(Editor’s note: Live tracks last Saturday seemed like a winner, so we’re going with it again this week. It’s being considered for inclusion as a regular feature, so if you’ve got strong feelings one way or the other, let us know in the comments. Also, that’s a photograph of Edwin Webb up there; he likes cigars and hates all of you. There is no reason for the inclusion of that particular photograph other than it’s the weekend and I was too lazy to hunt down pictures of the four artists included in the post. If you can’t remember what Lee “Scratch” Perry looks like, you can use an encyclopedia or something to find out; I’m not always going to be here holding you hand when you need something.)
Diamond Jim very eloquently described our feelings about SXSW yesterday. In an effort to palliate our yearning ache, we’re going to do the next best thing: listen to tremendous performances from SXSWs past; we spent a few ticks with the internets and dug up the following four gems from some of our favorite artists, all of which were recorded at SXSW. If you, dear reader, are three sentences into this post on Saturday morning, we’re going to assume that you’re not in Austin either. Don’t worry. Do what we’re doing and try to convince yourself that nobody’s going to hear anything as amazing as these four tracks over the weekend. Enjoy.
This was one of my favorite tracks on Post-War and this version puts a slightly different spin on it. On the record, it plays, I’d argue, as a kind of sarcastic comment on the qualifications of authority figures; to a degree, the song is a jibe at those who pretend to know more than the rest of us. This live version, much quieter and possessing a certain reverence, takes the humor out, presenting a colder vision of what it means to have questions. I’m not sure which version I prefer, but listening to these two sing together is a complete treat.
“Chinese Translation” – M. Ward and Jim James – SXSW 2008
Kevin’s going to holler at me a bit for putting this next one up; Lee “Scratch” Perry in specific and dub in general don’t quite fit in with our modus operandi, but I don’t care at all. Lee is the coolest cat ever, especially because he doesn’t want to hear some smart-ass college kid play a farfisa and bitch about his girlfriend or whatever. Yeah!
“Secret Laboratory” – Lee “Scratch” Perry and Dub is a Weapon – SXSW 2007
Ryan Adams and I don’t always see eye-to-eye, kind of like Cyndi Lauper and Captain Lou Albano. I cannot, however, deny that the dude brings a lot to the table. “Enemy Fire” always make me want to put on some tight jeans and sneer at stuff (that’s an endorsement, by the way); bonus points for the top-notch slide work in this version.
“Enemy Fire” – Ryan Adams -SXSW 2001
Just soak this last one in.
“LA” – Elliot Smith – SXSW 2000
If you’re looking for a more recent SXSW fix, NPR has a killer page of dedicated coverage, including recordings of concerts from this year’s event (most notably, The Decemberists’ Hazards of Love, live, in order, which ought to be required listening for all of you (We’re going to get around to commenting on that album here someday, we promise.)).
