Growing up, Talk Talk was a popular band in my house. Looks as though it was for the boys from Weezer as well. Apparently, the Britain version of their Red album contains a cover of Talk Talk's "Life's What You Make It." And some dude synced the cover to Talk Talk's original video for the song.
Mark Kozelek
Nights LP (Caldo Verde)
Kozelek's Nights LP is a companion CD to the recently re-released book including the lyrics of most of his, Red House Painters, and Sun Kil Moon's songs, titled "Nights of Passed Over."
This is not a mere ornament to the book or Kozelek's catalogue. Nor is Nights strictly for the devoted Kozelek fan, but for anyone. Kozelek's live shows are amazing and many times his live versions surpass the originals. Excellent live renditions of "Michigan" and "Drop" -a song he rarely plays live- recorded at London's Union Chapel start the album off strong. Live versions of "Gentle Moon," "Wop-A-Din-Din" and "RIver" are the other live tracks on Nights. An alternative (drum) version of April's "Heron Blue" may be more of a collector's item. Although it's solid, the more melancholy, original version is better. There is also an interesting "Jam" version of Ghost of the Great Highway's hit, "Carry Me Ohio." The demo take of "Smokey," originally released on The Shanti Project, is better than the Old Ramon version-although still very good- in my opinion. The more lively track, "Leo and Luna" is beautiful and probably the most accessible on the album. A demo take of "Metropol 47" -a song written directly after Kozelek saw Elliott Smith live and released on Mark's first solo album- is also included. Perhaps the most interesting, however, is the "Malmo" version of "Cruiser," a song originally released on Th Red House Painters' Old Ramon. The producer and the drummer of The Cardigans take part in this recording in which Mark just sat back and observed while in Sweden. It has a "Cardigans" sound to it. I never thought I'd ever say that about any Mark Kozelek song...but it really is interesting. Then again, Sweden loves him. Nights can only be purchased if you buy the book, but you won't go wrong with either.
hear: entire album, especially: Michigan(live
at Union Chapel), Heron Blue(drum version), Leo and Luna, Duk Koo
Kim(10"version), Cruiser(Malmo version), Smokey(demo version)
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
Caught on tape at the Accelerator festival in Sweden.
I guess in recent shows, The Cure have been starting things out with this new tune, almost certainly to be a part of the new album.
Rivers threatened he'd do it. He invited fans to show up ready to play on Weezer's Hootenanny Tour in Portland...which we can see was an intimate, daytime session. And they did. Kids on guitars, drummers, peeps on Clarinets -I guess if you played anything including the cowbell(insert Will Ferrell joke here), then you were welcomed to show up and cover Radiohead's "Creep." And as you can see, it actually turned out really well.
For his second "Take Away" session, Justin Vernon aka Bon Iver throws down another version of "Flume," as well as "Skinny Love" and "Wolves Acts I and II."
As you probably have heard by now, Devendra can be romantically linked to the great acting, super smart, beautiful Natalie Portman. Consequently, they've called Natalie a "Jew for Jesus." In actuality, Portman is not Jewish but simply half Israeli. And in further actuality, we can tell from these pictures that Devendra is categorically not Jesus. She must really like his music. That would make sense. God bless him.
It's been a little while since we've had something to really celebrate on La Blogotheque...well maybe it just seems that way because they always have good stuff. And it's great to see that Bon Iver and Vincent Moon got together- and they double the fun with 2 separate sessions. Bon Iver's music is perfect for the Take Away Show's aesthetic. He plays three songs for the first session, all from For Emma, Forever Ago: "Lump Sum," "Flume," and the title track.
Shearwater
Rook (Matador)