What’s your favourite colour?
“You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You’re faking a smile with the coffee to go”
Those were the latest lyrics that came out of mTV and kicked me in the nuts. My gag reflex prompted me to reach for the remote and change, to which a work colleague replied:
-”Aw, but that song is so cute!”
-”Eh, barf?”
-”You just don’t know about music…”
Beg your pardon?
I’ll be the first to admit I’m an hermit with a knack for punishment. Check my iPod, and you’ll find it’s always half-and-half packed with stuff I like and stuff I listen to because I want to be down with the so-called “hip” scene. I download Britney, Christina, Beyoncé, Norah Jones, The Hives, Billy Corgan, and yes, even that punch-in-the-nuts Daniel Powter who we have to thank for today’s opening lyrics. Every now and then, I catch something I like. Most of it gets deleted out of my life stat, and it’s mostly punishment I dish on myself just to be able to nod whenever somebody mentions that the new Interpol album is the bizzomb, yo!
It’s not a bad record, in case you’re interested.
(Aside: What’s up with calling these bands “alternative”? I thought that trend died in the 90s. As soon as the grunge scene hit mTV, it stopped being alternative. As far as I know, Mr. Bungle is alternative. They don’t have no media presence, except for Mike Patton’s t-shirt on Faith No More’s Epic video. Once you have a music video on heavy rotation, you’re not alternative anymore. To quote Detective Mills on se7en, “You’re a movie of the week. You’re a fucking t-shirt, at best”. Also, I can understand holding on to your indie principles, but no matter how hard I try, the indie production values just don’t appeal to me. I can see that some people are sick of over-produced mainstream crap, but please, get a decent studio hand and a good producer. Some of your stuff is just painful to listen to. I’m not saying everybody needs overcompressed guitars, but some of your stuff could use slicker production values. Ok?)
I’m glad we agree.
So I do introduce some new music every now and then, but for me, it’s mostly the stuff I’ve picked up over, I don’t know, a lifetime? A quick peek at my most recently played (which you can also peruse right there on the sidebar) gives me Dave Matthews Band, Van Halen, Tom Jones, Bon Jovi, Steve Vai, Queen, U2, Rancid and Jack Johnson. And not precisely their most recent albums, if you catch my drift. So, today’s request:
Recommend me music.
An artist name and an album name are enough, what you consider the best song from it is also appreciated. Any musical styles apply, but beware, if it’s rap, dance, ambient, techno or any electronic music, it better be pretty good. Same with anything in spanish, but doubly so: it better be pretty fuckin’ good.
My recommendations:
Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales: I can’t get enough of this guy, it’s beach music, very laid-back and jazzy. Bubble Toes and F-Stop Blues are my favourites.
Gavin Sutherland - Diamonds and Gold: I hate country music. That said, this record is incredible. Go The Distance and After The Storm are both awesome.
The Arcade Fire - Funeral: These guys contribute the pre-concert muzak for the current U2 tour. Wake Up is your friend.
Bruce Hornsby - Hot House: Proof that awesome songwriting + awesome musicians is enough to satisfy. Spider Fingers and Hot House Ball. Go. Now.
Lords of Dogtown OST: The music is the real heart of the film. An impressive collection of 70s hits, from Sabbath’s Iron Man to Nazareth’s Hair Of The Dog, all inspired choices.
Faith No More - The Real Thing: I remember playing Civilization all night with this CD on Repeat. I recently rediscovered it, and it’s every bit as good as I remember. The titular track and Zombie Eaters are my faves.
Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance: Arguably, their best album from the 80s. The Electric Eye and Screaming For Vengeance are gems.
Guns ‘n Roses - Appetite for Destruction: Whenever I add this album to my playlist, it stays there for weeks. My pick for best sound, best production and best songwriting of the 80s hard rock scene. A testament to the band’s talent. The Night Train outro solo still gives me goosebumps.
Julián Reyes wrote:
Héctor&Tito, Don Omar, Tego Calderón, Ivy Queen and Divino are the titles you should search for.
Check out porno nihilistic raggaetón, you caucasian loving nincompoop.
Nada de salsa, tampoco, mijo?
Posted 23 Aug 2005 at 8:03 pm ¶
nashira wrote:
Don’t even try to convince him, Julián. I’ve tried. Fruitless efforts. Ended with yet another top ten list of music “you MUST listen to” in my hands.
alvarete, it’s time you shook your hacker-green color and take a take a stroll into “tropical” territory. I believe a music lover, or conoisseur, if you prefer, or expert, geek, whatever suits you, should be able to instantly recognize the greatness in Héctor Lavoe’s music. Or Willie Colón (Rubén Blades is pretty good, but he’s not the only one, you know).
Reggaeton is fun. It’s not “good”: it’s just fun. I like Pobre Diabla and Felina and Gata Fiera, etc. And what the hell’s with the taxonomy? “Porno nihilistic” reminded me the socio-babble our dear sociologists use whenever they approach the media.
Posted 23 Aug 2005 at 9:33 pm ¶
nashira wrote:
damn bold tags
mad smiley
out
Posted 23 Aug 2005 at 9:34 pm ¶
Blind Willie wrote:
The lists below include some samplers of some of my favorites blues artists. I don’t want to ramble on 10 pages or more of recomendations, but if you decide to look up some of this, and like it, we can discuss it later on.
BLUES:
—–
Delta:
——
SON HOUSE: My Black Mama (Pt.1), Preaching The Blues (Pt. 1) from “Complete Recorded Works Of Son House & Great Delta Blues Singers”.
SKIP JAMES: Devil Got My Woman & Hard Time Killing Floor Blues (*) from “Complete Early Recordings”
BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON: Dark Was The Night (*), Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time, from “The Complete Blind Willie Johnson”
LONNIE JOHNSON: Sweet Potato Blues, Guitar Blues (with jazz guitarist Eddie Lang, a.k.a. Blind Willie Dunn)
BESSIE SMITH: The absolute best blues female singer of all time, bar none. ‘Tain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do, Sweet Mistreater, Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out and Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl from “The Empress of The Blues”.
Chicago:
——–
MAGIC SAM: West Side Soul (all the album)
MUDDY WATERS: I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with this guy, but then again: You Shook Me, You Need Love (Led Zep later turned this one into Whole Lotta Love, AND both songs include Earl Hooker on slide guitar), from “His Best:1956-64″.
HOWLIN’ WOLF: Red Rooster, Smokestack Lightning (Suzie Q backwards), Evil, Spoonfull from “CHESS 50th Anniversary Collection”
SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: Good Morning Little School Girl. As with M. Waters, this guy has a vast repertoire but, even though Waters also covered this song, you should have the original. Album: Roots of Rock (Yazoo)
CONTEMPORARIES:
————–
JUNIOR KIMBROUGH: All Night Long, Tramp & You Better Run from “The Essential J.Kimbrough”. This guy is un-freakin-believable.
R.L. BURNSIDE: Death Bell Blues, .44 Pistol, Goin’ down South from “Too Bad Jim”
CEDELL DAVIS: Blues version of Ornette Coleman. I Don’t Know Why and If You Like Fat Woman, from “Feel Like Doin’ Something Wrong
Salud,
Posted 23 Aug 2005 at 10:07 pm ¶
alvarete wrote:
I’ve recently gotten a bit into more latin stuff, mostly latin jazz like Tito Puente, Bebo Valdez, Willie Colon and the sort. Technically impressive. It also made me dust off my old Jaco Pastorius Birthday Concert CD. A bass player and a horn band… That huge wall of sound brings tears to my eyes.
Anyways, I’ll give all recommendations a shot if I can get them, even if it’s reggaeton. I might actually give out a cool prize to the best submissions…
/winking smilie/
Willie:
The guy that did Buena Vista Social Club, Wim Wenders, now has a documentary based on the life of Blind Willie Johnson, Skip James and JB Lenoir called The Soul of a Man. It’s not new, but it’s now showing on limited release here in Madrid, and let me tell you one thing: it’s fucking amazing. I’ll also recommend you Robert Randolph and the Family Band, their album Unclassified is hot. He plays on a lap steel guitar, and it’s a sight to behold.
Posted 23 Aug 2005 at 10:28 pm ¶
wale wrote:
escucha los tribalistas y kevin johansen
Posted 24 Aug 2005 at 3:08 pm ¶
nashira wrote:
Wale, habla en inglés OE. Préstame tu iPod.
Blind Willie, you’re so nerd.
A great jazz album is Nina Simone’s “Jazz as played in an exclusive side street club”, listen to the first song, Mood Indigo…
Posted 24 Aug 2005 at 4:13 pm ¶
alvarete wrote:
Wale:
Yalos.
Nashira:
Nina Simone’s is had. I like it a lot, too.
Posted 24 Aug 2005 at 6:37 pm ¶
Chalito wrote:
ok…really busy now so I’ll just drop my quick two cents here.
My playlist THIS WEEK has been taken over by THE SMITHS/MORRISSEY. The main reason is cuz i just discovered The Smiths a couple of weeks ago. I had listened to “How soon is now” like most people but i just recently got my hands on a good portion of their cataloge…and it blew my mind! This guys were definately the best 80’s band after U2 (one could also make a case for Depeche Mode and INXS).
I had also listened to a couple of Morrissey’s singles from his last album (never payed too much attention to his lyrics) and I liked them…just that. But after getting into the Smiths, the obvios move was to give his solo stuff a try and boy it’s amazing! Definately an all time top 10 lyricist.
I highly recomend “Morrissey - Live at Earls Court”, it refuses to leave my car cd player!
Finally, I love Antics (Interpol’s latest effort) and at the moment I’m putting a lot of faith in the Futureheads (I should be receiving the cd in a week or so).
“And if a double decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die”
The Smiths - There’s a light that never goes out
Posted 24 Aug 2005 at 6:46 pm ¶
Victor Hugo wrote:
Ben Harper
The Pogues
jon brion
Caetano Veloso
Seu Jorge
Dream Evil
Sinergy
Kiko Laureiro -solo album No gravity
Don’t like the singer’s style but have to name them anyway…. Children of bodom
Posted 24 Aug 2005 at 8:22 pm ¶
alvarete wrote:
Thanks everybody for the recommendations, I’m queuing up a few as we speak.
I already got a Don Omar sampler, and it was, predictably, cock. Whoever is producing this shit should be shot and left in the street to rot. That crap went from downloaded to deleted faster than you can say “This tastes like ass!”.
Posted 25 Aug 2005 at 4:40 pm ¶
Blind Willie wrote:
Ben Harper is very cool (Fight For Your Mind, at least), very similar to Jack Johnson.
Final, moody laid-back recomendations:
Tom Waits (Bone Machine)
Beck (Mutations)
Miles Davis (In A Silent Way)
Velvet Underground (Third album)
The Band (Music from The Big Pink)
Posted 25 Aug 2005 at 5:02 pm ¶
Chase Ransom wrote:
As soon as regeton (dont even care how people spell it) was brought into this conversation I have been unable to gain my composure to the point of writing any suggestions of my own.
Bottom line: Clear evidence that the world we live in is a shit hole and that ultimately, we are fucked, lies in the very proof of existance of music like regeton, bachata, grupera, most red-neck country music, and other talentless shit (musica de cantina anyone?) which nobody with an ounce of taste and appreciation for true musical ability could entertain even for a second.
Nashira: Star Trek is one thing. But regeton? Really? So much for that.
F it.
Posted 25 Aug 2005 at 5:30 pm ¶
nashira wrote:
I’ve come to the conclusion that music taste’s a very obscure and unreliable indicator of people’s likes and dislikes, personality or aesthetical standing point.
I love cantina. I have lots of boleros tropicales (Daniel Santos, Toña la Negra), lots of pasillos, lots of all that banda music, vallenato, a shitload of what’s called “música rocolera”.
I’ve learned to love opera, also. And classical music, I’ve even learned to look for some of it by director. I found myself watching Turandot while jogging on my father’s walking machine. I jog, then I go and eat fritada.
You think I’m only a trekker? You really think you’ve grasped the concept of taste? You and me know nothing, honey.
And the world’s become a much better place since I was born.
Live long \\//_
Posted 25 Aug 2005 at 10:38 pm ¶
Johann wrote:
Alvaro this will sound funny but download Devil May Cry 3 soundtrack and listen to it. I think you will like it. I love it.
Posted 25 Aug 2005 at 11:17 pm ¶
Julián Reyes wrote:
Nashira!! we’ve switced places, stances or whatever you wanna call it! But porno nihilistic was… whatchamacallit?
Posted 26 Aug 2005 at 5:21 pm ¶
nashira wrote:
hahahahhaha
“porno nihilistic”… I don’t know, it just sounded like Jorge Martillo on yet another “chronicles of Guayaquil”… I mean, the Guayaquil he wanders, and I wonder if he’s not just making half of it up, like some other authors did (but did well), let’s not quote Calvino here, although he would’ve been disgustingly useful (and excessive)
I wannga go to el planchazo, when’s the best day for you to invite me some samples?
Posted 26 Aug 2005 at 7:18 pm ¶
Schiz Cum Snake wrote:
Ja! All that Nashira had to do to prevent you from writing more lists is talking about Reggaeton.
C’mon, there are far much worse atrocities in this world than bad music, like god-awful shit music from hell, for example. Take a look at this video featuring Mr. Spock; or better, try to listen to his other songs. That would be the correct test.
Posted 27 Aug 2005 at 2:47 am ¶
Blind Willie wrote:
LOL!…
Posted 28 Aug 2005 at 3:22 am ¶
alvarete wrote:
Nashira, threadjacking is frowned upon, and against internet courtesy.
friendly smilie
;)
Schiz:
Wow. I am speechless. I have no speech.
Posted 28 Aug 2005 at 11:07 pm ¶
MIguel wrote:
a couple of suggestions from a music-snob-wanna-be:
-captain beefheart & the magic band/ trout mask replica
this album gives a new meaning to the words “dirty” and “raw”. Co produced by frank zappa, you can find in here the seed of tom waits and the white stripes.
-joy division/ unknown pleasures
it´s like rock and roll breaking up with blues, and telling him “thank you very much, i´ll go by myself from now on”
-pavement/ crooked rain, crooked rain
the godfathers of the overhyped indie scene. Lo-fi to the lowest. Anemic voices, sad melodies, beautiful songs.
-Richard hell & the voidoids/ blank generation
a mixture of john coltrane and the sex pistols. Edgy guitars, punk attitude, smart lyrics. They conform the holy trinity of vintage punk, with “television” and “the jam” (by the way, fuck the futureheads)
-Replacements/ pleased to meet me
a blend of power pop and hardcore. You can find jewels in here, like “can´t hardly wait” whose production could make phil spector envious.
Posted 29 Aug 2005 at 10:28 pm ¶
Julian Reyes wrote:
Nashira, now that I have a cashier I am spending more time at home. Let me know when you’re gonna drop by and I’ll be there.
By the way, why the fuck are we speaking english? I was driving down the road the other day, and it made me feel rather stupid…
Posted 29 Aug 2005 at 11:28 pm ¶
Blind Willie wrote:
…”a mixture of John Coltrane with the Sex Pistols”…please, explain. Coltrane and The Clash fills like a match, because both tried (succesfully) to fuse other rythms along with jazz and rock respectively. But the Sex Pistols? That’s visceral music, not that there’s anything wrong about it.
Posted 30 Aug 2005 at 3:58 pm ¶
alvarete wrote:
Maybe one of them is black, and plays the trumpet…
Posted 30 Aug 2005 at 9:09 pm ¶
MIguel wrote:
it would have to be a black saxophonist… but it´s not the case
Posted 30 Aug 2005 at 11:53 pm ¶
alvarete wrote:
Bleh, mixed up John Coltrane and SatchMo.
I’m ready for my spanking.
Posted 01 Sep 2005 at 11:18 am ¶
Schiz Cum Snake wrote:
The latest music I liked the most:
Moby / Hotel.
John Williams /Episode 3 soundtrack
Jimmy Eat the World / Futures
Rammstein / Reise Reise
Posted 07 Sep 2005 at 8:37 pm ¶