My wild sweet love

So lately I've been really into the Jimmy Webb song "Do What You Gotta Do".  I've known the Nina Simone version for a long time, and was vaguely aware of Roberta Flack's.  But then I ran across two more recent versions, along with a Linda Ronstadt take from the early '90s! 

It's just such a heartbreaking song.  Sort of a more complex take on that old "If you love something, set it free" cliché, it's all about letting someone go do their thing and figure their shi* out, even though you still really love them.  And you know you might "never kiss those sweet lips again."  Sigh.

Nina's is by far the most robust of these takes.  I like how she doesn't bother herself with protocol, and just kicks off the song by jumping straight into the chorus.  Her delivery strikes me as pretty self-assured - not quite as vulnerable as one might expect from the lyrics.
Nina Simone - Do What You Gotta Do

As much as I love Nina's, I feel like Roberta's version comes a little closer to capturing the essence of the song.  Her confidence seems like it's on the verge of cracking, while assuring her man that he's doing what's right.  It's mostly quiet and pretty understated, but when she decides to wail she'll break your heart.  I love her slight variation of the melody on "come on back and see me when you can" near the end of the song.
Roberta Flack - Do What You Gotta Do

Linda's definitely sounds like the year in which it was released (1993), but despite our collective distaste for early 90s adult contemporary (i know i don't speak for everyone!), she's got some good things going here.  I like the contrast between the delicate breathlessness on the verses and the force on the choruses.  And when she holds out - for 10 full seconds - the "can" on "see me when you can" at the end, that's pretty awesome.  I'm not crazy about the backup vocals or the instrumental arrangement, but you can't really blame her.  It was '93!
Linda Ronstadt - Do What You Gotta Do

Running across this Meg Baird version is what kicked off my whole obsession with this song.  Meg Baird is in the (awesome) band Espers, but she released a solo album last year called Dear Companion with this track.  Totally different from the versions above, she makes it a lilting acoustic folk ballad. Gorgeous.
Meg Baird - Do What You Gotta Do

And finally, a man!  Okkervil River does a bang-up job on this song.  I particularly love that frontman Will Sheff doesn't change the gender in the "girl like me" line at the beginning.  I think this might be the most emotionally vulnerable vocal performance of all these. I love it.
Okkervil River - Do What You Gotta Do

xoben

ps - Geo and Amanda and Ricky and I are seeing Mavis Staples tonight at BAM!  In her honor, I'll leave one more track from her.  I don't think she ever recorded DWYGD, so... here's my favorite track of hers.
Mavis Staples - How Many Times

A Christmas Mix from listen.

Listeners: Geo. Ben.
Geo and Ben: Hm?
L: Where have you been?
G&B: What are you talking about?
L: You haven't posted in, like, three weeks.
G&B: Oh. About that...
L: No, it doesn't matter. It's fine. I know you guys both have really unsatisfying, time-consuming dayjobs.
G&B: ...
L: But I'm home for the holidays right now, and... my mom just keeps playing the Kenny G and Michael Bolton Christmas albums on repeat.
G&B: Oh my god.
L: So... maybe you could hook me up with some non-gag-inducing christmas tunes.
G&B: You got it.  Let's start with some tunes from the old masters.

Ella Fitzgerald - Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Ella Fitzgerald - Sleigh Ride
Ella Fitzgerald - Winter Wonderland
Aretha Franklin - Blue Holiday
Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas
Elvis Presley - Silent Night
Otis Redding - Merry Christmas, Baby
Otis Redding - White Christmas
David Bowie and Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy
James Brown - Funky Christmas
James Brown - Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto
The Jackson 5 - Up on the Housetop
Stevie Wonder - One Little Christmas Tree
Stevie Wonder - What Christmas Means to Me
Donny Hathaway - This Christmas
Judy Garland - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

And moving along to some more recent interpretations of the classics, along with some original tunes to add to the catalog.  We'll start with the obligatory block from old Sufjan.

Sufjan Stevens - Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming
Sufjan Stevens - O Come O Come Emmanuel
Sufjan Stevens - Amazing Grace
Sufjan Stevens - That was the Worst Christmas Ever!
Chris Garneau - Christmas Song
The Innocence Mission - Little Town of Bethlehem
Aimee Mann - I'll be Home for Christmas
Low - Just Like Christmas
Low - If You Were Born Today
Low - Silent Night
Pedro The Lion - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Belle & Sebastian - O Come O Come Emmanuel
Belle & Sebastian - O Little Town of Bethlehem
Clem Snide - Joy to the World
Tracy Chapman - O Holy Night
Feist - Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming

AND!  If you want to download the whole shebang in one fell swoop, just go HERE (part 1) and HERE (part 2).  So I guess that's actually two fell swoops. sorry.  [but beware!  These links expire Dec. 29th.]

Merry Christmas from listen.

and stay tuned for some year-end lists in the next week or so.

xo,
ben

Blue Monday* redux

Before we begin – let me say that I am quite a happy fellow lately.

It’s just this rain.

These gray skies and wet sidewalks.

It just begs me to fall down the (aforementioned) rabbit hole of somber folk and blues.

And fall I do – gladly.

Blues run the game, Jackson C Frank

It doesn’t get much sadder than this man’s life. And this song is just so gorgeous.

"wherever you go, the blues are all the same."

Basically his school furnace blew up – covering his adolescent body in burns, he started playing the guitar, moved to new york, and was drawn into the folk coffee house scene of Greenwich village  - then he came into money through an insurance settlement – and moved to London, released an album – which never caught on in the US – his money ran out so he had to go back to nyc and fell into a deep depression and was then cripple with stage fright.
Broke, he lived on the streets, eventually he grew very unhealthy and became a ward of the state.
A fan found him in a housing project in the Bronx and took him to woodstock, ny where he started to sing and write songs again. he died in 1999.  i mean, the man has a right to sing the blues.

fountains of sorrow, joan baez
the title says it all.  If this isn’t an evening-commute-ipod-on-repeat kinda song – I don’t know what is.

both sides, now – joni mitchell
My good friend rebecita brought this song into my life.  And shortly after being introduced to it i listened to it whilst smokin grass – and my body almost shut down. i don't listen to joni stoned anymore.  talk about a coming of age song. 

court and spark – joni mitchell
my dear friend/collaborator jesica brought this album into my life. And I am ever so grateful.

that’s a nice trend – wonderful woman bringing the wonderful joni Mitchell into my life.

Ne Me Quitte Pa, jaques brel
literlally translated it means – do not leave me – but the English version of the song is called IF YOU GO AWAY. which works – but I think do not leave me is more tragic – it’s really desperate. – especially repeated at the end.  my french pen pal, lo, sent this to me. he's filled my ipod with a lot of great music -- expect a paris-post soon...

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

my knowledge of classic rock and musical tastes were heavily defined by my parents - my mom's peter, paul and mary and donovan albums (not to mention linda ronstadt and sinatra) - my dad always listening to jethro tull and the stones (and some patsy cline or hendrix) -our family taking a drive while listening to loggins and messina or gordon lightfoot.   one artist they never listened to all that much was neil young, i am not sure why - they just didn't; or they did - but i don't remember it.  as i've grown, and my tastes have matured into my own, i've folded all sorts of new genres and artists into the mix.  for whatever reason, neil young never found it's way into my music library. then this cute guy, named sean, started playing him for me -- and i am really digging it.

one day, sean and i were on our way to the MoMA and we wandered down into the york street station to hop on the F.  the platform was empty - save for one dude waiting for the train and a subway musician (an "official" one, with the MTA sign, etc.) sitting on the bench - singing harvest moon. he was really good - and the york station is so unique and the song is so beautiful - it was like a scene out of some less polished looking wes anderson movie. definitely a moment when i was very happy to be living in this city.

harvest moon, neil young

have i posted this song:

ticket to ride, the carpenters

i mean, really? just the saddest cover of this song ever, ever, EVER. if a sadder one exists - i shan't listen to it. my head might implode.  "i think i'm gonna be sad, i think it's today."  mateo, for better or worse, emailed it to me one day - and i really appreciate it.

and what somber rabbit hole would be complete without a little indigo girls?

ghost, indigo girls.

"And the mississippis mighty
But it starts in minnesota
At a place that you could walk across
With five steps down
And I guess thats how you started
Like a pinprick to my heart
But at this point you rush right through me
And I start to drown"

enough said.

 

and for good measure - here's the wonderful rosemary clooney:
blues in the night, rosemary clooney

i love music. 

to prove i don't ONLY listen to sad music -- i'll post happy stuff tomorrow.

enjoy

g

*yes, it's tuesday. i was supposed to post this yesterday - but, you know, sometimes you just don't get around to it....

 

monday blues

.....as i sit, about to head off to work.  drinking my coffee, eating my toast with peanut butter - i try to focus on the fact that this work week promises to be short one -- there's some time off on the horizon.

but that cold, wet, gray monday morning (that, ultimately is such a beautiful, november occurrence) just wanted me to lie under my blankets, listening to wnyc until it was time to get out of bed and make a grilled cheese sandwich.  alas - i did none of that.

but i did listen to some music on my subway ride. (and seriously folks - can the subways not handle a slighty drizzly morning? i had to wait half and hour for the E train at court sq.)

best song to walk down the street to first thing in the morning
hazy jane II

the first song on bryter later.  such a good album

"...what will happen in the morning when the world it gets
so crowded that you can't look out the window in the morning.

And what will happen in the evening in the forest with the weasel
with the teeth that bite so sharp when you're not looking in the evening.

And all the friends that you once knew are left behind they kept you safe
and so secure amongst the books and all the records of your lifetime.

What will happen
In the morning
When the world it gets so crowded that you can't look out the window
in the morning.
....
Let's sing a song
For Hazey Jane
She's back again in my mind.
If songs were lines
In a conversation
The situation would be fine."

sigh. i agree nick, that would make the situation fine.

LIFE!

now - knowing i needed more spring in my step before i fell down the rabbit hole of somber folk (a rabbit hole i am quite fond of -- but not every morning.)  i turned to smokey robbinson.
i want to hear songs about heart break - but i want it to be motown and a little upbeat.

tears of a clown, smokey robinson and the miracles

don't let me glad expression give you the wrong impression. A.M.E.N.

track of my tears, smokey robinson and the miracles

and how can you not appreciate  this song:

cruisin'

gwyneth paltrow (sp?) and huey lewis did their best to ruin it for a nation with their HORRIBLE movie about karaoke.  but it didn't work. so there.

and for good measure the ever-so-amazing etta james and her song

seven day fool.

love it love it love it! those back up singers?
i want to be soul singer and i won't rest until i am.

 

and i shall also direct your attention back to older melancholy post with some somber then upbeat tunes.

happy monday.
g

killing me softly.

some days it's kinda gray out and you're a little sleepy and maybe a little overwhelmed with life.

on days like this (today) i turn to my music (well either that or my friends or my couch and muppet dvds)
but we deal with music here. so....

more often than not i turn to nina simone.
and more specifically - her softer side.

i let it cradle me.

which is why we are going to enjoy her singing some lullabies

here are songs from FOLKSY NINA

You Can Sing A Rainbow, nina simone

hush little baby, nina simone

here's aretha singing a different version:

mockingbird, aretha franklin

now how about some oh, susanna?

oh! susanna, carly simon
the first time i heard this song (on jonathan schwartz's saturday show) i cried. i think i was really emotional that day.  it's really beautiful - it's from her album into white.

oh susanna, james taylor.
from sweet baby james. such a good album.

now let's let nina sing about love:

i want a little sugar in my bowl, nina simone

cotton eyed joe, nina simone

this song KILLS ME. i love it. we've all known a cotton eyed joe one way or another.

and let's have nina sing us out - with a rousing little number?

in the evening by the moonlight, nina simone.

it's not the cleanest file (it makes weird sounds) but i love this song so -- it from her live at newport festival.  oh, to have been there!

okay. that's my playlist for a day like today.

enjoy

g

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