Finest Worksongs - the album

In anticipation of Tuesday's hotly anticipated and well reviewed release of Accelerate (the new R.E.M. album), I decided to post a review of a great covers disc that recently came across my way. Finest Worksongs - Athens bands play the music of R.E.M. is the recording of a night dedicated last September 06 to just that - the eve to the last R.E.M. greatest hits compilation and an eeire companion. The results are a wonderful range of songs that range from the faithful cover to the ingenious reinterpretations. If you were lucky enough to belong to the fan club last year you received a 4 song cd of the night.

Contained therein are 17 covers and one song based on another. The cd opens with a spooky version of "The One I Love" by Liz Durret. Redone from the vantage point of an obsessed lover it haunts me. Throughout it we get to hear some of today's athens artists doing new takes on "Perfect Circle" by Modern Skirts and "Leaving New York" by Five Eight (both great and raw), flashback sounds like "Second Guessing" by Patterson Hood and "Radio Free Europe" by Five Eight which could have come from the original church on Oconee and revisions of "Fall on Me" by Bain Mattox, "Feeling Gravitys Pull" by The Obersvatory, and "Wendell Gee" by Claire Campbell. R.E.M. themselves appear towards the end of the night on "Radio Free" as well as the closer "It's The End of the World"

All in all - if you love REM, you will appreciate the night. If you like REM you might find something new to hold onto and learn from. Check it out at yes, http://www.finestworksongs.com/ on Iron Horse Records. As a PS to it all, the cd also introduced me to athensmusic.net which is a great home to all things athens music related. Thanks to Jeff Montgomery for bringing my attention to this fine night.

MMW's Let's Go Everywhere (Music for Kids, and you as well)

With apologies, its been a few weeks since I've seriously posted, and even longer since I gave you all a great family disc. One such overdue entry is Medeski Martin & Wood's first "kids" album Let's Go Everywhere. This enjoyable, infectious (in the good way) album has something for everyone in the family, especially those of us who love some good funk-jazz.

If you don't know them, Medeski Martin & Wood (MMW) are among the strongest and best in the funk-jazz category. Drawing heavily and almost exclusively on bass, keyboards and drums, This trio has for well over 15 years (at least that's how long I've had the pleasure of listening, even got to see them at CBGB's) put together a new sound for jazz and music alike. Maybe you recognize their sound from the Get Shorty soundtrack, or any number of festivals that cropped up after the Dead, but it works for kids of all ages as well.

The disc, which looks like its got art from the Yellow Submarine period, starts off sweet with the aptly titled instrumental "Waking Up." The disc then erupts with some great keyboard work into the title track which is a modern day "I've Been Everywhere." Like the rest of the album, the musician-ship isn't dumbed down or simplyfied just because its for kids. MMW plays just as hard and fierce and smartly as they do on any of their albums for adults. But the lyrics are squarely meant for my kinder, telling them that when they are "tired of your toys, and of your games, and of the television, when you're done with chores and homework" then it's time to put on "a little music" and "buckle up and go for a little ride." This CD does just that. The places we go are fun as well - cities like Bombay, Havana, and Aqaba and fictional places like Whoville and Cloud City - and is a fun sing-a-long for all of you. Download it for free (and explore some other MMW) at their website http://mmw.net/mp3/Letsgoeverywhere.mp3

The rest of the disc follows the same model. There are some songs for all to sing to ("Pirates Don't Take Baths" is a family favorite), a few standards like a rapping "Pat A Cake" and a few great instrumental only tracks which groove like MMW does best mixed in. My personal favorite to pull into carpool line is "Where's The Music" which is almost all without words, except when the music stops, a chorus of kids, as well as my own 2, yell "WHERE'S THE MUSIC!"

It's a blast - go enjoy it today. Listen to more of it at their myspace page http://www.myspace.com/letsgoeverywhere. You might even like it more than your kids. The upside is that when MMW comes to town, you can bring the kids.

For more on MMW for adults - check out Friday Afternoon in The Universe, Tonic, or their work with legendary John Scofield.