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Five From the Archive: Warren Zevon in 1976

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Well, it’s that time again. Time for another Five From the Archive post featuring the legendary Warren Zevon. We’ve looked at his work before, first a batch of songs from 1978, then a batch from his 2000 solo acoustic tour. This time around, we are looking at selections from 1976, the year his first record, Warren Zevon, was released. And the first year of live recordings documented in the Live Music Archive.

1. Warren Zevon – “Sleep When I’m Dead”. The first song from the show at The Main Point. A bit of crowd noise and an introduction before the band kicks in. Someone is playing a harmonica, too. Must be Warren? Full show: June 20, 1976 – The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA

2. Warren Zevon – “Werewolves of London”. Full band for this show. It’s the earliest live version of this song I’ve heard. Full show: June 20, 1976 – The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA

3. Warren Zevon – “Desperados Under The Eaves”. “This is an important song to me – it’s one of my favorites,” he says, at the beginning of the song. Lyrically, it’s glorious. “All the salty margaritas in Los Angeles, I’m going to drink them up.” Every line rings like that. Sound quality is outstanding. Full show: October 13, 1976 – WMMS Studio, Cleveland, OH

4. Warren Zevon – “Frank and Jesse James”. In a studio in Holland. Jackson Browne does back up vocals on this one. Full show: December 8, 1976 – VPRO Studio, Hilversum, Holland

5. Warren Zevon – “Carmelita”. Jackson Browne lends a hand on this one, too, playing guitar and adding back up vocals on the choruses. Full show: December 8, 1976 – VPRO Studio, Hilversum, Holland

Image of Warren Zevon in 1976 courtesy of Wikipedia Commons. 

Articles, MP3s

Five From the Archive: Umphrey’s McGee in 2012

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About two and a half years ago, we ran our first “Five From the Archive” piece. We called it “Top Five Covers by Umphrey’s McGee”, predating the official series name, since we only decided to make it a more regular item after we saw how much interest the Umphrey’s McGee covers generated. Since we’ll be sending a team to cover Summer Camp Music Festival over Memorial Day weekend, and Umphrey’s McGee will be playing each night of the festival, we decided it was a good time to revisit and see what other brilliant covers we could highlight.

1. Umphrey’s McGee – “Burnin’ For You”: Have some Blue Oyster Cult with your Wheaties today. This is the first time they played this one. Anyone remember the video from early MTV? I was around 12 or so when I first saw that and “Don’t Fear The Reaper.” Great memories. In this version, Cinninger has got the licks down pat, and delivers a smoking little solo in the midst of this B.O.C. celebration. Full show: February 17, 2012 – LC Pavilion, Columbus, OH

2. Umphrey’s McGee – “Dear Prudence”: A pretty straightforward cover of a classic Beatles track. It’s not a jam-a-lot version, like you might hear from the Jerry Garcia Band, Furthur, and other post-Grateful Dead bands that cover it. But it hits all the right notes. A quick four and a half minute jaunt into Beatles space. Full show: February 16, 2012 – The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC

3. Umphrey’s McGee – “The National Anthem”: Great Radiohead cover. An appropriately spacey exploration of the song, always grounded by the unstoppable, anthemic bass line. Full show: February 9, 2012 – Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY

4. Umphrey’s McGee – “Hollywood Nights”: Man, these guys just nail this one! It’s my favorite of the bunch –  a great all American, Midwest rock and roll song from Ann Arbor’s own Bob Seger. From 1978’s Stranger In Town, which was like some sort of Midwestern rock anthem hit factory (also included “Old Time Rock n Roll”). The vocals are on fire. Cinneger rips some hot licks. Full show: January 21, 2012 – Best Buy Theater, New York, NY

5. Umphrey’s McGee – “Cheap Sunglasses”: This is from the first of two pre-party Jam Cruise X shows by Umphrey’s McGee, both of which were at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale. Another pretty straightforward cover, with some nice soloing by Cinninger in the middle again. Full show: January 8, 2012 – Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale, FL

On Jake Cinninger, lead guitarist and one of the vocalists in Umphrey’s McGee: Is there anybody out there playing better than him? With the range and depth of ability? I ask the question. I don’t know the answer, but I’m leaning towards no, there isn’t.

Photo of Umphrey’s McGee taken by Mike Vasquez at the All Good Music Festival in 2010.

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Five From the Archive: Greensky Bluegrass

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Greensky Bluegrass is a local Michigan band done good. Coming out of Kalamazoo, they hit a soft spot for me right away, since that’s where I (and some other GLONO folks) went to college. And they have done a lot of shows at a place I know well: Bell’s Brewery. I was drinking their beer when they were still putting it in wine bottles. And I look forward to summer mostly because that’s when Solsun Oberon is available.

More importantly, these guys have put together a great band. Their originals are fantastic, and they incorporate a lot of different bluegrassified rock covers. I don’t know what your conception of bluegrass might be, but I can tell you that Greensky’s music is joyous.  Something about the banjo playing just drives the band’s music forward with a bounce, the same way it did in Neil Young’s International Harvesters.

I’ve spent some time this week going through their 2012 shows and pulling out noteworthy covers. Below are five of the most enjoyable.

1. Greensky Bluegrass – “Atlantic City”. This may be my all time favorite Bruce Springsteen song. These guys give it the treatment it deserves. It’s like the middle ground between Bruce’s version and The Band’s version. To top it off, they end this particular show with an 11 minute “Small Axe” cover. Full show: February 8, 2012 – Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO

2. Greensky Bluegrass – “Don’t Stop Believing”. This cover pretty much speaks for itself. Journey, baby! Of course, most of the audience knew the lyrics and sang along. Full show: February 4, 2012 – Bell’s Back Room, Kalamazoo, MI

3. Greensky Bluegrass – “Time/Breathe Reprise”. This may be my favorite of the bunch. It’s got a jaunty bluegrass step to it that masks the morbid rumination in the lyrics. “The Sun is the same in a relative way, but you’re older, shorter of breath, and one day closer to death.” How about that banjo, though? Snappy and upbeat. Full show: January 26, 2012 – Canopy Club, Urbana, IL

4. Greensky Bluegrass – “Ain’t No Sunshine”. This is from their New Year’s Eve show at the Majestic Theater in Detroit. Somehow, these guys have managed to turn this song about love and heartache into a murder ballad. About love and heartache after the song’s protagonist has killed his beloved in a fit of angry passion. At least, that’s how it felt to me. And  it’s fucking fantastic. Full show: December 31, 2011 – Majestic Theater, Detroit, MI

5. Greensky Bluegrass – “Road to Nowhere”. They also played this when I saw them at the All Good Music Festival in 2010 (coverage here, here, and here). Full show: January 20, 2012 – Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge, MA

If you like what you hear, and want to explore more, intrepid tapers have been uploading full shows to the Live Music Archive for years. They’re also currently on their Spring tour – with some upcoming dates in Michigan. Check out the tour dates here and go see them if you get a chance.

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The Pack a.d. – Sirens

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So, last week I decided to check out the love show of a band I knew nothing about. I don’t get to do that nearly as often as I’d like to, but my pal and local PR man, Nathan put the word out he was looking for a date and I decided to go hang out with him. (Full disclosure: PR man Nathan Walker wrote a few pieces for GLONO in another life. He only sends me shit he thinks I’ll actually like, making him a GOOD PR man).

Nathan knows I like good rock and roll and the whole point of this site is to talk about and share the bands we think everyone should know about. Well, here’s The Pack a.d. Dig ‘em.

MP3: The Pack a.d. – Sirens

The Pack a.d. – Sirens (Official Music Video)

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Five From the Archive: Elliott Smith’s Best Covers

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Elliott Smith always picked interesting songs to cover. Some that were well known, some that were more obscure. But they were all good. They certainly hit my musical sweet spot. These five selections are just a sampling — he was a serial covererist — and you can find more just browsing through the shows available on the Internet Music Archive.

1. Elliott Smith – “Harvest Moon”. I’ll be honest. I’m a huge Neil fan, but not that big a fan of this song. Or the album it comes from. But this is a really tender cover of the song, and I think Elliott brings out the best in the song. I think I prefer this version over Neil’s. Full show:  April 5, 1999 – Ludlow’s, Columbus, OH

2. Elliott Smith – “Jealous Guy”. He played this a lot in 1998. His whistling is a little weak in this version — which is why he usually asked the audience to whistle with him — but the sound quality is outstanding. Soundboard recording. Full show: April 17, 1998 – Black Cat, Washington, DC

3. Elliott Smith – “Ballad of a Thin Man”. “Something is happening, but you don’t know what it is… do you, Mr. Jones?” When it starts, just Elliott playing his guitar, you can hear the telltale rustle of the snare as he strums. It’s about to get loud in there. Full show: October 11, 1998 – 400 Club, Minneapolis, MN

4. Elliott Smith – “Isn’t It a Pity”. “Isn’t it a pity? Isn’t it a shame? How we break each other’s hearts, and cause each other pain?” Lyrically, it’s a perfect cover choice for Elliott. Heartbreaking vocals accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. A soundboard recording. Full show: August 12, 1998 – Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ

5. Elliott Smith – “Out on the Weekend”. This is the poorest quality recording of the bunch. It’s still going to blow your mind. It wraps up with about two minutes of mumbling into the microphone, but I can’t understand what he’s saying… From: December 21, 2001 – Showbox, Seattle, WA

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Leonard Cohen’s kid is pretty good

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MP3: Adam Cohen – “What Other Guy” from Like A Man, due April 3 on Decca (UMG).

Who would’ve guessed? I can only thinkf of a handful of good musicians whose parents were famous artists. The Nelson twins? Nope. Wilson Phillips? Nope. Arguments could certainly be made for Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainright, and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Maybe even Jacob Dylan. But it’s rare enough that when the apple falls fairly close to the tree, we notice.

Based on “What Other Guy” Adam Cohen seems to have inherited his dad’s deadpan delivery of wickedly honest lyrics. “I can draw you with my eyes closed / See you with nothing on but the radio / I know how many years of French you took / Your favorite movies, your favorite books.” He’s even got the senior Cohen’s knack for subtle arrangements featuring acoustic guitars, tasteful strings, and delicate female background vocals.

The album was released back in October in Europe and Canada but has been held up for a US release until this April. I’m looking forward to hearing the whole thing.

I hope Adam — and everybody else! — adheres to Leonard Cohen’s Seven Immutable Laws of Business, especially number three: “There’s nothing you can do behind your desk that can’t be more effectively accomplished with a beautiful, long-haired, chain-smoking woman lying naked next to you in bed.”

Video: Adam Cohen – “What Other Guy” (live)

Video: Adam Cohen – “What Other Guy” – Official Music Video

Adam Cohen: web, Facebook, Twitter

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Download the new Cold War Kids single: Minimum Day

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MP3: Cold War Kids – “Minimum Day”

I’ve held a bit of an irrational grudge against the Cold War Kids since 2007 when we ran an interview with them by a new GLONO contributor whose writing read like P.R. copy. We tried to encourage him to put a little more personality in his stuff and he got offended. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth and for some reason I’ve taken it out on the Cold War Kids. It’s ridiculous, I know, but what can you do?

Anyway, this new song should clear away that baggage. It’s got more muscle than I remember this band having in the past. Not sure if that’s due to the addition of a new guitar player or what, but I like it. “Minimum Day” reminds me of the Go, which is certainly a good sign.

There’s also a dub version of the song available, but it sucks so don’t bother.

Tour Dates
Portland: Doug Fir (Feb 26, 27, 28)
Seattle: Columbia City Theater (March 1,2,3)
San Francisco: Bottom of the Hill (March 5,6,7)

Tickets available January 20 at coldwarkids.com.

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Dana Falconberry – Petoskey Stone

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MP3: Dana Falconberry – “Petoskey Stone” from Though I Didn’t Call It Came, out January 24 on Crossbill Records.

Anybody who’s spent any time in Northern Michigan should immediately be able to relate to this song.

“When I was a kid I would spend hours searching for them along the shores of the Lake, dipping rocks in the water to see if they would light up with magic shapes,” Falconberry says. “That area of Michigan is so majestic and peaceful and it’s been really important to me and my family. [This song] is a celebration of that land as well as a reverence for the passing of time that somehow seems to be so apparent there.”

Dana Falconberry: web, Facebook, Twitter

*Photo credit: Sierra DaSilva

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Phosphorescent – The Mermaid Parade

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MP3: Phosphorescent – "The Mermaid Parade"

This song is a year and a half old, but I was just turned on to it a couple weeks ago when John P. Strohm turned up in GLONO’s turntable.fm room and played it as his favorite song of 2010. I’ve been obsessed with it ever since.

The first thing that grabbed me, not surprisingly, was the line about “naked women dancing.” On the second or third pass, I caught the bit about “our two years of marriage in two short weeks somehow just slipped away.” Whoa! After that, I put it on repeat and listened to it about ten times in a row, just like a teenage girl at the beach with Depeche Mode’s “Somebody.”

That must have been a fucked up couple of weeks for this couple if they both hooked up with new people so shortly after their bodies were “like live wires down on the beach in Mexico.” But god damn, it’s a brutal song. And the performance is so damaged, barely holding it together, which reminds me of my favorite Souled American songs. But even more emotionally engaging.

“The Mermaid Parade” is available on Here’s to Taking It Easy (Dead Oceans, 2010)