God Help The Girl

God Help The Girl is a new project from Stuart Murdoch, the chief writer from Belle And Sebastian. There was a really good article on the project in this weeks Glasgow Herald on saturday and Stuart Bailie of radio Ulster played a couple of tracks on Friday night whic sounded fantastic.

The first single is out now with a LP and EP to follow on RTough Trade records.

Let me know what you think!

Townes

I have just picked up Steve Earle's tribute album to his mentor Townes Van Zandt, simply entitled Townes, a 2CD edition is available with Steve's basic tracks on the second CD.

Steve Earle is one of our finest songwriters. He has at least three masterpieces under his belt (I Feel Alright, El Corazon and Transcendental Blues). "Townes" is a heartfelt tribute/cover of Earle's hero Townes Van Zandt. I have to admit that I dont know enough about Townes Van Zandt and his legacy, but this goldmine collection of covers amkes me want to seek out TVZ originals.

Highlights include the well known country standard "Pancho and Lefty" (Earle does not do a great version of this, check out Willie Nelson nailing this song), the transcendent ode to wanderlust: "White Freightliner Blues", the slow blue burn of "Brand New Companion" and finally the simple but painfully beautiful "To Live is to Fly". The past miles of tried and tired experiences come through as Steve's haunted voice and weeping guitar pay tribute to a fallen angel.

I think this may be an essential release and the good news is he is touring this album, looks like November dates for the UK.

Morrissey 50 Tomorrow at the MEN

It is the great Mozzas 50th Birthday gig tomorrow in Manchester! Will you be there??

Buddy and Julie Miller - Written In Chalk

Buddy and Julie Miller have released what is I think their third album.




Most will be familiar with Buddy Miller great atmospheric and rootsy guitar playing on albums from a wide range of artists Frank Black, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams and many many more. Similarly Julie Miller has worked on a huge body of tremendous work as a vocalist and songwriter (Enmmylou gad a great version of her All my Tears).

The new album is absolutely superb and features an excellent supporting cast including Robert Plant, Emmylou Harris and in particular Patti Griffin.

The track listing and release details are:

Buddy & Julie Miller
Written In Chalk
New West Records, 2009

1) Ellis County
2) Gasoline And Matches
3) Don't Say Goodbye
4) What You Gonna Do Leroy
5) Long Time
6) One Part, Two Part
7) Chalk
8) Everytime We Say Goodbye
9) Hush, Sorrow
10) Memphis Jane
11) June
12) The Selfishness Of Man

Thoroughly recommended listening. This wee clip gives a great flavour of the album and with some nice acoustic performances from Buddy

Great Jayhawks re-issues on the way.

UPDATE: This album now in the shops!

For fans of The Jayhawks or Gary Lourdis Mark Olson I am delighted to shamelesly pinch this from Addicted To Vinyl:

Let’s start with the anthology, which will be available as both a single disc issue, and the 2 CD version which will have a 2nd CD full of 20 rare and unreleased tracks starting with a track from the band’s long out-of-print debut Bunkhouse, and wrapping up with 8 (!) tracks from the sessions for Rainy Day Music, including “Help Me Forget,".

Here is the track listing for Music From The North Country:

DISC ONE: Two Angels / Ain’t No End / Waiting for the Sun / Martin’s Song / Clouds / Settled Down Like Rain / Blue / I’d Run Away / Over My Shoulder / Miss Williams’ Guitar / Trouble / Big Star / The Man Who Loved Life / Smile / I’m Gonna Make You Love Me / What Led Me To This Town / Tailspin / All the Right Reasons / Save It For a Rainy Day / Angelyne

DISC TWO: Falling Star (from Bunkhouse Album, 1986) / Old Woman From the Red Clay (alt version) / That’s the Bag I’m In (KFAI recording) / Won’t Be Coming Home (early demo) / Stone Cold Mess (HTH outtake) / Mission on 2nd (demo) / Lights (from Sweet Relief album, a classic!) / Darling Today (Blown Away soundtrack) / Break My Mind / Get the Load Out (both “Bad Time” B-sides) / Poor Little Fish (alt version) / Someone Will (Live from Woman’s Club) / Cure for This (this and all the rest are from the band’s rehearsal studio, 1999-2001)/ I Can Make It on My Own / Rotterdam / Follow Me / In the Canyon / Tailspin (alt version) / I Think I’ve Had Enough (Louris home tape) / Help Me Forget

Reissues of Hollywood Town Hall, Tomorrow The Green Grass, Sound of Lies, Smile, and Rainy Day Music are also on the way from the band and Sony Music! There are a total of 30 bonus tracks spread across the five albums slated for reissue.

Okay, now I can grumble about the fact that the shelved Lost Highway CD issue of Bunkhouse hasn’t happened, and the double live album from the Rainy Day Music tour remains on the shelf as well. BUT - Reissues of the two classic Jayhawks albums (Hollywood and Tomorrow) AND Sound of Lies, Smile and Rainy Day Music?

Sorry about lack of updates!

Hopefully will be back on track soon(ish)!!

Neil Young Archives Vol. 1

Get your money out Neil Young fans:

Neil Young’s long-in-the-works and much-anticipated Archives Vol. 1 1963-1972 finally has a release date: June 2nd. The set features 128 tracks, 43 unreleased recordings, three live concerts, a 236-page full-color hardcover book and Young’s debut feature film Journey Through The Past, which is being released for the first time since its 1973 theatrical run. The set charts Young’s career from the Squires to Buffalo Springfield to his early solo works and finally his 1972 album Harvest.

Archives Vol. 1 was originally scheduled for Summer 2007, then pushed to February 2008, then autumn of last year and now finally June 2nd. The 10-disc box set will be available in both DVD and Blu-Ray, as well as an eight-disc CD package that won’t include Journey Through the Past or the hardcover book.

This is the first volume of the Neil Young Archives series of box sets, produced by Neil Young himself. Volume I covers the period from his earliest recordings with The Squires in Winnipeg, 1963, through to his classic 1972 album Harvest and beyond, including studio and live tracks with the legendary Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Neil Young with Crazy Horse.

Audio in the Blu-ray edition is presented in ultra-high resolution 24-bit / 192 kHz stereo PCM state-of-the-art master quality sound, while audio in the DVD edition is presented in high resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz stereo PCM audiophile quality sound. The CD edition is presented in standard resolution 16-bit / 44 kHz stereo PCM CD quality sound.

Each of the 10 Blu-ray discs feature 1920x1080 high definition picture quality while the 10 DVD discs have 720x480 standard definition picture quality.

An interactive timeline feature, which presents an in-depth overview of Young's life and career, is in both the Blu-ray and DVD editions, The Timeline on the Blu-ray edition is enhanced with BD Live™ capability, which enables users to download additional content to their players or to external drives.

Completing Volume 1 in the Blu-ray and DVD editions is Young's acclaimed first film, Journey Through The Past, which is now available for the first time since its original theatrical release in 1973. This disc features pristine picture transfer, audio presented in both DTS-HD 5.1 surround and stereo 24-bit / 96 kHz PCM, plus archival materials.

The Blu-ray and DVD editions are sold in a durable custom display box that houses a lavish 236-page full-color hardbound book that features additional archival materials, tapes database, and detailed descriptions of the music and artwork; a foldout Archives poster, a custom keeper for the 10 sleeved discs, and more. The CD edition is sold in a custom disc keeper for the 8 sleeved discs and descriptive booklet.

(thanks to Diverse Vinyl for this information)

Morrissey Stirling

What an excellent gig he still has it! Great band, basically the same touring band as for a few years now, came straight out and into This Charming Man. Morrissey was in good humour throughout and presented a great, varied set list:
This Charming Man
Billy Budd
Black Cloud
How Soon Is Now
Irish Blood English Heart
I Keep Mine Hidden
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
Girlfriend In A Coma
Something Is Squeezing My Skull
Seasick, Yet Still Docked
When Last I Spoke To Carol
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Some Girls are Bigger Than Others
Let Me Kiss you
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself
Best Friend On The Payroll
The Loop
I'm OK By Myself

Encore: First Of The Gang To Die

A couple of clips to follow! If you are in Dundee tomorrow enjoy!

Bob Dylan SECC & Edinburgh

Edinburgh Playhouse:

1. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (Bob on keyboard)
2. Lay, Lady, Lay (Bob on guitar)
3. Tangled Up In Blue (Bob on keyboard)
4. When The Deal Goes Down (Bob on keyboard)
5. Rollin' And Tumblin' (Bob on keyboard)
6. Tryin' To Get To Heaven (Bob on keyboard)
7. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
(Bob on keyboard)
8. Sugar Baby (Bob on keyboard)
9. High Water (For Charley Patton) (Bob on guitar)
10. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) (Bob on guitar)
11. Po' Boy (Bob on keyboard)
12. Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on keyboard)
13. Ain't Talkin' (Bob on keyboard)
14. Summer Days (Bob on keyboard)
15. Like A Rolling Stone (Bob on keyboard)

(encore)

16. All Along The Watchtower (Bob on keyboard)
17. Just Like A Woman (Bob on guitar)
18. Blowin' In The Wind (Bob on keyboard)



Glasgow SECC

Setlist:

1. Maggie's Farm (Bob on keyboard)
2. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Bob center stage on harp)
3. 'Til I Fell In Love With You (Bob center stage on guitar)
4. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll (Bob on keyboard and harp)
5. The Levee's Gonna Break (Bob on keyboard)
6. Workingman's Blues #2 (Bob on keyboard and harp)
7. Ballad Of Hollis Brown (Bob on keyboard)
8. Visions Of Johanna (Bob on keyboard and harp)
9. Honest With Me (Bob on keyboard)
10. Every Grain Of Sand (Bob on keyboard and harp)
11. Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on keyboard)
12. Ain't Talkin' (Bob on keyboard)
13. Thunder On The Mountain (Bob on keyboard)
14. Like A Rolling Stone (Bob on keyboard)

Encore:

15. All Along The Watchtower (Bob on keyboard)
16. Spirit On The Water (Bob on keyboard and harp)
17. Blowin' In The Wind (Bob on keyboard and harp)

I am not going to review this as I think some people will claim it was about being there. At the SECC he played one of my favourite Bob songs, Every Grain of Sand and I did not realise what it was. Hmmmmm