Mount Analog featuring Karl Blau - "That's How I Got to Memphis" 7"

Mount Analog Featuring Karl Blau – “That’s How I Got to Memphis” 7”

K Records, 2008

Acquired: KJHK Music Staff, New, 2008

Price: $0

Mount Analog is the guise famed Portland producer Tucker Martine operates under, and for this 7” he wrangled fellow northwesterners Karl Blau and Laura Veirs for an absolutely fantastic cover of Bobby Bare’s “That’s How I Got to Memphis.” I’m a fan of all three aforementioned musicians. Martine is one of the best producers in the game (I recently raved about his collaborative work on Richard Buckner’s latest Surrounded) and Blau and Veirs are a couple of my favorite songwriters from way back (Blau’s BeneathWaves and Veirs’ Year of Meteors are near and dear to the old ticker). Did I mention this track is just wonderful? It’s breezy and laid back and it’s the perfect soundtrack for a front porch on an early summer afternoon with a cold beer. Blau’s off-kilter croon is just the best. The b-side is a moody, experimental-leaning tune “inspired by Jobim’s “A Felicidade.” It’s fine, but there’s really no reason to listen to it when you can just listen to “That’s How I Got to Memphis” a hundred times on repeat.

"That's How I Got to Memphis"

That's How I Got to Memphis from Karl Blau on Myspace.

The Few - "Rollin' Like the Tide"

The Few – “Rollin’ Like the Tide”

K Records, 1987

Acquired: K Records Mail Order, new, 2008

Price:  ~$1

 

Featuring future members of Pounding Serfs and Gravel, The Few’s “Rollin’ Like the Tide” 7” was one of the first releases in K Records’ International Pop Underground series. The music is pretty basic throwback folk-pop with a dreamy vibe and ramshackle production, but more important was the scene the Few came out of, which unshackled indie DIY music from the punk rock overlords. That was one of the things that drew me to K Records: They were like punks who were sensitive and liked pop music. JUST LIKE ME! The Few were the first band from Anacortes, WA to record for K, kickstarting K’s long illustrious history with the San Juan Islands (which spawned the likes of Phil Elverum of the Microphones and Mount Eerie, Karl Blau, D+ (which is basically just Phil and Karl and Beat Happening guitarist Bret Lunsford), and Burl Ives. Now I’m imagining the Dub Narcotic remix the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer soundtrack oh please, can I have that?). I’ve always held a very firm jealousy towards those dudes from Anacortes. It’s the sort of idyllic place I would love to disappear to. I mean, just look!

You can check out the song in all its hazy glory here.