The Best of Marah

This set of working class, sweat-covered songs are from one of my favorite bands, the boys from Philly, Marah. Often called, "the last rock n roll band", Marah, led by Dave & Serge Bielanko is a band with an inimitable sound, built upon the best traits of rock, vintage country, and classic rock. (Serge left the band in late 2008 to be a full-time father). The following songs are culled from the following records, Let's Cut The Crap and Hook Up later Tonight (1998), Kids in Philly (2000), 20,000 Streets Under The Sky (2004), If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry (2005) and Angels of Destruction (2008).

Of the records represented here, one will be included in my forthcoming Best of The Decade. Venture a guess ?

Enjoy !

Fever
Formula, Cola, Dollar Draft
Phantom Eyes
Firecracker
For The Price of A Song
Rain Delay
Baby Love
Faraway You
Point Breeze
My Heart is the Bums on the Street
Round Eye Blues
Barstool Boys
The Catfisherman
The History of Where Someone Has Been Killed
Sooner or Later
The Hustle
City of Dreams
The Demon of White Sadness
Walt Whitman Bridge
East
Feather Boa
Pigeon Heart
Angels on a Passing Train

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Now Playing : Fall '09

01. boston spaceships - zero to 99
02. reigning sound - love & curses
03. el goodo - coyote
04. son volt - american central dust
05. robert pollard - elephant jokes
06. broadfield marchers - displayed in reflections
07. neko case - middle cyclone
08. tim easton - porcupine
09. dexateens - singlewide
10. telekinesis - telekinesis

11. cheap star - speaking like an elephant
12. boston spaceships - the planets are blasted
13. outrageous cherry - universal malcontents
14. vetiver - tight knit
15. circus devils - gringo
16. deadstring brothers - sao paulo
17. richmond fontaine - we used to think the river....
18. bottle rockets - lean forward
19. chris richards & the subtractions - sad sounds of summer
20. lucero - 1372 overton park

Best of Robert Pollard (2006 - 2009)

If it's Monday, that means there's probably some Robert Pollard news to share. Shoot, if it's any day of the week YOU KNOW there will be something Pollardian to share. 'Zero To 99', the new record from Boston Spaceships is set to drop on October 6th. It represents their second release this year and third in the last two years. This also represents the sixth record from Bob & Co. released in 2009 alone. WTF ? How does the inexhaustible deity of rock do it ?
I've heard from the 'Dayton Mafia' that this record will be quintessential Pollard, a record that holds its own alongside the widely acknowledged classics, Guided By Voices' Bee Thousand & Alien Lanes. As much as I'd like to believe it, this can't be true. No way. But we shall see.

If you're already a Pollard fan, you'll understand, and you'll enjoy this. If you already don't like him, then you'll continue in your misguided ways. There are many naysayers that simply don't get or understand him, and they're certainly entitled to their opinion. The typical response is they don't like his music for this or that, lack of gravity, nonsensical lyrics, incomplete songs, blah blah, blah blah blah. C'mon people, it's called Rock n Roll with great melodies. There are also some that feel Bob would benefit from an editor-in-chief. One to keep him in check and oversee that brain of his that contains 'The Book of Rock' Volumes 1-100. Truth be told, I'm somewhat ambivalent of this notion and find myself thinking about it probably more than I should. Buuuut after awhile I come to my senses, quickly jump down off the fence and proclaim f**k it, let him do what he wants. It's like 'learning how to hunt' (no pun intended), to pick and choose and find the treasures hiding deep within.

Which leads me to why I'm here -

The following will be the first-ever Robert Pollard compilation posted on Conqueror of The Moon.
I want to keep it current AND bring the rock.
The twenty tracks presented here were released after 'From A Compound Eye' & 'Normal Happiness'.

(2006-2009)

Things Have Changed (Down in Mexico City) **
Stiff Me **
Death of The Party $$
Symbols and Heads **
Miles Under The Skin ++
Heavy Crown ##
Gratification To Concrete ()
Canned Food Demons ##
Go For The Exit &
Johnny Optimist **
Queen Of Stormy Weather ##
Jimmy **
No Island *
The Original Heart ()
Beauty of the Draft $$
The Killers ^^
Tattered Lily **
The Naked Wall $$
(All You Need) To Know **
Wealth And Hell-Being ()


Robert Pollard - Elephant Jokes **
Boston Spaceships - Planets Are Blasted ##
Robert Pollard - The Crawling Distance *
Robert Pollard - Off To Business ()
Boston Spaceships - Brown Submarine &
The Keene Brothers - Blues and Boogie Shoes $$
Robert Pollard - Coast To Coast Carpet of Love ++
Robert Pollard - Standard Gargoyle Decisions ^^

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The Side Projects of Jeff Tweedy

Not only is Jeff Tweedy Wilco's herr director, he’s also a member of Golden Smog, Loose Fur and with the help of Billy Bragg and the late Jay Bennett, helped create two records from pages of Woody Guthrie lyrics. Last but not least, Jeff was a member of Uncle Tupelo with Jay Farrar. That's quite the resume. The songs presented here (save for UT) are culled from the aforementioned projects, hard to find EP's, unreleased tracks, demos, and a special never-heard-before recording from the 'Guthrie' sessions. Also included is a more recent recording with the "new" band using more of Guthrie's lyrics. I'd like to veer off course a bit and say I'm extremely happy for Jeff's success the last few years. He's seemingly happier then ever before. Wilco's recent show at The Greek Theatre in Berkeley was perhaps the best they've ever sounded in the fifteen times or so I've seen them perform, both full band and Jeff solo. While all that would be perceived to be a good thing, I'm not so sure being in fine fettle works as well with that one thing that's pertinent to a band format. It's called the music. I've listened to Sky Blue Sky and Wilco (the album) countless times. They're seamless, safe, secure and as "snug as a bug in a rug." Dunno, maybe I just don't get it. At the Greek show they played the unexpected Box Full of Letters from AM and I was blown away. I was hoping Monday, maybe Casino Queen, even I Got You would follow, but they never came. After playing these rare tracks you may, like me, find yourself longing for 1999, Jay Bennett is stage right playing Airline To Heaven on his black Silvertone in a drop D tuning and all is well in Wilcoworld.

But I digress.

Enjoy !

The Ruling Class
Lost Love
Cars Can't Escape
When The Roses Bloom Again
Hey Chicken
Pecan Pie
Laminated Cat
Glad & Sorry
Wanted
Please Tell My Brother
Chinese Apple
Wreckroom
Venus Stop The Train
Radio King
Bob Dylan's 49th Beard
The Thanks I Get
A Magazine Called Sunset
Hummingbird (alternate version)
The Jollybanker

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Eels : Collection

Mr. E's Beautiful Blues
Fresh Feeling
Love Of The Loveless
That Look You Give That Guy
Flyswatter
The Good Old Days
Rock Hard Times
It's A Motherfucker
A Daisy Through Concrete
Saturday Morning
Fresh Blood
Novocaine For The Soul
The Sound Of Fear
I Like Birds
I'm Going To Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart
Trouble With Dreams
Dust Of Ages
That's Not Really Funny
Grace Kelly Blues
Daisies Of The Galaxy
My Timing Is Off
Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)
Things The Grandchildren Should Know

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Rolling Best of 2009

01. son volt - american central dust
02. el goodo - coyote
03. the broadfield marchers - the inevitable continuing
04. tim easton - porcupine
05. outrageous cherry - universal malcontents
06. vetiver - tight knit
07. neko case - middle cyclone
08. cheap star - speaking like an elephant
09. dexateens - singlewide
10. telekinesis - telekinesis

11. the heartless bastards - the mountain
12. justin townes earle - midnight at the movies
13. the deep vibration - veracruz
14. hayden - the place where we lived
15. roman candle - oh tall tree in the ear
16. the milk & honey band - dog eared moonlight
17. wilco - wilco (the album)
18. m. ward - hold time
19. eels - hombre lobo
20. dangermouse/sparklehorse - dark night of the soul

The Best Of Jay Farrar

With the stunning new record from Son Volt set to drop on July 7th, I thought it high time to up a few songs from one of my favorite songwriters, Jay Farrar. Simply put, his songs have a profound effect on me as both a listener and a songwriter. These songs are culled from both of his solo releases as well as the first six Son Volt records including three tracks from the soon to released American Central Dust.

Enjoy !

01. Medicine Hat
02. Tear Stained Eye
03. All Of Your Might
04. Windfall
05. Creosote
06. Dust of Daylight
07. Methamphetamine
08. Picking Up The Signal
09. Bandages And Scars
10. Hanging Blue Side
11. Ten Second News
12. The Picture
13. No More Parades
14. Highways And Cigarettes
15. Drown
16. Barstow
17. Outside The Door
18. Roll On
19. Cahokian
20. The Search
21. Cocaine and Ashes

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