The Sisters Of Mercy - "Blood Money" (mp3) from Tour Thing '91 promo cd
OK, if you're the kind of person that would come here to get that track, maybe you can help me out...
For the past four days I've had "Body Electric" stuck in my head. And I listened to the 1982 version on the Some Girls Wander By Mistake compilation, but what I really want to hear is the 1984 version from the Body And Soul EP. I own it on vinyl, but I don't currently own a turntable, so all I can do is gaze longingly at the cover. So if you happened to have an mp3 of the '84 version and wanted to hook me up, you'd be my second favorite person this week (the first spot is already taken, sorry, but I hope that doesn't discourage you).
And yes, I'm aware that "Blood Money" isn't nearly so rare now that it's been included on the reissue of First And Last And Always, but if you're like me you didn't know that reissue existed until last week, because you'd given up hope on anything Sisters related ever being released again.
Sometimes I wonder if Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia want to scream and throw things everytime they hear Garbage on the radio. With Curve they pretty much created the template that Shirley Manson and company rode to much greater success. But she basically shot that theory down in a 1996 interview in Volume magazine.
"We can see bits of Garbage in what we've done, just like we see bits of Sonic Youth or the Valentines or really any band that was doing something supposedly outside the norm. In a way it's very flattering to be tied in with Butch Vig, not just because he's a brilliant human being, but because he's a brilliant producer and he's worked on some of our favourite records. But eventually Garbage are a pop band and Curve were never a pop band."
Today's monday morning b-side comes from the 1992 promo single for Horror Head. I became instantly smitten with the band the first time I saw the video for this song, and it's still one of my favorite tracks from the shoegazer era.
Curve - "Coast Is Clear (Live)" (mp3)
One of the downsides of having an obscenely large number of CDs is it's quite easy to lose track of them. I'm not kidding when I say that every flat surface in my apartment has a stack of CDs on it. So I was giddy yesterday when I found one that that had been on my "most wanted" list for the past couple of months.The Heart Throbs were a Liverpool band that came out of the early nineties British shoegazer scene. Led by the sisters of Echo & The Bunnymen drummer Pete DeFrietas, they put out three albums, two of which were titled after obscure sex terms (the third, Vertical Smile, was a little more obvious). I don't think this was their first single, but it was the video that used to get played on 120 Minutes all the time.The Heart Throbs - "Dreamtime" (mp3) from Cleopatra GripI was trying to find an appropriate picture for this post, but a cursory search didn't find anything, and I'm too exhausted tonight to be persistent. Too much post-gig socializing last night. I'd have been in bed two hours ago if it hadn't been Lost night.
I'm going to depart from my habit of doing Monday morning b-sides this week and post an a-side. Cortney Tidwell's debut album Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up is being released in the US tomorrow, and if you read my review of it earlier this month, you're probably already planning a trip to your local record store to pick it up, right? It's definitely the best new release I've heard so far this year, and that's a position I don't expect to change any time soon.
Cortney Tidwell - "Missing Link" (mp3)
And just to keep things marginally b-side related, here is a track from her equally excellent debut EP (not technically a b-side, but close enough).
Cortney Tidwell - "Fever Queen" (mp3) from Cortney TidwellFor those in Nashville, Cortney is doing an instore performance at FYE on West End (the former Tower location) tomorrow at 5 pm. Her performance at Grimey's on Saturday was incredible, so it would definitely be worth your while to catch it. She'll also be doing a week of dates in April opening for Andrew Bird.April 11 - Grand Rapids, MI at Calvin CollegeApril 12 - Detroit, MI at Majestic TheaterApril 13 - Columbus, OH at Southern TheaterApril 14 - Newport, KY at Southgate HouseApril 16 - Nashville, TN at Mercy LoungeApril 17 - St. Louis, MO at The PageantApril 18 - Urbana, IL at Canopy Club
On Tuesday, Live Nation announced that Starwood Amphitheater was being sold, and that the 2007 concert season would be cancelled. I can't really say I'm broken up about it. I quit enjoying shows at Starwood years ago. The only time I'd been there in the last five years was for the Curiosa festival. In the past few years there just weren't enough acts playing there that made dealing with the the traffic, the exorbitant parking fees, the overpriced concessions, and the overzealous security worthwhile. But once upon a time I enjoyed seeing concerts there, and there were quite a few good ones over the past twenty years. So in tribute to Nashville's soon to be departed summer shed, here are my top five most memorable shows at Starwood.
5. The Monkees, 1986 - My first concert at Starwood, and also my first rock concert (though I'm probably stretching the definition of "rock"). I went with my mom, and I remember being incredibly disappointed because they used their theme song as a prerecorded intro track instead of playing it live. Other than that I remember the sets by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap and Herman's Hermits better then I do the headliners.
The Wedding Present - "Pleasant Valley Sunday" (mp3) from Hit Parade 1
4. Eric Clapton, 1990 - One of the problems with seeing an act that has such a massive catalog to pull from is finding a song that you don't care for as much during which you can go to the bathroom. I was on the hill with my dad, and had been putting off a potty break for about half an hour when I finally decided I didn't care what the next song was and starting hiking up the hill. I had just got to the top when Clapton starting playing the opening riff to "Layla" and I turned around and raced back to our spot. He followed that up with "Crossroads" and "Sunshine Of Your Love," so it was another twenty minutes before I finally got relief.
The Dirty Mac (John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards & Mitch Mitchell) - "Yer Blues" (mp3) from The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus
3. Spinal Tap, 1992 - In addition to being hilarious, this concert was memorable for how woefully underattended it was. My friend and I had lawn tickets, but since they didn't come anywhere close to selling out they closed the lawn and had everyone sit in the reserved seats. There couldn't have been more than 2000 people there, as the seats were only half full. The best moment of the concert took place during "Break Like The Wind" when they brought out Bela Fleck. Christopher Guest stood absolutely spellbound while Bela tore off an absolutely blistering banjo solo. Seriously.
Spinal Tap - "Back From The Dead" (mp3) internet only single
2. R.E.M. w/ Radiohead, 1995 - How many people can say they saw Radiohead with their Dad? Originally we had lawn seats, but we ended up getting reserved seats under the roof from one of my Dad's former clients at the last minute. It's a good thing we did, because halfway through R.E.M.'s set the sky opened up, ironically during "Undertow." Michael Stipe singing "I'm drowning!" during an absolute downpour was kind of a cool moment, at least if you were staying relatively dry.
R.E.M. - "Undertow (Live)" (mp3) from the Bittersweet Me single
1. Tom Petty w/ The Replacements, 1989 - One of The Mats most infamous shows. Their management thought that putting them on the road with the Heartbreakers might help them become more professional, but the plan was a spectacular failure. They came out dressed in drag, played for twenty minutes, then dared the crowd to boo them offstage. Wally Bangs posted about it in more detail last last year at Soulfish Stew. The Replacements would have been memorable enough, but Petty's set was absolutely fantastic. It was the first time I realized what a great drummer Stan Lynch was.
The Replacements - "Ought To Get Love" (mp3) from Don't Buy Or Sell, It's Crap (promo CD)More reminiscing here, and here, and here, and here.post title by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson
Tonight is one of those times where Nashville has an almost disgusting wealth of great live music options. All four of these shows would be on my concert calendar if they weren't all happening at the same time. I still haven't decided which one I'll be attending, but right now I'm leaning towards heading down to Elliston Place. If one of the shows in this lineup isn't enough to get you to brave the cold and head out on a Thursday night, consider yourself officially lame.
Young Professionals, Turncoats, and Thornton @ Exit/In, 8 pm, $5
Three of the area's best indie bands team up for one of the finest all local bills Nashville has seen in a while.
Paul Burch & The WPA Ball Club @ Family Wash, 8:30 pm, free
The sometime Lambchop member tends to put the emphasis on the second half of the alt-country tag. On his latest album East To West, he's backed up by Mark Knopfler and Ralph Stanley... not too shabby.
Paul Burch - "Montreal" (mp3)
Wings Over The Basement @ The Basement, 9 pm, $7
Members of Nashville's all-star cover bands Guilty Pleasures and The Long Players team up to take on Paul McCartney's post-Beatles catalog.
Abbey Road Live! @ Mercy Lounge, 9 pm, $10
If Macca's Fab Four output is more your style, Abbey Road Live! perform the songs that the Beatles never played live.post title by Spinal Tap, photo by Fused Magazine
Since I started this blog, I've made it a habit to do holiday themed posts. For today I had been plotting to do a mix of my favorite love related songs, but a combination of being busy with other stuff and just not feeling like it sidelined that plan. There's always next year. But I hate to let a tradition die, so I give you this...
Miranda Sex Garden - "My Funny Valentine" (mp3) from Suspiria
Like most versions of the Rodgers and Hart classic, Miranda Sex Garden approach it as a downtempo ballad, though there is something slightly ominous about their version, like it's building up to some dramatic breakdown that never comes. Also, like most versions of old standards, the opening verse is omitted. Grabbingsand has the lyrics to the forgotten intro if you're interested.
I mentioned this briefly the other night in my Grammys post, but since the debate about the Dixie Chicks rages on, I thought I'd call people's attention to this evidently forgotten quote..."As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect." - Natalie Maines, March 14, 2003 (link)
For the past three years, the Dixie Chicks have been heralded as champions of free speech for their refusal to back down from comments that Maines made about President Bush at a concert in London. The only problem is that they did back down, and only after no one bought the apology did their publicists decide to reposition them as defenders of the First Amendment .
I've got no problem with the comment Maines made about President Bush (for the record, I agree with her). She's got every right to express her opinion wherever and whenever she wants. But I've read over and over again how brave they were for refusing to apologize, and that is utter BS. They backpeddled hard, and when that didn't slow down the momentum of their scandal, they reversed course with a face saving public relations campaign. Frankly I'm embarassed that so many people have bought into it hook, line, and sinker.
As you might have read already, Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan's Ballad Of The Broken Seas was one of my favorite albums of last year. Back in December of 2005, they preceded the album with the Ramblin' Man EP. Two of the songs previewed the album, and the other two were solo tracks by Isobel; a spare alternate take on Lanegan's "Revolver," and the old standard "St. James Infirmary," which is today's monday morning b-side.
Isobel Campbell - "St. James Infirmary" (mp3)
Even though I swore all week I was only going to watch the Grammy Awards long enough to see Stewart, Sting and Andy perform, I've somehow gotten sucked into watching the whole thing. So I figured I'd keep a running blog to keep myself interested.
- As excited as I am about the Police reuniting, that performance seemed a little anticlimatic. It was nice they tried to do something fresh with "Roxanne," but that rearrangement of the second verse didn't really work.
- How much longer do we have to hear about how brave the Dixie Chicks are? I really don't care about the comments they made about Bush, but it kills me that more people don't call them out on how positioning themselves as champions of free speech is BS. They only did that after they tried to furiously backtrack from their comments and no one bought it.
- Hooked on Phonics worked for Fergie. Unfortunately the spray-on tan didn't.
- The "wrap it up" box was in full effect tonight!
- I agree with Idolator (see their 8:35 comment). These performances are tremendously underwhelming.
- I hate me some John Mayer.
- I can never not watch Shakira. "Hips Don't Lie" might be the most appropriate theme song ever.
- Regarding my second point... at least another couple of weeks I guess.
- Alyson Hannigan must have gone to the same tanning place that Fergie did. But I think Cobie Smulders has replaced Elisha Cuthbert at the top of my list of favorite Canucks.
- The new arrangement of "Crazy" started off cool, but I kept expecting it to kick in at some point. That drum beat got a little repitive.
- Did anyone else get sick of seeing the Justin Timberlake duet wannabes before every commercial break?
- According to IMDB, Mandy Moore is 5'10", and Luke Wilson is 6'. Either Mandy wore the tallest high heels ever, or someone is fibbing.
- If Carrie Underwood hasn't already passed Kelly Clarkson as the biggest former American Idol winner, she's about to.
- Did the guys in Rascal Flatts suck on helium before they went on stage, or are their voices always that high?
- Smokey Robinson's voice is still amazing, but am I the only one who found his choice of songs ironic? EDIT - Nope. Both Stereogum and Idolator weighed in on it. See their 10:09 comments.
- Remember when Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears used to be mentioned in the same sentence? Me neither. I'm not usually a fan, but I think even James Brown would have been proud of that performance of "It's A Man's Man's Man's World."
- How come violin prodigies are always Asian?
- Ludacris duets with Farrah Fawcett!
- Apart from the fact that "You're Beautiful" is pretty much the worst song ever, have any of these couples who picked it as "our song" ever listened to the lyrics?- What was up with that Prince ad?
- Gnarls Barkley got robbed. "Crazy" was clearly the Record of the Year.- Chris Rock has the line of the night, then immediately ruins it by proclaiming the Red Hot Chili Peppers the best band in the world.
- Is there any doubt the Dixie Chicks are about to win again?- Nope.I never thought I'd say this, but Christina Aguilera was the highlight of the night. Apart from that, I wish I had stuck with my original plan and turned the TV off after the first five minutes. After the last three and a half hours, this song seems totally appropriate...The Replacements - "I Hate Music" (mp3) from Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash
Over the past couple of weeks, the rumors of a Police reunion tour have pretty much become a foregone conclusion. The only mystery left is where they are going to play. Yesterday, we got the first "official" confirmation of any of the dates. Boston TV station WBZ reports that The Police will play two shows at Fenway Park on July 28 and 29.
That the band has been rehearsing in Vancouver for the past couple of weeks is possibly the worst kept secret in show business. Over the weekend, Stewart Copeland posted the picture shown above on his website. It's expected that after their performance opening the Grammys on Sunday night, they'll annouce the tour next week. The fact that Bonnaroo organizers have postponed their lineup announcement that is usually made at the end of January until February 14 has increased speculation The Police will be one of the headliners.Given all that, Sting's announcement at the beginning of this song seems appropriate.The Police - "Truth Hits Everybody (Live)" (mp3) from Message In A Box
So I think I might be the only person in America who actually liked the Super Bowl halftime show. I didn't LOVE it, because these kind of ten minute spectacles are inherently unlovable. But they aren't going anywhere, and I much prefer this kind of set by a single artist to the awful multiple performer medleys that were all the rage a couple of years ago. I was surprised he only did songs from Purple Rain (of his originals anyway), but you really can't argue with the song choices, and watching him play the solo from the the title track in a downpour was kind of cool. Though I thought pairing it with "All Along The Watchtower" was odd, his cover of the Foo Fighter's "Best Of You" was pretty awesome.To answer a question I heard on the radio this morning, yes, Prince was live. The vocals and guitar were anyway. The band tracks were pre-recorded. U2 did the same thing a couple of years ago when they played the halftime show.Since turnabout is fairplay, here are the Foo Fighters covering Prince, from the 2003 Australian single of Have It All.Foo Fighters - "Darling Nikki" (mp3)post title from "17 Days"
Cortney Tidwell - Don't Let The Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
January just ended, and I think I've already got my favorite album of the year. Cortney Tidwell's debut full length album was released last year across the pond, and on February 20 it finally gets a domestic release. Aided by members of Lambchop and Hands Off Cuba, Tidwell builds on the relative minimalism of her self titled EP to create a spacy folk/pop gem. Initially tagged as "gothic country," she adds a quite a bit more electronics and layered harmonies to the mix this time, and the result sounds like a cross between The Sundays and Sigur Ros. Regardless of whether the instrumentation is guitar, synth, organ, steel guitar, banjo, piano or pecolating electronic drum beats, the focus is always on her amazing voice. Comparisons to Bjork are probably inevitable, mostly because of her versatility. She can go from a whisper to a shout, sometimes within the same song, and is never anything less than captivating. Nashville artists have produced some fantastic albums over the last couple of years, and this CD is certainly one of the best.
Cortney Tidwell - "Eyes Are At The Billions" (mp3)Cortney Tidwell - "The Tide" (mp3)"Missing Link" video (at youtube)
She has three hometown shows in February, so folks in Nashville have several chances to catch her, starting tonight.
Thursday, February 1, The Basement with Erin McKeown
Friday, February 2, Mercy Lounge with Forget Cassettes and Umbrella TreeSaturday, February 17, Grimey's instore peformance, 5 pmpost title by Hex
