Philly Part V

Song #126: Hall & Oates - You make My Dreams Come True

Philly Part IV

Back in Philos Adelphos for Louis' Play.


Song #125: Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find

All Babies Smell Like Butter

I just couldn't get this riff out of my head today for some reason. Dave Grohl is really killing the drums, I wish he would go back. Kris is a good bassist but he's fighting a better fight on Capitol Hill. I think it goes without saying about Kurt... He would possibly be saddened by the state of music and culture today, but he was a big crybaby anyway. 

In searching for a good youtube version I found a Nintendo style remix that is also ridiculously awesome as well. Stay tuned for another installment of Philly starting tomorrow and going through Saturday and possibly into Sunday, but it depends. Enjoy your spring Grunging.

Song #124: Nirvana - Scentless Apprentice


BONUS SONG: Nirvana - Scentless Apprentice (8-Bit Remix)

One Child Born

You've seen the scene a million times, a beautiful woman, sequined dress maybe, she approaches a Grand Piano with a candelabra on it. As she sits down the crowd lightly applauds, in response she nods gracefully. She positions her fingers as they hover above the keys, and as she presses down, the voice and piano become one, instantly flooding the room with sound, drowning everyone with sweet soulful music. 

Maybe that was a little grandiose, but probably not.

Laura Nyro was one of the pioneers of this so(u)lo,  singer/songwriter/pianist style. As a young girl from Da Bronx, she burst onto the heady folk scene during the 60s with a plethora of tunes that would become hits with her or without her. Before long, she was jockeying for chart position with her own songs, sung by elite artists of the time such as Frank Sinatra, The 5th Dimension, Three Dog Night and (my mom's favorite) Barbara Streisand. Her gentle demeanor mixed with her cathartic musical/poetic explosions gave liberated, hippie-intellectuals some music to really sink their teeth into. Sadly, much like her idol, Nina Simone, a combination of anxiety and some exploitative business deals (including the unfortunate distinction of being Media [Ho]Mogul David Geffen's first ripoff) lead her to step out of the spotlight. In fact she announced her retirement from the Music Business at the tender age of 24, so by her scale, I should already be getting my checks already! She would eventually stage a comeback, opening for Bob Dylan and directing her music to some social causes, including one about Native American Displacement and "Emmie," which is considered by some to be the first pop-Lesbian Love Song.

via: LP Cover Lover

She continued her amazing career while rejecting celebrity until her untimely death in 1997 at the age of 49. Luckily, prolific EDAS Commenter/My "Rock'N'Roll Jewish Mother" (His words, not mine. Personally I think 1 is enough already) Louis Greenstein and his creative partner, Kate Ferber have written a one-woman show about the amazing Ms. Nyro. Working in close association with the Nyro Estate as well as friends and peers who knew her intimately, Louis and Kate have put together One Child Born: The Music of Laura Nyro, which has already sold out Joe's Pub here in New York and is about do the same on Thursday and Friday night (4/8 & 4/9) at the World Live Cafe in Philadelphia, PA. I believe tickets are still available, so click here if you will be in the area, I will be, because I love the music and legacy of this under-appreciated yet quintessential American Songwriter... Also because Louis says I can't have any dessert until I see his show. Expect a full review, no punches pulled after I return from Philly. In the meantime... Listen to Laura.

Song #124: Laura Nyro - Eli's Comin

Rambling Rose

The amazing... MC5!

Song #123: MC5 - Rambling Rose

Play Ball!

Spring really starts when Baseball Starts. Congrats to the Mets on an undefeated season thus far (only one game). Bring on your best, you are only gonna get beat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Tomorrow!

Song #122: Peter Tosh & The Wailers - Dem A Fe Get A Beatin' (can't play the song?)

Beatster

Happy Beatster.

Song #121: Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - I Get Physical

Benitals

Another Community-Inspiring Guest Post this time from one of my truest buds, Benitals. We've traveled over a bunch of this world together, Hacky-sacking our way through Canada and Europe. In fact he pulls double duty as a model for the my clothing line, FTTees.

Our Biggest Seller

Matt and I go way back to our high school days when neither of us really knew what good music was. I had some Zeppelin records I spun on my parents' dusty ol' turntable, heard a lot of Rap, and I think I bought a Metallica CD at some point. By 2007 my taste had become more solidified with lots of Dylan and The Band (in any combination), The Who and a lot of R&B (the old kind). I don't think I could tell you where my Metallica CD went but along the way I acquired a more permanent edition to my record rack, Mark Knopfler and his Dire Straits.

A band with a repertoire as eclectic as EDAS itself, they really have something to offer anyone. From the tight, twangy numbers off their self titled album, to the epic masterpieces on Making Movies, the band's feel can change dramatically from song to song. The common thread between all of it is Knopfler's one-of-a-kind finger picked, silky smooth tone. The guitar almost speaks under his precise control. He is a master of the instrument, not to mention he's singing lead while he's tearing it up. This track, off the previously mentioned eponymous debut is one of my favorites. It's a warm, soothing contrast to a lot of the album and other recordings, and you can get a sense of how much fun it must be to play. The slide guitar and the solid groove really make it one of the best.

I have the unfortunate pleasure of driving to and from work every day. What I want to listen to never seems to actually be on my iPod. But whenever I hear the telltale plucking of Knopfler, I always stop searching. There's something about his awesomely deep voice that just makes me happy every time I hear it. I feel like he must have been in a band on stage one time and the singer didn't show, he got the short straw, killed the show, fired the singer and that was that. He's just got one of those "holy crap I can sing?!" voices that's rare in anything before '80 (Clapton and Danko come to mind), and almost impossible to find in contemporary music (I refrain from saying "nonexistent" out of humbleness to all the music I have no clue about, but I can't think of anyone). Anyway, the wail of the slide guitar really lets you hear the thirst and yearning that this dude has, missing that touch and feeling. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Get out there and get some of that Water of Love.



Song 120: Dire Straits - Water of Love

Radical Friday

I don't mean to Blaspheme here... But if today marks the anniversary of Jesus' Crucifixion... Why is it called "Good Friday." If you want to respond in the comments section, I will gladly trade you an explanation of why I can only eat this cracker all week...

Anyway, make it an Extra Good Friday, in fact... make it an Awesome, Radical, Tubular, Mondo Friday with a little help from my favorite touring Minstrels, The Black Crowes.


Song #119: The Black Crowes - Good Friday

Spaceblog

Best line (among several) in this song...

Now we're not insane, we're just pretending

least I think we are

All smug like that... Awesome. Spacehog really, really killed when when I saw them in January. Choice pics Copywritten and taken by Yours Truly below.

Royston howling

Spacehog
Above Pictures © Matt Katz 2010

Song #118: Spacehog - The Horror

Sick

Actual Photo

Sorry, I have been severely under the weather for the past few days. I have barely been able to think straight. I'm on the mend now though.  

Song #118: Led Zeppelin - Sick Again

Frim Fram

Song #117: Nat King Cole - Frim Fram Sauce

Passover

Happy Passover from Every Day, Another Song and Also Jewish Robots.

Song #116: The Congos - At The Feast

I'M BACK

After a short hiatus I have returned. I would just like to thank James "The Beard" Beard for his awesome and eccentric takeover of this fine website, but I am BACK.

One of the overall dopest beats combined with some real street wisdom. We used to rock to this back in High School, we even used to make this drink called the Diddy Bopper (I think it might have just been a Screaming Orgasm but we weren't about to go ordering that).

Song 115: AZ - I'm Back