Here is a Picasa slideshow of photos I have taken (mostly crappy ones, unfortunately) of my friend, singer-songwriter Christian Beach, during Summer 2008.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Well, today marked my first listening to new songs by two of my favorite artists, Ben Folds and Keane.
Ben Folds announced via MySpace the debut of a video for “Hiroshima,” the first single off his upcoming CD, “Way to Normal” (Sept. 30, 2008). The half-assed, stop-motion video is quirky and funny…but the song? Well, I worship Ben Folds…think he’s a genius…I even met him very, very briefly in November 2005. But I’m just not feeling “Hiroshima.” It’s obviously a fleshed-out version of one of Ben’s improvisational pieces during one of his shows…and it will probably be fun to hear peformed live. I just don’t see myself playing it too many times on my iPod.
However, I guess I just expect a level of musicianship from Ben on recorded media…and “Hiroshima” doesn’t really meet that expectation for me. Hopefully, the rest of the new CD reaches higher.
But I still love your music, Ben…and you are still a genius.
Ben Folds – “Hiroshima” [Live at Bonnaroo 2008]
On the other hand, Keane’s single for “Spiralling” (although I prefer “Spiraling”) off the upcoming “Perfect Symmetry” CD (Oct. 13, 2008 ) is really entertaining and fun. It’s not groundbreaking and I don’t expect Keane to be. However, the boys managed to retain their sound while also infusing it with dance beats and funk bass that seem to be greatly influenced by (and perhaps featuring samples from) David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” Even though this really isn’t the style of music I am into these days, I always seem to find a few pop songs throughout the year that I really enjoy…and “Spiralling” is definitely one of them. I can’t wait to get it on my iPod and play it a few times very loudly with my windows down on a long drive.
I was disappointed with Keane’s previous CD, “Under the Iron Sea,” although “Bad Dream” from that disc is a freakin’ great song. I thought “Sea” was a step back from the brilliance of 2004’s “Hopes and Fears,” which spawned “Somewhere Only We Know,” “Everybody Changes,” and “Bedshaped.”
But “Spiralling” gives me great hope that Keane has taken many steps forward with “Perfect Symmetry.”
Keane – “Spiralling” [Radio Edit]
Although it really hasn’t been a great place to eat in years…and I have only eaten there a handful of times in my life, Olga’s Diner in Marlton, NJ, is a landmark to many in these parts. While growing up in Brick, NJ, my family would make many trips to Phillies games by taking Route 70. Olga’s was right there on the Marlton Circle and it kind of represented an official crossing into Philly territory en route to Veterans Stadium.
Well, for the second time this month, Olga’s has had to close its doors because it couldn’t pay the bills. Earlier in July, Olga’s was closed for one day because the gas bill had not been paid. But now, it is much, much worse…today, the state of New Jersey seized Olga’s because the family that owns it is $37,000 behind in back taxes.
Although a family member says the plan is to pay the $37,000 to the state and get Olga’s reopened, it doesn’t seem likely that the diner’s long-term outlook is good.
From the Associated Press…
Here are some photos I took at this year’s XPoNential (XPN) Music Festival held July 10-13, 2008, at Wiggins Park on the waterfront in Camden, NJ. Enjoy…
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Below is a Ustream.tv archive of a live “Sunday Jams” performance by Christian Beach on July 13, 2008. The backing band, which comes on for the fourth song, features Gorgo (mandolin, bass, backing vocals), John Pfeiffer (guitars, dobro), Michael Scotto (drums, percussion, backing vocals) and yours truly (organ, accordion, tambourine).
Set List:
1. Shadows (Christian Beach solo)
2. Cemetery Friends (Christian Beach solo)
3. Don’t Want to Be a Lonely Man (Christian Beach w/ Gorgo)
4. The Finest Day (Christian w/ full band)
5. Great Ideas (Christian w/ full band)
6. Poet of the Great Plains (Christian w/ full band)
7. Song for Matthew (Christian w/ full band)
8. Open Spaces (Christian w/ full band)
Vodpod videos no longer available.
I am spending most of the weekend at the 2008 XPNXPoNenetial Music Festival on the Camden, NJ, waterfront.
But on Sunday, July 13, at around 4 p.m., I will be backing up my friend Christian Beach on organ & accordion on a live webcast at http:www.sundayjams.info.
OK, I’m going back to listening to Dar Williams perform here at the XPN Festival.
Friends…I received my replacement cell phone so I’m back on the grid. Feel free to start calling and sending me text messages again.
Improv Everywhere strikes again, this time using 15 sets of twins to create a “human mirror” in a NYC subway car. Great stuff.
“Human Mirror” – ImprovEverywhere
So, to all my friends out there, I just want you to know that I am currently without a cell phone…somehow I lost it in a span of 30 seconds of time and 50 feet in distance. All I know is that it vanished so I filed a claim (thank goodness I took the total equipment coverage) and will be getting a replacement phone delivered to my office tomorrow (Wed., 7/9).
But I drove out to visit my parents last night and it was weird not having a phone in the car. The last time I didn’t have a phone with me for a relatively long car trip (an hour or more) was before I bought my first cell phone in 1998, which reminded me of some of my old phones. The one pictured to the right is a Qualcomm QCP2700 from the late 90s. I think my first phone was a Motorola model, but my second was a Qualcomm very similar to the QCP2700, if not the same model.
Brian Kelley 