Scott Matthew - There Is An Ocean...

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

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

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

Christo Jota – Moondog

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

So Far So Good – The Decemberists

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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

Coldplay – Viva la Musica

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

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

Sugar Mountain – Left track: The Voice

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

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

Adrienne Pierce - Winter EP

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

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

Deerhunter - Microcastle

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

The Uglysuit

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

Hobotalk - Alone Again Or

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