Odds & ends

Here is some random interesting musical ephemera for your Thursday evening.

Chad, bless his heart, has composed another fabulous and exhaustive post about Elliott Smith and The Beatles with lots of great tunes. Head over to Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands post haste.

I thought this was a funny article in the Guardian (UK) about eight musicians swapping iPods and having to guess whose iPod they had. Interesting concept. What would my iPod say about me? Swapping iPods is lovely fun.

If you are considering getting more into Ray LaMontagne (and really, you should be and you know you want to), click yourself right on over to I Guess I’m Floating to see how much Nathaniel and I love Ray LaMontagne and download some really good album tracks from Trouble.

Aquarium Drunkard has the video of Ryan Adams on Austin City Limits for download if you missed it – you know, like if you were out doing something on Saturday night and your VCR is broken. Ya know. His excellent set included Games, Cold Roses, Hard Way To Fall, Call Me On Your Way Back Home, Now That You’re Gone, Let It Ride, and A Kiss Before I Go.

Do you like banjo? (wow, there’s a great conversation starter at a crowded party). If you do, Beat The Indie Drum has a nice mix of songs featuring said instrument entitled “Pling Twang Pling.” I appreciate the way it always sounds so bright and golden, like a shiny penny.

And finally, members of Weezer have been tapped to play Velvet Underground in upcoming Edie Sedgwick biopic Factory Girl. They’ve also re-recorded a new version of the Underground song “Heroin.” Pitchfork is not too keen on the idea. I say give ‘em a break, ye hipster cynics!

Side track, but I think Velvet Underground was a fabulous choice for a band name. It’s got it all; mystery (ooh, they are underground), sex appeal (velvet? come on. hot), and just this coolness factor (the two together sound like the name of a really classy, but DANGEROUS, strip club. Not that I would know, but I’ve seen it on TV).