Indie Music Blog, Live Sessions, and Daily MP3 Downloads.
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Red Cortez is a re-branded band formerly known as Weather Underground out of California. They deliver songs with a varying blend of influences ranging from rock, soul, punk and blues.
You can hear all of these influences on “All the Difference” and “World at Rest.” No word on when an album might be released, but stay tuned. Red Cortez are definitely worth keeping on your radar.
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Some time back, I was sitting outside some pub in Europe enjoying the scene. It was brisk day and group of rag-a-muffin musicians stopped by and played some tunes. Lots of scarves, funny hats, ratty sweaters and the sort. They carried with them a mix of guitars, fiddles, a cello and some random wind instruments. It wasn’t the tightest act in the world but it was a nice listen on a fall European day.
After stumbling across The Miserable Rich, a 5 piece chamber pop outfit from Brighton, UK, my thoughts drifted back to that same day. I have only two songs from this band on my ipod and I’ve listened to them countless times over the last few days.
This is why I’m a fan of music. The songs are beautiful, fragile, and emotional. Lead singer James Malpaquet’s delicate voice weaves its way over understated acoustical brilliance. Delicate layers of guitar, cello, violin, they may have fired up a viola for good measure.
Enjoy the tune, maybe with a mug of some European lager or a strong cup of real coffee. I’ll be patiently waiting for the rest of the album to make it way across the pond.
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Bruce Springsteen posted this note on his website and is offering a free mp3 download and video for the previously unreleased track “A Night With The Jersey Devil.” It’s a dark, bluesy jam just in time for Halloween. Download it here.
For some background on the Jersey Devil, click here.
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You may have seen the video on YouTube from the band Creaky Boards, claiming that Chris Martin saw them perform at a CMJ performance and then stole their melody for “Viva La Vida.” Well, Creaky Boards have about 700,000 views on their YouTube video about the conspiracy, so hopefully they are finding some new fans. Here’s the latest mp3 released for their upcoming album Brooklyn Is Love, due out on November 11th.
Here’s the video comparison between the song entitled “The Songs I Didn’t Write” by Creaky Boards and Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.” The lead singer has a great moustache, which reminds me of the HearYa vs. Yahoo! consipiracy! I guess I should put a video together.
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It’s hard to listen to Calexico and not imagine yourself wandering in solitude amongst cacti and coyotes outside of some dried up, deserted border town on your quest for self-realization, actualization or whatever you call “finding yourself.” The rolling drums prod the tumbleweeds along and the whispery vocals canvas the star-ridden night sky. If you listen to Carried To Dust, leave your belongings behind, wear war paint, and take some peyote. You’re in for an experience.
The band is from Tucson which may explain the latin influence you’ll hear throughout the album. Carried To Dust starts with “Victor Jara’s Hands,” featuring vocals by Spanish singer, Jairo Zavala. It’s a political piece about the real life story of Chilean theater director, singer-songwriter, and political activist who was arrested, tortured, and murdered during the 1973 US endorsed Chilean coup. Calexico found inspiration to write the song after seeing similar stories in recent headlines, with the events taking place in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.
The collaborations don’t stop there, however. Calexico also get backing vocals from Sam Beam of Iron & Wine on “House of Valparaiso,” continuing what they started on the collaborative album In the Reins. The only love song on the album, “Slowness,” features stirring vocals by Pieta Brown and “Bend To The Road” features master harmonicist Mickey Raphael who has been in Willie Nelson’s band since the 70’s and has also performed with U2, Emmy Lou Harris, and Neil Young.
I have every Calexico album and Carried to Dust is their best effort yet. These guys are true musicians that explore new sounds and bend genres. If you find yourself in a rut of music consumerism, listening to homogenized bands that are easily classified, then I really urge you to give Calexico’s Carried To Dust a chance. Listening to them is like sailing into uncharted waters with no other vessels in eyesight.
I’m not sure I did the album justice, but it’s in my top 5 albums of 2008. Think of the scene in Young Guns when Lou Diamond Philips’ character, Chavez, takes the gang on a journey into the spirit world. Emilio Estevez as Billy the Kid is ass backwards on a horse, Dirty Steve is firing buck shots at an imaginary chicken, Doc is reciting poetry, and Charlie is puking off a rock. The all-knowing Mexican-Indian guides them through a world of spirits that speak volumes in silence and give the gang a sense of their destiny. Calexico is Chavez and we’re all invisible…”because we’re in the spirit world, asshole.”
Website | MySpace | Quarterstick Records
Hear live, acoustic versions of “Two Silver Trees,” “Man Made Lake,” and “Writer’s Minor Holiday” from frontman Joey Burns’ session with Ticketmaster’s liveDaily.
Joey Burns solo on liveDaily Sessions
Calexico - “Two Silver Trees” Video
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Speaking of favorite songs of the 80’s, country music super group, The Highwaymen, put out my favorite song in 1985. The song “Highwayman” fueled my pre-pubescent career fantasies. I thought I’d for sure be either a sailor, starship pilot, or a dam builder. None of those came true, unless I missed a verse where Kris Kristofferson says, “I sit in a cubicle for 10 hours everyday, then at night I write a blog.”
This song remains one of my top 5 favorite songs of all time and this live video is freaking amazing. I’m so jealous of everyone in that crowd.
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I’ve been in Ohio for a funeral since Friday and was able to hang with my folks in Columbus, OH. It got me thinking about the songs my dad would play on long road trips when I was a kid. I’m pretty sure that my taste for twang and love of alt-country is a result of my old man playing Willie, Waylon, Cash, Alabama and John Denver in the car on family vacations.
Back in 1984, “Long Hard Road” by They Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was my favorite song. I wore the shit out of Plain Dirt Fashion cassette tape as a kid. The album wasn’t reviewed well by critics, but 7 year old kids don’t know what 2 out of 5 stars means anyway. I still love reminiscing with this song about reminiscing.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Long Hard Road (The Sharecroppers’ Dream)
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When I hear the name Travis, I automatically think of that song, “Sing,” that dominated airways back in 2001. I know you’re singing it in your head right now.
I haven’t paid much attention to the band in past years, but this “J. Smith” character has me intrigued. It’s off their upcoming album, due out November 4th, called Ode to J. Smith. The track has attitude and big guitar riffs that had me checking out the band’s website to see if this was in fact the same “Sing” Travis. Indeed it is, but I like this one much better.
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Here are the tracks we discussed this past week:
The Dutchess and The Duke - Reservoir Park
Hacienda - She’s Got A Hold On Me
Leopold and His Fiction - Come Back (Now That I’m Here)
Chad VanGaalen - Clinically Dead
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It’s been forever since my first Feel as Good as a Boner Mix, so I thought you might be ready for Volume 2. As discussed in Volume 1, the below mixture of music is very similar to a boner because 1) boners are free, just like this music, and 2) just like woodies, these songs will make you feel pretty dang nab good.
Quick tip (no pun intended): If you click play on the first song, the fancy little player will continue to play all the other songs for you. That way you don’t even need to take your eyes of the image above! Good day, Sir.
Damien Jurado – Gillian was a Horse
Okkervil River – Lost Coastlines
The Morning Benders – Mother and Child Reunion
We’ve been molesting Blitzen Trapper lately over how much we love their new album, Furr. It’s high time we move on. Here’s an oldie but a goodie.)
Lambchop – Slipped Dissolved & Loosed
The Little Ones – Morning Tide
This is from the Karate Kid soundtrack. It’s probably been 20 years since you heard this song, if you were even alive back then. But it kicks ass, just like Daniel-sahn. And it makes you want to roll your socks, just like Daniel-sahn.
My Morning Jacket – Golden (Live)
For those that need a live MMJ fix since the October shows in Chicago got rescheduled. I heard Jim James broke his coccyx.
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