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

The Triffids: In The Pines (Reissue)

Some months ago I posted this same album, I know, but now on my hands I have the brand new reissue, a beautiful one, with several bonus tracks, so I've decided to upload this one too. But in case you do not them I guarantee you that the Triffids were one of the best bands (some could call them a post punk band, and yeah, they'd be quite right, except that the triffids had a violin and a pedal steel guitar among their instruments, which wasn't very common at the time) of the eighties, and they shared the stage with one of my fave bands, the Go-Betweens; in fact they were fellow aussies. "In the pines" was their third LP, released shortly after their peak, the masterpiece "Born Sandy devotianal", and unlike that one In the pines is laid back, somehow quieter, but always mesmeric.

Listen to the waltz of In the pines (but with a melody à la Leadbelly), or to Born Sandy Devotional (curiously both carry the name of an album but Born...should have been on their previous one but didn't make it), or to Kathy Knows. They should be enogh to convince you. And in case you need more go see the great post written here, where you can also download some glorious bootleg tapes (go ahead! Do it!)

In the pines

Death Proof OST

Need to say anything?

Death Proof

And now I've re-uploaded also disc 2.

I've just re-uploaded the link to disc 1. It should be fine now.

Robert Forster - Grant McLennan : Intermission (The Best Of The Solo Years)

I have just bought this yesterday and I am as happy as a man can be (for buying a CD). The Go-Betweens have been much like my band in these last years, meaning that I have listened to their songs lots and lots of times, so many times that I can easily recall each one of them only by hearing 2 seconds of it, so many times that I must have learnt by heart almost their whole repertoire. In a few words: what I used to do before the internet revolution, before "listening to music" meant listening to a new album a couple of times and then -very often at least- lose it in your hard-drive or in some CD/DVD-R. And that's the reason why I have decided to buy this one: to give back something, to show (to myself, I suppose) how important Forster and McLennan (The Go-Betweens' founding members and writers) have been to me.


Robert Forster - Baby Stones

It still makes me sad to think of how eager I was to wait for another GB's album after "Oceans Apart" and after the last (and only, alas) concert of theirs I had seen and then the shock of hearing the news of McLennan's death last year. And yeah, I know Forster...oh, what the heck (as he would say)...I know Bobby has started working on Grant's demos to give birth to the album they both had planned to do, but I find it hard to believe a new Go-Betweens' album can truly be called so without Grant's voice (the demos, as you can read in this interview here, have no words), so "Intermission", the best of their works as solo artists during the GB's intermission (most people would call it break-up) in the nineties could be the last release with Grant's voice, his beautiful, melodious voice.


Grant McLennan - Easy come, easy go

I'll stop now because I'm getting too emotional, but trust me on this: if you have loved Bobby's and Grant's work go (run!) and buy "Intermission". The songs (more Grant's ones than Bobby's, I have to admit) are great, and then the packaging is simply awesome (two separate discs, and a 28-page lyric book at a very low price).

The Go-Betweens @ Wiki

Intermission Disc 1 -Forster
Intermission Disc 2 -McLennan

Robert Forster - Grant McLennan : Intermission (The Best Of The Solo Years)

Concert Vault

I'm back from a little hiatus just to tell you of a great site I've just bumped into: Concert Vault (from now on you will be able to find the link here on the right) allows you to listen to dozens of concert on streaming (you just have to subscribe first, but that's quick and easy). Examples? I'm now listening to Pink Floys live at Fillmore East, April 29th, 1970. Highly recommended.

Carla Bruni: Quelqu'un m'a dit

Initially I had some about Carla Bruni: former mannequin, beautiful, kind of trendy. It all just didn't seem my cup of tea. So I first snobbed her first LP, but then when the second one got released I read a very good review about it (it had comparisons with Bob Dylan, old bluesmen and alikes), so I decided to give her the benefit of doubt.
And she did surprised me.
I've listened to "No promises"for a long time before getting back to "Quelqu'un m'a dit" (mainly becuase her first LP is in french and I 'm not very used to french music, except Sebastien Tellier and some old ones, like Jacques Brel), but I have to admit it got to me anyway: simple (and sometimes bluesy, sometimes more french-chansonnier-like) chord progression, most of the times with arpeggios, tender vocal melodies (and if you don't like her hoarse voice, well, that's easy to understand, but still what she does with it is haunting, charming).
Here is also the video of my favourite one:

Carla Bruni @ Wiki
Carla Bruni's Lyrics

Quelqu'un m'a dit

The Dream Syndicate: The Complete Live At Raji's

This is one of my fave live recordings ever from a band that I absolutely love: Dream Syndicate's "Complete live at Raji's". I remember buying the original CD release a few years ago (not a long time after having bought their first LP, the milestone "Days of wine and roses" for just...not more than 6 euros, I think), and being just blown away by the quality of the songwriting and by the massive electric guitars. They sort of feedbacked in my mind for weeks...

The start of Still holding on to you is the kind of thing that makes you feel like grabbing an electric guitar (and makes you also feel as if it was the most important thing on earth), while another favourite number of mine has always been Merritville, possibly one of the best electric ballads I've ever listened to.
Plus, this complete edition features some great cover versions (the classic See that my grave is kept clean, and Dylan's All along the watchtower) and two more tracks from their first album (When you smile and Tell me when it's over).
For more stuff about DS go see Steve Wynn's site: it's loaded with tabs, lyrics, mp3's; it is really worth visiting it if you are fans.

Live at Raji's - Disc 1
Live at Raji's - Disc 2

X : More Fun In The New World

I'm in X-period of sort. Kind of. (I have also been listening a lot to John Doe's new album: maybe even better than the previous one). So I've uploaded "More fun...", a very underrated LP: when it got out many punk purists called it too mainstram, too commercial, but to me it has a Clash-like sound (which is definetely a good thing). It is maybe their "Combat rock": an album that contains many of their most straightforwarded songs, and a few attempts to the charts (yeah, I know, it's a shame for punk rockers...), but it is also a work (as most rock albums that music purists dislike) that puts together what is punk with what is (wasn't?) not: disco, 50's rock, country... Doesn't this sound very "thesedayish"?

And this is True Love Part 2 (with all it its beautiful pastiche medley in the end: disco, Elvis...)'s Video:




PS A great live of theirs in the surprise link.

More Fun In The New World

Younger Son

And this is a band of friends of mine you can listen to on the mp3 flash player here on the right (or you can go see their site here). If you like blues-rock stuff (like Jon Spencer etc) they might be your thing.

And now in italian...

Gli Younger Son sono un simpatico combo rock-blues che bazzicca dalle parti di Verona (ma non solo), quindi se abitate/vivete/girate/avete donne/avete uomini da queste parti potete fare un salto sul loro sito (il link rimarrà tra i preferiti qui a destra) per vagliare la possibilità di assistere a un loro concerto.

Se siete come l'apostolo Tommaso (quello scettico, su, non fate quella faccia lì...) potete sempre cliccare sul lettore mp3 in streaming qui sopra per ascoltare un loro pezzo, okay? Per altri (da ascoltare/scaricare) ne troverete sul loro sito.

The White Stripes: Icky Thump (ripped from radio broadcast)

For those who can't wait for the last White Stripes' record to hit the record stores here is the leak, ripped from a radio broadcast. Of course this is no state of the art sound quality recording (still most of the songs are a bearable listen) but yet you can get an idea out of it.

And the video of the single is down here.

Great stuff, btw.

Icky Thump

X : Los Angeles

X were a LA. punk band, and an excellent one, formed in 1977 and "Los Angeles" is their cult debut abum (and one of the '77 punk milestones).

I must have listened to it tons of times and I never get tired, so I have to say that it stands the test of time just fine (and also me aging could have affected its value but it didn't) and Johnny hit and run paulene is still one of my fave punk songs (see the video below).

Johnny hit and run Paulene - Video

X @ wiki

Los Angeles

Persepolis

Persepolis is a movie in competition in the official selection at the Cannes festival, adapted from Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel of the same title (and co-directed by her).
The comic is fabulous: a funny satire of all generalisations and cultural dogmas written with an almost childish naiveté. And the film seems to be up to it.
Here is the teaser trailer:

Persepolis - Teaser 1

Aggiungi al profilo personale | Altri video

Marjane Satrapi @ Random House

Lou Reed: Hooky Wooky

As I had promised here comes some more music: Lou Reed's "Hooky Wooky" single CD. Which contains, of course, the so-titled song (from the "Set the twilight reeling" LP), plus This magic moment out of the Doc Pomus tribute album, You'll never know you loved out of the "Friends"TV Series Soundtrack, and the previously unreleased (and very beautiful) Run.

Lou Reed @ Wiki

Hooky Wooky

Champios League 2007 Final: Milan - Liverpool 2-1

We won.

Ac milan - liverpool champions league final
Caricato da alyty

And since this is supposed to be a music blog (but I promise I'll post more than this next time) here is -at least- one song: Oasis' Champagne Supernova (with its non-sense lyrics, but one of the few songs of theirs I really like...and it's so ecstatic that it seems to be fit for this occasion).

Paul McCartney: Dance Tonight Video

From forthcoming album "Memory almost full", and directed by Michel Gondry.
And one of the ghosts is Natalie Portman.

Studio 60 Back on 24th

Starting from tomorrow NBC is going to finally air the remaining six episodes of Studio 60 (at 10 pm). It was about time. This one will also feature as guest star Alison Janney (aka CJ in "The West Wing").
If you have never seen an Aaron Sorkin's show try and take a look at it. Down here I've put three excerpts from Sorkin's works: one from Studio 60, and then two old ones, one from Sports Nights and one from The West Wing.
You can view S60's new promo here.







Plus, for all the West Wing hardcore fans: download Tori Amos' cover version of I don't like mondays (you remember the 4th season episode, right?)

Low: Some live recordings

I'll go see a Low concert in a few days, so I think this is the the proper time to remind someone out there of some live recordings of this great Minnesota band available on the net...
Here you can find lots of them (@ the Internet Archive).
And these are my favourite ones (both because of the performance and the quality of the sound) :
1
...and 2.

Low @ Wiki

Crimen sollicitationis

I know this blog is supposed to talk about music but I bumped into this video yesterday and I was shocked. It is an episode of a BBC program called Panorama, from 2006, and it shows how Roman Church has covered up all the child abuse crimes committed by catholic priests.
So what is Crimen sollicitationis? It is a secret document issued by the Holy Office that imposes secrecy (concerning sex crimes) even upon victims of sexual abuse. In a few words: priests who are known by hierarchies to be pedophiles get transferred and more often than not everything is done in order to avoid legal prosecution. Hence no support for the victims, hence the chance for these child abusers to commit their awful crime again too.
And by the way, Pope Joseph Ratzinger has more than something to be blamed.

You can watch the whole program here.

Talking Heads: More Songs About Buildings And Food

Maybe it's time to go back to the originals: after Franz Ferdinand, Bloc things and many other Talking Heads wannabes why not listen to some 100& talking heads?
So here's "More songs about buldings and food, their second LP, mostly famous for the cover of Al Green's Take me to the river (truly a must), but it is anyway miles ahead of its predecessor, probably because it's also their first album produced by Brian Eno (first of three: if you do not have them go get 'em).

MORE INFO:
Talking Heads @ Wiki
TH's fan site


PS
Here's a beatiful cover of Magnetic Fields' Born on a train by Arcade Fire

More songs about buildings and food

LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver

I feel pretty strongly about this: "Sound of silver"is one of my favourite albums of this this year.
I've been listenig to it for only a couple of weeks by now (and for a longer time partly because I had found the fist LP rather interesting but not that interesting -like: would this change my life? Not really...good things but not over the top, probably a bit too stylish -and à la mode- and too simplicistic, I don't know). Was it embarassing as most of the dance-oriented electronic music often is? No way. But "Sound of..." is far far better.



It is still very unlikely that some friend will catch me dancing on tables because of the new LCD, yet I would not mind so much (but I do not find myself usually in such situations...). Stranger to me is that I am way more attracted by colder electronica (Aphex Twin, Four Tet) or Indietronica.
Lots of great songs-songs in here by the way: All my friends, New York I love you above all. Plus James Murphy has learned to write some lyrics too, being NY I love you a good example:

You're still the one pool
Where I'd happily drown
And oh.. Take me off your mailing list
For kids that think it still exists
Yes, for those who think it still exists

Obvious considerations (aren't they?): Murphy owes more than something to new wavers, Brian Eno, David Bowie (like the way he sings -along with doubled voices in Get Innocuous)...and most of his music is filled up with hommages to those beautiful years between Glam-Rock's zenith (1974) and post punk revolution (1979-82). Not an inch of plagiarism but tons of love from (a now famous) big fan to his much-loved idols. Or am I the only one who loves to hear Iggy Pop references along with Devo or Kraftwerk-like synth hooks?

MORE INFO:
LCD Soundsystem's official site
LCD @ Wiki

Sound of silver

Pavement: Shady Lane Video

Pavement : Brighten The Corners

I was reading a nice article about them, (in italian, in the new issue of Mucchio Extra), and I immediately felt like listening to my fav Pavement's album, "Brighten the corners", and my mind went back to some years ago when I went to a party (or crashed it, can't quite remember...), heard Shady Lane through a stereo set and thought: "This is a great party!", and ever since I have always been sure that the coolest thing is to get in a room full of people you don't know and hear one of the best indie-rock songs of all the time.
"This is my people" flashed in my mind, and I felt suddenly at ease, smiling as much as I could.

A title, by the way? Date with IKEA. 'Nuff said.

MORE INFO:
Pavement @ Wiki
Pavement's Lyrics

Brighten the corners

Keren Ann: S/t

Keren Ann is a Dutch/Israeli citizen living mostly between France and the USA and this homonymous album is also her sixth. Produced and played in the USA and in Iceland seems to mean for Ann that her influences of her past are now de fait past: no more french-style chansonnes, but as you can see (also by watching this video, although I do not know if it is an official one) Lay your head down is a very Velvet Underground-like song, while The harder ships of the world owes something to Cowboy Junkies. And if you like Mazzy Star and Hope Sandoval I think you may find something in here that might meet your tastes as well.

Keren Ann lay your head down
Caricato da pheel

MORE INFO:
Keren Ann on Wiki
Exclusive Live Videos @Les Inrocks

Download: Keren Ann

Maia Hirasawa

Love this girl. I have discovered her album through a Bolachas Gratis post, and it's highly recommended.

Neil Young: Live At Massey Hall

There are two Neil Young's to me: the electric warrior, riding mostly with his Crazy horse, perfectly pictured in LPs as "Ragged glory", and then the gentle loner, singing high-pitched acoustic pieces as seen on "Harvest" or "Silver & gold". I have always prefered the latter, and that's why I'm loving his last release so much: "Live At Massey Hall"is the second CD of his Performance Series (much like Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series) -though weirdly coded as #3...- and sees the canadian singing and playing on his own back home in Canada, but what really overwhelms me is that he keeps going: "This is a new song..."and what follows is what we know as a masterpiece. And already perfectly shaped.

In fact in a few months "Harvest" will come out, but many songs from "Time fades away" and "On the beach" are already in his live repertoire by that day, and it just blows my mind to think of this man that, in a bunch of weeks, composed songs as Journey through the past, A man needs a maid, Needle and the damage done, Old man, See the sky about to rain...and he chats through them as though they were just some more songs.
By the way, the performance is outstanding, with some pieces quite close to album's rendition, but some of the others that differ from it...and get even better: listen to A man needs a maid without Jack Nietsche's pompous orchestration. It is no doubt why some of Neil Young's friends insisted on releasing this before "Harvest". 36 years have been a long time, but the wait has surely been worth it.

More Info:
Neil Young @ Wiki
Fansite: Hyper Rust (lots of stuff, including tabs)
Neil Young Links

Live at Massey Hall

Richard Thompson: Solitary Life Documentary + Dad's gonna kill me (new song)

I was just going through youtube the other day and I found this very well-made BBC documentary (in 7 parts on youtube) on Richard Thompson called "Solitary life" which starts from his early days as a Fairport Convention member and contains bits of performances (also some exclusive ones), plus interviews with friends and former wife Linda. Here are all parts.
But what is more important is that Thompson is due to release a new album, "Sweet Warrior" in May 28, but meantime you can download this new song from SW in advance, Dad's gonna kill me just below the you tube video (and you can read its lyrics). You'll also find out that this is no song about his father (longing for killing Richard), but about war, since "Dad" is military slang for Baghdad.



Download Dad's gonna kill me

"Out in the desert there’s a soldier lying dead
Vultures pecking the eyes out of his head
Another day that could have been me there instead
Nobody loves me here
Nobody loves me here

Dad’s Gonna Kill Me
Dad’s Gonna Kill Me

You hit the booby trap and you’re in pieces
With every bullet your risk increases
Old Ali Baba, he’s a different species
Nobody loves me here
Nobody loves me here

Dad’s Gonna Kill Me
Dad’s Gonna Kill Me

I’m dead meat in my HumV Frankenstein
I hit the road block, God knows I never hit the mine
The dice rolled and I got lucky this time

Dad’s Gonna Kill Me
Dad’s Gonna Kill Me

I’ve got a wife, a kid, another on the way
I might get home if I can live through today
Before I came out here I never used to pray
Nobody loves me here
Nobody loves me here

Dad’s Gonna Kill Me

Dad’s in a bad mood, Dad’s got the blues
It’s someone else’s mess that I didn’t choose
At least we’re winning on the Fox Evening News
Nobody loves me here

Dad’s Gonna Kill Me
Dad’s Gonna Kill Me

Dawn Patrol went out and didn’t come back
Hug the wire and pray like I told you, Mac
Or they’ll be shovelling bits of you into a sack

Dad’s Gonna Kill Me.

And who’s that stranger walking in my dreams
And whose that stranger cast a shadow ‘cross my heart
And who’s that stranger, I dare speak his name
Must be old Death a-walking
Must be old Death a-walking

Dad’s Gonna Kill Me

7 muzzle monkeys standing in a row
Standing waiting for The Sandbox to blow
Sitting targets in the wild west show

Nobody loves me here

Dad’s Gonna Kill Me

Another angel got his wings this week
Charbroiled with his own Willie Pete
Nobody’s dying if you speak double-speak

Dad’s Gonna Kill Me"

More info:
More about military slang in thompson's words
Richard Thompson @ Wiki

Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief

There should be no need for explanation here. Because "Liege & lief" is one of the best albums of all time, the masterpiece of folk-rock, or british way to folk-rock, played by a band at its peak and at its most painful time (if you don't know much of the story that led to L&L read this).
Anyway, this was Fairport Convention's 4th long playing release and, as hard as it appeared to be, it topped also their previously LP, "Unhalfbricking", and it made history for Sandy Denny's perfect vocal performance and its combination of tradionals mostly and self-penned songs (or new suits for traditional songs, with new lyrics for instance).
What else: Richard Thompson may be the best british guitar player ever (sorry for all Eric Clapton fans, by the way)
In a few words:one of my desert island discs.
Plus, this is the 2002 edition, with 2 bonus tracks.

More info:
"Liege & lief" @ Wiki
Fairport Convention @ Wiki

Liege & Lief

Kurt Vonnegut RIP

"If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:

THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC"

said once Kurt Vonnegut, and this post is for all the people who have loved his unbelievably witty and funny novels. He was one of the last humanist and socialist in the american"showbiz", and it probably took a lot of sense of humour to be one. So: grab a coby of "Slaughterhouse 5", turn off your iPod and pay him hommage, if you like.

Listen to KV's interview in 2006 @ BBC Radio 4
and then:
Good article on KV @ Rolling Stone
KV @ Wiki
KV's non-official site, full of stuff
KV's quotes @ Wikiquote
KV's quotes @ The Quotation Page

The Magic Numbers @ Fabchannel

Ain't this a great song?
Just a little excuse to show some of this wonderful site, Fabchannel, filled up with whole concerts (for instance: arcade fire, I am kloot, solomon burke, bloc party, bright eyes, jaga jazzist, and...watch john cale's).

John Cale: Five Tracks EP

This time a little upload: John Cale's "Five tracks EP", released in 2003 prior to his great comeback with the "HoboSapiens" LP. None of these songs featured later in the albun btw.
Well, this is mostly it. The mood is more or less the same as in "HoboSapiens" and -which is more important- these tracks are surely better than others that made it to an album in his past career (my mind goes to "Walking on locusts": money very bad spent, heck). So: great atmosphere, and pieces of music played and sung at Cale's best.

More Info:
John Cale @ Wiki.


Five Tracks EP

Nick Castro: A Spy In The House of God

Here I am, back with the first Nick Castro's album. About his last -"Come into our house"- much has been said, but I do prefer his first: a bit more free-form, while the last dug too much into the great british folk-rock artists' repertoire, like Fairport Convention's (and Wendy Watson is no Sandy Denny). Which I love, but the fact is that he just can't keep up with them if he plays their same game. That's why I like this album so much: there's more non-british music (i.e. indian and psych stuff) and more room for trance-like tracks or atmospheric songs in general in it (like No sweeter thing, that reminds me more of Sid Barrett's Pink Floyd than Denny's FC). Listen also to the beninning of Winter's song: isn't it like a gamelan ensemble playing?

A spy in the house of god (320k)

Julie's Haircut On Streaming

Last week I've been at a Julie's Haircut's concert and, as always, it has been a hell of a gig: it is kind of hard for me to explain how great they are to people who have never seen them live, because when they are on the road they are the best at what they do (and what they do, by the way, is an extremely exciting live act, based mainly on loose versions of songs from their last album, "After dark, my sweet", which got recorded in only one week on a very improv mood, and with the help of ex Spacemen 3 Sonic Boom).
So my idea was introduce some people who may be curious about them (and if you aren't...well, you should, ok?) with a collection of 14 songs that I have picked from their whole career (i.e. 4 albums and some EPs), and that I have put in the sidebar on the right on streaming and so hope to push someone to go look for their records and maybe buy something.
One more thing: I took the picture over here, so you can blame me anytime you feel like...

More Info:
"After dark, my sweet" @ iTunes
"After dark, my sweet" @ SonicRocket
Julies' Haircut Press

Introducing Joss Stone

This is a bit of a strange upload (specially after Richard Thompson), but I love this girl and I don't really give a care if she is mainstream, because if you like Motown artists, old school Soul (and not many fake r'n'b plastic things like Shakira and such) you ought to like Joss. Her first LP, Soul sessions, all of it made of beautiful covers of great soul music, was a gem, while the second, Mind , body & soul, was someway a letdown, probably given to the fact that those were the first songs she had writted herself.
Introducing... on the other hand is a much more mature work, also thanks to a splendid production made by Raphael Saadiq, that is worth a grown-up audience, and not only teenagers. Why? Because imho things like "Bruised but not broken" could have been written by Prince (and that's not the only one that gave me this impression), and "Tell me 'bout it" is a great Supremes-like groovy thang, isn't it?
Hell, I don't want to, in no way, compare her to Janis Joplin, bit she deserves some credit. She may not be the soul-saviour, but still she is the best in what she does (among the living at least, and leaving out some great old men & women like, say, Solomon Burke or Bettye Lavette).
Though her new hair style sucks.
(And the upload is 192k, not the usual, lame 128)

Introducing Joss Stone

Richard Thompson: Grizzly Man Soundtrack

This is the soundtrack from one of the best films I have seen recently, and no matter it is a documentary, by legendary german director Werner Herzog. You probably already know the story: Tim Treadwell, a weird kind of eco-warrior (as he did like to call himself) lived 13 consecutive summers in an alaskian region in the wild with grizzly bears, and finally got eaten by one of them. But don't get frightened by this: Herzog's film is in no way supposed to harm you or move you with false sentimantalisms, no way; in fact what it does is show some beautiful footage filmed by Treadwell himself (see below the youtube video, where you don't see Treadwell with his loved bears, but with some foxes: I chose this bit simply because of the beauty of the images and because of Herzog's words) and some commentaries made by friends of Treadwell's, people who knew or had heard of him, and by Herzog too (and this is where lies the real importance, to me, of the whole movie, i.e. where it is possible to understand Herzog's weltanschauung and the relation betweeen this film and the rest of his works).
And the soundtrack? Well, the soundtrack is some kind of miracle: composed and played by Richard Thompson along with some fabulous musicians (betweens these there is also Jim O'Rourke, the former Gastr Del Sol member, and great producer -he produced, for instance, Wilco's masterpieces Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A ghost is born). The music in here is maybe some of the best stuff for guitar I have heard: Thompson is playing at his best (which is definetly a lot). It is very hard to describe this music because there is so much in it: Jim O'Rourke's drones, some XX century classical music-influenced parts for cello, but mostly it is Richard Thompson playing brightly sounding guitar licks that can be considered country or british folk music (see the "Foxes" bit) or plain folk. The only non-original track by the way is the last:"Coyotes" performed by Don Edward.

More Info:
Richard Thompson's site
Grizzly Man search @ Youtube
Grzzly Man @ Metacritic

Grizzly Man Soundtrack

Randy Newman - Short People

Randy Newman: Songbook Vol. 1

Randy Newman is mostly known for being the man who wrote You can leave your hat on, later covered with huge success by Joe Cocker for that infamous movie. But Newman has a great
career in itself: he is an extremely talented piano player, singer and composer, who has been spending this last part of his career writing soundtracks (lots of Disney movies, like Toy Story for instance), and for which he has been at last awarded with an oscar in 2001. But the man is such a non-politically correct persona that he "thanked" the academy -that had nominated him 15 times before but in vain- for having humiliated him so many times...

Not really your typical american songwiter, eh?

Anyway, Newman's work is wonderful a mixture of ragtime, pop-rock, chamber music and old time balladry and all of this is usually served with a witty and caustic humour that makes you want to laugh while at the same time you may not be not so much confortable with it.

A very good example is on Rednecks, which is a song on racist rednecks told by rednecks.
But is this "Songbook Vol. 1" the usual best of? Not quite. It is in fact Newman re-playing -this time only for piano and voice, that is just as he has written them- his best songs from his early -and my favourite- career. And if you want to have a taste of his humour here are God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)'s words:

Cain slew Abel, Seth knew not why
For if the children of Israel were to multiply
Why must any of the children die?
So he asked the Lord
And the Lord said:

Man means nothing, he means less to me
Than the lowliest cactus flower
Or the humblest Yucca tree
He chases round this desert
'Cause he thinks that's where I'll be
That's why I love mankind

I recoil in horror from the foulness of thee
From the squalor and the filth and the misery
How we laugh up here in heaven at the prayers you offer me
That's why I love mankind

The Christians and the Jews were having a jamboree
The Buddhists and the Hindus joined on satellite TV
They picked their four greatest priests
And they began to speak
They said, "Lord, a plague is on the world
Lord, no man is free
The temples that we built to you
Have tumbled into the sea
Lord, if you won't take care of us
Won't you please, please let us be?"
And the Lord said
And the Lord said

I burn down your cities-how blind you must be
I take from you your children and you say how blessed are we
You all must be crazy to put your faith in me
That's why I love mankind
You really need me
That's why I love mankind

MORE INFO:
Randy Newman on Wiki.

Songbook Vol. 1

Studio 60 (Dolphin girl sketch)

I know this is -mainly- a music blog, bit I do want to give some support to Studio 60, this smart tv series. And this bit just makes me laugh and laugh (both because of the Dolphin girl's voice and Matthew Perry's expression). So, if you are american and you appreciate the show why don't you stop for a sec and sign the petition to NBC to save it?
Thanks.

Breathless: Three times and waving

Now another shoegazing band, Breathless, that probably not many people know of. Nevermind that "Three times and waving"is indeed a very good album, even better to me because its cons are its pros: in fact "Three times.." may sound like a bit of a blur, not completely on focus, but I'd state that this is its fascination, i.e. having so many things in it, unlike many other shoegazing bands that often looked like My Bloody Velentine cover bands Breathless may have less of an impact but more intriguing nuances. Moreover Dominic Appleton has a voice that I find slightly similar to Interpol's Paul Banks (which is good, me being a fan and all).
Anyway,"Three times..." has psychedelia, 60's pop, shoegazing guitars, and charming and hypnotic rythms (one of the best thing in this LP: the work on bass and drums and).

More info:
Review of three times.. @ Leonard's Lair
Review of Three times...@ Answers.com

Three times and waving

Slowdive - The Ballad of Sister Sue

Slowdive: Just For A Day

In these days I am probably going to post some shoegazing bands, and I'll start today with one of my favourite, Slowdive, and with their best effort, the debut album "Just for one day". The so-called shoegazing scene was a brief flame in the history of music (or UK music), that burned out at really fast pace mainly because not even its top band (My Bloody Valentine) achieved success, and partly because -or at least that's what I think- there were too many copycat versions in the biz. Unlike these, Slowdive showed some peculiarities, and de facto survived the fisrt 90's carnage of these bands, going on under another name (with 3/5 of Slowdive they chose the new name Mojave 3, and they are still alive and kicking, though they have been through varios shifts and changes: Neil Hamstead became the lead vocalist, and they started anew as an almost country-rock ensemble, only to return these days with their new LP "Puzzles like you" to a more pop-rock oriented thing).
Sure, still there are many resemblances between this album and MBV's ones, but it is also hard to think of Kevin Shields' band playing something like Ballad of sister blue, a dense and vaporous waltz, or Erik's song (a minimalist instrumental drone), an hommage to XI-XX century pianist and composer Erik Satie.

INFO:
Slowdive on Wiki.

Just For A Day

Julie's Haircut

Julie's Haircut - Satan Eats Seitan

I'm posting this because I really think Julie's Haircut are a hell of a band and not enogh people know them (plus this videoclip is great and in fact it has been also awarded). So watch the song and download these couple of songs from their last album "After dark my sweet", and if you feel like it, go see their site and spread the word, okay?

PS
The surprise link is for David Lynch fans this time (but he talks about the Web!)

Download:

Open Wound
Purple Jewel
Afterdark

Retribution Gospel Choir: Summer EP

A short record today: The Retribution Gospel Choir are Andy Sparhawk (Low's singer and composer) side project (he obvously plays guitar, while Eric Pollard is on drums and Eric Pollard is on bass, who also plays in Low) that he sometimes takes on tour with his main band.
This EP is one out of the two they have recorded and sold during their concerts, and includes two songs (Hatchet and Breaker) that will appear on Low's next album ("Drums and guns") as well.
What about this EP? The first track (El coro) is a great improvisation-noise piece, the two songs from Low's repertoire are one (Breaker) not very different from its "Drums and guns" version, whereas the other (Hatchet) is more stripped-down and acoustic, and the last song from this "Summer Ep" (Body electric) has the feel of some old Low songs, maybe something out of "Trust", but with a shimmering dissonant guitar solo at he end.

PS
The surprise link for all the West Wing fans out there.

Download:

01 - El Coro
02 - Breaker
03 - Hatchet
04 - Body Electric

By the way, the new band formed by Nick Cave on streaming here on the right is named Grinderman (and not Gingerman...which would be a bit of a laugh).

Lullatone: Plays pajama pop pour vous

Some time ago I had promised some jap electronic music, so here it comes: Lullatones' new album, "Plays pajama pop pour vous", a band that you may already know if you have been visiting this blog for a year or so: tender music-box-like music, with girlish tunes and glokenspiel filling in the elctronic soft beats. This last effort of Shawn James Seymour & Yoshimi Tomida is maybe the most pop-oriented of their catalogue, but also the richest with influences, from brazilian music (Bedroom bossa band) or light-hearted discotheque music (Floating away).
Anyway, Lullatones are an easy-going fun band that can help you relax, a nice example of what I'd like to call "bedroom music", not meaning something that gets you sleepy, but something that makes you feel like lying on your bed, stretch your arms and be still and warm as if nothing could bother you.



More info:
Lullatone @ Myspace

Plays pajama pop pour vous

The Pop Group: Y

The Pop Group was a great agit prop band, whose roots (if such term can be used for a new wave group) are in so many musical styles and approaches: jazz, world music, funk and (of course) punk. The quality of this album is a good reason to post it on my blog, but another good reason why is that The Pop Group had a strong bond with The Slits, with whom they were buddies and that they probably influenced (both their first LP's covers were overtly about their interest on primitivism, and moreover both were produced by Dennis Bowell, the biggest name in producing raggae at the end if the 70's in the UK).
Anyway, the "Y" LP is a new wave milestone, whose sound is still a smash in the face with its clanging guitars, great funky rhythm section ("Simon Underwood [bass] and Buce Smith [drums] were post-punk's Sly & Robbie", according to Dennis Bowell), and Mark Stewart's political angst. Imagine a Gang of Four flirting with dub/ethnic experimentalisms and you might get what they sound like. Or you could try and download this 1979 gem (it really is: the Amazon link over here will tell you that you can have it delivered for 42,99 USD, not really change money).

More on The Pop Group:
Here's what you are looking for: a very well done fansite with some live mp3's as well.

Y