Very Close to, if not actually in, the CD player:
seen/heard ° listen ° buy
seen/heard ° listen ° buy
Country Music
Like most things that make your life better, these won't require much in the way of words.
Emmy the Great - We Almost Had a Baby (Live on BBC Radio 2, 11-29-08)(mp3)
Emmy the Great - I Will Always Love You (Dolly Parton Cover, Live on BBC Radio 2, 11-29-08)(mp3)
Emmy's album Chinese Democracy First Love has an actual release date, at least in the UK - February 2, 2009 - and "Baby" is its first single (if you're a single-buying person, that's available here). You can eyeball new tour dates - when, oh, when will she play Butte, Montana? - while streaming the proper version of the tune at her myspace.
These are from a solo strum she took on radio earlier today. They're almost anti-professional. I'm sure the Parton song has been done-up and dressed-down to death; this take wouldn't fly on, say, Idol, but I've always wondered why any version - even Dolly's original melodramatic read - tries for more-is-more. There's not much to the song itself, and its declaration isn't a celebration. What you remember about love isn't billboards and bombast, it's the girl sitting on the edge of your bed fumbling with her guitar.
The full BBC sit-down's streaming here; sounds like she's conveniently arranged her personal life in order to bring us a whole ‘nother set of bitter tunes, good on her. More: The track she sang for Norman Cook's new outfit The Brighton Port Authority is available for download on that band's site.
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And this. I'm so eager to be dismissive of the French that I've never seen a Bresson before, now it looks like I'll be loading up on them. The greatest storytelling ever done? Don't know about that, but it's all right parts at the right rhythm. Less said the better, bring your own DVD extras.