Jeff Buckley Rarities...Part 2

Okay folks, here's another set of Buckleys. As with the earlier post, leave a comment to set things straight if you hear anything that does not sound like Jeff. Thing is I just got these, and haven't given all a considered listen, so a few slips are bound to happen here and there. But no name calling please. And thanks to the anonymous guy for pointing out that the "Come Together" cover on the earlier post was Soundgarden, not Jeff Buckley (hence the Chris Cornell connection).

Cruel (WFMU: Music Faucet - Gods & Monsters at the Knitting Factory, March 22nd, 1992)
Witches' Rave (Live At Arlene's Grocery, NYC. 1997)
Dream Of A Russian Princess (with Gods & Monsters at St Anne's - March 13th, 1992)
Eternal Life (possibly Live At The Metro, Chicago, IL - May 13th, 1995)
Forget Her (Studio & Live at CBGB, New York, on October 19th 1994)
Freaks of America Unite (banter prelude to Alive, cut short, Live at Mercury Lounge in New York on New Year's Eve December 31 1995)
Harem Man (with Gods & Monsters at St Anne's - March 13th, 1992)
Lover, You Should've Come Over (Atlanta Session May 12th, 1995)
Sweet Thing (Van Morrison cover / Live 92)
What Will You Say (cut short, Live, The Astoria 2, London - January 18th, 1995)
Grace (Live, The Astoria 2, London - January 18th, 1995)

Coming up, a complete live set at WNEW, Sony Studios - April 6th, 1995. As far as I know, that set was never officially released.

And kids, smoking kills, no matter how cool it looks.

New Neil Young!!!

Now's here some news that is sure to make all music bloggers reevaluate their nerdism (everyone knows how mp3 bloggers take pride in their "awesome hunting for underground, new, or rare music or music-related gist" skills). Well, this is one piece of info that no blogger knew about till it was good and ready for the general public. Apparently, Canada's elder statesman and music legend, Neil Young, has recorded a new album titled Living With War. In a statement on Neil's official website, he declares:

"I just finished a new record.... a power trio with trumpet and 100 voices ... recorded earlier this month...i think it is a metal version of Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan ... Metal folk protest? its called LIVING WITH WAR... the title song is the second of 10 songs on the record... we will be releasing lyrics on this ticker...I would like to thank Warner Bros/Reprise records for the support...as well as the 100 vocalists and my three musicians, Chad Cromwell, drums, Rick Rosas, bass, Tommy Brea , trumpet ... and Nick Bolas, Larry Johnson, John Hausman, John Nowland, Tim Mulligan,Darrell Brown and Rosemary Butler, Redwood Digital Studios, Capital Studios..."

Obviously, this is Neil's contribution to the anti-Bush music movement (I wonder if this would make it into the president's ipod). Word around town is this was recorded in three days this April. A 100-person choir?!-O Neil, how so rock n' roll! Well, no-one was really expecting this, especially since this guy has been busy recovering from a brain aneurysm, doing the Prairie Wind tour and featuring in documentaries.

I wonder if "Bush Annoys" is one of the songs on the tracklist. Now, fellow mp3 bloggers, let the search for a first listen begin.

Watch Neil explain the album, being Canadian, paying US taxes, and a song on the upcoming release titled "Let's Impeach the President" in this CNN clip.

Okkervil River: Black Sheep Boy Appendix

2005 was a good year for indie folk rockers, Okkervil River. Everyone loved Black Sheep Boy and rightly so. So the band confidently released a mini-album companion to BSB titled the Black Sheep Boy Appendix. Here are two tracks from that release.

Missing Children
No Key, No Plan

The Appendix is available for purchase here.

Word from wikidom is that Okkervil River signed with Virgin/EMI (Europe) on April 17, 2006. The label will re-release Black Sheep Boy and its follow-up as a double disc on April 28. Good luck guys, but stay consistent in the major leagues.

Jeff Buckley Rarities, Outtakes, Live & Non-album tracks

This is part one of a series of Jeff Buckley rarities, outtakes, live and non-album tracks I plan to post in the next couple of weeks. So if you're a JB fan, park your tent here till further notice.

Alive (Live at the Mercury Lounge, New York, on December 31 1995)
All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun (Live at Selina's, Sydney, on March 1st 1996)
All Tomorrow's Parties (Velvet Underground Cover / Live at the Knitting Factory, New York, on August 15 1992)
Alligator Wine (Live WFMU "Music Faucet" , Oct 11th 1992)
Angel Mine
Be My Husband (Live at Sin-é, New York, on December 31 1995)
Bluebird Blues (from the Gods & Monsters years)
Calling You (Live at the Knitting Factory, New York, on August 15 1992)
Catnip Dream (Live at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, May 4 1995)
Curtains (Live at Mercury Lounge in New York on New Year's Eve December 31 1995)
Despite The Tears (Written by Chris Dowd and Jeff Buckley, on The Seedy Arkhestra's CD, Puzzle)
Dido's Lament (Live at Meltdown Festival, London, July 1 1995)
Dink's Song (Traditional / Bob Dylan, a.k.a. Fare Thee Well / Live at WFMU, October 11 1992)
Edna Frau (Live 96' Tour)
Farewell Angelina (Bob Dylan cover)
Forget Her ("Grace" outtake)
Grace (acoustic)
Killing Time (Live at Astoria, London, January 18 1995)
Last Goodbye (Babylon Dungeon Demo)
Three is a Magic Number (Live at the Mercury Lounge, New York, on December 31 1995)

Buy Jeff Buckley recordings.

Kaiser Chiefs Live At The Mod Club, Toronto, May 29 2005

The lads from Leeds do the nananananaaa at the Mod. Enjoy.

Na Na Na Na Naaa
Saturday Night
Everyday I Love You Less and Less
Born to Be a Dancer
I Predict a Riot
You Can Have It All
Hard Times Send Me
Modern Way
Oh My God
Time Honoured Tradition

My Life In The Bush of Ghosts Reissue

My Life In The Bush of Ghosts, the 1981 Eno+Byrne collaboration made in heaven, was reissued April 11, '06. The reissue comes "in a beautiful new package, with extensive liner notes and photos, and featuring 7 previously unreleased tracks from the original album and a film by influential artist Bruce Conner."
For you who know not, here's some wikiplace info on this phenomenal work:

"My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is a 1981 album by Brian Eno and David Byrne, titled after Amos Tutuola's 1954 novel of the same name. The album was one of the first non-rap releases to make extensive use of sampling, especially in seamlessly incorporating the voices of singers, radio disk jockeys and an exorcist. My Life in the Bush of Ghosts has been called "A pioneering work for countless styles connected to electronics, ambience, and Third World music." [1] Most of the album's songs feature multilayered percussion and draw heavily on various world musics. The result is often reminiscent of Talking Heads albums from this era, such as Fear of Music and Remain In Light."

Go here to view the very cool studio/recording pics in flash.

And for you cool kids who mess with synthesizers, here's some info from the reissue website that would take your minds of Stacy's mom.

"This is the first time complete and total access to original tracks with remix and sampling possibilities have been officially offered on line. In keeping with the spirit of the original album, Brian and David are offering for download all the multitracks on two of the songs. Through signing up to the user license, and in line with Creative Commons licenses, you are free to edit, remix, sample and mutilate these tracks however you like. Add them to your own song or create a new one. Visitors are welcome to post their mixes or songs that incorporate these audio files on the site for others to hear and rate."

Jam these MLITBOG jams, then head over to the market and get yourself a copy.

Very, Very Hungry ( replaced "Qu'ran" from the original release)
Pitch To Voltage (previously unreleased track)

Also, head to your local library and read the Amos Tutuola novel. You might learn something.

Mylo: Destroy Rock & Roll

Listening to the February 2006 reissue of the powerful 2004 Mylo release Destroy Rock & Roll. Recommended, if only for the "Dr. Pressure" mash-up. Check out these album and non-album cuts and remixes.

Drop the Pressure (original album version)
Drop the Pressure (Martin Diaz Mix)
Dr. Pressure (album version of the "Drop the Pressure" and Miami Sound Machine's "Dr Beat" mash-up)
Drop the Pressure Vs. Dr. Beat (original mash-up)
Muscle Cars (original album version)
Muscle Cars (Freeform Five remix)
Valley of the Dolls (original album version)

Buy the February 2006 reissue.

Bring On The Major Leagues!!!

Friends,

Here's a comment I found on my U.N.P.O.C. Fifth Column post:

Hi Pierre,
Thanks for the kind words about Fifth Column. A "near genius masterpiece" indeed! I see you list some of the places it's available from. People can get it direct from the horse's mouth at www.unpoc.com too. And it's on iTunes now, although for some reason iTunes thinks Come In is better called Come In to Darkness.
Anyway, yes, thanks for the article.
Tom / unpoc

From Tom Bauchop himself!!! I might be onto something here.

Meanwhile, if you still haven't heard this album, do yourself a favor and get it.

Paging the Blogosphere: Portland's At Dusk, New LP, Downloadable Freebies

Hot on my itunes right now is the third and latest LP from Portland, OR. indie rock three-piece At Dusk titled You Can Know Danger. At Dusk are Greg Borenstein, Will Hattman, and Cary Clarke. I am generally not into the whole "the band sounds like..." thing, but you can play this release next to Seperation Sunday (The Hold Steady) and have yourself a swell afternoon (except that unlike Craig Finn's superb talk drawl rendition, this vocalist sings). Their sound, as described by Greg, is "a bit progressive, a bit spazzy, a bit loud. Much world music influence, much rhythmic weirdness, group vocals, minimal bass." To my ears, the music is catchy jangly college/bar rock with some surprising twists and turns including group wails and energetic riffs (hell, I should be working for Pitchfork).

Also, in true indie spirit, these guys have made all their albums, including the latest release freely available for download on their website. Glorious! Glorious! So head over and give it a spin. If you have objections to free stuff or just like to pay for downloads or want to support the band, the first two releases are available on itunes. You can also order cds here.

For those of you who want to know danger live, here are some live gig dates. Stop by and see these guys if you live in the area.

Cafe Pergolesi Santa Cruz, CA 5/9/06
Giovanni's Pizza Isla Vista (Santa Barbara), CA 5/11/06
The Knitting Factory Los Angeles, CA 5/13/06

If you like to loiter on KNK, then jam my favorite tracks on You Can Know Danger.

In the Background
Forever Ago
We Saw Them Leave You There
Time Is Near
Say That You'll Do It

Cover Of The Day: The Eagles Sing Tom Waits

Ol' 55 (Tom Waits, from the 1973 album Closing Time)
Ol' 55 (The Eagles, from On the Border, 1974)

Cover hierarchy:
Ian Matthews (1974)
The Eagles (1974)
Eric Andersen (1975)
Richie Havens (1980)
Dave Alvin (1995)
Sarah McLachlan (1995)
Acda en de Munnik (1998)
(courtesy of secondhandsongs)

The New Pornographers, All Songs Considered Set, DC 9.30 Club, March 6, 2006

Just before the Belle and Sebastian set, Canada's awesomest indie power pop gurus, the New Pornographers, played a set. Sounds like they totally shred. Here's some facts about the set gathered from the NPR website.

1) New Pornographers singer Neko Case is not on this tour. For this performance the band was also without backup vocalist Kathryn Calder, who was suffering from a case of laryngitis.

2) A.C. Newman says: "The new album's sound was informed by a number of other groups. Various unintentional influences have crept into our work, some of which were quickly removed: The Moody Blues, Tubeway Army, Wings, always Wings, never The Beatles, Eno of course, you can't play ebow (a bow for electric guitars) without sounding like Eno, Modern English, middle period post-Gabriel Genesis, The Stranglers, 10CC. We're still trying to find a way to insert some dub/white reggae in the mix, just as an intellectual exercise, to see if we can do it without being dropped from the label. I know it sounds awful but it will all work out."

Now the goods. I converted this from RA, took out some of the background noise, de-reverbed it, graphically equalized it, tweaked the bass and treble, monomized it, master gained it, and applied a wet mix. Guess this is why Mr. or Ms. Anonymous wants me to get a life! Well, played it for my Gift to see if she could tell the tweaked from the original and she thought it was all "loud noise!" This explains why she loves Coldplay and won't go to the "will be dope" Franz Ferdinand show with me.

Twin Cinema (sonic variations, appears the sound guy was tweaking stuff. Worry not, he gets it right before the song plays out)
Use It
July Jones
Jackie
Graceland
From Blown Speakers
The End of Medicine
Testament to Youth in Verse
The Body Says No
Breakin' the Law
The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
The Bleeding Heart Show
Sing Me Spanish Techno

If you enjoy singing and dancing, buy Twin Cinema. Scratch that, buy all NP albums. Or try getting it with 50 FREE Downloads from eMusic.

Part 2, Belle and Sebastian Live at DC 9.30 Club

She's Losing It
Your Cover's Blown
Dog On Wheels
I'm A Cuckoo
The Wrong Girl
If You Find Yourself Caught in Love
Judy and the Dream of Horses
(encore)
White Collar Boy (Stuart introduces the band on the lead in)
Me and the Major

Jeff Buckley: Unreleased Song

Ozark Melody (Music by Frederick Reed and Jeff Buckley, Lyrics by Joe Tripician)

Joe Tripican explains the song thus:
"Jeff Buckley recorded the song "Ozark Melody" with me and my musical partner Fred Reed in the summer of 1996. While I wrote the lyrics, Jeff and Fred worked out the tune, strummed mandolin and guitar, and recorded the entire song in one breakneck four-hour session. Jeff received wide acclaim and notoriety with his 1994 debut album "Grace" (Sony Records). His death in 1997 shocked everyone who knew him and loved his music. Jeff loved recording this alien song. Everything fascinated him, including aliens and UFOs. During the session I could see, behind his incredible musical virtuosity, a mad and mischievous twinkle in his eye."

Belle and Sebastian: All Songs Considered Set, Washington DC's 9.30 Club March 6, 2006

One of my regrets thus far in life is that I never got to see Pavement live. You see, I used to live in Nigeria, and Pavement never toured that far. If 30 years from now I am still running this blog and I declare I never saw Belle and Sebastian live, then you can conclude my life was pretty much a hollow shell.

Well, thanks to the digital age, at least we can now approximate these feelings. Here Part 1 of B&S' All Songs Considered set. The set features songs from The Life Pursuit and mega-compilation Push Barman To Open Old Wounds among other albums. The latter is a must have for any fan or newcomer to B&S. Part 2 tomorrow.

Intro
Expectations
Interlude
Another Sunny Day
Women's Realm
Sukie in the Graveyard
Electric Renaissance
The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner
To Be Myself Completely
The Blues Are Still Blue
Piazza, New York Catcher
Belle and Sebastian
Funny Little Frog

Cover Of The Day: Calexico Plays Love

My favorite database at the moment is secondhandsongs.com. This wonderful site provides answers to the one question we always ask, which is "where I have heard that song before?" Today's original+cover is "Alone Again Or", a beautiful classic folk-rock piece written by Bryan A. McLean of legendary rock band Love. The song, which appears on the classic Forever Changes, also features lead vocals from Bryan McLean.

In 2004, indie americana and alt-country stalwarts Calexico offered a cleaned up but faithful to the original version of the song on the Convict Pool EP, which also featured covers of The Minutemen and Gallic chanteuse Francoiz Breut. Enjoy both versions.

Alone Again Or Love
Alone Again Or Calexico

On more current events, Calexico latest, Garden Ruin is worth every penny of your money. More daring in terms of breadth than the traditional Calexico sound, this release sees the band moving into beautiful indie pop territory. Of course, the usual blend of country, American folk, and flamenco sounds are still present on the album. Head to the market to get yourself a copy.

Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere

Make no mistake about it, St. Elsewhere, the Gnarls Barkley hip-hop meets soul debut, will make every Best of 2006 list. Guaranteed. Crazy was no flash in the pan. Infact, Crazy is where it begins. This is the first hip-hop cd I'll buy this year.

U.N.P.O.C.: Fifth Column

I finally got around to listening to Fifth Column, the near genius masterpiece from U.N.P.O.C., in its entirety. For those of us who do not know, U.N.P.O.C. is Tom Bauchop, a Scottish musician who plays occassionally with the Fife-based Fence Collective. I was first drawn to this album after hearing a song off the album titled "Come In" on some shoutcast indie pop station (last year, can't remember which one). I recall the broadcast did not indicate the band or artist behind the song, so for days on end I besieged google with all sorts of search requests involving parts of the lyrics I heard, and "Beach Boys rare songs". Finally, I discovered the song on the U.N.P.O.C. album, bought it forthwith, gave the first few tracks a spin, liked what I heard and put it in the backburner for a more relaxed listen.

Fifth Column would fit well in the Pet Sounds era, but what it more impressive is that this is the effort of one man juggling sounds, rattles and harmonies in perfect lo-fi pop goodness. Very highly recommended. Here are two tracks if you need convincing.

Here On My Own
Come In

Buy Fifth Column here or here or here. A bit pricey but worth it my friends.

Amadou & Mariam Play Coachella

Just discovered Mali's Amadou & Mariam on the Coachella 2006 line-up. Nice. For those who can attend.

Buy A&M music or get with 50 FREE Downloads from eMusic.