Taxi!

Chris

Chris lives in Austin, TX, where he once shook Willie Nelson's hand.

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10 Responses

  1. Glyph says:

    Man, when is Lykke Li going to follow up Wounded Rhymes? One of my favorite albums that year.

    And I’ve linked this Spoon Black Cab before. Great tune:

    Report

    • Chris in reply to Glyph says:

      First, dude, you like Lykke Li? For some reason I didn’t predict that, and am glad to be wrong. I think I thought she might be a little pop for you.

      Second, the Spoon session is awesome. Their sound works well in that context, though I admit I’m surprised by just how many different sounds work in a taxi, whatever the acoustic properties. Some you wouldn’t think would work well that scaled down.

      Third, I just can’t get into the Lips session. I don’t know if it’s because it’s so slow to develop or what, but I’ve probably watched it more than half a dozen times, and I find myself wanting to just turn it off each time. And I love the Lips.Report

      • Glyph in reply to Chris says:

        Yeah, I love that album. It’s pop, but it’s got some weird stuff going on too, and there’s bits that remind me of Bjork or Neko.

        This chorus lyric sounds like a Stephin Merritt one to me:

        The little percussive effect/hook (not sure what it is – something like a thumb piano maybe?) is amazing:
        Report

  2. Glyph says:

    And I didn’t think the Lips one was bad! What the heck is that plexiglass bubble Drozd has over his guitar? Some sort of resonance damper?Report

    • Glyph in reply to Glyph says:

      Speaking of “bubble” – the reason this is a “thing”, is that the rounded bubble shape of London cabs (in addition to being just large enough to accommodate an instrument or three) are very good acoustic environments. I used to drive a ’69 Beetle, and properly insulated and with the right stereo setup, same thing – that curved roof reflects all the sound waves perfectly.Report

  3. Well, that was just delightful. I haven’t had a chance to watch them all, but I’ve loved all the ones I’ve seen thus far. (Lykke Li was my favorite, I think.)

    And, as I suspected, we have different tastes in music. As I just said yesterday, I love Fleet Foxes.Report

    • Chris in reply to Russell Saunders says:

      I thought you might like Lykke Li. And I actually kinda like Fleet Foxes now, but I don’t think I quite got what they were doing until I saw that. On the other hand, I kinda like Grizzly Bear, but I wish they were really doing what they do in the cab instead of what they do out of it.Report

  4. trizzlor says:

    Wow, the Grizzly Bear video is killer, and the sound is just as interesting as the album version. One of my faves is the St. Vincent cover of Dig a Pony, which is great as just a straight cover but also really takes advantage of the intimate setting.Report

    • Chris in reply to trizzlor says:

      Oh, I really enjoyed that. I don’t remember seeing it, despite my saying that I think I’d seen them all.

      I love when the artists smile during their performances in these things. One of the things I like about the Black Cab Sessions is that you get a sense that the artists, while they take it seriously, realize that they’re in a cab and they shouldn’t take it that seriously. The Jessie Ware session is like that. Here’s a pop star, or at least a pop artist, who realizes that there’s something absurd about singing a pop song in a taxi, particularly with that voice, which could easily overwhelm the acoustics if she unleashed it.

      Also, that Grizzly Bear session really is awesome, isn’t it? It may be my favorite (though I really like the Feist one, too), because it really is a unique creation. I mean, they’re still doing their song, but they’re doing a different song too.Report

  5. NewDealer says:

    Now I am picturing you reenacting the scene from Raiders with your parents. I think they were drinking grappa.

    Here is a good cab music video/cover:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nPPRQeTxTYReport