Simon Says

Viva la Paul Simon...

In 2006 Time Magazine called Paul Simon one of the 100 "People who shape the world." Either as one half of a successful duo in the 60's or as a solo artist beginning in the 70's, Mr. Simon has definitely had a huge impact on other musicians. Here are 2 recent releases that owe a lot to his musicality.

The first is by Canadian-rocker Jeremy Fisher. In 2007 he released his second album "Goodbye Blue Monday."

He made his own video for his first single "Cigarette." This was viewed over 2 million times on YouTube. (Better make that over 2 million and 1!)

Here is my favorite song from the album... (as you can tell, he is a big fan of stop-motion animation)

The other Paul Simonesque release is from my favorite new band this year... VAMPIRE WEEKEND!

They are comprised of 4 guys who met at Colombia University. Two of the guys were in a previous rap group called "L'Homme Run." Their music has both a Western Classical influence and a African Popular Music feel..... (The Afro Pop part of their sound is very reminiscent of Paul Simon's "Graceland.") Self recorded and self produced, Vampire Weekend's self-titled cd came out at the beginning of the year.

Check these guys out.... this is a perfect album for the summer... LOVE THEM!!!

Here are some great videos and performances....

"A-Punk"

"Mansarf Roof"

"Oxford Comma"



Here's the audio from my favorite song.... "M79"



On a final Paul Simon note, one of my favorite Vocal Jazz groups "NEW YORK VOICES" released an album of all Paul Simon covers.

Sadly, the album is currently out of print! (You may be able to find used copies in stores or on amazon.com)

I really love this album and want you to hear it, so.... here is a link to download it from yours truly!

http://www.sendspace.com/file/d60htl


They do a wonderful reworking of "Cecilia." The whole album is WONDERFUL! I've actually seen them in concert twice and met them too. They are the nicest people. Check out their album "Sing! Sing! Sing!" as well.

Annie Get Your Remote

"Broadway meets the Boob-Tube"

Last year was a big year in movie musicals ("Hairspray," "Sweeney Todd," "Across the Universe," and my personal fav… "Once") This summer brings us "Mamma Mia!"

The musical genre also made it’s way to the small screen as well. TV land brought us three wonderful new shows that heavily incorporated musical #’s into their plots. I’m not going to count the dreadful “Viva Laughlin” with the horribly wasted Hugh Jackman. This show had characters lip syncing to pop songs…. If you missed this consider yourself blessed that you never had to see Melanie Griffith sultridise Blondie’s “One Way or Another” (New word I just made up.... SULTRIDISE: verb - to try and make sultry)

...but on to the 3 really good ones... Like Hugh Jackman in "Viva Best-Forgotten," these 3 shows featured characters or cameos by Broadway stars. 

(This blog got a little long in show descriptions so please fill free to skim)

First up is the wonderfully quirky "PUSHING DAISIES."

In "Pushing Daisies," Ned discovered as a child that he had a gift for bringing people back to life by touching them. If he touches them a second time they are dead (permanently this time!) If they are alive for more than 1 minute someone else in the area drops dead. One day his mom dies from an aneurysm. He, of course, brings her back to life for over a minute.  However, in doing so, the father of his childhood sweetheart “Chuck” drops dead.  She moves away with her aunts and he never sees her again.  Later that night his mom kisses him goodnight and falls dead.

As an adult the charming Ned works as a pie-maker (The restaurant that he owns is called “the PIE HOLE!”)  He is assisted by a waitress named Olive.  She is played to perfection by Broadway cutie Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.)

Ned ends ups joining forces with a private investigator who uses him as an easy way to solve murder crimes.   Ned touches the victim and gets as much info as he can in one minute. One day the victim happens to be… his childhood sweetheart Chuck.  He is heartbroken and decides to keep her alive.  Romance starts to fill the air during the season.  One problem…. they can’t touch.

This show reminded me a lot of "Amelie" or the movie adaptation of "Matilda."   It is visually stunning and is brought to you by the same people who made the tragically short lived “Wonderfalls” (*Check this series out as well!) The show has a wonderful fairytale vibe to it and started to incorporate musical numbers into the plot.  Besides Kristin Chenoweth, the cast also features Ellen Greene (Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors) as one of Chuck’s aunts.  (The other is the fabulous Swoosie Kurtz.)

Chenoweth’s character Olive pines for romance from Ned.  Here is her musical ode to him with the assistance of his dog.



Pushing Daisies never came back after the writer’s strike. It IS scheduled to return in the fall!!! You can watch full episodes on abc.com

Next up is a show that just finished this past week. This was also on abc.

"ELI STONE" is about a lawyer who starts having visions in the form of musical #’s (often to George Michael songs!!) He visits his brother (a neurologist) who tells Eli he has a brain aneurysm which is probably leading to these hallucinations. Eli turns to a Chinese acupuncturist who believes that Eli is a prophet and that these are visions from God.  Eli doesn’t know what to think.  He starts taking court cases that are influenced by these visions, and his life drastically changes.  I absolutely loved this show and fear that it might not return.  The way it ended tied up loose ends… (but did it in a absolutely beautiful musical sequence.)

Musical #’s were performed by Broadway vets Victor Garber (Godspell, Damn Yankees), Loretta Devine (Dreamgirls), and George Michael himself.   The cast also featured Broadway’s Laura Benanti (Into the Woods, Wedding Singer, Gypsy) and Katey Segal ("Peg Bundy" in Married with Children, and a backup singer for Bette Midler.)  Neither of these gals sang this season but might (or might have ) in coming seasons. I don’t want to post the wonderful finale # for plot reasons, but here is a taste of the show.



Finally, there is the amazing duo that brought us “FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS.”

FOTC is comprised of Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement.   They describe themselves as "New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo"

Starting as a comedy act, a series was developed for HBO charting their search for stardom in New York.  This show is absolutely brilliant, and the first season is on DVD right now!

The 2 guys are hilarious. I also love Kristen Schaal.  She plays their obsessively stalkerish singular fan. Here is a clip of Jermaine noticing an attractive woman at a party and trying to woo her through song.



The broadway connection is that Sutton Foster (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein) appeared in a couple episodes as Bret’s Girlfriend. He was composing a song for her telling her he would "climb the highest mountains, swim the deepest sea...." Jermaine hears it and asks would you actually do all that? "Write about things you would actually do…" Here is the finished product...



The second season is not set to air until January 2009.  That gives you plenty of time to discover season one and...

(drumroll)

NEW RELEASE ALERT…

Their first full length U.S. album comes out this Tuesday! (which is why I wrote this blog entry to begin with.) The album features songs from the series and many more wonderful "guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk" masterpieces.

Check out any of these three wonderful shows.  You can find episodes of "Pushing Daisies" and "Eli Stone" on abc.com.  Also available is the dvd and cd of "Flight of the Conchords."

Happy Viewing!

Puttin' on the Brits

Once again British gals are rockin' the music scene.  No I'm not referring to the Spice Girls.  (Though I must admit I once made a Spice Rack out of Spice Girl figurines that was oh so VERY cool!) 

No,  I'm talking about 3 new gals just hitting (or about to hit) US airwaves.

First up is Leona Lewis.  She won "The X Factor" (The british version of American Idol produced by Simon Cowell.)  She has a great pop sound.  I would recommend her to fans of Mariah Carey... or fans of early Mariah Carey (when she had more range to her voice and more material to her dresses.)

Here's a clip of Leona's first single "Bleeding Love" from her debut album "Spirit."

The next two are being hailed as the "New Amy's"  (as in Amy Winehouse.)  I personally love them both.  And they seem a little more stable than Ms. Rehab.

Adele (now 20) recorded her debut album "19" when she was.... wait for it..... 19!  Here is a cool video of "Chasing Pavements"

Finally we have "Duffy."  If you are over Winehouse's stuff-y try Duffy!  Sorry... enough-y!

Seriously, there are some major similarites.  Duffy's first single "Mercy" definitely has a "Rehab" vibe.  In the musical intro she even sings "Yeah, yeah, yeah" instead of "No, no, no."  I REALLY dig the song though.  I actually really like the whole album (I've been listening to the U.K. import version.) Her whole album "Rockferry" comes out May 13 in the US for a pretty low price.  "Mercy" is available now as a single on i-tunes.

Here's the video for Mercy.

There you are.... 3 musical British Babes.

I would also like to give a musical shout out to 2 other great UK gals...  Lily Allen and Kate Nash.  Their albums are full of fun melodies and "cheeky" lyrics.

Getting Started...

"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music"

- Sergei Rachmaninov

I absolutely love this quote. Whether I am performing or listening to my i-pod or cd's, my day is usually filled to the max with music. If my life was a movie, I would have a pretty cool soundtrack. (If I do say so myself!)

I feel so many of us are searching for new music to feed our souls, for that one song to change our lives.  I feel, "Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough to discover new music!"

I am one of those people who can be heard time and time again saying "You have GOT to hear this!" I am constantly making mixed cd's for friends or making people wait in the car a few (or maybe more) extra minutes to hear "just ONE MORE song that I have GOT to play for you."

So think of this blog as our little "New Music For The Soul" club.  I will be posting Artists, Songs, Albums, and Movies that inspire me or simply make me happy. They might not all be your cup of tea, but check them out.... you never know when you will find that one song to brighten your day.

Speaking of brightening your day, here's a great cover of "You Are My Sunshine" by up and coming jazz vocalist Sara Gazarek. 

Here's the audio for "You Are My Sunshine" from Sara's first album "Yours"

This is an absolutely beautiful rendition of Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" featured on her 2nd album "Return To You"

Sara has 2 great studio albums with some pretty cool covers.  She also has a live album "Live at the Jazz Bakery"  that you can purchase on her website or i-tunes.  This album has a really cool version of "So This Is Love" from Disney's "Cinderella."

Here's her website....

www.saragazarek.com

(sorry having trouble with hyperlink)


Thanks for reading! (and listening)

Musically Yours,

MICHAEL