MP3s are for sampling purposes only. Please buy the album if you like what you hear. If you have a complaint about the ownership of a track, please contact me directly and I will be happy to take it down ASAP.
MOKB On SIRIUS Satellite Radio
Is your band interested in recording a session for MOKB's weekly show on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Left Of Center? If so, email Jeff and/or Dodge and let us know.
I'm about to hop a plane for Noise Pop. If you're in San Francisco and wanna hang, shoot me an email : dodge77(at)gmail(dot)com. Before I go...
First off, make sure you go to the Rock For Riley Showcase Series presents...Catfish Haven and The Redwalls this Saturday, March 1st at Birdy's Bar & Grill. It's for a great cause and will be a great rock show! $10 with all proceeds going to Rock for Riley! Good music, good cause, Saturday night! Birdy's 2131 E. 71st St., Indianapolis, IN 46220 US Show starts at 9pm.
Also, tonight! - February 29th at Radio Radio in Fountain Square, 91.9 WITT Community Radio for Central Indiana will present a fundraiser featuring performances by the Mudkids, Kate Lamont & Blueprintmusic, The Philosophy, Blackberry Jam featuring Jumbo Shrimp and Sarah Grain. Doors open at 8:00 pm, and the cost is $7. All proceeds will go directly to 91.9 WITT. Tickets are available at Indy CD and Vinyl, Luna Music, Missing Link Records, Vibes and online at www.brownpapertickets.com. Support your community and public radio stations!
I think it's safe to say we all have at least one major rock star crush. No, mine isn't Mr. Clean Cut Justin Timberlake. I prefer the long-haired, bearded, disheveled Dave Grohl. You might say I have a thing for guys who otherwise look kinda homeless, until you slap a mic in front of them, sling a guitar around their neck and put them in front of thousands of screaming fans. I saw the Foo Fighters on tour with Weezer more than two years ago. After that, I vowed I would do my best to see them every time they came to town. Their show at Target Center (where good concerts go to die), certified them as the arena headliners they are and essentially have been for years. Grohl served as the ultimate smartass ringleader of the Foo's Circus. And even though he did a lot of talking, he was hilarious and made sure to throw in plenty of rock star curse words to rattle all of the parents accompanying their kids in the audience.
The band opened up by blasting through Let It Die and The Pretender. Dave's voice sounded a bit ragged at first, most likely due to all of the guttural wails/yelps he's been responsible for on the tour thus far. Eight songs into the show, a second, smaller stage was lowered from the ceiling at the other end of the Target Center where the band did acoustic versions of Skin and Bones, Marigold, Cold Day In the Sun, But Honestly and My Hero. Dave took this time to give a shout out to Minneapolis' own Jessy Greene who is touring with the band, playing cello and violin and singing backup. He also thanked all of us for living in the town that produced Husker Du, which led the six 15-year-old-ish dudes in front of me to look at each other in utter confusion and say "Who is Husker Du?" Let's hope they went home and Googled that and learned about a crucial part of music history. Minneapolis shout-outs continued when Dave dedicated Best of You during the encore to Prince, who played it during his 2007 Superbowl performance.
The two-hour show was a treat with plenty of old and new songs to keep everyone happy. Next time they come through town, I'll be there. Finally, I have to thank the Foos for playing My Hero. My mom, who is my hero, passed away three years ago yesterday from breast cancer. Hearing that song on the eve of that difficult day was fitting. Long live the Foos!
Let It Die The Pretender Times Like These Breakout Learn to Fly Cheer Up Boys (Your Makeup Is Running) This Is A Call Stacked Actors (acoustic stage) Skin and Bones Marigold My Hero Cold Day in the Sun But Honestly (main stage) Everlong Monkey Wrench All My Life (encore) Big Me (duet with Jessy Greene) Long Road to Ruin Best of You
Remaining tour dates in the U.S. on current leg of tour:
Feb. 29 : Barnhill Arena, Fayetteville, AR Mar 2 : Jobing.com Arean, Glendale, AZ Mar 3 : Cox Arena, San Diego, CA Mar 5 : Forum, Los Angeles, CA Mar 6 : Forum, Los Angeles, CA
I owe my kids at LUNA Music for pointing me to this one...Bully Records has released an amazing compilation of late 60s/early 70s psych-rock/pop from obscure Indian, Brazilian, Peruvian, Turkish, Argentinian and Uruguayan bands. All songs were compiled by Mike Davis, owner of Academy Records in NY, and an obviously passionate crate-digger! The cd jacket contains brief bios of all the bands and musicians featured on the comp.
Arif Sag, a much revered tradion Turkish musician from the 70s, plugs in his Saz, an instrument somewhat similar to a lute, and rocks out on this one.
This Atomic Forest recording was not released for many years after it was recorded, and even then, the band was not made aware. The LP is one of the only recorded pieces documenting the 70s rock scene in India. Atomic Forest was the most popular and pioneering Indian hard rock band of that era.
You can read the story of former Atomic Forest member Madhukar Chandra Dhas, aka Madooo, here. It's actually a great story.
Obsession Tracklisting:
Atomic Forest - Intro/Obsession '77 (India 197?) Quarteto Nova Era - De Repente (Brazil 1968) Arif Sag - Osman Pehlivan (Turkey 1972) Sonara Casino - Astronautas A Mercurio (Peru 1972) Flavio Kurt - Walderez Waldereia (Brazil 1971) Erkin Koray - Hor Gorme Garibi (Turkey 1972) Novos Bahianos - Globo Do Morto (Brazil 1971) Los Chikichaka - Musica Mulata (Uruguay 1973) Arnaud Rodriguez - Murituri (Brazil 1972) Ovni 87 - Sueno Un Camino (Uruguay 1968) Suely E Os Kantikus - Esperanto (Brazil 1968) Jean Paul El Troglodita - Everything Is Gonna Change (Peru 1972) Ersen - Gonese Don Cicegim (Turkey 1974) La Barra De Chocolate - Proectos De Un Ladron Prisonero (Argentina 1967) Atomic Forest - Obsession '77 Version 2 (India 197?)
Annie Sachs is set to release her debut at the end of April under her playfully named alias, Tickley Feather. The self-titled album will be released through the Animal Collective-founded label, Paw Tracks, which has already succeeded in bringing at least one artist, Ariel Pink, from the underground to...well, not as underground. In that same vein, Tickley Feather has been plucked from relative obscurity and will soon find herself the victim of critical judgement. Fortunately for her, the past four years she spent recording her album resulted in songs charming enough to find this critic ready to embrace with open arms. But enough about me in the third person. Check out this pretty little gem of a song that sounds like a lo-fi Moon Safari-era Air and read on as Annie kindly answers my questions.
MOKB : You recorded your debut in your living room in an attempt to, as you put it in another interview, "soothe" yourself. I understand that you're a single mother, but were there other factors that played into you beginning this form of self-therapy?
Tickley Feather : Well, I'm always in search of some recorded music to listen to that hits the spot. And I guess that I seldom feel fully satisfied with what I encounter. Amused maybe, but rarely satisfied. And I'm not saying that recording my own songs gives me that satisfaction totally, but it's good to try... at the very least.
MOKB : Has recording and releasing music proven successfully therapeutic for you, and if so, how?
Tickley Feather : Recording music is wonderfully therapeutic. Releasing it is less so, in that it becomes property of another's ears and, hopefully, heart.
MOKB : You were asked to open for Animal Collective on a portion of their U.S. tour last year and now your new self-titled record, Tickley Feather, will be released on the band's Paw Tracks label. How exactly did that relationship come to be and how is it working with them so far?
Tickley Feather : I met everyone except Noah on an extremely cold night in upstate New York while they were filming for an upcoming music movie of sorts. I was there because Danny Perez, who was directing, asked my good friend Molly and me to be food fighters in the film. Later, I met Noah when he came through doing his solo tour. Working with those guys is about as good as it can get, I imagine. I feel lucky to be involved with people who are so positive and work so hard to champion all of these weird bands.
MOKB : How often did you perform live before opening for Animal Collective?
Tickley Feather : Performing live is a pretty new thing to me. I played 12 house shows and one Panda Bear show before touring with Animal Collective. Since then I have played 1 basement, 1 art gallery, and 1 hallway-shaped bar. But look out America, I'm planning a tour for the spring. Bring your open minds.
MOKB : How does the experience of writing and recording at home compare to playing in a live setting?
Tickley Feather : Recording things at home for my own amusement and playing out loud for people are drastically different. I don't mind putting on a show for nine of my friends, like I'm used to: I think it's funny and they do, too. But strangers have opinions that are not based on personal relationships, and it's hard to decide how much I want to appeal to that notion.
MOKB : Is there any specific reason you chose to self-title your debut?
Tickley Feather : I feel like these songs are an introduction... for the people that hear the record and for me. I guess I was thinking that it was enough to swallow, as is.
MOKB : I was first introduced to your music(and highly intrigued) by a friend who said, "You should listen to this. She's like a female Ariel Pink." Are you familiar with your new labelmate's music, and if so, how do you feel about such comparisons?
Tickley Feather : A good friend told me the same thing, basically, about Ariel's music. I think he is really great, and of course that is a flattering comparison. There are some pretty major differences as far as the general tone of our music, but after talking to him, I think maybe we have a kind of similar approach to recording.
MOKB : When you meet someone that doesn't know what kind of music you make, how do you describe it to them?
Tickley Feather : Someone gave me the term "crafty", which I think is fitting, and I end up resorting to that frequently. I guess the conversation differs based on what that person knows about various musical niches. After trying for a while to figure out how to describe it to my boyfriend's dad, I decided that calling it "New Age" works well enough for the older generations...
MOKB : Name one old artist and one new artist that you are currently listening to and/or recommend.
Tickley Feather : Old artist: I have gotten excited recently by the oddness and female-ness of Tom Tom Club records.
New artist: Lately, I like listening to a band called Genders. I think their record is grrreat! The "quote" on their myspace page really makes me feel good about things, too: It says "making more with less"......
Fun Facts:
- Tickley Feather - s/t will be released on Paw Tracks on April 29th. Badmaster Records will release the vinyl version of the album on April 2.
- Annie's son, Aiden, is responsible for the creepy one-liner's that are dispersed throughout the album's 20 tracks.
- The album was mixed and produced by Rusty Santos, a solo artist who also recorded Animal Collective's Sung Tongs, among other things.
- All the songs were written and recorded by Annie on her four-track.
His first release, out in early March, will be Hotshot's Boy, a new EP by The Panderers. The Panderers will also be opening for Doughty during his March/April stretch of touring.
The Panderers is the project of singer/songwriter Scott Wynn, who was born in Kentucky and now lives in rural Indiana. The EP was produced by Pete McNeal (drummer in Mike Doughty's Band) and Dave Wilder (bass player for Macy Gray, Liz Phair and others). According to Wynn, his father's nickname was "Hotshot" after an old Wolfman Jack-type radio DJ. He was thus known as "Hotshot's Boy." Ah memories, warming the heartstrings...I was often referred to, by my father, as "The Mailman's Boy". My mom never thought it was too funny.
Also check the track Shane at The Panderers' MySpace. You can read more about the project, in Scott Wynn's own words (from his PR release) and see all The Panderers/Mike Doughty's tour dates after the jump... THE PANDERERS IN THEIR OWN WORDS:
"I'm Scott Wynn. I was born the son of a one-eyed, 8th-grade-educated coal miner and ironworker. He helped his dad make moonshine as a kid. He left Kentucky as soon as he could hitchhike, went to Ohio, and married my mother, a hot little number who worked in a secretarial pool.
My dad's nickname was "Hotshot" after an old Wolfman Jack-type radio DJ. I was known as "Hotshot's Boy."
Many old school Appalachians believed that children were farm assets. So, we farmed tobacco. Kids were sometimes encouraged to smoke tobacco and quit school to work the farm. 1987 was 1937. My dad gave me a mule and a plow at age 15. There was Neil Young and AC/DC blaring as we turned the earth, planted seeds, harvested, sold at market, and repeated repeatedly.
I left the farm and worked construction. But I wanted to learn more about the world than a hammer could teach me. I was more into sociology and physics. I gigged in biker bars, and was an Air Force reservist for college money. I got exposed to a wider variety of more obscure and eclectic music. Things started to take shape for me. I started writing songs.
I have a couple of degrees, AS and BS in Industrial Technology, a minor in political science. I've been a corporate salesman, an applications engineer, a lead programmer. None of this means much, but I'm not un-bright. I wouldn't exactly mind letting the world know that rural humans are not all dumb. They may at times even be hipper than those from more organized environments. A bit unkempt, fewer rules, more space, rugged individuals, polite and helpful. Though, granted, a good many are unenlightened.
I always posted my DIY recordings on the web seeking people's opinion, but not so much a career, at first. I ended-up with two production deal offers in the first month or so of posting music to MySpace. I wanted to work with Dave Wilder and Pete McNeal, and see L.A. for the first time. I called the project "The Panderers" because I kind of felt that my local bandmates back home in Indiana wanted to keep our band name in use and that I could perhaps find another one. Our local band name was a name that I came up with and had used as a solo artist early on. So I "pandered", in a sense, and made up a new name. "Panderer" has at least two cool meanings: "a pimp/madame" or "a person that appeases another so that they may move forward."
I am no Johnny Cash. I'm small. But I identify with the historical Johnny very much, and was raised on his music. And raised like him, both being dirt farmers. "Dirt farming" is where you seem to grow nothing but dirt as your yield is seemingly nothing. We received nothing visible for our farming efforts. Certainly not "better off." All the while, I found myself at odds with a mean-assed, one-eyed, drunk dad. He died when I was 18 or so. Life began.
I am sincere and honest. My music is honest. I like the simple and under-complicated. I prefer vibe and attitude. I find "lackluster" to be "believable." I don't like sparkle or sheen -- on me. It's fine for somebody else, though. Very open-minded.
Like the British Invasion, it's my desire to do an American re-invasion of itself. Brand new old songs. Old recipes with fresh ingredients. I'm bringing back the ditty -- the lo-fi, no-ego-on-top, old-school skating rink music. Brand new old songs with nothing to prove."
The Panderers 2008 Tour Dates: (All dates supporting Mike Doughty's Band)
March 12 - Northampton MA - Pearl Street March 13 - Rochester NY - German House March 14 - Montreal QC - Saints Montreal March 15 - Toronto ON - Mod Club Theatre March 16 - Ann Arbor MI - Blind Pig March 18 - Cleveland OH - Beachland Ballroom March 19 - Indianapolis IN - Music Mill March 20 - Chicago IL - Vic Theatre March 21 - Milwaukee WI - Turner Hall Tavern March 22 - Minneapolis MN - First Avenue March 23 - Minneapolis MN - First Avenue March 25 - Omaha NE - The Slowdown March 26 - Kansas City MO - Beaumont Club March 27 - St. Louis MO - The Gargoyle March 28 - Nashville TN - Exit/In March 29 - Atlanta GA - Variety Playhouse March 30 - Asheville NC - The Orange Peel March 31 - Carrboro NC - Cat's Cradle April 2 - Charlottesville VA - Satellite Ballroom April 3 - Lancaster PA - Chameleon Club April 4 - New York NY - Highline Ballroom April 5 - Washington DC - 9:30 Club April 8 - New Haven CT - Toad's Place April 9 - Somerville MA - Somerville Theater April 10 - Brooklyn NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg April 11 - Philadelphia PA - The Fillmore at TLA April 12 - Troy NY - Revolution Hall April 13 - Millvale PA - Mr. Small's April 15 - Newport KY - Southgate House April 16 - Memphis TN - New Daisy Theatre April 18 - Dallas TX - Granada Theater April 20 - Austin TX - Antone's April 22 - Santa Fe NM - Santa Fe Brewing Company April 23 - Boulder CO - Fox Theatre April 24 - Salt Lake City UT - Urban Lounge April 26 - Portland OR - Wonder Ballroom April 29 - San Francisco CA - The Fillmore April 30 - Los Angeles CA - El Rey Theater
The Helio Sequence's latest album, Keep Your Eyes Ahead, has been one of the more intriguing releases of 2008. I've always enjoyed their music and thought that they had enough pop sensibility to have some mainstream success - like their Portland counterparts Modest Mouse, The Decemberists and The Shins.
When I first listened to Keep Your Eyes Ahead, I felt it was quite unremarkable, as there really seemed to be no stand out tracks. After a few more listens, however, I've come to find that to be a postive, as this album's whole is bigger than the sum of its parts.
Their second release for Sub Pop find band the band maturing, not only in their sound, but in their songwriting ability. The dish of rock with the electronica on the side is still there, as can be seen with the dreamy beginning of Can't Say No and the drum beat on Hallelujah that reminds one of Depeche Mode. But the real highlights are the songs, Broken Afternoon and Shed Your Love, that sound like they could have came off a Dylan album.
When having discussions with my friends about music, the thing I always say that the difference between a good band and a great band is that a great band knows when not to play on a song. Meaning that so many bands try to fill every little bit of a song with sounds and layers and end up overdoing it. The great bands use just enough sounds to compliment the lyrics and emotion that they are trying to convey in a song. Keep Your Eyes definitely finds Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel making their way to the later catagory.
Going through the album, you find yourself not knowing when one song ends and another begins. It's got fantastic cohesiveness. There is definitely a sense of sadness that is being conveyed with delicateness and subtlety in their playing that I did not find on their other releases.
The Helio Sequence is definitely on the verge of a larger audience, if they choose to go that direction. I look forward to a Zune commercial in this band's future. Keep Yours Eyes Ahead is available now and the band's tour dates are below, including a stop at SXSW and San Francisco's Noise Pop Festival.
This is not to be missed. Just in case you did, we're putting it up here at MOKB too. You know we love the cover songs. Overall, I've got nothing against Sean Kingston. He seems like a nice enough kid. In fact, he was teaching Lucy and I dance moves on Yo Gabba Gabba the other night. Lucy dances better than Kingston honestly. Me, not so much.
Anyway, Deer Tick, aka singer/songwriter John McCauley, gives Kingston's 2007 tweener hit the 50's-pop/alt-country blend makeover. It's serious good times. The quick break out into Stand By Me, at the end, really leaves me wanting more Deer Tick covers!
The original MOKB Covers Project post of Hallelujah has been dead for many moons, but it is still one of the most commented on, linked up and talked about posts we've put together here at MOKB. I've promised many a reader that I would one day re-host all the files for everyone to enjoy. We revisited the song and found a plethora of new versions since last we posted it. There are even more we saw but couldn't find. As always, if you have a version we don't, please email it to me : dodge77(at)gmail(dot)com
Song info from our original post:Leonard Cohen is a Canadian poet, novelist, and singer-songwriter. He is regarded as one of the English language's most distinguished and influential songwriters of the twentieth century. His musical career has largely overshadowed his prior work as a poet and novelist, although he has continued to publish poetry sporadically after his breakthrough in the music industry.
In 1984, Cohen released Various Positions which features this often-covered song. Columbia declined to release the album in the United States, where Cohen's popularity had declined. (Throughout his career, Cohen's music has sold better in Europe and Canada than in the U.S.)
The song deals with ambiguous topics and there is much debate over Cohen's intentions or messages. Religious themes and sexual lyrics imply that the track deals with the dynamic of a relationship by using a spiritual metaphor, and the tone is often described as depressive or sorrowful. (source)
You lika da Daft Punk eh? You want to find out what they were listening to during their pimply, formative teenage years? You think the dance party started with Justice/Revolte/CSS/Uffie or any of the rest of the Ed Banger crew? Think again. If you ever wondered where all those bands are rooted, look no further than this compilation. Born Bad Records/Everloving Records (USA) has put together a collection of rare French synth wave tracks that were created between 1979 and 1985 and pretty much prove that no one does anything wholly original anymore. No, I'm not knocking any of those bands I've listed above. They've taken elements displayed here and built on them in new and innovative ways. Just don't go crediting any of them with pulling something completely new out of their asses.
Here you can find the meager beginnings of wacky sunglasses, full prints, neon clothing, skinny ties, avant-garde shoulder pads and weird robots with synthesizers. This collection contains some fabulous buried treasures from that era. Included with the compilation is a 36 page booklet, filled with unissued photos, that bios the bands involved.
Dee and I have both praised Minneapolis-based White Light Riot on MOKB in the past. We dig 'em. They were in Indianapolis the other night, and while I couldn't make it, my boys at 91.7 WEEM had it covered. WLR came in and recorded an MOKB SIRIUS Blog Radio/91.7 WEEM session for us. The band has started work on their follow-up to Atomism and plan to release it in 2009. If you're heading down to SXSW, they'll be there...you can see their show schedule below...
Tune in to My Old Kentucky Blog Radio on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Left Of Center, Channel 26 every Tuesday at 12pm EST and 12am EST to hear more.
Is your band, or a band you rep or manage, interested in recording a session for MOKB's weekly show on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, Left Of Center? If so, email Jeff and/or Dodge and let us know.
Session with Arizona - go here Session with Arrah & The Ferns - go here Session with Aqualung - go here Session with Backyard Tire Fire - go here Session with Nat Baldwin - go here Session with David Bazan - go here Session with Birdmonster - go here Session with The Blakes - go here Session with The Bowerbirds - go here Session with The Broken West - go here Session with Cary Brothers - go here Session with Cabin - go here Session with Catfish Haven - go here Session with Cryptacize - go here Session with Dappled Cities - go here Session with Deadly Syndrome - go here Session with Deadstring Brothers - go here Session with Alena Diane - go here Session with The Dodos - go here Session with David Dondero - go here Session with The Eames Era - go here Session with Everthus The Deadbeats - go here Session with Gran Bel Fisher - go here Session with Grampall Jookabox - go here Session with Ha Ha Tonka -
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