Your next crushing heartbreak can have an early '90s soundtrack thanks to these recently unearthed demos, recorded by Liz Phair. Among the early-cassette tracks are sashimi-raw renditions of “Divorce Song,” “Fuck And Run” and “Girls Girls Girls”, alongside never-before-heard songs like “6 Dick Pimp,” “White Babies” and “Fuck Or Die” — a song that takes inspiration from Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The Line.” Does this make up for the fact that every album since 1998's whitechocolatespaceegg sounds exactly like a tampon commercial? Only very, very slightly Liz.FREE ALBUMS ON AMAZON! Amazon has taken it upon themselves to offer 130 albums for free download on their website. While the offerings are a mixed bag (er, Discover Texas Music Volume 1?), label compilations from the likes of Saddle Creek, Paper Bag and Anti make for a refreshing course in “Indie Rock 2009.” Here’s three others to flip your cursors over:CMJ 2009: The Bands, The City, The Music Vol. 3: Featuring signature tracks by Princeton, The Depreciation Guild, Sean Bones, Antlers and The Black Hollies, among anothers.These Days: Live At The Olympia by R.E.M.: 39 songs that give you 39 chances to decide if you can still stand Michael Stipe.
Boat Behind by Kings Of Conveniance: Because quiet is still, definitely the new loud. WHITE RABBITS BRING A “PERCUSSION GUN” TO KIMMEL Shout out to my friend Naomi, who went to The Horseshoe last week expecting Malajube and ended up seeing “some band from Brooklyn calling themselves White Rabbits” — who were very much the hotness in New York circa summer 2007. This year’s release, It’s Frightening was produced by Britt Daniel — which, if you listen to the band’s Spoon-like vocals, is no surprise. Plus, it’s nice to see a band equally influenced by The Specials and Stomp, ain’t it?
THE MANTLES’ “DON’T LIE” Big ups to the genius YouTube user who thought to mix the sumptuous Byrdsian-rock of San Fran outfit The Mantles with classic kid-and-con-man-on-the-run flick Paper Moon. (Bear witness: San Francisco is the scene to watch, and I said it here first.) It's a heart-stopping, breathless combination — and mine is paved with ice.
Toronto news, reviews and pop-cultural commentary, every day at eyeweekly.com. Follow us on Twitter @EYEWEEKLY.