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Tonight @ The 585 Music Hall

Jamie Kohns on December 8th, 2006

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Rare Musical Find Up For Auction

Jamie Kohns on December 8th, 2006

Warren Hill found one of those one-in-a-million yard sale deals: an exceptionally rare pressing of The Velvet Underground's first record. He is currently auctioning off the rare find on eBay.

From the ebay auction page:
"…this was probably a  surviving copy of the legendary Scepter studios recordings which had been regarded as lost (hence the epic moniker "the lost scepter studios recordings" applied to these unheard sessions over the years). The recording is comprised of the primitive first "finished" version of the LP that Andy Warhol had shopped to Columbia as a ready-to-release debut album by his protege collective 'The Velvet Underground'."

Current bids are up to $155,000. Hill paid just $0.75 at a yard sale for it!

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Shows this Weekend @ The 585

Jamie Kohns on December 7th, 2006

It's a long weekend of great shows at The 585 Music Hall this week:

Tonight (Thursday):
The Less and High Flight Society in a special showcase - just $5 cover!

Friday:
The Modern Skirts, Novah and Jil Station ($7)

Saturday:
Gringo Star, The Booze & Vinyl ($10)

Sunday:
Color Revolt, Manchester Orchestra and Estates ($7)

Sunday should be on ehell of a banger, as Estates pretty much killed the joint last time they played, and Manchester Orchestra is always a good bet.

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Tonight @ Smith’s (Atlanta Room)

Jamie Kohns on December 5th, 2006

Tonight, 8pm @ Smith's Olde Bar Atlanta Room:
Deke Spears
Tovah Rinah
Matt Vetter

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Friday Mixtape Volume 48 - Looking Waaay Back

Jamie Kohns on December 1st, 2006

Looking Waaaay Back

It's the end of 2005, so the mixtapes during this final month of the year will be dedicated to looking back at some of my favorite new music. To start things off, I thought I'd revisit the list of favorites from 2005 that I posted this time last year, and see what I thought of it now. Yes, I know that these will be really old, but did you really want my 100 best of 2006? The Top 50 tracks from this year will start next week.

Missy Higgins - Scar (Live)
Missy Higgins did a bit of touring in the US this year, and hasn't released any new material yet, but I still love this song, and Missy's album The Sound Of White (released in the US in 2005). I'd still call this my favorite track of 2005. Missy's site doens't list anything about a new album, but I seem to recal an interview somewhere that said she was busy writing. f I can find a link, I'll post it.

KT Tunstall - Other Side Of The World
Dropping all James Blunt tracks from the list (I'm so sick of him- I never want to hear You're Beautiful again), brings KT Tunstall's track up to number two. This was the second single from Tunstall, and still my favorite of her songs.

Athlete - Wires
Athlete's 2005 effort Tourist generated some singles in the UK, and landed a few tracks on soundtracks for tv and film in the US (and a couple commercials too, I think), but never realy saw the commercial success that I thought it deserved. Athlete are an amazing band, and Tourist is a wonderful counterpart to Vehicles and Animals. Wires is a powerful and moving ballad, and still one of my favorite Athlete tracks.

Jose Gonzalez - Crosses
Jose Gonzalez's debut album Veneer was a refreshingly stripped down masterpiece- just Jose and his finger-picked guitar in most cases. Since the release of Veneer, his music has been used in that amazing Sony commercial with all the bouncy balls, and Gonzalez has appeared on several other artists' albums, including Zero 7's The Garden this year. Gonzalez released an EP early this year, which included new tracks Hand on Your Heart, and Down The Hillside.

Alex Lloyd - Never Meant To Fail
Alex Lloyd was signed to Sony/BMG last year in Australia, who re-released his latest, self-titled album under thier badge with bonus tracks. This year, Lloyd wrote and recorded a special song for an Australian girl, Lauren Huxley, who was attacked in her home in Sydney, doused in gasoline and left for dead. The girl's recovery inspired Lloyd to write the song, and encourage other's to donate to the girl's releif fund. Lloyd just finished up a stint of shows in the US, but I didn't get to see any of them. Maybe next year…

Stephen Fretwell - Emily
Fretwell's album Magpie was released early in 2006, but the single Emily was already getting feature plays on BBC Radio 1 and XFM in the winter of 2005. This is my favorite track on the album, and I favor the radio edit version over the album version a bit. I tried to cover this song at a late-night (drunken) open mic night last spring sometime. It was ugly. I'll stick to finding new music, and try not to perform any more- I promise.

Kanye West - Touch The Sky (live at Abby Road)
Kanye West had a great 2005- with his sophomore album finding critical and commercial sucess, and spawning numerous hit singles. One of my favorite tracks from the album (which I still think is only half full of great tracks) is Touch The Sky, which featured Lupe Fiasco (who had a great 2006). This year, he performed the album at Abby Road Studios for the BBC, and released the performance as a live album, and included this version of the song (wiht Lupe Fiasco as here as well). But tell me why the say "Feels good to be home- Chi-town" when they're in the UK?

Kano - Nite Nite
was so disappointed when more of Kano's terrific album Home Sweet Home didn't get airplay on Radio 1. And forget any posibility of hearing any grime artist but Lady Sov on US radio- it's never gonna happen. Anyway, this Mike Skinner produced track is my favorite from the album, which was loaded with great tracks like Remember Me, Brown Eyes and this track.

Bedouin Soundclash - When The Night Feels My Song
Bedouin Soundclash found themselves on the Warped Tour this past summer, playing to a much wider audience, and gaining some much needed mass exposure. The only release form Bedouin Soundclash in the current year was the equally impressive (if similar sounding) 12:59. I was listening to this on the way home from the pub last spring- windows all down warm air flowing through the car- when I stopped at a light righ tnext to a beat up blue pickup truck, driven by an old rastafari-looking guy (complete with the dreds and a potleaf sticker in the rear window). The track was at top volume, and he just looked over, gave me a big smile, and nodded in time to the song.

The Magic Numbers - Don't Give Up The Fight
The Magic Numbers sophomore effort didn't impress me nearly as much as the album from which this track came from. Call it the sophomore slump, and hope that thye find the inspiration to write another great album soon. This track remains my favore Magic Numbers track of any.

Ben Folds - Landed
This song just realy clicks with me, and I have included it in several playlists on my iPod for various occasions or moods. It fits everywhere- in mellow mixes, happy mixes, even my workout mix for the gym. Ben Folds' latest release, Supersunnyspeedgraphic, is full of great songs- but none tat I like nearly as much as Landed.

Mike Doughty - Looking At The World From The Bottom Of A Well
I recently read an interview with Mike Doughty in Stomp and Stammer, and I can't remember what he was saying really, I just wanted to get a link to S&S in here, because it's a great read, a great music source, and they're celebrating 10 years this year. ANYWAY, Doughty's first on Dave Matthew's label ATO yeilded this superb single. Doughty's a great songwriter, and I've been a fan of his since Soul Coughing's Circles first graced my radio back in college.

Embrace - Gravity
Embrace is great at writing anthems- but this isn't one of them. This was actually written by Coldplays, who gave it to the their mates to record on their release, Out Of Nothing. Coldplay later tried to release a much slower, slighty dark version of the song, which really sucked. Embrace released This New Day and the offical England World Cup theme this summer. Cna't beat that with a stick now, can ya?

Augustana - Stars And Boulevards
I saw Augustanna live this year, and thought they were incredible (even for playing a shithole like The Earl). The entire album is an amazing rock album, produced by Brendan O'Brien, and recorded right here in Atlanta (The ATL is good for more than just Rap albums). A few television shows picked up Boston, and I think I heard it on local iPod-radio, but it never really got much further than that- which is a real shame. I think the band may have just been overshadowed by similar-sounding The Fray.

Tristan Prettyman - Love Love Love
Tristan Prettyman is another artist that I can pull of the (virtual) shelf and listen to just about any time (except when I want angry music- like when I'm stuck in traffic with a bunch of Atlanta assholes who can't figure out what a turn signal is for). This song just feels like spring to me, and despite it's lyrical content, makes me smile a bit while listening.

The Subways - Oh Yeah
I saw The Subways in March at the Loft, and it was truly one of the best live shows I saw this year. They are such a dynamic and energetic group on stage, and it comes through on the album as well. Getting plugged on The O.C. gave the band a boost, and I've heard their songs in several commercials. This singles was out long before Rock and Roll Queen featured on The O.C., and before the album's Feburary release this year. Immensly hot bassist Charlot Cooper and guitarist/lead vocals Billy Lunn got married this year, and hopefully it hasn't changed the band's dynamic.

This is my revised Best of 2005 list. Download it HERE while you can, and look for the start of my Top 50 of 2006, starting next Friday

The original "Best of 2005" list:
01 - Missy Higgins - Scar (Live)
02 - James Blunt - You're Beautiful (live)
03 - KT Tunstall - Other Side Of The World
04 - Missy Higgins - Ten Days
05 - Athlete - Wires
06 - James Blunt - High (live)
07 - Jose Gonzalez - Crosses
08 - KT Tunstall - Under The Weather (single Version)
09 - Alex Lloyd - Never Meant To Fail
10 - Daniel Powter - Bad Day
11 - Stephen Fretwell - Emily
12 - Hard-Fi - Cash Machine
13 - Kanye West - Touch The Sky (live at Abby Road)
14 - James Blunt - Wiseman (live)
15 - Kano - Nite Nite
16 - Bedouin Soundclash - When The NightFeels My Song
17 - The Magic Numbers - Don't Give Up The Fight
18 - Alex Lloyd - Sometimes
19 - Ben Folds - Landed
20 - Mike Doughty - Looking At The World From The Bottom Of A Well
21 - Kanye West - Diamonds From Sierra Leonne
22 - Embrace - Gravity
23 - Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure
24 - Corinne Bailey Rae - Like A Star
25 - Imogen Heap - Hide And Seek
26 - Augustana - Stars And Boulevards
27 - Tristan Prettyman - Love Love Love
28 - Rise Against - Swing Life Away
29 - The Magic Numbers - Forever Lost
30 - Nizlopi - JCB Song
31 - Alex Lloyd - Brand New Day
32 - Switchfoot - Lonely Nation
33 - Kings Of Leon - The Bucket
34 - The Subways - Oh Yeah
35 - Jamiroquai - Feels Just Like It Should

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