Red Leaf Latte (songs for the fall)

I have an obsession with seasonal songs. Songs that match the winter, the spring, the summer, and the autumn. They don't eve have to be released during said season to match it; I just feel the cold or warm tones and assign it to whatever playlist is made for it.

As usual, I have some autumn songs to share with y'all, and I  had to double check that I'm not posting some of the same songs I did last autumn before I did, because I kinda have a tendency to repeat myself without knowing it. 

Without further ado, here is the first batch of my Autumn Playlist (no real theme to it):

- Place In My Heart By Taylor McFerrin featuring Ryat

Yes, the son of Bobby McFerrin (fangirl moment) teamed up with Electronic Pop/Avant-Indie singer Ryat to create this ethereal blend of acoustic and electronic. I don't know what the lyrics are about, but I sing along with Ryat's adorable lilting voice (which reminds me of Bjork--good thing.) And it's all set to a 7-count. YES.

- Time Lapse Lifeline By Maria Taylor

I first heard this song on an episode of BONES. If you don't' know what that show is...that's a post for another time. But for now, this song is a drive-on-the-freeway reflection of life and its fleetingness. It's fully acoustic, and extremely catching. "Keeping up, keeping up, with the time lapse lifeline..."

- Dust By Van Hunt

Van Hunt is my imaginary friend. I bet i've posted about him before. But i'll post about him again because he's that great. What I love about this song is the juxtaposition of upbeat and happy music with such resigned and downtrodden lyrics. "I'm already insane, I'm already in pain...I am dust, blown away over the edge." Meanwhile the electric guitar is riffing in staccatos and everybody's one-two-stepping on the dance floor. t's those musical contradictions, the unconventional, that attract me in particular, and this TIMELESS song is proof of that.

- Battery Kinzie By Fleet Foxes

I've given up on trying to figure out the exact count go this song, as it's a little all over the place, but again, it's unconventional, and it's an element that helps the song. It's just the epitome of Autumn, this song. And just like "Dust," the lyrics are a melancholy tale set to an upbeat major beat. After much deliberation, I conclude the song is definitely about a man going to see a woman he loved, but another man is with her now. On the SongMeanings website, most of this has been debated. Certain lines confuse, others are more clear....ah, whatever. The song is beautiful.

- Chapel Song By We Are Augustines

That picking electric guitar, that fast kick and full tom drums...I already knew I was going to like it. Then Billy McCarthy's voice comes in...I have literally never heard anything like his voice in my life. And at first I thought it was too different for the music, but the longer I listened, the more I found it fit perfectly. "There goes my girl...into an old chapel..." This was a man who is watching the love of his life get married! The almost sobbing tone of his voice makes perfect sense! And the longer I listen, the more I feel his pain,and his acceptance that he has to move on. "Tear up the photograph...Cause it's a brand new sky." 

- Talk About Our Love By Brandy featuring Kanye West

Afrodisiac and Full Moon are two very special albums me. If i look though some boxes I'm sure I'll find the booklets that came with them, that lyrics I tried to memorize fr every song. This song, "Talk About Our Love," was one of my favorites off Afrodisiac, cuz I loved singing the chorus the same way that Brandy did. Kanye West delivers an easygoing rap that doesn't feel out of place with the music--that I believe HE produced anyway. West has always had a knack for picking good pieces of old songs and turning them into something for the hip-hop masses to enjoy, and this song is one of the early examples. 

- I Wish By Carl Thomas

Ah, a classic. I think we can start calling songs from 2000 that we still listen to "classics." Hard to believe that was 14 years ago, isn't it? Time does fly...but not the emotions that Carl Thomas effortlessly pours into this laid-back beat of piano, bass, and strings. It's the universal human love story "I feel in love and they're taken." Thomas's song describes the moment anyone in the same position has had when dealing with a never-meant-to-be love, "I Wish I never met her at all....She still belongs to someone else." It's the kind of emotion that the cool breeze only magnifies.

- Truth Is By Fantasia

Geez, what's with the sad love songs this Autumn? I didn't even realize most of these songs are about a broken heart until I reached this one! Anyway, I think we are all familiar with Fantasia, an American Idol winner from the early 2000's with a knockout voice that made Paula Abdul cry. This was from her first album, and it's a song I always liked, for it's crackly piano, clean kick and rimshot, the melodic progression, and catchy chorus, all of which compliment the sad circumstances the singer's found herself in--wishing for an ex back, when that ex is now with someone else. "When it's all said and done, I guess i'm still in love with you..." (sniffle). Something about this song gives it a cool, borderline wintry feel, and so it must have a place in today's post of Autumn songs. 

More to come soon!

- CDM

The Cover Casserole

The beauty of music is that the artist can create a song and leave it up to the listener to interpret it, and it may not always be what the artist originally envisioned or meant to put out, but that broad horizon of interpretation makes discussions about songs that much more interesting.

Some people take their interpretations and turn them into a "cover" of someone else's song. It's not easy to do, but for those special covers that captured my eye, my ear, and my heart, I created this post.

• Kings Of Leon- "Dancing On My Own" by Robyn

• I love the original just as much as this cover. Robyn wrote it from the view of a girl desperately in love with a man who is in love with someone else, and she set it to a hard hitting dance beat that, in an upbeat setting, brings the heart-wrenching lyrics to life. Kings Of Leon, an indie rock band, takes this song into a slow, lamenting ballad of unrequited love that makes you sway side to side, holding a candle up.
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• Ebrahim(eebsofresh) & Timothy DeLaGhetto- "Senorita" by Justin Timberlake

• Eebsofresh has been one of my personal favorites for a while, and this cover of "Señorita" with TimothyDeLaGhetto just proves why. Clearly he has to plan out what he's going to play, but the ability to record it all LIVE on camera, from the beatbox to the bass to the piano, really drives this cover to the forefront for me.
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• Bluey Robinson- "All I Do" by Stevie Wonder

• Impromptu--or what seems impromptu--is always a fascinating element when it comes to performances. When I see the set up of this young man and a guitarist in the middle of wherever on a cold night, I'm crossing my fingers for a decent cover of the legendary Stevie Wonder's "All I Do." Robinson pulls it off. He really. Really. Does. The excitement of impromptu adds to the fact that he effortlessly hits those high notes we all know and love, while the guitarist riffs in accordance with the rising and falling emotion. It's a must-see for SW lovers.
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• Valerie June- "Bring it On Home" by Sam Cooke

• I've brought her up recently before, but I'm going to bring it up again to showcase her rendition of "Bring It On Home," a tough song to cover for many given the one-in-a-million-ness of Sam Cooke's version (the raspy voice, the unbridled emotion...) But her stripped down version includes just her voice and a banjo, which leaves her to carry the same emotion and power all by herself. She delivers this in a such a way that I truly feel she made it her own.
• See the video here

• Ed Sheeran- "We Found Love" by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris

• Ah, Ed Sheeran. I've been meaning to include him in my posts for quite some time now. But this is a good introduction. I had no idea he had done a cover for his song, but when I heard it, I stopped in my tracks and just stared at the screen. He adds a whole 'bother layer of emotion to the original Rihanna song, with, again, just him and guitar. Sung in a lower tone, a slower pace, and with the tone of a broken heart, you will not get enough of this rendition.
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• D'Angelo- "Feel Like Makin Love" by Roberta Flack

• D'angelo is amazing. I've touched upon this in a previous post or two, but I really wanna drive it home with his rendition of "Feel Like Makin Love" by Roberta Flack. I love both versions, and both follow a similar structure. Roberta's is the breezy, floating high on the sky kind of version. D'angelo made it into a sexy jam that you play when you want to put a soulful love song on for your...significant other.
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• Drake- "I Get Lonely Too" by TLC

• I loooove me some TLC. You will soon find posts about them on this blog. I also love me some Drake. So to find out that he did this cover of "Fanmail," I was ecstatic. If you think about it, that particular song was ahead of its time. Hearing Drake sing it made me aware how much it could fit with the musical scene today. I appreciate that he did that, and so tastefully as well. It was indicator of his respect for the legends of "back then" because this year he's had TL on tour with him, as well as J.Cole having them featured on his single "Crooked Smile."
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Respect the covers, man! RESPECT THEM!

-CDM

Prisoner Pot Pie

I don't have kids. I don't know if I ever will have kids. So I can't speak for what a parent goes through when their child goes missing.

But I have a feeling the movie "Prisoners" handles the emotions accurately.

Hugh Jackman and Mari Bello play the Dovers, Terrence Howard and Voila Davis play the Birches, and both families come together for a Thanksgiving dinner one evening. They each have a six year old daughter, Anna and Joy, who ask to go back to Anna's house, ironically for a safety whistle that she blows when she's in trouble. When the police (including Jake Gyllenhaal) start the investigation, it instantly leads to the mysterious man in the RV, a man with an IQ of 10 (Paul Dano) who seems innocent on paper, but the worried parents suspect he knows more than he lets on. When this suspect is released due to no evidence, Hugh Jackman in particular is pissed off, and he decides to take matters into his own hands. Translation:

But while Jackman is pressing this young man for information, Gyllenhaal searches for other paths that could be leading him closer to the truth. With time running out for the two little girls, something's gotta give.

This was 2 hours and 26 minutes long. It was the perfect amount of time to portray the progression of emotions from all sides. I was on the edge of my seat, trying desperately to find a missing link that would reveal the true culprit, and yet, the true culprit was one I could never see coming. (NO SPOILERS FOR YOU!)

Of course, no such subject could be properly brought to the screen without the right writers and actors, as well as cinematography. Maria Bello, Viola Davis and Terrence Howard make you forget their names and believe their characters; every tear seems authentic, every outburst feels real. Paul Dano give you tortuously conflicted feelings as the guy who may or may not know something, but who is being treated like he knows something anyway. Jake Gyllenhall's portrayal of the progressively frustrated cop trying to complete the puzzle is just as believable. But for me, the standout performance was Hugh Jackman. His performance as the father who loses his sanity for the sake of finding his daughter is almost frightening. it reminds us that we all have the capability to do near-horrific things when pushed past their limits. The maniacal look in his eyes, the way his voice could rise in a second to a roar, the violence urges he succumbed to in the face of his worst fears being realized. In between his frightening actions, he displays his deep religious faith that wanes over the course of time ("our father who art in heaven," he repeats, to his son, against the wall, and on the floor in tears.)

These actors were armed with realistic dialogue, and a plot that twists and turns in just the right places (not a sensational thriller, but an honest one). Additionally, the symbolism of the constant cold and rainy weather, and given the location of the suburbs, somehow brings to the forefront just how such a situation (kidnapping) could rock a community as small as that. In one scene, the neighbors light candles and set them up outside the Dover's home, leaving stuffed animals and supportive notes with the candles, to lift the spirit as the days grow longer and more uncertain.


I don't have kids. I do't know if I ever will have kids.

But if I were a parent, and my kid was kidnapped...would I have done what these parents did?

I can't answer.

More reviews and discoveries soon, friends!

-CDM

A Spread of Valerie

My first thought in looking up Valerie June:

Where....has...she...been?

According to her, she's been putting out her albums on her own for the past few years until her most recent album, Pushing Against A Stone, her first album as a signed artist! 

Well-versed in guitar, banjo, and ukelele, this beautiful, lock-rocking woman was born and raised in Tennessee, after which she moved to Memphis and was influenced by the blues and grassroots music of the 1920's and 30's. Since 2006 she's been putting out music on her own, but it wasn't until recently when a chance meeting with Kevin Augunas led her to writing with--wait for it--Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys. 

The one on the guitar.

From that songwriting union, among other elements,like moving to Brooklyn, came Pushing Against A Stone.

THOSE LOCKS.

It's 12 tracks of what she calls "Organic Moonshine Roots Music," which I'm going to define as a mixture of that vintage blues, country soul music that the early 20th century was well known for. Yet it doesn't feel "dated," in that regard, but rather classic. I could play a song off the album on any given day and feel the true essence of autumn TODAY, as opposed to an Autumn in 1935. Valerie's voice is distinct, sharp and soft at the same time, filled with the emotion of a weathered soul--the kind of voice one would need when taking part in this kind of music.

Off the bat, I'll tell you two of my favorites are her two singles, "You Can't Be Told," and "Workin' Woman Blues." The former is a gritty anthem-styled single you could hear played at an outdoor party to rile up the crowd. The latter in particular works with Fela-style horns, bass and percussion, blending effortlessly with the bluesy guitar and Valerie's lamenting lyrics: "I ain't fit to be no mother, I ain't fit to be no wife, I've been working like a man y'all, I've been working all my life..."

Other songs I enjoy: "Somebody to love," a heart-wrenching ballad that showcases Valerie's ability to suck the air out of a room without even trying, "On My Way," upbeat and sweet with a country-style violin serving a duet with her voice, "The Hour," the kind of slow-dance song you need to hold your partner a little closer for, and "Shotgun," which....I can't even explain; I've never heard anything like it. 

Don't take my word for it; go check it out yourself. In my humble opinion, this woman is about to make her mark on the music world.

Workin' Woman Blues (on Soundcloud)

So yes. Please check this out. It's a Pumpkin Spice Latte for your ears. :)

-CDM

Zest of Zhang! (The Grandmaster Review)

Remember Ziyi Zhang?

Her.

My first time watching her onscreen was in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I was pretty young, so I couldn't' grasp all the deep messages the movie was trying to portray. What I could grasp was the fact that this young, innocent looking girl who was quietly sipping tea  one moment could then put on pants, pull out the Green Destiny Sword, and knock out any male competition who dared cross her. I remember watching Michelle Yeoh go through five different weapons to try and defeat Zhang'z character in that infamous scene between the two. I remember replaying every fight over and over again. Of course, I saw Zhang in other great movies, like House Of Flying Daggers and Memoirs Of A Geisha. But I never got to see her get into action in the theater. Until last week.

I wouldn't have even known about this movie if I wasn't casually checking for movies one lazy afternoon. "The Grandmaster," according to wikipedia, "is a Hong Kong-Chinese martial arts drama film based on the life story of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man." (insert joke about Grandmaster Flash?) 

After being dubbed the Grandmaster by his predecessor, Ip Man has lived a charming life with his family, until the Japanese Invasion forces him to go to Hong Kong to support his family through teaching. Then circumstances force him to remain in Hong Kong, without his family, and navigate the rest of his life, teaching young students in the day, taking on challenges by other martial arts masters at night.  This was a man who taught BRUCE LEE. None of this I knew walking into the movie. I didn't even know the plot of the movie. 

But I saw Zhang's name and knew I would be going, whether it was good or not.

Well, it wasn't good. It was exquisite. 

As part of his final test, Ip Man battles different masters, including this one.

The plot itself was wonderful. Whether it was based on a true story or not, it was amazing. It was more than simply beautifully choreographed fighting. It wasn't solely an action-based movie, with a weak storyline. Like Crouching Tiger, it was a story with philosophical undertones, embedded even within the high kicks and sharp blows of the fight scenes. Every challenge brought to Ip Man, whether by the "barber" or the "Bagua" artist, or even the quick demonstration  of Wing Chun that Ip Man shows a skeptical colleague--they are all linked together by one thread: respect. Both opponents show a respect for their differences in craft; for the most part, the fights are not even fights as much as a friendly sparring. It magnified what I believe the movie was trying to convey--Martial Arts is an art first, not merely a kick-ass form of attack or a bloody means to an end. The beauty of watching it outdoes the bloodlust, at least for me. 

Of course, there's still the usual rush of watching two skilled master duke it out, and that's where Ziyi Zhang comes in. 

This scene....I have no words. But no spoiling!

Zhang plays the daughter of the former Grandmaster, Gong-Er, who challenges the new master, Ip Man, to a duel, as she feels the passed torch is a blow to the Gong Family Legacy. She is a master of the "64 Hands." The clash of two different arts results in two of THE most amazing fight scenes I have ever seen her in. The cinematography assists in creating a surreal and captivating scene as Ip Man and Gong-Er move as dancers do in a battle of wits and moves. It is their first and last duel.

64 Hands versus Wing Chun

But I can't spoil it for you. It's too elaborate and amazing to try and explain here. But I'll tell you this; a line that stuck out to me wasn't any of the usual one-liners you hear before a fight, or a line off a philosophical monologue given by the narrator himself; it was during a conversation between Gong-Er and Ip Man, ten years after their duel.

"Whoever says life has no regrets is fooling themselves. How boring life would be without regrets."

Yeah, if you have a chance to see this movie, I would highly recommend it. It is worth every dollar. 

More To Come On The Autumn Treats!

- CDM

Remembering Summer

This song has been on my radar all day because at 4:44, the Autumn Equinox will occur. Summer will truly be over.  I'll be candid and admit that I've been waiting for Autumn since the end of June. I'm not partial to extreme weather, on either side of the spectrum, and the heat waves that occurred this summer were inexcusable. That being said, the summer brought some music and films that I truly enjoyed, a few of which I'd like to quickly acknowledge:

- World War Z: 

A worldwide infection that infects people within seconds and turns them into monsters. Sounds familiar, and it is, but it's not simply a made for scares movie. The journey to finding the cause as well as methods for fighting against it was well executed, and I was on the due of my seat rooting for Brad Pitt to not die. 4/5

- Fruitvale Station: 

Based on the actual shooting of Oscar Grant, this is a movie that many felt was necessarily made, based on the recent events involving slain teenagers such as Trayvon Martin. Michael B. Jordan killed it as the young man in question, and the final 24 hours of his life. We watch him trying to do right by his girlfriend and daughter, we watch flashbacks of his time in jail we watch his close relationships with his mother, and we watch him, his girl, and his friends celebrate New Year's Eve. What happens on the train ride home from that celebration is etched into my memory permanently. It is a must-see for anyone. 5/5

- J Cole's "Crooked Smile":

Off his summer album, Born Sinner, this song in particular struck a chord with me in the best way. It's one of those songs where you stop to listen to the lyrics, the music almost secondary. DOn't get me wrong, though, the beat is dope too, which is imperative for a song with a message. TLC gives us the vocals, and J. Cole gives us the simple truth that we are all beautiful as we are, including him with his "crooked smile." 5/5

- Icona Pop "I Love It":

Oh yeah. Classic dance tune with the catchiest verse AND chorus. THe kind of beat that doesn't feel overbearing, yet just hard enough to keep you interested. And if you need a good exercise song? Oh yeah. 4/5

Before the month is over I'm going to give you some of the september treats we're already being blessed with, the ones that give me a good omen for the rest of the fall season!

-CDM