MOG - thill's Posts

New Orleans--Suggestions?

thill — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:51:46 GMT

Well, my daughter is finishing off her first year of college at Tulane and we are driving down to get her and bring her home for her lovely summering in mid-Michigan.

In August we dropped her off but only spent about a late afternoon and evening sight-seeing, getting to know New Orleans. We wanted to listen to real jazz but went to Bourbon Street and were just auditorily assaulted with cover bands blaring out from the bars. We finally did find Cafe Beignet and Steamboat Willie and enjoyed some more traditional jazz while drinking hurricanes and mango daquiris.

Unfortunately we will be arriving there this upcoming Tuesday---TWO days AFTER the world famous New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival!

This time we will have more time to explore the city. One of the attractions I want to be sure to hit this time is Preservation Hall.

Does anyone have suggestions for restaurants to eat at (preferably not ones with $12 bowls of red beans and rice), musical sites, and just interesting, fun things in general?

What is Funk and Where did It Come From?

thill — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:01:00 GMT

Here is the story of funk from Old Gregg from The Mighty Boosh:

Blue Song and Noel Fielding

thill — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:51:31 GMT

My friend has recently discovered The Mighty Boosh and all things Noel Fielding and pointed me out to this.....This song is going to be stuck in my head all weekend and that is all right. (an apology to all you brits who already know all about Noel Fielding....we yanks can be a little slow.)

My Favorite Mistake (ok....guilty pleasure)

thill — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:20:02 GMT

I have to admit that I have a problem. I am among friends and I feel i am in a safe place to come clean.....i can often like really, really, really cheesy songs. I like to think that many of my favorite guilty pleasures are songs from my youth and thus i was i was weak and not in full control of faculties. I like to think that therefore in the recent past, the present and the future I will not fall pray to such songs as readily as a did when i was but a wee thing. I think I am pretty safe because I am completely out of the loop in what is currently played on the radio or what 'the kids are listening to."

Aiming at full disclosure and illustrating just how far I have fell in the past I offer:

70's Variety Shows: Musical Gems

thill — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:27:00 GMT

I had a previous post about my love of finding older albums of classic singers doing covers of pop music. Of course most of these albums were not done out of a sense of musical exploration but rather it was aimed at widening the market of the artist--kids love song x well maybe they will buy a dean martin album if we have him sing song x.

This made me think of the beauty of variety shows. In some ways they were the 70's version of our reality shows--hire a famous person and toss them out on stage once a week and you have a ready made audience. There was awful comedy bits, atrocious costumes but there were also musical gems.

How about this from the Johnny Cash show:

Johnny Cash and Louis Armstrong!

brings tears to my eyes!

Friday's All Right.....For Getting Funky

thill — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:58:18 GMT

To add some funk to your friday....may you think of this song tonight while you are out doin' your thing. (My thing is sitting on the couch knitting and watching tv...i might even drink some beer if i am feeling crazy.)

WHO? thanks samthebutcher

thill — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:56:02 GMT

samthebutcher asked us to name our favorite WHO song which made me think of some of my favorite stuff that is actually Townshend solo stuff. I do think that, as Townshend claimed in the latest WHO documentary, with Daltry Townshend met the perfect voice for his songs but I like his solo stuff as well as any of the who stuff.

This is probably one of my favorite Townshend solo songs. Maybe it is not all the mind-blowing and maybe compared to some of the WHO stuff it seems minor but something about it makes me want to listen to it again and again.

Hey, I like this!

thill — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:36:35 GMT

I have been listening to the mixes my daughter made for me as i drive around taking care of boring, boring adult like stuff.

Here is a song that I hit the rewind button and listened to again:

you ever notice that with some songs they have you at hello?

A Little Ella For This Monday

thill — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:03:58 GMT

I always snatch up those albums from the 60's when they had legendary jazz or classics singers do covers of pop songs. Although they are often not the singer at a career high point they are always fun to listen to.

Sometimes the artist is clearly trying to get through having to sing what they consider crap or else trying to adapt the song to his style and in the process butcher it. (Dean Martin's Hey Good Lookin' for example) But it is always wonderful to see an artist just throw themselves wholly and completely into the song.

Here is Ella selling Sunshine of Your Love....enjoy.

Reciprocity

thill — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:33:51 GMT

I got some reciprocity in the mail late last week--my daughter sent me two mix cd's of music to keep me in the loop. She even labeled them "Ellyn is catching up to her mom in cool music knowledge."

They passed in the mail two cd's i sent her: Okkervil River and Madvillain.

On her cd's were:

2nd CD: 1. cherry tulips - headlights 2. romantic remix - flosstradamus 3. get lucky (outlines remix) - new young pony club 4. 320 - project jenny, project jan 5. darling - sons and daughters 6. rattlesnake charm (dream machine) - sean hayes 7. the sleepless - the shaky hands 8. of graves - alexa wilkinson 9. give and take - the broken family band 10. pieces of the people we love - the rapture 11. reuben - cathy davey 12. desperate - rogue wave 13. 2080 - yeasayer

1st CD: 1. young love - mystery jets feat. laura marling 2. rocky took a lover - bell x1 3. audience in the room - dirty on purpose 4. each year - ra ra riot 5. stalker - louis xiv 6. chase money - trouble andrew 7. kids aflame - arms 8. abilene - damien jurado 9. cocaine skin - kevin drew 10. fire in your belly - liam finn 11. thirst for romance - cherry ghost 12. where am i? - cindy davis 13. miniature birds - grand archives 14. you ain't goin' nowhere - glen hansard & marketa irglova

I had only heard of a couple of these bands so it is mostly all new to me.

On the other side of things my 12 year old son has been listening to a lot (A LOT) of Pearl Jam. I also contributed to this by getting him the Eddie Vedder soundtrack for Into the Wild for Valentine's Day. I was a bit concerned that his listening of Jeremy over and over might be a hint that something is going on but although he has been concerned about death and dying of late he has no plans to kill himself or others.

I have always been in the middle of the road about Pearl Jam. I could take them or leave them. I have now reached the point that I just wish I had a time machine that could somehow go back and stop eddie vedder from making music. I don't wish that he never existed because I don't feel hate in my heart for him say that i do for the Eagles but I am starting to feel that his music making is impacting my life negatively.

I try to be philosophical about this and think it is all equaling out in the big picture--one kid gifts me with some new music and one makes me listen to pearl jam.

And here is the song from the first mix cd from my daughter, The Mystery Jets and Young Love.

Concerts I have missed:

thill — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:17:03 GMT

1. Vampire Weekend 2/12/08 snowstorm, had tickets

2. Ryan Adams Oct. 2007 had tickets, just didn't feel like going

3. The Hold Steady May 2007 had tickets, but my daughter's last home lacrosse game/parents' night

4. Paul Westerberg February 2006 2 year old son in the hospital for dehydration had tickets (this still makes me sick to my stomach to think about because i think maybe at this concert westerberg would have recognized me as his soulmate and would have seen me and maybe talked to me and begged me to come back to Minneapolis and live with him as his muse. also, painful because westerberg notoriously doesn't tour that much at all.)

5. Sonic Youth/Stereolab summer 1999 or 2000 had tickets, also had a migraine. the thought of those two bands together with my migraine didn't seem like a good idea

And Then Again Maybe I Won't Be Seeing Vampire Weekend

thill — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:48:55 GMT

Missed them in Pontiac in December when I saw they would be back in Michigan I immediately got tickets.

They are going to be at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor tonight and I have three tickets.

We have a snow advisory until 10pm. It is been snowing steadily for the past several hours and the weather channel says the snow will lead to hazardous driving conditions. From the national weather service: MODERATE TO HEAVY SHOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING COMMUTE AND WILL MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF BY MIDNIGHT. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY 10 PM.

It is about 60 miles from Lansing to Ann Arbor.

My husband is working in Flint (which is also about 60 miles from Flint) and he should be home soon (he is already running about 30 minutes late so driving conditions might just suck) and we would drop off kids and hop in car and drive to Ann Arbor....but now?

I am just not destined to see Vampire Weekend.

Am i being a big wussy?

Yo La Tengo and Valentine's Day

thill — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:29:48 GMT

I happened upon this the other day and I cannot get this out of my head and find myself humming it constantly. my goal is to create a mog world of people humming this song....someone in London, someone in San Francisco, someone in Kansas, etc, etc. each humming this all day....( it would be even better if people find themselves doing the little dance.)

Seems like the perfect valentine's day song.

you think they could do an a capello singing valentine version this thursday--i haven't bought a gift yet.

Why Is Your Favorite Band Your Favorite Band?

thill — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:23:29 GMT

Wilco was my favorite band for a good solid 5 years or so. For some reason the love has left my heart and i currently do not have a favorite band. I am looking far and wide, under rocks, behind curtains, asking friends and strangers but i have yet to find a new favorite band or even one that seems like a likely contender.

How did your favorite band become your favorite band? was it love at first hear? was it a friendship that developed into love? How did you discover them?

Vampire Weekend at the Blind Pig

thill — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:45:31 GMT

I missed Vampire Weekend in Pontiac this December but i just found out that they will be in the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on February 12th and I immediately got three tickets!!!

I have not been to a concert since August!

I am so excited!

(are you going Peggah????)

MLK Day and Public Enemy

thill — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:59:11 GMT

Here in the United States it is Martin Luther King Day in which we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. the third Monday every January.

MLK day was signed into law in 1983 by Ronald Reagan and was first officially celebrated in 1986. Some states refused to officially recognize the holiday and it was not until 2000 that all 50 states officially celebrated the holiday.

Arizona was one of the states that held out until the year 2000. In 1992 a proposition didn't pass to celebrate the holiday and Arizona suffered some punishment--the NFL refused to hold Superbowl XXVII in Arizona.

The group Public Enemy also voiced their dissapproval of Arizona on their album, Apocalypse 91.....The Enemy Strikes Back. The video also caused a public outcry because it depicted the assasination of the governor of Arizona.

what was i thinking???

thill — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:57:37 GMT

i was 14 years old in 1984. if you were a 14 year old girl in 1984 there was a fairly strong chance you were a durannie. i was a dedicated durannie. I looked through and bought armfuls of teen magazines like Bop, Star Hits, 16, etc. and covered my walls with posters and pictures of them. I watched MTV devotedly to see a duran duran video. I would call up my friends and we could chat away for hours about duran duran and their songs and who are favorite was and why.

as we all know young girls use these pop stars and tv/movie stars as vessels of their love and devotion that most 12-15 year old boys are just not ready to receive. it is much less scarier to devote yourself to simon le bon then joey the kid who sits two rows over from you in math class. plus, simon le bon dresses better, uses hair product, has a british acccent, etc., etc.

simon le bon was never my favorite. me i dug roger taylor. roger taylor's favorite shoes were black jazz shoes; i went and bought some black jazz shoes. while watching videos i would wait for the camera to momentarily steal away from simon and for it to pass over roger taylor.

as i was driving home last night with my xm radio on the 80's station Wild Boys came on. I, of course, still know the lyrics, and sang along strongly and loudly but I found myself struck by just how bad this song sucked. Not kinda sucked but really, really, really sucked. Sucked hard.

"You got sirens for a welcome There's bloodstain for your pain And your telephone been ringing while You're dancing in the rain Wild boys wonder where is glory Where is all you angels Now the figureheads have fell And lovers war with arrows over Secrets they could tell"

Holy Shit that there my friend is some horrible, horrible lyric writing.

(how did i miss all the homoerotic images in this and basically all duran duran videos??)

Epilogue: In 9th grade I took down all my posters down in a duran duran cleansing. no, my parents did not enroll a deprogammer but instead i had my first big real life crush who was a talking heads, cars fan and ridiculed duran duran to no end. to show my devotion i gave up duran duran.

epilogue 2: said crush never liked me anyway.

My Husband's Theme Song

thill — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:55:34 GMT

My husband worked 104 hours last week and he worked 94 hours this week. He is on-call today (this means he went to work early this morning and comes home tomorrow afternoon.)

He was on-call last Friday and SUnday and today, Saturday. He has to take a big work test next Saturday. Next Sunday will be his first day off in 20 days. Worked three weekends in a row.

Feeling bitter and resentful.

When I think of my husband I always think of this song.....

Fats Waller and Wishing You A Jumpin' Weekend

thill — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:28:53 GMT

One of my favorite and most played albums of last year was an older album, Louis Armstrong's "Satch does Fats": The Music of Fats Waller.

It is fun to listen to and must have been fun to record for Armstrong.

Besides being a great piano player Waller also great some classic jazz songs--"Ain't Misbehavin'", "Honeysuckle Rose", and my favorite, "All That Meat and No Potatoes."

Waller died in 1943 due to 'lifestyle' and i missed on enjoying what I am sure would have been much appreciation for his songs and talent in the 50's and on.

What I am Listening to

thill — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:25:32 GMT

The songs in heavy rotation on my computer and in my car:

Dig Lazarus Dig: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

(you have to go to the NC and BS official website to hear it and see the video. damn nick can be one funky m-f-er when he puts his mind to it!) http://www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com/diglazarusdig/index.html

favorite line: "built from nothing but high hopes and thin air"

Silly Crimes: TTA

(Jens Lekman played this on his Guest DJ bit on All Songs Considered and i went and downloaded it immediately. It reminds of all the best new wave stuff from the 80's and also brings me back to the happy moments of being a teenager--crushes, etc. Makes me want to put on lipstick and robert smith my hair and drink vodka mixed with mountain dew and go back and sit in the dorms at Northern Michigan....Through the power of the internet I googled the guy that was the 6"4 punk w/ a mohawk and leather jacket at college whose room we would all drink at. He is a middle school science teacher in Wisconsin. weird.)

What's A Girl To Do: Bat For Lashes

(ok, maybe I am a day late and a dollar short but I finally heard this and I love it. Everyone seems to compare it to Bjork. I cannot for the life of me get into Bjork but I dig this. )

"Music" Books for Children

thill — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:08:25 GMT

My last entry was about David Byrne which reminded me of one of my favorite kids books, Stay Up Late. The book is the lyrics for the said song by the Talking Heads with illustrations by Maira Kalman. It is no longer in print but you can find used copies on Amazon.

another fun book for kids is WIG, by the B52's with illustrations by Laura Levin, which is also no longer in print but you can again hunt down some used copies.

Laura Levine also did a couple older kids music books Honky-Tonk Heroes and Hillbilly Angels: The Pioneers of Country and Western Music and Shake Rattle and Roll: The Founders of Rock n Roll. The books consist of wonderful painting of an artist and a little mini-biography of such artists as Hank, Elvis, The Carter Family, etc. I would say those books are great for kids 4+ and adults too.

Chris Raschka is a kid author has written and illustrated a couple kids' books about jazz. He has written Charlie Parker Played BeBop and John Coltrane's Giant Steps. The John Coltrane book is for baby - preschoolers but the Charlie Parker book is for 4-10 year olds.

David Byrne: The Knee Plays

thill — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:57:39 GMT

I finally started listening to the backlogged podcasts of All Songs Considered on my I-pod. (Kids are back in school and the holiday seasons are over!) The first one I put on was from October 18th and it starts off with a song from David Byrne. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15965475

Music For Knee Plays was a record that David Byrne released in 1985. He wrote it to accompany a theatre project by Robert Wilson, The CIVIL WarS. It was only released on album and cassette.

Here is part of the review from Pitchfork:

"Originally envisioning a Japanese drum ensemble, Byrne instead opted for music more in the vein of New Orleans' Dirty Dozen Brass Band-- a perfect fit for a play inspired by the Civil War and scored by Byrne, at this point seemingly fascinated by all art with strong cultural resonances. From the opening track, "Tree (Today Is an Important Occasion)" to the quintessentially Byrnian spoken-word closer "In the Future", the music is variously light, dramatic, authoritative, and empathetic. Byrne's ethnomusicological streak in full force, several sections of his score were adapted from traditional music: "In the Upper Room", "Social Studies (The Gift of Sound)", and "Things to Do (I've Tried)" are faithful gospel adaptations, and "Theadora Is Dozing" comes from the Bulgarian folk tradition." http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/46863-the-knee-plays

Byrne re-released the album this fall and it is finally available on cd.

I have only heard the one song, The Sound of Business, from The Knee Plays they played on All Songs Considered but i keep playing it over and over. The only way to get it right now is to order it from Amazon.com.

Go to NPR and see if you can stop listening to it.

I need it. I need it now.

Some More Calloway

thill — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:36:18 GMT

Ivylander recently posted about a gift he bought for his wife this christmas, a Cab Calloway cd from the 1940's.

Of course to most of us reading this I would bet that if you hear the name and don't know who it is you can be told that he was the guy who sang Minnie The Moocher in The Blues Brothers and you will know immediately.

I have Cab Calloway's Kicking the Gong Around--it has already been mentioned that Calloway was a fan of the funky weed and sang a song or two devoted to the subject. It has also already been pointed out that Calloway sang fun songs--not fun novelty like songs but songs that are a hoot to listen to. I have attached one here and I bet it gets stuck in your head for the rest of the day and maybe you will find the need to go out and get yourself some Calloway and that isn't a bad thing.

A Musically Bare Xmas....

thill — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:37:50 GMT

My boring adult xmas gifts: (not adult in that ADULT gifts sense either but in the boring, lame adult way.)

stockpot cheese grater LL Bean tote with my name embroided on it Cooking with Jamie (the new Naked Chef book) A brown plain cashmere sweater a gray cardigan

The only music I got:

Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall

(which i have not listened to yet because if i say i am going to put in on the whole family rebels.)

I got my daughter the new MIA and Rob Sheffield's Love is a Mixtape. I got my son the Clash Singles boxed set and a synth wah pedal and the White Stripes Elephant tab book.

I did get a gift certificate for a book store that also sells records but i have 50 songs left on my emusic account and I was waiting until i see some people's best of 2007 before I go and get some songs.

NO MORE XMAS SONGS!

What Makes A Good Christmas Song?

thill — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:54:22 GMT

For the past couple years I search through my music and other sources and put together some Christmas songs for my closest friends. I try to search out music they have not been subjected to every christmas of their conscious lives so I have to do a bit of digging around on emusic and asking other people what they have.

Unfortunately my four year old twins are having their first christmas in which they understand more about santa, gifts, frosty, rudolph, and all the other traditional christmas stuff. This means in the car they insist that the XM radio ALWAYS be on one of the XM christmas stations and they would seriously listen to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autrey over and over and over and over.

There are some traditional songs that just hit me and each christmas season my first couple of hearings of them bring tears to my eyes: The Christmas Song: Nat King Cole I'll Be Home For Christmas: Frank Sinatra

But in the bigger picture I want my Christmas song to be happy and near forced joyfulness. I don't want cute stories about made up christmas creatures. We Need A Little Christmas from the play Mame song by Angela Lansbury is my favorite. There is no near whine to have a merry little christmas. Ms. Murder She Wrote is demanding you have a merry f-ing christmas and she is willing to shove it down your throats.

I have attached another song that has not one smidgeon of melancholic well wishes...Hey America from James Brown's Funky Christmas. I would much rather have a funky christmas than a holly jolly one.

(the last time I was in the mall I heard 3 (3!) different versions of Wham's Last Christmas?!)

A good haul at the thrift store

thill — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:44:13 GMT

the end of the year "best albums" lists are starting to appear and they make me feel like a horrible music fan because i have heard so very, very few of them.

to rectify this situation I plan on downoading a bejesus amount from emusic but never fear for me because i do keep my musical coffers full with stuff I pick up from thrift stores and the library.

Today's thrift store haul:

June Christy: Something Cool My Fellow Americans Soundtrack (it has some louis jordan and ella fitzgerald on it) Rodney Crowell: 6 Greatest Hits Guns N Roses: Appetite for Destruction Raising Helen Soundtrack Eminem: Curtain Call: The Hits

EVERYONE for $1.50! ok, some you might not take for free but i am willing to give some of this stuff a listen.

Recent Library Finds: John Prine and John Wiseman: Standard Songs for Average People The Future is Unwritten Soundtrack (Joe Strummer documentary) ben lee: Ripe Loudon Wainwright: Strange Weirdos

Hey You Kids, Get Out of My Yard (a musical assignment)

thill — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:34:35 GMT

I was thinking of making a mix cd of songs about musicians/bands calling out the new generation of artists.

One of the classics under this heading would of course be Who Are You by the Who which Pete Townshend wrote for the punk bands in the late 70's.

The only other song I was able to come up with on my own was World Class Fad by Paul Westerberg.

"If you want it that bad Be a world class fad Remember leave a trail of crumbs If you want it that bad You`re a world class fad Remember where you started from Don`t be sad You`re a world class fad."

So whadda you guys got?

Vampire Weekend (the new Feelies?)

thill — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:26:17 GMT

Emusic offers some free tracks and in my perusal of said tracks i found Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa. I liked it the first few listens and have found myself playing it somewhat obsessively. (can something be somewhat obsessive?)

It starts off with some guitar noodling and some hand drums. In my mind when listening to them i pictured long haired hippies and people dressed in hippie garb. I finally looked up more info and low and behold they look like prep school boys.

It then hit me...they are the new Feelies.

the guitar sound is very similar. maybe the Feelies smoking a lot of pot. maybe the Feelies smushed together with that Paul Simon South African record.

they are in Pontiac at the Crofoot on December 13th for $8!

An Open Letter to Wilco

thill — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:12:17 GMT

Dear Wilco,

I have been feeling that something hasn't been quite right for awhile and I am sure you felt it too. I feel that our relationship isn't what it used to be and I cannot pretend anymore.

I remember our first meeting and how in just a short time I knew that you were meant for me. Yours would be the songs I sang in me sleep. I talked about you to all my friends.

As your relationship deepened and we got to know each other better you had so many happy surprises for me. Each new revelation increased my love and admiration for you.

You've changed and I've changed. Of course, both of us have changed throughout this relationship and we have managed those bumpy roads and it made our love stronger but not this time.

I just looked at your one day and realized I couldn't go on with the lies anymore. I told my friends everything was ok even when they would point out that perhaps things weren't ok. Are you sure you want to stay with this guy after this? I said yes even though on the inside i was feeling less decisive.

Sure, i will remember the good times. I will smile and I will still dance and sing. And I am sure that my new love will remind me of you and I will be thankful for the time we shared.

You will be coming into Michigan again shortly and for the first time in nearly 7 years I am not going to see you. I will miss you and I hope you will miss me a little bit. I wish you well.

teresa

Duck Ellington, Ella Elephant and Miles Crocodile: How Should We Introduce Kids to Music?

thill — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 16:06:39 GMT

Mr. Staunton had a wonderful little piece a bit ago of imagining jazz giants as zoo animals....i was in my local library and saw these books for small children:

Sadly it seems Mr.Staunton's work was not acknowledged by the Baby Loves Jazz company and the cutiness level is a little over the top for me.

This made me think about how we introduce music to kids.

Do we have to dumb everything down for kids? Why do kids need a record of kids singing Beatles songs? Why shouldn't they just listen to some Beatles? You don't need to push Helter Skelter on them just let them listen to Drive My Car, All You Need is Love, and other songs they can appreciate.

Those Kidz Bop cd's are a travesty.

http://www.babylovesjazz.info/

Rumours of My Death Are Greatly Exagerrated

thill — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:07:21 GMT

Summer vacation with all the kids home leaves very few spare minutes to myself so I haven't mogged since July? can it be nearly 3 months since my last post?

Don't worry it is not like you all missed any great thoughts or feelings concerning music in the last several months...i think i was on a musical hiatus as well.

My hats go off to satisfiedmind who through multiply has kept me up on what is going on musically--especially his best of 2007---Why haven't I been listening to the Kings of Leon?

I have tickets to see Ryan Adams in Kalamazoo on Monday. For some reason I am lacking any real excitement to go. I think this is mainly because i lost my concert buddy, my daughter Ellyn, who is at college. Going by myself is kinda sad even though i have SECOND ROW seats sucka!

anybody else out there going to see him on Monday?

Ike Reilly

thill — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:59:01 GMT

In my previous post I described how wonderful The Nightwatchman show was for my son. Me, I like Morello and his politics, but neither Rage or his protest songs really ring my bell.

The show was great for me because I discovered a new musical obsession--Ike Reilly.

Ike Reilly usually performs as part of a band, Ike Reilly Assassination, but opening for Morello he was solo and acoustic. He came out looking like Woody Guthrie mixed with Jonathan Richman and his songs were like as if their songs were put in a mixer and smashed together along with lyrics about sex and cocaine and drugs.

Each song found me liking him more and more and stayed with me long after the show. I came home and downloaded a free song off his Myspace and purchased an album off of I-Tunes.

Also on his myspace page I found out that he will be playing the Woodtick Festival in Hermansville, MI on August 3rd and that coincides with my visit up to the UP. It is as if the fates are telling me I am meant to go to the Woodtick Festival and see him and his band. (How can one not go to something called the Woodtick Festival anyway?)

Sorry for the quality of the video but the song is wonderful

Ike Reilly

thill — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:48:29 GMT

In my previous post I described how wonderful The Nightwatchman show was for my son. Me, I like Morello and his politics, but neither Rage or his protest songs really ring my bell.

The show was great for me because I discovered a new musical obsession--Ike Reilly.

Each song found me liking him more and more and stayed with me long after the show. I came home and downloaded a free song off his Myspace and purchased an album off of I-Tunes.

Sorry for the quality of the video but the song is wonderful

Harry's First Rock Show

thill — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 14:29:17 GMT

Harry started his own musical journey within the last year which means he has moved beyond just listening to what I get him. He was listening to the tried and true Clash and the ever classic Johnny Cash. When Ellyn got back from seeing the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the Fall Harry started listening to them a lot. He also got into Rage Against the Machine.

We bought him a guitar several months ago and he searches for guitar tabs for songs he likes on the web and actually practices at least an hour or two a day.

One disappointing thing for Harry has been to discover that many of the bands he likes have broken up and shall probably never get back together again due to death (Joe Strummer) or 'musical differences'. When Harry found out that RATM were reuniting at Coachella he was devising ways to get out there.....was not to be.

The guitarist of RATM, Tom Morello, started a solo project called The Nightwatchman which is the outlet for his acoustic protest songs in the vein of joe hill, woody guthrie, etc. Morello is Harry's favorite guitarist and he watches his guitar lessons videos on Youtube almost daily. I checked out his official website and low and behold he was doing a tour. I got three tickets and Harry was drunk with excitement.

The kids and I drove to Detroit for the show on Tuesday. The show was in the basement of St. Andy's called The Shelter. I asked Harry what he was going to wear to the show and he was going to wear his RATM shirt and I told him concert etiquette states: no t-shirts of the band. Instead Harry wore his Clash t-shirt--the Clash also happen to be Morello's favorite band and he did the induction speech when they were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

When we finally got in the venue we were surprised how small it was. We told Harry that if you want to be in the front you have to go up and stand as close to the stage as you can and just wait. We got in at 7:30 and the opening act, Ike Reilly, came on at about 8:30. (I issued a brief missive about Reilly's greatness yesterday and my feelings have not been reduced by time. He was a wonderful musical discovery.) Mr. Reilly was a source of discomfort for Harry because before every song he sang he said, "Here's a little song about sex and cocaine." Everytime he said this Harry would look back at me with the small grimace of a boy of 12 who is still disarmed by any mention of sex (especially in front of his mother).

After Reilly as we waited for Morello to come on the guys right up against 'the stage' let Harry go in front of them. When Morello came on Harry was at most 3 feet from him. Morello came on at about 9:30 and played easily til about 11. He played his songs, told stories, passed around a bottle of Jameson Whiskey (which before he did he pointed at Harry and said, "None for you young man. Stay away from this stuff."), played an acoustic version of Guerilla Radio, and kept remarking how great the audience was. About 3/4's of the way through the show he said, "There is a young man up here with a very cool Clash shirt on." He then asked Harry his age and name and then gave him his guitar pick. He then said, "I saw KISS when i was 12 years old and Paul Stanley didn't give me shit." He told Harry, "If you are 12 and already listening to the Clash and The Nightwatchman you are already ahead of the curve." What curve I don't know but i will take Morello's word for it.

After the show Morello said that he would sign anything people bought--t-shirts, posters, etc. We got two t-shirts and got in line. Some guy that worked at St. Andy's came up and gave Harry one of the promo posters for the show. As we are standing in line the guy he set up Morello's guitar and such came up to us and somebody asked if he was the engineer here (st. andy's) and he said no, he is the tour manager for Rage. He asked Harry if he was the guy who got the pick and Harry said yes. He turned to me and said, "My mom used to take me to gigs." He then went off on a brief tangent about how maybe that wasn't such a good thing.....In the end he told Harry to do good in school.

When we got up to Morello he said, "harry!" He signed Harry's t-shirt and poster and my t-shirt and I said "I'm Harry's mom" and he said his mom used to bring him to shows. He gave me 'mad props' but unfortunately did not ask if i would be interested in carrying, birthing, and raising his love children.

In the end Harry had a great first show and met his hero who was everything you hope your hero would be. Me, it is now super clear i am officially 'the cool mom' and much out of the range of groupie. When rock stars see me I remind them of their mother! The Horror.....the horror.

Lip Gloss

thill — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:58:08 GMT

Lip Gloss is the song I have had stuck in my head since hearing it a couple weeks ago....i am embarrassed to say.

Communicating the inability to stop hearing this song in my head to friend Erik, my own personal Joseph Campbell wrote:

"In myth as a hero(ine) sets forth on her travels she is usually given an item from a mentor to aid in her quest.

The 'classic' item is the enchanted sword, the light sabre, or weapon of unsurpassed quality from a near forgotten time.

Sometimes it's a familiar such as a doll that rests in her pocket or it can be a talking horse that can navigate all varieties of terrain.

Or the item can be a balm or salve that halts poison, cures a mortal wound, or allows access to an otherwise inaccessible place.

Ah, I'm so happy to see that mythology continues to evolve where lip gloss is the new panacea. "

Watch the video and see the heroine Lil Mama aided in her quest to be popular by her lip gloss.

It Just Doesn't Matter

thill — Fri, 25 May 2007 19:55:29 GMT

ok, this has nothing to do with music.

For many people that grew up in the 80's when we think of Bill Murray we don't think of Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers, or Rushmore instead we think of the holy trilogy of Meatballs, Caddyshack and Stripes.

I have been trying to get Meatballs on DVD for awhile to no avail. I finally searched for my favorite scene on youtube and found it. It has lost none of its magic. Enjoy.

Mutual Appreciation/Bishop Allen

thill — Fri, 25 May 2007 13:14:01 GMT

Andrew Bujalski is a indie director that makes charming black and white films with friends and fellow filmmakers in the key roles.

His first movie was Funny Ha Ha. Living in Lansing, MI and not really being up on my indie/cool/New York film directors I picked up this film coz it looked interesting and no awareness of who Bujalski was. His films have been compared to early Linklater (Slacker), early Jarmusch, and Cassavetes.

It was a little hard to get used to at first--black and white, low key, naturalized acting (some people might read this or understand this to me bad acting), no huge plot to follow. His usual scenes are either a couple or a small group just sitting around talking. The plot follows the sort of aimless wanderings and life of Marnie. One critic described Kate Dollenmayer( who plays Marnie)'s presence as such: " her drab, ill-postured screen presence suggesting a post sex-change Wiley Wiggins. " One of the main 'plots' is that a co-worker, played by Bujalski, is in love with Marnie but she is not interested in him as more than a friend.

I liked the movie and Bujalski's filmmaking style and when I heard about Mutual Appreciation, his new film, I put in on my netflix queue.

As with any movie I watch it takes me about 3 or 4 different viewings to get through the whole thing. (I can only really watch my movies after all children have gone to bed and I can have the tv all to myself.) You know how the main menu of dvd can have music? Well, Mutual appreciation's main menu played a song from the movie and as soon as I heard the song I was in love.

The main character is named Alan and has moved to New York to pursue his music career. He has previously lived in Boston and was in a semi-popular indie band that broke up. In New York he hangs out with his college buddy Lawrence (played by Bujalski) and his girlfriend Ellie and searches for a new drummer and plays a show.

Alan is played by Justin Rice who is a member of the band, Bishop Allen(one of the other members of the band was in Funny Ha Ha as one of the main characters). Get it Alan really in Bishop Allen? And in the scene where he plays a show with his new drummer he plays some Bishop Allen songs and some of his own.

I definitely think if you like movies and you are looking for something new you should rent either or both of Bujalski's films BUT you also need to listen to some Bishop Allen.

Watching the film put me on a search for some Bishop Allen. The songs used in the movie are Coupla Easy Things and Things Are What You Make of Them and they are both wonderful. Both are off their album Charm School.

Here is a video to give a taste of Bishop Allen.

I am in musical love. I needed a new musical love.

Help A Musical Needy Teenager...

thill — Thu, 24 May 2007 14:58:48 GMT

I have given SatisfiedMind the duty of making a mix cd for my daughter's graduation and he has graciously accepted. Given that it is for graduation we would like to have theme relevant songs-- caveat no GOOD RIDDANCE!

If anybody can think of a relevant, GOOD song (see previous post about horrible class/prom songs from earlier this week) I would be more than happy to hear them.

My daughter and I are talking about burning copies and handing them out to friends at her party.

You can think of it as a way to expose a favorite artist or song to an unsuspecting youth.

Name this Bad 80's song

thill — Tue, 22 May 2007 17:54:43 GMT

I am sitting here listening to bad 80's music while I am doing chores around the house and even though I have listened to some of these songs countless times it is strange to actually listen to the lyrics.

Name this song:

But sally has a hard time holding back The alley to her heart is a beaten track She's got the love monkey riding on her back

"She's got the love monkey riding on her back"--nice.

They are Playing Our Song

thill — Mon, 21 May 2007 19:26:35 GMT

I already have my age posted so I don't think I am revealing all that much if I admit that I graduated from high school in 1988. I don't know if it is a tradition in other countries but in a lot of american schools the class has a 'class song'. The song that is supposed to represent the class and their feelings about and experiences during high school.

My class song

Never Say Goodbye by Bon Jovi.

Many of you have probably not heard it (don't feel the need to run out and listen to it on my account. I don't want to feel that weight on my shoulders.) But here are some lyrics to let you get a feel for it:

Never say goodbye, never say goodbye You and me and my old friends Hoping it would never end Never say goodbye, never say goodbye Holdin' on - we got to try Holdin' on to never say goodbye

Remember days of skipping school Racing cars and being cool With a six pack and the radio We didn't need no place to go

Remember at the prom that night You and me we had a fight But the band they played our favorite song And I held you in my arms so strong

We danced so close We danced so slow And I swore I'd never let you go Together - forever

I think the song speaks for itself. This is the best we could come up with?

Green Day had to come up with probably the song played the most at this time of the year, Good Riddance. Which if I had ultimate power I would go back in time and think about talking Billie Joe out of writing that goddamn song for the love of all humanity.

What was your class song? Did you hate it? Love it?

What would you choose as your song that makes you think of high school and that time of your life coming to an end?

The Hold Steady V. Lacrosse

thill — Thu, 17 May 2007 15:00:57 GMT

UPDATE

I ended up going to the game. They played Rockford and the game ended with a tie: 8 to 8. After the game the senior girls and the coaches and parents gathered. Each girl was called up and the parents went up and hugged their daughter and was given a blue and a white carnation (the east lansing trojan colors).

As we hugged I said, I am missing my concert for this--jokingly and everybody said what? And we told them. Then one mother had to come up to me after and say "Oh I saw The Hold Steady at the Magic Stick last fall. They were really great live." Thanks lady.

Thanks for all your advice or maybe my daughter should thank you. Me, I will close my eyes and pretend I am really there.

What Is A Woman To Do?

thill — Wed, 16 May 2007 14:18:38 GMT

So tonight is the night of the Hold Steady concert in Grand Rapids which I have tickets to.

Tonight is also the last home game for my daughter's lacrosse team and it is senior parents' night. This means at the end of the game each senior girl's parents are called up and they give them a flower. She has played lacrosse for four years. (Jennifer Granholm's daughter is on her team and I keep having this fear that she will be there and I won't and people will be like oh the governor is not too busy to be at her daughter's game but the stay at home bad mother has to go to a rock concert. picture my daughter standing there holding a flower and no parents coming up....)

Game start time: 7pm.

My husband changed call so he is on-call tomorrow but he typically gets home at about 6:30-7pm. So I would have to drop off twins at my in-laws.

Concert start time: 7:30pm in Grand Rapids. I live in Lansing 1 hour away.

I obviously cannot go with my daughter or husband. If I did go I would have to go with my 11 year old son. He might like a rock show but it would put a much different vibe to the whole show.

Do I go to the show at all? Do I go alone? Am i going to earn a bad mother credit point by going?

What is a woman to do?

so, anyways, I went to see Elvis Costello

thill — Tue, 15 May 2007 21:05:17 GMT

Last Friday I drove into Detroit to see Elvis Costello. I arrived at the State Theatre a little late and it was 15 minutes into his set.

The band he has put together, The Imposters (a dig at his problems with The Attractions?) was very tight and they moved from song to song with no chit chat in between and no "this is a little song called...."

I must admit to not being overly familiar with Costello's whole discography and would call myself a fan but not a Costello aficionado so there were several songs I didn't recognize. Costello, knowing, his fan base was not afraid or reluctant to dip into his classics: Radio Radio, Hi Fidelity, (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, Pump It Up.

For one of his encores he came out without the band and performed Allison acoustically. Everyone sang along and it felt like a nice way to share the song with his fans.

One of the best songs of the night was Watching The Detectives. The band went in a different direction with it and turned it into a 10 minute exploration of the song and deepened the darker aspects of the song that often get lost in the bouncy-reggae sort of feel of it.

He ended with Peace, Love, and Understanding which for me was a dissappointment because I could seriously handle never, ever hearing that song again--even live performed by Elvis Costello. At the end he spoke for the only time he spoke during the whole show besides introducing the band and said, "Bring the Boys Back Home." Short and sweet political message. Nice.

(I did notice his wife, Diana Krall, was playing the nicer venue a couple doors down from the venue he played in July. The tickets were also more expensive. I guess someone's gotta pay the bills.)

Reviews of Sky Blue Sky

thill — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:25:57 GMT

I think Puffmagic already reported on the rather piss poor review that Pitchfork gave the new Wilco album but if you want to see an overview of what other places are saying you can check out Metacritic.

I think the inclusion of Nels Cline has been a wonderous addition for Wilco live and I love what his presence adds on the album. I think Tweedy has finally got the band he has been trying to put together for years with Koche, Cline, and Stirratt.

Although I don't really pay that much heed to reviews I felt kicked in the gut when Entertainment Weekly called it the best Eagles album the Eagles never made. I have not a small dislike of the Eagles.

I was watching The Last Waltz a bit ago and I seemed to find more of a connection between Wilco and The Band.

Go out and buy Sky Blue Sky today.

How To Behave At A Concert, part I

thill — Sat, 12 May 2007 13:37:30 GMT

I don't believe in God. I don't believe in any higher power.

Music, for me, is the nearest I get to a 'spiritual' experience. In the words of Jeff Tweedy, music is my savior.

I don't go to many shows. If I do go it is for someone I really want to see. Due to money limitations and issues of distance and children I don't get to go to concerts on a whim or because i have nothing better to do. I see shows as sacred--from the dictionary something sacred is something deserving veneration.

For the above reason I have very specific views of how one should behave at a concert.

1. Don't Fucking Talk throughout the show. Ok, an occasional 'this is fucking great' or 'holy shit I cannot believe he/she/they are playing this song" is acceptable. Sitting back at the bar and just talking NOT acceptable.

2. I drink. I have nothing against people drinking. I do not drink at shows. I didn't come there to drink. There is nothing i hate more than having a person push past you to go and get a drink and come back 5 or 10 minutes later push through with his/her drink and do it again 20 minutes later!

Basically, ask yourself. Would you do these things at church? Would you sit there making out and drinking beer at church? Would you sit there talking out loud about your day, your job, your shitty, boring life?

Me + Tom Morello

thill — Fri, 11 May 2007 00:42:13 GMT

I just got an email update from the Nightwatchman and there were new concert dates.

The Nightwatchman will be playing in Michigan! July 10th at the Shelter--tickets go on sale tomorrow. It is an all ages show so I will be bringing my son with me. (This might impede the offer of my womb for future Morellos but maybe I can just push my son up as proof that i got the goods. )

There is also a podcast of the Nightwatchman answering questions on I-tunes. There are two separate episodes each about 5 to 10 minutes and he answers questions sent in by fans. (FYI--Morello has no tattoos and no piercings. He is a nice midwestern Harvard boy though so i guess no surprises.)

More Wilco News

thill — Fri, 11 May 2007 00:30:58 GMT

fresh from the wilco grapevine--Wilco will be on the Letterman show on May 15th.

Saturday: Prairie Home Companion Tuesday: David Letterman

Get your Wilco fix on.

oh, and don't forget Sky Blue Sky is "officially" released on May 15th. Boy, i can't wait to hear what is on it.

What I Have To Listen to When I Drive Around

thill — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:51:31 GMT

My i-pod doesn't keep a charge so i have put it in the car connected to a power source and an fm transmitter and it is the official soundtrack source for my driving around.

99% of the time i am driving around I have my three year old twins as traveling companions. There are three songs that they insist on hearing over and over again:

1. Look What They've Done To My Song Ma: Melanie

2. Joy: Lucinda Williams

3. Irreplaceable: Beyonce

I listen to the Melanie song easily about 10X/day. There is something a bit eery about hearing your three year olds sing, "Look what they've done to brain ma/ look what they've done to my brain/ they've picked it like a chicken bone/ and I think i'm have insane ma."

Everytime we listen to joy i end up having to answer questions like: what is joy? who took her joy? did her friend take her joy?

I have taught them a cute little hand move for Irreplaceable. When Beyonce says 'to the left, to the left" i have them move their arms to the left. My daughter has them perform this for her high school friends. it gets the big ahhhhhhhs. (although this might not be the most manly thing. ) They don't call the song Irreplaceable either--they call it "You Must Not Know Bout Me."

If I try to put on another song they lose it. One of the twins will announce shortly into any other song--this is crappy.

Wilco on Prairie Home Companion

thill — Thu, 10 May 2007 13:21:15 GMT

For those of you who might be interested Wilco will be on this Saturday's Prairie Home Companion.

This article also lists some tour dates for WILCO this summer. No Michigan dates so far.

Sky Blue Sky officially comes out on the 15th. As the article states if you don't have it already you can listen to a stream of it in a couple different places.

I am holding on to the hope that WILCO will be in Michigan at some point this summer so i can hear these songs live.

I Take Matters Into My Own Hands

thill — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:01:29 GMT

This upcoming Saturday is my 7th wedding anniversary and this Sunday is Mother's Day. I will freely admit to being somewhat difficult to buy for.

I have taken to providing a detailed list most of the time but sometimes i forget and disaster strikes. Last year my husband got me a tin of tea for Valentine's Day. A TIN OF TEA. I drink tea about once a week. It was a nice tin of tea--one of those nice ones you buy in Starbucks. For Easter he got my Kissology--a DVD with 7 hours of KISS concerts, behind the scenes and interviews. I still don't know what possessed him as he passed by the dvd's and Kissology caught his eye and he said to himself, "Teresa would want this!" (One of our shared jokes is how many heavy metal bands i have seen because they were the only bands that came up to Marquette, Michigan from 1984-1987 and thus the only bands I could really see. For the record I have seen Ratt, Poison, WASP and KISS.) I berated him so badly about the teat that he went out and bought me a ring. Maybe for most women this would be nice. I don't wear jewerly. I wear a small wedding band--no earrings, no necklaces, no watches.

I was looking at the Multiply Message Board and I saw that someone was going to see Elvis Costello. Costello is touring? I checked it out and found out he will be at the State Theatre in Detroit on May 11th! I wasted no time and purchased 2 tickets. I then told my husband--"I just bought my anniversary/mother's day gift."

I am going to see Elvis Costello! I am going to see Elvis Costello!

John Sinclair and old-time revolutionary politics (or I get all pedantic on your sorry asses)

thill — Sat, 05 May 2007 23:48:47 GMT

I happened to be flipping through one of those community newspapers and there was an article about John Sinclair because he will be speaking and signing copies of his book at one of the local bookstores here in Lansing on Sunday.

Who is John Sinclair?

1. He was the manager for the Detroit rock band MC5. He was fired in 1969. As they kicked out Sinclair they also distanced themselves from the politics of the White Panther Party. (see #2)

2. He was one of the founders and leaders of the White Panther Party. This group was started as a corollary to the Black Panther Party. Huey Newton was asked what white people could do to support the Black Panthers and he answered they could start a White Panther Party. As the BPP had a 10 point program so did the WPP:

1. Full endorsement and support of Black Panther Party's 10-Point Program 2. Total assault on the culture by any means necessary, including rock n' roll, dope and fucking in the streets. 3. Free exchange of energy and materials - we demand the end of money! 4. Free food, clothes, housing, dope, music, bodies, medical care - everything free for everybody! 5. Free access to information media - free the technology from the greed creeps! 6. Free time and space for all humans - dissolve all unnatural boundaries. 7. Free all schools and all structures from corporate rule - turn the buildings over to the people at once! 8. Free all prisoners everywhere - they are our brothers. 9. Free all soldiers at once - no more conscripted armies. 10. Free the people from their "leaders" -

3. His arrest for giving joints to an undercover narcotics agent lead to a "Free John Sinclair" rally in Ann Arbor on December 10, 1971. John Lennon and Yoko Ono were the headlining acts for this rally and John Lennon wrote the song "John Sinclair" for the event.

If you have seen the movie THE US vs. JOHN LENNON it goes much more into John Lennon's connection to Bobby Seale and John Sinclair and their radical political platform. The movie also makes the point that it is these actions that caused the US government to take up the cause of trying to deport John Lennon and tapping his phones and keeping FBI Files on his actions and associates.

4. He now plays with the band, The Blues Scholars. SInclair usually recites his poetry over jazz and blues music. When asked when he gave up on a rock n roll revolution the Eagles seemed to be always mentioned. I guess it is not just the Dude who hates the fucking Eagles.

5. He wrote, GUITAR REVOLUTION: Rock and Revolution with the MC5 and the White Panther Party in 1972 . It is being reprinted for a 35th anniversary edition with a CD which includes: an Allen Ginsberg mantra chant for Sinclair, some unreleased MC5, some WPP rallies, etc.

(I convinced my son to go with me because he has Rage Against The Machines Renegades album and I merely mentioned who the MC5 were and now I have someone to go with me! I am going to get a copy of Guitar Army and have him sign it for Harry!)

Kick Out the Jams Motherfucker!

Nine Degrees of Separation or If You Listen to X you have to listen to Y

thill — Thu, 03 May 2007 17:38:51 GMT

I have never been one of those people that listens to albums all the way through. Usually I will get some kind of strong urge to hear a song and I will listen to that song. I have often found that listening to one song will create an urge to hear another song--a particular song. It doesn't have to be that same artist or even have the same feel but something about a certain song reminds me of another song. It might be because they both remind of a certain event, or certain person or maybe they both hit the same spot in my brain.

If you are a parent, teacher, older brother or sister, aunt or uncle you might know the books--If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. The book tells the story of what happens if you give a mouse a cookie....he will want a glass of milk...if he has a glass of milk he will want to see his milk mustache in the mirror...etc., etc. Does anyone have their own If I listen to....story?

[I was just listening to Ryan Adams Heartbreaker and no i have to listen to Rock N Roll by Ryan Adams...specifically I was listening to To Be Young made me want to hear Wish You Were Here. Only problem is i cannot find my copy of Rock N Roll. (I posted on multiply so i am hoping someone can hook me up and i think Blair is on it....thank god. all hail blair.) ]

The Hardline According to Sananada Maitreya

thill — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:49:03 GMT

In one of my earlier posts this week Rawkiddo replied and included a video by Terence Trent D'Arby. It was wonderful. This made me start to think of the tragic career of D'Arby.

Introducing The Hard Line According to Terence Trent Darby came out in 1987. The album was released to much critical acclaim and had people calling him the next Sam Cooke (listen to Sam Cooke and listen to some Terence Trent D'Arby I dare ya) and bringing about a rebirth of soul with some rock edge. The man could sing and the man could dance. The album was filled with strong songs--Wishing Well, If You Let Me Stay, Sign Your Name, and a Smokey Robinson cover Who's Loving You to further support the claim that he was soul music's rightful heir.

Even though I was a huge fan of that album it seemed to me that D'arby just faded into that good night. I remember hearing She Kissed Me and it was a good solid pop song.

The overall general view is that D'Arby sabotaged his own career with a larger-than-Sting ego and bad judgment music-wise for his weak follow-up albums. Critics and fans never embraced any of these later works although given the piss poor reviews of some of these records some are willing to concede that given a new listen these several years later perhaps these records weren't all that bad...

There was also, of course, the odd and disturbing short period where he replaced Michael Hutchence as the lead singer of INXS? WTF?

Perhaps in further illustration that he is instead the the less talented but nearly as crazy poor man's Prince he moved back to Europe in 2001 and changed his name to Sananada Maitreya which he claims came to him in a series of dreams. As Maitreya he has self-released a couple more albums and you can check out his website:

http://www.sanandamaitreya.com/ecommerce/catalogo_2.php

but for those of us who love terence who is something rawkiddo shared with me:

Guess My Mood...Wednesday

thill — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:40:30 GMT

Yesterday for some reason i also got an urge to listen to some Oasis. Everytime I listen to Oasis I feel guilt because I am actually a much bigger Blur fan.

Damn that Noel Gallagher can write a pop song. I can still listen to Wonderwall. (Has anyone seen the movie from the 60's with Jane Birkin mother of Charlotte Gainsboroug? weird.)

I actually never bought What's The Story Morning Glory until i picked it up at a garage sale last summer.

Guess My Mood.

thill — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 19:01:58 GMT

All I want to listen to is PJ Harvey's Rid of Me album.

The Hold Steady

thill — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:52:27 GMT

I got tickets to see The Hold Steady, I got tickets to see The Hold Steady.

They were only $10!

I am seeing them in Grand Rapids at the Intersection. I have never been there. Has anyone seen a show there? how is it?

they were also playing at the Magic Stick in Detroit but I thought I would head up north instead of south for a change.

Buying My Son a Guitar

thill — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 14:15:06 GMT

My son wants an electric guitar. I am thinking of buying one for him because in the last several months i have spent lots and lots on his sister because it is her senior year and every time you turn around there is a $100 here and $100 there.

I know NOTHING about electric guitars.

We went to the great instrument store about a mile from our house--Elderly instruments. The guy there was very helpful and recommended a cheap Squier starter guitar for about $150 and an amp for $70.

Does anyone have an advice? Can anyone provide any guidance?

Shelby Lynne

thill — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:31:16 GMT

With Amy Winehouse love going on on MOG it made me think of female singers of the past several years that are graced with the moniker of the next big thing and their albums are called the new "Dusty in Memphis".

Shelby Lynne started off as a country singer on Epic Records and did a duet with George Jones in 1988 as well as having several songs on the country charts. Lynne was disillusioned and unhappy with the way that Epic was pushing her career and split with them and signed to a couple different small labels in the 90's but it was her album I Am Shelby Lynne, released in 1999, that brought her the wider attention she deserved. Even though she had been making records since the late 80's she won the Best New Artist Grammy in 1999. (AKA the kiss of death)

After I Am Shelby Lynne she made a couple albums that lacked the soul of this album and were often called 'overproduced'. It seems Lynne took the criticism to heart because her last album Suit Yourself seems more personal and doesn't seem like it was the record company just trying to push a hit or two with a lot of filler. The song Johnny Met June is about the day Johnny Cash died and thinking of him reunited with June Carter Cash. (She also played Johnny Cash's mom in I Walk The Line.)

I wanted to put Leavin' as an mp3 but couldn't get the thing to hook up. I have included a video from I Am Shelby Lynne---Your Lies.

Larry "Bud" Melman of Letterman Show Fame Dies

thill — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:21:24 GMT

From the Associated Press: "The balding, bespectacled nebbish who gained cult status as the oddball Larry "Bud" Melman on David Letterman's late night television shows has died after a long illness. The Brooklyn-born Calvert DeForest, who was 85, died Monday at a hospital on Long Island, the Letterman show announced Wednesday."

I started watching Letterman in high school when it was on at 12:30 on NBC. I didn't tape it either and we didn't have tivo then kids. I loved his regulars Melman and Chris Elliot. He had edgier guests--iggy pop, harvey perkar, christopher glover, etc. One of the remaining elements of the former Letterman show is great musical guests. I remember watching Jesus and Mary Chain on his show and he walked over after the song to shake their hands and one of the Reed brothers continued to stare at the floor and not even shake his hand.

Bud Melman reminds me of that fine period and the fine show that was the Letterman show.

What If?

thill — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 23:03:51 GMT

From the news reports it appears that Britney Spears is out of rehab. I read something about Timbaland wanting to produce her stuff and get her career back on track.

I think she should have gone to the same rehab center as Robbie Williams. Britney Spears teen star gone bad, Robbie Williams former British boy band member that cannot break America and is dealing with his own demons. I think they should get married and start a Sonny and Cher style variety show....they got hook on to some great theme duet like "I Got You Babe."

people love truimph over tragedy. they love a love story. and of course we would get a great break up in a couple years while watching the tension mount on the tv show.

(maybe i have too much time on my hands...i must have better things to think about.)

I am in Love

thill — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 22:31:47 GMT

for about the last month i haven't really been feeling it music wise. i have been in a musical slump. i haven't really been listening to anything or feeling like listening to anything. but then something happened today to change all that...

i was in my car driving to the library and pass the crowds of drinkers celebrating st. patty's day like any honest american should and i had my xm radio on as always and i switched on channel 43: XMU, the xm radio version of college radio. XMU was playing music from SXSW music festival and i turned it on right when peter bjorn and john was on. I don't know if it is due to my kinda-less-than-peachy mood right now and i needed a band that embraces whistling or whether it had to do with the alignment of the planets or what but i loved them.

I immediately got home and downloaded Writer's Block because the song i liked that i heard was "Paris 2004". This afternoon i have been driving around listening to the album and I am obsessed. I have been playing "Young Folks" and "Amsterdam" over and over again.

and look at this cute little video:

things that are currently bumming me out

thill — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:15:02 GMT

1. i missed The Good, The Bad and The Queen on David Letterman last night.

2. I might not be able to go see Bloc Party/Albert Hammond Jr. in Royal Oak on the 24th. I finally looked at our calendar last weekend and noticed my husband is on call. He had it set up to change call with someone else but his boss might not let him. I will have to let my daughter go with a friend. I am sure she will be seriously hurt having to go with a friend to a rock show instead of her mother.

3. i think i am growing a penis. living in a house with 4 males is tainting to my exposure to culture and my activities. my 3 year old twins are currently obsessed with star wars. i got sick of watching kids' television and put in star wars for them last week. we then watched Empire Strikes Back. I went and pulled out what star wars toys we still had kicking around from my 11 year old. I put a black cape on one and a white karate coat on the other and they dress up as darth and luke. i have to answer questions like: why does darth wear black? what is the force? what is a jedi? etc, etc.

my 11 year old son tivo's south park and family guy episodes. When he comes home from school i easily watch a couple episodes of these each a day. i was driving him to school the other day and Hot for Teacher by Van Halen came on and i was reliving my youth and accidently introduced him to Van Halen. So now i hear RATM or Van Halen cranked. Last night we watched Tenacious D and the pick of destiny. I have also had to watch documentaries about thermoplyae because of 300 coming out.

Luckily i am not a girly girl anyway but i feel i am going to have to read a danielle steel novel and listen to some celine dion to get some estrogen into my life.

Do you need some Amy Winehouse?

thill — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:40:47 GMT

Amy Winehouse is on David Letterman tonight.

There is also a interview/article about her in the new PAPER magazine.

The Stooges

thill — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:48:22 GMT

There is a great 5 minute video about the Stooges at NY TImes website--In Studio With the Stooges: the founders of punk return. It provides a quick history of the Stooges and shows them in the studio making the first Stooges album in 33 years.

especially interesting is what they use to inspire them now that they don't indulge in drugs anymore...

http://video.on.nytimes.com/ifr_main.jsp?nsid=b7d910b32:111317da139:6a5e&fr_story=97434a61c0ae80d9883c0398f7860984c3437b5b&st=1173364814342&mp=FLV&cpf=false&fvn=9&fr=120306_120814_718aabc2x10f469a1e74x2e8a&rdm=389171.88643904956

There is a great article too that provides a lot of extra links.. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/arts/music/25ratliff.html?ex=1173502800&en=b89480973744c5ec&ei=5070

Worst RHCP lyric

thill — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 08:37:07 GMT

this is inspired (or completely ripped off take your pick) by sam the butcher's post in multiply which i have kindly cut and pasted for your reading enjoyment:

Especially In Michigan

_Good lord this song SUCKS. The Chili Peppers haven't exactly been high on my list lately, but what the hell were they thinking with this stinker? I used to wonder about "filler", but now I know for a fact that it exists. I know it was Rick Rubin produced and all, but somewhere there's gotta be someone with the balls to say "Hey, uh, Rick, Anthony, guys? This sucks. It shouldn't be on the album, it shouldn't be on ANY album. Not a b-side, either. Not a track you only occasionally play live. It sucks. My fucking 3rd grader could have written this, and done it better. If you guys are going to put out this sort of drivel, just...you know, go live off the residuals from "Give It Away" and shut the fuck up, okay? OKAY?!?_

_So this goes out to Flea, Anthony, John, the drummer guy and/or Rick: Time to call it a career._

Is anthony kiedis emotionally developed past 15....i think not:

case and point:

Someone full of fun Do me 'till I'm well done Little Bo Peep Cumin' from my stun gun (Suck My Kiss)

96 tears for ?

thill — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 12:47:25 GMT

? (he officially changed his name to ?) of ? and the Mysterians who had a hit with the song 96 Tears had a house fire on January 9th in Clio, Michigan.

If you go to his official website you can see a video of him surveying the wreckage of his home and find out information about how to donate money to help him out.

I Sing the Praises of Tom Morello

thill — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 16:44:49 GMT

Audioslave. Let me just say that no tears were shed when I heard they broke up. Tears of joy maybe. Maybe Chris Cornell is a wonderful human being and perhaps one day i will be astounded by something he does but I never really liked Soundgarden when he had long hair and was a 'grunge' guy and I didn't like him all cleaned up as the lead singer of the supergroup with 3 members of Rage Against the Machine. I don't like his big rock n roll histrionic voice...i find it a bit much. He is the epitome of all i dislike about rock. (Did I mention I just don't get Led Zeppelin?)

I was never a big Rage fan either. I liked all the politics and occasionally I would like a song here or there but i also found Zach de la Rocha's caterwauling a bit trying after a few songs.

That said, I loved Renegades the last album Rage Against the Machine released that was a collection of covers. I loved it....then the bastards decided to break up.

The whole Audioslave thing was a blashpemy and i thought i could never forgive Tom Morello....I would hear an awful Audioslave song and think about what could have been. Then they broke up...happy days.

Recently I have been made aware of Morello's Nightwatchman Tom didn't give up politics to be in some crappy supergroup with a chance of having a hit record! I love his whole man and guitar and 'this guitar kills fascist thing' with his 'commie' hat.

I have also recently discovered his radio show, Axis of Justice with Serj Tankian (of A System of a Down) which you can listen to as podcasts. He plays political songs and talks politics. The latest episode was an interview w/ Rickie Lee Jones and had her talking politics, music and playing some of her songs.

So, Do You Want to Hear All of Sky Blue Sky?

thill — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 16:17:29 GMT

I just got this from WILCO Headquarters:

So far I have been able to hear 3 of the 'leaked' tracks and I am more than a little excited to hear the whole thing tonight.

here is the website go here at 10 pm tonight (saturday) and listen to the stream of the album.

between this and the new Modest Mouse I already have what i think are going to be two of the best albums of the year.

I Love Tweedy

thill — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:29:32 GMT

I have found a new song to give me joy and happiness. if you listen to it you will also experience joy and happiness and love, love, love for jeff tweedy.

Anyone Needing a WILCO fix?

thill — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 08:36:30 GMT

The new album from Wilco will be out May 15th and it is titled, Sky Blue Sky.

If you go here you can listen to three cuts from the album.

If you enjoyed the route Wilco was taken with the inclusion of Nels Cline (how can you not??) I think you will enjoy these cuts.

I think Walken will be on constant rotation at my house and in my car and in my head.

I don't know if i can wait until May 15th. god help me.

Anyone Needing a WILCO fix?

thill — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 08:36:27 GMT

The new album from Wilco will be out May 15th and it is titled, Sky Blue Sky.

If you go here you can listen to three cuts from the album.

If you enjoyed the route Wilco was taken with the inclusion of Nels Cline (how can you not??) I think you will enjoy these cuts.

I think Walken will be on constant rotation at my house and in my car and in my head.

I don't know if i can wait until May 15th. god help me.

The Song That Got Away

thill — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:03:51 GMT

Mike the Knife's most recent post(Shock of the New.) asked what songs have recently been shocking us all senseless and/or what songs in the past have caused near blunt head trauma with the giant wallop they have released to the side of one's head with the glory of the first and subsequent listens.

I was a huge fan of the 90's Nickelodeon show, The Adventures of Pete and Pete, and one episode in the first season(Hard Day's Pete) had the younger Pete biking to school and happening upon a band practicing in a garage. He loves the song that they're playing, but then forgets how it goes. He forms his own band and tries to re-create the song.

Have you ever heard a song in a movie, on a tv show, at a party, flipping through the radio that lead you to unparalleled actions to find out who and what it was? Is there a song from your teenage years that somehow got lost in the shuffle and got forced down under layers of your subconscious and occasionally you will be reminded of the song and know you need to listen to it again before you die?

One of my first experiences was a song from the movie Pretty in Pink. Being a teenager in the 80's i of course was a john hughes fan. My favorite song and the song I kept humming after i saw the movie was the song that is played by the band in the bar that Ducky goes into with Molly Ringwald and Annie Potts or maybe it was just annie potts. I buy the soundtrack and of course it is not on it. This was long before the time when one could write a question on the internet and be pointed in the right direction. I eventually found out it was the Rave Ups "Positively Lost Me".

More recently there is a song I heard on the local college radio station. I can remember little bits of lyrics--"its 1979 we're playing patty cake and lallallll..." yep, that is all i got. HELP ME!

What are your songs that got away that you were maybe lucky enough to capture again or that still haunt you?

Paul Robeson

thill — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 10:59:38 GMT

If you love movies you probably know what the Criterion Collection is. If you haven’t heard of it the Criterion collection aims to gather the best of the best of classic and contemporary movies and treat them lovingly and tenderly technically and artistically. They attempt to release the movies they choose with the highest technical quality along with added features to enhance one’s understanding of the movie, the director, etc.

The newest release from Criterion is Paul Robeson: Portraits of the Artist. ,a 4 disc set with 7 feature films, a documentary, and a booklet of essays. Paul Robeson is one of those artists that all Americans should know. Even if you think you haven’t heard him of him if you have heard “Ol Man River” it was probably him you heard singing it. There is not enough room here for even an overview of Robeson's artistic and political life. He was an athlete, an actor, a singer, and an activist. His singing and acting career was damaged in the 40's and 50's because of his strong political convictions--he refused to deny he was a communist and the US took away his passport.

I was lucky enough during my last year in grad school and working on campus to see Paul Robeson’s movie debut Body and Soul. Not only did I get to see the movie but one of the professors in the music department at Michigan State was Wycliffe Gordon. Wycliffe Gordon was commissioned to write a score for the silent film and its performance was the opening of the 2000-2001 season of Jazz at Lincoln Center. In the fall of 2002 he gathered many jazz artists friends and they performed the score again on campus at the Wharton Center in East Lansing. After the showing off the movie along with performance of the score the band continued to play for awhile and were obviously having a good time. Among some of the players were: Rodney Whitaker, Eric Reed, Alvin Atkinson, Marcus Belgrave, Jeff Clayton, and MSU student musicians. This performance was so special and made it so clear to me that hearing music live is such a spiritual experience.

Body and Soul was Robeson's movie debut and it was directed by what many consider the first black film director Oscar Micheaux. Here is from his biography in IMDB: _Oscar Micheaux, the first African-American to produce a feature-length film (The Homesteader (1919) in 1920) and a sound feature-length film (The Exile (1931) in 1931), is not a major figure in American film just for these milestones, but because his oeuvre is a window onto the American psyche as regards race and its deleterious effects on individuals and society. He also is a pioneer of independent cinema. Though the end products of his labors often were technically crude due to budgetary constraints, Micheaux the filmmaker is a symbol of the artist triumphing over long odds to bring his vision to the public at large while serving in the socially important role of critical spirit._

is it just me?

thill — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:08:41 GMT

is it just me or does

andy summers

look like

(and i am not being mean....i find both sexy! )

is it just me?

thill — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:08:37 GMT

is it just me or does

andy summers

look like

(and i am not being mean....i find both sexy! )

Sticker Shock, II

thill — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 13:21:07 GMT

Earlier this week i wrote a post, Ticket Shock, about how much money i ended up spending on two tickets to see Bloc Party. The tickets were listed as $25 each but with service charges,etc. I ended up spending $68.

In today's NY times there is an article, How Much Does it Cost to Buy a $110 Theatre Ticket?.

I don't live in NY and I certaintly could not afford to buy a $110 theatre ticket--goddamn Matthew Broderick must be working some big ole magic for people to shell out that kinda cash.

I liked this quote, “I think all of these things cumulatively are insane,” said the veteran producer Emanuel Azenberg. “If there is going to be a restoration fee, there should also be a Renaissance fee, a Middle Ages fee and a Dark Ages fee. Someone must have men in the back room making up names, euphemisms for profit.”

I think it was John Ingram that commented in my post that he was in the wrong business that he should be getting $5 or $10 bucks to stick some tickets in the mail. You and me both brother. I personally think for $110 a ticket Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, or Hugh Jackman should offer some sort of other pleasure other than just the pleasure of watching them perform on stage.

In the article they try to get the president of the company that owns Telecharge to comment on the fees and such and refuses to comment but instead charges back--“We will not talk about this,” Mr. Smith said. “We do not ask you to comment on how much you charge for the newspaper.” Touche Mr. Smith, touche. Always go with the ad hominem when at all possible.

The spokesperson for Ticketmaster was less snippy and asserted that Ticketmaster was adding these extra charges for our own good--"(our) company’s fees went for research and development, and for maintenance of the technology required. Frequently, she said, the fees are also shared with building owners or promoters."

The rest of the article talks about how many defend these extra service charges to put money towards restoration of older buildings, actor's equity, etc. Ok, i started to feel a little guilty...do i not want to contribute to some retirement fund or the restoration of a historical building but then all guilt was gone when i read this, "While $1.25 or $1.50 a ticket may not seem like a lot, the money significantly sweetens the bottom line for theater owners. In 2006 Broadway landlords grossed around $10.5 million from the charge."

If i knew that Bloc Party was directly getting even a $1 of my service charge to buy food, gas, or alcohol i wouldn't feel bad at all. But knowing that some capitalist Hummer driving business man is pocketing extra cash makes me sick.

Pearl Jam tried to take on Ticketmaster in the 90's to no avail. They wanted to offer reasonable ticket prices and would set their tickets at a reasonable rate and then find out how many extra costs were being added on and tried to fight the man. Here is their testimony before congress.

Coldplay

thill — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 11:39:14 GMT

I saw this at the local Target and shivered in fear that it existed. I unearthed a collection of different Rockabye Baby cd's: Radiohead, Metallica, Pink Floyd, etc. Is this a good thing? a bad thing? i don't know. I don't think my youngest would like it but i am tempted to get one for myself and let radiohead lull me to sleep and see what dreams i have.

my son's picture of tom morello

thill — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:28:01 GMT

Here is harry's drawing of tom morrello.