'Love will find you in the end'

Matt Ward and band were on fine form at the Borderline on wednesday night, playing much of the new album (particular shouts for 'Rave on' and 'Fisher of Men') and dipping into his now considerable back list (an opening duo of 'Lullaby & Exile' and 'Fuel for Fire', performed solo, were particularly lovely). His new single 'Never had Nobody Like You' seems to be getting some great airplay on 6Music, but it's long puzzled me why he's not bigger than he is. Oh well, some things are best kept at a level, and he seemed to be enjoying himself a great deal the other night (along with the multi-instrumentalist and fine whistler Mike Coykendall, sporting a cool old Richmond Fontaine t-shirt - respect).
Here's an interview by Laura Barton in yesterday's Guardian, M Ward - A few of my favourite things

Fleet or Flat?

I saw the first of Fleet Foxes’ three nights at the Roundhouse on Sunday and was very pleasantly surprised. While I enjoyed their album, and EP, of last year, there was a suspicion that there was something a little too austere or clinical about them, particularly with the album. But on Sunday they lit up the venue, as the songs seemed to take on a new life. The five piece band were all exceptional and looked genuinely excited and proud to be starting a run of shows at the venue, and the singer, Robin Pecknold’s, warm and open interaction with the crowd put many more taciturn stars to shame. It was a genuinely lovely gig, with stand outs ranging from his totally unmiced cover of ‘Katie Cruel’ (and impromptu snatched verse/chorus of ‘It ain’t me babe’) to the band’s gleeful takes on ‘Mykonos’ and ‘Your Protector’. I went into this gig thinking they might be a bit of a let down, after all the hype of last year, but came away thoroughly won over. Here’s to M Ward on Wednesday, which will certainly be my last live gig for quite sometime…

Sunday Soul

It's been a bit of a chaos weekend, so here's something lovely: from her approriately titled 2006 album, The Greatest, it's Cat Power and
'Lived in Bars'

Hold Time

Having been on my sick-bed for the last couple of days, i haven't been able to pick up M Ward's new album, Hold Time, yet, but I can't wait. One of my favourite artists, by a country mile, this new album includes contributions from Lucinda Williams (hooray), Zooey Deschanel (She - hooray) and Jason Lyttle (Grandaddy - hooray) and promises many treasures, not least covers of Don Gibson's 'Oh Lonsome Me' and Buddy Holly's 'Rave On'. Anyone who may have heard his earlier covers, such as Bowie's 'Let's Dance' and Louis Armstrong's 'Sweethearts on Parade' will know that here's a man who knows how to take on a great song.
For a preview of the album and some cool videos (check out the very cool animation in 'Chinese Translation') see mwardmusic
And if you're going, see you at his Borderline show next week...

Amazing Grace

here's Willie, for my friends Paddy and Alice, who got married on Saturday...

On the turntable...

'What was there?' i asked Peter Murphy as he wrote and thought about his fine debut novel. Here's what he said:

'My top 10 Records Used as Inspirational Laxative During the Writing of John the Revelator'

The Soul of a Man - Blind Willie Johnson
Deserter's Songs - Mercury Rev
Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada EP - Godspeed You Black Emperor
Anthology of American Folk Music - Various Artists
'Tunic (Song for Karen)' - Sonic Youth
'Lake Of Fire' - Meat Puppets
'A Thing Called Love' - Johnny Cash
Funeral - Arcade Fire
Dead Man Soundtrack - Neil Young
Passio - Arvo Part

'Who's that a-writing?'

This is a cool promo/reading from Peter Murphy (the Hot Press journo's) debut novel, John the Revelator. Already acclaimed in the early Irish reviews as a modern day masterpiece, it's officially out tomorrow. All i'm saying is that the novel is every bit as great as the song...

Paul Newman Saves the Night - free 'Northline' downloads

I wrote here at xmas about the gorgeous soundtrack that was included with the first edition of Willy Vlautin's brilliant second novel Northline . The lovely new pbk edition doesn't include the soundtrack, sadly, but i do have two of the songs here to download:

Northline, Theme

Paul Newman Saves the Night

Amanda Petrusich Playlist

I asked Amanda, author of the aforementioned It Still Moves,
what she'd been listening to most recently...

Here are 10 tracks I've been listening to over and over again this winter:
Blood Bank - Bon Iver
My Girls - Animal Collective
Dead City/Waste Wilderness - Abe Vigoda
Sin City - the Flying Burrito Brothers
The Best We Ever Had - Andre Ethier
The Shrew - Beirut
Shake and Fingerpop - Junior Walker
Old Hat - Ben Kweller
Sinking in the Lonesome Sea - the Carter Family
Most everything off "The Art of Field Recording, Volume II

Sunday...

is usually soul day here, but i read somewhere this week that Ryan Adams and the Cardinals were no more, for a while at least as he publishes his book of poetry Infinity Blues. Now while i might never have been the biggest fan of the Cardinals, they definitely had their moments (Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Nights in particular are great records), and so here's a really nice version of a stunning track off Easy Tiger.