Seriously, I love this cover. Although it’s been 5 years since Damien Rice last released an LP, this just reminded me why he’s still one of my favourite artists.

Simply beautiful.

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Damien Rice – One (U2 Cover)

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1. Another “Best Albums of the Decade” (2000 – 2009) List…

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Mumford & Sons – England [The National Cover]

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Seriously, how do you have so much understanding of this song at just 14 years of age? Still blown away by this girl.

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Birdy – Skinny Love (Bon Iver Cover) [VIDEO]

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More on Maggie here.

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Justin Dube & Maggie Eckford – Maps [VIDEO]

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Thanks everyone else, but you might as well pack up your things and go home now; because this IS Christmas for 2010.

Coldplay – Christmas Lights

When that first chorus kicks in, I simply can’t help but smile; Chris Martin was born to pen Christmas tunes.

You can download “Christmas Lights” by Coldplay on iTunes now… just click here.

A few years ago (back in 2007 in fact) I posted Coldplay’s Christmas cover of The Pretenders’ “2000 miles”… which was probably one of the most downloaded files on this site of that year. So, as it’s Christmas and all, here’s my (re)gift to you… 2000 miles. Put it on your Christmas playlist, along with Christmas lights.

Listen: Coldplay – 2000 Miles (Pretenders Cover)

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Coldplay – Christmas Lights [VIDEO] (and a bonus 2000 miles)

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You know, I’m probably not the biggest fan of the Kings of Leon “Radioactive” single. But this cover from Cee-Lo Green has me rethinking all that. Add some understated piano and muted riffing to Cee-Lo’s unmistakable croon, as I’m seriously in love.

Cee-Lo recently performed the tune – along with others – on a BBC Live Lounge Session, which you can watch here (if you can get around the country restrictions).

For now though, you can listen to the track below. My only complaint? It ends too soon.

Listen: Cee-Lo Green – Radioactive (Kings of Leon Cover)

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Cee-Lo Green – Radioactive (Kings of Leon Cover)

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It was a short and sweet slot, with only 2 interview segments, and two songs, but those two songs were pure magic. The first was the always-stunning “Fix It” (by the way, if you haven’t seen their performance of this song on Letterman, then head here. Seriously, you need to watch it)… and then straight out of left-field comes a cover of Foo Fighters “Times Like These”. I’m loving the way they perform the song, and it’s actually reminiscent of a way I used to play it at various open mic nights, which probably lends itself to a greater connection with me.

Anyway, I’ve included the entire show including interview segments below, but at the very least, listen to “Fix It” and “Times Like These”. Sheer beauty.

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Live on Radio 2

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Chat I
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Fix It
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Chat II
Ryan Adams & The Cardinal – Times Like These

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Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, in the BBC Studios

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I like to think that in the past few months, I might have possibly introduced you to a tune or two that might have struck a chord with you; that did something for you. And, seeing as I recently came across the Mixwit site, I thought… why not? It’s mixtape time.

Below I’ve compiled a mix tape of some of the songs I’ve featured on the blog over the past few months. Please note that, of course, it’s not all the songs, as that would be ridiculous. In particular, I haven’t included many (if any) songs from my “South African Bands you NEED to hear!” post, or the “Things I should have told you in 2007” post – as both of those would deserve a few hours on the mixtape themselves – so I suggest you give both those posts a separate read, as there are some real pearls tucked away there.

That said, I hope that the playlist below gives some kind of overview to the past few months here on Burgo’s Blog. I’ve included the playlist, with links through to the individual posts, underneath the “tape”. Just click the “play” button on the tape to start listening… it’ll stream from there. I hope you enjoy.

Most importantly, I’d like to thank all the readers who come by this blog. Thanks for the comments, thanks for the emails. They keep me going.

Listen. Love. Support.

1.) City & Colour – Body In A Box
2.) Matthew Ryan – Gone For Good
3.) Josh Ritter – Thin Blue Flame
4.) The Tallest Man on Earth – It Will Follow The Rain
5.) Ray Lamontagne – Crazy (Cover)
6.) Obadiah Parker – Hey Ya (cover)
7.) Billy Bragg – Sing Their Souls Back Home (live)
8.) Destroyer – Foam Hands
9.) BARR – Untitled
10.) Farryl Purkiss – Time Like These
11.) Monkey Swallows The Universe – Sheffield Shanty
12.) The Damnwells – Down With The Ship
13.) The Damnwells – Golden Days
14.) Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s – Children’s Crusade on Acid (live)
15.) Stephin Merritt – A Nun’s Litany (live)
16.) Death Cab For Cutie – The Ice Is Getting Thinner
17.) The War on Drugs – Arms Like Boulders
18.) Bodies of Water – I Guess We’ll Forget the Sound, I Guess, I Guess
19.) Bon Iver – The Wolves (Act I & II)
20.) Stereophonics – Best Of You (cover)
21.) Samamidon – Saro
22.) The Kooks – Tick Of Time
23.) Brett Dennen – Aint No Reason
24.) The Republic Tigers – Buildings & Mountains
25.) The Old Romantic Killer Band – Lovers Pass
26.) Blind Melon – Wishing Well
27.) Tokyo Police Club – In A Cave
28.) Julian Velard – Jimmy Dean & Steve McQueen
29.) Radiohead – House Of Cards (live)
30.) Malcolm Middleton – Blue Plastic Bags
31.) Electric President – Insomnia
32.) Andy McKee – Rylynn
33.) Chris Bathgate – Serpentine
34.) Gomez – Chasing Ghosts With Alcohol
35.) Nathaniel Hoho – Nightmares
36.) The New Frontiers – Black Lungs
37.) Jay Clifford – Mexico
38.) Robert Francis – One by One
39.) Romantica – Ixcatan
40.) Jon Foreman – Behind Your Eyes
41.) Gregory Page – Sleeping Dogs
42.) Will Conner – Home
43.) Brett Young – Remember Me This Way (live)
44.) Toothpick – Scars (remix)
45.) Jeremy Fisher – Lay Down (The Ballad of Rigoberto Alpizar)
46.) Need To Breathe – Washed By The Water
47.) Ozomatli – Afterparty
48.) Matt Costa – The Ballad Of Miss Kate
49.) Langhorne Slim – Restless
50.) Brendan James – Hero’s Song
51.) Jack Penate – Torn On The Platform
52.) Jamie T – Sheila
53.) The Broderick – Bells
54.) Mystery Jets – Flake
55.) The Heavenly States – The Race
56.) U2 – In A Little While (live)
57.) Faker – This Heart Attack
58.) Patrick Park – Here We Are
59.) The Foxboro Hot Tubs – Ruby Room
60.) Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Modern Mystery
61.) The Dodos – Ashley
62.) Wild Sweet Orange – Wrestle With God
63.) Yeasayer – 2080
64.) Roger That – Chasing The Sun
65.) Patrick Sweaney – Hotel Women
66.) Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Almost Cut My Hair
67.) Rivo Drei – She Amazed Me (The Dilbert Sessions)
68.) The Wombats – Let’s Dance To Joy Division
69.) David Vandervelde – Nothin’ No
70.) The Raconteurs – Carolina Drama
71.) Tin Bangs – Your Sky Is Falling
72.) Frightened Rabbit – Good Arms Vs. Bad Arms
73.) State Radio – Camilo

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Burgo’s Blog – A Retrospective Mixtape

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My pain is only intensified by the fact that some work colleagues went to see Whitley, and then – get this – DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO GO WATCH THE OPENING ACTS. Sigh. Can you say, “Philistines”? I can.

Howie Day performing live. Sigh… for now I’ll need to content myself with a Live Music Friday.
Pic: Javier Izquerdo

Anyway… I found it highly coincidental that I only found this out yesterday, while I was putting together a Live Music Friday post. And considering that Howie’s known for his live performances, I found it only fitting that I commiserate my misery by posting a Howie show.

I have many live Howie Day shows. In fact, I can unequivocally say that Howie Day is the reason I got into tracking down rare live shows. Anyone who has seen the 30-minute DVD that was attached to his “Madrigals EP” release can attest to what a force he is live. Looping guitar lines and vocals through his trusty POD6, performing percussion on the body of his guitar and laying down some fat bass lines, Howie Day manages to string all the elements together in loops and build up to a full sound – all while performing solo – that far eclipses even that of a full band.

It’s something that has to be seen to be believed, so I highly recommend that you get the Madrigals (Bonus DVD) set. It truly is the quintessential Howie. Here’s actually a taster, that I see someone has uploaded to Youtube. Best watch this fast, as I doubt they had permission to upload this from that DVD.

[youtube]fD4iNx6HA7U[/youtbe]
Howie Day performing “Bunnies” live.

In the last few years, Howie’s moved away from this solo looping and more towards performing with a full band. While it’s an understandable development, I know that many fans hope that one day he returns to his roots full-time.

This performance is from 2001, at a Howie/John Mayer performance at the House of Blues. At times Howie sounds like a younger Mitch Hedberg; considering this was before his trip to rehab, however, this isn’t too surprising. The sound quality on this recording isn’t great; the lows bottom out, and it needs more treble. In addition to that, it includes perhaps the clumsiest outro on “Ghost” to “Beams of Light” that I’ve ever heard Howie perform.

So after all this derision, why am I posting this show, of the many that I have of Howie?

Because it finds Howie at his most passionate. It finds Howie at his most personal. It finds Howie at his most cathartic. Listen to “She Says”, and you’ll know what I mean. But the main reason?

Because it has that song. That moment. The moment when Howie and John get up on stage together. Fans will know which one I’m talking about.
Howie Day and John Mayer performing a killer version of “Sorry, So Sorry”. And while that track seemed to make it’s way around the internet a few years ago, the show in it’s entirety is a bit of a rarity. So I post it here for the true fans, who want to add it to their collection.

I’ve also posted a remastered version of “Sorry, So Sorry” as a separate download, for those who need better sound quality (albeit only slightly).

Oh. And if Howie, or his publicists come across this post, please know that I’m sorry for missing the gig. Now come back to Brisbane soon, ok? I’d pretty much resigned myself to never seeing him play live when I lived in South Africa, and now that I’m in a country that he actually visited and simply didn’t know about the gig… well, it’s killing me. So come back. Seriously.

Listen. Love. Support.

Howie Day, Live at the House of Blues, 22/6/2001

1.) After You
2.) Morning After
3.) Ghost
4.) Buzzing (Africa)
5.) Madrigals
6.) Sorry, So Sorry (with John Mayer)
7.) She Says (One)

Extra:Sorry, So Sorry (with John Mayer) (remastered version)

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Live Music Friday – Howie Day live at The House of Blues. (Or, I’m in mourning. I missed the Howie Day gig.)

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Bob Schneider, live at Antones, 2002

Bob Schneider… always an electrifying live show…

Bob Schneider is, quite possibly, one of my favourite singer-songwriters of the last decade. The man’s writing is… prolific, to say the least. In fact, I recall reading an interview with him once, where the interviewer asked him how it was possible to produce – consistently – so many hit tunes. To which Bob replied something to the effect that, if you’re in the habit of writing at least two songs a day, every day, you’re bound to strike it lucky occasionally.
While that answer is typical of Schneider, trying to shrug off the accolades with an easy smile, it really is needless modesty that underplays the brilliance of Schneider’s poetic, hauntingly beautiful songs. He truly is – in my eyes, at least – nothing less than a lyrical genius.

Anyone who has heard more than one song of his will be impressed with his versatility; some songs are witty, whimsical and naughty; stuffed with double-entendres and straight-forward raunchiness… most often these are the songs that come about as a result of his playing with his sometime band, “The Scabs”.
Other times, the songs are remorseful; chilling; unsettling; winsome and things of pure, unsullied beauty. It’s when Bob enters his more contemplative mode that he truly shines, for me. Really, it’s perfection.

This set, a show from December of 2002 at Antone’s in Schneider’s hometown of Austin, Texas, is perhaps one of my favourites of the many live shows I have of his. There’s a nice interplay between the flippant songs, and the more serious fare that makes for a nice entry point to Bob’s music. And the fact that he’s playing with long-time collaborator, Mitch Watkins, only sweetens the deal. It’s a long set, at 33 songs, so make sure you’re comfortable.

If nothing else, please make sure you listen to the track “Queen UK”. Please. As someone who used to play in a band, it breaks my heart every time I hear it.

The only thing that could have made the set better, for me? Including “King of the World”, “Tokyo” or “Gold in the Sunset” in the setlist. Still, you can’t have everything I suppose…

Listen. Love. Support.

Bob Schneider & Mitch Watkins, Live at Antone’s, 7 December 2002

1.) Intro
2.) Horses and Ponies
3.) Blood
4.) Round and Round
5.) Queen UK
6.) Down The Dark Stairs
7.) Cornflakes and Sodium Pentathol
8.) Pencil Me In
9.) Somewhere Over The Rainbow
10.) Spacesuit
11.) Captain Kirk
12.) The Other Side
13.) “Booger”
14.) Devil Was My Only Son
15.) Jingy
16.) Metal and Steel
17.) Cashville, TN
18.) Let It Go
19.) Losing You
20.) “One in ten chance”
21.) Batman
22.) Big Blue Sea
23.) Honeybomb
24.) 2002
25.) Sideshow Tornado
26.) All I Want For Christmas Is My Methadone
27.) Montana
28.) World Exploded Into Love
29.) Good Life
30.) If I Only Had A Brain
31.) Jimmy The Trucker
32.) Spend Some Time
33.) C’mon Baby

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Live Music Friday – Bob Schneider at Antone’s, 2002

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