Monday, July 28, 2008
Could This Be The One???
Go to the Kings of Leon website to download their first single of the upcoming record! I was a little nervous when I read that it had a political message but so far I'm likin what I hear. Will this be the record that breaks them in the States? --J
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Look on Bam's Face...
shutterblast.net photo from Ruisrock 2008.I don't know why Bam's face cracks me up so much, but LOOK at that expression. Bam, honey, I know. You don't don't have to explain anything.
I honestly love those two together and if only Bam could direct another HIM video like And Love Said No. He gets what HIM is about, he knows how to make Ville look like the sexpot he is, and he's a fan. What more could we ask for. I'm sure some HIM fans will snark at this, but I will admit that if it wasn't for Bam Margera, this American girl wouldn't have hated HIM so much that once she ACTUALLY listened to the music, realized that all along she simply wasn't ready to face the unadulterated love she stored in her heart for these Finns. It was a complicated beginning, starting with me stating to J in an unimpressed tone that "the lead singer just stands there". Well, a girl can change her mind.
Anyway, HIM is on my mind today because I had to decide that I wouldn't be going to Helldone in Helsinki this year for economical as well as familial reasons and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dying a little on the inside because of it. -K
Friday, July 18, 2008
Free Andrew Bird Concert in SLC
Our friend R in Salt Lake City sent us this picture from last nights free Andrew Bird concert at the Gallivan Center. If any of our readers attended we'd love to hear what you thought. -K
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Quagmire and Manilow
I know I could be focusing on something a bit more substantive, but oh my god... I finally found the actual performance. For some reason it became the goal of the afternoon. Wait for Quagmire's reaction to Barry's twist of the lyrics...-K
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Conversations with Jim, Part Two
J--Any thoughts on Bo Diddley given the latest news?
Jim-- Just that there's one less giant walking the earth now. I read about his stroke last year on CNN's ticker, but I thought he'd get better. I always harbor these fantasies of going into the studio and producing albums by my idols. I'm starting to run out of idols.
J-- When you played with Bo Diddley, one of the things I remember about that night was a woman at the front of the crowd practically stripping to the music. We all couldn’t take our eyes off her! I guess you never know how audiences will react to the performance. What is the strangest thing you have witnessed when looking out at the crowd during one of your performances?
Jim-- That's a tough one, since I used to play in biker bands in Texas and Illinois, and there were just too many memorable incidents to recount here. And when you play for Deadheads and such, damn near everything they do looks strange, so where do you draw the line? One time the blues band I played bass for in Texas got to play at this biker party that people brought children to, and later there were several girls competing in what started as a wet t-shirt contest, but ended up a naked dancing contest. With the kids sitting there watching, mind you. Probably watching their own moms. As we played an endless blues shuffle, the winner was rolling around naked on the freshly cut grass, and wound up covered with grass clippings and chigger bites. Hot stuff. At one of my open mic nights a brother and sister got up to "perform", and the sister suddenly punched her brother in the face. I mean just cleaned his clock, for no reason any of us could discern. She wound up falling off the stage and landing face down on the floor below. Nobody came to her aid. Always drink responsibly, kids. One guy handed me a note as he left an open mic night while I was playing, and at the end of the night I finally read it -- he was a step away from strapping a bomb around his waist. It wasn't my gig, but I did see a woman wet her pants once. When she fled to the bathroom, the drummer on stage said into his mic, "Wow! We've never gotten that kind of response before!" And of course, fights will break out on occasion. But to me, the weirdest response is when guys, usually fellow guitarists, stand right in front of me with a blank stare. I've not yet learned how to react to that.
J-- Open mic nights - were you ever blown away by someone who showed up for one of these? Did you ever have to tell someone "cut your losses and try something next time within your reach"?
Jim-- There were plenty of times I was blown away. There's a girl here named Summer Johnson who sings like a woman possessed, and I mean that in a good way. Every time she came in it was a treat. One of my former guitar students named Marah Bobilin was also a terrific singer, and she would sometimes put together a complete show for her set, involving her and her band wearing Mexican wrestling masks, playing surf guitar instrumentals, singing numbers that would show off her multi-octave voice, etc.. There was a hip hop group that came in and had a very prepared set that knocked me out, although a lot of people in the room were openly hostile to them, which made their performance all the more impressive. I don't remember what they called themselves, but boy were they good. There was a soul singer and guitarist named Robert something, and he would literally make up tunes on the spot, and he always amazed me, even though he was rarely sober. Quite a few guitarists were not shabby as well; Huntsville has a surplus of terrific guitar players. The surf band Daikaiju started out playing at my open mic nights, and they went on to tour and have records on iTunes. I played in an offshoot surf band with their guitarist, Santanu Mitra; we called ourselves the Rocket Scientists. Several performers have become good friends, and some I wound up playing in other bands with later on. As far as giving somebody the hook, I've always looked at open mic nights as amateur hour, meaning that everyone who comes in should understand that these aren't seasoned pros for the most part. If they stink, that's their right. And it's a variety show; if you don't like whoever's up there right now, wait ten minutes. I got a lot of grief from club owners and audience members (many of whom were also would-be performers) because I didn't insist on applying any standard of quality. If I had, many of the ones complaining would've been the first cut, because they were often so boring. But I've always believed that the best musicians are the ones willing to make fools of themselves in public. That's how you learn to get better. And a bunch of those regulars got pretty great as time went on. Of course, some didn't, too, but then my GPA was never very impressive, either.
J-- You mention that Clapton has had his moments. What do you see as a highlight?
Jim-- Well, the original "Layla" and "Bell Bottom Blues" still hit the bullseye, despite decades of heavy rotation on Classic Rock Radio. To clarify what I was complaining about before, the Layla album was a case where Clapton went beyond the constrictions of "blues", by applying an Abbey Road-style songwriting and production strategy, and not only did he cough up a hit, but he also made a record that was truer to the spirit of the blues than any of his more purist attempts. And he's spent his career running away from that kind of emotional exposure, even though that's what he claims to love about the blues. But then, all those post-Monterey "rock" icons benefit from a double standard. I mean, as you know, I'm a huge Elvis fan, and he got accused of selling out for putting out a bunch of movie soundtracks, but at least those had the frequent "bonus tracks" where he's do a transcendent Dylan cover, or a funky Jimmy Reed tune, and some of the soundtracks themselves weren't bad at all, like Kid Galahad and Viva Las Vegas. But in any case, he made some damn good records even during that fallow period, and somehow kept faith with the idea that music ought to be emotionally honest. In the course of his career, his failures were as spectacular as his successes. But now we still have Rod Stewart treated like a rock god even though he hasn't made an interesting record in thirty-plus years. He wouldn't know emotional honesty if it kicked him in the balls. The Who regroup every few years for yet another "farewell tour". Sting has taken up the lute to prove what an erudite, cultured kind of guy he is -- remember how the Police were once considered a "punk-influenced" band? People need to see through the hype and the "conventional wisdom" about what artists are up to.
J-- What a good singer brings to a song is at least as important as songwriting, I would agree. But I have to admit, I do have a problem with the non-multi-tasker, the singer that does not play an instrument as well. Some can pull it off, but there are a lot of frontmen and women who need to be distracted by an instrument because they’re not engaging enough to stand up there with just their voice. What do you think?
Jim-- You must have been thinking of me when you dreamed up that question. I'm the poster boy for Please-Don't-Forget-Your-Guitar. The one time I ever tried singing without my ax I couldn't remember any of the words. I just stood there like an idiot. You're right, it takes a special kind of charisma to be able to stand up there with no props to hide behind. Bruce Springsteen tries it sometimes, and just looks plain awkward, although John Mellencamp has better luck. Elvis pulled it off, though he was even better when he had his guitar strapped on. Same with Prince. The ones who manage it are always great dancers, like James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Michael Jackson, or at least have some unique moves, like Robert Plant, Axl Rose, Madonna in her choreographed way. David Lee Roth was a kick to watch both times I saw him, though not so much lately. Iggy Pop was certainly an original; anyone who can abuse himself with peanut butter and broken glass should get a nod in the history books for sure. All the footage I've ever seen of Johnny Rotten was cool-looking. Someone described his look onstage as "singing into a wind tunnel", which sums it up pretty well. Joey Ramone made a virtue of his own dorkitude, sort of like being the proud owner of a Corvair. That's the secret -- stand tall, be proudly yourself. But most of us still need a cool crutch.
J-- I fell in love with the Allison Krauss/Robert Plant record as well. It didn’t seem far off the mark in terms of style for Krauss. What was Plant bringing to the table?
Jim-- That voice and that attitude. I think even at their most airy-fairy, Led Zeppelin must have always seen their music as an outgrowth of '50s big beat rock 'n' roll, which is to say Americana. His singing style has its roots in Gene Vincent, especially the groaning sexuality. The Krauss/Plant record sounds to me like early rock 'n' roll as remembered in a feverish dream, where the drums sound like some primitive ritual, the guitars throb through a Bo Diddley-ish tremolo, the singers sound like they're looking you in the eye and they mean business. And boy do they harmonize well, too. In some ways, I think it was more of a stretch for Alison Krauss than for Robert Plant, since she normally doesn't front a rhythm section with drums, just a small acoustic bluegrass lineup. I was glad I got to catch them live. And I'm glad the record has done well, in spite of mainstream radio treating it like leprosy. There are quite a few records out right at the moment that probably won't get any airplay, like that new Gnarls Barkley. Al Green's new one produced by ?uestlove from the Roots is his best in thirty years, but where will you hear it? I suppose I should fork over the bucks for cable radio. For people like me old enough to remember when radio was a lifeline, these are tough times.
Jim-- Just that there's one less giant walking the earth now. I read about his stroke last year on CNN's ticker, but I thought he'd get better. I always harbor these fantasies of going into the studio and producing albums by my idols. I'm starting to run out of idols.
J-- When you played with Bo Diddley, one of the things I remember about that night was a woman at the front of the crowd practically stripping to the music. We all couldn’t take our eyes off her! I guess you never know how audiences will react to the performance. What is the strangest thing you have witnessed when looking out at the crowd during one of your performances?
Jim-- That's a tough one, since I used to play in biker bands in Texas and Illinois, and there were just too many memorable incidents to recount here. And when you play for Deadheads and such, damn near everything they do looks strange, so where do you draw the line? One time the blues band I played bass for in Texas got to play at this biker party that people brought children to, and later there were several girls competing in what started as a wet t-shirt contest, but ended up a naked dancing contest. With the kids sitting there watching, mind you. Probably watching their own moms. As we played an endless blues shuffle, the winner was rolling around naked on the freshly cut grass, and wound up covered with grass clippings and chigger bites. Hot stuff. At one of my open mic nights a brother and sister got up to "perform", and the sister suddenly punched her brother in the face. I mean just cleaned his clock, for no reason any of us could discern. She wound up falling off the stage and landing face down on the floor below. Nobody came to her aid. Always drink responsibly, kids. One guy handed me a note as he left an open mic night while I was playing, and at the end of the night I finally read it -- he was a step away from strapping a bomb around his waist. It wasn't my gig, but I did see a woman wet her pants once. When she fled to the bathroom, the drummer on stage said into his mic, "Wow! We've never gotten that kind of response before!" And of course, fights will break out on occasion. But to me, the weirdest response is when guys, usually fellow guitarists, stand right in front of me with a blank stare. I've not yet learned how to react to that.
J-- Open mic nights - were you ever blown away by someone who showed up for one of these? Did you ever have to tell someone "cut your losses and try something next time within your reach"?
Jim-- There were plenty of times I was blown away. There's a girl here named Summer Johnson who sings like a woman possessed, and I mean that in a good way. Every time she came in it was a treat. One of my former guitar students named Marah Bobilin was also a terrific singer, and she would sometimes put together a complete show for her set, involving her and her band wearing Mexican wrestling masks, playing surf guitar instrumentals, singing numbers that would show off her multi-octave voice, etc.. There was a hip hop group that came in and had a very prepared set that knocked me out, although a lot of people in the room were openly hostile to them, which made their performance all the more impressive. I don't remember what they called themselves, but boy were they good. There was a soul singer and guitarist named Robert something, and he would literally make up tunes on the spot, and he always amazed me, even though he was rarely sober. Quite a few guitarists were not shabby as well; Huntsville has a surplus of terrific guitar players. The surf band Daikaiju started out playing at my open mic nights, and they went on to tour and have records on iTunes. I played in an offshoot surf band with their guitarist, Santanu Mitra; we called ourselves the Rocket Scientists. Several performers have become good friends, and some I wound up playing in other bands with later on. As far as giving somebody the hook, I've always looked at open mic nights as amateur hour, meaning that everyone who comes in should understand that these aren't seasoned pros for the most part. If they stink, that's their right. And it's a variety show; if you don't like whoever's up there right now, wait ten minutes. I got a lot of grief from club owners and audience members (many of whom were also would-be performers) because I didn't insist on applying any standard of quality. If I had, many of the ones complaining would've been the first cut, because they were often so boring. But I've always believed that the best musicians are the ones willing to make fools of themselves in public. That's how you learn to get better. And a bunch of those regulars got pretty great as time went on. Of course, some didn't, too, but then my GPA was never very impressive, either.
J-- You mention that Clapton has had his moments. What do you see as a highlight?
Jim-- Well, the original "Layla" and "Bell Bottom Blues" still hit the bullseye, despite decades of heavy rotation on Classic Rock Radio. To clarify what I was complaining about before, the Layla album was a case where Clapton went beyond the constrictions of "blues", by applying an Abbey Road-style songwriting and production strategy, and not only did he cough up a hit, but he also made a record that was truer to the spirit of the blues than any of his more purist attempts. And he's spent his career running away from that kind of emotional exposure, even though that's what he claims to love about the blues. But then, all those post-Monterey "rock" icons benefit from a double standard. I mean, as you know, I'm a huge Elvis fan, and he got accused of selling out for putting out a bunch of movie soundtracks, but at least those had the frequent "bonus tracks" where he's do a transcendent Dylan cover, or a funky Jimmy Reed tune, and some of the soundtracks themselves weren't bad at all, like Kid Galahad and Viva Las Vegas. But in any case, he made some damn good records even during that fallow period, and somehow kept faith with the idea that music ought to be emotionally honest. In the course of his career, his failures were as spectacular as his successes. But now we still have Rod Stewart treated like a rock god even though he hasn't made an interesting record in thirty-plus years. He wouldn't know emotional honesty if it kicked him in the balls. The Who regroup every few years for yet another "farewell tour". Sting has taken up the lute to prove what an erudite, cultured kind of guy he is -- remember how the Police were once considered a "punk-influenced" band? People need to see through the hype and the "conventional wisdom" about what artists are up to.
J-- What a good singer brings to a song is at least as important as songwriting, I would agree. But I have to admit, I do have a problem with the non-multi-tasker, the singer that does not play an instrument as well. Some can pull it off, but there are a lot of frontmen and women who need to be distracted by an instrument because they’re not engaging enough to stand up there with just their voice. What do you think?
Jim-- You must have been thinking of me when you dreamed up that question. I'm the poster boy for Please-Don't-Forget-Your-Guitar. The one time I ever tried singing without my ax I couldn't remember any of the words. I just stood there like an idiot. You're right, it takes a special kind of charisma to be able to stand up there with no props to hide behind. Bruce Springsteen tries it sometimes, and just looks plain awkward, although John Mellencamp has better luck. Elvis pulled it off, though he was even better when he had his guitar strapped on. Same with Prince. The ones who manage it are always great dancers, like James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Michael Jackson, or at least have some unique moves, like Robert Plant, Axl Rose, Madonna in her choreographed way. David Lee Roth was a kick to watch both times I saw him, though not so much lately. Iggy Pop was certainly an original; anyone who can abuse himself with peanut butter and broken glass should get a nod in the history books for sure. All the footage I've ever seen of Johnny Rotten was cool-looking. Someone described his look onstage as "singing into a wind tunnel", which sums it up pretty well. Joey Ramone made a virtue of his own dorkitude, sort of like being the proud owner of a Corvair. That's the secret -- stand tall, be proudly yourself. But most of us still need a cool crutch.
J-- I fell in love with the Allison Krauss/Robert Plant record as well. It didn’t seem far off the mark in terms of style for Krauss. What was Plant bringing to the table?
Jim-- That voice and that attitude. I think even at their most airy-fairy, Led Zeppelin must have always seen their music as an outgrowth of '50s big beat rock 'n' roll, which is to say Americana. His singing style has its roots in Gene Vincent, especially the groaning sexuality. The Krauss/Plant record sounds to me like early rock 'n' roll as remembered in a feverish dream, where the drums sound like some primitive ritual, the guitars throb through a Bo Diddley-ish tremolo, the singers sound like they're looking you in the eye and they mean business. And boy do they harmonize well, too. In some ways, I think it was more of a stretch for Alison Krauss than for Robert Plant, since she normally doesn't front a rhythm section with drums, just a small acoustic bluegrass lineup. I was glad I got to catch them live. And I'm glad the record has done well, in spite of mainstream radio treating it like leprosy. There are quite a few records out right at the moment that probably won't get any airplay, like that new Gnarls Barkley. Al Green's new one produced by ?uestlove from the Roots is his best in thirty years, but where will you hear it? I suppose I should fork over the bucks for cable radio. For people like me old enough to remember when radio was a lifeline, these are tough times.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Armchair Concertgoer
Thanks to my new hi-def television, I felt like I had (very comfortable) front row seat for some of the best performances of Glastonbury this year. It even had the capability of switching the program to different stages if the current performer was not to my liking. All that and no port-a-potty! I found myself thinking well if this is possible in 2008, when I’m in the old folks’ home technology will probably be so good that I’ll be able to virtually crowd surf when I’m 80 years old!
All kidding aside, the weather was beautiful and there were some really good performances. My favorites were Kings of Leon, The Kills, The Ting Tings, and The Enemy. Would Amy Winehouse show up to perform? Yes, she did. Once again though, I am just not very taken with her live performance.
I have to comment on the Jay-Z performance. There was a lot of controversy about him taking the headlining slot. I believe Noel Gallagher stated that hip hop had no place at a guitar based festival. I love that Jay-Z took it upon himself to perform an Oasis song during his set smiling the whole time. I was unexpectedly impressed with Jay-Z, since I only like a tiny bit of the music that the hip hop scene has to offer. I do find it interesting that a hip hop artist can come to England in 2008 and project an enormous picture of the U.S. President and state very clearly “Fuck Bush”. Only a few years ago an artist (Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks) with a more Republican fan base almost got burned at the stake for saying something a lot less blatant. --J
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Duffy - Warwick Avenue
Duffy’s Mercy was the free download on the U.S. iTunes awhile back. Last week when I was on vacation I spent probably a day just watching music videos. This one’s getting heavy rotation in the UK and it’s got that great vintage girl group sound. --J
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Martin, clever as he is, knew full well that by enlisting the sonic assistance of Brian Eno on their latest album Viva La Vida (or Death and All His Friends), that the already present comparisons to U2 would be now undeniable. But by working with Brian and not hiding it Coldplay takes control and throws it in your face. Yes, they are influenced by the sounds of U2. Yes, like U2 they even take themselves too seriously at times, but I dare anyone to hear the opening notes of their songs and think that it’s a U2 song and not Coldplay.
VLV is a wide-angle beautiful work of art. It doesn’t force itself on you, which is exactly why I keep listening to it. Eno’s own ambient music and his collaborations always allow for the listener to make a choice; to pay attention when one wants and not when the song dictates. I read one review that encapsulates the album for me perfectly. The writer felt that the band steps back into the scenery at times letting the music tell the story without words and then comes back into the spotlight to offer the occasional rock-out; all very Eno and all the while maintaining their identity as a band.
The album begins with a sweeping instrumental called “Life in Technicolour” that leads in a catchy little stomp-clap tune called “Lost!” that refuses to leave my head. “42” reminds a lot of the Rush of Blood to the Head era Coldplay. It’s got that lonely piano and Chris demonstrates his falsetto with the regretful tone he’s so well-known for and then halfway through rocks out. “Lovers in Japan” just makes me want to skip down the street. “Reign of Love” is a beautiful ambient piano-piece that reminds me a lot of that scene in Trainspotting when Renton dives down into the toilet to find the opiate suppositories (seriously). The Asian twangy sound of “Strawberry Swing” is incomparable to me, but it does have a pinch of David Bowie thrown in which is itself reason enough to give it a listen. “Death and All His Friends” is going to be stunning live. Towards the end there’s a second version of “Lost!” called “Lost?” that is the piano version that I think my friend M will put on repeat. There’s also an acoustic version of “Lovers in Japan” that just calms the soul.
Y’all, I have tried to find the negative in this cd and I can’t. I recommend everyone try it. Just note: if the temptation arises to compare this band to U2, try listening to Gang of 4 and The Clash and realize that U2 were once “inspired”, too. -K
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Photog Mishandled by Security at MCR show, St. Louis
This link was sent to me by a fellow MCR fan who attended the May show at The Pageant in St. Louis. I was shocked at first, but cannot bring myself to be overly sympathetic. Read on to find out why.
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-05-14/news/just-shoot-me/
I was at the show that night and had to sign a waiver in order to get my pass, which seemed very stringent to me. When I reviewed the agreement, I thought it stated that you could only shoot during the first three songs and that you could not use the photographs you took for anything outside of the publication you were photographing for. I thought it also mentioned no camera phones could be used during the show. It was extremely strict and I remember feeling a bit nervous after signing it. It didn't matter if you had a photo pass or not- after your time in the pit was over you needed to exit the area and not even think about photography while you were still in the venue. I can remember chatting with Todd from ishootshows.com, a regular photographer at The Pageant, about this. He had never had to sign a waiver before either and we both were a little taken aback by it. I'm too German to even think about not following the rules so I was determined to play it straight and narrow all night. I'm always too grateful and shocked that I've been granted the opportunity to shoot a show so I am usually operating under a submissive mindset anyhow!
After I finished shooting and joined my friends, I was standing in view of the photographer when she was shooting from the balcony. When I spied her I thought "good on her, but she needs to watch herself." Security was tapping on shoulders all night. It was not the most relaxing atmosphere despite the fact that the band out on a helluva show. I hate that she was so excessively manhandled like that and it's good that MCR tried to compensate her, but she was in direct violation of the agreement. Full stop.
I have never had a bad experience with security at The Pageant. They've been annoying at times, in fact J and I got in trouble a few times with those guys because we didn't want to stand where they wanted us to stand, but they've always been a necessary presence that we have to accept and we do. They've never been rude or aggressive. If anything, they've been guys we'd share a laugh with when things got really crazy. When I read this article I knew it couldn't have been a Pageant security dude being so aggressive. In fact, the more I read about it, it was indeed an MCR security guard who may or may not be employed by the band anymore after this incident. -K
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-05-14/news/just-shoot-me/
I was at the show that night and had to sign a waiver in order to get my pass, which seemed very stringent to me. When I reviewed the agreement, I thought it stated that you could only shoot during the first three songs and that you could not use the photographs you took for anything outside of the publication you were photographing for. I thought it also mentioned no camera phones could be used during the show. It was extremely strict and I remember feeling a bit nervous after signing it. It didn't matter if you had a photo pass or not- after your time in the pit was over you needed to exit the area and not even think about photography while you were still in the venue. I can remember chatting with Todd from ishootshows.com, a regular photographer at The Pageant, about this. He had never had to sign a waiver before either and we both were a little taken aback by it. I'm too German to even think about not following the rules so I was determined to play it straight and narrow all night. I'm always too grateful and shocked that I've been granted the opportunity to shoot a show so I am usually operating under a submissive mindset anyhow!
After I finished shooting and joined my friends, I was standing in view of the photographer when she was shooting from the balcony. When I spied her I thought "good on her, but she needs to watch herself." Security was tapping on shoulders all night. It was not the most relaxing atmosphere despite the fact that the band out on a helluva show. I hate that she was so excessively manhandled like that and it's good that MCR tried to compensate her, but she was in direct violation of the agreement. Full stop.
I have never had a bad experience with security at The Pageant. They've been annoying at times, in fact J and I got in trouble a few times with those guys because we didn't want to stand where they wanted us to stand, but they've always been a necessary presence that we have to accept and we do. They've never been rude or aggressive. If anything, they've been guys we'd share a laugh with when things got really crazy. When I read this article I knew it couldn't have been a Pageant security dude being so aggressive. In fact, the more I read about it, it was indeed an MCR security guard who may or may not be employed by the band anymore after this incident. -K
Monday, June 16, 2008
Martha Wainwright- I Know You're Married But I Have Feelings Too
Years ago Rufus Wainwright’s song April Fools became part of my life soundtrack. I’ve never been able to take a lot of his sedate and draggy voice, but for some reason I’ve never been able to write this boy off. I will never say you shouldn't put some Rufus W on if we’re drinking wine. I have never cared who his family is, I just think he’s charming.
So, the other day I came across this his sister’s cd cover and thought “now that looks like one of many pictures I took back when after a series of questionable decisions at a party I would get myself to a point where I would be legs up on a couch with my good shoes on”. I was intrigued. I finally bought the album because of Rufus’ strange pull and because the title just cracks me up. You know what, this cd is really good.
Martha Wainwright goes from sounding like Ani DiFranco to Kate Bush to Annie Lennox to Maria McKee on this album. She does an ambitious yet fascinating cover of Eurythmic’s Love is a Stranger and Syd Barrett’s See Emily Play. My favorite is probably You Cheated Me because the chorus feels very Suede-like, but the whole album is download-worthy. -K
Download- Crying on the Inside
My aunt in England called to tell me that the Download festival was happening just down the street from her. Sigh. I love Huntsville, but the lack of live shows I want to see is killing me. I've been reading great reviews of HIM's performance which is wonderful for this fan. Poor substitute, but I found this NME interview on You Tube from Download. About 1:50 is fantastic. -K
Kanye West BonnaBoo'd at Bonnaroo
Picture from E!Online.I cannot wait to ask my coworker who went to this year's festival about this. Check out this link to read what happened. -K
Webb Wilder
I have never been a big fan of the roots rock, no-frills Americana style that characterizes bands such as L.A.'s The Blasters. Had I not gone down to Huntsville's Humphrey's Saturday night I would ignorantly have grouped Webb Wilder into this genre. I would have also walked out before I finished my first beer had I not had respect for J's brother's taste in music who suggested I see this guy perform. In his words Webb Wilder is "a good example of how music should sound."
Humphrey's in downtown Huntsville is a place that used to be called Bubba's years ago. This is going to sound crass, but when I was in college and later a starving library clerk in grad school, my friends and I would go to Bubba's every weekend and get loaded. They had a great music. It was in walking distance from my $250/month 80-year old apartment so I never had to worry about getting home. Bubba's was a down-home watering hole. Something went down with the owner and it was soon replaced by Humphrey's, which is the same kind of place only upgraded. The back of the bar/restaurant opens up into a courtyard with a giant old tree in the middle that grows up into the sky. The courtyard is old-south style, with black wrought-iron latticework and brick. The side of the brick building (Mason's Pub) creates a backdrop for Humphrey's courtyard and is where the small stage is constructed for weekend performances. Saturday night was a sultry, moonlit southern night and the courtyard was buzzing with eager fans while fans blew cool mist over their heads and beer flowed freely.
A little after 9 the band ripped into a lengthy set that had the locals on their feet in no time. The collection of guitars played were an impressive part of the evening. Webb dominated the set with his Fender Telecaster and occasionally moved to his Stratocaster. The lead guitarist played a Fender Strat (old school colors from the 60s- looked like surf green or daphne blue color). He also played a natural Gibson Explorer (shark fin look) and a white Danelectro for his slide guitar. Webb wore his fedora hat and at one time bragged that his last album had sold "dozens." Ha!
The set included his original catalog, peppered with blues instrumentals and a cover of Jumpin Jack Flash. This may or may not make sense, but I observed a British influence in his material with a reliance on chord transition and melody rather than a percussive rhythm like that of most American roots-rock artists, i.e., Bo Diddley. It spoke to me more than The Blasters did, for sure. I give it an UNEXPECTED. -K
Friday, June 13, 2008
Big Butter Jesus
Some coworkers and I recently went on a business trip to Peoria, IL where we stayed at a hotel that reminded us of butter. The walls were the color of butter cream icing, with a broad spackling effect that reminded me of cake. The bedspreads were a yellowish beige. The furniture was light beigy wood. Anyway, one of us on the trip kept mentioning that the hotel reminded him of the "big butter jesus". I thought this was just a creation of his imagination, but apparently not. He just sent me a link to a song written by Heywood Banks called "Big Butter Jesus." Frightening that this thing is real. Only in America. -K
In southern Ohio, just north of Cincinnati
I beheld a vision, next to the expressway.
Was a 60 foot jesus, with his hands in the air
looks like he’s carved out of butter,
just like at the state fair.
Big butter Jesus
Sweet cream Jesus
Oh country fresh Jesus
Unsalted Jesus
Oh Promise Jesus
Imperial Jesus
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus
Oleo Lord.
Well you see him from the chest up
like he’s about to do a back flip,
like he scored a touchdown
or maybe melting or about to drown.
Well I’ve been to the state fair
seen a cow made out of corn cobs
Garth Brooks made of string cheese
and the virgin out of olives.
Big butter Jesus
Sweet cream Jesus
Oh country fresh Jesus
Unsalted Jesus
Oh Promise Jesus
Imperial Jesus
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus
Oleo Lord.
Shipped in pieces on a flatbed
staring backwards was his big head
Driver stuck in traffic backups
desperately avoiding eye contact
Well don’t make no graven images.
That’s one of the 10 commandments
I hope the grading curve is kindly
You get to heaven with a 90
Big butter Jesus
Sweet cream Jesus
Oh country fresh Jesus
Unsalted Jesus
Oh Promise Jesus
Imperial Jesus
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus
Oleo Lord.
Can’t believe it’s not Jesus,
Oh spread the word.
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