Colin Moulding of XTC

With all the talk around Andy's Fuzzy Warbles releases (deservedly so I may add) the last few years, I figured it was about time XTC's bassist and secondary singer/songwriter Colin Moulding received some props. His bass playing, a cross between Paul McCartney and James Jamerson and his way of turning a vocal melody were key components in the evolution of the band over the course of 25+ years. XTC, a band known for their long-standing critical success may be no more as in November 2006, Partridge told the press that Moulding no longer had any interest in writing, performing or even listening to music. Partridge said he would not continue XTC without Moulding, and therefore has been forced to regard XTC "in the past tense."

01. Vanishing Girl - Psonic Psunspot
02. Grass - Skylarking
03. Generals And Majors - Black Sea
04. What In The World?? - 25 O'Clock
05. The Meeting Place - Skylarking
06. Making Plans For Nigel - Drums And Wires
07. Life Begins At The Hop - Drums And Wires
08. Runaways - English Settlement
09. Ball And Chain - English Settlement
10. Ten Feet Tall - Drums And Wires
11. Shiny Cage - Psonic Psunspot
12. In Loving Memory Of A Name - Mummer
13. The Affiliated - Psonic Psunspot
14. Big Day - Skylarking
15. Collideascope - Psonic Psunspot
16. Love At First Sight - Black Sea
17. Wake Up - The Big Express
18. My Bird Performs - Nonsuch
19. Bungalow - Nonsuch
20. Frivolous Tonight - Apple Venus
21. Boarded Up - Wasp Star

HERE

Teenage Fanclub (for beginners)

In 1991, the record of the decade was released, Nirvana's Nevermind.
So, what album did Spin Magazine pick for its best album of 1991? Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque. It's true. Look it up. They were the mega buzz band. They performed on SNL, Zines called'em the next big thing. Pitchfork would've said "Best New Music" if they existed. Alas, Pitchfork didn't exist, and alas Teenage Fanclub was not the next big thing. They continued to make records that I loved, but critics didn't. As a result they slowly faded but continued to put out a quality record every few years, each time featuring a few brilliant pop songs. I think critics get bitter at songwriters who are dependable and not rock'n'roll enough.

Sparky's Dream - Grand Prix
Ain't That Enough - Songs From Northern Britain
I Need Direction - Howdy
Mellow Doubt - Grand Prix
I Don't Want Control Of You - Songs From Northern Britain
The Concept - Bandwagonesque
What You Do To Me - Bandwagonesque
Neil Jung - Grand Prix
Start Again - Songs From Northern Britain
Winter - Songs From Northern Britain
It's All In My Mind - Man-Made
Everything Flows - A Catholic Education
Hang On - Thirteen
If I Never See You Again - Howdy

HERE

The Rolling Best of 2008

01. drive-by truckers - brighter than creation's dark
02. hayden - in field and town
03. jonny greenwood - there will be blood - OST
04. black mountain - in the future
05. marah - angels of destruction

Best of 2007

01. son volt - the search
02. spoon - ga ga ga ga ga
03. the capstan shafts- her vs the sad cold eventually
04. the sadies - new seasons
05. wilco - sky blue sky
06. jose gonzalex - in our nature
07. calexico - tool box
08. dungen - tio bitar
09. amy winehouse - back to black
10. babyshambles - shotter's nation
11. the dexateens - hardwire healing
12. robert pollard - coast to coast carpet of love
13. the broken west - I can't go on, I'll go on
14. rufus wainwright - release the stars
15. the earlies - the enemy chorus
16. the shins - wincing the night away
17. joe henry - civilians
18. deerhoof - friend opportunity
19. andrew bird - armchair apocrypha
20. jason isbell - sirens
21. robert plant & alison krauss - raising sand
22. jim white - transnormal skiperoo
23. earlimart - mentor tormentor
24. panda bear - person pitch
25. fountains of wayne - traffic & weather

Relatively Clean Rivers

Jeff Tweedy's cited this one in a few interviews as one of the inspirations for some of the Sky Blue Sky material, "You Are My Face" in particular.

... lo and behold come 1975 and he yet again unleashes a privately pressed rural/psych rock gem under the name Relatively Clean Rivers that just seems so effortlessly and inventively produced. Usually by '75 I can't stand stuff like this, but my god! He's got backwards drums on here like it's still 1968. And on a country rock record no less! It works perfectly. All California sunsets and country living clean, you can feel the wind in this album, in the melodies and in the guitar lines. This is Grateful Dead-esque music for people who hate the Grateful Dead (and also those who love 'em). (OtherMusic.com)

First ever reissue. Former "Beat Of The Earth" leader Phil Pearlman assembled Relatively Clean Rivers in the early '70s and eventually recorded this excellent rural rock album in 1975. Although it should be easy to pigeonhole the sound of Relatively Clean Rivers, it is actually anything but. At times sounding like The Grateful Dead in all their American Beauty pomp, or CSNY circa DÈj‡ Vu, this tight, richly talented ensemble produces an album of almost majestic quality. The sound is superb, and clearly no time or expense were spared to produce an album which is probably the most flawless snapshot of Californian '70s under ground music that you will ever here. Originally there were 2 pressings of this unique album, each of only 500 copies each, and this is the first time that this, or any of Pearlman's other recordings has been reissued. An album highly recommended to anyone even remotely interested in '70s West Coast music or simply top-notch music in general.(Forced-Exposure)

Former Beat Of The Earth leader Phil Pearlman assembled this band in the early 70's. This is their sole and very rare album from 1975, and it's a long lost classic of US psychedelia. An overall rural West Coast vibe permeates an album that's filled with melodic rural songs, eastern jams, delicate drifting electric and acoustic instrumentals and backwards and electronic effects. Somewhere close to American Beauty era Grateful Dead, but with an added dose of New Tweedy Brothers styled fuzz and garage psych electronic experimentation, this is a release that deserves a listen by any serious US '60's psychedelic rock fan. (Freak-Emporium)

1. Easy Ride
2. Journey Through The Valley Of O
3. Babylon
4. Last Flight To Eden (inst)
5. Prelude (inst)
6. Hello Sunshine
7. They Knew What To Say
8. The Persian Caravan (inst)
9. A Thousand Years

HERE

Wimple Winch

Great collection of songs from one of the finest British Freakbeat/Psych combos' ever. Robert Pollard has cited them more than once as a major influence.

Dig -

01 Marmalade Hair
02 Typical British Workmanship
03 Coloured Glass
04 Lollipop Minds
05 Three Little Teddy Bears
06 You're a Big Girl Now
07 Bluebell Wood
08 Those Who Wait
09 The Last Hooray
10 What's Been Done
11 Save My Soul
12 Everybody's Worried About Tomorrow
13 I Really Love You
14 Rumble on Mersey Square
15 Atmospheres
(BONUS)
16 Things Will Never Be the Same
17 That's My Baby
18 There's Not One Thing
19 Don't Come Any Closer
20 Half Past Five

HERE

Jazz Collection #1

01. Stolen Moments - Oliver Nelson/Freddie Hubbard
02. So What - Miles Davis
03. Blue Train - John Coltrane
04. Just Friends - Charlie Parker
05. Corcovado - Getz/Gilberto/Jobim
06. Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday
07. West End Blues - Louis Armstrong
08. Naima - John Coltrane
09. King Porter Stomp - Benny Goodman
10. Smoke Rings - Glen Gray Orchestra
11. Chelsea Bridge - Joe Henderson
12. Hora Decubitus - Charles Mingus
13. Prisoner Of Love - Lester Young & Teddy Wilson
14. Dusk in Sandi - Bud Powell
15. You've Changed - Billie Holiday

HERE

The Capstan Shafts

Dean Wells writes all the songs, records on a 4-track and plays all the instruments. His asthetic is VERY GbV (short songs and Bob-like song titles) but that's where it ends cos ironically enough he's more like Tobin Sprout. Other influences include Jeff Mangum & Ray Davies. His melodies stick to you like glue which is why The Shafts are all I've listened to for 3 weeks now. He's released (if you can call it that) 7-8 EP's, 5-6 full lengths. This collection of 30 songs is culled from Euridice Proudhon, Her Versus the Sad Cold Eventually & The Sleeved and Grandaughters of the Blacklist.

The Capstan Shafts - Collection
HERE

Camus on Art

“Man may authorize himself to denounce the total injustice of the world, but he cannot affirm its total ugliness. There is a transcendence we experience, every beautiful thing is a promise of it that leads us to prefer this limited and incomplete world to any other. Art leads us to the origin of the revolt against the world, to the extent that it attempts to stamp its form on values in the perpetual process of becoming”

Beulah - Collection (of sorts)

While I wait for ex-Beulah frontman & songwriter Miles Kurosky to put the finishing touches on his first solo record, I thought I would put up this collection of songs from one of my favorite bands who left this world just a bit too soon. One can only hope Miles keeps up that tradition of crafting near perfect pop songs.

01. Gene Autry #
02. If We Can Land a Man on the Moon, Surely I Can Win Your Heart *
03. A Good Man Is Easy to Kill #
04. Silverado Days *
05. The Aristocratic Swells *
06. Hey Brother #
07. Emma Blowgun's Last Stand *
08. Gravity's Bringing Us Down #
09. Landslide Baby +
10. Popular Mechanics for Lovers #
11. Calm Go the Wild Seas *
12. What Will You Do When Your Suntan Fades ? #
13. Warmer *

When Your Heartstrings Break * (1999)
The Coast is Never Clear # (2001)
Yoko + (2003)

HERE

Fountains of Wayne - Traffic and Weather

If you prefer your FoW with a little less gravity and a bit more confection then this is the record for you. It has it all, late 60's early 70's influence, a little jangle, dare I say an 80's feel at times (listen to Someone To Love), some Gram Parsons thrown in for good measure, mix it all up with a dollup of indie and voila, the boys from New Jersey (Andy & Chris) have done it again. Good work gentleman.

Someone To Love
Revolving Dora
This Better Be Good
Michael & Heather at the Baggage Claim
Traffic and Weather

Son Volt - The Search ( 22 track extended)

In addition to the disgustingly amazing new record from Son Volt, iTUNES is offering eight additional tracks as an exclusive download. I've been playing these quite a bit of late which led me to think that if anyone else were releasing "bonus" songs of this caliber, what a career builder they would make. What does all this mean ? Jay Farrar, one of America's finest songwriters. PERIOD. Coltrane Free, Waking World & Acetone Angels are a few of the standout tracks from this exclusive bunch. The proper release contains in my opinion one of the best songs of the year in Methamphetamine, one that over time will lay alongside Windfall & Tear-Stained Eye as classics from the Farrar oeuvre.

Methamphetamine
Coltrane Free
Waking World
Highways & Cigarettes(acoustic)

Robert Pollard - Silverfish Trivia

Check out this great track from the new Robert Pollard Solo LP
Silverfish Trivia due for release on April 17th.

Circle Saw Boys Club

Dylan Hears a Who

I just came across this and had to share. Classic...

Give it a listen here
In other Dylan news there's a newly remasterd version of D.A. Pennebaker's seminal documentary Don't Look Back that contains a bonus disc with new commentary and a bunch of unused footage that includes five never before seen full performances from that tour.

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

The Nonesuch effort drops May 15.

Tracklist:

01 Either Way
02 You Are My Face
03 Impossible Germany
04 Sky Blue Sky
05 Side With the Seeds
06 Shake It Off
07 Please Be Patient With Me
08 Hate It Here
09 Leave Me (Like You Found Me)
10 Walken
11 What Light
12 On and On and On

Richmond Fontaine - Thirteen Cities

The new Richmond Fontaine record produced by JD Foster have enlisted the services of Joey Burns of Calexico and Howe Gelb of Giant Sand and have frankly, hit one out of the park. There's nothing like the lugubrious musings of one Willy Vlautin.

2007 : Now Playing

Son Volt - The Search
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Dungen - Tio Bitar
Kings of Leon - Because of The Times
The High Llamas - Can Cladders
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Living With the Living
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
Lucinda Williams - West
Earlies - The Enemy Chorus

Teri Falini - The Room

'The Room', the follow-up to her angsty debut 'Sun Under Me', shows a level of songwriting that continues to grow which in my opinion was only alluded to on her debut. Listen to the tracks 'Cut' & 'Broken Man' from her debut for confirmation. While 'The Room' is more of a 'downer' record, there's something about it that draws me in and forces me to hit play again. Some great tracks here from the 'trippy' opener, 'Tangerine', the hooky 'Undressed', the tribal-esqe title track 'The Room' and my current favorite song of 2007, the epic 'My Father'. It's refreshing to listen to a female artist who's unlike anything I've heard. PJ Harvey comes to mind, the singer from Concrete Blonde perhaps. Still, you're nowhere in the ballpark.
Highly recommended (Amazon review)

Undressed

My Father

The Room

The Shins - Wincing The Night Away

Once indie, now headed for the mainstream The Shins have created something quite unique. Taking their time in James Mercer's basement studio with help from Joe Chiccarelli, Wincing the Night Away might be the best Shins record to date.

Phantom Limb

Top 25 Records of 2006

01. Robert Pollard - from a compound eye
02. Drive-by Truckers - a blessing and a curse
03. Sparklehorse - dreamt of light years in the belly of the mtn
04. M.Ward - post-war
05. Calexico - garden ruin
06. Benoit Pioulard - precis
07. The Keene Brothers - blues & boogie shoes
08. Minus 5 - gun album
09. Deadstring Brothers - starving winter report
10. Frank Black - fastman raiderman
11. Bob Dylan - modern times
12. Norman & Nancy Blake - back home in sulphur springs
13. Loose Fur - born again in the usa
14. The Hold Steady - boys & girls in america
15. Howe Gelb - 'sno-angel like you
16. Robert Pollard - normal happiness
17. Richard Buckner - meadow
18. Scott Biram - graveyard shift
19. Pernice Brothers - live a little
20. Tim Easton - ammunition
21. Gob Iron - death songs of the living
22. Midlake - the trials of van occupanther
23. Neko Case - fox confessor brings the flood
24. Destroyer - rubies
25. The Flaming Lips - at war with the mystics