Sunday, February 12, 2012

No blogging on a Sunday.

See you Monday!

RIP: Whitney Houston

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/02/whitney-houston-dead-beverly-hills.html

From the article: "Singer Whitney Houston, who reigned as one of the world's top pop stars in the 1980s and '90s but suffered from recurring bouts with drugs and alcohol, was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room Saturday.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that paramedics arrived at the Beverly Hilton hotel, where Houston was staying, and found her dead. Her cause of death was unknown, said the sources, who asked to remain anonymous because the investigation is ongoing.

Houston, 48, was in the Los Angeles area for a musical tribute for music executive Clive Davis and had performed earlier this week."

And so that is how it ends.

Yet another of the world's great talents found dead in a hotel room. At 48 years old.

I'm really trying to process this - this has kind of hit me hard.

For two reasons, I imagine. For one, growing up in the 80's, Whitney had THE VOICE. I mean, it was the gold standard, the highly raised bar, the measure which most other singers looked at and then slumped their shoulders in dispair.

And that really never left. Whitney, even on her worst day, seldom sank to the depths of embarrassing performances like, say, a Jim Morrison or Amy Winehouse. Through it all, Whitey still had the pipes that made most challengers think again, then go back to waiting tables.

And, therein lies the second part. I, and I think the collective "we", were all secretly rooting for her to comeback. Really come back. Not just make some half-assed performance every once in a while, but to really grab the throne of Queen Of Pop, sit on the throne and reign again. We were egerly awaiting the second act.

The redemption. We were all waiting with our arms outstreatched saying, Another album, Whitney, another video, another tour, something, ANYTHING from you please! God save us from the Ga Ga's and the Perry's and the Rihanna's and the Clarksons and all the other subpar shit that dominates the airwaves these days. Come back to us, sing us a song and all will be forgiven.

I guess, for me at least, that's what makes this so hard. The second act was coming, I was sure of it. Hell, I would have bet real money on it.

But, instead, we get another pop star past their glory getting stiff on the floor of some hotel room. And that hurts too. Doesn't any pop star die in a plane crash anymore? 

Fucking hotel rooms. Shit.

And at 48. And maybe, just maybe, that hurts the most.

What a huge drag.

Saturday, February 11, 2012: The Silencers - Razor Blades Of Love

From their website: "The Silencers are a Scottish rock band formed in London in 1986. Their music is characterized by a melodic blend of pop, folk and traditional Celtic influences. Often compared to Scottish bands with a similar sound like Big Country, Del Amitri and The Proclaimers, The Silencers have distinguished themselves with their eclectic sounds, prolific output and continued career."

This was the single from their 2nd album, 1988's "A Blues For Buddha"

The Silencers are near the top of the list of bands which really, truly, madly and deeply deserve much more attention and praise than they've every gotten.  Hopefully someone can do an Anvil-style documentary and get these guys on to the charts and into the hearts of music lovers everywhere.

Here's hoping.  Until then, enjoy.

And have a great weekend.

Friday, February 10, 2012: Saliva - Ladies and Gentlemen

Ladies and Gentlemen, can I present

The Weekend.

After this you'll be begging for more.

Do you want it? Do you need it?

Let me hear it.

Thursday, February 9, 2012: Cyndi Lauper- She Bop

The third single from her 1983 album She's So Unusual (after "Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun" and "True Colors"), I've always thought that this track was far cooler than either of those.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a light, frothy pop-anthem in the grand tradition of songs like "Dancing In the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas.  True Colors is the ubiquitous pop ballad that sounds like, well, about a thousand other pop ballads.

She Bop sounds like....well, She Bop doesn't really sound like anything else.

First, that glorious false start, the dainty arpeggios of some fake string section, the innocent whistle fading out before the drums and dirty synth explode out of the speakers, grinding out a faint echo of some forgotten rhythm and blues riff, that immediate smashing together of the old and new. Then Lauper's voice kicks in like Betty Boop on Mescaline. In fact, the whole track feels like a bad trip gone right.

It really is Lauper's voice that is the star here, swinging between those high "boops" and squeeks to the haunted chorus singing "I don't really understand" to the various theatrics acting out the lyrics (see the faux disapproving tone singing about the "pages of a blue boy magazine"), here is an artist in full command of her instrument.

She Bop is an absolutely amazing track, and still stands as something unique on the landscape of pop music. I love this track a lot.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012: Rodrigo y Gabriela - Diablo Rojo (Live)

Mexican musicians Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero, otherwise known as Rodrigo y Gabriela, are not just cool - they are sub zero cool. They are vegans who met while performing in a thrash metal band. Their debut album beat out the Arctic Monkeys for the #1 spot on the UK's Album Charts, they have busked on European streets and performed for President Barack Obama. They have played both jazz festivals and headlined the West Holts stage at Glastonbury.

Here's the deal. You will never be as cool as them.

Sorry to break it to you

You will never play guitar cooler than them, you probably won't ever look cooler than them, and I'll pretty much bet the farm your life won't play out anywhere near as cool as theirs.

Sorry to break it to you.

However, instead of moping and feeling despondent, life yourself up and be joyful in the experience of their glorious music.

Besides, they would probably just shrug their shoulder and say, "Aw, we're not that cool" if you met them.

And how cool would that be.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012: TWOfer Tuesday - The Don Ho Edition

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr Don Ho.