Singles Club: Sia's You've Changed and Lykke Li's Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

I was in the car with The Missus yesterday when I mentioned to her that two of my favorite pixies (no, not those Pixies) had just unleashed some free mp3 love on the world. As a great many conversations with The Missus go, she asked me what the hell I was talking about. I then informed her that Sia had dropped "You've Changed" from her upcoming CD, We Are Born, via Twitter, and that Lykke Li, apparently apropos of nothing, gave away her take on the Shirelles classic, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"

As is also the case with many conversations with The Missus, this led to a complete non sequitur regarding "actual" pixies. "I can see you calling Sia a pixie, but not Lykke. Pixies can't have long hair." While I still have no idea where that notion came from, I did agree that LL was not necessarily the first person that would come to mind when one thought of pixies.

"However," I retorted, "if we use the X-Man Pixie as our baseline, it's absolutely the right word. Sia would be your early Pixie before she lost part of her soul to the demon Belasco and effectively became Dark Pixie during X-Infernus. I think it's more than fair to think of Lykke Li as a very credible Dark Pixie." And then I was met with the blank stare that a lot of women give me when I start trying to reduce everything to comic books. Such is the story of my life, I suppose.

Regardless, these are two great tracks. You might possibly recognize Sia's track, as she did an earlier version with Lauren Flax. This new version is a lot less dance floor-y and better showcases her vocals as opposed to Ms. Flax's production skills. LL similarly comports herself quite nicely on this Motown gem.

Pixies, indeed, says I.

mp3: You've Changed (Sia from the forthcoming We Are Born)

mp3: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (Lykke Li from her website)

Live Review: Amanda Palmer & Nervous Cabaret, 11-19-09, State Theatre

More on a whim than much else, I snagged tickets to see Amanda Fucking Palmer last night at the State Theatre. I'll be honest, I knew virtually nothing about her. I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan, and he had recommended following her on Twitter a few months ago, so I did. I dug her tweets, but far more interesting to me, they way she used social media to truly create a new career for herself showed that this chick was pushing the boundaries of interacting with fans in a way that I believe is going to be the blueprint of how musicians survive and thrive as the old system of big corporate labels die a none-to-soon death. How she made essentially goose egg from sales of her CD, and yet was able to make a fairly hefty sum via Twitter and the like was revelatory to me. Anyway, it was enough to get me to buy tickets having only heard a handful of her tracks.

As I left the crib with The Missus, I told her we might literally only stay for a song or two before bouncing back home. Luckily, The Missus was in no rush, as it turned out to be one of the more enjoyable shows I've seen in a while.

Opening act Nervous Cabaret (who also played the role of AP's backing band) might well have put on a "better" show than Ms. Palmer herself. It seems to me that Amanda's strengths lie in her stage presence and lyrics as opposed to her vocal depth. NC's lead singer, however, had a damn impressive set of pipes. And that band ain't got no dust on it, I tell you what.

Both acts music has been described to me as Gothic punk cabaret, and that seems a perfect sobriquet. Both were slightly jazzy, slightly funky, very theatrical, but most importantly, were damn fine musicians. And when the bassist donned a goat mask for no apparent reason just before they left the stage, I knew they had made a new fan.

Amanda eventually took the stage just before 10 pm to fairly thunderous applause from a crowd made up of an assorted lot you're not going to find just anywhere. We had some aging Goths (that 6' 6", 250 lbs dude in the top hat and white face paint, the numerous middle agers wearing black stockings, more than a couple of females who dig females dressed as dapper dons, etc.) and various other folks who might have been freaks back in the day, but seemed rather subdued in this setting. Again, I know virtually nothing of her music, so I can't really say what songs she played. I later learned she played a few Dresden Dolls tracks and a bunch of tunes from her solo career. I did recognize her cover tunes, of course, including House of the Rising Sun and a snippet of Twist and Shout. In the middle of her set, she had an audience Q&A (her second session of the night, but we got there too late to see the first) that gave insight into why she shaves her eyebrows and her apparent utter disdain for the Twilight movies (I guess old school Goths hate the new school posers; and thus, it all comes back to footwear), amongst other personal insights. Her encore was particularly compelling, when she brought out her father to play guitar and duet on a Leonard Cohen tune before bringing Nervous Cabaret back onstage to reach the most rocking points of the evening.

More than just a music performance, this seemed much more like theater to me. The crowd apparently felt the same way, as far as I could tell. Of the hundreds, if not thousands, of concerts I've seen, never before have I actually heard an entire house go silent during the ballads and dirges that burbled forth from AP's pipes. I don't know why, exactly, but that impressed me on some deep level. Fans actually respecting an artist...will wonders never cease?

Towards the end of the night, Ms. Palmer mentioned she's been playing the area quite a bit lately. The next time she does come to town, I plan on being in the audience again.

(Complete side note: I snagged both of NC's CDs from the merch table, but took too long to grab Who Killed Amanda Palmer. That's a pisser. If AP ever happens to stumble upon this review, I certainly wouldn't hold it against her if she saw to it that a copy made its way into my greedy little hands so I can continue to share the love. It's all about the love, after all. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. You know what I'm saying?)

mp3: Coin-Operate Boy (The Dresden Dolls from The Dresden Dolls)

mp3: Missed Me (The Dresden Dolls from The Dresden Dolls)

mp3: I Google You (Amanda Palmer, live, 8-5-08)

mp3: Mel Gibson (Nervous Cabaret from Nervous Cabaret)

It's Covered: Lovefool

OK, at this point, even i'm tired of hearing about what a shitty, tiring week i'm having. So what do we all need in this instance? That's right, a little levity never hurt nothing, as my less than grammatically correct friends are apt to say.

With that, let's take a few listens to a few different takes on everyone's favorite song about the political collapse of third world micronauts during the decline of omniversal mining rights. No, i'm just fucking with you. Lovefool was written by Peter Svensson and Nina Persson (gotta love those Scandinavian names) for the Cardigan's third studio album, First Band on the Moon, way back in 1996. Like most kids at the time, though, I was hipped to that track by the soundtrack for William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. Whether you feel Claire Danes and Leo DeCrappy did the Bard's work justice, the OST had a number of money tracks, this one included.

We're going to start with the original and then follow that with a pretty kick ass acoustic take, again by the Cardigans, called "The Puck Version." Then we've got a slightly more techno/bossa nova take from Just Jack, followed by an even techno-ier version by Jolin Tsai. And to round things out, a kind of sing-along version by The Morning Benders.

And while we're enjoying the hell out of this thing, who remembers when Jim couldn't stop singing it on the Office?

mp3: Lovefool (The Cardigans from First Band on the Moon)

mp3: Lovefool (The Cardigans from Best Of)

mp3: Lovefool (Just Jack from Radio 1 Established 1967)

mp3: Lovefool (Jolin Tsai from Love Exercise)

mp3: Lovefool (The Morning Benders from The Bedroom Covers)

All She Wanted Was a Quickie

You know what? It has been a long, goddamn day. More doctor appointments, a crazy day at the office, and somebody bid on my condo. Quite frankly, I am beat. What this post needs to be is short and sweet. That's right, we need a quickie.

And so I bring to you the greatest song of all times regarding such things. I believe the lyrics pretty much speak for themselves:

She said to make me happy

You gotta make it snappy

Gotta do it right

It won't take all night

Good Lord and Butter, I love the Dogfather.

mp3: Quickie (George Clinton from You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish)

Live Show Reviews: Dan Auerbach at Sonar on 11-13-09; White Denim at Rock N Roll Hotel on 11-14-09

Well, I was right, my weekend did kick ass, and I've got the bruises to prove it. A few quick notes about the two incredible bands and their shows this past weekend.

1. Dan Auerbach continues to shred with the best of 'em. At one point, he mentioned that he wasn't feeling so well, so if he just passed out on stage, we'd know why. As much as I love everything Black Keys, if I end up with the swine flu, I will not be a happy camper. If I do catch it, I damn well better get a free copy of Blakroc. I'm just saying.

2. This is the second time I've seen Dan doing the solo tour for Keep It Hid. It's clear that he's spent time honing the sound, as it's progressed into a swampy mixture that isn't necessarily obvious on the CD. Whatever it is, it sounds incredible.

3. Have you ever been to Sonar? That place is in one sketchy neighborhood. I don't like to make assumptions, but when there's a full contingent of private security AND cops patrolling the parking lot, I feel like maybe I'm not in the safest of places.

4. That being said, the club itself was pretty nice. I think I saw Jason Lytle play there right after Grandaddy broke up. The acoustics are strong, and the staff seemed friendly to me. If you don't mind potentially being shot outside, it didn't seem like a bad club.

5. I wish my iPhone camera took better pictures, as both bands have doppelgangers. Dan's rhythm guitarist is a dead ringer for a young Steve Cropper and the bassist for White Denim could pass for a young Jerry O'Connell (not quite that pudgy, but he did have a baby face going on something fierce). Neither of these opinions have anything to do with the music, I'm just saying these are some of the things that jump out at me from the audience. Could be all the pain killers I'm on these days.

6. I believe I've said it before, but the sound at the Rock N Roll Hotel is some of the worst I've ever experienced. I've heard better noise production at college keggers. Not only does the place lack decent speakers, the ones they do have are all jammed up front, horrendously distorting the sound in the back. Plus, with all due respect to whoever they have manning the sound booth, you really need to find a new occupation. Every show I've seen there it's the same thing--vocals are terribly underplayed while the instruments drown out everything else. It's a shame, because some otherwise brilliant vocals have been lost in the murk.

7. White Denim was a lot more jam band-y that I would have figured from just hearing their CDs. While they were by no means Phish-like, there was some open free form action going on up onstage that kind of surprised me. Not saying this is good or bad, just saying it surprised me.

Both shows, as I predicted, rocked my socks off, questionable neighborhoods and sound quality notwithstanding. If you missed these shows, you actually did miss out.

mp3: The Prowl (Dan Auerbach, live on KCRW, 3-16-09)

mp3: Regina Holding Hands (White Denim from Fits)

Weekend Plans

Sorry in advance for today's short post, but I had doctor and business appointments today, so I haven't really had much time to ponder the complexities of mp3 blogging this afternoon. Since it's been a long week, and I'm not only exhausted but beaten and battered from my various medical ailments, I've decided to do what any sane person needing rest would do: I've got tickets to see two hopefully kick-ass concerts this weekend.

To celebrate Friday the 13th, I'm headed to Baltimore tonight to catch Dan Auerbach, quite possibly the greatest axe man in the game today. Sure, he's doing his solo thing right now, but that don't make no never mind to yours truly. Tomorrow night, White Denim rolls into town. I reviewed their new CD here and am thinking this could be one of the best shows I see this year. My buddy over at R&G claims they're life-changing, and the new CD, Fits, easily is one of my top five (maybe even number one) faves of 2009.

Not that I have any extra time to spare, but are there any other kick ass shows this weekend of which the LET fambly should be made aware?

Now I have to worry about taking a nap so that my old bones can deal with this musical cornucopia of awesome excellence I have laid out before me.

mp3: Money & Trouble (Dan Auerbach, unreleased live track from 3-16-09 KCRW show)

mp3: I Start to Run (White Denim from Fits)

Old Skool Review: Doriella Du Fontaine

Today, kids, we're going to have possibly the oldest Old Skool Review possible. Depending on who you ask, a lot of folks credit the Sugar Hill Gang's Rappers Delight as the first "true" rap record.

But I'm here to tell ya, there's something else.

Rapper's Delight came out in 1979 . The much lesser known Doriella Du Fontaine was recorded in 1969. You do the math.

Enter one Lightnin' Rod aka Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin aka Alafia Pudim. He of the many handles was a member of the seminal The Last Poets. Many folks now argue that The Last Poets actually started hip hop, and if Doriella Du Fontaine is any example, well, that argument seems to hold a lot of water.

What's so big about an even older rap song, you might be asking yourself. How about the backing band? Um, yeah, that's Jimi Hendrix on guitar and bass and Buddy Miles on skins and organ. The story goes that this recording was a one-take jam session. Rod came in and started laying pimp rhymes over Miles' beats when Hendrix overheard the two and stepped into the room to start recording. While the bass and organ were added to the mix later, it's still one funktastic groove from beginning to end. This may not be the explosive Jimi that a lot of folks are used to, but damnation, the man could play a funk lick like nobody's business.

And that's your Ancient Hip Hop Lesson for today.

mp3: Doriella Du Fontaine (Lightnin' Rod, Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Miles from the Doriella Du Fontaine maxi-single)

Live Review: Darker My Love @ DC9, October 5, 2009

Fact: Darker My Love is one of LET's pet bands (see here, here, and here). Not only is this one hell of a band, they're also one hell of a bunch of nice dudes. Sure, I'd still love their music if they were assholes, they're just that good. Digressions aside, Darker My Love is a band worth checking out, and keep those feelers up because I've been assured a new record is in the works (the sooner the better, my loves). Also, they're pretty killer when it comes to the whole playing live thing, as I have been fortunate to learn not once but twice, most recently last month at the delightfully cozy DC9. They were one piece of a rather excellent bill, sandwiched between All The Saints and A Place To Bury Strangers (note to bands: extra points for using dry ice). Darker My Love doesn't go for dry ice, but it's of no consequence.

The last time I saw these Los Angelinos live, they were seriously stealing The Dandy Warhol's psych-addled thunder at the 9:30 Club. While they certainly did well on such a large stage, I'd been dying to see them somewhere like DC9, all up close and personal like. I knew it would be special, and lo and behold, I was right. It's a miracle the five of them and all their gear fit on the stage, but despite the cramped quarters it was rock'n'roll from the word go. They overcame some initial soundboard difficulties and played a solid, saucy little set. It felt much more rock, somehow, than my first Darker My Love experience. Perhaps it was the lack of that wacky gooey projection or something, but the slightly more stripped-down sound was incredible, and really demonstrated how great a band this really is. Sure, they left "Two Ways Out" off the setlist, but I'll forgive them. The set was heavy with new songs, heightening expectations for a quick release (please?) of even more retrodelica. Happily, a couple songs from their debut made it onto the setlist, too. Sometimes you have to see a band live to really appreciate the sounds they make, and a live Darker My Love show proves just how gifted these guys are as musicians. They are simply compelling live, and command your attention. Which, of course, you'll readily oblige them with.

All in all, I left DC9 feeling totally impressed by the entire show, but especially by Darker My Love. This is a band that not only can wow you on record, but also knows how to put on a live show.

Setlist above written out by DMLer Will Canzoneri, who has so much musical knowledge it will knock your socks off. "Talking Words" is below for your enjoyment. And believe you me, you will enjoy it. For all you Euro kids out there, make sure you keep a close eye on DML, as they are on your side of the Atlantic as we speak.

mp3: Talking Words (Buy: Darker My Love)

Album Review: The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage

Ok, so The Phantom Band is Scottish, thereby giving them an unfair edge for earning my undying love and affection. But before you start worrying that my vision is blurred by saltires and sporrans, fear not. I love The Phantom Band for a whole lot more than the mere accident of nationality.

For instance, earlier this year the band happened to put out on a record, Checkmate Savage, on the most excellent label Chemikal Underground (home to various other excellent bands of the past and current day such as Arab Strap, Mogwai, and Sluts of Trust). As a general point of reference, I like to think of The Phantom Band as being a sort of British Sea Power with a brogue, adding a little bith more northerly darkness to an already heavy and intellectual brand of music. I for one would maim to see those two bands share a stage (BSP + TPB = Happy Megan).

But what makes the record so good, you might ask? The easy answer is everything, of course, but I'll expand a little. As with British Sea Power, The Phantom Band just exudes more intelligence than most bands out there. Clinic, too, shares this smartypants, highly-educated and infinitely quirky sound. Looking at the album cover, it makes me think that maybe there's some deep symbolism behind the Shaker chairs and upside down doorways. Perhaps it's the unconventional lyrics that go well beyond the lovelorn moping or angst of many a band. And, of course, they've got fantastic lyrics. "Leave my spirit/cuz lust and sin/is all that I want" might just be my new (unofficial) motto. The first song on the album, "The Howling," the song from whence the aforementioned lyric comes, was my introduction to the album. When I first heard it, I stopped what I was doing and just sat still. It's such a curious song, layered with unexpected sounds and ghostly choruses and driven by a very distinct, powerful voice. It's just over six minutes long and it feels like an odyssey, so much musical ground does it cover. So too can be said of the entire album. It's a mish-mash of so much that it nearly bursts at the seams. My absolute favorite track on the album is "Halfhound, " posted below for your listening pleasure (you're welcome). It's several songs in one, as with just about every song on Checkmate Savage. I love the taut riff that serves as the spine of parts of the song, bordering as it does on sounding slightly sinister. But damned if I don't adore each and every one of the nine songs on this disc. Another one to pay close personal attention to is "Island," a slower, gentler (longer) number than most of the others. But again, this is a fantastic record. Buy it now.

If the above hadn't already convinced you of the fact, you can consider it a safe bet that Checkmate Savage will be in my top ten albums of this great year 2009. Give it a few listens, and it just might make its way into yours.

mp3: Halfhound (Buy: The Phantom Band)

It's Covered: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?

Ed. Note--It's been brought to my attention there's a problem w/ the remix track below, and I'm afraid I don't know how to fix it. Hence, it has been removed, but I'm too lazy to go back and re-write the existing paragraph. Sorry about that.

While there are individual reasons for each "It's Covered" post, the one overarching theme seems to be songs from my early childhood, most notably those found in various cartoons. It is with this in mind that I bring today's offering, "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?" or, as I like to refer to it, "that song from Tom & Jerry."

"Is You Is" probably the first song I ever enjoyed specifically as a cover. When I first heard it outside of the T&J classic, I loved it for being a variation on a theme. Long story short, while I was raised on Joe Cocker and others who made entire careers out of cover songs, this was the first "cover tune" I appreciated for being itself.

Originally released as a B-side to "G.I. Jive" by Louis Jordan in 1944, the song enjoyed its own success before eventually being covered by everyone from B.B. King to Saffire, the Uppity Blues Women.

Today's versions include Louis' original, as well as takes by Bing Crosby & the Andrew Sisters (please pardon the few glitches; it's an OLD track) and Cab Calloway (for the criminally under-educated musically, that old dude in The Blues Brothers). To keep things interesting, we've also got Dinah Washington's original stab, as well as the Rae & Christian Remix of the same piece from the wonderful Verve Remixed series.

And, of course, the version that got this whole ball of wax started in the first place from Solid Serenade.





mp3: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Louis Jordan)

mp3: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Bing Crosby & the Andrew Sisters)

mp3: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Cab Calloway)

mp3: Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Dinah Washington)