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Someone recently asked me who the Pixies were, which really surprised me, because they are one of the most influential alternative rock band in the late 80s/early 90s. I came to know them through their wonderful, song "Here Comes Your Man" from Doolittle. Pixies - Allison Pixies - Allison 4 comments My friend, Shawn, at the time, had become a huge fan and had bought most of the Pixies' releases at the time (Doolittle to Trompe le Monde). I borrowed his albums and I can't say that I really got into it, you know, but I do love a few of the tracks. Particularly, "Here Comes Your Man" and maybe even some of their other hits such as "Monkey Gone to Heaven" and "Allison" (okay I really love this song a lot).

This song was a huge hit for the Cyrkle in the 60s. It's a very pop song/jangly song, and I love it. Note: this song was co-written by Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel. I have included S&G's version of Red Rubber Ball here... although there's never been an official studio recording, this live version is just as good.

The sound quality is really good, it seems to have been taken from a radio broadcast. The original concert performance was taken from Utrecht, Holland. The CD lists "July 1, 1991", but real Morrissey nerds will tell you that, in fact, the concert took place on May 1st.[1]

Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French. This refers simultaneously to their "Frenchness" and "artiness" (the '60s new wave of cult French cinema), the source of their songs (all covers of punk rock, post-punk, and New Wave songs), and their use of '60s bossa nova-style arrangements ("bossa nova" being Portuguese for "new wave"). On their first album, Nouvelle Vague, the group resurrected classics from the New Wave music era, and reinterpreted them in a bossa nova style. The songs were stripped back to acoustic arrangements with lithe shaker rhythms achieved by gathering a parade of chanteuses from all over the world (six French, one Brazilian and one New Yorker) to cover bands including XTC, Modern English, The Clash, Joy Division and The Undertones. The various female singers on Nouvelle Vague only performed songs they had never heard before, to ensure that each cover would have a unique quality.

First off, I've edited together a few video sessions and we're going to call it a Holiday Buyer's Guide or interesting music boxsets and stuff I thought was cool. They weren't necessary released this year (and in fact, I'm pretty sure you couldn't buy some of these items). Anyway, check out the video. The format will change after this, so it'll be the last of this longer format.

POST A COVER SONG FROM YOUR PERSONAL LIBRARY. Cool Points this week go to the peeps that also post the original version of said cover song

The first album here is the 2005 self-titled debut album from French singer, Pauline Croze (paulinecroze.com). The cover shows (what looks like) a naked Croze, looking innocent with her doll-like eyes. She was twenty-five when they took that picture for her debut album, but the truth is she started writing and playing music when she was fourteen.

In addition to Peter Gunn, I collect versions of It's De-Lovely. This isn't the weirdest, but it's not far off. Here's what I've got so far:

Sticky Teenage Twin :: Twin Moon

Whoohoo! Was keeping my eye on some chunks of bright stuff & they disappeared! Sublimated! So it can't be salt, it's ice: http://is.gd/lFa about 18 hours ago from web

This is just a placeholder for Best Friends Forever, Peppermint Patty, and The Terrordactyls at an undisclosed location, as I'm very, very, very, very (can I stress the word very one more time?) tired right now.

I have here The Outfit Movement Vol 1 by Philanastasia (official/myspace), a New York-based underground hip-hop artist that reminds me of House of Pain (in fact, the opening song on this promo album is a reimagined "Who's the Man"). His biography lists him as "a white boy that isn't trying to sound like Eminem", which I think is a good thing.

David Yazbek is not only a Tony award nominee for musicals like The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels but also an Emmy Award winning T.V. writer for Late Night with David Letterman, which may help explain the tenor of this album.

The Internet has, however, connected music fans to a legion of hardcore aficionados who help steer people to new music. Think of Barry, Jack Black's rock-addicted character from the film High Fidelity, with a blog. The difference is that some of today's most popular music bloggers may someday be worth more than Barry ever dreamed of earning in that record store. Music blogs are nearly as old as the Web, but the past year has brought unprecedented growth, influence, and dollars to the sector as people look for help discovering new music. Now, the most popular blogs, such as Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, and Pitchfork, look less and less like I

Previously on the Calliope

Hey, this is Vu on the road. I have the following pre-written offline on my trusty laptop and I'm hoping to get an internet connection to upload the content before I leave for home (I won't be back until Tuesday).

Punk Rock 101 :: Punk Rock Girl

Before I go off to pursue some real life activities, I couldn't let the opportunity to post some Lyle (not big, large) Lovett pass. Here are a pair of songs from the insanely great 1992 Joshua Judges Ruth cd.

Though the space at 11th Street Bar seemed somewhat claustrophobic, with tables placed almost directly in front of the band, it was suited perfectly for Saint Bernadette to interact with the audience, and, in turn, for the audience to watch them interact with each other and see that they were enjoying themselves. Frontwoman Meredith's voice was smooth, raw, and haunting -- absolutely flawless (despite being 'plagued with a terrible illness'; it's doubtful that anyone would have realized had she not mentioned it). Especially on "Pieces," a mellow, subdued, and wistful song. Even the gritty, more rockish songs ("Lay Me Down"; listen on myspace) seemed to work, especially with the atmosphere of the space (apparently, they had to turn down the volume, due to the prior week's performance being too loud); every note resonated and drew the listeners into a world of vastly different, yet harmonious blend of pop, sonic rock, and jazz. They closed with "Beat Dialogue," their more jazz-influenced song from their debut, In the Ballroom. The experience is completely worth it; while In the Ballroom is enchanting and eclectic, the band's live performance, along with Meredith's confident presence, completes the package. In fact, from what I've heard that evening, I look forward to their upcoming release (at least according to a few places on the web, it's called I Wanna Tell You Something; keep an eye -- or ear -- out for that). Check the tour dates for when they hit your town.