LNMC had a great reaction when we first introduced The Bastard Fairies a few months ago. This week they launched a new video for "A Venomous Tale" exclusively through some cockamamie Windows Media concoction. Thank God the exclusivity lasted about 15 minutes. Robin Davey has done a very nice discussion with... the videographer about the new project that you may find interesting and entertaining. But no matter how much you laugh at that, Yellow Thunder Woman's vocals and the music are absolutely irresistible:

I met the Grammy winning flutist---Rhonda Larson with great anticipation in August 2003 at The National Flute Convention in Las Vegas. Larson's got an incredible sound and an awesome technique, but she has this spiritual quality in her music that really drew me to her playing. Rhonda played for years with the Paul Winter Consort and then left to take her own path. Nestor Torres introduced me to her during the convention, but I was a fan long before I met her---and she's as sweet as her sound. She gave me permission to post some of her music on the LNMC to my delight. Check out her website for sheet music and other cool stuff.

Download | play "Movin' On," is a solo flute piece that I've spent many hours working on. (Mac users--click on the download button and the music will play.)

"Larson journeyed to South Africa as a musical ambassador for the United States to perform for the Parliament of the World’s Religions, sharing the stage with such luminaries as Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama.

Her two solo records are "Free as a Bird and "Distant Mirrors."

pic from Peter Case

(Guest blogged by Howie Klein)

Tonight's LNMC song is a Crooks & Liars exclusive, a brand new song, not even mastered yet, by Peter Case. It will be released on his next album later in the year. This song, "Underneath The Stars" was written after visits to a local park in Santa Monica. The song just tells the story of what was happening there. It's about the plight of "discarded people," older homeless people, not drug addicts or alcoholics, but just people who've gone over the edge of life for various other reasons.

Download | play MP4

Peter told us that he's felt concerned about the lives of homeless people after he himself lived without a home in San Francisco for a couple of years in the early 70s. "I climbed out of it, because I was young and strong. Some can't, due to age and other factors." The other voice on the song is Carlos Guitarlos, an incredibly talented musician and a former homeless person who gained some fame after playing with Tom Waits in Swordfishtrombones. This is one of my favorite Peter Case songs in years.

We're not in the habit of using clips from "The View" for our music posts, and I just did a Joe Cocker music post not that long ago and repeating artists frequently is something we try to avoid. But the exception must be made tonight to present our very own Mike Finnegan (of Mike's Blog Round Up) performing new songs with Joe Cocker from his CD Hymn for My Soul. (h/t Heather)

Hymn for My Soul Download | play Download | play

Darling, Be Home Soon Download | play Download | play

Big day for rock'n'roll tomorrow when REM releases their new album, Accelerate, their 14th! It's also probably their best since Bush stole the election in Florida. An old friend of mine, Michael Goldberg, has an interview he just posted with Michael Stipe up at MOG. But let me suggest that you listen to the single first, "Supernatural Superserious." You'll be able to catch them live with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday. They played the Royal Albert Hall in London last week but their actual tour kicks off on the West Coast in late May. North American and European tour dates are here.

The album is so good that we just had to jump the gun and give you another song to listen to. This one is "Horse to Water" and we think it should be the follow-up single.

Download | play

Tonight we have a little contest for REM fans. REM gave us 5 special edition CD/DVD packages to give away tonight. Each has a 64 page booklet and the 48 minute behind-the-scenes film by Vincent Moon (which includes pieces of performances from various songs). There are also two non-LP B-sides: “Red Head Walking” and "Airliner." Just drop us a paragraph and tell us which is the best REM song ever-- and why. Send your answer to downwithtyranny@aol.com.

(guest blogged by Howie Klein) Joni Mitchell's new album, SHINE, will be released, by Hear Music (Starbucks) and our good friends at Concord Records, Tuesday. C&L has an advance and we were told to keep it semi-quiet but leak it to our community. So don't tell anyone you don't know. There's a new version of "Big Yellow Taxi" and there's this incredible adaptation of a Rudyard Kipling poem, "If." Joni described the new CD "as serious a work as I've ever done." I was floored by this song, "If I Had A Heart," which we're proud to debut right here at C&L. The New York Times described it as "one of the most haunting melodies she has ever written.

Download | play mp3  Download | play mp4

And here's an EPK of Joni talking about the making of this record and why this project is so unique and so important to her.

guest blogged by BlueGal

Here's a 60 Minutes interview from 12/04 that was his first interview in like 20 years.

Download | play Download | play

(guest blogged by Howie Klein)

R.E.M. fans probably know that every year at Christmas time the band sends out an exclusive vinyl 7" single to their fan club members.

In 1995 the song was a cover of Chris Isaak's greatest hit, "Wicked Game" (1989). Even rarer is this live version of the song taped off the soundboard at an R.E.M. dress rehearsal.

Download | play

I was thinking about the song yesterday because Chris Isaak is from Stockton, California and Saturday that area's congressman, Jerry McNerney, did a chat at Firedoglake and we gave away 2-disc sets of Chris' GREATEST HITS (including a DVD) and I saved one for the Late Night Music Club. If you'd like to win the set, send an e-mail to downwithtyranny@aol.com with a one paragraph explanation of why you're the one who should get it.

C&L wants to thank all those who participated in the last contest. You can read the winning entries below the fold.

Continue reading »

Congratulations to the Dixie Chicks for winning the Grammy for Record of the Year. Good to see Joan Baez up there...

Download | play Download | play

I'm Not Ready to Make Nice...

Dangerous Muse is an Electro Pop Duo from NYC which has been making a stir in the underground scene. Seymour Stein, the guy who found Madonna, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, The Ramones and countless other cultural icons, discovered Dangerous Muse and helped them get out their first single, "The Rejection"-- which shot directly to #2 on iTunes' Dance Chart. The video went to #1 on the MTV Logo Channel's "Click List." Today the singer, Mike Furey and Tom Napack, gave Crooks and Liars an exclusive clip that demonstrates their support for equal rights in the GLBT community.

Download | play -QT (37 seconds)

Crooks and Liars contest (today only): Be one of the first 5 to name every Republicrook in the clip and win an Indigo Girls "Rarities" CD. Send your answer to downwithtyranny@aol.com (guest blogged by Howie Klein)