That's right, it's pay day, so this drunken sailor hightailed it down to the local wrecka stow and picked up these wunnerful items:

1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: B-Sides & Rarities. Oh my goodness, I'm having a Nick-gasm. Three discs, each with 18 or 19 tracks, ranging from 'Tender Prey' to present(ish) day. I'm listening to an acoustic version of 'Mercy Seat' right now and losing my mind. I'll post more reflections on the thread I started on this release, but for now, all I can say is, if you dig Nick and the gang - get this!

2. Daft Punk: Human After All. The sound of Daft Punk treading water. There's been a big to-do about all the guitars on this album, but to me it doesn't sound a whole lot different than their last album. Which isn't altogether a bad thing, since I really like...LOVE...their last album. It'll be good gym music. Nothing to freak out over, but not bad, either.

3. Prince: The Scandalous Sex Suite. I told myself if I waited long enough, I'd find this for cheap. I found it today on CD for four bucks. Yay. I had this on vinyl. Now I can play it whenevs. Whee.

Other than the copy of BUST magazine I bought with Amy Sedaris on the cover (interviewed by Maya Rudolph!), that is all.

Anxiety said:

I'm going to get that Nick Cave set some time. I've heard it's excellent. And I love Bust magazine's interviews. I like who they pick to do the interviews. How was the Amy Sedaris/Maya Rudolph piece?

Oh, and I still see Scandalous Sex Suite at Best Buys here in Mpls.

i don't really know anything about nick cave but i feel like i should. everyone tells me i'd like him. can you suggest a few tracks for me to check on itunes? if i like them i'll get a full disc.

SassyBritches said:

You probably already know Red Right Hand. It's a good song, but was used to death in the Scream movies. His duet with Kylie Minogue, Where the Wild Roses Grow is surprisingly really, really good. Henry Lee, The Weeping Song and Into My Arms are all top-notch. If you're just getting started, The Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds is a great place to start. I first heard them at an outdoor venue and was not impressed. I was then told that I should give them a second chance, because their dark music is best experienced in a low-lit theatre. And it's true. I tried them at home in the dark and loved it.

SassyBritches said:

well, you know, there are a couple of tracks that are duets with kylie minogue - most notably, 'where the wild roses grow'. gorgeous song, too...for a murder ballad, anyway.

i'd recommend anything from 'the boatman's call' (a great album of love songs), 'no more shall we part' (moody - really nice lyrics) or from his latest album, 'abattoir blues/lyre of orpheus'. and you can't go wrong with his 'best of' album to get a good sampling.

as for specific tracks? some of my favorites are 'mercy seat', 'do you love me', 'brother my cup is empty', 'henry lee' (duet w/ p.j. harvey), 'there she goes, my beautiful world', and oh, just about 1,000 others...

if you like really vivid, well-constructed lyrics that tell a really deep story, you'll love nick cave's songs. it doesn't hurt that he rocks, too.

RipHer2Shreds said:

the amy/maya interview was great - a little bit 'interview magazine'-ish ("hi amy, whatcha doing?" "oh, i was just dusting my bunny figurines and waiting for you to drop by!") but definitely a very fun interview. and the pictures are a scream. todd oldham did the photography and styling, and amy sedaris insisted on sticking lemons down her bra so she'd look like she has MTHO in all the pictures.

oh, as for the scandalous single - yeah, i've seen it around at best buys and stuff...i've just been too cheap to buy it at full price.

BTW, what do you think about Cave's "O'Malley's Bar"? It's so totally different than anything else in my CD collection but I think it's hilarious! And then end the album with "Death is not the end"... he's crazy.

calldapplwondery83 said:

'murder ballads' is one of my favorite nick cave albums - 'stagger lee' is more bad-ass and gangsta than anything that will ever come out of 50 cent's mouth in his entire life. and then to make a video of 'stagger lee' where he's wearing a tight pink t-shirt with gay little twinkie go-go dancer boys on each side of him? that takes some kind of deluxe volcanic mega-balls.

that whole 'murder ballads' project was completely dripping in irony and gallows humor, but i think there were also some beautiful songs that came out of that album, too...which, considering how bleak the concept of the album was, is ironic in itself, i guess.

Now what the f*ck is that???

calldapplwondery83 said:

cajones grandes

SassyBritches said:

oh, and another huge favorite of mine is 'are you the one that i've been waiting for?', which is on the best-of disc. being that it is one of the few songs romantic enough to have brought me to tears, it is also a song i am pretty much resolved to have played if i am ever principly involved in a wedding.

thanks for the tips! (heading on over to itunes...)

Anxiety said:

Sweet. Where'd you get it and how much?

SassyBritches said:

just know that he did P.J Harvey. Which is something I aspire to do. I really need to hook up with an english musician. Dido, Joss Stone...Marianne Faithfull...whoever.

lilgish said: