Amid the noise, the static and the memes that everyone thinks they saw first, occasionally you find a moment in time that’s gone largely unnoticed and that you’re so glad you didn’t completely miss. John Prine being John Prine in an honest moment of musical community.
Category Archives: Spirit
Dave Brubeck
Brubeck’s Take Five can hit me the right way on the right day and make me laugh audibly from an otherwise disinterested mood. It would be too easy to post that song though, on the day of his passing. So dig this.
Black Keys Body Rock
I don’t dance. Or rather, I only dance at weddings. This is pretty much exactly how I dance at weddings.
Heart & Soul & Horns
Never knew who Lee Fields was before today. I know now. Wow.
An Honest Interpretation
During a late night scour of YouTube for rare reggae recordings, this ukulele adaptation of the Wailers’ “It Hurts to Be Alone” by an unknown, vaguely European fellow presented itself. Regarding the Wailers a bit seriously and tending to disapprove most attempts to repackage or update the music, I was utterly ready to discount what I had not yet seen. This honest little video won me over. I watched it 3 times before deciding it was good and a few more before actually really loving the interpretation. It’s a reinvention that is beautiful, humble and respectful.
The Upsetter in Chief
Lee “Scratch” Perry is the chief Upsetter. A father of funk within the reggae genre before Funk was a thing, the man personifies a bit more of the mischief and shrewdness of an otherwise spiritually (self) romanticized genre of music. I once saw him perform at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta and the whole time he cursed the crowd and warned them/us of their/our inevitable demise as they/we cheers’d his patois disparagements, arms raised high with Pabst.
This new vinyl likeness of Perry really nails his flavor. I appreciate that the eyes don’t point in the same direction because that’s real. All of this said, I’m a fan.
EgoTrip clued me in on Twitter
TurntableLab sells the doll.
Underground Roots via YouTube
Dead Bicycles
image borrowed from deadbicycles.com
Riding a bike = freedom x happiness… Seeing bike skeletons ravaged and scavenged locked to some grave post has always hit me in the gut. In my mind, I hear myself whisper “that sucks” whether it’s audible or not. As of yet I have no idea who is behind this campaign/public art but it makes me just a little more proud of Richmond that this statement is being made here and that whoever came up with it lives here.
Alive Inside
As a visual artist I’ve always held music in some higher regard. I experience emotion through music and admire musicians as clergy or counsel. My brother is a musician and he forwarded this video to me. I immediately loved this old man because I think I understand what music does for him. I also felt immense gratitude to this woman for discovering his love of music and providing it to him.
Phil Frost Ideates to Bob Marley
Two very significant influencers in my own art, life, experience. It makes so much sense to know that Frost has this relationship with Marley’s music and that I might discover this connection on my birthday. I got clued to this over on Arkitip.
An Irish Airman Foresees His Death
Though utterly lacking in festive levity, this video (posted on a friend’s Facebook page) is the most Irish experience I’ve had today. Shane MacGowan performs An Irish Airman Foresees His Death (Yeats).