Any reason is a good reason to comb the stacks and while away the hours in any independent record store. I’ve always managed to find a way to duck into the corner music store, from Florence to Vancouver, New York to San Diego — nothing beats the thrill of finding some small musical gem, or even the promise of that possibility.
Saturday is Record Store Day across the country, where your local independent retailers have joined forces to encourage you to stop by and say hello. They miss your smiling face. Really. Even if you’ve been seduced by the sleek and sexy mistress of iTunes (or its outlaw cousins at Pirate Bay), they’ll take you back and love you. Promise.
Locally here in Denver our excellent Twist & Shout is celebrating its 20th anniversary this very weekend, in addition to the Record Store Day festivities.
So Denverites, stop by Twist & Shout this weekend –they have cake! and champagne! and have posted a list of just a few of the cool indie vinyls they’ll have in stock for the weekend:
Josh Ritter Live at the 9:30 club Jason Isbell Live at Twist & Shout Breeders We’re Gonna Rise 7″ Vampire Weekend A-Punk 7″ Stephen Malkmus Cold Son 10″ R.E.M. Supernatural Superserious 7″ Black Keys Strange Times 7″ Built to Spill Don’t Cry 7″ Death Cab for Cutie I WIll Possess Your Heart 7″
Plus many labels are giving away special comps and samplers just for Record Store Day: a Brushfire vinyl sampler, Merge 7″ vinyl, Sub Pop sampler CD, Matador comp, etc. Check with your local store for what they have lined up. It seems like everyone’s got something cool going on.
Let’s head out and support local independent music retailers. Each one that shutters and falls by the wayside is a blow to the unique, passionate, knowledgeable music-buying experience.
Last night my friend Jill and I were at the Denver Fillmore for the Emerson Hart/Collective Soul/Live lineup, an evening punctuated by literal spontaneous rock’n'roll combustion – one of the speakers caught fire. Afterwards my friend working the show was incredulous that I hadn’t noticed. “You didn’t smell the smoke?” he said. Yes, I smelled intense smoke but thought it was just the two middle-aged urban cougars in strappy tanks getting high to my left.
Emerson Hart was very very good, backed by his full band. I could have heard a much longer set from him. The former frontman of Tonic has a solo album out now called Cigarettes and Gasoline [previous mention] and came out afterwards by the merch booth to meet folks. Very warm, down to earth, appreciative fella. He tells me that he’ll be back with an acoustic tour this November and I will definitely be there.
Collective Soul did nothing for me. I tried. Too much posturing and posing by singer Ed Roland, as if he had practiced his microphone slinging acrobatics beforehand in front of a mirror. I did get into the performance of “Hollywood,” a ridiculously catchy single off their new album, and “All That I Know” had a delicious huge beat. Other than that . . . mmm, not so much.
Live‘s music is absolutely awesome in concert – it soars and writhes and pounds, and I adore it. I sang emphatically along to every song; they might be in my Top 5 pantheon of bands close to my heart. I am pleased to also report on the status of Ed’s sweaty nipples: they are just as small as they were last year. My sister was with me at the last embarrassing display of gyrating self-confidence by their lead singer, so I texted her an ongoing update of his state of undress (“the shirt is unbuttoned” “we have nipples!” “he is shirtless. i repeat, he is shirtless”) because it’s just so bad you can’t believe it’s actually happening, and with such barely-concealed erotic glee on his part.
She texted me back this simple admonition: “Bask in their glory.”
Lonely No More Magnet Starting with a high and lonesome harmonica, combined unexpectedly with big band thumping drum-major beats, this one gets my attention from the start — and then the perfect pop Buddy Holly melody sticks in my head for hours. From the new album by Magnet (aka Norwegian dude Even Johansen), The Simple Life is a kaleidoscope of instruments and influences, and it sounds absolutely fantastic to me. From the opening handclaps and Sufjan-banjo plucking of “The Gospel Song” through all the Eels-worthy strings, shiny brass, and thoroughly modern shimmer of sounds, I ♥ it with a vengeance. It deserves its very own post and a potential spot on my best-of-2007 list, but I am so excited I am throwing it out here now. My head literally spins a little with a discovery this good. The Simple Life is out now in the U.S. on Filter Recordings, and watch for Magnet opening for Stars on tour starting this month.
Shim Sham Imperial Teen This one hits kinda like the Breeders seething with a smatter of glam rock. San Francisco-based Imperial Teen has been making music together for over a decade, and their newest one The Hair, The TV, The Baby & The Band (out now on Merge) shares lead vocal duties by both the girls and guys in the band, as well as a pink Starburst sensibility of retro-tinged indie pop, crunchy guitars, and summertime lyrics. This tune’s all about a party at the Shim Sham club, and about “delinquent girls staying up all night / spray painting walls under suburban lights.”
Lonely Moon The Cat Empire An empire ruled by cats is a terrible idea, right behind a mouthful of bees. Where do these bands keep coming up with these names? I don’t know what went into the naming process of this Australian group that merges sounds of ’60s-organ rock, funk, reggae, dancehall, and more. Their fresh sounds are all over the map. “In America they tie themselves in knots trying to categorise our music,” says frontman/songwriter Felix Reibl. “It might not be easy to categorise but it’s music that’s perfectly natural whether it’s playing in a shack in Vietnam or a nightclub in New York” [credit]. So Many Nights was produced by John Porter (The Smiths, Ryan Adams, Missy Higgins) and recorded in Melbourne and Malibu, and it’s out recently in Australia with a planned invasion of U.S. shores in 2008. Listen to em now.
Rud Fins Robert Pollard A guy recently posted on the Ryan Adams board about Robert Pollard‘s two albums coming out this month because, as he said, “no one’s used the word ‘prolific’ around here lately.” Another supercreative artist who doesn’t try to quell the flow of tunes, former Guided By Voices leader Bob Pollard has the poppier Coast To Coast Carpet Of Love, coming out on the same day as the harder-edged punk feel of Standard Gargoyle Decisions. Street date is tomorrow for both sides of his persona, and you can stream both albums in full over on the Merge site.
Caroline Jackie Greene I mentioned the new Small Tempest EP from California folk-bluesman Jackie Greene recently, and have now gotten a chance to enjoy it front to back. Let this run along with another perfect little song called Caroline — and where that one was a melancholy piano-scored summer afternoon watching clouds pass, this one starts with few autumnal guitar-plucked notes that immediately call to mind the “Don’t Think Twice” of Dylan. Greene’s got a smooth and wistful voice, and some lonesome harmonica chops here. Despite the “I was a teenage heartthrob in a film noir” cover, pick up this EP if you can catch Jackie live this fall.
According to reviewer Dennis Cook who was there: “There’s almost nothing better than knowing with dead certainty the folks making music are having a grand time. Their voices – rootsy, high, lonesome and evergreen – meshed like Everly Brothers from different mamas. The trio swapped instruments freely, Greene being especially liquid, jumping from guitar to keys to bass as the song dictated.”
Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead also joined the band on 4 songs, doing bass and vocals.
Jackie Greene is currently on tour with Phil Lesh, and in addition to the new Skinny Singers album Strike Again! (out now, recorded at their San Francisco Mission Bells studio), Greene also has a new EP available for sale only at his shows called “Small Tempest.” This summer he also released a retrospective called Jackie Greene: The DIG Years 2001-2005 (the years before he was signed to Verve Forecast) with previously unreleased material.
This video I took of him last summer in Boulder is still one of my favorite videos to watch – love this song (off of his album American Myth) and the panache with which he plays it:
You may have read about the ooooh-ahhhh coolness of the new iConcertCalplugin you can download for iTunes which will automatically cull all the upcoming concert dates for whatever city you type in, based on who is in your iTunes library. What I didn’t know until yesterday is that it is now available for Windows users as well as Mac.
I did actually find myself ooohing and ahhhing when I loaded it — very cool & helpful and now all of us Windows Luddites can join in on the fun. Plus, it’s good for travelling (as I am doing to San Diego next month for my brother’s graduation — I gotta take that kid out and now I have some ideas of where to whisk him).
Here are some new tunes to feed your ears this week.
Look At You Now Golden Smog When does a side project become a “real” band? I love side projects for the freewheeling ways that they let the collaborating musicians explore common ground with no long-term commitment — they’re doing it because they want to. Blood On The Slacks (har har) is the second release in less than a year from Golden Smog (a supergroup comprised at times with members of The Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, Run Westy Run and Wilco — although this release is Tweedy-less), and it’s out April 24 on Lost Highway. There are several great tracks among the 8, including the blush-inducing falsetto ballad “Scotch On Ice” about a bendy and compliant sex partner, and the fuzzy & bright “Can’t Even Tie Your Own Shoes.” This particular cut is more ’60s harmonies and pop-influenced than some of the other more alt-country/rock pieces on the EP — a great summer song.
Os Novos Yorkinos Bebel Gilberto Daughter of legendary bossa nova musician Jọo Gilberto and Brazilian jazz singer Mi̼cha, Bebel Gilbertohas a solid gold pedigree in making music. Momento is her third solo album, a deliciously global and seductive collection of earthy rhythms influenced by her native Brazil and recorded in London, Rio de Janiero, and New York. This track jumped out at me for the acoustic guitar and handclaps+congas foundation mixed with her slyly knowing voice. This song (and the whole album, really) deserves to be liberally splashed throughout all of your summer mixtapes this year Рdelightful and warm.
Are You Prepared The Concretes A charmingly retro-sounding closer to the new Hey Trouble album from Sweden’s The Concretes, illustrating the unvarnished ’60s girl-group undertones layered with synthy-Scandinavian pop and tambourines. The aforementioned “trouble” refers to the tumultuous year they’ve had with the loss of lead singer Victoria Bergsman (who is busy whistling and singing about not caring about the young folks lately) and their decision to carry on as a band without her. Her voice is certainly missed on this album, but it’s a new era for The Concretes with a new sound that’s growing on me. Hey Trouble is out now physically in Scandinavia and digitally elsewhere.
White Headphones The Mother Hips I posted a bit from Jackie Greene last week where he mentioned the new Mother Hips album. It sparked something in my memory and I delved into the immense & growing pile of promo CDs sitting on my stereo cabinet, and eureka! there it was. Kiss the Crystal Flake has an odd egg/ocean-themed cover and a psychedelic title, but it’s got some good stuff within. I’ve never seen the Mother Hips live, as everyone says I must, but I very much liked the ’70s-Stones swagger of this track, which also features Mr. Greene on piano. It also definitely recalls the opening of the Beck track “Strange Apparition” for me, which in turn also reminds me of the Stones too. All that to say – it’s good. Check it out.
Don’t Give Up The Noisettes Pardon me while I sexually harrass another female. This album from The Noisettes is one, if you get it, that you should buy the actual album. The front cover is the trio busting out of some sort of carnival-mouth thingie. The back cover is a rear view of their exodus, and the central focus is pretty much lead singer Shingai Shoniwa’s exceedingly lovely bottom in magenta spandex. I mean come on, you can’t help but check that thing out. The Zimbabwean/Londoner yowls on this track with a take-no-prisoners snarl that belongs in the halls of the baddest female punk rockers. I feel fierce just listening to her verbal assault in front of a wall of thick guitar that Brian Setzer would approve of, and unrelenting punk drums. This is fun stuff (even if I think noisette is French for . . . hazelnut?). What’s The Time Mr. Wolf (??) is out tomorrow in the US on Universal/Motown. *
As if Sacramento blues-rocker wunderkindJackie Greene didn’t already remind me enough of Bob Dylan, this rapidfire montage video makes me half expect him to start tossing hand-lettered signs off to the side with each lyric. Nonetheless I like this new film clip a lot, seemingly part of a campaign to drum up some deserved attention for his 2006 album American Myth, which I really like.
Jackie sounds a little glum:
“I am either up really early, or really late. Honestly I can’t tell. Strange things are happening in my world, some of them not so wonderful, and some of them extremely exciting. I’m sure we all feel that way at times. Like we don’t know if we’re walking into a trap, or a surpirse party. It’s an odd feeling…
Last night (or tonight) I played with one of my favorite bands, The Mother Hips, here in San Francisco. They have a brand new record out called Kiss The Crystal Flake which is available now. It’s a fantastic record, one of their finest. To really experience the Hips, you must see them live.
We have a nice string of shows coming up that I hope folks will be good enough to show up to. I want to start performing some of the new songs that will hopefully wind up on our next release. Which by the way, will probably not be out for a long time. As impatient as I am, and it drives me fucking mad, it’s probably a good thing. American Myth has only been out for about 10 months now. Sadly, it’s pretty much dead. It’s difficult to realize that a record that I cared so much about gets so little attention, but I guess that’s the way it goes. Moving forward is the only motion that counts, I guess.
Tim Bluhm and I have been working on our Skinny Singers record. It’s coming along nicely and we hope you’ll enjoy it when it becomes available. The songs are different…quirky, sparse. Bluesy, funky. Two skinny dudes singing their skinny asses off…something like that.”
I almost want to say something like, “Buck up, camper” and give him a gentle punch on the shoulder. He’s got talent, and there are still those of us out here who appreciate that greatly. This video I shot of him performing last August (in a steaming ten-thousand degree club) is still one of the best live shots I’ve captured in recent memory – just full of life and a great, great song.
Sacramento (Calif) songster Jackie Greene (whose American Myth album is just fantastic, and who you can see on some video I shot here) has formed a new band with Tim Bluhm (of Mother Hips). They are called the Skinny Singers (garage/country) for, as they say, “obvious reasons.” As their little MySpace profile says, “Together, they represent a musical force that is awe inspiring. They are also very skinny.” Take a listen:
My personal favorite of the three songs from them is only streaming on the site. It is called “Singing My Way To The Grave” and you can stream it here.
Friday night in Boulder was a tag-team lineup of great acts at the Fox Theatre, and then we were to scurry next door to Tulagi to catch the next act before repeating it all over again. It was great. Here were my two favorites:
Jackie Greene‘s absolutely marvelous set at the Fox on Friday night (and then chatting with him a bit in line while I bought a drink afterwards at the convenience store across the street). Kid’s younger than me, but sounds like he has amassed a lifetime of road-weary wisdom and tight musical chops. Definitely buy his new CD American Myth, post-haste. He’s on tour now.
JACKIE GREENE, SO HARD TO FIND MY WAY (video)
(or click this link if the stupid embedded video doesn’t work. This is my favorite video I’ve shot recently, just an excellent performance. Sorry about the three blips of loud audio.)
Corinne Bailey Rae is absolutely enchanting live – she commands the stage with her voice, but couldn’t be more adorable (and I say that in a completely non-patronizing way – it is effortless charm, not cutesy gimmick). Even though I was about to die during her set from the 147 degree barn that is the Tulagi venue on a hot summer night with NO A.C., I took these two videos for your viewing pleasure (and occasional audio displeasure, sorry for the loud spots), then I almost fainted.
What a wonderful soccer-filled weekend. I love the simplicity, the urgency, the grace & beauty of the sport. The luck of the Irish (or something!) was with me this weekend because I did (mostly) well on my predictions and am tied for first place with a couple other “music lovin’ mofos” in our bloggers’ World Cup pool. Woo hoo!
Here is a linguistic/soccer-related question that occured to me this weekend during the Angola vs. Portugal game. Perhaps one of my global readers can enlighten my ignorance. I kept hearing the announcer mention the Portuguese team “Benfica.” It caught my ear because it sounds like a bit of racy slang in italiano (‘fica’ means fig, and is also slang for a, uh, certain part of the female anatomy. Ben, short for bene, meaning good). So what gives with the word “benfica”?! I know it must not mean the same thing in Portuguese, but how widespread was the jesting in Italy when ex-Fiorentina coach Trapattoni became the coach in 2004 of benfica? Anyone?
Or is it just my pathetic Italian-as-a-second-language misunderstanding, and I am embarassing myself? Wouldn’t be the first time.
Enough of that nonsense, here’s some tunes.
“Cemetery Song“ Jon Auer This has got to be the peppiest pop-song-about-a-dead-person ever penned. From former Posies member Jon Auer‘s fine outing Songs From The Year Of Our Demise (available on eMusic), the harmony-laden Beatles-esque sound fits in among 15 tracks Auer wrote for this themed-album, all written about the loss of a friend and the facets of grief. Despite the subject matter, this low-key album is surprisingly not depressing. Check out the free single (“Six Feet Under”) on label Pattern 25′s website, and buy the album on eMusic.
“So Hard To Find My Way“ Jackie Greene A fantastic upbeat, retro-sounding tune combining piano, banjo, and Memphis horns. From his new CD American Myth, Jackie is delving into more poppy arrangements than the harmonica-folk of his previous efforts, but it sounds good to me. I really like this chap and think we will be hearing a lot more from him. (PS – Did you download that Esthero/Sean Lennon duet “Everyday Is A Holiday” a few months back? I swear this song is its musical twin).
“Universal Frequencies“ His Name Is Alive Wow, it must be the summery weather, but this week’s music roundup is shaping up to be a string of ’60s pop sound tributes. This lovely offering, as will become apparent in about thirty seconds to whomever listens to it, is a complete and straight-up homage to the Beach Boys (notably, Good Vibrations & the whole Pet Sounds album). His Name Is Alive admits to listening to Pet Sounds incessantly during the writing & recording of their 1996 album Stars on ESP, from which this comes. It’s fun and kind of trips you out to hear something that could pass so smoothly for the Beach Boys, but with the addition of a female voice to the layered harmonies. Another eMusic find.
“Wait” (Beatles cover) Ben Kweller Let’s just keep the momentum going with more Beatles. See, all these songs thus far are the perfect accompaniment to some strollin’ in the sunshine. No better music for that kind of business than the Fab Four, eh? Ben Kweller was born to sing retro pop confections, and this is a feel-good cover from the Razor & Tie 40th anniversary tribute album to Rubber Soul (This Bird Has Flown, 2005). If you don’t have the album, buy it on eMusic — it’s also got some sweet tracks by Ben Harper, Ben Lee (it’s a Ben bonanza!) The Donnas, Ted Leo, and Sufjan Stevens.
“Into Oblivion“ Lisa Germano And here’s the exception to the blissfully happy lineup of songs so far this week. I’ve heard of Lisa Germano in connection with Eels, but over the years she has also worked with David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Johnny Marr, U2, Sheryl Crow, and John Mellencamp. From her latest solo effort In The Maybe World (July 18, Young God Records), this song is tailor-made for a sleep mix. Lisa’s lushly rich vocals fronting the best song Sigur Ros never wrote. Close your eyes and picture; a piano underwater, laying on your back floating on an iceberg, walking through a dark forest at 3am. Sonic bliss.
Off to catch some of the Italy v. Ghana game. Forza azzurri!
Hailing from the scenic California state capital of Sacramento (ok, not really scenic but passable), Jackie Greene has been steadily rolling out a hearty brand of folksy Americana music for the past few years. The 24-year-old songwriter is a multi-talented fellow, who in addition to singing also plays guitar, dobro, piano, harmonica, and percussion.
I was shocked to find out how young he was, for the impressive body of musical work he has already accomplished. He played at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival in October of 2004, when he was a mere 23. According to a news article, “Greene not only received standing ovations at two separate stages, but also sold more CDs and DVDs and signed more autographs at the Tower Records booth than any other participating artist. ” Not too shabby.
Jackie Greene fell onto my musical plate through the efforts of KFOG last year, with his excellent song (still my favorite by him), “Honey, I Been Thinking ‘Bout You.” This is a rolling ballad with rousing harmonica and cutting lyrics like:
“I don’t wanna be your two-weekend lover, your boy in the back, your one or the other. And I ain’t lookin’ for a wife or a mother, but honey I been thinking about you. And maybe you’re wrong, and maybe you’re right, and maybe we can sit here and argue all night . . . or maybe you just better turn out the lights, cos honey I been thinking ’bout you.”
“I don’t really care ’bout your hot blooded sister I’m sure there’s a man for to love her and miss her I didn’t mean nothing I just happened to kiss her But honey I was thinkin’ bout you…” (oooh!)
That song was definitely one of my favorites of last year. Get it here:
Jackie Greene released an independent record in 2000 called Rusty Nails, and was “discovered” shortly thereafter at an open mic in 2001. His second album rolled out in 2002, called Gone Wanderin’. He also gained some notoriety for his album Positively 12th and K: A Tribute to Bob Dylan, with which came a torrent of comparisons to the young Dylan, which are a dime a dozen, but there is substance and talent in Mr. Greene. In May of 2005 he released his third (critically-acclaimed) album, Sweet Somewhere Bound, and he has a new album coming out on Verve Forecast next Tuesday (March 14) called American Myth.
STREAM AUDIO #1: NPR’s World Cafe featured him last summer; Greene performed four songs from Sweet Somewhere Bound & American Myth, and ruminated a bit on guys his age liking artists like Dylan & Clapton, but still doing the things that 24-year-olds do (“…I still chase girls, do stupid things with my friends – I just happen to like that kind of music”):
Featuring 4 songs: About Cell Block #9, Honey I Been Thinking About You, Love Song at 2:00am, Gone Wanderin’
STREAM AUDIO #2: You can stream another fabulous set of songs off his new album from just last month on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic (if the above link doesn’t work, go to the main page to open the audio player). His new music combines with interesting interview commentary where Jackie discusses his love for the Stones, and how his new album is more of a rock album and less of the solo Americana-folk sound of Sweet Somewhere Bound. I like the sound of the new album very much.
Featuring 7 songs: Farewell So Long Goodbye (lots of good harmonica!), I’m So Gone, When You’re Walking Away, Hollywood, -Interview-, Closer to You (okay, I’ll say it because it begs to be said: very Dylanesque. But also with find of a funky gospel tinge to it. I like this song), So Hard To Find My Way (another nice harmonica bridge), Marigold
Jackie Greene is a talented and thoughtful songwriter who practically oozes good music. He’s an artist whose hearty, rich sound I am looking forward to hearing more of (and of course, the harmonica helps win me over as well). Take a listen to him and consider picking up American Myth on Tuesday.
Name: Heather Browne Location: Colorado, originally by way of California Giving context to the torrent since 2005.
"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel." —Hunter S. Thompson
Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.
Any reason is a good reason to comb the stacks and while away the hours in any independent record store. I’ve always managed to find a way to duck into the corner music store, from Florence to Vancouver, New York to San Diego — nothing beats the thrill of finding some small musical gem, or even the promise of that possibility.
They’re bringing in California troubadour Jackie Greene for an intimate performance, in support of his new album Giving Up The Ghost. Greene plays Saturday night at the Bluebird; an excellent twentysomething blues-americana showman with some serious harmonica chops, his live performances have always impressed me.
Name: Heather Browne
