We've now made it to the end of February, and life, both on the political and the pandemic fronts, while still sketchy, seem to be trending in the right direction. Here in Vermont we're now only three months away from spring (UTKR) so even the weather is hopeful. This is one of our free form months so there's no overriding theme, although sometimes as I'm putting the entries together I try and create one nevertheless. Our theme this month is clearly: "We don't need no stinkin' themes." As usual, this is a beautiful and eclectic mix of music, much of which was completely new to me.
Cheryl Casey
"My discography entries suck. I like to dance."
Alice Neiley
Well, this week has been one of those weeks. Truly, so much
junk had already happened by Tuesday that I thought Tuesday was Friday and of
course was wildly disappointed. That said, since it was only Tuesday, the
pressure to find a song for this week's discography was minimal, which meant I
forgot about it until yesterday...and the torture began. Luckily, inspiration
rose from the proverbial ashes when the esteemed Steve Wehmeyer posted an
amazing article about an even more amazing group of female POC banjo players
who have resurrected and rearranged African American slave songs. Now, amazing
as they are, their music is not what my post is about, but it led me to
investigate each woman individually, only to find that one of them is Rhiannon
Giddens from the Carolina Chocolate Drops!! THAT led me down the ever enticing
NPR Tiny Desk Concert rabbit hole, which in turn led me back to youtube for
live recordings...and that's when I saw it. The Carolina Chocolate Drops
covering Blu Cantrell's "Hit 'Em Up Style." What. WHAT? That song was
quite popular in the early 2000s on top 40 radio, and as old-school as my
musical tastes were, even then, I was a sucker for the gleeful revenge, anger,
power, and R&B groove of this tune. Still, if it comes on the radio, I sing
along. Loudly. This is the original, in case you're interested, but the Carolina
Chocolate Drops absolutely TRANSFORMED it while somehow keeping its essence in
tact. They even manage to re-create the somewhat off-kilter, unsettling
intro...but better. The fusion of bluegrass, soul, and 2000s R&B-pop is
flawless, and I wish we saw more of at least the first two genres blended, as
soul and bluegrass are both considered 'roots' -- music from the American South
-- which essentially gave us most other American musical genres, yet soul and
bluegrass are often separated in our minds along racial or cultural lines. The
Carolina Chocolate Drops bring us back to true, authentic roots music -- the
bluegrass/soul blend, the instrumentation -- but often with a modern twist. Of
course...they also have Rhiannon Giddens, the definition of a musical triple
threat: she's an insane musician, an excellent writer and arranger, gorgeous,
and...her VOICE. CCD's rendition of "Hit Em Up
Style" makes use of all of Rhiannon's 'threats', but most
particularly her fiddle skills and her vocal stylings. The two other members of
the band are essentially accompaniment, but in a 20-Feet-From-Stardom-Backup-
Miranda Tavares
Well. It’s been a rough 4 years, and I, for one, feel a bit like
Dorothy waking up to find it was all a dream. It wasn’t, obviously, but the
difference between yesterday and today is just as jarring as the difference
between sleep and wakefulness. Depression has been the norm, and attempts to
lift myself out of it were thwarted by daily observations of hatred and
stupidity. I lost a couple friends to that fatal disease of Trumpism, withdrew
into myself to prevent losing a couple more, and found the silver lining in
covid was to allow me to take the self-isolation to an extreme during the
election season. Honestly, though, my social bubble pre-dated covid. Much safer
that way.
Now it’s a brand-new day. Yes, hatred and stupidity still exist
and always will, but I have hope we can beat them back into the dark and dusty
corners where most souls don’t care to venture. I no longer fear the
suffocation of the love and compassion trying to poke through life like a
determined but lonely weed in a sidewalk crack. I have a long way to go. We
have a long way to go. But what is damaged can be fixed. Time to get to work.
The Record Company, "Life to Fix"
Bill Farrington
So....this was my thought for
Edition #1 of the discography. I have procrastinated to the point
it is now a tardy entrant for Edition #2.
The Healer is a collaboration
of John Lee Hooker and Carlos Santana. Carlos Santana credits blues
as a formative influence, but I don't necessarily hear it in his music.
This was an unexpected combination for me in a way that it wouldn't have been
had Hooker collaborated with any of the members of blues worshipping British Invasion
of the 60's and 70's.
I enjoy John Lee Hooker a great
deal, and of course Carlos Santana, is Carlos Santana.
The Healer is from a disc of compilations John Lee Hooker did with various artists. He is not as well known as his contemporaries that formed friendships with prominent English musicians - ex: BB King and Muddy Waters - but I judge him to be worthy of that group.
Lynette Vought
In Michigan, February is a gloomy month, and we have to find other ways to make our days bright. Runaway Baby fits the bill. In this performance, Bruno Mars shines like the sun, with a sly smile and a pompadour, doing the splits and calling out his audience to dance and celebrate music. Please accept it as a warm ray of golden sunshine when there is none outside.
When I saw Bruno
Mars and the Hooligans during their Grammy Awards performance in 2012, I had no
idea who he was (which is an example of how out of touch I usually am). So,
when the chaotic beginning resolved into a tightly choreographed funk/soul/rock
song performed by young men in gold lamè
jackets, I couldn’t stop smiling.
It is very likely
that it is the whole performance I am enamored with and not just the song or
the artists. I enjoy the references to Elvis, James Brown, Michael Jackson and
others, which helps make this song an interesting mix of genres. There are fine
musicians all around in this group, and Jamareo Artis’ funky bass especially
stands out. Besides contributing some very inventive licks, he also dances
while playing. He makes it look easy, but I’d wager it is not.
I also appreciate
the honesty of the lyrics and cheek with which they are delivered. The lyrics
collected some criticism because they were said to be too callous about women’s
feelings. But, isn’t he doing them a favor by making the situation clear?
Besides, don’t Girls Just
Want to Have Fun?
The one thing I
could have done without was the megaphone, but, if Bruno has so many “bunnies”,
maybe he needs one to keep them organized and informed.
It is not just the song and the musicianship of this piece that made me choose it. It is the energy, the sass, the influences and the precision of this performance. It is almost as refreshing as a quick visit to a sun-soaked beach.
In the middle of
this cold, grey month, I hope that revisiting Runaway Baby will bring
you some much needed sunshine and cheer.
Kathy Seiler
“Don’t Give Up” Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush
This post marks my return, at least
for this month, to the Discography. Life has been, well... a lot. I’m not sure
I know anyone who was a fan of 2020, and I sure wasn’t. I haven’t been a big
fan of 2021 so far, although it’s better (I guess) than 2020. In addition to
the global pandemic, there was a lot of death in my family. Not from COVID,
thankfully, but still losses of some dearly beloved and a lot of illness, both
myself and in family members. I finished out the year with major orthopedic
surgery on December 30, 2020. It’s like 2020 just said, “Oh you thought it was
over? Ha.” And then flipped me the bird while the surgeon drilled holes in my
bone.
I’ve been in some pretty dark
places this past year. The thing that kept me going was my family and my
friends. I’m not a quitter, as anyone who knows me knows well, but I had so
many times I didn’t think I could keep going. I was so very tired from non-stop
work, illness, caring for parents over the summer, and the mental burden of the
pandemic. But now, I am finally beginning to walk after surgery, finally on
sabbatical, and finally starting to take a much needed breath after a long time
submerged. I’m starting to get my bearings back after being held under for so
long, both by pandemics and circumstance, but sometimes also by other people.
I’m starting to see clearly again, and taking stock.
This song post is a thank you to
all in my life who helped me through and who continue to support me. To
everyone who helped me not to give up. My family has been my rock. My grown
son’s hugs have saved me (and made me cry) many times. My daughter and I have
grown closer as she has helped to care for my soul when all I was physically
allowed to do was sit on the couch. So many friends brought us food during my
post-operative period, some several times (thank you Scudder) and some from
afar sent me things to keep me busy (Alice, I still can’t draw but I’m trying).
The love and kindness I have received has been overwhelming in the best of
ways.
This song is also a special nod to
my husband Phil who has had to see me at my absolutely lowest, worst, weakest,
and most vulnerable lately. The video for this song is a little cheesy,
but really, it’s simple and incredibly intimate. Just Peter and Kate embracing.
For the ENTIRE song. And since Phil has always had a major crush on the great
Kate Bush, this was even more apropos for the post.
The intimacy of the embrace held
for so long holds both a tenderness and awkwardness that I find striking and so
very, very REAL. And if you watch, the embrace starts off in a fairly static
wa, and then seems to become more comfortable and intense over the course of
the video. Intimacy, whether romantic or platonic, always seems to start off so
awkwardly. Love is awkward far more than we like to admit. What I’ve
learned really matters is that you are able to keep giving and receiving love
even when you want to crawl out of your own skin. And the longer you keep
loving and holding on to one another through the awkwardness, the easier it
gets.
For all those who gave me love
through this, thank you for helping me not to give up. Thank you for the love.
I look forward to keep on returning the love through the awkwardness.
Dave Kelley
I was torn between which of two
songs to select this month so being an entitled prick, I am choosing them both.
I am inclined to choose more
recent music in this iteration of the blog. 2020 was obviously a horrible
year for live music, but damn there were some great studio releases.
Taylor Swift has always
produced excellent pop music. I never considered her a guilty
pleasure. 2020 saw her release not one but two great records that lifted
her to even greater heights. There are well over 30 tracks in all, and
there is not a stinker in the bunch. "Exile" is my favorite.
It is a gorgeous duet between Swift and Bon Iver. The singers offer
very different views of their breakup within the same song. Sort of a
romantic Rashoman. As he complains that she gave him no sign of their
impending breakup, she repeatedly sings "there were so many signs."
Just a great song sung perfectly.
My second song is
"Georgia" by Katie Pruitt who released one of the great debut albums
ever "Expectations" in 2020. Art at its best allows us to view
existence through the eyes of someone totally unlike ourselves. I am not
a woman, I am not gay, I am not in my twenties, and I was not raised in the
deep South by fundamentalist parents. But fuck, this song me allows to
look through the eyes of someone who was. The first half of the song is just
heartbreaking. The second half is redemptive. Both halves of the song bring tears to my eyes. "Georgia, you were wrong."
Phil Seiler
Shearwater
Backchannels
In a year trapped inside small spaces with little
to do, I was surprised how little music brought me comfort or emotional
release. I struggled all year to find anything that would connect: new, old,
unheard, well-worn, angry, sad, happy, ironically distant. But the search was
mostly fruitless.
Except for Shearwater.
This Austin based band are more or less tailor
made for me and my tastes and their 2016 album, Jet Plane and Oxbow even more
so as it is a true love letter to the music of the 80s without being derivative
or cheeky about it. The album is also one of those rarities these days, an
obviously constructed album where the songs are meant to flow and have been
placed purposely. Oh to have this on vinyl.
The whole thing is gorgeous, emotional, and
connecting but Backchannels is the track I choose to focus on.
It starts, simple synth notes, beautiful and
sparse, with heavily processed drums and bass joining in. The vocal melody
slides in, hovering above punctuated by the occasional guitar chords. The whole
track is layered so precisely.
And those beautiful lyrics:
And put down the knife
The night is here
But still it's spinning out stars in its wake
That stubborn light
Pools in your heart
Warm and nacreous, baby
The milk of sighs
And dreams
But the kicker, for me, is the bridge and a guitar
solo that is the best guitar solo Mark Hollis of Talk Talk never wrote or
performed. Like Talk Talk in their later years, this song explores and embraces
the spaces between sound, the power of less, and the rapture of allowing
lingering notes to resolve into their own silence...and dreams.
Jack Schultz
The Mavericks
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
If based only on how much this
song moves me, I must consider Raul Malo one of my favorite artists. My wife
Julie and I heard this live in November of 2017, when he (acoustic solo with
the rest of the band on break) dedicated it to the victims of the Las Vegas
shooting and pledged to keep playing it until something is done to curb gun
violence. Little did we know that in 3 months he would be dedicating it to
families of Marie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, a facility in Julie’s (an elementary teacher
who must now train 5th graders on what to do when confronted
with a shooter) school system.
Personally, it angers me when I
think about how Valentine’s Day isn’t Valentine’s Day anymore. It’s the
anniversary of the fucking shooting. It outright enrages me when I hear
politicians and NRA stooges vow to not consider any changes at all to gun laws.
When I hear Malo sing this song, the rage is overwhelmed by sadness. While
these aren’t the best of emotions at play, they are real, and they are raw. Even
though the song moves me to sadness, I am grateful it does. The sadness
displaces some of the anger.
Listening to this reminds me of
a call with Gary Scudder and Dave Kelley when (surprise surprise) we were
discussing music. We talked about the role of silence in music.
There are many loud songs by loud bands that employ hard stop silence as if it
were a “musical” instrument (I think The Who’s Eminence Front and Springsteen’s
Candy’s Room were cited as examples). In the context of an entire Mavericks
concert, the silence between notes of How Can You Mend a Broken Heart is
deafening. For most of the night they are a wall of sound. I would
compare it to Willin’ in a Little Feat concert.
Anyway, I think the Bee Gees
would be happy with the song’s treatment by the Mavericks. Instead of
mending broken hearts, let’s stop breaking them.
Gary Scudder
Bill Evans, What Is There To Say?
OK, every veteran of the Discography will tell you that if this discussion goes on long enough eventually I'll feature every song from the Bill Evans album Everybody Digs Bill Evans. If it seems like this album has been on constant play in my life for over twenty years it's because, well, obviously it has. I know I've talked about Peace Piece and Young and Foolish and doubtless other songs, but now I want to turn my attention to What Is There To Say? It's a beautiful song, but the backstory is fascinating and it shows how artists create but also recreate music. What Is There To Say? was written back in the 1930s for the Ziegfield Follies and it was originally a happy, almost smugly happy, song about a person reveling in the perfect relationship they've finally won. This cover by Chris Connor gives you a sense of its original intent. It's a pretty, sweet song, but also I would argue generally unremarkable and thus I would propose eminently forgettable. Nevertheless, it eventually became a standard and has been covered by many people over the years, including jazz musicians, as you can hear in this version by Chet Baker. One way to think about the Evans version is that he transformed it from a happy song to a sad song, but he also added layers of nuance. So, it's not simply that a song celebrating a wonderful relationship has become a song about breaking up, but you can almost follow the thought process and changing moods of the person thinking about breaking it off. In the end the Evans version became the standard and the original overshadowed if not forgotten.
