We’ll get right into things today since you’re probably trying to get in that last blast of summer and shouldn’t be sitting around looking at a computer screen. So let’s check out what’s been going on with a lengthy batch of links…
Now go outside and enjoy your last day off till Columbus Day. Go!
It’s not much of a secret that a healthy number of musicians are pulling for a certain Junior Senator from Illinois to get the Democratic Presidential nomination. As the continuing primary slug fest enters another week, we get a couple more concert/rallies in support of Barrack Obama. This time Arcade Fire and Chapel Hill’s own Superchunk will team up for a pair of shows in Greensboro and Carrboro, North Carolina, on May 1 and 2. Tickets are being distributed on a first come, first serve basis at some of the locations listed in this article.
The Obama campaign is also making a statewide push to encourage voters to take advantage of North Carolina’s first-ever One Stop Early Voting process, which allows voters who are not registered or who have never voted before to register and vote at the same place, on the same day, all at once. So make sure you go and exercise your right as an American. And that’s one to grow on.
If Rockin’ The Vote ain’t you thing, then maybe one of these tours will be for you:
Finally, Ozzy Osbourne has ditched the touring metal-fest that carried his moniker if favor of reviving the single day Monsters Of Rock festival that was staple for over fifteen years. The all day fest will take place at the McMahon Stadium in Calgary on July 26th and will feature the likes of Judas Priest, Serj Tankian, Hatebreed, Shadows Fall and of course the Prince of Darkness himself.
The Silver Jews yentas over at Pitchfork always seem to have the Berman-related scoop, and today they’re reporting the title of the band’s forthcoming LP will be Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. The album hits some time in April 2008, but so far there’s no confirmed information, speculative rumors, innuendos, hints or allegations about either a tracklist or a subsequent tour. So far.
So naturally I spent the last 15 minutes fucking around on The YouTube watching as many Silver Jews clips as possible, but as it turns out, there’s a serious dearth of quality shit. The best I could do is this video of Black and Brown Blues and Smith & Jones Forever from the Grey Eagle at Ashevegas, North Carolina. Random Rules may contain the best opening line in music — “In 1984 I was hospitalized for approaching perfection” — but Smith & Jones Forever is clearly the best SJ song.
Agreed? In any event, now we can all anticipate a new batch of genius…
“Hey, you…get your damn hands off my Internet videos.” –George McFly, 1955
Some time during HT Weekend Posting Hours I salivated over the upcoming SXSW premiere of the new David Berman-intensive documentary Silver Jew. In dual congratulatory honor of this release and my salivary glands working properly, here’s a cool clip of the Jews playing my favorite SJ tune, Smith & Jones Forever:
- David Berman begets Stephen Malkmus, and Malkmus begets jaws dropped to the floor. So to follow the logical progression, it’s Jenny & the Ess-Dog time, this one from David Letterman’s Heady Emporium on CBS. Check out Paul Schaffer’s helping hand and Stephen’s perfect head of hair.
- Like Silver Jew, another item of import that forced drool from my mouth this week was Levon Helm’s return to New York City for another “adult dose.” In order to pump everyone up for this impending St. Patrick’s Day miracle, let’s take a closer look at the man some might call the Greatest Person Ever To Live (I seen it written, yo). Levon, his lowercase band and Jimmy Vivino recently raised $5,000 for the arts program at Onteora High School, and Seventh Hour Blues produced a great video of a live Evangeline and a nice schmaltzy story. Look it here.
- There’s no ultra-smooth segue between Levon and Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes, so I’ll just get straight to the point here. The Allman Brothers in Arms sat down backstage for an understated version of Old Friend, and it’s just always cool to check in and see two accomplished musicians fuckin’ around. On a related note, Derek Trucks is a Golden God! Oh, it’s New Guitar God? Whatever, Rolling Stone.
- I’d like to end on a non-video, just for the filth flarn filth of it. This YouTube clip is simply a solitary still shot of Leonard Cohen on stage, presumably in mid-syllable; but, it’s an incredible live version of Seems So Long Ago, Nancy that deserves your polite attention (thanks to Marco Benevento for getting me into that tune by playing it wonderfully at Tonic).
I’ve got no cousin Chuck, and I ain’t Marvin, but if I did and if I were, I’d call him right now and tell him about Derek Trucks…that’s the new sound I’m lookin’ for.
I’m an admitted Silver Jews newb, but I’ve finally come to the realization that the best opening line to any album I own belongs to American Water‘s “In 1984, I was hospitalized for approaching perfection.” Talk about a lure, that’s it.
For all the David Berman fans out there, Pitchfork is reporting a new documentary called Silver Jew will premiere at SXSW before moving on to film festivals in Sarasota, Nashville and Boston (with DVD plans in the works).
Here are the pertinent details about the flick for your perusal:
Director Michael Tully captures the Middle Eastern leg of the Jews’ tour in the new documentary Silver Jew, following Berman, his wife Cassie, and the rest of the band– keyboardist Tony Crow, drummer Brian Kotzur, and guitarists Peyton Pinkerton and William Tyler– around at two Tel Aviv gigs and a trip to Jerusalem. The 51-minute film, edited by Jane Rizzo and produced by Matthew Robison for Nashville’s Walter O. Robison Productions, premieres at SXSW in Austin (March 9-17, exact screenings TBA). –Pitchfork
Previously on Hidden Track: SXSW: An Exercise in Band Names (lineup)
