Big Star, Small World

5:09 PM EDT on June 8, 2006

From what I gather, this Big Star tribute was recorded years ago, but never released until this year? Looks killer.

Big Star - Tribute: Big Star, Small World
1. Afghan Whigs - "Nighttime"
2. The Posies - "What's Goin Ahnr" (MP3)
3. The Gin Blossoms - "Back of a Car" (MP3)
4. Kelly Willis - "When My Baby's Beside Me"
5. Whiskeytown - "Give Me Another Chance"
6. Teenage Fanclub - "Jesus Christ"
7. Juliana Hatfield - "Don`t Lie To Me"
8. Matthew Sweet w/ Mike Mills - "Ballad of El Goodo" (MP3)
9. The Idle Wilds - "You Get What You Deserve" (MP3)
10. Wilco - "Thirteen" (MP3)
11. Sister Hazel - "September Girls"
12. Big Star - "Hot Thing"

The best part? NotLame is offering up five MP3 samples (linked above) for download.

"Thirteen" -- such a beautiful song -- has been covered by Garbage, Elliott Smith, Kathryn Williams, Kind Of Like Spitting, and a ton of others. But you know Tweedy makes creepy sound romantic in a way no one else can.

Not only is "Alex Chilton" the first 'Mats tune I punch up on Hi-Fi's jukebox, the press-shy Box Top is currently wowing crowds with his pre-Star band. During Katrina, the NoLA native weathered the storm in the French Quarter and is doing fine.

I'll take this opportunity to share two related tunes.

Posie-cum-Big Star member Jon Auer has an excellent new solo album Songs From The Year Of Our Demise. Best pop-as-meditation-on-divorce since Face Value (save Andy Partridge's vitriolic "Your Dictionary"). Commiserate with Auer here.
Jon Auer - "You Used To Drive Me Around" (MP3 Link Expired)

The late Chris Bell was as instrumental as Chilton to #1 Record. You MUST pick this up. Here's the sole single released before his '78 auto accident.
Chris Bell - "I Am The Cosmos" (MP3 Link Expired)