Archive for R.E.M.

More Rockin’ Christmas!

Posted in Christmas with tags , , , , , , , on December 8, 2011 by 30daysout

Yeah, that's Nancy Reagan. No, this is not Photoshopped.

Editor’s Note: More recycling of past blog posts, gotta conserve this Christmas!

How many shopping days left until Christmas?  Not enough, that’s for sure.  The holiday season isn’t about shopping anyway, it’s about hanging around with people you like and, in the case of most of our families, a few people you don’t like.  It’s about giving but it isn’t about begging.  And it’s not about the TV commentators who are so afraid white Jesus isn’t represented enough in Christmas celebrations.

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa – they’re what you want to make it.  Celebrate ’em like you want, be nice and leave everyone else alone.  Enough speeches, now let’s rock.

MP3: “Soulful Christmas” by James Brown

MP3: “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by R.E.M.

MP3: “Teenage Christmas” by Eux Autres

MP3: “Toy Jackpot” by Blackalicious

MP3: “Ain’t No Chimneys In The Projects” by Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

MP3: “Seasons Greetings Message” by Alice Cooper

MP3: “Jingle Bell Rock” by Neil Diamond

MP3: “Run Rudolph Run” by Creedence Clearwater Revisited

MP3: “Deck The Halls” by Canned Heat

MP3: “Winter Wonderland” by Liz Phair

MP3: “Christmas Lullaby” by Shane MacGowan & the Popes

MP3: “Christmas Island” by the Vatican Cellars

MP3: “Santa Claus Files Unusual Flight Plan” by the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD)

MP3: “Messed Up Xmas” by the Dollyrots

MP3: “Father Christmas” by the Kinks

This is just wrong. Happy Holidays!

Ready for the weekend?

Posted in Rock Moment with tags , , , , , , on May 18, 2011 by 30daysout

In case you haven’t heard, Saturday is the End of the World. Well of course it would happen before I receive my income tax refund. And I was kinda hoping to see that new Transformers movie … oh well.

MP3: “Waiting For The End of the World” by Elvis Costello

MP3: “The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash

MP3: “It’s The End of the World (As We Know It)” by R.E.M.

MP3: “Wooden Ships” (live) by Crosby & Nash

MP3: “The End Of The World” by Skeeter Davis

MP3: “Let The World End Tomorrow” by Henry Moore

MP3: “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” by Bob Dylan

MP3: “Working For The Weekend” by Loverboy

Record Store Day Buyer’s Guide

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on April 13, 2011 by 30daysout

Okay, this may seem really half-assed but today we’re going to piggyback on (steal?) a great article in Goldmine magazine where they rate the best and worst of the exclusive vinyl available on Record Store Day. That’s Saturday, at your friendly neighborhood record store.

You can read the Goldmine story here, but we just want to touch on a couple of their top picks … keep in mind, this is highly subjective. You really ought to check out the complete list of exclusive vinyl available on Record Store Day, and if something really appeals to you then plan to get up early on Saturday and line up outside your local record emporium so you have a better chance of getting your hands on what you want. There will be some music aficinados like you, but there will be a lot of jerks who just want to get hold of this rare stuff so they can put it up on eBay.

Goldmine is salivating most over a Jimi Hendrix 7″ single, “Fire”b/w”Touch You.”  The 45 has an alternate version of “Fire,” which appeared on the West Coast Seattle Boy box set. The real find is on the flip side: “Touch You,”  a previously unreleased 1967 studio recording made by the original Experience during sessions for what would become Electric Ladyland. Very cool, indeed.

The other cool stuff the magazine is anticipating seems mostly to come from vintage acts – a live LP from Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, unreleased Derek and the Dominos, live Roy Orbison, live Bob Dylan. It’s a record store nut’s dream come true.

A word here, too, about the “lost” single from the 13th Floor Elevators, which we in Houston can partially claim as our own (they cut many of their songs in Houston, at the famed Gold Star Studios). The record available on Saturday is a limited-edition green vinyl 7″ single – “Wait For My Love” b/w “May The Circle Remain Unbroken.” Roky Erickson and the group planned this as the band’s sixth single in 1968 but never released. The two tunes are remixed by ‘Sonic Boom’ (Pete Kember of Spacemen Three & producer of MGMT), and the single will come packaged in an International Artists Records label house bag.

Another choice cut is a complete LP by the Foo Fighters, performing 12 covers including “Band On The Run,” Baker Street,” “Darling Nikki” and others. There are many, many more releases, by the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, R.E.M., ZZ Top, Phish, the Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam and more. The newer crop of artists will be represented by Peter, Bjorn and John, Regina Spektor, The Joy Formidable, Wild Flag and many more. Now keep in mind, these records are going into general release on Saturday and some of ’em may be available after Record Store Day but many are limited-edition releases and will likely get snapped up pretty quickly. Then, on Saturday afternoon, you can find ’em on eBay at double the retail price.

Goldmine singles out a handful of exclusive releases that disappointed them.  One of their offenders is the Bruce Springsteen offering, a 10″ LP featuring “Gotta Get That Feeling” b/w “Racing In The Street,” which will appear on his upcoming DVD Live From The Carousel. The magazine says “The ‘easy way out’ on Record Store Day: selling a sample from an upcoming release. This isn’t a special item for the fans. It’s nothing more than a promotional piece!!” Yeah, but we’ll probably buy this if we can get our hands on it.

Our suggestion to you for Record Store Day: Check out the list of exclusive releases, show up early (before opening time) and know what you want to buy when you get into the store. And please, if you are lucky enough to get your hands on an exclusive release: take it home, remove the wrapper, take out the record and play it. Call your kids into the room and play it for them. Dance if you want, or just listen to the music. Share it, talk about the memories conjured by this great old and new music and let somebody younger listen to it again and again. Don’t be one of those assholes who forces them to go find this stuff on eBay.

Record Store Day official website

Goldmine magazine “Top Ten Record Store Day” vinyl 2011 article

A Christmas Gift For You

Posted in News with tags , , , on December 21, 2010 by 30daysout

If you can tear yourself away from work (or, more likely, the office Christmas party) for a few minutes, we have an announcement to make.  Because you have all been such good and helpful readers this year, and as a little thank-you for helping us reach 1 million readers earlier this month, we have a Christmas gift for you.

Actually, it’s a handful of Christmas gifts: free music!  OK, we know what you’re saying, but … this is LEGAL free music provided to you by outlets that may or may not be more legitimate than us.  Usually you have to fork over an e-mail address in return, but it’s still free.  And there are some legitimately big artists here.  Don’t thank us, it’s just our way of saying we appreciate you.

“Discoverer,” a new song from R.E.M.

The Sharpest Crown EP from Joe Pug

“Getting Ready For Christmas Day,” a new song by Paul Simon

“Tree By The River,” a new song by Iron and Wine

Songs from 10 Albums You May Have Missed in 2010, courtesy of SPIN

“Ghost Woman Blues,” a new song by the Low Anthem

Vans Warped Tour 2011 Sneak Peek Sampler (iTunes download)

A ton of free holiday music from Amazon.com (Registration may be required)

“Down By The Water,” a new song from The Decemberists (via Pitchfork)

Free top tunes from the 2010 Austin City Limits festival, from SPIN

Think Indie Xmas Nog sampler (featuring Blondie, Neko Case, Lee “Scratch” Perry and more) (Free registration required)

Artists on the rise from iTunes

“30 Days Of Dead,” Grateful Dead songs for free download

Sampler Daze: Warner Bros. holiday samplers

Posted in Lost Classics! with tags , , , , , , , on December 10, 2010 by 30daysout

Guess this could be a holiday companion piece to our series on the WB-Reprise Loss Leader samplers that came out in the 1970s – these are two radio promo albums released by Warner Bros. in 1987 and 1988 to help radio stations and listeners celebrate the holiday season with the Warners’ stable of artists.

Yulesville came out in 1987, all decked out in red (or green) vinyl to look like a Christmas ornament and the track list was a mix of spoken-word promos and a handful of music tracks.  Artists like Brian Wilson, George Harrison, Madonna and others cut the PSAs (public service announcements) while the Ramones, the Pretenders and the like have holiday-themed tracks.

The Ramones’ “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)” was exclusive to this LP at the time, while the Pretenders’ “2000 Miles” appeared on the 1983 album Learning To Crawl and Prince’s “Another Lonely Christmas” was originally the B-side to the 1984 single “I Would Die 4 U.”  There are a few other music tracks, including “Yulesville” by Edd “Kookie” Byrnes (from 1959!), Erasure doing a short little holiday ditty and a couple of godawful tracks from long-forgotten bands like 54.40 and the so-called New Monkees (featuring no one named Jones, Dolenz, Tork or Nesmith).

The next year, in 1988, Warner Bros. pulled out all the stops and unleashed a double holiday promo album, Winter Warnerland.  This one had more PSAs from their artists, more tracks from label losers (another one from 54.40!) but also had some cool stuff from the likes of R.E.M.,  Los Lobos and Daniel Lanois, as well as some contributions from Warner Nashville label mates Mark O’Connor and Randy Travis.

Lonesome George Harrison turns up again, this time doing a promo bit as Nelson Wilbury, his alter-ego from the Traveling Wilburys.  Pee Wee Herman livens up the proceedings with his weirdness, and former Chicago lead singer Peter Cetera turns in a country-rock version of “Silent Night” that works for some strange reason.

One of my favorite tracks on this one is “Santa Claus Is Getting Down,” a blues tune from guitarist Jesse Ed Davis.  Davis was an A-list session guitarist of the era who played with people like John Lennon, George Harrison, Leon Russell, Taj Mahal and many others.  Davis popped up at the Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus event in 1968 and was a featured player at the Concert for Bangla Desh in 1971.  Davis is probably best known for contributing the guitar solo on Jackson Browne’s hit single “Doctor My Eyes.”  During most of the 1970s and 1980s Davis was troubled by his drug abuse, and finally in 1988 he died in California of a suspected heroin overdose.

To be honest, I’m not sure what kind of circulation these albums had at the time.  Aside from promotional distribution to radio stations and news media types, it seems that Winter Warnerland had some kind of commercial availability as a CD in 1988 or so.  Both albums turn up frequently on eBay and other internet selling services, so maybe they’re more easily obtained today than they were when they were released – only now they’re more expensive.

MP3: “Merry Christmas Message” by Brian Wilson (from Yulesville)

MP3: “2,000 Miles” by the Pretenders (from Yulesville)

MP3: “Holiday Greeting” by the Bee Gees (from Yulesville)

MP3: “Happy Holidays Message” by Joey Ramone (from Yulesville)

MP3: “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight)” by the Ramones (from Yulesville)

MP3: “Another Lonely Christmas” by Prince (from Yulesville)

MP3: “Christmas Medley” by Pee Wee Herman (from Winter Warnerland)

MP3: “Deck The Halls” by R.E.M. (from Winter Warnerland)

MP3: “Rudolph The Manic Reindeer” by Los Lobos (from Winter Warnerland)

MP3: “Holiday ID” by Nelson Wilbury (from Winter Warnerland)

MP3: “Santa Claus Is Getting Down” by Jesse Ed Davis (from Winter Warnerland)

MP3: “Silent Night” by Peter Cetera (from Winter Warnerland)

MP3: “Holiday Greeting” by Pee Wee Wilbury (from Winter Warnerland)

The Day We Took the Giant Step

Posted in Rock Rant with tags , , , , , , on July 20, 2009 by 30daysout

I remember I was in ninth grade … and the pictures came in black and white on TV.  The men on the moon jumped, worked and shuffled through the lunar dust.  They placed a flag on the moon and left behind a plaque with their names and the name of the President of the United States.  So someday some space traveler will find some pristine junk on the airless lunar surface with the names of the three great explorers – and Richard M. Nixon.

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30 Days Out Exclusive Interview: Juliana Hatfield

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 7, 2009 by 30daysout

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If you have read this blog for any amount of time, you know I have not hidden my affection for talented singer, songwriter and guitarist, Juliana Hatfield. Her album, Become What You Are, remains one of my favorites and, in my opinion, was one of the best albums of the 90s. She recently took part in the Bruce Springsteen’s “Hangin’ Out On E Street” project with an excellent cover of “Cover Me” and she also just put out a new CD, How To Walk Away. Juliana was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for us about the past, the present and the state of the music industry.

30DAYSOUT: Tell me about how you first got interested in music and who were some of your earliest musical influences..

JH: I took piano lessons from my Mom, in our house, when I was a child. Both of my parents played piano and that was the first music I heard. Live piano music was always in the air. Later I was heavily influenced by 1970’s AM top 40 American radio: the Eagles, ELO, Steely Dan, the Carpenters, Olivia Newton-John, America, Bread, etc.

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Review: “LadyLuck,” Maria Taylor

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , on April 2, 2009 by 30daysout

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Indie folk artist Maria Taylor has been singing since she was 15 when her first band, Little Red Rocket, released two ill-fated albums on Geffen Records. The group called it quits when Geffen merged with Universal to create a gigantic, worthless record company. Taylor packed her bags, moved to Athens, GA, and tried her luck at a solo career. She’s found success on TV as a few of her songs have been featured “Grey’s Anatomy” and “One Tree Hill.”  Her third solo effort, LadyLuck, has just been released and it’s a beauty.

The albums 10 songs talk about changes in her life…the end of a relationship and a move to Los Angeles. The country-esque title track kicks off the album with words like “Your new life/It starts today” and the theme of letting go and starting over continues on the excellent “It’s Time.”  The drum sound on the disc is tremendous and there is no better example than on the catchy “Time Lapse Lifeline.” Her sweet voice sounds heartbreaking on “My Favorite Love,” and the beautiful “Orchids” and R.E.M. front man Michael Stipe joins her on the folky, best track “Cartoon and Forever Plans.”

If you’re a fan of singer-songwriters, Maria Taylor is your artist and LadyLuck is your disc. The songs are fresh, the singer is great and the songs are short,well-written and to the point.

You can stream the entire album at Spinner.

YouTube: “Time Lapse Lifeline” (Live) – Maria Taylor

Friday is Boss’ Day: Indie artists do Bruce

Posted in Bruce Springsteen, Uncategorized with tags , , , , on March 6, 2009 by 30daysout

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Bruce Springsteen has influence a ton of artists throughout his illustrious career. Everyone from R.E.M. to Jesse Malin has sung the Boss’s praises.  Now some cool indie artists are paying their respects by covering his songs for a new project called “Hanging Out On E Street.” We’ll feature some of these artists in the coming weeks so you can see and hear their take on Bruce’s catalog. First up….the great Juliana Hatfield with “Cover Me.”

Juliana Hatfield Official Website

Bruce Springsteen Official Website

Review: “Hymn and Her,” Earlimart

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , on February 23, 2009 by 30daysout

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About a month ago, I did a post about finding great new music on TV. Well, last week I hit the jackpot again on “ER.” At the end of the episode, a catchy, soulful song was playing over an emotional scene where Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) was contemplating his fate on a cold Chicago day. After some serious digging (it would be nice if the names of the songs were included on the credits at the end of the show, but I digress) I found out that the tune, with a great melody and a piano part you can get lost in, was “Town Where You Belong” by Earlimart. After downloading the band’s disc, Hymn and Her, I can honestly say it’s the best $9.99 I’ve spent in a long time.

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