Solo albums #10

I first heard Cameron McGill when I traveled to Chicago to see Butch Walker at the Abbey Pub. One of the opening acts was a local (Chicago) artist named Cameron McGill who performed with an acoustic guitar and two other musicians who played strings. I was quite impressed so I went down to the merch table and bought his first solo album Stories of the Knife and the Back. It wasn't the acoustic & cello/viola/violin type album that I was hoping for, but I really enjoyed the pop and acoustic tracks contained within.

The next time I saw him, he performed at a really small bar in Milwaukee for what I recall to be a battle of the bands. I was in Milwaukee on business and took a really expensive cab ride there to see him. I got to chat with him for a little bit and at one point I was a little bit embarassed to realize he looked at my jacket lapel....because I unintentionally and unknowingly had a small button with his face on it and the words "Who the Hell Is Cameron McGill?" I purchased it at his show a few years prior in Chicago. It had become so much a part of my jacket that I had forgotten it was there.......yet, I'm sure I looked like Mr. Superfan-Fanboy. I digress. After his performance I spoke to him some more and purchased a copy of his (then new) album Street Ballads & Murderesques, based on that nights performance of the gorgeous "When It Could Hurry." Street Ballads & Murderesques is an extremely stripped down affair that calls to mind Bob Dylan.

Which finally brings me to the new album, Warm Songs For Cold Shoulders. 2009's most beautiful album you've never heard of. I don't really have words to describe this album. It's more of the same as we heard from Street Ballads. I usually roll my eyes when I hear songs that protest the Iraq war, or George Bush or what have you.... inspiration likely strikes the songwriter, but the songs always seem to sound uninspired and contrived. The exception to this rule is Cameron McGill's "Lose Americans." "They're kinda like a phantom limb on your family tree today/Hey America/How does it feel to lose Americans that way?"

Cameron stopped by the Current studios over a year ago and performed three songs from the new album. You can hear the songs and interview here. Check it out!

Please support Cameron McGill buy purchasing his album from him directly at http://www.cameronmcgill.com/, or from itunes, Amazon, Best Buy....wherever. Buy the album! Do not download it illegally, you pirate bastards!!

Unfortunately, he doesn't have any shows scheduled for the Twin Cities at this time, but here is his tour schedule:

8/19--The Knickerbocker, Lafayette, IN 9pm
8/20--The Basement, Nashville, TN 10pm
8/21--The Skyline Room, Valparaiso, IN 9pm
8/22--The Indy Hostel, Indianapolis, IN
9/18--Pygmalion Festival, Champaign, IL
9/19--Kryptonite, Rockford, IL 10pm
9/20--House Cafe, DeKalb, IL 9pm
9/21--Monks Kaffee Pub, Dubuque, IA 9pm
9/22--Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA 9pm
9/24--SPACE, Evanston, IL 9pm

Suspiciously Similar #4

I'd never heard of the Fairfield Parlour, but when I recently stumbled upon this album cover, the first thing I thought was "Grizzly Bear". Decide for yourself:

Home To Home '70 & Yellow House '06

Feel free to leave comments with your thoughts. If you can think of any that I can feature in the next or future segments, you can leave them in the comments, or feel free to email me with ideas at everlong_song@yahoo.com
Note: the picture at the header features nearly identical album covers by Fountains of Wayne and The Flamingoes. The Flamingoes album was released only TWO WEEKS before Fountains of Wayne hit it "big" with their self-titled album

Concert Announcement - Manic Street Preachers

I'm excited to find out that the Manic Street Preachers who released the solid Journal For Plague Lovers this year, will be coming to the Varsity Theater on September 30. Price of admission is a mere $20.

Crispin Glover vs. Magnetic Fields

This post has almost nothing at all to do with the Magnetic Fields. Actually, I can say outright that it in fact has nothing at all to do with the sound of their music.

Today, I went to Cheapo because I had some cash burning a whole in my wallet after work and thought I'd skim through the used recent arrivals to see if I could come across any gems. Well, I did. I found Volumes 2 & 3 of the Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs trilogy. I already own a used copy of Volume 1 (my favorite of the bunch) and agreed with myself in thinking that $5.95 a piece for both Volume 2 & 3 was a steal.

Well, I proudly walked around the store with them in my hands just glancing around (just in case I might lock eyes with other discs on my list that I either want and can't find, or need to find used, as I'm not prepared to spend $15+ on new CDs since I can usually find them used for much, much cheaper).

Well, it happened, just as I was walking towards the register. I'd heard OF it, but never heard anything FROM it. The IT in question, is The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be by Crispin Hellion Glover.

This is such a messed up album. Well, honestly, not the most messed up album I've ever heard. Some of it reminds me Van Dyke Park's Song Cycle album. That is another messed up album, but not the most messed up album.

The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be features spoken word readings from a couple of Glover's books and two cover songs. Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walking" and a cover of a Charles Manson song. Yes...THAT Charles Manson.

So, the basic reason I brought up Magnetic Fields at all is to say that my 69 Love Songs trilogy remains incomplete. I had to set down Volume 3 (my least favorite of the 3) and feed my curiosity over this Crispin Glover album. It's not altogether bad. It's amusing and entertaining...and a lot of the time I was trying to figure out if he's being serious or if he has a warped sense of humor. Neither would surprise me.