I dreamed of space aliens last night. Androgynous ones. With operatic tenors. And new wave leanings.
Trouser Press: One of the 1980s' most profoundly bizarre characters to emerge through rock music, the late Klaus Nomi specialized in unexpected mixes of vocal styles in anomalous settings. The Bavarian-born singer's awesome falsetto and dramatic tenor were equally applied to classical music and rock'n'roll, producing startling records that ramble wildly from high-pitched operatic vocals accompanied by a synthesized orchestra to ultra-stylized pop and warped interpretations of rock oldies. Nomi's records stretch from hauntingly beautiful (Purcell's stunning "Cold Song") to hysterically funny (a somber reading of "Can't Help Falling in Love," a languid dissection of "The Twist") to straightforward Sparks-like big band rock ("Simple Man"). His final album, a compilation that also includes a live performance, is the one to get, an utterly unique creation that defies you not to fall under its wonderful spell.
TVD screened The Nomi Song last night and obviously it's still on my mind. A story of pure self-invention on a scale I've never encountered. KISS comes off the stage, removes the make up, and they're a bunch of guys from New York. Nomi was something ...else ...entirely. And that voice--simultaneously angelic, ethereal, otherworldly...yet, camp.
Friday @ Random has never been more so.
Klaus Nomi - Nomi Song (Mp3)Klaus Nomi - The Cold Song (Mp3)Klaus Nomi - I Feel Love (Mp3)Klaus Nomi - Keys Of Life (Mp3)Klaus Nomi - Samson And Delilah Aria (Mp3)
The mutual admiration society that was formed between and The Beatles and Harry Nilsson was one that underscores what I fear will be, in time, another botched experiment this week -- the pursuit of a unique sense of musical timelessness. But I'll persevere...
At the time I'd argue, Harry was right to see The Beatles as traversing this unique bridge from contemporary style and taste-makers to composers of our contemporary standards in the Cole Porter or George Gershwin vein. Yet, how could Harry know that The Beatles were to forever loom AS large in our collective consciousness as they have--marrying them inextricably to the 1960's, for example? So, it was to be Harry who didn't achieve this overarching fame who, in my opinion, penned the originals that crack the window and let the air of timelessness in. I hear the 1920's, the '30's, the '40's and so on...Harry Nilsson - I Will Take You There [Alternate Mix] (Mp3)Harry Nilsson - Maybe (Mp3)Harry Nilsson - Nobody Cares About The Railroads Anymore (Mp3)Harry Nilsson - Open Your Window (Mp3)Harry Nilsson - Wasting My Time (Mp3)
Very often it's said The Beatles or The Beach Boys (or whomever...) have penned a "timeless classic" -- a tune that will live on for the ages. And while that very well may be true, I hardly think of their music as "timeless." And how can it be? Like all fine music it's imbued with the era of its creation, molded by the prevailing recording methods, and nuanced by the very first time it made its presence known to fresh ears. I may very well be humming "She Loves You" long into my geriatric years, but forever it'll evoke --both sonically and historically-- that very first British Invasion.
So, couple this notion that's been running through my head recently with the experiment from last week, to literally and specifically wed "New Wave" to certain years over others, I've been asking myself, is anything truly timeless? Can something from our "modern" era ever be thought of as perhaps, somehow in some construct, existing in say, 1910? Can I envision some Depression Era hobo hopping aboard a southbound train humming something that I might be humming today? And if so - what would construe such timelessness?
My inclination is to think that this salad would consist of some fine melodic and evocative songwriting for one, a lack of wicked popularity such as The Beatles attained to divorce it from any era, and the absence of a sonic fingerprint that would wed the recording's sound to a particular time. No Hendrix, for example. No Bee Gees. No Nirvana. Maybe nothing electric for that matter - or the taint of modernity. Just a slim, sexy skeleton without any meat or matter on the bones.
So, forgive me once more, I'm conducting an experiment.
One time I caught Elliott Smith at the Black Cat's first spot a few doors down on the left. While my date that evening napped (?) there was a quiet lull between songs and some other young lass yelled out "Elliott Smith - you break my heart!" And she had no idea just how right she was.
Timeless?Elliott Smith - Alameda (Mp3)Elliott Smith - Between The Bars (Mp3)Elliott Smith - Angeles (Mp3)Elliott Smith - 2:45 A.M. (Mp3)Elliott Smith - Say Yes (Mp3)
It's all gone horribly awry, this experiment of mine this week. If there's one release that single-handedly absolves the latter half of the '80's, it's 'Hats'.
Trouser Press gushes, "'Hats' was five years in the making, but the band's relentless perfectionism paid off: the seven songs are as dense and moving as a midnight sky. With sweeping synths and the pristine click of electronic percussion, "The Downtown Lights" and "Over the Hillside" are moody like film music, while "From a Late Night Train" and "Saturday Night" are impressionistic vignettes that creep along in slow motion. There's hardly a guitar or live drum to be heard, but seldom has studio technology been used to such warm and personal results."
On Saturday, July 14th, 1990 I was third in the General Admission line at Georgetown University to see The Blue Nile on tour for 'Hats'. The heavy wooden doors swung open to what seemed like a chapel at the time--the smell of old books mixed with the light streaming through the stained glass windows as I took my seat...front row and center. Even in this context, Trouser Press was correct--seldom in a live setting have I been witness to a show with such warm and personal results. They performed the entirety of 'A Walk Across The Rooftops' and 'Hats' but the audience was relentless in applauding for MORE. Buchanan stepped to the mike and shrugged, "that's all we know...!"
Yes, it's all gone horribly awry, this experiment of mine. The Blue Nile - Over The Hillside (Mp3)The Blue Nile - The Downtown Lights (Mp3)The Blue Nile - From A Late Night Train (Mp3)The Blue Nile - Let's Go Out Tonight (Mp3)The Blue Nile - Saturday Night (Mp3)
...bear with me...I'm conducting an experiment.
After last week's goings on, I've been thinking about '80's Music' in some more general terms and when thinking it through, I'm of the mind that when "80's Music" is referred to (note the quotes) one is normally referencing anything that came during or prior to 1984 and that from 1985 onward...much was well, sort of ...waning and not "80's music" any longer as typically mentioned.
Think about it, all of the seminal and archetypical acts of the 1980's had already reached their highs (or glorious lows) and by '85, the rest was all downhill, a tepid rehash of what came prior, uninspired, or worse...bad MTV metal.
But to challenge my own assertion, I'm going to pull a few titles out of the stacks over the next few days that may or may not back up the above caffeinated rant. And while I thank Noah for yesterday's post, and despite reacquainting myself with and humming along to "E=MC2", the 1985 and 1986 LP's by Big Audio Dynamite...just never did it for me. Not even close. And worse--may have spurred this whole topic.
Which brings us to Tears For Fears' 1985 follow-up to 1983's "The Hurting". I'm actually on the fence about this one. "Mother's Talk" and "Shout" were both released as singles in the UK in '84, but the LP's proper release came in '85. Yet as a follow-up to "The Hurting", "Songs..." lacks the inspiration and pure self-awareness that made its predecessor such a gem. And despite the commercial success of this LP, this release could literally be the 'jump the shark' moment for '80's music as a whole. What was once a bit self-absorbed and off-kilter and marginally underground was now being introduced by Casey Kasem on America's Top 40. Egad.
Did I mention I'm on the fence about this one though? Reluctantly, I think a few of these tunes hold up...Tears For Fears - The Working Hour (Mp3)Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Mp3)Tears For Fears - I Believe (Mp3)Tears For Fears - Broken (Mp3)Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels, Broken (Live) (Mp3)
One thing we're going to attempt to do here in year two of this blog is to open the forum to much more reader participation. I've poked and prodded a few of you to pony up the Weekend Shots, but beyond that, if there's something you'd like to see here and you're inclined to put pen to pixel--just let us know. Just like way back when I was working in the record stores--everyone and I mean EVERYone--had an opinion. So don't just sit there in silence, emkay?
Just like WellerWeek Noah who said to me late last week, "Hey, did you ever feature...?" And like the cat to the cream:
"It is no secret that TVD is pretty high on the Clash and Joe Strummer. And rightly so. But, I think it is time to heap a little praise on Mick Jones, the man behind most of the music of the Clash and the band member who has had the most successful post-Clash career. Indeed, after being thrown out of the band he had founded, Mick Jones subsequently emerged with Big Audio Dynamite and created two of finest records of the 1980s. "This Is Big Audio Dynamite" (1985) and "No. 10, Upping Street" (1986) combined funk, guitar-rock, hip hop, reggae, and a hell of a lot of samplings. The results were very groovy tunes with incredibly memorable imagery. The first four tracks on "This Is Big Audio Dynamite," including the incomparable ‘E=MC2,’ are some of the most unique pop songs ever. The follow up record, "No. 10, Upping Street," was co-produced by Jones and Strummer and featured a number of Strummer/Jones tunes, suggesting they had overcome their Clash-era differences. I always loved this album cover photo too.
Big Audio Dynamite comprised a major portion of the soundtrack to my high school years. My circle of friends were all into B.A.D. and I remember my buddy Rob even passed off the lyrics to ‘A Party’ as his own poem about South Africa in his creative writing class – only a few of us knew better and certainly not the teacher (you can’t get away with that sort of thing today with the internet). The big highlight came in our senior year when we loaded into the car and drove down to New York City for the B.A.D. show at Irving Plaza in April 1987. After parking the car and getting some beers we came across some punks who told us to “go back to New Jersey.” No offense to Jon or anyone else out there who might be reading this, but as a seventeen year old this was an intolerable insult. “F off, we’re from Connecticut,” I replied. A big mistake as the punks promptly pummeled us. Bloodied and bruised we nevertheless made it to the show and it was great, though nowadays what I remember most from that gig was how smoky it was inside.
Twenty-one years to the month later I was back at Irving Plaza to see Mick Jones’s latest project, Carbon/Silicon, which incidentally features original Big Audio Dynamite member Leo Williams on bass. I was floored by how good they sounded. Tony James, drummer Domonic Greensmith, and Leo were so tight and complemented Mick’s loose style perfectly. Though I hadn't listened to any of the songs in advance they had an anthemic quality that really suited the live experience. To date, the Carbon/Silicon gig has been my favorite show of 2008. So, here’s to Mick Jones for still putting out interesting music and continuing to rock out live. Cheers!"Big Audio Dynamite - E = Mc2 (Mp3)Big Audio Dynamite - Beyond The Pale (Mp3)Big Audio Dynamite - Medicine Show (Mp3)Big Audio Dynamite - C'mon Every Beatbox (Mp3)Big Audio Dynamite - V. Thirteen (Mp3)
I'm still shaking my head a bit at placing number five on Makeoutclub's Top 10 Mp3 Blogs of All Time List. JUST when I was wondering if this experiment in blogging about all things vinyl might have run its course, comes this fine recognition. And considering the zillions of blogs out there, I'm more than honored.
If I can be allowed one (tiny) quibble however, it has to do with this line in their write-up: "Given their nature, music posted on the Vinyl District are mainly in the “classic rock” area..." Actually, I'm not sure that's accurate. Much to Mick's dismay, there's the random KISS post for sure (it's my 'adultolescence' ...right?) ...the Thin Lizzy fascination, my T-Rexstacy, and certainly musings about all things '70's, but truthfully 85% of the TVD content tends to be of the post-punk/punk/new wave variety. Now, don't get me wrong, I dig me some AOR/FM radio rock...just not THAT much.
I think the thing is that, yea sure, vinyl's on the upswing in terms of sales volume (however incrementally) but still the majority of all new releases are most certainly CD or Mp3-based. (I can't tell you when the last time I actually bought a CD was though--maybe a boxset or some rare find on ebay...but really, who buys CDs any longer?) I actually do buy my new, NEW releases on vinyl...lovingly pressed and assembled for the 10 or 12 (fill-in-the-blanks) like me. From Bauhaus's "Go Away White" on white vinyl, to the new Supergrass or Joe Jackson LP's--all were previewed via download and purchased new. But I've had a quandary regarding posting some of this new stuff as vinyl rips for example. I mean, when it's readily available now, why undermine the sale of the shiny new stuff by Mp3-ing it up, of all things?
So, I've tended to indeed go back and highlight the stuff that kicked me in the ass way back when and perhaps it's heard for the very first time by someone. And OK, becomes a "classic" for them along the way. That'd be nice. (Hm. Now maybe if I add quotation marks around 'classic' like that, Makeoutclub was indeed RIGHT on the money...? Hm.)
If the powers that be see fit, these artists below deserve their new releases on vinyl and then you can say to your e-friends that you heard this brand new track on TVD and wow, cool--now it's out on vinyl! And that'll be when I see you at the next (fill-in-the-blank) meeting. "Hi, my name is Jon.............."
Knights - The Words Don't Come (Mp3)The Joy Formidable - Austere (Mp3)CIAM - The Journey (Mp3)Bon Iver - Blindsided (Mp3)Liam Finn - This Place Is Killing Me (Mp3)(First track courtesy of Cale at BYT...can't get it out of my head now. Thanks, I think.)
Yea, I had to reread that a few times too.
"Ever since the initial burst of blogs coming in after the pioneers like Fluxblog and Stereogum, there’s been a steady stream each day of brand new mp3 blogs. Some are set up purely for promotional reasons (it took awhile but sometime around ’06, record labels began to see the benefit of giving away single tracks) but a majority of mp3 blogs authored and maintained by fans with the desire to share the music they love. Power to the people, it is back," the eight-year old Makeoutclub writes.
"Those looking for a quick mp3 fix may just hit up one of the directories available (i.e. Elbows and Hype Machine) but when looking for a consistent introduction to new music as well as a reminder of old favorites, some of these mp3 blogs are clearly standing out above the rest."
#5 Vinyl District
"Relative newcomer to the mp3 blogosphere world (b. July 2007), the Vinyl District stress the importance of consumers continuing to purchase vinyl instead of downloading everything. They claim to be good consumers and ask that their site visitors try to remain the same. That being said, the Vinyl District exists to “promote and give exposure” to music that might have never made it out of the vinyl bin. Seeing as compressed digital files are far less superior to actual vinyl, the Vinyl District is legitimately promotional and is one of the first effective ways to sort through piles of virtual vinyl. Given their nature, music posted on the Vinyl District are mainly in the “classic rock” area with much love shown to bands like the Clash."
Coming in ahead of some my own morning reads such as I Am Fuel, You Are Friends and An Aquarium Drunkard, and right behind such notables as The Music Slut, Stereogum and Daytrotter, The Vinyl District--the semi-new kid at the dance--placed numero five-o. Amazing.
So, Makeoutclub, if I could I would--with a hickey thrown in for good measure. Thanks for the nod...(Image courtesy LP Cover Lover.)
One of my favorite bands as of late, Ghost Mice, a little known band consisting of a guy on guitar and a girl on violin, who work their behinds off playing shows in peoples' houses, community centers, churches, wherever they can really, have a song in which they sing "punk rock music saved my life." When I heard those lyrics I felt something surge through me, memories of the past- people, places, events- that will stick with me always but which I rarely think about these days. It was both an overwhelming and wonderful feeling, hearing those lyrics. This is what led me to my first official TVD post. I credit a few punk bands with really influencing my tastes in music and my outlook on life (which you will, no doubt hear about in the near future) and while they didn't exactly "save my life," the Adicts have always had the ability to get me in the mood for going out and having a good time.
Although they began in the 1970s, the following decade was when they really shined. Sure they rose to popularity on the indie charts well after punk was pronounced "dead" but their songs are the kind that even the most square of persons can tap their feet to while sitting in a dingy bar waiting for the band they've come to see take the stage. I couldn't decide which album to offer a tasting of so I've given you kids a smattering of 1981's "Songs of Praise" and 1982's "Sound of Music." Listen and let these Clockwork Orange-esque punkers get you "adicted." The Adicts - Viva La Revolution (from Songs of Praise) (Mp3)The Adicts - Just Like Me (from Songs of Praise) (Mp3)The Adicts - How Sad (from Sound of Music) (Mp3)The Adicts - Chinese Takeaway (from Sound of Music) (Mp3)
I dreamed of space aliens last night. Androgynous ones. With operatic tenors. And new wave leanings.
