Playlist 19.11.12

Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons were two of the most beautifully met

voices in popular music. He was a southern boy from an affluent but

dysfunctional background, fated to hang out with Keith Richards and to

die from a drugs mishap at the Joshua Tree Inn in 1973. His tour

manager tried to burn the body in the desert and while there was a

hint of glamour in his life, it was also tough on the survivors. Gram

is redeemed because his music was sweetly wracked and the songs are

beyond time.

Emmylou was born into a military family and was singing folk music

when she was spotted by Gram's friend Chris Hillman in a Washington DC

club. She joined Parsons with the Fallen Angels and they recorded two

impeccable albums, 'GP' and 'Grievous Angel'. Gram encouraged his

protégée to listen to the Appalachian harmonies of acts like the

Louvin Brothers and she responded intensely on 'We'll Sweep Out The

Ashes', 'Love Hurts' and 'Return Of The Grievous Angel'. Later she

sang his memory home on 'Boulder To Birmingham' and the heartache is

undeniable.

First Aid Kit are Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg. Their

current album 'The Lion's Roar' is an impressive collection of

left-field Americana, aided by Conor Oberst and The Felice Brothers.

They have a song called 'Emmylou' that seeks out an unquenchable love,

like in one of those old songs. "You'll be my Gram and Johnny too,"

they croon in unison. Nothing like setting your sights high.

Dan Penn - Come Into My Heart (Ace)

Our Krypton Son - This Jealous Heart (Small Town America)

The Jim Jones Review - Where Da Money Go? (PIAS)

Don Covay - Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky (Ace)

Calexico - Puerto (City Slang)

First Aid Kit - Emmylou (Wichita)

Ben Kweller - Free (Noise)

The Would Be's - Let's Play Dumb (Fifa)

Little Walter - Oh Baby (Chess)

The Bonnevilles - Machine Born To Think (Twenty Stone Blatt)

Sinkane - Runnin' (City Slang)

Jesse Boykins III - I'm New Here (Ninja Tune)

Free - My Brother Jake (Rhino)

The Raveonettes - She Owns The Streets (Beat Dies)

Cat Power -Silent Machine (Matador)

Rosie Carney - I Won't Let You Fall (white)

Dawes - If I Wanted Someone (Loose)

Duke Special - How I Learned To Love The Sun (Adventures In Gramophone)

Alex Dingley - Cats Eyes (Too Pure)

Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale - It Hurts Me ((New West)

Our Krypton Son - Twitch (Small Town America)

Wanda Jackson - California Stars (Sugar Hill)

Rams' Pocket Radio - Love Is A Bitter Thing (white)

Atoms For Peace - What The Eyeballs Did (XL)

Sinkane - Jeeper Creeper (City Slang)