Tahitian Moon

How long's it been since you've heard this one?

Porno for Pyros - Tahitian Moon
(1996: Good God's Urge)

Something in common...

These songs are blood relatives:

Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman (1972: Superfly)

Marvin Gaye - Got to Give It Up (1977: Got to Give It Up)

The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue (1980: Emotional Rescue)

Spoon - I Turn My Camera On (2005: Gimme Fiction)

Mucho Tiempo Más

It's the third week in May... a very optimistic time of year.

Bel Divioleta - Mucho Tiempo Más (2006: Espejos)

Avi Buffalo for All

Avi Buffalo started making headlines last year because they made good music and were really young. Haven't heard of them? Here are a few great songs from their debut album:

Avi Buffalo - What's In It For? (2010: Avi Buffalo)
 - They hit it big with this one.

Avi Buffalo - Summer Cum (2010: Avi Buffalo)
 - My favorite recording on the album.

Avi Buffalo - Jessica (2010: Avi Buffalo)
 - Awesome song... I wish I could hear Neil Young do a version of this.

Oh, you have heard of Avi Buffalo? You've heard these songs a million times? Here's a few versions of Jessica that you maybe haven't heard:

Avi Buffalo - Jessica (2009: Daytrotter Sessions)
 - This recording is the closest one I have to capturing their live sound... the first time I saw them they made this song really loud and heavy... it was amazing.

Avi Buffalo - Jessica (2009: Myspace rip)
 - This one has been up on their myspace page for a while now... really cool and odd sounding harmonies.

Avi Buffalo - Jessica (2009: What's In It For? 7")
 - An even stranger version...  sick of this song yet? I'm not.

Harp + sichord = Ennio

Here are a few tracks from one of Ennio Morricone's earlier scores: Le monachine (The Little Nuns). It features the harp and the harpsichord throughout which I think is an incredibly beautiful texture. The other instrumentation includes upright bass, drums (with brushes), church organs, piano, nylon string guitar, vibraphones, flute, etc... good organic and pure sounding instruments. I've never seen the rather hard-to-find film that goes along with this score but here's a little description to get you in the right mindset: "Italian nuns raise a quiet ruckus to stop a major airline from flying over their village in this gentle comedy. They are upset because the noise from the jets creates a vibration that is threatening to crumble a much-revered ancient fresco. It also interferes with the quiet of their cloistered lives and so the Mother superior and two of her underlings journey to Rome to have a chat with the owner of the airline." Sound pretty wild and intense to me :) With this score though I bet it's fantastic.

Ennio Morricone - Al convento (1963: Le monachine)
 - This is the music I wake up to when I need to set an alarm.

Ennio Morricone - Fughetta nell'orto (1963: Le monachine)
 - I think Ennio was listening to a lot of Bach when he was writing this stuff.

Ennio Morricone - Mistico ma non troppo (1963: Le monachine)
 - A brilliant study of instrumentation and arranging.... such a beautiful piece.

Guest Post: I like my vinyl like I like my men...

By Alanna Gluck

...Old fashioned!

My record collection is limited, to say the least; all but two of my LPs are recordings from before 1960. A discard from the Astoria Public Library purchased for $5 at the Brooklyn Flea, "Yes Sir, That's My Baby!: The Golden Years of Tin Pan Alley 1920-1929" has not left my turn table for eight months. Sophie Tucker, Al Jolsen, Gene Austen and Rudy Vallee remind me nightly that times may change but classics are always in style.

Take it from Louis, circa 1927, and blame it on love.

Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra - Ain't Misbehaving
(1977: Yes Sir, That's My Baby!: The Golden Years of Tin Pan Alley 1920-1929)

Nino Rota

Some of my favorites from Fellini's favorite coconspirator:

Nino Rota - Tema della strada
(1954: La strada)

Nino Rota - Finale
(1960: La dolce vita)

Nino Rota - Titoli di testa
(1957: Le notti di Cabiria)

Nino Rota - L'illusionista
(1963: 8¹/₂ )

Nino Rota - Amarcord
(1973: Amarcord)

Nino Rota - Addio del matto
(1954: La strada)

John Lennon

I guess it's lucky that the most critically acclaimed pop songwriter in history wrote about such beautiful things:

John Lennon - Mind Games (1973/2010: Mind Games)

John Lennon - Watching the Wheels (1980/2010: Double Fantasy (Stripped Down))

John Lennon - Love (1970: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

John Lennon - God (1970: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

John Lennon - Instant Karma (1975: Shaved Fish)

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

This album came out a few days ago and I've been listening to it a lot. It's not as good as I want it to be... but it's still very good. The production, particularly on Robin Pecknold's voice is incredible. But the songs are a little uneven... a lot of them have great moments that transition into mediocrity. Still, I'm sure it's gonna get great reviews and it deserves them because the first song on the album, 'Montezuma', is outstanding in every way. I posted it a couple days ago but I'm putting it up again... listen to it! There's a story behind this album that Pecknold put so much time into making it that his girlfriend left him. Then, when she heard it, she understood and now they're trying to work things out. Well... if that's really true, it's 'Montezuma' that changed her mind.

Fleet Foxes - Montezuma (2011: Helplessness Blues)
 - wow

Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie (2011: Helplessness Blues)
 - this is another good one.. single-worthy I'm sure.

Fleet Foxes - Blue Spotted Tail (2011: Helplessness Blues)
 - Spare, really beautiful... nice lyrics.

Guest Post: Prince Can Play

By Alanna Gluck

Little Red Corvette, Nothing Compares 2 U, 1999, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, KISS!!! I can't take it any longer!!! I must get up and dance!!!!.

It's clear that his velvety ruffles get us...well, all ruffled, but i feel that a great deal of Prince's talent is overshadowed by our idea of Prince as an "artist", a character, or a novelty act that pushes our comfort zone just to the point that we, collectively, can handle it. 

His genius, both in musical ability and music business is undeniable.  Prince has produced ten platinum albums, thirty Top 40 singles, has his own label and recording studio, writes, self-produces and plays most if not all of the instruments on his recordings. Not to mention his aptitude for public relations and general self-promotion. 

Like I said, GENIUS.

In a 2004 show-stealing performance at the Rock n'  Roll Hall of Fame honoring fellow inductee George Harrison, Prince shared the stage with Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Ferrone and Dhani Harrison (George's son), taking part in an all-star rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". 

If you must, skip ahead to 3:32, but take it from Prince, "your extra time and your..." is worth it!

His purpleness may get in the way, but without a doubt, Prince can shred ax.

And, because one taste of Prince is never enough, here is one of my all time (and more current) favorites from the royal canon (its. just. so. funky. ugh!).

Prince - Musicology (2004: Musicology)

--a note from Pongo: Where the hell does Prince throw his guitar at the end of that video?!?--

Sun Wind Sky Truth Beginnings Salt Earth Broad Never Kindess Sadness Open Forever

The Beginning:  Fleet Foxes - Montezuma (2011: Helplessness Blues)

The Middle:  My Morning Jacket - Golden (2003: It Still Moves)

The Ending:  Elvis Perkins - While You Were Sleeping (2007: Ash Wednesday)

Sail Away!

Sail Away... an album by Randy Newman released in 1972. It's his second best album in my opinion as well as in the opinion of most critics. His best, and my favorite, is Good Old Boys. I'm shying away from posting from that for some reason... maybe because if you're gonna like Randy Newman then you're already gonna know that album. Anyway, here are a few tracks from Sail Away... if you don't have the album and you like these songs... get it! Every single song is just as good as these:



Randy Newman - Sail Away (1972: Sail Away)
 - "In America you get food to eat, won't have to run through the jungle and scuff up your feet"

Randy Newman - Memo to My Son (1972: Sail Away)
 - The song sounds to me like it could have been on Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot... that's a big compliment.

Randy Newman - God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) (1972: Sail Away)
 - Nice story.

New La Strada EP

by J. Silverman

In the spirit of sharing I would like to offer you (my friends and family) a chance to download the new La Strada EP. If there's anyone reading this who doesn't know me (and I doubt there is), this is the band I was in from 2007-2010. It was a big part of my life and a whole lot of fun. We recorded these last four songs after we decided to split up because we loved the songs and really just wanted to enjoy the process of recording them. It was rushed but with the very generous support of our label (Ernest Jenning) we were able to complete it. It comes out today! ...And to anyone out there who ever came to see us play... I sincerely thank you. Much Love!

La Strada: In Motion EP (2011) (right click the link and choose 'Save as...' or 'Download linked file')

Delicate Steve('s label) not into file sharing

I've been officially asked to take down the download links to all the Delicate Steve songs I've posted except for the song 'Butterfly' which is already 'officially' available as a free download. Everyone's got their own views on the whole file sharing thing but this is my blog so I'll say what I want: sharing is caring and anyone who's making music to earn money or even to make a living... is doing it for the wrong reason.

Delicate Steve's album is really great... so anyone who wants it please let me know and I'll 'buy' you a copy. In the meantime listen to Butterfly... it's one of the best on the album:

Delicate Steve - Butterfly (2011: Wondervisions)

p.s. Whoever is scared of this blog doing any damage... you can relax, it only gets about 5 hits a day : )

p.p.s. Definitely check out this live video of an amazing song that's not from his album:

*Update 08/21/11: A friend of mine was at a Delicate Steve show a couple months ago and told him about my blog and that some of his music was asked to be taken off. He told her that I should just put it back up. I had no part in that interaction and certainly did not ask her to ask him that. However, I think since I now have the permission of the creator of the music... I will put the music back up. It's a good thing if more people know about this great music. If you want to support him... go see him live! That's where the real fun is anyway. You can see his tour dates here. And here's the original post.

E Viva Caetano!

These are my two favorites by the Brazilian juggernaut:

Caetano Veloso - Lost in the Paradise
(1969: Caetano Veloso)

Caetano Veloso - Fina Estampa
(1994: Fina Estampa)
 - written by the Peruvian juggernaut Chabuca Granda.  Killer string arrangement.

Out of Our Heads

The Rolling Stones released Out of Our Heads in 1965... it was their 3rd album (4th in the US).  I think it's one of their best... simple songs (both covers and originals), gritty, solid performances... a great all around rock and roll album.  Some of their biggest hits were on it (Satisfaction, The Last Time)... but you've heard those enough already:



The Rolling Stones - Mercy, Mercy (1965: Out of Our Heads)

The Rolling Stones - That's How Strong My Love Is (1965: Out of Our Heads)

The Rolling Stones - Play with Fire (1965: Out of Our Heads)
 - this one's my favorite

- Links removed to comply with the DMCA.  Apparently the Rolling Stones feel they can make more money by asking me to remove these links from my defunct and obscure blog; that's fine, hopefully they'll give something to charity.  Or they're just really into following the rules... I thought the Beatles were supposed to be the 'good boys' and the Stones the 'bad boys'?