You know how every so often you find a new disc of music that you know instantly will be a personal favourite and possibly define your musical interest for months to come? I have just listened to such a disc: Invisible Curve by the Azure Ensemble. The Azure Ensemble is a truly innovative chamber music group from New York City, in which the prominent instruments are flute, viola, harp, piano, and cello. The piccolo is often substituted for the flute because the ensembles leader is a renowned master of contemporary piccolo music (apparently there is such a thing! How cool!) The Invisible Curve is their first recording, featuring the works of Karen Tanaka and Chen Yi, two contemporary composers. The music is relentlessly new, but also unabashedly beautiful. I thought immediately of Messeian, and apparently Bartok was an influence on Chen Yi. Since these are two of my favourite composers, it is perhaps not surprising that I enjoyed this disc so much.
One of the many noteworthy things about the Azure Ensemble is that they specialize in the works of living woman composers. Both of the composers featured on Invisible Curve are women. This got me to thinking. Why are there so few well-known women composers? Women have played an important role in every area of creative impression: they are famous novelists, painters, poets, and musicians. In popular music, there are any number of well-regarded songwriters. But within “classical” or “serious” music, it seems like the work of women composers gets very little attention. This means that the world is overlooking fully half of its talent pool.
I would resist thinking of Invisible Curve as a recording of music by women. I can’t imagine anyone could discern—or even care about—the gender of the composer from listening to the music. Invisible Curve is simply an amazing debut recording of wonderful music performed with exemplary musicianship. But you can't help but think of all the music we're all missing out on because of the masculine bias of the musical world. Maybe the Azure Ensemble will help to change that. I am pretty sure that when I look back on this post bar period of my life, this will be the disc I remember.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
John's August Top 50 (pt. 6: 5-1)
5. Wave of Mutilation (the Pixies)
At the heart of my Pixies/Pavement revival has been my love for Wave of Mutilation this summer. I've been listening to Where is My Mind a lot too, but between being in constant rotation on the ipod and being in the set list on Rock Band WoM has been inescapable over the last few months, and I love it!!
4. Here I Come (The Roots feat. Malik B & Dice Raw)
Hot weather, bright sunshine, hot tracks... this song off their next to latest release, Game Theory, shows the Roots plowing ahead at full steam, knocking down anything in their way. The pace is fast, the rhymes are spit in two-word phrases through most of the song... this is hip-hop raw and done right.
3. Strangers (The Kinks)
Wes Anderson is good, what can I say, and while "This Time Tomorrow" was the first Kinks song that grabbed me off the Darjeeling Limited soundtrack, this one has really stuck with me for the last 6 months. In regular rotation all the time since I first ripped it to my ipod, I still love it.
2. You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) (The White Stripes)
This song just blazes out of your speakers from start to finish. Face Burning Guitar Solo!!?!?!?! Oh yeah, you'll find one here.
1. Lights Out (Santogold)
So far this is the song of the summer for me. Sure, I may have started seeing it in beer ads, and I don't necessarily feel so original saying it, but it's damn good and I just can't deny that I leave it on every time it pops up.
At the heart of my Pixies/Pavement revival has been my love for Wave of Mutilation this summer. I've been listening to Where is My Mind a lot too, but between being in constant rotation on the ipod and being in the set list on Rock Band WoM has been inescapable over the last few months, and I love it!!
4. Here I Come (The Roots feat. Malik B & Dice Raw)
Hot weather, bright sunshine, hot tracks... this song off their next to latest release, Game Theory, shows the Roots plowing ahead at full steam, knocking down anything in their way. The pace is fast, the rhymes are spit in two-word phrases through most of the song... this is hip-hop raw and done right.
3. Strangers (The Kinks)
Wes Anderson is good, what can I say, and while "This Time Tomorrow" was the first Kinks song that grabbed me off the Darjeeling Limited soundtrack, this one has really stuck with me for the last 6 months. In regular rotation all the time since I first ripped it to my ipod, I still love it.
2. You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) (The White Stripes)
This song just blazes out of your speakers from start to finish. Face Burning Guitar Solo!!?!?!?! Oh yeah, you'll find one here.
1. Lights Out (Santogold)
So far this is the song of the summer for me. Sure, I may have started seeing it in beer ads, and I don't necessarily feel so original saying it, but it's damn good and I just can't deny that I leave it on every time it pops up.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
North Carolina, Beer & Philosophy
While visiting Asheville NC we discovered that a local brewery not only makes a tasty Milk Stout, but they have chosen their name in association with one of my friend Matt's favorite philosophical tools, the duck-rabbit.
Mmmm... this is some tasty stuff, and vacation is going swimmingly.
John's August Top 50 (pt. 5: 10-6)
10. Generator (Bad Religion)
I always admired Bad Religion back when I was big into punk music, and with my recent re-acquisition of some amount of punk music this track is a huge standout. I used to love and listen to this track a lot, and now I've been doing it again. Their ideals are present in the lyrics, but the drive of the beat itself is undeniable. Good sh*t!
9. Encore (DJ Danger Mouse feat. Jay-Z and the Beatles)
After a few years of hearing all about Danger Mouse's opus, the Grey Album (a remix of Jay-Z's the Black Album and the Beatles' the White Album) I finally got a chance to give it a listen this spring. This track is my standout. I've had it in constant rotation ever since I first flipped my way through the album. The production and mixing here is great.
8. Dear Sergio (Catch 22)
Another story of recovering old favorites, I used to listen to Catch 22 in college (I think my friend Kate introduced me to them... hmm... maybe). Anyway, I recently realized I had lost track of their stuff so I picked up a copy of Keasbey Nights. This and the title track are both very very enjoyable.
7. All You Ever Wanted (the Black Keys)
In a post earlier in the week I mentioned that the Black Keys have a consistently enjoyable and solid sound. This track, off their latest release, Attack and Release, demonstrates just that. The sound is vintage Black Keys and yet the production values are dark and thick, more robust than they often employ. It's clear from listening to this track and others why reviewers often lump the Keys in with venerable company such as the White Stripes.
6. Franco Un-American (NoFX)
More more more from the John Punk Revival! Yeah, NoFX is such an enjoyable group. I recently saw a few episodes of a show on FUSE tv about NoFX touring, and it was quality TV! They were going to play in Argentina, I believe, and when they showed up it turned out that their promoter had done nothing to secure permits, etc. but had sold hundreds of tickets to rabid fans who went absolutely batshit crazy when the police showed up to shut down shop on the show. It was interesting to watch the negotiations and mechanics behind the scene. Anyway, this song is fun, quick, and all about the odd reality of having crazy liberal ideas in your head.
heh heh heh... top 5 tomorrow!!!
I always admired Bad Religion back when I was big into punk music, and with my recent re-acquisition of some amount of punk music this track is a huge standout. I used to love and listen to this track a lot, and now I've been doing it again. Their ideals are present in the lyrics, but the drive of the beat itself is undeniable. Good sh*t!
9. Encore (DJ Danger Mouse feat. Jay-Z and the Beatles)
After a few years of hearing all about Danger Mouse's opus, the Grey Album (a remix of Jay-Z's the Black Album and the Beatles' the White Album) I finally got a chance to give it a listen this spring. This track is my standout. I've had it in constant rotation ever since I first flipped my way through the album. The production and mixing here is great.
8. Dear Sergio (Catch 22)
Another story of recovering old favorites, I used to listen to Catch 22 in college (I think my friend Kate introduced me to them... hmm... maybe). Anyway, I recently realized I had lost track of their stuff so I picked up a copy of Keasbey Nights. This and the title track are both very very enjoyable.
7. All You Ever Wanted (the Black Keys)
In a post earlier in the week I mentioned that the Black Keys have a consistently enjoyable and solid sound. This track, off their latest release, Attack and Release, demonstrates just that. The sound is vintage Black Keys and yet the production values are dark and thick, more robust than they often employ. It's clear from listening to this track and others why reviewers often lump the Keys in with venerable company such as the White Stripes.
6. Franco Un-American (NoFX)
More more more from the John Punk Revival! Yeah, NoFX is such an enjoyable group. I recently saw a few episodes of a show on FUSE tv about NoFX touring, and it was quality TV! They were going to play in Argentina, I believe, and when they showed up it turned out that their promoter had done nothing to secure permits, etc. but had sold hundreds of tickets to rabid fans who went absolutely batshit crazy when the police showed up to shut down shop on the show. It was interesting to watch the negotiations and mechanics behind the scene. Anyway, this song is fun, quick, and all about the odd reality of having crazy liberal ideas in your head.
heh heh heh... top 5 tomorrow!!!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
John's August Top 50 (pt. 4: 20-11)
20. Whole Wide World (Wreckless Eric)
I'll admit it, I fell in love with this song largely based on the movie Stranger than Fiction.
19. Leggy Blonde (Flight Of The Conchords feat. Murray aka Ginger Balls)
I recently went ahead and got the Flight of the Conchords CD and was pleased I did so when I could tote around my ipod listening to some of my favorite Conchords tunes, Leggy Blonde being high up on my list.
18. I'm Shipping Up to Boston (Dropkick Murphys)
17. Countdown (The Black Keys)
The Black Keys are incredibly enjoyable blues rock. Stripped down, great sound, nice licks, easy to love. Their most recent CD is especially nice, but all their stuff is solid.
16. Get Busy (The Roots feat. Peedi Peedi & Dice Raw)
15. Snap Music (The Apple Juice Kid)
14. Strange Apparition (Beck)
In anticipation of his new CD I started re-listening to some of my favorites. This is by far my favorite track off his list album, the Information.
13. The Mesopotamians (They Might Be Giants)
12. Break the Glass (Suicide Machines)
11. El Microfono (Mexican Institute of Sound - MIS)
I'll admit it, I fell in love with this song largely based on the movie Stranger than Fiction.
19. Leggy Blonde (Flight Of The Conchords feat. Murray aka Ginger Balls)
I recently went ahead and got the Flight of the Conchords CD and was pleased I did so when I could tote around my ipod listening to some of my favorite Conchords tunes, Leggy Blonde being high up on my list.
18. I'm Shipping Up to Boston (Dropkick Murphys)
17. Countdown (The Black Keys)
The Black Keys are incredibly enjoyable blues rock. Stripped down, great sound, nice licks, easy to love. Their most recent CD is especially nice, but all their stuff is solid.
16. Get Busy (The Roots feat. Peedi Peedi & Dice Raw)
15. Snap Music (The Apple Juice Kid)
14. Strange Apparition (Beck)
In anticipation of his new CD I started re-listening to some of my favorites. This is by far my favorite track off his list album, the Information.
13. The Mesopotamians (They Might Be Giants)
12. Break the Glass (Suicide Machines)
11. El Microfono (Mexican Institute of Sound - MIS)
Monday, August 11, 2008
John's August Top 50 (pt. 3: 30-21)
30. Magic Trick (M. Ward)
M. Ward's music fits nicely in the pantheon of folk rock singer songwriters, offering lyrical complexity, good and growing production sensibilities, etc. This song is nicely accessible and straightforward with the central concept that the woman he sings about has "one magic trick, just one magic trick, she disappears." I find it breezy, fun , summer-appropriate and smile-inducing.
29. Duck Down! (The Roots)
28. Dwarf Star Party (The Majesticons)
I wanted to check this album out about 5 years ago when it came out, but then quickly forgot about it. Recently I re-discovered it via Emusic, and have enjoyed the handful of tracks I downloaded. This one, specifically is about UFOs among other things. Alien Rap? Sweet.
27. The Passenger (Iggy Pop)
Nice duo here with Iggy and Robert Forster. The Iggy track is one of my favorites, just a good feeling all time classic if you ask me. Great for cruising around town, great for well... fuck it, anything. Let's be honest. The Robert Forster track is new but sounds like it could easily be a familiar track you first heard decades ago on the radio while cruising around in the car with your dad.
26. It Ain't Easy (Robert Forster)
25. Kelen ati leen (Orchestra Baobab)
This song is infectious. If you check it out, I recommend turning it on, turning it up, and getting ready to do some stupid dance you'd feel self-conscious about if you were in a public place. Seriously, Orchestra Baobab is enjoyable in general, but this track is SO sweet. It's been in heavy rotation for me since January!!!
24. The Denial Twist (The White Stripes)
23. Flames Go Higher (Eagles of Death Metal)
22. Holland, 1945 (Neutral Milk Hotel)
21. Walk it Off (the Breeders)
Return to form? Ok. I'll say it. Nice track.
M. Ward's music fits nicely in the pantheon of folk rock singer songwriters, offering lyrical complexity, good and growing production sensibilities, etc. This song is nicely accessible and straightforward with the central concept that the woman he sings about has "one magic trick, just one magic trick, she disappears." I find it breezy, fun , summer-appropriate and smile-inducing.
29. Duck Down! (The Roots)
28. Dwarf Star Party (The Majesticons)
I wanted to check this album out about 5 years ago when it came out, but then quickly forgot about it. Recently I re-discovered it via Emusic, and have enjoyed the handful of tracks I downloaded. This one, specifically is about UFOs among other things. Alien Rap? Sweet.
27. The Passenger (Iggy Pop)
Nice duo here with Iggy and Robert Forster. The Iggy track is one of my favorites, just a good feeling all time classic if you ask me. Great for cruising around town, great for well... fuck it, anything. Let's be honest. The Robert Forster track is new but sounds like it could easily be a familiar track you first heard decades ago on the radio while cruising around in the car with your dad.
26. It Ain't Easy (Robert Forster)
25. Kelen ati leen (Orchestra Baobab)
This song is infectious. If you check it out, I recommend turning it on, turning it up, and getting ready to do some stupid dance you'd feel self-conscious about if you were in a public place. Seriously, Orchestra Baobab is enjoyable in general, but this track is SO sweet. It's been in heavy rotation for me since January!!!
24. The Denial Twist (The White Stripes)
23. Flames Go Higher (Eagles of Death Metal)
22. Holland, 1945 (Neutral Milk Hotel)
21. Walk it Off (the Breeders)
Return to form? Ok. I'll say it. Nice track.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
400 Posts Old!?!?!
Wow... what a ride it's been!
2 Years!
400 Posts!
5 Contributors total!
Untold number of photos, videos, and other random tidbits from the internets, the world, random random randomness.
On that note... or those notes, I'm going on vacation. While I'm down South for the next week I hope to take bunches of pictures that I'll post up here. Keep your eyes peeled for photos of mountainous beauty, natural niftyness, and general merriment.
Also, while I'm away I'll have those top 50 track lists auto-uploading.
For now... I'm actually a little amazed to have logged in and realized that this is actually post #401.
Gosh.
2 Years!
400 Posts!
5 Contributors total!
Untold number of photos, videos, and other random tidbits from the internets, the world, random random randomness.
On that note... or those notes, I'm going on vacation. While I'm down South for the next week I hope to take bunches of pictures that I'll post up here. Keep your eyes peeled for photos of mountainous beauty, natural niftyness, and general merriment.
Also, while I'm away I'll have those top 50 track lists auto-uploading.
For now... I'm actually a little amazed to have logged in and realized that this is actually post #401.
Gosh.
Friday, August 08, 2008
John's August Top 50 (pt. 2: 40-31)
So I started a bit of a series here, thinking I might schedule a couple posts to drop in while I'm on vacation next week. Keep your eyes peeled for the remaining segments of my current listening list, and hopefully with high speed internet in the cabin where we're staying even some updates on the mountains of North Carolina.
Here are my songs #40-31 for August of 2008:
40. Busta Miles (by The Apple Juice Kid)
This is off a really enjoyable album of Miles Davis music remixed. The album treads a nice line aesthetically between keeping some of the edgy playfulness that is so central to much of mixing and sampling in hip-hop while also letting the originality and brilliance of the source material shine through.
39. I Summon You (by Spoon)
38. Cut Your Hair (by Pavement)
I went through a big Pavement and Pixies phase recently, pulling back out old CDs to rip tracks to the ipod, picking up a nice copy of the delux re-release of Crooked Rain Crooked Rain by Pavement, and this is one of a handful of tracks I've kept in steady rotation ever since.
37. One Armed Scissor (by At the Drive-In)
Fun to crank up, hadn't heard this song in awhile, but tracked it back down via Emusic, I believe, and have enjoyed playing it in the car a lot lately.
36. Trapped By Love (by Manu Chao)
35. Leave You Behind (by Sleater-Kinney)
34. Dress Up In You (by Belle & Sebastian)
I have been a fan of Belle & Sebastian for awhile, listened to Tigermilk a lot while studying abroad in college, laughed when they were the butt of a joke in High Fidelity. After all this time, I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up a copy of The Life Pursuit. Their songs have consistently been enjoyable over the years, but often had a similar feel and pace, so it was nice to hear this new CD push their sound in ways that give a real sense of newness while capitalizing on the elements that have kept fans close to B&S over the years. Anyway, this is just one of a couple tracks I really like of the disc.
33. Check Yo Self (by Ice Cube)
32. L.E.S. Artistes (by Santogold)
31. White City (by the Pogues)
Along side my Pavement and Pixies revival of late has been a broader punk, alt, guitar driven music revival. I have developed this habit over time of seeking out all kinds of music, but while my tastes have wandered and strayed I still do love some of the sounds that helped me jump off the land of top-40 radio into my own efforts to explore music on my own terms.
Here are my songs #40-31 for August of 2008:
40. Busta Miles (by The Apple Juice Kid)
This is off a really enjoyable album of Miles Davis music remixed. The album treads a nice line aesthetically between keeping some of the edgy playfulness that is so central to much of mixing and sampling in hip-hop while also letting the originality and brilliance of the source material shine through.
39. I Summon You (by Spoon)
38. Cut Your Hair (by Pavement)
I went through a big Pavement and Pixies phase recently, pulling back out old CDs to rip tracks to the ipod, picking up a nice copy of the delux re-release of Crooked Rain Crooked Rain by Pavement, and this is one of a handful of tracks I've kept in steady rotation ever since.
"Darling don't you go an cut your hair do you think it's gonna make him change?
I'm just a boy with a new haircut and it's a pretty nice haircut!"
I'm just a boy with a new haircut and it's a pretty nice haircut!"
37. One Armed Scissor (by At the Drive-In)
Fun to crank up, hadn't heard this song in awhile, but tracked it back down via Emusic, I believe, and have enjoyed playing it in the car a lot lately.
36. Trapped By Love (by Manu Chao)
35. Leave You Behind (by Sleater-Kinney)
34. Dress Up In You (by Belle & Sebastian)
I have been a fan of Belle & Sebastian for awhile, listened to Tigermilk a lot while studying abroad in college, laughed when they were the butt of a joke in High Fidelity. After all this time, I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up a copy of The Life Pursuit. Their songs have consistently been enjoyable over the years, but often had a similar feel and pace, so it was nice to hear this new CD push their sound in ways that give a real sense of newness while capitalizing on the elements that have kept fans close to B&S over the years. Anyway, this is just one of a couple tracks I really like of the disc.
33. Check Yo Self (by Ice Cube)
32. L.E.S. Artistes (by Santogold)
31. White City (by the Pogues)
Along side my Pavement and Pixies revival of late has been a broader punk, alt, guitar driven music revival. I have developed this habit over time of seeking out all kinds of music, but while my tastes have wandered and strayed I still do love some of the sounds that helped me jump off the land of top-40 radio into my own efforts to explore music on my own terms.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Wait, Did Paris Hilton Just Do Something Cool?
Funny or Die, previously most famous for posting a hilarious clip of Will Farrell arguing with his 8 month old landlord (outtakes here, criterion edition here), has just posted a video response by Paris Hilton to John McCain's celebrity ad.
If you aren't aware of the brouhaha that has surrounded it, last week McCain released a video online that compared Barack Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, saying he was one of the biggest celebrities in the universe and basically implying that he shares other qualities with the aforementioned vacuous pop star and celebutant. The Paris video is... I don't really know how to put this, um... good. Interesting, at the very least. Enjoy:
h/t Huffington Post.
If you aren't aware of the brouhaha that has surrounded it, last week McCain released a video online that compared Barack Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, saying he was one of the biggest celebrities in the universe and basically implying that he shares other qualities with the aforementioned vacuous pop star and celebutant. The Paris video is... I don't really know how to put this, um... good. Interesting, at the very least. Enjoy:
See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die
h/t Huffington Post.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
John's August Top 50 (pt. 1: 50-41)
Ok, so in the spirit of our recent flurry of music-related content here on Best Way, I decided to start writing a bit about my fake ipod charts that I started awhile back. When I worked at my college radio station I generated weekly charts that reflected what discs were getting lots of play, what were new ads, etc. and distributed those to various distributors to keep them posted when their releases were getting pick-up. It was one of the more fun pieces of my job, along with the weekly conversations these charts spurred with reps from the various distributors.
Since owning an ipod I listen mostly to my own music when driving in the car (via FM radio adapter), at home, etc. so I have started thinking of my ipod as a little self-contained radio station. Hence, in June I made my first monthly top 50 playlist. I had toyed with the idea before, and it was lots of fun, so this month I'm doing the same. Below are songs #50-41 in my top 50 for August 2008. Songs newly added to my ipod and the list are in green.
50. Soggy Tongues (by Vic Chestnutt)
Lovely song by a widely respected artist, someone whose music I've always meant to check out, but only recently downloaded some of his stuff.
49. Climbing the Walls (by They Might be Giants)
48. Living Room (by Basement Jaxx)
47. Salamalekoum - Les Escrocs (by Bantu, Docta, Sister Fa & More)
This is off a wonderful compilation of African hip-hop I found on E-music. The album is called "Many Lessons: Hip Hop, Islam and West Africa." Some really wonderful sounds here.
46. Sweet Talk (by Spank Rock)
45. I Woke Up Today (by Port O'Brien)
44. Keasby Nights (by Catch 22)
I used to listen to Catch 22 a lot in college, but never purchased the CD until about a month ago. This has been in pretty heavy rotation ever since. Ahh for the throwback songs we used to crank while driving around campus!
43. Walcott (by Vampire Weekend)
They're a little too phenom-y for me right now, I see their record everywhere, but their sound is good even if the whole African sounds filtered through preppyness vibe is weird to me.
42. Ladies of the World (by Flight of the Conchords)
41. You and Me (by Solomon Burke)
Solomon Burke is an incredible soul singer who could literally make the warnings at the end of a direct-to-consumer drug advertisement sound amazing. This is a relatively new cut.
Since owning an ipod I listen mostly to my own music when driving in the car (via FM radio adapter), at home, etc. so I have started thinking of my ipod as a little self-contained radio station. Hence, in June I made my first monthly top 50 playlist. I had toyed with the idea before, and it was lots of fun, so this month I'm doing the same. Below are songs #50-41 in my top 50 for August 2008. Songs newly added to my ipod and the list are in green.
50. Soggy Tongues (by Vic Chestnutt)
Lovely song by a widely respected artist, someone whose music I've always meant to check out, but only recently downloaded some of his stuff.
49. Climbing the Walls (by They Might be Giants)
48. Living Room (by Basement Jaxx)
47. Salamalekoum - Les Escrocs (by Bantu, Docta, Sister Fa & More)
This is off a wonderful compilation of African hip-hop I found on E-music. The album is called "Many Lessons: Hip Hop, Islam and West Africa." Some really wonderful sounds here.
46. Sweet Talk (by Spank Rock)
45. I Woke Up Today (by Port O'Brien)
44. Keasby Nights (by Catch 22)
I used to listen to Catch 22 a lot in college, but never purchased the CD until about a month ago. This has been in pretty heavy rotation ever since. Ahh for the throwback songs we used to crank while driving around campus!
43. Walcott (by Vampire Weekend)
They're a little too phenom-y for me right now, I see their record everywhere, but their sound is good even if the whole African sounds filtered through preppyness vibe is weird to me.
42. Ladies of the World (by Flight of the Conchords)
41. You and Me (by Solomon Burke)
Solomon Burke is an incredible soul singer who could literally make the warnings at the end of a direct-to-consumer drug advertisement sound amazing. This is a relatively new cut.
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