“…It’s late now
And there’s only four hours ’til I get up again
You know I’d wait somehow
If I thought this was something
That a little time would mend…”- Sarah Harmer
Tag Archive for 'music'
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Every now and then a certain album comes along where I actually believe it was written for me personally. We’ve all experienced it at least once (I hope) — when certain lines just fit your life so well, listening to them repetitively is actually a way of healing, a stinging salt-water flush for your heart…
It’s been a while since this has happened, probably not since Patty Griffin’s 1,000 Kisses, but the latest occurance is the XY album by Coldplay. I hadn’t gotten into them much before, I liked what I heard on the radio but never bought their albums or anything. For whatever reason I started listening to this one and after a few plays, I’m finding myself unable to listen to anything else.
For documentary purposes, I’ve put together all the lines I’m obsessed with…
Continue reading ‘Coldplay’s XY’
Because this album took me out of the musical drought I was having, I was writing a personal review to post here. Anything else wouldn’t suffice. “Testimony: Vol. 1 Life & Relationship” covers every emotion: sadness & mourning, reflection, wisdom, fun, pride, inspiration. My review was coming along quite nicely in fact… Then Firefox decided to lock up after I tried looking up a specific line of lyrics. Kind of pissed me off if you want to know the truth. I wish WordPress had an auto-save feature like Gmail so I would’ve had some of it saved at least.
I’m too tired and frustrated to write it all out again, so for now I’m just gonna post a review I found on Out in Columbus. It’s a pretty short review for such a great album, but enough to get you interested I think. And I have to second the rave opinion of song #3, Heart of the Matter, a cover of a Don Henley song. This one has been on repeat all week, amazing.
India.Arie Puts Spirit Back in Soul Music
By Chris Narloch
The lack of soul — both spiritual and musical soul — in most current rap and hip-hop product has been a depressing development for those of us who love African-American music. I grew up listening to Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder when I was a kid, and I’m sorry, but Beyoncé and Usher just can’t compare.
So I was thrilled to hear this CD from India.Arie, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, her first new album in four years and one of the most positive, spirit-filled pop discs released on the Motown label since Marvin Gaye gave us What’s Goin’ On.
India must have been inspired by a recent trip to South Africa because this CD feels even more personal than her two previous studio efforts — Acoustic Soul (2001) and Voyage To India (2002).
The singer wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on the disc, and if her melodic skills occasionally fail her, the empowering lyrics more than make up for it. Songs such as “I Choose” and “There’s Hope” look at the problems in the world at large (and in the singer’s own world) and repeatedly come to the conclusion that faith must trump despair.
Two stellar tracks in the middle of the CD form the heart of the singer’s message: “India Song” and “Wings Of Forgiveness” address slavery and racial injustice with a historical and spiritual context that is incredibly positive. And in the irresistibly catchy “Better People” India implores young people to listen to the wisdom of their elders.
My favorite track on the disc, however, is a cover of another songwriter’s lyric — Don Henley’s great “The Heart of the Matter.” With an exquisitely delicate vocal and an interesting arrangement that successfully transforms Henley’s original into a soul song, India.Arie makes the tune her own.
WCBE Presents: The Strip II & Beyond
90.5 WCBE, Central Ohio’s NPR station, invites you to the second annual “The Strip II & Beyond” tonight, August 25th. It’s a night featuring some of the best local music Columbus has to offer with entertainment by 29 local bands at 12 different venues. All proceeds benefit Columbus’ local NPR station, 90.5 WCBE!
Individual venue admission is $5, or you can go to the Surly Girl Saloon from 7-11p and purchase an all-access wristband for $20, getting you admission into all venues and a complimentary CD! For more info call (614)365-5555.
Participating Venues & Bands
- LITTLE BROTHER’S – The Squares, Chris McCoy & The Gospel, The Razers // 1100 North High St. (Short North)
- SURLY GIRL SALOON – Billy Zen & The Ringers, Molly With Grace, Hal Hixson, Hope Vitellas // 1126 North High St. (Short North)
- HIGH FIVE – Magia Tropical // 1227 North High St. (Short North)
- RAVARI ROOM – The Midnighters, The Bygones // 2657 North High St. (Clintonville/Campus)
- OLDFIELD’S ON HIGH – Doctah X, Ill-Atmospherics, The Vague // 2950 North High St. (Clintonville/Campus)
- DICK’S DEN – Postal, The Jen Miller Band // 2417 North High St. (Clintonville/Campus)
- BLUES STATION – Matt Derrick & Company, Kevin Mohl & The Burning Sensation, One Under, The Top Heavies // 147 Vine St. (Arena District)
- PARK ST. TAVERN – Pat McLaughlin Band, The Red Eye Jive Pilots // 501 North Park St. (Arena District)
- THIRSTY EAR – New Basics Brass Band, The Andy Shaw Band // 1200 West 3rd Ave. (Grandview)
- HIGH BECK – Terry Davidson & The Gears, The Rooftop Smokers, Ray Fuller // 564 South High St. (Brewery District)
- BYRNE’S PUB – Homeland, Death By Banjo // 1248 West 3rd Ave. (Grandview)
- RUBY’S – Local Color, The Floorwalkers, The Jason Quicksal Band // 1978 Summit St. (OSU Campus)
Come celebrate peace and social justice at Comfest, arguably the largest free, non-corporate urban music and arts festival in the US.
Where: Goodale Park, Columbus, Ohio
When: June 23 (12pm) – June 25th (10pm)
ComFest is a lot more than a huge, free music and arts festival. It is, among many other things, the largest platform for peace and social justice organizing in Ohio. It’s an intricate and expansive exercise in self-governance. It’s the premier competitive showcase for local musicians and artists. It’s a family reunion for generations of current and former Columbusites. It’s a liberated zone where social relations and politics and sexuality and art proceed at levels entirely different than corporate-sponsored festivals.
It’s everybody’s best effort to live authentically, with trust in others, for at least three days.
And it’s also now an engine for growth: this year ComFest implemented a new grant making process to return some of the proceeds from the festival to organizations that do real community-building in the neighborhoods of our hometown.
It’s a Party with a Purpose.
- Music schedule
- Download full festival program (8MB PDF)
- Volunteer! They make the whole thing happen.
- For parking info, see page 57 of the Comfest guide
I’ve been listening to Anti-Flag’s “For Blood and Empire” album repeatedly lately. All the lyrics are amazing, and the CD insert alone contains so much important information that needs to get out there.
One song that especially got me thinking was Project for a New American Century. I knew I had heard that name before, but couldn’t really remember what it was all about. I found this article written by William Rivers Pitt in 2003 that provided a quick recap of what PNAC is all about:
“The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington-based think tank created in 1997. Above all else, PNAC desires and demands one thing: The establishment of a global American empire to bend the will of all nations. They chafe at the idea that the United States, the last remaining superpower, does not do more by way of economic and military force to bring the rest of the world under the umbrella of a new socio-economic Pax Americana.”
That’s some pretty scary stuff. And like Pitt explains, while this group is unfortunately not unique, they wouldn’t be such a concern if the members and creators of PNAC didn’t get shuffled into power with the theft of the 2000 Presidential election. Once that happened, all their crazy ideas of an American Empire were theirs to start implementing, regardless of human or financial cost. Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Jeb Bush. All PNAC. All hell-bent on World Domination.
I highly suggest reading this article if you’re unfamiliar with PNAC. It’s something every American needs to know about. The Information Clearinghouse has plenty more articles involving PNAC if you want to keep reading. It’s also interesting to check out PNAC’s official website to see how they put a nice shiny cover on all their plans.
“The People versus the Powerful is the oldest story in human history. At no point in history have the Powerful wielded so much control. At no point in history has the active and informed involvement of the People, all of them, been more absolutely required.”
William Rivers Pitt
UPDATE // Every time this episode airs I get tons of hits to this post and I bet people are hoping they’ll find an mp3 of the song. Sorry to disappoint you but if I did that I’d risk having my site taken down amid charges of illegal music sharing. I suggest downloading Limewire and finding it there instead. Now back to your regularly scheduled post…
Don’t worry, no plot spoilers in this post!
I was happy to see/hear last night’s ER season finale conclude with a song from Snow Patrol’s newest album, Eyes Open, which I’ve been listening to all week.
Open Your Eyes just so happens to be one of my three favorite songs on the new album (along with Chasing Cars and Make This Go On Forever) so I’m glad they’ll be getting some exposure from the ER episode.
All this feels strange and untrue
And I won’t waste a minute without you
My bones ache, my skin feels cold
And I’m getting so tired and so oldThe anger swells in my guts
And I won’t feel these slices and cuts
I want so much to open your eyes
Cos I need you to look into mineTell me that you’ll open your eyes…
