The National’s Matt Berninger commands hipster respect with his deep croon. Can you imagine that voice tackling Grateful Dead hits? Well, according to bassist Scott Devendorf, The National is planning a Grateful Dead cover album for charity. Devendorf shared this information with Spinner at Coachella. According to Devendorf, the band has not decided on songs yet, but “Box of Rain” is a practical choice because Berninger’s voice needs to fit the song. I’m not sure how Berninger’s voice is going to fit. Proceeds from the album will go to charity, and, apparently other bands like Fleet Foxes are interested. But, don’t expect a run-of-the-mill cover album.
“It’s not going to be like jam bands cover the Dead,” said Devendorf. “There are so many cover bands. I think half of the record will be reinterpreting it,” he says.
Pecknold Covers Simon and Garfunkel Before Fleet Foxes
While we are on the subject of Fleet Foxes joining the Grateful Dead cover album, here is a video of Robin Pecknold (of Fleet Foxes) covering a Simon and Garfunkel song with fellow Seattle-based musician Aaron Mannino. The catch? Just watch the video.
Where is all of his hair? Pecknold is only 17 years old in this video, but still wildly talented (as you all can hear).
Pun intended. Stupid puns, but band-name puns are inevitable. John Weider is in the category of musician’s that no one has ever heard of, but all have heard. Oh that pesky “of.” Weider, a talented guitarist, bassist and violinist, played with Steve Marriott (before Marriott formed Small Faces) in a band called Steve Marriott and the Moments, before he himself moved on to big bands like The Animals and Family.
Here is John Weider playing guitar on The Animals’ cover of “Shake Rattle and Roll” live in Australia.
Elvis Costello wrote a laudatory review of Paul Simon’s new release So Beautiful or So What for The Huffington Post. In the review he commented that, “Throughout the record, I kept coming up against what I can only call, rock and roll surprises; not some orthodox formula but indelible, hypnotic guitar motifs and swinging, off-center rhythms tipping your expectations into a new kind of thrill.” Costello concluded that So Beautiful or So What, “rejects the allure of fashionable darkness and the hypnosis of ignorance – better to contemplate and celebrate the endurance of the spirit and the persistence of love.”
I find Costello’s review to be apt. He, a fantastic musician himself, targets two constant musical traits that Paul Simon explores. One, a propensity for zany guitar swings and lyrical fearlessness, and two, an immutable driving “spirit.” Both of these attributes find their way into the tracks of So Beautiful or So What, and Simon’s 12th studio album and first release since 2006 enters listeners and serenades them with creative music. Paul Simon is a consummate musician who has been honing his skill for over 40 years, only now to have reached the zenith of his talent.
“The Afterlife,” track two on the album, is a great example of Costello’s praise. The guitar riff is “hypnotic” and “swinging.” Let me add a few adjectives. The riff is also effervescent, sweet and toe-tapping. It’s strong rhythm sticks to listeners like a lollipop, fruity and inviting. The beat persists through the 3:39 piece and compliments Simon’s folk croon well.
In the song, Simon sing:
“Buddah and Moses and all the noses from narrow to flat, had to stand in the line, just to glimpse the divine, what you think about that?
Well it seems like our fate to suffer and wait for the knowledge we seek. It’s all his design, no one cuts in the line, no one here likes a sneak”
This, the third verse, is followed by the chorus, “You got to fill out a form first, and then you wait in the line,” which is repeated throughout the song.
The verse/chorus is my favorite lyric in Simon’s “Afterlife” lyric. It is candid religious commentary from Simon, and it is not polemic or argumentative, like some religious thought is. Simon sings that everyone must wait, no matter who you are. It is our “fate” to wait in line for the “knowledge we seek.” In the next verse, when Simon’s narrator finally meets god, he is so awe-struck that all that comes out is, “Lord is it, Be Bop A Lu La or Ooh Poppa Do.” And, if I had to guess, Simon would probably pose this question to god if he meant the omniscient being.
The last time I did a SWOD was July, 2010. SWOD (song/word of the day) is a category that I started to profile vocabulary words and corresponding songs. On the way back to my house today, “Sleep” by The Dandy Warhols lulled me into a state of musical bliss, and somewhere in the repetitive riff I thought today would be a good day to bring back the SWOD. Thank the Dandy Warhols for their help!
Word: Somnolent (adj)- sleepy; drowsy
The Dandy Warhols formed in Portland, Oregon back in 1994 and they have released 10 albums to this date, spreading their alt/indie rock sound and apt pun band name. It is fitting that one of the band’s main inspirations is the Velvet Underground. In 2000 they released arguably their best album Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia, and today’s somnolent hit resides on track eight. Is “sleep” a drowsy song?
In one word, yes, “Sleep” fits neatly into the term somnolent. The song is carried by a repetitive guitar riff that mixes with Courtney Taylor-Taylor‘s whispered croon. The band also uses drawn-out studio effects that mesh with melodic chanting. The Dandy Warhols also use a neat song technique in “Sleep” that contributes to the soporific quality of the music. In a melodic move most similar to turning the volume knob on a stereo system down and up, the band slowly drops the studio-effects to highlight the chanting and then gradually works them back into the song. This “lulling” works to achieve a dreamy piece, and this works for the song because of the constant riff in the background.
Coachella and Mumford and SonsMumford and Sons’ Saturday set at the three-day Coachella festival that wrapped up yesterday night portrayed why they are considered one of the best new folk/indie groups to hit the scene. Well, new may be pushing it. They have been around since 2007, but have only released one album. An epic album, in every sense of its nature, but only one. I will still consider them a burgeoning talent.
I caught the encore of Mumford and Sons’ 8:30 p.m. set last night on Coachella’s live feed on Youtube. By the way, that is an awesome idea. It’s difficult to get out to festivals (especially if they are across the country), so a live Youtube feed (that doesn’t lag) is much appreciated.
The set was wonderful. Mumford and Sons’ live prowess is clear. They truck through songs with beautiful folk ease. A solid brass section was a welcome addition to the band’s already tight-knit sound. During the set, Mumford and Sons’ revealed a new song, “Lover’s Eyes,” that provides evidence of the direction the band is going in. Good news for those who enjoyed Sigh No More.
“Lover’s Eyes” is led by Marcus Mumford‘s excellent voice. The acoustic riff sounds a little like “War Was in Color” by Carbon Leaf (especially the ending hammer-on). The song follows a trademark Mumford and Sons’ pattern. That is the gradual crescendo. The soft beginning turns into a strong, hard-strummed ending with brass and harmonized “la’s.” I can see it being a mid-level hit off of the eventual new album.
Clearly, though, the best song from their set was “Little Lion Man,” which shatters folk boundaries with its greatness.
Notice at 1:10-1:15 into the song Mumford breaks a string on his acoustic. He strums his guitar incredibly hard so it is not surprising. He doesn’t stop the show or make a fuss. He plays like nothing happened. That is professional and a wonderful live characteristic. This band may be young, but they play like live veterans. Excellent show!
Let me premise this section. Okocim often talks of Ratatat. He has even shown me their music. They were not my favorite. I sort-of scoffed at his recommendation. Well, absolutely no more. A good live performance can change your opinion of any band. Ratatat’s live set on Sunday night was both musically composed and crazy. The band taps into the rich psychedelic past and pulls out elements that they include in their own music…and it is awesome.
While we are on the subject of music festivals, I want to highlight the next venue on the Dave Matthews Band Caravan Tour. The first venue announced was Atlantic City, and the heralded list of musicians is tempting me to buy a three-day pass. The second, Chicago, will take place from July 8-10. While I live farther away from Chicago than Atlantic City (it is like an 11 hour difference), the Chicago line-up excites me more. Atlantic City does have Guster, but, as much as they are awesome, I have seen them twice. Let’s peek into the Chicago line-up.
David Gray
Ray LaMontagne
O.A.R.
Kid Cudi.
The Flaming Lips (performing Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon)
Also, some artists from Summer Camp 2011 Music Festival will be featured on a special stage on Saturday. That festival (May 27-29 in Illinois) features acts like Widespread Panic, moe, Umphrey’s Mcgee, The Avett Brothers, Girl Talk, Wiz Khalifa, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, Punch Brothers, and Lubriphonic (who I profiled over a year ago here).
I bolded the two reasons I want to go to the Chicago show more than Atlantic City. The Ben Folds case is interesting. I have promised my girlfriend, Rebecca, that I will take her to see Ben Folds. I want to see him too, so it is a win-win. But she will be on vacation during the Chicago show, and, if I go to see Ben Folds without her, I will be killed. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros is fair game and I just really want to see them. Chicago, though, is 13 hours away and it might be a little impractical to think I will be able to get out to the show.
We have a winner! The tournament’s #1 seed Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band was not denied, and unlike my incorrect pick of #1 seed Duke in the 2011 March Madness tournament, Sgt. Peppers brought it home. Am I surprised by the results? No. Despite the list of 16 fantastic albums, Sgt. Peppers was arguably the best. It beat #3 seed Are You Experiencedby Jimi Hendrix by only three votes. It was close, but so was the Duke vs. Arizona game, that ultimately led to Duke’s demise.
Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band is widely considered as not only the Beatles‘ best album, but also the greatest album of the rock n’ roll era. The album was preceded by Revolver and it demonstrates musical elements that the Beatles were exploring in Revolver, like electronic sampling and creative instrumentation. Elements of Revolver were heard more in Magical Mystery Tour(a combination LP) and the culmination of the Beatles’ psychedelic experimentation resulted in the concept album that was Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
An album is obviously defined by its track listing. A concept album is also defined by its order. The album’s first song, “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band,” is an invite into the magical world of the Beatles. The song sounds like the opening of a Broadway play. It is a tremendous concoction of melody, studio sounds, brass and rock. The song also seamlessly flows into track two, “With a Little Help From My Friends,” a traditional pop/rock Beatles’ hit. While Sgt. Peppers flows as a concept album, the music pieces psychedelic elements with the Beatles’ rock sound, but the psychedelic trinkets are more defined in some songs than others. It is this pleasant combination, mixed with the band’s unique efficiency, that makes Sgt. Peppers so successful.
Best song off the album? Is there any question. “A Day in the Life” provides listeners with one of the most original psychedelic pieces ever created. The song combines drawn-out verses and strange lyrics, with a fast-paced day breakdown and two of the most intense transitions ever heard in music. It is the David of rock music. Enjoy.
The National’s Matt Berninger commands hipster respect with his deep croon. Can you imagine that voice tackling Grateful Dead hits? Well, according to bassist Scott Devendorf, The National is planning a Grateful Dead cover album for charity. Devendorf shared this information with Spinner at Coachella. According to Devendorf, the band has not decided on songs yet, but “Box of Rain” is a practical choice because Berninger’s voice needs to fit the song. I’m not sure how Berninger’s voice is going to fit. Proceeds from the album will go to charity, and, apparently other bands like Fleet Foxes are interested. But, don’t expect a run-of-the-mill cover album.
The Music Court 