June 24, 2006
Great Big Sea, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 23 May 2001
Photo from Denver, (2 Feb 2001) by Celtic Connection.
Summer is my favourite time of year as it means I get to go fancy places for conferences. This week I am off to the “tropical isle” of Newfoundland for the big national conference. In celebration of my impending conference and the little vacation that will follow, I bring you the only band that I know from Newfoundland and Labrador (although St. John’s seems to have a booming scene, as seen on NewMusicCanada) and whom I just so happen to have a recording of, Great Big Sea.
I saw Great Big Sea near the end of my year long stint at the University of Glasgow in my third year of undergrad. I had a blast at this show – there was singin’ and dancin’ and a helluva lot o’ clappin’ going on. GBS were opening for Scottinh band Runrig, who were alright but nothing spectacular in my books (the Scots seemed to dig them, however, just not my cup of tea, I guess), and they out performed the headliners by a longshot. After their set the band hung around and signed CDs and talked to people.
This recording was made with a crappy mic on analogue tape. As a result the quality isn’t perfect – there is some tape hiss, in addition to some crowd noise, but I think the sound is pretty decent. You may wish to check out one track before downloading the whole thing. I should have my regularly scheduled post next weekend but it all depends on my being able to have access to the internet. It may have to wait until I get back to Ontario.
Great Big Sea, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, May 23, 2001
1) The Chemical Worker’s Song (Process Man).mp3 (2.46 MB)
2-3) Billy Peddle.mp3 (3.04 MB) [link fixed]
4) I Can’t Get Down.mp3 (3.69 MB)
5) The greatest Wednesday of our entirel lives talk.mp3 (1.18 MB)
6) Goin Up.mp3 (3.58 MB)
7) Attacking the pop charts talk & Boston and St.John’s intro.mp3 (1.1 MB)
8) Boston and St John’s.mp3 (3.91 MB)
9) Sean & Bob birthday talk.mp3 (0.8 MB)
10) The Night Pat Murphy Died.mp3 (3.23 MB)
11) An anthem of irresponsibility talk.mp3 (0.4 MB)
12) Consequence Free.mp3 (3.11 MB)
13) General Taylor.mp3 (3.19 MB)
14) Lukey.mp3 (3.84 MB)
15) thanks talk.mp3 (0.2 MB)
16) Ordinary Day.mp3 (3.53 MB)
Bonus MP3: Great Big Sea with Sarah Harmer, Captain Wedderburn.mp3 (3.53 MB, from “Road Rage” CD)
Sarah Harmer was in Glasgow a few days before the GBS show. Sadly she didn’t stick around to sing this song with them.
For more live Great Big Sea CDs, including the live disc “Road Rage”, visit their store.
June 19, 2006
The Go! Team – Bull in the Heather
Holy freaking crap. The Go! Team have covered Sonic Youth's classic "Bull in the Heather" on their myspace. They've kept the scratchy, feedbacky guitar but replaced Kim Gordon's vocals with a chorus and added trademark Go! Team beats and some of the hottest glockenspiel action you've ever heard. Thanks to Muzzle of Bees for the headsup.
* The Go! Team, Bull in the Heather (Sonic Youth Cover).mp3 (2.74 MB)
The Go! Team open for Sonic Youth at the Kool Haus in Toronto on August 8th.
Buy The Go! Team Stuff — Buy Sonic Youth stuff.
June 18, 2006
The Decemberists, Richard’s on Richards, Vancouver, CBCRadio 3 Concert, 11 February 2004
I am busy (well, I'm supposed to be busy but mostly I'm procrastinating) writing a paper on art forgery and I figured that the most appropriate soundtrack would be one consisting of songs filled with rakes, rogues and rapscallions and spies, soldiers, and saboteurs. And who could provide the ballads and hymns required? Why, The Decemberists of course!
So here they are, from a pre-"Picaresque" performance in Vancouver. It was recorded by those beneficent gentlemen and affable ladies at CBCRadio3. The full performance seems to have been removed from the site but an article and several of the songs can still be found in the CBC3 Magazine archive.
Until next week, I bid you adieu.
The Decemberists, Richard's on Richards, Vancouver, CBCRadio 3 Concert, 11 February 2004
1) Shanty for Arethusa.mp3 (5.24 MB)
2) Billy Liar.mp3 (3.98 MB)
3) Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect.mp3 (4.06 MB)
4) Walkmen tour talk.mp3 (0.7 MB)
5) The Engine Driver.mp3 (3.91 MB)
6) Leslie Anne Levine.mp3 (3.79 MB)
7) being recorded talk.mp3 (0.5 MB)
8) The Soldiering Life.mp3 (3.57 MB)
9) The Chimbley Sweep.mp3 (4.37 MB)
10) Los Angeles, I'm Yours.mp3 (3.92 MB)
11) The Legionnaires Lament.mp3 (4.16 MB)
12) A Cautionary Song.mp3 (3.45 MB)
If that doesn't fulfill all your live Decemberists needs, you can still find my recording of a recent Toronto concert here (the full set is on rapidshare).
Looking for CDs? Of course you are. You need not look any further than HERE. Also recommeneded is the official "Bad Ass Seafarer" t-shirt, because, honestly, who can resist a mermaid (let alone two)?
June 10, 2006
Stars, Other Voices, RTE Television, 15 February 2006
I am in front of a computer located somewhere in the wilds of south-western Ontario after a weeklong bender, um, i mean conference, in Hamilton. Through rather bleary eyes I see that b(oot)log has been nominated in The Torture Garden’s Unnecessary and Completely Arbitrary Blog Awards in the Best ‘Young’ Blog category along with two much better blogs than mine – Cable & Tweed and Rbally (seriously, they are much, much better, go read them). Colour me flattered. While perhaps arbitrary and unneccessary, it is nice to see that others are digging what you are doing so thanks for the nod, Shane.
And now, on to the music which, coincidentally, has an Irish connection: Stars were interviewed and performed live on Ireland’s RTE Television’s Other Voices earlier this year. Knowing that I would be away all week but not wanting to miss my weekly post I uploaded the tracks in advance but didn’t have time to write anything about it. Thankfully, the content is pretty self-explanatory because while I would love to add something profound and/or witty, my brain is feeling a little soggy after spending the last several days discussing the Philosophy of Archives (and making the most of the several open bars provided) so I’ve got nothing. Enjoy the Stars. Perhaps I will be back next week with something enlightening to offer…but I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you. I don’t think it has happened yet so why should next week be any different?
For a very good recording of Stars’ recent show in Berlin visit Don’t Pay for Drinks. Huzzah for more Stars!
Stars, Other Voices, RTE Television, Ireland, 15 February 2006
1) On the state of Canadian music talk.mp3 (1.77 MB)
2) One More Night.mp3 (4.08 MB)
3) describing their music talk.mp3 (0.8 MB)
4) Calendar Girls.mp3 (3.8 MB)
Buy Stars albums etc. through Arts&Crafts.
Completely Unrelated Bonus Song: Tokyo Police Club – Cheer it On.mp3.
I thought I would throw this one on because I am sad to have missed their show in Kingston the other day and because I am currently listening to their album very, very loudly which is the best way to listen to songs about robots in my opinion. (buy from Paper Bag Records)
June 3, 2006
Martha Wainwright, NPR-9:30 Club, Washington, April 10, 2006/BBC6, 25 May 2006
Photo from the 9:30 Club by Joel Didrikson, Kingpin Photography
I know scandalously little about Martha Wainwright. My knowledge of her can be summed up in the following points:
*She is a Canadian singer-songwriter.
*She is a part of a musical dynasty – her parents, aunt, and brother are all wonderful musicians (as are other assorted relations, with whom she frequently performs)
*She has a lovely song with a surprisingly potty-mouthed title – "B.M.F.A." from the NPR set's actual title is "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole."
*She played in April at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. (opening for Neko Case), and the fine folks at NPR recorded it. And about an month later she had a studio session and lengthy interview with Tom Robinson on BBC6.
*She is one helluva singer and I should investigate her further.
Tom Robinson's Evening Sequence, BBC6, 25 May 2006
1) Interview Part 1.mp3 (2.95 MB) (Martha on Morrissey, touring and tourmates)
2) So Many Friends.mp3 (3.16 MB)
3) Interview Part 2.mp3 (5.34 MB) [Martha on songwriting, the family, tough folkies, dead air, the single unsuitable for broadcast, and Snow Patrol]
['Set The Fire To The Third Bar' by Snow Patrol, feat. Martha Wainwright was played here]
4) Interview Part 3.mp3 (3.01) [Martha talks some more about Snow Patrol collaboration, tour dates, Rufus
5) Factory.mp3 (3.63 MB)
6) Interview Part 4.mp3 (1.45 MB) [On the tour, the album, and on a new album]
NPR, All Songs Considered/9:30 Club in Washington, D.C, April 10, 2006
1) Factory.mp3 (4.02 MB)
2) When the Day is Short.mp3 (3.12 MB)
3) Far Away.mp3 (3.52 MB)
4) Martha apologizes and talks about playing the same songs.mp3 (0.9 MB)
5) So Many Friends.mp3 (3.62 MB)
6) Ball and Chain.mp3 (3.06 MB)
7) Comin' Tonight.mp3 (2.8 MB) [Update: the title, according to the RW_Fan at Rutopia]
8) This Life.mp3 (4.76 MB)
9) end of tour talk.mp3 (0.6 MB)
["Don't Forget" is listed in the set list but doesn't seem to have been played]
10) B.M.F.A..mp3 (3.3 MB)
Buy her album at NPR.
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