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

[the captain]

Wait stop.  Stop the Post!  It just started snowing out.  Our first snow of the year.  A little after 1:oo am. here in Ulster.  neat.  We're supposed to get about an inch.

...I'm back.  Had to go outside. I love snow, big wet fluffy-flakes swirlin' around.  Damn if one of my neighbors hasn't already got a tree up.  And on.  Some people can't wait til next week.

Beat you by a week.  

 

 Yes, even you captain can get noticed.  

Even...?? How rude!   Anyway, that would be a nightmare, no thank you.

I'm working from home today and will listen to Gallant a few more times. My thoughts should follow.

[MugginsXO]

Been listening to this off and on for a second day.  I looked into what Nu-Soul is.  It wasn't long before I found what I already figured - Miles Marshall Lewis commented that 1990's Neo Soul "Owed it's raison d'etre to 70's soul superstars like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder."  I saw Macy Gray's named mentioned.  I remember her.  A very honest singer.  My only real connection is Alicia Keys, she's too big to not notice.  I like quite a few songs by her.  I found a duet she did with Maxwell "Fire We Make", and his "Whenever, Wherever, Whatever" clip.  "Bad Habits' and a few others trying to find something more up and fast.  Played a live one from 1996, "Ascension" then tried Raheem DeVaughn trying to get what Nu-Soul is.  Tried "Guess Who Loves You More," finding it a good mid-tempo Marvin Gaye workout.  Better than the other tracks I picked by him.  I didn't know which ones were the big hits.  Jukebox- picked very randomly.  Everything was laid back.  Am I right in thinking that's the focus of this style?  That's what Gallant has on offer too.

That aspect of it is what reminded me a bit of Gallant in the hope that for those whose last R&B album was Voodoo by D'Angelo might give it a go! If someone loved this for instance, it is not a stretch to enjoy Zebra. As a by the way this is a wonderful cover of the Kate Bush song This Woman's Work by Maxwell. His voice is amazing. He was big into pushing the fragility of the thing with his voice - as opposed to the bravado of Kelly, Jodeci, Dru Hill etc. -  and I think that is also a connection with the new R&B: as bleak or deviant as it gets the singer is rarely the one in control and is at the mercy of their circumstances. Neo-Soul was about putting more of a focus on live instruments and in-studio performances, as opposed to say the New Jack Swing stuff which was harsher and more electronic in nature. It was definitely a return to the 70s approach of folks like Marvin, Stevie, Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway, Isaac Hayes, Bobby Womack among others, while also retaining a portion of the explicit flavour that was advanced by people like Prince and R. Kelly. In keeping with the 70s touch there was a move towards the longer tracks too, not everything had to be 3:30 for single release.  

"Sienna" - The most upbeat of the tracks here.  I had this in my head yesterday when I wrote loop.  The beat loops and the lyrics do too.  Many of the modern writers hang on one line, repeating it over and over.  It's like they're trying to get a message through just by repeating a line.  Not really focusing on a story, but setting a mood.  A straight through mood - much like Marvin did with I Want You.  Gallant's lyrics seem to be there to strengthen the delivery more than make a statement.  This is the one that reminded me of seltaeb.

I think this is generally true with R&B and one of the reasons why I love it. It is most often not lyrically advanced or all that concerned with narrative. It is about transmitting a feeling directly to the listener - sometimes a complex feeling - using direct language with musical sophistication. I was interested for a time in cataloging moments in music that succeeds in translating an idea or emotion in say 5 - 10 seconds, without explaining that idea in words or narrative form. The closing moments of Homie Lover Friend (Remix) by R. Kelly expresses this perfectly. "That down to earth girl from around the way." Naturally not up there lyrically with Lenny Cohen or Joni Mitchell or Bob Dylan and if one was to pull the words from the thing and analyze them it would seem ridiculous. Listening to that fade out with the backing vocals, the synth and that perfectly judged lead vocal precisely expresses the kind of attachment and love that a person has for another in one line. As an experience I think it is just as powerful as intently following all seven verses of Tangled Up In Blue.  

I Want You is probably my favourite Marvin album. Have you listened to much Leon Ware? Musical Massage is pretty great.

I will have to listen to some of seltaeb's music!

"Manhatten" - Looked up the lyrics to this one too.  "put it in a VCR.  Show me how you got in this predicament."  Muggins, what do these lyrics mean to you?  Is it some kind of street speak?  He's just pulling them out of the air and burying them in the mix.  The music seems to be the real star here.

Following on from what I said above, I think you are right to say that the music is the real star, in the sense that it is what how the lyrics affect the tone and shape of the sound as opposed to their independent meaning. That said, I do think that Gallant is more lyrically inclined than some. I took the lyrics to be about enduring or attempting to endure a bad time. I think "put it in a VCR" simply means explain how your life got to this stage.

Here is what he said about writing the album on Billboard:

"Most of the lyrics and themes came from pages of old journals and voice notes… feelings of guilt and loneliness… admission of regret and anxiety… all the stuff that's still difficult for me to talk about in the real world but easy to let bleed out on paper…. or scream into a mic in a dark, soundproofed room," Gallant told Billboard. "I really hope each track can stand on its own but 'Manhattan,' 'Jupiter Grayscale' and 'Sienna' are probably the most personal."

The unsigned artist continued to share more on the making of his debut effort: "[Felix] Snow and I recorded 'If it Hurts' in a lower Manhattan high-rise. [We were] 10 feet away from the mic with every window open. 'Sirens' was done with a USB mic in some random dude’s closet in Hollywood. 'Jupiter Grayscale' was just me lying on my mattress with torn-up notebook pages and box of Oreos."

I had some trouble with Spotify freezing up on some of the tracks every time I tried to play them.  I had to track this guy down to hear what I could.  Five of them were on his SoundCloud, which always plays perfect on my computer.  Do you guys have a problem with Spotify?

That has sometimes happened to me. I know at least once making sure I was updated on flash seemed to help matters.

But.  There were a couple of tracks on his SoundCloud that are a bit older.  He did a sorta cover of Kesha's "Die Young" - It Doesn't even sound the same, and he changes the words around.  I like it.  Better is from a year ago, "Please" (Vignette) - this sounds like something the captain could do at his house.  It's more sparse than anything on Zebra, and has a stronger rhythm.  Zebra is a slow drive through the night.

Getting back to something I touched on before.  This cat is doing the same thing many of our Smilers who make music are.  Putting their stuff up on SoundCloud, bandcamp, youtube, and trying to get noticed.  Playing in the clubs and the streets.  It shows that it can be done.  For some, My Brother Woody, Yorick, Ian's band The Seven Inches, and James Clarke, they are already known in Europe.  They are using the same set-ups that many indie artists are using to get known.  The same methods.  Yes, even you captain can get noticed.  Zack is sure to make it if he stays focused.  I love what Donny L is doing with Magic Hero vs. Rock People.  These few are just the ones off the top of my head, there's many I could name.  So don't post any "Pixletwin gifs" saying I didn't mention you.  I really do spend time listening.  I really should comment more in that area of Smiley.  time, time...if I only

I think it is definitely a lot harder today to make a living making music. I am not sure if Gallant is even making a living as of yet. There are a huge number of people doing good stuff, throwing it into the void in the hope that someone, somewhere will care about it enough so they can quit their office job. As a listener though I can't really imagine a better time where music, commercial or rare is available at next to no cost immediately 24 hours a day. Soundcloud has some amazing stuff on there, from big to small artists, especially remixes as you discovered where permission is avoided because nothing is being sold. I am glad you got something out of this music!

[the captain]

Gallant, Zebra

The calm intro, "Intro," is a nicely set mood. And it gave me hope in the form of falsetto that this listen wasn't going to be wholly wasted. Whatever was to follow, the guy at least could sing, that register some cross between Prince and Frank Ocean, piercing sometimes fully, sometimes a squeaked fissure.

Speaking of the Purple One, on the plus side Gallant also calls him to mind with the mingling of typically disparate sounds. (A distorted lead guitar line is still somehow half a surprise over a smooth R&B base.) On the negative side, Gallant in "Sirens" and the "Interlude - Keep U" that follows it, uses the same kind of modulated voice that, for me, detracts from Prince's work. An octave up, an octave down, those kind of character voices are just novelties for me.

"Sienna" is a highlight. The contrast between the slowly delivered vocal over sustained chords and the jittery beat got my attention on the first listen and still keeps it on this, my fourth or fifth. The synth bassline isn't a tone I'd choose, but the part itself is great, like a planned out recreation of something that began an improvised jazz line. And the singer's delivery of the hooks shows a real feel for nuanced rhythm: it isn't the simple repetition a casual listener might assume.

"Manhattan" is the highlight, though, shimmering in echo and the sharp Oceanic falsetto. The background vocals are gorgeous. All the vocals. The hook of the EP is one word: predicament. Or maybe "this predicament," to allow for that glorious interval up. It's evocatively vague, but to me also a sad reflection of something not just pathetic, not just gone wrong, but seedy. Maybe it's just my mind, but I immediately associated the song with Ocean's "Novacane," sung by a sympathetic after-the-fact friend to (as they called it in The Music Man "the sadder but wiser girl." (The Music Man didn't refer to homemade porn, I don't think. I haven't seen it in a while, though…) I love this song.

It's no secret that I'm more a song guy than a sound guy, than a vibe guy. I love harmonic and melodic development, resolution (or the tease of such). That might be where Gallant didn't go as far as I'd have liked. There are some good songs, but there is more of a mood. There are soundscapes that set the scene but don't always drive the plot. The reason it disappoints me is that there are more than enough hints that the guy could be building something more to my taste.

That last bit, of course, is the key. He isn't--or shouldn't be, anyway!--working toward my taste. But that's why Zebra, despite being enjoyable, isn't something I'll buy. "Sienna" and "Manhattan," however, are songs I'll buy.

[feelsflow]

captain, Just trying to list everyone I could think of, and I know I forgot a few.  I was up way too late.  I know you're not trying to get noticed.  Obviously.    You're not opinionated at all. double  I read your posts anyway.  And yeah, we're just getting a small taste of the system that passed over your part of the country.

Muggins, I noticed I didn't finish my lyric example.  Should have included a second line:  ...put it in a VCR, Show me how you got in this predicament.  Sharp turns covered in skin, I bet the black gates just letting you in.
Unless it's metaphor, I can't think of what he's trying to express.  That's what I clumsily called urban/street speak for lack of a better way to say it.  It's like watching a movie where everybody is speaking in heavy Cockney slang or Irish brogue.  Some of those words just have to be looked up in a book.  Or these days made much easier by a quick check on the internet.  Man, the internet has made our lives quicker.  Speaking of...the lyrics you find on those sites are not official.  I noticed there was a way you could challenge the original poster like they do on the Setlist site.

[MugginsXO]

Muggins, I noticed I didn't finish my lyric example.  Should have included a second line:  ...put it in a VCR, Show me how you got in this predicament.  Sharp turns covered in skin, I bet the black gates just letting you in.
Unless it's metaphor, I can't think of what he's trying to express.  That's what I clumsily called urban/street speak for lack of a better way to say it.  It's like watching a movie where everybody is speaking in heavy Cockney slang or Irish brogue.  Some of those words just have to be looked up in a book.  Or these days made much easier by a quick check on the internet.  Man, the internet has made our lives quicker.  Speaking of...the lyrics you find on those sites are not official.  I noticed there was a way you could challenge the original poster like they do on the Setlist site.

Ah yeah, I think that is metaphor for doom/hell, that kind of thing. "I could tell you it's the apex..." is I think his saying that you are reaching the point where things will be alright but that might be useless to say. Some people are lost even if they are achingly close to being free. There is some slang on the album, including my current/maybe all-time favourite evocative R&B/Rap word: faded. Has a long enough history in the music but coupled with this production/subject matter it just expresses so much. As that other fellow said I've been faded too long.

On the lyrics yes, I don't think the ones listed on the net are entirely correct but given the place of the vocals in the mix I could not be sure.

[MugginsXO]

Speaking of the Purple One, on the plus side Gallant also calls him to mind with the mingling of typically disparate sounds. (A distorted lead guitar line is still somehow half a surprise over a smooth R&B base.) On the negative side, Gallant in "Sirens" and the "Interlude - Keep U" that follows it, uses the same kind of modulated voice that, for me, detracts from Prince's work. An octave up, an octave down, those kind of character voices are just novelties for me.

Aw I don't think they are character voices necessarily or novelties, I think on lead they can add a lot of colour and really add to a bleak landscape. For example I think Initiation by The Weeknd is a wonderful update of the Bob George/Camille thing, and for exactly the same motivations: to pervert any humanity. On the production side I think they can add a nicely gruff layer to proceedings and again alter the humanity of the singer and the emotional position of the song. I am thinking of how The-Dream quotes the Get It Boyz track Let's Do It Doggie Style on Sex Intelligent. Marsha Ambrosius does the same thing on her song 69.  

"Sienna" is a highlight. The contrast between the slowly delivered vocal over sustained chords and the jittery beat got my attention on the first listen and still keeps it on this, my fourth or fifth. The synth bassline isn't a tone I'd choose, but the part itself is great, like a planned out recreation of something that began an improvised jazz line. And the singer's delivery of the hooks shows a real feel for nuanced rhythm: it isn't the simple repetition a casual listener might assume.

This was oddly my least favourite on the album at first listen. It has grown on me in the way you express well here. In the same way that Wanderlust on Kissland was my least favourite, it will probably grow to be one of my favourites.

"Manhattan" is the highlight, though, shimmering in echo and the sharp Oceanic falsetto. The background vocals are gorgeous. All the vocals. The hook of the EP is one word: predicament. Or maybe "this predicament," to allow for that glorious interval up. It's evocatively vague, but to me also a sad reflection of something not just pathetic, not just gone wrong, but seedy. Maybe it's just my mind, but I immediately associated the song with Ocean's "Novacane," sung by a sympathetic after-the-fact friend to (as they called it in The Music Man "the sadder but wiser girl." (The Music Man didn't refer to homemade porn, I don't think. I haven't seen it in a while, though…) I love this song.

It has something of Novacane/Wicked Games to it for sure, I think the position of the singer is more removed and it is a sadness that comes from seeing a loved one losing themselves, rather than being yourself lost. I don't think it's necessarily a sexual or seedy predicament, but it is certainly a personal crisis.  

It's no secret that I'm more a song guy than a sound guy, than a vibe guy. I love harmonic and melodic development, resolution (or the tease of such). That might be where Gallant didn't go as far as I'd have liked. There are some good songs, but there is more of a mood. There are soundscapes that set the scene but don't always drive the plot. The reason it disappoints me is that there are more than enough hints that the guy could be building something more to my taste.

That last bit, of course, is the key. He isn't--or shouldn't be, anyway!--working toward my taste. But that's why Zebra, despite being enjoyable, isn't something I'll buy. "Sienna" and "Manhattan," however, are songs I'll buy.

I think it's important to consider that this is definitely not the best this guy can do. It is his first EP and the hopefully the first step towards a full album and further defining his sound. I do think though it is a sign of the general health and well-being that exists in the genre, how it has a selection of high and low profile talents that are not restricted to the history of R&B and have a diverse selection of influences and musical loves.

[the captain]

I lied and bought the whole EP, as it was $3.99. I figured the extra dollar or so above what I would've spent on the couple songs I really wanted would be worth it in case it grew on me.

[MugginsXO]

Ha!

[alf wiedersehen]

I might have to sit this round out because I can't find the album and I don't have/want Spotify.
I would like to send a message to soul and R&B bands, though: stop naming your songs after pharmaceuticals.

[MugginsXO]

Here you go:

https://soundcloud.com/gallant/sets/zebra-ep

[MugginsXO]

There are a few tracks missing on Soundcloud.

You can buy the EP or individual tracks for very cheap here:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/zebra-ep/id872557326

Or of course you can use the free Spotify or web player and have a listen!

https://play.spotify.com/album/5LNuL34uiBiSntkWuSiQQG?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open

Or similarly free on Rdio:

http://www.rdio.com/artist/Gallant/album/Zebra_-_EP/

[feelsflow]

amazing.  Three people in the world all posting on the same subject at the same time.  Unusual in this section.  Hey, we'll make this a go-to place before you know it!  We all posted within ten minutes of each other.  I was just throwing out a reply to the captain and making the lyric correction - but you got my point anyway.

I'd have to check some of the links to answer properly.  Have to be later, I have some work to do this afternoon.  I did read some of Gallant's explanation of the album, but on a different forum.  I listened to "This Woman's Work" yesterday.  I didn't know it was a Kate Bush song.  I'll go have a listen to her version, I'm not that familiar with most of her releases.  I'm not up on Prince's current music either, which made reading the chat you guys were having over in the What are you listening to Now thread difficult.  I just know the older stuff.  You both know this kind of music more than me, at least these days.  Of the artists you mentioned, Marvin and Stevie are my #1 and #2.  I don't really have one favorite Marvin album.  He had such an incredible career in the 60's, then re-invented himself in the 70's.  I love his live records from Oakland and London.  I prefer his live version of "Distant Lover" over the studio take to name just one.  Trouble Man Soundtrack is high on my list.  I have been into Stevie since I was a kid.  I had the "Fingertips" 45 when I was about 11.  Soul music was important in my life.  Detroit and Philadelphia.  I love Gamble and Huff, The Blossoms/Darlene Love, and lots of Spector's stuff.  If you read my posts, you know I love Laura Nyro.  The first place I ever heard one of her songs was on a flip-side of a 1966 Blossoms 45 on Ode Records.  I actually got to see James Brown live a couple of times in the mid-60's.  But, it was Marvin, of all the Soul acts, I liked best when I saw the TAMI Show (as a movie - I sure wasn't there).  For some reason, Marvin and Stevie didn't come to my hometown, but I did see Ike and Tina in a small club in 1969.  And I do have a favorite period for Stevie.  When he got his freedom to write and produce what he wanted in the late 60's and into the 70's he took his music to new heights, quickly.  Where I'm Coming From and Music of My Mind began to tell a new story about where Soul was about to go.  Marvin followed after he too could get beyond what Barry had in mind.  Soon Motown moved it's center to LA.

Of the others you mentioned.  I got into Curtis, Bobby and Isaac in the 70's.  I didn't know who and how important they were until then.  Donny, not so much.  Just the singles and the records he did with Roberta.  New Jack Swing?  I'd have to go researchin' again.

This was a good pick Muggins.  Anyone who listened surely learned something new about the current state of Soul and R&B.  I'm always up for that.  

[MugginsXO]

amazing.  Three people in the world all posting on the same subject at the same time.  Unusual in this section.  Hey, we'll make this a go-to place before you know it!  We all posted within ten minutes of each other.  I was just throwing out a reply to the captain and making the lyric correction - but you got my point anyway.

I'd have to check some of the links to answer properly.  Have to be later, I have some work to do this afternoon.  I did read some of Gallant's explanation of the album, but on a different forum.  I listened to "This Woman's Work" yesterday.  I didn't know it was a Kate Bush song.  I'll go have a listen to her version, I'm not that familiar with most of her releases.  I'm not up on Prince's current music either, which made reading the chat you guys were having over in the What are you listening to Now thread difficult.  I just know the older stuff.  You both know this kind of music more than me, at least these days.  Of the artists you mentioned, Marvin and Stevie are my #1 and #2.  I don't really have one favorite Marvin album.  He had such an incredible career in the 60's, then re-invented himself in the 70's.  I love his live records from Oakland and London.  I prefer his live version of "Distant Lover" over the studio take to name just one.  Trouble Man Soundtrack is high on my list.  I have been into Stevie since I was a kid.  I had the "Fingertips" 45 when I was about 11.  Soul music was important in my life.  Detroit and Philadelphia.  I love Gamble and Huff, The Blossoms/Darlene Love, and lots of Spector's stuff.  If you read my posts, you know I love Laura Nyro.  The first place I ever heard one of her songs was on a flip-side of a 1966 Blossoms 45 on Ode Records.  I actually got to see James Brown live a couple of times in the mid-60's.  But, it was Marvin, of all the Soul acts, I liked best when I saw the TAMI Show (as a movie - I sure wasn't there).  For some reason, Marvin and Stevie didn't come to my hometown, but I did see Ike and Tina in a small club in 1969.  And I do have a favorite period for Stevie.  When he got his freedom to write and produce what he wanted in the late 60's and into the 70's he took his music to new heights, quickly.  Where I'm Coming From and Music of My Mind began to tell a new story about where Soul was about to go.  Marvin followed after he too could get beyond what Barry had in mind.  Soon Motown moved it's center to LA.

Very nice post. I like Laura Nyro quite a bit. I really like her cover of You've Really Got a Hold On Me on a live album whose name escapes me.

I also love Music Of My Mind. Adore the opening talkbox work out! Stevie Wonder was so brilliant in the 70s, nearly unbelievably prolific and interesting. I think he was really the guy who established in the mainstream a black musician on the same tier as people like Dylan and The Beatles as being not just a conduit for good music, but THE AUTHOR of the music. There would be nothing close to people like Michael Jackson, Prince or R. Kelly without his taking such forceful and deserved ownership of his music.  

I would really love to have seen James Brown but I missed the one chance I had but I am slightly hopeful that I will be able to catch Stevie one of these days.

Of the others you mentioned.  I got into Curtis, Bobby and Isaac in the 70's.  I didn't know who and how important they were until then.  Donny, not so much.  Just the singles and the records he did with Roberta.  New Jack Swing?  I'd have to go researchin' again.

This was a good pick Muggins.  Anyone who listened surely learned something new about the current state of Soul and R&B.  I'm always up for that.  

New Jack Swing was people like Teddy Riley - specifically associated with Riley and his group Guy -  and Bobby Brown. Crunchier, harder edged production with an electronic bent.

I am glad you enjoyed the selection! I like this thread and the process of listening to new music every week.

[feelsflow]

I might have to sit this round out because I can't find the album and I don't have/want Spotify.
I would like to send a message to soul and R&B bands, though: stop naming your songs after pharmaceuticals.

Yes, I didn't want to add Spotify either.  I don't think it's a good streaming service.  Will update flash, but don't expect that to fix things.  It was always after they broke in with an advert in the middle of my listening experience that it started freezing up.  It was the songs in the middle he left off his SoundCloud - I never got all the way through them.  I hope I can work around it on future picks.

[feelsflow]

While I was playing "Isn't she Lovely" someone posted on youtube that Stevie did a show incorporating the whole of Songs in the Key of Life recently.

[MugginsXO]

While I was playing "Isn't she Lovely" someone posted on youtube that Stevie did a show incorporating the whole of Songs in the Key of Life recently.

Damn! Would be amazing to see.

[alf wiedersehen]

While I was playing "Isn't she Lovely" someone posted on youtube that Stevie did a show incorporating the whole of Songs in the Key of Life recently.

Damn! Would be amazing to see.

I'm pretty sure he's doing an entire Songs in the Key of Life tour. The tickets were pretty expensive, and I'm not sure how many are left at this point, but there's hope for you yet.

[the captain]

While I was playing "Isn't she Lovely" someone posted on youtube that Stevie did a show incorporating the whole of Songs in the Key of Life recently.

Damn! Would be amazing to see.

I'm pretty sure he's doing an entire Songs in the Key of Life tour. The tickets were pretty expensive, and I'm not sure how many are left at this point, but there's hope for you yet.

You're correct. The NYT just did a review of a show within the past week or so.

[Dudd]

Apologies, but I didn't enjoy this one too much on first listen.
I think the production was what I didn't like... the sound was oddly murky to me, and I couldn't quite get into the falsetto either.
But there were good things - the first few tracks were pretty solid, and I didn't mind If It Hurts. I think Jupiter Grayscale was the best, that whistling hook was really nice. I'll have to give this one another few tries.

[the captain]

Never apologize for an opinion! (I know it's just convention or turn of phrase, but even so...)

[feelsflow]

It's all good Judd.  The next one will amaze you.  Somebody is on the clock.

EDIT:

I checked the list.  It's you Judd.  You're Next.  Give us something good to dissect and study.

[Dudd]

 

[Dudd]

Not sure if I'm supposed to be posting this early...

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...

[MugginsXO]

Here is the Spotify link:

http://open.spotify.com/album/2mGirLnSdQvoDVcRCBf3K5

[Dudd]

Here is the Spotify link:

http://open.spotify.com/album/2mGirLnSdQvoDVcRCBf3K5

"11 Mustachioed Daughters" is the album's final track - it's bonuses after that.