Acoustic Version of Baio's Sister of Pearl

I have stated many times in the past that it is the rawness of a lot of music which makes it good. Certainly it is part of the reason I have always preferred acoustic versions of songs—most of the time I find them to be better than the original.

You can absolutely say that about the acoustic version of Imagine Dragon's Radioactive, or even Foster the People's Pumped Up Kicks. These are versions that show the real layers of the song that make them great before the studio effects and syth instruments and other things that make them more pop versions fit for the mainstream are tossed in.

There is another special treat in seeing these acoustic variations, and that is that it also offers the fan—not just of the bands, but of the music itself—an insight into the chemistry of the song writers, and of the song writing and playing process above all else. There is a distinct personal nature to the performances, and one thing I have also said many times in the past is that because music is such a personal thing for many listeners in and of itself, even for the studio versions, acoustic versions of great songs make the entire experience much more personalized. When a song is special to you personally, the song really becomes yours in a way. Certainly any musician can appreciate such a personal connection with what to them is truly personally connected to them.

In the past I wrote about Baio who happens to be the bassist for the alternative rock band Vampire Weekend, and one of his songs which captured my attention. Sister of Pearl. I do like the song, and of course that's why I wrote about it. But every time I have heard it I have always felt something was amiss about it. Perhaps I don't like the extra synthy feel of it, thinking there could have been much more done with it. After all, listening to the studio version of Sister of Pearl you can definitely find a simple song that is also letting you know right off the bat there is more to it than what you hear.

I know that sounds like a silly thing to say when I am about to tell you that the acoustic version is a much better version since it is essentially, while multi-layered, stripped down to its true raw form. But in this version, to my mind, ironically there is quite a bit more depth to the entire song. And for me, this version took a song I like, that I found very pleasant to listen to, and turned it into an amazing song. All of the synthesized parts taken out and replaced by pure acoustic fill gives a glimpse into the real music behind the song that even gave the studio version a chance to be good.

I really wish that the acoustic version of this song was the one that Baio put out first. But then, just like sometimes reading a book makes a great movie even better, spinning an acoustic version of a great song makes it stellar. And in my opinion this is exactly what Baio achieved with this version of Sister of Pearl.

Baby Wants To Leave?

When it comes to music, heedless of the form or the style, or even the format or intent, I think having fun should always be a large part of the "process." In fact, there are many musicians who will tell you that some great music has been written through the ages with just the fun factor in mind. Whether it be an artist just sitting down and striking a few notes or a few chords in a progression that grabs the imagination, or a group of artists sitting together with a few cocktails and having a jam session.

Baio said he actually wrote Sister of Pearl while in an office, saw a guitar, and just started playing. Not that his song is stellar, and certainly I won't put that label on any of my work either, but certainly a song was written purely out of fun.

Sometimes it's just fun to pass the time as well.

After my wife joked about leaving for a couple of days, it inspired me to write this short ditty about the potential consequences of her making that choice. It's all in fun. My wife are very much in love, and neither of us are going anywhere.

But writing and putting this short little ditty was fun, and for that reason thought I'd share it with my readers to have fun with it also. It won't be hitting any Billboard charts any time soon, and I have no intention of picking out my next Bentley (I don't even have a first Bentley by the way) from any "royalties" from it. But even if all that comes from it is that I indeed had fun doing it, that is quite enough to satisfy me.

 

 



VOICES by JIM BAUER on iTunes
102 IDLE STONES by JIM BAUER on iTunes
JIM BAUER on JANGO RADIO
BAIO OFFICIAL SITE
JIM BAUER OFFICIAL FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Introduction To The Alternative And Indie Music Corner Blog

Perhaps it is that I was a child of the 80's that my taste in music has forever been a bit eclectic. Even when writing my own music, my style definitely defies the norm, and is more than a bit outside of the mainstream. The 80's at the time could have easily been defined as "mainstream," but certainly for its time it was a style of music that had its own place in time, and of course had its own distinct sounds. Like mullets and multi-colored outfits, the 80's are unmistakably obvious—you know it when you see it, and you know it when you hear it.

From very early on in my childhood I was interested in creating something all my own. Some of my friends probably thought I was a bit of an oddball, spending hours at a time in my own fantasy world of bright lights and adoring fans. I was always singing something, and 90% of the time it was something I made up. Knitting needles and hairbrushes were given new purpose as microphones, and my band was made up of vocalized percussion sets with lyrics of course mixed in.

One of my favorite bands at the time was The Talking Heads. There was something about that sound and certainly their style of music that just drew me in. I was hooked. And of course there was that first video I saw of them, with David Byrne dancing in a typical unusual style against a blue backdrop to Once In A Lifetime. To this day I still enjoy throwing in some Talking Heads music.

The thing is that there is so much great music out there if only you take the time to find it. I like my music interesting and different, rather than simply being spoon fed what is popular or who some radio marketing guy decides should be. And of course nowadays with the Internet, YouTube, Jango, and satellite radio, it's easier than ever to find those bands, signed or not, and hear some very interesting musical talent. Back in its day MySpace was actually a good place to seek out some really interesting and eclectic stuff you'd probably never have otherwise have ever had the opportunity to find. And many bands today actually get their start simply by getting noticed through channels that for artists in the past would have been impossible. Even Justin Bieber, regardless of what you think of him, would never have been discovered had it not been for things he posted on YouTube. If it would have happened anyway, and considering his undeniable talent I think it would have, it would not have been until much later on, and the work to get noticed would have been much harder.

How many great musicians, do you wonder, did we never get to hear from simply because the path to being heard had only one course? How many simply gave up and got jobs in factories or office buildings?

This page is devoted to my view of music. Here I wish to share what I find to be interesting and fresh, both from signed and unsigned bands alike. Here it is about sharing covers, great original new stuff, my own covers and originals, and anything else I think is worth sharing here. I hope you will enjoy whatever journey we wind up on, and if you have any suggestions for me for bands to check out do feel free to comment any time. Or if you would like me to check out your own stuff, I'd be more than happy to see what you've got.

The most important take away here should be that music is about sharing. It is about fun. It is about being different and embracing that. It is about tossing aside the mainstream and making way for enjoying what makes each artist unique and different. It is about letting the fans and the listeners decide who and what ultimately makes the airwaves, and what defines our own "mainstream."