"And Jesus Was A Sailor" Francoise Hardy is the prototypical bohemian French icon. The essence of all things cool, Hardy is sort of the equivalent to the French Nico, equipped with a better voice and an almost preternatural beauty. She simply exudes cool, and does so no better than on her 1968 record Comment Te Dire Adieu, which features covers by Leonard Cohen and Serge Gainsbourg, both of which are available below.
The Undisputed Truth is often considered Norman Whitfield's Motown "lab rats"--a way for Whitfield to experiment with psychedelia and dark instrumentation which he would later infuse with his more popular group, The Temptations. Whitfield recorded a handful of psychedelic soul albums for the Temptations (Cloud Nine, Puzzle People, Psychedelic Shack) after 'out-producing' Smokey Robinson with the Temptations "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" in 1966.
Whitfield was one of the most daring and edgy producers in all of Motown in the late 60's and early 70's and this is never more apparent than his work with The Undisputed Truth, a group originally comprised of a few 'Motown muts': Joe Harris from the Preps and Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce, backup singers for Diana Ross, The Four Tops, and others. When Whitfield left Motown in 1975 to start his own label, he convinced The Undisputed Truth, Rose Royce, and others to follow. Calvin and Joyce soon left the group, and Whitfield brought in Chaka Khan's sister, Taka Boom and a few others reincarnating The Undisputed Truth as more of a spectacle of black funk-adelia. Their 1975 album, Cosmic Truth, contains one of the oddest 1-2 punches on wax: a soulful cover of Neil Young's "Down By The River" followed by the album's funk-saturated hit single, "UFO's."
"Please Don't Pass Me By" If I had to dislike something about Vetiver, it'd be that they are just so easy. Almost like easy listening of the folk variety. While this could easily tarnish their reputation, fact is their sound is so effortless and carefree that the simplicity doesn't bother me, rather it enchants me, giving their sylvan folk a preternatural quality, comparable to dawning sun. If your looking to get into the band, I highly suggest checking out "Sleep a Million Years", a collaboration with Vashti Bunyan which appeared on Vetiver's covers album Things of the Past, which, like all thigns Vashti, is absolutely magical. Vetiver released their latest, Tight Knit, this week on Sub Pop and will be heading on tour with current Bobka favorites Papercuts this Spring. The pairing will hit the Bowery Ballroom on May 3rd and Brooklyn's Bell House on May 7th. I highly suggest penciling this in on your calendar.
Computers crashing, all around us business fails, the times are hard, or so they say
"Information Age", one of my favorite tracks from Damon & Naomi'sMore Sad Hits, could have been written last week, as thousands of Americans (specifically New Yorkers) scrapped by to pay rent, patiently/anxiously awaiting the passage of President Obama's Stimulus plan. Of course, the song was written nearly 17 years ago, as the country teetered on the edge of the digital era and war waged in the Middle East. While the song has certainly provided solace for those seeking clarity in uncertain times, it's affect may not have been felt greater than in Louisiana in the early 90's when Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Magnum was writing On Avery Island. Legend has it that the song "Naomi" on Neutral Milk Hotel's debut "was written after listening to the first [Damon & Naomi] album on repeat for a week while trapped in Louisiana feeling sad." You really can't make this stuff up.
Wealth I seek not, hope nor love, Nor a friend to know me; All I seek, the heaven above, and the road below me Robert Louis Stevenson
Lonely, broke and desperate, yet brimming with optimism, the song of the great American highway is deeply ingrained in the psyche of anyone born from sea to shinning sea. Some say it's Manifest Destiny, others merely an idyllic hobo's dream. Whatever it is, it's easily felt on cold, dark nights on lonesome highways, heading off the grid, or to some fabled watering hole, or, simply, home, wherever, or whatever, that may be. As Gillian Welch once said, "I dream a highway."
Bobkast #23: I Dream A Highway Utah Phillips- Starlight on the Rails Bob Dylan- Thunder on the Mountain Marissa Nadler- River of Dirt Karen Dalton- Down on the Street (Don't You Follow Me) Townes Van Zandt- Waiting Around to Die Magnolia Electric Co.- Hard to Leave the City Dr. John- Travelin' Mood Peter and the Wolf- Safe Travels Woody Guthrie- Hard Travelin' Antony and Bryce Dessner- I Was Young When I Left Home Solomon Burke- Memphis Gram Parsons- Return of the Grievous Angel (w/ Emmylou Harris) Bruce Springsteen- Reason to Believe Bonnie 'Prince' Billy- Goodbye Dear Old Step Stone Tom Waits- Home I'll Never Be
While perennial fan favs like "Tom Courtenay" and "Autumn Sweater" appear on the greatest hits collection, reinterpretations of both indie staples also appear on the Outtakes and Rarities disc, which plays out like a wet dream for the Electr-O-Pura, Painful, I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One and ...And then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out faithful. My Bloody Valentine leader Kevin Shields lends the woozy "Autumn Sweater" an even more hypnotic element, which, in typical Shields fashion, took forever and a day to complete. Oh, and in case you were wondering if Yo La could reinterpret their own tunes, well, they can, as exemplified by the acoustic version of "Tom Courtenay", which features Georgia's subtle, sublime and absolutely enchanting vocal. Simply put, the cutting room floor for Yo La Tengo tends to be miles above most bands most accomplished works, a profound testament to their oeuvre.
"It Looks Like It's Gonna Be a Long Long March" In anticipation of You Can Have What You Want, I've found myself revisiting Papercuts mesmerizing sophomore release Can't Go Back. Full of melancholic indie pop of the best variety, Jason Quever has a knack for masking sad songs with uptempo melodies and meandering instrumentation, giving Can't Go Back the feel of a long walk by the shore on a windy afternoon. Subtle and introspective, his songs are like old homes, all knowing and full of knooks and crannies, in which real gems lie hidden like Stuart Little. His soon to be released You Can Have What You Want, which, like its two predecessors, will be released on Devendra Banhart's Gnomonsong label, features contributions from Beach House guitarist Alex Scally, which practically guarantees maximum dreaminess.
"Hallucinogen headlamps / my sane scape's disrupted in a pickup truck" In the wake of their reunion and the publicity of last year's Coachella, underrated 90's British shoegazers Swervedriver just re-released their first 3 albums (Raise, Mezcal Head, Ejector Seat Reservation) in the UK and now their first 2 here in the US. All three albums get a modest treatment, only adding a handful of tracks (a few of which are previously un-released), however, none of this excitement pours onto a second disc. That being said, the US reissues have been remastered and their kick-ass debut, Raise, is as energetic as ever. The addition of fan favorite "Kill the Superheroes" is a pleasant but ultimately safe surprise. The only new track on Raise is "Andalucia", a b-side from 1991 that's been circulating around the world wide web for years. In the end these reissues might not attract hardcore fans but instead act as a replacement to their predecessors for new fans discovering Swervedriver 18 years later.
On a side note, it seems everyone loves the southern Spanish province, Andalucia:
"You Say Your Looking For Someone" (photo by grandchildren) He's done it again, this time covering Bob Dylan's classic "It Ain't Me Babe." As expected, absolutely majestic, most notably the doubled vocals, which give it a sort of campfire deep inside a cave sing-a-long vibe. Apparently this was on the White Antelope MySpace page, although it seems to have been removed. Oh well, you can snag an mp3 below. Thanks to Peenko for the heads up.
"The Second Line Was A Sound" Reminiscent of chiaroscuro, Treasure's songs shed light on tiny, often overlooked, elements of life, giving the mundane an ethereal glow, much like a lonely street lamp highlights remnants of day's gone by. The group will be playing two shows at Williamsburg's Monkey Town on Thursday as part of BAM'sSounds like Brooklyn Festival. Meanwhile, you can pick up their debut EP Tea Party via their MySpace page. The disc features "letter pressed covers with original artwork designed and individually hand painted by Maude Black" and is limited to 300 copies. Get one here before they're gone.
"Love Is Enormous" Reclusive Seattle ambient provocateur The Sight Below performed his first ever live radio set on Seattle's KEXP back in September. Just after the new year, Ghostly made it available as the 18th edition of its highly subscribable Ghostly Cast. The impressive set was also listed as one of KEXP's "Live In-Studio Sessions You May Have Overlooked." While this 27 minute live set is the perfect companion to The Sight Below's Glider, it only makes me even more excited about the ambient artist's set this weekend at (le) poisson rouge. Not only will the Sight Below be making his NYC debut, but he'll be doing it as part of a lineup that also includes the Portland's Grouper, whose Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill has kept me company on many a long, cold winter's night.
Billed as "An Evening of Sensual Machine Music with Lusine, Grouper, Michael Brofman performing pieces by Erik Satie, and The Sight Below, I'm not exactly sure this is the best place to take your significant other, that is, of course, unless your significant other is J. Spaceman or Yoko Ono. Regardless, I'll be there spacing my face and sipping on a can of Pork Slap. Romantic, eh?
"I'm So Bored" (photo by YiiioiiiY P) A long weekend of shows ended yesterday afternoon in Morningside Heights with sets by Nodzzz, Woods and Wavves. Put on by WBAR and Todd P, the Underground Lounge was packed with undergrads hopped up on blog buzz and Red Stripe, reminding me of days spent in half-dilapidated barns and outhouses. To be honest, I haven't been that impressed with Wavves on record. I bought the LP a few weeks back and, for whatever reason, simply hadn't gotten into it yet. That was until yesterday when Nate and Ryan's three-chord skate punk shredded by head, and, by association, my neck. I can't remember the last time I head banged so hard, simply getting lost in a mess of breakneck schizo punk. Surprisingly, Wavves was much less lo-fi live than I thought, especially compared with Woods, who are really fucking lo-fi (shitty instruments, singing through headphones, broken cymbals, etc. As Bejar said best "The kids with the homemade microphones have very interesting sounds.") Nate played a rather new looking Tele through an equally as new Fender Twin Reverb, the amp of choice for many a guitarist, but hardly a staple at DIY basement parties. Highlights included "California Goth" (7" now sold out), "So Bored", "Weed Demon and "a new song we've never played", which is as close to a romantic ballad as I think we're gonna get from Wavves. All in all a great set.
While Wavves was pretty phenomenal, for me the highlight of the afternoon was Woods, whose Sun Ra meets "I'm-still-trying-figure-this-out" sound was a super pleasant surprise in between sets of shabby garage punk. Woods did some interstellar exploration, reaching for the most far out galaxies, yet managing to ground their sound in songs, which after getting lost in space kept calling me back to earth. I'm really not doing this any justice right now, but I bought their latest record Woods Family Creeps and, so far, I'm really enjoying it. Really looking forward to catching these guys again.
As for Nodzzz, I wasn't expecting much after reports from friends on Friday said they "sorta sucked live." Maybe it was my low expectations, but I thoroughly enjoyed their teenage stoner doo-wop, which would be the perfect soundtrack for driving through the desert with Hunter S. Thompson and Beavis and Butthead high on rubber cement. Goofy and badass, all at once.
"Love Comes Tumbling Down On Me" Quite the departure from his day job fronting psychedelic janglers The Black Angels, "I'd Rather Be Lonely", a demo recording by Alex Maas, is a not cover of the Eddie Spencer's Canadian soul classic "If This Is Love (I'd Rather Be Lonely)." However, the rough gem certainly borrows from Spencer's timeless chorus. Upon my first few spins I likened it to Arthur Russell'sfolkier side, specifically "Eli" and "Close My Eyes", both of which were compiled on last years Love Is Overtaking Me. The demo I have is labeled as part of the "Honeysuckle Folk" genre, which I've never heard of, though it would be an apt description of Mr. Maas's minimalist retro leanings. It's sunny and gothic all at once, as if the repetitive strum of an effected electric guitar and Maas's high lonesome vocal creates a vacuum in the sky which swirls all parts joy and sorrow into a harmonious cumulonimbus cloud. A rough Angels jam or a budding solo project, whatever it is, I'm intrigued and will certainly be keeping my eyes out for more. Alex Maas- I'd Rather Be Lonely
"Look Your Best Friend In The Eye" The other day we mentioned that Slumberland finally issued The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's self-titled debut. Like Bill, we think this one is a mega-contender for 'Best New Music.' No doubt about it, POBPAH write some of the catchiest indie pop anthems in recent memory. We're pretty psyched for Saturday's sold-out show at the Mercury Lounge, as you should be too. Got shut out? No worries, as the band will be back in NYC in March for a show at The Bell House.
"The Magic Rat Drove His Slick Machine Over the Jersey State Line"
Nearly four years ago, Columbia remastered and reissued The Boss's American masterpiece Born to Run for its 30th anniversary. Complete with two incredible DVD's, one following the intensely epic recording sessions, the other a full length a cathartic, goosebump inducing, heart wrenching, dance-your-ass-off 1975 concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon, the box set is an essential piece of the Rock and Roll history puzzle. Personally, I've never seen better footage of Bruce. The recording captures him at his peak, performing like a rag doll in his signature beanie, with the Big Man by his side. If you thought the Super Bowl Half Time Show was sweet, peep this asap, as its proof that the Boss is absolutely the coolest, most genuine guy alive. Period.
"I'm Over Being Sober" Dent May, aka Mississippi's most talented ukulele player, takes on "When You Were Mine" from the Purple One's third record Dirty Mind. Handclaps, uke, some squeeze box, a pleasant Casio synth riff and some sweet vocal harmonization make this an irresistible companion to The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele, which, coincidentally, came out today on Paw Tracks. Snag Dent's Prince cover below.
"Said the Knight on the Road" Just a little follow up on the last post. AtEaseWeb member Robin Pecknold confirmed that it was he who recorded and posted the two songs on the White Antelope MySpace page. In his own words:
Ey!!!
I used to post demos of songs on that page before the record came out. The Guitar Duet thing dates from when we were recording the LP and the cover of False Knight I did about two weeks ago. I posted the first demo of Blue Ridge Mountains (when it was called Stirring, before the other Stirring) on there before. I might put that back up, it had different instrumentation and was kinda cool....
Right now I am alone in this house we've rented to record the next record in and tomorrow I'm going to record a cover of Ridge Rider, the Judee Sill song, for this compilation. Trying to write new stuff is hard right now for some reason.
I want to do a record of really spare stuff for White Antelope so it may be recorded this year. I dunno if that is a good name though.
Thinking out loud.
I guess I can add the White Antelope (or Robin solo disc) to my increasingly elongated list of albums I'm anxiously awaiting to hear in 2009. The two tracks in discussion are available below.
"And He Stood, And He Stood" A good friend in a quaint, psychedelic fishing village just passed along a fascinating piece of information. White Antelope's MySpace Page. I told him" I know nothing" of said band. But the first song, "False Knight on the Road", automatically started playing and its gentle finger picking felt pretty good. Then, about 30 seconds in, I heard this familiar voice, angelic in its tone, come weeping through the tree's. Robin Pecknold? My IM box bounces and it, coincidentally, reads "Robin Pecknold." Some extremely light research showed that he was "friends" with Fleet Foxes and fellow Seattle folkees the Cave Singers. Still somewhat skeptical, I took a look into the pics section of White Antelope's profile and noticed a picture of someone who looks a lot like the dude that sings in that pretty awesome band with the Peter Breugal painting on their album cover. Well, the songs, the second being "Guitar Duet", an instrumental, are stunning, especially in their ability to summon the heart and soul of American folk music. Pecknold's(?) voice is timeless, able to conjure Woody Guthrie, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Paul Simon and James Taylor in one fell swoop, without sounding like neither an imitator nor an impostor. It's quite wondrous to fell a century's worth of history in the voice of a young man.
ED Note: So the Kids on AtEase have verified "False Knight on the Road" as the b-side on the Mykonos 7". White Antelope is all but confirmed as the solo work of Robin Pecknold. Great news all around. Anybody have any info on the Mykonos 7"?
"I Wanna Sleep All Day" (photo by alexadan) We saw the Sundelles rock a shabby set of lo-fi three chord doo-wop at Dead Herring Friday night and were pretty impressed by their knack for head bobbing, hip shaking melodies, vocal rave ups and their relentless use of the fuzz box. Simple and straight forward, their brand of loft pop will sound familiar to fans The Muslims (now the Soft Pack) and the Vivian Girls, as well as older heads jonesing for some new Nuggets and Pebbles for the 21st century. RCRD LBL has a few tracks for download, so expect to hear more about the Sundelles in the near future. There is certainly a place for them in the DIY cassette/7" scene.
all songs are posted because we love them and think they make the world a better place. they are for sampling purposes only (duh). if you like what you hear, buy the record or see the concert!!! if you own the copyright to anything that appears on this site, contact us.
The Undisputed Truth is often considered Norman Whitfield's Motown "lab rats"--a way for Whitfield to experiment with psychedelia and dark instrumentation which he would later infuse with his more popular group, The Temptations. Whitfield recorded a handful of psychedelic soul albums for the Temptations (Cloud Nine, Puzzle People, Psychedelic Shack) after 'out-producing' Smokey Robinson with the Temptations "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" in 1966. 
(photo by Dorothea Lange)
(photo by grandchildren)
(photo by YiiioiiiY P)
(photo by RichterFit)
