So you may recall that I enthusiastically adored the movie Stranger Than Fiction(previous post here). I had an in-depth conversation with my hairstylist gal yesterday about it whilst she snipped; she also loved a movie called “The Prestige”? Hadn’t heard of it, but now I’ve Netflixed it. The effeminate gent (read: corset, ribbon around his neck, and more makeup than me on prom day) who owns the little salon was also going on and on about how fat Kate Winslet was (obviously he doesn’t drive a Jaguar) but how he’d “do” Salma Hayek. It was an interesting conversation.
Anyways. All that to say that I now have a copy of the Stranger Than Fiction soundtrack (which was a very very good compilation) to give away to one of you lucky cats. PLUS you get an engraved travel mug, to use on your mind-numbing commute to your staid job.
Here’s how I want to run it. In keeping with the plotline of the movie, in the comments I want you to tell me: If you were writing a book, what would the title be? That’s it, just the title. Think about it and let’s see what you got.
I recently stumbled across a nice little repository of live Elliott Smith and I am loving this little 4-song set of Kinks covers that Elliott performed 8/3/03 at the famed Derby in Los Angeles, just a few months before he sadly died. It would be one of his last shows.
Sound is just a little bit fuzzy, but it’s so cool that I count it as worth it. One often thinks of Elliott with breathy whispered tunes, rich in that lovely sadness, but he could also bring the rock. Details of the show (which was a multi-artist affair) are quite sketch, but it doesn’t sound like he’s singing on all of these; some he’s merely playing on I think. But he’s definitely singing on Big Sky, and I enjoy the loose vibe to all of these:
I love you, Colorado. But I’ve decided you are a wuss.
There is (a beautiful and powdery) 3 inches of snow on the ground this morning, tops. And it’s a snow day. I say everyone should get some snowshoes and 4-wheel-drive, and life should continue as normal. Thank you.
In the shutdown interim, here are a few odds & ends that are entertaining me this morning:
Ûž A reader pointed me in the direction of mp3s from the KEXP session with The Rosewood Thieves (my previous post here, definitely check them out). They performed 5 songs, including a Dylan cover. I am strongly digging their bluesy rocker sound.
Ûž My new friend Adam wrote about his new supercool fancy tracker thing for runners that goes in your shoe, wirelessly connects with your iPod, and tracks your running stats, even TALKING TO YOU while you run. I need that (it should say pugilistic things like, “Frickin wuss! DO NOT WALK UP THIS HILL!” Maybe yell obscenities at me to keep me moving). It appears to be reasonably priced at $29, but then you also need the special Nike shoes with a pocket to hold the sensor (can I do it myself with an x-acto knife?) and an iPod Nano (mine’s a 60). Drat. (wait, or not).
Ûž A couple of interesting “from the studio” news bits:
-Mike Watt plays bass on Kelly Clarkson’s new album (for real)
-!!! Sign to Warp Records (same label as my new love Jamie Lidell), new LP Myth Takes coming in 2007. If you haven’t heard their unique disco-funk sound (and I think you say their UnGooglable name Chk Chk Chk), here’s an mp3 of their song Take Ecstasy With Me from 2004′s Louden Up Now. You wanna dance around, don’t you?!
Ûž There’s a new Contrast Podcast you should listen to, this one on the fun ornithological theme of Chickens and Other Birds. I was going to contribute either Cake’s wonderful song that I can hear playing in my head just typing it: “Comfort Eagle” (but someone else submitted it, yay!) or the fantastic boogie “Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens.”
But coulda woulda shoulda I’m lazy.
Ûž There’s a new documentary out called American Hardcore; maybe I want to punch someone after just watching the preview. It’s open now in selected theatres, and it features folks like Henry Rollins, Jesse Malin, Ian MacKaye, Flea, Mike Watt, Moby, and Tommy Stinson. Like a microcosm of the Punk: Attitude documentary from last year, this one focuses on the specific aspects of the American punk-rock scene within a 6 year period from 1980-1986. Looks interesting.
Ûž Here’s the perfect Christmas gift for that world-renowned air guitarist on your list. Now they just need to make the corresponding sensor pants for us air drummers and I will be one happy camper.
Ûž I am liking this new song from distinctive Liverpool band Clinic, off their upcoming 4th album Visitations (January ’07, or on iTunes now). Listen to Harvest.
Ûž Finally, one more reason to love the (gratuitious and borderline creepy) internet: A MySpace group for those who love it when everyone’s favorite prolific alt-country rocker turns around: Who Wants To Look At Ryan Adams’ Ass?
Okay, so perhaps you, like me, enjoy some chuckles from the audacity and obvious illiteracy of the spam that you encounter in your daily email life. I always wonder to myself, “Hmmm, self. Could ‘Lotts of plesure waits for you right after you take this medicine ‘ from a Romanian email address be, in fact, honest medical advice? ORRR perhaps that ‘small-cap ivesssting hint!!!’ that I’ve been needing is just right there in my inbox!
Lord Don’t Slow Me Down Oasis This is a new song that Oasis has graciously bestowed upon us from their aforementioned tour documentary Lord Don’t Slow Me Down, which is currently being screened for fans in locations across the U.S. You know how nutso those Oasis fans are — someone smuggled this (fairly decent other than one quiet muffle at the beginning) recording of the new song somehow, since it’s not released in any official way yet. Written by Noel and recorded during the Don’t Believe The Truth sessions, Gallagher described it in typically lavish hyperbole as being “one of the best things, like The Who, The Yardbirds and the Jeff Beck Group combined, and it’s got two drum solos on it!” He has also said that his girlfriend thinks it’s the only Oasis song you can dance to. It sounds huge and stomping and ready for a big arena show, and I must admit a bit grudgingly that it may be growing on me.
If I Piers Faccini I am pretty sure I found this guy over on the excellent (and of late legally beleaguered) Aurgasm blog. Piers Faccini‘s first full-length American release, Tearing Sky, came out this month, and it is a fascinating interweaving of singer/songwriter rocking-acoustic music (like Everloving labelmate Jack Johnson, or tourmate Ben Harper) with global rhythms and vocals. With Faccini’s low whispered voice, it’s bedroom music with a touch of the exotic. You can download two more of his songs on his MySpace. He’s got some European tour dates (he is loved in Belgium), then a few on the West Coast, including the musty allure of the Hotel Utah in SF.
Get Into My Life The Winnerys So shut up — these guys are from Madrid?! In a highly entertaining retro-power-pop throwback that I’d swear was from Liverpool, this Spanish quartet is making some sweet ’60s sounds. Listen to those harmonies on this track (especially on the lyric “More than one night, more than one day“) from their Daily Urban Times album (2006, Rainbow Quartz/Redeye). Uplifting and highly recommended, you’d have to be dead inside not to like this one. Thanks to Bruce’s post on Power Pop for this.
In The Countryside Benjy Ferree Here’s one that I would never have expected to sound the way it does. Benjy Ferree looks like Sam Beam from Iron & Wine (think = melancholy bearded strummy music) and the album cover leads me to think that we are going to hear songs on the lute about the Sherwood Forest. However and happily, this is a rousing march replete with ebullient instrumentation and strong British Invasion overtones that tells me to put my happy hands in the air, which is exactly what I just might do. From the 2006 release Leaving The Nest (Domino).
Hard Luck Tom The Bees Oh, so confusing. So this is The Bees (US), not the UK fellows from the Isle of Wight that I have enjoyed in the past. The American Bees are from Nashville and this song is pure sunshine and feel-good vibes that makes you want to roll down a hill in the dandelions. But you try it and see. From the 2006 album High Society that now I really must get (thanks Neiles for the rec).
Last week when I celebrated my one year blog-birthday, I compiled a list of twenty of my favorite tunes that have been featured here in the past 365 days. A couple of you were wondering why there was no Pearl Jam on that list, of a blog that is named after a Pearl Jam lyric, and whose author is admittedly a bit PJ-obsessed.
Well fear not, faithful reader.
I am pleased to present the second installment of a 10-song live mix of some choice cuts from the Pearl Jam stage. I have had a great time weeding through my hundreds of live selections to make this (completely arbitrary and highly selective) playlist of some of the best of the best. Part One is still active if you wish to take a look there too. It’s good for the constitution.
Big Wave San Francisco 7/16/06(pictured above) This is such a tightly-wound celebration of surfing and the power of the ocean, but moreover, of life in general. I think it’s an underrated song on the new album and I would have loved to be able to see it live, sandwiched here in the second encore; surely the crowd was simultaneously exhausted and elated at this point. The guitar solos in this live version are outstanding, absolutely searing — the caged feel to the riffs reminds me of the best parts of “Do The Evolution.”
I Am Mine Live debut, 10/21/01 – Bridge School Benefit The melancholy richness in this version just slays me. This was the live debut of the song, which arrived on the scene following the trampling deaths of 9 fans at the Roskilde Festival in 2000. I have no proof that this song is about that tragedy, but the lyrics seem to me to imply as much: “All the innocents [innocence] lost at one time / There’s no need to hide . . . We’re safe tonight.” Where the album version is soaring and anthemic (and highly recommended if you’ve never really dug into it), Vedder’s voice here is gentler, more sincere, and a great deal sadder. It literally arrests me in mid-word to listen to this. Although it may sound a bit sappy, I also love the settled feeling of self-surety that I get when I hear the fantastic lyric, “I know I was born and I know that I’ll die, the inbetween is mine. I am mine.”
Alone 9/22/06, Prague, Czech Republic (pictured above) A welcome re-introduction back into the Pearl Jam setlist, this song was first released as the b-side to the “Go” single, and then not played live for ten years (from 1994 to 2004), but lately they’ve started bringing it out of semi-retirement every once in a while. I could listen to this song over and over; not only does it have incisively descriptive story-lyrics (“Wide awake and he shakes in a panic,never woke up alone ever before . . . out of bed and he dreams in the shower, she’s standin’ naked and apologizing. Reaches for her and the water turns red hot, woken up to be burned, burned again“), but also a guitar riff that I adore — I feel that the best description I can offer is that it keeps pulling out from underneath you. It’s great to hear them doing this one live again.
In My Tree (with Jack Irons) 10/28/03, Santa Barbara, CA Even though Jack Irons left as Pearl Jam’s drummer following the release of Yield in 1998, he completely owns this song and it has never been the same without him. One of my favorite studio cuts off of No Code, here Jack joins the band back on-stage to hammer out this organic, intricate and pulsating rhythm line in an acoustic setting. Listen to how it just rides and builds once he brings his magic.
I’ve Got A Feeling (Lennon/McCartney) Den Haag, Holland, 3/2/92 Going waaay back for this one, I used to have this show on cassette, one of the very first bootlegs I owned. Pearl Jam recorded their bluesy, rocking, marvelous cover as a b-side for the Alive single/import, and it is an energetic and sometimes funny foray as they insert biographical trivia into the song. They had just finished their cameos in Cameron Crowe’s Singles, hence their lyric: “Everybody made a movie / Jeff Ament had one line (no, two!)” and there is a nice “Say Hello The Heaven” tag in the middle. I also love Eddie’s youthful-voiced diatribe at the beginning of the recording, wherein he basically tells the record company execs in the audience to “f*ck-off” and then almost comically covers himself by saying, “You know I don’t mean that.” No, actually Eddie, you did. And we love you for it. This is nine minutes that epitomizes the best of the early-90s PJ.
Sonic Reducer (Dead Boys cover) 4/3/94, Atlanta radio broadcast I have fond memories of recording this concert off the radio with my pink and grey tape deck. My world kind of stopped the night this was aired, and I spent many, many hours in high school playing this live show over and over until the tape started slipping. As many times as I’ve heard it, I still feel the tension and the glory in this absolutely thrashing song, which was one of the earliest covers to become a staple of the Pearl Jam live set. Even though the lyrics talk about some sort of time machine, they also talk about alienation and youthful angst and the things I loved Pearl Jam the most for back in those days.
Thumbing My Way 12/6/02, The Showbox, Seattle This song is another understated, wistful pick from the otherwise somewhat off-putting Riot Act album. A special rehearsal/warm-up show in the tiny Seattle venue The Showbox (which I totally stalked out once on a college visit to Seattle), this was the very first performance of this song. The opening lyrics “I have not been home since you left, long ago” have a richer meaning, hearing them sung in their hometown on the eve of a long departure for a world tour. Such a gem, one I don’t foresee getting tired of anytime soon.
In Hiding Halloween 2000, Shoreline, Mountain View, CA A grand song from Yield, the darting opening notes of this song always sound so fantastic live, like they hold some secret of what’s to come. And what’s to come is a swelling, expansive chorus that is best sung along to at the top of your lungs and makes me feel like I am flying. Seeing Pearl Jam (with Supergrass supporting) on Halloween was a festive, fantastic affair. I was lucky to score the best seats I’ve ever sat in at the cavernous Shoreline, and came in costume (devil finery from the Moon Zooom thrift shop) along with most everyone else, including the band who appeared for the encore dressed as The Village People. No, seriously:
I Used To Work In Chicago 10/21/06 Bridge School Benefit Speaking of sense of humor: Trying to “slip one by the kids” at the annual Bridge School Benefit show, Vedder fools to crowd the into thinking he is lapsing into something beautiful, then undertakes a traditional drinking ditty instead — complete with the lyrics, “I used to work in Chicago, I don’t but I don’t anymore . . .A lady walked in with porcelain skin, I asked her what she came in for. ‘Liquor’ she said, and lick her I did. I don’t work there anymore.”
So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star (Byrds cover) 7/2/06 Denver, CO This was only the fourth live performance of this song ever, and I was there for the first two performances of it as well (San Jose & San Diego, 1995), which just tickles me pink. This is a tune about fame and “the business” of music originally recorded by The Byrds, then as the Pearl Jam website says, “[covered] by countless others including Patti Smith, the Move, Crowded House, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and anybody with a Rickenbacker 12 string.” The first time I saw them do it live, I recall it being a somber and introspective affair, but this time it was a solid full-band jam.
Ahh, my first post in days and it’s on a completely embarrassing (albeit entertaining) topic. I have something huge and amazing in the works later today though, so sit tight.
The fruits of the last season of American Idol are finally hitting the record stores with pretty predictable results this December. You KNOW you’ve been waiting for it, if only to find that perfect Christmas gift for your mom (mmmmm, I plead the fifth).
Gravel voiced rocker Chris Daughtry recently stopped by the Rolling Stone studios, and laid down this live version of his new single It’s Not Over. If you’re curious. I’ll admit I liked Chris but it still sounds like he’s having a bit of a hernia when he sings, doesn’t he?
I have to say, these songs are not what I anticipated leading towards a redeeming album. I knew when he won that he actually DID have true passion for the music, combined with some musical chops, and –if he aligned with the right folks– could have made a solid retro soul album. But of course, the AI producers (oh, they of the “Do I Make You Proud”-variety songs) got their claws into him and he’s made something that makes me wonder if he is, indeed, walking on sunshine.
And the hot(t) Katherine McPhee also has an album coming out in December. Far as I can tell she’s basing her ability to sell records on the glossiness of her lips. She can also sing, but that AI first single “My Destiny” is so bad that it makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little bit. AI is completely incapable of producing a seriously good, quality album. It’s all over-produced slick pop drivel. I guess that’s kind of necessarily what you get from this type of show, which has been a musical joke from the beginning. I just started watching the really bad auditions and got hooked, like a poor little fish wriggling on the line.
Just a quick post to say happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating it today! I cooked a feast for 12 (with the help of my mom, sister, and friends) and we are all absolutely stuffed to the utmost, thankful indeed. But I ran that Turkey Trot 5K again this year, so I figure I can replenish my caloric needs in high style.
My day has pretty much been a carbon copy of last year’s turkey day, which is to say it was fantastic. The notable musical addition this year was that we listened to Simon & Garfunkel all afternoon for the cooking — doesn’t that just seem like Thanksgiving music? I think it got started when I was giving Ichabod (our turkey, yes we name it) his butter rubdown and due to the spices I was using I started serenading him, “Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyyyyyyme . . “
Here’s what I wrote last year and it is absolutely true this year as well — I laughed the whole time I was preparing the turkey (well, alternating with making that face above, inadvertently. What a wuss). It’s rare in life that one has to follow instructions such as:
Press one leg down near leg clamp to release.
Remove neck from body cavity.
Remove giblet package (giblet package?!) from neck skin area
Using your hands, gently separate the skin from the breast at both ends. Smear the meat beneath the skin with the herb butter mix.
It was hilarious. I was talking to this little headless turkey on my counter, “sorry buddy” as I slid my fingers under his skin. In spite of the distatefulness of the beginning of the ordeal, after 3 1/2 hours in the oven, it all turned out quite well.
I hope you are all taking time today to remember all the myriad things that we have to be grateful for each and every day. It was a beautiful sunny day here in Colorado Springs, with good food, a table full of good friends, and good family. Happy Thanksgiving!
When I was in California last month I made two trips to the fantastic stacks of Streetlight Records in San Jose, and one of the things I picked up was the Marcy Playgroundself-titled CD from 1997. I don’t remember what made me think of it, but suddenly I had to have it and it was worth the $4 I laid down.
I used to have a copy of that album, and even saw Marcy Playground live once (opening for someone?) but in a moment of cash-neediness I must have sold the album — in an ironic twist, it was probably to Streetlight.
I was pleased to hear that the album still sounds exceedingly pleasant to me (although I must say that I didn’t remember the lyrics being quite so silly). There’s a quirky mid-90s alternapop feel to the whole disc, with infectiously good melodies — and so much more than “Sex and Candy.” In fact, I don’t even like that song. But I like these:
Cloak of Elvenkind – Marcy Playground This one has a hypnotic, dreamy, mid-summer feel to it, like a waltz in slow motion. Really fabulous stuff.
Ancient Walls of Flowers – Marcy Playground And this one will stick in your head. In a good way.
If you see this disc in the bargain bins, I recommend picking it up. In addition to the self-titled album, they’ve also got some music on eMusic (including their 2004 disc, cleverly titled MP3). And lead singer John “Woz” Wozniak is still making some pretty catchy music as a solo artist now. Visit his MySpace to hear all about it.
Jesse Malin is set to release his third record titled Glitter In The Gutter on March 6th 2007 on Adeline/East West. This album follows his two previous critically acclaimed releases: 2004′s The Heat, and 2002′s The Fine Art of Self Destruction.
Glitter In The Gutter was recorded in various studios over the summer in Millbrook, New York; North Hollywood, CA; and in Jesse’s native borough of Queens, New York (and was accompanied by a running blog over on Jesse’s MySpace). The album was recorded with members of Jesse’s touring band “The Heat” and also includes special guest performances by Bruce Springsteen, Jakob Dylan, Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and long time pal Ryan Adams.
JoJo Pennebaker, son of legendary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker (Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix) documented the making of Glitter on film and will be putting that together as a half-hour piece to coincide with the release of the record. [source]
GLITTER IN THE GUTTER TRACKLISTING 1) Don’t Let Them Take You Down 2) In The Modern World 3) Tomorrow Tonight 4) Broken Radio 5) Prisoners Of Paradise 6) Black Haired Girl 7) Lucinda 8) Love Streams 9) Little Star 10) Bastards of Young (Replacements cover) 11) Happy Ever After 12) NY Nights 13) Aftermath
If you are already planning ahead for New Year’s Eve (my usual; a bottle of vodka and a shotgun), Jesse is playing at NYC’s Don Hills, 9PM Dec 31. Tickets went on sale yesterday.
Today marks one year (!) since I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS took its first tentative steps with an initial post, and I’ve been contentedly rolling along ever since, gathering steam as I go.
I know that downloading music (and absorbing all that I have to say here) can sometimes be like drinking from a firehose, so I thought to compile you a 20-song mix of my absolutely favorite tracks that I have featured in the first year of this blog.
Some of these tunes I posted up way at the beginning when I think my readership was about 30 people a day. Since y’all have literally multiplied yourselves a hundred-fold since then, lots of you may have missed these excellent tunes the first time around.
So if you haven’t heard these, they get my highest recommendation, each and every one. If I had a radio station I would absolutely be playing each of these on a near-daily basis for the enrichment of the world’s eardrums at large. Here they are, along with what I originally wrote about them during this past year:
01. Powers – Blackalicious “This track makes me jump up and dance in my stripey socks like nobody’s business. The ultimate summer party song, droning deep lead vocals, a sick backbeat, teasing electric guitar licks, and a gospel-y chorus. Uh huh. Shake it. This song ROCKS.” (6/19/06)
02. Somebody Ease My Troublin’ Mind – Les Paul with Sam Cooke and Eric Clapton “Les Paul is best known for creating the first solid-body electric guitar for Gibson. This cut pairs Les (now 90) with Sam Cooke on vocals and Eric Clapton on guitar. Although Cooke died in 1967, they’ve revived some old vocal tracks of his, stripped out the backing instrumentation, and laid down new material here. Sam Cooke always makes me want to slow dance barefoot in the kitchen.” (1/9/06)
03. The First Single – The Format From my concert review: “The final song, anthemic and sweaty and once again, everyone sang along. (Who names their first single ‘The First Single’? These guys do.)” (8/23/06)
04. I Will Be Free – Nil Lara “Lara is soulful and passionate and sings like his heart is burning. Add in heavy doses of warm & layered Latin percussion, traditional Cuban and Venezuelan string instruments, and his soaring chants and vocals (in a combination of Spanish and English) – and I was hooked.” (7/19/06)
05. So Hard To Find My Way – Jackie Greene “A fantastic upbeat, retro-sounding tune combining piano, banjo, and Memphis horns. With his new album Jackie is delving into more poppy arrangements than the harmonica-folk of his previous efforts, but it sounds good to me. I really like this chap and think we will be hearing a lot more from him.” (6/12/06) (video performance here)
06. Unnamed – Leona Naess “This new one from Leona’s upcoming album is definitely her most singable, radio-friendly, and excellent sounding song in a while. With great couplet lines like “Shake these hips and let them persuade you / Take my songs – they’re always about you” . . . the lyrical writing style is classic but the sound is uptempo & fresh.” (5/15/06)
07. Crack The Whip – Spinto Band “Pitchfork’s description of this song, by current Arctic Monkeys tour opener The Spinto Band, caught my attention: “Four-on-the-floor ‘Crack the Whip’ lashes the make-up alternapop zeitgeist, whippin’ the Killers at their own neu-dance-wave game before ascending to a gates-of-heaven Beach Boys chorus like this was the Biblical, non-DFA Rapture.” That is one of the best-written music review sentences I have read in a while, and I am digging the song in a big way.” (3/20/06)
08. Walt Whitman Bridge – Marah “Hey there, Marah. Where’ve you been all my life? This is a really, really great folk-punk/roots/garage-rock band making some quality tunes, a largely undiscovered gem in the lexicon of rock music today. Listen to the harmonica in this one, and the story in the lyrics.” (1/28/06)
09. Under All The Bright Lights – Ryan Auffenberg “This song sails effortlessly into my top ten favorite songs of 2006 thus far. Seriously, I love it and you will too. It is a stellar, evocative, emotional tour de force set against a lush backdrop of gorgeous strings and wrenching piano. But for all the prettiness of the melody, listen closely to the lyrics for a dose of jarring reality.” (8/14/06)
10. Something In The Way – Nicolai Dunger “Neither a Nirvana cover, nor a Beatles cover, this ex-footballer (and by footballer I mean soccer player) Swede has a pleasant backyard BBQ vibe, which is something I can appreciate in the cold brown of winter.” (2/6/06)
11. Love You In The Fall – Paul Westerberg “I find this new track very enjoyable – the opening is fantastic vintage Westerberg, with a similar feel to tunes like ‘Be Bad For Me’ or the recent ‘Mats track ‘Message To The Boys.’ The lyrics are admittedly a bit simplistic, but I don’t listen to him to discern the meaning of the universe or anything, so this will do just fine.” (9/15/06)
12. Take What’s Mine – The Shore (fixed) “A certain musical know-it-all recently recommended that I take a listen to The Shore, an L.A.-based trio who somehow slipped past the mainstream musical scene but are definitely worth some of your time. Their dusty, beautiful music does indeed incorporate many elements of, say, Stereophonics or The Verve (including all the oooh, ooooohs you can shake a stick at) but after you give it several listens it gets richer each time, until it truly stands out on its own and you forget the comparisons.” (7/18/06)
13. Only A Fool – Marit Larsen “Shimmery plucky guitar pop from Norway’s Marit Larsen with wheezing harmonica and a wide-open happy vocal that reminded me of a few Sheryl Crow tunes that I enjoy. Ridiculously infectious with handclaps and banjo and all kinds of goodness.” (5/8/06)
14. You Are The Everything (R.E.M. cover) – Redbird “I believe that there are a handful of truly flawless, perfect songs in this world. One of those songs which I love front to back and throughout each note and lyrical turn is R.E.M.’s ‘You Are The Everything’ . . . Upon hearing this cover, within the first ten seconds I was blown away – this is excellent. Whereas R.E.M.’s is sublimely sweet & dulcet, this is an aching and honest version with a touch more twang, and a female vocalist (Kris Delmhorst) harmonizing earnestly.” (6/16/06)
15. I Can Get Us Out Of Here Tonight – Lucero “To me it’s like the best signatures of a young, urgent Springsteen written all over this song. When Ben Nichols sings ‘I can get us out of here tonight,’ it’s that same burning twinge that Springsteen makes you feel in your soul that makes you want to throw caution to the wind, roll down the windows, and take off on the interstate.” (7/11/06)
16. Only You (live version) – Joshua Radin “This is a cover of the early ’80s synth-laden junior high slowdance favorite ‘Only You’ by Yaz (remember it from Napoleon Dynamite?), which Radin said he chooses to perform because he liked it when he was a kid. However, he completely reinvents it into something that is absolutely beautiful, a flawless little gem of a song that I think I’ve listened to 15 times today.” (8/10/06)
17. Become The Enemy – The Lemonheads “Just hearing Evan Dando sounding this good makes everything rosy in my world. I think that the new Lemonheads sound absolutely fantastic – rocking, melodic & interesting. As good as I would have hoped.” (8/17/06)
18. Thin Blue Flame – Josh Ritter “This song clocks in at almost ten minutes, and I personally enjoyed listening to it on repeat while drifting off to sleep. It starts slow and builds several times and then fades, and it contains some stunning lyrics that create beautiful mental images. The production on this song includes background chatter and glasses clinking, which adds to the sense of immediacy, as if this song is being performed live for you in a small coffee shop or dark bar.” (12/10/05)
19. Plastic Jesus – Paul Newman (from Cool Hand Luke) “Here is where I reveal my true colors – I harbor a *serious* crush on the Paul Newman of 40 years hence. Have you SEEN Hud or Cool Hand Luke? If not, you must. I think he smolders better than any actor today. And I love the fact that I just got to post a Paul Newman song on my blog.” (1/4/06)
20. Listen To What The Man Said (Wings cover) – Ron Sexsmith The story: “After chatting to his buddy Paul McCartney about Sexsmith, Chris Difford of Squeeze took Ron over to the ex-Beatle’s house for an impromptu jam session. Maybe you’ve heard this story, but you know you want to hear it again. Difford makes the introduction, they all have breakfast and before you know it, Ron’s singing ‘Listen To What The Man Said’ with Paul taking the harmonies. ‘Well, I didn’t know what to play,’ Ron says, ‘And [McCartney] does this thing when you talk to him — if you say something humorous, he’s got these huge eyes, and he sort of gave me this look like I was being a wise guy or something. Well, it’s a song I’ve always played for myself… and it was cool. I was singing lead and he was doing the harmonies and stuff.’” (7/14/06)
Ta-dah! Do enjoy, trusty reader. Thanks to all of you for a fantastic and eye-opening year. You all rock, perhaps a little bit more so now.
I would be acutely interested in hearing some feedback from those of you who have been with me for a while — what are some artists or songs or albums that you have especially enjoyed that you read about here? What do you recall as your favorites featured here this year?
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.
Here’s how I want to run it. In keeping with the plotline of the movie, in the comments I want you to tell me: If you were writing a book, what would the title be? That’s it, just the title. Think about it and let’s see what you got.
Lord Don’t Slow Me Down
Here’s what I wrote last year and it is absolutely true this year as well — I laughed the whole time I was preparing the turkey (well, alternating with making that face above, inadvertently. What a wuss). It’s rare in life that one has to follow instructions such as:
Name: Heather Browne
