Californian public radio station KCRW is releasing an album of sessions recorded on the station’s ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ show, and given the state of British music in the US just know, it includes a lot of UK bands. The show has quite a reputation for avoiding the predictable album-plugging network, picking artists based on their artistic credentials.
Among those appearing on the album Sounds Eclectic Too are REM, Shelby Lynne, Norah Jones, Dido, Nick Cave and Chris Martin of Coldplay. Host Nic Harcourt explains: "We personally pick them and book them because we like what they're doing and want them to feel comfortable. As a result of that atmosphere we do get unique performances. The Chris Martin track is a good example. Coldplay's first US appearance anywhere was on Morning Becomes Eclectic. The band and management appreciated that we were the first to play them and invited them to perform. Martin rewarded our audience by performing the version of 'Yellow' that's on the disc. He'd never performed it that way before and said at the end he'd never perform it that way again."
The full track listing: Yellow - Chris Martin of Coldplay; Distractions - Zero 7; Radio #1 - Air; I've Been High – REM; Casa Abandonada - Julieta Venegas; You Cut Her Hair - Tom McRae; Fever – Starsailor; Jesus on a Greyhound - Shelby Lynne; Into My Arms - Nick Cave; Here With Me – Dido; You My Lunar Queen – Cousteau; Feeling the Same Way - Norah Jones
No word on whether a UK release is likely - but check www.kcrw.com for more info.