Friday, October 4, 2019

New, Cool Music: Indie Impeachment Playlist October 2019



SINGLES

Kurt Vile. "Baby's Arms" (feat The Sadies)
Sleater-Kinney. "Animal"
Craig Finn (The Hold Steady). "It's Never Been A Fair Fight" & an acoustic version too...
The Who. "All This Music Must Fade"

ALBUMS

Wilco Ode To Joy
The Avett Brothers Closer Than Together
Allah-Las LAHS
DIIV Deceiver
San Fermin The Cormorant I
Bonnie "Prince" Billy BPB Mix Tape Vol. 5
The New Pornographers In The Morse Code Of Brake Lights

ARCHIVAL

Patti Smith live, John Mayall & Eric Clapton, Mance Lipscomb, Charley Jordan, Furry Lewis/Frank Stokes, Phil Ochs, The Beatles (Abbey Road 40th anniversary)

Cool, New Song by The Who: "All This Music Must Fade" (Video)




Monday, September 30, 2019

New, Cool Tribute To The Late, Great David Berman (Silver Jews): "All My Happiness Is Gone" by Woods (Backing Band On Berman's "Purple Mountains")



They were the saddest of times; they were the happiest of times.

They were the times. They were our times.

One of the happiest things that happened this year was the release of Purple Mountains, David Berman (of The Silver Jews) first album in several years. And it was good.

But then, because it is Now, something tragic had to happen, and right after we heard this brilliant album we lost David to depression and suicide.

I felt strongly at the time that we the living had to keep singing these songs.

I wanted his friends to show up at the dates on his cancelled 2019 tour and sing his songs.

Well, this is a step in that direction:

Pitchfork: Kevin Morby and Woods Cover Purple Mountains’ “All My Happiness Is Gone”: Watch They performed the tribute to the late David Berman Saturday at the Woodsist festival

from Pitchfork:


Kevin Morby and Woods covered Purple Mountains’ “All My Happiness Is Gone” at this weekend’s Woodsist festival in honor of David Berman. Singer-songwriter Anna St. Louis and Little Wings frontman Kyle Field joined them in their tribute, and you can watch a video of it via Brooklyn Vegan below.
The members of Woods worked closely with Berman to make Purple Mountains, his final album before his death in early August. They were Berman’s backing band on the record, and Woods members Jarvis Taveniere and Jeremy Earl worked as producers on the album. St. Louis also sang on Purple Mountains. They join Stephen MalkmusBill Callahan, and First Aid Kit as artists who have covered Berman’s work in the weeks after his death.
P.S. If you're thinking about killing yourself, please don't.

WE NEED YOU!!!


Three songs from Berman's last album Purple Mountains:



Little Wings covering "All My Happiness Is Gone":


David Berman & Stephen Malkmus (Pavement): "Advice To The Graduate" (1994)


Stephen Malkmus does two Silver Jews songs in tribute to his late friend:



Friday, September 27, 2019

New, Cool Music: Indie Playlist October 2019



Singles

Bonnie "Prince" Billy "At The Back Of The Pit" (first single now on You Tube from new forthcoming album I Made A Place out Nov. 15)

Leonard Cohen "The Goal" (first single from forthcoming posthumous album Thanks For The Dance out Nov. 22)

Phoebe Bridgers "Peek-A-Boo" (Daniel Johnston RIP cover)(YouTube)


Albums

Mark Lanegan Band Somebody's Knocking
Sheer Mag A Distant Call
Kim Gordon No Home Record
Devendra Banhart Ma (first single "Taking A Page")
Vivian Girls Memory
Sam Fender Hypnotic Missiles
Jesse Malin Sunset Kids
Liam Gallagher Why Me? Why Not
Brittany Howard Jaime (Solo debut from Alabama Shakes singer/guitarist)
Y La Bamba Entre Los Dos
The White Stripes The Final Concert: The Snowden Grove Amphitheater (Southaven, Mississippi)

Trump's "Misspelling" of Liddle is His Way to Accuse Schiff of Ritual Child Abuse; A Signal To Trigger Wacky QAnon Conspiracy Theory Nuts To Attack A Congressman




There have been numerous tweets by Donald Trump targeting House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff, a Democrat representing Los Angeles in the U.S. Congress.

Several of them attempt to give Schiff one of Trump's famous derogatory nicknames, calling him "Little" or "Liddle" Adam Schiff; although Schiff is actually 5'11".

More than one anti-Trump pundit has pointed out Trump frequently misspells words and mangles grammar, often stating this is proof Trump is suffering from a type of dementia. In this case; however, the "misspelling" is quite deliberate, has been done repeatedly (thus can't just be a one-time spelling error); meant to link Schiff to untold tales of depravity and child abuse.... and unleash the unhinged crazies on the fringe who believe these wild, unfounded conspiracy theories and will attack Schiff as a Jew, a liberal, a child-abusing Cabal member, and a traitor.

An organization called "Liddle Kidz" and has been targeted by Qanon for being part of the Cabal's child abuse ring. You can find it all over the Internet, for example here... They imply that "Liddle Kidz" and Schiff are working together and that's why Trump is spelling "Little" as "Liddle".

This article says "several" Liddle Kidz workshops have been hosted in Schiff's district (the Liddle Kidz website mentions a main office in Vancouver, Washington):

From a QAnon site:

They also frequently mention The Standard Hotel. Again, the only known connection is that it is located in Schiff's Congressional district (as if he were knowledgable about & responsible for everyone & everything happening in one of the busiest areas in Los Angeles or indeed anywhere in the U.S.). Some online "experts" have implied that the extreme exploitation of children, including satanic rituals and even snuff films, takes place at the hotel on a regular basis. (I was at The Standard Hotel recently and noticed nothing out of the ordinary.)

A small but troubling group of far-right extremists, gathered under the QAnon umbrella, have alleged that a "Cabal" of elites from the worlds of politics, business, and entertainment have secretly held rituals involving the kidnapping, rape, torture, and abuse of children. Some of them even allege that goes as far as mass murder, cannibalism, the drinking of blood, and the harvesting of "adrenochrome" from the victims. Adrenochrome was apparently made up by Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It is posited by Qanon that scared children produce extra-special life-giving adrenochrome, which Qanon say helps keep these sick elitists alive through the centuries.

The "playing card"-type meme (above) featuring Schiff comes from the site Roger Stone harvested a similar illustration of Stone's judge with target crosshairs above her head: Roger Stone Used Crosshairs Logo From Pro-Trump, Pro-Russian Conspiracy Site Which Also Threatened Hillary, Judges, and a Mueller Prosecutor

Some QAnon people apparently believe that not only The Elite (led by Hillary, Obama, George Soros, etc.) are bad and evil, but also that they are demons, aliens, or undead, and need adrenochrome and/or blood to keep their centuries-old bodies going.

It would be laughable; of course, except that some people believe this nonsense and have even killed people for it.

Needless to say, it is horrible to make these kinds of accusations especially when there is no evidence of mass child abductions/disappearances. The fact is, most of these people know these allegations are false but make them anyway to score points against political opponents.

To make accusations of child abuse and even murder against political opponents without any evidence, just making things up out of thin air... clearly these are threats to democracy we must confront now or regret later. They are also reflect the desperation of the far-right.

They know they are losing and their Orange King is about to Fall...

Friday, September 20, 2019

"The Goal": New, Cool Song From The Late, Great Leonard Cohen




Leonard Cohen's son Adam collected the songs Leonard was working on at the time of his death, added some of Leonard's favorite musicians (such as Jorge Mas the Spanish laud player who performed with Leonard for his final eight years touring), and the result is Thanks For The Dance, Leonard Cohen's final album.

You can pre-order Thanks For The Dance here. You'll receive an immediate download of the first single "The Goal" and the rest of the album when it is released on November 22, 2019.


THE GOAL by Leonard Cohen (1934 - 2016)

I can't leave my house
Or answer the phone
I'm going down again
But I'm not alone

Settling at last
Accounts of the soul
This for the trash
That paid in full

As for the fall, it
Began long ago
Can't stop the rain
Can't stop the snow

I sit in my chair

I look at the street
The neighbor returns
My smile of defeat

I move with the leaves
I shine with the chrome
I'm almost alive
I'm almost at home

No one to follow
And nothing to teach
Except that the goal
Falls short of the reach

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Fall 2019: Cool Upcoming Indie Music Releases

Mark Lanegan Band Somebody's Knocking (October 18, Heavenly Recordings)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy I Made A Place (November 15, Drag City)
Kim Gordan No Home Record (October 11, Matador)
Vivian Girls Memory (September 20, Polyvinyl)



Mark Lanegan Band Somebody's Knocking




Bonnie "Prince" Billy I Made A Place (November 15, Drag City).
Single out now: "At The Back Of The Pit"




Kim Gordan No Home Record




Vivian Girls Memory First album since 2011. Well worth a listen...






Daniel Johnston, Rest In Peace



Kurt Cobain, with Flea, wears a Daniel Johnston T-shirt at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards

Phoebe Bridgers and M. Ward cover Daniel Johnston...



Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Cool, New Song by Bonnie "Prince" Billy: "At The Back Of The Pit" (Video)




Bonnie "Prince" Billy is one of America's finest singer/songwriters. He's currently on a creative roll which has included several recent releases, including four volumes of "mixtapes", available at Bandcamp, containing wonderful live recordings, demos, outtakes, covers, rarities, and such.

Billy's got a new album I Made A Place out November 15, 2019 on Drag City.

You can pre-order it here.

 The first single "At The Back Of The Pit" is on Bandcamp now.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Bob Dylan Announces U.S. Tour Dates for Fall 2019


10-11 Irvine, CA - UC Irvine, Bren Events Center
10-12 Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
10-14 Palo Alto, CA - Stanford University Frost Amphitheatre
10-17 Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom
10-19 Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena
10-20 Kansas City, MO - Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
10-22 St. Louis, MO - Stifel Theatre
10-23 Ames, IA - Iowa State University C.Y. Stephens Auditorium
10-24 Mankato, MN - Mankato Civic Center
10-26 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom
10-27 Bloomington, IN - Indiana University Auditorium
10-29 Normal, IL - Illinois State University Braden Auditorium
10-30 Chicago, IL - Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC
11-01 South Bend, IN - Morris Performing Arts Center
11-02 Muncie, IN - Ball State University Emens Auditorium
11-04 Columbus, OH - Ohio State University Mershon Auditorium
11-05 East Lansing, MI - MSU 
Performing Arts Wharton Center
11-06 Ann Arbor, MI - University of Michigan Hill Auditorium
11-08 Highland Heights, KY - NKU BB&T Arena
11-09 Akron, OH - U of A EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall
11-10 Moon Township, PA - UPMC Events Center
11-12 Baltimore, MD - UMBC Event Center
11-13 Petersburg, VA - Virginia State University Multi-Purpose Center
11-15 University Park, PA - PSU Eisenhower Auditorium
11-17 Ithaca, NY - Ithaca College Athletics and Events Center
11-19 Lowell, MA - University of Massachussetts Tsongas Arena
11-20 Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts Center
11-21 Philadelphia, PA - The Met Philadelphia

Thursday, September 5, 2019

September 2019 Indie Music Playlist: What The Cool Kids Are Listening To


BRAND NEW:

Ezra Furman Twelve Nudes
Iggy Pop Free
Pixies Beneath The Eyrie


BLAST FROM THE PAST

Blind Willie Walker (1896 - 1933) "South Carolina Rag"/"Dupree Blues". Walker is said to have influenced the guitar style of Reverend Gary Davis. He only recorded 4 sides (only two of which were released) before dying in his mid-30s.


Ezra Furman



Iggy Pop



Pixies

                                                                     Blind Willie Walker

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Pro-Trump, Homophobic Falun Gong Cult Faces Boycotts Of Their "Epoch Times" & "Shen Yun" Performance Troupe

The Falun Gong is a religious cult (based on qigong and Daoist traditions), whose members have suffered discrimination in China, and who often appear in public in the U.S. and Europe to protest Chinese government policies against them.


Many people who advocate for democracy in China (and places currently dominated by China), such as supporters of the Tibetans and the (Muslim) Uighurs are quite familiar with the Falun Gong. While we may have thought they were unusual, we still supported their right to practice their belief in China without harassment.


Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi, who now lives in New York, has decided to throw the considerable weight of his movement to support U.S. President Trump (who he apparently sees as essentially a divine agent of change, who will thwart the will of Chinese Communist government, leading to increased power for the Falun Gong movement).

Supporting Trump was a huge tactical and moral mistake.

That's why activists are calling for a boycott against The Epoch Times and Shen Yun (the Chinese performance troupe), both owned and controlled by the Falun Gong.

You may have noticed dozens of YouTube ads recently for The Epoch Times, formerly known as a free newspaper of little consequence, now a full-on MAGA Pro-Trump internet-based "news" outlet, promoting even the bizarre QAnon conspiracy. I have taken to blocking the many annoying Epoch Times ads on YouTube. The Epoch Times spent over $1.5 million on these ads. Facebook banned The Epoch Times from advertising on their platform after numerous examples of deceptive practices.

"Li has been open about his beliefs that evolution is fraudulent, that people of different races will be separated in Heaven, and that homosexuality and promiscuity are unnatural. He told Time that aliens were attempting to control humans by making us dependent on modern science..." (New Yorker)




One of Falun Gong's biggest Western outreach is the Shen Yun performance troupe, which tries to mask its links to the cult.

Activists have called for a boycott against the Falun Gong's Epoch Times and Shen Yun to protest their support for Mr. Trump. I support that call 100%.

Related articles:

Trump, QAnon and an impending judgment day: Behind the Facebook-fueled rise of The Epoch Times

Facebook bans ads from The Epoch Times after huge pro-Trump buy

New Yorker: Stepping Into the Uncanny, Unsettling World of Shen Yun

UPDATE: October 2019, Steve Bannon Teams Up For Film With Falun Gong, a Chinese Group That Thinks Trump Will Bring on End-Times



What will be less clear to OANN’s viewers is that the movie’s funder, digital video company New Tang Dynasty, is closely tied to a spiritual movement that reportedly believes Donald Trump, Bannon’s former boss, will help usher in the end times.
New Tang Dynasty is part of the Epoch Media Group, a collection of far-right media outlets linked to Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual movement that has been repressed by the Chinese government. The group’s members apparently now see Trump’s presidency and Chinese trade war as a fateful moment. 

Friday, August 16, 2019

Summer 2019 Indie Music Playlist: What The Cool Kids Are Listening To...



Summer Indie Music Playlist 2019:

Purple Mountains, The Hold Steady, Sleater-Kinney, Oh Sees, King Gizzard, Jesca Hoop, Kaiser Chiefs, Bad Books, Tim Hardin, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Mikal Cronin...



Purple Mountains Purple Mountains The late, great David Berman of The Silver Jews, whose first album featured three future members of Pavement, sadly took his own life last week, but not before releasing this amazing album. A little tough to listen to, under the circumstances, but still an important document. Vital.



The Hold Steady Thrashing Thru The Passion. I'm gonna go ahead and say "return to form" for the boys from the bars in St. Paul & Brooklyn. Lately, they've been trying to be more "adult" and "literate", including some Craig Finn solo albums. They can't sing about popping pills and getting drunk forever (or can they?) but now it sounds as if they're managing to explore other topics without losing their edge or their unique sound and sensibility. Two great guitarists, an awesome singer, and some of the most devoted fans you will ever encounter...




Sleater-Kinney The Center Won't Hold. Their second album since their comeback. Founding member drummer Janet Weiss quit the band in July 2019 just before this album (which she plays on) was released, saying the band was going in a "new direction" and she was leaving.




You can decide if you like the band's "new direction"....




If you need to rock the f*** out, here's two albums of metal-type nonsense to rock your world:


Oh Sees Face Stabber




AND...

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Infest The Rats' Nest









And why not a little political humor?

Bruce W. Nelson "Moscow Mitch" (YouTube):



Jesca Hoop Stonechild. She previously did an album with Sam from Iron & Wine. She's got a great voice and some cool songs.



Kaiser Chiefs Duck. Very popular in the U.K. and well-worth a listen.




Bad Books Bad Books III (feat Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra's Andy Hull & Robert McDowell). A very good album.



Tim Hardin Live At Woodstock. "It could have made his career, but a lukewarm performance cemented Hardin's spot on the list of also-rans..." That's the conventional wisdom, but most of us have never heard the performance until now. It is uneven, but interesting for historical purposes and hints at the greatness that Hardin often approached... Look for his Lost In L.A. release from Record Store Day 2018... I just re-read Patti Smith's memoir Just Kids and it was nice to read that she and Robert Mapplethorpe adored Tim Hardin (and Tim Buckley!)... I had also forgotten how much she talked about life at the Chelsea with the likes of Harry Smith, the folklorist... this paperback version of Just Kids says it has "additional material". It did seem more detailed to me this time around... I liked Patti's follow-up volume, but would love to read more about the beginnings and early successes of The Patti Smith Group at CBGB's, etc.



Bonnie "Prince" Billy BPB Mixtapes, Vol. I - IV. Bonnie "Prince" Billy's team has been releasing "Mixtapes" on Bandcamp, consisting of live takes and rarities. The four mixtapes are a must for any fan of Billy. It's all in anticipation of a new album When We Are Inhuman, out August 30th...

Mikal Cronin "Show Me". Mikal Cronin, known equally for his work with Ty Segall and his own excellent solo material, returns with his fourth solo album Seeker, due out October 25th.... A single, "Show Me", is available with a pre-order on Bandcamp now:

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Free Acoustic Blues Concert in The East Bay, Saturday, August 10, 2019 (2 pm)



Jason Bell (guitar, vocals) and Michael Donnelly (vocals)

Fingerpicking Country Blues, Folk, Gospel, and Ragtime. 

Songs by Blind Blake, Reverend Gary Davis, and more...

Saturday, August 10, 2019, 2 pm, Free Show.

Down Home Music Store (formerly Arhoolie Records), 10341 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, CA.

There are two videos of us performing on the Arhoolie website.

You can listen to a radio performance of us (streaming online for the next two weeks) here from Larry Kelp's "Sing Out" show on KPFA last Wednesday, August 7, 2019.


Sunday, July 28, 2019

Jack White & The Raconteurs Perform Two Songs On "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (Video)



Jack White, Brendan Benson, and their band The Raconteurs perform "Somedays (I Don't Feel Like Trying)" and "Don't Bother Me" from their new album Help Us Stranger on "Jimmy Kimmel Live".

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Cool, New Pixies Song: "On Graveyard Hill" (Video)




.... Almost sounds like an outtake from the original Pixies!

I'm a HUGE fan of the original Pixies and was super-excited when they got back together, but have been less excited about their new stuff with Paz (who I previously liked a lot from Zwan and elsewhere).

This new song is pretty good; however... A return to form? It seems so. It does remind me a lot of the classic Pixies.

They've got a new album Beneath The Eyrie coming out September 13, 2019 on BMG and if this song is any indication of their "new" sound, it's going to be an album people will like a lot, including me.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Wilco Has A Cool, New Song "Love Is Everywhere (Beware)" Out Now; New Album In October....



Wilco announced they are releasing a new album Ode To Joy on October 4, 2019.

"Love Is Everywhere (Beware)", the first single from that album, is out now.

Friday, July 12, 2019

What The Cool Kids Are Listening To: Indie Rock Playlist July 2019



The Black Keys Let's Rock. Solid release from the now veteran retro-blues-rockers.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy Now On Bandcamp, cool outtakes and stuff on BPB Mixtape Vol. 1, and, coming in August, a new album, When We Are Inhuman. Check out a new version of "Beast For Thee" from the new album.

Bruce Springsteen Western Stars. Surprisingly good album from The Boss, with strings.




Iggy Pop Zombie Birdhouse. Lost 1982 classic newly reissued. Well-worth a listen. Contributions from members of Blondie



Kyle Craft Showboat Honey. Very good new album.




Snail Mail Habit. Not bad.

 


Various Artists Echo In The Canyon. The well-received Documentary Film, an examination of L.A.'s Laurel Canyon music scene back in the day as well as its on-going legacy, has a great accompanying Soundtrack feat. Jakob Dylan, Beck, Cat Power, Jade Castrinos, Josh Homme, Fiona Apple, Norah Jones, Regina Spektor, Eric Clapton, and Neil Young doing the songs of The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Love, The Beach Boys, The Monkees, The Association, and The Mamas & The Papas.

Friday, June 21, 2019

Cool, New Songs: Jack White & The Raconteurs Perform "Help Me Stranger" & "Bored And Razed" Live On Colbert





The Raconteurs, featuring Jack White & Brendan Benson on guitars and vocals, have a new album out now (their third) Help Us Stranger. They performed new songs from the album this past week on the Thursday and Friday episodes of Colbert: "Help Me Stranger" (aired Thursday) and "Bored And Razed" (aired Friday).

We had previously heard these two songs from the new album:

Two Cool, New Songs by Jack White with The Raconteurs: "Sunday Driver" & "Now That You're Gone" (Videos)


And there's these as well....


Plus live videos from 2014 of Jack White solo by Michael Donnelly for ThisSmallPlanet.com:


Thursday, June 13, 2019

What The Cool Kids Are Listening To: Indie Rock Playlist June 2019



Albert Hammond, Jr. "More To Life" The Strokes' guitarist continues his stellar solo career. Check it out.

Bad Books III - Side project of Manchester Orchestra & Kevin Devine. Good stuff.



Bob Dylan Rolling Thunder Revue (14-Disc Box Set and documentary by Martin Scorsese on Netflix) feat Mick Ronson on guitar, Allen Ginsberg, Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, Steven Soles, et al. Amazing, but probably best loved by serious Dylan fans only.



Calexico & Iron & Wine Years To Burn. Nice collaboration from two Americana stalwarts.



Elton John: Get ready to see the Elton biopic by listening to some of the great songs from his first five albums such as: "Madman Across The Water" (alt version feat Mick Ronson), "Levon", "Tiny Dancer", "Country Comfort", and "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters".


Filthy Friends Emerald Valley. Filthy Friends is Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker's other band, with R.E.M.'s Peter Buck. Corin is great here, but speaking of Sleater-Kinney, they have a new single, "Hurry On Home", from a new forthcoming album produced by St. Vincent...



UPDATE: They just dropped a second song from the new Sleater-Kinney album "The Future Is Here" 




Prince Originals. Prince's demos of songs he wrote for artists such as The Bangles and Sinead O'Connor

Richard Hawley Further

Rory Gallagher Blues (3-CD Deluxe). Nice retrospective of the Irish bluesman, includes many live cuts include Rory's successful collaboration with Muddy Waters

Sebadoh Act Surprised

Silversun Pickups Widow's Weeds

Strand of Oaks Eraserland

Titus Andronicus An Obelisk

The Yardbirds Live at The BBC Revisited