Cat Power, Live KCRW 9-12-2006

Enjoying yesterday's essential new releases? Good. Here's a CD's worth of essential music to add to what you already bought. KCRW recorded a live performance and interview by Cat Power and aired it yesterday on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

Cat Power (Live on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic - aired 9-12-2006) (mp3s):

The Greatest
Wild Is The Wind
Remember Me
Ramblin' Man
Good Woman
Love & Communication
House Of The Rising Sun
Hate
I Don't Blame You
Islands

Listen to the show, with interview, here.

M. Ward, live at MPR, 9-5-2006

So much indie pop & rock sounds temporary and faddish. Most of what you listen to today will probably start gathering dust after December. M. Ward's Post-War won't be one of them. It's one of the highlights of the summer, and has a timeless feel. If the new Dylan CD finds its way into your regular rotation time and again, I'll bet Post-War gets as many plays. Here are some gorgeous live tracks to add to the rotation:

M. Ward - Live in Minnesota Public Radio's The Current studio (9-5-2006)(mp3s):

Eyes on the Prize
Today's Undertaking
Magic Trick

Scarlett looks best in Dylan

More Modern Bossa by Marisa

Hello, Smudge? I think you are so hot. I want you to do a post on me.

I listened to Marisa Monte's Universo ao Meu Redor all day yesterday, and I plan on doing the same today. It's one of my favorite CDs of this year. Marisa has the perfect voice for bossa nova, and though this album is tinted with electronic effects to give it a modern feel, the power and sexiness of the old form comes through, as you'll hear in O Bonde do Dom, in the interplay between voice and cello. Statue of Liberty is not as sexy, but it's great fun, and David Byrne sings on it.

Marisa Monte - O Bonde do Dom (mp3)
Marisa Monte - Statue of Liberty (with David Byrne) (mp3)


Own it.

Panda & Angel, Live KEXP 9-5-2006

Panda & Angel, whose song Mexico was recently featured on Said the Gramophone, played four songs in the KEXP studio on Tuesday. These are ethereal in one moment, visceral the next, and all sweetly imperfect.

Panda & Angel, Live KEXP 9-5-2006 (mp3s):

A Thousand Whispers
Dangerous
Ohio December 24
Bonus Song

Get Riche

Philly's Nouveau Riche's debut EP has been described as a "lo-fi, trippy, dub-rock-hop thing, poppy and piano-filled, buzzing and super fragmented — like a fuzz-tone, hip-hop version of Bowie's Low. Or a Just Blaze mix of a Psychedelic Furs record." Bandmember Dice R.A.W. (also of the Roots) describes their music as "a new genre that's yet to be named. We're taking a whole bunch of different forms of music and people and meshing them together. It's hip-hop's son. If hip-hop, funk, early-'80s synthesizer-if all those motherfuckers had an orgy, that's what this shit would be."

Hip Hop's son. I really don't know how to put it any better.

It's not as crazy as you think, though--it's less a weird demon-child of genres than it is a perfectly balanced baby. It's as though someone took the best genes from three genres, incubated & hatched it. It goes down easy. The baby sounds damn good.

Nouveau Riche mp3s:

Just a Little Louder
Take Me Home
Wait a Minute

Own the 12-song EP.

Amos Lee, Live on The Current, 8-26-2006

Folk-soul songwriter Amos Lee played three songs in MPR's The Current studio last week. Neo-Hippie/Troubadour-approved.

Amos Lee (Live on MPR's The Current, 8-26-2006) (mp3s):

Supply and Demand
Freedom
Sympathize

What Steve Irwin Would Want YOU To Do In His Remembrance:

1. Take someone young to the zoo or a National Park.

2. Donate:
Conservation International
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Nature Conservancy

Sorry, that means you'll have to stop watching The Animal Planet for a day.

heavy-weight super-tough deep-funk ultra-rarities

Larry Ellis and the Black Hammer know how to start a funk song: with a screaming wake-up call. And since their Funky Thing is track 1, Will "Quantic" knows how to start a compilation titled World's Rarest Funk 45's (Sixteen heavy-weight super-tough deep-funk ultra-rarities). And you know the rest of it is going to be glowing hot.

Larry Ellis and the Black Hammer - Funky Thing (Pt. 1) (mp3)
The Shades of Black - Mystery of Black (Pt. 1) (mp3)

31 tracks, $8.50...

...and stroke your conscience by donating to a very worthy cause.



If that's your kind of language, 75 Or Less Records put a compilation of 31 tracks from 31 local bands together in a spiffy hand-silkscreened edition, and it all benefits the Providence Animal Rescue League (PARL), which provides for the rescue and relief of suffering of homeless animals and performs charitable or benevolent acts for the welfare of animals.

The compilation is called Rock Out With Your Tail Out, and as I said in the title, it's only $8.50, including shipping & handling, and you can order it here.

How's the music, you ask. Let me answer with a few mp3s. The first, Brother Kite's Get On Me (mp3), sounds perfect for a Sofia Coppola movie - moody guitar music seemingly from circa 1989, reminiscent of the great brit rock bands of that era, crossed with Burke, VA's Poole, and cross-pollinated with a little Matthew Sweet, maybe. Next, we've got The Baylies, who, with Let's Get Stabbed (mp3), prove that 2:22 is twice as long as a punk song needs to be. Lastly, there's Excess (mp3) (but isn't there always, when it comes to the Smudge?), the Lame Drivers' solid effort to rock hard in Jesus & Mary Chain fashion.

Also, don't miss The Cold War's New Romance (mp3), available on the 75 or less website with other mp3s to preview.

The proof is above: the comp is solid, and you will feel good with it on your shelf.

Nothing Gold Can Stay, But Goldenboy Is Staying On My Mp3 Player

The new Goldenboy album, Underneath the Radio, hits stores on October 3rd. Meanwhile, you still have two mp3s from their Eenie Meenie site, and now you have this. Summer of the Evening has an early Velvet Underground feel, with a little Yo La Tengo in the mix. I'm not just saying that because I'm an mp3 blogger. Listen to the deadpan delivery in the beginning, and the guitar that kicks in at about the 50 second mark. You'll feel it. And hey, is that a little nod to Dire Straits at the end?...wait a minute, did it actually work? Why, yes, it did.

Dare I say that the pure audio bliss that is this track makes the CD worth pre-ordering? I daresay. Now you'll just have to wait until you can.

Goldenboy - Summer of the Evening (mp3)

These are still available on their Eenie Meenie page:
Goldenboy - Second Day of the Year (mp3)
Goldenboy - Underneath the Radio (a Million Miles From Yesterday)(mp3)

Eliane Elias Covers Beck

This is sort of weird. Way back in the 90's, Beck made an announcement with his bossa nova/pop experiment, Tropicalia: This is where I add spice to the funk & junk. Last week, established jazz singer & pianist slash sex symbol Eliane Elias released her new CD, Around the City, on which she covers Beck's Tropicalia. It seems to be an announcement of her own: this is where I add the funk & junk to the spice. I love it - she slows it down, makes it sexier and surer. The piano, though subtle, is the foundation of this version.

Billboard described Around the City, as a "spellbinding meld of pop, Brazilian and Latin music with a jazz sensibility." I suspect that the movement toward adding pop/electronics to bossa/latin jazz might have influenced her music. The trend has worked wonders for Federico Aubele, Bebel Gilberto, and Cibelle. It's still a fresh sound, because radio hasn't exactly been saturated with it. If Eliane is able to tap into the market and gain a few extra fans, who then buy some of her older records and gain an appreciation of her work, I'm happy.

She doesn't need the electropop treatment, though; the songs stand on their own. With the embellishment, they stand and dance.

Eliane Elias mp3s:

Tropicalia (Beck Cover)
Running (DJ Strobe Remix)

Chill to Around the City.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy Live in the MPR Studio

Bonnie "Prince" Billy, a.k.a. Will Oldham, strummed & picked these three songs for Minnesota Public Radio's The Current on the 12th of this month.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Live, MPR, 8-12-2006) (mp3s):

Ebb Tide
His Hands
Goodbye, Dear Old Stepstone

Look for Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Then The Letting Go in September. Order the Cursed Sleep Single now.

Motown, 1965

Hip-O recently released The Complete Motown Singles, Volume 5: 1965, with far less buzz than they had upon the release of the first volume. That's too bad, because it's a treasure of soul delights. The collection is fascinating, considering that these love songs for dancing to were written in such a turbulent, metamorphic year. Sample a few of them on iTunes, and you'll be surprised how many times you click on the "Buy" button. Among others, my favorites included these spirited Stevie Wonder songs:

Stevie Wonder - Kiss Me Baby (Mono)(mp3)
Stevie Wonder - High Heel Sneakers (Mono)(mp3)

Happy Birthday, Uncle Tom

What do you give to a guy who has everything, and lives on the other side of the planet? You give him what he loves, of course. And since I know that Uncle Tom loves the SCORPIONS!!!, here's a video that features a scantily clad woman with some sort of whip thingy, a scantily clad woman backlit in silhouette, two scantily clad women touching butts, and a guy named Klaus. What more could a man want?

Uncle Tom, I know you found your soul mate and all, but who knows you best? Say it...

Good God!, It's Good! Can I Get An Amen?

I've been spending my time with four new CDs since yesterday: the Christina Aguilera double disc, Outkast's Idlewild, M. Ward's Post-War, and the Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal compilation.

Since being harassed and/or sued is uncool, and a Christina mp3 post would scream "Shut Me Down," I'm not touching that. I did the live Letterman Outkast thing the other day, so that's out, too. The M. Ward is brilliant, but has already been posted to absolute death by the mp3 bloggers. That's right - absolute death, which is deader than plain death. I digress.

So, with the other three eliminated, I'm left with the Good God! comp. I've been misleading you, though. This compilation is my favorite of the four. Christina and Outkast may make me move, but Good God! moves me and makes me move, and feel wholesome while doing it. It's a win-win-win situation, and I'm only one person. Anyway. Whoever spelunked the archives for these beats should be awarded a new Grammy - Best Archive Searcher or something like that, because these are genuine rhythmic funk gems that shine brighter than gold grills on a clear summer day.

Mighty Walker Brothers - God Been Good to Me (mp3)
Brother John Witherspoon - That's Enough (mp3)
LaVice & Company - Thoughs Were the Days (mp3)

Preview clips from the entire CD here.

Pass Me the Masta Killa!

Speaking of Darnielle's emusic dozen, he describes Masta Killa's Wutastic Made in Brooklyn as "liberally sprinkled with smoky, summery moments. Very old-school, lovingly textured and quite generous with repeated listening."

True, but you'll find that the stories MK tells are a little different than the ones on the Mountain Goats albums.

Pass the Bone (Remix)(mp3)
Then and Now (mp3)

The Mountain Goats' [Emusic] Dozen

Check out John Darnielle's Emusic dozen.

In his intro, he says:

Sometime over the last couple of years I've gone from thinking that nothing could ever really be too fast or too loud to craving an all-purpose available-anywhere immersion tank. I seek out trance states, dark rooms and a good pair of headphones...Albums have lost favor as the consumer’s freedom to pick and choose has increased, and this is generally a good development. But for me, there can be no substitute for an album that keeps its focus on the flow: escapism, long a dirty word for thinking people, is due for some serious reevaluation.

Outkast on Letterman, 8-21-2006

Outkast performed on Letterman last night. It was crazy, man. It sounded like this:

Outkast - Morris Brown (Live on Letterman 8-21-2006)(mp3)

The Water Tastes Good, The Winters Ain't Cold

Yeah, "Home" is like that with Neko Case at the mike.

The Sadies - Home (feat Neko Case)(mp3)

From The Sadies' In Concert, Vol. 1

Speaking of Neko Case, this is a great video from New Pornographers' Electric Version:



And here's one of my favorite Neko Case songs, which begins chillingly here:



And here's a video that's totally unrelated to anything:

Well, Well, Well, My Janelle.

This goes out to you, Janelle from Big Brother All-Stars. The Season 6 alliance is done, and now you're target #1, but without you it will only be half as fun.

But look on the bright side. After you're evicted, you'll be able to skip to a music store, or even access the internet, and buy this great CD from the Chicago band Royce. It's way better than having Power of Veto. They're sort of like Gus Gus gone introspective. Like laptop dance music with cool guys rather than a pocket-protector-wearing Wizard behind the curtain. The CD even has a song that is all about you. Fools spelled your name wrong, but who cares about spelling when you're hot. If you listen real close to "Ginelle," I think that you'll agree that it's clearly about someone who fell into obsession over you after getting to know you intimately on CBS. Am I lying? Come on, you can trust me like a housemate.

Royce - Ginelle (mp3)
Royce - Tuff Love (mp3)

Bicycles, Tracks

This is a bicycle track:



And here's another one:



These are more colorful Bicycles tracks, and you don't have to shave your legs or compress your prostate to enjoy them.

The Bicycles - Paris Be Mine (mp3)
The Bicycles - Gotta Get Out (mp3)
The Bicycles - I Know We Have To Be Apart (mp3)

New The Sky Drops

The Sky Drops have offered another beautiful mp3 from their EP "Clouds of People." It's gorgeous downer vocal harmonies reminiscent of Low, with a devastating strummed backbone.

Hang On (mp3)

Own the EP.

Just offer up your neck already.

My wife is a rockstar sex symbol. Life rocks.
(Photo by Sarah Dougher)

I finally, finally got the new album from Anita Robinson (and her husband, what's-his-name), a.k.a. Viva Voce. It seems like eons since The Heat Can Melt Your Brain, and I know it hasn't been, but doesn't it always seem so after something so damn good. Get Yr Blood Sucked Out was worth the wait. Anita riffs her way into your heart, and simultaneously charms your muscles into a weird state between tension and relaxation. But don't think about it as you listen. The pleasure here is in giving yourself away to it.

Viva Voce mp3s from Get Yr Blood Sucked Out:
When Planets Collide
So Many Miles

These are not the original mp3s posted; Barsuk has made these available on their Viva Voce site.

Sign up to preorder Get Yr Blood Sucked Out.

Evangelicals, Live KEXP 8-11-2006

The Evangelicals brought absolute sonic chaos to the KEXP studio last Friday. Ever go to a concert and say "Holy Expletive" or "Oh my God" after every song? The Evangelicals did that to the friendly interviewing DJ in this performance. Listen to the interview and stream the performance on at KEXP.org.

Evangelicals (Live KEXP 8-11-2006) (mp3s):

Another Day (And Yoor Still Knocked Out)
Skeleton Man
Hello, Jenn, I'm a Mess
What an Actress Does Best (Is Act)

Own the beautifully unpredictable So Gone.

Live REM

Have I mentioned my excitement over the forthcoming R.E.M. collection from the I.R.S. years? Oh yeah, I have.

I pulled out Essential R.E.M. In the Attic yesterday, and was reminded of how much that very last medley annoys me. It's so stinking long, and the whole Peter Gabriel Red Rain part is barely tolerable to me. Nothing against Peter Gabriel or his song, but I just want to get to the So. Central Rain part already, you know? So I snipped out that section, and now I have the slow So. Central Rain part by itself. Here's the excerpt, along with the live studio version of Just A Touch, from the same collection.

R.E.M. - South Central Rain (Live, excerpted from In The Attic medley) (mp3)
Just A Touch (mp3)

Attack of The Clock Work Army

The Clock Work Army's new EP is called A Catalyst for Change. I have a feeling it's going to be just that for the band - they're about to move out of that comfy little room and into hordes of adoring fans. Loaded with talent, chemistry, and energy, they're well-equipped for a loyal following. At her quieter moments, lead singer Emily Neveu has a jazz singer's timbre, but can project it with all the power of Nancy Wilson. The band is credible as both a hard rock and a power-pop outfit. These five songs are little treasures.

The Day We Woke Up Without Mouths is the obvious mp3 post. It starts like one of Metric's numbers, uptempo and irresistable from the start, with inspired interplay between synth and electric guitar dancing around pedal points, layered over a dance beat. It's pop perfection, and it ascends into guitar rock bliss before ending.

Supplemental Love and Read Me A Story aren't as radio-friendly, but are just as enduring. They feature piano lines that have a melancholy creepiness straight out of a Tim Burton movie. Just before it lulls you to sleep, Read Me A Story transforms into a turbulent rock riot.

If the songs on their upcoming full-length are as good as the five songs on this EP., sign me up as a volunteer recruit.

The Clock Work Army mp3s:
The Day We Woke Up Without Mouths
Read Me A Story

Join the hordes. Own the EP.

A Real Video That Tells It Like It IS

Okay, so I know it's been awhile since Uncle Tom has posted anything on this site. Well, I've been busy alright! But I found this little video that puts into words all my emotional distress about how I miss eating out during lunch, how much mix CD's are no longer a part of my daily routine or even how great it was debating the best Batman movie (Batman Returns people!!)
But regardless, here is my contribution to the fluff. Uncle Tom miss you all and hopes to rock out again someday!!

Raconteurs Do Bowie, Nancy Sinatra

Yes, I know, I just posted some live Raconteurs the other day.

These are different - two are irresistable covers. I just got them yesterday.

The Raconteurs, Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor MI, 2006-08-05 (mp3s):

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Nancy Sinatra)
It Ain't Easy (David Bowie)
Together

Own Broken Boy Soldiers.

Stephanie Mckay Tells It.

If you can't get enough of that nu-soul sound, but you're dismayed by the small catalog of choices, you'll want to hear Bronx sensation Stephanie McKay Tell It Like It Is on her forthcoming EP. She has a message to put out there, and she sings it like she means it. Check out that bass line on the title track. Listen to the song once and it will own your right brain for half a day.

Stephanie McKay - Tell It like It Is (mp3)

These collaborations are just as priceless:

DJ Spinna - Peace and Quiet (Featuring Stephanie McKay) (mp3)

Roy Hargrove - Forget Regret (Featuring Stephanie McKay) (mp3)

The Hard Tomorrows

Washington, DC's The Hard Tomorrows have made four songs off of their fantastic six-song EP available here. These tracks are instantly likeable, yet enduring. The Hard Tomorrows achieve the trifecta: infectious pop melody, blood-stirring rhythm, and cold steel edge. I'm ready for the full-length.

The Hard Tomorrows mp3s:

Put Yourself Out
Jaywalker
Dear Mary
I Never Write Anyone

Own the EP for a mere $6 including shipping. As the now-defunct Splendid put it,

This fresh-faced Washington, DC-based band has assembled a five song EP that showcases their depth and dynamic talent. Even their packaging (five interchangeable covers featuring simple depictions of tragedy) is on-point.

Raconteurs Live on KCRW

KCRW captured this performance from The Raconteurs, and played it on Morning Becomes Eclectic yesterday. They weren't plugged in, but they were still electric.

The Raconteurs - Live on Morning Becomes Eclectic (Broadcast 8-3-2006) (mp3s):

Broken Boy Soldier
Hands
Yellow Sun
Together
Blue Veins

Own Broken Boy Soldiers.

Smoosh, Live on The Current, 7-31-2006

Your favorite onomatopoetic teenage girl band played three songs on MPR's The Current on Monday.

Smoosh (Live on The Current) (mp3s):

She's Right
This Is Not What We've Become
Find A Way

Buy Free to Stay.

Jim Noir Kicking the Football Around With Naturalists.

See the action in his Eanie Meany video here.

Keep a Souvenir

Monk released the Jeux de Nuit EP this past weekend, and it begins with this manic-depressive tune, in which the band make bipolar = ear candy, even the depressing parts.

Monk - Souvenir (mp3)

You can get it on iTunes.

And from their Mountain album, which you can get here:

Monk - F Word, I Still Love You (mp3)

All You Need are Two Fingers and Massive Beats.

If you only buy one CD next Tuesday, buy two: Winter Women and Holy Ghost Language School, the 2-disc set from the Fiery Furnaces' dude half, Matthew Friedberger. Take these two songs, about...I don't know, something about stockbrokers, a Portuguese widow, the Rifle Brigade with a famous one-armed Col, and the enterprising enlisted man, Little Bill Crib, and his Ladies of the Desert.

Right. Well, the important thing is, nobody, and I mean nobody, can make two adjacent piano keys sound as good as Friedberger can. Here's the school of thought: lay down some massive hemmorhaging beats, or an infectious bass line, and play something random on top of it. Be generous with that most primal form of dissonance - adjacent whole or half-notes. Garnish with some train-of-thought, and voila. Simultaneously Hitchcockian and groovy.


From Winter Women (mp3s):
Big Bill Crib and His Ladies of the Desert
Servant in Distress

From Holy Ghost Language School (mp3):
Azusa St.

REM Live in 85

It's old news by now, but if you haven't heard...this September, EMI is releasing a best-of CD and DVD of REM's early years at I.R.S.

According to MyRem.com:

The CD will be called And I Feel Fine…The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 and will be available in 2 formats: a 21-track single-disc collection of hits and band/fan favorites and a 2-CD Collector's Edition with a second 21-track disc of rarities including alternate takes, demos, previously unreleased mixes, and live recordings of classic R.E.M. The collector's edition will include 11 never-before released tracks. The DVD, When the Light Is Mine The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 Video Collection, includes the music videos from Chronic Town through Document, as well as live television performances and James Herbert’s short film, Left of Reckoning. DVD extras feature early interviews and rare acoustic performances.

It might look something like this:



In anticipation, I'm posting these REM songs, from their performance at the 1985 Werchter Festival, were recorded from an FM broadcast. The sound quality is excellent on all of these, including the cover of CCR's Have You Ever Seen The Rain. For me, these conjure images of the band, with a permed Stipe, in all their glorious thrift store frumpiness (see above). They were the counterculture of the times.

REM (Live at the Werchter Festival, 7-7-1985) (mp3s):

Feeling Gravity's Pull
Driver 8
(Don't Go Back To) Rockville
So. Central Rain
Have You Ever Seen the Rain (CCR Cover)
Can't Get There From Here

By the way, here's a video from that era, recorded from The Tube:



And here's the band playing Country Feedback, with Bill Berry, from a Minus 5 performance earlier this year at the Georgia Theater in Athens:



While I'm at it, here's the full-length version of Nightswimming (from the Parallel DVD), which Chris Martin called the best song ever written:

BAD.ASS.

Here are some BAD.ASS rhythms to carry you into the weekend. Turn it up.

Ray Baretto - Soul Drummers (mp3) (from Acid)

The Hitch-Hikers with The Mighty Popes - Mr. Fortune (mp3) (from Jamaica to Toronto: Soul Funk and Reggae 1967-1974)

William Onyeabor - Body and Soul (mp3) (from Booniay!!: A Compilation of West African Funk)

Say Hi To Your Mom Live at KEXP

Say Hi To Your Mom played live in the KEXP studio yesterday. It was magically delicious.

Say Hi To Your Mom - Live on KEXP, 7-26-2006 (mp3s):

These Fangs
Sweet Sweet Heartkiller
She Just Happens to Hate the Prince of Darkness
Snowcones and Puppies

And since we're on the subject of pets:

Say Hi To Your Mom - Kill the Cat (mp3)

And since we're on the subject of death:



And because I love it:

Say Hi To Your Mom - Pop Music of the Future (mp3)

Download 12 more mp3s here.

Tapes 'n Tapes, live at MPR 7-21-2006

The blogs have gushed 'n gushed about Tapes 'n Tapes. Last week, the band returned the favor on MPR, confessing their debt to mp3 blogs in an interview for The Current.

From this story:

"With the Internet, and with a blog that people go back to, it's really easy to keep things fresh in people's minds," Willett says. "It'd be like, 'Oh yeah, there's that band again.' And then as you hop from blog to blog and you see, 'Oh they're talking about it too, there must be something going on.' And what's funny is, in my post I even said if I were Pitchfork, this would be my best new music. And then a couple months later it was best new music in Pitchfork."

Here's the in-studio performance:

Tapes 'n Tapes (Live on Minnesota Public Radio, 7-21-2006)(mp3s):

Jakov's Suite
Cowbell
Insistor

Get The Loon.

Camera Obscura, Live on KEXP

The new Camera Obscura album was the most-played last week at WXYC, and for several weeks now, the band has been on the Hype Machine's "most blogged about list." They've been less Obscura than Common-a. For good reason. The album is very good, and their live shows have been getting raves. Here they are in an intimate setting, live at the KEXP studio.

Camera Obscura (Live on KEXP, 7-20-2006) (mp3s):

The False Contender
Tears for Affairs
Dory Previn
Let's Get Out of This Country

Own Let's Get Out of This Country.

Golden Smog, Live on The Current

Half of Golden Smog (Gary Louris of the Jayhawks and Kraig Jarret Johnson of Run Westy Run) played a short in-studio set on Minnesota Public Radio's The Current last Thursday.

Chills.

Golden Smog (Live on The Current, 7-20-2006) (mp3s):

Beautiful Mind
Gone
Think About Yourself

Own the excellent Another Fine Day

D X S !

I was going to post Camera Obscura's KCRW in-studio performance from yesterday. BUT since there are scores, even hundreds, of Camera Obscura mp3s on the blogs already (they're one of the Hype Machine's "Most Blogged" artists) (which, by the way, is an evil category) (I digress), I'm going to post the polar opposite of indie pop: the undainty Death By Sexy.

"Polar opposite" is a really poor comparison, though. Let's try that again. If your everyday indie pop is a Starbucks Frappucino, then Death By Sexy is a day-old mug of grounds. If indie pop is Werther's Originals hard candy, then Death By Sexy are Pop Rocks. Tons more flavor, and a lot more shocking. Maybe a little less staying power, but difficult the future is to see. Wait, one more. If indie pop is a Power Ranger, then Death By Sexy is...yeah baby, CHUCK NORRIS.

In three words: harder, faster, louder. With that, I can erase the two paragraphs above.

A very wise man once said "Sometimes you just gotta rock." If you squint really hard nad look up on the mountaintop, you'll see that old sage with earbuds - no, scratch that - earbuds are for wusses. You'll see that feller weighed down with enormous, hideous, fully head-encapsulating headphones, rocking out to some Death By Sexy, enlightened by the racket that emanates from a mere two men, two voices, one guitar, one drumset, and cowbell.

Death By Sexy - You and Me Are Gonna Get It On (mp3)
Death By Sexy - Blow My Mind (mp3)

Death By Sexy are playing tonight at DC9, and their EP release show is at the Black Cat on August 11. Be a man and get yourself a copy.

Have some candy.

I found these over the weekend.

Bow Wow Wow - Live in Boston, 18 Jan 1983 (mp3s):

I Want Candy
C-30, C-60, C-90, Go!
Radio G-String
Louis Quatorze

Math Is Useful In Real Life.

Math the Band brings its quirky manic laptop pop to WMUC's Indiepopalooza at the University of Maryland next Tuesday. They're playing with another band I've been enjoying lately - the Tasty Habits. More on them later this week.

For now, study your Math.

Math the Band mp3s:

My Algebra Teacher (sold heroin)
Red Sweater (Aquabats cover)
I Bet You Five Dollars I Have Married More People Than You Have
Wear Wolf Fever
Clouds Are Clams

Get more here.

The Submarines on KCRW

The Submarines are a husband & wife team that broke up, wrote some songs, reconciled, and now play them together. Something like that. You can read more about their history at other sites - it's good page-filler. What matters to me is that their songs shimmer. Maybe a little too much for some tastes--but many of the groups that seek harmonic perfection and surrender to the melodies they're compelled to record have been accused of making music that is "too pretty" or "overproduced." Too pretty works for my ears.

The Submarines - Live on KCRW's MBE (7-12-2006)(mp3):

Vote
Brighter Discontent
This Conversation
Modern Inventions
Ready or Not
Peace and Hate
Darkest Things Parts 1 & 2

World Party on MPR

World Party performed in the MPR studio on Monday. From minnesota.publicradio.org:

St. Paul, Minn. — World Party fell apart after leader Karl Wallinger was struck down by an aneurysm that left him unable to speak. Wallinger's manager and mentor, Steve Fargnoli died of cancer and World Party ended its long time record deal with Chrysalis Records.

After several years of rehabilitation, Wallinger put the group back together, and re-mastered and packaged "Dumbing Up" on his own label Seaview Records (the recording only received a partial UK release in 2000.)

These guys are not only playing like they mean it--they're playing like they love it.

World Party - Live on MPR (The Current) (7-10-2006) (mp3s):

Is It Like Today?
What Does It Mean?
Sweet Soul Dream

Get World Party CDs.

TVOTRXFM

A very kind person e-mailed these to me last week. Thank you, sir, for sharing them.

TV On the Radio (Live on XFM) (mp3s):

Staring at the Sun
Dreams
Poppy
Dirty Whirlwind
Blues From Down Here
Province

Own Return to Cookie Mountain.

Jim Noir mixes Sebastien Tellier.

The original version of La Ritournelle (which is French, bien sur, for "The Ritournelle") was on Sébastien Tellier's Politics, released in 2004. It tricks you into thinking it's an instrumental track - a good one - and then after four minutes, the vocals appear, along with the light funk. It's worth the wait, and the wait is worth it.

Sébastien Tellier - La Ritournelle (Original Edit)(mp3)


I recently professed my admiration for Jim Noir. Here's his mix:

Sébastien Tellier - La Ritournelle (Jim Noir Mix) (mp3)

The Coup - Live on MPR

The Coup played on Minnesota Public Radio last month. The entire performance with interview is available on their website. They helped thousands of Minnesotans reach a higher level of understanding, and perhaps changed a few attitudes. Or maybe they just made the folks around the Twin Cities shake their Twin Cheeks.

The Coup - Live on MPR 6-2-06 (mp3s)

ShowYoAss
Laugh, Love, F**k
Five Million Ways to Kill a CEO/Gunsmoke

Hotter Reggae

Darker Than Blue: Soul from Jamdown (1973-1980) features 18 scorching tracks of Jamaican reggae bands covering American soul, funk, and rap. One listen to Ken Boothe's cover of Bill Withers' Ain't No Sunshine, and you're hooked; one listen to Welton Irie's Hotter Reggae Music, in which Rapper's Delight pops up from out of nowhere, and you're buying.

Welton Irie - Hotter Reggae Music (mp3)
Ken Boothe - Ain't No Sunshine (mp3)

The Good Titles Blues

Some of my favorite song titles are from early blues songs. They just don't make titles like they used to, do they? These tracks are from Joe Hill Louis: The Complete Sun Recordings, available on emusic.com.

I can imagine a White Stripes cover of When I'm Gone (She Treat Me Mean and Evil), can't you? And the spoken word rambling on Gotta Let You Go...love it!

Joe Hill Louis mp3s:

She May Be Yours (But She Comes to See Me Sometimes)(Version 2)
Gotta Let You Go (Nappy Headed Woman)
When I'm Gone (She Treat Me Mean and Evil)

Guster - Live on KCRW, 6-30-06

Guster played a lengthy, crowd-pleasing set on KCRW last week. Well, okay, there was no crowd. But if there were, I promise everyone would have been pleased.

Let me post the bonus non-KCRW performance live track first:
(Nothing but) Flowers (Talking Heads cover) - From Guster on Ice

Guster - Live on KCRW, 6-30-06 (mp3s):

One Man Wrecking Machine
Satellite
Jesus on the Radio
Two of Us (Beatles cover)
Lightning Rod
Rise and Shine
The Captain
Amsterdam

The Black Heart Procession - Live on KEXP 6-30-06

The Black Heart Procession played four songs on KEXP yesterday. Prepare to be entranced and harrowed. Their spell has no cure.

The Black Heart Procession (Live on KEXP 6-30-06) (mp3s):

Not Just Words
The Letter
To Bring You Back
The Spell

Own The Spell.

The Long Winters - Putting the Days to Bed

The Long Winters' Putting the Days to Bed has been growing on me for weeks now, and I wish I knew why. There's something about John Roderick's voice that is instantly familiar, but I can't nail it down exactly. Maybe it's in the way he skips and holds syllables to break the constraints of verse, to blur the distance between lines and give an intimate, sincere feel. Or it might be the way the instruments meld together and build smoothly into synchronized climaxes. Then again, it could just be because Roderick's delivery just reminds me of Counting Crows' Adam Duritz at his most passionate.

One of these days I might nail it. For now, it doesn't matter. It's a fantastic album that keeps me company on long drives, and I'll just enjoy it whether there's anyone pulling levers behind the curtain or not.

The Long Winters mp3s (from Putting the Days to Bed)

Hindsight
Clouds
Pushover

Latin Soul Orchestra

Look no further for the perfect weekend driving music.

If you let me love you for a while
Whoah, baby, I'll give you my chile
If you let me love you for a while
Whoah, baby, I'll make you smile

Latin Soul Orchestra - Let Me Love You (mp3)
Latin Soul Orchestra - Puerto Rico Illama (mp3)

From Latin Soul Orchestra

Jim Noir - Tower of Love

Let me get this out of the way: Jim Noir's Tower of Love is the most ear-pleasing album of the year. Let me get this out of the way as well: It has been out (in Britain) since last year. The Barsuk American release, which contains two extra tracks, is going to send it over the tipping point, in the same way that the Postal Service's Give Up exploded after it pretty much sat there like unopened junk mail for about a year, or the way Arcade Fire's Funeral caught fire after the Pitchfork review. Yeah, it's like that.

The opening track, "My Patch," immediately reveals his Brian Wilsonesque tendencies, with short piano and vocal pulses harmonizing underneath the repeating "If you ever step on my patch, I'll bring you down, bring you down." After a short pause, the beats come in to give the song the feel of a light remix of a Beach Boys song. But the thing that tops it all off is what sounds like a children's guitar, all out of tune, with no sustain, which doesn't diminish its shine, but adds a certain innocence and brings the song even closer to perfection. It's like he built a lush song around a recording of the first time you ever tried to play guitar.

I Me You I'm Your (mp3) keeps the melodic momentum, but the acoustic guitar slyly strums itself into prominence. The vocal harmonies are spellbinding.

The Key of C is, again, melodic showboating, but Noir knows when to interrupt the ecstacy with the tone of an old music box, and how to heighten it with the unexpected electric guitar, heavy on the wah. Crazy, man.

You'll see other reviews calling these songs sunshine-y, bright, shimmery, luminous, bubblegum, psychedelic summery pop and whatnot, but don't buy into that so fast. Noir, after all, is French for Black. My Patch seems to be a self-pitying lament about personal isolationism. Computer Song might be about the failings of technology, but it might also be about the inherent unreliability in everything. In Key of C, he sings "I want to be/in the key of C/It's easier to play it." Something so familiar, so stable, something that the singer can't be because he wavers.

The quality of the songs on Tower of Love doesn't waver, though. The rest of the CD is as brilliant as the tracks posted here. They'll find their way to a large audience.

Tower of Love is due out 8 Aug 06. Sign up for the pre-release here.

Mp3s that move me.

I don't need to say much about this. It's a moving alternate take of Dylan's Outlaw Blues, recorded in mid-January 1965 (the original version is on Bringing It All Back Home).

Dylan - Outlaw Blues (alternate take) (mp3)


Speaking of "moving:"

Slide your bo-tay
Next to mine
Sugar's running
Up and down my spine

You cannot resist: Chicken Lips - Bad Skin (DJ Kicks) (mp3) (from DJ Kicks: The Exclusives)

The Modern Mixtape

...sadly, might be a CD of mashups. Not exactly the stuff of a Thurston Moore or Kurt Cobain mixtape.

But sometimes mashups can be wicked fun.

Years ago, my friends and I played this "Name That Tune" kind of game on road trips. We'd hit the "seek" button on the stereo, and the first person that named the artist and song got a point. Country and classical didn't count. You can't listen to Girl Talk without playing that game. In the two tracks below, you'll hear Black Eyed Peas, Paula Abdul, Kansas' Carry On My Wayward Son, Smokey Robinson, Smashing Pumpkins, Young M.C., Laid Back's Don't Ride the White Horse, Fleetwood Mac...you get the idea. If GT were a poster, it would be a photomosaic.

Both are from Girl Talk's new CD, Night Ripper. It's a hell of a lot of fun. Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) thanks 164 artists in his liner notes. I dare you not to peek.


Girl Talk - Overtime (mp3)
Girl Talk - Give and Go (mp3)

Bottleneck Friday

The archive seems to be down.

When it comes back up again, here's some dusty old bottleneck blues for a sweltering Friday afternoon. Grab an ice-cold lemonade or iced tea, pop open the guitar case, and let that six-string breathe.

Casey Bill Weldon - Back Door Blues (mp3)
Casey Bill Weldon - Hitch Me To Your Buggy and Drive Me Like a Mule (mp3)
Kokomo Arnold - Feels So Good (mp3)
.

From Bottleneck Guitar Trendsetters of the 1930s.

Groping for Luna at the Hexenhaus

First...

Lunafied, the digital-only Luna covers compilation, is out now. It will hold me over until the new Dean & Britta album comes out early next year.

Luna - Outdoor Miner (Wire) (mp3)

By the way, they put up a cover of Adam Green's "We're Not Supposed to Be Lovers" up on their myspace a couple of weeks ago. And check out the e-card for the Tell Me Do You Miss Me DVD.


and Second...

A short quiz:

Hexenhaus (mp3), a gorgeous cello-decorated song by Michigan band Canada, has as its subject the following:

A) A thrash metal band from Sweden.
B) Hexenhaus: Der Swingerclub, in Germany.
C) A witch's cottage.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.


Hexenhaus

Their Beige Stationwagon (mp3) is equally beautiful.

Power + Pop

Guitar speedwork in the form of rapidly arpeggiated ascending chords, yeah, been there, done that, don't need to hear it anymore, right? Right. But when it's done with electronic blips instead of guitar, in a song that blows up into a sonic orgy with heavy beats, like a hard Death From Above remix that happens to be neither Death From Above, nor remixed, then it's something worth listening to.

What Made Milwaukee Famous - I Decide (mp3)

-from Trying to Never Catch Up, soon available for preorder at Barsuk.


Speaking of Barsuk, Viva Voce do not fuck around. Well, they do at first, with the EZ piano for beginners, but they get serious at about the 1:30 mark.

Viva Voce - We Do Not Fuck Around (mp3)

-from Get Yr Blood Sucked Out

Jose Gonzalez, Live on MBE, 6-15-2006

Jose Gonzalez played these songs in the KCRW studio last Thursday, but I like to imagine him playing them in my living room.

Jose Gonzalez (Live on MBE, 6-15-2006)(mp3s):

Deadweight on Velveteen
Slow Moves
Sensing Owls
All You Deliver
Stay in the Shade
Lovestain
Suggestions
Crosses
Hints
Hand On Your Heart

Own Veneer.


Watch the stunning video for the heartbreaking "Hand On Your Heart" here (quicktime).

Sonic Youth, Live at the 9:30 Club, 6-15-2006

As a Sonic Youth fan for twenty-something years, I've become used to being confounded by the piercing anarchic tangents of their live shows. They're not a band to give the audience exactly what they're looking for, because they know what the audience needs. So it was kind of weird to hear people calling out their favorite songs from the SY catalog, as though that might influence what they play next. Who expects a best-of-SY show to happen, ever? These guys have always been about pushing forward, not reminiscing, and creating, rather than chasing, the zeitgeist.

At last Thursday's early 9:30 Club show, fans got what they probably never imagined from a Sonic Youth show - clarity. The show was straightforward and accessible, complete with two near-lullabys ("Lights Out" and "Or"), and audible lyrics. There wasn't a wrinkled brow in the room. Thurston even teased the crowd at one point, asking if we wanted it louder, faster--"Do you want total violence?", and then introduced the mellow, inspiring "Rapture."

Don't get me wrong. "Drunken Butterfly," "100%," and "Incinerate" all reminded us that Thurston Moore might be the greatest of guitar gods, who creates a tension that nobody--nobody else can approach. He still has great hair, and his six-foot-something silhouette has more presence and is more imposing than Lincoln's ghost. When he stands at the edge of the stage in the platonic ideal of a guitar stance, he's not a band member - he's a damn superhero.

No, the violence was still there. It was simply a violence that you could understand. Violence for pop fans.

These mp3s are not from the NPR stream, which you can listen to here. They're from another recording.

Sonic Youth (Live at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC)(mp3s):

Do You Believe in Rapture?
Drunken Butterfly
Incinerate
Pink Steam
Lights Out
100%

Buy Rather Ripped.

These were taken by my friend Randy:


playlist

Camp Radio

I love the name of this band. It's ambiguous, and requires interpretation. Expectations of their music change as your ideas of their name change. Maybe they sound like some sort of strange, warped folk band who sing about zombies. Or maybe they're a lo-fi pop band who sing of comforting things as the fire crackles. The possibilities go on, maybe you could suggest a few.

What surprised me when I finally played the songs is the muscle. These songs grab you and yank you around. They've got confidence and momentum. The guitar hooks and the driving beat are perfect for the drive home after a late concert.

But I'm still trying to figure out the name.

Camp Radio mp3s from their self-titled debut:

Landing Strip
Cons at the New Moon
The Julie Rationale

Psapp on MBE

Pitchfork gave the new Psapp CD a 7.0, which is not bad--at the very least, it's psychologically an order of magnitude higher than a 6.9. The reviewer blames technology and production in muffling the "well-constructed" songs and singer Galia Durant's "knowing, confident, sly, and sexy" voice. Wonder how he would rate the in-studio Morning Becomes Eclectic performance, without all the production and laptops. Pitchfork says the music on The Only Thing I Ever Wanted "cries out for warmth and space." I think the music gets both in these live songs, maybe even enough to break the 7.9 Pitchfork barrier.

Psapp - Live on KCRW's MBE (6-14-2006)(mp3s)

Tricycle
Needle & Thread
Curuncula
The Words
About Fun
Hi
King Kong
Rear Moth

Own The Only Thing I Ever Wanted

Juana Molina on MBE

Juana Molina's in-studio performance at KCRW is hypnotic, repetitious, and psychedelic at times, and I could listen to the set from here into the weekend without food or drink. It disorients and grounds the listener simultaneously; her songs touch both the spirit and the bones. Take Salvese Quien Pueda. It begins what could almost pass for Tibetan chant, then she sings a stunning folk song over the repeating chant loops, and eventually electronic hums replace the vocal ones. This one song is easily one of the best in-studio performances of the year.

Juana Molina (Live on KCRW, 13 June 2006)(mp3s):
Un Beso Llega
El Desconfiado
La Verdad
Quiero
Sólvese Quien Pueda

Buy Son.

Cibelle & Devendra Heart NY

I confess that I didn't even open this video for Cibelle & Devendra Banhart's London, London when someone sent me the link. I mean, I posted the mp3 and said nice things about the album way back here. Isn't the music enough? It is, but today I got a titanic message from the same person with gargantuan widescreen screen shots of the video, and being the audiovisual creature that I am, I opened the vid. It's fun. Cibelle and Devendra really bring you into their stroll and dance. Definitely watch it. Besides, the song is brilliant. And Crammed says:

London, London is Cibelle and Devendra's playful rendition of a song written by major Brazilian artist (and co-founder of the Tropicalia movement) Caetano Veloso while he was living in forced exile in London during the early '70s.

There are more videos by Cibelle here, as well as vids from Bebel Gilberto, Konono No. 1, and from the Congotronics 2 comp.

And then there's this:

Cibelle - About a Girl (Nirvana Cover) (mp3) (From the About a Girl EP)

Own The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves.

KT Live on MPR

Singer-songwriter K.T. Tunstall performed these songs live in studio for Minnesota Public Radio last week. From the MPR news story, "It might sound like she brought along a band to play 'Black Horse and the Cherry Tree' with her, but it is just her, a guitar and some loop pedals." And there she is with the loop pedal again on "Suddenly I See," singing her own background vocals. It's like Final Fantasy meets the Lilith Fair. Hmmm...

K.T. Tunstall (Live on The Current, 6-6-2006) (mp3s):
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
Suddenly I See

Straight, No Avant-

Sonic Youth play these songs straight, no experimentation. They're damn near radio-friendly. Not quite, but damn near. These are at least as good as the album versions.

Sonic Youth - Incinerate (Live) (mp3)
Sonic Youth - Rapture (mp3)

Motorcity Roots

These motown covers are from Jamaica Jazz's Motorcity Roots. They're not your everyday motown covers--they're a unique blend of jazz and reggae, and they preserve the energy of the originals.

Jamaica Jazz - War (mp3)
Jamaica Jazz - Tears of a Clown (mp3)

The Lady Has Spoken

...or actually, rapped, in Seattle, yesterday, with The Streets. Wish I were there.
Lady Sovereign - Public Warning (Live on KEXP) (mp3)


At least I'm seeing Sonic Youth next week at the 9:30. Rather Ripped is my favorite CD of the year so far. Check out this SY interview with Mike D, where you will learn crucial information about the new songs. For instance, Mike D cleverly coaxes Thurston to disclose that the song Rapture is not "a concerted attempt to get involved with the Christian Rock movement, which is very popular;" its agenda is to get us all to unite in some sort of faith-based insanity.

More Live PJ

I know I just posted some live PJ Harvey the other day, but I didn't know that I was going to have these songs today. They're too good not to post.

PJ Harvey, live at Hay-on-Wye (mp3s):

New Song (Unknown Title)
Dress

Epic Viva Voce

Anita Lotta Guitar

That's right, epic (eight minutes and twenty-one seconds epic), hard, and noisy. Anti-twee. This Viva Voce chews up and swallows the old one, like Saturn devouring his child. It's made for amps and stacks, not earbuds. I could go on and on and on, but instead, I'll let them do that for you.

Viva Voce - So Many Miles (mp3)

So Many Miles is from Get Yr Blood Sucked Out, due out September 12. Info on pre-ordering available here.

and a little something extra:

Micah P. Hinson & Viva Voce - Pleasant Street (mp3)

Death Metal Visits Conan

The Eagles of Death Metal kicked ass on Conan this April. The two drummer, two drumset set was too much. It was ecstacy, it was euphoria, it was bliss. It didn't have Jack Black, like the best damn video on earth this year does, but I'll still take a DVD of the live performance over the vid.

Eagles of Death Metal - I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News) (Live on Conan 4-28-2006)(mp3)

Here they are playing the same song on Letterman (sorry, only one drummer here).

See you in July.

I heart Georgie James.

I heart Camera Obscura.

They're touring together next month. I tremble with anticipation.

You know what's special about all this? The Georgie James mp3s I posted will be gone before opening night. The night that young lovers start to dance to a novel groove is the night before they search the Hype Machine for the Georgie James, only to find broken links, and having to resort to faint memories of strong melodies. I'll be in the crowd, smiling at those young lovers. Beautiful, isn't it?

Good thing the band is recording again this month, and with luck, you'll have a record in your hands while the leaves are still green.

Georgie James - Need Your Needs (mp3) (from Demos at Dance Place)

By the way, check out this Q & Not U You Tube video, with the less sexy half of Georgie James on the drums. It's sickeningly good. Ah, memories.

Jose Gonzales (Live on Conan)

Here's Jose Gonzales' cover of The Knife's Heartbeats, as performed on Conan a couple of months ago. It's beautiful, and you're going to love it.

Jose Gonzales - Heartbeats (Live on Conan 3-29-2006) (mp3)

Lord. Lord. Lord.

We post like we eat: a little bit of everything.

To achieve balance after yesterday's disturbing Nick Cave cover, here is some aged gospel. If this actually sounds creepier than the Cave...well, that would be ironic, wouldn't it.

Two Gospel Keys - Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down (mp3)

Professor Alex Bradford - Lord, Lord, Lord (mp3)