Electronica Bliss

I'm not much for electronica as a genre, but being a huge Pink Floyd and Alan Parsons fan, I guess there's a bit of it in me. So, when I read a review of Caribou's Andorra, I just had to hear a few cuts. Oh, the electronic bliss! This song sounds like Elliott Smith meets The Moody Blues, mixed with a little 60's garage band. The song is so layered with instrumentation and gets quite busy in parts, but it works, and I feel so happy after I hear it!

Listen to Melody Day from Caribou's Andorra album. Download at emusic. Buy at Amazon.

Caribou - Melody Day

Speaking Of Pop Music...

I know this came out earlier in the year, but I'm just getting around to listening to it. I'm talking about Crystal Visions... The Very Best Of Stevie Nicks. Yes, I already own all of her solo albums, and I really didn't need this one to prove I'm obsessive about being a completist with some artists' catalogues. No, no I didn't. Still, this release had that remix of Dreams and a few strong live cuts that I just had to hear. The remix, featuring Deep Dish, is not at all what I expected. Even though the requisite synth beats are there, they sort of sound like they've got parts of Stand Back mixed in, and they're not at all hyper-dancey. I still prefer the original, but this one's got the Nat stamp of approval!

Stevie Nicks featuring Deep Dish - Dreams Buy at Amazon.

The Monday Podcast

I feel like crap today, due to a head cold or allergy attack or something, so I need something good and poppy to help lift me from the doldrums!

Bookshop Casanova - The Clientele
Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen - Julian Velard
Mutiny, I Promise You - The New Pornographers
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb - Spoon
Could I Change Your Mind - The Preytells

Listen at left or here.

Psychedelic Sunday

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Mona

It's high time I revisited one of the most highly lauded of the San Francisco scene bands, Quicksilver Messenger Service.

Their second album, Happy Trails, was recorded live and peaked at #27 on Billboard's Pop Album chart in 1969. Side one of the album was an entire suite based on Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love, which I'd love to feature here on Psych. Sunday, but it's quite a marathon piece for short-attention span listeners. (If I get email requests, perhaps I'll just post it anyway.)

Even presenting Mona, another Bo Diddley cover, is challenging, since there is no clear cut-off between it and the following song on the album, Maiden Of The Cancer Moon. (And this is true, really, for the entire album and song segues, since it was recorded live, and this is a jam band piece.)

Here, John Cipollina's guitar work shines in its energetic fluidity. I'm sure Diddley had no idea his song could be so hippified, but, indeed, it works in the psychedelic cowboy style.

Listen at left or below, by clicking on the teensy arrow.

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Mona

Coincidence?

This morning I had my hair cut/colored and noticed they've got all new chairs and sinks in the place. 'Bout time. The ones that were replaced were vintage late-1960's and were a pale blue. (The rest of the salon remains decked out a la 1967, with old cabinetry and flooring!) The stylists are up-to-date, though, and they use primo products. I guess that's what really counts.

When my "girl," Leah checked me out, she mentioned that the colors have gone up 5 bucks.

New chairs + new sinks = 5 bucks more for coloring?

I'm just sayin'.

The Return of The Son of Thursday Thirteen

My own photo of Perkins Cove, Ogunquit, Maine

I had no earthly idea what I was going to post today until I got one of those zillion-times forwarded emails from Cousin Goober. This one was called Natural Highs and listed 45 things that could give a person a rush to the head, even without chemical assistance.

I'll cheat and use a few of them from the email and add some of my own.

• Hot chocolate - Of course, with 3-inch high topping of whipped cream and some itty-bitty chocolate shavings. You could argue that this is, indeed, a chemical assist, since chocolate is loaded with magical stuff. Go ahead and argue it, nitpicker.
• Giggling - Nothing makes you feel like a kid more than a good giggle fest. And extra points if you snort while you laugh.
• Sleeping in on Sundays
  
• Pedicures - Well, not the tear-off-your-calluses part, but the foot soaking and the foot rubbing parts.
• Maine
• Playing the "No, I love YOU more" game with my kiddo.
• Walking 60 miles with great women
• Watching the sunrise - Especially the part when you get to wake up your family at 5:30 a.m. and not have them bitch about it.
• Running through sprinklers - Or sliding on a slip-n-slide.
  
• Having complete and total control of the remote for five minutes.
• Hearing "I'll get that" when the phone rings.
• This song. The Beatles - She Loves You Buy it here, if you don't have it already!
• When the plane lands.

Tell me some of yours!

P.S. The New Josh Ritter CD is Awesome

Look, an homage to 300?

He's way more electrified and rocking this go round, and it's simply great. This will be in Top 10 favorites of the 2007, and that's only after one listen. Josh always writes fab lyrics, but this time the arrangements just grab me, much like Wolves did on his last release, The Animal Years.

I'm such a geek; I'm so excited about this! Here, listen to Right Moves, freshly ripped by moi.

Click the teensy arrow to listen.

Josh Ritter - Right Moves

Buy The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter at Amazon.
Josh Ritter's site.

Tell It To Me Tuesday

This week, Janet asks:

What are the best songs that evoke anger and why? These can be songs where someone is angry at a situation, a person or a circumstance. It really doesn't matter. If the singer and/or author has managed to anger you in the process, that's all the more reason to include it here.

You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette - Alanis lashes out against unnamed ex-lover. (one rumor suggests it's Dave Coulier) I love the way the guitars thrash when she sings, "I'm here to remind you of the mess you made when you went away." My favorite pissed off line, though, is "every time I scratch my nails down someone else's back I hope you feel it." Yeah, Alanis, I hope he does, too.

Song For The Dumped - Ben Folds Five - Ben's all honked off because his girl wanted "to take a break," which, of course, is the great kiss-off. She probably didn't know what hit her when Ben declared, in song, "Wish I hadn't bought you dinner right before you dumped me on your front porch; give me my money back, give me my money back you bitch."

Oh Well - Fiona Apple - Another one pissed off at an ex. (Seems to make great angry songs, eh?) She sings, straining to the edge of her voice, "What wasted unconditional love On somebody Who doesn't believe in the stuff."

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac - We all know that the band's couples had split, and that Lindsey and Stevie had a particularly volatile relationship at that point. In Go Your Own Way, Lindsey doesn't understand why Stevie doesn't want to commit: "Packing up shacking up is all you wanna do."

You Don't Know Me - Adam Marsland - Adam's music reminds me of Billy Joel or Elton John, but with more bite. "I got it now, I know when I'm blown off. The arch of your brow, yeah, your dismissive scoff. But you don't know me." He goes on: Take back your straight jacket, take back your skinny tie. You may have got the knack, but baby, I'm not that guy. I'll tell you why: 'cause you don't know me.

Take This Job And Shove It - Johnny Paycheck - Now, he doesn't sound so mad when he sings this country ditty, but the lyrics hammer it home: "You better not try to stand in my way, as im a walking out the door. Take this job and shove it, I ain't working here no more." Guess why he's quitting? Yep, a woman done him wrong!

Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood - I don't like the contemporary county so much, but this song is one of the angriest ever. I mean, she wants to take a Louisville slugger to both of his headlights!

Fun With My New Phone

My old phone had seen better days, so when Keith (who also upgraded from an ancient Motorola) and I upgraded, we wanted the basics only. Those really smart AT & T marketers know that the free phones can be fairly unappealing, so we spent the better part of an hour fondling the sleek, "sexy" phones (since when are phones sexy?), the smart phones (probably with a better IQ than I have,) and those impossibly confusing phone/PDA devices (WTF is Bluetooth and why is it so cool?) . I immediately felt drawn the Motorola KRZR's sleek blueness, but this was more than I was looking for in a phone. I want to talk, dammit, not chat on AIM or send email. Still, after weighing my options, I went with the KRZR, and so did Keith.

I love the damn thing, and I figured out how to use the texting, even though I will NEVER figure out predictive text or that iTap shit. I love having a camera phone, too, since I'm always reading funny signs I'd love to show you, and I don't always have my digital camera with me.

See? Here are some signs, probably doctored in the middle of the night by bored teenagers. Still, they made me chuckle.

As opposed to making, what, their own Saturday? Or maybe a sundae? What do you suppose they'd choose for toppings? Mixed fruit?

I'd call that a bargain, the best I ever had.

The Monday Podcast - Doo Wop

Photo of Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers clipped from here.

I've been feasting on a main course of The Summer Of Love these last few months, and I decided that it was high time for a palate cleanser. My husband, Keith (yes, I'll finally call him out by name,) and I watched a bit of a PBS' Rock, Rhythm, & Doo Wop special. Not only did I chuckle at the way some of the performers looked (Lou Christie, nice facelift, buddy!), I realized how much I really loved much of the early rock and doo wop. So, I am on Monday, serving up a platter, sans The Platters, of doo wop, just for you.

I hope it takes you back to The Enchantment Under The Sea Dance!



The Chips - Rubber Biscuit
Dion - Little Star
Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall In Love
The Del Vikings - Come Go With Me
The Jive Five - My True Story
The Penguins - Earth Angel

Listen at left or here.

Psychedelic Sunday

Cold Sweat - James Brown

I like to keep my focus on psych-rock and psych-pop here on Psychedelic Sunday, but since R & B music was a foundation of rock & roll, who am I to ignore it? There's not a lot of psychedelic soul music, but there is some, and I'll get to them in future posts. For today, I'll stick to my summer-long salute to the Summer Of Love.

James Brown, who had his own label, cranked out hit after hit on the black charts, with plenty of those hovering near the top of the pop charts, woo. His smash, Cold Sweat, is also regarded by some as the first true funk single. Listen, now, to the master at work, proving he truly was the Godfather Of Soul. Cold Sweat is drenched in steamy sexuality with its driving horns and Brown's bold, passionate vocal delivery. From 1967, here's Cold Sweat.

James Brown - Cold Sweat, Part 1

Buy James Brown #1's at Amazon.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 Earworms (those songs that get stuck in your head)

Let me tell you, these are not necessarily songs that I like, but if I hear them, they do get stuck and drive me insane.

5. We Like To Party - Vengaboys - I had to search out the name of this annoying tune, which I heard every stinking day last summer when the Six Flags commercials with that old guy (or whatever it was) dancing like a fool. You know the one. One of the sweep vans blasted this one on the 3-day and I got annoyed. I'll blame the heat. But do you blame me?

Listen to a clip if you dare:

We Like To Party clip - DJ Party

4. It's A Small World - From the Disney ride. Last time we visited Disneyland in 2004, our youngest wanted to ride that thing over and over. Gee, I had that same experience about 11 or 12 years before with the older one. That song just won't go away.

3. The Time Warp - From Rocky Horror Picture Show. Once I hear it, it's with me all day and I spontaneously break out in the dance. It's not pretty.

2. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly - not the whole song, just that opening bum bum bah dah bum bum bum bum bum part.

1. Baba O'Riley - The Who - I love this song, but that looped synth part just gets stuck in my head forever.

Drumstick Salute To Max Roach

R.I.P Max Roach, who died yesterday afternoon at the age of 83.

What an amazing career, which began at age 16, when Roach filled in for three nights in 1940 when Duke Ellington's drummer fell ill.



Photo clipped from here.

Max Roach - Conversation - buy at Amazon
Download at emusic

It Was 30 Years Ago Today

Photo from here.

If you were around then, do you recall the who/what/when/where/why of of the news of Elvis' death? Share them with me!

I was at Ft. Gordon, GA attending a 5-week Army SATCOM school in preparation for my orders to Guam, and my classes were at a very odd time: 9pm - 3 am. I was rudely awakened by my roommate's clock radio, which was playing Elvis constantly. I thought it was odd that there was nothing-but-Elvis music, so I got up, switched stations, and turned the volume down, since my asshat roommate had gone off to the bathroom and left her radio blaring. (She was always that inconsiderate!) When I switched to another station, there was more Elvis music. I'm no dummy, so I knew something was up then. I threw on a t-shirt and shorts and went downstairs to the lounge, where I asked if anyone knew what was up with the Elvis music. One of the guys was happy to share the news that Elvis had reportedly "died on the crapper yesterday afternoon." I guess I didn't find out because I was sleeping, then I was working, and then I was sleeping again. I had no time for newspapers or TV!
I just felt numb. Elvis. I had loved Elvis. Army Elvis. Movie Elvis. Hip-shakin' Elvis. Fat Elvis. Sappy-In The Ghetto-Elvis. All of them. And he was gone.
I didn't feel that bad again over someone I didn't personally know until December of 1980, when we lost John Lennon.

From News Of The Weird:

Researchers at the University of Calgary said in July that female mice in their study were not only sexually aroused by whiffs of male mouse pheromones but that the scent apparently made the females' brains grow larger. [New Scientist, 7-2-07]

Yes, but then the female mice, in their heightened states of arousal, spread their tiny legs and allow the male mice to fester in their raging hormonal juices, without giving it a thought. See, a bigger brain isn't necessarily a high-functioning brain.


The Pipettes - Sex
Buy at Amazon
The Pipettes web site.

Artist Of The Day

Photo from popmatters.com

The Clientele

If you think I'm stuck in the 60's and 70's, you could be right, at least if you base it on my admiration of this Scottish band. Their 2007 Merge release, God Save The Clientele, is one of my favorite records of the year so far.

The music is a meld of all of those dreamy 60's pop songs I love, some moodiness not totally unlike Elliott Smith's, and a little unexpected rocking out! You might even say The Clientele are a tad twee, but don't just write them off if you think, "I hate that twee shit."

Current lineup features Alasdair Maclean on guitars, Mel Draisey on keys, and Mark Keen at the traps.

Buy it here, at Amazon.
Download it here, by joining emusic.
Clientele's myspace page and their web site.

Three of my favorite tracks from this excellent album:

The Clientele - The Garden at Night

The Clientele - Winter on Victoria Street

The Clientele - Here Comes the Phantom

Take Me Back Tuesday

It's been awhile since I participated in this one, but here goes! This meme is from The Music Memoirs.

The 90's

What bands from the 90's that have broken up do you miss?
The Jayhawks
World Party
Uncle Tupelo
Soul Coughing
What was your favorite song from that decade?
Tough one! I'd have to say Blue, by The Jayhawks.
Surprising also-ran: Friends In Low Places by Garth Brooks.
What was your favorite album?
I'm going to pick Jagged Little Pill, by Alanis Morissette, because it opened up the whole angry chick singer genre. We needed that.
How did you feel about the whole "grunge" genre that popped up in the early 90's?
Loved some of it, but of course it was copied so much that it got old really, really fast. Still love some Nirvana, though.
What was your favorite 1hit wonder of that decade?
Deep Blue Something's Breakfast At Tiffany's
Runners up: Counting Blue Cars by Dishwalla; I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers; Life Is A Highway - Tom Cochrane; Banditos - The Refreshments;Bitch - Meredith Brooks; Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve; The Freshmen - The Verve Pipe; You Get What You Give - The New Radicals; Closing Time - Semisonic; One Of Us - Joan Osborne; Pets - Porno For Pyros; She Don't Use Jelly - Flaming Lips; The Impression That I Get - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Shitty Blog Survivor - The Island In Legos

For our latest task, we were to build/construct Shitty Blog Island using some sort of material (play-doh, sand, clay, whatever we wanted, preferably life-sized.) LIFE-SIZED? Jeckles, are you on crack?

I am not great with play-doh, unless you wanted all the people to look like worms, and I am not an artist with clay, either. SO, what I do have in the house is a ton of lego bricks and a little imagination.

Hover over the pictures for some captions. (that isn't working, so if you want to click the pictures, you can see detailed notes on the photos, if not, I'll just caption a little right here.)

First, an overview of the island:


Some of us were forced to leave already (Lucky them?) This is Mango, without an oar, and Utopia, the evil scientist, with the oar. Let them work it out.


Chad, Mike, Tammy, and Sparky in the big boat. No oars. No water. No food. No tears from us! HAH!


The shark thought Yummy was, well, yummy!


Monty, holding out an oar to Mango:


Rose and her melon carving:


Nat in the hippie den (where I'm bogarting the good stuff:


The sharks are keeping a close watch on Monty and Rose:


Who will King Kabigmeaniehaha Jeckles send home next?

Monday Podcast - There Ain't No Cure For The Summertime Blues

Photo clipped from here. The artist is Philip Dunn.

I love to listen to blues during the summer months, especially rockin' blues. Something about it just sets the perfect mood for a lazy porch swing and some ice cold refreshments, preferably of the beer kind. So, kick back and relax to some summertime blues.

Albert's Shuffle - Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, and Stephen Stills
Born Under a Bad Sign - Albert King
Bring Me Some Water - Koko Taylor
Didn't Leave Me No Ladder - Paul Cebar & The Milwaukeeans
I'll Find My Way - Derek Trucks Band
Kozmic Blues - Janis Joplin

Now, where's my beer?

Listen at left or here.

Psychedelic Sunday

The Beatles - All You Need Is Love

I know The Beatles lost some fans when they went all psychedelic. Some of those teeny-bopper gals and guys just didn't get into the whole trippy-druggy scene, so they stuck it out with Paul Revere & the Raiders, garage bands, The Beach Boys, etc., trying to hold on to nerdy innocence.
But, in The Summer Of Love, with all the hippies turning on and dropping out, The Beatles led the way with this hippie love anthem.

As positive as the message is, it really is a young person's idealistic message.

Nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time.
It's easy.

I suppose that all makes more sense when you're smoking pot with a yogi, but it's still a good message. And, at 50, I'm still learning how to be me.

Whatever, it's still a great song, and it still makes me miss all the peace and love. And I am a huge fan of psychedelic-era Beatles music, as well as the early Fab Four tuneage.

Listen at left, or click the teensy arrow and listen right here.

The Beatles - All You Need Is Love

Dear Shitty Blog Diary

Dear Shitty Blog Diary,
If you don't hear from me in a few days, just assume I've inhaled too many fumes from the epoxy I'm using to assemble my diorama of Shitty Blog Island. Oh, what we go through to please Mr. Jeckles.

P.S. I still claim I'm not a hippie, even though I recently marched for a cause.

Letting Go Is Harder This Time

On his last night home, we share a meal at his favorite place John Harvard's in Natick, MA. (left to right: Chris, me, Youngest, and Mr. Nat)

Our oldest, Chris, already walked with his college class at graduation, but he still has to complete 6 credits to actually be considered a graduate. So, he will be interning at The Happiest Place On Earth (or at least the happiest place on the east coast of the USA.)

It's tough letting go this time. When he left for college, it was only 80-something miles to our west, and just an hour's drive if we needed some face time. It never really felt like he left us. Now, he's moving over a thousand miles away and it will take a very long drive or a plane ticket to get a hug. It's hurting this time. On top of all that, he's driving down to Orlando by himself.

I don't need a trip to get my nails done. They'll all be bitten off by the end of the weekend.
P.S. I really have to stop snacking on wasabi peas while I write this stuff.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 Artists You Loved In College

Now, see, I didn't attend college immediately following high school, since I served for 7 years in the Navy. Should I go with the 4 years following high school, or should I skip forward to 1983, when I started school at The Ohio State University? Decisions, decisions. I'm going with the 80's music...

The Police
The Alan Parsons Project
Elvis Costello
Bruce Springsteen
R.E.M.

I think I'd like to hear some of that right now!

The Boston 3-Day in Pictures

Day One, aka Hell Day

We start off fresh, clean and chipper. This is fellow walker, Deb, and myself at opening ceremonies.


My training walk leader, Vikki, a breast cancer survivor, carries in one of the flags during opening ceremonies.


Taking a rest at lunch. By the way, I ate too much and drank a Diet Pepsi. Bad idea on a 100+ degree day. A little later that day, I had to take a ride for 4 miles. Beats heat stroke, you know? I was on the verge. I overheard one woman say, "I'm from Dallas and I didn't train in this kind of heat." Hell, I'm from here and I didn't train in it, either!


The Men With Heart kept us entertained all along the route, and kept a long list of supplies for their female comrades in their backpacks (including tampons!) I listened to this bunch attempt to sing Do Wah Diddy while I rested and waited for Katie and Lisa to rejoin me after my ride.


A welcome sign. We arrived at the end of the route and had an air conditioned bus ride to camp.


Day Two, The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Groaning

We followed those little arrows for 60 miles. And the orange sign? Some drivers didn't care if many people were walking. I'm supposing they couldn't read. I did share the word "Massholes" with many of my fellow walkers, though.



By mid-day we were sweaty, stinky, and tired. You cannot imagine how envigorating a little spray of cold water can be. And you cannot imagine the kindness of an entire town, Milton, MA. Many folks left coolers of ice for us, offered us candies, popsicles, and dunk buckets (for our bandanas and hats.) I love Milton, MA forever.


We met up with Elvis along the way! Well, he's a skinny Elvis with funky hair, but he's The King to us, since his friends out in front of a church in town offered us more treats. (Yes, we all gained a few pounds on the walk.)