This Makes Me Smile

From Wakarusa over the weekend:

Buckethead doing the Robot

Site News and a Contest

Due to increasing number of problems with my lame-o file hosting service, and the fact that it's gotta be pretty inconvienient to download from for you guys, I began the setup on my Paypal account today so i can get a legit fileserver. Hopefully, I will be able to get that setup in a couple of days.

Now, the contest I speak of is not my own, but belongs to Chris Thile and his myspace page. Chris is the mandolin player from Nickel Creek, but you never know what his solo projects are gonna sound like - his last record sounded nothing like Nickel Creek and was just plain brilliant. But here is how his Myspace message read:

"In utter anticipation of Chris Thile's new record, How To Grow A Woman From The Ground, we're throwing a give-away / TOP 8 contest. If you navigate to Chris' myspace page (or just look below) and check out his influences there's a puzzle/game/riddle somewhat burried beneath the surface. The person who can correctly identify the most influences will win an autographed copy of Chris' new record that comes out on September 18th and top spot in Chris' TOP 8. The following seven runner-up's will also make it into the TOP 8, but sorry no CD.


THE DETAILS:

In order to be considered for the prize / top 8 you must respond to this bulletin by sending an EMAIL with your answers to the following addres howtogrowacontest@gmail.com. To make this easier on all of us, please use the email address that your myspace account is registered in for TOP 8 purposes.



Biff Hooper, Callie Shaw, Chet and Iola Morton (they're brother and sister, not married), Aunt Gertrude, Inspector Lestrade, The Dancing Men, Mycroft Holmes, The Five Orange Pips, Professor Moriarty, Susie Derkins, Amy Archer, Maude Lebowski, Mara Jade, Kyp Durron, Oola the Twi'lek, Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, Martina Hingis, Michelle Wie, That Blonde Softball Pitcher, Seymour the Walrus, Seymour Glass, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Trevor Hoffman, Giovanni Hoffman, Don Giovanni, A. Bartlett Giamatti, Joe Schlobotnik, Joe Garagiola, Joe Hardy (see top of list), Joe Cool (see first two Joes on list), Franz Liszt, Franz Josef Haydn, Hide 'n Seek ye first the kingdom of God only knows what I'd be without MSG I am nothing ever happens on Marsupials are mammals. The female typically has a pouch in which it was the best of times it was the worst of times they are a ch-ch-ch-ch-CHANGES!"

Not the most exciting of prizes but a quite interesting contest. I've been racking my brain but don't get about half of the references. Oh well, guess I'll just have to buy the cd.
Make sure to go to his Myspace Page to hear his new White Stripes cover.


Also, somebody you know just got a profiling on The Late Greats, who just recently posted some Grace Potter.

Polyphonic Spree vs. Nirvana

Have you ever wondered what Nirvana would sound like with flutes? Yeah, me neither. But we need not speculate anymore! Last year Polyphonic Spree headed into the studio with super-producer Jon Brion to record an EP's worth of covers. Included was Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and this Nirvana classic, Lithium. Somewhere along the way, this EP got scrapped but two tracks (Unforunately, not the Beatles Cover) have been leaked so far to my knowledge.
Lithium has always been my favorite Nirvana song so I was quite skeptical going into this but I gotta say that I enjoy it. If you expect Kurt Kobain worthy vocals, than don't click the link because you're not gonna like it. But for everyone else, this is probably worth it for you.

Enjoy!

Polyphonic Spree - Lithium (Nirvana Cover)

John Brown was Cool for So Many Reasons.

I was pretty bummed that I wasn't going to get to go to any of the big festivals this year due to inability to travel at this point and time. But then I caught a blurb about a music and arts festival called Bleeding Kansas. Bleeding Kansas will be taking place one hour from my house in Lawrence Kansas on August 5th and has one heck of a mainstage lineup. Death Cab for Cuties, Broken Social Scene (Who I don't think have ever been to Kansas before...), Mates of State (who formed in Lawrence), Keane, Murder By Death and Lake Trout. This is insane, you guys. I am going to be there and you can't stop me.
I gotta say that I might be even more intrigued by the arts section of the fest. I'm keeping an eye out for more info on that aspect.
Enjoy a couple of bands from the main stage.

Bleeding Kansas Official Page


Death Cab For Cutie - We Laugh Indoors
Broken Social Scene - 7/4 (Shorelines)
Mates of State - What I Could Stand For
Lake Trout - Say Something

This Post Brought to You by the Letter E!

Mr. E, Mark Oliver Everett, the front man of Eels, is the man. However, before the Eels came about, E was the solo man.
In 1991, E released his first album, "A Man Called (E)" which was unjustifiably ignored by the general public. It was chock full of charmingly crafted pop songs that could make the most grizzled of men smile. To this day, it remains one of my personal favorite albums. Things looked good for E.
Then, the follow up album, "Broken Toy Shop", despite being quite brilliant as well, was virtually unnoticed. Things started to look bad. E and his label split ways. He was left with no label and two albums which no one knew existed.
Thats when he formed the Eels, and history was written. However, between "Broken Toy Shop" and that inspired formation, E dropped into the KCRW studios and recorded the following session. It includes an early solo piano version of "Beautiful Freak", a Prince cover and a few demos E recorded in his basement. The real treat, however, is the interview segments.

Enjoy!

(By the way, if you know the name of track 2, please let me know. It's killing me.)

E - 01 Talk (KCRW)
E - 02 I Don't Even Know What I'm Looking For (KCRW)
E - 03 Talk (KCRW)
E - 04 Shovel (KCRW)
E - 05 Talk (KCRW)
E - 06 Mental (KCRW)
E - 07 Talk (KCRW)
E - 08 Beautiful Freak (KCRW)
E - 09 When Doves Cry (KCRW)
E - 10 Talk

Bonus:
E - Hello Cruel World

Also, swing by Heather's place for some great Eels live stuff.