SOUNDTRACK: VILLAGERS-Tiny Desk Concert #69 (July 19, 2010).
Villagers is the work of Conor O’Brien. On their debut album he played all the instruments and created the cover art. Live, he has a full band, but in this Tiny Desk show it’s just him and his guitar.
He looks incredibly young (that haircut), but when he sings, he sounds sophisticated and mature. And his guitar playing is equally sophisticated (with some really interesting chords on the high notes of his strings).
His playing is crisp and clean and his voice is really lovely. He doesn’t do anything fancy, he just sings and plays, but he has a lot of power and honesty in what he does.
And lyrically, he is quite clever. He surpasses many singer-songwriters.
His three songs “Ship of Promises,” “Becoming a Jackal” and “Twenty Seven Strangers” are all on his debut album Becoming a Jackal. He hits an amazing series of high notes in “Ship of Promises,” and the way the song takes some unexpected (albeit brief) pauses is quite dramatic.
I like the way he slowly and confidently states the title “Becoming a Jackal.” This song is a bt faster and more dramatic, especially the quiet ending.
“Twenty Seven Strangers” is a story song about taking the bus. It is an unexpected perspective and quite an interesting look at a mundane event.
[READ: August 2, 2015] Peas & Queues
I was disappointed with the previous etiquette book, which was supposed to be funny and I think wasn’t all that serious. But this one, which is indeed serious, was also really funny, and was a real delight to read.
According to her bio on the book, Sandi Toksvig is “a well-known broadcaster for both television and radio.” But I’d never heard of her. It seems that she is big in Britain, but I believe is unknown here. Nevertheless she has written over twenty books, including fiction, non-fiction and children’s. So maybe I’m just out of touch.
Anyhow, I grabbed this book because it sounded interesting (and I liked the jokey spelling of the title).
Toksvig explains in her introduction that in 1520 when Erasmus wrote his book on manners it was dedicated to an 11 year old boy (a son of a prince). This book is dedicated to “a delightful child in my life” called Mary who is currently 8. But it is not a book for children, it is meant for Mary as she grows up. And you can tell right from the start that Sandi is pretty funny as she says “I hope it will prove useful to anyone not planning to live as a hermit. [Unlike Erasmus] I have made it easier for her (and you) by not using Latin (very much).”
And then Toksvig explores good manners from birth through death. She even starts with “Why do we need good manners” (a question my kids currently ask). The first thing to say is that basic manners apply no matter where you are or what you are doing. They are even a good idea when no one is watching. Having a code of behaviour will help you know how to react to the unexpected.
But it’s also important to know that rules about manners are not laws or rules, they are suggestions–propositions for behaviour to help grease the wheel of the great social machine. Continue Reading »
I am a huge fan of the Rheostatics, but I never saw them live before they broke up. There was an attempt at a reunion a few years ago but it fell through (apparently do to Martin Tielli’s stage fright).
