Leaky Sparrow

Sophia Live @ Köln

2009-11-15T15:49:00.002+01:00

Photo from Leaky Sparrow – Robin Proper-Sheppard (Sophia) – Kulturkirche Nippes, Köln – October 4, 2009 - More pics here

Robin Proper-Sheppard and band, Sophia, and string section was on tour throughout Europe in September and October. Was in Cologne by chance the day he stopped in the Kulturkirche for one more good show.
Sophia’s There Are No Goodbyes... (2009) is available here: The Flower Shop Recordings (Europe), City Slang (Germany) & Bang! (Belgium)

Links: sophiamusic.net - sophiamusicnet.blogspot.com

Sophia - A Last Dance (To Sad Eyes) .mp3

Gong live @ Herzberg 2009, Germany

2009-07-25T10:40:00.003+02:00

Photo from Leaky Sparrow – Gong – Herzberg Music Festival – July 17, 2009 - More pics here

After Crosby, Stills & Nash (with our without Young) who is the best band ever? Gong… yes, Gong! You know this pataphysical freak out band that rose 40 years ago with a magisterial album called Camembert Electric… I hope you had the chance to hear it almost once in your life. I’m not gonna tell you here the story of Daevid Allen and Gong from the beginning to now. Please go on Gong page or on some well informed sites. I just want to say few words about there performance during the Burg Herzberg Music Festival held last week-end in Germany.
It was the first time that I went to Herzberg, believe me it’s the coolest place to go in summer to hear good music and to be amongst wonderful people. This festival is also known to be the biggest “hippie” convention held in Europe each year. Well, Gong fit well there. And it does despite a heavy rain that never stopped during the concert, thousands of fans where there to hear once again the story of the Pot Head Pixies as well as some new song from 2032 (read below) stood in the wet and the cold. Daevid Allen and Gilli Smith were there of course, Miquette Giraudy too but the most important was that Steve Hillage was also on stage. A wonderful show! Those guys are still young and gave to the crowd everything that it was possible to offer in such circumstances. And I was the lucky guy too, I had the chance to talk to the band backstage after the show… but I will keep it secret for the moment… it’s a long story to tell… Ok, what I want to say now is that they are still touring until the end of the year, don’t miss them and run to get 2032 as soon as it is possible.
Gong has already produced a brand new forward-looking album called 2032 - Yes that's the year 2032 - the year that the Planet Gong makes full contact with the Planet Earth - and a major new chapter in the continually evolving Gong mythology. The album is due to be released in September 2009.

Website: planetgong.co.uk

Gong - The Pot Head Pixies .mp3 from Flying Teapot (1972)

And from "Continental Circus (Original Soundtrack)" LP (Philips) 1971 (France) Gong - What Do You Want? .mp3 via Siblingshot.blogspot (nice post by the way…)

Crosby, Stills & Nash Live @ Bonn

2009-07-08T09:21:00.004+02:00

Photo from Leaky Sparrow – Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills & Nash) – Museumsplatz, Bonn – July 3, 2009 - More pics here

I have to tell you a secret… for me, Crosby, Stills & Nash (with or without Young) is the best band ever. And a live concert of CSN is something that I wouldn’t miss for nothing. I saw them in 1974, in 1983, in 1992, in 2005 and last week in Bonn. Believe me, each time it was a wonder, each time I left the show with joy in my heart after 2 hours and a half of happiness… It’s something that I quite never experienced with another band or performer. Those guys are magic. Long may they run.

Label: crosbystillsnash.com

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Carry On .mp3
Stephen Stills - Fishes And Scorpions .mp3 via The Rising Storm

Scott Matthew - There Is An Ocean...

2009-06-21T17:05:00.003+02:00

There Is An Ocean That Divides And With My Longing I Can Charge It With A Voltage Thats So Violent To Cross It Could Mean Death is the title of Australian-born Scott Matthew’s second album. So far, concerning title length, Fiona Apple is still the winner with When The Pawn… (1999), but this one will stand amongst the longest in the history of Rock. Musically, Scott Matthew has nothing to be ashamed of Apple’s work, There is An Ocean… is a pretty collection of tranquil piano melodies with melancholic lyrics.
Scott Matthew is one of the very few musicians who strips with his music, who dissects himself to reveal his very innards with great parsimony.
His voice cries without whining. His songs accuse without soliciting pity. Scott Matthew’s music has truth and exigency. And he forms this into songs that are purely magnetic, that expose an honest beauty and sorrow, allowing listeners to take and feel part of the experience.

Scott Matthew: Website and MySpace
Label (Europe): Glitterhouse

Scott Matthew - For Dick (live) .mp3 via slowcoustic
Scott Matthew - Upside Down .mp3

With These Hands – Michael J. Sheehy And The Hired Mourners

2009-06-14T16:00:00.003+02:00

Here is one of the most intriguing and interesting records this year so far. For his 6th album Michael J. Sheehy has written a song cycle which tells the story of Francis Delaney, a fictional prize fighter whose life unravels after he takes a dive in the most important fight of his career. The story is told through the eyes of Delaney himself and other characters such as the fight promoters, the punters and his opponent.
This is a concept album like I like. The other one who comes to my mind is an other album about boxing: the one and only one Ghosts Of The Great Highway from Sun Kil Moon.
With These Hands should cement Sheehy’s growing reputation as a gifted storyteller and a musician with a unique voice. And not to forget, Gemma Ray as a lead vocal on the beautiful Frankie My Darling.
The new album will be out on the 6th of July in Europe only.

Web: michaeljsheehy.info/album
MySpace: myspace.com/michaeljsheehy
MySpace: myspace.com/gemmaraymusic
Label: glitterhouse.com

Gemma Ray - Rise of the Runts .mp3

Rusties - Move Along

2009-06-07T16:50:00.003+02:00

It’s not because you have been a tribute band for years that you have a lack of imagination and talent. Let’s take for example the Rusties. It’s an Italian band who played Neil Young songs since 10 years mainly in Europe (Italy, Germany and Switzerland) and released 3 or 4 CDs full of great covers. Now, they just released their first album with their own compositions and it’s enough talented for me that I should bring it to your attention.
Move Along has a sound that is not far from Californian bands like the Eagles – maybe it’s the sun from Italy… - the harmony of the voice of the Rusties invites the listener to follow the lyrics easily and to sing along with them.
The new album will be out on the 10th of June. It won’t be mentioned everywhere for the moment so I’d like to tell you where it will be available: through ird.it (International Records Distribution) or tubejamrecords.com or iTunes.
In a couple of weeks, the Rusties will be back on tour in the south of Germany - believe me, on stage there are awesome - you can follow them if you wish (more info here: myspace.com/rustiesband)

Bellow Tracks a song that you can hear on Move Along and Southern Man a cover from our old friend Neil Young.

Lucky Girl

MySpace: myspace.com/rustiesband

Rusties - Tracks .mp3 from Move Along
Rusties - Southern Man .mp3 a Neil Young cover

Sophia @ Café de la Danse, Paris 2009

2009-05-22T17:30:00.004+02:00

Photo from Leaky Sparrow - Robin Proper-Sheppard (Sophia) – Café de la Danse, Paris – May 21, 2009 - More pics here

Three years after his last performance with Vito (read) for the released of his previous album Technology Won’t Save Us, Robin Proper-Sheppard and his Sophia Collective returned to Paris. More than that, Sophia took the stage of Le Café de la Danse as “top of the bill” exactly where he played as “support act” of Chokebore in December 1998, eleven years ago. I was there too, such a long time now…
Sophia is a steady band still delivering his sad-core music despite the changes of musical styles that rose since one decade. Records after records, shows after shows, the same feeling, the same mood, the same quality, Robin Proper-Sheppard has a gift for writing and a voice to interpret his poetry (as a reward, Robin will be invited by Mister Bernard Lenoir himself for one of his famous broadcast White Session in one week).
Meanwhile, last Thursday, Sophia played a solid show in front of fans that came to hear the new songs from his forthcoming album There Are No Goodbyes but also to hear few masterpieces from his back catalogue like The Sea, Ship In The Sand, I Left You and The River Song. Robin didn’t come alone, he was backed by a full band and string quarter, ten people on stage in total, who were perfect even during the acoustic songs than during his fully electrifying ones.
There Are No Goodbyes will be out 27 April 2009 with a bonus CD (more here). I will make a short review in one of my next posts.

MySpace: myspace.com/thesophiacollective
Web: sophiamusic.net
Robin’s Blog: theflowershoprecordings.blogspot.com

Sophia - Lost (The Valentine's Day Session).mp3
Sophia - Call Me On Your Way Back Home.mp3
Sophia - Ship In The Sand.mp3

Christo Jota – Moondog

2009-05-10T16:00:00.003+02:00

It's the second full-length experimental release by guitarist Christo Jota from Köln, and although he isn’t breaking much new ground with this one, it's such interesting terrain that I don't mind revisiting this particular sound. Guitar-Loops melting in all tracks repetitive patterns put on soft synthiepads, on which the guitar takes off for some spacey melodies. I loved his first release, Mantra, and this second work, Moondog, has nothing to be ashamed of. To help you to discover his universe, let me say that Christo Jota is inspired by people like Robert Fripp, Steve Hillage, Harmonia, Tangerine Dream, and the looping scene with guys like Andy Butler, Zoe Keating etc.

You can listen to both new and older tracks on: christojota.de

MySpace: myspace.com/christojota
Label : fuego.de

Bonus: Steve Hillage - Electrick Gypsies .mp3

Jackson Browne – Live @ Cologne

2009-04-20T23:03:00.002+02:00

Photo from Leaky Sparrow – Jackson Browne – E-Werk, Cologne – April 17, 2009 – More pics here

Few words about Jackson Browne’s performance last Friday in Köln. I didn’t want to miss his 2009 Time The Conqueror Tour. Why? First, I wanted to spend another good week-end in Cologne with my sweetheart and, because I had a very good memory of his performance five years ago in La Cigale, Paris, I decided to get a couple of tickets for us to see the guy who promoted peace and justice through his music since almost 40 years.
Not much surprises, Jackson Browne was there to introduce as much as possible songs from his last release to his German fans. Together, few good old standards like Doctor My Eyes or The Pretender, but, for me, the highlight of the evening was These Days a song that he dedicated to Nico, of course (Nico was born in Cologne and that was the place to perform it!). Please do listen to both versions, the Jackson Browne’s one on For Everyman (1973) and Nico’s version on her record Chelsea Girl (1967). Browne was only 16 years old when he wrote it.

Web: jacksonbrowne.com

Jackson Browne - I Am A Patriot .mp3 via One Sweet Song
Jackson Browne - For America .mp3

So Far So Good – The Decemberists

2009-04-13T17:28:00.003+02:00

What happened since the beginning of the year? Nothing much! I already mentioned here how much I like Barbara Morgenstern and Science For Girls latest works as well as Vetiver’s fourth album. Of course, I didn’t miss the release of the new PJ Harvey, but I need more time to listen to it before I should review it or not here on Leaky Sparrow. What else? Animal Collective, of course, but it was in January. The Leonard Cohen Live and Neil Young’s Fork In The Road because it’s Leonard and Neil... But, the best discovery so far for me is The Decemberists. I missed their previous albums, it’s a good find for me and I really like this concept album around a love story: The Hazards Of Love (Rough Trade Records)

Web: www.decemberists.com

The Decemberists - Shiny.mp3 from 5 Songs (2003)

Vetiver – Tight Knit

2009-03-29T20:04:00.003+02:00

Vetiver, the coolest band on earth, strikes again with a fourth album called Tight Knit. Nothing fancy, just a bunch of pretty good songs for our pleasure. Andy Cabic makes me think of Jerry Garcia from The Grateful Dead, I mean his voice, listen to Strictly Rule, for example, and let me know.

Web: vetiverse.com
MySpace: myspace.com/vetiverse

Vetiver - Everyday .mp3

US Rails On The Road

2009-03-25T20:38:00.002+01:00

I wanted to send a short post out to promote the US Rails shows coming up in the US starting next week. US Rails is a collective of songwriters, singers and musicians who met originally in the Philadelphia area but have since scattered all over the map to France, Germany and Austin, TX.
The US Rails are Joseph Parsons, Ben Arnold, Scott Bricklin, Tom Gillam, Matt Muir.

After that, my good old friend Joseph Parsons will be back in Europe for a solo tour. All dates here: Joseph Parsons

Joseph Parsons - Shy .mp3
Joseph Parsons - Heavens Above .mp3

Photo by Leaky Sparrow: Joseph Parsons and Scott Bricklin in some great place somewhere in Germany last summer.

De Chassy & Yvinec - Like A Hurricane (Neil Young Cover)

2009-03-08T16:02:00.007+01:00

I don’t think I ever really talked about jazz here on Leaky Sparrow. I’m not a jazz “connoisseur” but once in a while I do enjoy listening to a good show on some radio. Lately I was invited to discover Songs From The Last Century the latest work from Guillaume de Chassy, piano, and Daniel Yvinec, double bass. In two days they recorded a selection of songs that were written during the last century. The surprise is that you’ll find there together with some jazz standards few pop songs from Paul Simon, Prince, Paul Mc Cartney or Neil Young. Yes, here you’ll find an unusual cover of Like A Hurricane from Neil Young of two minutes and a half that you will be able to hear on that video.

Web: guillaumedechassy.com

Science For Girls - 14 Days

2009-03-01T16:28:00.003+01:00

Gotta be 14th Street
Corner of 7th Ave
Funny Cry Happy gift is always open

14 Days is pretty cool song and Bronwen Exter’s voice is so warm, can’t stop listening to it since the beginning of year (together with Barbara Morgenstern's Come to Berlin, of course).
Science For Girls "is the project of producer and songwriter Darren Solomon, whose melodic electronica is steeped in jazz with the cool feel of Brazilian music. The debut album features guest vocalists from NYC's indie music scene."

Web: scienceforgirls.net
MySpace: myspace.com/scienceforgirls
MySpace: myspace.com/bronwenexter

Science For Girls - 14 Days .mp3

I'll Be Back...

2009-02-20T11:00:00.005+01:00

Don’t worry; the little sparrow is still alive. Thanks again for those of you who worried. I will be back… soon. I’m just too much busy since the beginning of the year, couldn’t take care of the blog and didn't listen to much music. Meanwhile, I advise you to buy the Red Hot Compilation called Dark Was The Night. Not too bad, not too bad at all.

Web: darkwasthenight.com
MySpace: myspace.com/DarkWasTheNight

Barbara Morgenstern - Back With BM

2009-01-11T17:51:00.003+01:00

Barbara Morgenstern (morning star) one of the primary producers on Gudrun Gut's Berlin-Based electronic-pop label Monika Enterprise released her new album BM last October.
For BM, her fifth album, Barbara wrote beautifully plaintive electronic pop songs. Like usual she incorporates English lyrics into her German writing, it helps a little bit those like me who doesn’t speak the language. The album also includes collaboration with Robert Wyatt (Camouflage).

Web: barbaramorgenstern.de
MySpace: myspace.com/barbaramorgenstern
Label: monika-enterprise.de

Barbara Morgenstern - The Operator .mp3
Barbara Morgenstern - Come To Berlin .mp3 via Comfort Music

Barbara Morgenstern - Aus heiterem himmel .mp3

Barbara Morgenstern - Dr MR .mp3

Cloudland Canyon – Lie In Light

2009-01-08T22:51:00.004+01:00

Let’s start 2009 with a record released in April 2008. It’s never too late for a real find.
Kip Uhlhorn and Simon Wojan began collaborating under the moniker Cloudland Canyon in 2000. Both have toiled in various music scenes (hardcore, psych and punk) since the last century. Recent collaborations with Kranky artist Lichens and others have taken the duo into transcendental musical territories. Cloudland Canyon’s Lie in Light is a full length released on Kranky last April.

MySpace: myspace.com/cloudlandcanyon and Web: cloudland-canyon.com

Cloudland Canyon - You & I .mp3 via Pop Matters

Cloudland Canyon - Dambala .mp3

2009

2009-01-04T17:18:00.003+01:00

Best wishes for 2009 to you all. May the music brings warmth and joy...

Helios - A Mountain Of Ice .mp3 from Caesura (2008) via Obscure Sound
Also: Helios - Mima.mp3 (read Brainwashed.com)

Web: soundalong.com/helios
MySpace: myspace.com/thesadepicurean
Label: typerecords.com

Bonus: Winter - Carla Olson .mp3

Photo by Leaky Sparrow: Museum Ludwig (Köln)

2008 - Top 12

2008-12-26T18:32:00.005+01:00

Top 10 in 2006, top 11 in 2007, why not a top 12 for 2008? This year was full of good music better than the previous one and it was not so easy for me to select 10 records amongst all that I heard in 12 months… and I didn’t have the chance to listen to everything. So this is only the best of what I choose to purchase.
Number One? MGMT. I was right in May when I reviewed the show of MGMT in Cologne, as I said, Oracular Spectacular will be first on most of year-end music lists, why not in Leaky Sparrow’s list... Radiohead is not mentioned? It’s a mistake and should be #1 - I bought the album the 1st of January - but I didn’t know what to do, in or out?... Some records were released before 2008? Yes, but for me they were all new. So why not In Rainbows? I don’t know…

Please do enjoy the last days of 2008 and see you next year. In peace.

1 – Oracular Spectacular – MGMT (Columbia)
Web: whoismgmt.com
Music: MGMT - Destrokk .mp3
Show review: May 2008

2 – Third – Portishead (Island)
Web: portishead.co.uk
Show review: April 2008

3 – Against The Dying Of The Light – Avrocar (Make Mine Music)
MySpace: myspace.com/avrocar
Music: Avrocar - Our World Is Their Heaven .mp3
Album review: September 2008

4 – Ghost Repeater – Jeffrey Foucault (Signature Sounds)
Web: jeffreyfoucault.com
Music: Jeffrey Foucault - Americans In Corduroys .mp3
Show review: February 2008

5 – The Hawk Is Howling – Mogwai (Matador)
MySpace: myspace.com/mogwai
Show review: October 2008

6 – Rest – Gregor Samsa (Own)
Web: gregorsamsa.com
Music: Gregor Samsa - Jeroen Van Aken .mp3
Album review: May 2008

7 – Dark Undercoat – Emily Jane White (Double Negative)
Web: emilyjanewhite.com
Music: Emily Jane White - Hole In The Middle .mp3
Show review: October 2008

8 – Rook – Shearwater (Matador)
Web: shearwatermusic.com
Music: Shearwater - Rooks .mp3
Show review: September 2008

9 – Glasvegas – Glasvegas (Columbia)
Web: glasvegas.net
Album review: later in 2009!

10 – The Last Side Of The Mountain – Chris Eckman (Glitterhouse)
MySpace: myspace.com/chriseckmanmusic
Album review: December 2008

11 – Heavens Above – Joseph Parsons (Blue Rose)
MySpace: myspace.com/josephparsons
Music: Joseph Parsons - Falling.mp3
Album review: August 2008

12 – Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
MySpace: myspace.com/fleetfoxes
Music: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal .mp3

Album review: August 2008

Lee Clayton Rides Again

2008-12-23T19:54:00.008+01:00

There is a nice thread here on Leaky Sparrow around a post that I wrote more than a year ago. So far, something like 17 comments around the life and music of Lee Clayton. I’m proud that you people took the opportunity of that short notice to exchange thoughts and information about that “unknown legend forgotten by most of Rock dictionaries”. Thanks very much to you all.
Here is the post: Lee Clayton Rides Alone (May 07, 2007)

Above is the ticket that I kept of the one and only occasion that I had to see Lee Clayton playing live. As you can see, it was in 1980, a stop in Paris during the European Tour promoting McGuinn-Clark-Hillman latest release. Lee Clayton was opening the evening. I have a quiet precise memory of his performance: his set was equal to the one that gave McGuinn and Hillman – Gene Clark refused to tour in Europe – in length and in quality, maybe more…

Thanks again for your interest and collaboration; it helps me trying to keep up the “good” work with freedom and without accepting money in return for any advertising space!

Web: Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark & Chris Hillman

Roger McGuinn - Go Tell It On The Mountain .mp3
Roger McGuinn - 500 Miles .mp3 via ibiblio.org/jimmy/folkden-wp
Gene Clark - Hot Burrito #1 .mp3
More Xmas song: McGuinn - Greensleeves .mp3

Coldplay – Viva la Musica

2008-12-23T06:38:00.003+01:00

I was thinking about my top ten albums of 2008 and at the same time I had a look at some Web year-end lists. Coldplay’s fourth album, Viva La Vida, is in a good position most of the time, taking the top spot in few of them (Last.fm). The album has, to date, been the number-one-selling album in 36 countries around the world, debuting at number one in UK the first week. Also, Viva la Vida has become the most paid-for downloaded album of all time.
Even if I prefer to promote indie bands here in Leaky Sparrow, I’m not against records that sales thousand of copies, not at all - if they are pretty good and enjoyable, you can count me in. Also I’m always happy to see some of my friends wishing to share their music choices with me; consequently with Coldplay, I paid attention to what they say and got my own copy. I must admit that I do kind of like Coldplay last work where Brian Eno is in charge of “sonic landscapes”… Viva la Musica!
Coldplay released in November an EP, Prospekt's March, consisting of unreleased material from the Viva la Vida recording sessions. The album was re-released in a deluxe edition, titled Viva la Vida - Prospekt's March Edition. It contains tracks off the original album and Prospekt's March. If you even have a slight interest in Coldplay buy it. It’s Xmas time…

Web: coldplay.com
MySpace: myspace.com/coldplay

Chris Eckman - The Last Side of the Mountain

2008-12-14T19:58:00.006+01:00

Slow starts. I love albums which have the confidence to start gently, letting you drift into the record. Slow is also one of Chris Eckman’s trademarks, remember his cover of Yellow Submarine for The Mojo magazine free cd called Revolver Reloaded (2006)…

Known as the frontman-composer, producer & songwriter of The Walkabouts, Eckman is leaving since few years now in Slovenia, consequently the culture of this European country started to influence his work and as a result you have The Last Side of the Mountain (November, 2008 - Glitterhouse). For that album Eckman translated and set into music eleven poems by the Slovene poet Dane Zajc and recorded them at Studio Zuma his personal studio in Ljubljana.
The Last Side of the Mountain is a very beautiful record and with no doubt this is Eckman’s finest work to date, with or without The Walkabouts. This is simply a breathtaking album. For the melancholy flowing from the dozen tracks of The Last Side of the Mountain, for the lyrics, for the enchanting melodies perfectly produced, you have reason enough to love it. Just two small negative remarks, the mournful voice of Chris Eckman – sorry, Chris – and one track that I feel like skipping, The Same, performed with Steve Wynn, that doesn’t really fit with the other songs on this album. Besides you have gems like Scorpions, With What Mouth and the moving Who Will Light Your Path?, a beautiful song ala Elysian Fields, wherein polish vocalist Anita Lipnicka adds sublime harmony vocals.

No songs yet available to listen for free, meanwhile, you can go to his MySpace and give a visit to his Website: thewalkabouts.com/discslast.htm
Label: glitterhouse.com

Nick Drake - Black Mountain Blues.mp3 via Stereogum
Shearwater - Mountain Laurel .mp3
Jonathan Coulton - Skullcrusher Mountain .mp3
Rogue Wave - Are You on My Side .mp3

Chairlift – White Session

2008-12-10T23:38:00.009+01:00

Chairlift formed in Boulder, Colorado in early 2006 to make live music for haunted houses gave a White Session for Mister Bernard Lenoir, the French John Peel, on his radio program called C'est Lenoir (This is Lenoir). You can listen to that exclusive “live” recording (only during a small week) on the link below (wait 15 minutes). Like me I hope you will fall under the charm of the voice of Caroline Polachek – she even sing in French with a Belgium accent! - and discover the sound of the trio that lives now in Brooklyn where they joined people like MGTM...
Chairlift's debut album, Does You Inspire You, is in stores since Sept 30th!

MySpace: myspace.com/chairlift
Label: Kanine Records

White Session – December 8, 2008 on France Inter: here

Chairlift - Bruises .mp3 via The Yellow Stereo
Chairlift - Evident Utensil .mp3
Bonus: Shock Cinema - Oddfellow .mp3

Photo: Chairlift in Madison, WI from kaninerecords.com/pics

Sugar Mountain – Left track: The Voice

2008-12-07T17:13:00.002+01:00

The first time I ever heard the voice of Neil Young was when I purchased in 1970 my 3 LPs copy of Woodstock - Neil was singing Sea Of Madness - remember: “All I need is your sweet sweet loving…” Soon after, I bought one after the other: Déjà Vu, a compilation of Buffalo Springfield, After the Gold Rush and then the first Neil Young album. What struck me first with the Canadian was his tenor singing voice more than his personal lyrics or his guitar work.
Sugar Mountain, Live At Canterbury House 1968 is a magnificent testimony of the early days when Neil Young started is solo career. This unearth live recording is another example of how his voice is so moving. Unfortunately, later, in October 1975, he had a throat operation and his voice changed a little bit. All I can say is that now he never sings like he used to during his early recordings, for me it’s obvious.
So to come back to Sugar Mountain, this recording allows us to listen to some amazing acoustic renditions of Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing, The Old Laughing Lady, Broken Arrow or If I Could Have Her Tonight… simply, the best of the best.
By the way, Young's Sea of Madness, heard on Woodstock soundtrack album, was actually recorded a month after the festival at the Fillmore East.

Web: neilyoung.com – MySpace: myspace.com/neilyoung

Neil Young - Sugar Mountain .mp3 Live In Bakersfield – March 11, 1973
Neil Young - Only Love Can Break Your Heart .mp3 Live In London – February 27, 1971
Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl .mp3

Two-Lane Blacktop – You Can Never Go Fast Enough

2008-12-04T20:37:00.008+01:00

Some said it was an answer to the commercial success of Easy Rider. Released exactly two years after the “first ever” road-movie directed by Dennis Hopper (read here), Universal Pictures asked Rudolph Wurlitzer and Monte Hellman to build a story around a journey of two friends from West to East USA, the name: Two-Lane Blacktop.
In both movies you’ll find a lot of similarities: bikes/cars, two bikers/two drag racers, two main protagonists (Dennis Hopper + Peter Fonda / James Taylor + Dennis Wilson), who picked up a hitch-hiker during the trip (Luke Askew / Laurie Bird) and are joined by a third character (Jack Nicholson / Warren Oates), etc, etc…
The only difference is the soundtrack, unlike Easy Rider Two-Lane Blacktop music is not a major actor of the movie (except the original version of Me and Bobby McGee performed by the song's author Kris Kristofferson), and no soundtrack had ever been released which is a surprise when you know that, the two stars of the film, James Taylor and Dennis Wilson, could contribute with some very good music.
So, we had to wait April 2003 to find a Tribute album to Two-Lane Blacktop this definitive road movie that I saw again on public television one night two weeks ago. It is call You Can Never Go Fast Enough; you’ll find the Tracklisting here. I was happy to purchase one copy, Yeap! A special mention to Roy Montgomery for his contribution.

More: Wikipedia and All Music or Two-Lane Blacktop Tribute Website

James Taylor - Fire And Rain .mp3
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James .mp3
James Taylor - You've Got A Friend .mp3
Roy Montgomery - Sterling Morrison Corner 10th And First 1966.mp3
Roy Montgomery - Zabriske Point (Part 1).mp3

Dennis Hopper & The New Hollywood

2008-12-01T00:06:00.007+01:00

I remember… Billy going to the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans… Easy Rider…
I remember… Thomas Ripley playing pool humming Dylan's I Pity The Poor Immigrant and the Beatles' Drive My Car… Der Amerikanische Freund…
I remember… a pretty stoned photojournalist… Apocalypse Now…
I remember… a father working amongst the rubbish… Out Of The Blue…
I remember… someone called Cracker in Human Highway, a fantasy directed by someone called Neil Young…
I remember… sweating while I watched The Hot Spot…
I remember… a bomber terrorist who has nothing in common with “the” Billy from Easy Rider: Speed…
I remember… the Dennis Hopper exhibition that I saw last Saturday.

The Cinématheque Française in Paris – who hosts the largest archive of films, movie documents, and film-related objects in the world – offers until mid-January a wonderful retrospective of all the works and fantasies that Dennis Hopper produced since 40 years or more: movies, drawings, photos, sculpture, and so on. Be careful, it’s a unique exhibition only made for Paris with the “invaluable collaboration” of Dennis Hopper. You won’t see it elsewhere. So, take a plane, a train, a bike and then a Vélib’ and make an exciting journey through the past of Hollywood after Easy Rider.

Did I tell you that Easy Rider changed my life many years ago? And that I gave my old LP to some lucky fellow long time ago?… stupid me!

Web: cinematheque.fr Dennis Hopper & Le Nouvel Hollywood – October 15, 2008 to January 19, 2009

The Band - The Weight .mp3
Jimi Hendrix - If 6 Was 9 .mp3
Ice-T - Personal .mp3
Devo and Neil Young - My My Hey Hey .mp3

Adrienne Pierce - Winter EP

2008-11-27T22:14:00.005+01:00

Maybe it’s because Adrienne Pierce covered Neil Young's Pocahontas as part of Borrowed Tunes II that I which to share with you Adrienne’s new EP Winter. Maybe it’s because it’s cold outside here in Paris or that the holiday music season starts already. I don’t know... my mood today…
Adrienne Pierce is a Canadian singer from Vancouver, her six songs EP Winter (November 18th) is "a musical love letter to this special time of year. Recorded primarily in a cabin on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, this is a holiday release with both classic appeal and indie charm to spare. The four original Christmas songs are diverse in style but unified in theme and DIY approach."

Web: adriennepierce.com
MySpace: myspace.com/adriennepierce

Adrienne Pierce - Joy Is With Reach .mp3 via Scrink.com
Adrienne Pierce - Laundry And Dishes .mp3

Bonus: John Denver - Please Daddy Don't Get Drunk This Christmas .mp3

Megapuss Surf’s Up

2008-11-24T07:51:00.003+01:00

Leaky Sparrow’s friend Devendra Banhart has a new project, it’s called Megapuss. Megapuss is also Greg Rogove (Priestbird), Fabrizio Moretti (The Strokes, Little Joy), Noah Georgeson (member of Banhart's band and producer), and Aziz Ansari (actor/comedian). One year after the half success of Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, Devandra signed with Neil Young’s Vapor Records label who released Surfing beginning of November.

Web: megapuss.net
MySpace: myspace.com/megapuss
Label: vaporrecords.com

Megapuss - Adam & Steve .mp3 via Cream Team

Priestbird - Mandog .mp3
Devendra Banhart - Will Is My Friend .mp3
Beirut - Mount Wroclai Idle Days .mp3

Postcard from Lisbon - Madredeus

2008-11-19T20:11:00.003+01:00

Hi! Just been away on a short vacation trip in Lisbon; the little San Francisco of Europe. Lisboa is a wonderful city and also known as the birthplace of Fado a very melancholic music. I am not a connoisseur - I guess you all know Amália Rodrigues - but I would like to mention amongst many Madredeus whose music combines Fado influences with modern folk music. I discovered them in a 1994 film directed by Wim Wenders, Lisbon Story. Teresa Salgueiro is one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. Ainda…….

Web: madredeus.com

Madredeus - A barca da fantasia (live) .mp3
Madredeus - Haja o que Houver (Lux Mix) .mp3

Photo (Leaky Sparrow): a wonderful guitar player in the quiet cloister of the Mosteiro de S. Vicente (Lisbon)

The Beatles White Album

2008-11-13T19:09:00.004+01:00

After two and a half years and more than 300 posts, I just realized that I never wrote anything about The Beatles. As a teenager raised in the 60s with the sound of the four guys from Liverpool, I shouldn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of that amazing masterpiece double LP usually called The White Album.
My mother gave it to me as a present for Christmas 68 (see photos of “the” copy). At that time, I didn’t have so many records and just few 45s… so The White Album, for months, was on my turntable. Before I had the Sgt Pepper’s, the Magical Mystery Tour LP and one compilation called Oldies But Goldies, my older sister already had Rubber Soul and Revolver. That was my first steps on the music universe… such a good start!
I could write pages and pages about that record and about everything song. It’s a listening delight even 40 years later.
The Beatles is the ninth official album by The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is more commonly known as The White Album as it has no text other than the band's name (and, on the early LP and CD releases, a serial number) on its plain white sleeve, which was designed by pop artist Richard Hamilton. More on Wikipedia

The Beatles - Helter Skelter .mp3

The Beatles are the most-covered band in history, here is just a quick selection of cover versions from The White Album:

Beatlejazz - Blackbird .mp3 from Another Bite Of The Apple
Evan Rachel Wood - Blackbird .mp3 via Friedreich from the musical movie Across The Universe (2007)
Evan Rachel Wood - Dear Prudence .mp3
Joe Anderson - Happiness Is A Warm Gun .mp3
The Rolling Stones & John Lennon - Yer Blues (Live) .mp3

Paul Weller - Sexy Sadie .mp3

Barack Obama - Hope For Peace

2008-11-05T08:08:00.006+01:00

Barack Obama in Chicago last night (REUTERS)

Marvin Gaye - The Star Spangled Banner .mp3 via Living In Stereo

David Crosby - What Are Their Names .mp3

Deerhunter - Microcastle

2008-11-04T20:37:00.005+01:00

You remember the time when you bought vinyls, do you? Like for you, it happened to me that I listened again and again to one side, Side A or Side B – the most well known example is the second side of Abbey Road. If Microcastle from Deerhunter was available only on vinyl (too bad, I just have the CD!), I'm sure that I will only listen to side B over and over again. It doesn't mean that the other songs are weaker but the last four ones, from Nothing Ever Happened to Twilight At Carbon Lake, are like one great song and encourage you to put the needle at the beginning of the side… And, there’s a little bit of Swell on Saved By Old Times. So…
Atlanta-based Deerhunter released Microcastle, the follow-up to 2006's critically lauded Cryptograms, at end of October. Microcastle will be released simultaneously on CD and LP via Kranky in North America and 4AD in Europe.

MySpace: myspace.com/deerhunter
Blog: deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com

Bradford Cox recorded an exclusive session for 4AD. The fruits of said session On Platts Eyott Island can only be heard on the 4AD website here.

Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened .mp3 via I Rock Cleveland
Deerhunter - Heatherwood .mp3 via Pitchforkmedia
Deerhunter – Wash Off .mp3
Bonus: Grizzly Bear - On A Neck, On A Spit .mp3 via grizzly-bear.net

Nico Icon - Cologne Girl Exhibition

2008-11-03T07:58:00.005+01:00

Just come back from another great week-end in Cologne. No marathon or concert this time but a museum night with the visit of a remarkable exhibition that must be brought to your attention. Nico (Christa Päffgen), who died 20 years ago in Ibiza, is now celebrated until the end of January by her native town, Köln.
The exhibition is a nice retrospective covering every stage of her life from the time she was a young fashion model, then an actress, up to the moving singer-songwriter that everybody knows. All the documents are exhibited with taste and love: photos, movies, press articles, letters, posters and vinyl covers. The die-hard fans won’t discover anything really new but for those of you who just know her as a member of the Velvet Underground, you’ll understand why Nico became an Icon to many.

Info: Nico – Köln, Berlin, Paris, New York – Stationen einer Popikone Museum für angewandte kunst: October 30, 2008 to February 1, 2009 (in German)
Or here: Arte (in French)
And on… Leaky Sparrow

Nico - I'll Keep It With Mine .mp3
Nico - Nibelungen .mp3 via Greenpeaness
Velvet Underground And Nico - All Tomorrow's Parties .mp3 Via WFMU's Beware of the Blog
Bonus: Big Star - Femme Fatale .mp3

Mogwai Is Howling In The Casino

2008-10-29T20:45:00.005+01:00

Mogwai live @ Paris again. Why not? Waited the last day to decide myself, bought a ticket during lunch time - it was not completely sold out –, choose a balcony seat, first row on the right. When I arrived at the Casino de Paris at 8 o'clock, The Twilight Sad was already playing. From outside the room, the music was quite attractive, but the guys from Glasgow left the stage greeted only with polite applause. No encore.
At 9, the Casino de Paris, an old prestigious cabaret like The Moulin Rouge, was totally filled and ready to welcome Mogwai. I guess I saw them each time they came to Paris since 2001. I think they have improved their set; the lights now are an important actor of the scenery and give the songs not only colors but also strengths. But overall, despite few amazing moments – no The Sun Smells Too Loud, the best song from The Hawk Is Howling, too sad… -, Mogwai on stage are now too technical to give me some thrills like seven years ago. At that time, during the encore after a perfect set, Mogwai was fighting with the French venue to be able to play as loud as possible; they had to stop the show and promised to never come back again to that f... country. Yesterday they were less loud, more polite and thanked the crowd several times for coming.

Web: fat-cat.co.uk/fatcat/artist/the+twilight+sad
MySpace: myspace.com/thetwilightsad

Web: mogwai.co.uk
MySpace: myspace.com/mogwai
Label: matadorrecords.com

Mogwai - Stanley Kubrick .mp3 (2001-05-14 - Café de la Danse)
Mogwai - The Sun Smells Too Loud .mp3
Mogwai - Wake Up And Go Beserk .mp3 via My Old Kentucky
Mogwai - Auto Rock (errors remix) .mp3

Photo: Leaky Sparrow – Mogwai – Casino de Paris, Paris – October 28, 2008 (more pictures here)

The Uglysuit

2008-10-26T17:22:00.003+01:00

2008 brought us some fresh and sunny musics coming from young bands who believe in letting it all hang out: Fleet Foxes, MGMT and The Uglysuit.
Made up of six friends from Oklahoma City ranging in age from 20-23, The Uglysuit brings a different mentality to what they do - fresh, infectious, atmospheric sound close to the West Coast psych. What’s most attractive about The Uglysuit and their self-titled record is their ability to infuse their music with the same kind of enthusiasm that you imagine informs their outlook on life. The album released last August has some tasty piano, Bird’s House and Elliot Travels, and fiery electric-goes-to-hell guitar works, Happy Yellow Rainbow. It ends perfectly with the thoughtful, elegiac Let It Be Known. Good pacing and nice production touches help make The Uglysuit a real find.

MySpace: myspace.com/theuglysuit
Label: touchandgorecords.com

The Uglysuit - Chicago .mp3

Bonus: Ladyslipper - Chicago .mp3
Ryan Adams - Dear -Chicago.mp3
The Replacements - Route 66 .mp3

Swell & (swell) - Live @ La Maroquinerie

2008-10-21T20:20:00.004+02:00

David Freel known for his unique songwriting returned to Paris last Friday at La Maroquinerie for a long awaited performance. I don't know if it was for Emily Jane White or for Swell or for both but the show was sold out since weeks. It was the first Swell show since their Whenever Your Ready tour in May 2004 - I was there too - but I don't recall anything from the show at the Café de la Danse, maybe I was much more concentrate on something else that evening...
What I like on Swell studio records is the “embellishment” around the languorous rhythm proposed by the voice of David Freel and his acoustic guitar. On stage the songs of course are much rawer and direct. Where you lose nuances, you gain strength. The drums are in the middle of the stage, in the light, David Freel stands on the left facing the audience, but in the shade. The show lasted more than an hour. Many songs for me were new coming from the last two releases so sometimes I was a little confused.
I wish to encourage anyone to go to a Swell show with one little advice, listen to them before (just to have a first idea of what you will discover on stage). The band is touring in Europe until mid-November, mainly in Germany. Swell - or (swell) - is great and you won’t have so many opportunities to have the chance to see them live again. So, please do go.

Web: swellsongs.com
MySpace: swellthelostalbum or swelltheoriginalone

Swell - Next To Nothing .mp3

Photo: Leaky Sparrow – Swell – La Maroquinerie, Paris – October 17, 2008 (more pictures on flickr.com)

Emily Jane White - Live @ La Maroquinerie

2008-10-19T16:26:00.006+02:00

Six months after her first visit to Paris last April during the LFSM Festival, Emily Jane White came back to the City of Light to promote her debut album Dark Undercoat. Before saying a few words about yesterday’s show, I would like to confirm that Dark Undercoat is still a great record after repeated listening and that I am almost convinced it will be amongst my 10 best albums of 2008.
Once more, a great evening at La Maroquinerie last Friday evening: Jonquil from Oxford, UK, opened with a very tonic set, Emily Jane White followed for an hour or so and (Swell) brought us to almost midnight for a very much expected show (a review will follow on LS).
Let’s talk first about Emily Jane White. Between April and now, she really improved her show. She looks more confident now in front of the audience backed by two more strings musicians on her right that set her much more secure in the middle of the stage. She played most of the best tunes from Dark Undercoat and offered to a very quiet audience few of her new songs like Victorian who makes me think that she will surprise us again with her new CD. Like I said, the audience was so concentrate on every note played by the young lady of San Francisco and her friends that the band was almost scared and wondering were where the usual distracting noises and so on… Emily Jane, the rule in Paris is: listen very very carefully, analyse, and then after – only after – create a “buzz” or not. I guess in your case, if they very carefully listened to you, it means that it was positive.

Web: emilyjanewhite.com
MySpace: myspace.com/emilyjanewhite
Label: Double Negative Records
Read on Leaky Sparrow: Dear Emily Jane White and Emily Jane White - live @ Paris (LFSM Festival)

Emily Jane White - Hole In The Middle .mp3
Emily Jane White - Wild Tigers I Have Known .mp3
Diamond Star Halos - They Were Close To Me - To The Sea.mp3

Extra – Jonquil: myspace.com/jonquiluk

Jonquil - Whistle Low .mp3
Jonquil - Sudden Sun .mp3 via Anyone’s Guess

Photo: Leaky Sparrow - Emily Jane White - La Maroquinerie, Paris - October 17, 2008 (more pictures on flickr.com)

Hobotalk - Alone Again Or

2008-10-15T20:39:00.003+02:00

Alone Again Or is the opening track of Love's genuine classic Forever Changes (1967) (not Young...). It was written by band member Bryan MacLean was also do the vocals - not Arthur Lee – and was covered by people like The Damned, The Boo Radleys, Calexico, Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs...
Singer-songwriter Marc Pilley is not alone, together with guitar-player Ross Edmond, Al Denholm (Bass) and Iain Bruce (Drums), he founded Hobotalk in the late 1990s. The band (with new members around him now) just released their fourth album called Alone Again Or few weeks ago.
If the title of the album has nothing to do with the song mentioned above, I guess Hobotalk won't disagree if I state Love as one of his major influences, like The Band, mainly during the first electric part of the CD (even if Hobo Chang Ha reminds me of Captain Beefheart). The second part of the cd called The Acoustic Morn is more in the vein of artist like Vetiver, to mane only contemporary musicians.
Let's stop here all comparisons. Hobotalk can survive alone (again). His light production backed on two songs by the beautiful vocals (Jake Cogan, Amanda Lyon) gave to his folk-rock melodies enough invention and characters to satisfy the legions of listeners that Hobotalk ought to reach.
Hobotalk, Scotland, have signed with Glitterhouse Records to release in Europe. They will be playing an extensive tour in Europe in support of the release. Dates and music below:
Web: hobotalk.com/home.html
MySpace: myspace.com/marcpilley
Label: Glitterhouse Records

Hobotalk - Walks .mp3
Hobotalk - Letter From A Friend (Live) .mp3
Hobotalk - In The Arms Of Love .mp3

Bonus:
Love - Alone Again Or .mp3
Calexico - Alone Again Or .mp3 via Better Propaganda
Boo Radleys - Alone Again Or .mp3 via Chromewaves

I Ran For Miles

2008-10-07T18:49:00.005+02:00

I know, you may think that I’m pretty “lazy” these days… it’s because I’ve been away for a while, was “six days on the road”. In Köln (Cologne) to be precise, where I ran the marathon, I “ran for miles”. Believe me it was quite difficult: the distance, the cold, the wind and the rain. Anyway, I finished and most of all I was with one of the “unknown legends” who encouraged me so much. ‘Cause “only love can break your heart”.

Sorry, for this strange post with lots of codes…
Know that I listened to a lot of music too, so I will come back pretty soon to share with you some of my latest discoveries.

Mark Kozelek - Lazy .mp3
Gram Parsons - Six Days On The Road .mp3
Gemma Hayes - Ran For Miles (Home Demo) .mp3
Kathleen Edwards - Unknown Legend .mp3
Neil Young & Paul McCartney - Only Love Can Break Your Heart .mp3

Photo: Joe (Flickr.com)

Mogwai - Hawk And Dove

2008-09-30T19:12:00.004+02:00

What to say about The Hawk Is Howling, the new Mogwai album? The first listening left me… cold. As days passed I felt a little bit more comfortable with it and now the record doesn’t leave my CD player! Looks like Mogwai return to their roots, the songwriting is more in a traditional Mogwai style, the one from the firsts CDs (Come On Die Young, for example). It’s less sophisticated than Rock Action, that I like very much, it’s not Zidane, but still very powerful. It’s a question of taste; you may like the "old" Mogwai or the more refined one or both, like me, or not at all.
Anyway, in The hawk Is Howling, there is enough good songs for them to put the fire on stage once again. Remember, Mogwai is a stage band above all, the sound is always awesome and it’s one of the loudest bands that I ever saw. There is a European Tour scheduled for October/November with a stop in Paris - yeah! Go but don’t forget your earplugs…
More on Leaky Sparrow: Live 2006 - Zidane the Movie - Zidane Soundtrack

Web: mogwai.co.uk
MySpace: myspace.com/mogwai
Label: matadorrecords.com

Mogwai - The Sun Smells Too Loud .mp3

Mogwai - Hunted By a Freak .mp3
Mogwai - Folk Death 95 .mp3 via Toolshed
Mogwai - Cody .mp3 via Vague Space

Lizz Durrett - Outside Our Gates

2008-09-25T08:17:00.005+02:00

Lizz Durrett was one of my first posts in April 2006 and Mezzanine one of the best songs from that year. I’m quite happy to find Miss Durrett back with a new CD two years later.

Outside Our Gates is Vic Chesnutt niece latest album (September 9). Recorded this spring in Athens, GA, with the help of Eric Bachman, this record will stand along with Emily Jane White as – excuse my French! - one of my “coup de Coeur” from 2008.

Web: lizdurrett.com and MySpace: myspace.com/lizdurrett
Label: Warm Electronic Recordings

Liz Durrett - Wild As Them .mp3
Liz Durrett - The Mezzanine .mp3
Liz Durrett - Somewhere .mp3 from West Side Story, duet with Vic Chesnutt
Liz Durrett - November .mp3 Tom Waits cover
Liz Durrett - Far From Home .mp3

Avrocar - Against The Dying Of The Light

2008-09-21T23:36:00.003+02:00

Beneath pseudonyms - Avrocar or July Skies - and album titles which doesn’t greatly inspire, Antony Harding has produced music to dream to, music to be elevated by. I already praised here the delicate, weightless world of his folk-oriented solo project called July Skies. Let me add to those of you who are fans of outer-space electronic melodies and ambient works that Antony Harding with the Birmingham based electronica group Avrocar delivered in April a new album filled with simplicity and serene beauty. It is called Against The Dying Of The Light. Some say that Avrocar had an influence on the evolution of Radiohead's sound…
You can hear exclusive previews of Against The Dying Of The Light at the Avrocar Zweimal MySpace page.

MySpace: Avrocar. Label and shop site: Make Mine Music

Avrocar - Our World Is Their Heaven .mp3
Avrocar - Against The Dying Of The Light .mp3

Bonus: Yellow6 - Long Saturday 2 .mp3

Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago

2008-09-18T20:26:00.007+02:00

This name is actually the band of songwriter Justin Vernon (Bon Iver a misspelling of the French words ‘bon hiver’ meaning “good winter”). Released in 2008 by Jagjaguwar / 4AD and recommended by a good friend, I must admit to being a bit, shall we say, hesitant to liking it at the beginning. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anything quite like this (The Sea & Cake is perhaps in the neighborhood?) and I must admit that I’m always a bit reluctant to like any falsetto singer (although Neil Young has made a pretty good career with just such). This guys voice is up there in the rafters. I didn’t give up though and I’d recommend the same for you if this record is a bit off-putting at first. Repeated listening will reward you with a compellingly rich and sophisticated journey into the mind and heart of M. Vernon.

Layered voices and textures yet there is no plastic in the recordings. Funky warts, “mistakes” and always homespun, this acoustically oriented CD is painted in some of the Northwood colors where it was recorded. Silence (in other words, what is NOT played) I think figures prominently in the songs. The fact that it “…was recorded in the hunting cabin, northwestern Wisconsin November, December, January 2006, 2007” (copied from the CD liner notes) is remarkable. I love how “imperfect” this CD is and it’s absolutely the antithesis of all commercial radio fare (and for that matter in the majority of most singer/songwriter ‘every note matters’ blah-blah CD’s) the world over. This record really ‘works’ from beginning to end. And if you like your music challenging and would like to hear something ‘fresh’ then I say take a chance and buy this CD (recorded by Justin Vernon and mastered by Nick Peterson).
Actually I’m still not sure if I like the guys voice but I love For Emma, Forever Ago. Go figure…

Bookerfatz 2

MySpace: myspace.com/boniver - Web: boniver.org

Bon Iver - Skinny Love .mp3

Bonus: Okkervil River - Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe .mp3
The Sea And Cake - Everyday .mp3

The Sea And Cake - Sound Vision .mp3

Shearwater Live @ Paris

2008-09-14T12:42:00.004+02:00

“It’s the first time that we have two encores!” said to me Kimberly Burke (bass) few minutes after she left the stage with her comrades from Shearwater. She was so excited. As well as Howard Draper (drums) who was wondering why a small town called Paris very far from Austin Texas could enjoy music like the one that Shearwater delivered last Friday at La Maroquinerie. During one hour and two encores, the audience and the band decided that it will stay amongst the finest evenings of 2008. Sure it will. Shearwater confirmed on stage all the best that I thought about Rook few months ago (read here).

Web: shearwatermusic.com
MySpace: myspace.com/shearwater
Label: matadorrecords.com

Shearwater - Leviathan, Bound .mp3
Shearwater - Rooks .mp3
Shearwater - Red Sea, Black Sea .mp3 from Palo Santo

Bonus via Misra Records
Shearwater - St Mary’s Walk .mp3
Shearwater - Whipping Boy .mp3
Shearwater - I Can't Wait .mp3

Photo: Leaky Sparrow – Shearwater – La Maroquinerie, Paris – September 12, 2008. More pictures: flickr.com

Sun Kil Moon Live @ Paris

2008-09-10T20:02:00.004+02:00

The Sun Kil Moon Tour webpage quietly advised us “No photos, video cameras or recording devices. Thank you.” Believe me, it's nothing but a very serious warning... I tried to take few pictures to share with you of Mark Kozelek on stage with his mates from Sun Kil Moon and was stopped immediately, without explanation. So much paranoia... Why? No problem, before the show, I took a quick picture of the band in a restaurant where I was having a snack with a friend. Here it is. Enjoy. Sorry Mark, you were not on stage... I guess you all noticed, only “Stillwater” and coffee on the table. Just like the show, the band, very sober!
I was very excited to see Mark Kozelek for the first time. It was maybe his first stop in Paris, as far as I remember. Kozelek is for me one of the major artists alive. I like his music so much, every song is like a mantra, magnetic and it put me in state of comfort and meditation. Ok, you may say that he has found a formula and used it song after song, but it works very well for hundreds of people like me, like those who almost filled the Maroquinerie last Tuesday (great choice, once again). It works so well that Mark Kozelek is able to release year after year high quality records that so many will give anything to do and to sell them as much as he does.
Of course, the band proposed songs from Sun Kil Moon period (7 from April) and I was a little bit sad not to hear some great tunes from the Red House Painters. Ok, we had Mistress and a magical moment with The River live with a full band (one my favorite RHP songs). Two last comments, first, the guys on stage didn't look to have much fun and Mark Kozelek is a little bit cold with the audience. Second, the CD Tour proposed for only 10 euros, shows Mark Kozelek alone on stage, it's called 7 Songs Belfast (Limited Edition).

Web: sunkilmoon.com
MySpace: myspace.com/sunkilmoon
Label: caldoverderecords.com

Red House Painters - Have You Forgotten .mp3
Red House Painters - Grace Cathedral Park .mp3
Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio .mp3
Mark Kozelek - Lazy .mp3
Mark Kozelek - All Mixed Up .mp3 via Pimps of Gore

Photo by Leaky Sparrow: Sun Kil Moon with Mark Kozelek (left) – La Maroquinerie, Paris – September 9, 2008

Summer Fishing - Part Two

2008-09-05T18:48:00.004+02:00

Summer Fishing – Part One: here...

“Soaring above rural and urban genres comes an immediate, timeless sound shaped by American folk, indie, post-punk/no-wave, and modern rock. The Orphan Factory, a solo project from Northern Idaho, recalls the music of Elliott Smith, Okkervil River, Lou Reed, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Sparklehorse”. E.P. now available as a free Myspace download:
MySpace: myspace.com/theorphanfactory
The Orphan Factory - Chinese Water Torture .mp3 via Insomnia Radio

A new artist on Island Records named Laura Warshauer (were-shower). Her self titled album is releasing on Sept 23rd. "Laura Warshauer is a storyteller first and foremost. Through her music, she examines loss, love and life".
MySpace: myspace.com/laurawarshauer
Laura Warshauer - I Will Be Near You .mp3

“Sometimes light and spacious, at other times eerie and dense with an ominous weight, Women hint at the Velvet Underground, Swell Maps or This Heat; a lo-fi masterpiece cloaked in layers of vibrato and guitar wash.” Jagjaguwar has just announced the signing of Women, and will release the band's self-titled debut full length on October 7th, 2008.
MySpace: myspace.com/womenmusic
Women - Black Rice .mp3
Women - Group Transport Hall .mp3

Summer Fishing - Part One

2008-09-04T08:06:00.005+02:00

I have the advantage, I must admit, to receive new music quit often those days through my email address. What I usually do is download the song(s) and burn a CD compilation. I must say that I am quite happy with the diversity and the high quality that is proposed to me. Thanks to you people and all the best... Here are some songs I’d like to share with you (to be continued).

Jon and Roy is an independent acoustic roots band from Victoria BC, Canada. Having reached their mid-twenties Jon Middleton, vocals/guitar/harmonica and Roy Vizer, drums/percussion, released their long-awaited, second collaboration, titled Another Noon, March 1st (Amazon, iTunes or directly here). A blend of folk, hip-hop and reggae with an island tinge.
MySpace: myspace.com/jonandroy
Jon and Roy - Another Noon .mp3
Jon and Roy - DT Stylee .mp3
Jon and Roy - Flight Down .mp3

Ed Laurie is a singer/songwriter from the UK whose baritone vocals and nylon-string guitar seem born from a Hemmingway story set in a smoky bar in Tunisia. Meanwhile In The Park, out September 23rd (Dangerbird Records ), is a work in the classical mode of the folk canon, but tinged with a flamenco of Spanish gypsies.
MySpace: myspace.com/edlaurie
Ed Laurie - Albert .mp3 via fingertipsmusic

Love Psychedelico is 100% pure pop-Rock’n’Roll, made in Japan. The band’s unique sound emerges from a fusion of rock with the infinite possibilities brought to music by the digital age.
MySpace: myspace.com/lovepsychedelicous

Standing Bird mp3 and Everybody Needs Somebody mp3 both songs from This Is Love Psychedelico (2008)

Ben Weaver - The Ax In The Oak

2008-09-02T23:52:00.005+02:00

Difficult not to avoid to mention in a short article where a musician (Ben Weaver, for example) comes from (Minnesota and Oregon), where he recorded is last (6th) album (Chicago) after finding inspiration someplace in the world (Berlin) and to whom he sounds like (Eels, Bill Callahan…). So, you see, it’s simple and it's done.
More to the point, a little bit unusual and individual are the best ways to describe the Ben Weaver' sixth effort in 10 years, The Ax In The Oak (August, 2008). The sound of this record is beautiful and poetic. Concise literate tunes form the spinal column of the album, yet tinges of despair and total meanness surface just when you've been lulled into thinking this is another singer-songwriter. This warm, intimate production and the touching vocal delivery distinguish him from others.
To finish, if you listen for the first time to a record of Ben Weaver you won’t be surprised to learn that he was godfathered by people like Greg Brown and Bo Ramsey. Hats off, Mister Weaver!

Web: benweaver.net
MySpace: myspace.com/benweavermusic
Label: Bloodshot Records
Label (Europe): Glitterhouse Records

Ben Weaver - White Snow .mp3 from The Ax In The Oak
Ben Weaver - Alligators And Owls .mp3 from The Ax In The Oak

Joseph Parsons - Heavens Above

2008-08-29T19:41:00.006+02:00

Looks like Joseph Parsons is one of the most prolific artists reviewed here on Leaky Sparrow: live performances in Germany and in Paris, the Fleury Sessions CD, The Parsons-Thibaud Acoustic Duo CD and now Heavens Above his 7th studio CD. This new release is obviously the long-awaited milestone in a now very productive career. Joseph Parsons, Philadelphia born singer-songwriter, has delivered with Heavens Above his most ambitious work to date.
This record shows the multiple talents of Joseph Parsons. From the classical sing-a-long Parsons’ tunes perfect to be played live (Heavens Above, Skipping Stone, Tell Me Hello) to the more “from the heart” songs like Falling (beautiful background vocals from Emiliana Zeitlyn also on Anyone), not to forget the CSN&Yest Sky Boys and Dume Room, the story of a Southern Californian troll (a vagabond with a mysterious aura).
Please, read the following interview that Joseph agreed to give to Leaky Sparrow. You'll understand how important this record is for him and why I am so happy that he finally release a “fearless record”.
Heavens Above was produced and recorder by Devin Greenwood (Norah Jones, Amos Lee). Joseph Parsons’ music is available on his Website, in Europe on Blue Rose Records, as well as world wide on iTunes (September 2). Starting September 2008, Joseph Parsons Band will tour Germany, The Netherlands, Austria with a few dates in the USA.

Web: josephparsons.com
MySpace: myspace.com/josephparsons

Label: bluerose-records.de

Joseph Parsons - Falling .mp3
Joseph Parsons - Heavens Above .mp3

Leaky Sparrow: There are references to « heaven » in many songs. Not only on the title song. You dedicated this record to your father who died last year, was Heavens Above influence by this sad event? Is it your intention that people should read anything into these repeated references?
Joseph Parsons: Heaven, being the hope that the faithful have, is always a wonderful metaphor in song. Since my father died, I have certainly become more thoughtful about ‘our’ state of existence and the fragility inherent in our everyday lives. It reminds me of the old saying, “without sadness, we will never know true happiness”, or something like that. My father was the person in my life who encouraged me throughout our time together. He was a man who said; “Make sure you follow your dreams. Be a trash collector, be a businessman, be an artist, it doesn’t matter as long as you do what you love to do.”

LS: There's a fair degree of diversity across the record, and tracks like Anyone, Falling and I Saw You stand out particularly for me as it's more in the vein of a singer-songwriter like Nick Drake. Is Heavens Above a new step in your songwriting?
JP: These are songs that I probably enjoy writing the most. I have a lot of these mood pieces, songs that make me feel and help to explore an emotion. When Devin Greenwood joined the project as producer, I felt I could trust him to help me translate these songs and make them as beautiful as they became. It’s the song that isn’t pushed or driven, it floats down the river. I discovered Nick Drake late, like the early 90’s, and I have become a fan for sure.

LS: What were the challenges and rewards of making the record?
JS: I think the most difficult aspect of making this record is that some songs are, in my ego-centric insecure mind, not accessible or too far out in left field. I have feared for a long time that songs like Anyone or I Saw You would leave me too vulnerable. That if people didn’t like them, it would be a direct reflection on them not liking me as a person. What’s really cool though is that as I’ve gotten a bit older, I care a lot less about what people think of my art and more about the honesty of it. That has been the reward, to care less of what is thought of my expression.

LS: You wrote most of the new songs in Paris. What significance or influence does the place have for you?
JP: It’s probably because Paris is the first city where I felt free. I was there when I was 20 and it felt like I could be anyone I wanted to be. I played music by the Pompidou and in the Metro’s. It’s where I ‘cut my teeth’ performing, writing, and it’s where I learned how to project my voice. Paris, to me, is like going home. Writing there is very easy for me. Of course the beauty, women, food and wine doesn’t hurt either.

LS: You were a member of bands like Hardpan, Four Way Street and you made a record together with Todd Thibaud last year.... Obviously you like to share your music with other singer-songwriters. How do you manage to juggle your time between these different projects?
JP: As the old expression say’s: “If you want something done, give it to a busy person”. Because of my Virgo nature, obsessive & workaholic behaviour, I tend to get deep into making things happen. I have a deep belief in sharing and creating art on the fly. With collaborative projects like these, you never know what will happen, in the studio or especially live, when you work with good artists. It makes for GREAT theatre as well. Collaborative projects can be the most rewarding and the most frustrating of all. Giving up the decision process and control can be either very liberating or the contrary. And it helps when the others are not drug addicts or alcoholics.

July Skies - The Weather Clock

2008-08-27T20:26:00.004+02:00

July Skies (UK) have a new release out last May called The Weather Clock; it's one of those albums that sat on my wish list since I discovered them on stage last year (read here). This album is a rich and rewarding listening experience; from the opening seconds, I was hooked. The Weather Clock demonstrates a nice fusion of electro and acoustic including clever arranging and light vocals, along with very strategically placed instrumentation (a bass guitar here, a clarinet there). Once again, during those twelve compositions, July Skies constructs its music around pastoral vibes and invite you for a sonic journey through England and Wales. Together with other releases from the Make Mine Music catalogue (Epic45, Avrocar…), The Weather Clock was my August soundtrack.

Web: julyskies.com
MySpace: myspace.com/julyskies
Label: Make Mine Music

July Skies - Girl On The Hill .mp3 via The Music Lobby
July Skies - See Britain By Train .mp3

July Skies - Holydays To Wales . mp3

Neil Young Back Home

2008-08-24T16:51:00.003+02:00

After a successful summer tour in Europe, Neil Young will cross North America next fall. It looks like he wants to follow his fellow friend Bob (Dylan) on a never ending 2008 tour. Details here. And don’t forget to read lwwtoday.

MySpace: myspace.com/neilyoung

Below a live recording of Wrecking Ball (Colmar, France – August 15, 2008):
Neil Young - Wrecking Ball .mp3
Bonus: Linda Ronstadt - I Believe You .mp3 via Roio

Photo: Neil Young @Helsinki, Finland - August 7, 2008 (Tomi Mikola)

Glastonbury Fayre, The Movie

2008-08-19T23:51:00.005+02:00

You all know that the Glastonbury Festival, England, is one of the places to be every summer. The last one was held at the end of last June, headline acts included Leonard Cohen, Kings of Leon, The Verve… Cool.
But I want to talk about the beginnings. The first one was organized in 1970 for an intimate crowd, the main act was T.Rex. Then the next one called The Glastonbury Fayre was organised during the summer solstice of 1971. The Festival featured the first incarnation of the Pyramid Stage built from scaffolding and metal sheeting. Performers included David Bowie, Family, Gong, Traffic, Fairport Convention, Hawkwind, Quintessence, and Melanie. The 1971 festival was filmed by Nicolas Roeg (Performance) and David Puttnam and was released as a film called simply Glastonbury Fayre (1972).
You must see this film (documentary!) even if David Bowie refused to be shown and that you will only hear the music of Gong without having the pleasure to see Daevid Allen and his friends on stage. Despite those little remarks, catch it if you can… on TV or on DVD. It’s a legendary moment. It’s fun, it’s free and it’s peace.

More details and pictures: ukrockfestivals.com
The Triple album and the Gong At Glastonbury LP: Revelations

Gong - Radio Gnome .mp3
Melanie - I'm Not In Love Anymore .mp3
David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World .mp3
Arthur Brown - Fire .mp3 via Palms Out Sounds

Single Of The Month - Sarah Nixey – Le Temps de l’amour

2008-08-11T23:40:00.007+02:00

Do you remember Black Box Recorder? Yes you do, the late 90’s answer to Saint Etienne (if I can say so)…almost similar: two genius musicians, Luke Haines, founder of the Auteurs, and John Moore, former member of Jesus Of The Mary Chain, with a very fine vocalist named Sarah Nixey.

Black Box Recorder described with humour and cynicism the dark side of the British way of living while Saint Etienne did the opposite. But, both were (or still are) musically inspired.
I just thought about Black Box Recorder few days ago - in the middle of a lazy summer for Leaky Sparrow - wondering what happened to this amazing band who produced three unforgettable records: England Made Me (1998), The Facts Of Life (2000) and Passionoia (2003). Well, the answer is an attractive single from Sarah Nixey, a cover of a Françoise Hardy’s song (not written by husband Jacques Dutronc like everyone wrote, only musically arranged by him). Pitchfork proposed a video here below:

Sarah Nixey – Le Temps de l’amour video here

C'est le temps de l'amour
Le temps des copains
Et de l'aventure
Quand le temps va et vient
On ne pense à rien
Malgré ses blessures…

Black Box Recording - The Art Of Driving .mp3
The Auteurs - Baader Meinhof .mp3

Bonus: Françoise Hardy - Suzanne (Leonard Cohen) .mp3

Web: blackboxrecorder.net or blackboxrecorder.net/old

And: sarahnixey.com + john-moore.net + lukehaines.co.uk

Fleet Foxes Proverbs

2008-08-06T23:20:00.005+02:00

Years ago… when I was a teenager…, I always enjoyed listening to the radio or to some vinyls while I was doing a puzzle. I could spend hours doing that and the more a puzzle had pieces the more I was happy. The puzzles I always choose were masterpiece paintings and the Blue Cloak, also called the Netherlandish Proverbs (1559), by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, was my favorite.
I'm not surprise that Fleet Foxes, from Seattle, choose a painting from Bruegel for the cover of their first self-title album (June 2008). The music has a lovely medieval flavor. Let's see how Robin Pecknold, Fleet Foxes frontman, described the sound of the quintet: “With the new music, we decided to put an emphasis on harmony, simple three- and four-part block harmony. The songs would be simple as well, songs about our friends and family, history, nature, and the things around us in the Pacific Northwest. Instead of complicated vocal melodies, we would try and use guitars and mandolins and banjos and other little guys to fill the melodic spaces in the music. We'd try and avoid conventional song structures, sometimes putting two songs together as one, or avoiding choruses and verses in favor of long vocal rounds and alternating instrumental sections.”
So here you have a unique and an attractive new sound inspired by groups like the Beach Boys or psychedelic bands from the late sixties or even the earliest sixties when harmonies where always in front (American Graffiti?). I don’t know if Fleet Foxes will do ten more like this one, but it’s a fine CD, except that Mykonos, from the Bella Union EP, Sun Giant, should have been included on this first record.

MySpace: myspace.com/fleetfoxes
Label: Sub Pop

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal .mp3
Fleet Foxes - In The Hot Hot Rays .mp3

Bonus: The Beach Boys - The Sloop John B .mp3
Dolly Parton - Jolene .mp3

Rilo Kiley - Portions For Foxes .mp3

Tom Waits @ The Grand Rex, Paris

2008-07-29T16:13:00.007+02:00

Tom Waits and band played the great Paris venue Le Grand Rex last night (July 24th) and I have to say I’ve mixed feelings about the evening. On the one hand Tom Waits is certainly an American original and has a songbook second to none in the business. The live show we witnessed though showed a different side and, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed.
Certainly the guy takes up a lot space and has almost comic book super hero proportions. Commanding a stage set designed to look somewhat like an old vaudeville show, Waits is a dynamic and energetic performer. With a voice that I’d describe as foghorn mixed with elephant blast mixed with a smokers hack - his singing voice enough to shake the foundations of the earth and that’s the truth. It certainly seemed to overpower the musicians who accompanied him on stage although Waits is a force of nature for sure. They all took the stage 30 minutes late (what’s up with that BTW?) and literally exploded with his patented turn of the 20th century thump and stomp. This band never got far from that groove either and there were just one or 2 transcendent moments of musical band magic for the whole concert. It wasn’t until the band left the stage and he had sat himself down at the baby grand with just his contra-bassist as support that the evening settled down into what was, in fact, the highlight of the night. Friendly, warm and charming, Mr. Waits’s kept us all entranced for this all too short 30-minute musical interlude. I swear that when they returned to the stage they brought not one bit of energy with them and the show drug on in a decidedly lackluster fashion although Waits was working with every once of energy. My feeling from the band was “let Tom carry the show” although perhaps he had everyone on a short leash?
Hey folks, don’t get me wrong. Even after this less then glowing review, I’m still a fan. This guy has a catalogue of wonderful music that I’m very attached too. I mean it could have just been an off night right? Perhaps we expect too much from our star performers. Certainly he gave a good and engaging performance and we paid the ticket price freely. For myself though, I think 100€ is a lot of money for a ticket to 2 hours of music. It’s a shame that it comes down to these kind of critiques but then again, if the concert had been better do you think I would have brought the subjects up? I think not…

Bookerfatz2

Web: tomwaits.com
MySpace: myspace.com/tomwaits

Tom Waits -Tom Traubert's Blues (live) .mp3
Tom Waits - Chocolate Jesus .mp3

Photo: billielolasorcha – Tom Waits – Grand Rex, Paris – July 25th 2008

Gene Clark - Live In 1975

2008-07-21T16:43:00.007+02:00

When Gene Clark’s masterpiece, No Other, was released in 1974, critics disapproved the overproduced result. The ex-Byrds career was knocked down. Years later, in 2003, the CD was re-released in Europe by Warner Music, remastered and expanded; the album was elected as the best reissued CD of the year by all the music magazines.
Silverado ’75 is an unplugged testimony of what Gene Clark did to the songs of No Other alone on stage in Denver (well almost, he is backed by Roger White on guitar and Duke Bardwell on bass). It’s touching, moving, the mastering is perfect. Only for hardcore fans and the others (Collectors' Choice Music).

Gene Clark Fansite: geneclark.com
No Other on Wikipedia

Gene Clark - Silver Raven .mp3
Gene Clark - White Light .mp3
Gene Clark - Aint Living Long .mp3

Bonus: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Polly Come Home (Gene Clark cover) .mp3

Greg Laswell Third Flight

2008-07-17T16:21:00.003+02:00

Another good cd from Vanguard Records that reached my mailbox few weeks ago done by a musician who was completely unknown to me before, Greg Laswell from San Diego, California. His new record, Three Flights From Alto Nido was just released at the beginning of July. Greg is not only a musician, but also a recording engineer and a producer. He has released two solo albums, Good Movie and Through Toledo in 2005 who were quite well acclaimed.
To be honest, it’s not really the kind of music that I care for, but I must admit that I was seduced by his songwriting and his voice and that I really like the sound of this record filled with potential hits like That It Moves or The One I love. If you like Coldplay with more acoustic guitars that is the record that you should purchase.
Unfortunately, at the time I wrote that post, Greg Laswell website doesn’t work but you can listen to Three Flights From Alto Nido on his MySpace.

MySpace: myspace.com/greglaswell

Greg Laswell - The One I Love .mp3
Bonus: Anya Marina - Move You .mp3

The Watson Twins - Fire Songs

2008-07-11T09:25:00.004+02:00

I finally got around to picking up the new Watson Twins album, entitled Fire Songs, and am quite pleased with it; this first album is very enjoyable - in 2006 Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) and The Watson Twins released a huge hit called Rabbit Fur Coat.

Chandra and Leigh Watson, identical twins sisters, sing with a quiet, ethereal sound that could easily be the background for drifting down a river on a lazy afternoon. It's mostly guitar, bass, and drums, some sweeping strings, and those sweet, sweet voices.
Fire Songs was released last June on Vanguard Records; a historic label over 50-years-old that has been home to Doc Watson, Levon Helm, Mindy Smith, John Fahey and Joan Baez.
The Watson Twins are touring North America at the moment, don’t miss them!

Web: thewatsontwins.com
MySpace: myspace.com/thewatsontwins

The Watson Twins - Sky Open Up .mp3
The Watson Twins - Just Like Heaven .mp3 via My Old Kentucky Blog

Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat .mp3 via Team Love

Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins - Handle With Care (Travelling Wilburys cover) .mp3

Ad Vanderveen - Still Now

2008-07-06T20:24:00.003+02:00

On the above picture, you have Ad Vanderveen on the left and Iain Matthews on the right. I took it right after a set where they played more or less together for about 2 hours - maybe that why Iain seems a little bit tired - a generous and intense performance held by two artists who are also friends in the daily life helped on vocals and percussions by the talented Kersten de Ligny (Acoustic In Paris, la Pomme d’Eve, Wednesday July 2nd)
You all know Iain Mathews of course (Pyramid, Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort, Plainsong…). He is a legend for me and many people, I was proud to talk to him and believe me he is a very gentle person backstage. Among many things, he told me that he has enough material now to release a jazz oriented record and looking for a label...
But today, let me introduce to you Ad Vanderveen, I mean to those of you who missed the chance to listen to him before now. Although born a Dutchman, half of Ad’s family is Canadian and that may be part of the reason why his music is deeply rooted in a style nowadays known as Americana. At the moment Ad Vanderveen is touring with a band called The O'Neils, on occasion with colleague and friend Iain Matthews, as well as doing his solo shows. He also became known in Folk circles as one third of a singer/songwriter collective called More Than A Song (together with Eliza Gilkyson and Iain Matthews).
Ad Vanderveen just release a studio record called Still Now (2008, Blue Rose Records). While the contents of the songs are mostly about emotions dealing with love, loss, divorce and starting a new life, the form of Still Now is twofold; one disc is an electric band record, with plenty of guitar improvisation (Still Now - The Garage); the other disc is purely acoustic in the way the songs were born (Still Now - The Living). A yin and yang album in a way. I had the chance to see Ad playing live both electric and acoustic sets, believe me he is a tremendous guitar player, Neil Young-like style, and his songwriting is very intimate and evocative. You’ll find those two sides on the record. Still Now is a wholly impressive work (available on his Web).

Ad Vanderveen
Web: advanderveen.com
MySpace: myspace.com/advanderveen

Kersten de Ligny
Web: sk-management.nl
MySpace: myspace.com/kerstendeligny

Iain Matthews
Web: iainmatthews.com

Ad Vanderveen - Late Bloomer .mp3
More Than A Song - All The Way .mp3
Iain Matthews - Cartwheel Avenue .mp3

Bonus: Fairport Convention - Crazy Man Michael .mp3

Photo: Leaky Sparrow – Ad Vanderveen and Iain Matthews – La Pomme d’Eve, Paris – July 2nd, 2008

Neon Neon - Stage Of The Art

2008-07-02T07:50:00.004+02:00

Just came back from a very very refreshing show: Neon Neon. Thanks to Stage Of The Art and The Palais de Tokyo who already allowed me to attend last April to an amazing Aidan Moffat performance (LS/2008/03).
In few words, Neon Neon is a neo Disco-Pop-Electro project created by two geniuses Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) and Boom Bip. They just released an album full of hits, Stainless Style (Lex), their first one, which is already one of the most rejoicing albums of the year with MGMT, in that specific style of course. To be convinced, I only had to watch the audience during the show, every face were showing smiles, including me... It was also the first Neon Neon live show in France.
S.C.U.M opened the evening with a very freaky and scary act. But I’m not against once in a while, 25 minutes were just enough to make me satisfied with the sound they proposed, but not more.

MySpace: myspace.com/neonx2
MySpace: myspace.com/scum1968

Neon Neon - I Told Her On Alderaan .mp3 via Music Warship
Trick For Treat (Hot Chip Remix) .mp3
S.C.UM. - The John Barleycorn .mp3 via Antipodean Underground

Bonus: Super Furry Animals - If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You .mp3

Photo: Leaky Sparrow – Neon Neon – Palais de Tokyo, Paris – July 1st, 2008

Vetiver Rising

2008-06-28T19:51:00.007+02:00

It was good to be back after a while at the Café de la Danse last Friday evening. It’s one of my favorite venues in town; it’s a place where I saw great performances in the past from a large selection of bands.
It was good also to see Vetiver playing live again two years after their last stop at the Maroquinerie (LS/2006/09) and to have a little chat with Andy Cabic again. Finishing a long European tour the band will be heading home (San Francisco) right after a last stop at the Glastonbury Festival next Sunday. Last Friday, the same night, you had Bruce Springsteen in a stadium close to Paris, but for me, no hesitation, I preferred to be in the Café de la Danse enjoying what Andy Cabic called “a lovely show”.
As usual Vetiver played with a relaxed style, comfortable and easy. The setlist consisted of songs from there previous albums and new ones just wrote during the tour. For the encore, they offered to the audience two covers songs: Michael Hurley’s Blue Driver and I Must Be In A Good Place Now, from Bobby Charles' 1972 self-titled album. Those two songs can be found in an excellent cover record released last may, Thing of the Past (Fat Cat Records), a 12-song collection that features tracks by an odd assortment of characters, both legendary and forgotten. Let me tell you that it’s not just another cover record, the song selection is excellent and the interpretation very much inspired. Highly recommended.

Web: vetiverse.com/blog
MySpace: myspace.com/vetiverse
More info: midheaven.com/artists/vetiver.html

Vetiver - Blue Driver .m3u
Vetiver - I Must Be In A Good Place .m3u

Vetiver - Farther On .mp3
Vetiver - Maureen .mp3 via Girlpants

Bonus: Michael Hurley - The Werewolf .mp3
Bobby Charles - Small Town Talk .mp3 via The Rising Storm (a great blog!)

Photo: Leaky Sparrow – Vetiver – Café de la Danse, Paris – Friday June 27, 2008

More pictures here.

Rodolphe Burger – No Sport @ The Alhambra

2008-06-22T17:18:00.005+02:00

Rodolphe Burger (pronounced Burjer with the silent “r” at the end) is one of France’s best and most innovative guitarists and musicians! Why this man remains unknown to most of the general public here is a puzzlement. He has a long and successful gigging and recording history both as solo artist and with his band former band Kat Onoma (deceased in 2004). He is also one of the few modern French artists who have been able to export his music abroad. After seeing him in concert recently with his band, I was again struck by the power of his live performance and the mastery he displays of his material. It’s not easy in this country to find such a combination of simplicity, technique, sonic skill and professionalism that this native Alsatian evinces. I’ve been lucky enough to see him numerous times over the years and he just keeps reaching for new and better sound all the time. Both Julien Perraudeau on electric bass and piano and Alberto Malo on drums make free but tasteful use of modern technologies in presenting a tight, musically complex and ultimately entertaining show.
A slow burner, Rodolphe Burger sat center stage for the first 45 minutes and, flanked on either side by Julien and Alberto touched his sampler and began with the first song Advance from his latest CD No Sport. He is a fascinating guitarist to watch with his crab-claw, fingerpicking style. He very lightly caresses the strings and produces such an amazing avalanche of sound that I was trying to figure out where all the notes were coming from. Make no mistake though and it’s not a trick: this guy is for real and his many years of gigging make it quite clear that his is a very real and deep talent. Burger is not the typical lyricist that one usually associates with guitar players either. In fact I would say he is more of a guitarist and “soundscapist” then singer-songwriter. That’s not to say he is not “lyrical” though. His lyrics (or at least those that I can understand anyway- he sings in both French and English and often combines the 2 in 1 song!) are implicit rather then explicit. He uses words like riffs, dropping them here and there to help shape and color the overall sound. He reminds us (and especially in his newest CD) a bit like Serge Gainsbourg at his best. A deep, resonant and powerful voice of a man at the center of his life. Musically the style is rock and roll that swirls and meanders in dark moods- you might say a sound collage. Experimental yet focused and quite centered.
The CD No Sport (EMI) is a bit more “restrained” then the live show shall I say? I think these days of recording in small studios with digital information it is not all that uncommon to hear this emotional “distance” in a record. The live show I saw the other night had a real feel of looseness and fun about it. Of course making records and performing live are 2 completely different worlds and I don’t want to disparage this record. It’s a very good record- tasteful, interesting and fun to listen to. Some other CD’s of M. Berger’s that I like a lot are Cheval-Mouvement (1993, which was the first French record I bought during my first visit to France) and also Meteor Show (1998) which is a much more esoteric album featuring Berger in collaboration with the great Irish/French sound sorcerer Dr. L.
For those of you that are not familiar with Rodolphe Berger, please do yourself a favor and check his music out! You will find him to be a nice addition to your record collection and of course, please see him live and in concert. Truly great French rock and roll!!
PS - Two words about this newest Parisian venue: it’s cool! I think there were about 600+ people here on this night and there was room for more to fit comfortably inside. A balcony (with seats) for the old folks or faint of heart and a nicely sloping main floor gave most all of us a clear view of the stage. Very good sound system (and operator on this night!) as well. The only downside was the jammed-packed, tiny upstairs coat-check room where they sold overpriced, plastic cups of watery beer. I’d suggest bringing in your own in but don’t quote me on that. Otherwise Alhambra is a nice addition in a city much in need of more quality medium-sized music venues.

Bookerfatz2

Web: rodolpheburger.fr
MySpace: myspace.com/rodolpheburger

Audio: Rodolphe Burger - No Sport

Kat Onoma (Rodolphe Burger) - Sam Song .mp3 Cupid (1987)
Kat Onoma (Rodolphe Burger) - La Chambre .mp3 Far From The Picture (1995)

Photo: Katy for Leaky Sparrow – Rodolphe Burger – Alhambra, Paris – June 12, 2008

Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue

2008-06-17T20:19:00.006+02:00

“…Loneliness is a very special place
To forget is something that I never done.
Silently, silently you touch my face.”
Thoughts Of You – Dennis Wilson, Pacific Ocean Blue (1977)

There was a time, in the ‘70s, when records came from nowhere and knocked you down for ever. I mean records like Berlin (73) by Lou Reed, No Other (74) by Gene Clark, What’s Going On (71) by Marvin Gaye, Time Fades Away (73) by Neil Young, All Thing Must Pass (70) by George Harrison and, of course, the one and only Pacific Ocean Blue (77) by Dennis Wilson.
All of those LPs mean something very personal for all listeners who had the chance to share and experience the music of those masterpieces at that time. Each one built a very strong and rich relation between the artist and the listener based on the music and the lyrics. Maybe because all of them have in common one simple link: the loneliness. Since, Gene Clark, Marvin Gaye, George Harrison and Dennis Wilson passed away.
I was a little bit scared of what will come from the digital treatment of this first time ever (official) released of the first solo LP to be released by a member of the legendary Beach Boys, Mister Dennis Wilson. I bought the deluxe 2 CD Legacy Edition and I must admit that I am amazed by the sound and the packaging. Just, I have only two slight comments, first, Bambu (The Caribou Sessions) and all the Bonus Tracks should have been released separately in a special CD later on, second, I miss the moment after Thoughts Of You (end of side A) when I had to stand up from my coach and turn the record and put the needle on side B… a moment of silence and meditation.
So June 17 is a special day and like the liner notes say: “Newcomers will be amazed as they discover the musical treasure within one of rock’s cult classics.” Please be one of them, don’t hesitate and enjoy.
Oh, by the way, my vinyl copy won’t be anymore a collector now… shit!

Web: pacificoceanblue.net

Dennis Wilson - River Song .mp3
Dennis Wilson - Thoughts Of You .mp3
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass .mp3
Berlin - Sad Song .mp3 via The Rising Storm

Steve Wynn - Crossing Dragon Bridge

2008-06-13T20:35:00.005+02:00

To quote directly from Steve Wynn’s self-written liner notes from Crossing Dragon Bridge: “…It’s a snapshot, a dream, an acid flashback, a tourist guide, a midnight snack, a morning cup of coffee…” and I couldn’t agree more. Bringing all of his considerable talents and 25-year history of record making to bear, this fine musician has really come up with a winner. Recorded and produced by multi-talented Chris Eckman at Studio Zuma in Ljubljana, Slovenia and mixed (in Portland, Oregon) by the ever-great Tucker Martine, this album is a joy! The list of Mr. Steve Wynn’s bands and history is far too long to document here (ok- Dream Syndicate, Danny and Dusty to name but two…) but trust me, this guy’s been around forever and, luckily for us, is playing some of the best music of his life. I suppose if you had to sum up his “sound” in one sentence it would be electric guitar, bass and drums combo. This one’s different though and Crossing Dragon Bridge attempts to step outside those confines and/or at least to cast a different perspective on the format. Still, the touchstones are always Steve’s sharp eye, clever pen and ever present sense of humor. The CD skips easily between quiet and acceleration, reflection and the madly grinning clown, whole notes and skipped stones, acceptance and rebellion. It has a sense of fun and yet the music is always focused and flows evenly, clean and pure.
Each song follows the other like a good friend and you come to not only enjoy what you’re hearing but also to relish the arrival of the next. Stepping outside of one’s musical environment and attempting something new is NOT always an easy thing to do. Especially in today’s world where “safe” is usually considered best, what Steve Wynn has achieved with his newest collection of songs is truly a remarkable feat from this long running songwriter and musician. Encore Steve!!

Bookerfatz2

Given all of the above, this CD also very much bears the stamp of its recordist and producer Chris Eckman as well as the mixing engineer Tucker Martine. Characterized first and foremost by fine contributions from the live musicians, the production itself is stellar. It is made more so by the use of interesting samples, loops, sonic subtleties, refreshing musical interventions and lush string arrangements. This is not the invisible hand that is producing. Respectfully done though and with a deft hand and skilled application of modern recording techniques Crossing Dragon Bridge feels to us like Eckman has yet again expanded his own production skills and boundaries. I had the chance to recently talk with him about this CD and Chris was kind enough to answer a few questions about the making of Crossing Dragon Bridge (Released February 18, 2008):

Leaky Sparrow: What was the most challenging aspect of putting Crossing Dragon Bridge together?
Chris Eckman: The most challenging part was to keep heading in a new direction. Steve came to me wanting to try something different, and that is not always an easy thing to pull off. Everyone has their style, the thing that makes them special and unique, and you certainly do not want to abandon that completely. That would be pointless. But I guess you try to stretch it to include some different shadings and different colors. Anytime that we thought that we were venturing into business as usual we would discuss it and see if there was another path we could take. I think in the end we did a pretty good job of balancing the new and the time tested. But it is something you have to be aware of all the time or it is very easy to slip into established patterns.

LS: What was the most rewarding part?
CE: The most rewarding thing for me, was definitely just hanging out with Steve. Besides being a great guy he is an encyclopedia of music and it is very inspiring to be around that kind of energy. I guess the other big personal satisfaction that I got out of the project, was that Steve trusted me to do rather large scale string arrangements for the album. This is something that I am increasingly interested in, and it was a real thrill to go to Prague and work with orchestral musicians of that caliber. Now I am spoiled and I won't be able to work with anyone else but them.

LS: Can you tell us why you used Tucker Martine to mix the record?
CE: When Steve and I started the album, we were not even sure it would develop into a full-length project. At one point we thought maybe it would only be an Internet only EP or something like that. During the three weeks he was in Ljubljana we finished most of the recording, but we did not have enough time to mix the record. What to do? I suggested Tucker Martine as a mixer because not only do I think he is magical with sonic details, he also had mixed Terry Lee Hale’s Shotgun Pillowcase without either of us being there, and the results [were] amazing. I think you can reach a point with an album where you are just too close it, and it is really a relief to hand it over to someone with a gifted perspective. On Crossing Dragon Bridge I wore a lot of hats: producer, musician, recording engineer, string arranger and I think the album really benefited from handing it over to Tucker for the mix. Steve and I stayed involved in the final mixes, through the Internet. Tucker would send us along mp3's of the mixes and we would make comments: during a few of the discussions we were having e-mail conversations in real-time in three different cities and time zones: Portland (where Tucker is based), New York and Ljubljana. What a small world we live in.

Web: stevewynn.net
Web: The Walkabouts.com

Steve Wynn co-wrote a few songs for the Brad Rice album Karma Bed. Here is one: Brad Rice - What_I_Know.mp3
Steve Wynn - California Style .mp3
Terry Lee Hale - Hearts .mp3 (Shotgun Pillowcase– 2007 – Produced by Chris Eckman and mixed by Tucker Martine)
Chris Eckman - Novi Svet Theme .mp3 (Novi Svet O.S.T. - 2003)

Jesse Sykes - The Dreaming Dead .mp3 (Oh, My Girl – 2004 – Produced by Tucker Martine)

Head To Head - Radiohead vs. Portishead

2008-06-10T22:51:00.010+02:00

We’re only in June and so far since the beginning of the year I listened to more attractive records that during 2007. Thanks to Sun Kil Moon, to Gregor Samsa, Shearwater, MGMT or to Tindersticks. Also, I discovered promising or confirmed talents like, to name but just a few, Emily Jane White or Jeffrey Foucault.
I didn't mention Radiohead, In Rainbows (the CD!), which I bought on New Year’s Eve and never reviewed here on Leaky Sparrow. To be honest it’s the record that I have listened the most frequently since the beginning of the year; it's never boring even after dozens of listening. Portishead, Third, was very much expected and didn’t disappoint me at all. The record is just too good, full of incredible ideas and perfectly produced. It’s a very strong work exactly like the Radiohead one. Those two records were made by artists who work on a very very high level of creativity.
Of course, I am far from having heard everything that was released during the six first months of 2008 - thanks for my ears! Sure I missed some jewels here and there, please let me know which ones.
In few days, the Dennis Wilson, Ocean Pacific Blue, will be out. It's one of my favorite LP of all time. I said LP because vinyl is the only version that I have of that masterpiece. As soon as I will purchased it next week in CD (June 16th), I'll tell you why it is so important to spend your next summer with the music of Dennis Wilson.

Web: www.radiohead.com/deadairspace
Web: www.portishead.co.uk

Portishead - The Rip .mp3 (Third) via Music Is Art
Radiohead - The Rip (Portishead Cover) .mp3 via Music Is Art
Portishead - Machine Gun .mp3 (Third)

Bonus: Radiohead - Life In A Glass House .mp3

Merzhin On Tour

2008-06-06T20:21:00.004+02:00

“French Brittany is like Texas (music wise)”, Bookerfatz2 said to me as we arrived last evening at the door of La Boule Noire, Paris. Merzhin’s show was sold out – one more! Just to confirm what he meant: the music from Brittany has followers like Texas music does: everywhere it can be heard, people from those parts of world will come and listen to it.
Merzhin is a Celtic Rock’n’Roll band from Landerneau, in Brittany (France). Merzhin stands for Merlin in Breton (a Celtic language). Merlin was a noble magician in Celtic mythology. The group was originally formed by six college friends in 1996. The six musicians combine traditional Celtic instruments like bombarde, which is a kind of flute from Brittany, along with conventional Rock’n’Roll instruments to produce signature music.
Honestly, I’ve never been introduced to the musical universe of this band before last night (and big thanks to promoter Anne-Cecile who encouraged me to come and hear them) but it didn’t take me long to appreciate the energy of the band on stage who are lead by a charismatic Pierre on lead vocals. Even though they are a bit formulating on many of their songs, they held the attention of the friendly audience until the very end of the evening. Some songs had a political meaning like “Betti”, dedicated to the Tibetan people and the crowd was naturally enough happy to hear some anti-Sarkozy speeches.
Of course, for those of you who live abroad it won’t be easy to see Merzhin live even if they tour quite a lot at the moment, so the band has released a live recording simply called Merzhin Live (June 2nd). If you’re curious enough you can find official samples of Merzhin’s music on their different sites and if they continue to play as well as they did last night in the sold-out Paris show, I’m confident you’ll be able to see them somewhere near you soon enough.

Web: www.merzhin.net
MySpace: www.myspace.com/merzhin
Label: Sony Bmg.fr & RCA Music.fr

Yann Tiersen And Shannon Wright - No Mercy For She .mp3

Photo : Leaky Sparrow – Merzhin, La Boule Noire, Paris – June 5th, 2008

Cat Power @ L'Olympia

2008-06-01T17:35:00.007+02:00

Don’t expect a show review. Sorry. The man at the door said to me “Complet !” (sold out!). Cat Power at the Olympia four months after her performance at the Bataclan where she celebrated her birthday and the release of her last record, Jukebox, I thought I could wait the last days to purchase a ticket… Wrong.
I forget one important fact, Cat Power is now a very well-known artist and very popular, thanks to her talent and to the patience and help from her label, Matador. Therefore, a show of Cat Power is not anymore reserved for the long die-hard Indy fans, those who discovered and supported her during her first CDs and shows. Her music reaches now the bourgeois boheme from every big city, those who will fill the Olympia tonight.
There was a Cat Power and now there is a different Cat Power (isn’t it, Lyle?). Jukebox has nothing to be compared to with What Would The Community Think or Myra Lee. The record is ok, specially the bonus cd, very well produce, her voice is still amazing, but it’s far to be her best work. I listened to it at the beginning and quickly listened to someone else.
Leaky Sparrow started more than two years ago. Cat Power was the first post - because it matter to me - but this evening I will not go to her show at the Olympia because I didn’t really wish to see her playing those cover songs again with those too good and unexciting musicians. Time fades away?

MySpace: myspace.com/catpower
Label: Matador Records

Those people played at l’Olympia (among others):
Jeff Buckley - Lilac Wine .mp3
Ray Charles - Georgia .mp3
Edith Piaf - Hymne A L'Amour .mp3
Jimi Hendrix - Bold As Love .mp3
Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay .mp3

Photo: Leaky Sparrow - L’Olympia, Paris. June 1st, 2008

Shearwater - Rook

2008-05-27T23:24:00.007+02:00

It’s difficult not to think about the Buckley family, Jeff and particularly Tim, when you listen to Jonathan Meiburg’s bold, soaring voice, occasionally falsetto.
Shearwater from Austin, Texas, releases their new album, Rook, this June (3rd), a hugely ambitious follow-up to Palo Santo (2006, reissued by Matador in 2007).
Essentially a prog-folk oriented performance, the music of Shearwater goes in a wide variety of styles. The album themes within meditate on man’s intersection with the natural world: the hunter and the prey; the extinction of species; the world after human beings are gone…
I just listened to Rook since a week or two but it’s a safe bet that those who will listen to Jonathan Meiburg in June wouldn’t balk at the fact that he’s a remarkable talent and one of American’s finest tunesmiths. Rook, a sublime album to listen.

Web: shearwatermusic.com
MySpace: myspace.com/shearwater
Label: matadorrecords.com

Shearwater - Rooks .mp3 from Rook
Shearwater - Red Sea, Black Sea .mp3 from Palo Santo
Shearwater - A Dame Et La Licorne .mp3 from Palo Santo via Girlpants

Bonus: Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye .mp3

Tift Merritt & Will Hoge

2008-05-25T16:12:00.009+02:00

Last night I had the good fortune to be able to check out 2 acts previously unknown to me. Grammy nominated artist Tift Merritt, who hails from North Carolina, brought her solo show to Paris. The singing, songwriting, guitar/piano woman playing musician is a gifted musician and a firecracker of a performer. Tift, with heavily accented French interludes, warmed the hearts and totally charmed the crowd of around 80+ folks in the nice La Java venue. She sang a collection of all original material from her past CD’s as well as some new tunes from her new (and written pretty much in Paris according to her web site) American release Another Country. (The song Broken from that record is a great song BTW!).
She’s an energetic and dynamic performer, switching back and forth from electric piano to acoustic guitar and she often stepped away from the microphone to give us intimate “unplugged” sessions (on the guitar) much appreciated by the audience. Overcoming some small technical problems early on with a positive professional attitude (meaning she didn’t let it slow the show down!), she treated us all to a remarkably warm and friendly evening of fine, light acoustic music here in the City of Light.
The show was opened by Nashville living, guitar toting, husky-voiced singing, gum-chomping, innocuous songwriter Will Hoge in a too long (by about 30 minutes) set. Please excuse my harshness here but he “had” the audience for about 20 minutes. 40 minutes later it had gone totally the other direction and folks were yawning, looking at their watches and talking. Better too little then too much for opening acts (until you learn better)!

Bookerfatzs2

Web: tiftmerritt.com
MySpace: myspace.com/tiftmerritt

Tift Merritt - Broken .mp3
Tift Merritt - Morning Is My Destination .mp3
Tift Merritt - Keep You Happy .mp3
Tift Merritt - RTE Radio -Pat Kenny program .mp3

Bonus: (one of Tift big influence) Van Morrison - Bring It On Home To Me (live) ( song removed)

Photo: Bookerfatzs2 – Tift Merritt – La Java, Paris – May 21, 2008

Willard Grant Conspiracy - The Pilgrim Tour

2008-05-21T20:25:00.003+02:00

Two chandeliers are hanging from the ceiling of the Nouveau Casino concert hall (Paris); Howe Gelb focused his attention on them while trying to connect in French with the Parisian audience… later on Willard Grant Conspiracy like a chamber orchestra filled the stage.
Leaky Sparrow’s friend Chris Eckman was in town last Monday with Willard Grant Conspiracy and was kind enough to put me on the guest list. Years ago, the Nouveau Casino should have been packed, unfortunately WGC and Howe Gelb, who played a fine and funny support act, didn’t filled the room this time.
I already saw Howe Gelb, also as a support act, during a PJ Harvey tour in 2001 but I have never seen the Boston-based music group Willard Grant Conspiracy. Captain Robert Fisher, lead singer, and his team, eleven on stage, Chris Eckman included on the left, are now meeting European listeners to promote their latest album Pilgrim Road (May 5). Paris was one of their main stops. It was an intimate show where every note from each member of the band could be heard clearly. I was quite surprised by the intimacy of the set, I was expecting for a music lets say more dynamic, my knowledge of the group consists only on one song, Soft Hand, who in my opinion was one of the best songs from 2003. Fortunately, Robert Fisher and his friends came back for an encore with... Soft Hand. A very enjoyable ending for an elegant show. I was sorry for those who stayed home.

Web: willardgrantconspiracy.com
MySpace: myspace.com/willardgrantconspiracy

Willard Grant Conspiracy - Crush .mp3
Willard Grant Conspiracy - Dance With Me .mp3
Willard Grant Conspiracy - Lady Of The Snowline .mp3

Howe Gelb - Nail In The Sky .mp3

Photo: Katy - Willard Grant Conspiracy - Nouveau Casino, Paris - May 19, 2008

Harmonia - From 1974 To 2008

2008-05-16T21:08:00.005+02:00

Harmonia? Who the hell are they? In the early ‘70s, I was completely aware of what was going on on German progressive rock music (at that time, not really much people called it Krautrock). I attended gigs from Tangerine Dream, Can, Guru Guru… I listened to Klaus Schulze and Kraftwerk, of course, and some others. But I never heard about Harmonia. Never.
Few weeks ago, my good friend Christo Jota from Cologne gave me a little black and white promo CD from a German group that I should listen to: Harmonia.
I made my research. Harmonia was found in 1973 by ex-members of Cluster and Neu! They made two albums, one in 1974 and one in 1975, with later 1976 sessions recorded with Brian Eno released two decades later… more here or on the band website.
Harmonia Live 1974 just like the title says is a live recording but… without any signs from the audience. Not a problem. The music is based on repeated rhythmic figures and simple guitar harmonies employed as foundations of long, hypnotic improvisations, several reaching 15 minutes or more. The quality of the recording is perfect and makes the performance from the band very attractive. Many repeated listening is requested to extend the state of peace that the music brings.
Live 1974 was released on the UK-based Groenland Records label on October 22, 2007 and the San Francisco based Water Records label in the United States on December 11, 2007.
And guess what? Harmonia is still alive and is touring this summer; latest news here.

Listen via Sneakmove to:

Harmonia - Dino .mp3 from Musik von Harmonia (1974)

Cluster - Caramel .mp3 from Zuckerzeit (1974)

Bonus: Kraftwerk - Computer Love .mp3

Gregor Samsa - Rest Is Peace

2008-05-11T17:16:00.004+02:00

If you want to buy a Gregor Samsa album in your local record shop, you better have to go to the letter S instead of G, that’s how I could found Rest ten days ago. Maybe someone in the shop thought that Gregor Samsa is the name of a musician, wrong my friend, it’s a post-rock band from Virginia formed in 2000. It takes its name from the main character of Franz Kafka's short story The Metamorphosis.
It’s a good thing that Gregor Samsa called their latest release Rest instead of 01:50:24… Imagine the title of their seventh one, something like 1 day 05:26:24… Difficult to follow (to understand, you must have a look here to see how the titled their previous albums).
Rest is the record I was very much looking forward to hear this year. 55:12 was for me one the best surprises from 2006. This time, for his second full-length (after the released of two EP’s), Gregor Samsa has largely dismissed the guitar in favor of piano and keyboard flavors. Champ Bennett’s piano is crisscrossed by violin, cello, vibes and clarinet adding majesty to his murmurs, underpinned by the beautiful harmonies of Nikki King. Rest is a peaceful journey filled with languorous singing and minimalistic restrictions. Perfect for the sunny days we have now in Europe. A record that will listen a lot.
The album was release in May on Kora Records in North America and Own Records in Europe.

Web: gregorsamsa.com
MySpace: myspace.com/gregorsamsamyspace
Labels: Own Records or The Kora Records

Gregor Samsa - Jeroen Van Aken .mp3 from Rest (2008)
Gregor Samsa - Young & Old .mp3 from 55:12 (2006)
Gregor Samsa - Three .mp3 from 27:36 (2004)

Bonus: The Dust Dive - Claws Of Light .mp3

MGMT - Spectacular Tour @ Köln

2008-05-05T23:01:00.005+02:00

I purchased the MGMT’s debut album, Oracular Spectacular, about two weeks ago and as soon as I listened to it I was wondering if I wished to talk about it or not here on Leaky Sparrow - so many blogs before me reviewed it and made such a big buzz around what will be at the end of 2008 the number 1 of most top tens. The answer came easy, last week I was walking in Cologne (Köln) and imagine my surprise when I saw a poster under a bridge saying that our friends from New York will be in town the next evening. As soon as I could I purchased two tickets.
Imagine The Luxor, a small club with a stage at the bottom enough large to welcome a band of 5 members not more and imagine you’re in the beginning of the sixties in a club somewhere in Hamburg discovering a young band called the Management. Soon after, they changed the history of music… I’m kidding!
MGMT is an amazing young band with lots of ideas and many pretty pop songs very well craft. The record is full of hits and I was curious to see if they could bring live the energy that I heard on the record. The setlist consisted of almost all of Oracular Spectacular’s tunes plus one or two new ones (not especially fancy but…). Time To Pretend and Kids were the highlights of the show and made almost everybody jumping and happy. A very promising performance from a band in the prime of life.

Web: www.whoismgmt.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/mgmt

MGMT - Kids .mp3 “Control yourself take only what you need from it”
MGMT - Time To Pretend .mp3 “I’m in the prime of my life”
MGMT - Destrokk .mp3

Photo by Lucky Lady (MGMT in Köln)

Tim Buckley - This Song's For You

2008-04-28T23:31:00.005+02:00

Some songs haunt your life. Some songs stick in your heart and followed you from the day when you first heard them. Tonight, I won’t talk about Joanne Robertson that I discovered last week as a support act of Emily Jane White or review the Aidan Moffat’s performance held during the Stage Of Art. Later. All I want is to dedicate today’s post to the woman I love. This one is for you Lucky Girl.

Long afloat on shipless oceans
I did all my best to smile
‘til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving to your isle
And you sang
Sail to me
Sail to me
Let me enfold you
Here I am
Here I am
Waiting to hold you…

Song to the Siren's words were written by Tim Buckley's regular lyricist, Larry Beckett. "The imagery comes from Homer's Odyssey," Beckett says in the liner notes to Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology (2001). "I brought him my copy of the lyrics and put them in front of him while he was eating breakfast. There was a pause, he looked at them, picked up his 12-string guitar, and more or less played the song you hear. There were three or four of us around the table in complete amazement that something so beautiful could be born as we sat there."

Tim Buckley - Song To The Siren .mp3 from Starsailor (1970)

Photo Tim Buckley via flickr.com/photos/nuritwilde

Emily Jane White - Live @ Paris

2008-04-25T22:56:00.003+02:00

I made a big mistake last Wednesday, I thought Emily Jane White was giving her first gig in France but, after reading her bio on her website today, I discovered that she used to play in Bordeaux during a post-collegiate sojourn with her first band the Diamond Star Halos. Anyway, wrong or not, I think it was her first performance in front of a French audience under her own name.
I was quite thrilled to see her on stage after all the good times that I spent last winter listening to the much moving Dark Undercoat. I was not the only one, the Point Ephemere was almost packed and everybody listened religiously the young Californian girl.
To my own surprise, Emily Jane White didn’t only play songs from her solo album, without introduction she offered few new ones mainly on piano. Also, she was not so much chatty and her behaviour on stage has nothing original, nothing like the young Chan Marshall, she and her contrabass player just stood in the middle of the stage and did their job. Then, there are quite no differences between the interpretation of her songs live and what is on the record, it’s just quite the same.
So what to say? Emily Jane White released an awesome record last year but on stage she’s just a singer-songwriter doing her act with no mistake, nothing fancy. I was expecting something a little bit different. Once again I was wrong with that show… Anyway, I was happy to see her at last and I'm looking forward seeing her again.

Web: emilyjanewhite.com
MySpace: myspace.com/emilyjanewhite
Label: Double Negative Records

Emily Jane White - Wild Tigers I've Known .mp3
Emily Jane White - Hole In The Middle .mp3
Diamond Star Halos - Snow .mp3
Diamond Star Halos - Wake-up Call .mp3

Photo: Robert Gil (photosconcerts.com) – Emily Jane White – le Point Ephemere, Paris – April 23, 2008 - Les Femmes s'en mèlent - 2008

Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw

2008-04-21T23:06:00.003+02:00

Tindersticks will release their new album, The Hungry Saw, on Monday April 28.
The Hungry Saw was made in 2007 from January to December. “Along the way a studio, Le Chien Chanceux (The Lucky Dog), was built (in the very deep centre of France, in La Creuse) and in June there was an 8 day recording session from which most of this songs came and were realised”.
The return of Stuart Staples among the Tindersticks after a short solo break is more than welcome. You know sometimes the voice of Staples gets on my nerves a little bit – but what will be Tindersticks without it – however, this time with The Hungry Saw’s brilliant dressing and multi-instrumental gifts, Staples vocals grab me from the second track to the last. No problem.
The instrumental opener simply called Introduction set the mood, few drops of piano and here you are… lit up a candle and pour yourself a glass of a good Bordeaux wine… you’re introduced in the unique world of Tindersticks. The band now as a trio produced another album of music noir full of brooding songs about love and regret. A very special mention to songs like Boobar, the quite funny The Hungry Saw, the almost raw Mother Dear and the beautiful and touching All The Love. So far one of the best of this year, I warmly recommend this album.
Tindersticks will be touring The Hungry Saw record in major cities around Europe. The band will be a 12-piece comprised of David Boulter, Stuart Staples and Neil Fraser together with friends like the French drummer Thomas Belhom (Amor Belhom Duo). More info below.

Web: tindersticks.co.uk
MySpace: myspace.com/tindersticksofficial
Web: stuartastaples.com

Tindersticks - The Flicker Of A Little Girl .mp3

Stuart Staples - Old Friends .mp3
Tindersticks - Can We Start Again .mp3
Tindersticks - City Sickness .mp3