Jack-johnson | LovetheMusic

I…but…but you…and it’s…what? Jen, you hurt my heart. Why a live album? Because it’s a live album!! There are covers and unreleased songs and there’s stage banter and it’s live! I don’t know what else you need. Not only that, but it’s a live solo album which means there are different arrangements by necessity. It proves the music is mutable and that putting a song on wax is not the end of its evolution. It proves that if a song is worth singing, it’s worth exploring and doing it right. The live album, if done right, is lightning in a bottle, capturing a moment shared by a room full of people on a night. Live music is a fleeting thing, the live album is an attempt to grasp at the fleeting moment.

And as long as I’m commenting on yesterday’s posts (I’ll do one with music soon, I swear), you’ve proven a theory about Jack Johnson for me. When Sleep Through Static was released it jump right up to the freaking top of every chart applicable. I swear, all of ‘em. I was absolutely baffled because, well, most people who don’t hate Jack Johnson have a hard drive so full of various Jack Johnson tracks and Jack Johnson & Ben Harper tracks and Jack Johnson live bootlegs and songs that aren’t Jack Johnson but are attributed to him, &c. that they don’t really need to run right out and buy fourteen more songs that sound just like all the other ones on their computer, but they did! Jack Johnson is extremely frustrating to me, especially since I still get sucked into most of his songs. Even played “Banana Pancakes” at a wedding last week.

Finally, regarding Juno, I’ve not seen hard candy, but Ellen Page’s character is infinitely endearing. Or at least not a ball buster. It’s worth your time, Jen. And now I’m done saying what I should’ve said in an email. Yay for making it public!!

Jackie J’s New Stuff | Sleep Through the Static

In case you live under a rock, like me, Jack Johnson has a new album out. I know, right? Duh, Jen. Yeah, yeah, well I knew that he had stuff coming out, but I didn’t check up on when and I didn’t double check when I shoulda gotten my fix of Jackie J. This makes me a bad hippie. If I considered myself one but I DON’T, world.

So I’m checking it out. Spinning as we speak. IIt seems promising and chilly, like I expected a Jackie J record to be. A couple of MP3s are up on this post and then I may post with more opinions of the record later.

Jack Johnson | MySpazz | Get Sleep Through the Static

Jack Johnson - Losing Keys [4:28m]: Play in Popup | Download (1031)

Jack Johnson - Adrift [3:56m]: Play in Popup | Download (982)

Jen : What We Heard in 2007

Since a lot of what I listen to isn’t classified as ‘new’, or released in 2007, I’m going to write up some albums and/or artists I enjoyed during 2007. If I can remember. Since I probably won’t, my Last FM account will come in handy.

Each item is linked to a relevant item on LTM. If theres no link, it is evidence of us sucking. We know. Damon can’t believe we have nothing on The Decemberists’ Castaways and Cutouts. Shame shame.

Jen’s Best of 2007 HEARD List:

Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream Swimming Across the Sea

Tool - 10,000 Days

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Rodrigo y Gabriela

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Feist - The Reminder

Bjork - Volta (2)

The Cat Empire - Two Shoes (2)(3)

Danger Mouse - Grey Album

The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts

Dikanda

Explosions In the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

The White Stripes - Icky Thump

My Morning Jacket (2)(3)

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones

Broken Social Scene - Feel Good Lost

John Butler Trio - Grand National (more)

The Veils - Nux Vomica

Nickel Creek

The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

Sprout Soundtrack

Regina Spektor - Songs

The Killers - Hot Fuss

Lily Allen - Alright Still

Minnie Driver - Seastories

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank & Good New for People Who Loves Bad News

Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position

Fischerspooner - Odyssey

Great Lake Swimmers - Bodies and Minds

John Butler Trio - Better Than

Patrick Watson - Close to Paradise

Patrick Watson - Slip Into Your skin [3:38m]: Play in Popup | Download

Daniella - John Butler Trio [4:18m]: Play in Popup | Download

Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies) [5:11m]: Play in Popup | Download

Dikanda - Lazito [2:34m]: Play in Popup | Download

Buena Vista Social Club - Rhythms Del Mundo: Cuba

The Buena Vista Social Club was a club in Havana, Cuba that was popular in the forties for holding dances and jam sessions. It has since closed, and is now a recording by Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, and Ry Cooder. I’ve got one of the BVSC albums, and recently got my hands on one called Rhythms Del Mundo: Cuba. It features covers of popular songs with la Cuban flair. It’s very cool. Who knew that Coldplay’s Clocks would be so good with that beat? And Maroon 5’s She Will Be Loved is a definite improvement, as I hate that song anyway. Yikes.

This album was also created to help fund APE, or Artists’ Project Earth, a very cool organization that is concerned with climate change and other humane earthly issues.

I’d love to post the whole album, cos its great, but then I’m sure I’d get into nasty legal trouble. Just to give you an idea, here’s the tracklisting:

1. Clocks - Coldplay
2. Better Together - Jack Johnson
3. Dancing Shoes - Arctic Monkeys
4. One Step Too Far - Dido & Faithless
5. As Time Goes By - Ibrahim Ferrer
6. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For -
U2 & Coco Freeman
7. She Will Be Loved - Maroon 5
8. Fragilidad - Sting
9. Killing Me Softly - Omara Portuondo
10. Ai No Corrida - Vania Borges feat. Quincy Jones
11. Modern Way - Kaiser Chiefs
12. Don’t Know Why - Vania Borges
13. Hotel Buena Vista - Aquila Rose & Idania Valdez
14. The Dark of the Matinee - Coco Freeman feat.
Franz Ferdinand
15. High and Dry - El Lele de Los Van Van feat.
Radiohead (samples)

Really, really kickass links (if you don’t know about the BVSC, definitely check it out. Music lovers will appreciate.)

Rhythms Del Mundo // APE // MySpazz (RDM) // Buena Vista Social Club (Wiki) // Buena Vista Documentary (PBS) // YouTube Video showing the collaboration

BUY THE ALBUM

Coldplay - Clocks [5:02m]: Play in Popup | Download

Jack Johnson - Better Together [3:28m]: Play in Popup | Download

Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved [4:06m]: Play in Popup | Download

Coco Freeman & U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For: Play in Popup | Download

Sweet Waves // Sprout Soundtrack

A couple of years ago while I was visiting my best friend, she gave me a CD she purchased, telling me she thought I'd like it. She enjoyed it, too, but thought the boyfriend and I would like it a bit more, and she was spreading the music love, something I totally agree with.

She was spot on. Turns out she bought the CD because it was related to Jack Johnson, and back in the day she collected almost everything he produced. This happened to be a soundtrack that was done for one of his many surf movies (Thicker Than Water, The September Sessions). I quickly fell in love with it, and have listened to it on and off since. Since this month is one of those 'on' times, I thought I'd share the prettiness with you.

Sprout Soundtrack @ JackJohnsonMusic.com

Buy Sprout Soundtrack // Film

Banderilla - Calexico MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/10%20Banderilla.mp3]

Spanish Flowers - Sprout House Band MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/12%20Spanish%20Flowers.mp3]

Practice Twice - Sam Prekop MP3

[audio:http://lovethemusicreviews.com/audio/01%20Practice%20Twice.mp3]