Today happens to be May 1st and, as I'll have you know, it happens to be my favorite of all the pagan festivals. It celebrates the return of the Sun and the rejuvenation of life all over the planet. Bealtaine (pronounced byol-tinnuh -- it's Gaelic and, weirdly enough, I can actually sort of see where they get that pronunciation) is an ancient fertility ritual that falls every year on May 1st or when the sun is at 15 degrees Taurus. That last part only matters if you have any fucking clue how to read astrological tables--which I don't. Oh, and this only applies in the Northern Hemisphere--if you live in Australia, you'd be trick-or-treating. Traditionally--or, at least, according to the Internet--this Sabbat is celebrated by dancing naked around a fire and then running off and having sex. Unfortunately, the latter option is an impossibility for me (what with The Boyfriend being 310 miles away and all) and dancing naked around a bonfire by yourself is just plain sad. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good heathen dancing circle every once in a while -- just call me your friendly neighborhood heathen sun-worshipper! Anyway, as a special treat, I've composed a short list of songs that make me want to dance like a wild woman, preferrably around a blazing fire, clothing optional mais bien sur. In the meantime, I'll be a good girl and celebrate in rather tame fashion by planting an herb garden and some flowers and applying tons of sunblock because no one is happier than me that the good running weather is back!
5. "Eyes Like Yours (Ojos Asi)" by Shakira -- I love Middle-Eastern influence in music and during the bridge of this song -- in both Spanish and English versions -- Shakira busts out in Arabic chants. And Arabic chants are fuckin' great for Crazy-Girl-Dancing-Alone-In-Her-Room time. I'm posting the English version but the Spanish version is easily searchable on Youtube.
4. "Shake It Out" by Florence + the Machine -- Aside from this being my cure for a crappy day, this song just wants to make you move and feel happy. I challenge you to listen to this song and not find yourself flailing about wildly -- dare I say, in the throes of ecstasy --to the drumbeats and tambourine jingling. And if you succeed, it is fairly possible that you don't have a soul.
Impression: This short album from Young Buffalo opens up with "Only We Can Keep You From Harm" which, in the beginning, reminds me of Native American trible chants, like from a very serious spiritual ceremony. These rhythmic vocals continue throughout other songs, each one developing into a faster tempo. The Spinner short introduction describes the album as mixing power punk with indie rock, but I hear the power punk side the loudest during "Full Metal Whacket," which sounds slightly more chaotic as the track moves on, reaching a crescendo before returning to the chipper melody from the first few bars. At the beginning of "Catapilah," I detect a hint of rockabilly in the guitar which is promptly drowned out by a clattering of cymbals and---my oh my -- a tambourine, if my ears serve me correctly. The album ends with the somber "Bury Me," bringing it full circle. On the singer -- in my opinion, he hearkens back to Second Wave bands in the 80s, if/when they did more acoustic stuff. I'm cool with that....
If I had money, I would: I'd probably buy it. It's a short album, so I doubt it costs more than $4 on iTunes or Amazon. But, since I don't have money, I'll be honest -- it's not at the top of my (exceedingly long) list. However, it's not at the bottom either. I'd say in the upper third of my list of songs/albums I need to download/acquire.
How the artist describes their sound: Primitive indie rock that yearns for a simpler time but is gripped by obsession....that's my not-so-accurate summation based on the ramblings from their last.fm page. I told you I heard tribal chanting!!!
