The Story of "Mother and Child Reunion"

One of my all-time favorite tracks is Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion"—a simple, catchy, and straightforward bit of rocksteady with a hell of an opening guitar line. Simon recorded the song during a series of sessions with famed Jamaican studio band The Dynamites in Kingston in 1970. Not only was "Mother and Child Reunion" Simon's first single post Simon & Garfunkel, but it was also one of the first instances where a mainstream white musician prominently incorporated elements of reggae into a pop song. Obviously, people dig reggae music and the track wound up being a hit, reaching #4 in the US pop charts in 1972.

According to an interview that year with Rolling Stone, Simon was inspired to write the song after his dog was killed by a car and he began to think, "Oh, man, what if that was [my wife] Peggy? What if somebody like that died?" The inspiration for the song's title and chorus, however, is a little less emotional: "I was eating in a Chinese restaurant downtown. There was a dish called 'Mother and Child Reunion.' It's chicken and eggs. And I said, 'Oh, I love that title. I gotta use that one.'" (Research via Marco)

Check out two covers of the track below. Listening to Horace Andy's version out of context, you really would have no idea Simon penned the original.

Horace Andy - "Mother and Child Reunion" 
Grizzly Bear - "Mother and Child Reunion"

The Best and Worst Album Covers of 2009

The Best

Benjy Ferree's artwork for Come Back To The Five and Dime, Bobby Dee Bobby Dee might be my favorite of the year simply because the man covers up his receding hairline with magic marker via a 1950s era coif. Also, did anyone notice the Love Language use the same exact font style for their debut? Generally, it was a great year for artwork with walking plant people, a meditative snow person, and a badass Neko Case clutching a sword, ready to smite a dragon


The Worst

What do the KKK, a disco ball, and rockets have in common? Apparently, DJ and hip-hop group N.A.S.A. are trying to say that the US space program is made up of a bunch of disco dancing lynch enthusiasts. At least, that's my interpretation. As for JJ, why the blood-spattered marijuana leaf? Are they commenting on the link between Mary Jane and terrorism? If so, the spacey and mellow tone of their music is sending mixed messages. Lastly, Monsters of Folk—comprised of two of my all-time favorite artists, Jim "Yim Yames" James and M. Ward—why? A charcoal Brady Bunch formatted portrait with a zoomed-in perspective of Mike Mogis's nose and Conor Oberst's 5 o'clock shadow is a far cry from what could've been a classic album cover.

Benjy Ferree - "Fear" (from Come Back to the Five and Dim, Bobby Dee Bobby Dee)

Best of 2009: The Albums

Any single list is insignificant—it's one person or group's opinions. But aggregated together over time, lists have a way of signifying and reminding us of the important works of artists over a period of time. Without further adieu, here are the ten records—from front to back, no song excluded—that I can't stop playing.

1) Forest Fire - Survival: Survival is a sonic masterpiece—a magnum opus of ear-crushing folk music. Originally released in 2008 by Catbird Records and later rereleased in 2009 by Infinite Best, it's an album recorded in a delightfully raw fashion with space and texture hovering around every instrument and voice. Led by Mark Thresher, the piece-by-piece 8-month-long recording process finds its success in beautifully fuzzy acoustic gems like "Slow Motion," "I Make Windows" and "Fortune Teller" (mp3).

2) Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest: Often times the search for contemporary music ends in unsatisfying and polarizing memes: pretentious, hip, noisy. With Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear have made in many ways what is a perfect compromise: an art-centered, genre-bending and practically unclassifiable record that still manages sharp pop hooks ("Two Weeks") and remains relatable, as with the near tear-inducing "Foreground" (mp3). It's a perfect compromise, because in the end, nothing was sacrificed. Thoroughly enriched by thought, hard work, and a self-evident evolution, the quartet deliver the classiest performance of the year.

3) Girls - Album: Christopher Owens' voice can be like a jolt of hot or cold coffee (depending on the song) to an unexpected listener, but with his Girls he's created a wholly unique musical persona that's brimful of witty and insightful lyricism, irresistible hooks, and California sunshine. With the strong influence of smart pop artists like Elvis Costello permeating throughout, songs like "Lust For Life" (mp3) and "Hellhole Ratrace" come out like pre-fitted classics ready for heavy rotation.

4) Elvis Perkins In Dearland - Elvis Perkins In Dearland: If there was one true poet in this bunch, it would be Elvis Perkins—just see the metaphor and color-filled "Shampoo" (mp3). The songsmith, twisted by grief from the loss of his parents, corralled every last emotion and ounce of talent into this whirlwind of gospel-inspired and folk-driven music that soothes and inspires like a potion for the soul. To say the record is simply cathartic would be a grave understatement: it's a testament to life.

5) Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid: It's hard to separate singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach from the success of his garage-rock and blues duo the Black Keys, but with his solo debut, Auerbach does just that. Breaking from the confines of the duo format, the gristly and honey-voiced singer uses his free reign to create some of his softest and most soulful ("Trouble Weighs A Ton" and "When The Night Comes"), bone-crushingly loud ("I Want Some More"), and free formed songs, such as "Whispered Words (Pretty Lies)" (mp3).

6) Deer Tick - Born On Flag Day: In no way a game changer, Born On Flag Day is instead a perfect example of an artist reflecting his influences and sense of history while simultaneously breathing life into a tired genre. It's a 30 minute romp of steaming rhythm and sturdy craftsmanship, where instrumentally, John McCauley finally gets a full band to put an exclamation point at the end of his every scraggily whiskey-soaked sentence. For Chuck Berry, see "Straight Into The Storm." For Pete Seeger and the Boss, try "Song About A Man" (mp3).

7) Flaming Lips - Embryonic: In the digital age, it's often easy to separate the parts from its sum, but with the Flaming Lips 12th LP, that's a near impossible feat (unless you want a really unsettling and possibly disturbing playlist). Embryonic's cohesive nature is arguably its greatest benefit: the 18-track psychedelic odyssey is a collection of movements rather than songs—chapters in a work inseparable from its parts.

8) Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca: Probably the most creative and original work of 2009, Bitte Orca is a record that requires the listener's full attention at just about every moment. From the subtly orchestrated acoustic number "Two Doves" (mp3) to the genre-crushing, R&B-laced, guitar shredding single "Stillness Is The Move," it's a complex album that takes time to grow and then sticks like your favorite book—one that's worth rereading a dozen times.

9) Antlers - Hospice: While Hospice—an end-of-life concept record—may not be the first choice for a merry get-together, the subject tackled is in many ways a perfect introduction to songwriter Peter Silberman: an other-worldy angel-voiced singer whose confidence and color-outside-the-lines home recording style lend itself to far-out ethereal textures that all the while remain whole-heartedly sincere and intimate. The mandolin-strummed "Two" (mp3) is simply put, a heartbreaker.

10) Vetiver - Tight Knit: I've listened to Tight Knit more times than any other record this year. It's simple and largely acoustic music, but frontman Andy Cabic has a soft and effortless way with words that proves to be an irresistible and timeless combination when paired with a hopping bass line and hip-shaking rhythm ("More of This") or drifting 60s and 70s era west coast pop. Just try not to like "Everyday" (mp3). Seriously. Try.

Best of 2009: The Songs

The Belle Game - "Shoulders & Turns"

Harmony has an incredible allure. Whether it's the Zombies or contemporary groups like Grizzly Bear and the Fleet Foxes, that combination of previously unconnected voices singing in unison produces an almost magnetic force. The Belle Game, a trio based out of Vancouver and Montreal, succeeds on that same platform. "Shoulders & Turns"—the first song off their first EP, Inventing Letters—is richly saturated with overlapping male and female vocals and performed with a deft balance of sounds both big and small.

The Belle Game - "Shoulders & Turns" (from Inventing Letters EP)

Support the band and buy their EP here.

Grizzly Bear's "Shift"—An A Capella Cover

To put it frankly: If you have any drugs, you should probably take them now.

Music: Levek - "Shift" (Grizzly Bear cover)
Video: Walt Disney's Melody Time

Grizzly Bear - "Shift" (acoustic)

Terrible Records: A Good Label

Brooklyn's Acrylics and Class Actress are part of a cast of young musicians signed to Terrible Records, a label recently launched by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor. Taylor, a talented multi-instrumentalist and producer, has previously proved his own immaculate taste with projects like Veckatimest, the Department of Eagles' In Ear Park, and Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson's debut—and now behind the desk at his own independent label, Taylor continues to help facilitate the creation of a diverse collection of excellent music.

Acrylics - "Lil Ivy" (from All of the Fire)

Class Actress - "Let Me Take You Out" (from Journal of Ardency)

Acrylics - "All of the Fire" (from All of the Fire)

Class Actress - "Careful What You Say" (from Journal of Ardency)

Grizzly Bear ft. Victoria Legrand - "Slow Life"

Why have so many great bands contributed to the New Moon soundtrack? It's beyond me. And unfortunately, it's hard to ignore. Grizzly Bear's contribution with Beach House's Victoria Legrand is "Slow Life"—from the plucked acoustic guitar to the rousing turns of Legrand and Edward Droste's voices, the song is a booming slow jam with lots of build. Thank Nosferatu over there for the excellent taste.

Grizzly Bear Ft. Victoria Legrand - "Slow Life" (from New Moon Soundtrack)

Review: Grizzly Bear at the 930 Club

“They’ll try to keep us apart / You’ll try to keep us apart,” sang Daniel Rossen in his quivering timbre as the grimy tone of a guitar and crashing cymbals built into a near-violent fury.

From the evening-opening “Southern Point” to the encore-closing “He Hit Me,” Grizzly Bear blew open eardrums with an awe-inspiring mixture of choral music, baroque pop, and crescendos and decrescendos tinged with sadness and a politely delivered ferocity.

The full-capacity crowd bobbed along with Chris Taylor’s booming bass and Chris Bear’s manic drumming—and delivered applause with a lights-out enthusiasm—but during songs the crowd most often stood in a quiet concentration, watching the virtuosic quintet perform like a miniature orchestra: switching instruments (everything from guitar and electric piano to saxophone and autoharp), trading lead vocals, and basking in four-part harmonies as musical styles changed from song to song.

Grizzly Bear drew the majority of the night’s music from Veckatimest, the band’s third LP and one of the year’s most celebrated albums. The record, hardly manageable in its sophisticatedly-constructed and heavily-ornamented 52 minutes, became something different in front of 1,200 fans: accessible. Hard to identify sounds and esoteric lyrics were given shape by the four musicians and personalities working up sweats to expertly and earnestly deliver songs they've played thousands of times before.

Two of the band's most popular tracks, the 50’s barbershop-style and spine-chillingly performed “Knife” and the blissfully-bouncy “Two Weeks,” both came in the first half of the show, leaving a latter half that gave an unexpected but welcome emphasis to the delicate Edward Droste-sung “Foreground” and the rollicking train-like rhythm of “On a Neck, On a Spit.” Always quick to smile and thank the audience (at one point with 930 Club cupcakes), Grizzly Bear left fans with the bittersweet taste of a punch in the face: a cover of the Crystals' Phil Spector-produced "He Hit Me." And yes, it felt like a kiss.

Grizzly Bear - "Knife" (from Yellow House)

The Endless Delight of Two Weeks

Chicago designer J Tyler Helms edited footage from French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse's classic short La Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon) for an unofficial but delightful companion video for Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks." Lamorisse's use of special effects are pretty amazing for 1956.

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks" (Fred Falke remix)