Song of the Week: “Avocado Roller” by Archie Pelago

The New York-based trio Archie Pelago composes electronic music intended for live performance which lends itself to interesting and unique sounds as you can hear on “Avocado Roller.”

 

 

What new sounds are entering your ears this week?  Let me know in the comments

 

SingPositive, JP Spring Concert on Sunday, May 19 at 4 pm

Join SingPositive, JP! for our Spring Concert!
Sunday, May 19th, 4pm @ St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Roanoke Ave.)

“Awake, My Soul” – celebrating spring, change, growth, and rebirth
with JP’s biggest intergenerational chorus and band

Songs from Mumford & Sons, Michael Jackson, The Muppets,
James Taylor, “Hair,” Peter, Paul and Mary, and more

Tickets available at the door or by emailing us:
$10/adults, $5/kids ages 2-16.

“Join” our Facebook event and invite your friends!

Photopost: Wake Up The Earth 2013

Spring descended on Jamaica Plain this past weekend with the annual Wake Up the Earth Festival presented by Spontaneous Celebrations. This was the 35th annual festival, an event that grew out of the “highway revolt” of the 1960s & 70s when local activists opposed the construction of highway infrastructure in Jamaica Plain & Roxbury, leading to the creation of the Southwest Corridor as a system of train lines, bike paths, and parks that we enjoy today. Ironically, some people who want to create new prioritized highway infrastructure for cars marched in this year’s parade which I guess shows that this festival takes all kinds.  The festival itself was home to many tents of activists of many causes, food, games, and musical performances.  My family and I sang a few songs with the intergenerational chorus SingPositive, JP in preparation for our concert on May 19th.  We also danced to Maaak Pelletier’s jam band the Mystical Misfits as they played Grateful Dead classics.  Finally, the potato sack slide down the hillside was great fun for everyone.

A peace sign and yin yang grow out of the hillside at Jamaica Pond’s Sugar Bowl.

Peace and flowers!

The Brendan Behan quote seems appropriate to the occassion.

Spanish banner for the festival.

Here comes the parade.

The stilt walkers always impress.

I’m pretty sure this woman participates every year.

The theme of the year is snakes and these folks won the Best Family Costume award.

Hula hooping is another big highlight of the festival.

Mobile percussion unit.

The wolf and the lamb dance in the street.

A rocking marching band and dancing stilt walker.

Scholars from my son’s school march.

Getting brassy.

The Mystical Misfits lead the dance.

More photos from the parade and festival on Universal Hub and JP Patch.

Previously:

• Wake Up The Earth (2009)
• Wake Up The Earth Parade (2010)
• Wake Up The Earth (2011)
• Photopost: Wake Up The Earth 2012

Song of the Week: “A Tattered Line of String” by The Postal Service

“A Tattered Line of String” is the new track on the rerelease of The Postal Service 2003 album Give Up, although you can be forgiven for thinking the song is from 1983 instead.  I can imagine hearing this song between tracks by the Human League and The Pet Shop Boys.  Lead singer Ben Gibbard is also known for his work with Death Cab for Cutie.  Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley provides backup vocals.

 

What new songs are you listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments!

 

Song of the Week: “Delicate Cycle” by The Uncluded

I didn’t want to like this song.  Kimya Dawson can be excessively twee and the whole rap-twined-with-soft-music dichotomy is played out.  But ultimately The Uncluded’s “Delicate Cycle” won me over with it’s play on words, interweaving stories of lunch ladies, launderers, and apparently vivisection, as well as a catchy melody won me over.

Song of the Week: “Two Times” by AM & Shawn Lee

AM is from Oklahoma, Shawn Lee is from Kansas, the rhythm is from Jamaica, and the vocals are from Philadelphia (ca. 1970s).  All in all, “Two Times” is an intriguing track.

Got any new tracks making you dance or sing along?  Let me know in the comments.

Song of the Week: “Dog Physics” by Plaid Dragon

I didn’t post a SOTW last week so this will be the first of two songs I’m posting today.  Plaid Dragon is a band from Springfield, MO.  ”Dog Physics” a pretty tune with ethereal vocals.  Both the band and the song have cool names.

 

 

What are you listening to this week?  Let me know in the comments.