tylerbell.net » Music

Sitar Lessons

tbell — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:06:06 +0000

Guru-jee Rakesh

When staying for an extended time in Varanasi, what to do…. Observe Hindu cremation rights? Check. Wash in the Ganga? Check. Listen to the Dalai Lama lecture? Check.

Since it is India, if I were to turn to the Goddess of knowledge, music and the arts the answer would be in her hand. Sort of. The Goddess Saraswati holds and plays the veena, a plucked string instrument that looks very much like it’s more famous cousin, the sitar.

In fact, during my time here a Saraswati Festival was held over several days. On the first, she appears out of the Ganga River. The middle days, she dances about. And on the last day, she returns to the Ganga which the citizens represent by throwing 10+ feet tall statues of Saraswati into the river and chugging whiskey in the streets.

Considering up to 5 years ago my Facebook stated “I want to learn to play the sitar” it seemed like a no-brainer though actually my interest started much earlier…. Like many others, my interest in the instrument was sparked by its inclusion in 60′s rock. Most famously, The Stones used it in “Paint It Black” and the Beatles in “Norwegian Wood.” Pandit Ravi Shankar rose to international fame as the teacher of George Harrison:

After searching the city, I found a nice, relaxing place about ten meters from the main burning ghat, Manikarnika. Sarcasm is a subtle mistress, so let me explain: I previously mentioned the heightened frenzy with which Varanasians interact with foreigners. Around the main washing and burning ghats you find some of the most relentless of these denizens. Combined with eye-watering smoke from the pyres and cattle using the steps as pasture, it may not seem the best local for a music school. Yet the owner, Arjun, is genuine bloke and the teacher he uses, Rakesh Mishra, has an approachable teaching style.

Sur Sarita Music School

Window view of pyre wood.

So lets play some sitar. First some mechanics. The full-size sitar is 42 inches high. Number of strings can very, mine has 7 main and chikari strings that are actually strummed or plucked. The remaining 12 lie recessed in the neck and are sympathetic strings. That means you don’t actually play them, but through the vibrations of the instrument they create a complex harmonic resonance that is further amplified by the toomba. The toomba is the bulbous end of the sitar made from gourd (also called the pumpkin). Another toomba can optionally be attached to the top of the neck, but this is often only decoration on lower model sitars and made of wood, not gourd.

Photo Courtesy Wikipedia

Toomba

Indian classical music is new to me and differs quite a bit from Western style. There is more emphasis on single instrumentalists with a percussion accompaniment, tabla in the case of sitar. There is a highly evolved methodology using scales with note names Sa, Ra, Pa, Ma, Dha, etc as opposed to Western Do, Re, Mi, Fa, etc.

You’ve probably heard the term rāga, which is a “series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made” (Wikipedia). Rāgas are associated with different times of the day in the Indian tradition and really should only be played during the correct time. The mood created by the rāga corresponds to the environment; slow building morning rāga, fast paced afternoon rāga, and middle of the night rāgas that are slow but can explode with activity.

The first thing I learned was alankar, which are basically exercises that move up and down the scales in patterns. These are the building blocks of Indian classical music and are inserted at certain points during a rāga. They vary in difficulty and are how a player shows of his skill. In fact, many serious students will only practice this for years and years before taking on the actual rāga.

Only one string is really plucked on the sitar, the bottom sting, but sometimes a second is used. With only one string, this means the music is quite linear going up and down the scales. The sympathetic strings create the unique sound of the sitar and the very top chikari stings are strummed at the correct places to create even more resonance.

Like the guitar, it takes sometime to build up a callous on your left index finger. The string you pluck is thick metal and really wears painful lines into your finger. A band aid was required for much of my practice time. But you develop a groove in your finger and are soon sliding up and down. In addition, a mizrab is used in the right index finger. Like a guitar pick, this wire apparatus also digs into your finger and is used to pluck the main string. This hurts too.

With little time, I bought a notebook, slapped a sticker of Saraswati on it, and filled it with lots of alankar exercises, notes on tuning and mechanics, and several easy rāgas. I hope to have enough that I can continue on my own for some time, with the help of internet instruction, to teach myself for the time being. I’m sure sitar lessons in the US will be much more expensive than India.

I’m more interested in fusion music with the sitar, that is taking Indian classical instruments and using them in a Western musical environment. This is how the early fusion players, like the amazing John McLaughlin, popularized the instrument in the West. Today, Prem Joshua is a very popular fusion player. I’ve loaded lots of Indian Classical and fusion onto my iPod so I look forward to exploring these styles of music more.

Sweet Child O’ Mine on the sitar

I also attended a couple Indian Classical concerts in Varanasi. One featured a very fine sitar player, who to the distaste of most kept a couple white guys on stage. Fine, but one only sat in front of is MacBook, eyes closed, monitoring the recording of the performance. Weird.

Another was held where I stayed at Munna House and was organized by many of the people staying there since so many are music students. Lucy and Israel had a cool jam session of flute and hang drum (one of the best instruments period), a table and harmonium set, and the final by a longtime English sitarist who played the immense surbahar. The surbahar is like a bass sitar; larger, heavier and deeper sound with intricate demon head carvings on the top of the neck. The devil’s sitar.

Varanasi provided me a great opportunity to become acquainted with the sitar and Indian classical music in general. I ended up purchasing a sitar and shipping it to the US, so I can’t wait to get my hands on it again!

Chinese Democracy Leaked

tbell — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:04:53 +0000

The much touted, 10-years in the making Guns ‘N Roses record Chinese Democracy appears to have 9 songs leaked. The project by front man Axel Rose is infamous for the amount of time taken to create the album, which is not currently scheduled for release. Dr. Pepper even took a swing at some free publicity offering a free can of soda to “everyone in America”* if it is released this year.

Well, I had a listen and the songs generally rock. They more than rock actually, and Axel could make a lot of people eat their words… including Dr. Pepper.

One small thing struck me though. In the title track, he start consists of background noise and people talking. The problem is there a bit that is in Japanese! From about :34 – :37 you can hear a man say what sounds like, “Eto… Sumimasen, honto?” Which in English is, “Ummm… excuse me, really?”

** Clip coming soon… need to update the audio player.
[See post to listen to audio]

* Offer void if you are Slash or Buckethead.

Niji no Misaki Matsuri

tbell — Sun, 18 May 2008 12:07:04 +0000

More pictures and video will be posted as they become available.

A Facebook group for the even can be found here.

Following my 5 days hiking on Yakushima, I journeyed into Kumamoto Prefecture to soak in some tunes at the Niji no Misaki Matsuri, or End of the Rainbow Festival. It’s also called the Space Children Gathering.

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Set high up in the mountains near Mt. Aso, we drove past horse farms and grazing cattle to the festival site.

Several hundred people came to the event and the first thing I noticed were the large tepees set about the grounds. The main stage was backdropped by the largest, an we set our tents stage right in an area we called the suburbs.

The following 4 days were spent relaxing with only one day of drizzle. We mingled with the festival goers and found nearly every conglomeration of tents had a variety of instruments, including guitars, (lots of) drums, didgeridoos, flutes, and whistles. Spontaneous jam sessions would break out with great frequency.

It was nice to see a category of Japanese people that is not often gathered in such numbers. Perhaps many were salarymen in their normal lives, but many formed a kind of counterculture in opposition to the high consumerism normally found in Japan.

We were camped near a large tepee belonging to Yousuke and his lovely wife and child. They own and live on a tea farm in Kumamoto open to woofers. He even suggested we quite our jobs and work for him at ¥1200/hour. Tempting.

The music was good with several “hippy bands,” standard J-rock offerings, some gaijin bands and the great Guitar Panda.

Guitar Panda starts his set in a full Panda Bear mascot uniform, rocking out on the guitar. Then, he strips off to normal clothes for a few more numbers before his final incarnation as Calpis Presley. (Calpis if the name of a popular drink in Japan, and it looks like cow piss.) He rocks through 50′s and 60′s surf and rockabilly, often singing his own dirty Japanese lyrics in place of the original.

Facilities were bare, but water was brought in and there was forest to relieve yourself in. Our camp lacked nice camping gear and open air tents to sit under, so we improvised and erected out own ghetto covers with tarps and cut down trees. I myself doubted the stability, as I’m sure our neighbors did, but it stood the test of wind and rain to our surprise and only required a few swift cuts to take down. In fact, everyday we improved upon the design as its good to accomplish something everyday.

I’m lucky I live a scant few hours drive from it. We had neighbors who journeyed from Hiroshima and even hitchhiked from Tokyo. This event was easily on of the best things I’ve done in Japan and I’d recommend anyone to attend.

The Day the Music Died

tbell — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:03:49 +0000

I originally wrote this essay in the fall of 2005 for Art History 495 at Iowa State University under Dr. Julie Schlarman. I present it here with updates and addenda.

“Album jackets are still a mine of arcane information and secret knowledge, the thrill of a new acquisition is still as physical as it is aural.”

-Brett Milano, Vinyl Junkies

On February 3, 1959 the music died. The plane was a Beech-Craft Bonanza, painted red with white and black trim and it crashed carrying three musicians enjoying resounding chart success. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson, and the plane’s pilot all lost their lives that day in northern Iowa. Later in 1971, Don McLean released his perennial “American Pie” and forever immortalized the event as “The Day the Music Died.”

[See post to listen to audio]

Lives taken on February 3, 1959

This assertion is wrong. Indeed the events of the 3rd of February, 1959 were a dark day for the music industry, but by no means was the casket being lowered. In fact quite the opposite was about to happen. A motley group of four from England would explode onto the scene and usher in more creativity and sonic exploration than ever before. Bob Dylan fused political awareness into his unique brand of folk. Groups like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath would invent ‘heavy metal’ while punk bands like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols further pushed the envelope. And that was just the 60’s and early 70’s.¹

Crash Site Memorial near Clear Lake, Iowa

Perhaps McLean lived too close to the times to fully realize that status of the music industry. Looking out over the cliff of the 21st century, we can now analyze with better perspective events tied to popular music and in doing so identify the real “Day the Music Died”.

Music takes many forms; everything from early Homo sapiens beating rocks and dancing around fire to teenagers text messaging a vote for their favorite American Idol. At the heart of it, there is an artist involved. The identification of the artist gives a face to the music, another person with who we can identify with. But that person is often neither the single representation of the music nor even a true representation at all. ²

Our inquest into the real “Day the Music Died” lies not in plane crashes or rock ‘n roll suicides, but in matters of artistic integrity. The creation of the music itself and the means it is propagated has everything to do with our investigation. Corporate invasion for the purpose of the bottom line is like a cancer. Remember those old vinyl LPs? Ask anyone who grew up with them and a fondly smile will likely cross their face. Compare the size of the cover of an LP to a modern CD (psst, it’s a lot smaller!).

If fact, therein the transition from LP to CD lies the true “Day the Music Died.” Both literally and figuratively, the CD in many ways represents the virus-like co-called demise of popular music. Corporate roots reached deep into music and began to suck the money out, in effect changing the very nature of the industry. At the same time the shrinking canvas size stifled creative freedom.

Roots

To understand something you must understand where it came from. This is no different with music, specifically recorded music. History points to Thomas Alva Edison, an inventor of the highest caliber, recording “Mary Had A Little Lamb” in the 1890’s. His work was in fact the result of several inventors each making distinct contributions.³ The reaction was less than positive and would set the precedent for subsequent advances, right up to our current day. ⁴

Thomas Alva Edison

Broadcasting in general cast a wary eye on prerecorded music. Radio depended on live acts for their content, and the new medium was seen as an attack upon the livelihood of those involved. In Britain, more extreme measures were taken as the “needle time” policy was established. For every minute of prerecorded music played, union members had to be compensated for lost wages. Even more shocking, the policy remained until the early 80’s.

To avoid these regulations, the BBC commissioned artists to come in and record live “session” versions of their songs. These recordings date back to the 1920’s and the sessions of nearly every popular British band in the 60’s remain wildly popular with fans today, providing alternate versions of favorite songs.

Ironically, this early example of corporate stifling ultimately had opposite effects. Fans today now have hundreds of song variations of their favorite album hits to choose from.

Fast forward to 1945. After shellac resources, the material records were made from, were eaten up by World War II, normalcy eventually returned in production, but it brought a new war with it. Know as the “War of the Speeds,” Columbia and RCA Victor battled for supremacy in the recording industry. The standard of the day was the 78, referring to how many times the record spun per minute. To increase the amount of music on a single record side, Columbia proposed the LP (long player) at 33 1/3 rpm. RCA fired back with the 45 rpm disc. LPs ultimately won, but the 45 made enough niche to survive as singles, usually in jukeboxes.

The Golden Age: The LP

So the hero of the story, the vinyl LP record, takes stage. Twelve square inches around, the LP has become an icon in a world where CDs and subsequently MP3s are the favored medium for music.

In Brett Milano’s book Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in Record Collecting, the author delivers a monologue that sums up a lot of the attraction of vinyl:

“The urge to collect records begins with the fascination of the record as an object, going beyond simple appreciation of the music…..a vinyl junkie would make discoveries about the record itself. Compact discs will remain a sticking point for collectors, but you don’t have to be one of those vinyl snobs- the kind who think that digital sound is flat and heartless- to appreciate that playing a record is a whole different experience. Placing the needle in the groove is a physical act- maybe a sexual one, if you really want to stretch the metaphor- and it’s just not the same as pressing the button on your CD player, where you can’t even see what’s going on. And even though they’re more high-tech, CDs just aren’t as mysterious. There’s a computer-age explanation for why that digital sound gets reproduced, just as there’s a computer-age explanation for everything” (Milano).

The obvious difference between the LP and the CD is the actual canvas space. On an LP the workable space is much larger and as a consequence the artist took more consideration in the composition. Many tricks and gimmicks that were used on the covers are evidence of that total package consideration.

Some records used the die-cut cover. The Rolling Stones implemented this on their Some Girls cover with the die cut revealing the record sleeve underneath. The Doors’ L.A. Women put a different spin on the die cut by affixing a clear yellow tinted window to their die cut.

Die cut Covers

Some of my favorite record conventions are the inserts included with many discs. Inserts could be anything, as long the distributor agreed to produce it. One early favorite is from the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Not only do we get stunning cover art, but also a frame worthy gatefold spread and psychedelic record sleeve. A full size sheet of cut-outs accompanied the record featuring a mustache, badges, uniform stripes, a picture card, and, of course, a stand up of the Beatles themselves.

Sgt. Pepper’s Gatefold

Sgt. Pepper’s Cut-outs (left) and record sleeve (right>

Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon included several additions consisting of sticker sheets and two full size posters. It is not even physically possible for a CD to include anything of this caliber.

DSoM Poster #1

DSoM Poster #2

DSoM Stickers

Other notable inserts include a cardinal t-shirt iron-on from Chicago’s VIII and the 3D glasses included to be able to view Grand Funk Railroad’s 3D cover and included poster of Shinin’ On. Colored vinyl was also a popular gimmick.

Grand Funk’s Shinin’ On (left) and Chicago’s VIII (right)

Andy Warhol got his start in the art world composing covers for jazz artists on the Blue Note label. He continued to produce cover throughout his career for such artists as Billy Squire, John Lennon, and the Rolling Stones. He famously designed The Velvet Underground’s The Velvet Underground and Nico‘s banana cover, with peel-able banana sticker, and the Rolling Stone’s Sticky Fingers, with zip-able crotch.

Selection of Andy Warhol’s Cover Art

Roger Dean’s classic cover art still remain a staple of record cover ingenuity. He is known for his fantasy art for groups like Yes and Asia.

Selection of Roger Dean’s Cover Art

Other important cover designers include pop artist Peter Blake who made waves with covers for artists like the Beatles (Sgt. Pepper’s) and Paul Weller (Stanley Road).

Another important aspect refers to the quote from Thompson’s Music Lover’s Guide to Record Collecting at the beginning of the paper. It reads: “Album jackets are still a mine of arcane information and secret knowledge, the thrill of a new acquisition is still as physical as it is aural.” That arcane information and secret knowledge is tied to the particular history of the individual album itself. Often times a name, or even an address, is scrawled upon the jacket. Maybe there is an unusual stain or an odd tear. These observations lead to thoughts about previous owners…Who was that person? Why did they get rid of it? How did it arrive in the shape it did? Again, this is baggage that a CD just doesn’t carry.

In Vinyl Junkies the author stumbles upon two copies of the same record, one clean and the other rather beat up. As he began to walk away with the clean one, he lamented about the used one. It was a Mardi Gras song, so it must have been played at parties. “Maybe it was played at some society function as the debutantes got into costume.” Finally he decides he “couldn’t let the thing sit in a dusty box forever; it needed to be the soundtrack for a few more parties.” It’s this mystery that LPs seem to hold that turn even a used copy into a doorway to a different place.

The Real Day the Music Died

The real “Day the Music Died” is less an actual day and more a year: 1982. The first commercial compact disc, Billy Joel’s 52nd Street, was released to much speculation. Many believed CDs would self destruct in only a few years. The thought only new releases would be available in the new format was prevalent (but really, have record companies ever passed up the chance to cash in?). Others cringed at the idea of replacing a lifetime’s collection of vinyl on CD.

Happy Family? A LP, 45, and CD

According to Thompson, 750 million new CDs are sold every year in the US alone, and that reflects only sales of new CDs. One collector called the medium “cold” and “soulless” (Milano). And in many ways they are; you can’t watch them spin like vinyl and you may need spectacles to view the cover.

In many ways the compact disc has cheapened the value of a record. After all, almost anyone can record themselves and put it on a CD today. New technology places more and more mixing and editing control in the hands of the common man. This is great in one sense, but in another it only increases the amount of crap to shift through to find good music.

In other ways the CD has made of for vinyl’s transgressions. Portability is one of these areas. Cassettes and 8-tracks were portable too, but did anyone really enjoy those? Or ever try listening to vinyl in your car? Surprisingly, Chrysler’s 1956 DeSoto did try to market an in-dash record player!

In-Dash Record Player

The days of getting up every 20 minutes to flip your vinyl to side 2 are gone, just point a remote and instantly go to a song.

The introduction of vinyl has also spurned the remastering of albums. Some argue that remastered works are not how the songs were originally meant to be heard. In reality, the sonic quality attained actually is a truer sound to what the artists wanted. Instruments and beats that once were minuscule on the original now contribute more to the overall experience. Not all remastering is good though. Even George Martin, the Beatles’ producer, claims is you haven’t heard the mono version of Sgt. Pepper’s you haven’t heard it at all (Thompson).

The biggest issue in the CD versus LP debate seems to be about the overall sonic quality. Some like the pops and clicks of vinyl that give LPs individual character. Others claim a clean vinyl will sound better that a CD any day. Chris Tham’s study of spectral and dynamic comparison between CDs and LPs may finally put this issue to rest.

Her conclusion is this: “LPs do have a usable dynamic range far greater than the measured dynamic range would suggest, and LPs consistently have higher relative dynamics over digital formats. But it is also true that LPs have higher distortion levels which translate to ultrasonic frequency harmonics.”

The remastering of CDs has lead to what some call the “Loudness War.” Take a look at this video to see exactly what is going on.

Waveforms Comparison Between LP (top) and Remastered CD (bottom)

In essence, LPs are hindered by inherent problems with the vinyl medium itself (like ease of scratching). But if a perfect copy is played, that LP will demonstrate more dynamics in its frequency range than a CD. This is not to mention that very expensive speakers and a well trained ear may also be necessary to differentiate.

Music producer Bill Inglot, in Vinyl Junkies, asserts that sound quality is relative to facts about the recording itself. Sometimes the LP is better, sometimes the CD.

“There are just too many variables- how well the master tape has held up, whether the remastering engineer can get inside the original engineer’s head- to give either medium the objective upper hand.”

-Bill Inglot in Vinyl Junkies

Conclusion

The LP marks the high point of artistic merit in the music industry. Creative covers and inserts add a dimension not found in any other medium. Compact discs do add a dimension of portability and convenience that is hard to dismiss. Perhaps the best solution is a mix of both?

Vinyls by memorymotel

The physical presence of the LP can never be replaced. Its appeal is a lot like a mail order special released in conjunction with Led Zeppelin’s Presence album. They offered a small statue, featured on the cover in apparently random scenarios. It was called “the object” (right) and was valued basically because it existed, plain and simple. The object, like an LP, influences the beholder in a way only inherent to that item. Holding an LP, smelling its musty odor, seeing the light refract off the vinyl scratches, and watching it spin on a player are an experience that only the LP can offer.

CDs do the same in a much more manufactured empathy. The cold, sterile plastic casing emits feeling that every other CD offers because they all share that plastic case. Even so, the ease of use and portability lend a convenience to the listening experience.

The smaller canvas size of a CD reduces the importance of the cover art. Where is today’s cover equivalent of Sgt. Pepper’s or the trippy artwork of Roger Dean that accompanied so many Yes albums?

So, both mediums offer equally indispensable qualities. To truly appreciate the music, nothing beats holding a record. The thrill of opening a gatefold cover, of being required to flip it over to side two (to make sure you’re still listening) is priceless. Yet throwing a CD mix together for a friend or grabbing your favorite albums for a road trip are a luxury that will not be relinquished.

Personally, I own a collection of over 600 vinyl records and under 30 CDs. My digital music library is gigantic, clocking in at over 200 GB. I do not buy CDs, but I will enthusiastically purchase vinyl, new release or old, and I have turned several friends into vinyl junkies in the process. Living abroad, they are the possession that I miss the most. Nothing beats throwing on a record at the end of the day.

So give me both: let me choose how best to fulfill my musical needs (You hear that RIAA??!). But if, for some inexplicable reason, just one must be chosen, I’d pick vinyl every time.

Footnotes

A strong case can be made that the “day the music was born” was perhaps the debut of Elvis or the Beatles.
Case in point: the 90’s phenomena of “Boy Bands” such as the Backstreet Boys and ‘N SYNC. Members serve as perpetual puppets, neither writing their songs or playing instruments. Instead, they sing well and look pretty.
Other inventors include Emile Berliner, Chichester Bell, Alexander Bell, Charles Tainter, Charles Cros, and Leon Scott.
Current speculation about MP3s and downloading are virtually the same as speculations about vinyl LPs when they were first introduced. Current figures show that while CD sales for 2004 were down, the addition of legal downloads has again increased the net profit for the music industry to over 4 billion dollars.

Bibliography

Day the Music Died, The. 6 June 2004. Fifties Web.
Marsh, Graham. Blue Note: The Album Cover Art. San Franciso: Cronicle Books, 1991.
Milano, Brett. Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in Record Collecting. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2003.
Record Covers… More Tan Just Protection. The Record Collector’s Guild.
Spectral and Dynamics Comparisons of LPs vs. Digital Formats by Chris Tham.
Thompson, Dave. The Music Lover’s Guide to Record Collecting. San Francisco, Backbeat Books, 2002.
Polaroid photo by flickr user thijshere

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Five Songs Picks

tbell — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:57:14 +0000

1. Jack Johnson – Go On

[See post to listen to audio]

My favorite of JJ’s new album Sleep Through the Static. It’s classic Jack by the book: acoustic guitars strumming the beat, mellow lyrics, and touches of piano. I’m a bit disappointed by the album as a whole, but the good tracks really stand out.

2. Eddie Vedder – Hard Sun

[See post to listen to audio]

Vedder, of Pearl Jam fame, contributes his first solo outing with the score to the movie Into the Wild. The movie is based on the life of Christopher McCandless and his tragic rejection of society. The movie has a dividing effect; either you love it and sympathize with McCandless’s romanticism or you hate it and scoff at his ingenuous world view. I happen to be in the former’s camp.

The sparse acoustic tracks fit perfectly with the scenery of Alaska and the American West. It certainly was one of my favorite movies of the year and it goes along that this album is also a favorite.

This is my favorite track, raw and rootsy.

3. Ringo Starr – Liverpool 8

[See post to listen to audio]

Ringo has a dubious solo career at best. It seems he rides the coattails of his better received former band mates and indeed this song invokes them by name. His solo outings do have a few gems like It Don’t Come Easy and Photograph (all available on last year’s Best Of).

This title tracks from his 2008 offering is quite good as well. His signature steady drumming and prominent high-hat abuse is all there. Its an enjoyable track, though, that is sure to make any Scouser proud.

4. Yael Naïm – New Soul

[See post to listen to audio]

This singer/songwriter of French/Israeli heritage has been making waves of late. New Soul was handpicked by Steve Jobs to usher in the MacBook Air (I did find it a bit before that thankfully). The “la la” chorus and catchy piano and horn accompaniments make for a delightful little song.

5. Martin Sexton – Diner

[See post to listen to audio]

I have to say I detest people who walk around with Scrubs soundtracks and smug faces of musical superiority. That said, there are some fine tracks contained therein. And hey, any compilation featuring Nick Drake gets points in my book.

This ditty is a Scrubs alum and has all the makings of a barbershop quartet standard and really evokes that prefabricated North American eatery. It’s hard not to like this song and the bass vocals really set it off. Peach cobbler!

The above photo is by Flickr user markusschoepke.

The Ghost That Feeds

tbell — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 08:53:18 +0000

Awesome mash-up of Ray Parker Jr’s Ghostbusters theme and Nine Inch Nails’ The Hand that Feeds featuring… Journey? Yep! Steve Perry and the boys make a special appearance!

Nick Drake

tbell — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:13:24 +0000

With the recent tragic death of Heath Ledger, the actor’s self-described obsession with singer/songwriter Nick Drake has come to light. “I was obsessed with an artist by the name of Nick Drake,” Ledger explained in a September 2007 interview. Indeed, Ledger has been compared to Drake in both melancholy temperament and manner of death; both died from an overdose of antidepressant medicine, though Drake’s death is considered a suicide.

I hope a few more people can discover Nick Drake, an artist I have long liked, through this post. In his lifetime, Nicholas Rodney Drake was reclusive, depressed, and rather unsuccessful. He shunned live performance and as a result failed to find much following during his recording years, 1969 – 72.

Yet during those years Drake produced three sullen records marked by his “breathy vocals, strong melodies, and the acoustic-based orchestral sweep of his arrangements” (AMG). His songs have an overwhelming melancholy air about them as Drake fingerpicks his way through each album.

He became disillusioned to the point of unhealthy introversion as a result of his music’s mediocre success. By 1974 he was living with his parents and having little contact with the outside world. With producer Joe Boyd, Drake tried to record a fourth record. “It was chilling. It was really scary. He was so… he was in such bad shape he couldn’t sing and play the guitar at the same time” Boyd recounts from these sessions (Wikipedia).

On November 25, 1974, Nick Drake died from an overdose of medicine used to treat his depression. His mother found him in his bed with no note left to explain. The lack of a suicide note has led to some controversy over the nature of his death. Nick’s sister Grabrielle has stated, “I personally prefer to think Nick committed suicide, in the sense that I’d rather he died because he wanted to end it than it to be the result of a tragic mistake. That would seem to me to be terrible: for it to be a plea for help that nobody hears” (nickdrake.com).

As the 70’s passed, Nick Drake’s musical legacy remained low, but by the 80’s his name was being thrown about by other musicians as an influence while his cult status grew.

Fame’s fleeting flame finally burst into the general public’s conscience in 2000 when Volkswagen licensed the title track of Pink Moon for a car commercial. Suddenly, Drake’s music found the audience he longed for in life. Sales leaped, movies soundtracks came calling, and other artists called out in admiration of the tragic singer. In 2004, Drake achieved his first music chart success with two singles to coincide with a radio broadcast, narrated by Brad Pitt, about Drake.

Interestingly, Heath Ledger also directed and starred in a black and white video treatment of Drake’s song “Black Eyed Dog,” featuring the actor drowning at the end. The song’s title refers to Winston Churchill’s description of depression. The video has yet to appear on the internet and was screened only twice.

The Albums

Five Leaves Left (1969) takes its name from a Swan cigarettes rolling paper warning the consumer when only five “leaves” remained in the pack. Drake was a noted marijuana smoker, though the common practice in Europe then, as today, is to roll one’s own tobacco.

[See post to listen to audio]

Thoughts of Mary Jane evokes a pastoral setting in the England of old, perhaps sitting riverside in spring meadows, with elegant flute and string arrangements. My favorite of the album.

[See post to listen to audio]

Time Has Told Me is a gently rolling ballad with gentle piano chords, subtle picking, and amazing electric guitar accents.

“Time has told me
You’re a rare, rare find.
A troubled cure
For a troubled mind.”

[See post to listen to audio]

Day is Done: beautifully haunting.

Also don’t miss: Way to Blue, Man in a Shed

Bryter Layter (1970) is a continuation of Drake’s folksy sound and is more polished with its sweeping instrumentals. The album is also a bit more upbeat with a more prominent percussion. The title is a pun on a common BBC weather forecast that it would become “brighter later.”

[See post to listen to audio]

Hazy Jane II, the second track on the record and first with vocals, is immediately noticeable as a departure from the tone of Five Leaves Left. Rolling drums and upbeat brass are about as happy as Nick Drake gets.

[See post to listen to audio]

One of These Things First is a great tune with rambling piano and timeless lyrics.

[See post to listen to audio]

Fly is a song for reminiscing about leaving with some great harpsichord work.

Also don’t miss: At the Chime of the City Clock, Northern Sky

Pink Moon (1972) clocks in at less than 30 minutes and is a return to bleak and bare acoustic songs. This is Drake alone, guitar and piano, with no other musicians accompanying.

[See post to listen to audio]

Pink Moon is the song that brought Drake into the limelight with its inclusion in the aforementioned Volkswagen commercial. This is one of those songs I have listened to so much I rarely return to it, but when I do it always delights. His best song in my opinion.

[See post to listen to audio]

Road features some great finger picking and reminds of a road trip on a lonely, deserted highway at dusk.

Also don’t miss: Which Will, Know

For more information, check out the documentary Nick Drake: A Skin Too Few. You can find it over at YouTube.

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Stairway To Heaven by The Beatles

tbell — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:29:34 +0000

Upcoming Music Releases

tbell — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:20:26 +0000

I was pretty shocked to learn the other day that one of my favorite musicians, Jack Johnson, has a new record dropping February 5. Word is this one, entitled Sleep Through The Static, is more electric than previous offerings. Stream the new single “If I Had Eyes” at BrushfireRecords.com.

Plus! A mere month after that the Black Crowes’ new album Warpaint hits. Another favorite, band leader Chris Robinson seems to be playing this one up to be a big one over at RollingStone.com.

Other releases slated for this year include records from Zack de la Rocha (finally), Oasis, Wolfmother, Deathcab for Cutie, Guns N’ Roses (believe it when I see it), Matt Costa, and the Postal Service. Veterans (read geriatrics) Aerosmith and AC/DC are working on new material.

Led Zeppelin o2 Concert Roundup

tbell — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 03:47:03 +0000

It’s been a long time since they rock and rolled…. but Monday night in London Led Zeppelin did just that at London’s O2 venue. The reviews are starting to roll in… The verdict is it was a resounding success!

I have listed here the most complete source of reviews, video, and photos on the internet. In particular, the videos of ‘Kashmir’ and ‘Stairway To Heaven’ and simply amazing.

For the very latest, prowl the forums at LedZeppelin.com. The NME articles below are among the best. Torrent links when available!

Update 1: 2007/12/12 First audio boot is available at Dime a Dozen (FLAC 601.61 MB), but site is restricted to registered members, of which they are accepting no more

Update 2: Rapid Share links to audio from 8 songs (probably taken from Youtube videos)

Update 3: Mininova torrent link and Tape Trader’s Den torrent link!! Full sets, but can’t check it until later….