Bottle Rockin’
So have you ever seen the movie Bottle Rocket? It came out in 1996, was written by Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson, and stars Owen and his brother Luke. Excellent movie. It featured a song called “Alone Again Or” performed my a band called Love. Well, Calexico did their own version of the tune, adding their southwestern zest to it. Suffice it to say, it has seen plenty of rotation in my morning and afternoon commute.
Arriba! Buy Calexico’s musica aqui.
Calexico:
Alone Again Or(mp3)===================================
A LITTLE MO’ PRINE
See the picture of that fella down below? John Prine? Here’s a classic from the man.
John Prine:
That’s the Way that the World Goes ‘Round(mp3) from Bruised Orange (1978)Hitting you in The Shins
My musical discovery and evolution continues as I recently discovered this gem from the Shins, which was released in 2003. The fact is I never paid much attention to the Indie scene until last year (when I stumbled into the world of MP3 Blogs…. coincidence? Nnno). And I’ve been unearthing some great songs ever since. Like this one. “Gone for Good” [Buy the CD]. A perfectly crafted pop song with brilliant lyrics; a breakup song. Just check out the first line:
Untie me, I’ve said no vows
The train is getting way too loud
I gotta leave here my girl
Get on with my lonely lifeJust leave the ring on the rail
For the wheels to nullifyAwesome! Wise! Biting! I love it. This is a 3-4 time in a row type song. Unique. Fresh. OK, I’ll stop. Take a listen.
The Shins:
Gone for Good(mp3)Getting Shivaree in Here
For this post, I hand the reins over to my buddy Richard, who has introduced me to some cool music, including this band fronted by a talented woman. Yes, another female post! Hot damn, soon I’ll have to rename this blog Chickmusic! Take it away Richard.
Just a word of warning, this writing is somewhat sexist, but I cant help it. This is the lead-off track from the latest Shivaree release, ‘Whos Got Trouble?’ [Buy it Here]. Shivaree is basically singer/songwriter Ambrosia Parsley and whoever is in her band at the time. I was first turned on to her from a note on KCRWs web site. I sampled some of her tunes and was immediately blown away.
That voice just immediately warped itself around my being in a way that can only be described as, well, sensual. She sounds like some lost-soul beat writer/poet from the fifties has been channeled through her to create this sensual, late-night, chain-smoking, druggy aura that is truly intoxicating. If I had to make a comparison, I would say she reminds me of the early Ricki Lee Jones, but with a lot more promise and more depth. Her voice just tumbles out so easily and catches your ear like some sweet vixen youd like to know but cant because she is too ethereal to really exist.
She mixes influences from jazz, blues, soul, and some tin-pan alley kitche and Tom Waits off-centeredness all thrown into a stew that sounds totally new yet totally familiar…all at the same time. And listen to the lyrics closely; she tells tales of love lost and forlorn, but not in a sad, woe-is-me kind of way, but more of an experienced girl/woman who knows “whats really goin on”, at least in her head.
But, really, she could sing the phone book and Id probably get goose bumps listening to it, or maybe the shivers, or hey, the Shivarees. Ill be her handsome buckaroo anytime she wanted to curl-up next to a campfire somewhere in the open West that her sound seems to evoke in my brain. “Get lost in her dream.” Its well worth the trip. There are currently 3 CDs available, 1 in Europe only (where she is very popular), and one EP. Plus, check out the live taping at the KCRW studio if you want to see her live. Get the “Shivers.”
Shivaree:
New Casablanca(mp3)The Pride of Falkirk, Scotland
For me, listening to this song is sort of like watching ‘Trainspotting’. I thoroughly enjoy it, have to concentrate hard to understand what in the hell they’re saying, but understand more with each listen. But there’s definitely something infectious about this song by Scottish group Arab Strap. The song itself was released on their 1997 debut, ‘The Week Never Starts Round Here’ [Buy it Here]. There’s an odd coolness to it. A laid back vibe. I shall consult no lyrics sheet for this song…I shall decode it myself!! HA!
From All Music: The Scottish post-folk duo Arab Strap was formed in mid-1995 by vocalist Aidan Moffett and multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton, longtime friends who after years of exchanging cassettes of their respective bands decided to finally begin collaborating together. Upon signing to the hip Chemikal Underground label, they issued their debut single, the stark, downcast “The First Big Weekend”; the song was a major critical hit, with Britain’s Radio One declaring it the best record of the decade.
Arab Strap:
First Big Weekend(mp3)beck video on kcrw
See Beck and band perform live in studio on KCRW‘s Morning Becomes Eclectic. (RealPlayer)
Coolin’ on a Saturday Evening
As I lay on the couch tonight listening to American Routes, the baby asleep, the lights off, the fan blowing gently, and my body spent from a day in the 85 degree Arizona sun, Cookie & the Cupcakes’ “Sea of Love” piped softly over the speakers above me…. what followed was right in the same vein: a dream-inducing, gentle melody that I first thought to be from the late ’60’s / early ’70’s. But then it hit me, the voice I was hearing was Beck. I came to find out that the song, “We Live Again”, is on his 1999 ‘Mutations’ release, one of the few Beck releases I don’t own, and will soon remedy.
Beck – We Live Again(mp3)Buy Beck’s Stuff for crying out loud.
Nels Cline Article and Interview
I posted about the amazing Nels Cline a while back, and just came across this short but great article / interview on Guitar Player magazine’s web site. It has two excellent mp3’s available for download. Here’s a quick quote from the article:
But, as revolutionary as Cline is, he did not mysteriously appear out of nowhere. A mainstay of the Los Angeles free-jazz community for more than 20 years, Cline has worked with dozens of the worlds most innovative artists, including guitarists Bill Frisell and G.E. Stinson, sax/woodwind masters Yusef Lateef and Tim Berne, bass legends Charlie Hayden and Eric Von Essen, percussionists Adam Rudolph and Brad Dutz, violinists Jeff Gauthier and Jenny Scheinman, pianists Mark Weber and Richard Grossman, and electronics wizard Don Preston.
Beyond the jazz scene, Cline has collaborated with Mike Watt, Sonic Youth guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, and country-punk-poets the Geraldine Fibbers, as well as appearing on recordings by artists as diverse as MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer, the Blue Man Group, and new-age composer Osamu Kitajima. And that’s not to mention sessions with singer-songwriters such as Deborah Holland, Mia Doi Todd, and Rickie Lee Jones, and key roles in two ’70s Miles Davis tribute projects: Yo Miles! and Miles Remembered: the Silent Way Project.
Guitar Player Interview with Nels Cline (includes 2 full mp3 downloads)
The Ghost of Gary Glitter
I’m not sure what old Gary Glitter is up to these days, last I heard he was in a bit of hot water over his collection of, shall we say, underage photographs. But his influence is still alive and well in these recent tunes by Goldfrapp and Louis XIV. That’s Ms. Goldfrapp above by the way. MUCH easier on the eyes than Mr. Glitter.
I don’t know too much about these two bands/artists, but I’ve heard these songs over the last month or so, and gotta say, it’s pretty catchy stuff. I have to attribute some of the catchiness to Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Part 1 & 2”. For those who wondering what song that is, think of any sporting event you’ve been to (at least in the U.S), it’s the song they play after touchdowns, goals, home runs, etc. Da-da-da-da-da HEY da-da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da-HEY!! – and so on. Does that clear it up for you?
Goldfrapp is the brainchild of Allison Goldfrapp of Bath, England. Electro-pop type of stuff. Louis XIV are from San Diego, CA, and appeal to me because of their wacky twisted brand of indie pop.
So tell me if you agree. Do these two tunes channel Mr. Glitter or what???
Listen:
Louis XIV – Illegal Tender(mp3)
Buy: on Amazon
Web Site: Louis XIV Official Site
Listen:
Goldfrapp – Strict Machine(mp3)
Buy: on Amazon
Web Site: Goldfrapp Official SiteK-K-K-Kaki
Has anyone checked out Kaki King? Kaki is a young guitar vituouso, who counts Michael Hedges and Alex de Grassi among her biggest influences. I saw her video last night (“Playing with Pink Noise”), and was impressed. She plays guitar in an unconventional over the fret style, and taps the fret like a percussive instrument. She has a laid back and cool demeanor that’s just fun to watch. She kicks back while her fingers are flying all up and down her fret. Check out her web site to see the full video for “Playing with Pink Noise”…
Check this tune out. Starts off innocent enough, but she achieves lift-off soon enough. Cool stuff.
Listen:
Kaki King – Close Your Eyes and You’ll Burst Into Flames(mp3)
Buy: Legs to Make Us LongerGettin’ Magnetic on ya…
Another band I’ve come across recently in my ever-expanding tastes for indie pop/rock is Magnetic Fields. Yes, friends, the picture above is a magnetic field (from the NASA web site). Their All Music bio lays out that Magnetic Fields is essentially comprised of one fellow, “studio wunderkind” Stephen Merritt. This song strikes me as beautiful, simple and odd (sort of like the picture). See if you agree.
Listen:
Magnetic Fields – It’s Only Time(mp3)
Buy: I (All songs on this album begin with I)
Official Site: House of Tomorrow