Tuesday Music Roundup

I took something of a long weekend; one of my good friends from high school was in Colorado and it was wonderful to see someone who is familiar with a good chunk of me from age thirteen forward, in all my dorkiness and unwieldiness during those years. He was my old neighbor two blocks over; if I stood in my front yard and yelled really loudly, he could hear me and vice versa. We tested this theory several times over the years.

After I picked him and his friend up from the airport we wound up on the slightly janky, late-night special stretch of Colfax that I love, eating amidst dive bars at Pete's (Greek) Diner [pictured right]. I got the best gyro I've ever eaten; I've been told that I am too enthusiastic in talking about it. They say it's just a sandwich. They are so wrong. Just thinking about it now makes my week more bearable.


Music I am listening to this week:

San Bernadino
The Mountain Goats
I am excited about the range of songs I've heard off the new Mountain Goats album, Heretic Pride, out this week on 4ad. My heart stopped beating the moment that I heard the opening notes on this gorgeous song from the pen of John Darnielle [1, 2]. If you haven't heard them before, the incisively stinging vocals remind me a bit of The Decemberists, with some of the most hyperliterate lyrics you've ever heard. This song begins with the vista of "we got in your car and we hit the highway, eastern sun was rising over the mountains. Yellow and blood-red bits, like a kaleidoscope." Somewhere along the journey he utters the reassurance that "it was hard, but you are brave, you are splendid, and we will never be alone in this world." Sigh. What more could someone really ask for? This is a hotly anticipated album for me as I just start to grow more familiar with John Darnielle's work. The Mountain Goats are playing three shows at the upcoming NoisePop fest in San Francisco.

Paper Tiger (live in Sydney 2005)
Spoon
Oddly enough, Spoon seemed to be following me everywhere I went on Saturday. This was disconcerting and cool -- first on the speakers of my new thrift store addiction, then a few hours later at the brewery where we found ourselves on Saturday night. On Friday I had just downloaded this live track for free from the bonus section of Spoon's pop-artsy website. Originally on the 2002 album Kill The Moonlight, the spare arrangement of the original grows slowly bigger and a bit more eerie sounding here. BONUS: Connor and Nathaniel are offering you Britt Daniel's remix of songstress Feist. [pic from my Monolith 2007 post]


It's My Fault For Being Famous
White Stripes + Beck
New these days in Best Buy stores, you can get the matadoriffic White Stripes Conquest EP bundled with 2007's Icky Thump album. Cool because they added tiny Beck as a producer and a performer for these living-room session songs, on this tune you can clearly pick up Beck's voice (and piano) in a twangy back-porch stormer all about the perils of fame.

Digital Love (Daft Punk cover)
Mobius Band
Brooklyn electro-indie dudes Mobius Band gave away a nice six-song EP of covers to show their heart for you on Valentine's Day. This Daft Punk cover is my favorite of the bunch -- their version is quirky and perfect for my next mixtape, as it reveals the memorable melody with less robot voice. But the EP also has songs originally by Neil Young, The National, Daniel Johnston (who is on tour?! did I read that right?), Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, and Bob Dylan. Quite the selection for you to choose from, and what better way to say I love you than free music? Exactly.

Second Chance
Liam Finn
And yes trusty readers, after some heart-stoppage yesterday morning I scored fanclub tickets to see Vedder in Berkeley in April (!!!) which means I will be seeing this chap -- son of Crowded House/Split Enz New-Zealander Neil Finn, and impressively catchy solo artist in his own right. Liam Finn released an album on Yep Roc a few weeks ago called I'll Be Lightning. Rolling Stone wants to make it simple for you and break it down into easily-illustrated formulas, so here's what they've got on Liam:

Jack White wants to meet you and Bob in the morning, in Nashville

Jack White made a big splash last week at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville when he joined Bob Dylan onstage as an unannounced guest and picked a song to perform that had never been done live before.

"Meet Me In The Morning" (off Blood On The Tracks) tranforms from a winsome travelling folk tune into a scalding romp of electric blues with Jack on lead vocals. A friend speculated that Dylan must have known how big of a fan Jack is, and let him pick the tune (which is a fanciful ideation, of course, and just that - pure speculation. But a good story). In any case, good choice on Jack for knowing the lack of live history here, and how sweeeeet it would sound. How is it possible that this song has never been paraded out in over 32 years?

The following night, Jack was back for 2 more tunes, "One More Cup of Coffee" from 1976's Desire (which the White Stripes also covered in '99 on their debut album) and "Outlaw Blues" from Bringing It All Back Home in 1965. As far as I can see, that recording has not surfaced yet.

Meet Me In The Morning (live) - Bob Dylan & Jack White
Ryman Auditorium 9/19/07

Meet Me In The Morning (original) - Bob Dylan

Poor Meg's also been in the news a lot lately and I'll abstain from any speculative comments about that (but . . . it totally isn't her).

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Jack White will rock you as he upholsters; plus scads of White Stripes b-sides

Thanks to a fantastic UK pal who shall remain nameless, my Sunday of struggling with re-tiling my shower (seriously and hint: don't try it) has been significantly brightened. Behold a bonanza of White Stripes b-sides AND three songs from Jack White's stint in The Upholsterers (a circa 2000 project with Brian Muldoon).

I find the White Stripes fascinating and brutal and talented, with their minimalistic rawness and fierce bluesy rock always hitting the spot. As an aspiring female drummer myself, I like Meg's work, as simple as it is. I remember reading someone's celebrity playlist on iTunes a good two years ago and whoever it was said of the White Stripes single "Blue Orchid" that it made their balls tingle (sorry Mom). Although I have no firsthand experience with that particular sensation, I'll agree that it sounds pretty apt for most of these songs as well. Get ready for . . . a sea of red and black.

The Big Three Killed My Baby
(1999, 7")
Red Bowling Ball Ruth






White Stripes/Dirtbombs
(2000, 7" Split)
Hand Springs






"The Upholsterers"
Makers of High Grade Suites
(2000, 7")
Apple of My Eye
I Ain't Superstitious
Pain


Party of Special Things To Do
(Sub Pop Singles Club, Dec 2000, 7")
All Captain Beefheart covers
Party of Special Things To Do
Ashtray Heart
China Pig


Fell In Love With A Girl
(April 2002, CD Single)
Let's Shake Hands
Lovesick (Dylan cover, live)
Lafayette Blues



Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground
(Aug 2002, CD Single)
Suzy Lee (live on BBC Radio 1)
Stop Breaking Down (live on BBC Radio 1, Robert Johnson cover)



I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
(Sept 2003, CD Single)
Who's To Say (Dan Miller cover)
I'm Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman (live on John Peel Show)


Seven Nation Army
(May 2005, CD Single)
Good To Me (Brendan Benson cover)
Black Jack Davey




Blue Orchid
(May 2005, CD Single)
You've Got Her In Your Pocket (live in Belfast)
Who's A Big Baby?
Though I Hear You Calling, I Will Not Answer

My Doorbell
(Sept 2005, CD Single)
Screwdriver (live 6/1/05 in Manaus, Brazil)





The Denial Twist
(Nov 2005, CD Single)
Shelter of Your Arms
(Greenhornes cover)





Walking With A Ghost EP
(Dec 2005)
Walking With A Ghost
(Tegan & Sara cover)
The Denial Twist
(live on KCRW 8/15/05)
As Ugly As I Seem
(live on KCRW 8/15/05)
Same Boy You've Always Known (live)


ZIP UP THE WHITE STRIPES GOODNESS AND YOU COME TILE MY SHOWER