Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Bonny Billy & The Picket Line - Ohio River Boat Song

With my turn at the end-of-the-year post, I was going to post a 2009 favorite of mine -- the collaboration with Kentucky gentleman Will Oldham, alias Bonny Billy here (and better known by the moniker Bonnie Prince Billy) and bluegrass outfit The Picket Line. This one was unfortunately a bit overlooked because it was a vinyl and digital-only release. So I managed to scrounge up a digital copy and was all set to put it up on Youtube, but the mp3 has some sort of write protection that blocks it from working in Moviemaker.

So you get this, Bonny Billy and the Picket Line, live in Lexington!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Goat.'s Farewell to 2009

Don't ask me why this is fitting. It just is, ok?

(For the record, things couldn't be more perfect between two crazy beings two thousand miles apart. But it was a hell of a fight on both sides to get to where we are. And now you'll all have to suffer the autobiographical whimsy of one smitten-ass farm animal for a while.)

Monday, December 28, 2009

Kanye West- Family Business

For some reason I thought I should end the...00s...with something off this album. It's weird that this album came out...what, six or seven years ago? Christ. That shit flew by. Anyway, I've somewhat gone off the shit, but this is a nice track, and to some extent it was this sort of quasi-conscious hip hop from around that time which really got me interested in...well, a lot of stuff. Anyway. Yea? Yea.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

El Perro Del Mar - Change Of Heart



I heart Miss Assbring.


Happy holidays and new year and all that good stuff. Be safe.

Andy Williams - Can't Get Used To Losing You

I don't know, man. This song's just really catchy. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I saw Sherlock Holmes, and I'd recommend it. It was fun, but not quite as gay as I'd hoped. Maybe in the sequels.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas

Poor Jesus, can't catch a break. First he was crucified, and then his birthday fell to a Jew to celebrate in song on this blog.

I'm taking two. You must suffer through the terrifying:



If you want to appreciate the sublime:

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Spacemen 3 - Ode to Street Hassle

In which our three spacemen heroes meditate on walking with Jesus.



It is a clamorous holiday; this is a hidden calm song, based on the recurring theme from the epic Street Hassle. Get away from your people for a minute and pull yourself together.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Robert Earl Keen - Merry Christmas from the Family

Here it is, a bit of southern-fried alt-country raunch for your holidays. Merry Christmas, y'all.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The Flaming Lips - She Don't Use Jelly

Yes, yes, yes, I get it. I'm pretty far behind. Way. Behind. I haven't even wrapped presents that are supposed to be open in four hours.

But there was something that happened tonight.

That scares the ever loving shit out of me.

But I'm praying that it continues to do so, if that makes any sense at all.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Jacques Dutronc- La Fille Du Père Noël



It was this or Christmas in Hollis (or whatever that's called), so there you go.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Bill Callahan - Too Many Birds



Okay, I just came across this album a few days ago and I am already thinking it is maybe my favorite album of the year. This song in particular floors me every time.

(I just realized that Tyler posted another track from this earlier this year that I missed because it was near the end of last spring's semester. So hugs to you, Tyler. I am just late to the party.)

Saturday, December 19, 2009

The Magnetic Fields - Washington D.C.

Earlier this week, as you probably know, the Washington D.C. City Council voted to approve same-sex marriage in the District. I was at work when this happened, but got an email alert. I walked over to my boss (a gay dude living in California), and told him what had happened. Seeing his face light up with excitement, I was reminded of how not-abstract this issue is. "They have no excuse now. How can California continue denying us our rights?" he said/asked, a little bit giddy. This is a defining issue of our time. There is absolutely no excuse for continuing to deny American citizens the rights afforded to the ruling class. These aren't partisan political points; these are civil rights, and those who oppose them will be ashamed as are those who opposed similar movements throughout the 20th century. I already used Mississippi Goddam here, but everybody knows about New York, everybody knows about Maine, everybody knows about California goddam. And I mean every word of it.
So here's Washington D.C. It fits me to a T.


Thursday, December 17, 2009

Breakfast In Fur - I Don't Care

Here are local heroes Breakfast In Fur with what would be their single if they were a commercial band.



Come to town, their live shows are area events, and they always close with "Blue Moon".

And such lovely people.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Magic Sam - All of Your Love

Where would I be without the record store? Not discovering a genuine badass like Magic Sam, for one.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Talking Heads - Road to Nowhere

I bet you thought I'd post the Ozzy song with the same name. DON'T LIE! I posted some crazy shit on myspace about this some while ago, about transcending from Zakk Wylde's "appealing to teenagers" guitar to... Byrne and his accompanying accordion.

Already a week into the second year of O-Dub-Y... And craziness happens.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Joe Henderson- El Barrio

I don't know. Here's a nice, random thing. I was going to do a Christmas thing today, and then I realized I have another thing before that, so I guess I'll do it next time. Anyway.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Oscar, I am sort of short on dough so I made you a mixtape for your birthday. I hope that is okay with you. Keep having wild years, in any case.

Alright, so I did a mix. I don't think anyone else is doing one, so I am going to look like an asshole who keeps doing things years after everyone else ceases to care, but I guess maybe it is too late to save that part of my reputation. Anyhow. I am actually uploading two versions of the mix. One version I mixed together in garageband into one track, which makes it flow a little smoother (plus it includes an intro and closing statement from your truly!) and sounds kind of cool, but the downside is it is sort of annoying if you are not going to listen to it in one go, because then you have to remember the time that you left off at and it is a disaster. The other version is just the mp3 files all thrown together and blah blah blah boring, but maybe you want to download that version, whatever.

(Hopefully you will listen to this and then yell at me and tell me that my taste in music is yucky and also maybe you will include something about me being an asshole, but it will be okay because at least you listened!) ((And for what it is worth you will call me an asshole either way so I win no matter what!)) ((((Wait, what?)))) ((((((((Oh no, exponential parenthetical growth!))))))))

One track version!

15 track version.

1. Deli - Delorean - Ayrton Senna EP
I am pretty sure I posted this at some point this year. It is just a pretty fun thing to listen to while you are driving!
2. This Tornado Loves You - Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Yeah yeah Neko Case is sort of the best.
3. God Help The Girl - God Help The Girl - God Help The Girl
This one I don't think I would have ever heard about if not for Aaron, so yeah, big hugs there.
4. Yalira - The Very Best from Warm Heart Of Africa
These guys are pretty fun to listen to if you are in a good mood.
5. Chains, Chains, Chains - Elvis Perkins - In Deerland
Elvis, on the other hand is more for if you are in more of a brooding mood. Okay, maybe not the best of songs to group together, but awkwardness is sort of a thing on this mix.
6. Stay Off The F*%$#n’ Flowers (feat. Raekwon) - Blakroc - Blakroc
See, a bit of an awkward transition here. Anyhow, it is a fun album.
7. My Night with the Prostitute From Marseille - Beirut - Holland EP
(Jebus, I feel like I posted most all of these songs at some point this year and have nothing new to offer.) Oh wells. I am a bit of a Zach Condon fanboy. Let me be.
8. Hardcore Gentlemen - Tanya Morgan - Brooklynati
I have listened to this song so much this year and I still giggle every single time he goes "DUN DUN NAH!" (Is that how you would spell it out? I do not know.) But yeah. Every time.
9. Sailing Home To Bodymore. - (Just listen to the thing) - lol
OKAY I DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT YOU DO BUT JUST LISTEN TO THIS ONE SONG PLEASE. (Really, I spent most of the time I was working on this thing doing this one song, which is just mixing quotes from The Wire over a song from the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack and it was really fun to do and I think it is sort of funny and stuff. AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL LISTEN TO IT!) ((If you are listening to this on the one track version you can just skip to about the 25 minute mark to listen to this and appease me.))
10. The Privateers - Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
Oh yeah, so the reason I added in the Karen O/Bunk/Bodie funfest was because there was the problem of how do you transition from the Tanya Morgan song to anything else on this mix. So my answer was to be silly. But now we are on to Andrew Bird. I love Andrew Bird. Did you notice my moniker is Andrew spelled backwards? That is how much I love this guy! I think this (or maybe the Neko Case) would be my favorite album of the year.
11. 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below
Actually, this is another contender for album of the year. "Home" was my favorite track, but I decided to go with this, because I had already posted "Home" and this is a good tune too and why not!
12. All Your Secrets - Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
You guys know I love Yo La Tengo. They are so good.
13. Dreams-Come-True-Girl (Ft. Karen Black) - Cass McCombs - Catacombs
I think I read about this album on Pitchfork and it mostly caught my attention because I saw his name and I was like "what the hell is a guy with the first name Cass doing being reviewed by Pitchfork? Aren't there lots of colleges in need of a good starting quarterback? (because his name sounds like a QB's, you see.)" and so that is why I checked it out and it turns out it is a great great album. I was humming the chorus for weeks. Now just imagine him on the football field!
14. Run Chicken Run - The Felice Brothers - Yonder Is The Clock
I have still not really forgiven Aaron for holding out on us last year with the Felice Brothers. This is just a perfect band for me.
15. Lucky Day - Tom Waits - Glitter And Doom
And then you have the obligatory Tom. (The rest of this is mostly between me and Tyler.) I like this version of this song a lot, actually. The version on The Black Rider is all circus-y and wild--which is the point on that album, of course--but it really hides the sheer beauty of this song.
Hugs to you, Tom.

And to you, O.W.Y. It's been a good year.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps

When I was in high school, I had to wake up tremendously early every morning (this surely is relatable). For fear that I would oversleep, I would wake up a solid hour earlier than I had to, and drag myself downstairs to let television seep into my brains. Eventually I realized that TBS reran two episodes of Saved By The Bell back-to-back in that timeslot, but for a long time I was blissfully ignorant of my appointment with Bayside High; I used my time watching the music videos MTV and VH1 ran in the 6-7 a.m. hour. By and large these were music videos that would not make it to their afternoon music video series (e.g., TRL); they were old, pretty cool music videos, or they were barely-run singles for bands that were almost big. Occasionally they were early releases of videos that were about to become big (I cannot tell you what "Hey Ya" looked like to a guy just barely waking up). This falls somewhere in between the latter two categories.
What made music videos so impressive for me was when, and this was rare, the musicians revealed themselves to be decent actors. As a fan of Jim Jarmusch, I am sincerely always mentally casting musicians in acting roles in my theoretical future films. (Neko Case, I will write a movie around you, I promise.) I found this music video to be completely beguiling, lyrically and visually, but I maintain it is Karen O's broken vulnerability that sells the unsettling nature of this song and video.
In terms of this blog's berfday, something I am duly observing but sheepishly attempting to circumvent, having not been present for its birth, this song clearly (to me) occupies the mental space between something damaging ending and something new (and more lonely) commencing. Sometimes all you can do is share music with your friends (or with people whom you don't know at all) in a blog with a pun title, but those expressions of feeling are sometimes all it takes to deal with the feelings themselves. I tried to play this song for (Dan) once, at the corner of Hawthorne and Orchard, but he wasn't into it. I hope you like it now Dan.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Radiohead - Everything in its Right Place

In honor of the imminent end of "Perdidos".

I've been a very, very slow adopter of Radiohead (just ask my brother). They were doing the best albums of the aughts on the "All Songs Considered" podcast and when they got to Kid A they played "Morning Bell" which of course I'd never heard but which totally punched me in the junk. So you win, Steven, I like Kid A now. (I know the rest of you have listened to this one a billion times, but its new to me.)

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Oscar's Wild Years Retrospective Omnibus


This post, like so many others, begins in Harry's car near the end of some endless suburban night. I remember that we were on the Bypass in the dark, heading towards New Rochelle when he began the necessarily convoluted explanation of the Rogue's Gallery box set. After churning through some really interesting, unusual shit, we hit something ethereal and haunting that took us right out of night-Westchester and into a softer world. Here was some unbelievable vocalist, and then we found out that Mary Margaret O'Hara was the sister of one of our favorite character actors, and acquired her only album. I have been meaning to post a song from Miss America ever since Harry sent it to me, and this one perfectly sums up, well, a year in song. O'Hara's songs are wildly eccentric, veering through beats and themes as her voice stretches and even hiccups.

Joy is the aim:



I mention this because, well, you just form personal connections to this stuff. And now I've got personal connections to this stuff, acusuv you guys. And hugs!

Monday
John Coltrane - Alabama
Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - Hot House : Erics is reliable with the jazz,
Eric B. & Rakim - Microphone Fiend : and the classic hip-hop,
Eddie Gale - The Rain : and this insane epic.
Blu - Just Another Day
Madvillian - All Caps : Late nights, Roger gets to talking MF DOOM

Tuesday
Sam Cooke - Bring It On Home to Me (Live at the Harlem Square Club) : I don't always like Aaron's newstuff, but this is one of my favorite songs, hugs.
Blossum Dearie - I'm Hip
Jean Ritchie - Careless Love
McLusky - To Hell With Good Intentions : Just like old times.
Henry Thomas - Bull Doze Blues : Lou's all over the place, I really like his turns as a music historian. Henry Thomas is pure condensed joy.
A. A. Bondy - When The Devil's Loose

Wednesday
Jewel & The Rubies - Kidnapper : Tyles!
James Cotton - There's Something on Your Mind
Bongos Ikwue - Woman Made the Devil : The smoothest, coolest song.
Dennis Brown - Westbound Train : Not just the intro, we've done really well with Songs About Trains.
Gil Scott-Heron - Whitey on the Moon
Ted Hawkins - Sorry You're Sick : "What do you want from the liquor store/ something sour, or something sweet?/ I'll buy you all that your belly can hold/ you can be sure you won't suffer no more"
Betty Wright - Mr. Lucky

Thursday - as for me, the couple I'm really happy to have found this year:
Marion Black - Who Knows
Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons
Rex Griffin - The Last Letter

Friday
Bruce Springsteen - Roulette : I didn't know about this one.
The Pop Group - She is Beyond Good and Evil : This band is crazy and Craigles reminded me to listen to them
The Kinks - Last of the Steam Powered Trains
The Replacements - Date to Church : Lots of fun, and then the special guest shows up.
The Ink Spots - I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire : What a bizarre pairing. In the soundtrack-makers' pantheon with the guys who advised Weeds
Mike Watt - In The Engine Room : Belongs on Rogue's Gallery

Saturday
She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
The Mountain Goats - Woke Up New : I was really glad to hear this one again.
William Shatner - Common People : This one too!

Sunday
Toots & The Maytalls - Love Is Gonna Let Me Down
Mick Harvey - Out of Time Man : ask my old roommates how many times I listened to this.
The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes - Home
El Perro Del Mar - God Knows

Next year in Jerusalem..

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

The Rising Sun - Do What You're Doin'

I didn't have anything special planned for Berfday Week (TM), but here you go, another track of Numero goodness from the Outskirts of Deep City album.



Keep doin' what you doin', O-Dub-Y.

Monday, December 7, 2009

HAPPY BERFDAY, OWY!

I wanted to post this before I hit the sack. I have a long day at my current training evolution right now, so I might not be around much. If I am, I'll edit this post accordingly.

For now, it's been 365 days since Tyles set this ball in motion. I posted how the rotation has changed over the course of one year... And here we are. Letting the special needs kid post the birthday song. Since I've been harping to all my less-than-stellar-intellectually fellow Marines about how much I enjoy watching The Ladykillers, I found this... most fitting for the occasion. Shine on, fellow music nuts. Let it shine on.

P.E.- 911 is a Joke

Yea, sure, why not.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Phoenix - Love Like A Sunset

Hello!



I do like this album a good amount actually. Okay!


And bonus feature is the Sex Offender Shuffle!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Otis Redding - These Arms of Mine



I'd be happy posting anything by Otis, honestly.

Friday, December 4, 2009

The Highwaymen - The Devil's Right Hand

The original Steve Earle version plays in Brokeback Mountain when Ennis meets the Linda Cardellini character in the bar. It's probably better, but this one is twangier, which is what I was looking for. Johnny Cash also recorded a sparse, bluesy version solo on one of his late-period albums.



Ian Stuart, of all people, also recorded a version with one of his bands, and I guess all one can do is enjoy the irony of that sack of shit recording a song by one of the all-time great leftist rabble-rousers. I'm not posting his version, I'll post this instead:

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Louis Jordan - Saturday Night Fish Fry

Today, early early rock n'roll (Rock Around The Clock, Reelin' and Rockin, You Can't Catch Me etc clearly owe to this recording) from a performer I just found out about on Monday.



Next week, to roughly coincide with our one-year anniversary, two good songs I just thought of, one looking backward on a year's accomplishment, the other looking forward to newtimes. Additionally I'll be taking a look through my favorite posts by day of the week and linking them into a all-congratulatory list.

Hugs!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Dr. Teeth & the Electric Mayhem feat. Muppets - Bohemian Rhapsody

So the credibility just took a nose-dive for Tuesdays.... Eat it. At least Tyles can redeem us tomorrow.

And Animal is the awesome anyway.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Half Man Half Biscuit- All I want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit

My internet travelings last week led me to an article on Dukla Prague's reemergence in the Czech second division(!), and so I figured I should probably go with this. It fits, anyway.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Story From North America - Garrett Davis

I was hoping to have a Best of '09 mix done by today (is anyone else planning to do one?) but that did not happen so I will post this which most of you will probably hate but I enjoy.



And if you did not like that just watch this video of a kid seeing a lobster for his first time and your day will be healed.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Noël Coward - I Like America


While we're waiting, here (here, hit play at the top) is a nice little song by a charming Englishman. He likes this country, and so do I.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Betty Wright - Mr. Lucky

This one gets a bit campy with the random gunshots in the intro, but the key here is Betty Wright, who just absolutely kills it.



This single was released in 1967, when she was freaking 14 years old. It was re-released on the Numero Group comp "Eccentric Soul: The Outskirts of Deep City" -- you might know them better as the keepers of the Marion Black catalog.

Watch for ups sometime soon, and happy (early) Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

MGMT - Time to Pretend

It's been over a year since I found out about them. And I still have this album playing regularly in my car. I think it sums up my recklessness better than Ozzy's "Road to Nowhere" ever could.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Black Moth Super Rainbow- Sun Lips

Heard this at a sandwich shop yesterday, and it made me smile. Hadn't listened to the album in a while, so I rectified that today. Anyway, I dig it, and don't really know if anyone else will. Here you go.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Blakroc - Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)

This is a fun album in spite of the fact that Ludacris (I just don't like him, okay.) makes an appearance.




I am also posting this little thing because it makes me happy.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Velvet Underground - I'll Be Your Mirror

Allegedly this song's genesis is that Lou Reed was feeling down and Nico told him, in her deep-voiced German accent: "Oh, Lou. I'll be your mirror." She also claimed after they broke up that he couldn't bear dating her, or any German woman, because of the Holocaust. I don't know how much truth is in these stories, but Nico's voice - especially how aggressively untrained and flat it could be - has always struck me as sort of completely honest. I completely get the sense that she is allowing herself to find a place within herself to connect with the lyrics she's singing, and can let you in on that insight. This made her a perfect match for Lou Reed's lyrics, as he's always been unable to convey anything but sneering sarcasm with his lyric delivery, and he eventually devolved into just stating the lyrics, like early William Shatner songs.
Here's I'll Be Your Mirror, which is one of my favorite Nico-sung songs, and also serves as a welcome respite from the far less forgiving and affectionate songs that precede it on the album (thought they, too, are terrific).

Friday, November 20, 2009

Chuck Berry - Havana Moon

I don't have any Civil War portraiture, because I'm all smooth now, like a seal, and good motherfucking luck finding a picture of a Civil War-era figure who isn't sporting any facial hair. Well, I guess I could say that I went from this to this. So there you go. Dan, you are the light of my life, the fire of my loins.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

CSNY - Almost Cut My Hair

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young are a bit of a guilty pleasure with me, but I'm not convinced that they should be. Sure, it's easy to scapegoat them for the general folk-rock malaise that began in the waning moments of the 1960s and carried on into the 1970s -- until punk motherfucking obliterated that shit. But take "Deja Vu," their debut as the complete CSNY -- Side A of that album is just chock full of awesome. "Carry On" is a nice Stills guitar piece, with a psyched-out interlude that is letter-perfect; Nash's "Teach Your Children" stands up against the best of the Byrds' folk harmonies; "Helpless" is classic Neil Young (although the live version in "The Last Waltz" really outshines the album version here); "Woodstock" is a solid, driving tune, if a little dated. And even if Side B is a little forgettable (if not regrettable: see the execrable "Our House"), that doesn't make Side A any less an indispensable document of the folk-rock era.

But I'm coming in here with this David Crosby bullshit, this anthem for a generation of drugged-up, burned-out longhairs? What can I say, I like it -- it's got a raw, visceral sound to it; coming right after "Teach Your Children," it's a nice palate cleanser; when Crosby snarls "Separate the wheat ... from the chaff," it gets me every time.

And I do have an ulterior motive: I shaved my beard. It happened just the other day. I didn't wipe it out completely, but I really sort of went from this to this. For the best.

CSNY: Expect lava lamps.



All five of their albums released between 1969 and 1977 went multi-platinum, which makes CSNY an exceedingly easy find on vinyl -- I picked up the three I own for a total of $2. (If you're keeping score, Deja Vu was a whole dollar.)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

A Day in the Life -- Beatles

It's one of those contemplative mornings.

And a lazy one.

But I've put off my suicide post (not MY suicide... Jesus Christ, people, have a little faith in me.) for a few months now, only because I wasn't sure how it'd be received. I'd go into a back-story, but that'll be for another day, another drunken rant at the drinkable end of a bottle of red wine.

Monday, November 16, 2009

KMD- Peachfuzz; Madvillain- All Caps

I've thought of doing a MF DOOM post before, and I figure I might as well do it today, as I've not really had any ideas for a while now.

First off, here's the video that sort of got me thinking on this a while ago. It's Mos Def talking about MF DOOM, and it's led to about a bazillion (wow, it recognizes bazillion as a word) posts on various hip hop message boards calling for a Mos Def/DOOM collaboration.



And then here's a KMD video. This was when DOOM was known as Zev Love X. If you want, look up some stuff about this group, as it's sort of interesting. Basically, this is a pretty standard, meaningless popish track, but they also did the whole five-percenter thing, and their second album (Black Bastards)was pulled because of a controversial cover/message



And then here's a track from "Madvillainy", a collaboration between DOOM and Mad Lib. Anyway, there's no real point to any of this, and that's why I'm not really explaining anything here, but I just sort of wanted to point out that this dude has had a weirder career than just about anyone I can think of. Going from pop-rap, to five percenter rap, to weird humorous villain persona in-which he's created a whole narrative that necessitates the mask, is pretty fucking bizarre.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Hüsker Dü - Diane

I've been trying to work a Hüsker Dü angle for a while, and this one works nicely. It's Friday the 13th, and this is a creepy-ass song about a Minneapolis teenager named Diane Edwards who was kidnapped, raped and murdered on her way home from work in 1980. It's also the first Hüsker Dü song that got any real national exposure (such as it was), getting picked up by college radio stations.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Band Wagon - That's Entertainment

This one lodged in my head for some reason walking down the hill. I was trying to remember the verses ("The plot could be hot simply teeming with sex/ a gay divorcee who is after her ex/ it could be Oedipus Rex") and I thought I'd share.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The Pogues - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Veterans Day and this song are two things that were born of the Great War. And on that Armistice Day in 1918, in the tragedies of Gallipoli, and of Verdun, the Somme, Ypres, the Brusilov offensive, the world learned a valuable lesson: that mankind could never again afford to glimpse the grim face of war.

And they all lived happily ever after the end.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Port O'Brien - Woke Up Today & Of Montreal - Art Snob Solutions

Why can't I have two?


Family of the Year

Geez. Hop yourself up on meds, tear out an IV you really don't want but are forced to get injected with because the docs want to "lower your body temperature," and basic flu symptoms almost prevent you from keeping a promise.

That I made to the lovely ladies of the band I feature today.

This was the band that is opening for and touring with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros on their tour this holiday season, which I am proud to say kicked off in Solana Beach on the 3rd, at the BELLY UP TAVERN, WHERE YOUR GOAT SOAKED IN SOME GOOD LIVE MUSIC TO KICK OFF A LIVE NOVEMBER!



It's good to have attractive young ladies perform as part of your band, and it's even better when the audience can tell you've got cohesion and a bit of musicianship to bring to the table as well. I for one could tell they were having fun on stage and the added bonus of being able to meet and greet, so to speak, with some of them during the Edward Sharpe performance made my night. They set the tone for how the music was to sound and if you ask me, they outperformed The Deadly Syndrome, which actually served as a bit of a lull which saw my friend sneak out to the car and sleep. The bastige.

P.S. -- I really should have asked Christina (the keyboardist) out. (Vanessa is the vocalist.) There's my Goat. moment for the year. (Buuuut she's got all this touring thing going on, and I've got the deployment, and she's probably already dating a rock star etc etc etc.)

Monday, November 9, 2009

Homeboy Sandman- Lightning Bolt

This dude apparently graduated from Penn, and then dropped out of law school to do the whole "broke MC" thing. Last year this video started sort of becoming known on the internet, and that's basically how he's made any sort of name for himself.

The track/video is pretty stupid, but whatever, I dig it. He's slowly been coming out with more stuff now, but to my knowledge there hasn't been an album. Anyway, here you go.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Gentleman Reg - It's Not Safe

I find this song extremely affecting. I think it's probably the lyrics, which I think would also work tremendously well as nonmusicked poetry, but is really something as a song. Sorry, anyway, here it is.

Friday, November 6, 2009

The Friends of Distinction - Grazing in the Grass

I must have heard this one on the radio recently, some bumper music or something, and it always makes me smile. That's all, no ulterior motive on this one, just a fun-ass song for a Friday.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Velvet Underground - Train Come Round The Bend

If you'll allow me to indulge in a City Song. What city? The City, if you were wondering, the one that has The Stadium in it.



Hugs!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Ted Hawkins.

I wish I could say I came across this guy while thumbing through a record bin and coming across his album. Instead, I heard one of his songs on KEXP, our local independent radio station, the other day. He's an interesting story, full of the hardship and personal tragedy worthy a blues man. I guess I'll go ahead and compare him to Sam Cooke, too, because everyone else does. All but two of the tracks on his first two albums are original compositions, which I guess surprises me for a guy who spent most of his life as a street performer. Of course, not many street performers have the talent he had.

It's not often I find a new (to me) artist that grips me the way he has. As a result, I went a little crazy with the YouTube uploads. Take your pick from these three:





And here's his take on our national health-care crisis:



All three of the above come from his 1982 debut, "Watch Your Step." I did go out and find his second album, "Happy Hour," on vinyl, which is even better than the first. But I can't for the life of me find a digital copy.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

The Avett Brothers - The Day That Marvin Gaye Died

I hope that by today we're keeping with what I believed to be a theme on Tuesday, when I wrote this post SHH KEEP IT A SECRET THAT I DO THIS SOMETIMES. The Avett Brothers are kind of getting big now, in the form of being played in Starbucks all the time, but I think I was introduced to them by a friend of mine out of Oklahoma, who kept ALMOST hanging out with them. I hope it's not too late for me to still be into them?
"I should have told you we were in love."

Friday, October 30, 2009

Elvis Costello - Less Than Zero

This one goes out to Nick Griffin, who had a much publicized appearance on the BBC's "Question Time" last week and came across, according to general consensus, like a doughy-faced baby who also hates brown people and homos and Jews. (The Mr. Oswald mentioned in the song is Oswald Mosley.)

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Little Walter - My Babe

I'm sorry if this is late, but I've been almost alarmingly happy today. And so what if we've gone sad this week. Really today was fabulous, & so's this.



(Mute Joe Buck and put on something cool instead. I've got some collected Ennio Morricone going on here, and I think I'm going to have a whisky and cider.)

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Leonard Cohen - Diamonds in the Mine

So we're doing melancholy this week, which is something that Leonard Cohen does better than most. But not so much here in this track from "Songs of Love and Hate." Guess which category this one falls under?



(I should add my inspiration here is twofold: 1) I picked up this album on vinyl a couple months ago; 2), and primarily, I just found / downloaded a great newly released (but not so new) Leonard live album.)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Lou Reed - Perfect Day

One everybody knows. And Eric may have indirectly started a theme for this week.

I was trying to compile a list of the most depressing songs that have ever tickled my eardrums. And amidst this, a genius of a friend made the glorious observation:

"Beez, you listen to some really depressing shit."

I asked the question for him, basically... "How do you bottle up these negative emotions you draw from this music and project such a sunny disposition?"

Easy... I'm saving it all for the best time to let it go. God help the world.

Thought you all might enjoy the Boyzone cameo.



P.S. - I found Emmylou Harris astonishingly hot in this video. Holy shit.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Blu- Just Another Day

I've raved on this dude before, but this is some early, pre-Exile shit that I hadn't heard 'til recently. So, here you go.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

El Perro Del Mar - God Knows

Hey everybody!

This is a song by Sarah Assbring that I like. Cool!



Ha'fa nice day!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Fiona Apple - Tymps

She's crazy, right? Isn't that the thing about her? Well anyway this song is off of Extraordinary Machine, an album that she shelved because she hated, then fans whined about it so much she re-produced it (leaving some tracks with the original Jon Brion production) and released it and it's awesome. This is my favorite song from it.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Suicide - Shadazz

I haven't the faintest idea why the person who made this video paired together this song with that film clip but why the fuck not.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Muddy Waters - She's Nineteen Years Old

This one's got a big finish, you have to hear the end. (You have to hear the end at last.fm.)

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Warren Zevon - Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner

Warren Zevon isn't a particularly difficult find on vinyl -- I bought Excitable Boy for $5 at Easy Street, and self-titled for a dollar at Goodwill. If I had more ambition, I'd compare and contrast him with then-labelmate Tom Waits, both of whom appeared on Asylum in the mid-to-late 1970s. For a Dylan connection, I'll go with: 1997's Time Out of Mind is named for a lyric from "Accidentally Like a Martyr" from Zevon's Excitable Boy.

I'm not a huge Zevon acolyte, but I like him, and I don't think he gets much better than this song. The video here is Zevon's final live performance; he died of lung cancer in 2003.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Madlib-Slim's Return

This is off an album called "Shades of Blue", which is basically just sort of nice remixes of Blue Note tracks. The track uses "The Book of Slim" by Gene Harris & The Three Sounds, and throws in some other samples ("Sound of the Police", for example). Here you go.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Nina Simone - Mississippi Goddam

This song actually reminds me of two important songs: "That Old Black Magic," as sung by Sammy Davis Jr, and Public Enemy's "Welcome to the Terrordome." The former because Nina has Sammy's tendency (or Sammy has Nina's tendency) of inserting these excellent asides into their songs; before launching into the crescendo that ends his song, Sammy announces: "Meanwhile, back at the ranch...," in Nina's case, it's possibly the greatest note in music history, "This is a show tune, but the show hasn't been written for it yet."
The way it resembles "Welcome to the Terrordome" is that the thing we often forget about Public Enemy is how great a rapper Chuck D is. We already know that Public Enemy's songs are incendiary and smart, but "Welcome to the Terrordome" reminds us that the dude can spit hot fire (much like the five greatest rappers of all time; Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, and Dylan).
"Mississippi Goddam" was a big deal in its time as a protest song, but it also just totally rocks. Nina Simone's fucking awesome, the end.

Friday, October 16, 2009

The Style Council - Shout to the Top

Is there a time and a place which is inexplicably romantic to you? Like, early-70's New York, when the city had gone to pot and had become generally a pretty dangerous place is one of those places for me. Intellectually I know it'd be a terrible place to live but I still can't help but think of it in romantic terms. I'm not talking about the greeting card Woody Allen version of social-climbing Jews going to see French films and then back to their midtown apartments to drink wine and discuss existentialism, I'm talking about the seedy, vicious place from Taxi Driver and The French Connection, full of pimps and thieves and people who'd just as soon shoot you as look at you.

Another one of those places is early-to-mid-80's London. After the self-immolation of punk, in the midst of Thatcherism and the pockets of neo-fascism it dragged along with it. When the cultural gifts that London gave to the world were whatever mid-tempo R&B songs Stock Aitken Waterman had vomited up this week. Part of it is the fact that gentrification hadn't completely absorbed London yet, so the working classes were still (if barely) hanging on in the city. But I guess maybe what I really romanticize is the idea of living in a World Capital that's at a low ebb in terms of its broader impact on the culture, because it's a place where anything is possible, and where if you can hang on you know things can only get better.

This is a song by the fairly execrable Style Council, although it's pretty decent by their low standards. It's bland and MOR and totally sounds like mid-80's London.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

No One and the Somebodies - Bike

The legendary Westchester band, four brothers and dear to us all. Noise-punk, jazz-punk, waltz-punk, I don't know.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Velvet Underground - Lady Godiva's Operation

The John Cale last week got me to thinking that we've featured songs by both founding members of the Velvet Underground, but nothing from their band.

So here they are, teaming up on vocals in this whirling terror from White Light / White Heat.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Bob Marley and the Wailers- Burnin' and Lootin

(yea, no real ideas for today, but I (re)watched La Haine last night, so...here you go)

The Evolution of "Wild Thing"

Maybe I should have waited a couple months, considering the title... But that's irrelevant now.

That drew... Getting me on a Condo Fucks/Troggs trip. I ended up picking up a Troggs record last time I was out and about on payday. And this latest little indulgence into music history is the result.

So's, the original was written by Chip Taylor circa 1965 and recorded first by The Wild Ones in the same year.

We all know how well The Troggs did in '66, moving then to Monterey Pop where Jimi Hendrix added his obviously acid-fueled twist on the song before setting his guitar on fire.

Most notably for me, though, isn't the Major League rip by X.

It's this, the point to which the decade of the 80s allowed this song to fully degenerate.



(I still like it.)

Where's the song now? In the hands of one Prince, disturbing the very fabric of space and time like he always does.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Elton Motello - Jet Boy Jet Girl

I heard this song for the first time as the pre-show music at an awesome concert, and that has definitely made it more endearing for me. But also, I really enjoy the way the song sort of skates the edge of sexual violence to a degree that makes me uncomfortable. This is maybe not what was intended, but I think it really makes you think about what can be considered consent. ANYWAY ENJOY IT'S A PARTY.

Friday, October 9, 2009

John Cale - Fear is a Man's Best Friend

It's kind of a shame that the other people don't get involved here - they all get together for "Ship of Fools," but I don't think that's as interesting of a song. It's also too bad that he tends to play this one without drums, because it's got a kick-ass drum break. But anyway, here's John Cale, with some special friends looking on, playing my favorite John Cale song.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Rex Griffin - The Last Letter


How am I going to get you to listen to a country song from straight-on nineteen and thirty-seven? Well, Rex Griffin does come with the Dylan stamp of approval. Today's song is one of those several scattered songs from our past that Dylan borrows a melody from - see if you can place it.

The song is The Last Letter, and it is clear and sad and quiet. It is a contained calm pocket of despair. Put it on and sit there and let it seep into you.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Bill Withers - Grandma's Hands

My grandmother passed away last week, before dawn Thursday. This news did not come as a great surprise -- her health had been failing in the past few years, and particularly in recent months. I had spoken with my dad just the night before she went, and he had said that my grandma -- his mom -- wouldn't be here much longer. This was a woman who was born in 1915 in Peru, Nebraska, who spent the years of the Great Depression as a young adult, attending nursing school in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Who married in Springfield, Mo., and not until 1944, a few months before her 29th birthday, and who raised four children, had 13 grand-children, 16 great-grandchildren.

My mother's parents lived hours away by car, but Grandma Roush lived in the next town over. In my childhood, particularly in the first ten years, hers was "grandma's house." And as I grew into adulthood, she never seemed to change -- her stoic but loving personality never wavered, and her mind remained clear and sharp. She was already into her 70s when I first knew her, and for more than two decades of my life, she simply was. It got to be that, even as her health began to fade in recent years, when a birthday would roll around, I'd count one more year down to 100. I wasn't under any illusion that my grandmother would live forever, and yet I have never known another person with such an unwavering strength. She was a constant, for so many years. Her service was yesterday, and we gathered as a family to say goodbye, and also to celebrate a life fully lived.

Now, my grandma was not known as much of a music fan, apart from a few church hymns, but I wanted to dedicate my day to her. Rest in peace, grandma.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Melpo Mene - I Adore You


This one is for Benne, since he is adored.

A charming enough song, from yet another Swedish singer with a thing for dreamy folk music. It is cute, but then the cracks start to show. Wait, is this just an ad for Louis Vuitton? Well, sort-of, at least the video is a clip from a show sponsored by Vuitton by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who's probably best known for the terribly NSFW piece 'My Lonesome Cowboy', which sold for $15.2 Million. I can only assume someone was sent to pick it up for the buyer, its just not the kind of piece you allow yourself to be photographed with.

So there you go, Benne, anime and cute folk music.

Monday, October 5, 2009

A Tribe Called Quest- Scenario

It was playing out of someone's speakers as I walked to class this morning, which was a pretty nice start to the day. And so here you go.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home

This was what I did during the past week, was listening to this album.


Saturday, October 3, 2009

Focus - Hocus Pocus

Oh dear God please let this work. I'm forgoing my posting privileges for Tuesday to make room for this impromptu face-melting moment of glory in my lifetime. (I think I'm just still coming down from the liquor/wine drunk from last night and dancing with Mexican girls half my height, but ah well.)

(Also, MuchoSucko is being stupid, so I've waited on YT to stop being stupid too and posted it from there.)

Hole - Celebrity Skin

I just got out of seeing Whip It, which I found a tremendously good time and also made me cry a bunch shut up you guys. The only complaint I had was that the entire soundtrack was not done by Hole.
We have a tendency to recall Courtney Love as the devil on Kurt Cobain's shoulder, left behind to wander the earth making terrible decisions like an unraveling id. While that's not entirely inaccurate, to gloss over her music would be a mistake. I find Hole to rock pretty seriously hard, and also carry some Feminist Themes, which is what I am so all about. When do we get a Courtney Love avatar, you guys?