Compilation #3

I'm heading off on a weeks holiday tomorrow. For part of the time I'll be cycling the Ring of Kerry, hence this months Kraftwerk inspired artwork. It's a holiday compilation with the only theme being that hearing each of the tracks usually puts me in a good mood.

01 Mic Christopher - Heyday
02 Prefab Sprout - Appetite (2007 Acoustic Version)
03 The Clash - Train In Vain
04 Brenton Woods - Give Me Some Kind of Sign Girl
05 Badly Drawn Boy - The Further I Slide
06 Men At Work - Down Under
07 Pearl Jam - Given To Fly
08 The XX - Islands
09 Woodpigeon - Knock Knock<
10 The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again
11 The Cure - Just Like Heaven
12 Phil Lynott - Old Town
13 Prince - I Would Die 4 U
14 The Kinks - This Time Tomorrow
15 Iron & Wine - Belated Promise Ring
16 Suede - Picnic by the Motorway

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Month of The Beatles

September 9th sees the release of the The Beatles entire back catalogue digitally remastered. The re-releases will include the Beatles’ 11 studio albums, Magical Mystery Tour as well as Past Masters Vol. I and II. I heard a few tracks today and they sound great.

Also, September is the 40th anniversary of final album Abbey Road. In light of this MOJO magazine has just recorded and released a covers version of the album by various artists titled Abbey Road Now. It's a bit of a mixed bag but the below version of Sun King by Gomez stood out for me;

Gomez - Sun King

Finally, BBC2 and BBC4 are showing a selection of Beatles documentaries and films in the coming week, so keep an eye out for them.

Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks, Fan Video

I'm a big fan of the official Two Weeks video, but here's another brilliant video made by a fan. It blew me away, hats off to creator Gabe Askew.

The Housemartins - Caravan of Love

Talk of harmonies in the last post got me thinking about a cappella songs. I reckon The Housemartin's version of Caravan of Love is definitely up there with the very best of them, and what a video!

Megafaun - Gather, Form & Fly

North Carolina natives Megafaun recently released their second album Gather, Form & Fly, and it's one of the best things I've heard in a while. The band consists of brothers Brad and Phil Cook, and friend Joe Westerlund. They formed in 2006 from the remains of DeYarmond Edison, with the only line up change being the departure of Justin Vernon (Bon Iver). Posted below is the gorgeous Kaufman's Ballad. With it's haunting banjo and violin, and Crosby, Stills & Nash-esque harmonies, it grabbed my attention immediately.

Megafaun - Kaufman's Ballad

Buy - Myspace

Iron & Wine - Will's Pub, Orlando, 2003

This year has seen the release of Iron & Wine's excellent b-sides and rarities collection Around The Well, and also a limited live album from a Norfolk show in 2005. Another great live recording is this excellent quality soundboard from one of his earlier gigs.

01 - He Lays in the Reins
02 - Sodom, South Georgia
03 - Overhead
04 - The Rooster Moans
05 - Waitin' for a Superman
06 - Free Until They Cut Me Down
07 - Lion's Mane
08 - Upward Over the Mountain
09 - Naked as We Came
10 - Watch and Chain
11 - Bird Stealing Bread
12 - Dearest Forsaken
13 - Muddy Hymnal
14 - Each Coming Night
15 - Jesus the Mexican Boy

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Beck covers 'The Velvet Underground & Nico'

Beck's Record Club was recently started up on his website. The basic idea is that he gets together with some friends and records a cover version of an entire album in one day. The tracks are then released one by one on his website. It's an interesting idea, and I was delighted to see that the first album chosen was The Velvet Underground and Nico, one of my all time favourites. Collaborators on the day were Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker, Brian Lebarton, Bram Inscore, Yo, Giovanni Ribisi, Chris Holmes, and Thorunn Magnusdottir.

Here's what the man himself had to say about the project - "It was something we used to do for fun, myself and a few friends. We used to just get together and record an album or a few songs in a day. And then it evolved into this idea of doing an album in a day. You spend so many months and years in the studio, and you see the clock ticking and so much time spent on the minutiae of technical things. And I just thought it'd be fun to do something extremely fast and get that rush of something that had some energy, something that you weren't tired of when you finished it. So we just started doing it."

The results are fantastic. Posted below are a few of my favourites. Follow the link to his website for more.

Beck's Record Club - Femme Fatale

Beck's Record Club - Run Run Run

Beck's Record Club - All Tomorrow's Parties

Website: Beck's Record Club

Compilation #2

This is a compilation I put together recently. Some of it's old and some of it's new. It's basically what was on my stereo at the time. Hope you enjoy it. There's a link to download the lot underneath.

01 Dump - Rasberry Beret
02 Black Lips - Starting Over
03 King Khan & The Shrines - 69 Faces of Love
04 Crystal Stilts - Prismatic Room
05 Born Ruffians - Hummingbird
06 Les Savy Fav - Patty Lee
07 Metric - Help, I'm Alive
08 Lykke Li - Dance, Dance, Dance
09 Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You
10 Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others<
11 Papercuts - Future Primitive
12 Boards of Canada - Dayvan Cowboy
13 The Radio Dept. - The Worst Taste In Music (Extended)
14 Phoenix - 1901

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Caribou Activity

Dan Snaith (aka Caribou) is currently working on a new album. He recently remixed a track for Cortney Tidwell under the name Daphni. The 14 minute remix of 'Watusii', was a b-side on the 12" and download release of the song. Below is a Caribou track from a few years ago, along with the Watusii remix, and the video of Cortney Tidwell's original.

Caribou - Tits & Ass: The Great Canadian Weekend

Cortney Tidwell - Watusii (Daphni Remix)

John Martyn

John Martyn 1948-2009
The Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist died six months ago today. He made his name in the late 60's London folk scene, and as he gradually moved towards more blues and jazz compositions he began to stand out as a true original. He struggled throughout his life to get a grip on alcoholism and drug abuse, but the music that he has left behind has sealed his place as one of the greats.
Below are a couple of my favourite songs from his 1973 masterpiece album Solid Air, along with a video of him performing Sweet Little Mystery in 1987 at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin.

John Martyn - May You Never

John Martyn - Don't Want to Know

Julian Casablancas Solo

It's been three and a half years since the Stroke's last album. In the time since that release, side projects have emerged from all members except for singer and main driving force Julian Casablancas. However it has recently emerged that a solo album is due out in the Autumn. It is to be titled 'Phrazes For the Young', but beyond that details are sketchy. Below is an official video preview of the album, it's over the top and 80's, I like it. I've also included a track from each of the other Strokes member's side projects, which have all produced impressive music.

Albert Hammond Jr. - Back to the 101

Little Joy - Brand New Start

Nickel Eye - Brandy of the Damned

Mark Kozelek

Mark Kozelek is in town tonight playing a solo show. His 20 year career has seen him play with the Red House Painters, solo and more recently with Sun Kil Moon. Below is a track from each of these setups.

Red House Painters - Mistress

Mark Kozelek - If You Want Blood (AC/DC Cover)

Sun Kil Moon - Lily and Parrots

Beth Jeans Houghton

One to watch in the next few months is upcoming folk singer-songwriter Beth Jeans Houghton. She's just 19 years old, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and despite digital and limited 7" debut single Golden being her only release to date, she has created quite a hype. I for one think she deserves it. Below is her song Nightswimmer and a link to her myspace.

Beth Jean Houghton - Nightswimmer

Myspace - myspace.com/bethjeanshoughton

Pixies back in Dublin

The 20th anniversary Doolittle Tour is opening on 1st October at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, and I can't wait! Here's an alternate version of Here Comes Your Man, originally released on the Purple Tape, along with a video of Gouge Away performed live at the Brixton Academy, London in 1991.

Pixies - Here Comes Your Man (Alternate)

Rip It Up, Compilation #1

A little while back I found myself listening to a lot of Post Punk and inevitably started putting a compilation together. Below is the track listing and a link to download the mix. Hope you enjoy it.

1. The Damned - Smash It Up (Parts 1&2)
2. Mission of Burma - That's When I Reach For My Revolver
3. Magazine - Shot By Both Sides
4. Husker Du - Pink Turns to Blue
5. The Clash - Straight to Hell
6. Siouxsie & the Banshees - Into the Light
7. Guided By Voices - Hot Freaks
8. Devo - Mongoloid
9. The Slits - Typical Girls
10. Television - See No Evil
11. Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
12. The Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink
13. XTC - Making Plans for Nigel
14. The Gun Club - Sex Beat
15. Wire - Mannequin
16. The Chills - Pink Frost
17. Joy Division - She's Lost Control
18. Josef K - Pictures (Of Cindy)

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Here Comes the Night

Being born and bred in Ireland, I can think of no better way to start the blog than with one of my all time favourite musicians, the legendary Van Morrison. Van grew up in Belfast and started his career playing The Maritime Hotel with his exceptional garage rock and blues band 'Them'. The band was founded in 1964 and soon shot to fame with songs like 'Baby Please Don't Go', 'Gloria' and 'Here Comes The Night'. After two successful years, frictions between the members came to a head and the group disbanded. Leaving Van to pursue his solo career. Some original members reformed the band and released six more albums, none of which featured Van Morrison.

Posted below are two tracks from the bands second studio album, ‘Them Again’, the last with Morrison. The first track is the band’s exquisite cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘It's All Over Now Baby Blue’ and the second is their garage classic ‘I Can Only Give You Everything’.

Notably, 30 years after their release, the two songs played a role in Beck's 1996 album 'Odelay', with two of the album's singles, ‘Jackass’ and 'Devil's Haircut', using samples and riffs from the songs.

Them - It's All Over Now Baby Blue

Them - I Can Only Give You Everything