The Seven Song Itch - Slanky Song Selections

This selection of songs is Trip-hop with subtle tones of Chill-Out – these are late night intimate songs.  This music is my dedication to all the late night workers that haven’t forgotten that they are sensual beings.  I’ve had odd jobs for many years and one of them was working overnights at a motel out in the middle of nowhere.  There were a few gals from a strip club that would check in from time to time because you never strip in your hometown, and gas money for driving home was more than staying at a motel.  These songs convey an image of a private dance in a back room at four-thirty in the morning.  It’s almost time to go home, but a client has retained a lady for the evening.  She’s in the mood for something sensual and slow, making him suffer with every bump and grind.  He’s dressed in a tux, but has his bow tie undone, chain-smoking unfiltered camels, drinking single malt, and gazing at her beauty.  She’s a million miles away in her mind, but keeps her eyes on him, making him watch.  There is still vitality in her eyes, though some of the other girls at the club are dead inside.  The room is illuminated with subtle tones of electric blue, which gives her skin a soft glow, but her eyes pierce the darkness.  As the performance ends, they exchange glances; he gets up and offers her his coat as they exit the back door where his car is parked.  Standing in the alley, he gives her his last cigarette, she cups the flame around the lighter and glides her fingers down his wrist, taking the lighter.  They drive off to the diner just down the street as the sun begins to rise.

Playlist of Slanky SongSelections

1. Portishead - “Glory Box”(1995)

Formed in 1991, this down tempo trip-hop band stormed England with their chilled out vibe and innovative arrangements.  This song may not be a feminist manifesto, but it does give perspective of a temptress that wants to be loved as a woman and not an object of lust.  This video is taken from the phenomenal show they did in 1997 at the historic Roseland Theater in New York and is one of my all time live concerts.  Beth Gibbons (vocals) chain-smokes her way though several sultry songs and conveys strength in fragile beauty.

2. Tricky – “Hell Is Around The Corner”(1995)

This song samples Portishead, from their album “Dummy,” which features the song “Glory Box.”  The genesis of Tricky (Real Name: Adrian Nicholas Matthews) stems from hanging out with a group called The Wild Bunch, which would eventually evolve into the group Massive Attack.  Tricky rapped on their first album “Blue Lines”(1991) and eventually embarked on his own solo career.  He is noted as being one of the initial innovators of the Trip-Hop sound.

3. Sneaker Pimps - “Post Modern Sleaze”(1996)

This band was named after an article that ran in the Beastie Boys publication Grand Royal magazine about a guy they hired to track down classic sneakers.  This group, however, is comprised of Liam Howe and Chris Corner, who then recruited Kelli Dayton (formerly of Lumieres, now recording under the name Kelli Ali) for vocal duties.  Kelli was dismissed from the group after the promotional tour of their debut album, “Becoming X,” which is the origin of this track.  In the process of recording their second album, Chris took over the vocal duties, though in my opinion, I think they should have kept Kelli.  Their music is still good, but it’s just different.  This album is a must have for this genre as it has many memorable songs, including “6 Underground.”

4. Hooverphonic – “2Wicky”(1996)

This is a Belgian rock group that formed in 1995 and took up the trip-hop sound though they incorporate alternative, electronica, electropop, rock, and a mixture of genres.  This has a celestial sound and it feels like you are on a space ship in zero gravity.  I like the duality of the lyrics and how they incorporate science and sensuality.  As with many bands of this genre, the lead singer Geike Arnaert has left the band to purse a solo career.

5. Massive Attack – “Angel”(1998)

The group is comprised of duo Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, and work with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists.  They formed in Bristol as The Wild Bunch in the mid-1980s and are one of the first homegrown soundsystems in the UK.  During the recording of their album “Blue Lines,” Geoff Barrow, who worked as a trainee tape operator at Bristol's Coach House studio, eventually went on to form the group Portishead.  I love how several groups developed out of a handful of creative individuals.

6. Emiliana Torrini - “Fingertips”(1999)

This song is taken from the album, “Love in the time of Science,” and has a slew of producers including: Roland Orzabal (Tears For Fears), Alan Griffiths (Apartment), Eg White (Adele, Duffy, Will Young and James Morrison), Siggi Baldursson (Sugarcubes, Þeyr, KUKL, Headpump, Bradley Fish and the Reptile Palace Orchestra) and Mark Abis (solo work).  Emiliana is from Iceland and really embraces the chill-out vibe on this record.  She took the title of this release from Gabriel García Márquez' 1985 novel “Love in the Time of Cholera.” There’s a rumor that this song is about female masturbation, but it could also be about Quantum Physics and Metaphysics.  Everything that exists is vibrational energy and that everything is connected to that source energy, which is infinite love and consciousness.  You be the judge.

7. Zero 7 - “In the Waiting Line”(2001)

Here is another duo that retains different vocalists for their songs.  Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker formed the group in 1997 and featured vocalists Sia Furler (on tracks "Destiny" and "Distractions"), Mozez (on "I Have Seen", "Simple Things" and "This World") and Sophie Barker (on "Destiny", "In the Waiting Line" and "Spinning") on their debut record, “Simple Things.”  Barker occasionally performs with the group, but has a solo with several albums under her belt.  This song, is one of my all time favorites.

Bonus Videos:

Sneaker Pimps - “Six Underground”(1996)

There are two versions of this song, I think the remix, which is this video, is the greater of the two.

Train - “Mississippi”(2001)

This is the song, from my little story, that would be playing on the radio after the strip club has closed down and they are off to a dinner for a bite to eat.

8mm - “Stunning”(2006)

I like the play back and forth in what seems to be a steamy moment between a couple infatuated with each other.  *Goes off to smoke a cigarette.*

The Seven Song Itch - Teen Angst Bullshit

I grew up on John Hughes movies, loved them, but he wasn’t saying anything new; high school is a microcosm of the ‘real world’—whatever that is.  Then another filmmaker released “Heathers” (1989) and I realized that social cliques don’t have to be the ‘end-all-be-all’ of my existence.  Winona Ryder played “Veronica” and was part of the school’s strongest clique – ‘The Heathers.’  This movie has a ton of great quotes, but I want to focus on one of her monologues, which states, “Dear Diary, my teen angst bullshit has a body count!” No, I didn’t want anyone to die in my high school, but the movie was a great commentary on how ridiculous things can get when you are a teenager.  For all practical purposes, if you survive high school, the rest of your life is simpler by comparison, but not any easier.  With bullying and intolerance on the rise (Check out the current movie “Bully”), the problems that plague an average teenager on a daily basis can be a bit daunting.  Sometimes a song can give you perspective in your situation.  There is nothing new, or innovative, about these songs, but they do convey the classic story of how life can suck when you think you have it figured out.  Yeah, there are a lot of Punk Rock Songs that deal with this issue, but I wanted a bit of levity with my angst.  These songs border on EMO, but we’re not going to go there…yet.  Eskimo!

 

P.S. This list is dedicated to the memory of Dick Clark—the world’s oldest Teenager. May his legacy live on in the youth of today!  Playlist for Teen AngstBullshit

1. Wheatus - “Teenage Dirtbag”(2000)

I swear this video is a depiction of my high school experience; it has the teen angst bullshit quality to it.  I have finally realized something about high school—no one has it easy. Even if you are popular there are always parts of you life that are undesirable.  I’d like to think that I was one of those parts that made people feel awkward in high school, because I was a punk before punk was cool.  It didn’t bother me that they didn’t want to hang around with me, because honestly, I didn’t want to hang around with them.  Eventually, curiosity gets the best of everyone and discussions of my blue spiky hair and leather jacket got a dialogue going.  I’m not saying that I became friends with other cliques, but some of the rock music buttons that I was wearing on my jacket were some of the same bands that other people were listening to at the time.  You can find common ground in any situation; you just have to be open to the possibility.

2. Live on Release - "I'm Afraid of Britney Spears" (2001)

This song is from the soundtrack of “Dude, Where’s My Car?” Though I like a good Top-40 song, this one is a great commentary on popular culture.  Mostly, high school is all about fitting in to a particular group, but in reality, it’s so much easier to just be yourself.  It’s really easy to jump on the bandwagon and define yourself by the music you listen to, but you are your own story.  It’s okay to try new things, and never be afraid of liking what you like.  Heck, I like the bands that Live On Release comment about in this song.  To me, music is all-good, but remember not to get caught up in the trends of the day, or to take an artist too seriously. This band is no longer around, but each of the members has moved on and continues to create great music.  One person in particular, Britt Black, went on to play guitar with Bif Naked, and then evolved into her own solo career.

3. Simple Plan - “I'm Just A Kid”(2002)

This is a song from the movie, “The New Kid,” and the music video has some great cameo appearances by the actors from that movie.  The video is an over-the-top dramatization of some unfortunate circumstances a teenager goes though when trying to understand his place in the pecking order of life.  What he doesn’t realize is that a lot of other people feel the same way about their life, and he doesn’t need to suffer alone.  Sometimes you have to just put yourself out there and have faith that you’ll get the girl at the end of the story…sometimes.

4. Fountains Of Wayne - “Stacy's Mom”(2003)

Let your cougars roar! This song has the feel of  “Just What I Needed” by The Cars, and pays homage to the movie, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”(1982).  Yeah, I was fascinated with an adult female figure (no pun intended) growing up, but it never went anywhere.  I think it’s healthy to look, but not touch, in these situations.  Parents have a hard time (again, no pun intended) discussing sex with their kids and having an outlet to explore your feelings is only natural—just don’t let it become an obsession.  With stories of older instructors (both male and female) embracing their youthful students (both male and female) plaguing the news, I can’t help but think that we’ve all gotten the wrong message about intimacy.  You can be inspired by someone, who is an authority figure, but don’t cross the line, because it can have terrible consequences.

5. Bowling For Soup - “High School Never Ends”(2006)

Oh my Lord, this is true, but you don’t have to let cliques get you down.  A few years ago, I attended my high school reunion and I was fascinated by how I just slipped back into some arbitrary pecking order when I walked into the room.  As the evening went on, I realized that a lot of the people, whom I had grown up with, were more than the clique that they had aligned themselves with back then.  It’s really easy to slip back into old routines, but just because we were one thing back then, does not mean that we are the same person now.  Life gives you a myriad of experiences and it’s up to you to learn from them.  I have moved on, and you can too.

6. The Actual - “This Is The Worst Day Of My Life”(2007)

I love the misery loves company concept here.  Sometimes a situation can seem contradictory in your reaction to angst, but it’s all-good.  I’m not sure if this is a please-feel-sorry-for-me song or a commiseration manifesto.  In any case, you don’t have to be alone in your angst; you can invite a bunch of people over and have a pity party.  Maybe I should just listen to some EMO music and in comparison my life will seem much much better.  Check out an interview that I did with Max from the band back in 2007.  Click here for the interview.

7. Hey Monday - “How You Love Me Now”(2009)

I love the spunky nature of this band.  I saw them a few years ago under the guise of being stealth chaperone for my friend’s daughter—it was her first concert.  I wish that I had a cool uncle to take me to a rock show when I was growing up, but alas, I didn’t.  During the concert, I remembered this song and its commentary on how stupid lust can make us.  Yeah, we’re all horny teenagers, but there are consequences for our actions.  It’s not until later on in life that we discover the difference between lust and love, but then again, some people never realize the concept.  Oh well, there is enough drama to go around.  Besides, I met a few cool single mom’s that were at this concert for the same reason that I was, and it was a great bonding experience.

Bonus Video: Jimmy Eat World - “The Middle” (2001)

I wanted to include this song, because there is hope out there.  “It just takes some time,” to work though everything.  Sometimes it’s hard to gain perspective when you are in the middle of some teen angst bullshit, but remember, this too shall pass and that life is a roller coaster—it has it up’s as well as it’s downs.  Just how cliché am I going to get?

The Seven Song Itch - Rock Lifestyle Anthems

Some of these songs are a warning; some are a way of life.  Rock Lifestyle Anthems are the songs that I return to when I want to get back on the road.  I have some experience touring with bands and whatever is bothering you in real life, gets magnified by ten when you lock someone in a bus/van for extended periods of time.  Things can get crazy out there, but it’s not what you would think.  Sure, there can be drugs and groupies and sold out shows, but there is also bad food, bad venues and broken vehicles.  When you are on the road, you have to live in the moment and yet, remember why you are doing all of this.  When I was working on contract riders for artists, I found that some of the requests were ridiculous, but in time all of them made sense—even no green M&M’s in a bowl (Van Halen Reference: RE guitar setup).  These ‘requirements’ are meant to take some of the stress off of the artist so that they can give a great show.  The audience doesn’t care if you didn’t specify that the showering facilities at the venue must include hot water, or that you have had pizza everyday for a month.  Most of the time these requests are things that remind you of home: like pop-tarts and a specific brand of beer.  So sit back and enjoy the ride because every day is a winding road, but know that all roads lead home.

Playlist for Rock LifestyleAnthems

1. Grand Funk Railroad-“We’re an American Band”(1973)

Several years ago, I ran into a tour manager that legitimized the story of “Sweet Sweet Connie” mentioned in this song.  Though I cannot give you direct details, let’s just say that it’s good to be on tour in the Midwest.  Life on the road can have its bumps, but it can also have its grinds.  The GTO’s rule, and I’m not talking about the band or the car.

2 Bob Seger-“Turn The Page”(1973)

Every time I hear this song I picture Bob sitting back stage alone with a bottle of bourbon debating if he has one more show left in him.  I’m not saying that he’s an alcoholic, but this song has the feel of ‘is this all worth it.’  Most bands have this feeling at one point or another when the days blend into each other and you can’t remember when you slept in your own bed.

3. Bad Company-“Shooting Star”(1975)

This has always been my benchmark when deciding to work with a band.  Talent will take you far, but drugs and alcohol will make it a quick trip.  I can’t even begin to list all of the artists that have been lost prematurely due to the stresses of being famous.  You may start out with good intentions, but somewhere along the way the demands of popularity can destroy a person.  Hey, I’m not preaching here, I’ve had my share of wild times, but I knew how to leave the party, and not in a pine box.

4. AC/DC-“Shoot To Thrill”(1980)

I’m not sure if this song is bragging or complaining, but It’s AC/DC, so it really doesn’t matter.  I got to see them a few years back and they can still tear it up, even though most of the members are in their sixties.  This song is one of their best from their phenomenal album “Back In Black”(1980).  This is what Rock N’ Roll is all about, and how to pick up chicks.

5. Foreigner-“Jukebox Hero”(1981)

This is just a great song that should start every Foreigner concert.  I’ve been to a few shows in my life and this song has the feel of pre-concert excitement.  By the time it kicks into full gear I am ready to be rocked.

6. Tom Petty-“Into The Great Wide Open”(1991)

This is a great parable.  This song feels like an updated version of “Shooting Star,” by Bad Company. I guess each generation needs to hear about the highs and lows of being famous.

7. Bif Naked-“Back In The Day”(2004)

I’ve always loved Bif Naked.  She’s the spunky gal from Canada that pays her dues continually.  She’s mainstream and still has her Indy roots.  This song has a special place in my heart because the lyrics ring true and give hope to the bands that are just starting out.  Keep the faith, enjoy the ride, and remember why you are doing all of this.  Music!

The Seven Song Itch - African-American Choral Ensemble

The African-American Choral Ensemble (ACE) was a big part of my life while I was studying at Indiana University.  Being a member of this ensemble exposed me to several genres of music that I had not encountered in my previous years of church and show choirs.  Among spirituals and formally composed works, I was introduced to contemporary gospel, and my life has not been the same since.  Though most of the songs in this list are not technically contemporary, most of them are over twenty years old; they were a part of my education.  Dr. James E. Mumford (Doc), director of the ensemble at the time, included many of these songs in our repertoire and I cannot thank him enough for these songs.  My appreciation for music, all music, stems from ACE’s theme song (Music by Undine Smith Moore and Lyrics by Michelangelo Buonarroti), which states, “True art is made noble and religious by the mind producing it.  For those who feel it, nothing makes the soul so religious and pure as the endeavor to create something perfect. For God is perfection. And whoever strives after perfection is striving after God.”  In honor of the Easter holiday, I would like to take you all to ‘church’ to remember that there are greater things in this world that have yet to be realized.

I’ve included a few more songs from the ensemble for this Playlist of the African-AmericanChoral Ensemble

1. The Winans – “Breaking of Day”(1987)

Though the song, “Millions” (1987) is my favorite from this group, I feel like I need something more upbeat—and this one delivers.  This song is taken from their live album at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.  ACE has three small groups: Sojourner (six women), Soul-ACE (six men), and God’s Progress (three men and three women), which performed individually in addition to their ensemble duties.  I have always wanted to be a part of Soul-ACE, but never had the discipline it takes to sing these songs with the greatness they deserve.  There is a special place in my heart for these distinguished men.  They bring the good news and take names.

2. Take Six – “Mary”(1990)

Since I wasn’t in Soul-ACE, I parleyed my enthusiasm for ACE into becoming one of the tech crew.  I toured with all three ensembles (ACE, African-American Dance Company and The IU Soul Review) while working at the African-American Arts Institute but ACE was my family.  There were hours upon hours of traveling in the tech van and each of us would bring our favorite music to listen to on the trip.  Needless to say, my contributions were ‘interesting’, but my song selections were taken in with an open heart and mind.  One trip, Take Six was placed into the cassette player and from that point on this group’s music became our travel soundtrack. This is another song that Soul-ACE performed, and you better bet your sweet bippy that they did a great job.

3. The Clark Sisters “I’m Encouraged” (1982)

This is from the Clark Sisters 1982 album, “Sincerely.”  This song is my favorite when performed by one of our small groups: Sojourner.  These ladies know how to bend notes and ears to the calling of God.  Just just hearing a few notes from this song would wash any problem away.  It’s profound how a simple song can change someone’s life.  It continues to be powerful to this day.

4. The Cast of the Gospel At Colonus – “How Shall I see you though my tears?” (1985)

Okay, this song has a lot of history, so pay attention.  Experimental-theatre director Lee Breuer adapted the Sophocles's tragedy, “Oedipus at Colonus,” but sets the story in a Black Pentecostal Church.  If that’s not strange enough, a single individual, as well as a small choral group, portrays the character Oedipus.  For years ACE flirted with the idea of producing this show, and eventually did after I left IU.  I can’t think of a better show for ACE than this one.

5. Richard Smallwood-“In This House”(1988)

Doc always said, that you don’t have to do run’s of vocal notes to make a song special or sacred (paraphrasing here).  Although, Sojourner’s version of this song really brings down the house, this version is a testament of how great music can be felt on an international level.  I give mad props to this group and its soloist for doing such an amazing song.

6. Kirk Franklin – “Why We Sing”(1992)

This is a great song for me because sometimes I forget why I am doing something.  This isn’t to say that I am lost, but sometimes questions come up and I don’t have answers.  Being in ACE helped provide me with some of the answers because it is more than just a choir; it is a family.  I engaged in countless conversations with many different people about their beliefs and why they sang.  Doc did more than just teach us harmony, he taught us how to live in it.

7. Rev. Milton Brunson- “My Mind Is Made Up”(1991/1992)

Sometimes you just have to make your mind up and do what’s right for you.  You can choose to be sad and wallow in your problems or you can find happiness.  The way you perceive a specific situation is determined by your frame of mind. If your mind and thoughts are positive, you will always be in a position to seize the opportunities that are before you.

Bonus Video: Sojourner (AACE) sings “Balm in Gilead”

This is an outtake of a Sojourner alumni gathering, kicking it old school.  I am so glad that someone got this on video!  They sound angelic as ever.