music is music

get Zombified!

2012-01-31T00:30:00.000-05:00

like i said yesterday, i haven't been posting much in the past year. it's not that i don't have anything good to post. i went to some pretty good concerts last year. and so far 2012 is starting off as a another good year for quality shows. on New Year's Eve i went to see S.C.O.T.S. in downtown Roanoke at a place called Kirk Avenue Music Hall. S.C.O.T.S. stands for Southern Culture on the Skids ( site - wiki - myspace ), a band i have seen several times over the years. they are a lot of fun and a legendary live act around these parts. i can't believe i have never posted about them before.

here is a video from the show... get Zombified!

coming up: more pics and vids from 2011 concerts

it's about time...

2012-01-30T15:59:00.000-05:00

it's about time that i got back to blogging..... i haven't done anything with this blog in a long time. i kind of lost the inspiration and motivation to work on it. 2011 was an eventful year for me. a lot of stuff happened in my real world life. there were a couple of funerals, a few hospital stays, a few schedule changes, another computer crash and all the other stuff that goes along with getting by from one day to the next. and then there was the fantasy football season. ugh! plus, i just haven't felt a lot like posting anything lately. its not like i make money on this thing or get much feedback. and while i was gone, apparently Google and Blogger have been changing some things around. this blog will look very different from now on. i guess it was time for a reboot anyway. i'm not sure where all my old widgets and lists and stuff went. oh well, it looks like i'm gonna have to do some work to this site. its not that i don't have anything good to post. i went to some pretty good concerts last year. stay tuned for new stuff more often. BIG THANKS to my loyal readers out there, all three of you.

i know of a band who did a song called "it's about time" a few years ago. hmm, wonder what happened to them?...

The Rapture

2011-05-29T16:50:00.005-04:00

i didn't mean to take 2 months OFF from posting at this here blog. i have just had lots of stuff happening in the real world with family and work and sickness and death and taxes too. stuff like that. plus, i started another blog.

or... maybe a better excuse would be that i was getting ready for the glorious rapture to take me away on may 21st. and so there would be no need for further blogging. but that is crazy talk because bills are still due for those of us left on Earth. seriously tho, it is really too bad that the whole "end of the world" thing didn't happen, or got postponed, or whatever. i was looking forward to seeing less traffic on the road. if you wanna know more about the new revised end of the world schedule, click here.

actually, i was way ahead of everyone else because i believed in The Rapture ( site / blog / myspace / wiki ) years ago. the band, that is. and for a while i thought i may have been the only one. when i saw them described as "dance-punk", i knew had to hear them. the first thing i heard by them was Echoes. i immediately liked their original sound with the psyched-out guitar, great bass lines and the funky groove. then i bought their third album Pieces of the People We Love on CD when it came out. i loved it. it was a very upbeat, cheery, and fun record but not as edgy as the last one. then after that, the band seemed to just fade away. i once called them "the Best Band You Don't Love Yet". that may be true for some of you out there. so if you are overcome with the power of the spirit, just have a little faith and give one of these videos a play. it might not quite be a religious experience, but i dare you not to dance...

need a Saviour? how about someones sister? ....

count David Letterman as a believer.....

everyone just wants to be loved. saxophone helps...

sometimes when you can't find what you're looking for you just have to keep trying ....

how is "The Devil" involved in all of this?....

in 2007, The Rapture was worshiped at Coachella.....

here is a fan-made video by some girls who feel the spirit deep down in their souls...

those who believed in the magical return of Jesus and the end of world might be disappointed now that nothing happened on may 21. but for those of us who really believe in The Rapture there is reason to rejoice because the band has been resurrected. they made a big announcement a few days after the world didn't end. a new album is on the way! the album will be coming out in september and is called In The Grace Of Your Love. bless their souls for releasing the music before the end of the world in october. i hope i live long enuff to witness the rapture .....release a new album.

Happy Earth Day to all Earthlings!

2011-04-22T13:22:00.021-04:00

Happy Earth Day to all Earthlings!

what have you done for your Earth today?

go HERE to learn what you can do: www.earthday.org

video mix: real hall of famers

2011-03-27T15:27:00.000-04:00

this 11-video playlist of YouTube videos counts as my mim mix for March. but its not just about the music this time. i must rant first, then rock. read on....

the rock and roll hall of fame has again proved itself to be an exclusive club of musical snobs. after finally nominating KISS once, the voters inevitably snubbed KISS once again. snubbing snobs. then the 2011 ballot didn't even include them. the BIG LIE that is the rock hall is really about rock music because it clearly doesn't have a clue about honoring real rock bands.

these 11 bands have all been left out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. most of them have never even been nominated despite being eligible for several years. the first three bands on this list are no-brainers for any rock and roll fan with even half of their brain cells left. Deep Purple, Rush and KISS have basically been snubbed and insulted by the so-called Hall of Fame. these obvious omissions are why it should be known as the ROCK HALL OF SHAME!

it is MY ADVICE to anyone who sees the hall as a sham like i do that they should vow to NOT VISIT THE MUSEUM! don't go there. don't even go to CLEVELAND. no one should. all their sports teams SUCK anyway. i think LeBron James is a KISS fan. that's why he left. who would want to stay in a city that allows idiots to run a museum? those people wouldn't know rock and roll if it stepped on their tiny feet with 7-inch heels with demon teeth. the editors of Rolling Stone are also part of the elite snobs that help in the snubbing. DON'T BUY their lame magazine either. on the rare occasion that they do have anything interesting to read i usually find it for free on the internets. i won't give my money to RS or RRHoF or Cleveland.

in 2011, the shameful idiots finally put Alice Cooper in the club. i think it might have been on tv or something recently. it is about time! i think he was the only one inducted this year that deserves to be inducted at all. i mean, seriously! Neil Diamond and Tom Waits get in before YES or Cheap Trick? what is so "rock and roll" about that? it all just makes me want to puke (on the people responsible). i don't even know why i care anymore.

so here is a video mim mix featuring 11 acts (mostly from the 1970's) that have been erroneously excluded from the rock and roll hall of fame. any discussion of rock history is a sham without honoring these bands along with the others that have already been inducted. SHAME on you rock hall! this is what rock music is all about...

i do have to say that the rock hall has indeed honored some of my favorites in the past like the absolutely amazing (i can't wait to see in concert) Prince, The Clash, The Police, AC/DC and others. and since they are getting to the 1980's bands now, they should look back at the great rock acts from the 1970's and see who was missed. i personally think that the 1970's was when rock grew up. good bands became great. some became legends. KISS was a household name after only a few years on the scene. everyone in America knew of KISS as the most popular rock band in the 1970's. no discussion of rock music history can go any farther without mentioning the impact of KISS. there is no good explanation for leaving them out. i don't think that music snobs should be in charge of rock history. they are apparently trying to rewrite it. but you can't unring that bell. or unspit that blood. or unshoot that rocket. the makeup wearing warriors kicked ass and took names for the sake of rock and roll. so what if the critics didn't notice. the rest of us had great time. the rock and roll hall of shame can KISS my ASS. that is all i have to say about this travesty...

Esperanza is the cure!

2011-03-26T10:31:00.032-04:00

three weeks ago i got to see my first concert of 2011. i was really excited that nite because it was an opportunity to spend time with a sexy lady that really gets my blood flowing. i took my wife to see Esperanza Spalding. i was especially delighted because i really love her and have written before about how much (click here). i'm talking about Esperanza not my wife. oh wait, i love her too! it was also a "date nite" for us. and we don't have many of those. (read about last date nite here). i guess i can say that i was lucky to be able to spend the evening with two wonderful ladies that i love :-)

i am also very happy to remind everyone that

ESPERANZA SPALDING WON THE

BEST NEW ARTIST GRAMMY AWARD

before the Grammy's, i knew that she was up for the award but i wasn't rooting for her to win. no, i'm not a Beiber fan. you see, if she won, it might jinx her like it did some of the past winners in that very same Grammy category. the award has previously gone to the likes of Milli Vanilli and Christopher Cross. see what i mean? consequently, i was rooting for the Beibs to win. (so he would go away like so many of the other "winners")

but now, after the awards, i am going to say that Esperanza won because she deserves it. yes, that's right, the Grammy's got one right! for a change. Esperanza will not go away quickly. her talent transcends fads. and teeny boppers. and all crappy pop music. Spalding is the first jazz musician to ever win the Best New Artist Grammy. and that is a pretty big deal. and what's even better is that she beat down the evil menace that is Beiber Fever! Esperanza is the cure!

if you know of anyone out there who needs treatment for their Beiber affliction, don't hesitate to expose them to the new album by Esperanza Spalding called Chamber Music Society

CLICK HERE TO GET IT!

i bought the new album via digital download not long after it came out. it is NOT a smooth jazz record or a pop music record. it is not exactly classical orchestra music but it does have many of the same elements. obviously Esperanza's style is better appreciated by older folks with experienced ears. not like the Beiber army of youngin's. CMS is a refreshing blast of originality in the jazz world and a LOUD knock on the door for traditional chamber music. i like it because it is so original and beautiful. the core band joining Esperanza on these songs includes a trio of strings: violin, viola and cello; along with the only holdover from her last band, pianist Leo Genovese. it is definitely the closest thing to a classical album that i have ever paid money for. but it is jazz too. her voice is so soulful and her bass playing just plain amazes me. the songs are very emotional and intimate. basically, it is just all very good music that doesn't belong in any one category. which is exactly what i like! i think this album is a strong step forward for an artist who is almost too talented for a mainstream audience. it is her voice and beauty that gets people's attention. then it is her compositions that keep them coming back.

Esperanza said in an interview that she thought of these songs as music you would kick back and enjoy while relaxing in a comfortable chair with some good wine. i guess that explains why she did just that to open the show. Esperanza came out in front of the curtains wearing an overcoat. she then acted as if no one was there. the huge crowd in front of her was dead quiet except for a couple a of people giggling. no one knew exactly what she was doing. there she was, this petite young lady with the whole jazz world in her hands, and she was drinking wine by herself in a chair next to a lamp while the rest of us were waiting on a concert to begin.

in fact, it had begun. Esperanza successfully set the mood she wanted by recreating her album cover right there on stage. the strings gently began our journey into the first song as Esperanza slowly made her way to the middle of stage. from that opening moment on, the audience was all in. we were captivated by the beauty and power of this music. everyone was along for the ride.

in fact the whole show was kinda intimate despite a sold-out crowd. that is a credit to the venue. The Jefferson Center is indeed a superb place for a concert. Kudos again to that place! it is perfect for concerts and more. the Jeff even has the full support of Esperanza in their drive to get more members. view the video she made promoting the membership drive HERE

that intimate mood kind of influenced my picture-taking activity also. first of all, i left my good camera in the car (like a dumbass). so i had my small one, but i didn't get many photos anyway even tho i was close to the front. it just didn't feel right to be snapping away so close to the stage in such a hyper-sensitive emotional performance. so, regardless of what i said about taking pics last time i saw ES (read it here), i actually held back this time. all 5 of my non-blurry pics are included in this post. i found some much better photos from the concert available to view here.

in fact, Esperanza hardly talked at all during the show. she was all bizness. her eyes were closed most of the time. totally focused on the mood and the performance. she played percussion on the side of her acoustic bass as it sat on the stage during one song. the only time she really let loose was when she soloed on the bass or when she stretched her voice out all over her range. which is impressive. this show was really a vocal tour de force of moods and nuances. Esperanza has grown a lot as vocalist since i saw her 2 years ago.

the new songs were the focus and everyone played their parts with dedication and emotion. there was a vocal duet too, Esperanza with her backup vocalist. the two ladies really shined on that one. there was a BIG response from the crowd. i also have to say that the drummer was freaking amazing.

the songs of Chamber Music Society are well-crafted lyrically as well as musically. one of the best songs is "apple blossom". i didn't exactly understand what it was about until i saw Esperanza perform it. she sang an emotional story of a loving couple losing a child. grown up subjects for grown up music. i was wondering if she would perform that song live because it has a male singer on the album version. but Esperanza didn't have anyone sing with her, instead she assumed all the vocal parts and even put down her bass and moved around with the microphone during that song. she did that a couple of times during the show.

i was gonna say that this was the first time that i have ever seen a band (non-classical and non-bluegrass) with a string section. but that was before i remembered that i did see the Electric Light Orchestra back in the early 80's. when i was like 12 or something. it was quite a spectacle of cool lights and big sounds. Esperanza's string section did not have any lighted bows or white cellos or laser lights. they meant business, but with perfect notes and sheet music on stands to keep it all together. they also had wonderful dynamics which is needed for this music. it is very dramatic. these instruments are essential to delivering this music the way it should be.

Esperanza's bass playing was awesome as usual. she is truly amazing in her dexterity. i dig the improv soloing. but this concert was so much more complex and rehearsed than the show i saw 2 years ago. instead of doing covers and older material, Esperanza stuck with the album exclusively. all album cuts. it was the album straight thru. no pausing. and no intermission. i really like how it was arranged but my fanatic tendencies had me wishing for a story or two like last time. she didn't even talk about her shows with Prince. wouldn't it be great to see her play with his purple-ness? those jam sessions had to be amazing. plus, i know Esperanza does a version of "if i was your girlfriend". i really wanted to see her perform that. but this wasn't the right setting for that kind of song.

i must offer a couple of notes on ES's appearance: i heard a couple of people mention her hair and how there is LOTS of it! and they were right. it is quite impressive to see such a massive amount of hair on such a little body. ES is also very thin. so thin, in fact, that i found myself wishing she would eat a cheeseburger or something. does that girl eat? there is quite a contrast between her small stature and thin frame and that huge instrument she plays which is the biggest one on stage. at least she knows what she is doing.

the biggest difference in Esperanza's performance since the last time she was here is her development as a singer and a frontwoman. it is clear she is gaining a confidence in her on-stage performance. she even did some choreographed dancing. i am not gonna say that she is "going Hollywood". that's for the Beibers of the world. not my girl Esperanza. she is a real musician. a Grammy is just a Grammy. no big whoop.

after the Chamber Music Society songs were done, it was over. Esperanza went back to the chair and the coat. she turned off the light and the party was over.

then after cheers and applause and screams and more applause, there was 1 more song.....
the aforementioned pianist Leo Genovese, who also played in the last version of her band, was the only man in the group. he has a "good gig" as David Letterman told him after they performed "winter sun" on CBS's LATE SHOW. Leo obviously works well with Esperanza and has clearly developed a great bond with her over the last few years. the only song played for an encore was a version of "fall in" sung by Esperanza accompanied only by Genovese's piano. it was the only song from the 'Esperanza' album played that nite. i wanted to hear more. but the show was over. time flies when you're having fun.

not that i am complaining. not at all. i loved the concert! my wife enjoyed it as well. i am just getting ahead of myself by hoping to hear more music than what i have already heard. i hoped that i could hear something brand new from the next album called Radio Music Society. it is supposed to be funkier and has an appearance by Q-Tip. i also want to hear her version of the Disney song "Chim-Chimaree" which is on some tribute record. and still nothing about Prince? she recently played those shows with the purple one on the Welcome 2 America tour. yes even Prince has blessed her. then it is proven: Esperanza is the cure!

see her tour dates HERE

mim mix: vinyl goodness

2011-02-26T14:26:00.085-05:00

i am going to try to post a mim mix every month for the rest of this year. that would make 11 in 11 if i get it done. after all, this blog intends to rock you, the reader/listener/browser. so let's get to rockin! please come back monthly if you wanna hear some tunes that you may not have heard before by some of my favorite artists. these songs are just for listening not for download.

some people actually listen to music the old way, on vinyl records. for the kids out there, those were the large black round things from the 20th century that humans had to use to enjoy the rock n roll. they had big huge pictures of rock stars and little writings called linear notes. nothing to click on, just stuff to look at while listening to the record. with any vinyl record, the sound wasn't perfect. there were scratches and pops and skips and hops. but a vinyl record in good quality on a a good turntable sounds pretty damn good. some old coots will even argue that vinyl records have more dynamic range than Digital Compact Discs. i know i enjoy some vinyl in my ears from time to time. i have a TON of those round, warped and scratched thingies with the big pictures.

this mix of music came directly from vinyl records in my collection. that means these recordings are EXCLUSIVE to this blog only! you can't hear these versions of my recordings of my recordings of my vinyl records anywhere else. oh my! this one took alot of work to get together. the original recordings were actually done more than 10 years ago using a MiniDisc recorder. several steps later, here is a cool collection of old tunes played in the format in which they were originally released. its like a little musical time machine. i am gonna call this one vinyl goodness. PLEASE ENJOY....

vinyl records featured: Run DMC, Animal House Motion Piciture Soundtrack, Wings, KISS, Vinnie Vincent Invasion, Thompson Twins, Phil Collins, Real Life, Missing Persons, Pat Metheny Group with David Bowie

favorites of 2010

2011-02-13T14:13:00.517-05:00

most people blog about their best-of-the-year lists in December. i'm not most people. in keeping with a semi-trend i started a few years back, i must post this list of my favorite new releases of 2010. i don't get to hear that many new releases so i am sure there was some great new stuff out there that i missed completely. these albums are just the new releases that i listened to the most in 2010. some i actually paid money for and some i didn't.

i will confess that i clearly lean toward older artists and those i am more familiar with but that doesn't mean i won't listen to new bands. i love to discover new music. i do it all the time. the fact that this list only includes a few new bands just reflects my tastes compared to the music trends of today. it also has something to do with the fact that putting a group of songs together in album format isn't what it used to be. a good song is just a single, but a great album has to be a perfect mix of great songs. new bands really need to learn that. classic albums don't come along that often.

here they are in no particular order, except for the top 3, my favorite albums of 2010:

Jeff Beck - Emotion & Commotion

Y & T - Facemelter

Sade - Soldier Of Love

Slash - SLASH

Prince - 20ten

Willie Nelson - Country Music

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - self-titled

The Roots - How i Got Over

Danzig - Deth Red Sabaoth

Robert Plant - Band Of Joy

The Constellations - Southern Gothic

The Wood Brothers - Smoke Ring Halo

Joe Satriani - Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards

Elvis Costello - National Ransom

Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier

Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society

Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

Charlie Hunter - Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid

Ronnie Wood - I Feel Like Playing

The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards

The Hot Rats - Turn Ons

Spoon - Transference (very close to making the top 3)

.......aaaaannd heeeeeere's my TOP 3 favorites of 2010:

#3) The Black Keys - Brothers

the influence of blues music on today's rock n roll is as strong as ever. it is just basic math that you can't get to rock n roll without going thru the blues. keep it simple and raw. that's where the good stuff is at. The Black Keys ( site / wiki / all ) understand that. they are a duo who keep it simple with just guitar and drums. guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrck Carney are not brothers but they certainly have a strong connection.

i have been listening to these guys for a few years. they just keep getting better and better. over the past couple of albums they have been using more and more additional instruments in their songs. especially bass and keyboards. sometimes horns. what that really means is that they are getting better at making the songs the highlight of their music. their last album, 2008's Attack & Release, was the best album of their career. until this one. Brothers is even better. they seem to have found the right balance between keeping that raw independent edge and also serving the songs best by adding just enuff extra elements at the right places. there are different kinds of songs on this album but the collection is very cohesive. these songs are close like brothers. related but different. and they're all good.

favorite tracks: "tighten up", "howlin' for you", "next girl", "ten cent pistol"

~

#2) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

where the black keys are all about keeping it raw and rooted in the blues, this album is almost the opposite of that. it is heavily produced and has lot of keyboards and synths and even an orchestra. great rappers (Mos Def and Snoop Dog) and legendary singers (Bobby Womack and Lou Reed) make guest appearances. the title track, "plastic beach", even features Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, ONE HALF of the FREAKIN' CLASH!! ok, those are enuff reasons to like an album right there but without great songs it all means nothing. these songs are great and take the listener on a journey, traveling thru genres effortlessly. the songs are multi-faceted and layered with just the right amount of pop sensibilities to keep fans happy. this release even came with its own iPhone ap. that's appropriate because plastic beach is its own little world. the artwork can't be overlooked either. it is wonderful and engaging. the video for "stylo" came with my iTunes purchase. it is awesome.

the Gorillaz ( site / wiki / all ) are actually an animated virtual band created by artist Jamie Hewlett and musician/band leader Damon Albarn. this is their 3rd official album. i could perhaps say that this set isn't as good as either of the previous albums, but it is still great. i think the only thing holding this album back is the melancholy mood and the overall concept. there is a story there about an island and pirates and loss but it is hard to follow. i know i don't understand it. i just like the music. and i love the band, even if they aren't officially real. i'm looking forward to the fully animated Gorillaz movie.

favorite tracks: "broken", "superfast jellyfish", "stylo", rhinestone eyes"

NOTE: Albarn and a huge band toured as the Gorillaz last fall and recorded another new album while on the road called The Fall. the entire thing was done on an iPad. only fan club members can get it as of now. stay tuned for an official release in 2011

~

#1) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - MOJO

i have believed for a long time that Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers ( site / wiki / all / Tube ) are the best rock and roll band working today. i have seen them in concert 3 times and they always impress. but their past couple of albums of new music haven't been that great. so i guess Tom Petty thought it was about time to get back to basics and make a blues album. as i said before, the blues is alive and well in today's rock and Mojo wants you to know it. the band might not call it a blues album, but that is clearly the starting point. and it fits this band perfectly. each member emphasizes their strengths while highlighting that it was a full band effort. i LOVE the nasty growling guitars and harmonica and organ. keyboardist Benmont Tench never gets enuff credit for his part in the band's sound. his contribution is evident here with classic organ and piano parts. but it is guitarist Mike Campbell, in particular, who really shines on this set. as a guitar player, Mike thrives in arrangements like these. its about time they made a record where he can really stretch out. as a songwriter, Tom is up close and personal with the listener. i don't know if the lyrics are autobiographical, but they are surely intimate. tom tells stories of breaking free and being out on the open road and striving to find peace within. tom's mood seems to be: "i'm getting too old for the bullshit, let's just rock!". i couldn't agree more. this band never lost its mojo, and now MOJO is the proof.

favorite tracks: "takin' my time", "don't pull me over", "i should have known it", "let yourself go"

~

2010 was good year for music. here's hoping 2011 is even better....

3 new ones from 2010

2011-01-16T08:03:00.064-05:00

here are the 3 newest videos on lateblog tv! i shot several videos at concerts in 2010 and i just recently uploaded 3 of them to my YouTube channel, lateblog tv. here are the videos and a little bit about what happened at the shows....

...
last October i visited California for the first time. there is a long story about why it took 40 years for me to get there and another long story about why we went on this family trip but this isn't the blog for those stories. the important part of this tale is that i managed to see a concert even on a family vacation! woo-hoo! i knew that Electric Six would be playing somewhere nearby while i was in California. i just didn't know if i would be able to find the venue. i almost didn't, and then i did. i sneaked away after the wife and kids went to sleep and drove the rental van into the unknown metropolis of Orange County looking for a place called the Detroit Bar in a town named Costa Mesa. i had some directions saved and after driving past the place once, i found it. i will post a longer piece about this show in the future, but for now enjoy this song from the end of the show....

....
after the great family vacation, i came back to Virginia with a few more days off and FREE tickets to see Styx, a band i first listened to back in the early 1980's. the band was doing two of their classic albums on this tour, The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight. they really played up the fact that these two albums were originally released on vinyl only because that was the only way to hear music back in 1977-78. so the video accompaniment to the show included a record on a turntable being started with the drop of a needle. and then, of course, when side 1 was over, you had to flip it over to play side 2. Tommy Shaw picks it up from there......

.....
just like we did in 2009, my wife wanted to see Trace Adkins open for Toby Keith AGAIN in 2010. so, last July, we trekked down to Raleigh for a weekend concert/adventure. Trace is a country singer who is built like a football player. Maybe that's why the women love him so much. I don't particularly love him myself but i do appreciate that he is not a typical country star. His music bounces from deep country ballads to cheesy novelty sing-a-longs to just plain loud rockers. It was the second time we saw Trace Adkins in 2010 and just like the previous show, he performed a cover of Foreigner's "dirty white boy" to close the set. That's rock and roll i can appreciate. Women who swoon over his looks might just melt when they see how what he does for a kid in a wheelchair before he walks off stage....

full posts about these shows and more videos from 2010 to come.....

funky new year

2011-01-01T01:11:00.002-05:00

here's hoping that all the music fans out there have a real funky new year in 2011. this is a recording from my collection of 45rpm records. this song is the b-side to The Eagles single-only holiday song "please come home for Christmas". i'm pretty sure this is the only time you will ever hear The Eagles on my blog. this is a cool song and i kinda like hearing it with the pops and scratches. the way it was heard when it came out in 1979. WOW another year has gone by! ... Happy New Year!!

coming up: more vinyl and the summer concert series

thank you again, Chris

2010-12-05T19:58:00.004-05:00

Dear Chris Cornell,

THANK YOU for going back to where you belong, back in front of Soundgarden ( official / wiki / allmusic ). that is your band, dude! Soundgarden was a great band that needs to come back! fans of really good crunchy loud music need a band like Soundgarden right about now. i know you got a little lost for while and thought that people would accept you as a solo star. i guess you heard us laughing, so let's just try to forget that one. it's all good now, man. just get up there and sing and let Kim Thayil play some heavy riffs. we forgive you now.

i saw Soundgarden at Lollapalooza back in 1992. the lineup included Pearl Jam, Ice Cube, Ministry, and headliner Red Hot Chili Peppers. all the bands were good, but Soundgarden really stood out. you guys were loud and grungy and crunchy and cool. i loved hearing all the best songs from the awesome album Badmotorfinger (wiki) plus a cover of NWA's "fuck tha police". i know Nirvana and Pearl Jam emerged as the most popular bands of that early-90's grunge bunch but fans of heavy music really preferred Soundgarden. at least until that "black hole sun" video. but like all the best bands, you guys broke up. the rest is history. those punks in p-jam even stole your drummer, Matt Cameron. so tell those losers to suck it, because Matt belongs to Soundgarden. let Eddie Vedder go twiddle some ukulele or something. no drums for him!

also, i told you back in 2007, but i want to THANK YOU AGAIN for leaving Audioslave. that band wasn't so bad that we have to forget about it but let's just say that everyone is better off now that its over. tragically, you were holding back a truly great band from getting back together. don't take it personal, but Tom, Tim C, and Brad Wilk just function better when you aren't there. us Rage Against The Machine fans really appreciate getting our band back. well, sort of. they still haven't made a new album or a major US tour but they have played concerts in the past 3 years. it was really cool last year when Zach de la Rocha made a big stink over in England with a Facebook promotion that evolved into a public beat down of the evil Simon Cowell's pop music empire. "killing in the name" was the #1 single in the UK last Christmas. that was so sweet! the great Tom Morello has benefited the most since you left him alone. his solo album as The Nightwatchman, One Man Revolution, was one of my favorites of 2007. and in 2009, Tom released an album with Street Sweeper Social Club, an awesome new band he formed with rapper Boots Riley. Boots isn't exactly Zach but he sure ain't you either.

i'm glad you finally recognized that Soundgarden is where you belong. no more messing up good bands or making hip hop records for you. go sing "rusty cage" a few times and we can pretend all that other stuff didn't happen. and don't fight with your bass player, Ben Shepherd, he might just throw something at you. i will too if ever have to hear that dance track you recorded again. so, good luck! i can't wait to hear the new album. you are making a new album aren't you?

Sincerely,
lateblogger

now, here is Soundgarden's first TV appearance in 13 years. thanks, Coco...

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soundgarden conan
- Watch more Music Videos at Vodpod.

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Jimmie Vaughan at Big Lick Blues

2010-10-16T10:02:00.235-04:00

its hard to believe that it has been 20 years since Stevie Ray Vaughan ( site / wiki ) died. i remember exactly where i was when i first heard the news. it was my first day as a student at a major university. there was a radio report that initially said that "Eric Clapton's helicopter had crashed." wow, i thought, "Clapton is dead!?!" but soon after the facts became more clear: it was a helicopter leaving Eric Clapton's concert that had crashed and Eric wasn't on board. Stevie Ray was on it. and he was gone.

the concert SRV had just played was headlined by Eric Clapton and also featured Robert Cray, Buddy Guy and Stevie's older brother Jimmie Vaughan. one thing that really stands out in my mind about that time was that Jimmie and Stevie had just made an album together called Family Style. i bought the CD which came out the same week that Stevie died. even tho their playing styles were very different, the brothers gelled together on some great new original songs on that album. when we lost Stevie we also lost the possibility of ever seeing the brothers play those songs together.

two weeks ago i finally got to see Jimmie Vaughan ( site / wiki / myspace ) perform. he headlined the Big Lick Blues Festival (biglickblues.org) in Roanoke, VA. Jimmie Vaughan and the Tilt-A-Whirl Band were downright awesome! they performed a few tracks from the Vaughan Brothers album and several tracks from Jimmie's brand new album called Jimmie Vaughan Plays Blues, Ballads and Favorites. (get it HERE)

Jimmie's band was joined by singer Lou Ann Barton ( wiki ), who has a long history of performing in the Austin, TX area and is a good friend to the Vaughan brothers. Lou Ann was in one of Stevie's very first bands back in 1977 and soon after helped form the Double Trouble Band with Stevie. she has performed with Jimmie many times and appears on the new album.

i was pleasantly surprised at how good the Tilt-A-Whirl Band was. tenor sax man Greg Piccolo and baritone player Doug James comprised a 2-man sax section that provided a really dynamic element to the mix. i loved their sound together. catch this band on tour if you like the blues, See their TOUR DATES HERE

i could write on and on about the tasty blues licks and jumping rockabilly grooves of the entire Tilit-A-Whirl band but it wouldn't come close to the great review already written on the cutNscratch blog. check it out HERE

one of the highlights of the nite was seeing Jimmie play his signature Tex-Mex Fender Stratocaster alone on stage paying tribute to his late brother with the song "six strings down"

the Big Lick Blues lineup also featured John Lee Hooker, Jr. ( site / wiki ), the son of the legendary bluesman John Lee Hooker, who died in 2001. Jr's show was a rousing and spirited set that did not drag one bit. he raised the energy level with each song. he even brought up some women (and one young girl) from the audience to participate in a dance contest. the only thing i can really criticize Mr Hooker for is not knowing how to pronounce the name of the city he was in. someone should tell him it is pronounced "Row-A-NohK" with a silent E. not Ro-a-no-key. ok-a-doe-key?

before Jr. there was Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps. she may have had the best singing voice on the stage that day. she connected with the audience by talking about her love of great music from people like Delbert McClinton, who headlined Big Lick in 2009. her band was tight and the sax player did some double-sax blowing. cool stuff.

i don't know how the organizers (eventzone.org) can book better bands for next year's Big Lick Blues fest. the bar was set pretty high by Jimmie Vaughan. i'm looking forward to seeing what happens in 2011. i wonder if there is any chance they could get Jeff Beck?

i took all the photos in this post. see more photos at eventzone's site HERE

by the way, you can find that last concert ever played by Jimmie's little brother, SRV, HERE

LONG LIVE THE BLUES!

7 in 10

2010-10-07T10:07:00.409-04:00

since i neglected the month of September on this blog, there were no "top 9 lists" or "1990 mix" or "9 lives of Peter Criss". nothing having to do with the number 9. not even a "september rain" or "indian summer" reference. not that i didn't have anything to post. i did post 4 of these videos in September. i have plenty of good stuff to share and several posts are half-way written already. so, i will make up for the lack of recent posts in this month and year of tens. i will publish 10 posts this month. that's right, BREAKING NEWS! new posts! will it happen? i'm sure gonna try.

let's get it started on the 7th day of this month with the 7 concert videos i have posted to YouTube so far this year. here they are in order of date posted....

my first concert of this year was a tribute to Jimi Hendrix featuring an all-star lineup called the Experience Hendrix Tour. i basically got interested because Living Colour was there. but the entire lineup turned out to be sensational. it was the most stars i have ever seen on one indoor stage (DPAC in Durham, NC). Joe Satriani was superb collaborating with Living Colour on "foxy lady"

date of show: march 28

date posted: april 17

view count as of today: 138

the next video is from the August 1st concert in Charlottesville, VA that was highly anticipated for a long time and lived up to expectations. the Charlottesville Pavilion is perfect for a summer concert. opening act Gogol Bordello got everyone bouncing and moshing. then Les Claypool proceeded to remind everyone why they came to see Primus. they are unlike any other band. it was an unforgettable concert. i was too close to get good sound, but the picture ain't too bad. it's the classic "frizzle fry"

date of show: august 1

date posted: august 4

view count as of today: 161

that amazing weekend that kicked off August for me began the day before with a long road trip to see the band i have shown so much love to on this blog recently. and it was well worth it because i got to witness Living Colour up close playing at a small venue (Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield, VA) and i got to meet Corey, Doug and Will after the show. it was an amazing experience! this is the last song from that night. of course the encore included "cult of personality"

date of show: july 31

date posted: august 4

view count as of today: 128

i knew 2010 was gonna be a good year for concerts when back in December my friend bought us tickets to see Elvis. yes, Elvis. the Elvis of my generation has made so much great music since my youth. he is Elvis Costello and he brought an all-star acoustic group to The National in Richmond, VA. i have seen EC before, but never like this. the band included Jerry Douglas and Jim Lauderdale. this may be the video with the fastest rise in views since posting. that's probably because its great. i was standing really close, the sound was good, the band was awesome and Elvis was truly amazing. on this nite in April, i was the real "lucky dog"

date of show: april 24

date posted: september 5

view count as of today: 98

more from the Primus show in Charlottesville... i was really happy that they played their version of "behind my camel" by The Police. it was part of the encore leading into "groundhog day"

date of show: august 1

date posted: september 13

view count as of today: 37

i have more videos from the Experience Hendrix Tour show and i will post another soon. in this clip, Living Colour goes totally wild on this 10 minute version of "crosstown traffic"

date of show: march 28

date posted: september 17

view count as of today: 25

wow, i can't believe i posted 4 videos of Living Colour this year! i'm such a geek. here is the newest. a song from the new album, the chair in the doorway, here is "bless those (little annie's prayer)"

date of show: july 31

date posted: september 20

view count as of today: 30

...and that's it. so far. more new videos to come before the end of this year...

coming up: my top ten videos

music from 1980

2010-08-31T05:10:00.581-04:00

about once every month i post a collection of songs that i call the music is music mix or mim mix. what is great about these posts is that all you need is a web browser and speakers to rock out while visiting my site. as long as the DivShare player works. more mim mixes are available, just look over there --->

in february i presented a mix of live tracks in tribute to the year i was born, 1970. last month, i posted 1970, part 2. now let's jump ten years to 1980. after all, it is still august (just barely), the 8th month, 10th year. 8 x 10 = 80. so, this is a tribute to music from 1980...

1980 was a major turning point in America. it was the end of the troublesome 70's and the beginning of the Reagan years. radio was still king in the music world because no one knew anything about music videos or MTV yet. real musicians still played real instruments in real time because sequencers and synthesizers were just beginning to influence popular songs on the radio. the newest technology in the record biz was cassette tapes. but since playing them meant putting up with a lot of hiss, vinyl records were still preferred by most music listeners. for audiophiles, home recording was an expensive endeavor usually involving reel-to-reel decks. for professionals, the options were much better but getting high quality sound recordings was still a long way from being easy. these live concert recordings were probably done with reel-to-reels.

we start with the king of the mountain of rock bands in the 1970's, Led Zeppelin. more LZ? yes! they got mad props in the last mim mix for being on the verge of dominating the 1970's. they did that. now jump 10 years. 1980 was the last year that LZ would exist as a band. many rock fans consider their drummer, John "Bonzo" Bonham, the best of all time. when he died on September 25, 1980, led zeppelin essentially ended. this concert was one of their last. these songs are from a high quality soundboard boot. that is why you don't hear very much crowd noise. it is amazing to hear how the mix sounds before it goes thru the PA. it is especially interesting to hear how they used backwards tape during the middle section of "whole lotta love". this amazing boot is called Moonlight + Dinosaur (GET IT at Viva Les Bootlegs). the concert took place on June 30, 1980 in Frankfurt, Germany...

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Joan Jett ( site / wiki / allmusic ) became famous as a teenager in the all-girl band, The Runaways. earlier this year, a movie about their ground-breaking band was released. Joan was a producer on the project. several of the girls from that band went on the have successful solo careers but the one who had the most success was clearly Joan Jett. she continued to highlight a punk attitude and ballsy approach to her music. plus, she was a hot chick! that made her even more awesome. she formed Joan Jett and the Blackhearts after her debut album, which came out in 1980. the lineup on this bootleg is on the eve of big-time success. here they are live in New York City during a concert for radio station WNEW-FM on December 27, 1980.....

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rock and roll branched out in the 1970's with categories like "progressive rock" and "heavy metal". most of the pioneers of those genres have been ignored by the so-called Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. it is a hall of shame because Rush isn't in. they have produced alot of great rock music over the last 35 years. the guys in Rush have always put the music first and don't concern themselves with creating hits or following trends or appeasing critics. even tho they actually did some of those things. still, the music was always their guide. by 1980, the die-hard fans of Rush's prog rock early sound and the newer fans that came to the band thru their more radio-friendly hits were coming together to form a rather large fan-base. with their 1980 release, Permanent Waves, the band became more popular than ever before do in part to the hits "freewill" and "the spirit of radio". here are two classic songs recorded when they were brand new during the Permanent Waves tour in St Louis.....

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from one band who should be in the rock hall to one that just got in this past year. several years too late of course. i can't believe i haven't mentioned Genesis ( site / wiki / allmusic ) on this blog before. they are actually one of my favorite bands. in recent years i have discovered that Genesis is probably one of the most bootlegged bands in the world. there are lots and lots and lots of bootleg concerts by Genesis all over the web. the band has been around since 1969 and has been popular all over the world. plus, there are several lineups of Genesis that have different groups of fans. some fans of the Peter Gabriel-era lineup of the 1970's refuse to like the Phil Collins-led lineup that had so many hits in the 1980's. after Gabriel quit, the band was left with a loyal fan base who expected more progressive rock epics but, by 1980, the band was changing its sound and writing shorter songs with pop hooks. they even had a few hit singles. at their concerts, the band kept their set list balanced with old and new songs to keep fans happy. here is a late-70's hit and an early-70's classic recorded in London on May 7, 1980....

GET the entire show at Viva Les Bootlegs

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time to devolve... ...from one keyboard-centric English band to an American band that pioneered synth-pop for the new wave generation. the simple arrangements and wacky uniforms of Devo ( site / wiki / allmusic ) propelled synthesizer-based music to a whole new popularity. and they did it with great songs and innovative videos. their biggest album, Freedom Of Choice, was released in 1980, right before the MTV explosion happened. they had a huge hit with "whip it" and the rest is history. the group broke up in the 1990's and eventually got back together to record a few songs for movies. the band's songs have gotten renewed attention thru video games, movies and TV. in 2010, Devo re-emerged with a new album, Something For Everybody, (GET IT HERE) and tour (see dates). Q: how do they keep going after all these years? A: they are not men, they are DEVO! and they were loved in Tokyo. Japan that is. on May 13, 1980....

GET this complete show at Viva Les Bootlegs
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nowadays people think of U2 ( site / wiki / allmusic ) as super-successful international mainstream rock gods from Ireland. but there was a time when they were actually obscure. only "college radio" played their music in the early days. their sound didn't really fit neatly into any specific category. they had rock, punk and new wave influences but they couldn't be pigeonholed into any one genre. and you weren't going to find any synthesizers in their songs. U2 was one of the first bands to be described as "alternative". in my opinion, that was just a description tagged onto bands that couldn't be easily tagged. that's why radio didn't know what to do with them. until MTV. after that, everyone knew about U2. this track was taken from a bootleg called Touch that was recorded in Holland one week before the first U2 album, Boy, was released.....

find this entire boot at QualityBootz
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now here's an American band that also went from punk roots to mainstream success. and they did it with a hot blonde female singer, Debbie Harry. Blondie ( site / wiki / allmusic ) was known to incorporate many different kinds of music styles into their songs. their 1980 hit "rapture" was one of the first hit songs to include a "rap" section. i think i first noticed Blondie's music when i was just 9 years old while on a trip to Disney World in 1979. at the time, they sounded like the future. back then, i thought flying cars were gonna be a reality when i grew up. its 30 years later, and i haven't seen one single flying car. i guess i can keep dreaming...

find the boot at T.U.B.E.
~

listen, enjoy, repeat.....

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PLEASE NOTE: these files are only posted for your listening pleasure. i found all of these bootleg concerts by searching blogs and message boards over a period of months. anyone can find them if they search. these concerts have not been released as official recordings. they are freely available online and legal to trade. BIG THANKS to the tapers and posters and most especially thanks to the bands for making great music.

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Living Colour delivers Justice at Jaxx

2010-08-14T11:10:00.008-04:00

it has been two weeks since the show but i am still buzzing about meeting my musical heroes in Living Colour. it was an amazing experience seeing them play in such a small venue. and now more video from Living Colour at Jaxx has been posted on YouTube by a non-profit organization called Justice Through Music. they are a Washington DC-based group that "uses famous musicians and bands to organize, educate and activate young people about the importance of civil rights, human rights and voting." they also register voters and encourage participation in the process. go here to see what they are all about. their site even has free music available for download.

i didn't shoot this but i am one of the geeks in the crowd. my dome is visible in some of the wide shots. it was so freakin' great! here is the band performing the classic "funny vibe"....

the very next song was "burned bridges", one of 5 new songs they played from the latest album the chair in the doorway....

i guess the band gave someone from jtmp.org a prime spot up front to shoot this stuff because they clearly support the cause. before the show the guys in the band made this PSA for jtmp.org.....

ok, the show was awesome, the members were friendly and now i found out that they even support great causes and social issues. there just isn't anything i don't love about Living Colour!

coming up: i got the set list!

last weekend

2010-08-06T01:30:00.036-04:00

this is what happened to me last weekend: i got to meet my favorite band of all time, Living Colour!!! that was the highlight of a great three day road trip that included two concerts in two nites. late on saturday nite, Living Colour rocked Jaxx night club in Springfield, VA. then on sunday, Primus played a show in Charlottesville, VA with Gogol Bordello opening. i was lucky to be at both shows. here are the first two videos that i have just posted from the shows.

i shot this!

first, the finale of Living Colour's set in a very small venue called Jaxx....

second, Les Claypool's #1 band, Primus is back and better than ever! it was great to see them play "frizzle fry"...

coming up: more pics and videos from recent shows

music from 1970, part 2

2010-07-30T19:30:00.002-04:00

my last post about the year 1970 came in february. it was an ode to the year i was born and my turning forty. getting old. that was 6 months ago and i only feel 8 months older. some of the musicians in the bands that were featured are still active today. that makes them waaayyy old. i guess it just goes to show that you're never too old to rock n roll.

this mim mix tribute to 1970 includes some bands that i didn't get a chance to toast last time. please enjoy these vintage bootlegs.....

i can't believe i left out Led Zeppelin last time. i love Led Zeppelin! they are one of the most influential rock bands of all time for me and everyone else. in 1970, they were still on the way up. within a few years they would establish themselves as the best rock band of their time. no one could match the power and impact of Led Zeppelin in the decade of the 1970's. given the technology of the time, it is amazing that there are any good audience bootlegs worth hearing. but this one is a rare find. it is a boot called "Intimidator" recorded March 7, 1970 at the Montreux Casino in Montreux, Switzerland. get the full FLAC version HERE. when Robert Plant sings "we're gonna groove", he was telling us what his band was gonna do to the world in the future. boy did they...

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the Allman Brothers Band ( site / wiki / allmusic ) have literally been jamming for all of my life. i saw them play a concert back around 1991. i was struck by the transcendent nature of their bluesy jams. i've been a bigger fan of theirs ever since that show. they were a great live band! even in 1970, the band had already firmly established its live set with classic songs. many of which they still play even today. the instrumental called "in memory of elizabeth reed" is a well-known classic ABB song. Gregg Allman intros it here as "from our forth-coming album". that album was Idlewild South, which was basically the blueprint for southern rock. this was recorded in Stoneybrook, NY on july 16, 1970...

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speaking of transcendent, or "trippy", Pink Floyd ( site / wiki / allmusic ) set the stage for all psychedelic rock that came after it. their early recordings are free-eakin' wack! they were a popular band undergoing alot of change in 1970. original lead singer and chief songwriter Syd Barrett was kicked out of the band because he couldn't cope. too much LSD, that's the common theory. but his influence on the band has never gone away. David Gilmour was Syd's guitar teacher. when he stepped up to fill Syd's large shoes, he saved the band. this song is an ode to me being just a pup in 1970. it is from a collection called Fat Old Gigs. (get it HERE) this track was recorded at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, CA on April 29, 1970....

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who deserves another shot? The Who, that's who. this is a much better sounding boot than the one in the last post. this track is from a soundboard bootleg called Tanglewood. (get it HERE) this year's Super Bowl XLIV performance was a grand spectacle that served as a tribute to the power of their music. the original band's live performances gave rise to that power. this track was recorded in Lenox, MA on july 7, 1970. the one-only Bill Graham introduces the band....

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this Grateful Dead track is from a show that was recorded on the day i was born. i already featured a song from this bootleg in the last 1970 post. but this soundboard boot just sounds too good not to share again. plus, this song is a tribute to my uncle who just passed away recently. i don't think he was a huge Dead fan but i know he liked them a little. he was more into Led Zep (Stairway?). i think he was still in high school when this was recorded.
R.I.P. Uncle Moon...

grateful dead - uncle john's band (live at the Filmore West 2/5/70)

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.... ok, for reading this far, you get a little bonus:

MORE OF JAMES BROWN in Salem, VA in 1970. this is another soundboard boot that just sounds too good not to share again. plus, some hometown attention came from the last post that included this audio. that was how i found out that the godfather was known to give bicycles to kids who came to his shows. he did this during his appearances in Salem in the 1970's. that's something that most people wouldn't know about him but the people who did know just loved him that much more because of it. james was a not just a trailblazer in the music world, he was also a very generous man who had a huge heart. god bless this funk....

~

coming next month: a tribute to 1980

blog, oh blog....

2010-07-26T02:21:00.012-04:00

blog, oh blog,

i have not treated you well lately. i'm sorry i haven't posted anything new in a while. my bad.

its not that i don't have anything to share, its just that real life doesn't allow alot of time for blogging. i actually have plenty to write about since i have been to several concerts already this year. i have added a bunch of new concert pics to my flikr site which is accessible by clicking on the slide show over there--->

i do not have a long write up about any of the recent shows ready because videos and concert reviews take a while to put together. so in the meantime, here is a sampling of my pics from concerts this spring and summer.

at the end of March i saw the last date of the Experience Hendrix tour. it was a show packed with so many super musicians i can't count them all. this photo was taken during a collaboration between Robert Randolph, Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Brad Whitford...

in April, i had a 2-concert weekend! april 24th was Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes at a small place called The National in Richmond. great venue, superb show. it was an unforgettable experience shared with some great friends. i have a great video from this show that i will post soon.

the next nite's concert was for my wife more than me. it was her second favorite country singer, Trace Adkins as the opening act for Martina McBride. she loooves Trace Adkins. she says he's sexy. whatever.

this show was at the Roanoke Civic Center. both singers performed good sets. i didn't know most of Martina's songs. but she really impressed me as a singer.

in May, it was country music again at the local Festival in the Park event. newcomer Chris Young came into town with the number one country single at the time. i get the feeling he is going to be a big star one day. it was another good time nite out for me and the wife. its great to have those.

it has become an annual event for me to take my wife to a summer concert by her favorite singer Toby Keith. his shows really are more rock n roll than country and it always feels like a party. so we planned this July's Toby show a while ago. it had to be in Raleigh this year because that was where we could see, for the second year in a row, a show that included her other favorite singer, you know who....

Trace was the opening act again. she loved it! we had a great time. yes, this was our second time seeing him this year. i have video of Trace and Toby singing together. that is coming up in a future post. really.

...the next day i hazily drove all the way home and went to the Down by the River Fest back in Roanoke. wifey didn't to go so i convinced a good friend to meet me there. it was a hometown event with several great bands that i didn't want to miss. i'm glad that i went because the Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band really surprised me. we had a great time. this was my second double concert weekend of 2010.

it was the band playing just before the headliner that i knew i wanted to see. it was Southern Culture on the Skids. they are an old favorite that i first saw almost 20 years ago. they can still put on a fun show just like they did then.

...and then a week later was the Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ Festival at Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke. i went there so that i could see Matt Guitar Murphy. who was in my favorite movie of all time, The Blues Brothers.

the other bands on the bill were all really good. especially the Noveaux Honkies. they served as Matt's backing band.

its been a good summer so far. i am very lucky to have seen so much great live music recently. and its not over yet. i'll be seeing some amazing bands in the near future. more about that another time.

thanks blog, i will work on some more new posts very soon. i promise. may the funk be with you......

may they R.I.P. mix

2010-05-31T17:36:00.003-04:00

unfortunately May 2010 has turned out to be memorable for the deaths in the entertainment and music world. Ronnie James Dio, Slipknot bassist Paul Gray, plus actors Gary Coleman and Dennis Hopper have all passed away in the last few weeks. sad but true. this mim mix is a tribute to some of the great musicians that have passed away this year and will be missed...

Ronnie James Dio ( site / wiki / twitter / allmusic ) was one of the best heavy metal singers of all time and a favorite of mine. before he found success with his band named Dio, he fronted classic bands of the 1970's like Elf, Rainbow and, most-famously, took over when Ozzy left Black Sabbath. last fall he shocked his fans when he announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. his treatment started immediately and things were looking good at the beginning of this year. Dio's band Heaven and Hell (essentially a reunited Dio-era Sabbath) even scheduled a tour for this summer. but a few weeks ago that tour was suddenly canceled. Ronnie's condition had gotten worse. on May 16th Ronnie finally got his chance to experience the afterworld that he sang about so often. at least he isn't suffering any longer. now the pain is transferred to his millions of fans. Dio was one of the good guys in rock and will be sorely missed.

these tracks by Dio were part of a radio broadcast recorded at London's Hammersmith Odeon on October 5th 1984. i saw Dio in concert in Charlotte in 1988 with Megadeth opening. i will never forget that show, largely due to the giant robot dragon that shot lasers from its eyes. oh yeah, that really happened. Ronnie wasn't just a great singer, he was a first-rate showman. R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio....

on May 24th Slipknot ( site / wiki ) bassist Paul Gray ( wiki ) was found dead in a hotel room with "a hypodermic needle and pills" (NME). so it looks like drugs played a part in his death. the rock 'n roll lifestyle has claimed another victim. Gray was a co-founder of Slipknot and was known as the guy with the "pig" mask. Slipknot have been the heaviest band in the world for the last 10 years. no other band could touch their sound, speed, brutality, and sheer emotion. listening to Slipknot for the first time was like getting whiplash and enjoying it and then wanting more. their music does what good metal does best, it scares the shit out of people. except their crazy fans, aka "maggots". they love this shit.

these soundboard tracks were recorded just last June 13th at the Download Festival in Derby, UK. this crowd goes freakin' crazy for Slipknot during this concert. R.I.P. Paul Gray....

speaking of bass players, T-Bone Wolk ( site / wiki ) was the bassist for Daryl Hall and John Oates during their heyday in the 1980's. T-Bone died of a heart attack back in February. Hall & Oates ( site / wiki ) had a lot of hit songs and toured all over in the 70's and 80's. T-bone was a huge part of their core band along with guitarist G.E. Smith. T-Bone was also proficient at guitar, banjo, organ and accordion. T-Bone worked with many other artists including Elvis Costello, Billy Joel and Carly Simon. in the late 80's, he joined G.E. Smith in the Saturday Night Live House band and stayed there for almost 10 years. in recent years, T-Bone had been producing records for other artists. At the time of his death, T-Bone was in the middle of helping Daryl Hall record his latest solo album. Daryl recently paid tribute to T-Bone on his popular web-only show, Live from Daryl's House. check out the tribute episode HERE

in 1982, i was lucky enuff to see Hall & Oates during their 'Private Eyes' tour. i remember how good that show was. they were one of the most successful bands to make the tricky transition from the 1970's rock scene into the 1980's MTV-dominant video era.

this set of songs includes "maneater", a song with one of the most-recognizable bass lines in pop music history. that's T-Bone. this whole bootleg sounds amazing. it was recorded on July 9th 1988. these tracks demonstrate how good this band really was in their prime. R.I.P. T-Bone Wolk....

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listen, enjoy, repeat.....

may mim mix out.....

Elvis at The National

2010-04-30T16:24:00.044-04:00

this time i will save the long comments for part 2. let's just say that the word amazing applies to both the artist and the venue. here are my best pics from last weekend's concert by Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes at The National in Richmond.....

stay tuned for observations and video in part2 of Elvis at The National.........

Cake at The National

2010-04-24T09:39:00.131-04:00

i love cake. and who doesn't? cake is great. i have always loved cake. well, at least since about 1992-ish i have loved Cake, the band. the food, however, has been a favorite alot longer.

in july of 2009, during my one and only summer vacation last year, i finally got to see one of my favorite bands, Cake ( site / allmusic / wiki ), in Richmond with some good friends. cake is a great band that i've loved for a long time but never had a chance to see perform live before. this show involved a road trip with some close friends. me, sl, dm and prophit have all been fans of cake for a long time. (yeah, both kinds: the band and the food. mmm, cake!) so when this date popped up during my vacation week last year i started the ball rolling. after everyone fixed their schedule and got permission from the wives we were all set to go.

before getting to the venue we downed numerous beers at an Irish pub downtown. between the four of us the true beer count is unknown. but it was alot. the drinking continued at the concert.

the show was at The National ( site / facebook / schedule ) in downtown Richmond, VA. it was a great place for a concert. it reminded me of a movie theater with no seats on the floor. i guess that's what it was. the balcony looked cool, but i was glad to be on the floor. it was standing-room-only but with better sound and sights. there was also beer available at the venue. mmm, beer....

HERE is the upcoming schedule at THE NATIONAL

when i got to venue with my camera i thought The National would be like most places these days and not have a policy against cameras. well, they didn't. but apparently the band did. this sign was posted on the doors. when the show began. so i didn't use my camera very much at all. not that many people did until later in the show. once i even saw the lead singer tell someone to stop taking pics. i really don't know if the band cares or not. even tho my pics were extremely disappointing, the show was still exceptionally satisfying. the best pics in this post were taken by my pal sl who is my Richmond connection to great concerts. or something like that.

there was no opening band. cake started with a brand new song, title unknown. they were working on a new album at the time (and still are). later in the show they also did another new song called "i'm sick of you". it has that familiar cake-style chorus that compelled people to sing along even tho we had never heard the song before. i have since acquired a ring-tone (thru their website) of another new song called "federal funding". i'm really looking forward to hearing the new album.

going into this show, one of my biggest questions about the band was: what is that thing? the percussive wood instrument that makes the rattle noise? the singer uses it alot. not many bands have had hit songs featuring that percussive thingy the singer hits to make those rattle sounds. the Vibraslap (wiki) is a very important element in Cake's sound. they can't (or shouldn't) do a show without it.

while watching this show, the thought occurred to me that the Fender bass is really like the road map of rock music. it certainly plays a huge part in Cake's music. Gabe Nelson, the bass player, has a significant role in the band's sound. while gabe is not the original bassist, he has been with the band the longest aside from its lead singer. John McCrea (lead singer, guitarist, vibraslapist) is the only original member left but the band's distinctive sound has not suffered. these guys are just as much fun as they were in the early 1990's

guitarist Xan McCurdy played a Gretsch for the entire show. that is also part of their signature sound. there were even some trumpet parts in a few of their songs. see, not your typical rock band. they were also a 3-hat band. 3 of the 5 guys were wearing hats. cake is definitely unique.

a fan named Evan97TJ shot some great videos of this show. here is one of his vids featuring one of my favorite moments, Cake covers Black Sabbath:

this concert had many highlights but the best ones were when the audience got involved by singing along. there were alot of great singalongs during this show. the best one was probably on this song:

did you know only 35% of the world has running water?

sudden subject change? well, that's what john mcCrea said during an abrupt quiet between songs early in the first set. it was kinda jarring at first. but then people got a sense of the message.

Water ( site / wiki / epa / news ) is quite a valuable resource that we often take for granted. the town of Buchanan, VA doesn't have running water (read about it HERE). we found that out on the way to Richmond. we stopped to get a burger and there were no fountain drinks to be had. people there had to boil their tap water to make it safe. believe it or not, safe drinking water is harder to attain than you might think.

cake is a very climate-conscious band. they are very noticeably active environmentalists. they promote such things on their website. almost too much. in fact, while looking for info on the band i couldn't find any bio stuff on band members at their own site. the site has alot of updates about environmental issues. now i agree with all that and think its great. but... the website should at least have a bio that is about the band and not their politics. music is music and politics is politics. but some just want to rock out without thinking about the world's problems. cake makes its fans think. become a fan of their facebook page and you get lots of environment-conscious postings with some good facts to know. they have also posted some pics of them recording the new album. it should be released sometime in 2010.

in the spirit of environmentalism, cake gave away a peach tree during the concert. yes, really! you can see it on stage. during their break between sets they picked someone from the crowd who promised to give it a good home. here is cake fan Nate with his girlfriend and his newly planted peach tree.....

the energy from the cake concert spilled onto the sidewalk where alot of people gathered around two street drummers. someone said they were semi-famous in the area. i knew nothing about them except that they made a few plastic buckets very very funky. just funky enough to make people watch. and girls dance...

then more watched....

it was a great show and the sidewalk entertainment was a nice dessert. so was the waffle house late nite breakfast. mmmm, bacon.

BIG BIG THANKS to my pals sl, dm, and prophit for a great experience! i hope we can do it more often. but then there is all the scheduling and kids and carbon emissions. oh well, we'll make it happen somehow. here we are leaving the bar before the show...

btw, on the nite of the show we stayed at an old hotel across the street from the State Capitol where Virginia's state laws are made. the view was nice. here are a couple of my pics that actually look ok......

speaking of water, this next pic shows the bidet toilet that was in our bathroom at the strange hotel. i'm not gonna say whether or not i tried it, but i am gonna suggest that anyone using one of those needs to be sure which knob is the hot water and which one is the cold water. its an important thing to know...

have you enjoyed any cake today? how about water? if so, consider yourself lucky. you can have your cake and flush it too....

Experience Hendrix Tour: the final nite, part 1

2010-04-19T15:28:00.035-04:00

two weeks ago i witnessed the largest collection of famous musicians that i have ever seen at one concert. it was the final nite of the Experience Hendrix Tour in Durham, NC.

the short tour was a tribute to the songs and legacy of Jimi Hendrix. even tho jimi died almost 40 years ago, his influence is as strong as ever. all of the famous guitarists on the tour came together because jimi's music inspired them deeply. more details to come in part 2. this is the first half of my pics from the show. see all of my pics worth seeing at the flikr site HERE

two men who knew jimi personally, Ernie Isley and Billy Cox, got the show started. Chris Layton (from Stevie Ray Vaughn's Double Trouble) was the drummer for most of the show....

Eric Johnson gave an amazing performance of "are you experienced?". how does he play that backwards solo so perfectly?

Jonny Lang and Brad Whitford (from Aerosmith) did a rousing version of "fire" with help from the guys from Living Colour leading everyone in the chorus section.....

Kenny Wayne Shepherd tore it up with his version of "voodoo child"....

the combination of Joe Satriani and Living Colour was truly special......

Robert Randolph is a dynamic performer. his version of "purple haze" with three pedal steel guitars was freakin' amazing. here he is with joe, billy, kenny, and brad.....

at the end, all the performers came together at once to take a big bow. i don't think i have ever seen some many famous musicians on one stage at the same time....

this is not the best video i have ever shot but at least its my favorite band doing one of my favorite songs. sorry for the shaky parts, i was having a great time.....

part 2 of the "Experience Hendrix Tour: the final nite" will be posted after i write it. stay tuned........

4 for 4 four twenty ten

2010-04-04T16:44:00.086-04:00

its another new month, and i feel like a fool
forgot to post a mix in march, so that ain't cool
gotta catch it up with some great new tunes
4 fresh slices of funk being release very soon
so enjoy 4 for 4 four twenty ten or its a sin...

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speaking of sin, Erykah Badu ( site ) has stirred up alot of controversy with her new music video called "window seat". it was shot in her hometown of Dallas, TX at a popular tourist site. its a well-known place because Dealey Plaza is where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. erykah simulates being shot in the street after she strips off all her clothes getting totally naked while walking among a large group of unknowing tourists. i don't think she committed any sins by shooting the video. it is art after-all. art with a message. but apparently some cops in Dallas need to try and steal her thunder by charging ms. badu with disorderly conduct after the fact. i think the video is quite good considering it was done in one shot without alot of effects and no set. her clothes were the props. and she really looks pretty good considering she just had a baby in february. did you see that booty? hit play and you will.....

honestly this other new song from ms. badu is quite a bit funkier. the song is "jump up in the air and stay there". the video was released in january and features brand new jailbird Lil Wayne. this video is actually one big tribute to the album cover of Funkdelic's first album from 1970. the song even samples funkadelic's "hydraulic pump". the new album from eyrkah is called New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh and was released on march 30. get it. listen. enjoy. repeat.

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so if you take a little funk; mix it with some rock n roll; add a heavy serving of raw blues; then stir it up real good and boil it down to a two-man band; then final product is the Black Keys ( site ). their newest single, "tighten up", is featured in this very low-budget video. it is, however, an official video because it came from the keys' own YouTube channel. the production budget may have been zero, but the music makes up for that with maximum coolness. the new album, Brothers, will be out on May 18th...

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the last new video in this post is perhaps the only one made with a sizable budget. i'm just guessing that based on the cool animation. this is "rise up", the title track from the new Cypress Hill ( site ) album. appropriately for these champions of marijuana, the album will be released on 4-20. this song features a guest appearance by Tom Morello who adds some heavy guitar to the cypress funk. you must stand while watching. and it helps to light up a blunt too....

4 for 4 four twenty ten.....

dressing up for Halloween

2010-03-27T22:31:00.202-04:00

february was the month when loving couples everywhere celebrated Valentine's Day by going out on a date. rarely do i get to do that with my honey. for V-Day this year all we could manage was a dinner out with the kids. no real date. the last time my wife and i had a "date nite" was all the way back on Halloween of last year. we left the kids at home, got all dressed up and went out on an awesome date! here is my tale of dressing up for dinner and a concert on Halloween nite with my honey. the food was good, the show was better, but that dress my wife wore was the best!

some people dress up in elaborate costumes for Halloween. i have done that (Halloween '07) before but i did it in a different way this past Halloween. i put on my best shirt and pants (no tie) and took my wife out on a "date" to see Lyle Lovett ( site / wiki / myspace ), who is one of my favorite singers. i haven't had a chance to cover lyle yet so its great to finally get this done.

this was a nite we had planned and looked forward to even before i bought the tickets the day they went on sale. and since a fancy meal is rare for us, this seemed to be a good chance to try somewhere really nice we had never been. so before the show we went to the finest restaurant either one of us has ever stepped into in this town. the food was expensive but it was well worth it. i ate a snapfish with real oysters and a sauce on top. that's a lame description but it was a superb entree. my wife had a the most perfectly cooked filet mignon. the chocolate desert was even better than the meal. wifey loved that. the whole meal experience was exceptional. just awesome! mad props to Stephen's Restaurant (visit their site HERE)

after the fancy dinner we managed the walk to the car despite being almost too full to move. we went over to the Roanoke Performing Arts Theater (site) for the lyle show. i am a big fan of his music and i saw him once before in the exact same venue. that last concert (in 2003) had the best sound quality of any live concert i have ever seen. that same great sound system was there this time. the seats have been redesigned since then but the sound system is still excellent.

it was not very huge crowd at all, the bottom section was almost full, no balcony seats taken. they blocked it off and sent those people down to the bottom section. i think it was less than 1000 people. i was happy with our seats on the 10th row.

since it was Halloween, everyone was in a festive mood. kids get to go trick or treatin' but us adults don't get to do fun stuff like that. we have to spend money on alcohol to have fun. lol some friends of mine who had already been there before the show started doing just that. at least one couple were dressed up in costumes. lyle pointed them out during the show and called them the "king and queen of roanoke".

the music started when keyboardist Jim Cox went to the organ and played that old familiar horror movie style spooky organ piece that starts every scary scene in cliche tv moment. you know, Bach! it is actually a Bach composition called "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" (i looked it up). then the band started filling in at their positions. drums, stand-up bass, steel guitar, one electric guitar, another electric, mandolin, fiddle, cello.... they just kept coming!... when will it end?!?!? this band is so LARGE. the total number was 14 including LYLE! WoW!

they got right into it with an instrumental from lyle's previous album IT'S NOT BIG IT'S LARGE. great beginning! then lyle came out to sing what may be the signature tune of his career, "here i am". i don't know if that was his first hit song, but it sure was the song that introduced me to lyle back in the 90's. the song's great lyrics and strategic pauses make it perfect for the personality of lyle himself. i think everyone in the audience knew this song. the line, "and please, sir, make mine a cheeeeseburger" went over especially well

after a couple of songs, lyle got talkative. few musicians can match the humor and charisma of lovett. he was very open and chatty between songs, telling stories and descriptive introductions. mostly he was would just casually comment on things as if he didn't know what he was going to say next. not quite rambling, but certainly comfortable on stage. he asked the backup singers about Halloween costumes. that lead to another spontaneous story that clearly wasn't planned ahead of time.

lyle and his band did some of my favorites from the past three albums and several new ones from the album he was there to promote, Natural Forces. lyle's band has to be LARGE to deliver all the moods that his songs invoke. i get the feeling this band can play anything. and they did. there was a little bit of every style somewhere in the show: country, blues, rock, western swing, bluegrass, gospel

lyle has a great reverence and appreciation for the musicians in his band.
many are the same guys that were in the band when i saw them in 2003. most of them are seasoned veterans who have played in lyle's band for a long time. the core group includes: Mitch Watkins on electric guitar (Fender Strat), Dean Parks on electric guitar (Paul Reed Smith), Russ Kunkel on drums, Paul Franklin on steel guitar, James Gilmer on percussion, and John Hagan on cello

on the new album there is a song called "it's rock and roll" that lyle wrote with Robert Earl Keen ( site ). it includes lyrics about living in the world of big-time touring and how the "rock n roll life" ain't always easy. i couldn't help but think how the musicians in lyle's band have led that life. they've probably toured constantly for years and years. doin' it all for the love of the music. it seems glamorous but that's from my perspective. i'm sure it must be alot harder than us normal people realize.

lyle's large band isn't just a tool for delivering his arrangements as they were recorded. he first formed the LARGE band in 1988. he calls it a "LARGE" band instead of "big band" because they don't play traditional "big band music". and while the group has evolved over time, it is always populated with diverse musicians. the big band also provides a showcase for top-quality musicians that are building their own careers. some of the guys had their solo CDs available for sale at the T-shirt booth.i bought a long sleeve shirt that says: "IT'S NOT BIG, ITS LARGE". it's about the band, not me. well, after the dinner i had that nite, maybe i was kinda large around the middle.

one of the newer guys in the band is fiddle player Luke Bula ( myspace ). luke fits in perfectly with the LARGE band. luke did a great job of playing all the fiddle parts that were recorded by stuart duncan on the new album. stuart's shoes aren't easy to fill but luke did a great job. luke was part of the small combo that joined lyle for a bluegrass style old-timey one-mic circle performance. just like that, the LARGE band moved out and lyle is doing an acoustic set. i wanna say it was the highlight of the whole show, but there were so many.

also in that combo was Viktor Krauss ( site / myspace ) on double bass playing amazingly as usual. he played on lyle's new album and i saw him once before when he was with lyle the last time. viktor is actually part of lyle's core group. he has played on the last 5 lovett albums. plus, the guy records with lots of other top artists. he's a world class bass player. i think the lesson here is this: if viktor krauss is in your band, you have a damn good band.

mandolin player Keith Sewell ( site / myspace ) joined in during the acoustic set. he provided a wonderful vocal accompaniment to lyle. this is when lyle couldn't help but comment about how close the two men's mouths were to each other. it was an intimate mic situation. lyle used it for comedic effect. i don't think it was spontaneous but it was entertaining.

this is when they debuted the new song "pantry"

in the intro to "pantry", lyle told a story about his girlfriend at home and how he feels a bit guilty about having great food while on the road but can't share the meal with her. vice versa, she may actually enjoy some home cooking (beans, cornbread..) while he is away. lyle talked about how the food on the road just isn't quite as good as home cooking. even if its the fanciest restaurant in the world, its not quite as good as whats cookin' at home. but i don't think the song is really about food... once you pay attention to the lyrics a little you realize that the "food" you shouldn't taste on road .........

(lyrics):

don't cheat on me with cornbread
don't cheat on me with beans
don't cheat on me with bacon
cooked up in collard greens

and don't cheat on me with biscuits
with jelly sweet and blue
keep it in that place
where you know you will be true
keep it in your pantry.........

the next verse says "he will return with a healthy appetite..." and when they meet again, if one of them isn't as hungry, then the other knows someone has not kept it in their "pantry", get it? its a "keep it in your pants" song. lyle's girlfriend wants to make sure he remembers that. in fact, April Kimble, the girlfriend, has a co-writing credit on the song.

the acoustic set also included "up in indiana"

those hot new guys that weren't with lyle in 2003 were given opportunities to shine during the show. i'm talking about keith sewell and luke bula. of course those guys are probably not new in the bluegrass/country world but in mainstream music, they haven't yet made a mark. i think all of the guys in lyle's band are going to be names in the country music world for a long time. while they are all great, i predict that keith sewell is the name that will eventually emerge into the mainstream market. he's damn good.

lyle isn't a bad guitar player himself. he played two acoustics during the concert. his thumb-pick style playing is so fluid and effortless, especially during the quieter tunes. lyle even looks uncomfortable when he can't hold his guitar. when he sings without it, he looks like he is trying to find a place to put his hands. that guitar is his safety net. even tho he doesn't need one. after all, he's the leader of a LARGE band.

lyle loves the songs of his late friend Townes Van Zandt ( site ). he performed the van zandt song "Loretta" from the new album. when intro-ing the song he mentioned townes and a few people went crazy. they like him too. lyle's fans know good songs.

the backup harmony singers are Sweet Pea Atkinson, Harry Bowens, and Jason Eskridge. they have been with lyle for a long time. lyle's intro to "penguins" included a brief story (with sweet pea) about making the music video in LA. "penguins" was a hit for lyle that featured the backup singers singing harmony.

i wonder if lyle does "if i had a boat" at every show? does he think he HAS to do it? i bet he does it because he knows who much his fans wanna hear it. people love its free spirit attitude and maybe even for that one line where he says "kiss my ass, i bought a boat, i'm going out to sea" alot of folks were singing along at that point. i guess everyone would like to be able to say that in real life. i know i would.

at the end, i knew they would play "church song". it is basically a gospel song about being hungry in church. it is on the album Joshua Judges Ruth, which was the first lyle album that i loved. i knew they had to play it. its just such a great song that gets everyone feeling a little better. even if you don't like country music or gospel or even have any religion in your life at all, that song can make you feel better. and its essentially about food. how many great songs do you know that have "cornbread" in the lyrics? lyle had at least two on this nite

the concert ended appropriately with the song "closing time". thunderous applause followed. more lyle fans were happy. they aren't your normal country music fans, or normal rock n roll fans. but they are a select group because they understand lyle. at least a little. they understand he is unlike any other singer. he hits the notes. he writes the words. he covers the best writers. he plays with the best players. he is simply one of a kind. lyle is a unique artist. that is a great thing.

i saw several people i knew at the concert. a couple of them you can see at the insideoutpaparazzi flikr page

because of that "hamburger" line, the pantry song and a few other references to food, my wife commented after the show that lyle seems to have a lot of songs about food. i guess some of them are actually about food, but some just seem like they are. like "pantry", it ain't all about food. sometimes its just about enjoying something good. we did. the concert was awesome!!

Buy Natural Forces HERE

now here is a little bit about the album Natural Forces..... for several years Lyle Lovett has been the only "country" artist to stay on any of my playlists. he has been a favorite because of his amazing voice and impeccable style. he is also a great songwriter. i bought the new cd just a few days before the concert because i knew there would be some new songs and wanted to hear them at least once. lyle had already made a television appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman playing the title song "natural forces" with this band. at first the song "natural forces" seems to be about horses, but i think it's about home and the importance of feeling at home.

the LARGE band sound hints at jazz on a few of the new cuts. the LARGE band is definitely back and they still sound great. but the songs are the real star of this record. it is almost a tribute album to other songwriters. lyle revels in songs that tell stories and there are several of those on NF. lyle has so many great songs of his own but he still can't resist singing someone else's song simply because he loves it. 6 of 11 songs on the new album were written by other writers. he loves good songs that others have written just because they are great. he loves good songs just as much as he loves singing.

the LARGE band lineup at the concert is nearly the exact same as on the new album. the biggest difference is that Sam Bush plays mandolin and Stuart Duncan plays fiddle on nearly every track on the new album but they weren't in the touring group. i saw stuart before on the Plant/Krauss tour in june 2008 and i saw sam bush at bonnaroo in 2007. just like his touring band, lyle uses only the best musicians on his album.

my favorite songs: "natural forces", "pantry", "rock n roll", "bohemia"

read more about Natural Forces at allmusic

read a review of the concert by the Roanoke Times HERE
here a podcast with Lyle at the Cut N Scratch blog

since it was Halloween, you know some freaky stuff had to be going on. for example, there was a THRILLER dance-off going on in the outside space next door to the theater. you know, the Michael Jackson "thriller" dance. around 100 people were doing it at the same time. freaky.!.!.!...(read more here) to my knowledge, lyle and the LARGE band did not attempt the Thriller dance. we saw a zombie on the way out. i wasn't scared.

dressing up for Halloween paid off for me with a great show and a nice meal with a beautiful escort. since its all about the food, i can describe this date nite with my wife as a meal: that delicious fancy dinner was just the appetizer, the fantastic main course was the concert, and i had desert after i took her home. mmmmmm good! can't wait to do it again!!

speaking of food, i really like cake....

3 for twenty ten

2010-03-20T15:20:00.117-04:00

its finally spring and thats putting a smile on alot of people's faces. not me of course, i'll have to put that off for one more week. but i actually am almost excited about some of the new releases that are out now by some of my favorite bands. these artists have some great new music coming out right about NOW. here are 3 new albums to check out for twenty ten...

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who says cartoons don't rock? i freakin' love the Gorillaz ( site / wiki ) even tho they are an animated band. the imagery is great but it would be nothing without the music. Damon Albarn of Blur fame collaborated with Tank Girl-creator Jamie Hewlett to create the band back in 1998. the new album, their third, is called Plastic Beach. it is a very diverse effort. the guest appearances span the gamut from Snoop Dogg to Lou Reed to Bobby Womack. but Plastic Beach isn't just a collection of songs, its a whole storyline featuring the members of the band. go to their YouTube page to see the great new video featuring special guest Bruce Willis. fans can further explore the world of the plastic beach thru an interactive online game available at the gorillaz site. since the new video can't be embedded, i can't put it in this page. so here is a pro shot video of the gorillaz performing "feel good inc." in concert....

BUY THE NEW ALBUM AT THEIR SITE

sample at Moodswings blog

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Shooter Jennings ( site ) just released a heavy concept album called Black Ribbons. yes, shooter, the "country" singer who is the son of music legend Waylon Jennings. but that's a short description that doesn't do him justice as an artist. in fact, shooter was probably influenced just as much by Nine Inch Nails and Judas Priest as he was those outlaw country guys. this album is a story arc of songs, and like the Gorillaz, at shooter's website there is more interactive stuff having to do with the storyline of an imaginary band. its quite an adventure trying figure out the story that's going on. i haven't yet, but i'm intrigued by the music so far.....

BUY IT and find out more HERE

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Jimi Hendrix ( site ) has a new album! yet he is really dead! no, its not like that Tupac thing where he keeps releasing new music so it seems like he's not really dead. jimi's music has been re-released so many times that its like retread tires. but this time they have compiled an entirely new song called "valleys of neptune" from an original demo along with some versions of his classics that have never been released before. this trippy video is for the title track from Valleys of Neptune...

BUY THE ALBUM HERE

sample the music at Jimi's site

www.jimihendrix.com

so next weekend is when i can actually smile for real because i'm going to see HENDRIX IN CONCERT! no, not jimi himself, but several of jimi's songs being played by guitar greats like Joe Satriani, Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. its the EXPERIENCE HENDRIX TOUR!! it gonna be great. i can't wait!!

4 years old today

2010-03-14T13:00:00.230-04:00

4 years ago today, this blog was born. i can't believe its been 4 years already. my first post wasn't much of anything. many of my posts have been alot of nothing but some have been very long and informative. my second post was a rant about the rock and roll hall of shame. my distaste with the rock hall was sparked by their snub of KISS and other rock and roll greats. 4 years later, that lame establishment still doesn't have a clue. some things never change. i will get back to bashing them very soon.

a band does not have to be in someone's hall of fame to be great. good music is still just good music. if it rocks or rolls or pops or swings or sways or headbangs or pogo dances its good stuff. good stuff is good stuff. stuff is good but sounds are better. sound good?

it is my love of those great bands that drives my interest in keeping this blog going. everytime i write about one that i like i add it to the ROLL CALL over there on the side. not all are my favorites but i at least like them if they make the list. in 4 years the list has gotten very long. so has my list of music blogs around the web. that's the freshly baked section over there. also, check out the tags section. the blogspot service itself has even gotten better at formatting and offering cool web-page toys. so some things have certainly improved in 4 years.

what have i learned in 4 years? well, i have gotten a little better at putting web pages together. still not that good, but improving. another thing i have learned is that i will never make money with one of these blog thingys. i tried to run ads for a while. in an entire year's time i earned 5 CENTS. yes, 5 pennies. so, its not worth it. i hate seeing ads on blogs so i think my readers would probably hate it too. so no ads here. but support for my charity of choice is appreciated. you can help CURE CF by searching with GOODSEARCH.

in my last post about what this blog is about titled for the FUNK of it, i said "what kind of blog do i want to be when i grow up?" ...well, is 4 years grown up yet? perhaps on the internet it is. i don't know about that but i do think that this blog has developed its own style now. its still just me writing it and that's the way it will always be. my blog. its not about me but it is about my tastes in music. and sometimes politics. and other stuff. most importantly, its an avenue for free speech. i say use it or lose it. so i use it. except i'm usually late getting stuff done. i admit being late. sometimes even lame. but its usually done the way i want. its mine. just mine.

those are the things that my blog is about. as far as where the blog goes from here, i really don't know exactly. i just hope to make it better. i will continue to post about the bands that i love, and the new ones i discover along the way. i hope the audio, video, and photography gets better too. it took me a long time to get to 100 posts, so i think my new goal is to get at least 356 posts, one for each day of the year. that should only take like, what, 10 years?

so i guess you could say that this little birthday write-up could be called for the FUNK of it (revised)

i am a blog and i'm 4 years old today. here are 4 more things....

......the end

music from 1970

2010-02-28T11:30:00.066-05:00

its the last day of the month and i have finally got this one done.... i was born 40 years ago this month. now that i've had a little while to get over it, i can finally finish my tribute to the year i was born, 1970. this is a mim mix in the spirit of my posts in tribute to live music in a given year. this is all about the rock bands of 1970 that i eventually grew up to like.

1970 was a very good year in rock music. it was certainly a time of change in American society but more importantly for this blog it was a time of transition in music. the 60's were officially over and rock was growing up. i personally think that the 1970's decade was the most important decade for rock and roll music. the reason is because it did in fact grow up. those basics that were started in the 50's and blossomed in the 60's were developing strong branches. new rock genres were established in 1970's. it was the days before drum machines and synthesizers. rock bands were filled with real musicians. and vinyl still ruled.

...in the last mim mix, i featured 10 songs that were found in 2009. this post features bootleg tracks from concerts recorded sometime during 1970. some are soundboard copies and some are audience tapes.most of these are pretty good quality. that is amazing considering the time when they were recorded and the fact that they aren't official releases. i was only a newborn then but these acts are all favorites of mine now. sometime in those next 40 years i discovered their music. some of the bands in this mim mix have been covered on this blog before. some are new and will be added to the roll call.

heeeere we go.....

first up, the Godfather of Soul James Brown. who was hot in 1970? well, James Brown of course. he was on top of the musical world in 1970. he had alot big hits in the 1960's. it's amazing what has changed and what hasn't changed in 40 years. one thang that hasn't changed is the funk. james laid down the funk like no other singer EVER!. afterall, he is the godfather of soul. and possibly the funkiest man to ever live...

there is an added significance to this boot. this concert was recorded in Salem, VA just a few miles from where i live right now. the specific venue in this bootleg is not listed. however, it is believed that the recording is from Salem in spring of 1970. i think it was the Salem Civic Center which was fairly new at the time. in the future i will do some more research to confirm this.

salem is not exactly known for its funk. james played the salem civic center a few times over the years. i was so excited to find this boot. not only because of its local history but also because it sounds so good. boots this old don't get much better than this.....

james brown - live in salem, VA 1970
05 bewildered

14 superbad

altho they were already a well-known band in 1970, Fleetwood Mac ( site / all / wiki / myspace ) was nothing like the Fleetwood Mac that most people know about. back then they were a British traditional blues band in style of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. no pop hits, no females, no Americans. the pop hits came about in later years. not to say their music wasn't good or influential before that. this version of FM includes guitarists Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer, plus the only two guys to be in every lineup of FM, bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood. i think John and Mick i might be the best rhythm section duo in rock history. in fact, the band's name is derived from those two guys. this was a BBC concert recorded from the Paris Cinema in London on april 9, 1970. peter green left the band one month later....

fleetwood mac - rattlesnake shake (live in london 4-9-70)

it was about half-way thru my 40-year journey that i began to appreciate the amazing music of Miles Davis ( site / wiki / all / IMDb ). i think had to grow up a little before being able to truly hear his artistry. he wasn't just a jazz musician. he was a fearless innovator who was never afraid to try new things. he always pushed the envelope and not just with his trumpet. part of miles' special talent was his ability to put together groups of musicians who helped push the musical envelope themselves. this is why miles was often the jazz world's leader into new musical territories. the late 60's and early 70's were part of miles' electric period. this is the time that so-called fusion jazz was born.

this very long cut is from a concert at the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium. miles' band here includes Wayne Shorter on sax, Chick Corea on keyboards, Dave Holland on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Airto Moreira on percussion and, one of my favorites, the amazing John McLaughlin on guitar. this lineup is well-known as miles' Bitches Brew-era band. this show was recorded almost exactly 40 years ago just before Bitches Brew was released. find the full FLAC version HERE. pretty good sound for an audience recording....

miles davis - bitches brew (live in michigan 2-21-70)

perhaps no guitarist in the world has influenced more musicians than Jimi Hendrix ( site / wiki / all ). i love Hendrix and this is my first chance to write about him. unfortunately Jimi didn't see the end of 1970. he died on september 18th of that year. its fun to think about how jimi would have done in the 70's and beyond. his music might have gone in many different directions.

jimi's band in 1970 consisted of Billy Cox on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. and most of the time this combo did not play any songs from the early part of Jimi's career. in the spring of 1970, Jimi embarked on the 'Cry of Love' tour. this soundboard boot was recorded at the Berkeley Community Theater in Berkeley, California on May 5, 1970. these are two of my favorite Jimi songs. find the full concert HERE. in a few weeks i am going to see the Experience Hendrix tour. can't wait!

jimi hendrix live at berkely 5-5-70

12 voodoo child
13 purple haze

-

~

speaking of influence, Black Sabbath casts a huge shadow of influence over all heavy rock music that came afterward. all that started about 1970. in this bootleg, they start off the concert with a "brand new" song called Paranoid. wow, that's history. is that song really 40 years old? i guess so... (sigh)... in tribute to what it feels like to turn 40, here is black sabbath's "new" single on June 26, 1970 live at a venue called the Audimax in Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany. this is from a bootleg called Rat Salad...

black sabbath - paranoid (live in berlin 6-26-70)

this boot is also from Germany in 1970. it is from the only band in this collection that is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. to say that Deep Purple ( site / wiki / myspace / all ) shouldn't be in the rock hall is ludicrous!! just another reason why that hall of shame in Cleveland doesn't deserve legitimacy. Deep Purple's influence was already worldwide by 1970. their impact may not be as large as some other bands from the era, but its hard to imagine rock and roll without Deep Purple. this boot was recorded on July 11, 1970 in Aachen, Reitstadion, Germany...

deep purple - black night (live in germany 7-11-70)

i didn't truly appreciate Santana ( site / all / wiki ) until i saw them in concert in 1995. wow, what a performance! Carlos Santana ( wiki ), as the leader of the band, has kept the original spirit alive for more than 40 years despite numerous lineup changes. the band was discovered by legendary rock promoter Bill Graham and had their debut in San Francisco in 1968. by this time in 1970, santana had already played Woodstock which made them quite famous. this track was recorded at a concert in Providence, RI. this is from the first show of the nite. santana's second album Abraxas, had just been released. the album went to #1. this is one of those old fleetwood mac blues classics that santana made famous as their own hit...

santana - black magic woman/gypsy queen (live in providence 10-10-70)

guess who just played at the halftime of the most-watched Super Bowl ever? no, not the Guess Who from Canada. the Who!! who? The Who ( site / all / wiki )! who dat? who are they? who are you? ...honestly, some of the younger viewers in the tv audience were no doubt wondering who were THE WHO? but even if they were thinking "who?" by their looks, they still probably knew at least some of the music performed during the medley. see the performance HERE.

the Super Bowl turned 44 years old this year and The Who was formed almost 45 years ago! too bad that the halftime performance may have been one of the last ever for the band. btw, the New Orleans Saints (site) won an amazing game. who dat? here is something really great from the young version of The Who performing in 1970. the original lineup was a powerful combo. find the full boot in FLAC format HERE. this was recorded by an audience member at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, CA. this is The Who playing their signature tune while in their prime......

the who - my generation (live in anaheim 6-14-70)

BONUS SONG: NUMBER #11.....

finally, here is something special for my loyal reader jeb, who is a true deadhead. he even plays the part of an audience re-enactor sometimes at Dark Side Orchestra shows. this is the Grateful Dead ( site / wiki / all ) as they were in their early years. this another soundboard boot. the sound is really good. it is quite amazing that i found this boot because it was recorded on the very day i was born. the venue was the Filmore West in San Francisco....

grateful dead - the eleven (live at filmore west 2-5-70)

check out more mim mixes HERE

favorite albums of 2009

2010-02-14T20:09:00.000-05:00

this is my list of the best 10 new albums of 2009. i don't get to hear that many new releases but these were my favorites of what i did hear last year. this list actually has 11 albums (keep reading to find out why). they are not in any particular order except for the top 3. the last time i posted a best albums list was for the year 2008. even tho this list is for albums released in 2009, there is one very important one i left off of last year's list. i missed one album that should have been on that list (see it). so that's why we have a #11 on this top 10 list.

heeerrreee we go......

#11) Esperanza Spalding - Esperanza

Esperanza Spalding is a young jazz bassist and vocalist. her first major album got her noticed all over the world. the only reason to put this album #11 on any list is only because it was left off of my 2008 list. i don't know how i left this off of that list. perhaps because it is classified as jazz? i dunno. no matter what genre, this is a great album. i think since it was released in 2008, i didn't start listening to this until late in 2008. so that's why it didn't get mentioned in that post. but i certainly was listening to it alot around this time last year. last february i got to see esperanza in concert and even met her after the show. she signed my copy of the CD. totally awesome!! i already loved the music, but now i also treasure my autographed copy.

esperanza is an amazing talent who will be more and more famous in the years ahead. her talent is immense and i really hope that her success matches that level. my fav songs: "i know you know", "i adore you", "precious"

here is 4-10 (in no particular order)........

Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

super group? or over-hyped poop? some fans aren't quite into them, but i for one LOVE Them Crooked Vultures. this is a band that brings together singer/guitarist Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age, Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters (and Nirvana), and the legendary John Paul Jones from (gasp) Led Zeppelin. josh and dave grohl definitely have a good connection. they worked together before when dave played drums on a QotSA album and tour. but when you add JPJ to the stew, even cooler things happen. not only is JPJ a great bassist and keyboardist, but he also plays some mandolin and lap steel on the album.

there's a groove thang going on with this band. riffs and grooves is what its all about. but its also the added sonic elements here and there that define the sound. crazy effects, grohl's background vocals, slide guitars and keyboard/organ touches are the elements that really fill out the music. the ultimate test for any "super group" is whether or not the music is better than that of their individual bands. for this band right now, the answer is not quite. close but no cigar. the songs on this album are great but they are just a tease of what could be if they stay together. the guys have said that this self-titled debut album is not just a one-shot deal. there will apparently be another album. maybe even this year. i can't wait.

my fav songs: "mind eraser, no chaser", "bandoliers", "new fang"

did you see them on SNL? (check it out here) see TCV perform on ACL beginning Feb 13th

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The Dead Weather - Horehound

speaking of super groups... here is another one that features Jack White from the White Stripes and Raconteurs. how many bands can he start anyway? he plays drums in this one. yes, drums. he sings a little too but most of the vocals come from the Kills' Alison Mosshart. the band also includes another Raconteur, Jack Lawrence (also from the Greenhornes), and Dean Ferita (another queens of the stone age alum).

Jack is actually a very funky drummer. i suspect that he also played some guitar on the album. the sounds on this album are growly and nasty using keyboards and guitars to great effect. it is considerably darker than jack's other projects. this band hints at a few different styles: funk, blues, rock, punk, and new wave. a second album is already on the way. it should be awesome.

my fav songs: "treat me like your mother", "3 birds", "new pony"

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Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club

i don't know if this is a "supergroup" but it is a super group. the collaboration between guitarist Tom Morello and rapper Boots Riley is a politically-charged power unit. they have taken monster riffs and mixed them with raps about getting up and making a change. and they say it loud enuff that you MUST pay attention. even if you're not motivated by politics, this set of songs will make you move off that couch and raise your fist in the air. maybe you won't know what you're standing against but it sure feels good to join in the fight. it could be that this is the fight against wussy music. this music has balls. don't get your panties in bunch, because its all for the sake of rock. and funk. and rap. its all there. and it won't be satisfied until you take notice. so listen!! or the songs might just jump out of the speakers and kick your ass!

my fav tracks: "fight! smash! win!", "100 little curses", "nobody moves(til we say go)"

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Charlie Hunter - Baboon Strength

next is something nowhere near the aggressive style of the previous 3 albums... and it's the only instrumental jazz album on the list. its the 2009 release from Charlie Hunter, Baboon Strength. charlie is a guitarist so good that he plays bass and guitar at the same time. yep. his instrument has 7 strings. his sound resembles a Hammond organ with standup bass player attached. this isn't your traditional jazz. charlie's groove is funky. baboon strength is an all original album with songs composed by hunter. so of them give a shout out to pop artists like Squeeze and Karen Carpenter. all the music is performed by a trio which includes Erik Deutsch on keyboards and Tony Mason on drums.

my fav tracks: "astronaut love triangle", "baboon strength", "athens"

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Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11

this is another instrumental album. and it is one of the best tribute albums of any genre in recent years. rod n gab are an acoustic guitar duo from Mexico. they recorded 11 tracks paying tribute to 11 acts that influenced them. guitar music for sure. its heavy but its not metal. its acoustic but its not folk. not quite flamenco, not quite rock. no drums. just hands. their unique style comes across throughout this disc. yet the tracks are successful in hinting at the music created by the musicians that inspired each composition. rod n gab's heroes such as jimi hendrix, santana, pink floyd and alex skolnick (who guests on his own tribute) are toasted.

my fav songs: "buster voodoo", "hanuman", "atman"

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KISS - Sonic Boom

this band is not new at all, and it is doing a kind of tribute to itself. in short, the good KISS is back! well, not exactly. but this is the album that Psycho Circus should have been. PC was touted as the comeback album for the original KISS lineup back in 1998 after their reunion. but PC was a disappointment. Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were barely represented. since then, ace and peter left the band again only to be replaced by younger guys who now wear their makeup and costumes. and since the last split, KISS has been reluctant to put out new music. until 2009.

then wal-mart came calling. KISS made an exclusive deal with the retailer to market the new CD. the new music disc came packaged with a DVD concert and another disc of re-recorded KISS klassics. this top 10 ranking is based on the new music only.

pre-reunion vet Eric Singer is a better drummer than Peter Criss. on Sonic Boom eric finally gets a chance to sing lead on a song ("all for the glory"). the tune is pretty damn good but eric will never best peter in the vocal dept. Tommy Thayer plays the part of Ace really well. almost too well. his vocal turn isn't bad either ("when lightning strikes"). his solos fit the songs and he doesn't overdo it. the songs on SB are good. that's what counts.

as usual, the Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons songs dominate the set. and for the first time in years, they actually wrote some together. the results are a new KISS that will never be as good as the old one but is also better in many ways. Sonic Boom is successful because the band sounds better than on most of their albums for the past 20 years. the arrangements are tight. the tried and true KISS trademarks are not ignored. time will only tell if any of these songs become new KISS klassics.

my fav songs: "modern day delilah", "i'm an animal", "russian roulette"

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Prince - LotusFlow3r (3CD set)

maybe the assumption that no one buys CDs anymore is at least a little true. but in this case, that rule didn't apply. at least for a week. i bought this TARGET-exclusive as soon as it came out because i am a Prince fan. and alot of others did too making it one of prince's best sellers in a long time. but while me and some other Prince fans bought this album, getting new listeners is very tricky for the purple one. prince's strategy involved packaging his new album with a full CD of songs by new singer Bria Valente. LotusFlow3r is actually 2 CDs of Prince music (MPLSound and LotusFlow3r) and 1 CD from Bria Valente (Elixer), which is all Prince style, but with a sexy female voice.

i'm not sure the strategy worked. no one else i know bought the CD like i did and bria isn't exactly a super star. tho not great, her album is good. highlights include songs like "all this love", "kept woman", and "2nite"

none of that stuff about marketing really matters when it comes to the music. it is rock and roll and funk and soul performed to perfection. just like prince. he is a machine of good songs. this collection is among his best in the past 15-20 years. at least as good as 3121, maybe even better. a little too much filler is the only thing keeping this album out of the top 3

i love the new songs: "ol' skool company" (the newest prince classic), "dreamer", "feel better, feel good, feel wonderful", "4ever", "$" , "valentina". plus prince even does a rare cover song: "crimson and clover" (now my favorite version)

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Lyle Lovett - Natural Forces

this is the only "country" album on my list. and for several years Lyle Lovett has been the only country artist to stay on my personal playlists. he is a favorite because of his amazing voice and impeccable style. he is also a great songwriter. i think i like this album better than the last one. the big band is back and they still sound great but the songs are just better. not all are originals. lyle has so many great songs of his own but he still can't resist singing someone else's song simply because he loves it. he loves songs just as much as he performs them. lyle is a unique artist that defies category. that is a great thing.

highlights: "natural forces", "pantry", "bohemia"

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and now heeerrreee's the TOP 3:

Ace Frehley - Anomaly

best comeback. WOW, what a comeback! while the guys in KISS are busy trying to copy the original Ace persona, the real life original Ace, the man, is moving ahead. Anomaly has been highly-anticipated by ace fans for a long time. it succeeds in reminding loyal fans of the 70's and yet still informing them about the future. that's what Ace promised his fans and that's what he delivered.

my fav songs: "outer space", "its a great life","pain in the neck"

packaging bonus: the CD case includes a trippy pyramid you can fold up and display. cool!

....#2

Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot

as if there weren't enuff super group debut albums on this list... i could not resist checking out the latest Sammy Hagar-fronted band. this combo features Joe Satriani, Mike Anthony (of Van Halen) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer, Chad Smith. the results are the best surprise of the year. the best good time rock record in a long time. hard rock heroes, mashed together. fantastic results. these guys were already musical heroes of mine so this album only had to be a moderate success for me like it. fortunately, it exceeds expectations. these songs freakin' rock! best songs: all except the slow one

and the answer to the big question about whether this band is better than their individual bands?.... well, YES! right now, chickenfoot is better than van halen and red hot chili peppers. they are on top of the rock n roll mountain until someone knocks them off. where ya at eddie?

another packaging bonus: the CD cover had a special heat-sensitive coating that showed photos of the band when you rub your fingers on it. cool!!

heeere's #1 ......

Living Colour - The Chair in the Doorway

my favorite band returns. i guess i've had alot of favorites over the years, but Living Colour seems like my band. i thought they were cool from the first moment i heard "cult of personality" back in 1988. i love all their albums and this one doesn't disappoint. it is another step forward for the band.

the power of heavy guitars are there and so are the adventurous sounds. their game plan in creating sonic landscapes seems to be rock when necessary but provide a large landscape to tell the story. lyrically, the songs are personal and honest. corey glover's vocals have never been better. musically, each member gets a chance to show their chops yet the songs are still the focus. sometimes their tone is brutal and other times the mood is eerie. there are also some cheerful and angry moments. all expressive, all good. the disc even includes a hidden track called "asshole" that is short and sweet, except not sweet. love it!!

my favorite tracks:"out of my mind", "hard times", "decadance", "bless those"

yet one more CD packaging bonus: several of the pictures that i featured in my first post about the album are included with the inside artwork. great stuff. i find it interesting that the the artwork collection inside the CD cover is so different than the outside album cover and that reflects the music. living colour's music is always more than it first seems. repeated listens opens more and more doors. listen, rock, repeat. listen, rock, repeat

i can't wait to see these guys in concert. again.

i'm with COCO

2010-01-22T17:00:00.003-05:00

i can't believe how bad NBC has screwed this up....

Conan O'Brien will do his last Tonight Show tonite! NBC is firing Conan and putting Jay Leno back in his old slot. kinda like when you hit rewind and go back to the good part of the tape. that's what NBC wants. just hit rewind and make everything fine.

no matter that jay's act is stale. its obvious. put both shows together and its clear that conan is edgier and better suited for the future. plus, jay's gray hair. jay isn't fresh. he copies letterman's gags and he seems bored with everything after the monologue. lame.

my prediction is that when Jay gets the Tonight Show back, it will tank. David Letterman will start winning that time slot very consistently. Craig Ferguson will improve too. and if conan goes to Fox? ...i think he will be a BIG HIT. it will take time and he may never beat letterman but he will do good enuff to stay at Fox for a long time. then the late nite tv wars really get heated up. and since Fox is usually the #1 or #2 network, they are poised to have a big hit and lots of new revenue. if their executives don't screw it up.

who's at fault for this mess? NBC's Jeff Zucker of course. he's the brilliant idiot who has led NBC all the from #1 (early 1990's) to #4 (now). heckuva job, Brownie! this is the network that has canceled hit shows like JAG, Medium, and Scrubs only to have them go to other networks and become hits. mr zucker and his brainless crew replaced them with Donald Trump and 2-hours of fat people Olympics. we get it NBC, you've got the Olympics. ok... big freakin' deal. mr. zucker had 5 years to deal with this problem. then he blows the whole thing in a month. if zucker were an NFL coach, Dan Snyder woulda fired him about 5 times already.

so, anyone out there wanna learn about how to run a tv network take note. study Jeff Zucker. do the opposite of what he does and you'll be just fine. some people just don't get it. let's include mr zucker in that group. in fact, i believe most executives just don't get it but this guy should be the leader of all the clueless people.

what would have been a better solution?

i think Conan should have stayed on the Tonight Show. that was the plan, so stick with it! Conan's fans will stay with him. more will be converted over time. NBC should build on what they have invested in Conan over the past 17 years. get a clue NBC, Conan is your man. or he was....

Jay could also stay at NBC. but his show should change from every night to just 2 or 3 nights. or even once a week. or maybe during the rerun season? that would be better than more of that same old shit the peacock is gonna run anyway. more Law and fuckin' Order!?!?!!! more Dateline?!? nobody with a brain wants that crap. Jay is fresher than that. he's a great comedian and a good host. but his show is stale. so change it. ( keep that green car challenge thing. i like it. ) if you change Jay's role at NBC, your problem is solved. but i guess we can just go back in time and put humpty-dumpty back together again.

actually, the real problem here is that tv executive monkeys can't think outside of the box. why do we still have to have the same old types of formats that we did 30 years ago? shake it up a little. this is a new world of technology and innovation in media. how about Jay does a 40 minute show? put it in between two brand new ones. make it something worth watching. for two hours. instead of that crap you run now.... and when you do start showing new dramas, make them longer than usual. or shorter. put extra content in the middle of commercials breaks. something different!! more Law and Order is not good for anyone. more Conan, less Jay. that's the only way. well, it could have been...

but instead, NBC has let Conan go. such a thing was inconceivable 6 months ago. even 5 years ago. they planned this move for more than 5 years. they invested millions of dollars in promotions and new studios for both new shows, Conan's and Jay's. and then it all unraveled in less than a month. wow. i think NBC will continue to make bad decisions. same old, same old...

its too bad conan will be off the air for a while. but he will certainly be back on tv. NBC will try to keep most of his good comedy bits as their property. i bet a legal fight is gonna decide that. however, thanks to Max Weinberg and guitarist Jimmy Vivino, conan can still use the same theme music for the masturbating bear and other bits. read about it here. max weinberg backs up another legend. way to go max! if this gets ugly, you may have to call the boss.

'nuff said..... i'm with CoCo

first ten of 10

2010-01-10T01:10:00.007-05:00

sorry for not posting for a while. as i said in the last post, it has been a busy time. but now the december distractions are finally over and a new year has begun already. my only resolution for 2010 is to post more often on this blog. and i want to post more actual music! and since its 2010, i will make each new mim mix 10 tracks long. and then if i can get 10 mim mixes posted this year i will be doing pretty good. so, let's kick it off with a brand new mim mix: the first 10 of 10. it's all just 1's and 0's just like today's date. hope you enjoy!

i put this together while watching someone else win my fantasy football league. boooooo! boo hoo. let's just call this mix "cool sounds i found in 2009". these 10 tracks were discovered via the internet during 2009. some tracks are old and some are new. some of these tracks were free for me and some of them were not. they are just for listening purposes here, no downloads. please visit the artist's site and buy their music if you like it.

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let's get started with an homage to the funkiest purple-wearing dude on Earth, Prince. one of the best albums of the whole year for me was SPIN magazine's 'Purple Rain' tribute album which was only available online. it was a promotion for their special July issue celebrating the 25th anniversary of Prince's 'Purple Rain Soundtrack' album. there are some nice tracks from Sharon Jones & Dap Kings and many others. but my favorite is probably this amazing cover of "the beautiful ones" from a new group called Fol Chen ( site / all / wiki / myspace ). they have some interesting comparisons. find out more about this mysterious group if you can.....

fol chen - the beautiful ones (prince cover)

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a few months ago i came across the debut album from JoBoxers ( site / all / wiki ), a group i remember from the 80's. Like Gangbusters featured their 1983 hit song "just got lucky" which is one of my favorite pop songs from the era. seek it out if you like this band's sound. they only released 2 albums before breaking up. here is a different track from that first album that is considerably less radio-friendly than any of the singles....

joboxers - she's got sex

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the best "alternative" band from 1980's that never quite went mainstream may have been the Pixies ( site / all / wiki / myspace / facebook ). i have been a fan of theirs since Doolittle. after a breakup that lasted thru the 1990's, the pixies reunited for a concert tour in 2005. since then more shows keep getting booked. are they back together for real? sure sounds like it on stage. in 2009, the pixies celebrated Doolittle's 20th anniversary with another tour. they are offering some free live tracks on their website. go HERE to get it. i also heard that fans can even purchase live CD's at their shows. those band-sanctioned recordings sound excellent! (more on them in a future post) this concert boot sounds almost as good as those official recordings. it's an audience boot recorded in Hollywood, CA at the Palladium last May 11th....

pixies - debaser (live)

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speaking of the good old 1980's, when Elvis was king.... no, not that Elvis. this Elvis. their punk attitude and pop tendencies made Elvis Costello & the Attractions ( site / all / wiki / IMDb ) the best band to come out of the second British invasion. one reason is because they were always an excellent live band. costello's songs really shine on this nice soundboard boot from April 11th 1984 in Philadelphia. the attractions were touring with a horn section to replicate the sounds from their newest album at the time, Punch the Clock. a favorite CD of mine. this bootleg is almost as good. find the FLAC version of this show HERE

elvis costello - the greatest thing (live)

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speaking of punk attitude, Street Sweeper Social Club ( site / all / wiki / myspace ) is the newest project from Tom Morello ( all / wiki / nw / axis ) of Rage Against The Machine ( site / all / wiki / vietnow ) fame. i think tom and ratm have not been given enuff attention on my blog because i love ratm! so i will try to change that in the future. this band is a collaboration with rapper Boots Riley ( wiki / twitter ) from The Coup ( all / wiki ). not surprisingly, both guys have a political agenda. and they say it loudly. they also have lots of energy. tom played all the instruments except drums and boots wrote and performed most of the vocals. their album together is a heavy-hittin', in-your-face force to be reckoned with. watch out, this song might just kick your ass.....

street sweeper social club - fight, smash, win

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i am a huge Funkadelic ( all / wiki ) fan. so its always nice to find obscure tracks from the P-funk family. Eddie Hazel ( all / wiki ) was the group's first standout lead guitar player. his style set the pace for early p-funk space-rock. "maggot brain" is of course the solo that made him famous. eddie recorded a solo album in 1977 called Dames, Games and Guitar Thangs. eddie died in 1992. i can't remember which blog i got this track from but its out there, somewhere. just like eddie. he's always out there, somewhere. his style was both psychedelic and soulful. he was a brilliant soloist and truly funky individual. this is a much rawer and happier funk song than the last one. eddie covers a 1960's classic...

eddie hazel - california dreamin'

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after a long wait, one of my favorite musicians finally released a new album in 2009. her name is Meshell Ndegeocello ( site / all / wiki / freemyheart / myspace ) and the album is called Devil's Halo. i have most of her albums. i hear this one as a little bit more adventurous than usual. some of the sounds remind me of new wave and alternative. whatever that means. true to form, meshell's unique voice is well represented throughout. pay attention if you like groovy music from a real unheralded talent. most of the new album was written by meshell but this song is a cover of a hit slow jam from 1986 by Ready For The World ( site / wiki / all ). wow, never thought i would mention them on this blog. but hey, music is music and groove is groove. and this is groovy. and sexy too....

meshell ndegeocello - love you down

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this will be my LAST 1980's reference. i swear! ....as i learned in the good ole' 80's, when it comes to knowing what is right and what is wrong in the world, no one can doubt that A-Team star Mr. T ( wiki / all / IMDb ) is always on the side of good. he's on your side, kids. that is why he recorded an album of rap tunes in 1984. Mr. T's Commandments included 7 tracks with Mr. T rapping about good lessons for kids. great lessons like how kids should obey their parents, stay away from gangs and don't do drugs. (btw, Mr. T's real name is Laurence Tureaud ) so now its time to listen up kids, Mr. T is gonna drop some knowledge on ya...

Mr. T - no dope no drugs

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for several years now i have slowly and steadily been listening to more and more music by Tom Waits ( site / all / wiki / IMDb ). his voice is not the most inviting sound for new listeners and his style is certainly not for everyone. but after a while his songs can grow on you. like an itch that won't go away. and it feels kinda good to scratch it. tom is well aware of his cult-like status among his fans and likes to give them what they want. so when he does do the rare concert tour, the shows typically sell out quickly. in 2009 tom provided free downloads of some tracks from his newest album Glitter and Doom Live. yes, it was free music! it was basically a souvenir from the last tour. like i said, tom gives his fans what they want. alot of them went ahead and bought the rest of the album. here's one of the free tracks....

tom waits - dirt in the ground (live)

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now let's step into the world of the unknown. er... rather, the unreleased. this makes me wonder about great recordings out there that never got released. in 2009, i heard a really great album from Danger Mouse ( site / all / wiki ) that was never officially released. you know DM, he's the guy who secretly released The Grey Album in 2004. so he is no stranger to controversy. he also went big-time with his Cee-Lo Green ( wiki ) collaboration called Gnarls Barkley ( wiki ). the album i am talking about was a collaboration with filmmaker David Lynch ( wiki ) and one-man band Sparklehorse ( site / wiki / myspace ) called Dark Night of the Soul ( site / wiki / all ). but EMI records could not get their shit together to release it. who knows why?? i personally think it has to do with record executives who are morons. this album was so different that they didn't know what to do with it. so someone along the line leaked it. good music finds a way out. fans win. this album features a variety of vocalists like Iggy Pop, the pixies' Black Francis, and James Mercer. plus many others.

the tragic Christmas Day death of singer Vic Chestnutt ( site / all / wiki / OBIT ) made me go back and listen to Vic's spooky contributions to the dark night album. his style fits in perfectly with the mood of the album. he was featured on 2 songs, one is the title track. here is the other one. this is a tribute to an album that was too good to be released and a man who was too talented not to be noticed. he went way too soon. this a small tribute to a big heart
r.i.p. vic chesnutt

dangermouse and sparklehorse featuring vic chestnutt - grain augury

more tributes to Vic:

Aquarium Drunkard

Big Rock Candy Mountain

A Truer Sound

Vic's site has a free 6-song sampler of his music

coming up: speaking of a dark night, my next post involves what i did on Halloween

its a busy season

2009-12-23T17:22:00.003-05:00

its the busy time of the year. people everywhere are buying presents and making travel plans. some people are vacationing and some people are working during the holidays. or at least i've been doing all those things. and many other things since i last completed a blogpost here. since august i have been immersed in managing my fantasy football team. that season is over now so its time to pay attention to the old blog again. sorry blog, but football was more important than you. i know you feel neglected but i have to tell it like it is. i can't tell my wife that, she is more important than football. that's what i always say. well blog, i guess that makes you #3. sorry again.

procrastination is a beast. i have at least 3 really good posts that i haven't finished yet. they are on Cake, Lyle Lovett, and Toby Keith. plus there are more that need my attention. so maybe i will post several things soon to try and catch up for this year. late again. i know. check back for brand new stuff coming soon.

i can truthfully blame a large part of the delay on "the great computer crash of 2009". what a freakin' pain in my ass!!! my HP media PC has had problem after problem and i actually had to rely on the geek squad to fix it. that is not a good situation. later i am gonna start to plug up the twice-fixed HP and see if it has life. i'm keeping my expectations low...

i did recently spend some time adding more blogs to the real time list over there on the right side of this page----> the total number of blogs in that roll is at 100 now. posts appear in order based on how recent they are. check out a few! there are some really great ones out there on the internets

i will get some new sounds up very soon.....

mim mix: first 100-something

2009-11-05T13:16:00.039-05:00

i was originally gonna call this post "100 days, 100th post" in honor of President Obama's first 100 days in office and my first 100 posts. those two events almost lined up at exactly the same time back in april. it was gonna be a review of both. but it didn't quite happen. i never got around to actually writing very much until now...(late again) ...but instead, this post is coming on the one year anniversary of the election of Barack Obama as the brand new funky President of the United States of America. one year ago today i posted this.

i have lots and lots of thoughts and comments about what has and has not happened so far in Obama's administration. alot of good things really did happen in his first 100 days. and then the next 100 haven't been so easy. this week's local elections are an example of that. but local politics are very different than presidential politics. i can say that i am not disappointed in President Obama. but i will save my more lengthy comments about his accomplishments for another time.

our president is much better at getting things done than i am at working on this blog. it took me over 3 years to complete 115 posts. this is published post #116. i really hope to have alot more completed in the next year. many of my posts take too long because i add too much stuff and write too many words. so i'm gonna shut up and let the music do the talking for this one. sort of.

it is time to bring back the mim mix! i am sharing these songs thanks to DivShare, which i have recently started using. you can only listen to these using the DivShare player in this post. but some of these songs are also available for free download.(look for a link) some songs have been posted before. all you need is a web browser to rock some great tunes. so CRANK UP THOSE PC SPEAKERS! please enjoy the november mim mix.........

like i said before, Barack Obama is still the brand new funky President of the United States of America. its only been 10 months. it takes time to clean up a mess. stay funky. its still ok to dance...

- james brown / funky president -

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and he's from Chicago. or is he? i thought he was Hawaiian? those crazy wacko birthers think he isn't even American. i know what won't be in America and won't be in Chicago, the Olympics. good try, mr. president, but i hope you'll be busy still doing the job in 2016.

- soul coughing / is chicago, is not chicago -

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back in the 1970's Parliament/Funkadelic wanted to turn Washington, DC into "Chocolate City". then, in 1992, George Clinton repeated that mantra with "Paint the White House Black". this uncensored version features Ice Cube, Chuck D, Dr Dre and some jokes about President Clinton. all presented by the other President Clinton, the President of Funk, George Clinton calling for a paint job on the White House....

- george clinton / paint the white house black -

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during election season last year, i wrote about a very funky new song from the amazing Miss Joss Stone. it was a protest song that she originally wrote about British politics but the message could certainly apply in the USA. the song now appears on Joss's new album called Color Me Free. it is also still available for free download at head count.org ...

- joss stone / govermentalist -

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another hot new female artist on the scene is jazz singer and bassist Esperanza Spalding. i was lucky enuff to meet her and her band mates last february. read about it here. their concert was really great. see my video here. since then, esperanza has performed two times at the White House for the previously mentioned funky new president. i think that is so cool. i'm glad the Prez and i can both appreciate her amazing talent. i recently came across this bootleg from ES's set at this year's Newport Jazz Festival. this track is from that show. i can't wait to see her again...

- esperanza spalding / jazz (ain't nothin' but soul) -

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like i said a few posts ago, its good to get free new music. especially when its a great new artist like Clarence Bucaro. i like his sound. its a little bit soul, a little bit pop, and some New Orleans mojo thrown in. listen for yourself. groovy uh? download here.

- clarence bucaro / let me let go of you -

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i have heard alot of new albums in recent months but none have rocked my world quite like Living Colour's The Chair in the Doorway. i have to concede that i have a bias because i am a big fan of the band. i have every album on CD. and this one holds up to the others quite well. this is the first single and you can find it available for free download here. please buy this album if you like the band at all. you won't be disappointed...

- living colour / behind the sun -

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in honor of the eleventh month and the new album 11:11, i must re-post a piece of music that i just might love too much for my own good. i just freakin' love this track! it's Rodrigo y Gabriela's tribute to Jimi Hendrix...

- rodrigo y gabriela / buster voodoo -

download “buster voodoo” HERE
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finally... i honor of my lateness, funny how time slips away.....

- Al Green meets Lyle Lovett -

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ok, i probably wrote too many words. oh well. i wonder what things will be like when i post about the next election day? what will be better in America? will the wackos still be after Obama? he won't be new anymore but i sure hope he stays funky...

350 is the number

2009-10-24T13:52:00.013-04:00

today is International Day of Climate Action

find out more at 350.org

i don't know if 350 is achievable but trying is better than the alternative

Climate Action at 350.org is happening all over the world...

View Actions at 350.org

have you lowered your emissions today?
your Earth will love you if you do

sad but true

2009-10-15T13:39:00.007-04:00

i'm late again. i shoulda had this posted a while ago. i hope i'm not too late to save the world. after all, today is blog action day and the focus is on climate change so i guess i will have to use more action words than usual. what can a blog really do to help with the global problem of climate change? well, it can't recycle or carpool or stop a coal-fired power plant. or can it?

i wrote a really nice rant that was all about how this here rock we live on doesn't need us to keep going but we need it. i wrote some really great stuff about how we need the atmosphere of our dear planet to live and how the Earth is our only home and let's take care of it. but just as i was finishing that long ranting post that was gonna be so great.... just as i was almost done. BAM!!! the power went out....

...for like an hour....

a huge chunk of the rant gone. some was saved...

that power outage was like reality smacking me in the face. electricity ain't easy. or cheap. it costs us. and it damages our environment. no doubt about it.

it doesn't matter which political party you support or what side of any issue that you may come down on. this is not a political issue. it is a fact of life. climate change is happening. and everyone on Earth is affected.

some idiots will even say the evidence is debatable. they are idiots. they are wrong. who's side are they on anyway? who's isn't on Earth's side? it all comes down to whether or not you believe there should be more pollution or less pollution. in my opinion, either you are in favor of a cleaner environment with less pollution OR you want MORE POLLUTION. which is it?

then there is always someone saying that it will cost too much? they don't want to pay more in taxes or rates or gas. how much would you pay for clean air to breathe? you probably think you shouldn't have to pay anything. and you shouldn't. but what if that air was taken away? how much then? how about water? land? your favorite beach? alot of beaches are going away. and so are the animals in that water out there.

this is an issue where America has to be the world leader. and we can do it. it is a public health issue. who doesn't want the public to be healthy? who doesn't like breathing air and drinking water. i sure do. i live on that stuff.

facts:

what can you do?

reduce, reuse, recycle
conserve energy and water
10 solutions to climate change
tell your Congressional representative to support climate change legislation NOW

our world is in trouble. it is sad but true. what was all that LIVE EARTH stuff about anyway. here is your reward for reading this much....

don't forget OCTOBER 24 is International Day of Climate Action

see more on YouTube

now go save the planet.......