In fact, I’m calling it quite possibly the coolest thing I’ve seen all month. Rivers Cuomo stopped by Stereogum late last year to appear on their “Decomposed Acoustic” sessions… and man, is it awesome.
Never one to do things by the book, Rivers brought along some guests. As Stereogum says:

A few weeks ago he put out a call for a pianist and an a cappella group to help decompose some tunes for us. Along with those folks, he brought a pretty enthusiastic up-and-comer named Jermaine Dupri (!). Throw in a cowboy flutist and three tunes from Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (including a Beach Boys cover) and you have a Rivers-sized holiday spectacle.

The session unfolds in three parts: first there’s “I Was Scared,” on which Cuomo’s joined by his hand-selected pianist Sonya Lee and five members of the Dartmouth Aires, an a cappella group from Dartmouth College. For the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby,” Rivers goes sans piano and full-on a cappella with the Dartmouth quintet on backing harmonies. And then there’s the grand jam of “Can’t Stop Partying,” which features five acoustic guitarists and three percussionists (from bands Crash Kings, Alkaline Trio, Yellowcard, Melee, Reeve Oliver and Ozma), big-hatted flutist Greg Vail, and Mr. Dupri. Fresh for ‘08.

And here it is… the coolest thing you’ll see all day, Rivers Cuomo and Co. singing “Can’t Stop Partying”.

Head here to watch the rest of the sessions.

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Easily the coolest thing I’ve seen today: Rivers Cuomo, “Can’t Stop Partying”

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So, last night, I saw titans perform at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Not only did I see My Morning Jacket perform as the opening act, but then Neil Young came on and absolutely tore the stage apart.

There won’t be a normal review post here today, because, frankly, I decided that I needed to go to a show without the concern of posting about it the next day for a change. Hey, even music bloggers need to sit back, once in a while. I will tell you this, however:

1. My Morning Jacket playing “I’m Amazed”, “Gideon” (and geez, does Jim James have a set of lungs or what?) and “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Pt II”… simply epic.

2. Seeing Neil Young perform “Hey Hey, My My”, “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”, “Cortez The Killer” (with its trademark killer guitar lines), “Needle and the Damage Done”, and freaking “Old Man”?? Absolutely. Insane. Point blank.
Actually, “Old Man” was touch and go there, for a while. Neil had some static issues with his guitar lead and had to stop the song… and he nearly didn’t come back to it. I would have been heartbroken.

3. Neil coming back for the encore with “A Day In The Life” cover. Absolutely mashing his guitar, he managed to break all his strings, and then literally starting pulling his guitar to pieces. I, and I think the rest of the crowd, felt that he was a heartbeat away from smashing his guitar. He didn’t, in the end, but trust me when I say the fire still burns fiercely in Neil’s belly.

All in all… Neil woke me up again. As he sang last night, “Just singing a song Won’t Change The World”. Maybe. But it sure as hell changed us, last night. And change enough people, and you change the world.

And so, with that short recap, I leave you with this…

Neil Young. A god of rock.

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Neil Young & My Morning Jacket, live at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre

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Well, now I’m really glad that I made the decision to get tickets to go see Ryan Adams & The Cardinals later this month. Ryan Adams yesterday posted on his blog that:

me- 34-a non smoker and happy, for the first time in my life.. i am excited to finish this wonderful time i have had with the cardinals and whatever new adventures may come after march. atlanta will be my last venture with the band and i am grateful for the time we have had and maybe someday we will have more stories to tell together[...]

well, i will walk away now and it will not matter what anyone say’s. there are other things i can do in this life, other ways to be creative and to try and help others and be expressive without being demonized for attempting to gain the same things any other human being desires- love- friendship- understanding- and being able to express yourself without constant fear of being mistreated for speaking up[...]

and you know, whatever this is- it’s not my dream. and it is a punishing thing to endure when you are getting worse and worse- it’s not my dream, my dream was to try and tap into that energy i saw watching Minutemen vcr tapes when i was just a little shit in NC of mike watt’s crazy shaking leg and his electric fingers- or how sonic youth droned into beautiful clouds those guitars shaking, kim and steve rattling the pulsing lines into feverish thudding imaginary subway cars racing through my heart- and how it felt to just let go and static up a riff and find the sweet spot- but getting yelled at for just being a songwriter- to be called so many horrid things because i chose to love music so much, and also to look for peace and balance in my life- that is not kindness and just not my thing. at least not now.

Click through to read the whole thing; although, if you’re a Ryan Adams fan, it might be a slightly depressing read (although I’m sure most of us saw this coming… eventually).

I’m seeing them perform at The Tivoli at the end of Jan. Lord knows it’s going to be bittersweet this time.

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Ryan Adams calling it quits?

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2. Ryan Adams – A video “Best Of”…
3. Another “Best Albums of the Decade” (2000 – 2009) List…

Yes… Archives Vol.1 finally seems tangible. If it’s at all possible, I’m now even more excited for the Neil Young gig I’m going to next month. Enjoy.

[youtube]Q8rHh8baT2Y[/youtube]

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The Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 Trailer

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Ryan Adams & The Cardinals on tour… standing on the shoulders of giants.

You know, by all accounts, it’s been a different Ryan Adams that has posted on Foggy lately. Having been on tour with Oasis for the last while, it seems like Ryan’s… well… maturing. And healthier than he’s been in a while.
And I don’t mean that at all in a condescending way; I mean it in the most awe-inspiring, respectful way. But it’s true… and from the tunes I’ve been hearing, this time with Oasis has only done good for Ryan and the Cards; in all honesty, some of the recordings I’ve heard of this tour are some of the best stuff I’ve heard from the Cardinals in ages.

Which brings me to the main point of this post… I’ve been scanning archive.org regularly for new material that’s been posted from the show, and I came across this set from only three days ago, when Ryan Adams and the Cardinals performed at the Bank of America Pavilion. And man, some of the new songs you hear there are, quite simply, awesome, and bode well for the Cardinal’s next release. Here’s a sample of those new tunes… the outstanding “Cobwebs” (which most of us would have already been exposed to by a post on Foggy), “Fix It” (god, how about that refrain?), and then the brand-new (to me, at least), tunes of “Sinking Ship” and “The Colour of Pain“.
All in all, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals are still titans, ladies and gentlemen. An island, a solid place to stand, in a swirling mass of uncertainty. And here’s some evidence of why they remain my favourite band. Here’s to more of this boys.

Listen. Love. Support.

Listen: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Cobwebs
Listen: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Fix It
Listen: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Sinking Ship
Listen: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – The Colour of Pain

And, thanks to the always spiffy archive.org, I’m now able to embed the entire playlist on this blog, below. Listen to the whole set, and if you’d like to download the whole thing, head here.

Seriously. It’s like the first time I heard Ryan Adams all over again, and I’m loving it.

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New Ryan Adams tunes… Sinking Ships, The Colour of Pain, Cobwebs & Fix It.

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2. Ryan Adams – A video “Best Of”…
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You know, oftentimes when band’s reform, they simply rest on their laurels and end up reliving their glory days, touring and touring on old material.
Not The Verve though. The Verve have put themselves out there, and recently released their new album, entitled “Forth“. And damned if I’m not enjoying this one.

This, the band’s fourth album, is a return to their more psychedelic sounding tunes… with Ashcroft meandering through a swirling world of coloured clouds, and guitarist Nick McCabe laying down some serious aural layers… a wall of sounds that envelops you.
I’m going to be bluntly honest; it’s not going to appease all their fans (and particularly not the “Bittersweet Symphony” crowd), but nor is it supposed to. It’s a brave reappearance from a band that refuse to rest on nostalgia.

And it’s great.

The Verve have kindly created a widget for us music bloggers to embed, so check it out below.

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Thank jeebus… The new album from The Verve actually sounds pretty good.

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Welcome back to another Live Music Friday here on Burgo’s Blog. For today’s show, I’ve decided to post one of the most requested sets from my readers: Radiohead, performing live at the BBC Radio Theatre, on April 1, 2008.

Long-time readers of this blog might remember that when Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” finally arrived, I was… well, slightly ambivalent about the album. There was something there that didn’t connect with me, as in their past albums. But, despite that, I had the feeling that the album was one which would grow in time.

And, for me at least… I was right.

This set, of Radiohead performing live at the BBC Radio Theatre took place on April 1, 2008, and was largely in support of that “In Rainbows” album. That said, there’s also a smattering of songs from other albums, including “Airbag“, “The Tourist” and “Lucky” (from the album “OK Computer“), and “Everything in its right place” from “Kid A“.

It’s a great live set, and certainly one for all Radiohead fans… not only the completists. The highlight for me comes in the three songs “House of Cards”, followed by “Weird Fishes” – the two strongest songs on the “In Rainbows” album, in my opinion – followed up by a wonderful rendition of “Lucky”.
Without a doubt… Radiohead are still one of the most important bands of our time.

Listen. Love. Support.

Radiohead, live at the BBC Radio Theatre, April 1, 2008

1.) Intro
2.) Bodysnatchers
3.) All I Need
4.) Nude
5.) Airbag
6.) Reckoner
7.) The Tourist
8.) House of Cards
9.) Weird Fishes
10.) Lucky
11.) Everything In Its Right Place
12.) Outro

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Live Music Friday – Radiohead, live at BBC Radio Theatre

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Welcome back to another Live Music Friday here at Burgo’s Blog. Thanks to all the regular readers who were patient while I took my week off from posting… it was much needed, and I think it did me a world of good.
For this week’s Live Music Friday, I decided to post a show from 2005, when Alex Dezen and Dave Chernis of The Damnwells played on World Cafe Live.

There are a few reasons that I chose to post an Alex Dezen post today. The first is that I’ve noticed a lot of you are finding my blog searching for Alex Dezen, and in particular the song “Tonight and Forever”… I’m guessing this is as a result of The Damnwells getting a lot of exposure lately, thanks to no less than five of their songs – “Tonight and Forever” included – appearing on the new Ryan Reynolds flick, “Chaos Theory“. That’s really encouraging for a supporter to see, and, in a weird way, I’m really proud and happy for the band. So if you’re one of those people just getting turned onto the group, then I’d really suggest you check out some of my past posts on the band: particularly my post about The Damnwells documentary, Golden Days, which shows the movie’s trailer; my post The Damnwells – A new release and some old love; and a previous Live Music Friday, showcasing Alex Dezen and Angela Dezen performing live at the Hotel Cafe. And finally, there is of course this post, which features a live version of the song, “Tonight and Forever”.

The second reason is that, during my week off from posting, I returned to my roots somewhat, in order to recharge my batteries. This included copious amounts of Ryan Adams listening, and… you guessed it… Alex Dezen and The Damnwells.

“Back to the record. People have been asking, “Is this a Damnwells record or an Alex solo record?” The answer is: I’m not sure. The Damnwells has always been about my songs with extremely talented musicians and producers collaborating. The personnel have changed, but the essence—one of this week’s vocabulary words for the 7th graders I teach—remains the same. That was always the idea Ted and I had for this band, that it would be a kind of collective, a collaborative vehicle for artists and friends. Dave, Ted, and Steve were the in the shit with me for 7 years. Now they’ve got other things going on, more important things. Are we still friends? Some of us. Will we ever play together again? Does the pope wear a funny hat? Even if some of us aren’t in communication right now, I know we wish we were. So are the Damnwells finished? I think I just answered that question. If you’re still unsure, come down to the Double-Decker fest in Oxford, Mississippi on the 26th, or the Workplay Theater in Birmingham, Alabama on the 27th and see for yourself. Just remember to bring some earplugs and a broken heart. On the stage for this limited engagement will be Ole Dick Dick, Ratty, Jay, and myself. There are some plans in the works for more shows this summer, though who knows if that will happen.”

And really, a large part of my love for this set is that it features both Alex and Dave. Don’t get me wrong; I know that The Damnwells is more than just certain members. As Alex has always said, The Damnwells is more of a collective. But, to me… I’ll always look at the musical connection that Alex and Dave have with much fondness, regardless of whether they play together again or not.

Alex Dezen in 2000, before forming The Damnwells (image credit: Heather Conley)

“Trekking back in time now just to confuse you, while in Oxford I got a phone call from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa.  I had driven myself crazy for the past six months applying to grad schools for fiction writing.  I took the GRE, filled out 15 applications, and worked day and night polishing my writing samples.  A couple nervous breakdowns later, it was all done, all applications were submitted, albeit a few with missing transcripts.

“We’re gonna be accepting you to the program,” Connie Brothers said, “and you left the box that indicates your preference for assistantship blank.  I need to fill it in so you’ll be considered for funding.”

After assuring me this was not a practical joke, I thanked her and called my wife, who subsequently cried with equal parts joy and fear at the prospect of living in Iowa City for the next two years.  It was one degree there a few weeks ago.  Just one.  So, if there are any Damnwells fans in Iowa City, drop me a line.  I’ll be teaching Rhetoric (whatever the hell that is) to freshmen and writing the great American novel.”

All in all… Alex Dezen is – to put it mildly – a multifaceted person; husband, writer, teacher, musician. But that’s the way I like ‘em.

And perhaps, for all of those Damnwells fans who are worried that this much feted new album will never come out, or worry about the future of the band itself, I might quote one more passage from Alex’s blog (really, this is just an excuse for me to post more of his writings.. I just love his way with words):

“It’s been a long time, he said.
She didn’t answer but looked right back at him unflinching, even though she desperately wanted to turn away.
Sorry I haven’t been in touch, he said.
She was mad, but that was okay because it was better than being sad.
It’s okay now, she said. There was so much more to say. It was tied in a knot somewhere inside her, refusing to unfurl.
I’ve been making a record, he explained. There’s been some complications, as always, he said, laughing quietly. But it’s almost done.
She laughed with him, pretending to understand.
It sounds really great, he said. I think this is the best one I’ve ever made.
That’s great, she said. When will I get to hear it?
I’d love to play it for you.
He was always saying that. Another promise unfulfilled. She heard another language, though—a language of broken promises to her.
When can I hear it? she asked.
Soon.
It’s that good, huh? she said, turning her head to the side and smiling with licked lips.

Yeah, he said, and kissed her.”

The fact is, that in the last few years, Alex Dezen has become one of my favourite artists. Without a doubt. And this set on World Cafe Live perfectly showcases that. Alex’s achingly beautiful way with words, his tales of love and heartbreak… and hope; and his voice that completely sucks you in. Add in the perfect complements of Dave Chernis, and you’re in for one of my favourite sets of The Damnwells.

Anyway, I’ve jabbered on enough about the band. If you’ve stuck with me this long, then you really deserve this set. So let’s just get to the show, shall we?

Listen. Love. Support.

Alex Dezen and Dave Chernis of The Damnwells, live on World Cafe Live, 22 November, 2005

1.) Introduction
2.) Golden Days
3.) Tonight and Forever
4.) Electric Harmony
5.) Kiss Catastrophe
6.) Kung Fu Grip Kiss
7.) I Will Keep the Bad Things From You
8.) The Trade
9.) Louisville
10.) Assholes
11.) I’ll Be Around
12.) Sleepsinging

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Live Music Friday – Alex Dezen and Dave Chernis of The Damnwells, live on World Cafe Live

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So I was all set for a Calexico “Live Music Friday” post today, and then at the last minute, an email came through pointing me towards this NME article, which in turn led me to the BBC Radio 1 site, which – finally – pointed me towards this set: Coldplay, performing live from the Brixton Academy in London.

Given that it was a live set, it was simply too fortuitous a timing to pass up… so I decided to post this set for today’s Live Music Friday.

If you’ve read this blog for a while, you might remember me mentioning that I was slightly hesitant to embrace Coldplay’s new album, “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends“, and that it’s lead single, “Violet Hill”, just didn’t hit me where it should have.
That, of course, was based solely on that single. Since then, I’ve managed to listen to the album in its entirety… but I’m still undecided about it. Something tells me that it will be one of those albums that will grow on me over time; but right now, while I think it’s a good album (and great, by other bands’ standards), it doesn’t quite reach the heights that I know Coldplay are capable of.

That said… this live set, featuring both new and old material, is an absolute cracker, and makes me like the new songs all the more. It’s not surprising, really… Coldplay are a band made for dramatic, passionate live performances. And this, their first live performance in two years, is no exception.

It’s a great set, that finds Chris Martin in a playful mood (once he finally addresses the crowd, before “Viva La Vida”). For example, before the track “Chinese Sleep Chant“, Martin jokes about the fact that the band’s live return had been a free ticket giveaway, with “I know there have been complaints about the ticket price. What can I say, we’re money grabbing whores!“. Or, between “Square One” and “Trouble“, where the band seamlessly switches songs, and there’s this wonderfully surreal moment where he stops and says:

“How seamless was that? How professional was that crossover? You know, if ever… if ever Jonny’s ego grows out of control and the band splits up, and you happen to be on a piano ferry going to Calais or wherever they go, and you see me doing a little piano-turn, you can say, “Chris, I remember when you used to be a pop star, and you did those seamless crossovers between Girls Aloud, and your own beautiful ballads. And I will say thank you so much”

… before… well… seamlessly picking up the tune again. And when the crowd sings along to the outro of “Trouble”, it’s such a powerful moment that Chris Martin comments, “Whoa. What a ferry journey that would be“.
In fact, it’s at moments like that, listening to the majestic sounds Coldplay create here, that it hits me… I have no doubt that the new tunes will eventually become anthems, just as the older material has obviously become.

Finally, make sure you at least listen to the track, “Death Will Never Conquer”; sung by the band’s drummer, Will Champion. It’s awesome to hear him step out from behind the skins and into the spotlight. And “Fix You“? Awesome. That’s all that’s needed to be said.

Enough rambling. The set is below. Listen. Love. Support.

Coldplay, live at London’s Brixton Academy, 16 June 2008

1.) Intro
2.) Life In Technicolour
3.) Violet Hill
4.) Clocks
5.) In My Place
6.) Viva La Vida
7.) Chinese Sleep Chant
8.) God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
9.) 42
10.) Square One
11.) Trouble
12.) Lost!
13.) Strawberry Swing

Encore

14.) Interlude
15.) Yellow
16.) Death Will Never Conquer (The Goldrush cover)
17.) Fix You
18.) Lovers In Japan

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Live Music Friday – Coldplay, live at London’s Brixton Academy

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Possibly the post that I receive the most emails about on this blog was my past post about the Counting Crows performance on WXPN’s World Cafe Friday.
I don’t think that a a single week has gone by, since that post was published, where I don’t get an email asking me for the rest of the tracks to that performance.

Now that “Live Music Friday” has been instituted on this blog, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to take care of all those emails in one go… so today, I’ll be posting the entire set of Counting Crows, live on WXPN/World Cafe.

As much as I get elitist music snob feedback whenever I feature Counting Crows on this blog, I stand by my statement that, for many of us, Counting Crows pretty much played the soundtrack of our lives. Seriously. Recovering the Satellites, and August and Everything After contained songs that – I think, at that stage of my life, for the very first first time – seemed to me as though they were written specifically with you in mind.So when the news came out that the band were set to release their fifth-studio album, “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings“, earlier this year, I was desperately hoping for it to bring back those feelings of years gone past. However, as my two past posts indicated, I was hesitant to hold out too much hope for fear of disappointment.

(Side note: Once I finally received my full copy of the double-album, I was… ambivalent. Which is a terrible thing to say about a band like Counting Crows. But, really, it was an album that was good, but not great.)

This set, however, is the set that got me excited about the album. It’s a set that exemplifies why Counting Crows are one of the greatest live acts around – their ability to make each show a truly personal experience for each person in the audience.
In this set, Counting Crows walked the crowd through the album, with eight songs performed from “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings”. And, before each tune, Adam Duritz introduces the track with an in-depth commentary about the story behind the song. You really have to listen to the entire set to get that magic of hearing Adam explain the birth and life of each song… but here’s a sample taste of his introduction to “Washington Square”:

“And I moved “Washington Square” to this place right here, because following that would be this song “Le Ballet d’Or”, which is about looking back on your life and realising, “If I’d just done things a little differently, this could all have been a lot different”. As the song starts out, uh… “Wasted time running scared, when all the love needs is to be believed in“… which is an obvious thing to say, but not a simple thing to do.
Or the second verse is, “Wasted time running scared, all that I need is something like a summer, and I know you need somebody just like I do“.
And he goes through the seasons in that song, it’s kind of a companion song to “Omaha” in a way, that he’s looking at his life in these different ways and seeing all these places where… God, it didn’t have to go as wrong as it did, it’s just that… if I’d just been able to see it a little differently, I could have done things a little differently. And he kind of comes to the conclusion that, it’s time to stop being the way I’ve been, and to do something totally different.

And the song after that is called, “On A Tuesday In Amsterdam Long Ago”, which I wrote in Amsterdam the week after “Accidentally in Love”. At the time, written about, “What if this wonderful thing that’s going on in my life were to.. fall apart and drift away?”.
Uh, and years later, after it actually did… uh, it becomes this really… it was a sad song about the possibilities of something so beautiful, and how fragile it is to hold something that beautiful in your hand, but in the years later of course, it becomes a truly, truly sad thing to have lost something that meant that much to you. And it’s funny, a friend of mine commented to me the other night, she said, “You know, this album… the healthier you get, the sadder it gets”, and I was like, “Oh…”.

And I think that’s because madness is like numbness. And you retreat from the world. And the healthier you get, the better you are, the more you can feel… and feeling is just, you know… it can go either way. You can feel good, you can feel bad.”

And really… who doesn’t an intro like that speak to? Seriously. Listen. Love. Support.

Counting Crows, Live on WXPN/World Cafe Friday, 8 February 2008

1.) 1492
2.) Hanging Tree
3.) Insignificant
4.) Cowboys
5.) When I Dream of Michelangelo
6.) You Can’t Count On Me
7.) Washington Square
8.) Come Around

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Live Music Friday – Counting Crows Live on WXPN/World Cafe Friday

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