remember that song? (music tangents)

I'm rather inclined to go on tangents. This post will make that clear.

I just watched a video that a friend posted on Facebook. It's a Justin Bieber song that was slowed down 800%.  All I know about Justin Bieber, is that he's very young and has the latest "squeaky clean" image. He's popular with tweens. When a Bieber song that I don't know is slowed down, the result is an eerie piece of music you can imagine hearing on a movie soundtrack.

That got me to thinking about the song "Twisted Hair", on the Robbie Robertson album Music for the North Americans. It incorporates a chorus of crickets. The speed of the recording is so reduced, that it ends up sounding like a melancholic human chant.

And that got me to thinking about songs I was so excited to discover when I was younger,
say, while I was in highschool and university.

Here's a song that I have long favoured by U2. I'm a U2 fan, (as in a fan from their heyday). The fact that I discovered this band and loved it when I was 13, is that now my entusiasm for them  is laced with nostalgia. With that in mind, here is "Red Hill Mining Town", a song I first heard when I was 16:



Moving on to the incomparable Annie Lennox in the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams". You have to love the synthezier sound of the 80's...



Or at least, tolerate it. I didn't always like the synthetizer, hence my devotion to R.E.M. They were a breath of fresh air. I became a huge fan of R.E.M. when I first heard the Document album, (released in 1987). R.E.M. had a unique sound. I loved that album so much that I wanted to hear everything they'd done. I loved that too. I continue to check out their latest music offerings. Here is: "It's the End of the World, (and I feel fine)"!

Today, I'm focusing on the popular 80's songs over the obscure stuff I used to listen to. Therefore, I can't not include this next one. The whole album is incredibly good. This is a live version of my favourite song on Graceland, "The Boy in the Bubble".




When I first heard of the Indigo Girls, I was on the cusp of moving across the country to go to university.  By that time, I was really getting into folk and folk-rock... I was as interested in contemporary folk as I was in the folk troubadours of the 60's: Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. I'd vaguely heard of Leonard Cohen in highschool, but I only really listened to him after I turned 18.

Oh yes, back to the Indigo Girls. They have many great original songs, but this one is a fab cover done by Amy Ray. The first real conversation my partner and I had, (that was not about theatre), was comparing this version with the original by Mark Kopfler. We disagreed. Here is... the better version. (Sorry, it's audio only.)



I could go on, but this article needs to end.

tom's the man

I'm not sure where to start with this one. It's vast, it's wide.

Tom Waits has a special place in my heart. We have a history. (I became a faithful fan in the early 90's, and still am.) You know how at different times in your life, different music affects you? Whenever you hear it later on, it brings you back to that time? Well, Tom has been a constant. I never get sick of him. His music permeates my life.Yes, I'm a complete nerd and I'm proud.

It was not, however, love at first sight (hear). The first time I was made aware of Tom Waits, was in theatre school. My close friend S. was and is a huge fan. The year was 1994. If you are at all familiar with Mr. Waits' discography,  Bone Machine was released in 1992. Two years later, S. would play the album in our set design classroom. (We spent many, many hours drafting in that room.) I couldn't stand the wrenching music and discordant sounds that came out of the player.  Lucky for me, S. didn't give up easily. He insisted I first needed to hear his early stuff, build up to the more experimental fare that Waits likes to offer.

It was Summer, I was sitting in S.'s truck. He put the cassette tape Asylum Years in the player. The first song I heard was "Jersey Girl", (originally from the Heartattack and Vine album). I was won over. That's all it took.

Here's another oldie, a true gem:


I did end up liking Bone Machine (in small doses), especially the tracks "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" and "Black Wings". The expanse of Tom Waits style allows for much enjoyment, even if some of his music doesn't speak to you. I have made it my mission to introduce people to his genius. He's clever, he tells a good story. His persona is fascinating, and he's actually very funny. He likes exploring the underside of society, he's also not afraid to express emotions like love, empathy... heartbreak. Yet he's still "cool".

Most of his fans want to be Tom.
Even me.



Tom Waits' discography is huge... He's a very prolific singer/songwriter, and he's been around for a while. To learn more about him, check out his official website: http://www.tomwaits.com/.

Serena Ryder is O.K.

Introducing today's guest author,Lil G:

Lil' G is a globetrotter, who divides time between East Canada and West Europe. A part time musician (guitar, drums, and some keys) and hobby photographer, Lil' G loves pop quizzes as much as good food. Lil' G has written articles and columns for several websites, with topics ranging from graphic novels, travel to music and eye candy.

When I visited Ottawa, ON, in 2005 "Just Another Day" was one of the songs playing on the radio. It was a simple song and catchy (not in the annoying way) and I liked it, but I didn’t think much of it. Fast forward to late 2008. I find out about an album called “Is it o.k.” by a young lady called Serena Ryder. The first song I hear off it was “Little bit of red”, and I was instantly hooked. Who was she? Apart from a dozen songs or so, for a while I had no idea what she looked like and I could’ve sworn, just listening to her voice while singing, she’s twice her actual age. Needless to say I got the album, and it was in my CD player for the longest time. (And I do mean months.)

I started plugging her with a few European friends, who took to her instantly. A Haligonian friend of mine dubbed her Melissa (Etheridge) Jr. and I guess she has a good point: if Etheridge is your musical cup of tea, I’m sure you’ll dig Serena Ryder as well. The last time she played Halifax, NS, there was a significant amount of lady loving ladies in the audience, prompting some gay guys to wonder if Serena plays the same side of the fence. Not that it matters to me, as long as she keeps writing great songs people can relate to. The songs on her last album (“Is it o.k.”) are all personal songs - half of them inspired by her best friend and manager of six years’ (Bonnie O’Donnell) passing away.

I’m consciously omitting her slow rise to fame (and the fact she already has two Juno Awards under her belt) since it’s been all over the Canadian press, and I don’t feel like rehashing.

One highlight was when she was approached to do a Bruce Springsteen cover. Serena happily jumped at the opportunity and did her version of “Racing in the street”, which was posted on Springsteen’s official website. How awesome is that!

Serena has been touring extensively throughout Canada and the US since the release of her last album in November 2008 (the US followed a year later) and has been gaining new fans with every performance. And her performances are passionate! Serena’s most recent stint was with Lilith Fair, which is a dream come true. (For those who follow her on Twitter: she posted a goofy picture of her and Tegan and Sara during the tour a while ago.)

Speaking of goofy: she’s posted some pretty funny videos of her riding her suitcase. Those crack me up every time I watch them. Watch one here, and another here. (Yup, I’m nerdy enough to think that’s hilarious.)

Anyway, I digress. If you haven’t heard of Serena Ryder I strongly encourage you to check her out. If you’re a fan of singer/songwriters I strongly encourage you to check her out. If you like women who rock... Indeed: check out her music. Enjoy!