A friend posted this performance from Glastonbury up on Facebook and correctly points out that Bruce butchers the chorus by singing, “Did you hear the old gospel song” and not “old gospel choir.” But it seems like by the end of the song, Gaslight frontman Brian Fallon is saying “song,” too. So influential is The Boss that he’s making bands change lyrics mid-song. You do not question The Boss when he’s wearing aviator sunglasses.
Still, pretty fucking cool.
(Thanks, Luke.)
Here’s new video for Chains, Chains, Chains – directed by Sean Pecknold, brother of Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes. Sean also directed the video for the Fleet Foxes’ White Winter Hymnal.
Phoenix stopped by KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic on Monday for a set, and I’m so glad the band didn’t resort to an acoustic set. I don’t ever wanna hear 1901 in acoustic form again; it just doesn’t do the song justice.
And I’ll agree with Casey that Lisztomania is quickly rising as one of the year’s best songs. No surprise it’s the first song Phoenix plays here, but they immediately follow it up with older tracks Long Distance Call and Consolation Prizes. (And, yes, three years qualifies as “older.”)
Need proof that you, too, can direct a music video? Look no further than this no-budget car-wash thriller from Jason Lytle for It’s the Weekend, from his new album Yours Truly, the Commuter. Funny, he doesn’t strike me as a minivan kinda guy.
I can’t say I saw this collaboration ever coming: The Beastie Boys enlisted Nas for a new song off the forthcoming Hot Sauce Committee and they performed the track at Bonnaroo. I’ve never thought much of the Beasties as top-notch lyricists – seventeen years later and I still can’t get over Mike D rhyming “commercial” with “commercial” on Pass the Mic – and bringing one of the great wordsmiths aboard in Nas probably further exposes their shortcomings. But, hey, I love the idea in theory.
MCA does tip his cap to Nas’ N.Y. State of Mind when he raps (somewhat awkwardly): “You’ll never die ’cause death is the cousin of sleep.” (It made a lot more sense when Nas said, “I never sleep ’cause sleep is the cousin of death.”)
(Video via URB.)
Neko Case stopped by The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien earlier this week – that’s a couple of impressive redheads – to perform This Tornado Loves You, off the wonderful Middle Cyclone.
Take notice of Calexico’s Joey Burns on acoustic guitar in the rear and Phoenix’s own Jon Rauhouse on lead guitar.
I’m told by the good folks at Universatile Music that they locked this one down last minute, which, unfortunately, means I don’t have enough lead time to get outta work to see it. But it’s a great get – Wale will be performing this Wednesday at Pinky Ring at Bar Smith. If the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd for Z-Trip at Bar Smith was any indication, this one ought to be packed as well.
While we await his debut LP, allegedly titled Attention: Deficit, you can at least rock the single/video Chillin’ (featuring Lady Gaga) in which Wale name-checks no fewer than four sports figures (Jeremy Shockey, Mills Lane, Chris Mullin, A-Rod). Hopefully, you already copped the Seinfeld-themed The MIxtape About Nothing, released last year to high acclaim.
And if you didn’t catch the reference on Wale’s line “You Bernie Mac funny / we ain’t scared of none of ya” … then you have some research to do.
Jason Lytle played a session on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic last week in support of his excellent solo debut Yours Truly, The Commuter. Aside from the somewhat awkward interview, Lytle sounds great – and I’m not just saying that because he opens with Chartsengrafs, one of my favorite Grandaddy songs.
Mos Def’s new one, The Ecstatic, is out now (available on mp3 at Amazon for $3.99 today) and, having listened to it about 10 or so times in the past week, I’m giving it my full backing.
The production roster is top-notch (Oh No, Madlib, etc.) and it seems to bring out the best in Mos – a more focused effort that is on par with his debut Black on Both Sides. No surprise that one of my favorite tracks is the leadoff song, Supermagic, on which Mos is basically rapping over Oh No’s Turkish-inspired cut Heavy from Dr. No’s Oxperiment.
Mos performed the drum-heavy Quiet Dog for Letterman on Monday night. Check it below. (Thanks to Ickmusic for posting the vid.)
I’ve been cautiously optimistic about this news of a Far reunion — and new album! — and it all appears to be a go: “Perhaps some of you have heard via the internets that we’re putting out a record with the venerable Vagrant Records. True and good.”
Though it’ll be hard to live up to the greatness of 1998’s Water & Solutions – a desert-island disc candidate from my collection – the band’s two-album stint was (ahem) far too short, even though singer Jonah Matranga carried on with a solo career.
Far’s reintroduction actually came last year in the form of a cover of Pony, the ’90s hit by Ginuwine. If you’ve ever wanted to hear Jonah sing, “If you’re horny, let’s do it/ride it; my pony,” well, your wildest dreams have come true. Apparently, Ginuwine is a fan.
And here’s an acoustic version of Pony the band did for 91X.
Keep up with Far on Twitter and/or MySpace.