Dynamic Duos

Peanut butter & Jelly, Batman and Robin and cookies and milk. Our culture loves to put things together and is enamored by the juxtaposition of flavors, sounds, colors. From pre-school age we are taught about what colors go together and which do not. (Side note, contrary to popular belief orange and maroon definitively go together).

This week the playlist focuses on dynamic duo music groups. All three are lead by male, female duos showcasing three distinct sounds that are all their own. Song to song the sounds range between soul, blue, folk, pop and rock. There is something in there for everyone.

Making music with someone is an intimate experience in sharing and mixing ideas to create the experience for the audience. Collaboration and cooperation are the keys to success here. I think that's something we could all use a little more of. Have a great week and enjoy the music and help yourself to peanut butter and jelly sandwich for old time's sake.

Spotify Link to Playlist

songwritin' : an expeditionary tale

This week's playlist takes on a more melancholy expression of the weariness of a long week. The feeling and exasperation that drives us all to our wit's end. The three gentlemen this week take those feelings and turn them into songs built from experience and poor judgement. Their songs feel as if the emotion is poured out with the viscosity of molasses. Slow and thick but an explosion of flavor and emotion burst forth from the lyrics. They share dynamic and unique voices that rip through and quiet any crowd.

The uniting sound of the songwriter brings forth a visualization of the back roads of America passing through a passenger side window. As we watch the world around pass by all too quickly, take a moment to relax and in the words of Ferris Bueller "life moves pretty fast. if you don't slow down and look around, you might miss it?" as referenced in Nature Cat, a highly underrated cartoon on PBS. The episode we watched the other day referenced that quote. You will have to find the episode but take a moment and learn a life lesson from Hal the affable dumb dog in said cartoon and you may not understand how you got where you are but so what, take advantage of where you are and make the most of it.

Spotify Play List Link

 

Rockin' Blues

This week features three artists all incorporating and featuring blues elements. The music has transformed from its origins in soul-searching melodies delving deep to express frustration and anger into a modern genre that embodies elements of folk, rock and heavy guitar. Added bonus for the incorporation of harmonica.

I find myself constantly head bobbing through this music and you can certainly hear the tone of blues greats from the 60s and 70s shining through. I also find the music makes you hungry, not in the figurative sense. More in the literal sense of big ole plate of barbecue. Its messy, its saucy and full of flavor. Tender and bold all in the same wave. The blues goes hand in hand with barbecue, they are pretty much married or at least in a "serious" relationship by my account. Regardless of their relationship status the similarities are uncanny. It's remarkable how so many times we associate specific smells, tastes and sounds together.

Now that you are salivating, you're welcome. So go get you nice heaping plate of barbecue and crank up the tunes. Don't forget the napkins.

 

the big game halftime: a chronology

In honor of a certain specific game that is played of importance today, I decided to perform an inventory and chronology of halftime performance. I wanted to highlight the progression or regression as some may view of it, of how popular music and culture has evolved and driven one of the highest watched events of the year.

There are many performances to forget and clearly looking back some of these were atleast 30th or worse on people they tried before settling on those that performed. Well at least i hope so, but i discovered many other fantastic musicians that played the halftime that i was completely unaware of. My favorite surprises include some from the 70s like Doc Severinson, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, and Andy Williams. So below is a listing of my favorites from throughout the years, Here's to hoping a brighter future for halftime performances or may I be pleasantly surprised by future performances.  For whatever reason I cannot find any record of a performance from 2004, weird.

Top 10 in chronological order

1970: Doc Severinson (i think we all need more Doc in our lives)
1972: Ella Fitzgerald (a tribute to Louis Armstrong)
1993: Michael Jackson (the multiple michael jackson intro thing earns bonus points plus the hair on the guitar player how did we let things like that happen)
1995: Patti Labelle, Teddy Pendergrass, Tony Bennett, Arturo Sandoval (serious bonus points for Indiana Jones theme, sensory overload but a great group of talent here)
1997: Blues Brothers, James Brown, ZZ Top
2002: U2
2005: Paul McCartney (live and let die, also is deserved in list of top movie themes)
2006: Rolling Stones
2009: Bruce Springsteen
2014: Bruno Mars / Red Hot Chili Peppers

Honorable Mention
1973: Woody Herman & Andy Williams (of a different era, but classic none the less)
1988: Chubby Checker (that's a lot of pianos, seriously the brainstorming meeting wouldve been killer)
1994: Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt and the Judds (purely for my wife, shes in my house)
1996: Diana Ross
1999: Gloria Estefan, Stevie Wonder and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (its Stevie Wonder and E.T.!)
2007: Prince
2008: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
2011: Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash
2014: The Who
2016: Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson