Listened to the quite-good Nick Drake Special on BBC2, today. For the first few minutes I was reeling with cognitive dissonance (it's narrated by Brad "huge admirer of [Nick Drake] records" Pitt), but eventually settled in to enjoy the things that people other than Brad had to say. There was something very sad about the affection that lingered in the voices of Nick's (former) friends and colleagues. Definitely a better piece than 1999's A Skin Too Few doc.
At the end of the show, I resolved to post Norah Jones's "Day is Done" cover to the blog. When I went and listened to it properly, however, I changed my mind. Much too smooth, by the end; much too funky. In short - not noteworthy. For those of you who are still interested, however, seek out guitarist Charlie Hunter's 2001 record, Songs From the Analog Playground.
Instead of Norah-doing-Nick, then, here's Tom-that-Norah-did; a terrific track from the soundtrack to Big Bad Love, covered by Norah on Feels Like Home.
Tom Waits - "Long Way Home". This is neither Tom Waits at his most boisterous nor Tom at his most loony-romantic - instead, he treads the middle ground of Townes Van Zandt or Nebraska-era Bruce Springsteen. A bass rocks back and forth, footsteps shuffle, and when the trumpet joins in it's as if the first fingers of orange light are breaking up the shadows. Tom's not desperate, or apathetic, he's just quietly determined - he'll not stop, he'll not stumble, he'll make it there eventually. [buy]
Broken Family Band - "The Perfect Gentleman". This Cambridge alt.country band fakes an American twang and swaggers like a mopey English cowboy. The song's methodical movements break down at the end in an appealingly noisy way - an organ warbles, darts and loops with a Grandaddy/Radiohead confidence. I don't quite know what the song's trying to say, but whatever it is, it sails unerringly through its choppy brown waters. (From the King Will Build a Disco mini-album. Thanks, Kieran!) [buy]
A Toronto woman has gone missing after attending a Billy Corgan show in Chicago. If you think you might possibly be able to help, please drop by Billy's blog for a photo, as well as the contact info for police, should you have any information. Let's hope she gets home safe. [via aaron]