random tunes part 10

it's been a few weeks since i did the random tune thing
have been doing some not quite random travelling instead
so the effort at maintaining a daily blog posting has taken a bit of a beating
hopefully back into the routine now as i do enjoy the opportunity for a discourse
none less so than when playing the game of listen and remark on iriver tunes
dance with me by willard grant conspiracy
now this is alt.country or americana music at it's best
strummed acoustic guitar and a very melancholy violin lead to band coming in
robert fisher then comes in and sings another one of his lovely, organic tunes
morning comes early across the yard the tv is still warm from a night of serenading
won't you come outside, would you dance with me, what a sight we would be
penda yoro by ali farke toure
from his last studio recording titled savane released posthumously last year
i've read several reviews of the album and there's been some absolute raves about it
i haven't put it into the indispensable category yet but i understand the excitement
the whole thing feels so natural, relaxed, original, cool, african, blues
this one has minimal vocals and a totally infectious beat and superb guitar and kora playing
lumalali limaniga by aurelio martinez
what a fine segue from western african to southern american roots music
this chap performs a style of music known as garifuna
so similar to the previous track in feel, execution, lyrics (no idea really)
i've read somewhere that this is south american blues based music at it's best
but much closer to african blues than american - this being a great example
bad bone by the frames
this is what i said about this tune when i heard the album titled the cost for the first time
the quiet closing track for the album about love gone wrong
lyrically it's about as basic as it gets and the music is only slightly better
pseudo-dramatic, near-mournful, bluesy-wannabe, off-keyingly, dull
so not a good one to end on really
second time around that seems a bit harsh but it's still quite forgettable
easy by the church
the return of those lads most popular (well) from their latest album uninvited...like the clouds
great title for an album from a band that is taken way too much for granted
they just keep on putting out original, contemporary, brilliantly produced albums
this tune is one of their many hits that could have been
proving they can go there with ease and still sound like no other
a passing feeling by elliot smith
totally unfair i know but at times this man and his music reminds me of the beatles
although when i hear this and concentrate it's because it is so like carry that weight
by afore-mentioned group on their abbey road album (i think)
there seems to be a similarlity in the production too - echoey guitars and piano mainly
so sad this man couldn't let the feeling of suicide pass by completely
two twelve by triosk
well since i last encountered triosk in a random tunes segment
i've had the pleasure of seeing them live and what an amazing show it was
laurence pike on drums and percussion was the master of ceremonies
it wouldn't be unfair to suggest his instrument is central to the group
this one is an example of that - complete in this case with electric piano noodling
carolina by m ward
that first song i ever heard by this artist from a compilation i heard many times
a lovely gentle song with the slightest of instrumentation leaving the lyrics to tell the story
he very cleverly uses the geography of the u s of a to relate his feelings
used to feel like california with baby eyes so blue now i feel like carolina i split myself in two
now i'm walking backwards from chicago through washington oh but that ain't enough no you want me to run
shooting star by elliot smith
some would say this is almost psychedelic bordering on metal-ish
again it sort of sounds like the beatles in the later days before they imploded
they say that the album this is from titled from a basement on a hill
was far from finished when he decided life was not worth living any more
but someone knew what they were doing as songs like this seem to sit so well with the man
blackcrow hits shoe shine city by raintree crow
david sylvian can do no wrong as far as i am concerned
he has popped up with strange and various band/brand names over the years
this tune has a very typical slow build, with a very meaty bassline and dominant percussion
builds quite nicely before he himself is there out front with that most distinctive voice
and some typically fine noises pulled from the electric guitar of robert fripp

there you go a very fine mix of tunes for the evening
soon...