I tried to think of a fitting lunar song as a followup to yesterday’s post about Apollo 11. I never liked Moondance or Blue Moon, and Bad Moon Rising seemed too ill fitting. So, I have settled for one high brow piece and one low brow song: Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and Mecano’s “Hijo de la Luna” from their Entre el cielo y el suelo album.

You may listen to Beethoven’s hauntingly beautiful Piano Sonata No. 14 below.

I first heard Mecano’s “Hijo de la Luna” when I was studying in Paris. The video is very 80’s with oddly androgynous people and weird, sullen styles. The song, however, is about a gypsy woman who prays for a child. The moon grants her a child, but the woman’s husband rejects the boy because he is pale (like the moon). The man kills his wife, as he thinks that she has committed adultery. Yet, the boy escapes to the moon.

The video depiction of the moon boy is fittingly creepy.

If only 80’s fashion had not gotten in the way of elemental pagan imagery, it could have been an excellent video.

Posted by Joseph on Tuesday, July 21, Anno Domini 2009
High Culture Music • Popular Music • Comments • Permalink

Below is an unfortunately blurry fan video made for the splendid song, “100,000 Fireflies,” by the Magnetic Fields—from Distant Plastic Trees.

Susan Anway’s vocals are enchanting, and Stephin Merritt’s work is always a treat.

I have a mandolin.
I play it all night long.
It makes me want to kill myself.
I also have a Dobro,
Made in some mountain range.
Sounds like a mountain range in love.
But when I turn up the tone,
On my electric guitar . . .

I’m afraid of the dark without you close to me.
I’m afraid of the dark without you close to me.

I went out to the forest and caught
100,000 fireflies.
As they ricochet ‘round my room,
They remind me of your starry eyes.
Someone else’s might
Not have made me so sad,
But this is the worst night I ever had.

‘Cause I’m afraid of the dark without you close to me.
I’m afraid of the dark without you close to me.

Always was.

You won’t be happy with me,
But give me one more chance.
You won’t be happy, anyway.

Why do we still live here,
In this repulsive town?
All our friends are in New York.

Why do we keep shrieking,
When we mean soft things?
We should be whispering all the time.

The fan video is a bit weird but well done and still rather cute. Where are the fireflies, though?

Posted by Joseph on Thursday, July 16, Anno Domini 2009
Popular Music • Comments • Permalink

Washington’s own John Philip Sousa gave America so many of its patriotic tunes. It is meet and right to honor him on the American civic holiday. Here is his “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Perhaps, it is due to national chauvinism, but American military marches seem so much cheerful than other countries’ tunes. If so, we can thank Sousa.

Posted by Joseph on Saturday, July 4, Anno Domini 2009
Folk Music • High Culture Music • Popular Music • Comments • Permalink

My favorite Coldplay song is “The Scientist” from A.D. 2002. I love the piano and Martin’s mournful singing.

The video, like most music videos, is disturbing. If the video’s story line is not troubling enough, the reverse narrative combined with Martin’s lip synching jars my sensibilities. Furthermore, I do not think that the video accurately captures the song. Both are full of regret, but they are so in different ways. Nonetheless, it is interesting.

Posted by Joseph on Thursday, July 2, Anno Domini 2009
Popular Music • Comments • Permalink