Category: inspirational music

various music performances

Arcade Fire gives a new gospel

It is undeniably true that Arcade Fire is one of the most amazing bands living, performing and making intense, inspirational and thought-provoking music in this modern age that we are experiencing. Their latest album, The Suburbs, was released in 2010, and while listening to it I realized I’ve never seen them perform live. So, I looked around a bit and found some great webcasts and TV broadcasts of concerts from 2005-2011. If you’re not familiar with this band (or if you are), then watch every one of these concert videos. They’re all great. You can even read all the lyrics here. Very nice. I will definitely be seeing Arcade Fire next time they come around. And probably every time after that, too.

[mp3] [mp4] 2005-01-17 KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic
[mp3] [mp4] 2005-03-10 Le Nouveau Casino – Paris, France
[mp3] [mp4] 2005-03-11 Melkweg – Amsterdam, Netherlands
[mp3] [mp4] 2005-05-11 Paradiso – Amsterdam, Netherlands
[mp3] [mp4] 2005-08-20 Lowlands Festival – Biddinghuizen, Holland
[mp3] [mp4] 2005-08-25 Rock en Seine – Paris, France
[mp3] [avi] 2007-03-20 L’Olympia – Paris, France
[mp3] [mp4] 2007-06-19 BBC Radio 2 Session – London, England
[mp3] [mp4] 2007-06-22 Glastonbury Festival – Pilton, England
[mp3] [mp4] 2007-06-27 Hovefestivalen – Arendal, Norway
[mp3] [mp4] 2007-07-01 Les Eurockéennes – Belfort, France
[mp3] [mp4] 2007-07-07 T in the Park – Kinross, Scotland
[mp3] [mp4] 2007-08-24 Rock en Seine – Paris, France
[mp3] [mp4] 2007-08-25 Reading Festival – Berkshire, England
[mp3] [mp4] 2007-09-14 Austin City Limits
[mp3] [mp4] 2008-01-25 Big Day Out – Sydney, Australia
[mp3] [mp4] 2010-07-09 Oxegen Festival – Ireland
[mp3] 2010-08-05 Unstaged – NYC
[mp3] [mp4] 2010-08-28 Reading Festival – Berkshire, England
[mp3] [mp4] 2010-09-05 MTV Galicia – Spain
[mp3] [mp4] 2011-02-10 KROQ, Los Angeles – Studio R
[mp3] [mp4] 2011-04-16 Coachella Festival – USA
[mp3] 2011-04-24 Chicago – WXRT Broadcast





Cyndi Lauper’s tribute to John Lennon

One of my favorite artists, Cyndi Lauper, has performed at several John Lennon tribute concerts through the years, and she always does such amazing interpretations of his songs. Very good stuff. Nobody has a voice like this lady.

Working Class Hero, 1990

Hey Bulldog, 1990

Strawberry Fields Forever, 2001

A Day in the Life, 2010

Kate Bush

Kate Bush is a brilliant musician (one of my personal favorites) who toured only once (in 1979). Her live performances since then have been extremely rare, the latest being a 2002 surprise duet of “Comfortably Numb” with David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

December Will Be Magic Again (1979)

Breathing (1986)

Running Up That Hill (with David Gilmour) (1986)

Comfortably Numb (with David Gilmour) (2002)

and her latest single, Deeper Understanding

Florence and the Machine acoustic on KEXP

This acoustic set by Florence and the Machine was performed for KEXP radio on April 16, 2010. Watch below, and also check out this earlier post with 2 more great live performance by Florence and the Machine.

Rabbit Heart

Cosmic Love

Drumming Song

Kiss with a Fist

Arcade Fire performs for KROQ

Arcade Fire is in Los Angeles for the Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb 13). Yesterday, they were interviewed and performed two songs from their latest album, The Suburbs (“Month of May” and “Ready to Start”), in KROQ radio’s Studio R.


And in case you missed it, the complete Madison Square Garden “Unstaged” show from August 5, 2010, is now available on youtube. The concert was filmed by director Terry Gilliam, and is one of the best live videos I’ve seen in awhile.

PJ Harvey says “Let England Shake”

One of the “greatest female musicians of all time” (according to the UK music press), PJ Harvey, is now promoting her eighth solo album, Let England Shake. Polly Jean says she didn’t feel like she had the skills as a writer to address social and political issues in the past, but she has evolved and now here she goes. Let England Shake will be released on February 15, 2011. In the meantime, you can watch a video interview from New Musical Express.


David Bowie: Sound and Vision documentary

“David Bowie is cool” is the closing line of this documentary from 2002, Sound and Vision. He does have an impressive, diverse catalog with at least 26 albums, and they’re all great. This film gives an extensive overview of Bowie’s life and career, and is narrated by Jonathan Pryce.



(continue watching on youtube)

Nina Hagen’s Gospel Punk

Nina Hagen’s Personal Jesus was one of my favorite albums of 2010. Her September 17, 2010, concert in Paris was broadcast on TV, and the entire show (30 songs) is on youtube. Watch a few of the best clips below. I also found an interview with Nina speaking in English about the album and her new “gospel punk” sound.

Nina Hagen – Personal Jesus tour
Paris, France (September 17, 2010) [mp3] [mp4]
setlist: Personal Jesus, Riders on the Storm, LSD, Das Veilchen, Nobody’s Fault But Mine, God’s Radar, Schachmatt, Help Me, Lily of the Valley, Mean Old World, On the Battlefield, Spirit in the Sky, When the Saints Go Marching In, The Lord’s Prayer, Soldat Soldat, All You Fascists Bound to Lose, What It Is, Killer, Atomic Flesh Deluxe, Boom, Like an Angel, My Way, Summertime, Sometimes I Ring Up Heaven, Milky White Way, Ave Maria, This World Is Not My Home, We Shall Overcome, Free Ride, Run On

“Personal Jesus” (Paris 2010)

“Riders on the Storm” (Paris 2010)

“God’s Radar” (Paris 2010)

“Killer” (Paris 2010)

an interview (2010)

Joanna Newsom performs on Letterman

The lovely and unique harp-playing Joanna Newsom is still out and about promoting her latest album, Have One on Me. While in New York City a few nights ago (December 14), she performed “On a Good Day” on the Late Show with David Letterman. Watch below or save it (mp4 & mp3) for archival purposes. In case you missed it, watch Joanna’s performance of “Soft as Chalk” from Jimmy Fallon’s show back on March 5, 2010, here.

“On a Good Day” lyrics by Joanna Newsom

Hey hey hey, the end is near!
On a good day,
you can see the end from here.
But I won’t turn back, now,
though the way is clear;
I will stay for the remainder.

I saw a life, and I called it mine.
I saw it, drawn so sweet and fine,
and I had begun to fill in all the lines,
right down to what we’d name her.

Our nature does not change by will.
In the winter, ’round the ruined mill,
the creek is lying, flat and still;
it is water,
though it’s frozen.

So, ‘cross the years,
and miles, and through,
on a good day,
you can feel my love for you.
Will you leave me be,
so that we can stay true
to the path that you have chosen?