The internet can be so eerily voyeuristic (you know this, anonymous blog reader). I’ll admit to being fascinated by sites like PostSecret and Found Magazine; now I have a new place to click and look inside the ephemera of other people’s lives. The To-Do List Blog collects and reprints people’s lists for your perusal. Seems fitting in this list-making season, and you get to see charming resolutions like #5 above: “Let my eyelashes grow.”
A noble aspiration for us all.
This week’s tunes, a day late:
The Silence Between Us Bob Mould After former Hüsker Düer / Sugar frontman’s dancetastic side project last year, Bob Mould returns in early 2008 with his 7th solo album District Line. I am digging this first single, it’s all my favorite fuzzy guitars and big hooks [via]. I’ve heard that Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty is holding down the percussion end of things here, and this intro heavily reminds me of Pete Yorn (“For Nancy” – listen and see). Plus, do you hear an echo of the Sugar song “A Good Idea” here like I do? This is a very strong, rocking return to form, and I look forward to hearing the whole album.
200 More Miles (feat. Ryan Adams) Cowboy Junkies Other than a hazy SNL appearance with really foxy hairstyles where they performed their cover of Sweet Jane that I’ve seen in re-runs, I will admit that I don’t know much about the Cowboy Junkies. I’ve heard that this is an oversight on my part, and I should probably rectify that. Eh, we’ll see. But to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their Trinity Session album, the Junkies released a CD/DVD combo of performances in the same Toronto church where the original album was recorded. Ryan Adams sings lead vocals here on this tune (I love the way his voice quavers when he sings the lyric, “Atlanta’s a distant memory / Montgomery a recent blur“). Adams plays guitars, drums and trades harmony vocals on a few other songs [pics here], and Natalie Merchant and Vic Chestnutt also appear. Trinity Revisited is out now, but maybe only in the UK.
X Marks The Spot Frankel Here is another fresh discovery from my year-end list perusing, this time from the formidably-almost-always-right Aquarium Drunkard. Of this independent Los Angeles artist, Justin writes: “an absolute must for fans of Nilsson, Lennon/McCartney, et al. I recently described the sound of the LP as the orchestration and instrumentation of latter era Elliot Smith, combined with the songwriting and world view of Richard Swift.” After reading that descrption, I said “Okay.” And I am glad I did. The album is called Lullaby For The Passerby.
I Came Here To Say I’m Going Away (Serge Gainsbourg cover) Okkervil River Artists behind another fine album from 2007 that missed my list, Okkervil River is feeling generous this Christmastime. They’ve put together an EP of live cover tunes available for free on their website, and they have dug up some wonderful, obscure tunes to make their own. Called the Golden Opportunities Mixtape, the collection includes this cover by risque French songwriter of the ’60s Serge Gainsbourg (wherein they also tag a bit of “96 Tears”), plus Joni Mitchell, The Fugs, John Cale and more. The mix also includes the evocative original tune of theirs called “Listening To Otis Redding At Home During Christmas” that I recently posted. Nothing says Christmas like free music; go get it.
Paper Planes M.I.A. Several of you have suggested I should have named this song of the year, but since I didn’t do a list like that, it’s a moot point (like a cow’s opinion, it doesn’t matter). I will admit an affinity for this catchy song, built entirely on a foundation of The Clash’s Straight To Hell, with one of the best and most un-singable choruses all year (I kinda do a head bop to one side for the gunshots, then two to the other side for the cash register sounds. I look really cool doing it, especially at the gym where I am most prone to listen to it, and people think I am having a seizure). The video [via GvB] is entertaining: even if her rolling-ocean-flow hand motions lose their charm after about the second time, the Beastie Boys cameo where she sells them food off the back of her trailer restaurant doesn’t.
For each year so far that I’ve been dabbling in this music-blog-writing hobby, there seems to be a greater proliferation of choices for my ears to make. It seems like more artists are making their voices heard, more albums getting out there in one form or another, more people being turned on to music outside the mainstream 35 songs you hear on the radio.
This is good news for ears, hearts, and souls, and bad news for listmakers.
After much struggling, I’ve picked out ten albums that I’m happy with being my favorites from 2007; add all of these to your collections and be happy too. There were some very good albums that I left off this year (I am sure you will point them out to me in the comments) but these 10 are the ones that connected with me uniquely and viscerally. And they’re listed in alphabetical order because even numerically ranking them defeated me.
If you would like to hear me talk more about these albums, and discuss my perspective as a music blogger in the digital music world in 2007, please tune in to NPR’s World Cafe on January 1st. I’ll be doing a piece with David Dye, Tom Moon from NPR and Marco Werman from BBC’s “The World” program.
And yes . . . this is my poker face. I’m doing little freakout backflips on the inside.
TEN FUEL FAVORITES OF 2007
BECAUSE OF THE TIMES Kings of Leon Folks complain that this album isn’t as loose and rough and gut-punch raw as earlier KOL efforts, and they’re right. This album is bigger and hazier and more anthemic, but I find myself craving the riffs, the melody, the scowly drawl of the lyrics, and the unabashed rock. I agree with the fantastic Daytrotter piece that called this one “a sneaker” (as in it sneaks up on you, not a shoe). I like that KOL are experimenting with their sound and pushing the edges. Plus, they absolutely have the best live show I saw (twice) this year, all caged energy, confident strut and rock and roll. Fans – Kings of Leon
BOXER The National This is the richest album in my top ten this year, in that the songs seep under your skin and percolate slowly. As we discussed, so much of this is 4am music; the late-night special, flawed but transcendent. Woven through songs that pulse restlessly with thumping drums, elegiac strings and evocative piano melodies, the lyrics here destroy me. Absolutely. They lament “another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults,” then ruefully note that “we’re so disarming darling, everything we did believe is diving diving diving diving off the balcony / Tired and wired we ruin too easy, sleep in our clothes and wait for winter to leave.” The purity of elemental urges and gorgeous expression makes me wants to live inside the stories of this album. Fake Empire – The National
DIRTY BOMB The Star Spangles Here to save the rock and roll crown from the hands of slicker entries this year, The Star Spangles from New York are filthy and gritty and raw, making pub-chant punk with strong melodies. Full of heart, they are the real deal so don’t mess with their work ethic. In addition to playing roughly 3,528 fiery live shows this year, they’re not above doing things like playing a recent show at the Jesse Malin/Ryan Adams hangout Niagara in NYC wearing only a trenchcoat and a fedora (all the better to rock with less friction, I guess). Listen to this vibrant album loud, and feel the ebullient crush of youth. Take Care of Us – The Star Spangles
FIGHTING TREES The Swimmers The owner of some trusted ears remarked upon first hearing this Philly band that “this is what Wilco might sound like if they just let their popness run rampant.” Fighting Trees is a shimmering, delicious, intelligent album full of pop goodness but not too sugary-sweet. It’s got the jangle and the thump, the three-part harmonies and the cohesive storyline lyrics that sweep me off to somewhere else; they weave a dream-sequence where you are floating above yourself, watching the actions below with a distanced eye. Loosely based around the 1964 short story “The Swimmer,” both the grad-school premise and the resulting album deserve massive props. [stream here, buy CD at shows, out via Mad Dragon in early 2008] Heaven – The Swimmers
GOOD AND RECKLESS AND TRUE The Alternate Routes In a year when I was really hoping for a grand, rootsy, golden album from Ryan Adams that never materialized for me, The Alternate Routes warmed the speakers of my car all summer long with their expansive, windows-down, wholeheartedly good brand of alt-country rock. One of my favorite lyrical pictures all year comes from these opening notes: “I’ve been wasting my days good and reckless and true, I have danced in the dark at the edge of the water, swingin my hips at the black and the blue…” The songwriting is solid and incisive, highlighted by the aching tenor of lead singer Tim Warren — and speaking of Ryan Adams, current Cardinals drummer Brad Pemberton pitches in on the skins here as well. Although the album swings effortlessly from rollicking to pensive, the common thread that I find appealing is the earnest commitment to simply playing their blessed hearts out. Ordinary – The Alternate Routes
THE HISTORICAL CONQUESTS OF JOSH RITTER Josh Ritter A pal recently asked me who I thought the best modern-day songwriter was. At the time it was 2am, and I mumbled something about how I thought Josh Ritter was pretty dang incredible. Upon coherent reflection, I take that back; I think Josh absolutely may be the best songwriter of our generation that I’ve heard. His penetrating lyrics consistently blow me away, and the rock influences of his new album ramp up the folk sounds I’ve loved in the past into something that definitely hits harder and leaves me all itchy and excited-like. You must see him live in 2008, the new material is amazing in concert. As Josh weaves his intricate, literate songs on stage, he overflows with each lyric as if he were birthing every line afresh for the first time. That same refreshing joy is palpable on this album, and we are grateful for it. To The Dogs or Whoever – Josh Ritter
I CAN’T GO ON, I’LL GO ON The Broken West When I first heard this new Merge Records signing last January, my post title was “I want to listen to The Broken West all weekend long, maybe until my eardrums crystallize into sugar.” That pretty much sums up how vividly I crave the sounds on this disc. Catchy hooks and fuzzy power-pop sounds blend with a blast straight from the ’60s in terms of sheer listenability — and you’re having 100% Fun with Matthew Sweet while the Kinks play in your garage. Hailing from Los Angeles, the guys in the Broken West wrap up all kinds of California imagery while also underscoring a bit of the shadow as well: “Sun down, blood horizon, now it feels all right/ No one feels the darkness down in the valley tonight.” Musical novocaine. Down In The Valley – The Broken West
NIGHTTIMING Coconut Records This clever, humble, and thoroughly enjoyable album from Coconut Records (the nom de rock of actor Jason Schwartzman) came out of absolutely nowhere this year in a stealth digital-only release that spread like wildfire. Normally we can all agree that actors making music spells disaster, but in this case it absolutely spells y-a-y. Schwartzman blends some of the jangly California indie-pop of his previous work with Phantom Planet with his experience in composing film scores for this aural delight. No two tracks alike: the Weezer rock of “Back To You” flips over the lo-fi duet on “Mama” (with Zooey Deschanel?) and the scratchy dabble into Beatles pop with “Easy Girl” is a million miles from the disco beats of the title track or the Franz Ferdinand stomp on “Minding My Own Business.” The album is eclectic, stripped of pretension and ready to make you smile. Back To You – Coconut Records
THE REMINDER Feist The completely charming and effortlessly cool Leslie Feist covers a lot of ground on this album, her third of original solo material, in addition to her releases with the Broken Social Scene. Feist is musically adventurous with a sound that is impossible to pin down. Moving easily from intimate songs like “The Park” that aches like a midnight dirge sung lying flat, looking out a darkened window, to the spiritual-gospel handclap community of “Sea Lion Woman,” you never know what the next track will bring. The only common thread among the songs is her gorgeously honey-drenched, knowingly sly voice. Feist possesses a welcome imaginative streak that she’s not afraid to reveal on this album. She deserves every ounce of recognition that Apple commercial got her in 2007; anyone who conceives of the idea to do a rainbow-hued dance video clothed in spangles to a song that good gets my respect. I wait in breathless anticipation to see what she does next. My Moon, My Man – Feist
WE BELONG TO THE STAGGERING EVENING Ike Reilly Assassination Call it defiant pre-punk, cranked-up ’50s rock’n'roll that slipped past the censors, or just some seriously good music. Ike Reilly writes unflinching rock songs full of bluesy, boozy, humid, rock riffs and intelligent, biting, evocative lyrics that make me want to take off with him through the desert on the run from the cops, the windows down and a knowing glance between us. Ike’s not ripping off a halcyon era of memories past like some of the retro-influenced acts today (Brian Setzer, I love you, but I’m talking to you), but rather he feels like an earnest, fierce character who somehow slipped in from a time when the music was rawer, the sex was furtive, and the liquor was bootlegged. This is a fiercely fantastic album that provocatively edged itself into my top ten the first time I listened to it. Valentine’s Day in Juarez – Ike Reilly
And yes, since you asked, my membership in the bloggers guild is currently under review for revocation for not listening to Arcade Fire or Radiohead in 2007. I’ll keep you posted.
Just watching Chris Kattan’s straight face while he plays the important role in this SNL Christmas song performance of 1) holding the keyboard and 2) turning his head back and forth makes me bust up laughing. My friend swears that this song must be the inspiration for Josh Rouse’s “Hollywood Bass Player” tune (although I say Rouse’s is clearly the better), and he says whenever he puts on the new Country Mouse City House album, he wants to do “the Kattan.”
And by the way — what, exactly, is Tracy Morgan’s function in this song? Jogging and gesturing? That is so awesome.
And for those of you who have asked, I am indeed putting together a Fuel/Friends 2007 Christmas mix. Just hold your one-horse open sleighs – that’s coming soon.
Oxford Britpop/rock foursome Supergrass have been busy chaps in the latter part of 2007 preparing for a new album with producer Nick Launay. I posted and enjoyed their new tune this summer, wherein they discuss a diamond hoo-ha man over a rough and ready guitar line. In addition to that one, there are also three other new songs floating around that I’ve been interested in hearing. I finally got half (2) of them in a fantastic set from their show opening for (?!) the Arctic Monkeys in June at the Malahide Castle in Dublin. The set was broadcast this summer on Ireland’s RTE 2FM.
Supergrass is doing some limited touring under the alias Diamond Hoo Ha Men this month in England [video teaser here]. Their 6th studio album is currently in its final mixing stages in L.A. and it is due out in early 2008.
If you are a visual person who likes the grand intersection of music and art as I do, there is a very cool book of black & white photography by Greg Allum chronicling the time Supergrass spent last summer at the Hansa Studios in Berlin studios recording this new album.
The book is called The Night Shines Like Fireflies and it ain’t cheap, but it’s guaranteed to make your staid coffee table just a bit cooler.
Coldplay is streaming a lovely cover of the Pretenders song “2000 Miles” on their website with the above description. I’m definitely a Pretenders fan, and this song is filled with a melancholy longing and wistfulness, those things that a greeting-card Christmas isn’t supposed to be . . . but often is.
In these frozen and silent nights sometimes in a dream you appear outside under the purple sky diamonds in the snow sparkle our hearts were singing it felt like Christmastime
Since my record player doesn’t leave the living room, this is the closest thing to portability that 45s have ever achieved. Norton Records is an independent NYC label run by two musicians (Miriam Linna, one-time drummer for The Cramps, and her husband Billy Miller). They specialize in unearthing raw & authentic music — like retro punk, rockabilly, garage rock and old R&B — and releasing it on vinyl.
They’ve just assembled forty-five 45s from their rad collection, available for the first time ever as a digital release. The quality of this rare, elusive collection of songs is out-of-this world. If you’ve ever walked into a dusty old record store and wanted to listen to everything in the stacks of obscure 45s to discover a few groups that history forgot, this is your dream.
In addition to groups we know (like an alternate version of the bittersweet perfection in Big Star‘s “September Gurls” or the original 1975 demo of The Ramones‘ “I Want To Be Your Boyfriend”) there are dozens of songs to explore that you’ve probably never heard before. My ears loved digging deeper into formats like surf music, rockabilly, ’60s teenage doo-wop, and soul-tinged ballads in this fresh and unsullied collection.
The opening notes give us The Dictators wondering, “Who Will Save Rock and Roll?” — eh, maybe Norton Records will.
Stop It Baby – Roy Loney and The A-Bones They just don’t name bands like that anymore. From the ebullient cool of the opening riff to the “just stop it, baby” groans, this amazing tune makes me want to dance . . . or even go walking down the street for Roy Loney and his A-Bones.
All Kindsa Girls – Real Kids Like the Ramones but fresher because I’ve never heard em before.
Hey Mrs. Jones – Long John Hunter A “down on the corner” skiffle, plaintively asking Mrs. Jones if he can come on, if he can come in. If you know what I mean.
Listen to the kitschy “radio spot” preview they put together which includes tastes of tracks from Herbie Duncan, Incredible Kings, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Shades of Night, and the original 1975 demo of “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” by The Ramones
I Hate CDs: Norton Records 45 RPM Singles Collection, Vol. 1 TRACKLIST
01. DICTATORS – WHO WILL SAVE ROCK AND ROLL? 02. READYMEN – SHORTNIN’ BREAD 03. LEGENDARY STARDUST COWBOY – I HATE CD’s 04. BUNKER HILL – THE GIRL CAN’T DANCE 05. HERBIE DUNCAN – HOT LIPS BABY 06. ANDRE WILLIAMS – THE MONKEY SPEAKS HIS MIND 07. INCREDIBLE KINGS – THE LIMP 08. SCREAMING JOE NEAL – ROCK AND ROLL DEACON 09. DALE HAWKINS – NUMBER NINE TRAIN 10. RAMONES – I WANT TO BE YOUR BOYFRIEND 11. DON “PRETTY BOY” COVAY – SWITCHEN IN THE KITCHEN 12. 5.6.7.8′s – HARLEM SHUFFLE 13. DARYL BRITT AND THE BLUE JEANS – LOVER LOVER 14. JACK STARR – CHICKEN 15. MARY WEISS – A CERTAIN GUY 16. SCREAMIN’ JAY HAWKINS – I HEAR VOICES 17. WADE CURTISS AND THE RHYTHM ROCKERS – PUDDY CAT 18. KID THOMAS – ROCKIN’ THIS JOINT TO-NITE 19. SHADES OF NIGHT – FLUCTUATION 20. BIG STAR – SEPTEMBER GURLS 21. TRIUMPHS – SURFSIDE DATE 22. JOHNNY CLARK AND THE FOUR PLAYBOYS – JUNGLE STOMP 23. DOUG SAHM AND THE PHAROAHS – SLOW DOWN 24. REIGN – ZIPPERED UP HEART 25. ESQUERITA – ROCKIN’ THE JOINT 26. HASIL ADKINS – CHICKEN SHAKE 27. SONICS – BUSY BODY 28. DANNY ZELLA AND THE ZELL ROCKS – SAPPHIRE 29. JOHNNY POWERS AND THE A-BONES – NEW SPARK 30. MONACLES – I CAN’T WIN 31. LONG JOHN HUNTER – HEY MRS. JONES 32. REAL KIDS – ALL KINDSA GIRLS 33. RAMONES – JUDY IS A PUNK 34. SCOTTY McKAY – BAD TIMES 35. QUESTION MARK AND THE MYSTERIANS – ARE YOU FOR REAL? 36. ROY LONEY AND THE A-BONES – STOP IT BABY 37. STUD COLE – THE WITCH 38. ALARM CLOCKS – MARIE 39. CREATIONS – BETTER WATCH OUT 40. SABRES – MY HOT MAMA 41. HENTCHMEN – HOT ROD MILLIE 42. JERRY McCAIN AND HIS UPSTARTS – A CUTIE NAMED JUDY 43. UNKNOWN GROUP – I’VE HAD ENOUGH 44. NEANDERTHALS – TWINKLE TOES 45. LINK WRAY AND THE RAYMEN – VENDETTA
Hot on the heels of the date we lost Lennon, and after a long weekend in a hospital waiting room, I am not going to commemorate another morose anniversary today.
Instead let’s celebrate the life of Otis Redding. I’ve re-upped all the great songs on this post from his birthday last year in honor of this fantastic musician, one of my favorites. Today I’d also like to add one addition to the Otis playlist:
Hard To Handle Otis Redding So I could save face and be all, “Yeah, I knew that Black Crowes song was totally a cover of Otis.” But that would be a big fat lie. Somehow (?!) I missed this original until a guy recently enthusiastically cited it to me as Otis’ best. Song. Ever. That title is up for some discussion with me (I like Tramp. Or maybe Dreams To Remember). This tune was originally released posthumously in 1968 as a b-side, and soundly trumps the Black Crowes cover I’ve been listening to all these years. You can find it on this recent anthology. Go Otis. We miss ya.
Skinny Love Bon Iver While I work on finalizing my year-end favorites list (meaning painfully hacking perfectly good albums left and right in order to narrow it down into something meaningful) I’ve been taking the opportunity to listen to some artists that never actually got the chance to vibrate my eardrums in 2007. Dodge put this album as his #1 for the year, and since Dodge is right about a lot of things (he loves me, for instance) I thought I should spin it. Wow. As you listen to Bon Iver, it starts to scrape something loose inside of you. This is one that you might find yourself listening to over and over again as I have been, even if you are unsure when it first kicks in. Something intangible and gorgeous and raw thrums under the thin skin of this song.
Geronimo Phantom Planet While the themesters of the O.C. (sorry but they are never, ever going to slip out of that recognizable tinny piano melody rising to the top of my mind whenever I say their name) work on recording a new album for Spring 2008 with Fueled By Ramen, Phantom Planet is making a limited-edition tour EP available with some new tunes. Aptly titled Geronimo, this song sounds pretty ferocious and relentless, like a fashionably new-wave native jumping off a sandstone bluff onto the waiting trusty steed? Not like I would know firsthand, but I have been re-reading some Cormac McCarthy. So.
Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (Dylan cover) The Hold Steady This came on the local SF radio station KFOG this weekend when I was out in California, one of the few bright spots of my hellish weekend. Starting slowly from the restrained opening, it cracks open like a carnival into something exuberant and near life-affirming. Something about the way The Hold Steady treat this, it perfectly preserves the just-barely-hanging-together feel of the original, with a huge rush of their own unique spirit. Probably the best song on that (dang good) I’m Not There soundtrack.
Burn Sean Jackson Weird me out. I was adding this song into the post, the final paragraph of which has already been written with that Singles nod in the last sentence, which really is the only way to say it. I visited one-man-band Sean Jackson‘s MySpace and I see that his profile quote is, “Other than that, he was ably backed by Stone and Jeff.” And I love him. So I’m just gonna leave it at that; you may be familiar with how much I love that movie and quote it at inopportune times. This guy definitely has tones of the Foo Fighters (although not as good as their new album, more from me on that later perhaps) and he namechecks influences like Westerberg and Malkmus. So okay, we’ll listen. Album is called For You.
The final sentences read, “As for me, a few days later — before the technician could arrive — the light on my modem mysteriously came on again. With all apologies to my wife, I went straight to Heather. Honey, it had been too long.” I am loved in Belgium, and apparently Tulsa! Thanks John.
Oh come on. This is just too much fun. A mysterious, retro-influenced website popped up Saturday for a band calling themselves the Foxboro Hot Tubs. The word on the street is that this ’60s-influenced garage band is actually a side project of legendary punk rockers Green Day. The entire 6-song EP is downloadable for free, with cover art.
The songs are kitschy and catchy as hell, and feature fun dialogue snippets from old movies to start each track off. The album cover lists a J&G Fair Trade Records out of San Francisco as the label (Green Day is from Berkeley), and the disclaimer reads charmingly: “Internet stereo record downloads can be played on today’s mono players with excellent results. They will last as long as mono internet record downloads played on the same equipment, yet will reveal full stereo sound when played on stereo players.”
If it’s a hoax, it’s a fun one and I’ll absolutely take it.
Twenty-seven years ago tonight, John Lennon was shot and killed by crazed nutjob Mark David Chapman outside the Dakota, under an archway that I just walked past in October, feeling a little odd at its normalcy under the bright New York City sunshine that day. This photo still creeps me out, Lennon signing a copy of his new Double Fantasy album for Chapman, hours before he would come back for Lennon with a revolver. WTF.
Earlier that day, Lennon recorded 75 minutes of radio broadcast content alongside Yoko Ono in the offices of Geffen Records to promote Double Fantasy. The full interview is now available through Synergie OMP, and you can take a listen to part one -
Buy John Lennon Testimony in the digital-only release through: iTunes OR eMusic
You may also enjoy this post from 2 years ago, the 25th anniversary of his death. I’ve re-upped that song on there; it’s still one of my favorite John Lennon recordings, a honest and raw demo of “I Know”.
On a personal front, thank you for all your notes of encouragement and prayers for my uncle. “Guarded optimism” were the words of the day yesterday; although it’s still critical and unsure at this junction, at least things are not still declining. I sat with him and sang for two hours last night; hopefully in some small way that helped.
I’ve been intending to post this song, but all of a sudden it has now taken on more gravitas to me and I’ve been listening to it quite a bit. I am back out in California again after a very last-minute late-night flight out, my uncle is seriously and unexpectedly sick in the critical care unit at the hospital. It’s raining in Santa Clara. Tubes and wires and beeping and I feel completely overwhelmed with what I can do except hold his hand and stroke his unconscious forehead. Even though I am 28 I feel like an ill-equipped kid even being in the ICU, like someone’s going to say “Excuse me sweetheart, no one under 14 allowed.” Sometimes I talk to him, about anything, about everything. Preschool Christmas concerts, recent trips, insignificant anecdotes. If I felt brave I guess I could sing, he’s always liked to hear his nieces sing.
Brandi Carlile covered “Raining in Baltimore” by the Counting Crows at a recent show Birmingham, much to my delight. This somber, underrated, poetic tune from the Counting Crows’ first album is one of my favorites. While her treatment of it is pretty faithful, the emotion in her voice belies a genuine love for the song and the mournful cello addition strikes a chord with me:
This circus is falling down on its knees The big top is crumbling down It’s raining in Baltimore fifty miles east Where you should be, no one’s around
I need a phone call I need a raincoat I need a big love I need a phone call
These train conversations are passing me by And I don’t have nothing to say You get what you pay for But I just had no intention of living this way
I need a phone call I need a plane ride I need a sunburn I need a raincoat
And I get no answers And I don’t get no change It’s raining in Baltimore, baby But everything else is the same
There’s things I remember and things I forget I miss you I guess that I should Three thousand five hundred miles away But what would you change if you could
I need a phone call Maybe I should buy a new car I can always hear the freight train Baby if I listen real hard And I wish, I wish it was a small world Because I’m lonely for the big towns I’d like to hear a little guitar I guess it’s time to put the top down
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.
The internet can be so eerily voyeuristic (you know this, anonymous blog reader). I’ll admit to being fascinated by sites like PostSecret and Found Magazine; now I have a new place to click and look inside the ephemera of other people’s lives. The To-Do List Blog collects and reprints people’s lists for your perusal. Seems fitting in this list-making season, and you get to see charming resolutions like #5 above: “Let my eyelashes grow.”
The Silence Between Us
Cowboy Junkies
X Marks The Spot
(Serge Gainsbourg cover)
Paper Planes
Oxford Britpop/rock foursome 
Earlier that day, Lennon recorded 75 minutes of radio broadcast content alongside Yoko Ono in the offices of Geffen Records to promote Double Fantasy. The full interview is now available through Synergie OMP, and you can take a listen to part one -
Name: Heather Browne
