Here's a quick one for my brother down in Dust Bowl country. Although members of the Sea and Cake have been busy with solo albums and side projects, it has been a few years since they assembled in a studio as this incarnation. Thrill Jockey will be releasing their latest, 'The Moonlight Butterfly,' May 10 on all of the usual formats, including vinyl. The general consensus seems to be their sound has continued to morph, but I think it's just like the old stuff. All I know for sure is I like what I'm hearing from the fellas. I especially like the title of the song below. It reminds me of my old stomping grounds. Buy the new album here.
Concord Music Group continues its giant reissues project of Paul McCartney's catalog with the announcement that 'McCartney' (1970) and 'McCartney II' (1980) will be available on CD and online beginning June 7. If you don't have these albums already, I suggest you own these in the format of your choice. As I mentioned earlier this year, I got a stellar vinyl copy of 'McCartney II' for Christmas. So, this makes getting this new-and-improved version a bitter pill. I guess it comes down to whether the extras are worth it... although the fact these classics were remastered at Abbey Road Studios by the same team that worked on 2009's Beatles reissues is also something to consider.
Here's a quick rundown of the particulars: 'McCartney' will feature seven bonus tracks, including live performances and outtakes, on a bonus CD. A deluxe edition will add a DVD (with a behind-the-scenes look at the album and live footage) and a 128-page booklet with rare photos taken by Paul and his late wife Linda. "McCartney II" will feature eight bonus tracks on a bonus CD with live and alternate versions. A deluxe edition will add another CD and a DVD with music videos. It also will come with a 128-page booklet with rare photographs. See the complete tracklist, as well as a couple of videos from the time period, below.
McCartney's work this past decade, particularly 'Chaos and Creation in the Backyard,' has been inspiring. It's nice to see the best of his back catalog is getting a much deserved sprucing.
'McCartney' Tracklist: CD1: 1. The Lovely Linda 2. That Would Be Something 3. Valentine Day 4. Every Night 5. Hot As Sun/Glasses 6. Junk 7. Man We Was Lonely 8. Oo You 9. Momma Miss America 10. Teddy Boy 11. Singalong Junk 12. Maybe I'm Amazed 13. Kreen-Akrore CD2: 1. Suicide (outtake) 2. Maybe I'm Amazed (from TV special 'One Hand Clapping') 3. Every Night (live in Glasgow, 1979) 4. Hot As Sun (live in Glasgow, 1979) 5. Maybe I'm Amazed (Live in Glasgow, 1979) 6. Don't Cry Baby (outtake) 7. Women Kind (demo) DVD: 1. The Album Story 2. The Beach 3. Maybe I'm Amazed (music video) 4. Suicide (from TV special One Hand Clapping) 5. Every Night (live at 'Concert For The People Of Kampuchea') 6. Hot As Sun (live at 'Concert For The People Of Kampuchea') 7. Junk (from 'MTV Unplugged') 8. That Would Be Something (from 'MTV Unplugged')
'McCartney II' Tracklist: CD1: 1. Coming Up 2. Temporary Secretary 3. On The Way 4. Waterfalls 5. Nobody Knows 6. Front Parlour” 7. Summer's Day Song” 8. Frozen Jap 9. Bogey Music 10. Darkroom 11. One Of These Days CD2: 1. Blue Sway (with Richard Niles orchestration) 2. Coming Up (live in Glasgow) 3. Check My Machine (edit) 4. Bogey Wobble 5. Secret Friend 6. Mr H Atom/You Know I'll Get You Baby 7. Wonderful Christmastime (edit) 8. All You Horse Riders/Blue Sway CD3: 1. Coming Up (full-length version) 2. Front Parlour (full-length version) 3. Frozen Jap (full-length version) 4. Darkroom (full-length version) 5. Check My Machine (full-length version) 6. Wonderful Christmastime (full-length version) 7. Summer's Day Song (original without vocals) 8. Waterfalls (DJ edit) DVD: 01. Meet Paul McCartney 02. Coming Up (music video) 03. Waterfalls (music video) 04. Wonderful Christmastime (music video) 05. Coming Up ((live at the 'Concert For The People Of Kampuchea') 06. Coming Up (taken from a rehearsal session at Lower Gate Farm, 1979) 07. Making the "Coming Up" music video 08. Blue Sway
Other than material geared towards the grade-schooler set, it has been four long years since They Might Be Giants have put out a proper rock album. On July 19, the long wait is over when the duo releases the full-length LP 'Join Us.' That may seem like a long wait, and the folks at Idlewood/Rounder must have agreed because they have decided to give us all a sample the band's 15th studio album. Starting today you can go to iTunes for four advance tracks from 'Join Us.' The songs can be purchased individually for 99 cents each, or you can preorder the entire album for $9.99 and get these four songs now. I have to say I'm a lapsed TMBG fan, but the new material sounds like a return to their best days in the '80s and early '90s. Here's a little listen. Also, Spinner talked to TMBG's John Flansburgh about the album last month, and you can read that interview here.
As a kid, I was a huge fan of INXS. Artistically, I think the band's peak was the 'Listen Like Thieves' album from 1985. I hung on through 'Kick' in 1987. In fact, the only time I saw them live was during that tour. I don't know if it was all the fame and commercial success, my changing tastes or a slip in the quality of the work, but I never bought another record by them after that... until today. In yet another feeble attempt to capture a feeling from my youth, I spent a mere $5.99 on the just-released 11-song digital-only album 'Rocking the Royals.' The download chronicles INXS' Nov. 4, 1985 show at Melbourne Concert Hall during a royal visit to Australia by Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Although I would have paid more for a physical copy of the performance, I'm grateful iTunes has made this one available. Through the years, most of these songs here have been around as B-sides, but this is the first time you could get them all as a one-stop-shop experience. Many of my really early favorites are here, like "Dancing on the Jetty" and "Don't Change," but it's the 'Thieves'-era material that gets me giddy. A nearly 11-minute commentary of this special show by band members the Farriss brothers is also included. You can catch some of their thoughts below, as well as the full tracklist. Twenty-six years ago, but it feels like only yesterday. If you're an old guy like me, you understand.
1. Burn for You 2. Kiss the Dirt 3. Dancing on the Jetty 4. The One Thing 5. This Time 6. Shine Like It Does 7. Listen Like Thieves 8. What You Need 9. One X One 10. Original Sin 11. Don't Change 12. Farriss brothers commentary
If you haven't heard any of the new Robyn Hitchcock yet, you will want to listen to the two songs below. These lush compositions continue a string of great works by the 58 year old. You will be able to find them on 'Tromsø, Kaptein,' a record Hitchcock says he "sung in English for Norwegian ears." It will ship beginning May 3 on, naturally, the Norwegian label Hype City Recordings. If you preorder from Hitchcock's site now, you will receive a digital download of the album immediately. 'Tromsø, Kaptein' continues a prolific streak of albums, free downloads and other projects that, in my opinion, marks the most interesting five-year period of his career. If you're an old fan of his and have lost touch through the years, do yourself a favor and at least get 'Goodnight Oslo.' It made my top 20 albums of 2009.
Thank you, Jayhawks! If you go to the band's official Web site, you can download their complete June 21, 2010 show from the legendary First Avenue club. That three-night residency in their hometown of Minneapolis marked the first time the classic lineup (that included Mark Olson) had played together in America in almost 15 years. The song list is inspiring and even included tunes for the 'Bunkhouse' era. For me, one of the highlights comes during the encore when they pulled out a cover of "Almost Saturday Night" to close the show. It's a mildly well-known nugget from John Fogerty's early years as a solo artist, but I know the 1981 single by Dave Edmunds even better. You will find many covers in the Edmunds canon but, his take on Elvis Costello's "Girl's Talk" notwithstanding, I think this may be his his best. Hmm, that's probably shortchanging some great Rockpile-era songs, as well as the Edmunds-Nick Lowe EP of Everly Brothers tunes. Forget it. You be the judge.
Although I consider myself an avid follower of power pop, I was not a super-huge fan of the Smithereens. They were, however, a band I kind of rooted for in the middle '80s. They were loud, seemed working class and weren't particularly attractive... you know, someone you could hang with. Yet, after putting in several years of hard work, they ruled the college-rock landscape in 1986 and 1988 with their albums 'Especially for You' and 'Green Thoughts.' Unlike many of their peers, I think singles like "Only a Memory," "Blood and Roses," "A Girl Like You" and "Behind the Wall of Sleep" have aged particularly well. In other words, a few years ago I realized I missed the boat with these guys.
This was not an epiphany. It took a long time for me to come around, and I think I owe it all to guitarist and singer Pat DiNizio. I admire his life path. Here are just a few things he has done in the last decade: DiNizio ran for the U.S. Senate, tried out for a minor-league baseball team and was the program director and host on the XM Radio Unsigned channel. He has even been known to play in the living rooms of his fans. That's so cool.
A couple of weeks ago the Smithereens released a new album that didn't garner any attention here at all, but I think you should give it a listen. Here is a catchy song that fits in nicely with their '80s and early '90s work. If you like it, buy their album, '2011,' here. You won't be "Sorry."
In the past couple of weeks I have seen some really well-done documentaries and a concert video I think you should seek.
'Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out' was put together by drummer Stewart Copeland and is completely based on footage he shot from his own Super-8 camera from 1978 through the band's demise. It's pretty interesting to see the juxtaposition of a hungry but happy trio in fleabag hotels and clunky cars, seemingly, one minute, and in a state-of-the-art studio at an exotic locale with the world on a string the next. Copeland's narration is humorous and insightful, particularly as things are falling apart. This is a must watch for Police fans, although the 2006 Sundance Film Festival entry has been around long enough that I assume many admirers have already seen it. If you have Showtime, you may still be able to catch it there. That's where I saw it.
My obsession with all things Michael Nesmith continues. 'Live at the Britt' chronicles his complete performance at the Britt Festival's 30th anniversary show back in 1992. The trip to Jacksonville, Oregon, would have been totally worth it. First and foremost, Nesmith's old friend and pedal-steel aficionado "Red" Rhodes is in his backing band. The rest of the fellas, however, I don't know at all, and the bad hair and their new-age percussion added little to the experience. I wish it could have been "Red" and Michael alone like on my favorite album of his, "And the Hits Just Keep on Comin.'' That leads me to the shows bright spot. We get a couple of songs back to back from that great LP. In fact, most of the first half of the show are songs from his early '70s solo albums, with a Monkees classic thrown in for good measure. There's a quick ode to 'Elephant Parts' before he performs some "new" songs that I have to admit I don't know. The show ends with "Rio" and a Nesmith-only encore of "Different Drum." The picture quality has a bit of a "video" feel, but the sound more than makes up for the amateurish look.
The rave reviews of Mike Watt's latest project has me on a Minutemen and fIREHOSE kick. That's cool when you consider Watt's new album was inspired by his old band after he listened to them for the first time in years. This documentary, 'We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen,' and his participation in it was really what started Watt on this path. So, Watt is jamming econo again, and we are listening to his stuff again. There is some great footage from a band that ended tragically and way too soon. This is the most well done of the lot. Check out the trailer below... then pull out your old copy of 'Double Nickels on the Dime.'
Did you make it to your local mom-and-pop shop last Saturday? From what I witnessed, the kids are still crazy about vinyl. This was my first Record Store Day. So, I didn't really know what to expect. I did know quantities of exclusives were, in many cases, extremely limited, and I had a few on my must-have list. With that in mind, I left the house quite early for the short trek to Easy Street Records in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. I anticipated arriving about 30 minutes before opening and felt like I would be in good shape to get what I wanted. Due to some unexpected construction, I ended up losing about 15 minutes of cushion time. Then add the fact I passed another record store along the way, Silver Platters, only to see a big line already outside the doors. Yep, I was starting to sweat it... and with good reason. The line at Easy Street was a sight to behold. By 9AM, it stretched an entire block. I would guess I was about 125th in line. Would that get me, for example, the new dB's 7"? I had talked to someone from Easy Street a day earlier, and he said the store would have four copies. Hmmm, I don't know...
There were some operational problems. All of the exclusives were in cardboard boxes right at the door. So, imagine hundreds of eager vinyl collectors rifling through these boxes right at the entrance. It was almost impossible. And why put it at the door? At least 90 percent of the store was a ghost town during those first minutes. Everyone was at the door. If I ran the store, I would have either put the stock on the shelves where they belong (such as Big Star in the Big Star section) or, at least, put the 12" vinyl at one end of the store, 7" vinyl at the other end and CDs and other collectibles in the middle. That would spread things out a bit.
For the first several minutes I couldn't get anywhere near the boxes. Then the gods smiled on me. I spotted the 7" single of the dB's. It was between me and a couple of customers going through a box, but I could see it as I looked underneath a small hole underneath the armpit of one of the fellas. I yelled: "Could you grab me that dB's?" The guy actually handed it back to me. As I reached for it, I saw the new Cars 7" in a box next to this guy. I stretched as far as I could and got a finger and thumb on it and pinched. Got it. By now, the crowd was starting to take their finds to the register for purchase. In seconds the line is snaking all through the store. Uh-oh, there seems to be multiple lines, but there is only supposed to be one. Oh well, not my problem. I have other records on my list. Unfortunately, the boxes look pretty picked over. Sure enough, I can't find anything else I want. Grr. So, I only walked away with my two seven-inch singles. The worst part was seeing what I wanted in the hands of others already in line to pay. Is that the new Paul Simon on vinyl? Oh, man.
Now, I realize this is only one experience in one store, but I'm wondering how things worked out for you. Did you get there early enough? How were things organized? Did you get any freebies? Were there any good in-store performances where you were? Feel free to share your tales.
I tend to shy away from the blogosphere's "it" bands, as anointed by the folks at Pitchfork and several other places. As a music lover that rebelled against commercial rock and pop from an early age, it is in my psyche to dislike bands that everyone else likes... even at the indie level. It has probably been at my peril since sometimes the bands can be quite good. I know that it's stupid, but I can't help it. In spite of my sour ways, every once in a while an act that fits into this category breaks through my armour. Congratulations to the Joy Formidable. Despite their critical and commercial success, I have become one of the masses following the Welsh trio. Yes, I'm now a statistic. If you like the song below, go out and get 'The Big Roar.' It's bound to get consideration for my album of the year.
There is another "it" band out there that almost has me, but my repelling powers are strong. Let's start with their name... Yuck. Just rolls off the tongue, eh? Two of the members of this English band used to be in another group I sort of dug a few years ago called Cajun Dance Party. They didn't sound much like Dinosaur Jr. then, but this new incarnation sure does. In fact, they sound like several bands I was into as a lad. I think I like -- but don't love -- Yuck because not only have I heard this sound before, but I'm hearing it again by too many new bands. If you listen to as much music as I do, it all starts to sound the same after a while. Having said that, here is an absolutely crackin' tune from them below. Their self-titled debut can be bought here. If curiosity has gotten the better of you, try this song from Cajun Dance Party, too. It was written when they were still in high school. What were you doing at age 15?
It has been nearly a month since David Bowie's unreleased 2001 album 'Toy' leaked online, and that's given me enough time to evaluate its importance in the artist's canon. As an uber fan, I'm elated that 'Toy' is finally available in any format. I want Bowie's complete discography... period. If I take a step back, however, I realize this is not essential Bowie.
These are rerecorded versions of some of Bowie's oldest songs, and some of these were recorded a third time for 'Heathen' and 'Heathen'-related B-sides. Among the 14 tracks on 'Toy,' the one song we had never heard before that really stands out is "Hole In The Ground." It's believed Bowie recorded a demo of this song around 1970. The 'Toy' recording fits in well with his late '90s/early '00s work. I think 'Heathen' is one of Bowie's strongest post-1980 albums. If you don't agree, you may not like "Hole in the Ground" or any of 'Toy.'
It has been eight long years since we have had a new studio album from the man. This fills a little of the hunger, but it's kind of like getting one plate at a tapas joint.
I have spent way too much of 2011 posting old favorites and not enough time writing about what has made this a pretty darn good year for music thus far. I'm going to spend the next few days rectifying that situation.
Let's start with a duo from the Merge stable that's going to be releasing their fifth album, 'Loud Planes Fly Low,' on June 7. The Rosebuds like to genre hop, and it's difficult to fault them for that since they are so accomplished at it. Now, I tend to gravitate toward the folk and indie rock sides of the band's personality, but I have to admit the dance stuff has been good, too. If I could only have one of their albums, I would choose 'Birds Make Good Neighbors,' and I suggest you pick it up (if you haven't already). "Blue Bird," in fact, made my top songs of the last decade. You might know that Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp were married. Yes, I said "were." 'Loud Planes Fly Low' is their first musical endeavor as a former couple. It will be interesting to hear how this new dynamic will alter the band's sound. Merge says: "Proudly mature, genuinely reflective, 'Loud Planes Fly Low' is the most honest Rosebuds record since Ivan and Kelly made their way out of the gates in 2003."
You can already preorder the new album from the label, and here is a little something to remind you the Rosebuds rule. It sounds like they are ready to surprise us again. Introspection, anyone?
All mp3s posted at LTL! are to highlight music you should buy... right now. Sure, give it a listen, but then run to your nearest indie record shop and pay up. Mp3s are linked for a limited time. Rants and raves to lineartrackinglives@gmail.com.
Here's a quick one for my brother down in Dust Bowl country. Although members of the Sea and Cake have been busy with solo albums and side projects, it has been a few years since they assembled in a studio as this incarnation. Thrill Jockey will be releasing their latest, 'The Moonlight Butterfly,' May 10 on all of the usual formats, including vinyl. The general consensus seems to be their sound has continued to morph, but I think it's just like the old stuff. All I know for sure is I like what I'm hearing from the fellas. I especially like the title of the song below. It reminds me of my old stomping grounds. Buy the new album here.
