Monday Music Roundup
Oh, I was so lucky to get to spend Friday night seeing Feist. She is a completely charming and talented performer (not just a musician, as my friend Leora noted –”Are you gonna quote me on your blog?”– after the show). Feist really knows how to engage and enchant the crowd, but she also wields that guitar fearlessly, gets her vocal loops going, dances around in bliss to the crashing drums, and manages to be fashionable all at the same time (brown mini dress, hot pink tights).
The new songs from The Reminder sounded great live (especially “My Moon, My Man” — hot dang that’s fantastically thumping in concert) under the twinkling drapery of Christmas lights. The same imaginative, surreal qualitities that Feist brings memorably into her music videos (flying toast in Mushaboom, everyone deciding to dance in unison on 1234) seeps into her live shows too, through the morphing of her busy hands during the songs into butterflies dancing, waves rolling, or little legs walking down the front of the mike stand.
Despite having sung the song “like 4,000 times,” Feist forgot the middle verse to Mushaboom. She asked the crowd if someone who knew it would come up and fill in. An absolutely elated girl hopped up on stage, grabbed the mike as the music played, and effortlessly jumped in at exactly the right moment: “I got a man to stick it out…” It was one of those great moments of geeky fandom that just makes you happy to witness.
A very few other pictures (and the story of the snarly security guard that almost threw me out of the show) are included in this album. Remaining Feist tour dates here. I would totally love to be Feist for a week, that’s my new rockstar dream.
Here’s your new tuneage for this week’s enjoyment:
Dress Blues
Jason Isbell
A kind reader recommended this track from former Drive-By-Trucker Jason Isbell‘s forthcoming solo album Sirens Of The Ditch (July 10, New West Records), saying that it was “hard to get this song out of my head.” I absolutely agree, I’ve listened to it on repeat: a honeyed slowburner that feels like prophecy.
Can’t Get It Out Of My Head (ELO cover)
Velvet Revolver
Taking the cake for the band that the STP/G’n'F’n'R hybrid was least likely to cover, Velvet Revolver takes on an ELO cover on their newest one, Libertad, dropping July 3rd. And you know what? It’s actually pretty good and I find myself liking it a lot. Although I sometimes question Weiland’s jaunty/naughty sailor look in concert, Slash takes away the guitar solo here in sizzling fashion. Speaking of Slash, I’ve been pondering the plotline of the November Rain video lately. Have you seen this? I don’t know why I think about such things.
This Town
Frank Sinatra, on the Ocean’s 13 Soundtrack
Obviously a movie about swinging crime in Vegas perpetrated by fashionably-dressed men must, by law, include a Frank Sinatra tune. This one is also excellent for adding to your very own mixtape for midnight desert runs to Sin City. The soundtrack to Ocean’s 13 (which I haven’t seen yet but probably will because George & Brad told me to) is another atmospheric-cool collection by David Holmes, who also scored Fuel-favorite Out of Sight (among others). Niiice.
When Did Your Heart Go Missing?
Rooney
I’ve been curious about hearing this song since Rolling Stone likened it to a lost Wham! track, and yes, I hear the similarities here; it does kind of make me want to wake you up before I go go. But then I read how it is also in the new Nancy Drew movie, and in a totally geeky move I will confess to reading many Nancy Drew books in my youth. I will not see the new Nancy Drew flick (because it would probably be a similar audience to the time I saw Crossroads on opening night and I don’t want to talk about it) but I can picture this song also as a theme to daring teenage intrigue, old mine shafts, and moss-covered mansions. From Rooney‘s new album Calling The World (out July 17). Tour dates here.
Love (unreleased promo track)
The Cure
This song was, for some reason, dropped off the double disc extravaganza of Lennon covers to save Darfur, Instant Karma (a project of Amnesty International, out now). I could have recommended a few other tracks that could have gotten the boot instead of The Cure, whom I love, even though I can never apply eyeliner as deftly as Robert Smith. Thank God I’m better at the lipstick than he is, though.
Speaking of love and Lennon, today marks 40 years since the first public performance of “All You Need Is Love” on a massive world broadcast. Check out this fascinating post/video. Watching the way Lennon sings makes me really happy here; he just seems . . . pure.
Name: Heather Browne
that Darfur disc is utter shite. the only exception being REM who take #9 Dream to a new and exciting level.
Anonymous — June 25, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
That was generally my feeling too — I really liked the #9 Dream version.
heather — June 25, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
Can I recommend the iTunes-only version of “I Don’t Wanna Face It” by the Fab Faux, a New York Beatles cover band, on the Darfur album?
I HIGHLY suggest you check this band out, they’re all top notch musicians (Jimmy Vivino from the Max Weinberg Seven and Will Lee from Dave Letterman’s band, to name two) who go to crazy lengths to reproduce the Beatles songs as accurately as possible on stage- even if that means bringing in a horn section or a harpist for a song or two. For this song, being a Lennon cover and not the Beatles per se, they took some liberties with the arrangement but made it more Beatlesque in the long run.
petepizza — June 25, 2007 @ 12:52 pm
The Fab Faux performed on Letterman this year, too. Only cover band to ever do so, I believe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lknCpGbsJc
Andy Grabia — June 25, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
that Rooney track also has shades of the Cure’s ‘why can’t I be you’ and Bowie’s ‘modern love’ [esp. the drumming] check ‘em out.
mr music connnector man — June 25, 2007 @ 2:47 pm
This mustache loves Feist. Absolutely loves her. And, well, all the Mustaches of Utah are sad that Boulder is as close as she ventured to our under-privileged state. Just thought you needed a mustachioed update…
upto12 — June 25, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
Can’t get it out of my head – shouldn’t work but it does it always was a fab melody despite lynne’s attempts to ‘brummy’ it down with the vocal – suitably Beatlesque guitar crescendo too.You can almost hear George Martin saying:’well done boys.’
Stunned that it works.It’s a lovely.lilting song that definitely deserves wider recognition.
Anonymous — June 25, 2007 @ 4:51 pm
I was also in attendance at the Feist show on Friday night and was equally as mesmerized by her! I’ve been pleading with every music-loving friend I have to make every effort to see her live. Glad you enjoyed it!
mandy — June 25, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
Wooo! You are quite lucky that you got to see Feist. She’s so aborable.
Shelby — June 25, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
i am fortunate to be a foghead and have won two passes to see Feist at a private KFOG show on Wednesday. I am so excited especially since the two Fillmore shows are sold out. I feel so bad because I have been telling everyone around me and no one knows Feist. I have started carrying my IPOD and her albums with me so that I can preach on. At least, my good news will be appreciated here. Thanks for introducing me to her!
paco — June 25, 2007 @ 9:54 pm
Paco!! Hooray for you! I am a Foghead who has won my share of awesome concert tickets over the years from the good people there (including a private show with Cake at Yoshi’s and 2 tickets to the U2 Elevation tour in SJ). Have an awesome time and please let me know how it goes, I know you will. She is…irresistible.
heather — June 25, 2007 @ 10:02 pm
h-
kingseyeland.blogspot.com
tyvm.
-j
kingseyeland — June 25, 2007 @ 11:01 pm
hay! i’m the elated girl! i’ve been stalking myself online for hours because i’m trying to find photos/video from when i was up there. crazy crazy. thanks for posting about it, let me know if you know of anything…
jessica.floeh@colorado.edu
thanks!
jessica — June 25, 2007 @ 11:34 pm
I also agree. “Dress Blues” is a gem of a song. Jason Isbell has such a great sound and writes incredible lyrics. I’m really looking forward to the CD.
Michon — June 26, 2007 @ 12:52 am
those security guards at the show were jerks, i nearly had my camera consifcated as well
but not before i got some decent pics…..
Julio Enriquez — June 26, 2007 @ 7:13 am
I absolutely love the Feist Album no I have to see her live after reading this. you convinced me.
Chip Frazier — June 26, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
For some reason I dont want to like the Rooney track but I do.
elle — June 26, 2007 @ 4:52 pm
same deal at the fillmore in sf for feist…very lame roadie of feist’s grabbing cameras. dude was a total jackass.
Anonymous — June 30, 2007 @ 1:06 pm