Richie Havens

I saw Richie Havens last night in Breckenridge at the River Walk Center. What an amazing performer. I was able to shake his hand after the show and his gentle, kind nature, which comes through in his music, was apparent in person as well.

Here he is signing autographs after the show.



Here's a short, inadequate cell phone clip from my seat in the front row.




Here he is at the Cannes film festival singing freedom.

Richie Havens - Ouverture du 61eme Festival de Cannes
by RichieHavens

"All the Way Down," Glen Hansard

Song: "All the Way Down"
Album: Once (Music from the Motion Picture)
Artist: Glen Hansard



Glen Hansard's voice sounds almost like a cello on this very sad, but beautiful song. I was introduced to Glen Hansard's music on Fabchannel because he is the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Frames. He has the ability to get seriously intense with his singing, a quality he displays on this song (on the same album) called "Say it To Me Now."



The movie "Once" was recommended to me by a friend and it was a little gem if you haven't seen it. It's a simple little movie and the lead parts are surprisingly well played by the musicians themselves. Perhaps the most famous song coming from the album is called "Falling Slowly." It's a wonderful duet, between Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

Hansard is an amazing song writer with the ability to get the very essence of his subject matter. Incredibly, he also possesses the ability to do the same with his voice. Irglova is the perfect compliment for the songs and the film as well.

Here's a fun live performance of "Falling Slowly" featuring horrific camera work:

"Gavin's Song," Marc Broussard

Song: "Gavin's Song"
Album: Carencro
Artist: Marc Broussard

This song is simply essential for any parent missing a child... or for anyone missing anybody. It was written by the artist for his son. Really, it's one of those that simply must be listened to and appreciated. It's beautifully written and beautifully sung. Enjoy.

"The Ocean," Led Zeppelin

Song: "The Ocean"
Album: Houses of the Holy (Remastered)
Artist: Led Zeppelin



Led Zeppelin probably created more recognizable guitar riffs than any band of the 70's-- and to me, this is the most recognizable. This brings back such powerful memories from adolescence. This was, in fact, one of the songs I would play to get ready for a date. It was like a one song pep rally. My advice: buy the song, turn it up.

It's been hard to select just three Led Zeppelin songs. There are so many and you can expect more in this blog. Honorable mentions: "Fool In The Rain," "Dancing Days," "Going To California," "D'yer Maker," "The Battle of Evermore," "The Rain Song," "Stairway To Heaven."

"What Is and What Should Never Be," Led Zeppelin

Song: "What Is and What Should Never Be"
Album: Led Zeppelin II (Remastered)
Artist: Led Zeppelin

Play Sample

One big thing missing from a lot of today's music is dynamics. One reason for this is the loudness wars discussed here and here. Just as Zepplin's albums had dynamics as complete works of art, so did many of their individual songs. In my opinion, this is THE best example of how to maximize the power of a song with dynamics.

I love this studio version and I love the live version too.

There are so many influences in this song. It begins as a folk ballad with jazz style high hat and drums. Suddenly, it morphs into a hard rock head banger. In fact, this song, along with "Whole Lotta Love," (songs 1 & 2 on the album) probably helped create and define the genre of hard rock.

The guitar work by Jimmy Page is sick. At 3:31 into the song, each successive riff is panned 100% right then 100% left, all but shouting the back and forth agony contained in the lyrics with his guitar. In the midst of this-- a gong sounds, creating an unforgettable, signature moment in rock history.

Apparently, the song was inspired and informed by a romance Robert Plant had with his wife's younger sister. At least that's what the wiki article claims. And this makes sense as the song in every way supports the painful misery of a forbidden love and the confusion, duality and indecision that goes with it.

"Bron-Yr-Aur," Led Zeppelin

Song: "Bron-Yr-Aur"
Album: Physical Graffiti (Remastered)
Artist: Led Zeppelin

In celebration of iTunes releasing The Complete Led Zeppelin, I'll offer my three favorite Led Zeppelin songs in the next three posts.

"Bron-Yr-Aur" is my wife's favorite Led Zeppelin song, and it's growing on me. It is a calm acoustic guitar masterpiece appearing on Physical Graffiti amidst their hard rock classics "Kashmir," and "Houses of the Holy." Led Zeppelin made albums-- complete works of art intended to be enjoyed from start to finish-- and this song's place is to give the harder songs on the album a counterpoint. It's a short song; a breath, which offers a reflective, beautiful sound scape. Led Zeppelin's slow stuff makes their hard stuff more powerful and visa-versa. If you like this, other Zeppelin songs you'll love include: The Rain Song, That's The Way and Going To California.

The song is named for a cottage in Wales where the band stayed. In Welsh it means "Golden Breast." Here's the wiki article.

Here's a collage of photos of Led Zeppelin someone made, backed by the song.

"There Is Nobody," Yoav

Song: "There Is Nobody"
Album: Adore - Single
Artist: Yoav

This new artist is currently touring with Tori Amos. This song reminds me of "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes. Probably because the percussion drives and has air. But if the Stripes impress for the sound they achieve with just two players, Yoav does the same... and he's solo.

Check out this youtube video of Yoav doing a cover of "Where Is My Mind" by the Pixies (a different song altogether). He uses looping in innovative ways to create a sound scape and then plays and sings over it. The loop he creates here by singing into the sound hole of his guitar, continues until the end of the song and provides a creepy mystery to what he is doing.



It's new, innovative, minimalist. Yoav makes the most out of the sounds he creates, and has an attractive confidence that those sounds are enough. And, they are.

"Beautiful," G. Love featuring Tristan Prettyman

Song: "Beautiful"
Album: Lemonade
Artist: G. Love featuring Tristan Prettyman

This song captures the feeling of a new relationship (a long time in the making), with all it's ambiguity, posturing, excitement, possibility and indecision. It's light, fun, sexy and playful.

In the tradition of "Baby It's Cold Outside," this is a duet between daters, each with an agenda. Fifty eight years ago, Ella Fitzgerald wouldn't have sung about Louis Jordan taking off her shirt. It was a time that required much more subtlety and a pretext. But the playful, free bluntness of this song is one of the qualities that makes it a winner. Play count = 101.

Official Video

"Alive With The Glory Of Love," Say Anything

Song: "Alive With The Glory Of Love"
Album: Say Anything Is A Real Boy
Artist: Say Anything

The Man learned long ago how to ruin a good rock & roll song... put it on TV. But, Scrubs makes me laugh and there's no denying the power of a good forbidden love story.

I love this song on so many levels...

First the lyrics. It tells a story from the perspective of a rebel on the loosing side of a war. Max Bemis the song writer and singer had grandparents who were in fact Holocaust survivors, which I learned about by reading the Wiki article. On closer read, the lyrics reference Treblinka, a German concentration camp in Poland where his grandparents survived.

"Now Treblinkah is alive with the glory of love"

And that is the the ultimate triumph of his grandparents and of the song-- love wins.

For me, the song transcends the cultural and generational differences between the 1940's WWII era and today. After all, love is universal no matter the circumstance, no matter the time. If his grandparents' love can survive Treblinka, any love can survive anything.

The music is also special; loud, fast and angry with punk and hardcore while the singer is describing the axis powers, tender, slower and airier (good jumpy rock) while describing his lover.

This song is very well made; war on one side, love on the other. What higher purpose could there be for a song than to express an unstoppable passion overcoming the violence and inanity of war? It goes so far (in the last stanza) to reveal that the love is so strong, it would survive the singer's death.

"Should they kill me, your love will fill me as warm as the bullets, yeah.
I'll know my purpose: this war was worth this. I won't let you down…"

Hopeful and fiercely defiant under the worst of circumstances, can you imagine a love so strong that fighting World War II, being imprisoned and dying were all worth it? It puts true love in perspective and in it's proper place, diminishing war and it's physical world trappings to an obstacle. No matter how daunting the obstacle it's still just that, an obstacle. Love, on the other hand, is the very purpose for living.

"Let It Be Sung," Jack Johnson & Matt Costa

Song: "Let It Be Sung"
Album: A Brokedown Melody
Artist: Jack Johnson & Matt Costa

I'm a huge Jack Johnson fan. I even did a cover of his song Rodeo Clowns on youtube. But, when I heard this song on the radio one day while driving home, it resonated strongly with me.

It's a collaboration with Matt Costa, and Zach Gill of ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra), both of whom I also enjoy and appreciate. There's something special about hearing a collaboration between artists in this age of isolation. It suggests a humility in the artists-- that they would rather create something beautiful together than insisting on owning every possible right to everything they produce. There are good collaborations and questionable ones, this is a good one.

The production is cool. The beginning of the song sounds far away-- like maybe you're walking down the beach to your friend's house where music is already being played, and you can hear it through the open door. Then, you enter the room and the music is clear and loud.

"15 Step," Radiohead

Song: "15 Step"
Album: In Rainbows
Artist: Radiohead

Yes, I bought the Radiohead album In Rainbows from their web site. I love Radiohead and this album does not disappoint. I'm always willing to pay for good music. I paid 7 pounds (about $14) after reading a review from a guy who successfully downloaded it for $.02. I'm a fan of the honor system and I'm a fan of anything that helps bring about changes the music industry.

15 Step is my favorite song on the album. The production of Radiohead songs has been a fascination of mine. I love the contrast of the chant-like, sampled hand clap percussion which begins the song and then is consumed by the lazy guitar. I love the sampled yells of children too. For me, this is the height of popular creativity in music production now.

"No Surprises," Radiohead

Song: "No Surprises"
Artist: Radiohead
Album: OK Computer

I get an ironic sense from this song. It’s saying something like:

“Damn, look at the state of the world! Give me some ear plugs and a pretty garden and I’ll just live quietly. In the mean time, bring down the government cause they don't speak for us.”

As if a revolution is something you can order from room service. Yet this captures a prevailing attitude, at least in it's own time.

Sonicaly, the produced version of the song is beautiful and builds from relaxed to urgent with layers of fantastically crafted sound.


This is the acoustic version from youtube:

"Jolene," Cake

Song: "Jolene"
Album: Motorcade of Generocity
Artist: Cake

I love this band and I still listen to this album all the time, even though it came out in 1994. Greg Brown is one of my favorite guitar players. It's thoughtful, it's funky, it rocks; what not to love.

"Lua," Bright Eyes

Song: "Lua"
Album: Lua - EP
Artist: Bright Eyes

Honesty.

Bright Eyes (a.k.a. Conor Oberst) is a master of conveying a feeling with a song. This is one of my favorite things about music-- it’s probably the best medium for conveying emotions. Yet Bright Eyes strips this song of all the optimism and hopefulness that usually accompanies a budding romance. This is a complete expression of the “out of self” observations of an addict and the resignation that accompanies the fall of an individual in tandem with the fall of society. If you have a shot at getting some and still can't muster a thread of hope, the world is weighing heavy my friend. In a word, this song is honest, heroically so.

"Shaking The Tree," Peter Gabriel

Song: "Shaking The Tree"
Album: Secret World Live
Artist: Peter Gabriel

This live version of Shaking The Tree is awesome. It features Paula Cole on vocals. I think it's cool when a live version of a song takes it to a new level. Maybe becuase of the subject matter of the song, Cole's voice brings balance. Enjoy.