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Hey again. You may recall my first post about the Wilco Winter Residency. And if not, I hope you'll go back and give it a once-over.

Today I'm here to talk a bit about My Morning Jacket.

I once saw these guys open for Wilco. And what a night that was. On record these guys don't sound near as loud or mind blowing as they do on stage. Not to say they're not good on record. It's just that on stage, they are complete beasts.

The clip above is one of my all-time favorites, “One Big Holiday.” There are plenty of great videos of this tune, but this one has a good combination of video and sound quality, plus a nice long jam if that's your thing.

If you haven’t yet been exposed to MMJ, well, just check them out when they come through town (assuming you can score tickets before the inevitable sell-out). There's a reason they've moved up from the festival side stages to headliners the last couple of years — it's because they “melt faces,” so to speak.

Props to CoolLikeMiles for sharing this video.

One Big Holiday originally appeared on My Morning Jacket's third studio album, It Still Moves from 2003. It's also on their 2006 live album Okonokos

Bonus Video: Mahgeetah from 2003 at the Mercury in Austin

There's really only one criteria for submitting a video to Jamtopia. It needs to “melt your face.” But that phrase, like music itself, is subjective.

What does “melt your face” mean?

I remember a certain Grateful Dead show in 1994 that certainly melted my face. It also seemed to melt my legs right into the bleachers.

But now, years later, I don't look for music to necessarily “melt my face” quite like that.

Today for me, face-melting comes down to really good music that makes your body and mind go “whoa” or “holy shit!” or simply “I can't believe how good this is!”

Which brings me to the first band I'm writing about here on Jamtopia, Wilco.

We all know the Wilco story. Born from the break-up of Uncle Tupelo, they've evolved from a simple, beloved alt-country band to probably the best, most revered American band alive today.

And they've now got the musical chops to cross about any genre at any time during any show. For evidence, look no further than their recent “Winter Residency” at the Riv in Chicago where they covered every song they've ever recorded over a five night stand.

Their music expands to new territories when they play it live — though the records are good too — and they've got songs. Songs that will be played years from now on acoustic guitars, in bars, at open-mic nights, on patios and porches, on i-pods and so on.

Lucky for us, they also melt faces.

Thanks to impino26 for posting this video.

Impossible Germany and other Wilco tunes can be found on the album Sky Blue Sky.

Bonus Video: Red-Eyed and Blue / I Got You

Here's another great video from night two of Wilco's “Winter Residency” concerts at Riviera Theatre.

This isn’t a typical “jam band” sort of thing. To me, “jamming” has always meant playing the music I love with people I dig making music with. It was usually instrumental, but always intense on some level. A decade ago I went to see a show at the Greek Theater in L.A. and had my definition of “jamming” forever redefined.

Counting Crows has always been one of my favorite bands. They are the only band that is still releasing albums where I wait three years for the next album in anticipation of an experience that is transcendental…something that takes me to another place, different from the last trip yet strangely familiar. I look forward to their tours stopping in southern California like an addict waiting for a fix.

Many artists regurgitate their music verbatim in concert. Live shows are experiences to be celebrated.

Many artists that write music that is playable on pop radio tend to regurgitate their music verbatim in concert… afraid that challenging the listener will alienate the listener. My experience that night at the Greek Theater seeing Counting Crows for the first time was that you can take familiar songs and use them as a launching pad for a new musical experience. It was a revelation that would inform me as songwriter and a musician hugely… live shows are experiences to be celebrated and there needs to be both an energy and a reason to be performing this music… this needs to be a vital experience for both the artist and the fan.

Above I have a live concert video of a performance of Round Here from the Pinkpop festival in 1997. Below is the original video of the same song.

The live version feels somewhat improvisational, with additional lyrics that I have heard in other versions and some that I have never heard before. It is long and hugely dynamic, working towards a climax like a great instrumental improvisation.

In it's originally recorded form the song tells a story with a tight structure that is radio friendly if not typically “pop.”

Thanks to thoeneu for posting this video.

Round Here and other Counting Crows tunes can be found on the album August and Everything After.

Bonus Video: Official “Round Here” Music Video