Finally getting into Street Songs of Love

So, you probably already know this. Alejandro Escovedo has had a new album out since last summer. It's called Street Songs of Love, and it's got guest shots by people like Ian Hunter and Springsteen. Actually in all fairness, I remember Alejandro talking about Ian Hunter in fairly worshipful terms as far back as 1996, and I'm not saying he wasn't doing it before then. If he's got enough juice now to get Mr. Mott the Hoople to sing with him, good for him, it's about time.

Anyway, I was underwhelmed with the new album the first time thorugh, admittedly in the car and not paying full attention, but I listened to it this morning and it seems less glad-handed and more soulful than I thought at first.

It's still a little less raw and personal than The Boxer and, at least to me, less devastatingly wonderful than Real Animal. You can sort of tell he's been touring with Springsteen, if you know what I mean, there's a degree of effort and showmanship that wasn't so obvious before.

But anyway, it's new Alejandro and that's a good thing. Here he is playing Letterman. About time for that, too.

Slipped discs

PopMatters is running the first half of its annual “here’s what we really liked” feature, where every writer gets to pick one or two discs that didn’t make the big year-end list. I got two this year and people who know me are quite possibly sick of hearing about both. This is the last time, I promise, that I write anything about Alejandro Escovedo’s Real Animal or the Dirtbombs’ We Have You Surrounded.

Both are in section two here, but the whole thing is interesting.

Another best-of list

Blurt (the old Harp) put out its year end list yesterday, and, I have to say, it's way more in line with my 2008 than any other aggregated list I've seen. I had some input into it...but then I had some input into the PopMatters list, which has not a single one of my top-ten picks in its top 60.

But Blurt has singled out a bunch of my favorites -- not just Alejandro, but Thalia Zedek and the Gutter Twins.

So, wow, I feel like a part of something for once, instead of a lone kook in the desert.

Here's the list.
http://www.blurt-online.com/features/view/240/

My year-end essay is up...

Check it out here

Year-end mix

Here are some songs from my favorite albums of this past year...as usually, I've screwed it up, at least slightly. I forgot to put any Man Man on, and also Roy Harper, both highlights...oh well.


It's in two parts, here's the first

The second is somewhat weirder and less homogenous, if that's even possible.


Tracks
Big Dipper "Faith Healer"
Alejandro Escovedo "Golden Bear"
Ian Matthews "Desert Inn"
Thalia Zedek Band "Green and Blue"
Wovenhand "Not One Stone"
Gutter Twins, "Idle Hands"
The Dirtbombs, "Leopardman at C&A"
Human Bell "Ephaphatha (Be Opened)
Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron "You Swan Go On"
Karen Dalton "Katie Cruel"
Experimental Aircraft "With a Gun"
Jay Reatard "Flourescent Grey"
Giant Sand "The Desperate Kingdom of Love"
Bon Iver "Skinny Love"
Lights "At Midnight"
Kelley Stoltz "I Nearly Lost My Mind"
Steve Wynn "Wait Until You Get To Know Me"
Calexico "El Gatillo"
Boston Spaceships "Still in Rome"

Part 2
King Khan and the Shrines "No Regrets"
The Starlite Desperation "I Lost My Bees"
Fabulous Diamonds "Untitled" (They're all untitled, this one is track 4)
Mahjonggh "Tell the Police the Truth"
The War on Drugs "Taking the Farm"
Pontiak "Dome Under the Sky"
Retribution Gospel Choir "Destroyer"
Stars Like Fleas "I Was Only Dancing"
The Accidentals "I Can Hear Your Voice"
Michael Chapman, "A Stranger's Map of Texas/The Twisted Road"

They'll be up for seven days...I might re-up the whole thing when my year-end essay runs. But first I have to write it.