I am not a betting person. But if you presented me with the following information, I may not be able to resist:A local record label gathers a huge group of bands, musicians and friends together to record a 53 song holiday compilation. This compilation is totally free. Is this something that anybody other than the people involved in the project and their mothers would find enjoyable?
My money would be on "no." As fun as a project like this might be to put together, how much quality material could it really produce? It probably just sounds like a bunch of people having fun and goofing off, right? I mean, if compilations like Sleighed: The Other Side of Christmas (which has Beck, the Smithereens, Sonic Youth...)and the Sufjan Stevens' Songs For Christmas box set have taught me anything, it is even artists I like and have heard of can make terrible and (in Sufjan's case) terribly pretentious holiday music. So you can understand my holiday music pessimism here, I'm sure.
But O, Holy Shit. Suburban Sprawl has the magic recipe for holiday cheer. I was not even half way through the newly released 2009 Suburban Sprawl Music Holiday Compilation before I was ready to run through the streets of Hamtramck like a little lesbian George Bailey. "Merry Christmas Polish Village! Merry Christmas New Palace Bakery! Merry Christmas you old wonderful Whiskey in the Jar!"
You might consider just downloading the tracks from those you know and recognize, but you will miss out! Instead, download and listen to the whole thing. For real. Make this your go to holiday music collection this season. Yes, I know you like that Mariah Carey song so, so much, but you will get to hear it a bajillion times as you stand in line at Bed Bath & Beyond trying to return a regifted lotion warmer you don't have a receipt for.Thank you to everybody who contributed to this. I was going to try to pick some favorites, but it's just too difficult. Happy Holidays to all of you, and I'm sorry I didn't get you anything in return. But if you find yourself in Hamtramck this season, I'd be happy to pour you a Brandy and Silk Nog.
Hello! I know you're busy wrapping things up and all, so I'll keep this brief. I feel like I need to ask you a question before you're totally history and stuff, so here goes. Why do I feel so underwhelmed by you? Pretty much everybody in the whole wide world has put together exhaustive "best of the decade" lists and each and every one I've seen leaves me underwhelmed and anxious. And yet, when I look back at the 1990's, there's stuff like this:
Maybe it's just me, you know? But there's nothing from the 2000's that makes me feel like that. So, with all due respect, please don't feel bad that I have no plans to roll out some decade music retrospective. There's enough of those, and they all kind of feel like the time Whoopi Goldberg hosted the Academy Awards. But she's on The View now discussing the difference between "rape" and "rape-rape" and stuff, so things can still turn around for you Music of the 2000's. Maybe you just need more time. Maybe I just need more time. It's been real.
It was kind of a toss up as to what show we'd end up covering for the Wonder Twins column this week, but with both D'Anne and I fighting off colds and (in D'Anne's case) a possible kidney stone, seeing this show at the Magic Bag was an obvious choice. Why? No smoke. Plus, a pretty sweet line up. But mostly, the lack of smoking. So to the Magic Bag we went.
I love going to shows, but the smoking thing keeps me from going out as often as I would like. I really wish more venues would consider going smoke free - even just for a couple of nights a week. There's all this talk about people not going out to shows and how to fix that, and I have no idea what the answers are. But I do know that a show at a smoke filled room that doesn't even start until 10pm on a weeknight is very unlikely to make my "must attend" list at this point. It just becomes such a chore. Getting home super late, having to take a shower and wash all the clothes my girlfriend and I were wearing (and if it's cold, that includes coats - this can equal a whole load and a half of laundry!) and waking up the next day tired with a raspy throat and sore eyes. Just thinking about it exhausts me. Sometimes a show looks great, but I think to myself, "gee, I'm already behind on laundry." Then I stay home. I don't think I'm alone. Possibly the only one uncool enough to admit it, but I can't be the only one.
Reasonable (and consistent!) door and start times and no smoke. I have a hard time believing these are totally impossible and radical ideas. And it seems to be working for other cities so it couldn't hurt to try it here, right? If other things are not working (and it seems like they're not), maybe it would be worth a try.
Oh! Also, this is tomorrow. It should be awesome, and I would love to see you there.
In January 2010, NPR will launch a year-long exploration of 50 great voices in recorded history. The series isn't an attempt to catalog the so-called "greatest" singers. Instead, we hope to discover and re-discover awe-inspiring vocalists from around the world and across time.
NPR presents to you the top 126 choices, whittled down from thousands of listener nominations. Your job is to try to choose only five from this list to nominate for the top 50. I must say, I'm highly impressed with the diversity of the 126 listed here. Clicking through them, I've run across several artists I've always meant to listen to and explore (Chet Baker, Jackie Wilson, Celia Cruz) and several I've never heard of but now want to investigate (Amalia Rodrigues, Connie Smith, Elis Regina). I'm telling you - it's a music nerd trap of the highest order.
I know, I know - you're just dying to know who I voted for. Well, here are my votes - the first three will be no big surprise:
Morrissey - His voice is unmistakable, and his music has shaped my life more than any other musician.
Lata Mangeshkar - She is known as the "Queen of Bollywood Music"and is one of the most recorded voices in the world. The only other person who comes close (and according to some, actually surpasses her) is her sister Asha Bhosle.
Asha Bhosle - I'll admit - I just couldn't choose between them! Not for lack of distinction, but because they're both amazing and responsible for some of my favorite music of all time.
Now, there is one person I wanted to vote for, and was surprised to not find on the list:
Blossom Dearie - Her voice is simple, yet unique and moving. One of my favorite singers of all time. It's tragic she's not on the list - particularly since she just passed away in February of this year.
To tide you over for a bit more in this Pillow Fights slow period, I present you with a piece written by my friend Nick. He and his wife live in Austin - a city where everything is cooler despite the fact that it is surrounded by (and inexplicably an official part of) Texas. Anyway, his Unfit Times piece is about Ida Maria and the music industry and is really good. Even though I still forget that Ida Maria and Rainer Maria are not the same.
Also, for those of you who have been wondering where to turn now that Jarvis Cocker is perfectly happy churning out crap tunes, I have the answer. Chicago's Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. Think pre His N' Hers Pulp with more care free jangle. They were supposed to play Detroit a couple of months ago, but their entire tour got scrapped because of a tour van accident. I figured they abandoned the tour due expensive van damage, but further investigation revealed that every single member of the band was hurt in the accident - some are still recovering/doing physical therapy, etc. So sad! Their record ... and the Horse You Rode In On just came out in September. Consider it your contribution to health care reform and buy a copy. Also, Nick's wife Meghan is responsible for bringing SYGC to my attention, so this entire post is brought to you by the coolest couple in Austin, TX.
Ah, November. Just like every year since I got my official music geek merit badge, the start of this month means one thing - it's time to get crackin' on my end of the year list. All the music releases of the year of our lord 2009 scramble in my brain as I try to sort through and figure out my favorites. There's still a few things I need to hear, some records I need to spend more time with and tons of others that I already know are contenders, I just don't know how they fit yet.
A friend recently remarked that, this whole "digital age" thing has really had a huge impact on the role of the full length record. Some bands are swearing off the long play format for future releases. Many more are putting out their best material spaced out over several EPs (some of which never see physical formats but are digital only offerings) rather than blowing their musical wad (did I just say that?) on one expensive to make, hard to sell and increasingly difficult to market hard copy product.
So is it really fair to judge the best music of the year based on full lengths only? Probably not. But I've given it a lot of thought, and for me, it just raises the bar for what I'll consider for my list, and makes me more appreciative of records that are solid and worthy of consideration. Does that mean some really great music might get left out? Maybe so... but I like parameters. And really, who's to say I won't look at the evidence and see I need a "best songs" or "best EPs" list as well? Only time and the extent of my OCD will tell! But as long as I have enough contenders before me, I'll stick with the album format for my main year end list while recognizing that not that far down the road, such a criteria could very well be an anachronism.
That said - any recommendations of stuff you think I should check out are welcome.
I am a freelance writer and stand up comedian in the Detroit area. I primarily write about dogs, politics, comedy, music and Detroit/Hamtramck. Sometimes all of these things at once. Also sometimes other things. Like Bollywood.
I am not a betting person. But if you presented me with the following information, I may not be able to resist: A local record label gathers a huge group of bands, musicians and friends together to record a 53 song holiday compilation. This compilation is totally free. Is this something that anybody other than the people involved in the project and their mothers would find enjoyable?
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