“She” Cover

Elvis Costello covered Charles Aznavour’s song “She” back in 1999.

How do you think the cover stands up?

The original:

The cover:

Using Music to Learn Vocabulary

Listening to music, such as the songs below, can help you improve your vocabulary. Did you know the definitions of all the words below?

1. “Archipelago” by Mirah

Vocab. Word: Archipelago

Definition: A group of islands; an expanse of water surrounded by islands

2. “Narcissus in a Red Dress” by The Like

Vocab. Word: Tutelage

Definition: Protection of or authority over someone or something; guardianship

Vocab. Word: Charlatan

Definition: A person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill; a fraud

3. “Anhedonia” by Skinny Jean:

Vocab. Word: Anhedonia

Definition: The inability to feel pleasure

4. “My Pet Snakes” by Jenny and Johnny

Vocab. Word: Ouroboros

Definition: An ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail

5. “Quarry Hymns” by Land of Talk

Vocab. Word: Quarry

Definition: A place, typically a large, deep pit, from which stone or other materials are or have been extracted

6. “No Action” by Elvis Costello

Vocab. Word: Bakelight

Definition: An early form of brittle plastic made from formaldehyde and phenol, used chiefly for electrical equipment

7. “Ductile” by Ben Lee

Vocab. Word: Ductile

Definition: Able to be drawn out into a thin wire; Able to be deformed without losing toughness; pliable, not brittle

Honorable Mention: “Fair Game” by The Like

Vocab. Words: Akimbo, Pessimistic, Incestuous, Tempestuous, Extraneous

Song of the Day: “Carpetbaggers”

Song of the day on 6-28-2010 is “Carpetbaggers” by Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice:

Spectacle

Elvis Costello’s TV show Spectacle has featured a superstar ensemble of performers.

Watch some behind-the-scenes footage from one episode featuring Jenny Lewis, Zooey Deschanel, Tennessee Thomas, and Jakob Dylan playing together.

Here’s “Carpetbaggers” with Jenny Lewis, Johnathan Rice, Elvis Costello, Farmer Dave, Zooey Deschanel, and two drummers: Tennessee Thomas (The Like) and her dad, Pete Thomas:

Here’s “Change is Hard” by She & Him:

Jason Boesel News

Today Jason Boesel announced that his debut album will be released January 12, 2010.

Boesel, the drummer of Rilo Kiley, The Elected, and Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, collaborated on his new album with Nik Freitas, Blake Mills, Orenda Fink, Dave Rawlings, Taylor Goldsmith, Blake Sennett, and producer Jonathan Wilson (Elvis Costello and Jenny Lewis).

Team Love, Boesel’s label, describes the 11-song debut as an “Americana album” filled with country-folk, mid-’70s California rock, and alt-country.

For a free download of the second song on the album, called “Hand of God,” click here.