music

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Daft Punk's Epilogue teaches us how to say goodbye

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I think a lot of goodbyes are like this. There isn’t a definitive moment that separates us or a decisive conversation that divides us (although sometimes there is), but rather, a gradual distancing that, suddenly, shows just how far apart we’ve become.

Then, a conscious change, a removing of our old self and destruction of what was.

What I love about Daftpunk’s goodbye is that it is still collaborative, creative, and a celebration. The music isn’t doleful, nor is the last scene. Although the sun is setting, the music is uplifting, the lyrics hopeful. “Hold on” it says, “If love is the answer your home.”

Yet, he walks off into the distance, alone.

That juxtaposition seems incredibly appropriate. In their separation, love is not lost, feelings are not hurt, and self-preservation is not the goal. Love is. Of each other, the past journey, and the moving forward.

That simple lesson, to me at least, is encouraging. And even a bit convicting.

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Mumford & Sons has teamed up with Nat Geo

I’ve sort of lost track of Mumford and Sons since their album Babel. Their latest, Delta has me falling back in love. It feels, lyrically and musically, like they’ve finally returned to their roots.

By the way, incase you were wondering, Delta doesn’t have any real deep meaning. It simply means “the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet (Δ, δ),” or “the fourth in a series of items, categories, etc.” Like the fourth album produced by band. In case you were wondering.

You can listen to the full album on Youtube or Spotify.

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Only the Wild Ones," by Dispatch

This, from a friend: “I've been enjoying this song for the last year or so, but came across the video for the first time last night. I cried as I watched it with my kids. Thought you might enjoy.”

Long hair and longer stride
Skateboard fair with a primal tribe
And your cut off painter pants
Chargin' down the craggy mountains with our thrift store friends

And who you find so
So in love with the falling earth
Oh you wake in the middle of the falling night
With the summer playing coy

In the attics of the city night
We talked corso and the MC5
And you could dance live
We were all alright

And only the wild ones
Give you something and never want it back
Oh the riot and the rush of the warm night air
Only the wild ones
Are the ones you can never catch
Stars are up now no place to go, but everywhere

One I met in the green mountain state
I dropped out, and he moved away
Heard he got some land down south
Changed his name to a name the birds could pronounce

And only the wild ones
Give you something and never want it back
Oh the riot and the rush of the warm night air
Only the wild ones
Are the ones you can never catch
Stars are up now no place to go but everywhere
(No place to go but everywhere)

And in the city the mayor said
Those who dance are all mislead
So you packed your things and moved to the other coast
Said you gonna be like Charlie Rose

And only the wild ones
Give you something and never want it back
Oh the riot and the rush of the warm night air
Only the wild ones
Are the ones you can never catch
Stars are up now no place to go, but everywhere

Only the wild ones, give you something and never want it back
Oh the riot and rush of the warm night air
Only the wild ones
Are the ones you can never catch
Stars are up now no place to go, but anywhere
Hmm, hmm hmm
Hmm, hmm hmm
Hmm, hmm hmm


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Unchained Melody : Elvis' Last Great Moment

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October 2nd 1948, Elvis made his first public appearance

October 2nd 1948, Elvis made his first public appearance

"In one of his final performances before his tragic death, Elvis Presley delivered an incredible rendition of ‘Unchained Melody’ during a concert in Rapid City, South Dakota on June 21, 1977.

The performance, described as 'the last great moment of his career', was recorded for his last television special two months before his death in August 1977" (via). 

The Rolling Stone writes:

He had an enlarged heart, an enlarged intestine, hypertension and incredibly painful bowel problems. He was barely sleeping and should have probably been in the hospital, but he was still a huge draw on the concert circuit and the money was too good to turn down.
 

As guitarist Charlie Hodge held a microphone, Elvis dug deep and poured his heart into the song. His body was falling apart, but his voice remained almost as powerful as ever. Without any doubt, it’s the last great moment of his career.

I've never been a huge Elvis fan (although my son and I both enjoy In the Ghetto), but after listening to Malcolm Gladwell describe the sad and lonely life he must have lived, I at least see him differently. Watching this moment, as the camera zooms in on an overweight and dying man, I cannot help but wonder if the reason why he dug so deep and poured out his heart was because it suddenly became the song of his life.

Then, at the 2:34 mark, there's a look, then a smile, almost like he's remembering who and what he was. It's almost like he's saying, "I still got it." And then he gets after it. Because time goes by, "so slowly", and when it's at the end, it can suddenly seem too fast. "And time can do so much." 

 

His youth is gone, his fame dwindling, the end is near. Perhaps, as he sings this song, he knows it's his last, that life is leaving him. And so he sings, "Wait for me" with all that he has, harkening back to what he was, hoping. But in less then three months later, his body and mind will succumb to the brokenness and fatigue, leaving us, and Elvis, with this last great moment. Which, befittingly, doesn't seem to be enough.

Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow
To the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh
"Wait for me, wait for me"
I'll be coming home, wait for me

Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered, for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me

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Leonard Cohen's, Leaving the Table

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I've never really been a Leonard Cohen fan, but this song got me.

In a posthumous new video for Leonard Cohen's "Leaving The Table," an animated paper cutout of the late singer dances and flies over a cityscape of Montreal, free as a bird, untethered from the mortal world.
"I'm leaving the table," he sings as the animated Cohen spins, dips and flits by scenes from his past life. "I'm out of the game / I don't know the people / In your picture frame." It's a tribute that's both heartbreaking and beautiful, revealing an artist who left the world content that he'd lived every moment to his fullest.
The video, conceived and directed by Christopher Mills, premiered at last night's Polaris Music Prize ceremony. "Leaving The Table" is from Cohen's You Want It Darker, released in October 2016, just days before the singer's death (via).

I'm Leaving the Table, by Leonard Cohen
 

I'm leaving the table
I'm out of the game
I don't know the people
In your picture frame
If I ever loved you or no, no
It's a crying shame if I ever loved you
If I knew your name

You don't need a lawyer
I'm not making a claim
You don't need to surrender
I'm not taking aim

I don't need a lover, no, no
The wretched beast is tame
I don't need a lover
So blow out the flame

There's nobody missing
There is no reward
Little by little
We're cutting the cord
We're spending the treasure, oh, no, no
That love cannot afford
I know you can feel it
The sweetness restored


I don't need a reason
For what I became
I've got these excuses
They're tired and lame
I don't need a pardon, no, no, no, no, no
There's no one left to blame
I'm leaving the table
I'm out of the game

I'm leaving the table
I'm out of the game

 

Kinda reminds me of Johnny Cash's remake, Hurt. 

 

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A 10-Minute Silent Song Is Climbing iTunes Charts

Silence-header.jpg

 

"Samir Mezrahi’s nine-minute-and-58-second-long track consisting of pure silence is quickly climbing up iTunes’ charts.

Inspired by the frustration felt by anyone who has plugged their phone into a car radio only to hear the first alphabetically listed song in their music library blare over the speakers, “A a a a a Very Good Song” is designed to jump to the top of the list." (via).

And by doing so, Mezrahi is allowing ten minutes of silence to invade our otherwise loud and busy day, which, according to various studies, is exactly what we need.

 "In a loud and distracting world," the Huffington Post reports, "finding pockets of stillness can benefit your brain and body" (via).  

Here are four science-backed reasons why:

  1. Silence relieves stress and tension. 
  2. Silence replenishes our mental resources.
  3. In silence, we can tap into the brain’s default mode network (daydreaming, meditating, fantasying, etc.)
  4. Getting quiet can regenerate brain cells.

Being silent means more than just holding one's tongue. It means listening for the soft and subtle sounds of wind sweeping through the tall grass, of birds singing in the near distance, or the pure giggle of a child deep in play.

Silence also allows us a chance to hear our thoughts, and to chase them, over winding streams and wild lands; it allows our imaginations to run free rather than be caged by entertainment. 

In silence, we are available to the greatest songs of all, Life.

 

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2Cellos and some pretty beautiful soundtracks

Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser of 2CELLOS performed an incredible cover of the song “May It Be” from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring with the London Symphony Orchestra. The mesmerizing track is from 2CELLOS‘ new album, Score, which is now available to purchase from Amazon (via).

The music is amazing. The video is . . . eh. When I closed my eyes, I enjoyed it much more.

I'm a soundtrack guy, especially powerful, world changing soundtracks. Now We Are Free is another one 2Cellos covers beautifully, even a clean cello is a poor replacement for the woman singing in the background.

 

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Fanfare for the Common Man - Aaron Copland

I've always loved this song. I love it's repetition, its building and its falling - like it's an essay. Everytime I hear it, I'm moved. 

"Fanfare for the Common Man" was certainly Copland's best known concert opener. He wrote it in response to a solicitation from Eugene Goosens for a musical tribute honoring those engaged in World War II. Goosens, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, originally had in mind a fanfare "... for Soldiers, or for Airmen or Sailors" and planned to open his 1942 concert season with it.
Aaron Copland later wrote, "The challenge was to compose a traditional fanfare, direct and powerful, yet with a contemporary sound." To the ultimate delight of audiences Copland managed to weave musical complexity with popular style. He worked slowly and deliberately, however, and the piece was not ready until a full month after the proposed premier.
Aaron Copland on an American street, Ossining, New York (?), Victor Kraft, photographer (n.d.).  Used by permission of Mrs. Victor Kraft. Music Division
To Goosens' surprise Copland titled the piece "Fanfare for the Common Man" (although his sketches show he also experimented with other titles such as "Fanfare for a Solemn Ceremony" and "Fanfare for Four Freedoms"). Fortunately Goosens loved the work, despite his puzzlement over the title, and decided with Copland to preview it on March 12, 1943. As income taxes were to be paid on March 15 that year, they both felt it was an opportune moment to honor the common man. Copland later wrote, "Since that occasion, 'Fanfare' has been played by many and varied ensembles, ranging from the U.S. Air Force Band to the popular Emerson, Lake, and Palmer group ... I confess that I prefer 'Fanfare' in the original version, and I later used it in the final movement of my Third Symphony."
Aaron Copland, said the composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, was the one to "lead American music out of the wilderness." Copland's musical opus, for which he received the 1964 Medal of Freedom, also included such masterworks as "Piano Variations" (1930), "El Salon Mexico" (1936), "Billy the Kid" (1938), "Fanfare for the Common Man" (1942), "Rodeo" (1942), "Appalachian Spring" (1944), and "Inscape" (1967). (via)

Top ten most viewed music videos equals 22.27 billion views

Last night, me and a couple of friends were reminiscing about VH1 Pop-Up Videos and it got me thinking about music videos again, because I don't watch them all that much anymore. Just every now and then, with my kids. 

So I thought I'd catch myself up on a few and found this list from Thrillist.com.

10. "Katy Perry - Roar (Official)"

1.94 billion views

 

9. "Adele - Hello"

1.94 billion views

 

8. "Major Lazer - Lean On"

1.99 billion views

 

6. "Taylor Swift - Blank Space"

2.02 billion views

 

7. "Enrique Iglesias - Bailando (Español) ft. Descemer Bueno, Gente De Zona"

2.04 billion views

 

5. "Taylor Swift - Shake It Off"

2.07 billion views

 

4. "Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk"

2.37 billion views

 

3. "Justin Bieber - Sorry (PURPOSE : The Movement)"

2.43 billion views

 

2. "Wiz Khalifa - See You Again ft. Charlie Puth [Official Video] Furious 7 Soundtrack"

2.65 billion views

 

1. "PSY - GANGNAM STYLE(강남스타일) M/V"

2.82 billion views

If you watch them all, it's 41 minutes of musical entertainment. 

If that 41 minutes is watched by the 22.27 billion viewers, that's 913.07 billion hours of musical entertainment.

That's a lot.

Found Sounds: Making Instruments From Trash

Ken Butler is a Brooklyn-based artist and musician who has built over 400 musical instruments from discarded objects. It's pretty nifty (via).

I love this concept - of taking something discarded, something "unworthy" and making it beautiful once more. 

Such is art.

Such is life.

 

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"My PVC Instrument"

I can't stop watching this.

Fun facts about Snubby J!

1.) I just graduated from LMU with a Theatre Arts degree (WOOHOO!)

2.) I built my own PVC Pipe Instrument (called the "RimbaTubes") on which I play original music and medleys of recognizable songs.

3.) My goal in life is to spread joy and inspire others to be creative. I love to make entertaining music videos and want to share my work with the whole world.

 

The construction of his PVC instrument is fairly simple and involves hardly any materials.

Shown in photo:
-2" ABS/PVC Piping
-2" ABS/PVC Elbows
-2" ABS/PVC Couplings
-Tuner
-Measuring Tape
-Pipe cutter (a hacksaw will work too, but it makes the edges rough)
Not Shown in Photo:
-2x4 and 2x10's
-2 1/2" Bore
-ABS/PVC Cement
-Power tools and screws
-Castor Wheels (Optional

 

Pretty awesome.

 

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