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.
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
Through the blog, I have the immense fortune to listen to fantastic musicians I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Few have been finer than Doc Dailey & Magnolia Devil from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
Follow the link to pre-order their new album, which is sure to be a gem, and help them raise funds for the album’s release. They have 30 days to raise $6,000. The more of Doc Dailey’s music there is in the world, the better the world is.
Doc Dailey & Magnolia Devil @ indiegogo
Doc Dailey & Magnolia Devil Official Website
Doc Dailey & Magnolia Devil @ Facebook
Liars’ Angus Andrew has said, “If we aren’t confusing people, it’s not us. If we aren’t confusing ourselves with what we do, then we’ve failed.” WIXIW (pronounced “wish you”), the new album from Liars, rounds off the sharper edges of their sound and throws a thick blanket of texture over it. That’s not to say they have ditched chaos and gone straight. But instead of bursts of jagged drum, guitar and screams, the chaos is created by layers of found sound (as I listen to the album now, I can hear two or three species of frog chirping and peeping along with hardwood thwacks in a digitized echo chamber and some sort of animal/human cries of panic – that’s what it sounds like to me, at least). The result is a cloud that is soothing and entrancing at times, claustrophobic at others.
“No. 1 Against the Rush” – Liars
Liars will be bringing this cloud, and more from their 12 years worth of back catalogue, to the Grog Shop in Cleveland on July 27, with Unknown Mortal Orchestra playing support. We have the pleasure of giving away two prize packs, each consisting of two free passes to the July 27 show and a signed Liars poster. To enter, just leave a comment below, with a valid e-mail address (so we can contact you for further information if you win). Two winners will be chosen at random on July 25. Good luck!
Liars
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Friday, July 27
9 p.m. (doors 8 p.m.)
$15
Grog Shop
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.
Our feature on the Wind-up Birds has only just scrolled off our front page, and I’ve already brought them back. But when a band is named after a novel (in this case, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami), it’s a cinch that they should take part in this series. That and the fact that I fucking love them and their smart, meaty “noisy pop”. I’ve been compelled to listen their album The Land at least once a week since first hearing it, and it will easily make, and possibly top, my favorite albums of 2012 come December.
So, I’m very happy to have these lovely gentlemen – Oli on drums, Ben on bass, Mat on guitar, and Kroyd pulling vocals – share some great recommendations with us.
“Meet Me at the Depot” – The Wind-up Birds
Oli
Good Read:
American Psycho by Brett Eastern Ellis
I saw the film then read the book. The book delves a lot deeper into Patrick Bateman’s psychotic and pedantic nature which made me laugh, especially the entire chapter on Phil Collins.
Good listen:
Days – Real Estate
Ha. Bet the rest of the band thought I’d put Wowee Zowee (by Pavement). Real Estate are sort of mellow and have ace guitar melodies. The drums stand out cause they sound really well thought out and the vox reminds me of Wayne Coyne at times.
Good drink:
Ginger Real Ale (link is example of one brand of ginger real ale)
I’ve found this in a few pubs and it’s ace. Like the best beer combined with ginger biscuits/cake/snaps. Goes down brilliantly.
Ben
Good Read:
Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets by David Simon
An incredible book about an appalling subject: a year in the life of Baltimore’s Homicide Department, who deal with almost a murder a day. Absolutely compelling from the first page, the fact that Simon manages to capture the horror, the hopelessness, the camaraderie and black humour of the job, whilst wrapping it all into a gripping narrative is quite astonishing.
Good Listen:
Curses – Future of the Left
If you ask me this tomorrow it’ll be different, but today it’s Curses by Future of The Left. A storming debut: brutal, angry, snarly guitars and spiky synths over great slabs of filthy bass, and punishing drums. Best thing to come out of Wales since The Holy Bible (The Manic’s album, not the rather fanciful book….).
Good Drink:
Grand Marnier
My Mum got me into this, telling me it was an old family recipe to help get rid of a cold. Doesn’t exactly cure colds, but after a few you don’t feel too shabby anymore. It’s a bit decadent, but I love a glass of this over ice whilst working through a good box set of DVDs. It’s seen me through Battlestar Galactica, Eastbound and Down, Boardwalk Empire and most of The Wire so far!
Mat
Good Read:
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
He writes without pretention and he understands how different people think. Both things I find very impressive.
Good Listen:
Overcome by Happiness – The Pernice Brothers
The difference between an average songwriter and a great one isn’t that huge. A slightly different angle taken on a familiar theme. There is nothing ground breaking about the music on this album, but it is the sound of Joe Pernice, a classic songwriter at the top of his craft. The title track has my favourite middle 8 of all time.
Good Drink:
Margarita
Not the washing-up liquid of bought margarita mix or the big bowls of watery rubbish from Mexican Restaurant chains. Four shots tequila, three shots freshly squeezed lime, two shots triple sec. Shake with ice, serve in salt rimmed glass and feel alive!
Kroyd
Good Read:
Retromania by Simon Reynolds
Its a great but fairly depressing book about the cul-de-sac that modern music finds itself in. Endlessly referencing, recycling and cataloguing the past and the effect of Ipod culture on how we absorb music etc.
We find ourselves in a time where most music is about music and most bands just talk about other bands and records etc. I think most art is in the same predicament at the moment, dangerously closeted and distant from the issues that need tackling. Sorry, bit miserable there!
Good Listen:
Cut – The Slits
Having said all that an album I am currently obsessed with was released in 1979! I think this is one of the best debut albums ever and sounds as new and exciting as ever. Funny, fresh, organic and cool. Go listen to this album if you haven’t already…No do. Do it now!
Good Drink:
Dandelion and Burdock
One of the songs on our album is called “Pop Man” and references the fact that when I was a kid there was a guy who came round the area delivering pop (I guess you would say soda in the U.S.!) door to door. Its a kind of obsolete way of doing things now and those guys don’t exist. So in tribute my recommended drink is a classic British pop flavour – Dandelion and Burdock!
“Some Slum Clearances” – The Wind-up Birds
The Wind-up Birds Official Website
The Wind-up Birds @ Facebook (If you’re in the Leeds, UK, area, check out their FB page for some upcoming shows.)
Sometimes waiting for new music is like a summer science experiment, the kind where you catch a caterpillar in late spring, put it in your cut-out milk jug terrarium, let it make a cocoon, and then spend several months waiting to see what kind of butterfly (if any) will come out.
I have several of these imaginary terrariums perched on my kitchen window. Early this morning I found a beautiful butterfly with sea and sand wings waiting for me: Beach Bones, by More Amor feat. Ryan Ross. It’s from More Amor’s new EP to be called In Spanish, evidently due in late July.
Retiring the butterfly metaphor: I like this song / video a whole lot. I’m especially fond of the extended cameo by the inflatable Stanley Cup.
Anyway, here it is, watch and enjoy:
It’s been a minute since we mentioned the Builders and the Butchers. Let’s change that.
The Builders and The Butchers – Black Dresses from Live & Breathing on Vimeo.
For more great session videos like this, visit the fine people at Live and Breathing. They post something new every Tuesday and have amassed a fine collection of people you already love and people you just may love in the near future.
And then, of course, you should go to the Builders and the Butchers’ website and buy up all their music. You know you want more.
