Craig Keefner homepage

April 21, 2008

Listening Music and Movies

Music I listen to and movies I have seen and liked.

Music

Dave Gravis -- latest stuff on myspace is best he has ever done.
Joel Weiskopf - Devoted To You -- very nice piano jazz ballads
Jon Mayer -- So Many Stars -- piano jazz with very nice ballads
Jethro Tull -- Best of Acoustic
John McLaughlin - 2 set best of "Essential"
Bruce Hornsby
Camp Meeting
Sony Legacy
2007

Arthur Bliss: Orchestral Study #3 Op 16
English Northern Philharmonia / David Lloyd-Jones
Naxos 553383

Christoph Gluck: Dance of the Blessed Spirits
Academy of Ancient Music / Christopher Hogwood
Lisa Beznosiuk, flute
L'Oiseau-Lyre 410553

Camille Saint-Saens: Rhapsodie d'Auvergne Op 73
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Andre Previn
Jean-Philippe Collard, piano
EMI 49757

Ned Rorem
Leon Fleisher Plays
# 3 Barcarolles: No.1
# 3 Barcarolles: No.2
# 3 Barcarolles: No.3

Old and Lost Rivers
premiered by the Houston Symphony, conducted by Sergiu Comissiona, on May 10, 1986. The Houston Symphony commissioned Old and Lost Rivers as part of their 1986 Fanfare Project. The project was conceived by the composer, who was at that time the Symphony's Composer-in-Residence; twenty other composers participated.
http://www.tobiaspicker.com/recordings.html#5sacredtrees

Don Ross
http://www.gobyfish.com/Home.html
Extraordinary acoustic guitarist in league with Hedges
Passion Session 1999

Movies

• The Reader -- amazing
  
• Charley Wilson's War - especially funny being from Houston
  
• Revolver -- the most involving movie to date. A study of ego and how it affects us, and rules us. Watch a second time with dialogue playing and the commentary running. Some devastating moments.
  
• Before the Devil Knows You're Dead -- hard to watch since it shows an imploding family but very good.
  
• Fracture -- very good. Reminded me of Chinatown.
  
• Day of the Dog -- not very good.
  
• number 23 -- so so movie
  
• Black Snake Moan -- great movie with great blues but very upfront
  
• The Painted Veil -- romantic drama set in interior China. Ed Norton and Naomi Watts. Very good movie.
  
• Everything is Illuminated -- interesting movie that had me thinking about it for days afterwards. It has a tragicomic irony built into it (like Jean De Florette).
  
• Akeela and the Bee
  
• Christmas in the Clouds -- American Indians make movies too. This one has Graham Greene and Rita Coolidge in it. Terrific music at end.
  
• Illusionist -- interesting movie.
  
• Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont - great movie
  
• Simon Birch
  
• The Way Home -- 2002 movie of the year in Korea. About a youngboy who has to live with his grandmother for awhile.
  

  Posted by keefner at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)

  October 10, 2007

  Songs and Lyrics - Oklahoma

  Nice tune by James McMurtry covering Oklahoma. Lyrics are vintage McMurtry.

  Strap them kids in
  Give 'em a little bit of vodka in a cherry coke
  We're going to Oklahoma to the family reunion for the first time in years
  It's up at uncle Slayton's cause he's getting on in years
  You know he no longer travels but he's still pretty spry
  He's not much on talking and he's just too mean to die
  And they'll be comin' down from Kansas
  and from west Arkansas
  It'll be one great big old party like you never saw

  Uncle Slayton's got his Texan pride
  Back in the thickets with his Asian bride
  He's got a Airstream trailer and a Holstein cow
  He still makes whiskey 'cause he still knows how
  He plats that Choctaw bingo every Friday night
  You know he had to leave Texas but he won't say why
  He owns a quarter section up by Lake Eufala
  Caught a great big ol' blue cat on a driftin' jug line
  Sells his hardwood timber to the shipping mill
  Cooks that crystal meth because the shine don't sell
  He cooks that crystal meth because the shine don't sell
  You know he likes his money he don't mind the smell

  My cousin Roscoe Slayton's oldest boy from his second marriage up in Illinois
  He was raised in East St. Louis by his momma's people
  Where they do things different
  Thought he'd just come on down
  He was going to Dallas Texas in a semi truck called from that big McDonald's
  You know the one they built up on that great big ol' bridge
  Across the Will Rogers Turnpike
  Took the Big Cabin exit stopped and bought a couple of cartons of cigarettes
  At that Indian Smoke Shop with the big neon smoke rings
  In the Cherokee Nation hit Muskogee late that night
  Somebody ran a stoplight at the Shawnee Bypass
  Roscoe tried to miss 'em but he didn't quite

  Bob and Mae come up from little town
  Way down by lake Texoma where he coaches football
  They were two A champions now for two years running
  But he says they won't be this year no they won't be this year
  And he stopped off in Tushka at that "Pop's Knife and Gun" place
  Bought a SKS rifle and a couple a full cases of that steel core ammo
  With the berdan primers from some East bloc nation that no longer needs 'em
  And a Desert Eagle that's one great big ol' pistol
  I mean .50 caliber made by badass Hebrews
  And some surplus tracers for that old BAR of Slayton's
  Soon as it gets dark we're gonna have us a time
  We're gonna have us a time

  Ruth Ann and Lynn come down from Baxter Springs
  That's one hell raisin' town way up in Southeastern Kansas
  Got a biker bar next to the lingerie store
  That's got them Rolling Stones lips up there where everyone can see 'em
  And they burn all night you know they burn all night you know they burn all night

  Ruth Ann and Lynn they wear them cut off britches and those skinny little halters
  And they're second cousins to me
  Man I don't care I want to get between 'em
  With a great big ol' hard on like a old bois d' arc fence post
  You could hang a pipe rail gait from
  Do some twisted sisters 'til the cows come home
  And we'd be havin' us a time

  Uncle Slayton's got his Texan pride
  Back in the thickets with his Asian bride
  He's cut that corner pasture into acre lots`
  He sells 'em owner financed
  Strictly to them that's got no kind of credit 'Cause he knows they're slackers
  When they miss that payment
  Then he takes it back
  He plays that Choctaw Bingo every Friday night
  Drinks that Johnny Walker at that Club 69
  We're gonna strap them kids in give 'em a little bit o' Benadryl
  And a cherry coke we're goin' to Oklahoma Gonna have us a time

  Posted by keefner at 05:47 PM | Comments (0)

  October 28, 2006

  Bad Jokes, Lord I love em..

  I saw the Prairie Home Companion movie the other day. It was pretty good but the star of the show for me was the Bad Jokes Dust & Lefty duet by Woody Harrelson and John C. Riley. Hilarious.

  (Feat. John C. Reilly)

  The blind man's seeing eye dog
  Pissed on the blind man's shoe
  The blind man said, "Here Rover,
  Here's a piece of beef for you."
  His wife said, "Don't reward him.
  You can't just let that pass."
  The blind man said,
  "I gotta find his mouth,
  so I can kick him in the ass."

  Chorus

  Bad Jokes,
  Lord I love them.
  Bad jokes,
  Can't get enough of 'em.
  oo oo oo whee,
  Bad jokes for me.

  You got one Dusty.
  I got one Lefty.
  Let's hear it.

  When God created woman,
  He gave not two breasts but three.
  When the middle one got in the way
  God performed surgery.
  Woman stood before God,
  With middle breast in hand.
  Said "What do we do,
  With the useless boob?"
  And got created man.

  Bad Jokes,
  Lord I love them.
  Bad jokes,
  Can't get enough of 'em.
  oo oo oo whee,
  Bad jokes for me.

  Gramps turned 80 the other day,
  He never did find his way.
  He dressed up in a brand new suit,
  Sitting in a big lawn chair.
  When a beautiful young naked woman,
  Stood up in front of the group.
  She offered gramps some super sex ,
  And he said, "I'll take the soup!"

  Bad Jokes,
  Lord I love them.
  Bad jokes,
  Can't get enough of 'em.
  oo oo oo whee,
  Bad jokes for me.

  You ready for another one?
  Yea, lay it on me.

  Olie went to the neighborhood dance,
  And he won the big door prize.
  Was a toilet brush,
  And he took it home.
  And the next week one of the guys,
  Said, "Olie, how's that toilet brush,
  The one you won from the neighbors?"
  Olie said, "Oh, it works pretty good,
  but I prefer toilet paper."

  Bad Jokes,
  Lord I love them.
  Bad jokes,
  Can't get enough of 'em.
  oo oo oo whee,
  Bad jokes for me.

  Farmer had a champion bull,
  Bred 200 times a year.
  Farmer's wife said, "200 times.
  Isn't that wonderful dear.
  Maybe you otta watch 'em
  Maybe he'll show you how."
  Farmer said, "He's a heck of a bull,
  But it wasn't all with same cow."
  Come on now.

  Bad Jokes,
  Lord I love them.
  Bad jokes,
  Can't get enough of 'em.
  oo oo oo whee,
  Bad jokes for me.

  You gotta another one Dusty?
  Actually I do.

  You hear about the viagra shipment that got stolen?

  No, who they think did that?

  Well they don't know,
  But they are on the lookout for hardened criminals.

  You got another one?
  I got another one Lefty.

  Sven said to his friend,
  "O, I think my wife died."
  His friend said, "What do you mean you think?"
  "Well, the sex is still the same,
  But the dishes are stacking up."

  Hey Dusty.
  Yea Lefty.

  Did you know that diarrhea was hereditary?

  No, I didn't.
  Yea, it runs in your jeans.

  Heya, Lefty.
  Yea, go aheadin.

  Why do they call it PMS?
  PMS, well I don't know why?
  Mad cow was already taken.

  Hey, Dusty.
  Yea, Lefty.

  What do you get when you cross
  Holy water with castor oil?
  I don't know Lefty.
  What do you get?
  A religious movement.

  Heya, Hey, Lefty.

  What did the elephant
  say to the naked man?
  What did he say?
  He said, "It's cute,
  But can you really breath
  through that thing?"

  Come on

  Bad Jokes,
  Lord I love them.
  Bad jokes,
  Can't get enough of 'em.
  oo oo oo whee,
  Bad jokes for me.

  Bad Jokes,
  Man I love them.
  Bad jokes,
  Can't get enough of 'em.
  oo oo oo whee,
  Baaaad, Whoo
  jokes for meee.

  Hey!

  Posted by keefner at 10:06 PM | Comments (0)

  March 10, 2006

  tunes of mine

  Been awhile since MP3.com where I had songs before but I needed to cut some to digital so I did.

  Old and new tunes

  
  

  • new: hide my heart -- double 12-strings with banjo and mandolin
    

  • new: hart instrumental -- double 12-strings
    

  • new: shiny thing w/josh -- six-string version with a little harp from a nephew
    

  • new: shiny thing - full -- couple of 12 strings
    

  • new: western sunset instrumental -- double twelves with japanese mando
    

    ---

    
    

  • old: I wanna be a big man -- me and my guitar
    

  • old: honky tonk dreamer -- six strings with texas vocals
    

  • old: i don't say
    

  • old: old indian -- couple of guitars and vocals recorded in a closet in Houston
    

  • old: looking round -- six strings and song for my dad

  Posted by keefner at 02:52 AM | Comments (1)

  January 29, 2005

  New Artists

  	Couldn't stop myself and bought the debut Johnny Hiland CD. This guy plays guitar like Stevie Vai wishes...
  	Also got "Tractor Parts: Further Adventures in Strang" cd by Zubot and Dawson.
  	Also extraordinary instrumental aoustic guitar from local in Boulder. Patrick is the most listenable artists I have ever heard.
  Also - almost bought the Liquid Didj Desert cd. The Roanoke Jug Band among others..

  Posted by keefner at 09:41 PM | Comments (0)

  March 24, 2004

  Re-Invention

  Neil Young, the folk-country-grunge dinosaur is reborn (again) as an Internet-friendly, biodiesel-driven, multimedia machine.

  Neil Young flips genres so often that his record company once sued him for failing to release "Neil Young music." He experimented with orchestral accompaniment in the '60s and techno in the '80s. But the folk-country-grunge rocker's latest project makes those early forays look like adolescent angst. The 58-year-old has transformed the songs on his latest album, Greendale, into an opera that plays in every medium but PowerPoint (so far): There's a CD and bonus DVD; a live concert tour, which boasts three stages filled with 30 lip-synching actors; a Web site that streams every song on the album; and finally, a movie opening in Los Angeles February 27. Taken together, they tell the Faulkneresque tale of a fictional rural California family, the Greens, who get caught up in a media frenzy. Given Young's penchant for simple statements, Greendale's scope may seem like overkill. But that might be just what it takes for an aging rocker to survive in the MP3 era.

  
  Photo by Corbis
  Neil Young
  WIRED: You're a music legend. Why be a director and an Internet entrepreneur, too?
  YOUNG: I don't have mainstream radio to count on anymore - they won't play my stuff. The Internet is the new radio. To tell the stories I want to tell, I have to use everything that's available and use it all at once. I have to go through a lot to make sure people won't perceive it as just a Neil Young record, because everybody thinks they know what that is. The challenge is to remind them that they have no idea what the hell that is.

  In the CD's liner notes, you write that you'll be "corrected on the Internet" if you flub some detail telling the Greendale story on stage. Sounds like the Net is a pain in your ass.
  When I play a new song in concert, it's immediately uploaded. Everyone has heard it before I put the record out. For a while, that was a negative thing for me. But with Greendale, I started using it deliberately.

  How do you mean?
  During the acoustic tour in Europe, when I performed the show that's on the bonus DVD, I was aware that everything I said would be recorded, transcribed, and circulated. So every night I dumped in different information about different parts of Greendale. If you say something in one town, and the next night you add a little more, the Internet brings together these separate occasions. It makes you look at things as not being separate.

  Don't you want to control the use of your material?
  I can't control what people do. I don't want to. If they want to sell my music to someone else or send it to their friends, they can just as easily tape it off the radio as the Net. MP3 quality sucks. If they want quality, they can purchase a DVD-A.

  Fans were baffled by your last film, Human Highway. It's a fair bet that moviegoers will find Greendale just as puzzling. Is the multimedia blitz a way of filling in the movie's gaps?
  Yeah, there are many ways of getting information about this story. One of the key elements is the Net. Go to the Web site to trace the family's history and see why people are the way they are. Look at Earl Green's artwork in the gallery, follow the events in the story on a map of the town.

  How involved were you in putting together the Web site?
  Completely.

  Did you code the HTML?
  No, but I give directions about what ought to be there, where it shows up, how it's introduced, how hard it is to find, how it unfolds.

  The movie has a distinctive look. "Real life" has texture, but the world presented by the media is hard-edged and sharply defined.
  We shot in Super 8 and blew it up to 35 millimeter. That Super 8 grain looks like my music sounds. When you blow it up, it's like a magnifying glass that's not clear, or a looking glass that's distorted. There's something mystical about it. The mainstream media [within the movie] uses state-of-the-art video. That can be scary as hell because suddenly you can really see everything.

  For a multimedia project it's pretty ambivalent about media. Print is relatively benign; electronic media is sinister. Television reporters hound Grandpa Green literally to death.
  Grandpa trusts the newspaper, and he likes to start off the day holding something in his hands that he can read. But he's lost. A lot of what he reads about - the Patriot Act and all this stuff - he doesn't understand. Also, he's been told by the government that terrorists are communicating on the Internet. The whole problem of dealing with terrorism and corruption, tracking it with all this media and communications, is too much for Grandpa.

  Where do you stand on all this?
  I'm in the middle. There's not a big opinion coming out of Greendale. There's no conclusion. Just a bunch of people going through something.

  You sing that Grandpa died fighting for "freedom of silence." What does that mean?
  Today entertainment and news are being blended together so you can't tell the difference. You'll have a shot of Saddam being pulled out of his hole, followed by some country singer's new record on CNN's Music Room. In Greendale, the family suffers a personal tragedy when Jed kills a policeman. After that, the Greens are a human interest story. The media wants to know how it feels to have a cop killer in the family. Why is it OK to ask that question? The TV guys think everybody has a right to know, but the fact is, nobody has a right to know anything other than whether Jed is guilty or innocent.

  But Grandpa's teenage granddaughter, Sun Green, sees the media differently.
  Sun has taught me how to use the media to do something positive. One of my pet projects is to run the next Greendale tour on biodiesel. It gives off 80 percent less emissions. I'll drive the hugest SUV and 90 percent of the people who are yelling at me will be polluting more than I am. We'll show everyone that we can move in this capitalist system, deliver the goods, and not pollute. If we travel with a giant thermos-bottle truck with biofuel written on the side, the TV people will come. Then I'll be able to prostitute myself for something positive, instead of just selling a record.

  
  AudioWorld External Link

  Posted by keefner at 03:57 PM | Comments (0)