hrrundivbakshi

hrrundivbakshi

Severe Embarassment.

 Posted by
Aug 132010
 

Why, oh why do some of us feel compelled to dance and sing in front of others? And why does that desire frequently force us to act, you know, really stupid?

In college, I was in a band with townsman kcills, in which we wrote music with no words. By which I don’t mean that it was instrumental music — it was just music to which I would make words up, on the spot. If they were good, they might make it to the next show — or they might not, if I forgot them between one gig and the other.

Now: I was madly in love with a girl on the crew team at the time (oh, Emily! If you only knew how I pined for you! If you only knew how I yearned to kiss you! If you only also knew how disgusted I was when I discovered my best friend had plowed your bean field in a drunken stupor at a frat party!)

Anyhow — because I was a seething cauldron of pain and romantic confusion, I would frequently get up on stage and, for lyrics, just shout out some unintelligible nonsense about how tortured I was by my unrequited love for this girl. It was absolutely, completely pathetic. One day, it dawned on me that the only thing separating me from a screaming lunatic in a tinfoil suit was that I had a guitar and a microphone in front of me. I started getting a bit more serious about lyrics after that.

But I can’t be the only one with an embarrassing story to tell. Do share. I ask you: Musicians! Tell us your most embarrassing moment on stage or in studio. Listeners! Please share the most excruciating musical moment you’ve ever witnessed. Let the healing begin!

Oh, Emily!

HVB

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Last Man Standing: Rock Made In the Desert Southwest

 Posted by
Aug 082010
 

You know the drill: one band/artist per entry, last entry is the Last Man Standing!

I want to know how many bands you can name that hail from, *and* that made/recorded at least some of their music in, the American desert Southwest. For the purpose of clarification, I say the “desert Southwest” includes the following states only:

Arizona
New Mexico

I realize this is topographically, meteorologically and culturally incorrect, but I don’t care. No answers featuring the desert parts of Colorado, Utah, California and Texas. Let’s keep this one short and focused, people.

I’ll start with:

Buddy Holly — Clovis, New Mexico

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If You Can’t Say Anything Nice About…”Puff Puff Give”

 Posted by
Aug 042010
 

I owe a debt of “gratitude” to lurking Townsman Great 48 for introducing me to this video. He said all kinds of mean things about it when he brought it to my attention, but I know we can do better. I think it’s time we focused our positivity together — there’s been far too much snark around here lately. So remember: if you can’t say anything nice about “Puff Puff Give” by Hannah’s Field… don’t say anything at all.

By the way: extra points for saying something nice about the trustafarian playing the drum.

I look forward to your nice responses.

HVB

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The Apocalypse Is Upon Us — Somebody Posts the Sgt. Pepper’s Movie Finale on YouTube

 Posted by
Jul 142010
 


Start playing at 3:15.

All this reminiscing about the godawful Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie got me thinking about the weirdest moment in an otherwise already super-weird decade in filmed musical entertainment: the 1970s. That moment has to be the grand finale of the Robert Stigwood-produced Sgt. Pepper’s movie. The movie is stupid enough, but — for the huge chorus finale — you can tell Stigwood put a call out to all his cronies, cohorts, and coke dealers to round up as many washed-up rock stars and Love Boat cast members as possible. Then he set them on a huge outdoor set, taught them a few rudimentary dance moves, and had them sing along to a bad cover of the Sgt. Pepper’s “Reprise.”

The cast he assembled is downright strange. But — rather than have me rattle them all off here — why don’t we rattle them all off together? It really is a fascinating, fun time-waster of an activity. I’m also hoping in my heart of hearts that you worthy Townsmen will also take a few moments to comment on the widely varying performances caught on screen.

I’ll start the proceedings by pointing out: at 4:26 — yes, that’s albino guitar wizard Johnny Winter, “dancing” rather haphazardly!

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

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I Have Never Felt So Conflicted in All My Rock Life

 Posted by
Jun 042010
 

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People! I ask you — no, I beg you — to watch the above video, starting at around 1:00, and observe until the end. Take a moment to formulate an opinion, free of bias. Once you think you know how you FEEL about this rock combo, please head out to the following web address to learn a bit of back story about the band in question:

http://www.thecoolgroove.com/hello.html

At the end of this long journey of discovery, please tell us what you think of the band in focus, both pre- and post-backstory. Speaking for myself, I can honestly say I have never experienced a performance that so completely filled me with equal portions of seething hatred and earnest enjoyment. I am in such deep spiritual torment I think I ought to check myself into a monastery, or a loony bin, or something. This band has completely shaken my faith in everything.

I look forward to your responses, and… help!

HVB

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Thrifty Music, Vol. 20.10: Is Anybody Better Than Gladys Knight?

 Posted by
May 132010
 

“Didn’t You Know (You’d Have to Cry Sometimes),” Gladys Knight & the Pips

Greetings, seekers of fine worthless music!

I come to you today with a new musical offering culled from the junk stores, flea markets, and garbage cans of our nation’s capitol. This time, it’s a fine old single by Gladys Knight & the Pips, entitled “Didn’t You Know (You’d Have to Cry Sometimes).”

I could go into nerdy detail about exactly why I think this song is so great, but really, all I want to do is fall down on my knees, raise my hands up to heaven, and thank the almighty God for giving us Gladys Knight. Seriously, that woman is/was the greatest soul music singer ever. You can have your Aretha Franklins, your Mavis Staples-es, even your (sentimental favorite) Candi Statons. For my money, Gladys Knight was the best — I can honestly say that she’s the only singer who gives me the chills every time I hear her sing. That voice! At the same time, huge and intimate; joyful and passionate; soft and righteous — just amazing. And “Midnight Train to Georgia”? Forget about it. True, that song may also benefit from one of the all-time greatest lyrics in the soul canon, but when Gladys sings “I’d rather live with him in his world, than live without him in mine”… well, it’s all over.

Anyhow, here’s a tune that may not scale the vast heights reached by “Midnight Train…”, but it’s a good’un for sure. Thanks mainly to Gladys Knight — and, God bless ’em, to a lesser extent, the Pips.

My question for you all is a simple one: Is anybody better than Gladys Knight? (Hint: NO.)

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

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