listen.

ONE NIGHT ONLY AND THAT NIGHT IS TONIGHT

full disclosure: I work for Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardottir a.k.a. Shoplifter receives studio space for this project as part of the LMCC space grant program in which I work, Swing Space.

That being said, I wouldn't be any less excited about this if I were a stranger off the street.  Shoplifter creates stunning sculptures out of, among other materials, human and synthetic hair (as seen on Björk on the cover of her Medulla album), and she is currently collaborating with wunderkind composer (okay, so he's like 26 or something, maybe no longer a "kind") Nico Muhly, who has arranged/composed/conducted for three of my favorite musicians: Björk, Antony and the Johnsons, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Together, Shoplifter and Mr. Muhly are creating a performance for The Kitchen, March 7 and 8.  Only the 10pm performance on the 7th has tickets left, so ACT FAST if you want to see it, and I highly recommend you do.

Tonight (Thursday 2/28) at 6pm, LMCC is hosting a low-key little Open House at Shoppy's studio to preview the installation pieces she's been creating for next week's performance.  Nico will be there as well, along with violist Nadia Sirota -- they'll be demonstrating some of the music from the performance.  And there will be wine.  And snacks.  You should come if you can. Here are more details.

You can give Nico's music a listen here on the New Yorker's website; it's all quite good, of course, but I particularly recommend checking the "Keep In Touch" section, featuring vocals from Antony.

And as if all this wasn't enough to excite you, Nico and Shoppy are also working with Sam Amidon, who will be playing banjo and singing at next week's performance.  Sam, of course, is a brilliant musician in his own right, and lately I've been really digging his newest album, All Is Well.  Here are a couple gorgeous tracks from it.  (And if you missed my earlier post on his Head Over Heels cover, remedy that immediately.)

Sam Amidon - Saro
Sam Amidon - Fall On My Knees

Still not enough?  Okay fine. I'll give you more. Here's a clip of Sam performing in Paris with Nico on piano.

see you tonight?

>ben

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

Sigur Rós - Hvarf/Heim

talk about a post i have been meaning to do for a couple of months!
the new sigur ros came out around NOV 6, 2007 (or maybe ON that date? i'm not sure, nor do you care)

so here's the deal - stop me if you've heard this (and by stop me i mean skim this paragraph) it's a two disc album (and in case you fancy buying from a record store: it's got very aesthetically pleasing packaging.)   Hvarf, the first disc consists of sigur ros revisiting songs from their "cannon." the second disc, heim, is live recordings from their free icelandic tour -- it had stops like this:

where you saw them do this:

and this:

these images are from Heima, their new film (and companion to this album), which is out now.  for a while you could write to their myspace page and set up a screening of the film.  wouldn't that be awesome?
anyway - this album is AMAZING. i must admit that Heim is definitely my favorite (but PLEASE don't tell Hvarf.)

so, i am going to share a few tracks. and then you should go buy the album.  you won't regret it.

from heim:

Samskeyti

it's like an amazing wave. i want a symphony to explode with music at the end -- like in the end of rhapsody in blue.

Agaetis Byrjun

so acoustic - so beautiful.

from hvarf:

von

it's an opera.

so now that you've sampled the music, you may be thinking: "okay, i want to buy this - but how shall i best enjoy this music?" well, look no further! here are several ways i think you can best enjoy said music:

• in a beautiful, damp-green icelandic field wearing a really pretty wool sweater with ruddy cheeks.
• riding your bicycle on the west side highway bike path  (wearing a helmet and not playing it too loud, of course)
• stoned in a dance/movement studio
• walking to work in the morning
• underscoring in a movie that has a scene were the fabric of the universe rips open leading to a parallel world.

enjoy.

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

back in the habit and on repeat

hey kiddos. my apologies, most especially to my blogmate, for being a tad MIA -- and i don't mean the groundbreaking genre-defying English-born Sri Lankan musician -- over the past week (or so).  life just keeps on HAPPENING, you know?

anyway. i went over to Danny's the other night, and while he worked some tailoring magic on a few of my garments, we watched My So-Called Life and listened to Chris Garneau, among other things, and ever since, I've basically had this song on 24-7 repeat.

Chris Garneau - Black & Blue

it takes him about 1:45 to kick into full voice, but man, that moment kills me, each time he sings "oh, oh, i want to catch my death of cold, oh, oh, cause i'm scared i'm growing old."  be careful listening to this song on headphones late at night while it's raining and you're walking home alone to an empty bed. i'm just saying.

interesting interview with mr. garneau here, and here's a terrific video from the blogotheque takeaway show series:

#42.4 - Chris Garneau - We don't try
Uploaded by lablogotheque

on a totally unrelated note, did anyone else see the disaster otherwise known as Amy Winehouse in this clip from the Euro MTV music awards? [ADDENDUM: The clip i posted first ceased to work, so here's another with a corny intro. but it's the same performance.]

i don't know whether to cry, or laugh, or throw my computer against the wall in a fit of rage.  i mean, she's just so talented, and i'm afraid she's going to waste it all away.  look at her.  AMY: Get. Your. Shi*. TOGETHER.  Please.  if not for your sake, then for the sake of all the classic soul-revivalist lovers out there.  Please?

also, i don't remember quite how, but yesterday i ran across the myspace profile for this Brooklyn band called the Homophones.  And I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to think that a bandname like that or lyrics like "I wanna lick your popsicle" necessarily confirm that they play for my team, but... let me just say that i had a hard time finding many details about them, but they are officially on my radar.  expect more info to be relayed to you as it lands on my desk.  i like this song.

the Homophones - Everyone's Dead

on a non-musical note, here are some beautiful photos (i did not take them) from the amazing secret underground dinner party my dance group performed at over the weekend.  and more photos here.

that adorable boy-girl banjo-accordion duo were a real highlight, and apparently they perform under the name Fall Harbor, but i haven't been able to find any info about them so far.

that's all for now. bye.

>ben

Día de los Muertos

¡Feliz Día de los Muertos muchachos!

what a wonderful holiday

really any holiday that would make building something like this

part of the rituals of the holiday - is a holiday for me.

it's also nice to celebrate life and honor those that have died.
plus you get to eat sugar skulls.
did i mention the skeleton dioramas that everyone makes?
it's also a joyous holiday (well, according to wikipedia).
i should again mention skeleton dioramas.

anyway - today's post is in honor of the day of the dead.
sort of.... or rather INSPIRED by.

i said to derek this morning: what songs should i post for the day of the dead?
and without blinking an eye he said: Marianne Faithfull's The Ballad of Lucy Jordan.

so here it is:
The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, Marriane Faithfull

he also shared this Calexico Vocal Mix of the Goldfrapp song HUMAN

human (calexico vocal mix), goldfrapp

me gusta.

i think this Johnny Cash song is quite day of the dead as well
from the AMAZING mariachi-like trumpets to the wonderful carnival that is falling in love -- it is such a great song.
ring of fire, johnny cash

the taste of love is sweet, when hearts like ours meet
i fell for you like a child
ooooh, but the fire went wild.

i fell into a burning ring of fire
i went down, down, down and the flames went higher.
and it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire.


cat stevens. oh cat.  this is another one of mom's albums from my childhood.  i just couldn't get enough of teaser and the firecat when i was wee lad.
tuesday's dead, cat stevens

the other woman it brought to mind was Kate Bush.
now, i don't appreciate her as much as i should (but derek has supplied me with all the essential tracks)

and she also sings about ghost loving (that's what that novel is about right?)

wuthering heights, kate bush

has everyone heard of the puppini sisters? they sing andrew's sisters-like close 3 part harmony.  they do a lot of covers, and i DIG THEM, A LOT.
here's their version of this song:

wuthering heights, the puppini sisters.

do you not know why you should appreciate kate bush?
well. i'll let my friend micah break it down for you:
-----------------------------------------
Dear Geo and Listeners:

Kate Bush is, quite simply, the mother of all.

Kate Bush's works are the grand harbinger of the works of any female
(and even male) artist working in pop music today.

Even Tricky says that he carries a copy of her debut album "The Kick
Inside" EVERYWHERE he goes and has bought dozens of copies because he
scatters them all over the globe. Seriously, TRICKY himself cops to
this.

And you know who wouldn't exist without Kate? Tori Amos. Yep.
Goldfrapp. You bet. BJÖRK. Darn right, I went there.

Kate's genius goes so far, that she was only able to tour ONCE and
then never did it again. That's an ARTIST. And, even without touring,
her single "Hounds Of Love" knocked Madonna's "Like A Virgin" out of
the number one spot on the UK charts. Holy cow.

Right now. No, I mean it. RIGHT NOW, get your hands on the following
ESSENTIAL tracks:
"Wuthering Heights"  (you have this now!)
"Babooshka"  (now you have two!)

"The Infant Kiss"
"The Wedding List"
"Hounds Of Love"
"Cloudbusting"
"Army Dreamers"
"Running Up That Hill"
"This Woman's Work" (No, not the Maxwell version. Come on.)
"Wow"
"There Goes A Tenner"
"Rubberband Girl"

I'll be looking forward to the thank-you notes.

Love,
Micah!
-------------------------------
well, that's enough music for any esqueleto, no?

happy day of the dead!
g

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

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

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