Taped Aug. 27 at Biltmore Park in Asheville, NC.

By Fred Mills

Here's a good ‘un you should check out: journalist James Cassara, part of the Lingua Musica web program crew, interviewing Mark and Shannon Casson of The Cheeksters in Biltmore Park, Asheville NC on 8-27-11 ahead of their performance there and talks about their beginnings, their new record The Golden Birds, favorite Brit bands and Memphis soul and more. Tony Preston of One World Media filmed and edited this video

Read the BLURT review of The Golden Birds right here and you can find out more about the band at their official website.

The videotaped conversation marks the latest in the Lingua Musica Interviews series and we're looking forward to many more in the very near future. (Previous installments include Lloyd Cole, Secret B-Sides, Rosanne Cash, Dehlia Low, Ryan Montbleau, Joe Krown, Jon Dee Graham, Dubtribe, the Rosebuds and more.  BLURT is a proud co-sponsor of Lingua Musica. Please visit the LinguaMusicaAlive.com website, and meanwhile, check out the video.

Watch out for that green screen!

By Fred Mills

It's not everyday we get a new video from our favorite 2-gal/1-guy garage rock combo The Ettes, and it's not everyday that we also get to see comedian Patton Oswalt impersonating fellow funnyman Tom Scharpling. But that's exactly what's happening with "Excuse," taken from The Ettes' latest album Wicked Will (reviewed here at BLURT), an exercise into meta-videography masquerading as a foray into low-budget filmmaking.

We'll spare the descriptions and let the clip speak for itself, however - you can see it airing exclusively over at the Spin magazine website. (Below you can also listen to the song, which is pretty ace in its own right.) The video was written & directed by Scharpling, and in addition to Oswalt and the bandmembers the cast includes Michael Lisk, Alex Scordelis and Greg Parker Needham.

The Ettes are currently on a US tour. Dates at their website.

The Ettes - Excuse by PressHere

Watch live video below, also link to free MP3.

By Blurt Staff

Pretty Lights - electronic music producer Derek Vincent Smith - continues to redefine what it means to produce/remix with this new genre bending Led Zeppelin remix. The track samples pieces of seven Led Zeppelin songs - from hard guitar riffs and mellow keys, to funky bass lines and classic vocal lines.  The pieces are collaged together and reflected through a prism of hip-hop, classic rock, downtempo, and dubstep.

The recap video was shot at two of the biggest Pretty Lights shows of the year, at The Fillmore and the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in PL's home state of  Colorado - where the track was first dropped this August.

Get the free MP3 at Pretty Lights Facebook page.

Tour Dates:

09/02 - Chula Vista, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

09/04 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium

09/05 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay

09/06 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort Theatre

09/09 - Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheatre

09/10 - George, WA - The Gorge

09/11 - Missoula, MT - Big Sky Brewery

09/15 - Austin, TX - Austin Music Hall w/ Nas

09/16 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Music Festival

09/17 - New Orleans, LA - The Sugar Mill

09/20 - Asheville, NC - Asheville Civic Center

09/21 - Charlottesville, VA - nTelos Wireless Pavilion

09/22 - Binghamton, NY - Events Center

09/23 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion

09/24 - Philadelphia, PA - Popped! Festival @ FDR Park

09/25 - Lewiston, ME - The Colisee

09/27 - Burlington, VT - Burlington Memorial Auditorium

09/28 - Wallingford, CT - The Dome at Oakdale

09/29 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore

09/30 - Columbus, OH - The LC Pavilion

10/01 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit

10/04 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE

10/05 - South Bend, IN - Morris Center

10/06 - Dekalb, IL - NIU Convocation Center

10/07 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom

10/08 - St. Paul, MN - Myth

10/09 - Des Moines, IA - Val Air Ballroom

10/11 - Oxford, MS - Lyric Theatre

10/12 - Oxford, MS - Lyric Theatre

10/13 - Tuscaloosa, AL - Tuscaloosa Amphitheater

10/14 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre w/Bassnectar

10/15 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre w/Bassnectar

10/27 - Lincoln, NE - Pershing Center

10/28 -Tulsa, OK - The Brady Theater

10/29 - Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena

10/31 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium

Ya just can't keep a good egomaniac down.

By Fred Mills

Look, as much as the world does not need another rock artist recording a collection of holiday-themed tunes, we understand that a lot of folks actually listen to these exercises in thinly-veiled hubris, suspending disbelief just long enough to smile through few tuneless choruses of "White Christmas," "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Silver Bells." It happens every year, and it ain't gonna stop, so we might as well live with it. Plus, if you strategically plan out your shopping schedule (do it online) and radio listening habits (switch to sports talk between November and December) it's gotten pretty easy to avoid all that crap anyway.

And as much as the world does not need another rock artist recording a collection of covers of other artists' material, we understand that a lot of people actually listen to these thinly-disguised displays of writer's block billed as "heartfelt homages to the music that inspired me growing up" while convincing themselves that wow, an old Bob Seger classic rock song really ain't so bad after all if one of my favorite hipsters is singing it! Those albums will also continue to be made, buying time for the artist to recharge his or her batteries and get back to writing original material and simultaneously keeping them in the public eye. We can live with that too; after all, nobody's forcing us to buy anything.

Scott Weiland, the erstwhile raconteur behind Stone Temple Pilots and some other band whose name escapes us at the moment, has decided to tip the scales mightily this fall, however. Never a man interested in treading with subtlety or finesse, Weiland has BOTH a covers album and a Christmas record.

The former, smartly (from a marketing perspective) titled A Compilation Of Scott Weiland Cover Songs, is currently available exclusively at Weiland's website. It's a digital-only release - curiously, there's not artwork to accompany it, so we're not sure how it will display on your iPod - and it goes for a whopping $15.00, which any fan will tell you is at least 5 bucks too much for a digital album, but hey, we're talking Weiland and his perpetually apologist fanbase, so it's not likely he'll get a lesson in recession economics anytime soon.

As you can see from the tracklisting, he's not exactly pushing himself artistically, either, what with covers of Bowie, the Smiths, Rolling Stones and New York Dolls, among others. The fact that he's also doing a cover of Nirvana's "Frances Farmer Will Get Her Revenge On Seattle" is bound to generate some additional web traffic for him, and the irony is no doubt delicious for him too, given that when STP originally surfaced in the early ‘90s the book on ‘em was that they were shameless Nirvana/Pearl Jam ripoffs. Other artists covered on the album include Radiohead, Flaming Lips, Stone Roses and Depeche Mode. (What, no Tupac or Biggie?)

Tracklisting:

'I Am The Resurrection'
'Personality Crisis'
'Frances Farmer Will Get Her Revenge On Seattle'
'Let Down'
'Into Your Arms'
'Dead Flowers'
'Waiting For Superman'
'Revolution'
'But Not Tonight'
'Reel Around The Fountain'
'Fame'
'Jean Genie'

The Christmas album is titled a bit more delicately: Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and this one is an actual CD from Atlantic Records. Amazon.com indicates it will be available in early October, although no tracklisting or artwork appears at the Amazon product page, just this description:

"Multi-platinum recording artist Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) has been a staple in Rock music for over a decade, now Scott is doing something new in an old school fashion. Scott is carrying on the tradition of the likes of David Bowie and Neil Diamond and releasing traditional Christmas songs performing them in their traditional form."

Awhile back Weiland mentioned in an interview that he was working on a reggae version of "Little Drummer Boy" so that may give you an idea of what he thinks the "traditional form" of Christmas songs should take. Incidentally, Weiland had announced this record well over a year ago but then it got removed from the release schedule, with no explanation provided by the artist or his label. The lack of info at the Amazon page this close to the street date possibly suggest another delay is waiting in the wings.

"Heavy fictionalized" version of the legendary folkie's life.

By Blurt Staff

Rolling Stone reports that filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen - that would be the Coen brothers - are making a movie "loosely based on the story of Dave Van Ronk" titled Inside Llewyn Davis, it's said that the Coens' screenplay "will be heavy fictionalized," depicting the titular character "struggling as a folk musician during the peak of [the Greenwich Village folk scene in the ‘60s]."

No date has been announced, nor have any of the actors, although it wouldn't be a total stretch to have Steve Earle portray the late Van Ronk, pictured below. The Coens will direct and produce, per usual, and this will be the followup to True Grit.

Actually, we just noticed this story was first reported by the LA Times back in June. Go here to read that report.

CD synched to a Twilley documentary.

By Blurt Staff

Dwight Twilley - best known for his iconic hits through the decades like "I'm On Fire" (1975), "Girls" (1984) and the classic ballad "Why You Wanna Break My Heart" featured in the motion picture Wayne's World (1992) - has a new studio album Soundtrack, arriving October 4^th on Varese Sarabande.

Twilley signed on to write and produce the disc to accompany a film documentary about his life, which is now in production. "Creating this album was a real challenge for me. Something I've never attempted. It's completely autobiographical. For me these songs are like musical photographs of the people, places and events that tell my story." Soundtrack is not an album with all the best cuts jammed at the beginning, but rather plays like a book that urges you to read from start to finish.

The new album marks a bittersweet milestone of the end of a more than 30-year collaboration between Twilley and legendary guitarist Bill Pitcock IV, who made a significant contribution to the album. Pitcock passed away near the completion of the recording. 

Special guests on the album include Susan Cowsill (The Cowsills) who contributed her typically amazing harmonies on "Bus Ticket," "God Didn't Do It" and "The Cards Will Fall," and fellow Tulsan Taylor Hanson (Hanson) who adds organ and magical keyboard sprinkles to "The Cards Will Fall" and "The Last Time Around."

Track List

1. You Close Your Eyes

2. Bus Ticket
3. Tulsa Town

4. Skeleton Man
5. My Life

6. God Didn't Do It
7. Out in the Rain

8. Soundtrack
9. The Lonely One
10. The Cards Will Fall
11. Good Things Come Hard
12. The Last Time Around

August 27 at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland, Ore., it was a Revved-up white trash party par excellence.

By Tim Hinely

Atlanta's Nashville Pussy may have their legion of fans but I'm not one of them. The core of the band is vocalist/guitarist Blaine Cartwright and his guitar playing wife Ruyter Suys (she of the frizzed-out, kinky hair and plenty o' cleavage). These two 6-string sleazes set the tone of the set while grinding out an unsavory brew of Motorhead, AC/DC, Ted Nugent and Motley Crue. Tonight, though, it translated into a melding of burned-out riffage, tired rhythms and boring stoner rock clichés masquerading as lyrics (several of the songs had the words "high" and "drunk" in them). Oh, and the female bassist, Karen Cuda, has a lot of tattoos. Yawn.

Now the Rev has his legion of fans, but those folks have better taste than N.P. fans and yeah, they do genuflect at his sideburn-wearin' altar - Reverend Horton Heat and his crew deserve it. They've been at it for over two decades (bassist Jimbo Wallace has been there since nearly the beginning, 1989) and on this crisp Saturday night they did not disappoint. They opened with a batch of tunes off of the first two records including set opener "Marijuana" as well as "Nurture My Pig" (a Locos Gringos cover), "Baddest of the Bad," "Baby I'm Drunk" (off of 1998's Space Heater) "Big Blue Car" and plenty more.  After they finished their chronological set list, playing songs from every album, they threw in "Run Rudolph Run" from their Christmas album for good measure. After that, he started taking requests from the audience, playing a wicked version of "Loaded Gun," the ever popular "Wiggle Stick" and finishing with "Psychobilly Freakout."  Then, they encored with "Bales of Cocaine."

The guy (heck, all 3 of them) is a real entertainer and a true showman, a heady mix of Vegas barker, rabble rousing auctioneer and, yes, the sleazy preacher who will have you believing every word he utters within minutes. Next time Rev and his crew come to your town bring a date (like I did) and get yourself all gussied up right (though no Nudie suit for Rev this time). You'll feel better about yourself. Oh, and he did say he'll be back here for New Year's Eve. Better start working on your pompadour now, Greaso.

Music just sounds better with Dan Treacy....

By Blurt Staff

Acid House Kings team up with the Television Personalities' mainman Dan Treacy: together they've recorded the gorgeous gem "Heaven Knows I Miss Him Now" with Treacy on lead vocals and fellow TVP-member Texas Bob on guitar. The single contains two new recordings and is out on 7" vinyl and digital on October 18^th via Labrador.

It's the unexpected followup to the AHK 2011 album Music Sounds Better With You. The band's Johan Angergard offers the following testimonial:

I've loved Television Personalities for over 20 years now and it's still one of my favorite bands throughout all times. I guess the fact that my other band Club 8 has stolen two album titles from them gives a hint of my admiration...

Television Personalities are, in my opinion, one of ridiculously few bands who continue writing songs that are every bit as emotional and 'now' as they were 30 years ago. Just listen to "The Girl In The Hand Me Down Clothes" and "She's My Yoko" from "A Memory Is Better Than Nothing". If that doesn't move you, you just don't have a heart.

Television Personalities continue to be as interesting today as they were in the beginning of their career. And that is something I dearly wish I could say about more of my old heroes. Depeche Mode, The Cure.... hell, even Morrissey is starting to bore me! Dan Treacy is the only one left. It's nothing less than overwhelming that we've gotten the chance to collaborate with him.

You know you're gonna buy the 5-disc version...

By Fred Mills

Back in March it was announced that after all these years the Beach Boys' legendary unreleased SMiLE album was finally going to see an official release. Brian Wilson, of course, resurrected it in recent years in concert, but aside from several bootleg iterations (including a limited edition box that became a best-seller on the underground market), it's never truly seen the light of day in a sanctioned format. Yesterday Capitol/EMI disclosed the release date: November 1.

The SMiLE Sessions will come in multiple formats, including a standard 2CD edition and a deluxe 5CD version (which boasts vinyl goodies and a hardbound book). That's really all you need to know if you are a Beach Boys and Wilson freak. But for your edification, below is the full, lengthy press release the label issued outlining the project and listing all the tracks. (If you've got the bootleg box it's fascinating to compare the two sets' tracklistings to see what session material was chosen and what was omitted.) Watch for full coverage from BLURT, and meanwhile, start salivating.

***

From Capitol/EMI:

With the full participation of original Beach Boys Al Jardine, Mike Love, and Brian Wilson, Capitol/EMI has, for the first time, collected and compiled the band's legendary 1966-'67 sessions for the never-completed SMiLE album.  Capitol/EMI and The Beach Boys are pleased to announce November 1 (October 31 internationally) as the release date for the long-awaited arrival of The SMiLE Sessions in multiple physical and digital configurations. Artwork and complete tracklists are also unveiled for what Rolling Stone magazine recently called "the most famous unfinished album in rock & roll history."

In numerous sessions between the spring of 1966 and the summer of 1967, The Beach Boys recorded a bounty of songs and drafts for an album, SMiLE, that was intended to follow the band's 1966 masterpiece, Pet Sounds.  The master tapes were ultimately shelved, and The Beach Boys' SMiLE has never been released.  Drawn from the original masters, The SMiLE Sessions presents an in-depth overview of The Beach Boys' recording sessions for the enigmatic album, which has achieved legendary, mythical status for music fans around the world. 

The SMiLE Sessions' 2CD lift-top box, double vinyl LP, digital album, and iTunes LP formats feature an approximation of what was intended to be the completed SMiLE album, compiled from The Beach Boys' original session masters. Additional session highlights and bonus tracks are also included, including demos and stereo mixes.

An expanded, boxed edition of The SMiLE Sessions will also be released physically and digitally, featuring the main SMiLE album tracks, plus four CDs of additional audio from the legendary sessions, a double vinyl LP set, and two 7" vinyl singles.  The deluxe box will also contain a 60-page hardbound book with rare and previously unseen photos and memorabilia from The Beach Boys' archive and newly-written essays by Beach Boys Al Jardine, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, and Bruce Johnston, as well as by Beach Boys historian and author Domenic Priore and many other inner-circle participants.

Produced by Brian Wilson, Mark Linett, Alan Boyd and Dennis Wolfe in Los Angeles, all of The SMiLE Sessions' physical and digital configurations include an assembled collection of core session tracks, while the box set delves much deeper into the sessions, adding early song drafts, alternate takes, instrumental and vocals-only mixes, and studio chatter. The SMiLE Sessions invites the listener into the studio to experience the album's creation, with producer, singer and bassist Brian Wilson's vision leading the way as he guides his fellow Beach Boys, singer Mike Love, drummer Dennis Wilson, lead guitarist Carl Wilson, rhythm guitarist Al Jardine, and newest member Bruce Johnston (who'd replaced Brian Wilson in the touring group during 1965), through the legendary sessions.

Artwork for all of The SMiLE Sessions' physical and digital configurations has been created with and inspired by Beat-Pop artist Frank Holmes' original 1967 LP sleeve art and booklet designs intended for the SMiLE album.  With its three-dimensional shadowbox lid, The SMiLE Sessions box set offers a whimsical peek inside the storied ‘SMiLE Shop.' 

Several special SMiLE Sessions packages will be available for purchase exclusively on thebeachboys.com, including:

- The SMiLE Sessions 2CD edition paired with a limited edition SMiLE t-shirt

- The SMiLE Sessions 2CD edition paired with a limited edition autographed lithograph

- The SMiLE Sessions limited edition box set with light-up SMiLE Shop window on lid, autographed

- The SMiLE Sessions limited edition box set with light-up SMiLE Shop window on lid, autographed, paired with a custom-made SMiLE surfboard by Hobie

The Beach Boys are embracing technology and crowdsourcing to produce the first official music videos for "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes And Villains" by partnering with Tongal, the leading creative social platform.  In Tongal's first-ever music video initiative, fans can now collaborate to create the official music videos, as the project begins today (August 30) on Tongal.com, and consists of two phases - a concept phase and a video phase.  The concept phase calls for fans to conceptualize the music video for "Heroes and Villains" or "Good Vibrations" in 250 characters or less. In the video phase, Tongal users can select one of the five winning concepts from phase one and produce a music video based on it.  The video can be animated or live-action, trippy or classic - it can be whatever the fans want, as long as it's their own.  Cash prizes and special items, including an autographed custom Hobie longboard, will be awarded to Tongal users for the top submissions.

The SMiLE Sessions box set will include details about Operation Smile, an international medical charity organization with a presence in more than 60 countries dedicated to healing children's smiles. Since 1982, Operation Smile - through the help of generous supporters and medical volunteers - has provided free surgeries worldwide for children born with facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates. Every three minutes, a child somewhere in the world is born with a cleft. For more information on how to be involved or donate to Operation Smile, please visit www.operationsmile.org or call 1-888-OPSMILE (888-677-6453).

The best efforts have been taken by The Beach Boys, the producers, and Capitol/EMI to present the SMiLE album sessions' most vital and fascinating elements.  However, there will no doubt be some debate amongst Beach Boys fans around the world who, during the past four decades, have become familiar with a variety of widely-traded bootlegged bits and pieces from the sessions.  As recently explained by the Detroit Metro Times, "No album, released or not, has generated a more personal relationship with its audience, since no two people can ever agree on its content and purpose."

Beginning with "Good Vibrations," The Beach Boys' best-selling record in a long string of hits, Brian Wilson had begun to construct songs in a modular form, crafting individual sections that would later be edited together to form a coherent whole.  In several intense bursts of creative energy, Wilson, drawing on the talents of the finest studio musicians in Los Angeles and utilizing the best studio facilities available on any given day, laid down dozens of musical fragments, all designed to fit together in any number of possible combinations.  No one had done this before in pop music, and his next endeavor would be an album-length version of this unique and luxurious songwriting parlance: SMiLE.

In 1965, Brian Wilson met an up-and-coming session keyboard player and songwriter, Van Dyke Parks. Noticing Parks' conversational eloquence, Wilson felt that he could help to volley The Beach Boys' songwriting into the wave of broader-messaged and socially-conscious rock 'n' roll that would come to define the '60s.  They were soon collaborating on keynote songs for SMiLE, including "Heroes And Villains," the band's follow-up single to "Good Vibrations."  Wilson and Parks would also co-write "Surf's Up," "Vega-Tables," "Cabin Essence," "Do You Like Worms," "Wonderful," "Wind Chimes," and other pieces of the SMiLE tapestry.  Parks also introduced Frank Holmes to create album sleeve art and a booklet interpreting the album's James Joyce-mode lyrics.

The reason SMiLE did not see a release in 1967 had more to do with back room business that obscured the creative side of the program than anything else.  In late 1966, The Beach Boys formed Brother Records, initially to produce outside artists.  Soon, however, The Beach Boys would become embroiled in a court action with Capitol Records with the goal to become the top-selling artists on their self-owned, independent label.  The group withheld "Heroes And Villains" and announced they would instead release "Vega-Tables" - recorded with the band's own money in April of '67 - on Brother Records.  By July of 1967, Capitol Records and The Beach Boys had come to terms, with Capitol agreeing to distribute the band's Brother Records, and it was agreed that SMiLE was no longer to be the band's next album.

***

The SMiLE Sessions (2CD; Digital; iTunes LP)

CD ONE

SMiLE

1.         Our Prayer (1:06)

2.         Gee (0:51)

3.         Heroes And Villains (4:53)

4.         Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock) (3:36)

5.         I'm In Great Shape (0:29)

6.         Barnyard (0:48)

7.         My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine) (1:57)

8.         Cabin Essence (3:32)

9.         Wonderful (2:04)

10.        Look (Song For Children) (2:31)

11.        Child Is Father Of The Man (2:14)

12.        Surf's Up (4:12)

13.        I Wanna Be Around / Workshop (1:23)

14.        Vega-Tables (3:49)

15.        Holidays (2:33)

16.        Wind Chimes (3:06)

17.        The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow) (2:35)

18.        Love To Say Dada (2:32)

19.        Good Vibrations (4:13)

Bonus Tracks

20.        You're Welcome (1:08)

21.        Heroes And Villains (Stereo Mix) (4:53)

22.        Heroes And Villains Sections (Stereo Mix) (7:16)

23.        Vega-Tables Demo (1:46)

24.        He Gives Speeches (1:14)

25.        Smile Backing Vocals Montage (8:30)

26.        Surf's Up 1967 (Solo Version) (4:09)

27.        Psycodelic Sounds: Brian Falls Into A Piano (1:30)

CD TWO

1.    Our Prayer "Dialog" (9/19/66)   (3:02)

2.    Heroes And Villains: Part 1   (3:08)

3.    Heroes And Villains: Part 2   (4:18)

4.    Heroes And Villains: Children Were Raised (1/27/67)   (2:07)

5.    Heroes And Villains: Prelude To Fade (2/15/67)   (3:42)

6.    My Only Sunshine (11/14/66)   (6:52)

7.    Cabin Essence (10/3/66)   (5:19)

8.    Surf's Up: 1st Movement (11/4/66)   (4:55)

9.    Surf's Up: Piano Demo (12/15/66)   (3:53)

10.   Vega-Tables: Fade (4/12/67)   (5:25)

11.   The Elements: Fire session (11/28/66)   (8:27)

12.   Cool, Cool Water (Version 2) (10/26-10/29/67)   (3:32)

13.   Good Vibrations Session Highlights   (8:20)

The SMiLE Sessions Box Set (5CD+Double LP+Two 7" Singles; digital)

CD ONE

SMiLE

1.         Our Prayer (1:06)

2.         Gee (0:51)

3.         Heroes And Villains (4:53)

4.         Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock) (3:36)

5.         I'm In Great Shape (0:29)

6.         Barnyard (0:48)

7.         My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine) (1:57)

8.         Cabin Essence (3:32)

9.         Wonderful (2:04)

10.        Look (Song For Children) (2:31)

11.        Child Is Father Of The Man (2:14)

12.        Surf's Up (4:12)

13.        I Wanna Be Around / Workshop (1:23)

14.        Vega-Tables (3:49)

15.        Holidays (2:33)

16.        Wind Chimes (3:06)

17.        The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow) (2:35)

18.        Love To Say Dada (2:32)

19.        Good Vibrations (4:13)

Bonus Tracks

20.        You're Welcome (1:08)

21.        Heroes And Villains (Stereo Mix) (4:53)

22.        Heroes And Villains Sections (Stereo Mix) (7:16)

23.        Vega-Tables Demo (1:46)

24.        He Gives Speeches (1:14)

25.        Smile Backing Vocals Montage (8:30)

26.        Surf's Up 1967 (Solo version) (4:09)

27.        Psycodelic Sounds: Brian Falls Into A Piano (1:30)

CD TWO

SESSION HIGHLIGHTS

OUR PRAYER

1.         Our Prayer "Dialog" (9/19/66)  (3:01)

2.         Our Prayer (10/4/66)  (6:37)

HEROES AND VILLAINS

Heroes And Villains Session (10/20/66)

3.         Heroes And Villains: Verse (Master Take) (0:57)

4.         Heroes And Villains: Barnyard (Master Take) (1:12)

5.         Heroes And Villains: I'm In Great Shape (10/27/66) (4:59) 

6.         Heroes And Villains: Intro (Early Version) circa 12/66 (0:35)

Heroes And Villains Session (1/3/67)

7.         Heroes And Villains: Do A Lot (0:53)

8.         Heroes And Villains: Bag Of Tricks (2:58)

9.         Heroes And Villains: Mission Pak (0:55)

10.        Heroes And Villains: Bridge To Indians (1:47)

11.        Heroes And Villains: Part 1 Tag (1:19)

12.        Heroes And Villains: Pickup To 3rd Verse (0:55)

Heroes And Villains Session (1/27/67)

13.        Heroes And Villains: Children Were Raised (2:07)

14.        Heroes And Villains: Part 2 (Cantina track) (1:21)

15.        Heroes And Villains: Whistling Bridge (1:14)

16.        Heroes And Villains: Cantina (1:36)

17.        Heroes And Villains: All Day (2:19)

18.        Heroes And Villains: Verse Edit Experiment (0:48)

Heroes And Villains Session (2/15/67)

19.        Heroes And Villains: Prelude to Fade (3:43)

20.        Heroes And Villains: Piano Theme (2:43)

Heroes And Villains Session (2/20/67)

21.        Heroes And Villains: Part 2 (2:31)

22.        Heroes And Villains: Part 2 (Gee) (Master Take) (2:36)

23.        Heroes And Villains: Part 2 Revised (1:54)

24.        Heroes And Villains: Part 2 Revised (Master Take) (0:48)

25.        Heroes And Villains: Part 3 (Animals) (Master Take) (1:18)

26.        Heroes And Villains: Part 4 (2:36)

27.        Heroes And Villains: Part Two (Master Take) (2/27/67) (1:44)

28.        Heroes And Villains: Fade (2/28/67) (6:35)

Heroes And Villains Session (3/1/67)

29.        Heroes And Villains: Verse Remake (4:16)

30.        Heroes And Villains: Organ Waltz / Intro (2:04)

Heroes And Villains Session (6/14/67)

31.        Heroes And Villains: Chorus Vocals (0:48)

32.        Heroes And Villains: Barbershop (1:50)

33.        Heroes And Villains: Children Were Raised (Remake) (1:06)

34.        Heroes And Villains: Children Were Raised (Master Take Overdubs Mix 1) (0:26)

35.        Heroes And Villains: Children Were Raised (Master Take A Capella) (0:27)

Bonus Tracks

36.        Heroes And Villains Piano Demo (incorporating "I'm In Great Shape" and "Barnyard") Brian with Van Dyke Parks and "Humble Harve" Miller, KHJ Radio (11/4/66) (4:17)

37.        Psycodelic Sounds:  Brian Falls Into A Microphone (11/4/66) (1:10)

38.        Psycodelic Sounds:  Moaning Laughing (11/4/66) (1:09)

CD THREE

SESSION HIGHLIGHTS

DO YOU LIKE WORMS (ROLL PLYMOUTH ROCK)

Do You Like Worms Session (10/18/66)

1.         Do You Like Worms: Part 1 (5:21)

2.         Do You Like Worms: Part 2 (Bicycle Rider) (1:55)

3.         Do You Like Worms: Part 3 (2:43)

4.         Do You Like Worms: Part 4 (Bicycle Rider) (1:10)

5.         Do You Like Worms: Bicycle Rider Overdubs (Heroes And Villains Part 2) (1/5/67) (0:22)

MY ONLY SUNSHINE

(THE OLD MASTER PAINTER / YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE)

6.         My Only Sunshine: Parts 1 & 2 (11/14/66) (6:51)

7.         My Only Sunshine: Part 2 (Master Take With Vocal Overdubs) (2/10/67) (0:45)

CABIN ESSENCE

Cabin Essence Session (10/3/66)

8.         Cabin Essence: Verse (2:14)

9.         Cabin Essence: Chorus (2:28)

10.        Cabin Essence: Tag (2:31)

WONDERFUL

11.        Wonderful (Version 1) (8/25/66) (2:59)

Wonderful (Version 2 "Rock With Me, Henry") Session (1/9/67)

12.        Wonderful (Version 2) (3:25)

13.        Wonderful (Version 2 Tag) (2:54)

14.        Wonderful (Version 3) (4/10/67?) (2:41)

LOOK (SONG FOR CHILDREN)

15.        Look (8/12/66) (4:52)

CHILD IS FATHER OF THE MAN

16.        Child Is Father Of The Man (Version 1) (10/7/66) (4:57)

17.        Child Is Father Of The Man (Version 2) (10/11/66) (5:38)

SURF'S UP

18.        Surf's Up: 1st Movement (11/4/66) (4:54)

19.        Surf's Up: Talking Horns (11/7/66) (3:42)

20.        Surf's Up: Piano Demo (Master Take) (12/15/66) (3:52)

I WANNA BE AROUND / WORKSHOP (FRIDAY NIGHT)

21.        I Wanna Be Around (11/29/66) (3:08)

VEGA-TABLES (VEGETABLES)

Vegetables Sessions (4/4/67 - 4/11/67)

22.        Vegetables: Verse (Master Take Track) (4/4 - 4/11/67) (2:02)

23.        Vegetables: Sleep A Lot (Chorus) (2:34)

24.        Vegetables: Chorus 1 (Master Take) (1:05)

25.        Vegetables: 2nd Chorus (Master Take Track And Backing Vocals) (1:03)

26.        Vegetables: Insert (Part 4) (Master Take) (0:37)

CD FOUR

SESSION HIGHLIGHTS

VEGA-TABLES (VEGETABLES) (continued)

1.         Vegetables: Fade (4/12/67) (5:25)

2.         Vegetables: Ballad Insert (4/14/67) (1:03)

HOLIDAYS

3.         Holidays (9/8/66) (7:32)

WIND CHIMES

4.         Wind Chimes (Version 1) (8/3/66) (6:46)

Wind Chimes (Version 2) Session (10/5/66)

5.         Wind Chimes (Version 2) (5:00)

6.         Wind Chimes (Version 2 Tag) (2:51)

THE ELEMENTS: FIRE (MRS. O'LEARY'S COW)

7.         The Elements (Fire) (11/28/66) (8:27)

LOVE TO SAY DADA / COOL, COOL WATER

Da Da Session (12/22/66)

8.         Da Da  (Taped Piano Strings) (1:00)

9.         Da Da  (Fender Rhodes) (1:21)

Love To Say Dada Sessions (5/16/67 - 5/18/67)

10.        Love To Say Dada: Part 1 (5/16/67) (1:22)

11.        Love To Say Dada: Part 2 (5/17/67) (1:57)

12.        Love To Say Dada: Part 2 (Master Take) (5/17/67) (1:21)

13.        Love To Say Dada: Part 2 (Second Day) (5/18/67) (2:00)

COOL, COOL WATER

14.        Cool, Cool Water (Version 1) (6/7/67) (2:21)

15.        Cool, Cool Water (Version 2) (10/26/67 & 10/29/67) (3:31)

SMILE ADDITIONAL SESSIONS

16.        You're Welcome (12/15/66) (6:41)

17.        You're With Me Tonight (6/6-6/7/67) (2:46)

18.        Tune X (3/3/67-3/31/67) (2:18)

19.        I Don't Know (1/12/67) (3:03)

20.        Three Blind Mice (10/15/65) (2:11)

21.        Teeter Totter Love (Jasper Dailey) (1/25/67 & 2/9/67) (1:49)

Bonus Tracks

22.        Psycodelic Sounds - Underwater Chant (11/4/66) (1:45)

23.        Hal Blaine Vega-Tables Promo Session (11/16/66) (1:28)

24.        Heroes And Villains: Early Version Outtake Sections (1/67 - 2/67) (5:04)

CD FIVE

SESSION HIGHLIGHTS

GOOD VIBRATIONS SESSIONS

1. Good Vibrations: Gold Star 2/18/66 (The "Pet Sounds" Session) (7:27)

2. Good Vibrations: Gold Star 4/9/66 (6:57)

3. Good Vibrations: Western 5/4/66 (First Chorus) (2:24)

4. Good Vibrations: Western 5/4/66 (Second Chorus & Fade) (3:28)

5. Good Vibrations: Sunset Sound 5/24/66 (Part 1) (1:20)

6. Good Vibrations: Sunset Sound 5/24/66 (Parts 2 & 3) (1:45)

7. Good Vibrations: Sunset Sound 5/24/66 (Part 4) (0:47)

8. Good Vibrations: Western 5/27/66 (Part C) (3:32)

9. Good Vibrations: Western 5/27/66 (Chorus) (3:04)

10. Good Vibrations: Western 5/27/66 (Fade Sequence) (1:56)

11. Good Vibrations (Inspiration): Western 6/2/66 (Part 1) (2:44)

12. Good Vibrations (Inspiration): Western 6/2/66 (Part 3) (0:57)

13. Good Vibrations (Inspiration): Western 6/2/66 (Part 4) (0:49)

14. Good Vibrations: Western 6/16/66 (Part 1) (6:24)

15. Good Vibrations: Western 6/16/66 (Part 2 & Verse) (1:06)

16. Good Vibrations: Western 6/16/66 (Part 2 Continued) (5:55)

17. Good Vibrations: Western 6/18/66 (Part 1) (1:10)

18. Good Vibrations: Western 6/18/66 (Part 2) (5:03)

19. Good Vibrations (Persuasion): Western 9/1/66 (1:49)

20. Good Vibrations: Western 9/1/66 (New Bridge) (3:39)

21. Good Vibrations: Session Masters (6:13)

22. Good Vibrations: Single Version Stereo Track (3:49)

23. Good Good Good Vibrations (First Version With Overdubs) 3/66 (3:41)

24. Good Vibrations: Alternate Edit 8/24/66 (3:32)

VINYL

Double LP

Side One

Our Prayer

Gee

Heroes And Villains

Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)

I'm In Great Shape

Barnyard

My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine)

Cabin Essence

Side Two

Wonderful

Look (Song for Children)

Child Is Father Of The Man

Surf's Up

Side Three

I Wanna Be Around / Workshop

Vega-Tables

Holidays

Wind Chimes

The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow)

Love To Say Dada

Good Vibrations

Side Four

You're Welcome - Stereo Mix

Vega-Tables - Stereo Mix

Wind Chimes - Stereo Mix

Cabin Essence - Session Highlights and Stereo Backing Track

Surf's Up - Session Excerpt and Stereo Mix

Two 7" singles

Heroes And Villains "Smile" single            Vega-Tables single

A side:  Heroes And Villains Part One           A side: Vega-Tables

B side:  Heroes And Villains Part Two           B side: Surf's Up

The SMiLE Sessions (2LP vinyl)

Side One

1.  Our Prayer

2.  Gee

3.  Heroes And Villains

4.  Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)

5.  I'm In Great Shape

6.  Barnyard

7.  My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine)

8.  Cabin Essence

Side Two

1.  Wonderful

2.  Look (Song for Children)

3.  Child Is Father Of The Man

4.  Surf's Up

Side Three

1.  I Wanna Be Around / Workshop

2.  Vega-Tables

3.  Holidays

4.  Wind Chimes

5.  The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow)

6.  Love To Say Dada

7.  Good Vibrations

Side Four

1.  You're Welcome - Stereo Mix

2.  Vega-Tables - Stereo Mix

3.  Wind Chimes - Stereo Mix

4.  Cabin Essence - Session Highlights and Stereo Backing Track

5.  Surf's Up - Session Excerpt and Stereo Mix

Gifted musician channels all of the great pop tunesmiths while carving out a niche that is uniquely his own. Listen to "Porcelain," below.

By Blurt Staff

Without a doubt one of the most delightful surprises to land on the BLURT office stereo of late has been Porcelain by UK-born, NYC-based songwriter and classic pop maven Edward Rogers, who's been compared to more than just a few greats. Think: Kinks, Big Star, Zombies, XTC, Beatles, Housemartins, Left Banke. The album is due out November 8 via the Zip label and it's the followup to his acclaimed Sparkle Lane 2010 album; prior to that he issued several other records, both solo and with the band Bedsit Poets.

Rogers will also be announcing live dates soon, but meanwhile, we've got an exclusive debut for you by way of the following free MP3:

MP3: "Porcelain"

You can stream it right now or right-click the link to download. We guarantee this little slab of powerpop will make your head spin more than just a little...  Rogers can also be heard every Sunday on "Atlantic Tunnel" on eastvillageradio.com. Details on all this and more at his official website.