Blind Pilot looks for Miss Ohio

I have “a thing” for this song — both the way Gillian Welch conceived of it and the way anyone else covers it. It is, quite simply, a sweet, sad, powerful song that oozes goodness. I have been known on occasion to drive around (in my Nissan Sentra, so no ragtop down) to this song on repeat, on roadtrips through the barren lands — singing how she wants to do right, but not right now.

To finally have a good quality recording of Blind Pilot performing it (one of my favorite newer bands) is just heavenly. Israel’s voice radiates an enveloping warmth, and an understandable melancholy.

LISTEN: Look At Miss Ohio (Gillian Welch) – Blind Pilot

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From their iTunes Live Sessions EP, out now, also worth it for the achingly to-die-for good version of “3 Rounds And A Sound” with ukulele, and the previously-unreleased track “Get It Out.”

You can also now order their amazing album 3 Rounds and a Sound on 180-gram vinyl, and I can think of very few albums released in recent years that sound as good that way.

And be my everlovin’ baby (Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2009)

One of the highlights of my fabulously sunny, Indian-summer October weekend in California was seeing the legendary Gillian Welch with David Rawlings at the free Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival Saturday at Golden Gate Park. I’d never gotten to see her sublime and lovely music live, and it positively sprouted wings under the San Francisco eucalyptus trees. The Emmylou Harris made a surprise appearance with her and David to clutch a lyrics sheet and sing a wide-smiled version of “Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby” (from the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack).

Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby – Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch & Alison Krauss
(some video I found from Saturday)

Gillian’s longtime musical partner, David Rawlings has a new album out November 17th, which will include a version of the song “To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)” he penned with Ryan Adams, and guest appearances by Gillian Welch, Benmont Tench from the Heartbreakers, Nathaniel Wilcott of Bright Eyes, and members of Old Crow Medicine Show.

Okkervil River also absolutely completely blew me away. I reacted like a good Generation X-er and texted every music lover I know with (hardly strictly Moose-Drool-influenced) words of fawning and amazement. This Austin, Texas band puts on one of the very best live shows I’ve seen all year. Their songs grow and shimmer (and yes, kick) live, and the early afternoon audience scaled trees to get a better view, hooting and hollering. As we walked to their set, I tried to define their sound for my companion who hadn’t seen them before, and found that I couldn’t, and once they started in on their first song I conceded to her simply: “Man, I need to dive so much deeper with these guys.”

Effing watch this amazing set closer; my insides wanted to leap out of my chest:

Unless It’s Kicks – Okkervil River
Unless It’s Kicks (demo version) – Okkervil River

What gives this mess some grace unless it’s fictions
Unless it’s licks, man
Unless it’s lies or it’s love?

What breaks this heart the most is the ghost of some rock and roll fan
Exploding up from the stands
With her heart opened up
And I want to tell her, “your love isn’t lost”
Say, “my heart is still crossed”
Scream, “you’re so wonderful”
What a dream in the dark
About working so hard
About glowing so stoned
Trying not to turn off
Trying not to believe in that lie all on your own…

[read the rest]

M. Ward rocks the Music Box in L.A.

Wednesday night while I was being wowed by Murder By Death (more on that in a minute), I had two friends separately attending the very sold-out M. Ward show at the Henry Fonda Music Box in Los Angeles. In between enthusiastic texts telling me about how awesome the show was, these two friends who hadn’t yet met tried to find each other to say hello, with me as an intermediary. “tell her i have close-cropped hair, a goatee, and a black jacket,” he helpfully supplied. “that is EVERY GUY HERE,” she replied. I found this amusing. They never found each other.

But Zooey Deschanel came out to both introduce the night and sing four songs with Ward, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings played near the end of the set, and opening band Delta Spirit also shared the stage. Talk about star-studded — it was a hootenanny.

UPDATE: “M. Ward’s management does not allow unauthorized fan recordings of his shows.” Files removed by request. That’s unfortunate.

M. WARD
MARCH 4th, 2009
MUSIC BOX @ HENRY FONDA THEATER
Hold Time
One Hundred Million Years
Paul’s Song
Lullaby & Exile
Chinese Translation
Epistemology
Requiem
Fisher of Men
Post-War
Poison Cup
O, Lonesome Me
Rag Medley
Zooey’s intro / You Really Got a Hold on Me
Change Is Hard (with Zooey)
Rave On (with Zooey)
Never Had Nobody Like You (with Zooey)
Fahey
Vincent O’Brien
Roll Over Beethoven (cover)
Big Boat
Encore Break
Gillian Welch / David Rawlings Intro
To Save Me
Magic Trick

ZIP: M WARD AT THE MUSIC BOX

[thanks to Philip for emailing me his taping of the show (!!),
photo by Andrew Youssef for Stereogum]

she says i wanna do right, but not right now

The New Frontiers from Dallas dropped their spacious and glowing cover of the Gillian Welch song “Look At Miss Ohio” into my inbox today, like a little gift. That aching original has been one of my favorite songs to attempt harmony with on the chorus for a few years now, but where Gillian’s voice often takes on that haunted and weary edge, this version burns a little with spreading warmth — like a good glass of whiskey. It sounds like roadtrips that start at 4am after too much talking and dreaming about the wanderlust.

Look At Miss Ohio (Gillian Welch cover) – The New Frontiers

The New Frontiers have a new album called Mending out on The Militia Group label, and check the Daytrotter session they did to hear two songs from the album and two unreleased tunes.

They are on tour now, hitting Denver’s Cervantes Ballroom on Monday night.

LOOSELY RELATED UPDATE (because it was playing in my head all night long): My favorite cover that Gillian Welch does, of a Radiohead tune. Gutting.

Black Star (Radiohead cover) – Gillian Welch

Ryan Adams 10/28/99 :: Exit/In Nashville (with Gillian Welch)

While I am enjoying some of the warm California sun, it feels like a good time to share my favorite Ryan Adams bootleg ever. There is a pristine, immediate, warm quality to the sound that makes you feel like you are inches from Ryan. The talented, haunting Gillian Welch comes out for some songs, and there is a wonderful variety of rare songs for the setlist. In between his endearing banter, Ryan brings out unreleased gems, early versions of songs I love, and several terrific covers.

RYAN ADAMS (WITH GILLIAN WELCH)
EXIT/IN, NASHVILLE – OCT 28, 1999
Born Yesterday
Funny How I’m Losing You
Memories Of You
Oh My Sweet Valentine
To Be The One
Hey There, Mrs. Lovely
In My Time Of Need
Onslow County
Folklore
Revelator (with Gillian Welch, her song)
Dancing With The Women At The Bar (Whiskeytown song, with Gillian Welch)
– with I Want It That Way (Backstreet Boys) at the end
Helpless (Neil Young cover, with Gillian Welch)
Return Of The Grievous Angel (Gram Parsons cover, with Gillian Welch)
16 Days (Whiskeytown song, with Gillian Welch)
Nighttime Gals
Statuettes With Wounds Avenues (Whiskeytown song)
Avenues (Whiskeytown song)

…and THAT, folks, is one of my favorite live shows ever recorded. I have listened to it more times than I can count. It feels like a whiskey, warming the insides.

[full show/other formats here]