music matters

Song
God. Fear. Money by Meshell Ndegeocello

Back story
As readers here know, Meshell Ndegeocello is one of my favorite artists.  She is the rare musician whose chops, vision, lyrics, and emotion all come together equally.  Known for always pushing the envelope, she explored funk, jazz, and hip-hop on this 2002 album.  This on the heels of her acoustic ballad release, Bitter, which challenged many of her fans and critics.  No less controversial, this record explored themes of racism, bigotry, and homophobia.

Why this song
God. Fear. Money is from Meshell’s 2002 release, Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape, which Rolling Stone reviewed as ‘powerful, beautiful, sensual and activist, this is the record Prince keeps trying to make.’  It features an incredibly funky bass line matched with pointed lyrics such as “If Jesus was alive today, he’d be incarcerated with the rest of the brothers.”  The vocal line is often syncopated, making it jump out against the rhythm.  If you are new to her music, this is a good starting point, as the song is catchy, groovy, has a great refrain, and will stick with you.

More info
All Music
Rolling Stone

Check it out

The video quality here leaves much to be desired, but at least the audio quality is decent, and it’s great to see a live performance.  Here is the studio version as well.

Buy it
Amazon

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010

TV Show
Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… on the Sundance Channel Wednesday nights at 10 PM.

Back story
Elvis Costello is a very interesting talk show host because he performs with and interviews guests.  Being such as well-versed musician himself, he effortlessly creates fascinating discussions with musical guests.  In 2003, Elvis guest-hosted the Late Show while David Letterman was unexpectedly absent, and this experience set the stage for his own talk show.  Elton John is the producer of Spectacle.

Check it out

Why this episode
This is the first episode of season 2, rumored to be the final season.  Bono and the Edge (U2) talk about their history and songwriting process.  It’s hard to believe these guys are in one of the biggest bands in the world, as they appear calm, reflective, and patient.  The Edge even gets his share of screen time, which is really saying something with Elvis and Bono on stage.  The final song, a mash-up of Get on Your Boots and Pump it Up, is a great collaboration between the host and guests.

More info on Elvis and the show
Spectacle on Sundance

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010