March 2001

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Our Superior Current Playlists

In my cd player is John Coltrane's My Favorite Things, and Maria Schnieder's Allegrese- she is a composer and large ensemble arranger. Also in there are two CD's of Bill Holman who does bigband stuff. One of them consists mostly of his own compositions and the other is an album full of Thelonious Monk tunes arranged and rearranged for big band. This latter one is espcially wonderful if you know any Monk tunes. Another is a recently acquired Miles Davis & Gil Evans Porgy and Bess. I had been meaning to get this one for a while and, now that I have it, I regret all of those days that I neglected to do so. That makes five, and the limit to my CD player's capacity. Finally, I wanted to let everyone know that LandsEnd, the clothing company, has baseball caps without logos -they are monogrammable just in case you want to tell strangers something.

Also, I want to add two things. First is that big band jazz is not neccesarily for dancing. Second is that just because jazz is now the thing to listen to, does not mean that you hip types should now aviod it. Ken Burns is a dork, I will readily admit, but just because all the other dorks in dorkdom are into the new cool thing does nothing to lessen the value of this music. There is much more to Jazz than old Kenny let on.

I openly defy the orders given by the Evil Robots high command, of which I am member. We asked for five CD's we are currently listening to, but I cannot list only five. I have a case that holds 14 CD's. I will list those CD's and why they are always with me.

(Listed in no specific order)

1. Steely Dan- Alive in America This is music from their 1993 tour. Many songs are being played live in public for the first time. This album is as mellow as they come.

2. The Best of Acid Jazz- Volume III, Original Flavor

3. Thievery Corporation- Abductions and Reconstructions

4. Steely Dan- Katy Lied This album is my second favorite SD album behind Gaucho. These grooves remind me of my deep interest in cigarettes, gin, and recreational drugs. At times I get a contact high from the jewel case.

5. Donald Fagan- Kamakiriad This is almost the perfect album for driving. I never leave home without it unless it is in my CD player at home. Since it's release in 1993, I cannot name one month during which I did not listen to this album.

6. Nuyorican Soul From the moment I first listened to this, I fell in love with the broad musical strokes that permeate through this CD. I am currently in love with track 14; "You Can Do It, Baby" by George Benson.

7. Ursula 1000- The Now Sound of Ursula 1000

8. Jamiroquai- Traveling Without Moving I remember the first time I heard this album. It was 1997, in the apartment on Maryland Avenue. A dear friend dragged this out for a listen while we played RISK. I have been dancing ever since.

9. Steely Dan- Aja

10. Dimitri from Paris- Sacrebleu

11. Steely Dan- Gaucho I am in love with this album above all. This album is living proof why SD should not have waited until 2000 to make another album. They were in a groove.

12. Stereolab- Dots and Loops This album, along with Kamakiriad, is an integral part of my life.

13. Stereolab The First of the Microbe Hunters

14. Dimitri from Paris- Monsieur Dimitri's Delux House of Funk This music is for speeding!

NOTE: I have another two cases with nothing but Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane - also a discussion for another issue.

With my primary CD player broken, I hardly ever listen to music of my own accord. I'm more likely to hear soft 80's pop at a doctor's office or on a bus than to hear music that I specifically set out to play. But, in those few exceptional moments, here's five that I've been digging lately:

1. Liz Phair - Whip-Smart I bought this CD a few years back at a yard sale just because it was incredibly cheap & I'd heard she was good. I figured the buck or two I paid for it was worth the experiment. Man O Man! It was the best value ever. It's an exquisite example of women's battle-hardened folk music. Alternately morose and defiant, Liz puts her huevos out there & makes them musically addictive.

2. Erin McKeown - Monday Morning Cold Though at times sounding like a basement demo, this CD is a favorite of mine. It's a great compilation of some Erin McKeown songs that you're less likely to hear at any of her current gigs. And the title song contains the ultimate line for the groggy and frustrated commuter…"I've got a hell to be in by 8:05." What more can I say?

3. Russell Gunn - Ethnomusicology Volume 1 The man with the Master's degree in Keepin' It Real kicks me up some good funked-up jazz with a little hip-hop on the side. Great background for sending your vibes grooving. But be forewarned -- the sounds will take over whatever else you think you can concentrate on.

4. Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits It's a CD I play in cycles. Once I get the urge for some New Jersey Turnpike, this CD heads into over-play. I just can't stop myself until I get distracted away from the purity of S&G over toward the more strangely twisted & countrified Old 97's. And I'm almost there…Darlene!

5. Elvis Presley - Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite Our newest CD purchase (& part of the loot gained off of a wedding gift certificate), I've only listened to it once, but it's still in the CD player & is damn sure to be played again & again. Just think of the "Hawaiian Wedding Song" you may have heard with the Grandpa/Bigfoot streaming video union, but take out the creepy tape-fed backup singers & add 100% living Elvis!

This is really a great opportunity for me to show off my vast album collection and musical tastes, but I won't be doing that. I would really like to list the 10 or 15 albums that I am listening to fairly heavily right now, but I'm not going to. In the interest of laziness, I have boiled these down to five winners. If you really want to get a taste of our superior and wide ranging musical leanings, just click on the Evil Robots Radio button our menu bar.

1. Built to Spill- Keep It Like a Secret This album rocks, pure and simple. This is what all "Alternative Rock" would strive to sound like if "alternative rock" didn't suck so much. Built to Spill is often classified as "Post Punk", which I guess is a better descriptor than "alternative rock". Built to Spill is basically really, really loud Indie Rock. This album is great for drivin' fast.

2. Luna- Days of Our Night This is pure Indie Rock. Straight forward. Luna has guitars and is obviously the progeny of Galaxie 500. A tad on the shoe-gazing side, but still fun to listen too, especially the cover of "Sweet Child of Mine".

3. Blonde Redhead- In An Expression Of The Inexpressible Last summer I went to see Stereolab open up for Sonic Youth. It now occurs to me that Blonde Redhead might be the lovechild of these two bands.

4. The Beta Band- The Three EPs I can't stop listening to this no matter how hard I try. It has permenantly claimed slot 9 in my 25 disc changer. It won't leave the premesis even under force. It's just too good. The Beta Band are impossible to classify. Their lyrics are rather dark while the digitronically enhanced acoustic music is beautiful. It comes straight from the soul while not being Soul.

5. Red Snapper- Our Aim is to Satisfy I stumbled upon this purely by accident about a week ago and fell in love with it because of its superior beats. Red Snapper instantly reminded me of Portishead, but with WAY more angst, energy, and soul- but not as much soul as say, Nightmares on Wax, but at times very close. This album would best be classified as "trip-hop", but has a slightly harder edge than that label implies. Also real drums and other actual instruments are used, and makes the music sound a bit more tangible and organic. Also, one song is really, really filthy. Always a plus in my book.

Lucky Five Play:

1. PJ Harvey - 'Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea' Quite possibly the best record she has ever reocorded. Featuring Thom Yorke on two tracks.

2. Juno - 'This is the way it goes and goes and goes' Not that far out there but bringing a sonic completeness that is relentless.

3. Sly and The Family Stone - 'There's a Riot Going On' An explosion of expression designed to overpower the Motown sound and let the people's voices be heard.

4. Ryan Adams 'Heartbreaker' This is not Brian Adams, so quit it. Formerly of Whiskeytown, Adams easily evokes a drunk Bob Dylan.

5. Silence 'Is Golden...' I just made this one up.

6. The Clash 'The Clash (UK Version)' Special...Unauthorized pick...A punk revolt against the upper class and its shitty music can never die.

Well, considering that I am once again reliving my youth (of course, my youth gets better everytime I
relive it. If this keeps up, soon I'll be the most popular kid in my fake youth), my music selections kind of reflect that, with one exception.

In the changer right now:

1) Black Flag - Damaged
2) Nation of Ulysses - Thirteen Point Plan to Destroy America
3) Black Sabbath - Paranoid
4) The Fall - Palace of Swords Reversed
5) Johnny Cash - American III: Solitary Man

Solitary Man is the only CD in my changer currently in the rotation released in the last 5 years.

In the car

Keep it Like a Secret by Built to Spill

On the turntable:

Blood and Chocolate by Elvis Costello and the Attractions.

1. John Frusciante - To Record Only Water For Ten Days. Moody crazy insanity inspired tunes by the normally funkier guitarist. If I ever see him, I'm gonna give him a big ole hug.

2. Stephen Malkmus. First solo record from former Pavement frontman. Pavement-lite I guess- more folkier storyteller types of songs. I listened to this for about 4 days straight.

3. Blur - Best of Blur. A band I appreciate more as I hear more. It's like a whole album of songs I can sing along to, but might be ashamed to tell anyone I know. But fuck, I don't care.

4. Jean-Pierre Rampal - Traditional Japanese Folk Melodies. A very calm album by the French flute master. Just floats along, like butterfly on rambling stream.

5. Craig David - Born To Do It. Not released in the US yet, young Craig David will rule this country by summer's end. Another album I'm ashamed to own, but can't get those smooth R&B tunes out of my head.

What I'm listening to:

1. Sleater Kinney- All Hands On the Bad One There is no time I will not put this CD in, turn it up to 'max' and holler along. I want to be Sleater Kinney when I don't grow up.

2. Ani DiFranco- Living in Clip, disc two. Nobody does smart, angry, non-punk-punk-rock-girl like Ani. Period. I will probably listen to this disc
until the day I die.

3. Indigo Girls- Closer to Fine Actually, this CD comes and goes from the rotation. But are we detecting a theme?

4. Nick Drake- Pink Moon Brilliant and achingly beautiful; not for the unstable.

And then there is a jumble of my very own one, two, and three hit wonders. Will I ever tire of the Beta Band's 'Dry the Rain'? Or most of New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular by Hooverphonic? Probably not as long as I can turn up the stereo loud enough to make my rear view mirrors vibrate. And of course there is the seasonal rotation of jazz and bossanova. Basically, whatever mix tape pops out from under the passenger seat when I hit the brakes real hard.

And finally, anything NPR
Screw you, Grandpa, I'm a nerd. Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Fresh Air, o baby that's the stuff. And my station has a great indie rock show in the pm.