Wednesday, December 16, 2009

...& the second best video is Charlotte Gainsbourg with Beck.

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Heaven Can Wait from Charlotte Gainsbourg on Vimeo.

Ramona Falls - I Say Fever (video)

The video for Ramona Falls' "I Say Fever" is my favorite of the year. Maybe all time.

Daniel Johnston - You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

Here's Daniel Johnston doing the Beatles from this year's Austin City Limits. If you can imagine there's a heaven, that's where John Lennon is also covering Daniel Johnston songs.

Daniel Johnston - Live at Austin City Limits (10-2-2009)(mp3s):
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Beatles)
Speedy Motorcycle

Daniel Johnston's latest album is Is and Always Was.

Free Songs From 4AD

Sign up for 4AD updates & get free music:





Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Elliott Smith - Cecilia/Amanda

Kill Rock Stars is reissuing Elliott Smith's Roman Candle and From A Basement On A Hill in April of next year. Roman Candle will also be released on vinyl for the first time in the U.S.

Until then, they're celebrating by offering up the previously unreleased Cecilia/Amanda (mp3) as a free download, which was "recorded at Jackpot! Recording Studio in 1997 by Larry Crane. An earlier version of this song was initially written and recorded by Elliott's high school band, Stranger Than Fiction, and was known as "Time is Ours Now". "Cecilia/Amanda" is a reworking of that song with almost completely different lyrics."

Also, the entire Elliott Smith back catalog is on sale at http://www.buyolympia.com/killrockstars/

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Live October Streams & Downloads From Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr, The Gossip

I'm a little behind here, and I'm cursing my courseload for taking me away from it.

I'll be posting when I find rare moments to breathe.

For now, check out very recent performances from Yo La Tengo (The Current, 10-7-2009), The Gossip (scorching!) at the 9:30 Club on the same day (NPR Live Concerts)(download mp3), and Dinosaur Jr., more like Dinosaur Sr. these days, but with a 3-Marshall stack show, still heavy and dissonant as a teenager, also an NPR Live Concert at the 9:30, (October 8th)(download mp3).

Thursday, October 01, 2009

The Swimmers - A Hundred Hearts

I listen to this, and I can see the exploits of a complicated girl play out in a video that doesn't exist. Let me dream. Music Video, where have you gone?

The Swimmers - A Hundred Hearts (mp3)

From The Swimmers' People Are Soft, out Nov. 3.

Roseanne Cash + Neko Case

Roseanne Cash's forthcoming album, The List, features collaborators Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, and is streaming in its entirety on NPR Exclusive First Listen. Satisfied Mind, an iTunes exclusive, includes guest vocals from Neko Case.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Lhasa - Fool's Gold



There's only one Margo Timmins, I know that, and thank heaven for her. If there could be two, though, Lhasa De Sela would be the other one. This atmospheric country strum would have fit nicely on The Trinity Sessions.

Lhasa de Sela - Fool's Gold (mp3)

From Lhasa De Sela's Lhasa, just released last week.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Screaming Females - Bell

Screaming Females are some touring maniacs. Brutal for them, and brutally brilliant for us. Catch them if you can...they might be playing your street.

Screaming Females - Bell (mp3)

From Power Move, released this April.

Screamale insanity:

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Bebel Gilberto - Chica Chica Boom Chic



Bebel Gilberto - Chica Chica Boom Chic (mp3)

Bebel Gilberto's new album, All in One, will be released September 29 via Verve Forecast.

On this album, Bebel has collaborated with Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse), Didi Gutman (Brazilian Girls), Carlinhos Brown (Caetano Veloso), Daniel Jobim (grandson of Antonio Carlos Jobim), and John King (the Dust Brothers).

This song, which and feels like something from one of the Verve Remixed series, is percussion-heavy, playful, and sexy. But isn't anything sung by a Brazilian in Portuguese the latter two?

Friday, September 11, 2009

Voices



Voices, loved and idealized
of those who have died, or of those
lost for us like the dead.

Sometimes they speak to us in dreams;
sometimes deep in thought the mind hears them.

And with their sound for a moment return
sounds from our life's first poetry--
like music at night, distant, fading away.

- C.P. Cavafy

Friday, September 04, 2009

Haroula Rose - The Leaving Song



Haroula Rose, a world traveler originally from Chicago, demonstrates in The Leaving Song that vocal twang in country songs is optional, even desirable. Infused with warmth and longing, the song pulls at the heart without a speck of sentimentality.

Haroula Rose - The Leaving Song (mp3)


Haroula Rose

From the Someday EP. Haroula Rose is recording her debut full-length, in Athens, Georgia, this fall.

Monday, August 31, 2009

The Strokes - NYC Cops (Live, 12-21-2000); NYC Cops (Live with Jack White, video)

The Strokes - NYC Cops (Live on WFMU's The Cherry Blossom Clinic, 12-21-2000)(mp3)

setlist:
Alone Together
NYC Cops
Soma
Barely Legal
Modern Age
Last Night
Take it or Leave it
New Song



If you're reading this, you have access to the internet, and therefore know that Julian Casablancas will be releasing a solo album, Phrazes For The Young, soon.

GusGus - Add This Song (video)

This is from GusGus' "24/7" out on 9-14, and it features all the obligatory elements of modern video: a sexy nurse, a sinister doctor, blurred frontal nudity, necrophilia, and face licking. Somehow, it all seems okay here.

Add This Song

Friday, August 28, 2009

Sesame Street Martians Find A Raaaay-deeeoooh

Here's me listening to advance promos.

Tarantino on soundtracks and strangling.

Quentin Tarantino, from a recent interview on NPR.

...oddly enough, I've always - I've never actually seen "The Alamo" itself, actually. So I don't really have the association of "Green Leaves of Summer" as being "The Alamo" theme. Oddly enough, I grew up watching kung fu movies. They would use the theme "Green Leaves of Summer" in a lot of needle drops in kung fu movies a lot. So I was actually more familiar with it in a Bruce Lai(ph) movie than I was actually from the John Wayne film...

But what happened was I came across, I found this really fantastic used record store in Japan, and I bought all these different records and different 45s, and one of the 45s was just, it had the theme, "Green Leaves of Summer," the theme to "The Alamo" on one side, and then on the flip side was a theme to, the theme to "The Magnificent Seven.

...
So it's like a combination of the opposable thumbs, it's the combination of the brain and the thought process and the will to do it. I mean, boa constrictors suffocate people, but they don't strangle them. And you know, you can kill somebody with a knife. You can do all these kinds of things that are up close and personal, but you really have to bring your strength, and really - you have to really be committed to actually strangle the life out of somebody, to crush their larynx and just squeeze every drop of life out of them.


Nick Perito - Green Leaves of Summer (mp3)

From the Inglourious Basterds soundtrack.


Thursday, August 27, 2009

The Red Channels - Afshin Waltz



Yes, "waltz," but this dance is far from the ballroom, in a post-apocalyptic circus, a dance among the detritus, in rags for a dress, with a dead dog for a judge. The song resonates beautifully over the fallout. But maybe that's just me.

The Red Channels - Afshin Waltz (mp3)

From The Red Channels' Ghetto Cooking, released this Tuesday.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Sean Bones & Merida Rose (video), Norah Jones (mp3) - Turn Them

It's like they say: location, location, location.

SEAN BONES turn them from sam fleischner on Vimeo.


Of course now I can't listen to this song without accompanying imagery, but that's not such a bad thing.

Sean Bones & Norah Jones - Turn Them (mp3)


From Rings

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The Polyphonic Spree - Damage Control & other new demos

I met The Spree's Tim DeLaughter and Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, at Reagan National Airport in Alexandria, VA, a few years ago, and they seemed like incredibly nice people after a long trip from San Antonio. Tim signed a Harp magazine on the cover photo of PJ Harvey for me. Since then I've been fond of them, so I was delighted to see that Tim is blogging. Mp3 blogging, no less.

Here's yesterday's demo of Damage Control (mp3). This, and several other mp3 goodies, are posted on The Fragile Army blog, along with Delaughter's insight, artwork, and photographs.

Beck - Modern Guilt Acoustic - Replica

Jessica Dobson, a.k.a. Deep Sea Diver, is on guitar and backing vocals on the left screen. Fact: The original Modern Guilt album would have been even better with her it on it.

Modern Guilt Acoustic "Replica" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Beck with Record Club - Black Angel's Death Song (Velvet Underground & Nico)

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico "Black Angel's Death Song" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Cracker performs on The Current, 8-20-2009

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Ramona Falls' Intuit is out today.



Don't get it? The study cover art for a while:



Still not getting it? Maybe it's not meant to be got. But you should get the new Ramona Falls album. It's a contender for my favorite of the year. Get Intuit Stream the album here.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Beck with Record Club - I'll Be Your Mirror (Velvet Underground & Nico)

This has been one of my favorite songs for a long time, and I was prepared to be a little disappointed, anticipating some sort of bastardization. The Primitives did it well back in the 80's. Beck and Record Club did it well, just now.

Goodbye Les Paul.



Farewell to a true creative revolutionary.

Friday, August 07, 2009

Grizzly Bear, Live on KCRW 8-6-2009

Beck With Record Club - There She Goes Again (Velvet Underground & Nico)

Check out Record Club's way-out-of-tune take on Velvet Underground & Nico's There She Goes Again.

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico "There She Goes Again" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Tori Amos, Live on The Current, 8-6-2009

Listen to Tori Amos play an intimate in-studio set for MPR's The Current, broadcast yesterday.

Yep Roc offers over 100 digital albums for $5.

For a limited time at the Yep Roc Webshop, over 100 digital albums are available for download for just $5 each.


...including albums from Comas, Bell X1, Apples In Stereo, Bob Mould, John Doe, Kristin Hersh, Marah, Minus 5, Nick Lowe, Robyn Hitchcock, Sloan, and more.

Fujiya & Miyagi with Olivia Wilde.



Fujiya & Miyagi - Knickerbocker (mp3)

From Fujiya & Miyagi's superb Transparent Things(2007).

Free 10-track sampler from Side One Dummy records.

The good people at Side One Dummy records were sitting around and decided, "we have a bunch of test pressing's sitting around we should give away." Let there be a sampler. And there was a sampler.

Get it here.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Kevin from Viva Voce made you a mixtape.

Yesterday, Viva Voce's Kevin Robinson put up an mp3 blog post, of sorts, and says, "I made you a mixtape...

DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE THING HERE

It’s been a cool thing to put together while enduring a massive heat wave. Nothing beats being in a studio that’s 107 degrees!..."

It's titled "Kevin's Summer Mix," and it includes 16 beautiful & unfamiliar songs from some artists that you might know and some that you might not. The only thing missing is the handwritten liner notes. Maybe he could find an old, blank C-60 cassette sleeve and fill it out, and post it as an image.

By the way, Rose City, which is one of my favorite albums of this year, will be available in September on 180-gram vinyl with 2 extra cuts not found on the cd or digital album versions.

Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan Does A Rorschach Interview

AND talks about some photographs, and eats a red velvet cupcake.

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Actually, I would break dance for ya, darlin'.



Daniel Johnston will do anything for love, but he won't do that...he'll save a crumb of dignity, even in a state of desperation and heartbreak.

Sometimes I feel like I am a boxer
Seems like I'm always standing in the ring
And then I find someone's been in my locker
And left me a note that says I can't sing

I'll do anything but break dance for you, darlin'.


Daniel Johnston - I'll Do Anything But Break Dance For Ya, Darling (mp3)

From Retired Boxer

Newport Folk on NPR

Don't miss NPR's Newport Music Festival 2009 page, where you can stream AND download entire peformances from Neko Case (mp3), The Decemberists (mp3), Iron & Wine (mp3), Mavis Staples, Billy Bragg, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Fleet Foxes, and more: there are 29 performances available.

Fuse TV covering Lollapalooza 2009

Fuse TV has announced that they will be airing all of the highlights from this year’s Lollapalooza on Saturday, August 15th, with "Fuse Fest: The Best of Lollapalooza!"

They're also running a "Twt-a-palooza," a centralized online hub that lets you find, filter, and interact with the musical acts that are also tweeting at the festival.

Finally, Fuse has over 50 free tracks for download from Lollapalooza '09 artists, including Animal Collective, Alberta Cross, Neko Case, Band of Horses, Deerhunter, No Age, Santigold, here.

For more information on Fuse’s Lollapalooza ’09 concert special, head here:
http://fuse.tv/lollapalooza

TWT-A-PALOOZA

Watch the Fuse Lollapalooza coveragevideo trailer.

To find Fuse in your area: http://fuse.tv/channelfinder.html

Monday, August 03, 2009

Yo La Tengo - Today Is The Day (Live on McEnroe, 2004)

Here are two sides of the same Yo La Tengo song. Listen to the mp3 of the album version first, even if you already know it, to set that peaceful tone. Then, for the video, just be ready to get out of Ira Kaplan's way.

Yo La Tengo - Today Is The Day (mp3)



Today Is The Day is on Summer Sun. Yo La Tengo's forthcoming Popular Songs is available for preorder.

Bat For Lashes - Sleep Alone (HD Vid)

Innocent, sinister, beautiful video.

Record Club - Heroin (Velvet Underground & Nico)

Not for the epileptic.

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico "Heroin" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Beck - Modern Guilt (Acoustic)

Modern Guilt Acoustic "Modern Guilt" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

The Meantimes - Friday Kind Of Monday



May you, yes, YOU, have one of these. Maybe just listening to this will make Monday a little better...it's the Bubblegum Effect.

The Meantimes - Friday Kind of Monday (mp3)

From Where The Girls Are, Volume 4

Deep Sea Diver Live In-Studio, 7-31-2009



Deep Sea Diver played a stripped-down set for KXLU on Friday. Jessica Dobson, who played guitar and sang backing vocals on Beck's Modern Guilt tour, is mesmerizing.

Watch the in-studio performance here, and download it here (mp3).

The New Caves EP is available now.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Beck - Planned Obsolescence #4: Hello There


Featuring:
John Cale- Hello There
Daniel Johnston- Hi, How Are You?
Indian Jewelry- Hello Africa
The Cars- Hello Again
Mu- Hello Bored Biz Man
Conway Twitty- Hello Darlin'
Loretta Lynn- Hello Darlin'
Jean-Jacques Perrey- Hello Dolly
Ricardo Villalobos- Hello Halo
!!!- Hello Is This Thing On?
Juicy Lucy- Hello L.A. Bye Bye Birmingham
Neil Young & Comrie Smith - Hello Lonely Woman
Paul McCartney & Wings- Hello, How Do You Like The Lyrics
Junior Senior- Hello
J Dilla aka Jay Dee- Hi
Karen O. & Squeak E. Clean- Hello Tomorrow
Super Furry Animals- Hello Sunshine
The Doors- Hello To The Cities
Stephen Stills- Hello, I've Returned
The White Stripes- Hello Operator
Ginuwine - Hello
Harum- Hello
Willie Nelson- Hello Walls
The Doors- Hello, I Love You
The Carter Family- Hello Stranger
James Taylor- Hello Old Friend
Kate Bush- Hello Earth
Ernest Tubb- Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello

Philip Glass - Dead Things

I've been playing classical music on Pandora as I labor through homework problems. It was just background music, until this came on and stopped me.

Philip Glass - Dead Things (mp3)

From The Hours (Score)

7 Worlds Collide for Doctors Without Borders

7 WORLDS COLLIDE'S THE SUN CAME OUT TO BE RELEASED
SEPTEMBER 29 VIA SONY MUSIC

BAND FEATURES MEMBERS OF CROWDED HOUSE, RADIOHEAD, WILCO, THE SMITHS, KT TUNSTALL AMONG MANY OTHERS

The first 7 Worlds Collide album, a collection of amazing musical talents from across the globe in aid of Médecins Sans Frontières, was a unique live performance experience, fusing the varied talents of a stellar cast across a range of cover versions to create a series of shows that culminated in the live album of the same name. Seven years after that project, instigator Neil Finn has upped the ante with the new 7 Worlds Collide project, The Sun Came Out, a double album of original songs created and recorded by many of the original cast alongside notable new additions in an intense three weeks in his native New Zealand. This time the beneficiaries of this album will be Oxfam, as well as music lovers worldwide.

Familiar faces from the original album abound, Johnny Marr, Ed O'Brien and Phil Selway of Radiohead but this album, first and foremost presents the listener with new songs rather than interpretations of old favourites. The Sun Came Out also features a whole host of new guest talents such as KT Tunstall and Wilco and heart stopping firsts, including Phil Selway's songwriting and vocal debut as well as dream collaborations such as those between Johnny Marr and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy; and KT Tunstall and Neil Finn .

At the heart of the record is Neil Finn. His enthusiasm and drive persuaded the likes of celebrated producer Jim Scott, Lisa Germano, Johnny Marr and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, Pat Sansone, John Stirratt and Glenn Kotche (amongst others) to spend their Christmas holiday in New Zealand and even interrupted KT Tunstall's honeymoon in the process.

With families welcome, the studio became a constant whirl of creativity and energy throughout the three weeks allocated to create the record. Johnny Marr returned from a run on the beach with the basis of 'Too Blue', where Jeff Tweedy was waiting to add his talents; KT Tunstall stopped Neil retiring to his bed to complete 'Hazel Black'; a wandering Johnny Marr added a chorus melody to Liam Finn's 'Red Wine Bottle'; Ed O'Brien fashioned 'Bodhisattva Blues' from a Tibetan chant. In this atmosphere, anything was possible and Neil's wife Sharon found herself laying down her debut vocal on 'Little By Little' whilst Phil Selway also took his vocal bow and unveiled a hitherto unknown songwriting talent with his solo turn 'The Ties That Bind Us' in one take.

From Neil's original doubts over the idea, "I thought, what is this? Is it just an ego thing," came a double album of astounding collaborations for the listener and amazing memories for all those concerned in the recording. At the center of it all stands Neil Finn, too humble to take the glory himself, it is left to KT Tunstall to give the credit due to the man who made this happen: "It's Neil. It all comes from him. There's something about him that made everyone open up creatively."

Jeremy Hobbs, Director of Oxfam International said: "7 Worlds Collide is a great project. I hope The Sun Came Out is a huge success. Not just because it's a unique musical experience but because each CD sold will make a difference -- raising money to fund Oxfam's work to fight poverty."

The complete tracklisting and credits for the 2-CD set is below:

Disc 1

1. Too Blue - (Johnny Marr/Jeff Tweedy) - Johnny Marr and Neil Finn vocals
Elroy Finn & Glenn Kotche (drums), Phil Selway (percussion), John Stirratt (stand-up bass), Johnny Marr & Ed O'Brien (guitars), Pat Sansone (piano), Nile Marr & Neil Finn (acoustic guitars), and Lisa Germano (violins)

2. You Never Know - (Jeff Tweedy) - Jeff vocals
Jeff Tweedy (acoustic & electric guitars), Glenn Kotche (drums), Pat Sansone (acoustic 12 string guitar & piano), John Stirratt (bass), Neil Finn (Wurlitzer piano, fuzz guitar), Liam Finn (additional fuzz guitar), Nels Cline (electric/slide guitar), and Mikael Jorgensen (organ/synth)

3. Little By Little - (Sharon Finn/Neil Finn) - Neil and Sharon vocals
Glenn Kotche (drums & percussion), Liam Finn (additional drums), Sharon Finn (bass), and Neil Finn (guitars, Chamberlin, Jupiter 8, marimba)

4. Learn To Crawl - (Ed O'Brien/Johnny Marr/Liam Finn/Neil Finn) - Neil and Liam vocals
Glenn Kotche (drums), Ed O'Brien, Johnny Marr, Pat Sansone (acoustic guitar arpeggio), Neil Finn (bass), Pat Sansone (background harmonies), Jeff Tweedy (disembodied voice), and Lisa Germano (violin)

5. Black Silk Ribbon - (KT Tunstall/Bic Runga) - KT and Bic vocals
Luke Bullen (drums, thigh slap), KT Tunstall & Bic Runga (acoustic guitars), Sebastian Steinberg (stand up & bowed bass), and Lisa Germano (violin)

6. Girl, Make Your Own Mind Up - (Don McGlashan) - Don vocals
Don McGlashan (guitar), Glenn Kotche (drums), Ed O'Brien (electric guitar atmosphere), John Stirratt (bass), Ivy Rossiter (backing vocal), and Jeff Tweedy (electric guitar solo)

7. Run In The Dust - (Johnny Marr) - Johnny vocals
Phil Selway (drums), Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Johnny Marr (guitar), Ed O'Brien (electric guitar), Pat Sansone (Hammond organ), Jeff Tweedy (harmonica), Neil Finn, Lisa Germano, and Pat Sansone (harmonies)

8. Red Wine Bottle - (Liam Finn/Chris Garland/Johnny Marr) - Liam vocals
Glenn Kotche (drums), John Stirratt (bass), Liam Finn (acoustic guitars, guitar loops and solo, Hammond mash), Neil Finn (Hammond flourish), Johnny Marr (electric guitar), Eliza Jane Barnes & Cecilia Herbert (harmonies)

9. The Ties That Bind Us - (Phil Selway) - Phil vocals
Phil Selway (acoustic guitar), Glenn Kotche (drums, percussion), Pat Sansone (acoustic guitar, celeste), Sebastian Steinberg (standup & bowed bass), Lisa Germano (violin & whisper), Don McGlashan (euphium, flugelhorn), and Jeff Tweedy (additional arrangement)

10. Reptile - (Lisa Germano) - Lisa vocals
Lisa Germano (electric guitar, Theremin), Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Spencer Tweedy (drums), Glenn Kotche (toys and robots drumming), Pat Sansone (12 string guitar), Neil Finn (xylophone), Sonny Marr, Nile Marr, Sam Tweedy, Jeff Tweedy, Louise Callaghan, Emma Scott, Pearl McGlashan, mae Moreno, Sharon Finn, Julia Connolly, Sebastian Steinberg, and Milla (humans & dogs singing background vocals)

11. Bodhisattva Blues - (Ed O'Brien/Liam Finn) - Ed and Neil Finn vocals
Ed O'Brien (electric guitar), Elroy Finn (drums), Liam Finn (guitar), Neil Finn (Wurlizer piano, bass), Jeff Tweedy (guitar solo, vocal response & scream), and Johnny Marr (guitar solo)

12. What Could Have Been - (Jeff Tweedy) - Jeff vocals
Glenn Kotche (drums, percussion), Jeff Tweedy (acoustic guitar), John Stirratt (bass), Neil Finn (vibes, electric guitar, harmony), and Pat Sansone (piano, Wurlitzer organ)

Disc 2

1. All Comedians Suffer - (Neil Finn) - Neil vocals
Glenn Kotche (drums), Neil Finn (electric guitar), Pat Sansone (acoustic guitar), Liam Finn (bass, electric guitar, harmonies), and Jeff Tweedy (chorus fuzz, electric guitar solo)

2. Duxton Blues - (Glenn Richards) - Glenn vocals
Glenn Richards (guitar), Liam Finn (drums, guitar & vocal loops), Johnny Marr (electric guitar), Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Bic Runga & Neil Finn (background vocals)

3. Hazel Black - (KT Tunstall/Neil Finn) - KT and Neil vocals
KT Tunstall (acoustic guitar, handclaps, background vocals), Luke Bullen (drums, handclaps), John Stirratt (bass), Johnny Marr & Pat Sansone (electric guitars), Neil Finn (piano, harmony), Glenn Kotche (handclaps), Sonny Marr & Bic Runga (back-
ground vocals)

4. Riding The Wave - (Tim Finn) - Tim vocals
Tim Finn (piano), Elroy Finn (drums), Neil Finn (acoustic guitar, slide guitar, harmony), Liam Finn (harmonies), Sebastian Steinberg (bass), Johnny Marr (electric guitar), and Pat Sansone (Hammond organ)

5. The Witching Hour - (Phil Selway) - Phil vocals
Phil Selway (acoustic guitar), Bic Runga & KT Tunstall (background vocals), Lisa Germano (violin), and Jeff Tweedy (Optigan organ, piano)

6. Over And Done - (John Stirratt) - John vocals
John Stirratt (guitar), Glenn Kotche (drums), Pat Sansone (bass, piano), Don McGlashan (Euphonium, Flugelhorn), and Neil Finn & Pat Sansone (harmonies)

7. A Change Of Heart - (Bic Runga/Dan Wilson) - Bic vocals
Bic Runga (acoustic guitar), Glenn Kotche (drums), John Stirratt (bass), Neil Finn (piano), Pat Sansone (Hammond organ), and Don McGlashan (humming)

8. Don't Forget Me - (Pat Sansone) - Pat vocals
Pat Sansone (guitar), Glenn Kotche (drums), John Stirratt (bass), and Johnny Marr (electric guitar)

9. Long Time Gone - (Don McGlashan) - Don vocals
Don McGlashan (guitar), Phil Selway (drums), Pat Sansone (bass), Ed O'Brien (electric guitar), and Johnny Marr (12 string & 6 string acoustic guitars, backing vocals)

10. The Cobbler - (Elroy Finn) - Elroy vocals
Elroy Finn (guitar), Lisa Germano (violin), and Sebastian Steinberg (bowed bass)

11. 3 Worlds Collide - (Glenn Kotche/Phil Selway/Neil Baldock)
Glenn Kotche & Phil Selway (drums, percussion)

12. The Water - (Sebastian Steinberg) - Sebastian vocals
Sebastian Steinberg (guitars, bass), Neil Finn (piano), Glenn Kotche (drums), and Johnny Marr (ghost guitar)

Produced by Jim Scott and Neil Finn, additional production Neil Baldock

About Oxfam America
Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 100 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice. We are an affiliate of Oxfam International.

www.oxfamamerica.org

(Big Hassle Media)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Ramona Falls - Russia

The first time I played this Ramona Falls' Intuit, it brought back a mood that I haven't felt since the first time I listened to Menomena's Friend And Foe. It was like some days when you step outside, and as you're walking you're overcome with a sense of general familiarity, you've had this sensation before, at some time and place in the past. I felt this, without even knowing that Ramona Falls is a project of Menomena's Brent Knopf. Ramona Falls and Menomena share several things - those eerie keyboard atmospheres, the within-song starts and stutters, and a palpable sense of drama.

The strange thing that happened here, though, is that I love Menomena, and did not expect to like Ramona Falls even more. Here's the fourth track from Intuit, which starts as a gently strummed folk song, enhanced with lush layers of plucked strings, and then an abrupt interruption of percussion, bass, and high-octave piano pulses, which is overcome by a rush of electricity, a breathtaking climax, built by a sonic wave swelling underneath you, rising with a hurricane of momentum, and at the height of it, it's pulled out from under you, gone, just like that, leaving you falling off, and wanting more. It's kind of like a first kiss.

Ramona Falls - Russia (mp3)

Intuit,, out August 18th on Barsuk.

Ramona Falls, by the way, is a real waterfall in Oregon:

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Friday, July 24, 2009

Philly Soul Girls




Rare, sweet fingersnapping girl group soul, from Philly Soul Girls, Vol. 1 I don't think there was a Vol. 2.

Fannie and the Varcells - Inside Of Me (mp3)
Cindy Scott and the Persianettes - What Are You Doin' To Me (mp3)

Grease, $2.99



It's the third best selling "album" of all time, behind Thriller and Dark Side of the Moon, so you probably already have it. Still, Amazon.com is offering Greaseas an mp3 album for less than 3 bucks, today only.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Beck.com: Jacuzzi Dissertations in Beige.

"This week's mix was made by guest Brian Lebarton of international keyboard fame."



contents:
Buraka Som Sistema
Peter, Bjorn and John
The Juan MacLean
Ruth
Matthew Dear
Studio
Dear Nora & Casiotone
The Pharcyde
Suicide

from beck.com/planned_obsolescence

Sonic Youth, Live on The Current

Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo played three songs for Minnesota Public Radio's The Current yesterday. You haven't heard the songs like this - it's just the two of them, no percussion, one acoustic and one electric, but it still scorches and sounds larger than the music. Like this:

Sonic Youth - Poison Arrow (Live on The Current, 7-22-2009)(mp3)

The interview, which includes discussions of singing alone vs. together, lyrics, and the cereal box 45, is fantastic.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Black Lips - Drugs (first cut)



Atlanta bubblegum-garage rockers The Black Lips recently fired up their email machine to find a fan-made video for 200 Million Thousand stand-out “Drugs” awaiting them. Like the unsolicited clip for Good Bad Not Evil’s “Bad Kids” -- a sly vid that juxtaposed images from The Troubles in Northern Ireland with a bouncing-ball onscreen display of the song’s anarchic lyrics -- “Drugs” finds footage from cautionary 70’s Health Class videos playing behind the band’s celebration of youthful hedonism. The Lips gave an eager NME the chance to run the clip early last week. Somehow they already considered it controversial. Guess that’s just par for the course with these guys.

...

In other news, The Hood Internet recently posted a stellar reworking of GZA-assisted Lips single “Drop I Hold.” However, Genuis is absent from this version, in which the Chicago-based mashup artists append Cole’s caterwauling rap with quality Pharoahe Monch verses from “The Mayor.” And finally, the band’s Filter-sponsored remix contest for “Drop” is currently underway. Remember: submission deadline is August 7th.
(from press release)

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Bored Stiff.



Hey, kids! Summer is going to drag on for another miserable month. Thirty more days of your forehead sweating all over itself in front of hot fry grease as you toil away at the fast food joint where you wear a uniform that hasn't breathed since February, as those zits cultivate in that gooey forehead grease-sweat cocktail. Thirty summer nights driving around thinking of everything but the future, or maybe thinking about the future, which is a big hazy cloud of whatever in the distance, somewhere beyond the ceiling that you can't see past. But for now the future is tomorrow, and tomorrow you will hand a middle manager his lunch, while thinking "Dude. Every day? This is killing you," knowing that the burger is going to be cold and limp by the time he bites into it, and you will visualize the solidified grease depositing directly into a rare nook in his arteries. Your job is to serve mediocrity. You will then go home and play video games, killing something with superhuman efficiency with your weapon of choice, but the blood and gore does not fulfill, because you're not really saving anything. If you're feeling social, you will txt ur friends. To top it all off, someone will complain that you don't have a good attitude. Someone expects you to smile. But about the only thing that makes you smile is your tunes.

Sharon Tate's Baby - Bored Stiff (mp3)

From We Went And Recorded It Anyway

The Road To Twatt



from an Altsounds.com email.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Serena Ryder - Racing In The Street (Springsteen)

Have you seen this? Serena Ryder sings like she means it, and more impressively, like she gets it.

Tori Amos on KCRW

Tori Amos played an in-studio set on Morning Becomes Eclectic yesterday. Check it out:



This version of Silent All These Years arrests me:

Tori Amos - Silent All These Years (Live KCRW 7-16-2009)(mp3)

Download a lossless audio torrent of the entire show here.

And a bonus: Amazon.com has Tori Amos' new album, Abnormally Attracted To Sin, for only $2.99, today only!

Costantines, live on CBC Radio 3

Live Constanties, from Phog Phest, at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre.

Costantines - Hard Feelings (Live)(mp3)

Listen to more CBC Sessions from Phog Phest here.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Dead Weather - Live at the 9:30 Club

On Tuesday, The Dead Weather played a blistering show at the 9:30 Club, and NPR webcasted the event. You can still stream the concert, as well as the entire Horehound album, on the NPR Live Concerts page, but it might be a while before the concert podcast is available for download.

The Dead Weather - Treat Me Like Your Mother (Live)(mp3)

The Dead Weather - Treat Me Like Your Mother

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Black Francis on The Current

However we pine for our Pixies, we always have Frank Black/Black Francis. He was recently on MPR's The Current, where he played things like this.

Anyone else planning on catching the Doolittle tour?




Black Francis - Velouria (Pixies)(Live on The Current, 7-10-2009)(mp3)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Dinosaur Jr. - Just Like Heaven (The Cure)

Watch Dinosaur Jr. perform The Cure's Just Like Heaven on Playboy.com (no worries - it's a nudity-free page). No, I did not find this whilst websurfing.

The Uncovered series will feature new videos, exclusively created for Playboy.com, on the second Monday of each month for 10 consecutive months. Featured musicians include Black Lips, A Camp, The Dears, Drive-By Truckers, Phosphorescent and more.

The complete lineup, which will be available August 1, will include the following exclusive covers:
A Camp (Nina Persson of The Cardigans) performing “Psycho” by Leon Payne
Murray Lightburn of The Dears performing “Doctor Blind” by Emily Haines of Metric
Dinosaur Jr. performing “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure
Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers performing “Range War” by Todd Rundgren

- Playboy.com press release

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Sonic Youth, Death Valley 69, 9:30 Club.

The Eternal.

Das Mitch went to the Sonic Youth show at the the 9:30 Club last night as the rest of us followed along on NPR's online broadcast. He took the shot above with his cell phone. Kim looks ghostly and ethereal, and that looks like some sort of torn-open blood portal behind her. Forget the piper. I'm following the rock specter, the phantom of dissonance.

Here are two mp3s from that performance, in all their stream-ripped glory.
Sonic Youth - Death Valley 69 (live)
Sonic Youth - Anti-Orgasm (live)