MetaFilter posts tagged with Music

The performance I give em is something like a hypnotism

cashman — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:54:25 -0800

Singer, beatboxer, electric ukelele player Merrill Garbus says "It was about a woman selling her child to the butcher," referring to her puppet show that led to her first written songs. Her one-woman band Tune-Yards (24:59 video) is like Imogen Heap's live performing, mixed with some Phoebe Snow and Nina Simone. Botanique Brussels SXSW Montreal Stoop in Bed-Stuy

The shape of jazz gone by

kenko — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:42:53 -0800

NPR's jazz blog A Blog Supreme recently concluded a series in which they asked jazz bloggers to "name five albums you would recommend to somebody looking to get into modern jazz". The results are now up in the category Jazz Now; the intro has the index, including reactions elsewhere. Destination: Out had some pricklier suggestions—see also their best of the 90s list (and their own nominations). Some related reading: An interview with Henry Threadgill. (Some tracks from his new album.) An interview with Tootie Heath. An interview with Julius Hemphill. Evan Parker on John Coltrane.

Krautrock - The Rebirth of Germany

philip-random — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:37:56 -0800

Krautrock - the movie Documentary which looks at how a radical generation of musicians created a new German musical identity out of the cultural ruins of war. (download info in some of the comments)

غزل گفتی و در سفتی بیا و خوش بخوان حافـظ

Lutoslawski — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:21:09 -0800

Thousands of people who play setar in Iran are against me,” he said. “They say why add two more strings to the instrument? But I don’t get upset with them.

Hafez Nazeri, son of renown Persian singer Shahram Nazeri, is an Iranian setar player and composer. Tomorrow night, he will be the first Iranian composer to headline a concert at Carnegie Hall. The concert will feature a new instrument invented by Nazeri: the Hafez. The Hafez, named for both its inventor and for the celebrated Persian poet, is a modified setar with added bass strings, making the instrument more suitable for a broader range of music.

Jerry Fielding

Joe Beese — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:29:15 -0800

Jerry Fielding (1922-1980) was one of cinema's most distinctive voices in the 1960s and especially '70s, the perfect musical complement to the films of Sam Peckinpah*, Michael Winner, Clint Eastwood and others. His scores are marked by modernism and intricate orchestrations but also a poetic beauty and intensity—an appropriate accompaniment to the decade's strange and often sad (but never sentimental) criminals and antiheroes, be they in westerns (The Wild Bunch) or crime films. He was, however, capable of numerous styles (he was a former Vegas bandleader), and wrote a great number of scores (from sticoms to dramas to sci-fi) for television. - Film Score Monthly This bootleg version of Fielding's soundtrack to Donald Cammell's Demon Seed ends with a 40 minute assemblage of snippets from the recording sessions that provide a unique look at the creation of such a work - as well as Fielding's reaction to his father's suggestion that he become bar mitzvahed. (previously)

100 tons heavier than Black Sabbath

not_on_display — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:37:39 -0800

The Carillon is the most massive musical instrument in the world. Carillonneurs bang out heavy metal with their fists loosely clenched. It will leave your ears ringing. (Yes, it's bells. Big bells.)

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (In Patagonia)

Len — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:08:46 -0800

A few years ago, Gruff Rhys, lead singer of fabulous Welsh pop oddballs Super Furry Animals (Cymraeg/English) set out to make a film about the search for his uncle, a 1970s Argentinian pop star called René Griffiths. The result is Separado!: part travelogue, part music film, and part history of how a small band of idealists set out to establish a Welsh colony in the Argentinian part of Patagonia. The settlement was the idea of Welsh Congregationalist minister Michael D Jones (pic of his fabulous beard here), and the first settlers left Liverpool, bound for Patagonia, on a rickety tea clipper called the Mimosa in May of 1865. 153 passengers were aboard – including the Rev. Abraham Matthews, whose family travelled on this ticket. The Mimosa landed at Puerto Madryn and over the subsequent decades, its passengers and their descendants established a thriving Welsh community in the Chubut River valley. The settlers had been promised that Patagonia was much like lowland Wales, but they soon found it a harsh and unforgiving environment. Despite this, the colonists built both churches and what may have been Argentina's first system of artificial irrigation, as well as towns like Trelew and Gaiman, many of whose Welsh shops and tea houses survive to this day. (Small gallery of contemporary Gaiman and surroundings here.) Glaniad – a joint Welsh/Patagonian project – has original documents relating to Welsh emigration to Patagonia, including printed material extolling the virtues of the settlements, the culture of the settlements, and the everyday working lives of the colonists.

To put right what once went wrong

danhon — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:25:12 -0800

Christopher Bird at Mighty God King has written some corkers in the past - from his ejection from Livejournal owing to his review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to his frequent conversations with Flapjacks and Photoshopping of Final Fantasy Covers (previously). He's really outdone himself this time, with Scenes From An Alternate Universe Where The Beatles Accepted Lorne Michaels’ Generous Offer. Read it, and, quite possibly, weep. Bonus points to the first person who constructs a Primer-level explanation of what happened.

Jazz in Azerbaijan

netbros — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:53:16 -0800

Jazz in Azerbaijan Before the turn of the 19th century, Baku Azerbaijan was already known for its oil. Europeans gravitated to this city on the shores of the Caspian, and together with local entrepreneurs, they succeeded in producing more than 51 percent of the world's supply of oil. At about the same time, America was giving birth to a new musical form-jazz. This mesmerizing new sound which originated in the restaurants and back alleys of New Orleans and Chicago drew upon many different cultural traditions, including African rhythms, Asian improvisations and abstract thinking, European classical music and even symbols borrowed from Native American tribes. Soon afterward, this new musical synthesis found its way to other cities all over the world, including Baku. Newspaper archives indicate that bands were performing jazz in Baku restaurants. It's very possible that Robert Nobel and his brothers, Ludwig and Alfred, listened to jazz in Baku.

Did you know Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings?

klangklangston — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:26:42 -0800

The Beatles never broke up.

The Sound of Sacrifice

jefficator — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:13:55 -0800

Few men can reach the notes, and few women have the lung capacity to manipulate them. Most of these arias have not been heard since the deaths of the castrati for whom they were written. Mezzosoprano Cecilia Bartoli has released an album entitled Sacrificium. The album is a compilation of 17th-century arias written for castrati--male singers who were castrated in order to sing in a higher register. Commentaries on the work are favorable; commentaries on the history of castrati and Bartoli herself are just as interesting.

LiveR Than You'll Ever Be

Joe Beese — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:59:33 -0800

40 years ago today, The Rolling Stones played two concerts at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. In the darkness of the audience was a man known to history only as "Dub"... [audio auto-plays] His recording of the later show was in stores by Christmas as LiveR Than You'll Ever Be. Reviewing it in Rolling Stone, Greil Marcus wrote: It is the most exciting record I have heard all year, fully the equal, in its own way, of Let It Bleed, and in some ways better. All qualifications aside, it is the ultimate Rolling Stones album. In addition to its unprecedented audio fidelity, LiveR made history by its influence on the Rolling Stones discography. Demand for the title pressured Decca into releasing an official live album from the tour - though some considered the eventual Get Yer Ya-Yas Out! spoiled by excessive overdubbing. Both the early and late shows can be heard in best-available sound here . And an extensive history of rock bootlegging can be found in Clinton Heylin's Bootleg: The Secret History of the Other Recording Industry. ( previously)

Makes you nine feet tall when you're four foot five

Uppity Pigeon #2 — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 08:38:09 -0800

Whether working with the Nicholas Brothers (Previously), working with the muppets, working with that funny, funny, funny reefer man, or making out with your wife, Cab Calloway never fails to entertain.

"Everybody's talkin' 'bout the new sound, funny, but it's folk/psych/prog/70s Korean rock to me

kkokkodalk — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:35:32 -0800

Boys dared to grow their hair and girls dared to wear mini skirts and in Korea indecency officers patroled the street with scissors and rulers, publicly cutting hair too long and checking if skirts were too short. Shin Joong-hyung, was there with his 70s hit, Beauty, as were other musicians and artists like Sanullim and the Key Boys. Shin's memorable hook from "Beauty" of "I look at her once, look at her twice, I want to keeping looking at her” matched with an addictive beat and guitar riff created the trend of "I _____ once, _____ twice, I keep wanting to ______" wordplay according to Jishik Shidae's E documentary on Shin (link to part two, giving video clips, photos and some of the music from the time). Shin was performing since the 50s, beginning his career entertaining US troops, and in the 60s in bands like Add4 and he continued to pump out popular hits that are still familiar to the ears of many Koreans today. For example, Beautiful Rivers and Mountains, topped the charts again in the 80s when it was covered by power vocalist Lee Sun-hee, and is now considered one of her greatest hits (song clip is actually from a 2003 performance in North Korea as part of a "Reunification Concert" where South Korean singers went to perform in North Korea). Shin, who is considered the godfather of rock and soul in Korea, was an influential guitarist and musician. He also wrote songs for and worked with other acts like the Pearl Sisters (1, 2). Another one of his great hits, Officer Kim Returning from Vietnam, was performed by Kim Chu-ja. Sanullim were also a force to be reckoned with. Even though they created progressive and psychedelic music, the trio were also responsible for many recognizable hit now part of the Korean pop music lexicon with hits and exploded onto the scene with "Oh, no! Already?" (linked above) from their first album. From Sanullim's first album: Restless Heart Open the Door Girl A couple of songs from Sanullim's second album: I Think It's Really Like That Dear One Leaving Me Lining My Heart With Silk The Key Boys were responsible for another one of the most recognizable Korean songs Let's Go to the Beach, a karaoke favorite and covered by numerous performers, including punk band No Brain in 2001. It wasn't just the boys who got to play, there were also female artists with a more pop sound like Kim Jung-mi and Yoon Si-nae Another song that most Koreans are familiar with: Song Gol-mae's 80s hit, You, Who I Accidentally Ran Into To see album covers read up some more info (including how much collectors are paying for some of these albums!) check out Belgian Psyche Van Het Folk radio show's collection of Korean psychedelic folk music and their labyrinthine links. Other folk-style acts to note: Yang Hee-eun Onions Kim Jung-ho One of Shin Jung-hoon's hits was One Cup of Coffee, (performed by the Pearl Sisters). Interestingly enough, one of the more current incarnations of Korean folk and psych tradition, Chang Ki-ha and The Faces, were able to escape unknown indie band status with another coffee-themed hit, Cheap Coffee. Chang Ki-ha and The Faces perform with an enigmatic, silent and stony-faced background dancer/backup singer duo named The Mimi Sisters," an obvious nod to the 60s-70s both in the naming convention and in their sometimes retro style of dress: Why Does that Man...? The Moon is Becoming Full Accept Me

Test Card music and other delights.

feelinglistless — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:16:01 -0800

BBC test card music and other delights. Relive those rainy summer afternoons when the only thing to watch on television was a photograph of a girl playing noughts and crosses with a clown to an easy listening soundtrack who would later be fictionalised for Life on Mars. Join the club!

What is “Try Not to Breathe” about?

joeclark — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:19:32 -0800

What is “Try Not to Breathe” about? The Studio 360 podcast interviews a listener who, remembering how her father died of a sudden illness, has a touching eureka moment about the message of the song on R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People: “I think it’s about somebody who has reached the end of their life. They have a level of acceptance that maybe the people around them don’t have. I felt like that was my dad talking to me.... It’s about facing the truth and accepting that life is ugly sometimes.” (Contains download link and embedded player of radio segment.)

Limberjack and Limberjill

tellurian — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:08:58 -0800

Jig Dolls as a percussion instrument, here played by Jean Ritchie [previously] and The Beers Family. There are modern exponents though - Limberjacking is NOT just for folkies.

There's more to it than "omit the instrumental part"

Wolfdog — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:25:56 -0800

A guide to a capella arranging from SmarterMusic, including some nice analysis of examples.

Battle for Milkquarious

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:46:45 -0800

Battle for Milkquarious - The greatest Rock Opera ever made. About milk. [Flash, dairy advertising] From the California Milk Processor Board. There is also a director's commentary.

Goodnight to all. Much love, Tay

cjorgensen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:26:51 -0800

Taylor Mitchell, 19, was a promising Canadian folk singer. Her life was cut short by a rare coyote attack. Her music can be heard on her Myspace page. Mitchell on Facebook. From her bio: Taylor has just released her debut full length recording "For Your Consideration"- a collection of mostly original songs that showcases a range of styles, from folk to country-rock to pop, and reflects the diversity of her talent.

Bleach Your Works

Artw — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:30:53 -0800

The first time they came and recorded with me—which was January 23, 1988—they didn't have a band name, and they just had a borrowed drummer, which was Dale from the Melvins. But, yeah, they came and recorded 10 songs with me in one afternoon. I was left going "God, who are these people?" The cassettes I gave out just said "Kurt Cobain and Company" on them, because that's all I knew. - Recording Nirvana Before They Were Nirvana. As Nirvanas first albulm hits 20 years old, with Sub Pop prepare to release a remastered anniversary edition, the Seattle Weekly takes a look back at the album that launched grunge.

Art of Noises

fire&wings — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:32:46 -0800

Luigi Russolo was a futurist painter, experimental composer, and instrument builder. In his 1913 manifesto "The Art of Noises" he declaimed the death of traditional Western music and foresaw the dawning of a new music based on the grinding, screeching, moaning, crackling and buzzing of mechanical instruments. He and his assistant Ugo Piatti built the Intonarumori to bring these new sounds - "the palpitation of valves, the coming and going of pistons, the howl of mechanical saws, the jolting of a tram on its rails, the cracking of whips, the flapping of curtains and flags" - to life. Listen to them, then and now.

We are all connected

bwg — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:01:04 -0800

Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye, sing to us (auto-tuned in a way that I actually don't hate), in We Are All Connected*. *Possibly NSFW owing to sidebar video links. Something similar was mentioned here previously.

Toe Jam and Earl Jam

joshwa — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:38:24 -0800

Os Gameboys are a band from Brazil who play only music from classic videogames. They are really, really good. (via waxy: "the best live Mario cover I've ever seen")

bluestab's blog meets AfricanAfrican aka NegroArtist.com

y2karl — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:20:15 -0800

Chanteur puissant à la voix rocailleuse. And here is bluestab's blog And here, via Babelfish is bluestab's blog in an English of sorts. Then, while, looking for mp3s to match the tabs, I came across the universe of African American history and culture that is AfricanAfrican aka NegroArtist.com, a site so big it has two URLs. [Billy Mays] But, wait--that's not all! [/Billy Mays] Then, while looking for in the commons mp3s for any of the titles in bluestab's blog , I stumble upon a treasure trove of such in the 5000 series pages at Document Records. , the completist's completist pre-war jazz and blues label, And found even more even more in the Rare Recordings and Video page of AfricanAfrican, a small universe of texts, music and motion pictures of and on the African American experience. I am overwhelmed. Yoda says I: Truly a Labor of Love this is. And between the two--voila! We have a post!