Monthly Paste Roundup

Issue 56 of Paste Magazine arrived yesterday, thinner than most months, but understandably so. Ad revenues have dropped for many publications, and Paste was nearly unable to publish earlier this year (it was saved by a donation appeal to readers and subscribers.)

Eerie item of the issue: Andy Whitman's ode to Jim Carroll and People Who Died. Carroll died last week at age 60, subsequent to the issue's publication.

Nineteen songs fill up this month's sampler, which features indie rock, singer/songwriter, blues, and small dose of mainstream rock. I must confess that the indie rock offerings are all beginning to meld into one precocious/weird vocal/shoegazey/offbeat song. Pretty soon, I hope it's going to be so 2008, and indie bands figure out a way to move onward and upward.

I guess that brings me to my favorite cuts on the sampler. Here we go:

Shannon Stephens - Hard Times Are Coming - Funny, I was just reading about her at Asthmatic Kitty's site a few days ago and sampled the free mp3 available there. Now I hear her on the Paste sampler, and I must hear more of her lovely voice.
Hard Times Are Coming

Port O'Brien - My Will Is Good -from their upcoming album on TBD Records, threadbare.
My Will Is Good

David Bazan - Bless This Mess - Former Pedro The Lion leader's new solo release, Curse Your Branches, is out on Undertow. This song kind of reminds me of Beach Boys pop.
Bless This Mess

Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers - Shady Esperanto And The Young Hearts - Wins the longest song title on the sampler. This band from western MA has a cd called The Bear coming out on Vanguard Records today. This ain't no indie whining; it's straight-forward rock and roll produced by Tom Schick (Norah Jones, Ryan Adams, Rufus Wainright) and Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Erin McKeown).
Shady Esperanto And The Young Hearts

Frank Turner - The Poetry Of The Deed - Allmusic says he's influenced by Billy Bragg. I hear it, and it's a good thing.
Poetry Of The Deed

Monday Movies

This week's movie topic is all about Regional Representation. Since The Bumbles already covered Boston pretty well (What, no Boston Strangler?) I'll cover films set near/around my other hometown, Lancaster, PA.

1. Witness - I guess I can stop here, since this is far and away the most obvious choice. Whenever I see it, it reminds me of home. When the camera pans out over the farms, it really captures the vastness of the countryside in Lancaster County. Farm after farm after farm. It's a little less so these days, since farms have been disappearing and Amish have been moving west to places like Iowa and Indiana.
2. Gods and Generals - This Civil War flick is set in Gettysburg. I'll assume you paid attention in American history class and know the importance of that battle. ;)
3. Beloved - Oprah as a slave. Demme filmed all around the county.
4. Rocky - OK, I have to expand the area to Philly, since it's pretty close and I was born in Philly. This film made Stallone a household name and inspired tourists to run up the steps at the Philadelphia Museum Of Art. 5. Trading Places - Back when Eddie Murphy actually made funny movies. This is one of my favorites. I had already been living away from PA for several years, so it was fun to pick out places like John Wanamaker's and Rittenhouse Square in the film.

Any films made where you live or have lived? Play along here in the comments, or read the rest of the entries by visiting The Bumbles Blog here.

Indie Pop fun.

fun. - Aim and Ignite

After sampling the songs at iTunes, I'm quite certain it should have been released in May or June, instead of just today. It's a perfect summer pop album, complete with infectious hooks and a quirky sound, including some interesting arrangements (a bit of Be Calm reminds me of Sgt. Pepper-ish Beatles.)

The band consistes of Nate Ruess (The Format,) Jack Antonoff (Steel Train,) and Andrew Dost (Anathallo.)

This song is available for download here, and you can listen by clicking below.


At Least Im Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)

Monday Movies

...from The Bumbles Blog....
This week's topic: Villains

The favorite movie characters I love to hate:

Nurse Ratchet from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Louise Fletcher) made me hope I'd never have to be sent to a mental hospital.



Archibald Cunningham from Rob Roy. It's just so easy to hate a sissy a-hole with an English accent, especially when Tim Roth acts. Most of his parts are bad guys!


Annie Wilkes from Misery (Kathy Bates) You know what's coming next in this photo, and it makes you cringe. The normal-looking person hiding an evil side is my favorite type of villain, since it's so unexpected.

Best of Paste Sampler 55

Paste Magazine is still going strong, and this month's sampler is packed with good new music from old favorites and up-and-comers. Here are five of my favorites on the disc.

Those Darlins - Red Light Love - A kickass girl group out of Murfreesboro, TN. This song sounds like Nick Lowe meets Emmylou Harris.

Red Light Love


Shawn Colvin - Crazy - Untimely though it may be, Shawn puts her spin on the Gnarls Barkley hit.

Crazy


The Henry Clay People - Something In The Water - Something about this reminds me of old Neil Young. I think it's the snarl in the singer's vocal.

Something In The Water


Passion Pit - To Kingdom Come - I almost didn't listen to this, since the band's name brought to mind some sort of humpy-thumpy disco music. It does have a catchy beat, but it's far from dance music.

To Kingdom Come


Gentleman Jesse - All I Need Tonight (Is You) - Sounds really retro, in an 70's power pop way.

All I Need Tonight (Is You)

Friday Five

Five Air Band Songs

You know, I simply must play air guitar or drums or sax or whatever when these songs come into rotation. First, I check to see if anyone's looking, and if the coast is clear, I transmogrify and become Grungy Sauce, the rock chick.

Grand Funk Railroad - We're An American Band - One word: cowbell. It ain't pretty.

Deni Bonet - The Goddamn Violin Solo - I have never held a violin, let alone played one, but this song moves me to pick up that imaginary bow and draw it across the imaginary strings. Mine's not blue, though, Deni.

Led Zeppelin - Rock And Roll - I'm practically the entire band in this one, with emphasis on the drum solo.

Supertramp - School - I don't think I'd like to check out a mirror, since I know I distort my face like some sort of crazed Dr. Frankenstein playing the piano solo.

The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army - Watch out Jack White, I'm after your job, baby! Watch me melt the strings in this one.

Seven Nation Army

Now that I've thoroughly embarrassed myself, tell me what you play along to. Come on, I know you do it.

R.I.P. Gordon Waller

Gordon Waller, Gordon of Peter and Gordon, died on Friday, July 17, at the age of 64.

Here are some words from Peter Asher, from The Official Peter and Gordon site:

Gordon played such a significant role in my life that losing him is hard to comprehend – let alone to tolerate.

He was my best friend at school almost half a century ago. He was not only my musical partner but played a key role in my conversion from only a snooty jazz fan to a true rock and roll believer as well. Without Gordon I would never have begun my career in the music business in the first place. Our professional years together in the sixties constitute a major part of my life and I have always treasured them.

We remained good friends (unusual for a duo!) even while we were pursuing entirely separate professional paths and I was so delighted that after a hiatus of almost forty years we ended up singing and performing together again more recently for the sheer exhilarating fun of it. We had a terrific time doing so.


And we had a terrific time listening. Peter and Gordon, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits, and The Beatles were all favorites of mine back in the early/mid-60's. Their songs remain with me, and most of them hold up today, thanks to the emergence of twee pop, which is quite similar.

Incidentally, do you know who coined the term "British Invasion?" Take your guess in the comments.


True Love Ways

A World Without Love

I Love New Stuff!

Speed of Dark's Linda, she of excellent taste, wrote a post on Woodpigeon, a Canadian indie band, and their fine album, Treasury Library Canada. In the post, she mentions that the band is up for the Polaris Music Prize, an annual prize for an album from a Canadian band. (Last year's winner: Andorra, by Caribou.) I clicked on over to check out the nominees and to, perhaps, hear something new.

I hit paydirt on the first try.

The "hindie rock" of Elephant Stone (name lifted from a Stone Roses song, should have known I'd like the band) is immensely appealing to a gal like me, with a penchant for airy 60's psych-pop sounds . If you delve into the album, The Seven Seas, you are treated to some typical Indian sounds from sitars and geetars, but not in the typical manner. The sitar is definitely not in your face. There are lovely harmonies, layered over pretty melodies. Quite delightful.

Linda posted one of their songs in her Friday post last week, and Marcy of Lost in Your Inbox posted about them in May. I don't know how I glossed over the band when these ladies of unquestionable musical taste mentioned them. Let's call it, ohhh, ADD.

Anyway, here's my favorite song from the album, from what I streamed at their site.

The Seven Seas

Musicians Intro Their Own Songs - Contrast Podcast

Almost every week, I submit a song, introduced by me, myself, and I, to the wonderfully contrasty Contrast Podcast. (Sometimes I do take off, though, mostly because I am too pressed for time or because I can't think of a song to go with the weekly theme.) A couple of times each year, Tim features a "Musicians Introduce Their Own Songs" episode. I love those! You never know what you're going to hear, and it's all good.

This week's CP features some cool bands I've never heard before, and that's a great way to keep my iPod nice and fresh. I dig the opening song by The Foster Kids, Before You Change My Mind, which is nice and jangly. The Good Graces' Disassembled is quite appealing, and Kim Ware's breezy vocal reminds me a little of Zooey Deschanel (She & Him.)

So, if you're inclined to check out new tuneage, head here, to the Contrast Podcast site, for a few ear treats.

Friday Five

This week, the theme is favorite sunshine songs, because, dammit, THE SUN IS OUT IN NEW ENGLAND!

Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine - I'll be playing this in the car on the way to the water slides later this morning.

Chicago - Wake Up Sunshine - Open up your sleepy eyes for me!

Donovan - Sunshine Superman - Mixin' in a little 60's craziness.

Regina Spektor - Sunshine - Cuz I need the torchy piano songs, too.

Sunshine
Buy at iTunes

Cream - Sunshine Of You Love - A classic, no matter the weather.

What are your five?