Sweden is my music mecca, I know it.

The Knife – Pass this on (Live)

The Knife – Pass this on

For now, I’ll give you this rendition by Bill Evans Trio. Leave it up to you to look up on Chet.

I absolutely dig their album “Declaration of Dependence”. Full of feel good song, healthy for the heart. Thanks to Kaye for bringing my attention this music.

My Brightest Diamond

Okay, what just happened there in 2009?  It went by like a blur.  All snide comments aside about my utter lack of indie juice for that year, I could say that my personal evolution has tremendously affected the course of this website’s content.  As I review all my entries it’s been so issue-oriented and later on, I tried to experiment on describing sensations evoked by music and vice-versa.  The latter is a somewhat out-of-body experience, if you will, which might require a slight intoxication on my part (again, real or imagined).

But enough of my self-indulgent musings.  This year, I wish to introduce a new dimension to this blog which is to feature guest writers.  That’s right.  Other voices writing on this blog aside from moi. I’m sure by now you’re tired of this highly cynical and weird eccentric behind the keyboard.  Fine.  We’ll drag in another highly cynical and weird eccentric behind the keyboard! Hah.

So yes, expect some guy named Francis to pop into this scene once in a while.  By the way, Francis is a guy I can easily monitor.  By that, I don’t mean in the Foucauldian sense of the word nor at a predatory sense whereby I am the stalker and he is the stalkee.  No.  It is like the kind of monitor where I can see him sitting in front of class and slap his back startling enough that will remind him to write some more.  Take not that Francis is in no way being remunerated for his efforts yet (at least as far as cash is concerned because I will probably be subject to some ‘homework collaboration’ in the future should he ask for assistance in the event that I will be guilt-tripped to oblige).  But you know!  You get the point. He is also a ‘prolific’ indie artist.  By that I mean he has his own myspace! (Okay, up to you if you get my sick and twisted humor).  Kidding.  Again, let’s get that out of the way and just anticipate his words because you can probably pick up a thing or two from this extremely tenacious music geek.

I am also dragging some of my other friends into this salad of music geekery.  When they are no longer pretending to be busy – like I used to do.  Of course, in case they are telling me matter-of-factly that they have work this blah blah blah, I’m sure I’ll find a way to squeeze out a little piece of their wonderful minds once I’ve found their bargain weakness.  So there.  That’s what you’ll be expecting this 2010 in Southisms.  Shove Kim to the sides with her boring commentaries at late and in with the new fabulous music critics who’ve got some fresh insights in to the musical esse.

Now, time for a playlist. Maestro! Music!

My Brightest Diamond - Something of an end [Download]

Moby - Shot in the back of the head [Download]

The Books and Jose Gonzales - Cello Song [Download]

She was certainly the most talented solo soul act that came out since, dare I say, Aretha Franklin.  The reason I brought up the comparison is because of Franklin herself, who at one point refused to perform with Alicia Keys at a MusiCares event in Los Angeles because she had apprehensions at the prospect of being upstaged by Alicia Keys and co-performer Mary J. Blige.  Why the diva, Aretha should be worried is indeed a mystery, but she must have her reasons.  And they may seem evident to you once you’ve seen Alicia Keys perform.

Her latest single “Empire State of Mind” which features Jay-Z was used as an anthem for this year’s New York Yankees victory.  When stripped of all its mainstream hype, the song is actually a poignant recollection of Key’s domicile, New York, that makes one wonder what her memories must have been. Although it gets cheesy toward the end, the emotion is still there and is especially crystallized in this stripped down version of the song:

Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind Pt. 2 (Broken Down) [Download] [Lyrics]

1969

1969 was such a great year for music regardless of the historic Woodstock which took place at the outskirts of New York state.  1969’s music glory owes itself to the culture surrounding it at that time. The restlessness of Vietnam protests.  The counter-culture youth in face with the highly conservative and blindly patriotic generation that had lived through the traumatic World War II.  1969 was the height of hallucinogenic substances which inspired new ways of recognizing the world.  It was also a time of repression and therefore resistance.

1969 also inspired indie.  That music celebrates loving the street musician or playing the record on mono.  Indie was also about Bob Dylan rejecting to play at Woodstock.  Indie was making music for the sake of music. Or music to save lives. And that there was something hateful about record companies, especially after what they have done to The Beatles.  And speaking of The Beatles, 1969 was the last time The Beatles were seen in live performance at the rooftop of Apple Records.  It was also the year when John Lennon performs as a solo artist and cries, “Give Peace a Chance”.  There was something so distinctly resounding about those words at that time, which now is just a song that we happen to know and have heard on the radio before.

1969 was when Bob Marley and the Wailers emerged from obscurity and began to popularize Reggae.  It was also Elvis Presley’s most monumental and critically-acclaimed comeback.  Simon and Garfunkel and Jackson 5 debuts –  a mark of the beginning of another era in music which is the 70’s folk or pop ballad.

When I close my eyes and think about the alternative lifestyles and the music and the pleasures so prolific in 1969, I kind of wish I lived at least a day in that year and just have a look-see of what was going on.  Just as though the Times they are a ‘changin. Just to feel that sense of wonder as one watches the first man land on the moon.

Chet Baker for the morning

I am a not-so-morning person. So inevitably, I tend to ritualize mornings in order to process the rest of the day awake.

In my last post, I wrote a really felt review of Feist’s album, The Reminder. It’s what I’ve been listening to a lot in the mornings, and I find myself veering away from the educational podcasts I used to listen to. With the passing of time, all I really wished for in mornings was silence.

But music can be quiet. And it might sound crazy to you, but I think it’s possible to somehow illustrate silence through music. We come across music that stirs up some peace in us and distracts us from our everday stress. Typically, I find this in music ranging from an andantino to moderato tempo. Folk songs in mono. Guitars with a hint of blues or cool city jazz. I am very partial to a singing Chet Baker lately, especially in the morning.  His cool voice just mellows you out and starting the day with a good sense of temperament, to me, is just the best mornings to live in.  I hope you could listen to some of Chet’s music because mind you, there is a huge difference between the sound of cocktail jazz to what “real” jazz is supposed to sound like.

Imagine a morning without anyone playing music. In the streets there should be some faint or abbrasive music in the background, blending in to the ambience of the morning. It becomes as familiar and natural in the morning as the sound of early birds and cars.

Feist Live

I don’t like to admit that I like The Carpenters, because in my mind I wouldn’t count them as a personal favorite but as it turns out I do like how their songs sound like without necessarily subscribing to The Carpenters shrine ring. I sometimes find myself bopping my head to the kind of song that reminds me how The Carpenters write their songs.  I’m not saying that, the song that I hear which then remind of another, lacks originality.  My guess is that people who write these somewhat parallel songs simply share outbursts of sensation, whether melancholy or joy, and share sensibilities that cut across age gaps.

I also say music is always inspired by another music or the sounds of nature, which sounds just the same for everyone if they just listen carefully.

For that matter, I truly admire Feist’s latest ruminations. Her album The Reminder interestingly evokes that kind of musical fervor in me.  Her song reverberates in the room in your brain where they keep memories and nostalgia, real or imagined.  And washes you with body tingles with each deep instrumental vibration.

It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I’m writing to you now as I listen through this beautiful album…

A cold heart will burst / if mistrusted first
A calm heart will break / when given a shake

The MTV Video Music Awards 2009 is probably the weirdest to date.  Supposedly, the highlight of the show was the much-awaited tribute to the late Micheal Jackson by his sister Janet and the queen Madonna herself.  But there have been numerous scores that really eclipsed the opening number in memory of Jackson. For one, you get a very interesting medieval rendering from Lady GaGa which shocked audiences (as usual) and then another asshole stunt from (the guy who I thought was scratched off the guest list after the last fiasco), Kanye West took place. Again, acting like a complete hillbilly, he grabs the mic from Taylor Swift as the 19-year-old accepts her Best Female video award to tell audiences that Beyonce’s video was the best of that year. Of course, Beyonce looks shellshocked by this unexpected turn of events and West is booed off the stage, the works.

Kanye the douche

Way to crush a teenager’s self-esteem. West was reportedly scolded by Swift’s mother to which he later apologized on his blog.

In other  news, the US Open semifinals concluded with an ugly unsportsmanlike display from Serena Williams, a disruption that caused her a crucial point to the game.

Here’s the report that ran on Yahoo Sports news:

Defending champion Serena Williams was charged with a point penalty on match point after yelling at a line judge for a calling a foot fault on her previous serve. The ruling gave Kim Clijsters a 6-4, 7-5 victory in their semifinal match, which had been delayed 32 hours because of rain.

After the line judge called the foot fault with Serena, the youngest Williams sister intimidatingly stared her down before screaming at the official with a jabbed finger. After a few seconds, Serena turned back around to serve, thought better of it and resumed the badgering. The chair umpire then called over the line judge to ask what Serena had said, rules officials were summoned, a brief summit occurred at the net and it was determined that Serena would be assessed a point penalty for a conduct violation. The point gave Clijsters the match.  Williams was quoted saying, “I’m going to shove this ball down your fucking throat”.

It got worse from there. There were multiple profanities, more threats and a lot of pointing. Serena was soon defending herself against accusations that she had threatened to kill the lines judge. Even John McEnroe said it was a bit much.

Even if the foot fault was a wrong call from the line judge, it should not have been enough excuse for the outburst.

Oh well, cheers for my namesake for bagging the US Open grandslam!  Clijsters is indeed the queen of come back.

Kim Clijsters with her daughter enjoying the award ceremony of the US Open