“We’re coming to the chorus now”

Pavement – “Gold Soundz” from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)

Jordy’s crazy. CR, CR is clearly Pavement’s best album, and it is also my favorite (necessarily the same? Discuss). And Brighten The Corners sounds particularly good these days.

When I was backpacking, I had a dream in which Stephen Malkmus stopped me during an art heist and asked if I wanted to hang out in his NYC apartment. We ate hot dogs. He then begged me to become second bassist in the newly reformed version of Pavement. The band went on a wildly successful world stadium tour. Have you had Pavement dreams?

Check the video for “Gold Soundz” (good call, Ira). Also check this bizarre free jazz reworking of Pavement’s “Blue Hawaiian.”

Buy the Soundz

Posted by Glenn

“In this land of conditions/I’m not above suspicions”

Neil Young – “Revolution Blues” from On the Beach (1974) and Bob Dylan and the Band – “Yazoo Street Scandal” from The Basement Tapes (1967)

The Band had one of the strongest rhythm sections in rock and roll (see also the Rolling Stones). Rick Danko had a terrific talent for creating rollicking bass lines while Levon Helm kept the tune rolling assertively forward. They were, in my opinion, an ideal mix of competence and confidence.

You can hear this well in the two enclosed songs: “Yazoo Street Scandal,” one of the Band’s tunes from The Basement Tapes and “Revolution Blues” by Neil Young, one of my favorite songs of all time.

Buy the Basement Tapes
or On the Beach

Posted by Jordy

“I like to dream about what could have been”

Sun Kil Moon – “Glenn Tipton” [pictured above] from Ghosts of the Great Highway (2003)

Generally more upbeat and countrified than Mark Kozelek’s other project, the Red House Painters, SKM has a dear place in my heart and this is my favorite track from their debut record.  A new album, April, is due on (!) April 1 and has already received some good reviews.

I recommend this to all who want to hear a talented songwriter channeling Neil Young.

Buy it here

Posted by Jordy

“I took her to the city/where the air ain’t clean”

The Flatlanders – “Rose From The Mountain” from More A Legend Than A Band (1980) [recorded 1972]

Here’s a mountain song for ya’ll. I’ll be climbing a few this weekend.

Look for me under your bootstraps (or, rather, here).

More Flatlanders on SWR

Buy the Flatlanders

Posted by Glenn

“We don’t want you to be yourself, you see/we want you to free yourself”

The Brian Jonestown Massacre – “Straight Up and Down [long version]” from Take it from the Man! (1996)

The BJM isn’t a very good band. Their music is 98% derivative. Fortunately for them, frontman Anton Newcombe has been childish enough to have had a mediocre indie documentary made about him, plus the band has one of the better names in the business; hence, the slight notoriety.

But I have to hand it to ’em from time to time for some pretty sweet jamming. And I’d better be careful or else Anton Newcombe is gonna go Anton Chigurh on my ass.

Buy it here

Posted by Jordy

Because you’ve abstracted the song beyond all possible recognition

Miles Davis – “Guinnevere” from Circle In The Round (1979) and The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (1998) [originally recorded 1970]

Here’s Miles’s take on CSN’s “Guinnevere.” Miles is here with most of the Bitches Crew, plus sitar. The results are trance-inducing, abstract, and loooooooong.

Buy the Bitch

Posted by Glenn

“Why can’t she see me?”

Crosby, Stills, & Nash – “Guinnevere” from Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)

Note: this is of no relation to my earlier Arthurian post.

This is a beautiful David Crosby composition. Notice the fading in of harmonies throughout and the precise, delicate guitar work. It’s a very rewarding song.

Buy it here

Posted by Jordy

“I can’t be your apologist very long”

Built To Spill – “Carry the Zero” from Keep It Like A Secret (1997)

Y’know, that Built To Spill show in Charlotte last night would have been really great. But thanks to all you assholes in the audience, it sucked. The worst concert experience I’ve ever had (and I’ve seen MC Hammer). I blame each and every one of you. Stepping on my toes, blowing schwaggy pot smoke in my face, rubbing your fat ass on my girlfriend’s elbow, doing some stupid dance that involves shoving your fists in my face, yelling about how many of your friends are here, tall assholes deciding to stand on my toes, shoving me out of the way for your hippie-ass beardo dance. Fuck all ya’ll. Especially you, drunk motherfucker who attacked Doug Martsch. I hope you broke your femur when the bouncer shoved you off the stage.

Built To Spill Beer All Over My Neck (how the hell does that happen?)

Posted by Glenn

“Out in the desert we’ll have no worries”

The Mountain Goats – “Mole” from We Shall All Be Healed (2004)

John Darnielle’s Mountain Goats walk a line (a ridge?) on which one side lay the depths of annoying pretension – and, at least at the 2006 Pitchfork Festival, cross that line in performance, sinking into a hideous hell of hipster-pleasing high-school-theater-kid-level showmanship, without apology. But descend the other side of the ridge and behold a veritable salt lick of subtle narration, rich details, and cliches carefully bent into vivid characterization. I dig ’em – and Darnielle lives just down the road from me, I’m told.

UPDATE: Had some problems uploading the track for the original post (“Letter From Belgium”); here is another good song from the same record. Commentary still applies.

Buy it here

Posted by Glenn

“I will be gone, but not forever”

Songs: Ohia – “Farewell Transmission” from The Magnolia Electric Co. (2003)

This is a great jam from Jason Molina (now heading the band Magnolia Electric Co.), one of our nation’s under-appreciated, slow-burners.

I saw MEC last fall and they were excellent.

Buy Songs: Ohia

Posted by Jordy

“Just a little haiku”

Buffalo Tom – “Tangerine” from Sleepy-Eyed (1995)

This song kicks ass. One of the better bands to mine the intersection between jangly pop and grungy guitars (that is, to imitate the Replacements), Buffalo Tom put out a string of solid albums in the early- and mid-’90s, including this gem, probably their best collection of songs, and their rawest (i.e., best) production. This song should be included in every musical history of the 1990s.

On a related note, these days I find that the 1990s yielded some truly great music, and I have a real deep affection for what my girlfriend calls “cheesy 90s music.” I mean, check it out…

Buy the Buffalo here

Posted by Glenn