Where there’s a new Liars single, there’s sure to be an unnerving video to follow. (Not that it was always this way. Their video for “Houseclouds” is the most adorable I’ve ever seen.) Check out the disjointed CGI for the heavy-electro dance track “Brats”.
Bonus: Here’s Liars recent KEXP session.
Remember when Beck’s Record Club – Annie Clark and Vincent Hart from St. Vincent, Sergio Dias from Os Mutantes, Liars, etc. – got together to cover INXS’s Kick album in its entirety? Here’s video of all the songs from the session.
It doesn’t all work, but then, not all of the original album worked, either. And the Record Club definitely did interesting things. The final track is completely unrecognizable as an INXS song outside of the lyrics, and it’s rather compelling.
Challenge!
I couldn’t let my co-blogger’s post about the Sisters of Mercy’s cover of “Jolene” pass without throwing in another great cover of Dolly Parton’s tortured plea. The White Stripes released their version as a B-side in 2000, and Jack White’s strained vocals and angular guitar work add a note of desperation not found in the original.
This video comes from the White Stripes Under Blackpool Lights DVD.
The first time I heard this song was in the late spring of 1996.
I was sitting on the floor of a friends’ flat in Glasgow, half listening to them talk and half listening to the music coming out of the stereo – everything they played was new to me, at the time – and when this tune came on, I listened to two verses in stunned baffled silence before finally asking Who is that and is he for real singing a Dolly Parton song?
The answers are: a) Andrew Eldritch, of the Sisters of Mercy, b) yes, yes he is.
It remains one of my favorite versions of Jolene, as well as one of my favorite cover songs of all time.
http://youtu.be/AdUHxFKCQBs
Because every time I listen to it I find something new and interesting within the layers of tones, and because it’s the exact sort of full-throttle industrial-flavored jam I need in my life in general, but even more so for the next week and a half.
It’s a free download on Soundcloud for right now; the “official” release is August 4, the same day Milan Jay (now with new drummer!) will be at Indiependence in Cork.
In The Shadows Of Footsteps (Free Download) by Milan Jay
For more music from Milan Jay, visit their bandcamp page. And if you like you can read my thoughts on some of their earlier work (spoiler: I like their tunes a lot) over here.
It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.
In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.
We first “met” David Horton, a.k.a. @popa2unes, at the inaugural Couch by Couch West, where he was rightfully voted “Favorite Twitterer”. It was clear from the start that “Popa” was an enthusiastic and proactive guy who loved to help promote the writers and musicians he liked. So proactive that he sent this read/listen/drink submission in without even having to be asked! But we are more than happy to celebrate David for all the love he’s thrown our way.
Now David is funnelling that proactive enthusiasm into his own gig, writing for his music blog Popa’s Tunes.
Without further ado, the incomparable Popa…
Good Read:
In His Own Write by John Lennon
Sometimes it’s hard to herd your words into a sentence let alone curb the words you heard in your head. I love to sit down with this book after a tasty toke or two or three and just let John Lennon’s play on words meander around in my head. It is an adventurous journey into the English language by someone who has been a hero to me throughout my life.
Good Listen:
A Space in Time – Ten Years After
Released in 1971 this is the bands seventh album and a departure from their earlier Alvin Lee fast fingering heavy blues releases, here they mix a more progressive rock flavor into the songs, with more acoustic guitar and echoey vocals and a bit more social commentary content in the lyrics. On no other Ten Years After album will you find, for instance, two tracks as moody as ‘Here They Come’ and ‘Let The Sky Fall’. ‘Here They Come’, is based on a slow, entrancing acoustic riff with a slight medieval influence; it’s dark and a little bit creepy. ‘Let The Sky Fall’, on the other hand, features a reworking of the ‘Good Morning Little Schoolgirl’ riff, but with an entirely different purpose: the song is supposed not to let you rock your ass, but to contemplate some vivid psychedelic associations, what with all the backwards guitars and special synth effects.
As with the above book it is best served with a tasty toke or two or three, cause everywhere is freaks and hairies, man.
Good Drink:
A cooler full. Cause really, is one enough?
“Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” – Crash Test Dummies
I still like the song, but I know haters are gonna hate. I wouldn’t have brought it up here, though, if it hadn’t led me to this “Weird Al” Yankovic parody. Those of you who were cognizant in the ’90s might want to brace yourselves for the time warp.
“Headline News” – “Weird Al” Yankovic
Then, confluence as Al joins the Crash Test Dummies for a performance at the 1994 Canadian Music Video Awards.
“Headline News” (snippet) – “Weird Al” Yankovic with Crash Test Dummies
Now step outside for a moment and appreciate the fact that it is no longer the ’90s.
It’s coming back! They showed ’em it could still be done, last summer in Cleveland, spawning the Year of Deep Blues this year with the return of the original DBF in Minnesota last month and DBF Northwest coming up early next month. And Cleveland will be doing it again this year, with another great line-up.
Favorites will return from last year, like Scissormen, Ten Foot Polecats, and the incomparable Molly Gene One Whoaman Band. And new don’t-miss acts are on the slate for this year, like Husky Burnette, the uniquely entertaining Bob Log III, and the great Robert Belfour. Damn!
Here’s the info:
Saturday September 22 2012
THE BEACHLAND BALLROOM
15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland, Ohio
$20/all ages/5pm EST start/4pm EST doors
Scheduled bands:
BOB LOG III
ROBERT BELFOUR
SCISSORMEN
TEN FOOT POLECATS
HUSKY BURNETTE
MOLLY GENE ONE WHOAMAN BAND
THE BLUE TREADS
THE MISERY JACKALS
SHANE SPEAL
If you’re outside of Cleveland, you can purchase your tickets through Ticketweb. Though I recommend locals purchase tickets from one of your friendly local establishments.
This year’s DBF Cleveland will be dedicated to late musician Jeff Norwood, who passed away this spring.
Deep Blues Festival Cleveland Official Website
Alex Greenwald and Z Berg, during LAX
I’m putting this shot first mainly because it is my favorite from the evening. I’m fond of the song, too, even though at first Alex Greenwald + what seems to be a frilly love song = major cognitive dissonance.
But by his second verse – So I carved both our names into my pale white chest/Asked you to do the same/It seemed a reasonable request/I nearly lost it when you said yes. – things have taken a turn back towards familiar and deeply weird territory.
Overall feelings: It was a great show. They powered through a selection of tunes from their new record, Suicide Pact (out now!), including the title track, Heartbeat (now with super-creepy ’80s horror movie video!), Never Enough, Cleverly Disguised,Get What You Want and Square One, and also did an awesome cover of Elastica’s Connection.
They are on the road with the NYLON + Starbucks Summer Tour through the end of July, and after a few of their own shows will be headed out with the Superhumanoids in August. Check their listings and see if they’re coming near you.
Here are a few more pictures:
Z Berg and James B. Valentine
Alex Greenwald
Michael Runion
Z Berg
Alex Greenwald, Michael Runion, and Z Berg. Jason Boesel is there but hidden by his drums!
For no other reason than sometimes this song gets stuck in my head and I have to put it on repeat for a little while and then tell the Internet get your glitter and your heels we’re going out.
Okay maybe one other reason: check out those harmonies at the beginning. Angels never sounded so good.
