Just watched Walk The Line (2005), a sort of biopic on Johnny Cash and June Carter. It’s a riveting film that recreates the 50s in which the two musicians met, performed, and eventually married. The music scene at the time had Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dylan, and Waylon Jennings amongst others, and it’s so great to see them appear on and off through the film. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are brilliant and the story of how their love returns him to his former glory, after a pill-popping roller-coaster ride, is touching. Music, history, a Hollywood film made with a measure of sensitivity; what more could you ask for on a lazy last day of the weekend. Here’s an original video of the title song.
I’ve been missing Austin, Texas very much. And when you think of that city, gosh, how you crave it’s awesome local music scene. Here for one is the brilliant Guy Forsyth Band performing Taxi live. So good! Enjoy.
I’m typically not in to ‘pop’ but, like Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen makes for an addictive exception. She deserves many kudos for her gritty lyrics, mired in funky beats and slick melody. All of 23, she’s made a formidable debut with her album called Alright Still, on which you will find a slew of great songs…
Alfie is about her little brother who smokes a bit, well, much. There’s also a song in which she makes fun of her granny’s colostomy bag, in Nan You’re a Window Shopper. (So terrible, Lilly!) In LDN she talks about the sights she sees as she rides through the park - you won’t guess how sorry those sights are unless you listen closely. Take What You Take is unbelievably catchy, but my absolute favourite is Shame For You in which she sings: “Oh my gosh must be jokin’ me, if you think that you’ll be pokin’ me, don’t take me on, no no!”
Very funny. As her target audience might say: truly wicked. If there’s one song that captures all of her attitude though, then it’s this one: have a listen!
PS: Is there a good reason why, when it comes to decent pop, the British trump the Americans? I’ll have to save that for another day.
Josh Rouse is a singer-songwriter I’m a little conflicted about. I got pretty hooked on to a couple of his CDs - his songs are so mellow and catchy! But then I saw him play on stage, and it was a sorry disappointment. Something about his music just doesn’t work live. I also don’t think much of the sound engineering at the El Rey in Los Angeles, but blaming the venue is often a lame excuse for a mediocre performance, and so I resist.
Compare him to Ben Harper (yet another typically mellow ‘n’ catchy fella) live , and it’s easier to see why Josh falls sort of flat in person. Maybe it’s because Ben’s so comfortable going extempore that he rocks it. Josh hesitates in venturing too far from the original recording, and it detracts greatly from the musicianship. I meant to find a couple of videos from each to make the point better, but you know how recordings of live performances on youtube can be…
So here’s a random tune from the eternally hot Bruce Springsteen instead!
i did my best, it wasn’t much
i could not feel, so I tried to touch
i’ve told the truth, i didn’t come to fool ya
and even though it all went wrong
i’ll stand before the lord of song
with nothing on my tongue but hallelujah
- leonard cohen
here’s all of the song in a breathtaking rendition by kd lang…
… that would have been forgotten had it not been on the soundtrack of a movie I just saw. This is the terribly catchy New Shoes by Paola Nutini - title song of The Jane Austen Book Club.
I love this song! Heard it a several times a few months ago in Austin - trust the radio there to pick it up. But, oddly, it slipped my mind. Then I got on KGSR online the other day to check out what they’re playing… and voila. You’ll see how the song (and video!) might be way up Allison Krauss’ alley but so not Robert Plant’s - which makes it that much more fun.
Had either Rihanna or Beyonce won Record of the Year, I would have lost what little of faith I have left in the Grammy’s. There is a modicum of justice yet! Go Amy Winehouse.
This is a live version of Sia Furler from Zero 7 singing I Go To Sleep. I am deeply moved every time I hear it. And even though this recording isn’t at all great, I think you’ll see how beautiful the song is, and how inimitably she sings it. Here is a preview of the recorded version.
