Music – quieter

Mahler’s Fifth Symphony

Went to my first sf symphony concert of the season on Friday night. It is always fun to go, and I’m glad I can look forward to a whole season of concerts.

The first piece, Ruggle’s _Angels_ was an all trumpet piece that was so short I didn’t have time to get into it. The final note was ruined by a deafening sneeze on the left side of the orchestra.

The second piece didn’t work for me either, and I drifted off a bit, as jet lag took hold. This was also music for just a few strings, keyboard, and harp.

The main piece was fantastic, played enthusiastically by the whole orchestra. So the sound was bigger, and more exciting. Still, the 5th Symphony was a departure for Mahler, and the emotions are not as raw and direct as hi earlier work. I really enjoyed the Scherzo and the 4th movement.

After I went to bambuddah lounge for a brief drink. And then off to f’s house for his birthday party.

what i’m listening to

Here are some songs from my iTunes playlist ‘new tunes’ that

played within the last month
added in the last 3 months
played more than 5 times

From the list of 25 songs that made that cut, here are a few of the top ranked songs:

Chewing Gum – Annie: Norwegian pop. What’s not to love?
Right now – Love Psychedelico: LP is one of the best rock bands in Japan. Synth is a new sound for them, but it plays support to the acoustic guitar and the fabulous vocals and melody.
Emotions and Photons – Freezepop: Man, so good. This is an old song that I’m just discovering.
Somebody More Like You – Nickel Creek: last issue of Paste magazine turned me on to Nickel Creek, a bluegrass band that writes and sings amazingly. The lyrics grabbed me on this song.
All Your Life – Nina Nastasia: The vocalist from Boom-Bip’s “The Matter (of our discussion)” with one of her own songs. Songs about heartbreak are just so much fun.
We Belong (Cabin Life Remix) – Pat Benetar: this dance remix of a classic is done by a friend of mine. You’ll like it.

Write a comment and let me know what you think! or–got any suggestions?

Annie

I went to see Annie at the Mighty on Friday night. You know, trying to get out to meet new people. Or at least to see some live music.

The crowd seemed a bit younger than the usual burning man/techno dance crowd. There was a radio promotion, too, an FM 103 van parked outside.

I missed the first opening act. The second one was pretty good soundwise, but really were into the onstage theatrics.

Annie came on at about 1230am. Her voice is so glasslike, it is hard to hear in a club setting. She did seem completely relaxed, and completely natural. She’d stop after every song and acknowledge the applause. The crowd started to thin just slightly about halfway through.

I wonder if people went away disappointed. After the manufactured emotions of the 2nd set, Annie just brought her music: light and cheerful and slightly sad. Above all, not overpowering or demanding.

I slipped out into the fog and cold. Walked up to 11th, where all the clubs were getting out: DNA, butter, Studio.Z, Paradise Lounge. I saw the 90 owl bus at Harrison and 11th, and nearly killed myself running out in front of a speeding cab. I back pedalled, he hit the brakes, and then passed. I jaywalked again immediately, and the driver waited for me. At Geary and Van Ness I got out and hailed a cab.

Fear of Pop

So, if you’ve been looking for new music out on the internets, there sure is plenty.

I went to Sweden a couple years ago and I woke up to the fact that tons of English-language music is performed or influenced by Scandinavian artists and producers. Annie is a new Norwegian pop singer with a thin airy voice and well-crafted songs that are both cheery and melancholy. The album is called Anniemal, and the downloadable track is My Heartbeat (mp3). I’ve downloaded some other tracks, and I think I might shell out for the album. It’s pretty good, and other people think so too.

Yes, it’s pure pop. I think pop has its place, and I just can’t listen to rock and roll all the time. C’mon, a few pop hooks now and then…

I’ve been getting my new music tips lately from Salon.com’s audiofile. Check it out.

UPDATE: Annie is coming to San Francisco! Who wants to go? July 1st.

Timpani and Beethoven

details:
Davis Symphony Hall
San Francisco Symphony
William Kraft, Concerto No. 2 for Timpani
Beethoven, Symphony No. 9
Michael Tilson Thomas, conducting.

So, the concert tonight was fabulous.

The orchestra opened with a commissioned Concerto for Timpani, and seeing the specially made rack with mini-timpani hanging from it, with the soloist in the middle, was pretty cool. The 9 small drums hung from the rack, above the 6 larger timpani below. I was interested in all the different sounds that the soloist, David Herbert, produced, twirling around, craning to watch the conducting, while pounding, slapping, and pedaling.

I’d have to evaluate the musicality of the concerto at another hearing. Too busy watching the show. The other percussionists also had lots of work to do in that concerto, bells and gongs going off all the time.

San Francisco Symphony always seems to program something really experimental in front of a Beethoven symphony. J. pointed out that it’s hard to get less experimental than a Beethoven symphony. True. Though his symphonies are amazing, and at their debut experimental, they are taken for granted now.

Still, Beethoven brings the crowds out. But it’s Michael Tilson Thomas’ conducting that brings the crowds to their feet.

Michael Tilson Thomas was amazing, conducting sometimes by shrugging his shoulders, hands by his side–then darting in with the baton to point up an accent. The score on the podium was closed the entire time. And his interpretation of the last movement…

The opening notes of the first movement, were carefully and delicately laid out, and I felt like I was listening to it for the first time. Instead of rushing to the main theme, the orchestra indulged Beethoven’s play with the pulsing chords in the first violins. The variations so whimsical and quick, and boom–there’s the main theme.

But it was the interpretation of the last movement, the famous Ode to Joy which was so vivid and fresh. I have _never_ been so pleased to hear that piece. Typically the chorus runs roughshod over these notes… screaming away. (Perhaps I’ve heard church choirs wind themselves up for an excerpt of this too often.) But to hear it in context, in the movement, after the orchestra whips up the melody sans voices… and then the baritone shakes off the darker theme, announcing the ode to joy with the recitive… that was symphony magic.

The section with the tenor and the chorus was so lighthearted and amusing. I couldn’t believe the orchestra… it sounded like a small swing band. The the tenor came in lightly and whimsically, the chorus to-, keeping it light and frothy. Vance George deserves no end of credit for his fine chorus.

It was great. Loud, loud applause. And a great way to end the season. Although I missed more concerts this year than ever, I did see a fair number. And this completed our 6th year of concerts… so, 66 all told, probably in the mid 50’s for me. That’s a lot of music.

Can’t wait till next year!

The Mellow Playlist

Recently at work I’ve been listening to a real hodgepodge of music, and I found that it was interfering with my productivity to be bouncing from pop to rock to dance and then classical.

I find that when I’m programming some seamlessly mixed dance tracks are the best way to be productive. But you can’t listen to trance all the time.

So at work this week I made a playlist called ‘Mellow’.

Leading off this playlist is a real find. The track is called The Matter (of our discussion) and the name of the group is Boom Bip. Album is “Blue Eyed in a Red Room”.

I’m hooked on this track, it’s slow sad haunting lyrics; painted against shimmering tinkling chords.

Download here.

Other artists on the mellow playlist:

Freezepop, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, The postal service, Sigur Ros, Andrew Bird, The Features, Buffalo Daughter, Julien Civange, akiko (jazz), Replicant, Nick Drake, Tony Garlif, Lambchop, Cibo Matto, Koop, Philip Glass, The Magnetic Fields.

Bruckner Symphony No. 9

Went to the symphony. Wednesday night crowd, and it felt empty. And not just because the jabbering gossips weren’t there in our row for this concert.

Kurt Masur conducting. My first time to watch him conduct. Wow. He was great. You could tell the orchestra was really enjoying it.

The opening Mozart symphony #36, Linz.

Puffy at The Fillmore

notes:

japanese family with 3 young boys came to the show. the youngest, maybe 8 years old, asleep on his dad’s shoulder.

waft of pot smoke going up at 3rd song.

ami with long hair: yumi in a tank top, short hair looking very relaxed and having fun.

the bassist who couldn’t stop smiling. (from band ‘neurotics’)

went with chris and motoko.

encores: circuit de musume and asia no junshin

Ambulance Ltd

Went with PL to see Ambulance Ltd at Great American Music Hall on Thursday night.

We were supposed to have a softball game that night. It got cancelled. was at dinner with PL on Wednesday (Kabuto) and he suggested going to see this band.

It was cool because I had just bought their CD at Virgin the week before.

Great show. 4 beers, fries. tons of cute kids, but they were all 12 years old. Or looked like it. And lots of girls with long noses, for some reason.

Ambulance was on first. Great set–but straight from the album–which I didn’t know so well yet, so that was okay. I got the sense that they were really modest, and into the music. I liked that. The lead singer was cool. They all definitely had indie rock hair, though. The last song of the set is the first one of their album–“Yoga Means Union”–all instrumental. And it kicked ass.

Elefant was the other headliner. Great band–lots of sound, and only 2 guitars and drums. The sound is Brit-pop, and the lyrics–unexpectedly romantic. The vocalist is sincere and his Argentinian roots show through–unfortunately, they came of as slightly histrionic. Or maybe they’d just be romantic and gushing if I weren’t so ironic and angsty.

Pictures.