DJ Handi's Archive Picks: What Did You Hear When You Woke? Where Did You Sleep Last Night?

Here's a great Monday morning eye opener. Liz Berg played "Saquito" by Diana Ureta, described by Liz as "out there and fun." Listen to how the whimsy of this track segues into the much rougher textures of Kraus. Not good enough? You can get Ureta's work on the WFMU Free Music Archive. '

If you woke earlier than me, you may have heard Frank O'Toole on More Exciting Moments playing "I''ve Been Trying," a track from DJ Shadow's new album, The Less You Know, The Better. The blues may not come to mind when you first hear the track, but Shadow's song takes on a blues essence when played by Frank next to "Black Girl," done here by Long John Baldry and Maggie Bell. This is a Leadbelly song passed down through generations, changing lyrics and titles. Nirvana covered the track under the name "Where Did You Sleep Last Night."

 

Scott Williams played "Les Yeux Valise" by Jean-Claude Vannier. Vannier was the arranger for Serge Gainsbourg on tracks such as "Ballade De Melody Nelson-En Melody," played by Trouble on This Is The Modern World. Hear how the guitar and strings sound similar on both tracks.

Brian Turner played the Finnish heavy metal of Circle, followed by Ice Age. Both cuts were from live sets the bands performed at WFMU. Enjoy the music, but then listen to Brian's story: when Circle performed in America, the bassist was hunting for Southern Rock records, so Brian provided some Black Oak Arkansas and Molly Hatchet records, which the bassist "swam in" on the WFMU carpet. Maybe this is what happens to well-behaved collectors after death, maybe not. But if you're one of those who will be walking around the record fair in two weeks, as interested in what other people are buying as you are in your own growing booty, stories like Brian's make archives with great music in them that much more priceless.

Comments

[TBone]

yeah hey now the song you call Black Girl,done by Leadbelly and covered by Nirvana was recorded by Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys in the 30s as In The Pines and as such is a standard in bluegrass,I believe it was recorded by the Carter Family as well Monroes version is haunting with a yodel part in a real blues style

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in fact, Ken Kesey's second novel "Sometimes A Great Notion", uses the Leadbelly lyric, as a title.