listen.

Liz returns to her roots LIVE IN NYC.

Remember, all of like, five days ago, when I was talking about how great it is when indie rock greats revisit their classic albums of yesteryear onstage?  Well guess who's jumping into the ring now?  Liz Phair.  And of course she's doing songs from her completely genius, epic, landmark 1993 album Exile in Guyville. (The show is Wednesday, June 25 at Hiro Ballroom.)  Frankly, I'm not sure whether I'm more excited about this or the Perfect From Now On concert.  I guess I'll just have to see both and get back to you.

 
We all know what happened to Liz in the 15 years since.  After releasing a couple more decent but dwindling albums, she decided to give up on legitimate rock music entirely and create mostly vapid pop.  If you look her up on itunes, the picture of her there looks like she's wearing a Christina Aguilera mask. It's bizarre. And depressing.  But let me tell you, when I heard EiG for the first time, it set off an intense and prolonged obsession with that complex, vulgar, amazing album, an obsession which hasn't entirely died. It's just so good.

Here are some of my favorite tracks.
Liz Phair - Mesmerizing
Liz Phair - Divorce Song
Liz Phair - Stratford-On-Guy

And a clip of an adorable 1995 Liz doing my *other* favorite song live.

What ever happened to a boyfriend?  The kind of guy who tries to win you over?  Sing it, sister.

Tickets go on sale TODAY.

>ben

swimming with laura

Great Lake Swimmers have sort of barely been on my radar for a while now, basically just to the extent that I knew I'd heard a few songs that I'd really liked.  Well I finally got around to picking up (or "picking up", as in downloading from emusic) their most recent album, last year's Ongiara. And it's really super good.

They are a trio of handsome Toronto-based gents, with that guy in the front there Tony Dekker doing the songwriting, singing and guitar.

Amanda saw a picture of them and told me I'd like them even if they played cowbells and tinkertoys, which frankly is off the mark because I think a band based primarily on cowbells and tinkertoys would be totally awesome no matter how cute they were, but I get her point. Still, though. They're really hitting the spot for me right now. Kind of a hazy, countryish folky blend of banjo, guitars, some other random instruments, string arrangements from Canada's awesome one-man-band du jour Owen Pallett (another fave of mine), and then there's Dekker's vocals, which make me sad in that good-sad-but-still-sad way. Kind of a perfect soundtrack for yesterday's cozy afternoon at home, avoiding the rain outside by making quiche and drinking too much coffee.

Here are a couple of my faves:

Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine

Great Lake Swimmers - Where in the World Are You
(you know those double-tracked vocals get me every time. also love the strings on this one.)

And an older one, from their 2005 album, Bodies and Minds:

Great Lake Swimmers - Various Stages

Just for fun, here's the video for Your Rocky Spine, which I think is completely adorable:

And as I was listening to Great Lake Swimmers yesterday, I threw some Laura Gibson into the mix, which was totally perfect.

The young and mesmerizing Laura, on Portland's genius Hush Records (see also big faves of mine Loch Lomond, not to mention hush alums The Decemberists of course), has a voice that breaks your heart and a simple, pared down approach to a classic introspective country folky sound. So good.

From her 2006 album, If You Come To Greet Me:

Laura Gibson - This is not the end

Laura Gibson - Country, Country
("Everybody in the country knows I always sing them country songs, and always fall for country boys."  Ditto that, Laura.)

And she just released this awesome limited edition EP (available for purchase and download here!) called Six White Horses, which is all reinterpretations of traditional songs, including this one I remember singing as a kid (but I don't think the lyrics we sang were this creepy):

Laura Gibson - All the Pretty Horses

Enjoy.

>ben

newsflash: Perfect (again) from now on -- live in NYC!

There's something really awesome about bands performing studio albums in their entirety live in front of an audience.  (don't believe me? go download the live concert recording of Belle and Sebastian's "If you're feeling sinister".)

and it's even more exciting when it's one of your favorite bands, doing one of your favorite albums of all time (see above).

so, is anyone else flipping out over the fact that Idaho's favorite indie rock sons Built to Spill will be performing their 1997 album Perfect From Now On from start to finish this coming September?  Because I am.

So the shows are September 25 and 26 at Terminal 5 (which I actually haven't been to yet but I hear it's awful but I don't care where it is i'd even cross the Hudson to Jersey to see this show).  Tickets went on sale yesterday. Who wants to join me?  Buy them here (thursday) or here (friday).

In case you forgot how good the album is, let this track jog your memory:

Built to Spill - Out of Site

>ben

rainy days and mondays always get me down...

oh KAREN! so true....

Rainy Days and Mondays, The Carpenters

Well, rainy days don’t always get me down, I rather love them, BUT a rainy Monday can sometimes get one down.... rather a good song for a day like today.

Let’s indulge in some rainy day music, shall we?

It’s Raining, Irma Thomas
Drip drop....a great soul tune. 

I Think It’s Gonna Rain Today, Nina Simone
Yes Nina, I do too.

Early Mornin' Rain, Peter Paul and Mary
Sigh.

You’re Gonna Need Me, Dionne Warwick
my friend just shared this tune with me.... perfect for a monday, no?

That’s all. Just some good tunes for gray day.

POOL PARTY!

Okay, so listen doesn't have a pool(yet). And McCarren Pool is empty (for now - though i really hope it remains a concert/arts venue)

So how do you have a pool party without a pool?

Well, my friends and I once covered the living room in plastic, inflated a kiddy pool and filled it with water. That was fun AND a pool party. In the early am we worried we had pushed our luck and that eventually the apt floor would cave in – so we slowly drained it the same way we filled it – bucket brigade style.  If you don't think you're building would be condemned if you called 311 (and the only reason you don't call 311 is you think your landlord is in the mafia) then I suggest you try this. It's fun – especially if you make brownies and boat drinks.

I guess if you had a backyard you could do the same.   And yeah, it's basically standing bathwater – so people should shower first. Or you should change the water a few times.  But what can you do?

at any rate - spring is here! and summer is on the way. i am buying plants to garden with hand over fist. so that means it's time to start putting together a summer bbq / pool party play list.  i have a long list of staples that make it onto every "good times" play list - annie lenox - walking on broken glass, bonnie raitt - let's give them something to talk about, odetta - i'm in the mood for you, mac and katie kissoon - chirpy chirpy cheep cheep, the list goes on...

i always try to fold in some new tunes with my playlists - all the sudden you seem like mr. finger-on-the-pulse, and we all like to feel like that.

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Here are some new tunes that have come my way that I would put on my pool party play list...

Leopold and His Fiction - it sounds like some novel written by w. somerset maugham, but they are a guitar and drums duo (yes, like that other group) but they really rock out with a classic rock, low-fi dirty country, jazzy-blues feel - these guys are awesome.

these tunes are from the their self titled album:

Shakey Mama Blues, Leopold and His Fiction

Miss Manipulation, Leopold and His Fiction

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Clock Hands Strangle - a "progressive" folk quintet from FLA -  i've been listening to their album Redshift/Blueshift (which always makes me think of the Doctor Seuss book) and i am digging it. i like my music with a mellow feel with intersting lyrics.

Redshift, Clock Hands Strangle

Sing It!, Clock Hands Strangle

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and why not keep it folksy for a while and play a song from Jason Choi and the Sea a really great folksy group.the title track from their album Leave the Night Behind:

Leave the Night Behind, Jason Choi

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then, since i like to think globally and listen locally i'd play a song or two from the brooklyn blue grass band  The Jones Street Boys.  I LOVE bluegrass.  I missed MerleFest this year - but my sister, Dina and her friend Meg (and her family) made it and i have since copied all the amazing music they got there.  it'll be up on listen soon (i know, you can NOT WAIT!)

anyway - The Jones Street Boys are awesome, great melodies, great voices, nice harmonies all in all: rockin blue grass - who could ask for anything more?

River Wide, The Jones Street Boys

Last Time,  The Jones Street Boys

well. that is some testosterone for my estrogen heavy music library!

expect some sweet older stuff later this week!

laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all

okay. first, we dropped of the face, soooo to the HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of readers who were most likely living an anguished life of desperate, pathetic longing: we're sorry.

sometimes it seems like your mom and pop music blog is going to die - but really it just needs to hibernate.

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second, i decided to explore and get into leonard cohen for the month of march(yes, it's may), and i am really glad i did.
i didn't explore that much (2 albums: THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN and SONGS OF LOVE AND HATE.)  and i was familiar with some of his more popular tunes as sung by the likes of judy collins, nina simone, joan baez and roberta flack.

i soon, obviously, came to discover that his songs are great - and it's great to hear them sung in a baritone - i really love his voice when he sings with his female back up singers.  YES, that's right: there are back up singers.  good back up singers are one of the best things, ever.   if you don't believe me listen to poor boy by nick drake.

i thought i'd share some of the ones i have been listening to a lot -
i should say that these albums are pretty melancholy - they're joyous in their own way and are so pretty - there is a greek word - sort of a concept - harmolype -   it literally means joyful sadness.  i guess in other words: life. anyway - that is what i feel when i listen to these songs.

So Long, Marianne
i cannot get enough of this song.  i can't tell if it was popular for other singers to cover this -- i found a few on itunes but haven't purchased any yet (anyone have one they want to share?). one of the reasons i like it is because it's so dramatic, so intense. and not to mention that lyric: it's time we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.  i would love to be a fly on the wall at whatever inspired this song

Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
i guess most of the time there isn't a way.

 

Suzanne
get ready for the post of all the amazing women singing this song. such a beautifully poetic song:

For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.

Joan of Arc

the "la, la, la's" are great, aren't they?  i think this song should be sung in a some little wine bar, around 2 am and everyone sings along.

alrighty folks. that's enough for today, no? expect lots more this week!

it is good friday after all....

hey listeners.

I had a bigger post in the works, but I figured as it is good friday we may as well enjoy some Mahalia Jackson.   Now, I say it time and time again every time i post gospel: i am not trying to spread some religious doctrine, i am not part of any organized religion, BUT as a musical genre it is pretty amazing when done right.

And you know who does it right? The Queen of Gospel -- widely regarded as the best singer in the history of the genre -- Mahalia Jackson.

Supposedly, and by supposedly I mean: according to wikipedia, she was constantly asked to record secular music throughout her life but refused.  While I feel like I should respect an artist standing up for themselves I kinda wish Mahalia had recorded a standard or two: Anything Goes, It's Too Darn Hot, Little GIrl Blue.... the list goes on...

I digress. This woman has soul. Lots of it. And she lets it out on that stage. Enjoy her live recordings - the two I have are: In Concert Easter Sunday 1967 and Live At Newport 1958

From the Easter Sunday Concert:

Come on Children, Let's Sing - Mahalia Jackson

Elijah Rock - Mahalia Jackson

There is Balm in Gilead - Mahalia Jackson
(isn't this one just so beautiful?)

I'm On My Way - Mahalia Jackson

Didn't It Rain - Mahalia Jackson
(this is my favorite song of hers)

It Don't Cost Very Much - Mahalia Jackson

Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho - Mahalia Jackson
("You make me feel like a star!" Well, Mahalia, you break my heart.)

okay... that's all.  ENJOY!

g

Arms with Hospitality: this saturday in alphabet city

Though this may sound like an etiquette course on appropriate arm gestures to use while greeting guests into your home, it's ACTUALLY going to be a really good show on Avenue B this weekend.

Todd Goldstein, self-described "Brooklyn-based mid-20s-type" (we already like where this is going) better known as Arms, plays the ukulele, guitar and various other instruments, and sings in a quirky, beautiful voice that at first reminds me a tad of Michael Stipe, then gets progressively more unique and unplaceable.  I stumbled upon this video of him playing the brilliant song "Kids Aflame" live in Prospect Park:

To hear what he does with this song in the studio rather than a tunnel in the park:

Arms - Kids Aflame

It will be the title track from Todd's forthcoming album, due on June 8.

This Saturday, he's playing at Midway (now called rehab apparently): 25 ave B @ 2nd St, NYC, 9pm.

Hospitality will be playing as well -- also Brooklyn-based, they're a quartet operating in a quaint chamber-folk realm reminiscent of early Belle & Sebastian and the like, with lyrics that wouldn't be out of place on Tigermilk or If You're Feeling Sinister: "You're the only girl on the team, you don't golf, you don't smoke, you don't understand the jokes" from Betty Wang, below.  It appears as though they're doing a little residency at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg right now, playing every Thursday night.

Hospitality - Betty Wang

and now for some links:
Arms website / Arms on myspace / Hospitality on myspace

see you saturday?
xoBen