Suzanne Vega Changed My Life, Man

It is rough, you know? And if you hear something late at night, some kind of trouble or some kind of fight; please don’t ask me what it was. Suzanne Vega is like a genuine Folk lady, her favorite Beck song is “Nicotine & Gravy.” She is like a pretty pixie creature to this day, despite the fact of what the newspapers say (and coincidently, all this despite the fact that my babysitter is gay). This is an entry of worship. I love Suzanne’s cool and smooth vocal approach, she doesn’t mince words and she highly recommends a quality meal at Tom’s Diner. Can you imagine, sir? Can you? She can rock an acoustic guitar and has a moody disposition that gives me a funky feeling all up in my jockeys. This entry is no joke, but is a reminder rather that Suzanne Vega has another stellar record for all of us grad students to dive head first into, and it is her first in years, my precious little buttercups!

If you are looking for Ms. Vega, keep in mind that you can in fact find her left of center. You can also find out on her official site about her amazing new release, and apparently I am a bit behind, as it was released like a motherfucker on July 17th, oh yeah, baby! Dig all the necessary information in relation to “Beauty & Crime” on Suzanne’s official cyber home: Call me Luka, baby, just don't call me late for supper!

…Another cool thing, is that her site has an official media player to sample some of the sultry new cuts, oh yeah, baby! (Actually, I believe you can only sample the lead single, but still!). The cut available “New York Is a Woman” is one thoroughly immaculate conception filled with tasty arrangements and a timeless melodic majesty that is sure to live on in its own unique universe, as is so common with the majority of Suzanne’s output. She’s got quite a few tour dates coming up in God’s America, so you may want to peruse her Tour Dates section of her sinisterly sexy web site, oh yeah, sweetie pie! Better yet, just read the following and don't go no place, girlfriend...

Sept 15 Waryas Park Poughkeepsie, New York FREE
Sept 16 Mahaiwe Theatre Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Sept 18 The Birchmere Alexandria, VA
Sept 19 World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA
Sept 20 Somerville Theatre Somerville, MA
Sept 22 Lebanon Opera House Lebanon, NH
Sept 23 The Latchis Hotel & Theater Brattleboro, VT
Sept 25 La Tulipe Montreal, QC (Weird Ass Country!)
Sept 26 The Mod Club Toronto, ON (Loyal Subjects of an ugly Queen)
Sept 29 The Ark Ann Arbor, MI
Sept 30 Park West Chicago, IL
Oct 02 Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
Oct 03 Pabst Theatre Milwaukee, WI
Oct 04 Barrymore Theatre Madison, WI
Oct 05 Englert Civic Theatre Iowa City, IA
Nov 08 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
Nov 09 Richards on Richards Vancouver, BC
Nov 10 Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room Seattle, WA
Nov 12 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Nov 13 Montalvo Arts Center Saratoga, CA
Nov 14 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
Nov 16 The Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA
Nov 17 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Nov 18 Rialto Theatre Tucson, AZ
Nov 20 Wheeler Opera House Aspen, CO
Nov 21 Boulder Theater Boulder, CO
Nov 30 The Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT
Dec 01 Club Harlem Ballroom @ HOB Atlantic City, NJ

...Suzanne’s material has always been mature and on the cutting edge of the Adult Contemporary scene (Yeah, you heard right, baby). This is a beautiful woman with a hard working dental plan, and she’s got the family, they come first. Her back catalog of introspective Folk Pop epics is so icy and thoughtful on the whole, with little by way of failed experiments. She’s actually a good singles artist, but her records are often fleshed out nicely and perfect for some late night lovemaking, oh yeah, baby!

Watch the woman in action (Obligatory oh yeah, baby!)...

Industrial Folk?



She's talking about the new record, baby:

The Very Best of Funk and Soul

What can one say, what can one do? What exactly is it you are going to do when Freddie comes for you? Word up with your shoelaces, dog? Westside! I must admit that the genres of Funk and Soul nearly make this young chap bust a quality nut or two; we’re talking baby batter everywhere, ladies and gents! Dig, when you think about the best by Curtis Mayfield, you are really thinking about something special. The Ohio Players could Rock harder than Sabbath and the smooth Philly Soul of The Stylistics will done make a cynical motherfucker down right optimistic! Thus, is the power of these great genres; each respective genre essentially took root in the late ‘60’s and magically came together in the most profound of ways during the ‘70’s (the early ‘70’s primarily).

One cannot forget about Parliament, as they were a wee bit more eccentric than Funkadelic and just a powerful creative force, a band that stands the test of time with its musical potency. Great cuts by The Spinners such as “Rubber band Man” are totally awesome and make the booty shake oh so violently! “Have You Seen Her” by The Chi-Lites is totally groovy, and a whole article pertaining to this lovely soulful cut can be located in the Great Songs blog, and real horror show at that! I tell you, Funk and Soul is some of the most stellar music in the history of Pop. Investigate it from head to toe, read the Funk and Soul bible and refuse to let go. The Isley Brothers did some rocking music by the time the ‘70’s rolled around, and songs like “The Payback” made clear that the late and entirely great James Brown was a hard rocking Funk maestro to be reckoned with. But hey, don’t take my word for it, just let the following YouTube clips guide you to a better tomorrow…

Freddie is quite obviously dead...



The following Worm is quite Funky indeed, buster!



A little Payback action you should like?



You get the idea, no?

Ween - La Cucaracha

The title for Ween's new album has been released from Ween themselves, and they are calling it La Cucaracha.

The album is set to come out in late September. It'll be their first album since 2003's Quebec.

Ween did release a 5 song EP this summer titled Friends. It can be purchased from Chocodog here.

I've just listened to Friends for the first time and it's a quite enjoyable collection of songs with a heavy emphasis on ridiculous synth pop.

Kate Bush ~ “The Dreaming”

I have spoken about Kate Bush quite often, and I will gladly do it again; because in fact, I am going to. Interesting, no? I tell you that Kate Bush is really stellar, and there is not a thing that can change this glorious fact. Certainly, many of my regular readers understand that I preach the word of Miss Bush quite often indeed, but that is simply the nature of the she-beast, oh my sassy little bros. Listen, if you do not believe me, just take a gander at the archive. I have praised lovely Kate for individual song efforts, her glorious and groundbreaking career as a whole and her first record and one of my favorites “The Kick Inside.”

There is something else, however, and that is the simple fact which I bring to you now: The other Kate Bush album I truly love is “The Dreaming.” What a lovely transitional record, something to marvel at. The ideas on the album are still ahead of their time, and even if the production is not. Give Kate credit, however, as this is the record which began her foray into producing her own works and controlling all aspects of the proceedings (Think a musical Stanley Kubrick and just as bloody reclusive). Previous efforts make her out to be a highly dramatic waif with an air of insanity surrounding her, but on “The Dreaming” it is pure insanity that does indeed reign. She is purely adult by this point and her songs reflect the change from wide-eyed child of nature to enchanting and demonic witch goddess. Classic cuts like “Sat in Your Lap,” “Suspended in Gaffa” and the title cut “The Dreaming” will be sure to give you sexy nightmares well into the afterlife.

It is telling that some cults which surround groups and artists are ultimately short-lived and generational in scope, but Miss Bush is much like The Beatles in terms of having such a strong and diverse group of followers which never seem to sway, and is the sort of cult as well which continually attracts young listeners who have an ear for good taste in music as well. The fact that Kate often sounds like a delicate yet enraged poodle, makes the proceedings that take place on her record all the more potent. Lesser tracks such as “Pull Out The Pin” and “Get Out of My House” still have many admirable traits and little psychological mysterious to be unearthed. “The Dreaming” is a strong statement for a woman simply working in the realm of Pop and was a lovely little precursor to the commercial onslaught and critical darling that was “The Hounds of Love.”

Enjoy the absolute drama and strangeness of lovely Kate:







YouTube, where would I be without your cute little booty?

Upcoming Album Releases

July 10:

The Smashing Pumpkins - Zeitgeist
Interpol - Our Love To Admire
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
They Might Be Giants - The Else

July 17:

Magic Numbers - Those The Brokes (US)

July 24:

Prince - Planet Earth
UNKLE - War Stories

The Virtues of Weezer

When I was a young child growing up in South Africa, I thought a lot about the virtues of Weezer; softly and quietly in the night. For I knew that a band as worthless and as laughable as the Animal Collective simply could not hold a candle, and the less said about the continuous failures of Cat Power the better. Rivers Cuomo is the Weezer main man, and this has always been the case; and while I will not give you a detailed band biography or even a simplistic Cuomo back story, what I will do is speak of the band in their more recent incarnation and predict as to what the future might bring as well.

Weezer did make a return to form after a lengthy and complicated absence with 2001’s “The Green Album.” This record was produced by Ric Ocasek of New Wave Pop Rockers The Cars, the gentleman behind the grand debut as well. It’s a great album, with fantastical Pop gems such as “Photograph.” Shortly following this time frame, fans were treated with the self-produced “Maladroit.” This is a record that rocked rather hard, maybe not quite at the level of “Pinkerton,” but the lead single “Dope Nose” is just as good a groovy song as anything featured on “Pinkerton,” so please believe. After another involved and complicated absence, Weezer returned with the controversial “Make Believe" in 2005. This album is significant, and is probably the most Punk-oriented gesture in the history of Pop, not even a lame Sonic Youth Starbucks compilation CD can compete with the cheese and goo of “Make Believe.” I find Rivers to be a direct lyricist who really cuts through the jumble beautifully, the man knows riffs, screaming solos and Pop structure in general to a bleedin’ tee!

It is during this time period that we find Rivers at peace with the universe, and I suppose the same can be said for his long-suffering band mates as well? (Rotating list of bass players included). Vipassana is important. Visit his myspace, get informed! Do what you must! As for the future of the Weez; well, who’s to say? It is a troubling and involved issue that would take many blasts to the skull by a faulty spud-gun to truly get to the heart of the matter, but I will leave you with the following Cuomosexual quote, as it is quite telling:

"Hey Party-People,

Weezer is just polishing up a batch of songs for a recording session that is going to start at the beginning of July. This will be the final recording session for our 6th album which we aim to put out in the first half of 2008. We hope you are all having good times.

Love,

R-dawg"

The future is indeed bright, Weezer faithful. And if anyone suggests that you listen to something awful like the new White Stripes album, just be sure to inform your respective mothers’ and tell them Mozart Breath sent ya on behalf of Cuomo and the =W= gang, cuz nothing can compete with earnest and awkward Power Pop.

Looking into Film Music (Yet Again)

Film music is some of my favorite kind of music, and I have discussed it in the recent past on this here blog; whether it is in relation to the motion picture soundtrack to Tilda Swinton’s “Orlando” or some lovely hypnotic gem by Popol Vuh as featured in a Werner Herzog film. And now, here I am again looking at the music which really has no specific rules and that can equal anything and be entirely boundless. It is not enough to simply have the right song selections to be on a movie soundtrack, and while this does have its place, what I am thinking of is usually something more; a sort of music meant specifically for a film to enhance it. Because, as we are all aware, correct song selection or a quality film score in general can make a bad film slightly good. And, an otherwise decent film can be ruined by bad or inappropriate music.

One thing I love is this…



And yes, it is Popol Vuh yet again, but music with this much psychic depth and psychological oneness cannot be denied, and any pseudo intellectual knows that this is music to die for.

I think of the era-appropriate music by Simon Fisher Turner, a film composer who often collaborated with the late Derek Jarman, who was indeed a controversial and brainy chap. The success of Simon Fisher Turner was to pour raw musical power in almost vaguely reworking Renaissance era Classical and yet, making use of instrumentation that comes from centuries past as well. Observe the power and the magic…



Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone are fun and interesting chaps as well, and there is not one of us who is not reminded of a bizarre spaghetti Western or an absurd series of comedies that feature Peter Sellers as a French detective when the sounds process in our collective noodles. Some film scores are obvious and can’t help but work, such as is the case with “Amadeus,” which is well, a film largely about Wolfgang’s superior Classical genius. The soundtrack to “The Last Emperor” is something that is naturally majestic and powerful as well…



Let the credits roll or I’ll eat your goddamned soul, jerk! Cheerio! ~ Mozart Breath