Once in a long while, a piece comes along that is so compelling that is spawns a litany of covers and variations.
Original: Ramin Djawadi
The intricacy, depth and layering lends itself to split screen fun.
Guitars: Misha (OogirtMoonfrad)
Violins: Jason Yang
The period feel also begs for adaptation to different genres and eras.
Heavy: Roger Lima
The natural evolution of all these variations is to breed them together!
Mash-up: Jason Yang + Roger Lima
If anyone asked me what kind of music I preferred to listen to, I'd say, "acoustic." As far as genres go, "acoustic" is more of a technical style, rather than a musical style. I like it because it strips away all the musical crutches available to an artist -- post-production editing, mistake-covering electrical instrumentation, overwhelming rhythms -- and exposes the singer, instrumentalists and the song itself for what they are. It's pretty easy to tell when a song or singer is not that good once those elements are taken away. By the same token, it is very easy to tell when a song or singer is most excellent when unplugged.
Such is the case with Once, an independent Irish musical film shot and produced on what essentially was an independent budget. The actors had one appearance's worth of experience between them all. The aforementioned budgetary contraints also meant no fancy sets, no fancy costumes, no Hollywood pretties and next to no lighting. If ever there was an 'acoustic' film, this was it.
In this way, Once is either a love-it, or hate-it kind of movie. Some people watch movies to be blown away by boobs and bombs, or other shallow gimmicks designed to hook you in. Once is a film that requires a patient audience that can see beneath the surface and truly experience a story for what it is.
At its core, Once is like a Chekovian short story: a tale of broken people going through the motions of their lives until a chance encounter sets them on a new path for a brief period of time. The two leads are unnamed, down-and-out musicians who cross paths one day in the shopping district of Dublin, Ireland, where the Guy is busking on his worn-out guitar, trying to make some extra cash for a trip to London to win back the girl he writes songs about. The Girl is a poor Czech immigrant working a number of menial jobs to support her family. A broken vacuum cleaner brings them together and out of their shells. Fixing the vacuum cleaner at the father of the Guy's vacuum cleaner repair shop allows them to begin helping each other fix themselves.
The one element of this film with polish is, naturally, the music. Performed and written primarily by the two leads, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the songs themselves are reflective of the film's understated mise-en-scene. They are raw, plaintive, simple, and surprisingly good -- illustrative of the film as a whole. The guitar that Hansard plays also acts as a metaphor for the brokenness of the characters as well as the film's. Everyone and everything is sort of just hanging in there and hoping for the best.
Put together, Once is far better than the sum of its humble parts. The interweaving of the story and music is occasionally forced, but never beleaguering. The acting is not A-grade, but all the more honest for that. The occasionally improvised dialogue is often broken by the mannerisms and filler words of everyday conversation -- a big no-no in big-budget mainstream films, but perfect here. The story teases and hints but refuses to go the Hollywood route. The camera work borders on homevideo quality, imparting a sense of intimacy that steady filming and adequate lighting cannot achieve. Like a good friend, Once is a gem of a movie whose flaws only serve to make it all the more endearing.
*** 1/2 / 5
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova performing the Academy Award winning song "Falling Slowly" on The Late Show with David Letterman.
i can never find any cool videos by going to Youtube's homepage, but i can always find awesome things from links people post.
okay, in case you haven't noticed, or been bombarded by me emailing you or talking to you about her, i have a new crush (see crush list on the left).
how many korean-american singers do you know?
of that small number, how many play guitar?
of that even smaller number, how many play harmonica?
of that miniscule number, how many play the kazoo while playing the guitar?
go to her myspace to listen to some tracks.
go to this page to grab a pair (of tracks).
go to this other page to grab another pair before the links expire.
the lack of actual posts lately is a result of a dearth of inspiration, a mountain of school-related work that i've been casually ignoring and because i'm in receiving mode. go to class, take in information, process, eat, poop, sleep, mix and repeat.
anyway, that's all besides the point. what i really wanted to talk about was my new phase regarding music flavour. it's pretty obvious from my list of crushes (left) and recent music-related posts what the pattern is.
music flavour shifts with my mood, with relatability and with cultural climate. if i had kept record of what i had listened to over the years, it would not be difficult to interpolate what was going on in my head and around me at those times.
a couple of years ago, my earholes really liked Pilate, Dashboard Confessional, Radiohead, etc. the pattern then was that i liked music by bands with male lead vocals that were too high to sing along to. then it shifted to Sixpence None the Richer, Sarah Maclachlan, and generally mellow mainstream ladies. it bounced from there to folk-y acoustic artists like Iron & Wine, instrumental whizzes like Sufjan Stevens, soundtrack music from Firefly, and Amelie, etc.
after a few months of silence, i've found a new, refined flavour that is clearly an evolution and merging of my previous samplings: acoustic songs sung by women with enchanting voices and unabashedly dorky personalities.
Listen
hello, it's me again
a whole lot's changed since i left and
i don't know, i guess i felt like checking in
surprise! you let it ring
well it's your turn to leave me hanging
i don't care, i know you love it when you see me call
i wonder who you're loving now
i'm guessing we won't work things out
you know what they say
you can't have it so you want it back
i'm way past that, believe me
if you could be in my life
like you've been on my mind
it'd be so easy
hello, it's me again
it's three days now you've been in my dreams
and i don't know, i guess that you've just been on my mind
i don't know, i guess i think about you all the time
i wonder if she's much like me
i wonder if she's what you need
you know what they say
you can't have it so you want it back
i'm way past that, believe me
if you could be in my life
like you've been on my mind
it'd be so easy
i know i'm to blame
but it kills me that
i made you hate me
like you've erased me
and i know what they say
they say you'll be happier
better off without me
i'm sure it's hard to see me
i'm sure you don't believe a word
because you've heard it all before
and we're so far from where we were
goodbye, i'll let you go
i'll get back to life, living solo
cause i know i need a few years on my own
you know what they say
you can't have it so you want it back
i'm way past that, believe me
if you could be in my life
like you've been on my mind
it'd be so easy
i know i'm to blame
but it kills me that
i made you hate me
like you've erased me
and i know what they say
they say that you'll be happier
better off without me
If you were falling, then I would catch you.
You need a light, I'd find a match.
Cuz I love the way you say good morning.
And you take me the way I am.
If you are chilly, here take my sweater.
Your head is aching, I'll make it better.
Cuz I love the way you call me baby.
And you take me the way I am.
I'd buy you Rogaine when you start losing all your hair.
Sew on patches to all you tear.
Cuz I love you more than I could ever promise.
And you take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.
a un passo dal possibile
a un passo da te
paura di decidere
paura di me
di tutto quello che non so
di tutto quello che non ho
eppure sentire
nei fiori tra l'asfalto
nei cieli di cobalto c'è
eppure sentire
nei sogni in fondo a un pianto
nei giorni di silenzio c'è
un senso di te
c'è un senso di te
eppure sentire
nei fiori tra l'asfalto
nei cieli di cobalto c'è
eppure sentire
nei sogni in fondo a un pianto
nei giorni di silenzio c'è
un senso di te
c'è un senso di te
un senso di te...
my new favourite song of right now...
it's italian and i'm having difficulty translating the lyrics, due to not knowing Italian beyond a variety of pastas and musical terms. i've got most of it, thanks to babelfish, but the poetry of it does not seem to be there yet. if i get it, i'll post it.
i like it because it is moving; both rhythmically and emotionally dynamic. it's nothing fancy or groundbreaking, just... optimistic sounding.
not sure why she does that weird microphone waving thing effect, but i suppose it proves she's actually singing. look around on YouTube for studio versions.
for the most part, i do not listen to Christian music. i don't mean that i don't listen to Christian bands (or bands associated with Christianity -- another discussion in an of itself) like Switchfoot, Lifehouse, etc; i mean the stuff we normally sing in service.
i sometimes find myself asking, why is that? everyone else seems to be into it and aware of what songs are floating about on the airwaves, while i remain blissfully ignorant. the only answer i can come up with is that these songs just feel weird. it's like petting a cat (or shark) backwards; neither party really appreciates it.
i write this recently returned from summer retreat. the times of worship we had were quite awesome. except for the little niggling at the back of my mind, that weird feeling that sat there in the corner and looked at me funny. was it because the songs were too high for my range? was it because i took my socks off?
it wasn't the people playing the instruments, singing the songs. it wasn't the people swaying and dancing around me. it wasn't the hard and knotty carpet under my feet. it was something i could feel inherently in the music of some songs that was off-putting.
possible bug-a-boos:
Illogical Lyrics -
open up, you heavenly gates,
let the king of glory in;
open up your hearts to Him,
let the king of glory in
as a missions trip, my time at Longlac can be neatly categorized into two compartments: the mission and the trip.
the mission portion was an awesome display of the Spirit's power. though we did not personally witness any conversions, the obvious change in the lives of those who accepted Christ last year testified to God's healing presence in them. the plan this year was to continue discipling Raquelle, Duran and Cheryl so that they might grow to become a godly influence on those around them.
the churches that arranged to reach Longlac partnered with a Pentecostal church this year, lead by Pastor Roland. we were given the use of the church to sleep in, as well as hold dinners and worship nights. the pastor, his staff and his family were to observe the teams that came up and how they interacted with the native people the've recently been called to minister to. without any purposeful intention to do so, our relationships, the dinners and worship times all served to bridge the invisible divide between the townspeople (the pastoral staff and congregation) and the natives that sought our company. the relationships fostered will surely aid in the church's ministry to the natives once the summer draws to an end.
a large bulk of my memories from Longlac are from the trip category. any time you go on an excursion with a small group of people, you bond with them in weird and facinating configurations. on the very first night in the town of Longlac, the church threw us a welcoming barbeque cookout with outdoor worship. Lyris, Moyee, Melissa and i quickly engrained ourselves in the congregation's consciousness as "those singing idiots." we sang anything and everything. i have relatively little musical talent, so i belted out melodies to Dan's guitaring while the ladies harmonized; we made a good show of it. this set the tone for the duration of our stay in Longlac.
exercising our immense nerdiness and musical chops, we spent many a night simply singing or noise-making to whatever song Lyris could rustle up on the pinano (it is a pretty hefty repetoire, by the way). inspired by this video we watched prior to leaving for the trip, we decided to sing Pachelbel's Canon in D in four parts. all the singing would've been even better if i knew how to sing bass. i can hit the notes, i just can't figure out which notes to sing unless i'm very very familiar with the song. i've resolved to sit at a pinano and sing intervals in my spare time.
one day we had to go to Rona to gather some supplies. we were looking for a shelf that could serve as a shoe rack. so i sing-songed for a shoe rack. Dan, as a bit of a poke at our incessant singing, said, "why don't you guys sing that in 4-part harmony?" or something to that effect. so i sang "shoe rack" nice and low, and Moyee added "shoe rack" in tenor, and Lyris added "shoe rack" in alto, and Melissa capped it off with "shoe rack" in soprano to form a nice major chord. Pastor Roland, who was with us, cracked up and nearly collapsed with laughter.
there were many more instances of crazy and what not. our team was very fortunate this year to be kindred in the spirit of nerdiness and musicality and humour. i'm sure some of those stories will crop up in a sharing or when we four are in proximity.
moreorless packed for Longlac now. it will be a two day (16 hr) drive to about the halfway point between Toronto and Winnepeg, as the crow flies.
couldn't find my sketch pencils (which i haven't used since i sketched a portrait for someone's birthday), so i will have to make do with two HB's, 3 blue pens, 1 Sharpie, 1 yellow highlighter and one mechanical Bic pencil. haven't really sketched or drawn anything for the longest time.
this trip is about reaching out to the children, youth, young adults and old adults of the adjacent native reserve; not to proselytize or thump the Book, but to continue building on the relationships that have been started by previous teams; not to show off how righteous and well-kempt we are, but to understand and empathize with their plights.
this trip is also about taking a good hard look at what is truly important in life, what my purpose for existing is and how i can live to benefit others. i am looking forward to the opportunity the road trip affords to get to know some people better.
today i got to work with the special ed. teacher instead of the usual grade 1s. she is in charge of the spring concert this Thursday so much of today was spent decorating the gym with all the art projects each class made to display for their parents, putting up posters and signs and generally using up rolls of tape. there were some very creative pieces. the grade 4 class made crayon/pastel tshirts (cut out from paper) with Earth Day slogans and pictures on them. i put them up on the wall with some fishing line and clothes pins, and from a distance, it looks really cool. i can't imagine how some of this stuff gets done without student teachers and assistants year round. elementary teachers have so much to do in hardly any time. high school teachers get one period free for prep, on top of lunch -- the teachers here talk about such prep periods with a mixture of awe and envy. the only time these teachers seem to have is before class, recesses, lunch and when the students are in music or french.
anyways, today was also my first lesson. i was drafted into teaching a special ed. class science. we did flight, so for the last ten minutes of the day, we made paper airplanes and helicopters; tomfoolery was had by all.
working with a different teacher is quite the experience. the grade 1 teacher (wife of my program coordinator) has been teaching 30 years, so most of her stuff is routine and organized. this teacher, though statuesque, was confused by the new student teacher today as being a student. she is the type to say, "do whatever you want, you'll be fine," which is sort of the way i am. she's very nice and encouraging and puts the radio on during class. she tried to find Flow 93.5 this morning but got Barry White instead; i think Barry White (listen) for breakfast is a great way to start the day.
i got a pretty good dose of routine and organization last week and last year, so putting up decorations and throwing stuff around the room was a welcome reprieve.
since when did "chick magnet" become a moniker for me?
i'm sort of flattered, but i'm mostly thinking, "what am i doing to provoke this?"
sure beats being called a "ball magnet" though.
--
[EDIT]10:35
Mel lent me Little Miss Sunshine and i watched it pretty much as soon as i got home. it's a cute loser movie, with lots of cringe-worthy awkward moments and a heart of gold. most of the movie was set to DeVotchka's How It Ends (listen). the beginning of the road trip across America was set to Sufjan Stevens' Chicago (listen), which is an inspired choice because of the album's glowing tribute to Americana.
anyhoo, Sufjan Stevens' Chicago performed in a capella!!!!
BONUS: Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy Jr.
poignant and absolutely chilling.
My favourite piece from the Firefly Official Soundtrack. Click title to listen (as well as the rest of the OST if you so wish. I also recommend The Funeral and Inara's Suite. I also highly recommend watching the show).
A bit of backstory: Firefly was a critically acclaimed tv show, the brainchild of Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel) that got canned by Fox, but not before muckings-about at the executive level led to schedule juggling and showing the series out of order (who shows the pilot episode only after the show has been cancelled?). The fanbase flocked to the DVDs once they were made available and Firefly was resurrected as the movie Serenity, which -- for those keeping track of such things -- never happens. Ever.
Firefly is, on the surface a sci-fi Western drama (with a splash of the self-conscious comedy recognizably Whedon). It chronicles life in the distant future (when the US and China have colonized space) aboard a small transport ship, Serenity, whose captain and crew are just out to make a living (legal and otherwise) and get by -- Millennium Falcon style. They pick up travelers for a bit of extra cash. Unfortunately, two of them are wanted criminals with bounties on their heads worth more than the ship they fly in.
Simon and River Tam are brother and sister on the lam. River, a genuinely gifted mind and dancer, was abducted by a secret government organization that sought to awaken her latent psychic abilities and turn her into a brainwashed weapon. Simon, a promising young trauma surgeon at the top hospital of the Core planets gave up his career and personal wealth to fund a network of contacts and spies that eventually led to him rescuing his sister from the government facility.
"Inside the Tam House" is a sparse and beautifully flowing piece that annunciates the longing for the life and home that the Tam's lost. The piece is supported by the rippling arpeggios of the piano at the base. Soaring above with the melody is the violin, punctuated and augmented occasionally by the woodflute.
Throughout the show (and thus the soundtrack), the combination of piano and violin are used as signatures for River and Simon (209, Goltz). Where other characters are signified by Western mainstays, like the guitar, the fiddle, and banjo -- portable instruments befitting nomadic lifestyles, the originally wealthy Tams are represented by instruments with classical and aristocratic connotations. At the base is the piano, a large, stay-at-home instrument, physically representing the nostalgia for a past life that cannot be reclaimed. The piano ripples up and down, in and out, in an omnipresent and pervading way (like some sort of river). It is supported by the elegant, but flighty violin, characteristic of River's psychotic tendancies as a result of experimentation on her brain. The violin melody is wistful and has an Asian flavour (note the Asian surname). The woodflute is a distinctly Asian instrument, further reinforcing the Anglo-Asian blend seen on the show. It evokes a sense of pastoral landscapes (important in Westerns) and of freedom from the urban Core planets (also important in Westerns).
The creativity, deliberation, craft and genius that went into the composition and arrangement of this soundtrack testifies to the overall creativity, deliberation, craft and genius of the show itself. The idea of a crew of rag-tag nobodies in a ship flying around avoiding the Alliance and just trying to stay in the sky became an apt metaphor for a show brimming with potential, vision and talent that did all it and its fans could to stay afloat, but ultimately failing.
Goltz, Jennifer. "Listening to Firefly." Finding Serenity. Ed. Jane Espenson. Dallas, Texas: Benballa, 2005. 209-216.
i thought it didn't upload when i first tried, but after a couple of months of not logging onto youtube, i found that it actually made it online. huzzah!
yes, i know, it is ironically 2 months late.
do you realize
that you have the most beautiful face?
do you realize
we're floating in space?
do you realize
that happiness makes you cry?
do you realize
that everyone
you know
someday
will die?
and instead of saying all of your goodbyes
let them know you realize
that life goes fast
it's hard to make the good things last
you realize the sun doesn't go down
it's just an illusion caused
by the world spinning 'round
do you realize
do you realize
that everyone
you know
someday
will die?
and instead of saying all of your goodbyes
let them know you realize
that life goes fast
it's hard to make the good things last
you realize the sun doesn't go down
it's just an illusion caused
by the world spinning 'round
do you realize
that you have the most beautiful face?
do you realize?
original version: The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize? (4.08 MB)
remixed version: The Postal Service - Do You Realize? (5.55 MB)
Dirty Vegas - Days Go By
i didn't think much of the original dance-y overproduced version of this song until i heard the acoustic one. this is the semi-acoustic live version. i couldn't find the fully acoustic version. i thought dirty vegas was black, just like i thought fefe dobson was white.
Damien Rice - The Blower's Daughter
there's some creepy staring in this video, but you'll get over it. the woman is Lisa Hannigan, who sings with him. she has an awesome lilt. and you will also see that her sweater looks like kelp.
Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk - Paperweight
i obviously like duets. Joshua Radin is featured a few times on Scrubs. that is because Zach Braff seems to have a man-crush on him. Radin has two songs on the soundtrack of Braff's latest movie, The Last Kiss. it is a morally ambiguous movie.
Danny Boy (4.72 MB) (right-click, save-as)
yes, that Irish song. there are many recordings of this, but i found one by an actual Irish group... called Celtic Woman. one of them sings it. i tried to post this on sunday as in a flash inline player, but i am incompetent (and blogger dislikes javascripts in their posts). this video is some old jazz pianist playing a jazz version. jazz piano reminds me of Everwood. one of my favouritest songs ever.
words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup
they slither while they pass, they they slip away across the universe.
pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my opened mind,
possessing and caressing me.
Jai Guru Deva, Om
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world.
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world.
images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
they call me on and on across the universe.
thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box,
they stumble blindly as they make their way across the universe.
Jai Guru Deva, Om
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world.
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world.
sounds of laughter, shades of earth are ringing
through my open mind inciting and inviting me.
limitless, undying love, which shines around me like a million suns,
and calls me on and on across the universe.
Jai Guru Deva, Om
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world.
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world.
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world.
nothing's gonna change my world,
nothing's gonna change my world.
Jai Guru Deva
Jai Guru Deva
Jai Guru Deva
Jai Guru Deva...
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