Nick Cave has so much talent, I've featured his music before but here he talks about his new novel. It is available as a novel, an Audiobook or an iPhone app. Sounds like the Audiobook would be the way to go according to Wired:
Cave’s vivid imagery springs from the written page ($25 retail), but the audio book ($35 retail for the CD, $21 as a download) offers more structure for the reader’s imagination: Nick Cave reading each chapter aloud over a score he composed with Warren Ellis to jibe with the story, which was “spatialized” by Arup Acoustics to add 3-D elements. Not only does the music go with the text, but it’s tied to key events and placed in various points in space around the reader — similar to the way films are scored.
[Photo] "Space Oddity" is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a single in 1969. It is about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut. The song appears on the album Space Oddity. The BBC featured the song in its television coverage of the lunar landing. Bowie would later revisit his Major Tom character in the songs "Ashes to Ashes" and "Hallo Spaceboy". [Wikipedia]
I had never realized there were so many cover versions, and so different. So check them out, plus of course the original.
David Bowie
Cat Power [Lincoln Commercial]
I do like this version.
Natalie Merchant
Emilie Simon
The Marauders
Atsushi Sakurai
Mike Garson
World renowned pianist Mike Garson who has been David Bowie's pianist since 1973 does his version of the Bowie Classic Space Oddity during a very special up close and personal concert at The Vibe in Monrovia, California.
Here are the lyrics, in case you want ot make your own.
Ground control to Major Tom Ground control to Major Tom Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground control to Major Tom Commencing countdown, engines on Check ignition and may gods love be with you
This is ground control to Major Tom You've really made the grade And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear Now its time to leave the capsule if you dare
This is Major Tom to ground control I'm stepping through the door And I'm floating in a most peculiar way And the stars look very different today
For here Am I sitting in a tin can Far above the world Planet earth is blue And there's nothing I can do
Though I'm past one hundred thousand miles I'm feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go Tell me wife I love her very much she knows
Ground control to Major Tom Your circuits dead, there's something wrong Can you hear me, Major Tom ?..
Here am I floating round my tin can Far above the moon Planet earth is blue And there's nothing I can do.
This started out as a post about Fantasmagoria based on a posting by my friend Hannibal. I wanted to listen to them since he had mentioned Curved Air in the review and I have been a long time fan of Curved Air. Then I got side tracked with the wealth of rocking violin players out there. I think I will have to re-visit this genre some time soon. But here are four clips to keep you happy on a Monday.
Once you’ve heard Gin sing, you won’t forget the name.
For the uninitiated, here are the basics on the sublimely talented Gin Wigmore.
Gin is 23, a Kiwi, a gifted songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and she sings like you’ve never heard anyone sing before.
Gin was born in Auckland, lives in Sydney and has just recorded her brilliant debut album, Holy Smoke, in Hollywood’s famed Capitol Studios.
Holy Smoke is her new album.
The 10 songs on Holy Smoke – led by the unmistakable urgency of lead single “Oh My” – almost defy description, a unique hybrid of pop and soul and blues and down-and-dirty rock & roll, often in the same song.
Reading comments about her by various people she has been compared to Amy Winehouse and Duffy. She sings like neither of them, she sings like Gin. Check her out, you will not be disappointed.
Lady Antebellum is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. It is composed of Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals), Dave Haywood (background vocals, guitar, mandolin) and Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals). The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol Records Nashville and releasing "Love Don't Live Here". The song, which peaked at #3 on the Hot Country Songs charts in May 2008, served as the lead-off single to the group's self-titled debut album. Certified gold in the US, the album also includes the singles "Lookin' for a Good Time" and "I Run to You", the latter of which became the group's first Number One in July 2009. A fourth single, "Need You Now," was released in mid-2009.
[Wikipedia] I think Hillary has one of the best female country voices around.
This is one great piece of guitar work. Sorta like Django meets Peter Gunn. Watch it you'll see what I mean.
Wikipedia: Biréli Lagrène (born September 4, 1966) is a French guitarist and bassist. He came to prominence in the 1980s for his Django Rheinhardt influenced style. He often performs within the swing, jazz fusion and post bop mediums. He started playing the guitar at the age of four. He grew up in the loving but tough environment of the "tzigane". His father Fisso (a very gifted violinist), his mother Berga and his brother Gaiti were his biggest influences. When, at the age of eight, he covered Django Reinhardt’s repertoire, his relatives were already calling him a child prodigy. Winning a Gypsy music festival in Strasbourg at the age of twelve gave him the opportunity to tour in Germany and, later, to record his live performance on the double LP Route to Django.
Now that is a true prodigy. And in case you doubt that, here he is at age 13 at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
A big thank you to my friend Pendar for the reminder of how good this guy is.
Here is Muse on Italian TV show with the track Uprising from their new CD The Resistance. I've been playing the heck out of the CD since I got it. But this track is one of my favorites, but I can't help looking around for the Tardis whenever I hear it start up.
Finally, only two more days and the new season is upon us. I've missed him. This season has promise, I'm betting John Lithgow is going to be mean. Once again Showtime rules.
This tune keeps popping up all over the place lately. I thought some of the earlier original type footage might go down well. I understand there is even a movie about Joe Meek the pioneering record producer and songwriter who was responsible for Telstar and many many more hits back in the late 50's and early 60's. Sounds like it could be an interesting movie, I'll check it out if it ever makes it stateside.
Trailer for the movie.
Side fact: "Knights of Cydonia", a 2006 song by Devonian rock band Muse, was influenced by "Telstar". Lead guitarist and vocalist Matthew Bellamy is the son of The Tornados' rhythm guitarist, George Bellamy.
Seems they had quite a dust storm down under. Here is a great video of it with words from John Steinbeck's, Grapes of Wrath. Could you imagine commuting in that? That would have to have been a tough morning.
Vince Taylor (born Brian Maurice Holden on 14 July 1939 in Isleworth, Middlesex, England; died 28 August 1991) was a British rock and roll singer.
As the front man for The Playboys, Taylor was successful primarily in the UK and Europe during the late 1950s and early 1960s, afterwards falling into obscurity amidst personal problems and drug abuse.
I met Vince one time at the 2i's in Soho. George a good friend of mine swore he was his cousin. But George had so many cousins I never knew what to believe. But Vince was a real nice guy, nothing like his stage persona. This was in the late 50's or early 60's so it was before his strange period. Strangely enough he emulated another guy who I also met in the 21's, if you see early 60's Gene Vincent they have the same black leather and even the same leg twisted stance.
Anyway I thought I would share some of his sounds. Nothing like the good old Rock n Roll.
Shakin' all over
Whole lot of twistin' goin' on disappeared, updated 2.24.2013 - Bear
Whole lotta shaking going on (live 1979)
Twenty Flight Rock
And finally, sadly no performance, one of his originals, the other being "Jet Black Machine" Brand New Cadillac
Watched "Cadillac Records" on Friday night, a good movie but not that truthful. And they basically made Little Walter appear like the Kanye of the day (as a jackass). I'm sure there was very little truth in the way he was portrayed.
Here's one of the rare clips of Little Walter, with Hound Dog Taylor sometime in the mid sixties.
And while there is no live performance video, here he is with his greatest hit. My babe
Wikipedia says: Little Walter is the stage name of Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), a blues singer, harmonica player, and guitarist.
Jacobs is generally included among blues music greats—his revolutionary harmonica technique has earned comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix for its innovation and impact on succeeding generations of harmonica players. His virtuosity and musical innovations fundamentally altered many listeners' expectations of what was possible on blues harmonica. Little Walter's body of work earned him a spot in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the sideman category on March 10, 2008, making him the only artist ever to be inducted specifically for his work as a harmonica player.
Came across this fascinating web page. It has a map of London from 1868. And you can select a section you want to look at and expand it. Sadly it needed to go one more panel to the right for the area I wanted to look at, but this one at least has where my family lived from about 1967 onwards. We first moved to Poplar around 1949, but that was in the panel one to the right. The top one of course is a current Google view. The amazing part to me was how many of the streets that were there in 1868 still existed when I was a kid there, given the wholesale bombing of that area that occurred. If you want to see more of the 1868 version check it out.
Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly ANSWER these QUESTIONS. Pass it on to 15 people you like and include me. You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "My life according to (band name)"
Pick your Artist: Steeleye Span
1.Are you a male or female: John Barleycorn
2.Describe yourself: Saucy Sailor
3.How do you feel: Beyond the dreaming place
4.Describe where you currently live: Horkstow Grange
5.If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The White Cliffs of Dover
6.Your favourite form of transportation: When I was on Horseback
7.Your best friend is: Black Jack Davy
8.You and your best friends are: Gone to America
9.What's the weather like: One Misty Moisty Morning
10.Favourite time of day: Shaking of the sheets
11.If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Boys of Bedlam
12.What is life to you: Diversus and Lazarus
13.Your relationship: The Ups and Downs
14.Your fear: Alison Gross
15.What is the best advice you have to give: Cam Ye O'er Frae France
16.Thought for the Day: Let her go down
17.How I would like to die: Robbery With Violins
18.My soul's present condition: Rave on
19.What were you in a past life: Prince Charlie Stuart
Steeleye Span is a British electric folk band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat". They had 3 top 40 albums. They achieved a certified "gold" record with sales of "All Around My Hat".
The name Steeleye Span comes from a character in the traditional song Horkstow Grange (which they did not actually record until they released an album by that name in 1998). The song gives an account of a fight between John "Steeleye" Span and John Bowlin, neither of whom are proven to have been real people. Martin Carthy gave Tim Hart the idea to name the band after the song character. When the band discussed names, they decided to vote between the three suggestions "Middlemarch Wait", "Iyubidin's Wait", and "Steeleye Span". Although there were only five members in the band, six ballots appeared and "Steeleye Span" won out. Only in 1978 did Hart confess that he had voted twice. Terry Woods maintains that the members had agreed that if more than one person departed, the remaining members would select a new name, and he was upset that this did not happen when he and Gay Woods left the band. The liner notes for their first album include thanks to Carthy for the name suggestion.
Throughout its long history, Steeleye Span has seen a great many personnel changes but has maintained a strong continuity of tradition. Lead vocalist Maddy Prior was one of the main attractions of the band's music, being one of a handful of strong-but-melodically-voiced women in rock music in the 1970s (along with Sandy Denny, Renaissance's Annie Haslam, Jacqui McShee and Linda Thompson).
Their typical album is a collection of mostly traditional songs with one or two instrumental tracks of jigs and/or reels added in; the traditional songs often include some of the Child ballads. In their later albums there has been an increased tendency to include music written by the band members, but they have never got completely away from traditional music, which draws upon indigenous pan-British traditions.
All of their LP-era recordings have now been re-released on CD, many on the Shanachie label, and others on their current label, Park Records.[Wikipedia]
I think I have been a fan since 1969, heck they even covered Buddy Holly's Rave On back in the day.
So check out some of their great tunes.
Cam ye o' frae France
Padstow
Black Jack Davy
Sadly not a live version, but one of their great later hits. The Fox
Shannon McNally (New York, March 17, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter. Although you would never guess it from her accent. Seems she's move around a bit and picked up something other than a New York accent.
Shannon McNally was born and raised on Long Island, New York but has spent most of her adult life traveling and lived in a number of places. After graduating college with a degree in Religious Anthropology she followed Los Lobos out to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. She quickly signed with Perry Watts-Russell to Capitol Records/ EMI. Her debut album released in January of 2002, Jukebox Sparrows (Capitol Records), garnered rave reviews and revealed itself as a surprisingly confident musical and lyrical debut for such a young songwriter. Rolling Stone Magazine gave it 3 1/2 stars. It also spawned the AAA radio hit “Now That I Know,” which appeared on the ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ soundtrack. The several independent releases which followed ‘Jukebox Sparrows’ were warm folky records that went over well with the coffee house crowd. Her song “Pale Moon” from Ran On Pure Lightning ‘was picked up by Putamayo Records as the first track on their American Folk Album. In 2005 she released ‘Geronimo’ on Back Porch Records (EMI). Produced by Charlie Sexton, the record got a lot of strong support at AAA radio and on Satelite Radio. The songs on ‘Geronimo’ were written well before Hurricane Katrina as a love letter to New Orleans, where Shannon lived and had become a regular on the music scene.
I have been listening to her 1993 CD Exile, and that intrigued me enough to check out some more of her music.
All about Jazz has this (and more) to say about Sidsel Endresen.
Sidsel Endresen has been at the forefront of the Nordic music-scene for more than two decades. Her work has spanned genres from “fusion” and “jazz-rock” in the -80's - to free improvisation and “new music” in the -90's and the new millennium.
Through her two solo-records on ECM Records and her three duo-records with Bugge Wesseltoft - she has received wide international recognition and critical acclaim.
In international media she has been labelled “the Grande Dame of Nordic,poetic chamber-jazz” and “Europe's most innovative jazz-singer” - yet she does not consider herself a “jazz-singer” in the strict sense of the term.She is influenced by many sources - including the ethnic and the contemporary vocal expressions.
Sidsel Endresen has always moved in new directions - constantly renewing her music and her approach - and challenging the traditional role and function of the singer.She is today considered a major influence on a whole new generation of singers.
Here she is singing a beautiful Jazz tune. Shadows in the rain
Here she sings a Leonard Cohen song in Norwegian. Beautiful voice. Cohen på norsk
Sidsel Endresen at the Henie Onstad Art Centre September 6th 2009 Høvikodden Here she is getting very experimental. Just as an aside if you ever get the chance visit the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, it is a beautiful experience. You will not be sorry. Apart from all the other good stuff, and the wonderful location the Sonja Henie Trophy room is unbelievable.
From the 2009 International Barbershop Chorus Championships here are the champions. When you think of Barbershop you tend to think quartets. But this Barbershop Chorus is way to big to fit into any barbershop I have ever been in. And that even before you factor in their talent. This is great.
The Barbershop Harmony Society is proud to present your 2009 International Barbershop Chorus Champions performing their uptune 'Seventy-Six Trombones' by Meredith Wilson and arranged by David Wright. Representing the Central States District, under the Direction of Dr. Jim Henry.....the Ambasssadors of Harmony!
Discover this intriguing talented Canadian singer/songwriter and uncover the mysteries on her debut album entitled Your Evil Bride. Coated with a bituminous mixture of a musical environment that combines the imagination of Miss Ivy and the vision of famed producer and music director Daniel Mercure. Eleven songs or chapters, propel the listener to witness and experience the darkest recesses of the heart. Compelling and haunting, Your Evil Bride unveils the magic that lies beneath the dusty emotions and reveals the flutter of captivated souls that will resonate deep within you.
This is my current fave CD. I just love this girls voice. The video is pretty cool too. Check out her web site.
Miss Ivy Françoise Dominique Arsenault was born August 1976 in Maria in the Gaspésie region of eastern Québec, Canada. She grew up by the sea in a coastal village, Paspébiac, with her younger sister and parents. Her passion for singing and playing music was evident early in her life when she began classical piano lessons at age 5 and sang in the local church choir. Still today, her childhood memories transcend through her song writing. The ocean and the east wind evoke the words from within her soul. [LastFM]
This is very clever, and extremely funny. A big thank you to FeDoTiShE for posting it. Pushnoy is a Russian parody band? comedy show? folk music band? Your call. All you need is a sleepy accordion player, a balalaika player and three female backing vocalists. With a male singer thrown in for good luck and what you can get is this Pink Floyd classic. I think Syd would have approved.
Music Video from "Stephen's Dreams" CD by composer / producer Stephen Peppos. Stephen directed and edited this video which features nature, wildlife and scenes from Va. Beach, VA. Dedicated to the memory of Les Paul.
This is one of the reasons I love LastFM. You get to "meet" new artists and talent. You get to hear sounds that you may not normally hear if you just get music from iTunes or Best Buy. The video is great and the music is inspiring. Give it a listen. To preview some more of Stephens music visit Sonic Bear Music, I love that name.
Krzysia Górniak plays guitar in styles related to jazz, fusion and smooth nu-jazz.
She and her band often play at Warsaw’s “DIUNA CLUB”, a musical venue established by Krzysia in 2004 to showcase her music and to promote other creative musicians and artists.
Her 3rd album (“Tales”/2002; “Ultra”/2004) is titled “Emotions” and was released in the Fall of 2008. [LastFM]
I'm not sure if they exist as a group or if this was just a moment in time when three beautiful and talented young ladies got together and made music. If they are a group I would surely like to hear an album.
Check out their cover of System of a Down's "Toxicity".
Toxicity
String Arrangement by Jennifer Lynn. Video editing by Jennifer Lynn. Co-produced by Gil Baram, Jennifer Lynn and Meytal Cohen.
Special thanks to Gil Baram for recording and filming. Thank you Gil!
The first time was back in April, the second one took another three months and was in July. This time I only had to wait just over a month. Another perfect 300 score. Not bad for someone who has only ever bowled once in their lives, and that was back in Dagenham, Essex. And boy did I suck that time. I did bowl nine pins open air in Rijeka onetime, that was when it was still Yugoslavia. And I bowled a few times on the beach in Spain. But true ten pin, I've never done it. I've been in bowling alleys in the USA, but only to drink with friends, listen to Karaoke and traffic school.
Flora Purim (born in March 6, 1942 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian jazz singer known mainly for her work in the jazz fusion style. She became prominent for her part in Chick Corea's landmark album Return to Forever. She has recorded and performed with many artists, including Stanley Clarke, Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Evans, Stan Getz, the Grateful Dead, Santana, Jaco Pastorius, and her husband Airto Moreira. [Wikipedia]
Another in a long line of great female jazz singers, this time with a Latin side.
Flora Purim with Elaine Elias, & David Sanborn - Jobim Medley
"(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66", often rendered simply as "Route 66", is a popular song and rhythm and blues standard, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. It was first recorded in the same year by Nat King Cole, and was subsequently covered by many artists including Chuck Berry in 1961 and The Rolling Stones in 1964. The song's lyrics follow the path of the U.S. Route 66 highway, which used to run a long distance across the U.S., going from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California. The title was suggested to Troup by his first wife, Cynthia. [Wikipedia]
It's a very evocative song and here are a few versions that you may enjoy.
Jaimee Paul is another in the recent trend of beautiful jazz singers. Such a great voice.
Check out her new CD "At Last", she covers some of the greatest singers and songs around. And she does them proud.
After living in Nashville, TN for nine years, passing out hundreds of demos, performing live at several of Nashville’s hotspots, Jaimee Paul has finally found her niche … jazz. “I guess I should have realized this several years ago, since I would always list Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, and Etta James as my top female influences,” says Jaimee. “My love for Jazz standards has always been there, I just never really thought that I’d be given the opportunities to explore it.”
So the Fire chief tells the Judge he doesn't like the Police speed traps, so the cops shoot the Fire chief in the court. Wait! What? I think I'll give Jericho a miss.
One of my all time favorite songs has to be "Feelin' Good". "I am Feeling Good" (aka Feelin' Good) is a song written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1965 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd and since covered by many artists, including Nina Simone, Sammy Davis Jr., Eels, Michael Bublé, The Pussycat Dolls, My Brightest Diamond, George Michael, Joe Bonamassa, John Barrowman, Adam Lambert, John Coltrane, Noureddine Azhar, Muse, Calle Stuborn, and David Hasselhoff. [Wikipedia]
After lasts nights painful rendition ** by an alleged artist (mentioned above and I don't know why, other than Wikipedia allows outside input) I just had to cleanse my palate and listen to some good versions of the song, and to share them with you if you are so inclined. For me the Nina Simone version is still the greatest, but I do like the others featured here with a particular fondness to the Adam Lambert version.
Couldn't find a live version anywhere of the great Nina Simone version, so here is the promo for season four of Six Feet Under, which was also awesome. Nina Simone
Muse
My Brightest Diamond
Michael Bublé
This is from the DVD "Hit Man - David Foster & Friends", awesome DVD by the way.
Adam Lambert
** This is why I always DVR any programs on Network TV. But last night got messed up. Watching the previous nights 2 hour episode of Americas Got Talent I was able to fast forward through the commercials and the promos for calling in and it was over in less than an hour and 15 minutes. So we were stuck in watching the results show in almost real time. And we were not far enough back to be able to fast forward through the hoffal cock up he made of this great song. Open letter to Simon Cowell, you need to get some better talent on this show. I don't mean the actual contestants, I'm talking about the "talent" or lack of it in the results shows. Come on - Mariah Carey!! The Muppets!! David Hasselurghh!!! They totally lower the tone of the show.
Deadwood was one of my all time favorite TV series. The wonderful way they had with language, it was almost Shakespearean. Here two of the great characters are showing how people from different backgrounds can get along together and communicate. Keone Young as Mr. Wu and Ian McShane as Al Swearengen.
Plea to HBO and David Milch, please give us the two movies you promised to give us closure. With of course the original cast.
Timothy Olyphant as new Sheriff Seth Bullock Ian McShane as the ruthless town boss Al Swearengen John Hawkes as Sol Star Molly Parker as Alma Garret Powers Boothe as Cy Tolliver Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane Keone Young as Mr. Wu Brad Dourif as Doc Cochran Leon Rippy as Tom Nuttal Paula Malcomson as Trixie Sean Bridgers as Johnny Burns W. Earl Brown as Dan Dority Dayton Callie as Charlie Utter Jim Beaver as Ellsworth William Sanderson as E.B. Farnum Kim Dickens as Joanie Stubbs Jeffrey Jones as A.W. Merrick Titus Welliver as Silas Adams Anna Gunn as Martha Bullock Garret Dillahunt as Francis Wolcott Bree Seanna Wall as Sofia Metz Brent Sexton as Harry Manning Brian Cox as flamboyant stage promoter Jack Langrishe Gerald McRaney as power-hungry newcomer George Hearst.
