What are *you* listening to? (Part 1)

Arts & Sciences Arts & Entertainment
21

Yeah, but now I can’t get Gillian Welch outta my head. Another great one, from Revival:

TEAR MY STILLHOUSE DOWN
(Gillian Welch)

Put no stone at my head
No flowers on my tomb
No gold plated sign
In a marble pillared room
The one thing I want
When they lay me in the ground
When I die tear my stillhouse down

Chorus:
Oh tear my stillhouse down
Let it go to rust
Don’t leave no trace of the hiding place
Where I made that evil stuff
For all my time and money
No profit did I see
That old copper kettle was the death of me

When I was a child
Way back in the hills
I laughed at the men
Who tended those stills
But that old mountain shine
It caught me somehow
When I die tear my stillhouse down

Chorus

Oh tell all your children
That Hell ain’t no dream
'Cause Satan he lives
In my whiskey machine
And in my time of dying
I know where I’m bound
So when I die tear my stillhouse down

Chorus

1995 Irving Music, Inc./Say Uncle Music/Cracklin’ Music
(adm. by Bug) BMI
Gillian Welch: Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
David Rawlings: Acoustic Guitar, Vocal
…
Engineered by Rik Pekkomen
Mixed by John Hanlon

22

Electroshock Blues by the Eels. I bought it only for the song “Last Stop: This Town”, but when I went to rip the CD onto my media player, I discovered how great the rest of the songs were. Very mellow.

Bring it On and Liquid Skin by Gomez. Both are really amazing albums. I love Rosalita on Liquid Skin.

Sabsylma by Zap Mama…I heard A Ma Zone while dining at Warung Didi in Kenting and Marco showed me the CD. I had heard their music on the radio while I was studying in France in university, but I had forgetten about them until I heard Rafiki from A Ma Zone. I like Sabsylma because it is done completely a capella. Very ethereal and beautiful yet a strong beat.

23

[quote=“akosh”]Just to keep this thing goin’

AWOL, seems we share some of the same tastes. Will check out the recomended Willie Nelson (it’s payday round here). If you like Wilco, then maybe you already know this artist, but If you don’t… well…

My weakness… I’m a sucker for a woman with a great voice.
Don’t know if I’m the last person on the planet to discover her, but DAMN Gillian Welch is GREAT.

She writes songs that are kinda old time country blues, but with modern lyrics, but I don’t know what the hell she’s singing about because when I listen to her voice I just fall into this bissful, zoned-out state: kinda like Homer Simpson eating the potatoe chips in outer-space. Awesome.

her website
gillianwelch.com/

Annabelle, Whiskey Girl, I’m not afraid to die, I dreamed a highway back to you, Leaving Train, Winter’s come and gone, all are great songs if you can find a way to get a listen.

She gained some fame from doing a couple of songs on the ‘O brother where art thou’ soundtrack, but I don’t think the few songs she does on there is enough to get a feel for her music as her original songs would probably appeal to more people than the straight-up traditional stuff she did for that.

right, off too FNAC I go to, spend my ill-gotten wealth… on company time no less :shock:[/quote]

Have you seen the Wilco “I am Trying to Break Your Heart” DVD? Amazing stuff. I saw an amazing History of Country Music DVD last night with Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, a VERY young Steve Earle and Jonathon Crowell all sitting round a table full of piss and finger pickin all night… BRILLIANT.

The new Emmylou Harris record is outstanding as is the new Lucinda Williams long player… the Creekdippers, Jesses Sykes, the list just goes on. It is a truly exciting time in music.

24

awol wrote

Nope, haven’t seen it unfortunately.

Is that the Heartworn Highway movie? Would basically do anything short of killing a person to see this. Wherever did you come across that?

25

akosh

Yep Heartworn Highways is the one. I saw it here in Oz. Its a ripper. Finger pickin goodness left right and centre, Earle, Van Zandt, Clark pissed as parrots and playing their hearts out. Some great footage of Townes around his shack, drunk on whiskey, gun in hand and falling down rabbit holes. Priceless stuff. Met a guy here who brought Townes and Guy to Australia for some shows. Said Guy Clark would stay up til dawn playing songs whilst Townes would drink 2 bottles of whiskey in an hour and pass out. He missed most shows obviously.

Also, Steve Earle and The Dukes: Transcendental BLues LIVE is a great DVD I saw recently.

26

To rub some salt… I spent a glorious 2 hours last night watching the wonderful Tucson Arizona boys - CALEXICO… and holy crap it was amazing!

They brought a 6 piece band to Oz… there was pedal steel, fuzzed out Tele twangin’, crazy synths, vibraphones, double bass, a genius behind the vintage Gretsch drum kit… and the trumpets, oh the trumpets… was spectacular.

27

Shame on you AWOL. Glad to hear Calexico is still around and doing well. I really liked their first album but kind of lost track of them as their second album didn’t do that much for me (or was it too much like the first one? can’t remember) Yea great horns.

Where are you in OZ? Do you know a band called The Sailors?

28

The earliest record I have is “Hot Rail” and yes, it is spectacular. The latest one I have is “Even My Sure Things Fall Through”. More singing on the later stuff and they are all the better for it. Given them another run I say.

Havent heard of The Sailors? Where are they from? What style are they? (I am in Brisbane, Queensland).

29

AWOL

The Sailors are from Melbourne, I used to play in a band in Taiwan with the bass player. He’s a nutcase but a great guy and a great friend. Style? I guess they’re kind of a degenerate shock rocker comedy act, that sets out to offend. They’re more lounge lizard than actual in your face punk, though. Definately not of the same musicianship as the people we’ve been discussing, but for a good laugh (provided you find their shtick funny) they’re not bad at all.

30

akosh

its been a while coming but i just bought “The Gram Parson Anthology: Sacred Hearts, Fallen Angels”.

Has the ‘… best of’ from his International Submarine Days, solo, Byrds, Burritos etc. Amazing stuff. The price of the pack kept me a way for a while but you gotta love bargain basement stores…

31

I’m revisting my High School days and bought all the Guns and Roses Albums (Appetite, Lies, Use your Illusion I and II and Live Era) all awesome cd’s. People never gave the Gunners enough credit but they did write some good tunes. Also picked up “Elephant” by the White Stripes and it’s a great cd too.

32

On the Gunners, don’t forget the Spaghetti Incident, the cover album. Overall not a great album, but “Ain’t if fun” is excellent - check out the original by the Dead Boys. Maybe just download both songs instead of buying the album, which is what i did.

White Stripes rocks. Don’t see any mention in this thread of the new album by the Strokes (room on fire). Room, as Elephant, is way over-hyped, but definitely worth picking up…

Saw Gilberto Gil pop up a couple of times in earlier postings - I think he’ll be in HK later this year doing some kind of Bob Marley inspired set - time to hop on the plane. Also coming through HK, Orchestre Baobab, bunch of old timers churning out the tunes Buena Vista Social Club style. Two albums worth checking out. One album last year or the year before (Specialist in All Styles), which was almost as good as the original (Pirates Choice), which was recorded in the 80s i think…

Btw, for one of the better “best of 2003” album lists, check out Popmatters.com.

33

Ok, this one’s kindof old, but what a great sound:

Loreena McKennit “Book of Secrets”

I never really cared much for Celtic stuff (sorry sandman): don’t wear plaid, don’t get excited about bagpipes or haggis, and don’t care much for Enya. But this album – wow. If you don’t have it you should get it. You can give it a listen below. You’ll see taht on Amazon it got 5 stars from 390 reviews.

My wife was intrigued when I put it on this morning and says we’ll have to play it regularly for our fetus so that when she emerges she will be a singer. The word ethereal may be overused in connection with Loreena but that’s just because it fits so well.

34

Enya? ENYA? That new age twaddle’s about Celtic as John Leguizamos’s left tit.

35

How about Loreena McKennit? Is she authentic?

36

Authentic what? Celtic? Not really. Kind of hybrid new age/Celtic/mood music kind of stuff, I’d call it. Bit airy-fairy for my taste but she has a nice voice in a generic earth mother/wiccan priestess way. Streets ahead of Enya’s pseudo dribbling electronica though.
I like my Celtic music a bit more “in your face.” Acid cailidh, that’s where its at. Speed, sweat, beer, whisky, hairy farm labourers, “where we live” kind of music to quicken the blood.

37

Just to be a prick… look where I’m going for Easter weekend…

Byron Bay Blue Festival (www.bluesfest.com.au)

Artists include:

Lucinda Williams , Michael Franti and Spearhead (Acoustic),
Steve Earle and the Dukes, Burning Spear, The Robben Ford Band, Bob Geldof, Kelly Joe Phelps, Donovan Frankenreiter, James Brown, Jackson Browne, The BLack Keys, Dr John, Taj Mahal, Richard Thompson, Luka Bloom…

Steve Earle AND the Dukes… I am in heaven, and Lucinda… enough for me. And all held in Byron Bay…

Thankyou, and good night. :smiley:

38

AWOL, you are a total prick. Never mind the line up, just going to Byron Bay is enough to make me green with envy. Taking your board? Say yes and I will track you down and . . . . and . . . shake your hand.

Byron Bay would have to be the “if I had so much loot that I didn’t have to work”, that’d be home

Enjoy . . . ya bastard!

HG

39

I’ve got some great ideas for new music from this thread.

I like stuff like Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Portishead, Future Sound of London, Ozric Tentacles (!).
Based on this list can anyone give me some suggestions for new additions? 'Preciate it.

40

[quote=“Spack”]I’ve got some great ideas for new music from this thread.

I like stuff like Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Portishead, Future Sound of London, Ozric Tentacles (!).
Based on this list can anyone give me some suggestions for new additions? 'Preciate it.[/quote]

Whilst not ‘new’ as such - if you like the above check out: Avenuw A, Massive Attack, Tricky, Asian Dub Foundation, Karma, Derrick Carter, Lo Fidelity Allstars… etc

Oh yeah… Byron aint what it used to be. Now full of city folk pricing out the people who made it special. Gone are the cheap fish n chips on the beach and the sleeping under the stars, replaced by the rafia mafia (middle class women in X5 BMW SUV’s wearing rafia hats with children called Harry) and th eongoing construction of luxury resort living. Was there last weekend and I could hardly move in the water so many people. As for boarding… I body and boogie, getting on the Malibu soon enough.