we're really hoping this film, cadillac records, based on the story of chess records & some of the more influential blues musicians of the modern age, will be good, because jeffrey wright (as muddy waters) and mos def (as chuck berry) are two of our favorites.
a few items of note gang:
a) our current favorite local band, the dodos, have live concert footage from their september show at spiegeitent in new york up and streaming at baeblemusic. here's a sample:
the dodos - jodi
2) they shoot music don't they, a very cool music videoblog that shoots unplugged performances in viennese public space, has posted a few videos of icelanders seabear playing in and around a turkish market. check out the session, and the site, generally, over here.
seabear - arms
& iii) the venerable - and still kick-ass - neil finn has announced plans for a new album with most of the 7 worlds collide crew reprising (no word yet on eddie, unfortunately), along with guest appearances by tweedy and about half of wilco. color us excited to hear the results. bonus: all proceeds from the album will be donated to oxfam international.
neil finn - throw your arms around me (live on kcrw)
the raconteurs performed three songs from their second album, consolers of the lonely, acoustically in a live set for david dye and the world cafe last week, and they sounded pretty durn good. "top yourself" is a particular treat.
you can hear the whole show, including an interview with brendan benson and patrick keeler, here.
the raconteurs live on world cafe 14 november 2008
the raconteurs - old enough (live)
the raconteurs - top yourself (live)
the raconteurs - these stones will shout (live)
acid tongue, the second solo album by rilo kilean jenny lewis, didn't receive - or, we should say, hasn't yet received - quite the same celebration as her first effort, rabbit fur coat. but we still think it rather fine. one of our preferred songs from the album, "see fernando," first came to attention when she and the watson twins played it on conan back in 2006:
jenny lewis live on conan, 14 october 2006
jenny lewis & the watson twins - see fernando (live)
pick up a copy of acid tongue here.
anna ash and the family tree are a folk outfit (spritzed by a touch of soul, a hint of twang) from ann arbor, michigan made buoyant by ash's timeless & affecting singing voice, a voice that puts her, we think, in the rough vicinity of singers like, say, jolie holland.
their album, hello friend (from a bird above), is out and available now. listen to a few songs below or stream some additional songs at myspace.
anna ash and the family tree - the birds don't care
anna ash and the family tree - ann marie
hat tip songs:illinois.
via the ten club:
With the 2008 election hot on our tails, we thought it would be the perfect time to dig into our archives and "take a look back to take a look forward." In 2004, Pearl Jam was one of seventeen musicians who took part in the Vote for Change tour - caravanning through battle ground states to Get Out The Vote. An indie film crew made up of Jeff Ament's filmmaker/ skater friends (see sixstair.com) documented the experience. They captured portions of each of concerts, the crowds, on-the-street interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage leading up to Election Day 2004 - all in 8mm film.
Pearl Jam: Vote for Change? 2004: film synopsis by directors Rick Charnoski and Coan Nichols
In April of 2004 we were deep in the San Bernadino, CA skating a few of the dozens of pools left empty by the fires that swept through the area a few months earlier. Jeff Ament, bass player for Pearl Jam, had come along to take advantage of this opportunity. Jeff has been a fan of our skate films (Fruit of the Vine, Northwest, Tent City, etc.) for a few years and asked if we would be interested in doing something with Pearl Jam. He mentioned that they were planning a "Vote For Change" tour right before the election and maybe we could come along and make a film.
We worked it out and ended up in Seattle in the beginning of October 2004 in time to shoot some rehearsals and meet the other band members. We didn't really have much of a plan and we hadn't shot much live music before, but we figured we'd just wing it and see what we got. We brought a few Super 8 movie cameras, a video camera and loads of film and just started shooting.
We flew from Seattle to New York, then followed the tour in a van to Reading PA, Toledo OH, Grand Rapids MI, St Louis MO, Asheville NC and ended up in Kissimee FL. Along the way we met with and spoke to hundreds of fans and just ordinary people about voting, democracy and politics in general. We cut the interviews into the live performances from each city, along with a few exclusive interviews with each band member. It is the first rock and roll tour film that WE know of shot entirely in super 8mm film with an amazing sound track recorded live and mixed by Brett Eliason.
We got home and cut the film, but never showed it to anyone. The enthusiasm for the project dwindled due to the outcome of the election. Ironically, we feel like Bush's reelection may have made the film even more important/ valid and we think now is a great time to dig it out and remind people why it is so important to vote. We love this film, it's like nothing we have ever done before and we are stoked to finally have the chance to show it.
Coan Nichols/ Rick Charnoski- Six Stair
September 2008
grace potter and the nocturnals finish up a two-night stand at the independent tonight. we saw them there on the last swing through town and came away well-impressed. besides the musicianship, these lot know how to have a good time, and their shows are consistently peppered with choice covers. as evidence we enter people's exhibits a) through i):
grace potter & the nocturnals - pain in my heart (live)
grace potter & the nocturnals - golden (live)
grace potter & the nocturnals - paint it black (live)
grace potter & the nocturnals - come together (live)
grace potter & the nocturnals - down by the river (live)
grace potter & the nocturnals - jet airliner (live)
grace potter & the nocturnals - sweet emotion (live)
grace potter & the nocturnals - who knows? (live)
grace potter & the nocturnals - ohio (live, w/ gov't mule)
