Don't Stop Now

Atlanta was fortunate enough on Wednesday evening to be graced with the genius of Neil Finn and the re-formed Crowded House. On a night that brought the old-timers (like me) out to the Tabernacle, Neil ("Full of Zeal") did not disappoint. Just when opening act Pete Yorn had me questioning why it is that I even like live music at all (with his thirty or so guitarists on stage, all playing the same thing and all, except maybe the Elvis Costello impersonator, apparently even more bored than I), Crowded House immediately reminded me of the joy of live music.

Neil Finn is simply one of the all-time greatest songwriters (if there is anyone better at turning a melody, his or her name is probably Lennon or McCartney) and performers, and the band was in excellent form. It being the last proper show on the tour (of sorts -- I believe they're playing the Austin City Limits festival today), Neil's voice was a little worn, but the crowd was able and more than willing to join in and help out on the vocals. Mr. Finn seemed to take no small measure of delight in this, repeatedly engaging the effusive crowd in impromptu sing-a-longs between songs, and taking the time to teach the backing vocals to his exuberant students before a couple of the numbers. Needless to say, it was a warm reception.

The set (plus two lengthy encores) featured highlights spanning the band's incredible career, along with a generous dose of songs from their excellent new record, Time On Earth. If you haven't picked this one up yet, add it to your list of things to do. It's a mature offering, almost somber in some places (perhaps not a surprising reaction to original drummer Paul Hester's 2005 suicide), and in many ways reminiscent of some of Finn's best solo work (e.g., "Don't Stop Now"), yet has a few instant classics ("She Called Up") that could easily have been featured on an early Crowded House release. In short, Time On Earth sounds less like a reunion record than a band hitting a new found stride. Don't dream it's over, indeed.

MP3: Crowded House - "She Called Up" from Time On Earth

(Expect the Classic Bootleg Series to resume next week!)

Can't Hardly Wait

Before we become That Wilco Thing, let's switch gears. Here are tracks from a couple of releases we're looking for to:

RYAN ADAMS - "Everybody Knows" from Easy Tiger, out on June 26


CROWDED HOUSE - "Don't Stop Now" (webrip) from Time On Earth, out on July 10


SPOON - "The Ghost Of You Lingers" from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, out on July 10

Odds and Sods

GoldenFiddle has the first look at Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan (the circa '66 edition) in the forthcoming Todd Haynes biopic, I'm Not There (which, from the look of things, will be either terrific or a complete disaster).






The Traneumentary is a weekly podcast celebrating the unparalleled artistry and influence of John Coltrane, featuring interviews with such friends and admirers as McCoy Tyner, Terence Blanchard, Jimmy Cobb and (coming up) Sonny Rollins. It's 15 weeks in, with only 3 more to go, but all of the episodes are archived at the site and well worth a listen. ('Trane fans, stay tuned to our Classic Bootleg Series. I'm just sayin'.)


The reunited Crowded House will release a new record, Time On Earth, on July 2. The record was produced by Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Kings Of Leon, Ray LaMontagne) and Steve Lillywhite (U2, XTC, Morrissey). Guitar god Johnny Marr features on two tracks, including lead-off single "Don’t Stop Now," which will be available on iTunes on June 25. The record will also include Crowded House's take on the gorgeous "Silent House," which CH main man Neil Finn co-wrote with the Dixie Chicks. The Chicks' version of that song was among the highlights of their splendid Taking The Long Way album last year. Here, see for yourself:

MP3: Dixie Chicks - "Silent House" from Taking The Long Way


And music critic Sasha Frere-Jones, who's been on a tear lately, profiles indie it-girl Feist in The New Yorker, calling her new record, The Reminder (out next week), "radiant" and "luminous".

Something So Strong

Another update on the Crowded House reunion: The band is wrapping up work on a new studio album, Time On Earth, and rehearsing in the UK before taking the new lineup on the road for the first time in 10 years, starting with the Coachella Festival on April 29. TONIGHT they will perform both new tracks and old favorites in a live interactive webcast, starting at 6pm Eastern in the U.S. To log on and see that performance, go here. (Apparently, they also will take time during the performance to read out comments and answer questions from fans. You can e-mail comments and questions to: questions@crowdedhouseofficial.com.)

Don't Dream It's Over

You could have smacked me with a 2x4 after I read this morning that one of my favorite bands of the late 80s and early 90s, Australia's Crowded House, has reunited, is recruiting a new drummer (to replace the wonderful Paul Hester, who tragically committed suicide 2 years ago), and will mount a world tour in 2007. An April 29 date at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California is already confirmed, and presumably a slate of shows across the U.S. will follow. Neil Finn, who for a decade powered the band with his sublimely crafted pop songwriting and elegant voice, has enjoyed a fair amount of solo success since they disbanded in 1996 -- not to mention living on an estate in New Zealand and collecting royalties on "Don't Dream It's Over", "Something So Strong", "Better Be Home Soon", "Weather with You" and all of those other amazing tunes -- and has insisted ever since that a Crowded House reunion would simply never, ever happen. Ironically, it seems that it was Hester's untimely death that rattled his resolve and forced him to re-think the issue. And then change his mind. Un-freakin'-believable. I hope we an Atlanta date soon.

(And I guess Farewell To The World, the recording of Crowded House's "final" show at the Sydney Opera House in November of 1996 that was released only a week ago, was titled a bit prematurely.)

BONUS: "Into Temptation," my favorite song from my favorite Crowded House record, 1988's Temple of Low Men.