The unfamiliar faces of Matt Costa

As soon as I was about ten seconds into this new video from Matt Costa, I already knew that yeah, I was gonna have to post it. When he steps in front of the panorama of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, where I have spent many a 25¢ Ride Night during the long hot summers of my teenage youth, I fell. This brand new video is for the playful lead-off track from Matt's upcoming second full-length album, Unfamiliar Faces (January 22, Brushfire Records).

"Mr. Pitiful" is the earcatching opener to a bright and largely effervescent album, but a collection that also finds Matt journeying into territory that is a bit deeper and richer. I heard more variation between the songs than in albums past, but he still maintains that enjoyable California vibe.

This video is directed by the Malloy Brothers, and casts Matt as a marionette-like one man band, travelling the well-known beaches, bridges, and thoroughfares of Santa Cruz and San Francisco. I can testify that walking across that train bridge at about the 1:30 mark is a bit unnerving (if it's the one I am thinking of) because it's just an open trestle. It made me smile to see it again.

And it's also a testimony to both of those wacky cities that I love that no one hardly bats an eye at the dude jivin' down the street wearing a big drum and a bowtie.

MR. PITIFUL - new video from Matt Costa
(click the yellow play circle)

And here's a bonus Friday goodie for you: a new slowburn song from Costa that feels like an orange sunset to me. It's one of my favorites off Unfamiliar Faces so far.

Never Looking Back - Matt Costa


Matt is on tour all over the place in the coming months with Johnathan Rice and Delta Spirit supporting.

One last gasp at warmer days

So, did I tell you I am going to Hawaii in January? Yaay. A relative is getting married on Kauai so I'll be boarding a plane for eleven million hours and then living the island lifestyle for a good six days or so. Meanwhile in Colorado . . . little flurries of snow tentatively started falling last night (winter seems to be delayed this year which is okay with me) so I am bracing myself for colder days from now until then. Before we launch into December and Christmas music and all that, here's one last track for sunnier days.

Island Style (with Jack Johnson) - John Cruz

John Cruz is a legendary Hawaiian slack-key guitarist/musician, and this duet is the closing track on the new Brushfire Records compilation album of laid back live cuts from their roster of, well, really laid back artists.

Thank You, Goodnight: Live Tracks from Bonnaroo and Vegoose
is available directly from Brushfire Records store, as well as from your local indie brick & mortar record store (find your nearest at Think Indie).

THANK YOU, GOODNIGHT TRACKLIST
1. Take You There - G. Love and Special Sauce
2. Wasting Time - ALO
3. Staple It Together - Jack Johnson
4. Songs We Sing - Matt Costa
5. Color Of Your Blue - Money Mark
6. Constellations - Jack Johnson
7. Hot Cookin' - G. Love and Special Sauce
8. BBQ - ALO
9. These Arms - Matt Costa
10. Island Style - John Cruz (Featuring Jack Johnson)

Exclusive first listen to new Matt Costa

Like a sno-cone on a hot afternoon, I've got a sweet treat for you today kids - Fuel/Friends is pleased to host an exclusive first listen of the brand new Matt Costa.

I've written before about this earnest 25-year-old singer/songwriter from California, and this autumn will bring us Unfamiliar Faces, his dang catchy follow-up album to 2005's Songs We Sing. If you thought you had his sound pegged . . . think again. This new stuff blows the old out of the water (and I like the old stuff).

This is just a short clip, but I think you'll like the taste:


Unfamiliar Faces is out October 2nd on Brushfire Records and it is absolutely delightful, showing both a depth and a playfulness from Costa. Although he's always been an amiable listen, this album brings both a greater musical inventiveness and maturity to his sound.

I've been listening to it all day and have no intentions of stopping anytime soon.

TRACKLISTING: Unfamiliar Faces
Mr. Pitiful (that's the toe-tapping song in the video)
Lilacs
Never Looking Back
Emergency Call
Vienna
Unfamiliar Faces
Cigarette Eyes
Downfall
Trying To Lose My Mind
Bound
Heart Of Stone
Miss Magnolia

Choose Your Own Adventure, summer edition

It finally cooled off enough today for me to go out for a run just as it was getting dark tonight (almost 9pm, I love the long summer days). There was a humidity in the air, and as I ran facing west, towards the mountains and Pikes Peak, the sky was flaming orange and lightning was crackling electric all around me. Kinda scary, but also very cool.

I had my iPod on shuffle and three great songs came up in a row that struck me as being perfect for my now-completed summer mix. So now, if there were one or two (or three) songs in there that you didn't care for (be it your Steve Miller Band, your Weezer, etc), you can do some customized drag and drop substitutions. All three of these would fit just fine for your summer listening pleasure.

SUMMER SUBSTITUTIONS:

Sunshine (live) - Matt Costa (alternate link)

The Best I Ever Had - Chris Isaak (alternate link)
(forgot how much I love that Isaak b-side)

Time Of The Season - Snowden (alternate link)

A note on that last one: if you can get past their repeated flub of the chorus lyrics (it's "time OF the season FOR loviiiiing..."), the beat is insanely good. And the original song is a cultural watershed in my book for being the first time in popular culture that someone posed the all-important question, "Who's your daddy?" Go Zombies.

Spiderman winner and a sweeeet new giveaway from Brushfire Records

I didn't forget about that Spiderman 3 soundtrack contest -- you guys thought of some freaky superpowers. I think Ali's was closest to my own heart, although if I had this superpower I would be ridiculously sleep-deprived from going to a concert every single night, somewhere in the world:

At May 14, 2007 12:12 PM, Ali said...
The superpower I wish I had would have to be the ability to Apparate (referencing the magical Harry Potter-isms), to appear somewhere else (like a pete yorn concert, for instance) *snap* just like that. anytime, anywhere, whenever. no plane tickets, rental cars or luggage necessary.

Ali, please email me your address and I'll get your soundtrack prize pack sent. Thanks for playing!


NEW CONTEST -- and this one may be my favorite yet.

I am a hearty fan of the laid-back quality tunes on Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records label (formerly The Moonshine Conspiracy Records), which was started in 2002 as an offshoot to the surf film collaborative Woodshed Films. Jack birthed this idea in 1998 with Emmett and Chris Malloy during the creation of the surf film Thicker Than Water, and since then they've released soundtracks to several like-minded films, and built up a roster of artists whom I unfailingly enjoy.

So, I recently came across a new bright green Matt Costa t-shirt that I picked up in a schwag bag at a conference last year and it gave me the idea for this new contest. Thanks to the good folks at Brushfire, one random winner will get a fine smattering of the entire artist catalog:

1 Matt Costa CD [previously on Fuel]
1 Money Mark CD [previously on Fuel]
1 ALO CD [previously on Fuel]
1 G. Love CD [previously on Fuel]
1 Jack Johnson CD (your choice)
1 XL Matt Costa t-shirt
1 signed Matt Costa poster

Leave your name and email address (and some pleasant words or a joke or something if you want to make me smile too) in the comments and I will pick one lucky person next Friday.

Let It Be Sung - Jack Johnson w/ Matt Costa & Zach Gill of ALO

Rainbow - Jack Johnson and G. Love

Vedder to appear solo at Hawaii's Kokua Festival with Jack Johnson and Matt Costa

Just announced: Eddie Vedder is confirmed to play solo as part of this year's Kokua Festival at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu.

Joining organizer Jack Johnson, Matt Costa, and local Island favorites Ernie Cruz Jr. and The Girlas, the Fourth Annual Kokua Festival will be on Earth Day weekend -- April 21 & 22.

Eddie is playing with the amazing Booooom Gaspar (a native Hawaiian and mostly full-time PJ band member lately) on keys. All proceeds go to the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Jack and Kim Johnson to support environmental education programs in Hawaii.

Tickets will be available exclusively to Kokua Hawaii Foundation members starting February 6 (become a member to buy). Tickets to the general public will be available via Jack Johnson’s web site on February 10, via their Myspace on February 15, or via Ticket(bastard) starting Feb 17.

Oh, Hawaii, why do you taunt me so?!


Here's a sample of the goodness we might be able to expect from Vedder; all of these live songs are just wonderful, some of my favorites.

Ed Vedder (solo), 2/26/2002
Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles
You're True (first performance, beautiful ukulele ditty)
Can't Keep
Broken Hearted (unreleased)
Thumbing My Way


Ed Vedder (solo), 3/15/2002
Royce Hall, UCLA
Goodbye (first performance, also on ukulele)

Two things that made me laugh today

1. Stereogum (guilty pleasure) has opened the polls for their annual Gummy Awards. You can vote for the standard album of the year business, as well as fun things like indie male rock hottie (I had a hard time with that because most of those indie boy rockers are pale and bespectacled and introspective or 12 and that's not really my thing. I remembered Trent after I submitted my ballot - can I vote again?) and indie female rock hottie (I went with the one who taught them all how to do it - Kim Gordon).

However, the very best question is the drop down menu where you get to vote for how many albums Ryan Adams should release this year. Stereogum and Ryan should just get a room and end this silly flirting.


2. Matt Costa shows up at the Spinner studios to play some tunes, and takes a little pre-show nap on the floor of their conference room (after a long night with "Jack D. and Jim B."). The staff sneaks several pictures, which makes me laugh.

Lullaby - Jack Johnson & Matt Costa
(I wonder if he hears that sweet harmony in his head as he drifts off)


He appears to be a pretty sound sleeper, judging by the variety of pictures posted on their site. Now if only the AOL Music staff had chiefed him, that would have been perfect.

A Glass And A Half In Every Heather

I tell ya people, this having an actual life that takes time away from my blogging is really a pain. That being said, I've been busy and it's been a while since I've done a sort of Odds & Ends post, but there's several good things rattling around in my brain today that I thought I'd share.

Plus it's Blizzard 2006 here in Colorado so no work, no schools, no nothing except being a homebody all day. I was going to post a few great sets of music, but EZArchive seems to be migrating to a new system and may be unavailable for 24 hours. Bah.

۞ The first diversion of the day is the Advertising Slogan Generator where you plug in your name and it makes you your very own slogan. Mine is above in the subject line, and it's awesome. What's yours? I keep hitting refresh and laughing out loud.

۞ The charming Mr. Tim Young has assembled a fantastic Contrast Podcast #30: "A Song I Like By A Band I Don't." I had several discussions about my possible submissions last week when I was on vacation, but ultimately didn't get my stuff together in time to submit anything. I had some good ideas, though (sure, sure).

۞ I posted about the Brokedown Melody soundtrack last week, and got the news today that there are 2 song streams available (thanks "Craig"!) -- one for the Eddie Vedder track (without the annoying AOL voiceovers every time he stops to take a breath) and the other for one of the 2 unreleased Jack Johnson tracks:

"Let It Be Sung" - Jack Johnson with Matt Costa & Zach Gill
STREAMS: [.asx] [.ram]

"Goodbye" - Eddie Vedder
STREAMS: [.asx] [.ram]


۞ Fuel friend and fellow blogger Bruce makes XPN Radio in Philly one of the coolest stations on the air. They've got a few great live performances this week for your streaming pleasure:

-TODAY: (Oct. 26) at 2PM EST, Lindsay Buckingham interview and performance on World Cafe at www.xpn.org
-FRIDAY: (Oct. 27) at 12pm EST, it's Sean Lennon live in concert on www.xpn.org and www.npr.org.


۞ Speaking of streaming, the new Damien Rice album 9 is streaming in full at A-O-Hell (AOL). I have a little window open here and intend to listen to it very soon. I want to give it the full attention it deserves.


۞ Chad over at Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands is a huge Elliott Smith fan, as anyone who has ever spent even a little bit of time with him likely knows. In observance of the Oct 21 anniversary of Elliott's death, he has posted a lovely and heartfelt tribute piece. Recommended reading with soundtrack.


۞ Howie Payne was that guy from The Stands (who put out a pair of kicking albums), and since they've broken up I have been keeping an eye on his solo MySpace page. Finally there are some new streaming songs from him, and they sound great -- bluesy & rolling.


۞ Everybody's doing it: Robert Schneider (Apples in Stereo) is set to release a children's album, according to You Ain't No Picasso. Kids these days are going to grow up never having to listen to bad music, and that's clearly the first step towards world peace.


۞ A few of you astute and kind readers have sent me a recent Chris Cornell set from Sweden, with a fantastic blend of solo, Audioslave, and cover songs. J over at Sweet Oblivion has now saved me the time uploading it, he's got it for ya. Nice set, how 'bout that Michael Jackson cover?


۞ Aquarium Drunkard has ripped some vinyl audio for us from his much-beloved Bill Withers at Carnegie Hall LP, and it makes me love Withers (and A.D.) even more. Check out the warm snap, crackle and pop of these tracks.


۞ Finally, Lore Sjöberg over at Wired.com has penned the funniest article I've read all week: MySpace, Now With Random Crap. He muses, "I don't really know what to do with my 319 new online chums, compatriots and cronies . . . I think you just collect them, as they collect you. It is the 21st century, and we are all each other's Hummel figurines. I think MySpace should take a hint from collectible figure games like HeroClix, and find a way to let you make your friends fight."
Read the entire thing here.

(Sort of) new from Matt Costa

I was a little confused when I read in the slew of new releases today that 23 year-old acoustic songster Matt Costa was listed as releasing his "new" album Songs We Sing, since this is, in fact, the same title & cover art as his mellow & pleasant independent 2005 release.

So, after some investigative sleuthing I have deduced that this is the re-release of his first album on Brushfire Records. It is apparently remastered, partially re-mixed and with a new track listing. So, if you've never checked him out before, now you can get the new improved version (and who, in today's consumer culture, doesn't like that?). See, you never even knew what you were missing.

One reviewer wrote, "Costa's songs hark back to an age when singer-songwriters were happy to perform, bare their souls and if anyone bought their records, well, that was jolly nice. Costa's output is emotive without being too... emotional, as on the heart-achingly beautiful 'Astair.' His layered vocal harmonies on tracks such as 'Sunshine' recall the halcyon days of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and the boy can also rock, as on 'Sweet Thursday' or the mid-tempo'd and haunting 'Yellow Taxi.'"

I like this guy's sincere acoustic vibe. I featured "Sunshine" on a Monday Music Round-Up back in January. Here are live versions of 3 of the four new songs that are on the new release. These are from a great show at El Cid in Los Angeles on 8/7/05. It is soundboard quality, I do believe.


Sweet Thursday - Matt Costa

These Arms - Matt Costa

Ballad of Miss Kate - Matt Costa

Monday Music Roundup

It's Monday, time again for me to open wide the vast musical archives (which are actually quickly filling up my 30GB iPod - I think I need a new 60. Your favorite friendly music blogger is currently accepting donations) to pull out some selections for y'all. And today's caveat is that EZArchive (which stores the songs) may be acting weird. If you can't get the tunes, stop back by later.

In the meantime I will give EZArchive a stern talking-to.

Satisfied Mind
Johnny Cash
I first heard this song done by Jeff Buckley on his Sketches (For My Sweetheart The Drunk). His version is saturated with a gorgeous and rich beauty (and was, incidentally, played at his memorial service - side note). Ben Harper also does a bluesy-gospel version with the Blind Boys of Alabama. But Johnny Cash, as always, puts his signature desolate and wind-blown sound to this song (from the Kill Bill 2 Soundtrack of all places) and it makes me feel all nostalgic and Grapes-of-Wrath-ish just to listen to it. God bless Johnny Cash.

Cayman Islands
Kings of Convenience featuring Feist
I posted on Norway's Kings of Convenience before, but never about the lovely Canadian songstress Feist, who I have been hearing more and more professions of love for from the mouths of my musical friends. Feist paired with Kings for a few tracks on their album Riot On An Empty Street, released in 2004. This is a very mellow song with a nice blending of voices, with folksy finger-picking simple melody and lilting vocals. Check out "Homesick" from the same album for a straight up Simon & Garfunkel reunion.

Hard Times
Eastmountainsouth
This duo has now broken up, but Eastmountainsouth was a lovely surprise discovery that I made in 2004, scoring free tickets to go see them in a small club in San Francisco. Kat Maslich is from Clinch Mountain, Virginia, and she joins Alabama/Tennessee native Peter Adams on their evocative eponymous 2000 release. Maslich's warm and powerful alto voice leads the album, alternating and meshing seamlessly with Adams. The organic and rural-sounding album employs a variety of styles of music, mostly centering around folk and acoustic melody, but incorporating hints of plucky bluegrass guitar and resonant piano. I highly recommend the album, and I wish you could still see them live as they were stunning. Oh, and this song was also featured on the Elizabethtown soundtrack last year.

Sunshine (live 11/13/03)
Matt Costa
I just got reminded (by a little birdie of sorts) of this great track that I've had sitting in my "To Blog" playlist for about three months now. Matt Costa was was number three on Fader Magazine's "Top Ten Things You Didn’t Appreciate Enough In 2005," - an acoustic singer-songwriter in the vein of pal (and informal promoter) Jack Johnson. Costa has toured with Jack, as well as Donavon Frankenreiter (and probably G. Love), so you get a sense of his vibe. Costa also collaborates with Jack on the new Curious George soundtrack, which I buckled and pre-ordered on iTunes so I could get the excellent track "Upside Down," which makes we want to swing in a hammock somewhere. But, again, that's sort of off-topic. Sorry. "Sunshine" is from the 2005 album Songs We Sing. Check it out, you flip-flop-wearing surfer, you.

Reach Down
Pearl Jam with Chris Cornell
Once again, I had something else here in the number 5 spot, but then I realized today's line-up was waaay too sparse and mellow and I am feeling a bit rockin' today myself. So let's rock a bit. I am getting all excited to receive the 2005 Pearl Jam Christmas Single vinyl. 'But it is January,' you say, 'not Christmas.' Well, in the 12 or 13 years as I have been in the Ten Club (the Pearl Jam fanclub), I don't think I've ever gotten the annual record before February. This song was featured on the 2003 Christmas single, and this Temple of the Dog "reunion" took place October 28th of that year at a star-studded evening of music.

Thanks to Franz pointing this out: You can download this entire show at http://www.glidemagazine.com/downloads25.html. This amazing evening featured an acoustic set, and electric set, and three encores - filled with gems. Collaborating musicians include Jack Irons, Chris Cornell (also did 2 solo songs, one of his own and one Audioslave), John Frusciante (RHCP), Jack Johnson, and Lyle Workman. Grab the show for download before it is gone!

My favorite Seattle-ites are the topic of a new photo book coming out this Spring, "5x1: Pearl Jam Through the Eye of Lance Mercer."