I just keep being inspired to write different articles, so i've added three more series to the regular rotation:
10. Disaster Records
Albums that flopped, were created in periods of tragedy, with different line-ups, side projects, solo records - things that don't work (or work in a way that shouldn't). Put differently, usually my favorite records by bands.
11. Mr. Met of NJ Local 07442
My Mets-based ramblings.
12. WANT
1000 words on an item that i feel i can't live without.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Final 3 Blog Series
I promised these on Thursday, but i had some time today, so...
7. "Brian Makes a Record"
I'm going to commit to putting some of my long festering songs down on tape, and i will discuss what i'm doing that week and show and tell some of it. This part will be a video blog.
8. "Classic Erin"
My wife has a way with words that is unusual at best. Some of the best Classic Erin lines will be posted here for your enjoyment.
9. "The Rant"
My original foray into internetting was a weekly email list called "The Rant." I would send this to 50+ friends and i would rail about this and that, plus give weekly song picks and have a feedback section where people could email me in response to what i wrote. I'm bring that back as a monthly feature. You're welcome, Erin and Eileen.
Look for the first of one of these (I have a few in the works) on Friday!
7. "Brian Makes a Record"
I'm going to commit to putting some of my long festering songs down on tape, and i will discuss what i'm doing that week and show and tell some of it. This part will be a video blog.
8. "Classic Erin"
My wife has a way with words that is unusual at best. Some of the best Classic Erin lines will be posted here for your enjoyment.
9. "The Rant"
My original foray into internetting was a weekly email list called "The Rant." I would send this to 50+ friends and i would rail about this and that, plus give weekly song picks and have a feedback section where people could email me in response to what i wrote. I'm bring that back as a monthly feature. You're welcome, Erin and Eileen.
Look for the first of one of these (I have a few in the works) on Friday!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
More Blog Segments
I promised to unveil some more regular segments on the blog, so here are three more:
4. "Movies I Should Have Seen By Now"
I review movies that are classics that i've never seen. Pretty self explanatory.
5. "I Cook, Therefore I Eat"
Where i review a meal i've made that month.
6. "12 Year Old Brian"
Where i discuss comic books, video games, and various other interests i've had since grade school.
Stay tuned for the last 3 on Thursday, and the first "official" posting on Friday!
4. "Movies I Should Have Seen By Now"
I review movies that are classics that i've never seen. Pretty self explanatory.
5. "I Cook, Therefore I Eat"
Where i review a meal i've made that month.
6. "12 Year Old Brian"
Where i discuss comic books, video games, and various other interests i've had since grade school.
Stay tuned for the last 3 on Thursday, and the first "official" posting on Friday!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Big Changes at ERH Headquarters
Hello folks,
It's been awhile.
My b.
To make a long story short, i'm a really busy guy. That isn't a good excuse; it is simply true.
I've now been at my current job for 7 years, and i'm really starting to see the fruits of my labor. While that is great, it also means that i'm working more nights, thinking about work when i'm at home, and generally being under more (good) pressure to continue to deliver. Plus, i try to be a good husband/dog owner, and i've been catching up on Breaking Bad (2 seasons in 11 days). And, in that head space, podcasting has taken a backseat. I wish i had the stamina of my buddy Jay Kumar who manages to turn out an incredible podcast, a vital blog, hold down a day job, and be a husband and a father to boot.
Sadly, i don't have that stamina.
But i do have some ideas.
What i'm going to attempt starting in July is a more fully realized blog - 12-15 articles a month. Each month, i'm going to produce (hopefully) 9 articles that are part of various series (like the continuing "5 Song Shuffle" and [so far only once] "You'd Be Surprised" plus new series i've been thinking about for awhile now) and 3-5 random "what's Brian thinking?" articles, plus a few series may have more than one monthly entry.
In addition, i want to do 4 "micro-podcasts" a month. Basically, one segment of the old ERH a week. An interview here, a comedy bit there, some music now and then, and some new segments i'm still workshopping. Those will start in August.
I see this regimented style of activity to fit well into the way that i do things (i love to do lists), and the minimal time commitment to each small part should be easier to fit into my schedule.
So, thanks for listening/reading, and check back throughout the week for previews of the different blog series that'll be launching come July 1. The first 3 are described below.
With significantly longer hair,
Brian
1. "5 Song Shuffle"
I really enjoyed doing this series, and with the addition of more than 2000 pop hits into my iTunes*, this should get interesting quickly.
Previous Editions:
Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17
2. "You'd Be Surprised"
Songs i love that you'd never think i would. Click here to read my first entry, on the Killers' "Human."
3. "McCartography"
A haphazard look at the oeuvre of Paul McCartney outside the Beatles. George may be my favorite, and John written more classics in the '70s, but Paul McCartney has maybe the most fascinating discography of any artist ever. I'll be starting with 1980's McCartney II and jumping through decades to cover every studio album, live record, compilation, rarity and production job i can get my hands on. I'm actually going to do these twice a month - one for a full length album, and one for various bits of miscellany.
It's been awhile.
My b.
To make a long story short, i'm a really busy guy. That isn't a good excuse; it is simply true.
I've now been at my current job for 7 years, and i'm really starting to see the fruits of my labor. While that is great, it also means that i'm working more nights, thinking about work when i'm at home, and generally being under more (good) pressure to continue to deliver. Plus, i try to be a good husband/dog owner, and i've been catching up on Breaking Bad (2 seasons in 11 days). And, in that head space, podcasting has taken a backseat. I wish i had the stamina of my buddy Jay Kumar who manages to turn out an incredible podcast, a vital blog, hold down a day job, and be a husband and a father to boot.
Sadly, i don't have that stamina.
But i do have some ideas.
What i'm going to attempt starting in July is a more fully realized blog - 12-15 articles a month. Each month, i'm going to produce (hopefully) 9 articles that are part of various series (like the continuing "5 Song Shuffle" and [so far only once] "You'd Be Surprised" plus new series i've been thinking about for awhile now) and 3-5 random "what's Brian thinking?" articles, plus a few series may have more than one monthly entry.
In addition, i want to do 4 "micro-podcasts" a month. Basically, one segment of the old ERH a week. An interview here, a comedy bit there, some music now and then, and some new segments i'm still workshopping. Those will start in August.
I see this regimented style of activity to fit well into the way that i do things (i love to do lists), and the minimal time commitment to each small part should be easier to fit into my schedule.
So, thanks for listening/reading, and check back throughout the week for previews of the different blog series that'll be launching come July 1. The first 3 are described below.
With significantly longer hair,
Brian
1. "5 Song Shuffle"
I really enjoyed doing this series, and with the addition of more than 2000 pop hits into my iTunes*, this should get interesting quickly.
Previous Editions:
Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17
2. "You'd Be Surprised"
Songs i love that you'd never think i would. Click here to read my first entry, on the Killers' "Human."
3. "McCartography"
A haphazard look at the oeuvre of Paul McCartney outside the Beatles. George may be my favorite, and John written more classics in the '70s, but Paul McCartney has maybe the most fascinating discography of any artist ever. I'll be starting with 1980's McCartney II and jumping through decades to cover every studio album, live record, compilation, rarity and production job i can get my hands on. I'm actually going to do these twice a month - one for a full length album, and one for various bits of miscellany.
*My brother, on Memorial Day, dumped 10 gigs worth of music on my computer. A friend had given him the Top 100 songs on the Billboard Charts from 1975-2003. This is a wonderful, fascinating, at-times sad thing to have at your disposal.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Season 2, Episode 1: Rhyme Scheme
Click here to download Unsung's I Looked Back At My House, White As A Washing Stone.
To download, right click here or subscribe in iTunes by searching "Enthusiasts' Radio Hour" or "Brian Salvatore.
Season 2 begins here! This episode we are joined by hip-hop musician Unsung, aka Steven Miller, to discuss his process of making music. We also get to hear a bunch of his songs, and as always, some comedy from Ken Beck.
Unsung: www.myspace.com/unsung
Ken Beck is part of CSO Comedy: http://www.csocomedy.com/
Our Blog: enthuseyourself.blogspot.com
Our Email: enthuseyourself@gmail.com
Our Hotline: 206-222-2033
Brian's Twitter: @BrianNeedsANap
Click here to download Unsung's I Looked Back At My House, White As A Washing Stone.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Top Ten of Twenty Ten, Pt. 3
My top ten records of the year are not ranked - these are just my favorites from the past year, ordered alphabetically by first letter of the artists’ name.
Dessa - A Badly Broken Code
2010 turned out to be a big hip hop year for me - i was not expecting this. Not that i like less rap music than i used to, or that i’ve been moving my tastes towards the esoteric. I think if anything, i am in a place where i more open to hip hop than i have been at any other point in my life, while also being more aware of my inherent biases towards so much of the lyrical content. But that being said, a lot of the hip hop i heard this year surprised me in how much it moved me. This record, in particular, really spoke to me.
Dessa is a female rapper from the Mid-West collective known as Doomtree - she is my first and, so far, only exposure to the collective. She, in addition to rapping, also sings quite a bit on the record, which gives her the ability to sing the hooks and rap the verses, which works really well for her. Sometimes, like on “Poor Atlas,” she lets her singing voice take the spotlight, but i prefer when she lets both exist on the same track. Her lyrics remind me of my friend Steve Miller, better known as Unsung, a Pittsburgh based rapper and visual artist. Saying she reminds me of Unsung is one of the highest complements i can pay her, because Steve’s lyrics are consistently brilliant while challenging the typical expectations of what hip hop can be. Dessa’s lyrics are just as impressive and varied - her lyrics talk about everything from being a female in a male dominated field (“The Bullpen”) to her little brother (“Children’s Work”), and her smooth delivery make lines that might seem too wordy flow easily.
I love this record because it overachieves in a genre that is all about overachieving, but it does it by being so personal and insular that it becomes easy to relate to, instead of shooting for the lowest common denomentor. There is still talk about relationships, but it isn’t framed by sex; there is still talk about herself as a rapper, but it isn’t in the context of bravado; there are still samples here to create the backbeats, but they don’t come from the same funk and soul sources that have been mined to death. This record is a breath of fresh air, and it will certainly lead to me checking out more of the Doomtree crew.
Tracks to seek out: "Dixon's Girl," "Children's Work"
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Top Ten of Twenty Ten, Pt. 2
My top ten records of the year are not ranked - these are just my favorites from the past year, ordered alphabetically by first letter of the artists’ name.
Black Francis - The Golem
This is by far my favorite Frank Black/Black Francis record is nearly a decade. Artists who are as prolific as he is* tend to develop cult-ish fan bases because the sheer quantity of the music released is off-putting to a casual fan. To those who feel that way, oh well - it is their loss.
Every year, the San Francisco International Film Festival invites a musician to score a silent film - they present the artist with a list, and the artist chooses which he/she would like to score. In 2008, Black Francis chose the 1920s German film Der Golem to score. He assembled a crack band of Eric Drew Feldman, Joe Pope, Ralph Carney, Duane Jarvis and Jason Carter - collectively, these guys have played with Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, PJ Harvey, Jonathan Richman, John Prine, Gene Clark and Pere Ubu, to name a few. And then he started writing.
What came out was a fully formed double album of REAL songs - not just musical cues here and there (although those are present too), and songs that are some of his best: moody, melodic, unusual, surprising music that fits the silent film really, really well. Maybe because of the narrative nature of the film, the songs make you part of the arc of the story, even if that arc is not totally apparent without the visuals. There are songs from the perspective of almost every character - and so that means love songs, angry songs, observational songs that drive the plot along, and songs that offer an abstract view of the action. Some of the lyrics may sound a little silly when disembodied from the film, but no more silly than 90% of the pop music on the radio. Francis’s penchant for wordplay is strong as ever, and it is probably best to listen with a dictionary and/or internet connection handy.
The vocals are powerful and direct - especially at the tail end of “The Conjuring,” which builds to a screamed finale. The band is killer - this turned out to be the final recording for the late Duane Jarvis, and his lead guitar parts are stunning and act as a strong connecting tissue between the more straight ahead rock songs and the atmospheric elements. Feldman is especially useful here as producer and keyboard player, using piano, organ, synthesizers, clavinet, harpsichord and more to tonally blend the songs in all sorts of subtle but significant ways. And Carney, a horn player unrivaled in the rock world, handles everything thrown at him, from Clarence Clemens-esque lead parts to harmonies to background squawks. Sadly, the full score is no longer available on CD - only 500 were made - but the DVD/single disc record are still available and are well worth the purchase.
Songs to seek out: “Bad News,” “Miriam and Florian”
*From 2000-2010: 8 full length albums, 2 double albums, 1 mini-LP, a best of, 3 b-sides compilations, various free tracks via his website, no less than 4 live albums, an album with his wife, touring for a good 2 solid years with the Pixies, contributions to a handful of compilations, and a few production gigs.
Black Francis - The Golem
This is by far my favorite Frank Black/Black Francis record is nearly a decade. Artists who are as prolific as he is* tend to develop cult-ish fan bases because the sheer quantity of the music released is off-putting to a casual fan. To those who feel that way, oh well - it is their loss.
Every year, the San Francisco International Film Festival invites a musician to score a silent film - they present the artist with a list, and the artist chooses which he/she would like to score. In 2008, Black Francis chose the 1920s German film Der Golem to score. He assembled a crack band of Eric Drew Feldman, Joe Pope, Ralph Carney, Duane Jarvis and Jason Carter - collectively, these guys have played with Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, PJ Harvey, Jonathan Richman, John Prine, Gene Clark and Pere Ubu, to name a few. And then he started writing.
What came out was a fully formed double album of REAL songs - not just musical cues here and there (although those are present too), and songs that are some of his best: moody, melodic, unusual, surprising music that fits the silent film really, really well. Maybe because of the narrative nature of the film, the songs make you part of the arc of the story, even if that arc is not totally apparent without the visuals. There are songs from the perspective of almost every character - and so that means love songs, angry songs, observational songs that drive the plot along, and songs that offer an abstract view of the action. Some of the lyrics may sound a little silly when disembodied from the film, but no more silly than 90% of the pop music on the radio. Francis’s penchant for wordplay is strong as ever, and it is probably best to listen with a dictionary and/or internet connection handy.
The vocals are powerful and direct - especially at the tail end of “The Conjuring,” which builds to a screamed finale. The band is killer - this turned out to be the final recording for the late Duane Jarvis, and his lead guitar parts are stunning and act as a strong connecting tissue between the more straight ahead rock songs and the atmospheric elements. Feldman is especially useful here as producer and keyboard player, using piano, organ, synthesizers, clavinet, harpsichord and more to tonally blend the songs in all sorts of subtle but significant ways. And Carney, a horn player unrivaled in the rock world, handles everything thrown at him, from Clarence Clemens-esque lead parts to harmonies to background squawks. Sadly, the full score is no longer available on CD - only 500 were made - but the DVD/single disc record are still available and are well worth the purchase.
Songs to seek out: “Bad News,” “Miriam and Florian”
*From 2000-2010: 8 full length albums, 2 double albums, 1 mini-LP, a best of, 3 b-sides compilations, various free tracks via his website, no less than 4 live albums, an album with his wife, touring for a good 2 solid years with the Pixies, contributions to a handful of compilations, and a few production gigs.
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