Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York. Show all posts

Saturday, January 8, 2011

The Budos Band: "Staten Island instrumental afro-soul"


Coming home from chilly and wet Europe next weekend and heading straight over to thaw off with the Budos Band, who is single handedly giving Staten Island a new reputation for funky afro-soul. My only experience with the island was WWF and Jewish deli's. So thank you Budos. See you next weekend.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

New York Mix


This is a second version of a mix I made over the summer when visiting friends in New York. This time I opened up the track list to songs about the city (while maybe not mentioning it in the title) and the individual burroughs. I have to say, I'm pretty happy with this one. I listen to it all the time!

I collaged the cover as well back in August. It's cute.

Note: I only bought two of these songs from itunes especially for this: the Sinatra and the Busta Rhymes. SO, if you have any complaints here, blame it on the mp3 collection.

1. "New York S**t" - Busta Rhymes & Swizz Beatz
2. "N.Y." - Doves
3. "Spanish Harlem" - Aretha Franklin
4. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" - Simon & Garfunkel
5. "Manhattan" - Ella Fitzgerald
6. "New York City" - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
7. "Brooklyn" - Mos Def
8. "New York State of Mind Billy Joel" - Billy Joel
9. "Talkin' New York" - Bob Dylan
10. "Englishman In New York" - Sting
11. "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York" - Louis Armstrong
12. "An Open Letter To NYC" - The Beastie Boys
13. "Autumn in New York" - Billie Holiday
14. "Angel of Harlem" - U2
15. "Manhattan"- Kings Of Leon
16. "Morning in Manhattan" - Raya Yarbrough
17. "Fairytale of New York "- The Pogues
18. "New York, New York" - Frank Sinatra

Almost made the list but cds aren't long enough:

- "What New York Couples Fight About" Feat. Kurt Wagner - Morcheeba
- "The Only Living Boy in New York" - Simon & Garfunkel
- "I Can't See New York" - Tori Amos
- "New York J-D Blues" - Pete Seeger
- "New York" - Sex Pistols

What would you put on your list? I know I asked this a couple months ago, but feel free to share again.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Hair and Rock of Ages: broadway musicals bound by youth, integrity, and hair

Rock of Ages guitarist Joel Hoekstra is on fire


Hey ya'll, I'm back from my trip to New York City where the weather was hot, humid and nasty. I spent a lot of time in air-conditioned museums and theaters and the Daily Show (I got to ask Jon Stewart a question)!!

We had amazing seats at the musical Rock of Ages starring Lauren Molina (also a University of Michigan Music School alum, read more about her here). She got us backstage! Check out the backstage mockumentaries she's been producing and directing. They are hysterical. Here's the first one:



The length and style of one's hair is a symbol of fashion. But in recent decades it has also been a symbol of ones politics and lifestyle.

In the 60s, having long hair (usually for men) meant that you were one of those hippie freaks that protested the war in Vietnam and smoked the marijuana. But in the 80s, the “sexier Regan era,” it meant that you wore leather, drank a lot and listened to loud guitar music. And according to the musicals Hair and Rock of Ages (ROA) you also had a lot of sex. Or at least you wanted other people to think you had a lot of sex. When I saw both shows last week during my visit to the Big Apple, there was a lot of hip motion on stage. A LOT.

Click here to read the rest of my article on examiner.com

Constantine Maroulis as Drew in Rock of Ages with guitarist Joel Hoekstra

Lauren Molina (Michigan classmate and star of Rock of Ages) and I backstage


Tamar and I outside of Hair

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

R.I.P. Ellie Greenwich: a pioneer of women in the music industry

It seems like famous people are dropping like flies lately. But there is one person's life that I'd like particularly like to celebrate: that of Ellie Greenwich, songwriter of such hits as "Chapel of Love," "Da Do Ron Ron," "Be My Baby" "Leader of the Pack," "River Deep - Mountain High" and dozens more. Greenwich was part of the songwriting hit machine in the Brill Building in New York City.

At a very young age, Greenwich and Carole King blazed a path for women in the music industry at that time dominated by men. Women hadn't really been on the creative production side of the music industry at that point, with few exceptions they had been mostly singers or administrative types. Greenwich found great success as a songwriter and partnered with her husband Jeff Barry. Greenwich and Barry wrote songs for the popular girl groups of the early '60s like the The Ronettes, The Crystals and The Shangri-Las.

In an interview with NPR, Greenwich reflected on being a woman and working in the production side of the music industry,
It wasn't that accepted back then, a female being in that end of the business.
She even had a little bit of difficulty working with other female artists;
At first it was like, 'Well, who does she think she is, giving us orders here or telling us what to do?' But on the other end, if you were very open to them, they saw you could be their friend, and then it became an asset to be a woman dealing with girl groups.
Ellie Greenwich gave us dozens of hit songs, like silly bubble gum pop with nonsensical choruses, and some with heart felt meaning. Let's remember her as she held her own against the British Invasion and paved the way for women who wanted to have a creative role in the music industry.

Ellie Greenwich died Wednesday August 24th of a heart attack in New York City at the age of 68.

This is my favorite Ellie Greenwich not-so-famous tune: "Maybe I Know" performed by Lesley Gore (I fell in love with this tune when my junior high performed the musical "Leader of the Pack" based on the music of Ellie Greenwich):



And just for fun, this is the same tune performed by They Might be Giants.



Read more about Ellie Greenwich and watch more videos here at Pitchfork.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Support Tara to be part of the Youtube Symphony


Be part of a musical revolution!  I know it sounds cliche, but please keep reading. This is very exciting:

My friend Tara is part of an amazing youtube project where classical musicians upload audition videos of musical segments, and viewers vote on who they like best, sort of like "American Idol" or "Dancing with the Stars". Last year she got to play at the 2008 Grammys with the Foo Fighters as part of My Grammy Moment

This year you can vote for her, and other talented folks from all over the world, to play a composition by Chinese composer Tan Dun, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas.

I think this is one of the most exciting and innovative combinations of youtube, the internet and pure musical talent bringing musicians together from all over the world. 

Definitely check out some of the other musicians, there is a category for over a dozen instruments including contrabasson, harp, french horn, marimba, tuba and more!

Here is the message I got from Tara on how to vote. If you have any questions, let me know.

----------- 

Dear Friends,

Last year it was the Grammy's -- this year, it's Carnegie Hall!! :) One year ago, many of you helped me play at the Grammy Awards by voting for me on You Tube. Are you ready for some more You Tube fun??

You Tube is holding auditions for the You Tube Symphony -- and it is up to YOU to vote for who should get into the orchestra. This is such a cool project!! The chosen musicians will be flown to New York City from around the world to perform together in Carnegie Hall this April!

Voting will take place from February 14th through February 22nd at www.youtube.com/symphony.

Please vote for Tara!!!!!
1. Go to www.youtube.com/symphony
2. Click on the Vote button
3. Find my video under the "Cello" category (you can cycle through the contestants or search for "taraklein1027")
4. Cast your vote by clicking the green thumbs up!

Please help me in spreading the word to as many people as you can! Thank you so much for your support!! :)

Much Love,
Tara

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Here is Tara's audition video from the 2008 "My Grammy Moment". I think she's pretty awesome, but I might be a little biased...


Wednesday, January 14, 2009

"Be My Husband": Nina Simone & My Brightest Diamond


I've been a Nina Simone fan for a long time now.  I'm not ashamed to say that I first noticed her in this Six Feet Under promo (the best tv show there ever was) and thought "WHO ON EARTH WAS THAT???"  That cadence (the bit at the end) is the most amazing few seconds of deep feeling vocal virtuosity I have ever heard. I still rewind it to hear it again and again.

Nina Simone was an African-American woman who was way before her time and never got the recognition that she should have.  I think this just makes her music more attractive to audiences and artists today.  She was more edgy than Carole King, Judy Collins and Carly Simon put together.  She was also socially relevant in her thematic material and as a classically trained pianist, she brought an elegance not really ever heard in blues or soul. 

Please watch her performance of "Be My Husband" at the Harlem Festival in 1969. Check out here amazing head-dress hairdo and her "percussion section."  Please also take note of the last couple verses, you know, the ones that mentions "cooking and sewing", "meanest man I've ever seen" and "sudden death" (you can even her the audience show surprise).

This is typical Nina: the deepest passion and pain all rolled up into one.



Now, this is Shara Worden, a.k.a. My Brightest Diamond. I've heard about here (she's performed at South by Southwest for the last few years), but not taken the time to really listen until friend played her for me last weekend while packing books for a move. I think I was seeing Ozomatli at the Fillmore the same night she performed in San Francisco.  Too bad for me.

New York based Shara is a classically trained vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. She has studied string quartet arranging and has just an adorable presence (She's tiny!) and funky look.

Watch HER cover of "Be My Husband."  Shara, as you might notice, has changed up the last couple verses making it a little less of a downer. (Check out HER hairdo!)



Now let me throw an original at you.  This is a live performance of "My Brightest Star." Just Shara and her guitar. (The open tuning gives the guitar that moody feel.)



If you're intrigued by her voice, check a clip of her singing Whitney Houston's/Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" at Karaoke (the dude is her husband, and no, he's not a giant, she's just tiny). And a funky little interview clip

I've also added Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good" and some other of Shara's tunes to my playlist.

Happy Wednesday!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

New Yorkers trying to save historic Tin Pan Alley


Tin Pan Alley, the half-dozen or so 19th century brownstones in Manhattan's Chelsea District, is up for sale and marked for demolition.  And a group of concerned New Yorkers are trying to save them and get them recognized as a national landmark, which would keep the buildings from getting destroyed.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries a number of sheet music publishers, composers and lyricists setup shop on West 28th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue.  Among the American songwriters to work in these buildings were Irving Berlin, Scott Joplin, Fats Waller, Hoagy Carmichael, Ira and George Gershwin, James P. Johnson, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter.  Many got their start here writing songs in a factory-like environment, not too different from how songs are written for Nashville or contemporary pop music.

Before the rise of radio and audio recordings, the music industry revolved around the sales of sheet music.  "Song pluggers" (often the songwriters themselves) would go to commercial locations and play these songs enticing consumers to buy them.  

If you think we have schlocky pop music now, you should hear some of this stuff... can you imagine Britney Spears singing something like Ernest Ball and J. Keirn Brennen's "Good-bye, Good Luck, God Bless You"?
It's hard to part when heart to heart 
We've lived and loved and dreamed.
It came to naught, although I've thought
That you were all you seemed.

Good bye, good luck
God Bless you, is all that I can say.
But when you leave, my heart will grieve
Forever and a day.
Although, "Womanizer" is *hardly* better.  

But, of course, there were some diamonds in the rough that we still know and love today (or not), like:

"God Bless American
"After the Ball"
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game"
"Give My Regards to Broadway"
"Alexander's Ragtime Band"
and  
"A Hot Time in the Town Tonight"

I'm pretty confident that these buildings will be saved.  But we'll see how this situation shapes up.

See the AP article here.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The Sway Machinery: traditional psychedelic klezmer afrobeat show in San Francisco



Alright, I know that traditional psychedelic klezmer afrobeat doesn't exist as a genre or even as a logical combination of musical sounds or even adjectives in general, but honestly I have no idea how to explain what this band sounds like.  Just like I said in my last post about Dengue Fever, this band has taken the idea of '"world music fusion" to a whole new non-cheesy dimension.  And I'm diggin' it. (Thank god the 90's are over, eh?)

In fact, the song that I'm adding to my playlist over there on the right called "P'sach Lanu Sha'ar" is a little too African sounding (take a special notice to the guitars and some of the horn lines) and it's freaking me out a little, but in a good way.  But honestly, that should be no surprise considering the band consists of musicians that have played with Antibalas and the Arcade Fire to Middle Eastern percussion bands and Brazilian bands. 

I first heard about the Sway Machinery at the South by Southwest Festival in 2006 as part of the JDub records showcase.  But I really took notice when Jeremiah appeared as a featured artist in a documentary about the New York City Jewish Musical Renaissance.  There's one going on, and Matisyahu and Golem are part of it.  I read about this Ethnomusicologist at UCLA that's writing his dissertation on it and there's a class on it, who knew?   

As a vocalist, Jeremiah Lockwood is somewhere between Robert Johnson and my great-great grandmother's Belarusian rabbi. Honestly, I'm a little worried that his super stylized vocals might make me a little crazy, I mean I am a vocal snob, I totally admit it. (I'm a singer, I can't help it! I mean it took me a few years to enjoy Robert Plant and Thom Thorke for petesake!) But, he's just so different and the music is so interesting, I'm completely drawn to it.  He's also worked with Israeli and American collabortive band  Balkan Beat Box. Here's a really neat clip of Jeremiah playing some jewishy-blues in the New York Subway.




If you've been reading this blog for the short time it's been in existence, you've probably noticed my love of afrobeat, and the band Antibalas in particular.  Not every afrobeat band can cut it, but if the horn arrangements are there and the different layers lock in, there's nothing better for me. And with Stuart Bogie (Antibalas) on tenor sax, Colin Stetson on baritone sax (Arcade Fire), Jordan McLean (Antibalas) on trumpet, Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) on drums and , I'm sorry, but I'm just going to have to go.

My great-great-grandmother's rabbi would be proud.

Here's their myspace page and their website (download some tracks) check them out.  And see you at the show.

The Sway Machinery will be playing this Saturday, October 25 at the Elbo Room, local funk band Monophonics to open.  Show at 9:30pm.