Fun Link: PRINCE ROB POST

PRINCE ROB POST...I'm still trying to figure it out...

Sacred Music...Isn't It ALL?

Various Artists Planet Chant

The last couple of days have found me listening to this most interesting compilation CD of various "chant" traditions from around the world (most of which have been given modern down-tempo arrangements, but still effective).
A couple of well known contributors on this disc are the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Sheila Chandra and Krishna Das are similarly well-known amongst connisseurs of "world music", and their selections are outstanding (especially the Krishna Das piece, "Jaya Bhagavan"). The remaining artists might not be as easily recognized by all but the most cultured Chant fanatic, but they nevertheless provide a rich and often intoxicating overview of this sacred music.
This album will either get you in the mood to listen to some hardcore Ravi Shankar ragas or it will send you to SomaFM's Drone Zone to continue the "chilling out" process.
Speaking of soothing music, I was listening to XM's AudioVisions the other day and I heard a track by a guy named Iasos (pronounced Ya-Sos) and it was so intriguing that I looked him up on the internet. Hoo Boy, this guy has got some heavy ideas about music (especially his own). But forget that...it's worth visiting Iasos Website if for no other reason than to visit his "Oasis of Visual Sanctuaries"...you add the "heavenly music" to the mix on one o' those visual sanctuaries and yer liable to zone out right there in front of the computer.
I have to say that I do have mild misgivings about hearing music that comes packaged with so much metaphysical new age claptrap as Iasos most defiantly does. I can't help it if the composer himself has no idea where his music is REALLY coming from and so decides to market it in such a manner that will ensure that fewer people will actually hear it as a result of the perfectly reasonable decision to want nothing to do with it, because it proports to propigate false new age doctrine.
I take a similar view with all the Buddhist chanting I enjoy listening to, or all the classical Indian music with it's deeply Hindu-centric aspects. Strip the music of all societal and/or religious connotations and what you're left with is simply interesting and moving sounds, a neutral force, if allowed to be a force at all.
When I hear what's known as "new age music", I certainly don't think of crystals or chakras or bringing up my Kundalini...I don't even like to use the term "new age", because it's not nearly as appropriate a tag for this music than, say, "Soothing music", "Atmospheric music" (not to be confused with but sharing much in common with Ambient music)...I always thought "Space music" was a good name for the more ethereal stuff.
I wouldn't have thought to do it, but AudioVisions often mixes Cocteau Twins songs into their playlist, and to be honest, I think they sound better in such surroundings than stalwart New Age diehards like Enya or Yanni. They play way too much Enigma, too. But for some reason the Cocteau Twins stuff sounds at home there. Those familiar with Cocteau Twins vocalist Liz Fraser's approach to lyric-writing will understand when I say that there's nothing to consider when it comes to possible religious connotations in the words she pens for songs with titles like "Fluffy Tufts", "Pearly Dewdrops Drops" and "A Kissed Out Red Floatboat"...they are mostly made-up words that make no logical sense other than that they sound very good when Fraser sings them.
Here are a few Cocteau Twins CDs that are excellent from start to finish.

The Pink Opaque

Blue Bell Knoll

Love's Easy Tears

Garlands

Treasure

Stars & Topsoil Collection 1982-1990

Available from

FYI, this blog recieves no compensation from Amazon.com for referring customers...not saying that I'd send back any free CDs they wanted to pass my way for review and further referral...but as it stands, this be a non-frofit jobbie, so I include the link to Amazon for the reader's convenience. If my limited experience with Amazon can be used as a yardstick to judge the reliability of the company, I'd have to admit that they are first rate.

Music Link: kissthisguy.com

Another music link for ya...this one's pretty funny: kissthisguy.com -+- The Archive of Misheard Lyrics.

Music Link: ClassicBand.com

ClassicBands.com...here's a website that might warrant further investigation, sort of a "where are they now" kind of thing, from what I gather.

Blogosphere Surfing Report 62505

Hey, it's Saturday night and it's alright for surfing the blogosphere with nothing better to do. And I'm gonna say it right here and right now. You've GOTTA have a NavBar. The only thing worse than having to back up offa a non-NavBar blog are the ones that crash your computer.
So let's see what's out there, shall we?

Solid writing at Ramshackle Life, a work that defies description, but I think you'll like it.

Ubermaniam looks promising as well.

Angry Chimp, I warn you, is guaranteed to offend. Those who don't let that kind of stuff get to them, however, may soon find themelves chuckling at some of this nonsense.

Teenfashionista.com: "a teenager's portal to all things fashion; from a self-proclaimed style obsessed, fashion savvy teen's point of view."...Actually much more entertaining than you'd think.

Broken Tian has a nice look to it, though I'm unsure about the content just yet. Worth coming back to someday, perhaps?


Ladies and gentlemen, I think we may have here in our very presence the hands down UGLIEST dog ever cursed to be born on this planet. Thanks to Tulius Home for sharing that scare...
Accch...I may never get to sleep now!

I think I've found a new one to add to the Favorites list: Something Old, Something New has the good taste to feature an informative take on Sigur Ros. This one looks to be doing something along the same lines as what I've attempted here.
Will definately bookmark.

Long Road: The Journal of Old Earth looks promising as well.

Definately the strangest blog I've come across tonight, just you try to make any sense of Don...

i RaWk...or does he? You decide.

I wish I were a Fricken Octopus!...Getting to know Mals...That's what this is all about!

If I EVER run into this gang of hoodlums you can bet your last dollar that I'm gonna turn and run. These punks at The Red House really know how to intimidate...

Even more threatening to contemplate the awesome combined power at their fingertips at any given moment when they are assembled en masse, as they are in this one-of-a-kind photograph.
Could there be a more gut-kicking fear to be experienced?


Okay, how did I wind up here?
A must read...The Heretic, reprinted from D magazine, this is the dirt on Benny Hinn.
And with that I take my leave of the blogosphere this evening. Thank you to all who have read this far and I apologize to everyone I ignored who tried to ring me up via Yahoo Messenger while I was working on this. I hope you'll be understanding and forgiving.
Peace to all...

Nightmare Stuff

For a moment, while listening to a Bjork album, I turned into a bear.
It was one of those warm, fuzzy feelings that you wish would last forever but are all too soon faded into the obscurity of forgetfulness.
Such a cute little bear I was, as well, with no thoughts of harm to others.
Something about Bjork's unaccompanied banshee wailing brings out the bear in me.
Medulla...
Folks, this is the nightmare stuff.

Concentration is demanded of the webmaster who pours his soul into his work.
The Listening Room was a fun concept, but it had become too limiting.
Too high a demand for good quality writing, when I am all too often more inspired to blurt out the shoddy kind.
So here is another unsolicited opinion, drowned out in the noise of the countless others bumping into each other out there in cyberspace.
Just opinions...nothing to fight about.



Like father, like son...

1980 Flashback

1980...my senior year, and here I am winning the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award for the second time in my high school tenure. If that doesn't look like the face of someone who is rightfully impressed with the Armstrong award, let's just say that I'd had my eye on the John Philip Sousa award that year. I deserved it, but it was down to two of us and since the other guy didn't have the added talent of an adeptness for jazz, the lot fell to me to abdicate my hard-earned Sousa to this guy who really didn't need any more awards than the ones he already had anyway.
That's Mr. Price handing me the award. Mr. Early gave me my first, but he wasn't able to ride out his tenure into my senior year. That was okay, as I had just about as good a relationship with Mr. Price than I did with Bob Early.
What a band geek I was.
With a girlfriend in the band, as well, so all those bus trips to other schools representing the Pride of Prague Marching Band were the stuff young men's dreams are made of.
And for all my time and trouble I had yet another Armstrong Jazz award to use as a bookend with the other.

My high school stage band, in my Junior year (1979).
Top Row: Tom Gregory (trumpet), Steve Duncan (trumpet), Mark Newcomb (trumpet), Sorry, but I don't remember this guy's name...
Middle row: Randy Blackwell (trombone), Charles Coulter (trombone), Billy Newcomb (trombone), Jeff Murray (drums)
Bottom Row: Jim Casey (baritone saxophone), Carrie Sands (tenor saxophone), Patricia Pritchett (alto saxophone), Richard Shreves (alto saxophone), Larry Countz (tenor saxophone)
Not pictured: Philip Pechacek (bass), Anna Novotny (piano)

Tall Tales Memories

For a year, in 1993, I played rhythm guitar in a band called Tall Tales.
I left them in November, under less than amicable circumstances. Nevertheless, I have to admit that we had some nifty flyers done up to promote our shows...
Here are a few samples:















...a photo from one of the Liquid Lounge shows we played.


Tall Tales, 1993
Back row: Danny Fallis (vocals), Alan Hiserodt (drums), Greg Dobbs (lead guitar)
Front row: Mitch Newlin (bass), Jim Casey (rhythm guitar)

Fireworks Display

I've been thinking of re-tooling this blog somewhat. I'm not really sure exactly what I want to do with it, but I think I want it to be more general in nature, not fettered to the subject of music.
Not that I haven't strayed into non-music territory in the past, but I just haven't had much to say on the subject lately. Listened to a lot, and enjoyed most of it, but haven't felt inspired to write about any of it.
I have learned a few things, though, in the past week.
For instance, Bob Barker himself affirmed that PLINKO is the most popular game on The Price Is Right.
I never would have thought that to be the case.
And so, with the intent of sharing a more broad aspect of what's going on in my hard-earned corner of the world, a new title is coming soon to the Listening Room. The address will remain the same, only the title will change, and with it, the over-all feel of this, my primary blog.
So while you're waiting for all this change to come around, why don't you click on this COOL FIREWORKS DISPLAY!