Ennui, the force compulsively creating all things trivial and frivolous.
Hitchcock does Pulp Fiction, Trix’s
sanscosm
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Jesca Hoop was “discovered” while working as a nanny for Tom Waits’ kids. She gave Waits a demo that he liked, and he then passed it around until it found its way into heavily-requested rotation at KCRW. Not a bad way to make it, really.
Jesca’s style roughly fits in with the “Freak Folk” crowd (Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, etc), though that’s largely for the quirkiness that can run through her music rather than its freaky folkiness. This song, “Seed of Wonder”, is the demo song that eventually made it onto the radio and landed Jesca a record deal. This version of the song (a re-recorded version for her debut album Kismet), pushes the uniqueness of the song forward a bit by using changes of rhythm and some sprinkles of hip-hop and Native American flair. I hadn’t heard about Jesca Hoop until recently, but hopefully this isn’t the last I hear about her.
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Peter, Paul and Mary - “Leaving on a Jet Plane”
In 1961, former Bob Dylan manager Albert Grossman wanted to put together a folk music super group. He gathered Peter Yarrow (the good looking guy), Paul Stookey (the funny guy), and Mary Travers (the tall blonde). Together they formed the aptly named Peter, Paul and Mary. They began performing in a coffee shop in Greenwich Village but quickly attained superstar status, with all three of their albums in the Billboard top ten by November of 1963. They parted ways in 1970 to pursue solo careers, but they reunited in 1978 to protest nuclear energy and began recording and touring together again.
Although they were probably best known for their song “Puff the Magic Dragon”, it was their final single, “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, which was their only song to reach number one on the Billboard charts.
In 2004, Mary was diagnosed with Leukemia which hampered their touring efforts and forced them to cancel several shows while she recovered. She received a bone marrow transplant and was thought to be on her way to recovering. Unfortunately, on September 16th, Mary Travers passed away due to the side effects of her chemotherapy treatments. She was 72.
We’ve written about Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps before. Their songs are delightful and as the video shows, they can pull it off in nearly any setting. Since our last post they have even recorded a Daytrotter Session.
This weekend they embarked on a westward tour with shows in California, Texas, Iowa and everywhere in between. You can check out their myspace page for the dates. If they are coming anywhere near your town I would recommend that you go hang out with them.
Check it out for their Acoustic Cover of Dr. Dre’s “X-plosive”.
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Take - “Fall in Love Again”
Take, aka Thomas 2000, aka Thomas Wilson can be found on the lefty spectrum of hip-hop. If the likes of Kanye and Jay-Z can be considered the center (it is sad that those are the two names that came to mind), and the conservative right is anything from the bass-heavy southern rap to the Bay Area’s hyphy movement, Take dabbles with instrumental and experimental beats. On a related note: conservative rap is shaping out to be pretty shite!
While his usual stuff is akin to Flying Lotus, Daedelus, and Dabyre, this song — from his album The Dirty Decibels Of Thomas Two Thousand — is definitely leaner and toned down. It’s easy on the electro-synth and generous with traditional acoustics. The brevity of the song seems to underscore the talent - you will definitely be using the repeat function.
This guest post was written by Avi Jaisinghani. Thanks, Avi! If you want to submit your own guest post, head on over to our submission page and get writing!
This is one of the most eye-catching album covers of all time. And you can find your own copy in any thrift store in the United States *right now*. Not sure what that means when records turn up over and over and over again in the bargain bins of the world. Did they sell a ton of ‘em back in the day and the extras trickled into the thriftstream? Or did everyone just dump their copy all at once?
I actually have this record. And never listened to it.
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Free Energy - “Dream City”
My name is Mitchell London, and I’m new to the Tuneage gang (Tunegange?). First, a little about me: I have two solo dance moves. Exactly two - the “Reach Up at the Sky and Pull Down Fiercely” and the “Very Excited Stationary Jogger.” When I try to push the boundaries, incorporate a new move - something, say, lateral instead of vertical - I abandon it in less than four bars and retire to the corner of the party, head hung in shame.
Fortunately, there are a few songs out there that accommodate - nay, are meant for - my hyperkinetic prancing. “Dream City” is one. The opening power chords are a statement of purpose; they let the listener know exactly where Free Energy is coming from. 1974. If the forces of punk, rap, dance, or irony have ever registered on the Free Energy radar, they certainly don’t show it here. Instead, they dabble in the simplest expressions of joy - handclaps, “Wooooo woooo woooooo” bridge harmonies, lyrics about stars, Rhodes Piano chorus breakdowns. If you’re not jogging in place after that post-chorus snare hit or clutching at the empty sky during the sax solo, you’ve clicked the wrong play button.
