Tag: video

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Video Grab Bag: The Beastie Boys

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I’m pretty sure this was the first video I ever watched on MTV, somewhere around 1986-1987:
 

The Beastie Boys - (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)

 
I have to confess, you guys, I was 11 or 12 and had very Victorian sensibilities and had just no idea what to do with what had just happened on my television screen. Actually, my grandmother’s television screen, since I’m also pretty sure I was watching MTV with my somewhat older cousins at the time.

It’s kind of difficult to explain now, when the Beastie Boys are Grammy-winning elder statesmen (!), but then they were like a cold bucket of water in the face.

And every time I hear the opening chords of that song I feel an echo of that heady mixture of bafflement and excitement and quasi-intrigued, quasi-horrified what the hell?? as I did then. This music was a jolt. A wake-up call. I wasn’t totally on-board at the time (see above re: delicate Victorian sensibilities) but, you know, I eventually came around.

And here, if you haven’t seen it yet, is Fight For Your Right (Revisited), a short film directed by MCA, which came out last year. I suggest you read this fantastic New York Magazine article, which is an oral history of the first 25 years of the Beastie Boys, before you watch it.
 

Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right (Revisited) Full Length

 
And then, in closing, Intergalactic, from Hello, Nasty, because I love it, and there are giant dancing robots:
 
Beastie Boys - Intergalactic

 
Rest in Peace, Mr. Yauch. We shall miss you very much.

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Saturday Matinee: The Beastie Boys

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In continued tribute to Adam “MCA” Yauch, who died yesterday after a three-year battle with cancer, I’ve dug up a couple of interviews with the Beastie Boys, one a 1987 appearance with Run-D.M.C., and the other a 2009 interview (separated into two parts), promoting Hot Sauce Committee Part One and a batch of album reissues, including the 20-year reissue of Paul’s Boutique.

If you want more Beastie Boys’ video action, check out the Canal de nutri871’s YouTube channel. It’s a treasure trove of live clips, interview clips, etc., separated into eras, including the Beasties on Yo! MTV Raps in 1989.

 

 

 

 

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Boom Chick: Shake Can Well

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I’m late in posting about this, but you should know that Boom Chick have a limited edition 7″ vinyl and download available, comprising their songs “Shake Can Well” and “Sweaty Dress” with bonus track “Sharkbite”. I caught these kids at Deep Blues Fest last year, and they were a wonderful surprise. Engaging and hard-rocking, the two-piece draws influence from the blues, obviously, but they also display a big love for early r&b and rock ‘n’ roll, even writing songs about Bo Diddley.

Check out the session they did with Alive & Breathing late last year.

 

“Shake Can Well”

 

“Cryin’ Rooster”

 

The 7″ is available from their Bandcamp site. Check out tour dates, photos, and more at the official Boom Chick website.

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More from Cold Specks

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We had a very positive response when we posted Cold Specks’ “Holland” back in February. Here’s a new one with that same beautiful voice, called “Blank Maps”.

 

 

And if you follow this link, you can hear Cold Specks covering Swans’ “Reeling the Liars In”. A sophisticated, intriguing, and wonderfully-executed choice.

Cold Specks’ album, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion, will be out May 22nd. She hits the road next week, dates below.

May 1st – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
May 2nd – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI
May 3rd – Cedar Cultural Centre – Minneapolis, MN
May 4th – West End Cultural Centre – Winnipeg, MB
May 6th – McDougall United Church – Edmonton, AB
May 7th – Central United Church – Calgary, AB
May 8th – Southminster United Church – Lethbridge, AB
May 9th – The Royal – Nelson, BC
May 11th – The Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
May 12th – Alix Goolden Hall – Victoria, BC
May 13th – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
May 14th – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
May 16th – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
May 18th – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
May 19th – The Compound Grilll – Phoenix, AZ
May 20th – Club Congress – Tucson, AZ
May 22nd – The Prophet Bar – Dallas, TX
May 23rd – Stubb’s BBQ (Indoor) – Austin, TX
May 24th – One Eyed Jacks – New Orleans, LA
May 25th – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
May 26th – Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC
May 27th – Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington, DC
May 28th – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
May 30th – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
May 31st – Middle East Downstairs – Cambridge, MA
June 2nd – The Music Hall, Toronto, ON

 

Cold Specks Official Website

Cold Specks @ Facebook

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A Good Read, a Good Listen, and a Good Drink: Rubber City Review

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Tim Quine blowin' harp with Bo Diddley

 

It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.

In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.

 

Though he’s been vilified in the press (see “blues-snob uncle” in Rolling Stone‘s profile of the Black Keys, January 19, 2012), Tim Quine, the head honcho at the Rubber City Review, has been nothing but kind and supportive to us up here by the lake. I learned of RCR when a link to the Akron-based music blog was posted to the Black Keys’ Myspace page (shush), and I was immediately taken not only with Tim’s deep and wide knowledge of music ranging everywhere from blues to western swing to jazz, but also with what a good read it was. No dry scholar Mr. Quine, his prose is generous with engaging information and abundant humor.

I’m very happy to have him here, sharing some wonderful recommendations with us.

 

Good Read:
Straight Life: The Story of Art Pepper
I’ve always had this weakness for West Coast jazz: guys like Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz and Paul Desmond. But my favorite is Art Pepper… The cool, seductive sound of his horn always knocks me sideways. So of course I had to dive right into “Straight Life,” the riveting autobiography that he co-wrote with his wife Laurie. Most of it is a harrowing account of his life as a heroin addict, including brutally honest stories of various acts of crime, his time in prison and his eventual recovery. Much like Miles Davis, it’s hard to reconcile the man with his music. And I found Pepper’s account of his legendary session with Miles’ rhythm section especially mind-blowing. He’d been strung out for some time and hadn’t even played in six months. In fact, the mouthpiece of his sax practically fell apart in his hands when he tried to clean it only hours before the gig (he ended up taping it together before heading out the door). But he somehow pulled himself together to record a jazz classic, “Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section.” I’d owned the album for years before reading the book… It still shocks me that he could play so flawlessly (with three guys he’d never met before, by the way) while struggling with so many demons.

 

Here’s the first song recorded at the session. The jazz standard was suggested by Miles’ pianist, Red Garland. Pepper was familiar with the song but had never played it, so he sort of made up the melody. One reviewer credited him with making it sound better than the actual tune, implying that Pepper was intentionally toying with the melody. In reality, he was doing his best to recreate it from a dim memory!

 

Good Listen:
The Complete Stax-Volt Singles: 1959-1968
I normally have my iPod to keep me sane during long drives, but it somehow dumped all of my music right before a trip to Lexington. So I quickly grabbed four discs from “The Complete Stax-Volt Singles,” and it dawned on me somewhere just south of Mansfield that I should have someone hardwire my stereo so the entire set plays on a permanent loop. Jelly Bread by Booker T, Able Mable by Mable John, Memphis Train by Rufus Thomas, A Place Nobody Can Find by Sam & Dave, I’ve Got No Time to Lose by Carla Thomas, Come to Me by Otis Redding… You simply can’t improve on any of this stuff. Since I’m such a guitar hound, I always find myself honing right in on Steve Cropper, who seemed to have an otherworldly sense of what to add and, maybe more important, what to leave out.

 

 

Good Drink:
Old Fashioned
Fine Kentucky bourbon (not the cheap shit), Angostura bitters, maraschino cherry, orange, a little sugar and a splash of water or club soda. My dad used to make one or two of these every night when he came home from work. Today it’s considered bad form to drink in front of small children. Back then, most of the kids in my Catholic grade school could make drinks like these for their dads. RIP Pops.

 

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Shana Falana: In the Light

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I have a mix I call “Chill Out Drown Out” for when I need to, well, chill out, and also drown out extraneous noise around me. Its music that enables me to calm down and concentrate on important tasks like memorizing the finer points of real property law, or, you know, just provides a chunk of peaceful time in a hurricane of a day.

One of the artists in the mix is Shana Falana, formerly of San Francisco but now living in upstate New York, who, with drummer Michael Amari makes heavy, sweet, dreamy tunes that I find particularly soothing.

Here are four from In the Light, which she released in January:

http://youtu.be/_M7oGHXpY3g
 

Light The Fire - Shana Falana (In the Light EP)

 
DIZZY CHANT VIDEO by Shana Falana "In the Light" EP out now

 
TRAGIC by Shana Falana "In The Light" EP out now

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Liars: No. 1 Against the Rush

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I was introduced to Liars via 2010’s Sisterworld album, and it was one of those experiences that made me ask, “Damn, how am I just hearing about this band now?” Their sound, ranging from moody, off-kilter grooves to straight-up screaming punk blasts, littered liberally with striking and jagged imagery, really caught me. (Even my son, who normally doesn’t listen to anything not connected to video games, would make me play “Scissor” repeatedly on the morning drive to school – hell of a way to start a day of education.)

Liars are preparing to release their next album WIXIW (wish you) on June 5th. Check out the disturbing video for lead single “No. 1 Against the Rush”.

 

 

WIXIW Pre-Order

Liars Official Website

Liars @ Tumblr

Liars @ Facebook

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Band I Really Love: The Magnetic Fields

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The Magnetic Fields: because nobody else does hilarious, cranky, sweet, biting, romantic songs like Stephin Merritt (vocals/ukelele/harmonioum/keyboard) and his merry crew, aka Claudia Gonson (vocals/percussion/piano), Sam Davol (cello/flute), John Woo (banjo/guitar) and Shirley Simms (vocals/autoharp/ukelele).

For example, Andrew in Drag, from their latest record, Love at the Bottom of the Sea. It’s been stuck in my head for weeks and so now I’m going to share it with you, so I won’t be the only one singing the chorus under my breath at random and inappropriate times. (Note: contains nudity, may be unsafe for work!)
 

The Magnetic Fields - Andrew in Drag

 
This one is called With Whom To Dance and every time I listen to it, I observe, wistfully, that really as far as I’m concerned the only wretched part of being single is not having anyone to slow dance with at weddings. You know? Everyone else gets up to sway and spin and there I am perched on the edge of my chair feeling kind of lonely and awkward about everything. Thank you for capturing that emotion in song, Mr. Merritt!
 
The Magnetic Fields - With Whom to Dance?

 
Dipping into their back catalog a little bit, here’s a live version of Drive on Driver from Distortion, the record I had on repeat for basically the four months of 2008:
 
Magnetic Fields "Drive On Driver" 10/18/08 Meymandi Concert Hall, Raleigh, NC

 
If I ever get a tattoo, it will probably include the phrase characters bold complex and shady will write my memoirs across my heart, which is a lyric from this song, which is The Nun’s Litany, also from Distortion, here performed live in Oslo in 2008:
 
The Magnetic Fields - The Nuns Litany

 
In the category of The Best Kiss-off to an Ex Ever, there’s You Must Be Out Of Your Mind from Realism, live in St. Louis in 2010. Ideal to leave on the answering machine of someone you really, really don’t ever want to go out with again.
 
The Magnetic Fields - You Must Be Out Of Your Mind - Live at The Pageant in St. Louis - 3/6/10

 
And from 69 Love Songs, their three volume concept about love songs, here is All My Little Words, a song about being wordy but still powerless, performed live in North Carolina, in 2008:
 
Magnetic Fields "All My Little Words" 10/18/08 Meymandi Concert Hall, Raleigh, NC

 
Also from 69 Love Songs: The Book of Love, which has been covered by acts as diverse as The Airborne Toxic Event and Peter Gabriel. Seriously, click on those links and watch those videos. Y’all have not lived until you have heard Airborne Toxic Event perform a delicate chamber-pop song and Peter Gabriel aim himself, his voice and an entire orchestra at Stephin Merritt’s wry, reflective lyrics. Here is Mr. Merritt himself singing it in Los Angeles in 2008:
 
http://youtu.be/qzd9zEx6Wis
 
And then, I bring you back to the present with Quick, also from Love at the Bottom of the Sea, live in Chicago during their most recent tour:
 
The Magnetic Fields "Quick" Live

 
In conclusion: some photographs from their show that I went to a few weeks ago, here in New York, at the Beacon Theater.

The Magnetic Fields were as delightful as ever – at one point Stephin Merritt did an amazing dramatic reading of a stray gum wrapper that had made its way to the stage, and I decided that “I would listen to him/her/them read me a gum wrapper” is going to replace “sing me the phonebook” as my personal term of ridiculous fannish devotion – and DeVotchKa, who opened for them, did an exquisite acoustic set.

DeVotchKa
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The Magnetic Fields
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Y’all Need to Listen to This: JJAMZ

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First, an introduction.

Some of you may recognize those faces, but, for those of you that don’t, they are, from left to right: James B. Valentine (Maroon 5), Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet, Mark Ronson & The Business INTL), Z Berg (The Like), Michael Runion (solo artist, The Chances) and Jason Boesel (solo artist, Rilo Kiley, Bright Eyes), and together they are JJAMZ.

Second, a brief meditation on the nature of film, and also of music and video. One of my friends recently noted that “the measure of a film may be how narratively clear and deeply moving it is even if you don’t have the language at all.”

I’d expand on that to say the measure if a music video is how narratively clear and deeply moving it is even if you’re watching it with the sound off.

I give you as an example the video below, for JJAMZ’s new song Never Enough, starring Z Berg and Brie Larson (21 Jump Street, United States of Tara) and directed by Eddie O’Keefe.

It is just exquisite. Beautifully shot, with delicate and precise use of color and light – both shimmery, golden Californian sunlight and harsher neon tones – it absolutely works as a silent film about a complex and passionate friendship between two girls.

That said, I definitely encourage you to watch it with the sound on, too, because the song is great.

Additional warning/enticement: contains tasteful semi-nudity, smoking, cute girls with guns, a glamorous party, and assorted alcohol-induced shenanigans. Bonus fun: spotting the musicians making cameo appearances in the party scene!
 

JJAMZ – Never Enough from Eddie O'KEEFE on Vimeo.

 

JJAMZ will be releasing their first record, Suicide Pact, on July 10, 2012, via Dangerbird Records.

To tide you over until then they have another song entitled Heartbeat available as a free download. I have listened to it several times now, and I can tell you that, as you might expect, they really know how to write a pop hook.

And, okay, NERD ALERT, but part of the reason I was playing it over and over again was to try and focus on the individual parts, specifically, the way the guitars are layered with the synthesizers, and then the way the guitar solo floats up through the hum and crash, like a ray of summer light breaking through dark clouds.

Get it here:

 
Finally, they will also be playing several shows around Los Angeles in the near future, and will be at The Satellite every Monday night in June. For late breaking news and updates, you can subscribe to their Facebook or Twitter feed.