Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Pandit Pran Nath, Pedro The Lion, Dune Messiah

Amigos,

I've really enjoyed hearing new music through this blog and admittedly, it's probably the only place I've been digesting new music recently.  To the blog's credit, I'm way into The Budos Band which are actually from my neck of the woods.  I recently purchased a new video camera and have been shooting stuff around the gym. My last piece used "Chicago Falcon" as the background music. Classy!


CrossFit South Brooklyn Collected Training V:1 (Music: The Budos Band "Chicago Falcon")

The Gyuto Monks have also been a regular feature of my life. I probably listened to that youtube clip in its entirety over 20 times, no joke. Otherwise, everything has been really great.

The next musician will be familiar to AB, we saw one of his students, La Monte Young play at The Dream House in NY last year. It was sort of an unexpected and awesome experience.  Pandit Pran Nath's music style is an uncompromising adherence to the "alap" section of traditional Hindu Ragas. Basically, the really non-melodic, trance inducing and ethereal part of the song.  I couldn't find the quote verbatim, but he's been noted as saying that an entire lifetime was insufficient to do a full alap justice.  BOSS.



It's been cold, wet and very grey in New York recently which puts me in the mood to listen to some bleak and emotionally charged music. I recently have been playing a little Pedro the Lion and getting back into David Bazan in general. Kind of different for the theme of this blog perhaps, but my contribution none the less.


I saw him in PA perhaps 6 years ago and something he did at shows was ask the audience if they had any questions between some of the songs. While that might sound kind of weird and hokey, it actually led to an interesting dialog between artist and audience. He talked a little about his father being a priest and how that led to a lot of inner turmoil about religion and values as he was growing up which your really bleed into his lyrics.
 
 
Finally, a while back Ross mentioned reading "Dune" By Frank Herbert, a book I really enjoyed. I recently picked up the second book in the series, "Dune Messiah" which was equally good in my opinion and builds more depth into the characters and mythos of the first book. It picks up years after the first novel left off and has a lot to do with the weight of becoming god-like leader of a holy war.  If you've got some time and want to leave earth for a bit I recommend them both.  Also- does anyone else see the parallels between Fremen and the Weedians? Nomadic and mysterious sand people obsessed with a drug? The weedians even appear to be wearing stillsuits, perhaps to get baked moreso than retain moisture.. but still. Anyone?
 

 

3 comments:

  1. That experience at the Dream Factory was totally sweet. Thank the good Dr. Rose again for me the next time you speak with him. I'm loving Prandit. The quotes of his/stories about him are pretty much the greatest things ever...

    Definitely see the connections between the Freemen and the Weedians. With original song titles like "Dragonaut" (literally about a dragon in outer-space) is it any wonder that Al and Co. were heavily influenced by sci-fi? I think not.

    Getting super stoked on roadburn, too by the way!
    Hope to see you soon,
    -A

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  2. Awwwww, Pedro the Lion! I haven't thought about them in years. It's Hard to Find a Friend was my favorite album for a year and a half in my wayward emo youth. I am totally revisiting its bittersweet sadness and quite enjoying it because of your post.

    In 2009 (+/- a year), David Bazan did a series of "house tours" where he visited various cities across the US and performed in people's living rooms and home recorded. I have a copy of his Berkeley 2.19.09 stop that I can burn for you if you are interested.

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  3. Awesome vid! Very slick, and the music worked. Cool Misfits shirt in there. The final scene took me back to some horrible rowing workouts. And, you're spot on w/ the Fremen and the Weedians. I will put _Dune Messiah_ in the rotation.

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