Sweet Talk

KQED

About a month ago our publicist called me to say that an NPR producer had read my article about the new paradigm in Children's music and wanted to do a full hour show based on the recent success of Ex-rock and rollers gearing their sound to be "all-ages" music.  She asked me If I would like to be a guest, and I agreed.  The show is called Forum  with Michael Krasny on KQED, the largest NPR affiliate in the country.  I was patched in live from the WBUR studio in Boston thinking I would be the one of two guests that morning.  Actually here was the final line up with the shows theme (which changed once the show was over):

MUSIC for KIDS:

Forum examines recent shifts in the way music is geared toward young audiences.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:

Ben Miller-Izios, rapper, musician and student at the San Francisco Art Institute

Eric Arnold, freelance writer whose work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, SF Weekly, and Vibe Magazine, among many others

Jay Sweet, senior contributing editor of Paste Magazine and founder of Sweet and Doggett, a music consulting firm

Michael Morgan, music director of the East Bay Symphony and the Sacramento Philharmonic, and artistic director of Oakland Youth Orchestra and Walnut Creek’s Festival Opera I had provided the producer with some of the best new kids music available, which they played through out the program.  Kids music being my new found specialty due to my recent consulting work with Fisher-Price.  If you have children you know the importance of "good" kids music over say Barney or Disney on Ice, just put yourself in a car with a two-year old and The Wiggles for three hours and you will understand my gist. Somewhere in the compiling of research for the show the meaning of "Kids Music" was not clearly defined.  In other words while I was prepared to talk about the music being generated and marketed to 2-8 years olds, two of the other guests were prepared to discuss Hip-Hop's influence on 12-16 year olds.  In other words this made for a somewhat disjointed discussion, which made it difficult to stay on point.  The conversation seemed co-opted at times, but hopefully you'll find some nuggets.  If you don't have time to hear the whole show or If you are just curious about my comments here is the link Music For Kids KQED I start off the show 2:50  and then my comments come in again at: 21:01, 39:20, 43:22  Overall it was nice to focus on demographic that is many times over-looked when it comes to music, and it's always fun to be on NPR.

Thom Yorke is Funny

My Thom Yorke article is now available on line for all that did not have the chance to read it in the mag, which is a shame because I worked with an absolutely stupendous rock photographer, best in the biz outside of my hero Danny Clinch.  His name is Pier Nicola D'Amico. The pics he took of Thom Yorke were sensational.  So much so that PASTE may have found it's own Annie Leibovitz.

Here's a link to the article, and once again thank you for your support and patronage.

Jay's Thom Yorke Cover Story for PASTE

Sweet 16 (Mexican Independence Day)

Sweet 16 (happy independence day Mexico) - To my ghosts in Puerto Angel, ole'

PLEASE READ THROUGH TO THE BOTTOM FOR A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE:

"Boyfriend Blues" Blood Meridian:  Anything that bows down to Cormac McCarthy deserves mention and a listen:  Download 01_boyfriends_blues.mp3

"Ragged Company" Grace Potter & The Nocturnals:  It's taken me too long to acknowledge Grace, the best thing about Vermont since the no Billboard law was enacted:  Download 03_ragged_company.mp3

"Down River" Wilcannia Mob:  A gang of pre-teen Aborigines "rapping"; hysterical poignant and good,  thanks to brother George for the scoop. Download 15_down_river.mp3

"Morningside Heights" Steve Wynn:  I have worked with Steve on some licensing deals over the years including a funny placement of his red sox homage in the film "Fever Pitch", but I finally got around to giving his double album Here Come The Miracles a thorough listen.  Needless to say I'm an idiot for waiting so long.  Download 107_morningside_heights.mp3

"Let's Have It Like That"  Steve Wynn:  For further redemption.... (see above) Download 108_lets_have_it_like_that.mp3

"Everlong" Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl's acoustic version;  I put this on a CD "mix" in 2003 and Chuck Howard reminded me how good it was last week.  He was right. Download 05_everlong.mp3

"Drown" Son Volt:  Jay Farrar on acoustic: this was the next song in the same mix which incidently was called C-Sides Download 06_track_06.mp3

"Arranca" Manzanita: From the new Miami Vice  soundtrack. Charles Howard turned me on to this track since he was one of the three people to see the movie.  Great track  Download 06_arranca.mp3

"Alberta Breeze" Justin Rutledge:  My Northern counter point and Canadian music lover Ezra brought Justin to my attention.  Download alberta_breeze.mp3

"Don't Be So Mean Jellybean" Justin Rutledge: Download dont_be_so_mean_jellybean.mp3

"Living Today" Amy Corriea / Curt Perkins:  Dusty Springfield / Lorretta Lynn friends take note: Download living_today.mp3

"Papers in Order" The Old Ceremony:  The catchy piano pop somewhat Ben Fold Fivish band you'll hear on WXRV or KFOG in about a month, and rightly so  Download 03_papers_in_order.mp3

"Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher" Jackie Wilson:  in case your forgot how smooth smooth can be Download 18_your_love_keeps_lifting_me_high.mp3

"Friends Of Mine" Hymns:  Like other songs I've highlighted from their debut album, Hymns don't knock you over the head on the first go around.  You ease into them and find that simple is better. Download 03_friends_of_mine.mp3

"Heart (Things Never Shared)"  Doug Martsch : This is from the amazing new surf film from jack johnson and The Malloy Brotheres called A Brokedown Melody. You can diss or deify Jack Johnson but the guy can put a soundtrack together better than most.  Download 04_heart_things_never_shared.mp3

"Kyle Quit The Band" Tenacious D: Overly excited for the soon to be released Tenacious D feature to come crawling out the side hatch.  Download 10_kyle_quit_the_band.m4a

Friends and Foes:  As you can see this has a been a special addition to the Sweet Sixteen for I have made every track available for your listening pleasure.  If you enjoyed any of the tracks you have the lovely Miss Gracyn to thank, for she confessed that she rarely has time to read all the opinions herein and instead just scans the lists for any download links.  Well who can argue with a polite and honest pregnant friend while standing in a field with my head swimming in rum drinks (something called a "Lighthouse"). However, I am hoping for a little quid pro quo.  I put more songs up for download and you send out the link to more friends.  In other words please spread the word about the music you hear here and help fight the good fight . To make it sexy, the person with the most track backs will win free copies of the last four issues of PASTE (with the accompanying CD's) and the next three issues as well. Deal? 

"Brave Warriors Of The Plains"

In case you haven't seen the single best music video made:  (I didn't know Doug Henning was in a disco group)

Yellow Leaves on the Trees -Sweet 16

Yellow Leaves:

"I Go Evil"- Chris Whitley: Gaunt lines and loose stringed snarls unleashed with cool maleficence and fuzzy funk strafing. Stripped of all pretense and posturing, Reiter In is a peephole view of road weary resplendence and witching hour pow-wows.   Unfortunately it is also a posthumous release, as Whitley died last November at the age of 45.   

"Mountain Side" -Chris Whitley:  This goes in the covers better than the originals file (see below), and I bet Wayne Coyne and The Flaming Lips would readily agree. Download 04_chris_whitley_mountain_side_re.mp3

"Sing Songs Along" - Tilly & The Wall:  Omaha's version of the polyphonic spree but better, much better.  Drums?  Who needs drums, just amplified tap shoes and hand claps does the trick just fine.

"Me & Baby Brother" - War 

"Super Natural"- Frozen Flames

"Let Down" - Toots and the Maytalls:  Toots covering Radiohead....yep that makes sense; it's Radiodread.

"Express Yourself" - Byron Lee & The Dragonaires:  Charles & The Watts 103rd st Rhythm Band also get the jamaican spice; "let the horns do the thing they do."

"Livin' In A New World" - The Roots off Game Theory

"Wild Honey" - The Beach Boys:  I was cleaning out the basement at 45 Apple and found some of the broken silver spoons I used as drum sticks while playing along to this song when I was seven.  Trent was on hockey stick guitar.  My mom is still pissed.

"Papers In Order" - The Old Ceremony: no label, no album out, just myspace and a megaphone; piano pop does wonders while mowing lawns.

"Step It Up (featuring Alice Russell)" - Bamboos :  Deep Funk Revival ala Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (see below)

"I Want You (More Than Ever)"  The Clientele

"Twilight Creeps" Crooked Fingers

"Your Fucking Sunny Day" - Lambchop: Get 'em while they're hot

"When You Go Away"  Leaf Cutter : a song for the coming fall  Download when_you_go_away_redux.mp3

"Bron -yr -aur" - Led Zeppelin:  Because I'm notoriously cheesy and I used to end all my "end of summer, back to school, I promise I'll write" mixes with it. I can still see the TDK's spin and stop just after the last note.