the of mirror eye

so. i just accidentally erased all my data. and no, i didn’t have a backup. so. i’m just gonna provide a list of links to the mp3’s and i’ll get back to the regular program. i’m such an idiot. well, thanks to my friends suggestion. i’ve at least recovered the text.

* mum: weeping rock, rock | oh, how the boat drifts | green grass tunnel
from jul 26th, 2004 : bowery ballroom : new york city, ny

in honor of the changing seasons, the increased darkness and the falling leaves, i’ll be sharing some songs that really get me in the mood to hibernate. these songs are perfect for when you’re in your house alone, it’s dark, you’re drinking whiskey by yourself and you’re crying…oh. wait. maybe i’m thinking of different songs.

mum are a band that weave intricate electronic and organic sounds together into a beautiful mix, with twee/childlike vocals drifting over the top. i’ve always imagined iceland (where this band is from) to be an otherworldy, magical place. full of mystery and strange happenings. and this music would provide the soundtrack to those adventures.

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* devendra banhart: at the hop | little monkeystep in the name of love | the beard is for siobhan
from oct 15, 2004 : lille vega : copenhagen, denmark

devendra banhart is a folk/psych/mystic troubadour and is one of the new wave of free(k) folk musicians. i’ve read a lot about him and had a couple of friends recommend him to me, but these recordings are my first introduction to him. and i love what i hear. his songs have a delightful/playful air to them and his voice wobbles and emotes lyrics that, at the same time, are both familiar and cryptic.

this is a wonderful recording. upfront, with an attentive and unobtrusive audience. reviews of his live show all say that he’s a magical performer and if these recordings are any indication at all, i’ll definitely be seeing him the next time he comes into town.

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* spinal tap: big bottom | stonehenge | jazz odyssey
from this is spinal tap : alternate and extended mixes

one of the greatest movies of all time - this is spinal tap - introduced the world to the glorious music of spinal tap. this band is a pioneer in the musc world. with songs that feature not one, not two, but three bassists and a bass synthesizer. they brought legitimacy and respect to the pop-metal genre. unfortunately, their career was derailed at the worst possible moment when they decided to break up. their various solo gigs failed miserably: Lead guitarist Tufnel’s much-anticipated trilogy, Clam Caravan (which includes the neoclassical “Lick My Love Pump”) remains “under construction”; St. Hubbins’s “Saucy Jack,” a musical based on the life of Jack The Ripper, opened and closed in London in record time; and bassist Derek Smalls played the North England pub circuit in various Tap copy bands.

at any rate, just listen to the three tracks above and i’m sure you’ll agree that “it’s a fine line between clever and stupid” - just imagine a miniature stonehenge, 1.5 feet tall, with little people dressed as elves dancing around it, being careful to not wreck it. these tracks come from a 4.5 hour bootleg version of this is spinal tap. rumour has it that there’s actually a 10 hour version?!?! and if you haven’t watched the movie yet, your doing yourself a great disservice.

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* camodia rocks: seven | nine | eighteen
from va - cambodian rocks

so, i think this is what happened. despite cambodia’s efforts to remain neutral during the vietnam war, the U.S. decided to invade and assert its dominance. the U.S. soldiers brought with them the garage/psych/rave-up music of the west. the cambodian musicians began incorporating western music into their own, creating a fairly unique sound. after pol pot and the khemer rouge gained power in 1975, many of these musicans disappeared as the khemer rouge tried to “purify” its country of western influence.

this compilation consists of music from the late 60’s to right before pol pot gained power. the album, unfortunately, contains precious little information about the musicians and lacks even rudimentary things like song titles. but, nevertheless, take a good listen. this is great music.

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oh yeah. for the person asking where to obtain this. you can get it at amazon or most retailers. the title is: cambodia rocks. it’s on the label: parallel world. cat #: pw-cd6.

this is not to be confused with the similarly titled cabodia rocks vol 1 and 2. i have neither of those, but i understand that they are also excellent compilations.

* the mountain goats: palmcorder yajna | rome wasn’t built in a day
from oct 18, 2004 : the earl : atlanta, ga

well. there was some traffic on the mountain goats community journal about the ethics of downloading easily available songs after i posted the mountain goats cover of “the sign”. and while i agree that we should wholeheartedly support our favorite artists, i disagree that audio blogs like this one or most of the other ones i’ve seen are taking money away from the artists. the purpose of this blog is to introduce people to new music. and in doing so, creating more fans who will hopefully buy more music. also, it’s not like i’ve made available whole albums, this is just one song from one album.

at any rate. to placate all you haters, here’s a couple songs, fresh off the presses, from a recent performance. palmcorder yajna (as an aside, one of the cool things about live music is when performers change lyrics/melodies in songs. you can hear the original recording at the 4ad site) has got to be one of my favorite songs from the new album, we shall all be healed. i think the lines “and i dreamt of a house, haunted by all you tweakers with your hands out” really pulled me in and never let me go. the next song is a cover song (anyone know who peformed the original?) where he tries to get all these indie kids to sing. it’s pretty fantastic.

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* otis redding: these arms of mine | pain in my heart | (i can’t get no) satisfaction
from jun 04, 1967 : try a little tenderness : stockholm, sweden

oh, otis redding, it most certainly is star time. this soul genius had a short but extremely fruitful time on this planet. this rock and roll hall of famer is an amazing songwriter and soul singer. while otis redding the recording artist is most certainly worthy of r-e-s-p-e-c-t, by all reports, it was otis redding the performer that really showed the world over just how big his soul really was.

these three tracks from a performance about six months before he passed are incredible. when he’s singing “these arms of mine” or “pain in my heart” you really feel the longing in his soul. and the rock/soul reworking of the rolling stones “(i can’t get no) satisfaction” is absolutely stunning. it’s a rave-up version that, i imagine, got everyone up from their seats and dancing. i can just picture everyone trying to keep up as otis keeps everything going faster and faster.

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* the shins: caring is creepy | new slang
from feb 08, 2004 : canes ballroom : mission beach, ca

if you haven’t seen the movie gardenstate yet, you should definitely go. the movie is zach braff’s directorial debut and is a fantastic portrayal of the search for ones self after years of being in a lithium induced coma. it also features the acting talents of the lovely natalie portman. she does an amazing job here and i’m forced to reevaluate her acting abilities because i honestly haven’t really liked or seen anything she’s done since the professional.

at any rate, what does this have to do with the shins? nothing really, except that the above two tracks, caring is creepy and new slang, feature pretty prominently in the movie. the shins are a great guitar based pop band from albuquerque, nm. they’ve been around in one form or another for the past decade or so, quietly making some of the most beautiful pop music around.

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i still can’t believe i did this. take my advice. back up your work. this sucks!