Duets That Do It For Me

I have to admit, I love a good duet.  True, they are generally sweeter than a nanaimo bar a la mode and do tend to walk a fine line between being sentimental and trite.  But I can’t help it.  I’m a sucker when it comes to a romantic collaboration between a male and female singer.  I believe it dates back to the 70’s, watching Sonny and Cher close their show each week with I Got You Babe.

Over the years, there have been many classic duets which were big hit songs; some are powerful and moving like Crying by Roy Orbison and kd lang, some are corny and fun like Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee and some are cool and uninhibited like Jackson by Johnny Cash and June Carter.

In the last 20 years or so, other than R&B and Hip-Hop (which has it’s own form of duet between rapper and singer), movie soundtrack duets and Disney songs, and duet albums of standards by ex-rockers, there really hasn’t been many notable duet songs in the traditional sense – man and woman singing to each other, face to face.  Good duets are still being made, but few and far between and often difficult to find for the singles downloading public.  Here are a few of my favourites:

Move Me To Tears category: Don’t Give Up by Willie Nelson & Sinead O’Connor (original by P. Gabriel and K. Bush)

Caramel Corn category: Modern Nature by Sondre Lerche & Sylvie Lewis

Lustful Cool category: I Dig You by Jon Spencer & Cristina Martinez (aka Boss Hog)

I now have a new favourite which, like an old favourite Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues & Kirsty McColl, can be categorized as all of the above.  The duet in question is Home by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and it’s from their 2009 debut CD Up From Below.

…by Sandy Gritt

 

Spread Out Those Grammys: Academy Needs To Get Out More

I like to think that my tastes in music are quite broad.  I don’t listen to much Hip Hop or Pop music at home or in the car but I can appreciate I good Hip Hop song in the right place at the right time.  Like on the dance floor.  I’ve been DJing for about 18 years so I have a pretty decent gauge for what people like to dance to and what songs may have some staying power and still be looked upon fondly in 2 to 5 years.

Adele did release a great album last year and she deserves the recognition she’s getting.  But come on, 6 Grammys!  And Foo Fighters, 5 Grammys!  Best Pop performance by a duo or group goes to Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse!  And best new artist is Bon Iver who released his first album in 2007!  I don’t get it.   So I’m taking off my Indie music hat and throwing on my DJ headphones and here’s how I think it should have gone down:

Album of the year: 21 by Adele

Song of the year: Rolling In The Deep by Adele

Record of the year: Born This Way by Lady Gaga

Rock album of the year: The Whole Love by Wilco

Rock song of the year: Lonely Boy by The Black Keys

Best Hard Rock/Metal performance: White Limo by Foo Fighters (because they’re nice guys who scream)

Best Alternative music album: Bad As Me by Tom Waits (because his music really can’t be categorized)

Best new artist: Foster The People

Best performance by Pop duo or group: Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5

Best Rap/Sung collaboration: Good Feeling by Flo Rida

Best Dance/Electronica album: Sorry For Party Rocking by LMFAO

Best short or long-form music video (because 1 category is enough for music videos): Sadness Is a Blessing by Lykke Li

Well, that’s about all I would change.  Oh yeah, nicest guys and best acceptance speech can go to Foo Fighters.  Because seriously, that’s got to be why they did so well.

…by Sandy Gritt

Concept Compilation Captures Cornucopia of Collective Creativity

I’ve purchased a few compilation records in my day.  I think it all started with K-Tel’s Goofy Greats. What an album.  Four sides of some of the wackiest songs of the 70’s.  Fonzie’s Favorites was another one I must have played a thousand times.  Then, as I got older, into my teens and my taste in music began to expand and refine, albums like Life In The European Theatre, Dance Craze and IRS Greatest hits Volume 2 & 3 became the catalysts to what would become my unquenchable thirst for discovering new underground and independent music.

My latest compilation purchase is 2011’s Live From Nowhere Near You.  It’s a three CD, 64 song collection put together by Kevin Moyer.  It consists of songs by Moyer’s friends, professional and street musicians recorded in Moyer’s attic studio and on the streets.  It’s simply amazing.  So many artists, some well known, some playing in unusual combinations, all contributing music and stories in the theme of life on the streets and the journeys to and from them.  All recorded exclusively for this project.

With all the different styles, settings and approaches to these songs, the CDs have an incredible amount of fluidity from song to song, artist to artist.  Artists include: Bright Eyes with Britt Daniel; Josh Homme with Eddie Vedder and The Strokes; Elliott Smith; Ryan Adams and The Dandy Warhols just to name a few.  But some of the best performances are by street musicians from all over the US’s Pacific Northwest, many recorded for the first time.  I’ve been playing the collection in my car for a few weeks now and I’m still discovering some real gems.  I picked it up at the record shop for just $10.  It’s less on itunes.  If you love raw and innovative Indie music, I think you owe it to yourself to get this remarkable compilation.

…by Sandy Gritt

David Francey’s Folk Heart Beats Strong and Clear

In 1999 after leaving behind a career in construction,  David Francey embarked on his new vocation as a singer songwriter, releasing his debut album Torn Screen Door.  His many travels across Canada along with his Scottish heritage have helped shape his music into something genuine, profound and enormously entertaining.  His straightforward songwriting style is filled with stories of real people and real places.  His voice is both warm and trustworthy like a favourite teacher from childhood reciting lessons in song.  His simple and clean folk arrangements are thorough and captivating.

David has released 9 albums to date.  His latest release, 2011’s Late Edition has the ability to hold you close and keep you safe and warm as well as the power to make you stamp your feet hard enough to kick the dirt up from beneath the floorboards.  A true Canadian troubadour.  I am sincerely blown away by this man’s songwriting talent.  I urge you to check him out www.davidfrancey.com

…by Sandy Gritt

Winter Music Without the Christmas Baggage

By now you may have heard a couple of verses of the beautiful song Snow Day while happy folks fly paper snowflakes from kite strings in a famous Seattle company’s latest TV commercial.  It’s actually quite a good commercial as far as commercials go and the song sets the mood perfectly.  The song is by Matt Pond PA from their 2005 EP Winter Songs.  There’s a cetain comfort I get every time I hear the the song and that can be said about the entire Winter Songs EP.  Snow Day and two instrumentals are the only original songs on the EP but the covers have been given the same Matt Pond PA treatment which makes them so endearing (the cover of Lindsey Buckingham’s Holiday Road from the Vacation movies is pure magic).

Thoughtful and warm with a touch of melancholy are adjectives that can be used to describe the entire Matt Pond PA catalogue.  Consistent is another.  With nine LPs and eight EPs to their credit and Matt Pond remaining the only original member, there is no doubt as to who runs the show.  Their latest EP Spring Fools is no exception.  Pick up or download any one of their releases and you will find intelligent song writing with the power to warm the cockles of your heart…aaah.

…by Sandy Gritt

Not an official video but a pretty special home video by SizzleCickFlicks:

Thao with The Get Down Stay Down Gets Down Right

 Thao with The Get Down Stay Down offer up hook after hook in their 2009 release Know Better Learn Faster.  Balanced on a fine line between tightly constructed pop grooves and playful yet revealing lyrics, this collection of songs is instantly infectious but also smart enough to entice the listener to come back again and again.  Thao Nguyen is a woman with formidable song writing talents and her band certainly knows how to get down.  Cute, clever and so damn catchy, this record will have you dancing around the pod port within seconds of the opening track.

…by Sandy Gritt

Beautiful Freelance Whale Music

I can remember back in the day when “Cat” was a bit of a trend in band names.  Then, for a brief period the favoured pet band names seemed to contain “Dog”, then of course there were the “Jesus” names but more recently I am noticing “Whale” as the latest flavour.  And why not?  Whales are big and important and breathe air just like we do.  One of such bands is New York’s Freelance Whales.  Their debut album, Weathervanes,  from 2009 is a dreamy collection of lush chamber pop complete with organic details which include banjo, mandolin, harmonium and of course a healthy dose of glockenspiel. With five members who are all instrument collectors and all sing, Freelance Whales offer a live sound that is layered with many colours without ever getting muddy and their song writing is full of emotion and playfulness without ever getting mushy.

…by Sandy Gritt