Tag Archives: Django Reinhardt

Songs of the Zombie Apocalypse

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Does everyone remember the desert island albums game where one answers the question, “What 10 albums would you take with you to live out the rest of your days on a desert island?” Assuming that you had a record player. And a power source. And speakers.

Perhaps a more relevant question in this day-and-age is, “What 10 CDs from Everett Public Library’s collection would you want to have during the zombie apocalypse?”

Here is my answer.

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This is the Sonics by The Sonics
For a fuzzed-out, high-energy return to garage rock’s heyday, you cannot do better than this 2015 release. Catchy riffs, gritty vocals and extreme intensity combine into 33 minutes of rock and roll perfection.

So Delicious by Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
From the backwoods of Indiana, Reverend Peyton brings his phenomenal guitaristing and keen understanding of traditional blues to smack the world upside its head on So Delicious. A fine blend of foot-stompin’ goodness and infectious melodies make this album a tasty treat to be joyously consumed.

The Essential Louis Armstrong by Louis Armstrong
How better to spend a sunny afternoon than with a soundtrack of Louis Armstrong unfolding beneath your halcyon perambulations? His peculiar voice and spectacular trumpeting combine with tremendous musicianship to create a happy moment free from fear of the undead.

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Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! by Devo
When you’re on the run, variety is essential and Devo provides a unique listening experience. Manic energy, cuh-razee vocals and heretical interpretations of rock classics provide ample fodder to help you forget about your pathetic predicament.

Presidents of the United States of America by Presidents of the United States of America
Humor is a most excellent cure-all in trying times and the Presidents have provided it in spades. From annoying cats to annoying Californians, no topic is safe from the skewer of the POTUSA’s wit. Bonus feature: Fast tempos are conducive to fast escapes!

The Essential Django Reinhardt by Django Reinhardt
Speed-burning gypsy swing, incendiary violin and guitar solos, an inferno of perfection. Check out this soundtrack of joyous acceleration, guaranteed to propel you out of the grasp of virtually any hungry minion of death.

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Too Dumb to Die by Clambake
A pounding at the brain, brains, brrrrainnzzzz sets the old lymphatic system into a happy purr upon experiencing Clambake’s mighty thump of garage rocking goodness. Driving guitar riffs assault the senses, humorous lyrics tease the meninges, reeking zombies grab at your feet…

Road to Ruin by Ramones
24 hours to go, I wanna be sedated. This helps reduce the pain when zom… Uh, Ramones. Right. Godfathers of punk, leather coats, rock rock rock and roll… If you want to hear punk at its best, here ya go.

Only a Lad by Oingo Boingo
Speaking of ears, I seem to have only one left (coincidentally, it’s the left one), but through it I can still hear the phenomenal horns, high-energy and general weirdness of Oingo Boingo. Strange meters, uncomfortable topics and blazing fits of genius. Biggish band at its best.

Cramps

Songs The Lord Taught Us by The Cramps
Time is nearly gone and hey, the Cramps look suspiciously like those creatures that have been tracking my every move… Psychobilly, chainsaw guitars, hyperdramatic vocals. One of the most influential bands in the… aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh.

101 Artists to Listen to Before You Die

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101-artistsWhat better way to end the year than to read 101 Artists to Listen to Before You Die by Ricardo Cavolo? Sure, you’ve got your end-of-year best-of lists to explore, but this graphic novel includes a solid group of musicians from the last 300+ years that you can rest assured are worthy of your time. “Graphic novel” you say? Why yes indeedy, it is.

It might seem odd to present music reviews in a graphic novel format, but Cavolo’s artwork is an integral part of this exceptional book. Amazing portraits of the artists incorporate symbols, iconography and bits of history in a unique style unlike anything I’ve seen. Each picture is worthy of extensive study.

The book’s prose is also unusual and captivating. Writing about music is a most difficult task and Cavalo, who does not consider himself a musician or a skilled music reviewer, excels at it. He approaches music from an emotional and visceral angle, describing how it makes him feel, not attempting to fit the abstract into an intellectual box but using poetical descriptions to communicate his reactions. It’s a highly effective strategy.

The book is fairly chronological, starting with J.S. Bach and ending with Chief Keef. Between the two we find most every kind of music imaginable. For example:

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Old Crow Medicine Show (old timey), Leadbelly (blues), Woody Guthrie (folk), Dolly Parton (country), Buddy Holly (50s rock), The Sonics (garage rock), Black Flag (punk), Notorious B.I.G. (hip hop), Elliott Smith (indie rock) and The Chemical Brothers (electronica) to name just a few.

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And here are a few artists I recommend for my end-of-year best music official list thing.

djangoDjango Reinhardt – He’s the king of gypsy jazz, the man who can play more notes with two fingers (the other three were injured in a fire) than I will ever play in my life. Driving rhythms, virtuoso soloing, jazz violin courtesy of Stephan Grappelli.

 

vuThe Velvet Underground – They included Lou Reed and John Cale, they associated with Andy Warhol. At a time when youth culture was exploding and rock music was exemplified by the muscular guitar solos of Jimi Hendrix, The VU put out quiet little gems, rough around the edges and filled with beauty.

 

zombiesThe Zombies – Time of the Season is a favorite of many, but not a lot of other songs by this British Invasion band are remembered. Yet their catalog is filled with material as good as their more popular contemporaries. Take a listen to their album voted the 100th best album of all-time by Rolling Stone magazine.

 

iggyIggy Pop – The godfather of proto-punk has been recording albums since 1969. This year he released a new one and it’s quite good. A bit of Middle Eastern influence, dreamy vocals, and at age 70 he still can’t keep his shirt on. Don’t expect Stooges energy but anticipate a full frontal assault on new musical frontiers.

And so we say goodbye to 2016 (the first of many such goodbyes) and prepare to make lists and to share them with unsuspecting citizens. Your mission, should you accept it, is to find CDs of the artists listed above (hey, try looking at EPL!). Check them out. Listen. Make a list. Lather (optional). Repeat.

And now you’re ready for 2017. Happy listening.

Music For A Lifetime

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django-reinhardtThe year: Nineteen-eighty-something. The place: Bellingham. Our protagonist is a handsome young man finishing his studies in music whilst working in the college library. A mile or more from his modest roach-infested home sits the Bellingham Public Library, a bastion of free knowledge. Much to the delight of our hero, the building sports an eclectic vinyl record collection (an ancient form of music media, similar to 8-track tapes) ranging from field recordings of chain gangs to sea chanties of the Hebrides. It is here that he first discovers the music of Django Reinhardt and Bob Wills. And here’s the twist: I was that young man!

It’s true.

Bob WillsSome 30 years later, I still listen to Django Reinhardt and Bob Wills on a semi-daily basis. It’s amazing what an impact these library holdings made on my existence. Throw in Charles Mingus’s Fables of Faubus and Haitian Fight Song and we’ve captured significant musical influences to my later life.

At that time in library collection management, I would wager that audio selection was made to provide people with access to music they’d never find anywhere else (this was before everything imaginable was issued on CD) rather than to provide popular music for listening pleasure. And for me, this was perfect! I loved the Folkways releases of underwater Christmas carols and chants of the Irkutskian mud men. Although I might be misremembering those titles.

When I moved to Everett in 1987, the audio holdings were very similar to those in Bellingham. Perfect! And within a couple of years, a few CDs even joined the collection! It was around this time that music selection processes changed to some extent. Perhaps influenced by the initial lack of offerings on CD, perhaps reflecting a change in library philosophy, popular music entered the library in a big way.

But where I’m going with this ramble is: Bellingham Public Library has influenced my life for over 30 years! I’m so grateful that I was exposed to music that I otherwise did not have access to (no internet, no Pandora, no iTunes, etc). And here at Everett Public Library we try to provide a diverse collection of music that will keep you grateful for the next 30 years.

Wild and woolyOur latest venture is the Local Music collection which currently consists of over 70 titles from a variety of time periods. A good place to start exploring this new collection is the CD Wild and Wooly, a compilation of northwest music stretching from the 50s to the present. Many of its performers might not be familiar names, but they’ve all been essential to the growth of local music. And one of the most important bands found on this album is The Wailers, teenagers (well, they were in the 50s) hailing from Tacoma.

In 1959 The Wailers released the instrumental single Tall Cool One which went on to chart at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other local bands such as the Dave Lewis Trio, The Frantics, The Ventures and The Viceroys (all featured on Wild and Wooly) also focused on instrumentals, joining in The Wailers’ success with hit recordings and sold-out performances. The Wailers’ momentum led to recording an album (The Fabulous Wailers), appearing on American Bandstand and touring the east coast. But there’s no place like home and after returning to the northwest the band started its own record label, Etiquette (which later helped launch The Sonics), and made a ground-breaking recording of Louie, Louie.

And this is just scratching the surface (vinyl humor!) of the amazing Wild and Wooly. Check this one out! Perhaps you’ll find a band or two to put into your life’s playlist for the next 30 years. And stay tuned for more posts on Northwest music.