It has been a winter of catastrophic snowfall and poor sleep, and I am eagerly looking forward to the normally unappealing prospect of sweating my balls off in a non-air conditioned car this summer more and more. I have had it with the frozen nostrils and lips and eye-lashes. I'm sick to death of running outside at 6 AM, in -30 weather, in my pajamas, just to ensure the garbage truck hauls away the diaper-filled stinkcans. Sit and spin, Jack Frost!
The upside to this nasty season has been a marked increase in my Mark Kozelek listening, regardless of guise: Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon, or the ultra-sexxxy moniker “Mark Kozelek.” Kozelek always sounds good, but there is something about his magic catalog that warms the soul nicely against the tumult of winter chill. After April 1, there will be an even stronger temptation to stay inside and curl up with a good book and CDs, all by Kozelek.
Through his own Caldo Verde imprint, our favorite red house sound painter will release Nights of Passed Over, a 2,500 limited-edition hardcover book containing lyrics, setlists, and a new preface by the minstrel himself (Nights of Passed Over was originally released in Portugal in 2002). The CD is not a Gary Busey-narrated audiobook of lyrics (gawd, that would be beyond wicked), but rather a beaut of a rarities compilation, collecting live, alternate, and demo versions of Kozelek beloveds, as well as the previously only-available on 10-inch vinyl “Duk Koo Kim,” dating back to 1996. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Nights of Passed Over CD:
1. Michigan (Live at Union Chapel, 2007)
2. Drop (Live at Union Chapel, 2007)
3. Heron Blue (Drum Version, 2007)
4. Leo and Luna (Only Version, 2006)
5. Carry Me Ohio (Jam Version, 2002)
6. Gentle Moon (Live at FNAC, 2002)
7. Duk Koo Kim (10” Version, 2001)
8. Wop A Din Din (Live in Lisbon, 2001)
9. Metropol 47 (Demo Version, 1999)
10. Cruiser (Malmo Version, 1999)
11. Smokey (Demo Version, 1997)
12. River (KCRW Version, 1996)
Guitar hero Kaki King of Atlanta says, “Mark’s words paint a picture of both the bleakest and most beautiful moments of the human condition. He can turn the most mundane events into vivid coming-of-age stories and the simple thoughts of a narrator into the words of a sage.” Guitar hero Kerry King of Slayer probably says the same thing. See what all good Kings and queens are talking about at these live dates:
04.16.08 - Seattle, WA - Town Hall #
04.17.08 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater #
04.26.08 - San Francisco, CA - Palace of Fine Arts #
05.13.08 - Tokyo, Japan - Shibuya O-nest
05.14.08 - Tokyo, Japan - Kichijoji MANDA-LA2
06.06.08 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
06.07.08 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
06.08.08 - Chicago, IL - Old Town School of Folk
06.10.08 - Toronto, Ontario - Lee’s Palace
06.11.08 - Boston, MA - Museum of Fine Arts, Remis Auditorium
06.13.08 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
06.15.08 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
06.18.08 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
# Dave Bazan
You want more, you got it. The new Sun Kil Moon album, April, is also available April 1. No joke, fool.
April showers bring April album:
1. Lost Verses
2. The Light
3. Lucky Man
4. Unlit Hallway
5. Heron Blue
6. Moorestown
7. Harper Road
8. Tonight the Sky
9. Like the River
10. Tonight in Bilbao
11. Blue Orchids
Bonus CD:
1. Tonight in Bilbao (Alt. Version)
2. The Light (Alt. Version)
3. Like the River (Alt. Version)
4. Tonight the Sky (Alt. Version)