wliberation, posts by tag: pimpage: music - LiveJournal

I cannot believe I'm listening to Rihanna's Breakin' Dishes. God. And I even have to admit that it's not half bad. But I do have a deeply rooted prejudice for Rihanna because I kind of, um, hate her song Murderer? Or whatever that was called. It was such a pretentious, self-indulgent, naïve, whiny song that even the very first time I heard it, I wanted to hurl things at the radio. But anyway, Breakin' Dishes isn't half bad.

Why am I listening to the song? Well, I stayed up until four in the morning last night because I was having some sort of music bender. For the first time in ages, I had popped down at one of my favourite music journals, and man, had I been provided or what. ...I'm not sure what exactly that sentence meant but, well, four am, people? Do the math.

And also, there was the fact that me and delgaserasca kept perving nerding gushing over this song which I'm about to pimp to ya'll now. I think some of you might be interested if not for anything else than curiousity. Why?

Because it has TORRI HIGGINSON (yes, Elizabeth Weir from Stargate Atlantis) being marvelous and... marvelous! A nerdy tidbit: this song is based on a real letter that Torri wrote to Andy White. I cannot stress how fantastic it all is.

Andy White featuring Torri Higginson (!): Don't Choose the Wrong Way

Also, as I'm here, being all big pimpin', I might as well rec you another song. This one is quite intriguing in that I cannot figure out if it's in 6/8 or 7/8. It took a couple of listens to get into the rhythm (the lead piano was quite confusing because it sounds like 4/4) but then I came to appreciate how the different instruments, apparently each playing to its own rhythm, come together in the second half.

The National - Fake Empire

Remember, support the artists you love.

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Well, anyhoo. Now I think I should start writing that essay of mine. I'm trying to get it done today, so that I can return it tomorrow, and then have the rest of the week for making presents and cleaning the flat and whatnot. Toodles!

I am having a slutty love affair at the moment.

With this song.

Just, you know, for your information.

Oh. My. God.


Paolo Nutini covers Natural Blues (Montreux Jazz Festival, YouTube clip)


This is the sort of thing that makes me wish that every single gig ever performed on this Earth was recorded on high-quality film and then made available/sold world wide. I like Moby's original, I do, I wouldn't say I love it but I do like it a lot. But this? This is just something else. This is... From the beginning with the tentative, almost testing lines of melody, to where the drums and guitar join in to kick some serious ass, to the bouncy beat, to Paolo's voice wailing in a way that according to all logic and rules of singing instructors everywhere should sound like cats screwing but instead sounds simply divine and soulful and like he really knows what he's singing about, this version is golden. Like that first bite of your favourite cake you haven't had in years and then some.

And now I really want to see this guy live. And I wish from the bottom of my heart that this version gets recorded some day.


EDIT:


*FLAILS*


ACOUSTIC LIVE VERSION!

Apart from the musical solo part, which was a bit off time, BRILLIANT! In a different way than the version linked to above, but still PURE BRILLIANCE! Chilling. And heh! The radio guy goes: "We're gonna fire Moby. Now he has to stop singing that song."

Does anyone know how I can rip the sound off of YouTube? Seriously.

I love rainy days. Mostly because they give you this peaceful easy feeling. ...And an excuse to do absolutely nothing. I was planning on going to the city, maybe seeing if I could lure J out for a cuppa if she isn't working, but then I woke up this morning to the sound of rain pattering on the roof, and somehow it seemed like a perfect day for staying in. ...Not that I haven't been staying in for days anyway apart from going to work, but that doesn't really count, does it? ;)

I'm eating yesterday's dal for lunch. Yummy. I made it for dinner last night and it was good, even though I think I added a bit too much salt (and to my taste, it could have been spicier but I had the Rents to think about), and it's even better the morning after. Some dishes are. Anyway, Dad ate a plateful and complimented my rice, though the dal itself got a comment "good but I think it'll need some getting used to" which is a polite way of saying "it was edible but I'm not dying for a repeat". So I'm considering it a success. Predictably, Mom didn't even have a taste because apparently lentils are some sort of legume. Oh well, I wasn't surprised. I tried at least. Her loss.

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You know, for - and I'm almost quite sure I'm not exaggerating when I say this - years now, I've been meaning to talk to you about Saul Williams. Every time I listen to his songs, I compose long, analytical and brainy, well, essays in my head and generally just geek out.

He's a very strange acquaintance to me. I have a strange sort of love/aversion relationship to his music, but no matter how controversial my feelings about his music can be, I damn well have deep respect for this man. If nothing else, he's a visionary that follows his own path and isn't afraid of being at your face and telling you exactly what he thinks, and you can't help but admire that. The geek out part usually, for me, comes from musical details: one of the things I love most about him is his talent of having meaning in his choice of musical details, talking not only through lyrics but also through music itself. Mostly it's small things that gain importance through context, whether it's the shotgun sample in African Student Movement or the reggae styled beat in the chorus of Black Stacey or the "baby" wail (transformed into music! *geeks*) in the song I'm posting now.

Some day I'll write that long essay and properly catalogue my thoughts on him. In the mean time, though, you can listen to this song.

Saul Williams - List of Demands


(Which reminds me, there's still the post on Postal Service that I've half written... I'm so productive, aren't I?)

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I dug out The Diagram Story once again. I've lost count of how long this story has been in writing. It's probably two years by now. Every few months, I read it over and add a thing or two, and then back it goes onto the figurative shelf.

The thing is, the thing is. I like part three a lot. A lot. Even if I say so, I achieved some damn good writing there, and I even like the quirky oddball, totally-not-to-fandom's-taste sex scene that I was freaking out over before. I like how the story begins, I like the idea of what I'm trying to do here. But somehow... Somehow it seems redundant. Awkward.

The second part is... pointless. I don't really know what the point of that is anymore. Or maybe I do, but it's not coming out the way I want it to. I like the details, but as a whole, I'm not sure. But I don't want to re-arrange the chapter "division" because there was a point in why it is the way it is, even though I'm not sure if I can make it work.

Maybe I just need to dig out a blank file and start over. Cut and glue, patchwork like. *sigh* I hate how I always overthink stories, but I can't do it any other way either.

*FLAILS!!!*

Oh. My. God.

I think I just had a small orgasm while listening to this.

WHY CAN'T THIS BE THE ALBUM VERSION??!!? *melts into a puddle of goooooo*

TV on the Radio playing Ambulance live in Coachella 2006; unfortunately with crappy recording quality.

I WANT TO SEE THEM LIVE!

Music spam! Because I can.

joni mitchell - rainy night house (live)
this is the Miles of Aisles version which I adore beyond belief and which is so much better than the original album version.

tv on the radio - mr. grieves
it's hard to explain what I love about their sound, but it's something that's just wonderful. this song is a cappella, by the way, which is... *flails*

monty python - always look on the bright side of life
lastly, something happy. how could you not be cheered up by this?

First of all, this post is so GLP. (Also, I've noticed that for some reason I cannot stand sidebars on my layouts. They look all pretty on others' but I can't stand them on mine. Weird.)

Secondly, this post is about music. I downloaded these tracks a few weeks back but hadn't really listened to them.

Now I did, though, and... yayomg.

The group is called Joiya. I have no idea how to describe their music or how to categorize it, and I'm not even sure if I should. Wonderful rhythms, wonderful strings, and wonderfully produced vocals. There's something almost dreamy here, something primal, something that speaks to the back of your mind, past the screaming voices of Modernity, and at the same time something fresh and joyful.

Download tracks.

Okay. Hot damn.

( Collapse )

Don't just watch the beginning. Watch the entire thing. With sound on, of course.

I am gleeful.

Peaches - Hot Rod
you like it when I love you less, no caress, just undress


This song makes me feel naughty in the most delicious of ways, but even more importantly than that, would you listen to that sound? Oh my goodness, everything in this song is just right, every note and hit exactly where they're supposed to be, and this gives it the feeling of going, moving, driving. And dear lord, the voice of the singer is just perfect for the song. I don't think anyone has ever made 'pussy galore' sound as fantastic. And aragskdghsdgf, the hi-hat-sounding thingy and the beat! The beat, the beat, the beat, the beat!

...

The beat!

I want to do a slutty dance now and rub against strangers.

Regina Spektor - All the Rowboats (live)

first there's lights out, then there's lock up
master pieces serving maximum sentences
it's their own fault for being timeless
there's a price to pay and a consequence


So, I've been listening to Regina Spektor's newest album all day and in the process, I stumbled upon this track of hers that I didn't know I had and have never actually listened to. While there are things to be said about the new album, there's one more important thing to be said about this song.

This is Regina.