by

Song of the Day #119: ‘Flake’ – Jack Johnson

jackjohnsonJack Johnson is one of those artists who has written just one song and made a career out of recording it in slightly different ways.

OK, I say that with some degree of confidence, but the truth is I only own one full album of his (Brushfire Fairytales) and I’ve only heard a handful of songs apart from that album. So maybe he does things that are completely unexpected on the rest of his discography. But somehow I doubt it.

Of the various incarnations of the single Jack Johnson song, two stand out in my mind as the best of the bunch.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #118: ‘His Majesty Rides (Live)’ – Josh Rouse

rouse2It’s weird to listen to an artist obsessively for a long time and never really know what he looks like. I own and adore all of Josh Rouse’s albums but I could’ve shared a cab with him and never known it.

So it’s odd to watch this live clip and discover that he looks like a cross between Kyle MacLachlan and k.d. lang as he plays in front of what looks like a display of children’s books. So much for our musical heroes being larger than life.

But that’s what’s cool about these live clips. They make it abundantly clear that these great musicians are just regular people plying their trade the way countless buskers have before them.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #117: ‘After You’ve Gone’ – Fiona Apple

fionaI could go on forever about Fiona Apple, one of my very favorite artists. She’s released only three albums in 12 years but still ranks at the very top of a very long list. Hell, she’s even one of the inspirations for my youngest daughter’s name (it’s Fiona… we didn’t pull a Gwyneth Paltrow).

Apple has done a lot of these record store appearances, many of which are available on YouTube. This one if a cover of ‘After You’ve Gone,’ a tune from the early 20th century. I believe that is producer extraordinaire Jon Brion playing the guitar beside her.

Continue reading →

by

Synecdoche, New York

synecdocheI’m really not sure how to review this film. I definitely know I’m not yet ready to rank it. I feel like I need to see it at least one more time before really grasping it, but the prospect of seeing it again kind of scares me. I’m only halfway kidding when I say this is either the best film of the year or the worst.

One thing is certain. Charlie Kaufman has created a work of ferociously imaginative art — one that makes his previous flights of fancy seem almost conventional. I consider Kaufman one of the few true geniuses working in film today, and by far the best screenwriter in the business, so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and work with him on this one. This is a dense and layered text that demands examination, not the sort of thing you watch once and file between Quantum of Solace and Kung-Fu Panda.

Continue reading →

by

Song of the Day #116: ‘When Your Mind’s Made Up’ – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

irglovahansInspired by last week’s Tift Merritt Song of the Day, which featured her playing a live set at a record shop, I’ve decided to dedicate an extended theme week to such live performances.

Today through Sunday, each of my selections will be a live performance in front of a small record store audience. The great thing about the next batch of songs is that each of these artists is unpopular enough to warrant such a small venue but each has a rabid enough fan base that you can be sure every single person in these shops knows what a special experience they’re having.

Continue reading →