Taraf de Haidouks

Perhaps the best Gypsy Band out there. Fast-paced, joyful music that makes you want to sing and dance.

Here is a link to what looks to me like their official Myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/tarafdehaidouksbandofgypsies

Buena Vista Social Club

These guys need no introduction. Cuban music at its best.

Alan Jackson: Chattahoochee

I'm not a huge fan of modern country, but I know a catchy guitar riff when I hear one and this song has got it. Ok, I'll admit that it gets old really fast, but such is the nature of pop music, right? Add a video filled with 1992 coolness like stonewashed jeans, Alan Jackson's mullet, and the girl dancing at about 2:48 with the tie-dye short and you've got a really entertaining four minutes. Anyone with me?

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

This Texas boy is one of the most innovative, and influential musicians of all time. Although he was only active musically for about three years ('56 - '59), his opera is among the best in rock. His style has been copied by his contemporaries, the Beatles, and every single person who picks up a guitar with visions of rockstardom--whether they know it or not. As far as I am concerned, Holly is the epitome of cool, and I think the video below backs me up.

Emily Loizeau: 'Je Suis Jalouse'

This is my current repeat. Loizeau is an enchanting artist, and when I find the time I plan on writng more about her.

Little Bit of Back Roads Driving, Little Bit of That Old Top Down

I originally planned on writing only about Pat Green because to me his music is good summertime country music. However, rather than probing his unique sound, which in essence is a violation of the feeling his music evokes, I’ll keep it simple and toss out two more names, to go along with PG, to keep you kickin’ it all summer long.

First is Robert Earl Keen. He’s relatively unknown outside of Texas, but is finally starting to catch on with the country faithful. The former college roommate of Lyle Lovett, he really has mastered the honest acoustic storytelling rock of Texas country. He’s even better live. So if you have the chance he’s a must see. Next, I’ll mention Steve Earle. He’s been married 7 seven times, been rich and poor, popular and hated, yet he keeps playing with the unbroken enthusiasm embodied by the persona of his “guitar town.” This guy keeps reinventing himself and his music. His sound never ceases to surprise and entertain. He’s the real deal--not your pretty boy who moves to Tennessee, has others write his songs for him, and captures America with his dishonest Nashville pop.

These three guys are all the real deal. Even if you don’t usually like country music they are worth listening to--they’ll disrupt whatever you’re doing.

Current Repeats:

Pat Green, Carry On

Robert Earl Keen, Gringo Honeymoon

Steve Earle, Steve’s Last Ramble

Paolo Conte

Check out this song, "Sotto Le Stelle di jazz" by one of my favorite performers, Paolo Conte. In addition to being a jazz musician, he is a poet, painter, and lawyer and penned a number of classic Italian songs in the late '60s and early '70s as the creative force behind musicians like Adriano Celentano. His raspy voice is one of my favorites.

the Arcade Fire

In my opinion too many current indie rock bands simply try too hard. The lyrics and music have become forced. It’s like comparing the good Bruce Springsteen to the bad. The good sings- and you believe him. The bad forces un-poetic emotionally driven Americana that barely fills the gaps. I applaud the bands, and singers for that matter, who know how to explore musically- yet stay within themselves. One of these bands is the arcade fire. Before their stint on SNL and postponed celebrity – this band was great. My point- this band is still great. They still push like many indie rock bands, and they do it genuinely and artistically. Lets rewind and go back to their “Funeral” album. This album is pure from start to finish. Listen to the whole thing through, and you’ll feel like you just left a funeral. It is a rollercoaster of sounds and emotions that allows you to transcend your 8 by 8 room for a while. Pick up the cd or check them out on KCRW- they are worth listening to.

Celebrate Easter with Maddy Prior & the Carnival Band

Nothing makes a better Easter season soundtrack than "Sing Lustily With Good Courage," a collection of 18th & early 19th century Wesleyan hyms and other traditional English folk songs performed by Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band.

Maddy's voice is timeless. The instrumentation is modern-folk with plenty of deference given to the original arrangements. This is a rare jewel and captures the joy of the Easter season perfectly.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Here's a tune to celebrate St. Patrick's day.

Tomorrow make sure that you listen to The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, The Pogues, or whichever Irish folk band you might prefer.



Here are a couple other songs to look for that I think are great to sing, drink, and dance to tomorrow and always at your favorite Irish pub:

1. Isn't it Grand, Boys? - The Clancy Brothers

2. Water is Alright in Tea - The Clancy Brothers

3. Seven Drunken Nights - The Dubliners

A Not So Serious Video

I know Nick just sent everyone to YouTube to check out some serious videos . . . BUT I thought this was hilarious and hey, it does have the Beatles as a soundtrack. I am just amazed that these are real fotos posted on Google.

a few songs worth listening to/watching

play...

bright eyes- at the bottom of everything
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2GHyLhbdzN0

magnetic fields- born on a train
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rge73q7j4NI

arcade fire- intervention (rumble fish)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rbGb3kLJYR8

A Song That Never Gets Old: "Obsesion" By Aventura

I first heard this song years ago while hanging out on the white beaches of Panama. The original version, with the reggaeton beat, smooth rhymes, and sultry female voice that comes in during the chorus is simply off-the-chain. When I got back to the U.S. that year, I learned that the song was a big hit here as well, and it seems like ten million DJ's haved mixed it, so every time you go to a club or a Latin bar you hear a different version.

And they're all good.

I don't know what it is about this song, but I never get tired of hearing it. I am not familiar with any other Aventura songs, so I can't endorse the band, but if you don't have it already, download this track, or buy the album it is on, "Bachata Tipico." Any group that can write a song like this is bound to have something else decent to listen to. If you are already a full fledged fan of this group let me know more about them. In the meantime, grab your favorite dance partner and rock out to "Obsesion."

what's coming up

here are a few bands that i plan to cover. check them out if you want to get a head start...
TED LEO + PHARMACISTS, the arcade fire, cranberries, pat Green

-Nick

I'm Back

I’m finally back after spending some time in San Francisco, Miami, and most recently Las Vegas - apologies to those waiting my review of A HOUSE. I first want to throw out a few 80’s bands that I think are worth listening to. I was sitting in TRYST at the Wynn on Saturday night and the DJ was spinning some great 80’s stuff. It reminded me to not strictly focus on some of the great new stuff coming out, but to also remind everyone about some great old stuff you might not be that familiar with or maybe just forgot about. So here is my list of 5 80’s bands that I think are a must- when we talk Delorean 80’s

1. The Men Without Hats
2. Erasure
3. Lightning Seeds
4. XTC
5. New Order

Hit these up once the weather gets a little warmer.

A HOUSE- I am the Greatest- Is in my opinion, the most underappreciated album I can think of. The album as whole is dark, funny, and sprinkled with greatness. I am afraid, is an incredible acoustic ballad, where Dave Couse keeps it simple- “I am afraid to lose control, I am afraid of growing old, I am afraid to die, but it’s something I must do.” Take it easy, has a more friendly rock style, while still maintaining the purity of Couse’s lyrics. Listen to Endless Art just to make sure you know people you should. Check this album out- it is one of my favorites- and one that I hope people will much belatedly throw their arms around.

The Good, The Bad, & The Queen

"The Good, The Bad, & The Queen" is a very interesting, very British album created by a souped-up rock collective including the bass player from The Clash, the guitarist from The Verve, the singer from Blur and the drummer from Fela Kuti's The Africa 70 . . . AND if that isn't enough, the record is produced by Danger Mouse, who has worked with Gnarls Barkley & Gorillaz.

There is a spooky quality to the music, and each song blends beautifully into the next as the topics range from London to Iraq. If the listener is familiar with the previous work of the artists individually, you will certainly be able to hear each one's stamp on the record. But the group must work well together because while the astute listener may find it fascinating to pick out each musician's contribution, the album is astonishingly cohesive. Astonishing because while I didn't do the research, I would wager that nine times out of ten groups made up of musicians who are already successful, "supergroups" if you will, are a mess.

'History Song,' a sad, acoustic guitar driven piece, and 'Kingdom of Doom,' a hypnotic piece in which a piano is used as percussion are my favorite tracks off the album, but every one is decent. This record really has that British rock sound all over it, and it is fantastic.

Luminescent Orchestrii

Check out this tremendous performance of a song called "Pecto Rubuli" by Luminescent Orchestrii, a Romanian-gypsy-punk band out of NYC that has been playing this fantastic music since 2002. And unfortunatley, schlub that I am, I was only introduced to their music THIS YEAR! I will keep this short since you can see it for yourself in the clip below, which will also lead you to other videos if you want more.

This group has everything that makes this author a happy camper: energetic performances, talented musicians, and lots of funkiness. Let me know if you agree.

Mason Jennings: If You Need A Reason

Many artists release EP's with B sides that are of little interest to anyone but uber-fans who want to know everything about the artist, but Mason Jennings has given us 5 solid songs on this recording.

In my opinion the title track probably should have been put on Jennings' last album, 'Boneclouds.' With its catchy melody and chorus it is better than quite a few of the songs that made the cut. The tracks 'Sacred Place' and 'To You' are also very strong, and will please anyone who is already a Mason Jennings fan. The remaining two songs, 'Fighter Girl' and 'Boneclouds' are not horrible, but do seem like early sketches of the ideas Jennings developed for the full album.

For the low cost this EP is definitely worth it, for those unfamiliar with Jennings' work and old fans alike.

Si*Se: More Shine

'More Shine,' a 2005 release by New York based Si*Se is a chilled out Latin-Jazz-electronica record that does just enough to keep the listener interested. On the band's website, www.sisenyc.com, the group emphasizes the fact that they are a part of the underground NYC scene, which is fine, as that is certainly a pedigree to be proud of. Coming from the NYC underground, however, does not excuse releasing a record that could clearly be much better.

Do not get me wrong, this is a decent album, and some of the songs are off-the-charts good, but this listener believes that Si*Se failed to grasp that the underground NYC sound is difficult to transfer out of the lounge and onto a disc. It can be done, and from the good parts of this record I think this band may have the potential to do it, but this album falls short of that goal.

What I mean is that while there is a certain depth to the compositions, and Carol C's voice is strong and seductive, the album fails to retain the mood that I think the band was aiming for. During a live performance, this consistency is easier because a group can play off the audience and the synergetic result makes the show. I have not seen Si*Se live, but I would daresay that this something they are very good at. But this is difficult to do in a studio and like so many other bands Si*Se cannot quite reach that highest level of recording.

Independent of one another, all the songs are pretty strong, but playing the record all the way through, the hooks, and vocals, and tracks generally started to sound like one big, redundant song. For me, this overpowered the many good segments that I discovered along the way.

Now, this is not to say that the record is not salvageable. Despite the negative tone of this review thus far I think this is an album worth buying. In fact, the track "Mariposa en Havana" makes the record worth the money hands down, and is a good example of what Si*Se can produce. In the end, I hope that this band stays around for a long time, as they are doing some interesting things in a genre of music that has a lot of potential.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

I recently discovered Clap Your Hands Say Yeah ("CYHSY") and cannot believe that this record has been out since the Fall of 2005. Also, apparently they have just released a new record that I am looking forward to hearing once I can take their first self-titled album off repeat.

This record is filled with interesting arrangements, strong melodies, and a voice that is often compared to David Byrne, which is right on, but I would add a dash of Thom Yorke because the vocals have that hypnotically-erie quality to them. This is especially evident in the track "Is This Love?" which might be my favorite on what is a very strong album.

Naysayers will smugly point out that they have heard this sound before, and they are probably right. That takes nothing away from the album, however, as CYHSY mixes the familiar ingredients with such skill that the songs are unquestionably their own.

What Made Milwaukee Famous: Trying to Never Catch Up

What Made Milwaukee Famous ('WMMF'), a band from Austin, Texas has made a record that sounds like rock should. 'Trying to Never Catch Up' is full of catchy melodies, interesting arrangements and good studio performances, all topped off by solid vocals with great range. The band even makes an effort by penning interesting, albeit often dark, lyrics. WMMF has achieved something that few bands can do these days: composed an album of consistently good songs. In my opinion, there is not a run away single on this record, which is nice because that helps the album work as a whole. It is very difficult to listen to just one random song on the album--I think I have listened to it all the way through almost everytime I have played it.

WMMF mixes pop, rock, and punk effortlessly and the result is what I think is one of the best rock albums to come out last year. "Sweet Lady," and "Hellodrama" are probably my favorite tracks, but as I have said, there really is not a sour note on the album. In fact, my only concern is that this is a rerelease of a 2004 album by their new label, by which I mean that either 1) the group may already be heading a different direction artistically, or 2) they may have tapped themselves out of good / original ideas. When bands emerge with such a strong debut album I wonder if they can ever live up to the high expectations they have created for their next release . . . and WMMF has set the bar high.

But hey, let's not worry about the band's future and just enjoy the music while it's fresh.