The Sad Bear

May 5, 2010

#017

A weekly sampler of what we're listening to (new and old), and what we think you might like, too.

{LISTEN TO THEM ALL}


BOBBY CAPRI feat. the late Danny Brown -- "She's a Killer"
Danny Brown was pronounced dead at 1:45 a.m. Sunday after rescuers tried for 40 minutes to save him. I was sitting in my car, next to the ambulance but listening over the scanner as the medical helicopter doctors asked for permission to call off their effort. I'd rushed to the field where the helicopter landed. I later saw the truck that rolled over with Brown in the back bed. I didn't get to sleep until 6 a.m. -- and by 6 p.m. I'd learned more about Brown and this single, the first he'd ever be featured on. I keep on listening.


MY BLOODY VALENTINE -- "I Only Said"
Not sure why anyone went through the trouble of actually trying to transpose the lyrics to this one, seeing as how a) My Bloody Valentine lyrics are nearly indecipherable under those glorious guitars, b) even if you did know the words, My Bloody Valentine lyrics are insignificant compared to that damn beautiful noise and c) did I mention those beautiful loud sounds? It's what I imagine aliens listen to when they mate on the mothership. (You know, like the mysterious bighead Star Trek aliens, not Aliens aliens... I'm not about to imagine that thing mating.) That riff, though. That riff will mesmerize you.


BEACH HOUSE -- "Norway"
This is the first song on a mix someone gave me recently. It fits perfectly for driving through a post-drizzling West Virginia mountain-scape.


KALEIDOSCOPE -- "Flight from Ashiya"
This is from Tangerine Dream by the European (not American) Kaleidoscope. They later changed their name to "Fairfield Parlour" and released the phenomenal English psych-pop album From Home to Home in 1970. One critic described it thus: "A bit Summer-67y, but it's summer again anyway so what's wrong with that?"

Also, check out my new From Home to Home Wikipedia stub. There's remarkably little information about the band on the web, but I hope I to find enough offline resources to make a more substantial article. I credit J. Dunn with the discovery of this obscure treasure in 2005.


FEVER TREE -- "Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out"
Same time-zone as Vanilla Fudge.


SPOON -- "Trouble Comes Runing"
I just bought the new album yesterday and am still trying to get used to it. But I like this song initially.

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR: Chris Stewart
Chris work as an actor, director, playwright and teacher for two Cincinnati theatres— most recently as Tom Sawyer. And in case you didn't think he loved Mark Twain enough, he's creating a one-man show based on the more popular works by Mark Twain, "a la Hal Holbrook", and is performing in a dance piece based on the bestselling children's book Giraffes Can't Dance (he plays the rhino who rocks, the chimp who cha-chas, and the encouraging little cricket). He's a busy guy. He has recently acquired interests in Puccini operas, The Wire episodes and Kentucky bourbons.

THE SEEDY SEEDS -- "Dandelion"
I knew my contribution would have to be a song by The Seedy Seeds, but I wasn't sure which one. Even now I'm not 100% sure this is the one for the list. How could I not submit "The Push," "Rise to Receive" or "Winter 04"? Or what about their version of "My Roots Go Down," which got me hooked on them in the first place?

I finally settled on "Dandelion" because it's fairly representative--this is their sound.

I'm assuming most folks haven't heard of TSS, probably because most folks don't live in Cincinnati and it's a local trio. If you have listened to them and don't like them, I imagine it's because you find their music repetitive and their folk-electronica fusion formulaic: a banjo plucking and an accordion moaning, energized by a synthesized, almost techno beat. I would agree that many of their songs sound similar, but that doesn't stop me from liking each one. If you asked me why, I'd probably smile and shrug. I love the vocals, especially Margaret's voice, and I guess I'm just a sucker for banjos.

More than Over the Rhine (overrated), TSS best represents the feeling I get when I'm enjoying this city: drinking local lagers, driving across bridges, running on the banks of the Ohio. (Come to think of it, their "Oh, Cincinnati" is my favorite song about this place.) Their new album Roll Deep just came out on vinyl, but I haven't listened to it yet.

Labels: mid-week mixes, music

by JHitts at 12:00 PM |