While we were sad to learn that promising San Francisco band, Port O’Brien, had imploded, the upside is that Port O’Brien’s Van Pierszalowski has a new band dubbed WATERS that shows great promise.  Come test the Waters on Friday night at (appropriately) Muddy Waters.

For a sip of these Waters, check out new song, Oh Holy Break of Day, below.  VP has clearly motored into rockier waters with the new band.  We love the Neil Young-meets-Shins sound of this song.  And after, check out the official video for another Waters song, For the One. We can’t wait to see how this raucous new song translates to the stage at Muddy Waters.  Flash floods??  Come check ’em out.

Waters–Oh Holy Break of Day

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/WATERS-O-Holy-Break-Of-Day.mp3|titles=WATERS-O-Holy-Break-Of-Day]

The band’s first album, Out in the Light, will be released tomorrow.  Check out other impending tour dates below.

September 20  Origami Vinyl FREE INSTORE  Los Angeles, Ca

September 21  The Satellite    Los Angeles, Ca  TICKETS

September 23  Muddy Waters,  Santa Barbara

September 24  The Independent  San Francisco, Ca TICKETS

September 25  KCPR Festival SLO Brewing Co  San Luis Obispo, Ca  TICKETS

October 13  Sophia’s Thai Kitchen  Davis, Ca TICKETS

October 16  Northstar  Philadelphia, Pa TICKETS

October 17  Mercury Lounge  New York, NY

October 18  Red Palace  Washington DC  TICKETS

October 19  CMJ   New York, NY

October 20  CMJ  New York, NY

October 21  CMJ  New York, NY

October 22  Great Scott  Allston, Ma  EARLY SHOW! TICKETS

Radiohead announced that they will play a couple of shows in New York City on September 28 and 29. But more importantly for you and us, the band will appear on “The Colbert Report” during a special hour-long episode on September 26. Colbert said in a release, “I look forward to meeting the Radioheads and leveraging their anti-corporate indie cred to raise brand awareness for my sponsors.”

Check out Radiohead below performing unreleased song, The Daily Mail, during their surprise set at this year’s Glastonbury music festival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6jxLsjGD7w&feature=player_embedded

38 years ago today, Gram Parsons’ time came while wandering in the desert, and he was granted speed into his Lord’s Promised Land at the age of 26.  Surely the angels rejoiced that night.  Thus ended, at least chronologically, Parsons’ visionary and transforming contribution to American music.  Though he left the earth too soon, Parsons’ music lives on here and continues to influence and touch hearts and minds.

As we have written previously, Parsons invented the country-rock genre and did more to keep Real Country music vibrant and alive than any other artist who has dabbled in that realm.  Parsons’ songs continue to inspire and affect 38-years later.  We know this from experience since our most popular piece on The Lefort Report to date is on Parsons and his revelatory song, In My Hour of Darkness. In honor of Parsons and acknowledgment of his songs’ deep affect on our musical lives, we give you some more of our Parsons favorites (with emphasis added on moments of particular worth or weight).  And Gram, we’ll see you in the by and by.

Parsons’ daughter, Polly, has recently put up a phenomenal website devoted to her father.  Go check it out HERE for all things Gram.

First up in our list of faves is Return of the Grievous Angel, Parsons’ lament for the road, and its travels and travails, and his craving the calicoed comforts of home.  20,000 roads indeed.

“Won’t you scratch my itch sweet Annie Rich
And welcome me back to town
Come out on your porch or I’ll step into your parlor
And I’ll show you how it all went down

Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town

Oh, and I remember something you once told me
And I’ll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you

`Cause I headed West to grow up with the country
Across those prairies with the waves of grain
And I saw my devil,
and I saw my deep blue sea
And I thought about a calico bonnet from
Cheyenne to Tennessee

We flew straight across that river bridge,
last night a half past two
The switchman wave his lantern goodbye
and so long as we went rolling through
Billboards and truckstops pass by the grievous angel
And now I know just what I have to do

And the man on the radio won’t leave me alone
He wants to take my money for something
that I’ve never been shown

And I saw my devil,
and I saw my deep blue sea
And I thought about a calico bonnet from
Cheyenne to Tennessee

The news I could bring I met up with the king
On his head an amphetamine crown
He talked about unbuckling that old bible belt
And lighted out for some desert town

Out with the truckers and the kickers and the cowboy angels
And a good saloon in every single town

Oh, but I remembered something you once told me
And I’ll be damned if it did not come true
Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you

Twenty thousand roads I went down, down, down
And they all lead me straight back home to you”

Gram Parsons–Return of the Grievous Angel

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2-13-Return-Of-The-Grievous-Angel-Remix.mp3|titles=2-13Return Of The Grievous Angel [Remix]

Next up is the supremely sad $1,000 Wedding, undoubtedly a vivid imagining of his wedding to Nancy Ross that never took place.  When he sings “bad, bad day” you can taste the loss.

“It was a $1000 wedding supposed to be held the other day
and with all the invitations sent the young bride went away
when the groom saw people passing notes not unusual, he might say
but where are the flowers for my baby
I’d even like to see her mean old mama
and why ain’t there a funeral, if you’re gonna act that way
I hate to tell you how he acted when the news arrived
he took some friends out drinking and it’s lucky they survived
well, he told them everything there was to tell there along the way
and he felt so bad when he saw the traces
of old lies still on their faces
so why don’t someone here just spike his drink

Why don’t you do him in some old way
supposed to be a funeral, it’s been a bad, bad day
the Reverend Dr. William Grace was talking to the crowd
all about the sweet child’s holy face
and the saints who sung out loud
and he swore the fiercest beasts
could all be put to sleep the same silly way
and where are the flowers for the girl
she only knew she loved the world
and why ain’t there one lonely horn and one sad note to play
supposed to be a funeral, it’s been a bad, bad day
ooh, supposed to be a funeral, it’s been a bad, bad day”

Gram Parsons–$1,000 Wedding

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2-16-1000-Wedding.mp3|titles=2-16 00 Wedding]

Next up is arguably Parsons’ and Emmylou Harris’s best duet, Hearts on Fire, their voices born to sing together, and taking advantage of that realization.  “God please take this heart of mine, ’cause if you don’t, the devil will.”

“Hearts on fire
my love for you brought only misery
hearts on fire
put out the flames and set this cold heart free
one short year our love burned
until at last I guess you learned
the art of being untrue and then goodbye
what could I do except to cry and moan
Lord, what have I done
once we were as sweet and warm
as the golden morning sun
hearts on fire
my love for you brought only misery
hearts on fire
put out the flames and set this cold heart free

Friends say it’s just a game
and that no one is to blame
go out forget her lies
but she’ll be there and sparks will fly
my love has turned to hatred
sleep escapes me still
God, please take this heart of mine
’cause if you don’t the devil will
hearts on fire
my love for you brought only misery
hearts on fire
put out the flames and set this cold heart free
hearts on fire”

Gram Parsons–Hearts of Fire

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2-14-Hearts-On-Fire.mp3|titles=2-14 Hearts On Fire]

Next up is She, Parsons’ ode to a working woman and his lament of the simpler life.  Oh, he sure could sing.

“She, she came from the land of the cotton
land that was nearly forgotten by everyone
and she, she worked and she slaved so hard
a big old field was her back yard in the delta sun
ooh, but she sure could sing
ooh, she sure could sing

Then he looked down and he took a little pity
the whole town swore he decided he’d help her some
but he didn’t mind if she wasn’t very pretty
for deep inside his heart he knew she was the only one
ooh, but she sure could sing
yeah, she sure could sing

She had faith, she had believing
she led all the people together in singing
and she prayed every night to the lord up above
singing hallelujah, ooh hallelujah
they use to walk singing songs by the river
even when she knew for sure she had to go away
and she never knew what her life had to give her
and never had to worry about it for one single day
ooh my but she sure could sing
ooh, she sure could sing

She had faith, she had believing
led all the people together in singing
and she prayed every night to the lord up above
singing hallelujah, ooh hallelujah
she, she came from the land of the cotton
land that was nearly forgotten by everyone
and she, she worked and she slaved so hard
a big old field was her back yard in the delta sun
ooh, but she sure could sing
my, my, my she sure could sing
ooh, yeah she sure could sing
ooh, she sure could sing”

Gram Parsons–She

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2-06-She.mp3|titles=2-06 She]

Next is A Song for You, Parsons’ sweet-voiced, emotional elegy to a relationship.  “Some of my friends don’t know who they belong to, some can’t get a single thing to work inside.”  So true.  Please pass the mirror.

“Oh my land is like a wild goose
Wanders all around everywhere
Trembles and it shakes till every tree is loose

It rolls the meadows and it rolls the nails
So take me down to your dance floor
And I wont mind the people when they stare
Paint a different color on your front door
And tomorrow we will still be there

Jesus built a ship to sing a song to
It sails the rivers and it sails the tide
Some of my friends don’t know who they belong to
Some can’t get a single thing to work inside
So take me down to your dance floor
And I wont mind the people when they stare
Paint a different color on your front door
And tomorrow we will still be there

I loved you every day and now I’m leaving
And I can see the sorrow in your eyes
I hope you know a lot more than you’re believing
Just so the sun don’t hurt you when you cry
Oh take me down to your dance floor
And I wont mind the people when they stare
Paint a different color on your front door
And tomorrow we will still be there
And tomorrow we will still be there”

Gram Parsons–A Song for You

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2-04-A-Song-For-You.mp3|titles=2-04 A Song For You]

Next up is the mournful Dark End Of The Street in which the influence of Motown and R&B can clearly be heard.  Parsons was an early mix-master, combining R&B and Rock with his beloved Country, to great effect.  Here we hear R&B cut with beautiful pedal-steel guitar.

“At the dark end of the street
That’s where we’ll always meet
Hiding in shadows
Where we don’t belong
Living in darkness
To hide our wrong
You and me
At the dark end of the street
You and me

I know that time’s gonna take its toll
We’ll have to pay for the love that we stole
Cause it’s a sin and we know that we’re wrong
Oh, but our love keeps coming on strong
You and me
At the dark end of the street
You and me

They’re gonna find us
They’re gonna find us
They’re gonna find us someday
We’ll steal away
To the dark end of the street
You and me

If you take a walk downtown
And find some time to look around
If you should see me, and I walk on by
Oh, darling, please don’t cry
Tonight we’ll meet
At the dark end of the street
You and me
You and me
You and me”

Gram Parsons–Dark End of the Street

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/1-15-Dark-End-Of-The-Street1.mp3|titles=1-15 Dark End Of The Street]

We’ll end with Parsons’ cover of Wild Horses, which according to Keith Richards’ autobiography, Life, was first written about Richards missing his young son, Marlon, but then converted by Mick Jagger into an ode to then-girlfriend, Marianne Faithful. Regardless, it’s one of the great ballads of all time, given haunting treatment by Parsons.  These lyrics were, it turned out, entirely too apropos:

“I know I’ve dreamed you, a sin and a lie
I had my freedom, but I don’t have much time
Faith has been broken, tears must be cried
Let’s do some living after we die.”

Gram Parsons–Wild Horses

[audio:https://www.thelefortreport.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/1-23-Wild-Horses1.mp3|titles=1-23 Wild Horses]

As we were saying, we highly recommend checking Cover Lay Down and Cover Me for enlightening alternative versions of your favorite music.  In support, this time courtesy of Cover Lay Down, check out the great rendition of Gillian Welch’s song, Wrecking Ball, below by Bright Eyes, accompanied by Johnny & Jenny (Lewis).  Both Bright Eyes (at the Santa Barbara Bowl) and Jenny Lewis (at the Presidio Chapel) will be playing in Santa Barbara during the next month.  

And while you’re at it, check out Gillian Welch, David Rawlings and members of Old Crow Medicine Show performing Welch’s song.  And then check out Her Majesty, Emmylou Harris, accompanied by Daniel Lanois covering Neil Young’s identically-titled song.  And then check out Neil Young’s original studio version.  Consider yourself covered (at least with respect to Wrecking Ball).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9N5MGRPV0I&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgICZMdDoNc

We spend a lot of time retromaniacally searching for alternate renditions of our favorite music.   Amongst other places, we always begin our quest at two tremendous sources:  Cover Me and Cover Lay Down.  Both are highly recommended for those that are seeking alternative versions of your favorite music.  For example, we found at Cover Me the outstanding cover of Arcade Fire’s Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) by San Francisco musicians Quinn DeVeaux and Meklit Hadero below.

The duet has announced that they are working on a covers album together, and this is the first released teaser.  We’re in.  We love the minimalist take by the duo on Arcade Fire’s original song with its wall of sound-and-snow production.  All that is left of the song is its poignant essence and lyrical light.  Check out the performance below courtesy of Cover Me.

And speaking of Sam Cooke, you might  as well check out the duo’s cover of Cooke’s Bring It On Home To Me below.

And once you head off into the covers realm, you may be led to other illuminati.  Check out this cover below by LaTosha Brown of  I’ve Been Changed.

With Sam Cook, one minute you’d be twisting the night away, the next you’d be in a sad mood, and the next you’d be having a party.  We’re not sure, but these mood swings might have contributed to the too-too-early demise of Cooke, one of the seminal singers of R&B or any genre.

We were trolling through some of our old vinyl the other day, listening for healing, when we got mood-lashed by Sam yet again.  In the end, though, all we could recall (after snapping back from the pinballing) were the blissfully upbeat and propelling sounds of his  song,  Having a Party.  Check out the studio and live versions of the song below.  In particular check out the build that builds on the studio version starting at 1:41.  What follows for a scant 5o seconds is enough to heal all.

Here’s the studio version.

And here’s the live version from the Harlem Square Club.

We have caught LA’s Parsons Red Heads live on several occasions and each time come away with our musical nerve endings glowing red and, on occasion, our hair to match the match.  They are that good live.  Check out the video below for their song, Burning Up The Sky, from their new album, Yearling. And then after, check out their performance of When You Love Somebody and Kids Hanging Out from a Strange Fruit Session.

The band is on tour with Viva Voce currently and will be at the Satellite in LA on October 8th.

Here’s When You Love Somebody.

When You Love Somebody from Tonality Magazine on Vimeo.

Here’s Kids Hanging Out.

Kids Hanging Out from Tonality Magazine on Vimeo.

There’s a lot of pro and con to be found in the Twitterlitter regarding new-ish artist, Lana Del Rey, who hails originally from Lake Placid, NY (now Brooklyn, natch).  Given the songs (Video Games and Blue Jeans, both to be released on Stranger Records in October) and videos below, we can’t connect to the con.  The songs impart an elegiac and moving melancholia, all immersed in a nostalgic haze.  And the videos cinematically convey a vivid adolescence (Lefort, circa 3.0), via a Belmondo, Dogtown, Sunset Strip pastiche (despite her Lake Placid upbringing).  We could do with less film spent on a vamping Del Rey, but for now we’re pronouncing an overall pro.

Lana Del Rey plays the Hotel Cafe on 9/27, but the show sold out quickly.  If you can get us in, we’ll be your best friends.  No other shows west of NYC are currently scheduled.

First up is Video Games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO1OV5B_JDw&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Also to be released soon is the song Blue Jeans, after the lyrics.

“BLUE JEANS
WHITE SHIRT
WALKED INTO THE ROOM U KNOW U MADE MY EYES BURN
IT WAS LIKE, JAMES DEAN- FOR SURE
U SO FRESH TO DEATH & SICK AS CA-CANCER
YOU WERE SORTA PUNK ROCK, I GREW UP ON HIP HOP
BUT U FIT ME BETER THAN MY FAVOURITE SWEATER- AND I KNOW
THAT LUV IS MEAN, AND LUV HURTS
BUT I STILL REMEMBER THAT DAY WE MET IN DECEMBER- OH BABY!
*
I WILL LUV U TILL THE END OF TIME
I WOULD WAIT 1,000,000 YEARS
PROMISE U’LL REMEMBER THAT UR MINE
BABY CAN U SEE THROUGH THE TEARS
LUV U MORE
THAN THOSE BITCHES BEFORE
SAY U’LL REMEMBER -OH BABY- SAY U’LL REMEMBER
I WILL LUV U TILL THE END OF TIME
*
BIG DREAMS
GANGSTER
SAID U HAD TO LEAVE TO START UR LIFE OVER
I WAS LIKE- “NO PLEASE” STAY HERE
WE DON’T NEED NO MONEY WE CAN MAKE IT ALL WORK
BUT HE HEADED OUT ON MONDAY, SAID HE’D COME HOME SUNDAY
I STAYED UP WAITIN’, ANTICIPATIN’ AND PACIN’ BUT HE WAS
CHASING PAPER
CAUGHT UP IN THE GAME-THAT WAS THE LAST I HEARD
*
CHORUS
*
HE WENT OUT EVERY NIGHT
AND BABY THAT’S ALRIGHT
I TOLD U THAT NO MATTER WHAT U DID I’D BE BY YOUR SIDE
CAUSE IM A RIDE OR DIE
WHETHER U FAIL OR FLY
WELL SHIT @ LEAST U TRIED.
BUT WHEN U WALKED OUT THAT DOOR- A PIECE OF ME DIED
I TOLD U I WANTED MORE-BUT THAT NOT WHAT I HAD IN MIND
I JUST WANT IT LIKE BEFORE
WE WERE DANCIN ALL NIGHT
THEN THEY TOOK U AWAY-STOLE U OUT OF MY LIFE
U JUST NEED TO REMEMBER….
THAT I WILL LUV U TILL THE END OF TIME
i promise”

We particularly liked her answer to a question posed by Pitchfork recently in an interview:

“Pitchfork: You started singing in a church choir– do you think your church would approve of some of the lyrics on “Kinda Outta Luck” like the one about hitting dudes in the back of the head with a gun?

LDR: God has saved me a million times so I think he must’ve enjoyed that song.”

And with that, you might as well check out the bouncy, Blondie-esque Kinda Outta Luck below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Gg8pZYjCTM&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Girls supplied their usual live kill last night on Jimmy Fallon.  Check ’em out performing Honey Bunny and My Ma below (courtesy of the Audio Perv), and don’t forget about the live in-store webcast tomorrow.  The band also released its highly praised new album Father, Son, Holy Ghost yesterday on True Panther.

And here’s My Ma:

Indie jazzman, Colin Stetson, has played and recorded with an amazing roster of musicians, including Bon Iver (on the current tour too), Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, Feist, My Brightest Diamond, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Jolie Holland, Sinead O’Connor, LCD Soundsystem, The National, and Anthony Braxton.

Stetson’s excellent recent release, New History Warfare Vol.2: Judges (featuring fine guest vocalists, Laurie Anderson and ubiquitous Shara Worden), can be streamed and bought HERE.  The music was captured entirely live in single takes at Montréal’s Hotel2Tango studio, with no overdubs or looping, using over 20 mics positioned close and far throughout the live room.  The smart lads over at Said the Gramophone have said this about the album:  “It is the most exciting and devastating record that I have heard in seasons; it is a roaring, terrible sadness. Twenty microphones, planted like roses around a room – capturing the ripple of notes, the wails of resonance, the violent clack of fingers on keys and the shriek of Stetson’s own voice, sounding through the horn; like Stetson has two hearts, four lungs, can sing two different sorrows at once. Judges sounds like nothing else. It is like being struck by a comet. It is only January but there is an album of the year.”

Below are two clips of Stetson blazing solo at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee this summer.  Check out Part of Me Apart From You and Judges off that record.

Colin Stetson – Part of Me Apart from You from Dan Huiting on Vimeo.

And here’s Judges.

Colin Stetson – Judges from Dan Huiting on Vimeo.

And then check out this black & white footage from Stetson on freak sax at the Drake Hotel.

COLIN STETSON – Live at the Drake Hotel from Mitch Fillion (southernsouls.ca) on Vimeo.