We’re just over a month away from Paul Weller’s new album 22 Dreams (on Yep Roc), which I really look forward to hearing. I thought I’d take a trip back to his great blue-eyed British soul band of the 80’s, The Style Council. Wanting to incorporate R&B, soul, and jazz into his songwriting, Weller had walked away from his pioneering, mod-revival band The Jam in 1982, at their peak, and formed the Style Council in 1983. The Style Council sort of fizzled out by the end of the decade, but Weller has continued on with a strong solo career as sort of the Mod Godfather of the British music scene.

This is the kind of show that accompanies a nice sunny day, a cool breeze, and a nice lemonade (preferably spiked) on the front porch. No day time front porch action for me, by the way. High of 102 on Sunday, and 106 on Monday. And heeere we go. Another summer in the Sonoran Desert.

JamBonus → Oh, also, a blog synergy bonus: Steve at Maybe We Ain’t That Young Anymore has a sweet Jam show from 1980.

Enjoy!

The Style Council
March 10th, 1984
Goldigger, Chippenham, UK

[Zip of the show]

Intro - Pete Drummond (BBC)
Meeting Over Yonder
My Ever Changing Moods
Speak Like A Child
The Whole Point Of No Return
Le Depart
The Paris Match
Party Chambers
Money Go Round
Headstart For Happiness
Hanging On To A Memory
Dropping Bombs On The White House
Long Hot Summer

Check out some Weller goodies…

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You can’t hurry love, but this week I’ll be hitting you all with a ‘speed round’ of the Five…

Here are this week’s tracks:

1. Jay-Z - ‘03 Bonnie & Clyde (feat. Beyoncé Knowles) (from The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse (disc 1: The Gift))

Mr. & Mrs. Carter rocking a cover (in the loosest term) of 2Pac’s “Me and My Girlfriend” with a little twist of Prince’s “If I Was Your Girlfriend”. I have to say that I have more respect for this couple for managing to be very high profile celebrities and not allow every moment of the lives be invaded by the media. They should be role models for how to live a celebrity life!

2. Maceo Parker - Georgia on My Mind (MP3) (from Life on Planet Groove)

There’s no doubt that when it comes to funk there are few funkier than Maceo. I always love hearing him taking his talents and applying them outside of the funk as well. Here it’s all about the voice. I just found out the Maceo and Soulive are performing at the Tarrytown Music Hall and if my schedule allows I’ll be in attendance.

[See post to listen to audio]

3. Steve Perry - Girl Can’t Help It (from 1994-11-22: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, USA (disc 1))

There is no substitute. This was taken from one of the great circulating bootlegs from his For the Love of Strange Medicine Tour.

4. The Cure – A Letter to Elise (from Wish)

This track is a masterclass in how to pour your entire heart, soul and being into a song. One of, if not my absolute, favorite Cure songs (it’s a tie between this and “Pictures of You”).

And every time I try to pick it up
Like falling sand
As fast as I pick it up
It runs away through my clutching hands

Brilliance…

5. Portishead – Silence (from Third)

The opening track from Portishead’s latest. I’ve not totally gotten into this new record yet despite numerous tries.

So what’s playing as you are rushing out the door?

I don’t cruise MySpace too much, but on one of my quick treks bouncing from page to page this week, catching up on some old friends, I came across a really great tune someone had streaming on their profile. It’s one of those songs that creeps up on you, and by a couple minutes in, you’re asking yourself, “Who is this?”

The song is “Just Can’t Forget” by Colorado duo Jonny and Josh. Based in Boulder, they spend their time playing for people up and down the Front Range. The song is a haunting, touching tune about that old standby, a love lost. The vocals have that rough edge I like - I hear Eddie Vedder and, may I say, Everlast - in a good way.

So take a listen, and check out their MySpace for some other quality tunes. These guys are unsigned, but if they keep churning out music like this, it won’t be for too much longer.

Jonny and Josh - Just Can’t Forget (mp3)

[See post to listen to audio]

Buy Stone Crack here for only $6.99.

Website: Jonny and Josh’s MySpace page

My completely random dip into the Inbox tonight yielded a pretty catchy tune. The group is Junior Pantherz, and though the name elicits images of a junior varsity high school basketball team, or a football team of little kids - you know, the kind that Snoop Dogg coaches - you can’t deny a good pop song when you hear one.

The Pantherz hail from the great white north, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Their 6th album, Rejoice, Remain, will be released on May 27th (though it’s currently available on iTunes). The band is made up of Terry Mattson (guitars/vocals), S.J. Kardash (bass/vocals), Maygen Kardash (keys, trumpet, vocals) and last but definitely not least, Arnold Van Lambalgen II on drums. The best drummer name since Bun E. Carlos, if you ask me.

Junior Pantherz - On and Off (mp3)

[See post to listen to audio]

Buy Rejoice, Remain on

Website: Junior Pantherz.com

While Pete is going the old fashioned route, I’ve chosen to go the digital method to pick up the new Jason Mraz record We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Frequent fliers of this blog will note that I’ve got a huge soft spot for the singer-songwriter and as such I had pre-ordered his latest directly from his official site opting for the total package of the three EP’s (not-so-ironically named We Sing, We Dance and We Steal) and the full length in both digital and traditional formats. The EP’s provided the sketches of what was to come and he’s delivered.Standout tracks in the first couple of listens are (obviously) “I’m Yours”, the metaphor ridden ode to the lovely ladies “Butterfly”, the lovely “Lucky (feat. Colbie Caillat)” and the painstakingly haunting beauty of “A Beautiful Mess”. This is a great example of a record with no filler and no throwaway tracks and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Buy We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things: Amazon | iTunes

Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace

If the ticket gods allow, I’ll be seeing Tom Waits live for the very first time next month, right here in Phoenix. For some reason - and I’m not complaining - Tom has chosen our sleepy little town to kick off his Glitter and Doom Tour for not one, but two nights at the Orpheum Theater. The theater holds a grand total of 1,364 people, so I’m expecting a bit of a challenge when tickets go on sale at noon this Friday on LiveNation (evil overlord of conglomeration).

I have to select one of the two nights. So what do you think people? Do I opt for the opening show of the tour on Tuesday, June 17th? Or show #2 the next night? I’m leaning toward opening night, just for the complete spontaneity and un-predictability of it all.

* * *

Tom Waits - Picture in a Frame (mp3) - from VH-1’s Storytellers. Original comes from Mule Variations.

[See post to listen to audio]

* * *

Here’s Tom’s entertaining “press conference” last week to announce the tour…

Tour Dates:

06-17 Phoenix, AZ - Orpheum
06-18 Phoenix, AZ - Orpheum
06-20 El Paso, TX - Plaza Theatre
06-22 Houston, TX - Jones Hall
06-23 Dallas, TX - Palladium
06-25 Tulsa, OK - Brady Theatre
06-26 St. Louis, MO - Fox Theatre
06-28 Columbus, OH - Ohio Theatre
06-29 Knoxville, TN - Civic Theatre
07-01 Jacksonville, FL - Moran Theatre
07-02 Mobile, AL - Saenger Theatre
07-03 Birmingham, AL - Alabama Theatre
07-05 Atlanta, GA - Fox Theatr

Links: Tom Waits.com | Stream Tom’s Tunes on LastFM

I’m goin’ old school tomorrow and will head out to my local record store (Zia Records) during my lunch hour, and buy myself the new Old 97’s album. Blame It On Gravity (New West) is their first studio release in four years, and reviews show it to be a return to their more charged up, electrified indie-cowpunk that they perfected with 1997’s Too Far To Care. Want to hear the Old 97’s at their optimal level? Listen to Too Far To Care’s opener, “Timebomb”.

I’ve found something to love about every Old 97’s record, but if Blame It On Gravity is a return to this form, I may call off the rest of the workday and drive through the desert at ridiculous speeds.

I like Texas music. And I like songs about whiskey and beer and waiting at train stations. Austin-based The Band of Heathens has ‘em all covered in this tune. It’s easy to hear how they’ve garnered comparisons to Little Feat, The Band, and Drive By Truckers. Their self-titled debut album will be released on May 20th. Check out one of the new tunes here…

The Band of Heathens - Jackson Station (mp3)

[See post to listen to audio]

Pre-Order The Band of Heathens, out 5/20:

Official Web Site: Band of Heathens.com (I recommend hanging around until you hear “Cornbread”).

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thebandofheathens

Catch a video and see some tour dates after the jump (I’ll be seeing ‘em at the Austin City Limits Festival in September).

Tour Dates:
5/15/2008 College Station TX Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheatre
5/16/2006 Oklahoma City, OK Wormy Dog Saloon
5/17/2008 Austin TX The Saxon Pub
5/17/2008 Plano TX Love and War in Texas -Plano
5/17/2008 Dallas TX The Barley House
5/23/2008 New Braunfels TX Gruene Hall
5/24/2008 San Antonio TX Private Event
5/25/2008 Corpus Christi, TX Executive Surf Club
5/27/2008 Marble Falls TX River City Grille
5/28/2008 Austin TX Hill’s Cafe
5/29/2008 Driftwood TX Private Event
5/30/2008 Stephensville TX Bostock’s
5/31/2008 Kerrville TX Kerrville Folk Festival
6/6/2008 San Marcos TX Quail Creek Country Club
6/7/2008 Nashville, TN CMA Festival - Chevy Stage
6/9/2008 Washington, DC XM Radio
6/14/2008 Winston-Salem NC The Garage
6/17/2008 Nashville TN 3rd & Lindsley
6/18/2008 Decatur GA Eddie’s Attic
6/21/2008 New Braunfels TX For The Sake of the Song Festival/Whitewater Amph
6/27/2008 Ft. Worth TX The Horsemen
6/28/2008 Houston TX McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
7/5/2008 Marble Falls TX River City Grille
7/17/2008 Galveston TX The Big Music Cruise
7/25/2008 Copper Mountain CO West Lake Overlook - The Village at Copper Mtn.
9/20/2008 Hixson TN Chattahippie Music Festival
9/26-28/2008 Austin TX Austin City Limits Music Festival

Video for “Jenny Was a Keeper”…

Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down…

Spring has finally sprung this week in New England and in a twist of fate it’s pouring outside (it’s been beautiful all week). I guess Meatloaf was right when he sang “two out of three ain’t bad” because it’s Friday and I’ve got The Five to keep me company while waiting out the rain. Last week’s Five was positively on fire! The familiar Fivers Club all showed up en masse and we had quite a few new and welcome additions to the group. For the first timers here’s how we get down… I hit shuffle in iTunes and share the first five random tracks that pop up with some insight and thoughts on the track, then it’s your turn!

Here are this week’s tracks:

1. G. Love & Special Sauce – Baby’s Got Sauce (from G. Love & Special Sauce)

This is definitely in my “All Time Top 5” list for most ridiculously sweet and perfect love songs.

2. Biffy Clyro – Umbrella (MP3) (from Radio 1’s Live Lounge, Volume 2)

While by in large an unremarkable version, this is a testament to the power of a well written pop song.

[See post to listen to audio]

3. The Brian Setzer Orchestra – Sleepwalk (from The Dirty Boogie)

Again, the power of a beautiful melody can transcend time, fashion and fads. The arrangement here deserves a special nod for the fact that it takes liberty with the simplicity by adding the full horn section to Brian Setzer’s blazing fret work.

4. Prince – How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore (from Girl 6)

This tune never did much for me in any recorded version. It was not until I heard it live that it really stuck.

5. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble – Lenny (MP3) (from Texas Flood)

The story goes like this, Stevie’s wife Lenora scraped together the $350 needed to purchase a 1965 Stratocaster that had caught his eye in a pawn shop months earlier. She presented it to him for his birthday and that night as she slept Stevie wrote “Lenny”. Lenora remembers “He was sitting on the edge of the bed and said, ‘Listen to this.’” He proceeded to play his tribute to his loving wife “Lenny”.

[See post to listen to audio]

How are you ringing in the weekend?