On Hiatus

Well, folks, the Lo Fi Life Project is going to have to take a break for a few weeks. I'm heading off to South Africa today to visit Emily and Raphael. Woo hoo! For all y'all who have signed up to get the originals cds from the Lo Fi posts so far, they're all set to go, and Sarah is going to put them in the mail to you to tomorrow. (Thanks Sarah!)

We'll resume our broadcast at the end of December, so be sure to tune back in. Happy holidays everyone!

Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama - "There Will Be Light"

I've never been a big Ben Harper fan, though that's not his fault. I've just got bad associations with him - someone whom I had a hard time with years ago was obsessed with him. One of those kinds of things. So silly, but it runs deep. But when Ben Harper put this album out with the Blind Boys of Alabama in 2004, I figured that I could probably handle it. I'm really glad I got over myself at least a little bit, because this is a great album.

I spent this afternoon making and wrapping some holiday gifts, and was looking for some feelgood tunes to get me in the mood. Straight up Christmas music doesn't always (or usually) do it for me, but digging around a bit, I came upon this cd. Totally perfect. I hadn't listened to it in years. The old school gospel sound and positive vibrations were a really sweet accompaniment for my projects.

When I purchased this album I listened to it a lot for a while, but I don't think I ever read any of the sleeve. As I worked away this afternoon, I assumed that what I was listening to was a set of traditional gospel tunes. I even imagined that the Blind Boys might have let Ben pick his favorite old school gospel songs for the album. Well, it's good to read those liner notes! Turns out that Ben Harper wrote all but two of the tracks. Well, alright. I'm not an expert, but I have done some time in a gospel choir, so I'm not a novice. I'm impressed.

I took one more listen to the album after I'd been enlightened, and I could hear a bit more of the modern influence. The second song, "Wicked Man" sounds a little bit Black Crow-ish. But overall, I'm still blown away that he wrote almost all of these tunes. Certainly helps to have the Blind Boys of Alabama to make them sound legit. Together, they've put out a foot-stompin album that's just downright great.

Maybe someday I'll be able to take Ben Harper off my do not play list. Until then, I'm glad I at least got over myself and got "There Will Be a Light." If you need a little light in these darkest days of the year, lemme know, I'll send this right over.

Billie Holiday - Greatest Hits

Yesterday I was sick, just totally run down. I couldn't muster up the energy to write a review. But I did manage to find an album to listen to that worked really well for my day, helped me feel better. It's pretty hard to go wrong with Billie Holiday's Greatest Hits. Though the songs range from the giddy "Cheek to Cheek" to the heart-wrenching "Strange Fruit," they're just all so beautiful and expressive. Or rather, she is.

It feels a little silly to write a review of a greatest hits album of an iconic artist. What's to say? I'm nowhere near an expert on Billie Holiday, and wouldn't pretend to be able to tell you if this is the definitive collection. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's not! I purchased this cd from the Co-op Bookstore (R.I.P.) in Oberlin when I was teaching myself about jazz. I asked Tim, one of the guys who worked there, what Billie Holiday album I should buy if I wanted to learn about her. Tim was no dummy, and though we were friendly, I'm sure he could spot a sucker. So I doubt that this 18 track compilation on Bella Musica is what jazz experts would point to as the best collection of her work. But it works from start to finish for me, and just reminds me that I should pick up that endeavor I started fifteen or so years ago, and build my Billie Holiday collection beyond this introduction. If you need to start yours, I'll send this one your way.

Totally Hits 2

Ahem. This is going to be a short one. If you were listening to pop music in 1999, you'll know these songs. I must have bought this cd for a party we threw at Green Street, which makes me feel less unclean for owning it, cause I know we had a good time. I can guess which track I was after, but I'm not tellin. I will, however, indicate which songs I'm burning into my own collection tonight. And if 1999 was a fabulous year for you, and you have really fond memories of these songs, or if there's just one of them that you'd be psyched to hear again, claim this cd. It's yours.

Here are the fine tracks of "Totally Hits 2."

Santana (featuring The Product G&B) "Maria Maria" - nope
Christina Aguilera "Genie In a Bottle" - definitely
Third Eye Blind "Never Let You Go" - nah
Sugar Ray "Falls Apart" - no way
Lonestar "Amazed" - um, no
Lou Bega "Mambo No. 5" - ack
Madonna "Beautiful Stranger" - sorry, no
Whitney Houston "My Love Is Your Love" - have to, it's an anthem (I didn't say it was good.)
Filter "Take A Picture" - cute, but no
TLC "Dear Lie" - oh how far they fall
Missy Elliott "Hot Boyz" - love it.
Moby "Natural Blues" - sure, though not quite sure why
LFO "Girl On TV" - this got recorded?!
N Sync "I Drive Myself Crazy" - thank god JT found Timbaland and Pherrell
Donell Jones "U Know What's Up" - yeah, so smooth, i'm into it
Monica "Right Here Waiting" - a Richard Marx cover???? that's low
REM "The Great Beyond" - no need
Sarah McLachlan "I Will Remember You" - nausea

Violent Femmes - eponymous

This morning I woke up with "Good Feeling" in my head. I don't really think of the Violent Femmes as music I necessarily want to start my day with, but it was kind of nice to sing those lyrics as I puttered around making breakfast. Since this album was pretty close to the front of my next drawer of cds, I decided it was meant to be. I grabbed the cd and headed for the grocery store. By the time I pulled into the parking lot, I was banging my hands on the steering wheel and singing/screaming along. Really satisfying.

This album is a total classic. I can't imagine too many arguments to the contrary. I'd love to be able to figure out the number of people who know all the words to these songs. I think it would be on the high end of that sort of statistic, especially among 30 - 45 years olds who went to high school in the U.S. I would also guess that most of us have some pretty vivid memories attached to these songs. On this album, the Violent Femmes achieved their own unique (and pretty-near-perfect) expression of teenage longing, anxiety and frustration. Those are emotions that burn images deep into your psyche. For some reason I always visualize my 9th grade World History room when I listen to this album. I also remember sitting on some random drunk guy's shoulders at the Lake Fairfax Festival while we all yelled the lyrics right back at the Violent Femmes. I was sixteen, terrified and excited, and I thought I might have even achieved being pretty cool for that moment.

I hadn't thought too much about who the Violent Femmes actually were before today. Turns out they are still going. This album was released in 1982. For the next twenty years they put out a ton of material, and they're still touring. I do remember them being amazing live. I loved that all three of them stood in a row at the front of the stage. I especially loved that the drummer was standing while he banged on a snare drum and a cymbal. What I didn't know then was that these guys came from Milwaukee. Who comes from Milwaukee??? I think that's cool. Apparently they got discovered by The Pretenders, who heard them playing on the streets.

In terms of the other albums by the Violent Femmes, I've never listened to them, and I don't feel the need. (Though if I should, please let me know!) I feel totally satisfied with this one nearly perfect album. The new cd version adds two extra tracks onto the end, which I think was a bad move. I think that "Good Feelings" is the best closing song you could ask for. But if you ignore that, "Violent Femmes" the album is so good from beginning to end. Most people know the first two tracks, "Blister in the Sun" and "Kiss Off" best. They're definite crowd pleasers. Personally, I've come to love the last two tracks the most. "Gone Daddy Gone" features a marimba, and it rocks. That's impressive.

I don't know how I would describe the Violent Femmes' music to someone who hasn't heard it. (But if you haven't, definitely jump on the chance to get this cd.) The cd sleeve describes it as a combination of "rock, folk, rockabilly, and original lyricism." On their website, they describe themselves in many different ways, starting with "the originators of folk punk." I just like that they have a sound that I've never heard replicated - though they've certainly influenced many bands - and that they made this one classic album that will always be really really fun to sing/scream along to, tapping into that teenage frustration with life.

Joshua Redman - "Moodswing"

Happy December! I took a few days off for Thanksgiving, but I'm back. And this is a fantastic cd to get me started again, 'cause it's just led me through the kind of experience this project is all about. I hadn't listened to Joshua Redman in years, but when I pulled this album out of the drawer, I remembered really liking it once upon a time. Well, that's because it's beautiful.

I first heard Joshua Redman at Oberlin (Is it starting to seem that all roads lead back to Oberlin in my music life? Hmmm....) when I was visiting my sister, must have been 1996. Finney Chapel - which is a really large church - was absolutely packed, and I'd never experienced a crowd so totally enthralled with a jazz trio. Everyone was on their feet, and it was hot! A few days later, the tour came through Boston and I saw the trio play at the Regatta Bar to a super stiff crowd of New Englanders, which wasn't exactly the same. Just a lot of polite clapping and knowing nods. Oofta. But the band was still amazing.

Somehow, in the ensuing years, I only managed to purchase one Joshua Redman cd. I followed the careers of Brian Blade, the drummer in that trio in '96, and Christian McBride, the bassist. I even bought a few of Christian McBride's albums, which I like a lot. But "Moodswing" is the only Joshua Redman album I've bought. Truth be told, I haven't been listening to a ton of jazz recently. I'm such a dunce that today after listening to "Moodswing," I thought, "Wow, I wonder if Joshua Redman ever put out any other records? I know he went to Harvard and almost went to law school, so maybe he just left the jazz world...." Um, not so much. Turns out while I've been spaced out, Joshua Redman's been turning out tons of critically acclaimed albums. Check out his website, you'll see.

It's definitely time for me to get some more Joshua Redman. I'll do that soon. In the mean time, I'm happy to be listening to this album again. "Moodswing" is a great name for it. He swings between slower, more sultry and melancholy tracks that reference vocal melodies, to more straight ahead tracks with unbelievable solos. That's the stuff that really works for me. There's a definite Cannonball Adderley influence, and that gets me every time.

So, yeah, I woke up today to the reality that Joshua Redman is probably one of the great jazz musicians out there right now, and I wasn't even paying attention! I'm awake now. Let me know if you need a great jazz cd to add to your collection.