losttimelord

[losttimelord]

The Blacklist:  Music from Seasons 1-4

Approx. 95-97% of the songs from The Blacklist (in the order that they appear, through the end of Season 4)

The Devil Within by Digital Daggers State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.) by Jim James Didn't I by Darondo 99 Problems by Hugo Sinnerman (Felix Da Housecat's Heavenly House Mix) by Nina Simone & Felix Da Housecat Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones Here with Me by Susie Suh & Robot Koch Bird 1 by Underworld Made of Stone by Matt Corby Up Past the Nursery by Suuns Wicked Game by Emika Very Cruel by POLIÇA I Awake by Sarah Blasko Welcome Home by Radical Face Pendulum by Pearl Jam Line of Fire by Junip The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash Sundown by Gordon Lightfoot Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second by STRFKR Slow Ass Jolene (The Blacklist) by Show Tones Co-Education by Officers Cello Song (feat. Jose Gonzalez) by The Books Jungle by X Ambassadors & Jamie N Commons "Swan Lake Suite by  Op. 20: Scéne (moderato)" by Slovenian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Marko Munih "I'm Sorry by  But I'm Beginning To Hate Your Face" by Eagle Seagull Can't Pretend by Tom Odell "Who Are You by  Really?" by Mikky Ekko Change of Time by Josh Ritter Soothe My Soul by Depeche Mode Just Breathe by Pearl Jam No Sugar In My Coffee by Caught a Ghost Divisionary (Do the Right Thing) by Ages and Ages Long Way Down by Tom Odell Pilgrim by Fink Tide by Junip You Were Born by Cloud Cult Go It Alone by Beck Run from Me by Timber Timbre Great Sky by Other Lives Magic Bus by The Who Blood On My Name by The Brothers Bright Baptisms by Radical Face Every Step by Mavis Staples Happy Together by The Turtles Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene by Hozier Dream a Little Dream of Me by The Mamas & The Papas Spring (Among the Living) by My Morning Jacket Major Tom (Voellig Losgeloest)  by Peter Schilling Von dr Alb ra (feat. Moggi) by Rock und Rollinger Dancing In the Moonlight (Original Recording) by King Harvest Always Gold by Radical Face Baby That's Not All by Josh Ritter Drink You Sober by Bitter:Sweet Exxus by Glass Animals Save Me by Hanni El Khatib How Are You Supposed to Know by Don Brownrigg Hello Stranger by Barbara Lewis Black Eunuch by Algiers Rocket Man by Elton John Peace Frog by The Doors No Harm by Editors Our House by "Crosby by  Stills by  Nash & Young" Wicked Campaign by Modest Mouse Can't Leave the Night by BADBADNOTGOOD Can You Get to That by Funkadelic Trouble by TV on the Radio Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing by Chris Isaak Trouble by Robots Don't Sleep Radar Love by Golden Earring Without You (feat. Kerry Leatham) by Lapalux Blame It on Me by George Ezra Sour Cherry by The Kills The Lamb by Little Scream Gamble Everything for Love by Ben Lee God's Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash The Payback by James Brown Rise Up by Andra Day Right Back Where We Started From (Re-Recording) by Maxine Nightingale Pays to Know by MyPet It Works Itself Out by Half Moon Run No Comprende by Low Demon Days by Robert Forster Just Breathe by Don Brownrigg The Killing Season (UNKLE Remix) by Mark Lanegan Band Dear Trouble by Correatown Sixteen Tons by The Platters Part Two - In My Own Way by Ray LaMontagne Someone You Love by Tina Dico Safe and Sound by Electric President (You're) Having My Baby (feat. Odia Coates) by Paul Anka Lighthouse by Patrick Watson Theme From Blinking Lights by Eels Part One - Homecoming by Ray LaMontagne Ooh La La by Faces Suitcase Full of Sparks by Gregory Alan Isakov "Crime of Passion (Piano Solo Version) [From ""Preston Tylk""]" by Kurt Kuenne Fire by The Last Internationale Dangerous by Royal Deluxe Hustle and Cuss by The Dead Weather Papa Was a Rolling Stone (Single Version) by The Temptations Lullaby by Dixie Chicks King's Crown by Junkie XL Dodged a Bullet by Greg Laswell Legendary by Welshly Arms Evil Ways (Justice Mix) by Blues Saraceno Predator (feat. Elenna Canlas) by Gadi Sassoon This Is a War by Losers Where You Are (feat. Jono McCleery) by Portico Bongo Fury by Shawn Lee Yadnus by !!! Fill Your Brains by Harrison Brome Writing on the Wall by Bob Moses Fire on the Mountain (I-II-III) by Wand Dead Man's Party by Oingo Boingo Treehouse by Oquoa He Haunts Me by Extreme Music One by Harry Nilsson The Road to Nowhere by Radical Face Voodoo in My Blood by Massive Attack & Young Fathers Between the Bars by Elliott Smith Say Goodbye by Beck Vanishing Act by Early Winters All Your Secrets by Yo La Tengo What I Like About You by The Romantics Alone by Dark Horses All Sewn Up by David Holmes Twisted by Aron Wright Heartbeats by José González Before I Sleep by Marika Hackman Barracuda by Hayley Ross No Salt on Her Tail by The Mamas & The Papas All Along the Watchtower by Bob Dylan I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor I Will Survive by Cake Damn Wish I Was Your Lover by Sophie B. Hawkins These Boots Were Made for Walking by Miss Behavin' Dear Mr. President by Fitz & The Tantrums Dreamer by Supertramp Dream On by Aerosmith One Man No City by Parquet Courts On Fire On a Tightrope by JBM Fever by The Black Keys Belgrade by Battle Tapes Vicious by Lou Reed Drowning by Kevin Morby Bloodstream by Stateless

[losttimelord]

Music from The Blacklist

One of the best things about “The Blacklist” is their use of music.  Some familiar, some not so familiar, but all of it fits and helps establish people, and ties together different groups at different times. It’s hard to pick one or two songs that really represent the show, and it doesn’t really have a theme song… so it needs to be looked at overall.  In this quick discussion I will try my best not to give away any spoilers, but give a vague idea of what happened where needed.  I am going to try to go by character, and not for all characters (that would be a book unto itself), but the central characters and a couple plot-related songs that are key.

 First, we have Raymond “Red” Reddington who, according to the information available, was born in 1960. So that would make him reaching teen years of impressionable music in the early-mid 70s, and into the early 80s. As a result, he’d probably have a lot of late 60s to 80s music ingrained from over those years.  Early on (post-pilot episode), we have Reddington being introduced with song “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones playing. Early setup for a bad guy… or at least not a good guy.  About halfway through the first season, we see exactly how dangerous Red can be as he gets information from all the people involved for setting him up and then eliminating them while Johnny Cash’s “When the Man Comes Around” is playing (granted the song was released in 2002).  Then Red awaits the key person behind the abduction while “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot is playing; this act gives information on the interaction with Mr. Kaplan who would also fall in the same musical era.  Much later in the series, there is the dark and strategic side of Red as the pieces of the plan are in motion there for an elaborate abduction set to “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” by Johnny Cash.  In a particularly painful case, Red gets retribution for a betrayal with “If You Could Read My Mind” by Gordon Lightfoot playing through the end of the show.  There is more to Reddington, though, and the music follows along with it.  In one case, Red realizes he wasn’t possible to shield Liz from the past while the song “Rocket Man” by Elton John plays.  In the next season, we have a wistful Red with Liz watching the stars from a ship to the song “Our House” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.  At another point, we see Red remembering the past of a lost person to the song “Suitcase Full of Sparks” by Gregory Alan Isakov.  This is just a sample of the songs, not all from the era he grew up in, but either from artists from that era, or songs that could have come from that time.

 Elizabeth and Tom Keen both have several songs related to them, these are all more modern songs… in some cases new covers of songs.  Early on, we have “Here with Me” by Susie Suh and Robot Koch where we know that both parties are keeping information from each other.  This back and forth subterfuge, with more information that comes each iteration, ends with them usually together but with music indicating the changes going on.  There are great examples of the use of such songs “Wicked Game” by Emika, “Change of Time” by Josh Ritter, and “Who Are You, Really?” by Mikkey Ekko.  Getting into individuals, there is a key scene where Elizabeth finds out more about her past to the song “Baptisms” by Radical Face. We see different facets of Tom, one as he goes undercover with “Völlig Losgelöst” by Peter Schilling going on in the background.  In later episodes you have songs like “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing” by Chris Isaak and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” by The Temptations that highlight the dangerous aspects of Tom.

There are a few songs that stand out because they just fit the scene so well.  “Gamble Everything for Love” by Ben Lee plays over a montage of Red thanking Aram, others crossing paths after doing what they had to out of love, and others finding out their loved ones are safe.  “Safe and Sound” by Electric President plays during a very intense scene ending with a car chase and escape.  In a series of scenes that changes how almost all of the secondary characters look at the main characters (and vice versa in some cases), an appropriate background of “Dodged a Bullet” by Greg Laswell carries through.  Much later in the series, when it appears things are starting to go off track for several people, the song “Road to Nowhere” by Radical Face is used.

 This is just a quick skim through the songs used on The Blacklist.  If you like the show, you have to dig into the songs… there are a lot of great artists.  New songs, old songs, covers of songs, pretty much something for everyone.  And if you’ve watched the show, you can almost always remember each scene that ties to the song as it is done extremely well.

[losttimelord]

DragonCon 2017 (The Epilogue)

I’ve have a few days to reflect on DragonCon, and have had a few people ask me how it was.  Every time I end up pausing, wondering how I really felt about it.  I know some people had the best DragonCon to which they’ve gone.  I more or less enjoyed it, I suppose.  Almost all of the celebrity guests that I interacted with were very kind, and seemed to genuinely be happy to be there and meeting fans.  As for the mass of people there... there were a LOT (>77,000) and they seemed to be a reflection of “how things are” at the moment.  A lot of uncertainty, some underlying hostility, some dread.  Normally, the convention is a good way to put some of those things away for a couple of days, but this time it seemed like most people were still carrying that around.  Maybe the convention has changed, maybe I have changed.  I’m not sure.

I will say It was great to see the people that I’ve met through the convention and have become closer to over the years.  There was a warmth and sense of family there.  I’ve felt sometimes like an outsider to those groups, but that is probably just my perception.  It may have been that general feel of the crowd that made me see just how friendly and feel a part those groups for a change.

 Still, I will go back next year because it will be my 10th in a row.  If it still feels off, then I can go out on solid round number.  Meanwhile, for more info about the convention, I’ve attached the press release from post-DragonCon below.

DRAGON CON 2017 SETS NEW ATTENDANCE RECORD

ATLANTA – September 4, 2017 – Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, and sci-fi convention, announced a record attendance of more than 80,000 people for the four-day celebration.

Some 77,000 fans attended Dragon Con’s 30th Anniversary convention in 2016.

Fans came from around the world and all 50 states, with this year’s convention attracting people from as far away as Japan, New Zealand, and other Pacific Rim countries.

“Every year, Dragon Con seems to get bigger and better and 2017 was no different,” convention co-chair Rachel Reeves said. “Pop culture fans came from every corner of planet to join in the fun.  This year, we gave them a show worth travelling for.”

Iconic comic creator Stan Lee, who previously announced his retirement from the convention circuit, made his third and perhaps final Dragon Con appearance.  In addition to leading a panel discussion and meeting with fans, Stan served as the Grand Marshal for the annual Dragon Con parade.

Food Network star Alton Brown announced the return of his colorful Good Eats program, called Return of the Eats, that will air on Food Network beginning in 2018. “We’re restarting it. We’re bringing it back. We’re getting the band back together,” Brown told a standing-room-only Dragon Con audience.

The convention added cash-prize eSports – also known as professional gaming – live streamed over Twitch to the convention’s game-specific programming.

“Our eSports tournaments were well-attended by professional gamers and the Twitch audience was strong,” said convention co-chair David Cody said.  “Most importantly, it was very popular with fans on site, which guarantees that it will be back in 2018.”

LifeSouth, which has organized the convention’s annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” blood drive since 2002, recognized Dragon Con for its 25,000th donor. This year, some 3,000 donors contributed nearly 6,000 units of blood and blood products, with the milestone donor arriving on Thursday night.

Since 2014, which marked the start of the organization’s Superheroes program, Dragon Con and its fans have contributed more than 2,600 hours of community service.  During 2017, Dragon Con Superheroes manned a crafts ‘n’ cosplay booth at the Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games, maintained portions of Piedmont Park, participated in the annual Walk to End Lupus Now, and collected toys and games for patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Dragon Con’s annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” blood drive attracted a huge turnout, with about 3,000 attendees donating some 6,000 units of blood and blood products this year.  The annual drive – consistently ranked as the largest convention-based blood drive – benefits LifeSouth, which serves more than 40 hospitals in the Atlanta area and 110 hospitals in the Southeast.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than about 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over four days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

[losttimelord]

Why Pink Floyd Worked as Demonstrated by Recent Releases

Roger Waters and David Gilmour.  If you are up on your rock music history, when you hear those names together, you automatically think of the band Pink Floyd.  I’m not dismissing the contributions and ability Richard Wright and Nick Mason.  But if you look at the evolution starting at “Dark Side of the Moon,” through the last album that Roger Waters was on, “The Final Cut,” you can see how Gilmour and Waters stood out and were counterpoint to each other.  Extrapolating from that time you can still see those glimmers in both of their most recent releases.

 Gilmour released “Rattle That Lock” almost two years ago.  That doesn’t seem like a long time, but at that time the world was more settled than its current state.  Gilmour’s lyrics and music very much follow his guitar style: deliberate, specific, focusing on clarity of note rather than speed or distortion.  There are three instrumental tracks on the album, allowing the music to tell the tale rather than having a lyrical speech.  The first half of the album is more about mortality and changing chapters, with the title song being drawn from the themes Paradise Lost… the tale of the fallen angel.  It isn’t until we get to “In Any Tongue” that we get a political statement.  In this case we hear of the soldier, who isn’t thought of as a person, and the drone operator.  What they see/hear and the and pain that ends up on both sides of conflict. But after another instrumental, there is almost a film noir feeling song, and back into enjoying the day while we can.  The album isn’t angry, it something nostalgic, sorrowful, and wistful.

 Waters most recent release, “Is This the Life We Really Want?”, which came out earlier this year is completely different.  Although Waters has always been more direct in his music than Gilmour (take Waters’ “The Bravery of Being Out of Range” from his last album as an example), most of the album is even more angry, direct, and right in your face.    Waters has often toured since leaving Pink Floyd doing renditions of The Wall and updating the imagery for the times.  But it is almost as though waiting 25 years to release another album has concentrated that anger.  You still get glimpses of those Pink Floyd days, such as “A Bird in A Gale” and “When We Were Young” where there are many layers of prerecorded clips playing over each other.  “Oceans Apart” starts out feeling like an extension of “Southhampton Dock” from The Final Cut.   “Smell the Roses” has a bass line that is very reminiscent of “Have a Cigar” from Wish You were here.  But, as has been the case for his tour for this album, he takes a square shot at Donald Trump and people who have supported with the song “Is This Life We Really Want?”  The song starts out with a clip of Trump on CNN, then goes on to rattle off all the things that are going on in world that people ignore and places the blame for the situation on everyone, then asks the question how did we let it happen. However, there is one major detraction from the album, that I first thought was the CD that I had, but then I heard other versions online/digital.  Rather than ending songs, they just cut off, and in some cases right as the last word is sung.  I get the idea of showing an artistic version of something cut short, however, there are a few songs this is done to.  It makes me want to yell back ”Yeah, I get the point now stop it with the artistic sledgehammer!”

 This brings me back to Pink Floyd.  I can see how these personalities don’t see eye to eye or get along easily.  But if you go back to The Wall, you have the song “Comforably Numb,” which really does feel like two songs that have been merged. One is certainly from Waters and the other is clearly from Gilmour, but it works beautifully.  And maybe that is why both artists on their own aren’t the powerhouse that they were together.  Waters could infuse a bit more energy and raw emotion into Gilmour’s music, while Glimour could smooth out or counterbalance the pure anger.  I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have all their songs mixed to get this middle area; there are times where there should be anger and rage, but there are also times for quiet introspection.  Perhaps that is why Pink Floyd will probably always eclipse any of their solo work.

Check out the songs from each below...

[losttimelord]

Garbage and Blondie (with more a focus on Garbage)

I was fortunate enough to have a ticket to see Garbage this past weekend, August 5th, along with some extra behind-the-scenes time with Garbage and several other fans.  The behind-the-scenes time was very interesting.  The first part was time on the front row at the sound check by the band.  Butch Vig was out in the front walking around when we first came in and took a few moments to talk about the venue and the heat as it was a rather warm day.  But things quickly settled in to finding out what wires weren’t quite connected, various tests, and so on.  Then came the warm up songs: “No Horses,” followed by a cover of “Starman” by David Bowie, and ending with “Cup of Coffee.”  The first song, in case you are aware of the band but don’t know that song, is the latest release (single alone) by Garbage and is a truly amazing song; all the profits from it are going to the International Red Cross.  But one of the first real glimpses into the band was when another person came up front carrying her young daughter (who was appropriately wearing ear protection).  All the members of the band who saw her started smiling, and those that could afford a moment, since they were in the middle of a song, waved to her as she waved to them.

Next was the Q and A session, which was also quite insightful.  We all had chances to ask questions and generally talk.  The group was very open and warm; you could see how connected they are to each other.  Shirley Manson even said that the group was family; that they, like anyone else, when things have been tense for one person or another… things could get a little argumentative.  In other words, like any relationship/close friendship/close family you take out frustrations that come from elsewhere on the people nearest to you.  But eventually they come back together; they occasionally hang out with each other when not on tour and are part of each other’s lives.  Another point made was how interacting with the fans really gives them energy and means quite a bit.  Again, Manson said it was making those connections with people that it was about, and that the feedback sometimes was exactly the impetus to get them back in the studio.  Another interesting thing that was discussed was the role of technology in their music, having always been a very technology oriented band.  Steve Marker commented that one of the great things was that they could easily stay in touch and send ideas back and forth since they all live in different areas.  Vig continued, describing their setup for the night where everything was electronic (including drums) and had direct lines into a mixing station, which then allowed the main microphone to be Manson’s with a wider frequency range.  But, as Vig mentioned, there was nothing that could compete with having everyone together in one studio.  Overall, it was just fun… there were some serious questions, but there was a lot of joking and talking like a small get together.  The session ended up with photos and led into the opening of the venue.

As for the concert, the opening act was Deap Vally.  I was resoundingly neutral towards them.  They are a duo from LA; one on guitar the other on drums.  I found that the guitar was so loud that you really couldn’t make out much of the lyrics, which is a shame because at least one or two of the songs seemed as though they had potential.  I have not yet had a chance to listen to anything that they’ve recorded to see how they sound normally.

Garbage came on next, and their set was probably one of the most fun and energetic I’ve seen.  And again, their connection with each other and the audience was obvious.  Manson stopped after the first song when she saw a small boy in the front rows and made sure he had ear protection, and said they could get some if he didn’t have any.  There was also a break where they (and the crowd) sang Happy Birthday to their lighting person.  How often does a lighting person get attention?  And finally, one young women/older girl (couldn’t tell from my seat) had a sign saying that it was her birthday and that all she wanted was to meet Shirley.  So, Manson stopped for a moment and asked the girl to come up, said hello, and signed her sign.  All of this between great performances by all of the members.  From where my seat was, I didn’t get to watch much of the great guitar work by Duke Erikson, but I could hear it clearly.  The set list ranged everywhere from what Manson called the darkest song in their list (“Even Though Our Love is Doomed” one of my favorites from the latest album) to “I’m only Happy When It Rains,” “Queer,” and the James Bond song that Garbage recorded: “The World Is Not Enough.”  This set was almost overwhelming.  If you like Garbage, it is definitely worth seeing them live.

Blondie rounded out the night, and I will admit up front that I only know their main hits.  Debbie Harry still can put on a great show; her voice has aged a bit, but only by a hair.  It was a totally different set up from Garbage.  A lot of microphones everywhere for all of the instruments, the drums behind plexiglass panels to prevent too much going into the other microphones.  Several songs from the new album Pollinator were played, but all of the standard songs were in the main lineup: “Call Me,” “Rapture,” “Atomic,” and “Heart of Glass.”  They came back for the encore and started with “The Tide Is High,” and continued from there.

Overall it was quite a contrast to have the three different bands in the series.  There was certainly something for everyone, and a unique feel to each group.  But it wasn’t as overwhelming where there are several bands over a very long day or a couple of days.  By having these sorts small combined concerts are interesting, as you might go for one group, but still be exposed to other groups you don’t know or don’t know other than a couple of their hits.

[losttimelord]

A Look at The 50th Anniversary release of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”

We’ve recently passed the 50th anniversary of the release of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and with it came a release of the album remixed.  All of the re-release has new stereo mixes done by Giles Martin, the son of George Martin who is often referred to as the “5th Beatle.”  Some of us, like myself, who didn’t exactly grow up in the era of The Beatles but enjoy a fair amount of their music didn’t realize the full impact of some of those works until later.  Entire books (several) have been written solely about “Sgt. Pepper’s,” and I won’t really get into a lot of that detail… much.

While there are several versions of the release to be had, depending on how much extra stuff you want to listen to, the format of your particular taste, and (inevitably) how much you want/are willing to spend.  I went with the 2-CD deluxe version, but it version is intentionally similar to the original vinyl release, complete with inserts on a smaller scale.  But this is the version you’ll want if you liked the original version and want to get some insight into the makings of such an amazing work that “Sgt. Pepper’s” is.  Originally recorded for to be played in mono, the album was quickly mixed for a stereo release.  If you listen to the stereo release and the remixed 50th anniversary release next to each other, you find what a difference it makes.  In the original stereo version, you get almost 100% volume from certain instruments in one channel, and almost 100% of other instruments from the 2nd channel.  There isn’t a lot of cross-over.  The remixes take this and, for lack of a better term, smooth out the stereo sound.  The channels blend together, and give it a more cohesive sound like you’d hear in most recordings today.  Listening to the songs in remixed and then in original versions, you can easily hear some of the difference.  I actually found myself getting the songs set up so I could switch between versions while they were going just to tease out the more subtle differences.

The extended liner notes (those things do still exist, you know) and the second CD is where you really get insight into the recording of the original album.  Those notes tell you about how the idea started from a misheard phrase, “Salt and Pepper” and became a way for The Beatles to not be The Beatles.  The idea being that they’d be playing as the Sgt. Pepper’s band, which would free them from having to do the same type of recordings and songs they had been doing.  But, as is often the case, freeing the members by allowing them the ability to take on an alternate persona allowed the real members and their personalities to come out.  Admittedly, there have been criticisms that the songs don’t really flow well together, but if you think of the idea of this being effectively a concert album, then it becomes easier to understand that they don’t have to fit perfectly together.  Think of your average concert:  there will be some flow, but it won’t necessarily be all perfectly tied together as in the case of an album.

But I digress; back to the liner notes and second CD.  There are songs presented that are completely missing the bass line.  It is noted both in the liner notes and elsewhere that Paul McCartney liked to record the bass line as one of the last parts.  In other cases, you are hearing the recording while another track is being played.  And this is at a time that, while 8-track recording was possible, it wasn’t really as available as 4-track.  Mixing these different tracks and getting the right combinations took months, and the extra CD and reading the booklet (it is more of a booklet than just simple liner notes) gives you that insight.  These extras show how those postmodern ideas were be incorporated across all facets of the album from music, the lyrics, the album art, all of it is a whole.  And I think many of us who were born after The Beatles broke up (1970 for those wondering on the year) have missed that aspect.  But the 50th anniversary edition gives you a chance to get caught up in the wonder of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

[losttimelord]

My Playlist for Wren Costello Adkins

Gamble Everything for Love (Live on KEXP) by Ben Lee  

Dear Friends by Elbow

I Will Remember You [Original Version] by Sarah McLachlan

Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping by Air

Baby That's Not All by Josh Ritter

Gracie by Ben Folds

Passenger Seat by Death Cab for Cutie

Evensong by The Innocence Mission

Urban Angelby Natalie Walker

In Time Zero 7 by When It Falls

Just Breathe by Pearl Jam

Baptisms by Radical Face

Goodnight Romeo by Colin Hay

Guitar Flute and String by Moby

How Are You Supposed to Know by Don Brownrigg

Part Two ( In My Own Way) by Ray LaMontagne

Lullaby to an Anxious Child by Sting

The Rainbow Connection by Sarah McLachlan

Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) by Billy Joel

Knights in Shining Karma by XTC

Cherry Blossom Girl by Duke Special

Lighthouse by Patrick Watson

Home by Zero 7

This Blue World by Elbow

Color Blind by Natalie Walker

Blackbird by Sarah McLachlan

The Road to Home by Amy Macdonald

Dear Prudence by The Beatles

Scarborough Fair/Canticle by Simon & Garfunkel

Blackbird by The Beatles

Dream a Little Dream of Me by The Mamas & The Papas

Hey Jude by The Beatles

Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall by The Ink Spots & Ella Fitzgerald

MLK by U2

Little Wing by Sting

Riversong by A Fine Frenzy

Little Bird by Imogen Heap

Edge of the Ocean by Ivy

Universal Traveler by Air

Futures by Zero 7

Cello Song (feat. Jose Gonzalez) by The Books

Different Names for the Same Thing by Death Cab for Cutie

Weather To Fly by Elbow

Inshallah by Sting

Breathe In by Frou Frou

Lithium Sunset by Sting

Heroes by David Bowie

Safe and Sound by Electric President

Blame It on Me by George Ezra

Foreverland by The Divine Comedy

Capable Of Anything by Ben Folds

Stay Young, Go Dancing by Death Cab for Cutie

Charmed Life by The Divine Comedy

Freewheel by Duke Special

Be a Clown by Chorus/Kevin Kline/Peter Polycarpou

Shepherd's Bush Lullaby by Benjamin Gibbard

Love Is the Seventh Wave by Sting

Yellow Submarine by The Beatles

River of Orchids by XTC

My Imaginary Friend by The Divine Comedy

By the Skin of My Teeth by Duke Special

Brainiac's Daughter by The Dukes of Stratosphear

If I Had $1000000 by Barenaked Ladies

Mahna Mahna by Cake

Another Postcard by Barenaked Ladies

A Trick of the Tail by Genesis

Sea People by Emiliana Torrini

It's Oh So Quiet by Björk

Ballet For A Rainy Day by XTC

Changes by Butterfly Boucher and David Bowie

Hello Goodbye by The Cure

Welcome Home               by Radical Face

Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel

you've got to learn to live with what you are by Ben Folds

Slide by Dido

Left of Center (feat. Joe Jackson) by Suzanne Vega

Lullabye by Amos Lee

Always Gold by Radical Face

How You've Grown by 10,000 Maniacs

Still Fighting It by Ben Folds

This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) by Talking Heads

Beautiful World (Alternate Mix) by Colin Hay

Magnificent (She Says) by Elbow

The End of the End by Paul McCartney

Gamble Everything for Love by Ben Lee

[losttimelord]

Wisdom.

[losttimelord]

PCA Radio Show 5.30.17

This week’s show starts a month-long focus on kids…first up: we looked this week at adult songs suitable for children. From John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” to Bjork’s “It’s Oh So Quiet,” to Billy Joel’s “Lullaby,” it’s a really great collection of music.

In case you missed it, you can check it all out at

http://matthewkadkins.podomatic.com/

Coming up next week: what one or two songs do you think must be part of a kid’s musical education? Let me know.

[losttimelord]

Contemplating Aimee Mann’s “Mental Illness”

For those of you who don’t know Aimee Mann, she was the lead singer (some would say main force) behind the group ‘Til Tuesday.  After the remnants of the group finally disintegrated in 1988, Mann was unable to transition into a solo career because of legal/contractual issues with ‘Til Tuesday’s record label.  It was in early 1996 that I rediscovered her when shortly after the release of second solo album “I’m With Stupid.”  That album just fit into that time where I was transitioning from that looming end of college and the challenge of what was to come.  Since then, I’ve followed her music off-and-on and my interest has waxed and waned but never gone away.  Her last couple of albums, “@#%&*! Smilers,” to some extent and definitely “Charmer”, didn’t seem to change up much going from one song to the next.  Despite this, when I heard that she was releasing an album entitled “Mental Illness,” I knew it was one I was going to pick up.  

 Listening to “Mental Illness,” you can still see Mann’s tendency to have parts of her songs being melancholy, but often with a twist or a catch that shifts how the song comes across. Frequently, she combines darker lyrics with upbeat music or a catchy almost happy sound.  Other times, Mann will deliver a lyric that should be upbeat in a more somber tone.  It’s that combination and occasional contradiction that makes her music more intricate.  And that complexity, in a way, is a mirror of mental illness in general.  It’s never as simple as it seems on the surface.  This certainly applies in this album where the sound is minimalistic and strips almost everything away leaving a slow acoustic guitar and a few other instruments.  The sound of the album can drag somewhat if you focus on just the melodies.  Aimee Mann said in the LA Times, “I thought I’d just give myself permission to write the saddest, slowest, most acoustic, if-they’re-all-waltzes-so-be-it record I could.” But if you start to think about the album in the context of actual mental illness, it starts to change.  She will surprise you with these sparks of humor. The first single “Patient Zero” deals with someone trying to get into acting but fails, and you get a line in there that’s “Hip hip hooray, hocus pocus.” A bit of whimsy that counterbalances things. There’s “Rollercoasters,” which seems to put an eye on bipolar lives talking about riding to the highs and falling to the lows. If you start to listen to the lyrics more closely overall, there are like “Good for Me” and “You Never Loved Me” that almost feel like they are from the same person who can’t make up their mind.  Taking in the whole album, connections can be made that mirrors some of the contradictory effects of mental illness.

 What it comes down to is that “Mental Illness” is an album you can’t just put the music on and let it wash past you.  Taking it in that way, the music in many parts will sound too similar, but when you really put it together with the lyrics you’ll find a great collection of songs that really do have connections to mental illness. And maybe… you just might find a little bit of yourself in there.

Aimee Mann’s “Patient Zero”