Blog: Music

I’m sitting in my dorm room, flipping through recyclable pages of Paste Magazine and realizing people with excellent music taste surround my humble- practically-non-existent-musical-self. This is quite noteworthy.

Note one: Today in my Advanced World Literature course we began discussion on Virgil’s The Aeneid and, as the musical gods would have it, the professor asked us to sing along to U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”…. What a day, what a song.

Note two: Received an e-mail to pick up a package – this is always an exciting e-mail. About once a month, I get this message and know it can only mean one thing. PASTE. Check it out online or order the magazine for yourself. It’s about $20 a year for a subscription, which beautifully includes a CD sampler with delights such as Andrew Bird, Neko Case, and Josh Ritter.  The magazine also includes reviews and articles discussing film and culture.  A fantastic, explorative read.

Note three: University living is a beautiful thing. I share a quad with five other women and one of them is a hula dancer from Hawaii (I want to grow up to be her) and another is a talent extraordinaire at the violin and piano. My old roommate, and fellow communal friend, Sarah has a band and sings in front of thousands every week with the Campus Praise Band- her talents at home and on the stage make people everywhere stop to breathe. Brilliant! I know, I should contribute some sort of musical happiness to their first-rate and quite talented performances that I’ve come to expect weekly…BUT I only insert my Paste sampler and turn it up loudly, emerging only to hum along to their varied and gifted tunes.

Maybe one day I will inspire college students to read classic literature with music and lyrics, or maybe I will work for a music magazine, or I am destined to mildly participate and recount others’ amazing melodious skills with my-humble-practically-non-existent-musical-self.

I have to admit that I had never heard of the local band Folklore before the last AthFest, but that's what AthFest is for, right? Folklore's appearance at AthFest was billed as their last show, and instead of playing their own songs (and in a move that strikes me as so cool I can hardly put my feelings into words), they decided to cover The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society in its entirety, or as happened, as much as they could in the limited time they had playing the side stage at the Georgia Theater. The show was great, and on the way out the door, I mentioned to Jimmy Hughes (unsolicited; not that I know him) that they should play one more show and perform the entire album. Turns out he listened to me, and Folklore is performing the album this Tuesday (July 22) at the 40 Watt. (I'll take full credit for this, of course. Send thanks you's to my PayPal account.)

The Kinks seem to be the single classic rock/British Invasion band that every indie kid can agree on, and Village Green Preservation Society is arguably their masterpiece, although any Kinks album before 1970 could probably fit the bill just as easily. It was a strange album in its day, and it continues to be. Released in 1968 in the midst of psychedelia, the album is a look backward at the traditional village life that was coming to an end in postwar England. It was created to be a nostalgic album, and coming to it today, a listener is in the odd position of being nostalgic for an album that's nostalgic about a way of life we've never experienced. Despite all this, it works. The album is a tour de force of Ray Davies' songwriting talents. The songs work well on their own, and it's a "concept" album without the excess usually evident in this genre.

At the AthFest show, it was a blast to be in a crowd who obviously had as much love for this album as the band did, and as I did. Giving the band time to do the whole album should only make this upcoming show even better. It's a one-time event (or so they say), so don't miss it.

Folklore (Performing The Kinks' Are the Village Green Preservation Society) with Ham1 and Future Ape Tapes at the 40 Watt. Tuesday, July 22. $4/$6 under 21. Doors open at 9PM.

Today I leave for Gulu, Uganda. I will be there two weeks working for and loving on children who have been orphaned by AIDS. It is such a blessing to go and be a part of this trip. I made a mix CD for my car ride to the airport, mostly consisting of songs about Africa or just downright awesome tunes. Here is the list- I hope you enjoy and that you say a prayer for the people in Uganda:

1. Peter Pan- Sarah Kinas (this is my friend from school)

2. The One Thing I Know - Sara Groves

3. 10,000 Children - Dave Barnes

4. Great Divide - Hanson

5. This Too Shall Be Made Right - Derek Webb

6. We Need Each Other- Sanctus Real

7. We - Joy Williams

8. Please- Rory Tyer Band

9. Hand Song - Nickel Creek

10. Here is our King-  David Crowder Band

11. Hallelujah - Christy Nockels

12. We Both Go Down Together - Decemberists

13. I Believe in You - Bethany Dillon

14. Elephant Melody - Moulin Rouge

15. Mango Tree- Angus and Julia Stone

16. Sunset Soon Forgotten - Iron and Wine

17. 17 years - RATATAT

enjoy love. 

Today is a glorious day. I just finished an exam and am quickly typing a timeline due in two hours. I've got a grande caramel latte by my side and my headphones blare a familiar sound. I don't know how popular Sting is with my generation (or if people even think he's talented), but for me, Sting is awesome. Really. Usually I can't listen to music when I am working on the computer, but Sting's music is peaceful, interesting, and makes me type at rapid speeds (go figure). I guess it feels like my drug at this point- I almost can't function without it.

I will finish this paper by the end of "This Cowboy Song" and there will be much rejoicing (maybe even a little dancing). I hope your finals are going well, or if you're already done or are graduating- congrats! Just remember Sting next time you have a long paper and give him a try- honestly, who else can write a song called "Desert Rose" and it actually sound like a desert - is that even possible?

Yes. Only Sting.

This weekend marks the 29th Annual Athens Twilight Criterium and UGA is hosting the first Twilight Jazz Festival to celebrate the race. 

The event is sponsored by the Hugh Hodgson School of Music and is a both a revival and combination of two past Classic City jazz festivals. The headline of the event is a performance by The Joshua Redman Trio on Saturday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m. at Hodgson Hall. Tickets for the event are $35. 

A free series of performances will be presented downtown on Friday, April 25 from noon to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on College Avenue.

The two day event will cater to education as well as to entertainment. Middle and high school students from around the state will be traveling to Athens to participate in the festival.

For more information visit AthensTwilight.com or the UGA website.

Volunteers are needed to help run the outdoor stage. Please contact Zack Gruczkowski at zack.gruczkowski@gmail.com if you are interested.