The Parallel University

Galactic Funk (Part I)

2008-02-26T01:57:00.009-05:00

Last post for the month. Just a few quick notes before I begin. First, I’ve decided that for format, I’m going to have just the two most recent posts showing on the page at any time. The rest will be available in the archives in the upper right-hand corner. Secondly, someone asked me if I could include sound clips on the site, and as much as I would absolutely love to do that, it would present a whole host of potential legal issues that I don’t want to deal with. Instead, I’ll try to include links to YouTube clips if they’re quality enough. Lastly, a Happy Birthday to the Small Donkey.

Ok, on with the show. I’ve been excited for this post for a long time. It’s about one of my absolute favorite bands, and will be split into two parts. It is a band of relative unknowns to most, but one that most people who know me and my musical tastes are going to have some level of familiarity with, because I’ve been destroying their anonymity for years. These guys are the modern-day masters of funk music. They are, New Orleans’ own, Galactic.

Galactic is a five-man (formerly six-man) jazz/funk group that has been around since the mid-‘90’s. They were first brought to my attention during my freshman year of college, by my musician-roommate JP. JP was an avid drummer and guitarist from Virginia, and he was very in tune with a lot of different stuff that I had just never heard in New York. Most of it was very mellow, groovy, jam-band stuff. Worth noting is that he also introduced me to John Mayer (way before he blew up), Ryan Adams, O.A.R., Ben Harper, Coldplay and others, while I’m pretty sure I introduced him to more rap music than he even knew existed (which is pretty much all I was listening to at age 18).

So anyway, since JP and I shared a mutual affinity for all things drum-related, he turned me on to this funk band Galactic, because their drummer was point-blank the best in the business. According to him, I simply had to hear it. I remember how he used this now-defunct, highly primitive file-sharing site (I can’t even remember the name of it anymore) on my computer, and came up with a couple of tracks that he thought I’d like. I remember being absolutely blown away. At that point I had only heard old-school funk. I had no idea that modern bands were playing funk like this. And let me clarify, it was not rock, or hip-hop, or anything else that had elements of funk to it. No, it was just straight up, groovy funk music. And JP was right, the drummer was intense… he filled up the track with more drum sounds than I could process, yet it didn’t sound at all cluttered. Everything fit together perfectly, in this exciting, fast-paced display of raw musical energy. Guitar solos, sax riffs, screeching organs, impossible drum solos, perfect basslines… it was unreal. The love affair was born.

Galactic started in 1994, as the brainchild of two ordinary kids from D.C. Guitarist Jeff Raines and bassist Robert Mercurio were so into music, that they decided to pick their colleges of choice, based largely on the music of the city in which the college was located (I’m sorry, but how ballsy is that!). Their love of funk and soul landed them both in New Orleans, where they sharpened their skills by immersing themselves in the local styles of jazz playing. In time they teamed up with saxophonist/guitarist Ben Ellman (a California transplant), and keyboardist Rich Vogel (a Midwest transplant). But the lineup wasn’t truly complete without the addition of a true local. As it was, that local would become the driving force behind the band’s sound, as his musical prowess was so deeply rooted in the New Orleans style of jazz, that he stands out on nearly every song this band plays. The “local” was drummer Stanton Moore, highly regarded as one of the finest drummers in the business today. And there they were… five scrawny-looking young white kids, playing funk music in the heart of New Orleans. Pretty impressive.

But once again, they couldn’t resist adding some more New Orleans flair. So the band decided that they should branch out, away from just instrumentals, and take on a vocalist. How about a hip, young superstar-in-the-making? Nope. Instead they decided to go with a local legend named Theryl “The Houseman” DeClouet, who was 20 years older than most of the band members. This proved to be the finishing touch on a formula for 7 years and 4 studio albums of great funk music, which culminated in 2003 with DeClouet’s retirement, and the band’s rise to semi-mainstream fame.

Now for the sound. I know I seem to throw this phrase around quite a bit, but this music truly is like nothing else I’ve heard. Like I stated earlier, a lot of bands out there can summon up a funky sound, but they’re not really playing funk music. These guys play real funk, and they make it sound modern. And it all starts with the drums. Stanton Moore plays the straight-up, unabashedly groovy and syncopated New Orleans style of drumming. Lots of snare drum, great exchanges with the snare and the hi-hat, backbeats on the bass drum that seem out of place at first, and an overall ability to make complex patterns sound easy, while never over-doing it and drowning out his bandmates. He’s one of the few musicians out there who can approach an instrument with a “less-is-more” style of play that will actually allow him to rip through immensely complicated rhythms without anyone even noticing. I have to laugh a little when people anoint flashier players as the kings or queens or their instruments, when in reality most of those players are a lot of gimmicks with little substance. Not the case here. Moore’s play is almost always flawless, and provides the funky framework over which the other Galactic members can lay down their respective grooves. (Check out this video for some of Moore's great licks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYBmaXztl1I&feature=related).

Moore’s rhythmic counterpart is undoubtedly bassist Robert Mercurio (in many of today’s musical genres, it is the bass and drums that are considered the “rhythm section”, whereas years ago there might have also been a piano, horn(s), second guitar, etc. due to the fact that there were more instruments available to play the lead parts). Like Moore, Mercurio’s play is understated yet highly sophisticated. He generally finds a groove and sticks to it throughout a song, thus never disrupting the flow that he and Moore set for that song. Some bass players try to do too much, and wind up just confusing the ear as to what the actual melody is. Mercurio stays in his zone and allows the listener to settle into the groove. This is not to say that he’s just a space-filler though. His basslines are undeniably funky. Whether he’s picking, slapping, or playing chords, the guy is always funky. And that of course makes every other instrument sound that much funkier.

As for the other band members? Well, I’m going to hold off on that part since 1) I have another post in which to discuss them, 2) I think it might be cool for you guys to approach some of their songs with a very defined perspective (here, the rhythm section perspective) as opposed to just an overall view, and 3) this post would become obnoxiously long.

So enough yapping, let’s get on with some suggestions. I’m going to provide some selections from their earlier stuff on this post, and I’m not going to bombard you with analysis… I figure you can all analyze for yourselves. The sound is very groovy, and highly influenced by the New Orleans style of jazz. It’s much lighter than their more recent sound, which retains more elements of hip-hop. Some tracks here have vocals, and others are instrumentals, but all of them are incredible. Great driving music. Enjoy.

Song(s) For The Week:

“Baker’s Dozen” from Late For The Future: The first Galactic song I ever heard. Unreal. Moore’s snare drum dominates the track, and Raines’ guitar solo is one of the cleanest you’ll ever hear. Unfortunately, iTunes doesn’t carry the original, only live versions. I’ll have to see what I can do about that.

“Something’s Wrong This Picture” from Coolin’ Off: This is the first song Theryl DeClouet wrote with Galactic. It’s a perfect introductory track for listeners, as his jazzy, lounge-singer voice is toned down to fit within the band’s sonic landscape. I love Mercurio’s slap bass, and Ellman’s sax solo.

“Doo Rag” from Coolin’ Off: A classic Galactic song. It has a very laid back sound, with all of the members uniting to form one smooth groove. Mercurio and Moore stay in the background, where they are joined by Raines on guitar, setting the stage for Ellman and Vogel to take the lead. This is probably one of the most ambitious uses of the keyboard that I have heard out of Galactic. It’s 6+ minutes of mellow funk.

“Running Man” from Late For The Future: Another vocal track. This is one of the most laid-back Galactic songs out there. iTunes doesn’t even carry it, but I figured I’d throw it in just in case someone found it. A very relaxing song.

“Everybody Wants Some (Part 1)” from Coolin’ Off: Like “Doo Rag” this is a very mellow song, indicative of their early sound. I think Moore’s play really shines on this song, as does a guest trombone spot from Mark Mullins. Enjoy your listening!

The Lyrical Miracle

2008-02-20T02:13:00.014-05:00

Whoops. Looks like I showed up a little late to this week’s party. Please forgive me. I attribute this week’s tardiness, and last week’s lone posting, to a 3-day excursion to Baltimore, followed by an impromptu 1.5-day excursion to Philly. Lots of fun, lots of laughs, but not nearly enough music. I was actually fairly deprived these past 5-6 days. I have to admit, the lack of music, as well as the severe lack of sleep, made me quite crabby. Luckily, a combined 7 hours of driving gave me a small window of opportunity to get some good listening in.

So what was on the menu this time around? Plenty of randomness… some metal, some funk, some jazz, some old Dave Matthews (very unusual for me), some Hall & Oates (I heard “Private Eyes” in CVS the other night and couldn’t resist busting out that CD… laugh if you must), and surprisingly very little RHCP or Incubus. But the tracks that were repeated with the greatest frequency were by a guy that I doubt any of you have ever heard of.

I first heard of Don McCloskey while interning at Sony. You may remember me referring to my boss Josh in a previous post, as he was usually my source for new Sony music. Right next to Josh was my other “boss” (he didn’t like me calling him that) Patrick. Patrick always had music playing too, but usually at a much lower volume, allowing Josh’s stuff to dominate. This wasn’t a huge problem though, because I spent a ton of time in Patrick’s office asking dumb questions, thereby giving myself a chance to hear what he had on. There was lots of heavy stuff (which I enjoyed), the occasional old school rap block (which he played on days when we needed a pick-me-up) and a fair amount of folk-type stuff, which I normally don’t really care for all that much.

One of these folk performers, however, Patrick made a specific point to have me listen to. It was this guy Don McCloskey, who was either a friend of Patrick’s, or a friend of a friend, or something like that… I forget. Either way, Patrick knew the guy, went to his shows pretty regularly, owned his albums, and played his stuff at work quite a bit. He seemed really into it, and was really excited to share it with me. At first I was skeptical, since I knew that traditional folk music didn’t do very much for me, but as it turned out this guy was far from traditional.

I’ll never forget when I first heard McCloskey's music in Patrick’s office. I really had no idea what to make of him. A folk singer? Yea, I guess… there were banjos, and guitars, and whatnot… but then also this guy with a nasal-sounding voice, rapping about “G’s” and “hoes”… And the craziest thing was that it was actually really good! I mean, I have to admit, the guy sounded like he was white as snow, but you couldn’t help but sit there and say “wow, that was a pretty good rhyme right there.” And if you weren’t immediately impressed by his musical prowess, you at least had to laugh. It was pretty clear that this guy was going for a comical and satirical sound just as much as he was pure folk. So we sat there and listened. We remarked on how impressive his rhyme schemes were at some points… we laughed at the incredibly lewd lyrics he used in certain songs… we credited him for his ability to retain true folk elements in songs that sounded more hip-hop than anything else… and I walked away with one more new artist to check out… which I did.

You’re probably sick of hearing this, but man do those iTunes gift cards come in handy. A few months ago I had a few bucks left over on one of them, so I decided to buy some Don McCloskey tracks, and give them a more thorough listen than the few occasional moments listening in, or outside of, Pat’s office. I would liken him to… I don’t really know. There are elements of G. Love, Sublime, Phish… literally tons of different musicians, as well as different musical styles. The main elements in McCloskey’s music are folk and country, mixed in with hip-hop and funk. Not to be left out are blues, jazz, rock, soul, ska, and plenty of others. It doesn’t seem like it would mix particularly well, but it does. And that has to be attributed to the man behind the microphone.

McCloskey can sing. As I mentioned earlier, he has a nasal-y voice, but he also has a significant vocal range that allows him to not only hit a wide array of notes, but also bend them, thereby giving him the ability to sing in a blues-ier manner. Additionally, he is able to provide the “twang” that is traditional in folk music (look no further than Bob Dylan), on those songs that are intended to convey a more folk-sounding style.

But in reality, his traditional singing is not the real draw. It’s the rapping. Would anyone mistake this guy for Jay-Z? No. But he’s still pretty good. And the reason I say that, is because he’s not actually trying to be a rapper. He’s being what he is: a folk singer who incorporates rapping into his folk music, and does it in a fun, almost self-deprecating way. His phrasing is solid. His lyrics are clever, and humorous. And perhaps most importantly, he can “rap” by actually singing his rhymes in a generally monotone voice that will fluctuate between the various notes that make up the blues scale. It makes the rapping sound melodic, and brings it back into the realm of that bluesy, country-sounding folk music, just with the obvious undertones of hip-hop.

I’m afraid I might have ranted too much about genre crossovers here, so let me take a step back for everyone’s sake. Don McCloskey is good. He’s a lot of fun to listen to. You may like folk music, and hate rap music. You may hate country, and love jazz. You may like protest songs, and despise songs that appeal to sophomoric humor. This guy does all of it, and he does it in a way that seems to me to be very appealing across the board. It’s the kind of stuff that I would gladly put on at a backyard barbeque, and listen to all the way through while we all just sat in the sun and drank a few beers. As it was, this music proved to be the victor of my weekend playlist. I had to go from New York to Baltimore, Baltimore to Philly, and then Philly back to New York. Lots of music was played in the car, but Don McCloskey by far got the most pressing of the rewind button. Sure it’s really random, and sure it’s not someone that you’ve heard of… but so what? One of the best things about music is all the secrets it has. Check this guy out. Who knows? He might not be a secret forever.

Song(s) For The Week: “Return of the Freak Emcee” from Northern Liberties; “Live From the Other Side” from Bombs Over Bristol; and “This Just In” from Northern Liberties. “Return of the Freak Emcee” is my favorite McCloskey song. It is the perfect song to illustrate his style, capturing all of the elements I mentioned above. His satire starts right away as he dedicates the song to all those “fake-ass folk singers” who talk about how “phat and large they’re living.” Then as his monologue builds to a head, the band kicks in with this funky bassline, and jazz-style keyboard harmony in the chorus. To keep the folk sound, an acoustic guitar is laid over the top of the bass, creating that jam-band sound. McCloskey shows us his humorous but impressive rapping style, while also demonstrating his prowess as a singer as well. Really, it’s just a fun song. He bends notes like a blues singer, reaches for high notes like a soul singer, raps about goofy stuff like a comedian, and sings about his plight like a true folk singer. All over the place and I like it. “Live From the Other Side” is a little less heavy on the hip-hop elements, but is fairly similar to “Freak Emcee”. The use of blues-tuned guitars creates a very mellow feel, and McCloskey himself softens his voice, to create a looser sounding rap style. Of note is his second verse, where he plays both himself and his muse in an argument. Also, I can’t help but be struck by the random rock riff in the solo section. Just more organized chaos I guess. Lastly is “This Just In.” This is McCloskey’s traditional folk. Country blues guitars, bass, and drums… McCloskey putting the folk twang on his voice… lyrics that attack Bush, the handling of Katrina, American healthcare, etc… I like this song a lot. It’s far away from the other two suggestions on this list, but it shows McCloskey as a true folk singer, ranting about social awareness. And his lyrics here are actually quite good… I love the line about the doctor telling the patient “you’re too poor to get sick.” Hope you guys give these a try, and if you do I hope you enjoy. Many thanks to Pat for introducing me.

The Incredible Comfort Zone

2008-02-11T01:16:00.000-05:00

After a fairly long, exhausting, bizarre, head-scratching weekend, I found myself sitting down on this Sunday evening, curious as to what my musical relaxant would be. For the most part, I have spent the past three days cycling between funk, rap, and metal. But those are not befitting of these final few weekend hours… it’s not how I want to wrap up one week before starting a new one.

Amazingly enough, this choice was made for me without my realizing it. My brain checked down to the default… the place where I go when I just need to breathe deeply and let go of every single little thing that clutters my mind. The Chili Peppers? No. They are my default for pretty much everything else. But when I am in these moments where I need to zone out and transcend everything else, it’s time for jazz music.

I love jazz. I always have. I think I can attribute much of that to my father and his affinity for this genre. His steering-wheel-jazz-drumming has been well documented for years, as has his knowledge of, and love for, so much of history’s great classic jazz music. What is probably lesser known, is that he was actually a fairly accomplished musician in his day, playing and traveling for years as a keyboardist/accordion player. And from what I understand, jazz music was definitely a large part of his repertoire. So yea, I’m pretty sure that’s where my love affair with jazz music stems from.

However, to say you love “jazz music” is the equivalent of saying you love “sea food.” Such statements do not take into account the immense amount of diversity within the main subject. Do you like Swing? Dixieland? Bebop? Post-bop? Fusion? Acid? West Coast? Smooth? There are no shortages to the sub-genres in jazz music. And more importantly, you do not have to like or love all of them to be a jazz aficionado. I know I don’t. There’s plenty of jazz that just doesn’t really sit well with me. But as always, why focus on the negatives, when there’s so much else to fall in love with?

For me, it’s the jazz music of the 50’s and early 60’s. Some call it “contemporary”, some call it “post-bop”, some call it “soul jazz”… but whatever the title, you just know it when you hear it. It’s unmistakable. “Walking” basslines, syncopated drum hits to go with swinging cymbals, and of course the melodic/harmonic trade-offs between the piano, guitar, vibes, horns, or whatever else is center stage. Whereas bebop was loud, and fast, and experimental, and untamed, contemporary jazz music was/is clean, and cool, and groovy, and, for my money, the absolute best you can find. Nothing else can take your mind away like these songs. And that is probably why I came right back to my home base tonight. There’s just nothing like it. Things don’t seem to matter as much when you hear these guys get going.

So who is the man of the hour tonight? It’s the guy who has been my jazz music man of the hour for the past few weeks actually. Wes Montgomery. Without question one of the, if not the, most important and influential jazz guitarists of all time. My list of favorite jazz musicians is comprised mostly of pianists, drummers, and various horn players. I usually find jazz guitar to be too soft. Montgomery, however, is a clear exception to that rule. His play is soothing, yet edgy… clean, yet unrestricted… aesthetically pleasing, yet complex and challenging. He redefined his instrument, and created a sound that has been held as the gold standard of jazz guitar for decades.

Now, I wouldn’t dare attempt to cover all the astounding contributions this man has made to jazz music in a blog post. That would just be disrespectful. So instead, I will simply touch on one album. The one that I am now listening to. The one that is considered to be his finest work. The one that I would recommend to people if they were to ask for suggestions as to where a good place to start listening to jazz music would be. The one that I implore any and all of you who read this to check out. The one with the most blatantly upfront title you could ever ask for. The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. Please note however, that iTunes lists this album as just Incredible Jazz Guitar.

Montgomery’s unique style varied throughout the years, changing with the ebbs and flows of the musical landscape in the jazz world. At the point of this release however, in 1960, vintage contemporary jazz music was at its peak. As a result, we are given a sound that grooves, but also hits hard when it wants to. I know I am repeating myself, but I am always taken by how the great players can effortlessly blend styles that seem both low-key and wild at the same time. And that is what I feel happens on this album. Montgomery’s play is so incredibly refined and beautiful, but it never loses its bite.

Adding to the splendor of the album is Montgomery’s rhythm section, which is comprised of some extremely seasoned jazz vets. On piano is Tommy Flanagan, longtime accompanier of Ella Fitzgerald. On bass, Percy Heath, of Modern Jazz Quartet fame. Lastly, on drums, is Albert Heath, Percy’s younger brother, and a masterful musician in his own right. These three helped Montgomery tap into a sound that grooved on the deepest of levels. Percy Heath’s brilliant basslines set the tone of each song, while Flanagan plays the perfect counterpart to Montgomery’s guitar, and also handles his duties as a soloist quite admirably. Albert Heath sits back and manages the whole thing with his no-frills time-keeping, while also adding in the occasional few bars of soloing himself. It’s no surprise that the album became such a classic with these three contributing to Montgomery’s play.

This album is one of the classics… one of the rare albums that can be considered the “finest work” of a particular musical genius. I find it to be amazing on so many levels, including the practical level. You don’t have to be a jazz guru to appreciate this album. It’s accessible even to the most novice of listeners, and yet is challenging enough to please the pros as well. For that reason, I say “Go listen!” I’m sure you all have found yourselves in moments where you just need to step back… be it on a Sunday night after a long, and hectic weekend… or on a Wednesday morning when you need to chill out before your stressful day at work/school… or on a Friday night when you want to get ready for your night out in a slightly more low-key fashion. This album works no matter what. Enjoy.

Song(s) For The Week: Four on Six and Gone With the Wind. Two Montgomery standards. I think “Four on Six” might be my favorite song on the album. It’s one of the darker (relatively speaking) and groovier songs on this record. The rhythm sections sets everything up with this great, double-time 4/4 beat, allowing Montgomery to come in with a light, beautiful chorus melody, before everyone just kicks it into gear. The aforementioned Percy Heath basslines are on perfect display here. Also, you can hear traditional “block chords” by Flanagan on the piano, used to harmonically contrast the trills of Montgomery’s guitar. He also, at 3 ½ minutes in, takes the lead from Montgomery, in the traditional trade-off style of contemporary jazz music. We even get brief solo sections by both Heath brothers, before the band takes us back to the chorus (the “head” in jazz music). An absolutely phenomenal song. “Gone With the Wind” shows a lighter side. The tempo is slowed down, the bassline less aggressive, and Montgomery himself playing a far more relaxing tune. If “Four on Six” grooves, then “Gone With the Wind” soothes. The most breathtaking aspect of this song, is the layered playing style that Montgomery employs, playing one single harmony on separate guitar strings, thereby creating the illusion that you’re listening to two or more different players. You can’t help but walk away from this song feeling at ease. I hope you all enjoy both of these choices very much. And before I go, my sincerest congratulations to one of my all-time favorite jazz musicians, Herbie Hancock, on his Grammy win tonight for Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters. Jazz music is alive and well.

Viva La Volta

2008-02-05T02:08:00.000-05:00

Ok, let’s just get it out of the way… That was quite possibly the greatest, most unbelievable, most satisfying football game I have ever seen in my entire life. There is absolutely nothing I can write here that would accurately describe how monumental that game was for me and so many others, so I will just say this: 18-1. Damn that feels good.

Right, so if I can tone down my euphoria for a few minutes, I might actually be able to talk some music. Dear sister Jane, God bless her, was so impressed by my salute to her and her iTunes gift cards in a previous post, that she decided to give me another two for my birthday. And yes, once again it allowed me to continue stocking my library with a whole bunch of random stuff. However, not all of it was random. There was one band whose new album I knew would be out soon, and I was determined to own it. So I waited the extra three days for its official release (which was excruciating for an impatient music lover) and then began the evaluation process.

The band I am referring to is The Mars Volta. Heard of them? I imagine some of you have. They’re actually fairly popular, but certainly not “radio-friendly.” I’ll try to give some background, though I would not consider myself an authority by any means. So during the late ‘90’s, there was this up-and-coming band from Texas called At The Drive-In, or ATDI. They weren’t all that well-known, but they had created enough of a buzz that many insiders thought they had the chance to make it big. It didn’t work out that way, as the band split up in 2001. However, from that split, two new bands were born. On one side, were three of the five ATDI members who wanted to pursue a more straightforward, rock-oriented sound. They formed Sparta, a very good alternative rock band. I actually saw them in 2004 when they opened for Incubus, and I was pretty impressed. Nothing too wild. A fairly common style of rock. Not too edgy, but not too pop-sounding. All in all a legitimately decent band.

It was the other side of the ATDI split, however, that would blow everyone’s mind. The two ATDI members who essentially forced the split, were lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. These two would go on to found The Mars Volta. Now the reason they even wanted out of ATDI in the first place is that they felt themselves going in a completely different direction than the other band members. These two didn’t want to play “rock.” They wanted to play everything… at the same time. They wanted to use their Latin roots in their music; they wanted to play in different time signatures; they wanted to use all sorts of dissonant chords; they wanted to distort the hell out of their instruments; they wanted to make albums that only had five songs on them, but they wanted all those songs to be 10:00 long; they wanted a huge band with a huge amount of instruments... You get the idea. They wanted to break free of the traditional nature of the band they were in, and just go in a direction that had absolutely no boundaries. And so they did.

So Cedric and Omar rounded up a crew of seven other musicians, and formed the Mars Volta (if you’re counting it’s 1 singer, 1 drummer, 1 bass player, 1 keyboardist, 1 percussionist, 1 multi-instrumentalist, 1 “sound manipulator”, and 2 guitarists). The sound? Decidedly “prog rock”, which is the term used for progressive rock, a style of rock music that incorporates all of the abstract musical elements I mentioned before. For a point of reference, Pink Floyd is often considered the gold standard of prog rock (Rush and Yes are also included in that conversation regularly). I am oversimplifying quite a bit here, but those are just the basics.

Anyway, The Mars Volta essentially revived popular prog rock, and even gave it a facelift by adding in elements of hard rock and Latin rock. That didn’t guarantee success though. People didn’t know what to make of them when their first album came out in 2003. Hardly any of it could be played on the radio. Singles? How could you pick a single? The songs were generally either too short, or way too long. Not to mention the fact that they were all over the place. If you gave it just one quick listen, you’d think the recording process was one big mistake. Flat notes, overlapping rhythms, obnoxiously loud guitar distortion… what is this???

And for the most part, that’s how these guys have been looked at by many people. “What is this???” I tried checking them out once or twice, but couldn’t get through it. Too complex for me. Then one day in October 2006, I actually had to listen. The Mars Volta was opening for the Chilis, and I’ll be damned if I was going to miss an opening act (I just can’t do it). At first I wanted earplugs. I mean this stuff was loud! And just really weird. But then they started riffing this one cool song… and then that turned into another good one… and before I realized it, they had played a 45 minute set that only had 4 songs. 4 songs… in 45 minutes. Wow. So I decided to give them another shot. And wouldn’t you know it, once I devoted more than the token 30 second iTunes listen, I found them to be incredible. Yes, you have to get past your natural desire to hear simple, catchy beats and melodies, condensed into neat 3-minute bundles. But if you can do that, you’ll find a wild band that plays stuff you’ve never heard before. It’s complicated, it’s challenging, and best of all, it’s refreshing. You have to give credit to a group who decides they won’t be musically bound by 1) industry customs, and 2) traditional musical theory.

Well anyway, they just released a new album last week called The Bedlam in Goliath, and it does not disappoint as far as weirdness goes. I admit, some of it I just don’t get, and I don’t think I ever will. However, there is also a lot of stuff on it which I just find to be simply amazing. I’ve been rewinding portions of certain songs, just going “Man, how did they even think to come up with something like that?” Bixler-Zavala – who’s incredibly unique voice sounds reminiscent of Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant (yea I said it!) – sets the tone on this album. His lyrics are often incoherent, his melodies sometimes stray from anything that’s going on in the song, he allows himself to go way out of key at certain points, and yet he’s such a bad-ass singer that he almost scares you a little bit. The rhythms on this album are almost impossible to keep track of. They change countless times in a given song, sometimes frustratingly so, and it’s hard to even bob your head along with it. Everything else is pretty much business as usual. Weird, abstract, dissonant… everything you’d expect from The Mars Volta. One note, however, is that the band experienced a lineup change before this album, as they took on quite possibly the most talented young drummer in music today, Thomas Pridgen. He’s so good he makes me want to throw my sticks in the garbage.

So if you’re feeling adventurous, and you are 100% willing to keep an open mind, I would recommend that you give them a listen. The Bedlam in Goliath seems to be getting great responses from the public, and I have to say that I am drawn to it more and more each day, simply because it is so far away from anything else out there. So if you want to try something really different, check them out. “Where should I begin?” you say… Well, I’m glad you asked…

Song(s) For The Week: “Viscera Eyes” from Amputechture, “Inertiatic ESP” from Deloused in the Comatorium, and “Ilyena” and “Goliath” from The Bedlam in Goliath. Some names huh? “Viscera Eyes” was the song at the Chilis show that got me into this band. It’s intense. It’s got a real heavy riff to it that is terrifyingly dark. It would always conjure up crazy imagery in my head. The lead guitar follows the traditional Mars Volta approach of “dissonance is best”. You may think it sounds weird, but its all part of their plan. Bixler-Zavala shines here. He hits notes that shouldn’t even exist, and also switches back and forth from Spanish to English throughout (which makes the song even creepier). The chorus is powerful and the verses are frightening. The last 3 ½ minutes of this 9 ½ minute song contains a beautiful, Latin-inspired guitar solo. Of note, John Frusciante (of the Chilis) did much of the guitar work on this song, except that last solo part. I love it. “Inertiatic ESP” is the band’s first quasi-single. It actually stays in one time signature (very unusual for them), though it is incredibly fast-paced. Rodriguez-Lopez’s guitar (which I often find too over-the-top) is great here in its harmonizing with Bixler-Zavala’s voice. The middle section contains a very psychedelic “solo” piece that kind of makes you feel like you’ve been drugged. Also of note here, Flea (of the Chilis) plays the bass on this song… yes, these two bands do a lot of cross-over work with one another. Lastly we have the new stuff. “Ilyena” might be my favorite Mars Volta song of all time. It is so good. It starts out with 56 seconds of distorted, robotic-like, radio play of Bixler-Zavala and some backup singers. It builds such anticipation. You know something big is coming, but all you hear is this weird distortion… and then… bam! This funky, Latin, rock riff. Bixler-Zavala reaches for notes that are so high he sounds out of key, and then they go to the chorus, which is totally metal-influenced… and these guys are great with metal, because they make it sound Latin-oriented and that makes it groove and rock at the same time. Thomas Pridgen is un-friggin-believable on this song. He adds about 5 extra notes on the snare drum every time he hits it. Honestly his work here is absurd. Then there is “Goliath”, which was the other song that got me hooked at that show. People have been waiting for this album pretty much solely for this song. It’s got a ‘70’s prog rock feel to it because the guitar riff is so strong, and has such a major-chord essence. They could have made it more accessible to the public by putting it in a normal time signature, but nope… so instead you get this rhythm that seems to go on for one beat too many, and when you try to rock out to it, you can’t help but be off. The horns and percussion are great in this song, as they add some Latin fire. Bixler-Zavala conjures up the rock sound of the ‘70’s with his vocal stylings, and Rodriguez-Lopez is at his bizarre best with his weird solo section. Pridgen, again, ridiculous. Anyway, I hope you guys find this helpful. Be brave and give a listen. Later gators.

So What? So Let's Dance!

2008-01-30T02:23:00.000-05:00

I’m back… after a very long, and very fun weekend. Thank you to everyone who helped make it so great. This will be my last post for the month and my lone post for the week. Between the birthday festivities last weekend, and the Super Bowl festivities this weekend, I figured one would be appropriate.

I had a topic all nicely set up, but decided to postpone it after inspiration struck a few days ago. What was that inspiration? Dancing. I forgot just how much fun it was to go out and dance like crazy (even if you look like an idiot). It’s great to have drinks, and chat with friends, and flirt with attractive people… but I think there is something to be said for going out and dancing until you can’t walk anymore. It’s so much more fun than just standing around in a bar. I hadn’t done it in quite some time until this past weekend, when I found myself at 4am, in what can only be characterized as the whitest dance party of all time… and it was friggin’ awesome!

So I decided I wanted to share that spirit. Think about how much fun you have when you’re dancing around your place before you go out, or grooving in your car on the way to work, or, as I just did, dancing like a freak at a bar with your friends. For that reason I decided to take my “Song(s) of the Week” feature, and make a whole post about it. So I checked over my library for some of my favorite dance tracks, searching for the ones that people just can’t help but move to. I tried to spread this list around the past five decades, while also making sure that there was at least a little bit of obscurity involved (what’s the fun in me telling you that Thriller is a great dance album… if you need me to tell you that, please leave America). So here are ten songs that I hope get you out of your seat. Play them before you get your weekend started, and I bet you’ll feel more like partying than you thought.

Cool Jerk by The Capitols (1966): Yep, this is most certainly the infamous “Uncle-Frank-in-the-shower” song from Home Alone 2. It’s kind of sad that that’s how most people recognize this song, but what can you do. I mean, does it really matter anyway? This song is great! To me it’s the perfect 1960’s R&B song. It has the boogie-woogie piano, the harmonizing bass horns, the claps, the doo-wop chorus, and so many other great elements… I love it! This to me is great “oldies” stuff… the kind I am so excited to land on when I come across 101.1 on the radio. If you find yourself doing some spastic version of the twist to this song, don’t worry, it’s normal (right?).

Pick Up The Pieces by Average White Band (1974): This is one of those eternally famous instrumental funk grooves that nobody seems to know the name or author of. I know I heard it on car commercials and movie soundtracks for years before I actually found it by name. This is funky stuff. The kind of song where you don’t quite dance in a partying manner, rather you sort of slide around, bobbing your head, as though you’d just walked onto the set of 1970’s TV show… everyone looks so damn cool in their afros and vests! I love the funk-based chord structure of the guitar parts, especially in the intro when they rip those high notes, increasing the anticipation of the bass and the drums dropping that bottom-based groove. And so what if there are no vocals here… they’re not needed. The sax melody is so unbelievably catchy that it fills the space perfectly. Great sax solo in the middle too… I love how they come out of it, and drop seamlessly back into the main groove.

Stomp! by The Brothers Johnson (1980): Ah the disco-funk of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s! This is my sound! I don’t even know how to musically analyze this song. I don’t think I could do it any justice. It’s got all the classic funk elements, but with a modern style. The somewhat cheesy use of violin riffs and bongo beats in typical ‘70’s disco songs, is actually perfect here… don’t know why, it just is. And I love how they give the electric bass a more active, melodic role here (whereas in older funk music, the bass served a far more basic rhythmic purpose), especially by giving a slap bass solo towards the middle. And the whole song just provides this constant buildup by creating a feeling of calmness in the verse, before swelling up and jamming in the chorus. Too bad these guys aren’t really known for too much else beyond this song. Either way, it’s a dance classic.

The Breaks by Kurtis Blow (1980): This song might have been one of the earliest rap songs out there. “That’s the breaks, that’s the breaks!” You have to love it. Kurtis takes us back to the days when rap was cheesy and fun, and talked about how “the IRS says they wanna chat / and you can’t explain why you claimed your cat.” But it was also when rap was dance was funk was all the same. You could have a rap song with funk guitar chords, and deep groovy basslines, and even latin percussion solos. Amazing.

And The Beat Goes On by The Whispers (1980): Yes, this is the song that Will Smith sampled to make his ‘90’s hit Miami. To be fair, I do like his version. Will Smith is a huge cornball, but like it or not he makes some ridiculously catchy music. However, the original, provided here by The Whispers, hits me much deeper. They give you that “four-on-the-floor” bass beat (where the bass drum hits on every beat in 4/4 time), that creates that great disco shuffle. And of course you have those disco violins, and guitars, and doo-wop-like choruses, and everything else. I just differentiate this one because it’s so light and, dare I say, sensual? Just makes you feel like dancing with, or singing to, someone. Man… I was born in the wrong decade.

Give It To Me Baby by Rick James (1981): Oh Rick… you wild and crazy guy. I almost didn’t put this on the list because I figured “Rick James is too popular”, but then I realized that a ton of people know him solely because of Dave Chappelle, and not because of his music. Well Rick James was pretty damn good! And this is one of his best. Great funky bassline… nothing fancy, just straight funk. Excellent use of keys in the verses, and even better use of horns in the choruses. And who couldn’t love singing along, “Give it to me baby!” No joke, I have seen that happen at a baby’s Christening reception. Tremendous.

Jungle Love by The Time (1984): Oh-wee-oh-wee-oh! This is such a classic ‘80’s song. The Time was a dance band built by Prince, and fronted by Morris Day, and thus they bring that same synth-funk that Prince perfected back in the day. This song became legendary not only because it was such a dance hit, but because it provided that creepy, animal-sounding chant in the chorus… and also because it appeared in a Jay and Silent Bob movie. In any event, this song is funky, fun, and updates the soul of the ‘70’s with the attitude of the ‘80’s, and if you dare listen to it, good luck! You will be singing it for the next two weeks.

The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind) by The Bucketheads (1994): Every time I hear this song I am back in the summer of 7th grade… it’s a pretty good feeling. Not much to worry about back then… just fun. I mean c’mon, you all remember this song! With the guy repeating that one line, and the weird ‘90’s drum machine sounds, and the transition into the melodic trumpet section. This song is so dated, yet so timeless at the same time. It could never have existed anywhere outside the mid-‘90’s, yet when people hear it 10+ years later, you still see them smile and start moving around. Probably because, like me, a cheesy song like this reminds them of a time when these cheesy songs were what everyone loved. Well except for one month, that same summer, when the Macarena was popular... that got real old, real fast.

Cosmic Girl by Jamiroquai (1996): I like Jamiroquai, and I’m not afraid to admit it. They (the band is actually “Jamiroquai”, the lead guy is “Jay Kay”) may strike some as corny, but they actually create some pretty complex and impressive music. And anyone would have to admit that Jay Kay’s voice is incredible. They provide some funk and soul to a dance music scene that, as far as I am concerned, is lacking in those two areas. While we all met the band via Virtual Insanity back in 1996, I maintain that it is this song that brings the groovier, dance element. It’s dominated by the synthesizer (especially the synth strings), but it’s also got a very deep, traditionally soulful bassline to it, and employs a tight and staccato-like sound on the drum parts to make it more dancehall-friendly. It’s a little lighter than some of the others on this list, but still a good one to jam to in the mirror before a night out (not that I would know…).

Fa-Fa-Fa by Datarock (2007): Lastly, we come to the modern day. This song was filling the halls of Sony BMG Music for a good two weeks this summer. Annoying, yet infectious. It’s by a Norwegian dance band that few in this country have heard of, and it will leave you humming the melody incessantly! But it is fun. Very upbeat and very funky. Ah, screw it! I’m going to let you all judge this last one on your own. Enjoy, and have a great weekend! See you in February. Go Giants!!!

It’s My Party, and I’ll Play What I Want To

2008-01-24T02:29:00.000-05:00

Today is January 24th, my birthday. I am now 25 years old. Some call this the birthday of the quarter-life crisis. Not me. I’m excited. I have a full half of my 20’s to go, and I figure that’s a pretty good place to be.

So yea, Happy Birthday to me. And since it’s my birthday, I am going to write about my favorite band. I promised that I wouldn’t overdo it with Chili Peppers stuff (and I won’t), but today it seems fitting. The band is, after all, also 25 years old this year.

If you know me, you know how much I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers, so I don’t have to explain. Furthermore, I wouldn’t dare devote a measly single entry to the band and everything they’ve done. It would simply be impossible for me. So instead, I’ve chosen to focus on one particular album… for now… Freaky Styley.

Freaky Styley is one of my favorite RHCP albums, but is also one of their least prominent, mainly because it came out in 1985. The Chilis have put out a total of 9 original studio albums thus far, but the first three are, for the most part, buried in obscurity. It is the albums of the 1990's that people are most familiar with. Mother’s Milk, released in 1989, featured the hit song “Higher Ground”, and was basically the band’s “breakthough” album, introducing them to the masses. Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991), of course, was the gold standard that made them superstars and gave us “Under The Bridge” and “Give It Away,” and Californication (1999) marked their comeback and cemented their status as rock legends.

But very, very few people seem to know any of their stuff from 1983-1989, which, I must say, is a shame. I admit, their 80’s stuff is a little cheesier and far less mature sounding than the hits we’ve all grown accustomed to, but it possesses a rawness and an edginess that you have to appreciate. More importantly, when you hear their old songs, you have to be struck by how unbelievably out of place their sound seems when compared with all of the mainstream stuff that was going on in the 80’s. You had hair bands, and synth bands, and fledgling hip-hop, and New Wave, and Madonna, and MJ, and on and on and on. When someone says “80’s music,” you immediately know what they’re talking about. But the Chili Peppers? No. You probably don’t think of them. They don’t really fit that mold. And that’s because rather than play to the style of 1980’s, they were updating the style of the 1970’s, while developing a new style that wouldn’t be seen until the 1990’s. Have I thoroughly confused you yet? Good.

What I’m saying is this. When RHCP was making music in the midst of the 80’s, they were really playing an old school style. They were four white kids who wanted to play James Brown songs, and George Clinton songs, and Sly Stone songs. They were all about funk, at a time when funk had pretty much become dated. People were into dance songs that sounded more modern and futuristic, and featured synthesized keyboards and drums. The Chilis were out there playing funk guitar riffs and basslines. They didn’t fit… at least not at that moment. See, the ironic part is that the edgy style that they created in the 80’s (when nobody was listening to it), eventually became part of the mainstream in the 1990’s. For that reason they were somewhat ahead of their time, while also being somewhat dated at the same time. Maybe that’s why nobody bought their albums in the 80’s.

But anyway, I maintain that their old stuff is incredibly underrated, especially Freaky Styley. It was their second studio album (their first, I admit, suffered from a severe lack of recording experience), and probably their funkiest venture to date. The lineup featured Anthony Kiedis on vocals, Flea on bass, Hillel Slovak on guitar, and Cliff Martinez on drums. The history of the band’s lineup is an entirely separate issue, but briefly, the lineup that everyone has grown to know as the RHCP of the last 20 years (with a brief exception in the mid-90’s) is Anthony, Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith. In the 80’s, however, it was Anthony, Flea, Hillel Slovak, and a combo of drummers (Martinez and Jack Irons). Tragically, Hillel Slovak died in 1988, at the age of 26, causing drummer Irons to quit, and causing the band to nearly collapse. As you all know, that’s not how the story ultimately unfolded, but it should be noted that half of the original band changed in 1989.

Back to 1985. The Chilis are on their second album, and they’re starting to gain a little bit of recognition in the industry. One particularly big name who liked their sound was none other than the aforementioned George Clinton, of Parliament/Funkadelic fame. Clinton was actually so enthralled with their fresh, funky sound that he signed on as producer of the album. The impact of having him oversee the project can not be understated, as he took this young funk/rock style of music, and guided it to a unique, hard-edged, but soulful, sound. Furthermore, just to make sure that the sound retained the elements of pure funk, Clinton added a horn section on most of the tracks. He did not, however, employ just a few random horn players. No, he brought in Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley, two recording legends, most famous for being the right and left hand men to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown.

With three funk legends acting as mentors, the Chilis were able to tap into a deep sound that was part rock, part funk, part soul, and part young hip-hop. There really isn’t a pop-sounding 80’s song to be found on Freaky Styley. But as far as I’m concerned, that’s fine. What you get instead is even better. It’s a unique, raw, almost out-of-place sound, that offers insight into where the RHCP that we all know today came from. Their style back then was considered weird and unmarketable, but it served as the bedrock sound of a band that would eventually rocket to stardom. And the unique funk sound that so many people know and love today, was born out of this even funkier sound from way back in the day (regardless of whether or not people still like it). Freaky Styley may be somewhat dated, but it’s still funky as hell. So if you’re interested in hearing where these guys honed their funky sound, this is the album to check out. Enjoy, and have a good weekend… I know I will.

*Notes: If you want old school funk, with groovy basslines and melodic horns, check out “American Ghost Dance,” “Hollywood,” and “The Brother’s Cup”… “Hollywood” is actually a cover of the song “Africa” by The Meters… There is also a cover of a Sly & The Family Stone song on this album, called “If You Want Me To Stay”… Hillel Slovak (whose funk/rock style was a huge influence on current RHCP guitarist John Frusciante) shines most on “Nevermind”, “Battle Ship,” and “Yertle the Turtle”… Flea’s slap bass technique is at it’s best on the legendary track “Blackeyed Blonde”… As for Anthony, if you really want to see that this guy was rapping at a high level as early as 1985, check out the Demo Version of “Sex Rap” (available on iTunes… the album version just isn’t as good)… I’m probably not much help for specifics because I love this whole album. It may not rock you as hard as most modern stuff, but it’s got a great, groovy tone throughout. Plus when you think about the fact that they did this in 1985, it really makes the whole album pretty interesting and impressive.

Tracing Some Roots

2008-01-21T22:26:00.000-05:00

Today is Martin Luther King Day. A day that most of us just look at as part of a 3-day weekend, but that in truth has far more significance than any of us could honestly appreciate. Dr. King was one of those rare individuals that gave so much to the world, and had such a huge impact on society, that it is truly hard to grasp how much he actually accomplished, and how much he changed the course of history.

I have an infinite amount of respect for Dr. King. I think most people do. He had a way about him that was just… I don’t even know. We watched many of his speeches in my communications classes in college, and it’s hard not to be moved, or simply blown away, when you actually watch and listen to how this man was able to speak and lead. He has inspired millions throughout the years. And of course, his messages – and the themes of the civil rights movement in general – helped shape the music of that era, albeit indirectly.

However, I’m not going to get into the immense amount of social activist music that came from that period. Instead, when thinking about Dr. King today, I was drawn to the question of: Who is singing about this kind of stuff today? More specifically, I took a look at hip-hop, and tried to figure out which of these icons of the African-American community was rapping about an actual message. We have Soulja Boy, and Flo Rida, and Young Jeezy, and T-Pain rapping and singing about… well whatever it is they rap and sing about… but really, who is rapping about social awareness anymore?

To be fair, we do get some good messages from stars like Kanye West, and Nas, and Jay-Z, and Eminem, and others, but not really on a consistent basis. For a while I, like many others, was championing Talib Kweli as the next great hope for rap music. But of course, as he has grown in popularity, he seems to have become slightly less focused on the issues, and more focused on the marketability of his sound (don’t get me wrong, I still love Talib, and I think he is one of the best in the business). There are also the traditional greats like Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest, as well as countless unknown underground artists. But I’m talking about the current mainstream. Who in the hip-hop game, already having the fame and credibility, is at the forefront of rapping about the real issues these days?

My answer? Philly’s finest. The Roots. As far as I’m concerned they’re in a class of their own. Nobody can touch them because, quite frankly, nobody plays what they play.

First off, they’re an actual band! An African-American, hip-hop band! That’s simply unheard of nowadays. And they’re amazing to boot! Six guys (MC, drummer, bass, guitar, keyboards, and percussion) who get on stage and actually play great hip-hop music that talks about something other than buying people a “drank” (whatever a “drank” is… honestly, how unbelievably stupid is that?).

I admit my bias here. I love these guys. They’re one of my favorites. I own a lot of their music, and have seen them live four times. But trust me, they are as legit as it gets. Each band member is a seriously talented musician and can play the hell out of his instrument (*note: they’ve changed lineups a ton throughout the years, but that has never seemed to affect the sound). The ability to actually play and improvise the sounds you hear in your head, as opposed to having them manufactured by a machine, changes the entire dynamic of that sound. For example, in college I saw Common live, and he used a DJ… he was great, but… the energy and musical stylings were lacking… it’s a guy spinning records of already recorded music… not much you can do with that (NO disrespect to DJ’s by the way). A few months later I saw the Roots for the first time. A group of guys making music, not re-playing it. You have drum solos, improvisation on the keyboard, rhythmic popping and slapping by the bass player… it creates an entirely different feel. And they were simply electric. If you haven’t seen them, I recommend that you do.

Which brings me to another point. These guys tour constantly. It’s what they’re best known for. They get out on the road hundreds of nights a year, and play complex and provocative music, making sure that they get their message out to as many people, in as many places, as they can. It’s inspiring and, in a way, reminiscent of Dr. King. They don’t sit back once the studio work is done, just like Dr. King didn’t just sit at home and hope people heard about him. Both entities got out there and made sure people heard their voice. For The Roots, they hit the road and tour like crazy to get real hip-hop music out there for people. You have to respect that. Not to mention, you get your money’s worth, because they are an absolute killer show.

But of course, it’s not just about playing an instrument or putting on a good show. As I mentioned earlier, I decided to write about The Roots because of the message and the meaning in their songs. For that we have Black Thought to thank. Black Thought (real name Tariq Trotter) is the MC, and frontman/leader of The Roots. He may very well be the best rapper in the industry. I am not exaggerating, the guy is flawless. His phrasing, his rhyme schemes, his speed, his improv, his melodic ability, his stage presence, and of course his actual words. He is absolutely ridiculous. I am convinced he can dominate pretty much anyone out there.

And not only does he possess all of these musical gifts, but he speaks about serious social issues in a manner that is purely astounding. I find myself very often rewinding songs so that I can try to catch all the incredible ideas that he has packed into his verses. A small sample (from the song “Star/Pointro” from the album The Tipping Point):

When that adrenaline get in they system,
It get 'em out on a quest for stardom,
Could be a motherf***in problem,
In Philly, Cincinatti, Los Angeles or Harlem,
Kids call theyself killers let they hammers do the talkin’,
Don't even know the meaning of life, ain't seen a thing,
And you dream of floodin the scenery with,
Llello and greenery,
But for now, you stickin her with the heavy machinery,
Wonder how, you lift it up, be only 17 and like,
E'rybody he wanna shine, young brothers on the grind,
Holdin’ somethin’ in they spine, "Bowling for Columbine",
Stressin’ to me how it's all about a dollar sign,
Dig the way you out of line, out of sight and out of mind.

Transcribing the lyrics hardly does him justice, but you can still get the idea. He’s unbelievably talented, and he has the ability to use that talent not only for entertainment, but for speaking about something that really matters. Hip-hop music, and society in general, would be far better served if we had more rappers like Black Thought.

But alas, today’s hip-hop is what it is. It’s pointless to hate on everything, so instead I choose to focus on the few acts out there, like The Roots, who are really making an effort to talk about the things that need to be talked about. That’s the way it goes I guess. Dr. King certainly wasn’t in the majority either. He stood up and spoke about the things he did because not enough others were. And for that reason, we honor him. Do I dare minimize his contributions by comparing him to a musical group? Certainly not. I just think that in some very modest way The Roots are pioneers and visionaries in their own right. Also, they’re just really, really good. So give a listen, or go catch a show. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Song(s) For The Week: “The Next Movement” from Things Fall Apart, “Guns Are Drawn” from The Tipping Point, and “Game Theory” from Game Theory. Three different songs, from three different albums, reflecting three different styles. “The Next Movement” is from 1999, when The Roots were playing a very jazz-oriented style of music. It’s light and funky, yet a little bit dark. Note the extensive use of the keyboards, played, on this album, by now-famous producer Scott Storch. “Guns Are Drawn” is from 2004, and it shows the R&B and soul side of the band. The track is dominated by the guitar and drums, both played in a very simple and straightforward manner, reminiscent of the soul classics of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. Black Thought’s genius is complimented here by the soul crooning of Aaron Livingston. “Game Theory”, from 2006, shows the band’s harder/edgier side, as well as their forays into rock-infused rap music. I love this song. It’s aggressive and powerful, yet very complex and aesthetically pleasing. The bassline is groovy; the electric guitar riff is a welcome change of pace; the keys add punch; the beat is tight; and the use of the sampled vocalist adds an element of old-school. Check them out and enjoy!

I Heard Her First… Kinda…

2008-01-16T23:24:00.000-05:00

Before I start, I would like to give a very sincere “thank you” to all of you who have read my posts, and have offered words of encouragement. I greatly appreciate it.

Alright, back to business. So the last post I wrote was about the music that was filling my head at that moment. This one will be about something that has been lost in my brain for a few months, but has found its way back because of a TV commercial.

Sara Bareilles. Many of you may know her by now, but some of you may not. She is a budding young songstress, cut from the mold of Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan, and Norah Jones (again, all these comparisons are debatable). She comes equipped with a very soulful voice, a decent piano-playing ability, and a unique writing style – which may or may not be attributable to hired songwriters… I’m not sure. But anyway, she has proven, thus far, to be for real. Her single “Love Song” has been holding strong on the charts (Billboard and iTunes) as well as on the radio and the aforementioned television commercials, and has helped inspire a host of young women to buy digital tracks and ringtones, and melodically proclaim “I’m not gonna write you a love song”… Oh yes, I have seen this.

So what’s the big deal? Well, it’s a big deal to me, because in my time working as an intern at SonyBMG Music, Sara Bareilles was one of the few unknown gems that I was privy to before the public. Now that she seems to be attaining some stardom, I can’t help but feel that obnoxious “oh yea, I knew her before she was famous” attitude coming over me. Let’s be clear though. I have never met this woman, and I know hardly anything about her as a person. All I know is that my boss let me hear her demo long before anyone knew who she was, and that, for some reason, makes me feel like a record industry insider. C’mon, I sit in law school classes all day… I have to keep my dreams alive somehow.

Anyway, the story is this. My boss, Josh, went to the Sundance Film Festival last winter, and when he came back he told me about the celebrity and semi-celebrity people he had hung out with, one of whom was this up-and-coming young singer named Sara Bareilles. I had never heard of her, and I wasn’t particularly interested to find out about her or her music. I was more into the stories about how Josh kept running into Tara Reid. A few weeks later, a song coming from Josh’s office caused me to freeze at my desk and drop whatever it was I was doing… I was literally just sitting there in a daze, listening to this song. Josh always played music, and I would always listen to whatever he had on. Usually it was new Sony artists, which was cool, because then I could check out then-unreleased new music. Some of it I liked, some of it I didn’t, and either way, the songs would often spark some good conversations about music in general. But this was just weird. It was something that I never would have thought would hit me so hard. Female singer, soft piano chords, faint strings in the background… no drums, no bass… very stripped down, and very simple. But it was incredible. It was the complete opposite of everything I had been hearing out of popular female artists for so long (I promised no bashing on this page, but the likes of Fergie can make people want to quit music and never come back).

So I walked into Josh’s office, looking astonished I’m sure, and asked him who this voice belonged to. He told me it was Sara Bareilles, the girl he had told me about from Sundance. Well I felt a little stupid. But nonetheless, I asked him to play the song again, and we just sat and listened. Amazing voice. Not overpowering. Not impressive because of the range and improvisational ability… but because it was strong, and clear, and clean, and real. Her piano keeps the harmony and the rhythm, while her voice holds the melody… the strings fill in the rest of the sonic space, and really no more is needed. The lyrics were poignant, but not overdone. A love song, but not one which leaves you feeling lost. You can connect. Everyone probably can. And thankfully so. I hate love song lyrics that either don’t touch you at all, or are just so vague or cheesy that you don’t even want them to touch you. When I heard this song I was just really taken back that people even sang like this anymore. We concluded that the song was perfect, and that Sara Bareilles was going to make it. I’m sure Josh had concluded that long before, but for me that one song sold me.

You’re probably getting annoyed, going “well, what the hell was the song?” Well, it wasn’t “Love Song.” In fact, I didn’t even hear “Love Song” till months later when Josh finally got me a copy of her 3-song EP. I had annoyed him about it for quite some time because I wanted to play it for people so they could affirm to me that this girl was as incredible as I thought she was. I just wanted that one song.

“Gravity.” That was the song. That was where I found Sara Bareilles and renewed my faith in the idea of the musically talented young female artist, out there singing and playing as a real musician and not a fake, marketable commodity. I hope so much that the producers of her album didn’t take the beautiful version of that song from her EP, and change it and “pop”-produce it to make it more radio-friendly. I haven’t heard her full album, but I have at least checked the 30-second sample of the song on iTunes. It seems to be the same version. However, I can’t make any promises that the “Gravity” on the album is the same exact incredible one that I own. I certainly hope it is.

I’m normally not one for ballads, or slow love songs, or soft piano music… I like faster, funkier, bassier things… and quite frankly, that for me is what makes this girl, and this song, that much more impressive. Right? The real impressive artists are the ones who get to everyone… the ones that you just can’t help but feel their music. And that’s not to say that all of you who read this will find this song as impressive as I did/do. But if you are willing to take the time to check it out (and dudes, if you’re willing to be comfortable enough in your masculinity and sexuality to admit that you like a song that features a girl with a piano, singing a soft ballad) then I think you will find that there is something different, unique, and definitely refreshing about it. At least that’s what I found. So give it a listen and see what it does for you. Enjoy your weekend all. Go Giants!

Those '70s Songs

2008-01-13T23:01:00.000-05:00

The soundtrack to my 2008 has started out with a very odd collection of music. I have my sister to thank for this. Being a lover of the iTunes Gift Card, she essentially provided me with $25 worth of random song choices that I never otherwise would have spent money on. But hey, it’s a pre-paid card, so it’s almost like it’s free! So since there was nothing new out there that I was dying to have, and since I am terribly impatient, I went on a spree for a bunch of titles that I had always thought once or twice about, but never actually followed through with.

The results of these purchases have been extremely interesting. I have two CD’s of burned music spanning numerous decades and genres, and for the life of me, I cannot stop listening to them. And while there are some good ones on there from a couple of current popular bands, I must admit that it’s the old school stuff that I can’t stop playing on repeat.

Now if you know me at all, you know that I naturally love the funky sounds of the 1970’s, and thus my attraction to songs from that period wouldn’t be all that shocking. But this was different. I went for stuff that I either didn’t know all that well, or I had some unflattering preconceived notions about. And while I found almost all of these forays to be positive, there were two bands that really sparked me: Steely Dan and Funkadelic.

Steely Dan? Yes, Steely Dan. Until recently I had always thought of them as a classic rock band. I will blame that on the incessant playing of “Reelin’ In The Years” and “Do It Again” on classic rock radio (though I do really like both of those songs). And due to my usually lukewarm feelings about classic rock radio, I just lumped Steely Dan into a group of bands that I wouldn’t be crazy about, and dismissed them altogether. However, a small clip from a rather funky Steely Dan tune in an entertainment law class got me curious, and I finally decided to probe further. These guys could not be any further from ordinary classic power rock. They blend jazz, funk, and rock into a style of music that can only be characterized as way ahead of its time.

The coolest thing about them though, is their story. Steely Dan was not even a real “band” in the traditional sense. It was (is) just two guys really. They were two musicians, named Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, who were hired as staff songwriters for ABC Records back in the late 1960’s. They weren’t all that successful though, because the stuff they wrote was usually too complex for any other artists to competently play. So they created this entity called Steely Dan, where they could properly record their music, with the two of them as the main performers. But what wound up happening was that with the exception of the main vocals and the keys, generally speaking, everything you hear on Steely Dan records is done by legendary professional studio musicians. Fagen and Becker hired only the best of the best to record their songs. As a result, their recordings have long been heralded by icons such as Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones) and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) as being some of the tightest and cleanest sounds in music. They weren’t a band, so much as two gifted brains, and a slew of immensely talented hired guns. But hey, it worked. Their music captures the funk and soul of the 1970’s, and wraps it neatly inside the rock n’ roll sounds of the same period. As such, when you listen to Steely Dan songs, you can find jazzy bass grooves laid down underneath wailing guitar solos, and yet be amazed by how well it all fits together. Check out the album Aja. It’ a classic.

If Steely Dan captured funk in a neatly packaged form, then Funkadelic was definitely the loose, sloppy, wild style of the day. Led by the legendary George Clinton, Funkadelic was the sister group of Clinton’s more popular band Parliament (though this popularity claim is debatable). I have long been familiar with the sounds of Parliament. Songs like “Flashlight” and “Give Up The Funk” are funk standards, and are unapologetically fun and catchy. Funkadelic though, struck me as a deeper, more complex-sounding group that I wasn’t really interested in taking the time and brain power to examine. But again, thanks to gift certificates, I took a shot.

I was right. It is deeper. It is experimental and cutting edge for it’s era. It might not be as pop and disco oriented, but man is it impressive. It truly is deep, dark, almost psychedelic funk, at its finest. All things being linear, you can easily see how closely the hip-hop music of the past decade drew from the music of George Clinton and his bands. I like to think that Clinton’s bands, along with groups like Earth Wind and Fire, took what James Brown started, and ran with it. And while many of those groups went on to invent dance hall classics, Parliament and Funkadelic went with an unbridled sound that was so loose and groovy as to almost be scary and offensive. As far as I’m concerned, it’s great stuff, and highly underrated. Give it a listen if you’re feeling open-minded.

So I guess this whole rant is just a bit of advice to not forget the music of yesterday. For those of us who weren’t around during the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, we know about some of the stuff that came from those eras, but mostly only the stuff that was popular enough to stay on the radios and turntables all these years. There is still a ton of great music out there that has simply faded into obscurity. Go find it! Otherwise you’ll miss out on great stuff that was there all along. If you too have a sibling who loves giving iTunes gift certificates, take a shot on some random old stuff. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Song(s) For The Week: Peg by Steely Dan, and Cosmic Slop by Funkadelic. “Peg” has an infectious groove to it. It seems cheesy at first listen, but give it time and I bet you’ll be humming and singing away. The hook is reminiscent of (and was probably sampled by) countless early ‘90’s hip-hop songs… at least it seems that way to me. Bass legend Chuck Rainey makes the whole thing groove so incredibly well… especially the chorus. “Cosmic Slop” is just plain dirty. I love this song so much. Garry Shider, not George Clinton, handles lead vocals here. It’s the perfect example of that deep, loose funk that almost sounds like a haunting song more than a dancing song. Check them out and enjoy!

*One last note. I forgot to properly thank my very good friend Shelby Parnes in my first post. She writes a wonderfully interesting food blog called “Shelbs & Cheese” and she was a huge inspiration for me even deciding to do this. She is an amazing friend and person, and a damn good writer too. Check her page out (link on the right side of this one).

So Here I Am...

2008-01-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

After quite a fair amount of bashing so many internet fads like Facebook, and MySpace, and online blogs, I have decided to stop hating and join in. This is my blog. It is all about music. It may interest you, or you may think it sucks. I make no guarantees.

The thing that has always bothered me about blogging, is the amount of harsh critiquing and passing of judgment that people will often engage in. Who are these anonymous people sitting behind laptops, writing for all to see, about how much a certain band or album sucks? What makes them the authority on good or bad sounding music? I just never understood it.

Nonetheless, I’m not here to preach about moral wrongs in blogging. I only bring that point up to say that I’m not interested in engaging in that kind of stuff. There’s a lot of music out there that I don’t like, but that tons of other people do like, and I respect that. You have to. Everyone has different tastes, and I believe in always trying to keep an open mind when it comes to various musical styles. You’d be surprised how much good music we all miss out on by being narrow-minded. So to that end, I will try not to engage in any sort of bashing of genres, bands, songs, etc.

Also, I’m not going to act like I know everything (or anything for that matter). I’m not a professional musician, and I don’t have a degree in music. I am just a guy who lives and breathes music… always have. I love playing, listening, and especially talking. That’s why I wanted to do this. I want to share my thoughts with other people on the thing I am most passionate about.

So I hope that those of you who take the time to read my posts will like them, and/or find them interesting. I am going to try as much as I can to talk about things that aren’t as common or well-known, but I reserve the right to ramble on about how much I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers and James Brown. I am going to try to post as often as I can (at least once or twice a week), but I’ll work that out in time. Check back soon, and enjoy!