David Crosby

I think i'm getting a little obsessed by David Crosby. Yep, that's him above. He was in CSNY and The Byrds. He was also on the TV show Roseanne. You knew that. Anyway, I've spent the week listening to his debut solo album from '71 which is called "If I Could Only Remember My Name". Its smooth, and hippy, and groovy, and spiritual and 'far out'. A bunch of famous people play on it and its worth owning. iTunes have it for under ten bucks. Its left me back to one of the best concert albums of all time, Crosby Stills Nash and Young's "4 Way Street". Two of the key highlights of the acoustic set is Crosby's tunes Triad (my favourite never-released Byrds song) and the haunting Lee Shore. So amazing. I have no idea what David Crosby is up to now, although i vaguely remember hearing about a recent CSNY concert film... anyone seen it?

Check out this performance of Lee Shore with Graham Nash for the BBC:



And with CSNY doing Neil Young's Down By The River:

St Helens

Formed almost two years ago from the volcanic ashes of Melbourne band New Season is Jarrod "Lost Animal" Quarrell's latest project St Helens. Its a less scuzzy affair this time round, with more lean-and-mean swagger and grit for your buck. Royal Trux comparisons abound, and the lineup is refered to in some circles as a 'supergroup'. Joining Jarred is Ian Wadley (Minimum Chips, Bird Blobs), Lewis Boyes (Alpha Males), skinsman Damian Clarkson (Sun of Clark) and sharing vocal duties is Hannah Brooks from Spider Vomit.

St Helens are doing the Wednesday night residency in October at The Birmingham in Fitzroy. The recently refurbed venue is hosting some great shows, and coupled with Ya Ya's down the road it seems Smith Street is cementing its dirty reputation as the go-to zone for compelling live music and heavy late-night boozin' in Melbourne.

Check out some of St Helen's rough mixes on myspace from the forthcoming album, out next year through Remote Control's Dot Dash label.