A very famous address

I just Netflixed the Live from Abbey Road 2-disc DVD series and found quite a few little live performance gems. The series, which airs on the BBC, invites musicians both new and classic to come to the fabled studios and lay down live in-studio versions of their songs. Each song is preceded by an interview that is often quite revealing and the musical results are often illuminating.

I discovered to my surprise, for instance, that I love this unabashed pop tune from Natasha Bedingfield:



Not earth-shattering but so happy and likeable!

Sometimes the performances are fairly straightforward (as with Bedingfield,) but every once in a while, a version seems to slip out that surprises even the band itself. The Zutons, for example, seem like a band that has some tensions between them, but they turn out a version of "Valerie" that is nothing short of astonishing.

Other artists appearing on the Best of Season 1 compilation include John Mayer, Amos Lee, Nerina Pallot, Corinne Bailey Rae, Dr. John, Craig David, Dave Matthews, Jamiroquai, Norah Jones and Gnarls Barkley, among others.

I also discovered a passion for a British band called the Kooks:



Check it out.

Etown radio archives

My friend Aleka recommended the nationally syndicated radio show E-town to me a few weeks ago, and I have to admit, at first I was intrigued mostly by the name (Cameron Crowe's movie "Elizabethtown" is my favorite movie of all time.)

Their mission statement is a little touchy-feely ("E-town's mission is to educate, entertain and inspire a diverse audience, through music and conversation, to create a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable world") but the concept is pretty cool - they bring in musicians from a wide variety of genres and give them a stage and a microphone. It's sort of like the unplugged version of Austin City Limits.

If you're in the same boat as I am and none of your local radio stations carry the show, you can listen to it as a podcast on the Web site. Even better, if you register with the site, you get access to past archives, where you can check out live performances from Martin Sexton, Rickie Lee Jones, Calexico, Susan Tedeschi/Amos Lee, Bright Eyes, Cowboy Junkies/Madeleine Peyroux, Buddy Guy... and that's all just this year!

You know I can't resist live, acoustic sets by my favorite musicians.