If there is one thing I derive a lot of happiness from, it is passing along good music to others. It is driving force behind this blog (encase you haven't noticed). I strive to recommend songs other than singles because I feel that deep album cuts serve to further a fan's understanding of a band. The same can be said about live performances. It is always a treat when a band includes a live recording as a bonus track on a deluxe edition of an album. It is even better when the live performance is presented free of charge. That is where there the internet provides. In all my web-surfing, I am stumbled upon three sources of such recording. Please enjoy (scroll over for links)
1. A good place to start is Letterman Performances . This deposit of videos automatically collects the guests from each show. It also archives them, which is helpful for going back to view ones from the past. The list varies in prominence and genre. Some of my favorites are The Killers- "Runaways", Gotye- "Eyes Wide Open", and Walk The Moon "Anna Sun". All three of these are amongst my favorite songs from this past summer. It was fun and fascinating to see them performed live. The same applies to the other singles in collection. For that is what is mainly there, singles. But performing them live breathes life into them. Plus Letterman is just funny in his "old man who kind of understands what is going on" antics. I am personally a fan.
2. One that I learned about via the people I live with at Stonehill, is the La Blogotheque aka "A Takeway Show". This internet phenomenon that I do not fully understand captures a variety of artists playing music in public places. For example, The Tallest Man On Earth plays "The Gardner" in the back of a shop. Bon Iver first sings "For Emma, Forever Ago" A Capella and then transitions into the song in an apartment building. Fleet Foxes walk around Paris singing and playing. As made evident by the artists I highlighted, this showcases shines because of its focus on folk artists. However a fabulous rendition of Phoenix performing "1901" also exists.
3. Lastly, I found this one by accident. It is called the "Tiny Desk Concert" and it is sponsored by NPR. It is literally the artist in a room with a desk and bookcases. For The Tallest Man On Earth it works rather well. He fills the space almost completely as Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes with all ten of them. It is a tight squeeze filled with folk. Overall there is a good mix of folk and alternative acts with the wild card of K'Naan thrown in. What I like most about this series is that I have a room just like the one in it and I have listened to all these artists in it. For once, they actually came to life.
Feel free to comment with your favorite performances/ any recommendations
