We are Master’s of Our Fate

For a few years, some of my friends and I have been sharing music to listen to while we work. We’re supposed to review/rate what gets shared with us then share those reviews with the group, but that doesn’t always happen.

Two weeks ago, as way of introduction to Regina Spektor, I suggested my friends check out her cover of a John Lennon song. In that same vein, I present to you three of my favorite Beatles covers – and one remix. For your convenience, I’m sharing YouTube videos of all of these so you don’t have to look them up yourselves.

But first! David, one of my current coworkers, shared something with me.

Ernest Shackleton Loves Me soundtrack (2017)

This is a two-person musical. She’s a musician who writes scores, including for video game designers who want everything to sound like John Williams. He’s an Antarctic explorer who’s recruiting people for an expedition … in 1914. And they meet on a dating site for people who don’t have many options left: Cupid’s Last Chance. The story is driven by the non-love-love story between the two characters.

Soar Like a Bird with His Heart Full of Song

For a few years, some of my friends and I have been sharing music. We’re supposed to review/rate what gets shared with us then share those reviews with the group, but that doesn’t always happen.

Billy Joel – Cold Spring Harbor (1971)

As Tim prepare’s for the Billy Joel concert this weekend, he shared Joel’s first album.

I’ve listened to a lot of Billy Joel, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album before. Apparently there was a mixing/mastering mistake that made his voice sound a little higher and Billy Joel hates it.

Canyons

Last Thursday, one of the teams I work on had a team-building party type thing.

When they set up the potential dates (before they even decided what we were doing), my boss said she couldn’t make one of the days because she was playing a free show in downtown Salt Lake City during the lunch hour. But that turned into “we’re going to see Heidi’s band play and the company is providing lunch!”

So many of my co-workers and I sat awkwardly in folding chairs and listened to Canyons (not The Canyons, Canyons Band, Canyons SLC or Canyons 801). And they were pretty good. They’re a little funky and a little country. They call themselves “assertive folk.” They actually reminded me of Ani DiFranco.

The Aquabats! & My Man Friday & Mad Max and the Wild Ones

For a few years, Provo City has been putting on one free concert a month throughout the summer. They started out on the roof of some building, but have since expanded so much that they no longer fit on one roof. Or even in one intersection.

I’ve heard of a few of these concerts, but have never gone until this past Saturday.

I didn’t really get into ska until college when I started playing in a ska band. I had heard The Mighty Mighty BossToneS, No Doubt, Reel Big Fish and Sublime on the radio – and liked what I heard. I had even purchased an Aquabats cd. But nobody told me that was ska. I did have one friend in high school who introduced me to Five Iron Frenzy, but I only listened to snippets of songs during that week or so when he showed them to me.

But a couple of years later I really started getting into ska. I was writing and playing it. I was listening to it live and recorded in studio. And I was meeting a lot of other people in ska bands and trading recommendations with them. So I discovered even more bands. Some of them local legends.

One of those legends of Utah ska was My Man Friday. And they weren’t just well known locally. They played with The Skatalites and really helped put Utah on the international ska map.

I didn’t hear about them until after they broke up. They did play once a few years ago, but I wasn’t in Utah at the time. And they played again last Saturday night. So I had to go.

Nothing is New

For a couple of years some of my friends and I have been sharing music. We’re supposed to review/rate what gets shared with us, and share those reviews with the group, but that doesn’t always happen.

The Black Keys – Turn Blue (2014)

After I shared what I did for the week, Tim suggested we all share our favorite album that has come out in the two years since we started playing this game. And it’s a great idea. Except I already shared (and I don’t listen to a ton of new music, so I’d have to think about it a little more). But here’s Tim’s: another Black Keys album.

If You’re Tossin’ and You’re Turnin’ and You Just Can’t Fall Asleep

For more than a year, some of my friends and I have been sharing music. We’re supposed to review/rate what gets shared with us, and share those reviews with the group, but that doesn’t always happen.

Bamboo – Light Peace Love (2005)

Going into this album, all I knew about this album is that this is Pinoy Rock, but only one song is in Tagalog.

Please Don’t Take My Sunshine Away

If you’ve read my blog at all in the last 9 or so months, you know why I’ve been sharing what I have. Every week, some of my co-workers and I have been sharing some of our favorite music with one another.

Except this week, it didn’t happen. I mean, I shared an album on Monday morning like I always do, but none of my coworkers shared anything. The closest I got was this:

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