Show 8 of Live from Abbey Road starts off with a group called Elbow (why I don’t know). I’m not a fan of their music but it has a catchy tone to it. The lead singer explains that they have been together making music for 18 years. While the singing isn’t great the music is very well put together which saves their first song ‘Grounds for Divorce’. They are a full on band which is always good to see live, and they really get down if you know what I mean.

After the break they talk about their first record deal, and how they had been dropped from the label. This is ten years after being unsigned; it was interesting to hear him talk about how they handled the bad news outwardly and how much that varied from what they were really feeling. I think it’s the show but I really want to like this band, they are incredibly interesting with a sound to match. The second song they play is called The Bones of You and is a little better but still not my cup of tea. I find myself wishing they would get back to just talking to the camera instead of singing.

When they do get back to talking about their music they talk about the four major labels they have been with and how lucky they are to still be friends through it all. It’s what makes the show so good, the bands talk about real issues they face not just a bunch of silly self promotional TRL type questions. The final song that they play, ‘One Day Like This’ finally gets me, I can’t help but appreciate its beauty.

Next Up is a band called MGMT, hopefully you’ve heard of them. They look like they should be in high school and take us on a comical tour of their tour bus. This is stuff you just don’t get anywhere else, everything is candid and off the cuff. The kids get right into their set and it becomes obvious that I’m just an old fogey somehow because I just don’t feel it. But the music is interesting nonetheless. I would never expect a group of guys who look so young to have such a retro sound with a retro lead singer to boot. They would best be described as a type of funk light.

When they come back from break they tell the audience about how they wrote the next song Time To Pretend. The youth shows in the interview but they’re surprisingly humble and easygoing. I did notice that the first two bands don’t seem to have the same reverence for their surroundings as previous guests on the show have been. The next song kind of blows me away because it is nothing like their first song which is off of the same album Oracular Spectacular. It becomes obvious right away that these guys have some serious range.

Alanic Morissette finishes out the episode with some now classic songs off her 2002 and 1995 albums. The first song is ‘Hands Clean’, a sweet ballad. She spoke earlier about her first childhood song which is all new to me. Her voice is just as pure now as it was more than ten years ago. After her first song she talks about fame and what it has costs her. She explains that fame simply amplified what was already there, and how she was disillusioned by her own fame, very interesting stuff.

Her next two songs are off her landmark Jagged Little Pill album from 1995. It was like a walk down memory lane as I remembered being in high school myself when that album came out. The first song is ‘Perfect’ and sounds brand new in this acoustic form. I have to say I have been wondering what she has been up to this whole time and she doesn’t really go into it. What she does talk about is what each song means to her. ‘Hand in My Pocket’ is also performed acoustic and it sounds great.

This episode isn’t quite as good as previous ones but is still just as interesting outside of the musical sense. It’s great to hear about what these various artists are up to and how they have grown and been inspired as musicians. Be sure to check out Live From Abbey Road on the Sundance Channel tonight, you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t.