You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'the shit - music edition' category.
update. broken youtube link repaired. please enjoy lamb:
—
hi all, sorry for the dearth of posts – been working an event the last couple of days which doesn’t leave me a lot of time to post…. this week will be better.
wanted to share this – it’s brilliant and sum’s up my mood right now.
if i should die this very moment
i wouldn’t fear
for i’ve never known completeness
like being here
wrapped in the warmth of you
loving every breath of you
still my heart this moment
or it might burst
could we stay right here
’til the end of time, ’til the earth stops turning
wanna love you ’til the seas run dry
i’ve found the one i’ve waited for
all this time i’ve loved you
and never known your face
all this time i’ve missed you
and searched this human race
here is true peace
here my heart knows calm
safe in your soul
bathed in your sighs
wanna stay right here
’til the end of time, ’til the earth stops turning
gonna love you ’til the seas run dry
i’ve found the one i’ve waited for
the one i’ve waited for
all i’ve known
all i’ve done
all i’ve felt was leading to this
all i’ve known
all i’ve done
all i’ve felt was leading to this
wanna stay right here
’til the end of time, ’til the earth stops turning
gonna love you ’til the seas run dry
i’ve found the one i’ve waited for
the one i’ve waited for
wanna stay right here
’til the end of time, ’til the earth stops turning
gonna love you ’til the seas run dry
i’ve found the one i’ve waited for
the one i’ve waited for
the one i’ve waited for…
this is fantastic. yaz featuring alison moyet & vince clarke are reuniting for the first time in 25 years.
go here to read all the juicy details. the sad part, it’s just in the uk. the cool part is the issuing of a box set with remastered disks and rarities. mmm yes please.
the year was 1993 and i was in chicago visiting the (then) seminal tower records (alas, we didn’t have anything as cool in minneapolis). i spent the previous months devouring rolling stone magazine reading all about madonna’s new record label (maverick) and how it would be home to new and unique musicians doing their own special thing. there were rumblings of a new r&b musician/electric bassist that was about to explode on maverick named me’shell ndegeo’cello.
so there i was in tower flipping through the stacks, looking for the latest musical treasure and i came upon it, ‘plantation lullabies’ – sporting a wild psychedelic cover and a sticker with critical comments advocating the promise within… ‘tho i hadn’t heard a note, i had to have it. hell it had tunes with names like ‘if that was your boyfriend (he wasn’t last night)’, ’shootin’ up and gett’n high’ and ‘i’m diggin’ you (like and old school record)’ – these were not song titles i was used to as a white boy from minneapolis. i knew of jazz and soul – but i didn’t know about jazz and soul. yea, i was a prince fan, and i thought i was all worldly and shit, but nothing’ could prepare me for the album – it truly opened my ears to a new sound. i was hooked.
fast forward 3 years to 1996 and her second disk ‘peace beyond passion’ was released. while ‘lullabies was an aggro mix of funk, soul, jazz & r&b; passion gelled all of the genre’s into one amazing new sound. equal parts spiritual and sexual, the album is a blistering attack on the hypocrisy of christianity and misogyny of the time. indeed, you knew you were in for an interesting ride when you heard the first words she uttered on the album: “jesus cured the blind man so that he could see the evils of the world”. a couple of tracks later the blasphemy get’s amped up a bit with “maybe judas was the better man / and mary mad a virgin just to save face”. the album isn’t all blistering commentary on christianity – also name checked; homophobia, self-hatred, social discourse and racism pop up. the interesting thing here however is the way in which she weaves the politics and the profane in a way that challenges and satisfies. the music is lush, silky smooth and forms the perfect bed for her poetry – culminating in the hopeful ‘god shiva’ and ‘with a tear and a smile’ – the message here, things may not always be golden, but if you seek out the passion, you will indeed find peace. easily my favorite album from her.
that same year, i had the chance to see her live for the first time at first avenue. imagine a sold out room packed with 1400 gay men, lesbians, black, white, asian – young and old. it was the first time i had truly ever encountered such a radical mix of people all intent on one thing – enjoying the groove laid out on the stage… there was no posturing. there were no fights. the room was a sweaty mass of people jumping and dancing and digging the music. the show easily rates in my top ten for live music experiences.
over the course of the next ten years, there would be 4 more records. diverse entries like ‘bitter’ (a mellow, introspective/quiet paean to a broken relationship), ‘cookie; the anthropological mixtape’ (blistering social-hip hop), ‘comfort woman’ (soul-psychadelia circa 1976 free-form jazz), ’spirit of the infidel’ (free-form instrumental jazz; the closest thing to coltrane in years) all leading up to her latest ‘the world has made me the man of my dreams’ – the most consistently engaging album since ‘passion’ – it’s groves are equal parts jazz and soul, and live, even a healthy dose of rock – and the words, well meshell is one of those rare artists where you can separate the lyrics from the beat and the poetry comes through.
last night, i had the chance to catch her live again (my 3rd time seeing her). wasn’t at all sure what to expect, but knew it’d be an interesting ride. the first surprise, no keyboards. the album features a healthy dose of electronica/synth – however would this translate with no synth’s? also odd, no center spot mic for meshell… instead, she was literally in the back – surrounded by her band (two guitarists, another bass and the drummer). subconsciously was she sayin’ the music was just as important as the words? at time’s the vox even took a backseat to what the band was whipping up. all i can say is the new record positively explodes live. stripped down, raw funk/rock propelled by exquisite drumming and simmering guitar – a helluva, show. while it’s an overused phrase, the only thing i can come up with is religious experience… seriously – eye’s closed, body grooving – transcendent.
meshell likes to live in the present and the future and as such, tends to avoid the “hits” of her past, at one point, someone yelled out for her to play ‘boyfriend’. her response? a simple, “not a fucking chance”. she is so completely comfortable in her own skin – so alive when the music is playing. she doesn’t doubt herself (or her setlist for a minute (in fact, many times it looked as if she was just grooving there in the back, enjoying the band and the moment as much as we were). there’s only one other performer i’ve ever seen that is as comfortable in their own skin while on stage; prince.
from the opening tune (a seering electric take on prince’s ‘all the critic’s love u in new york’) through the finale, meshell and company kept the crowd transfixed. my friend amy came with me and at one point said to me ”sex with this woman would be amazing”! i was also texting landry (who lives in the same neighborhood as meshell) and she msg’d: “she’s the hottest mf going!” lol
indeed, she is the hottest mf around. can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
lots of stuff rumbling through my head – haven’t figured out how to get it all out and post here, so until i do – here’s my favorite piece of music from the past couple of months in video form. it also has one of the greatest lyrics of recent times..
the video is freshly released…brand spankin’ new music for your tuesday.
unkle, hold my hand:
i really love this video…. beautiful. and haunting.
watch the whole thing. i love the ending.
not a video perse.more a commercial.regardless.brilliant.
meshell ndegeocello. the world has made me the man of my dreams.
“After getting her jazz rocks off with 2005’s The Spirit Music Jamia, Ndegeocello returns to her genre-bending roots. With her eye on global events and her heart gnawed at by mixed emotions, the mellifluous-voiced bassist coasts from punk rock to orchestral ballads to seductive grooves. Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, saxophonist Oliver Lake, and Malian singer Oumou Sangare lend their talents, while Ndegeocello’s dreamy vocal styles buttress this boudoir-friendly work.” (Grade: A) — Margeaux Watson, Entertainment Weekly, 9/28/07.
ok, i feel it is my duty to inform you of things that are bloody brilliant, killer and all things atomic! additionally, i feel i must repeat myself occasionally as not everyone pays attention the first go-round. so even tho’ i mentioned it here and here - i gotta go down the mark ronson road again.
version (mark’s album) is the shit. if i believed in capitol letters, i would’ve capitalized shit.
the album features: robbie fucking williams, kasabian, amy winehouse, paul smith, old dirty bastard (r.i.p.) and the divine lily allan on the following:
(can you tell the insomina demon is rearing it’s ugly head? how else do you explain trolling you tube at 2:30am??!?!?!)
this album is brilliant – i discover new things in it constantly. (not to mention i have the biggest crush on mark – he’s dreamy). so check out the above you tube and if you want more (and who wouldn’t), click the banner to the right.
so i’m home from boston with just the slightest beginning of a cold. ugg… this is so the wrong time for me to get sick
—
boston went well. very well. so well in fact, we are changing things! boston was the first of 5 touring retail sales meetings for the management team from our stores. it seriously did go well, but in so many ways it was certainly a dress rehearsal (being the first)… lots of changes to the music, decor and presentation.
—
very little down time in boston – was staying at the fairmont in copley place right across the street from trinity church. i did get a chance to do a bit of a walk-about last night. anxious to see if my pic’s turned out
—
reason #8594 ipods rock. whilst on the plane today (comp upgrade to first class, can’t beat that) had my ipod ‘catch‘ on random and was reminded how much i love the album ‘things to make and do’ by the band moloko. i’ve always enjoyed that album, but it tends to not be in the forefront for me. when the track pure pleasure seeker came on, i immediately got a smile on face and restructured catch to play the whole album. i love moloko’s sense of play and whimsy. if your not familiar with them, they’re similar in a bunch of ways to goldfrapp, but much lighter. while the band is alas, no more – it was a great reminder how much i love them. roisin murphy’s (the singer) new solo album comes out in a couple months – very psyched about that.
here’s the video for the track ‘the time is now’ from the album:
—
it’s cb’s birthday on sunday. i finaly figured out what to get him. it fuckin‘ rocks. can’t wait for him to see it. he’s gonna dig it sooooooo much. i love spoiling my friends. 
—
i have another hair show this weekend in minneapolis and then leave for sales meeting number 2 in atlanta monday morning. as such, posts will continue to be sporadic for a bit.
promotional pic for recoil’s (aka alan wilder) new disk subHuman
a) i love this new disk… to quote one review “the new album gives the term ‘electro-blues’ actual flesh and bones.
b) i’m really digging the first single prey. especially the ‘reduction’ mix from itunes.
c) i’ve always had a lil’ crush on alan wilder. ssshhh… don’t tell anyone.
d) if anyone’s interested in checking it out, and if your not familer with recoil’s work – just a word of warning… this isn’t easy/casual/breezy music. to say it’s a lil’ challenging is an understatement. but it’s beautiful just the same.
ok, so you may have read that i kinda like this minneapolis based singer named prince.
he’s ok i guess..
so prince has this new background singer named shelby j. she’s pretty much the shit. didn’t know much about her until i saw the target center and first ave shows last month and she really blew me away.
at the target center show prince turned the mic over to shelby for a tune or two and on one of the tracks, she tore the roof off of the place with her version of gnarls barkley’s “crazy”.
well, i may (or may not, just sayin’) have come into a bootlegged copy of shelby singing the very same tune one week later when prince & co. invaded the montreux jazz festival.
if i really did have that track, it would indeed be off-the-fucking-hook. that’s all i’m sayin’
damn girl can sing. (plus, the tune heavily features vocoder…. i.love.vocoder)
—
unrelated… don’t you hate when your holding on to a feeling or an emotion about someone, and then that someone comes along and in a text message pretty much ruins the moment? shit, it’s time to move-the-fuck-on. damn i hate this.
—
unrelated pt 2…. a blogger-friend of mine may have just convinced me to send him a rated r pic or two i have of myself. sometimes, a compliment can make all the difference. thank you.
