Linda Thompson: Fashionably Late

Linda Thompson has just released a brand new album, "Versatile Heart", I know, but by now I like her comeback (after almost 20 years) with this "Fashionably Late" in 2002 so much more, although there may be no Antony singing with her but there is still one song composed by (a very young then) Rufus Wainwright (in "Paint & Powder Beauty") and there are playing guests as ex husband Richard and Fairport Convention veterans Jerry Donohue, Dave Mattacks and Dave Pegg. Along with Van Dyke Parks, Danny Thompson, and son Teddy Thompson.
Pitchfork guys seem to think that "Versatile..." is such a great effort, yeah, but I can't help but find it a bit too mellow, and...may I dare say it...? Boring, there it is. On the contrary "Fahionably" sounds fresh, and not over confident (unlike the previous one), and though she probably will never be as good a songwriter as Richard was in his thirties (what the hell: he himself isn't that good now...but it is, to say the least, almost impossible to top masterpieces like "I want to see the bright lights tonight" and "Shoot out the lights", everybody's aware of that) in this LP she performs songs such as the last one "Dear old man of mine" where she almost makes it: I can clearly sense the sterness in her voice, and I have many reasons to think that this is probably her "The end of the rainbow". Why? Because even though the song is about a husband (to be more precise: an ex husnband, Richard) and not about a son, and it it is somehow gentle while the other one was mean, still it has a similar tempo, a similar construction (mostly downward melodic and harmonic patterns), and share the same seriousness, the same "These are my definitive words on the matter"kind of feeling.
Grab it.

Nice review @ Rounder.com
More @ Metacritic
Linda @ Youtube
Linda interviewed in 2002 @ Womanrock

Fashionably Late

Ice Cube talks

Ice Cube: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

I'm a bit in a old school hip hop revival, so I went back to the days when Ice Cube was "AmeriKKA's most wanted", but not from Hollywood PR agents...
Despite his most recent career (does anyone remember what he and Public Enemy sang in Burn Hollywood burn? Well, I wish at least he did) his early one was full of wonders, being "AmeriKKKa's most wanted" the greatest... Check out wiki.

AmeriKKKa's most wanted

Bjork: S/t (1977)

I'm going through a Bjork renaissance, and re-discovering Volta (I didn't find it so appealing nor interesting the first time around), and it is merely by chance that I have found some (very) old stuff from her discography, like this 1977 LP she recorded when she wasn't 12 yet: a true gem if you consider that it has been edited and released only in Iceland (and I don't think there are many recent re-issues).
It is obvious that this Bjork cannot be compared to the later genious, the ever new saviour of modern pop music, yet it is funny to listen to the indian extravaganza in the intro of the first song, or to the cover versions of the Beatles' Fool on the hill and Stevie Wonder's Your kiss is sweet.
Plus, there's cover of the LP, that baby Bjork meets George Harrison meets whatever you may considered camp.

PS Click the option "Keep broken files" before unpacking it.

Bjork

Now there's a alternative link for the Live Munich recording in case you have some problems unpacking it.

The Go-Betweens: Live Munich Br2 Radio 27.5.99

It's plain to see that I just can't get enough of The Go-Betweens' live bootlegs (and I hope you don't mind), so here's another one: a radio session in munich (still as an acoustic duo), hence a very fine quality recording bootleg, featuring 13 tracks, lots of which are taken from Forster's and McLennan's solo career (a perfect match with the Intermission post, ain't it?) and with a curious obscure song from the two australians, Suicide at home.
And if you long for more GB's stuff...don't dorry: there's still more to come.

PS If you have some problems unpacking the zip file click "Keep broken files"

Tracklist:

1-The devil's eye
2-Part Company
3-Haven't I been a fool
4-Baby stones
5-Suicide at home
6-Dive for your memory
7-Right here
8-Spring rain
9-Clouds
10-Bye bye pride
11-Easy come easy go
12-121
13-Was there anything I could do

Live Munich Br2 Radio 27.5.99
Live Munich Br2 Radio 27.5.99 (Alternative link)

The Go-Betweens: Live acoustic in Vienna 2000

No doubt that the Go-Betweens are maybe my favourite band these days, so I was more than just happy when I found this (short alas) acoustic concert of theirs some time ago. I had been looking for more GB bootlegs for months and finally I took a hold on this. Moreover I have always wanted to listen to some acoustic live recordings of the Go-Betweens since I consider the Acoustic Sessions in their "That Striped Sunlight Sound" DVD just great: McLennan and Forster as an acoustic duo have some true magic working on (by the way, has anyone heard of, or has got some bootlegs of one of their acoustic concerts as a duo in the nineties? That would be terrific), and that's why I'm so glad to have these tracks: it is only Forster and McLennan on stage (during some 2000 tour, probably just before the release of their "The friends of Rachel Worth" comeback CD) playing some songs from "Friends Of..." but also some true GB classic as This girl black girl, Cattle and cane, and Bye bye pride (which, without "Talullah"'s heavy 80's production is a hell of a song).

And the recording quality is very good.

Here is the tracklist:

1-He lives my life

2-Orpheus beach

3-This girl balck girl

4-Bye bye pride

5-When she sang about angels

6-Spring rain

7-Surfing magazines

8-Heart and home

9-Cattle and cane

10-People say

11-Head full of steam

12-Love goes on

13-Danger in the past

Want more?

The Go-Betweens @ wiki

2 Free live songs @ GB's website's library

The Go-Betweens' Archive

Live Acoustic