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Month: November 2018
Rewind Review: Ennio Morricone – Psichedelico Jazzistico (2004)
This 2004 collection from Cherry Red Records covers music made by living legend composer Ennio Morricone for films in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. It’s a wild, trippy mix of music for thrillers, erotic comedies, and crime films.
It starts with three tracks from one of the best giallo films ever made, Dario Argento’s The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. The theme, “Plume di Cristallo,” begins the journey into a dark, shadowy world with creepy, child-like vocals, tinkling crystal bells, and acoustic guitar that’s both warm and chilling at the same time. The lovely, almost waltz-like “Non Rimane Piu Nessano” and the jazz freak-out “Corsa Sui Tetti” (which sounds like a fight inside a dark club) follow.
After that we get two from another Argento film that Morricone scored – Four Flies on Grey Velvet – “Come Un Madrigale” (which reminds one of a winter stroll through a bleak yet beautiful city park) and the film’s main theme – which incorporates both gospel and circus music elements…because Morricone is a bad ass.
Up next are tracks from the film One Night at Dinner – “Sauna” (which is luxurious as you’d hope with sparkling xylophones), “Alla Luce Del Giorno” (with plenty of psychedelic keyboard work, meaningless vocal sounds, and psych-pop guitar), and “Uno Che Grida Amore” (in which you can hear touches of his spaghetti western soundtracks – the piano – and lush strings mixing with jazz drums).
We’re off to the film Forza G with the smooth and lush (Those strings!) “Sospeci Fra Le Nuvole” and the film’s main theme with its sweet jazz drumming. “L’assoluto Naturale” (from She and He) follows with haunting French horn backed with simple acoustic guitar chords to produce a haunting effect. The short, action sequence-ready “Studio Di Colore” (also from She and He) could fit into nearly any bank heist scene.
The main theme to “Indagine Su Un Cittadino Al Di Sopra Di Ogni Sospetto” (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion) is track on this record most like one from Morricone’s spaghetti westerns with its mouth harp, quirky piano chords, and clockwork percussion. “Terazza” (from the 1977 comedy Il Gatto / The Cat) has poppy lounge organ mixed with sexy, slithering beats and slightly Latin horns. The closer is another track from Il Gatto – “Mariangela e la Seduzione” – which belongs on your next make-out mix tape because it’s practically the sounds of a woman having a long orgasm while lounge jazz plays behind her.
This is a must for film score buffs, fans of Morricone’s work, or psychedelic jazz. Morricone is a true maestro and his influence on music and pop culture is phenomenal.
Keep your mind open.
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Review: Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
Dehumanization, over-reliance on technology, (un)intentional loneliness, love, freedom, sex, and the inward journey toward finding the true self are just some of the concepts covered on Janelle Monae‘s newest, and best yet, record – Dirty Computer.
The title refers to a futuristic world in which people who don’t fit into social norms are classified as “dirty” and relegated to either second or third-class citizenship or brainwashed into civility. What’s worse is that many of us do this to ourselves daily. The title track (featuring Brian Wilson, no less) sets the tone. “I’m not that special. I’m broke inside, crashing slowly. The bugs are in me,” she sings as she shuffles through a bleak, futuristic landscape looking for love.
“Crazy, Classic, Life” begins with a sermon preaching that freedom, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is for everyone no matter their social status, sexual preference, or skin color. “I just want to party hard, sex in a swimming pool. I don’t need a lot of cash. I just want to break the rules,” Monae sings behind big, bold beats. “I am not the American nightmare. I am the American dream,” she proclaims. It’s a rallying cry for everyone.
The beats on “Take a Byte” remind me of Tears for Fears at first, and then they switch to sultry house beats as Monae claims she’s not the kind of girl you take home to meet your mother. She’d rather you nibble on her mocha skin. Meow. “Screwed” keeps up the sexy theme (“Wanna get screwed at a festival, wanna get screwed like an animal.”) and takes potshots at those in power who are screwing over those below them (“You fucked the world up now, we’ll fuck it all back down.”).
If you don’t think she’s serious, then consider “Django Jane,” in which Monae puts down a fierce rap about misogyny with lyrics like, “And we gonna start a mother-fuckin’ pussy riot, or we gonna have to put ’em on a pussy diet.” and “Let the vagina have a monologue.”
It’s fitting (and tongue-in-cheek…and more) that “Pynk” follows, as it’s a tribute not only to lady parts, but also to female sexuality and empowerment. As if that weren’t sexy enough, “Make Me Feel” is perhaps the sexiest song of the year as Monae boldly comes out of the closest as pansexual. Monae worked with Prince on some of the sounds of this record before his death, and his influence is immediately apparent on this track with its funky guitar, swelling synths, and dance beats.
“I Got the Juice” is Monae again claiming her freedom from expectations, illusions, and haters – including one in the White House when she states, “If you try to grab this pussy, then this pussy’ll grab you back.” “I Like That” has Monae telling us that she’s happy with who she is at this point in her life, which is really what all of us want. Her vocals on “Don’t Judge Me” are lovely, showing her versatility. She can float between serious rap chops and torch songs with ease.
She admits that she’s not perfect on “So Afraid.” She’s tentative about settling down and commitment, and her bold, to-the-back-of-the-church vocals emphasize how she’s on the verge of taking the plunge but still can’t quite make the leap of faith.
“Just love me, baby. Love me for who I am…Don’t try to take my country. I will defend my land. I am not crazy, I’m American,” she sings on “Americans” before dropping in sound bytes of a sermon on what America represents and what it has become in 2018 and it could be in the future. The last lyric on the record, as the music fades, is, “Please sign your name on the dotted line.” Is it a call to action, or a warning?
I’m not sure. That’s for Monae to know and for the rest of us to learn by self-introspection and, among other things, listening to this record.
Keep your mind open.
[Your computer won’t get dirty if you subscribe.]
Live: Windhand – November 07, 2018 – Subterranean – Chicago, IL
A place called “Subterranean” seems like a perfect fit to see doom metal rockers Windhand. A lot of their songs cover subjects like graveyards, tombs, and ancient things best left buried. They played to a happy crowd of metal heads, goths, and music geeks like yours truly in the small club. Unfortunately for me, their opening band, Satan’s Satyrs, were wrapping up their set about the time I was walking up to the door. Yes, I could hear them from outside and even across a busy Chicago street.
Windhand were just as loud, if not louder. I hadn’t seen them since I caught most of their set at Levitation Austin earlier this year, and that was an open-air stage. This would be my first time seeing them in an enclosed space. I’m glad I brought my earplugs.
Emerging to a recording of spooky Halloween / haunted house noises, they opened with, what else, “Old Evil” and immediately unleashed thunder.
Lead singer Dorthia Cottrell was fully warmed up by the time they reached “First to Die,” and following it with “Forest Clouds” and “Grey Garden” had the entire crowd head-banging in unison.
One thing I noticed live that I now can’t believe I missed when listening to their new record, Eternal Return, was how Garrett Morris‘ guitar work often brings in distortion and effects with shoegaze influences. It’s no secret that I love shoegaze music, so this is probably one of the many reasons I like Windhand so much.
Everyone in the crowd was ready for the Grim Reaper to show up by the time Windhand got to “Red Cloud” and “Cossack.” It was a heavy, powerful performance that I needed after a work week that had me dealing with a staggering amount of paperwork until my eyes were sore.
Another breath of fresh air at this show was something you don’t see much of anymore – affordable merchandise. $20 T-shirts, $10 CD’s, cheap stickers, reasonably priced hoodies, and more were available at Windhand and Satan’s Satyrs’ booths.
Catch them before they leave for a bunch of European dates. Heck, go to Europe and see them (where I’m sure they’ll sell out most, if not all, of their shows). Let their power overwhelm you.
Keep your mind open.
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Live: Public Image Ltd. – October 22, 2018 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL
I last tried to see Public Image Ltd. thirty years ago when a friend of mine in high school won tickets to see them play in Indianapolis. She couldn’t make the show, or just didn’t want to go, and told me she’d give me the tickets once she picked them up from the radio station that held the conotest. She kept avoiding me as the day of the show drew closer. I tracked her down the day of the show and asked about the tickets. She blushed and admitted that she didn’t make it to the station to get them. I was out of luck.
PiL went through many lineup changes and hiatuses and went on many tours that never came close to my neck of the woods since then. I finally got tickets to see them at Chicago’s Thalia Hall…and learned a couple weeks before the show that I was going to have to cancel the trip because a co-worker would still be recovering from surgery. I was, as you can guess, bummed about that.
As fate would have it, however, my co-worker recovered faster than anyone imagined he would and I ended up with the night off…although I still had to work at 6am the next day. I wouldn’t let that stop me, however.
PiL started their set with the low-key “Deeper Water,” and then slowly ramped up the energy from there forward. John Lydon stood like a professor at a podium in front of his microphone and sheet music stand, delivering a lesson on how to own a stage and spit venom (all the while alternating sips of water and straight bourbon from the bottle between songs). He even shimmed and shook a bit on “Bodies.” The crowd was firmly in his hand when they followed it with “Disappointed.”
They were in a great groove when they reached “Death Disco,” “Cruel,” and “I’m Not Satisfied.” The crowd went nuts for “This Is Not a Love Song,” and “Rise” gave me chills after finally getting to hear it live after three decades. Album is one of my favorite records of all time, and getting to hear John Lydon sing even one cut from it was worth the wait.
“Does this look like a fucking cruise ship?” Lydon asked a drunk man in front of the stage as they came back out for the encore. “We don’t do requests.” That guy and his drunk girlfriend were soon removed by security while Lydon waved goodbye to them and he and PiL tore through “Public Image” and “Open Up.”
This was the first show in a long time at which I bought a tour shirt that cost more than twenty dollars. I have a hard time paying more than that for any T-shirt. The official tour shirt was $30.00. I hesitated. My wife said, “Thirty years, man.” She was right. A dollar for every year I waited was a fair price, and completely worth it.
Keep your mind open.
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Review: Ron Gallo – Stardust Birthday Party
Made not long after he attended a week-long silent meditation retreat, Ron Gallo‘s excellent new album of Zen punk, Stardust Birthday Party, arrives at a crucial time in history when the rich are getting richer, the middle class is disappearing, the poor are being left behind, and people are still clinging to material and mental things that ultimately mean nothing.
“Who Are You? Point to It!” is the short, existential question that opens the record. Can any of us answer this question without words? It jumps into the Alan Watts and Eckhart Tolle-inspired “Always Elsewhere.” It’s one of the best singles of the year and has been my mantra since hearing it. Everyone nowadays seems to be somewhere other than where they really are in space and time. The song is a wild, blaring diatribe against this practice that will make you want to throw away your cell phone, take a breath, and experience the miracle happening right in front of you at this moment.
“Prison Decor” reveals Gallo’s love of Devo with the snappy sound and his playful and slightly weird vocals. “Party Tumor” brings forth Joe Bisirri‘s fat bass as Gallo sings about someone (himself, perhaps?) who constantly needs to be heard and craves attention (“I just need to be heard anytime, anywhere.”) even though this attention will bring no true satisfaction.
“Do You Love Your Company?” starts with a Tibetan meditation bowl clang and then asks if you truly enjoy being in the moment alone or if you seek verification from the illusionary world around you. Gallo’s guitars squawk and chug as much as his intense vocals. “‘You’ Are the Problem” is a wake-up call to everyone who thinks the world is against them but doesn’t realize the issue is within them.
“OM” has the universal chant layered over police sirens, wine bar chatter, and a warning from Gallo’s mind that the mind can’t be stopped, but his relationship with it can be changed. After all, “It’s All Gonna Be OK.” That track is full of fuzzed guitar riffs and some of Dylan Sevey‘s biggest rock drumming on the record.
“I Wanna Die (Before I Die)” is a Zen riddle. “It’s the point of my life,” Gallo sings. It’s the point of all our lives, really. Dying to illusion and freeing the true self is the only goal of all of our lives. Caroline Rose guest stars on “Love Supreme (Work Together),” which has her and Gallo singing about the nature of love, what it means to each of us, and how “God loves it when we work together.”
“Everybody’s trying to be some kind of something,” Gallo sings on “The Password” – a quirky track that reminds me of one of Frank Zappa‘s work. “I don’t even know the password to my own heart,” Gallo says. We all know the passwords to multiple social media accounts, bank accounts, and shopping clubs, but we don’t know how to unlock our inner treasure house.
“Bridge Crossers” discusses how the fear of death is irrational and seems to be a salute to one of Gallo’s teachers of spirituality. The album ends with “Happy Deathday,” a celebration of the end of illusions. “How hard we have to work for a false sense of worth…” Gallo sings. We all tend to lose sight of the joy inside us and right in front of us because it’s easy to succumb to fear. It’s relentless and will overwhelm your life if you let it.
If, like the alien mentioned in “Happy Deathday,” you’re wondering “what the fuck happened” to you, your family, your friends, and the world in general, then this album will be a welcome pleasure. It will remind you that you have what you need within you. You always have.
Keep your mind open.
[I don’t need you to subscribe to make me happy, but I do admit that I would enjoy it.]
Live: Simple Minds – Fillmore Theater, Detroit, MI – October 14, 2018
When one of my best pals from high school said he had a free extra ticket to see Simple Minds in Detroit, I jumped at the chance to (1) hang out with him and (2) finally see a band that was a big part of our high school years. I mean, come on. 1985’s Once Upon a Time is one of the best albums of that decade. Plus, the tracks they played from their new record, Walk Between Worlds, aren’t too shabby either.
They started with “The Signal and the Noise” off that new record and then unloaded two sets’ worth of classic hits and new material including “Up on the Catwalk” (which I hadn’t heard in years), the lively “Promised You a Miracle,” “Midnight Walking,” before ending the first set with a cover of “Dirty Old Town.”
“Theme for Great Cities” opened the second set, and they were cruising by then. The title track off the new record was well-received, as were “Someone Somewhere in the Summertime,” “All the Things She Said,” and “Don’t You (Forget about Me)”.
The encore included “Stand by Love,” “Alive and Kicking,” and “Sanctify Yourself.” It was a fun show, with a happy crowd of Gen X’ers and even younger folks. One woman was in happy tears as we were walking out. “So many feels!” she yelled.
Keep your mind open.
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Review: Underworld and Iggy Pop – Teatime Dub Encounters
Recorded over a couple weeks in a clandestine hotel room in London, Underworld and Iggy Pop (who has been living in London for a while now while spinning records for BBC 6 Music) joined forces to put out a four-song EP – Teatime Dub Encounters. The EP mixes Underworld’s electro wizardry with Pop’s gravelly vocals (man of which seem to be improvised) and memories of the past while embracing an unknown future.
Beginning with the instantly danceable “Bells & Circles,” Underworld puts down some of the sharpest beats of the year and Pop sings / raves about the “golden days of air travel” when you could smoke on airplanes, flirt with stewardesses, and do cocaine in the airplane’s bathroom. By the end, he warns, “There will be no revolution, and that’s why it won’t be televised.”
“Trapped” starts off sounding like music from a 16-bit video game but quickly builds into a track that has you moving before you realize it. Pop unleashes some vicious lyrics about being stuck in a rut. “I’m trapped and I never get out no more. I really wanted to be special, I really wanted to live in heaven. I really thought that I could be free, but all of this is coming back on me,” he laments. “Let’s hear it for Johnny. He’s got a mortgage. He’s got a house. Oh no!” He sings / rants later, pleading for Joe Average to break out of his self-built prison.
“I’ll See Big” is a mellow affair with Pop telling part of the story of how the Stooges got together. He talks about how great it was to have friends that weren’t demanding, but he later had to meet people who were demanding in order to move forward in life.
Pop gets demanding on “Get Your Shirt,” in which he expresses anger over things he’s lost now and then by signing on the dotted line. The Underworld lads, meanwhile, blast you with bright synths and early rave culture beats.
It’s a sharp EP, and it’s great to see and hear legendary performers like this teaming up to make dream projects and spin new material.
Keep your mind open.
[I’ll spin in circles of joy if you subscribe.]
Flasher put out possibly the best video of 2018 for their new single – “Material.”
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Khruangbin cover Vince Guaraldi on a new single out November 16th.
Khruangbin Announce “Christmas Time Is Here” 7”,
Out Nov. 16th On Dead Oceans/Night Time Stories
Listen to ‘Christmas Time Is Here” –
https://youtu.be/V4iWO73zPL4
North American Fall/Winter Headline Tour Kicks Off Nov. 6th
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