What are you listening to right now?

This is for all non-EC or peripheral-EC topics. We all know how much we love talking about 'The Man' but sometimes we have other interests.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Recently got the Du Pre/Barbirolli legendary Elgar Cello Concerto. I have it on vinyl, bought by my dad back in the day, but my turntable needs work and I couldn't bear not having it on iPod or CD. I'm going to see it performed later this year, so needed to reconnect. The music and Du Pre's playing combine to eviscerate the listener and leave their guts wrapped around their neck. Sublime. She was born in Oxford, but her dad was pure Jersey (the old one, the little island where I grew up), which provides an extra connection.

Other than that, lots of Wilco, preparing to see them in two weeks. Just can't wait. Lovely intimate clip of them playing the excellent 'Born Alone' from Studio Q here. Lots of close-ups of the magnificent and very tall Nels Cline and is battered guitar (hardly surprising the way he plays), and some Glenn Kotche shots, though nothing like enough to my mind. Notice he plays with one drum stick with a curious thick white thing on the bottom end of it. I've noticed this before. Don't know if it's so he can reverse it and use as a cymbal beater, or is to give a special weight to it? Never seen this elsewhere:

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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Jack of All Parades »

"Sittin' in" Sonny Stitt and friends. Needed a pick me up this morning as I took the day off from work to finish up some projects around the house. It is working it's magic- especially the firs Ballad medley- the interplay betwenn Gillespie, Getz, Stitt and Hawkins is most invigorating.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by mood swung »

The genius that is Tim Armstrong - A Poet's Life.
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Seriously impressed by Bon Iver live on Later last night. Two drummers, full horn section, etc. The songs take on different dimensions live, and it seems they've really worked hard at getting them arranged right. Would love to see him/them live, but am far too late, all tickets sold out for London or Birmingham. Am noticing an EP called 'Blood Bank' from 2009, i.e. between the two albums, on Spotify. Worth checking out. There's also an intriguing collaboration with the wonderful James Blake 'Fall Creek Boys Choir', nice music to fall asleep to.
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Jack of All Parades »

Have been enjoying all afternoon in the office the covers record by the Band- Moondog Matinee. It could well be my favorite cover record, particularly in the expanded form from 2001. Just fathoming that it is now 38 some years old. I remember when it came out in October of 1973- I was in love with the original cover painting of the corner 'Jook Joint' and the emaciated looking Richard Manuel skulking on the side of the building. It along with the original sepia photo cover of Stage Fright are memorable 'covers' for me. Favorite part of this relisten- the muscular, expressive voice of Levon Helm- he gets the lion's share of vocal duties on this record- am in awe of his "Mystery Train"- sadly hard to compare to today's voice as ravaged by time and cancer. It has been fun this afternoon taking this stroll with these musicians- the album is a primer on 'good' R&B and soul and is not done in a reverant way but in a this is our 'life's blood' manner; it makes all the difference even after all the passed time.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

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Visions of Neal (and the Three Stooges) - Jack Kerouac
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by redsfan720 »

Otis Westinghouse wrote:...and some Glenn Kotche shots, though nothing like enough to my mind. Notice he plays with one drum stick with a curious thick white thing on the bottom end of it. I've noticed this before. Don't know if it's so he can reverse it and use as a cymbal beater, or is to give a special weight to it? Never seen this elsewhere:

There could never be enough Glenn Kotche shots as far as I'm concerned. Watching him play is such a joy, and I'm not even a percussionist. When I saw Wilco a month ago, I sat with a friend who is a percussionist. Some of the minutia he pointed out to me about Kotche's performance made me appreciate him even more. I'm proud to share an alma mater with Kotche, though my school does not promote his influence as much as it does some of its other less distinguished alumni...even from the school of music, which I ditched after two years of a double major because of how backward it all was.

My listening this week has consisted almost entirely of cuts from different King's Singers albums. Some of the most pristine, most artistic music I've ever heard in person. The fact that they've recorded in so many different genres over the years, all with an equal level of artistry and understanding, speaks to their talent. If there's a better singing ensemble in the world, I don't believe they've been heard.

If you're unfamiliar, here's one clip from a familiar song and a familiar genre.

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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Very nice. Amazing blend of voices. I'm more of a medieval plainsong man myself, but the combination of beautiful male voices in harmony can be incredibly powerful.

Great comments re Glenn K. So University of Kentucky, right?

Would be very keen to hear any details re the minutiae of your percussionist friend's observations. All details thirstily received!

One song that blew me away on Saturday was Art of Almost. There was a visceral intensity not present on the record, in large part due to the physicality and presence of the drums. The drum figure is so perfect hereand so tightly played. And then when that bass line comes in c. 1.52. Wow! And the extended bit before the final wig out where he's just whacking the snare and you're waiting and waiting for all hell to break loose, and then a little after 6.00 it does. Gorgeous. The sort of stuff Radiohead should still be playing. This clip is a demonstration of why Wilco are such a good band:

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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by strangerinthehouse »

St. Vincent live on NPR. She sounds amazing and I love her new album. I know she's been doing a cover of the Pop Group's "She's beyond good and evil" so I'm looking forward to hear a good live version of that.

It's already halfway through but they always archive them. Worth a listen.

Here's the link: http://www.npr.org/2011/10/28/141801564 ... =mh_frhdl1
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redsfan720
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by redsfan720 »

Otis Westinghouse wrote: Great comments re Glenn K. So University of Kentucky, right?

Would be very keen to hear any details re the minutiae of your percussionist friend's observations. All details thirstily received!

One song that blew me away on Saturday was Art of Almost. There was a visceral intensity not present on the record, in large part due to the physicality and presence of the drums. The drum figure is so perfect hereand so tightly played. And then when that bass line comes in c. 1.52. Wow! And the extended bit before the final wig out where he's just whacking the snare and you're waiting and waiting for all hell to break loose, and then a little after 6.00 it does. Gorgeous. The sort of stuff Radiohead should still be playing. This clip is a demonstration of why Wilco are such a good band:

Indeed, Kentucky.

It's been a month so any comment I remember will be lost in paraphrasing. One of the things that stuck with me most was how he'd combine his rhythmic playing and his melodic playing on keyboards—maybe a glockenspiel, maybe something bigger? I can't recall exactly. I asked my friend on one song (it happened on several songs) why he was playing his drums with mallets. I do remember his exact response: "The drums don't care what you hit them with. The bells do."

Another thing that I noticed and my friend agreed with whole-heartedly is that everything Kotche does when he plays a certain something, he does it the same every time. He is consistent. You can tell he was a drum corps kid, and probably a damn good one, because on repeating patterns, it just looks like he was filmed once and the rest were looped. In the Art of Almost clip that you posted, get a good glimpse of that around the 4:30 mark to the end of the song. Those single snare hits would hit the exact same imaginary point at the apex every time.

All of the technical praise he had toward Kotche I would have to ask him again, but I'm always willing to have that conversation again. When I do, I'll come back here. :D From my non-percussion outlook, what impresses me so much about him is how present his playing is without being overpowering or even the slightest bit out of balance. He knows where to sit, but he's not sitting.

Those Letterman performances are fantastic.
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Good stuff, thanks for details. I don't think he uses a glockenspiel in his Wilco set-up, but he does have a bank of 'crotales', bell-like, tuned mini-cymbales. (On One Sunday Morning he just uses brushes throughout and the glock part is done on keyboard.)

I love the details shown here of his two set-ups:

http://glennkotche.com/technical.php#wilcokit

Note there's no kick drum in his solo kit, he has a pedal beating the underside of his floor tom only! Here he is making full use of the solo set-up, starting with mechanical cricket, his treated snare springs being pulled all over the place at 5.00, and from 12.00 some amazing stick work, some sort of mouth tube that's used to change the pitch on one drum, a bit of crotale and so forth. Great demonstration of his inventiveness and technical ability:



He's using the stick/mallet I referred to earlier here. Something like this:
http://www.gear4music.com/media/17265/600/preview.jpg

He does use mallets a lot, and you see quite a few drummers doing this. You get a more muffled sound on the drums this way than with sticks, and of course a softer wash with cymbals.

You're right about his consistency, and your 'non-percussion outlook' is a very good summation. Great fun discussing the mighty Glenn! Wilco did so well finding him. If you've seen the amazing I Am Trying To Break Your Heart film, the first shots of him in that are literally on his first day in the band. They must have known right away that they'd got their man.
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Jack of All Parades »

This discussion inspired me this morning to take "Sky Blue Sky" off the shelf, dust it off, and give it a spin while at work. A most rewarding revisit. Kotche is bedrock as you both note- his consistency is unobtrusive but it anchors every song. Revelation for me is the felicitious sound Cline achieves on so many of the songs- clean, joyous notes and runs that are not showy but instead have a crispness and joi de vivre that never sounds false or studied. I have always loved the final three on the record- they make for a subtle and very fullfilling to my ears triptych of sound. Also have been quite taken by the group riffing on "Shake It Off". I am quite the sucker for that final refrain- "On and on and on we'll stay together, yeah".
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Otis Westinghouse
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Great song!

More on the same theme. Unplugged in a bookstore, 4 songs, Glenn on an absurd mini-percussion kit and a jiffy bag!

http://www.twentyfourbit.com/post/11573 ... -weve-seen
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by redsfan720 »

The Tiny Desk series is brilliant.
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

New to me. Fun concept.

Avett Brothers:

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Re: What are you listening to right now?

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Otis Westinghouse wrote:New to me. Fun concept.

Avett Brothers:

Excellent, as always. They were in my hometown last week and I had to work. Shame. It is an arena tour, though, and that doesn't seem like a proper place to see a band like that. So whatever.

Here's a Tiny Desk concert published this time last year with Nick Lowe. Apparently they've started shooting in HD in the 365-or-so days since then.
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Was unaware of Avette Brothers until a friend raved about how good they were at a festival this summer.

Nice Nick Lowe. Thanks. I recall now that I have seen the Tiny Desk format before in the form of Kurt Wagner of Lamchop. Just him solo, with his gorgeous 1920s or something guitar. Opens with 'You're a Big Girl Now', then three songs of the wonderful OH (Ohio) album that was about to be released:

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/23/95510216/ ... sk-concert
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

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In anticipation of John Wesley Harding's new release coming in the mail, "The Sound of His Own Voice" with The Decembrists have been playing some of his earlier records in the office today. Have had fun with "Why We Fight" and "Who Was changed and Who Was Dead" from 2009, in particular. Quite easy to fall under the spell of his seemingly effortless verbal acuity and his strong tenor. There is a naturalness in his line which is intoxicating and, when combined with his natural self-effacing humor, is most appealing. One can easily see why comparisons to another performer might cause that other performer some discomfort. Really have to make an effort to catch one of his "Cabinet of Wonders" shows. There was one this week in NYC with quite a guest list. He is a strong MC on the stage. Cannot get the song "Me Against Me" out of my head.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

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Christopher, your post made me go back and listen again to "Who Was Changed and Who was Dead".
A most enjoyable record with one of my favourite songs of his, A Very Sorry Saint.
And he seems to be a very nice bloke as well. I still keep an e-mail, which he sent me a couple of years ago in reply to my "hello-how are you?-congratulations on your great new album-any chance for a show in Poland?" e-mail.

Here's a link to a song from his new album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Eb-KxSTPE
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Jack of All Parades »

IP- thank you for the link and the story. He does seem like a very genuine person and it comes through completely in his music. I have only heard good things about his recent stage shows- "The Cabinet of Wonders"[a type of show I would love to see EC try with his connections and associates rather than the 'wheel']-they are I gather fun nights of prose, music, comedy and friends getting together to entertain people. Another poster on this site shared a while back an interview he did with him. He came across as not pretentious and most interesting. The song you mention is a favorite for me on the record. I also enjoy "Love or Nothing" and "Oh! Pandora"- hell, it is a fine record. What I have noticed over the many years I have been listening to him is that his line has tightened nicely. He is a consistently strong songwriter now.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Jack of All Parades »

"Highlights From the Plugged Nickel"- The Miles Davis Quintet- am particularly engrossed with their take on "Milestones"- the soloing by Herbie Hancock is quite mesmerizing.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Ah, that's one I have on tape. Great stuff, and love the venue name. Is/Was it in NYC, he wrote, too lazy to look it up, even though I could have in the time it's taken to write this!
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

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Otis- the club was in Chicago- this particular performance was recorded in 1965. It is great fun- cannot afford the Box set of the entire weeks worth of performances but this highlight CD is worth owning.
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by bambooneedle »

Otis Westinghouse wrote:too lazy to look it up, even though I could have in the time it's taken to write this!
Otis- the club was in Chicago

hehe
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Re: What are you listening to right now?

Post by Jack of All Parades »

Joni Mitchell's "Hits" with all its irony, particularly "Urge for Going" because that sun in the sky has turned 'traitor cold'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3EofN3Flag
"....there's a merry song that starts in 'I' and ends in 'You', as many famous pop songs do....'
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