Peotr
05-27-2008, 01:40 PM
Today's song: "Cherries In The Snow (http://www.bagofmice.com/tunes/daily/27.5.08.mp3)" by Elk City (from the album New Believers, Friendly Fire Recordings, 2007).
Sometimes great music hinges on a voice. Sometimes this is the entire reason for classifying something as 'alternative'.
In 1969 David Jones, a young musician mostly known from the English blues scene, renamed himself David Bowie and released the single "Space Oddity" (you can YouTube 'Space Oddity' - it's the 'Major Tom' song.) The song, a major hit in the US and the UK, is familiar, but it is also strikingly different from the normal popular music of the time, and one critic named David Bowie "the alternative" to popular music.
Throughout his recording career reviewers usually hinged on Bowie's voice. Like it or hate it, David Bowie's voice is the signature instrument that makes a David Bowie album.
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In past incarnations Elk City was a neo-country band; Renee LoBue sang and played bass with a male vocalist named Peter Langland-Hassan. In 2002 Langland-Hassan left the band, and Elk City verged on dissolution. Instead of collapsing, though, LoBue and drummer Ray Ketchum retooled Elk City with LoBue as the singer and frontman for the band.
LoBue also took over songwriting, and while Elk City's music is complex and airy the words are often minimalist; in some songs the words are just a place for LoBue to hang her vocals.
-- Peotr (The Normal Guy) ©™
P.S. Caveat: This music is copyrighted, and is available here solely for the purpose of discussion.
P.P.S. To the people who will invariably ask, yes, I really do like this song.
P.P.P.S. Evil delight: If you're like me, and you like to pick up cats and make them do kitty dances, this song is great dance material.
(sings) "Kittys .. in the snow. Kittys .. when they go. In the litter... In the litter..."
P.P.P.P.S. "When the kittys pass, and they're meowing ... Oooh meow-meow! Oooh meow-meow! Ooooh-oooh meow-meow! Ooooh-oooh meow-meow!"
Sometimes great music hinges on a voice. Sometimes this is the entire reason for classifying something as 'alternative'.
In 1969 David Jones, a young musician mostly known from the English blues scene, renamed himself David Bowie and released the single "Space Oddity" (you can YouTube 'Space Oddity' - it's the 'Major Tom' song.) The song, a major hit in the US and the UK, is familiar, but it is also strikingly different from the normal popular music of the time, and one critic named David Bowie "the alternative" to popular music.
Throughout his recording career reviewers usually hinged on Bowie's voice. Like it or hate it, David Bowie's voice is the signature instrument that makes a David Bowie album.
----------
In past incarnations Elk City was a neo-country band; Renee LoBue sang and played bass with a male vocalist named Peter Langland-Hassan. In 2002 Langland-Hassan left the band, and Elk City verged on dissolution. Instead of collapsing, though, LoBue and drummer Ray Ketchum retooled Elk City with LoBue as the singer and frontman for the band.
LoBue also took over songwriting, and while Elk City's music is complex and airy the words are often minimalist; in some songs the words are just a place for LoBue to hang her vocals.
-- Peotr (The Normal Guy) ©™
P.S. Caveat: This music is copyrighted, and is available here solely for the purpose of discussion.
P.P.S. To the people who will invariably ask, yes, I really do like this song.
P.P.P.S. Evil delight: If you're like me, and you like to pick up cats and make them do kitty dances, this song is great dance material.
(sings) "Kittys .. in the snow. Kittys .. when they go. In the litter... In the litter..."
P.P.P.P.S. "When the kittys pass, and they're meowing ... Oooh meow-meow! Oooh meow-meow! Ooooh-oooh meow-meow! Ooooh-oooh meow-meow!"