AlternativeBanjo » FAF http://alternativebanjo.com So not mainstream... Alternative. Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:02:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 FAF: Sofia’s Song http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/04/24/faf-sofias-song/ http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/04/24/faf-sofias-song/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:22:32 +0000 mike http://alternativebanjo.com/?p=264 I really cannot say much today expect that Sufjan has posted a previously unreleased song from his past. From his blog post, he describes singing these songs “in the privacy of my dorm room, behind closed doors, pillows and cushions stuffed in the air vents so no one would hear.” The post describes what he was like as a child and a college student. I would highly recommend checking it out.

The post is also a reminder of what a magnificant writer he his. I dare not try to match its eloquence and brevity. So without further ado, Sofia’s Song.

Sofia’s Song

Also a tab will follow shortly…

[UPDATE] The tab for this has now been posted!

]]> http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/04/24/faf-sofias-song/feed/ 8 FAF: Lord God Bird http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/04/10/faf-lord-god-bird/ http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/04/10/faf-lord-god-bird/#comments Sat, 11 Apr 2009 03:29:37 +0000 mike http://alternativebanjo.com/?p=255 Hello again, from this late Freakin Awesome Friday! This week we’ll look at the Lord God Bird. The song was featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered. There is a whole segment describing the story behind the quest for the Lord God Bird and it talks about the song itself.

This FAF there also have a tab to go along with the song. The beginning has two banjo lines with the first one being the melody. The second banjo is playing the accompanying piece in the background. The rest of the song is fairly straight forward. But unfortunately I didn’t finish the ending. The tab ends at around 2:40 into the song. If it gets finished I’ll post the update.

So without further ado here is the excellent song and the tab. Enjoy!

Sufjan Stevens – Lord God Bird

D:-------------|----------------|----6---6-9-----|----------------|
B:-7-7-5-4-----|----------------|------7---------|9---------------|
G:-------------|6---------------|----------------|----------------|
D:-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

D:-------------|------6-------6-|----------------|------9-------9-|
B:-------------|--5-------5-----|--5-------------|9---9-----9-----|
G:-------------|6---6-6-------6-|----------------|--8---9-------8-|
D:-------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

D:-------------9---|11---------9-------|-----------------|-------------------|
B:-----------9-----|-------------------|9----------------|---------12--------|
G:-----------------|-------------------|--------11-9-----|11-----------------|
D:-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------|

D:-------9-----9---|-------------------|------------------|------------------|
B:---9-------9-----|---10--------9-----|9------9----------|---------12-------|
G:-------8-8-------|---------9-------9-|---9-9---11-9-----|11----------------|
D:-----------------|11----11---9---9---|10----------------|------------------|

   In the delta sun                  Down in Arkansas
D:------------------|
B:------------------|
G:-11---------------|
D:------------------|

D:------------------|------6---------|----------6-----|------9-------9-|
B:------------------|--5-----------5-|------5---------|--9-------9-----|
G:------------------|6---6-6---6-----|--6-------------|8---8-8---------|
D:------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

       Its the       great God             bird                    With its alter
D:-------11---9-----|---------------------|----------------|--------------------|
B:---9--------------|--------10-----------|------9---------|--------9-----------|
G:------------------|---9----------9------|--9-------9-----|---9---------9------|
D:------------------|11---11----11---11---|9---9---9---9---|11---11---11---11---|

    call   And the sowing machines      The industrial God
D:------------------|------6-------6-|------6---------|------9-------9-|
B:--12--------------|--5-------5-----|--5-------5-----|--9-------9-----|
G:-(11)-------------|6---6---------6-|------6---------|8---8-8---------|
D:------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

            On the  great bayou                 where they saw              it
D:-----------------|---------------------|----------9-----|---------------------|
B:---9-------9-----|--------10-----------|------9---------|--------9------------|
G:-------8---------|---9---------11------|--9---------9---|---9----------9------|
D:-----------------|11---11-11---11------|9---9-9-------9-|11---11-11-11---11-9-|

   fall        It's the great      God         Bird    down in  Ar   -     kan
D:---------------------|----------------------|-----------------|---------------------|
B:--------12--------12-|--------10------------|------9----------|--------9----12------|
G:---11--------11------|---9-------11-9-------|--9-------9------|---9-----------------|
D:-9----9----9----9----|11---11----------11-9-|9---9---9---9-11-|11---11---11----11-9-|

-  sa  And the hunter beware              Or the fishers fall
D:-----------------|------------------14-|-----------------|---------------------|
B:-----------------|--------10---12------|------9----------|--------10-----------|
G:-11--------------|---9-----------------|--9-------9----9-|---9-------9--9----9-|
D:-----------------|11---11--------------|9---9---9---14---|11---11---------11---|

     And para    -   dise    might      close   from its safe         flight   flawed
D:-----------9------|------------------|----------------------|--------------9----|
B:-------9----------|--------9-------9-|--------10------------|-------12---12-----|
G:---9------------9-|---9--------9-----|---9----------9----11-|--11-------------9-|
D:-9---9---9---14---|11---11-----------|11---11----11---11----|9----9---------9---|

         It's the  great         God     Bird   though it  all
D:------------------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B:-------9----------|--------10-------9-|------9----------|12---------------|
G:---9-------9----9-|---9---------9-----|--9-------9------|-----------------|
D:-9---9---9---14---|11---11----9---9---|9---9---9---9-11-|-----------------|

D:-----------------|----------------|------6-------6-|----6---6-9-----|
B:-----------------|----7-7-5-4-----|--5-------5-----|--5---7---------|
G:-----------------|----------------|6---6-----------|----------------|
D:-----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

D:-------9-------9-|--------------9-|11---------9-------|-----------------|
B:-9---9-----9-----|--9---------9---|--------10---------|9------9-9-------|
G:---8-------------|------8---8-----|------9------9---9-|--9--------9-----|
D:-----------------|----------------|---11----------9---|----11-----------|

D:----------9-------|9---------------|------7---9-------|----6---6-9-----|
B:-9----------------|----7-7-5-5-4---|--------------9---|------7---------|
G:---9----9---------|--------------6-|------------------|----------------|
D:-----11-----------|----------------|------------------|----------------|

D:---------9------9----|----------9-----|11--------9-------|-----------------|
B:-10---10-----10---10-|9-------9-----9-|------------------|9--------9-------|
G:----9----------------|--9---9-----9---|---9----9---9---9-|--9----9---9---9-|
D:---------------------|----9-----------|-----11-------9---|----11-------9---|

D:----------------------|-----------9-----|-----------------|-----------------|
B:---------12-12--------|9--------9-------|10-------9-------|9----------------|
G:-11-11-----------11---|--9----9---------|---9---9---9---9-|--9---9-11-9-----|
D:-------9--------------|----11-----------|-----11------9---|----9------------|

               And the watchers beware                lest they see it fall
D:------------------|----------------|------6---------|----------------|
B:------------------|----------------|--5-------------|----------------|
G:-11---------------|----------------|6---6-----------|----------------|
D:------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

                            And paradise         might       laugh    when at
D:-------9-------9-|----------------|--------------11-------|----------9-----|
B:---9-------9-----|--9-------9-----|--------10----------10-|------9---------|
G:-8---8-----------|------8---------|---9-------------------|--9-----------9-|
D:-----------------|----------------|11---11----11----11----|9---9---9---9---|

   last      it         falls And the sowing machines        the industrial
D:---------------------|-----------------|-------------------|----------------|
B:---------9-----------|12---------------|--------10---9---9-|----------------|
G:----9---------9---11-|-----------------|---9---------------|--9-------------|
D:-11---11---11--------|-----------------|11---11------------|----------------|

   god                         And it's the great      god      bird      with its
D:------------------------|----------------|-------------------|------------------|
B:---------10---9h10---10-|----------------|--------10-------9-|--------9-------9-|
G:----9-------------------|--9-------------|---9---------9-----|---9--------9-----|
D:-11---11----------------|----------------|11---11----9---9---|11---11---9---9---|

   alter            call    it's the   2:40
D:-------9---9-----|----------9-----|
B:---7-----------9-|------9-----9---|
G:-----------------|--9-----------9-|
D:-9---9-------9---|9---9-----------|
]]> http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/04/10/faf-lord-god-bird/feed/ 3 FAF: Sound Opinions http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/04/03/faf-sound-opinions/ http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/04/03/faf-sound-opinions/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:46:39 +0000 mike http://alternativebanjo.com/?p=240 On this Freakin Awesome Friday we’ll look at a couple of just down right, sick, totally gnarly, nasty jams. It’ll be like a preservative factory in here. Everything featured today will come from Public Radio. You may be saying to yourself, “What?! but public radio is lame.” Well this isn’t your dad’s public radio. This is Chicago Public Radio’s week show called Sound Opinions. They have extremely talented artists come in and perform on their show. They’ve had everybody from DJ Shadow to Radiohead to Fiest to Girl Talk. So today we’ll feature a couple of the Sound Opinion’s amazing shows here.

The first show is the from the Decemberists. This show had the version of Oh, Valencia! that the tab here is based on. It is an all acoustic set with banjo (woot) and, another favorite instrument of mine, the accordion. They revamp some of their songs to accommodate these instruments resulting in a very unique performance.

  1. I’ll Come Running
  2. Oh, Valencia!
  3. Perfect Crime
  4. Summersong

The next band does not have a banjo but they are just as awesome and they are called Frightened Rabbit. They hail from Scotland and have received rave reviews of their album The Midnight Organ Flight. I would recommend listening to the full podcast. They talk in depth about the origin of the album and the writing process. It’s a very cool insight into an artists’ mindset. Here are the songs that they sing on during the show.

  1. Poke
  2. Modern Leper
  3. Twist
  4. Old Fashioned

BONUS: Here are a couple of YouTube videos that are very cool. The first is a cover of Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. The girls’ voices are absolutely incredible. I had chills the entire time was listening to this.

This next video is of the Wilco and the Fleet Foxes live in concert in Spokane, WA. They sing Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”. Epic.

]]> http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/04/03/faf-sound-opinions/feed/ 0 FAF: Bela Fleck Live at the Quick http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/03/27/faf-bela-fleck-live-at-the-quick/ http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/03/27/faf-bela-fleck-live-at-the-quick/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2009 20:59:18 +0000 mike http://alternativebanjo.com/?p=232 This week, for Freakin Awesome Friday, we are featuring Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Live at the Quick. There a playlist on YouTube that has 12 songs from this concert. These videos are from the dvd, Live at the Quick. So if you enjoy these videos check out the dvd.

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones – Live at the Quick

But if you don’t want to watch the whole thing, here are some of the highlights:

  1. The funkiest bassoon solo you will ever hear at the beginning of Scratch and Sniff
  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RdFHgjkPK8
  3. Amazing Grace
  4. The call and response between Victor Wooten and Jeff Coffin at around 2:47 in Big Country which leads into the electric banjo solo by Bela Fleck.
  5. Mongolian throat singers
  6. The tabla and the banjo solo at around 5:00 in a Hoedown

Really, it is just the funkiest collection of instruments you’ll ever see. These instruments shouldn’t work together, the banjo, a tabla, a bassoon, yet they are able to bring it together in an amazing performance.

]]> http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/03/27/faf-bela-fleck-live-at-the-quick/feed/ 2 New series: Freakin Awesome Friday http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/03/20/new-series-freakin-awesome-friday/ http://alternativebanjo.com/2009/03/20/new-series-freakin-awesome-friday/#comments Sat, 21 Mar 2009 05:03:09 +0000 mike http://alternativebanjo.com/?p=198 After recently discovering some B-sides and live concerts, I have decided to start up a series called Freakin Awesome Friday. It’ll be a weekly post that will feature unreleased, dare I say ‘alternative’, versions of tracks that you may not have heard. This will range from bootlegged concerts to album B-sides from around the internet.

For this first week we’ll start off with a Sufjan Stevens concert from October 13, 2006 at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland. I found this concert at Dance Hall Hips which has an excellently written review of the concert. I would suggest that you go there if you would like to read more about the concert.

So with out further ado here it is:

Sufjan Stevens, Portland 10/13/2006 (the entire concert in a zip file)

– or –

1) Intro
2) Sister
3) The Transfiguration
4) The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders
5) Casimir Pulaski Day
6) Dear Mr. Supercomputer
7) Intro Story
8 ) The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!
9) John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
10) Speaking
11) A Good Man is Hard to Find
12) Majesty Snowbird
13) Speaking
14) Jacksonville
15) Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!
16) To Be Alone With You
17) The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
18) Speaking
19) Chicago
20) Encore Break
21) They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!!! Ahhhhh!!!

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