Cat Stevens "How Can I Tell You"

I've been aware of Yusuf Islam (fka Cat Stevens) for as long as I can recall. I remember that I had a friend in high school that adored him, but other than cursory knowledge of his hits I admit that I did not know much about him nor his oeuvre.

That changed slightly this past Spring/Summer. I went to a vinyl/CD sale here in town and fingered through various vintage albums when I came across Teaser And The Firecat for the small sum of $5. I had started my affinity for vinyl recorded and pressed during the 70s because those albums and the songs on them were produced for vinyl, and honestly, I think they sound better on said medium.

Sure, the cover was a bit beat up, but the record itself was in pristine collection, so for a five spot, why not?

Again, I was familiar with the hits on this album, but I had never sat down and listened to it from start to finish, especially not on vinyl.

Dear reader, in a very short span of time this became one of my favorite albums to put on. As to the rest of his back catalog, I can't rightly say, but this album, damn, I mean, just DAMN!, it's pure magic to me.

It's hard to pick a single track to highlight, but this track has a wonderful balance of beauty and sadness that it simply had to be my pick.

I hope you love it as much as I do! Have a great weekend!

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Nine Inch Nails "Closer" (B Stage Remix w/Boys Noize)

At 30+ years old I think we can all agree that "Closer" was a hit that was about as perfect as it could have been, and has since become a classic. But ever since I saw NIN in Detroit, and even before, thanks to YouTube, I have been obsessed with this remix of the track. I thought maybe that would fade, but here we are weeks later and I am still impressed with not only the audacity to rework such a well-known, iconic song, but I'm equally astounding as to how well it works. And now, with the Coachella lineup announced (see above as well), it's obvious that this NIN/Boys Noize collaboration is going to continue as Nine Inch Noize. Personally, I love it, and am hopeful to get an official release of this version so I can buy it and listen to it to my heart's content. Welcome to Monday! Enjoy!

Boys Noize feat. Rico Nasty "Girl Crush"

I saw Nine Inch Nails for what I believe is my fifth time on Friday, and Boys Noize was not only the opening act, he was also on the "B Stage" playing with Trent/Atticus for four songs in the middle of the set, delivering a remixed/retooled version of "Closer" that I absolutely love. You can check out that part of the set below (starting with "Vessel" and moving into "Closer"): While all of that is certainly impressive, Boys Noize is no slouch when it comes to his own music. If I am being completely honest, I was torn as to which track of his I should post here, either "Close" or "Girl Crush," but as I listened to them both, man, it was a hard decision because they are both so good, but I had to go with my heart. That Gesaffelstein-esque, synth bassline just appeals to me in a way that is difficult to put into words, so I won't. I'll let Boys Noize's music speak for itself. Enjoy! Happy Monday! +/- by Boys Noize

Black Sabbath "War Pigs"

Sadly, just a bit ago, Ozzy Osbourne passed , having only recently staged his farewell concert with the other surviving members of Black Sabbath. While I admit that I am far from a metal-head, I certainly respect Ozzy's contribution to music in general, and metal in particular. They were the marred and tarnished flipside of the coin to their peers, Led Zeppelin, and yet, no one else was like them. No one else could be Black Sabbath, and certainly, no one else could have been Ozzy Osbourne. Rest in Peace, Ozzy. Note: I typically post links to music Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, but made an exception this morning for a programming note to highlight Bandcamp Friday. Tomorrow I will continue posting links to music you can find there, but if anyone deserved to be part of an exception, it was definitely Ozzy.

This Track Is Fire!

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