h2o mp3: We Have No Water Here: Hearts of Palm

in /by

“We have no water here and everybody knows it.” This lyrical snippet dances through my head at least a couple times a week as I read more and more on water scarcity panic attacks.

Hearts of Palm is a band from Denver, and a very good one, too–they were voted the No. 1 band in Colorado, according to the 2008 Denver Post Underground Music Poll. (Read more about them in this Denver Post story. or visit their myspace page.)

Lyrics:
This house is empty and this cause has been abandoned
You’ve walked away from everything you’ve had your hand in
The bridge is burning and all you can do it watch it
We have no water here and everybody knows it
You’re hanging by a thread and everyone can see it’s wearing thin

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/we-have-no-water-here.mp3]

Download We Have No Water Here – Hearts of Palm
WOW! This band generously offers a free download of the entire EP which contains this song. Get “The Bridge” EP at the band’s website, www. heartsofpalm.com.

h2o mp3: We’re Mostly Made of Water: Kid Sam

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Kid Sam is a duo of two cousins, Kishore and Kieran Ryan, from the climate change bellweather of Australia (Melbourne, Victoria) so they’ve got extra cred backing this song in my mind. Rhythmic, clangy, easy to love with a tinge of folk influence… gives me a pleasant case of the head bobs.

Lyrics:
the earth is slowly dying
the icebergs all are melting
they melt into the sea
and the sea keeps on rising
there’s nothing that can stop him
he’s gonna flood the whole world and take back what is his

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/08_were_mostly_made_of_water.mp3]

Download We’re Mostly Made of Water: Kid Sam
Low-fi 64 kbps mp3 file for sampling.
Like? Support the people who make music. Buy this track at iTunes or amazon.com

h2o mp3: Moon River: Audrey Hepburn

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Moon River was composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961. It’s been recorded by hundreds of musicians, but this is the “original” performed in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Audrey Hepburn. Oddly, Hepburn’s version was not included in the original movie soundtrack. Only months after Hepburn’s death in 1993 was her version released on an album entitled Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn.

In the movie, the song comes in a scene where writer Paul ‘Fred’ Varjak (George Peppard) has his typewriter-pecking interrupted by Holly Golightly (Hepburn) strumming her guitar and singing the tune on the fire escape outside their apartments.

Lyrics:
Moon River, wider than a mile,
I’m crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
wherever you’re going I’m going your way.
Two drifters off to see the world.
There’s such a lot of world to see.
We’re after the same rainbow’s end–
waiting ’round the bend,
my huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me.

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/audreyhepburn-musicfromthefilmsofaudreyhepburn-moonriver2.mp3]

Download Moon River: Audrey Hepburn
Low-fi mp3 file for sampling.
Like it? Support the people who make music. Buy this track at iTunes or amazon.com

h2o mp3s: When the Levee Breaks: Covers

in /by

With some recent mentions of this Led Zeppelin song, I’ve decided to tell you of my guilty pleasure and little secret: I actually collect covers of this song, and my music collection includes (at last count) 16 different versions. I’m especially fond of these two.

When the Levee Breaks: Stream of Passion: This Netherlands band is described as progressive metal with symphonic metal influences; I’ll just say it’s a dark, rich, enveloping hard rock sound overlaid with a gorgeous female vocal performance. From their 2006 single Out in the Real World.

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/04-when-the-levee-breaks.mp3]

Download When the Levee Breaks: Stream of Passion
Low-fi 64 kbps mp3 file for sampling.
Like it? Support the people who make music. Buy this track at iTunes or amazon.com

When the Levee Breaks: A Perfect Circle: This alt-rock “supergroup” is an impressive collaboration of a bunch of talented musicians from such well known bands as Tool, Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins and more. Their version of the song is moody, layered, and very skillfully crafted.

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/11-when-the-levee-breaks-explicit.mp3]

Download When the Levee Breaks: A Perfect Circle
Low-fi 64 kbps mp3 file for sampling.
Like it? Support the people who make music. Buy this track at iTunes or amazon.com

UPDATE: A short time after this post went live, this found its way into my inbox! Although this isn’t the REAL Led Zep, it sure makes me laugh at the logical-but-not-logical path of social networking!

h2o mp3: That Water Tower Sound: Other Animals

in /by

No lyrics since this is an instrumental rock track, but it would be an outstanding soundtrack for the film Bat Girl Conquers the Tower if one’s ever released! The band is from Crystal Lake, IL (Yea! Suburbs of Chicago!) and their website notes, “We donned the moniker Other Animals and spent the last two years writing music using an excavation office in the suburbs of Chicago during nights and weekends as our rehearsal space.”

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/02-that-water-tower-sound.mp3]

Download That Water Tower Sound – Other Animals

This is a full-quality 6MB mp3 file.
WOW! this band graciously offers the entire album as a free download on their website: http://otheranimalsband.com/

If you enjoy it, please be sure to leave a message and let the band know!

h2o mp3: A Water Song: Extradition

in /by

Fair warning, this is a weird one, but I’m posting it today because I’m imagining it’s just the sort of entertainment that likely took place at Earth Day celebrations in the early seventies! From the music blog swanfungus, where I got the track,

“Extradition were an obscure early seventies Australian psych-folk group…What sets them apart is how they shade their haunting and graceful compositions with an adventurous use of natural elements as instruments including leaves, branches, water, sticks and stones along with more exotic instrumentation of Chinese and Turkish gongs, harmonium, harpsichord, tablas and a Lebanese bell tree.”

Lyrics:
Father of water speaks
in the whistling spring
drink deeply of the song.
He touched my head with the crown of white
peacefully, peacefully
I was here when the first rains fell
water sings a song

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/extradition_-_a_water_song.mp3]

Download A Water Song – Extradition
This is a full-quality 7MB mp3 file (because I can’t find anywhere for you to buy it!)

h2o mp3: You Left the Water Running: Otis Redding

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Georgia-born Otis Redding, one of the greatest of the American soul-men, died tragically at the young age of 26 in a plane crash but left behind an impressive legacy. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was name by Rolling Stone magazine in their 2008 feature “100 Greatest Singers of All Time.” Also, he was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 1999. He’s even been on a U.S. postage stamp!

Lyrics:
You left all the water running
When you left me behind, let me tell you
That you left, ooh, the water running
It’s running from these eyes of mine

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/2-01-you-left-the-water-running.mp3]

Download You Left the Water Running – Otis Redding
Low-fi 64 kbps mp3 file for sampling.

Like it? Support the people who make music. Buy this track at Amazon.com

h2o mp3: When the Water Rise Up: Max “Bunny” Sparber

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From his eclectic blog 50000000 Sparber Fans Can’t Be Wrong, the artist posts this song, noting “a re-recording of my song “When The Water Rise Up,” done as a sort of jug band gospel tune. With the Red River flooding, it seemed somehow appropriate.”

Thanks for that Mr. Sparber. Everything’s better with music, even a flood.

Lyrics:
When the levee bow, When the water rise up
When the water rise up, When the water rise up
Got no place to go, When the water rise up,
When the water rise up, When the water rise up

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/when-the-water-rise-up.mp3]

Download When the Water Rise Up – Max “Bunny” Sparber
128 kbps Mp3 file is also available as a free download at 50000000 Sparber Fans Can’t Be Wrong.

(If you like the track, say thanks on his blog or on twitter: http://twitter.com/maxsparber)

h2o mp3: Portland Water: Michael Hurley

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Here’s one just for our friends at the Portland Water Bureau (who we admire for blazing new trails in innovative public information and communications for water utilities!)

Michael Hurley is a singer/guitarist who has been making critically-acclaimed folk for over four decades. Portland Water is from the album Long Journey, released in 1976. (Hurley is reportedly a current resident of Astoria, Oregon.)

Lyrics:
The Portland water they swillin’ cold
and it swills my body but not the soul
Oh the call up to Portland on the public telephone
They said it sure is rainin’ here in the state of Oregon

Play the track

[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/02-portland-water.mp3]

Download Portland Water – Michael Hurley
Low-fi 64 kbps Mp3 file for sampling.
Like it? Support the people who make music. Buy this track at iTunes or Amazon

h2o mp3: New World Water: Mos Def

in /by

Here’s one for World Water Day on Sunday. The music of hip hop artist Mos Def is often politically charged and socially aware, and certainly earns its “parental advisory” designation. New World Water was recorded in 1999, so that places him well ahead of many of the “opinion leaders” too. (You might have seen the full lyrics recently on Aguanomics, here.)

Lyrics:

Tell your crew use the H2 in wise amounts since
it’s the New World Water; and every drop counts
You can laugh and take it as a joke if you wanna
But it don’t rain for four weeks some summers
And it’s about to get real wild in the half
You be buying Evian just to take a fuckin bath

Play the track
[audio:http://thirstyinsuburbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/09-new-world-water.mp3]

Download New World Water – Mos Def
Low-fi 64 kbps Mp3 file for sampling.
Like it? Support the people who make music. Buy this track at iTunes or Amazon.com