Because other people will take pictures for you
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Sharda
I hate to keep writing in hear when someone fucking dies. But I guess that's when most people become famous anyways. When the community in which they belong starts to evaluate their contribution, their importance, and their legacy. And usually when doing that, you can find greatness in most people.
Sharda Sahai was the reason I started playing tabla. I was interested in Indian music and for me, the best way to understand how a music works is to play it. I heard a live CD. A solo tabla CD. The sound completely knocked me out. It wasn't necessarily a "pretty" sound or even a "clean" sound that many tabla players strive for. It was big, boisterous and very striking. Towards the end of the CD he speaks some compositions like this one and it was hilarious to hear both in the sense that the music was so great that it was hard not to smile but also because his voice sounded like his drums! Old, grumpy, but sincere.
I listened to the CD in my car for weeks, pretending to sound out his compositions and taping long. Always full of surprises. I listened on my way home from a Binghamton trip with Dan Sherman. He liked it. In fact, everyone who was in my car for those few weeks or months like it. For the same reason I did. The sound. Like John Bonham, or the guy from the Melvins, or whatever. Think big and round.
There's not too much else I can say. First of all, I don't consider myself a tabla "player." Second, what can you say about someone you never met, who doesn't know who you exist, but is the reason for you having started playing and understanding music? It's his gift to me.
His legacy is in his students and his recordings. He was a teacher up til the day he died. Giving classes, demonstrations and lessons. Imagine a teacher who's not apprehensive about sharing? Imagine a teacher who encouraged the practice of Indian music by non-Indians? Notably Bob Becker. If I had that recording on me I'd put a link to it but I'd have to dig through my shit and I'm not 100% sure I even have it any more.
Here's a nice right hand work out for ya. Watch how he builds his solo and keeps adding new little ideas til the end. You think he can't play any faster or add any more notes but he does! And he's having fun.
Thanks Sharda.
Sharda Sahai was the reason I started playing tabla. I was interested in Indian music and for me, the best way to understand how a music works is to play it. I heard a live CD. A solo tabla CD. The sound completely knocked me out. It wasn't necessarily a "pretty" sound or even a "clean" sound that many tabla players strive for. It was big, boisterous and very striking. Towards the end of the CD he speaks some compositions like this one and it was hilarious to hear both in the sense that the music was so great that it was hard not to smile but also because his voice sounded like his drums! Old, grumpy, but sincere.
I listened to the CD in my car for weeks, pretending to sound out his compositions and taping long. Always full of surprises. I listened on my way home from a Binghamton trip with Dan Sherman. He liked it. In fact, everyone who was in my car for those few weeks or months like it. For the same reason I did. The sound. Like John Bonham, or the guy from the Melvins, or whatever. Think big and round.
There's not too much else I can say. First of all, I don't consider myself a tabla "player." Second, what can you say about someone you never met, who doesn't know who you exist, but is the reason for you having started playing and understanding music? It's his gift to me.
His legacy is in his students and his recordings. He was a teacher up til the day he died. Giving classes, demonstrations and lessons. Imagine a teacher who's not apprehensive about sharing? Imagine a teacher who encouraged the practice of Indian music by non-Indians? Notably Bob Becker. If I had that recording on me I'd put a link to it but I'd have to dig through my shit and I'm not 100% sure I even have it any more.
Thanks Sharda.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Why Titus Andronicus Should Be Removed
I guess some people like music like this
I saw Titus Andronicus open for Bomb the Music Industry Sunday night. And it occurred to me that they were one of the few bands I've seen live that had no redeeming qualities. If I can make some statements that nobody will care about and are probably false:
- they take the punk out of punk
- they take the rock out of rock and roll
They didn't play in tune, they took 45 minutes to set up, the lead singer talked a minimum of 5, often 10, minutes between each song. These talks were anything from irrelevant political ramblings to uninteresting facts about Lou Reed's Berlin album and the kind of musings that really jerk off an audience of Brooklyn hipsters who primarily were under 21 and many around 18. They all look like Rivers Cuomo. I hate to say it but you can often size up a band by what the members look like. The main musical concern is that I don't think they have any concept of themselves. That is to say that their music sounds like 90's punk, but played much worse than any 90's punk band. Their guitar solos sound like 90's rock, but played worse than J. Mascis or Ted Leo for that matter. Their slow jams sound like southern folk-rock, but played worse than Laura Stevenson who played just before them and played many slow jams and sounded incredible. She played a new song, a lot slower than the one I linked here. And yet, they are kind of famous! People know them. They know the words. Jeff Rosenstock personally invited them to open for BTMI. It's a concern of mine and I don't fully understand it. If someone asked me (and people often do) "what is indie rock?" or "who is an indie rock band?" I would respond (if I wanted to be real negative about it) by saying generic rock music played in Brooklyn, NY. Check out Titus Andronicus cause they sound like everybody and like nothing.
I'm usually not so negative or at least don't fucking care enough to say anything bad about anyone. This blog is meant to bring listening pleasure to myself and whoever's bored enough to read it. But hey, I'm allowed to hate and I'm sorry if you like them. I'm sure there's a lot in their music that I just don't get and it's my fault for being too closed minded and judgmental.
I saw Titus Andronicus open for Bomb the Music Industry Sunday night. And it occurred to me that they were one of the few bands I've seen live that had no redeeming qualities. If I can make some statements that nobody will care about and are probably false:
- they take the punk out of punk
- they take the rock out of rock and roll
They didn't play in tune, they took 45 minutes to set up, the lead singer talked a minimum of 5, often 10, minutes between each song. These talks were anything from irrelevant political ramblings to uninteresting facts about Lou Reed's Berlin album and the kind of musings that really jerk off an audience of Brooklyn hipsters who primarily were under 21 and many around 18. They all look like Rivers Cuomo. I hate to say it but you can often size up a band by what the members look like. The main musical concern is that I don't think they have any concept of themselves. That is to say that their music sounds like 90's punk, but played much worse than any 90's punk band. Their guitar solos sound like 90's rock, but played worse than J. Mascis or Ted Leo for that matter. Their slow jams sound like southern folk-rock, but played worse than Laura Stevenson who played just before them and played many slow jams and sounded incredible. She played a new song, a lot slower than the one I linked here. And yet, they are kind of famous! People know them. They know the words. Jeff Rosenstock personally invited them to open for BTMI. It's a concern of mine and I don't fully understand it. If someone asked me (and people often do) "what is indie rock?" or "who is an indie rock band?" I would respond (if I wanted to be real negative about it) by saying generic rock music played in Brooklyn, NY. Check out Titus Andronicus cause they sound like everybody and like nothing.
I'm usually not so negative or at least don't fucking care enough to say anything bad about anyone. This blog is meant to bring listening pleasure to myself and whoever's bored enough to read it. But hey, I'm allowed to hate and I'm sorry if you like them. I'm sure there's a lot in their music that I just don't get and it's my fault for being too closed minded and judgmental.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Christmas Time Is Here
The past two years I've been out of the country for both Christmas and New Years. This year it's kind of weird knowing that I'll be here with no real plans of any kind. Without getting more personal, I'd like to share some of my favorite Christmas/New Years music. For as cynical as I can be about "commercial" music, I happen to really enjoy Christmas music for some reason. I'll just post links to youtube. That's probably the easiest way. This list is in no particular order. Hopefully there's some familiar songs and some new ones for ya'll.
1. ELP - I Believe In Father Christmas
2. Death Cab For Cutie - The New Year
3. Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime
4. A Passing Feeling - The New Year
5. Unremarkable People - Hey, My Leg Freakin' Hurts Over Here
6. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
7. Vince Guaraldi - Christmas Time Is Here
8. Wham - Last Christmas
9. The Mountain Goats - This Year
10. Tom Waits - Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
Ten seems like a enough.
1. ELP - I Believe In Father Christmas
2. Death Cab For Cutie - The New Year
3. Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime
4. A Passing Feeling - The New Year
5. Unremarkable People - Hey, My Leg Freakin' Hurts Over Here
6. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
7. Vince Guaraldi - Christmas Time Is Here
8. Wham - Last Christmas
9. The Mountain Goats - This Year
10. Tom Waits - Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis
Ten seems like a enough.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Interview/New Song
It's been longer than I thought. I'll try and keep writing more. For now check out this stuff. Next show at Mr. Beery's Jan 7th with good bands. Thanks to Tom Mauro for taking the time to do this for us. Please check out http://www.youtube.com/user/MauroInMusic?feature=g-all to see what Tom is all about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)