Tune Me Up

I don’t often ask for your help, but I’m getting desperate. I have a credit of $14.01 at the iTunes Music Store. And I don’t know what to do with it.

When iTunes debuted, I bought one song just to try it out. Since then, nothing. We’re talking years going by here, so this new credit situation has me paralyzed with indecision. That’s why I’m asking for your help. Help me use up this credit.

There are only two rules:

1. There are no rules.
2. See Rule 1.

(I always wanted to do that.)

The real rules: Leave one song title (and the artist) in a comment or drop me an email. (If you want to post anonymously, just enter a bogus name and email address in the comment.) Don’t worry if the song’s not actually available through iTMS, although that would be ideal, since I will buy the first 14 songs recommended (in the unlikely event I get 14).

Please pick something that you love, and not something that you think I might like. My brother-in-law has made me some mixes that have included gems I never would have found on my own (Fountains of Wayne and Hindu Rodeo just to name two). That’s the point here. I am expecting to be surprised and delighted by your choices. The song doesn’t have to be obscure. Chances are, if it was recorded in the last 15 years, I haven’t heard it.

If our positions were reversed, here’s what I would select: Quilombo by Gilberto Gil or anything from Los Amigos Invisibles’ “The New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera”; how about Quiero Desintegrar a Tu Novio. Decisions, decisions.

If you can, please avoid choosing any jazz or Brazilian music, or anything by the two artists I love unconditionally and get everything they put out, John Scofield and Susan Werner.

I stand to discover some wonderful music from this exercise. You on the other hand, get nothing out of this. Nothing, that is, except my undying admiration for your good taste.

Thanks to Anne for the clever post title. Who knows, this might turn into one of those meme thingies.

UPDATE June 7: Cha-ching! You’ve helped me spend $6.93 so far; only $7.08 to go. As I suspected, I have heard of only three of the bands. So far the list is a little Wilco-heavy, but that’s OK, as I have observed that all the cool kids like Wilco. Thanks to those who have participated so far.

UPDATE June 8: After two days, I have 8 recommendations. By my calculations, that means everybody who reads this blog participated. I still have $6.09 left to spend, so feel free to add a recommendation by way of the comments whenever you happen to read this.

UPDATE June 11: I still have some choices to make as you can see from the playlist below... and there’s only one dollar left in the kitty.

UPDATE June 13: Although I still have two songs to chose, my credit is spent. Thanks, everyone. Again, if you are coming in late to this thread, feel free to add your recommendation by way of the comments. Funky, there will be a review of the tunes forthcoming. Please allow two to four weeks for delivery. Void where prohibited.

Here’s the final playlist:

1. “How Long Have You Been Stoned” by Over the Rhine [Howard]
2. “Sunken Treasure” by Wilco [Stacey]
3. “Come on Home” by Everything but the Girl [Ellen]
4. "I'm the Man Who Loves You” by Wilco [Mark]
5. “Side” by Travis [Funky Dung]
6. “Jesus” by Page France [Tom] (not available at iTMS; substituted “Rhythm” from “Come, I’m a Lion!”)
7. “Sanibel” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young [James]
8. “El Cerrito Place” by Charlie Robison [Frank]
9. “America” by Hamilton Camp [Marisa]
10. Something by Ben Vaughn... (I will choose) [Yoko]
11. “Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?” by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists [Mrs. Harridan]
12. “Jack the Ripper” by Morrissey [picturegrl]
13. Something from “Observatory” by Julia Dollison [John]
14. “And We Danced” by The Hooters [Anne Marie]

10:41 PM | Permalink | Add Comment

Abbey Road???

I confess I haven’t been following WXPN’s countdown of the 885 All Time Greatest Albums (which ended recently), but I was curious about the top ten. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the top of the list is so shamelessly boomer-centric, but I can’t work up any bile about it, nor should I, being a boomer myself. For their part, XPN plays plenty of new music; it’s only these contests that reveal the true nature of the station’s demographics. Still, I was surprised that so many XPN listeners are practically geriatric. I mean, do the kids today really think the Beatles were the greatest band ever?

8:54 AM | Permalink

Monk and Coltrane at Carnegie Hall

Last week, NPR’s Robert Siegel interviewed Larry Applebaum of the Library of Congress about a new release by pianist Thelonious Monk and saxophonist John Coltrane made in 1957 at Carnegie Hall. Although the concert was recorded for broadcast, the tapes were never aired and have languished until earlier this year.

The fragments I heard were characteristic of each players’ style, but with an extra dimension that was electrifying. Monk was his usual angular and pointillistic self, while Coltrane was the opposite, spinning unbroken strands of melody to fill every available space. I think Carnegie Hall inspired them, and it didn’t hurt that many of their distinguished peers were listening in the wings. I mention this only because jazz festivals can bring out the worst in players. Larger venues and enthusiastic audiences often encourage musicians to engage in bombastic overplaying, or what Wynton Marsalis calls “housin’” (showboating to please the audience). This group had way too much taste for that. They were definitely on though.

As great as the music was, that’s not what made my ears twitch. It was the sound—full, clear, balanced, and present. During the course of the interview, Robert Siegel even commented on the fidelity, and the interview turned a corner to discuss the engineering. The concert was recorded by a staff engineer at the Voice of America named Harry Hochberg, who recorded many of their jazz programs. He did a superb job. Harry, wherever you are, I salute you.

11:38 PM | Permalink

CD Review

Hmm. Round. Shiny. Aerodynamic. Whee!

10:28 PM | Permalink