Another week gone by and another post missed. Lately I've been throwing these playlists together in a couple minutes, scrounging for songs, forcing some, over-listening to a few. Amongst what seems like a mountain of activities and obligations I've been stressed, tired, and in desperate need of a deep woods camping trip. Take my phone away from me and let me get back to what makes me happy, far away from the stress.
Originally, I was going to chalk this past week up to laziness and throw it in the trash, but now as I look at this group of songs I know I chose them because they had stories, stories I'd like to tell. So, with fewer words than normal, here are my thoughts on this group of tracks. A fine grouping of tracks that do a fair job at showcasing who I am and what my musical taste comprises of. Please, enjoy these as I have. If you'd like to discuss all you have to do is hit me up. Let's go deep.
Change - For the better part of the week I found myself falling back, time after time, to this King Gizzard offering and staying until the end of the album. "Change" starts off the appropriately titled Changes album, the band's 23rd, with tasty keyboard licks and a groove infectious with flavor. King Gizzard flaunts their versatility with a concept album focused around one motif that ebbs and flows, morphing into each new song seamlessly.
Whatever sweet spot I have, or whatever one out of the thousands it found, this album hits somewhere inside me with gusto. Providing me with a warm blanket, a firm hug, and a perfect high five "Change" sets my nerves to relax mode. Quite possibly why I kept returning here after a week of stress and tiredness. I didn't have the mental capacity at points to seek out and chose new or forgotten music while I ran errands or did tasks around the house. I had shit to do and this album helped comfort me while I ran around like a maniac.
Listening back now and giving it a good once, twice, thrice over I'm realizing that the bass and rhythm aspect of these tracks, "Change" especially, takes my scattering nerves as they bounce around furiously and wraps them up in a nice embrace. Maybe it's something to do with triplets. Maybe its the use of almost every single musical tone I've loved and used in my own music. I just want to lay on my floor and crank this baby up.
China Cat Sunflower - I got into the Grateful Dead somewhere amid my high school years and much like listening to a band full of tunes and a catalog light years in length it took me some time to fully appreciate all the material of the band. I started off with all the hits, the top played tracks, and the obscure ones I randomly found. My parents and their friends called me a hippie as I dove into the 1960's music, Woodstock, and the Haight Ashbury mindset - music was my drug and this little naive idiot only took it as far as that.
Europe '72 might have to fall into my go to response if anyone ever asked me what my favorite Dead album was. A tricky question for any true audiophile and music lover, but it comes and goes. In fact I'm only into half the record as there is a clear better side or sides if we're talking vinyl.
But before I bury the lead I have to point out that this specific version isn't from the actual Europe '72 but from one of the many offshoots of the live record as the band released full specific date shows from their tour overseas.
I actually found this version long before I ever got into Europe '72 and I will fight anyone who wants to argue the fact that this is the superb version from that tour. After seeing a local Dead cover band play China Cat and having my mind explode I went home and found a live version of the actual Dead playing this wildly interesting song. Just so happens it turned out to be a video of this specific concert on their European Tour and not the stop found on one of their most famous live albums.
Coupled with "I Know You Rider," "China Cat Sunflower" explodes from the speakers with a unique mixture of tones and a song structure filled with some of the most enticing lead guitar work I've ever heard. Jerry's playing has always mystified me as I've pondered my entire guitar playing life how someone could control the instrument so intrinsically.
Love Survive - This is a strong example of how procrastination and laziness can come back to bite you in the ass. I cannot recall where this song came from or why I put it on the playlist. I knew a week ago, but now I'm grasping for suggestions from my own brain. Seemingly, I believe it was shared to me by my brother who was co-contributing to my birthday party playlist in live time. I would be boppin' around and a new song I knew I didn't queue up spat out of the speaker. Most of them were great and I trust his judgement as we share mostly the same tastes, but there were some clunkers, sorry Rob.
With or without the knowledge of how this track came to be in my life I've learned to thoroughly enjoy it. Listening now on my stereo system, the bass knob turned higher than the others, I can see why I added it to the playlist. It has a hypnotizing beat that doesn't change throughout the track and some magical and ethereal vocals soft and full of reverby air. The bass walks you through the song and provides a solid layer of floor you'll never fall through.
For what it's worth is a great song by another band, but I started this sentence with it and quickly realized it wasn't going anywhere cohesive. So, anyways, have a listen. It's a quick and delightful tune. I think you'll enjoy.
Sabor A Mi - Tapping into my Hispanic heritage, I find myself listening to and enjoying Latin music even though I don't speak and barely understand Spanish. It's the rhythms, the switch up from the English I've always heard. The styles and sentiments in these Latin tracks I've stolen and hid away make me feel alive, a part of something I find incredibly proud of, and calm. The Spanish language is everything of beauty to me. I'll stew till the end of my days wishing to learn to speak it but not having the will power to tackle it head on.
Bands like El Chicano take two of my favorite parts of me, and two of my favorite things in the world and mash them together. Music is a way for me to connect with my Hispanic heritage as it fuses rock and roll and jazz with the world of the Spanish language and culture. Sometimes I think I was bound to become a drummer as the Cuban inside me pushes to get out of the light skinned and fair haired outer layer that is Patrick, the guy with the white first name and the Hispanic last. It's who I am, and I'm proud of it.
Pack The Pipe - Plain and simple, I love rapping about smoking weed... Turns out I don't do any drugs, even though smoking weed is less "doing drugs" as each day passes. For however long, I don't know, I've been attracted to Hip Hop with an affinity towards the songs that involve lighting one up. "Pack The Pipe" quickly stood out to me when I got heavily into The Pharcyde's debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde.
For whatever reason it seems like most of the songs I'm actually able to remember and rap along to have been the ones about smoking weed. I'm not mad about it. It just plays into my character and persona of the friend who will jokingly reach for the blunt as it's passed around. Everyone will look around astounded until they realize I'm just joking because I haven't smoked in years. It's just fun to mess with them as I try to act all cool rapping about how "I got a big ol' blunt...lampin' on my front porch about to put a torch to it."
Weed jokes aside, I found myself deep into The Pharcyde way late to the party almost thirty years after their debut. This type of Hip Hop is my favorite and sits atop my pedestal as the best era of rap music. 60's and 70's Rock and Roll and 90's Hip Hop. Two eras of music that are unmatched and will never be touched.
If you smoke or not take a moment and give this song and this album a shot. Take it for what it is and don't look too deep between the lines. The rhymes and vibes are high and that's all there is to it.
The Girl From Ipanema - In my years of listening to Jazz I've fallen into its sub-shoots and have been blessed to find pleasant music that warms my heart. Bossa Nova has crept into my life and taken a hold on my Jazz tastes. My go to dinner music, Bossa Nova screams calm, elegant, and tasteful. In my eyes, everyone will love this music or it will be so lovely that it falls perfectly into the background as a dinner party unfolds. Warm lights, a roaring fire, gentle conversation, smiles and laughter.
"The Girl From Ipanema" was first introduced to me by one of my favorite college professors in a music appreciation class. I owe most of my style and knowledge to that woman as she introduced me to the world of Bossa Nova and on another level, my favorite jazz artist, Dave Brubeck.
Very much alike the other tracks in this week's playlist, this style of music makes me feel safe, comfortable, and warm. It mixes the Hispanic aspect of my music taste with the overall feeling of comfort music. If you're looking for something to throw on in the background of any situation consider turning to Getz/Gilberto and prepare to love it as you won't even notice it at the same time.
Triangle - My first big part in a skate video started off with this track in mind. Quickly shot down by the mastermind of the project, "Triangle" took a backseat as it was already used in a video on Transworld. Around the time of filming for Mousetrap I was highly into BadBadNotGood and really wanted one of their songs in my part. I did get my wish even if it was my second choice.
Although not used in my part, "Triangle" serves as one of my favorite BBNG tracks and one I return to often. Combining the worlds of Jazz and Hip Hop, BBNG took two genres I loved and morphed them together to give the world, and myself, something I didn't know I needed.
Compromised of drums, bass, and keyboards, this trio takes the world of Jazz and turns it upside down as their tracks fill to the brim with tones and vibes. It's all so simple - ha - yet perfectly complex. Jazz is one of the wildest genres I will never understand no matter how much I listen to it. These boys work together to create timeless tracks much like the standards that came before them.
I first found these guys playing Hip Hop covers on YouTube and couldn't get enough of what they were cooking up. Even today, I have all their albums downloaded onto my phone along with ripped audio tracks of these YouTube videos. The unreleased tracks are still my most played and most revisited. Something about how raw and electric they were playing music in a small room, one take, vibes high.
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