speed of dark

Bryan Ferry's tremor-ridden tenor and lounge-lizard style don't always translate well to other people's songs. But here are some interesting interpretations from his latest CD, Dylanesque (2007). Yes, all Dylan covers. Check out more at Amazon where MP3 downloads are available for many albums, including this one.
Bryan Ferry: The Times They Are A-Changin' - alternate link
Bryan Ferry: All Along the Watchtower - alternate link

Covers are best when a new artist can rearrange the song imaginatively and put their own stamp on it, making it sound fresh and sometimes nearly unrecognizable. Aaron English has done that with a very familiar old song by the Police, a track from his current album The Marriage of the Sun and the Moon (2007). I'll do a feature on him soon because his original songs are remarkable too.
Aaron English: Message In a Bottle (The Police) - alternate link

News

Radiohead surfaces: Radiohead have been posting cryptic hieroglyphs, which may or may not be about the new album, on their web site, Dead Air Space. The album is not expected to be released until next year. What does it meeeeeeean???

Martin Scorsese will direct a documentary on the life of George Harrison. We have the DVD of his 2005 Bob Dylan documentary, No Direction Home, so we're looking forward to this.

Prince is threatening to sue the entire Internet for stealing his songs. Meanwhile Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails tells fans to steal his music. I guess I won't be posting any Prince songs. Go Trent!

I just finished reading I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon by his former wife and life-long friend, Crystal Zevon. She did a fantastic job of assembling and editing the massive amount of memories and anecdotes acquired from friends and acquaintances, both famous and not, covering the beginning of Zevon's life to the end. I recommend it to anyone who is curious about the man and his music. See my related Time Travel Tuesday post

Wow. It's a great week for Finally Friday; our fellow bloggers and friends have written some great stuff this week. I've been busy moving, and if you want to email me, note that my address has changed. But I'm up and running now.

If you're looking for good quality live tracks from Ryan Adams, Blonde Redhead, Feist, Okkervil River, and many, many more, check out our new buddies over at Trendwhore.

This week's Daily Graboid at The Yellow Stereo includes new stuff from Stars, Iron & Wine, Devendra Banhart, Athlete, and more.

Music for Kids features a track-by-track review of the new Iron & Wine and a review of Wilco at ACL.

Check out the best new band name, according to Lost in Your Inbox (and download some of their songs, too).

I Guess I'm Floating offers some covers, including Calexico covering Arcade Fire's "Ocean of Noise".

Ha Ha Music tells you about the 10 soundtracks he owns. I have way more, but I can't say I own the soundtrack from the movie "Muppets from Space", so I guess he's got me beat.

Good Weather for Airstrikes reviews Les Savy Fav live and profiles The Rushes.

Can You See the Sunset shows off his punk side on a mixtape, and reviews an EP by The Parade.

The always awesome Aquarium Drunkard has a Neil Young cover by Of Montreal and some tracks from The Everybodyfields.

colin meloy: grace cathedral hill [live]
radiohead: the national anthem [live Boston 2006]
andy ditzler: economics
steppenwolf: don't step on the grass, sam

The Battle of Land and Sea

Beginning tomorrow, the debut full-length CD by The Battle of Land and Sea, will be available for pre-order. The actual release date will be in October. The duo of Sarah O'Shura and Joshua Canny who make up The Battle of Land and Sea have been touring in England and Europe and will relocate to Portland upon their return.

Two new songs, "The Beautiful Ones" and "Lady" that were not on their 6-song self-released CD (no longer available) are included. That little demo CD, with its delightful homemade cover, has been one of my most-played recordings this year. O'Shura's soft vocals are like a far-away voice on the breeze, and Canny's bell-like guitar tones are gorgeous and haunting.

Every one of O'Shura and Canny's extremely lo-fi creations is as delicate and lovely as hand-blown glass. If you like this song, trust me, you want the whole thing. Be sure to go to their MySpace and listen to their cover of the old Pat Benatar song, "Harden My Heart." If that doesn't seal the deal for you, I don't know what will. It's on my short list for best cover song of 2007.

The Battle of Land and Sea: You Are a Sailor from The Battle of Land and Sea (2007)
alternate link

MySpace | Label: Notenuf Records
Pre-order now at Notenuf Records

Show Schedule:
Oct 21 2007 - TT and The Bears w/ The Finches and Ponies In The Surf, Cambridge, MA
Oct 31 2007 - Avant Gentlemen’s Lodge w/ A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Ravens and Vultures, Philadelphia, PA
Nov 2 2007 - Lo-Fi Social Club w/ Monarch and Luke Temple, Baltimore, MD



The Perishers



Indie Mom and I loved Swedish band The Perishers' Sway EP (2004) and Let There Be Morning (2005). The songs are wistful and sad without succombing to sappiness. Their third full-length, Victorious, released September 4, although not as consistent as Sway, does have more pretty Perishers' songs worth adding to the collection.

The best is perhaps the title tune "Victorious" which features a stirring, hooky chorus and lead singer Ola Klüft's sweet tenor.

The Perishers: Victorious from Victorious (2007)
alternate link - Also recommended: "My Own" and "To Start a New"
The Perishers: Trouble Sleeping from Let There Be Morning (2005)
alternate link

MySpace | Website | Label: Nettwerk Records
Buy at Nettwork Store, iTunes, and eMusic

Now playing shows in Sweden



Grand Drive



Grand Drive, another band we have both liked in recent years, also had the recent U.S. release of their fifth album, Everyone. For a Brit band, they have a curious affinity for the country-rock sound of wide-open western spaces similar to that of J.D. Souther, the Jayhawks, and early Wilco.

"Knives and Forks" is my favorite, but other good ones here are "Talking In Your Sleep", the fluttery "I'm An Echo", and the low-key "Birdsong." Check out also some of their nice older songs like, "Needle In the Groove," "Track 40," "Tell It Like It Is," and "True Love and High Adventure."

Grand Drive: Knives and Forks from Everyone (2007) - alternate link
Grand Drive: Real Thing from Lights In This Town Are Too Many To Count (2004 - UK Import)
alternate link

MySpace | Website | Label: Loose Music
Buy at Loose Shop, iTunes, and eMusic, Amazon.com

First a couple of notes:

Contrast Podcast 78 is up with the theme of music released on 78 rpm, and a very eclectic set it is. The scary part for me was that I was really beginning to enjoy those old Hawaiian tunes that provided my own contribution, "Naughty Hula Eyes" by Andy Iona.

Check out Lost In Your Inbox for some nice older Sufjan Stevens and Art Brut, not to mention a video by They Might Be Giants about growing older. And a reminder: none of us are going the other way.

Steve Earle

Steve Earle's brand new album Washington Square Serenade is unabashed tribute to the time when Greenwich Village in New York was the fertile soil from which grew many of the branches of modern music. In defiance of the popular political view that "immigrant" is a dirty word, Earle refers to himself as one, transplanted from Tennessee, and reminds us that in the U.S., there is a great tradition of immigration.

Says Earle: “I’ve been pretty heartbroken about the way things have gone politically in this country the last few years, and I seriously considered moving someplace else,” he concludes. “Then I figured out that I didn’t have to leave the country. All I had to do was come to New York."

Earle and his wife are living near Bob Dylan's old stomping grounds, and Earle recorded this music in the studio that Jimi Hendrix built in the 1960's, Electric Lady. In line with the music of those times, the album is also a rallying cry for "what America should be about." With an election year coming up, the topic is timely, but don't let that make you think he slacked on the music while focused on the message. If this track, the fourth on the album, is any indication, the music carries as much weight as the words.

Steve Earl: City of Immigrants from Washington Square Serenade (2007)
alternate link

MySpace | Website | Label: New West Records
Buy at Steve Earle Store, iTunes, Amazon.com (MP3 album download now available)



Oakley Hall



Founded by former Oneida member Pat Sullivan, Brooklyn's Oakley Hall packs a lot of the best things about both country and rock into their songs. The best results occur when Rachel Cox, who shares songwriting credits with Sullivan, winds her powerful vocals around his, and Claudia Mogel adds her fiddle. The vocal blend is similar to John Doe and Exene Cervenka in X.

I'll Follow You, released September 11, is Oakley Hall's third full-length CD in two years, and they just seem to get the sound down tighter with each one.

Oakley Hall: No Dreams from I'll Follow You (2007)
alternate link

Oakley Hall: Eyes, Lock, and Steel from Second Guessing (2006)
alternate link

MySpace | Website | Label: Merge Records
Buy at Merge Store, Amazon.com (available for MP3 download), and eMusic

Show Schedule:
Sep 25 2007 - Crocodile Café, Seattle, WA
Sep 28 2007 - 7th St. Entry, Minneapolis, MN
Sep 29 2007 - Waiting Room, Omaha, NB
Sep 30 2007 - Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence, KS
Oct 2 2007 - Schuba's, Chicago, IL
Oct 3 2007 - The Union, Athens, OH
Oct 4 2007 - Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY
Oct 5 2007 - Horseshoe Tavern w/ Black Mountain, Toronto, Ont
Oct 6 2007 - Theatre National POP Montreal Festival w/ Black Mountain. Montreal, Quebec
Oct 7 2007 - Bennington College, Bennington, VT
Oct 8 2007 - SPACE Gallery, Portland, ME
Oct 9 2007 - TT the Bears, Boston, MA
Oct 13 2007 - Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY



Tim Gilbertson



Tim Gilbertson is the tall, lanky fellow in the photo above. Although only 20 years old, this Edmonton native comes from a musical family and has already been playing for a dozen years. He and his cohorts Drew, Graeme, and Cam have just released their debut album, and Gilbertson says he has already written more than half of the next one.

The songs consist of gentle rockers with soft vocals--no screamo here--sort of like America without the skin-crawling cuteness. Very pleasant listening, and a nice first effort. This one is my favorite of the bunch.

Tim Gilbertson: Palm Trees and Postcards from Tim Gilbertson (2007)
alternate link

MySpace | Band Blog | Label: POP ECHO Records
Buy at Pop Echo Store, iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule:
Oct 12 2007 - Broken City, Calgary, Alberta
Oct 17 2007 - The Apollo, Thunder Bay, Ont
Oct 19 2007 - The Arc, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont
Oct 22 2007 - Ottawa, Ontario
Oct 23 2007 - The Albion Hotel, Guelph
Oct 25 2007 - The Coach and Horses, Windsor, Ont
Oct 27 2007 - The Spill, Peterborough, Ont
Oct 28 2007 - The Boat, Toronto
Nov 2 2007 - Last Drop, London
Nov 11 2007 - Edmonton, Alberta

Do you ever hear a song and then can't find it anywhere? This probably doesn't happen nearly as often anymore because of the Internet, but I have carried songs in my head for years. Sometimes I find them; sometimes I don't. This is the story of a song that was found.

I always lived somewhere that alternative music was rare, and I have to go out of my way to get it. About a dozen years ago, my only "fix" was to listen to the Spin radio show on Sunday nights. I'd record songs I liked on tape, filling a 90 minute tape after about three weeks. I have managed over the years to find the CDs of many of the ones I grew to love the most, but some eluded me.

One of those was "Never Tell" by Letters to Cleo. Even though my tape recording was poor, I was completely taken with this song, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Every year or so I'd remember it and look around, but I still couldn't locate it. Now I know it was on their first album, Sister, which was originally released in 1991. That album has been out of stock for some time but was re-released in 1998, but at that time I was concerned with other things and the song had fallen out of my consciousness.

The memory came up again a few months ago when we watched an old video of "10 Things I Hate About You," in which Letters To Cleo supply several songs on the soundtrack.

I got iTunes and eMusic in the past couple of years, but the track listed as "Never Tell" was NOT the song I remembered. Finally, having seen mistakes in these programs before, I decided it must be there but identified incorrectly. I clicked through all the sample tracks, and it was there under the name of "Pete Beat." So only a couple of weeks ago, I finally found my lost song.

What do I like about it? Its unusual structure, to begin with. Notice that it has kind of a bridge but it doesn't have a chorus. I like how the two lines of vocals are interwoven in the bridge. And I like the lyrics. They tell a story, or is it a dream? Or a flashback? I like the way Kay Hanley seems to be looking back from the future, knowing that disaster will come but unable to stop it.

Well I stepped off the train just the other day
I swore that I saw you
A younger man, a stronger man, but certainly the man
That you were at one time.

He stepped out of the station and into the sun
Thought that for sure
He would be meeting someone he would be meeting someone
Possibly the girl that he’d marry.

I thought at the time that I’d warn him
Of all that was to come
Since he’d commit the damage he’d do
And all along he was out on
Didn’t do it but I wanted to
It’s time once again to revive some old some new
If you don’t mind that it’s all the same
I’ll never tell you.

If seem to to fade in, if you seem to fade out
Take no mind, I don’t mind.

Never Tell from Sister (1991, 1998)
Alternate link

Cruel To Be Kind - Nick Lowe cover- from 10 Things I Hate About You Soundtrack (1999)
Alternate link

Pizza Cutter from Wholesale Meats and Fish (1995)
Little Rosa from Wholesale Meats and Fish (1995)
Here and Now from Aurora Gory Alice (1994)

MySpace | Website
Buy at Letters To Cleo Store, iTunes, Amazon.com, and eMusic
Lyrics | Tabs

Lead singer Kay Hanley is now based in L.A. and is making new music. She and her friend Michelle Lewis have a company called Art Is War that cultivates a community of producers, writers and artists--something she says record companies used to do but do not anymore.
Kay Hanley MySpace | Art Is War MySpace

Guitarist and original founder Greg McKenna has a band called Murder Capitol of the World. Their current CD is St. Jude's Revenge.
Murder Capitol of the World MySpace

The Battle of Land and Sea

Beginning tomorrow, the debut full-length CD by The Battle of Land and Sea, will be available for pre-order. The actual release date will be in October. The duo of Sarah O'Shura and Joshua Canny who make up The Battle of Land and Sea have been touring in England and Europe and will relocate to Portland upon their return.

Two new songs, "The Beautiful Ones" and "Lady" that were not on their 6-song self-released CD (no longer available) are included. That little demo CD, with its delightful homemade cover, has been one of my most-played recordings this year, so you bet I'll be pre-ordering this official release.

Every one of O'Shura and Canny's extremely lo-fi creations is as delicate and lovely as a snowflake or hand-blown glass. If you like this song, trust me, you want the whole thing. You won't believe what they've done with an ancient Pat Benatar song--it's on my list for best cover song of 2007.

The Battle of Land and Sea: You Are a Sailor from The Battle of Land and Sea (2007)

MySpace | Label: Notenuf Records
Pre-order at Notenuf Records on Sept. 25

Show Schedule:
Oct 21 2007 - TT and The Bears w/ The Finches and Ponies In The Surf, Cambridge, MA
Oct 31 2007 - Avant Gentlemen’s Lodge w/ A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Ravens and Vultures, Philadelphia, PA
Nov 2 2007 - Lo-Fi Social Club w/ Monarch and Luke Temple, Baltimore, MD



The Perishers



Indie Mom and I loved Swedish band The Perishers' Sway EP (2004) and Let There Be Morning (2005). The songs are wistful and sad without succombing to sappiness. Their third full-length, Victorious, released September 4, although not as consistent as Sway, does have more pretty Perishers' songs worth adding to the collection.

The best is perhaps the title tune "Victorious" which features lead singer Ola Klüft in a stirring, hooky chorus.

The Perishers: Victorious from Victorious (2007)
Also recommended: "My Own" and "To Start a New"
The Perishers: Trouble Sleeping from Let There Be Morning (2005)

MySpace | Website | Label: Nettwerk Records
Buy at Nettwork Store, iTunes, and eMusic

Now playing shows in Sweden



Grand Drive



Grand Drive, another band we have both liked in recent years, also had the recent U.S. release of their fifth album, Everyone. For a Brit band, they have a curious affinity for the country-rock sound of wide-open western spaces similar to that of J.D. Souther, the Jayhawks, and early Wilco.

"Knives and Forks" is my favorite, but other good ones here are "Talking In Your Sleep", the fluttery "I'm An Echo", and the low-key "Birdsong." Check out also some of their nice older songs like, "Needle In the Groove," "Track 40," "Tell It Like It Is," and "True Love and High Adventure."

Grand Drive: Knives and Forks from Everyone (2007)
Grand Drive: Real Thing from Lights In This Town Are Too Many To Count (2004 - UK Import)

MySpace | Website | Label: Loose Music
Buy at Loose Shop, iTunes, and eMusic, Amazon.com

Is a rose more beautiful than an orchid or a lily? No, they are each beautiful in their own way and for their own qualities. The same is true of these three acts. Although they have female vocals in common, each has a different musical flavor.

Palomar

In July Mars Needs Guitars posted some bands that can be found on eMusic. Palomar was one of those, and time has proven his judgement right on target for my taste. I have this enduring appetite for a female voice in contrast with a rock band sound, like favorite 90's bands Letters to Cleo and Magnapop.

The three ladies and lone gentleman of Brooklyn's Palomar slide right into that great hooky groove. "Beat Beats Nothing" is a fantastic treadmill song that will have you pumping for the entire four minutes and sorry when it's over. All Things, Forests is their fourth CD, and the first to showcase the strong chops they started developing on III. All three CDs are available through the sites below.

From All Things, Forests (2007)
Palomar: Bury Me Closer
Palomar: Beats Beat Nothing

MySpace | Website | Label: Misra Records
Buy at PaloMart, iTunes, and eMusic



Hearts of Palm UK



My introduction to the Dames of Hearts of Palm UK was an e-mail from Erica Electrica that said, "We think you will love us!" They were right--I do! Musicians from toddlerhood and friends since middle school, Erica Elektra supplies the vocals, keyboards, and beats; and Ambi D., as her name suggests, uses both hands on glockenspiel, hand-clapper, triangle, tambourine, guitar, and keys.

Their lo-fi electrontics gently guides their smooth harmonies through some sweet melodies to mesmerizing effect. The Dames are working on a full-length recording that I'll be very excited to hear.

To buy their 4-song prelude, contact the Dames on MySpace. If you're lucky, Ambi-D will send it to you in one of her hand-decorated CD covers. I love mine!

Hearts of Palm UK: I Flow

MySpace | Label: Independent
Show Schedule:
Sep 30 2007 - Eagle Rock Sunday Night Bowling & Drinking Club, Eagle Rock, CA
Nov 27 2007 - Boardner’s - Let’s Independent! with Eskimo Hunter, Hollywood, CA



Clare Burson



I found out about Clare Burson on Lonesome Music blog, which is a wonderful source of eclectic, country-flavored, folkie artists. The song posted there, "Angels," blew me away and I had to find more. Beautiful voice and thoughtful production mark Burson's debut album Thieves. Accompanying herself on violin and both acoustic and electric guitar, she gathers flavor from folk, pop, and country without settling deeply into any of them.

Although based in Brooklyn now, you can clearly hear the Nashville in her style and voice. Check her cover of "These Boots Are Made for Walking" in which she strips all the playfulness from the original and makes it dark and somehow menacing. Burson is definitely a talent to watch.

Clare Burson: 1000 Miles from Thieves (2007)
Clare Burson: Take Good Care from Idaho (2005)

MySpace | Website | Label: None! | Lyrics and downloads
Buy at clareburson.com, iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule:
Oct 5 2007 - Uncommon Ground, Chicago, IL
Oct 6 2007 - Lazy Daze Coffee House, Indianapolis, IN
Oct 7 2007 - The Duck Room - Blueberry Hill, St. Louis, MO
Nov 2 2007 - Webster Hall, New York, NY
Nov 3 2007 - Keswick Theater, Glendale, PA

Division Day's self-released version of Beartrap Island appeared on several Best of 2006 lists, and I was kicking myself for not having picked up on it until early this year. Lucky for me--and you too if you made the same mistake--I'm getting a second chance now that it will be officially released by Eenie Meenie Records on October 2 and is available on iTunes as of today.

Although the band name seems inspired from an Elliott Smith song, Division Day's cover of Sunny Day Real Estate's "Every Shining Time You Arrive" points instead to a more likely source. Those long, rambling lyric lines and melodies that travel to their destinations on loosely-linked movements instead of traditional verse-verse-chorus-verse restrictions are clues. The overall tone of the songs, however, is much less somber than Sunny Day ever was, and while Rohner Segnitz's lyrics are sometimes unclear, he does pronounce them in a normal way (unlike Jeremy Enigk on Diary).

Beartrap Island takes excursions into the underworld, exploring the journey of life and death. Death is often by watery means--"Ricky knew the river was a dangerous place" and background vocals in "Hurricane" keep repeating "drown, drown." Yet this is not a "downer" album. The message is managed without yeilding to depression or revulsion.

The opener, the title song, makes that clear with a pronouncement of strength:
I can't leave
I won't go I'm not yours to move around
Or spin around the room....
After 13 months on Beartrap Island
I have learned the words to bring you down
...And then the album proceeds to tell those words.

Each song has a different way of approaching the theme: some tumble breathlessly over themselves ("Ricky", "To the Woods", "Tigers") as if the words can't come out fast enough, and others linger sweetly ("Hand To the Sound", "Dayenu", "Colorguard"). Several end with grating, overdriven rants or squealing feedback--OK with me because I love every sound a guitar can make.

Take "Dayenu," a retrospective from beyond the grave, stating finally what we most fear--that our lives did not, after all, have a point. Even knowing ahead that you're going to die--and we all do--doesn't help.
I got a fever in that last good year
I knew the reckoning had come
I gathered all those round I held dear
I gathered all those round I loved
I said No, nothing
I said I learned nothing

The beautiful "Hand To the Sound" describes how the seasons continue to roll on regardless of our temporary presences, reminding us that in a way we are still in the cycle:
Adders crawl around her, slithering through the windows
Singing, Serpentina, we are your only cover now
Surrender the sound
These are the scales you call your own
We'll come back in August after the fall that turns us all red

Wow.

Is this my favorite on the CD? Or is it Ryan Wilson's shimmery guitar on "Colorguard," or the downhill careen of "To the Woods," or the infectious, loping "Tap-Tap, Click-Click"? I can't decide; all I know is I don't want to stop listening. Look for this one on my Favorites of 2007.

The closing song, "Is It True What They Say" questions what happens after this life ends, descends into crackly static like when the TV cable goes out, then suddenly blinks out, leaving us still with that question unanswered. Some things we are not meant to know.

Division Day are also releasing a cover song each Tuesday. Yesterday's offering was Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence", which is given a burbly, murky effect which builds to a thorough lashing by Kevin Lenhart on drums, and a sound something like groans.

Division Day: Tap-Tap, Click-Click from Beatrap Island (2007)
Division Day: Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode cover)

MySpace | Website | Label: Eenie Meenie Records
Buy at Eenie Meenie Store, Amazon, and iTunes

CD Release Parties:
10/02/07 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
10/04/07 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
More tour dates on their websites

Is it Tuesday already?

I spent hours yesterday making a Wolf Parade photo page and updating the photos on the main index page for our domain name. A significant number of readers find us this way. On the main index page, each photo links to the concert post.

So, I really have nothing special created for Time Travel Tuesday today, and I'm going to take the lazy route and post some cover songs.

The Cars' debut album The Cars exploded on the music scene in 1978, a perfect pop-candy concoction. Even the cover photo of the girl--her hand flung up to partly shield her face from whatever she's about to hit--designed to frame her big, red mouth right in the center, suggests beauty, wild times, and carefree fun all at once. Who could wish for more?

Billboard calls the Cars "the most successful American new wave band to emerge in the late '70s." They were among the first to merge guitar-oriented rock with the new synth-oriented pop that was then becoming popular, and they packaged it in a bright, shiny sound that was irresistible. Their particular mixture of new wave, post-punk, and slick commerical rock was the ticket to the top. "Just What I Needed" made #3 on the Billboard top 40, and two others--"My Best Friend's Girl" and "Good Times Roll" were in the ranking as well.

These artists cover some of the songs from that album.

Love Seed Mama Jump: My Best Friend's Girl

Sister Hazel: Just What I Needed

Smashing Pumpkins: You're All I've Got Tonight

Mark Kozelek: All Mixed Up

Cars' Official Website | MySpace | Deluxe edition

click photos for larger size
We've seen Wolf Parade live before, last year right around the start of this blog. But nothing prepared us for the show we saw on Saturday at the tiny venue The Glasshouse. The Montreal band released the critically acclaimed Apologies to the Queen Mary in 2005, and the long-awaited follow-up to that amazing album is expected this year. At the show, we were treated to several new songs interspersed between old familiar favorites. The band didn't play two songs I was hoping for, "Grounds for Divorce" and "Secret Knives", but they also didn't play BTO's "Taking Care of Business" or anything by Slayer, even though it was requested by the audience and Dan Boeckner did a little Metallica riff at one point.

This was a powerful, energetic, fun set performed by a band containing two of the most talented and prolific singer/songwriters making music today, Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner. Both Krug and Boeckner are well-known for their side projects, including Sunset Rubdown and Handsome Furs, respectively. But their finest product is when they join drummer Arlen Thompson, bassist Dante DeCaro, and noise magician Hadji Bakara, who helped out opening act Holy Fuck as well during their set.

We were strategically located in front of Boeckner, whose intense and awesome performance made me think of Iggy Pop. He was that same wiry, muscular body and fierce stage presence. While Krug put on a stunning vocal and keyboard performance, this was the Dan Boeckner show, up front and center.

While I have a picture of the setlist, they didn't seem to follow it to the letter. This is what I wrote down, and when I didn't know the new song name, I've figured it out based on the live tracks from other shows. Compare this to the picture I got of the setlist - but I'm sure that if I'm wrong, someone will let me know about it:

1. Soldiers (new song)
2. Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts
3. Billy J (new song)
4. Language (new song)
5. We Built Another World
6. Chinese Waterfall (called "Chinese Way" by other bloggers - referred to by Krug as "a really sad song")
7. Shine a Light
8. New Song - possibly called "California Dreamer"?
9. It's a Curse
10. Fine Young Cannibals (or, as Boeckner said, "or Dead in a Motel Room")
11. You Are A Runner and I Am My Father's Son
12. Fancy Claps
13. Crazy Horse (new song)
ENCORE
14. This Heart's On Fire
15. I'll Believe in Anything

Thanks to Blogs are for Dogs for the lovely live versions of the tracks above.

myspace | live WP video footage from Trendwhore | see B(oot)log | buy albums

Best music news this past week: Led Zeppelin will reunite for a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder of Atlantic Records. Jason Bonham will take his father's place on drums, but otherwise all the original band members will participate.

Worst music news this past week: Britney at VMA. Nuff said. I don't even want to link to it.

Most hilarious fake music news this past week: Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8. Hopefully the next effort will be better.

The people who are going to be in school have started by now, and although school was the most important thing in most of my life, I am happy to say that I am not going there. But Contrast Podcast #76 went Back To School, with some great selections.

Thee More Shallows

I am just coming around to discovering San Francisco band Thee More Shallows' April release Book of Bad Breaks, their third full-length album, and I am really getting to like their particular brand of Bowie-influenced weirdness.

The songs spring from the creative mind of Dee Kesler, who is joined by Chavo Fraser and Jason Gonzales sharing drums, samples, keyboards, and bass. TTM in that outer-limits zone between Wolf Parade and Say Hi To Your Mom, with many of the songs built around an addictive Casio keyboard riff. Their earlier albums are well worth investigating too. I have grabbed tracks from 2006's Monkey vs Shark EP and 2005's More Deep Cuts.

Watch out, Europe: they are invading next month. Last chance to see them in the U.S. is September 30 at the Swerve Festival in Barnsall Art Park in Hollywood. Other acts include Speed of Dark favorites We Are Scientists and DeVotchKa.

Thee More Shallows: Night at the Knight School from Book of Bad Breaks (2007)
Also highly recommended: "The Dutch Fist," "Fly Paper," and "Eagle Rock."
Thee More Shallows: Walk of Shame from More Deep Cuts (2005)

MySpace | Label: Anticon
Buy at Anticon.com, Monotreme Records, iTunes, and eMusic



Film School



I also appear to be late discovering the true deliciousness of Film School, who released their third full-length CD Hideout last Tuesday.

Film School are the musical descendents of 90's goth-shoegaze icons the Cure, Catherine Wheel, and Chapterhouse. For me, this is pretty darn close to perfection. I am enjoying this entire album, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes this dreamy drone-zone. I can't even highly recommend any particular song--it's just ALL good. Get it.

Film School are preparing to kick off a long set of show dates between now and mid-November, including some shows with other Speed of Dark favorites Land of Talk and Division Day, who are also releasing their album Beartrap Island next month. The dates below are only the beginning of Film School's tour schedule.

Film School: Two Kinds from Hideout (2007)
Film School: He's a Deep Deep Lake from Film School (2006)

MySpace | Website | Label: Beggars Banquet | Lyrics
Buy at Beggars Group, Amazon, iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule (more on MySpace):
Sep 16 2007 - Treasure Island Festival, San Francisco, CA
Sep 20 2007 - Amoeba Records, Los Angeles, CA
Oct 7 2007 - The Detroit Bar w/Ulrich Schnauss, Costa Mesa, CA
Oct 10 2007 - KEXP on-air/webcast performance, Seattle, WA
Oct 10 2007 - Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA
Oct 11 2007 - Dantes, Portland, OR
Oct 12 2007 - Blue Lamp, Sacramento, CA
Oct 16 2007 - Emo’s, Austin, TX
Oct 17 2007 - Cavern Club, Dallas, TX
Oct 19 2007 - The Earl, Atlanta, GA
Oct 20 2007 - Local 506 w/Division Day, Eulogies, Chapel Hill, NC
Oct 21 2007 - Rock n Roll Hotel, Washington DC
Oct 22 2007 - Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia, PA

Although you might not believe it, I used to be a rap fan (alt-gramma can back me up on this). I didn't listen to everything indiscriminately, but I've always liked innovative artists making interesting music, like Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Jay-Z and his mashup with Linkin Park, some Ice Cube, and a few others. I had an assortment of rap tapes, because that was the medium when I was listening to rap, although I do have two Dre CDs. While I've liked much of the music produced by these rap artists, I get tired of listening to the gangster life. I'm just a white girl from the boring parts of Southern California - Redman's Brick City and Snoop Dogg's South Central are places I just can't relate to.

However, I'm married to Mr. Rap & Classic Rock, which seems to me to be an odd combination, but there you go. I was able to get him to like a few songs that I like, but he has no use for most of what I like, referring to it all as "devil music". I like quite a bit of what he listens to, although I don't admit it often to him.

That said, I have to fess up: I own two Kanye West albums, Graduation and Late Registration, plus the two big singles from College Dropout, "Jesus Walks" and "All Falls Down". I like both albums, but I feel exactly the same about each of them. When Kanye's on, he's really on, and the songs are an amazing mesh of original and remixed beats, intelligent storytelling lyrics, and heartfelt emotion. In his music, as well as in interviews or anywhere else he happens to be, he says what he thinks without worrying about being politically correct, which I like and respect. He's obviously very smart, and it shows. But when he's off, the songs just fall flat for me and I just hit the skip button to the next song. The collaboration songs on Graduation are all good, showcasing the talents of the appearing artists as well as Kanye's talent. I would have to say that both albums are 50% showstopping, and 50% filler. Still, I prefer any Kanye album to most of the other rap albums out there.

kanye west: good morning from Graduation [buy]
kanye west: heard 'em say from Late Registration [buy]

Damn, this week was a bitch. So glad it's over.

Aquarium Drunkard is giving away tickets to see Animal Collective next week, features a review of Spoon live, and has the link to download a free live Great Lake Swimmers EP.

The Yellow Stereo presents the Daily Graboid and informs me that Jude Law will be playing Ian Curtis in a biopic of Joy Division.

Muzzle of Bees has a review of Wilco live and the best of Tuesday's new releases.

Check out Berkeley Place's albums to look forward to in the rest of 2007.

And while nearly everyone else (including Muse, apparently) is at ACL, we'll be seeing Wolf Parade and Holy Fuck on Saturday - pics and review to follow!

queen: under pressure [live] [buy]
radiohead: fog (again) [buy]
jose gonzalez: love will tear us apart [live joy division cover] [buy]
muse: blackout [live @ glastonbury 2004] [buy]

(picture from i can has cheezburger?)

I had been awaiting the arrival of Earlimart's fifth album Mentor Tormentor since 2004's Treble and Tremble. It probably seemed like an even longer time for Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray, the only original band members remaining since Earlimart formed in the late 90's. The band had lost a friend and mentor in the death of Elliott Smith (Treble and Tremble was dedicated to Smith), lost their label not long after that album's release, and then for a long time Espinoza felt no inspiration to write songs. The theme of the album comes from the struggle to overcome those issues and keep the band from dissolving. There are frequent references to lying, deception, and "words unsung" ("Fakey Fake").

While I don't hear Earlimart making any big changes in their sound, I do hear an increasing consistency and cohesiveness which began in Treble and Tremble and has advanced to the point with Mentor Tormentor where there are no throw-away songs. Since there are 15 tracks, that's a big statement.

Earlimart's trademark is a very subtle touch. Aaron Espinoza seems to whisper his lyrics, like intimate secrets, into your ears, with Ariana's harmonies providing fullness and emphasis. On this album, she takes over on two songs to excellent effect. A myriad of musical friends sit in for the rest of the unfilled band positions. Words are simple and rarely profound, sometimes a bit too spare ("The Little Things," which is saved by a gorgeous melody), but on several songs, Earlimart do bring the lyrics into clear focus against their always breathtaking melodies.

The tracks follow an ebb and flow pattern, like the coming and going of friendships, relationships, and the ups and down of life. Although each deserves its own comments, for brevity I'll just hit a few of them.

"Answers and Questions" - A favorite since I first heard it as a single release last year, the signs of a relationship--or the band--slipping away:
"I know the answers, I know the questions -
If this is nowhere now it shows.
I'm wide awake I'm watching you
All night long, tell me what to do.
I'm wide awake I'm watching you
All those lies you told them too."
"I'm wide awake; I'm watchin' you"

Followed by "Nevermind the Phone Calls" --The sweet sound soothes feelings of resignation and maybe a tad of bitter sarcasm: "We'll be fine. Oh, yeah, nevermind, just nevermind."

"Happy Alone" -- Perhaps the most expressive song on the album and one of two sung by Ariana. She could be singing about the acceptance at the end of a relationship, but it's more likely she's questioning whether Earlimart will continue as a group and concluding: "I'd better be happy alone."

You can read the same idea in her other song, "The World" where she clearly feels overwhelmed and shut out:
"Oh, the world is all around us
But have you noticed me?
Yeah, the world has overshadowed me."

"Everybody Knows Everybody" is a standout rocker, far more hard-edged than the rest of the album while still retaining Earlimart's unerring talent for melody and smooth harmony.

"Don't You Ever Think About Me," is infused with sweet sadness and loss; it could be the response or a companion to "Happy Alone."

"Just Because" seems to be about loss of faith. There are few words, and an insistent piano kind of hammers in the theme, but again the lovely, swelling melody saves it from any possible monotony.

The final song, "Cold Cold Heaven" brings the band up to the current happy ending--disaster was averted and a beautiful, successful album was completed. A chorus of friends join in the singalong and clap their approval at the end.

Downloading the album from iTunes provides a bonus track--"Our Dying Days"--a final promise from Aaron that confirms his commitment to the band:
You can count on me
I'll be in your dreams
I'll see everything
That you want from me
You should have no fear
I will always be here...

Indie Mom and I don't always like or listen to the same bands--a good thing. No one can listen to everything, and she likes some things I don't like. But we both agree that Mentor Tormentor is a standout album for 2007, and a breakthrough for Earlimart as well. You'll see it on both of our Best-Of lists for 2007.


From Mentor Tormentor:
Earlimart: Answers and Questions

From Treble and Tremble (2004):
Earlimart: Sounds

MySpace | Website | Band blog
Label: Majordomo Records | Lyrics
Buy at ArtistDirect, iTunes, and eMusic

More about Earlimart on Speed of Dark:
Gramma's Favorites of 2006
An Elegant Evening with Earlimart

Show Schedule:
Sep 16 2007 - Treasure Island Music Festival, San Francisco, CA
Sep 27 2007 - Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Sep 28 2007 - Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA
Sep 29 2007 - Pit Pub, vancouver, canada
Oct 2 2007 - 400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN
Oct 3 2007 - Schuba’s, Chicago, IL
Oct 4 2007 - Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
Oct 5 2007 - El Mocambo, Toronto
Oct 6 2007 - Pop Montreal Music Festival @ Main Hall, Montreal
Oct 7 2007 - Harpers Ferry, Allston, MA
Oct 10 2007 - Knitting Factory, New York City, NY
Oct 11 2007 - Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia, PA
Oct 12 2007 - Ottobar, Baltimore, MD
Oct 13 2007 - Duke Coffehouse, Durham, NC
Oct 14 2007 - The Earl, Atlanta, GA
Oct 15 2007 - Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
Oct 16 2007 - Mink, Houston, TX
Oct 17 2007 - The Mohawk, Austin, TX
Oct 18 2007 - Palladium Loft, Dallas, TX
Oct 20 2007 - Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
Oct 22 2007 - Paper Heart Venue, Phoenix, AZ
Oct 23 2007 - Casbah, San Diego, CA
Oct 24 2007 - Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA

This band from Columbus, Ohio has been on my myspace friend list for a while, but I noticed that The Nuclear Children's debut album, Wear Black and Come When We Call was released on September 7. Lead vocalist/guitarist/organist Jason Matthew was kind enough to send me a few tracks and some information about the band, which has seen quite a few ups and downs in their short time together. The lineup consists of Jason, accompanied by musicians Matthew Gene (guitar, organ, accordian), Rory Daniel (bass, keyboard), and Nikolei Mario (percussion).

Their debut five-song EP was produced by Jim Diamond, who also produced albums by The White Stripes and Von Bondies. The Nuclear Children have moments which make me think of classic Brit-Pop, and then another moment evokes San Diego band Louis XIV - each song is different. I love the fact that there are not one but two organists in the band and the great video for "Karma Sutra", which was created by a 14 year old. Check out my favorite song from the EP, about an evil groupie girlfriend and their video for "Karma Sutra".

the nuclear children: yoko oh no from Wear Black and Come When We Call [buy]

The Nuclear Children- Karma Sutra


official website | myspace

Indie Mom went through a reggae phase in high school, but I have only ever been mildly interested in it. As with polka, I can listen for a while, but then it all starts sounding the same and I get bored. That doesn't mean that there aren't a few examples that completely charm me.

I'm also bringing into today's Time Travel the idea I've mentioned before of grocery-store music, which is often bland background but occasionally contains a surprise gem among the fluff.

"Stir It Up" was on my grocery store's playlist for a while. Not rare, heard everywhere, and covered by a hundred artists, it's still an infectious number that can have you bopping down the pet food aisle crooning "steer ih tup, liddle dahlin..." Composed by Marley in 1967, it was originally made popular by Johnny Nash in 1972, and Nash's version is also very good even though his "I Can See Clearly" is one of my most-hated songs ever. This is the Jamaican version with the Wailers.
Bob Marley and the Wailers: Stir It Up from Catch a Fire (2001)


In spite of the fact that UB40 are white Brits, they have the rep of being one of the world's most culturally diverse dub reggae bands, with musicians of English, Scottish, Irish, Yemeni and Jamaican parentage. "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" is a cover of an Al Green hit from 1973, and Green's version is on the movie soundtrack to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

A few weeks ago Indie Mom and I were in a clothing store when this started to play, and it was all I could do not to embarrass her by dancing around the place.
UB40: Here I Am (Come and Take Me) from Labour of Love II (1989)


Correctly titled "Over the Rainbow," and first released as a single in 1939, this song was written for Judy Garland to perform for The Wizard of Oz and so completely became her signature song that it is difficult to separate it from her or imagine it any other way.

A few months ago my husband and I rented the movie 50 First Dates, a really cute movie whose soundtrack contains a lot of cover songs cleverly reworked in reggae style. But "Over the Rainbow," which runs over the ending credits totally stole my heart. Its simple reinvention of the hoary old standard recreates the hope that a peaceful world is possible.
Israel Kamakewiwo'ole: Somewhere Over the Rainbow from Alone In IZ World (2001)

Remembering those and their families whose lives were ended or changed forever on this date six years ago, and hoping for a peaceful world.

The Moths!

I first heard about The Moths! when they had won Rock Sellout's Best Unsigned Band contest. This is the U.K. band--be careful because there is a U.S. band by the same name. The U.S. Moths are good too; this just isn't about them.

The Moths started with songwriters James Fox, who writes and sings the lyrics, and Dave Lightfoot, who plays guitar and writes the music and now includes Jonny on drums, James L. on bass, and Asley on synths.. They have a bright and peppy 90's Brit-rock sound that has been compared to the Buzzcocks and Human League and is completely charming.


Those cute little moths on their logo, with their shapely legs and waists, were about the only things on their MySpace page. Now the Moths have a rip-roaring new design, a lot of news, and even a few pictures of the band members. My guess is, at the speed these guys are moving, they will not be unsigned for long.

The Moths!: Tell Me

MySpace | Bebo | Label: unsigned!
Buy at iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule:
Sep 9, 2007 - Brick Lane Festival, 93 Feet East, London
Sep 14, 2007 - Mr Fast Lane’s Secret Rock and Roll Salon, 333, London
Sep 15, 2007 - Bloody Awful Poetry, Nambucca, London
Sep 18, 2007 - Kickers Fashion, Marylebone Library, London
Sep 26, 2007 - Islington Academy (supporting IAMX) 14+ show, London



Goldroom



I wrote previously about U.K.'s Goldroom last March, but in the context of unsigned bands, they deserve another mention. I genuinely like everything they do. I often check their MySpace page to find new examples of their deeply-nuanced and myriad-influenced compositions, which carry the sweep and grandeur of movie soundtracks.

"Brighton Rock" is a recent remix of an older song of theirs. Get more at their MySpace page.

Goldroom: Brighton Rock

MySpace | Label: Unsigned!



The King Left



The King Left have a Brit-pop sound, but they are from New York. They have made a couple of "Best Unsigned Band" lists, including the Top 30 unsigned bands in the country, according to the Daily Chorus. The martial beats and discordant, hystrionic lyrics are similar to Arctic Monkeys or Tokyo Police Club.

They'll be playing some dates in New York with Speed of Dark favorites Joseph Arthur and We Are Scientists

The King Left: The Storm In a Teacup
The King Left: I Have To Let You Win

MySpace | Website | Band blog | Label: Unsign ed!
Buy

Show Schedule:
Sep 7, 2007 - Music Hall of Williamsburg w/Joseph Arthur and The Lonely Astronauts and Sounds Under Radio, Brooklyn, NY
Sep 28, 2007 - Baruch College's Mason Hall w/ We Are Scientists and Robbers On High Street, New York, NY
Oct 3, 2007 - Bowery Ballroom w/ Nightmare Of You and Le Loup, New York, NY
Oct 26, 2007 - Maxwell's w/ Film School, Land Of Talk, and Eulogies, Hoboken, NJ
Nov 9, 2007 - Elmira College, MacKenzie’s, Elmira, NY

I missed Finally Friday this week because when it comes to a choice between the grandbaby and the blog, the grandbaby is gonna win every time.

Here are two unsigned shoegaze-type bands that really deserve a label and a place to expand on their repertoires.

The Evening Sounds

Combine all the finest shoegaze you can think of--like Sigur Ros, Mazzy Star, and Slowdive--with a vision of a glowing sunset, and you have an idea of the sound of The Evening Sounds, an unsigned band from U.K.'s Midlands.

Tom Howell, Gary Sheppard, Andrew Kennedy have created lush and serene soundscapes with floods of vocal layers interspersed with simple acoustic guitar. Somebody please pick these guys up so we can have a full album of these warm and heart-soothing hymns.

Two more songs are available for download at their MySpace page.
The Evening Sounds: A New Suggestion
The Evening Sounds: Cellar Track (demo)

MySpace | Label: Unsigned!



Hazelwood Motel


Herman Jolly keeps sending me bulletins about Seattle band Hazelwood Motel, and I'm grateful because I checked them out and really liked their songs. Jolly played drums for the group at one time, and apparently the association continues to be warm.

Band members Ed Vierda, Megan Pickerel, and Patrick Smail play tender, heart-breaking ballads based around quiet piano or guitar, although "Break Myself In Two," which can be streamed on their MySpace page, has a head-bobbing beat to it. I'm really looking forward to hearing more from them. They've been playing some shows in the Seattle area, so if anyone has seen them live write us a comment.

Hazelwood Motel: Released
Hazelwood Motel: Not Enough
MySpace | Label: Unsigned!

Show Schedule:
Sep 18 2007 - Nectar, Seattle, WA
Oct 12 2007 - Mars bar with Half Light, Seattle, WA


From the blogroll:

Contrast Podcast #75 is Musicians with Moustaches. I chose J. Tillman because in most photographs he has both a moustache and beard.

Covers! Aquarium Drunkard has Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" covered by Built To Spill, and there are more covers by Drive By Truckers and Jason Isbell at Berkeley Place, and even more covers at HaHaMusic's Cover Tuesday.

Can You See the Sunset has a review of the new Pinback album, Autumn of the Seraphs.

School has started, and Marcy at Lost In Your Inbox reminds us that that means it is marching band season. Hey, Indie Mom--remember that? Check out the song "I Used to Play the Euphonium."

The Cape May

The Cape May from Calgary employ strings, keys, theremin and accordian and the studio assistance of Steve Albini (Nirvana, Smog, Low, The Pixies) in the lovely, brooding tunes of their second album, Glass Mountain Roads in early August. Good for late-night listening on the headphones.

From Glass Mountain Roads (2007):
The Cape May: Spring Flight to the Land of Fire
The Cape May: Copper-Tied

MySpace | Website | Label: Flemish Records
Buy: Flemish Records, iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule:
October 3, 2007 - The Green Room (Pop Montreal), Montreal
October 5, 2007 - The Marquee; John Mckiel Cd Release, Halifax
October 6, 2007 - Studio 600, Moncton



The Deadly Syndrome



Jesse, Will, Chris, and Mike of Los Angeles-based The Deadly Syndrome have gained a reputation for energy-packed live performances, selling out their shows at Spaceland. Now the release of their first album, The Ortolan, next Tuesday on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Records will determine if they can translate that to the studio.

At first listen, it sounds good to me--a perfect antidote to over-doing the navel-contemplation bit.

From The Ortolan (2007):
The Deadly Syndrome: Eucalyptus
From Live At Spaceland (2007), available at eMusic:
The Deadly Syndrome: I Hope I Become a Ghost

MySpace | Website | Label: Dim Mak Records
Buy at Amazon.com and the usual retail outlets, iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule:
Sep 8 2007 - THE ECHO: RECORD RELEASE PARTY, Echo Park, CA
Sep 12 2007 - Velvet Jones, Santa Barbara, CA
Sep 13 2007 - Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco, CA
Oct 6 2007 - LA Weekly DETOUR Festival, w/ Bloc Party, Los Angeles, CA

This Friday marks four years since Warren Zevon's death at the young age of 56 from cancer--a form associated with exposure to asbestos, not from smoking.

Zevon was barely past his teens when he began playing with music legends the Everly Brothers and writing songs with 60's popstars the Turtles. His first album, Wanted Dead or Alive was released in 1969. He is probably best-known for "Werewolves of London" and "Lawyers, Gun, and Money" from 1978's Excitable Boy, and I know that's when I first became aware of him. During his life he worked with an incredible list of musicians: Bruce Springsteen (on Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School - 1980), members of R.E.M. (with Hindu Love Gods), Neil Young and Bob Dylan (Sentimental Hygiene - 1987), Jerry Garcia and David Gilmore of Pink Floyd (Transverse City - 1989).

He was closely associated with the elite of the golden age of California rock--the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Ry Cooder, and David Lindley--but he carved his own niche with his dark and ironic style, which often reflected his battles with addictive substances and self-destructive behavior.

His song-writing ranged from biting irony and noirish humor to tender ballads like "Hasten Down the Wind" (Warren Zevon-1976) and "El Amor de Mi Vida" (The Wind-2003) to bleak observations from the gutter like "Carmelita" (Warren Zevon) and "Bed of Coals" (Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School).

After being diagnosed with inoperable mesothelioma in 2002, Zevon was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman on October 30 of that year as the only guest for the entire hour. He had been a frequent guest and occasionally substituted for the show's bandleader, Paul Schaffer, since the Late Show first aired in 1982. During this broadcast Zevon offered his often-cited view on facing death: "Enjoy every sandwich," which became the title of a tribute album by friends and son Jordan in 2004.

Although he lived much longer than the three months his doctors estimated he had at his diagnosis, he missed seeing his last album, The Wind, released barely a week before his death in August 2003, be certified gold and win two Grammy awards after being nominated for five. In 2007, a total of three CDs, some re-released albums in expanded versions and some never-before released rare and early tracks, have been made available: Stand In the Fire (1981) and The Envoy (1982) by Rhino Records and Preludes - Rare and Unreleased Recordings by Ammal Records.

His ex-wife Crystal Zevon has written I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon, chronicling the rollercoaster life of this rock and roll animal. The project had Zevon's blessing, and he requested that she include his worst along with his best. His story is told by her and his family, close friends like Jackson Browne and Billy Bob Thornton, and literary pals Stephen King and Dave Barry.

Here's to a beautiful, bad boy and a reminder to all of us to enjoy every sandwich.

Detox Mansion from Sentimental Hygiene (1987)
(Attention Amy Winehouse: take notes.)

Splendid Isolation from Transverse City (1989)

Mr. Bad Example from Mr. Bad Example (1991)
I'm Mr. Bad Example, intruder in the dirt
I like to have a good time, and I don't care who gets hurt
I'm Mr. Bad Example, take a look at me
I'll live to be a hundred, and go down in infamy

There's all of Zevon's wicked, dark humor and not a shred of maudlin sentimentality in the lyrics to "Life'll Kill Ya" or the equally ironic "Don't Let Us Get Sick" that incredibly preshadow his diagnosis:
From the President of the United States
To the lowliest rock and roll star
The doctor is in and he'll see you now
He don't care who you are
Some get the awful, awful diseases
Some get the knife, some get the gun
Some get to die in their sleep
At the age of a hundred and one
Life'll Kill Ya from Life'll Kill Ya (2000)
This album contains many of my favorites including "Porcelain Monkey," "For My Next Trick I'll Need a Volunteer," and the disturbingly naked "Hostage-O."

My Ride's Here from My Ride's Here (2002)
I was staying at the Westin
I was playing to a draw
When in walked Charlton Heston
With the Tablets of the Law
He said, "It's still the Greatest Story"
I said, "Man, I'd like to stay
But I'm bound for glory
I'm on my way
My ride's here..."

Dirty Life and Times from The Wind (2003)
There's no mistaking Ry Cooder on guitar, and it sounds like Dwight Yoakum and Cooder on backing vocals. An amazing roster of musicians helped Zevon "record as many songs as fast as I can" for this final album.

David Lindley provides vocals in this cover from the tribute album:
David Lindley and Ry Cooder: Monkey Wash Donkey Rinse from Enjoy Every Sandwich (2004), originally on Mutineer (1995)

This questionable-quality video of Zevon performing an acoustic version of "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" for BBC in 1994 displays his power as a solo performer.

This video memorial montage is set to "Werewolves of London" and includes Zevon's remark on David Letterman that he "made a tactical error in not going to a physican for 20 years."

Website | Fansite: Zevonaticism | Wikipedia | Lyrics
Buy at Amazon.com, nearly the entire discography on iTunes, and eMusic
Also of note: The Warren Zevon Guitar Songbook

We Are One!


A year ago last Thursday, we published our first post. It was kinda lame--I can say that because I wrote it. We've learned a lot in a year.

In that time we've gone from about two readers to several hundred a day. We've initiated two weekly features: Time Travel Tuesday and Finally Friday. We've participated with other bloggers on Blogfresh Radio and Contrast Podcast.

I want to thank our readers, especially our subscribers, and our fellow bloggers who have helped, advised, and supported us and linked to us. Thanks to everyone who has left comments. Thanks to everyone who participated in our contests. Thanks to Elbows and Hype Machine for hosting us. We'll keep on bringing you music as long as it's still fun.

For Speed of Dark's first birthday:
Imperial Teen: Birthday Girl -- Live At Maxwell's

Stay with us for great old stuff on Time Travel Tuesdays:
Madness: One Step Beyond from One Step Beyond (1979)

And the very latest from this year:
Beirut: A Sunday Smile from The Flying Cup Club - MySpace
Airiel: Think Tank from The Battle of Sealand - MySpace
Zap Mama: Affection from Supermoon - MySpace
Bat For Lashes: Horse and I from Fur and Gold - MySpace
Metric: On the Sly from Grow Up and Blow Away - MySpace
Eagle Seagull: I'm Sorry But I'm Begining To Hate Your Face from The Year of the How-To Book - MySpace

Stay tuned for more album reviews, concerts, and our best discoveries, like Goldroom, Too Dark For a Picture, Creech Holler, and Deathbot.

Speaking of Contrast Podcast, listen carefully to #74, or the songs will get Stuck In Your Head!"

Happy weekend to all!