I Keep Forgetting That They Even Had Electricity Way Back in the 1960s AKA Introduction to Silver Apples

originally posted on zunetracks.net

One of my favorite ways to discover new music is by checking out my favorite artists' influences. I discovered Silver Apples while reading about the Silver Jews who have shared members with one of my longtime favorite bands, Pavement.

Silver Apples were a two-piece electronic rock band formed in New York City during the late 60s. Rock duos seem to be the lineup-de-jour but Silver Apples were ahead of their time in more ways than that. They consisted of Dan Taylor on drums with Simeon Coxe III on miscellaneous home-cobbled electronic equipment including 12 oscillators and several sound filters. These instruments were apparently played with hand, elbows and feet.

The homemade instruments are very interesting especially when you think about how easy it is to download software that will do all of that for you today. I think what makes Silver Apples stand out is Taylor's drumming and Simeon's vocals. Taylor establishes the firm foundation with ties all of the beeps and static together. And Simeon's vocals have a tired Buddy Holly quality to them.

That said, they released several top-100 charting albums in the 60s before eventually (and mysteriously) imploding amidst a law suit from Pan-Am airlines. Silver Apples reformed in the late 90s and released their third album (which they'd recorded in 1970). Dan Taylor died of a heart attack in 2005 but Simeon is still doing solo music/art shows today.

For fans of currently electronic and experimental music I cannot recommend Silver Apples enough. You can find more info on their website - www.silverapples.com

If you've got a Zune Pass you can find a 1997 reissue of their first two records called Silver Apples. You can also find MP3s on Amazon and EMusic.

It's D(epeche Mode) Day!

$3.99 at Amazon mp3!

Full Moon Machines

I got this song by Full Moon Machines free on a Tiger Puking Tiger Records (seriously!) sampler from Amie Street and I find it pretty interesting. Sort of Crystal Castles meets Lift to Experience, eh?

Full Moon Machines - "Ghost Room Dust"

Also, there's a Barsuk Records sampler being offered for free from Amazon mp3 at the moment, among numerous other samplers by other labels. Check it!

Easter - Marillion

So keeping with my recent theme of date/holiday related songs, I present "Easter" by Marillion. My friend Steve introduced me to this band's music in college, during many late night drinking and smoking sessions at our friends' apartment. I preferred the earlier prog rock Genesis-influenced stuff (when songwriter Fish was with the group) much more than their later years, when Steve Hogarth joined the band and turned their sound more in the direction of Radiohead. They are still making albums and touring, thirty years after they formed.

"Easter" is, in my opinion, one of the best from Marillion's "transitional" years, at the intersection of Hogarth's influence and the band's Fish-era sound.

*Edited for a confession - I had a local folk musician make fun of me a few years back for liking Marillion. Not a lot of us prog rock geeks still around I guess...

Post-Morrissey Bliss!

So, the show last night? FANTASTIC. Morrissey has only improved with age. I will probably go see him again the next time he comes through Dallas--I really don't think I will ever tire of the man! So--some differences between this show and the last show I saw him play back in the early 90s: 1) Last night, he talked to the audience much more than he did back then--seemed much friendlier and like he was enjoying himself much more, which was nice! 2) Three shirt changes! He pretty much kept the same lamé shirt on the whole time when I saw him before (though it was mostly undone), but it was an outdoor show, so perhaps there was more air circulation or something. Or maybe he's just gotten much sweatier as he's aged. In any case, people still went NUTS when he took off the second shirt onstage and threw it into the audience (then joked that he's noticed that whenever someone catches the shirt, they immediately leave the show). I couldn't really see any of it, so I can't actually comment on his shirtless physical appearance these days, but the crowd seemed awfully appreciative! 3) He played lots of Smiths songs, which I don't remember hearing ANY of last time. 4) Much more interesting stage setup--a great backdrop, good lighting--I don't think there was anything special happening up there when I saw him before. Then again, it WAS at Astroworld of all places...

Anyway, he put on an excellent show, sounded amazing, and played songs spanning most of his career. I didn't write down the set list, and nobody else seems to have gotten one up online yet, but here are the ones I can remember at the moment in no particular order (except for the first on the list, which actually IS what he opened with):

This Charming Man (The Smiths)
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris (Years of Refusal)
Billy Budd (Vauxhall and I)
How Soon is Now? (The Smiths)
Irish Blood, English Heart (You are the Quarry)
When I Last Spoke to Carol (Years of Refusal)
Seasick, Yet Still Docked (Your Arsenal)
Best Friend on the Payroll (Southpaw Grammar)
Something is Squeezing My Skull (Years of Refusal)
Ask (The Smiths)
The World is Full of Crashing Bores (You are the Quarry)
I'm OK By Myself (Years of Refusal)
The First of the Gang to Die (You are the Quarry)
Let Me Kiss You (You are the Quarry)
Death of a Disco Dancer (The Smiths)
Sorry Doesn't Help (Years of Refusal)

I'll update this once I find an accurate set list and make my usual dorky concert set list mix--huzzah!

Anyway, do yourself a favor and go see Morrissey the next time he comes through town!

* Update--still haven't located a setlist, BUT here's an actual picture from the show (this is the second of the three shirts, by the way) taken by Ray Lek:

After Years of Refusal, I'm Finally Going to See Morrissey Again!

So, tomorrow night, Shannon and I and our friends Z and Marya are off to see the infamous (that's more than famous to you, buddy!) Morrissey in concert. The first time I bought tickets to his show was way back in 1992; sadly, just after I purchased the tickets for my friend Brian and I, my purse got stolen at school and when it was at last found and returned to me, the tickets were long gone. I was very sad. Brian had not yet paid me for his ticket, so he just went and bought another one and went without me (jerkface!), but he at least bought me a t-shirt. The next time Morrissey came to town I had better luck. He played at AstroWorld and it was during his lamé shirt days (awesome!). I honestly can't even remember who I went with (Katy, maybe?), but all of us in the bleachers kept standing up on them and screaming, and the security guards kept coming around and knocking us all off of them. I barely even remember the show. So now that I'm older and well...older, I'm excited to be seeing him again, especially now that he's, well, older as well. I'm quite interested to see what his shows are like sixteen years later. And it will be Shannon's very first time. If I remember and if I am not a big lazy-ass again, I'll write an update about how the show actually is. Here's hoping it's a fun time!

Here's the first single off his most recent album, Years of Refusal:

"I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris"

2 Live Jews

Since today is the start of Passover, I thought it would be fun to post a song by 2 Live Jews (a play on the name of the band 2 Live Crew). I heard their hilarious album As Kosher As They Wanna Be (a play on the 2 Live Crew album name) when I was a college kid with a Jewish boyfriend. I don't think these guys are still around, and I wonder what happened to all of the fun "Dr. Demento" inspired bands? I guess I'm just getting old and nostalgic for the olden days!

Song: "Oy It's So Humid"

April 5th - Talk Talk

Talk Talk was one of those rare bands whose albums got immensely better with time. Nature's beauty and its ugliness, spirituality, complex emotions, a deep profoundess without a name, leaves on trees, fractals, snow on fresh grass...that is what their music - particularly their last three albums (The Colour of Spring, Spirit of Eden, Laughing Stock) - makes me feel.

"April 5th" is from their third album, The Colour of Spring, released in 1986. I love this song because to me, it really sounds like Spring emerging from a long cold winter, with abundant sunshine and blue skies and flowers peeking through the snow. [I would have posted the mp3 but had technical difficulties - this is just the song posted to You Tube; the image is the album cover art.]