‘Running Up That Hill’ by Placebo …

Which I first heard in the trailer for Daybreakers - yes, another vampire movie with a dishy hero named Edward …

And which is apparently a cover of a song by the formidable Kate Bush.

Happy weekend!

SOUNDTRACK: KATE BUSH-The Red Shoes (1993).

The Red Shoes is something of a disappointment. While I enjoyed The Sensual World, it was definitely moving in a more adult contemporary vein.  The Red Shoes proceeds even further in this direction.  Since Kate is getting older, it makes sense that her music would change as well.

But there are some really fun tracks on here as well.  And Kate’s initial experiments with world music (the Bulgarian Choir) has really expanded into a more global palette (the island feel of “Eat the Music,” for instance).

The first four songs of the disc are really great.  They show an amazing diversity.  The first single “Rubberband Girl” is quite fun and bouncey.  It has a rather silly middle section where she makes rubberband-like sounds.   “And So is Love” sounds like classic Kate, with some wonderful vocals.  “Eat the Music” is a crazy, up beat horn fueled island track (with wonderfully suggestive lyrics).  And  “Moments of Pleasure” is a delightfully romantic song.

However, beginning with “Song of Salomon” with its awkward chorus of “don’t want no bullshit, just want your sexuality” the album trails off a little bit.  The rest of the songs feel kind of hurried and unspecific; there’s nothing really grabby about them.  They’re not bad, but they’re not all that memorable.  In fact, “Constellation of the Heart” is one of those rare aspects of a Kate disc: a song that sounds really dated.

The one exception to this decline is “Top of the City,” a really nice ballad that features some classic Kate vocals.

Of the remainder, “Big Stripey Lie” has some cool sound effects and lots of weirdness floating around it (and I do quite like it) although it’s really not as substantial as her previous experimental pieces.

Probably the most controversial song on the disc is “Why Should I Love You?” a duet with Prince.  While the main chorus is pretty cool (and uncannily Prince-like) the rest of the track sounds (again) very dated.  The track also features the great comedian Lenny Henry on vocals.  However, since Henry is responsible for what may be the worst sitcom theme song ever in the history of music (it may actually make you want to not watch the rather funny Chef, it is so awful) his inclusion isn’t really all that wonderful.  The disc ends with “You’re the One” a weird (in a good way) track that features The Bulgarian Chorus again.  They seem to do a great job of keeping Kate’s songs focused, so the disc ends on a high note.

This disc is pretty soundly dismissed by even diehard Kate fans.  And it is definitely her least satisfying overall. But if you look deeper into the disc, there are some unfairly overlooked gems.

[READ: November 20, 2009] Symzonia

After reading Etidorhpa, I started looking around at other Hollow Earth books.  And thankfully, someone has done most of the work already. So, for an absurdly long list of Hollow Earth books, check out this link.  I was delighted to see that so many of them are quite short!

When I saw this book, and realized that it was about the world mentioned in “Symmes Hole” (from McSweeney’s) and that it was very likely written by Symmes himself (there is still debate, but it is convincing that he wrote it) I decided to check it out.

Sadly, this book was considerably duller than Etidorhpa.  It was 250 pages and the first 100 were details of his journey to the South Pole.  Which would be fine except that since the author is a sailor he gives excruciating details about not only sailing, but even shipbuilding (including how smart he was for making the ship as strong as he did,) and the directions of the wind and speculation about longitude and all that great seafaring stuff.  That’s not my thing, so I found it rather tedious.

He also talks about the detailed process of claiming the island that he lands on for the United States (the deed that he writes up and where he buries it!).

There’s even a near mutiny.  When they approach the South Pole, they lose all connection to their compass.  No one can figure out where they are except the captain (which actually seems like a flaw for the rest of the crew, but what do I know).  As such, no one can throw the captain overboard or they will be lost at sea.  Anyhow, this was probably the most exciting part of the book.

When they finally do get to the land at the South Pole, there is an opening in the earth which leads to the center world.  Although I can’t exactly tell how they sail into and out of this hole.  There’s a  diagram at the front of the book but it’s not terribly useful.

First they make landfall and create a superb structure (the Captain is clearly a fantastic builder) that allows them to camp in a frigid tundra and to hunt seal.  Well, actually half the crew hunt seal, the rest sail off to the paradise of the land inside the hole.

The ship sails on and the Captain meets the Symzonians.  Unlike in Editorhpa, in Symzonia, there doesn’t appear to be a world in the core of the earth.  Rather, the residents seem to live on the inside edge of the globe itself.

As in Editorhpa, the people inside are enlightened.  But if you imagined that the preachiness was pretty strong there, it’s twice as bad here.  The failings of people on the earth (or Externals) are pretty explicitly detailed.  Chapters are devoted (in more excruciating details) to the Internals’ form of government (including the various levels of government and how they are selected or excluded).  He compares it to the United States government (which has only been in existence for 50 years at this point!), and, of course, he find the U.S. version to be quite lacking.

They even have incredible energy production (vehicles that can go hundreds of miles an hour and stop on a dime), and the best tasting foods with no wasted energy, and everything else that is good and wonderful.  But they are also not interested in material finery: they have unlimited access to oysters, so they have pearls everywhere.  The captain asks for a handful and they give him some since the pearls have no value to them).  Of course, none of the details behind these amazing technological accomplishments are given, ostensibly because the externals couldn’t handle it.

The Internals are quite distrustful of the captain, and they keep him from returning to their land until he can learn their language.  So the ship stays moored until he learns their language and proves himself worthy of them.  In the meantime he gives them all of the literature on the ship (the Internals are, of course, much better at learning English than he is at learning their language).  And they are horrified when they read the fiction that the Captain brought, determining that Externals are basically greedy, selfish bastards bent on war and salves to their impulses.  And, they are likely descendants from the bad apples that they cast out of their Internal world years ago.  They deem him unworthy of staying in their land, and send him on his way.

The captain feels bad that he is not as pure and good as the Internals.  But, mostly he is sad because he was hoping to make a killing on his exploration and all his information (and pearls!) and book deals and everything else.  Which (doh!) goes to show that he ISN’T enlightened, just like they said.

He leaves the center of the earth to go back to the island where the other half of his crew has been hanging out for several months slaughtering seals.  He’s able to load up (and I kid you not) 100,000 seal pelts.  Good grief.

When he returns home he entrusts the wrong man with his massive monetary gain for the seal pelts, and he hits financial trouble, which is what inspired him to write this book.  So it’s kind of meta- in an 1820’s sort of way.

I gave away a lot of the story, but there’s not a lot of story there.  Further, the Table of Contents summarizes each chapter which basically gives away everything that happens.  And if I didn’t mention these parts there wouldn’t be much interesting story left.  Although that’s not entirely true, the plot isn’t really the point of the book.  It is really an opportunity for the author to air his grievances with the fledgling U.S. and point out all of the country’s failings.

Like Etidorhpa, this book was clearly written as a kind of proof that this internal world exists.  Hence all of the matter of fact (and dull) technical aspects of the story.  It also explains the ToC giving everything away, almost like a textbook.  The strangest thing for me though is that the author clearly had an amazing imagination to come up with this, but he seemed to lack the imagination to make the story more compelling.

A lot of this Hollow Earth work is preachy, and I hope that future stories prove more entertaining.

placebo aint got shit on kate bush:

It’s November which for me is essentially closing time for the year’s great songs, because we all know that what you download in December will just end up soundtracking the early part of next year. So let us declare which ones need a download as we go through the past year.(and maybe even December of last year)

Bat For Lashes-Daniel

This might be song of the year, but there is no doubt that this single holds the best cover of the year.

Told ya it’s greatness! Anything that mixes airbrushing, Ralph Macchio, and sexy middle eastern women just can’t fail, which is exactly why I’m starting this list with it.

Like most of her work,the absurdly gorgeous Natasha Khan imparts an influence both earthy and heavenly on this song, but what separates this one from all the rest is the dark, electronic synthesizer lines and beats that are reminiscent of Touch era Eurythmics. (i.e. the album with Here Comes the Rain Again/Whos That Girl). There is also a remarkable amount of restraint shown in her soprano vocals for once, best illustrated in the fantastic Daaaaaaaaniel chorus that has yet to grow tired some eight months after it’s release. In short, it’s the best thing she’s done,  it’s the best of this new wave of Kate Bush influenced female pop songs and it’s downright unstoppable.

You get the great live appearance on superstar presenter Jools Holland’s program , even though the original video is as great as the cover(blame non embeddable video for that),

the machine is restored, & this post, as promised,

comes to you courtesy of the inimitable ms patti plinko.

listen to one of her tunes from her latest disc, bohemian suicide:

patti plinko & her boy // ‘hey ho!’ deepest of the darkest

_

& then check out the mix she put together for me & you :

edith piaf // padam, padam
odetta // water boy
kate bush // under the ivy
the velvet underground // venus in furs
barbra streisand // a sleepin bee
the rolling stones // lady jane
camille o’sullivan // marieke
gillian welch // i want to sing that rock and roll

_

she is lovely. find her on the internets here, here, or even here !

♥

]]> http://musicshack.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/patrick-wolf-live/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:23:50 +0000 mrkinski http://musicshack.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/patrick-wolf-live/

Sunday Night at the London Palladium

Sunday November 15, 2009

My first gig at this famous London Theatre since Kate Bush in 1979. Though I might have seen a family musical about a big flying car at this venue a few years back. Moving swiftly on.

In fact, parallels could be drawn between both these shows and Patrick Wolf’s performance. Fair enough, there were no child-catchers or flying cars in the Wolf show, but the performance really had a feel of musical theatre, with plenty of costume changes, glitter and atmospheric lighting.

I think Kate Bush is certainly an influence on Patrick’s music, particularly in some of the arrangements. Kate made good use of the large stage back in 1979, and so did Patrick in 2009. The first three-quarters of the show was remarkably restrained and intimate, with Patrick’s vocals really given the chance to breathe.

Highlights of the first half of the set included two of my favourite Wolf songs, Wind In The Wires & the haunting Bluebells.

“Deep in this dream
I let the calmness keep spinning”

Thickets from 2009’s The Bachelor made full use of the accompanying musicians, expanded on the night to to include a choir and string section.

“Just a little further up the hill boy
you’ll be home soon enough”

And then came the promised guest appearance. Marc Almond was unable to perform due to illness, and Patrick kind of gave the identity of the guest away on his Myspace blog “I’m sure my amazing duettist will raise it up! If you know what I mean.” So it was no surprise to see Florence Welch (without her Machine) duetting with Patrick on The Bachelor.

German techno uber-lord Alec Empire brought his box of many synths and trailing wires onto the stage for Battle & Hard Times. The latter song saw the whole crowd rise to their feet, where they remained for the majority of the evening.

The lush, string-driven forthcoming single Damaris was surely made to be performed in an ornate venue such as the London Palladium. The delicate The Sun Is Often Out was dedicated to two departed friends, and the show ended on a real high-note, with the decadent electro-pulse of Vulture, featuring Wolf spinning under a glitter-ball, adorned in sequins and looking like he had stepped straight out of Velvet Goldmine.

A clearly emotional Wolf kept referring to this show as being the best he had ever performed, and how he found it hard to believe that he was headlining the venue after being turned away from the Palladium 10 years ago, where as a teenager, he had had hoped to review a Bjork show.

The was a real air of celebration at this gig, and a feeling that Patrick Wolf is shifting up a gear. If finances permit, I’m sure Patrick will want to use strings again in a live setting, as it brought a real depth to the live show. Heres to 2010, a new album and more shows of this quality.

“The Boy is doing fine”

Set-list

Divine Intervention / Overture / Wolfsong / Wind In the Wires
Oblivion / Paris / Thesus / Who Will / The Shadowsea / Bluebells
Pigeon Song / Thickets / The Bachelor / Epilogue / Count Of Casualty
Battle / Hard Times / Libertine / Damaris / Tristan / Eulogy
Magic Position / The Sun Is Often Out / Vulture

All pictures on this page © Ravenblakh

To see the full set of Ravenblakh’s pictures of
Patrick Wolf at  London Palladium please visit Flickr

Patrick Wolf CD’s on Amazon UK
The Bachelor
The Magic Position
Wind in the Wires
Lycanthropy

You may be surprised at the scope of this week’s topic because when it comes to Elvis Presley, well nearly everyone’s got an opinion. The iconic nature of Elvis Presley in music and popular culture, has often made him a subject of, or a benchmark, in numerous songs. We launched the show with CALLING ELVIS by Dire Straits. Written by Mark Knopler and released in 1991, the song is about an Elvis fan that can’t believe that Elvis Presley is dead. Based on some of the bizarre ’sightings’ over the years, I fear he is not alone.

A song from one of my favourite films followed: Public Enemy’s groundbreaking FIGHT THE POWER from the soundtrack of DO THE RIGHT THING, directed by Spike Lee in 1989. Like the film, the song broke at a crucial period in America’s struggle with race. Unabashedly political, FIGHT THE POWER was confrontational in the way that great rock has always been. It attacks a whole roster of American icons including Elvis and John Wayne in what amounts to a virtual flag burning. Because who better embodies the American ideal than the King? The song goes so far as to call Elvis racist. I don’t agree with that. But what I do know from the National Archives is that in 1970 Elvis wrote a six-page letter to Richard Nixon asking him to make him a ‘Federal Agent-At-Large’ in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. And amongst the gifts that Elvis presented to the then President was a Colt-45 pistol. So what do we make of all this? Maybe only that, like a lot of his countrymen, Elvis was a misguided patriot who defended the nation’s order – an order from which blacks, in particular, had been routinely barred. The irony, of course, is that Elvis was the first artist to successfully blend black and white music: country music and the blues. And didn’t he do it well?

It was time for a change of tone: The very whimsical and wonderful Kirsty McColl with THERE’S A GUY WORKS DOWN THE CHIP SHOP SWEARS HE’S ELVIS. The song made an appearance on the FAMOUS PEOPLE show, but definitely deserved another spin. We followed with Richard Thompson’s FROM GALWAY TO GRACELAND.

Robbie Williams’ ADVERTISING SPACE is a song not only about Elvis but, also, about the price of fame.  Emmylou Harris followed with BOY FROM TUPELO. In case you weren’t aware Elvis was born in Tupelo Mississipi on January 8, 1935. And then it was the great Roy Orbison with HOUND DOG MAN.

Living Colour funked it up with their critique of the tabloids. The song  ELVIS IS DEAD ups the ante with an appearance by Little Richard. Check it out.

We dived into the second hour of the program with Ann Margret singing the title song of the film BYE BYE BIRDIE. Based on the stage musical of the same name, the story was inspired by Elvis Presley being drafted into the US Army in 1957. Jesse Pearson played the role of teen idol Conrad Birdie, whose character’s name is a wordplay on another singer of the era, Conway Twitty.  The film is credited with making Ann-Margret a superstar during the mid-1960s, leading to her appearing with Elvis Presley in Viva Las Vegas in 1964.

A couple of great songs were suggested to me by BayFM’s very own Cowboy Sweetheart, Carrie D. First up, Bap Kennedy with GLADYS & VERNON about Elvis’s parents and the night that Elvis was born. And then it was the great Waylon Jennings with the very entertaining NOBODY KNOWS.

I absolutely adore BLACK VELVET by Allanah Myles and have played that before. But, hey, when a song’s as good as this one it deserves a replay!

U2’s song ELVIS ATE AMERICA illustrates the many personas of Elvis, both good and bad. And then it was the romantically delusional Scouting For Girls with ELVIS ISN’T DEAD: ”Elvis isn’t dead ’cause I heard him on the radio….. and you’re coming back to me.”  Yeah, sure guys.

Time to get serious: First up, Kate Bush with her hit song about Elvis – KING OF THE MOUNTAIN. And then, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds transported us into a disturbing world with their song about the night that Elvis was born. Elvis was a twin but his brother was still-born. The song is TUPELO from the album THE FIRSTBORN IS DEAD. Here’s the totally mesmerising clip:

John Fogarty likens Elvis to the BIG TRAIN (FROM MEMPHIS). Neil Young reminded us that it’s “better to burn out than to fade away “, with his song MY, MY, HEY HEY.

Another of my faves followed: Cowboy Junkies with BLUE MOON REVISITED, otherwise known as SONG FOR ELVIS. And then it was Paul Simon’s song about travelling to Elvis Presley’s home, GRACELAND, with the Everly Brothers helping out on vocals. Don’t have a clip with the Everlys in it, but you can’t do much better than this concert performance of the song in Zimbabwe. Enjoy.

There was time for a little more mjusic dedicated to Elvis before signing off and what better than ELVIS HAS JUST LEFT THE BUILDING by the one and only Frank Zappa. And, of course, I had to play some of the King himself so we went out with BURNIN’ LOVE. Here’s what all the fuss is about:

Next week’s show will be dedicated to the patron saint of Theme Park, Roy Orbison, who died 21 years ago this December 6. So songs by Roy Orbison, The Travelling Wilburys, duets with Roy and covers of Roy Orbison songs. Anything connected to Roy Orbison qualifies. Personally I can’t wait!

Here’s this week’s playlist:

For Kate Bush

My God, you beat the cicadas:

the other side of you is something else.

I tell you, I am common

and I can become fierce and fire

and it can’t relate to ice

and time.

SOUNDTRACK: KATE BUSH-Aspects of the Sensual World (1989).

This was the first CD single that I can remember acquiring.  I got it from the radio station at school, and I felt like I was in on a big secret having all of these bonus tracks.

There are five songs on this disc.  The original “The Sensual World” and an instrumental version of the song.  The three bonus songs are pretty rocking songs that fit nicely with this era of Kate’s output.  “Be Kind to My Mistakes” sounds like it should be a sweet ballad, but no, it’s all percussion-heavy and fun.  And “I’m Still Waiting” is even more intense, with some of Kate’s over the top vocals added in.

The final track, “Ken” is the theme song to The Comic Strip Presents short film The GLC.  It’s a wonderful theme song, even if the film is a parody.  It’s got a singalong “da da da” chorus and fist pumping backing vocals and all sorts of fun things.  You can see the “preview” for the film along with Kate’s song, on YouTube.

This disc is something of a trifle compared to her full CDs, but it’s an easier way to get these tracks than buying This Woman’s Work!  When The Sensual World came out I assumed that Kate cut off all her hair (judging by the cover), but this cover belies that.  I wonder which one is a wig.

[READ: November 13, 2009] “An Insurrection”

This story won the Esquire fiction contest.  I fully intended to submit a story to this contest, but, well, I forgot.  I didn’t write a word for it (although I did spend a few days thinking about what I would write about).  If I had won the contest, I would of course have wanted people to read my story, so I felt it was the least I could do to read the winner’s story.

And I’m a little mixed about it.

I’m not at all certain why there was such emphasis placed on the fact that it was a post- 9/11 scenario.  The jokes about cashing in on people’s insecurities about terrorism were fine but it didn’t really warrant all of the set up about when the story took place.

Really, the story is just about two people growing apart; the time of the story was irrelevant (and yes, I do understand that everyone is more tense with fears of terrorism, but it doesn’t really impact the story).  I found the introduction of the story to be quite compelling.  But when it started to turn into a “she’s going to leave me because I’m fat” gripe, I lost interest.

The story did reverse that trajectory, thankfully, and the final section was gross but interesting.  And I have to say that the final lines (within the context of the whole story) were fantastic.

My biggest gripe however, comes with Esquire itself. They included two pictures with the story.  One references a wet T shirt description in the story (which I needed to cover up when reading in the library).  The second, and yes, I’m writing this in all caps:  THE SECOND PICTURE TOTALLY GAVE AWAY THE “TWIST” IN THE STORY!  And, it came right at a time in the story WHERE PLACING THE PICTURE WOULD GIVE THE READER NO DOUBT ABOUT WHAT THE PICTURE REPRESENTED.

Talk about spoilers.  Of all the things they could have put a picture of, they had to put that one?  Hey Esquire, if I were the contest winner, I’d be pissed if you gave away the (admittedly minor) twist in the end of my story.  So, I hope that Walsh isn’t too pissed (he did win, after all).  But man, it so obviously impacted my reading of the story, that I couldn’t appreciate it for what it was trying to do.

I can’t honestly say how much I would have enjoyed the story if this wasn’t so obviously given away, because I spent much of the last section expecting it to be spoiled.  Pity, really.

I’m being a little dramatic, yes.  I’m sorry.

Overall, the story was good. I’m quite certain that nothing I would have written would have made it into Esquire (I don’t think I’ve ever written a story with the word “tits” in it).  So, I won’t sit around wondering “what if.”  Rather, I’ll just enjoy the story for what it was: a look at midlife crisis (in an out of control environment).

Congratulations Walsh.  Well played.

the photo is mine - storm feuilles - under the leaves a bit of music

Accade quando si cade. Che il tempo pare sia trascorso senza lasciare traccia dietro di sé. E il presente non è più come quando lo immaginavi futuro. Che il futuro non esiste, non è più. Non ha sogni da portare con sé, non ha favole da raccontare, non ha storie fantastiche cui avvinghiarsi. Quell’attimo che dura un soffio, quando tutte le foglie intorno sono cadute e il tappeto rossastro pare fresco e ancora vivo. Quel momento è già passato. Non hai fatto in tempo a raccoglierlo che è morto. Ha esalato il suo ultimo respiro, ha fatto la sua rivoluzione. La rivoluzione silenziosa di chi osserva cadere. Di chi guarda impassibile quella perdita del mondo tutte le volte e si copre il volto, perché non ha più nulla da desiderare. E l’attimo esatto quando si avverte che si sta per cadere risulta chiaro tutto, per un istante. Ciò che si sarebbe potuto fare, il dolore della caduta, la voglia di afferrare una maniglia e restare appesi. E in quell’istante, sotto la doccia, con la tempesta di gocce, con i piedi scivolosi, rinascere. Senza cadere fare la rivoluzione. Una piccola.

(E.)

As a visual artist, BBC 2’s ‘School of Saatchi’ is one of the most depressing representations of the art world I have ever seen televised. These chosen 6 are being exploited. And they love it. Once their work has been exhibited in The Heritage, St. Petersburg, the chances are Saatchi will invest in it and never again will these artists have to worry about income, or getting their work shown (in other words, they will never have to work hard again), as the Saatchi machine will advertise and promote them with the same skill and success it did in the 80s with Silk Cut cigarettes and the Conservative Party .

Yes, Saatchi can make an artists’ career in a second but he can break it just as quickly and with the same ease. In ‘Supercollector’ an account is given of Sandro Chia, an artist whom Saatchi ‘bought up’, but quickly threw out of his collection (or ‘ISA’) ‘for works by other artists more strongly represented in the collection’ [and] hence they had not been sold on the open market ‘for the best possible profit’. They weren’t making money. Something else would. As painter Sean Scully remarked on his similar experience with Saatchi, ‘We are just pawns.’

Now some points about the show itself:

1) On several occasions, the panel, with the exception of Frank Cohen, displayed their shock and incomprehension of the idea that one could make art without having been to art school. Attendance at art school has never, ever been a necessary prerequisite to being an artist or producing artwork. Francis Bacon, Jeremy Deller, Billy Childish, Vincent Van Gogh, amongst many others, none of these now celebrated artists attended art school.

2) Let us remember that Charles Saatchi has no art background of his own, other than as a ruthless profiteer through the collecting of artworks. He is an advertising agent. All the artists selected on the programme are easily sellable, as they are easy on the eye and can be ‘consumed’ within a couple of seconds by the viewer. Note, as Kate Bush pointed out during the show, that Saatchi rarely, if ever buys, video, film, photography, performance. Because it does not provide a high enough, if any, profit margin.

3) Matt Collings on about Tracey Emin’s bed: Mr. Collings suggested that Emin’s ’seminal’ work captured the essence of contemporary art, and part of that essence was that the public found it difficult to understand. 99% of contemporary art is shallow and superficial. There is rarely any content or meaning lying beneath the tenuous surface. There is, therefore NOTHING TO UNDERSTAND. The only difficulty most people have with the dross that is termed ‘contemporary art’ is the fact that it sells for so much money.

What saddens me most about the programme and its very concept is that is gives the very strong impression that the ultimate goal and aspirations of all visual artists, in this country at least, is to be bought by Charles Saatchi. I would rather starve to death than have anything to do with that evil, duplicitous, greedy vulture. But there’s no chance of that happening. He wouldn’t touch me with a well-rendered bargepole.

SOUNDTRACK:KATE BUSH-The Sensual World (2009).

It was three years between The Dreaming and Hounds of Love.  And this time it took four years for The Sensual World to come out.  This was the first Kate disc that I bought as it came out.  And I was such a huge fan of Hounds, that I was really quite excited about this release.

Kate has always been fairly forthcoming about sex/sensuality on her songs (even if it was metaphorical, the metaphors weren’t really labored).  So, the fact that she’s putting it all out there is not much of a surprise.  And yet, to me this seems like a much more explicit work than her earlier ones  (an older songwriter perhaps?).

The other thing that strikes me about the album is just how accessible it is.  Unlike her previous discs which featured flourishes and howls, headphone tricks and other show offy tactics (which I totally love), this disc comes across as a songwriter who is more confident in her songs so she doesn’t have to put frills on them.

I have a fndeness for this disc because it was the first one I bought as a fan, but I don’t listen to it all that much.  When I played it again, I had forgotten how much I liked it.  And, yes, I miss all the tricks and cool studio fun on this disc, but the songwriting makes up for it.

The opener “The Sensual World” is, yes, a very sensual song (with the “Mmmmmyessses” every line or so).  The second track, “Love and Anger” is a great, freewheeling Kate track.  The younger Kate would have had crazy wild fun with it, but the more mature Kate plays it fairly straight.  And it really showcases what a great song it is.

As “The Fog” opens, she says, “I’m all grown up now” (and there’s no headphone tricks accompanying it).  That seems to be a statement about the disc itself.  But, just so you know it’s npt a totally safe disc, “The Fog” has a wonderful otherworldly violin running through it.

The one thing that stand out on the disc, though is how rocking it is (relative to Kate, of course).   The guitars on about half of the songs quite loud and raucous.  And Kate is clearly having a lot of fun with the songs.

But there are some mellow songs as well.  “Reaching Out” begins as a delicate piano ballad (although it is full of some wild ethereal backing vocals) but it also builds to a louder chorus and finish.  “Deeper Understanding” is an interesting song in which she sings about a computer (which I thought would sound really dated twenty years later but which doesn’t).

“Never BE Mine” sounds like Kate of old (ah, fretless bass).  While “Rocket’s Tail” showcases the gorgeous sounds of the Bulgarian Choir, who would assist her on many future tracks as well.  The choir seems to take on a lot of the strange vocals that Kate herself used to perform. But they have an oddness of inflection that makes it sound otherworldly.  It also has the unmistakable sounds of a David Gilmour guitar solo.

The highlight has to be “This Woman’s Work.”  When all is said and done, Kate’s voice is what any fan comes back for.  This song is a simple piano based ballad.  Kate’s voice is clean and pure and rather magical.  And the emotional release as the song nears its end is phenomenal.

The Sensual World is an overlooked disc (its regular price on Amazon is $7).  And while it doesn’t have all of the flair and magic of Kate at her wildest records, the stripped down version of Kate is pretty wonderful too.

[READ: November 15, 2009] “Noughts and Crosses”

It took me a few paragraphs to realize what was going on in this story and then I liked it even more.

The story opens with an email.  Several of the words are in bold.  The email, from j to n, is a break-up letter.  It’s sort of generic and doesn’t really reveal all that much.  But the rest of the story is a reply to each of the bolded words of the email.

As n replies (presumably in her head, although it could also be written even if it is never sent) we learn more and more about the two of them and their relationship. The parties involved, the promises told and the little giveaways that show that the relationship was over long before this email (a breakup by email!) was sent.

What is so delightful about the story is that the original email seems pretty straightforward, as if you could tell the whole story from it.  But as the full story unfolds, so much more is revealed, and you learn just how much has been hidden in the suddenly vague phrasings of that original email. Even the genders are hidden in that original missive.

As the reply grows more intense, if not more heated, you get a real feel for what that email could have said, but didn’t.  It’s very clever.   This was a wonderfully original way to look at an age old topic.  I think it would have been very suitable for inclusion in Four Letter Word.

The Dreaming, die dritte LP von Kate Bush, 1982 erschienen, war ein mystisches Album voller Rätsel, ein faszinierender Sog aus Gefühlen, Ängsten und Ahnungen, sakral und hexenhaft zugleich. Ein Kaleidoskop aus Stimmen, die flüstern, schreien, kreischen, hauchen und seufzen, schicksalshaft verwoben wie in einer hochdramatischen Traumsequenz, die Arrangements zu vielfältigen Mustern wie in einem Gobelin verschlungen. “Sat In Your Lap” ist so übermütig und laut wie kein anderes Stück auf dieser LP, “There Goes A Tenner” altmodisch und albern und “Suspended In Gaffa” ein unwirklicher Walzer. Das Paradestück der LP ist der als Single veröffentliche Titelsong, den Aborigines Australiens gewidmet, ein ritueller Stammestanz aus Verwünschungen und Hoffnungen, in dem Elektronik und Ethno zum intensiven Zauber verschmelzen. Mit einer irischen Fiedel löst es sich unvermittelt in dem lyrischen Schäferliedchen “Night Of The Swallow” auf, bevor Entfesslungskünstler “Houdini” in einer spukhaften Séance zu entseelten, kreischenden Geisterstimmen seiner Witwe sein Geheimnis verrät. Das musikalische Traumspiel aus einer anderen Dimension kam bis auf Platz drei der britischen LP-Charts. –Ingeborg Schober

Out in the garden
There’s half of a heaven,
And we’re only bluffing.
We’re not ones for busting through walls,

But they’ve told us
Unless we can prove
That we’re doing it,
We can’t have it all.
(I want it all) *

He’s gonna wangle
A way to get out of it.
She’s an excuse
And a witness who’ll talk when he’s called.

But they’ve told us
Unless we can prove
That we’re doing it,
We can’t have it all.
(I want it all) *
(I want it all) *
We can’t have it all.
(I want it all) *

“I caught a glimpse of a god, all shining and bright.”

Suddenly my feet are feet of mud.
It all goes slo-mo.
I don’t know why I’m crying.
Am I suspended in Gaffa?
Not ’til I’m ready for you, *
Not ’til I’m ready for you hoo hoo-oo-oo *
Can I have it all.

I try to get nearer,
But as it gets clearer
There’s something appears in the way,
It’s a plank in me eye,
With a camel
Who’s trying to get through it,
Am I doing it?
Can I have it all now?
(I want it all) *

I pull out the plank and say
“Thank ye for yanking me back *
To the fact that there’s
Always something to distract.”

But sometimes it’s hard
To know if I’m doing it right.
Can I have it all now? *
(I want it all) *

Can I have it all now?
(I want it all) *
Can I have it all?
(I want it all) *
I can’t have it all. *

“We all have a dream…maybe.”

Suddenly my feet are feet of mud.
It all goes slo-mo.
I don’t know why I’m crying.
Am I suspended in Gaffa?
Not ’til I’m ready for you,
Not ’til I’m ready for you hoo hoo-oo-oo
Can I have it all.

I won’t open boxes
That I am told not to.
I’m not a Pandora.
I’m much more a like a *

That girl in the mirror.
Between you and me
She don’t stand a chance of getting anywhere at all.
(I want it all) *
Not anywhere at all
(I want it all)) *
No, not a thing.
(I want it all) *
She can’t have it all.

“Mother, where are the angels? I’m scared of the changes.”

Suddenly my feet are feet of mud.
It all goes slo-mo.
I don’t know why I’m crying.
Am I suspended in Gaffa?
Not ’til I’m ready for you, *
Not ’til I’m ready for you *
Suddenly my feet are feet of mud,
It all goes slo-mo.
I don’t know why I’m crying.
Am I suspended in Gaffa?
Not ’til I’m ready for you, *
Not ’til I’m ready for you hoo hoo-oo-oo *
Can I have it all now? *

SOUNDTRACK: KATE BUSH-Hounds of Love (1985).

I have a very specific memory of the first time I heard the song  “Hounds of Love.”  I was in high school and the Wilderness Adventure Club was heading towards whatever destination we were going to (funny I can’t remember the destination, but I recall the car trip there).  The head of the club (who was a teacher, but not one I had) was driving a bunch of us in his station wagon and this song came on.  My friend Brad and I howled with laughter at the “barking” that Kate does. “Roo Roo Roo Roo.”

It only occurred to me recently that the driver probably enjoyed the music or else he wouldn’t have had it on, so that wasn’t very nice of us.  It also occurs to me that he must have had the disc (actually the tape, as there were no discs then) because I don’t imagine the song was ever on the radio.  (Although I also think there may have been a DJ talking about the songs, so my memory is shaky).  I just remember laughing and laughing and quite likely Roo Rooing for much of the trip.

So, it’s funny now how much I love this disc (my high school self was a metal head, my college self expanded his musical mind rather a lot).

Kate’s previous two records were a wonderful precursor to this monumental disc.  The big hits come at the top: “Hounds of Love” is indeed an amazing song, as is “Running Up That Hill.”  But they’re familiar enough that I don’t have to say anything.  “The Big Sky” is a rollicking romp of fun.  And “Cloudbusting” is just simply amazing.  (Look for the video with Donald Sutherland!).  It’s five minutes of intense storytelling.

But for me, the second side of the album (starting with track 6 on the disc) is the real selling point.  It’s something of a story called The Ninth Wave.  And what I love about it (in addition to the awesome music) are the amazing effects and sounds and voices that are all over the tracks.

It begins simply with a delicate piece, “And Dream of Sheep,” a beautiful piano ballad.  It’s followed by the mesmerizing “Under Ice.”  The opening string sounds evoke someone skating on an ice (which is what the song is about).  As the tension grows (is someone under the ice?) voices far back in the distance compete with Kate singing “Its me!”

The next track, “Waking the Witch” begins with some awesome headphone voice work.  Voices from various family members implore her to wake up.  Left, right, middle, back.  Then, a voices asks “Can you not see that light over there?”  With a far off voice whispering “over here.”  When the song finally bursts forth, her voice is manipulated in a creepy disjointed way.  Followed by different musical sections with cathedral bells.  All through the track a male authority figure condemns the girl for being a witch.  And as the song ends (with a sample of the helicopter from Pink Floyd’s The Wall she is found guilty.  It’s quite intense.

The intensity slackens somewhat with the mellow “Watching Me Without You.”  But it builds again with the manic intensity of “The Jig of Life” a traditional jig with uilleann pipes in the background and Kate’s vocals over the top.  The song breaks into a very traditional sounding step dance seisiun until Kate starts whispering “I put this moment here” (more of that cool headphone stuff) and the song takes of again.

“Hello Earth” starts as a simple ballad reminiscent of “And Dream of Sheep” but it grows in intensity only to break for a choir passage.  It then returns to the intensity of Kate’s voice which fades and ends with Kate’s whispered:  “Tiefer, tiefer.  Irgendwo in der Tiefe.  Gibt es ein licht.” (Roughly: Deeper Deeper, Somewhere in the depths there is a light.)

The disc ends with “The Morning Fog” a respite from the intensity of the music and the contents.  It’s a light ballad (with amazing fretless bass work) that seems like it could have been used in a John Hughes film.  Especially for the “I tell my mother/father/loved ones/brother how much I love them” lyrics.

The Ninth Wave is one of my favorite suites to listen to.  It not only demands attention, it usually gets it.

Hounds of Love is, simply put, fantastic.

[READ: November 15, 2009] Gemini & The Transfiguration of Benno Blimpie

When I was a kid, watching cartoons on Channel 11, WPIX, there was a frequent, (in my memory it was incessant) commercial for a Broadway play.  And the only things I remember about the commercial were two snippets:  In the first, a young boy is gorging himself on food and his mother yells “TAKE HUMAN BITES!”  The second shows a woman who says “I’m  not hungry, I’ll just pick” who then grabs a handful of spaghetti from someone else’s plate.

This commercial was such a part of our culture, that my friends used to shout “TAKE HUMAN BITES” at each other all the time.  And yet, after all these years, I couldn’t remember what the play was.  So, out of curiosity, I did some searching to see if I could find this mysterious play (and, more importantly find the commercial).

So, thank you, internet, for helping me discover the play is Albert Innaurato’s Gemini.  No commercials have been forthcoming, sadly.

Well, I thought it would be fun to read this play and see if it was as funny as the commercial seemed.  Who could have guessed that the play would have turned out like this?

The play is set in a poor section of Philadelphia.  The cast is: Fran Geminiani, his son Francis, and his lady friend Lucille Pompi.  Their next door neighbors are Bunny Weinberger and her son Herschel.  The entire play is set in the yard that separates the two houses.  The two newcomers that set the play in motion are Randy & Judith Hastings.  They are brother and sister and go to Harvard with Francis.

Francis is a somewhat overweight, very insecure, very Italian kid.  Fran, his dad, is pretty close to an Italian working-class stereotype, with the pasta making and the boisterousness.  The basic plot is that Judith, a beautiful WASP, has fallen in love with Francis.  She and Randy hitchhike to Philly complete with camping gear.  They plan to sleep in Francis’ yard for a couple days (you know, crazy college kids).

Francis is very uncomfortable about their arrival.  He tells them that his dad is a Mafia guy and kills WASPs on sight.  (This freaks out Randy but not Judith, who is his intended target).  When that doesn’t work, he ultimately rebuffs her advances by telling her that he’s queer.  She doesn’t believe him after what they did at school before the summer started (and she is even more disbelieving when he reveals who he’s got a crush on).

The rest of the story, and arguably the real heart of the story, focuses on the interactions in the neighborhood.  Fran and Bunny have lived next to each other for many years.  Bunny is a loud, obnoxious Irish woman who married a Jew (there’s a lengthy monologue about that).  Her son Herschel is an overweight, asthmatic loser who she says is a genius, even though at 16 he rides a tricycle around the yard making trolley sounds, and collects Public Transportation paraphernalia.

Bunny is abusive to everyone, including her son (one stage direction states that she “beats the shit out of Herschel”).  She sings songs loudly on an out of tune piano and flirts aggressively with Fran and then Randy (a stage direction states that she grabs his crotch).  She is also due for a court date because she assaulted a woman who caught her (Bunny) in bed with the woman’s  husband (in the woman’s house).

The action of the play takes place over a 24 hour period.  In in that short span of time we are treated to attempted suicide, drug use, homosexuality, train schedules, and a near-crushing by a piano.  It’s quite a feat.

The story is pretty funny (although I must say that the commercial was much funnier than reading the lines in print).  But the strange thing about the play is that there are absolutely no likable characters (except maybe Randy, as he seems an innocent victim).  Fran and Bunny are loud and boorish.  Lucille is lazy.  Francis is insecure.  Herschel is an annoying hanger-on.  Even Judith gets into the mean-spirited act when Francis turns her down.

And yet, there is something starnegly endearing about the whole group of them.  And as a slice of life play, it’s very entertaining.  The characters are (despite the stereotypical ideas) well rounded and amusing.  And the scenes have the potential (when performed) to be over the top hilarious.  The play itself is only about 70 pages, and it’s a brisk read.  But as with most plays, I’m sure seeing it is better than reading it.

I just wish I could see the commercial again.  If anyone knows where it might be available, do pass it on!

The other play that comes with the book is The Transformation of Benno Blimpie. It’s only 30 pages (it’s a one act play).  If you thought the characters in Gemini were unpleasant, you have seen nothing yet.  The set-up of this play is that Benno, a very fat twenty-year old, has locked himself in a room and plans to eat himself to death.

The entirety of the play is Benno’s (biased) memory of events.  And the play is set up so that he never physically leaves his room, but he interacts with the other characters as if he were in the room with them.  (Which I’ll bet is a very cool device on stage).

Benno’s flashbacks concern his parents and his grandfather.  His father is a former athlete and is something of a non-entity in the house.  His mother is a mean, horrible woman who never fails to insult Benno about his weight or his complexion or about how miserable her life has been since she had him.  (Her very first scene is quite shocking!).  The only charterer who is at all nice to him is his grandfather.

And yet, as Benno flashes back, his grandfather becoming sexually involved with a 13 year-old Catholic school girl.  (She encourages him to do things to her, and tries to get money out of him).  And, when she turns him down when he tries to do “more” with her, he takes his frustrations out on Benno just like everyone else.

Benno basically went through life being mocked and abused by everyone.  His only joy was in art.  But the art he made wasn’t appreciated by anyone.  So his only love has also let him down.  His last recourse is to simply to eat himself to death.

This play is shocking on many levels.  And all of the characters are reprehensible.  I’m not even entirely sure that I would want to see it performed (it lacks even the grim humor of Gemini).

I didn’t know a thing about Innaurato, so I looked him up and discovered that Gemini ran on Broadway for 1,819 performances and earned him an Obie Award.  It was also made into the film Happy Birthday, Gemini. starring Madeline Kahn and Rita Moreno.  Benno Blimpie also earned him an Obie.  Wow.

While looking around I found some clips from the movie Happy Birthday, Gemini.  And I have to admit that watching the clips leads me to think that if done well, both of the plays would be quite funny despite how disturbing they are.  I also wonder, if I find these stories shocking now, how shocking they must have been in 1978!  Francis’ homosexuality is accepted without any dismay, as is the drug use (there’s some very funny sequences about the pot smoing).  Even Benno’s grandfather’s pedophilia is sort of dismissed (although I think that, awful as it sounds, pedophilia was seen as less horrible in the 70s…can that be right?  I mean the whole Jodie Foster/Taxi Driver thing.)

Anyhow, these plays are not for the weak-hearted.  And I wonder if a revival of Gemini would be viable now.  (Although, interestingly, there is now Gemini The Musical.  I can’t wait to see what that’s all about!  Actually, I want to hear the music!)

The two movie clips are shared below.  Madeline Kahn is Bunny and she is hilarious (although she is cast completely against what Bunny looks like in theplay).  And, I think Francis is also a good looking athletic guy in the movie, too  (Innaurato didn’t have anything to do with the movie).  The clips are quite funny.  Sadly neither one features my favorite lines.  The movie is available only on VHS as far as I can tell.

Here’s one of the pot smoking scenes:

This is the suicide scene:

Autrefois, je n’aimais pas Kate Bush, je n’avais pas encore compris…

SOUNDTRACK-KATE BUSH-The Dreaming (1982).

This disc focuses Kate’s intensity somewhat.  I was just reading that it was nowhere near as popular as her previous discs in England (where she had been number 1 many times), although, interestingly it made the charts in the US because of college radio airplay.

The disc is still experimental (there’s all kinds of weird things going around) but it feels kind of claustrophobic.  The disc opens with the manic percussion of “Sat in your Lap” (this song also features the gamut of Kate’s diverse vocal talents: whispered verses, shrieking bridges and bellowing chorus).

“There goes a Tenner” is about a robbery (and is sung with an East End accent).  There’s also the weird and wonderful “Suspended in Gaffa” (recently covered by Ra Ra Riot).  “The Dreaming” is about Australia (and is sung in an Aussie accent).

Meanwhile, “Houdini” breaks briefly from its raging vocals into a mellow string-filled middle piece (with more of that gorgeous fretless bass). The cover of the disc shows a “scene” from the song (she’s slipping a key into Houdini’s mouth).

The disc ends with the outrageous “Get Out of My House.”  It is a scary, crazy song with Kate shrieking like a madwoman and the male vocalist turning into a donkey (hee-hawing as he goes).

I have always enjoyed this disc.  It is a wonderful step between the all-over-the-place crazy of Never for Ever and the gorgeous controlled beauty of Hounds of Love. It’s not afraid to showcase Kate’s crazy side (okay, really crazy side), and yet it still keeps a sense of humor (and has some wonderful melodies as well).

[READ: November 13, 2009] This Book is Not Good for You

I’ve been a fan of the Pseudonymous Bosch books since the beginning.  I love the whole concept of the series (that even the author is being persecuted by the bad guys and can’t give out any real names, not even his own).  This book is no exception.  The mystery concerns the adventure of our heroes: Cass, Max-Ernest and Yo-Yoji in their fight against the Midnight Sun, who….   Well, I have to be honest, I’m not entirely clear exactly what the Midnight Sun are up to.  I’m not even sure that not knowing is a bad thing.  We know that  they are mysterious, that they are all very old (they have gained knowledge of a formula for eternal youth), and they really don’t like our heroines or the Terces Society that they belong to.  But aside from that I’m not sure what their long term goal is.  It may have been mentioned in the previous books, but at this point, I just know they’re bad.

This volume has an added element of fun in that the author himself is under attack from the Midnight Sun in the very pages of the book!  (They drug him and at one point even slip an extra piece of paper into the book (which tells the reader that the Midnight Sun is being misrepresented by Bosch).

But really, the story is all about chocolate.  Bosch himself is a chocolate gourmand (he disdains milk chocolate and especially white chocolate, although he doesn’t have a problem with vanilla per se).  There’s a thorough guide to chocolate in the index.  There’s even chocolate recipes!

For chocolate is the latest way the Midnight Sun plans to keep their organization growing in size but never in age (the founder of the Midnight Sun is over 500 years old!).  And what better way to get new members than through delicious chocolate.

The heads of the Midnight Sun (Ms Mauvius & Dr. L are still in charge) have moved their base of operations to a cacao-producing rainforest.  And they are able to pick the ripest and most succulent cacao seeds (through a combination of child and monkey labor (and the monkey labor…ew!)).  With these beans thy plan to create the most delicious chocolate ever.  But they need one special item to complete the task.

And this item is…a tuning fork (?!).  There is a magical tuning fork that enables any item to taste like the most delicious food in the world.  And if the Midnight Sun can get the tuning fork, well…  they can use their delicious chocolates for their nefarious purposes (which seem to be capturing Cass, but perhaps there’s more).

This book is set in the summer, just like Diary of Wimpy Kid’s Dog Days.  I wonder if winter 2009 is the season for summer books.

Cass, Max-Ernest and Yo-Yoji (which we learn is not his real name although, sadly, we don’t learn his real name) get into all kinds of fun trouble.  (Wait till you see what the chocolate can do!).  And, this time, Cass’ mom gets inadvertently involved in the action.

In the previous book we learned that Cass was adopted.  This subplot is followed up on, too.  Lots of tantalizing secrets are given about her, but as with Yo-Yoji’s name, nothing is revealed.  Even Max-Ernest has a few surprises revealed about himself…in fact the two things that most dominated his character are undermined and called into question!

And…  the book ends on a cliffhanger.  Although the -hanger is not for this story arc (thankfully.  There’s nothing worse than a book that should end but doesn’t because of a sequel).  So this story arc ends, and the final chapter sets us up for what lies ahead.  Since it was fairly obvious that there would be another book in the series, there’s nothing wrong with Pseudonymous setting us up for what lies ahead.  And what lies ahead is…

a Secret.

I’m pretty psyched about it.

If you haven’t read the previous books in the series, then don’t jump into this one!  (He even gives a way a plot point of book 2, so don’t read out of order).  But if you have read the first two, then this is a wonderful follow up.

All of Bosch’s tricks are in full force: Weird chapter titles, chapters that are interrupted by other chapters, passages that are interrupted by Bosch himself, definitions (funny and often quite helpful), and footnotes, lots of footnotes, that are also very funny.

The first book in the series had a lot of puzzles for the readers to figure out.  This book doesn’t really have those (faithful readers will be a little disappointed to hear that); this story is more of a mystery that needs to be solved, but the reader doesn’t have a lot of time trying to figure out anything really challenging.  It takes a little of the fun out, but replaces it with a lot of suspense.

And Bosch is such a good storyteller, that you’ll find it hard to put this down.

I can’t wait for book 4 !

So I might be a little bit obsessed but I learned the dance in bed and now Kate Bush is the soundtrack to EVERYTHING, it’s meeeeeee, Cathyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Last night was epic in terms of the final performance and the two large glasses of wine I consumed afterwards. I have a hangover. Although I’m not sure if the headache was caused by the alcohol or the fact I woke up in floods of tears after having the singularly most vivid dream of my entire life. In the dream, my nan died, and suddenly I was able to recall the names of family members I’ve never met. I know at least one of them was true.

Autumn in the middle Atlantic — in the month of November, especially — it’s one of the most sensuous times of the year to live in this area. The leaves have shed their monochromatic green sheen, revealing their true colors in a palette that always captures my attention when it begins to appear, everything from the pale gold of the ginkgo trees, to the bright red and rouge on the maples, to the copper, rust, and deep russet of the oaks and sycamores. I never tire of gazing at such grandstanders.

By now, too, the humidity has relaxed its grip on the atmosphere, allowing the revitalizing breezes to circulate freely again, while still maintaining moisture enough in the air to draw out the pungent aromas of damp, loamy soil, moldering leaves, and other earthy confections. And the days and nights are still pleasant and inviting — no longer too hot and not yet too cold — so we leave the windows open whenever and for as long as we can, to take it all in.

Autumn also is a time when nostalgia is in full bloom. Maybe it has to do with the realization that the days are growing shorter, the nights longer, and the end (literally and figuratively speaking) is slouching toward us, along the horizon. Or maybe it’s because, no matter how well you cover your eyes and ears, you can’t blot out the announcements about “the most wonderful time of the year” (oh, good grief!) that have begun arriving, like flocks of riotous, trumpeting migratory birds. For whatever reason, there’s something about the fall that makes me think of (and even pine for) other times, and other places.

What’s the right medicament, then, for my predicament of natural wonder and neurotic wistfulness? A soundtrack, of course; specifically, a mixtape comprised of new tunes that I’ve picked up and listened to over the past 30 days or more. These are songs that in one way or another make me think of days gone by, old haunts, or cherished friendships, whether recent or reaching deep into the past. They’re songs that are perfect for a moment of quiet contemplation — call it “leaf-peeping pop music” — or that should be turned up while riding around with the top down, while you’re still able.

Be sure to click on each of the links below to sample the songs (open each as a new tab or window), and then follow the threads to find out where you can download them. Or you can listen to the playlist in its entirety, though in random order, at the Scribbleskiff page on the 8tracks Web site. Just click here, open as a new tab or window, and let the music play as you read along. Enjoy!

“Roslyn,” Bon Iver & St. Vincent, The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Ominous, dreamy, and foreboding — what better way to describe a song accompanying a movie about lovestruck teen vampires. And yet this wispy, waltzy little number, penned by two artists with pen names, is hardly dark or ghoulish. In fact, in the way Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) and Annie Clark (St. Vincent) meld their disparate talents into a singular, lilting, stripped-down ballad awash in lush, layered harmonies and muddy bass lines, this song could easily serve as music for a glittering, foggy fall morning.

“Blood,” The Middle East, The Recordings of The Middle East (EP). It’s hard to pinpoint an antecedent for this plucky little song by these Aussie newcomers. It begins in a folky, fey “Sounds of Silence” way — fluttery guitar picking, echoey, falsetto vocals, brushed snare. But then it gathers sound and momentum, adding more singers and instruments (an Autoharp, a xylophone, some percussion), building toward an Arcade Firey crescendo, only to pull its punches at the last second, dissolving back to near-silent sounds, the way Sufjan Stevens expertly does. Not sure what I mean? Hear it with your own eyes here.

“Too Young to Burn,” Sonny & The Sunsets, Tomorrow is Alright. What if The Rolling Stones hadn’t recorded Beggars Banquet and instead had collaborated on a record with The Supremes? It might have sounded a lot like this song, where a groovy, Motown-like backbeat supports bluesy, bare-bones guitar licks, peppered with lots of “Baby Love” handclaps, subtle girly doo-wops, and more. Beggars can’t be choosers, I know, but we can be dreamers.

“Raindrops (Matsuri),” Grand Hallway, Promenade. The opening moments of this song remind me of The Carpenters records my parents used to play, on rainy days, no doubt. It’s comforting to hear those familiar soft, male-female harmonies and jaunty piano chord-play again. But the tempo here soon quickens, and the instrumentation and melody structure take on a world-pop sophistication (think early Poi Dog Pondering) that Karen and Richard never would have attempted (or were allowed to achieve), a tribute to the collective power of this group, which includes members of several Seattle bands. Grand, indeed.

“Home,” Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Up From Below. Do you like homespun, folk-inspired, group-singing songs? If so, here’s a dew-ragful, at its liveliest, most affecting, and twee. Oozing bumpkin sentimentality, from the aw-shucks subject to the group’s “Hee-Haw” sensibility and sappy banter — you can almost hear the dopey Johnny-and-June dueters smiling at each other — it’s nonetheless infectious and comfy. In fact, each time I’ve played this playful ditty, churned out by a group of 10-plus musicians, it’s no less welcoming than the first. Y’all come back now!

“Feeling the Pull,” The Swell Season, Strict Joy. As a follow-up to their hugely successful soundtrack to (and starring roles in) the movie “Once,” Glen Hansard (The Frames) and Marketa Irglova are once again pouring out draughts of their swell, up-tempo, Irish-folk-inspired melodies. There’s no film to accompany the couple this time, but you don’t need visuals to see how his hard-strumming, rousing heartache is so effectively and affectionately soothed by her plaintive piano fingering and whispery harmonies. I’d bet that, given enough seasons, these two could make every break-up song sound like feel-good music.

“Heartbeat Radio,” Sondre Lerche. Heartbeat Radio. I’d guess this young Norwegian phenom listened to a lot of Barry Manilow and George Harrison records growing up. I have no way of proving my theory, but those ’70s stalwarts are the two main musical strains I hear flowing in and around this song — call it “Can’t Smile Without and Got My Mind Set on You.” Other influences peek out, too, from Elvis Costello to ELO, making this clever diatribe against the banality of FM radio even more heartfelt.

“When Did the Lights Go Out,” Pixie Carnation, Fresh Poems (EP). From the get-go, with its pounding drums and ringing guitar chords, this song gets in line with the great tradition of American roots-rock anthems that filled the airways in the 1980s. Except of course the band’s Scandinavian, which likely explains why, though a Tom Petty wannabe, it’s got better harmonies. There’s also just enough postpunk edginess (the kind perfected by the group name-checked in their moniker) to make it interesting and keep your head nodding along, in agreement.

“Last Dance,” The Raveonettes, In & Out of Control. Their name alone — Rave-on-ettes — should be a tip-off that this band (a duo, really) is a throwback to another era. But it’s their unique mix of ’60s girl-group charm and shoe-gazer values that makes them standouts to me. Take this incredibly catchy single as example: with its droning, spaced-out grooves and sunny chorus, it’s the happiest-sounding “choose-your-drug-habit-or-me” kiss-off songs I’ve ever heard.

“Cloudbusting,” Wild Nothing, Capture Tracks. I was a big fan of Kate Bush in college and have wondered lately where she’s gone, especially now, a time when her fantastically lyrical, dream-like songs would be in demand. This cut, the second single from her 1985 album Hounds of Love, and lovingly covered here in hazy, synth-pop layers by a young Virgina-based singer-songwriter, was one of my faves. Compare the new version with the original on this video, directed by Python trouper Terry Gilliam.

“Ashamed of the Story I Told,” The National, Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy. Does it matter whether you know who Mulcahy is or that this cover version of a song he recorded with his band Polaris can be found on a tribute album created as a fundraiser following a family tragedy? Does it affect your enjoyment of this haunting song, rendered here a little lovelier and less dirge-like than the original (hear that one here)? Not in the least. I’ve also heard and like Michael Stipe’s contribution, “Everything’s Coming Undone,” which reveals why Around the Sun may have sounded a bit like a solo project rather than REM’s 13th studio album.

“So Slowly,” Early Day Miners, The Treatment. Who are these guys? I don’t know or care, really. One thing I’m certain: despite (or maybe because of) the fact that their song offers an odd admixture of goofy ’70s glam and ’90s noisiness, I can’t stop playing it. It’s as if ABBA reunited to cover The Jesus and Mary Chain, or (more likely) the other way round, then added some Nuclear Daydream-era Joseph Arthur fuzzy-groovies and asked the ghost of Jimi Hendrix to light up the guitar-rowdy outro, and Shazam! Disco meets distortion. (That would require treatment for sure.)

“Good Ol’ Boredom,” Built to Spill, There Is No Enemy. It’s a rare band these days that puts the guitar out front. Too often that instrument, which until fairly recently had worked its way up from rhythm section to bandleader, now gets buried in the overall mix of melody and melodrama. Think about fogies like Mark Knopfler or Bonnie Raitt and you’ll get my meaning. But that’s never been an issue for these guys, who always deliver distinct, memorable guitar lines that — in the case of this wailer — make me think of high-wire acts like The Eagles at their soaring best.

“Mind Eraser, No Chaser,” Them Crooked Vultures, Mind Eraser, No Chaser. Remember when “rock and roll” meant loud music your parents told you to turn down, not soft songs you have to turn up to hear? For examples of the latter, look no farther than the opening tracks on this playlist (guilty). For the former, feast your eyes on these old buzzards — Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). Their rock-god reputations precede them, for sure, but it’s nice to know they can still make old-fashioned, balls-to-the-walls, heavy-metal music that will make your ears bleed. Straight up!

So, there you have it, 15 new songs for the season of the senses. I encourage you (nay, implore you) to share these with your friends and family members — as a sign of thanksgiving, perhaps. It’s what the Indians did, remember?

And, as always, tell us what you think. Is there a new band that you’d like others to know more about? What’s your favorite song of November? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Over fifty years, nine children, thirty grandchildren and four great grandchildren later. We run down the hill to say goodbye to a house some had been born in and others had just stepped into for the first time. In a race to the gate Hannah took first place leaving a trail of Hogan’s breathless. My mum teared back the years to thrash her younger sisters, while I legged it down at top speed to make up for lost time, tumbling over half way down and picking myself up and putting a shoe back on in one motion.