We’ve said it before, but Spoek Mathambo is the best thing to come out of South Africa since Nelson Mandela and Greg Lawler.  Check out his new, supremely-affecting video for Stuck Together from his album Father Creeper released earlier this year.  The video includes themes that remind us of John Prine’s great Hello in There (studio and live below Spoek’s video).  It’s Halloween.  While you’re out and about, say hello to an elder (we’re good, but thanks) who may desperately need it.  To sum up, as the great John Darnielle writes on the new Mountain Goats album Transcendental Youth, “The loneliest people in the whole wide world are the ones you’re never going to see again.”

We have a love/meh relationship with Andrew Bird’s music.  He has recorded one of our all-time favorite covers (listen at bottom to his cover of the Handsome Family’s Don’t Be Scared), and we’ve loved several of his albums.  But the whistlin’-and-loopin’ thing wore us out completely.   While we never denied Bird’s multiple talents, so much of it seemed so insular and tedious for so long.  But we could be wrong.  Exhibit A for Bird’s case can be found below.

Last night, with the great David Letterman once again audience-less, Andrew Bird and Tift Merritt (one of our favorite femme singer-songwriters) stepped up to the microphone as replacement for the originally scheduled David Byrne and St. Vincent.  Check out below their sterling cover of Townes Van Zandt’s day-after apropos, If I Needed You. The song appears on Bird’s most recent album, Hands of Glory.  We’re going to have to get our hands on that one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnUU8NQNVfs&feature=em-uploademail-new

We just don’t understand the allure of the soul-revival going on.  Why would anyone want to do that throw-back thing?  Oh wait.  OK, we get it.  Check out Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings explaining why on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.  Phenom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzLMSNYQxBE&feature=em-uploademail-new

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGyFRWtcKLs&feature=channel&list=UL

One of the avowed standouts at this year’s CMJ (before all hell broke loose yesterday) was young band Foxygen.  Check them out below (courtesy of Bleary-Eyed Brooklyn) bringing “it” on their song Make It Known (which you can download free HERE courtesy of their label, Jagjaguwar). It’s performances like this, with lead singer Sam France’s intense update of the Jagger/Iggy/Morrison vamp that’ll make ’em known.  After, check out and buy their first recording Take The Kids Off Broadway.

Bob Mould and bandmates (including funny-man Jon Wurster, taking a break from The Mountain Goats tour) appeared on Conan last night in support of Mould’s new album Silver Age.  Watch below as Mould rages on and Wurster attempts to break drums on Keep Believing below.  Welcome back Bob!

They say the show must go on. For further proof, check out Interpol’s Paul Banks performing Young Again on the Letterman Show last night as Hurricane Sandy raged outside.  Banks just released his eponymous first solo album.  After the Letterman performance check out three of our favorites (The Base, Over My Shoulder and Summertime Is Coming) off the new album.  The Base is particularly interesting because of its Sufjan-esque interludes.  Then use the Matadorrecs YouTube channel to stream the remainder of the album.  Caveat emptor:  not all the songs maintain the same levels/interest as those included below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E29lIxxU34&feature=em-uploademail-new

The xx showed up on Jimmy Fallon a few days ago and played Chained off their new album.  Check it out below.

After stumbling onto a Daughter recently (it’s like we’re Joni Mitchell or Rickie Lee Jones), we’re now receiving increasing semaphores and snippets of the band as they amble across America.  Check out Daughter below performing Youth (again, but it hurts so good) on Minnesota Pubic Radio’s The Current.  It’s always best to sequester the drummer in another room if possible.  Then go over and hear the audio for the entire show HERE.

The Shins showed up and regaled Saturday night on Austin City Limits. Check out their fine six-song set below featuring mostly new and a couple old songs.  The ghosted harmony vocals of Jessica Dobson (not to mention her guitar-playing) and uber-producer Richard Swift are particularly sweet (especially on It’s Only Life).  As a bonus while we approach Halloween, below their main set check out the band performing their ole “chestnut” Caring is Creepy.  If desired you can also continue to additional Dr. Dog set on ACL (the “spontaneous” group calisthenics lose us every time, but many like this band).  If you have trouble viewing either video below, go HERE to watch the entire Austin City Limits episode and the extra.

The Shins Setlist:

Simple Song
The Rifle’s Spiral
September
So Says I
It’s Only Life
New Slang

Watch The Shins / Dr. Dog on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

Watch Behind the Scenes: The Shins “Caring is Creepy” on PBS. See more from Austin City Limits.

Josh T. Pearson has previously mystified (and frightened) us, but also left us in awe of his songwriting and evocative live performances.  His last album, The Last of the Country Gentlemen, was one of our favorites of 2011.  Turns out he’s got all that AND deadpan humor in spades.  Check out his MC-like performance for Sounds from a Room on their boat on the Thames in London.  The Texan’s night-time performance aboard the boat weaves together new recordings, (unintentionally) hilarious YouTube videos, and “300 year-old” gospel covers, all the while interspersed with Pearson’s hilarity (check “Katy, if you’re out there, give me a call” at 21:02).  The meshing of his gospel cover tracks (recorded the prior night) with the nighttime film of London is eerily intriguing at times, and the swerve between humor and the seriousness and sonorities of the songs can be jarring.  But ultimately the covers, featuring his adept guitar-playing and his own multi-tracked harmonies, are things of beauty.  Praise be.  If the video below doesn’t run for ya, go HERE and let ‘er rip.

Josh T Pearson plays Sounds from a Room from Artangel on Vimeo.