Quinn Skylark's Emporium of Wonders

Women of Influence #2: Audrey Hepburn

2009-04-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Women of Influence: Helena Bonham Carter

2009-04-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton - The Mountain Goats

2008-08-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find a good video of this Mountain Goats tune on these here Internets. I've been a Mountain Goats fan for a long time, but kind of fell out of touch with what John Darnielle was doing. Darnielle is probably one of the best lyricists currently writing songs. They're wonderful microcosms, moving stories, evocative poetry. This tune "The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton," is a true pearl of great price. It so moved me that it inspired me to write a short story of my own using the themes Darnielle puts so succinctly in this song. If there were any justice in the world, The Mountain Goats would be on every top 10 list. But, sad to say, the world isn't just.

Youth Brigade - Fight to Unite

2008-08-07T05:34:00.000-07:00

Ah, Youth Brigade, one of the bands from my wayward youth. This clip is from the movie "Another State of Mind," not the greatest movie, but a great document of the hardcore punk scene in the early 80s. The movie chronicled the Social Distortion's and Youth Brigade's 1982 tour across the U.S. and Canada.

Spike Jones - Der Fuehrer's Face

2008-08-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Spike Jones recorded two versions of 'Der Fuehrer's Face,', the one here with a rubber 'birdaphone' razzing Hitler after each 'HEIL,' and one with a wonky trombone note. The 'birdaphone' version was the one released.

The trombone version is heard here in this wonderful Donald Duck propaganda cartoon:

There's a shot in the cartoon of smokestacks belching columns of smoke. It's meant to be a depiction of the factory where Donald Duck works, but in light of history it's somewhat chilling.

Rivers of Babylon - Boney M

2008-08-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

I really like this disco version of "Rivers of Babylon" by Boney M. The lyrics come from Psalm 137. The psalm is a lament of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

The reggae version, originally written by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of The Melodians, is a truncated version of the Biblical hymn which depicts the Jewish longing for Jerusalem and hatred for its enemies. Africans, relegated to Jamaica by the slave trade, identified with the pain of captivity and made the song their own.

Billy Bragg - The Great Leap Forward

2008-08-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

As we countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, here's Billy Bragg's great tune "The Great Leap Forward."

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - From "Night Music"

2008-08-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

Great little clip for those new to Rahsaan Roland Kirk's music. Blind since birth, Kirk says "sound is something like eyesight to me." He was an amazing musician and, if you'll forgive me, something of a visionary, pushing the boundaries of blues-fueled jazz so far that even the avant-garde free jazzers of Kirk's day were undeniable fans.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Serenade to a Cuckoo - 1972

2008-08-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

Rahsaan Roland Kirk's great performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1972 backed by pianist Ron Burton, bass player Henry "Pete" Pearson, drummer Robert Shy, and percussionist Joe "Habao" Texidor.

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - I Say a Little Prayer - 1969

2008-08-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

"I Say a Little Prayer," written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David in 1967, became a major hit for singer Dionne Warwick. Here, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, uses the song as a kind of celebratory lament for Martin Luther King, Jr.