Oakland

Right before the brutal police action that ensued last tuesday. Love those sweet punk butts. How can you gas or fire at these kids?

(photo from Facebook - Bhadra Bhee)

Our friends Persephone's Bees (New York transplants from Oakland) have a song about all that is wrong and being rightfully protested these days. Listen below, find the Bees here.

Persephone's Bees -  Independence Day

Fall Mix

I made a Fall mix, mostly of songs I've been listening to in the last two months. I called it Lovers Lane after this awesome song by locals Hunx and His Punx...enjoy!


Photo © Dara Scully
1- David Bowie - An Occasional Dream
2- The Kings Of Convenience - Rule My World
3- Neil Young - Lookin' For A Love
4- Syd Barrett - Late Night
5- The Pastels - Comin' Through
6- Hunx And His Punx - Lovers Lane
7- Bert Jansch - Woe Is Love My Dear
8- The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
9- Donovan- Jabberwocky
10- The Beatles - Across The Universe
11- David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World


check out the stellar Lovers Lane video:

Poolside Sunday

I'm finally back from Europe and all my travels up and down the West Coast, ready to be back in the hazy fold of San Francisco. It was  a memorable summer. I was met with sweet audiences and the nicest people most everywhere...next time I'll just plan the driving a little better! (never play a show after driving 10 hours, one of the golden rules I learned...). This is why we do what we do, as musicians, and so taking my songs to new places and people felt so right and inspiring.

For the record, the album is now available in a few new places: for Europe,  Total Heaven in Bordeaux and online at Hands and Arms, and for Seattle, at Mossy Bottom Records and Sonic Boom. You can also always order either the vinyl or the download from Bandcamp or get your mp3s from iTunes.

To celebrate my return I'm playing a sweet solo show for the  Mission Creek Festival this sunday at the Phoenix Hotel. It's a poolside party with Hannah Moriah and Matthew and the Unfortunates. 2 to 8pm, and FREE! and - all ages!!
To RSVP on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/p8VcTI

So bring the kids, your sunglasses and come out to welcome me back! It'll be great to see all your friendly faces. The songs might not be all new (although there might be some...) but I think the summer did something to my singing I rather like, so come hear...


SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
The Mission Creek Music & Arts Festival presents
A Poolside Party at the Phoenix Hotel
MATTHEW EDWARDS & THE UNFORTUNATES
HELENE RENAUT
HANNAH MORIAH
+ DJ Neil Martinson The Phoenix Hotel 601 Eddy at Larkin
2pm – 8pm / FREE! All Ages!

On the road

Up in Seattle right now, lovely folks...in-store last night at Mossy Bottom Records, radio show this morning, sweet house concert tonight, and tomorrow the Sunset Tavern!!

Here are some of the tracks we played on the radio this morning:

The Boswell Sisters - That's How Rhythm Was Born

B.B. King - The Thrill Is Gone

The Kinks - All Day And All Of The Night

Jacques Brel - Madeleine

Nouvelle Vague - The Killing Moon

Enjoy!

Days of summer

The Supremes, You Can't Hurry Love

the cafe on the harbor, where I go read

les plages sauvages

The Beach Boys, Disney Girls

Sometimes it rains too. Kids and family everywhere, with hardly any time to think, or do the work I need to do. My reading stalled.

But I liked this poem.

La Loge, Paris

The last Paris show was at La Loge, a lovely little theater nestled in the courtyard of old cabinetmakers' worshops, in the 11th arrondissement. You have to ring the bell from the street to get in!

The show was an afternoon marathon of 15 solo artists, put together by Les Boutiques Sonores - part of their summer festival, the Bittersweet Paradise. A lot of talent and friendly people, both on the artists' and organizers' sides...

It was seated affair, the theater is a sweet 50 capacity room, and there were pillows on the floor for the front rows. The ladies on the left are part of a music-loving knitting brigade called Les Pelotes Soniques ('the sonic balls of yarn'). Check out what they're all about on their blog here - they made the stage even cozier. Once again, a very quiet and attentive audience, thank you!

Where to get your vinyl in Europe

As I mentioned before, I visited a great record store in Bordeaux, Total Heaven. The owner took a few copies of The Deer Convention in consignment, so if you live or find yourself in Bordeaux, do go and pay Martial a visit, and ask him for a copy. He'll play you any record you want to hear in his store, and he has a great selection!
Total Heaven is at 6 rue de Candale in the very center of town, near rue Sainte Catherine.

If you live elsewhere...well the record is now available through a very cool online vendor called Hands and Arms. It's only 17.50 euros, and that includes shipping for France. Cheaper (and faster!) than ordering through Bandcamp (but do visit Bandcamp if you just want the download). Read about them here (in French). I met the owner at a Boutique Sonores show (more on that later) and was intrigued by his collection - from Gainsbourg to Britpop, with some obscure or otherwise lesser known bands thrown in for good measure. I bought him a sweet little Field Mice reissue...memory lane!