I brought back Guilt-Free Sunday because I'm on a Luscious Jackson kick.
I have spent the last week walking you though their catalog, but I had up until now avoided their debut EP, In Search Of Manny. The seven songs on that set (3 early Jill Cuniff/Gabby Glaser demos and four others) were hip-hop/pop/rock fusion unlike anything the music industry had ever seen.
"Daughters of the Kaos" was their first video and you can see the hip-hop group influence, with Cuniff and Glaser taking turns on verses, not unlike other similar artists of their time, and the heavy use of samples - which persists through their music going forward. Lyrically, the song is possibly a little more badass than their image going forward (remember, this was also a single of theirs), but they were well on their way to finding their sound.
Somehow, the song is better live. When the song opens, you don't expect police sirens to follow the Spanish guitar - and yet, there it is.
I may have taken forever to get to the earliest Luscious Jackson music, but they don't at all avoid it. Somehow it sounds a little less dark as they perform it twenty years later, but it's still tight.
Showing posts with label Guilt-Free Sunday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guilt-Free Sunday. Show all posts
19 April 2013
19 April 2013 - Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
24 years ago yesterday, the Pixies 2nd full length album, Doolittle, was released.
This song, the 2nd single from that album, was by far the biggest hit the band ever had. They were - still are - a clearly underground band, so hits were not their driver of success. However, this song.... this song was a little poppy, and a lot of fun. I dare you not to sing along.
They had fun with the video, too - even doing a little Talk Talk tribute (the whole "we'll just open our mouths instead of lipsync" thing), and making the video with a fisheye lense and stretch imagery.
This song, the 2nd single from that album, was by far the biggest hit the band ever had. They were - still are - a clearly underground band, so hits were not their driver of success. However, this song.... this song was a little poppy, and a lot of fun. I dare you not to sing along.
They had fun with the video, too - even doing a little Talk Talk tribute (the whole "we'll just open our mouths instead of lipsync" thing), and making the video with a fisheye lense and stretch imagery.
05 April 2013
5 April 2013 - Kelly Willis - I Don't Want To Love You (But I Do) & River Of Love
I wasn't in the mood for anything truly guilty today, although, as far as this artist goes, these are about as guilty as they get.
I saw Kelly Willis at the Iron Horse Cafe in 1991. I went with my mother. Don't judge. It's the only time I ever sat in the balcony there. By the way, no better place to see live music. She was touring in support of her 2nd album, Bang Bang, which was not a bad album - at all - but her weakest, in my personal opinion. Her record label, MCA, didn't really market her well.
Anyway, this song was from her 1st album - this performance is from Austin City Limits. She very clearly states that this is her favorite song to perform. Having seen the song performed live, I can testify to the fact that she does, indeed, enjoy performing this song, and it shows.
This song, also from her first album - Well-Traveled Love, which qualifies as my favorite country album of all time - wasn't exactly as much fun to perform, I imagine. It's beautifully sung and performed - by now, you all know I'm a sucker for a lapsteel. Lyrically, the song - written by the great Paul Kennerley - speaks to a subject matter we all know well - falling for the wrong person. Kelly was married to her drummer at the time.... she divorced him the next year, so her rendition of the song was.... well, poignant.
I saw Kelly Willis at the Iron Horse Cafe in 1991. I went with my mother. Don't judge. It's the only time I ever sat in the balcony there. By the way, no better place to see live music. She was touring in support of her 2nd album, Bang Bang, which was not a bad album - at all - but her weakest, in my personal opinion. Her record label, MCA, didn't really market her well.
Anyway, this song was from her 1st album - this performance is from Austin City Limits. She very clearly states that this is her favorite song to perform. Having seen the song performed live, I can testify to the fact that she does, indeed, enjoy performing this song, and it shows.
This song, also from her first album - Well-Traveled Love, which qualifies as my favorite country album of all time - wasn't exactly as much fun to perform, I imagine. It's beautifully sung and performed - by now, you all know I'm a sucker for a lapsteel. Lyrically, the song - written by the great Paul Kennerley - speaks to a subject matter we all know well - falling for the wrong person. Kelly was married to her drummer at the time.... she divorced him the next year, so her rendition of the song was.... well, poignant.
11 June 2012
10 June 2012 - Game Theory - The Waist And The Knees / Look Away / Wyoming / The Real Sheila / Erica's Word
Game Theory were a band led by Scott Miller of Davis, CA. The rest of the band was rotating, but this lineup, featuring Donnette Thayer (more on her in a bit), was the classic one. Despite catchy pop/rock tunes and aural experimentation, and the greatest double album ever released - Lolita Nation, from which album this first song is plucked - they never achieved big time success.
This song, one of my favorites, is from a live performance in 1988, soon before their final breakup. It was a harder rocking song, with a little bit of experimentation built in.
Scott Miller, who went on to found the long-lasting Loud Family (who are equally good), gave up the microphone and the songwriting very little. In a few cases, he did cede that to Donnette, who was really talented in her own right - she would leave Game Theory to found Hex with Steve Kilbey from The Church - and when he did, it was magical between the two of them. Here is a live performance of one of her tunes, performed live. And, when you see her hair, remember that it was 1986.
OK, let's do one more. This is another Donnette song, with a better harmony with Scott, and is my absolute favorite Game Theory song. From their last, and second-best album, Two Steps From The Middle Ages, it is worth hearing, even without a video.
I urge you to seek out more Game Theory music. It isn't easy to find, but it's worth the time and effort to find it.
Update (19 April 2013): Scott Miller has passed away this week. In tribute, here is the band's biggest hit, from Lolita Nation.
And here is the first Game Theory song I ever heard. I heard them first on the Enigma Records compilation The Enigma Variations 2. (They also appeared on the classic Enigma Variations). Arguably the best power pop song ever written.
This song, one of my favorites, is from a live performance in 1988, soon before their final breakup. It was a harder rocking song, with a little bit of experimentation built in.
Scott Miller, who went on to found the long-lasting Loud Family (who are equally good), gave up the microphone and the songwriting very little. In a few cases, he did cede that to Donnette, who was really talented in her own right - she would leave Game Theory to found Hex with Steve Kilbey from The Church - and when he did, it was magical between the two of them. Here is a live performance of one of her tunes, performed live. And, when you see her hair, remember that it was 1986.
OK, let's do one more. This is another Donnette song, with a better harmony with Scott, and is my absolute favorite Game Theory song. From their last, and second-best album, Two Steps From The Middle Ages, it is worth hearing, even without a video.
I urge you to seek out more Game Theory music. It isn't easy to find, but it's worth the time and effort to find it.
Update (19 April 2013): Scott Miller has passed away this week. In tribute, here is the band's biggest hit, from Lolita Nation.
And here is the first Game Theory song I ever heard. I heard them first on the Enigma Records compilation The Enigma Variations 2. (They also appeared on the classic Enigma Variations). Arguably the best power pop song ever written.
03 June 2012
3 June 2012 - Curve - Coast Is Clear / Fait Accompli
Today, we enjoy a band - a two-piece, led by the fantastically talented Toni Halliday - that never enjoyed enough success in this country. It's a shame they aren't together anymore - Toni and Dean Garcia made some great, hard-edged music. This was the first song of theirs I heard - I never understood why it wasn't a hit.
This was the 2nd song of theirs that I heard. They had a song that was both contemporary for their time and the shoegazing scene that was so popular then AND intensely hard-edged. Was it hard rock? Was it electronica? Curve somewhat defied labels, which might have been their problem.
Listen to this song. Now, try to picture some of Garbage's big hits. This predated them by several years. I like Garbage, but they owe a huge debt to Curve.
This was the 2nd song of theirs that I heard. They had a song that was both contemporary for their time and the shoegazing scene that was so popular then AND intensely hard-edged. Was it hard rock? Was it electronica? Curve somewhat defied labels, which might have been their problem.
Listen to this song. Now, try to picture some of Garbage's big hits. This predated them by several years. I like Garbage, but they owe a huge debt to Curve.
13 May 2012
13 May 2012 - She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here
Today, we celebrate the start of Upfronts Week - the time of year when television networks all take turns and announce their new fall schedules.
It was a year ago this week that Fox had their 2011-2012 upfront, and announced that they would be featuring all sorts of new shows. One of these shows was a new comedy named New Girl, which would star Zooey Deschanel. It always bothered me that Emily Deschanel had her own show, but not Zooey. I've been a fan of hers for years, at least since she did that movie with Jennifer Aniston and stole the show, and definitely since the woefully underrated Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, when she was the only non-British actor in the movie and stole the show. Now, I didn't have to be bothered anymore.
The Good Girl. That's what the movie was called. I had to look that up. It wasn't a great movie. It was a movie with a great performance.
New Girl ended up being a hit, and with good reason - it's fun and smart and clever and great to watch. Because of the success of New Girl, Zooey's band, She & Him, has gotten a little more attention. That's a good thing. They're fun and smart and clever and great to listen to.
Disclaimer: Bones is an excellent and entertaining show. I have nothing against Emily Deschanel, who is a fine actress and who I hope is having an excellent Mother's Day.\
Update: There's a 2nd video!!!! Also official.
Update: I just felt like adding another version of this song. It's my blog, so I can do that. It's such an earworm, I feel like everyone should hear it.
It was a year ago this week that Fox had their 2011-2012 upfront, and announced that they would be featuring all sorts of new shows. One of these shows was a new comedy named New Girl, which would star Zooey Deschanel. It always bothered me that Emily Deschanel had her own show, but not Zooey. I've been a fan of hers for years, at least since she did that movie with Jennifer Aniston and stole the show, and definitely since the woefully underrated Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, when she was the only non-British actor in the movie and stole the show. Now, I didn't have to be bothered anymore.
The Good Girl. That's what the movie was called. I had to look that up. It wasn't a great movie. It was a movie with a great performance.
New Girl ended up being a hit, and with good reason - it's fun and smart and clever and great to watch. Because of the success of New Girl, Zooey's band, She & Him, has gotten a little more attention. That's a good thing. They're fun and smart and clever and great to listen to.
Disclaimer: Bones is an excellent and entertaining show. I have nothing against Emily Deschanel, who is a fine actress and who I hope is having an excellent Mother's Day.\
Update: There's a 2nd video!!!! Also official.
Update: I just felt like adding another version of this song. It's my blog, so I can do that. It's such an earworm, I feel like everyone should hear it.
06 May 2012
6 May 2012 - The Darling Buds - It Makes No Difference
A lot of people have asked me how I can like The Darling Buds. They were really girly. They were poppy and chipper.
This. This is why. A quiet song that's still bad-ass, this opened their Crawdaddy album, and it is one of the best songs I have ever heard. I can still listen to it, more than twenty years after its release, and it still gives me chills.
This video was filmed in 1991, but only recently unearthed. So, sit down and enjoy it.
This. This is why. A quiet song that's still bad-ass, this opened their Crawdaddy album, and it is one of the best songs I have ever heard. I can still listen to it, more than twenty years after its release, and it still gives me chills.
This video was filmed in 1991, but only recently unearthed. So, sit down and enjoy it.
05 May 2012
4 May 2012 (special Guilt-Free edition) - Beastie Boys - She's On It
Cancer stole a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer today in MCA, otherwise known as Adam Yauch. Before they were a jokey hip hop band, they were a punky four-piece with a female drummer - Kate Schellenbach, who went on to drum for Luscious Jackson (who were signed to the Beastie's Grand Royal Records). The story is that, when the band partnered with Rick Rubin to help infuse hip hop into their sound, creative differences ensued with Kate, and she was not to be a Beastie any more.
Their first post-Kate single was also featured on the soundtrack to the movie Krush Groove. This was that single. Although not a big hit at the time - and you can clearly hear a lot more punk than in their later work - it was clearly a harbinger to a brilliant career to come.
I never really became a huge Beastie Boys fan - I liked their more hip-hop infused stuff, but not a lot of their later experimental sound - but I do love this song, to this day. I hope you enjoy it, a special Guilt-Free Sunday on a Friday.
Their first post-Kate single was also featured on the soundtrack to the movie Krush Groove. This was that single. Although not a big hit at the time - and you can clearly hear a lot more punk than in their later work - it was clearly a harbinger to a brilliant career to come.
I never really became a huge Beastie Boys fan - I liked their more hip-hop infused stuff, but not a lot of their later experimental sound - but I do love this song, to this day. I hope you enjoy it, a special Guilt-Free Sunday on a Friday.
30 April 2012
29 April 2012 - Pacha Massive - Don't Let Go
Two Latinos living in New York City were the core of Pacha Massive. I first discovered them one day while watching MTV Tr3s, MTV's Spanglish network that features music that crosses the language barriers nicely.
This song is a particular favorite of mine, not just because it was the network's first Descubre y Download feature, but because it was creative and different than any music I had heard elsewhere, Latin or otherwise. It seemed to me to combine aspects of Latin (the guitar), hip hop (the beats and rhythmic vocals), and early 90's college music (a female bassist who sometime sang). So, without further ado...
This song is a particular favorite of mine, not just because it was the network's first Descubre y Download feature, but because it was creative and different than any music I had heard elsewhere, Latin or otherwise. It seemed to me to combine aspects of Latin (the guitar), hip hop (the beats and rhythmic vocals), and early 90's college music (a female bassist who sometime sang). So, without further ado...
22 April 2012
22 April 2012 - Spain - It's So True
It's Guilt-Free Sunday! So, let's listen to Josh Haden, brother to Petra Haden (you might have seen a post about her over here) and his band, Spain, of which Petra has been an occasional member.
I really like Spain. Their music is really quiet without being boring, somber and yet still full of emotion. This live performance of one of my favorite songs by them shows that to the fullest. They've recently reformed, and this performance is post-reformation. The song, however, sounds like they never took a single day off.
They've also got a new album coming out next month, which you can preview in parts on their website. I hope you enjoy this song and also investigate their others. You won't be sorry you did.
I really like Spain. Their music is really quiet without being boring, somber and yet still full of emotion. This live performance of one of my favorite songs by them shows that to the fullest. They've recently reformed, and this performance is post-reformation. The song, however, sounds like they never took a single day off.
They've also got a new album coming out next month, which you can preview in parts on their website. I hope you enjoy this song and also investigate their others. You won't be sorry you did.
15 April 2012
15 April 2012 - The Like - June Gloom
One night, my daughter - 7 years old - and I were watching TV, flipping channels. We don't have cable, but we do get about 16 channels. One of them - a -2 on another channel - was a music video channel called TheCoolTV. It played an eclectic mix - still does. This particular song was on when we got there. Both of us were instantly mesmerized, not only by the song, but by the visually challenging video.
The Like started off as three daughters of music industry insiders - producers and musicians. So it's no surprise they had chops of their own.
The group in its current incarnation is a four-piece, with a different bassist. Well, sort of. They're on indefinite hiatus since last May. I hope they reform. They're really good, even in their 2nd incarnation.
The Like started off as three daughters of music industry insiders - producers and musicians. So it's no surprise they had chops of their own.
The group in its current incarnation is a four-piece, with a different bassist. Well, sort of. They're on indefinite hiatus since last May. I hope they reform. They're really good, even in their 2nd incarnation.
08 April 2012
8 April 2012 - Electric Six - Synthesizer
I struggled with the decision of putting this on a Sunday. It isn't a pure guilty pleasure - these guys have some serious Detroit rock chops - but this song is, itself, a throwback to the era of the keytar. Electric Six are a goofy bunch, but they are solid in their music and lyrically clever.
See how many references to real 80's and 90's music videos you can find.
See how many references to real 80's and 90's music videos you can find.
01 April 2012
1 April 2012 - Röyksopp - Eple
Since the World Men's Curling Championship started yesterday, and my favorite Norwegians are among the frontrunners, I wanted to find you Norwegian music to enjoy that wasn't a-ha. So I chose Röyksopp, a great electronic duo who keeps reinventing themselves.
This particular song and video is from their 2001 debut album. It is perhaps the most well-organized video postcard, set to music that is sure to make you smile. And visit Norway.
This particular song and video is from their 2001 debut album. It is perhaps the most well-organized video postcard, set to music that is sure to make you smile. And visit Norway.
25 March 2012
25 March 2012 - Rilo Kiley - Portions for Foxes/Breakin' Up
OK, so we decided to change Non-Guilty Sunday to Guilt-Free Sunday. I do hope you'll forgive us.
To celebrate the change in moniker, here are a couple of songs by one of my co-author Scott Colvin's favorite artists - Rilo Kiley. Formed by a couple of former child actors - Jenny Lewis, best known for her work in the epic Shelley Long vehicle Troop Beverly Hills - and Blake Sennett, best known for the Nickelodeon series Salute Your Shorts - which was pretty funny, by the way.
Well, now they are best known for being in Rilo Kiley. The closest this band - who had a large cult following -ever got to a hit was this song, which has been featured on the television series Grey's Anatomy on no less than two occasions. It's a terrific straight-ahead rock song, the lyrics are clever, and I think you'll enjoy it.
Rilo Kiley got a major label deal and released Under The Blacklight (which Scott dislikes) on Warner Bros. Records in 2007. Their cult following is enough that some fans got together and made this relatively well-produced and extremely well-choreographed video by themselves for a popular track off that album. I think it's a lot of fun (even though Scott dislikes this album). This is my second-favorite song by them, and the cheeriest song about a breakup I've ever heard. I hope everyone not named Scott Colvin enjoys it.
Here's a little uncredited bonus for you. This song, with a video courtesy of the CSU Chico film department, is for my favorite song by Rilo Kiley. Jenny Lewis, who has gone onto a solo career, does a terrific version of this song by herself, but with a full band backing her, it's so much richer and a little darker.
To celebrate the change in moniker, here are a couple of songs by one of my co-author Scott Colvin's favorite artists - Rilo Kiley. Formed by a couple of former child actors - Jenny Lewis, best known for her work in the epic Shelley Long vehicle Troop Beverly Hills - and Blake Sennett, best known for the Nickelodeon series Salute Your Shorts - which was pretty funny, by the way.
Well, now they are best known for being in Rilo Kiley. The closest this band - who had a large cult following -ever got to a hit was this song, which has been featured on the television series Grey's Anatomy on no less than two occasions. It's a terrific straight-ahead rock song, the lyrics are clever, and I think you'll enjoy it.
Rilo Kiley got a major label deal and released Under The Blacklight (which Scott dislikes) on Warner Bros. Records in 2007. Their cult following is enough that some fans got together and made this relatively well-produced and extremely well-choreographed video by themselves for a popular track off that album. I think it's a lot of fun (even though Scott dislikes this album). This is my second-favorite song by them, and the cheeriest song about a breakup I've ever heard. I hope everyone not named Scott Colvin enjoys it.
Here's a little uncredited bonus for you. This song, with a video courtesy of the CSU Chico film department, is for my favorite song by Rilo Kiley. Jenny Lewis, who has gone onto a solo career, does a terrific version of this song by herself, but with a full band backing her, it's so much richer and a little darker.
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