"In the Light" (Live)

Got a chance to play some of my songs at Old Haverford Friends Meetinghouse last night... Here's a clip from the show...

"The Many Sided Window" by Tim Simmons

My friend Tim Simmons recorded this track (with an assist from Marc Schuster) and then assembled some footage he found in the Prelinger Archives to go along with it. It's actually pretty cool how the imagery goes with the music -- kind of like the way Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon goes along with The Wizard of Oz.

"Obstacle" by the DROiDS

I love Electronic Dance Music, but I sometimes worry that it overshadows other forms of electronic music. Case in point: the curiously organic electronic sounds of the DROiDS. Their music blends analog synths with more traditional instruments. I'm pretty sure those are real drums on "Obstacle" (the track below), but even if they're not, by moving beyond the four-on-the-floor beats of EDM, the DROiDs remove us from the pounding rhythms of day-to-day life and deliver us to a quirkier, jazzier state of mind. Which isn't to say that the band doesn't rock when the occasion calls for it. After you've listened to "Obstacle," check out the grinding, gritty blues of "Dive." Offering a cross between Depeche Mode's most recent work on Delta Machine and the classic synth-driven rock of Gary Numan and Tubeway Army, the DROiDs bring heart and soul to electronic pop.

The DROiDS are offering "Obstacle" and all of their tracks at a pay-what-you-want rate, so give it a listen and if you like it, buy it!

Music That's Getting Me Through: "Sickle/Hammer" by Spirits

Maybe I'm betraying my latent socialist sympathies, but I'm so glad that my friend Tom Powers turned me on to "Sickle/Hammer" by Spirits. The track opens with an acoustic guitar line that reminds me of Guster. After four measures, though, the song is pure eighties power pop. I'm thinking XTC meets Crowded House with some gorgeous backing vocals a la the Beautiful South? Some nice, fat synths in there, too. And listen for a wonderful lyrical sentiment at around the two-minute mark: "Harvest the moon. The darkness will digest the light." Good advice for how I'm feeling at the moment.

The track is a pay-what-you want deal, but come on... Throw a dollar their way! If you like it, buy it!

GALENA [BEAT TAPE] by CDP

First, I'll admit that this is a somewhat odd bunch of music, but I keep coming back to it. The dialog in the first few seconds of the opening track "holeinone" remind me of "Frontier Psychiatrist" by the Avalanches, but when the beat kicks in at around 0:16, we're plunged into a murky, swampy, sticky groove that has the feel of a broken tape deck. The second track keeps the muddy feeling going with a warped melody that might be the drunken cousin of the Six Million Dollar Man theme song. The remaining tracks on this collection follow in suit with wobbly lo-fi grooves that strike a curious balance between fun and creepy. Somewhere there's a DJ who's going to do something really cool with this stuff.

This one's a pay-what-you-want deal. If you like it, buy it. 

New Music: "Never Talk Back"

Here's a track I recorded last week. I'm not entirely sure of what it's about, but there are two characters (possibly three), and one of them ends up dead. They may actually be robots. I say this because in the middle of the song, I do some weird things with phrase "rock star" and that part ends with a drawn-out, mechanical sigh. Is the hotrod kitten robot trying to talk the rock star robot out of killing her? At the end of the song, I do some more weird stuff with the phrase "never talk back." If you figure out what it all means, let me know.

Why I Write "If You Like It, Buy It"

If you've read any of my music reviews, you've probably noticed that I tend to end by saying "If you like it, buy it." A friend of mine recently said that this sounds a little glib, or like I'm trying to tell people what to do and how to spend their money. To an extent, I suppose my friend is right. But the main thing I'm trying to do is to remind anyone who reads my blog that musicians are people who put a lot of time, effort, and, yes, money into recording songs. Sure, we do it because we love making music. In fact, a lot of us have day jobs that help pay for our musical habits, and very few of us expect to make a fortune selling our music, but I think it's important to let artists we like know that we appreciate what they're doing. It's the online equivalent of dropping a dollar (or more!) in a tip jar.

Personally, I'm always flattered when I get a message stating that someone just paid for one of my songs, and I know that other musicians probably feel the same way. It means we've connected with a listener -- and that our music was more than just something playing in the background while they were busy doing something else. So when I end each post with "If you like it, buy it," I mean just that: If you hear a song that you like, show the artist that you appreciate what they've done and drop a dollar or two in their virtual tip jar. You just might make someone's day!

"What Was I Gonna Do With The Rest Of My Life" by Scot Sax

Hard to believe it's Halloween already! I originally wanted to post something with a spooky theme, but it's Monday, and I needed to hear something upbeat to get me going. Thank goodness, then, for "What Was I Gonna Do With The Rest of My Life" by Scot Sax. It has a strong, rocking beat and a live feel, and Scot's falsetto singing reminds me of Prince. And, to be honest, there's something spooky and haunting about the track. Minor chords in the verses, maybe? The doubling of the vocals on the chorus? The cool fuzztone on the lead guitar? Or maybe it's the song's attention to the ghosts of paths not taken in life? In any case, it's a great tune for Halloween or any day of the year...

"What Was I Gonna Do With The Rest Of My Life" is available for $1 (US) at BandCamp. If you like it, buy it.


And check out this ad for Scot's new CD, Grooved Pavement...

Weekend Music: When We Collide by Baker Man

The six tracks on Baker Man's When We Collide drift between the rough-hewn indie pop of early REM and the grinding garage punk of Dinosaur Jr. I also hear hints of the Decemberists and Ben Folds, particularly in the lead vocal of songwriter Mike Five on the album's opening and closing tracks ("What Tradition Means" and "Keeping Score"). The latter of these is a shimmering six-and-a-half minute opus that's equal parts dreamscape and early misty-morning hangover. Production on the album isn't slick -- nor is it meant to be -- but it's organic and has the feel of a live performance. These are the guys you saw performing in your buddy's basement or your favorite dive bar in college. Smart lyrics, jangly guitars, and a healthy dose of world-weary cynicism.

When We Collide is available on a sliding scale for $1 to $10 (you decide) on BandCamp. If you like it, buy it.

Morning Music: "Dust" by Jude McGee and the Soft Touch

After hearing "No Word from China" by pel mel a little while back, I found out that the band's singer, Jude McGee, has been working on a new project with her band the Soft Touch. Her album The Household Guide to Heartbreak has a polished, adult contemporary feel (as does her re-imagining of "No Word from China" (a free download definitely worth checking out)) that calls to mind The Beautiful South and Brandi Disterheft's 2009 album Second Side. Kicking off The Household Guide to Heartbreak, "Dust" opens with a charming flamenco guitar riff and a whistled melody straight out of an Enrico Morricone movie, and when a surf guitar joins the spare arrangement, the picture is complete: this is a song of loss and loneliness, but also a song of survival. McGee's haunting vocal floats through the track like the ghost of a shattered relationship, and there's a kind of creepy subtle electronic scratching noise that skitters through the song like a rat pawing through a long-abandoned home.

"Dust" is available for $1 (AUD) on BandCamp, and The Household Guide to Heartbreak is available for $10. If you like it, buy it.

"My Head"

Here's a song I wrote a long time ago -- back in high school when I was in my first band. We tried a bunch of names: DD-7 is one that I recall. I think we also tried Plaid Sasquatch. There were some others in there, too, until we settled on Circle Sky. Now that I think about it, we probably spent more time thinking of band names than we did working on music. But I did manage to build this song around a nonsensical chorus I'd thought of: "You stepped on my head, she said." I think I was trying to describe the life of an overworked housewife. It's the kind of thing that passes for deep when you're seventeen and it's 1990. In any case, my friend Joe Lavelle recently told me I should record the song -- so here it is, Joe...


PS: It's a free download this week. Just enter zero as the price you want to pay. Next week, I'll probably notch it up to a dollar.

PPS: Check out Joe's CD, More Popular Than Reagan!

Morning Music: "Head & Heart" by From Apes To Angels

Trippy, shimmering synths and a crunchy backbeat give "Head & Heart" a vibe reminiscent of the the Cure, and the lead vocals recalls Jeanette Landray's singing on the Glove's 1983 Blue Sunshine album. As with both Robert Smith projects, there's something dark and brooding lying in wait beneath the surface of this and other tracks by From Apes To Angels. On the surface, the song is about love, but the lyrics betray something else. Obsession, maybe? Jealousy? Hubris? A hint of rage? Whatever the case, "Head & Heart" is a deceptively twinkling tune with hidden, murky, even sinister depths.

From Apes to Angels are currently working on their debut EP. To help them out, download one of their singles at BandCamp and pay what you want...

Lovin' This Track: "Funky Cola" by Block35 feat. Thane

First thought: Shouldn't Christian Slater be riding a skateboard to this music in someone's empty swimming pool somewhere in the 80s? "Funky Cola" could definitely stand its ground alongside the entire Gleaming the Cube soundtrack or any number of teensploitation films of the era. (No surprise, of course, as their artist bio reads, "Through an inter-dimensional wormhole Block35 transmits the music from a parallel universe stuck between 1988 and 1992. The haunting soundtracks to its strange visions of a future that will never come.") A crisp, popping bass line bubbles through the song, and synth stabs reminiscent of the Pet Shop Boys (not to mention a rhythm track recalling the best of Technique-era New Order) bring this track to shimmering, syrupy life.

"Funky Cola" is $1 (US) on BandCamp. If you like it, buy it.

I'm Loving Lovers & Poets II by Lovers & Poets

Does it help that the first song I heard from the new Lovers and Poets album is a cover of one of my all-time favorite David Bowie songs? Yes, it most definitely does. Their cover of "Ashes to Ashes" is slow and moody with a lush, trippy backing track, and it captures the chill mood of the rest of the album. Highlights include album's opening track, "You + Me in the Summer," a soft-rock gem that isn't hard to imagine spinning on an L.A. turntable circa 1979. (I don't know what that means, exactly, but something about the track put that phrase in my head.) "That's the Way It Goes" opens with a piano riff that would be right at home on Carole King's Tapestry album, but as the song progresses, the funky clavs and synths take us into Buck Rogers territory (in the best way possible), and the rest of the album follows suit with a blend of rootsy singer-songwriter funk-and-disco-influenced rock and silky chillwave synths. "Here Comes the Morning" and a cover of "I Am Barely Breathing" have a distinct 90s vibe that's underscored by vocal reminiscent of Sarah McLachlan, and the album's closer, "Beautiful World" comes off as a prayer to the world we're all capable of making if we only put our hearts to it.

To sum it up, Lovers + Poets II = Carole King + Beach House + Sarah McLachlan. The album is available on BandCamp for $9.99 (US). Individual songs are $1. Definitely check out their version of "Ashes to Ashes." And if you like it, buy it.

New Music: "Juzz"

Here's a track I recorded this afternoon. The title comes from one of my favorite Simpsons lines: Bart says to Lisa, "I need you to teach me all about the world of juzz." (He means jazz, of course, and Lisa is livid that all of her jazz heroes want to play with Bart and not with her.) Anyway, the track is fairly short, so I've made it free for anyone who wants to download it. Just click "download," and when they ask how much you want to pay, enter zero.  Of course, if you really like the song, feel free to pay whatever you think it's worth...

Rockin' It Old School: Wild Style by Robots with Rayguns

I have no idea what the lyrics are trying to tell me, but I love the way they sound -- sliced up and processed, alternately high-pitched and growingly low. (Remember Yello's "Oh Yeah" from Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Kind of like that.) Definitely an 80s vibe going on here -- zippy synths, crisp beats, snappy snares. A hint of "Axel F" here, a touch of "Jam On It" there. Once in a while I pick up a very slight whiff of New Order and maybe a little bit of the Cure. It's no accident, of course, that Wild Style, the latest release from Arizona-based Robots with Rayguns, feels like a throwback to the best of 80s electropop... Just check out their album art and the full range of merch they have on offer, or consider the fact that you can buy their latest release on cassette. But it's not just throwback music. At its best moments, Wild Style offers a perfect blend of vintage sounds and contemporary EDM. If this is what the robot revolution will look like, then sign me up...

Wild Style is available for $10 (US) on BandCamp. If you like it, buy it.

My Morning Music: "A Part of History" by Monsieur

This morning, I headed over to Spotify to check out "A Part of History" by Monsieur. The track opens with a jazzy drum beat that's quickly joined by a piano and vocal combo that evokes Stevie Wonder at the height of his popularity in the 1980s. Soon enough, a hand-clapping, foot-stomping hook kicks in: We're all a part of history. Let's keep up the fight for liberty. Well, it would be a start for our victory if we're real masters of our destiny. It's a phrase that rings out repeatedly through the song like a mantra and serves as excellent advice for those of us here in America who are looking forward to our next election. As the song progresses, the lead gives way to beautiful blend of Bobby McFerrin-style scat, funky piano riffs, and a mellow horn section. Great flow, funky beat, strong vocals, and a moving sentiment make this a song worth listening to. Check it out along with the rest of Monsieur's latest album, Sir, for free on Spotify.

Fall Recipe: Butternut Squash Smoothie

Wondering what to do with all that squash your gardener friends always try to palm off on you this time of year? You can always use it in a bread recipe, of course, but if you want to try something different, here's what I made for lunch today:

Butternut Squash Smoothie

Ingredients (measurements are estimated)

• 1/2 cup butternut squash (or pumpkin)
• 1 cup of Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 tbsp of chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 1 tsp of maple syrup

You'll need to prepare the squash ahead of time. To do this, cook the squash, mash it up, and refrigerate it overnight. Once you've done this, take about 1/2 a cup of the mashed squash and combine it with the other ingredients listed above in a blender. Run the blender until the texture is to your liking.

You may need to adjust the amounts of some of the ingredients to suit your tastes. And if you use the recipe for cooking squash that I linked to above, it's probably best not to add butter, salt, or pepper. Just scoop the squash out of the rind and mash it up.

Machine Made of Words (Assignment Instructions)

If you're a teacher and you liked the "Machine Made of Words" idea that I've discussed over the last few days, feel free to use (or adapt) the following instructions I gave to my students:

As we move toward the second half of the semester, we’re going to get away from discussing texts that I’ve chosen and start looking at texts that you’ve found. These texts can include articles that you’ve stumbled upon, interesting passages from books, or even videos that you find particularly intriguing or worthy of discussion. The only thing I ask is that you refrain from bringing politics or religion into the mix. I make this request because the purpose of this exercise is not to incite debate but to practice synthesis—that is, to take seemingly different and arguably incompatible pieces of information and to use them to support a single idea.

With any luck, one benefit of this exercise will be that you work on what Pagan Kennedy might refer to as your “string gathering” skills. In other words, you’ll get better at keeping an eye on the news and other sources of information in order to stay informed around the world around you while simultaneously thinking about how all of that information fits together. One way to do this might be to follow a variety of news sources on Twitter (e.g., Reuters News Agency, NPR, New York Times, Washington Post, Wired, Rolling Stone, or any other publications you might find interesting) and watch out for anything that grabs your attention. Alternately, you might check the headlines of a single publication like the New York Times or listen to local NPR affiliate WHYY (90.9 FM) daily to learn about what’s going on in the world and share it with the class.

However you choose to gather your string, keep looking for information that makes you stop and think, “Wow… That’s really interesting!” When that happens, save the link (or scan the information if it’s in print) so that you can share it with the class when your turn comes around. Though I’m assigning students with specific weeks and deadlines for sharing their links and articles, my advice is to start gathering your string now so that you don’t have to scramble to find something at the last minute to share with the class; it’s better to give yourself a few possibilities to choose from rather than forcing yourself to go with the first and only thing you find.

So, in a nutshell, what you’re going to do is send me a link to (or scanned copy of) something interesting by the Friday associated with your name below. I will then forward all of the information to the rest of the class, and everyone in the class will read the texts over the weekend so that we can work on synthesizing that information over the course of the following week. 

(The schedule appeared here; for each week, I listed five students who had to send me links to articles. The results of this assignment can be found in my post "Building a Machine Made of Words.")

Morning Music: "Until It’s Gone” by Little Glass Men

Once again, I selected a tune at random on BandCamp this morning, and this time around it was an experimental electronic track by Little Glass Men. Working out of San Francisco, California, Little Glass Men (or LGM as the hip kids say) is a 26-year-old composer whose experiments in electronica are designed “to inspire visions and spark voyages.” And this track definitely inspires visions. Despite being (accurately) categorized as electronic glitch music, “Until It’s Gone” has a distinctly organic vibe, as the rhythm track consists largely of a splashing sound, like feet marching through a bog or across a shoreline as the tide is rolling out, while the synth that provides the top line melody calls to mind an accordion. If you’re stuck in the office, take a minute (or four-and-a-half) to pop in your ear buds, listen to this tune, and drift off to your happy place.

The track is $1 (US) on BandCamp. If you like it, buy it.