wears the trousers magazine

New live album first of three in the works

We nearly missed this entirely over the holidays but it seems that Melora Creager and her ever-revolving cast of musicians have finally put the finishing touches to that long-promised live album. Melora a la Basilica (avec Daniel De Jesús) was recorded a few months ago in “a behemoth of a defunct glue factory” and is available as a numbered limited edition of 1000 copies, each encased in a custom printed metal tin. Interested? Got $20 (or equivalent, plus shipping of course)? Then get your copy here.

Alongside old favourites like ‘Rusty The Skatemaker’ and “Rose K.’, the album features a bunch of covers, including Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl’ (originally available on Melora’s solo album, Perplexions), ‘I Want To Marry A Lighthouse Keeper’ from the ‘A Clockwork Orange’ soundtrack, ‘Green Finch / Johanna’ from the Sweeney Todd musical, and Pearl Jam’s ‘Soon Forget’.

In her latest update, Melora updated fans on the new band line-up after Jonathan TeBeest quit the forest. “What can I say?…He grew tired of the Rasputina grind and joined an Abba cover band. He is missed. I am seriously elated, however, by my new compatriots. If he weren’t an adult, I would call Daniel De Jesus a prodigy. Having come of age listening to and playing with the Rasp. recordings of yore, he is a singer/cellist like I’ve never heard! And young Catie D’Amica – I met her as we worked side-by-side in an earring factory. I love her feral style. She has brought the group back to its natural origins.”

She also reports that a Rasputina rarities collection is in the works (”instrumental versions of songs you know, various short scores, songs you never knew, and etc.”), as well as a proper follow-up to the band’s last studio album, Oh Perilous World (review).

Melora a la Basilica
01 Clowns 
02 American Girl
03 Wicked Dickie 
04 I Want To Marry A Lighthouse Keeper
05 Rose K.
06 Why Don’t You Do It Right?
07 Rusty The Skatemaker
08 Green Finch / Johanna
09 Girl Lunar Explorer
10 Soon Forget
11 Identity Tokens 

Alan Pedder