To sleep: perchance to dream

Posted on December 21, 2013 by olneyce

Labyrinthine – Julianna Barwick

Many people make ambient music – where glacially slow movements are designed to hypnotize us, to give us a sense the deep structures of the world around us. And many other people make inspirational music – which uplifts, heartens and invigorates us. But I am not sure anyone in the world combines these two things with more care and astonishing skill than Julianna Barwick. She works with incredibly simple tools: short hymnal movements looped together with ethereal choirs, and the most delicate of instrumental interjections. But the result is simply entrancing. Imagine Sigur Ros performing a collection of Gregorian chants – produced by Stars of the Lid. Her music doesn’t just soothe, or provide a sense of peace; it reveals hidden gaps in our sense of the world, perturbations, anomalous movements. But it does this with such grace that we can resist the urge to elide their genuine difference and read them back into the world of the customary.

When Horatio says “And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest” to the dying Hamlet, I imagine that he means Nepenthe.

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She told me how to play the industry and keep my heart

Posted on December 20, 2013 by olneyce

Complacent ft. Problem – Rapsody

The comparisons to Lauryn Hill are so obvious that it’s impossible not to start there. Pick a couple tracks from She Got Game, release them as an EP of lost tracks from Miseducation, and I think most people would completely believe it. It has that same late 90s vibe of soul-infused beats, which provide plenty of room for her to stretch out and explore the space. Her flow is smooth, her words are intricate and sincere, and the pace is relaxed.

And Lauryn Hill is not simply a point of reference here.  The excellent “My Song” begins by explicitly acknowledging the comparison: “I ain’t the next Ms. Hill / I ain’t the next him or her, I’m just the one y’all feel.” It’s both a gentle chiding to those (like me) who leap to make this connection, but also a recognition of the honor that such associations convey. Later in the song she relays an imagined conversation, with Hill playing the role of the wise mentor.  There are no answers in the dream; just a hand on the shoulder and a kind word.  And these are broader themes of the whole collection: of growing into yourself, standing on your own feet, but also recognizing that we all come from somewhere and are profoundly shaped by the world around us. And that standing alone is necessary, but only because it gives us a certain sense of tranquility, and which lets us receive support and love without becoming lost. This is not the peace of leisure, or of satisfaction – there is still a lot of grit and pain and hard work on this record. It’s simply the peace of a woman who is keeping her balance in a world that has very little time for her.  This is all bolstered by a great cast of supporting guests, all of whom bring their A-game.

There was a ton of great rap this year, but this is my favorite record of the bunch. Best of all: you can get it for free.

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Feel the coolness of my gaze

Posted on December 19, 2013 by olneyce

Troublemaker – Camera Obscura

A wonderful return to form from a wonderful band.  I wasn’t in love with the more compressed sonic feeling of My Maudlin Career, so it’s truly delightful to hear this record mostly return to the looser, ambling easiness of Let’s Get Out of This Country.

Desire Lines is a truly comfortable record, which I know might come off as faint praise but I really don’t mean it that way. It’s soft, relaxed, and cozy – like your favorite hoodie that you throw on to keep you happy on a chilly day.  The sort of music you play on a warm summer morning to keep you company while you garden. It’s certainly not empty of content – there is a deep strain of melancholy that runs through the record – but it’s fundamentally an empathic work.  We have it in ourselves to be great, it says, but before we can try we must first be good.

For the most part, the record moves from fast-paced jangle-pop to slower tracks tinged with just a bit of doo-wop and soul.  Of the former, the clear highlight is “Troublemaker” which jingles and jangles its way right into your heart, and features that great Tracyanne Campbell voice.  It’s one of their best tracks to date, a genuine little pop masterpiece.  Other solid examples include “Do It Again” with just a hint of edge, and “Every Weekday” which has to be the warmest sounding track of the whole year.

Of the slower tracks, “This is Love (Feels Alright)” blends a measured and ever so slightly ornate pace with slight vocal swoops to fine effect, while “New Year’s Resolution” is delightfully wistful and “Desire Lines” builds off a nicely understated country vibe – with Campbell’s voice providing a lovely counterpoint to the slide guitar.

This isn’t a record that will blow you away, but it’s all the better for not trying to do so.  What you get is pretty simple: 13 great songs, no missteps, no wasted space.  Nothing but gorgeous music.

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The universe is a symphony of vibrating strings

Posted on December 18, 2013 by olneyce

Vital – Grouper

In a year full of wonderful ambient records, none were as astonishing as The Man Who Died in His Boat. It gives voice to the deep structures of the universe: its vastness, the empty reaches of space.  But also its material resonances: the living and breathing impossibility of life.  These songs are hazy windows into an alternate reality where humans never left the savannahs and the rest of the world continued on its own.  Her words are indistinct, unknowable, sinking below the surface even before they are sung. They ask you to listen for the spaces in between the seemingly whole.  The point is not to attack the false precision of modernity, but simply reflect it back upon itself.  In doing so we become aware of the endless waves of uncertainty and doubt that lie beneath them.

If this all sounds too abstract or distant, it is absolutely not. These are some of the most emotionally present songs you are ever likely to hear. They speak of loneliness and deep longing.  The hiss of the tape, the ethereality of a human voice, the blurrily plucked guitar notes, the background vibrations of atoms singing, all of these things live together here in a kind of discordant harmony so beautiful that I can’t ever hope to describe it.

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How much would you pay to be right?

Posted on December 17, 2013 by olneyce

Serious question: how many people are going to pay more for health insurance over the next few years because they are sure that Obamacare is bad and will therefore not even bother to look for better deals?

I ask this because I’m starting to see a lot more ACA success stories.  As the dominant narrative switches to stuff like this, it seems like a lot more people will be exploring the exchanges.

I see a number of possible ways this could go. Of the people who dislike the law:
1. Some will discover a better deal, and change their mind – at least partially.
2. Many more will get a better deal and grudgingly admit it, but still think that the law is on balance bad.
3. Some will get a worse deal.
4. Some will attribute all bad stuff to Obamacare (even if it was inevitably going to happen), and attribute all good changes to external factors – assuming that they are happening in spite of the law rather than because of it.
5. Some (I think) will just assume that it’s impossible that they could get a better deal so won’t even bother looking.  Or, even if they do look, will assume there is some hidden cost that makes it worse.

If category number 5 does exist, doesn’t it suggest that people are basically paying a premium to feel right?  If so, I think that’s interesting!  Alternatively, it could be understood as a form of solidarity: a baseline refusal to treat the law as just, which means it doesn’t even deserve your attention.  Regardless, I’d like to see some reporting about how such people think about the law.

And, related question, is there a counter-example of a Republican law that liberals so intensely disliked that they failed to take advantage of it because doing so might endanger their ideological presumptions? Tax breaks of some kind?

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The 10 best Christmas songs

Posted on December 16, 2013 by olneyce

10. Happy XMas (War is Over) – John and Yoko
Sure, it’s a little hokey, but who cares? It has endured where so many other ephemeral songs have faded in part because the message remains just as vibrant and necessary as ever, and in part because…well…John really knew how to write a tune that would last. It’s worth noting that it starts out with a rather pointed question: “And so this is Christmas, and what have you done?” It’s not just a platitude about the power of the imagination to end the war, it’s a call to action. I’m always skeptical of the simplistic way that people categorize John and Paul as songwriters, but I suppose it’s worth mentioning that John’s contribution to the Christmas canon as some real depth to it, while Paul’s…well, it’s probably best that we just don’t talk about “Wonderful Christmastime.”

9. Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming – Sufjan Stevens (traditional)
I grew up listening to a lot of the classic Christmas carols – a few of which make the list – but I have to admit I don’t ever remember hearing this one as a kid. Thankfully, I got a late introduction through those Sufjan Christmas EPs. He has two versions, both of which are absolutely magical.

8. Jesus Christ – Big Star
Maybe the finest song from the great Alex Chilton. This song was recorded in the pits of despair and I honestly have no idea whether it’s meant to convey hope for the possibility of redemption, or if it’s cutting mockery of precisely that dream. I like to believe in the optimistic take, but I suppose it’s part of the song’s beauty that we can’t ever really know.

7. The Christmas Song – The Raveonettes
6. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Darlene Love
There are so many great Christmas songs from Phil Spector, but Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) is absolutely the best. Oh my that voice, and oh my that wall of sound. Meanwhile, The Raveonettes are doing their best to provide a modern interpretation on the Spectorian dream, and do a mighty fine job with it.

5. The Christians and the Pagans – Dar Williams
A pagan niece comes to visit her Christian aunt and uncle for Christmas, awkward questions are asked, and people come to realize that beneath it all the only thing that matters is that they love each other. It’s pretty much the classic Christmas story.

4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Super Deluxe (traditional)
The melody of this song is dark and almost eerie. It feels as though it were composed by some Arthurian minstrel in the dark night of a cold winter. I love how that feeling is necessary counterpoint to the central message: “tidings of comfort and joy.” Accordingly, this interpretation of the song as an alt-rock dirge only clarifies its underlying beauty. If you’d like something a little more traditional, try this wonderful pairing of Joshua Bell on piano and Alison Krauss singing:
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Joshua Bell and Alison Krauss

3. Christmas Unicorn – Sufjan Stevens (traditional?)
He has done so many wonderful Christmas songs that I couldn’t stick with just one. Where his take on ‘Lo How A Rose E’er Blooming’ was everything quiet and beautiful, this is everything glorious and majestic. It’s huge and crazy and weird and absurd. And, after about eight minutes, you suddenly realize that the synths that have started to take over the song are now providing the melody of “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” And you say to yourself: “Oh my god, of course it has always been a Christmas song. I just never knew it until right now.” It’s a piece of pure genius.

2. Oh Holy Night – traditional
Of all the classic Christmas carols, I believe this is the best. It has so many amazing lines and such a haunting, beautiful melody. The ‘fall on your knees’ line is just so overwhelming. Performers always run a risk doing versions of this song. It doesn’t lend itself to halfway measures; you’re looking for something fervent, not just something pretty. For two very different takes on that hurdle, try out these:
Oh Holy Night – Vanessa Peters

1. Fairytale Of New York – The Pogues
How could it be anything else?

It open with Shane MacGowan singing as no one else can: with a tenderness only matched by its raggedness. And then, even though you’ve heard it so many times before, you’re still completely unprepared for the way Kirsty MacColl’s voice emerges, triumphant, joyful, alive beyond words. As the verse unfolds and their voices intertwine you can almost see them, dancing together under the falling snow. It’s all there: the joy, the pain, the anger, the lost dreams, the hope, and the love. And on the final verse, when he sings “can’t make it all alone, I’ve built my dreams around you” there’s nothing left to do except weep for the sheer beauty of it all.

The tension in the song is, of course, whether to believe in the hope that they start out with, or whether to accept the pain of their conclusion. It would be a lie to pretend that you can simply wish away the bad stuff, but the sheer beauty of the song is the living proof that there must be something more.

What we hear in this song is the truest possible meaning of Christmas: a lament for the long winter, an expression of all the pain and suffering, the enduring human spirit.  It speaks to our need to share the darkness with those that we love and the hope that this will somehow renew it, and allow another year to be born in the ashes of the past. One brighter, nobler, happier, and more secure. The need to believe, to hope against hope. That tomorrow we will run faster, stretch our arms farther…And one fine morning…

Honorable mentions:
11. Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses
12. Silent Night – traditional
13. All I Wanted Was a Skateboard – Super Deluxe
14. Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby and David Bowie
15. The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole

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There but for fortune, may go you or I

Posted on December 14, 2013 by olneyce

There But for Fortune – Phil Ochs

Ezra Klein comments on Obama’s claim that inequality is “the defining challenge of our time.”

Income inequality is easy to worry about. It offends our moral intuitions. Its tears into the fabric of the American dream.
…
But is inequality really the country’s most pressing problem? Imagine you were given a choice between reducing income inequality by 50 percent and reducing unemployment by 50 percent. Which would you choose?

He then goes on to argue that inequality is not the “central challenge to growth” in the economy. But that wasn’t the argument. The argument is that the degree of inequality in our society is a disaster.

I would be very happy to concede slower economic growth if that came attached to massive improvements in economic equality. I happen to believe that a more equal society wouldn’t necessarily restrict growth (and might well improve it), but even if it did, that’s a trade I would take every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Perhaps it’s just my Rawlsian inclinations here, but it does not seem particularly radical to me to suggest that improving the condition of those at the bottom of the economic hierarchy is far more important than a system-wide goal of growth.

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Self-preservation is a full time occupation

Posted on December 14, 2013 by olneyce

Talk to Me Now – Ani DiFranco

John Dickerson posits that Congress could be improved if its members were forced to play a cooperative ‘escape room’ game, like the one he played earlier this week:

This week, I volunteered to be locked in a room with 10 other people to play an escape game. It was fascinating and great fun. In the United States Senate this week, they were also playing a locked room game. Senators were trapped in a spite-fest that kept them in rare marathon sessions, through the night. In our attempt to get out of the room, we cooperated, spoke only when necessary, and focused relentlessly on progress. In the Senate, they were doing the opposite. Perhaps they could learn something from our experience.

Okay, he’s obviously being a little facetious here, but the general point is still being made earnestly. And that goes as follows:

What if Democrats and Republicans were broken into little bipartisan teams and forced to play our game? The urgency of the task would force them to put away their speeches and focus on progress and accomplishments.

The problem here, of course, is that Democrats and Republicans both already want progress and accomplishments. That’s pretty much their sole motivation. The reason we have a problem is that they genuinely disagree with one another about what constitutes progress.

This dream that everything wrong with Washington could be solved if everyone just liked each other stems from a rather fundamental misunderstanding of effects and causes. Everyone hates each other because they want radically different things, and on any question of significant importance owe about 10,000% more to their party than they do to their colleagues. This means that there is very little value in cultivating good working relationships with the other party. Because those working relationships – the shared ability to ‘get things done’ rather than focus on securing your own objectives – is liable to get a Tea Party challenger rumbling against you in the primary.

If you want a more functional Congress you either need to make sure both houses are run by the same party (preferably with a president, too), or change our actual institutional structure. And, to be honest, even that might not get it done if that party is the current Republican Party. So your actual best bet for fixing things is to vote against the far right candidates and communicate to the ‘establishment’ Republicans that they might someday be allowed to function as a political party willing to trade goals in order to achieve positive sum results. Right now, the Republican Party is motivated almost exclusively by the overwhelming fear that anything the other party likes even a little bit is unacceptable. For them, that’s the definition of ‘progress.’ Until you can convince them that ‘progress’ means general improvements in the good for people across the spectrum of political opinion, well, no amount of hang-wringing about ‘people in Congress just can’t seem to get along’ is going to accomplish much.

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Your voice is soft like summer rain

Posted on December 11, 2013 by olneyce

I would never have guessed that one of my favorite songs of the year would be a remix of a Dolly Parton song.  Or that another one of my favorite songs of the year would be a cover of a Dolly Parton song…by Dolly Parton.

And yet here we are.

“Jolene” is probably her best song to start with, but the full extent of it’s awesomeness only revealed itself to me through the medium of these two wonderful interpretations.

Jolene (Kygo Edit) – Dolly Parton

Kygo is a Norwegian music producer, with an incredibly deft hand for remixes (check them all out on Soundcloud – free downloads!), something which is incredibly apparent here.  It takes that slinky guitar line and transforms it in beautiful dance beat, creating a far more expansive platform on which to rest Dolly’s wonderful voice.  It only took one time listening to this version for it to become the definitive take in my mind – and it makes me wonder what kind of amazing music might have come from her if her jump from country star to mainstream pop star had taken place today, rather than 40 years ago.

And then we have this utterly revelatory bit of musical illusion: simply take the original 45 recording and slow it down to 33. The result: a completely different song!  This “Jolene” is a quiet, smoky, haunting track.  Where the original is fundamentally defined by its unity of pain and submission – it pleads, insists on a human response, demands an expression of empathy – this version is defined primarily by its mournfulness. It is full of lamentation and weary acceptance. And most impressively, it now sounds like a male voice singing.

It’s a testament to her vocal performance that it can survive this transformation with such success.  My experiences performing this experiment with my old 45s were almost all fruitless, because when you slow down a standard vocal track it basically just turns into sludge.  See, for example, this version of 12:51 by The Strokes.  But Dolly’s voice simply unfolds itself and you can suddenly hear a bunch of previously invisible little flourishes.

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You’re starting to break me, you’re on your way

Posted on December 5, 2013 by olneyce

Another Day – Carousel

If you like feeling happy, you will like this song.  It has all the wonderful density of a great synth track combined with all the organic urgency of a classic pop song.  The touch is light, the vocals smooth, and the chorus as sweet as honey.  It’s a bit of a cliche to call an electro-pop song ‘dreamy,’ but…well…this song is pretty dreamy.

“Another Day” is from the lovely Palms EP.

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