Music Blog #6- Yale Strom with Hot Pstrami & Common Chords

Date Seen: April 21
Location: Cal State San Marcos
Band Website: http://www.hotpstromi.com/

 I was walking on campus last week, preparing to leave for the night, when I heard this mysterious, funky music coming from somewhere nearby. Turns out it was coming from the Earth Day festival outside the library. It was a bustling scene- vendors and clubs had set up tables, artwork was being displayed on the grass, and a few live bands entertained the crowd of students with diverse music. The band currently on stage was a six-person Eastern folk band called “Yale Strom with Hot Pstrami & Common Chords.”  Yale Strom is the band leader and violin player, with Gene on drums, Elizabeth on vocals, Jeff on bass, Norbert on reeds, and Lou on accordion. Together they create a New Jewish/traditional klezmer fusion which I had never really heard before.

What is klezmer, you ask? According to Wikipedia, klezmer is a Jewish musical genre which has “expressive melodies, reminiscent of the human voice, complete with laughing and weeping.” I could definitely hear the “weeping” sounds from the violin and accordion.  Elizabeth sang in both English and Yiddish, her voice husky and somber, which added to the melancholy mood of some songs. I especially remember the “Bonesetter’s Last Song,” during which Elizabeth imitated an old man’s coughing during the breaks in the song.  Overall, Yale Strom and company were an interesting surprise to find on campus.

Music Blog #5- Caleb Fritel

Date Seen: April 10
Location: Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, Temecula
Artist Website: http://www.myspace.com/calebfritelmusic

I stopped by The Tilted Kilt on a Sunday afternoon- a bit of a change since my previous posts have been for Friday or Saturday night gigs. The Kilt offers “Acoustic Sunday” sessions out on their patio- it was nice to sit back and enjoy a sandwich in the sun while doing my music research. The artist featured was Caleb Fritel, a solo guitarist who specializes in rock/alternative covers as well as original songs. Originally from North Dakota, Caleb moved to California in 2007 and also plays piano and drums. His musical style was mellow and soulful, singing songs about love and life based on personal experience. While I sat and listened, he covered classic songs from REM, Third Eye Blind, and Foo Fighters. His original works keep with the same style, reminding me of a blend between Our Lady Peace and David Gray. He was even nice enough to hand out free CDs which contained five of his original songs.

I think my favorite song from the CD is “Here’s to Forgetting You,” a fast-paced lament about the persistence of bittersweet memories. Caleb has his music available for listening on Myspace as well. I really enjoyed Caleb’s music and look forward to hearing more of his work in the future.