Cut of the Week 01/26/11

With the winter slowly killing my soul, I find solace in watching old episodes of 30 Rock. If you haven't caught 30 Rock fever yet, you really don't know what you're missing. By far it's the funniest and smartest comedy on TV since my beloved Arrested Development left me.

Here is "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" by Tracy Morgan's character, the incomparable Tracy Jordan. It is a stroke of sheer genius to fuse the Jewish rite of passage with the pagan holiday where we celebrate the macabre and dress in costume. Unrelated phenomena? I think not. Trust me, you'll think twice once you see my Bar Mitzvah pictures. I simply couldn't wait for Halloween to share this with you all. While the video is admittedly nothing special (and there is an obligatory 15 second commercial -ugh), it's still very much worth the listen.

Enjoy and stay warm.

Cut of the Week 01/21/11

Jason Schwartzman (yes, that Jason Schwartzman of Rushmore, Darjeeling Limited, and HBO's Bored to Death fame) heads a band called Coconut Records that released a gem of an album in early 2009 that I believe has gone undeservedly overlooked.

On Davy, Coconut Records employs a Beatles-esque pop formula, with a very staight-forward arrangement of drums, guitar and some piano. They are pure and simple pop tunes with nearly every song clocking in under 3 minutes. Even the song titles are intentionally uncomplicated and short, generally limited to one or two words. If you are a fan of Schwartzman's works, you will appreciate his wry, ironic humor peeking out throughout the record, including the chorus, "I was a drummer in a band that you heard of." This album could seemlessly fit into any of Wes Anderson's movies. And given that Schwartzman has starred in several, it makes perfect sense.

Despite being an actor first, Schwartzman certainly has a knack for making pop tunes with great hooks and a lot of heart, sometimes with a wink. I guarantee this song, Microphone, will get stuck in your head. Isn't that the sign of a pop song achieving its goal?

Give it a listen and enjoy.


Coconut Records - "Microphone"

Cut of the Week 01/13/11

While staring out of my window, the frosted-over scenery can be pretty depressing. So, in order to liven up these dark days of January I make a concerted effort to go off hunting for live shows in NYC on the glorious world wide web. Luckily, I had just received an email from a friend that just clued me in to an upcoming show at Music Hall of Williamsburg where Blockhead and Emancipator will be performing on January 28th. Tickets bought.

Now, I've featured Blockhead here on Music Hound before on the Episode #24: Loungin'. However, Emanicpator, a Portland, Orgeon native, I've known primarily for his gorgeous remixes of some Sage Francis tracks. While, Emanicpator can be categorized as a downtempo, hip hop instrumentalist, he is certainly a different animal worth getting to know better. Wanting to familiarize myself more with his body of work, I came across an interesting remix mash-up of Icelandic legends Sigur Ros and Queensbridge's own Mobb Deep. On paper, it seems completely incongruous, however, Emancipator carefully crafts a fusion of Sigur Ros' magnificent sonic soundscapes and Mobb Deep's gritty, stream-of-consciousness rhymes. It works beautifully.

If you like this, I suggest you check out Emancipator's other albums, specifically his 2006 release (and very timely for winter) Soon It Will Be Cold Enough, which employs strings, pianos, ethereal vocal samples, and elements of jazz and drum n' bass to create wonderfully lush mood music.

Or, come to the show on January 28th! Only $15.

Enjoy.

Concert Review: Sharon Van Etten @ Bowery Ballroom 01.08.11

Please click here http://thesilvertongueonline.com/?p=21512 to check out my review of budding starlet Sharon Van Etten's stellar performance at the Bowery Ballroom from last Saturday night.

You can also hear her right here on Episode #28, Bittersweet Vol. III.

Episode #29: Bringing Ska Back

Well, maybe not bringing ska back to its Third Wave Revival prominence of the mid/late 1990s, but a nostalgic look nonetheless at a genre that was irreverent most of the time, fun all of the time, and even helped catapult bands like No Doubt and Sublime into the mainstream. While those giants of ska are included here, there is also a roster of great ska/punk bands that have their best days behind them in terms of popularity and cultural relevance. However, that’s precisely what Music Hound is here for – to dig up forgotten treasure troves of music that is hidden from everyday view.

Incorporating elements of two-tone British ska, traditional Jamaican reggae and dub rhythms, and even infusing flourishes of melodic punk/hardcore, Third Wave Ska is a genre that brims over with unbridled energy and danceable hooks. While some dismissed the often juvenile or “sophomoric” lyrical content (songs about beer abound) of ska music, the infectious nature of the genre allowed it to breakthrough to the mainstream, peaking around 1998.

Third Wave Revival ska was certainly not monolithic. Some may prefer the ska that feature more hardcore elements of pop-punk or hardcore showcased here by tracks from Sublime, Less Than Jake, Rancid, Operation Ivy, and The Impossibles. Others may opt for the more straightforward odes to Jamaican reggae such as “Bones” by Bim Skala Bim or traditionalist skinny-tie ska like Hepcat’s “Earthquake and Fire” and Allstonians’ “Homeward Bound.” Whether you like your 90s ska laden with lots of horns or sprinkled with punk chords and shout-along choruses, ska music was the product of a rich musical tradition that incorporated a variety of other approaches to make something new and that was at its core simply FUN. Although it didn’t quite have the staying power for the long haul, it’s great to skank your way down memory lane anyway…

Give it a listen and enjoy.

Track List:
1) Take Warning (2:44) – Operation Ivy
2) Earthquake and Fire (2:28) – Hepcat
3) Mass Appeal Madness (3:06) – Spring Heeled Jack U.S.A.
4) Girl Take It Easy (3:54) – The Pietasters
5) Homeward Bound (4:15) – Allstonians
6) Don’t Let The Bastards Grind You Down (2:49) – The Toasters
7) No Face (1:53) – Suicide Machines
8) 40 Oz. To Freedom (3:03) – Sublime
9) Widowmaker (2:07) – The Impossibles
10) Super Rad (3:03) – The Aquabats
11) Beer (3:41) – Mustard Plug
12) Trapped In A Box – No Doubt
13) Bones (3:41) – Bim Skala Bim
14) Stuff (3:09) – MU3330
15) Ruby Soho (4:49) – Rancid
16) Boomtown (2:45) – Less Than Jake
17) Thick Ass Stout (4:53) – Skankin’ Pickle