Yim Yames Does George Harrison


2008 was a stellar year for My Morning Jacket. Stoked by the release of its fifth album, the critically acclaimed Evil Urges, the band reveled in a first-time appearance at Radio City Music Hall in June, and by New Years Eve, graduated to a celebration at the massive Madison Square Garden.

While the band is kicking back, on a bit of hiatus, news continues to pour from frontman Jim James, or, as he is now known while performing solo, Yim Yames. He has recorded with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, announced an album with friends Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Mike Mogis entitled Monsters of Folk, and on July 7, he will release Tribute To, an EP tribute to George Harrison.

Recorded in 2001, Tribute To features six tracks, including "Long, Long, Long," "Behind the Locked Door," "Love You To," "My Sweet Lord," "Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)," and "All Things Must Pass."

Yim writes:

Hello friends. Just like most everyone else under this crazy dome, I have been a fan of the Beatles since early childhood... But it wasn't 'till sometime in '99 that an old pal turned me on to "All Things Must Pass" and I quickly became even more enamored with the quiet beauty and majesty of all things George Harrison. He always seemed to be a beacon of good light unto the world, accomplishing the rare task of using his massive fortune and fame to promote peace - both within and around the World. I will always look up to and see him as a prime example of the healing power of music and how, in tune with it, all is possible.

The following are a selection of George's songs I recorded back in 2001, a few days after he passed that were moving me so very much at the time... I recorded them live at above the Cadillac in Shelbyville, KY... On my cousin John's "ol faithful" Fostex 8 track reel2reel, then overdubbed a banjitar or b. vox here or there. I find comfort knowing that all things must pass, but that as all things do pass their spirits are still out there moving us somewhere... doing what they do, just as real as they ever were in this physical world... I hear them singing and I feel them in my blood.

Thanks George for helping me to understand things just a lil bit better...

- yim yames (jim james from my morning jacket)

The proceeds from the sale of Tribute To will go to the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.

Learn:
Yim Yames online

Listen:
Yim Yames - Behind that Locked Door

Wilco (the webcast) this Saturday


Wilco (the band) has been pretty giving with its new release, Wilco (the album). Not only did Jeff Tweedy and company offer a stream of the album after it was leaked a couple of months ago, but now the band is webcasting Saturday night's sold-out show at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA.

The show is available in Quicktime on http://wilcoworld.net and via the new iPhone app (check it out here). Tune in around 10 pm CDT on Saturday night.

Wilco (the album) will hit the streets on Tuesday. You can buy it here.

Catch them on the road this summer, if you can get a ticket. Show information is available at Wilco World.

Learn:
Wilco World

Listen:
Wilco (the album) at NPR

Athfest: Lighting up Athens, GA


Few college towns can throw a party to celebrate the local arts, and then stack the bill with innovative, world class musicians like Athens, Ga. And they have done it for 13 years.

Athfest, the annual music and arts festival, has been pulling back the curtains to this sleepy town, and showing off its music scene – one that has birthed R.E.M., Widespread Panic, Of Montreal, and countless other prime acts – since 1997. Founded by Jared Bailey, the festival was inspired by the much-heralded South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. The goal? To support Athens’ vibrant music scene.

It is safe to say that the festival has achieved this goal, growing and morphing over the years, and continuing to shine a light on music through outdoor stages, a pub crawl, and the Flagpole Athens Music Awards. This year’s festival boasts sets by Patterson Hood and the Screwtopians, the Black Lips, Dead Confederate and Bloodkin on the outdoor stage, and Casper and the Cookies, Modern Skirts, and Hayride in the clubs.

And for those unable to make to Athfest, the annual Athfest Compilation CD showcases artists slated to perform each year. This year’s release features Patterson Hood’s “Pollyanna,” The Corduroy Road’s “Love is a War,” and a new, unreleased (and yet-to-be-played live) Widespread Panic track, “Misdirection.”

Athfest takes place June 25-27.

Learn:
Athfest Online

Listen:
The Corduroy Road - Love is a War

Buy:
Athfest Tickets
Athfest 2009 Compilation

Double Dagger: Setting punk straight


The early 21st century has been a time of metamorphosis for punk rock, a period that has splayed the genre, offering a wide swath bands attributing their sounds to the genre, and few actually stepping forward with music to leverage such big talk. Revivalists like Rancid and Green Day have taken vastly different approaches, the former slipping into classicist regalia, the latter emerging as rock-opera visionaries. Emo has sucked out the attitude, replacing it with tawdry makeup and carnival image; mainstream pop upstarts have also summoned the sneer of punk’s forefathers, selling out the anti-machine premise of the music that fought its way into the culture of ’70s, and managed relevance through ‘80s and early ‘90s hardcore.

But all is not lost. There are torchbearers of punk music that remain, tucked below the radar, fired up and fighting back into modern consciousness.

Baltimore, Maryland’s Double Dagger is embracing all facets of the punk ethos with stripped down, fierce songs with subject matter scouring political and social issues, and a DIY approach that recognizes the glory days of split singles and 7-inch releases. Formed in 2002, the quartet – Nolen Strals (vocals), Bruce Willen (bass), and Denny Bowen (drums) – took its art-school origins and set out to re-establish punk music, while breaking apart stale preconceptions. Adding to the sparse nature of the music is its drum/bass/singer makeup, the effect devoid of pretense and about as in-your-face as it can get.

More, Double Dagger’s fourth release and first for Chicago’s Thrill Jockey, reeks of bombast and unrest, the jarring instrumentation, frequent repetition, raw hooks, and antagonistic delivery are a momentous celebration for a new, unpolluted age of punk.

Learn:
Double Dagger Online

Listen:
Double Dagger on Myspace

Buy:
Thrill Jockey Records