Sunday, May 29, 2011

The Rowdymen Too Little Too Late Video


Out of the blue comes a video from The Rowdymen, Too Little Too Late from the criminally underrated Gas, Liquor and Fireworks. Any excuse for me to post Rode Hard and Ode to Possum again (see bottom of post).



Here's a couple of older ones, as well as my favourite Rowdymen tunes of all time at the bottom on Soundcloud.













The Rowdymen with Gene Pyrz!



The Rowdymen - Ode to Possum by scruffy the yak

The Rowdymen - Rode Hard by scruffy the yak

You can listen to and purchase Gas, Liquor & Fireworks from Transistor 66, iTunes, Amazon, and finer record stores.

Gil Scott-Heron and the Revolution in You


Gil Scott-Heron died May 27. I'm a million miles away from being an expert on jazz, soul, funk, blues or poetry, but GSH was the guy. I've never heard anyone like him, and I wonder if he shouldn't be revered the same way Leonard Cohen seesm to be. Anyway, if you've never heard The Revolution Will Not be Televised, you're excluding a major piece of important music history, but you can hear it below.

Anyway, here's an intriguing quote from the man regarding hip hop music:

"They need to study music. I played in several bands before I began my career as a poet. There’s a big difference between putting words over some music, and blending those same words into the music. There’s not a lot of humor. They use a lot of slang and colloquialisms, and you don’t really see inside the person. Instead, you just get a lot of posturing."

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here by naoalinhados3

Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by alvaradodurandgmail

03 GIL SCOTT HERON THE BOTTLE (ORIGINAL REMASTERED VERSION) by steveblum72

Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Remix) by Ecstra Kool

Field Of Mars - Gil Scott Heron by Field Of Mars

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson 03 Willing by PANTSGOESDOWN

GIL SCOTT HERON RE RON~1 by groove68

Gil Scott Heron - Angel Dust by Sparrow

Gil Scott-Heron - Grandma's Hands by uuul

Gil Scott-Heron - The Bottle (Bloodfire Rework) by Jack.GG

Gil Scott Heron-Your Daddy Loves You (For Gia) by zvio











Numerous links to purchase GSH music at his website.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Royal Wood: Go On, Give Him a Song to Cover


I've been meaning to pass on something about Torontonian Royal Wood for quite a while, and now he's soliciting suggestions for covers. I don't think there are a lot of Canucks offering Mr. Wood's blend of pop mastery and balladic expertise. I's tough to pull off his brand of music without getting cheesy, I'd say Ron Sexsmih and Lyle Lovett have pulled it off, and Wood's in that kind of territory. If you have any ideas for some songs for him to interpret, let him know on his FaceBook or Twitter. Here's a cover of Foster the People's Pumped Up Kicks he did recently.









Royal Wood- A Good Enough Day by crimsonroses

Royal Wood "Do You Recall" by Frontside

Royal Wood- A Discovery (We're Lovely) by crimsonroses

Leave a comment, it will make you rich.

Monday, May 23, 2011

The Cars Move Like This



The Cars will be performing on Jimmy Fallon Tuesday, May 24, pushin' the new album Move Like This. Is the album a triumphant return to the 80's top of the pop heap? Well, it doesn't sound a million miles away from Heartbeat City to me, but then it's the first three albums that I love. Nevertheless, Sad Song, Free, Too Late, and Hits Me sound cool enough to call the reunion a success to me. What do you think? The whole thing is streaming here or here.

Hits Me by The Cars


Free by The Cars

Sad Song by The Cars

Keep On Knocking by The Cars

Blue Tip by The Cars

It's Only by The Cars

Drag On Forever by The Cars

Too Late by The Cars

Soon by The Cars

Take Another Look by The Cars

You Might Think - Adam Duritz (Written by Ric Ocasek) by AMBV

The Carrs - You Might Think by yme123

Ric Ocasek - Come On by Kirill Chernov

Ric Ocasek - Emotion In Motion by SnowWhite1

Buy The Cars Move Like This at Amazon or at iTunes.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Frank Black/Black Francis is Better Than Pixies Anyway


I went to see Pixies for their Doolittle concert recently, and it was a good time, noisy rock and roll show. My only complaint would be that at times the vocal effects were a little overwhelming, kind of like the dry ice fog clouds that obscured the band, the entire stage, and much of the crowd for Into the White.

But hey, that's quibbling, Doolittle is one of my favourite albums of all time, and that's the first time I've seen a band perform their whole record in sequence. It's an interesting idea, an audience member is compelled to listen to their least favourite songs along with their most favourite (or the hits). I had a friend who once said that the bad songs on a record make the good ones better. I don't know if that's true, but I know I am still intrigued by the idea of an album as a whole as a particular art form. If you missed the show and would like to make up your own mind about Pixies doing Doolittle in Winnipeg, check out Teenage Dogs in Trouble to get sorted.

What with Lovering and Santiago musing about the possibility of new Pixies music, I've also been thinking, What if they don't? I'll never get the amazed feeling of excitement that I got listening to Brave New Waves and hearing Monkey Gone to Heaven again. I don't know how likely it is that a new Pixies album would match my wonder upon doling out the shekels for Doolittle on vinyl and discovering a whole new world. But Frank Black/Black Francis has put out a lot of really good music that has a lot more dimensions than Pixies, bringing in touches of country, rhythm and blues, 80's synth pop with Grand Duchy, and singer-songwriter/storyteller flourishes. None of his albums have blown me away, but every disc has grown on me, and every one has a few stupendous songs and a few more good ones. I think it's time we shoved the new Pixies album hopes to the backburner and appreciate FB's work on its own merits.

Black Francis - Dead Man's Curve by cafe_magro

BLACK FRANCIS / Six Legged Man by indie-1

Frank Black Kicked in the Taco 1 by CreepCreep

Bill Jocko by Frank Black by Timedoor

04 Frank Black - 17 - Gouge Away by spunxtain

Where Is My Mind (Placebo ft. Frank Black) by ben.burns

Frank Black/The Man Who Was Too Loud by Briandoherty

Il Cuchaiao by Black Francis by Timedoor

The World - Black Francis by Amo Descubrir Canciones

Black Francis with Joey Santiago by Oedipus

Black Francis - She Took All The Money by Moitionpic







Comments are welcome below. Rant, rave, celebrate the fact you survived the Rapture.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Hold Steady 's Craig Finn Offers Some Subtle Songs



The Hold Steady's Craig Finn recently appeared on the Minnesota Public Radio produced program Wits with Chuck Klosterman. He played a couple of beautiful songs which you can enjoy below - and the sound quality is superb.





You can also check out The Hold Steady's Live Jim Beam Live Music Series Video from the House of Blues in Cleveland. It's pretty fine, too, though a lot noiser than the Finn alone stuff.

Don't Call Them Twinkies by idealizela

I Feel Like This Summer is Gonna Be One Long Hold Steady Song by WeBecameActors



You're Never Alone In New York (Featuring Craig Finn) by Mark Mallman