An Oldish Sonic Youth

Just found this incredible footage of a somewhat mature Sonic Youth playing Teenage Riot on Jools a couple of years back. Just wonder what the famously jazz centric Holland thought of it- not a lot probably. The version is slightly shortened from the albums six plus minutes- but as with much Youth perhaps not the worse for a bit of editing.

                It's one of those songs whose visceral engergy befits a live performance, and the two pronged guitar attack never sounded so awesome. It is also sung with slightly more clarity than on the album version leading to some interesting lyrical revelations.  "Looking for a man with focus and a temper, who can open up a map and see between one and two", open up a mouth.....and see do you want it too? Anyone? No, thought not. Ahem. Just check out this footage of The Youth at their most melodic and disciplined (i..e their best) and stand in awe at THAT RIFF. Oh, and like them on facebook (how i found out about this video).

Fleet Foxes On Jools

For those of you who missed it here's Fleet Foxes' performance of euphoric new album closer, "Grown Ocean", which was on  Jools Holland last night. Note the double string break towards the end. All the Fleet Foxes elements are in fine shape here; breezy melodies, bucolc imagery and vocal harmonies but on a somehow grander scale.
      This album was harder to make than their first and if, as frontman Pecknold has commented, the album is about the creative process, then this seems like the sound of a man standing back to admire and reflect on his creation .  
 Quite rightly too, check out Helplessness Blues.