Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Hello Old Thing, Hello New Thing: 17

The Five Keys: Too Late Baby (Capitol, 1951)
Oh yes, it's time for some 56 year old Virginian-based vocal smasheroos! What do I like about this? Well, there's the absolutely sublime intro that is half church house and half ale-house, there's the way Maryland Pierce - what a name - seems to burst in just half a bar too early and the way every instrument and voice on the recording seems to be caught between wanting to be hushed and held back and reserved and, clearly, wanting to just let rip and make a racket. I wish more people would sound this professionally untogether. Lots more wonderful Five Keys stuff here. Oh, and why is there six of them?

Arthur & Yu: 1000 Words (Memphis Industries, 2007)
Arthur and Yu are, in fact, Seattle folk-pop bods Grant Olsen and Sonya Westcott (that's Grant with the beard - I think). Anyway, we've been playing their record a lot and some of it really works for me and some of it doesn't but, this is great (if you like the idea of The Velvet Underground playing Visions Of Johanna.) Personally, I really respond to that idea but, y'know, I may be own my own out here...

Enjoy!

2 comments:

Valentine Suicide said...

That Five Keys track is dangerously close to doo-wop ! I commend you sir!

I like the the Arthur and Yu track as well. It is very VU...

I went downstairs about half an hour ago and found my Mrs watching your Mrs on tv. Am I in the Twilight Zone?

Rob said...

Hey VS: We must be, because half an hour ago I was looking at your old mobile phone
*worries about narrowness of worldview*