I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: BELLOWS-Tiny Desk Concert #440 (May 11, 2015).

I knew Bellows from NPR playing one of their songs.  They are a new band with one album out.  Their Tiny Desk Concert is really short (under 10 minutes) but they do play 3 songs.

I’m curious if they are stripped down for this or if they typically sound this soft and simple.

The opening song “Sacred Heart” is propelled by a very simple synth riff and bass notes (the lefty bassist plays a right handed bass upside down, which is interesting to see).  Perhaps the most compelling thing about Bellows is the harmony voices (and the drummer’s hair).

Lead singer Oliver Kalb has a voice that I wouldn’t call powerful, but it is rather distinctive (and perhaps a bit unusual).  The songs work best when the unnamed keyboardist (female) and bassist (male, deep voice) all sing together, like in “Hello Morning.”

The final song, “White Sheet” is the one I knew from NPR.  It sounds just as good here.  It is easily the best of the three songs, probably because the keyboardist does more than sing harmony.  (And the ah ah ah ah section, combined with the deep breathing section is very catchy too).

I think it may be the simplicity of the melodies that makes the songs so effective–they do stay with you.  And they definitely leave me wanting to hear more.

[READ: January 5, 2015] Stick Dog Chases a Pizza

I didn’t know there was a third Stick Dog book out.  It is pretty samey compared to the first two (but since I haven’t looked at a Stick Dog book in a while, it was okay).   In the first book, the dogs were after a hamburger.  In the second it was a hot dog. In this book they are after a pizza.

The book opens with the dogs all laughing at Karen (the dachshund) trying to catch her tail.  When that is over (Stick Dog doesn’t like that they are teasing her even if it is funny), he suggests that they go the park and play Frisbee.  There is plenty of funniness as the dogs ignore him but pretend they were paying attention.  And then they all come back with what they think is a Frisbee (the results range from bottle caps to flat tires (the poor bike rider) to cardboard discs.

But the cardboard disc has red stuff and white stuff on it and it tastes delicious. I have to say I am surprise that they never tasted pizza before (all dogs root through garbage and grab pizza boxes at some pint right?).

The dogs soon learn the address of the pizza place (they are very smart) but when they see it is called Pizza Palace they expect an actual palace (not a strip mall).  They prepare for turrets and a moat with alligators but just get a parking lot.  (There’s a funny joke about Burger King in relation to palaces).

And then like with each other book they have to decide how to get the prize.  One of them suggests a catapult (or a dogapult) throwing them through the window, but Stick Dog talks sense into them.

Then, in a very funny sequence they are distracted into believing they should rescue a trapped kitten (its funny to see Stripes change her mind about the kitty).

Of course, they do manage to get some pizza, but as with the hot dog vendor, I am worried about the pizza place losing money and getting irate customers. But heck, you can’t take it to seriously, right?  Right?

There’s some very funny asides (in fact I think the asides are more fun than the actual story lately–perhaps a book full of asides, like the one about nobody every flossing, is what should come next.  And the Starbucks joke is pretty funny too (although perhaps not accurate anymore?).

I just grabbed the next Stick Dog book for C. this week, and I’m sure I’ll have it read soon enough.