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keepin the flavour fresh
by Sean
Please note: MP3s are only kept online for a short time, and if this entry is from more than a couple of weeks ago, the music probably won't be available to download any more.
The Trouble With Sweeney - "Evelyn Rochman". There's an Ottawa band called As The Poets Affirm. Isn't than an awful name? If it was emo satire, it would be genius. But it's not, so it isn't. "The Trouble With Sweeney" reminds me of that. One wonders what the band was thinking: David Byrne - "Glass, Concrete and Stone". Because a lot of people (like me) might have written Byrne off a while ago, here's the stunning opening number from his new album. It's pretty wonderful, quick-footed and melodic, with toothsome jumbles of lyrics and a terrific arrangement. Byrne plays capably with classical, world and rock instruments, but rather than falling into the rocker-emeritus tendencies of Peter Gabriel, say, the arrangement doesn't sink too far into its own concept; everything's delivered with aplomb. The strings, hand-drums and xylophone (as well as the Magnetic Fields-like "oo-oo-oo-oos" around 3 minutes) seem dedicated to the song's altpop hook, the rising crest of the chorus. [buy] A great new mostlyfolk blog, kittytext. The Streets are coming to Montreal (can I persuade myself to pay the $43 bus ticket?), and Wilco's coming to Ottawa (can I persuade myself to pay the $2.50 bus ticket?). Thanks to Aaron and Frank for the heads' ups. Gmail Swap stuff: articles in the Washington Post and at Wired News. The lunacy continues. (4,301 swaps have been posted since Monday morning.) Posted by Sean at May 21, 2004 3:31 AMComments
Looks like we were on the same wave tonight Re: Byrne. I went with the Opera though. Novelty value and whatnot. Posted by Keith at May 21, 2004 3:34 AMMust be something going around because I also posted "Glass, Concrete & Stone" last night on my blog. Spooky. Posted by Mark at May 21, 2004 7:31 AMJoey Sweeney used to write for Philadelphia Weekly, which has a sporadic column called "The Trouble with Spikol." Fuse the two and ther'es the name. Posted by Anonymous at May 21, 2004 12:13 PMGreat songs. I've been meaning to do some David Byrne listening for quite a while, and this is just the impetus I needed. Thanks! Posted by Michelle at May 21, 2004 3:26 PMnice david byrne song, sean. me too i had totally given up on him. everything i heard from him after the talking heads was disappointing. the lovely warm tune (esp. the strings and xylophone) reminds me a lot of the penguin cafe orchestra. i just see that you mentioned them concerning the other song which has nothing to do with them except the lyrical reference. did you unconsciously realize that the byrne song has almost exactly that pco vibe? Posted by alex at May 22, 2004 6:41 AMYou're right, Alex - there's a warm whimsy there that's like something from the PGO. It must have been unconscious, though! Posted by Sean at May 24, 2004 3:00 AMGreat information here. Just what I needed to complete my essay. Thanks. In my opinion the internet is the key to success! Posted by Susani at April 26, 2005 8:21 AMPost a comment |
 about said the gramophone
this is a daily sampler of really good songs. all tracks are posted out of love. please go out and buy the records!
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all songs are removed within a week or two of posting. said the gramophone launched in march 2003, and added songs in november of that year. it was one of the world's very first mp3blogs. if you would like to say hello, find out our mailing addresses or invite us to shows, please get in touch: montreal, canada: sean toronto, canada: jordan montreal, canada: dan please don't send us emails with tons of huge attachments; if emailing a bunch of mp3s etc, use a service like MailBigFile. if you are the copyright holder of any song posted here, please contact us if you would like the song taken down early. please do not direct link to any of these tracks. please love and wonder. "and i shall watch the ferry-boats / and they'll get high on a bluer ocean / against tomorrow's sky / and i will never grow so old again." we are a member of MBV.
about the authors
Sean Michaels lives in Montreal, where he is writing a novel. His work also occasionally appears at McSweeney's. Follow him on Twitter or reach him here.
Dan Beirne is an actor and writer living in Montreal. He writes fiction fiction fiction on here. It may feel true, but it is never True. He is most proud of his most recent project The Bitter End. Email him here Jordan Himelfarb lives in Toronto, where he is editor in chief of The Mark. Jordan's posts appear at Said the Gramophone only on the last Wednesday of every month. Email him here. Site design and header typography by Neale McDavitt-Van Fleet. The header graphic is randomized: this one is by . 
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