When I was a little kid, Sunday mornings were often spent watching a movie doubleheader. First up was a Blondie and Dagwood film (starring Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton), followed by one of the Ma and Pa Kettle movies. The films were predictable, mindless fun that were perfect accompaniments to our morning cereal.
Even though I've gotten older, I still appreciate silly guilty pleasures. My favorite films not to be taken too seriously (and gratuitous blurbs):
Office Space: Cubicles have never been funnier!
Happy Gilmore: Adam Sandler hits a hole-in-one and saves his grandmother's house, too!
Disorderlies: The Fat Boys and Ralph Bellamy defeat the evil plan of Luke from General Hospital!
Cabin Boy: Chris Elliott's tour-de-farce!
House Party: Kid and Play make this film a "funhouse" party!
Pixies: "Head On" (mp3)
Cursive: "Art Is Hard" (mp3)
Radiohead: b-sides (mp3)
Muse: b-sides (mp3)
Coldplay: b-sides (mp3)
Bootleg Mashups: audio and video (mp3 & mov)
More raves for Nellie McKay and her new album, Get Away From Me:
Let Nellie McKay become a huge star. Let her find fame and fortune and fantabulous success. Because at just 19, this supremely gifted, charming and darkly funny New York oddball has all the makings of the first great singer-songwriter of the young century.
McKay's penchant for offhand satire and warped musical-comedy allusions aligns her more closely to skewed songsmiths such as Randy Newman and Van Dyke Parks.
WFUV's live Nellie McKay concert from February 20, 2004 (streaming media)
Dolce No: 2004-01-23, Cambridge, Massachussetts (mp3)
Super Furry Animals: two 2004 shows (bittorrent)
Moonbabies: audio and video (mp3 & mov)
Camera Obscura: three songs (mp3)
Arab Strap: audio and video (mp3 & wmv)
Pinback: two songs (mp3)
Kimya Dawson has a livejournal, as well as an online diary. The antifolk artist and ex-Moldy Peaches member is a personal favorite, her solo work is genuine, spontaneous, heartfelt and sometimes silly, sometimes sad.
Not only a talented musician, she is a visual artist as well, with a show currently at the Spitz in London, "These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things," with other noted musician/artists Daniel Johnston, Jad Fair, Devendra Banhart, and Jeffrey Lewis.
The Kimya Dawson online mini-mixtape:
Lucky Number Nine (realvideo), from The Moldy Peaches
"Lucky Charms" (realvideo), from The Moldy Peaches
"Two Princes" (realvideo), from Unreleased Cutz and Live Jamz 1994-2002
"Lucky Number Nine" (mp3), from The Moldy Peaches
"Everything's Alright" (mp3) from I'm Sorry That Sometimes I'm Mean
"Heroes 2002" (live mp3)
"The Beer," (live mp3)
iTunes Music Store: Facelift For A Corrupt Industry
Uncut magazine's twenty best double albums
John Ashcroft sings (streaming video)
WWJD? (That's J for Jello, as in Biafra)
Athens' Flagpole interviews Henry Rollins.
British Sea Power is interviewed in the Denver Westword.
Low's Alan Sparhawk opens up to SF Weekly.
Grant-Lee Phillips: KCRW 2003-02-23 (realaudio and realvideo)
Strokes: "Reptilla" video (streaming video)
Nellie McKay: 4 songs, line from Studio 4A, NPR (mp3) (thanks, Juan)
Jagjaguwar Records: several songs by their artists (mp3)
Bright Eyes: several live songs, including three from the ACL: Festival, 2003 (mp3)
18th Dye: "Fragile Stars" (mp3)
Pixies: a couple of live songs (mp3)
Smashing Pumpkins: various songs (mp3)
USA Today profiles one of my favorite debut artists this year, Nellie McKay. Her album, Get Away From Me, is an eclectic mix of well-written songs that deserves a listen. Give this 19 year-old musician a chance with the following downloads:
The Nellie McKay video from her performance on Letterman is available, as are four other videos on her site. Other downloadable McKay goodness: Two demos and four live shows (mp3). Nellie interviewed on NPR with two live songs (realaudio).
Our Cancer Year is an amazingly honest look at dealing with cancer, both individually and as a couple. The book, brilliantly illustrated by Frank Stack, has Harvey Pekar (of American Splendor film and book fame) struggle to overcome lymphoma with the help of his wife. Pekar and his wife gloss over none of the painful trials this causes, and their true love and determination to beat the disease together shines through.
Next in the 52 Books, 52 Weeks project is The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro, by Joe McGinniss. The story of a small Italian soccer club among the bigger teams in the Serie B, the book was recommended by frequent commenter Phil, and it's a book that I've been eying for a couple of years now.
The Guardian's "greatest internet sports games of all time"
Bishop Allen has updated their tour diary
Flak remembers Bill Hicks ten years after his death
Sufjan Stevens: outtakes from Michigan (mp3) (via santesh)
Various Artists: assorted songs (wma)
Cocker Spaniels: songs and video (mp3 & mov)
J. Mascis: 2001-02-03, Cleveland and 2001 Rolling Stone sessions (mp3)
Thalia Zedek: wonderful out of print music (mp3)
Thalia Zedek: "1926" (mp3)
Steve Wynn: songs and interviews (mp3 & realaudio)
Lots of songs courtesy of fingertips (mp3)
Audioslave: 2003-01-24, Milan (mp3)
Jane Weaver: 2002-06-12, French radio (mp3)
Folk Implosion: 2002-06-11, French radio (mp3)
Mary Timony: 2002-04-30, French radio (mp3)
Kings Of Convenience: 2000-12-18, French radio (mp3)
1. Your favorite song with the name of a city in the title or text.
"Los Angeles," X
2. A song you've listened to repeatedly when you were depressed at some point in your life.
"I Want The One I Can't Have," The Smiths
3. Ever bought an entire album just for one song and winded up disliking everything but that song? Gimme that song.
"Autobahn," Kraftwerk, from Autobahn
4. A song whose lyrics you thought you knew in the past, but about which you later learned you were incorrect.
"Back To Saturn X," Guided By Voices
5. Your least favorite song on one of your favorite albums of all time.
"Dedicated,' on the Amps' Pacer
6. A song you like by someone you find physically unattractive or otherwise repellent.
"Crazy Train," Pat Boone (file under "otherwise repellent")
7. Your favorite song that has expletives in it that's not by Liz Phair.
"No Culture Icons," The Thermals (mp3)
8. A song that sounds as if it's by someone British but isn't.
"Chasing Heather Crazy," Guided By Voices
9. A song you like (possibly from your past) that took you forever to finally locate a copy of.
"Electronic Eden," The Brains
10. A song that reminds you of spring but doesn't mention spring at all.
"Fun Loving Nun," Of Montreal
11. A song that sounds to you like being happy feels.
"Jumping Fences," Olivia Tremor Control
12. Your favorite song from a non-soundtrack compilation album.
"Top Of The World," Shone Knife
13. A song from your past that would be considered politically incorrect now (and possibly was then).
"Senor Santa Claus," Jim Reeves
14. A song sung by an overweight person.
"Lucky Girl," the Gerbils
15. A song you actually like by an artist you otherwise hate.
"Crazy Mary," Pearl Jam
16. A song by a band that features three or more female members.
"Kill Your Belly," Shonen Knife
17. One of the earliest songs that you can remember listening to.
"Twist and Shout," the Beatles
18. A song you've been mocked by friends for liking.
"Stairway To Heaven," Dolly Parton
19. A really good cover version you think no one else has heard.
"Hello Walls," Jason and tbe Scorchers
20. A song that has helped cheer you up (or empowered you somehow) after a breakup or otherwise difficult situation.
"Stuck In A Pagoda (With Tricia Toyota)," The Dickies
Extra tracks, if you have more room:
21. A song you've listened to while fucking/masturbating.
"Boylife In America," Cody ChesnuTT
AND/OR
22. A song not in English—preferably a foreign-language version of an English-language hit.
"Master of the House," from Les Miserables (the Japanese touring company recording)
You're Lolita!
by Vladimir Nabokov
Considered by most to be depraved and immoral, you are obsessed with sex. What really tantalizes you is that which deviates from societal standards in every way, though you admit that this probably isn't the best and you're not sure what causes this desire. Nonetheless, you've done some pretty nefarious things in your life, and probably gotten caught for them. The names have been changed, but the problems are real. Please stay away from children.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
I couldn't be happier, not necessarily for the subject matter, but for the author. Nabokov is a personal favorite. (link via neighbor and 35 year-old DMB fan and self-professed geek Webgrits)
Random lust: "Alabama Fo' Shizzle" t-shirt
for Max: Eric Joyner's tin robot paintings
Downhill Battle, your one-stop source for music activism
"Two Sides Of Beef: From a slaughterhouse to a vegan house, a carnivore seeks the middle path to ethical eating," from Seattle Weekly
Presidents Of The United States Of America: 2003-05-30, Roanoke (mp3 & shn)
Radiohead: live songs (mp3)
Science songs (mp3)
Audio Dyslexia: demo songs (mp3)
Julie Doiron (and assorted others) (mp3)
Green Pajamas: three songs from Ghosts of Love (mp3 and realaudio)
"Gun," John Cale and Siouxie Sioux (mp3) via totally fuzzy
Today's shopping trip lacks the "must have" releases of previous weeks, but a couple of the releases will eventually find their way into my home. The release of Dave Chappelle's first season is the highlight of the week for me.
The priorities (will be picked up today):
Air - Cherry Blossom Girl (Astralwerks) (CDS)
The Minus 5 - In Rock (Yep Roc) (CD)
Will Oldham - Seafares Music (Drag City) (CD)
Chappelle's Show - Season 1 (Paramount) (DVD)
The merely interesting (will be picked up used or on sale):
George Harrison - Live in Japan, reissue (Capitol/Dark Horse) (CD)
Grant-Lee Phillips - Virginia Creeper (Rounder) (CD)
The Passion Of Christ soundtrack (Sony) (CD)
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists - Dirty Old Town (DVD)
Devo: Live (Wea) (DVD)
Anything I'm missing ?
When we first moved south, my family took a leisurely drive from Philadelphia to Alabama. Somewhere in Virginia, we started to see barns painted with this slogan, and these continued all the way to our destination. Oddly, I only saw Rock City three years ago, an it hardly seemed to live up to the hundreds of miles of anticipation.
Internet Killed The Video Star (flash)
from Slatch: The guys who founded Epitonic have another startup: betterPropoganda. They're serving up mp3 goodness and exclusive interviews.
from Tim: Enon is interviewed in Filter.
from everyone: Today is Grey Tuesday.
Yo La Tengo: 1999-12-12 radio performance (mp3 & realaudio)
Ween: many live shows, rarities and demos (mp3)
Neutral Milk Hotel: Beauty & Hype City Soundtrack albums (mp3)
Of Montreal: Disconnect The Dots," from their upcoming Satanic Panic in the Attic CD (mp3)
Elf Power: "Never Believe," from their upcoming album, Walking With The Beggar Boys (mp3)
The Stairs: demos and songs (mp3 & realaudio)
With spring training in session (for pitchers, catchers and voluntary workouts), I find myself devouring every bit of news about my favorite team (the Phillies) and anticipating the upcoming season.
I am especially fond of interesting baseball books, here are my favorites of the moment:
The Great American Novel, by Philip Roth: I've read this wartime farce several times, and I'm always laughing out loud throughout the book.
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., by Robert Coover: This is an amazing novel that follows a clerk and his fascination with his dice-based baseball simulation. Eventually the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur, and that's where the novel takes off. I particularly enjoyed this book because I played baseball board games as a kid. My brother and I would eagerly await each year's shipment of the Strat-O-Matic cards, and draft our own teams for our own league.
You Gotta Have Wa, by Robert Whiting: Superficially, this book examines Japanese baseball and its differences with the American game, but it actually transcends that and examines both Japanese and American culture.
The Catcher Was A Spy: The Mysterious Life Of Moe Berg, by Nicholas Dawidoff: Major league catcher Moe Berg was a riddle wrapped in an enigma. A Princeton graduate with a Columbia law degree, Berg played 15 major league seasons, spied in World War II for the OSS and was a mystery to almost everyone during his lifetime. This book tries to open his life to the world.
Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, by Bill James: Bill James is a leader in statistical analysis of baseball, and his theories are taking hold in the evaluation and valuation of players and strategy.
Veeck As In Wreck: The Autobiography of Bill Veeck, by Bill Veeck: Baseball's master showman shares his history.
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis: Billy Beane, young GM of the Oakland Athletics, has turned the baseball world on its head with an emphasis on statistic-based scouting. The book manages to make the subject come alive.
Summer of '49, by David Halberstam: Chronicling the 1949 pennant race between the Yankees and Red Sox, Halberstam (my mother-in-law's high school classmate) writes of the titans of the day, Dimaggio and Williams while postwar America.
Bang The Drum Slowly, by Mark Harris: If you have only seen the movie (my favorite baseball film, by far), you are in for a treat when you read the book.
Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy, by Jules Tygiel: This is an excellent look into the integration of major league baseball, but the book is more than that. The state of baseball (as well as the country) before and after integration is studied, in both the Negro and major leagues.
In honor of the national pastime, does anyone have a favorite baseball tome I may have missed? This seems like a great time to read a baseball book...
Morrissey finally has an official website, and has announced a one-off Manchester show on May 22nd. His new album, You Are The Quarry, is released May 18th, with the single, "Irish Blood, English Heart," coming out March 22nd.
John Cale lists his desert island singles for BBC 4:
1. Dylan, She Belongs To Me
2. Velvets, Some Kinda Love (Live 1993)
3. Beach Boys, In My Room
4. Beatles, She Said, She Said
5. Elbow, Switching Off
6. Leonard Cohen, Alexandra Leaving
7. Westminster Abbey Choir, Song of Athene (Diana, Princess of Wales: Funeral Service)
8. Peter Gabriel, Here Comes The Flood
His other choices:
Record: She Belongs To Me - Bob Dylan
Book: Repetition by Alain Robbe-Grilles
Luxury: Express coffee machine with coffee beans
Gemma Hayes: radio performance and live show (mp3)
Built To Spill: live set (mp3)
Ween: 1998-01-30, Philadelphia (mp3)
Rolling Stones: live songs (zipped mp3)
Mike Keneally: live songs (mp3)
The A-Lines: two studio & two live tracks (mp3)
Radiohead: assorted covers, live and interviews (mp3 and realaudio)
Drum Solo Collection (realaudio)
Pernice Brothers: live London show (mp3)
Carl Wilson, music critic for the Toronto Globe and Mail, also publishes his toughts in a weblod, Zoilus. His review of the Mountain Goats' We Shall All Be Healed, entitled "Fate Healers: The Mountain Goats' 12 Steps into the Valley of Death (and 13 Steps Back)" is worth reading for fan and music lover alike:
So what to make of all this? A feral gang of crystal heads in a motor inn does not sound nearly as universal a subject as a couple in a hellish marriage, and it isn't: WSABH won't affect most people as direly and directly as its predecessor did, and it will take longer for listeners to find their place in it, to settle in around the fire (which Darnielle just happens to have built with books from your library and a few sticks of furniture while you were out, didn't think you'd mind) and take in the tale.
LoFi magazine reviews Bergman Rock's Silence album. For those of you out of the loop, Bergman Rock is Swedish supergroup (super to me, at least) bob hund with English vocals.
Badly Drawn Boy: BBC Radio 2 documentary, "All Possibilities" (mp3)
The Fire Theft: "Chain" (demo mp3 & mov)
Cursive: "Some Red Handed Slight Of Hand" (video)
Daniel Johnston: random song (mp3)
Cardigans: two live shows (mp3)
Strokes: 2004-02-04, House Of Blues (mp3)
William Gibson's Pattern Recognition was a quick read, filled with internet jargon and pop culture, but the ending left me wanting. This was the first book I've ever read as an e-book, a horrible experience I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. From now on, my literature will be on paper and ink, thank you. A laptop screen is a poor excuse for the printed page.
Having recently seen American Splendor, my appetite has been whetted for the graphic novel mentioned in the movie, Our Cancer Year, so I've chosen that as my next book in the 52 Books, 52 Weeks project.
Hellacopters: Peel session (mp3)
Zzzz (early Unicorns): two songs (mp3)
The Unicorns: several songs (mp3)
Radiohead: 2002-08-07, Salmanca, Spain (mp3)
Radiohead: 1997-11-19, MTV 10-Spot (mp3)
We've been watching a lot of movies lately. Since Saturday, we've watched eight films, an astounding number for a couple that usually sees that many a year. The cold, rainy weather and a new Netflix account have been contributing factors to our newfound love of the cinema.
Our films so far this week: Lost In Translation, Fellowship Of The Ring, The Two Towers, Return Of The King, American Splendor, Finding Nemo, Ice Age and The Triplets of Belleville. Of course, Lost In Translation and The Triplets of Belleville were our favorites, but we were surprised how good Finding Nemo was. American Splendor was entertaining, as well; Harvey Pekar is no longer a Letterman curiosity to me.
I'm not anti-movie, it's just that the action adventure flicks and teen comedies that flood the local cineplexes do absolutely nothing for me. I'll take clever and witty over violent and crude. My wife prefers romantic comedies. Anyone seen a good film lately on the small or big screen? All recommendations are welcome and appreciated.
I discovered this yesterday via Bootleg: RealVideo clips from the 2003 Montreaux Jazz Festival. Included are the entire performances from the Streets, Flaming Lips, The Roots, Beth Orton, Radiohead, Yo La Tengo, Brendon Benson and many others. The YLT show made me smile all afternoon, I'm looking forward to their next tour.
Beth Orton: KCRW guest DJ spot (RealAudio)
Beth Orton: more KCRW appearances (RealAudio)
Camper Van Beethoven: four songs from their "Tusk" album (mp3)
Spyro Gyra: live songs (mp3)
Jets To Brazil: live show, NYC, Irving Plaza (mp3)
For the Rilo Kiley fans out there, set your Tivos: two Jenny Lewis movies are set to appear in the wonderful world of cable programming this Saturday, February 21st. "Blind Hate" (aka "Line Of Fire"), a 1991 release, will be on Court TV at 5 pm EST. Then, "Sweet Temptation" from 1996 will be on Lifetime at 9 pm EST.
As work yet again interferes with my daily blogging, I'll redirect you to some good weblogs that offer mp3 downloads:
frank payne
said the gramophone
Teaching The Indie Kids To Dance Again (great title)
The Mystical Beast
Nellie McKay: two demos and four live shows (mp3)
Nellie McKay: videos (mov)
Big Head Todd and the Monsters: demos (mp3)
Modest Mouse: 2000-01-15, Portland, and assorted songs (mp3)
Many, many rarities from the Beatles, White Stripes, Radiohead and others (mp3)
David Bowie (streaming audio and video)
Scat is re-releasing Guided By Voices' Propeller and Bee Thousand on vinyl, and is holding a poll to choose which original Propeller cover to use for the reissue.
In other GBV news, frontman Bob Pollard is holding an online garage sale, with help from Rockathon, and selling and auctioning several signed posters. Buy something and keep this man in beer money.
In lieu of this week's Tuesday Tunes (while I hunt for storage space and bandwidth) is a collection of eight The The live shows spanning seventeen years.
Miles Davis Quintet: 1969-07-26, La Pinède, Juan-les-Pins (mp3)
Radiohead: "Down By the River," Neil Young cover (mp3)
Radiohead TV: episode 3 (mov)
All Girl Summer Fun Band: six songs, three videos (mp3 & mov)
Strokes: songs & videos (mp3, mpg, wmv, avi)
Pezzcore: demos (mp3)
American Music Club: "Ladies and Gentlemen, It's Time," from their upcoming album, (mp3)
Tuesdays I usually take a long lunch, head to the record store, and get my weekly fix of new releases. It's a good week for new releases, there are no less than four cd's that I'm picking up (thank god for gift cards).
This week's gem: the long-awaited Mr. Wong DVD. This internet Flash phenomenon, written and voiced by South Park writers Pam Brady and Kyle McCulloch, manages to never be politically correct but always to be funny. The cartoons bring to life Bing Crosby's aging alcoholic houseboy, Mr. Wong, and his love-hate relationship with his new masochistic employer, Miss Pam. The theme song (mp3 link), sung by Davey Jones, gives you a hint of its content.
Also on the shopping list this week:
Lambchop - Aw C'mon (Merge) (cd)
Lambchop - No You C'mon (Merge) (cd)
Mr. Wong (Maverick) (dvd)
Preston School of Industry - Monsoon (Matador) (cd)
Mr. Wong (Maverick) (dvd)
Superchunk: Crowding Up Your Visual Field (Wea) (dvd)
Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles (5RC) (cd)
Not on my list today, but interesting enough to look for in the bargain and used bins:
The Casual Dots - Casual Dots (Kill Rock Stars) (cd)
The Damned - Punk Generation: The Best of the Damned (Anarchy Music) (cd)
Indigo Girls - All That We Let In (Sony) (cd & dvd)
John Wesley Harding - Adams Apple (Artemis) (cd)
Pilot to Gunner - Get Saved (Arena Rock) (cd)
Trans Am - Liberation (Thrill Jockey) (cd)
The Big Band: Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton (Navarre) (dvd)
The Front (Columbia TriStar) (dvd)
Reservoir Dogs (Artisan) (dvd)
V/Vm Records: downloadable compilation album (mp3)
Ellen Allien: three songs (mp3)
LFO vs. Dizzee Rascal: "Freak Up, Look Smart" (mp3)
Tortoise: several songs (mp3)
My Bloody Valentine: several songs (mp3)
Some Wilco videos from Jools Holland:
War On War (wmv)
I'm The Man Who Loves You (wmv)
Natalie Imbruglia: 2001-12-03, Milan (mp3)
The Walkmen: three songs (mp3)
Bjork: videos (mov)
Nine Inch Nails: 2000-05-07, Pittsburgh (mp3)
Adrian Belew: audio and video (mp3, avi, wmv)
This week's Tori Spelling bridal registry: Williams-Sonoma (who would have guessed she was such a homebody).
My favorite find this week: BlogFC, a world soccer weblog.
Bonnaroo is looking very attractive with Wilco, Yo La Tengo, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Ani Difranco, Beth Orton, My Morning Jacket, Gillian Welch, Grandaddy and the Black Keys. The ticket prices(almost $160 after service fees, and that's the early discounted tickets), make it a bit pricey, but the lineup is tempting.
Wilco: 2003-10-19, Boston (registration required) (mp3)
U2: 1989-12-30 BBC (mp3)
Blur: assorted downloads (mp3 & midi)
Hood: live & b-sides (mp3)
Oliver Sacks' The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat was a surprisingly easy read, considering it dealt with neurology. The clinical tales are clearly detailed and explained in laymen's terms, while reading like fantastic short stories of the organic mind.
Next on the nightstand is Pattern Recognition by William Gibson. Many people have recommended Gibson, and somehow he's passed me by. One of this project's aims is introducing myself to new authors, and this is a fine example.
With Valentine's Day coming up, I've been thinking about my wife often (more than usual) this week, specifically the ways we complement each other. We have open minds, can appreciate each other's tastes, and enlarge our worldviews.
Musically, she's moved from merely putting up with the music I play to relishing some of my favorite bands like Wilco, early Guided By Voices, the Mountain Goats and Hang On The Box (her current favorite). Often a relationship is defined not only by by its similarities, though, but also by its differences. She still cringes when I play Deerhoof, the Boredoms, Melt Banana, Xiu Xiu and Daniel Johnston. I'd rather share what we love at home and load up on these in the car and at work, but part of me eternally hopes she'll come around on these, too, though by now it seems doubtful.
DJ Danger Mouse: The Grey Album (mp3)
Colin Meloy (of the Decemberists): live songs, including Morrissey's "Every Day Is Like Sunday" (mp3)
Trash Can Sinatras: audio & video (mp3 & mov)
Sigur Ros: live shows (mp3)
B-52's: 1982-11-26 (shn)
New Order: interviews and live songs (mp3)
REM: new songs (mp3)
From John Sakamoto's "Anti-Hit List" in the Toronto Eye today:
2. GUIDED BY VOICES & JULIAN CASABLANCAS, "Glad Girls" (live): An absolutely joyful rip through the GBV track from Isolation Drills that makes you realize just how potent a band The Strokes could be if they consistently had access to material as kick-ass as this. (From the net)
As The Apple Turns points out the iTunes songs you can buy that are completely silent. Myself, I prefer the silent songs labeled [EXPLICIT].
A moneysaving tip: save your hard-earned cash and listen to the 30 second previews for free!
If you know a Captain Beefheart fan, you might want to pick them up this Don Van Vliet (aka the Captain) Riding Some Kind Of The SKull Sleigh box set, including:
an original, signed color etching
a deluxe 9 1/4" x 12 3/4" x 2 3/4" slipcase
Riding Some Kind Of Unusual Skull Sleigh (88 pages)
Splinters (96 pages)
spoken word CD
YoYo Stuff DVD, a 1994 filmed observation by Anton Corbijn
It's limited to 1,500 signed and numbered editions in the Rhino Handmade series.
Iggy Pop: live songs (mp3)
They Might Be Giants: assorted songs (mp3)
Indigo Girls: live songs (mp3)
The Monkees: songs, interviews, commercials (mp3)
Indie songs (mp3)
ACDC: some rare songs (mp3)
Deerhoof's hotly anticipated next album, Milk Man, is set to be released March 9th on Kill Rock Stars. The title track is available to download (mp3 link). If you love raucous, deconstructed noise pop, give these guys a listen.
Today's indie evangelistic tracks, from the book of Deerhoof (with many thanks to the Puzzling Music Archives):
"Milk Man" (mp3), from Milk Man
"Dummy Discards A Heart" (mp3), from Apple O
"Sealed With A Kiss" (mp3), from Apple O
"My Diamond Star Car" (mp3), from Apple O
"Apple Bomb" (mp3), from Apple O
"L'Amour Stories" (mp3), from Apple O
"Blue Cash" (mp3), from Apple O
"This Magnificent Bird Will Rise" (mp3), from Reveille
"Holy Night Fever" (mp3), from Reveille
"The Eyebright Bugler" (mp3), from Reveille
"Our Angel's Ululu" (mp3), from Reveille
"Top Tim Rubies" (mp3), from Reveille
"Rabbit Dog" (mp3), from Cool Beans #10
"Red Dragon" (mp3), from Halfbird
"Trickybird" (mp3), from Halfbird
"Xmas Tree" (mp3), from Halfbird
"Magic Star" (mp3), from Holdypaws
"The Great Car Tomb" (mp3), from Holdypaws
"Polly Bee" (mp3), from The Man, The King, The Girl
"Gore in Rut" (mp3), from The Man, The King, The Girl
"The Pickup Bear" (mp3), from The Man, The King, The Girl
"Sunnyside" (mp3), from Halfbird
"My Pal Foot Foot" (mp3), from Better Than the Beatles: A Tribute to the Shaggs
Live at WFMU April 2003 (mp3)
Live at WFMU June 2002 (mp3)
Live 2000-2003 (mp3)
Live at Club Hot! 2000 (mp3)
Live in Montreal August 2003 (mp3)
Sebadoh: 1 1/2 live shows and some rare tracks (mp3)
PopNose: Tom Ewing strikes yet again with daily downloads (mp3)
Tilly and the Wall: 2004-01-28, Omaha (mp3)
Rilo Kiley: 2004-01-17 NYC show added (mp3)
REM: 1992-11-19, Athens (monthly boot) (mp3)
Suede: a 2003 London show and other songs (mp3)
Audioslave: live video (mpg)
The Decemberists folky, lush and retro (we're talking mandolin-retro) sounds harken to a simpler time. The band's lyrics are filled with clever turns and archaic terms, but fit the music perfectly. If you haven't already, give these guys a chance...
Some Decemberists for a cold, February day:
"The Soldiering Life" (mp3), from Her Majesty The Decemberists
"Red Right Ankle" (mp3) from Her Majesty The Decemberists
"Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect" (mp3), from Castaways & Cutouts
"Shiny" (mp3), from 5 Songs
Sharing The Groove turns one year old today. The lossless live music sharing community has grown by leaps and bounds. Like a baby, it continues to amaze with its growing skills and diversity. If you use the Groove and would like to give them a present, stop by and make a Paypal donation at their site.
How diverse is the groove? Today shows by Mose Allison, Boz Scaggs, Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Phil Lesh, Metallica, Loudon Wainwright III, the Miles Davis Quintet and many others were seeded for download. Many thanks not only to the STG website builders but also to the community.
Gregory Dean Smalley (warning, sound) was a mainstay of the Georgia music scene in the 80's and 90's, playing in the Diggers, the Blacktop Rockets, The Wellsprings of Hope, and Whisper Garden not to mention his numerous solo shows. He was taken way too early from this world, and Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers wrote this song, "The Living Bubba," to honor this fine musician. Read Hood's piece from Paste Magazine chronicling Smalley's life and the writing of this great song. Having been a true fan of Smalley's music, the lyrics always hit me square in the gut:
"I’m sick at my stomach from the AZT
Broke at my bank cause that shit ain’t free
But I’m here to stay at least another week or two
And I can’t die now cause I got a show to do."
On an uplifting note, the other song this week is also from the Drive-By Truckers' Alabama Ass Whuppin', "Too Much Sex, Too Little Jesus."
Today's lunchtime shopping list includes the following new releases:
Greg Davis, Curling Pond Woods (cd)
Liars, There's Always Room on the Broom (cd)
Sun Ra, The Cry of Jazz (dvd)
Warren Zevon: Keep Me in Your Heart (dvd)
These are released today, but I'll look for them in bargain bins in the next couple of weeks:
Norah Jones, Feels Like Home (cd)
Lucy Kaplansky, The Red Thread (cd)
The Cramps, Live at Napa State Mental Hospital (dvd)
H.R. Pufnstuf, The Complete Series (dvd)
The Residents, Demons Dance Alone (dvd)
Not on my list, even if it's in the dollar bin:
The new Courtney Love, from what I've heard, it's an overproduced rehashing of Celebrity Skin (which thrilled me very little). It is nice that a non-explicit version has been produced for the kiddies, though. You're still a role model, Courtney...
Bearsuit: several songs (mp3)
Girls Against Boys: two live shows (mp3)
Super Furry Animals: 2000-06-06 Hoboken (mp3)
Tanya Donnelly: "The Night You Saved My Life" (mp3)
Essex Green: "Primrose" (mp3)
Franklin Bruno is best known for his ten years fronting Nothing Painted Blue. His collaboration with John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats, The Extra Glenns is a personal favorite, as well. However, in my eyes, it's on his three solo albums that Bruno's sparse arrangements and clever wordplay come to the forefront.
Some musical love, via Franklin Bruno:
"Clean Needle" (mp3) from Kiss Without Makeup
"Thin Weak Smile" (mp3) from Kiss Without Makeup
"A Cat May Look At A Queen" (mp3), from A Cat May Look At A Queen
"Blue's The Only Color" (mp3), from A Cat May Look At A Queen
I started making my wife a Valentine's mix yesterday, digging through cd's I haven't listened to in months, adding a hundred or so songs to a prospective playlist to be weeded down to less than 80 minutes.
What would you put on a Valentine's mix cd for your significant other?
There's a new music blog on the block: Hold My Life. If the first couple of posts (mentioning Wilco, GBV, Paul Westerberg, Superchunk, the Alarm and others) are representative of future output, I'll be a regular reader.
Jeff has moved his Syntax Of Things to Typepad, started posting "The Song On The Brain," an changing mp3 download, and continuing to post about books, music and life.
Jawbreaker: 1992-03-21 (mp3)
Smashing Pumpkins: Machina II (bootleg) (mp3)
Elliott Smith: many live shows (mp3)
Ani DiFranco: 1994-07-14 (shn)
Grateful Dead: many live shows (mp3)
Big Country: 1991-03-10 (mp3)
Roxette: unreleased songs and bootlegs (mp3)
Rage Against The Machine: several bootlegs (mp3)
Cocteau Twins: rare and unreleased tracks (mp3)
Cody Chesnutt: "Look Good In Leather" (mp3), from The Headphone Masterpiece
White Stripes: several live shows (mp3)
Radiohead: b-sides, demos and rare songs (mp3)
Elvis Costello said it best: "If Kitty Wells made 'Rubber Soul' it would sound like Laura Cantrell."
Check out her weekly radio show, The Radio Thrift Shop, on WFMU Saturdays from 12 to 3 Eastern, where she plays hidden gems found in bargain bins, church bazaars, and, yes, thrift stores.
Laura was also a recent guest on Boston's WBUR's On Point program, discussing her career and her music.
The online Laura Cantrell mix CD:
"When The Roses Bloom Again" (mp3), from When The Roses Bloom Again
"Conqueror's Song" (mp3), from When The Roses Bloom Again
"All The Same To You" (mp3), from When The Roses Bloom Again
"Not The Tremblin' Kind" (mp3), from Not The Tremblin' Kind
"Do You Ever Think Of Me" (mp3), from Not The Tremblin' Kind
"Churches Off The Interstate" (mp3), from Not The Tremblin' Kind
"Two Seconds" (mp3), from Not The Tremblin' Kind
"Roll Truck Roll" (mp3), from the Hello EP
unreleased covers:
"Poor Side Of Town" (Johnny Rivers)
"Legend In My Time" (mp3) (Don Gibson)
"Indoor Fireworks" (mp3) (Elvis Costello)
"Hong Kong Blues" (mp3) (Hoagy Carmichael)
unreleased or live:
"Conqueror's Song (live)"
"Christmas Letter Home"
Monty Python: low quality clips (mpw, wav, au)
Kate Bush: demos, live and rare songs (mp3)
Morrissey: live, rare and unreleased tunes (mp3)
Nick Cave: audio (zipped mp3's) and videos (zipped)
Mercury Rev: 2002-06-29, Belgium (mp3)
Lambchop's website parody of Friendster had me laughing.
The band's two new albums, Aw C'mon and No, You C'mon drop February 17th, and a souther US and overseas tour follows. You can listen to snippets of six of the new songs at Lambchop Music (or your favorite filesharing service).
More Lambchop love:
"The New Cobweb Summer" (mp3), from Is A Woman
"The Old Matchbook Trick" (mp3), from Is A Woman
"Is A Woman" (mp3), from Is A Woman
"You Masculine You" (mp3), from Nixon
Many thanks to Crushing Krisis and Achtung Baby! for their recent kind words. Coming from two people that obviously also have a passion for music, I especially appreciate the shout outs.
What should I get renowned thespian Tori Spelling for her wedding?
Recycle your free Pepsi iTunes songs to help independent artists in need.
Speaking of iTunes, if anyone wants to get me a mini iPod, I'll take it in green (my mailing address is on my wishlist). Of course, I'll still take the regulation size as well, I'm not too picky.
Tori Amos: live shows (BitTorrent links)
The Stone Roses: 1990-06-09 Glasgow (zipped mp3's) <-- Burned By The Sun
Drive-By Truckers: "Margo & Harold," (mp3) from Alabama Ass Whuppin'
Guided By Voices: Hamburg, 2003-09-18 (flac, BitTorrent download, registration at Sharing The Groove required)
Minus 5: Dear Employer(The Reason That I Quit), live from 2003-09-14 (mp3) from Down With Wilco
Scott McCaughey: "Too Much Wine," live Handsome Family cover on KEXP
Flagpole's Threats And Promises hypes the upcoming Elf Power album, Walking with the Beggar Boys, on Orange Twin, and hints at a big tour this spring. Most interesting tidbit: Vic Chesnutt added his vocal talents to several tracks.
Some Elf Power to move you into the weekend:
The Winter Is Coming (mp3), from The Winter Is Coming
2001-02-03, Ann Arbor show (mp3)
If you're looking for eclectic mp3 links, head over to Achtung Baby! Anyone who's into both Nabokov and Nellie Mckay is tops in my book.
Vic Chesnutt (mp3)
spinART Records (mp3)
Queens Of The Stone Age: 2003-12-12, Seattle (mp3)
Bush: 1995 Minneapolis Bootleg (mp3)
Radiohead: 1993 Black Session (mp3)
The Roots: three new shows up at The Roots Live, including a knockout 1995 Lollapalooza performance (mp3)
Middlesex is a novel I found myself savoring, longing for every subplot to last forever. The magically written story of a genetic male raised as a female, it combines historical fiction, romance, and psychological drama in a way few books have. Many thanks to Valerie, Erin of Mannequin Hands, and Kari for the recommendation.
Book number 7 is The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, by Oliver Sacks a selection of essays exploring rare neurological disorders. This book has been on my radar for a couple of years, so when Cathy of Bent Back Tulips recommended it, I took it as a sign that the time is now.
White Stripes Peel Sessions (mp3) <-- Burned By The Sun
Queens Of The Stone Age: 2002-11-06, Stockholm (mp3)
Pearl Jam: live shows (mp3, shn)
DJ Shadow: live at One LIve in Nottingham, 2002 (mp3)
Radiohead: 1995 Black Session (mp3)
Jim Carroll: poems, songs, covers (mp3, RealAudio)
When I finally listened to Sufjan Stevens' Greetings From Michigan:The Great Lakes State last month, I realized that the Neutral Milk Hotel comparisons didn't do the man justice. The lush orchestration alone makes this record stand out.
If you can't wait for his next release, Seven Swans to be released March 16th, look for it on your favorite filesharing service for a preview.
Some Sufjan Stevens to make your day more pleasant:
Holland from Michigan:The Great Lakes State (mp3)
Outtakes from Michigan:The Great Lakes State (mp3)
Year Of The Tiger, from Enjoy Your Rabbit (mp3)
A Winner Needs A Wand, from A Sun Came (mp3)
Demetrius, from A Sun Came (mp3)
From the latest issue of Chunklet:
Neal Pollack interviews himself
Roger Miller of Mission of Burma interview
Fred Armison interview
Travis: 2003-08-17, La Route du Rock, Fort St Père, Saint Malo, France (mp3)
Classical Music, courtesy of MIT (mp3)
Drive-By Truckers, "People Who Died" (mp3)
Marilyn Manson, "People Who Died" (mp3)
Boink!, "People Who Died" (mp3)
Edson covers "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" (mp3)
With the release of the Mountain Goats' We Shall All Be Healed, today is officially John Darnielle Day (at least within 10 feet of me). "All Mountain Goats, all day" is my motto today...
Today's songs are covers by the Mountain Goats. First is "Two-Headed Boy," originally by Neutral Milk Hotel. Second is the Suede song, "Trash."
For your downloading and listening pleasure, please enjoy the following tracks by the Mountain Goats and JD's side project with Franklin Bruno, The Extra Glenns:
"Palmcorder Yajna," from We Shall All Be Healed
"No Children," from Tallahassee
"Baboon," from The Coroner's Gambit
"Family Happiness," from The Coroner's Gambit
"Source Decay," from All Hail West Texas
"Love Cuts The Strings," from Protein Source Of The Future... Now!
"Star Dusting," from Bitter Melon Farm
"Going To Port Washington," from Ghana
From The Extra Glenns:
"Going To Marrakesh," from Martial Arts Weekend
"Ultra Violet," from Martial Arts Weekend
Franz Ferdinand: debut album (mp3) <-- AudioJunkies
Various Daily Songs (mp3)
Vivaldi (mp3)
Assorted Songs (mp3)
Bright Eyes: live songs (mp3)
Paul McCartney: live and radio appearances (mp3)
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the release of Bob Pollard's Kid Marine, and with it, the birth of The Fading Captain series.
I remember my excitement. After two albums that failed to meet my grand expectations of Guided By Voices (Mag Earwhig! and Do The Collapse), Kid Marine was refreshingly straight-ahead and raw, following grandly and successfully in the tradition of Pollard's first two solo albums, Not In My Airforce and Waved Out.
In the past four years, there have been 29 releases in the Fading Captain Series, among them full band side projects, collaborations of postal rock, b-side compilations, live shows and rareity releases. Like a GBV album, some are stellar to my ears: the aforementioned Kid Marine; Lexo & The Leapers, Ask Them; Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department (with Doug Gillard); Suitcase; Choreographed Man Of War. Less enchanting to me are the collaborations, two with longtime GBV member Tobin Sprout (Tower In The Fountain Of Sparks and Life Starts Here) and one with Superchunk's Mac McGaughan (Go Back Snowball).
In the series, there is always something for the dedicated fan, many vinyl-only releases for the purists, and plenty of Pollard's lyrical imagery. I have to admit, though, that I haven't bought anything in the series since Choreographed Man Of War (#14). Most of the releases have been given to me, but I have no use for vinyl and most of the cd's have been traded in.
The first great album of the year is released tomorrow, The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed. John Darnielle shares heartbreaking tales in his inimitable way (look for a full review later this week). Take my advice, though, the songs are amazing and John Vanderslice works his usual production magic to make this possibly the best album of the year.
Centro-Matic - Flashes and Cables (Misra)
The Church - Forget Yourself [Limited Edition] (Cooking Vinyl)The Elected - Me First (SubPop)
Microphones - Live in Japan (K)
The Owls- Our Hopes and Dreams (Magic Marker)
Summer Hymns - Value Series Vol. I.: Fool's Gold (Misra)
The Walkmen - Bows and Arrows (Record Collection)
The Walkmen - Little House of Savages 7" (record collection)
On the DVD front, there are:
Lost In Translation
The Beatles - The First U.S. Visit
House Party
House Party 2
House Party 3
The King of Comedy
Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart
Okie Noodling
I have The Mountain Goats, The Elected and Centro-Matic on my lunchtime shopping list tomorrow, as well as the Lost In Translation DVD, I can wait for everything else to either show up in a used or bargain bin.
Suicide Girls interviews Craig Thompson, author of the illustrated novel, Blankets:
DRE: What made you call Blankets an Illustrated Novel? Are you not fond of the term graphic novel?
CT: I don’t like it. It’s not that big of a deal because a lot of people have asked me about this and a lot of cartoonists get into arguments over it. I wasn’t thinking too much but I just wanted to fiddle with people’s preconceptions of the form and it seems to work. Almost all the sales have been in bookstores and a lot of the people I am talking to have never read comics before in their life. I think it probably helped that I had this enigmatic subtitle on it.
One of the best things about downloading live audio via Sharing The Groove, etree and others is discovering new communities.
The following BitTorrent trackers are dedicated to individual artists and list shows, demos, and videos available:
Bruce Springsteen #1
Bruce Springsteen #2
Neil Young
Tori Amos
Pink Floyd
U2
New Orleans bands
Colorado Bands
Arab Strap: 2003-05-01, Paris (mp3)
Assorted DJ Sets (mp3)
Butthole Surfers: several "buttlegs" (mp3)
The BellRays (mp3)
Coldplay: 2003-03-02, Pittsburgh (mp3)
Liars: "There's Always Room On The Broom" (video)
Neil Young: assorted live stuff (mp3)
Radiohead: 2003-03-07, Paris (mp3)
Rilo Kiley: live shows, b-sides and covers (mp3)
stellastarr**: "My Coco" (video)
Strokes: live cover of the Clash's "Clampdown" (mp3)
XTC: live shows, jam sessions and television appearances (video, mp3, shn)
Saddle Creek's weekly movie: Rilo Kiley in a radio appearance (you can never have enough Jenny Lewis).
Morrissey's best friend sent him this e-card (warning: audio and video).