Tuesday, November 24, 2015

And This




A free set of American Tourister luggage (not really) if you guess why I posted this.

26 comments:

hpunch said...

To get my blood boiling over the 2 geeks sharing a keyboard, and one with an unfolded scarf draping his shoulders.
When I heard the name I thought it was going to be some Krautrock not Vampire Weekend's cousins.

buzzbabyjesus said...

Where do I start?

Firstly, I watched the whole thing, then picked my jaw off the floor.

That's everything Adele isn't. That guy sings with SOUL, and his vocal gynastics are anything but minor, and the crowd responds accordingly.

And then there's the band, which must be from New Orleans, evidenced by the tuba, mixture of players, and overall funky looseness.

And the song is a hoot, to boot.

Conclusion: That is real music. I'm in a good mood.

Make my luggage cherry red, please.

Sal Nunziato said...

The band is from Ann Arbor and only includes the small combo upfront. Everyone else belongs to Jon Batiste (from New Orleans) and Stay Human. I hated these guys. It reeked of irony and felt absolutely cold to me. Like some in-joke. And what's with the two guys at the keys, adoring each other and moving like extras from "Revenge Of The Nerds?" Is that supposed to be cute or funny? Either way, it makes me think they don't take the music too seriously either.

JAYESSEMM said...

You missed the hipster towel draped over the dude's shoulders.

Hard work being that cool!

Anonymous said...

I see a group that has, in some small way, "Made It" (They ARE on the 'Late Show' after all) celebrating their success. Which may explain the two keyboardists.

So much anger Sal....... Do YOU have a sound clip or video to share with the class perhaps?

Cheers, obey gravity

Sal Nunziato said...

Hey Obey Gravity,
Don't be an asshole. My "anger" as you call it, is what starts conversations and gets laughs (occasionally.) Suddenly we all must be on "The Late Show" to voice an opinion on music and presentation? Two other commenters shared their displeasure, as well. So, if YOU have nothing to add to the class, you can go home early.

jeff said...

not a great song or even a very good one but the singer wasn't awful. that said, the band behind him, with the NFL ref-like histrionics, the attention-grabbing movement, all done out of the clear belief that the focus should be on them, gave me my morning laugh.

buzzbabyjesus said...

I had to watch it again, and it just looks like everyone is having fun to me.

I wouldn't have noticed the towel.

I can't find any hate for it.

jeff said...

no hate for it, it's just that their motions felt self-conscious to me.

Sal Nunziato said...

"I can't find any hate for it."

And you don't need to, BBJ. Glad you enjoyed it. I did not, and apparently should not use such an ugly word like "hate."

jeff said...

hate is one of those sliding scale words, especially these days when people are so willing to give microphone access to Donald Trump and Chris Christie. Where does that leave Whitesnake, Paul Ryan, brussels sprouts, Chase Utley, Bill Belichick or "Seasons in the Sun"? I prefer the more specific barf inducing or the "American tourister luggage" reference, which I thought was rather brilliant.

M_Sharp said...

I liked the tuba.

Rob said...

Oh boy I thoroughly disliked that. Such unwarranted degrees of self love ought to be carried out behind a closed bedroom door - getting caught doing it in public is just embarrassing for everyone. Towel boy was just so out and out irksome I wanted to punch him. Though they probably think they are, cool these guys are definitely not.


Thought about commenting on Adele but didn't think I was qualified as I've never been able to take more than 30 seconds of her dreary self pity. Not for me, thanks.

buzzbabyjesus said...

I had to watch it a third time, after reading the comments again, to catch all the offensive details.
I usually, as you may recall, never listen to the whole song, and frequently just a verse and chorus.
I know nothing about this band except this clip. I have no idea what "1612" is or what the song is about, and I don't care. I'm not planning on doing any research or buying their album, if they have one. I already have a backlog of music over here.
I don't know why "Towel Boy" is sharing the keyboard, maybe in rehearsal it worked better than the grand piano, or maybe a tube blew in the B3. Artists do things like that.
His goofy exuberance doesn't bother me. If it did, I couldn't listen to Jonathan Richman, for instance. Guileless is cool in my book.
I see a stage full of musicians in the moment and apparently having the time of their life.
It seems the studio audience thought so too, although I doubt anyone cried.
After Andra Day's calculated pose, and Adele's dreariness, this post was actually fun.
I guess it's everyone else's turn to be cranky.


Rob said...

I agree with BBJ that lack of guile is certainly a big part of being cool - for me, if you think you're cool, or if you're trying to be cool, then practically by definition you're just not. These guys are thinking and trying way too hard to even come close to being cool. Maybe it's my day to be cranky.

Sal Nunziato said...

My issue is, I just don't get it. Sure, it's a fun tune, but they don't look like they are having fun. They look like they are making fun. And I don't believe for a nanosecond that it's sincere. The singer? YES! Bass player? Sure. The two tennis pros on the keys? Nope. They ruin it for me.

soundsource said...

I'd have to say that the tune was ok the tuba was cool i actually thought after seeing the two piano players that there were two of everything ie: bass, drums etc. but they were pretty brooklyney (not a compliment in my house) and the towel was obnoxious. But they weren't as bad as the Kennedys the other night and at least they didn't have little hats and bushy beards, so I guess there's that to be thankful for at Thanksgiving.

Anonymous said...

It's about time to shut it down, for good and for real, no more idle threats to pull the plug. You aren't having fun any more, are you? What you call a "conversation" is nothing more than yelling at the non-sycophants.

Tommy C said...

Never heard of Vulfpeck (is it the singer or the group?) or the song but I like it - the singer, the band & the song. Thanks for posting it. I don't see or hear anything to not like. My focus was on the singer - he's great & in the groove and so is the band. If I was looking for something to not like I guess I would pick out the guy with the towel but he's just having a good time. The whole band seems to be having a good time. I'm really surprised at the negative reactions. Different strokes......

Unknown said...

Towel guy looks like someone I would've wanted to smack back in school but otherwise I thought it was an ok groove by some ok musicians who were just trying too hard...not ready for TV.

jeff said...

Hey anon, speaking as a sycophant, I think Sal was responding to your line about "such anger," which is the kind of comment that moves the discussion away from the topic at hand into the personal. I would say that well more than half the posters disagreed with Sal on this one, and for a bitterly angry guy he was pretty calm about it. I don't know about you but I also get ticked off during a discussion when someone suggests my motive for saying something instead of focusing on what I said. The person doesn't usually know me, and it isn' their business anyway.

Sal and I have had our disagreements. I have said to him many times that it is important that people feel they can come here with a different opinion. I think this thread proves that they do. But if you really feel that he should shut it down, there will be a lot of advice that you not let the door hit you on you way out. they aren't sycophants, just people who enjoy the commentary and the discussion. I think you should stay. This place could always use a contributor but no one likes to be psychoanalyzed online and as a person who takes pride in his ornery individualism I can tell you for myself and others that referring to us as sycophants is probably not the best way to make friends.

Gene Oberto said...

Anon,

Your opinion on the music is fine, it adds flavor to the mix. However, for as long as I've been on board you have always signed as "anonymous".

While Sal doesn't need me at his back, IMHO there's no need for the personal cheap shots. Especially from someone who snipes from behind anonymity.

Anonymous said...

The thing that cracks me up about Anonymous' comment is that he doesn't like this blog's dialog, so he offers that it should be shut down.....not, instead, that he merely cease looking at it. Typical self-centered notion -- "I don't like it, so it must go away" instead of "I'll just leave it be". Very odd to me.
C in California

Anonymous said...

late to this party, but I thought it was pretty funny, if not in the way they no doubt imagined...the keyboard bit would be inspired if this was SNL mocking them.

that singer's pipes, tho

Vincenze M said...

I didn't care for the Vulfpeck at all and I understand what you hate about it, but happen to like Adele, at least a song or five, though this album hasn't gotten me excited yet. I think Rolling In The Deep is a classic song, as is Someone Like You, and to a lesser degree, Chasing Pavements. I think she need not be judged by how the public reacts, or her sales, just by her singing and her songs. I think if she was an undiscovered gem, those songs would stand out instantly.

More importantly, PLEASE ignore that anonymous comment section troll infection. He or she is clearly trying to troll you.

I always think "why read and follow comments in something you think shouldn't be written? Doesn't Perez Hilton have something Komfortably Kardashian for you to click on?"
And also if you ever DO (please don't) think about "retiring" it again, just don't write anymore, leaving yourself the option to come back at anytime. You're giving douchebags like him or her ammunition. And besides, I genuinely look forward to reading you every damn day even tho you don't post every day, and you would leave behind a much emptier, much less witty, and far less musically discerning world-wide web if you left.
It's not Sal ranting or yelling to care deeply about art, and express the results passionately and cleverly. It's not sycophantic to agree that music should not be held to an ever-diminishing standard, just because it's being produced to one.

dogbreath said...

Can I be the first (possibly) to say that I like the idea of two chaps at the same keyboard & that more bands should try it - towels, scarves or sweaters over the shoulders optional. (No - Ed).