Friday, October 31, 2014

Halloween 2014 - Phantom of the Paradise Covers by Sc Mira and More



Sweet Apple (with Robert Pollard) - Reunion


The Afghan Whigs - Lost in the Woods



Sc Mira - Somebody Super Like You (Phantom of the Paradise cover


Sc Mira - Life At Last (Phantom of the Paradise cover)


Sc Mira - Halloween (The Misfits cover)


M83 - Graveyard Girl


Dream Syndicate- Halloween Live 2012


King Tuff - Black Moon Spell


The Rosebuds - Where the Freaks Hang Out


The Casket Girls - Same Side


Hunters and Collectors - Ghost Nation Rough Mix


Sleater-Kinney - Bury Our Friends


Split Enz - Ghost Girl


Dead Man's Bones - My Body's A Zombie For You


The Replacements - Rock 'N' Roll Ghost



Sunday, October 26, 2014

Cracker - Waited My Whole Life, Almond Grove and 12 or so More



Cracker's David Lowery is at the forefront of the movement to ensure that artists can get paid fairly in today's digital world. And no wonder. Lowery works his butt off. Cracker is releasing their new album Berkeley to Bakersfield December 9. His other band, Camper Van Beethoven, unleashed La Costa Perdida in 2013 and El Camino Real earlier this year. He even dropped a solo record, The Palace Guards, in 2011.

The most amazing thing to me is that the music is all good. Don't take my word for it, listen below, 2 new ones and a bunch of older ones. Check out this pretty good little story in Rolling Stone Country.


Waited My Whole Life


Here's another new one:

Almond Grove


Yalla Yalla


Sunrise in the Land OF Milk and Honey


Euro-trash Girl


I dig this live version of Euro-Trash Girl.


Turn On Tune In Drop Out With Me


Get Off This


Here's some Camper Van Beethoven:

Someday Our Love will Sell Us Out


Northern California Girls


It was Like That When We Got Here


Good Guys and Bad Guys


Pictures of Matchstick Men


The Day That Lassie Went to the Moon


And some David Lowery solo.

Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing To Me


Deep Oblivion


Photo at top by Jason Thrasher. Is that a rock n roll name or what?

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Blood Orange - You're Not Good Enough



I am pretty slow to catch on sometimes, but Blood Orange's You're Not Good Enough is in my head everyday these days. Reminds me of Prince's poppy days.


You're Not Good Enough


It is What It Is


Uncle ACE


Chosen

Monday, October 13, 2014

The Waterboys - Destinies Entwined and Modern Blues


The Waterboys have released the first track, Destinies Entwined, from the new album Modern Blues (out January 19th). If you thought the band was all folk heaven as exemplified by Fisherman's Blues or big music as suggested by This is the Sea, you should listen to this, it's more of a nod to other influences in the rock world (Mike Scott seems to have listened to his share of Bowie, Prince, Stones and Hendrix).

 Destinies Entwined The Whole of the Moon Savage Earth Heart Why should I Love You (2010 Version) September 1913 The Pan Within (Piano & Vocal Demo) Thgis is the Sea (Amsterdam 1997) Seek the Light (Full length) The Man Who Sold the World Straight With the Medicine Don't Bang the Drum In the Beginning Was Love She Tried To Hole Me (Souped up and Extended) The Crash of Angel Wings (cassette demo) If You See Jimmy Hickey

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Low - Coming Soon to a Venue Near You


Low is making a special trip to Winnipeg to hit the WECC Saturday, October 18. You might think I'm just saying that, but I'm not. They have to be in Columbus, Ohio three days later, and then the band's going on a big trek with Slowdive.

 So go check out the show. C'mon, even Robert Plant is a fan! As an added incentive, you can download Just Make It Stop here,  and you can download So Blue below.


I'm On Fire


Monkey


Especially Me


Plastic Cup


Silver Rider


Clarence White


Canada


Try to Sleep


Breaker


Sunday, October 5, 2014

11 Picks From Breakout West


A million musical artists in Western Canada, almost all of them played in Winnipeg this weekend for BreakOut West. Here's a few that have caught Scruffy's ears.

 Yes We Mystic - Flashlight Crooked Brothers - Kennedy Astral Swans - You Carry a Sickness Boreal Sons - Sparks Federal Lights - I See Love Indicator Indicator - Swarm Dan Mangan - Road Regrets Powder Blue - Hot Fire The Provincial Archive - Son of Sam Scenic Route to Alaska - Paris shredkelly - New Black

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You) and 29 or so more


Remember when Future Islands did Seasons (Waiting on You) on Letterman and everyone freaked out about how compelling it was? Well, the band's done it again, this time on Later with Jools Holland. Unfortunately, the BBC disallowed the video posted to YouTube, before I finished this post. Sad face.

At any rate, I have been listening to the band's newest album Singles obsessively lately. I don't hear hipster irony, I hear a band that proudly uses 80s synth sounds. "Hey, this sounds like pan pipes!" "Cool!" No guitar, but a bass player that sometimes makes Peter Hook-type sounds. A raspy singer that oftens croons and sometimes lets out a death-metal cookie monster growl.

And if you watch the videos below, they cannot be unwatched. Singer Samuel T. Herring is an intense front man who manages to seem sincere and dramatic. He doesn't have a beard or wear cool clothes, he's not thin but his hair is thinning - he's like an anti-pop star. Something about his often-lower, gruff voice and his great cleft chin reminds me of Huey Lewis and his unlikely transformation into momentary celebrity.


Here's that Letterman clip:



A little intro to the band:


More from that show, "Back in the Tall Grass" / "Seasons (Waiting On You)" / "A Dream of You and Me".


Balance


Tomorrow


Back in the Tall Grass


A Song for our Grandfathers


A Dream of You and Me


Doves (Vince Clarke Remix)


Tin Man


Before the Bridge


Walking Through That Door


Inch of Dust


Little Dreamer


Cotton Flower

Vireo's Eye


Where I Found You


Heart Grows Old


Find Love


The Great Fire


On The Water


Long Flight


Give Us the Wind


In the Fall (Future Islands w/ Katrina Ford)


The Happiness of Being Twice


Like the Moon


Old Friend


Grease


Seize a Shark