The Lemonheads to me represent a slice of mid-’90s goodness that will forever evoke high school memories of new white Converse and cutting class to go to Harry’s Deli for lunch.
After several years of Evan Dando doing the solo thing (and putting out some great stuff, I must say) Vagrant Records announced last week that the Lemonheads are reforming and signed to their label, which also has been home to Paul Westerberg, Eels, The Futureheads, and The Hold Steady.
From their news section: “The recently re-formed Lemonheads are currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on what will be their eighth studio album in a career that spans over two decades… Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Evan Dando is co-producing the album with drummer Bill Stevenson (Descendents, Black Flag), and the band is rounded out with bass player Karl Alvarez (Descendents). NYC-based Dando self-funded the project and has been recording in Stevenson’s Colorado studio off and on during the last year.”
The press release contains a great quote from Rich Egan, the president of Vagrant Records:
“The thing I remember most about Vagrant’s first year is being locked up in my apartment, drinking coffee, stuffing 7″‘s into envelopes and listening to It’s A Shame About Ray on cassette all day, every day. If it wasn’t for that record, we probably would’ve left the apartment eventually and given up the label. Nobody writes songs like Evan Dando, nobody sings likes him…the new songs are incredible. He is in top form.”
In honor, here are two excellent live Evan Dando shows that I have just been waiting for a reason to post. The first one (from Glasgow in 2001) is a lovely walk through pretty much every Evan Dando/Lemonheads song that I love, great setlist. The second (from Ludlow’s in Ohio in 2000) has a different lineup, and is stocked full of some pretty funny and fabulous covers. I don’t know what got into Evan that night, but he was all over the map and I like it.
Evan Dando, King Tut’s Glasgow, Feb 18, 2001 (zip link at end) 01. It’s A Shame About Ray 02. Down About It 03. The Turnpike Down 04. The Outdoor Type 05. Paid To Smile 06. The Great Big No 07. Big Gay Heart 08. Favorite T 09. Hospital 10. Being Around 11. The Same Thing You Thought Hard About Is The Same Thing I Can Live Without 12. Hard Drive 13. If I Could Talk I’d Tell You 14. Into Your Arms 15. Confetti 16. My Drug Buddy 17. Hannah & Gabi 18. Ride With Me 19. Stove 20. Rudderless 21. It’s Up To You (featuring Ben Kweller, pictured) 22. All My Life 23. $1000 Wedding 24. Different Drum (Linda Ronstadt, right?)
Second show: Evan Dando – Ludlows Bar and Treehouse, Columbus, OH 12-14-00 (zip link at end)
01. Confetti 02. Hannah & Gabi 03. My Drug Buddy 04. It’s A Shame About Ray 05. The Same Thing You Thought Hard About Is The Same Thing I Can Live Without 06. Frying Pan 07. All My Life 08. Whoops 09. Like A Rose (Lucinda Williams cover) 10. Side Of The Road (Lucinda Williams cover) 11. The Turnpike Down 12. Down About It 13. Favorite T 14. Rudderless 15. I Don’t Care (Ramones cover) 16. Who Loves The Sun (Velvet Underground cover) 17. Jetstreams (Eugene Kelly cover) 18. Hate Your Friends 19. Homos (The Frogs cover) 20. Frank Mills 21. Don’t Fear The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult, minus the cowbell) 22. Paint 23. Backstreet Girl (Rolling Stones cover)
Enjoy! I am looking forward to seeing what the new Lemonheads will sound like, in a new musical era of sorts from the last time they released something.
So I made the journey to San Francisco and back and my head is still spinning. In town for less than 24 hours, I spent twice as much time seeing Ryan than I did sleeping. What a lucky gal.
Thursday night I got to see Ryan Adams for the first time and it was different, perhaps, than I expected – a lot more “free form?” – but pretty dang phenomenal. The Palace of Fine Arts was a fantastic place to see a show, I’d never been there before. It was an intimate venue and Ryan was in chatty form. I hear that Wednesday night was variable quality (as Ryan said Thursday, “Look, it’s no secret that I’m, like, doing that great tightrope walk between suck and maybe good…”). I thought Thursday was rambling but good.
I loved the solo acoustic interpretations, and a fine, fine setlist. And, yes, it was mostly true what my new pal Nathan said, “You’ll probably find all the chatter endearing.” The overall feel was a mix of sitting in Ryan’s living room and listening to some sort of stream-of-consciousness interview.
Interesting comment from someone over on the Ryan Adams Archive site, which the more I read over, the more I think is a valid point: “The upside, if you were in the mood for it, was a very personal / intimate hangin’ out with Ryan thing where we (the audience) were both therapist and entertainer for him – as well as being entertained by him. The downside was that we got too few songs and very few sung without interruptions of patter or joking that somewhat broke or (imho) belittled the emotional intensity & spell of the piece. Came away wanting to worship him and slap him upside the head at the same time. You are probably thinking ‘what else is new?’. I know most of our heroes have feet of clay – the artistic cauldron – inspired madness and all that – I just wish he would respect his own gifts more and honor this amazing music that comes through him.”
I was able to record the Palace of Fine Arts show, so you can hear it too. I was pretty impressed at how the sound quality turned out for just being recorded on a little $60 digital voice recorder thingie. (Maybe I am impressed because my audio-technology-knowhow falls somewhere on the scale between that of a box of dirt and pet gerbil). Hence it is far from perfect quality, but for those of you that were there, you can relive the set, and for those that weren’t, you can hear all the chatter and two new songs (and the occasional guffaw that I let out, even though I tried to keep my mouth shut. I have a hard time with that. Just ignore me and my friends’ chatter. Sincere apologies.)
Following the Palace of Fine Arts show, my friend Julia and I jetted on over to 12 Galaxies club. After stashing our cars in an alley by her apartment, we walked hastily to the club, nervous and excited because Ryan was playing a “Set Two” with Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead. A mere $5 cover, all going to charity (supporting the cause of organ donation – they can have mine, not sure if they want my liver).
I hear everyone (who was over 21) who was waiting outside got in, which was great because there was a massive line and I wasn’t sure if all the cool kids in the back made it in for an incredible show.
I was maybe the 15th person in the door, and headed right to the front. I was literally about 5 feet from Ryan when he came on stage. It was an absolutely amazing vantage point, to see every scowl and chord and smile and interaction on stage.
Ryan seemed like a completely different person for Set Two – engaged, on fire, sharp, musically adventurous, and basically just enjoying himself – and loving the music. He and Phil even kissed once, ain’t that sweet.
I am far from being a Dead fan, but of all the times I wish I had known a lyric, this was it: Ryan blanks on a verse to one of the Dead songs and leans down front to me and asks “Do you know it?” holding out his hand to me. Uhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . nope. Damn. But later on when he forgot one of his own lyrics, he asked again, and this time my fabulous cohorts jumped up to the plate with the needed memory jog, and he carried on with the verse. So fun what can happen in such an intimate little place.
The version of “Cold Roses” was INSANELY jamming, I was mesmerized by the opening riff and how intricate the guitar fingerwork was. And by “Shakedown on 9th Street,” we were all pretty much hoarse from yelling along. “Luuucy, lucy my gal….” “What Sin” was so stretched out into these mega-jams that I almost didn’t recognize it. And “I Still Miss Someone” was jammy, electric and rockin like I have never heard it before; I think Johnny Cash would have just shook his head, but probably appreciated the passion behind it.
12 Galaxies Setlist (“Set Two”) Not Fade Away Dark Star Help On The Way Magnolia Mountain He’s Gone Stella Blue What Sin Replaces Love Wharf Rat > Not Fade Away
Encore: Dire Wolf A Kiss Before I Go Dire Wolf (cut off) China Cat (instrumental, cut off) Cold Roses Shakedown on 9th Street Not Fade Away Eyes I Still Miss Someone Cold Roses
I don’t have anything from the second set, I was dancing too much to record (and fending off weird Deadheads who kept sweating on me).
We were discussing amongst ourselves in the audience who the kickass drummer was, sporting the Nirvana t-shirt, watching the guys for cues of where they were going in the jam. The story of how local San Franciscan drummer Chad Tasky got the gig with these two is a fan’s dream come true: “i was at the ryan adams solo shows this past wednesday and thursday at the palace of fine arts in san francisco. my buddy robie and i are hanging out backstage when ryan shows up and says that he needs a drum kit so that his producer jamie can sit in on drums during the encore along with phil lesh - who is also scheduled to play during the encore. i graciously offer to rent them a set of my drums for the show, then race down to pick them up. ryan played… then ryan, phil, and jamie played the encore… then i went home.
upon arriving the next evening to watch the show then pick up my drums – i’m informed there’s been a secret benefit show scheduled for after the show at a small club in the mission district called 12 galaxies, and that i’ve been chosen to play drums. having the imaginary courage that i needed, i proceeded to play to a sold-out crowd with ryan, phil and a guitar-tech named harry for over two hours. the setlist was filled with dead songs ands ryan’s songs – which i did my best to pretend to know. what a crazy night. check out video and photos from the show.”
Man alive.
The whole night was so sweaty and rocking and mindblowingly fun that I felt like I needed to roll over and have a cigarette afterwards. And I don’t even smoke.
But it was that satisfying.
Thanks to Sherry for some of the pics (and loaning me her camera so I could take a few of these) and Sharif, who rocks. Also, check out this savage set of pictures on Flickr (and if you look at the one below, that is SO my arm on the left side of the shot. I am a geek, I know).
I am so excited about this post. There are some 24 great songs in this post. You can jump to them, but let’s chat a bit first. A while back I posted a set that Pete Yorn did in 2001 at the Roxy in L.A. In the comments, fellow blogger Jesus posed the question “is this yorn fella going to release something new soon?” That stuck in my mind as a quest, and I love quests, so off I went and here’s what I found. (“We’re on a mission from God.”)
You may remember Pete Yorn from when he burst onto the scene in 2001 as a 26-year-old drummer-turned-singer/songwriter whose album Musicforthemorningafter was a gold seller, based in part on the strength of singles like “Life on a Chain” and “Strange Condition.” I personally love the completely creative and refreshing percussive layer behind the entire album. When I listen to it, that’s one of the things that stands out for me, and now I know why (because he was a drummer first).
Following Musicforthemorningafter, Yorn released Day I Forgot in 2003 and the excellent Live From New Jersey double disc in 2004. Since then, he’s been busy working on a new album with an unspecified release date, although some say this summer is a possibility. Yorn has been touring with the guys from Minibar as his backing band, and recently did a fantastically small benefit show for tsunami relief for a $5 cover (plus tips!) at O’Brien’s bar in Santa Monica which raised $13,000. And while exact dates are still unconfirmed, Minibar’s website says they expect to be touring with Pete starting in July. Yorn’s also been keeping busy working with the Dixie Chicks (really?) on songwriting for their upcoming new album Taking The Long Way, which will be released next month.
Check out some of his unreleased/new/cover stuff you may not have heard that he’s been crankin out:
NEW SONGS These three songs were posted over the last couple months on Pete’s MySpace (streaming), but are taken down now. These are likely candidates for release on the new album, whenever that may be.
If you visit his MySpace page, appreciate how his music genre is listed as “crunk”:
(Thanks a million to Kraig for the first two tracks – I was posting all over God’s green earth looking for someone who had them, and he found me with just the two I was looking for. He’s just started a new blog, title also based on a Pearl Jam lyric, and so far his track record of featured music is stellar. Check him out: A Spacious Hole In The Ground)
Pete offered Nancy Sinatra three of his songs to choose from to record for her 2004 eponymous album. She chose “Don’t Mean Nothin’” – here is her version (which is so clearly Yorn-ey):
Thanks on these ones to Kevin from So Much Silence who helped me immensely with the audio ripping. He is a music master of live radio shows, check out who he’s had on his blog lately. It’s all good.
OTHER YORN SONGS, new or unreleased or rare:
“Baby, I’m Gone“ (unreleased, live) – sound quality is not the best on this one, but I really like the melody & drive of this song. I hope a nice clean studio version is on his new album because this rocks.
“Suspicious Minds” (two versions, the “Dawn Version“ (love this) and the “Dusk Version.”Total side note, but the dusk/dawn dichotomy reminds me of some of my favoriteMichelangelosculptures that I once did a huge presentation on in situ and is one of the things I am most proud of.)
Oh, and I knew there was another reason I loved him: He was a Communication major like me. Oh yeah, go Comm majors! There’s one that made something of himself.
Keep me posted if you hear any new album/tour news, kids. And enjoy the unique new sounds of Mr. Yorn’s recent musings.
British singer-songwriter Leona Naess is honing her angelic voice on some new songs which will be released on her fourth studio album, rumored to be titled Thirteens.
If you go to her website www.leonanaess.com you can stream three songs from the new album on the main page:
“I Wait For My Prince” “Beautiful Boy” (not a Lennon cover) “Everyone’s Given Up”
I am pretty sure that the labelling on the songs is off: The second song title pops up as Beautiful Boy, but the lyrics talk about Wait For My Prince. So go figure. They are all excellent, whatever they are called. My favorite is the #1 track. Also available for download on Leona’s site is the song Ballerina, which was produced by Tori Amos.
Her new album includes a duet with Ben Lee on a song called “Boyfriends,” and is currently in the process of being mastered for a potential early summer release date. This will be the followup to her lovely 2003 self-titled release, which was produced by Ethan Johns.
Leona is playing tomorrow night in NYC at the Living Room if you are a New Yorker hankering for a good show.
Well, on that congenial note . . . here’s the third installment of Bedhead. A reader reminded me that I need to keep putting these up as promised. A whole lot of life has ambushed me in these last few days, getting a bit behind.
Related Ryan Adams content: Something he posted to the RyanAdams.org message board back in February. Interesting, if a bit incoherent, ramble:
It is worth noting that #9 Hard Way To Fall contains one of my favorite lyrics in the history of lyrics: “I could find her in a thunderstorm by the way that the rain would fall.” I love that.
And tomorrow, tomorrow is the day that I fly to California to accomplish some work & personal related things, but also to see Ryan Adams for the first time! Hey, if you are one of my SF-area readers going to the show, you should stop by the Final/Final bar on Baker & Lombard beforehand to grab a beer with me & a few others of us who are meeting up. It is a sports bar, or so I hear, so be prepared to compete with a wall of TVs, but it has the distinction of being the closest bar to the Palace of Fine Arts that we could locate. It’d be fun.
And now for something completely different. Here is some dirty old backwater blues for you, heavy on the harmonica and rollicking in a very good way.
Jason Ricci and New Blood’s album Blood on the Road was on music critic/longtime friend Brad Kava’s top ten list of albums for 2005. Kava plays the harmonica himself, so I was not surprised to hear that Ricci can wail. Kava says:
“This powerful quartet takes me back to the days when blues rock was a lethal weapon, sharp and brutal. The Rolling Stones once sounded this pure, a long, long time ago.”
Although Jason is only in his late 20s, he is making a huge splash among those who know blues harp. In 2000, Jason received a two page write up in Blues Access magazine written by Adam Gussow saying: “I am convinced that he . . . is one of the best harmonica players of his generation.”
It is also interesting to read Jason’s list of favorite harmonica players/styles to get a better sense of what makes him such an amazing player. As is usually the case when you start reading about an instrument that you admire but do not play, I had no idea that there were so many factors that went into playing a harmonica well. I just thought, put to mouth, blow. Sheesh.
Here is one bonus track as well, Jason playing harmonica with Heidi and the El Cats, covering the Led Zep classic, “Going to California.”
Thanks to Dodge over at My Old Kentucky Blog, I now know that many of the varied and rich Lounge Act live sets from WOXY.com are available as mp3s that you can download, not just as streaming audio. So you can take ‘em with you and listen over and over.
Here are some good recent performances that you might enjoy (I did!):
Ahhh, Monday. Here are a few things I am listening to this week.
“Chasing Cars” (Acoustic on BBC 4/15/06) Snow Patrol I am not a huge Snow Patrol fan — mostly via benign neglect and not for an overt reason — but I like this new song off their upcoming release Eyes Open (May 1 in the UK, May 9 U.S.).
Thanks to Good Weather For Airstrikes blog for this; they have other new tracks from Snow Patrol as well as some rare covers, head on over if that’s your cuppa tea.
“Can’t Go On“ The Shifties Charming pop songs from The Shifties coming out of Chicago. This upbeat track is definitely Beach Boys/surfin-safari reminiscent, although other tracks (their whole demo album is available to download on their website) have more of a quirky Shins feeling (“Insomniac”) or a Mason Jennings vibe (“Tell Me Why”), very unassuming and nice for these spring days. I really like them. Definitely check out their newer song “On My Way” on their MySpace page — that’s the one I wanted to post, but it’s not for download. It is, however, featured on their 2005 album Silent Agreement, which you can buy from CDBaby for a mere 8 bucks.
“Playing In The Distance“ Grand National From the opening notes and sweet beat of this funked out Folk-Implosion-meets-The-Police cut, I cannot sit still. This is fun stuff. It opens with some smooth, low repetitive vocals, and then at about a minute in the vocal hook echoback begins with what appears to be the soulman incarnation of Sting himself. I hear that these guys played SXSW, I wonder how their sound translates live. Anyone catch their set? Off their recent release Kicking The National Habit.
“Soul Thing“ Taylor Hicks I am not even gonna try and say anything at all to justify my posting of this track. No wait, I am: It’s actually good! I admittedly have an inferiority complex over the fact that I watch American Idol, but Taylor Hicks has a healthy dose of soul and a visible genuine love for the music. If I voted (resist! resist!), I’d probably vote for him. From his 2004 album (I didn’t know he had one either!) Under The Radar. Now my secret is out.
“You Rock My World” (Trackmasters remix ft. Jay Z) Michael Jackson Does anyone sing like MJ? I mean, with all that “‘cha, ‘unh, ‘shmoa” stuff that can’t be captured in writing? Here he tag-teams it in a remix with Jay Z and the result will make you want to get your shwerve on. Thanks to Palms.Out.
For Julie’s 16th birthday, it looks like ‘ole Dad is finally gonna pop the question.
Aaah, just another picture of my typical Friday night.
Cody, you can borrow a feelin’ from me. It’s that kind of heeby-jeeby feelin’ that your lazy eye gives me. Or maybe it’s your moustache. One of the two.
Aww, only 50 cents for Joyce? Heck, I’d pay, like 60, 65.
Now, ventriloquism is always a logical connection to environmentalism, because Trees Talk Too. What?
Thank God Ken is by request only.
Because nothing says, “Do me, you sexy, sexy beast” like the word poohin your name.
“For the first time: Tino.” Good God, Tino, please point those shorts in another direction. Gracias.
Devastatin’ Dave is a turntable slave. What else can I say?
Do they have an actual midget in their crusade?
Satan is real, and apparently he lives in your barbeque. If that’s not enough to keep you on the straight and narrow, I don’t know what is.
Now these guys look like they know how to have a good time. Am I right or am I right or am I right? Right?
I sat down to write this post and then had to chuckle as I took a retrospective look at how I have inadvertently commemorated thus far today:
-Took a shower that was far too long & hot (but needed after my late night) -Drove around town doing a bunch of errands, SOLO, with the windows down (doesn’t that decrease fuel efficiency?) -Accidentally left some lights on all morning -Did a very small load of laundry to get some mustard out of my sweater I was wearing
I am ON A ROLL, folks. Environmentally conscious, that’s me! Next I think I will dump some used motor oil down the storm drain, maybe club a baby seal.
(Oh, and please don’t leave me hateful comments if you don’t understand the sarcasm)
“The Outdoor Type” – The Lemonheads (“I can’t go away with you on a rocking climbing weekend What if something’s on TV and it’s never shown again Just as well I’m not invited I’m afraid of heights I lied about being the outdoor type
Never learned to swim Can’t grow a beard or even fight I lied about being the outdoor type”)
Name: Heather Browne Location: Colorado, originally by way of California Giving context to the torrent since 2005.
"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel." —Hunter S. Thompson
Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.