Jeff Buckley, Glen Hansard "Neath The Beeches"

Today, November 17th, is Jeff Buckley's birthday, and a reader sent me this interview clip with Glen Hansard (Once, The Frames, The Commitments) discussing the months when his guitar tech/roadie was this young guy named Jeff.

Listen to Hansard tell the story of Jeff first playing "an Irish club in the East Village " with him (of course, the famous Sin-é) and the reaction of the audience when this unknown kid started to sing. As he discusses their relationship in this wonderfully unguarded interview, he also recounts the story of playing the Tim Buckley song "Once I Was" in the hotel room for Jeff, and being stunned when Jeff casually mentioned, oh yeah, he was my father.

It closes with a gorgeous version of the song "Neath The Beeches," which Hansard says fell fully formed from his mind, and that "I was thinking about (Jeff) when I was doing it, so it became his song in my head."

Glen Hansard discusses Jeff Buckley / plays "Neath The Beeches"

Here is also the album version, from the 1999 Frames album Dance The Devil:
Neath The Beeches - The Frames

Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová (Once) cover "Into The Mystic"

One of the most highly acclaimed musically-infused movies to come out this year, Once is the story of a Dublin busker who works part-time in a vacuum repair shop instead of living out his musical calling (Glen Hansard of the Irish band The Frames and The Swell Season), and the musical connection that he forms over the course of a week with a fellow struggling artist, a not-yet-twenty year old street vendor from the Czech Republic who happens to play the piano (Markéta Irglová, the other half of Swell Season).

You've probably seen the lush and lovely soundtrack that they made popping up on year-end Best of 2007 lists all over the place, and with good reason. This particular cover is a bonus track on some special editions of the soundtrack, and it is jaw-droppingly good. Although it starts winsome and delicate, it builds into moments of heartfelt intensity. The song always ends too soon, so I have to back up and listen to it over again.

Into The Mystic (Van Morrison cover) - Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová

The DVD came out this week in the U.S., which is something that my Netflix queue is thrilled about.


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In unrelated news, this kinda restored some of my faith in humanity this morning as I read the paper over my cup of coffee. Religious or not, I thought it was an inspiring story of giving this time of year, and what we are capable of.

Monday Music Roundup

So what, exactly, do you get the dog that has everything? I almost spit my coffee in laughter/disbelief the other morning when I came across this site (a link from dooce) -- Neuticles. Apparently these little silicone delights "allow your pet to retain his natural look, self esteem and aids in the trauma associated with neutering." If that doesn't just beat it all. Good thing I don't have to worry about decisions like that; although I am definitely a dog person, pets are just too much work for me right now. I consistently and methodically kill plants. I sometimes leave groceries in the car (meat. mmmmm.). I horrifically shrink wool sweaters by putting them in the washing machine. I don't think I have time to worry about testicular implants. Anyways. I don't really have a point other than . . . wtf?

Changing gears completely (thankfully), here are some new tunes to please your ears.

Aftermath
The Alternate Routes
I am completely in love with this new album from The Alternate Routes: Good and Reckless and True (Vanguard Records). I've been listening to it all weekend and from the first notes I smiled, and kept at it all the way through. They've got a warm, expansive, alt-pop-americana sound with hints that remind me of The Damnwells or Whiskeytown -- and speaking of Ryan Adams, current Cardinals drummer Brad Pemberton pitches in on the skins here as well. Solid songwriting and incisive lyricism, a highly recommended new album. I'll be talking more about them, I'm sure.

Either Way (featuring Mike Skinner of The Streets)
The Twang
Stereogum calls bollocks on this group, but I find myself rather liking this ditty in a summer-fun way. The video starts out promising, all froliciking on a rocky British beach, but ends up a bit like the goofy-looking kids from high school who got a hold of dad's camcorder while drinking. Either way, I can always do a little bit of Mike Skinner's rhymes, notwithstanding his odd penchant for wearing rainbow striped sweaters.


All The Way Down
Glen Hansard
This is from the rootsy-melancholy soundtrack to the new movie Once which is in select theaters now after wowing everyone at Sundance. Glen Hansard (of Ireland's The Frames) stars in the film as an art-imitating-life busker on the streets of Dublin, and wrote the evocative soundtrack. I haven't seen the movie yet, but readers tell me I must. This hushed song is in a similar vein to countrymate/tour companion/duetter Damien Rice, or maybe Josh Ritter. Good stuff.

Reunion
Jason Collett covering Stars
This tune is labelled as being by lush-indie-popsters Stars (whom I adore), but it's from their new remix album Do You Trust Your Friends, and is completely reinvented by friend and Broken Social Scenester Jason Collett. He delightfully turns it into something rollicking and loose, with a funky beat and fatty bass line that would be marvelous live. The Stars remix album is out now on Canada's Arts & Crafts label, and I also still recommend the impetus behind the remix album, 2005's Set Yourself On Fire.


Ghost of An Afternoon
Dave Fischoff
Independent musician Dave Fischoff labors from his small Chicago apartment/closet studio, weaving together sound samples that he has created himself and culled from the vast Chicago Public Library collection of sounds. You can hear his concentration in listening to the world around him, absorbing sounds and ideas, incorporating his own. They become melded together here on his album The Crawl -- one touch Postal Service with threads of '60s pop and orchestral strings. You can stream his whole album here and buy it from label Secretly Canadian.

PS - Comments turned on. That was an accident.

"The Cake Sale" (featuring Josh Ritter, Lisa Hannigan, Damien Rice, The Thrills, and more)

Well, here's something tasty.

Excellent Irish musicians team up for a good cause with the upcoming release of The Cake Sale -- a band featuring a loose and expansive collective of musicians and writers who have combined to create a 9-song CD of the same name on Oxfam Records. All profits will go to support Oxfam Ireland's Make Trade Fair campaign and their overseas program work.

Songs on the album have been written by Dave Geraghty and Paul Noonan (both of Bell X1), Bono's favorite Emm Gryner [link], Glen Hansard (of The Frames), Ollie Cole (of Irish band Turn), Damien Rice, Irish indies The Thrills and Australian-born Irish songwriter Matt Lunson [link].

Lead vocalists for the project include Lisa Hannigan (who has worked extensively with Damien Rice and should release a solo album as soon as she is able), Nina Persson (of The Cardigans), Gary Lightbody (of Snow Patrol), the lovely Irish singer Gemma Hayes, Glen Hansard, Josh Ritter, Conor Deasy (The Thrills) and Neil Hannon (of The Divine Comedy). A host of other luminaries fill the roles of musicians.

That's a top notch compilation lineup if I ever saw one! You can stream audio from all nine of the songs here, or on their MySpace page. Be their friend. Buy their record. It's a GOOD cause. The Cake Sale was just released in Ireland last week, and apparently those of us not on the Emerald Isle can buy it online through Road Records.

Here's just one of the great songs:
Last Leaf (Lisa Hannigan on vocals) - The Cake Sale
(re-upped 11/11/06)