Everyone Loves Bobby D (Covers Month Post #4)

Yes! Making my four-post-a-month quota! Whoo-hoo!

Last post for COVERS MONTH:

GOOD (ORIGINAL) SONG: Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan

I am a HUGE Dylan fan (as anyone in their right mind should be, of course). I love this song, even though it doesn't sound like "normal" Dylan. It's from his 1969 album "Nashville Skyline," which shows off Dylan's amazing folk-song writing skills, but with much, much smoother-sounding vocals. Why? He quit smoking! And, boy, can you tell! All the songs on this album are FANTASTIC, I can't lie. This one is great, though. It's obviously slightly sexually charged (lay on his bed, yeah yeah, I get it), but still rather sweet to me. Maybe it's that he's calling her lady. My favorite line?

"Why wait any longer for the one you love

When he's standing in front of you?"

Oh yeah, and you gotta love the cowbell.

He's Norwegian. He's not comfortable singing if it isn't snowing.

GOOD (COVER) SONG: Lay Lady Lay by Magnet w/ Gemma Hayes

This one has a much sexier, fuller, more lustrous sound. Check out those violins! Magnet, a Norwegian singer, has chosen to make it into a duet with Irish singer Gemma Hayes, which totally works. Magnet (a.k.a. Even Johansen) has a smooth voice, too, but in a much different way than Nashville-Skyline-era-Bobby-D. I don't know how I'd describe it. Languid? Sleepy? Soft? And Gemma Hayes's voice has a nice, slightly husky twang to it. It's definitely worth a listen. I wouldn't say I like this song better than the original, but it gives it a run for its money. It's from his album 2003 "On Your Side," which I got when it came out, and have enjoyed since then. I'm a big fan of Norway's music scene. They've been producing a lot of great musicians for a while now. 

BEST MOVIE EVER!

I would be ashamed to make a post of great Dylan cover songs without mentioning the fantastic film "I'm Not There" (2007). I am a HUGE fan. It's great for Dylan fans, or anyone interested in music or film, for that matter. It's especially interesting if you have read Bob Dylan's book Chronicles, Volume One and/or seen the Fellini film "8 1/2." It makes a lot more sense if you have seen them. It's a very odd film.  

There are a TON of great covers of Dylan songs throughout the movie. In fact, the entire soundtrack is awesome Dylan covers by all sorts of musicians. Here is give you one of my favorite original/cover duos:

I beg to differ, Mr. Zimmerman.

GOOD (ORIGINAL) SONG: Moonshiner (live) by Bob Dylan 

From his album "Live at the Gaslight 1962" (recorded at the Gaslight, in Greenwich Village, a few blocks away from my house), this song is an old, old song. It's definitely not a Bob Dylan original. It's probably an American folk song, but some say it's Irish. Personally, given the use of the very American term "moonshine" I would say it's American. Whatever it is, it's melancholy and beautiful. This has his more recognizable voice. It is a heartbreaking song sung from the point of view of a lonely old alcoholic. 

"The whole world's a bottle,

and life's but a dram,

when the bottle get's empty,

it sure ain't worth a damn."

Moral of the story: you are what you drink, folks. 

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
-Oscar Wilde

GOOD (COVER) SONG: Moonshiner by Bob Forrest

Although it's hard for me to choose, I think this may be my favorite cover on the whole soundtrack. And that's saying a lot! Bob Forrest takes this song and OWNS it. The harmonica! Amazing! The percussion! Awesome! I love how everything kicks into gear after the line "Their breath is as sweet as/ a dew on the vine." I feel he gives the song more feeling than Dylan does, honestly. Given Forrest's long, public struggle with (and final victory over!) addiction, there may actually BE more feeling there. A sad song overall, but Forrest nails it, and makes it moving and new every time I listen to it. 

Go out and buy that soundtrack!!

If you liked these songs, you might also like:

Kings of Convenience

The Tallest Man on Earth

Neil Young

John Prine

Thelonious Monster

Over and out,

Anna

My Retro Music Dream Duo

Ever dream about having your own music festival, where you chose all the acts? Or about choosing your own musical dream team? Or even about what it would be like if two amazing bands became one, or two singers got married and had babies that were like perfect mixtures of their parents, with their collected musical genius?
'Cuz I do.


And one of my new favorite things to think about is what kind of kid Eli Paperboy Reed and Adele would have together, if they got together. I can't tell you what they would look like, but they would probably make music like their parents. Which is a very good thing.


Who are these people, you might ask. Well, with no further ado...

How could you not love this?

GOOD SONG: Take My Love With You by Eli Paperboy Reed and the True Loves.


So this dude is FANTASTIC. I saw him live with a bunch of my friends last Thursday at the Rock and Roll Hotel in DC, and he just blew us all away. Such an amazing live performer. You feel like you traveled back in time 50 years. A little info on him: Eli Reed is originally from Boston, but moved to Mississippi after high school, and got his career started there helping out with the gospel music with a just-starting-up church. The rest is history. His music is "neo-soul" which basically means great soul music that is also relevant and fun. It also means that his band, the True Loves, are freakin sweet. There is nothing sarcastic, ironic, shocking in his music. It's pure enjoyment. 
I HIGHLY recommend seeing him live if you get the chance.
(This is also a GOOD SONG of his: Come and Get It) 

Classy lady!

As for Adele, you probably know her because of her hit song "Chasing Pavements" from her album entitled "19," which was good, but honestly, just not as good as anything on her new album, "21" (I'm seeing a trend here). 

I really want her to get with Eli Reed because their babies would have more soul than... than.... I don't know, a lot of people. They would be FILLED WITH SOUL. FILLED, I TELL YOU. 

Her new album has a lot of goodies on it, and I am making a prediction right now: you will probably hear the song "Rumour Has It" a lot on the radio starting about now. 

But I think this song is even better:

GOOD SONG: I'll Be Waiting by Adele.

Adele is huge right now in England, and I am aware that this post is not going to be most people's first exposure to her, but honestly, I don't really care since that isn't truly what this blog is for.  She is an amazingly talented young woman (younger than I am!), and I gotta admit that it's pretty cool that a singer like her (soulful and gorgeous but not a skinny, slutty pop star) has made it so big. Her voice is so powerful that it gets me every time. Her songwriting isn't stellar, but she could be singing about cauliflower for all I care.

So yeah, that's my dream duo. 

Who's yours?

If you like these songs, you might also like these artists (both old and new):

Duffy

Sam Cooke

Aloe Blacc

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

The Zutons

Stevie Wonder

Otis Redding

Janelle Monae

Cee Lo

Over and out!

Anna

Love and the Lack Thereof: February Post #4

SO: The Features.
They're a great band who seem (to me) to get very little press, despite their awesomeness. They're from a random town somewhere in Tennessee, and have been together since middle school (Really?? Really!!).
Ever since high school, I've loved their extremely danceable, high-energy, but surprisingly emotional and well-written songs.
So, for this post, I picked:
GOOD (LOVE) SONG: The Idea of Growing Old

You turn me on to the idea of playing croquet, as well. 

It is a great love song about real love. The kind of love that makes you look forward to growing old with someone, being married, annoying each other, and still loving each other. It's clear that Matthew Pelham (the singer and song-writer of the band) has a great sense of humor. I love the lyrics:

"We can lay around
and count the number of times
I've acted foolish
and you've rolled your eyes.
You turn me on
to the idea of growing old."

Let's hope your loved one turns you on to the idea of growing old, with them right by your side. Cuz that's real love right there.

BUY THEIR MUSIC HERE: The Features!

If you liked this song, you might also check out:
Razorlight (they toured with them, and that's who I saw them open for)
The White Stripes
Locksley
Kings of Leon
The Zutons
Cloudcult
The Cloud Room
The Dandy Warhols

Over and out,
Anna

Ice Day

So while putzing around on the internet today, enjoying my day off from school because of insanely icy roads (thus an "ice day" instead of a "snow day"), I discovered a fantastic singer. And her last name is Ices! Ice day! Ices! Get it?
I like that.
To tell the truth: her real last name isn't Ices. I don't know what it is. Her name, Lia Ices, is a pseudonym, and she keeps her real name under wraps.
Turns out she and I have something in common-- we both went to NYU. That's where our similarities start and end, though, I think.
She has this unbelievably beautiful voice-- haunting, achey, sort of angelic. And she is incredibly beautiful, to boot. Some people get all the luck, right?

She's like Giselle's more artsy, talented sister. 

Her album, entitled Grown Unknown (on the Jagjaguwar label, which is almost always spot-on), isn't actually out yet. It will be released on January 25th. But you can still listen to her music here:

GOOD SONG #1: Grown Unknown by Lia Ices. The title track. Has fun hand-claps, her amazing vocals, violin, and beautiful guitar. Definitely worth a listen.

On her upcoming album, she collaborates with Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver), who is also hyper-talented. Their voices meld really well. The collaboration is kinda a no-brainer, since they have a similar sound/musical aesthetic.  Check it out.

GOOD SONG #2: Daphne by Lia Ices with Justin Vernon.

Talented, but definitely not related to Giselle.

If you liked these songs, you might also check out:

Feist
My Brightest Diamond
Cave Singers (they're touring together soon)
Bon Iver
Volcano Choir
Cat Power
Nouvelle Vague
Bat for Lashes

BUY HER MUSIC HERE: lia ices

Over and out,
Anna

Strong Love, Weak Hearts

So a few years ago (November 2007 I think) I saw Dr. Dog live in NYC with a friend of mine. This fantastic band opened for them- the Delta Spirit. I was completely blown away by their energy onstage.
When they came onstage at the end of Dr. Dog's set, to help them sing/play the
GOOD SONG GREAT SONG "Heart It Races"
(originally by Architecture in Helsinki), I knew they were awesome. I eagerly got their album and then even more eagerly awaited more of their stuff. I have not been disappointed. Since then, they've gotten a lot more press but they haven't "sold out" or any of that sort of thing (what does that even mean anyway? Who cares?). This June they released their second album entitled "History From Below," which is fantastic. It's darker than their debut, but they work that quite well.  And I think it's high time their made their debut on AGSIHTF.

What most apartments in Bushwick look like.
Hence the blues. 

The band is originally from San Diego, and they still reside somewhere in Cali, I believe. It's comprised of Mathew Vasquez (vocals), Jon Jameson (bass), Brandon Young (percussion), and Kelly Winrich (other schtuff). Although they may hail from lighthearted SoCal, their songs deal with some heavy stuff. Example: the song "Streetwalker" on their debut album, which dealt with the subject of child prostitution. And the song on "History From Below" entitled "Ballad of Vitaly," which is about a Russian man who kills an air-traffic controller in revenge because... well, it's a long story. A true one. Super dark. But a FANTASTIC ballad.

Anyway, on their new album, I really like this GOOD SONG:  Bushwick Blues

FYI, Bushwick is a neighborhood in Brooklyn. It could easily give one the blues. 

I love the lyrics: 

Because my love is strong/

and my heart is weak/

after all

Anyhoo, if you like these songs, you might also like:

Dr. Dog

Dawes

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Cold War Kids (they toured with them)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (they also toured with them)

Ra Ra Riot

Kelley Stoltz

BUY THEIR MUSIC HERE: Delta Spirit

Over and out,

Anna

P.S. Merry Christmas!!!

Bang Bang Bang!

So Recommendation month continues on the AGSIHTF... This week, though, I'm kinda cheating. I know Last.fm isn't really a friend of mine, but I just had to give this website credit for introducing me to so much good music.

The GOOD SONG for this week is FRANKIE'S GUN by the Felice Brothers (I know, I know I just posted about another brothers group, but this one is different I swear).
I don't remember exactly how I came across them on Last.fm, to be honest, but at this point it doesn't matter. They are FANTASTIC!
And what's weirder is that they are from Palenville, New York, which is about 20 minutes from my own house in upstate NY. Palenville is pretty much a nothing little town, so I give it kudos for producing these badasses.

Ok boys I know you're from the sticks, but
it's not THAT hard to find a shower.

How are they badasses, you might ask? Ok, example of their badassery: in 2008 they played at the Newport Folk Festival (of Bobby D infamy) and a huge rainstorm cut off their power. Instead of wussing out and waiting for the power to come back or just cancel, they played a totally acoustic show, jumping off the stage, and mud-puddling it out to the soaking wet and happy crowd.

The band consists of David Turbeville on drums/vocals, Christmas (that is his real name... he used to be a traveling dice player) on bass, and the two brothers Ian (vocals/guitar/piano) and James Felice (accordion/piano/organ), with occasional additions of washboard, horn section, and fiddle. Another brother, Simone Felice, used to be part of the band as well, but left amicably to start his own thang called The Duke and the King (characters from Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn). Although they hail from the Catskills, they moved to NY a few years ago and started playing their ramshackle music in the subway stations. Since then, they've made it big(ger).

Frankie's Gun in particular is a great song. Sounds like the story of a guy in an old-school Mafia drug or booze run, who is taking money off the top to buy his mom and sweetheart nice things. I like the line:

"I saw a man hit my mom one time, really
I hurt him so damn bad
I had to hide in Jersey."


Here is a link to a great live version as well: Frankie's Gun Live. Yay for accordions! I am going to go see them play live at the Rock n Roll Hotel here in DC this coming Friday (the 22nd), along with Adam Haworth Stephens. Nice! Anyone in the area is welcome to join me.

BUY THEIR MUSIC HERE: Felice Bros

If you like them you might also like:

Bob Dylan
Pete Molinari
Avett Brothers
The Duke & The King
Old Crow Medicine Show (they toured with them!)
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (they also toured with them!)

Over and out,
Anna

Good Advice

So I've decided this month is recommendation month. Meaning GOOD SONGS that were recommended to yours truly by some of the cool cats I know.


So the GOOD SONG  for today is Spanish Pipedream, originally by John Prine, but covered here by The Avett Brothers (one of my favorite groups EVER). It's from a John Prine tribute album called Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows. Here's the link to the song: Spanish Pipedream
Kudos to Dan C. for recommending this whole album to me.

John Prine: the other "Man in black."

It includes some of the best advice I've seen in a long time:


"Blow up your T.V., throw away your paper
Go to the country, build you a home,
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches,
Try an' find Jesus on your own."

The Avett Brothers: Man in black. And man in Mickey Mouse.

John Prine was a pretty cool dude, a fantastic country/folk singer-songwriter in the best way. He was almost (but not quite) a contemporary of Bob Dylan's. He co-wrote "You Never Even Called Me By My Name," which is truly one the best and funniest country songs ever written and includes what is quite possibly my favorite country verse ever:


"Well, I was drunk the day my Mom got outta prison.
And I went to pick her up in the rain.
But, before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got runned over by a damned old train."


Ok, not good advice. But still funny. 
Anyhoo, Prine is great. And the Avett Brothers are, too. They have a *huge* cult following, especially down south. Their blend of country-folk-rock-bluegrass-amazingness gets me every time.
Listen to the song. It's a lot of fun. And check out the rest of the tribute album, too. All the songs are covers of Prine songs, by various different bands, so there are a lot of musical styles and genres on there (although there is a definite focus on country/folk, especially the Nashville type), so even if you don't love Prine's style, you might like it anyway.


BUY THE ALBUM HERE: Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows



If you like this song, you might also like:


Neil Young
David Allan Coe
Bob Dylan
The Felice Brothers
Justin Townes Earle
Old Crow Medicine Show
Deer Tick


Over and out,
Anna


P.S. This quote from an Avett Bros. interview will give you an idea why I love them:
" 'I hope truth exists,” says Scott.
Seth looks over with a hard, no-bullshit firmness.
“Music without honesty or hope will leave you empty. We try to avoid that emptiness.' "

Talking Like a Jerk

OK, so because of a sweet hook-up from a friend of a friend, I got to go to Virgin Mobile Free Fest at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, where a whole bunch of bands played outdoors on three different stages. The one I was most excited about (beating out even Yeasayer and Thievery Corporation) was LCD Soundsystem!


I was not disappointed. They played a FANTASTIC set. You can't listen to them and not move. There was one guy in front of me who looked like he had pogo sticks for legs. For a solid hour, which is impressive.


I am aware that LCD Soundsystem (aka James Murphy) is relatively well-known, so this post is not going to be about introducing you to a good song, per say, but rather more of a reminder that the song is good. 

The GOOD SONG for today is Dance Yourself Clean. This song is long, just a warning. But it rewards patient listeners. Halfway through, it REALLY ramps it up.

I suppose one could, potentially, "dance yourself clean"
in a bathtub. Good thinking, James.

What I found interesting was that in between sets concert-goers could text messages to be displayed on huge mega-screens by the stages. Most of the messages were silly or stupid, some were vulgar, some were nonsensical in-jokes, but a few were thought-provoking.  TWO of them touted LCD Soundsystem as the "voice of this generation." I honestly don't know how I feel about that. Or rather, I think I might believe it, but I'm not sure whether I like what our generation is saying. His lyrics are actually very interesting for an "electronica/dance" group, but there's also a real sense of jaded-ness (is that a word?) and disillusionment. Maybe that's a good thing. I don't know. 
But I have to admit I like the lyrics to Dance Yourself Clean, which includes this verse:


"Talking like a jerk,
Except that you're an actual jerk,
and living proof,
that sometimes friends are mean."


And also these words:


"Every night's a different story
It's a thirty-car pile-up with you
Everybody's getting younger
It's the end of an era, it's true."


Although perhaps his song Losing My Edge is the one that most speaks ABOUT this generation (although perhaps not from within said generation), which is particularly funny for those into music. The whole song is about how he is losing his edge, his "cool," his "hipsterness" to those in the younger generation, who idealize and idolize music from the years that they never even witnessed.
The whole lyrics are here, but these are a few choice lines that I like:


"I'm losing my edge. 
To all the kids in Tokyo and Berlin. 
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties. 
But I'm losing my edge. 
I'm losing my edge, but I was there."

and

"I used to work in the record store. 

I had everything before anyone. 
I was there in the Paradise Garage DJ booth with Larry Levan. 
I was there in Jamaica during the great sound clashes. 
I woke up naked on the beach in Ibiza in 1988. 
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent. 
And they're actually really, really nice. "

Well anyway, I'm sorry to hear that Mr. Murphy feels that he is losing his edge, but he still makes darn good dance music.


But tell me, dear readers, who do *you* think is the voice of our generation?

BUY HIS MUSIC HERE: LCD Soundsystem

If you like this song, you might also like:

Daft Punk

Hot Chip

!!!

Lonely Dear

Broken Social Scene

Caribou (formerly Manitoba)

Over and out,

Anna

Where there's a will, there's a way... and probably also the Cangelosi Cards.

Let's get one thing straight: I know nothing about jazz.
Most jazz I don't really like. I find it boring.


BUT, old-school, New Orleans style, big band jazz I most certainly DO like. And that's where the Cangelosi Cards come in.

Twinkle lights + Cangelosi Cards = Retro Romance

I heard them play live at the Telephone Bar in NYC years ago and was BLOWN AWAY. They are so much fun, and their singer Tamar Korn has the most amazing voice: high-pitched, girly, yet growly when it needs to be. They sound like they came straight outta the 1920's or '30's.
Super old-school, they are a jazz band with lindy, swing, folk, and blues influences.


So, today's GOOD SONG is "Get Some Cash For Your Trash," which you can listen to on the Down Home Radio Show website. Listen to it here: Cash For Your Trash


I also want to post some videos of theirs:
This song, Dinah, is great. And listen to that harmonica! IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A HARMONICA! It sounds like the lovechild of a harmonica and a trumpet... or something like that.


And THIS VIDEO (it's "Millenburg Joys" ) is also GREAT. Look at those dancers! What a fun time everyone is having. Both of these videos were filmed at the fabulous Glen Echo Park (in their Bumper Car Pavilion) right near me outside DC. I've been there a bunch of times, and it's a whole lotta fun. What's amazing to me is how much people LOVE to dance to them-- not just at Glen Echo, which is the whole point of going to Glen Echo, but also at places like the Telephone Bar. When I saw them there (they used to have weekly gigs there before the place closed) they played in a TINY room with no dance floor, and yet people still got up and danced up a storm. Where there's a will, there's a way...


If you want to buy their album, go here: Los Musicos Viajeros. It's fantastic!


If you like the Cangelosi Cards, you might also like some of these guys (some old, some new):


Dean Mora
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Whispering Jack Smith
Billie Holiday
Glenn Miller
Benny Goodman
Boilermaker Jazz Band




Over and out,
Anna

"Drifting, Through the Capitals of Tin..."

Ok, so I have been a huge U2 fan since I was about 12. I have also been a huge Johnny Cash fan for about the same length of time.
Bono once quipped that Johnny Cash had "the most male voice in Christendom."
Which is true, and everyone knows it.

My gosh! He's almost smiling!

What you might not know is that on the U2 album Zooropa (1993!), U2 recorded a song with JC himself (Johnny, not Jesus). Entitled "The Wanderer" it's pretty much the only Cash song I know of that has no guitar, no harmonica, no traditional country stylins. It has pretty much only a beat and a synthesized bass. It's awesome. Bono lends only a croony-sort-of-yowl towards the end (around 4:15 or so).

"Your hair is a bird, your yowl is invalid."

Anyhoo, so here is the link to today's GOOD SONG: The Wanderer.

The lyrics are interesting, sort of the Apocalyptic journeyings of a man carrying "a Bible and a gun," searching for something, someone. Lots of people I know hear parallels between the setting of this song and the world today. I think it depends on how pessimistic you are. My favorite bits:  

"I went out there
In search of experience
To taste and to touch
And to feel as much
As a man can
Before he repents."

and


"I stopped outside a church house
Where the citizens like to sit
They say they want the kingdom
But they don't want God in it."


The combination of his uber-distinctive voice with the chorus in the background at the end is nothing short of genius.


If you like this song, you might also like the rest of Zooropa ("Numb" is a great one-- also sans Bono vocals). I'm not even gonna bother trying to tell you what you should check out if you like Johnny Cash and U2. Their legacy is too huge.


And I'm hungry!


Over and out,
Anna


P.S. Download the song here!