Your favorite rock photography

As I was standing in line at the post office yesterday to mail out some goodies, among them the CDs for the Lucinda contest winners, I remembered that I have one other contest in motion that I need to settle up – the Peter Ellenby photography book winner.

The contest asked for you guys to submit a link to your favorite rock photograph. The images you submitted gave me chills, and in fact that was my primary indicator of who should win — my initial gut reaction. Chills or no chills? This one did it for me:

So, why is Tom is the winner with this picture? I have a theory that sometimes a woman’s eye (the photographer here is Alyssa Scheinson) can capture a moment in a unique way. There is a breathless impact to this shot — the sensual way the light plays off Harvey’s skin without seeming sleazy, and the warm glow of the yellow in contrast with her edgy punk look – it just fascinated me visually.

Here were two runners-up that I also really liked:

Slush writes: Billy Bragg, 42nd st, NYC, 1984 — One of my favorites; Billy Bragg reaching to the masses on 42nd st New York City, oddly enough on 9/11, 1984. This is sort of the opposite of the Springsteen shot. It’s music stripped down to it’s essential elements; just a bloke, his guitar and something important to say. Obviously love the quizzical looks from the passers by, and the way Billy is looking up at the sky. It takes courage to put yourself out there!

The title of this was “clashfullthrottle.jpg” and as Adam writes: “I think the name of the file says it all.”

Indeed.

Even if you didn’t win, I still highly recommend this book and bonus CD: Every Day Is Saturday. If you are perchance a New York-type, Ellenby has a gallery opening with images from the book and a special acoustic show with Nada Surf on Thursday, February 1st from 6 – 8 PM at Brooklyn’s Nelson Hancock Gallery. The show will run throughout the month of February and sounds very cool.

I Turn My Camera On (John McEntire remix) – Spoon
From the Sister Jack CD Single

Whooo, owwww, yeah, and unh

PopMatters has a divine article trying to pin down those varied vocalizations that singers have been throwing in the midst of their songs since time memoriam. Maybe James Brown is the best-known for his off-the-wall hollers, but read about the rest. Here are some snippets from the extremely well-written and entertaining article, as author Zeth Lundy takes you through the different species of yowl — and you know I had to include a few of the songs in question:

The Columbus (or, the Land Ho!)
The wild-eyed whoop of abandon, emitted early when a song kicks into its full roar and meant, in part, as an alarm for the impending auditory devastation. Consider it rock ‘n’ roll etiquette, not unlike that exhibited on the golf green: heads up, ‘cause this one’s gonna rock you in places you didn’t know existed. Gaz Coombes demonstrates this nicely in Supergrass’s Richard III (1997), letting fly a preparatory yell in concurrence with the landslide entry of the bass and drums. He whoops it up like a man who has a storied history with whooping, one which he would probably recount over a few pints even though he’s a bit tired of doing so. This particular example is compounded by how Coombes sets up the holler with a brief prelude of tritone guitar riffage—ye olde Devil’s interval!—that stokes the song’s start-up with a bit of horned provocation. See also: the Faces’ Stay With Me (1971), at the moment that the double-time intro downshifts to that filthy pub shuffle—as good a time as any for Rod Stewart to launch a Columbus, back when a Rod Stewart Columbus actually meant something.

The Phantom Columbus
Quite possibly the most common and unnoticed improvisatory hoot, this occurs deep in the background of a song’s mix, always at a moment where all other instruments drop out, and usually at the song’s onset. In essence, it’s a Columbus (the hasty shout-out predicting some kind of calamitous rapture), but it’s not necessarily one intended to be heard by the public at-large, since it’s only serendipitously picked up by a microphone that just happens to be dedicated to another instrument. Really listen—put on the noise-isolating headphones, crank up the volume to that decibel the doctor warned you about—and you’ll catch more Phantom Columbuses than you’ll care to count. Two songs in particular sport perceptible examples of this holler:
Superdrag’s Sold You an Alibi (1998) and Mission of Burma’s 2wice (2006). It occurs during the opening of both songs, between the gutsy plunges of the former’s wicked guitar riff and immediately after the latter’s colossal solo drum foundation. See also: the first few seconds of the Rolling Stones’ Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (1971), soon after the drums are introduced to that impeccably slouching guitar.

Read the whole “Hoots, Hollers and Barbaric Yawps” article

I think the most elusive of the vocalizations (and my personal favorite to imitate on road-trips) is hands-down the “shmoa“:

Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson

Monday Music Roundup

Hey! Pat Spurgeon from Rogue Wave got a new kidney last weekend! I received an email from his mom Jane, saying simply that Pat had been the recipient of a kidney on January 13th and that he was recovering at home. Since so many of you wonderful and generous people donated $$ to his medical care fund a few months ago, I thought I’d pass along the good news. We wish you a speedy recovery, Pat, and hope you’ll be back to your formidable drumming ways soon.

Part Of Me, Part Of You – Finn Brothers
(couldn’t resist) updated with complete file

More tunes for this week:

Look Out SOS!
The Ruby Suns
Ruby seems to be a hot catchphrase in today’s musical lexicon, but in this instance, I find that with The Ruby Suns the band name absolutely fits the kind of music you would expect here; it’s got a rosy and shimmery glow, like a sunrise, and a slightly psychedelic mid-60s pop feel. This is from their self-titled album on Lil’ Chief Records, and thanks iGIF for the tip.

Love Rollercoaster
Ohio Players
You think you know this song because the Chili Peppers covered it, and it was played incessantly on the radio in 1997? Well, no, you best listen to this. One of my favorite opening guitar lines of any song; I love how it darts and has that sassy funk just flirting across the top. It came on the radio this weekend here (on Sunday Night Jams, which is an old-school funkalicious 3 hours to end every weekend) reminding me why I simply must bob my chin like nobody’s business whenever I hear it. Great tune, you need this one in your library.

War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover)
Cake
In what seems to be some sort of apocalyptical political statement, Cake has made this Black Sabbath cover available as a free download on their website for a limited time. It’s not so much my favorite, but I found it notable since I love me some Cake (both actual cake and the band Cake). I am excited to hear that these Sacramento lads just added into the Noise Pop lineup for a Sunday night show.

I Will Be Free (live on KFOG)
Nil Lara
I came across this fantastic acoustic version of my favorite song from this Cuban-American artist who sings as if his heart is burning, from a live session on San Francisco’s KFOG radio. It gives me reason to mention that the reclusive artist (who has kind of been off the grid these days) will be performing on February 1st at the Transit Lounge in Miami. Thanks, anonymous commenter!

Lovely Ones
The Put Outs
I downloaded this somewhere along the line and forgot to ever write about it, but it came up on shuffle and at first I thought it was Superdrag. Close. This demo from Baltimore’s The Put-Outs indeed features Sam Powers of Superdrag on harmonies and was produced by Don Coffey Jr. (drummer of Superdrag). I also hear an early Replacements vibe here. Does anyone know whatever happened to these folks? I don’t see that this album was ever released, and all internet references to them seem to cease around 2003. Too bad.

And you can’t come because you don’t speak French

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while (or browse the right sidebar) you know that I have an affinity for world music, although lately I’ve been too lazy to be industrious and seek out new international sounds. So I was pleased when this one landed in my lap (actually, my mailbox) and provided some pleasant Sunday afternoon music.

Malajube are five French-Canadian guys who have a bright, shimmery, eclectic album with Trompe-L’oeil (2006, Dare To Care Records). It was actually makes quite the spunky soundtrack for some serious housecleaning, but they don’t put that on the press sheet. And no, I don’t know what they’re saying.

Étienne D’août – Malajube

P̢te Filo РMalajube

They’re on tour with Snowden (including Noise Pop!) and will be at SXSW this March.

02.16 Montreal, QC Café Campus
02.18 New York City, NY Mercury Lounge
02.20 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s
02.21 Washington, DC The Rock And Roll Hotel
02.23 Chicago, IL The Subterranean
02.28 Seattle, WA Neumo’s
03.01 Seattle, WA Dante’s
03.02 San Francisco, CA Independent
03.06 Tucson, AZ Plush
03.09 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
03.10 Kansas City, MT The Record Bar
04.13 Sorel/Tracy, QC Marine Cabaret
04.14 Joliette, QC L’ Azile

You do not want Leona Naess as your hotel neighbor

Sometime this year, I hope to see Leona Naess‘s fourth studio album Thirteens released. She’s been talking about it for about a year through her MySpace blogs and website, but still no specific release date. She has such an appealingly open and unique voice — one of my favorite female artists to sing along with. In my pipe dreams, this is roughly the type of music I would envision myself making if I ever learned to play the guitar.

For some reason, it always sticks in my head how she categorizes her music on MySpace. I appreciate the honesty — this is essentially what everyone thinks, isn’t it?

Here are a couple of unreleased songs which have popped up in recent months from her; I have no idea specifically what will be on Thirteens, but these contenders are my favorites out of the batch I’ve heard.

This Is Not Love – Leona Naess
I’d heard this streaming before on her website and really liked it — must have left it on repeat for about 20 rotations. I could have sworn that I posted it before but Google tells me no. Fantastic moody song.

On My Mind – Leona Naess
The lyrics to this song are just so charming and descriptive, in a slightly innocent way but not cheesy or infantile. “Honey, you’ve been on my mind like Christmas and birthdays when I was five . . . Honey you’ve been in my head like homework on Sundays when I’ve been laughing instead.” The brass and bells faintly echo a little bit of that Christmas anticipation as a kid that she sings of, without being a “seasonal” song.

I Wait For My Prince – Leona Naess
I love the old-time songbird vibe here, like Leona is a starlet in a smoky piano nightclub. Very evocative, it sounds like it is coming to me from a long way away.

I also enjoyed this recent blog post written by Leona, and could empathize. I vent through blogging too when I am disturbed by loud neighbors in hotels:

Thursday, January 18, 2007
Subject: getting arrested in Ireland

so the tour has started with ray [lamontagne], and so far so good. just played cork and the audience was so quiet i almost cried. thank fucking god. my music seems to get quieter and quieter, and i just can’t handle any noise when i play anymore. Dublin was good, but not like tonight in cork.

what i can tell you, is that i caught a cold on my way to Ireland, and after the show last night i had to escape to bed, missing most of Ray’s set. I jumped into bed to try to kick the sick i had in my body and head. at midnight a party started next door. students having a laugh i guess after exams. i was that grumpy sick person calling up the front desk about the terrible noise.

after 2 hours of this insane racket , i told the front desk that i was going to call the police. i guess they did in the end, cause little did i know that my only band mate, Scott, had joined the party next door, and when the police arrived he got arrested with the rest of the collage gang.

basically, to cut a long story short, i got my drummer arrested.

oh well, its early days, what will happen next. right before we got on stage tonight the nice woman that works in the opera house in cork said that the audience never come in for the opener, and that it was really frustrating. well i almost wanted to shoot myself then and there. why bother right? after Scott being arrested wearing his hangover like a cross, and me not getting any sleep, still sick and about to walk on the a stage with an audience of 5. well she was wrong, thank god. it was great and it was my favorite show so far. lets see what tomorrow brings.x

One track that hasn’t surfaced yet that I am anxious to hear is her reported collaboration with Ryan Adams on the track “Leave Your Boyfriend.” Let me add my voice to the chorus hoping for a concrete release date in 2007 from the lovely Ms. Naess.

M. Ward vinyl rip

Thanks to Kevin, who rocks all sorts of goodness over on his blog So Much Silence, I’ve added an audio rip of that limited 7″ remix from M. Ward and Jim James. Kevin is the master of vinyl ripping, so you get all that snap, crackle, and pop at no added charge. Thanks Kevin!

Head over to the original post for the mp3.

Wilco: More Like The Moon EP

Wilco has a nice little EP available for free download (with cover art) called More Like The Moon (or Australia EP, or Bridge EP) on the WilcoWorld site.

Thanks to a special correspondent, I was pointed in this direction yesterday and have been particularly enjoying the “Magazine Called Sunset” tune ever since (and that quiet folksy one about Dylan), although the whole EP is first-rate.

This was originally released a bonus disc to the Australian version of 2002′s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. According to the ever-helpful Wiki: The EP was comprised of six songs that were recorded but not released during the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sessions. On the one-year anniversary of the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco made the EP available through their website. Hurrah! Check out this fine little collection:

Camera
Handshake Drugs
Woodgrain
Magazine Called Sunset (borderline kitschy with that tropical lounge feel, but hot dang, it works!)
Bob Dylan’s 49th Beard
More Like The Moon

ZIP: MORE LIKE THE MOON EP

Also, news out of Nashville last night; Jeff Tweedy announced that the title of the new Wilco album will be Sky-Blue Sky (not to be confused with Ryan Adams’ song Blue Sky Blues), and will be out May 15.

An Amoeba Tale of Two Pauls (Weller and . . . Reubens?)

Our friends at the venerable Amoeba Records out in California are hosting two events worth noting in the next few weeks.

First is a chance to win tickets to one of Paul Weller‘s Hollywood shows. On Monday, February 5th, Weller will close his three-night run at the Avalon Theater with a selection of songs from his years with The Jam, The Style Council, as well as his solo years; a sort of “Best Of Paul Weller” if you will.

You can win tickets here.

Sexy Sadie (Beatles cover) – Paul Weller
The Modern World – The Jam
Walls Come Tumbling Down – The Style Council

And, on a slightly odder note, the Amoeba in San Fran is hosting a meet & greet from Paul Reubens, aka Pee Wee Herman. Going down this Saturday, Reubens will be in-store to sign his DVDs. It’s 3pm to 5pm at the Amoeba on Haight.

While you wait in what sounds like a long line (they advise arriving early), for your listening pleasure you can enjoy the zany musical stylings of Deejay Panatomic-X. Reubens is in town to be interviewed at Sketchfest on Monday the 22nd, followed by questions from the audience in the Palace of Fine Arts.

I can’t even imagine the assortment of fans (and, potentially, costumes) that will turn out for that one. I’d totally be ready to scream real loud. And you? Oh, you know how to dance to this one:

Tequila (The Champs) – Pee Wee’s Big Adventure soundtrack

Fuel For The Open Road: Winners of the Lucinda contest & double driving mix

You guys selected some wonderful songs for my Lucinda Williams CD giveaway contest, which asked for tunes that you like to listen to out on the open road.

I’ve scouted out the songs I didn’t have, listened to every one you listed, and compiled my favorites into a double-disc driving mix. I had a hard time narrowing it down onto two discs – thank you to everyone who suggested something.

There were several that I thought I wouldn’t like but did — your suggestions combine for an unstoppable mix with a distinctly “dusty pick-up truck” feel, apropos for a long roadtrip. Giving in to the seduction of the great West, some of this stuff is quite a bit more twangy than anything else you’re ever likely to hear on this site, but the mood grabbed me and I went with it. And it works for the occasion.

FUEL FOR THE OPEN ROAD
. . . pop this baby in, each set fits onto a CD. Literally makes my fingers twitch towards the car keys.

DISC ONE [ZIP FILE]

Where The Streets Have No Name – U2
Blue Canoe – Blue Mountain
Around The Bend – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Highway 101 – Social Distortion
My Winding Wheel – Ryan Adams
Long Vermont Roads – Magnetic Fields
I Want To Be Your Driver (Chuck Berry cover) – Nic Armstrong
Counterclockwise – Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers
Finest Worksong – R.E.M.
Golden – My Morning Jacket
Revelator – Gillian Welch
Since I’ve Been Loving You – Led Zeppelin
Gone Wanderin’ – Jackie Greene
Picture Book – The Kinks
Paris, Texas – Ry Cooder
Going Back To Georgia – Nanci Griffith & Adam Duritz
Walking In Memphis – Marc Cohn
Pink Moon – Nick Drake
Midway Park – Whiskeytown
Rearviewmirror – Pearl Jam

Yeah, last one on there is all me. Best driving song ever, in my book. And I threw in a few other old friends into the mix from my archives.

Here are my four randomly-selected winners of that contest, literally drawn from a hat (okay, bowl) by my charming husband, who loved having all that power:

Greg
Dee
Oxypoet
Leo M.

Congrats to the 4 winners! Please email me your address and I’ll mail out your copy of the re-released Car Wheels On A Gravel Road once we thaw out here. Y’all should be proud of the mix you guys assembled. Let’s all try not to get a speeding ticket.

Two bits of highly entertaining awesomeness

So, American Idol returns to the small screen tonight (must . . . resist . . .) and it looks like Paula Abdul is already celebrating with some early-morning intoxication:

WOW. She’s got that obvious air of “I am trying very hard to sound wise and coherent so that you won’t notice I am completely smashed” as she swerves in and off screen. As Paula says here, it is what it is.

Also, Barry Manilow can apparently be quite bitchy. Recently Cristina Black from TimeOut New York got assigned to interview him; she decided to try and make the best of it and came up with some pretty interesting questions. Too bad she only got to use three and then he hung up on her. Read her scathing response to Barry here. Awesome.