Explosions In The Sky Live at KEXP 2016
Today we set aside 30 minutes for Explosions in the Sky live for KEXP in 2016.
Come on, you know you want to.
Setlist:
Wilderness
Infinite Orbit
The Ecstatics
Colors In Space
Disintegration Anxiety
Important Details:
http://KEXP.ORG presents Explosions In The Sky performing live in the KEXP studio. Recorded September 3, 2016.
Important People:
Host: Troy Nelson
Audio Engineer: Jackson Long & Kevin Suggs
Audio Mixers: Jeff Byrd & Jay Demko
Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Alaia D'Alessandro & Scott Holpainen
Editor: Justin Wilmore
Café Tacvba Sessions at West 54th (1997)
Café Tacvba performs for Sessions at West 54th (1997).
Remembering Black Eyed Sceva
I’ve never been a huge fan of a lot of what been called “Christian Music.” I don’t listen to Christian radio stations. I don’t follow Contemporary Christian Music. In fact, I have often wondered: “Why "Christian" Music Is Often So Bad.”
But there have always been exceptions. For example, I highly recommend you spend some time with my playlist Joyful Sounds: An Introduction to Sacred Steel. And, during college, there were a handful of bands who openly identified as “Christian Artists” (whatever that means) and incorporated their faith into their music without diluting either. Bands like Five O’Clock People, Plankeye, Poor Old Lu, Soulfood 76 and others. But, my favorite band of that time is by far Black Eyed Sceva (later known as Model Engine).
I still remember the first time I heard the group’s first album Way Before The Flood. I was in college and also serving as a volunteer Jr. High youth group leader. I had just found out that a longtime girlfriend had cheated on me and I remember sitting in the back of a car as we drove a couple of hours North for a Jr. High weekend winter retreat when my friend put that cassette.
I also remember buying Model Engine’s The Lean Year’s Tradition the same time I bought Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind at the old Zia Records location at 7th Avenue and Indian School. I was lucky enough to see the band several times in both incarnations and am happy to report that they were a terrific live band on top of everything else.
Your Google-Fu skills are probably better than mine but here are the three videos I could find on Youtube. The two were part of a promotional video that I’m pretty sure I had and included both the tour video and the live “Mudhouse” video. The other one is (to my knowledge,) the band’s only official music video and it is for one of their best-known tracks: “Justified.”
Enjoy!
And please let me know if you have other videos not included here (or audio recordings!).
Taj Mahal Sessions at West 54th
Taj Mahal live for Sessions at West 54th, Season One, 1997.
Setlist:
"She Caught the Katy,"
"Corrina, Corrina"
"Mr. Pitiful."
Albita performs
"Corazon rumbero,"
"El son del tahurete,"
"Valca el brillo de tus ojos"
"El chico Chevere."
But one of the Youtube comments says: 'Queen Bee'.
75 Dollar Bill and Natural Information Society, Together At Last (2019)!
I actually don’t know if 75 Dollar Bill and Natural Information have played together before or not, it just seemed like a fun headline.
Back in July, Jesse Jarnow posted a link to this live set from the Roulette Concert Archive at Soundcloud and I just now had a chance to put it on and listen, and, OH MAN!!!!!
Aside from being two of my favorite bands (see posts tagged 75 Dollar Bill here or Natural Information posts here), the sound on this recording is phenomenal.
Sit back and let it unwind.
The Roulette Concert Archive says:
“75 Dollar Bill return to Roulette to celebrate the release of their new double album I Was Real (Thin Wrist Recordings / Black Editions). With guests Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society.
Having emerged as a vibrant musical force with their previous effort WOOD/METAL/PLASTIC/PATTERN/RHYTHM/ROCK (Thin Wrist 2016), 75 Dollar Bill have spent the last few years bringing their music to new people and places, delivering what NYC locals have had the chance to hear for years, and experimenting with the ever-deepening set of musical ideas for which they are known. The fruits of this work can be heard on their expansive new double LP I Was Real. Recorded over a four year period, in four different studios, with a range of ensemble configurations featuring the band’s closest friends and collaborators, I Was Real is the band’s most ambitious album yet. The music that unfolds on the album’s four sides doubles down on the group’s penchant for sprawling, unusual grooves and blown out microtonal guitars, while at the same time introducing textures and tonalities that point in completely new directions. For this event, the group will present a set of new and reimagined material from the album, with a special soon-to-be-announced group of guest musicians. 75 Dollar Bill is pleased to be joined this evening by Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society, whose own double LP, Mandatory Reality, was released by Eremite Records in April.”
Support 75 Dollar Bill at Bandcamp.
Purchase 75 Dollar Bill’s music at Amazon.
Listen to "Beni Said" by 75 Dollar Bill rom the album 2016 album Wood / Metal / Plastic / Pattern / Rhythm / Rock on Episode 07 of the Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow.
Browse all Holiday at the Sea 75 Dollar Bill posts
Visit the official website.
Support Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society at Bandcamp.
Purchase Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society’s music at Amazon.
Listen to “Maroon Dune” by Joshua Abrams & Natural Information Society (From the 2017 album Simultonality) on Episode 43 of The Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow.
Browse all Holiday at the Sea Natural Information Society posts
Ani DiFranco: Sessions at West 54th
Another gem from the Sessions at West 54th vaults. Listings say that Tricky was also on this episode but I can’t find video of that. This was Season one with Host Chris Douridas and aired 12/13/97.
Sorry, no setlist. Maybe you know it?
Enjoy.
Liz Phair Live at Sessions At West 54th
Here’s Liz Phair live for Sessions at West 54th. Sorry, I don’t have a setlist for this one, do you? It was with host David Byrne which means that it was Season 02. This one originally aired 10/11/98. The video intro says that the Lounge Lizards also appeared on this episode but I couldn’t find that video. Please let me know if you come across it.
Oh, and Ronald Vaughan really wants us all to know who uploaded the video. We should thank him.
Enjoy.
Daniel Lanois, Jim Wilson and Steve Nistor Rehearsing (August 2013)
Yesterday’s Daniel Lanois double-whammy reminded me of this 20-minute instrumental jam. Daniel Lanois, Jim Wilson and Steve Nistor are caught “rehearsing” but no other context was given. Maybe you know? Maybe you don’t.
Enjoy.
Daniel Lanois :: WFUV and Tiny Desk
I am fascinated by these two short live sets from Daniel Lanois. Both feature the same trio of Lanios, Jim Wilson and Brian Blade. The two videos appeared less than a month apart but represent two very different live sets. The WFUV set says it was posted 12/29/14 (recorded on 11/11/14) and the NPR Tiny Desk show says it was posted 01/14/15 (not sure of the recorded date). So, like 16 or 17 days apart, these two videos both appeared representing the same trio with wildly different results and I can’t get enough.
In the WFUV set, Lanois focuses on pedal steel guitar and bassist Jim Wilson plays what appear to be the foot pedals of an organ? Anyone more knowledgeable than me as to what he is doing over there? The NPR Tiny Desk set features Blade on drums, Wilson on bass and Lanois on knobs. Seriously, I understand that things like modular synthesizers exist, it’s just beyond me how someone can get those sounds to come out of a switchboard.
Notes/Setlist:
"Aquatic/Sonho Dourado/JJ Leaves L.A." live in Studio A. Recorded November 11th, 2014.
Important People:
Host: Darren Devivo
Cameras: Caroline Inzucchi & Deirdre Hynes Editor:
Caroline Inzucchi & Deirdre Hynes
And, the Tiny Desk Concert is one of my favorite things ever. I even downloaded the audio from the NPR site and cut it into individual tracks and I listen to it all the time.
The Tiny Desk Concert Youtube page says that Lanois “led an all-instrumental, somewhat improvisational trio based on the sort of studio processing for which he's become famous. In essence, he brought the studio out of the studio — with the aid of two great players, drummer Brian Blade and bassist Jim Wilson — and directly to my desk. The title of Lanois' new album, Flesh And Machine, describes the music well. He never says a word, but he sculpts some serious, hypnotic sounds.”
Setlist:
"Sci Fi"
"Elevator"
"Apres Calypso"
Important People:
Producers: Bob Boilen, Maggie Starbard;
Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait;
Videographers: Colin Marshall, Maggie Starbard;
Assistant Producer: Susan Hale Thomas;
photo by Susan Hale Thomas/NPR
PJ Harvey at Sessions At West 54th
PJ Harvey live for Sessions at West 54th with host David Byrne. 11/10/98.
Setlist:
Catherine
Civil War Correspondent
Taut My Beautiful Leah
I Think I'm a Mother
Is This Desire?
Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba Live at KEXP (2015)
I first came across Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba when doing the Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow and featured their track “Miri” in February, 2019 on Episode 37.
Bassekou Kouyate started playing the Ngoni at age 12. The Ngoni is a traditional Malian guitar. The body of the instrument is made of wood or calabash with dried animal skin head stretched over. This traditional instrument is believed by many to be the precursor to the banjo.
In 2015, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba played a live set for KEXP and today seems like as good a time as any to revisit that wonderful set.
Setlist:
Musow Fanga
Jama ko
Abe Sumaya
Siran Fen
Important People:
Host: Rhythma
Audio Engineer: Kevin Suggs
Cameras: Jim Beckmann, Scott Holpainen & Justin Wilmore
Editor: Scott Holpainen
Meshell Ndegeocello: Sessions at West 54th
Today we return to the Sessions at West 54th archives. Meshell Ndegeocello live for Sessions at West 54th. Season 01 with host Chris Douridas (09/13/97).
Setlist:
Step in to the Projects
The Way
Ecclesiastes - Free my Heart
God Shiva
Players:
Meshell Ndegeocello - bass/keys/vocals,
Gene Lake - drums,
David Dyson - bass,
Federico Gonzalez Pena - Keys,
Allen Cato - guitar/vocals,
Byron Jackson - vocals,
Alfredo Mojica - percussion
The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry
I have made no secret of my love for Dub music. And you can’t love Dub music without reckoning with Lee “Scratch” Perry.
Yesterday we watched the
Today we’re watching another documentary about Perry. This one narrated by Benicio Del Toro. The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry.
Enjoy.
Miles Davis Live at Fillmore West, San Francisco (04/09/70)
This one’s audio only but well worth your time.
April 9, 1970 Fillmore West, San Francisco, California opening for The Grateful Dead.
Personnel:
Miles Davis: Miles Davis (tpt);
Steve Grossman (ss);
Chick Corea (el-p);
Dave Holland (b, el-b);
Jack De Johnette (d);
Airto Moreira (perc)
Setlist:
“Directions” (J. Zawinul)
“Miles Runs the Voodoo Down” (M. Davis)
“This” (C. Corea)
“It's About That Time” (M. Davis)
“I Fall in Love Too Easily” (S. Cahn-J. Styne)
“Sanctuary” (W. Shorter-M. Davis)
“Spanish Key” (M. Davis)
“Bitches Brew” (M. Davis)
“The Theme” (M. Davis)
Concert recording, soundboard source
Lee Scratch Perry's Visions of Paradise
I have this personal website compartmentalized because I realize that not every one of my friends is interested in exactly the same set of things that I am. And that’s not only “OK”, it’s beautiful.
However, I think everyone should love Lee “Scratch” Perry. If you’re not familiar with this brilliant artist, I suggest you get familiar with Google.
And I also suggest starting with this off-beat documentary: Lee Scratch Perry's Vision of Paradise | True Godfather of Reggae.
Fulu Miziki Kinshasa Music Warriors
This is one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time. Someone on Twitter posted a link to the live video for the song“Quarantine time with Warrior music” (which I have included below) and I was hooked.
Back when I was doing the Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow, this definitely would have been featured prominently. Enjoy these three videos and do some digging on your own. Lots to discover.
“Fulu Miziki is a collective of artists who comes straight from a future where humans have reconciled with mother earth and with themselves. This multidisciplinary collective of artists is based in the heart of the Congolese capital city Kinshasa and was founded by Pisko Crane. For several years now, it’s founder Pisko has spent an amount of time conceptualizing an orchestra made from objects found in the trash, constantly changing instruments, always in search of new sounds.
Couples of years ago, Pisko Crane joined efforts with performing artist Aicha Mena Kanieba who, with Le Meilleur, DeBoul, La Roche, Padou, Sekelembele, and Tche Tche formed the Eco-Afro-Futuristic punk ensemble Fulu Miziki. Making our own performance costumes, masks and instruments is essential to their approach of Fulu Miziki’s musical ideology. Their unique sound supports a pan-African message of artistic liberation, peace and a severe look at the ecological situation of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the whole world. For Fulu everything can be recovered and re-enchanted.”
