R.E.M. (featuring Neil Young) – Country Feedback

Every year since 1986 Neil Young and his wife, Pegi have organized the Bridge School Benefit Concert.  It is an annual, all acoustic, non-profit charity event held every October in Mountain View, California. All proceeds directly benefit the operations of The Bridge School, which is a school that helps children with severe speech and physical impairments.  Every year Neil invites a number of artists to perform at the concert and most follow the acoustic format.  In 1998 R.E.M. was on the stage and Neil accompanied them on the song Country Feedback, which he states is his favourite R.E.M. song.  The fall of 2011 was the 25th anniversary of this event and they released an album of some of the best performances and “Country Feedback” was on that album.  In my mind it is the best of all of the songs on the album and it is also the song of the week…enjoy.  Here is the original version so you can judge which one is better.

Also check out these songs from the album.

Sarah McLachlan – Elsewhere (I cannot find this one on YouTube so go to itunes and look it up)

Thom Yorke – After the Gold Rush

2012
05/20
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
Write comment

Alan Doyle – Mutiny on the Dawn

Alan Doyle is the lead singer of the Great Big Sea and he has recorded his first solo album that will be released tomorrow.  Great Big Sea is not breaking up this is just something Alan has done on the side.  Many different artists helped him on this album and also the vacationers on a cruise liner.  One of the most interesting concepts is the song Mutiny on the Dawn, he thought it would be cool to write and record a song while on a cruise using the vacationers on the boat to help sing the chorus – check out the video.  You can download the song of the week for free by clicking on this link (Mutiny on the Bounty).  Sorry I do not have a link to the song as it has not been released yet so you will need to download it.  I would love to see these guys in a small bar.

The first release off the album is I’ve Seen a Little.

Enjoy!

2012
05/14
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
Write comment

Electric Guest – This Head I Hold

Electric Guest is a Los Angeles-based band comprised of Asa Taccone, Matthew Compton, and the brothers Todd and Tory Dahlhoff.  They were featured on MTV’s list of Artists to Watch in 2012. On April 24, 2012, the band released their debut album, Mondo. The band released their first single, “This Head I Hold”, which is the song of the week.

2012
05/06
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
Write comment

Gary Clark Jr. – Bright Lights

Gary Clark Jr. is an American guitarist based in Austin, Texas.  Acclaimed as the savior of the blues.  His live performances, as well as his recordings, blend rock, soul and blues, infusing fluid guitar with a guttural howl and a falsetto trill that mix together…I stole that from Wikipedia…I could not say it any better.  The song recently became more popular as it was played during the NFL draft, which is appropriate for our song of the week called Bright Lights.

Thanks to Mike for sending in this song and artist.

Also check out Don’t Owe You a Thang.

2012
04/30
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
Write comment

The Gourds – Gin and Juice

Levon Helm, singer and drummer for the Band, died on April 19th in New York of throat cancer. He was 71. The Band was accredited with putting the Americana sound back into rock and roll but all the members of the band were Canadian except Levon…it must have been his voice.  This week’s band has a sound similar to that of the Band.  On this cut The Gourds remake a song by Snoop Dogg’s Gin and Juice, other than the words there is not much that is the same.  Enjoy The Gourds version of Gin and Juice as the song of the week.

Listen to Levon sing one of The Bands best songs “The Weight” along with help from some friends.

2012
04/23
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
Write comment

The Head and the Heart –Down in the Valley

This week’s pick again comes again from my friend Ted.  It is a timely pick this week as this weekend marked the end of my daughter Sami’s minor hockey career…we won silver at provincials (I was one of the assistant coaches).  The reason this song is fitting is, as I watched the video, the travel, the rehearsals, the shows, the in between moments reminded me of our hockey season.  There is a line in the song that says “we do it over and over and over again” which we did and would do again.  GO ICE BOLTZ GO!

The Head and The Heart is an indie folk-pop band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in the summer of 2009 by Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion), the band also includes Charity Rose Thielen (violin, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), and Tyler Williams (drums).  The re-mastered self titled album “The Head and the Heart” was released April 16, 2011 and included this week’s pick “Down in the Valley”. 

I need more of you to send me the songs that you have heard and love…not just Ted, Mitch and Max.  Sorry for being late…busy weekend.

2012
04/17
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
Write comment

Alabama Shakes – Hold On

This week’s pick comes to us from Ted who is an active member of marksmusicpicks.com and a good friend.  Alabama Shakes is an American rock band formed in Athens, Alabama in 2009. The group consists of lead singer Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, and drummer Steve Johnson.  Alabama Shakes released the four-song EP Alabama Shakes in September 2011, which gained widespread media attention.  The band’s first full length album, “Boys & Girls”, will be released on April 10, 2012.  In one of the comments I was reading on youtube it said if Janis Joplin and Otis Redding had a baby it would be Brittany Howard – she has a great voice and it sounds great in the song of the week – Hold On.

Remember to get your friends to sign up at marksmusicpicks.com.

2012
04/09
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
Write comment

Plants and Animals – The End of That

Plants and Animals are a Canadian indie-rock band from Montreal, two of the band members are originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Their first full-length album, Parc Avenue, was shortlisted for the 2008 Polaris Music Prize and was nominated for a 2009 Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year; the band were also nominated for New Group of the Year.  They release a great song from their first album called Bye Bye Bye.  They recently released a new album called The End of That in February of this year and the song of the week is off this album, it is also call The End of That.

Also check out Lightshow.

2012
04/02
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
Write comment

Marilyn Manson – No Reflection

I have never been a Marilyn Manson fan.  And other than the pick of the week, I only have one other song of his called “The Beautiful People”.  Last week he released a cut off his upcoming album called “No Reflection” and it is quite good…so it is the song of the week.  Turn it up loud and get out the air guitar.

Both songs are good for a helping you get through a hard workout…turn that treadmill up to 11.

2012
03/26
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
Write comment

Of Monsters and Men – Little Talks

Of Monsters and Men is a six piece indie folk/indie pop band from Reykjavík, Iceland and the 2010 winners of Músíktilraunir, which is a yearly battle of the bands competition in their native Iceland.  The band released “Into the Woods” EP on December 20, 2011, which features four songs from their debut album, which they will be releasing called “My Head is an Animal” in the North America on April 3, 2012.  The song that is getting all the attention off this EP is called “Little Talks” and is the song of the week.

I heard some rumours recently that Iceland is looking to use the Canadian dollar as their currency…cool.

Also Check out:

Six Weeks

2012
03/19
POSTED BY
Mark Sherry
2 comments