• Americana

    Blessed [new from Lucinda Williams]

    March 1st is not only day one of my favorite month (I’m in Arizona, so that means Spring Training games, a beer festival, and ideal weather), but it’s also release day for Blessed, the great new album from Lucinda Williams.

    Lucinda’s 10th studio album has many folks likening it to a return to form of her stellar ’98 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. I’ve had a few runs through it, and – as always, it seems – I’ve gravitated to the more slow burning, wistful tracks. “I Don’t Know How You’re Living”, “Born to be Loved”, “Convince Me”…

    But the true stunner of a tune that stops me in my tracks is the album finale: “Kiss Like Your Kiss”. This love’s done and gone, Jack, and nothing will ever be the same…

    There’ll never be a spring so perfect again
    We’ll never see a yellow so rich
    The grass will never be quite as green
    And there’ll never be a kiss like your kiss

    That’s only the first verse. It’s a thing of beauty, and may be one of the best songs I’ve ever heard Lucinda sing (right there with “Blue” for me). This song alone is worth the price of admission.

    A version of the song actually appears on an episode of True Blood, and includes Elvis Costello on vocals. You can find this version on True Blood: Music From The HBO® Original Series Volume 2

    The Blessed version doesn’t include Costello’s co-vocals, and as much as I admire and respect Elvis, the song rises even higher without him. This is Lucinda’s moment, and Costello only dilutes the exquisiteness of it, in my opinion. Just wait till you hear the Blessed version, that’s all I gotta say.

    Blessed is another strong collection from a tried and true original still at the top of her game. Top to bottom, it can’t top Car Wheels, but moments like “Kiss Like Your Kiss” elevate it to a level that’s damn close.

  • Rock n' Folk

    Sham-a-Ling-Dong-Ding

    The beautiful thing about music – and I’ve said it many times before – is there’s always something new to discover. The act of hearing a song for the first time, and having it make that instant connection right to the soul – that is why I am obsessed with music, and always on the search for that next gem – regardless of era or genre.

    This song came to my attention from a Twitter update from Popdose’s Jason Hare – okay okay, his tweet! He had just watched Elvis Costello’s Spectacle show on Sundance, and one of the special guests was Jesse Winchester. Jesse is a Canadian folk artist (an American expatriate actually) who started out in the business over 40 years ago.

    “Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding” is the song. It’s a newer one from Jesse actually, from his latest album – last year’s Love Filling Station. The song is a sentimental and nostalgic love song from the 65 year old , looking back through the years to the beginning of a love affair, and to the music that accompanied and nurtured them – and still does to this day.

    Oh to have the talent to write a song like this (watch Neko Case tear up next to him).

    The boys were singing shing-a-ling
    The summer night we met
    You were tan and seventeen
    O how could I forget
    When every star from near and far
    Was watching from above
    Watching two teenagers fall in love

    The way we danced was not a dance
    But more a long embrace
    We held on to each other and
    We floated there in space
    And I was shy to kiss you while
    The whole wide world could see
    So shing-a-ling said everything for me

    And O the poor old old folks
    They thought we’d lost our minds
    They could not make heads or tails
    Of the young folks’ funny rhymes
    But you and I knew all the words
    And we always sang along to
    O sham-a-ling-dong-ding
    Sham-a-ling-dang-dong

    So after years and after tears
    And after summers past
    The old folks tried to warn us
    How our love would never last
    And all we’d get was soaking wet
    From walking in the rain
    And singing sham-a-shing-a-ling again

    And O the poor old old folks
    They smile and walk away
    But I bet they did some
    Sham-a-lama-ding-dong in their day
    I bet that they still close their eyes
    And I bet they sing along to
    O sham-a-ling-dong-ding
    Sham-a-ling-dang-dong

    O those sweet old love songs
    Every word rings true
    Sham-a-ling-dong-ding means sweetheart
    Sham-a-ling-dang-dong does too
    And it means that right here in my arms
    That’s where you belong
    And it means sham-a-ling-dong-ding
    Sham-a-ling-dang-dong

  • Indie

    Jenny Lewis

    So Jenny Lewis has been doing her thing for a while now – solo, with the Watson Twins, and with her band Rilo Kiley. She’s also a former child actor who moved on to the righteous musical path.

    But it took me until last week to finally discover her.

    It all started when I stumbled across the video of “Rise Up With Fists”, a song from her 2006 debut solo album ‘Rabbit Fur Coat‘ (with the Watson Twins). The video is a parody of the old C&W variety show Hee Haw, and also features Sarah Silverman. I’m not sure if it’s from Sarah’s show or if it’s a music video of its own.  But suffice it to say that I’ve watched this video about 50 times over the past week or so.

    A couple days ago, I was watching it, and looked behind me to see my kindergarten age daughter transfixed as well. She now proudly states that her three favorite artists are “Gogol Bordello, Led Zeppelin, and Jenny Lewis”.  Never mind the fact she thinks Led Zeppelin is Jack Black, because “The Immigrant Song” was in ‘School of Rock’. But that’s quite a top three for a girl about to turn 5.

    But back to Jenny Lewis. I love the folksy/indie/country vibe she exudes. I love her stage presence (watch her recent Letterman performance below). I love the effortlessness and clean quality of her singing voice. And face it, she’s pretty easy on the eyes too.

    Here’s “Rise Up With Fists”

    And here’s Jenny and her band with Elvis Costello, from last Monday’s Late Show with David Letterman. The song is “Carpetbaggers”, from her most recent album, ‘Acid Tongue‘, which came out a couple months back. This is a country-rock barnburner. I love this tune. And like I said, the presence she exudes…. Great stuff.

    Me gusto Jenny Lewis!

    Jenny Lewis.com | MySpace