Band of Skulls: "Baby Darling Doll Face Honey"

I heard some drumming and guitar strokes and liked the song. I checked out the song and found it was by a band called "Band of Skulls" I decided to try out some more of their music (even though they had a funky band name) and liked what I heard enough to give them a shot. I found out that they are an English band of three members: Matthew Hayward, who plays the drums, Russell Marsden, who plays guitar, and shares vocals with Emma Richardson, who also is the bass player. The sound is sharp and bouncy at times and I like the spaces that are left between notes and beats. Their cd is called Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
If you like good fun music then this band might be for you! I am still listening through the album and find it to be a nice diversion to what I have been listening to lately. Here are some standout tracks.

Here is a video of "I Know What I Am".

Band of Skulls - I Know What I Am


High ho,
Triple sow cow,
I got a feeling like I'm tired of the flow
But I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be

Gasoline
Suck her in,
I got no reason for the state I'm in,
But I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be

Hotel,
Taco Bell,
I got the hit that you know damn well,
But I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be

Cut, tease,
Better believe,
I got the feeling that I'm underneath,
But I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be

But it's alright,
It's okay,
I got the time,
But the time don't pay
It's alright,
It's okay,
I got the time,
But the time don't pay
It's alright,
It's okay,
I got the time,
But the time don't pay
It's alright,
It's okay.

Flip flop,
No stop,
I got the wit that my enemies lack,
But I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be

Trick some,
Just begun,
Giving you more when you only want one,
Cause I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be

Hot, sweat,
Got debt,
Keep looking in the locker cause you don't know yet,
But I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be

Ship shape,
Ticker tape,
Looks to me like a narrow escape,
But I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be

But it's alright,
It's okay,
I got the time,
But the time don't pay
It's alright,
It's okay,
I got the time,
But the time don't pay
It's alright,
It's okay,
I got the time,
But the time don't pay
It's alright,
It's okay.

I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be
I know what I am.
I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be
I know what I am.
I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be
I know what I am.
I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be
I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be
I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be
I know what I am,
They know what they are
So let me be

Here is a video of an acoustic version of "Fires".


Baby, Darling, Doll Face, Honey
Now I don't mean to cause you worry
It's only hands in my pocket
And the Queen on my money

Did you know I've been wanting you?
so leave your locks on the latches
If you bring the water, I'll bring the matches

'cause we are fires in the night
We are fires in the night
Let us bathe you in our heart
'cause we are fires in the night

Come on get up Romeo
Don't you know what the time is?
It's the fall of rock 'n roll,
That's what the news said

Did you know I've been wanting you?
so leave your locks on the latches
If you bring the water, I'll bring the matches

'cause we are fires in the night
We are fires in the night
Let us bathe you in our heart
'cause we are fires in the night

we are fires in the night
we are fires in the night
let us bathe you in our life
we are fires in the night

Moment of Surrender

I have had my tickets for a couple of months now for a U2 concert at the end of September and I can't wait for the show. Here is a video of U2 performing "Moment of Surrender" in Amsterdam on July 20th.



You can see Bono on his knees reciting Bible verses, including Isaiah 40 and singing the refrain from "40" at the end: "How Long?" Many people read various meanings into the lyrics. Some funny, "This song is clearly about winning a bronze medal in the shotput in the 1984 Summer Olympics," and some spot on. This song definitely is paired with "Unknown Caller", my favoite song on the "No Line on the Horizon."

"Moment of Surrender"

I tied myself with wire
To let the horses run free
Playing with the fire until the fire played with me
The stone was semi-precious
We were barely conscious
Two souls too smart to be in the realm of certainty
Even on our wedding day

We set ourselves on fire
Oh God, do not deny her
It's not if I believe in love
But if love believes in me
Oh, believe in me

At the moment of surrender
I folded to my knees
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

I've been in every black hole
At the altar of the dark star
My body's now a begging bowl
That's begging to get back, begging to get back
To my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my unconsciousness
To the rhythm that yearns
To be released form control

I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

I was speeding on the subway
Through the stations of the cross
Every eye looking every other way
Counting down 'til the pain would stop

At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

Broken Things by Julie Miller

I first heard this Julie Miller song a few years ago based on someone's recommendation. It is on the 1999 Broken Things cd. It needs no commentary as it is a wonderful song. I was thrilled when a lady sang it at our church last year, as it is a great place to sing it!



Broken Things

You can have my heart, though it isn't new,
It's been used and broken, and only comes in blue,
It's been down a long road, and it got dirty along the way,
If I give it to you, will you make it clean and wash the shame away?

You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things,
You can have my life; you don't mind these tears,
Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces all to you,
If you want it, you can have my heart.

So beyond repair, nothing I could do,
I tried to fix it myself, but it was only worse when I got through,
Then you walk right into my darkness and you speak words so sweet,
And you hold me like a child, 'til my frozen tears fall at your feet.

You can have my heart, if you don't mind broken things,
You can have my life if you don't mind these tears,
Well, I heard that you make old things new, so I give these pieces up to you,
If you want it, you can have my heart.

Here is Buddy Miller singing "Hole in My Head". Buddy and Julie Miller have a new album out called "Written in Chalk".

"It is a Song for Sesame Street, I Hope!"

Danielson recently released a 2 cd retrospective of its first ten years (1994-2004). It is called "Trying Hartz" (a review here). If you like your music quirky and creative and you can get away from listening to mainstream sounds, then Danielson may be a group that you will enjoy. Or maybe not! I like the sound. My family thinks I am nuts! I also like the lyrics that can tend to be weird as well as honest and direct; if you can figure out what direction they are coming from!

Idiot Boxsen is a song about the evils of television. Here is a creative video melting the mindset of Sponge Bob, the Veggie Tales and who knows what else done in a Danielson Familie type sing-a-long. The song first appeared on "Tri-Danielson- Omega".



Here they are live doing the same song in 1999 at the Cornerstone Festival and having a bunch of fun!


Another song on the retrospective is "Good News for the Pus Pickers" and what a wild title for a song! It is a strangely energetic song.



Lyrics to Good News For The Pus Pickers:
Seven flowers on the hour cry
"We are groaning for the sons,
Of the One who makes us sing,
To reveal themselves this spring"

We just got outta jail today
And we all are here to say,
All us speaking for the band,
Airplane faith is in your hand

Through the fire and the river
But never ever all alone,
When He set the broken bone,
Hell the grave fell overthrown

On heals Kingdom Come
Comfort creme pours out
On the limb there is the children
Opposite of doormat
So tip your hat and wait on that
And that is that

The last kick
In the teeth
Is the first
Of the blocks
Set to song,
Hum along
And poisons peeved
Double minded me off
Of myself
Dust the eyes
Of my heart
That's on the shelf

We have all picked our noses tall,
Pitfalls and black holes have robbed,
But thanksgiving was our sail,
In three shakes of the lamb's tail

Seven flowers on the hour cry
"Balance seems to be the key,
Join into the famile,
Singing let us a.b.c."

They call me chief, they call me hoss
"You call me son, so I am son"
We live in two worlds, unseen and seen
"Kingdom squeaky clean, resting squeaky clean"
Join into the ships, when your mind is wild
"You call me child, so I am child"

Then there is "Rubbernecker" another song on the compilation.



The critics talk about a Bruce Springsteen song and Danielson's "Rubbernecker" in this video clip. "It is a Song for Sesame Street, I Hope!"



If you have hung in this far then you can download some of thier songs at the Secretly Canadian website.

Three Views on "War Child" Emmanuel Jal

I have enjoyed learning about the life of lost boy, child soldier, hip-hop singer, author, activist, and documentary subject Emmanual Jal over the past few months. I started with learning about his music.

His music on "War Child" has been a steady companion while I am driving my car or out on a run in my iPod. I just haven't gotten tired of many of the songs.

In January I ordered the "War Child" DVD. I believe it is a must-see DVD if you want to understand the man and mission of Emmanuel Jal. It certainly makes Emmanuel Jal's life story accessable and helped me understand much about the situation in Sudan and Africa.

Last week I finally got Emmananuel Jal's biography "War Child" from Amazon. After it arrived I started reading but was disappointed when I reached page 56 and found that there was a misprinting and the book was missing over 30 pages. Amazon refunded my money and I noticed it was also taken off the site. There must have been a whole bunch of misprints. I had to run out to Borders and pick up a copy to continue reading. This book was much more eye-opening than the DVD or music. Emmanuel Jal and the people of Sudan lived through some horrifying circumstances and this book isn't for the faint of heart. Reading about Emmanuel Jal's childhood was indeed sobering. It makes the triumph of his life and music all the more sweet. I noticed that Amazon has the book back on the site, so the misprints have been dealt with.

Emmanuel Jal talks about writing his memoir "War Child" here:

Emmanuel Jal raps out "Forced to Sin" and tells his story at a Barnes and Noble in New York City.

Whether you listen to the music, watch the DVD, or read the book, "War Child" you will be mesmerized with the life story and message of Emmanuel Jal.

And here he perform "Emma".

I also started using Amazon.com to download my mp3's rather that Itunes. The first selection I made was "Gua" Emmanuel Jal's first cd. It is not as well produced as "War Child", I think Roachie (War Child's producer) adds so much to that album. but it is an album of worship music, sometimes sounding like a cross between early CCM music and hip hop music. Some of the songs are very infectious and catchy.

"Gua" was Emmanuel Jal's first cd and it is mainly about finding peace with God in his life, "Ceasefire" is a cd that he made with Abdel Gadir Salim, a muslim from Northern Sudan. They are from opposite sides of the politcal and religious worlds. In fact they were enemies on the battlefield. Of course "Ceasefire" is music of peace. I have yet to buy and download the music, but I will someday soon.

Emmanual Jal talks about his experiences as documented in his "War Child" memoir in a radio interview.

You can read some of my previous posts on Emmanuel Jal here.

Danielson and Sufjan Stevens

I received the March/April edition of Relevant magazine today and was happy to see an article on Danielson. I discovered Danielson' music a couple of years ago and found myself strangely enjoying the quirky singing and style that make Danielson a group that most people just don't get. I was looking into Sufjan Stevens at the same time. I had heard wonderful things about his music, but I didn't add his cds to my favorites list.

If you read a bit into their history. Sufjan became a sometime member and contributer to Daniel Smith's many projects: Danielson, Danielson Famile, Brother Danielson, and Tri Danielson. Smith even produced Sufjan's "Seven Swans" album. If you ever watch Danielson: A Family Movie you will see the role Sufjan played and then the poignant moments at the end where Daniel Smith keeps working himself in a state of creative frenzy as Sufjan begins receiving wide acclaim by using many of the Danielson elements in his own music and shows. That would include a family atmosphere, interesting uniforms, an artistic vision and definitely original music.
Here is a preview for the movie:

Some great quotes from the article include:

At first we thought it (Daniel Smith's demo tape) was bad, then we realized it was a joke, but the more we listened to it we realized it was brilliant. It was some of the most unique music I have ever heard. His lyrics were mind blowing, his vocals like noohting I have ever heard, and the overall orignality in his art was very powerful and intentional. It is clear that his work was not the chaotic result of a mind in mayhem, but of a carefully crafted and methodically approached creative process." Branden Ebel (president of Tooth and Nail Records)

"It is something to occupy your eyes while listening to the music to put all the parts together." Daniel Smith on his use of costumes in concert. The members of the band could all be in nurses uniforms or Smith can perform dressed up as a giant tree (fruit of the spirits).

"I always liked big concepts, and I find his comprehension of the "big picture" pretty fascinating. He works it out with songs, and drawings, and costumes. It's a beautiful and odd world that he creates, and its constantly expanding... The faith of his music is unflinching love, about presuming the best. He's a man of deep convictions. The rest of the world is caught up in petty, whimsical fashions, but Daniel's got a vision of his own and he's sticking with it because its a vision of the heart of God." Sufjan Stevens on Daniel Smith

On Saturday I was driving to a snowshoe race that I was going to compete in. I grabbed the "wrong" cd to listen to on the ride and ended up with Sufjan Steven's "Illinoise" cd. I ended up listening to it, but it seemed a bit too mellow when I wanted to get pumped up for a race.

As it turned out a lot of fast racers didn't show up and I won the race. Later that day on a running message board I saw a thread on Sufjan's "Illinoise" cd. It turns out the Sufjan has a brother named Marzuki. Marzuki finished fifth among Americans at the 2004 Chicago Marathon, 20th overall at the 2006 Boston Marathon, and qualified for the 2008 USA Olympic Marathon Trials.




Maybe I will check out Sufan's music a second time. A brother who is a vey good runner. A brother who creates music. Two things I wish I could be better at.

25 Years after Declaration: The Alarm are still Marching On

Was it really 25 years ago that The Alarm punched out the Declaration album. It is still one of my favorite albums and The Alarm in the newer form still are my favorite band. Twenty-five years! That is half of my life. I remember buying this at a record shop in Brockton, Massachusetts the first day it was released. I could find a lot of their EPs and other singles at that store. I am not sure I was in sync with the band's hairdos but the music was thrilling and to this day I can say that these are some great songs that have held up real well over the years. Songs like Sixty Eight Guns, Marching On, Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke, We Are the Light, Shout to the Devil, Howling Wind, and Blaze of Glory are all classic Alarm songs. Take a look at the songs on the album.

Declaration
Marching On
Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?
Third Light
Sixty Eight Guns
We Are the Light
Shout to the Devil
Blaze of Glory
Tell Me
The Deceiver
The Stand (Prophecy)
Howling Wind

Here is a great and energetic video of Declaration and Marching On performed live by The Alarm.



Declaration

...We're the young who stand up
We must never be silenced
We've gotta speak up now
For all our sakes
And lift our voices higher
`Let's sing our song
Keep on marching marching
And never forget
About the power on the right side
Fights the power on the left
We have got to stand together
Forget the east and west
'Cause there's another voice crying in the ghetto
Another mouth to feed
Another heart beating in the ghetto
Another soul to set free

(And we'll go)
MARCHING ON
Hear our sound hear our voice
We're growing stronger
(And we'll go)
MARCHING ON
We're not alone and we're keeping on, we're going
MARCHING ON '''


Here is the classic video of Sixty Eight Guns.



Every alarm concert should end with Blaze of Glory



Even Bono sings along (wasn't this song written about U2?)



Blaze of Glory

It's funny how they shoot you down
When your hands are held up high
And you open up your heart and soul
But that's not enough for most.

I remember this much
There is nothing
You shouldn't speak of
If you got something to say
And there is no one
To be scared of
Just get them out of the way

GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
My heart is open wide
You can take anything that you want from me
there is nothing left to hide

GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
my hands are held up high
I'm learning how to hit back
I'm learning how to fight

The law of the jungle says
You look after yourself
But I remember this much
I love as I've been loved myself.

Don't forget what I told you now
When the question keeps on coming
And it's "How much more can you take"
When they've ripped your clothes to pieces
"Shouldn't you be gone by now"

But you keep on
GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
Setting your sights for the sky.
They can offer you anything at all
But your dreams must not be sold.
GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
No price is high enough
I'm fighting back with feeling
I'm fighting back with love

When the nails are biting into your hands
And the cross is heavy on your heart
Now is the time to really make a stand
MY HANDS ARE HELD UP HIGH.

(Going out)
IN A BLZE OF GLORY
(Going out)
IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
(Going out)
IN A BLAZE OF GLORY

GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
My heart is open wide
You can take anything that you want from me
But you cannot take my soul

GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
My hands are held up high
I'm learning how to hit back
Yes I'm learning how to fight

GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
Going out with my heart wide open
Going out with my hands held high

GOING OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY
(repeat)

Fighting back with love
Fighting back with LOVE!
No price is high enough
To take my soul, to take my soul
To take my soul

It's funny how they shoot you down
when your hands are held up high

(Keep on going with my hands held high)


Here is a 1986 video of Howling Wind:



Howling Wind

Love on this wasteland holds no dominion
I refuse to lay me down
On the grapevine comes the saying
"Son, you'll reap whatever you sow"
I sow the seeds of my love
Deep undying true love I sow

There is beauty out there somewhere
I will leave no stone unturned
There's a guitar and a bugle
I hear the sound of distant drums
Fire and water rage through my mind
(Love on)
Love on this wasteland
I cannot find

And there is a HOWL HOWL HOWLING WIND
A ringing around my ears
And a wild wild wind is a blowing
Tearing down my tears

There is virtue truth abounding
Peace will come to everyman
And there's a landmark on the skyline
There is a sign standing in the road
Sail on my brother
Sail on through the night
(Love on)
Love on this wasteland is waiting on down the line

And there is a HOWL HOWL HOWLING WIND
A ringing around my ears
And a wild wild wind is a blowing
Tearing down my tears

Forty days in the desert sand
Forty nights on my hands and knees
Forty days in the howling wind
In the howling wind

Love on this wasteland holds no dominion
I refuse to lay me down
On the grapevine comes the saying
"Son, you'll reap whatever you sow"
I sow the seeds of my love, my love
Deep undying true love's what I sow

There's a HOWL HOWL HOWLING WIND
A ringing around my ears
And a wild wild wind is a blowing
Tearing down my tears

And there's a HOWL HOWL HOWLING WIND
A ringing around my ears
And there's a wild wild wind is a blowing
Tearing down my tears


Great stiff indeed even after one-fourth of a century!