Grateful Dead – St. Louis 12/10/71; Baltimore 9/17/72; NYC 3/9/81: It’s been a couple of months since I stumbled back down the rabbit hole of the Dead. In the process, I’ve uncovered a few of my own misconceptions about the Godcheaux and Mydland eras, and I have a new appreciation for those years. These three concerts are fun to hear together because each exists at a point of transition between eras, when the similarities and differences take on a different kind of importance.
Grateful Dead – Winterland 10/22/78: I installed the “Taper’s Section” app this week so I could listen to this, which hasn’t been officially released outside the heavily edited Road Trips Vol. 1 No. 4. Hamza El Din, an Egyptian composer and oud player, joined the band to recreate some of the vibes from their September ’78 Egypt shows in San Francisco. The full 20-minute version of “Ollin Arrageed” alone makes this one worth hearing, and I love the energy on “Friend of the Devil” and “Peggy-O”, two songs I’ve never particularly cared for.
Rachael Yamagata – Elephants… Teeth Sinking Into Heart; Chesapeake; Tightrope Walker: After listening to Julie Byrne’s The Greatest Wings, I also went down the rabbit hole of Rachael Yamagata and rediscovered my incredibly deep love for Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart. I remember reading that Yamagata was influenced by Carole King and James Taylor, and being thankful that I couldn’t hear those influences on Elephants. I hear the influences on Chesapeake and Tightrope Walker, though, and neither feels as cohesively powerful to me. That said, I’ve played Elephants at least 20 times over the past few weeks, and each listen was better than the one before it.
Everything but the Girl – Fuse: After a bad initial reaction, I’m spending some time with this record and trying to meet it where it is.
Jaimie Branch – Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war)): One of my biggest complaints about artists who jump genres is their intentions are often grander than their abilities. However, with each pass through this record (I’m on my fourth play now), I like it more and more. It’s not perfect, but Branch and her band courageously cross boundaries and bring fire to music that is remarkably different from any I’ve heard before. A quote from the memorial on her website says, “Things were always more exciting when Jaimie was around, but also somehow tender—more real and down to earth, but also more grand and epic and noble.” That doubles as a great review of this album, too.
Mt. Joy – “Silver Lining”: A friend turned me on to this track and it grabbed me in a powerful way. I haven’t quite figured out the lyrics yet but I’m having a lot of fun trying.
Old friends who made it into rotation: Moderat: II and III; Taylor Swift: Midnights, Red, and Fearless; Martinez Brothers: Fabric Presents.