Laurel: Birdland

So outstanding to have Laurel on the show this week. Many thanks to her for her time and her vulnerability. Laurel's latest album as Little Scream came out on Merge Records last fall. It's is called Speed Queen and it's fantastic. Check out the video for Dear Leader and tell me Laurel hasn't achieved her goal of making political art. While you're at it, you might want to listen to the final, recorded version of the Heron and the Fox which came out on the first Little Scream album The Golden Record. I think it's remarkable to hear the difference between the "skype-mic'd" demo and the final, lushly-produced (but still intimate) version. Thanks again to Laurel and Third Side Music for permission to use the demo. I'm going to fail miserably if I attempt to say anything new about the genius that is Patti Smith and her 1975 debut Horses. It's a landmark how about I stop at that? That said, I was pleased to read that Laurel's song pick from Horses, Birdland was based A Book of Dreams a childhood memoir of radical Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich which was also the inspiration for my favourite Kate Bush song Cloudbusting. As always, I'd encourage you to listen to the whole track either before or after you listen to this weeks show (or both!) Even if Katie is glad she never has to do it again... Make sure you follow The Volume Knob on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at our website volumeknob.net. And if you have a story about the song that saved your life be sure to send it to me at [email protected].