10 Intense Live Performances

Elvis Presley - Also Sprach Zarathustra/CC Rider
Dallas Memorial Auditorium 1976
"Dead Cat Bounce" is a financial term for a stock that sees a slight rise in price before its eventual fall into the gutter. I can think of no better way to describe Elvis' 1976 show in Dallas.
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Phish - Possum
Hampton Coliseum 1998
It's like a roller coaster that won't let you off for a full ten minutes.
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Allman Brothers - One Way Out
Cow Palace San Francisco - 1973
Part of an amazing New Years show. The Allman Brothers were one of the rock bands with two drummers. You can really hear it on this recording.
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Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Drugs and Kittens
Middle East Club, Boston - 1997
Now matter how big they got, the Bosstones always played a holiday show at the same small venue in their hometown. The crowd goes what could only be described as "completely apeshit."
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Sly and The Family Stone - Medley
Woodstock
I can't imagine what drugs were flowing through Sly Stone and his band during this song, but I would guess that they weren't benzopiapines.
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James Brown - Ain't It Funky Now
Olympia, Paris - 1971
The first time I heard this album I was standing in a store that allowed you to preview an album before buying it. I soon found myself dancing all by myself in the middle of a mall.
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The Kinks - Medley
Kelvin Hall, Glasgow - 1967
I'm not going to give away the secret of this medley, but let's just say that The Kinks sneak in a cover song that completely blew this Glasgow crowd out of their seats.
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AC/DC - Whole Lotta Rosie
Atlantic Recording Studios - 1979
A very loud tribute to a very large woman.
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Duke Ellington - Diminuendo In Blue And Crescendo In Blue
Newport Jazz Festival - 1956
This performance was greatly responsible for Duke Ellington's late career revival. Paul Gonsalves turns what was usually a brief solo into an amazing twenty-seven choruses, creating utter pandemonium on stage and off.
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Bruce Springsteen - Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco - 1978
If your frame of reference for Bruce Springsteen is only Born in the USA, you owe it to yourself to listen to this track from the "Darkness On The Edge of Town" tour. The best part comes at the end where Springsteen humbly says " I know a lot of you guys wait out in line to get tickets and then wait out in line to get for a long time and I just want to let you know I appreciate it."
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10 Great Soul Songs Covered By The Blues Brothers

Under the direction of the soulless Paul Schaffer and with the help of original Stax session men Donald "Duck" Dunn, Steve Cropper, and Willie Hall the Blues Brothers played a mixed bag of cover tunes, always acknowledging their sources when played live. At their best, the Blues Brothers made you feel like you had been invited to a Saturday Night Live after party, exposing you to some great soul music and encouraging you to seek out the original tunes. At their worst, the Blues Brothers played coked-up obliterations of some truly great music. So, here are some of the originals, featured in Briefcase Full of Blues, and the soundtrack to their first movie.

I Can't Turn You Loose - Otis Redding
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Messin' With the Kid - Junior Wells
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Rubber Biscuit - The Chips
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Groove Me - King Floyd
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Soul Man - Sam & Dave
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Flip, Flop & Fly - Downchild Blues Band
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Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini
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Shake Your Tailfeather - Bobby and James Purify
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Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson
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Everybody Needs Somebody To Love - Solomon Burke
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10 More Great Cover Songs

The Mountain Goats - The Sign (Ace of Base)
This song began my recent love affair with the Mountain Goats

The Puppini Sisters - Walk Like an Egyptian (Bangles)
After hearing this you'll swear that the Bangles were actually covering an old Andrews Sister tune.

The Minutemen - Ain't Talking About Love (Van Halen)
Most of my favorite cover songs are complete re-interpretations of songs I know well. The Minutemen don't re-interpret this great song of Van Halen's first album, as much as they distill it from three minutes and forty seconds, to well, forty seconds. And that's all the Minutemen ever really needed. eh? Note: for an example of just how bad cover compilations can get, just listen to this version of the same song.

Rasputina - Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin)
One word: cellos.

Unholy Trio - Bring the Noise (Public Enemy)
This just beats out the Gourds "Gin and Juice" for the title of "Best Redneck Cover of Iconic Hip Hop." I hate to ruin the surprise, but listen for "Dixie" in the middle of a Public Enemy song.

Occidental Brothers Dance Band International - Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order)
Almost as good as this steel drum version of Joy Division's Transmission.

Easy Star All Stars feat. Toots Hibbert - Let Down (Radiohead)
Most cover compilations don't work. They're often reggae or bluegrass versions stretched too thin to cover an entire band or genre. Somehow the Easy Star All Stars have gotten it right, covering three whole albums: Dark Side of the Moon, Sergeant Peppers, and OK Computer. "A Reggae version of OK Computer?", you ask. I have no idea how they did it, but it works. This is my favorite track, featuring my favorite reggae performer, Toots.

Nostalgia 77 - Seven Nation Army (White Stripes)
This song is all about the pauses

The Holmes Brothers - I Want You To Want Me (Cheap Trick)
The Holmes Brothers take this song so far away from the pop we're used to hearing from at Budokan and turn it into a beautiful love song.

Corinne Bailey Rae - Since I've Been Loving You (Led Zeppelin)
Makes Robert Plant sound like he's faking it, which he kinda was on this song off Zeppelin III

Huge kudos to http://coverfreak.com/ for providing a good number of the aforementioned songs.

10 Catchy Indie Pop Songs

Halfway Home - TV on the Radio
Listen with headphone on the treadmill and you will run forever.


A Punk - Vampire Weekend
hey hey hey hey


Over And Over Again (Lost And Found) - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
If the Velvet Underground got their start in 2005 they would likely release this song.


Fake Palindromes - Andrew Bird
"My dewy-eyed disney bride, what has tried swapping your blood with formaldehyde?"


Hometown Fantasy - The Wooden Birds
Song for a roadtrip up to Ukiah


The Monster Song - PSAPP
A little ditty from one of the leading toytronica bands, yes, toytronica. So cute, you could bash them over the head with a Metallica album.


I Gotta Get Drunk - Phosphorescent
From Matthew Houck's album of Willie Nelson covers. He can hardly keep up with the lyrics, but it somehow works.


Song of Our So Called Friend - Okkervil River
A bit sad for this mix, but catchy indie nevertheless.


Tommy Bones - Darla Farmer
Reminds me of old Lawsuit song. Lawsuit, being the great SF family bar band from the early 90's.

10 Songs For Lapdances

I just discovered that a friend of mine is an expert lap dancer. So, being a good friend, I'd like to offer her 10 songs selected specifically for lapdancing which, incidentally, requires music different than poledancing. I've divided it in two parts: older songs and newer songs. In choosing the newer songs it was hard to stay away from the obvious bands: Portishead, NIN and Massive Attack. However, when it comes down to it, there's nothing slower and slinkier and sexier than Portishead, NIN and Massive Attack.



Do I Move You (Version II) (Tell It Like It Is) Nina Simone


No, No, No (Single) Dawn Penn


The Right Time (At Newport) Ray Charles


I've Been Loving You Too Long (Single) Otis Redding


Please Accept My Love (Live And Well) B.B. King


Hey (Doolittle) The Pixies
I also have a soft spot in my heart for this homemade video of the song


Crystalline Green (Black Cherry) Goldfrapp


Glory Box (Dummy) Portishead


Piggy (The Downward Spiral) Nine Inch Nails


Angel (Mezzanine) Massive Attack

10 Songs That I Will Forever Associate With The Movie They Appeared In

2001: A Space Odyssey
Blue Danube Waltz - Richard Strauss


Saturday Night Fever
Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees


Trainspotting
Lust For Life - Iggy Pop


Reservoir Dogs
Stuck in the Middle With You - Stealers Wheels
Click here, I can't embed it.

A Clockwork Orange
Singing In the Rain - Gene Kelly


Rushmore
A Quick One While He's Away - The Who


Repo Man
The Entire Soundtrack


Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Moving in Stereo - The Cars

Phoebe Cates-Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Celebrity bloopers here

Donnie Darko
Mad World - Gary Jules



Goodfellas
Layla - Derek and the Dominos

10 Original Versions of Songs That Phish Covers

photo by Jason Sbordone

The first five songs listed were played at last night's show at the Shoreline Amphitheater:
Set List
Audience Recording

If you see blank boxes below the song titles, please refresh your browser. It's an imperfect system, but let's just go with it for now.

When the Circus Comes to Town - Los Lobos


Ya Mar - Cyril Furguson


Cities - Talking Heads


Oh! Sweet Nuthin' - Velvet Underground


Bold as Love - Jimi Hendrix Experience


Zarathustra 2001 - Deotato (who in turn, covered the Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra)


Funky Bitch - Son Seals


Roses Are Free - Ween


Drowned - The Who


Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group

10 Break Up Songs

If you see blank boxes below song titles, please refresh your browser.

Love Stinks - J Geiles Band


So Lonely - The Police


How Blue Can You Get? - BB King


Pain in My Heart - Otis Redding


I Don't Want To Get Over You - Magnetic Fields


Another Lonely Day - Ben Harper


Last Request - Paolo Nutini


Can't Get Used to Losing You - English Beat


Nothing Compares 2U - Prince


Crying - Roy Orbison

10 Songs To Deep for the Pond

I DJ but once a year, by a small pond at a private camp out in Willits, California. For years, my set was the first thing on Saturday or Sunday, starting off slow, waking folks up until it picked up speed and got everyone dancing (or so I hoped). This year I've been asked to keep it mellow, all mellow. So, I'm putting together some Soul and R&B music to float by. What follows are 10 rejects, songs too damn funky, too deep, to hot and just too damn much for a mellow set by the pond. I hope you enjoy.

I Can't Turn You Loose
Otis Redding
At The Whisky A Go Go 1966 (Bootleg)
All of a sudden the Blues Brothers' cover version sounds like Musak...


Memphis Soul Stew
King Curtis
Don't Fight the Feeling: The Complete Aretha Franklin and King Curtis at the Fillmore West
Give me a metric ton of soul...


Love The Life You Live
Black Heat
The Maderfaker
From a compilation from Madrid's Maderfaker funk club


Beercan
Beck
Mellow Gold
I quit my job blowing leaves
telephone bills up my sleeves
choking like a one man dustbowl
freedom rock slimeball
talking in code
we went down
lit up the shack
grab me a beer out of the sack
everybody bent over twice
painting the walls throwing some dice
leaping up into the air getting juiced up beyond belief
and they were singing like this...


On Your Knees
The Herbaliser
Same As It Never Was
Part of the new soul I'm discovering on blogs like A Flat Soul Spreading


Mustang Intergalactic
DJ Moule
Single
As my French teacher Miss Connors used to say: "Youppi Ca Y Est!" DJ Moule is a French mash-up artist who puts out a regular stream of combined brilliance, often heard at Bootie at the DNA Lounge in SF.



Check Your Bucket
Eddie Bo
Single
I first heard Eddie Bo on the Funky 16 Corners blog but was happy to hear it again one night covered at Amnesia Lounge.



Horse With A Freeze Pt. 1
Roy Ward
This might sound a lot like the previous tune. Eddie Bo wrote it.


Time Is On My Side
Irma Thomas
Single
I think this is what the Rolling Stones were trying to sound like.

No Compute
Funkadelic
Cosmic Slop
A nice coda for this set.

10 Songs My Avatar's Listening To Right Now

1) Oxford Comma [Play]
by Vampire Weekend from their debut album
2) Lindberghs + Metal Birds [Play]
by White Hinterland from Phylactery Factory
3) Shack Up [Play]
by Blackbuster from Strange Breaks & Mr Thing
4) Sound Gun [Play]
by Aceyalone from The Believer Magazine's Music issue 2008
5) The Sea [Play]
by Morcheeba from Big Calm
6) A Paw In My Face [Play]
by The Field from From Here We Go To Sublime
7) Faust Arp [Play]
by Radiohead from In Rainbows
8) River Man [Play]
by Christopher O'Riley from Second Grace: The Music Of Nick Drake
9) Last Request [Play]
by Paolo Nutini from These Streets
10) It's All Over Now [Play]
by The Valentinos from the Funky16Corners Blog

10 Songs for Seat 7B

I'm not much for talking to strangers on planes. Elizabeth was an exception. En route from Denver to Montrose, we got into a conversation about nervous flight attendants, bicycles, flaming bicycles, puppets, huge puppets, huge puppets on bicycles, huge puppets on flaming bicycles, and funk music. I handed her my ipod to help me pick some songs for an upcoming DJ gig. Here are ten of them...

Make it Reggae
Shark Wilson & The Basements

Guns in the Ghetto
Morgan Heritage & The Bounty Killer

Go Shopping
Bran Van 3000

Honor and Harmony
G Love & The Special Sauce

Sexy Coffee Pot
Tony Alvon & The Belairs

Main Man
Speedometer

Give It To Me Baby*
Rick James

Loaf and Jug
Diplomats of Solid Sound

I Turn You On
Latin Breed

Getting Uptown (To Get Down)
United 8

*This song has appeared on this blog before, as well as on more than one mix for my friend Emily. It's kind of my funk "ace in the hole."

8 Versions of Iron Man

There are handful of rock and roll songs that you can tell simply from the first note or chord. Back in Black, Communication Breakdown, and Satisfaction are three that come to mind. However, the single greatest first note belongs to Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi and the bendy e. After hearing that note, you know that it can be no other song. So, in honor of the new movie coming out this weekend, here are a few beautiful, fun and ludicrous versions of Black Sabbath's possible homage to one of the most flawed Marvel super hero: Iron Man.

The Original
Solid

Live
From their April 4, 1974 show, immortalized on the "Cannabis Confusion" bootleg
Stoned

Phish
From the New Year's show 2003. It doesn't quite make sense until you realize that they're accompanied by a full marching band that just emerged from a small clown car on stage.
Spirited

The Bad Plus
Epic

The Cardigans
Lovely

Giant Sand
Sad

Opium Jukebox
Odd

Vitamin Lounge
Fun

Interestingly, most of the covers don't include the first note.

10 Songs For Valentines Day

Lying in shivasana at yoga this morning I had a few songs run through my head...

I Ain't Got Nobody - Hound Dog Taylor







Just a Little Love - BB King







I've Been Lonely So Long - Freddy Knight







So Lonely (live '79) - The Police







Nobody Loves Me But My Mother - BB King







Just a Gigolo - Thelonius Monk







I Want You to Want Me - The Holmes Brothers







Loose Lips - Kimya Dawson







Got My Mojo Working - Muddy Waters







Please Accept My Love - BB King

10 Songs For the Golden State

I made a preliminary version of this mix for a road trip down Rt. 1 to Santa Cruz with my friends Hal and Emily. Growing up in the suburbs of Buffalo, I never thought that I would one day be a Californian. But, somewhere along the way, with the top down, the Ocean on my right, and some pesticide-free organic veggies in my bag, I realized that I'll be out here for a very long time.


Going Back to Cali - LL Cool J
"Her bikini - small; heels - tall
She said, she liked, the ocean"
Best...haiku...ever

California Love - TuPac
My white version would have different shout outs at the end of the song...
"Mill Valley in tha house, uh yeah. Atherton, Atherton definately in tha house hahaha. Walnut Creek, The Creek. Hey, you know Humbolt is up in this. Humbolt, where you at? Yeah, La Jolla, La Jolla always Hoe Ya. Even Malibu tryin to get a piece baby. Rancho Cucamonga where ya at? yeah"

Goodbye California - Jolie Holland
As were driving down the coast, Hal asked "does she talk in that voice too?" I sure hope so.

California Uber Alles - Dead Kennedys
I doubt Jello Biafra would have guessed that Jerry Brown (his aura smiles and never frowns) would one day be Mayor of Oakland, not President of the United States. Fresh Meat For Rotting Vegetables was one of the first full albums I ever bought back in the 8th grade.

California - Joni Mitchell
Leslie Platt played me this song in Washington DC in 1998, quoting a friend from Colgate who said "Everyone should listen to Joni Mitchell's Blue before falling in love."

Going to California - Led Zeppelin
This version, from a concert at London's Earl's Court in '75, sounds almost ambient.

Estimated Prophet - Grateful Dead
The song is actually about the tripped out folks hanging out by the stage door at Dead shows. Without the band to follow around, they are now scattered throughout California, talking to themselves.

California Here I Come - Bill Evans
Unlike West Coasters Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker and Dave Brubeck, Bill Evans played cool jazz in New York. However, this song would still sound great playing on the stereo in a mid century modern home.

Do-Re-Mi - Woody Guthrie
California is a garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or see;
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do re mi.
Seventy years later and the lyrics still apply

California Stars - Jeff Tweedy
Also from Woodie Guthrie.
A classic concert closer for Wilco.

10 "BART Moment" songs

NPR uses the phrase "driveway moment" for radio pieces that are so good that you stay in your car even after you're home so you don't miss anything. I don't own a car, but I've had moments like this with City Car Share, sitting in a Scion on the roof of the Hoff Street Garage, waiting for Terry Gross to finish an interview.

I spend much more time on BART or my bike than drving a car. Mostly I read, but sometimes I take my iPod. I try to use the time between 16th Street and North Berkeley or Ashby or Rockridge to experience music I just downloaded (Neco Case) or don't often listen to (Jason Moran). However, time and time again I find steering away from the new and going back to the nuggets, the songs that I just can't get out of my head - the extent to which I'll leave my headphones on as I leave the train and walk (or dance) around the station and up the stairs. If it's a really long song (Possum) I might even eschew a bike helmet in favor of my headphones, putting my life in grave danger for the sake of music.

These songs aren't always brilliant, but god damn are they catchy.


Ten "BART Moment" songs


White Punks On Dope by Leland Stanford Junior Marching Band
The title of this album is "Starting Sallary $22,275" which will give you an idea of the year it was recorded ('79) I can't remember where I bought this album, but it couldn't have cost more than a dollar. I had always heard the phrase "White Punks on Dope," but never the song. The thought of hundreds of 70's Stanford students shouting the chorus cracks me up each time.


[Play]
Pump It by The Black Eyed Peas
I hated the Black Eyed Peas before I even heard a single song one of their songs. They seemed like more of a marketing concept than a hip hop group. Then I heard them play at Genentech's 30th anniversary party. They threw down. At a corporate party nonetheless. "Pump it" is infectious.


trippertrouble by dj BC
Ah, mashups. Most are good in concept, but fall flat when trying to overdo it. This is especially true when mashing entire albums (Beatles' White Album + Jay Z's Black Album = Danger Mouse's Grey Album). Not every tune can be good. This is true of dj BC's The Beastles. Not every song hits it. Trippertrouble, however, smacks it completely out of the park ... and into another.

Without Me by Eminem
The kid sure can rap.

Give It to Me Baby by Rick James
I don't care what you say about Ani Difranco, Superbowl losses or chicken wings - Rick James is, by far, Buffalo New York's greatest export. This live version of "Give it to Me Baby" proves it. Mix together Rick James at his prime, a few concert cliches ("somebody scream") at least a kilo of blow, and you have one of the greatest funk performances ever.

The Littlest Birds by The Be Good Tanyas
Everybody loves insider knowledge. I felt that when my good friend Shauna played this track for me in her Cambridge apartment a couple years back. Shauna has great taste and we've traded music and mixes for at least a decade. Then I heard on the closing credits of Weeds. I just hope it isn't used in a car commercial. Ever.

Possum [Play]
by Phish
My friend Hal and I were driving a back from the Devil's Bathtub in the Sierras when this song came on. Like Dark Side of Oz, everything matched perfectly, but we weren't stoned. Every uphill matched a rise in the song, every turn was accompanied by guitar riff, for 10 full minutes. This is the song I now play when I ski black diamonds, waiting at the top of the run for the song to really get rolling.

Ne'er Do Well by Young People
Each June The Believer Magazine reaffirms it's own hipness by putting out a music issue that includes a CD filled with precious little songs by precious little bands. 2004 was a particularly good year. I can't describe how Katie Eastburn sings, you'll have to hear for yourself. Don't worry, the song is only a minute and 45 seconds long.

We Will Become Silhouettes [Play]
by The Shins

This was another song from the Believer CD. It's actually a cover of Postal Service tune. Who are The Postal Service? If you know, its likely that take your coffee at Ritual Roasters, and your bike only has one gear.

Ten Commandments by Prince Buster

Thou shall not shout my name in the streets

If I am walking with another woman

But wait intelligently until I come home

Then we can both have it out decently

For I am your man, a funny man

And detest a scandal in public places