am/fm

A coworker was singing "Groove is in the Heart" around the office today, which is one of the best uses of slide whistle (among other things) in pop music. But what's its competition, you ask?

Vernon Burch, "Get Up," slide whistle break at about 2:30. Thanks this guy (who also has other fun facts on his blog)! Oh, and also, according to this guy, who breaks down Deee-Lite's samples, this is where the "Groove" slide whistle comes from originally.

Husker Du's instrumental "The Baby Song," off of "Flip Your Wig," features the slide whistle as the main voice. No one has posted the mostly hated song online, though you can hear a sample at Amazon.

Give Brandon Schott's "Paper Wings" a listen at CD Baby. It's really subtle and sounds like birds chirping.

Nurses "Way Up High." That is some solid slide whistle there.

Pavement used a slide whistle on "Fight This Generation." Pitchfork has the MP3. It happens about a minute and some in, where the song takes a turn for the wacky.

I believe there's some slide whistle in here: The Seedy Seeds' "Earned Average Dance America." It sounds like a little alien ray gun sound effect. You can hear it better on their MySpace page.

How could I have forgotten Manu Chau's "Me Gustas Tu"?

OK, so the pickings are a little slim on this one. I was surprised. I thought for sure we'd see some Cake in there, and I read a lot alluding to the Annuals' use of a slide whistle, but I couldn't find any audio proof. If you know any more, let me know.

eh.www.amNY.com

There's so much good about this video, from the quirky animation to the clever love story and, oh yeah, the song is good too. Annuals made a big splash at CMJ last year, although I haven't heard to much about them recently.

eh.www.amNY.com

I'm a Long Island girl, which means I'll always have a certain amount of appreciation for the lite-rock piano stylings of Mr. Billy Joel. No matter how punk rock he isn't. A friend and I were just discussing this tendency of Long Islanders to worship the man, and ... well, here's the exchange:

On 1/30/08 2:45 PM, [Redacted] wrote:
[Some nonsense that alluded to "We Didn't Start the Fire."]

speaking of good billy joel songs that i need on my ipod-

i actually didn't tell ya'll about The Sopranos bar in Aruba which had all of the young Long EEEEEYeland kids asking to sing Billy Joel songs- I honestly don't get that- I'm from Boston but I don't request Aerosmith all the time-

On 1/30/08 3:37 PM, [eh] wrote:
That’s 'cause you should be requesting the Pixies all the time.

Naw, I don’t think all Long Island kids are like that. I was into the Joelster for a brief period in college, but that was more homesickness than anything else. I think he just has a deep catalogue that people respond to more universally than Aerosmith. And, like, New Jersey folk are that way about The Boss. It might be easier to get behind a native son singer songwriter, than a band, too. There’s more of an emotional connection with Joel and Springsteen than there is with Steven Tyler (which could have something to do with their respective musical styles as well). I smell blog entry ...

What do you guys think? Are there any other bands/singers that are so strongly associated with a location, and have such loyal hometown fans? I guess Bon Jovi and Jersey again. But who else?

eh.www.amNY.com

(via)

amNewYork's Max Dickstein with a concert report:

Bowery Ballroom was filled to the gills for Vampire Weekend’s record release
concert late last night.

“It’s really a pleasure to play these songs in New York City — the city
where they were conceived, and midwifed,” said lead singer Ezra Koenig,
tuning his oversized guitar during a buzzing pause between short, crisp
run-throughs of a small and pleasing collection of happy tunes.

Near the lip of the elevated stage, the crowd’s arms rose higher and waved
more furiously with each fresh, two-to-three-minute blast of a new favorite
ditty. Everywhere were girls in dark winter clothing and bearded white guys
with messenger bags.

The show, coinciding with the band’s self-titled debut album, out this week,
felt less like the start of something than the middle of a multi-city tour.
That’s because Vampire Weekend’s MySpace uploads, critical success and
aggressive schedule of concert-opening performances (for the New
Pornographers, and next, the Shins) has helped the band gather admirers of
its 11-song catalog for over a year.

Indeed, the first chords of several songs last night touched off a
chatter of recognition in the darkness of the audience.

The band projected unreserved enjoyment of their task of entertainment.

It was a happy night.

Max, www.amny.com

Gawker talks about an interesting experiment (described toward the end of this article) which posits that social influences are almost equal in importance to music quality in your decisions regarding what music you like.

This is not necessarily a surprise (and it rings true to common sense). But it's not necessarily a bad thing, as many of the commenters on Gawker have reacted.

Music is unquestionably a social experience. We poke fun at the geek who is all about obscurity and snobbery. It's fun to like what your friends like and have a moment at a club or bar when everyone's favorite song comes on. And why bother going to a live show if sharing music with others isn't the very point. And that sharing could take on many forms, whether it's respecting a friends taste or looking cool and impressing others.

So that's my two cents.

eh.www.amNY.com

The man behind "Sussudio" and other hits turns the big 57 tomorrow! In honor of the aging process, I'm looking at birthday tunes.

As you may or may not know, the original "Happy Birthday to You" is copyrighted until 2030 in the U.S., although in a 1996 court case against the Girl Scouts the judge decided that ASCAP isn't due royalties unless it's a professional musician doing the infringing. Wikipedia has more, including a list of "Notable instances of the song in public."

But there are so many other songs with which we can salute our favorite prog rock drummer turned soft rock hero.

I mentioned the Beatles' "Birthday" in a prior post, but it bears repeating.

This one is cooler if your name is actually Lisa, but still MJ and the Simpsons ...

Stevie!

Yeah, it's a just breathier version of "Happy Birthday to You," but no list would be complete without Marilyn.

more after the jump ...

• New Yacht Rock! Possibly the best part of the video (in a video jam-packed with best parts) is at the end when Jason Lee as Kevin Bacon utters the phrase "Care for a me-L-T?" Yeah, you want to watch it. Also, I'd like a sandwich. (via)

• Oh, yeah! New Gnarls Barkley! Mission Freak has "Run," a new single off the forthcoming album due in April. It's awesomely catchy, and I'm just going to dispense altogether with the qualifier INCB ("It's no "Crazy," but ...") which I'm sure we'll be seeing in every review of the track to come. It's also no "Necromancing," which is only a good thing. Also, Idolator has a timeline of the hype so far.

• The Onion AV Club ranks the best (worst) prog rock album covers. Steely Dan makes the grade!

• Apparently we were early with this post. According to Ear Farm, today is National Kazoo Day. Sounds annoying. They have a kazoo-song top ten that has a few entries in common with our list from a month ago, but evidently there's enough kazoo to go around. Though we didn't have to resort to Weird Al.

• And in case you were worried, Hollywood Reporter has the story that the Grammys asked for and were granted a waiver from the WGA. Thank goodness. Although this quote makes it seem the union's approval was a little after the fact: "The announcement last week that the WGA would not picket the show came on the heels of high-profile talent, including SAG member Beyonce and Foo Fighters, saying that they would perform at the show regardless of whether it was officially labeled a struck work."

eh.www.amNY.com

• Tim Fite is a recent office discovery. He's funny and angry and funny about being angry.

• Best Week Ever plays "Where's Waldo" with Erykah Badu's new album cover.

• Bon Iver is another new office favorite. More Cowbell has a nice round up of links about the artist, who is coming to NYC Feb. 22.

• Kanye played a surprise set at the American Museum of Natural History's One Step Beyond this past Friday. Brooklyn Vegan has pictures (and haters; seriously, the commenters over there get really nasty. I guess that's the internet for you).

• NY Mag has the news that Karen O is signed on to score Spike Jonze's adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are." I am really excited for this film.

• And Popdose has started running a Name That Tune contest each Friday. It looks awesome. I wish I had thought of it first.

eh.www.amNY.com

More CDs that I should have already spun, found in a recent purge of my collection.

Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew "Spirit If ..."

(Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew "Backed Out On The..." And, yes, that is J. Mascis.)

Drew, the ringleader of Canadian super group BSS, decided he too wanted a piece of the side project action enjoyed by so many of his mates (Metric, Stars, Apostle of Hustle, Raising the Fawn, Feist and many others are BSS satellites). The album employs many of the same people that the main hub does — and the touring band was made up of BSS players — so it's difficult to tell where Broken Social Scene ends and Kevin Drew begins, but maybe we don't really need to worry about that. It's a good album. Chill, downtempo rock stripped of that bombast that makes me sometimes hate Broken Social Scene proper.

"Pure Fire: A Gilles Peterson Impulse! Collection"
Sweet jazz-cakes! An impressive mix of jazz big guns — John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Milt Jackson, etc — put together by the respected BBC Radio 1 DJ. Cool and understated, this collection captures the spirit of the era without showing off. It also includes Yusef Lateef's flute-driven take on Erik Satie's First Gymnopedie, a piece of music that I've been obsessed with recently.

iLIKETRAINS "Elegies to Lessons Learnt"
I saw these guys at CMJ and I really enjoyed their show. Their music is dark and paranoid (a little Joy Division-y, actually) and gleefully depressing. Although, to tell the truth, it works a little better live than on CD. Hmmm .... I don't love it.

More after the jump ...

Don't worry, guys. With or without writers (and, in case you haven't been following the news, it's without), the Grammys telecast will go on.

The Recording Acadamy made this announcement:

Beyoncé; Foo Fighters; Carrie Underwood; 2008 MusiCares® Person of the Year Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, the Clark Sisters, Israel And New Breed, and Trin-I-Tee 5:7 in a special gospel segment; and Rihanna with a reunited the Time in a special 50th anniversary segment are the first performers announced for the 50th Annual GRAMMY® Awards telecast, it was announced today by The Recording Academy®.

Fantastico! We'll be here to blog it.

eh.www.amNY.com

I heard this song last night while I was out. Remember when we were all excited for "Snakes on a Plane"? Like, no other movies would have to be made — in fact the writers' strike wouldn't even matter — because "SOAP" was gonna be it? And then it totally sucked (and all the old media critics blamed it on the internets)?

And this song (It's "Bring It! (Snakes on a Plane)," by Cobra Starship) kind of sucks, too. But it reminds me of the heady days before "SoaP" was released and we were all thrilling in the anticipation of the most necessary film ever.

(Jeffrey Rowland's comic strip, via Wired)

Ambivalently, despite multi and various rumors, it appears that there won't be a sequel. Sam Jackson's proclamation at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards ("No movie shall triumph over 'Snakes on a Plane.' Unless I happen to feel like making a movie called 'More Motherfucking Snakes on More Motherfucking Planes'.") is not to be.

So kiss those snakes goodbye.

eh.www.amNY.com

No amount of punk rock is going to make Payless cool, but they are fer darn sure trying. Their latest commercial, which can be seen here, employs Helen Love's "Does Your Heart Go Boom," which can be heard here.

Helen Love herself claims only to listen to the Ramones, and her music sort of bears that out, although that elctro-disco influence must come from somewhere.

Neither the commercial nor "Does Your Heart Go Boom" is on YouTube, but this equally good chestnut, "Joey Loves Debbie," is. I really enjoy that the entire video is just a shot of the album spinning on a turntable. But the brilliant part is: the camera is obviously handheld and not on a tripod.

eh.www.amNY.com

The Cardigans' version

The original Sabbath version

I thought of this because "Cloverfield" ran a trailer for the "Iron Man" movie. But I think "Iron Man" might be the greatest song written. It's got one of the most recognizable guitar riffs in rock, and it tells a compelling story of a hero whose worshipers turn on him causing him to turn bad. Epic stuff!

eh.www.amNY.com

I saw "Cloverfield" this weekend, and it was a'ight. Two things struck me, though.

1) My plan of fleeing the island via the subway tunnels should some monster attack the island is totally valid. (yes, I imagined and mentally prepared for this scenario way before this movie came out. I'm weird.) Just, when you see all the rats running one way, don't stop to look at what they're running from, book it in the obvious right direction.

2) Young professionals in Manhattan like good music. (But possibly should be punished for it? The city is evil and it's inhabitants deserve to be attacked by monsters, I think, was the moral of the film.) Before all the mayhem starts, the kids are at a party you can hear Spoon and other hip artists on the hi fi. This guy, who was much more attentive than I, compiled a soundtrack.

eh.www.amNY.com

• Stereogum points out new videos by Robbers on High Street (who do sound a lot like Spoon) and We Are Scientists. WAS's video is funny, but their sound seems to be lacking the something that made their debut album so vital and fun.

• Jezebel talks to Sharon Jones. She's awesome.

• NY Mag has a slew of new music.

• Aqua Teen Hunger Force gets even more awesome this season with cameos by Neko Case, Josh Homme, T-Pain and others, Pitchfork reports. If you don't have the mental maturity of a 14-year-old-boy, then you probably don't care. Lucky for me, I think talking meatballs are funny.

Full disclosure: I sat at a table with Thorn's publicist and was so close to the stage I felt too self-conscious to pull out my notebook, thus, no notes. Also, after the show, Thorn told me he liked my smile.

The show was a lot of fun. Thorn himself is a very personable guy onstage and off, and his countrified blues compositions tell captivating and sometimes very personal stories. The son of a Pentecostal minister and a former boxer, Thorn has done a lot of living, and it shows both in the way he carries himself and the things he has to talk about.

What I was really taken with in his performance was the balance he struck between earnestness and humor. There was a lot of "let's love each other" and "give thanks to the Lord that you're alive," but he also joked about the "approximately 151 women" who've dumped him over the years and threatened the press with eternal damnation if they gave him a bad review (I probably should have included that fact in the disclosure as well). His banter was never preachy but it was never "novelty act" either.

But beyond the character, there was the music. Though it's not the kind of stuff I usually listen to, I really enjoyed it. He has an authentic and heartfelt presentation, not to mention considerable skill, both vocally and on the guitar. His style is somewhere between an edgier John Mayer and "Steamroller"-era James Taylor — which is to say, a lot of people can do the Southern blues rock thing adequately, but Thorn has the chops and depth of feeling to keep it exciting and fresh.

I actually think that both my mom and my dad would really enjoy Thorn's music (my mom likes music that tells stories, especially if they're funny, and my dad likes rockin' blues), which is not slap the dreaded "adult contemporary" label on the whole production; they're just two people I thought of who would have enjoyed last night's show. 'Cause they're hip, you know. (I may get in trouble for this. Hi, family!)

Anyway, if you're a too cool New Yorker, you're going to be too cool for this. But if you can open up and have a little joyful fun, well, you're gonna have a good time.

eh.www.amNY.com

• Gawker has some fun perusing iTunes' celebrity iMixes. Katie Holmes' taste apparently matches her soccer mom hair cut. The Beatrice Inn's (venues have playlists?) selections tend towards songs that you love but have to publicly deride.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes cover Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl." (What is this parent trying to say about their child?!)

• NY Mag was at Mars Volta at Terminal 5. Over-indulgent prog rock in a post-apocalyptic cavernous dungeon? And, they didn't like it? Shocking. I like their earlier stuff — I had "De-Loused In The Comatorium" on repeat for like 6 months in 2004 — but, eh, they're just not doing it for me anymore. And, apparently they opened the concert with a big "F-you" to people who wanted to hear anything old.

• Coachella comes east. Stereogum has the news.

• (Via Idolator, via Variety) The Grammys have asked the WGA for an interim agreement. The union said they'll think about it. Idolommentor Dennisobell: "... and - c'mon - you really think anything would get between Kanye West and a possible nationally televised award?"

Also, Idolator Pop '07 (formerly Jackin' Pop, until the Village Voice complained) results are in.

eh.www.amNY.com

According to Variety, the Grammys have not requested a waiver from the WGA to employ writers for the show, and its highly unlikely that the union would grant one anyway. So there. The recent Golden Globes had to make due without writers this past Sunday, and we were treated to a mercifully short, sweet and entirely ignorable press conference in lieu of the traditional hoopla and noise for an award that was basically a joke until, like, five years ago. (Can I make it any clearer? I think awards shows are pointless and annoying, and I want to send the WGA a big plate of cookies for pouring cold water on this year's Thanks Fest Season.)

But the Grammys are for musicians, right? What does that have to do with writers? Well, according to the article, the Grammys employ about 10-20 actors as presenters each year, and SAG members are not crossing picket lines in solidarity. Also:

This year also has a substantial number of nominated musicians who have appeared in films and on TV. Chief among them are Justin Timberlake, Queen Latifah, Tim McGraw, Beyonce, Jack White, Jon Bon Jovi, T.I. and Fantasia. Among the nominees who have historically not crossed picket lines are Bruce Springsteen, the Beastie Boys, Joni Mitchell, John Mellencamp and Steve Earle.

On top of that, this is the 50th anniversary of the awards show, so TPTB were planning on having some written bits celebrating that fact. There goes that idea.

So it'll be interesting to see how this turns out. Whatever the format, I'll be live blogging, so check this space.

One last thought: I love it when Variety uses made up jargon like its real words. Like kudocast. Which would have been cute if article authors Dave McNary and Phil Gallo had used it once in the lead, for a punchy effect. But they use it three times! It's not actually a word, guys.

eh.www.amNY.com

Lewis was the second half of a two-part showcase for Rough Trade, but I unfortunately missed the first part. Basia Bulat was wrapping up her set as I walked in the door. But the 20 seconds I heard were lovely.

While I hung out waiting for the next set, I had the following thought: One thing about Joe's Pub is that if you don't score a table (and as a chronic latecomer, I rarely do), their standing room is a little awkward. It's basically the space in front of the bar — with the consequence that there's a wall of people between a thirsty audience member and her drink. And there's the issue of where to stand so that it doesn't feel like you're hovering over people lucky enough to be seated, or standing in anyone's way. A minor grievance, however. I do think that Joe's Pub is a pretty nice place to see a show.

Lewis took the stage with a cute story about overhearing someone utter the following phrase: "I mean, don't fucking touch my yoga mat." As he said, aggro yoga is so New York.

His music definitely has that Sidewalk Cafe anti-folk vibe: deadpan lyrics and frank language discussing social inequity that manages to be both incredibly angry and "so over it" at the same time. The sound is raw and unpretty. Which is not at all a criticism. He does it well.

The politics he espoused had a typical (for the scene) anti-capitalist bent, but he gave the issue a smart and thoughtful treatment. Now it could be the fact that many of his views aligned with my own that I enjoyed it so much. (UNRELATED DIGRESSION: I read a really good article in the New Yorker the other day about the decline of reading, and among its many excellent points, it brought up the fact that people are far more likely to continue reading something that they don't agree with than they are to continue watching something that they don't agree with, which has to do with the delivery of words visually as opposed to aurally. Maybe that's why Republicans don't like folk music.)

More after the jump...

Sit Down Stand Up has a good collection of videos taken at last weekend's Wu Tang show at Hammerstein. They're playing again Thursday. Good luck getting tickets.

Rahzel loves Wu Tang too!

eh.www.amNY.com

At the risk of subjecting these guys to too much attention too early in their career, I am love love loving Vampire Weekend. Their album is due out at the end of the month, and I highly recommend it. I've seen some begrudging love being paid to the band, and I just don't get it. VW is punchy and fun, and their 2 minute songs never wear out their welcome. Although the haters' hate usually seems to be rooted in resentment for the kids' Ivy League backgrounds, so maybe there's something else going on.

The above video is directed by the duo Hammer & Tongs (who also directed a pitch-perfect adaptation of "Hitchhiker's Guide"), and I think the frenetic, playful vibe of the action fits the song quite nicely.

eh.www.amNY.com

Idolator grapples with the Steely Dan Principle: People who like music like Steely Dan, even if they admit it only reluctantly. If you think this is untrue, you're lying to yourself or you've never heard Steely Dan.

My favorite comment over there:

BY DICKDOGFOOD AT 11:50 AM
Not did I like Steely Dan before I realized it was cool to like Steely Dan, I liked Steely Dan before I realized it was uncool to like Steely Dan.

eh.www.amNY.com

Here we go again...

Bill Callahan "Woke on a Whaleheart"
This is a leftover from last week, when I did CDs that I should have listened to a long time ago. Callahan used to record under the name Smog, but underwent a metamorphosis that made him feel it was time to use his own name. Pitchfork had a really good interview with him about it.

His voice is still as deep as the deepest sorrow. But his outlook is slightly sunnier than it has been on prior records. Which is not to say that this is an upbeat record, just less sad.

Animal Collective "Strawberry Jam"
Another selection from last week.

AC is another one of those bands whose music just makes me a little nutty. (BJork and Yanni are others — NOT that I think their music is comparable in anyway besides the fact that something fundamental in their compositions disrupts my brainwaves.) I remember in, like, 2004, these guys were THE musicians musicians. Every band we would interview would name these guys as "what we're listening to" (at the time, we were encouraged to ask bands a stock set of questions). But try as I might, I just couldn't get into "Sung Tongs."

Leavened with electronic noodling (and a bit more of a traditional pop structure), their twee-tribal experiment is a little more tolerable. Maybe that says more about me than it does about them. But it's aight.

more after the jump.

R.Kelly is the most bafflingly entertaining figure out there. Language is terribly NSFW.

I feel like I just saw a version of this video just done by some Zach Galifianakis type (I know it's not Zach, but it is someone of that comedic ilk), but I can't find it online. I did find this though.

eh.www.amNY.com

• Idolator reminds us it's Rod Stewart's birthday.

• The Onion AV Club has a list of movies that lean heavily on one artist or song. No "Juno," but perhaps the editors haven't seen it yet.

• Radiohead is kicking ass in the real world, with meatspace sales out pacing everyone else's, according to the LA Times.

• Brooklyn Vegan has the news that ex-Shudder to Think's Craig Wedren is hosting a benefit concert for Obama.

Getupandvote.com presents: "Barack Rock" Hosted by Stella: Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter and David Wain OK GO Craig Wedren (of Shudder to Think) Nathan Larson (of Shudder to Think) Nina Persson (of The Cardigans) Joan As Police Woman & other special guests

It's Feb. 4 at Bowery Ballroom. Kind of an awesome lineup, don't you think?

• Danger Mouse is up to his old tricks again, producing an album for The Black Keys. Yes, please! Pitchfork has the deets, including a track listing.

• Stereogum talks to one of our new favorites, Bon Iver. (They've also got some news on the new Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album.)

... But I still feel that way sometimes.

When Less Than Jake has not one but four albums that are considered "classics" (according to the press release, anyway), well, it's a time check. I remember listening to these guys way back in the day, and they (and NoFX) were an integral part of my discovery that there was more to music than The Beatles and top 40 radio. Yes, Gainesville ska/punk made me the rock snob that I am today.

Anyway, "Goodbye Blue And White," "Pezcore," "Losers, Kings And Things We Don't Understand" and a DVD of "Peoples History Of Less Than Jake" are getting the re-release treatment March 18 to celebrate LTJ's new self-run label, Sleep It Off. Also, the band is going back into the studio to record their 9th album. Yeah, I had no idea they were still around either. They lost me around "Hello Rockview" (which may not have been their fault — I can be a pretty fickle consumer), but "Johnny Quest" (see video above) still brings back some good memories.

By the way, NoFX is totally still around, and doing the exact same thing as they always have been. I think you just have to be 16 to appreciate it.

eh.www.amNY.com

New hip-hop that's inventive and fun: Wale. Via All Songs Considered.

eh.www.amNY.com

From our friend Emily Ngo:

Now, I’m not going to pretend I’m any sort of orchestra buff, but I know it’s not commonplace to come across a beatbox flautist.

But I met Gregory Pattillo at the Broadway-Lafayette train stop this weekend and was pretty impressed. He was accompanied by his buddy on cello, and the harmony made it impossible not to at least bob your head to. His newest album is called “My House.” Check out pattillostyle.com for more on this mini-phenomenon.

And good news: He apparently also gives lessons.

Emily Ngo, www.amNY.com

I guess Marty Crandall is actually the Shin who is a jerk. According to NME, the keyboard player is in jail for allegedly assaulting his (now ex-)girlfriend Elyse Sewell (former ANTM contestant). Sad.

eh.www.amNY.com