Thursday, November 30, 2006

In House #1756: The Lemonheads Play Boise, Salt Lake City

Love him or hate him, Evan Dando deserves a lot of credit simply for being where he is after where he's been. The (former and now current) Lemonheads frontman retreated into a part self-imposed/part drug-imposed exile following 1996's car button cloth release before re-emerging three years ago with the solo outing Baby I'm Bored. That he has always been able, even on his worst outings, to produce hook-filled pop gems like "Rudderless," "Great Big No," or even "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You," is to his great credit, and the material on this year's self-titled Lemonheads resurrection shows that he's hardly missed a beat ten years on. Backed by former Descendents Karl Alvarez and Bill Stevenson, new Dando tunes like "Black Gown," and "No Backbone," pack a punkish punch that hasn't been heard from a band called The Lemonheads since their late eighties indie days. The new version plays tonight at the Big Easy in Boise and tomorrow at The Depot in Salt Lake City.

The Lemonheads' Evan Dando


Related content here.

In House #1756.
Airdate: 11/30/06
Focus: The Lemonheads play Boise tonight and Salt Lake City tomorrow night, plus new music from the Robbers On High Street, The Shins, Mazarin, and more.

BONUS MP3-
The Lemonheads, from the new self-titled release: "Black Gown" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #216

Get The Lemonheads' latest at Insound.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

In House #1755: TK Webb's Phantom Parade; New Jesse Sykes

There's a kind of mystique surrounding the Missouri-bred, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter TK Webb that dates back to his time as something of a child prodigy in the mid 1980's. So the story goes, Webb was what might be called a Led Zeppelinian disciple in his early youth, and by the age of nine had mastered a good portion of the Page-Plant songbook on his guitar. By the time he was thirteen, he was playing in bands alongside old guys, no doubt cringing at yet another request for "When the Levee Breaks," before adding harmonica to his list of mastered instruments. Fast forward to the present: the 28 year-old Webb has just released his second album, Phantom Parade (out on The Social Registry), and while it might hint at some of the more psychedelic blues and folk elements in Zeppelin's music, there are also clear nods to American blues masters and porch-stompers like Robert Johnson, and the increasingly fervent New York City Americana scene that has produced acts like Oakley Hall, among others. Webb has gained a reputation around his adopted hometown as something of a secret musical genius, likley fostered in part by the presence, the weight of life lived that belies his comparatively young age. The secret, it would seem, won't be kept for much longer.

TK Webb

In House #1755.
Airdate: 11/29/06
Focus: New release from TK Webb, Phantom Parade, plus new music from Jesse Sykes, Willie Nelson, Ramsay Midwood, Gob Iron, and more.

BONUS MP3-
TK Webb, from Phantom Parade:
"Phantom Parade" (MP3) and "Oh Baby No" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #215

Get TK Webb's Phantom Parade at Insound.

Tom Waits Plays The Daily Show

For some reason, it's always a surreal experience to see Tom Waits on television, perhaps because it's hard to believe that there's a guy like that making music like that still around. He was on the tube twice this week, playing both Letterman and John Stewart's Daily Show, which made his anti-war "Day After Tomorrow," their Moment of Zen.



Get Tom Waits' latest, Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, & Bastards at Insound.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

In House #1754: New Live Mark Kozolek, Little Drummer Boy

In a season filled with new Christmas-themed releases by everyone from Sufjan Stevens to Aimee Mann to James Taylor, Mark Kozelek's Little Drummer Boy Live somehow isn't one of them-- and that's a good thing. Instead, Kozelek has collected two discs worth of live material recorded over the past three years or so that runs the gamut of his material, including originals from the Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon, and covers of songs by AC/DC and Modest Mouse (and, yes, a version of "Little Drummer Boy"). It's all Kozelek, completely stripped down and unadorned, and while there are few upbeat moments (the songs are Kozelek's, after all), the performances are generally mesmerizing. Painters' classics like "Mistress," and "Katy Song," are as engaging and emotionally-charged here as ever, while the version of Modest Mouse's "Trucker's Atlas," (also included on last year's Sun Kil Moon album of Modest Mouse covers, Tiny Cities) shows that song to have completed its transformation into a Kozelek stunner, first and foremost. The limited edition double album is out today on Kozelek's own Caldo Verde label.

Mark Kozelek

In House #1754.
Airdate: 11/28/06
Focus: New live release from Mark Kozelek, Little Drummer Boy Live, plus new music from Tom Waits, Summer Hymns, Micah P. Hinson, and more.

BONUS MP3-
Mark Kozelek, from Little Drummer Boy Live: "Salvador Sanchez" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #214

Get Mark Kozelek's Little Drummer Boy Live at Insound.

Monday, November 27, 2006

In House #1753: New & Upcoming Releases From Sloan, The Figgs

We start off a rather slow musical week today with new material from a couple of bands whose careers have followed along similar trajectories. Both Sloan and The Figgs have enjoyed what might be called "cult status" over the course of their extended outputs, with much of their respective fanbases based in the geographic location they have in common (Sloan hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia, while The Figgs are from New York state). With consistently enjoyable results, both bands have been carrying the torch passed on by power pop forefathers like Big Star and The Raspberries for the past two decades (Sloan turned 15 this year, while The Figgs are pushing 20), and garnering far less than their share of attention for the trouble. For their eighth studio release and first since 2003's Action Pact, Sloan has packed thirty new songs onto one disc and an album they've titled Never Hear the End of It, which one supposes the band hopes doesn't become prophetic. Full of the 70's-flavored-power-pop-with-a-side-of cheese on which Sloan's discography has been built, the album was already released in late September in Canada on ViK. Recordings-- look for its U.S. release early in 2007 on yep roc.

The Figgs' latest, meanwhile, represents their first output since the 2004 double-album Palais announced to many that the band is only now peaking. Follow Jean Through the Sea drops tomorrow, representing The Figgs' seventh full-length and first for the Gern Blandsten label. Like Sloan's newest, it doesn't necessarily represent a departure from previous material, but it does serve up a slice of guitar-driven pop perfection that's more than worth the 33 minutes of your time in which it blurs by.

Sloan

In House #1753.
Airdate: 11/27/06
Focus: New and upcoming releases from Sloan, Never Hear the End of It, and The Figgs, Follow Jean Through the Sea. Plus new music from Paul Westerberg, The Walkmen, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
The Figgs, from Follow Jean Through the Sea:
"Breaking Through These Gates" (MP3) and "Don't Hurt Me Again" (MP3)

Sloan, from Never Hear the End of It:
"Fading Into Obscurity" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #213

Friday, November 24, 2006

In House #1752: The Duhks in Park City This Weekend


The Duhks

In House #1752.
Airdate: 11/24/06
Focus: The Duhks in Park City this weekend, plus new music from Gob Iron, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
The Duhks, from Your Daughters & Your Sons:
"Rock of Ages" (MP3) (courtesy jefitoblog)

...from Migrations: "Down to the River" (MP3) (courtesy the late greats)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #212

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

In House #1751: Swan Lake's Beast Moans; Reissued Pavement



Krug, Bejar, & Mercer are Swan Lake



In House #1751.

Airdate: 11/22/06
Focus: Debut release from Swan Lake, Beast Moans, plus newly reissued Pavement and new music from The Shins, Bishop Allen, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Swan Lake, from Beast Moans:
"All Fires" (MP3)

Yo La Tengo:
"Be Thankful For What You Got" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #211

Get Swan Lake's Beast Moans at Insound.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

In House #1750: Tom Waits' Orphans Collection

At this point, what can be said? He's Tom Waits, which is interesting because he's so rarely just Tom Waits. Case in point: the new 3-disc, 56-track Orphans, collection, divided into groups of Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards. Over the course of the massive collection he's a piano bar crooner, a train-hopping hobo, a smart-aleck comedian, a post-apocalyptic bluesman, a wisened storyteller, and probably a few other characters to boot. It's the theatricality of Waits and his creations that really hits home here, and that almost always involves assuming a role and doing it well. As for the details, the diverse selection includes takes on songs you probably know, "Young at Heart," and "Sea of Love," included; original compositions you may have heard done by someone else: "2:19," was first recorded by John Hammond, while Norah Jones' version of "Long Way Home," was likely more heard than Waits' contribution of the same song to the soundtrack of a film called Big Bad Love; and originals like "Little Drop of Poison," and "Never Let Go," that just never found a place anywhere else. It's a lot to digest, but it never feels as if it might be better if it were pared down to a disc's worth of material. Indeed, despite its odds & ends origins, Orphans is a huge addition to an already giant musical legacy.

Tom Waits

In House #1750.
Airdate: 11/21/06
Focus: New 3-disc collection from Tom Waits, Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, & Bastards, plus new music from Summer Hymns, Jennifer O'Connor, Melvern Taylor, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Tom Waits, from Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, & Bastards:
"Lie To Me" (MP3)
"Bottom of the World" (MP3)
"You Can Never Hold Back Spring" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #210

Monday, November 20, 2006

In House #1749: The Beatles' Love; New Forro In the Dark

It's difficult not to be automatically wary whenever one hears of "reworkings" or "alternate mixes" of classic recordings-- The Beatles perhaps topping the list of acts that have been packaged and repackaged in various guises with generally cheap and gimmicky results over the years. Let It Be...Naked, the 2003 Phil Spector-less release of the band's classic swansong, comes quickly to mind as a repackaging/remixing that was met with widespread criticism, particularly from diehards who consider such meddling akin to sacrilege. Love, the latest re-realization of the Fab Four, may present a challenge to the staunchest of purists as it sports production duties by the likes of the Beatles producer, Sir George Martin, and his son Giles. Moreover, the project had the full support of the remaining Beatles trust, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Yoko Ono.

In a sense, the music on Love is actually a soundtrack, the musical backbone behind the Cirque du Soleil's production of the same name currently running in Las Vegas. The Martins were given access to EMI's vast vaults of Beatles material, including outtakes, sound pieces, demos and such, and were asked to create something entirely new for the production. The results are brand new, but the ingredients come directly from recordings made by the band, many of which are heard here for the first time. In many cases, the creations result in what might almost be referred to as Beatles mash-ups: "Strawberry Fields Forever," for example, actually begins with Lennon's demo version before launching into a later take along with pieces from "In My Life," and "Piggies," among others. "Blackbird," meanwhile, begins with its familiar guitar melody before transforming into "Yesterday." Still others, like "Because," and "Something," undergo more subtle changes, many of which are hard to catch unless being listened to alongside the originals. No doubt the reaction will be to treat this as a money-grab, and even the best case scenario still recommends the original recordings-- but for what it is there's more than a little here to Love. Consider the source.


In House #1749.
Airdate: 11/20/06
Focus: New Beatles release, Love, plus new music from Forro In the Dark joined by David Byrne, Jarvis, Nellie McKay, The Walkmen, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Forro In the Dark featuring David Byrne, from Bonfires of Sao Jao:
"I Wish (Bundle of Contradictions)" (MP3)

The Beatles, from Love:
"Lady Madonna (Love version)" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Live: The Decemberists
Wilma Theatre, Missoula, MT 11/16/06

Growing up in Helena, Montana, Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy took refuge in that community's Grandstreet Theatre-- no doubt an occupational training ground for the thespian leanings of the band's current stage show. It was something of a full circle made then when Meloy remarked to the sold-out audience in Missoula's venerable Wilma Theatre that the backstage area wore the grit and graffiti of an underground punk club, although closer observation revealed that the scrawled walls bore inscriptions more along the lines of, "Cinderella 2001- Becky Was Here," or "Brigadoon '99!" The scene could hardly have been more fitting. This was Meloy returning to his college stomping grounds, returning to the town where he'd fronted the short-lived, country-tinged Tarkio while attending the University of Montana in the late '90's. One might have called the production "Local Boy Makes Good," or "You Can Go Home Again."
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Still, despite the planned homecoming, it almost didn't happen. Meloy had been feeling ill the days prior, and the previous audience in Denver had seen the setlist cut short because of it (not to mention the shows after Missoula, where the relentless bug returned with a vengeance and forced the cancellation of planned Vancouver dates). Nevertheless, he soldiered on, and after a brief pre-apology for any illness induced sour notes the band launched into the first strains of "The Crane Wife 3," beginning a diverse and high energy set that included a surprise or two added with the home crowd in mind.
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For obvious reasons, the band concentrated on material from their latest effort, including sizzling versions of the two mini-suites, "The Crane Wife 1 & 2," and "The Island," each of which benefits greatly from live performance. It was here that showcased the band's increasing flexibility and muscianship as Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, and Lisa Molinaro, multi-instrumentalists all, met the rotating musical demands by employing a variety of instruments and noisemakers-- a feat that could have easily called for a small orchestra. Elsewhere, drummer John Moen got out from behind the kit to join Meloy with harmonies on the sinister "Shankhill Butchers," the stage drenched completely in a deep red hue, while Funk's hurdy-gurdy formed the foundation for an uplifting version of "Sons & Daughters," the closer to the regular set that found Meloy leading the crowd in singing, "Here all the bombs fade away...." over and over in unison.
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While the Crane Wife heavy set was to be expected, there were plenty of older crowd pleasers and pleasant surprises to be had. Songs like "July! July!," "The Engine Driver," and "Apology Song," were all met with rapturous applause, the latter of which receiving the most when it referenced the Orange Street Food Farm, a local Missoula grocery popular with students for beer and other such supplies. That wouldn't be the only Missoulian allusion of the night, as Meloy began the encore with a solo rendition of Tarkio's "Save Yourself," foregoing the setlist's "Red Right Ankle," for something with a local connection. Aside from being a number from Meloy's old band, the song also contains a regional reference in the line, "Where is the lifeline/ Here on the hi-line," the hi-line being the stretch of U.S. Highway 2 that runs through northern Montana. Not surprisingly, it drew a big reaction each time the line came around. Elsewhere, while dividing up the audience for a "la-de-da" sing-along to "16 Military Wives," Meloy quipped, "You'll get it. You're smart. You just elected Jon Tester to senate," drawing another proud Montanan reaction.

Finally, the spectacle closed out with a version of "A Cautionary Song," that featured Funk, Moen, and Molinaro venturing into the audience for a re-enactment of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, the trio portraying Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea, respectively. The scene was narrated by Meloy, whose revisionist history included Lewis as a hot-to-trot homosexual before a meteorite ended it all. 'Twas an explosion befitting the evening, sending the storyteller and his traveling band onward down the road, and a thousand musical revellers into the night, oblivious to the chilly wind.


Bonus vid from Missoula:



Plenty more pics from the show here.

Check out reports and images from the rest of the 2006 Rout of the Patagons Tour below.

Friday, November 17, 2006

In House #1748: Starvin' Artists Live


The Merle Brothers, Bob & Les, are Starvin' Artists

In House #1748.
Airdate: 11/17/06
Focus: Starvin' Artists live In House, plus Joan Baez in Boise tonight and The Wailin' Jennys in Idaho Falls tomorrow night.


PLAYLIST

Thursday, November 16, 2006

In House #1747: The Decemberists Play Missoula; New Voxtrot

Colin Meloy and his merry band of Decemberists embark upon the final leg of their Rout of the Patagons Tour with a performance tonight in Meloy's old stomping grounds, Missoula, MT. As you may recall, Meloy fronted the short-lived Tarkio in Missoula in the late 90's while attending the University of Montana before moving on to bigger things in Portland. The Crane Wife, of course marks the band's latest effort and first under Capitol's major label banner. Far from dumbing their sound down for a more radio-ready, masses-gathering appeal, The Decemberists may have upped the bookish ante even more, basing the three part title-track on an ancient Japanese folk-tale. Add to that "The Island," a twelve-minute mini-suite, and songs unexpectedly bursting with proggish rhythms and previously uncool instrumentation, and you've got their most ambitious work to date. Scottish singer-songwriter Alasdair Roberts opens.

The Decemberists


In House #1747.
Airdate: 11/16/06
Focus: The Decemberists with Alasdair Roberts in Missoula, MT tonight, plus new music from Voxtrot, Laura Gibson, Herman Dune, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
The Decemberists: "A Cautionary Song (LIVE)" (MP3)
...and the Tower Records bonus track, from The Crane Wife:
"Culling of the Fold" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #209

(Ed. note: watch this space tomorrow for a complete review of The Decemberists in Missoula.)

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

In House #1746: Bishop Allen, Starlight Mints, Matt Pond PA In the Area Tonight

From where we sit at least, one of the more interesting things going on in the musical year 2006 has been the EP-a-month series from Boston-born, Brooklyn-based act Bishop Allen. Having written themselves into an unsatisfactory corner following the release of their debut Charm School, the band decided to approach songwriting a little differently by concentrating less on writing a "Bishop Allen song," and more on writing whatever their muse presented. It must have worked: ten EPs and nearly forty new songs later, they're just two months short of an entire year's worth of blissed out indie pop nuggets, the October EP having been made available this week. The band makes a couple of rare appearances in the intermountain west this week, beginning tonight at The Neurolux in Boise before moving on to Velour in Provo, UT tomorrow night. Also on the bill (in fact, headlining it) are the Starlight Mints. The band released their first album for Barsuk earlier this year, entitled drowaton, making good on the darker and more adventurous pop moments hinted at with their first two efforts.



In House #1746.
Airdate: 11/15/06
Focus: Bishop Allen, Starlight Mints, and Matt Pond pa all playing in the area tonight, plus new music from The Shins, Mazarin, The Silent Years, Oxford Collpase and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Bishop Allen, from the October EP:
"Clementines" (MP3)

...and the September EP:
"Like Castanets" (MP3)

..and the June EP:
"The Same Fire" (MP3)

...and the March EP:
"The Monitor" (MP3)

...and the February EP:
"The News From Your Bed (MP3)

Mazarin, released upon the occasion of their recently announced retirement:
"Your Advice" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #208

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

In House #1745: Neil Young & Crazy Horse at The Fillmore 1970; Rolling Stones in Boise

For years now, decades even, Neil Young has been talking about opening up his vaults and unearthing the treasure trove of bootleg recordings, aborted full-lengths, unfinished songs, and the like that exists there, spanning five decades and nearly as many musical phases. In the past, he's envisioned this project as a behemoth box set or two, or as bonus material to be gathered along with reissues of proper albums, but the arrival this week of Crazy Horse at The Fillmore 1970 reveals a direction more along the lines of Bob Dylan's impressive bootleg series. The recording from Bill Graham's Fillmore East marks the debut of Young's Performance Series, though it's labeled as the second volume, obviously revealing that a future release will pre-date this 1970 concert. Crazy Horse at The Fillmore, available on both CD and DVD, captures Young and Crazy Horse on the first tour following the release of their debut Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, still ahead of the classic Young solo releases After the Gold Rush and Harvest. Perhaps the most significant thing about this historical snapshot is the presence of original Crazy Horse guitar hero Danny Whitten, who would be killed by a heroin overdose just two years later (and serve as the inspiration for Young's "The Needle & the Damage Done"). Whitten and Young's dueling guitars have become the stuff of legend, and the tracks here put the heroics on full display, complete with jammed out, twelve-plus minute versions of "Down By the River," and "Cowgirl In the Sand." It's the circular ferocity of "Cowgirl," in particular, that reveals the template that Crazy Horse laid for later artists from Television to Pearl Jam to Built to Spill. Curiously, however, the set here doesn't represent the entire Fillmore East performance with several songs omitted, including the entire acoustic portion of the show. Still, there's plenty to like, including very early renditions of staples like "Winterlong," and "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere," and an outstanding version of "Wonderin'" a Young composition that would remain on the shelf until his 1983 release Everybody's Rockin'. Long lost bootlegs are always good for an historical perspective-- this one also happens to be an enjoyable listen, thirty-six years on.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

In House #1745.
Airdate: 11/14/06
Focus: New live release, Crazy Horse at The Fillmore 1970, from Neil Young & Crazy Horse, plus new music from Jay Bennett, Chuck E. Weiss, and Anne McCue, and the Rolling Stones play Boise tonight.

Stream Crazy Horse at The Fillmore 1970 in its entirety here.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #207

Monday, November 13, 2006

In House #1744: Karen Dalton's In My Own Time; New Yusuf (Cat Stevens)

In many respects, it's rather astounding that Karen Dalton has, until recently at least, remained an obscure footnote to the Greenwich Village folk scene of the 1960's that produced luminaries like Bob Dylan, Fred Neil, and Tim Hardin. Dylan himself has called the folksinger his "favorite singer" of the Village folkie era, and her unique voice-- sort of a Billie Holliday gone Appalachian-- has been cited as an influence by everyone from Lacy J. Dalton (who took her surname as a tribute) to Lucinda Williams to Joanna Newsom. Yet, the recent reissue by Light In the Attic Records of her second and final full-length recording, 1971's In My Own Time, has served as an introduction for many, and the posthumous buzz Dalton's been garnering is reminiscent of the late 90's renaissance of Nick Drake, also underappreciated during his lifetime.

Representing the debut of In My Own Time on CD, the reissue features entirely remastered content, as well as a 32-page booklet with commentary from the likes of Devendra Banhart, Lenny Kaye, and Nick Cave. While Dalton was not a songwriter, her abilities as a master interpreter shine through on the album, as she mixes elements of British and Appalachian folk with blues, soul, and even country flavors on versions of songs by Dino Valenti, George Jones, and Paul Butterfield, among others. She even rises to the occasion of Lewis and Wright's "When a Man Loves a Woman," arguably even surpassing Percy Sledge's version, and bringing an entirely novel angle to the song in the process. The ten songs chosen by producer Harvey Brooks show off Dalton's amazing range, serving as a great testament to a talent that shined all too briefly. Later plagued by drug and alcohol addiction for most of the rest of her life, Dalton died homeless and penniless in 1993.


In House #1744.
Airdate: 11/13/06
Focus: New reissue of Karen Dalton's 1971 release In My Own Time, plus new music from Yusuf (Cat Stevens),Tom Waits, Bert Jansch, Isobel Campbell, and more.

BONUS MP3-
Karen Dalton, from In My Owm Time: "Katie Cruel" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #206

Friday, November 10, 2006

In House #1743: PJ Harvey's Peel Sessions; New Jarvis Cocker

The influential BBC Radio DJ John Peel passed away unexpectedly just over two years ago, leaving an impressive legacy of musical discoveries and live sessions. Over the years, scores of musicians championed by Peel, David Bowie to Calexico, The Pixies to Laura Cantrell, stopped by to record one of the famous Peel Sessions, many more than once. Such is the case with PJ Harvey, who played Peel's show several times, five of which are collected on the new The Peel Sessions, 1991-2004, recently made available for the first time. The set captures performances from Harvey's early years consisting of material from her 1992 debut Dry, up to her contribution to the John Peel tribute that took place in December of 2004. Also included is an unlikely take on "Wang Dang Doodle," a song by bluesman Willie Dixon taken from her 1993 appearance on the show.


Also today, music from the first proper solo release from former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, Jarvis, out next week in the U.K. on Rough Trade. As you may recall, Pulp was a band that somehow managed to survive more than a decade of toiling in relative obscurity before rising to star status in the mid 1990's on the strength of His n' Hers (1994) and Different Class (1995). Cocker's solo outing finds him in somewhat un-Pulp-like territory, though it's hard to put a finger on exactly what it is that makes it so. While his dark-humored wit is in tow, his vocals are tempered some and he often comes across sounding more like a disciple of Ray Davies than the cockney smart-aleck that fronted so much of Pulp's material. "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time," was originally written for Nancy Sinatra, but instead kicks things off here with aplomb. "Black Magic," meanwhile, is not a exactly a cover, but the sampling of a Tommy James & the Shondells vocal line brings one to thinking of crimson & clover. Jarvis is a welcome return from one of the more interesting and underappreciated musicians around.


In House #1743.

Airdate: 11/10/06
Focus: PJ Harvey's The Peel Sessions, 1991-2004, plus new music from Jarvis Cocker, Albert Hammond Jr., Spoon, and new reissues from The Pretenders and The Cure.

BONUS MP3-
PJ Harvey, from The Peel Sessions, 1991-2004: "Sheela-Na-Gig" (MP3)

Jarvis Cocker, from Jarvis: "Black Magic" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #205

Thursday, November 09, 2006

No Show Today

We're pre-empted once again today, by no less than Idaho State University women's soccer action on the home station. We close out the week tomorrow with a gem of a show, featuring new music from Jarvis Cocker, P.J. Harvey's Peel Sessions, and reissued music from The Cure, among other things.

As you were.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

In House #1742: Jones & Haggard's Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again; Reissued Dwight Yoakam

The gentlemen behind the new collaboration Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again hardly require introductions. George Jones and Merle Haggard can each lay claim to an impressive legacy when it comes to modern country music. Each has cultivated a style, both in their singing and their writing, that has been copied time and again over the years, even persisting in the mix of today's less than country mainstream stars. Nearly twenty-five years after the recording of their first album together, A Taste of Yesterday's Wine, the two have emerged with a tribute of sorts to the songs of one another, Jones singing Haggard and Haggard singing Jones. Also included are a handful of duets, a new Haggard original (with guest vocals from Rhonda Vincent), and a countrified if somewhat out of place stab at Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." Each hovering near 70 (Jones is 75, Haggard 69), the duo still sounds great, much like Willie Nelson showing few signs of wear and tear despite having become the genre's elder statesmen. Indeed, these guys remind us what country music sounds like-- it's a shame they won't be getting play on so-called country radio.


In House #1742.
Airdate: 11/08/06
Focus: New collaboration from George Jones & Merle Haggard, Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again, plus new music Willie Nelson, Wayne Hancock, newly reissued Dwight Yoakam, and more.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #204

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

In House #1741: Jamie Lidell in Salt Lake City Tonight; New Beck

Producer and electronic musician turned blue-eyed neo-soul singer Jamie Lidell plays Salt Lake City's Urban Lounge tonight as he continues to ride the wave created by Multiply, his second release out about a year and a half ago. The British-born artist turned his attention away from the blips and bleeps creations for which he had become known as one half of Super_Collider for the album, instead opting for a refreshingly organic, classic Motown-inspired sound. The mix of horn sections, warm bass lines, and Hammond organ sounds great, but it's Lidell's soul-blasted vocals that are Multiply's real revelation. Often over the course of the album there are moments that sound as if they could have been lifted from anything ranging from classic Stevie Wonder and James Brown, to early Prince. Whether Lidell's schtick is a tongue-in-cheek act or not, it's that believable.

Jamie Lidell

In House #1741.
Airdate: 11/07/06
Focus: Jamie Lidell in Salt Lake City tonight, plus new usic from Beck, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Dani Siciliano, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Jamie Lidell, from Multiply Additions:
"Game For Fools (LIVE)" (MP3)

Sunnyland Slim: "Be Careful How You Vote" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

Monday, November 06, 2006

In House #1740: Melvern Taylor's Fabuloso; New Super XX Man

Maybe it's the fact that he backs himself with a ukulele, or the down-and-out but recognizable protagonists that litter songs like "Sad & Blue," and "Working Stiff." Maybe it's the dejected but resigned looking underdog in the old suit we see on his website. Whatever the case, there's something imminently likeable about Lowell, MA-based singer-songwriter Melvern Taylor and his music. With hints of Tom Waits, The Beatles and Elvis Costello's earlier, more off-beat moments, Taylor's Fabuloso is an impressive procession of twelve circus sideshow pop songs that have a decidedly old-world feel about them. Backed by his Fabulous Meltones, Taylor's happy to be sad tunes pack a helluva charm-- the unlikely falsetto he employs on the aforementioned "Sad & Blue," is particularly irresistable in all of its tongue in cheek(?) sorrow. Originally recorded in 2003, Fabuloso has been recently re-released by Platform-1 Entertainment ahead of a forthcoming release, Good Time Flavor, due from the band in the next few months on Mill Town Records. Taylor and his band have a Sunday residency throughout the month of November at TOAD in Cambridge, Massachussetts.

Melvern Taylor

In House #1740.
Airdate: 11/06/06
Focus: Recent release from singer-songwriter Melvern Taylor, Fabuloso, plus new music from Super XX Man, Erin McKeown, Nellie McKay, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Melvern Taylor, from Fabuloso: "Sad & Blue" (MP3) and "Nothing Good" (M3U)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #203

Friday, November 03, 2006

In House #1739: Gob Iron's Death Songs For the Living; New Be Good Tanyas

A "gob iron," apparently, is British parlance for a mouth organ-- a harmonica, in other words. Gob Iron also happens to be the name of the duo formed by Jay Farrar and Anders Parker, recently resulting in the debut release Death Songs For the Living. Both men, of course, should need little introduction: Farrar was one of the founding members of Uncle Tupelo before going on to front Son Volt in addition to his solo work; Parker fronted Varnaline for four albums between 1996 and 2001 before releasing two full-lengths under his own name (the latest, Anders Parker, is out this week). A couple of years back, the pair met up at Farrar's St. Louis-based studio with the intention of recording a new Son Volt album. For whatever reason, that didn't happen, though they did rather spontaneously record several selections from what might be known as the Great Americana Songbook, featuring compositions from the likes of the Stanley Brothers, Stephen Foster, The Rev. JM Gates, and others. The fare isn't far removed from Uncle Tupelo's classic March 16-20, 1992 recording, and Farrar once again shows he has a way with this particular flavor, occasionally fortifying songs like "Hard Times," and "Nicotine Blues," with new lyrical content or melodies borrowed from other tunes. The set closes with the lone original, the Farrar-penned "Buzz & Grind," showing off a bluesy riff under a political theme. Farrar and Parker will be touring throughout November in support of the new release, out this week on Transmit Sound/Legacy Recordings.

Farrar & Parker are Gob Iron

In House #1739.
Airdate: 11/03/06
Focus: Debut release from Gob Iron, Death Songs For the Living, plus new music from Anders Parker, The Be Good Tanyas and more from The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited.

BONUS MP3-
Gob Iron, from Death Songs For the Living: "Buzz & Grind" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #202

Thursday, November 02, 2006

In House #1738: Joanna Newsom in Salt Lake City This Weekend

Easily one of the most anticipated indie releases of the year, Joanna Newsom's Ys will be released by Drag City on November 14th, over two months after it was inadvertently leaked by a rather well-known music website. Ys finds the diminuative harpist-singer-songwriter expanding on the palette exhibited on her debut, The Milk-Eyed Mender, and in more ways than one. The full-length release consists of only five compositions, but clocks in at just under an hour, meaning the songs are more along the lines of mini-suites than pop songs. With the help of a trio of superstar producers and arrangers-- Steve Albini, Van Dyke Parks, and Jim O'Rourke-- Newsom also expands her range of sound with fleshed out string arrangements and odds & ends sonic peripherals, all still of course surrounding the oddball centerpieces that are her harp and Bjork-in-Appalachia vocals. Newsom may not be for everyone (indeed, she appears to be downright divisive), and she may have only accentuated that by releasing an album of pieces that are anything but light listening. But Ys is a seeper, an album that creeps deeper upon repeated listening, and a November release if there ever was one. It's challenging listening that ultimately rewards amply. Newsom hits The Depot in Salt Lake City this Saturday night.

Joanna Newsom

In House #1738.
Airdate: 11/02/06
Focus: New material from Joanna Newsom, playing Salt Lake City this weekend, plus new music from The Decemberists, The Awkward Stage, and the recent tribute album, Do It Again: A Tribute to Pet Sounds.

BONUS MP3s from today's show-
Joanna Newsom, from Ys: "Cosmia" (MP3)

Ladybug Transistor, from Ladybug Transistor:
"Splendor In the Grass" (MP3) (Jackie DeShannon cover)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #201

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

In House #1737: Bert Jansch's The Black Swan; Reissued Billy Bragg

While he may not necessarily be a household name in the United States, Scottish-born singer-songwriter Bert Jansch's legacy is an important one. Credited with having major influence on such notables as Jimmy Page, Nick Drake, and Neil Young, and a founding member of the British folk-rock-jazz fusion act Pentangle, Jansch has been regarded as one of the chief innovators-- particularly as a guitarist-- in the British folk movement since the arrival of his debut in 1965. Now, an entirely new generation is being introduced to Jansch with the release of his fist album in four years, The Black Swan, out recently on the indie Drag City (a label that finds him in the company of artists like Smog and Bonnie Prince Billy). Produced by Noel Georgeson (Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart), The Black Swan finds Jansch joined by Beth Orton, Banhart, and Espers' Otto Hauser, among others, on ten new originals and a pair of TradArr Jansch tunes, full of the virtuosity for which he's become known and a revitalization that very well may have come through the youth movement by which he's surrounded here. The title track is a gorgeous, cello-laden number not unlike some of his best work, while "Texas Cowboy Blues," finds Jansch venturing into unusual territory, affecting a drawl as he delivers a political jab or two. It's a collection that shows that Bert Jansch is far from losing musical relevancy, and he's bound to have a legion of new twenty-something fans to prove it.

Bert Jansch

In House #1737.
Airdate: 11/01/06
Focus: New release from Bert Jansch, The Black Swan, plus reissued Billy Bragg and new music from Micah P. Hinson & the Opera Circuit, Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3, and selections from the new Harry Smith Project.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #200