Babies, they only wanna dance...

I recently posted about a cover song by Owen Pallett. Thanks to a comment from blog reader Honeyschool, turns out the song is by Steve Kado, recorded under the name of The Blankket.


Image courtesy of The Blankett's Myspace

Luckily enough, I was also able to find a very good live recording of Pallett's cover.

It's been on repeat ever since.

MP3: Owen Pallett, Live in NYC, "Independence Is No Solution"

Fuck the Google

I'm in the mood for this #23
Give me some soul # 2
Cover me# 7


A few months ago, I discovered an interesting tunesmith by the name of Beaufort. What can I tell you about them? Nada. I know two songs, "I don't wanna die" and "Fuck the Google". I found a myspace (see link above), a few links to blogs talking about them, but very little real info. All I know is that I am now inspired to make all of links for this post google answers (this could get interesting...)and that I can encapsulate the brilliant simplicity of Beaufort and their lyrics in one simple quote: "Fuck the emo".

MP3- "Fuck The Google



Halifax keeps on getting good shows. First Leonard Cohen, then Jose Gonzales, Bloc Party in September and now, a (unfortunately forgotten until now) soul songstress Betty Lavette will be playing the Great Atlantic Blues & Beyond Festival on Saturday, September 20th. Her 2005 album, "I've got my own hell to raise" re-invevnted songs by female songwriters such as Dolly Parton, Lucinda Williams and Fiona Apple(???).



Speaking of strange covers, Adem has put out a new album featuring nothing but covers of some of his favourite songs, including "Boy Girl Song" by Aphex Twin and Bjork's "Unravel" (played on the latest episode of Moody Morning Music, see below). I'm such a sucker for covers.


Moody Morning Music for July 29th, 2008.

Gonzales, "Overnight", Solo Piano
Richard Buckner, "22", Bloomed
Beirut, "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)", Gulag Orkestar
Neutral Milk Hotel, "King Of Carrot Flowers", In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Laura Peek & The Winning Hearts, "Stand Right There", From The Photographs
Mates Of State, "Re-Arranger", Re-Arrange Us
Superfantastics. "Tonight, Tonite", Pop-Up Book
Wolf Parade, "Soldier's Grin", At Mount Zoomer
Beck, "Gamma Rays", Modern Guilt
Vancougar, "Unmanned", Canadian Tuxedoes
Gonazales, "Working Together", Soft Power
Lyn Collins, "Think About It"
Sharon Jones & Dap Kings, "How Long Do I have To Wait", Naturally
Carrie Lucas, "Dance With You"
Kid Creole, "Double On Back", Going Places
King Khan & The Shrines, "Land Of The Freak", The Supreme Genius Of...
Buck 65, "Dang", Situation
Ghislain Poirier, "Blazin'", No Ground Under
Ratatat, "Mirando", LP3
CSS, "Jager Yoga", Donkey
Beaufort, "Fuck The Google"
Peaches, "Shake Yer Dix", FatherFucker
N.E.R.D., "Everyone Nose"
Annie, "Loco"


Moody Morning Music for August 5thm 2008

Gonzales, "Overnight", Solo Piano
Archivist, "Fanulous Muscles",
Final Fantasy, "Many Lives --> 49 MP", He Poos Clouds
Adem, "Unravel", Takes
Watson Twins, "Just Like Heaven", Fire Songs
Wax Mannequin, "Animals Jump", Orchard & ire
Got to get got, "Blood tests", Canadian Arts Collective
Dog Day "Night Group", Night Group
Wolf Parade, "California Dreamer", At Mount Zoomer
Betty Lavette, "You're a man of words, I'm a woman of action"
Baby Huey, "Hard Times"
Buck 65, "Spooked", Cretin Hip Hop Vol 1
Danger Doom, "Old School Rules", The Mouse & The Mask
Girl Talk, "Let Me See You", Feed The Animals
Liquid Liquid, "Cavern"
Ian Dury & The Blockheads, "Spasticus Autisticus"
Hercules & Love Affair, "This is my love", S/T
Kid Creole, "Double ON Back",
CSS, "Move", Donkey
Annie, "I know your girlfriend hates me"
The Ting Tings, "That's not my name"
Bloc Party, "Flux"

The Stars Are On Fire

I'm in the mood for this #21
Cover Me #6
Disco Is Not A Dirty Word #7
Give me some Soul #1




The night starts here.

On Sunday, July 20th, the Stars are playing in Halifax, along with The Black Keys and local heroes Wintersleep and I See Rowboats.

The last time I saw Stars was when they opened for Broken Social Scene in 2004. It was one of those cases where the opening act blew the main attraction out of the water. Vocalists Torquil Campbell was emphatic at his worst and beyond stunning at his best. Amy Campbell serenaded us over the hard guitar for "Ageless Beauty" and someone passed me a Heart shaped potato which I passed to Torquil. He told the crowd that after the show he would make a bong out of it.

I'm not expecting another one of those, but I am expecting a great show.

Speaking of shows, this week's edition of Moody Morning Music contains a few fun covers, as well as a few more tunes from my rapidly expanding collection of soul 45s, hence a new category for this blog, aptly titled, Give Me Some Soul. But more on that later. Right now, I wanna talk about girls with pretty voices.



The Watson Twins have released a full length album to follow up their teaser of an EP, "Souther Manners". The album includes a remarkably sincere cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven". Scroll down to the track list to hear the original.




So I'm digging through that infamous stack of 45s I just mentioned and I find one by some dude named Wayne Cochran. I drop the needle and all of a sudden, this crazy voice and rhythm ripples through the grooves. Holy Shit! Who is this dude? I google him and am confronted with a white guy in a crazy blonde pompadour. Once again, Holy shit! I need some more tunes. Check him out by scrolling down and clicking on the link in the track listing.




As for this week's dose of disco, a (somewhat)unlikely candidate who goes by the name of Gonzales.

After having worked with Feist, Peaches and Jamie Lidell and having released a critically lauded album, Gonzales has put out a love song to all things AOR Friendly, influenced by everything from Yacht Rock to french disco strings. The latter can be found in wonderful abundance on this week's download called "Let's Ride".

Gonzales, "Let's Ride", The Soft Power

*

Enjoy

Gonzales, "Overnight", Solo Piano
Watson Twins, "Just Like Heaven", Fire Songs
She & Him, "You've really got a hold on me", Volume 1
Ron Sexsmith, "Brandy Alexander", Exit Strategy of the soul
Betty Harris, "I'm evil tonight", 7"
The Joe Tex Band, "Chocolate Cherry", 7"
Wayne Cochran, "Some a your sweet lovin'" 7"
Duffy, "Mercy", Rockferry
Gnarls Barkley, "Who's gonna save my soul", The Odd Couple
Stars, "Elevator Love Letter", Heart
Stars, "Your ex-lover is dead", Set yourself on fire
Stars, "Ageless Beauty (Most Serene Republic Remix)", Do you trust your friends?
Stars, "The Night Starts Here", In Our Bedroom after the war
Stars, "Take me to the riot", In our Bedroom after the war
Bloc Party, "She's Hearing Voices", Silent Alarm
Architecture In Helsinki, "Like it or not (version 2)"
Gonzales, "Let's ride", Soft power
CSS, "Believe Archive", Donkey
Crystal Castles, "Knight", S/T
M.I.A. "Paper Planes (DFA Remix)", 12"
Girl Talk, "Give me a beat". Feed The Animals
N.E.R.D., "Everybody Nose"
Swayzak, "Smile & Receive", Some Other Country

Sounds like a Brazilian kids show...

Watch This #3
Cover me #5

Jesus Christ, I love Xiu Xiu

I do want, what I want, from Women as Lovers



It's not that he sings in this bizarre throaty way, or that he has a habit of screaming, or that it took me a while to understand/get used to/appreciate his music/art/performances/ideas. It's that he does what he does, because it's him.

And I admire that.

Profoundly.

Ceremony, live (Joy Division cover)



For the Archivist

You've got fabulous muscles when you're disco dancin'

I'm in the mood for this#10
Cover Me #4
Disco is not a dirty word#4
Remember this? #3


It's amazing what can happen when you reconnect with people.



I sent an old friend a quick email, asking what he was doing. Apparently he's doing covers of Xiu Xiu and recording under the name of Archivist. For this latest installment of Cover Me, here he is with his cover of Fabulous Muscles.

I felt like re-visiting a little disco for this week's edition of "Moody Morning Music" as well as a bit of early 90's dance. First the disco:



I discovered Kebekelektrik by accident. I was at a record convention in Montreal digging through a box of old 45's when I saw this 45:



It looked interesting. The name sounded vaguely disco so for I picked it up for a buck. When I got home, I was stunned, not by the title track, "Mirage", but by the minute and a half of the B-side, titled "Star Dance". A couple of months later, I came across a copy of their first album, a US issue on SalSoul. I took it home, put the needle on the record and was blown away by its deep cosmic disco beauty. The last track, War Dance included the piece known as "Star Dance". The track is nothing more than pure disco deliciousness.

Another record I picked up by sheer curiosity was The Crown Heights Affair's first release, Dreaming A Dream



The opening and title track is featured twice on the album, once as a vocal the second in an instrumental disco version, featuring a hook-laden "doot doot doot doot" and a sweet little synth that takes you the early glory days of disco.

As for the early 90's dance pieces, I was flipping through some old records and felt the need to play some of them on my show.



Soul II Soul's first album, "Keep on Movin'" was one of the first albums that I bought that made me go, "Wow, this is what dance music could and should be." Admittedly, I was only 12 at the time the album came out, but the album's sound played a huge influence upon me and what I later came to enjoy and seek out in terms of dance music, especially the music which came from the UK and the scene in which the members, especially Jazzy B. and Nellee Hooper were involved, namely, The Wild Bunch.

A few years later, after the sound system based grooves of Soul II Soul had left the clubs, the new inhabitants, hungover from the post summer of love rave daze, were going more and more underground, digging into different genres (and record crates) for new sounds. The Future Sound of London found that sound in an old Dead Can Dance record.



Papua New Guinea was considered by many to be a milestone in the development and growth of underground dance music, as well as the rising popularity and acceptance of this new genre of dance music. The song almost feels like an anomaly when listening to some of FSOL's later works, namely, "We Have The Explosive", a track which went on to have a life of it's own a few years later.



Enjoy the show as well as the video links in the tracklisting.


Gonzales, "Overnight"
Laura Nyro, "Brown Earth", Christmas and the beads of sweat
Archivist, "Fabulous Muscles (Xiu Xiu Cover)"
Jane Siberry, "Slow Tango", City
Jennifer Warnes, "Fanous Blue Raincoat", Famous Blue Raincoat
Sunset Rubdown, "Winged/Wicked Things", Random Spirit Lover
Born Ruffians, "Red, Yellow, Blue", Red, Yellow, Blue
Forest City Lovers, "At The Border"
Superfantastica, "Turn on me", Choose your destination
Immaclate Machine, "Jarhand", Fables
Dog Day, "Oh Dead Life", Oh Dead Life EP
Sugarcubes, "Hit", 12"
Portishead, "Smell", Third
Buck 65, "The abandoned cars of INverness County", Cretin Hip Hop Vol 1
Soul II Soul, "Jazzie's Groove', Keep On Movin'
Future Sound Of London, "Papua New Guinea"
Massive Attack, "Unfinished Sympathy", Blue Lines
Goldfrapp, "Cologne Cerrone Houdini", Seventh Tree
Crown Heights Affair, "Dreaming A Dream (Disco)", Dreaming A Dream
Kebekelektrik, "War Dance", Kebekelektrik
Feist, "My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix)"

Soul II Soul"Back To Life", from Keep On Movin'

Fantasies are synth from screens

I'm in the mood for this #9
Cover me#3
New releases #2


First things first. On April 28th, 2008, Portishead's third album will be released.



It has been over ten years since they had put out a studio album. Beth Gibbons had started a small side project in the interim, and there were murmurs of a reunion after the release of their cover of Serge Gainbourg's, Requiem for Anna for the tribute album.

It's about time. And I believe that the wait was well worth it.



Arguably one of Canada's greatest poets, lyricists and perhaps one of the greatest canadian cultural icons, Leonard Cohen was recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and has decided to go on a world tour while he's at it. I discovered Cohen's work while watching a well meaning early 90's teen flick and was stunned. In university, I discovered his early poems and began to understand not only how brilliant this man's work was, but rather, how transcendant a good poem could be.



As for this week's covers, this episode of Moody Morning Music includes Antony doing Leonard Cohen, Calexico doing Arcade Fire and Final Fantasy doing (improving?) Bloc Party. Click on the links for videos or mp3s.




Enjoy

Portishead, "Cowboys (Instrumental)", 12"
Old Man Luedecke, "Notes form the banjor underground", Hinterland
Great Lake Swimmers, "I could be nothing", Bodies & Minds
Meryn Cadell, "Secret", Angel Food for thought
Leonard Cohen, "Suzanne", Songs of
Antony, "If it be your will", I'm your man
Calexico, "Ocean of Noise (Arcade Fire Cover)"
Final Fantasy, "This Modern Love (Bloc Party Cover)"
Forest City Lovers, "Country Road", Haunting Moon Sinking
Bell Orchesrte, "Throw it on a fire", Recording a tape the colour of the light
Goldfrapp, "A&E", Seventh Tree
Portishead, "Sour Sour Times", Glory Times
Portishead, "Glory Box (Mudflap Mix)", Glory Times
Portishead, "Undenied", S/T
Portishead, "Only You", S/T
Portishead, "Hunter", Third
Portishead, "Nylon Smile", Third
Dog Day, "Ironhide", Oh Dead Life
Glass Candy, "Iko"
Hercules & Love Affair, "Blind"
Hot Chip, "Ready for the floor", Made in the dark

Portishead, "Only You", directed by Chris Cunningham

So take a look at me now.

I'm in the mood for this #8
Cover me #2


I have a strange love-hate relationship with Phil Collins. I think he's a loser, but a loser who has moments of grandeur. I mean, c'mon, as annoying as Sussudio is, you have to admit it's a catchy little pop ditty. And I don't even want to think about how many weddings have played his songs. So I begrudgingly respect some of his works. Very begrudgingly.

But I forgive him when I hear other people play his songs. Namely, The Postal Service's cover of "Against All Odds". I mean, c'mon, even the New York Post thinks it's one of the best covers of all time. But then again, they did vote for Animal Ant Farm's cover of "Smooth Criminal".



Enjoy

Gonzales, "Overnight", Solo Piano
Cat Power, "Wild is the wind", The Covers Record
Keren Ann, "Not going anywhere", Not going anywhere
Richard Buckner, "Mud", Bloomed
Beirut, "A sunday smile", The Flying Cup Club
Nina Simone, "Love me or leave me"
Gentleman Reg, "It's not safe", Darby & Joan
Meryn Cadell, "The Sweater", Angel food for thought
Meryn Cadell, "Barbie", Angel food for thought
Arctic Monkeys,"You know I'm no good"
Postal Service, "Against all odds"
The Superfantastics, "Van Gogh", Choose your destination
Buzzcocks, "Ever fallen in love (with someone you shouldn't)?", 30
M83, "Teen Angst", Before the dawn heals us
Buck 65, "Spooked", Cretin Hip Hop Vol. 1
Burial, "Archangel", Untrue
Thom Yorke, "Skip Divided (Modeselektor remix)"
Thunderheist, "Horny"
Jahcoozi, "BLN"
Cadence Weapon, "In search of the youth crew", Afterparty Babies
Tricky, "Brand new you're retro", Maxinquaye
New Young Pony Club, "The Bomb (Phones Edit)"
MSTRKRFT, "Work on you (Para One Remix)", 12"

For more covers, just click on the links to lead you to the originals.

Richard Buckner's "22"

Knocking on heaven's door

I'm in the mood for this#6
Cover me#1



Buy the soundtrack

I have to admit, I am not one of the throngs of people who love and idolise Dylan. Is he important? Without a doubt. Is he a gifted songwriter? Beyond any doubt. Is he still producing important works? Arguably.

"Knockin' on heaven's door" is one of those songs that is often pulled out by ridiculous frat boys with guitars trying to look and be all sensitive, and skinny guys who want to get laid alike. Which means that I had kind of forgotten that it was actually a Dylan classic. It had kind of gotten dirty with all those bad covers. Then I heard Antony's cover. Slowly, all those layers of sachharine and collegial lechery faded, and I realised what this was: a great song.



Enjoy

Gonzales, "Overnight", Solo Piano
Albin de la Simone, "Elle aime (feat. Feist)"
Jimmy Scott, "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child", The Source
Antony & The Johnsons, "Knockin' on heaven's door", I'm not there
Portishead, "Glory Box", Dummy
Tricky, "Hell is round the corner", Maxinquaye
Massive Attack, "Protection", Protection
Beck, "Ramshackle", Odelay
Grizzly Bear, "He Hit Me", Friends EP
Hawksley Workman, "Wonderful & Sad", Lover/Fighter
Interpol, "NYC Cares", Turn on the bright lights
Black Mountain, "Queens will play", In The Future
Tom Fun Orchestra, "When you were mine", You will land with a thud
Got to get got, "No one riots in the winter", Canadian arts collective blues/huge zig zag
Superfantastics, "Lullaby Punches", Choose your destination
The Arcade Fire, "Antichrist Television Blues", Neon Bible
The Long Blondes, "Lust in the movies", Someone to drive you home
Cadence Weapon, "In search of the youth crew", Afterparty babies
Gnarls Barkley, "Run"
Santogold feat. Spank Rock, "Shove it (Switch Remix)"
Simian Mobile Disco, "Hot Dog", Attack Decay Sustain Release



Antony and the Johnsons, "Knockin' on heaven's door"