Ian Mcculloch - Live SPIN Magazine (2009)

I have been a little tough on the latest Echo & The Bunnymen record - The Fountain, which wasa bit to pop for my taste. It is the rare combination of Ian Mcculloch (ABBA) and Will Sargent (Led Zepplin) and their rock history (Doors, Velvet Underground, David Bowie) that make their sound so unique. I really like the stripped down songs all the way to the Burned album from Electrafixion. I really wish these alternative rockers would record something as insane as Zepplin's "The Rain Song", but I fear they are more on track to record something by Natalie Imbruglia or something. A bit light in the pants lately. Either way this acoustic session by Ian Mcculloch, is something of a collectors item already. Four acoustic tracks, played solo (sorry Will the tax man sayeth) at the SPIN Magazine offices in NYC. This recent acoustic set at SPIN's NYC office for staffers and invited friends is a rather stripped down performance of four career-spanning Echo & The Bunnymen cuts absolutely played to perfection. I think the newer tracks "The Fountain" and "I Think I Need It Too" sound better than the over-produced album. McCulloch and Petey Byrne, filling in on guitar, team up to perform two cuts from 2009's The Fountain. SPIN says:

"Without the studio version's soaring electric guitars, "Think I Need It Too" morphed into a lilting, heartfelt come-on, while the album's title track maintained its stately grace.
Then the duo reached back into the archives, slipping into 1980's "Rescue," the first Bunnymen single to reach the U.K. charts, before treating us to their most famous track: "The Killing Moon."

Ian Mcculloch - Live SPIN Magazine (2009)
01. I Think I Need It Too
02. The Fountain
03. Rescue
04. The Killing Moon

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Echo & The Bunnymen - Live House Of Blues (1999)

I am a huge Echo & The Bunnymen fan! These guys are incredible and they manage to shit out songs of all types -- with not a bad one in the bunch. Yes, I think their latest album The Fountain comes close to being complete crap, but it still , after many plays, manages to crack a smile. the boys have been touring enough in the last few years, that anything they released was bound to catch critical acclaim. They could have done a whole lot worse (World Cup Song). This latest installment off the McCrank's Juke, involves the original three members, Ian, Will and Les - playing a live 1999 show in Las Vegas at the House of Blues. This DATmaster recording drips from the BBQ sauce and the staggering sound quality from the show. Recorded on 10/23/1999 the house system is used to pick up Ian Mcculloch and his Frank Sinatra impression, singing on "The Summer Wind" - along with The Stooges cover of "Loose" and classic Bunnymen rarities as: "I Want To Be There (When You Come) " and the b-side "The Fish-Hook Girl". Great forgotten singles that are superb live and raw. This is a classic show and should be in your collection. Big ups to the chaps at VilliersTerrace.com, for posting and recommending this show for the rest of us.

Echo & The Bunnymen - Live House Of Blues (1999)
01 Rescue
02 Crocodiles
03 Evergreen
04 Loose (The Stooges cover)
05 The Fish-Hook Girl
06 Seven Seas
07 Bring On The Dancing Horses
08 Back Of Love
09 What Are You Going To Do With Your Life?
10 Fools Like Us
11 The Killing Moon
12 I Want To Be There (When You Come)
13 Altamont
14 The Cutter
15 Lips Like Sugar
16 Nothing Lasts Forever
17 Do It Clean > Elvis impersonation > Roadhouse Blues (Doors cover)
18 Villiers Terrace
19 Over The Wall
20 Summer Wind (Frank Sinatra cover - a cappella)
21 Ocean Rain

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Counting Crows - Live Amsterdam (1994)

This is the Counting Crows live at the Milky Way, Amsterdam, April 14, 1994. This show recorded at Melkweg Amsterdam, Holland is a direct soundboard masterpiece. In 1994 Adam Duritz gave a great show at the Milky Way that really stunned the whole audience. This live tape is from "McCrank's tape" archive, and is a direct transfer to CD-R (it's soundboard baby). I think it sounds amazing , except for some little digital artifacts in the beginning of the show, which hardly subtract from the magic that the Counting Crows provide. Sure you can go on to their new tour site and buy the latest jaded ramblings from a band that has partnered up with Augustana to try their Disney take on alt-country rock, or you could go back to the source and dig the original roots of the Crows. This 1994 show captures them slightly raw, less "star-struck" from the first album release. Live, loose, and original - the band simmers original classics like "Round Here" , "Rain King" and "Mr. Jones" a true college classic. Thrown in for additional measure are a few Counting Crows staples, that are rare singles, mostly performed live and not commerically available. Plug in to McCrank's Juke and take a lesson...

Counting Crows - Live Amsterdam (1994)

01 Goodnight Elisabeth

02 Round Here

03 Anna Begins
04 Rain King

05 Ghost Train

06 Time and Time Again

07 Mr. Jones

08 Omaha

09 Perfect Blue Buildings

10 Margery (*intro missing due to tape change)

11 A Murder of One

12 Sullivan Street

13 Wiseblood

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Crystal Stilts - DayTrotter Sessions (2009)

Crystal Stilts - DayTrotter Sessions (2009)

Now that the ignition switch has been turned on, McCrank's has another few spurts of juice left to share with loyal readers. All 4 of them. It could be said = I do - because I love. Another thing I love is the graveyard dance music inspired by the 2008 sensation the Crystal Stilts. This band is superb and one band I plan to see live as time dictates. Plenty of driving 50's guitar coupled with spook rock vocals and drums. If girl-groups met up with Ian Curtis at a holloween party, I would imagine they'd make out to these types of songs.

Thus, courtesy of Daytrotter, McCrank presents the whole package. The Crystal Stilts recorded this famed Daytrotter session and played two unreleased songs, back in Apr 7, 2009. They played the songs 'Through the Floor' and 'Sycamore Tree' - which are great additions to the band's "Velvet Underground + Joy Division with too much reverb" cannon. They are explain the righteous song 'Sycamore Tree' as: "There's definitely a Silver Apples/Bo Diddley/early Pink Floyd/Q65 thing going on if I had to cite references." Great make-up if you ask me. You should check out each band and learn the context - so sayeth McCrank! Additionally, the band performed two live songs from their debut album, which is a must have. Thanks to both Daytrotter and Cats Are Grey blogs for the links and the true tunes.

Crystal Stilts - DayTrotter Sessions (2009)
01. Through the Floor
02. Sycamore Tree
03. Shattered Shine
04. The Dazzled
05. BONUS: Through The Floor (Demo)


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Porno For Pyros - Big Day Out Festival (1996)

Porno For Pyros - Big Day Out Festival (1996)

You say you like your Porno For Pyros with a little slice of Jane's Addiction on the side? McCrank's Juke can accommodate. This ultra-rare Porno For Pyros show was recorded on February 4th, 1996 at the annual Big Day Out Festival, in Perth, Australia. The original FLAc has been downsized a bit and fits nicely into the collection of rare Jane's and Porno For Pyros bootlegs. The rare treats include "Sex Drive (Martina)" and two JA singles, played live by the Pyros band. now I know that you think this must be 90's week on McCrank's Juke, but this happens to be a holdover from the 2009 blog session. It has been on slow roast, while the blog has been down. I am a huge fan of this music and it was a real treat to see Jane's Addiction live in 2009 with NIN. Perry Farrell still makes it rain and Dave Navarro can still hand-check the guitar. Strum along and ear-check this lil bootleg to see what you've been missing.

Porno For Pyros - Big Day Out Festival (1996)

01. Porpoise Head

02. A Little Sadness

03. Meija

04. Porno for Pyros

05. Sex Drive (Martina)

06. Cursed Female

07. Good God's Urge

08. Dogs Rule The Night

09. Black Girlfriend

10. Pets

11. Mountain Song (Jane's Cover)

12. Chip Away (Jane's Cover)

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McCrank's Juke - January Mix (2010)

McCrank's Juke - January Mix (2010)

It takes a village, or some solid indie jams with new 2010 flavor to kick off the year. I know I've been buried or entombed for a year or so, but still - the things I have dug up! From the new sounds of Ceremony (sounds like A Place To Bury Strangers) coupled with the new Cali sound being dug by bands like Bye Bye Bicycle and Goldspot. This McCranks' Juke session debuts some cool sounds, that will creep up 2010, including yesteryear's (must have missed the first pass) Now, Now Every Children. I really like the surf mellow to Joy Division darkness that this list kalidescopes together. I probably fucked up the order, but the songs still standout just the same. Likewise, 2010 brings us new albums and experiments in music all the way from LCD Soundsystem to new discs from Charlotte Gainsbourg and a collabo from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. Seems fitting for this to be the year that the Flaming Lips released their cover of Pink Floyd's "Dark side Of The Moon". More madness and mayhem to ensue. Stay tuned for more broadcasts from this radio blog. ET - end transmission.

McCrank's Juke - January Mix (2010)
01. Never Love Again - Ceremony
02. Navigation - Bye Bye Bicycle
03. Rewind - Goldspot
04. Lion Face Boy - Seabear
05. Green Eyed Love (Classixx Mix) - Mayer Hawthorne
06. Skeleton Swoon - Ebsen and the Witch
07. Frost - Salem
08. Tonto - Battles
09. Everyone You Know - Now, Now Every Children
10. Promises - The Morning Benders

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