Sunday Rewind: 80’s Christmas, baby

It's an 80's Christmas Sunday Rewind.

Let's start it off right with Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis." It's the best Christmas song of all time and I'm thinking of carolling in the neighborhood this year with this one.

Another favorite of mine, "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" by U2.. Love the old school U2.

One of the best, "2000 Miles" by The Pretenders. This is pure fabulous.

And because I like George Michael best with feathered hair and tinsel, it's Wham's "Last Christmas."

Lastly, it's The Waitresses with "Christmas Wrapping" from 1981, set to seizure-inducing Christmas lights!

How fun are 80's Christmas songs? Super fun.

tunes you need Tuesday: unplugged R.E.M

So, I was up late last night, unable to sleep for no reason and when I woke up at 6:15 this morning (after 3 hours of sleep) the song "Daysleeper" was in my head. When I get a song in my head I usually fire up the iPod and play it, oh, I don't know — 42 times. I enjoy that. With all the R.E.M. on my iPod, I looked for another version of "Daysleeper" because I thought I had an acoustic version, but I couldn't find one. I just knew there was an acoustic album, but it was the 2001 MTV Unplugged I was thinking about. This afternoon I set out to find video from the episode and I do believe I hit the motherload.

When a band does an unplugged set it shows what they can do, strips away the fancy studio fixes and you have a pure performance. That's great for music fans. If a band is really talented you'll hear that in the song, it shines through. What Michael Stipe does here is fantastic — he has a voice that can easily overpower a song, but he is great at controlling it in an acoustic setting and the instruments aren't drowned out.

And now for some "Daysleeper."

One of the things that's different about R.E.M. is that they really don't do love songs. I kind of love that. Of course, they do love songs, but they're not typical, they're not sappy, they're honest. That's why "At My Most Beautiful" is one of my favorite R.E.M. songs. It's sweet, but not saccharin. The piano in the song is wonderfully done and the melody is fantastic.

"I'll Take The Rain" is done very well here. I'll say what I always say while listening to my own iPod: I love this song.

I've adored "Find The River" since first hearing it on 1992's Automatic For the People, which is a fantastic album. Let me explain what that means to the iTunes generation. You see, back in the day, bands made albums. Albums were meant to be listened to as a whole, meaning the songs were connected, not necessarily a theme, but there was usually a flow and it was harmonious. These days, artists release a couple of songs and they're lucky if someone hears the entire album with the invention of iTunes. That's a sad thing because you miss those gems that aren't released as singles. "Find The River" didn't chart in the U.S. so you probably didn't hear it unless you bought the album. Here's the acoustic version.

Sadly, you can't get these acoustic takes on some of R.E.M.'s best songs on an album. In what I consider to be a great travesty, they didn't put out an accompanying album. I KNOW! I couldn't believe it either. Very sad. I'm glad that at least for now, the videos are available on You Tube, so if you enjoyed the blog today, go watch the rest and you won't be disappointed. R.E.M. is a fantastic band with music that holds up unbelievably well. And by the way, the band is currently 30 minutes away from me, in New Orleans recording their new album. Don't think I'm not working on finding out where they're recording. If we're lucky there will be a part two to this post entitled "Kerry meets R.E.M. (and they didn't have her arrested for stalking)."

Sunday rewind: The B-52s

As I've said in a previous post, sometimes music is just supposed to be fun. Thank God for The B-52s for days when fun is what you need. The B-52s are quintessentially a party band from Athens, GA. Between Fred Schneider's spoken-word vocals and Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson's harmonies (they also shared lead vocalist duties with Fred on half the songs), The B-52s made something special in the 80's. They started as New Wave, played only on college radio and became part of the mainstream by the time Cosmic Thing came out. I've loved them since my pre-teen days when their style meant as much to me as their music. I identified with the style and the quirky style, and I'd still like to wear my hair as high as Kate's.

The B-52s are precisely the fun we need today and thought you'd enjoy a few videos for this Sunday's Rewind.

First up: "Private Idaho."

"Legal Tender" is about counterfeiting money. What? You got a problem with that?

This is "Song For a Future Generation" and it's lovely in a bizarre way. I adore the way the band members introduce themselves. If I were in The B-52s I'd say: "I'm Kerry, I'm a Cancer, I love the Google and enchiladas!" You'll have to watch the video for that to make sense. What a fun way to meet the band. If you're unfamiliar with the early days of The B-52s, guitarist Ricky was Cindy Wilson's brother who was in the band and passed away from AIDS in 1985. A lot of bands would have folded upon such a devastating loss, but The B-52s soldiered on and became a household name.

My favorite B-52s song has been "Deadbeat Club" for 20 years now. Writing that sentence makes me feel so damn old. Ah, youth. Keith is supercute in this video, he has a Morrissey thing going on with the hair and glasses, and that's never a bad thing in my opinion. Oh, and check out Michael Stipe's cameo.

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x1x9s4&related=0

So, that's The B-52s for today. If you enjoyed it, check out "Dance This Mess Around," "Planet Claire," and "Rock Lobster" on You Tube.

tunes you need Tuesday: thankful edition

You know, there aren't enough Thanksgiving songs. Why are there a brazillion Christmas songs, but the only Thanksgiving songs I know of are "10 Little Indians" and Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving song. That's it.

So, I thought I'd share Natalie Merchant's "Kind and Generous" for its theme of thanks. It's a great song, uplifting, fun, and the video has great costumes. I need the pink aerialist costume where Natalie's on the horse and trapeze (although I'm more of a female cannonball, let's face it).

I do love that song. It brings to mind all the people in my life who have been a blessing to me. We all have people who have made a difference in our lives, saved us from ourselves, and helped in a time of need. I hope you've thanked those people and that you can be that person for someone else. This is a perfect week to do so.

Sunday rewind: Stevie Nicks

This post really doesn't need explanation. Stevie Nicks, either with Fleetwood Mac, or solo made some superfantastic rock and roll in the 80's. I love Stevie's duets and SO wish she'd do an album of duets. That album is way overdue.

Here's Stevie and Tom Petty doing "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" and "I Need to Know" and Stevie and Don Henley with "Leather and Lace." I searched extensively for the original video or a decent live performance of "Leather and Lace," but turned up a big nothing, so the song with photos will have to do.

http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf

Stevie Nicks and Don Henley – Leather and Lace Video by Eagles Online Central – MySpace Video – Watch more Music Videos at Vodpod.

If I were to sing a duet, it would be "Leather and Lace," but since I'm not a singer, it would probably go less like the above and more like this version by Will Ferrel and Dave Grohl. This is pretty great. Caution: don't play in front of the kids.

tunes you need Tuesday: the Rave-Ups, Chance album

There are a few albums in my possession that I've bought more than once. I've purchased Michael Penn's March and Free For All, Lemonheads' It's a Shame About Ray and Come On Feel the Lemonheads, the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, and the Rave-Ups Chance albums at least three times each because I've played them to death or loaned them to friends who loved and kept the albums for their own.

Two weeks ago I realized I didn't have Chance on any of my computers and went looking for my cd, but it wasn't to be found. I was quite disenchanted with iTunes after striking out there, but when I checked out Amazon and discovered Chance is out of print, that fact made me sad. And so I turned to Ebay, bought a gently used cd for $7.99 and wondered what is wrong with the music industry. The Rave-Ups were a great band with critical acclaim and a cult following, appeared in the film Pretty in Pink, but never had the kind of success they deserved (or at least that's what this fan thinks). After 12 years together and four albums, they broke up in 1992. Wikipedia says they're back together, but there is no source cited and I'll believe the Rave-Ups are back together when I see it. As of right now, some freakin' Yardbirds tribute band is using their name and has a website with that name, so who knows? I was surprised to see very little on the interwebs about the Rave-Ups. The Wikipedia entry is weak and I only found one review of Chance. Pathetic. And so, it's up to your favorite red-haired blogger to tell you about one of my favorite albums.

1990's Chance is the last album released by the Rave-Ups, who are now classified as Roots Rock. Back in the day, they were plain old Alternative. Whatev. One day I'll have to write a post on this classification-thing because I looked up what they call "Roots Rock" and I'm sorry, but you can't put CCR, Neil Young, the Rave-Ups, and The Wallflowers in the same genre. Whatever you call them, they were just good. The group was headed up by Jimmer Podrasky, who wrote some rockin' songs with great lyrics and good hooks, just good stuff. And I need a friend named Jim so I can call him Jimmer. I've decided Jimmer is the best name ever.

The first track on the album, "The Best I Can't" shows more of their rock side and the name of the song tells you what kind of songwriter Podrasky is — he takes phrases and mixes them up, he puts his spin on something familiar and makes it his own. Here's "The Best I Can't."

01 The Best I Can't 1

And now for something completely different. I think "Hamlet Meets John Doe" shows off what the Rave-Ups did best: a lovely little song with good lyrics, a little bit of a country sound, nice melody, and well — just well done. It's my favorite song on the album. I love the lines "I've got nothing to say and 12 ways to say it/Break my heart, but please don't trade it"

05 Hamlet Meets John Doe 1

The last song for you to listen to today is "She Says (Come Around)," just because it's a good one. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to see the Rave-ups live (since I was in high school when they broke up and they were a Pittsburgh-based band), but I just know they had to have rocked this song in concert. It's just that kind of song. The intro is great and Podrasky's quirky thing he does in the line "don't ya miss nobody" makes me smile every time I hear the song. I can't see anyone not liking this song. It's fun. Music is just supposed to be fun sometimes. A lot of bands forget that along the way and that's when I stop listening. I never stopped listening to my Rave-Ups.

07 She Says (Come Around) 1

So, that's a few songs off of Chance. By the way, the album was named after Podrasky's son, Chance (who's mother just happens to be Molly Ringwald's sister — I know, small world) and that's baby Chance on the cover. How cute is that? Supercute. As a special treat, and because I'm a liner-note junkie, here is the letter that serves as the liner notes for Chance.

(tray liner notes from
A Chance Conversation with

Jimmer Podrasky of The Rave-Ups
promo CD, EPIC ESK 2010)

january 1, 1990

dear chance,

by the time you're old enough to
read and understand this letter and this story, the rave-ups (a/k/a:
jimmer podrasky-the singer, terry wilson-the guitar player, tim
jimenez-the drummer, and tommy blatnik-the bass player) and the album
we named for you will probably be long forgotten. things can come and
go quickly in the world and every day seems to bring something new with
it. that's probably why your mom and I named you chance.

first I should tell you of how
the rave-ups came to be. the "early" stuff was well before your time,
so to ease what might be a painfully boring history lesson, I'll write
quickly:

i grew up in pittsburgh–went to
college–didn't know what to do–graduated—still didn't know what to
do—found a guitar—already wrote—thought "what the hell"—the
rave-ups–played bars–painted houses–move to l.a. and played bars
with different people–met your mom–got a record deal and a record–class tramp, 1984–played bars–met some guys at work at a&m records–new band/same name–town & country, 1985–played bars–made a movie–played in a bar in a movie–these wishes, 1986–critics kinda liked us–played bars–got a bigger record deal–the book of your regrets, 1988–didn't sell too well–played more bars…

…which brings me to about the
time you came around. i had just returned from the "tour of your
regrets" when you were born. i stayed at home with you most of that
year, learning diapers instead of guitar licks. i couldn't help think
how ironic your name was to me–it could very well have been change.
but chance seemed the perfect name in an always-spinning world.

it was june 1989, and you were
just about to have your first birthday. the rave-ups were recording a
new record in hollywood. we were a funny band. four completely
different personalities. we worked together. we laughed. we fought. we
were the closest of friends and the bitterest of enemies. musically, we
ripped off anything and everything that we could and ended up sounding
a little bit like a lot of things; but mostly, we sounded like
ourselves. some liked it, some didn't. it wasn't new or particularly
inventive. it was us. no less valid than dylan and no more valid than
debbie gibson.

the songs on the chance album
were written at traumatic times for me and for the band. mostly they
were written at terry's house, in a room about the size of a jail cell.
appropriately, the claustrophobic surroundings seemed to echo the
tensions of the time. there were lots of changes in all our lives. i
was a new dad. terry had just married. tim's father had divorced and
was living with him. tommy had gotten his hair cut.

in the studio, the band seemed
more relaxed. we had fun taking a few musical risks and playing
instruments other than the usual guitar-bass-drums lineup. terry
brought in some new instruments and sounds to the sessions. cobra
flutes mixed with pedal steel guitars. sitars with harmonicas. sampled
laughs with acoustic guitars. we all took a shot at playing everything.
we felt completely comfortable–just the four of us and david leonard,
the producer we had worked with before. in the end, i think that the
band took some chances on the record. it was a healthy step and a
fitting one for the album's title.

more than anything else, you
were in my thoughts while writing and recording the record. naturally,
it was inevitable that we would name it after you.

and that's how chance, the album, came to be. listen to it as much as possible. listen to your dad.

love,

jimmer
(a/k/a dad)

I think that's just fantastic. Hope y'all enjoyed today's tunes and thanks for letting me share a band that I love with you, just don't ask to borrow the cd.

Sunday rewind: songs that I like to sing along to

So, for today’s Rewind, I give you my favorite songs I like to sing along to. If I’m being really honest, it’s more like songs I think I can sing the hell out of.

They’re mostly one-hit wonders, but such good stuff. Oh, and these videos are some 80’s gold.

First up is one of my all-time favorite 80’s songs evah. T’pau’s “Heart and Soul.” Best line: I used to have a lover with a Midas touch. IF I HAD A NICKEL, PEOPLE.

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x20vge&related=0
T’Pau Heart and Soul
Uploaded by Celtiemama. – Watch more music videos, in HD!

Next would be my theme song, “Goody Two Shoes” by the one and only Adam Ant. Best line: You don’t drink, don’t smoke/What do you do/The subtle innuendos follow/There must be something inside.

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x1wszz&related=0
Adam Ant – Goody Two Shoes
Uploaded by jpdc11. – Explore more music videos.

This one would be a duet. It’s “Obsession” by Animotion. It’s the song that spawned a million stalkers — if you listen to the lyrics, it’s nuts. The video makes exactly ZERO sense. Best line: My fantasy has turned to madness /And all my goodness /Has turned to badness.

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x10avy&related=0
Animotion-Obsession
Uploaded by adiis. – See the latest featured music videos.

Lastly, totally not a one-hit wonder and completely the opposite of the other videos today — The Commodores with “Nightshift.” I love this song. Major love. When I sing this one in the car it’s dangerous, because I have to do the hand motions. It’s a fab song, more subtle than “Brickhouse,” (obviously) and it’s about Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, who both passed away in 1984, the year before this song came out. The Kerry Blog is all about musical education, is it not? This video is perfect. The outfits at the end SO remind me of Isaac from the Love Boat, it’s good times. Best line: At the end of a long day/It’s gonna be okay/On the Nightshift.

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x1vk09&related=0
Commodores – Nightshift
Uploaded by jpdc11. – Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

in which Kerry bathes you in knowledge (the Edie Brickell by request post)

So, my good friend Will requested a "where are they now" on Edie Brickell after my 80's Sunday Rewind post (because apparently his Google is broken) and since I am here to educate as well as amuse, here's the update.

It's been 20 years since Edie Brickell and New Bohemians had their hit "What I Am" and New Bohemians have had two good follow-up albums:
1990's Ghost of a Dog and 2006's Stranger Things. Edie's band showed a great deal of promise with their hit album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, but Ghost of a Dog didn't come close to matching that kind of success, as is the usual thing with sophomore albums. The only song released from that album was "Mama Help Me" and I bet you don't remember it. Still, it's a good album. My favorite song off Ghost of a Dog is "He Said," have a listen.

http://www.lala.com/external/flash/SingleSongWidget.swf

He Said – Edie Brickell & New …

On the personal front, Brickell married Paul Simon in 1992. I know, seemed weird to me when I learned this back in the day — but wait — it's going to get a little weirder. They met when she was performing on Saturday Night Live and according to Wikipedia she says he was standing by the cameraman, "He made me
mess the song up when I looked at him," she said with a smile. "We can
show the kids the tape and say, 'Look, that's when we first laid eyes
on each other.'" Makes me wonder what would have happened if Steve Martin would have been hosting that night.

By 2005, Brickell was headed for one-hit-wonderland when Microsoft put her song "Good Times" on the Windows 95 cd-rom. Nothing says indie-bohemian like Microsoft. Anyway, there it was and Brickell was in the spotlight for a bit with the song going to #22 on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Good Times" was from Brickell's 1994 solo effort, Picture Perfect Morning. In 2003 she put out Volcano, which didn't fare well at all.

Now for the good news (and that weirder part I was talking about).

Last year Edie Brickell and her step-son, Harper Simon, formed The Heavy Circles and recorded an album of the same name. I don't know what the band name means, they could have called themselves Harper and Edie for all I care because this collaboration is pretty fantastic. I'm just glad they didn't call themselves Oedipus Complex. Harper has inherited his dad's talent and the album showcases the best of what Edie does — haunting vocals, and then surprises you with rockin' vocals in songs like "Dynamite Child."

http://www.lala.com/external/flash/SingleSongWidget.swf

Dynamite Child – The Heavy Cir…

The Heavy Circles album is definitely worth getting if you've enjoyed any of Brickell's past work or if you just like good music. It's well-produced, multi-layered, and soulful. I really haven't heard anything like The Heavy Circles in recent years. The album is decidedly different from her work with New Bohemians and the songs are full and interesting, a little poppy, a little rock and roll. I had to look at my iTunes to see what they were classified as and they're under Alternative, which proves Alternative has come to mean anything that doesn't easily fit a category.

A good example of not fitting any of the standard classifications is the first track, "Henri," which needs to be in the David Lynch film about Henri Matisse's paintings. What? It could happen.

http://www.lala.com/external/flash/SingleSongWidget.swf

Henri – The Heavy Circles

"Better" is a fun song reminiscent of The Beatles with fun piano and guitar, so of course I love that. Oh, did I mention that Sean Lennon did some work on this album as well? He did, but I can't find any information on what he performed on.

http://www.lala.com/external/flash/SingleSongWidget.swf

Better – The Heavy Circles

My favorite song on the album is "Confused." It's ethereal and lovely. I super love the melodies on this one. By the way, I would SO put it in the title sequence of a film where the heroine is deciding between two men. Seriously, will someone please give me a job picking music for movies? I'm adding this to the list of jobs I'd be perfect for — this is not a long list, believe me (but that's another post).

http://www.lala.com/external/flash/SingleSongWidget.swf

Confused – The Heavy Circles

Everyone's going to get The Heavy Circles now, right? Good. It's good stuff. I hope y'all feel bathed in knowledge now, I'll be back to my usual shenanigans later. I'll dig up something for 80's Sunday Rewind tomorrow and I've planned something special for Tunes You Need Tuesday (although this post would definitely suffice). Y'all have a superfantastic weekend, download The Heavy Circles, jump in a pile of leaves, have a nap, and take a drive: this is the stuff autumn weekends are made of.

tunes you need Tuesday: Regina Spektor

Regina Spektor is getting quite a bit of attention of late and it’s all well deserved and wonderful. She has a great story and I thought you might like to hear what her Wiki says:

Spektor was born in Moscow, USSR to a musical Jewish family. Her father, Ilya Spektor, is a photographer and amateur violinist.
Her mother, Bella Spektor, was a music professor in a Russian college
of music and now teaches at a public elementary school in Mount Vernon, New York.^[1]

Spektor learned how to play piano by practicing on a Petrof upright that was given to her mother by her grandfather.^[2] She was also exposed to the music of rock and roll bands such as The Beatles, Queen, and The Moody Blues by her father, who obtained such recordings in Eastern Europe and traded cassettes with friends in the Soviet Union.^[1] The family left the Soviet Union in 1989, when Regina was nine and a half, during the period of Perestroika, when Soviet citizens were permitted to emigrate. Regina had to leave her piano behind.^[3]
The seriousness of her piano studies led her parents to consider not
leaving the USSR, but they finally decided to emigrate, due to the
ethnic and political discrimination which Jews faced.^[4]

Traveling first to Austria and then Italy, the family settled in the Bronx, New York, where Spektor graduated from the SAR Academy, a Jewish day middle school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. She then attended high school for two years at the Frisch School, a yeshiva in Paramus, New Jersey, but transferred to a public school, Fair Lawn High School, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where she finished the last two years of her high school education.^[2]^[5]

By now y’all know I love my quirky pianists. Spektor is most certainly the quirkiest and most eclectic girl in the music industry that I know of. Not to mention wildly talented as well being a lovely vocalist who doesn’t have to dress up in outrageous costumes or make the tabloids for attention. Her music speaks for itself.

Her 2006 album Begin To Hope is superfantastic. Here’s “Fidelity” from that album.

I went back and forth over whether to share this next song with you or not. “Samson” is a jewel. It’s my favorite song of the past few years (period) and it’s one that can make me cry and I strangely identify with and just adore it. I play it often. “You are my sweetest downfall/I loved you first/Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth” just kills me. You’ll have to hear it, but I think “you are my sweetest downfall” may be the most poetic phrase I’ve heard in years. The “beneath the sheets of paper” part reminds me of my unpublished novel (sigh). So, that’s my song. Maybe you’ll like it too.

Spektor’s latest album, Far is out now and the current single is “Eet.” It’s lovely.

And the perfect song to listen to after “Eet” is “Dance Anthem of the 80’s” for the -eet sounds. Here’s a fabulous live clip.

So, that’s my Regina Spektor post. I hope y’all enjoyed it as much as enjoy her music.

Sunday rewind: Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

Today’s Rewind with Edie Brickell is a little different. There were two songs I wanted to share and I didn’t put any research into it or look up any other songs because it’s all about the two I had in mind. Everyone remembers Edie Brickell & New Bohemians for their song “What I Am” from their 1988 album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, and while that’s a great song, “Circle” was always my favorite. I think it still holds up.