• Acoustic

    Ahoy! It’s Tweedy’s Sunken Treasure

    Jeff Tweedy

    Looking through the promo photos of Jeff Tweedy (great pics shot by Charles Harris), I’ll guess that Jeff enjoys these photo sessions about as much as a root canal. But sit for these photos he must because the promotion machine is in full swing for his forthcoming live DVD, Sunken Treasure: Live in the Pacific Northwest. Judging by the really cool trailer, and the following clip – an unreleased track called “The Thanks I Get” – this is gonna be one definite must-have DVD.

    I’ve enjoyed the Tweedy sounds since I picked up Mermaid Avenue when it was released in ol’ 98 (eight years ago? Huh?). Well after listening to “California Stars” and “At My Window Sad and Lonely” a few thousand times, Summerteeth came out, and all bets were off, I was hooked.

    So I’ve caught Wilco a couple of times over the years, but have never had the opportunity to see a solo Tweedy show. Luckily, I’ll have this DVD in a couple of weeks to fill the void until it happens. So it goes without saying that the Ickmusic Stamp of Approval *dinggg* is firmly adhered to the glossy outer case of this upcoming DVD. Pre-order it, receive it, watch it, nurture it, and hand it down for generations to come, until your great great great great grandchild Zeldar IV picks up his ‘GuitarZozoCoder 2195’ and plays along.

    Watch the trailer.

    Pre-order the DVD (available on October 24th).

  • Acoustic,  Laid Back,  Pop

    Citizen Cope: More than it Seems

    cope

    This tune is kicking me in the pants right now. Citizen Cope has that satisfying blend of soul and a rootsy acoustic vibe that I’m enjoying more and more with each listen. “More Than It Seems” just plain grooves, in a slow, pleading sort of way.

    Memphis born, and reared in Texas and Washington DC, Cope now calls Brooklyn home. His third official release, Every Waking Moment, was just released on September 12th. Like many folks, “Sideways”, a Cope tune that Carlos Santana chose for his Shaman album a few years ago, first turned me on to the man. But whether you’ve heard of Citizen Cope or not, listen to this tune, and watch the video below. Like me, you may itch to hear more…

    Citizen Cope: More Than It Seems (mp3) – from his Sept. 12th release, Every Waking Moment

    Nice little vignette of Cope tunes and interview clips (in WMP high bandwidth)…..
    cope


    Citizen Cope Links
    : Official | MySpace | eCard

  • Acoustic,  Punk

    Joe Strummer Acoustic in 1999

    It’s necessary here on Ickmusic to periodically post about the late great Joe Strummer. Today, my friends, a treat. This is an afternoon in-store appearance in Portland, Oregon back in November of 1999. Joe’s first Mescaleros album, Rock Art & the X Ray Style, had just been released weeks earlier. From Black Market Clash, a cool site covering all of the Clash / Joe Strummer bootlegs….

    The acoustic session is awesome as Joe plays ad lib with funny and made up lyrics ad lib. The sound is excellent also. A direct to DAT mono recording, Joe played in front of around 100 people with a punk circle singing behind Joe and a drummer named Matthew from the local band “Roe” seated with his hands on his legs and stamping on the stage. 4.30pm.

    Not sure which store this short set takes place in (maybe someone out there wants to fill me in? – ed. It’s music Millennium), but the vibe sure is loose and relaxed, and like the blurb above says, the sound is pristine. Take a listen to the late, the great, the incomparable Joe Strummer.

    Joe Strummer
    November 2, 1999
    Portland, Oregon USA

    Download the ZIP (mp3s)

    Junco Partner
    Talk
    X-Ray Style
    Island Hopping
    The Road to Rock and Roll
    Trash City

    Buy Rock Art & the X-Ray Style :

    rock art
  • Acoustic

    Rollin into Tennessee

    aaron schroeder

    Interspersed between all of the quality live Prince, Bruce, Clash, Joe Ely, etc. etc. that I’ve been listening to lately, I’ve come across some fine little nuggets courtesy of emails from the artists themselves.

    Aaron Schroeder, a talented songwriter, guitar-man, and vocalist from Kennewick, Washington, put together his own CD, Southern Heart in Western Skin, and he’s only 22 damn years old (yeah, I’m starting to get cranky and bitter).

    One track that most certainly caught my ear is “Rollin’ Tennessee.” It’s got that driving beat fueled by acoustic guitar and piano. It’s got a good theme: pleading for your baby to join you on that movin’ train. I’m a sucker for those.

    Aaron Schroeder: Rollin’ Tennessee (mp3)

    You can support a young, independent, and very talented musician by going to his MySpace page and picking up this CD for $7.00.

    ===============

    GASP! Speaking of MySpace… I – uh – now have a MySpace page. I thought it would be cool to network with some of the cool up and coming musicians (and fellow bloggers) out there. As of now, I have no friends! MySpace hurts my ego…. SLAM! So if you’re a MySpacer, hit me up, or send me an Add, or whatever the kids are saying these days.

    http://www.myspace.com/ickmusic

  • Acoustic,  Laid Back,  Rock n' Folk

    Pete Droge, Part 2

    Skywatching

    I like it when this happens. You know when you hear a great song for the first time, a tune that just connects with you? Where you have the innate ability to know that you’ll be listening to the song 5-10-15 years down the road? And for me, in this digital world, the kind of song that goes straight to the CD burner so you can carry it around with you, listen in the car, etc?

    I found that song of the moment yesterday. “Things Will Change and Go My Way”. Pete Droge. Song 6 on 2003’s Skywatching. Great tune, and a great album, and I can tell you this after owning the album for just over 24 hours.

    I’ll be reviewing Pete’s new album, Under the Waves, very soon. For now, travel back 3 years in time and put your ears to this gem.

    Pete Droge: Things Will Change and Go My Way (mp3) – buy Skywatching on eMusic, the United Musicians store, or from his web site.

  • Acoustic,  Laid Back

    Check out Pete Droge

    droge

    Thanks in part to a friendship with Mike McReady of Pearl Jam, Pete Droge secured a contract with American Records in the early 90’s, and released a fantastic album called ‘Necktie Second’ in 1994. The single that really caught my attention back then was “Sunspot Stopwatch”. With clever lyrics, and obviously influenced by Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, the tune sucked me in to Mr. Droge’s world, and led me to the debut album, which is great from start to finish.

    The song that made the biggest impact, “If You Don’t Love Me (I’ll Kill Myself)”, was featured on the soundtrack to Dumb and Dumber (YouTube clip). It’s pretty much the most electric and uptempo song of the album. But it’s the more relaxed, acoustically oriented tracks that are my favorites: “Faith in You”, “Fourth of July”, “Hardest Thing to Do”. The album is produced by Pearl Jam buddy and producer extraordinaire Brendan O’Brien, who also produced Springsteen’s ‘The Rising’ (always a Boss connection!), and Soundgarden and Neil Young and Stone Temple Pilots and on and on.

    Droge just released his fifth album, Under the Waves, last Tuesday. You can hear the album streaming on his web site or his Myspace page. I just picked up his fourth album, Skywatching, on eMusic, and am listening to it right now, and digging it immensely.

    So take a listen to this great tune from Droge’s debut, and show the fella some love by checking out his links below.

    Pete Droge: Sunspot Stopwatch (mp3) – from Necktie Second.

    Pete Droge Links
    : His Very Well Done Official Site | and everyone has to have their MySpace (except me! I will not succumb!)

  • Acoustic,  Roots Rock

    New Bruce Cockburn: Life Short Call Now



    Flying completely under my radar last week was a brand spankin’ new release from my other favorite Bruce, Mr. Cockburn. ‘Life Short Call Now‘ is his first studio offering since 2003’s ‘You’ve Never Seen Everything‘. I was introduced to Bruce’s music back in 1994 when I heard “Southland of the Heart” on the radio. Back in 1994 there was one cool station in Phoenix: 101.5 KZON (now one of those “Free FM” stations). “Southland” came from ‘Dart to the Heart‘, an album that zeroes in on matters of the heart, relationships, longing, L-O-V-E baby. From there, I dug into Bruce’s catalog, and was hooked.

    ‘Life Short’, released July 18 here in the U.S., is Cockburn’s 29th – yes 29th – album. It’s everything you’d expect from a quality Cockburn album: the intelligent and insightful lyrics, calm yet urgent vocals, and an array of eclectic and wholly original melodies. Check out the falsetto on the haunting “Beautiful Creatures”; the unwavering faith of “Mystery”; the pounding rhythm of the instrumental “Jerusalem Poker”.

    I’m not sure why Cockburn isn’t as popular down here in the US as in his native Canada, but that’s just fine by me (and Bruce is probably okay with that too). But by all means, if he stops through your town on his current tour supporting this album, go and see a living legend.

    Here’s one off the new record with Ani DiFranco lending a hand with background vocals.

    Bruce Cockburn (w/ Ani DiFranco): See You Tomorrow (mp3)

    And while you’re at it, check out this cool version of Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom”:

    Bonus Tune: Bruce w/ Yossou N’Dour: Chimes of Freedom (mp3) – 8/3/1994, Columbia Records Hour

  • Acoustic,  Rock

    New Strays Don’t Sleep in U.S.

    Strays

    It took a while, but Strays Don’t Sleep‘s debut album will finally see its U.S. release next week (June 13th). Being a fan of Matthew Ryan’s work, I eagerly bought the UK import late last year and wasn’t disappointed. There’s something very fulfilling about Ryan’s music & lyrics. His solo work is full of quiet acoustic moments building up to blinding, power-chord crescendoes. Everything seems to fit into the right place. He knows just what note to hit, and just the lyric to plug in. Add the raw power of his singing voice, and I’m a happy listener.

    Matthew Ryan

    My favorite song of his is probably “Chrome”. It’s heartache, desperation, and hope. But it’s all of those emotions being released, and by the end of the song, you’ve gone from tense to feeling like a load’s been lifted. Like Springsteen, it’s so easy to step right into Matthew’s songs and feel like he’s singing about your own life, your own experiences.

    Chrome (music & lyrics by Matthew Ryan)

    It’s not the things that I can’t change, that bother me
    It’s not the things that I don’t know, that undermine me
    It’s not the thing that I can’t hold or the balancing wire that broke, that throws me
    It’s not the fact that you walked out, that bewilders me
    It’s not the sleep that I can’t steal, that wires me
    It’s not the coffee or the pills it’s not this space that I can’t fill that kills me

    Well in case you didn’t know I’ve got a heart made of chrome
    It’s been bent ’til it was twisted
    And in case you didn’t know I’ve got a heart made of chrome
    It’s been burned, but it’s still willing to try
    And shine

    It’s not the drunks and their devices, that provoke me
    It’s not the politics of love and distance, and all that that shit evokes in me
    I’ts not the Sunday morning fights or this soul on ice, that numbs me
    It’s not the passing of another Indian summer, that saddens me
    It’s no the shutter in the undertow, that bears down on me
    It’s not everything ending as it begins or the loneliness that grins that destroys me

    Well in case you didn’t know I’ve got a heart made of chrome
    It’s been bent ’til it was twisted
    And in case you didn’t know I’ve got a heart made of chrome
    It’s been burned, but it’s still willing to try and shine

    I came across this live recording recently of Matthew and his band performing their last show on the European leg of their 1998 tour. It’s a great recording, thanks to a very quiet German crowd (sounds like a very small club show) at the Kultufabrik Krefeld (I assume that’s the name of the club? I can’t tell for sure from their web site. A little help, German readers?). Give these a listen, and see if you don’t understand a little of what I’m talking about.

    Matthew Ryan – Live
    June 28th, 1998
    Kulturfabrik Krefeld, Germany

    Comfort
    Watch Your Step
    Irrelevant
    The Dead Girl
    Beautiful Fool
    Me & My Lover
    Railroaded
    Chrome

    Strays Don’t Sleep is basically a collaboration between Ryan and Neilson Hubbard, who is an accomplished artist in his own right.

    Neilson Hubbard

    Hubbard is a Jackson, Miss. native who teamed up with Ryan in Nashville. I like what I hear from what’s available on his web site, and also judging from earlier comments on a previous Strays post, I need to get around to listening to his albums.
    Here’s a couple that I like, available from his site:

    Neilson Hubbard: Just a Guy (mp3) | The Girl That Killed September (mp3)

    What they’ve come up with is a sound that is subdued and fresh. It’s nice stuff. One of the songs, “For Blue Skies”, made its mark last year when it was featured on the TV show ‘One Tree Hill’.

    So here comes the U.S. release. Here’s the tracks, with one preview:

    Strays Don’t Sleep
    Track listing:
    Love Don’t Owe You Anything
    Pretty Girl
    Martin Luther Ave.
    Night Is Still
    For Blue Skies
    Spirit Fingers
    April’s Smiling At Me
    Cars And History (mp3)
    Falling Asleep With You

    BONUS TRACKS (CD Only):
    You Belong To Me
    Stay

    The package also includes a DVD with 9 short films inspired by the music. Strays kicks off their tour schedule this weekend with a record release show at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville. Check out their site for the dates. Unfortunately, they don’t go further west than Minneapolis.

    June 16 UPDATE: Not so great news from Matthew Ryan’s blog regarding the upcoming tour:

    Friday, June 16, 2006

    Shows Cancelled

    Hello Everyone

    First bit of bad news in a long time. Strays needed to take a break from eachother for a minute. Neilson and I are at each other’s throats. I’m sure a couple weeks off will go a long way. I’ll keep you posted as things settle down.

    Apologies to anyone that was looking forward to these shows. I’m hoping that we can pull it together for Conan O’Brien.

    Best
    M

  • Acoustic

    Grandaddy at Good Records

    Jason Lytle at Good Records

    Last Tuesday, the great Modesto, Calif. band Grandaddy released their final album, ‘Just Like the Fambly Cat‘. I first discovered Grandaddy when I heard ‘The Sophtware Slump‘ in 2000, a collection of dreamy, gentle, electro-space-pop with awesome songs (and song titles) like “Broken Household Appliance National Forest”, “Jed The Humanoid”, “Chartsengrafs”, and “The Crystal Lake”.

    So last Tuesday, singer/guitarist/keyboardman Jason Lytle and drummer Aaron Burtch got together at Good Records in Dallas for a full set of Grandaddy acoustic goodness.

    Jason Lytle & Aaron Burtch (from Grandaddy)
    May 9th, 2006
    Good Records, Dallas, Texas

    [Buy some Grandaddy music]

    1. intro
    2. The Go In The Go-For-It
    3. Jed the Humanoid
    4. Summer Here Kids
    5. XD-Data II
    6. Go Progress Chrome
    7. Laughing Stock
    8. Summer…Its Gone
    9. Hewlett’s Daughter
    10. Protected from the Rain
    11. Today I Started Loving You Again (Merle Haggard cover)
    12. Disconnecty
    13. Chartsengrafs
    14. Jeez Louise
    15. Sarah 5646766
    16. Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground)
    17. Fare Thee Not Well Mutineer
    18. El Caminos in the West
    19. Dreaming My Dreams With You (Waylon Jennings cover)
    20. Miner at the Dial-a-View
    21. Elevate Myself
    22. The Crystal Lake
    23. Aisle Seat 37-D
    24. Jason speaking
    25. Nothing Big
    26. Levitz