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EELS CONTEST UPDATE 2008-01-15 18:43:19 Pssst. See that box in the upper right corner of this page?  The one that says, “Swag Corner?”  Well, it’s a lie.  I don’t have one of each of those CDs to give away.  I have TWO of each of those CDs to give away! Contest ends soon, so enter now! ...

BELL HOLLOW-“Foxgloves” 2008-01-15 03:30:30 Bell Hollow make the kind of dreamy pop typical of Echo and the Bunnymen and The Psychedelic Furs—Dark and deep, but still lighter than the kind of thing The Editors and The National are cranking out these days. They’ve got a lead singer with a deep voice, feature jangly guitars, steady beats, and a fairly minimalist approach that still seems to sound big. “Foxgloves,” the title track of their debut, manages to move that genre a bit by adding some sweet pitch and tempo changes, producing a sound that is more nostalgic than retro (by which I mean that it’s a tribute not a knock off). The entire album consistently creeps and lumbers forward, steady and without menace, through all of its gentle, postpunk pop tunes. A great way to carry on the tradition of The Smiths. Foxgloves-Bell Hollow ...

ID GUINNESS-”Cure for the Common Crush” 2008-01-14 04:03:49 Hailing from Vancouver, Id Guinness’s album came out last year. The only reason I heard of it was because Ryan arranged for a copy to come into my box after he picked it as the best underground album of 2007. And boy am I grateful! Id Guinness, who has in the past made music with the likes of kd lang and Randy Bachman, among others, makes anthemic rock songs that recall the best of Roxy Music, David Bowie, INXS, U2, Fiona Apple . . . All those folks who make “important” songs with heavy themes and larger-than-life riffs. And yet, at the same time, “Cure for the Common Crush” sounds oddly small, oddly humble, oddly unique. Singular. That’s the word I’d use to describe it best. The first track, Rising River, is instantly familiar and compelling. As is the second track, the third, and on and on. It’s easy to see why everyone who hears this record wants desperately to share it with their friends. Check it out. Jade Garden Rising River  P.S.: To all of you ...

THE GREAT eels GIVEAWAY!!!!! 2008-01-13 15:24:52 I may have done more posts on EELS than any other single band. (Most recent post: here.) So, I am wicked excited to announce this giveaway. The eels are coming out with two retrospective albums. The first, titled Meet The EELS: Essential EELS Vol. 1, is a CD/DVD that, as you might guess, is a best of: 24 tracks and 12 videos. The second, titled Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2006 is two CDs and a DVD of, as you might have guessed, rare tracks. And you can get ‘em both, just for being a reader of this blog. For full track lists and more info, go here (although why you’d need any more info is beyond me!) Now, this ain’t gonna be cheap. You’re gonna have to earn it. Send me e-mail or a comment with your e-mail address and the name of your favorite EELS song. Winner will be picked (at random) in about a week and must must MUST check their e-mail to get my message that they’ve won. Or else, I’ll pick someone ...

HILLCREST ROAD-“Life After Liftoff” 2008-01-13 04:01:53 Beginning with crashing cymbals, rapid drumbursts, soaring vocals, and an almost indiscernible hook, “It’s Been You,” the first song on Hillcrest Road’s new album, “Life After Liftoff,” might make you think you’re back in the days of ‘90s alt-rock (think: Live, Soul Asylum, etc.). Indeed, the album owes a great debt to that genre, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Eschewing the typically moody blues of modern indie rock, Hillcrest Road have created a solid pop/rock album that may be rooted in the 90s but owes a lot more to The New Pornographers than Nirvana. (In fact, engineer Mike Hagler has worked with The New Pornographers, as well as OK Go and Wilco.) Hailing from Milwaukee, it’s not hard to imagine any of these songs on the radio or as a video starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. Great vocals, explosive drumming, and enough backbone to straighten even their softest songs. Give ‘em a listen. Marvelous Options Limit Actions It’s Been You ...

STEVE DAWSON-“Waiting for the Lights to Come Up” 2008-01-12 06:55:34 Here’s a neat little record, from Black Hen Records. Steve Dawson’s new album is due on February 5, and it reveals yet another solid Canadian singer-songwriter. I don’t know what they put in the water up there, but whatever it is, it’s working. Accompanied by expert musicians including Keith Lowe (Bill Frisell, Fiona Apple) on bass, Chris Gestrin (Randy Bachman, K-OS) on keyboards, and Scott Amendola (T.J. Kirk, Bill Frisell, Madeleine Peyroux) on drums, “Waiting For the Lights To Come Up” is a mellow mix of traditional blues, folk, and roots rock. Cool stuff. At Arms Length ...

PATTERSON HOOD’S ROLLING STONES AND BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN SHOWS: Post War Peace Agreement! 2008-01-11 14:05:31 Patterson Hood, star of the Drive-By Truckers, has performed complete sets of songs written by the two opponents of Cover Wars Two, posted all this week. First, in 2006, he performed six Mick and Keef tunes. To wit: Loving Cup Moonlight Mile Silver Train Shattered Before They Make Me Run Star Fucker ZIP FILE Its an awesome show, bested only by his Bruce tribute set, performed last year . . . Badlands Something in the Night Candy’s Room Racing in the Streets Adam Raised a Cain Darkness At The Edge of Town ZIP FILE Now, we’ve already picked our Cover Wars winner. But this proves, we all CAN just get along! And don’t forget the new Drive-By Truckers album, coming out later this month. I heard one song off of it, and it might have been the best DBT song I’ve ever heard. ...

10 THINGS THE WRITERS’ STRIKE TAUGHT ME THIS WEEK 2008-01-11 04:43:59 1. Stephen Colbert is not funny without his writers. 2. John Stewart is funny without his writers, but not very funny. 3. My wife has opinions and feelings, and she can communicate them more effectively if she is permitted to do so in a space of time longer than a commercial break. 4. American Gladiators: Timeless concept. But Hulk Hogan? Not so much. When he “interviews” the contestants, I swear he looks like he’s about to fall asleep he’s so bored. Really. Check out his eyes. 5. If the press is any indication, Americans care more about T.V. than Iraq. 6. Letterman looks awful with a beard. 7. You can be a member of a Union and yet still do things that undermine your Union’s cause, and nobody in the press will call you a hypocrite. I’m looking at you, Conan O’Brien, John Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Jay “I bought them donuts!” Leno. 8. It’s okay to cross a picket line if you’re a Republican. (Or, at leas ...

NEVERMIND MY BLOG . . . 2008-01-11 04:15:50 . . . go to Cover Me for the entire Nirvana Nevermind album, covers style, with covers of songs from the album by Animal Collective, Steve Earle, Rogue Wave, Patti Smith, and about half a dozen bands I’ve never heard of. He didn’t include the great Wierd Al Yankovic Nirvana cover, or the great Willie Nelson cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit (Tori Amos did a great one, too), and included Polyphonic Spree instead of Pavement’s cover of Lithium, but still–awesome effort–he deserves your support. Leave a comment, telling him who brung ya. P.S.: This isn’t the big post I promised you early today. I’m still working on that. Come back later! ...

COVER WARS 2: BRUCE VS. THE STONES: FINAL ROUND 2008-01-11 03:36:27 I think I’ve done a nice job for you here and I deserve a pat on the back. Instead, though, I can’t rest. There’s a war on! And right now, Bruce Springsteen is neck-and-neck in this barfight with the great Rolling Stones. Can America beat Britan? We’ll find out today, by the end of this post. Cocksucker Blues/Honky’s Ladder-The Afghan Whigs I’m On Fire-Jim James of My Morning Jacket The crudest Stones song versus the crudest Bruce song. Okay, “I got a bad desire” is nowhere near as graphic as, “When’ll I get my ass fucked,” but Bruce is too vanilla, too serious, to ever have the kind of fun Mick is talking about. Clear winner in the some-things-are-better-left-unsaid category: The Stones. I’m On Fire-Chromatics Stray Cat Blues-Soundgarden This matches up a light electronica version of Bruce with a grunge metal version of the Stones. Neither artist has ever ventured into these styles, so we have a chance no ...

DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN-“Bubble Pop” 2008-01-10 18:19:32 I may not be the biggest Del The Funky Homosapien fan in the world, but I’m enough of one to get excited about the pre-release of a track off of Def Jux’s Eleventh Hour. Del’s “Mistadabolina,” from his “I Wish My Brother George Was Here” album, is club rap at its best and most intelligent. I’ve got high hopes for the album, seeing as how Del was part of Deltron 3030 and worked with the Gorillaz. Bubble Pop ...

COVER WARS 2: BRUCE VS. THE STONES (Round Four) 2008-01-10 03:42:49 In the fourth gonzo round, I’m just gonna slam you with a bunch. The Last Time [The Rolling Stones]-Gomez vs. I’m On Fire-Carbon Leaf Winner: Bruce. If you download just one song today, make it Carbon Leaf’s cover of I’m On Fire. It’s awesome. No Surrender-One Reason vs. Shake Your Hips-Joe Strummer and the 101s Two punk versions. I love Joe, but this is early in his career so I don’t feel bad giving it to One Reason here. It’s not a great cover, but they show how the source material can really be stretched. Score two for Bruce. The River-Josh Ritter vs. Cross Bones Style/I Can’t Get No Satisfaction (Rolling Stones)-Cat Power The Josh Ritter cover is ubiquitous, but is it extraordinary? No. Cat’s is both–she truly makes the song her own, and shows that it plays just as well when a gal does it. Stones get their first point of the day. Dancing In The Dark-Ted Leo vs. Divorce Song/Emotional Rescue-Liz Phair And who can g ...

WILD SWEET ORANGE-“The Whale EP” 2008-01-09 16:26:41 O.K., get ready for the hyperbole: The Whale, by Wild Sweet Orange, is the EP I’ve heard in a long time. Granted, it’s a 2007 release, but I’m just getting to it and holy crap is it good. Beginning with the marching existential angst of “Wrestle With God” and ending with the sweet kindness of “I’m Coming Home,” the EP takes the listener on a natural progression from the frustration of the lack of the faith to the recognition that, to quote Lennon, love is all you need. Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, and similar in some ways to Drive-By Truckers, Broken West, and the like, Wild Sweet Orange nevertheless has its own sound. I haven’t been this blown apart by an EP since . . . I really don’t know when. I’ve read that we can expect a full-length CD on Canvasback Music (Columbia Records) in 2008. I can’t wait. Be Careful (What You Want) I’m Coming Home ...

COVER WARS TWO: ROLLING STONES VS. SPRINGSTEEN, BY CLASSIC ROCKERS (Round 3) 2008-01-09 03:39:45 Bruce took round one. The Stones took round two. Who’s gonna win this? Well, we won’t find out today. But we will get treated to lots of great rock bands covering our heroes. First, Pearl Jam: Waiting on a Friend Beast of Burden No Surrender Atlantic City Waiting on a Friend is a lame song, and nobody’s gonna argue that “No Surrender” is Bruce’s best, and between these two covers, I just can’t pick. It’s a good thing, then, that Bette Midler covered Beast of Burden. Totally soured me on it. So Pearl Jam pulls it out with Atlantic City. Score one for Bruce. Next: Warren Zevon. Stop Breakin’ Down-Warren Zevon Cadillac Ranch-Warren Zevon Warren is probably my personal favorite songwriter, so I’m never all that stoked to hear his covers. But he worked with Bruce a lot, and manages to take the silly Cadillac Ranch and add the bittersweet irony of his raspy snarl. I’m not as hot on what he did with Stop Breaking Dow ...

BRITISH SEA POWER-“Do You Like Rock Music?” 2008-01-08 03:58:31 British Sea Power already have a rabid cult following, and if you’re part of that collection, stop reading now. There’s nothing I can write that will satisfy you. If you’re less familiar with the band, their new record, “Do You Like Rock Music,” is a pretty good place to start. It lacks the more experimental and untried elements in some of their earlier work, instead providing exclusively arena-style soaring rock. This is their third album, and it finds the band tight and ready to take over the world. The urgency and passion is evident, for example, in “All In It,” a rousing, come-and-put-your-lighters-up song. Occasionally, the album begins to feel like bombast, though. “A Trip Out” and “Down on the Ground” are consecutive tracks that begin with exactly the same riff, but at different pitches, and I can’t say that they really go to different places with it, either. The latter is somewhat more soaring, but that’s not enough to distinguish between the tw ...