White Stripes

Came across this posting of a White Stripes show on a favorite new blog I stumbled on, and it reminded my of why I liked them so much. Jack is so much more dynamic live, and if you've only really ever heard their recorded efforts, you're missing out on some of the true genius of Jack White. The fullness of the sound he creates by himself, with only basic drum beats thrown in(sorry Meg), is something you just don't get a chance to experience by listening to the albums.

If you don't have the time to download the whole show, a few standouts:

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman
You're Pretty Good Looking for a Girl
Astro-Jack the Ripper
Rated X

Sing everybody: Deutsche, Deutsche. Vaya con dios, amigos!

Drove to Edmonton to see E6 on Friday. The venue was smaller than I expected, and tickets were still available at the door. I guess Mr. Valentine and the crew aren't as popular up north as I would have expected. I think that the next time they play The Likwid Lounge, it won't be so easy to score tickets. Dick seemed to have the crowd in the palm of his hand as he blasted through hit after hit, scarcely stopping to banter, preferring rather to whip the place into another frenzy of fist pumping, and singing-along. A brief mention that their next show in Calgary the next night was sold out was the only real disappointment. That, and them not playing Devil Nights.

MP3: Germans In Mexico - Electric Six
VIDEO: Fire in the Disco - Electric Six (Live on Later with Jools Holland)

Beautiful Machine Parts 3-4

The new Apples In Stereo album New Magnetic Wonder has really been getting in my ears since it leaked recently. It's quite diverse from start to finish which might mean that a lot of people may like only half of the tracks. But the handful of tracks that I like, I like a lot. These for example:

MP3: 7 Stars - The Apples In Stereo (removed by request)
MP3: Beautiful Machine Parts 3-4 - The Apples In Stereo (removed by request)

Here is an oldie but goodie from the Apples:
MP3: Tidal Wave - Apples in Stereo

M. Ward

This is a sweet video for a really great song.

I really need to see M. Ward play live. I've heard that he is amazing.

C'mon mood shift, shift back to good again

It might not make many of the popular 'Top Ten Albums of the year' lists that I look forward to as we hit the homestretch of 2006, but Of Montreal's 'Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?' has 2 or 3 tracks that will certainly make my 'Top Ten Songs of the Year' list, even though this album leaked 5 months(!) early, and is not scheduled for release until Jan07.

MP3: A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger - Of Montreal
MP3: Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse - Of Montreal

This album has grown on me exponentially since I first heard it over a week ago. Like a lot of their earlier stuff that I heard, it just seemed a little too....weird, I guess, but after a while, you begin to crave those little weird bits in the songs, and you forget that they ever sounded weird to you. I love that.

(Ok, it might make #9 or #10)

August. Die She Must.

Because of the headache I had today, I decided that it would be the soothing sounds of Paul Simon all afternoon. Didn't make my head hurt less, but made me happy despite it. Here's a couple beauties:

MP3: Leaves That Are Green - Simon & Garfunkel
MP3: April Come She Will - Simon & Garfunkel

Paul has a new album out that I have yet to sink my teeth into. Quite looking forward to it!

"Blind to the very horror of his sorry life"

Just a quick post to promote one of my all-time favorite song writers. The new album from Ed Harcourt is called The Beautiful Lie, and it's fantastic.

MP3: The Last Cigarette - Ed Harcourt

I first saw Ed when he opened for R.E.M. in Denver in 2003, and I literally bumped into him in the men's room after his set. Fun night.

Mason Jennings

A co-worker suggested this guy to me as some good easy-listening. Easy listening indeed. I find it quite easy to listen to this album all friggin' day. Nothing too complicated going on here, just beautifully classic folk songwritting about love and life, sung with passion.

MP3: If You Need A Reason - Mason Jennings
MP3: Jackson Square - Mason Jennings

He also has a substantial back catalogue that I am looking forward to once I start to crave some 'new' MJ. Buy the new album HERE. You can get the album plus an autographed single for only $16us. Done.