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Watch: Jesus & Mary Chain w/ Hope Sandoval “Sometimes Always” Live – 1994

by on Friday, November 13, 2009 at 10:47 pm EDT in Arts & Entertainment, Music

If you were told The Jesus & Mary Chain were attempting to pen a love song — a duet — this is EXACTLY what you’d hope to get from them.  Somehow they managed to incorporate their signature detached (brooding) style — something unheard of in a traditional love song — and yet it works here on so many levels.  They found the perfect female counterpart to Jim Reid in Hope Sandoval — ex-lead singer of Mazzy Star.

For me the song conjures up images of the American west — I’m thinking desert tumbleweed blowing around, Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, a young couple overcoming typical male indiscretion and indifference — both projecting the energy level of two junk addicts.  Wait a minute, am I simply recalling the treatment for the original promo video?  But there IS beauty lurking behind this lifelessness.

Over the years, I’ve continued to come back to this song, ‘Sometimes Always,’ whenever I contemplate dusting off one of the old J&MC CDs.  Here they are with Hope Sandoval performing live on the David Letterman Show in 1994.  Enjoy!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvuI911C2y8[/youtube]

The single, ‘Sometimes Always,’ or their full length greatest hits album, 21 Singles, can be downloaded here: The Jesus and Mary Chain - 21 Singles - Sometimes Always

Watch: The La’s Perform “There She Goes” On David Letterman – 1991

by on Friday, November 6, 2009 at 2:21 pm EDT in Arts & Entertainment, Music

Here’s an old favorite of mine by Liverpudlian group, The La’s . I was fortunate to have seen these guys play live twice — once at the Town & Country in London, England (early 1991) and again the following year at a festival in the Washington, DC area.  They’ve got a great sense of melody– singer Lee Mavers has a real Beatlesque feel to his songwriting — and they put on an excellent live show.  I was expecting huge things from them then, but they unfortunately disbanded sometime after their first album.

In 1999, Sixpence None The Richer covered ‘There She Goes’ which became that band’s second hit single.

I personally have always preferred The La’s original version.  Here they are live in 1991, making their American television debut on the David Letterman Show.  Enjoy!:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPohWlSyQG4[/youtube]

You can download The La’s “There She Goes” single, or the full length album here:  The LA's - The La's - There She Goes

Watch: Bon Iver “Skinny Love” on David Letterman

by on Friday, October 9, 2009 at 2:32 pm EDT in Arts & Entertainment, Music

My sister just tipped me off on this band, Bon Iver.  For those of you in the ‘know’ I’m sure you’re sayin’, “Hey, that song’s been out nearly a year!  Get with the program!”

🙂  Point taken.  Anyways, for those of you who are also just a step behind the times, here’s a great song I think you’ll like, called “Skinny Love” from their For Emma album, as performed on David Letterman about–a’hmm–a year ago.  Enjoy! :

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pelzrd1wWIA[/youtube]


Bon Iver’s single, “Skinny Love,” or the full length album,  For Emma, Forever Ago, can be downloaded here:  Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago - Skinny Love