Listeners to Radio Three had a treat over Christmas. The BBC devoted twelve solid days and nights to playing everything composed by Mozart. What struck me is how, where Beethoven comes over as emotional, heroic and tragic, and Bach as mathematical, angelical and lyrical, Mozart often seems simply “playful”. But this may be connected with the reason his music is so profound. It resembles nature, in the sense of natura naturans (“nature naturing”, or doing what nature does). In nature, creative freedom always manifests a law – but the deepest law of all is the pure ebullient spontaneity of the Good.
John Tavener said of Mozart (in the programme notes for Kaleidoscopes in 2005):
I have always regarded Mozart as the most sacred and also the most inexplicable of all composers. Sacred, because more than any other composer that I know, he celebrates the act of Being; inexplicable, because the music contains a rapturous beauty and a childlike wonder that can only be compared to Hindu and Persian miniatures, or Coptic ikons.
In an essay in the Winter 2006 issue of Communio, Fr Jonah Lynch sees in Mozart a kind of Catholic balance that reflects the paradox of the Incarnation:
Mozart’s melodies carry something of the birth of an infant God, the remarkable union of opposite absolutes, total simplicity and infinite depth. Only here is the completely free and ever-surprising united to formal structural perfection.
The work of Mozart and the other great composers echoes the “unforgotten music” that we carry in our bones. It opens our senses, so that we feel the air of Paradise – what Josef Pieper in Only the Lover Sings calls the “paradise of uncorrupted spiritual forms” – and notice the fragrance that still clings to our coats of skin. Perhaps it is not too much to suggest that when we hear this music, even if like the Good Thief we are still hanging on the cross, we become more conscious of the possibility of grace.
Listeners to Radio Three had a treat over Christmas. The BBC devoted twelve solid days and nights to playing everything composed by Mozart. What struck me is how, where Beethoven comes over as emotional, heroic and tragic, and Bach as mathematical, angelical and lyrical, Mozart often seems simply “playful”. But this may be connected with the reason his music is so profound. It resembles nature, in the sense of natura naturans (“nature naturing”, or doing what nature does). In nature, creative freedom always manifests a law – but the deepest law of all is the pure ebullient spontaneity of the Good.
John Tavener said of Mozart (in the programme notes for Kaleidoscopes in 2005):
I have always regarded Mozart as the most sacred and also the most inexplicable of all composers. Sacred, because more than any other composer that I know, he celebrates the act of Being; inexplicable, because the music contains a rapturous beauty and a childlike wonder that can only be compared to Hindu and Persian miniatures, or Coptic ikons.
In an essay in the Winter 2006 issue of Communio, Fr Jonah Lynch sees in Mozart a kind of Catholic balance that reflects the paradox of the Incarnation:
Mozart’s melodies carry something of the birth of an infant God, the remarkable union of opposite absolutes, total simplicity and infinite depth. Only here is the completely free and ever-surprising united to formal structural perfection.
The work of Mozart and the other great composers echoes the “unforgotten music” that we carry in our bones. It opens our senses, so that we feel the air of Paradise – what Josef Pieper in Only the Lover Sings calls the “paradise of uncorrupted spiritual forms” – and notice the fragrance that still clings to our coats of skin. Perhaps it is not too much to suggest that when we hear this music, even if like the Good Thief we are still hanging on the cross, we become more conscious of the possibility of grace.
Many of our readers will be interested in a new curriculum produced at Teachers College, Columbia University called, “Let Freedom Swing: Conversations on Democracy and Jazz.” On the eve of President Obama’s inauguration on January 20, 2009, a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC brought together Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and jazz musician, Wynton Marsalis. It was from this event that the idea of a curriculum based on two American traditions – jazz and democracy – was conceived. Readers can access the DVDs and study guide at: http://letfreedomswing.org//
From the website: “Three key themes structure the videos and study guide: “We the People,” “E Pluribus Unum” (From Many, One), and “A More Perfect Union.” Each video is about six minutes in length. The study guide contains questions for discussion, teaching activities, and additional resources. The website contains the three videos, the study guide, information about the project, and additional print, digital, and video resources.”
The journal has published an earlier article on another curriculum produced at Teachers College called, “Teaching the Levees: An Exercise in Democratic Dialogue.” We are planning on publishing an article on this latest curriculum in our upcoming issue next summer.
The old idea of the "music of the spheres" seems to be coming back into fashion. Astronomers at the University of Sheffield have managed to record for the first time the "eerie musical harmonies" produced by the magnetic field in the outer atmosphere of the sun. They found that huge magnetic loops coiling away from the outer layer of the sun's atmosphere, known as coronal loops, vibrate like strings on a musical instrument.
Other astronomers have done the same for a much more distant and larger star, KIC 11026764, nicknamed Gemma, about 3,100 trillion miles away from the Earth. "Essentially stars resonate like a huge musical instrument," said Dr Bill Chaplin. "Stars make sounds naturally but we can't hear this as it is has to travel through space. Like a musical instrument, stars are not uniformly solid all the way to their core, so the sound gets trapped inside the outer layers and oscillates around inside. This makes the star vibrate causing it to expand and contract. We can detect this visually because the star gets brighter and dimmer and so we can reconstruct the sounds produced from these vibrations."
The scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (where high-energy collisions of subatomic particles result in temperatures of ten trillion degrees) have also turned their readings of the energies released by particle collisions into sound, and are planning to stage a concert of the resulting music.
All of this is very reminiscent of Pythagoras and the search for cosmic harmonies that started off the history of science in the first place. But silence is coming back into fashion too. A successful film (Into Great Silence) and TV series (The Big Silence) have transfixed viewers with the deep, meditative silence of prayer. A record featuring two minutes of complete silence is tipped to rise to the top of the music charts this weekend, for Remembrance Sunday. The director general of the Royal British Legion said "we felt the UK public would recognise the poignancy of silence and its clear association with remembrance." In his recent exhortation, Verbum Domini, the Pope emphasizes the important role of silence in the Liturgy. "The word, in fact, can only be spoken and heard in silence, outward and inward." Thus people must be "educated in the value of silence." "Rediscovering the centrality of God’s word in the life of the Church also means rediscovering a sense of recollection and inner repose.... Only in silence can the word of God find a home in us, as it did in Mary, woman of the word and, inseparably, woman of silence."
The silence of space is due to the fact that sound cannot travel through a vacuum. But sound is just a particular vibration, and the whole universe is made of vibrations of various sorts, so the music of creation is everywhere. Composers and musicians simply "tune in" to some deep harmonies in nature and filter out the dissonance. That seems to be the message of a sweet modern fairy-tale of a movie, August Rush, mentioned in the sidebar. But everything takes place against a background of silence, which - a bit like the "vacuum" of space - is anything but empty, but rather full of potential energy. By listening to silence we still the unnecessary turmoil of our minds and hearts, allowing the meaning of creation to sound forth.
The old idea of the "music of the spheres" seems to be coming back into fashion. Astronomers at the University of Sheffield have managed to record for the first time the "eerie musical harmonies" produced by the magnetic field in the outer atmosphere of the sun. They found that huge magnetic loops coiling away from the outer layer of the sun's atmosphere, known as coronal loops, vibrate like strings on a musical instrument.
Other astronomers have done the same for a much more distant and larger star, KIC 11026764, nicknamed Gemma, about 3,100 trillion miles away from the Earth. "Essentially stars resonate like a huge musical instrument," said Dr Bill Chaplin. "Stars make sounds naturally but we can't hear this as it is has to travel through space. Like a musical instrument, stars are not uniformly solid all the way to their core, so the sound gets trapped inside the outer layers and oscillates around inside. This makes the star vibrate causing it to expand and contract. We can detect this visually because the star gets brighter and dimmer and so we can reconstruct the sounds produced from these vibrations."
The scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (where high-energy collisions of subatomic particles result in temperatures of ten trillion degrees) have also turned their readings of the energies released by particle collisions into sound, and are planning to stage a concert of the resulting music.
All of this is very reminiscent of Pythagoras and the search for cosmic harmonies that started off the history of science in the first place. But silence is coming back into fashion too. A successful film (Into Great Silence) and TV series (The Big Silence) have transfixed viewers with the deep, meditative silence of prayer. A record featuring two minutes of complete silence is tipped to rise to the top of the music charts this weekend, for Remembrance Sunday. The director general of the Royal British Legion said "we felt the UK public would recognise the poignancy of silence and its clear association with remembrance." In his recent exhortation, Verbum Domini, the Pope emphasizes the important role of silence in the Liturgy. "The word, in fact, can only be spoken and heard in silence, outward and inward." Thus people must be "educated in the value of silence." "Rediscovering the centrality of God’s word in the life of the Church also means rediscovering a sense of recollection and inner repose.... Only in silence can the word of God find a home in us, as it did in Mary, woman of the word and, inseparably, woman of silence."
The silence of space is due to the fact that sound cannot travel through a vacuum. But sound is just a particular vibration, and the whole universe is made of vibrations of various sorts, so the music of creation is everywhere. Composers and musicians simply "tune in" to some deep harmonies in nature and filter out the dissonance. That seems to be the message of a sweet modern fairy-tale of a movie, August Rush, mentioned in the sidebar. But everything takes place against a background of silence, which - a bit like the "vacuum" of space - is anything but empty, but rather full of potential energy. By listening to silence we still the unnecessary turmoil of our minds and hearts, allowing the meaning of creation to sound forth.
This month's Musical Elective is Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.
Now, it's not often that I get to trumpet a band that hails from my adopted hometown of Burlington, Vermont (I'm technically a flatlander, in Vermont idiom). Plus, in this case, I get to see them live in concert tonight in Madison, Wisconsin! (For DC-based readers of the blog, check them out at Night of The Living Zoo on October 29th!)
The band's music is a mix of blues and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll. Its web site describes the band this way: "Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are like a modern-day version of Tina Turner stroking the microphone in a spangled mini-dress while fronting the Rolling Stones circa Sticky Fingers." Rolling Stone magazine called them one of the best new bands of 2010 saying, "The group’s third disc ... finds a sweet spot between rowdy, blues-driven live sound and tight, classic-rock songcraft.”
Highlights from the self-titled new album include "Paris (Ooh La La)," "Tiny Light" and "Only Love." The band's sound is undoubtedly buttressed by the entrance of bassist Catherine Popper, formerly with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals.
The Musical Elective of the Month is Crowded House.
Those of you who know me well, you know that Crowded House is my all-time favorite band, going on almost 25 years dating back to my high school years. So you're probably asking, "What took you so long to feature them as a Musical Elective?" Well, patience isn't one of my virtues, but I do try to demonstrate it every once in a while. That said, I have featured founding member/lead singer/ songwriter Neil Finn as a solo Musical Elective as well as his son, Liam Finn, and Neil's 7 Worlds Collide collaboration with members of Wilco, Radiohead, Johnny Marr, KT Tunstall and other musical luminaries. So patience is overstated....
The Crowdies, as the band is affectionately known in Australia, just completed a tour of North America and are on their way to South Africa and Down Under. (Yours truly saw them in concert in Milwaukee on September 7.) Their new album, Intriguer, was released in July 2010. PopMatters offers a nice review, saying "Finn’s stability and contentment has informed the sound of Intriguer, a mature, thoughtful, and mostly mellow album.... It’s a great album in the classic mold, one that rewards you. It is fun to listen to, and though that fun is of the grown-up sort, it makes for one of the year’s best pop albums all the same."
As a bit of history, Neil Finn is one of the great, under-appreciated songsmiths of the last 30 years. A New Zealand native, as a teenager, he almost single-handedly lifted his older brother Tim's one-of-a-kind, art rock band Split Enz into New Wave prominence. Neil penned and sang the band's biggest #1 hit (in Canada, Australia and New Zealand), 1980's "I Got You."
Neil went on to form Crowded House in 1985 with drummer Paul Hester and bassist Nick Seymour, fashioning it into an internationally renowned band. The current line-up of Crowded House also includes Mark Hart, who joined the band prior to its 1994 album, and Matt Sherrod who replaced Hester as the band's drummer and had previously supported Beck. Crowded House reformed in 2006, coming together following the suicide of Paul Hester the year prior. The original group of tenants iteration broke their lease in 1996 in a Farewell To The World concert before a quarter million fans at the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
Crowded House's eponymous debut album was released in 1986 and produced two top 10 U.S. hits, "Don't Dream It's Over" and "Something So Strong." They never reached such heights again in the states, lost amidst the grunge and rap of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Crowded House's second album, Temple of Low Men, was a critical success in 1988 but a commercial disappointment, but includes such stellar tracks as "Into Temptation," "When You Come," and "Better Be Home Soon." Woodface, the third album, was released in 1991 and made the band certifiable stars in Europe. For this album, Tim Finn--Neil's older brother--joined the band as an official member and co-penned a number of the tracks. It includes the singles, "Fall At Your Feet," "Weather With You," "Four Seasons In One Day," and "It's Only Natural." Crowded House's fourth album, Together Alone, was released in 1994. It includes "Locked Out" (featured in the film Reality Bites) and the international hits "Distant Sun" and "Private Universe."
If you don't know Crowded House, by all means check them out. If you know them from years ago, give them fresh listen. YouTube (for links to live and TV appearances) and the official Crowded House web site are good starting places.
But you know what it means to me, babe In the course of a history, hey It all makes sense to me somehow It’s a course in philosophy, yeah What is life is it just a dream, no The perfect mystery but somehow I know
You will love this one You will love this one And if we create something magical, honey There are times come These are times that come Only once if your life Or twice if you’re lucky
Gaslight Anthem is an up-and-coming, New Jersey-based rock band. The band has two albums under its belt, including Sink or Swim (2007) and The '59 Sound (2008). It has been embraced by Bruce Springsteen, with whom it has performed, and lead singer Brian Fallon once lived four blocks from E Street in Asbury Park, NJ.
Gaslight Anthem's new album, American Slang, is released on June 14th, but both NPR and Rolling Stone are live streaming the album to give you an early listen. The music mag says that the Anthem's sound "gloriously combines the Clash, Motown and the Pretenders."
Visit the official web site for more information and concert listings.
Look what you started, I seem to be coming out of my skin Look what you've forgotten here The bandages just don't keep me in
And when it was over, I woke up alone
And they cut me to ribbons and taught me to drive I got your name tattooed inside of my arm I called for my father but my father had died While you told me fortunes, in American Slang
The Musical Elective Of The Month is Tift Merritt.
Tift is a 35-year-old singer/songwriter who grew up in North Carolina, but is now based in the Big Apple. Her music is in the alt-country vein, although her sophomore album went in a decidedly rock and soul direction. Tift's got a distinctive, pure voice that lends a warmth and forthrightness to her lyrics.
Sara and I recently saw her open for Amos Lee in Madison, Wisconsin. As a result of this command opening performance, she made me an even bigger fan than I was. Tift's brand-new album is released on June 1, 2010. It's called See You On The Moon, and already has received critical acclaim from the likes of The New Yorker, Paste Magazine and the Washington Post for its stripped-down production and showcasing of Tift's vocal talent.
Tift released her first solo album in 2002 and has three studio albums and one live album under her belt. Pretty good work. Her debut album, Bramble Rose, was widely heralded, making both Time Magazine's and The New Yorker's top 10 lists for that year. My favorite is 2005's upbeat Tambourine, featuring the tracks "Good Hearted Man," "Stray Paper," "Write My Ticket," and "Shadow In The Way." Tambourine was nominated for a Grammy for Country Album of The Year even though I think it is the least "country" of her three studio albums. Go figure. In 2008, Tift released Another Country, with the tracks "Broken," "Keep You Happy," and "I Know What I'm Looking For Now." She also released a live acoustic album, Buckingham Solo, on February 24, 2009. It is a great example of her clean, pure sound from her live shows.
You, how did you get so wise? I take the advice I find in your eyes. Me, I’ve been waiting outside Most of my life, Oh like a rare b-side.
I’m just making you mixtapes with homemade covers. Analog to show we’re lovers, And here under the jacket folds inside, I’ve taped my heart for you to find.
After seeing a tremendous show in Madison, Wisconsin last Sunday evening with opening act Tift Merritt and headliner Amos Lee, it would be inappropriate not to give both artists kudos by recognizing their status as past Musical Electives.
That accomplished, the Musical Elective of the Month (just under the wire!) for April 2010 is Luka Bloom.
He also has embraced numerous covers both on his albums and in concert, including U2's "Bad," Hunters & Collectors' "Throw Your Arms Around Me," and Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" (all on 2001's Keeper Of The Flame).
After a lengthy "sabbatical" focusing on the birth of our daughter, I am back at the turntable, offering up a Musical Elective Of The Month. I was reminded of not offering up a recent musical suggestion this past Friday evening, when Sara and I went to see Justin Townes Earle -- the subject of the last Musical Elective back in November -- at the High Noon Saloon in Madison.
The Musical Elective Of The Month is Kim Taylor.
Kim, a Cincinnati-based singer/songwriter, jumped out at me through Pandora Radio because of her song, "My Dress Is Hung." From her music I hear country, jazz and soul influences and she has been described by critics as offering "emotional songwriting" and "smoky vocals."
She has independently released two full-length albums (including 2006's I Feel Like A Fading Light) and two EPs. Her new EP, Little Miracle (December 2009), is a digital-only release for now, and is available on her web site [below].
The Journal of Educational Controversy is pleased to announce that the winter 2010 issue on “Art, Social Imagination and Democratic Education” is now online. This issue is dedicated to the life and work of Maxine Greene.
We would like to draw the readers’ attention to an innovation that we introduced in this issue. In place of one of the printed articles, we are providing the reader a slide show of a child’s artistic drawings, with the author’s voice describing to the readers the significance of what they are viewing in the child’s work. The author traces the motifs found consistently in the child’s drawing over the course of several years so the reader/viewer can gain insight into the child’s imaginative communities, values, and dreams.
We invite readers to contribute formal refereed responses to our Rejoinder Section or more spontaneous responses on our journal’s blog.
Next Issue: The Role of Professionals in the Public Square
Future Issues: The Education our Children Deserve The Modern University in Turbulent Times The School to Prison Pipeline The Effect of Cultural Diversity on the Schools across the Globe: A Comparative Look
The Musical Elective of the Month is Justin Townes Earle.
His music encompasses blues, country, folk, and acoustic rock and he sometimes appears to be channeling a young Hank Williams or Woody Guthrie. He was named New & Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2009 Americana Music Festival.
Yes, the name Earle may sound familiar -- and for good reason. Justin is the son of Steve Earle.
From his record label's web site, one learns this: "With inspirations as diverse as Townes Van Zandt (he was named in honor of the elder Earle’s hero), Jimmy Reed, Kurt Cobain, The Replacements, Ray Charles and The Pogues, Justin forged his own brand of American roots music. Going through life with a namesake of Van Zandt’s stature cannot be easy for a young songwriter, but Earle takes it in stride,” saying, “Anyone who tries to live up to Van Zandt is a fool. I’m honored to carry the name, but if I spent my life trying to live up to it, I’d have a pretty miserable life.”
PopMatters.com has this to say: "Justin Townes Earle is living proof that despite the freak show that is modern day Nashville, there are still artists out there who revere the deep roots of the American musical tradition while still pushing the boundaries to create something new and wonderful."
Justin Townes Earle has put out an album in each of the last three years, the latest 2009's Midnight At the Movies. It features a stellar cover of The Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait," the old school "What I Mean To You," the honky tonk "Poor Fool," and a rebuke of his dad in the biting "Mama's Eyes."
And, shit, if music ain't your thing (why are you reading this?), Justin was recently named a 'Style Star' by GQ. "As a Southern man, there are two things I'm not afraid of: bow ties and white pants," he says.
For more, check out his web site. He's touring all over the country in the coming months, so go check him out on tour, too. We saw him in Madison, Wisconsin back in June. And he made quite an impression.
Neil Finn is one of the great, under-appreciated singer/songwriters of the last 30 years. A New Zealand native, Neil came of age and then into the musical forefront through the one-of-a-kind New Wave band Split Enz, founded and fronted by his older brother Tim. He penned and sang the band's biggest #1 hit (in Canada, Australia and New Zealand), 1980's "I Got You." He went on to form Crowded House (1985-1996), fashioning it into an internationally renowned band (re-formed in 2006) and a frequent visitor to critic's 'best of' lists, with hits including "Don't Dream It's Over," "Something So Strong," "Weather With You," and "Distant Sun." And Neil has recorded solo albums in 1998 and 2002 and two albums, in 1995 and 2004, with his brother under the moniker The Finn Brothers.
It has been eight years since Neil's first 7 Worlds Collide project which gathered a stellar group of musicians (including Eddie Vedder, Johnny Marr, and members of Radiohead) to play a series of live shows in Auckland, New Zealand. All proceeds from the resulting live album and DVD went to Medecins Sans Frontieres. Around Christmas 2008, Neil assembled an even larger group of musicians -- with international development organization Oxfam chosen as the beneficiary this time -- to collaborate and record a studio album of original songs. All of the songs were written and recorded over the course of three short weeks. Pretty amazing.
There are some real gems on here and fans of good music and any of the artists represented should check this out. The album features tracks such as "True Blue" co-written by Johnny Marr and Jeff Tweedy, "Hazel Black" co-written by KT Tunstall and Neil Finn, and "The Ties That Bind Us" written (and sung) by Radiohead drummer Phil Selway.
Order through amazon.com here and support Oxfam. Music samples are available now on the album's web site and you can check out some of the limited live performances from January 2009 on YouTube.
When your seven worlds collide Whenever I am by your side And dust from a distant sun Will shower over everyone --Distant Sun," Crowded House, Together Alone (1993)
After a brief summer hiatus, August's Musical Elective of the Month is Guster.
You probably first heard of Guster in 1999, courtesy of the breakthrough single "Fa Fa" off their third studio album Lost and Gone Forever. My initial reaction to Guster in those days was "ho, hum." Then I heard their 2003 album, Keep It Together. This is rock/roots-pop music at its best and would be a great introduction for any neophyte to Guster's sound. It features the title track, "Amsterdam," and "Homecoming King."
In 2006, Guster released its fifth studio album, Ganging Up On The Sun, off of which came the single, "One Man Wrecking Machine." There are rumors of a new album coming soon, originally expected sometime in 2009.
As a native of the Bay State, I have a soft spot in my heart for any great band with a Boston connection, and Guster qualifies. The lads first met at Tufts University (located in Medford) -- and they've gone on from there. If you like the music of Barenaked Ladies, Crowded House, and the Old 97s, my guess is that you'll like Guster, if you don't already. Great songwriting, good vocal harmonies and instrumentation, and a refreshing sense of humor. I'm sorry to have missed Guster at Milwaukee's Summerfest this year.
On your way to the best years of your life Everyone's banging on their gongs The sooner you leave the sooner you're home Back in Massachusetts To your golden age where they tuck you in at night You didn't see it coming Now who you gonna wave to? This time you're not homecoming king --"Homecoming King," Keep It Together (2003)
For more on Guster, please check out their official web site.
Gomez is a British indie rock band featuring five blokes who either met in or around Southport, England or at Sheffield University. In the music business for more than ten years, Gomez's debut album Bring It On was released in 1998. It featured the single "Get Myself Arrested." Since then, Gomez has released five studio albums, including one this year: Liquid Skin (1999), In Our Gun (2002), Split The Difference (2004), How We Operate (2006), A New Tide (2009).
The unique voice of frontman Ian Ball lends Gomez its most notable signature. You know it when you hear it. I see elements of Radiohead, Oasis, and even Beck in the music of Gomez. A couple of my favorite Gomez tracks include "Revolutionary Kind" off of 1999's Liquid Skin and "See The World" off A New Tide.
In recent years, Gomez has been trying to broaden its American fan base, participating in many large music festivals, including SXSW, Coachella and Bonnaroo. Gomez's latest, A New Tide, was released in late March 2009. The band is currently touring the U.S. through mid-June.
See the world Find an old fashioned girl And when all's been said and done It's the things that are given, not won Are the things that you earned -- "See The World," A New Tide (2009)
As I have utterly failed to meet the weekly deadlines demanded by the recurring "Musical Elective Of The Week" feature, I hereby decree that said feature will now be known as the "Musical Elective Of The Month." Phew!
I've always been a sucker for BritPop. From Duran Duran to The Smiths to Oasis to Keane, I'm all over it. Such is the same with April's Musical Elective Of The Month: Travis.
Travis is a Scottish band comprised of singer/songwriter Fran Healy, guitarist Andy Dunlop, bassist Dougie Payne, and drummer Neil Primrose. I've been enamored with them for the past decade. To be quite honest, I'm stuck on Travis's 1999 album The Man Who and 2001's The Invisible Band--both of which hit #1 on the British charts. The Man Who features the perfect pop tracks "Writing To Reach You," "Driftwood" and "Why Does It Always Rain On Me." Similarly, The Invisible Band is one of my favorite complete albums -- it offers up the singles "Sing," "Side" and "Flowers In The Window."
Travis's first album, Good Feeling, was released in 1997. And they've put out four more since time stopped for me--12 Memories in 2003, The Boy With No Name in 2007, and Ode To J Smith in 2008 as well as a singles compilation.
They are just finishing up a four-week tour of the U.S. and Canada. You lucky dawgs in DC have a chance to catch Travis at the 9:30 Club tomorrow night. Then it's onto Philly, New York, and Boston.
When I first held you I was cold A melting snowman I was told But there was no-one there to hold Before I swore that I would be alone forever more --"Flowers In The Window," The Invisible Band (2001)
With Rhett, you get two-for-one. Not only is he the front man for the alt-country Old 97s, but he is also an accomplished solo artist. As a solo artist, he has three albums under his belt -- most notably, 2002's The Instigator and 2006's The Believer. He also released the album Mythologies in 1989, prior to joining the Old 97s. Rhett will release his fourth solo album, Rhett Miller, on June 9, 2009.
The Instigator may be the perfect rock record, chock-full of potential singles. And Rhett's live shows are often similar. He delivers pop hook after pop hook, driving rock 'n' roll, and playful stylin' on the ghee-tar. In fact, in 2003, when he opened for Neil Finn's U.S. tour dates, that was just about a perfect double-bill in my book.
The Instigator includes a slew of instantly memorable tracks, including "Our Love," "This Is What I Do," "Come Around," "Point Shirley," "Four-Eyed Girl", and "The El." The Believer offers up "Singular Girl," "My Valentine," "Brand New Way," "Fireflies" (a duet with Rachel Yamagata), and a remake of the fabulous 97s song "Question" (the original of which we included on the CD that we gave as a gift to all who attended our wedding in 2005).
And I forgive him for being a Dallas Cowboys fan, the same way I forgive my wife--even though she has no connection to Texas at all.
I could hide it in the attic I could bury it in static I could only put it out in Japan I could tape my mouth closed I could take another dose I am dancing as fast as I can This is what I do for a living this is what I do --"This Is What I Do," The Instigator (2002)
Click here for past Musical Electives of The Week.
In truth, I first discovered the band Keane through Pandora radio, although their song "Somewhere Only We Know" became rather ubiquitous on AAA, rock, and pop radio stations back in 2004--and since. My guess is that many of you will recognize their music, but may not really know them as a band.
Keane is one of the best and most successful Beatle-esque bands to emerge from the U.K. over the past decade. Definitely cut from the same cloth as U2, Oasis, The Smiths, and Coldplay, their sound is nonetheless unique power pop/rock delivered through crafty lyrics, powerful choruses and compelling hooks.
Keane is a three-piece band out of East Sussex, England. Keane is comprised of Tom Chaplin (vocals), Richard Hughes (drums), and Tim Rice-Oxley (chief songwriter/bass/piano). And they are major stars in their home country--and around Europe--unlike in the States.
Although Keane has been around in various forms since 1995, they did not release their first studio album until 2004--Hopes and Fears. It featured the aforementioned single "Somewhere Only We Know" as well as "Can't Stop Now" and "Bedshaped." Hopes and Fears won best album in Britain at both the Q Awards and the BRIT Awards--both much more friendly to Optimists' favorite music than our own native Grammys--and was also the second highest selling album there in 2004. They were nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Artist category in 2005 as a result of that release as well.
Following it are 2006's Under The Iron Sea (my personal favorite) and 2008's Perfect Symmetry. Under The Iron Sea birthed the memorable singles "Is It Any Wonder?" and "Crystal Ball." And the title track is a notable offering on Keane's 2008 album.
To learn more about Keane and to sample some of their music, visit their official web site.
I always thought that I knew I'd always have the right to Be living in the kingdom of the good and true and so on but now I think how I was wrong And you were laughing along And now I look a fool for thinking you were on, my side -- "Is It Any Wonder?" from Under The Iron Sea (2006)
Tift is a 34-year-old singer/songwriter based in North Carolina. Her music is in the alt-country vein, although her sophomore album went in a decidedly rock and soul direction. Tift's got a distinctive, pure voice that lends a warmth and forthrightness to her lyrics.
Tift released her first solo album only in 2002 and already has three studio albums and one live album under her belt. Pretty good work. Her debut album, Bramble Rose, was widely acclaimed, making both Time Magazine's and The New Yorker's top 10 lists for that year. My favorite is 2005's upbeat Tambourine, featuring the tracks "Good Hearted Man," "Stray Paper," "Write My Ticket," and "Shadow In The Way." Tambourine was nominated for a Grammy for Country Album of The Year even though I think it is the least "country" of her three studio albums. Go figure. Last year, Tift released Another Country, with the tracks "Broken," "Keep You Happy," and "I Know What I'm Looking For Now." Popmatters calls her latest album "nothing short of stunning in its candor, simplicity, and grace."
She'll be releasing a new live acoustic album, Buckingham Solo, on February 24, 2009. Keep an eye out for it! She'll also be touring through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic in spring and will be part of the Bonnaroo festival this summer.
I wish I were a freeway laid out clearer than a bright day. I’d run wide open down this causeway like brand new Singing louder than the whole block, all my love would be a straight shot Night would dream the dreams that I got, and so would you.
But I’m broken and I don’t understand What is broken falls into place once again. Hand of kindness, come and gather me in like a rainstorm
