The back-to-back Irish flourishes of “The Gulf of Mexico” and “Molly-O” invoke Irish sing-alongs, with the former responding to the BP oil spill by way of beautifully executed choruses. “God is God” is a soul-baring rumination on the existence of God, or at least one’s personal belief. Earle lays it all out there with the line “I believe in God, and God ain’t us.” The song, as well as the rest of the album, is aided by T-Bone Burnett’s production, similar to his work on the Crazy Heart soundtrack and the Grammy-winning Raising Sand from 2007.

A couple songs don’t mesh well with the material surrounding them. “Little Emperor” would feel relevant were it written anytime between 2000 and 2008, but now it only serves as a tired kick to a former commander in chief. “Meet Me in the Alleyway” tries to do something with Earle’s distorted vocals but ends up wearing out its welcome before reaching the aforementioned alleyway. Fortunately, the simple declarations of love in “Every Part of Me” (no doubt to wife Allison Moorer) and the haunting “This City”, an ode to New Orleans, more than make up for these slight missteps. I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive is a solid addition to Steve Earle’s vast catalog and a reminder that despite having a full plate, music is forever where his heart lays.

I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive is set to hit stores on April 26th via New West Records. While you’re waiting for the album to drop, peep the tracklist below.

I’ll Never Get Out Of This Alive Tracklist:
01. Waitin’ On The Sky
02. Little Emperor
03. The Gulf Of Mexico
04. Molly-O
05. God is God
06. Meet Me In The Alleyway
07. Every Part Of Me
08. Lonely Are The Free
09. Heaven or Hell
10. I Am A Wanderer
11. This City

Other contributing artists include Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Allison Moorer, and Sheryl Crow, who teamed up with both Lynn and Miranda Lambert for a rendition of the track “Coal Miner’s Daughter”.

The release will be available starting November 9th via Columbia Records. Below, you can find the tracklist, as well as a clip of The White Stripes performing “Rated X” live.

Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn Tracklist:
01. Gretchen Wilson – ‘Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)’
02. Lee Ann Womack – ‘I’m A Honky Tonk Girl’
03. The White Stripes – ‘Rated X’
04. Carrie Underwood – ‘You’re Lookin’ At Country’
05. Alan Jackson and Martina McBride – ‘Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man’
06. Paramore – ‘You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)’
07. Faith Hill – ‘Love Is The Foundation’
08. Steve Earle and Allison Moorer – ‘After The Fire Is Gone’
09. Reba featuring The Time Jumpers – ‘If You’re Not Gone Too Long’
10. Kid Rock – ‘I Know How’
11. Lucinda Williams – ‘Somebody Somewhere (Don’t Know What He’s Missin’ Tonight)’
12. Featuring Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert – ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’

Built in the 1870′s out of the undeveloped sand dunes called “outside lands” (hence the name of the Outside Lands Music Festival held here every August), the park was meant to rival New York City’s Central Park. And rival it, it did. Golden Gate Park ended up becoming a wonderful staging point for the various movements that the City by the Bay became known for over the last decade, such as the Human Be-In hippie movement with Jefferson Airplane, or The Greatful Dead and The Summer of Love progressive social phenomenon which brought 100,000 people to the park and the Upper Haight neighborhood. Today, the message of love, freedom, and unity in the park still lives with the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (or HSB).

The thing that makes the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival special is the fact that it is free, and not free in the sense that it was shilled out by a massive corporate sponsor. In this case we have philanthropic multi-billionaire Warren Hellman who, since 2001, has funded the festival every year out of his love for music and his appreciation for San Francisco. It started out as a pure bluegrass exhibition, but as it grew more popular with the masses, the genres were stretched (hence the “Hardly”) with more and more eclectic acts being added to the three-day event.

A free ticket price does make for some difficulties. Because it’s free, it seems like everyone in Northern California attends and this year there was an estimated 600,000 people attending the event (350,000 on Sunday alone). The stages are step up along a narrow stretch of road within the park, creating a huge bottleneck during peak hours of the festivals, in addition to hellish line-ups for portable toilets and food vendors. There was a sporadic shuttle that you could take into the festival for $2, other than that you had to find parking outside of the park and prepare for a long hike in. There was also some kerfuffle with the lack of enough bike racks to handle the crowds – seemed like every tree in the park had a bike tethered to it.

That said, there wasn’t really too much you could complain about, especially since you didn’t pay anything for it. Though drinking in the park was allowed and everyone seemed to have a can of beer or jug of wine in hand, I never saw anyone get too inebriated or dangerous. Keeping with the true peaceful spirit of the park, everyone just seemed to have a safe, good time. (However, it wouldn’t have killed some people to wear deodorant.) But hey, it wasn’t all just dreadlocked hippies and Mission District hipsters. There were lots of families with children, elderly couples camped out with lawn chairs and coolers, roaming packs of smiling teenagers, carefree couples, and what seemed like all the wagging pooches in the Bay Area. There was an overall social atmosphere that felt like you were there to hang out and talk to people just as much as you were there for the music. It was very casual, very chill, and very Californian.

Friday, October 1st

MC Hammer
Star Stage, 11:30 a.m.

Unfortunately, due to logistical issues, I was only able to catch one act on Friday and I ended up going to the one that really makes the term “Hardly” hit home. It was none other than MC Hammer of Hammertime and Hammer pants fame. Why was Hammer there? I’m still not sure, other than it had something to do with an educational aspect for children. That would explain why the entire front section of the stage turned into a corral for about 500 dancing schoolkids.

Either way, he drew quite a crowd that morning as people gathered around the fence to watch MC Hammer perform hits such as “Pray”, “2 Legit 2 Quit”, and “Can’t Touch This”. I’m actually laughing as I type those songs out and that was pretty much the same reaction during the set. Not that it was bad by any means, it was just hilarious to watch a crowd of people dance like idiots and yell “Stop! Hammer time!” between fits of giggles. There were a few older women in front of us really get into it, chugging back on their beers, telling us joyfully “Our kids are at school!” Either that or they were with the other schoolkids who were getting just as in to it as the adults.

Regardless, Hammer sounded great; the sound was bumping and his dancers were actually pretty amazing. All in all, it was a really odd yet infectiously fun way for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass to kick off.

Saturday, October 2nd

Exene
Porch Stage, 1:05 p.m.

Singer/writer/artist Exene Cervenka has had an interesting and progressive past. She co-fronted the revered LA punk band X in the late 1970′s with her then-boyfriend John Doe, which released seven albums including the prolific Wild Gift, she’s written several books, and had a one-person exhibition of her journals at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Nowadays, she fronts a band called The Knitters and does her own solo work just as Exene, which I got to see at HSB.

Exene and her band charmed the growing crowd at the Porch stage with her soft music and warm stage presence. It was not at all like anything she did with X – the punk had now been replaced with soft acoustics, haunting violin, and simple songwriting. It wasn’t anything spectacular but she did have the audience hanging onto her every word, with a few streaks of her rock and roll past coming through at opportune moments.

Songwriter Circle with Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, John Doe & David Olney
Rooster Stage, 2:30 p.m.

Next up was the Songwriter Circle, consisting of such music legends as the aforementioned John Doe, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, and David Olney. The act was pretty much as the name suggested, except of being in a circle, they all took turns performing in a line, one after the other. It was actually a really neat way of doing things, allowing each artist to sing their songs and give an ebb and flow of variety to the surprisingly long set. Given the range of voices and backgrounds, they drew a massive crowd too with people flanking the stage from all sides, even all the way up into the wooded crests.

I didn’t know too much about David Olney (even though his songs have been covered by Johnny Cash), but he sang a wonderful, gruff song called “Titanic”, the only one about that fateful accident “sung from the iceberg’s point of view.” The suited John Doe was the more rousing singer of the bunch and the only one who stood up to perform, a dapper contrast to the rustic environment. Like Olney, Keen, and Earle, he stuck to a lot of his hits such as “The Golden State” (which naturally had everyone singing along) and the deep “Burning House of Love” but he also sang a few songs off of his new album as well.

It was a wonderfully fitting show for the time and place. A sea of people all seated quietly, intensely immersed in the swooning acoustics, soulful singing, and whispering fog that rushed past the stage and into the trees.

Sunday, October 3rd

Martin Sexton
Star Stage, 11:40 a.m.

Sunday was one of the most packed, artist-filled days in Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’s history, with Indigo Girls, Patti Smith, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Emmylou Harris, and Rosanna Cash just to name a few. But because the day was so loaded, it made it impossible for me to see everything I wanted to. So I stuck to the Star Stage, which ended up being a great idea in the end. Tons of talented artists in a row from one comfy spot – what more could you want?

Opening up that stage was singer/songwriter Martin Sexton, whose wide-ranging vocals and beatboxing skills gave his folk music surprising depth and edge that is lacking in a lot of acoustic-driven music. Despite the fact that it was still early in the day, he had the sprawling area around the stage packed with fans eager to hear his famous mix of gospel, rock, blues, country and soul carried by his crystal-clear voice and amazing falsetto.

Umphrey’s McGee
Star Stage, 1:15 p.m.

I knew Umphrey’s McGee was going to be a wild ride compared to Martin Sexton, because as soon as the Sexton crowd cleared out, we had our blanket trampled by a bunch of hippies running to the stage. Turns out Umphrey’s McGee is just a step up from The Grateful Dead or Phish – a young, fun jam band based around “progressive improvisation” and, well, jamming. No wonder they brought a crowd that a friend of mine remarked she hadn’t seen in Golden Gate Park since the 1970′s.

Everyone was really into it too. It was probably a combination of the pot smoke, copious amounts of alcohol, and the sun finally making its appearance for the first time. Or it could have had something to with the music. Even though the songs seemed like they were about 10 minutes long each, the bongos, rolling bass, and guitarist Brendan Bayliss’ soothing voice kept the crowd moving and bopping for the entire set. This was the first moment I really felt like I was experiencing San Francisco’s notorious counterculture scene first-hand. The communal experience of listening to a jamband in the California sunshine will do that to you.

Randy Newman
Towers of Gold Stage, 2:05 p.m.

Backing on to the Star Stage is the Towers of Gold Stage, which meant during the break between sets you could hear the Gold Stage perfectly and as such we were all treated to a pleasing set by Randy Newman. Know for his countless awards, this Disney legend (and Family Guy punching bag) brought his droll, affable persona and scores of hits to the festival. Everything from “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “Short People” to “A Fool in Love” was covered with his the famous Newman charm and enthusiasm.

Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes
Star Stage, 3:05 p.m.

This was the act that most of Sunday’s unending crowd found to be a “must-see” and Mr. Costello and his troupe of Nashville session musicians did not disappoint. With the notable Jim Lauderdale on guitar and various dobro, fiddle, upright bass, mandolin and accordion players, the Sugarcanes blended beautifully in the late afternoon air and gave Costello’s engaging demeanor a good heft of twang.

It was a very exciting and tight set. There were a few songs played off of his latest album National Ransom, but for the most part he covered a range of hits that spanned his career and all with a decidedly country slant. “Mystery Range”, “Friend of the Devil”, “Brilliant Mistake”, and “Allison” were all received very well, but it was the cover of “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” which really brought the crowd together. People of all ages were singing along to the classic, and despite its cynical lyrics, really made us feel the spirit of the weekend.

Mondo Cane
Star Stage, 5:20 p.m.

Last but not least, the most interesting act to ever play the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has to go to Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane, his orchestral covers of Italian pop songs from the 50′s and 60′s. Having seen Mondo Cane in Poland this July, I knew exactly what I was getting into but HSB marked the first US appearance of this unique and genre-pushing outfit. Though most of the crowd filtered out after Costello ended his set, this gave Patton fans and other curious music buffs to come up close to the stage and witness this rare event.

Patton’s band was a little different than it was during his European tour but Italians Leonardo di Anguilla on drums and composer Daniele Luppi helped reel in the authenticity. The string section was made up of the fresh-faced Magik Magik Orchestra, who seriously looked like they rolled in straight from high school, and the special surprise goes to the appearance of Ex-Mr.Bungle member Trey Spruance on guitar, who was hidden by the string section for most of the night.

But enough about the technicalities – let’s get onto the music. I think Patton said it best by announcing they were going to “put the ass back in bluegrass” and did they fucking ever. The entire set with tight and rolling with a cacophony of classical music and rock riffs. Whether he was hitting all the soaring notes in the iconic and soulful “Ore D’Amore” or crooning to the joyous and retro-tinged “Deep Down”, Patton was making sure the auditory blend of styles was hitting you like a sledgehammer. Done live, the songs are a lot edgier than they are on the Mondo Cane album and Patton relished his chance to combine the various aspects of his schizophrenic musical persona – the suave serenader and the outrageous rock star. The most crowd-pleasing songs of the night were the two songs that work as a showcase for those two personalities “Urlo Negro” and “Storia D’Amore.” With those numbers, the crooner and the screamer blend with such rollicking enthusiasm that it became impossible for anyone to not “get” what Patton is trying to do with Mondo Cane: push the genre (whatever it may be) and have fun while doing it.

And fun is exactly what Patton was having on stage. He was smiling and laughing, both between songs and during songs, expressing the pure joy he has in his music. He was engaging with the crowd and supportive of his talented band. And you have to give props to them for taking on a show that’s a bit askew. The strings section especially handled the challenging set very well. There were times that you could see they were a bit unsure of how the crowd was going to handle the music, even laughing about it, but they soon found out that the audience wouldn’t have expected anything less from Patton. It was a lot of fun to watch Luppi conduct them too, having to get out of his seat and really throw himself into the motions of getting those strings to fly.

By the time the set was over, the sun had gone down and there were more than a few teary-eyed people milling around, soaking up the atmosphere of the magical performance they had just witnessed. Though Mondo Cane had an underground vibe at the festival and flew below most people’s radar, I hope the ones who were lucky enough to catch the show will help spread the word of how amazing it was. This stuff is too good for only one show.
——

Gallery by Karina Halle

[nggallery id=124]

]]> MC Hammer Star Stage, 11:30 a.m. Unfortunately, due to logistical issues, I was only able to catch one act on Friday and I ended up going to the one that really makes the term "Hardly" hit home. It was none other than MC Hammer of Hammertime and Hammer pants fame. Why was Hammer there? I'm still not sure, other than it had something to do with an educational aspect for children. That would explain why the entire front section of the stage turned into a corral for about 500 dancing schoolkids. Either way, he drew quite a crowd that morning as people gathered around the fence to watch MC Hammer perform hits such as "Pray", "2 Legit 2 Quit", and "Can't Touch This". I'm actually laughing as I type those songs out and that was pretty much the same reaction during the set. Not that it was bad by any means, it was just hilarious to watch a crowd of people dance like idiots and yell "Stop! Hammer time!" between fits of giggles. There were a few older women in front of us really get into it, chugging back on their beers, telling us joyfully "Our kids are at school!" Either that or they were with the other schoolkids who were getting just as in to it as the adults. Regardless, Hammer sounded great; the sound was bumping and his dancers were actually pretty amazing. All in all, it was a really odd yet infectiously fun way for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass to kick off. Saturday, October 2nd Exene Porch Stage, 1:05 p.m. Singer/writer/artist Exene Cervenka has had an interesting and progressive past. She co-fronted the revered LA punk band X in the late 1970's with her then-boyfriend John Doe, which released seven albums including the prolific Wild Gift, she's written several books, and had a one-person exhibition of her journals at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Nowadays, she fronts a band called The Knitters and does her own solo work just as Exene, which I got to see at HSB. Exene and her band charmed the growing crowd at the Porch stage with her soft music and warm stage presence. It was not at all like anything she did with X - the punk had now been replaced with soft acoustics, haunting violin, and simple songwriting. It wasn't anything spectacular but she did have the audience hanging onto her every word, with a few streaks of her rock and roll past coming through at opportune moments. Songwriter Circle with Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, John Doe & David Olney Rooster Stage, 2:30 p.m. Next up was the Songwriter Circle, consisting of such music legends as the aforementioned John Doe, Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen, and David Olney. The act was pretty much as the name suggested, except of being in a circle, they all took turns performing in a line, one after the other. It was actually a really neat way of doing things, allowing each artist to sing their songs and give an ebb and flow of variety to the surprisingly long set. Given the range of voices and backgrounds, they drew a massive crowd too with people flanking the stage from all sides, even all the way up into the wooded crests. I didn't know too much about David Olney (even though his songs have been covered by Johnny Cash), but he sang a wonderful, gruff song called "Titanic", the only one about that fateful accident "sung from the iceberg's point of view." The suited John Doe was the more rousing singer of the bunch and the only one who stood up to perform, a dapper contrast to the rustic environment. Like Olney, Keen, and Earle, he stuck to a lot of his hits such as "The Golden State" (which naturally had everyone singing along) and the deep "Burning House of Love" but he also sang a few songs off of his new album as well. It was a wonderfully fitting show for the time and place. A sea of people all seated quietly, intensely immersed in the swooning acoustics, soulful singing, and whispering fog that rushed past the stage and into the trees. Sunday, October 3rd Martin Sexton Star Stage, 11:40 a.m. Sunday was one of the most packed, artist-filled days in Hardly Strictly Bluegrass's history, with Indigo Girls, Patti Smith, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Emmylou Harris, and Rosanna Cash just to name a few. But because the day was so loaded, it made it impossible for me to see everything I wanted to. So I stuck to the Star Stage, which ended up being a great idea in the end. Tons of talented artists in a row from one comfy spot - what more could you want? Opening up that stage was singer/songwriter Martin Sexton, whose wide-ranging vocals and beatboxing skills gave his folk music surprising depth and edge that is lacking in a lot of acoustic-driven music. Despite the fact that it was still early in the day, he had the sprawling area around the stage packed with fans eager to hear his famous mix of gospel, rock, blues, country and soul carried by his crystal-clear voice and amazing falsetto. Umphrey's McGee Star Stage, 1:15 p.m. I knew Umphrey's McGee was going to be a wild ride compared to Martin Sexton, because as soon as the Sexton crowd cleared out, we had our blanket trampled by a bunch of hippies running to the stage. Turns out Umphrey's McGee is just a step up from The Grateful Dead or Phish - a young, fun jam band based around "progressive improvisation" and, well, jamming. No wonder they brought a crowd that a friend of mine remarked she hadn't seen in Golden Gate Park since the 1970's. Everyone was really into it too. It was probably a combination of the pot smoke, copious amounts of alcohol, and the sun finally making its appearance for the first time. Or it could have had something to with the music. Even though the songs seemed like they were about 10 minutes long each, the bongos, rolling bass, and guitarist Brendan Bayliss' soothing voice kept the crowd moving and bopping for the entire set. This was the first moment I really felt like I was experiencing San Francisco's notorious counterculture scene first-hand. The communal experience of listening to a jamband in the California sunshine will do that to you. Randy Newman Towers of Gold Stage, 2:05 p.m. Backing on to the Star Stage is the Towers of Gold Stage, which meant during the break between sets you could hear the Gold Stage perfectly and as such we were all treated to a pleasing set by Randy Newman. Know for his countless awards, this Disney legend (and Family Guy punching bag) brought his droll, affable persona and scores of hits to the festival. Everything from "You've Got a Friend in Me" and "Short People" to "A Fool in Love" was covered with his the famous Newman charm and enthusiasm. Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes Star Stage, 3:05 p.m. This was the act that most of Sunday's unending crowd found to be a "must-see" and Mr. Costello and his troupe of Nashville session musicians did not disappoint. With the notable Jim Lauderdale on guitar and various dobro, fiddle, upright bass, mandolin and accordion players, the Sugarcanes blended beautifully in the late afternoon air and gave Costello's engaging demeanor a good heft of twang. It was a very exciting and tight set. There were a few songs played off of his latest album National Ransom, but for the most part he covered a range of hits that spanned his career and all with a decidedly country slant. "Mystery Range", "Friend of the Devil", "Brilliant Mistake", and "Allison" were all received very well, but it was the cover of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" which really brought the crowd together. People of all ages were singing along to the classic, and despite its cynical lyrics, really made us feel the spirit of the weekend. Mondo Cane Star Stage, 5:20 p.m. Last but not least, the most interesting act to ever play the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has to go to Mike Patton's Mondo Cane, his orchestral covers of Italian pop songs from the 50's and 60's. Having seen Mondo Cane in Poland this July, I knew exactly what I was getting into but HSB marked the first US appearance of this unique and genre-pushing outfit. Though most of the crowd filtered out after Costello ended his set, this gave Patton fans and other curious music buffs to come up close to the stage and witness this rare event. Patton's band was a little different than it was during his European tour but Italians Leonardo di Anguilla on drums and composer Daniele Luppi helped reel in the authenticity. The string section was made up of the fresh-faced Magik Magik Orchestra, who seriously looked like they rolled in straight from high school, and the special surprise goes to the appearance of Ex-Mr.Bungle member Trey Spruance on guitar, who was hidden by the string section for most of the night. But enough about the technicalities - let's get onto the music. I think Patton said it best by announcing they were going to "put the ass back in bluegrass" and did they fucking ever. The entire set with tight and rolling with a cacophony of classical music and rock riffs. Whether he was hitting all the soaring notes in the iconic and soulful "Ore D'Amore" or crooning to the joyous and retro-tinged "Deep Down", Patton was making sure the auditory blend of styles was hitting you like a sledgehammer. Done live, the songs are a lot edgier than they are on the Mondo Cane album and Patton relished his chance to combine the various aspects of his schizophrenic musical persona - the suave serenader and the outrageous rock star. The most crowd-pleasing songs of the night were the two songs that work as a showcase for those two personalities "Urlo Negro" and "Storia D'Amore." With those numbers, the crooner and the screamer blend with such rollicking enthusiasm that it became impossible for anyone to not "get" what Patton is trying to do with Mondo Cane: push the genre (whatever it may be) and have fun while doing it. And fun is exactly what Patton was having on stage. He was smiling and laughing, both between songs and during songs, expressing the pure joy he has in his music. He was engaging with the crowd and supportive of his talented band. And you have to give props to them for taking on a show that's a bit askew. The strings section especially handled the challenging set very well. There were times that you could see they were a bit unsure of how the crowd was going to handle the music, even laughing about it, but they soon found out that the audience wouldn't have expected anything less from Patton. It was a lot of fun to watch Luppi conduct them too, having to get out of his seat and really throw himself into the motions of getting those strings to fly. By the time the set was over, the sun had gone down and there were more than a few teary-eyed people milling around, soaking up the atmosphere of the magical performance they had just witnessed. Though Mondo Cane had an underground vibe at the festival and flew below most people's radar, I hope the ones who were lucky enough to catch the show will help spread the word of how amazing it was. This stuff is too good for only one show. ------ Gallery by Karina Halle [nggallery id=124] ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/10/free-love-free-music-cos-at-hardly-strictly-bluegrass-%e2%80%9810/feed/ 3 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/03/album-review-david-byrne-fatboy-slim-here-lies-love/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/03/album-review-david-byrne-fatboy-slim-here-lies-love/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/03/david.png Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:01:48 +0000 Ted Maider http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=29798 I’m always one for interesting and mind-bending combination in pretty much every activity surrounding my life. Combined musicians in strange circumstances always continue to get me stoked. In this instance, we have David Byrne, the legendary former front man of the Talking Heads, one of the most important and talented bands of the past 30 years. And then there is the gangster tripping funk of Fatboy Slim, one of the UK’s most notorious DJs. Naturally, when I heard of this collaboration, I was fucking stoked. However, this album could have been the most misleading thing I have ever heard.

Obviously when I thought of this combination, I thought it would be David Byrne spitting philosophical gobbledygook over dance beats worthy of making Christopher Walken fly. This is not the case. Apparently, Here Lies Love is the story of Imelda Marcos, the First Lady of the Philippines and the relationship between her and a servant from her childhood. Nothing but flowers? Nope, nothing but history, told in a romanticized two discs that sound as exotic as the Philippines themselves. Also, don’t expect to hear much from the guy who made us question how we got here, for this album is chocked full of female vocalists to get the story across in an elegant and beautiful fashion.

The title track kicks off the record with fancy strings and horns, only to be the prelude to a soothing female voice singing. That voice is Florence Welch, and the song only gets more upbeat and lively with every minute. When she cries out, “Here lies love” over a triumphant horn line, you know there’s some emotions behind this fiery hot lyricism. Tori Amos joins the fun for the spicy “You’ll be Taken Care Of”, a tune that makes me really wish I knew how to salsa dance. This song features exotic grooves behind Amos’s vocals as well as a percussion section that contains a plethora of unique sound combos. The first male voice on the album is heard on “A Perfect Hand” with Steve Earle. This emotional gem contains a raw guitar riff with lyrics that are delivered so peacefully, yet powerfully. The final track on disc one, “Ladies in Blue”, brings forth a Fatboy Slim phantasm of a beat over crooning lyrics about the world’s imperfections and obviously women in blue clothing (translation might not be literal).

“Dancing Together” kicks off the second disc with a Fatboy Slim-familiar drumbeat accompanied by Sharon Jones hollering out to the people of the world to let music fill your heart and dance in unity. What more could one want from a pop song? “Never So Big”, featuring Sia, contains an island style composition with vocals and lyrics applying a hypothetical paintbrush all over your mind. “American Troglodyte” is the first appearance from Mr. David Byrne, over a very new wave bit of music with Byrne being his usual quirky self. He discusses democracy in action, mailing postcards, and how Americans like technology and blue jeans. As usual, Byrne is right, and that’s what makes him still relevant by today’s standards. “Why Don’t You Love Me”, closes the entire album and features a duet between Tori Amos and the off-screen Goonie, Cyndi Lauper. The two sing over a haunting melody about being denied love that was once there, and as the song fades out, we know love is lying down and is at this point officially dead.

David Byrne and Fatboy Slim have certainly concocted a unique album together. I can honestly say this is a form of high art that is far beyond me. This could be because I’m a shallow twit, but I had a difficult time understanding the complexity of this album. Byrne remains one of the most charismatic and intellectual songwriters of our time, and Fatboy Slim can still produce the coolest beats for people to break-dance to outside of movie theaters. Together, they are a skilled pair of craftsmen who can create albums filled with intellectual glory. They’re just smarter than the rest of us.

Well, with the games scheduled to kick off in less than two months, we’re beginning to get a good idea of who will be playing where, when, and how. Since guides are always fun, we thought we’d draw one up for you. Ladies and gentlemen, let us present you with A Music Fan’s Guide to the 2010 Winter Olympics…

The following acts will appear during the Olympic Games (February 12-28):

Kid Koala: Short Attention Span Audio Theatre:

What: This specially commissioned Short Attention Span show features a three-piece turntable section and accompanying visuals. Bingo and other special surprises are also promised.

When: February 12

Where: CODE Live 1 at Great Northern Way Campus

How: Price = $22

Malajube:

What: Montreal outfit whose past accolades include a nomination for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize and a spot in a RadioShack commercial.

When: February 12

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

Wilco:

What: Wilco + free? Enough said.

When: February 13

Where: Live City @ David Lam Park

How: It’s free

Mes Aïeux:

What: This Quebec quintet was crowned Quebec’s best band in 2009.

When: February 13

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

Pierre Lapointe:

What: He’s only 28 and already has more trophies then you’ll ever have.

When: February 14

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

City and Colour w/ The Rural Alberta Advantage:

What: Lots of songs about Canada

When: February 15

Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre

How: Price(s) = $32.50; $37.50; $39.50

Valérie Sajdik:

What: Formerly of the band Saint Privat, the Austrian pop singer has drawn comparisons to Florence K and Martha Wainwright.

When: February 16

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

Feist w/ Gonzalez:

What: A one-off featuring Canada’s favorite indie princess and Gonzales, aka as the dude who holds the world record for longest-ever solo concert

When: February 17

Where: The Orpheum

How: Price(s) = $37.50; $42.50; $49.50

Karkwa:

What: They draw comparisons to Radiohead. And everyone loves Radiohead…

When: February 17

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

Hal Willner’s Neil Young Project:

What: The event of the Olympics features Lou Reed, Iron & Wine, Sun Kil Moon, Ron Sexsmith, Joan As Police Woman, Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Jason Collett, and more paying homage to the Canadian rock icon.

When: February 18

Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre

How: Price(s) = $74.50; $67.50; $59

Stars w/ Hey Rosetta!:

What: Another Broken Social Scene sighting…

When: February 19

Where: The Orpheum

How: Price(s) = $37.50; $35; $32.50

The Lost Fingers:

What: The Quebec acoustic trio promises covers of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Jon Bon Jovi. Talk about eclectic!

When: February 19

Where: Performance Works

How: Price(s) = $20 Adults; $18 Students/seniors

Corb Lund:

What: A third-generation Alberta rancher turned Country musician. Need I say more?

When: February 19

Where: Whistler Village Square

How: It’s free

Chromeo and Team Canada DJs:

What: Lots of dancing

When: February 20

Where: CODE Live 1 at Great Northern Way Campus

How: Price = $28

K’Naan & Tinariwen:

What: Performance featuring the author of the FIFA World Cup Anthem and a collective of poet guitarists from Sahara

When: February 25

Where: The Orpheum

How: Price(s) = $39; $35; $30

Florence K:

What: Speaking of Florence K, she’s playing too.

When: February 26

Where: Performance Works

How: Price(s) = $20 Adults; $18 Students/seniors

Blue Rodeo:

What: The last day of the Olympics = this Canadian alt-rock band

When: February 28

Where: Whistler Village Square

How: It’s free

Other Olympic related events taking place in the weeks proceeding and following the games:

Steve Earle w/ Joel Plaskett:

What: Two acclaimed musicians team up to kick off the games on a right note.

When: January 23

Where: The Orpheum

How: Price(s) = $39.50; $35.50; $32.50

Martha Wainwright & Jorane:

What: As good as a collaboration you’re going to get.

When: March 18

Where: Commodore Ballroom

How: Price(s) = $32.50

As we told you back in October, Cook and David Byrne have once again teamed up for a rather unique project. Following in the footsteps of The Brighton Port Authority’s I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat, the legendary duo hit the studio with a number of other high-profile musicians for a concept album based on the life of former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos — you know, the chick with all the shoes.

“Each track is sung by a different singer and there’s some very interesting guests on there,” Cook explained of the album in an interview with NME. He wasn’t kidding.

Featured on two disc, 22-track Here Lies Love are a number of music’s favorite female voices, including Tori Amos, St. Vincent, Santigold, Róisín Murphy, Sharon Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Sia, Martha Wainwright, Nicole Atkins, Florence & the Machine’s Florence Welch, Natalie Merchant, My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden, Alice Russell, The B-52′s Kate Pierson, Allison Moorer, and Nellie McKay. In fact, only two tracks include male vocals — Steve Earle sings on “A Perfect Hand”, while Byrne handles “American Troglodyte”.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the whole thing concludes on track 22, ” Why Don’t You Love Me?”, with what should be a rather unique duet featuring Amos and Lauper.

But wait… there’s more! The album, which will be released on February 23rd via Nonesuch Records, comes packaged with 100-page book detailing the project and a DVD.

Here Lies Love Tracklist:
Disc One:
01. Here Lies Love (feat. Florence Welch)
02. Every Drop of Rain (feat. Candie Payne & St. Vincent)
03. You’ll Be Taken Care Of (feat. Tori Amos)
04. The Rose of Tacloban (feat. Martha Wainwright)
05. How Are You? (feat. Nellie McKay)
06. A Perfect Hand (feat. Steve Earle)
07. Eleven Days (feat. Cyndi Lauper)
08. When She Passed By (feat. Allison Moorer)
09. Walk Like a Woman (feat. Charmaine Clamor)
10. Don’t You Agree? (feat. Róisín Murphy)
11. Pretty Face (feat. Camille)
12. Ladies in Blue (feat. Theresa Andersson)

Disc Two:
01. Dancing Together (feat. Sharon Jones)
02. Men Will Do Anything (feat. Alice Russel
03. The Whole Man (feat. Kate Pierson)
04. Never So Big (feat. Sia)
05. Please Don’t (feat. Santigold)
06. American Troglodyte
07. Solano Avenue (feat. Nicole Atkins)
08. Order 1081 (feat. Natalie Merchant)
09. Seven Years (feat. Shara Worden)
10. Why Don’t You Love Me? (feat. Cyndi Lauper & Tori Amos)

As a recently issued press release explains (via who else? TFB), “over the last year, more than 20 of American music’s most exciting artists traveled to Preservation Hall in New Orleans to collaborate with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on classic New Orleans repertoire.” Among those 20 artists are the aforementioned Mr. Waits, who has a couple other new releases forthcoming as well, Pete Seeger, Merle Haggard, My Morning Jacket/Monster of Folk’s Jim James, Andrew Bird, Ani DiFranco, Steve Earle, Richie Havens, Jason Isbell, Angelique Kidjo, Amy LaVere, Del McCoury, Budy Miller, and Paolo Nutini. Not bad, eh?

The end result is billed as a timeless and joyous celebration of New Orleans music. Proceeds from the sale of the project will benefit Preservation Hall and The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program.

“Our community is deeply rooted in a tradition of using music to rejoice, heal and overcome adversity. We play music at our funerals to uplift our spirits during our deepest and darkest emotional moments,” says producer Ben Jaffe, PHJB Creative Director and son of Preservation Hall founders Allan and Sandra Jaffe. “My goal on this project was to create new works steeped in the New Orleans Tradition with artists from diverse musical genres and backgrounds who all share a mutual admiration and deep appreciation for our cultural heritage.”

A complete tracklist is still forthcoming, but the press release notes that Waits’ contribution will come in the form of an arrangement of the earliest known recorded Mardi Gras Song, “Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing”, while Brandi Carlile’s did a rendition of the gospel classic “Old Rugged Cross”.

Preservation will be available Fat Tuesday, February 16th in standard CD, deluxe edition and double-LP collectible formats via RED Distribution.

Broken Social Scene, K’Naan, Stars, Joel Plaskett, Steve Earle, Laurie Anderson, Martha Wainwright, Blue Rodeo, Iron & Wine, Corb Lund, Ron Sexsmith, Joan As Policewoman, and Sun Kil Moon are all confirmed to be performing in some capacity at an Olympic related event. What’s more, the boys of Wilco, who will basically be Canadians for the first part of the new Year, are also scheduled to perform at an Olympic event, this taking place on February 13th at Vancouver’s David Lam Park.

As those Canadians would say, not bad, eh? And to think, we still have a few more months to go before that ol’ torch is lit…

“I’ve met Bob Dylan and his bodyguards, and I don’t think Steve could get anywhere near his coffee table,” Van Zandt joked after hearing Earle’s statement.

Trying to do justice to a legend’s songs is a tall order in and of itself, but Earle also butts heads with the fundamental dilemma of recording a covers album. While an artist should aim to make the song his or her own, they also have to be careful not to stray too far from the original; in doing the latter, he or she risks burying or all together losing the spark or quality that made the song so beautiful in the first place. In other words, there always looms the possibility of completely butchering a masterpiece. On Townes, the listener can sense Earle’s struggle to find the proper approach to each song. When he nails it, the songs seem as vibrant and vital as ever. And when he misses the mark, the listener can’t help but feel underwhelmed and anxious to skip ahead. There are several instances of both on Townes.

“Colorado Girl” is a song that Earle used to play in his live shows. For this project he relearned it in the original Open D tuning that Van Zandt used. As a result, the song keeps all the sweetness and longing of the original, with Earle’s voice and acoustic strumming adding his own sense of weariness and yearning to the recording. “Rake”, maybe Van Zandt’s finest song, is another instance in which Earle closely adheres to the bare bones arrangement of the original. Though Earle can’t conjure up the haunting and somnambulistic quality that Van Zandt could on a whim, he still delivers a chill down the listener’s spine with his faithfulness to lyrics as biting as, “And now the dark air is like fire on my skin/And even the moonlight is blinding.” “Lungs”, also a song Earle has been playing for years, is an entirely different animal from Van Zandt’s original. Earle delivers his plaintive and foreboding vocals in an unaccompanied rasp in the first verse, only to later be joined by Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave) on electric guitar for an all-out romp. Earle’s version of “Lungs” reminds me of Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower.” Even Bob Dylan admitted that Jimi had taken his song to a new level, and here Earle has similarly given new life to Van Zandt’s classic.

The main problem with Townes is that for every “Lungs” there is a track that neither breathes new life into the original nor offers a compelling faithful rendition. The songs that actually seem to fall flat for Earle are some of Van Zandt’s more popular songs like “Pancho and Lefty”, “No Place to Fall”, and “To Live is to Fly.” Part of the issue is Earle’s vocals. Van Zandt’s voice, at its best, was stark and delicate, whereas Earle’s voice is gruffer with a more lived-in feel to it. On several tracks, he tends to hang onto certain words for too long, which not only slows the songs and causes them to drag but also makes it sound as if he is falling behind the melody every few lines or so.  There’s nothing terrible about these tracks, but given some of the best material folk music has to offer, listeners would expect a talent like Earle to be able to do something more with them. As it is, they seem lackluster and grow old rather quickly.

If you are going to purchase Townes, you should pick up the limited edition, two-disc set. The second disc contains eleven solo versions of the cover songs found on the album. To capture the spirit of Van Zandt’s solo performances, Earle chose to first record these songs with only vocals and guitar before adding other instrumentation. This solo disc is a terrific companion piece, which at times actually outshines the disc of completed versions. Perhaps, just a voice and guitar is how Van Zandt’s music is truly meant to be heard.

Townes was clearly a labor of love for Steve Earle, and even if his work didn’t result in a masterpiece, listeners still get several excellent tracks and added incentive to either discover or revisit Van Zandt’s originals. It’s true that Earle is better at doing his own thing, but you can’t begrudge a man for paying tribute to a hero and friend. One day someone will probably be making an album called “Steve” for the sake of posterity, or as Van Zandt might phrase it, “for the sake of the song.”

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Townes

Appropriately so, Steve Earle, who was personally mentored by Townes from the age of 16, will see the release of Townes on May 12th. The effort is both a tribute to his late mentor and a cover album, which sees Earle taking a stab at 15 different Townes Van Zandt songs. The album, produced by Earle, will also feature additional input from the likes of The Dust Brothers, Tom Morello, wife Allison Moorer, Tim O’Brien, and for the first time on a Steve Earle album, Justin Townes Earle. About the album, Earle states: “This may be one of the best records I’ve ever made. That hurts a singer-songwriter’s feelings. Then again, it’s some consolation that I cherry picked through the career of one of the best songwriters that ever lived.” For the selection, Earle chose songs which he connects with most personally when he remembers his friend.

The album will be available on May 12th as both a double disc deluxe set and limited edition vinyl. Tour dates for a supporting tour are to come.

Townes Tracklist:
01. Pancho and Lefty
02. White Freightliner Blues
03. Colorado Girl
04. Where I Lead Me
05. Lungs
06. No Place To Fall
07. Loretta
08. Brand New Companion
09. Rake
10. Delta Momma Blues
11. Marie
12. Don’t Take It Too Bad
13. Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold
14. (Quicksilver Daydreams Of) Maria
15. To Live Is To Fly