Pela - Juarez

"I've got jukebox tears on the turquoise skies."



"Now my demons are counting rosaries."

Pela

Aly Tadros - Swingset

“Watching you watching me in my shades, could you see my smile hiding underneath? Seems like each moment your eyes find mine, I lose a little less reason to hide.” Sunday is good for a walk in the park, and recalling years gone by when going to the park and holding hands is a perfectly good way to spend an afternoon. I dream away while a dreamy voice sings of love “swinging so sweetly on a swingset so fine.” Even as Aly sings, she recalls that “talk is overrated”. A funny thing for a poet to say, but it’s true. Shoutout for the word-filled short story called Paper Mache (“baby, don’t you let them change you”). Aly’s voice is strong and self-assured causing an instant acceptance and understanding that her voice will be one we’ll be hearing for many years to come. Make contact at Myspace & watch for the release of “Things Worth Keeping”. A huge thanks to Jeff Smith for getting the word out. Aly Tadros

Ha Ha Tonka and More for the Fireworks!!!

Ha Ha Tonka - Hold My Feet In The Fire b/w Walking On The Devil's Backbone
Catherine Maclellan - Set This Heart On Fire b/w Everything'll Be Alright
Levon Helm - Stuff You Gotta Watch b/w When I Go Away
The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away b/w Keep Me In The Dark
Charlie Straight – Nothing b/w She Is A Good Swimmer
Aimee Allen - Change In Weather b/w A Little Happiness, On Vacation & God Talks
Cheap Trick - California Girl
Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey – Widescreen World
Florence And The Machine - Kiss With A Fist b/w Hurricane Drunk
Ha Ha Tonka - Close Every Valve To Your Bleeding Heart b/w Thoreau In The Woods

Nuke The Soup – Yin And Yang

“We moved all summer like separate spirits dancing in the sand, and we moved into another gear never knowing when we’d land.” The story moves along at a steady pace. The poetic trick is to take a word, define it in terms of the relationship the narrator is pursuing, and playing it with a medium dance beat. Very cool. The individual words could become a game – like those email games – define your relationship in terms of temptation, frustration, elation, flirtation, trepidation, and inspiration. The narrator seems confused about the reality of the relationship – on the one hand he’s saying “we fit like yin and yang”, then a line later he’s saying “but I don’t know what you want.” In other words, it sounds real – no easy answers here. Gotta work on it, no matter how good the fit.

I’m shouting out Big Green Jungle for the same reason – no easy answers. We all have to make the decision – chase the mighty dollar, or live from day to day. The narrator here is encouraged to go for the jungle, but he is quite realistic in reciting the fact that “in the big green jungle there’ll always be disparity.” It’s a daily war. The intrigue here is – either choice is a war. Survive from day to day, paycheck to paycheck – daily struggle. Go for the con game of American finance, and it’s still a daily struggle. You can’t let up because the moment you do another will be considered more fit, and in this war only the fittest survive. Sure, while you’re on top you have the nest egg and finances are not your worry; but it’s a constant stress to stay in the game. Nuke The Soup says – no easy answers, but life has some interesting questions =:-) Nuke The Soup

Ed Hale - I Walk Alone

“The stars lay scattered in the open sky and these lights by the bridge shine through the night of my eyes.” The poetry is enhanced by the musicians each walking through the melody in a sparse but meaningful way. A fine composition. The heartfelt desolation is honest. “Flowers bloom in the middle of deserted lawns. When the winter comes these flowers will be dead and gone.” Ed Hale

Pama International – Happenstance b/w Dub A Dance

Starting a new month on a hump day is great fun, especially when a funky dance band takes the stage with a beat that encourages sweating out a hard day’s work. The story is the story of any government – they look at the young as martyrs in a cause to make a few rich people even richer. “Don’t matter who you are, or where you land. No discrimination in their plans. Size you up, ship you out. Move along! Bullet to catch.” Is it coincidence that you can twitter this opening line? Ask a rabbi. In the mean-time, dance. I’ve learned it’s necessary because if we focus on what our governments do to young people we will forever be crying, no matter who is in charge. “For us to change, war must end.” Pama International

Pama International on Eartaste

Mams Taylor - United For Neda

The Von Ehrics - A Week Of Living Dangerously

“Well, I got out of work and I headed for the neighborhood beer joint.” He sure did, guitar in hand, with the crowd moving wildly despite the 104 degree heat because if they stop for even one second the electricity will catchy the joint on fire. This band is hot! And a blast to listen to. The singer could probably front a country band – but we’re sure glad he chose to hang out with some rockers. Shoutout for the story about Jimmy Blades. The Von Ehrics



Recorded live 2009 using a Flip Video:

Revolver - Balulalow

The drumbeats start my week with a vision of strength. This is our final week of summer school, and the kids are ready to dance. I’m ready to dance. The beautiful harmonies of these guys take the dance to a whole new level of dancing within my head as my body moves around. It’s a fantastic experience - the physical and the mental dancing going on in two dimensions – one body. That’s what happens when you teach high school biology to one group of children for many hours every day for a month. The mind can travel and perform many marvelous acts while the body stays imprisoned in a classroom. The students feel the same way, so we can laugh together about the absurdity of the situation. So, what’s that got to do with Revolver?

I see Balulalow on an album and my mind floats to Christmas. There’s bunches of famous renditions of a Christmas carol named Balulalow. Well, this dance ain’t no Christmas dance except in the fact it fills the mind with joy. So, I looked the word up. Apparently it simply means ‘lullaby’. Huh? This is one dang modern lullaby. The drums alone will get the 2 month old up out of the crib boogieing all day long. Sure, I admit the harmonies are angelic. So what’s up? Well, it’s not easy to decipher all the lyrics, but I have the feeling the narrator is giving advice to a youngster, or a body who is still dressed in a young mind. “You go out to the river at dawn. You walk around trying to keep yourself warm until the day comes up. Go where you want to, and don’t look back.”

Birds In D Minor has a true lullaby feel, a lone guitar and voice for a verse. The band enters with a ballerina dance. “All that you say will be said back to you.” Complete with string quartet. Luke, Mike & John is a joyful tune with a friendly title (“soon you’ll forget everything you’re supposed to need”). Get Around Town brings a rock and roll guitar waking up the neighborhood, and I swear they’re singing about the “buzz countdown”. Or perhaps the “bud counts down”. Whichever, it makes me giggle in a good way – the video is funny too. Stranger has a tune and lyric that fits the title (“don’t have many friends in this town”), and is a very strong performance. “Things get always better in the past, but today tomorrow cannot pass. Anyone can see I’m a stranger here.” You Drove Me Home is a porch-strumming guitar ditty with the sons of the pioneers swaying in the non-existence 105 degree breeze swooning “you know how it feels to talk to yourself every night. And it’s alright.” Gets even deeper. “You don’t know your ma, you don’t know your pa. You don’t know your friends or yourself, and it’s alright.” Despite what sounds like sorrowed lyrics, this cd brightens my day every time I hear it. This would make a wonderful Christmas in July gift for someone you love, even yourself. Revolver

Balulalow portions:


Get Around Town:


Leave Me Alone:


A ‘wish I had been there’ lullaby party: