Sound Salvation Army

Listen: I get why people don’t take William Shatner seriously when it comes to music. He’s got a new album coming out this week in North America and there’s been plenty of people making jokes in the last week or so.

And why shouldn’t they? Shatner made his mark on music decades ago with his unfortunate album The Transformed Man, which sought to contrast modern pop songs with spoken-word Shakesperean text. The tracks feature nightmarishly awkward readings on classic pop songs like “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “Mr. Tambourine Man.” Aside from Shatner’s vocals, they are generally unremarkable, straight-forward versions. But his trademark speak/sing performances are unnecessarily overdramatic and hackneyed, jumping the shark immediately into the waters of self-parody. The project was universally panned, though Shatner defended the experiment.

If you haven’t heard them follow the links above. Or, you can take George Clooney’s word for it. In an interview he once referenced The Transformed Man as one of his “desert island discs” (if you were stranded on a desert island and could only choose one record to listen to for the rest of your life…), saying:

“If you listen to [this song], you will hollow out your own leg and make a canoe out of it to get off this island.”

Yikes. But he’s sort of right. They’re so bad I would rather listen to Leonard Nimoy’s tribute to a certain adventurous hobbit.

But all that changed in 2004 when Shatner and piano rocker Ben Folds put out the album Has Been.

The collaboration with Folds is a powerful one. There are 11 original tracks here, spanning all genres. Folds and a small list of collaborators set engaging musical arrangements as a canvas for Shatner’s spoken word poems, a series of pieces that lay bare everything the man is and everything he feels he isn’t.

In a complete and utter contrast to The Transformed Man only one song here is a cover. The first song features Shatner and former New Wave superstar Joe Jackson taking on Pulp’s “Common People,” a song that puts Shatner into a more human, although economically inconsistent, bracket of society. He gives a spirited take on Jarvis Cocker’s timeless tale of a slumming trust fund princess and Jackson takes over when the vocal hooks are needed. It’s a high-energy opener that takes the tempo up a notch from the original. As fun as it is, however, it betrays the spirit of the rest of the album; a single was needed and it’s as good in that respect as it could be but it isn’t where Has Been’s real spirit lies.

“It hasn’t happened Yet” kicks off the meat of the record, a portrait of self-doubt that reveals how deeply unsure even an international superstar can feel. Despite decades of success across multiple fields Shatner starkly lays out his deepest doubts and fears against a back-drop of jazzy, minor key piano bar music. Barely whispering at times, Shatner bares his soul, admitting that he’s still looking for some of the most basic kinds of happiness or even contentment so many people take for granted. “That’s Me Trying” follows in a similar vein, with Shatner addressing a long-neglected daughter and admitting his shortfalls as a parent. Folds and Aimee Mann sing a tender chorus hook about “years of sadness” and coo background harmonies while Shatner admits he “doesn’t want to talk about the bad stuff,” just be pals and forget the pain of the past.

Mortality comes next. The far less somber “You’ll Have Time” insists that you won’t, really. It’s the old “dance like no one is watching” cautionary tale repackaged for Bill himself. “What Have You Done” is a dark, unaccompanied track where Shatner somberly recounts a woman’s drowning, pulling the bodies from the water. There’s no indication if this is fictional.

“Familiar Love” is a vaguely-humorous tale of domestic love, recounting a long life spent with a partner and lover. Shatner finds comfort, even excitement, in simple familiarity, discounting the pained awkwardness of one-night stands in the process. It’s a tender and touching moment of hope that is sorely needed after the last five tracks. “Ideal Woman” follows in an equally tender vein, albeit with a much more rock and roll backing track. Here he implores his lover to be herself, even if it means dancing on a table (well, maybe not on a table) and the occasional irrational temper tantrum (well, maybe not the temper tantrum).

Consider as well the title track, in which Shatner takes back the term “has been” by launching a dismissive attack against internet trolls that would seek to knock him down a peg. Set against a dusty spaghetti western tune, Shatner allows himself a moment of vengeance to try and correct people’s idea of who he really is as opposed to who they think he is. Taking back the power of such a put-down also allows him to look to the future and consider what lies ahead.

A personal favorite is the “duet” with Henry Rollins, a punk rock poetry slam about all the things that piss them off on a daily basis. It’s fun and furious, but not without a sense of humour. Shatner and Rollins are ideally paired, two men speaking passionately about the major and minor ills of the world from religion to gas prices to their kids saying “like” too much.

The closing track is perhaps the sweetest number on the whole record, coming from a very unexpected source. Brad Paisley is apparently a country music superstar these days but in 2004 he was still new to the scene. Lord only knows how and why he wrote a song specifically for William Shatner but he did and it’s a magnificent cap to the record. “Real” is a very straight-forward and gentle reading from Shatner where he lays it all on the line: yes, he admits, I’ve played a hero of space and time on the screen but I’m just a man like any other. The chorus vocal from Paisley lays the twang on a bit thick but he also injects the perfect amount of reluctance and regret into the lines, “I eat and sleep and breathe and feel/sorry to disappoint you, but I’m real.” It’s practically mind-blowing. I swear.

One gets the sense when listening to the record that motivation is everything. In my head, a greedy record executive in 1968 was looking to cash in on Shatner’s acting notoriety by exploitatively vaulting him into the recording business in a shameless money grab with no regard for the quality of product. With Folds’ it’s different; clearly no one expected anything from Shatner in a musical context but by embracing the idea of a serious product that actually had some introspection and consideration behind it they were able to deliver something that is completely engaging, human, and worthwhile.

I really doubt his upcoming album, Seeking Major Tom, will deliver the same thing. Folds doesn’t appear to be involved and it’s a double album that is entirely cover songs. I’m hoping for the best but I guess with Shatner you just never know what you’re going to get.

 

 William Shatner - Real: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 William Shatner - The Transformed Man [3:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Get Shatner’s various works from Amazon the dot com or iTunes dot whatever.

Make sure to listen to 91.3 fm CJTR’s Thursday Morning Show this week as well; we’ll be giving away five pairs of tickets to Shatner’s gig at Casino Regina on Friday night.

Pat entries Ben Folds, covers, international superstars, spoken word, television, William Shatner

During what can only be described as an indescribable set at the Regina Folk Festival on Saturday night KD Lang encouraged us all to repent. So here it is: I’m sorry I’ve taken you for granted for so long.

Let’s back up. My day was jam-packed with festival goings-on, due in no small part to my inclusion on CJTR’s first-ever live broadcast from the RFF site. The four hour spectacular saw us interviewing a boatload of performers, organizers, volunteers, even festival-goers. We’ll talk more about that later, along with the rest of the night’s main stage performers.

But my goodness, even if KD Lang was the only performer on Saturday I think it would’ve been one of the more memorable nights at the festival. Taking the stage as headliner after an incredible set by Taj Mahal and his backing band, Lang strode purposefully to the front of the stage after her band The Siss Boom Bang fell into position. From the first chord that stage belonged to Lang and only Lang.

I don’t think it’s inaccurate to say that she has swagger. Stage presence like this is a rarity. From the outset Lang alternated between stalking, lunging, walking, and dancing over every single available inch of the stage, making constant eye contact with audience members, even stopping at the front of the stage and staring intently at one person for ten seconds at a time. Intensity in 10 cities, Live at Budokan, as Wayne Campbell would say. At times she began gyrating her hips, the visual and her unmistakable voice making a pretty goddamn good argument that KD Lang is the closest thing we’ve got to Elvis Presley right now (in a good way, obviously).

Her band is big and brilliant. Six players flawlessly recreate Lang’s catalogue numbers and tracks from their latest album, Sing It Loud. Lap steel, piano, and fantastic guitar work are all effortlessly performed and the band look good doing it; like Lang, they dress in all black, including matching tailored jackets. Most of the group looks young enough to have missed out on much of Lang’s career but their performances are fantastic, especially the spot-on, perfectly harmonized backing vocals.

But the show is 100% Lang. She is as malleable performer as she is a singer, putting forth an incredible intensity for new track “I Confess” before switching to a coquettish vampiness (including unexpected self-groping at the front of the stage) during a terrific rendition of the vaguely Latin-flavoured “Miss Chatelaine.” She emoted about as much as one can responsibly get away with during her hotly-anticipated cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” long a centerpiece of her own act but given new vitality after her crackerjack performance at last year’s Vancouver Olympics. I’ve long held that Jeff Buckley’s version is the definitive one but I’m having doubts after seeing the power and intensity of Lang’s live arrangement. It was nothing short of astounding, I assure you — it might actually be the best argument I’ve heard yet for the existence of God.

And the surprises kept coming. After Lang exhorted the crowd to repent, she and the band broke into a song that made my face look like this:

Lang and the band played a cover of “Heaven” by the Talking Heads, one of my all-time favourite bands of all time. And it was a great cover. Like all of Lang’s songs her voice makes whatever she plays her own. Her tenor never wavers, carrying even the lengthiest notes at a strong and steady clip. Even when it drops to a whisper it has total command of the audience, even more so than her physicality and performance. She’s the total package as an entertainer.

Leaving nothing to chance, Lang pulled out all the stops for the fevered audience of thousands (including more than a few people who were listening in from outside the fence). She went all the way through two encores, even playing what is arguably her most well-known hit, “Constant Craving.” Needless to say no one left unsatisfied.

RFF artistic director Sandra Butel has said that there are still people who talk about Lang’s 1985 performance at the festival. I have no doubt that’s true, just like I have no doubt that people will be doing the same about this set in the same fashion for decades to come.

 

 KD Lang - My Last Cigarette: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 KD Lang and The Siss Boom Bang - I Confess: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 KD Lang - Hallelujah [5:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Check out KD Lang’s web store for for physical albums and iTunes for digital.

Pat entries #RFF11, Canadian content, country, covers, k.d. lang, KD Lang and The Siss Boom Bang, live music, Regina Folk Festival, rock

Ah, the stop-gap EP. Such a convenient way for a band to capitalize on some momentum, to strike while the iron is hot and keep material flowing to an expanding audience.

This is one of those.

You’ll recall I named the Wheat Pool’s Hauntario my favourite album of 2009, and for good reason. It’s a prairie rock/alt-country masterpiece that is fraught with tension and emotion, an impeccably-performed set of intricately-arranged songs that resonate on every wavelength. It’s just so good, you guys.

Some of that magic crosses over to this EP, thanks to the fact that most of these tracks were recorded during the album sessions. In fact, one of the highlights is an alternate version of Hauntario standout “Evangeline” that strips away all of the tension and bombastic instrumentation save a slowly-plucked acoustic guitar and the Angus brothers’ harmonies. It wisely runs little more than half the length of the LP version, serving as a minimal yet ghostly bit of storytelling.

Alternate versions are apparently something the Wheat Pool toyed with at length while recording the LP. You’ll recall the rollicking “Too Far Apart” was reprised as the much quieter, more contemplative, more mournful “Two Far Apart” to end Hauntario. While that was absolutely the right call they apparently dropped the track “Edith Cavell” to do it. Its jaunty acoustic strumming and far-off slide guitar recall the LP’s high-water mark, “Italy,” but leaving it off the album proper was probably the right decision; it’s brevity and preciousness likely would have contrasted with the rest of the record.

The linchpin for the release is a cover of Neil Young’s “Helpless.” Young is obviously the band’s chief influence and the track has been a popular live staple for the group, according to the EP’s one-sheet anyway. I suppose I see the logic to that, as they do a pretty terrific job with it, keeping it fairly close to Young’s original version with just the right mix of rock guitar leads, keyboard, and slide guitar. The brothers’ distinctive harmonies also help make it distinct. While the track may have been the impetus for the EP’s entire creation, including two different mixes seems superfluous and unnecessary; maybe I’m just too Canadian, but it seems like we’ve all heard this song enough already. I don’t think it will have the same kind of appeal over time as the other numbers.

Again, this is a stop-gap release; it’s only a couple of original songs, they’re all leftovers, and as such they only possess a microcosm of the magic that made Hauntario so perfect. Regardless, I’ve only had these songs for a day and a half and I am so grateful for it. If you haven’t been exposed to this band yet, $3.99 is a very small price to pay for your first taste of one of Canada’s great young bands.

 

 Wheat Pool - Helpless (Hauntario mix): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This bitch is digital-only, friends:
iTunes: here.
eMusic: here.
Get Hauntario and the debut album Township here.

Pat entries Canadian content, covers, EP, Hauntario, rock, the Wheat Pool

In today’s installment of our feature on vinyl-only releases, we touch once again on a cover song.

Hawks and Doves is the latest project from Gared O’Donnell, a guy who spent a lot of years as the creative force behind Planes Mistake For Stars. That band serves as a master class in all things heavy, running the gamut from soaring post-hardcore to guttural-vocal’d hardcore to near-metal riffing. The decade the band was in existence saw the release of five more-or-less full-length albums and as many singles and EPs. The highlights were many; I personally have purchased three copies of the flawless Knife In The Marathon EP, two of the Fuck With Fire LP, and at least one of all the rest, including the extremely hard to find CD version of the Fucking Fight EP. So yeah, they’re a great band.

But they broke up a few years ago after the varied and heart-stoppingly good Mercy. Sad, but Gared isn’t the kind to sit still. He’s actually been working on his new project for several years, his backing band constantly changing based apparently on whoever is in the room at the time. Essentially a solo project, it consists mostly of him and an acoustic guitar playing what No Idea calls, “blue-eyed soul played through a belt sander.” Trust me, its not as generic or bland as that makes it sound.

The vinyl release in question is the single for the song “Hush Money.” The title-track on the a-side is something of a transitional piece for fans of his previous work, opening with start/stop dynamics and some electric guitar vaguely reminiscent of PMFS’ harder rock. But the tone is far more muted and clean than anything found on those records, the rock guitar serving only to beef up the acoustic leads. The song ebbs and flows in O’Donnell’s characteristic style, building through the song’s final third only to come to an abrupt stop. The vocal is surprisingly clean, with only a few traces of his long-standing harshness bubbling to the surface. During the coda, when O’Donnell pleads “What would you have me do?” his voice melds with the other elements to form a hypnotic tapestry. Its a great introduction.

But the b-side just might make you forget all about what you’ve just heard.

Originally written by Bruce Springsteen for the grossly popular 1984 album Born In The USA, “I’m On Fire” was one of 10 singles released to promote the album. As I’ve previously stated, I fucking hate Springsteen’s cheesy 80’s because of some of the dated instrumentation and production techniques that were in vogue at the time. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t still writing decent songs.

“I’m On Fire” succeeds in O’Donnell’s hands partly because he stays true to the original. He does exactly what I would have done by keeping the building blocks of the song in place and stripping away the waste, namely the unnecessary synths. He embraces simplicity, letting his acoustic guitar and some choice reverb create an incredibly appropriate atmosphere; that tone and his delivery of the titular lyric sound more like a lonely man in an empty room languishing in his desire than one pleading with a lover to ease his troubles. Some subtle shifts to the song’s structure also help flesh out the arrangement, pushing the climax further towards the end and extending the outro to add some tension.

The mix pushes O’Donnell’s vocal to the forefront despite its feigned fragility, much like the Springsteen original did. But its here that you witness the full range of his vocal capabilities, the raspy hush he delivers most of the song betrayed by his subtle inflections and the ascending notes of the coda. When his voice nearly breaks during the ghostly falsetto that signals the beginning of the song’s outro, the song truly becomes his own. Its a hypnotic and affecting performance.

Of course, because it hews quite closely to the original in many ways there are those that might fail to see some of those subtle differences. But I’ve always maintained that a well-written songs doesn’t necessarily translate into a good cover. As evidence I include as well the absolute horror-show of a cover done by Johnny Cash for the Nebraska tribute that came out in 2000. I know its anathema to speak ill of Johnny Cash in the 00’s but nobody bats a thousand, not even the man in black. Gatsby’s American Dream (a band I love) proved that a well-written song doesn’t translate into an engaging cover when they butchered one of the greatest songs of all time. Just hear how horrible that went.

Way off topic. The point, I suppose, is that this 7″ is remarkable and Gared O’Donnell is an incredibly capable manipulator and creator of (semi-) popular song. I eagerly anticipate a full-length release from Hawks and Doves and its already been too long coming.

 

 Hawks and Doves - I'm On Fire: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire [2:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Johnny Cash - I'm On Fire [3:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Gatsby's American Dream - Don't Think Twice, I'm Alright: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Planes Mistaken For Stars - Little Death [3:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Check out the No Idea Records website and buy the hell out of this record. Do it for love.

Pat entries acoustic, Bruce Springsteen, covers, Gatsby's American Dream, hardcore, Hawks and Doves, Johnny Cash, No Idea Records, Planes Mistaken For Stars, rock, vinyl

Regardless of genre, instrumentation, or preconception this song is incredible. So much so that it compels me to talk at greater length about Drag The River, something I should’ve done long ago and somehow haven’t.

Earlier this year I mentioned them in my top 10 rundown, heretofore my lengthiest write-up about them so far. But their story goes back much much farther, beginning well before they ever bothered to let anyone know they existed.

The band started as a bit of a hobby for two wonderful Colorado-based punk rockers: Chad Price of ALL and Jon Snodgrass of Armchair Martian. In 1996 they started cranking out back-porch country jams in their garage, quickly recording some 20 tracks at their friends brand new studio (the now high-profile Blasting Room, also based in Colorado) after the collaborative environment proved so fruitful. The sessions proved popular enough that they began releasing them in 2000, continuing all the while with the regular bands.

A proper full-length album called Closed. was released in 2002, and its far and away their finest work. While it might be cliche to call an alt-country record a booze-soaked journey through genuine misery and loneliness, that’s sort of what it is. This is Snodgrass and Price at the collaborative best: Price’s more unplugged, traditional leanings melding with Snodgrass’ electric guitar work to create something that occupies a fascinating middle ground.

Since then they’ve sporadically recorded and released new and live material, building up a shockingly terrific catalogue. Seriously; their releases are incredible.

Perhaps reflective of the tenuous beginnings of the project they’ve broken up a few times over the years, most recently last year after the release of the great You Can’t Live This Way. They keep drifting back towards getting together and that seems to be the state they now exist in, playing sporadic shows with a rotating line-up that sometimes consists of the full band, Price and Snodgrass as a duo, or Price or Snodgrass on their own.

They’ve recently put out a glut of material, “leftovers” if you will: three 7″ singles and a CD compiling songs from those releases and earlier singles and splits. Much of the material is sparsely recorded, often consisting of little more than acoustic rhythm guitar, electric leads, and sombre vocals. Those singles and Bad At Breaking Up seem almost representative of the strife they’ve been through recently, the rift between members manifesting itself in the very sound of the recordings.

Anyway, the song: the first track you’ll find below is a cover song featured on their Under The Influence 7″ and on the aforementioned CD, both released by their label, Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective. Its called “Jeff Black Song #2,” because the song is technically either untitled or Drag The Rvier doesn’t know it. The story is that they know a guy named Jeff Black who is apparently a very gifted songwriter; they had a cassette of some of his demo recordings in their tour van and listened to it so much they more or less memorized the tunes. When it came time to record covers for the Under The Influence series they laid down one of his songs. Evidently Jeff Black never managed to actually get a record deal, record them properly, or release them. So for all intents and purposes, no one would ever know this isn’t a Drag The River song if they didn’t tell us. It fits so flawlessly into their catalogue and into the tenor of the compilation CD its kind of unbelievable.

I love this band and this song (and the others below) continues to demonstrate how phenomenal a group of performers they really are.

UPDATE/EDIT
A commenter points out that I’m wrong as hell! Jeff Black has released many, many quality albums that are available from his very own website. A podcast with the background on the covers single is right here. Thanks DownSouth! Sorry for the goof.

 

 Drag The River - Jeff Black Song #2 [3:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Drag The River - I Remember Now [5:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Drag The River - Has A Way With Women [2:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drag The River CDs and vinyl products are available through Suburban Home and Vinyl Collective. Also, iTunes.

Pat entries acoustic, alt country, country, covers, Drag The River

Having grown up in the 80’s my earliest memories of Bruce Springsteen are not great ones. It was Born In The USA that was my dad’s favourite Bruuuuuuuuuuce cassette for most of the decade, actually, and I’ve always had conflicting feelings about it. As a kid its hard to dislike anything, so I genuinely enjoyed the songs. These days its one of my least-favourite Springsteen joints, partly because of the of the title track and partly because of the Kenny Loggins-sounding production. I don’t want to say I hate the 80’s, I just hate music that sounds so obviously 80’s. Dated, I guess you’d say.

I was re-introduced to the Boss when the movie Philadelphia came out, and the movie’s soundtrack featured an incredible original tune by Springsteen. My dad purchased a copy of the Greatest Hits CD and listened to it non-stop in his car, which is where I beheld the majesty of “Atlantic City,” the stand-out track from his sixth album (and perhaps somewhat ironically the record that preceded Born In The USA)

The Boss is constantly heralded as a chronicler of the human experience, penning tales that celebrate the glory and triumphs of the common man at turning points in their lives. That also encompasses moments of despair and flirtation with the darker side of humanity. Half the songs on Nebraska alone are told from the perspective of those involved with or witnesses of criminal behavior (”Nebraska,”"Highway Patrolman,” “Open All Night,” and “Atlantic City”). The album is tied together by its stark acoustic instrumentation and its bleak lyrical view, making up some of Springsteen’s darkest recorded moments.

“Atlantic City” is pretty much a perfect song as far as I’m concerned. Its quintessential Springsteen, using true-to-life events (mafia boss Philip Tesla’s assassination and the combination of the advent of gambling in the titular city and the expectation it would revive its economy) to set off a more personal tale of one man’s troubled life. The story carries an incredible weight, a sensible explanation of how one could logically find themselves drawn in by a criminal element and the specter of danger that lurks just around every corner once that possibility rears its head.

But Nebraska’s notoriously dour acoustic element almost never came to be. Springsteen and the E Street Band had recorded full-band arrangements of the demo tracks that would eventually make up the official release, but they were passed over. In interviews, his long-time manager insisted the right version of the songs was released, the four-track home-recorded demos giving the necessary bleakness and weight to the songs.

While the world has never heard those versions (assuming they still exist) we now have a peek into what they might sound like, thanks to the Hold Steady.

The Hold Steady released the 10th best album of last year, a follow up to the third-best album of 2006 (Boys and Girls In America). They’ve been subject to countless comparisons to the Boss because of Craig Finn’s knack for Springstonian “man of the people” songwriting. Where Bruce talks of redemption and the turning points of peoples lives, Finn writes stories about America’s wasted, disaffected youth and the greatest parties that ever existed in their minds. He’s explored the affects of religious upbringings through detailed character sketches of troubled kids that rebel in the worst possible ways. He’s chronicled the various ways teenagers can trip out at a summer music festival. He’s a genuine storyteller. The band’s wide-ranging bar band sound has plenty of E Street notes peppered throughout their discography as well, never afraid to throw some keys, horns, or saxaphone at a tune.

The band was recently asked to take part in a charity album released by the organization War Child. The concept is simple but interesting: have the artists responsible for some of the best songs ever pick a song from their catalogue and a band they want to cover it. Perhaps knowing what the result would be, Springsteen passed the chalice to the Hold Steady.

The group re-imagines “Atlantic City” as I would imagine the E Street Band did after hearing the original demo cuts from Springsteen’s home recording sessions, from the propulsive drumming to the sturdy guitars, even right down to the wailing Clarence Clemons-style saxaphone riffing. The band has fully embraced everything Springsteenian about them and amplified it and the result is electric.

 

 Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City [3:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 the Hold Steady - Atlantic City [4:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can find out more about the Heroes project and some of War Child’s other musical fundraising initiatives by clicking here.

Pat entries Bruce Springsteen, charity, covers, the Hold Steady, War Child

Remember when Bloc Party used to be awesome? When their first album came out they were on top of the world, their frenetic blend of fast-paced guitars, break-neck drums, dance beats, and yearning vocals forming the foundation of what was easily one of the best records of the year. I’ll always remember the first time “Banquet” came on my iPod while I was doing dishes at my parent’s house. I had downloaded the single, probably after some hyperbolic Pitchfork hype, and from the first spin I just wanted more. I must’ve hit the back button eight times in a row.

I got the CD for Silent Alarm the day it came out, reveling in its energy and enthusiasm. Even the goddamn love songs have galloping drums and driving guitars. “This Modern Love” has been a favourite right to this day, still making the cut on mix tapes every once in a while.

Today I stumbled on the Take Away Shows website for the first time in a few months and I found a stirring performance by Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack. The video is much more intimate than usual, but the singing is what really takes an already great song to another level.

Too bad its already been done before!

 

 Bloc Party - This Modern Love (acoustic) [3:48m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Final Fantasy - This Modern Love: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Pat entries acoustic, Bloc Party, covers, Final Fantasy, live music, Take Away Shows

Murder By Death is a pretty big favourite in our house, so I tend to jump all over whatever they decide to release. Most recently that’s a newly-announced 7″ singles series produced with some of their closest friends.

The first volume features the impossibly-deep vocals of William Elliott Whitmore, a 30 year-old white dude from Iowa who sounds like a deep-south bluesman on his deathbed. Performing primarily with nothing more than a guitar or banjo for accompaniment, Whitmore has released five proper albums in the last six or seven years and toured extensively with mostly punk and hardcore bands.

One of those tourmates is Murder By Death, and on the release in question the two share songs. Whitmore covers In Bocca Al Lupo’s “Dynamite Mine” while MBD take on “One Man’s Shame.”

Whitmore’s take on what was already a sombre song results in an even more melancholic number, a song so devastatingly elegiac it’s painful. His vocals are ragged and flinty, lending a voice to the song’s subject that sounds like a man whose spent most of his life inside a mine, away from sunshine and clean air. There’s a real sense of credibility lent to the lyrics just from that voice. Furthermore, the spartan recording is enough to make you believe that the vibration of his banjo strings is practically bouncing off a wall of solid rock before striking your ear.

It’s exactly what split singles are made for: giving a lesser-known artist a chance to wow a wider audience by overshadowing their co-conspirator. William Elliott Whitmore pulls that off in spades. Something tells me he’s going to be worth a second look.

 

 William Elliott Whitmore - Dynamite Mine [2:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Murder By Death - Dynamite Mine [3:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This split — as well as subsequent releases in the singles series and Murder By Death’s past albums — can be found through this webstore. William Elliott Whitmore has a webstore as well. For iTuners, look here and here.

Pat entries banjo, covers, Murder By Death, singles, vinyl, William Elliott Whitmore

I know a gimmick when I see one, but I’ll admit it; I’m a sucker for the ridiculous spate of string quartet “tributes” to popular musical acts.

Vitamin Records started up in 1999 for the sole purpose of releasing “exciting versions of their favorite songs performed in new musical contexts.” They’ve put out an astonishing 185 releases, mostly string quartets, but have branched out into swing, dub, surf, electronic, and lounge covers as well. Pretty incredible considering it’s such a completely ridiculous idea.

As I mentioned, this is pretty gimmicky and while the arrangements are very true to the source material it mostly reeks of a churned-out niche money grab, the majority of the material lacking any kind of real dynamism. I think that’s best shown in the 2Pac album, a ridiculous juxtaposition that honestly carries itself no further than the first track.

Of course there are exceptions. The Tool material in particular is very well-performed and you can tell it’s a favourite of whoever it is that’s behind this project. These are among the handful of songs that truly crackle, replicating the tension and power of the original recordings. The same goes for Radiohead, who are the subject of about three or four of these tributes.

You can throw together a decent mix tape by cherry-picking the best tracks from the labels catalogue. When your work day starts at 4:00am you don’t always want to throw your loudest rock and roll records on the headphones and this presents a happy medium…although it really just makes you want to listen to the originals. Maybe that’s the true purpose of a tribute after all.

 

 Vitamin Records - Let Down (Radiohead) [4:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Vitamin Records - Sober (Tool) [5:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

There’s more than anyone will ever need available for purchase at the Vitamin Records webstore.

Pat entries covers, Radiohead, string quartet, Tool, tribute, Vitamin Records

Atom & His Package (if I haven’t mentioned it before) is a one-man band that consists entirely of Adam Goren and his trusty collection of synthesizers. Many have discounted his numerous releases because his singing voice is rather comical, which means this post makes perfect sense as many have the same qualms about John Darnielle’s voice.

This track is taken from a 3-song 7″ which saw an extremely limited release of just 500 copies. Written inside the small insert is the story of how Adam heard a Mountain Goats song once and it haunted him for a very long time until he figured out who it was. He, like me, was hooked after just one song and, also like me, quickly bought up everything he could find.

So he was playing a brief set of cover songs for a show and decided to do some Mountain Goats numbers, which were recorded and released on this 7″.

If you can find a copy (and actually want one) then I hope you find it.

 

 Atom & His Package - Alpha Desperation March [2:32m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Atom & His Package has a merchandise page and other stuff on itunes

Pat entries Atom & His Package, covers, synthesizers, the Mountain Goats