The “Yeah, I’m Not in Austin” sulk club

Yes, I’ll just come right out and say it: Hello my name is Heather. I am a blogger, and I am not at SXSW this week.

If you are like me find yourself constrained by money, or work, or life (or a combination of the three) and are not partaking in the musical bacchanalia on the streets of Austin right now, let’s find something to salve our wounds, shall we?

The good people over at Austin Sound have put together a quality 21-song sampler of local Austin talent that will be playing shows in pubs and clubs and parking lots at SXSW. I’ve had an enjoyable afternoon listening to these tunes — here are a few that caught my ear:

Power To Change – The Black and White Years (MySpace)
They were invited by former Talking Head/Modern Lover Jerry Harrison to record their debut full length at his California studio. You can hear why.

Mary Jo – The Brazos (MySpace)
The Brazos just want to hold you in their arms and sing to you over jangly ethereal guitars in a lovely, warbly voice about how they came to you singing sad songs when the evening called. The Cure meets Explosions In The Sky?

Gunpowder – Black Joe Lewis (MySpace)
Where did this young guy come from?! Apparently he’s been hiding in a cryogenic tank in the Stax vaults since 1966, and has emerged to start work on an album with Spoon’s Jim Eno. Go figure.

Darksided Computer Mouth – White Denim (MySpace)
I missed these guys at NoisePop the night I got in, but this is frenetic and relentless from the get-go, and I feel disoriented. I like it.

Muzzleloading Evangelicals – The Archibalds
A modern fusion of the warmer, countrified Beck tunes and an expansive ’70s country rock feel. Breezy and plucky, and I’m sure would sound good with some BBQ in my hand.

DOWNLOAD: The entire Sound Advice Vol II: The Latest Toughs (An Austin Sound Compilation) or snag individual tracks over here.

And maybe I’ll see you in Austin next year.

When we was young, oh man did we have fun :: The Strokes live from a Melbourne brewpub

Back in 2001 as Is This It started to take off for The Strokes, their dance card was suddenly and dramatically packed; according to the archived tour dates on their website they played just three shows in 2000, but over a hundred in 2001. Early show recordings are really difficult to find — to sate my ears, I wanted something nascent from 2000, but the odds were against me.

During the summer of 2001, they played a small (capacity 300) pub/club in Melbourne called The Laundry, and the set was broadcast on Australian 3RRR community radio. The sound quality on this boot is pristine – the minimal crowd noise almost makes it sound like a lost studio demo of alternate versions rather than a live show, but with that terrific energy that I expect from these boys. It’s a necessary addition to the collection of any Strokes fan.

THE STROKES
LIVE AT THE LAUNDRY
Fitzroy, Melbourne, AUS – July 2001
Intro
Is This It
The Modern Age
Soma
Barely Legal
Someday
Alone, Together
Last Nite
Hard To Explain
New York City Cops

ZIP: THE STROKES IN MELBOURNE

[top photo credit Cody Smyth, CBGBs 2000.
bottom photo credit Christopher Wahl]

The Felice Brothers & Conor Oberst :: “Walls” (Tom Petty)

Bruce loves The Felice Brothers just as much as I do, and I found this cover he posted to be jubilant and electrifying.

I cannot help but smile wide at the loose, rough joy they exude in their musical jam (even if Conor is dressed kinda like he just stumbled in from post-work happy hour karaoke):

That is live music at its absolute best.

Tuesday Music Roundup

So last Sunday in San Francisco I picked up this random $1 pin at the Noise Pop Expo (in addition to a cool business card holder for my forthcoming cool business cards, and I waited too long to buy this gorgeous necklace and it was gone when I came with cash. Sad).

Anyways. The pin on my bag strap now, which you can sort of make out over there in a bad cell phone snap, is a sensitive graphite rendering of Patrick Swayze circa Roadhouse. He beams at me, which made me feel good for about three days, and then I read that he’s got pancreatic cancer and now I want to mutter things like “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” and giggle when he touches the back of my arm. I will admit a huge weakness for Dirty Dancing, I cannot explain it. Who can. I hope Patrick gets well soon.

Tunes I am listening to this week:

Dragonflies
Ike Reilly
New from Ike Reilly — an artist that we are big fans of ’round these parts (top ten!)– comes an album called Poison The Hit Parade (April 8). The label says it is a collection of outtakes, demos, and alternate versions from his last three albums, and Ike adds that “it isn’t so much of where I’m going but more like the places I’ve been that people don’t know about.” One of the things that Ike verily exceeds at are songs that feel rebellious and triumphant at the same time, with intelligent lyrics that penetrate deeper than your standard radio fare. This previously unreleased tune shimmers and pushes over an urgently pounding piano cadence, while Ike sings to someone ravaged by cancer but whose skin still shines.

Into The Ground
The Brakes
Philadelphia band The Brakes just signed to Hyena Records and their full length debut Tale of Two Cities is out on May 6. None of these guys are over 23, but they’ve opened for acts like The Hold Steady and Robert Randolph, and have some shows coming up with Jackie Greene. They seem to have a vocal fanbase in Philly and beyond. This catchy tune is a simple ode to being “in her bed, and in her arms” with a toe-tapping lush spaciousness to it, and subtle hints of a modern jazz vocals that echo a bit of Jamie Cullum. And a trumpet solo, even!

Chances Are (Jim Eno of Spoon remix)
Apostle of Hustle
“Drunk, drunk in the Taco Bell,” is where we first meet our protagonist of this song, and down to the clattery unsteady rhythm and the shiny brass backing notes, that’s exactly what it feels like. Jim Eno is the drummer of fair Spoon, whose percussive sense can get me moving any day of the week. Combine that with the always well-constructed rhythmic backbone in songs from latin-indie-gypsy folk Canadian prophets Apostle of Hustle, and you have this very winning combination. The original version of this song was on last year’s National Anthem of Nowhere (Arts & Crafts).

Paisley Pattern Ground
The Black Hollies
You’d probably think this was released in the ’60s, from the name of the band, to the ode to the paisley, and the rockin sounds of psychedelica, guitars, and bells here echoing through the misty morning. But actually, The Black Hollies are from Jersey and bring “a mash up of British Invasion blues, guitar heroics and psychedelia that would bring a smile to Brian Jones’ face” according to Rolling Stone. Plus they’re apparently in a new Dell commercial which I should pimp because my new (pink) Dell laptop is scheduled to arrive Thursday and right now that makes me happy. The Black Hollies sophomore full-length album Casting Shadows is out today.

Bang On
The Breeders
Hold onto your Docs, The Breeders are back. With tones of surf guitar and rubber-ball bouncing beats that could fit easily in at a club, Kim and Kelley Deal come back with new sounds here that really surprised me; a hundred miles from the snarly-harmonic girl rock that I so loved in the early Nineties. The Steve-Albini-produced Mountain Battles is out on 4AD April 8, and they’ve got a ton of tour dates coming up, including one at Coachella (yay!).

Jesse Malin takes a walk on the somewhat wild but mostly acoustic side

Well heck. Here it is Monday night. In addition to the time change creeping up on me, apparently I am also going to forget what day it is and therefore not put the finishing touches on the Monday Music Roundup. Which is now looking like a Tuesday Music Roundup. Terrific!

Jesse Malin‘s cover of the Lou Reed classic “Walk On The Wild Side” surfaced over on the Times UK site today for free download. It’s from his upcoming album of covers, On Your Sleeve, due April 7th on One Little Indian Records.

Walk On The Wild Side – Jesse Malin

It begs for comparison with some of the other other notable covers of this ode to transvestitism, back room darlings, and really smooth bass lines that sound what I would imagine heroin feels like.

Walk On The Wild Side – Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch
Oh the horror, this was my first exposure to this song. I bought this cassingle from The Wherehouse at Vallco Fashion Park mall, probably with babysitting money. I know all the lyrics; to this day, Annie’s cautionary tale is probably the reason I’ve never done hits that make heartbeats accelerate. She wanted to be a chemical engineer, makin 50 to 55 thousand a year. She took a hit, breathed two short breaths. One for life the last for death. Thanks Marky.

Walk On The Wild Side (live) – The Strokes
Julian Casablancas always sounds like he is singing half-reclined on his counch and can’t be arsed to get up, and I think he comes closest to channeling the delivery of Lou Reed. I love the way the moment in this cover when he hits the line about Jackie juuuuuust speeding away, and then of course that pretty rad guitar solo that Nick Valensi throws on at the end.

Imagine/Walk On The Wild Side – George W. Bush
Dubya gets his thang on, courtesy of some fancy editing from the fantastically entertaining thepartyparty site. Who knew?!

Walk On The Wild Side – Lou Reed
The original, the grandaddy of cool.

Ryan Adams 10/28/99 :: Exit/In Nashville (with Gillian Welch)

While I am enjoying some of the warm California sun, it feels like a good time to share my favorite Ryan Adams bootleg ever. There is a pristine, immediate, warm quality to the sound that makes you feel like you are inches from Ryan. The talented, haunting Gillian Welch comes out for some songs, and there is a wonderful variety of rare songs for the setlist. In between his endearing banter, Ryan brings out unreleased gems, early versions of songs I love, and several terrific covers.

RYAN ADAMS (WITH GILLIAN WELCH)
EXIT/IN, NASHVILLE – OCT 28, 1999
Born Yesterday
Funny How I’m Losing You
Memories Of You
Oh My Sweet Valentine
To Be The One
Hey There, Mrs. Lovely
In My Time Of Need
Onslow County
Folklore
Revelator (with Gillian Welch, her song)
Dancing With The Women At The Bar (Whiskeytown song, with Gillian Welch)
– with I Want It That Way (Backstreet Boys) at the end
Helpless (Neil Young cover, with Gillian Welch)
Return Of The Grievous Angel (Gram Parsons cover, with Gillian Welch)
16 Days (Whiskeytown song, with Gillian Welch)
Nighttime Gals
Statuettes With Wounds Avenues (Whiskeytown song)
Avenues (Whiskeytown song)

…and THAT, folks, is one of my favorite live shows ever recorded. I have listened to it more times than I can count. It feels like a whiskey, warming the insides.

[full show/other formats here]

Noise Pop: The Mountain Goats day show at Bottom of the Hill

It always feels a bit weird to come in from the bright glorious Sunday afternoon sunshine for a day show, but the Noise Pop set with the The Mountain Goats at Bottom of the Hill last weekend was so good as to make it worthwhile for the packed, all-ages crowd. The Mountain Goats played a rarely-seen three-show run at Noise Pop and this was the last — a Sunday matinée, the early-bird special.

After this, I’m hands-down adding John Darnielle to my list of the best songwriters of our generation. The depth and emotional punch, and sheer beauty of these lyrics actually physically hurts at times.

You Or Your Memory (live in SF 3/2/08) – The Mountain Goats
(from 2005′s The Sunset Tree)

I checked into a bargain priced room on La Cienega
gazed out through the curtains of the parking lot
walked down to the corner store
just before nightfall in my bare feet
black tarry asphalt, soft and hot
and when I came back I spread out my supplies
on the counter by the sink
I looked myself right in the eyes

st. joseph’s baby aspirin
bartles and jaymes
and you
or your memory

So Desperate (live 3/2/08) – The Mountain Goats
(from the new album Heretic Pride)

We were parked in your car
in our neutral meeting place, the episcopalian churchyard
I had things I’d been meaning to say
but in the dazzling winter sun that late
I could feel them melt away

I felt so desperate in your arms

I like crowd singalongs, and you may find yourself marveling as I did at the enthusiasm of this group of Sunday show-attenders. Not only could they sing the whole chorus for John on songs like “You Or Your Memory,” but listen to the performance of the title track off their brand new album Heretic Pride — it’s only been out for two weeks!

Heretic Pride (live 3/2/08) – The Mountain Goats

Everyone sings so emphatically. It kind of makes me look around and say, “Who are you people!?” I guess that’s a sign of a well-loved band, one with the kind of lyrics you instantly want to learn by heart.

You can stream and download the entire show here.

[photo credits]

Crazy French guys, Stephen Malkmus, and the Great American Music Hall

One of the fangirl highlights of my Noisepopping this year was meeting some of the hilariously crazy French guys behind the La Bloqotheque site, home to those dizzyingly wonderful “Concerts A Emporter” (Take Away Shows), which feature exclusive content of musicians in random everyday settings playing their blessed little hearts out.

Whether it’s The Shins on the springtime streets of Paris, The National nestled near a French chapel hidden up in the mountains, or Elvis Perkins serenading from an ornate lobby staircase, each of these is so wonderful that I anxiously await the next one. Therefore it was really hard not to gush like a moron when I met the pretty cool Vincent Moon (did you see his work on the new REM video?) and his enthusiastic associates (bonjour Chryde!).

My french language skills –yeah, not so much . . . but it looks like the Blogotheque team were busy bees during their week in San Francisco. I missed the show with Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks on Wednesday night, but look what they made for us! A montage of off-the-cuff R.E.M. covers, set to panoramic shots of one of the coolest live music venues in San Fran. Ridiculous:

Watch the rest of the Malkmus performances here, and what I can piece together of their other writing on the site almost makes me want to take a French class. Oui.

Oasis covering Ryan Adams, covering Oasis

I like this concept immensely. Back in 2006, Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer did a series of ace live semi-acoustic shows, and at the show on November 26th at London’s Union Chapel they performed Ryan Adams’ arrangement of their song “Wonderwall.” So, so cool to hear them taking on his haunting interpretation, even down to that winding countermelody that Ryan weaves into it.

This is very similar to the version they played in Toronto on Nov 6 – lovely.

An arctic monkey and his twin, caught in the age of understatement

Arctic Monkey Alex Turner and Miles Kane from The Rascals have a side project goin’ called The Last Shadow Puppets, with a new video online today called “The Age of the Understatement.” It’s an epic-sounding song about marauding and proper kissing, with a video to match — an affair of tanks and singing WWII troops, priests and Russian figure skaters.

After seeing it, I’m pretty sure that these guys are twins or clones or at the very least, go shopping together. Watch it here.

The duo played their first live show together on Tuesday night to a packed Williamsburg record store, and thanks to Hypeful blog, here’s a live mp3 of their first single (which will be released in proper form April 14th, with the full album following shortly):

The Age Of The Understatement (live 3/4/08) – The Last Shadow Puppets

[top photo credit Kyle Dean Reinford, taken at last night’s surprise Cake Shop show on the Lower East Side]