Suggested Listening - Jacob Golden

I discovered Jacob Golden's music in 2007 on Myspace of all places. I can't remember exactly how I came about finding his page, but took a listen to a few of his songs he had posted. He had recently released "Revenge Songs". What I liked most about his music is he writes from the heart. His songs are intimate confessions about his life. He sings about his traumatic childhood being an only child who was orphaned at a young age, and how he chased his dream of a music career, only to have it end quickly. 


He lived with his German-born mother in Sacramento, CA until she fell ill with cancer and passed. Then was sent to live with his father he'd never known only for him to pass from complications of diabetes when Jacob was 16. In his shortly lived band named Birthday (which he formed in the late 90's), the group moved to London to record the one and only EP for the band "Welcome to Life" on the Rough Trade label. When the band broke up in 2001 he stayed in London and continued to chase his dream of musical stardom. While still there he released his first solo album "Hallelujah World" to less that rave reviews. Feeling defeated he returned to back to America to Portland to re-evaluate his career and begin a new life. It wasn't until a year later at a 10 day silent retreat in Yosemite did he realized what it was about music that he was looking for. His realization that being a rock star wasn't the most important thing about his career, it was being genuine. I feel the songs on his "Revenge Songs" CD reflect that (it was released in 2007).





"On a Saturday", is a great song. Other songs on the CD, "Out Come the Wolves, Shin A Light, and the albums title song "Revenge Songs".





(So this isn't a video of the song, but this was the best quality sounding version). I think this is the best song on the CD by far. You can feel his emotions as he sings. I think his sound is similar to Nick Drake. I love that he pours his heart and soul into every song which make this CD sound a bit dark and broody. I was lucky enough to get one of the limited edition handmade copies before the official release. Listening to it again reminds me of how much I like it when I first bought it. I hope that he releases some new material soon. His loyal followers (and me) are looking forward to it.

Flashback Friday - Fake

Before each Friday I'd try and find a song for my flashback entry. I listen to music constantly if not incessantly to and from work and home, all in hopes to find that song. As each Friday approaches I stress myself out because I haven't found one to write about. Well it seems that my Friday morning commutes no matter how good or bad it is I am inspired by one of the songs that I hear.  And this Friday it was this one....

Back in my youth a few years ago, (haha!) I clubbed every weekend at a place called the Twilight Zone (i still have my membership card as well). It was an small old movie theater that they turned into a dance club in Alameda. I ended up there Saturday nights with my cousin Jon and friends. I'd get all dress up in my black shirt, black pegged pants, my creepers (my old fav shoes), put on a few rosary beads and crosses (hey it was the 80's and that was cool at the time), and black rubber bracelets. My hair would be perfectly quaffed and held in place by the can of aquanet I would use (damn I think I have a few pics of those nights). I was a huge fan of new wave music back then, siouxsie and the banshees, joy division, front 242, gene loves jezebel, etc. The Twilight Zone played all of that and more.


Without fail they would play this song....





I don't know what it was about this song, but when it was played the dance floor would fill up. It did have a catchy synth beat which most if not all 80's songs did. I would join the masses on the dance floor and dance my rendition of taffy pulling (hopefully some of you will know what I'm talking about). You had all the goths, modes, punks, and preps on the dance floor dancing along to what ever their dance style was. It was sort of cool, it didn't matter who you where nobody hated you because you weren't like them.


I loved that club and the space that it was in. The stairs around both sides of the dance floor took up up to the old balcony. This is where the DJ booth was located as it sat and over looked the dance floor. We'd go upstairs every week and request every song that we wanted played that night. And the DJ (for the life of me I can't remember his name) would play each and every one of them. Between sets of songs he'd  throw in a music video up on the screen located on the stage. This video would sometimes get played, but not often. 


I had to look this song up on You Tube and was glad to have found it. Listening to it this morning reminded me of the fun I had back then. 

Suggested Listening - Nick Drake

My good friend Paula introduced me to Nick Drake back in 2005. I knew nothing of him or his music and I'm so grateful that she introduced me to him. He was signed to Island Records at the age of 20. He released his first album Five Leaves in 1969, but this wasn't the first album that I had heard. 



Paula had brought over his CD Bryter Layter  for me (this was my first introduction to his music). I can honestly say that there isn't a song on this that I don't like. Each song seems to flow without effort into the other. One song on the CD is Northern Sky....



This is a great song and I thought that I had heard this somewhere before, but couldn't remember. Another one is titled "Hazy Jane I" my favorite on this CD.



This album (Bryter Layter) and Pink Moon on there release didn't sell more than 5,000 copies. His lack of commercial success in his career is mostly because he rarely performed live or gave interviews. Nick did have loyal group of followers in the beginning and thanks to one of his bigger fans, Joe Boyd (manager) his music still lives on. He put in his original contract with Island Records that Nick Drake's music would never go out of print. I have to say Thank You Joe Boyd because without this I and others may have never discovered his music. 


Nick Drake's ability to write his emotions into his songs is what moves and amazes me. There was a documentary that was done on his life called "A Skin Too Few". This documentary included family movies and pictures as well as his sister Gabrielle Drake. She talked of his music and his bouts with depression and insomnia which he often wrote about in his music. He died at the age of 26 from an overdose of antidepressants which some say was a suicide, but others say was accidental. This documentary tells a sad story, but it tells it with so much artistry and to such emotional effect that the film is one of those rare works that resonates long after it's over. If you become or are a fan of his music I suggest you watch it. 

Flashback Friday - The B-52's

(For some reason my blog didn't post last Friday so I'm posting it 3 days late)

The B-52's  are a group that I discovered in the summer of '82. Now while I'm not a huge fan of their current stuff I loved their first couple of albums. A song that I really loved which is also a title of an EP is Mesopotamia. This was suppose to be a studio album which they started recording with David Byrne of the Talking Heads, but Byrne ended up pulling out of the project before it was finished. 





I can remember the first time I heard it. I was at my cousin's house on Buena Vista in Patty's room. She said what I can remember, "Oh you should hear this group I think you would like them." She put on the EP and I sat on the edge of her bed and listened. After listening to the entire EP I knew I had to own it so bought it the next day. I must have played that EP non-stop for at least a month. There are other songs that I like, Cake, and Loveland, but Mesopotamia is my favorite. I liked The B-52's because I think they had a unique sound that no one else seem to have had back then.  Every so often I listen to this and it reminds me of summers that my brother and I used to spend here in California, hanging out with our cousin's Patty, Melissa, and Jennifer. Good times....

Suggested Listening - Sigur Ros

They are not your conventional pop or rock group. Sigur Ros comes from Iceland. 

The group formed in August 1994 by Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson  (guitar and vocals),  Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson  (drums 1994-1999), and  Georg Hólm (bass). Now members include Kjartan Sveinsson and Orri Páll Dýrason. When I first heard their music it was on a TV show on cable called Verve. I flipped on the channel and hear the music that they were playing, it was very ethereal sounding. I left it there and was trying to figure out the lyrics to the song that was being sung. I had no clue that they were Icelandic and Jonsi was singing in his native language. I think that's what intrigued me more. After they finished playing the song I came into, they began their next song. It was Svefn-G-Englar (roughly translates to Sleepwalkers).....







This song put me in a trance like state. I sat glued in front of the TV until they were done. I've never had a group or artists move me like this song and the others that they played that day. Over the years I had stopped listening to them. I watched a documentary that Sigur Ros had done in 2007 called Heima, and it re-introduced their music back into my life. The documentary was filmed in the late summer of 2006. They returned home to play a series of free, unannounced concerts for the people of Iceland. This was and is a beautiful documentary about the band traveling home and their music. Here's the trailer to the movie....





Sigur Ros I can say is my favorite band and I will never tire of listening to them. I remember reading in someone's blog on their music and I quote "You ain't human if SR don't make you weep." I will be the first to admit, there are a few songs of theirs that have almost brought me to the brink of tears. If this is your first time hearing them I encourage you to look up more of their songs and take a listen . I believe that if you aren't a fan of them now, you will be come one shortly after...

Flashback Friday - David Bowie

This morning I had my iphone on random shuffle. I was listening to a play list that I created of all my favorite music (well not all) from the 80's. Just as I was getting on Muni (our subway) to head to work Fashion from David Bowie comes on. 



This song came out in 1980 and I was between the ages of 12 and 13. I think I was just getting ready to begin Junior High at Maywood. We had just relocated to Washington state from California the year before, so I didn't really have many friends. I was not a very outgoing child and was an introvert so this made it difficult for me to make friends.


On the weekends I would sit in my room and listen to my stereo (a hammy down from my parents). If I was feeling bad or down I would retreat to my room, shut the door and tune into my favorite station. I would sing along to every songs and learning all the lyrics perfectly.  There was a great station called "the wave" (no longer on the air) that played new wave/modern rock. I would listen for hours and sometimes record my favorite songs off this station (god I think I still have some cassette tapes some where at home). This was one of the songs that would get played a lot, but only felt that way.


This song reminds me of hanging out in my old room. Music poster plastered on every wall with my over sized headphones on and laying on my bed. Hearing it now reminds me of where I was as a child and how much I've grow and changed since then.

Revamping my Format

So I'm finding it a little hard to keep up with my current format of how often I will post. This is how I envision it from this point forward....

First Sunday of the month - New Artist Profile (a new artist that I discover and think you might enjoy)

Monday/Tuesday- My Suggested Listening (artist I'm currently listening to)

Fridays - Flashback Friday (A blast from the past ranging from the popular to the obscure. A great song that brings back great memories every time I hear it.)

Look for my next post tomorrow for Flashback Friday!!!!!

Flashback Friday - Total Coelo

Thank you Myla for this first post...


The other day a friend of mine forwarded a link to this song. Total Coelo - I eat cannibals









Total Coelo a one hit wonder from the 80's (well at least I think the song was some kind of hit). I remember hearing it for the first time on MTV back in 1982 (when they used to play music). The tribal drumbeat sucked me into the song. and then one by one the group appeared in the video. I thought the girls were hot (we'll 80's hot) and they all seemed dressed in what it looked like hefty bags. The first time that I heard this song and saw the video I think I was a Freshman/Sophomore in high school. I was sitting at home after school watching MTV instead of doing homework. Daydreaming of the day that I wouldn't have to go to school anymore and being out in the world on my own. Now as I listen/watch it again I'm taken back to that day. The girls dancing in a spotlight with a back drop that looks (or is trying to look) like the African Sahara. The video filmed in a studio with neon lights and fog/smoke machines. They were all dressed in colorful costumes (aka hefty bags), and dancing along to the catchy lyrics with their well choreographed dance routines.


I still love this song....