Patti Smith

From experience, the most accurate gauge I can find as to whether someone is good girlfriend material is best measured by their love for Patti Smith...really...if she loves Patti, you have yourself a keeper. Try it out.

Anyway, to the point of this post. To coincide with Patti Smith performing The Coral Sea in London next week there is a Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition at The Alison Jacques Gallery (also in London) featuring some amazing images of Patti.


Elsewhere Patti Smith has recorded a new song entitled 'Qana'. The solo version of which is below, a full band version, lyrics and the songs back story can be found at pattismith.net.

Download: Patti Smith - Qana (Solo Version) (MP3)
Watch: Patti Smith - Summer Cannibals (directed by Robert Frank) (youtube)

Visit: myspace
Buy: Patti Smith records
Buy: Patti Smith books

Elliott Smith

Searching through blog archives I came across Elliott Smith Live: The Definitive Guide on the brilliant The Rawking Refuses To Stop, which reminded me of the fine wealth of resources there are for Elliott Smith online. Besides the lovingly maintained official page Sweet Adeline, there is somesongs.net containing a great list of live bit torrent downloads, Trash Treasury which has videos, live shows, interviews and rarities available for download, the fine image resource that is The Elliott Smith Gallery and my personal favorite elliottsmithbsides.com which has everything a boy could wish to download including demos from Either/Or, XO, Figure 8 & From A Basement On The Hill, promo tracks and out of print singles, b-sides and songs used on various compilations.

Download: Elliott Smith - Between The Bars (MP3) (courtesy of Kill Rock Stars)
Download: Elliott Smith - Some Song (MP3) (courtesy of Kill Rock Stars)

Visit: elliottsmithbsides.com
Buy: Elliott Smith records

Another Sufjan Christmas

I seem to have a love hate relationship with Sufjan Stevens music. I had little time for 'A Sun Came Up' and 'Enjoy Your Rabbit'... I could not get enough of '..Michigan' and 'Seven Swans', but by the time of '..Illinois' I just didn't get it again and I began to find his music somewhat insipid. So I found myself with mixed feelings when I heard about the forthcoming Sufjan Stevens 5-disc Christmas Box Set.

Released on Asthmatic Kitty at the end of November, the box set (titled “Songs for Christmas”) will be stuffed full of surprises, including the following novelty items:

• Five individually packaged CD EPs!
• Five Christmas stickers!
• Extensive liner notes and short stories by Sufjan Stevens!
• An original Christmas essay by Rick Moody!
• An animated music video and comic strip by Tom Eaton!
• A Christmas Songbook with lyric sheets and chord charts--so you can sing along too!
• An original Christmas Family Portrait painting of Santa Sufjan (with wife and kids!) by Jacques Bredy!


My feelings are best summed up by the following two tracks. I instantly loved Sister Winter, but would not be too upset if i never heard 'That Was The Worst Christmas Ever!' ever again.

Download: Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter (MP3)

Download: Sufjan Stevens - That Was The Worst Christmas Ever! (MP3)

Buy: Sufjan Stevens records

The Letting Go & Daytrotter Sessions

If you have not seen them already, check out the first two parts of the three part commercial for the forthcoming Bonnie Prince Billy album The Letting Go.

The Letting Go (Part One)

The Letting Go (Part Two)

Daytrotter has posted a recent session for download. For the uninitiated, apart from being a fantastic website, Daytrotter has a new session consisting of four songs available for download everyweek. All of the sessions they make available are analog recordings, only converted to digital format for the purpose of transmission as Daytrotter Sessions.

Download: Bonnie Prince Billy - Daytrotter Sessions (MP3 link)

Watch: Cursed Sleep (Video)
Pre Order: The Letting Go
Listen: Bonnie Prince Billy on The Hype Machine

And Now That I'm In Your Shadow

Sweetheart of the Radio favorite Damien Jurado's new album 'And Now That I'm In Your Shadow' will be released on October 10th. This will be his seventh album, his third for Secretly Canadian and I really cant wait. From bits and pieces that I have heard already including the demos that were on the 2006 tour EP this album looks like it is going to live up to expectation.

Damien Jurado is a band now, with the help of permanent members Eric Fisher and Jenna Conrad collaborating on lyrics and populating the world of Damien's songs with new sound backdrops. For those of you like me who cannot wait for the album to come out, Damien is streaming a new album track every week between now and release on his myspace page. He has also set up an MP3 blog upon which he promises to submits songs (old, new and rare) that he has recorded down a telephone line. He also promises to update the page with news and pictures.

'And Now That I'm In Your Shadow' track list:

• Hoquiam
• Denton, TX
• I Had No Intentions
• Hotel Hospital
• And Now That I’m In Your Shadow
• What Were The Chances
• Shannon Rhodes
• There Goes Your Man
• I Am Still Here
• Gasoline Drinks
• Survived By Her Husband
• Gas Station
• Montesano

Download: Damien Jurado - What Were The Chances (MP3) (courtesy of secretly canadian)

Website: www.damienjurado.com
Buy: Damien Jurado records