Dave Van Ronk Movie – Reznor TV Show – Best Albums of 2011, What was left out?

27 Jun

Coen Brothers and Dave Van Ronk

The Coen Brothers have embarked on a new movie project that has its roots firmly ensconced in the 1960’s Greenwich Village folk movement. And if you are familiar with the 1960’s folk movement in the lower east side (or if you simply read the words above the picture) you know that the movie has to be related to Dave Van Ronk, the Mayor of MacDougal Street, whose classic style of acoustic blues was inspirational. Van Ronk was known as the village’s friendly uncle and he provided friendship to up-and-coming artists like Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.

The Coen Brothers are obviously into blues music. “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” featured the tradition folk/blues piece “Man of Constant Sorrow.” Van Ronk, who unfortunately passed away in 2002, was extremely respected and talented, but still remains a cult-ish figure who deserves more acclaim than he currently has. I am very much looking forward to the project, which at this time has no release date, and I hope that the movie will help raise Van Ronk’s stock and get more people listening to his great music.

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Jim Uhls to Write Reznor’s HBO “Year Zero” Script

Jim Uhls, of Fight Club fame, will write the script for Trent Reznor‘s “Year Zero” HBO mini-series that is based off of the 2007 Nine Inch Nails apocalyptic concept album of the same name.

“Year Zero” is set in 2022 and, to be frank, the sh*t has hit the fan. The album was apt criticism of the Bush Years and U.S. Government Policies that Reznor and NIN disagree with. “Year Zero” has already been morphed into a video game.

NIN promoted the album in creative ways prior to its release. At concerts, for example, the band left mysterious USB drives with exclusive material for fans to randomly find. Maybe Reznor has a few things up his sleeve for the mini-series. There is no set date for production, but with a script-writer on the case it can’t be too far away.

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SPIN Releases Their Top 25 of 2011 So Far

SPIN has released their Top 25 albums of 2011 So Far list, an annual mid-year event for numerous music sources. I will copy and paste their list below:

Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Big K.R.I.T. – Return Of 4eva
Arctic Monkeys – Suck It And See
Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
James Blake – James Blake
Adele – 21
Fucked Up – David Comes To Life
Elbow – Build A Rocket Boys!
TV On The Radio – Nine Types Of Light
DJ Quik – The Book Of David
Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
The Strokes – Angles
Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
Panda Bear – Tomboy
Lady Gaga – Born This Way
The Weeknd – House Of Balloons
EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints
Yuck – Yuck
Alela Diane – Alela Diane& Wild Divine
G-Side – The ONE … COHESIVE

What do you think? Seems like a pretty fair list. Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Panda Bear. It’s 25 albums, so it is difficult to narrow down. I do see at least two glaring excluded albums.

I would have added in Cut Copy’s Zonoscope and Toro Y Moi’s Underneath The Pine, two solid February releases. I feel like Cut Copy’s synth-pop and Toro Y Moi’s chillwave deserve mention. And you can probably take out some of the commercial rap and dubstep.

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Grizzly Bear – Yellow House

26 Jun

In the middle of the woods, somewhere no one has ever set foot, sits a Yellow House. A place of serenity and a place of magic, it is only inhabited by the souls of people who yearn to escape. Wooden and dusty, it was furnished during a time long ago, when posterity borrowed its thoughts. Cut off from peering eyes, it is open only to you, a space so relative you cannot even place the feel of the wooden floorboards under your feet.

You may have heard of the Brooklyn-based Grizzly Bear’s newest album Vekatimest. The name may have confused you, but you saw them on the David Letterman show and the poppy music intrigued you. You may have even bought (borrowed) the album and have since happily listened to its mystery.

*Puts on Hipster Glasses*

Well, I listened to Grizzly Bear before they blew up. Let me simply tell you now that their previous LP is one of the most mind blowing pieces of music ever. Their newest album strayed way too far and struggled to maintain the beauty of its predecessor whilst tackling the face of pop culture. It still turned out to be a very nice album, but today we focus on the pure musical serenity that is Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House.

I will start you off with the single. Knife, being the most approachable songs on the album. It features one of the most confusing music videos you will ever watch.

The song starts off with a slow and ghostly guitar riff. Try to imagine a sunny, yet haunted beach, where people go about doing the same thing forever, like on replay. The vocals are just the perfect brand of pop to make even the most hardcore magic user smile. The slow beat is just perfectly reminiscent of those unbearable summer days where simply walking down the street is putting oneself at risk of melting.

As the verse ends, a brisk guitar riff transitions the song like a cool breeze. But as quickly as it comes, it departs, leaving you again vulnerable to the sun. The vocals here are particularly amazing, the kind that ask you to remain calm as it is actually the ‘cool thing’ to be melting.

When that part ends a drumstick beat ushers in the main lyric. “Can’t you feel the knife?” It leaves you utterly shocked and confused as you scramble to figure out where you have been stabbed. But the song floats on as if it was just kidding about the knife part, hoping you will enjoy the rest of the song in peace. A nice touch of that 60’s psychedelic mind-trickery.

The extended ending is very soothing, just in case the knife part is still bugging you out. An interesting beat coaxes on piano notes, which wistfully echo a sweet tune.  The both of them remind you that you were actually inside a yellow house the entire time.

The last song on the album, my absolute favorite, is Colorado. It opens similarly to how Knife ended. This time though the beat is a low thumping kick and the piano notes are lower pitched and unevenly distanced.  The vocals fade in mid-sentence, unintelligible yet mystic. They eventually begin chanting “Colorado” in an almost confused manner, as if the state was the only thing responsible for some unknown misfortune

I am particularly fond of the use of many different forest-esque noises throughout the beginning. It makes me feel like I am sitting by some mountain lake somewhere in Colorado watching nature evolve in circles.

The drums drop in a very easy jazz beat which quickly grows on you. The song begins to build up, as the singer switches to asking “Now what?” A very nice and minimalistic guitar solo occurs and again “Colorado” is chanted.

The song builds and builds and finally just stalls, but only in the most brilliant way. The simple slow bass kick remains and a mysterious woodwind instrument transitions into one of the most epic drops my ears have ever heard.

Just the sound of the guitar. I am not sure what kind of effects or amps are being used, but the result sounds like pure gold. Combined with the piano and the drums, they together paint a ridiculously vivid picture. The vocals return, layered over one another and the entire song climaxes so high that any magic user would be thrown into an amazing upbeat state for a long after it’s over. And trust me, it’s a great feeling. You definitely don’t even need magic.

These two snippets of the album Yellow House definitely give you an idea for the entire album. A couple of the songs are a little bit hard to get into at first, but that is mainly due to fact that they are very slow. Not that the entire album is compromised of rather slow moving songs, but it definitely can take some time to learn to appreciate that kind of music. Also keep in mind that a bunch of the songs start out slow, but pick-up halfway in magnificent fashion.

Now my music player shows the genre of this album as rock, but if I had to label them I would most definitely go with Psychedelic-Folk, give or take the rock. If this is something you are into then most definitely listen to this album. You will not regret it. And if you don’t believe me on the folk part, then listen to the song I will post at the end.

And if you find yourself in a Yellow House at any point while listening to this album, you’re doing it right.

&)

-oko

P.S. Here ya go folks. This song has probably one of my more favorite lyrical lines. Enjoy.

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Heavy Glow and the Midnight Moan – Album Review

24 Jun

Heavy Glow

On June 23 of last year I profiled Heavy Glow on the New Band Palace. It is sheer coincidence that I am bringing the band back on the blog today. Something about June and Heavy Glow, I guess. Never heard of Heavy Glow? Click on their name above for last year’s post on the three-man hard rock group. Their new nine-track release Midnight Moan treads the line between hard blues rock and heavy metal. But not the heavy metal that you may immediately think of. Heavy metal traces its roots back to the late 1960s when blues rock and psychedelic rock collided and formed a genre of massive sounds and heavy distortion. The genre immediately focused on heavy guitar and hard drumming, hence heavy metal. Heavy Glow, an apt band name, is just that. They play to the sounds of the progenitors of the genre, i.e. Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Yes, their music is highly modernized. Heavy Glow uses several recent distortion techniques and the electric hard guitar sounds much more like recent metal guitar than early 70’s rock, but they are familiar with their roots, even experimenting with some acoustic blues at the end of the album.

Right out of the gate Heavy Glow demonstrates their grasp of classic rock blues. “Lose My Mind” entraps listeners with its traditional blues feel mixed with a hard-hitting rhythm and a clean, but raw solo. I particularly enjoyed its shortness. The song only takes up 2:45 of the album. Like a book’s first sentence, the first song of an album should be representative of the material you will experience throughout and it should be intriguing. “Lose My Mind” makes you want to listen to more.

Track two, “Slave Dance,” is modern blues/metal. The riff is effectively slow and monstrously well struck. It is a pump-up riff that acts as a drawn-out head banger, a perfect compliment to the celerity of the first song. “Slave Dance” develops small verses and more rock experimentation culminating in a planned solo attack that acts as a solid firework before the song’s ending.

“All My Money” which falls in the fourth spot on the album is the most catchy track and I will mark it as my favorite because of its carefree rock flavor that is refreshing when you are trapped in a sea of near-metal explosion. Check it out:

While track four may be my favorite, I particularly enjoyed the last few tracks on the album, where Heavy Glow decided to experiment with some old-fashioned acoustic blues, an unexpected but welcome transformation from the modern heavy rock we hear at the album’s outset.

“Smithereen” is an unusual tune, melancholic but melodious. The acoustic guitar work is appreciated and vocals are not to shabby. By the way, the following track “Midwestern Lullaby” is a 1:42 pure instrumental treat and it leads into the plus seven-minute finale.

Solid effort by the young band and an enjoyable album indeed.

Check out and buy the album:

www.heavyglowmusic.com

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60’s Band of the Week: Al Martino

22 Jun

This is the first time I am including a video prior to writing a 60’s Band post. Al Martino, the guest on today’s weekly section, is best known for this 1966 hit. And since he is a vocalist who performed from the early 1950’s to the 2000’s, prior to his passing in 2009, I thought it was important to place him in the rich 60’s vocalist culture. I present to you Al Martino.

Artist: Al Martino (Born Alfred Cini – Martino was adopted from his maternal grandfather)

Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Genre: Italian Pop Crooner

History:

Al Martino will forever be known as one of the greatest Italian-American pop crooners. His trademark deep voice and voluble Italian helped him hit the charts in the 50s, 60s and 70s, an impressive feat for any artist. Martino, or Johnny Fontane for those who recognize him from his role in The Godfather, had to deal with real-life mob implications that slowed down his career, but this did not prevent him from becoming popular three times. Let me explain.

Martino first hit success with his 1952 debut single “Here in My Heart.” He got the recoding gig with BBS, a Philadelphia-based label, after garnering exposure from a first place finish on the Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts show. The song shot up both the U.S. and U.K. charts. It was number one on the first-ever U.K. singles chart earning a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. The song also went number one on the U.S. pop charts for three weeks. The record sold over a million copies and Martino was immediately picked up by Capitol records where he recorded three more hits through 1953, all of which hit the top 40. And then the records stopped dropping.

The mafia took over Martino’s contract and ordered Martino to pay a $75,000 fee upfront which he did to ensure his family’s safety. He then fled to England to avoid the mafia. I guess it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. That was awful, I’m sorry. Luckily, the mafia would not wreck his career any longer, and after a few productive years in England, Martino was able to return to the U.S. in 1958. The next time the mafia came knocking it was fake and he made profit.

It took a few years before Martino was able to establish himself in the U.S. again. He recorded for 20th Century Fox and didn’t do that poorly, but they dropped him. He then got a new deal with Capitol Records in 1962. The music climate had changed significantly in 10 years. Instead of competing with other crooners, Martino was now faced with Booker T., Ray Charles and Chubby Checker. Rock n’ Roll was the rage and Martino was far from this genre. But there was still room for powerful crooners, and Martino was one of them. He started charting again through the early 60s and then in 1966 released “Spanish Eyes,” an adaptation of an instrumental piece by Bert Kaempfert. While the song did only reach 15 on the pop charts it spread like wildfire throughout Europe. The song is no synonymous with Martino.

And when his career began to slow down again, Martino’s friend Phyllis McGuire (one of the McGuire Sisters) alerted him of Paramount’s decision to make a film version of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. She also told him he’d be great for the role of Johnny Fontane, a fading pop idol who needs the mob to land a film role. Martino didn’t need the mob’s help on this one. The real mob taketh, but the movie mob giveth back. The role propelled him to visibility again and he recorded two popular songs in the mid 70s, including a disco version of “Volare,” which is awful, but Europe enjoyed it.

Think about it. Martino was able to transcend music genres. Not many musicians can say they did that. Give the man credit. He overcame obstacles, but still marked himself as a legendary pop crooner.

Here is “Here in My Heart”

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Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap – An English Opera

20 Jun

AC/DC Monopoly?

Park Place...is on FIRE

In what will perhaps be the most high voltage Monopoly spin-off, AC/DC has signed up to release a Collector’s Edition Monopoly game later this year.

Players will be able to play as a cannon, bundle of dynamite, lightning bolt, etc., instead of the traditional dog, car or thimble. AC/DC and Milton Bradley despoil some warped rock utopia. Players will buy and sell AC/DC records and attempt to improve their properties with gold and platinum records. Extravagance, AC/DC style.

While I think the whole novelty Monopoly shtick is a little old, the AC/DC version does not bother me. I think it’s pretty funny. I wonder if Bon Scott shouts “Jailbreak, I got to break out out of here” when you roll doubles and get out of prison.

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Damon Albarn Opera

Damon Albarn is easily bored. With Gorillaz on break, Albarn has decided to write and star in Dr Dee, an opera about 16th Century alchemist, astrologer and spy John Dee.

“Dr Dee is set to run from July 1-9 at the Manchester International Festival. It will then be staged at the home of the English National Opera as part of London’s Cultural Olympiad program,” writes Consequence of Sound.

Check out “Apple Carts” a song from the opera.

It’s excellent. Albarn’s voice is tender and the acoustic guitar meshes perfectly with his accomplice’s medieval instruments. The intention was certainly to give off that medieval flare and the song does so with proficiency.

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