6/14/2006

Bright Eyes, Elvis Costello, more to stream live from Bonnaroo



Blue Room, the AT&T site that I have a spectacular love-hate relationship with, will be streaming select bands live from Bonnaroo -- the only summer festival that anybody seems to give a shit about these days. So if you're not one of the 80,000 adoring fans that will get to spend a weekend caked in mud and pooping in the grass, you can share at least part of the experience.

Among the acts that will stream live on Blue Room will be Bright Eyes, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Phil Lesh, Ben Folds, My Morning Jacket, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Les Claypool, Matisyahu (ew), Oysterhead, Devendra Banhart, Gomez, The Neville Brothers, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Dungen, Moe, and a "very special guest". It's not Radiohead, is it?

If you're willing to deal with a crappy video feed, microwave the popcorn and kick back. It'll be sweet. And let's hope no one dies this year, k?

Blue Room - Bonnaroo Webcast
Bonnaroo - Festival Site

New Yo La Tengo album leaks, worst title ever



Yo La Tengo's latest work, though set to be released on September 12th via Matador, leaked to the net this morning. I had high hopes for this record until the title was revealed -- it's called I Am Not Afraid of You, And I Will Beat Your Ass. I've refrained from posting about this because I thought the announcement of the title was nothing more than a clever PR move. But no. This is really it, guys.

A sample track from the record is below. I'd say this is classic Tengo, but eh.

Yo La Tengo - "Beanbag Chair"
Yo La Tengo - Official Site

6/12/2006

Alan Sparhawk preps EP of ripping guitar solos



Anyone who saw Low on their last North American tour knew that lead singer/guitarist Alan Sparhawk was just itching to let one rip. So it doesn't particularly surprise me that he's recorded an EP of solo guitar work, titled Solo Guitar. The album is set to be released by Siber Media in late August. According to Tiny Mixtapes, who have somehow heard it, it's "actually a very lovely record". Then maybe we can expect something like we got from Tom Verlaine's solo guitar record earlier this year? I hope so, anyway.

The tracklisting, in all its uncapitalized glory:

1. how the weather comes over the central hillside
2. Sagrado Corazon de Jesu (first attempt)
3. Sagrado Corazon de Jesu (second attempt)
4. how a freighter comes into the harbor
5. how the weather hits the freighter...
6. ...in the harbor
7. how the engine room sounds
8. eruption by eddie van halen
9. how it ends

The announcement of this record completes a long period of silence for Sparhawk after a nervous breakdown made the band cancel the remainder of their North American tour last year. I'm glad to hear he's doing alright.

Low - Official Site

6/11/2006

And the greatest living songwriter is...



The latest issue of Paste Magazine features a list of the 100 greatest living songwriters compiled by 50 (supposedly) credible music journalists. The list is below:

1. Bob Dylan
2. Neil Young
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. Waits/Brennan
5. Paul McCartney
6. Leonard Cohen
7. Brian Wilson
8. Elvis Costello
9. Joni Mitchell
10. Prince
11. Randy Newman
12. Jagger/Richards
13. Paul Simon
14. Stevie Wonder
15. Willie Nelson
16. David Bowie
17. Holland/Dozier/Holland
18. U2
19. Patty Griffin
20. Van Morrison
21. Lou Reed
22. Lucinda Williams
23. John/Taupin
24. Jeff Tweedy
25. Chuck Berry
26. R.E.M.
27. Radiohead
28. Robbie Robertson
29. Tom Petty
30. John Prine
31. Carole King
32. Leiber/Stoller
33. Pete Townshend
34. John Fogerty
35. Steve Earle
36. Beck
37. Smokey Robinson
38. Kris Kristofferson
39. Led Zeppelin
40. Bacharach/David
41. Ray Davies
42. Loretta Lynn
43. Ryan Adams
44. Al Green
45. Jackson Browne
46. David Byrne
47. Sufjan Stevens
48. Welch/Rawlings
49. Cat Stevens
50. Public Enemy
51. Penn/Oldham
52. Paul Westerberg
53. James Taylor
54. Aimee Mann
55. Dolly Parton
56. James Brown
57. Morrissey
58. Sly Stone
59. Jack White
60. Jimmy Webb
61. John Hiatt
62. Sting
63. Richard Thompson
64. Andy Partridge
65. Bill Mallonee
66. Charles Thompson
67. Conor Oberst
68. Allen Toussaint
69. Merle Haggard
70. Alex Chilton
71. Vic Chesnutt
72. Michael Jackson
73. Julie Miller
74. Over the Rhine
75. Ron Sexsmith
76. Will Oldham
77. Bruce Cockburn
78. Robert Pollard
79. Stephen Malkmus
80. Pink Floyd
81. The Flaming Lips
82. John Darnielle
83. Fleetwood Mac
84. They Might Be Giants
85. David Bazan
86. Sam Beam
87. Lyle Lovett
88. Parliament
89. Victoria Williams
90. Nick Cave
91. Drive-By Truckers
92. Alejandro Escovedo
93. Joseph Arthur
94. Sam Phillips
95. Patti Smith
96. Jimmy Cliff
97. Josh Ritter
98. Jay Farrar
99. Outkast
100. T. Bone Burnett

You can agree or disagree with it all you want. Personally, I think the list is better than your generic "best-of" lists. Case in point: does anybody remember VH1's 100 Greatest Songs Ever list with "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones at #1? Jesus.

Paste Magazine - Official Site

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts tracks ready to be remixed...by you!



If you have yet to visit the My Life in the Bush of Ghosts site, I highly suggest you head over there for some good fun. David Byrne and Brian Eno have made all 23 separate tracks of "Help Me Somebody" and "A Secret Life" available for download. They challenge you to remix the songs and submit them -- the best tracks will be featured on David Byrne's blog! What a freakin' honor.

If you've never heard the 1981 collaboration, go buy it. Now. I'll pay you back.