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On Jack’s Turntable: All Through The Night / Tyler Ramsey

Feb 132012

All Through The Night, Tyler Ramsey
In September I wrote about this song for Cover Me (you can check out the post here), and ever since then it has haunted me- never getting boring no matter how often I listen to it. There’s something astonishing about how Tyler’s guitar picking follows the core melody while simultaneously picking the bass line and adding pretty little flourishes, especially since this attached version was recorded live. His voice has a roughness to it that gives the performance a tear-jerking sense of emotional sincerity, making the romantic situation believable and real-sounding. The tempo and nocturnal imagery in the lyrics fit Tyler’s understated style perfectly, capturing the essence of the tune far better than Cyndi Lauper did on her more famous cover of this track. For all of its other merits, though, this song just has a gorgeous chorus. The melodic building and lyrical desperation captivate both the listener and performer, gripping our attention and provoking beautifully-strained wails from Ramsey. Also, even though the performance overshadows them for the most part, the lyrics of this track have a serene elegence to them that I really like.

We have no past, we won’t reach back, stay with me forward on through the night

On Dan’s 2011 Turntable: Flying Overseas / Theophilus London

Posted by Dan Kipp 1 Response »

Feb 092012

Flying Overseas (feat. Devonte Hynes & Solange Knowles), Theophilus London

2011 was a year that in large part legitimized the rise of indie music, in all its eclectic forms. With Bon Iver topping Pitchfork and many others’ charts, 2011 marked an age led by low-fi acoustic folk recordings, accompanied by 80s-esque electronic renderings of several sorts. And there was nothing wrong with a lot of it, and some was even good! That being said, I felt a distinct lack of soul in too many instances.

Anyone that knows me already knows my definition of soul as something connected to duende and, as such, compels one dance. I firmly believe that a firm bass can reverberate from the feet through to the vertebrae in a way only its own. It brings out in one a want to move in a way 2011 generally was want of. Except for Theophilus London.

Each of the five-tracks on his 2011 EP Lovers Holiday have a sound so rich and full you don’t even need surround sound for it to envelope you. The warmth found here speaks for itself — and all this from London in spite of some very obvious indie influences! London has colossus clout with a coterie of artists, from indie-pop English songwriter/composer/producer Devonte Hynes to indie-rock/folk singer Sara Quinn (of Tegan and Sara) — both featured on the album.

London conforms (to an extent) to his contemporaries’ 80s vibe on several tracks, but they vibrate with a liveliness that engages the present. From the extravagant anthem banger “Wine and Chocolates,” to the beautifully tragic “Why Even Try,” to the synth-happy “Strange Love,” Lovers Holiday shows that London knows how to make music and its consumers move.

In the song featured above, Flying Overseas, London combines all the keys: a perfectly produced rich sound, a melody of chimes with a rumbling humming, well-timed synth, and angelic vocals provided by Solange Knowles, R&B-singing kid sister to Beyonce. Listen to this one next time you take off, whether or not its overseas, and see if it doesn’t move you — feet or elsewhere.

On Zach’s Turntable: Last Nite / Adele

Posted by Zach Bernstein No Responses »

Feb 072012

Last Nite, Adele
A big thank you to Jack for bringing this cover to my attention. Simply put, if I were forced to name one song as my favorite song of all time, I would probably have to say the Strokes’ 2001 garage-punk gem “Last Nite,” off their marvelous debut Is This It (also probably my favorite album of all time). I was therefore thrilled to discover that the biggest and most talented breakout star of last year, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, had covered the song nearly four years ago for a BBC radio session. Who would have thought that Adele had such great taste in early millennial indie rock? By now, we’ve come to expect big, heart-on-sleeve power ballads and torch songs from the British soul star. “Last Nite” is something different entirely – a bare-bones, no-frills rock and roll song. Adele, however, gives the vocals of bluesy, soulful quality not present in Julian Casablancas’ wonderfully nasal delivery. She sounds completely at home on this cover and her R&B wail fits perfectly into the spots where Casablancas’ throat-lacerating screams used to be. Plus, they keep the chugging guitar and pounding drums of the original. For me, nothing will ever top the original, but Adele’s cover is fun and fresh, with the original sneer behind the song still intact. [via Indieshuffle]

On Pete’s Turntable: 2020 / Sol

Posted by Peter Adelfio No Responses »

Feb 032012

2020, Sol
This album came out a few short weeks ago, and this post is a public appeal to all of you devoted readers to GO BUY THE CRAP OUT OF IT. Sol has singlehandedly blown a blast of fresh air into the recent rap releases, establishing a unique focus that could be described as a soul-rock-rap fusion. The first thing to note is the sound; this guy records only with a full band that refuses to let him take the spotlight. With soft tones from the keyboard, grooving bass, the ultimate level of smooth percussion, and some sudden interjections from the horn to fill you with that soulful pleasure, this song would be incredible even if Sol was not involved. Those of you who know me know I have to single out the drums for a second; the beat is the perfect medium between metronomic and visionary. For a rapper working with a live band, the drums are his only guideline for accuracy and no matter his skill and lyrical dexterity, all of his success is contingent on how sharp and even that beat is. That being said, Sol does have some pretty absurd lyrical dexterity. This song is beautiful, sending a THC-fused message about peaceful and personal revolution while simultaneously pumping you up and leaving you in the dust with the speed and rigor of his rapping. Eminem set the stage for white rapping, and since then it’s been a struggle for guys to come close to his shadow. Sol just sidestepped the whole thing and went in his own direction; he turns his anger and resentment into a calm yet invigorating call to arms, while instigating such a warm and powerful feeling that only some music can. If you like this, absolutely check out his whole album, Yours Truly, which won’t be the last we hear from him I am sure.

On Jack’s Turntable x3: I Can’t Make You Love Me / Bonnie Raitt / Adele / Bon Iver

Posted by Jack McManus No Responses »

Feb 012012

Flipping through my overflowing Google Reader feed the other day I came across this Ann Powers article chronicling the past and future of American Idol, a show I very much adored in my younger years for vocalists like Ruban Studdard and Jennifer Hudson. I inexplicably followed a link in the article to Carrie Underwood’s original audition video, in which she performed a startling acapella version of the timeless classic “I Can’ Make You Love Me,” and as impressed as I was by her performance, I realized that I hadn’t heard this fantastic song in far too long. I set out to remedy that with a quick Hype Machine search, and I didn’t just find Bonnie Raitt’s original, but also recent covers by the two most talked-about vocalists of 2011, Adele and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. After listening to each of these versions many times I’ve come to realize that each performer brings out something different from the song, but the composition still transcends the presentation regardless of the context.

I Can’t Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt
In many ways, Raitt’s original captures all of the intense emotion that makes this song the seminal work It has become. Her hybrid country-soft pop vocals capture the essential introspection and reflection in the lyrics, which, in their most basic form, outline the internal realization of a failed romance. While Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin’s lyrics directly address the romantic other, they’re the type of appeals that we only wish we could actually vocalize, but keep to ourselves instead. It isn’t an argument or even a conversation, but a solitary moment of conclusion and deep thought. Raitt’s vocals capture this perfectly, keeping her emotions just restrained enough to demonstrate the pain but keeping it believable as an internal monologue. Bruce Hornsby’s piano fills fit the situation perfectly as well, adding both emotional drama and impressive technical displays without calling too much attention to his playing. Each of these covers include piano parts, but none even attempt to live up to Hornsby’s level of precision and emotion.

I Can’t Make You Love Me, Adele
In many ways, Adele’s version of the song aims to mimic the original. Inevitably though, her version dials up the emotion and spotlights the vocal performance by simplifying the accompaniment, in this case a single piano mostly playing chords and small melodic bits. This simplification actually changes the song drastically, quieting it down and letting the lyrics and vocals carry more of the emotional weight. It may be redundant criticism to say so, but Adele’s vocal performance is almost unthinkably powerful and beautiful. Especially on a song built for a strong vocalist like this one, I could listen to her sing all day long. Her adaptation of the song also fits the live environment perfectly, putting as little as possible between the vocalist and the audience to deliver the sentiment of the lyrics in their purest form.

I Can’t Make You Love Me, Bon Iver
While Adele’s cover sticks to the general formula of the original (minus some simplifications), the Bon Iver version makes subtle changes to re-contextualize and re-interpret it a little bit more. While Raitt’s original seems to take place as an internal monologue and Adele’s pretty clearly drops the dramatic pretense and exists as a live concert recording performed in front of an audience, Bon Iver’s super-simplification of the piano part gives it the feeling of the subject sitting alone at the piano, singing his own feelings to himself. Its the most intimate of the three by far, relying on sincerity and feeling rather than vocal acrobatics to convey the emotion. Vernon’s high notes sound shrill and strained, just as the crushed lover’s should. The piano melody pops up at points, but in general the focus shifts completely away from technically-advanced presentation and more towards honest, simple portrayal of the feelings that surround the situation described. Its almost more like acting than singing, and Vernon might be the best actor in music today.

On John’s Turntable: Wild West End / Dire Straits

Posted by John Boudreau No Responses »

Jan 282012

Wild West End, Dire Straits

God knows it’s sometimes tough to get posts up here on Turntablr during the semester. But I absolutely have to gush over Dire Straits, and I don’t mind staying up just a little later to do it. “Wild West End” sits among an album of spectacularly lean and muscular songs, which only serves to make its early Sunday morning groove feel even fresher. From the opening strums of the resonator to Mark Knopfler’s orchestral opening lick, this song feels warm and utterly relaxed.

Perhaps it’s the major key, or Knopfler’s ability to find lyrical beauty in the mundane: “My conductress on the number nineteen, she was a honey…/Greasy greasy hair, easy smile/made me feel nineteen for a while.” You can hear him smile in the vocal delivery. Knopfler doesn’t show off his full guitar hero chops here, and every note he plays is perfectly placed and perfectly tasteful, which is something I admire even more than an ability to play fast. Dig the last few seconds of the track (from about 4:35)—how else could it possibly end?

As I said, this song sounds like a perfect Sunday morning—maybe it’s because Knopfler starts by singing about “Stepping out to Angelucci’s/for my coffee beans,” but I bet it has more to do with the instrumental performances: understated, they are simultaneously incredibly dry and expansive sounding. Most of all, they sound clean. If my adjectives are a little hard to identify with, it’s because this song appeals to me on a purely sonic level, and I might not hear “dry” the same way you do.

This is one of those songs where I almost hate to write about it, because I fear that analyzing it will rob it of its magic. Maybe you should have just started reading this review here, but I wanted to share it with you, because “just ain’t no way/you and me, we can beat/ Walkin’ in the Wild West End.” Enjoy.

On Dan’s 2011 Turntable: Fuck Your Ethnicity / Kendrick Lamar

Posted by Dan Kipp No Responses »

Jan 282012

Fuck Your Ethnicity, Kendrick Lamar

A gangster rapper from Compton with a social consciousness sharp as Common, Kendrick Lamar entered the hip-hop game in 2010 with his release of O(verly) D(edicated). The year prior, he released the Kendrick Lamar EP, notable for the fact that it contained 15 tracks—many more than the traditional EP, displaying an impressive dedication and work ethic. In “The Heart Pt. 2,” the opening song of OD, Kendrick explains: “Got all these niggas approaching their mixtapes different / They said seven tracks, I said fifteen / Called it an EP, they said I’m tripping / But little did they know, I’m trying to change the rules / That we’ve been confined to / So the corporate won’t make decisions / Uppity bitches, handling business…”

Kendrick extended this attitude of true workmanship on his 2011 album, Section.80. The album reached only 45 on Pitchfork’s list for the year. Guffaw.

Seven of its songs now rank amongst the top-played on my iTunes. On these tracks Kendrick Lamar delivers the complete package: memorable melodies snapped into gripping beats, all overlaced with a flow of original lyrics. “Hol’ Up,” “Ronald Reagan Era,” “Rigamortus,” “Ab-Souls Outro,” and “Hiii Power” provide this and more.

More than individual songs, Section.80 has something to offer everyone. From highly-produced tunes with catchy choruses, to tragic tracks centered around the stories of Tammy and Keisha, Section.80 is at once a banger and a thinker. The album is unified by Kendrick’s overarching desire to speak for Generation Y, Eighties Babies, who befall a number of hardships due to their circumstances—from the unavoidability of drugs to corrupt politics.

The opening track, “Fuck Your Ethnicity,” is Kendrick at his best. Lyrically he is piercing as he shifts from commenting on a societal ill to showing how his rapping promotes its cure: “Racism is still alive / Yellow tape and colored lines / Fuck that, nigga look at that line / It’s so diverse / They getting off work / And they wanna see Kendrick.” When you hear the piano bounce and the beat pound, all there is to do is put your 3’s up in the name of HiiiPower.

On Jack’s Turntable: We Take Care of Our Own / Bruce Spingsteen

Posted by Jack McManus No Responses »

Jan 192012

Bruce-Springsteen-We-Take-Care-Of-Our-Own-608x608

We Take Care of Our Own, Bruce Springsteen
I can only start this review by admitting my lifelong love of Bruce Springsteen’s music. I personally believe that he’s the strongest lyrically-focused songwriter of Rock’s first three decades (’50s, ’60s and ’70s), and that Josh Ritter is probably the only writer who has been able to match up to him since his emergence in 1973. Obviously these bold claims rely heavily on my personal affection for imagery and narrative, but I’d be willing to argue that mastery of those styles truly sets the great lyricists apart from the rest.

Over the course of his career I’ve noticed that Springsteen writes his best songs when he focuses intently on a specific subject, whether it’s the state of America in the wake of 9/11 (The Rising), his complicated relationship with the shoreline towns of Jersey (his first 3 albums) or the collapse of his first marriage (Tunnel of Love). Unfortunately not all of his albums have had such specific and passionate motivating subjects, leaving us with duds like Human Touch/Lucky Town and most of the tracks on Born in the USA. After this aimlessness spoiled his last two releases, the uninspired Magic and the half-baked Working on a Dream, I can’t help but feel apprehensive about the newly-announced Wrecking Ball, and having listened to the patricarchally-titled single We Take Care of Our Own, I can’t say this apprehension has eased any.

Musically, this new track feels like a return to Rising-era ambition, with its prevalent violin riff, layered background vocals and heavily-present drums. I’m happy about the departure from the guitar-laden sound that producer Brendan O’Brien seemed to favor on the last two albums. I’ve heard whisperings of new textures to come on this new album, which I can see bringing welcome freshness and challenges to Bruce’s style, but this track stays solidly within his established comfort zone. The composition and form of “We Take Care of Our Own” are similarly reminiscent of his Rising songs, especially with the repeated lines in the refrain and towards the end of the track. Its rallying-cry nature should make for some fantastic live performances on tour this spring, so look forward to that.

As much as I like the sentiment of the lyrics, I think the writing feels awkward and clunky in a lot of places. Especially when accompanied by the written lyrics as in the official YouTube release, the phrasing lacks intuitive flow in several lines. There are annoying little jagged edges all over the place, like the extra syllable in “the road to good intentions has gone dry as a bone” or the forced rhyming between words like “home” and “blowin’” in the second verse. It comes off as unpolished and somewhat careless, which I hate to see from a writer who spent over six months re-writing and perfecting the words to Born to Run‘s title track alone.

I’m not giving up on this album yet, especially considering the promises of new stylistic textures and the inclusion of formidable tracks like the anthemic live-staple “Land of Hope and Dreams,” but I admit to being a little bit worried. I’m both confident and glad that the rest of the album won’t sound like this track, because even though it’s on the right track, this song definitely falls short of Bruce’s creative potential.

On Dan’s 2011 Turntable: The Girl From Ipanema / Amy Winehouse

Posted by Dan Kipp No Responses »

Jan 132012

The Girl From Ipanema, Amy Winehouse

My best of 2011 list begins with a posthumous album by Amy Winehouse, Lioness: Hidden Treasures. The album contains covers of classics such as “Valerie,” recordings of original songs like “Best Friends, Right?” and “Between the Cheats,” as well as a nasty collaboration with Nas in “Like Smoke.”

Throughout the album, Winehouse displays her impressive vocal and stylistic range, from syrupy ballads to bubbling bits of doo-wop and jazz. For someone entering the Winehouse for his first time since hearing “Rehab” on the radio – as I’m sure much of America, like myself, has done recently – Lioness is indeed filled with some hidden treasures. She holds her own in a duet with Tony Bennett, and there’s an intimate moment at the end of the album where Winehouse talks about Don Hathaway, a hero of hers—two all-time crooners in the same sentence!

The song above is a rendition of “The Girl From Ipanema” Winehouse recorded when she was just 18 years old. Remember the “bubbling bits of doo-wop and jazz” I was talking about earlier? Let the snare snap and the bass hum as Winehouse’s lips transform tones into trumpet calls. Listen as palm trees sway in the violin’s breeze and see if your feet don’t demand a tapdance or two.

On Pete’s Best Songs List of 2011: #5-1

Posted by Peter Adelfio No Responses »

Jan 102012

It is technically tomorrow, and once I get on a writing binge… well anyway, enjoy:

5. After Midnight, blink-182
I can safely say that blink is one of the core components that led to my love in music, and it wasn’t until this great year that I got to see them perform, twice, as part of their tour for their new album Neighborhoods. Tom Delonge’s influence is staggering throughout the album, and the entire thing feels like an Angels and Airwaves creation with a better drummer. All things considered, it’s still an awesome punk album regardless of the detour from blink’s roots. This song is one of the few that is reminiscent of the powerful angst that blink brought to the forefront, angst that transcends regular teenage frustration and fuels the painful fire of punk rock. Travis does everything you want him to, and the feel of the song is moody and generation specific. What more could you ask for?

4. N****s in Paris, Jay-Z and Kanye West
Overall, Watch the Throne was not the greatest thing hip-hop has ever seen, though it’s hype would suggest otherwise. This song, on the other hand, allowed Kanye and Jay-Z to treat their verses as their own as opposed to a collaboration. Each of their verses is entirely reminiscent of what made them as individuals great, not the mixed up back and forth the anticipation suggested. Jay-Z and his humble ability is reflected in his fluid rapping; he makes rhyming in rhythm seem as natural as speaking, and the content of his lyrics is concretely evocative while it capitalizes on a wide variety of topics. Kanye, on the other hand, is the opposite of humble and reflects so in his boyish appreciation of rhyming. Both are equally talented, but Kanye reflects so in his toying with words and joy of using language to his crude advantage. This song is exactly what you want from both, and makes Watch the Throne worth every penny.

3. Shake Me Down, Cage the Elephant
This song is a fantastic example of what rock can do when tailored to a crowd. Cage the Elephant is truly unique with their accented lyrics, dramatic stories with upbeat instrumentals and rocking, passionate choruses. Well that last one isn’t unique, but you get the point. This song draws you in as it begins to paint a somber picture and the instrumentals almost drag you down as well. Suddenly it begins to grow, and the mood picks up and begins to invigorate the listener. It draws you in, making you beg for more. The uplifting call to nature lifts you up and brings you crashing such as the wave the song is. This song alone is enough of a reason to see them live, even on a cloudy day.

2. Mama’s Boyfriend, Kanye West
Jack already introduced this song, and I must reinforce his disclaimer of a parental advisory sticker. This song is the hip-hop king of the year, and I don’t care what ‘Ye has to say about it being released early; he poured his heart and soul into this rap. It deals with a very real and emotionally deep-seated social reality from both sides, and affects the listener in many visceral ways. It really makes the listener think about his own flaws and directives, while simultaneously appealing both to humor and lyrical impressiveness. Don’t change much when you release it your own way, Kanye (I’m just as good at rhyming…)

1. Seven Nation Army (Remix), The Glitch Mob
Some people may call this cheating to put at number one considering it is a remix, but this song was truly my favorite of the year. The Glitch Mob took one of the most amazing rock songs we will ever hear, and morphed it into an electronicly laden head banger. The notes are the same, but these three dudes take everything that makes this song great and put it into an electrical socket. Juicing up everything gives the song a new flavor; it can still be enjoyed in all its rock glory, but now there’s a dance component that drives the listener’s emotions. Jack White’s already electric guitar notes blast out another amp, bringing down all sorts of houses. I’m very thankful for the Glitch Mob’s remix, and their originals aren’t too shabby either.