Winter Song

Aberdeen City - The Freezing Atlantic

Aberdeen City is a four piece alt-rock outfit that formed in 2001 while the members were students at Boston College. After spending four years living together, self-releasing EPs, and refining their post-punk influenced sound, they went into the studio in the winter of 2005 to record their first full length album, The Freezing Atlantic. Originally released last October, it was re-released in August with two reworked tracks on Columbia's Red Ink imprint. If you're the kind of person who likes to hear the evolution of songs, you can compare the 2005 and 2006 versions of "God Is Going To Get Sick Of Me." The newer version features a different key and beefed up production.

I think I listened to this CD just about every day for the first two weeks I owned it, and it has stayed in regular rotation ever since. My first impression was that they sounded a bit like Interpol minus the obvious Joy Divison influence. Or The Killers with a more sparse sound. Or a less grandiose Remy Zero. One of my friends thought they sounded like War-era U2; an oddly prescient comment, since War producer Steve Lillywhite did two tracks on this album. It's the kind of record that rewards repeated listening. The angular guitar riffs seem to reveal themselves a little bit more everytime you hear a song, and the lyrics hint at spirituality without ever being overtly religious. With cooler weather finally upon us, this CD is the perfect soundtrack for a fall afternoon drive.

Aberdeen City - "Sixty Lives" (mp3)
Aberdeen City - "In Combat" (mp3)

They play in Nashville at the Exit/In on Monday, October 2, with The Electric Six and The Blue Van. If you judge a band's live show by the company they keep, these guys must be pretty good. They've spent the better part of the last year touring with Elefant, Sound Team, We Are Scientists, Snow Patrol, Murder By Death, and Rasputina.

post title by Nico

Slow Dancing

By now most people have heard about Willie Nelson and his bandmates getting busted for possession after their tour bus was stopped for a "routine commercial inspection" last week. I don't think there is anyone in the world who would be surprised that Willie Nelson got caught with his favorite herb. What is surprising about the story is that having a pound and a half of pot is only a misdemeanor! You could explain it with the old "everything is bigger in Texas" line, except that they got stopped in Lousiana. If you were ever curious as to what 24 ounces of marijuana looked like, The Smoking Gun has a picture of Willie's stash.

The story is pretty much old news by now, but it did inspire today's monday morning b-side...

U2 featuring Willie Nelson - "Slow Dancing" (mp3)

U2 has actually released "Slow Dancing" as a b-side twice. The first time was an acoustic version on the Stay (Faraway, So Close!) single in 1993. They later gave it the full band treatment, with Willie singing lead vocals, on the If God Will Send His Angels single, released four years later. This version is from the 1997 single, which is still in print (the "Stay" single is not, but you can find the original version of the song on iTunes).

The Saints Are Coming

Tommorrow night, the New Orleans Saints will play in the Superdome for the first time since August 26, 2005, three days before Katrina landed in New Orleans. Regardless of whether or not you're a football fan, this is a huge event. After the damage sustained by the hurricane and its use as a shelter in the days after the storm, many people thought the Superdome would have to be torn down. Instead, a massive cleanup and rebuilding effort has brought the building back to life in just under 13 months, in time for the Saints to finally make their homecoming. You can bet it will be an emotional night in the Big Easy.

U2 and Green Day have teamed up to record a single to benefit Music Rising, the campaign headed by The Edge to replace the instruments that the gulf region's musicians, churches and schools lost when Katrina ravaged the area. Their cover of the Skids "The Saints Are Coming" will be available exclusively through Rhapsody starting tommorrow. To help celebrate the reopening of the Superdome, both bands will be in New Orleans to perform the single (along with 2-3 other songs) prior to the game. ESPN will broadcast the performance live starting at 8:19 pm EST, and it is also being offered free of charge to all radio stations by Westwood One. So if you cant be in front of a TV tommorrow night, check your favorite radio station.

The Skids - "The Saints Are Coming" (mp3)

The Skids were a Scottish punk band that featured future Big Country frontman Stuart Adamson on guitar. "The Saints Are Coming" was originally released on their 1978 debut album Scared to Dance, and is currently available on Sweet Suburbia: The Best of the Skids.

Words Of A Fool

I like The Killers, but Brandon Flowers in an idiot. I don't mind his bravado; it's kind of refreshing to see a rock star who actually acts like one. I thought his war of words with labelmates The Bravery was a cute throwback to the classic Oasis vs Blur rivalry of the mid-90s. But in this week's Entertainment Weekly, he really shoves his foot way up inside his mouth...

"People make fun of Born in the U.S.A. and [his] look, but I love all of it. There's a song from his first album called 'Lost in the Flood' that's just...I mean, it should be essential listening for people. I'm 25 years old, I had no idea that existed, and I'm just really grateful now that I got to get into it."

People make fun of Bruce Springsteen? Really? Because I always thought he was one of the most revered and iconic artists in the history of American music. I mean, really, in the rock realm, there's Bob Dylan, and then Springsteen. How can you make through a quarter century of your life being a fan of music at all and not be familiar with the Boss? I know Nevada is a long way from New Jersey, but I lived in Las Vegas, and trust me, people have heard of him there.

That said, I'm still looking forward to Sam's Town coming out on October 3. Even though "When You Were Young" wears its Springsteen influence proudly on its sleeve, and the fact that they totally lifted the guitar solo from U2's "Miracle Drug," its a good tune. Listen to it on their myspace page.

post title by Love And Rockets

Josephine

To celebrate Portastatic's show in Nashville this Wednesday, today's monday morning b-side is Mac McCaughan's acoustic take of the Magnetic Field's "Josephine." Recorded in true lo-fi fashion on 4-track cassette, it was released in 1994 on Portastatic's second single Naked Pilseners, which is now out of print. Those curious to hear the Magnetic Field's original version can find it on their debut album Distant Plastic Trees.

Portastatic - "Josephine" (mp3)

Portastatic open for M. Ward this Wednesday, September 20 at the Belcourt Theater.

Go Your Own Way

Last weekend I got tickets to see Lindsey Buckingham at the Ryman Auditorium on October 7, and I'm more than a little excited. I've been a huge fan of Buckingham-era Fleetwood Mac ever since the video for "Tusk" was in heavy rotation in the early days of MTV. Although the guy is a fantastic singer, songwriter and guitar player, his greatest strength is as a producer and arranger. Stripped of his brilliant production, Christine McVie's tunes would just be pretty pop songs, and Stevie Nicks would probably still be working as a waitress. But with Buckingham's magic touch, the Mac went from being a past-it's-prime British blues band to one of the great pop acts of the 70s and 80s. His solo albums have been equally fantastic artistically, though less successful commercially. I always joked that if I ever became a rock star, I was going to hire Lindsey to produce my first solo album. He is one of the few people I feel comfortable using the word "genius" to describe.

Lindsey Buckingham - "Steal Your Heart Away" (mp3)

This is a solo version of a song that later ended up on Fleetwood Mac's Say You Will album, and it's a perfect example that sometimes history does in fact repeat. Buckingham was working on a solo album when Fleetwood Mac reconvened to make Tango In The Night, and many of the songs that were meant for his own project were folded into the band's album. Ten years later he was working on another solo album... sessions that became the impetus for the Fleetwood Mac reunion after Mick Fleetwood played drums on a few tracks. Though it lacks Stevie Nick's backing vocals and has slightly different instrumentation, this is the same basic track that ended up on the Mac album. This version was released on a promotional CD put out by Best Buy in conjunction with Fleetwood Mac's 1997 tour, and is commercially unavailable.

His new album Under The Skin comes out on October 3, and you can listen to five of the songs from it in their entirety on his website.

post title by... well, you know

Fairytale of New York

I wasn't going to post anything about what today is. This is a music blog, and you can find a thousand other blogs with people's feelings on the anniversary. So I'm not going to talk about what I was doing or how I felt five years ago. I'm going to tell another story.

The first time I went to New York City was at the end of December in 1994. I figured ringing in the New Year in Times Square was something that everyone needs to do once in their life. Since it was my inaugural trip, I did a lot of the touristy stuff that first timers do, like going to the top of a skyscraper. I was going to do it old school, so I chose to go up top of the Empire State Building.

I didn't visit the World Trade Center until June of 2000. My sister got married in Pennsylvania on Father's Day weekend, and we had family that came down from Montana for it. On Sunday, we drove into Manhattan, caught the subway to the Bronx, and took in a Yankees/White Sox game (Chicago won 17-4). Since the clan from Montana had never been to New York, they wanted to do something in the city afterword, so we decided that we'd go to the WTC.

We got down there late in the afternoon, and walked around the plaza first. It was impossible not to be floored by the towers. Even in a city where everything is larger than life, their scale was enormous. We headed up to the observation area on the 107th floor (the outdoor deck on the roof was closed due to strong winds), had pizza at the restaurant there, and then split up to take in the scenery. Everywhere you turned the views were incredible. It was dusk by the time I turned the corner and gazed down upon Brooklyn, just as they were turning on the lights on the Brooklyn Bridge. I was absolutely transfixed. I must have stood there for 20 minutes as the twilight faded, while this song was playing over and over in my head...

Frank Sinatra - "The Brooklyn Bridge" (mp3) from Sinatra In Hollywood 1940-1964

I'd have stood there all night if my mom hadn't drug me away when everyone else was ready to leave. I can still remember that scene like it was yesterday, and I think about it every time I hear that song.

I miss that view.

post title by The Pogues

The Drugs Don't Work

For today's monday morning b-side, we have Richard Ashcroft's solo acoustic demo of The Verve classic "The Drugs Don't Work," from 1997 single of the same name. It's always interesting to hear a demo and see where a song started, and how it changed between its initial creation and the finished product. That's especially true for this, a standout track from one of the great albums of the 90s. Most of the main elements are there, though the lyrics did some evolving between this and the album version.

The Verve - "The Drugs Don't Work (Demo)" (mp3)

The single is out of print, but you can get the full band version on Urban Hymns or This Is Music: The Singles 92-98.

Say Uncle

I'm pretty sure that Guided By Voices was the band that finally cured me of being a music completist. As I mentioned earlier, I used to be a fanatical about buying up every single, compilation album, or soundtrack that any of my favorite artists used to appear on. Solo albums? You bet. Import EPs? Lay 'em on me. It was an expensive habit, and one that was bound to end sometime.

I gave it the old college try with GBV, I really did. I saw them at the Exit/In on the Alien Lanes tour, and was immediately hooked. I spent a fortune buying up their back catalog, and for a while I managed to keep up with all of Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout's various side projects and solo albums. But the sheer volume of material Pollard and company have releasaed since 1986 would wear out all but the most dedicated (and well financed) collector. I think it all started to come apart about the time they started the Fading Captain series. Coincidently, that was about the same time my turntable broke, so the vinyl only issues were out. And once you let that little chink in your armor, it's easy to let new releases slide by. I still got all the main albums, but stuff like Kid Marine fell through the cracks.

Now that GBV is no more, Pollard's solo albums are the main outlet for his new material instead of a side road. He has a new one coming out on Merge October 10 called Normal Happiness. While his albums are generally too diverse to judge based on one song, this preview is definately a tasty treat.

Robert Pollard - "Supernatural Car Lover" (mp3)

Marathonpacks has another track from the new album, "Rhoda Rhoda," and its even better.

Uncle Bob and Merge have a free bonus for fans who buy the album at their local independent record store; Moon, a 14 song live CD recorded at Robert Pollard and the Ascended Masters' show on June 24, 2006, opening for Pearl Jam at US Bank Arena in Cincinatti (the same show that produced this duet of "Baba O'Reilly"). I guess a trip to Grimey's is definately in the cards for me next month.

post title by David J.

My Monday Date

Duraluxe is another band that I discovered when my band played with them this summer. I hit up their myspace profile before the show, and I must have listened to "The Ones You Trust" about a hundred times. They play quasi-psychedelic pop, kinda like a more upbeat Sparklehorse, or maybe The Dandy Warhols.

Duraluxe - "The Ones You Trust" (mp3)
Duraluxe - "Hit So Hard" (mp3)

They're doing a residency this month at everyone's favorite Nashville dive bar, the Springwater Supper Club. Every Monday they'll be (in their own words), "working on some new songs and bringing in our favorite people in the world to play music with." And this Monday (September 11), they are playing with another one of my favorite local bands, The Golden Sounds. Its almost criminal that a show this good will be free.

How awesome are The Golden Sounds? The first time I went to see them, the played at one of Nashville's more punctual clubs (its a trend around here), and we missed their set. So Todd, their lead singer, gave me and my friend copies of their first CD, We Are The Golden Sounds. Gratis. Its one of my favorite local discs, and I cant wait to pick up their newest, Wings Or Horns: The Astronaut Prophecies, at the show.

The Golden Sounds - "Elizabeth" (mp3)
The Golden Sounds - "Whistles And Windchimes" (mp3)

I'd post a link to their merchandise page, but it looks funny if you dont get to it from their website. So just go there to listen to more songs and buy their stuff. Or hit up their myspace page. And by all means get out to Springwater on Monday nite. The festivities start at 9 pm.

post title by Louis Armstrong

Autumn Soon

Aww, fall... cooler temperatures, football season, the colors of the leaves, girls in sweaters... autumn is definitely my favorite time of year. So in honor of the unofficial end of summer, I present the inaugural monday morning b-side...



The Church - "Autumn Soon" (mp3)

This song was the b-side of The Church's 1983 "Electric Lash" single, and was later included on the 2-CD singles collecton Hindsight, a fantastic representation of the band's pre-Starfish material. I was surprised to see that its still readily available, and at 26 bucks for an import loaded with b-sides, its a bargain. If you're a fan of the band and you dont already have this, you need to get it.

Turn It Over

I love traditions and rituals. My group of friends used met every Saturday for lunch at a mexican restaurant for four years before I moved to Las Vegas. I start off every workday by listening to Frank Sinatra. I have so many holiday oriented traditions that I couldn't possibly list them all here.

I'm also a huge fan of b-sides. I used to spend a small fortune buying up every CD single, 12 inch EP and 45 that any of my favorite artists put out. The proliferation of online music has made it a lot easier (and cheaper) to find rare tracks, but they still tend to be something that only the hardcore fans seek out. And that's a shame. The b-side has long overcome its reputation as a repository for songs that weren't good enough for an album. They now tend to highlight songs that may not have fit onto an album thematically, or a song where the artist experimented with a new sound or idea, or a cover tune. Band's like Oasis have even stuck some of their strongest songs onto a single's b-side ("Acquiesce" anyone?).

So combining two of my favorite things, I'm starting a weekly feature on my blog... the Monday Morning B-side. Why Monday? Because Mondays suck, so this will give me (and hopefully you) something to look forward to, a rare track you probably havent heard before to listen to with your morning cup of coffee. It starts tommorrow. Enjoy!

post title by Toots and The Maytals