SOUNDTRACK: MOTHER FALCON-Tiny Desk Concert #296 (August 17, 2013)
By my count there are fourteen people in Mother Falcon (the notes say 17 but I couldn’t see them all)–that’s a lot of people in a Tiny Desk concert. And they all play an instrument. I count trumpet, bassoon, three saxophones, three violins, two cellos, an upright bass, accordion, guitar and mandolin (the mandolin player is the lead singer (and a cello player too).
Despite the orchestral set up, the songs are short pop songs but with a lot of, well, orchestration. The songs have gorgeous instrumental sections, especially in “Marigold” where the riff is powerful and made all the more dynamic by the woodwinds.
“Marfa” has vocals by the female lead (who plays guitar–I don’t see any band member names on the NPR site). The strings really dominate here and remind me of the way The Dambuilders used strings–even though there is no heavy guitar. The strings feel like they are playing rock songs rather than being used as background for a rock song. “Dirty Summer” is a sing-along track with no real words–lots of oh ohs.
Watching one of the members climb on the desk to sing louder was pretty fun. It was also cool hearing how excited they were to be on the Tiny Desk. Check it out.
They sound really great and, although I have to suspect that they must be more dynamic live than on record–how could they not be?
[READ: September 6, 2013] “Herbal Remedies”
Curtis is a holistic nutritionist. I was a little concerned that this whole essay was going to be about prescribing alternative medicines to people to help them sleep (that’s only part of the article–and sadly there’s no quick suggestions either). Actually, I’m normally all for herbals, but I’ve been watching Doc Martin lately and, man, he really rails into the herbalist on that show. I’m generally torn about herbal remedies–I absolutely believe in science, but I have no faith in corporations. So I believe scientists find cures for things and then corporations mess with them and make us need more than we do. And I also feel like old herbal remedies probably work to an extent and yet they have also not been scientifically proven. What’s a skeptic to do?
Anyhow, the switch comes when Curtis admits that while her patients can’t sleep, she has no problems with it. Except that she doesn’t want to sleep, she hates it. She even slept with the light on (until her business associate warned that it ruins your “kidney jing.)”
She talks about what it’s like to sleep in different men’s beds. I liked the descriptions–the way each bed and each man makes her feel a different way in the bed–like a princess, or someone who wakes up several times a night so she can cuddle again or, like a safe and secure person who can sleep uninterrupted all night long. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 