"So, let us not be blind to our differences - but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal." JFK, June 10, 1963.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Friday, April 17, 2020
ThisSmallPlanet Corona Apocalypse Playlist 2 - New Indie Music
Some great new music to listen to during these difficult times...
Fiona Apple
Laura Marling
Bob Dylan
Mavis Staples & Jeff Tweedy
Mark Lanegan
Hank Williams
Pearl Jam
Ty Segall
Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Matt Sweeney
Bright Eyes (Conor Oberst)
M. Ward
The Strokes
The Mountain Goats
Phoebe Bridgers
Gorillaz
Car Seat Headrest
Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt Cutters. Great new album! Interesting recent New Yorker article about Fiona.
Laura Marling Song for Our Daughter
Mark Lanegan Straight Songs of Sorrow. Accompanies his new book Sing Backwards and Weep, a memoir.
Ty Segall Segall Smeagol. Free download of Ty's tribute to the brilliant late, great singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson
M. Ward Migration Stories. Very good. Well-worth a listen.
The Strokes The New Abnormal. Sounds like a return to form.
The Mountain Goats Songs For Pierre Chuvin. Check this album out!
SINGLES
Bob Dylan "I Contain Multitudes" (see above), a new single, hot on the heals of another new one "Murder Most Foul"
Mavis Staples feat Jeff Tweedy "All In It Together". Wilco's Tweedy co-wrote, plays guitar, and duets on vocals with legend Mavis Staples.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Matt Sweeney "You'll Get Eaten Too". Good excuse to check out the duo's 2005 Superwolf album, as well as Billie's fine new release I Made A Place.
Bright Eyes (Conor Oberst) "Persona Non Grata"
Phoebe Bridgers "Kyoto"
Car Seat Headrest "Hollywood"
Gorillaz "Aries"
ARCHIVAL
Hank Williams Alone with His Guitar. Nice versions of some Hank classics with just Hank on vocals & guitar.
RIP JOHN PRINE!
Many artists paid tribute to John Prine, who we lost to the Coronavirus.
Here's Roger Waters doing "Paradise" for John Prine and The Mountain Goats doing "Glory of True Love", followed by John himself doing "Paradise", "When I Get To Heaven", and "Egg & Daughter Nite":
RELATED: Spring 2020: Books & Music: Cool, New Stuff To Read & Listen To
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Cool, New Song by Phoebe Bridgers: "Kyoto" (Video)
One of the best collaborations of 2019 was the Better Oblivion Community Center, featuring Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst.
We assumed at the time that Better Oblivion was a one-off, and now that seems to be the case, as both Phoebe and Conor have new albums coming out in 2020. Conor is recording again as Bright Eyes and has a new single: "Persona Non Grata".
Phoebe's just released a new single, "Kyoto". She had previously released "Garden Song" the first single from her forthcoming album.
Here's videos we shot at the Better Oblivion show in San Luis Obispo in March 2019.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Cool, New Song by Mavis Staples & Jeff Tweedy: "All In It Together" (Audio)
The legendary Mavis Staples of The Staple Singers (Pop Staple knew Charley Patton) re-connected with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy to write and record a song which seems quite appropriate to the moment: "All In It Together".
Buying this song for $1.00 or more on Bandcamp provides a donation to My Block, My Hood, My City (Ensuring Seniors have COVID-19 Essentials):