Weekend music

I have this memory of watching Karate play with Chisel at Bryn Mawr sometime in the mid 90’s that is always perfectly clear when I think of it. I was there with my friend Mike and a handful of others, and the turnout was surprisingly low. It’s funny that after all these years, I still consider myself a fan of both Geoff Farina and Ted Leo. In fact, the last Ted Leo show I went to was one of the most emotionally stressful events of my adult life, but not because of Ted himself, more because of a long lost love that was with him. That’s another story for another day.

Anyhow, as I sifted through some mp3s to post today, I came across one of my favorite songs of like, ever. Karate’s “Cherry Coke” is a heavy, melodic and still toe-tapping sample of Karate that hasn’t aged in ten years. That’s a good thing.

The Silver Jews have some new stuff floating around, and if you aren’t familiar, I suggest The Silver Jews’ “How Can I Love You (If You Won’t Lay Down)” as the official song of summer 2005. Catchy, smart and oddly reminiscent of the Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs epic, the song sticks with you all day, in a good way. There’s also “Farmer’s Hotel”, which Stereogum calls “Malkmusy”. I don’t know though — sounds more like a Kannberg/Berman union than a Malkmus one. Anywho, both songs are great. If you’ve never read Berman’s poetry, you really should.

If you like Bonnie Prince Billy (aka Will Oldham) and R. Kelly, you are in for a treat when you listen to BPB cover “Ignition”.

Newer to me is a Canadian group called The Book of Lists, and their song “Sweet Malady” is spacey, poppy and sweet. Chris Frey’s voice is hypnotic, perfect for a day when you decide to splash around in the rain.

Oh I also need to thank Stereogum for this new My Morning Jacket song: “Off the Record”, for those looking forward to their new album, Z, which comes out in October. Also coming out in October is Crowe’s Elizabethtown, which will be putting out an EP in conjunction with The Coalition of Independent Music Stores to benefit The Center for Women and Families. Musicians to be featured on the EP are Patty Griffin, Bill Monroe, Elvis Presley, My Morning Jacket, Nancy Wilson and Sun Kil Moon (covering Neil Diamond’s ‘Kentucky Woman’). Looking forward to that, though probably not Elizabethtown as much. [Here, watch the trailer.]

Finally, my favorite album of 2003 (or at least in the Top 5), that has been playing a lot lately:

No one is more addictive than Mark Kozelek.

Late Addition Post Script: Please visit Party Ben and get the Fugazi vs. Destiny’s Child Mashup [or just right click/save as with that link there.] Thank you Jen!

If Karate wasn’t a big part of your life growing up, I don’t know how you learned to be cool. I remember the coolest night of my high school career was having an older guy hand me a Karate mixtape and rolling me up a joint.

Anyway, Party Ben is my new friend. Not really, though. But I would like to stalk him.

That’s a killer MMJ song, I like the little Hawaii 5-0 break. Thanks for the tunes.

OMG WILL OLDHAM DOING “IGNITION.” (Note: Get me drunk enough and I have been known to sing that song myself. Maybe it’s a Louisville thing?) I saw Superwolf back during school, and that was amazing.

The new MMJ song is good, and I can’t wait until the album and the CD release shows that will come with it. MMJ is one of the best live shows I have ever seen, when I saw their show for the release of “It Still Moves.”

Incidentally, I’ve been having to chaffeur my family around lately, and since I don’t have any tapes of my own, I’ve been listening to the mixtape you sent me a couple of years ago quite a bit.

Wow Kyle I can’t believe you still have that tape … I don’t even remember what all I put on there. Awesome!

Bless you. Bless You. Bless YOU for the Karate “cherry coke” mp3 link. I had the original 7″ years ago - my friends started the Art Monk Construction label it came out on - but some wily meathead in college circa ‘98 stole it to file under his extensive Danzig collection. It makes me ever so happy to hear it again.