Song of the Week: Cleveland Rocks

I spent this past Memorial Day weekend with friends riding the world-famous roller coasters at Cedar Point and Kings Island during an amusement park run in Ohio. Though I enjoyed my time at the parks, I can't say the same for the endless wheat fields that was the view for our commutes. I'm not bad-mouthing the whole state, however, because I was aware of one of it's great exports: "Cleveland Rocks". Originally written by glam rocker Ian Hunter for his 1979 album You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, the song is better known among younger audiences (like myself) for being covered by the alternative act TPOTUSOA and used as the theme song to The Drew Carey Show from 1997 onwards.

"Cleveland Rocks (Ian Hunter Cover)" by The Presidents of the United States of America

Listen to the original here

Rent is due,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Orchestral Music From Latin America

Another week, another Alt.Latino pick. This time Felix Contreras sits down with Tom Huizenga as they embark on a journey following the influence and evolution of classical music in Latin America. Part music lesson and part history lesson, this podcast offers a great introduction to a genre that is as diverse as the countries that produce it.

Listen to "Alt.Latino Goes Classical: Orchestral Music From Latin America"

Visit Alt.Latino

Why not a mariachi opera, right?
Kelvin

Song of the Week: A Thousand Years

I'm not one to listen to pop ballads in my spare time, but some songs stand out when they're added to a playlist my girlfriend shares with me and when they are the sole slow dance at the reception of a wedding at the end of that same week. "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri is one such song, a beautifully composed ode to faithfulness. It's so good that I can (almost) ignore the fact that it's featured on the soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.

"A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri

Heart beats fast,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: It Takes Guts to Be Alive

The latest guest DJ session presented by Alt.Latino is actually a re-run from 2012 and features Dominican author Junot Diaz. Diaz brings with him an eclectic setlist with bachata, merengue and pop-punk, all sounds that reminded me deeply of my formative years (being half-Dominican myself). The trio of Diaz with Felix Contreras and Jasmine Garst also discuss the evolution of musical styles and influences in Latin America, specifically in the Caribbean, and the role music plays in asserting the identity of those with a stake in the name latino.

Listen to "Guest DJ Junot Diaz: 'It Takes Guts To Be Alive'"

Visit Alt.Latino

Breaking the omertà,

Kelvin

Song of the Week: Far From Any Road

Some time ago I spotted that Spotify had added a new playlist called "Southern Gothic" and I got around to listening to it today. I enjoyed this walk down the darker side of Americana and was elated to hear a song I recognized. "Far From Any Road", off of the 2003 album Singing Bones by The Handsome Family, served as the theme for the first season of True Detective which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson. The song creates a tension between the sultry and the sorrowful that reflects the mood of the show, set in a land of temptation and dissatisfaction where the justice exacted by the legal and moral law never seems enough to undo the evil pervading the living hell, exterior and interior, in which each of the characters exist.

"Far From Any Road" by The Handsome Family

The wind will be my hands,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: How LSD Works

Talk about a random topic. Stuff You Should Know is known for covering subjects that span across all forms of study and experience, and this past week Josh and Chuck decided to expound on the history and effects of the psychedelic drug LSD (a.k.a., acid). Though I did appreciate their debunking of several myths surrounding the drug, I had less regard for their advocacy of therapeutic use of acid and the considerable amount of time they allotted for the whole discussion (nearly 90 minutes, when most shows are under 45).

The episode's saving grace, however, came in a dialogue the pair had with John Hodgman (from The Daily Show) at the end. A pseudo-feud had arisen between the two parties after SYSK released their "Nostalgia" episode at the end of March in direct retaliation of Hodgman's notion that "nostalgia is the most toxic impulse". In this engrossing 20-minute conversation, the three hash out the clarifications of their own stances (in which much common ground was found) and Hodgman adeptly argues how the notion of longing for the "good ol' days" can be destructive when abused by an individual for the purpose of escaping reality or when mechanized by a political entity for the purpose of marginalizing sectors of their own and other societies. Following this, I felt a responsibility to vet his podcast, Judge John Hodgman, and another he suggested, The Dana Gould Hour (at least the episode "Happysad!"), as possible additions to my subscription list.

Listen to "How LSD Works"

Visit Stuff You Should Know

I was not expecting jihad, Donald Trump or Darth Maul to make an appearance,
Kelvin

Song of the Week: You Said It

I first encountered Beverly (not to be confused with The Beverleys) on this year's Austin 100 and was instantly enchanted by "Victoria", a powerpop revival gem that served as the lead single for their upcoming album. Last Friday, the band released their sophomore record, The Blue Swell, and my favorite from the collection of jangle-dreampop tracks was "You Said It" which perfectly unites Beach Boys surf cred, Pixies fuzz and Metric crooning to form an indie masterpiece of B-side proportions.

"You Said It" by Beverly

You can't unsay it,

Kelvin

Podcast of the Week: Reservation Missionary

One podcast that stood out from all the downloads last week came from Catching Foxes where the duo of Luke and Gomer conversed with Kenn Cramer about his work with a unique class of poor America. This was a very enlightening discussion as it brought to mind the continued existence of Native American reservations and the particular challenges the inhabitants of these face in terms of poverty, discrimination, identity, purpose and religion.

Listen to "Reservation Missionary Kenn Cramer"

Visit Catching Foxes

You can wear a cassock and be a nice guy,

Kelvin

Song of the Week: I Was Home

One of the songs featured on last week's KEXP Song of the Day podcast was "I Was Home" by Sunflower Bean. Starting out seemingly harmless, the call-and-response indie punk gave way to an intense garage-psychedelia and then back again. I replayed the song again before I checked out their debut album which was released this February, Human Ceremony, and then realized that I had heard one of their songs, "Space Exploration Disaster", a couple of weeks back on an All Songs episode. All I have to say is, eat your heart out Black Keys.

"I Was Home" by Sunflower Bean

I was home and then I wasn't,

Kelvin