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Randy Newman - Bad Love.
Disco Stu and I had the chance to catch Randy Newman at Carnegie Hall this week and it was a pretty neat experience. His music is pleasant, almost as background noise, but like Warren Zevon, if you have the opportunity to sit on your couch or in your car and really listen to his lyrics the payoff is great. The songs, just like Zevon, are hysterical but also really insihtful. If your sense of humor lines up with Randy Newman his records become a combination of great songs, biting commentary and comedy. Here is My Country and The Great Nations Of Europe from Newman's last album Bad Love.

Teddy Thompson - Separate Ways
Teddy Thompson is the son of Richard and Linda Thompson. He's got good genes and hasn't fucked that up yet. Separate Ways, though not his only album, is his first release on a record label with some push and it is a good one. My favorite track is a bonus song that is not its own track but rather attached to the "last" song on the record. It's too bad because I would have liked to post it on its own. The song reminds me of a slow sea waltz or war ballad with a modern twist. You know a bass plucked, a nice and simple chorus and a female back-up singer, who for all I know is Teddy's mom. But the best part of the song, like all of Teddy Thompson's songs is his voice which is quite distinct, and dare I say, the way he has with a tune because he sure has got something going on. This is why I posted his version of Leonard Cohen's Tonight I Will Be Fine from the I'm Your Man Soundtrack. And there is some nice slide thrown in.

Before moving on, I want to point out that on the above mentioned soundtrack, Rufus Wainwright's take on Chelsea Hotel No. 2 was probably the best song I heard all summer. It just blew me away much more than the original. If there is any interest in hearing it I could post it. It also is available on iTunes.

Lastly, I've been listening to The Go-Betweens' Oceans Apart from 2005. It is a shame they are no more since there records got so much better as time went on and that's saying something considering how good those early albums are. It's probably pointing out the obvious to say how sad it is too see someone go when they are capable of there maximum output. It really is no more devastating then when the person is washed up, but in our minds, since we don't know our musicians, we dote on how we will never get anything fresh from them again unless you count what remains in the vault. But sometimes what's in the vault should very much so remain in the vault. Not going to name names. So to lose a Go Between is kind of worse than losing the King. That's all the BS wisdom from this dude. Here's Boundary Rider from Oceans Apart. Enjoy Every Sandwich.