ow 248 Summer Road Trip and Isobel Campbell & Opinions on Mark Lanegan
Join Jim and Greg on a Sound Opinions Summer Road Trip. They talk to folks coast-to-coast to find out what's happening in some great music towns across the country. Then Greg pops a quarter in the Desert Island Jukebox.
Music News
Songwriter George David Weiss died this week at age 89. He's behind some of music's most iconic tunes including "Can’t Help Falling In Love," "What a Wonderful World" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
There was actually some controversy surrounding who actually wrote "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," and Weiss would go on to tackle some of these ownership issues as the president of the Songwriters Guild of America. Jim thinks a great way to remember this "old-school" talent is by listening to The Flaming Lips' completely un-ironic version of "What a Wonderful World."
Summer Road Trip
What better way to round out the summer than with a Sound Opinions (virtual) summer road trip. Too often, New York, L.A. and Nashville get all the music industry attention. But, there are great rock scenes all across the country, so this week Jim and Greg check in with insiders in three music towns coast-to-coast. They talk to Sam Sessa, an entertainment writer for the Baltimore Sun and the host of WTMD's Balitmore Unsigned, Bob Mehr, a music critic at Memphis’ Commercial Appeal and Casey Jarman, the music editor at Portland's weekly newspaper the Willamette Week.
Check out these local acts-old favorites and new ones recommended by our city guides.
Baltimore
- Dan Deacon
- Spank Rock
- Beach House
- Double Dagger
- J. Roddy Walston and the Business
- Wye Oak
- Darkroom Productions
Memphis
- Sun Studios
- Stax Records
- Big Star
- Jay Reatard
- The Magic Kids
- Harlan T. Bobo
- Three Six Mafia
- The Grifters
Portland
- The Decemberists
- Sleater-Kinney
- Blitzen Trapper
- The Shins
- Spoon
- Soul P
- Typhoon
- And And And
Hawk Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
Next up a Beauty and the Beast duo (other than Jim and Greg): Isobel Campbell, formerly of Belle and Sebastian and Mark Lanegan, formerly of the Screaming Trees. Hawk is their third collaboration of pop music in the vein of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra or Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. Campbell steers this ship, and Greg is happy to hear her stretch out more with the compositions and arrangements. There are even some soul and gospel references. Greg gives it a Buy It. Jim agrees about the rating, but thinks this release is the least successful of the three, and wishes they'd stretched out more.
Greg
Naturally Hawk got Greg jonesing for some Sinatra/Hazelwood. In the '60s arranger and songwriter Lee Hazelwood took Nancy Sinatra under his wing and turned her into a feminist icon. While father Frank wasn't crazy about the relationship, and Greg admits the sound was at times creepy, he really digs tracks like "Some Velvet Morning," and takes it with him this week to the desert island.
Featured Songs
- Elvis Presley, "Can't Help Falling In Love," Blue Hawaii, RCA Victor, 1961
- The Flaming Lips, "What A Wonderful World," In A Priest Driven Ambulance, Restless Records/Enigma, 1990
- Jonathan Richman, "Roadrunner (Once)," Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1, Beserkley Records, 1975
- Spank Rock, "Rick Rubin," YoYoYoYoYo, Big Dada, 2006
- Beach House, "Norway," Teen Dream, Sub Pop/Bella Union, 2010
- Dan Deacon, "Baltihorse," Bromst, Carpark Records, 2009
- Double Dagger, "Luxury Condos for the Poor," Ragged Rubble, Stationary Heart Recordings, 2007
- J. Roddy Walston and the Business, "Don't Break The Needle," Don't Break The Needle EP, Vagrant, 2010
- Wye Oak, "I Hope You Die," My Neighbor/My Creator EP, Merge, 2010
- Drew Swinburne, "Pony Sparks," Whartscape 2009 sampler, unofficial release, 2009
- Ogun, "Give It My All," Darkroom Productions - Hamsterdam: The Best of Baltimore, Vol. 1, Darkroom Enterprises, 2005
- The Talking Heads, "Road To Nowhere," Little Creatures, Sire, 1985
- Elvis Presley, "Memphis, Tennessee," Elvis For Everyone!, RCA Victor, 1965
- Big Star, "September Gurls," Radio City, Ardent, 1974
- Booker T and the MGs, "Green Onions," Green Onions, Atlantic, 1962
- Jay Reatard, "It Ain't Gonna Save Me," Watch Me Fall, Matador, 2009
- The Magic Kids, "Superball," Memphis, True Panther, 2010
- Harlan T. Bobo, "Old Man," Sucker, Goner, 2010
- Three Six Mafia, "Hard Out Here For a Pimp," Hustle & Flow (soundtrack), Atlantic, 2005
- The Grifters, "Maps of the Sun," Crappin' You Negative, Shangri-La Records, 1964
- Sleater-Kinney, "Dig Me Out," Dig Me Out, Kill Rock Stars, 1997
- The Decemberists, "Sixteen Military Wives," Picaresque, Kill Rock Stars, 2005
- Blitzen Trapper, "Furr," Furr, Sub Pop, 2008
- Soul P, "Heart of a Lion," The Layover, unreleased, Liquid Assets/Easy Mccoy, 2010
- Typhoon, "Starting Over," Hunger and Thirst, Tender Loving Empire, 2010
- And And And, "The Great Tide," We'll Be Better Off With The Plants, Superdream Music, 2010
- The Replacements, "Route 66," Pleased To Meet Me reissue, Rhino, 2008
- Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, "Time of the Season," Hawk, Vanguard, 2010
- Isobell Campbell and Mark Lanegan, "Come Undone," Hawk, Vanguard, 2010
- Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra, "Some Velvet Morning," Movin' With Nancy, Reprise, 1967
- Aslope, "Close," A Helping Hand EP, Hobby Industries, 2010
- The Nerves, "Hanging on the Telephone," The Nerves, The Nerves, 1976
- LCD Soundsystem, "Losing My Edge," LCD Soundsystem, DFA Records, 2005
- Two Seconds To Midnight, "Opt1m1sm," Architecture, Two Seconds To Midnight, 2010
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