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June 11, 2006
Largehearted List - June 11, 2006
Another week, another Largehearted List of the eleven most interesting music blog posts I read this week:
Berkeley Place offered downloadable "Fishbone Live A to Z."
This week, an A to Z from what was once, hands down, the best live act in the business. Since then, there’s been some hostile breakups, a cult-joining (or brainwashing, depending on who’s telling the tale), and a lawsuit for false imprisonment by one member against the rest of the band. Now, not so good. But still fun. I like to think of FB as the first rap-rock band.
Bradley's Almanac taped and shared one of Radiohead's Boston shows.
A few personal highlights: Guitarist Ed O'Brien's total enthusiasm during the peak of 'Fake Plastic Trees' (even after all these years), closing the main set with 'Planet Telex', Colin Greenwood's stellar rolling bass lines on 'Where You End And I Begin', Thom Yorke's 'Idioteque'-idiot dance, 5,000 voices behind me singing along to 'Just', and ending the night with 'The Tourist'.
Cable and Tweed dug up three mp3's of Eddie Vedder singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," but the bonus Harry Caray download won my heart.
A tradition at Chicago's Wrigley Field has long been that the crowd sings along with a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch. For years, this was led by Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray who passed away in 1998. Since then the team has had each game's version sung by some sort of celebrity. There have been horrible versions (Coach Ditka's comes to mind), great ones, and everything in between. One celebrity who has capably led the song at least three times is Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. Today I'm offering up two of those performances captured from streaming videos.
Chromewaves profiles Mojave 3 and and reviews their new album, Puzzles Like You.
As promised, Puzzles is easily the band's peppiest work since Out Of Tune and even eclipses that for sunshininess. Those who favour the bands quieter, gentler side can still take solace in numbers like "Most Days" and "You Said It Before", though those are only temporary reprieves from the sumptuous pop that dominates the rest of the album.
Harmonium interviewd Dave Hamelin of the Stills.
Harmonium: When you play live, is there a noticeable contrast between your old and new material?
Hamelin: It’s been melding itself together. I don’t know – our [new] record’s not that different. I don’t see it as this massive, massive departure like everybody’s saying. There’s singing on it… and it’s the same kind of melodies…. I think. I don’t know. Maybe. Whatever.
I Am Fuel, You Are Friends offered several tracks that exhibit the "blistering beauty" of live Pearl Jam performances.
Pearl Jam has been absolutely shredding the stage these last few weeks since their tour began in May (well, April if you count the London Astoria pre-show). Right out of the gate, Pearl Jam are rocking relentlessly, and bringing out some treats for the setlists. They are converting even the hard-hearted -- the jaded who think of them as has-beens who can't rock any more -- and I couldn't be happier.
Marathonpacks reviewed the song, "Something Isn't Right," from the new Matthew Herbert album, Scale.
That this song isn't cranking out of every car stereo and every kegger this summer (I live in a college town) is just a damn shame. The opening track on Matthew Herbert's newest and bestest album ever Scale, "Something Isn't Right" (mp3) has so much more right about it than so many other songs you will hear this summer, or this year.
Mars Needs Guitars had music bloggers discuss their favorite shoegaze tracks.
For me Shoegaze is an introspective dreamy music, a background soundscape to life. There is a certain calming effect I achieve when listening to Shoegaze - droning guitars are my friend. The element of female vocals in early Shoegaze is an attribute that I really love - ref. Lush, MBV etc..
rbally shared a 1992 My Bloody Valentine performance.
I don't recommend that anyone new to MBV start with this set as it captures that audience-indifferent side of the band, with an 18-minute, noise-filled and bludgeoning version of You Made Me Realise, one that brings back memories of that miserable performance . . . and yeah this doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement of this show. But it's worth it for those who know the band . . . it sounds excellent, and as many aren't familiar with this side of the band, it's a lesson of sorts.
To Die By Your Side celebrates the opening of the World Cup by posting football (soccer to me) songs.
We continue our journey north of the border with an officially unofficial football anthem from Primal Scream. With spoken word vocals from Irvine Welsh it is, if truth be told, a curious affair. Neither a rousing, singalong terrace anthem nor an emotionally stirring call to arms, it is however a uniquely dubby, trippy musing on being a modern day football fan.
You Ain't No Picasso previews US summer music festivals.
Surprisingly, the most attractive thing about the Pitchfork Music Festival isn’t the stellar lineup, but rather the price: $30 for a weekend pass. You read that correctly; 38 bands for $30. You can’t get a deal like that on iTunes.
