It's that time of year for the Musicheads to make our holiday gift-giving suggestions for the music lovers on your list!
DJs Mac Wilson and David Campbell join Bill this year to offer their recommendations, including Belle and Sebastian's "BBC Sessions," The Flaming Lips' feature-film DVD "Christmas On Mars," Bob Dylan's latest Bootleg Series entry "Tell Tale Signs," The Clash's "Live At Shea Stadium," and more.
I also want you to answer the question, "If you could expand the music collection of a friend or loved one with a CD that always meant something to you, what would that CD be?"
Listen to us online or subscribe to the podcast.
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 13
I guess I'd give someone the CD from the The Cedar Cultural Center. The CD is titled: Live at the Cedar: Visionaries and it's amazing because it showcases the wide, eclectic, superior musical genres presented at the Cedar.
My favorite track on that album is #7: La Bottine Souriante -- La Rap À Ti-Pétang
It's a spirited, soul-enhancing treat.
A lot of people don;t realize that The Clash were almost booed off the stage at that show.
They were the opening act for The Who, and most of the Who fans had no use for this "New Wave Garbage".
In retrospect, it seem amazing.
However, helping my friends discover great new music is something I'm always doing (because I'm kind of a jerk), and I've found that making a mixed CD is often just as good, and it's more than just putting a bunch of songs together - it's gotta have the right flow, just like any great album. Sometimes I'll do a theme, like all punk or songs with handclaps, or sometimes I'll do a 'best of' CD for a band that doesn't have one of those yet. There's many ways you can do it. And if they like what they hear, they can take it upon themselves to explore further.
And it's worked! I've turned my friends on to a lot of great music with mixed CDs! But equally important is listening to what others recommend. It's a two-way street, ya know.
25 Years of Being Childish: Billy Childish- Hit & miss at times, but a great introduction to a legend.
Cunning Stunts: Cows- My most stolen record/tape/cd. Outside of Zen Arcade the coolest album from a Minneapolis band.
My answer to the question is The Gram Parsons Anthology. This is the first comprehensive set of the legendary Gram Parsons' work, running from his first group, the International Submarine Band, through the Byrds, to the Flying Burrito Brothers and from his two solo albums.
Gram Parsons is the guy who bridged the gap between country & rock into what he liked to call, "cosmic American music." If it wasn't for Gram their might never have been groups like Uncle Tupelo, The Jayhawks & artists like Dwight Yoakam. This 2 CD set compiles most of his best stuff from his much to short life & makes a great gift for anybody who loves old-school country & alt-country music.
Kate Rusby's a fine choice -- and in fact she sings harmony with Cathie Ryan on several tracks on Ryan's CD Somewhere Along the Road. John McCusker is now also working with Heidi Talbot, also Eddi Reader, you might want to check out their recent albums for more from him. For me with Ryan it's not so much the voice, although she has a great one, as it is the musical intelligence and the quality of her writing and song selection that really resonate with me.
A Plea For Tenderness by Dump: Beautiful/somehow perfect bedroom pop by Yo La Tengo Bassist James McNew
Mad About Town by Slow Children: A lost new wave classic
Homogenic by Bjork: Listen to this one headphones. Listen very carefully
For Emma Forever Ago by Bon Iver: This one hasn't always meant something to me but it has meant a great deal to me ever since it came out.
Oh, and Matthew P. nice comment about Endtroducing. I agree..
I was a little intimidated on where to begin as I discovered them after about 15 releases but I am so glad I did. I have 5 different releases now and a number of them on Christmas wish lists.
The Brotherman SDTRK they released this year is a pretty great starting point for newbies.
#21 Soul Messages From Dimona is fascinating to me. it is music from a group of US ex-pats from detroit and chicago who moved to israel and recorded spiritual soul/psychedelia some of which is even in Hebrew. it sounds like you would listen once and be done, but I find myself drawn to this CD over and over.
I wish everybody can have that experience.