More good music for your listening pleasure

It occurs to me that I haven't mentioned my Noondaytune contributions in ages. Without further ado and including some snippets from my rather lyrical write-ups:

• Pretty Saro - Bob Dylan. ("Dylan fans are going to be rejoicing in their master’s munificence… and his bountiful back catalogue.")
• Been There Before - Ghost Beach. ("... a nice reminder that sometimes music doesn’t need to be anything other than fun and instantly accessible.")
• But We Did - Thomas Dybdahl. ("You’ll find shades of Bon Iver here (with a less annoying falsetto) and maybe even a distant hint of Jeff Buckley.")
• Indie Cindy - Pixies. ("Comparisons with their early work and sound is probably inevitable at this point. However... if there are any of those famous hard-soft dynamics at play in this song, then the order has been switched. The verses are now abrasive, while the choruses, instead of being explosive, are soothingly melodic.")
• Working For You - Patrick Sweany. ("... it feels like the world could do with a more generous helping of blues-infused rock. I’m doing what I can to remedy matters with this track.")
• Girl From The North Country - Secret Machines. ("This cover version manages to do that rare thing: Preserving the essence of a great song whilst reinventing its dynamics. Listening to it feels like being washed over by a storm and then left in the tranquil aftermath of its passing.")
• Always - Panama. ("... this Sydney-based quartet is helping to erase any lingering Antipodean antipathy I bear as a result of various cricket World Cups. More importantly, if this is where pop music is going, count me in.")
• I Got Love If You Want It - Slim Harpo. ("Taking his stage name from the harmonica (or “harp”) that he played with such laconic precision, his songs were gratefully adapted by a veritable who’s who of 1960s rock ‘n roll.")
• California - Mazzy Star. ("It has been 20 years since “Fade Into You” first drifted through the speakers of my night-time radio like a somnambulist’s love song. With this reunion album, Mazzy Star have embarked upon a continuation that is eerily reminiscent... Perhaps a small testament to L.P. Hartley’s famous observation about the past being a different country: they do things differently there.")
• Nothing To Lose But Your Head - Augustines. ("This latest single comes ahead of their eponymous sophomore album and exudes all the grit, verve and elation that made their last record such a tour de force.")

If I had to pick three favourites from the above list, it would probably have to be Secret Machines, Panama and Augustines. Ask me tomorrow though and that might change. Regardless, the bottom line is that we[*] here at Stickman's Corral are constantly scouring the internet for good music so that you don't have to!

[*] The royal "we".

Asimbonanga (Mandela)

Asimbonanga (We have not seen him)

Asimbonang' uMandela thina (We have not seen Mandela)

Laph'ekhona (In the place where he is)

Laph'ehleli khona (In the place where he is kept)

Oh the sea is cold and the sky is grey

Look across the island into the bay

We are all islands 'til comes the day

We cross the burning water

Asimbonanga (We have not seen him)

Asimbonang' uMandela thina (We have not seen Mandela)

Laph'ekhona (In the place where he is)

Laph'ehleli khona (In the place where he is kept)

A seagull wings across the sea

Broken silence is what I dream

Who has the words to close the distance

Between you and me

Asimbonanga (We have not seen him)

Asimbonang' uMandela thina (We have not seen Mandela)

Laph'ekhona (In the place where he is)

Laph'ehleli khona (In the place where he is kept)

Steven Biko. Victoria Mxenge. Neil Aggett.

Asimbonanga Asimbonang 'umfowethu thina (We have not seen our brother)

Laph'ekhona (In the place where he is)

Laph'wafela khona (In the place where he died)

Hey wena (Hey you!)

Hey wena nawe (Hey you and you as well)

Siyofika nini la' siyakhona? (When will we arrive at our destination)

TEDxBergen

I mentioned the other day that I acted as moderator for the recent TEDxBergen conference. Videos of the various talks have now been posted online, but here are two that I particularly enjoyed as a sample.

1) Mads Nordmo gave a talk on moral psychology, which challenges the traditional "transactional" view of behaviour -- as is favoured by a lot of economic theory.

Mads is actually doing a PhD with me -- albeit in the strategy department -- and also has a degree in clinical psychology. His opening remark about showing that "it wasn't just beginner's luck" was in reference to a quip that I made about him winning a 'Best lecturer' award from NHH bachelor students. (Link in Norwegian.)

He used various examples to underscore his points, including the growing popularity of CrossFit and the paleo diet.[*] For instance, a purely transactional view provides us with very little insight into why people pay such exorbitant sums of money to join CrossFit gyms. The exercises mostly require far less equipment than ordinary gyms and we could all do as many sit-ups and push-ups as we want at home (for free!). However, Mads argued that these "movements" actually constitute a quasi-religious experience -- much like we would encounter at a rock concert or sports match -- where the sense of communal spirit and exaltation actually enable participants to achieve some kind of transcendence.

In the Q&A afterwards (not shown), I suggested that economics would normally explain the high membership fees paid to crossfit gyms as a commitment device. Mads agreed that this too is an important psychological driver. However, there is at the least no reason to regard such phenomena as mutually exclusive. (Interestingly, he also said that psychology is moving closer to economics... not simply the other war around, as is often asserted in some heterodox circles.) Anyway, he is a smart and funny guy, and I think that both traits are evident in his talk. Check it out:




2) The Grammy-nominated violinist, Peter Sheppard Skærved talked about reinvention and finding new purposes for old tools. Peter is a fascinating person -- the Library of Congress has described him as a polymath -- and I thoroughly enjoyed chatting to him about a range of topics, from anthropology to haptic technology, over the course of the day. In this video, he not only makes a compelling case for preserving "museum pieces" by actively using them as much as possible, but also treats the audience to a range of music pieces from across the ages.

___
[*] As someone who has a number of friends into (at least one of) CrossFit and the paleo diet, I freely admit that I am predisposed towards finding this discussion both amusing and enlightening.

July playlist

My fellow Noondaytune.com contributors have outdone themselves with some very cool song choices during the month of July. I say this with some authority as it was my turn to go through them and select eight favourite tracks for an end-of-the-month playlist. Here it is!

Noonday Tune - Volume 2: Twelve from Noonday Tune on 8tracks Radio.

(In addition to the opening track of the above playlist, my own recent contributions include Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Mikhael Paskalev.)

Music updates

My latest contributions to Noondaytune are a mix of classic rock and Nordic lo-fi (complete with a youth choir). Something for everyone!

1) Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - "Almost Cut My Hair"

2) Mr Little Jeans - "Oh Sailor"

Happenings

Given the inadvertent success of my previous post, I've decided to take the philosophical route for this next one: My fifteen minutes of quasi-blogosphere fame are almost certainly up and so it's time to resume normal services!

With that in mind, here are some mundane reflections on the last two weeks or so:

1) I wrote what should be my final ever (ever ever) sit down exam at the end of May. The subject was philosophy of science and, despite some frustrations, I enjoyed spending time on something that is outside of my normal field of expertise. I have now effectively completed my coursework requirements for the PhD -- both compulsory and elective credits -- and should be able to concentrate on the research side of things. Basically, I've got two years to finish the remaining two chapters in my dissertation and thus, thankfully, in a pretty good position at the moment.

2) My final article on natural gas and the environment was published at The Energy Collective. Having taken on short- and long-term carbon emissions, followed by demands placed on freshwater resources, this one looked at whether fracking can cause earthquakes? (Short answer: Yes, but you'll hardly notice them.) The issues surrounding natural gas and fracking are obviously very contentious. Important research is ongoing and I certainly don't expect everyone to be fully swayed by my articles and arguments. However, having spent a lot of time researching these matters -- giving primacy to the peer-reviewed scientific literature in the process -- the following paragraph provides an accurate summary of my overall impressions: "The takeaway is consistent with the overarching theme of my series. Yes, there are environmental trade-offs to securing the benefits of fracking and natural gas at large. Placed into the right context, however, these are relatively benign and often much better than the immediate alternative. Economics teaches us that there is no such thing as a free lunch, but fracking looks like a pretty good deal to me."

3) Not everyone was happy with the above article and I was involved in some amusing (not to mention ironic) Twitter spats. I'll summarise one of these for you:

@grant_mcdermott: "Does fracking case earthquakes? (link) Yes, but they're so small that you won't notice them."
@LoveCanal2020: "Whatevs! Shell sponsored that post. You're just a shill!"
@grant_mcdermott: "Ad hominem much? Actually, Shell have nothing to do with the content of my article. By all means though, don't address any facts."
@LoveCanal2020: "Meta-analysis Mumbo-jumbo! LOUD NOISES!"
@grant_mcdermott: "Yes. Science. As opposed to anecdotes, wild accusations and LIBERAL use of CAPITAL LETTERS."
@LoveCanal2020: "Criticize my creative use of capital letters, eh? Typical ad hominem!"
@grant_mcdermott: "Ad hominem?? I criticised your emotional outburst in lieu of actual facts."
@LoveCanal2020: "Still counts as ad hominem. #philosophy101"
@grant_mcdermott: "#philosophy101fail" 

etc

4) I'm spanning the genres for my latest song contributions to www.noondaytune.com: The Meters - "It Ain't No Use" and M83 (feat. Susanne Sundfør) - "Oblivion".

Recent Noonday Tune contributions

"Junk Bond Trader" -- Elliott Smith

"Love Spreads" -- The Stone Roses

(Worth clicking through for the descriptions alone!)

Noonday Tune

I get quite a bit of flack from (non-economist) friends and family whenever this blog goes too long without a music intermission... or some other distraction from the usual fair of "mundane econo-mese". (Thanks guys!)

The good news then, is that I recently joined Noonday Tune as a contributor. As the name suggests, this is a very cool website that posts a new song everyday at noon.

My first three contributions are a mix of stuff that I've been listening to lately and then some Scandinavian bands that I feel deserve a wider international exposure:

1. "Augustine" - We Are Augustines
2. "Hjerteknuser" (Heartbreaker) - Kaizers Orchestra
3. "Sister to all" - Real Ones

Well, don't just sit there. Hit the links and indulge your ears with aural satisfaction.

Backyard (royal) skulls

People seem to be pretty excited by the discovery of Richard III's skeleton underneath a Leicestershire car park. I suppose this would be quite interesting in of itself, but a personal development has elevated these events to a profound significance which is altogether unexpected. That is: Me getting my grubby little paws on Frightened Rabbit's new album, Pedestrian Verse, and the subsequent non-stop playing of "Backyard Skulls" (amongst others).

Let me put that into plainer words: I read about Richard III's skeleton being discovered under a parking lot at the precise moment that I was listening to a tune called "Backyard Skulls".

Coincidence?
I think not!

So, while some may call it serendipity, I think my listening efforts clearly played some kind of cosmic role in unearthing the ancient regent's bony remains. And, guided as I am here by the divine hand of blogging fate, I feel it is only fitting to share with you:

All our secrets are smothered in dirt, underneath paving stones

Lying waiting to be told

Some stay hidden, whilst some get found

Like our long lost soul, like a skull beneath the ground

Backyard skulls, deep beneath the ground

All those backyard skulls, not deep enough to never be found

Fear lies the first time that I was wrong

But there is still no sign, no X's mark the spot

The ancient encounters with foreign skin

All but perish by now, guess you can't erase the grin 
From those...

Backyard skulls, deep beneath the ground

All those backyard skulls, not deep enough to never be found

Through the patio doors, lies century upon century

The scars untold, has hushed the suburban adultery

And below our homes, and underneath the worms we feed

Like silent skulls, are smiling at the hypocrisy

Backyard skulls, deep beneath the ground

All those backyard skulls, not deep enough to never be found

Backyard skulls, deep beneath the ground

All those backyard skulls, not deep enough to never be found

Deep enough to never be found

Deep enough to never be found

PS - On the subject of Pedestrian Verse, I might put out a sneaky album review later in the week. (Short review: It's brilliant. Buy it.)

Sunday night music - Eddie Vedder & The Heartbreakers

Eddie Vedder really does have the most awesome voice around, doesn't he? [Note: I will fight you if you disagree.]

Not that he does anything spectacular by his own standards here... But, still, it's just a sublime rendition of this Tom Petty favourite.


And with that, back to my DSGE models...

Quick links (05/05/2012)

I'm about to go into a pre-exam blogging hibernation, but here are some links to keep you interested:

1) Ed Dolan gives a nice overview of the economic issues surrounding fracking and the environment. Summary: "As an economist, I see something still different [to fracking critics or industry supporters]: a familiar pattern of negative externalities and missing market signals, to which the appropriate response is unlikely to be either prohibition or laissez-faire."

2) Economic blog comment of the week goes to this guy: "This was not Netanyahu at the UN."

3) Bryan Caplan draws inspiration from Game of Thrones in writing up The Bettor's Oath (a la the Brothers of the Night's Watch).

4) Turning to sport, I enjoyed this column by David Moseley on the farce that Super Rugby has become. More specifically, the laughable tournament format cooked up by the SANZAR brains trust (a concept that needs to be employed in the loosest possible sense).

5) Ever wondered where or how bands got their names? Here's a list that's worth going through. Lots of cultural homage and sexual innuendo, as you'd expect. Some of the more interesting/unexpected ones for me were Procol Harem, Pulp, Spandau Ballet, and The Replacements. Speaking of which...

And that, ladies and gents, is what we call a stone cold classic.

6) UPDATE: Forgot to mention that I've signed this petition on GMO research. You should too, and show your support for science against mind-numbing Luddite prejudices.

Happy St Paddy's

I hope my Irish forebears would approve.



I make no apologies for this being my favourite version.

~ 

As I was going over the Cork and Kerry Mountains 

I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was countin' 

I first produced my pistol and then produced my rapier 

I said "Stand and deliver, or the devil he may take ya!" 

I took all of his money and it was a pretty penny 

I took all of his money and I brought it home to Molly 

She swore that she loved me, no never would she leave me 

But the devil take that woman, for you know she tricked me easy 

Musha rain dum-a-doo dum-a-da 

Whack for my daddy-o 

Whack for my daddy-o 

There's whiskey in the jar-o

Being drunk and weary I went to Molly's chamber 

Taking my Molly with me, but I never knew the danger 

For, about six or maybe seven, in walked Captain Farrell 

I jumped up, fired my pistols, and I shot him with both barrels

Musha rain dum-a-doo dum-a-da, ha, ya 

Whack for my daddy-o 

Whack for my daddy-o 

There's whiskey in the jar-o 

Now some men like a fishin', some men like the fowlin' 

Some men like to hear, to hear the cannonball a-roarin' 

But me, I like sleepin', `specially in my Molly's chamber 

But here I am in prison, here I am with a ball and chain!

Musha rain dum-a-doo dum-a-da, ha, ya 

Whack for my daddy-o 

Whack for my daddy-o 

There's whiskey in the jar-o 

Whiskey in the jar-o

Musha rain dum-a-doo dum-a-da 

Musha rain dum-a-doo dum-a-da, hey 

Musha rain dum-a-doo dum-a-da 

Musha rain dum-a-doo dum-a-da, ya

Cover Thursdays - James Morrison edition

When James Morrison first came on to the scene, I was distinctly of the "meh" opinion. His debut album Undiscovered was everywhere I looked and, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. On the mediocre side of average IMHO.

Bear in mind that a) I was living in London at the time, and b) the Brits have a singular ability to foster contempt among non-Brits for local artists and sportsmen as a result of their incessant patriotic promotion.[*]

That's not to say that this was bad period for me on the musical front. The music scene in London is pretty amazing and I was left almost frantic with the notion that I could see a superb live act every other night. (Coming from South Africa, this was like being on another planet...) The general Brit "sound" around that time was also pretty great, if I think back: The Fratellis, Editors, Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Amy Winehouse, Kasabian, Kooks, Razorlight, etc etc

But not James Morrison, whom seemed to be empty pop masquerading as thoughtful troubadour... and he hasn't done much to grow on me since. Having said that, while I don't normally like the music he makes, I do recognize that Morrison has a pretty unique voice with some real soulful quality to it.[**] In other words, he's exactly the type of candidate that can produce a good cover.

I still have mixed feelings about including him here, among the -- coveted! -- ranks of Cover Thursdays alumni at Stickman's Corral. However, hopefully you'll enjoy these two tracks that I've selected for your listening pleasure this fine Thursday. Both are acoustic numbers that offer Morrison a platform to showcase his smokey pipes and perhaps win us naysayers over...

1) "Man In The Mirror", originally by a certain Michael Jackson:

2) "Gangster's Gangsta's Paradise", originally by two-hit wonder, Coolio:




Verdict?
Yes, no, maybe?

---

[*] Tennis being an obvious "beneficiary" of this counterproductive approach. Poor ol' Tim Henman never stood a chance (even if he had been born with a personality). Andy Murray was pretty much goosed from the get go as well (even if he hadn't been born with a cactus lodged in his colon).

[**] Full disclosure: I did quite enjoy his last single, "I won't let you go". This acoustic version is certainly impressive and, if the music doesn't grab you, then the facial expressions just might do it...

Kings of Convenience - Me in You

If for no other reason than my apartment gets some camera time.[*]

Some very mellow Sunday night listening with suitably serene Scandinavian scenes.




[*] I'm basically famous now.

The Meters - Ain't No use

Because it's Sunday and you deserve it.



Tragically unappreciated by the public at large. Spread the funky word..

Walk Off The Earth - "Somebody that I used to know"

It may not be Thursday and the opening guitar riff is uncannily reminiscent of Baa Baa Black Sheep, but this is one of coolest covers I've heard/seen in ages.


.

Cover Thursdays - Ni' Zilund edition

In search for a unifying theme for this week's Cover Thursdays post, I suppose that I can do no better than tip my hat to the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Options for Kiwi bands are fairly limited -- let alone covers decent thereof -- but I think that I've got two songs here that you will enjoy...

First up, a very nice find by The Primate (keep up the good work, meneer). Boy & Bear get kinda bluegrassy on Crowded House's "Fall at Your Feet":



Next, The Naked & Famous see their synth-drenched "Punching In A Dream" given the ol' acoustic guitar and xylophone treatment by Antipodean fellows The Mission In Motion:



PS - If you are confused by the subject line of this post, then I suggest heading here for a little exercise in the Kiwi vernacular.

Cover Thursdays - Poncey Dylan edition

Guest post.

My mate, Poncey notes my calls for help RE this whole blogging thing and a lack of sufficient posting time. I would also let the record state that the man has started up his own blog, which you'll no-doubt be wanting visit straight after reading this! Who can resist a "A Smörgåsbord of weighty opinions[...] An exotic blend of rants, sport, music and observations of the absurd in everyday life -- as well as some other kak."? Not I. Anyway, here the Ponceman making a fairly ballsy call - Ed.

Right, so you get really excited when you hear that one of your favourite bands is singing a cover of one of your favourite artists.  In this case it's the Decemberists* doing Leonard Cohen's 'Hey that's no way to say goodbye'.  You patiently wait for it to be released and for it to reach YouTube and when -- and I'm just finishing my first listen here as I type -- you hear it and you're thoroughly disappointed.

I was going to say something along the lines of you've got to have a huge set of stones to cover Leonard Cohen, but then I realised that an oke named Rufus Wainwright and Liv Tyler have done decent efforts -- so maybe he lends himself to the cover a bit better than Bobby D.

If you're reading Stickman's blog or know the man personally you're probably not averse to the odd thesis-length post or conversation (he remains the only person I've ever heard use annotations during a conversation), but I'm going to keep this relatively short.

Covering Dylan is an insane risk in my opinion.  Yes, Guns 'n Roses, Jimi Hendrix and no doubt some quite enjoy the wailing of Joan Baez or the unbearable naff-ness that is the Byrds.  Yes yes.  Making something that is already brilliant more popular ain't really the point.

HOWEVER, I do believe I have found the greatest Dylan cover ever.  Up until two months ago it wasn't on YouTube, but here it is now for your enjoyment.

Aim your stones at the body.  Go.

Poncey. 

Cover Thursdays - Instrumetalist edition

And, yes, I did mean to spell it that way.

Just got some time to squeeze this in before a self-imposed deadline... I feel it's high time we had something a little different here at the Corral. "How different?", you ask.

Well, how do some head-banging -- though possibly epileptic -- cellists grab you?



Okay, perhaps you're not impressed. If so, then I'm afraid to say that this next clip, featuring the (multi-talented!) comedian Bill Bailey, may not sway you either:



Well, I chuckled.

Cover Thursdays - 90s throwback edition

Super quick post as I'm off to catch a plane shortly, but here's a little something to take you back a decade or so:

1) The awesome Karen O leads her Yeah Yeah Yeahs bandmates in a heartfelt rendition of Sonic Youth's "Diamond Sea".



2) GR reminds me of this suitably quirky Crash Test Dummies version of "Androgynous", originally by (tragically under-appreciated) The Replacements.



Stay classy folks and I'll see you all a couple days once my internet is successfully set up.