I like Mindy Kaling's Things I Bought That I Love. She hasn't updated in ages, which is heartbreaking, because I've always enjoyed reading her posts. In honor of that, I've decided to start a new series as part of this blog where I talk about how much I love something. Every music fan has their favorite places to get stuff. I'm a big fan of Elizagoth in Stratford, Canada. But one of the best places in Lansing, Michigan is Flat, Black and Circular.
I happened to be about a week ago. Although I've been known to buy stuff there, what I like to do best is go through their two shelves of free stuff that's just there to be taken. It's a little like treasure hunting, because you have no idea what good or bad things you're going to find. I found a ton of stuff, but I'm just going to go through a few highlights.
The Carpenter's Voice of the Heart, which was released as their last album after Karen Carpenter died. I really like one of the songs off of it, "Now," which was the last song she apparently recorded.
Galaxy 30: 30 Pop, Jazz and Classical Musical Selections. This is picked up because of the design, which is often what guides me to really great music. It includes Patti Page's "(How Much Is) That Doogie in the Window," which was always a song that delighted me as a child. Also included is "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," which is sort of fun.
Hamlet. This appears to be music from the play. I love Shakespeare, but I was disheartened to see that this was just half of its case, not the album itself. I'm planning, once I collect enough of these destroyed covers, to put them up in a cool geometric design, so this will be part of that pile.
Traffic's John Barleycorn Must Die. I picked this album up because of the name. Like the Hamlet one, there's sadly no actual album, but it does have this great picture inside of the band. It looks really cool, and I can see it hanging on my wall somewhere. It was apparently their best album chart wise.
Remember how great...? volume II. A collection of jazz songs. So far, I'm loving it. It's hard to hate on an album that includes Tony Bennett singing "Because of You." The piano in that song is so beautiful and understated, and then the song totally turns into something upbeat.
West Side Story. I love this musical, though it's been at least eight years since I've seen it live. It appears I stumbled upon the recording from the original Broadway cast (not the movie.) "Something's Coming" is such an underrated song, though like everyone else, I'm enamored of "Tonight."
West Side Story's Dynamic George Chakiris. Continuing on the theme, I found this delightful thing. He was one of the bigger talents in the movie.
Little River Band's The Net. This one I picked up, again, because it had a cool design. On further inspection, it also has been stamped by Capital Records for Promotional Uses Only, so on a collector's note, it's even cooler. There's something very old school about this music. I like it.
The Chameleons UK Tears. Again, one I picked up because of the design. It's a wonderful kind of ugly, with this sea green color thing going on.
Heavy Metal in Baghdad is a documentary following a metal band named Acrassicauda, composed solely of young Iraqi men. In the film, these young men attempt to play gigs despite the invasion by US troops and the sectarian violence that has become such a typical part of what Americans imagine when they think of Iraq. As the occupation of the country becomes too intense, the band defects to nearby Syria. Although they were originally profiled in an article for Vice magazine and have become well-known outside of Iraq as the only Iraqi metal band, they struggle in the film not only to be a coherent band but to find work and support themselves and their families. The film leaves them in Syria, impoverished. You can't help but feel sorry for these young men. They yearn for freedom to do something as simple as grow out their hair (which is illegal in Iraq) so that they can headbang. Watching them attempt the same kind of hair moves that have so long been a staple of the likes of Headbang's Ball to the point where it's mocked in America makes you consider how something as basic as the hair you have and what you choose to do with it is not necessarily a part of other people's freedom. The film is an example of how American pop culture integrates itself into surprising places. No one here in America would associate metal music with Iraq, and yet there are obviously fans. The film makes the argument that one of America's best exports is its pop culture. One of the first things that anti-American states do is outlaw American television shows, movies and music, because those governments understand how seductive our culture is. On some level, it has become our best ambassador, since it manages to capture the imaginations of so many and show them that America, despite being imperfect, still strives to be the land of the free. Through metal music, these young men not only have a way to express themselves, but have bought into aspects of American culture. MTV has created a great film for starting a discussion on the effects of the US's occupation of Iraq. You could easily see this film used in a high school class as a way to get students interested in the issues and to relate to other young people. Iraq is the fastest growing refugee crisis, which often isn't discussed in the American media, and this film gives a human face to a small group of Iraqi refugees. If you've seen the film and you're wondering, the band members have since made it to America.
