Monday Music Roundup

I was talking on the phone Saturday morning when my Dad came into the house, left a small box on the desk, kissed me on top the head, and left. Look! It’s my new iPod in-ear headphones, a really-belated birthday gift.

It gives me three options for in-ear adapters, small, medium, and large. This is something that has never occurred to me, to wonder what size ear holes I have. It’s a whole new level of self-awareness that I had not previously been familiar with. What if I had really tiny ear holes? (I don’t, I’m medium). Or what if large weren’t big enough for my gaping ear caverns and I needed to special-order an extra large pair, or adapt them with cotton balls or something? These are the things that flit through my mind while I explored the tidy streamlined white case. Anyways. I am so happy with the soft and snug fit, and the sound (better than the one-ear buzz in the standard-issue pair I’ve been living with for months now). I am a happy, medium-eared camper.

Tunes for the week:

Stargaze
Xavier Rudd
This in one talented Aussie. I saw Xavier Rudd Saturday night at the Gothic Theatre and he’s a burning one-man-band (although he has added a drummer for this tour). Xavier has an earthy, rootsy, world music vibe to him, with a rock and wail comparable to Ben Harper. His stage set-up is hard to describe, involving lots of percussive instruments, three digeridoos, and a lap slide guitar all clustered within his reach. When he played Jimmy Kimmel a few weeks ago, he had fewer instruments, but definitely watch the video to see how he operates. Impressive. When the intro to this song ended and the mustachioed dude with the aviator sunglasses hit it with the driving beat, the entire crowd seemed to start jumping in unison. I got whapped in the face with some gal’s gnarly dreadlock, it was that kind of crowd. Xavier is currently working on the score for the Summer 2008 film Surfer Dude, and his 4th album White Moth is out now on Anti-.

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I have this tendency to think of Nick Cave as this very baroque, moody musician with sweetly sweeping songs like Ship Song (okay, fine, it comes to mind because PJ covered it). But then I recall last year’s snarl and blues of side-project Grinderman (“No Pussy Blues”), and the danceable apocalypse of this video makes sense. This song knocked me off my feet; it’s the first tune off his new album of the same name (mixed by Nick Launay – Arcade Fire, new Supergrass, Grinderman). You must also watch this video as well, if only to see the moustache and the completely unselfconscious dancing. Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! will be out on April 8th in the U.S. on Anti-

Breathless (Nick Cave cover)
Cat Power
Speaking of the versatility of Nick Cave, I was pleased to find this cover amongst the bonus tracks for the new Cat Power covers album Jukebox, which is out now on Matador. Cat’s version has less meandering on the fife, and more smoldering longing. As is her trademark, she takes a rather peppy little original number and dresses it up like midnight, all reverb and honeyed whispers. It becomes a different song, almost. I love what she does.

Lay Back Down
Eric Lindell
A little bit of lazy, late summertime soul feels nice right around now. Eric Lindell was born in San Mateo, CA and wound up in New Orleans, where he studied the music, garnered respect, and laid down this second studio album at the famed Piety Street Studios. Low On Cash, Rich In Love (out last week on Alligator Records) has the sweet ache of Van Morrison with that blue-eyed soul groove and the lithe vocals, and channels elements of R&B and Memphis brass bands.

Plus, he also looks a little like K-Fed on his album cover, which clearly is all the more reason to buy this one.

Sing Again
Chris Walla
The guitarist/producer for Death Cab For Cutie Chris Walla releases his first solo album Field Manual through Barsuk Records next week. I think everyone was kind of expecting that it wouldn’t stray too far from the DCFC aesthetic but I find it to be a unique and varied album that stands up well on its own. This song is crisp and catchy, the beat gets my toes tapping. There’s also some unexpected squaks of dissonance just to keep things fresh, and a what-just-happened drop off ending. Elegant and interesting.

And yep: It’s on.

Guitar & piano instruction with Cactus Larry and the Wild Bunch

I had every intention of not mentioning the slew of ridiculous videos that Ryan Adams is putting up on his YouTube page because, well, even if his hair looks exceptionally nice in all of them, they leave me a little perplexed about the wisdom of leaving computer video-editing software within reach of those with too much time on their hands. I mean, those wicked crystal ball effects are cool and all, but . . . what?

But then tonight this new video he posted a few hours ago made me laugh. Out loud, starting with the opening lines: “This here is a gee-tar. And the first thing you need to know is . . . you have to fret it, up here is the frets. Now when you’re frettin stuff . . .”

Ryan writes as description, “an instructional video based on the one Brad will NOT STOP PLAYING on the bus. i love brad. he could kick my dungeon all over the evergreen otherworld but he is my bro.
no content here reflects any ex girlfriends in any way.”

GUITAR and PIANO instruction

Anyone read lips? He looks pretty dang forlorn at the end (like a puppy), I think saying something about “baby.” I am going to ask my deaf friend Rima to translate.

Nothing but pills and ashes under my skin

Okay so no pills actually under my skin, but I have been feeling a bit ashy and blah, so I saw this 7-day detox/cleanse diet where I eat like a vegan rabbit, drink lots of water and tea, and in seven days I feel cleansed and refreshed. I’m passing on the, uh, recommended colonic, but might get a massage on “Peak Day” 4.

Here’s a scan.
Anyone crazy enough to go through this with me?
I’m starting in the morning.

And yes, you read that correctly. No coffee. Therefore I’d like to offer a preemptive apology to anyone who comes across my path for the next seven early mornings. I’ll try to be cheery, I will. I guess I’ll be so pumped with flavonoids and B-vitamins that I’ll feel like superwoman . . . right?

Toxic Girl (David Whitaker String Arrangement) – Kings of Convenience
Vegetables – Beach Boys
Rehab – Amy Winehouse
Toxic – Britney Spears
I’ve Got To Be Clean – Guster

M. Ward + Zooey Deschanel collaboration is near :: Four new songs from KCRW!

I’d heard last summer that my #1 artist from 2006 and the honey voiced starlet from Elf (among other projects) were collaborating on a full-length album, but it slipped from my radar for a bit there. Now look, we only have 2 more months to wait! M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel will be collaborating under the name She & Him with an album called Volume One (they are wildly creative in both namings) due out March 2008 on Merge Records.

Recently the duo stopped by the KCRW Open Road program to play several songs together. M. Ward has that humid, scratchy, atmospheric sound that balances out the velvety old-fashioned (sexy) croon of the delighful Ms. Deschanel. This is one highly anticipated album for me in 2008; I am hoping for a higher ratio of original compositions to covers, but I’ll take whatever they deal. Listen:

M. WARD AND ZOOEY DESCHANEL
KCRW OPEN ROAD, JAN 2008
Change Is Hard
You Really Got A Hold On Me
Magic Trick
Sentimental Heart


ZIP UP M AND ZOOEY

I’m heading out the door now to see this guy tonight. I am hoping there will be some digeridooing. I’ll keep you posted.

Two sides of a delightful coin

So first I found this photo of the man who I always say could make me laugh reading the back of my cereal box to me:

. . .and THEN my cousin Heidi in Southern California goes ahead and sends me THIS bit of fantasticness (with commentary):

“Thoughtful Lance. Mirthful Lance. Two sides of a delightful coin.”

“I wanted a shot like this for my wedding. The Mrs. said no.”

“Olan Mills backdrop #4: Bucolic Meadow with Split Rail Fence.
Is that an animal carcass behind her?”

See the rest here.

OH! And also see this if you like laughing at the misfortunes of others. And really, who doesn’t.

So don’t pretend you don’t have a whole collection of these Olan Mills bad boys to add to the bunch. I know I do. There’s one with me in a bowl-cut hairdo and a plaid dress with a lace collar, and the unfortunate 7th grade school portrait in color-blocked rayon. Sigh.

Sit for a spell with the Felice Brothers

Over recent months, a few trusted friends have recommended the Felice Brothers from New York as a group that I simply must listen to. I haven’t done so until now, and I am wondering what the heck took me so long.

A band of (mostly) actual brothers from the Catskills, there’s a raw and unfinished sound to their storytelling brand of folk-americana. I find that as you sit with them, the colors of their music start to come out in a warm rich burn, like a campfire at 2am. Very few artists write stories like this anymore, except for folks like Ray LaMontagne or the Hold Steady, in very different sounding ways.

Their vivid music is populated by characters with names like Long-Legged Brenda and take the listener along on all kinds of wild narratives that echo Dylan in their complexity and seeming unsingability. Both of these introductory tunes have a thoroughly warm, communal singalong feel to them, and the first tune in particular seems like it would be perfect behind the closing credits rolling on a really good movie.

Frankie’s Gun – The Felice Brothers
[from The Adventures of the Felice Brothers, Vol 1]

Roll On Arte – The Felice Brothers
[from Tonight At The Arizona, 2007, Loose UK]

Fresh off shows with Bright Eyes, David Gray, and Levon Helm, they’re playing tonight with Son Volt in Chicago, and then on tour in the coming months with artists like the Drive-By Truckers and North Mississippi Allstars.

Recently signed to Team Love Records (the label co-founded by Conor Oberst), the Felice Brothers will release a collection of new tunes combined with older hard-to-find tracks from the tour-only full length The Adventures of the Felice Brothers Vol 1. Their self-titled American debut will be out on March 4th 2008.

Given that “felice” means happy in italiano, they make me happy inside to have found them.

Loving the new Travis video: “New Amsterdam”

Scottish rockers Travis (yep, we interviewed ‘em back in December) have just debuted a lovely video for their song “New Amsterdam.” This springtime-fresh tune is one of my favorites off The Boy With No Name, and was featured prominently on my own little NYC mixtape, so it’s laced with fond memories round these parts.

The humble and distinctly impressionistic video is directed by artist Gary Rough, who definitely brings that artistic/montage eye to this love song to New York City. Remember, New York was once New Amsterdam (why they changed it . . . I can’t say):

TRAVIS: NEW AMSTERDAM

[thanks Kevin]

Your essential Eels, your useless trinkets (and a triple trouble new contest)

So I am back from Kauai, after the most brutal red eye flight home last night that just kicks all the vacation relaxation right outta you, back into the biting 11 degree weather. It’s sunny today here, so that’s nice, and I do have to smile at my tan peeking out from the fleece, as it reminds me of lying on Poipu Beach less than 24 hours ago, watching the humpback whales play just offshore. Seeing whales like that as they spout and breach is one of the few experiences left for grownups to spark that flicker of a childlike sense of wonderment. Those animals are incredible.

Anyways, yesterday was also notable for E (Mark Oliver Everett), the multi-instrumentalist artist behind the band Eels, because he released two new albums to the world.

Meet The EELS: Essential EELS Vol. 1, 1996-2006 is a great place to start if you know little about this stellar artist. It collects 24 tracks spanning a ten year period and 12 videos, to show first-timers who this E fella is.

The companion album goes deeper: EELS Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2006 has 50 hard-to-find B-sides, film contributions and unreleased tracks, and a DVD of live performance footage from Lollapalooza 2006. All the music has been digitally remastered, with new liner notes from E.

NEW TRIPLE TROUBLE CONTEST
(Please tell me which one/s you are entering for – 1, 2, or 3)

#1 – Someone wins a vinyl 7″ — limited edition (3000), signed by E, featuring two tracks – both previously unreleased:
A-side)”Climbing To The Moon” (Jon Brion remix)
B-side)”I Want To Protect You”

#2 – Someone else wins the Meet The Eels CD+DVD

#3 – A third someone wins the Useless Trinkets b-sides 2-CD+DVD

TO ENTER: E has written some gorgeously sad songs that leave me wide-eyed how someone could so precisely nail a sentiment in two or three lyrics, a few brutal scather songs, some fun and off-the-wall contributions, and several that make me want to dance. If you feel so compelled, please let’s chat about your favorite Eels song or lyric. To keep it fair for those who are new to Eels and want to be introduced, the winner will be randomly picked for each of the three prize packs, so you can win even if you can’t discuss favorites (yet). I’ll run this through Sunday or so.

TRIPLE TROUBLE OF EELS TUNES
Fresh Feeling
I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man (Prince cover, live)
I Write the B-Sides

New from Counting Crows, crossing our fingers

Berkeley band Counting Crows remain firmly ensconced in my top bands close to my heart, having soundtracked a good portion of my life. They are planning to release their fifth studio album Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings on March 25 through Geffen/Interscope. As previously mentioned, the two-part album is divided into the louder and fiercer “Saturday Nights” first half which was produced by Gil Norton (The Pixies/Foo Fighters), and the acoustic “Sunday Mornings” finish with Brian Deck overseeing the controls (Josh Ritter, Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse).

Adam Duritz (who has recently lost 50 lbs and is looking good) shared some thoughts about the album: “[It's] about dissolution and disintegration. It’s about when Saturday night happens and you lose all sense of yourself. And it’s about when you wake up Sunday morning and look back at the wreck you’ve made of your life and you think, ‘How can I possibly fix this? How can I ever climb out of this hole?’ And then you start to try and climb.”

He also notes, “Our album may not have much redemption in the end but we got all the sin I could live with and at least an attempt to try for something better.”

. . . for your Saturday night:
1492 – Counting Crows

. . . and your Sunday morning:
When I Dream of Michelangelo – Counting Crows

That last tune is certainly an interesting one, whole-cloth revisiting and reincorporating a lyric and a sentiment from another one of my favorite tunes, “Angels of the Silences” from 1996′s Recovering the Satellites.

From a personal standpoint, the sensual strength of his figures and his surprising use of color make Michelangelo my all-time favorite artist. My best semester ever included taking a breathtakingly in-depth course on all of his known works while I was studying abroad in Florence. Therefore, I’ve always smiled wider at that lyric, “I dream of Michelangelo when I’m lying in my bed,” than any other one because that action and that thought is one of the best feelings ever — because I’ve done it. I never thought I’d hear that line again in a new song. I am excited about this album, hoping for really amazing things that I know they are capable of.

The return of Seven Mary Three

Surely you could’ve guessed that I loved the Seven Mary Three album American Standard when it came out in 1995. This band from Williamsburg, Virginia surged onto my radio with the heartfelt gravelled vocals, the ‘everything-you-got’ choruses, the big guitar riffs. It was all very of the moment, but they also had a rootsy-bluesy vibe to many of their songs and I still love that album thoroughly.

I listened to that CD until it skipped and jumped from scratches, and played the cassette that I made for my car all through at least 2 long hot summers. “My My” still pummels me relentlessly and it still makes me want to jump up and yell something when I hear it, and “Anything” has that great bassline and the doomed young love affair; it’s all very serious. But earnest. If you’ve never heard anything but “Cumbersome”:

My My – Seven Mary Three
Anything – Seven Mary Three

In the intervening years, rumor has it that they’ve released some very good other albums, namely Rock Crown (1997) and Orange Ave. (1998). My pal Kyle just sent those over to me with his comments on why I should love them, and I am looking forward to filling in the gaps. Someone also once told me to check the bargain bins for their 2001 release, Economy of Sound, but each time I’ve tried, I come up empty handed. I’ll keep tryin’.

The fun news from my inbox is that Seven Mary Three is still at it, and back in 2008 with a new record called day&nightdriving (Bellum Records, February 19). Their sound still pleases my ears.

Last Kiss – Seven Mary Three

Hear one more new tune “Was A Ghost” streaming here.