Running to Aceyalone: Sound Gun
I’m finally in the routine of running again. My single favorite part about running is getting to focus on the quality tunes blasting through my iPod, powering me through those 30 minutes on the treadmill (hey, it’s 105+ out there, gotta go with the treadmill).
Nice moment today, courtesy of this tune from Aceyalone’s great album, Lightning Strikes. Do check it out. And add it to your playlist, just like I added it to my special “Run Motherf**er Run” playlist. Hop to it!
Aceyalone – Sound Gun
Buy: Lightning Strikes
Prince continues to make friends, says “No Way, Norway!”
Our purple friend is at it again. This time, his sights are set on Norway’s C+C Records, who organized a tribute box set made up of 50 artists doing covers of Prince tunes. Tip # 1, C+C Records: next time, don’t contact Prince’s people to try to send him a free copy. Odds are he won’t say “Thanks.”….
In a rare defense of the purple one, how wise is it really to put together a box set of Prince tunes without making any legal arrangements at all? Even if you are giving it away for free?
Eliot at Wired’s Listening Post blog has the story:
Fifty artists who recorded Prince covers in honor of his purpleness’s 50th birthday on June 7 have been slapped with a lawsuit by the short-tempered star, whose lawyers demand that all copies of the tribute, which had reached number eight on Norway’s album charts and received several popular reviews by the Norwegian press, be destroyed.
It’s perfectly legal to record and sell cover songs of someone else’s material, so long as you pay the compulsory licensing fee of about ten cents per song. To sell their five-disc set of 81 Prince cover songs, they would have to remit around $8 per unit sold to Prince under a compulsory mechanical license.
However, Norway’s C+C Records distributed 5,000 of the box sets for free earlier this month, and claim that no one made any money from the giveaway. As a result, they didn’t think they owed Prince anything except maybe a free copy.
C+C Records owner and Prince fan Christer Falck contacted the purple one’s people to try to send one to Prince, and that’s when the trouble began [bold text by Ickmusic], according to the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet (now offline, via Daily Swarm), one of many publications to post positive reviews of the collection.
For now, all 81 songs can be previewed for free on C+C Records‘ website, and some are also available on MySpace in streamable medley form.
When this giveaway first began, there were 5,000 copies of this compilation in circulation. Thanks to Prince’s lawsuit and the publicity it will generate, we expect that number to balloon significantly in the coming weeks.
Review: George Michael in Phoenix, June 22
You know what’s entertaining to me? The looks I got from people over the last couple of months – some of them close friends of mine – when they found out I was going to see George Michael in concert. Say what you will friends, but like a lot of people, George’s music has been a part of my life for over 20 years.
Thinking back, I was never a huge fan of the Wham! stuff. It wasn’t until 1987, when George released Faith, that I would call myself a fan. Four words reeled me in: I – Want – Your – Sex.
Two from Rickie Lee
Howard Stern had a great interview this morning with Carly Simon. Howard drilled down into her icy relationship with ex-husband James Taylor. Their mutual son – Ben Taylor – was in the studio as well, which made for an interesting dynamic. Long story short, Howard and Ben are joining forces to talk some sense into JT and at least get the former couple talking again. Howard is a great shrink, I’m telling ya.
Hearing Carly Simon made me think of Rickie Lee Jones. Natural progression, right? I don’t know why, but I just associate one loosely with the other. Now let’s go back 15 years, shall we? I have exactly one Rickie Lee Jones album: Traffic From Paradise. It was her last record with Geffen, released in 1993. There’s some wonderful collaborations on the album with the likes of Leo Kottke, Brian Setzer, David Baerwald and Ickmusic hall of famer David Hidalgo. Kottke especially pervades the album, playing 6-string, 12-string, and slide acoustic guitar. Master of the session drummers (and drummer for the Traveling Wilburys) Jim Keltner pounds the skins.
Two songs stand out on the album for me. The first is the crushingly beautiful “Beat Angels”. The background vocalists you hear are Hidalgo, Setzer, and Syd Straw. Hidalgo is also on eight string electric guitar.
Rickie Lee Jones – Beat Angels
The second track is the Jones/Kottke-penned “Running From Mercy”. Providing backing vocals here are Lyle Lovett, Kottke, Teresa Tudury, Sal Bernardi, and John Leftwich. Another one that reaches down into the soul…
Rickie Lee Jones – Running From Mercy
Rickie is still going strong. Check out her tour dates along the East Coast this June and July, and check out her latest, The Sermon on Exposition Blvd.
Levi Goes *Pop*
I was recently implored to check out Pop Levi, whose music was described to me as “Bowie meets Prince.” Ummm…sign me up!
Only a year after his first full length, The Return to Form Black Magick Party, Liverpool’s own Levi Pop is set to release a follow up this summer, titled Never Never Love. Surprisingly, the Bowie meets Prince descriptor is somewhat accurate, although there’s a good helping of electro pop thrown in as well. It also reminded me a bit of what I’ve heard from Alan Wilkis.
I’ve listened to the album a few times now, and continue to enjoy it more with each listen, particularly the dance-oriented tracks. Here are two of my favorites:
Pop Levi – “Wannamama”
And the video for the title track, Never Never Love:
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=SNLkZJ7kALU 336 278]Never Never Love is slated for a July 15 release, but it appears that it will only be available as an import for now. But keep an eye out – I’m sure a US release (digital or physical) will follow.
Set List: Tom Waits at the Orpheum Theater, June 17
Because I’m super geeky about this kind of stuff, here’s the set list from tonight’s Tom Waits show at the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix. The first on his Glitter and Doom Tour, and my very first Waits experience. Much more to come in a future post, but wanted to pass along the set list…
Doesn’t get much better than a 8th row seat to a Tom Waits show…
Tom Waits
The Orpheum Theater, Phoenix, Ariz.
June 17th, 2008* This was the set list as I took it down that night. Any corrections? Hit me in the comments…
Lucinda / Ain’t Goin’ Down to the Well
Hoist That Rag
Come On Up to the House
Jesus Gonna Be Here
November
Black Market Baby
Rain Dogs
Trampled Rose
Goin’ Out West
Murder in the Red Barn
Anywhere I Lay My Head
Cemetery Polka
Get Behind the Mule
Eyeball Kid
Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis [TW on piano]
Picture in a Frame [TW on piano]
Invitation to the Blues [TW on piano]
Innocent When You Dream [TW on piano]
Lie To Me
Chocolate Jesus
Make It RainEncore
Way Down in the Hole
God’s Away On Business
Time
Tom Leaves the stage (click for a larger image). Not too bad for iPhone pics.
Spacebirdmatingcall
“And He heard the Disco Biscuits…this-this-Jam-tronica… and He was pleased.”
I hear some great stuff on Sirius Satellite’s Jam On. They’ve been turning me on more and more to the coolness that is Philadelphia’s Disco Biscuits. I’ve known them only as one of those mainstays on the periphery of the jamband scene – but I’ve really grown to appreciate their melding of electronic music into the “jam” scene. Hence Jamtronica.
Soothing to the ear. Groove-a-licious to the soul.
The Disco Biscuits – SpacebirdmatingcallSites: Official Site
Summertime Bruce [R.I.P. Tim Russert]
I can’t add anything too insightful about Tim Russert that hasn’t already been said or written over the last 24 hours, but I wanted to give my 2 cents. I’ve always been an NBC guy. One of my earliest memories is watching Tom Brokaw on the Today Show when I lived in Spain in the mid-70’s. I was amazed that his eyes would follow me regardless of where I stood in the room. From that point forward, when I need a TV news fix, it’s always been NBC – whether the Today Show, the Nightly News, MSNBC, or Meet the Press. I’ve grown up with the gang – especially Brokaw.
Since Russert took over Meet the Press in 1991, and through every election year, I’ve admired his passion, his tenacity, his preparation, and his bulldog mentality in his Meet the Press chair. In an industry of egos & blowhards, Tim Russert was one of the good guys – and like a lot of ’em, he was snatched from us way too early.
Russert was also a huge Springsteen fan.
Last night, I watched Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams talk about Russert’s and Williams’ mutual love of Springsteen’s music. In the early days, Russert actually booked Springsteen and the band for a February 1975 show in the gymnasium at John Carroll University in Cleveland.
I don’t have that show, but I do have this excellent 1978 show from the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland. Bruce kicks off the show with “Summertime Blues”, which is what we’re all feeling right about now with Tim’s shocking passing.
“Summertime Blues”
Rest in peace, Tim. You will be missed.
Summertime Bruce
The Agora Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio
August 9th, 1978
Summertime Blues
Badlands
Spirit in the Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Factory
The Promised Land
Prove It All Night
Racing in the Streets
Thunder Road
Jungleland
Paradise by the ‘C’
Fire
Sherry Darling
Not Fade Away
Gloria / She’s the One
Growin’ Up
Backstreets
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Born to Run
Because the Night
Raise Your Hand
Twist and Shout
Bonus: (from the Palladium, NYC – 9/17/78)
Kitty’s Back
Point BlankNew Tunes: My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges
Like a good consumer, I waited patiently for the release date of My Morning Jacket’s latest (June 10), and was pleasantly surprised that eMusic had it available on Day One [For the uninitiated, eMusic is a monthly subscription site that specializes in independent labels. I pay $10 a month for 40 downloads. So in essence, I just paid $5.60 for the new MMJ – nice].
A couple years ago, I opined that Nino Moschella’s “Are You For Real” was one of the best Prince songs I’d heard in ages. Well, Evil Urges has a couple of the funkiest Prince songs you’ve heard in a while, too. Listen to the title track, and especially to track 3, “Highly Suspicious”. Jim James is channeling the good ol’ nasty Prince falsetto here. It sounds like Prince fronting Cameo in their prime. Seriously, tell me you don’t hear that. Go to their MySpace now and click on “Highly Suspicious”. Stat.
Quirky, rich and offbeat, the new record is full of Jim and the band blurring the lines between genres: from their brand of southern jam-rock to some serious infusion of funky, soulful grooves. I don’t know how they do it, but My Morning Jacket manages to sound like a great 70’s band from the future. They’re futuristically retro, if I may. I mean, listen to “Thank You Too!”, and the seamless double shot of “Smokin from Shootin” and “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Part 2”.
I have great respect for musicians that find a formula that “works” for them, and then continue to morph and tweak it on subsequent albums. Wilco has done it (compare Being There to Summerteeth to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)… Prince sure did it in the 80’s (especially from Purple Rain to Around the World in a Day – a huge leap). And MMJ is doing it – check out the transitions in atmosphere from It Still Moves to Z to Evil Urges.
Truly a groundbreaking band – and hands down one of the most impressive live acts I’ve ever seen. I look forward to letting this record seep into me.
Buy: Evil Urges
Official Site: MyMorningJacket.comNew Tunes: Alejandro Escovedo’s Real Animal
I’m new to Alejandro Escovedo’s music, but I’ve been familiar with him for years, as a much-respected roots rock singer/songwriter with a huge underground following. Not to mention he’s Sheila E.’s uncle (Sheila’s dad, Pete, is his brother). But I’ve never delved into the music until now. My loss, I know.
Real Animal is Alejandro’s eighth studio album since his acclaimed 1992 debut, Gravity. Prior to that, Alejandro was in San Francisco punk band The Nuns. After a move to Austin, he formed bands Rank and File and True Believers. But it’s his solo work that has garnered the respect of people from Springsteen to Lucinda Williams to Steve Earle.
So my first impressions of the album are very positive. I tend to gravitate toward the slower songs like “Swallows of San Juan”, “Sensitive Boys”, “Hollywood Hills”, and the beautiful “Slow Down”.
the past is gone
but it still lives inside of me
hold on tight
as we slip into this revelryslow down slow down
it’s moving much too fast
can’t live in this moment
when i’m tangled in the pastBut the rockers are growing on me too…the opening track, “Always a Friend” is a straight ahead rocker that Bruce and the E Street Band learned before they brought Alejandro out for an encore in Houston a couple months ago. And songs like “Chelsea Hotel ’78” and the tribute to Iggy Pop – “Real As An Animal” – sound great turned up loud and tearing down the road, making me temporarily forget about $4 gas and 15 miles to the gallon. We all need an escape in this day and age, and this album is a great side trip.
Buy: Real Animal
Official Site: AlejandroEscovedo.com
