A young man of twenty-five years, Paul's interest in music was initiated by his parents' rock band, playing The Standell's 'As much as I enjoy writing my thoughts on music, I'd like to hear yours for a change. So somewhat regularly, I'm going to put up some music on here and I want your reaction. Leave a comment and for any/all of the songs, write your reaction to the song – keep it brief! (5-15 words, extra points if you hit exactly 10) After a few days, I'm going to publish the most evocative/impressive/amusing comments here. Be sure to leave your name!
Ready?
Ready?
UPDATE! The best reactions follow:
androgynous folk cabaret
Antony and the Johnsons - Hope There's Someone
roots reggae ballad
Ken Boothe - Everything I Own
1950's game show theme
Norman Paris - I've Got A Secret (Plink Plank Plunk)
Now this is a twisted analogy, but if you can imagine Rachmaninoff as producer for Kanye West's hit singles, then the brains behind the minimal "Wait Wait (The Whisper Song)" would be Arvo Pärt. You see, back in 1972, the Estonian composer completed his seventh well-received musical work, but felt it didn't speak his true voice so he entered into a four-year period of silence and reclusion. During that time he studied 
If reknowned jazzbreaksdancegroove über-DJ 
Many have been afraid that the culture and music of New Orleans being lost, but of all localized music sub-cultures, I'd consider The Big Easy's as one of the most resilient. As the city's instrumentalists were moving out of the city, their priority was locating their musician brethren. For now, the website of the popular N.O. venue 
The classic Gershwin tune. Bichet beat Louis Armstong to be the first important jazz soloist recorded, and also remains one of the finest jazz clarinetists of all time. His wide vibrato was trademark, along with forceful delivery, and well conceived improvisational ideas. He makes the 
This'll probably remind you of the comprehensive 
Very early one summer morning, Clarence Henry was performing on the bandstand and improvised his way into the basic riff behind "Ain't Got No Home". The crowd responded favorably, so he developed it further. Soon, Chess Records A&R was hustling Henry into Cosimo Matassa's 
Although New Orleans is generally thought of as more of a jazz and R&B town, the streets of the Crescent City also gave birth to a quite different strain of the music. The Acoustic New Orleans Blues style embraces everything from itinerant street singers and guitarists to rag-tag "spasm" bands. The blind Snooks Eaglin was known as a human jukebox inside the town, being able to pull hundreds of songs out from his eclectic repetoire, often confusing his own band.
Although they're best known for "Chapel of Love", the Dixie Cups wrote 'Iko Iko' quite accidentally. After the musicians had gone home from a recording session, the women were doing some overdubbing and started singing "Iko Iko" among themselves, using only a chair, drumstick, Coke bottle, ashtray, and drums as accompaniment. And although its roots are identified with New Orleans celebratory rituals, the song emerged as a quirky pop hit.
Lee Dorsey epitomized the loose, easygoing charm of New Orleans R&B perhaps more than any other artist of the '60s. Working with legendary Crescent City producer Allen Toussaint, Dorsey typically made good-time party tunes with a playful sense of humor and a funky, gunnagetcha backbeat. The bassline here is infectiously evil.
More of a tribute song than an authetic NOLA piece. From The Blues Brothers 2000, this track was the finale for the musical journey. It features a modest lineup: B.B. King, Junior Wells, Steve Lawrence, Taj Mahal, Lonnie Brooks, Eric Clapton, Nia Peeples, Darrell Hammond, Steve Winwood, Eddie Floyd, Paul Shaffer, Billy Preston, Koko Taylor, Bo Diddley, Isaac Hayes, Joshua Redman, Lou Rawls, Travis Tritt, Jimmie Vaughan, and Dr. John.
Paul Irish is a music-loving, web geek in Boston. 
25 Comments:
A&tJ: Creepy voice, but hauntingly beautiful regardless.
KB: Basic, boring reggae verses; but an excellent gets-in-your-head chorus. :)
NP: Magic land where kids and candy found happiness together in the fifties
A&tJ: this vocalist was most certainly ruthlessly teased in elementary school
KB: more twinkle and spunk than the stale version by Bread
NP: an energetic lullaby for the impressionable young Alex Trebek, perhaps?
NP: kittens in pajamas tidying up the house
A&tJ: The vibrato is out of control! Yet somehow it's still very nice.
KB: It's stuck in my head.
NP: Leroy Anderson can't be beaten in the arena of happy music.
I really like "I've got a secret." It sounds like something that would be in "Ren and Stimpy."
a&tJ: the everyman variety of existential angst from an otherworldly throat.
NP: we want to see it performed; we're left with imagination.
A&tJ: Aaron Neville and Joanna Newsom birthed one child named Antony.
KB: I think I've been listening to Madness too much lately because I really like this.
NP: Plucktacular!
A&J: Love him w/ Cocorosie, love him solo, haunting song
A&J: if my ears has testes this song would kick them. hard.
KB: thisreviewistheshortestoneyoullgetbecauseitisonlyonewordseehowtherearenospacesorpunctuationthatmeansthisisalloneworditsanincrediblewordtoobecauseitisonewordthatnotonlyaccuartelydescribesmyopionionofapieceofmusicbutitalsodefinesitselfthereisnootherwordlikeitinallofcreationthereishowevermoresongslikethisoneitsnotabadsonganditiscatchyandithinktheguyhasagoodvoicebutitjustdoesntstrikemeassepecialasthisword
NP: like angelfood cake: sweet and light
Antony & the Johnsons:
Atmospheric wind-howling vocal attacks with thunderingly emotional piano accompaniment.
Ken Boothe:
Twice-as-memorable cover solely for an intrinsic earnestness the original lacked.
Norman Paris:
There's a caper happening. Look quick or you'll miss it.
A&tJ: The Neville Brothers' little brother sings in a gospel cabaret.
KB: Pardon me, but have you seen my backbeat around here?
NP: Cartoon characters chasing each other through the house on tip-toe.
---L.
A&J: Annoying whimpering manthing. Haunting, yes, like a ghost. He is the Freddy Krueger of music.
- www.dustinland.com
A&tJ: Ethereal. Moving. Emotional and evocative, all while being soulful.
KB: Better than the original. Suitable for a mixtape for a loved one.
NP: A Cheerful compliment to the others, now it's stuck in my head. Thanks!?
A&J: Corine Tucker of Sleater-Kinney recast as a 400lb. troubadour.
a> Scary voice; I don't think vibrato should be so controlled, regardless of what modern pop suggests. (shit, 16 words. ;)
b> David Gray's wannabe brother meets a red stripe fanboi - no thx.
c> Plink Plank Plunk went the drunken bumblebee.
Plink Plank Plunk was the name of Chalie Mingus' first band.
antony: nina simone reincarnate. troubled souls can produce beauty. somehow.
"Hope There's Someone": A reminder that we all die alone. Broken dreams. Regret.
"Everything I Own": Ken's longing vocal somewhat negated by dispassionate and bouncy instrumentation.
A&tJ: And you thought the Castrati were all dead. This song is about his lost manhood, and I can kind of relate. Sometimes I miss my foreskin so much I can barely stand it.
15 words? Pfffttt...
sincerely raw, desperately pure, I hear your fear grinding on
insipid in its theft of alien verse for vanilla purposes
blissfully energetic, meth filled music binge. can't not be happy
Antony = (tiny tim + iggy pop) / keith jarrett . i won't listen to it again, but i'm not sorry i heard it.
ken boothe sucked the syrupy goodness out of a classic and filled it with soul-free reggae. don't do that anymore, ken.
norman paris would make good background music for gym class at a mental institution.
A&tJ: Always seems to be faking that anguish... Somebody get him some Elvis Costello records, please.
KB: Boring
NP: Brilliant! Funny, lighting, delightful...
A&tJ: the cyclical final is a superb spyral growing up to the blue. It seems a Mike Olfield outburst!! Please, anybody who write me the lyrics? (Spain. Europe)
AB&J: Please put the poor fellow out of his misery...
KB: I like reggae and this is cute...
NP: PPP is exactly correct... I would use this a torture for my unexpected guests...
Leroy Anderson: Master composer of the best novelty music of all time. See www.leroy-anderson.com.
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