Four Play ::: Live Performances ::: They're ALIVE!

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Hello! Today I'd like to offer up a look into some of my choice live performances that mean something special to my musical and artistic journey. In an ongoing excursion into what makes my musical brain tick, I'm happy to open up the veil and share these with you. These four live performances all occupy the same requirement --- they are ALIVE! I'll be looking forward to showcasing many future live performances, so please don't take this as a definitive "favorites list" as they are just a portrait of what I look for in the moment of performance. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Santana // Soul Sacrifice // Woodstock 1969

Quite possibly one of the most influential performances of all time and definitely my favorite moment from Carlos Santana, is the performance of "Soul Sacrifice" from Woodstock in 1969. I was introduced to this footage many moons ago from an old friend and we would watch it over and over... replaying the incredible footage from an old VCR tape of the Woodstock documentary. I was in awe of the very young drummer Michael Shrieve's incredible introduction to the blistering rendition of Soul Sacrifice. I find Carlos Santana's playing, tone and whole vibe so invigorated and it's definitely my favorite moment from him. I would spend hours watching the video, imitating his movements on the guitar, down to the crazy little volume, tone and pickup selector movements... not knowing the truth until much later in life that Santana was extremely high on LSD at the time and he was trying to control his guitar that kept materializing into a snake! LSD or not, I saw this performance as being as close to the embers of the sun as possible --- it's true beauty of the moment, which while fleeting, can last forever.

Daniel Lanois // Orange Kay // Session at West 54th

Daniel Lanois' solo performance of "Orange Kay" on the PBS special Sessions at West 54th, is a pinnacle moment where tonal landscapes can take real form. Lanois, a magician of many mediums as well as being one of the most inspiring music producers, takes on his instrumental piece Orange Kay in solo form with percussive loops surrounding his exploding guitar notes. Lanois crafts incredible fuzz tones and a tonal landscape, encompassing of the ride into the darkness it resembles. Written for the soundtrack of the film Sling Blade, Orange Kay is an homage to the fuzz pedal used to yield the massive, gurgling, sonic mayhem that is the song. Many guitarists seek the deep, dark, and mysterious tones of an amplifier about to blow up. Setting the amp on fire with the most glorious of sounds, Lanois is quite famous for creating this type of sound. Orange Kay is one of those pieces of magic, and where he goes while achieving it, is just something truly special. 

Michael Landau // Ghouls And The Goblins // Live at The Baked Potato

Ah... Michael Landau, the guitarists' guitarist. This master of tones and incredible otherworldly playing, is a major facet in the guitar universe. Even if you don't know Landau's name, you've certainly heard his work on many popular songs since the early 90's. He is currently touring with, and a long time member of, both the James Taylor and Steve Gadd Band, as well as a fluid solo career. It goes without saying that Landau is a major influence in my life musically and tonally, and I'm happy to get a chance to share one of my favorite performances caught at the very intimate famed Jazz venue, The Baked Potato. "Ghouls And The Goblins" is a fully instrumental piece that lives within so many different layers of sound and ideas. It's a literal pot of gold as far as I'm concerned, and showcases Landau's innate ability to create the entirety of a diverse musical landscape with his fingers, phrasing and tones, are quite the sight to behold. The communication that exists between the players and the improvisation is to me one of the purest examples of why I personally love making music, specifically in a live environment. It's an exhilarating moment I try to live in as much as possible. 

Brandi Carlile // The Things I Regret // The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

As a big music carnivore, I keep a watchful eye on the Late Night TV scene and often record most of the shows purely for the musicians and artists who might be featured on each episode. I do this in part to catch the groups I love and get perspective on rising talent. It's part of my due diligence to constantly allow new music in my life and I love every moment of it. Every once in a while I'll come across a performance that is so inspiring and raw that I literally can't bring myself to erase the episode from my television's DVR recorder. Case in point with Brandi Carlile's performance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. "The Things I Regret" is a showcase in raw emotion that to me emotes the essence of a fight song to the highest degree. Carlile and her band pull you in with the anthemic folk romp while she tears you down only to build you right back up. It's an incredible performance that makes the hairs on my skin jump and my heart race, fuel to a fire that anyone with a beating in their heart can share.

Let them roll over me
Let them roll over me
Let them roll over me
Let them roll over me

Let the ground keep my bones
Let the water be my home
Let the dust hold my soul,
Like a holy rolling stone

Tinkercity Playlist ::: Volume Three ::: Four Play

Hello friends, today I'd like to bring you another addition of the Tinkercity Playlist, where I get a chance to share some of the music that I've been enjoying as of late. While I often bring you deep cuts from past years, today I'm focusing on fairly new material and I hope that you find the enjoyment that I do. DIG!

Alt-J /// Interlude

Interlude is a short piece of music by indie genre benders Alt-J from the 2012 debut record "An Awesome Wave". Although not from 2017 and extremely quick in it's entrance and exit, I felt compelled to share it with you. It contains this beautiful baroque restraint in form and tone. Completely A Capella and extremely immersing, the vocals swim and bounce into each other in the most interesting of ways. The phrasing and choice of time and feel has this deep sense of hope and oddity, perhaps a mystery of sorts. In a way, that sort of thing is the lay of the land as far as my creativity goes --- a mystery beyond in the horizon, full of hope and the unknown.

She only ever walks to count her steps
Eighteen strides and she stops to abide
By the law that she herself has set
That eighteen steps is one complete set

And before the next nine right and nine left
She looks up at the blue
And whispers to all of the above

Don't let me drown, don't breathe alone
No kicks no pangs no broken bones
Never let me sink, always feel at home
No sticks no shanks and no stones
Never leave it too late, always enjoy the taste
Of the great grey world of hearts

As all dogs everywhere bark
It's worth knowing
Like all good fruit the balance of life is in the ripe and ruin

Future Islands /// Ran

Ran, one of the first singles off of the American Synth-Pop band Future Islands' "The Far Field" is a fantastic track that epitomizes the feel and energy of the band. Future Islands led by the enigmatic and powerful Samuel Herring push and pull you to a post modern synth wonderland. There's just this beautiful sadness that has a joyous feel in this track. Common to most of their catalog, Future Islands makes sad songs that you can move to. There's also this sense of musical theatrics and pomp and brashness from the grunts and growls of Herring's vocals. It's essentially the artist letting themselves fall completely into the ether... exactly my kind of thing! Wreckless abandon for the sake of song, the sake of the moment, all with this aspect of love and caring. Future Islands are an unusual band in the most of interesting and addicting ways and I couldn't help but share them with you.

Big Thief /// Mythological Beauty

Mythological Beauty is the first single from the 2017 sophomore release "Capacity" from Brooklyn, NY based band Big Thief. A soft tumbling sort of tune, filled with beautiful acoustic guitar embellishments and "feels" that would make fans of Elliot Smith "XO" meets "Melancholy & The Infinite Sadness" era Smashing Pumpkins very happy. I am indeed one of those persons, taking in the slow melodic tide and loving every minute of it. I'm reminded, of course, of those artists I mentioned above, but also slightly less obvious choices such as Pinback and Built To Spill. There's this abstract essence of indie-melodic abandon filling the halls of "Capacity," and Mythological Beauty is a perfect example, calling to me with every ounce of nostalgic beauty. I've been rewarded with a strange experience from time to time in my life while listening to music that holds this type of nostalgia --- I can actually smell scents based on sound memories. I can't quite explain this phenomenon but when I listen to certain pieces of music --- this track included, I can smell the scent of a vanilla candle from my teenage years spent holed up in my room ingesting everything I could get my hands on musically. Another record as a whole, that has this odd ability to transport my senses, is the above mentioned "Melancholy & The Infinite Sadness". I consider this a cherished moment, allowing your ears to have this interesting conversation with your memories, calling up scents and subtle sounds. A Mythological Beauty indeed.

Mondo Cozmo /// Hold Onto Me

Josh Ostrander also known as the artist Mondo Cozmo has quickly become one of my favorite Los Angeles based acts. Highly regarded on the taste-making radio station KCRW, Mondo Cozmo yield a familiar yet incredibly invigorating sound. Hold Onto Me is a fantastically simple song filled with giant leaps of musical fanfare, and what I can only describe as emanating light and sound. It's a huge sounding track that just reels you in from the moment it starts. Ostrander's Bob Dylan meets Thom York vocal prowess adds a layer of undeniable power and stance. Hold Onto Me is a joyous building block of a song that is so full of vigor and inspiration that I could easily see it being licensed for the "We Will Rock You" type commercial spots. It's an enormous song sonically and it calls you to hit play again and again.

In the video below, Ostrander calls upon his friend and actor Anna Faris to star in a very poignant and beautiful piece that essentially is a visit to an assisted living facility with real people experiencing joy in the biggest of ways. The fleeting sense of longevity along with the utter happiness they all experience in the video is simply powerful and important. It helps usher in the reality that life is precious and so are we, worth holding onto for every amazing moment of joy.

WHAT MOVES YOU ::: MEDITATIVE // AMBIENCE ::: AVAILABLE NOW!

Today's Weekly Update is focused on a very exciting project that I've been working on. Music that can be utilized for meditation and deep thought. Music that can help guide your mind to relax, release the stresses that bind you and help assist your journey away from the powerful thoughts that may hold you hostage.

WHAT MOVES YOU is the first in a series of powerful meditative pieces of music that can help you do exactly that --- MOVE out of your thoughts and INTO a new paradigm of peace and tranquility. Largely melodically driven, the subtle peaks and valleys help open those horizons for you. Purposely lacking any specific percussion, the sounds leap around your space freely. Close your eyes and breathe deeply friends. I hope that this piece of music can help you relax and open your mind to it's own heart song. I look forward to sharing more music in this series with you all soon!

You can sample, purchase & download WHAT MOVES YOU via my new online store here DOWNLOAD "WHAT MOVES YOU"

 

Defining Albums ::: Jellyfish "Spilt Milk"

Hello friends, today I'd like to bring you another installment of my Defining Albums --- these are records that have instilled a sense of musical awareness from the moment I found them, and most importantly, continue to inspire me each day as time inches forward. My first Defining Album segment was on the incredible "The Rhythm of The Saints" by Paul Simon, which you can read here: Defining Albums ::: Paul Simon's "The Rhythm of The Saints". 

One of the most dynamic and continually mind blowing albums in my collection would have to be Jellyfish's "Spilt Milk". A masterpiece of style, craft and musicality that should stake it's claim in the high fields of album history. It's an important piece of modern production and craft of song. The second release from the talent-fest that was Jellyfish, "Spilt Milk" is a collection of the juiciest of juice when it comes to the modern canon of Pop-Rock music. 

Jellyfish unfortunately lived a short life as a band, only releasing two records. Hailing from San Francisco, CA they merged Power-Pop, Rock and orchestral magic with this incredible sense of familiarity and often an almost British sense of humor and irony. It goes without saying that Jellyfish have a sound derivative of such greats as The Beatles and Queen with a grand stance of lyrical and adventurous melodic content. The two founding and core members Andy Sturmer and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. embarked on the journey that is "Spilt Milk" after guitarist Jason Falkner left the group following the release and tour of their first album "Bellybutton". Falkner, an incredible songwriter and guitarist in his own right, left to pursue his own artistry. What was left in that wake was the chance to make a record with all of the pomp and circumstance of the lessons learned in the 1960's and 1970's. It felt as if Jellyfish were able to take every musical idea, big or small, and let it become this enormously huge sounding result. In a modern world where music studios are vanishing right before our eyes and budgets are so truncated that time to explore is not often a friendly companion, the feat that is "Spilt Milk" is a joy just in that simple right.

Sturmer and Manning Jr. recruited a wonderful cast of producers and players for "Spilt Milk" such as Jon Brion and Lyle Workman, with both Brion and Workman having become the industry standard of music production and film scoring. The recorded sounds on "Spilt Milk" are what I often consider benchmark tones; If I'm lucky enough to capture a tone from any instrument that hails from the same beautiful landscape as the sounds on this album, then I've found my tonal nirvana. They are simply incredibly recorded and produced, nothing is egregious or over-produced. What remains, however, are incredibly well and smartly written songs with a musicality that doesn't just match, but challenges, your ears to witness a fight to the finish as to which might take that prize. When in reality the prize is in and of itself.

I'll showcase a few of my favorite songs on "Spilt Milk" but honestly, this album is so good that it warrants a full listen from top to bottom and then of course repeating that process! I've attached both the full album for your enjoyment as well as each track that I've decided to showcase today. Dig!

Hush & Joining a Fan Club

The albums opens with the Pet Sounds era Beach Boys lullaby Hush. It essentially commands the listener to open their ears and hearts to this adventure. It's an introduction in part to the orchestral elements and also the jaw dropping vocal harmonies that are all over the album. Joining a Fan Club bursts out of the soft closing haze of Hush into a raucous 70's style Queen meets Ziggy Stardust romp. It recalls the joys of a childhood cautionary tale of being part of a fan club, idolizing rock gods, and the obsession that was many-a-teenagers only reason to be alive. The guitars are killing in this track, masterful and perfectly mixed.

 

Sebrina, Paste and Plato

Here we have a taste of the sense of Jellyfish's irony and humor with Sebrina, Paste and Plato. A sweet look into a classroom with a boy-meets-girl scenario, all the while trying to escape the pratfalls of the other students eating paste, being kids. Sonically, it's a journey into deep musicality, recalling production and choices similar to other Power-Pop giants, XTC. The sense of whimsy and youth is undeniable with the almost circus vibe that flows right into the beauty of harmonic flow.

New Mistake & The Glutton Of Sympathy

These two tracks share a common value in that they shed a light on one's personal journey into themselves. Each song holds dear musical moments, tender and toothsome. The lyrical content is so descriptive that you are pulled in at just the right moment to flow with the song. The rhythm section particularly moves my ears in these tracks. The sounds of both the drums and bass are incredible --- rich and full yet warm in a "tracked to tape" way, or at least in the way that every musician describes that idea. Of course, the music was in fact tracked to tape with every expensive and labor intensive inch of that plastic mojo.

All Is Forgiven

Quite possibly my favorite track on "Spilt Milk", All Is Forgiven is a song unlike any other on the album and unlike any other song, period. Clocking in just over four minutes, some of the heaviest rock guitar moments live here. The Queen-esque harmonies flow in and out of the fuzzed out guitars during this rough and tumble excursion. The production commands your senses and attention with quick stops of full silence and rich harmonies that act like the striking poses of a hard edged string quartet, this is music for the elemental mind and it rocks hard. The song reaches it's critical mass and flows out from the madness into a rhythmic outro that brings back the initial verse lyrics and it's just so good. Here are those lyrics:

heal me darling
pleaded the playboy bedroom eyes
grace your sunshine till everyithing's ok, alright, fine

truth and avarice
encircle his words like a barberpole
twisted and useless till they disappear in her camisole

all is forgiven

"Spilt Milk" in it's entirety.... Enjoy!

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