From What Love Remains

When we look back at the work of the Barenaked Ladies.  What are the songs that we recall in the mainstream culture?  It's "One Week" that the slutty pumpkin sang in How I Met Your Mother.  Videos of songs like "Brian Wilson" and "If I had a $1,000,000" are popular.  Then there's "History of Big Bang Theory was initially being developed.  Is it just me, or do we think of music for Big Bang or 90's Top 40 when we think of the Barenaked Ladies?  I haven't surveyed people, and hope that the more subtle, more sentimental BNL songs, are held in just as high regard.
Everything that was being created as the

The song that I'm writing about tonight is "Call & Answer." It's by frequent collaborators Steven Page and Stephen Duffy (the original lead vocalist for Duran Duran).  As a track on Stunt, "Call and Answer" created through Page recording himself, and then singing with the playback.  Personally, my favorite rendition is from 2004's "Au Naturale" tour that featured the Barnaked Ladies, Alanis Morissette, and with Nellie McKay as the opening act.  Page and Morissette sang "Call and Answer" as a duet, and like when hearing Sarah McLachlan sing on the Barenaked Ladies' Christmas album, I'm so impressed by the chemistry.

The song is about rebuilding what has been a tumultuous relationship.  The song's about harmony with disharmony as they analyze placing themselves as higher priority than each other, trying to figure out who loves whom more.  When the two sides get back together in the same room to examine what's described as "love exhumed."  Both of them have some residual love that has brought them to this place in time, encouraging them to rebuild their love.

In 2009, Page left the Barenaked Ladies and moved to Central New York.  The Barenaked Ladies haven't quite sounded the same, but I think that it's for the better since their former co-frontman has been cleaning up his life.  There were some struggles with the law over substance abuse, and we found out in 2011 that struggles with bipolar disorder were what caused him to leave the band.  Fortunately, he finds in his sons and his second wife strength the motivation to live the best life that he can.  He continues to write music.  Earlier this year (with Craig Northey), Page released Heal Thyself Pt. 1: Instinct.

I don't know if "Call and Answer" is autobiographical, so I'm not sure if Page's personal battles were part of the narrative.  In was in 2009 that he was divorced after a 2 year separation.  Those legal proceedings didn't occur until more than 5 years after Stunt's release.  So if the song was based on real life, it could've been about a past relationship, or a fight with his then wife that at the time seemed like the worst thing possible for their marriage.  ...  In a bittersweet way, it's sometimes through those most cathartic works that we find such beauty.  Many of us would like to see Page someday sing with BNL again.  Come on Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and induct them.

I'd love to see Page perform again with BNL's Ed Robertson, McLachlan, Morissette, or any of a variety of others.

The Scenic Route in Life

Through my stations, an interest in the Be Good Tanyas led me to band started by Trish Klein and Allison Russell.  Together as Po' Girl, they combined folk and country with jazz, and some guest artists would also contribute to the mix.  The song that I'm talking about is from their album Vagabond Lullabies.  Here we also got some harmonies added by Ani DiFranco and Frazey Ford (also of the Be Good Tanyas).  DiFranco's a bit more well known, and you imagine Ford having a singing style similar to Ray LaMontagne.

Another big guest contributor was the hip hopper CR Avery.  Half of "Take the Long Way" was a spoken word performance by him.  On that one track, you also get Allison Russell's clarinet solo, and... I think I can hear Ford singing along with Russell's lead vocals.  Suffice to say, it's one of the most eclectic folk songs that I've heard.

Taking "the long way" starts out with Russell preferring to drive along the British Columbian shore, taking in the views.  It's late at night, and looking up at the stars, we transfer to what Avery's doing that night.  He talks about taking a taxi into Vancouver's red light district to perform at a club for little money.  The cabbie thinks that he's crazy for doing this, but CR Avery's living in the moment.  He continues to live life up later that night, sharing a joint and making love.  There's also a line that may or may not be a euphemism (possibly a vivid one that I've never heard anyone say before).  Go ahead.  Look it up, and tell me what you make of the line.

He does give some good advice before looking up at those same stars as the women of Po' Girl.  He talks about how we should use and not waste our talents, and that while the future's coming quick, we should live more in the present.

Lapse into the Past

When I first heard the Dollyrots, it was through a Pandora segue from Letters to Cleo.  I could hear some similarities.  There's a rapid energy to the music, and like Kay Hanley, the Dollyrots' Kelly Ogden sings with this sweet voice that creates a juxtaposition with how hard the bands can rock.  In the first song that I heard from the Dollyrots, they are lamenting dystopian views of the G.W. Bush Because I'm Awesome, the cover featured a white bunny in a wasteland wearing a gas mask.  The bunny theme continues on some of the merchandise, and when they picked a cover for the album Barefoot and Pregnant, how better to show fertility than two slightly anthropomorphic bunnies  procreating (the album art that I'm including in the post is the alternate cover).    The album got its title because the Dollyrots were pregnant with their first child as they were recording.  Playing upon my Pandora's association between Kay Hanley's old band and the Dollyrots, former Letters from Cleo drummer Stacy Jones was one of the contributing musicians for Barefoot and Pregnant.
presidency, with lyrics that sounded in the vein of REM's "It's the End of the World."  Then it speeds up.  And then it speeds up again.   Bush's presidency was actually why Kelly Ogden and Luis Cabezas went all in with creating the band.  I'm not sure if being from swing-state Florida played role, but their motivation was that the future may be dark, so live up the present.  The couple  are known for some elements of surreal weirdness, and it's something that fans embrace about them.  They're a band that identifies with bunnies, and for the album

In this blog, I'm talking about a song from that album called "Homecoming."  Ogden and Cabezas have known each other since 8th grade and this was about high school nostalgia.  Ogden is talking about having a horrible day and just wanting to relive a happy memory.  The date is described in such detail, and for someone who wasn't part of the 90's punk scene, it was a window into their world.  Trends like the spiked hair and babydoll dresses are included, and we go through their whole date, right to the morning coming in through the blinds as they're asleep in her bedroom.

At the same time, since they're reliving this, she notes how their love has deepened over their time together.  The song is sweet, romantic, and Kelly Ogden is a great storyteller.  I'm not entirely sure how easily they could get every detail right.  It just seems a little unlikely that Luis's father drives the same car in 2013 that he did in the mid-90's.  That's just a minor detail, and I wouldn't underestimate the imagination of these two artists.

The Dollyrots' surreal craft extended to a video announcement released to the fans in May.  A person (in a bunny costume) hands little River Ogden Cabezas an envelope for his parents.  Kelly opens the envelope and card to reveal that they're expecting a daughter in November.  The YouTube upload gave that big news along with announcing a summer tour.  Congrats Dollyrots.

Love During War

It's not often that a first spouse is also known for noted musical talents.  At least until November, the great Eva Perón is the only one who comes to mind (I wanted to factcheck that first, making sure that Evita's singing abilities weren't just added in by Andrew Lloyd Webber).  Imagine my surprise when I'm listening to a sweet ballad, and see Carla Bruni listed as the singer.  I knew that the Nicolas Sarkozy had married a former model during his presidency, but I didn't know that Bruni was a musician as well.

It turns out that Bruni (who has lived in France since she was seven) began a music career after leaving the fashion industry.  She started recording albums.  Like coming upon the awesome Françoise Hardy, the recordings that introduced me to Carla Bruni's sound were in the English language.  Still, like when listening to J-pop, Hardy's "Soleil", or a performance by the Three Tenors, you can get caught up in the music without necessarily understanding what the performer is singing. 

The first Bruni recording that I heard is titled "You Belong to Me."  Found on 2008's Comme Si De Rien N'Était, this song is one of the few tracks on the album where Bruni didn't contribute as a songwriter.  It's also the only song on the album in English, but I've read that she's written songs in both languages.  "You Belong to Me" is an old song from 1952, written by country singers Chilton Price, Pee Wee King, and Redd Stewart.  The song is about two lovers parting, as one is about to tour the world.  Their mate is urging them to take in the beauty of all the destinations, living life to the fullest.  But..., all throughout that trip, they are to remember that they belong to the significant other back at home. 

Especially looking back at the 50's, a knee-jerk reaction may be that the idea of someone claiming ownership over a loved one is a testament of a partriarchal society (unless in a mutual sense like in "the Power of Love").  It seemed antithetical that the original version was sung by a woman until I saw the song in it's historical context.  No, I don't mean the history of gender politics, but that it's about a woman saying goodbye to her husband as he leaves to serve in WWII.  It captures feelings of heartache while they are worlds apart, and hoping that the spouse is missing them too. According to an article in the New York Times, during World War II, 12% of the American population was serving in the military.  The Times journalist pointed out that statistically, that's 24 times the fraction of Americans currently in the service.  Hearing about so many men and women serving our country (Thank you.), I can't imagine what it must have been like in the 40's.  

Hearing about societies (throughout space and time) where drafts had been imposed or military service is mandatory, I recognize the privilege that we have in the United States.  It is through that perspective that I think I can understand how this song has survived.  It's been covered by a long list of musicians rom Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald to Michael Bublé and Fiona Apple.  Even the Misfits and the Russian rockstar Boris Grebenshchikov.  It speaks volumes of this song's message when it proves to be timelessly relatable on such a universal scale.

Lenka's Bubbly Song About Emotional Support

Coming from a dream pop background, Lenka's this Aussie musician who's gained a reputation for layered music that brings a bubbly zip to her songs however serious the lyrics may get.  It's a unique angle and enjoyable to listen to even when considering the meaning.  The song I'm writing about tonight is from her second album (appropriately title Two).

"Everything's Okay" is about having someone (a friend, a lover, etc.) to help you get out of a depression.  There's some acknowledgement that even if the root of your troubles is your own doing, your friend is there.  It's the same the other way around, with you being there for them when they're in need of it.  It's about inspiring hope when (as Lenka puts it) "shadow's took the light."

Having only listened to her through Pandora and YouTube, I looked up some of Lenka's live performances.  Much like many other acts that I enjoy (but not all), the environment tended to be that of intimate little venues.  She's on stage with her guitarist and sometimes other musicians.  She's so personable in her connection with the audience, and encourages handclaps and people joining in.  I was picking up on this as was listening to her music.  Her songs are just so catchy that as I was working on a KenKen puzzle, I found myself dancing a little at my desk, and quietly singing along.

A Lenka show seems like such a great experience.  I see that she's got no shows coming up right now (August, 2016), but I'd love to catch one of her concerts.

My Introduction to Bearfoot's Music

Bearfoot was originally created as a 5-piece bluegrass band out of Alaska (one from Cordova and the Doors and Windows.  It was their fourth album, and first without Tornfeld.  After 8 years with the band, she was stepping back to spend more time at home.  The Californian Odessa Jorgensen joined the band, it a shift was noticed as Bearfoot started stirring folk and americana into their songbook).
others from Anchorage).  Angela Oudean, Jason Norris, Kate Hamree, and Annalisa Tornfeld had come together at one music camp, and would meet Mike Mickelson (whose mother owned another one).  The camps inspired a bluegrass style that they became known for.  The album that introduced me to the band was

There was a mix of songs on Doors and Windows.  Some were more on the traditional side, some were folk.  One was Country cover, and another was a Beatles song.  As Jorgensen became more of their lead singer, she wrote a few songs on her own as well as some with the other members.  Annalisa would contribute on two songs as songwriter (writing the closing number with the other four original members).  There were even songs written by Todd Grebe and Megan McCormick (who perform with Norris and Oudean as the current lineup of Bearfoot).

The song that jumped out the most to me was titled "Heaven".  There's an old adage that "the eyes are the window to the soul", and Jorgensen's lyrics speak of looking into her lover's eyes seeing a blissful state of love and compatibility that she'd always like to be in with him.  In the refrains, we hear about how love invigorates life, and how time can seem to stand still during the moments of intimacy.  That's the ongoing theme, and in the middle verse she describes a blissful time of moments of love in her bed.  Her choice of words was stunning.  She sets a scene of her lover lying on her bed as the morning light gently flows in.  Then she describes making love, both holding tight and being mindful of eachother's comfort.  This is such an idyllic description of sensuality, and it's not a level of songwriting that you often come by.  Some of the song lyrics from Doors and Windows can be a little cryptic.  Then we get these lyrics that are so vivid.

To paraphrase the song, I saw heaven in these lyrics.

A Young British Talent I've Come Across

When I first come across a musician that I like, I tend to look up their background.  Sometimes I may be surprised (or not so much) by where the artist comes from.  Sometimes, it may turn out that the song is decades older than I predicted.  When I first heard Jasmine Thompson's cover of "Titanium" (by David Guetta and Sia), I was surprised to hear that she was only 12 when her video was recorded.  It turned out that she had built a career through YouTube covers, starting at 10 with Bruno Mars's "Lazy Day." When she sings some of these songs, there are occasions where if these the meaning of the songs may seem not right for age, but for some time, people have been exposed to modern top 40 when very young.  Through my parents' listening to songs primarily from the 50's, 60's, and 70's when I grew up, I would sing the lyrics to the Beach Boys' "Barbra Ann" at the age of 10 (though not with Jasmine's skill).  I noticed in younger family members how they started hearing modern pop music at a younger age, and I don't think that was just Radio Disney beginning to feature the genre more in their programing.  Apparently Thompson's parents recognized her talent, and began documenting performances.  A month after the "Lazy Day" recording, she released a version of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" and adorably, she loses her focus when distracted by her cat playing on the bed.  She breaks out of reaching for a Gaga-like vocal power, and reverts to this little girl jokingly asking if the pet's having a spasm, and turns to pet her.  Cut to the cat being off the bed, and she's back to pop singer mode.

Over time, she develops a singing style that we now know her for.  Two days after "Paparazzi", her version of "We Are Young" (by Fun) is up.  She is starting to show a level of restraint, when it comes to letting loose her vocals.  It's like she steps back, reserved and demure in ways.  But you can hear the focus and strength surging from within.  I discussed this with someone in a comments section.  He was asking why she no longer sang with the oomph that she brought to Paparazzi, and I was saying that it's not always that necessary with some artists.  Citing Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval as an example, I pointed out that there can be a stylistic charm in being a little shy and withdrawn, while choosing moments in the song to loosen the valve and exhibit even greater strength.

The song I picked to analyze is "Titanium."  With the song's popularity, most of us have probably heard the original single, or it being performed on televised singing competitions.  Until sitting down tonight, I hadn't paid attention to more than the refrains where Sia (and other singers) ascend in strength, reaching points where they're breaking down "titanium" into syllables for emphasis.  I interpret this song to be about bullying.  To be more particular this may be about cyber trolling, because it seems to be more about a war of words.  I faced cyber bullying in high school, and that alone can be ignored, but another layer is added when the torment seeps into your personal life and even physically affects you away from the keyboard.

Trolling needed to be addressed, and Guetta did a great job in writing about someone plagued with excessive negative criticism.  Deciding that in grace, and a carefully worded response, the singer can show her strength and fortitude in this moment of harassment.  Guetta's lyrics go into a metaphor, comparing insults and disparaging comments to bullets fired, and as if titanium plated, the singer shows their resilience.  Even when falling to the ground under the pressure of the haters' barrage.  The singer gets back up and moves forward.




In the news this summer, the comedienne Leslie Jones has stood out as someone particularly trolled in social media.

She had spent some years on Saturday Night Live, without this becoming as much of an issue, but as Paul Feig's Ghostbusters remake built up it's marketing campaign, people turned against the film.  Many said that it was over the female casting, and as a fan of how sci-fi, horror, and mysticism were higher priorities than comedy in the original films, I personally wasn't a fan of Feig and his writing partner making the movie primarily a comedy.  It became a heated PR war between the cast, crew, and friends of the new movie, and loyal fans of the franchise.  Even Ghostbusters fans who had embraced female leads in the franchise's TV shows and comic books were grouped with blatant misogynists and racists, as the films marketing was bolstered by the rhetoric of social politics. As each side would repeatedly slam the other, the back and forth taunting exacerbated the conflict.  Stars would enter the fray, standing against the project's critics, and would even stoop to passive aggressive words about the franchise's passionate fans.  Wishing for nerds to find some friends is the type of comments that I would've expected from the mouths of high school students, and not an adult with 19 years in the entertainment industry.  I'm not sure how many people there were who like me, stepped back after the initial trailers were released, and skeptically hopeful head our proverbial breaths, hoping for a quality film that could live up to the original.  Unfortunately, it didn't hold up, what's worse is that cast and crew altered the movie combat their critics.  In an age of cinematic revamps of intellectual properties, 2016's Ghostbusters stands out for being a weapon against against fans.  It was the most belligerent comments from fans and celebrities that seemed to get the most publicity, and fans who just wanted a movie that captured the spirit (no pun intended) of the original were collateral damage when the film got released.

This also had thrust Leslie Jones further into the limelight.  Though I don't find her over the top brand of comedy that funny, many people do.  When she was mostly just seen by SNL's target audience, she was widely accepted.  It was her work on Ghostbusters that raised her profile, and suddenly Jones was on the news, on talk shows, and doing TV commercials.  It continued long past the point of promoting the movie, and over the past few weeks she was trending for the exuberance shown when tweeting about the US olympic athletes.  When faced with trolls over Ghostbusters, Jones tended to be one of the more vocal celebrities in battling with critics, and her increased exposure has only garnered more trolls.  I don't condone the bullying, but I also wonder if Jones could've taken a higher ground in her response (like the singer character in "Titanium").  I confess that I've been in feuds with bullies in the past, and the conflicts would reach a point where we step back, never to see each other again.  I've learned from my experiences, and looking at past scars, there are times that I wish I had just ignored the bullies and let them burn themselves out.

When her iCloud account had been hacked earlier this week, personal photos and documents are aired to the public.  At that point, laws had clearly been broken.  While hoping that Jones gets her due justice, I hope that she and her bullies learn from this over time.  It's more likely that she (rather than the trolls) learns lessons about allowing a bullying conflict to escalate.  I may never be a strong proponent of her comedy stylings, but I'm holding out hope for her personal growth.

They'll Never Know What We Know.

Tonight I'm talking about a 60 year old jazz song.  Listening to a Katie Melua Pandora station, I came across this slow, sultry song performed with just vocals, an acoustic guitar, and some light drumming.  I've been getting a little more into jazz, but it was the Jordan Officer's guitar that drew me in.  The singer's name is Susie Arioli, and in this recording, she was covering "You Don't Know Me."

It was Eddy Arnold and fellow country singer Cindy Walker who wrote this song about unrequited love.  Both of them would created recordings of the song, Ray Charles also created a well known version (later performing it as a duet with Diana Krall).  They all performed it with such a deep sense of longing mixed nervousness.

"You Don't Know Me" is nice and smooth.  It's about two friends, and hide's their romantic attraction.    When the second person doesn't know about their friend's deeper feelings...  That's the way in which the person's a stranger, and the relationship a little more one-sided.  The singer talks about the tension and anxieties building inside.  How there's such strong attraction, but a lack of sexual inexperience keeps them from being so bold as to profess their love.  In the end, the singer's friend has met another guy.  It's sad and heartbreaking but makes for a beautiful song.  It seems like the premise of a romantic comedy, and in my research, I found out that the Arioli version was part of the soundtrack to Under the Tuscan Sun.

In an interview with the Grammy Foundation, Walker was explaining (moved as she reminisced) how "You Don't Know Me" came into being.  Eddy Arnold was friend of her's, and (knowing her to be a songwriter) ran some ideas by her.  He mentioned the title and the concept of a boy too bashful to make the first move on a girl.  Over time, the lyrics came to her.

All those years later, and interpreted by so many musicians, I do find a great irony in this song's fame.  While in the song, the person never hears this message of love, generations of people have.  Perhaps we, the audience, became the intended audience?  Not necessarily through having a secret admirer, but by being inspired to come out and say how we feel about a person in our lives.

He is an Entertainer

I've been listening to Billy Joel's music for a long time.  I remember my parents playing the Glass Houses album.  There were times when I was 6 or 7 where I learned the lyrics to "Only the Good Die Young" and "Keeping the Faith" (not the most age appropriate songs for me at the time.  By 10, I was familiar with his River of Dreams album and the song he performed for Disney's Oliver & Company.  I've had the privilege of seeing one of his shows at the Carrier Dome, and have gotten some of his albums myself.  There was even this awesome night on the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship last June, where a lounge singer named David dedicated the night's show to covering Billy Joel and Elton John.  Something about the music that David was playing brought the whole room together singing along with a list of songs.  Generations were bridged by our fandom that night.  Some family members in the room above could hear us singing along with "You may be Right." I think that's indicative of David's talent.

He invited us to place requests, and for many of the songs, he could bring up the sheet music on his tablet.  If you've been following this blog, you'll know that the music I go for may not always be the more well known songs.  When I requested "the Entertainer" from 1974's Streetlife Serenade.  I could see that David liked the song too, but didn't have the material on him.

Now, when people often hear of "the Entertainer" as a musical piece, they often think of the old 1902 piano rag by Scott Joplin.  I've seen a video of Milton Berle putting lyrics to that piece on an episode of the Muppet Show.  While Berle's lyrics were about the quintessential vaudevillian star, Billy Joel wrote a fresh new piece about his experiences in the music industry.  It has a perspective that I'd compare to when Jackson Browne plays the "the Load-Out" and "Stay."

Joel writes about the struggle to stay contemporary so that he's not forgotten about.  He writes about what he must do to get into the business and survive, the glamorous side of his life, and what it's like touring through a list of venues.  He starts singing about an upcoming album, and how he had to cut the length of a track to make it more sellable to radio stations.  Looking forward to the release, he's still nervous, because it could be placed on the record store's discount rack, and the fight to stay relevant would be all the more difficult.

For many reasons, this song is different from most of his catalogue.  It's not talking about love, or family, he's talking about his career.  This song was from his third album, but the song is about the period of his life between first setting out as a musician, and the release of album #2, the Piano Man. I'm not too sure if he has any other songs that do away with refrains so that 7 verses can fit in one track.  He does have a lot to say, and does so with a quick tempo.  Songs of such length aren't that common for any musicians.  The closest I can think of right now is Bob Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom" which can take 7 minutes for the singer to get through the 48 lines.

Billy Joel's Entertainer is indeed entertaining.  The same can be said for the man himself.

A Natural Meditation

The Wailing Jennys are generally a folk trio from Winnipeg.  Since the group's beginning, Ruth Moody and Nicky Mehta have song with three different altos.  The most recent is Heather Masse (the writer of tonight's featured song).  Additionally, Ruth's former bandmate (Jeremy Penner) and her brother Richard often accompany their performances.  Tonight's featured song is titled "Bird Song."  Masse wrote it as part of 2011's Bright Morning Stars album.

Listening to a studio recording (and even better, a live performance) of "Bird Song", Heather Masse draws us into these lines of poetry observing the natural world around us.  Gradually Moody and Mehta join in, and after going through the lyrics once in harmonious unison, they start singing in a round.  As if the banjo, drum, fiddle, and bass didn't bring enough depth (with Mehta's drumming steadily serving as a heartbeat to the song), we are treated to the three voices playing off each other's. Through the course of the song, we as listeners are immersed in the layers of music, and are able to follow along with the meditative mantra.

In her lyrics, Masse notes the birds, the blowing wind, the growth of life from within the earth, and so many other aspects of nature.  With each feature described, Massey is then inspired to take on some of it's traits.  I find these wants very relatable.  Spreading wings for flight is usually a metaphor for having the space to freely explore one's own potential.  The flowing river can inspire exploration.  The flowers' pedals being open in bloom can mean an openness to listen.  When she speaks of the moon reflecting glorious light, I personally see that as being a surface on whom God can reflect.

Those interpretations may sound of like I'm reading tarot cards or the golden compass of Philip Pullman's novels, but I do find very deep symbolism in this song.  Spiritually, I venture to say that while our world may not have been made in the way that the book of Genesis describes, what if "creation" is the divine coding of all that exists?  That the generation of our cells or photosynthesis in plants is all created by a divine being or force?  When Masse says that she'd like to be the moon, knowing the light that we see it reflect at night, I wonder if that knowing of light means a deeper understanding of God.

I would like to ask the Wailing Jennys if "Bird Song" is as spiritual as I imagine it to be.  I've been enjoying how this blog allows me to look deeply these songs.

Geeking Out Like It's 1999

I had listened to Bree Sharp videos before, but I had never heard the song that put her on the map.   ...
Until tonight.  In my head, I was playing around with the idea of writing about a Bree Sharp recording, because I really enjoy her cover of Bob Dylan's  "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright."   Next, I turned to YouTube, to get a more concentrated understanding of her music, and the first query result was for a song called "David Duchovny."  My nerdy senses were tingling.  Every so often, a musician works pop cultural icons into their songs.  I'm not just talking about Weird Al and other Dr. Demento staples.  Paul McCartney's "Magneto and Titanium Man" was completely mid 70's Marvel fanfic.

So back to Bree Sharp.

Sharp was a Philly girl at NYU, writing songs for an album, and her first single was about a very intense love for David Duchovny.  The details she wrote would be familiar with many fans of the show.  Right down to the time slot.  For more than five years (including when I first started catching some episodes), Fox would air the X-Files on Sunday nights at 9.  Like watching a television set, we get caught up in Sharp's imagination, falling down the rabbit hole of her crushing on the actor (fantasizing of some cross between the actor and the Fox Mulder character).  Don't worry 90's Bree, many of us don't always see where Rachel Green ends and Jennifer Aniston begins.

Along with all the geeking out, something that I really enjoyed about this song is how much the sound reminded me a little of Liz Phair's song "Supernova."

The video was awesome, and had a unique conception.  Instead of a label reaching out to production, production assistants worked with Sharp's label to create the video for a X-Files holiday party.  With the aesthetic to look like it was shot by a fan, a host of celebrities and regular people were caught lip-synching to the song.  Making this an even more unique music video is that the video isn't official.  You couldn't find Carson Daly counting this down on TRL because so many people would have to sign off on the rights.  Did Napster have video sharing that early on?  My AOL dial up was so slow that I'd never notice.   So thank you YouTube for coming along five years later.

The geekdom and nostalgia may easily be seeping from my earphones and into my brain right now.  Seeing all the stars (often on set) appear in the video is like a late 90's time capsule.  Sarah Michelle Gellar was in the early Buffy seasons, Jenna Elfman was in the midst of Dharma and Greg.  Dennis Franz was the face of NYPD Blue.  Seeing Brad Pitt and George Clooney back then, you'd be thinking of the two heartthrobs for Fight Club and ER.  Months after the video's debut, the actors are announced as part of the cast for the Ocean's Eleven remake.

I guess that wraps things up for tonight but wait...  It's Sunday night.  Cue the signature theme of rolling piano music and an overlying whistle.

Colin Hay Shows Us the Beauty in the World.

Tonight, I'm writing about a Colin Hay song.  Honestly, growing up, the most I knew about Men at Work was through CD infomercials, and my grammar school music teacher teaching us to sing "Down Under" (you know, the song about a place where "women glow, and men plunder").  It was
Scrubs that reintroduced me to the musician.  He would guest as a busker playing some new music and retooled songs from his old band.  They were from his 2003 album Man @ Work.    I absolutely loved the music from Scrubs, and wish that there was a Pandora station for the Blanks (a real a cappella band who performed on the show as "Ted's band").  The show's station led me to Colin Hay.  He seems so mellowed out, and that's what tonight's song is about.

There's a song of his called "Beautiful World."  It's a really insightful piece that he wrote about getting older, settling down, and embracing a peaceful way of living.  He likes swimming far out into the ocean.  He then looks at the darker sides of life.  Mass killings, the use of guns, victimization of women, and children.  He prays to Jesus, and acknowledges that he'll have to patient, because of so many prayers triaged as higher priority.

He looks inward and still sees the persisting battles with addiction.  He looks at parties where (as a younger man) he may have stayed there until the end, but now he sees it as a better decision to leave early with no regrets.  Watching the sun come up, and watching it set...  Enjoying a cup of Irish tea...  They're all facets of embracing a more settled down lifestyle.  He even mentions a woman at the end.  He points out that sex and love aside, what matters is the companionship.

I feel that this a great example of how to mature as an adult.  Over the years, I've seen how parties can differ based on the age of people there.  How in their younger years, there may be more people with excessive drinking or getting high.  When older (or just more mature), such substances may not be as necessary to have a mellow night, enjoying each other's company.  Personally, I know some people who battled alcoholism and haven't fared as well as Mr. Hay, so I applaud his strength of will.

Seeing the sun rise also seems important about the maturity, and it may just be my naivete.  In art school, having all nighters was part of the culture, and even afterwards, I do enjoy the peace and quiet during hours when many are asleep.  But I try to follow the advice I found in a September 2014 issue of GQ.  Male celebrities with ages ranging 25-65 were asked about age and what they've learned about living life.  Norman Reedus mentioned that it's with all this technology and entertainment that we've grown out of synch with the rising and setting of the sun.  Before all night instant messaging, and binging on Netflix, human beings spent thousands of years knowing that when the sun sets, it's time to hunker down for the night.  Like an addiction, there are times that I fall out of this rhythm, but I tell you that some of my happiest mornings were when I'd wake up at 4:30, take the subway to the Charles River Esplanade, and begin running along the river as the sun first starts ascending over the horizon.  At that point, art sales were low, and I hadn't started blogging yet, but there was a serene sense of peace as I'd run along the water and meditate as I watched cormorants dive.  I'm hoping that as my career takes some clear shape, that I'd have both a sustainable job, that I can create web content and other art, and that I can have my early mornings on the Charles.

Maybe We Can Sleep In?

About an hour ago I was preparing a peanut butter and banana sandwich (un-fried).  For me, any time that I'm cooking with bananas, this song pops into my head.  It's like how I think of the Menken & Ashman classic "Le Poissons" when I'm making a recipe with fish.  It had me thinking about what to write about, and coincidentally, Pandora immediately started playing it.  You see?  The universe wanted me to write about Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes."

So, Jack Johnson is known for writing about a wide range of subjects.  Love, friendship, politics, and how to live a better life.  When I was in college, I got my first Jack Johnson album, and I was hooked.  Just as I'd get into the Waifs' catalogue during some Boston blizzards, there were snowy weekends at Syracuse where I would be barefoot with a radiator the had no "medium", "low", or "off" settings.  I would crank out some art assignments and enjoy some music from warmer climates.  I'd estimate that I may have.... ten Jack Johnson CD's and a DVD now.  They're still a musical place that I go.  Sometimes, my iPod may be stuffed with his music (and a little Ben Harper).

Sort of like Jewel's "Morning Song" (from 1995's Pieces of You), this song is about the singer convincing their mate to sleep in a bit and enjoy the morning, shirking any other obligations, having an intimate breakfast, and ... you know... more intimate activities.   The settings written by these singer/songwriters describe intimacy in two very different places (I'm imagining their home states of Hawaii and Alaska).  Unlike Jewel's urges to keep warm together under the blankets,  Jack Johnson's more tropical, wanting to pretend that the rainy morning is the weekend, and perfect for late-morning banana pancakes.  Johnson's In Between Dreams came out 10 years after the aforementioned Jewel album, but they do feature some similar elements of romance.  Be warned, while he doesn't release all songs to the public, his albums each usually have at least one song written about the love and life that he and his wife share.

Let's play with words, and say that from all this sappiness comes the maple syrup for my banana pancakes!

YouTubers' Heaven

Tonight I'm talking about a cover.  It's recorded by two acts that have found their way into the music industry through their YouTube presence.  Like having some favorite buskers at the MBTA stations in Boston, there are some YouTube musicians that I follow.  Given that some of those online musicians are still at the stage where they're peddling CD's, tee's, and cover requests through their websites, it's inspiring to hear how Boyce Avenue and Megan Nicole have gotten some deep traction in the industry.

The song that I heard Boyce Avenue (three brothers from Sarasota) performing with Megan Nicole.  I've always enjoyed the music of Bran Adams, even when it was sometimes too mellow for my peers.  "Heaven" was a song that he released in 1985.  Co-written with James Vallance, the song is about the state of emotional ecstasy you reach when you're in love.  Like the "Summer of '69", this has the singer looking back at his younger days at the beginning (but "Heaven" seems to be missing the recurring double entendre).  Suffice to say, I grew up living to a good deal of Bryan Adams on the radio, and over the years other people would cover "Heaven." Such as DJ Sammy with Yanou and Do.   The Manzano brothers (Alexandro, Fabian, and Daniel) and Megan Nicole add so much warmth to the song with their string instruments and vocal harmonies.  The original recording featured an electric guitar and a keyboard.  Adams later dilemma it down to an acoustic version that still had a variety of musicians excelling to full strength as the song ascends and then tapers off (nothing wrong with that).  But in the Boyce Avenue version, the instruments were so much more streamlined.  A smaller range of instruments, and while the components were stripped down some, there was so much depth.  This may not be the same for everyone, but I have a deep love for the natural sensation that can be heard in acoustic instruments.  I compare it to a day that I was walking over to Marshall Hall at SUNY ESF (I was collaborating with a student newspaper at this neighboring university).  I was walking through a snow flurry in Syracuse, and when I stepped into Marshall Hall, I could feel the heat in the building and smell all the wooden furnishings.  When I can hear voices harmonizing with sound that plays along the inside of a guitar, I feel the audio equivalent to that Marshall Hall feeling.  ... I guess it helps that one night at Marshall, I heard a great Celtic folk group play at an open mic night.

I leave you suggesting that you check out both Megan Nicole and Boyce Avenue.  Of the sampling that I've heard,  her music seems to have a mixture of high energy songs and some slower ballads.  Boyce Avenue has many covers floating around the internet in addition to their albums.  It's with those albums that you get a feel for the music that they've personally written and composed.  This may just be my sense of nostalgia, but listening to a live performances, reminds me of some of those bands of the mid to late 90's that would straddle the divide between alternative and top 40.  In my book, that's a great thing.  They have a great mix of acoustic and electric.  I saw that they're coming to the local House of Blues next month in their tour.  I think that's a show that I'll be checking out.

He was a Little Bit Country. She was a Little Bit ... Christian Pop.

Tonight, I'm talking about the first song I heard from the Civil Wars.  For me interest in these two
individuals came when Pandora led me to a song called "I've Got This Friend" from their Barton Hollow album.  John Paul White and Joy Williams came from two different genres.  White was a Tennessee musician who played country and folk.  Williams was a Californian known for her uplifting Christian pop music.  You may or may not have heard her 2005 single "Hide."  They came together as this duo that had folk, country, rock, pop, and the occasional Christian elements.  The chemistry that they shared (check out their performances on YouTube) was extraordinary.  ...  Perhaps to a fault.  By 2014, a hiatus became an official breakup, and now they are back to solo work (I follow both of them on social media).  The albums are very enjoyable, and every here and there is a cover.  The Civil Wars' versions of the Smashing Pumpkins' "Disarm" or Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" are some examples.

The song I'm writing about is a sappy rom-com of a love song.  You know how when you're nervously asking for advice or finding away to express your thoughts, you may start with the "I've got this friend..."?  The song is this back & forth of the singers talking about these friends that they have, the two friends seeming so compatible, but they haven't met.  As White would talk about his friend, Joy would say how nice that man sounded, and then vice versa.  With each refrain they ask what if the right one had come along for these friends.

As a single romantic, I observe this, imagining that somewhere there's a compatible someone (perhaps we've passed each other like the proverbial "ships in the night."  It's for similar reasons that I love How I Met Your Mother.  I tend to get nervous about asking someone out, or admitting attraction to a friend.  The "I've got this friend..." approach is all too familiar, and it seems so wonderfully surreal for the person hearing this description to reciprocate in kind.

A Response to the Cowboy Junkies' "Follower 2"

Tonight, I'm writing about a song by the Cowboy Junkies.  They're a band based out of Toronto who combine rock, blues, folk, country, psychedelia, and other elements into their music.  In 1986, Michael Timmins put together a band with two of his siblings (Margo and Peter) and Alan Anton.  Jeff Bird has been the unofficial 5th Cowboy Junkie ever since the recording of 1988's the Trinity Sessions, an album that reached platinum status in the states.

A few years ago, I came across a set of their's from 2008 Newport Folk Festival where they played music from their recent album At the End of Paths Taken.  There was a song that stood out to me called "Follower 2."  It didn't stand out just for the power in the music, or the curious title, but also
how cathartic it sounds when Margo sings of rain pouring down.  I started reading the lyrics that Michael had written (rather than just getting lost in the performance), and found that the song was about an extremely difficult part of people's lives.

It's about the death of a father.  The song begins with person recounting a childhood where their father was an inspiring figure that his children held in the highest esteem.  The lyrics nostalgically talk about the stories he told, and little (otherwise trivial) sensations, like loose change in his pockets.  As the song courses forward, we as listeners hear about this person looking over his father decades later, as this heroic figure is dying.  There's a line that struck a particular chord with me, where he talks about the devastating feeling to be in that last room together, and hearing his parent's labored breathing.  It's something that I've gone through a few times with loved ones, and I imagine that most of you can also relate to this.  It gives all the more meaning to what he chose as the refrain.  With a repetition of a mantra, fighting back tears of grief (and in the midst of this rain), the person is telling himself something with a double meaning.  In a physical sense, "Here you will always be behind me, and you will not go away." could be a cry out of shock and disbelief, but it then stands as true in a spiritual sense.

When not covering Lou Reed, or revamping "Blue Moon," the Cowboy Junkies are known for tackling heavy subjects in their songs.  The songs may sometimes be difficult to for people to think about, but I think that the beauty in the music is undeniable.

From Beneath the Bridge

Tonight's song is a mysterious one from an enigmatic band.  My ears came upon "Look on Down from the Bridge" by Mazzy Star.  Like many of Mazzy Star's songs, more emphasis seems to be placed on sculpting the ambience for the listener.  Meditating on the music can put you in somewhat of a trance as you close your eyes and immerse yourself in the music.

Through the 80's and their 90's heyday, the music would create a tranquil field of ambient of sound as the Hope Sandoval would shyly sing into the mic.  In the years since, Sandoval, her long-time collaborator (David Roback), and the rest of the band occasionally release some news, of sporadic shows or contributions to another artist's album.  There are these times of dormancy and hiatus.  There had even been a mystique in their web presence.  They've posted two tweets in during their three years on Twitter, and have an online shop.  It was the end of 2015 when Mazzy Star started posting on their Facebook page more frequently.  It may just be me, but in a way (neither good or bad) Mazzy Star has a unique approach.

So, "Look on Down from the Bridge" was from the 1996 album Among My Swan.  The main component is an organ-like keyboard accented by the bass.  A drum steadily keeps time as the electric guitar intermittently sings in the distance.  It primes this canvas of an illusion as Sandoval asks you to look down from the bridge at fountains and feel the rain falling from the limitless sky.  She describes space between the listener and all these elements.  It's toward the end where I'm trying to find a deeper understanding of Sandoval's participation in this vision.  Throughout most of the song, the listener is able to imagine a vast space around the bridge they're standing on.  It sounds as if Sandoval is calling up from beneath the bridge, relating to the listener, anticipating a time when they can be together

This description may sound a little different from my other two posts.  Rest assured that I wrote this while under the influence of nothing else but the complete album's music pouring through my headphones and gently affecting my vivid descriptions.

Falling in Love with the Waifs

Now, part of this title is a play on words.  My interest in the Waifs was growing before I heard "Falling", and that love continues with more music I hear.  The Waifs are an Australian folk band primarily made up of Josh Cunningham and the two sisters (Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson).  They've been performing since the early 90's, but it took Pandora for me to learn of them in Boston.  I've asked around and they're well known in other parts of the world.  They just didn't make the American Top 40 countdown (our loss).  Now, they're one of the main bands that I listen to.  I find their Aussie take on American folk music invigorating, and when listening to their live albums, their connection to the audience can be distinctively felt.  Whether it's in an intimate club or a big festival. For me, listening to the Waifs gives me a sense of what it must be like in their narratives or in the audience.  One February night during a blizzard, I was listening to the Waifs and talking with a friend from Perth.  In a "mind over matter" way, I was able to imagine what it must be like on a summer night on the other side of the world.

That was a bit long, for an introduction.  Please excuse my gushing (my enthusiasm isn't limited to nerd culture).  The song that I'm writing about tonight is called "Falling."  In this song from 2011's Temptation album, Donna Simpson wrote about some impatience during a budding relationship.  Impatience that I think many of us can relate to.  She recalls times they've been together and how even when they're apart, she's falling deeper in love.  We learn of how she subtly tries bringing him back to that place.  She's successful (or should I say that they're successful) as the couple delve deeper into love.  I am curious to hear if this guy had just as much passion.  I feel that it's a unique position where through most of the song, we are listening to memories, daydreams, and longing.  The first two verses have this woman being inactive and waiting.

The last verse (of four) talks about the passing seasons, and dancing in the kitchen to the radio while falling further in love.  This portion of the song is a little more cryptic.  It may be my sappy romantic side, but I'd like to think that she got together with the guy in verse 3.  Then, over the times together (and the times apart), the love is revealed as mutual and ever stronger.  That may just be the optimist in me, and please share your interpretations.

Part of why I enjoy this song is that it's so sweet and catchy.  There are exciting Waifs songs that get you clapping your hands and tapping your feet.  They inspire singing along (whether at a live show or your computer).  This sweet little number was my Sunday selection.

Like a Prayer

I find a spiritual connection in many songs, whether they're about religion, life, relationships, or other
subjects.  They allow an artist's spirit to reach forward through time, and touch people not yet necessarily born when the song was first recorded.  Some songs come from places that I can relate to.  Some songs are inspiring pieces about great relationships.  Some songs tell about struggles and teach the listener to try learning from the mistakes.  For me, there's even a cover artist that I feel a spiritual connection to although she passed away 20 years ago.  I'll be talking about her in a few months, but today, the subject is the title track from Jackson Browne's 1976 album The Pretender.

I have a feeling that some of you were expecting a blog post about a Madonna song (in good time).  I also hope that this isn't mistaken for sacrilege that when reciting Browne's lyrics, I see it personally as a prayer.  For many years, I've been trying to make a living off my more traditional illustration skills.  Slowly, I've been realizing that I also have some talents in writing blogs and creating online video content.  I have other interests that more closely relate to lucrative industries, and modern society may lead me to explore those as a day job, but I hope that I'll still be able to create art in my off time and reach others with what I've crafted.

That's why I'm writing about this Jackson Browne song.  It was written in the mid-70's, before the creation of the personal computer, before WiFi, and before smart phone apps.  Regardless, Browne could see that society wasn't providing much space for people to pursue their dreams.  The lead character has put his dreams aside to work in what seems to be a mundane profession, living in the shade of a freeway, and each day would basically go through the same boring routine.  The zeal for life seems drained, and the "pretender" just tries to reach the ideal life.  Browne asks his listeners to say a prayer for this pretender and all the pretenders of the world.  In the final verse he expresses hope for the future, to build a home, and to find a compatible mate who can show ways to enjoy life.

Personally, I believe in a God (the same divine figure that may be worshipped by other names or refracted into polytheistic deities).  I think that, when someone hears this song, or sings this song...  the divine is listening.  That is pretty much the purpose of all prayers (even if just spoken within our minds).  I hope that whatever life has in store for me, I'll be following my passions, and not become a pretender.  I hope the same for you.






....

This is the first post for my "Folk, Jangle, Dream, and More" blog.  My musical tastes sometimes include artists that are more popular here (in the US), but often not so much.  My Pandora stations have been a great way to find musicians I don't hear on local radio stations.  One "discovery" leads to another, and I start noticing a tangled little web of genres.  Many of these musicians are more well known overseas, or haven't had big singles for many years.  In the case of some musicians, it's just that they have the smaller (while still passionate) followings.

With this blog, I'm going to try writing about whatever songs come my way.  I sincerely hope that you enjoy.