OK, OK, so as I admitted before : not all electronic music is kind of wack. (I am not going to rewrite why, just click the link if you're curious, damnit.) Here are some more soul cracking tunes that I have been on recently.
Ahhh this is a good one.
Robert Johnson and "Traveling Riverside Blues". Robert Johnson was a Mississippi delta blues man in the late 1920's through most of the 1930's. He is said to have received his talent to play the guitar with almost blinding speed, dexterity and skill from making a deal with the devil when he was a young boy. He said he met the devil at the crossroads and the devil tuned his guitar and he could play ever since.
Robert Johnson died all too early, at the age of 27 (of course, what is it with that number and dead musicians- did they all sell their soul to the devil?). This song I discovered years ago, the search fueled by my love of the blues. Upon listening to it a few times I i recognized it as the roots to Led Zeppelin's version called The Lemon Song.
Both versions are pretty epic,
but
I can't get enough of the soulful ballad about getting the woman who has
"a mortgage on my body and lien on my soul"
to
"squeeze my lemon till the juice run down my leg"
(you know what I'm talking about now).
Just proving that traveling blues men have been grimy before grimy. Respect brother!
Enjoy
It's Edward Sharpe (and the zeros) but it's not- it's Alexander Ebert's album "Alexander."
It is a light and airy - at times bouncy child-like album - that follows in the zeros formula, which is there is no formula. Its all different and beautiful. Here are two of my current favorites:
"Awake my Body"
Bluesy and soulful, this is the music that feeds me. A collective summoning to wake up! Done best by the maestro himself, Alexander Ebert. This live clip is especially cool, from a small club in Austin, TX for South by Southwest, providing intimate acoustics and setting. I need to get to that festival one of these days!
"Let's Win"
The video I found had an interesting political message about an activist who was jailed for jamming up a federal auction of land for oil and gas leases. Interesting move this activist, Tim DeChristopher made and I commend him for honoring himself and land. The video doesn't tell you his fate, but he spent two years in prison. (wikipedia folks) The whole album "Alexander" is solid, check it out! And,
Let's Win!
Clare Fader "Cabin Fever"
Clare Fader and the Vaudevillians are an exciting modern blend of jazz and cabaret hailing from Winston-Salem NC. I caught this on a pandora station and it explored further and dug dug dug this. It emits a vibe that esconsces one in a smoky Parisian cabaret while simultaneously evoking images of underground after after hours jumping hot Manhattan jazz joints. The trumpet gets me every time.
Clare Fader's "The Wine" is another sultry jazz joint - click to hear
The Rosewood Thieves "Los Angeles"
I stumbled on this on pandora, dug a little deeper and voila! The Rosewood Thieves are a NYC folksie eclectic type band with a lead singer that sounds like what would have happened if John Lennon and Bob Dylan had a baby. That in itself holds appeal to me.
Native American Peyote Songs
This last one isn't a particular artist, or a particular song. It is more about the general idea of song as prayer (or meditation).
I am not sure that you will feel this without the experience.
I am not sure I would have liked it had I not sat in the circle, around the fire and the felt the power of the collective prayer,
But I believe you will enjoy this prayerful song no matter where you are IF you
Listen to this while in quiet.
While working on something- cooking, creating, relaxing, painting, pondering.
This music isn't necessarily about what you hear, but rather what you feel.
This clip is of a Happy Birthday straight Peyote song, led by Lucas M Nelson and his family. It is strong and honest and elegant. I welcome all birthday songs, including the anglicized "Happy Birthday to You" song, but lets be honest:
this is better.
Peyote songs can be individual, but when sung in traditional circles, they are sung in four sets, and no they don't require the peyote medicine to enjoy them or sing them or use them in prayer and meditation.
The way it traditionally works:
A gourd rattle is passed around the circle or a teepee and the person who has the gourd is to sing a set of four songs. The drummer sits in the circle and follows the gourd around the circle, usually during the course of 8-14 hours. Two-a-days in high school football were less physically demanding. There are no youtube clips that display this for good reason : if you sit in the circle, you participate in the circle. There are no outsiders in life and there are no outsiders in the circle. Anyone filming would be an outsider.
There are no outsiders in the circle of life.
Whether it was 5 people or 50, the song, our breath, creates strong vibration. Like a collective "OHM", but stronger, more prayerful, more real, more elastic, this was not sustaining one pitched clean frequency, this was dancing in the frequency, such that I could see the words to these songs- words which i had no idea the translation of - shape shift from words and form into consciousness, into prayer.
I listen to this music often in the morning, as I start my day. It centers me and brings me clarity.
I did find a soundcloud clip that represents a similar feeling to those live ones I have experienced :
https://soundcloud.com/zachary-greyhat/louie-gonnie-four-peyote-songs
Listen to this, feel this.
The singing doesn't start until about the 1.11 mark so if you are impatient (you probably are) just fast forward, however I enjoy integrating with the drum and ask that if you listen, just flow. This recording was probably made on an iphone, so turn it up ! 3:21 to the 5:40 mark is the song (out of the four sung in this set) that I most connect with, it is so raw, so pure and clean. Strong and powerful, I can snap into a more thoughtful reverent energy in an instant. All four are powerful expressions of love and prayer.
In my experience, a traditional ceremony starts at sundown and then these sets of four songs are sung for the better part of the time until sunrise (or after). It is High frequency, non stop movement but without leaving your place, the experience is connected and intense, harmonizing and beautiful. Words are just words so all I can say is that I have great reverence and gratitude for this ancient beautiful traditional music.
AHO!
Here is another recording of a single straight peyote song I found on soundcloud that is particular beautiful, sung solo by Lucas M Nelson.
Again, a powerful prayer.
https://soundcloud.com/lucas-m-nelson/track-14
Enjoy brothers and sisters.
Until next time
blessings joy and love
L
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