Curio Cabinet / Song Curio
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have written music about it. Indie rock band The National has made a nearly 20-year career out of creating haunting love songs. Their new track Carin at the Liquor Store continues that tradition, with Matt Berninger singing about a young unrequited romance while the band plays a hazy piano ballad behind him. The National first broke out with their album Boxer in 2007, which they licensed heavily for movies and television. Their band name took on a completely new meaning when both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama used the tune Fake Empire during the 2012 Presidential campaign. Following the election hullabaloo, The National returned to what they did best: continuing their rising success with late night television performances, earning high praise from the likes of David Byrne and members of R.E.M., and making critically-acclaimed records like their upcoming Sleep Well Beast—which is not, to our chagrin, a concept album about the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh).
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Image credit & copyright: Charlotte Zoller
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have written music about it. Indie rock band The National has made a nearly 20-year career out of creating haunting love songs. Their new track Carin at the Liquor Store continues that tradition, with Matt Berninger singing about a young unrequited romance while the band plays a hazy piano ballad behind him. The National first broke out with their album Boxer in 2007, which they licensed heavily for movies and television. Their band name took on a completely new meaning when both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama used the tune Fake Empire during the 2012 Presidential campaign. Following the election hullabaloo, The National returned to what they did best: continuing their rising success with late night television performances, earning high praise from the likes of David Byrne and members of R.E.M., and making critically-acclaimed records like their upcoming Sleep Well Beast—which is not, to our chagrin, a concept album about the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh).
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Image credit & copyright: Charlotte Zoller
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FREEJazz Guitar Song CurioFree2 CQ
Apartheid segregation may have taken Hugh Masekela out of South Africa, but it was never able to take South Africa from him. The horn player, who passed away two years ago this week, wrote his most popular tracks like Grazing in the Grass while living in exile from his homeland. His travels abroad beginning in the '60s allowed him the chance to perform with the likes of Paul Simon, Harry Belafonte, and Dizzy Gillespie. On Grazing in the Grass, Masekela takes melodic inspiration from a Zambian tune called Mr. Bull No. 4 by Freddie Gumbi. On top of it, he adds American R&B grooves, along with big band horns emphasizing the South African mbaqanga (or rhythmic accenting on the fourth beat of a measure). Amid the psychedelic rock explosion of 1968 music, Grazing in the Grass hit #1 on the Billboard charts, showing off Masekela's skills as a globe-trotting musician. It also gave the U.S. a taste of the indelibly bright and catchy African melodies that would soon become incredibly popular in the U.K., too.
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Image credit & copyright: The South African
Apartheid segregation may have taken Hugh Masekela out of South Africa, but it was never able to take South Africa from him. The horn player, who passed away two years ago this week, wrote his most popular tracks like Grazing in the Grass while living in exile from his homeland. His travels abroad beginning in the '60s allowed him the chance to perform with the likes of Paul Simon, Harry Belafonte, and Dizzy Gillespie. On Grazing in the Grass, Masekela takes melodic inspiration from a Zambian tune called Mr. Bull No. 4 by Freddie Gumbi. On top of it, he adds American R&B grooves, along with big band horns emphasizing the South African mbaqanga (or rhythmic accenting on the fourth beat of a measure). Amid the psychedelic rock explosion of 1968 music, Grazing in the Grass hit #1 on the Billboard charts, showing off Masekela's skills as a globe-trotting musician. It also gave the U.S. a taste of the indelibly bright and catchy African melodies that would soon become incredibly popular in the U.K., too.
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Image credit & copyright: The South African
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
In the '80s indie music scene, few people rocked the DIY ethics like Daniel Johnston. The singer-songwriter recorded classic songs, like True Love Will Find You in the End from 1984's album Retired Boxer, on a cheap Sanyo boombox. He also dubbed the tapes himself, drew the artwork, and handed out the albums for free on the streets of Austin, Texas. Johnston's earnest warble and dissonant guitar strumming found an audience with local music fans, musicians, and record store employees; by the time he passed away at the age of 58 last year, his accolades seemed endless. Kurt Cobain wore his Hi, How Are You album cover art as a T-shirt to the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards; the Lyon Opera Ballet staged a version of Yip / Jump Music; and his artwork was in demand among international galleries. For the anniversary of Johnston's birthday today, we're remembering that no matter how big his reputation got, it was always his sensitive creativity that endeared us most.
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Image credit & copyright: Daniel Johnston
In the '80s indie music scene, few people rocked the DIY ethics like Daniel Johnston. The singer-songwriter recorded classic songs, like True Love Will Find You in the End from 1984's album Retired Boxer, on a cheap Sanyo boombox. He also dubbed the tapes himself, drew the artwork, and handed out the albums for free on the streets of Austin, Texas. Johnston's earnest warble and dissonant guitar strumming found an audience with local music fans, musicians, and record store employees; by the time he passed away at the age of 58 last year, his accolades seemed endless. Kurt Cobain wore his Hi, How Are You album cover art as a T-shirt to the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards; the Lyon Opera Ballet staged a version of Yip / Jump Music; and his artwork was in demand among international galleries. For the anniversary of Johnston's birthday today, we're remembering that no matter how big his reputation got, it was always his sensitive creativity that endeared us most.
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Image credit & copyright: Daniel Johnston
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
What better way to celebrate Cesar Chavez than by listening to the UFW's anthem, De Colores. (Hop on over to today's Person, Place or Thing to read more about Chavez and the UFW.) Each Friday during the five-year-long Delano Grape Strike, UFW members would convene for a meeting that always ended the same way: a group rendition of the traditional Spanish folk song. The lyrics don't really offer much in the way of protest. They are more spiritually oriented, describing the transcendent beauty of nature in the springtime. But Chavez chose it to foster a sense of unity in hope among his followers. Listening to this version, led by Baldemar Velásquez—another labor leader inspired by Chavez—we can't help but get a similar feeling.
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It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
What better way to celebrate Cesar Chavez than by listening to the UFW's anthem, De Colores. (Hop on over to today's Person, Place or Thing to read more about Chavez and the UFW.) Each Friday during the five-year-long Delano Grape Strike, UFW members would convene for a meeting that always ended the same way: a group rendition of the traditional Spanish folk song. The lyrics don't really offer much in the way of protest. They are more spiritually oriented, describing the transcendent beauty of nature in the springtime. But Chavez chose it to foster a sense of unity in hope among his followers. Listening to this version, led by Baldemar Velásquez—another labor leader inspired by Chavez—we can't help but get a similar feeling.
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FREEJazz Guitar Song CurioFree2 CQ
Kris Davis is the kind of avant-garde jazz artist who brings her friends together in unlikely places—musical places, that is. Take The Very Thing, from her critically acclaimed album Diatom Ribbons, which features the genre-defying vocals of Esperanza Spaulding and tenor saxophone solos from Davis' mentor, Tony Malaby. The track starts off with the three-note ascending phrase repeating in the upright bass: from there, the notes transform over Malaby's frenetic sax solos, Spaulding's ethereal scatting, and Davis' alternately chunky chords and fluttering arpeggios (chords broken into singular notes). The disparate elements shouldn't work together as well as they do, but it's a testament to Davis' composition skills—and skills with tiny musical phrases—and trust in her fellow musicians that the results are so captivating. It's no wonder Davis is one of the most exciting voices in jazz today, or that she recently took on a leadership role at the prestigious Berklee College of Music's new Institute for Jazz and Gender Justice. If her past critical acclaim is any indicator, Davis will certainly be leading by example in the new role!
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Image credit & copyright: Mimi Chakharova
Kris Davis is the kind of avant-garde jazz artist who brings her friends together in unlikely places—musical places, that is. Take The Very Thing, from her critically acclaimed album Diatom Ribbons, which features the genre-defying vocals of Esperanza Spaulding and tenor saxophone solos from Davis' mentor, Tony Malaby. The track starts off with the three-note ascending phrase repeating in the upright bass: from there, the notes transform over Malaby's frenetic sax solos, Spaulding's ethereal scatting, and Davis' alternately chunky chords and fluttering arpeggios (chords broken into singular notes). The disparate elements shouldn't work together as well as they do, but it's a testament to Davis' composition skills—and skills with tiny musical phrases—and trust in her fellow musicians that the results are so captivating. It's no wonder Davis is one of the most exciting voices in jazz today, or that she recently took on a leadership role at the prestigious Berklee College of Music's new Institute for Jazz and Gender Justice. If her past critical acclaim is any indicator, Davis will certainly be leading by example in the new role!
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Image credit & copyright: Mimi Chakharova
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Can we ever fault singer-songwriter Neil Diamond for his impeccable pop sensibilities or glitzy outlaw style? After crafting some of the '60s biggest chart toppers—The Archies' Sugar, Sugar and The Monkees I'm a Believer, to name a few—Diamond set out to furnish his solo career with a more mature and introspective sound. 1978's Forever in Blue Jeans was a collaboration between Diamond and his guitarist Richard Bennett: a rollicking homage to simple love and the iconic American pants of choice. With such dedication to classic pop hooks and choruses, it's no wonder Diamond was honored with an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018; in true Diamond fashion, he attended the event wearing his flashiest suit and jacket (sans denim). We'd call foul, but Diamond's metaphorical jeans aren't quite yet giving us the blues… or indigos.
Below: Neil Diamond's original tune, and for giggles, comedian Will Ferrell's impression of Diamond for a GAP commercial.
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Image credit & copyright: Tablyrics
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Can we ever fault singer-songwriter Neil Diamond for his impeccable pop sensibilities or glitzy outlaw style? After crafting some of the '60s biggest chart toppers—The Archies' Sugar, Sugar and The Monkees I'm a Believer, to name a few—Diamond set out to furnish his solo career with a more mature and introspective sound. 1978's Forever in Blue Jeans was a collaboration between Diamond and his guitarist Richard Bennett: a rollicking homage to simple love and the iconic American pants of choice. With such dedication to classic pop hooks and choruses, it's no wonder Diamond was honored with an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018; in true Diamond fashion, he attended the event wearing his flashiest suit and jacket (sans denim). We'd call foul, but Diamond's metaphorical jeans aren't quite yet giving us the blues… or indigos.
Below: Neil Diamond's original tune, and for giggles, comedian Will Ferrell's impression of Diamond for a GAP commercial.
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Image credit & copyright: Tablyrics
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FREEWorld History Song CurioFree2 CQ
With great vocal prowess comes great responsibility. Singer Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar—who performs under the name iLe—has been a prominent voice in Puerto Rican music and politics as part of the hip-hop act Calle 13. Her second studio album, Almadura ("Hard Soul"), finds the artist taking up traditional Afro-Latin dances and lyrics of love, and putting a contemporary global perspective on them. Songs like Tu Rumba feature a slow-burning percussive background, as iLe's contralto voice addresses themes of longing and desire for another, while also wishing mutual humanity could come through in the most difficult situations. With her deft ability to make the political personal, it's no wonder music critics from NPR to The New York Times were singing iLe's praises and including Almadura in their lists of top 10 albums of 2019. With her recent work, iLe has proved once again that she has the uncanny gift to make the timely sound timeless.
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Image credit & copyright: iLe
With great vocal prowess comes great responsibility. Singer Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar—who performs under the name iLe—has been a prominent voice in Puerto Rican music and politics as part of the hip-hop act Calle 13. Her second studio album, Almadura ("Hard Soul"), finds the artist taking up traditional Afro-Latin dances and lyrics of love, and putting a contemporary global perspective on them. Songs like Tu Rumba feature a slow-burning percussive background, as iLe's contralto voice addresses themes of longing and desire for another, while also wishing mutual humanity could come through in the most difficult situations. With her deft ability to make the political personal, it's no wonder music critics from NPR to The New York Times were singing iLe's praises and including Almadura in their lists of top 10 albums of 2019. With her recent work, iLe has proved once again that she has the uncanny gift to make the timely sound timeless.
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Image credit & copyright: iLe
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
We've got this one on repeat. The beautiful, droning simplicity of Truman Sleeps, the most instantly recognizable piece off of Philip Glass's soundtrack for The Truman Show (1998), is an endless source of inspiration. The chord progression, outlined through arpeggios, is the perfect musical analog for the film's themes, in which a man's seemingly idyllic suburban life is actually the focus of the world's most popular TV series. Glass uses inverted chord shapes to minimize the intervals between notes. And still there is an ominous tone in the final chord of the progression, a reminder of the cameras that watch Truman's every move, even when he rolls over in bed. It's Glass's 83rd birthday later this month, and he's still putting out repetitive classical music that subverts our expectations of challenging rhythm and harmonic changes. Cheers to that.
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
We've got this one on repeat. The beautiful, droning simplicity of Truman Sleeps, the most instantly recognizable piece off of Philip Glass's soundtrack for The Truman Show (1998), is an endless source of inspiration. The chord progression, outlined through arpeggios, is the perfect musical analog for the film's themes, in which a man's seemingly idyllic suburban life is actually the focus of the world's most popular TV series. Glass uses inverted chord shapes to minimize the intervals between notes. And still there is an ominous tone in the final chord of the progression, a reminder of the cameras that watch Truman's every move, even when he rolls over in bed. It's Glass's 83rd birthday later this month, and he's still putting out repetitive classical music that subverts our expectations of challenging rhythm and harmonic changes. Cheers to that.
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
Bandits, betrayal, and a ballad that could bring a tear to the most hardened cowboy's eye. Legendary songwriter Townes Van Zandt, who died January 1, 1997, combined all three when he wrote Poncho and Lefty. First recorded by Van Zandt in 1972, the song tells the story of two fictional bandits, one of whom (Lefty) betrays and kills the other (Poncho), but is only rewarded with regret, poverty, and loneliness in his old age. The song's slow, winding tempo, minor key, acoustic guitar, and melancholy vocals make for the auditory equivalent of a long, dusty trail. Van Zandt himself certainly knew a thing or two about difficult roads. The son of a wealthy family, he upended expectations by choosing to be a songwriter. Throughout his life, he struggled with mental illness and addiction. Even at the height of his career, he often lived in cheap motels and performed in dive bars. Van Zandt was just 52 when he passed away in 1997; but Poncho and Lefty is remembered not only as his most enduring work, but as a true American classic. It goes to show that real emotion always resonates, especially when it comes from an honest place.
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Image credit & copyright: Steve Salmieri
Bandits, betrayal, and a ballad that could bring a tear to the most hardened cowboy's eye. Legendary songwriter Townes Van Zandt, who died January 1, 1997, combined all three when he wrote Poncho and Lefty. First recorded by Van Zandt in 1972, the song tells the story of two fictional bandits, one of whom (Lefty) betrays and kills the other (Poncho), but is only rewarded with regret, poverty, and loneliness in his old age. The song's slow, winding tempo, minor key, acoustic guitar, and melancholy vocals make for the auditory equivalent of a long, dusty trail. Van Zandt himself certainly knew a thing or two about difficult roads. The son of a wealthy family, he upended expectations by choosing to be a songwriter. Throughout his life, he struggled with mental illness and addiction. Even at the height of his career, he often lived in cheap motels and performed in dive bars. Van Zandt was just 52 when he passed away in 1997; but Poncho and Lefty is remembered not only as his most enduring work, but as a true American classic. It goes to show that real emotion always resonates, especially when it comes from an honest place.
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Image credit & copyright: Steve Salmieri
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It wouldn't be New Year's in Vienna, Austria, without a little bit of the bubbly… the bubbly dance, that is. Johann Strauss II's Champagne Polka is one of the composer's most festive tunes and a staple of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert. Known primarily for his illustrious waltzes, Strauss took an uncommon turn with this piece. He composed it as a polka, a Bohemian folk dance in duple time that's coupled with two quick steps and a longer step (sometimes giving it a triplet feel). And that champagne uncorking sound about halfway through? It's known as a pop gun, or a long tubular percussion instrument that makes a pressurized popping sound. Together with the jaunty melodies, these rhythmic effects really do give the Champagne Polka a sense of unbridled joy. Now who's ready for another round of celebratory drinks and dancing?
Below: a short video from Vintage Percussion Sound Effects showing a version of the pop gun percussion instrument, which makes the cork-popping sound in Strauss' Champagne Polka.
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It wouldn't be New Year's in Vienna, Austria, without a little bit of the bubbly… the bubbly dance, that is. Johann Strauss II's Champagne Polka is one of the composer's most festive tunes and a staple of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert. Known primarily for his illustrious waltzes, Strauss took an uncommon turn with this piece. He composed it as a polka, a Bohemian folk dance in duple time that's coupled with two quick steps and a longer step (sometimes giving it a triplet feel). And that champagne uncorking sound about halfway through? It's known as a pop gun, or a long tubular percussion instrument that makes a pressurized popping sound. Together with the jaunty melodies, these rhythmic effects really do give the Champagne Polka a sense of unbridled joy. Now who's ready for another round of celebratory drinks and dancing?
Below: a short video from Vintage Percussion Sound Effects showing a version of the pop gun percussion instrument, which makes the cork-popping sound in Strauss' Champagne Polka.
Other streaming options
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FREEWorld History Song CurioFree2 CQ
Welcome to our Top 15 of 2019 countdown! As the year comes to an end, we're looking back at this year's most loved Curios across all categories. Enjoy the walk down memory lane in your entire Curio Cabinet.
There's a new sound carrying from the steppes of Mongolia, and it's taking the West by storm. Mongolian rock band The Hu blends Western heavy metal with traditional Tuvan throat singing. This unique blend of musical heritages, dubbed "Hunnu Rock," has propelled their hit Yuve Yuve Yu, or "What's going on?," to over 10 million views on YouTube. The tune has singers Gala and Enkush enciting Mongolian pride from gorgeous Central Asian cliffs, deserts, and forests, over a galloping baseline played by Temka on a two-stringed tovshuur. Guttural vocals, urging Mongolians to cherish their rich history, pound each beat as band members saw at elaborately-carved horse head fiddles called morin khuur. The final breakdown swirls with glissandos and quavering pitches, thanks to The Hu's Tuvan throat singing—whereby a vocalist uses their vestibular folds, or "fake vocal cords," to produce an additional undertone. The Hu hopes its rock will free Mongolians, once culturally repressed by Soviet occupiers, to become more in touch with their ancestors. Although, the group eagerly welcomes all, Mongol or not, to join in the head banging and to toast to the new heavy metal Khanate!
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Image credit & copyright: The Hu / Dashka Productions
Welcome to our Top 15 of 2019 countdown! As the year comes to an end, we're looking back at this year's most loved Curios across all categories. Enjoy the walk down memory lane in your entire Curio Cabinet.
There's a new sound carrying from the steppes of Mongolia, and it's taking the West by storm. Mongolian rock band The Hu blends Western heavy metal with traditional Tuvan throat singing. This unique blend of musical heritages, dubbed "Hunnu Rock," has propelled their hit Yuve Yuve Yu, or "What's going on?," to over 10 million views on YouTube. The tune has singers Gala and Enkush enciting Mongolian pride from gorgeous Central Asian cliffs, deserts, and forests, over a galloping baseline played by Temka on a two-stringed tovshuur. Guttural vocals, urging Mongolians to cherish their rich history, pound each beat as band members saw at elaborately-carved horse head fiddles called morin khuur. The final breakdown swirls with glissandos and quavering pitches, thanks to The Hu's Tuvan throat singing—whereby a vocalist uses their vestibular folds, or "fake vocal cords," to produce an additional undertone. The Hu hopes its rock will free Mongolians, once culturally repressed by Soviet occupiers, to become more in touch with their ancestors. Although, the group eagerly welcomes all, Mongol or not, to join in the head banging and to toast to the new heavy metal Khanate!
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: The Hu / Dashka Productions
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FREEBass Guitar Song CurioFree2 CQ
Welcome to our Top 15 of 2019 countdown! As the year comes to an end, we're looking back at this year's most loved Curios across all categories. Enjoy the walk down memory lane in your entire Curio Cabinet .
Behind every great Motown hit is some great bass playing—specifically by James Jamerson on his "Funk Machine" 1962 Fender Precision Bass. While audiences clamored for the next song by singers Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, or Stevie Wonder, the studio whizzes in Detroit and Los Angeles relied on Jamerson and the rest of the house band, nicknamed The Funk Brothers, to lay down undeniable grooves. Jamerson, who played on at least 30 Billboard #1's, was known for revolutionizing the way bass playing sounded on R&B songs. Prior to Jamerson, bassists filled out the rhythm section by playing chord roots and fifths; on tracks like Stevie Wonder's For Once in My Life, Jamerson shows off a style that's syncopated, follows the ascending melody, and utilizes open strings (unfretted string notes) and other techniques from his days as an upright bass player in jazz groups. For Jamerson's birthday this week, we're reminded of how Motown producers would halt production on a track when he wasn't available—because why even try to replace one of the 20th century's most inventive musical voices?
Below: the complete Stevie Wonder recording of For Once in My Life. Beneath that is a video of the isolated bass track, performed by James Jamerson.
Other streaming options
Welcome to our Top 15 of 2019 countdown! As the year comes to an end, we're looking back at this year's most loved Curios across all categories. Enjoy the walk down memory lane in your entire Curio Cabinet .
Behind every great Motown hit is some great bass playing—specifically by James Jamerson on his "Funk Machine" 1962 Fender Precision Bass. While audiences clamored for the next song by singers Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, or Stevie Wonder, the studio whizzes in Detroit and Los Angeles relied on Jamerson and the rest of the house band, nicknamed The Funk Brothers, to lay down undeniable grooves. Jamerson, who played on at least 30 Billboard #1's, was known for revolutionizing the way bass playing sounded on R&B songs. Prior to Jamerson, bassists filled out the rhythm section by playing chord roots and fifths; on tracks like Stevie Wonder's For Once in My Life, Jamerson shows off a style that's syncopated, follows the ascending melody, and utilizes open strings (unfretted string notes) and other techniques from his days as an upright bass player in jazz groups. For Jamerson's birthday this week, we're reminded of how Motown producers would halt production on a track when he wasn't available—because why even try to replace one of the 20th century's most inventive musical voices?
Below: the complete Stevie Wonder recording of For Once in My Life. Beneath that is a video of the isolated bass track, performed by James Jamerson.
Other streaming options
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Welcome to our Top 15 of 2019 countdown! As the year comes to an end, we're looking back at this year's most loved Curios across all categories. Enjoy the walk down memory lane in your entire Curio Cabinet .
For opera soprano Jessye Norman, extraordinary performances were a regular occurrence. Norman passed away in October at the age of 74, leaving behind some of the most lauded classical vocal performances of the last half-century. Take her recording of Richard Strauss' Im Abendrot ("In the Sunset"), the last piece of his Vier Ietzte Lieder ("Four Last Songs"). Strauss derived the title from the Joseph von Eichendorff poem about approaching death alongside a beloved, which he set to music for soprano voice and orchestra. The song begins when a timpani strikes a slow death march as the strings offer up a bittersweet, minor-key melody. When Jessye Norman joins in, her famed control and power take center stage. She begins quietly with quick vibrato notes (rapid pitch fluctuation), eventually rising to match the lyrics' themes of fear, fate, and solemn grace at the inevitable end of life. Some musicians spend a lifetime trying to execute technical virtuosity and emotional depth: Jessye Norman seemed to do so anytime she opened her mouth to sing.
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Image credit & copyright: Met Archives
Welcome to our Top 15 of 2019 countdown! As the year comes to an end, we're looking back at this year's most loved Curios across all categories. Enjoy the walk down memory lane in your entire Curio Cabinet .
For opera soprano Jessye Norman, extraordinary performances were a regular occurrence. Norman passed away in October at the age of 74, leaving behind some of the most lauded classical vocal performances of the last half-century. Take her recording of Richard Strauss' Im Abendrot ("In the Sunset"), the last piece of his Vier Ietzte Lieder ("Four Last Songs"). Strauss derived the title from the Joseph von Eichendorff poem about approaching death alongside a beloved, which he set to music for soprano voice and orchestra. The song begins when a timpani strikes a slow death march as the strings offer up a bittersweet, minor-key melody. When Jessye Norman joins in, her famed control and power take center stage. She begins quietly with quick vibrato notes (rapid pitch fluctuation), eventually rising to match the lyrics' themes of fear, fate, and solemn grace at the inevitable end of life. Some musicians spend a lifetime trying to execute technical virtuosity and emotional depth: Jessye Norman seemed to do so anytime she opened her mouth to sing.
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Met Archives
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Do cowboys dream of tumbleweed sheep? For Roy Rogers—the "King of Cowboys"—the Grand Canyon Trail was a place (and a song) full of adventure, peril, and a wondrous landscape. In the film of the same name, Rogers and his co-star Trigger (the horse) are the heroes in a plot full of mistaken identities, fraudulent deals, and a silver mine everyone wants to get their hands on. That is, except for Rogers, whose good-guy archetype remains steadfast even in the stickiest of situations. Grand Canyon Trail was one of nearly 100 films Rogers made between 1935 and 1952, a time when he was one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Rogers' music career never took a backseat to his work in movies, though; Grand Canyon Trail features a Western lullaby-like tune where romance and wide-open spaces are all a cowboy's heart could desire. Well, maybe all that and a trusty horse named Trigger (and a dog named Bullet) to keep an eye out for any trouble that comes along!
Image credit & copyright: Grit TV
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Do cowboys dream of tumbleweed sheep? For Roy Rogers—the "King of Cowboys"—the Grand Canyon Trail was a place (and a song) full of adventure, peril, and a wondrous landscape. In the film of the same name, Rogers and his co-star Trigger (the horse) are the heroes in a plot full of mistaken identities, fraudulent deals, and a silver mine everyone wants to get their hands on. That is, except for Rogers, whose good-guy archetype remains steadfast even in the stickiest of situations. Grand Canyon Trail was one of nearly 100 films Rogers made between 1935 and 1952, a time when he was one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Rogers' music career never took a backseat to his work in movies, though; Grand Canyon Trail features a Western lullaby-like tune where romance and wide-open spaces are all a cowboy's heart could desire. Well, maybe all that and a trusty horse named Trigger (and a dog named Bullet) to keep an eye out for any trouble that comes along!
Image credit & copyright: Grit TV
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
This time of year, it's no crime to get cozy with some cocoa and listen to the holiday classic, White Christmas. Yet on December 12, 1957, radio D.J. Al Priddy of KEX in Portland, Oregon, lost his job after playing the tune on the air. His crime? Spinning Elvis Presley's banned version of the song. Recorded 15 years after the original's 1942 release, Presley's version has his deep voice croon the familiar lyrics as rock-and-roll back-up singers rhythmically chant. Yet, according to music legend, Presley's version drew the ire of the song's original creator, legendary Broadway songwriter Irving Berlin. Upon hearing Presley's version, Berlin "immediately ordered his staff to telephone radio stations across the country to ask them not to play this barbaric rock-and-roll version." Though there's no way to know for sure whether Berlin was behind a conspiracy to ban the song, many radio stations did refuse to play it, calling it distasteful. Luckily, the White Christmas controversy wasn't enough to leave Presley blue. He changed his tune and swapped colors, turning Blue Christmas into a major hit in 1964!
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Image credit & copyright: Globe Photos/Graceland
This time of year, it's no crime to get cozy with some cocoa and listen to the holiday classic, White Christmas. Yet on December 12, 1957, radio D.J. Al Priddy of KEX in Portland, Oregon, lost his job after playing the tune on the air. His crime? Spinning Elvis Presley's banned version of the song. Recorded 15 years after the original's 1942 release, Presley's version has his deep voice croon the familiar lyrics as rock-and-roll back-up singers rhythmically chant. Yet, according to music legend, Presley's version drew the ire of the song's original creator, legendary Broadway songwriter Irving Berlin. Upon hearing Presley's version, Berlin "immediately ordered his staff to telephone radio stations across the country to ask them not to play this barbaric rock-and-roll version." Though there's no way to know for sure whether Berlin was behind a conspiracy to ban the song, many radio stations did refuse to play it, calling it distasteful. Luckily, the White Christmas controversy wasn't enough to leave Presley blue. He changed his tune and swapped colors, turning Blue Christmas into a major hit in 1964!
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: Globe Photos/Graceland
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Sure, the Beatles were one of the first viral boy bands in pop music. But the Jackson 5 perfected the formula on their first single I Want You Back from their debut album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, released 50 years ago this month. In spite of their album title, the quintet came to the attention of Motown CEO Berry Gordy by way of singer Gladys Knight, not Ross. During the summer of '69, with major label support, the Jacksons recorded tracks at Motown studios in Detroit alongside the best studio band in the business (the Funk Brothers) and an ace team of songwriters and producers. But those songs proved too subdued and lacked the pop sensibilities Motown was famous for, leading Gordy to scrap them for a new session in Los Angeles. I Want You Back grew out of those sessions as an undeniably catchy tune that highlighted the Funk Brothers' rhythmic breakdowns, the Jacksons' call-and-response harmonies, and the star of the show: the charismatically vocal Michael Jackson. When Gordy first met the Jacksons, he promised them three #1 hits, yet I Want You Back was the first of a consecutive four. Those were certainly numbers the Jackson 5 could get behind, especially after reciting their ABCs!
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Image credit & copyright: Fandom.com
Sure, the Beatles were one of the first viral boy bands in pop music. But the Jackson 5 perfected the formula on their first single I Want You Back from their debut album, Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5, released 50 years ago this month. In spite of their album title, the quintet came to the attention of Motown CEO Berry Gordy by way of singer Gladys Knight, not Ross. During the summer of '69, with major label support, the Jacksons recorded tracks at Motown studios in Detroit alongside the best studio band in the business (the Funk Brothers) and an ace team of songwriters and producers. But those songs proved too subdued and lacked the pop sensibilities Motown was famous for, leading Gordy to scrap them for a new session in Los Angeles. I Want You Back grew out of those sessions as an undeniably catchy tune that highlighted the Funk Brothers' rhythmic breakdowns, the Jacksons' call-and-response harmonies, and the star of the show: the charismatically vocal Michael Jackson. When Gordy first met the Jacksons, he promised them three #1 hits, yet I Want You Back was the first of a consecutive four. Those were certainly numbers the Jackson 5 could get behind, especially after reciting their ABCs!
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Image credit & copyright: Fandom.com
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Alright stop, deliberate a decision, Ice is back with a brand new conviction. Okay, so rapper Vanilla Ice makes for easy joke fodder, but the legacy of Ice Ice Baby, off the 1989 album Hooked, remains undeniable. Allegedly written by Ice, K. Kennedy, and DJ Earthquake, the track's hook samples the bassline from Queen and David Bowie's legendary song Under Pressure (1981). Ice initially denied the connection, though the original songwriters took notice when Ice became the first hip-hop record to top the Billboard Hot 100, quickly selling seven million records; in a watershed plagiarism case regarding hip-hop samples, Bowie and Queen received songwriting credit and royalties. Meanwhile, Vanilla's viral popularity spurred journalists to investigate his "gangster" background: that of Robert Van Winkle from Dallas, Texas suburbia. Lambasted as the appropriating "Elvis of rap," Vanilla was then purportedly held out a window by producer Suge Knight, who alleged Ice had been stolen from one of his associates. (Bear with us.) After strong-arming his cut, Knight used it to launch Death Row Records, which produced rap legends Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, among others. Yup—Vanilla nice.
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Image credit & copyright: Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Alright stop, deliberate a decision, Ice is back with a brand new conviction. Okay, so rapper Vanilla Ice makes for easy joke fodder, but the legacy of Ice Ice Baby, off the 1989 album Hooked, remains undeniable. Allegedly written by Ice, K. Kennedy, and DJ Earthquake, the track's hook samples the bassline from Queen and David Bowie's legendary song Under Pressure (1981). Ice initially denied the connection, though the original songwriters took notice when Ice became the first hip-hop record to top the Billboard Hot 100, quickly selling seven million records; in a watershed plagiarism case regarding hip-hop samples, Bowie and Queen received songwriting credit and royalties. Meanwhile, Vanilla's viral popularity spurred journalists to investigate his "gangster" background: that of Robert Van Winkle from Dallas, Texas suburbia. Lambasted as the appropriating "Elvis of rap," Vanilla was then purportedly held out a window by producer Suge Knight, who alleged Ice had been stolen from one of his associates. (Bear with us.) After strong-arming his cut, Knight used it to launch Death Row Records, which produced rap legends Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, among others. Yup—Vanilla nice.
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Image credit & copyright: Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
By the time The Clash wrote 1979's epic double album London Calling, they could have renamed one of their early disaffected tracks to "I'm So Bored With Punk Rock." During their previous album tours in America, the band abandoned punk contemporaries as openers in favor of early rock 'n' rollers, like Bo Diddley and Sam & Dave. Bouts of writer's block had also hit singer-songwriters Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, adding to the group's general weariness. To give their sound the jolt it needed, the group took on the erratic producer Guy Stevens and holed up in Wessex Sound Studios. They created, often in one or two takes, songs that shed the fast, atonal punk sound for swingin' horns, rockabilly guitar strumming, and bluesy walkin' bass lines. Punk music no longer had to be characterized by abrasive sounds and solipsistic lyrics, as The Clash proved with London Calling 40 years ago this month. It could weave in and out of popular genres and speak to the struggles and triumphs of ordinary people. Take a listen to the call-to-arms of the title track, whose marching staccato riffs and name recall World War II BBC broadcasts in allied countries.
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Image credit & copyright: David Montgomery / Getty Images
By the time The Clash wrote 1979's epic double album London Calling, they could have renamed one of their early disaffected tracks to "I'm So Bored With Punk Rock." During their previous album tours in America, the band abandoned punk contemporaries as openers in favor of early rock 'n' rollers, like Bo Diddley and Sam & Dave. Bouts of writer's block had also hit singer-songwriters Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, adding to the group's general weariness. To give their sound the jolt it needed, the group took on the erratic producer Guy Stevens and holed up in Wessex Sound Studios. They created, often in one or two takes, songs that shed the fast, atonal punk sound for swingin' horns, rockabilly guitar strumming, and bluesy walkin' bass lines. Punk music no longer had to be characterized by abrasive sounds and solipsistic lyrics, as The Clash proved with London Calling 40 years ago this month. It could weave in and out of popular genres and speak to the struggles and triumphs of ordinary people. Take a listen to the call-to-arms of the title track, whose marching staccato riffs and name recall World War II BBC broadcasts in allied countries.
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Image credit & copyright: David Montgomery / Getty Images
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Welcome back, John Mayer. In 2017, the singer-songwriter, guitarist, and avid watch collector released new music for the first time since his 2013 album, Paradise Valley. There's something for everybody on the release, aptly named The Search for Everything: in four concise songs, we hear blues licks, country twang, jam band guitar solos, sing-along choruses, and piano ballads. The opening track, Moving On and Getting Over, sounds like the artist's 2006 album Continuum—with an easygoing groove that stays fresh from beginning to end thanks to some short, expertly placed interludes. Moving On and Getting Over is part of "Wave One" of the new album; a new "wave" is slated to be released every month, with brand new tracks, though Mayer did not state when the waves will be finished. With any luck, the album will be longer than his comedy career.
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Welcome back, John Mayer. In 2017, the singer-songwriter, guitarist, and avid watch collector released new music for the first time since his 2013 album, Paradise Valley. There's something for everybody on the release, aptly named The Search for Everything: in four concise songs, we hear blues licks, country twang, jam band guitar solos, sing-along choruses, and piano ballads. The opening track, Moving On and Getting Over, sounds like the artist's 2006 album Continuum—with an easygoing groove that stays fresh from beginning to end thanks to some short, expertly placed interludes. Moving On and Getting Over is part of "Wave One" of the new album; a new "wave" is slated to be released every month, with brand new tracks, though Mayer did not state when the waves will be finished. With any luck, the album will be longer than his comedy career.
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's beginning to sound a lot like the '60s in Michael Kiwanuka's latest release Hero. From his self-titled album Kiwanuka, the tune finds Kiwanuka creating a droning chant with the question "Am I a hero now?" as producers Danger Mouse and Inflo build a wall of retro-soul instrumentation around him. The London-based singer and guitarist doesn't just recycle sounds of the counterculture and Civil Rights Era for his own fun. Hero was inspired by two prominent social justice issues in the U.S.: the FBI assassination of Fred Hampton—a Black Panther and Rainbow Coalition leader—as well as the epidemic of black men being shot by police officers. Additionally, Kiwanuka's psychedelic guitar solo wails in tones that express what words cannot: the anger, fear, and grief of living and dying as a black body in a racist society. We reviewers can claim Michael Kiwanuka's sounds hearken back to Marvin Gaye's What's Going On or Jimi Hendrix's Machine Gun, but Kiwanuka's own timeless relevance ensures people will be talking about his powerful music for decades to come.
Explicit content warning: this video contains strong images.
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Image credit & copyright: The Current / Minnesota Public Radio
It's beginning to sound a lot like the '60s in Michael Kiwanuka's latest release Hero. From his self-titled album Kiwanuka, the tune finds Kiwanuka creating a droning chant with the question "Am I a hero now?" as producers Danger Mouse and Inflo build a wall of retro-soul instrumentation around him. The London-based singer and guitarist doesn't just recycle sounds of the counterculture and Civil Rights Era for his own fun. Hero was inspired by two prominent social justice issues in the U.S.: the FBI assassination of Fred Hampton—a Black Panther and Rainbow Coalition leader—as well as the epidemic of black men being shot by police officers. Additionally, Kiwanuka's psychedelic guitar solo wails in tones that express what words cannot: the anger, fear, and grief of living and dying as a black body in a racist society. We reviewers can claim Michael Kiwanuka's sounds hearken back to Marvin Gaye's What's Going On or Jimi Hendrix's Machine Gun, but Kiwanuka's own timeless relevance ensures people will be talking about his powerful music for decades to come.
Explicit content warning: this video contains strong images.
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: The Current / Minnesota Public Radio