Music Monday

Sorry I haven't been around here much! Here's a good song:

Stuart

One of my twelve tapes I had as a teenager was The Dead Milkmen. "Stuart" was one of my favorites of theirs. It's a story song. The story is incredible, in the old fashioned sense of the word. Now, someone made an awesome video of it! 

Music Monday: Revolting Cocks

I like this better than the original. 

Music Monday: Song Exploder

This week, something different. There is this podcast I discovered about song writing. Interviewer Hrishikesh Hirway goes to a person who wrote a song. Then he asks the musician how they created the song, and they take it step by step- and you listen.

It doesn't seem to matter if you like the music or not. It's equally interesting.

Take a listen here. 

Song Exploder Podcast explores the minutia of songwriting. 

Music Monday: Flaming Lips with Myley Cyrus Cover the Beatles (and my head explodes)

Today, I discovered a Flaming Lips cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" with Miley Cyrus, but the video is so unsafe for work (but so cool) that I hesitate to put it here! It has boobies and fannies (naked ones) that may or may not belong to that super NUDIST Miley Cyrus WHO PROBABLY SECRETLY COMES FROM FRANCE! They also scream the F--- word, a verb which, as you know, I try to avoid whenever I'm in France.

So, if you who are not at work and not bothered by swearing and indecency, or if you really would LIKE TO BE FIRED FROM YOUR JOB,  click here for a great cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." I'm sharing it because I love it.

BAH, I think you will like it. 

Music Monday: Hangai hamtlag- "Transmigration"

Heavy metal Mongolian throat singing:



I keep playing this, over and over again. These guys rock!

From the youtube comments:

Wu Xiao 5 months ago

From Sheng Kang: This is a themed creation within 24 hours for their competition. Its name means reincarnation, but broadly it can be also interpreted as eternal recurrence, seasons circle, life circles. I don't understand Mogolian. The translated Chinese lyrics they put up on the screen is beautiful. Here's my translation ****** Reincarnation Be it flying bird or blossoming flower, all living beings are alike. Be it time, air or sunshine, we breathe and we share Time wheels, we carry on This moment could be short, it passes by and becomes eternal Spring, summer, autumn, winter: the seasons always go on We're born, we live, we age and we die: life always go on Kingdoms rise and fall, years gone by and still go on Only the universe is eternal, while our youth never comes back Last year's sun still clings up in the sky, beautiful old songs still sung by us We live the limited lives yet pass on crowning glory There ought to be some faith unmoved in the forever changing world Spring, summer, autumn, winter: the seasons always go on We're born, we live, we age and we die: life always go on Kingdoms rise and fall, years gone by and still go on Only the universe is eternal, while our youth never comes back Spring, summer, autumn, winter: the seasons always go on We're born, we live, we age and we die: life always go on Kingdoms rise and fall, years gone by and still go on Only the universe is eternal, while our youth never comes back

Music Monday: Dial-a-Song

In the eighties, when They Might Be Giants weren't a big deal like they are now, they had this thing where, every week, they recorded a new song on their answering machine. And you could call them, and listen. And I imagine you could leave a message, telling They Might Be Giants what you thought of their new song.

Now, it is no longer the eighties. But I'm guessing they're feeling nostalgic, because the answering machine is up again! They Might Be Giants is writing and recording a new song each week. Every Monday, a new song! And you can hear it on their answering machine at (844) 387-6962.

"What was that number again?"

They Might Be Giants Dial-a-Song: (844) 387-6962

If you don't call one week, you miss the song! Holy cow! No, who am I kidding? This is not 1985 anymore. Actually, you can hear it on each Monday's edition of Slate's The Gist for infinity, I presume. But it's better to just pretend you have to hear it on Monday. It adds something.

Oh, and just in case you don't know who these guys are, this is my favorite song of theirs:

Music Monday: Psycho

This isn't your average country song.

P.S. From the comments- My dad has a great thread on the Steel Guitar Forum about the production of this recording, which can be found here. 

Music Monday: Snoop Dogg

This video is amazing. The music is not, of course. Best to listen with sound off.

Music Monday: Kids Playing Ukes

I like this trend lately of teaching your kids to play the ukulele. My dad taught Wonder Niece to play the ukulele, too. I don't know these children. As of this posting, this video has sixty views. I like the cooperation between apparent siblings. And the little solo. It's all so sweet.

Music Monday: Mike Watt

I just discovered Mike Watt last week, because I listened to this interview with him and I thought he had a really interesting perspective on life and on music. He said, among other things, that punk music is not a style of music, but rather a way of looking at things. And then the attitude comes through the music in different forms- I'm paraphrasing. (If punk is really an attitude, I hereby declare myself a punk writer.) I really like his sound. I gather from the interview that he's played with the Stooges and was formerly in the Minute Men, and now has recently written three rock operas. This clip is from one of the rock operas.

Music Monday: The King of Carrot Flowers Part 1

This is just one of my favorite songs of all time, by Neutral Milk Hotel:

It makes me nostalgic for the 1980's.

Nostalgia just isn't what it used to be, is it? I used to have to find the CD to play it to feel nostalgic for the eighties. Now I just look up the youtube video! I don't even get to feel the frustration of finally finding the CD after a ten minute search, only to discover that the CD isn't inside- it's Johnny Cash's greatest hits, instead- and then I find Johnny Cash's greatest hits, and it's not Neutral Milk Hotel, either, it's the Dead Milkmen, so then I would find the Dead Milkmen... well, you get the idea. I used to have this problem with misreplacing CD's into the wrong cases while driving, because I refused to look away from the road. And that used to be such a problem! But now, everything is downloaded, and... actually, you know what? It's better now. 

Music Monday: The Mountain Goats

I'm sure there are clearer recordings of this song out there, but I prefer this live video- probably from a wedding, I would imagine. The song is called, "No Children." I confess: I know all of the words. So does my husband, I think. Which is saying something. I don't know what. But something.

And I hope we stay on past the last exit. I hope it's already too late!

P.S. This music does not appear to be bunny-approved.

!

Music Monday: Inflatable Boy Clams

I loved this song when I was a kid! I still think it's great. I've also found that it's a wonderful way to make your spouse think you are completely bonkers crazy.


Try singing it to a friend! Make sure to get the notes right, especially on the, "I wear it for yoooouuuu!"

Music Monday: Wasted Wine

Press play.

Consider, if you will, me, aged twelve. I found a blank diary, and I am writing my first novel in it. The novel is called, Amanda's Paradise. The story is about Great-Aunt Amanda, a red-headed lady (I've never written anything without a red-headed lady) who lives in a fascinating mansion few of crazy relics, with a few of her best friends, creates great art, and has people come and go, people who entertain and amuse her. People who realize her power and secretly worship her.

I never figured out a plot to Amanda's Paradise, so there were a lot of descriptions, and then it abruptly ended after about thirty pages.

There was never a plot to that book, but if there were a sound track, it would be Wasted Wine. And the people in the book? They were the people in Wasted Wine. Never mind that I wrote the story thirty years ago. It's alive, now, in South Carolina. My aunt, Lou Buckingham seems to have actually become Amanda of Amanda's Paradise.  It's a whole lot of wonderful.

Don't take my word for it, though. I'm biased. Read what NPR has to say about them here.

Music Monday: Heckla Magnúsdóttir

Heckla Magnúsdóttir plays the theremin! So does Zgjenyue. I love the theremin. So bizarre.

In this video, Heckla describes her music as "a bit horrible. It's not nice sometimes. It's nice sometimes, but not always." Sort of like life, really.

Heckla is Icelandic. This is a promotional video for her, which I found entertaining and musically peaceful.




You can find Heckla's music here. 

Thanks to Professor Batty for turning me on the Heckla. Professor Batty has seen her live and has considerably more to say about her here.

Music Monday

Ladies and gentlemen: Killdozer.

Music Monday: Auto Tunes

My favorite part is his thanks at the end at (2:38).

Music Monday: Leslie Hall

"What is this?" you may ask, "besides awesome in a disturbing way?"

 All I have to go on is the youtube description, which I copied and pasted for you:

Uploaded on Feb 1, 2010 BUY THE SONG: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/back... or GET HARD COPY FROM: http://www.heftyhideaway.com . Watch out.. this song is about forest people who dance in tight clothes. be sure to stick around for about 2:18 those are slow motion body rolls. study those abs.. i'm isolating and really getting good for live show entertainment i plan to bring it. I'd like to comment on my skin tone. That is Iowa see-through skin. while indoors watching tv and crafting you tend to form a shade of pink - white- then pale - then followed by a clearness with blue veins running every which way. The costome seen in this video is my mom's KILL BILL insperationed. Because its been playing on tv latley. she had to get a colonoscapy and so she watched them and relized maybe I had the power to kill bill. ( in dance form of course).