Pages tagged “mark kozelek”

For the Mark Kozelek fan who owns everything from Down Colorful Hill to Tiny Cities (and has Sun Kil Moon’s April on pre-order), Caldo Verde Records offers yet another way to appreciate this modern-day bard—Nights of Passed Over, a hardcover book that will encompass Kozelek’s lyrics from the Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon and his solo work. Even for those who don’t possess the expanse of Kozelek’s musical catalog, this comprehensive book of his lyrics would make a fantastic introduction.

Nights of Passed Over was originally released in Portugal in 2002, and first-run editions are somewhat hard to come by. Even the re-released tome—256 pages in breadth and numbered at only 2,500—will see limited stateside release.

Pre-ordering for Nights of Passed Over begins March 17 on the Caldo Verde website. The book will be officially released on April 1, along with Sun Kil Moon’s latest, April (natch). Rob O’Connor glowingly reviews the album in the forthcoming issue of Paste.

“Kozelek’s work has proven over the years that it reveals itself slowly,” O’Connor writes about April. “What grabs you at first is the simple, gorgeous hook, which turns out to be a gateway drug to the deeper mysteries that power his music.”

The same could be said of the source material for Nights of Passed Over. Beyond the lyrics, the revamped version will feature a new introduction by Kozelek, exclusive glimpses at set lists, and a 12-track bonus disc, which will include rarities from 1996 through 2007. Most notably, the bonus disc offers a cut of “Carry Me Ohio” from the Ghost of the Great Highway sessions, a KCRW radio performance of “River,” one version of “Duk Koo Kim” that was originally released on vinyl, and a Peter Svensson-produced version of “Cruiser.”

This endeavor—not to be placed in the same category as, ahem, other attempts by musicians to publish a book of poetry—seems to be just another extension of Kozelek’s life work. Kaki King and Ben Gibbard are both cited as major fans of his heart-wrenching, coming-of-age ballads. Make like your 10th-grade self, pull out those old Red House Painters albums, and read along.

Don’t forget a shoulder to cry on as you peruse the Nights of Passed Over CD track listing:
1. "Michigan" (Live at Union Chapel) 2007*
2. "Drop" (Live at Union Chapel) 2007*
3. "Heron Blue" (Drum Version) 2007*
4. "Leo and Luna" (Only Version) 2006
5. "Carry Me Ohio" (Jam Version) 2002*
6. "Gentle Moon" (Live at Fnac) 2002*
7. "Duk Koo Kim" (10'' Version) 2001**
8. "Wop A Din Din" ( Live in Lisbon ) 2001*
9. "Metropol 47" (Demo Version) 1999*
10. "Cruiser" (Malmo Version) 1999*
11. "Smokey" (Demo Version) 1997
12. "River" ( KCRW version) 1996*

* = previously unreleased
** = previously unreleased on CD

Related links:
Paste: Mark Kozelek: Of Mouse and Moon
CaldoVerdeRecords.com
SunKilMoon.com

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.

On November 28, 2006, a two-disc, 20-song live compilation by songwriter Mark Kozelek will be released by Caldo Verde Records. The compilation, entitled Little Drummer Boy Live, is composed largely of material recorded live during Kozelek’s recent European and North American tour and features songs that represent the entire trajectory of Kozelek’s career, from his early days with Red House Painters to Sun Kil Moon and his solo work. It also features two previously unreleased songs, “Moorestown” and “Unlit Hallway.”

Then, on February 6, 2007, Caldo Verde will re-issue Kozelek’s Sun Kil Moon album, Ghosts of the Great Highway, originally released on November 3, 2003 to great critical acclaim and college radio success. The reissue will include a six-song bonus CD which includes two versions of “Somewhere” by Leonard Bernstein as well as alternative versions of “Carry Me Ohio” and “Salvador Sanchez,” the previously unreleased “Arrival,” and more.

Mark Kozelek knew weeks before the release of Tiny Cities—the new album by his band Sun Kil Moon that’s completely composed of Modest Mouse covers—that it was getting an unusual reception. “It’s somehow acceptable for a guy like me to cover people who are dead or legendary,” says the former Red House Painter, who’s retooled songs from artists as diverse as John Denver and the Bon Scott-led AC/DC. “But when you cover a guy who’s maybe ten years younger than you, who hasn’t been making records as long as you have, there’s a different feeling about it.”

The “guy” in question is Isaac Brock, Modest Mouse’s singer and songwriter, known for his staccato vocals and mad-as-hell delivery. Kozelek, on the other hand, is recognized for a soulful voice and intricate acoustic-guitar work—hence the surprise. “I feel like I’ve been on the defensive,” says Kozelek, who kept the album secret until its completion. “People love the record, but they still keep asking, ‘Why?’”

It began with a 2003 Modest Mouse show at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Kozelek was immediately taken aback. “You know, I see a lot of shows, and I’m not often blown away,” he says. “But there was just this intensity and sort of danger element going on up there that was really incredible.”

He started working a few Modest Mouse songs into Sun Kil Moon shows, and considered recording some of them for an EP—but instead kept going until he had 11 covers of mostly older, lesser-known songs.

Hints of the original Modest Mouse melodies exist in some of these tracks, but others seem like completely different tunes with only the lyrics intact. Kozelek says he didn’t plan to radically alter the songs, but simply put his own touches on them as he would any music he plays. For example, Modest Mouse’s “Exit Does Not Exist,” full of thumping drums and Brock’s screams, is “just a different universe” from Kozelek’s style, he says. So, in the Sun Kil Moon version, the drums are replaced by quiet guitar, Brock’s exploding anger by Kozelek’s melancholy intonation.

This forces listeners to not only rethink the songs, but also to focus on Brock’s lyrics, which are amazing, Kozelek says. “People already into Modest Mouse are probably aware [Brock] is gifted and he’s a great writer. But for people who aren’t… hopefully this record will bring attention to the fact that this guy is really good.”

And what does he think Brock will say about the album? Kozelek sent the band a copy, but hasn’t heard anything yet. (Paste’s request for a comment was politely declined.) “I don’t know how he’ll feel about it, just like I don’t know how I would feel about it if an artist did 10 or 11 Red House Painters covers.” He laughs. “It might freak me out.”