Monday, May 17, 2004
The "Fuck" CD's are going out today, so while we wait for our reviews to trickle in, let's have a week of (sorta) genre themed posts, what say?
Here's some certifiable hepster music from the 1940's and, just for kicks, an obscure Texas piano blues track recorded in the sixties that was likely played around the same time.
glisten
The Cats and the Fiddle - "Public Jitterbug No. 1"
The Cats and the Fiddle's big hit was the fairly schmaltzy, "I Miss You So", later covered by Little Anthony and the Imperials. While I'm not so much a fan of their ballads, Cat/Fiddle's swingin' hepster stuff is awful palatable.
Commentary on this track would be appreciated; I'm considering doing a week of this style of music and am curious to hear if that's of interest to you folks.
Buy Volume One of the Complete Cats and the Fiddle, "Killin' Jive," from Amazon
If you like this track, you'll pretty much like the whole album. Promise.
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Nice overview of the band's history, with discography.
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Learn more about jitterbugging
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Clarence Williams - "You're Bound to Look Like a Monkey When You Get Old"
Williams wielded enough clout in his day that he billed himself as the creator of jazz. That's a flat untrue statement, but he was certainly one of the most influential musicians in the genre.
Buy "New Orleans Pioneer: Great Original Performances 1923-1944" by Clarence Williams from Amazon
Surprisingly contemporary stuff
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Williams bio and some audio cuts
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The Smirking Chimp
Seymour Hersh's reporting over the past month has been nothing short of heroic.
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Robert Shaw - "Groceries On My Shelf (Piggly Wiggly)"
Robert Shaw was a touring musician throughout the twenties and thirties, but quit the game to buy a grocery store ("The Stop and Swat") and settle down with his second wife. In the late sixties, Shaw started playing professionally again and his time-capsule-precise stylings caught listeners' and critics' attention. He continued performing until his death in the mid-eighties, but only a handful of his songs were ever professionally recorded and distributed.
Shaw's ragtime/barhouse stop-and-start piano work in combination with his soulful voice is downright hypnotizing.
Information you don't need, Part One: While in high school, I worked at least three times as the giant pig mascot, "Mr. Pig". I also was Chuck E. Cheese a while.
It was a sad time for everyone.
Buy "Ma Grinder" by Robert Shaw, direct from Arhoolie Records
With the brilliantly named "Here I Come With My Dirty, Dirty Duckings On" and "Whores is Funky" (neither sounds quite as good as the title would suggest, but C'MON!)
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Shaw bio
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The Piggly Wiggly homepage
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musicblog clicky
I'm not positive exactly WHAT is going on over at Sloro, even after downloading the tracks he's offering (sorta wankish progrock live stuff); but he gets bonus points for turning me on to Tout Puissant Konono No. 1.
THAT'S entertainment!
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Mystery and Misery offers great heaping spoonfuls of "independent and underground music". I'm not familiar with a one of these bands; plenty to spelunk.
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No Frontin', Just Music is occasionally offering a selection of TTIKTDA style indiepoprocks; not much to speak of at the moment, but stop by and give him a word of encouragement to carry on, eh?
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Hip Hop Music delivers what it promises. News, industry gossip and call outs and occasional tracks and remixes for download. The Kanye/P.E./Coltrane (!) mashup is particularly worth the dl.
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Thank Me For the Music has a host of somewhat dated topoftheBritpopsongs. Again, not a one of these tracks are recognizable to me (save the dsisco remix), so opportunities for expansion abound!
Of course, don't forget to thank the fellow for the music. Squeaky wheel and all that.
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//blahblog is a dj blog filled with dancefloor and house remixes of the "close your eyes and shake your shoulders and hope the E kicks in soon" variety.
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spiffy
Mark one up for the "whafuck?" category: One of my fave blogs, Trapped by Undead, Need Help (as told by a small group of survivors of the zombie apocalypse) is now rerouting directly to the US Army homepage.
Clearly, this means something; but what? Signs point to "panic time".
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On a somewhat less 1984-ish tip: Information Leafblower is very much worth a peek. Media, music, news, sports and a hagiography of Sportsguy quotes; but I happen to like Bill Simmons too, so everything's copacetic.
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You're just playing yourself if you're neglecting to take a regular peek in at Basic Hip Digital Oddio. This past week (maybe if you hurry you can catch it?) there was an AMAZING offbeat Nat Adderley Quintet album (with Cannonball in tow) that featured freeverseboppoetry on the signs of the Zodiac (primo mixtape material); last week was the song styling of Moms Mabley (!). Gwan over; find out what all the shoutings about.
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Massive addition to the sidebar to go up tomorrow. Keep your eyes peeled.
