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Category: Music Page 21 of 29

Miriam Makeba Passes

By

On November 10, 2008

In Music, Society

From the Guardian & Mail:

South African singer Miriam Makeba, “one of the greatest songstresses of our time”, died on Sunday night after collapsing as she left the stage following a performance in Italy, the Foreign Minister said on Monday.

“One of the greatest songstresses of our time, Miriam Makeba, has ceased to sing. Miriam Makeba, South Africa’s Goodwill Ambassador, died performing what she did best — an ability to communicate a positive message through the art of singing,” said South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

“Throughout her life, Mama Makeba communicated a positive message to the world about the struggle of the people of South Africa and the certainty of victory over the dark forces of apartheid colonialism through the art of song.”

I’ve featured her music here before, including one of her most famous hits, Pata Pata (this is a great performance she gave in Brazil, 1967):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85_9mKTg_Do[/youtube]

10:15/Saturday Night: Dreaming of Bad Things

By

On November 8, 2008

In Music

Chris Isaak’s Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing is his second hottest video.  Imagine that.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbpv7IUTm5k[/youtube]

The first time I heard this next track, I thought it was Chris Isaak.  In fact, it’s Jace Everett, singing Bad Things.  Apologies for the cheeseball graphic – YouTube beggars can’t be choosers.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9osYNb5jmGQ[/youtube]

Found Everett through HBO’s new True Blood series.  Here’s the opening segment featuring Bad Things.  I’m a complete sucker for Southern Gothic.

Finally, we have one of the Butthole Surfers’ best works – Whatever (I Had a Dream Last Night) (set to a fanvid using the beginning of Donnie Darko):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kUAyMo_aQA[/youtube]

~

Fiona Apple’s Criminal would have made an appearance tonight, but you can thank Sony for stopping that.  So instead, here’s a rather inspired derivative work involving April Stevens’ (1959!) Teach Me, Tiger:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxrE9xWU59Y[/youtube]

Weekend Music: Flip It Edition

By

On November 7, 2008

In Music

Going to use this Friday to play what I would have had up here on Wednesday. The first track everyone knows. Everyone. The Clash’s Rock the Casbah:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAkfHShATKY[/youtube]

Algerian Rachid Taha knows it, too. Apparently a huge fan of Joe Strummer. But he thought the song was a little condescending, so he had a go at it, in Arabic. Dunno about you, but I like this version – Rock el Casbah – better:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw6Xw2q_91M[/youtube]

Midweek Makeover: Writ Large Edition

By

On November 5, 2008

In Music, Personal, Politics, Society

Midweek makeover?  Forget that, today is a milestone makeover, and that’s probably underselling it.  No covers, either.  It’s the real thing.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rhKJcTgmgI[/youtube]

Weekend Music: Me Me Me Edition

By

On October 31, 2008

In Music

Probably a bit of Me Decade overkill, but for some of you, that’s just not possible.  (More music to come, this weekend.)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arUqoKjU3D4[/youtube]

and

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvAVJTQeFiQ[/youtube]

and

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_9sB92dJzM[/youtube]

Update: Stupid Youtube.  This is the last one.

Midweek Makeover: Redefining “Rich” Edition

By

On October 29, 2008

In Music

Just a bit of fun.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHZFYpQ6nc[/youtube]

and then

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z432Pwci0-Y[/youtube]

and most recently

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_ioTEw-yM0&feature=related[/youtube]

Updated to avoid a serious omission.

10:15/Saturday Night: On Love

By

On October 25, 2008

In Music, Personal, Society

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5C99JyP2ns[/youtube]

Weekend Music: Single Shot Edition

By

On October 24, 2008

In Music

Justice’s D.A.N.C.E. (go ahead, try not to):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49esza4eiK4[/youtube]

Midweek Makeover: Mrs. Brown’s Lovely Daughter

By

On October 22, 2008

In Music

Just because I quite like them both.

Herman’s Hermits pine over Mrs. Brown’s Lovely Daughter in 1965

And Phranc does the same in 1995

10:15/Saturday Night: Opus’ Mad World

By

On October 18, 2008

In Music, Personal, Society

Two things go perfectly together, tonight.  First, this interview with Berkeley Breathed, on bringing Opus to an end (killing him?!):

Breathed says it’s the anger that led him to close the book on “Opus,” that the increasingly nasty political climate has made it too difficult to keep his strip from drifting into darkness. Breathed has described his work as a hybrid of “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz’s gentle humor and Michael Moore’s crusading social justice. Perhaps losing touch with his inner Charlie Brown, Breathed has said that “a mad penguin, like a mad cartoonist, isn’t very lovable,” and wants Opus to take his final bow before bitterness changes him forever.

And yes, it’s a repeat, but apt:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0G9vDKcdLg[/youtube]

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