This 1936 cartoon tells the story of "Owl" Jolson, who pursues his passion for Jazz against the wishes of his strict, traditional parents. It's based off the life story of Al Jolson, a Jewish-Lithuanian immigrant to the US who became a vaudeville and Broadway legend and starred in the first ever full-length sound movie The Jazz Singer in 1927.
Here's the playlist for a Spring mix I made my friend recently. Inspired by the old WFUV 90.7, Satan, and Sara Hope. My favs are starred.
*Summer Skin - Death Cab for Cutie, off Plans ~ so beautiful. 32 Flavors – Ani DiFranco, off Living in Clip [Live] ~ gotta love Ani. Sexual Healing (cover) – Ben Harper, off Live at the Hollywood Bowl [EP] ~ Ben Harper kept the soul but brought down the cheese factor. Sung with the Birds – Ramona Cordova, off The Boy Who Floated Freely ~ pretty finger-picking. *You’s a Bird – Broken Parachutes (Ezra Tenenbaum) ~ very fresh style. *Hey Ya (cover) – Matt Weddle (of Obadiah Parker) ~ only OutKast song that makes me teary. Honey I Been Thinking About You – Jackie Greene ~ kinda funny. still sweet. When in Rome – Nickel Creek, off Why Should the Fire Die? ~ so poignant. Children of December – The Slip, off Eisenhower Freeway – Aimee Mann, off Smilers The Man (with Natalie Maines) – Pete Yorn, off Westerns EP ~ nice Yorn. so spring-y. Sunrise – Norah Jones, off Feels Like Home Rain – Patty Griffin, off 1000 Kisses ~ this makes me cry. Patty is amazing. While You Were Sleeping – Elvis Perkins, off Ash Wednesday ~ simple chord progression, amazing lyrics. Lake Michigan – Rogue Wave, off Asleep At Heaven’s Gate ~ cool feel. After Tonight – Justin Nozuka, off Holly ~ great tune, great voice. Justin's a cutie. One Of These Things First – Nick Drake, off “Garden State” Soundtrack ~ pretty cool and unique. *High And Dry – Radiohead, off The Bends ~ a classic. one of the most 'normal' Radiohead songs. still great.
We're antsy for beats that catch the attention and keep it. Luckily, music is becoming more and more interactive and accessible, and there are some musical geniuses out there with plenty of skill and a whole lot of creativity. Underground mash-up mogul Girl Talk blew up this year with his seamless (and illegal) mixes of songs from the most conflicting genres and eras. It's prime time for DJ's... but what about the visual aspect?
Kutiman (Ophir Kutiel) is redefining media editing. The 24-year-old Israeli multi-talented musician, who started out in Jazz, moved on to reggae, and later created a self-titled, funky, afro-beat album, embarked last month on an innovative project dubbed ThruYOU. The project is similar to the album Endtroducing... by the extraordinary DJ Shadow, who assembled killer tracks using only samples of other artists' previously released music. Kutiman's effort is a collection of 7 mash-up songs, constructed only from bits and pieces of unrelated, original YouTube videos. Kutiman's master mixing and editing of material from everyday musicians, singers, and rappers gained over 1 million views within its first week on the web.
Be sure to check out Kuti's MySpace for more music, photos, and fun.
Soon after Kutiman was featured on YouTube, the owners caught on to this mash-up craze! Check out YouTube's "Internet Symphony" Global Mash Up, a mash-up vid of musicians performing a piece by Chinese composer Tan Dun.
I turn up the radio in the car, and what do I hear? Kid Cudi's "Day 'N' Nite (Crookers Remix)" ruling the airwaves. I chose it for a Video of the Week in January.
Congrats, Kid! Too bad NY's #1 Hit Music Station is gonna over-play, exhaust, and murder your hit within a few days.
Who else is playing Cudi? The new 92.3, NOW. If you haven't already heard the devastating news, K-Rock is no longer available on FM radio. We've got a Z100 clone instead. But you can listen to New York's Only Alternative in HD and online here.
Meet Mica Levi, AKA Micachu. The 21 year old Brit began as a violin and viola prodigy and now produces some of the most innovative material out there, which sometimes includes the use of homemade instruments. "Lips" is from her (yes, her) first album, Jewellery, released last month. This short, intimate video just leaves you wanting more Micachu. Check out my favorite track by her, "Turn Me Weller", in which Mica uses a vacuum cleaner for sound effects and to manipulate her voice.
IF RAP GETS JEALOUS by K'NAAN - Emerging rapper-musician K'naan, originally from Somalia, isn't shy about his distinguishable style. The former refugee arrives with a little auto-bio and a message to the haters in this catchy, rock-based track. Get a better feel for his fresh sound at his MySpace.
PROM QUEEN by LIL' WAYNE - The accomplished rapper is testing himself and the masses by releasing a new, entirely rock album called "Rebirth". "Prom Queen" is the emo-tinged first single. Weezy follows the T-Pain-stamped autotune trend in order to forge a tolerable singing voice. The lyrics lack substance in comparison to Wayne's chart-topping rhymes. But you'll still hear the loyal fans and rap-rock rebels blasting this song's basic riff from their cars.
WELCOME TO HEARTBREAK by KANYE WEST FT. KID CUDI - The title says it all. A humbled Ye complains about alienating himself with money and missing out on the true valuables of life, like love. You basically get to hear the ego-tripper cry on this track: "OOooh-oOOoh" - heartbreaking..... or hilarious?
