Wednesday, May 26, 2010

I'm all for shameless self-promotion!

Check these numbers out!  My friend Tao and I collaborated for an on-the-quad casual concert last Sunday and I thought I would share.  Enjoy, if you please.




peace, love, and s'mores,
Elizabeth

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

I've spent quite a few moments dwelling on the fact that my latest promise to update 'soon,' was, in fact, a little more than long ago.  But, dear readers, I am here to remedy the situation.  Better late than never, right?

A fair amount of my time last month was spent jammed up in the car - jammed up, and jammed out, that is. Fortunately for me, I had the Gathering of the Vibes' headliner Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings to keep me company.  Their new album, 'I Learned the Hard Way,' has a classic MoTown feel that I, having not lived through the actual MoTown era, was excited to experience.



There's something about her voice.  It's rich.  It's filled with soul.  It's strong.

I have been listening to this album for about a month, and even at this point I couldn't pinpoint only one favorite song.  I continue to waver between three excellent toe-tappers: "Better Things," "Mama Don't Like My Man," and "Without A Heart."  There's a certain and individual feel to each tune.

"Better Things" has a casual, upbeat, and friendly feeling to it - until you listen to the lyrics.  The feminist in me cheers when Sharon croons about having "better things to do than remember you."

"Mama Don't Like My Man" is a simple yet incredibly catchy doo-wop tune.  The arrangement is comprised of Sharon on vocals with a few backup singers and an electric guitar that plunks out the bass line.  The stripped-down arrangement showcases some really beautiful harmonies and vocal techniques in this one that, being a vocalist myself, I can appreciate.  Sometimes I get chills listening to the stuff.



Sharon begins "Money" with an amusing rhetoric about money (and lack thereof) in modern society while guitars are strummed, saxophones are played, and keys are tickled.  Picture this:  The first word sung is, appropriately, the word 'money'.  And when I say sung, I mean more, belted... with backup vocalists yelling the same word at the same time.  It sounds weird, but it creates an effect that fits in nicely with the mood of the song.  She laments: "I'm hungry and I'm tired but my money's all spent."  Horns pop in, out, and around her vocal phrasing tastefully.  It's quite a scene.

Considering my only previous experience with MoTown is the fact that I have seen Dreamgirls and heard the Jackson 5,  I am not overly familiar with genre.  With that said, I have to admit: this album is user-friendly.  It seems to span a few different subdivisions of the genre.  None of the songs sound too much like each other, which I find impressive.

So without further ado, I give 'I Learned the Hard Way' my official seal of approval.  I can't wait to see them at the Vibes this summer!

peace, love, and sunny beaches.
Elizabeth

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Hooray!

With the warm weather of the season comes sunshine, tee shirts, frisbee games, and most importantly, upcoming blog posts! Be patient, dear readers.

Which reminds me..

In the meantime, I'll start you off with an addiction of mine that has snowballed at a frightening pace lately - a series of YouTube videos called "Wizard People, Dear Reader". In a nutshell, this guy dubs over the first Harry Potter movie and it's entirely hilarious, quite frankly.

here's the link - click away.

peace, love, and window-shopping,

Elizabeth

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals Youtube

I just so happened across Grace Potter & the Nocturnal's Youtube page a few minutes ago, and had to post it - these videos are high-quality recordings (sound and video-wise) of live performances.  I'm a Potter fan, and it's nice to have access to a small archive of her stuff quickly and easily.  Plus, who wouldn't want to show the band some love? 

 Count me a subscriber. 

Monday, February 8, 2010

Valentine's Day Love Songs

I just submitted this article to my editors last night - it's fresh!  Check out some groovy love songs for this year's Valentine's Day!

Note: Perpetual Groove does an amazing cover of "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" - http://www.archive.org/details/pgroove2006-02-02.flac16 check it out!

Elizabeth Bayne '10
Red & White Senior Staff Writer

Gather ‘round the jukebox, lovers young and old.  I’ve got a bag full of tunes and I'm not afraid to use 'em.

In love?  Derek & the Domino’s ‘Layla’ is a classic rock and roll song about devotion to a woman named Layla.  Although the lyrics are compelling, the element that really kicks this love song into eternal greatness is the piano coda. Its beauty stands starkly contrasts the shredding guitar that it cuts out.  There are no words; there is no need for them.  The instruments do the talking, and they do it quite well.

‘This Must Be the Place’ by the Talking Heads celebrates a humbler sort of love.  It speaks of the realization that the place we call ‘home’ is not mandated by an address or a building – home is wherever and whenever we are with our loved ones.  It’s pretty deep stuff, and comes along with a great groove.  Not only is this tune classic Talking Heads, but it is also one of the happiest songs I’ve ever heard.

Love on the rocks?  The Grateful Dead has just the fix for you.  Bob Weir’s lamentations (occasionally supplemented by Donna Jean’s airy background vocals) throughout the tune ‘Looks Like Rain’ makes it a sadder love song than most.  The lyrics are about a man whose love has left him.  Although he is faced with the possibility that she “might not be sleeping here again,” he promises to “still sing her love songs written in the letters of her name.”  The kindness and selflessness in the lyrics reflect true love and devotion. 

What makes this tune a standout, however, is not the lyrics, but the magic of Jerry Garcia.  Throughout the song, Jerry, the lead guitarist for the band, shreds beautifully.  His playing reflects a type of pain and passion that cannot be put into words.  The real emotion in this song lies in the powerful combination of Jerry’s guitar and the soulful way the lyrics are delivered.

Got a love that’s gone for good?  Wallow in self-pity with Graham Nash’s beautiful little acoustic ditty 'I Used to Be a King.'  Although one of the group’s slightly less known tunes, it happens to be this humble music reviewer’s favorite.  There are a few emotional components to the song.  Nash reminisces about how “he used to be a king, but everything around him turned to rust,” and vows to never have his heart broken again, yet goes on to show a certain vulnerability with the confession that “late at night he misses her.”  This tune is a melancholy one, with the classic CSN touch of beautiful vocal harmonization.

Feeling even more reminiscent?  Try out Bob Dylan’s ‘Girl From the North Country.’  (I especially love Bruce Hornsby’s rendition – his voice lends itself nicely to his arrangement of the song.)  Dylan fondly describes a past “true love” and wonders if she still remembers him.  He asks that if anyone happens meet her, to “see if her hair [still] hangs long” and remind her of him.  This is a soft, beautiful song with a beautiful message.  Makes me smile every time.

Music is oftentimes the best medium to use to portray a certain emotion or how we feel about someone else, so why not check out these tunes?  They very well may come in handy.  xoxo!