Monday was the last day that most of the folks I know in Record Promotions will work for 2013. The trade publications are closed, and no one really works records over the holiday.
That makes it a good time to start cleaning out the iTunes "Going For Adds" playlist that I keep.
I am constantly adding songs to that playlist throughout the year. I'm adding songs I've been asked to consider for MVY airplay, and I want to be able to listen to them multiple times. As I decide "this one isn't for us," I delete them off the list.
Some songs hang around longer than others.
And when I get to the end of the year, I always find a song or two that I didn't put onto the station and probably won't, but never deleted because I kinda like them.
Like this one. La Havas has an interesting voice. And this song's about about loving a much older man (not unlike one of my favorite Aimee Mann songs, "Mr. Harris").
Maybe it won't be a hit, but maybe you'll add it to your playlist.
Hear the song on Youtube.
Showing posts with label aimee mann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aimee mann. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Jon Brion & Sarah Jaffe "Blue Umbrella Suite"
After taking the kids to see "Despicable Me 2" last week, we sought the refuge of an air conditioned movie theater yet again this week, this time catching "Monsters University" (that is, "Monsters, Inc 2").
The music in the animated Pixar feature is outstanding as always, and I was a bit surprised to see in the end credits that it was Randy Newman who scored the movie. Newman has always done great work for Pixar, but this score had a really different feel from his previous work. Good stuff.
But the bigger musical surprise came before the movie.
Pixar always includes an animated short, before the feature (old school!). And it is generally unrelated to the feature. Often it is stylistically different than the feature. But this clip had some serious wow to it.
Check out a scene below, and note that this is animation. But it's done in this photo-realistic style, where umbrellas and buildings come to life in a way that more recalls Jim Henson than "Toy Story."
See the clip on Youtube.
The short clip doesn't give to much away, which is good, but it also doesn't quite reveal how stunning the piece looked.
But the thing that really sold it, was the music behind it.
While seeing it in the theatre, I couldn't quite place the tuneful, hummable touch of the composer, or place the familiar sounding vocalization, that was wordless yet expressive.
At home, my wife did the Googling.
The music was composed by Jon Brion, who has done some excellent scores for PT Anderson films like "Magnolia" and "Boogie Nights" as well as scores for "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind" and "I Heart Huckabees."
He's also produced some excellent records for the likes of Aimee Mann, Rhett Miller, Fiona Apple and Evan Dando.
He's even been part of some good bands, like Jellyfish and The Grays.
Meanwhile, the vocals were provided by Sarah Jaffe. Apparently the animator who envisioned the story is a Jaffe fan, and listened to her music while initially creating the short.
Great stuff.
Hear the full song on Youtube.
The music in the animated Pixar feature is outstanding as always, and I was a bit surprised to see in the end credits that it was Randy Newman who scored the movie. Newman has always done great work for Pixar, but this score had a really different feel from his previous work. Good stuff.
But the bigger musical surprise came before the movie.
Pixar always includes an animated short, before the feature (old school!). And it is generally unrelated to the feature. Often it is stylistically different than the feature. But this clip had some serious wow to it.
Check out a scene below, and note that this is animation. But it's done in this photo-realistic style, where umbrellas and buildings come to life in a way that more recalls Jim Henson than "Toy Story."
See the clip on Youtube.
The short clip doesn't give to much away, which is good, but it also doesn't quite reveal how stunning the piece looked.
But the thing that really sold it, was the music behind it.
While seeing it in the theatre, I couldn't quite place the tuneful, hummable touch of the composer, or place the familiar sounding vocalization, that was wordless yet expressive.
At home, my wife did the Googling.
The music was composed by Jon Brion, who has done some excellent scores for PT Anderson films like "Magnolia" and "Boogie Nights" as well as scores for "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind" and "I Heart Huckabees."
He's also produced some excellent records for the likes of Aimee Mann, Rhett Miller, Fiona Apple and Evan Dando.
He's even been part of some good bands, like Jellyfish and The Grays.
Meanwhile, the vocals were provided by Sarah Jaffe. Apparently the animator who envisioned the story is a Jaffe fan, and listened to her music while initially creating the short.
Great stuff.
Hear the full song on Youtube.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Jellyfish "That Is Why"
Here's another Weekend
Post:
Another 90s Power Pop band featuring Jason Falkner, whose bandmates went on to do session, writing and production work for loads of other folks (including Beck, Cheap Trick, Aimee Mann and Puffy Amiyumi).
Hear the song on Youtube.
Weekend posts are a chance to revisit songs that have happy memories, not of anything in particular, other than just hearing the tunes.
Many of these songs were tracks that I played during my 90s stint as an Alternative/Modern Rock radio show. They're tunes that I hardly hear these days, but are fun to revisit.
Click on the "Weekend Posts" label below, to see other posts like this.
Another 90s Power Pop band featuring Jason Falkner, whose bandmates went on to do session, writing and production work for loads of other folks (including Beck, Cheap Trick, Aimee Mann and Puffy Amiyumi).
Hear the song on Youtube.
Weekend posts are a chance to revisit songs that have happy memories, not of anything in particular, other than just hearing the tunes.
Many of these songs were tracks that I played during my 90s stint as an Alternative/Modern Rock radio show. They're tunes that I hardly hear these days, but are fun to revisit.
Click on the "Weekend Posts" label below, to see other posts like this.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Til Tuesday "Believed You Were Lucky"
All this week, words I learned because of songs. Today's word is: Acquiesce At my old radio station, we had a 45 of this Til Tuesday song, and the lyrics were right on the paper sleeve. My old roommate/co-worker would always comment that he was impressed with a songwriter like Aimee Mann, who would use "acquiesce" in a pop song.
ac·qui·esce
Verb
Accept something reluctantly but without protest.
See the lyrics below.
Hear the song on Youtube.
"(Believed You Were) Lucky"
So I guess I'll give it up
Yeah I guess I will
What's the use in pushing
When it's all uphill
I can't be appointed
Keeper of the flame
Without two to carry
It won't burn the same
Oh, it seems obvious to me
But then again
Could be
You just never felt that way
I wish you believed in life
Believed in fate
Believed you were lucky
And worth the wait
'Cause life could be lovely
Life could be so great
It gets so embarrassing
So I acquiesce
And I'll change my mind again
You change your address
Oh, it seems logical to me
But then again
Could be I was simply not that smart
I wish you believed in life
Believed in fate
Believed you were lucky
And worth the wait
'Cause life could be lovely
Life could be so great
There must be some other door that they are saving
Behind which my happiness lies
I won't be wasting my words
To tell you hopes that I had -
We can just leave it alone for now
I wish you believed in life
Believed in fate
Believed you were lucky
And worth the wait
'Cause life could be lovely
Oh life could be fucking great
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Aimee Mann "Labrador"
Here's another "I Looked At The Internet Today So You Don't Have To" feature.
On top of being a brilliant craftsperson and razor-sharp songwriter, Aimee Mann is a) hilarious and b) beloved by some pretty hilarious folks.
Enjoy the official video for "Labrador," which is a shot-for-shot remake of the video for "Voices Carry"!!
And while you're at it, see Laura Linney in the role of the Aimee Mann-bot in the video for "Charmer," her guest shot on "Portlandia" and some clips from a Christmas video she did a few years ago.
Hear "Labrador" on Youtube.
Compare the Til Tuesday on Youtube.
See the Aimee-bot on Youtube.
See Aimee Mann on "Portlandia" on Youtube.
See Part One of Aimee Mann's "Christmas Carol" on Youtube.
On top of being a brilliant craftsperson and razor-sharp songwriter, Aimee Mann is a) hilarious and b) beloved by some pretty hilarious folks.
Enjoy the official video for "Labrador," which is a shot-for-shot remake of the video for "Voices Carry"!!
And while you're at it, see Laura Linney in the role of the Aimee Mann-bot in the video for "Charmer," her guest shot on "Portlandia" and some clips from a Christmas video she did a few years ago.
Hear "Labrador" on Youtube.
Compare the Til Tuesday on Youtube.
See the Aimee-bot on Youtube.
See Aimee Mann on "Portlandia" on Youtube.
See Part One of Aimee Mann's "Christmas Carol" on Youtube.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Aimee Mann "Charmer"
I was really happy to hear the new Aimee Mann track, and even happier to read what her press release had to say about her new album "Charmer":
It's not for nothing that she's been asked to participate in tributes to Harry Nilsson and Burt Bacharach and Hal David. There can never be too much literate pop for my liking.
Hear the song on Youtube.
Influenced by what Mann calls the “super pop” of the 70s and 80s, the album is her first release since 2008’s celebrated @#%&*! Smilers . . .I've enjoyed following Aimee Mann's solo work for the last two decades, and was happy to wind down the tributaries she wanted to explore on albums like "Lost In Space." But, despite the clear craft behind the sonic landscapes and atmospherics she was laying down, I always hoped she'd return to a more straight-up pop arena.
It's not for nothing that she's been asked to participate in tributes to Harry Nilsson and Burt Bacharach and Hal David. There can never be too much literate pop for my liking.
Hear the song on Youtube.
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