Thirteen Songs I want you to hear.

January 7, 2010 on 12:01 am | In Elise, Uncategorized | 9 Comments

I was thinking the other day that I have a wide and varied music collection. Like, you have no idea. Really. I could do T-13 lists off my iTunes and CD collections from now until Doomsday. In the interest of sharing my stuff with you, I went trolling on youtube and some other spots to find examples of pieces in my collection that I think you should hear. It’s a varied list, and I hope you find something new to enjoy.

1. I found this through the Belly Dancing radio station I set up on Pandora. This is a longer version than what I have – the intro is more involved and longer, but it’s gorgeous, and I wish I had this version. The group is Niyaz, off their self-titled release. The song is Allahi Allah. The rhythms and beat are wonderful.

2. I can’t tell you how much I love this group. Emily turned me on to them, and I am a huge fan, now. The group is Albannach. The song is Claymores, live at a wedding. The sound quality isn’t great on this video, but you can get the idea. I cannot say enough good about these guys. Go buy their stuff.

3. This is the Gyuto Monks doing tantric chant. I have a fantastic CD of this and this is the most calming, nerve smoothing stuff I have. This is a tiny fraction. The two pieces I have are half hour long plus each chant. Really great.

4. These guys- the Santa Fe Guitar Quartet – I saw in concert at the Meyerson in Dallas, and they were astonishing. I couldn’t find any video, but they have a number of samples on their website. This is from the album Journeys, the song is Mumuki.

5. Another one off the Belly Dancing Radio list. Beats Antique is the artist, the CD is Collide. This is Dope Crunk.

6. Y’all have heard about this one before – but I don’t know if I can impress on you how much I really like this CD. DH finds it a bit angst-y for him, but I think it has a kind of mellow vibe. Adam Ant’s Wonderful CD. This song is Beautiful Dream.

7. This one is way political – I love political music, so this is part of my politics and the media stuff when I teach (they get the flip side, too, but those tend to be more well-known – Metallica’s Don’t Tread on Me, or any number of country songs). This is The The off their Mind Bomb CD, the song is The Beat(en) Generation. Keep in mind this album was released in 1989 – interesting, yes? Can you believe I have kids tell me all the time that none of the music after the ’60s has political content?

8. This one is another political one. I like this one because The Ballad of  Ira Hayes is amazing, and because I love Johnny Cash. I don’t even know where to start you on Johnny Cash if you haven’t been hooked. Start anywhere. Or start here.

9. This is a band I think is ridiculously underappreciated. Their lyrics are dense and clever, their music catchy and fun. In short, Eve 6 is amazing. This is off their debut, the song is Inside Out.

10. This is a band that I just adore. Their lyrics are often offensive and thought-provoking, but just as often silly and irreverent. This is The Dead Milkmen. The performance includes both Taco Land and Big Lizard in my Backyard. This is more the silly end.

11. This is one I found through Twitter – MCpl Elton Adams is a Canadian soldier, and his music is by turns wrenching and uplifting. This is What A Soldier Left Behind – powerful and painful. This is more the uplifting end – a perfectly Canadian tribute to the Stanley Cup.

12. Fernest Arceneaux was arguably one of the best zydeco musicians ever. And zydeco makes me grin. I couldn’t find any video, but I did find this cut of Bernadette.

13. This is one I love but Emily thinks I’m crazy. For some reason Vitas makes me all happy. I had a bit of trouble picking a song, since he’s got such a variable style. I think Opera #2 was the one that hooked me, but feel free to follow links – I dig Blessed Guru a lot, and his Ave Maria is wonderful.

There were some for which I just couldn’t find a good cut to share here. Cusco’s Apurimac II is an amazing Central American album – kind of ancient meso-American stuff. Also, Esperanza, which does some amazing classical guitar (I have a couple of their albums, but start with Esperanza II).

What did you think? anything appeal? Did you hate them? love them? I am interested in your feedback.