Nico's Afraid

Drawing a line between my two most recent posts and following on from last weeks look at covers of Donovan's "Colours", it feels like the perfect opportunity to look at the original and cover of one of my favorite songs ever, "Afraid" by Nico.

Originally released on her 1970 album Desertshore, Nico's graceful, tender, piano led ballad always stood out for me on the otherwise experimental avant-garde album. My cover of choice is by Espers and is taken from their 2005 covers record The Weed Tree. Espers' version perfectly re-imagining "Afraid" as a folk song for guitar and cello.

MP3: Nico - Afraid
MP3: Espers - Afraid

Espers on Myspace
Nico Website
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Previously On SOTR: Espers
Previously On SOTR: Nico - Chelsea Girls

Joe Boyd

My recent enjoyment of the new Epsers album got me listening to the first couple of Fairport Convention albums, which in turn got me revisiting many of my favorite albums of the same era, which also constitute much of the production work of Joe Boyd.

For those unfamiliar with Boyd, I cannot recommend highly enough his memoir "White Bicycles: Making Music in the the 1960s" which follows Boyd's journey from tour manager in the early sixties, overseeing tours for the likes of Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, Stan Getz and others; to his work at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 where he supervised Bob Dylan’s electric debut; to him founding the influential UFO club in London in 1966; through to his work as a record producer for Pink Floyd, Nick Drake and Fairport Convention, amongst many.

Under the moniker of his production company Witchseason productions, Boyd was instrumental in launching the careers of Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, and The Incredible String Band. His production credits also include Pink Floyd, Nico, Vashti Bunyan (Just Another Diamond Day), John & Beverley Martyn, Fotheringay and R.E.M.(Fables of the Reconstruction), amongst others.

"White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s" was published in 2006 and was accompanied by a 'soundtrack' with the same name. Both essential reading and listening.

MP3: Nick Drake - Time Has Told Me
MP3: Fairport Convention - Autopsy
MP3: Incredible String Band - Chinese White

Joe Boyd Website
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Previously On SOTR: Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day
Previously On SOTR: Nick Drake

Espers

I have recently been enjoying the new album from Philadelphia's premiere psych-folk practitioners Espers.

Since forming in 2002 as a trio consisting of Greg Weeks, Meg Baird and Brooke Sietinsons (and shortly after, expanded to a sextet including Otto Hauser, Helena Espvall and Chris Smith), Espers have created a legacy for themselves as one of the major players in the psych-folk revival or recent years.

Heavily influenced by british folk music of the late sixties and early seventies, including Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Trees and Mellow Candle, the music on Espers' three full length albums (Espers (2004), II (2006) & III (2009)) doesn't hide its debt to these influences, but never falls into the realm of mere pastiche or copy; Espers have their own identity and sound that has grown and expanded with each release, with III perhaps their most fully realized album to date.

MP3: Espers - Cruel Storm (Removed By Request)
MP3: Espers - The Road Of Golden Dust (Removed By Request)
MP3: Espers - Caroline (courtesy of Drag City)

Espers on Myspace
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Devendra Banhart - 'Walillamdzi' Video

Devendra Banhart, Walillamdzi. Directed by Lauren Dukoff

Devendra Banhart on Myspace
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Previously on SOTR: Lauren Dukoff's Family

Donovan's Colours

When I first started writing this blog I posted a feature called 'Friday Is For Covers' with a vague hope of starting a regular series highlighting cover versions of various songs that I dig.

For one reason or another this never really took off, but my fascination with covers continues - specifically the different ways that songs are re-interpreted and given new meanings or new directions by different artist.

Donovan's "Colours" is the perfect case in point. Originally released as a single by Donovan in 1965, the songs simple folk style proved popular with the music buying public, reaching #4 in the UK singles charts.

Aside from Donovan's various arrangements of "Colours" recorded throughout his career, two versions of the song spark my imagination and bring something new to this simple yet enduring composition. The first being Van Dyke Parks' 1968 instrumental adaption entitled, appropriately enough, "Donovan's Colours". Available on Park's first album Song Cycle. The second, "Variations on 'Colours'" by Kevin Barker's Currituck Co. Also an instrumental cover, this version relies heavily on finger picked acoustic guitar and what sounds like a xylophone, and sits stylistically somewhere between the Donovan original and Park's version.

MP3: Donovan - Colours
MP3: Van Dyke Parks - Donovan's Colours
MP3: Currituck Co. - Variations on 'Colours'

Donovan on Myspace
Van Dyke Parks on Myspace
Currituck Co. on Myspace

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Previously on SOTR: Donovan

Magnolia Electric Co.

Photograph by Kyle Johnson
I have always had a degree trouble with the work of Jason Molina. From Songs: Ohia through to Magnolia Electric Co. I have wanted to love his stuff, but aside form the odd track here and there, something has always prevented me form really connecting with his work.

I just seem to have a problem sitting down and listening to his music for sustained periods...until now... Josephine the new album by Magnolia Electric Co. connects with something in me in a more consistent way than anything I have previously heard from Jason Molina. I guess sometimes things just happen that way. Sometimes it takes a while.

Josephine is a beautiful record about loss, heartbreak, regret and hope.

MP3: Magnolia Electric Co. - The Rock Of Ages
MP3: Magnolia Electric Co. - Shenandoah

MP3: Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine (courtesy of Secretly Canadian)

Magnolia Electric Co. on Myspace
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Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day

In the mid sixties, Vashti Bunyan was 'discovered' by the then Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, who signed her to a recording contract at Decca records and gave her an original Jagger/Richards composition to record, this led to her recording for both Columbia and Intermediate records, however after little success Bunyan decided to leave the music business and city life behind and head for a remote Scottish island in a horse-drawn wagon in search of an artistic commune established by Donovan.

It was during this journey north that she wrote the beautiful folk lullabies which would later make up Just Another Diamond Day. By the time she'd made it to her destination, she found that the commune had never gotten off the ground, and no one was left. Upon her returned to London, Bunyan was urged by the legendary producer Joe Boyd (who had already produced Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, and The Incredible String Band) to record the songs she had amassed on her journeys and make an album for his Witchseason Productions company.

The recording sessions for Just Another Diamond Day took place in December 1969 in London with the help of string arranger Robert Kirby (who also worked with Nick Drake on his first two albums), Simon Nicol & Dave Swarbrick (Fairport Convention) and Robin Williamson (The Incredible String Band). The album was released in late 1970 to little attention and feeling like a failure for the second time Bunyan once again abandoned music in favor of other journeys and a life of obscurity.

Over the subsequent decades Just Another Diamond Day started to receive attention from record collectors and music fans, but things really started to change in 2000 when the album was first released on CD and Vashti started to receive the attention that she deserved, most notably from a new generation of musicians including Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom and Animal Collective with whom she recorded an EP entitled Prospect Hummer.

In in 2005, Vashti Bunyan recorded and released her second album, Lookaftering, 35 years after Just Another Diamond Day was released. The album was well received by both critics and fans and featured many of her growing army of followers including Banhart, Newsom, Kevin Barker of Currituck Co and Otto Hauser of Espers.

MP3: Vashti Bunyan - Diamond Day
MP3: Vashti Bunyan - Swallow Song

Vashti Bunyan on Myspace
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Sharon Van Etten

I have completely fallen in love with the album Because I Was In Love by Brooklyn based singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten. Etten who cites both Vashti Bunyan and Sibylle Baier as influences, lives in musically similar territory characterized by haunting compositions and soft melancholy vocals complemented by slow and spare acoustic guitar playing.

In the past couple of years Etten has opened for a host of fine artists including Great Lake Swimmers, Alela Diane and A Hawk and a Hacksaw, but it was after earning a support slot with Meg Baird that things started to really come together nicely, as this led to an introduction to Baird’s Espers bandmate, Greg Weeks, who ended up producing and helping shape the recordings that would end up becoming Because I Was In Love.

MP3: Sharon Van Etten - I Wish I Knew
MP3: Sharon Van Etten - Consolation Prize

MP3: Sharon Van Etten - For You (courtesy of Language Of Stone)

Sharon Van Etten on Myspace
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Donovan

Yesterday I read an article on Donovan being given the title of "icon" at an awards ceremony by the US performing rights organisation Broadcast Music, Inc. I am not sure what the 'award' means, but I figured it is a good an excuse as any to post on an artist that I have a continuing appreciation and love for.

For the longest time I just didn't get Donovan. I guess for the most part I just dismissed him as a Dylan wannabe, my enduring image of the artist being the brief appearance in the D.A. Pennebaker film 'Don't Look Back', especially in the scene where Dylan wipes the floor with him in a hotel song swapping session.

I can't pinpoint when all that changed, but I am thankful it did.

There are so many ideas, innovations and fantastic songs in the Donovan cannon. The Dylan likeness of early recordings can be excused by the reality that they had both been influenced by the same sources (Ramblin' Jack, Jesse Fuller, Woody Guthrie, etc), but even without that there is immense quality and craft in his early folk compositions. From late '65 Donovan started incorporation a variety of other influences in his music (Jazz, psychedelic pop, Easter & Blues), and in collaboration with the producer Mickie Most produced a series of weird, wonderful and critically underrated albums including Mellow Yellow, Sunshine Superman, Barabajagal & The Hurdy Gurdy Man.

Donovan split with the producer in 1969 and his post Most albums are on the whole hit and miss affairs, but not without highlight. Not always the best route to take, but I think for the uninitiated a good entry point in discovering Donovan is with a best of, to work out which period takes your fancy most and go from there.

MP3: Donovan - To Sing For You
MP3: Donovan - Wear Your Love Like Heaven

Donovan on Myspace
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Cheyenne Mize & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

One of the prettiest things I have heard all year is the Cheyenne Mize and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's collaboration, Among the Gold. Released by Karate Body Records initially as a limited edition of just 250 copies and not made available in stores (only via the Karate Body website & at Bonnie 'Prince' Billy live shows), and later made available for sale digitally, sadly this is a record that has possibly missed a lot of peoples radars.

Mize, a music therapist by day and 'by night' singer and fiddler in the Lousiville, Kentucky experimental-folk band Arnett Hollows as well as Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's own touring band, and Will Oldham teamed up for Among The Gold, an EP consisting entirely of covers of songs originally recorded between 1873 and 1915. As laid back as it gets, Among The Gold is a timeless collection of intimate, homespun recordings.

MP3: Cheyenne Mize & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Silver Threads Among The Gold
MP3: Cheyenne Mize & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Kiss Me Again

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy on Myspace
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Previously On SOTR: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - 'I Am Goodbye' Video

Castanets

Photgraph by Mia Ferm
One of my most eagerly anticipated releases this year was "Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts" by Castanets, and it turned out to be a record that lived up to expectation. The album saw Ray Raposa take a more stripped back and straight forward approach in delivering his songs, with noticeably less glitches and noises than previous efforts and an increased focus on song structure. Still feeling very much like a Castanets record, thanks in no small way to Raposa's distinctive vocal delivery, "Texas Rose..." is a self contained world of love and heartbreak, darkness and light.

MP3: Castanets - Down The Line, Love
MP3: Castanets - Thaw And The Beasts

MP3: Castanets - Worn From The Fight (With Fireworks) (courtesy of Asthmatic Kitty)

Castanets on Myspace
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Previously on SOTR: Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts

Glass Cake

There is a beautiful warmth in the low fidelity recordings of Berkeley, California's Glass Cake, also known as the multi-talented Michelle Shofet. The minimal constructions, blanketed by Shofet's simple yet engaging melodies, produce a charming, warm and engaging listening experience with just the right measures of heart, melancholy and artfulness.

Glass Cake's 'Michelle Shofet's Album' is offered as a free download from the bands MySpace, however the link doesn't work due to myspace's archaic security filter, but you should be able to download it here.

Michelle Shofet also plays in the equally lo-fi and equally charming girl band.

MP3: Glass Cake - Blanket
MP3: Glass Cake - Friend Forever

Glass Cake on Myspace
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Back

It's been a while... I guess for long periods of this year there has been little in the way of new music that has really excited me. Much of my time has been invested in some fantastic re-issues, The Beatles re-masters, the Neil Young Archives and the amazing Big Star box 'Keep An Eye On The Sky' to name but three. Anyway, to cut a rather dull and pointless story on the meaninglessness of existance short, I am back and this time I hope to actually deliver a consistent number of posts before I lose faith again.


There has been plenty going on and I hope to post on some exciting new discoveries in the next week or so, but random things that spring to mind include the hit and miss (but more often than not hit rather than miss) Beck Record Club. The concept being that Beck and assorted musician friends go into the studio and re-record a "classic album" in it's entirety in one take. So far 'The Velvet Underground and Nico' and 'Songs Of Leonard Cohen' have been tackled, but with the promise of Skip Spence's 'Oar' recorded with Wilco, still to come, this is a project that it seems worth keeping an eye on. A new album nearly completed from Damien Jurado, produced by Richard Swift and hopefully out before the end of the year. The slow filtering in of various albums of the decade lists (I love lists) as well as new records from Alela Diane, Espers, The Flaming Lips, Hush Arbors and Karl Blau amongst others make the onset of winter quite appealing.

MP3: Leon Russell - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (from the album 'Hank Wilson's Back)

Big Star

As a huge Big Star fan next month promises to be an exciting time, with Rhino releasing two Big Star related records.

The first being 'Keep An Eye On The Sky' a four disc box set collection of album tracks, unreleased songs and live recordings. The collection covers the entire life span of Big Star from 1968 and 1975, including tons of previously unreleased gems. A lot of stuff has been "out there" for a while for those willing to search - but what most excites me is the comprehensive collection of Alex Chilton's demo's for the 'Third/Sister Lovers' record. Some of these appeared a couple of years ago on the collection "Thank You Friends: The Ardent Story" - but as far as I know, this is the first time that they will all be collected in one place.

The second release being the 'deluxe' reissue of Chris Bell's fantastic solo album 'I Am The Cosmos'. A two disc collection - the first disc features the original release of 'I Am The Cosmos', an album made up of recordings Bell made after departing Big Star, before his untimely death in 1978. The second disc will include alternate versions of many previously released Bell songs, as well as music from Bell's pre-Big Star band Icewater.

If you are reading this and do not own any Big Star records... firstly, shame on you. Secondly, their three seventies studio records are essentials for any serious collection: check out '#1 Record', 'Radio City' and 'Third/Sister Lovers' at the earliest opportunity.

MP3: Big Star - Motel Blues (Removed By Request)
MP3: Chris Bell - You & Your Sister (Acoustic Version)
MP3: Alex Chilton - Lovely Day (aka Stroke It Noel)


Big Star On Myspace
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Gary Higgins

I can't believe I missed this one... at the end of September, Drag City will be releasing Gary Higgins his first album since 1973's 'Red Hash', the appropriately titled 'Seconds'.

After being "found" by Drag City, with help from Six Organs Of Admittance's Ben Chasny and revitalized by the reissuing of his 'lost' masterpiece 'Red Hash', Higgins found himself in a position where he was able to work on new material.

In Higgins own words: "The motivation to do another record was not hard to find. Having a group of new songs I was into and more than a few ‘older’ ones as well, it again seemed like a very logical thing to do. They all needed a place to be and ears, old and new, to listen. Additionally, I can’t tell you how many times I have read - “It’s too bad that Red Hash was the only record he recorded” - I knew I could fix that"

So far one track from 'Seconds', "Demons" has surfaced online - it sounds great. Musically it appears to sit on similar ground from where 'Red Hash' left off and Higgins is sounding like he is in great voice.

MP3: Gary Higgins - Demons

Gary Higgins on Myspace
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Previously on SOTR: Gary Higgins - Red Hash

Jim O'Rourke

I am unbelievably excited about the prospect of a new Jim O'Rourke album. 'The Visitor' (possibly a reference to 'The Man Who Fell To Earth', following on his quirk for naming records after Nicolas Roeg Films - see: 'Insignificance', 'Eureka' & 'Bad Timing ' - or possibly not!) is released at the end of this month via Drag City.

I guess I first started paying full attention to O'Rourke's work after watching the flawed, but thoroughly charming film 'Love Liza', the soundbed for which is made up of much of O'Rourkes finest song based material. All of his melody/song based releases, (he has also released a great number of more experimental records), aurally offer something new and fresh, and never disappoint. Add to this his work with "alternative Supergroup" Loose Furs which is, in my mind, faultless and equal to his best solo material, as well as his production/engineering work with Wilco, Sonic Youth, Joanna Newsom & Smog and you have yourself a whole world ready and waiting for you to go and explore.

According to Drag City 'The Visitor' features just one long track (entitled "The Visitor"), and is closest in feel to 'Bad Timing', which itself contains four sections (each approximately 10 minutes long) of slow building, guitar picking, instrumental brilliance. Indeed the new album cover could also be interpreted with reference to the artwork for 'Bad Timing' which itself contains various references to glitter balls.



MP3: Jim O'Rourke - Halfway To A Threeway
MP3: Loose Furs - Answers To Your Questions

Jim O'Rourke on Myspace
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Previously on SOTR: Friday Is For Covers

Six Organs

Slowly catching up from the time I was away, I am selectively sieving through bits and bobs that came up during that period. A nice (month old) story that made me smile was a message from Ben Chasny posted on the Six Organs Of Admittance Myspace page:

"Hey! I want to thank Jack for making this page. I don't check the mail on it or anything, Jack does that, but I thought I might utilize some of it's features. First, I want to mention that I am currently making a Six Organs guitar TAB book. I'm not really sure how big it is going to end up but I am thinking about 15 songs from the whole catalogue. What I am wondering is, are there any requests for any particular songs for me to TAB? So far I have already done Hallow Light Severed Sun, Words For Two, Elk River and Home. i was thinking i would probably do School of The Flower as well. After that, I am not sure. So basically I am taking requests. Any jams anyone might be interested in having me TAB? If not, it's all gonna be basically what's easiest for me to do!"

If you have a suggestion, head here.

MP3: Six Organs Of Admittance - Torn By Wolves
MP3: Six Organs Of Admittance - Words For Two

Six Organs Of Admittance on Myspace
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Previously on SOTR: Six Organs Of Admittance

Songs For Babes

One of my favorite bands in the whole wide world Talons' have just announced that their fantastic album 'Songs for Babes' is getting a European release thanks to Own Records. The CD includes new artwork from the original LP (still available at barkandhiss.com) in a "beautifully printed cardstock package".

New Talons' music is also promised soon with the long awaited 'Songs For Boats' almost finished, as well as a new EP recorded in Dubai and an electronic album entitled 'Pandemia' in the bag. The entire Talons' catalog to date is still available from the Bark & Hiss website.

MP3: Talons' - Angela
MP3: Talons' - Sommer
MP3: Talons' - Cole (Courtesy of Own Records)

Download: The "complete" talons' library

talons' on Myspace
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Previously on SOTR: Talons'

Yim Yames

I have never been a fan of My Morning Jacket, but on the two occasions that I have been exposed to the solo work of front man Jim James (or Yim Yames as he appears in his latest alias) I have been pleasantly surprised. The first time I sat up and took notice was on the Soundtrack to the Dylan "biopic" 'I'm Not There' where James sings "Goin' To Acapulco" accompanied by Calexico, which for me was one of the highlights of a great collection. The second is 'Tribute To', an EP of George Harrison covers.

Recorded in 2001 shortly after George Harrison's death 'Tribute To' contains six wonderful, stripped down, acoustic renditions of Harrison compositions, including versions of "My Sweet Lord", "All Things Must Pass" "Long, Long Long" and "Love To You". The EP is available to listen to in full and download now from the Yim Yames website for a very reasonable price, with a CD and vinyl released following on August 4th.

MP3: Jim James & Calexico - Goin' To Acapulco
MP3: Yim Yames - My Sweet Lord


Yim Yames on Myspace
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Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts

Gee, it has been so long and so much music has gone under the proverbial bridge since I last wrote, that I am not sure where to start... I guess i'll begin with the new release news that has most excited me since my last post... Castanets have announced the release of a new album entitled "Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts" (out on Asthmatic Kitty on September 22nd). The press blurb suggests that Ray Raposa has stripped back the noises and glitches focus on well structured and defined songs, which can only be a good thing.

Recorded in April of this year in San Diego, "Texas Rose..." is Castanets' fifth for Asthmatic Kitty. There isn't a Castanets record that I have not fallen in love with and I am sure I will be able to say the same about this one.

MP3: Castanets - This Is The Early Game From 'In The Vines (courtesy of Asthmatic Kitty)
MP3: Castanets - Glory B From 'City Of Refuge' (courtesy of Asthmatic Kitty)

Castanets on Myspace
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Previously on SOTR: Castanets