Two sides of Lua

It's funny how a song can be played seemingly the same way and yet convey a whole other emotion than its counterpart. Earlier today I was listening to the Red Hot compilation Dark Was The Night (2009), an indie folk/rock who's who of the nest and brightest. Although it has a few bouncy moments, the overall feel of the album is low key and cozy. The songs loosely string together as if they're dozing by a fireplace. That being said, both discs back to back might be a bit much, but as a whole the album is consistently well played. The song that conjures up this post is "Lua", performed here by Gillian Welch and its composer Conor Oberst. Oberst had originally featured the song on his proper band's landmark record I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005). The Bright Eyes version is devastatingly beautiful, hopeless in its Sunday morning regrets. Done as a duet on Dark Was The Night, gives the song a surprising level of optimism. While the Bright Eyes version is played on a single acoustic guitar in a most restrained fashion, the Welch/Oberst version is looser and more playful in its strumming - featuring more plucking and picking. While the original is more of a single person's reflection on the events which are isolated and cold, the remake is warmer and accepting of the trials set forth in the storyline. On paper, the two versions are performed in a similar fashion, but the final execution of both is quite different. 

A&R/The Joy Formidable

I've been interning at the A&R department for a major label for the past two months. My job is to seek out new artists for possible consideration by the company. Naturally they're very picky about who they want to sign as they're really only interested in artists that are going to move at least a few hundreds of thousands of records. The task of tracking down artists that have potential to sell millions is needless to say, incredibly difficult. The more I look, the more I realize that the bands that have the most talent will usually make a name for themselves on an indie label first and then make a crossover. At this point in time, record companies don't spend as much as they used to on artist development and are usually looking for a band that's in a convenient package. From my many searches, I have come to discover that many bands will spend the time and money preparing themselves in such a package. The ultimate drawback though is that 99.9% of bands that spend all this time on image and promotion probably should have used it writing good songs.

Of course along the way, regardless of marketability, I have been and will most likely continue finding artists worth listening to. As I find them, I will post examples here. This week, upon the recommendation of fellow blogger Jenn Pelly, I've come across The Joy Formidable. A British band with a forceful bite and catchy/sweet melodies, they instantly gave me the chills with their latest track "Greyhounds In The Slips" (featured below). Upon referring them to my boss, he informed me he has already been in touch with their manager, which of course doesn't mean a definite signing, but it at least shows there is very large buzz about them. Regardless of where they end up, they will more than likely be something you'll be seeing in your face real soon, so check em while they're still fresh. 

Blur Documentary?

This previous Fall, a gorgeous trailer appeared for a documentary about the endlessly underrated Britpop powerhouse, Blur. Titled No Distance Left To Run, after one of the band's most soul searching numbers, the trailer climaxes with a movie set of slow motion clips of the band's recent reunion tour, set to their monumental torch song, "The Universal". See below:


Beautiful right? I kept a watchful eye on my local independent cinema, but it unfortunatley didn't come to the US at all (at least nowhere near where I live). When I had read that a DVD of it would see release in mid February, complete with a second disc showcasing the entirety of their Hyde Park concert, I was relieved.  Sure, it's a documentary of a British band. Let the Brits have it in the theaters, I can wait an extra month for a home viewing. I mean they sell DVDs everywhere.

Well, it's late February. Where the hell is it?? Does this band still hold such a grudge against America for siding with Oasis, that it won't even consider the legions of fans they still have here? If you or anyone you know have any information on this movie and how to obtain it, please let me know.

Stephin Merritt Interview for The New Gay

This is an interview Stephin Merritt did for The New Gay recently. While the interviewer is clearly excited and enthusiastic about interviewing one of his heroes, he botches it royally with unimaginative questions and a lack of research on his subject.  Despite the weakness of the interviewer, Merritt manages to throw in a few thought provoking concepts in reference to the gay community, as well as quick overview of the gender neutrality of his lyrics (a theme I explored in an essay I wrote a few months ago, All His Little Words). Aside from any educational value, the interview is just funny to watch as Merritt does nothing to mask his contempt for the noble, but misguidedly jittery interviewer.   

Sacotn Suggests

I listened to the remastered version of Reckoning by R.E.M. today and it is fantastic. The dusty layer that once muffled the tracks is gone. Bill Berry's drums for instance are more powerful than ever, apparent right from the start of "Harborcoat". Mike Mills basswork ripples up and down your spine and his jangly piano on "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" is increibly warm and welcoming (despite the lyric's objections to such). Peter Buck's guitars are still the star attraction, which soar and intertwine ever so nicely with Michael Stipe's beautifully hazy vocals (that are more discernible than they've ever been). The second disc is great too, containing an archive concert from 1983. Reckoning: Deluxe Edition - definitely worth picking up.