Wednesday, March 31, 2010

#49 - Covers, Chocolate and Composing

In this episode of the Casey Stratton Podcast I answer many of your questions, including one that brings me to another Music Theory 101 lesson since the last one was a big hit with everyone. I then perform Kites from Orbit. Music recommendation is Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark.


...sudden, expansive shift toward a much larger canvas--a sleeker, orchestrated pop style pulsing with jazz elements. Court & Spark found Mitchell casting aside her earth mother affectations and revealing herself as the thoroughly modern, thoroughly complicated woman she is; the songs sustained familiar preoccupations with relationships but replaced courtly settings and naturalistic imagery with recognizably modern locales. Deeply romantic, constantly questioning, classic tracks like the title song, "Help Me," "Free Man in Paris," "Same Situation," and "Raised on Robbery" display a more liberated Mitchell, ready to rumble with unbridled electric guitars (guest Robbie Robertson on "...Robbery"), even willing to poke fun at her own oh-so-sensitive rep with a hip cover of Annie Ross's hilarious "Twisted." --Sam Sutherland

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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

#48 - Reconciliation, Sensitivity and Music Theory 101

In this episode of the Casey Stratton Podcast I discuss the current state of the Health Care reform efforts in the US congress before taking 2 questions. I go on to explain some basic music theory, as promised on Facebook. The live performance is Sinead O'Connor's The Last Day of Our Acquaintance. Music recommendation is the Donna Lewis album Now in a Minute.


This Welsh singer has a bright, breathy voice highlighted by a heart-tugging Celtic lilt. Her atmospheric, piano-driven pop sound, produced by Kevin (U2) Killen, is like a hybrid of the Corrs and Cranberries on the memorable lead single "I Love You Always Forever" (inspired by an H.E. Bates novel). The slightly edgier "Without Love" and the shimmering "Nothing Ever Changes" are other highlights. --Jeff Bateman


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Wednesday, March 03, 2010

#47 - Earthquakes, Journeys and Bliss

In this episode of the Casey Stratton Podcast I discuss current events, including the recent Earthquake in Chile. I then explore the themes of artistry in a commercial world and Joseph Campbell's idea of following your bliss. No live performance this time due to a cold. Music recommendation is Ani DiFranco's Dilate.


Following up two of her strongest records, Not a Pretty Girl and Out of Range, Dilate takes a different tack. It's quieter and more lush than previous efforts but just as intensely personal, with songs like "Untouchable Face" that are easier to identify with than many other DiFranco tunes. At the same time, DiFranco's old fans might not recognize the sound here, especially on tracks like the trip-hop-influenced "Amazing Grace," the shuffling "Napoleon," or the indescribable "Shameless"--this isn't the same thrash-folkie of old. - Randy Silver


Listen to Podcast #47