Week 43 - Bacherolette (Bjork, 1997)

Week 43 - Bjork

I still remember very vividly the first time I saw Bjork.  There was this very short lived music program on NHK (PBS of Japan) that I loved and they used to play lots of music that were relatively unknown in Japan.  One night they talked about this Icelandic band called “Sugarcubes” and showed their video.  The song was called “Birthday” and a girl in a red dress was singing.  Her voice was nothing like I’d ever heard, it blew my mind.  I went and bought their album the very next day.  Ever since then, Bjork’s music has become part of my life.  I love that her music (and herself) is always unique, strange and beautiful.  And I love her visual and conceptual approach to her music.  She’s a very visual musician and that’s what I wanted to bring to the filming of this song.  Rebekah and I had a great time painting flowers, ha!  

Also I’d like to thank Marianne from MSO for planting this seed in my head, what seems like such a long time ago now.  When Main Squeeze Orchestra was discussing new additions to their repertoire, Marianne suggested this song and that I should sing it.  That never happened but we incorporated accordion for you Marianne.  

Hope everyone enjoys it!

Week 38 - Jockey Full of Bourbon (Tom Waits, 1985)

Week 38 - Tom Waits

Grand Finale of Tom Waits December!  The song that started it all for us.  We have been singing this song for so long that sometimes we even forget that it is a cover, ha!  We’ve been wanting to collaborate with our California half of the band and finally our dream came true.  Bi-coastal video!  Rebekah and I miss these gentlemen so much. Even though we didn’t play together in real life, I think this video portrays the feeling of what it is like when we do play together.  

I think it is important to close a year right and I’m glad we are able to do so with a style!  Hope you enjoy.  

Wishing you a very happy new year!

Week 35 - Cemetery Polka (Tom Waits, 1985)

Week 35 - Tom Waits (1985)

One of the many things I love about Tom Waits is his ability to make music with just about anything.  Unusual instruments, unusual subject matters, unusual ideas, unusual situations - all of these things makes his world so exciting and interesting.  Like this week’s song, Cemetery Polka from the album Rain Dog. It's a song about aging relatives who are mostly insane, dying or both. Absurdity with a twisted sense of humor ran through this song and it includes some of my favorite rhymes like “egg” and “wooden leg” and “hotel” and “hell.”  

I read that Tom Waits walked around NYC recording street sounds and other ambient noises on a cassette recorder in order to catch the sound of the city for recording Rain Dog.  Rain Dog is one of my favorite albums and it makes me happy that it was written in my old neighborhood West Village, though I’m sure it was quite a different neighborhood back then.  

I’ve been wanting to to do all toy instrumentation and this seemed like a perfect opportunity.  We had a great time working on this song.  I hope you enjoy!

“If I want a sound, I usually feel better if I've chased it and killed it, skinned it and cooked it.”  - Tom Waits

And a happy belated birthday, Mr. Waits!