It's Music and/or Storybook Thursday and/or Friday!

Or, as Special Ed from Crank Yankers would say, "Friday! YAYYYYYY!"

I had planned on continuing my week of complete and utter randomness and would have told some stupid Storybook Friday story about my tortured existence, but I have changed my mind.

What?!? you ask. Inconceivable!

Nope. Thanks to Christine, you get Music Friday. YAYYYYYY!

I have to thank her for visiting and posting in some way.

Today we have Jeff, Jay, Brian, and Tim. YAYYYY!

Here we go. Ahem:

First up: Uncle Tupelo.

Anodyne outtake : Wherever
This is the unremastered version floating around. They cleaned it up for the reissue. Jeff really evolved as a songwriter during the course of UT. I mean, Anodyne Jeff songs were—to me—on a much more equal footing with Jay's. And this is evidence.

Cover Story : The Ocean
Short little blip, but evidence that the boys would try to do random covers (there's the random!). Rather 'Mats like. Including the fact that both bands usually were loaded when they tried them.

Brian Henneman : Wave That Flag
Brian Henneman : Indianapolis

Brian (of Bottle Rockets fame) was a guitar tech for UT back in the day and he recorded some songs with the boys. Wave That Flag is an interesting take on te Confederate flag's popularity.

Indianapolis is a rather funny song about being stuck in a town because of a bus breakdown.

Son Volt : Steal the Crumbs
This live track is an Uncle Tupelo song off of March. It is my favorite song from that album along with Criminals.

Random story: Son Volt's first debut was here at First Ave. For some reason, the song Whiskey Bottle ("Whiskey bottle over Jesus, not forever, just for now") became a Fraternity Boy theme song. So at the show there were people yelling for it all night. Jay never played it. The next night, no one yelled for it. Jay played the song.

I like Jay.

Liberty Lunch (11.07.1997) : Windfall Tease
Throughout Uncle Tupelo's history, I'm not sure the pair ever sang the other's songs that they had written. And obviously once they broke up, that wasn't gonna happen. I don't know if this is the only time it happened, but this is from a Wilco show. It cracks me up.

Jeff: "We haven't practiced that one enough."

Lounge Ax 01.2000 : Pecan Pie
This is from one of Jeff's solo shows. It's a Golden Smog song. I love Golden Smog. Especially since there's such a Minneapolis connection with Louris and Johnson. Jeff's Smog name is Scot Summit.

Mine's Elizabeth Lake, for the record.

Moving on:

Last Stand at Lounge Ax : New Madrid
This was recorded at Wilco's last show at Lounge Ax, a Chicago club. Jeff used to occasionally bartend, and he met his wife there. She (and her father, I think) were the owners. There were some condos behind the place (I think they went up after Lounge Ax had been around for years) and some yuppie whiner complained so vociferously about the noise that the city shut the club down.

That's just not right.

Kosher Spears : My Man
This is a Tim Easton song. I don't know if Kosher Spears was before or after Haynes Boys. It's a catchy song. I will now make my plea: if you do not download any other songs, please download this one. Tim Easton really deserves more popularity and acclaim than he currently gets.

If you think Jay is lyrically brilliant, I think you might like Tim.

Tim Easton : Bitters Past
This is from Southern Theatre. Later in the set, right before All the Pretty Girls Leave Town, someone calls out for Bitters Past, and Tim says, "Someone came in a little late, I guess."