It’s not for the cock, it’s for a good sesh

by It’s not for the cock on Tue, 2009/10/13 - 8:16pm Post to Twitter

For some reason unbeknown to such peewee brains as my own, there is nothing quite like a good session by an artist you love. Whether it’s by a band whose album you know better than the way you subconsciously know the drunken stumble home when you go into autopilot at the end of a heavy night or a by a band you’ve never, ever heard of before- there’s definitely a lot of fun to be had by getting down with a session. A great session can provide a new, paradigm shifting perspective on old favourites as well as presenting a nice doorway to the realm of a particular, previously undiscovered band. Sessions can also make you go from pulling a face of mild contempt towards a song you think is just a  bit shit to looking like Augustus Gloop with a Wonka bar in his mouth because of the same- albeit differently recorded- song.

So, idle waffle aside, here is a little collection of five great sessions/session tracks by some splendiferous bands gathered from around the internet for your listening please-ure.

The Horrors on KCRW

http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb090616the_horrors

This is a great session of four songs from the fantastic second album by the band, ‘Primary Colours’. The way the swirling guitars and nauseous keys sound even more unhinged here is a right treat and it’s just a shame that the Posh-as-Cameron’s-Dad tones of The Horrors actually don’t clash amusingly with the all American smoothness of presenter Jason Bentley and that they actually seem to get on pretty well.

HEALTH on Daytrotter.com

http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/health-concert/20030496-3737783.html

Yeah…this is what I was kind of getting at with old Augustus. After only (and shamefully) a few fleeting listens to the new Health record ‘Get Colour’, I passed by ‘We Are Water’ song as a bit nothing in particular. What kind of a horrible, insulting, ignorant person was I? Now I’m exhilaratingly scared to death by this song alone. That’s good, by the way.

Bon Iver on Daytrotter.com

http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/bon-iver-concert/20030270-3737628.html

Another Daytrotter one, this session reaches as close to simple sublimity as anyone is likely to reach in recent times. The highlight has to be ‘Lump Sum’ with the bleak, machine sounding noise giving way to the a ghostly harmonising vocals before the gentle waves of piano and acoustic guitar lap over the top.

Wild Beasts on www.blackcabsessions.com

http://www.blackcabsessions.com/sessions.php?type=1&id=1216377998&sort=chronological

The majestic Wild Beasts turning the truly amazing ‘Devil’s Crayon’ into something entirely different from the original recorded version whilst being driven around in, yes, a black cab is something that should be witnessed by all. The way falsetto singer Hayden Thorpe gazes at a motorcyclist struggling slightly with some shopping bags while the melancholy finger picked guitar laps around him is…I don’t know, amazing?

Animal Collective on the BBC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g99bOcyJVVs

‘What Would I Want? Sky’ is set to be released on an upcoming “Fall”  EP release (new Animal Collective stuff? Aroused yet?) but, for now, it seems this session is the definitive recording available. It’s been a part of their live set for some time and, basically, when you listen to it it makes you feel as tall and wobbly as a cloud and like you’re tripping balls which, when you think about it, is about as much as anyone can ask from a song. Also, liking the swirly graphics on youtube- nice touch, geeky video maker.