Odds & ends

It’s been a long time since I compiled one of these odds and ends posts, but there were several little things today that caught my eye:

Ûž Brian Deck is on board to produce the new Counting Crows record, according to Adam:

March 16, 2007 12:53am
Berkeley, CA

Rehearsals have been going really well the past few days. I’m pretty excited about the 2nd half of this record. I really dig the producer we’ve chosen. His name’s Brian Deck. He produced “The Moon and Antarctica” for Modest Mouse, “Our Endless Numbered Days” for Iron and Wine, “The Animal Years” for Josh Ritter, and this album I love by the Fruit Bats called “Mouthfuls”. We’re getting really cool weird twisted folksy sounds.

Ûž Paul McCartney is set to release a new album this summer, the inaugural release for new Starbucks label.

I drink Starbucks. I love McCartney. But why does this just feel so dirty and somehow depressing?

Ûž Mason Jennings has a new blog post that starts with the sentence, “Did you ever just get so high that you wrote on your arm never to smoke weed again? Me neither.” It goes on to discuss music he likes and life in general lately for him, but opening sentences don’t get much more engaging than that one.

Ûž I truly love the new Hold Steady video for “Stuck Between Stations.” That is a dang fine song, and since I haven’t caught them live yet, I’ve never seen it performed, seen the way they jolt out their music.

Incidentally, I think their piano player may actually be Oliver, Kat‘s husband from Miami Ink. Rock the ‘stache, dude.

Ûž SPIN tries to deconstruct the method behind Ryan Adams‘ crazy, internet-facilitated, musical-diarrhea madness.

Ûž Pete Yorn‘s cousin/merch man/video whiz Maxx updates Pete’s MySpace friends with setlists and excellent pictures from the road. The most recent post has a haiku to match each photograph, and is a must-read. I laughed out loud at a few:

sid is funnier
when he’s not wearing his clothes
but someone else’s

simon is undead
he will eat your flesh
even from the stage

Ûž SXSW. Most of the SXSW coverage from my fellow bloggers seems like drinking out of a firehose, and I am not able to fully absorb all of it yet (although I am trying). This, however, was one show that I had read about and found video for — very cool. Pete Townshend was at the fest to speak at a panel and joined British buzz band The Fratellis for a cool little cover of The Who’s “The Seeker”:

And the best picture that I’ve seen so far from SXSW was taken by my friend Brian H., who has been regularly updating me with more pics and details than you can shake a stick at (thanks!). I don’t know the story behind this shot, but I thought it was cool how it speaks to the environment of total musical domination in Austin these past few days:

Rock ‘n roll.

Mason Jennings: Use Your Van

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Mason Jennings tour DVD Use Your Van recently, when it finally popped to the top of my Netflix queue. It’s a very interesting look at an independent travelling musician, the life on the road, with Mason in the studio and on the stage. I appreciated the tension he illuminated between major label and independent, time spent on the road vs writing music, financial means to record in the studio vs. freedom to do what you want creatively. Plus, the man is dang funny — the film made me laugh out loud on more than one occassion. Pay close attention to the fake setlist he is shown devising backstage towards the end, with song names like “Diamond-Studded Bracelet, The Ribbed Or The Right, and Twice Is Fun, Three Times Is An Illegitimate Child.”

The songs throughout the film pull from all his albums — plus there are some unreleased gems, like this one.

In Your City (unreleased) – Mason Jennings

Recorded 2/13/2004 at the Use Your Voice CD release concert in MN, it’s an old-timey feeling piano waltz that makes me think of music boxes and cabaret, but tethered with Mason’s grounded, poetic lyrics. It made me smile widely. This particular mp3 is ripped from DVD, but check out a fan recording of the full show here; esp the Elliott Smith and Johnny Cash covers.

Mason Jennings hearts Toni Morrison; In related news, so do I

From a Q&A Session with acoustic singer-songwriter/rad dude Mason Jennings:

Q. Luke Agnini from Philadelphia, PA asks…
Mason, I’m very curious about where the lyrics to ‘Adrian’ stem from. Very powerful song. Cheers, Luke

A. Mason writes…
Hey Luke,That song just sort of happened after I read Beloved by Toni Morrison. The song isn’t about the book but I wanted to tap into the feeling that she gave me. She is awesome.

Yes, Mason. Darn straight she is. One of my favorites, a master.

Adrian – Mason Jennings

Recommended reading: Beloved

Straight outta Brighton: The Kooks

Following fast in the relative footsteps of groups like The Coral, whom I quite liked from last summer, The Kooks are 4 young guys from scenic beachtown of Brighton, England. My friend Chris from Manchester included them on a recent mix for me and they caught my ear.

Sportin’ that same fancy-pants accent that regularly propels British bands (especially ones whose names start with “The” lately) to moderate success stateside, The Kooks are fun jump-around listening for summer, with a bit more acoustic pop sound than some of the punk/new-wave bands preceding them of late. Pitchfork likens them to “the straightforward dynamism of I Should Coco-era Supergrass,” and Drowned in Sound says, “What they do is take girls and seaside and . . . well, that’s all you need really isn’t it?”

Their debut album Inside In/Inside Out has reached #3 on the UK charts (and doesn’t appear to be released yet in the US). Take a listen, I am sure you’ll be hearing more from these boys ’round these parts; they’re in the news today as the Rolling Stones just tapped them to open their Cardiff show.

Naive – The Kooks

Sofa Song – The Kooks

California – The Kooks (Wow! A Mason Jennings cover! Better than the original? It’s a song that wants to rock)

“Crazy“ - The Kooks (Gnarls Barkley cover, Live Lounge 3/30/06)

Monday Music Roundup

Do you want to know what the biggest dilemma of my week to come is foreseen to be? Whether or not to vote on American Idol. Seriously, my life is hard (and I’m such a moron sometimes).

But listen: If I vote, then it is a confirmation to all that is good and holy that I have stooped to CARING about REALITY TV. Lord, no. Even though I am having an American Idol party at my house on Wednesday night.

Here are some good things I have added to my iPod rotation recently:

The 99th Floor
Primal Scream
Riot City Blues, the forthcoming release (June 6) from Scottish post-punk/rockers Primal Scream is a rollicking, bluesy, Stones-tinged romp. Just listen to the sick and sloppy slide steel guitar & blues harp on this one. Also download “Country Girl” over on their MySpace page, another excellent new cut from the formidable UK quartet.

She Doesn’t Get It (acoustic)
The Format
Thanks to Nathaniel‘s insistent love for lithe indie-pop group The Format, I’ve been thoroughly apprised of the upcoming July 11 release of sophomore effort Dog Problems. I was fiercely in love with their perfect pop song “Give It Up” off their 2003 debut Interventions & Lullabies, so hearing that same earnest & warbling voice in this lovely song makes me happy. This is a great acoustic version of a song which will be on their new album — and if you pre-order it on their website, you get a frisbee. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Let Go (solo, piano)
Imogen Heap
As half of the London-based duo/Garden State favorite Frou Frou, the lovely Ms. Imogen Heap recently visited local KBCO up in Boulder, Colorado, and laid down this luminous version of “Let Go,” with just her arresting voice and the ivory keys. Thanks to Don’t Need Anything for posting this.

Strange Days (Doors remix)
Thievery Corporation
I just realized that I am totally unintentionally featuring two artists off the same Garden State soundtrack, which really, I didn’t even love as much as your average 20-something apparently did. However, I am featuring this track, off Thievery Corporation‘s new release Versions, because it just sounded very very good to have a fresh take on The Doors slide across my musical palette. I have been reading excellent reviews of this disc, which features remixes of songs & collaborations with the likes of Nouvelle Vague, Sarah McLachlan, Norah Jones, and Astrud Gilberto. Oh, and I am pretty sure that this song was also featured on Alias recently, accompanying Sydney Bristow on one of her (last few) kickass missions.

Jackson Square
Mason Jennings
Acoustic strummer/sing-shouter Mason Jennings also has a new one out called Boneclouds. I’ve listened to it a few times through, and there aren’t the same standout can’t-help-but-stand-up-and-shake-it tracks as some of his previous releases – this one is more consistently mellow and introspective. Mason is a fine storyteller through his songs, and is able to craft tunes through just very simple guitar & drums most of the time. Plus, his voice has a very, very honest quality to it, which I find appealing.

Seacrest. Out.

Mason Jennings tour

Just got an email from the Mason Jennings crew announcing some limited tour dates in February (with Chad VanGaalen opening!). Unfortunately nothing so far in Denver, but I was thinking of coming to Cali in February anyway…so maybe I can catch him in San Fran. Rad.

Mason just signed to the new Glacial Pace label, which is the project of Modest Mouse singer/guitarist Isaac Brock. Mason has a new album coming out in 2006, so this tour will be in support of that.

To see the tour dates, see the shows section of his site.

If you aren’t familiar with him, listen to one of my favorite Mason Jennings songs – I really, truly, cannot get enough of it. AND I cannot stay seated while it is playing. I’ve tried.

“Butterfly” – Mason Jennings (mp3)