Dusty Trails - Dusty Trails (2000)

As promised, here is the one and only album from Dusty Trails, a duo comprised of Vivian Trimble from Luscious Jackson and Josephine Wiggs from The Breeders. If you like those bands you'll love this, though be forewarned - this is nothing like either of those groups. The group name is perfect, as this is music that you would listen to while traveling across the desert, leaving sand and memories in your wake. It has a lilting, melancholy vibe, with hints of Serge Gainsbourg. This could be called coffee shop music, but in the best way, not Starbucks but some independent little corner shop, sitting in the sun on the patio and smoking a cigarette. In fact, there is a song on here just for that moment, "Order Coffee", with a haunting vocal by the one and only Emmylou Harris (who seems to have taken a liking to the Luscious Jackson ladies, having worked on their albums and side projects and also had them appear on her own work). And all of the ladies of Luscious Jackson make appearances on here as well. I challenge you to try to resist this album and it's pure beauty. Too bad these projects were one offs by these ladies, as I would have loved to have heard a follow-up to this brilliant album.

Download Dusty Trails

1		Pearls On A String
2		You Freed Yourself
3		Spy In The Lounge
4		Est-Ce Que Tu
5		Roll The Dice
6		St-Tropez
7		Unhand Me You Wretch
8		They May Call Me A Dreamer
9		Fool For A Country Tune
10		Regrets In Bordertown
11		Order Coffee
12		Conga Style
13		Caught In A Dream
14		Dusty Trails Theme

Kostars - Klassics With A "K" (1995)

Kostars was a side project by two of the talented ladies of one of my fave bands, Luscious Jackson. Jill Cunniff and Vivian Trimble obviously wanted to explore music that was not quite as hip hop as Luscious Jackson, and they banded together to release this album of pop tunes. It was released on the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label with little fanfare. But it's a sweet little example of simple pop music, with spare arrangements and beautiful harmonies. The song "Don't Know Why" with weird brother duo Ween is such a beautiful, longing pop tune, perfect in my opinion. Of course, Trimble would leave Luscious Jackson soon after and, perhaps influenced by the freedom of this foray, would form the even more fantastic duo Dusty Trails with Josephine Wiggs from The Breeders. That album is up next. Luscious Jackson was fabulous, and these side projects show just how talented and versatile these ladies were.

Video for Red Umbrella

Download Klassics With A "K"

1		Never So Lonely
2		Jacqueline
3		Red Umbrella
4		Jolene On The Freeway
5		One Sunny Day
6		Hey Cowboy
7		Reverend
8		Mama Never Said
9		Don't Know Why
10		French Kiss