My parents have been here since Thursday, and in addition to being exhausting (a nasty toothache didn’t help), they’ve made sure I’ve had entirely too much grappa. So this will be a sort of abbreviated, somewhat tipsy post.
I hope you find something you enjoy in it, though.
A couple years ago, I was looking up Feist when I came across something really weird: a video of Feist playing in the back of a London taxi. No, you read that right: in the back of a taxi. And I found it incredibly charming.
It turns out that this is a thing.
It’s called Black Cab Sessions, and there are tons of them. Sometimes they work:
Sometimes they don’t:
Sometimes they make me like artists I had previously disliked:
Sometimes the artists don’t seem to know what to make of it:
Sometimes the artists make me think they should always play in cabs:
Sometimes they’re not particularly good, but fun anyway:
Sometimes I think, “Man, I’ve been in that cab!”
Sometimes, Yes!
Sometimes, who the hell was that? More, please.
Sometimes… wait, was that Beyonce’s sister?
Black Cab Sessions – Solange from Black Cab Sessions on Vimeo.
Sometimes, damn:
But always entertaining. I don’t think I’ve regretted watching one yet, and I’ve probably watched them all. So check them out, and let me know if you find any you like.
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:
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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
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:
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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