:: There's Always Room ... ::

Ah, Jello's still at it! Here's some info regarding his latest project from AlternativeTentacles.com:

It's the awe-inspiring collaboration from Jello you've been waiting for! The band also features Ralph Spight (Victims Family, Freak Accident, Hellworms), Jon Weiss (Sharkbait, Horsey), Billy Gould (Faith No More), & Kimo Ball (Freak Accident, Carneyball Johnson, Mol Triffid, Griddle). All of the art is by Shepard Fairey!

For a Limited time, you can grab a free MP3 from Amazon:

Strength Thru Shopping
by Jello Biafra And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine
From the Album The Audacity Of Hype

Random media response:
"It would seem as if hanging around extreme musicians such as Napalm Death has finally rubbed off on political thorn/punk rock legend Jello Biafra. Where much of his work over the past decade has been relegated to commentary CDs and the occasional forgettable song that could never dream of living up to his storied career, that tide is about to shift with Audacity Of Hype. Yes, this is outright hype but for once with an otherwise untouchable artist such as this ― who do you know that ever pans a Biafra outing? ― it's entirely justified. Energised, spirited and rather aggressive, the album boasts a guttural rock'n'roll basis reminiscent of classic Dead Kennedys tunes such as "California Uber Alles" and "Too Drunk To Fuck" without ever trying to be that. It's clearly just the same inspiration barging forth. Even Biafra sounds possessed, pointed and not annoying for the first time in ages. Grinding and expedient, intelligent and furious, this album spells good times for Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine."
- Exclaim

posted by me

[ - MR. RUSSIA - ]

Let's see, I've only been away for almost six months now! Sheesh. Yeah [e-sigh>, I'm simply trying to obliterate the notion that people who create blogs are asleep at the keyboard, dilatory, idle, inattentive, indifferent, indolent, inert, lackadaisical, laggard, lagging, languid, languorous, lethargic, lifeless, loafing, neglectful, out of it, passive, procrastinating, remiss, shiftless, slothful, somnolent, supine, torpid, trifling, unconcerned, unenergetic, unindustrious, unpersevering, unready, weary, or even just plain lazy! Right then. ;)

Get to it, man. Ok. MR. RUSSIA recently released Training for the Gameshow Host -- the follow-up to its 2009 debut Teething -- and its available [e-drum roll] as a free download from the band's Web site. It includes a rather faithful version of Radiohead's "National Anthem, but don't seek this music out just for a cover. The short collection of songs deserves a bit more credit, or so methinks, and I'm not alone. Left of the Dial Magazine said the following: "imagine, if one can, a merger between Killdozer and Semisonic, or Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and a KTel records disco ball bash: there’s some gargantuan, gristly, distressed, crunchy, and ironic white boy funk-attack rhythm in here, bleached and bouncy too."

Here's a brief bit about the band from Lens Records:
MR RUSSIA blends two basses with synthesizers, drums, and snarky, blunt, and sometimes devilish lyrics, that is described as “a slash-and-burn mix of adrenaline and melody” (Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times). The new six song ep Training for the Gameshow Host pushes home the point while displaying this guitar-free lineup's continuing pledge to not disappoint. With a reputation for furious, sweat soaked live shows, "MR RUSSIA is a damn good time" (Chicagoist).

Enjoy, and I'll probably show up again in another six months or so ;).

[P.S. Happpy birthday to me Mums! =]

Sunday Live - The D!

Tenacious D Live at The Wiltern Theater - Hurricane Katrina Benefit 9.22.05

After a prolonged hiatus, I'm back (sort of) with a live recording of Jack & Kyle, performing a great benefit show for people suffering (who probably still are) in the aftermath of Katrina. Here's a brief piece I found online about the show:

"Tenacious D may write songs about praising Satan and having threesomes, but there is a much softer side to the duo as well. The D have now organized a benefit concert in Los Angeles to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The star-studded event will include appearances by Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, Jesse “The Devil” Hughes (Eagles Of Death Metal), Fiona Apple, along with comedians David Cross and Sarah Silverman. The show takes place September 22nd at the Wiltern Theater, with tickets going on sale tomorrow through Ticketmaster. All the proceeds from the ticket sales will be given to the American Red Cross. This marks the second benefit that The D have put together this year, as they staged a show for survivors of the tsunami disaster back in January."

OK. And now for some f-ing music already! Incidentally, you can download the entire show in 64Kbps MP3 or VBR ZIP.

Oh what a night!
Flash >
Wonderboy
Kickapoo story / intro
Kickapoo
Shells story / intro
Shells
The Government Totally Sucks
Master Exploder intro
Master Exploder
random talking 1
Dude, I totally Miss You
Sasquatch
The Pick of Destiny!
Saxaboom
I'm Roasted
The Road
I wanna take a piss, I wanna take a shit (Drum Beats)
Dio
Fuck Her Gently
Tribute
Double Team
The performers get the 'Van Halen' photograph taken from stage
Super Jam $

Cheers!

Working on a Dream

Springsteen has been generous lately. First, he obliged electronic trick-or-treaters this past Halloween. Now, for one day, he's giving away his latest single, "Working On A Dream" at iTunes and through his Web site. Thanks, Boss! Prost!

If you believe ...

R.E.M. closed their 2008 intl. tour with a performance in Mexico City this week. Thanks for some great [censored by Blogger] music, lads!

¡Salud!

Yorke the Vote

To celebrate the Obama 08 electoral victory, Thom Yorke has posted a remix of "Harrowdown Hill" on deadairspace. What the 7734. Thanks, Thom!

Here's his post:

did i fall or was i pushed?

in celebration of nov 5th
jonnys burthday
amid bonfire and fireworks in the UK
and the dawn of a new era in politics in the USA
i humbly donate a remix of harrowdown hill that was finished ages ago during the band webcasts,
a small reminder of the dark days of Bush's....

Thom Yorke - "Harrowdown Logic Jump Rmx"



"And I'm coming home
I'm coming home
To make it all right
so dry your eyes
We think the same things at the same time
We just can’t do anything about it

We think the same things at the same time
There are too many of us so you can’t
There are too many of us so you can’t count...

It was me walking to the back of Harrowdown Hill
It was me walking to the back of Harrowdown Hill

It was a slippery, slippery, slippery slope
It was a slippery, slippery, slippery slope
I felt me slipping in and out of consciousness
I felt me slipping in and out of consciousness

I feel me..."

r.e.m. Believes in Obama [video]

:: Report from remhq ::

"Here's a special clip from tonight's show in Santiago, Chile, when the band and audience learned from Bertis that Barack Obama's victory was imminent and indisputable. A celebratory version of "I Believe" followed...Yes!"





"I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change, the difference between
What you want and what you need, there’s the key,
Your adventure for today, what do you do
Between the horns of the day?

I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in"

The Monday Covers Project - Expressway To Your Skull

For The Monday Covers Project, I raided the archives of, well, archive.org. It starts off with Athens, GA-based Drive-By Truckers playing "Rockin' In The Free World," a Neil Young song. I heard the piece performed live at the Rockfish Palace the first time I visited Athens, covered by Drivin N Cryin with Peter Buck as a guest guitarist. So, there's obviously a bit of nostalgia at work. I conclude my brief list with a cover version of a Sonic Youth tune -- something that, for some reason, I don't see nearly enough of -- along with a few other cool picks from Ryan Adams (I particularly like his Rocket Man, the studio version of which was featured in David Duchovny's latest TV show, Californication). Cheers to our adoration of covers and, since tomorrow is the election (FINALLY), an end to this eight-year nightmare!

Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young cover)
Drive-By Truckers [10.26.08]
People Who Died (Jim Carroll cover)
[Recorded at The 40 Watt -- 11.3.06]

Where is My Mind? [9.8.07]
The Frames (Pixies cover)

Firecracker [6.7.03]
Annie Bethancourt (Ryan Adams cover)

Rocket Man [12.3.01]
Ryan Adams (Elton John cover)
Sweet Jane (Lou Reed cover) [10.30.02]
Wonderwall (Oasis cover) [5.14.05]
Expressway To Your Skull (Sonic Youth cover) [8.3.06]



"We’re gonna kill
the California girls
we’re gonna fire the exploding load in the milkmaid maiden head
we’re gonna find the meaning
of feeling good
and we’re gonna stay there as long as we think we should

mystery train
three way plane
expressway
to your skull"

Sunday Live - Cracker 11.4.07

"Following the break-up of his seminal 1980's band, Camper Van Beethoven, David Lowery, looking to the future, formed Cracker with Johnny Hickman. Cracker was, and continues to be, an ideal showcase for Lowery's invariably satiric, oft-times, acerbic take on present day Americana. Anchored by Hickman's pan-rock stylings they glide seamlessly between rock, alternative and country musical styles, flummoxing those wanting to pigeon-hole the band, and giving them the freedom to consistently re-invent themselves. As a result, they have enjoyed a longevity possessed by few rock bands."

Typically, I would be loathe to read -- much less quote -- a bio from a band's own Web site, writing it off as narcissistic [censored by Blogger]. But in the case of Cracker, I'll make an exception, because Lowery deserves a lot of credit for working to create some [censored by Blogger] great music with his post-CVB outfit. If you're not familiar, or are just looking for more than this concert, try the band's site and register as a member of the "community" (you only need to pass along an e-mail addy), where you'll get access to loads of freebie MP3's (from Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven) and other stuff.

For Sunday Live this week, I'm posting a Cracker performance recorded at The Bottleneck in Lawrence KS on 11.4.07 (from archive.org). You can download the entire show as a 64Kbps MP3 ZIP or VBR ZIP file.

One Fine Day
Riverside
Everybody Gets One
Euro Trash Gigl
Big Dipper
Mr. Wrong
Lonsome Johnny Blues
Infirmary
Useless Stuff
The World Is Mine
Something You Aint Got
St. Cajtean
Low
Gimme One More Chance
Sweet Thistle Pie
Loser



"It's been a long time since I've been so very low
It's been a long time since I've been so very low
When I was young you were no stranger
Around the world and slip through my fingers
It's been a long time since I've been so very low

Hey Hey Hey Yeah

Sweet Thistle Pie
Sweet Thistle Pie
Sweet Thistle Pie"

Halloween with Springsteen and The Jersey Devil

A treat from The Boss:

Dear Friends and Fans,

If you grew up in central or south Jersey, you grew up with the "Jersey Devil." Here's a little musical Halloween treat. Have fun!

Bruce Springsteen

MP3 download: "A Night with the Jersey Devil"

"Hear me now!
I was born 13th child, 'neath the 13th moon
Spit out hungry and born anew
Daddy drag me to the river tie me in rocks
Throw me in where it's deep and wide
I go down, I don't die
Hole in the river bottom, I crawl through
Come back kill six brothers and sisters, kill papa too
Sway down Mama, sway down low
They gonna know me wherever I go

Into my bed with her kerosene my mama creep
Set my flesh to burning, whilst I sleep
I burn, burn, burn, till my soul burn black
Black rains fall, I come back, I come back
Get down Mama, get down low
They gonna know me wherever I go

16 witches, cast 16 spells
Make me guitar outta skin and human skull
Sing you a song like the wind in the sandy loam
Bring you baby out'cha your happy home

Ram's head, forked tail, clove hoof, love's my trail
I sup on your body, sip on your blood like wine
Out world theirs, this world mine
So kiss me baby till it hurts
God lost in heaven, we lost on earth
Sway down Mama, sway down low
They gonna know me wherever I go
Wherever I go, wherever I go

Well I got a brand new lover
I love her yes I do,
She's my one and only and her name is Baby Blue..."

Copyright © Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP) / EMI Music Publishing (BMI)

Disney's Chilling, Thrilling Sounds Of The Haunted House

Disney's "Chilling, Thrilling Sounds Of The Haunted House" is the standard when it comes to Halloween recordings to set the tone for a holiday that is favorite of kids of all ages all around the world. I couldn't think of a more perfect post for this day than the entire collection of these wonderful pieces in MP3 format. For a much higher quality, please check out iTunes.

John Frost wrote the following in The Disney Blog: "In 1964 the facade of what would become Disneyland’s famous Haunted Mansion sat empty, unoccupied by any of its future ghostly residents, waiting for Imagineers to return from other projects to finish the attraction. But that same year, perhaps to remind the public that the Haunted Mansion would be opening some time in the future, Disneyland Records and the Walt Disney Sound Effects Group released the classic sound effects record ..."

And so, here are the recordings. Happy Halloween!

"Side 1 contains ten stories in sound in which the narrator sets up the situation and the sound effects take over and tell the story."
The Haunted House
The Very Long Fuse
The Dogs
Timber
Your Pet Cat
Shipwreck
The Unsafe Bridge
Chinese Water Torture
The Birds
The Martian Monsters

"Side 2 is a collection of sound effects grouped by category. these may be used to create your own stories in sound.
Screams and Groans
Thunder, Lightning and Rain
Cat Fight
Dogs
A Collection of Creaks
Fuses and Explosions
A Collection of Crashes
Birds
Drips and Splashes
Things in Space



"You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hilltop near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One night, a light appears in the topmost window in a tower of the old house. You decide to investigate. And you never return..."

CMJ - two days & a lifetime later

Yes, I missed it. I'm a loser, baby. I suck. That's right, I didn't make it to NYC for CMJ and a blur of odd, fortuitous connections, and nightly music-driven soirees. Well, to be fair, that's simply a world that I'm no longer a part of. But I suppose that I've been overtaken a bit with some sort of nostalgia, thinking of a time when I was music director of a small college station, and the center of that chaos is precisely where I belonged.

In any case, I've found a way to sort of reconnect with this previous life, across a profound distance, by simply going online and reading reports, listening to music, and so forth, and am posting some links for anyone else stricken with this probably nauseating wistfulness. Right, then. Cheers!

Here is a great place to start: Stereogum's excellent archive of CMJ 2008 coverage.

From there, you might want to move right in and check out KEXP, declared "Station Of The Year," one of the "2008 College Radio Award Winners" at CMJ. It was quite a lovefest, really, and they also took home the "Most Groundbreaking," "Best Podcast," and "Most Likely To Reinvent Radio" honors. They were of course in NYC for this year's festivities, and here are some links to their award-winning podcasts:

Broken Social Scene -- Live @ CMJ
"Broken Social Scene perform a laid-back and off-the-cuff set live on KEXP from New York City for CMJ. Recorded live at the Gibson Showroom on 10/24/08, this set contains 4 songs from the radio set plus an impromtu song song for the studio audience and selections from your favorite children's tunes: Hit the Wall, Untitled (or Choose Your Own Adventure), Xerxes, Love is New, Audience Song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star/ABC/Puff the Magic Dragon"

Fujia and Miyagi -- Live @ CMJ
"Expanding from a three-piece to a four-, Fugiya and Miyagi expand their funky electronic and rock groove in this session, performed live on KEXP from NYC for CMJ. Recorded at the Gibson Showroom on 10/23/08 - 5 Songs: Pickpocket, Sore Thumb, Knickerbocker, Goosebumps, Sick and Tired"

Bang Bang Eche -- Live @ CMJ
"NZ dance-punkers Bang Bang Eche rock the Gibson Showroom for KEXP from CMJ 2008. Recorded 10/22/08 - 5 songs: Fingers In The Till, Exchange, Four To The Floor, Time Mismanagement, Hangers"

Vivian Girls -- Live @ CMJ
"All-girl Brooklyn trio Vivian Girls throw down a sonic barrage that's equal parts rock, surf and punk during their performance from Gibson Showroom during KEXP's broadcast from CMJ. Recorded 10/20/08 - songs: I Can't Stay, Lake House, Second Date, Tell The World"

For those of us who didn't make it to the city, there was a plethora CMJ-related blog coverage. Here are some great links:

CMJRELAY - The CMJ Staff Blog

CJLO (Montreal) was awarded "Best Student-Run Non-FM Station," and you can read their CMJ 2008 TRAVEL BLOG here.

The Ourstage Blog
Samples of MP3's Ourstage posted from bands who performed at CMJ:
Chemicals by Dead Men Dreaming
Draped in Blue by Mieka Pauley
The True History Of Rock n Roll by Dirty Fuzz
All the Water by Joanna Erdos and the Midnight Show

Sound Bites: CMJ 2008
Sample MP3's:
It Must Be Me by Whitsundays
The Brigde by Kirsten Ketsjer
Scooter by Radio Luxembourg

The Culture of Me
mp-FREE samples
I'm Pretty Sure by Drew Danburry
Every Minute by Mojo Nation
Some Are Lakes by Land Of Talk

RCRD LBL CMJ - free MP3's
Everything With You by The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Are You Sensation (VHS Or Beta Remix) by Tigercity
Chicago by The Uglysuit

The TONY Blog (from Time Out New York)

Metromix New York's CMJ 2008

KCRW's CMJ 2008

The Music Slut @ CMJ
Sample MP3:
American Names by Sebastien Grainger

According to Stranded In Stereo, they're not "just a blog, it's a free CD/DVD compilation. Just Sign Up and you'll receive them as they come out." Worth a shot.

NME's New Music Radar CMJ Blog

And let's not forget the venerable NY Times and their CMJ FESTIVAL ArtsBeat Blog



"Drive forth, give your kids American names, give them more than what was given to you
Some of you in hell won't know it, but most of you don't show it,
We all have pride and shame.
And hey man, I wish we could just drive them both away

Driving, driving away
Driving, driving away

Come on, I can see it
Come on, we've been saying this for years
Come on, I can see it, come on...


If your always on your way out the door, you never had a place to call home
and home is always too far to drive


Driving, driving away."

Sunday Live - Alejandro Escovedo 9.9

A founding member of SF-based punk band The Nuns, Alejandro Escovedo moved to Austin, and after working with bands like Rank and File, playing "roots rock/alternative country," released "Gravity," his first solo album, in 1992. He's since worked with the likes of Ryan Adams, and has garnered a significant cult following. But after battling Hepatitis for years, and nearly succumbing in 2003, Escovedo recovered only to find himself deep in debt from medical expenses. According to Wikipedia, "friends and admirers around the country organized benefit shows to help the songwriter. This effort grew into the album "Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo," a two-disc set whose proceeds benefit the Alejandro Escovedo Medical and Living Expense Fund. Contributing musicians included Steve Earle, Jon Dee Graham, Lucinda Williams, John Cale, Jennifer Warnes, Ian Hunter, The Jayhawks, and Son Volt (available through the artist's Web site)."

"This June," according to AlejandroEscovedo.com, he "released his 9th solo album Real Animal. Produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T.Rex, Thin Lizzy), Real Animal is a collective journey through Escovedo’s various musical incarnations from punk rock to string quintets and is as introspective as it is retrospective. Recalling the people, places and influences that helped shape his career, Real Animal represents the primitive aspect of Escovedo’s music - the instinct, the urgency and a survivor mentality that fuels his musical passion."

For Sunday Live, I'm posting Alejandro Escovedo, Live at The Troubador in West Hollywood, 9.9.08 (from archive.org). You can download the entire show as a 64Kbps MP3 ZIP or VBR ZIP file.

Here are the individual tracks as 64Kbps MP3's:
01. Put You Down
02. Always a Friend
03. Everybody Loves Me
04. Sister Lost Soul
05. Juarez > Rosalie
06. Sensitive Boys
07. I Was Drunk
08. Chelsea Hotel '78
09. Real as an Animal
10. Castanets
11. All the Young Dudes *
12. Beast of Burden *^
(* w/ David Garza - vocals & ^ guitar)

THE BAND:
Alejandro Escovedo - guitar & vocals
David Pulkingham - guitar
Josh Gravelin - bass
Matthew Fish - cello
Hector Munoz - drums
Carrie Rodriguez - violin

A L S O

You can download the studio version of Always A Friend, a track from the new album, at AlejandroEscovedo.com.



"Well Billy rapped all night about his suicide
How he kick it in the head when he was twenty-five
Speed jive don't want to stay alive
When you're twenty-five
And Wendy's stealing clothes from marks and sparks
And Freddy's got spots from ripping off the stars from his face
Funky little boat race

Television man is crazy saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks
Oh man I need TV when I got T Rex
I'm a dude man

All the young dudes (Hey dudes)
Carry the news (Where are ya)
Boogaloo dudes (Stand up Come on)
Carry the news"

EELS free EP

[OFFER EXPIRES 10.28.08]

The Eels will be releasing a 4-LP vinyl limited edition of BLINKING LIGHTS AND OTHER REVELATIONS, and "to celebrate," are giving away a 4-track EP download with live music from MANCHESTER 2005, an album available exclusively with the new deluxe set. The free EP includes ""Fresh Feeling," "Packing Blankets," "Jeannie's Diary," and "Climbing to the Moon." The offer will expire with the official release of the Blinking Lights package, October 28th, and in order to get your free music while it's still available, "simply enter a valid email address and follow the link from the email for easy download." I never actually received my link. It was probably caught up in a well-intentioned spam filter. So, if you'd like to skip any potential snags/headaches, give this link a shot. A generous offer from Mr. E. & co., and some great music.

OK. And for something completely... similar. Additional Eels stuff:

I'm Going to Stop Pretending that I Didn't Break Your Heart (demo)

Somebody Loves You (demo)

My Descent Into Darkness

The BLINKING LIGHTS AND OTHER REVELATIONS jukebox sampler (streaming)

Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
Interview part 1
Interview part 2

The Shootenanny! jukebox sampler (streaming)

Shootenanny! interview

Live at Town Hall DVD samples

Trouble With Dreams -- Live 2008 (youtube link)

Until 10.28.08, you can watch PARALLEL WORLDS, PARALLEL LIVES, "the award-winning documentary about EELS leader Mark Oliver Everett and his quantum physicist father Hugh Everett III" here.

Mark Oliver Everett of The Eels published a book this month, "THINGS THE GRANDCHILDREN SHOULD KNOW," and you can hear a section being read by The Chet, the band's guitarist. You can also read a brief excerpt here.

The Spinner.com interview: Eels' Mark Oliver Everett Comes to Terms With Death, Life and Physics.

A L S O
You grab an MP3 of the song Skywriting at C/NET's Download.com.



"Saturday in the yard
They'll bring you by
We'll lay down on the grass
And watch as the sky closes in

I won't be denied this time
'fore i go out of my mind over matters
Got my foot on the ladder
And i'm climbing up to the moon"

CMJ [28 in 2K8] REDUX!

[WHAT FOLLOWS IS A PARTIAL REPOST OF WEDNESDAY'S HUMBLE OFFERING, SOMETHING THAT IS NO LONGER A PART OF THIS BLOG BECAUSE OF A "DMCA TAKEDOWN NOTIFICATION" (HERE IS AN EXAMPLE). THIS ONE R-E-A-L-L-Y F@#ING BRASSES ME OFF BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE LINK WAS TO A FILE/RESOURCE FREELY AVAILABLE TO A-N-Y-O-N-E WITH ACCESS TO THE INTERNET -- ANYONE READING THIS, FOR INSTANCE -- AS PART OF THE CMJ EVENT BEING HELD RIGHT NOW IN NYC! SO FOR NOW, I'LL SIMPLY REPOST MY LITTLE E-RAMBLE, ALONG WITH LINKS TO MUSIC SAMPLERS THAT ARE LEGAL AND FREELY AVAILABLE ONLINE. I FEEL NOTHING BUT GRATITUDE FOR THE BORDERLINE TROGLODYTE WHO ACTED WITH SUCH HONOR IN SENDING A NOTICE TO BLOGGER INSTEAD OF CONTACTING ME DIRECTLY. I CAN THINK OF A FEW EXPLETIVE-RIDDEN WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS QUOTES BUT HAVE, IN ALL CANDOR, LOST MOST OF THE ENERGY AND PATIENCE I DEVOTE TO THIS LITTLE BLOG, A SINCERELY SMALL ENDEAVOR THAT'S IN ALL PROBABILITY RARELY SEEN BY ANYONE OTHER THAN YOURS TRULY -- OH YES, AND EVIDENTLY, A NOBLE DMCA COP. IT'S HEARTENING TO KNOW THAT THE INDUSTRY HAS FINALLY FIGURED OUT NOT ONLY HOW TO APPROACH THE INTERNET BUT, MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOW TO APPROPRIATELY SHOW APPRECIATION FOR THE FANS THAT QUITE OFTEN SHELL OUT MORE CHUNKS OF THEIR PAYCHECK FOR LEGAL MP3'S, CD'S, AND CONCERT TICKETS, THAN FRIVOLITIES LIKE RENT, FOOD, AND MEDICINE. CHEERS TO THE INDUSTRY FOLKS (OBVIOUSLY NOT THE ARTISTS) STILL HELL-BENT ON KILLING THE MUSIC. =]

I admit it. I'm freaking envious, a bit depressed, ad nauseam, that I'm not in attendance for CMJ 08, the music orgy of freebies and too much freaking fun for anyone to bear, going on right now in NYC. The depression component is probably the sobering realization that although I've had the pleasure of the uberwhelming experience, it happened in another lifetime. I vivdly (sort of ;) recall walking the floor of the convention, a sort of Halloween trick-or-treat bag in hand (receving plenty of both, tricks and treats), enjoying face-to-face meetings with all of these incredibly cool industry folks that I'd been dealing with as a music director of a tiny college radio station in Maryland. And the shows all over town each night? A blur of earthly -- particularly aural --- delights, and just a wonderfully weird [censored by blogger] time!

So, here I am, quite a few years later, finding a way to enjoy the circus, visiting various sites and grabbing MP3's galore, for instance, and somehow having a good time even though I'm @ my own desktop in another universe/a tiny town in Texas. So, here is a first CMJ-related post, and I'll start with the basic info you'll need in order to grab a few samplers (one of the many things that I recall from arriving in NYC one exquisite fall afternoon for own CMJ pilgrimage was the joy of ripping through a welcome bag and finding a plethora of musical goodies, including various samplers), along with links for some of the other music being played around the city tonight and through the weekend.

CMJ present CMJ08: 28 Years, 28 Tracks
[You'll simply need to register with the LimeWire store]
"In honor of the 28th Annual CMJ Music Marathon right here in our hometown of New York City, the LimeWire Store has collaborated... with CMJ to bring you another FREE sampler: 28 Years, 28 Tracks. We have pulled together selections from an eclectic mix of artists who have either performed at CMJ in the past or will make their debut at this year's Marathon; and we hope that the legacy of live, independent music in NYC survives for another 28 years, at least."
TRACK LIST
Connjur — School of Seven Bells
Evident Utensil — Chairlift
Swiss Glide — Michna
Warm's the New Cool (Newer) — Brother JT
Gorgeous Behavior — Marching Band
War and Peace — Ryuichi Sakamoto
Enemy Love Song — Meat Puppets
Season of Sweets — Modey Lemon
Sensitive — Thurston Moore
Spring Hall Convert — Deerhunter
Hot Topic — Le Tigre
Beautiful Rebel — Jeremy Jay
Satt Att Se — Dungen
Year of the Dog — The Lovely Sparrows
Everybody Say (Live at Lime) — Takka Takka
Paisley Pattern Ground — Black Hollies
Canada — The Albertans
I'm Not a Kid Anymore (from Live at Lime) — Sloan
Second Chance — Liam Finn
Bad Case of History — Robyn Hitchcock
Energy — The Apples in Stereo
Day I Die — Drug Rug
Senses on Fire — Mercury Rev
Middle of June — Capstan Shafts
Ungawa — Chow Nasty
Everyone Needs a Halo — Lovedrug
Life Before Aesthetics — Denison Witmer
Underground — Brighton, MA

A L S O

CMJ and Insound present CMJ Festival 2008

The 9 Hottest New Bands Playing CMJ 2008
"Free downloads! Hear SPIN.com's top CMJ discoveries without leaving the comfort of your own home."
By Peter Gaston

DOWNLOAD THIS!
A resource from CMJ Relay (the CMJ staff blog) for free MP3's.

TwoTrue CMJ Sampler
"Two Syllable Records and True Panther Sounds have released a FREE sampler of their artists to get you pumped for their CMJ showcase!"

A N D
From NPR.org: Deerhoof Gets 'Fresh Born' At CMJ



"I've been wondering if the message sent
Wondering if I made a dent
Wondering what it is you meant again
Come on life
I'm almost ready
Not right
I'm almost ready ..."

CMJ today - BE OK

CMJ's FREELOAD [10.23]
INGRID MICHAELSON: Be OK
By Lisa Hresko

Ingrid Michaelson's okay. She's even donating a portion of Be OK's proceeds to the non-profit Stand Up To Cancer. A girl and her guitar? How cliché. Instead, Michaelson travels with her ukulele—even having toured with Dave Matthews Band and Jason Mraz—giving the term singer/songwriter a delightful twist. Alright, she's clearly much better than okay. It's almost a shame that the title track on her third release asks only for a humbling "OK." No Ingrid, you are a sensational writer and you possess a darling voice.

But that's Michaelson's appeal—she is simply herself, which in itself is pretty stunning. "Be OK" is a flawless pop song full of peppy cheer and optimistic lyrics, and the enchanting "Lady In Spain," initially a haunting track, quickly swaps a somber tone for a song of hope as Michaelson sings, "I can't do anything I want to/I can be anything I see." Her near a capella rendition of every little girl's favorite tune, "Over The Rainbow," spotlights Michaelson's smooth, dreamlike vocals. "Can't Help Falling In Love," the oft-covered Elvis tune, is a classic piece infused with modern femininity (the fairer sex falls head-over-heels too, you know).

Surprisingly, three tracks—there's only 11 songs packed into a fleeting 32 minutes—"The Chain," "The Way I Am" and "Can't Help Falling In Love" were recorded at Webster Hall, WERS and Daytrotter, respectively. It takes an ambitious pair of pipes to pair studio, live and radio performances, however each track flows seamlessly into the next, as if Michaelson never paused, let alone swapped venues. With her charm and unadulterated spirit, she'll make you swoon without causing any cavities.

Michaelson's music has been featured on commercials and TV shows, but I'll try not to hold that against her because, frankly, the songs are hitting me in a way that I really need to be hit -- although to be fair to myself and the current circumstances with which I'm existing, consoled would perhaps be more apt. As a caregiver for a seriously ill parent, I can appreciate her work with Stand Up To Cancer, and the Be OK album is available as a $5 download, with proceeds going to SUTC. Here are a few MP3's as samples to help you feel OK for now. Prost.

MP3: Lady In Spain
The Chain (demo)
Unbreakable
Die Alone (Daytrotter Session)
The Way I Am (Daytrotter session)
Over the Rainbow

From NPR: Ingrid Michaelson Is Everywhere

Download sheet music from "The Way I Am", "Breakable", "Keep Breathing", "Morning Lullabies" and "Giving Up" at musicnotes.com

Be OK (youtube link)



"Just give me back my pieces
Just give them back to me please
Just give me back my pieces
And let me hold my broken parts

I just want to be ok, be ok, be ok
I just want to be ok today
I just want to be ok, be ok, be ok
I just want to be ok today

I just want to feel today, feel today, feel today
I just want to feel something today
I just want to know today, know today, know today
Know that maybe I will be ok
Know that maybe I will be ok
Know that maybe I will be ok"

Jill Tracy's macabre torch songs

"Jill Tracy - I thank you for your deliriously sweet and evil musical beauty, your unique talent and independent strength in these, the days of not only the Dumbing Down Of America, but the profoundly redundant state of music in general." ~ Lydia Lunch

In a RE/Search piece, V. Vale recalled a few other quotes about Tracy, including that she's "the femme fatale for the thinking man," producing "macabre torch songs."

Vale continued: "it's nice to have discovered another artist of depth and substance, especially in an age where it's easy to feel that almost none still exist... Jill Tracy: 'the elegant side of the netherworld' - maybe 'netherworld' has replaced 'underground' now. No wonder (Jello) Biafra had raved to me about her. The new music of the future will give us history lessons, and restore to us our lost authentic emotionality, in an age which J.G. Ballard has described as 'the death of affect.' The death of authentic emotionality and emotional response, indeed... NOT YET - not as long as a handful of people like Jill Tracy, Jello Biafra, Nick Cave, Henry Rollins, and Lydia Lunch keep 'kicking against the pri-cks' (to paraphrase Shakespeare). And handing us reasons to still keep living and deciphering what we really feel - what our intuition tells us instantly - while hating the old, still-clinging-to-life, fake world of pervy Bush Republicans and twisted religious psychopaths..."

This music in ways, obvious and otherwise, brings me a real sense of Halloween, my favorite holiday, and since I'm behind on posting related music, thought this would be a beautiful place to start.

Jill Tracy's music is available through 125 Records, and they were kind enough to offer a few treats from her catalog.

Haunted by the Thought of You
(from The Bittersweet Constrain)

The Fine Art of Poisoning
(from Diabolical Streak)

Evil Night Together
(from Diabolical Streak)



"I'll hold your hand while they drag the river
I'll cuddle you in the undertow
I'll keep my hand on your trigger finger
I'll take you down where the train tracks go

Let's wile away the hours
Let's spend an evil night together

We'll drink a toast in the torture chamber
And you'll go down on a bed of nails
We'll rendevous in cold blood
I'll tie you up to the third rail

Let's wile away the hours
Let's spend an evil night together"

AC/DC - after the DMCA takedown notification

[You can read the notification here.

I haven't thought much about AC/DC in years, but I -- and I'm not alone in this respect -- have very fond childhood memories. So in terms of the music itself, I was interested to hear that the band was coming out with a new album that might actually be worth listening to, another chance to reconnect with my inner twelve year old. One enthusiastic review said, very simply, "thanks for keeping Rock alive boys." This is where another aspect of the discussion surfaces, however. The new album, Black Ice, is to be distributed exclusively through Wal-Mart! That sounds like more evidence, as if we haven't been deluged enough, that rock is f'ing dead! What the f@&%, guys?!

The business side of things is disappointing, but this band came along before Jello Biafra and the punk indie spirit took root. So what the hell am I on about? This is the band that set me on a Highway To Hell at a very tender young age, and I had to sneak the album into the house and play it when no one else was around. My parents actually forced me to return my copy of "Back In Black," humiliating me in front of the uber-hip staff of Tower Records. In my Dad's lecture, he intoned the title, "Shoot To Thrill," adding, "don't you know what that means?!" "No, actually. It's just great fu... um, neat stuff."

The music of AC/DC seems relatively tame by the standards of what I'd later listen to -- or spin as a radio DJ -- and latter day recordings are probably mellow by the band's own measure. And even with the uber-distracting Wal-Mart component to all this, I've somehow been hit with a bit of juvenile giddiness at the idea of a new AC/DC record. If I had kids, I might even have a listen with them. I can still hear "Shoot To Thrill" and enjoy much the same innocent, exuberant response, as I once did. It's rock 'n roll with a "play to kill" attitude that taps into everything that’s worth remembering about adolescence and I love it. "Yeah yeah yeah yeah."

OK. And now for a taste of what I've been e-rambling about...

Rock 'N Roll Train (from Black Ice)
Money Made (from Black Ice)
Rock 'N Roll Dream
TNT (from High Voltage)
Can I Sit Next to You Girl (from High Voltage)
It's A Long Way To The Top (from High Voltage)
Riff Raff (from Powerage)
Gone Shootin’ (from Powerage)
Sin City (from Powerage)
Night Prowler (from Highway to Hell)
Touch Too Much (from Highway to Hell)
If You Want Blood (from Highway to Hell)
Have A Drink On Me (from Back in Black)
R.I.P.

The following is all that remains after a DMCA takedown notice:

Hells Bells (cover)
by Circus Diablo



"Living easy, living free
Season ticket on a one-way ride
Asking nothing, leave me be
Taking everything in my stride
Dont need reason, dont need rhyme
Aint nothing I would rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too

Im on the highway to hell"

AC/DC - the DMCA takedown notification

Blogger DMCA takedown notification‏
From: support@blogger.com

Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog infringes upon the copyrights of others. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.

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The DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. We are in the process of removing from our servers the links that allegedly infringe upon the copyrights of others. If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. See http://www.educause.edu/Browse/645?PARENT_ID=254 for more information about the DMCA, and see http://www.google.com/dmca.html for the process that Blogger requires in order to make a DMCA complaint.

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Affected URLs:

http://finding-free-mp3.blogspot.com/2008/10/highway-to-hell.html

Sunday Live - Camper Van Beethoven turns 25!

Camper Van Beethoven Live at The Fillmore, 6.28.08 (from archive.org)

Camper Van Beethoven played their 25th anniversary show at The Fillmore in San Francisco on June 28th this year. For everyone who, like myself, didn't make it, I'm posting MP3's of the performance that evening. I've only had the pleasure of seeing Camper Van Beethoven once, in 1989 at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. They were the opening band, but unfortunately ended the set early, saying something like, "you just came here to see 10,000 Maniacs anyway." Well, this is an appropriately impressive set, and the band even performed "White Riot," a Clash cover that I've heard about from friends fortunate enough to catch an entire concert. So, here's the CVB silver anniversary show, and listening to it has perhaps made up for what I missed all those years ago. Prost!

[You can download the entire show as a 64Kbps MP3 ZIP or VBR MP3 ZIP file. Also, The Cat Heads opened, and you can find their performance here.]

Here are each of the tracks as VBR MP3 files:
Mad Russian intro
Pictures Of Matchstick Men
Tania
Eye Of Fatima
Cowboys From Hollywood
Shut Us Down
R 'n' R Uzbekistan
The History Of Utah
Sad Lover's Waltz
Ambiguity Song
Mao Reminisces About His Days In Southern China
banter - a kiss and a hit
Militia Song
The Day Lassie Went To The Moon
Club Med Sucks
banter- more nonsense
All Her Favorite Fruit
She Divines Water
Waka
Axe Murderer Song
Good Guys And Bad Guys
Skinhead Stomp
White Riot
(I Was So) Wasted
Tina
Take The Skinheads Bowling
banter - popular songs and eyebrows
New Roman Times
One Of These Days
Turquoise Jewelry
Seven Languages
The Humid Press Of Days
I'm Not Like Everybody Else
(We're A) Bad Trip
Interstellar Overdrive
encore break
encore intro, cake announcement, and band intro
Lottery
The Poppies Of Balmorhea
Where The Hell Is Bill?
encore break
encore 2 intro banter
Devil Song
L'Aguardiente
recordist signout



"You're in the sky
You're with the sky
You make men cry
You are, you're in the sky
You're with the sky
You make men cry
Pictures of matchstick men . . ."