Interactive Poll: Whatever Floats Your Boat

The Anders:  Gisela May with Bertolt Brecht’s “Das Lied von der Moldau” A typical Brecht piece, semi-operatic in feel, very spare production behind the strident female vocalist.  Pretty, watery piano accents from time to time. 

Tancos:  Hot Tuna “Water Song”  As expected, some fine guitar and bass playing here.  Nice, bouncy rhythm with steady drums and bass, the guitar has a Kottke or Fahey kind of vibe.  Definitely a feeling of being on the SF area coast and driving, watching the sea change.  Shugo Tokumaro “Green Rain”  A completely different feel with this one, repetitive keys (or accordion or?)  Japanese vocals with some odd syncopation and a very odd video.  What have they been indulging in?  Hard to describe, sort of almost absurdist, also a sense of whimsical happiness.  Eubie Blake “Fizz Water” Light-hearted ragtime piece, with full orchestra.  Also a sense to me of vaudeville with some humour in the mix.  A pleasant romp in the style of it’s day.  Michael Chapdelaine “Ran Dance”  More fine acoustic guitar playing here.  Lots of fancy fingerpicking, like rain falling, with a nod to a Native American sort of sound.  Fantastic artist, thank you for the intro to him. 

suitkees:  Tindersticks “Whiskey & Water”  And back to rock, washy guitars, drums and keyboards set the stage for drama here, it sounds like.  Twangy lead guitar and maybe some violin, it sounds like.  Spoken vocal.  I really love the drama of the music, not so much, the vocal.  Song ends in a bit of chaotic cacophony (in a very good way, to my ear), and goes back into the main melody before it ends abruptly.  Moon Ate The Dark “She / Swimming”  Lovely piano beginning, slowly building and becoming very gradually more complex.  Very contemplative and minimalist feel, we’ll see if that continues.  Some electronic shimmers are added in and softly swell.  Piece softly finishes.  Beautiful!  Jean-Louis “À la morte fontaine”  And now we have a somewhat folky-raga feel with guitar and drums.  So, a song of being enchanted by a water-spirit, I would think from the hint of your lyrics.  An excellent choice, at least for my taste.  Angelo Branduardi “La pulce d’acqua”  Pretty acoustic guitar and a lilting vocal with happy woodwinds, and later, full orchestra, makes me think of water sprites dancing along sun-lit waters. A Renaissance-era feel to it.