Jordi Savall - Jerusalem: City Of Two Peaces (CD)

Two and a half hours of bliss. Travel through the history of the musics presented by Jordi Savall. The journey is the length of a good religious service. As I listened today, many thoughts went through my head, as usual; but the one that stood out is exemplified by the irony (at least in English) of the two peaces (two pieces) of Jerusalem. Jordi has focused on the literal meaning of the literal peace of the heavenly Jerusalem and peace of the earthly Jerusalem. That doesn’t stop my wandering mind, and I started wondering what if every religious person around the world sat and listened to this instead of a hate sermon – all on the same week? With millions of minds focused on peace instead of hate, can you just imagine what would happen? Neither can I, but we must dream, and we must dream that our dreams can become reality. I don’t think there’s an individual Jew, Christian, or Muslim who seriously want to destroy the earthly city of Jerusalem. It’s when they go into their separate church buildings, mosques and temples that the religious people begin hating each other. Without doubt they are all looking forward to the ‘heavenly’ city of Jerusalem, so it doesn’t take much imagination to envision them loving each other here on earth. Thanks Jordi! Jordi Savall

Another beautiful presentation with Jordi featuring Rolf Lislevand. Arianna Savall, & Pedro Estevan:

Saturday Night Singles Party

Jim Suhler – Poor Lightnin’ b/w I Could’ve Had Religion & Deep Water Lullaby
Brenda Boykin – Freedom b/w Moaning & Rockabye Me
Cotton Jones – Up A Tree b/w Gotta Cheer Up & Blood Red Sentimental Blues
Emmy The Great – First Love b/w City Song
Joe Bonamassa - Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter
The Soul Of John Black - Black John b/w Thinking About You
Miranda Lee Richards - Dandelion b/w When We Go Walkin'
Squares On Both Sides - Pripyat
Sad Day For Puppets - When The Morning Comes b/w Shiny Teeth And Sharpened Claws
Jim Suhler –The Devil In Me b/w Sunday Drunk & Chaos In Texas

U2 - Magnificent Preview on Rooftop (video)

Shoutouts for Magnificent, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, White As Snow and Breathe.preorder U2’s new album

See also: U2 on Eartaste

Get On Your Boots



Magnificent

Thirsty Thursday Singles

Elvis Perkins – Shampoo b/w Hey You
M. Ward - Rave On b/w Oh Lonesome Me
Eleni Mandell – Don't Let It Happen b/w In The Doorway
Laura Gibson – Sweet Deception
Gutbucket - A Little Anarchy Never Hurt Everyone b/w Lucy Ferment
Jo Mango – Tea Lights
Justin Townes Earle - Midnight At The Movies b/w Mama’s Eyes
Chris Isaak - We Lost Our Way b/w I Lose My Heart
Dan Auerbach - Real Desire b/w When The Night Comes & Goin’ Home
The Joy Formidable - Whirring

Wicked Wednesday Singles

Dan Auerbach - Mean Monsoon b/w My Last Mistake & When I Left The Room
Chris Isaak - Cheater's Town b/w Baby Baby
M. Ward – Jailbird b/w Epistemology & Blake's View
Eleni Mandell – Artificial Fire
Schuyler Fisk – Hello b/w Miss You & You're Only Lonely
Brenda Boykin – Be My Lover b/w Ride Rich Rhythm & Chocolate and Chili
Camille - Home Is Where It Hurts
Emmy The Great – 24 b/w History Of Britain

Tasty Tuesday Singles

Elvis Perkins - I Heard Your Voice In Dresden b/w Doomsday
Dan Auerbach - Trouble Weighs A Ton b/w Whispered Words & Street Walkin’
Chris Isaak - Mr. Lonely Man b/w Very Pretty Girl
Bat For Lashes – Sleep Alone b/w Two Planets
Neko Case - People Got A Lotta Nerve b/w Fever & Don’t Forget Me
M. Ward - Never Had Nobody Like You b/w Fisher Of Men
Eleni Mandell – Personal b/w Needle And Thread
Jenny Wilson - Like A Fading Rainbow b/w Wooden Chair, Only Here For The Fight & String Of Grass
The Guystorm - Count On Us b/w Heart Of Grass

Single Minded Monday

The Lodger - Good Old Days
Magnet - Lay Lady Lay
The Idle Hands - Loaded
The Color Bars - Id Incinerator
Rosabella Gregory - Elodie
Kelsey Brown - I'm A Creep And I'm Proud
Rachael Yamagata - Accident b/w Pause the Tragic Ending
Her Space Holiday - I'll Believe In Anything
Robyn Hitchcock - Saturday Groovers b/w Hurry For The Sky & Up To Our Necks

JJ Cale – Who Knew?

The jazz bassist excites the way this album begins. JJ Cale is best known for his guitar skills, but here we get to focus on his writing skills. “Who knew our life would be so complicated? Who knew that we would be so automated? No time to think! On the brink! Who knew?” Good questions to contemplate and try to understand. Technology has automated most of my life, yet I’m busier than ever. Go figger. Trying to figure out ways to simplify even more has become more stressful than simply accepting it, but it is strange when I take time to think about it. But, like the man says, no time to think, we’re on the brink. I love the way he puts it because a brink can go two ways – we’re either on the brink of disaster, or the brink of a revolution. Of course, we won’t know till we’re on the other side, but these can be looked at as exciting days. “Be ready to fabricate and navigate your personal fate.” LOL! Great line that could mean many things, but to me he’s saying – be ready for a job change soon. And yes, the guitar does sneak in some tasty licks. Shoutouts for Strange Days (“there is no meaning”), Fondalina (“it’s a story as old as Jesus, Fondalina has a void to fill”), and Roll On (coulda been called Rock and Roll On – lots of tasty guitar duels & jerry lee piano licks). JJ Cale

Broken Kites – Wall Of Impossibilities

Ambience music. Mood music. Meditation music. Take your pick. Today I am enjoying the Alps, Nels Cline and Broken Kites.

Wall of Impossibilities is a soundtrack of travel into some of the unknown recesses in my mind. I feel I am looking through a wall of water at a dream of people not at peace, but moving slowly, exaggerating their power of destruction. Revised Euth clarifies the picture a bit, with percussion focusing my thoughts on the movements. The wall is moving faster, and the people behind the vision are involved more in a dance than a fight. They travel around each other fluidly, without falling. They slowly get taller and taller and are reaching up toward the sun for strength. Techtonics moves the people away from each other as they reach toward each other. The plane I am observing the action from is also moving, backwards. We drift away and the seas begin moving our small islands up and down so I see one set peaking then receding while another set reaches up. We start swirling, and come closer, crossing, almost able to reach each other through a mist of a waterfall. Still silent. Not quiet, but silent inside. A beautiful ride. The questions remain but no longer have meaning. Meaning is not necessary. This album is the instrumental landscape called Flight School, and is available from both the net labelHollowscene and from the band website Broken Kites. Individual tracks are available at AmieStreet.com.

Brokenkites on eartaste.com

Broken Kites – Resonator:

The Alps – Morning Light

A guitar gently breaks into my thoughts and fastens itself onto my steady unhurried heartbeat. I am pulled toward thoughts of clouds drifting on the horizon first grey, then orange, then blood red. Slowly slowly pink then white visions of new breaths over the cabin almost warming the atmosphere. Big Sur continues the journey, with the guitars strumming the tops of the pines before gliding down toward the rocks being performed by the ocean. The fog comes in with siren voices in Night Whispers and the cool ocean breezes call for heavy jackets and a fire on the shore. I turn back toward the path to the cabin and light the Heathen Candle that completes my mediation with a peaceful thought. The Alps

Nels Cline – The Liberator

Nels breaks into my reveries and wakes up every neuron in my mind with the reminder that life continues to pound in on me from all sides and it’s my purpose to recognize that every moment has the intention to awaken my senses. It’s so easy to fall into a trance of absolute peace and forget. Thankfully Nels allows that ease to return with the spiritual wisdom of Cymbidium and the incense of Prayer Wheel. Nels Cline

Putumayo Presents India

India has many flavors of music, and we are often treated to the frantic side of Bollywood flavors here in the US. Putumayo has decided to focus on the jazzier and smoother side of music from India on this release, and have even used a food metaphor themselves to discuss this collection. “A captivating musical masala.” Like many of Putumayo’s collections, this one includes a recipe for a scrumptious pilaf that I made while listening to the CD several times. The entire CD is engaging, with special shoutouts for Bombay Jayashris, Sanjay Divecha, Kailash Kher, and Deepak Ram. The poetry adds a full dessert to this party. I love this, from Naino Sey: “She speaks to me. Teases. Then hugs and languorously sighs. All this with her eyes.”

Many thanks to Kaveh Sarfehjooy for continuing to share the world of Putumayo with the eartaste family of readers. Putumayo Presents India

Putumayo on Eartaste

The video is by Niraj Chag, featuring Swati Natekar on vocals. The lyrics sing "Is my essence just a delusion? How long to I submit to a night where dreams are shattered, and mine forsake me?"

Rosemary's Garden - Flower Song

The guitar opens full chord and dreams up a very cool life philosophy; “don’t wait till the flowers die before you put one in your hair.” It’s so easy to neglect the little things around s, because even the school yards will sport signs that say ‘don’t walk on the grass’. Only a little bit off the subject is my favorite thing to hate – school playgrounds that say: ‘no children after school hours.’ Like whose tax money paid for the playgrounds? My personal belief is every public school should be open 24/7, and when students are not there the adults in the community could be using the classrooms for instruction of all sort, while their children played. Nuff soapbox, back to the music. “Time won’t wait for anyone, so you better be prepared.” Want a bit of true religion? How ‘bout “imagination is creation, so love thy neighbor as thyself.” Slow rock and roll. Shoutouts for the coming of age song about a 13 year old in the American world, Forever Lily (“don’t ever change, we like you that way”), and Hard Times (“use oil from a planty instead of oil from a fossil - there’d be no use in fighting”). Thanks to Laura Hamlett at Big Fat Cat for introducing us. Rosemary's Garden

FileFactory.com

India Arie - Better Way

On the surface this song is about New Orleans, but in reality it goes so much deeper. We’ve had a president who was elected on the power of hope who has managed to break every promise he made to us in the space of a month. Sure, he limited a few rich people to a bonus of $500,000 a year. Doesn’t seem to compute to the rest of us who elected him on the promise of a better way. Good song with a great beat, perfect for a hump day dance party. Shoutouts for River Rise (“I would sit for hours and listen to the sky”), and Beautiful Day (“I’m gonna do my part and make this a positively beautiful day”). India Arie

Ryebender - I Was Wrong

A tale of sad discovery, built up slowly as we discover along with the narrator a story of what happens when we don’t listen to each other. And when we wait too long to apologize. A story of the ages, giving voice to millions of heartaches. What makes this different? The rocking guitars and vocal harmonies on the chorus. These guys know how to take the mundane parts of life and bring them to a point where we’re willing to listen to them over and over. The shoutout Whiskey and Caffeine introduces us to “another barroom disaster.” This story includes a scene where “I watch the TV with the curtains drawn, and I’ll hide from the sun till it sinks from the sky.” Again, daily life placed against a canvas of music. Another shoutout, Your Time Has Come And Gone tells me to “shut your mouth and bite your tongue.” Good advice. Great fun to listen to. Many thanks to Maria DeFelice of Powderfinger for introducing Ryebender to Eartaste. Ryebender

FileFactory.com

Johnny Bennett - World On Fire

The rock breaks into this Monday morning. “You speak your mind and you’ll end up dead!” Sling that slide guitar across your shoulders and Bash those drums and thump that bass – we’re tasting some blues in our rock this morning! “Rich man spilling the poor man’s blood.” Yep, bail out the old greedy banks and let the young fight the wars. Great way to start the week – gives me just enough anger to want to teach the young to think for themselves and not toe the party line. Special thanks to Jeffrey Smith at Crash Avenue. Johnny Bennett

FileFactory.com

U2 – No Line On The Horizon 2

"I know a girl who's like the sea. I watch her changing every day for me." Clever line, but what it has to do with the chorus is anyone's guess. I'm thinking it means either that love has no borders, or his new girlfriend has no tan lines. Or maybe both? Good Monday morning up-beat rocker. Lyrics may have meaning, may not. They're not in this to make us think. 2nd rockin' single from U2 in a row, a bit more upbeat than the album version. The single is available from Amazon UK. Shoutouts for Stand Up Comedy & Cedars Of Lebanon. U2

See Get On Your Boots.

Live a month ago:

Mike Moreno - Gondola

I chose this tune to talk about off this fine jazz album because I could feel the gondola riding along the rivers of my mind without much effort at all. The percussionist evokes the sounds of soft waves. The composition is a perfect soundscape that fills me with intense dream-filled pleasure. I am floating on the seas of emotion with the musicians parting the waters. The dreams take on a different rhythm and strength in the shoutout Between The Lines. Mike’s name is here as the session leader and major composer, butrest assured this is a jazz album where each participant is allowed to stretch. Mike’s guitar shines, to be sure, but all the group members have equal say in this party. The saxophones are played by John Ellis and Marcus Strickland, the piano by Aaron Parks, Doug Weiss on acoustic bass, and Kendrick Scott on percussion. Beautiful early Sunday evening travels to netherworlds. Thanks Mike! Mike Moreno


More from Mike Moreno on Eartaste.

Madeleine Peyroux – River Of Tears

“Stop all this talk.” Sunday afternoon drifting. “Open up another bottle, send those people home. Let it get real quiet, turn that lamp down low. I want to flow down this river of tears.” Drifting through memories. Dreams. “Close the blinds, mute the sun, there’s no place left to run.” Pains. “Dashed hopes and best intentions.” And, in case you thought the spiritual dimension was missing, Madeleine graciously informs us “he could sit and drink the way a monk could pray.” I have very much enjoyed the ride, and can say for certain that I will return to this path many many times in my life. “Watch me rage down this river of tears.” Delicious. Shoutout for To Love You All Over Again (“an empty glass, an unmade bed”). Madeleine Peyroux

Gretchen Peters - If I Had a Gun

“If I had a gun you’d be dead. One to the heart, one to the head. If I had a gun I’d wipe it clean, my fingerprints off on these sheets. They’d bury you in the cold hard ground, fist full of dirt would hold you down. They’d bury you in the cold hard ground, it’d be the first night I sleep sound.” Powerful words. The presentation is as serious as the content, and beautifully presented. Hard to imagine dancing to, but a lot of women will love singing along with Gretchen. “No one will cry. No one will mourn the day you died.” Shoutouts for Prairie In The Sky (“I carry all I own in the pouches of my saddlebag”), and Guadalupe (“there are ghosts out in the rain tonight”). Gretchen Peters

Tom Russell’s demo of Guadalupe: