Just a reminder that I will be DJing a set at the records party over at Larimer Lounge tonight (2721 Larimer Street, Denver) for New Music Monday with DJ Hot To Death.
The other guest DJ set this evening will come from Denver band Meese, and it’s pretty awesome how neither of us know precisely what we are doing. We both intend to have fun, however, and my strategy is to play (loudly) the songs that make me dance around my house. Come on down!
Pete Yorn nominated Fuel/Friends this weekend as the virtual digs where you can hear and download his two newest songs! Thanks Pete. He must fondly remember the time I essentially trapped him in a parking lot and made him talk to me for 45 minutes. Nicest guy ever.
“Shotgun” is from Pete’s new full length, produced by Mike Mogis and recorded in Omaha. This is fresh from the mastering lab, and feels both darkly brooding and soaring at the same time.
Shotgun – Pete Yorn
…And “Sans Fear” is a highly winsome tune from the Frank Black (Pixies) produced EP, which was recorded in Salem, Oregon.
Sans Fear – Pete Yorn
It’s been all quiet since the Westerns EP and Nightcrawler full-length, both in 2006. Now we have two new Yorn releases slated for 2009 and touring to follow. I feel good again.
Previously: Yorn’s American Blues, Vol. 1
In a Rolling Stone article published last week, Steve Earle talked about his relationship with the late singer-songwriter iconoclast Townes Van Zandt, and revealed that he’s currently putting the finishing touches on an entire album of Townes covers.
To get you thinkin’ in that direction, here are some live versions Earle has done of songs either written or performed by Townes the years.
STEVE EARLE COVERS TOWNES VAN ZANDT
Rex Blues
Tom Dooley
Brand New Companion
No Deal
Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold
Lungs
White Freightliner
ZIP: EARLE DOES TVZ
BONUS UNRELATED COVER because it sounded good:
Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? (Waylon Jennings) – Steve Earle
BONUS MOVIE: You can still be here to love Townes Van Zandt:
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This bittersweet song is weighing on my mind today, so it’s also on my speakers on repeat. It feels like laying in bed, at the tail end of a dream. Blind Pilot is from Portland, Oregon.
Poor Boy – Blind Pilot
poor boy, why don’t you try getting water?
poor boy, why don’t you try getting sleep?
I think if one of us is going to suffer
why shouldn’t it be me?poor boy, your wife is in hard labor
the rhythm you know
is pulsing and drifting to the grave
when you come to
you’ll be asking yourself just one question
was I always this way?
was I always this way?think back a year
when everything stood at the surface
a bandage you cut
’cause you don’t know what swims under mehold tight
the bondage of this life is slipping
why shouldn’t it be me?
why shouldn’t it be me?when I come back
you’ll be the brightest star
in the black
when there are days
that you want the call we’re all waiting for
think backpoor boy
life is in hard labor
go buy flowers you’ll leave on its grave
then with the goal of movement
now one this is different
you don’t want to change
I don’t want to change
Three Rounds and a Sound is out now.
There hasn’t really been an indie rock smash hit song about U.S. presidencies since … well, ever as far as I know. The guys over at iGIF are nerds (nerds I love, at that) who have a series called History Mixery which always titillates me, but other than that no one’s covering this material, man.
No one that is except the trio of J. Matthew Gerken, Christian Kiefer, and Jefferson Pitcher. These songwriters decided to write one tune about each U.S. president in a concerted effort during February Album Writing Month in 2006, emerging from the history book stacks with piles of demos.
These songs had fantastic titles like, “John Adams (Armed with Only Wit and the Vigor of the U.S. Navy)” and my favorite “William Howard Taft (There Was No Longer Use to Hide the Fact That It Was Gout).”
Obama clearly needs his own song to add to this effort, so with the help of Will Johnson (of Centro-matic) they’ve added the following — a truly lovely tune, but then again, I so adore Will’s marvelously aching voice:
Obama (Someone To Wake) – Will Johnson / Christian Kiefer
Of Great And Mortal Men (43 Songs for 43 U.S. Presidencies) is available via the Standard Recording Company. You can see the full tracklisting of the physical album here; it includes artists like These United States, Denison Witmer, Rosie Thomas, Mark Kozelek and Califone:
Andrew Jackson (Benevolence) – featuring Califone
And for those living in our nation’s capital during these exciting times, the new Will Johnson/Obama song will be unveiled live this Saturday the 17th at Washington DC’s Sixth and I Historic Synagogue in a big concert featuring many of the artists on the album, and more.
My Morning Jacket covered Sam Cooke’s masterpiece “Bring It On Home To Me,” New Years Eve 2008 at Madison Square Garden.
We have a bit of an ongoing fascination with cover versions of this song ’round these parts.
Bring It On Home To Me (Sam Cooke cover) – My Morning Jacket
The entire NYE show was a scorcher.
[top photo by the amazing Kyle Dean Reinford, poster photo via Brooklyn Vegan]
I’ve been drawn steadily to Elvis Perkins‘ 2007 folk chronicle of excoriating grief and loss in recent months, and find myself turned on anew to its perfection. Ash Wednesday is a brilliant, brilliant album that defies easy classifications as it traces the dark rivers in Perkins’ life through losing his mother on one of the 9/11 planes, and his father (Anthony Perkins) to AIDS. Songs like the title track and “While You Were Sleeping” contain some of the most beautifully sad lyrics about those gray days that I’ve ever known:
“while you were sleeping
the babies grew
the stars shined and the shadows moved
time flew, the phone rang
there was a silence when the kitchen sang”
This week saw the release of three new streaming songs to his website, from the forthcoming Elvis Perkins In Dearland album (XL Recordings, March 10th). I spent several hours at work clicking and re-clicking, listening dozens of times to three very different songs. I’m excited where the collaboration with his touring Dearland band is taking their authentic, penetrating music. Perkins blends an appreciation of the old, old traditions in his modern folk music. I hear a loose thread of Nina Simone’s traditional classic when he sings, “Yellow is the color of my true love’s crossbones, yellow is the color of the sun; black is the color of a strangled rainbow…”
Shampoo – Elvis Perkins In Dearland
(related note: still curious about this Shampoo….)
NEW! ELVIS PERKINS IN DEARLAND TOUR DATES
March 09 – Seattle WA, Tractor Tavern
March 11 – San Francisco CA, Cafe Du Nord
March 12 – Los Angeles CA, Troubadour
March 25 – New York NY, Bowery Ballroom
Oh, and this is still one of my favorite Blogotheque videos:
Will Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy) played a song from his new album yesterday for WNYC’s Soundcheck. A gutting number called “You Can’t Hurt Me Now,” it’s redolent with old country warmth and lonely sorrow.
Beware is out March 17th on Drag City, and as Will says, the title of the album his caveat to you: “I can’t tell you if this is good for you or not.”
[photo credit Mark Whiteley, and thanks Tim]
The cunning, evil piglets run to the tiger, smothering her with their small hooves and short snouts. Made weak by the cuteness of the piglets (and undoubtedly aware of the fact that she is only making the situation worse by being in the picture herself), she reaches out her paw, licking her lips, grasping for an errant piglet she can stuff in her mouth. That would really ruin the moment, she thinks to herself, desperate for some way – any way – out of this moment of terrifying cross-species affection.
I find the Fuck You, Penguin blog entirely hilarious, even if I’ll admit to feeling a little shy about admitting it. Really, you think you’re too good to let animals “say” funny things and make you laugh, but you’re dead wrong.
When I’m not looking at tiny cute monkeys and stuff this week, I’ve been listening to some electrifyingly good music:
Fall In Step
Jaydiohead
Last week, a mash-up artist called Minty Fresh Beats unleashed an entire (undoubtedly illegal) album of Jay-Z/Radiohead blends that kiiind of has been rocking my world all week. Before he gets arrested and the files expunged from the internet, you need to go listen to that kickass opening to “15 Step” with Jay-Z’s “ah, ah, yeah, whoo!” and then the shattering fragmentation of the beat that makes my head spin around. I haven’t yet been able to listen to this without smiling. The whole album is inspired and near-flawless.
You Can Be Timeless
Henry Clay People
The formula may be one we know: the slow start, the ragged heartfelt vocals, the muted power chords and then — the explosion and the crush of hot summer nights and a rebel vibrancy. Henry Clay People remind me of The Hold Steady and Springsteen and there, I’ve said it. I cannot stop listening to their fresh take on themes we all know so well and a language I speak fluently. Signed to the Autumn Tone label (Aquarium Drunkard) and opening for Airborne Toxic Event in these next few months (including Feb 23 at Denver’s Bluebird), this is a band I am totally gonna investigate more. Hot dang. For Cheap Or For Free is out now.
Nothing To Worry About
Peter Bjorn & John
How charming; the whistling Swedes have tapped the same children’s choir as Justice’s D.A.N.C.E. (a fact I may have arguably made up just now, but certainly sounds true). In another “wow, the internet is weird” moment, the first song off the new album from superstar-whistlers Peter Bjorn & John was leaked via Kanye West’s blog last week, and as Kanye says, “SHIT IS DOPE!! DRUMS ARE CRAZY AND I LIKE THE KIDS ON THE HOOK…LOL!!!… The new PB&J album Living Things will be out at the end of March, and this hugely stomping song sounds nothing like the young folks ditty. Peter Bjorn & John were also just announced on the initial SXSW lineup — and it looks like I will be making the trek to Austin this year for the first time! Suggestions on BBQ are now being accepted.
Five Years Time
Noah And The Whale
In a pleasant mixing of your memories of Sunday School stories, Noah And The Whale scramble tales of divine intervention with that whistling you’re not getting this time around from Peter Bjorn & John. Over a sparkly effervescent ukulele, this band from Twickenham, England just charmed my pants off and made me clap my hands. Wow, that sounds like an odd predicament to be in. This song is all fun fun fun, love love love, and sunshine — and despite the message of “in five years time, I may not know you,” they want to drink and laugh in the park with you today. Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down is out now and they’re hitting the UK in March.
World Without End (live on HearYa)
A.A. Bondy
A friend who makes cooler mix CDs than me just included an A.A. Bondy track on his year-end retrospective and it perked my ears up with the thick melancholy authenticity. Bondy is the former frontman of Verbena, and this track comes to us free and clear from the excellent Hear Ya Sessions compilation (those in-studio DIYers who taped Samantha Crain at the end of the summer). I’m reminded here of the simplicity of the Avett Brothers — a rawness, and the ability to eviscerate with very few words: “and now you are broken, and I am less,” followed by a bittersweet harmonica of a thousand walking-aways. Just off a fall tour with the Felice Brothers, Bondy’s American Hearts is out now on Fat Possum (and there’s a free Daytrotter session here).
I listened to (and sang along with) the music of Stars this weekend after too many months of not getting around to enjoying their fabulousness. I listened a lot to Stars in 2006 and 2007, but feel like I neglected them last year and have spent all day today apologizing to them, as we caught up.
Their new EP is called Sad Robots, but today at sunset I took a long walk through the neighborhood and rested on their ’07 album of covers and remixes. Do You Trust Your Friends? finds Stars turning their songs from their seminal Set Yourself On Fire album (2004) over to the creative powers of their Canadian friends on the Arts & Crafts label. These versions distill new angles and meanings from already amazing songs.
Apostle of Hustle takes on a song that traces an unnervingly creepy tale of possessive love. The original soars with strings and a terse drumbeat, but Apostle of Hustle infuses it with a clattery energy and their cinematic, Latin-tinged gyspy folk. Now it feels appropriately off-kilter. Towards the end of their cover, they weave in loops of old movie dialogue that you can almost feel flashing in black and white like a dated reel. The song explodes under their touch.
One More Night (Stars cover) – Apostle of Hustle
Jason Collett brings his marvelous alt-country, slightly squawky croon to the electric sheen of the original, like Dwight Yoakam & Tom Petty strolling the streets of Montreal. That same funky bassline weaves through both the original and this cover, but I love how his voice cracks here when he pleads, “All I want is one more chance to be young and wild and free . . . All I want is one more chance to show you you were right for me.”
Reunion (Stars cover) – Jason Collett
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND:
Do You Trust Your Friends? (2007)
Set Yourself On Fire (2004)
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.
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