Ys, Joanna, there is a Gonzo Claus.

I don't even know what that title means. Just ignore it. I'm nearing the end of a night of productivity, so my brain may not be at its best.

But I digress.

Here is a recent discovery that I highly recommend checking out. I believe I came across Joanna Newsom through some Pitchfork article or another. The blurb started thus: And we all thought Bruce Springsteen only influenced dude-rock bands like the Hold Steady and the Killers. But no, His Bossness' magic even infiltrates the enchanted forest where pixies like Joanna Newsom hang out! Interesting, I thought. So I gave it a whirl. Let me tell you know that this is pretty fucking far from sounding Springsteen-ish at all. Now I realize that those oh-so-witty folks at Pitchfork were making a pun about Joanna's upcoming release, Joanna Newsom and the Ys. Street Band.

So what does it sound like exactly? Lots of strings, bowed and plucked. All Music dubs it an "Appalachian-meets-avant-garde take on folk music." It's difficult to describe, which is generally the mark of something interesting. This 2006 release is technically an EP, boasting only 5 tracks. However, the disc clocks in at just over 55 minutes. And it's quite a journey - I recommend it highly. I'm curious, let me know what you think.

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Let's Go Get Stoned

I've been listening to a lot of Stones this week. My guess is this is spurred by an after hours get together in my living room last weekend. At one point I threw on Beggar's Banquet, and it basically hit the spot. When the whiskey's working it's way through your system, the right music is essential. But really, how can you go wrong with that one?

My favorite Stones material generally resides within the span from Satanic Majesties through Exile, but this may be more for the evolution of the Jagger/Richards songwriting dynamic than anything else. That said, I've always been drawn to their early output for that rawness, that energy, that raunchiness that can only come from a group of white Anglos playing the popular music of black America.

This collection is comprised of demos from 1963-1966, most of which are of compositions not released on any of the group's studio output. The whole collection is great, although I have to admit that the opening pair of Bo Diddley tracks ("Diddley Daddy" and "Road Runner") are my personal highlights.

Tracks:
1. Diddley Daddy 2:36
2. Road Runner 3:01
3. Bright Lights Big City 2:23
4. Baby Whats Wrong 3:21
5. I Want To Be Loved 2:01
6. Snap Crackle Pop 0:27
7. I'd Much Rather Be With The Boys 2:06
8. And Mr Spector And Mr Pitney 2:51
9. Andrews Blues 3:01
10. Hi Heel Sneakers 2:57
11. Stewed And Keefed 3:45
12. Tell Me Baby 1:53
13. Down In The Bottom 2:41
14. Don't Lie To Me 1:59
15. As Time Goes By 2:14
16. Some Things Just Stick 2:24
17. Each And Every Day 2:46
18. Heart Of Stone 3:41
19. Sleepy City 2:47
20. We're Wastin' Time 2:34
21. Try A Little Harder 2:15
22. Everybody Needs Somebody 2:53
23. When Blue Turns To Grey 2:29
24. I've Been Loving You 2:49
25. Looking Tired 2:13
26. Out Of Time 3:13
27. Can't Believe 3:14
28. If You Let Me 3:10

Definitive Demos, 1963-1966

This is a great collection. Listening to it carries a pleasure similar to that of the Beatles' Live at the BBC set. Give it a spin, and hang fire.

And staying within that early period, here's the boys doing "Get Off of My Cloud" from a 1965 appearance on Hullabaloo.

"that's peanut butter."

Worth watching for both Iggy and the commentary.



New album 3/6.

recent mix#2: Onomix.

A while ago I told my friend Stephanie that I would make her an all Yoko Ono mix. Admittedly, my offer was more self-serving than anything. What would an all Yoko mix even look like? I ended up making her a different mix instead, and it fell by the wayside. Then, following a recent presentation in my sound and voice seminar where I played "Don't Worry Kyoko" for my classmates, Matt asked for an all Yoko mix. So they're both getting copies.

This was actually much more difficult to pare down to 80 minutes than I would have thought. After working through all of my Yoko discs (Onobox, Rising, Blueprint for a Sunrise) and ripping what I wanted, I ended up with a playlist over 3.5 hours long. I kept paring it down, but when it got to be about 2 hours, this got very difficult. I had to make some sacrifices. Who would have thought? At any rate, I'm pleased with the result. It spans her entire career (save the latest disc, which isn't new originals anyway), and is extremely varied in styles. Coincidentally, I finished this earlier today, only to find out that it is her 74th birthday today. Crazy coincidence! So happy birthday to Yoko. I actually think I'm going to do a paper on her this semester, but more on that later.

1. Mind Holes
2. Open Your Box
3. Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow)
4. Yangyang
5. Approximately Infinite Universe
6. I Felt Like Smashing My Face in a Clear Glass Window
7. What a Mess
8. Woman Power
9. Yes, I'm a Witch
10. O'oh
11. We're All Water
12. Walking on Thin Ice
13. Kiss, Kiss, Kiss
14. Give Me Something
15. Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him
16. You're the One
17. Ask the Dragon
18. Talking to the Universe
19. I Want You To Remember Me -A-
20. I Want You To Remember Me -B-
21. It's Time for Action!

recent mix #1: Prince In Character

After making so many mixes of Prince music, I'm trying to make things more interesting than simply a collection of great songs. Other mixes in this series: the Prince sex mix and Emancipation Redux (whittled down to 1cd). This is one I've been thinking about doing for a while. Some of my favorite Prince moments are when he works in a little bit of comedy. Many of the funniest moments in Prince songs are when Prince shows up as some sort of character. This most often occurs on protege tracks. So we have the irate 'other woman' in Vanity 6's "If a Girl Answers..." (which also an incredibly funky tune), the classic Chinese waiter in The Time's "Chili Sauce," and the racist redneck in the NPG tune "Black MF in the House." There may be things I'm missing here, who knows. These are the ones that stick out to me (and some friends - thanks for your suggestions!). I had to cut "Cloreen Baconskin" for length, but "Tricky" is very much in the same vein. I debated about "Movie Star." It's not quite the same as the other tracks in this mix regarding Prince's vocal character, but Matt convinced me to include it. He is after all, not playing Prince here. The whole song is a commentary on celebrity, and may very well have been intended for the Time (although Prince is not using his Morris Day voice here). At any rate, it was a fun mix to make, and fun to listen to as well.


1. Vanity 6 - If A Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)
2. The Time - The Walk
3. Vanity 6 - Vibrator
4. The Time - Chili Sauce
5. The Time - Tricky
6. Prince - Movie Star
7. The Time - Chocolate
8. NPG - Mashed Potato Girl (segue)
9. O(+> - Work That Fat
10. Prince - Bob George
11. NPG - Black MF in the House
12. NPG - New Power Day (segue)
13. O(+> - Poom Poom

weekend music

Over the holidays, I hung out with a friend of mine from high school that I haven't seen in probably three years. He was always a music geek too, and whenever we do see each other, we inevitably start talking about what we've been listening to. We were in my car, and I was bumping my 2006 mix. Digging Nino Moschella, he said "Have you heard Jamie Lidell?" "No." "If you like this stuff, you'd totally dig him." So I did some research, and came across his 2005 album Multiply.

WOW.

This shit is the bomb. I can see it in the same vein as Nino, although perhaps not quite as lo-fi in the production department (he's on Warp, after all). This guy is somewhere between funk and soul, somewhere between the early 1970s and the early 2000s. I was listening to this all day last friday - in my discman (yes, still rocking one of those), at home, in the car, I even played the title track for my students before class started. It's an addictive record, and I'm anxious to explore his other releases.

I'm serious - make a point to spin this this weekend. If you're reading this before work, take it with you. It will make your day better, I promise.

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Jamie Lidell on Myspace

Jamie's Official Site

And check the video for "The City," which you can find on Warp's recently released DVD video compendium:

"I know my mind is made up..."

Meaning that I absolutely have to get tickets to see the Police.



I already ranted on how much I love them last week. But this performance has me even more psyched. I've talked a lot of shit on Sting and his solo career over the years. But man - his voice is still in tip top shape. So he can play his lute and practice tantric sex all he wants on his own time, so long as he continues to rock the fuck out with Andy and Stu. Also - remember when Sting was super scrawny?

Below are the tour dates. I'm pretty confident that they'll be adding more, as this isn't a very extensive itinerary. You can also get in on presales if you fork over $100 to be in the fan club.

I was hanging out with a buddy of mine the other night and started to get a little weirded out that so many of my favorite bands are reuniting: The Police, the New York Dolls, the Stooges, Van Halen and Diamond Dave....kind of exciting. Also kind of weird. But I'll take it.

The dates:

Mon. May 28
VANCOUVER, BC

Wed. June 6
SEATTLE, WA

Sat. June 9
DENVER, CO

Fri. June 15
LAS VEGAS, NV

Sat. June 16
MANCHESTER, TN
Bonnaroo Festival

Mon. June 18
PHOENIX, AZ

Tue. June 26
DALLAS, TX

Sat. June 30
NEW ORLEANS, LA

Mon. July 2
ST. LOUIS, MO

Sun. July 22
TORONTO, ON

Wed. July 25
MONTREAL, QC

Sat. July 28
BOSTON, MA

Wed. Aug. 1
NEW YORK, NY

Fri. Aug. 3
NEW YORK, NY