Words Of Regret

Two John Cale covers today. Mark Lanegan tries hard, but just can't beat the more menacing original. Sally Timms takes her own sweet time and gets it just right.

Mark Lanegan - I'm Not The Loving Kind
Sally Timms - Half Past France

Plant My Flag

Quite a cool concept: each song on Mark Lanegan's new record is linked to a chapter in his recent autobiography Sing Backwards And Weep. Dark, experimental and often dissonant, Straight Songs Of Sorrow is no easy listen, and that's cool with me, but to be honest not everything works as well as the Lou Reed-channeling highlight below.

Mark Lanegan - Ketamine

Is There Gold?

Just my luck: got tickets for a Mark Lanegan gig tonight - been a while: last time I saw him he was still fronting the mighty Screaming Trees - and I just found out his new album is not to my taste at all. That trademark bariton sounds fine as always of course, but the songs on Somebody's Knocking are rather  throwaway and these eighties-sounding synths and booming drums don't help much either. Where recent albums like the ones made with Duke Garwood were electronica-heavy as well, that was subtly done. Here he hits you over the head with it. Oh well.

Mark Lanegan Band - Night Flight To Kabul

Let's keep an open mind and see what happens onstage at Sala Apolo later on. All I know is I prefer him sounding like this:

Mark Lanegan - The River Rise
Mark Lanegan - No Contestar
Mark Lanegan - Halcyon Daze

Dim The Lights

Hang on, 'cause here's the cream of the cosmic crop of 2018, a fine fine year in music. Tough call then so, but now the die is shaken, now the die must fall... Collect 'em all why don't you. Fingerpointing cover art by the one and only Tinca.

1. Garcia Peoples - Cosmic Cash
2. Minami Deutsch - With Dim Light
3. Howlin Rain - The Alligator Bride
4. Kikagaku Moyo - Masana Temples
5. Yo La Tengo - There's A Riot Going On
6. Mythic Sunship - Another Shape Of Psychedelic Music
7. Wooden Shjips - V
8. The Other Years - The Other Years
9. Calexico - The Thread That Keeps Us
10. Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood - With Animals

Garcia Peoples - Hangin' On

I Swear

Sparse, atmospheric, and slighty sinister: British multi-instrumentalist Duke Garwood knows exactly what suits the mighty voice of Mr. Lanegan, probably because he's also a member of the former Screaming Trees singer's touring band. With Animals is an inspired collection of bleak, autumnal songs I just can't get enough of at the moment.

Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood - My Shadow Life

Sky On Fire

This just in from the oversight dept: totally forgot about Mark Lanegan's new album. A useful reminder by the Swede over at Unthought Of, Though, Somehow put me back on the right track. For as the somewhat overproduced Gargoyle probably isn't the best the former Screaming Trees frontman can offer, that golden baritone is always irresistable.

Mark Lanegan Band - Sister

Home From Pearl Harbour

Gun Club legend Jeffrey Lee Pierce goes way out with an obscure - and decidedly weird - Willie Blackwell oldie. Anyone got the original to share perhaps? Much obliged in advance.

Jeffrey Lee Pierce - Junior's Got A Jap Girl For Christmas (Live Slovenia '94)

And while we're at it, here are two tracks from the Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project, where the unfinished songs Pierce left behind were revived by the likes of Nick Cave, Debbie Harry, and David Eugene Edwards. Not all that glitters is gold in this undertaking, but mssrs. Lanegan and Harvey definitely managed to do Jeffrey's fiery heritage justice.

Mark Lanegan - Constant Waiting
Mick Harvey - Sonny Boy

Stop press: found it already, with faithful reader Holly coming to the rescue. Thanks a mil! Slightly different - and strange - title, totally different lyrics, but this must be the one alright...

Willie Blackwell - Junior's A Jap Girl's Christmas For His Santa Claus

Who's Gonna Grieve

"Where's Willie John? Dead so long, born to fall, nothing at all..." That's Mark Lanegan of course, singing his own special kind of blues. Dude knows his classics, too: "She never knew how much I loved her, never knew how much I cared..." Indeed. Which bring us to Little Willie John (1937-1968), an exceptionally fine soul singer from the motor city. Just in case you didn't know: Fever (later made famous by Peggy Lee), and Need Your Love So Bad (covered by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac) were John originals.

Mark Lanegan - Like Little Willie John
Little Willie John - Need Your Love So Bad
Little Willie John - Home At Last

TCB

In 1999, Mark Lanegan released a collection of cover songs called I'll Take Care Of You, and I was mighty impressed. In fact, I still am. So in 2013, I finally took care of business and compiled a companion piece in honour of that marvellous album. Yes, it's here at last: For The Sake Of The Song presents The Original I'll Take Care Of You. All the songs that inspired mr. Lanegan, in one nifty zipfile. Tracklist and two tasters below. Take care!

1. The Gun Club - Carry Home
2. Bobby "Blue" Bland - I'll Take Care Of You
3. Tim Hardin - Shiloh Town
4. The Leaving Trains - Creeping Coastline Of Lights
5. Fred Neil - Badi-Da
6. Eddie Floyd - Consider Me
7. O.V. Wright & The Sunset Travellers - On Jesus' Program
8. Clarence Ashley - Little Sadie
9. Buck Owens - Together Again
10. Dave Van Ronk - Shanty Man's Life
11. Tim Rose - Boogie Boogie

Download: FTSOTS presents The Original I'll Take Care Of You (zipfile, 48.6 mb).

Wonder Show

It´s a dirty job, but somebody´s gotta do it... So without further ado, here´s the one and only For The Sake Of The Song end of year list. Accept no substitutes, baby. Ten albums that were in heavy rotation during 2010, and that´s what counts in the end. Check! Buy the whole wonder show why don´t you.

1. Gil Scott-Heron - I´m New Here

Unexpected comeback of the year, by one of HipHop´s true forefathers.

Gil Scott-Heron - I´ll Take Care Of You MP3

2. Bonnie Prince Billy & The Cairo Gang - The Wonder Show Of The World

Will Oldham met guitarist Emmett Kelly, which lifted the fog on many a dreary day.

3. Charlie Parr - When The Devil Goes Blind

Intense and authentic pre-war blues, anno 2010. No, I´m not kidding.

Charlie Parr- 1890 MP3

4. Neil Young - Le Noise

Teaming up with producer Daniel Lanois was an excellent idea, sonically speaking.

5. First Aid Kit - The Big Black And The Blue

A lovely Swedish girl duo provided no-frills acoustic bliss. Jag älskar dig.

First Aid Kit - Sailor Song MP3

6. Phosphorescent - Here´s To Taking It Easy

Matthew Houck´s take on Americana compared to slipping into a warm bath.

7. Wounded Lion - Wounded Lion

Growling barb wire pop from smoggy LA. Debut of the year I´m sure.

Wounded Lion - Pony People MP3

8. Tunng - ...And Then We Saw Land

Not as adventurous as previous outings, but still the finest freakfolkers around.

9. Isobell Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Hawk

That marriage between a Belle and a Screaming Tree surely was made in heaven.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - You Won´t Let Me Down Again MP3

10. Bill Callahan - Rough Travel For A Rare Thing

The former Smog foreman impressed once more, this time in an intimate live setting.

Bubbling under: Sun Kil Moon, Grinderman, Joanna Newsom, Drive-By Truckers, Pearly Gate Music, Off!, the Black Keys, Alasdair Roberts, Roky Erickson with Okkervil River, and the Graham Nash tribute Be Yourself.

Some old stuff released this year that I really enjoyed: Johnny Cash´s epitaph American VI: Ain´t No Grave, Dylan´s Witmark Demos and Live At Brandeis University, Complete Mythology by Syl Johnson, Satan´s A Waitin´ by Sonny Burns, and the Legacy Edition of Raw Power by Iggy & the Stooges. Music books of the year: Bob Dylan In America by Sean Wilentz, and We Never Learn - The Gunk Punk Undergut 1988-2001 by Eric Davidson.

Wishing you a bopping new year, dear readers. I´m off on a short break, see ya sometime early 2011.

Wild Weekend Vol. 36

It´s gonna be a Wild Weekend, take 36. Eclectic mixes a specialty. From gospel to afro, from Togo to Mexico. Plus: a brand new Dylan live track from the days of old. Take it away, guys.

We´ll start off with the legendary Sam Cooke leading the Soul Stirrers, if only because the gospel according to Sam is always a joy to behold. Yes Sir! Next up: a charming cover of the Pete Townshend-penned I´m Free. Comes from an obscure ep from 1980 by Britgirls the Petticoats, their sole output as far as I know. Warning: more ramshackle than the Raincoats even. Which is cool of course.

The Soul Stirrers - The Last Mile Of The Way MP3

The Petticoats - I´m Free MP3

Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio was performed by such greats as the Texas Tornadoes and Los Lobos, but even they never managed to surpass the original by Mexican accordeon wizard Don Santiago Jiménez Sr. Guaranteed to make you smile. "Hay momentos que pareces el demonio, cuando mueves la cintura para bailar..." Run for the hills Santi, that dance-crazy she-devil will only bring you harm... Which is followed by a sensual duet between Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, from their recent collaboration called Hawk. A marriage made in heaven, I´d say. Check it out.

Don Santiago Jiménez Sr. - Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio MP3

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Come Undone MP3

Like some steaming afrobeat, Togo style? Ok, here goes. Napo De Mi Amor Et Ses Black Devils surely invented one of the finest bandnames ever, and their wild sounds are right on par. Bonus points for that funky organ, messieurs. Find it on the much recommended collection African Scream Contest, filled to the brim with raw psychedelic afro sounds from Benin and Togo. And last but not least, here´s some stop press material for ya. If you were smart enough to pre-order The Witmark Demos, the new volume in Dylan´s ongoing Bootleg Series project, you got a free disc containing a never even bootlegged before registration of a ´63 gig at Brandeis University. Received my copy yesterday, which made me a happy camper indeed. As a taster, here´s a particularly bleak take on ye olde Ballad Of Hollis Brown.

Napo De Mi Amor Et Ses Black Devils - Leki Santchi MP3

Bob Dylan - Ballad Of Hollis Brown (live Brandeis University ´63) MP3

Now That I´m Home

"Although I´ve howled across fields and my eyes turned grey,

Are yours still the same? Are you still the same?"

One original, one cover. The rather manic Gun Club version stems from their masterful second album Miami (´82). Howl, Jeffrey, howl, you maniac you. Mark Lanegan´s equally intense, brooding acoustic take on the song can be found on his recommended I´ll Take Care Of You (´99).

"Carry home, I have returned,
Through so many highways, and so many tears..."

The Gun Club - Carry Home MP3

Mark Lanegan - Carry Home MP3

It Is Longing That I Feel

Better start saving up y´all, as the Soulsavers are about to release a follow-up to their impressive It´s Not How Far You Fall, It´s The Way You Land (´07) pretty soon. The British producer twosome Rich Machin and Ian Glover have once again invited former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan to sing on the bulk of their material, and that sure is good news. His voice matches perfectly with the atmospheric, moody musical landscapes the duo manages to cook up.

Bonnie Prince Billy will also be present once more, performing a Lanegan original no less, while other tracks feature Spiritualized´s Jason Pierce, Faith No More´s Mike Patton and last but not least Butthole Surfer Gibby Haines.

Here´s a fine taste of the new album, tentatively called Broken, with Lanegan doing a mighty fine piano-driven version of the Bonnie Prince Billy penned Palace Brothers´ classic You Will Miss Me When I Burn.

Soulsavers - You Will Miss Me When I Burn MP3

Palace Brothers - You Will Miss Me When I Burn MP3

Lanegan revisited

As promised, here´s some more Mark Lanegan stuff. I´ve always been a fan of his first band the Screaming Trees, and albums like Buzz Factory, Uncle Anesthesia and Sweet Oblivion (with the powerful Nearly Lost You) still get played regularly around here. Lanegan´s solo work proved quite different from the psychedelic grunge the Trees dished out, and showcased his extraordinary dark voice on moody albums like the beautifully arranged Whiskey For The Holy Ghost (including the exquisite Borracho) and the tasteful covers collection I´ll Take Care Of You.

Last year saw a fascinating collaboration with the Soulsavers. Lanegan provided the vocals for the British electronica duo´s It´s Not How Far You Fall, It´s The Way You Land. The gospelish opener Revival is a killer, but the rest of the songs are not too far behind. Lanegan´s next project will be a long awaited teaming up with Afghan Whigs vocalist Greg Dulli as the Gutter Twins. Although I´m usually not too fond of the whole supergroup trip, this one sure looks like a potential dream combination. Two great white soulsingers (which they are of course, their grungy background notwithstanding) for the price of one, right? Idle Hands hasn´t really convinced me yet, but let´s put our judgements on hold until Sub Pop releases the full album Saturnalia next month.

Screaming Trees - Nearly Lost You MP3

Mark Lanegan - Borracho MP3

Soulsavers - Revival MP3

The Gutter Twins - Idle Hands MP3