The Untitled Interview #46: Starring Steve Kille (Dead Meadow)

I think it’s entirely possible that I’m still in recovery mode from the wickedly amazing Dead Meadow show here in DC back on my birthday last month. Their transcendental, triumphant swirl of stoner rock, psych rock, post rock, and rock rock both cleared my mind of cobwebs and filled it with still more, though much more interesting, cobwebs. It also might have cleared out my sinuses, so there's medicinal qualities to be found in Dead Meadow, too.

They possess one of the loudest, biggest, fullest live sounds I’ve ever come across, and a big piece of that extraordinary sonic puzzle comes courtesy of bitchin’ bassist Steve Kille. Profuse thanks to Steve for answering some queries for LET. Read on as Steve waxes on and off about Fugazi, Thin Lizzy, and yes, Chuck Norris, and make sure to throw on some Dead Meadow while you read. It’s the perfect accompaniment.

Les Enfants Terribles: What was the last song you listened to?
Steve Kille: “Superstition” - Stevie Wonder.

LET: Playing music is:
SK: No choice.

LET: What album most made you realize you wanted to make music?
SK: Oddly enough, Fugazi’s Repeater. I figured, "I could do this."

LET: Beatles or Stones?
SK: Neil Young or both!!! It really depends on the mood.

LET: Top 5 albums (of now, of this month, or of ever):
SK:

Thin Lizzy – Jail Break
Neil Young – Zuma
Beatles – Rubber Soul
Guilded By Voices – Alien Lanes
Best of Don Ho (I love the tropic escape)

LET: Favorite music-related movie?
SK: Rock N Roll High School. No question.

LET: Half-full or half-empty?
SK: Broken.

LET: Which of your peers do you think is making the best music these days?
SK: Nick Cave.

LET: What’s the first thing you think when you wake up in the morning?
SK: How to pay bills.

LET: The greatest record store in the world is:
SK: Amoeba.

LET: Shaken or stirred?
SK: Poured with rum, an umbrella and splash of pineapple, I don’t like martinis.

LET: Little-known Dead Meadow fact?
SK: We have a guilty tour pleasure of watching Walker, Texas Ranger. No joke.

LET: If you weren’t in a band you’d be:
SK: Rich?

LET: How often do you make it back to DC? And what, if anything, surprises you about the city when you’re back here?
SK: Hardly ever. I am surprised that there is nothing to do there anymore.

LET: If you were so inclined, whom would you form a tribute band in honor of?
SK: Thin Lizzy!!! No question.

LET: Best song ever written?
SK: “Dancing in the Moonlight” by Thin Lizzy.

mp3: Darlin (Dead Meadow from Three Kings)

The Greatest Nothing Mix You Ever Will Hear

Every now and again, i got nothing. The LET inbox doesn't have anything that particularly interests me right this second and/or i've got stuff to listen to that i haven't yet and/or i'm too medicated/not medicated enough to come up with anything with which to blow wind up your proverbial and collective skirts. That's right, Jimmy, you're getting a cheese wit' nuttin' today.

So here's the Greatest Nothing Mix You Ever Will Hear. It's bellisimo, magnifique and bonne all in one.

mp3: Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Nothing (James Brown from The Millennium Collection)

mp3: Nothing is Always Something (Alex B from Moments)

mp3: Nothing (Alex Ludovico from Winning/Losing)

mp3: Nothing to Lose (Dimitri from Paris from Sacrebleu)

mp3: Don't Believe Nothing (Ike & Tina Turner from More Dirty Laundry: The Soul Of Black Country)

mp3: Nothing Even Matters (Lauryn Hill from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill)

mp3: All for Nothing (ft. Grand Puba Of Brand Nubian) (Sharkey from Sharkey's Machine)

mp3: Ain't Nothing Like You (ft. Mos Def) (Blakroc from Blakroc)

mp3: I Am Nothing (Nellie McKay from Pretty Little Head)

mp3: Love is Nothing (Liz Phair from Whitechocolatespaceegg)

mp3: Nothing Matters When We're Dancing (Magnetic Fields from 69 Love Songs, Vol. 1)

mp3: Ain't Nuthin' But a Jam, Y'all (George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars from Live...and Kickin')

mp3: Ballad of Big Nothing (The Thermals from To: Elliott From: Portland)

mp3: Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man (Public Enemy from Fear of a Black Planet)

Nuttin, indeed.

100 Shows of 2010 - #42: She & Him/The Chapin Sisters @ 9:30 Club, 7/7/10

Please forgive me if I’m turning into a broken record, but there was a time, not too long ago, when for one reason or another, I wasn’t all that fond of female singers. Yeah, I can’t really explain it either. Thankfully, that period of unjust musical discrimination against my fair gender has passed, and I fully appreciate when one of my fellow ladies has serious pipes on her. As luck would have it, I was able to see not one, not two, but three such fierce little ladies do their thing last Wednesday, and it was, friends, rather an awesome spectacle. Between the raw, stripped down harmonies of the California dreamin' Chapin Sisters and the fantastical, retro country pop stylings of Miss Zooey Deschanel of She & Him, sisters were definitely workin’ it out. And yes, for those of you that were wondering, Zoeey was indeed wearing black tights. Even in the DC heat. Girl is dedicated.

MINI RECAP: She & Him = Be Still My Heart! The Chapin Sisters = Swing Low Sweet Chariot! Overall score: A.

The Chapin Sisters, brothers and sisters, are nothing short of magnificent. They walked onstage, resplendently reminiscent of the 70s with their long, pastel dresses and long, sun-kissed blonde locks. From the moment they opened their mouths, they did nothing short of blow me away. Their voices, o their voices. Breathy but so full, big and bold but delicate at the same time. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the sisters Chapin (Lily and Abigail, just so you know), is that regardless of the stage configuration, i.e. with acoustics and a tambourine or two, with backing from the gents of She & Him, or just plain singing, they will absolutely leave you breathless. Among their beautiful original material was a song dedicated to the “original bad girl, Britney Spears,” a cover of said Brit’s “Toxic”. Suffice it to say, the Chapin version is infinitely better than the manufactured original. If that sounds like a backhanded compliment, believe you me, it’s not. These ladies can outsing just about any gal out there. Those glorious, haunting harmonies are nothing short of intoxicating. They did ten songs in their set, and they could have done ten more, and still I would have wanted more.

After the too-soon departure of The Chapin Sisters, after a short interval it was time for the sold out crowd to welcome She & Him to the stage. I held off listening to the new record, Volume Two, because I wanted to hear it live for my first time. And I wasn’t sorry about that, no sir. It had been two long years since I saw M. & Zooey’s band play, not since the Virgin Fest of 2008. At the time, I decided that to me, Zooey sounded like a baby Patsy Cline, and my opinion hasn’t changed. They began with a wonderful rendition of “Change Is Hard”, and a dude near me made an epic understatement as he commented, “She’s got a good voice.” The sound was deliriously good, wistful, mournful tones of twang all over the place. One of the high(est)lights came early, with a seriously killer version of “I Was Made For You”, featuring the cooing and girl group stylings of The Chapin Sisters (who, adorably, had changed into outfits of charcoal dresses and black tights, to match Zooey). “I’ve never been to DC before,” proclaimed Zooey, before the band stormed through one of my favorites, “Black Hole”. I will forever love the sadness hidden behind the perkiness, and the line “I’m alone on a bicycle for two.” Glorious.

The first few songs were all from the first record, but the band soon mixed things up. The new tunes felt comfortably familiar alongside those from the first album, though they were definitely less country-tinged. As per usual, “You Really Got A Hold On Me” was stunning, with Zooey and M. trading vocals backed by an acoustic guitar. And oh, how the little ladies in the crowd went absolutely crazy every single time M. sang a note. It was incredible, the level of frenzied shrieks. “Brand New Shoes” was perfect. “Ridin’ In My Car” was perfect. And then they went and pulled an almost unfair trick from under their collective sleeve. “We’ve never done this song before but we’re gonna do it for you guys,” Zooey declares, before the band launches into an impeccable, irresistible cover of the Beach Boys’ classic, classic summer song, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”. It was sheer bliss.

Looking back on it, this show was definitely in the top handful of shows I’ve had the pleasure of attending this year. Both bands really, really wowed me. The Chapin Sisters, well, they were just plain exquisite. Make their acquaintance immediately (hint: they’ll be back on the road later in the year). As for She & Him, they were even better than the last time I saw them. They’ve developed into one of the finest live bands around, if I may be so bold as to say so.

mp3: I Was Made For You (She & Him from Volume One)

Album Review: Kevin Hart, Seriously Funny

Truth in advertising apparently is not dead, as evidenced by the title of Kevin Hart's latest comedy CD, Seriously Funny. Taped at a Cleveland performance with such stars in the audience as Shaquille O'Neil and Lebron James, Hart spends an hour riffing on what he knows best--his kids, family and friends, and the trials and tribulations associated with each. Hart mines comedy gold telling tales of the only time his mother gave him permission to cuss, his crazy, parolee uncle, and what happened when his good friend was confronted with a picture of a "hotdog without the bun" on his daughter's phone. Hart stays away from the overtly political stuff, which gives his material a somehow more honest feel. His insights into family life, however, have a universal touch that should appeal to most audiences.

This marks Comedy Central's second forray into CDs, by my count at least, and as far as i'm concerned, they're easily two for two in the victory column. Whereas their first release with Reggie Watts was a bit more on the surreal side, Hart's offering is a straight-up stand-up affair.

i'll admit, i had at one time written off Hart as the poor man's D.L. Hughley, but Seriously Funny is a game changer, proving Hart deserves his space on-stage with the best of them. The only "shortcomings" here are a couple of times when Hart clearly is doing some visual jokes that don't translate into a purely audio setting. Of course, this happens on damn near every comedy album ever put to wax, so it seems unfair to judge too harshly on this measure alone.

Bottom line, dude is funny. Seriously funny, as a matter of fact. But don't just take my or his word for it. See for yourself.

mp3: One of My Biggest Fears (Kevin Hart from Seriously Funny)

100 Shows of 2010 - #41: La Strada @ Black Cat, 7/6/10

I won’t even try to hide it from you, my loves, I was so incredibly beyond excited to see La Strada in the flesh (FINALLY) I was as giddy as Colin and Justin remodeling someone’s tacky Canadian house (if you’ve never seen those two on TV, please amend that immediately, for then you shall know just how bloody happy I was to head up to the Black Cat for what I had absolutely no doubt whatsoever would be a fantastic set. Not even the disgusting, awful, horrible 100 degree temperatures could keep me away. And guess what? I was right. The sweltering was totally worth it.

MINI RECAP: La Strada = Humidly Sublime! Overall score: A.

The weather did keep some folks away, I’m sure, as the crowd backstage wasn’t quite big enough (in my humble opinion), but those of us who braved the outdoor sauna were treated to a splendid little set courtesy of this sextet of Brooklynites. Even the pre-set music was great, Bowie’s Hunky Dory record to be exact. It set the tone, and the band took it from there. You already know I love them to bits and pieces, and what they did on that stage just cemented and put a plaque on my admiration for this band.

They began with the weather-beaten, rambunctiously-opening “My New Home”, the sound filling every nook and cranny of the room, drawing people in from the main bar like moths to a sonic flame. Man alive, any band that breaks it down with an accordion in the middle of a song is head of the class. The live version of the most excellent “Where You Want To Go” was even more nuanced and sensational than on record. It has to be said that even before they had finished the first song of the set, I was already loving them just about as much as air-conditioning.

“Mean That Much” harmonized its way to near-perfection, and in some way the pop overture reminded me a smidge of the Beach Boys in their California heydays. Well, the Beach Boys as filtered through a traveling Eastern European circus perhaps. “There’s Only Love” sent chills down my spine with all that lovely, pitch-perfect harmonizing. Keeping four voices in tune like that is no easy feat, and when you throw in the violin, cello, and yes, the accordion, well, it’s sheer magic. The song was wistful yet totally uplifting, much like the La Strada sound as a whole. “Wash On By” was possibly my favorite of a set of favorites, the bouncy, jaunty irresistibility was spellbinding.

I don’t know what else I can say, my little darlings. La Strada is not to be missed live. I’ve told you how amazing they as a band are, but really, how could you help but love a band that a) names their accordian, and b) names it The Beast? Quite obviously, you’ll agree, you can’t not love them. So go see them, buy their merch, and buy them a drink or five.

mp3: Mean That Much (La Strada from New Home)

100 Shows of 2010 - #40: Loose Lips/Detox Retox @ Black Cat, 6/19/10

Imagine, if you will, a sultry Saturday evening. Whatever is a girl to do on such an icky sticky night, especially when she’s in the mood for some music. Happily, I found the answer to this quandary in the form of a pair of super fly local bands, Loose Lips and Detox Retox, at my bar away from home, the Black Cat. As far as Saturday nights go, this one was definitely alright (alright alright).

MINI RECAP: Loose Lips = Oh Feistypants! Detox Retox = Oh Sassypants! Overall score: B+.

Detox Retox was up first, and with drummer Kabir Khanna sporting his sunglasses at night I knew the night was gonna be good. “Enough fucking around, let’s start dancing” was the theme of their set, and they immediately caught my attention with their solid, solid dancepop. At times, singer Michael Parker reminded me a little of Placebo’s Brian Molko with his fabulously sneering, naughty precociousness. Their entire set was pretty dang saucy, and I liked it. There was plenty to like, really, between the Molko-esque vocals, the sassy bass, and the snarling mess of the guitar. Detox Retox won me over with their feistiness, sounding at times like LET faves The Rakes would had they been decamping in DC for a while. The songs proved to be shiny, polished, and full of good beats. Not only were the songs way enjoyable, but the band’s stage presence was top-notch as well. Cheeky and totally fun, Detox Retox is without a doubt one of, if not the, sassiest band around these parts. As an added bonus, the band was joined onstage for their final song by Loose Lips, for a fantastic cover of one of my favorite Bowie songs, “Suffragette City”. It was the perfect end to a great set.

After a short breather, it was on to Loose Lips. For whatever reason, every time I hear the band’s name I hear The National’s Matt Berninger singing the line “loose lips sink ships,” though Loose Lips and The National certainly aren’t reminiscent of one another in the slightest. But I digress. They had barely strapped on their guitars before launching into the set, so impatient they seemed to get things going. What they emitted was a big, beaty sound with powerfully driving guitar and percussion and a hearty amount of danceability. They almost seemed to play with a slight chip on their shoulder, aggressively and powerfully. I instantly liked them quite a bit. They weren’t all that big on banter, going from song to song without more than a few words in between, but with songs like this there isn’t much to say. Between the fine little groove of the bass and the herky-jerky guitars, I was verily pleased with their set. The songs were rich and full, and darned if they weren’t getting the kids dancing. As the set wore on, the band got more and more into it, bouncing and thrashing and undulating their way across the stage. Bassist Jeremy Cassano probably staked the biggest sassy claim, but all the band got down with the get down. And their song “The Ghost” sounded to me a bit like a sped-up version of The Jam’s “Eton Rifles”, and who doesn’t love that song? They were appealingly rambunctious, those Loose Lips boys, and they made me rather happy.

Having seen Loose Lips and Detox Retox in the flesh, I can firmly state that they’re two of the finest bands we’ve got in this here metropolis. Locals, go forth and see them around town, and you other folks should check ‘em out whenever they visit your fair hamlets. You won’t be sorry.

mp3: The Ghost (Loose Lips from the Lower Your Expectations And Be Happy EP)

Artist Profile: Lil' Wayne

Apropos of nothing beyond me having watched VH1's Behind the Music on Lil' Weezy last night, here's a sampler of Lil' Wayne tracks for your Saturday enjoyment. For a cat that doesn't write down any of his rhymes, he's surprisingly spry on the mic. i think my favorite part of the show, however, was his explaining about the two bullet fragments still in his chest following an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 12. i'm paraphrasing here, but he used words to the effect of "I've still got two pieces of metal in my chest, too close to my heart for the doctor's to remove. It's cool, though, they ain't moving around or nothing. I mean, unless I get caught in an electro-magnetic field or something."

Indeed, sir. Indeed.

mp3: DOA (Lil' Wayne from No Ceilings)

mp3: my way (jj ft. Lil' Wayne from let go/my way)

mp3: Jump Up in the Air & Stay There (Erykah Badu ft. Lil' Wayne and Bilal from New Amerykah, Part Two (Return of the Ankh) Bonus, Web Track Only )

mp3: I Feel Like Dying (Flying Lotus Remix) (Lil' Wayne from Brainfeeder Website)

mp3: Robo Tussin (Flying Lotus Remix) (Lil' Wayne from Brainfeeder Website)

mp3: A Milli (Lil' Wayne from Tha Carter III)

Happy Birthday, Jack

Gather round, wee lads and lassies. I can still remember it so very well. There I was, living (and occasionally living it up) in bonnie Scotland, many years ago, when I heard of some new American bands. These bands were causing quite a kerfuffle among the British contingent, and it's still entirely possible they were more popular, as are many a good band over the years, in the UK than in their homeland.

The bands in question? That would be the ones usually given credit for popularizing the "The" movement in band naming: The Strokes, and this birthday boy's band, The White Stripes. I instantly loved them both, and found something ever so fascinating about a red-and-white-clad duo who got their jollies keeping the music press guessing about whether they were siblings or ex-lovers. Ever the oddball, Jack White has managed to create many an album of good old, dirty bluesy rock. And while he's a pretty big name now, what with all those other bands and movies and whatnot, let's all pause to remember the olden days, the days of the red and the white and the way those two Whites crashed the scene like nobody's business.

So then, Happy Birthday, indeed, Jack White.

mp3: Hello Operator (The White Stripes from De Stijl)

Free Music Friday: The Junkie, Rented, BRRRR, Ravey, Percussiony, Cartoony, Shoed, Toyed, Napkiny Edition

Ah yes, another Free Music Friday, which differs from every other free music day at LET in ways that are hard to explain, but they're there. Or i simply couldn't come up with a better intro paragraph today, so this is what you get. The price is right, so deal.

Tobacco's Maniac Meat is quickly becoming one of my favorites CDs of 2010. His chopped up style of electro/sampling just does something for me. Which is probably why i'm really digging Junk Culture, a new project by Deepak Mantena with his younger brother, Nitin, on skins for live performances . i'm obviously not the only one who hears the similarities, as JC will be joining Tobacco and Dreamend (whose So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite, is another fave CD this year) on their tour this September. Unfortunately, i missed their headlining spot at IOTA just the other night, but i've already got my tickets to their DC9 gig on September 9. i recommend you do the same.

mp3: West Coast (Junk Culture from West Coast)

For those familiar with the Rentals, you're obviously familiar with last year's Songs About Time Project. For the rest of us, the band decided to create three-hundred and sixty-five days of photography, fifty-two weeks of film, and four albums of music. Initially, very little was released, but the Rentals have come back with a vengeance with a new boxed set, appropriately entitled Songs About Time, that gives us gems like this dream-pop number.

mp3: Honey Life (left click to download) (The Rentals from Songs About Time Chapter Three The Future)

While white guy piano rap may or may not be the next big thing, Chilly Gonzales finds a way to make it work. Sure, his cadence is a bit stilted, but i think that's supposed to be part of the charm. Regardless, the man definitely has a way with his rhymes, which is saying more than you can for half the shit getting pushed these days. Which is nice.

mp3: Never Stop (Rap Mix) (left click to download) (Chilly Gonzales from Never Stop)

LET stalwarts The Raveonettes dip their toes into the remix pool with their spin on The Drum's "Let's Go Surfing." Remix may not be the best description, on further thought, as it really sounds more like the Ravenonettes simply playing over the record itself. The end result, i think you'll agree, speaks for itself on this fuzzed-out, surf-rock number.

mp3: Let's Go Surfing (The Raveonettes Remix) (left click to download) (The Drums from Let's Go Surfing)

Digital Underground alum Money B. has a new project, M.A.S.K. While i assume it stands for Money (B.) And Scott Knoxx, i'd like to think it's also an homage to the Mobile Armored Strike Kommand. While it appears an album still is in the works, both cats show they're still at top form on these two head nodders.

mp3: Lemme See U (Dirty Version) (M.A.S.K. from TBD CD)

mp3: Gettin' It In (Dirty Version) (M.A.S.K. from TBD CD)

For the summer of 2010, i've pretty much crowned Best Coast as your best bet, go to band for appropriate soundtracking. The folks at Converse Shoes, of all places, must have agreed. Check out this team-up between them, Kid Cudi and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend. (Quick note to Cudi--dude, no need to be lonely. i'll smoke with you any time you want.) While it's a bit much to declare this THE song of summer 2010, it certainly should make the playlist.

mp3: All Summer (Best Coast, Kid Cudi and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend from Converse)

At long, long last, it appears Autolux FINALLY is going to release the hotly anticipated (at least by me) follow-up to their freaking phenomenal debut, Future Perfect. Transit Transit is expected to drop this August 3rd. The band trotted out a few numbers their last time in town at the Black Cat, and i, for one, cannot wait to hear the entire thing on wax. If this single is any indication, expect more of that spacey, fuzzed out alt-rock goodness. Do the smart thing and see them when they return to the Black Cat on September 1st. If nothing else, it's another opportunity for you to not introduce yourself at yet another concert i've plainly told you i'll be attending myself.

mp3: Supertoys (Autolux from Transit Transit)

And to close out this edition of Free Music Friday, Black Lips are back with their own style of blues-infused rock. Whereas some might go the purist route, the Lips sound like they'd be more comfortable taking it out behind a shed, getting it shitfaced on corn liquor and high on mushrooms before taking advantage of it. Whether or not the Blues was asking for it is a question i shall not even attempt to answer. Check out this one and decide for yourself.

mp3: Best Napkin I Ever Had (left click to download) (Black Lips from Scion A/V Garage: Black Lips / Pierced Arrows)

The Most Sweltering Mix You Ever Will Hear

Good Lord and Butter, enough with the heat already! For those of you in the DC metro area (and along a lot of the entire East Coast), you're picking up what i'm putting down. i think it's broken 100 degrees every day this week. That's too hot to handle, you dig? When it's too sweltering to want to get laid, you know it's too damn hot. Somebody needs to do something about this. i'm not sure if we should get Tonatiuh, Ri Gong Ri Guang Pu Sa, Apollo or Helios on the phone, but somebody needs to figure it out, and fast, too. People are starting to look at me funny for continually stuffing ice cubes down my pants, and we can't have that now, can we?

mp3: The Heat is On (Glenn Frey from Beverly Hills Cop Soundtrack)

mp3: Too Hot to Sleep (Eilen Jewell from Letters From Sinners & Strangers)

mp3: Long Hot Summer Night (Jimi Hendrix from Electric Ladyland)

mp3: Love in the Hot Afternoon (Matt Sweeney and Bonnie "Prince" Billy from Adult Swim Singles Program)

mp3: Hot Lava (Perry Farrell & D.V.D.A. from South Park: Chef Aid)

mp3: Some Like It Hot (The Power Station from The Power Station)

mp3: Hot (Missy Elliott from Ratatat Remixes Vol. 1)

mp3: Long Hot Summer Days (Sara Watkins from Sara Watkins)

mp3: Hot Like Sauna (Tricky from Juxtapose)

Fun with Viruses!

It was just brought to my attention that my computer has not been doing its regularly scheduled anti-virus thing, so i'm in the process of a full scan now. At just over three and a half hours in, Symantec has located and quarantined more than 650 threats. Don't worry, though, it's all on my hard drive, not my mp3 files (which i store elsewhere on a zip drive already scanned and deemed clean). As a result of all this bull crocka, however, you're getting a short, sweet, sickly mix today. The moose out front should have told you. Regularly scheduled programs expected to resume tomorrow.

mp3: Go See the Doctor (Kool Moe Dee from Kool Moe Dee)

mp3: I'm Out Sick (Carolyn Wonderland from Alcohol & Salvation)

mp3: Sick (SSM from EP 1)

mp3: World Sick (Broken Social Scene from Forgiveness Rock Record)

mp3: "I Heard That You Were Feeling Ill..." (The Nurse Flower Delivery Girl from Ferris Bueller's Day Off)

The Laziest Mixtape You Ever Will Hear

You know what the biggest problem with three day-weekends is? They're not four or more days.

You noticed we didn't post yesterday. For those of our non-U.S. readers, yesterday was the tail end of one such three-day weekend. And while my nap levels seem to have been replenished, i'm not sure i feel like working towards much of anything today. So you get the laziest mixtape you ever will hear, and we're both winners.

mp3: Another Day (4hero ft. Jill Scott from Creating Patterns)

mp3: Let's Spend the Day in Bed (Over the Rhine from The Trumpet Child)

mp3: Lazy (Jim Gaffigan from King Baby)

mp3: Lazy Conversations (The Moldy Peaches from Back to the Bus)

mp3: Lazybones (Mike Doughty from Smofe + Smang: Live In Minneapolis)

mp3: Nothing to Worry About (Peter Bjorn & John from Living Thing)

mp3: Sleepy Tigers (Her Space Holiday from XOXO Panda : The New Kid Revival)

It's Covered: The Star Spangled Banner

Many happy returns of the day, Uncle Sam, you daffy bastard, you. Who loves ya, baby?

And now, for our national anthem. As you'll shortly find out, however, these are not your daddy's versions.

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Jimi Hendrix from Live at Woodstock)

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Béla Fleck & The Flecktones from Flight of the Cosmic Hippo)

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Jaco Pastorius from Heavy 'N Jazz)

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Miri Ben-Ari ft. Doug E. Fresh from The Hip-Hop Violinist)

mp3: The Star Spangled Banner (Blues Traveler from Live: What You And I Have Been Through)

The Greatest Mostly Jingoistic U.S. Mix You Ever Will Hear

Since i may or may not be either hosting or attending a BBQ tomorrow, i'm dropping The Greatest Mostly Jingoistic U.S. Mix You Ever Will Hear today. i'm not a huge flag waver, but i do love making mixes, so i guess Uncle Sam's semi-loyal are the winners here. Or, if you're not from here and/or harbor reasonable, less than complimentary feelings in our direction, play this at your "ironic" Americans are Wankers party. See how music can bring us all together in a non-violent, in this case condescending way like that?

mp3: America, Fuck Yeah! (Team America-World Police from Team America-World Police Soundtrack)

mp3: The American (Nouvelle Vague from 3)

mp3: American Boy (Chris Isaak from Always Got Tonight)

mp3: American Car (Mike Doughty from Haughty Melodic)

mp3: American Girls (Homie from Meet the Deedles Soundtrack)

mp3: American Music (Violent Femmes from Why Do Birds Sing? )

mp3: American Woman (The Guess Who from American Woman)

mp3: Amerykahn Promise (Erykah Badu from New Amerykah Part One (4Th World War) )

mp3: U.S. Custom Coast Guard Dope Dog (George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars from Dope Dogs)

mp3: Red, White and Blues (Brendan Benson from his Facebook Page)

mp3: I Am a Patriot (Eddie Vedder with Bill Murray intro at some Nader Rally)

Free Music Friday: The Elephantine, Gone, Upbeat, Scorching, Significant Other, Euro, Bright, Denim, Jem Version

It would appear that damn near every other blog out there (and a lot of bands, magazines, radio stations, sex clubs, etc.) is putting out some sort of 4th of July Mix, so i guess i better getting hopping on working one up for LET. In the interim, i guess you'll just have to make due with a bunch of free mp3s sans a theme.

Pauvre, pauvre pussycat.

First up, a track from the Bleep X Sonar 2010 sampler. They posted a bunch of tracks from bands playing some Euro fest i've never heard of, but am jealous that i'm not attending all the same. Broadcast is included in that mix, and i've dug them for a while. To use the vernacular, i'd categorize this as some laid back chillwave, but that's just because i want LET to start showing up when people Google "chillwave." A blog cannot live on being a top Google result for "Jilling Off" alone, folks.

mp3: Elegant Elephant (Broadcast from Bleep X Sonar 2010 Mix)

You know i'm a sucker for beat producers, electronic music seducers and DJ droopers (fuck you, i needed a rhyme), and the cat from NickNack obviously realized the same when they sent us their latest. This cat has skills, establishing a funky, spooky vibe while intermittently cutting it up. i say go for it.

mp3: Strangest Secret (NickNack from Dearly Departed)

For those bummed out by the Eels' last CD, it sounds like the last in his self-described trilogy, Tomorrow Morning (along with End Times and Hombre Lobo), appears to be a step in the uplifting direction. First single "Looking Up" has a church gospel feel, and the title kind of sums up the sentiment. For a guy's who previously wrote one of the most cheerful song ever about hating people (I'm looking at you, "I Like Birds"), this one definitely should give pause to those who have complained that Mr. E has been a bit too morose of late. A man with a beard of that magnitude, however, never should be doubted.

mp3: Looking Up (Eels from Tomorrow Morning)

The folks at Aquarium Drunkard just dropped their second annual LA artist mix. The conceit is for local LA artists to cover a famous album of the past. Last year, it was Paul McCartney's RAM, this year it's Television’s sophomore LP, Adventure. Truth be told, i can do without most of the tracks here, but the Imaad Wasif/Lykke Li take on "The Fire" is an absolute beast, some of Wasif's best axe work on wax, as far as i'm concerned. Li really is just a back-up voice on this one, but who doesn't love Lykke Li? Nobody. Not even your grandfather. And if you say otherwise, well, we're going to have words, buddy.

mp3: The Fire (Imaad Wasif with Lykke Li from L’Aventure :: A Los Angeles Music Sampler – 2010)

In an apparent effort to take the title of reigning queen of the revitalized beach girl rock sound, Best Coast has dropped another single from their soon-to-drop Crazy for You. And you know what? That crown is hers, as far as i'm concerned. While not quite as devilishly addictive as "When I'm With You," it's a damn fine follow-up, nonetheless.

mp3: Boyfriend (Best Coast from Crazy for You)

Swedish popsters Sambassadeur just dropped the latest single from their third LP, European. Another dreamy, blissful track from our neighbors to the Northeast-ish. Damnation, i lurvs me some Scandinavians. Here's another reason why.

mp3: I Can Try (Sambassadeur from European)

It's funny, i've never been much of a Black Moth Super Rainbow fan, but the latest solo efforts from Tobacco and now Dreamend are two of my fave CDs this year. Whereas Tobacco's latest is kind of in-your-face, Dreamend's debut clearly is the more laid back of the two. If you're a fan of Megafaun, you're going to dig this.

mp3: Magnesium Light (Dreamend from So I Ate Myself, Bite by Bite)

Taking notes from sometime bandmate Jack White, Alison Mosshart is back at it with Jamie "Hotel" Hince and the Kills. They just did a Levi's Pioneer Session (No shit, Chet. No shit) and dropped this stellar cover of the Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes." It's a good 'un, that's fo' sho'.

mp3: Pale Blue Eyes (The Kills from Levi's Pioneer Sessions)

And to close things out, the second single from Fol Chen's Part II: The New December. i can't quite put my finger on why, but i'm digging these cats more and more with each new track i hear. This one does nothing to change that sentiment.

mp3: The Holograms (Fol Chen from Part II: The New December)

Now go get your holiday weekend started, assuming you're living Stateside. And be careful with those fireworks. No reason for anyone to go shooting their eye out or anything drastic like that.

Concert Preview: Rock the Bells Festival, 8-29-10, Merriweather Post Pavillion

i don't normally talk about concerts before attending them, but seeing as i just dropped $300 for two tickets to the Rock the Bells Festival, i figured i'd make an exception this time.

Go figure, it's for a festival, too, in August, no less. Now, i don't really do festivals anymore. The notion of standing in a hot field with random strangers while the acts play for less than an hour each simply is not that appealing to me. i'd far rather pony up and see a given performer doing a headlining gig at a club--there's generally less chance for heat stroke, the sets last far longer and the bathrooms usually are at least a tad cleaner.

This year's Rock the Bells Festival, however, has some of my favorite hip-hop acts of all-time taking the stage to perform some of their earlier albums in their entirety. And these are some of the greatest rap CDs ever put to wax, i tell you what.

For your listening pleasure, we have the following performing the following:

--Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle

--A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders (i personally would have preferred People's Instinctive Travels And Paths Of Rhythm, but what can you do?)

--KRS-ONE, Criminal Minded (RIP, Scott La Rock)

--Rakim, Paid in Full (What, no Eric B.?)

--Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (No ODB? No problem, as they're bringing Boy Jones, his first born son)

--Slick Rick, The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick (Pauvre, Pauvre Doug E. Fresh)

--Plus "very special guest" Lauryn Hill, assumedly doing "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill," though the website is a bit murky on that front. i guess her kids need to eat after all (i joke because i love, people).

Not to mention, some dozen other slated acts, plus freestyle sessions and Buddha only knows how much buddha wafting through the air. This is one i'm betting should not be missed (to the tune of $300, damn it). More to come. In the interim, let's rock, y'all.

mp3: Gin and Juice (Snoop Dogg from Doggystyle)

mp3: Award Tour (A Tribe Called Quest from Midnight Marauders)

mp3: Super Ho (Boogie Down Productions from Criminal Minded)

mp3: I Ain't No Joke (Eric B. & Rakim from Paid in Full)

mp3: Da Mystery of Chessboxin' (Wu-Tang Clan from Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers))

mp3: Treat Her Like a Prostitute (Slick Rick from The Great Adventures of Slick Rick)

mp3: Doo Wop (That Thing) (Lauryn Hill from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill)