Listening Project: Week 7: Music From a Painted Cave by Robert Mirabal

[MugginsXO]

I was wondering if anyone might be interested in doing a weekly album listening/discussion idea, where we put names in a randomiser and the chosen person gets to pick any album they like. Everybody else then listens to it and discusses it. Works great for breaking down assumptions about genres or artists that you don't care for or know that much about and also exposing yourself to unheard good things.

I reckon that a Spotify/Rdio/streaming service is best as they all have free versions and don't require any great investment.

Anyway anyone interested can sign their name in whatever musical liquid they have handy below.

The order is:

1. Woodstock
2. Mr. Tudball
3. Lowbacca
4. Pixel twin
5. MugginsXO
6. Judd
7. Peter Reum
8. Unreleased Backgrounds
9. Bubbly Waves
10. The captain
11. Hype hat
12. Dumb Angel
13. Feelsflow

Spotify Playlist Updated Weekly:

http://open.spotify.com/user/1155763365/playlist/2aIlXmI9w4GOWP9ARLS49L

Week One
   
Woodstock

Okay then, I pick "Yes" by Morphine.



Here's the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnRMpIRVTUc
It's also on spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/4hjF5ylcCM1AeJ2F4SaQKL

A bit of background on them: Mark Sandman was the frontman, he sang and played a two string slide bass. With him are a saxophone player and a drummer.
They released 5 albums, the 5th being released after Mark had a heart attack onstage in Italy. They were quite well known in Europe and South America, but never got very popular in the USA. I'm picking them cuz I've never had anyone to talk about Morphine with  

Week Two

Mr. Tudball

My choice for this upcoming week is From Elvis In Memphis by Elvis Presley. One of my favorites and I hope you enjoy it.



https://play.spotify.com/user/jbertram0015/playlist/1YEgHzkmQDf5WyNliVL0Ve

Week Three

Lowbacca

Okay, I've thought long and hard about it and it has come to this:




NADA SURF's 2012 The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy - as an avid long-time Nada Surf fan this album took me a couple of months and endless nights with it on my MP3 player to really like it, but today I think it's one of their best. I saw them perform much of this live and the songs really shone. Shined? Shone. I'm excited for your opinions!

http://open.spotify.com/album/1CFDAolez0ObsplEGqbzTI

Week Four

pixletwin

Anyhoo, grab your favorite auditory palate cleanser and dive in to this:

Everyone (I assume) has a great album which they feel jives better within a specific context than any other album. For me, within the context of the month of November, I have one particular album I always renew an obsession with.

Here is the spotify link: https://play.spotify.com/track/0MYAOepwUOBfsToBdGiq6c

I hope you all like it. The final track is one of the few pieces to actually reduce me to a blubbering mess.  

Week Five

MugginsXO

Alright! It is Week 5 and it is my choice. I thought quite a while about what to pick and wasn't sure in the end whether to go for a newer favourite or an old classic. I have decided to pick:

Zebra by Gallant



It is an EP at 28 minutes length so should make for easy listening. This is probably my favourite release of 2014 thus far. It is one more encouraging and exciting result of the R&B revival of the past few years. I think as far as Weeknd influenced people go, this guy is way, way above the Drake sponsored PARTYNEXTDOOR. Manhattan is gorgeous and my favourite on here but I love Forfeit and Ibuprofen too. Very atmospheric, vocally pleasing to the extreme and generally mood changing.

I think people will particularly like this is they enjoy the new R&B or some of the older Nu-Soul stuff like Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite. If they enjoy electronically flavoured Indie stuff I think they will like it too.  

Spotify Link

Week Six

Judd


Been mulling over this for a while, but my choice for the next week is The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse by the Bonzo Dog (Doo-Dah) Band.



I consider this a really fun record, and I hope y'all like it. I believe the US version of this album is retitled Urban Spaceman and has an alternate tracklist, so just so we clear...

Week 7

Peter Reum

Hello again! I have been listening to lots of different stuff....I would very much like to offer a diiferent twist to this process. You all are invited to listen to Indigenous Artist Robert Mirabal. The name of the album is Music From a Painted Cave. You can find it at Spotify (free version) or Rdio (free version). As an introduction, I will send you over to youtube for this video track from the dvd of Music From a Painted Cave....  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6SqqeF9Do4

[MugginsXO]

Here is a Spotify playlist for this music listening chat. I will update it as we go along.

http://open.spotify.com/user/1155763365/playlist/2aIlXmI9w4GOWP9ARLS49L

[halblaineisgood]

I like the saxophone. Although it took some willpower in order to overcome an immediate bad reaction. Some are repulsed by 50's-style sax solos - I am repulsed by full-time members of a band who play baritone sax . I have some 90's related PTSD from being taken to Dave Matthews Band concerts*.sorry to be a negative nellie.  *against my will *

The first few tracks especially are resonating lyrically with me.

[MugginsXO]

I will be listening to this in the next bit!

[the captain]

My contributions this time around are most likely going to be intermittent, off-the-cuff comments. (Maybe sometimes I'll do more thorough, thoughtful reviews. Maybe not. Is the suspense killing you? Thought so.)

I've been avoiding Morphine in general for so long I can't quite recall why. I've never listened to them, not because of any particular dislike, but more like an ongoing game of tag played in reverse.

Unfortunately relevant to my comments, I rarely want to hear a baritone sing pop music and I even more rarely want to hear a saxophone in pop music.

Those things said, I really, really liked "Honey White." That's rock and roll right there. The sax line is great, the beat is great, it drives. I could do with louder drums, but then again I'm useless mixing tracks, so ignore my ideas. There is something Jonathan Richman-like about this, but not directly. Maybe it's the pure glow of 1950s abandon. Maybe it's the breathy "I'd like to see a little more fat." But whatever it is, it works. "Honey White" is a really good song. I should buy "Honey White."

[Niko]

Honey White was my introduction to the band - I found this video and I thought it was way too cool
Check it dawg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=werfWmS8QSc

[the captain]

Halfway through the album--I relistened to those first few songs a couple times last night but never finished it--I'm not digging it anymore. But because I don't dislike it, either, I'm trying to think of what mood or age or era of me would like it. I'm sure this is something I would have liked at some time or will like later. Or maybe it's just a part of that huge mass of music that isn't bad or great, but is mostly okay and sometimes better or worse than that. It isn't really holding my attention, and in fact is almost hypnotic in such a way as to push away my attention. There are occasional breaks, lyrics, or other moments that do grab me, and they're welcome.

I still don't much like baritone singers.

[Dudd]

I enjoyed it. The second half was better than the first, I think; less sax and more bizarre stops and starts, and Stanshall-esque monologues, which I really liked because I'm a berk. Ending on a lovely acoustic track didn't hurt at all either.

[The Dumb Angel]

I really dig this album! I love jazz, and I love alt rock. It's pretty much a prefect blend of the two.

I was immediately blown away at how powerful and heavy these guys sound. I wasn't expecting something like this coming from a 3 piece band consisting mainly of a sax, a bass, and drums. It's a very neat, and unique sound; something I haven't heard before. Although I've never been a huge fan of baritone vocalists, I do think Mark Sandman's vocals end up fitting perfectly.

I think this album is definitely worth listening to again. Anything else by Morphine that's worth listening to?

[Niko]

Each Morphine album is pretty different. The only one I don't like is their first - its not really bad, but it doesn't have the things I like about the band.

Cure for Pain is their second. It's very dreamy and mellow...here's the opening track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZjZBe6o78M
Then comes Yes...
Like Swimming is psychedelic and weird and experimental. I've listened to it a number of times and I'm still not very familiar with it.
The Night came out after Mark died, and is an amazing coda. Here's the title track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZVE9OqqhZk

It's a great, varied body of work.

[MugginsXO]

I have been travelling so only getting a chance to listen properly now. Am a few tracks in and am enjoying it so far.

[MugginsXO]

Okay, apologies for the delay! I have listened to it a couple of times now and am ready to offer my thoughts like some delicious cured meats for the benefit of all.

I am generally pretty skeptical about rock that adopts Jazz in this kind of manner. There was nothing about this record that turned the Jazz liking switch off in my head, which is a prominent and enjoyable switch to hit. After a bit though I did warm to it on the level of a somehow intriguing sound: pleasingly minimal in its fashion, though can any outfit with a saxophone be truly said to be minimal? This is surely an important philosophical discussion for some date in the future. The character that the vocals brings to it is what landed me on the side of liking the album. The manner in which things were rocked out reminded me a portion of the attitude on the more straight ahead, less atmospheric stuff by the Jesus & Mary Chain. I also enjoyed some of the humour on the thing and can't quite be sure what to think of Super Sex as ironic buffoonery or heartfelt exaltation of flesh. Either way I approve.

Some other tracks I enjoyed:

Scratch
Whisper
Gone For Good

I have not heard this band before to my knowledge and will give some of their other stuff a go in the near future.

[the captain]

Sure music with sax can be minimal. Really, as a monophonic instrument, having it instead of guitar or keyboards is absolutely minimalist. The jazz part is more questionable. I heard more rock n roll than jazz.

(It's funny that you love Prince but are skeptical about jazz in rock btw.)

[MugginsXO]

Nah so did I. I didn't hear any Jazz on here really. Not a distaste for Jazz or Jazz influences, more a distaste for a certain self-conscious and confused way that some rock folks grab things that they identify with a classy genre without understanding anything about it or possessing the ability to actually integrate it into another genre. The tag "eclectic" in this context usually means "hopelessly out of their depth," "pretentious" and "shite".

I didn't find this album to be that.

[the captain]

The tag "eclectic" in this context usually means "hopelessly out of their depth," "pretentious" and "shite".

People overuse "post of the day" and such, but let's just say I heartily enjoyed and agreed with this sentence.

[dellydel]

Hey I love this album!  It's an old favorite.  It goes really well with weed.  So if you're not digging it, you now know what you need.   

[Please delete my account]

Seems I can't participate in this just yet due to internet issues, but I'll share what I thought at the time, based on radio play and a live TV appearance: Cool sound, impressive sax, and a vocal which somewhat resembles that of Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits, which, once noticed, can never subsequently go unnoticed.

[Jim Rockford]

Interesting. Not my type of music, but I can appreciate the talent that it took to make it. It was a lot different than I expected it to be. The track I liked the most is Gone For Good. I like All Your Way too. The most interesting track I found was Free Love because it's kinda trippy. It's just an interesting album.   

[feelsflow]

Not really the kind of music I listen to, but did listen to Yes several times this past week.  Completely unfamiliar with Morphine.  Took the time to check some of their other album tracks.   I watched MTV back in the 90's, so probably saw the clip "Honey White" you posted from 120 Minutes.  Strong track, I liked the live version better than the studio.  Back then they would have needed more promotion from radio and MTV to make it.  Now you have everything on youtube.  You can discover artists on your own without having to wait a hour for a favorite to show up in the rotation.  I didn't have a computer back in the mid-90's, was youtube or other music services around back then?

The group limits themselves too much on the studio material.  They needed a stronger drummer, and the sax (as far as I can tell, just one kind of sax) is not enough to lead nearly every number.  If Mark is playing guitar on "Gone for Good," then he should add that to some of the other tracks - he can wing it live with just the bass.  They don't seem to be going for recreating the studio sound live anyway, from the few I listened to.  "Whisper" is good.  That adds piano to the mix.  Again, if that's someone in the band, flesh out the studio tracks.  "Scratch" and "Radar" are good too.  "Free Love" has a nice groove, but by this point in the record, I was having trouble staying interested in the lyrics.  On "I Had My Chance" "The Jury" "Sharks" - Mark just has nothing to say.  Mark is creative on bass, but the sax player can't keep my interest as the lead instrument.  Makes the tracks too similar.  All the tracks I previewed from the other records showed the same hand.

I can see how they could hold a fan base live.  "Super Sex" must have got the crowd going.  It's good bar music - good to drink to.  The groups I thought of while listening were:  Cake (from Sacramento) - different horn, same idea - while "Yes" played.  I liked that one.  With all the heavy use of sax, Audience came to mind more than once.  Lou Reed - that bass line on "All Your Way" reminded me of "Take a Walk on the Wild Side."

This band, and this record could grow with repeat plays.  Looking forward to your next pick.  I'd like to see this work.  General Music Discussion needs more interest. 

[MugginsXO]

I have added you to the list. I also hope that this takes off in a good way! Looking forward to hearing the next choice tomorrow.

[the captain]

General Music Discussion needs more interest. 

Amen. It's a great alternative to 20-page, multiweek threads devolving into the same two topics (doused with a generous helping of personal insults). MugginsXO, this was a good idea.

One more comment on the album before its time runs out and we move on to our week two selection: I think feelsflow is right about the inherently limiting instrumentation. It makes sense as an initial concept. I think that constrictions can really force creativity sometimes, keep you from being into a rut personally and of course help you get noticed. A '90s band that's a power trio, but with two-string bass and sax? That's unusual. No doubt it would also help focus the band into interesting things. But over time, it's an artificial constriction and can't help but sound tired. Even a more typical rock band format--say, drums, bass, a guitar or two, a keyboard instrument--can get tired after a while. Hence the world of overdubbed horns, winds, strings, background vocalists, etc.

This was cool as a listen-as-exercise way, but I think if I had been a fan following them in real-time, I'd have gotten restless pretty quickly.

[Lowbacca]

Played the Wild Things soundtrack CD today and when the 2 Morphine tracks came on, I remembered our project. Gonna listen tomorrow, Sunday, still on time.

[Niko]

General Music Discussion needs more interest. 

Amen. It's a great alternative to 20-page, multiweek threads devolving into the same two topics (doused with a generous helping of personal insults). MugginsXO, this was a good idea.

One more comment on the album before its time runs out and we move on to our week two selection: I think feelsflow is right about the inherently limiting instrumentation. It makes sense as an initial concept. I think that constrictions can really force creativity sometimes, keep you from being into a rut personally and of course help you get noticed. A '90s band that's a power trio, but with two-string bass and sax? That's unusual. No doubt it would also help focus the band into interesting things. But over time, it's an artificial constriction and can't help but sound tired. Even a more typical rock band format--say, drums, bass, a guitar or two, a keyboard instrument--can get tired after a while. Hence the world of overdubbed horns, winds, strings, background vocalists, etc.

This was cool as a listen-as-exercise way, but I think if I had been a fan following them in real-time, I'd have gotten restless pretty quickly.

Check out 'Like Swimming' if you do want a follow up with more experimental and diverse sounds and instrumentation. It's got some great stuff.

[Jim Rockford]

My choice for this upcoming week is From Elvis In Memphis by Elvis Presley. One of my favorites and I hope you enjoy it.

https://play.spotify.com/user/jbertram0015/playlist/1YEgHzkmQDf5WyNliVL0Ve

[MugginsXO]

Looking forward to listening to this later today.