Guest Post: Era-less

By Alanna Gluck

Will my generation look back on our time in Williamsburg the way the previous generations look back at Haight-Ashbury?  When my pops talks about the Fillmore West I start to wonder if I’ll do the same about venues like North Six, Galapagos, and Luna Lounge (ugh, I mean Music Hall of Williamsburg, Public Assembly, and the New Knitting Factory.  I’m getting old).

I guess decades or locales don’t really matter.  Truly great music could be from any time or place.  Check these two favorites out: 40 years and 847 miles separate them.

The Velvet Underground - I’m Waiting for the Man (1967: The Velvet Underground & Nico)

The Black Lips - I Saw a Ghost (Lean) (2007: Good Bad Not Evil)

Hippies or Hipsters?  Hard to tell, right?

64 Clarinets

The Beatles - When I'm Sixty-Four
(1967: Woodwinds track)

 - Arranged for 2 clarinets and 1 bass clarinet by the great George Martin.  Why do you hear so much of the vocal track?  Because stuffed shirt classical musicians back in the 60s didn't care to wear headphones... they wanted the music played back via speakers.... thus you can hear the already recorded vocal tracks in the distance.

La Résistance

Leonard Cohen - The Partisan
(1969: Songs From a Room)


Édith Piaf - Non, je ne regrette rien
(1960: Non, je ne regrette rien)


Django Reinhardt - La Marseillaise
(1946: La Marseillaise)

The Blues

When you've got it...

 you know it:

Fleetwood Mac - Jigsaw Puzzle Blues (1968: English Rose)

Fleetwood Mac - Something Inside of Me (1968: English Rose)

Chris Cohen (part IV) - The Curtains

...Though it was sad that Cohen left Deerhoof... at least he left it to do great things!  In 2006 he went
back to his old project, The Curtains.  This time they switched their style from mostly experimental and a little poppy to mostly poppy and a little experimental.... I say it was a good idea!  Cohen did pretty much everything on this album but he did have some vocal assistance from a certain Nedelle Torrisi... you can't really tell how amazing her voice is on this record... she's usually harmonizing or in unison with Cohen... it's foreshadowing (wait for it!).

The Curtains - Wysteria (2006: Calamity)

 - I love that you can hear snare rattle in the beginning of this song... shows that they recorded it live.

The Curtains - Brunswick Stew (2006: Calamity)

 - Knock, knock... awesome 'Baby You're a Rich Man' muted bass sound.

The Curtains - Fell On a Rock & Broke It (2006: Calamity)

 - Beautiful melodies in this one.

(See Chris Cohen - part III)

For 20 P&P Points: Where did I first see the Curtains?

Been Better...

The Brazda Brothers - Lonely Time
(1973: The Brazda Brothers)

A Passing Fancy - Island
(1968: 1968)

Blossom Dearie: Dinnertime Jazz

Blossom Dearie - Blossom's Blues 

(1959: Blossom Dearie)

 - I love the lyrics to this... really nice in contrast with her girlish voice.  Great simple 50's blues rhythm section too... really simple and clear... classic.

Blossom Dearie - Figure Eight (1973/1996: Schoolhouse Rock!)

 - From Schoolhouse Rock but later featured in the Squid and the Whale soundtrack where I first heard it.  Her voice is perfect for this song.  It's not really jazz but whatever. If you haven't done much math recently you can learn something from this.... and make sure you wait for the last lyric of the song... totally brilliant.

Blossom Dearie - Sweet Georgie Fame (1970: That's Just the Way I Want to Be)

 - This is my favorite... it's got a whole big orchestra on it which is uncommon for her. 

For 20 P&P points: Some of the lyrics in 'Blossom's Blues' are found in a Beatles recording.                                Which song?

Chris Cohen (part III)

Then... in 2006 Cohen left Deerhoof... very sad because the line up was so incredible... but as a farewell they recorded one last record with Cohen.  I dubbed it the Severance Package EP... it's a great little record with some really cool covers... take a listen!

(See Chris Cohen - part II)






Deerhoof - The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (The Beatles)
(2006: Severance Package EP)

Deerhoof - Going Up the Country (Canned Heat)
(2006: Severance Package EP)

Deerhoof - Lose My Breath (My Bloody Valentine)
(2006: Severance Package EP)

Deerhoof - There's a Kind of Hush (all over the world) (Herman's Hermits)
(2006: Severance Package EP)

Do Whatever You Want All the Time

From Ponytail's posthumous release... due out on April 12:

Ponytail - Honey Touches
(2011: Do Whatever You Want All the Time)

Ponytail - Music Tunes
(2011: Do Whatever You Want All the Time)

For 25 P&P Points: When and where did I first see Ponytail?

Joy Lemmon - Everyday I Have to Cry
(1966: Girls! Girls! Girls!: Australian Female Performers of the Sixties Vol. 1)

Carole King - Crying in the Rain
(1962: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost and Found)

Chuck Jackson - I Wake Up Crying
(1961: I Don't Want to Cry)