Music: January 2005 Archives

• If you have an iPod, you can be a DJ! Here's one bar that lets you play your tunes in San Francisco
• There's a website of Brazilian pop music from the 1960s.
• Also, here's how you can find out what other bands you might like, based on what's in your iTunes library.
• Heard of Podcasting? Here's a show of "forgotten vinyl".

I'm editing a newsletter and it's a very tedious process. So I'm listening to music as I do it. But that is not enough! I must procrastinate more!

So... what better way than to delay than via blog? That's what I thought!

Music I have been listening to lately

Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The '80s Underground. Three-volume set of college radio music. Many of the songs I remember listening to, and many I don't, on KALX (whose call numbers appear on the cover artwork). It even has that weird bleepy song where people keep saying "Adrenaline" over and over. They left out the hip-hop that Davey D and Billy Jam used to play on their shows, but other than that, a great set.

Paris Combo. I now have four, count 'em, four Paris Combo albums. I wish I were in Paris right now. I also wish my French comprehension was better. But no matter. These songs are great.

A Girl Called Eddy. A little Sarah McClaughlan/Dido-ish, but without being the least bit annoying. Beautiful voice and pretty songs. None of them totally stand out for me yet, but the album is growing on me.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zizzou Soundtrack. Now there's a mouthful of a title! Good compilation. I love the David Bowie covers in Portuguese, and I kept playing "Queen Bitch" over and over and over. Good song.

OK, back to work.

I unexpectedly got to see one of my new favorite bands last night at the Great American Music Hall! Paris Combo is, as their name suggests, a group from Paris whom I discovered a few months ago on Calabash Music. Their music is largely cabaret jazz style, their lyrics are all in French, they sing about love, and about watching too much television, they remind me a bit of Pink Martini... and they're really fabulous in concert.

I guess a lot of other people "discovered" them too, because the Hall was packed. We got there early enough to snag a great table, but it was hard to see the stage through all the standing people (many of whom, but by no means all, spoke French. The people sharing our table, and the large party seated to the right of us, did chat in French). Still, I could catch a glimpse here and there of the singer, and could see the bass and guitar players off to the right. (They're all very cute.)

The lead singer spoke between numbers in charmingly accented English. People laughed at her remarks sometimes seemingly because of the accent, which seemed a little patronizing to me... I mean, I couldn't get up there and do an intro in French! No matter. The music was great. I particularly liked the way they'd harmonize their vocals on some of the numbers.

We ended up leaving early because we had to get home to bed, but not before I got a copy of their latest CD, which I am ripping as I type this!

(Michael commented, "I bet the Great American Music Hall sold more wine tonight than they usually do at their shows.)

Update: you can read more about Paris Combo in this SFGate article.