My Last.fm - So Conventional, But Varied At Least
CD REVIEW: Telescope’s For The Rest Of Us Has Mass Potential
(First published at Desicritics.org, Cross-posted also at TempleStark.com)
A lot of new music gets by on just being new - for about two or three listens. And then it fades away. The best thing about these guys, the band Telescope, compared to others, is their sincerity. Lead singer Seth Holland drives crackling sincerity through every word and the musicians emphasize the erupting emotions.
The 10-track album, For The Rest Of Us — download it free for the moment — is packed with self-described power pop. Think Candlebox, or a hugely more meaningful, less cheesy, Hootie & The Blowfish. Or a talented, cringeless Jonas Brothers.
Overall, Telescope's music is lighter melodic rock rather than the heavy side of things. I'm not sure if they amp it all up live, but if they do, the songs have the strength for different interpretations.
Their most popular tune, "Stormy Weather," brings to mind the mid-90s band, Live. The song is a very mellow, bare-boned production that naturally brings the lyrics and what's being said into focus.
Suite Suite Cello
I appear to have a long-standing fascination with the cello, and for some reason it re-established itself very recently - in just the past week.
Long-standing in the sense that about the first music I bought after we moved to England was Julian Lloyd Webber’s Variations on a Theme by Paganini - for violin (24th Caprice). (Written by his more famous brother). I have NO idea why. An excerpt of it was the music to The South Bank Show with Melvin Bragg. But I’m not sure I was into that program as a 12-year-old.
Even if that’s where I heard it I really have no idea what motivated me to actually walk down to the music store, next to the small store in East Croydon where they sold Cadbury’s Creme Eggs, something else I had just discovered, and buy it. Since I was new in England pretty much everything was a discovery.
I played that tape to death for a good solid month at least. I have it still, though haven’t played it in years, In fact I’d completely forgotten about it. Until earlier this week. On July 9 I started an article here contemplating a cello suite prelude.
And I found that piece because I remembered, though I’ve never sought to listen to classical music, I loved the sound of the cello. In searching, I found that prelude.
MELANCHOLY TIPS ITS HAT
The cello to me has warmth, and a deep bravado of listening purpose. The vibrations of its large strings resonate through each other and bring forward a sound that welcomes engagement.
With that same welcoming gesture of sound comes, too, a simultaneous push away. Read the rest of this entry »
For New Visitors
I’m in blog transition everywhere, and this is one. From those who visit from last.fm, my site is USUALLY one to highlight and review podcasts as well as music reviews of released and not yet released music of all kinds. I have some music connections, though no playing talent at all.
i have a lot of fun because I love music. This site started in 2005 at the birth of when Apple launched it’s podcast zone. i tried my hand at podcasting then but it’s a lot of work. i will restart with much shorter shows, probably in the fall.
Thanks for visit. Bookmark me, please. — temple
Different ‘Speed Racer’ Body Types
Though Everclear might not be the best band that’s performed and recorded a version of the Speed Racer theme, they may be the best to record that theme.
It’s got electricity and beefed up guitars that really make it a cruisin’, head bangin’ drivin’ song that need to be played loud on your Alpines.
I don’t remember ever watching Speed Racer, but I do have fond memories of women dressing up as Trixie for Halloween or any other occasion that happened to coincide with whim.
The CGI / live action Speed Racer film, Go Speed Racer Go, was recently released, which even fans acknowledged would be hampered from the start by the lack of any real plot or point other than, you know, driving fast. The new theme by Ali Dee and the Deekompressors and trailer is here
While the Fast and the Furious could pretend to be burning rubber and setting records, there was more an air of geekiness nostalgia with Speed Racer.
It was a cartoon. A Saturday morning cartoon. Scooby-Doo was perhaps the most successful franchise to come out of those flight of fancy doldrums and that was because of 1) Daphne Baker 2) The Almighty Saintliness that is Kasey Casem.
But because it had fast cars it lingers in America’s 40-something and 30-something (repeats) consciousness. And musicians seem inspired.
Everclear, Moby, Devo, Aphex Twins and The Redwalls are just a handful of bands who have their own take on. All are remarkably faithful, and all have audio samples from the original Japanese theme
Moby has a technosexual push with Trixie and Johnny Quest burning rubbers. The Redwalls put their usual Twist & Shour-eras Beatles ambush on it, which should be commended for being different from the other theme takes, but, well, it’s a the second coming-spurt of The Beatles.
ORIGINAL THEME LYRICS (Original video of intro)
Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer
He’s a demon on wheels
He’s a demon and he’s gonna be chasing after someone
He’s gaining on you so you better look alive
He’s busy revving up the powerful Mach Five
And when the odds are against him and there’s daaangerous work to do
You bet your life Speed Racer’s gonna see it throughGo Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer goHe’s off and flying as he guns the car around the track
He’s jamming down the pedal like he’s never coming back
Adventure’s waiting just aheeeeeeeeaaaaadGo Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer
Go Speed Racer Go!
Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart Out On Tour in June
The Mickey Hart Band, featuring the legendary Grateful Dead drummer starts a festival tour by headlining the Harmony Festival, June 6 in Santa Rosa, Calif.
The Mickey Hart Band features Steve Kimock on guitar, George Porter Jr. on bass, Jen Durkin on vocals, and Walfredo Reyes Jr. on drums, and African talking drummer Sikiru Adepoju.
Talking drums are vertical and are pitched and tuned to simulate human vocal attributes.
The shows, through June and July, will also feature Rhythm Devils’ tunes such as “Fountains of Wood” and “Your House” as well as Grateful Dead flashbacks.
Hart’s 2006 project, a Rhythm Devils tour will be released in a 2-disc DVD / book package over the summer. Hart, with Sikiru, and Zakir Hussain released a Global Drim Project album in 2007. Shout! Factory has recently released The Mickey Hart Collection with highlights from many and most of Hart’s bands and collaborations.
On April 20, Mickey headlined Golden Gate Park with a mass drum ensemble including Tommy Lee, John Fishman, Joan Baez, and Bob Weir in celebration of Earth Day as part of the Green Apple Music Festival.
Select tour dates will offer pre-sale and VIP tickets which include a special after-show meet and greet with Mickey. Visit www.mickeyhart.net Web site for all tour ticket sale information. See also www.myspace.com/mickeyhartmusic.
Mickey Hart Band Tour dates:
June 6-Santa Rosa , CA - Harmony Festival
June 8-Lawrence, KS - Wakarusa Festival
July 2- Newport, KY - Southgate House
July 3-Rothbury, MI - Rothbury Festival
July 4-Garretsville, OH - Nelson Ledges
July 5-Chicago, IL - Lakeview Music Festival
July 6-Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
July 8-Northampton, MA - Calvin Theatre
July 9-Alexandria, VA - Birchmere
July 10-Morristown, NJ - Morristown Community Thr.
July 11-Jim Thorpe, PA - Penn’s Peak
July 12-Patchogue, NY - Great S Bay Music Festival
July 15-NY, NY - Fillmore NYC
July 17-Buffalo, NY - Thursday in the Square
July 18-Binghamton, NY - Magic City Music Hall
July 19-Pittsburgh, PA - Palace Theatre
July 20- Baltimore , MD - Ram’s Head Live
July 22-Indianapolis, IN - Vogue Theatre
July 23-Omaha, NE - Slowdown
July 24-Detroit Lakes, MN - 10,000 Lakes Festival