ABBA with a couple semesters of grad school

Paul Weller - Heliocentric (listen) - Paul Weller is one classy cat, having helmed two influential bands and then continuing with a grown-up music solo concern in the most gentlemanly manner.

God Help the Girl, soundtrack by Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian, out 6/23 - I have just received this from the means that shape my listening privilege and though I've only given it a cursory listen, I think it may be one of the best things ever. For those who haven't been following this project, it is a soundtrack without a film comprised of a few older B&S songs and mostly new ones sung by a trio of women. The soul disco remake of the already great "Funny Little Frog"with Brittany Stallings' vocals is breathtakingly good. This album is ABBA with a couple semesters of grad school, coquettish and irresistible. I know I am a softie for Belle & Sebastian, a band whose damnation was cemented for many with an outburst by Jack Black's character in High Fidelity, but, I mean, c'mon, tell me you don't love this


Serge Gainsbourg - L'Histoire of Melody Nelson (listen) I think Stuart Murdoch might be the new Serge Gainsbourg, trading the old bastard's unabashed lothario for the compressed coyness of the imagined affections of a perky barista. I offered that very scenario to my friend Kevin who fashioned this out of it.

the city slicker, the cowboy, the monkey, and the wrong horse

International Submarine Band - Safe at Home (listen)
Buck Owens - Blue Love (listen)
Michael Nesmith & The First National Band - Magnetic South (listen)

Jon Pruett - "Some have said that it should have been Michael Nesmith, not Gram Parsons, who deserves the honor of country-rock forefather. (If only Nesmith ran with the Stones instead of the Monkees.) That said, great songs abound on this 1968 debut. Tracks like "Calico Girlfriend" and "Joanne" get even better thanks to "Red" Rhodes' brilliant pedal steel work."

[outsideleft] R.I.P. JAY BENNETT

The man that elevated/mangled Wilco into something interesting passed away in his sleep. (more...)

"damaged make-out music"

Shannon Wright - Maps of Tacit
New Wet Kojak - Nasty International
John Zorn - Film Works, Vol. 21: Belle de Nature/Rijksmuseum
Dean & Britta - Back Numbers

unthreaded

Kramer - The Greenberg Variations - Chamber music suite about Hank Greenberg, a power hitter for the Detroit Tigers in the late 30's that gained national fame for refusing to play on Yom Kippur. The mostly placid pieces record are all named for different pitches: "The Spit Ball," "The Knuckle Ball," "The Ephus Ball", a slow pitch used to catch a hitter off-guard, demonstrate a mastery of sound hinted at in the sprawling lo-fi punk and psychedelic-revival albums Kramer helmed for his Shimmy-Disc label in the early 90's.

Jay Bennett - The Magnificent Defeat - R.I.P., cracked pop genius.

The Detroit Cobras - Mink, Rat, or Rabbit (listen) Girl group gone band, or girl-gone-bad group, whatever. Retro-nificent stuff. Ther are playing here in town this coming Monday.

Medeski, Martin & Wood - The Dropper (listen) One of the techs here at works came by and asked if I'd ever heard of the Wood Brothers and in the explanation turned them on to Medeski, Martin and Wood, and in return, they brought me some new computer speakers with a sub-woofer. Turns out there is this aspect of music called bass...

Charlie Hunter - Baboon Strength (listen) Macho downtown jazz-funk all starts to sound the same after a while, even through proper speakers.

and just to fray any thread possibly running through this selection... Bulent Arel's Mimiana I, II, and III all from ANAblog. It gives me a huge new music nerd thrill to hear this early electronic music beamed directly into my phone as I peruse pretentious books at the very library where I would camp out and listen to this arcana two decades ago.

R.I.P. Jay Bennett

Poor guy. The little band that could couldn't have done it without him.

My Darling - Wilco

Brisket and Italian Sausage at my friend John's

John just returned from the Memphis in May international BBQ cook off where his team Suspicious Rinds finished 4th in mustard sauce and got robbed with 38th place with this kickass brisket.













There was also a crawfish/pork sausage but it got devoured before it could be documented. There was, however, this juicy, seedy Italian sausage.