Amy Rigby : All I Want [ purchase ] Money may be all the Beatles and the Flying Lizards want, but in her song "All I Want," Amy Rigby longs for something more basic: "Just a little something to show me that you care whether I live or die." On her first records (this one is from 1998's Middlescence ), Rigby specialized in these working class love-on-the-rocks songs, some with an alt-country sound, others -- like this one -- with a '60's girl-group feel. Amy Rigby (nee McMahon) launched her career [...]
For the past year and a half, I've been hanging out with some of my friends about once a month to record a podcast called the Radio Free Song Club. I'm there as a photographer, but the others assembled are songwriters, musicians, sound engineers and visiting guests. It's hosted by Nick Hill (formerly of the Music Faucet on WFMU) and singer-songwriter Kate Jacobs. Dave Schramm is the bandleader, and is joined by a semi-rotating band known as The Radio Free All Stars, which includes David Mansfield, JD Foster, Jeremy Chatzky, Paul Wieselman, Andy Burton, Paul Moschella, Ted Reichman, [...]
I will always hold a place in my heart for Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby's self-titled 2008 debut if for no other reason than it allowed Rigby to once-and-for-all set the record straight regarding male footwear, and sorry DMB fans, but, "You can't kick ass in Tevas." The erstwhile Sham and Stiff MVP are back again, this time tackling a collection of their favorite songs from songwriters around the globe on the snarkily-titled Two-Way Family Favorites . Records like this from accomplished songwriters are usually fun, and even a [...]
A wonderful rendering of classic rock music; acoustic, punk, mystical--this album totally rocks. Classic rock - Punk rock - Wreckless Eric - Music - Arts
Amy Rigby: The Summer of My Wasted Youth [ purchase ] - Middlescence CD Joni Mitchell: The Hissing of Summer Lawns [ purchase ] It's a Beautiful Day: Hot Summer Day [ purchase ] All three of these summer songs dream of freedom: one of the joy of past adventures ... one from the confines of suburban sprinklers ... and one of a desire for rekindled love - some people [...]
Brought a copy this record direct from Eric and Amy, well pleased with it, 10 covers - well 11 if you count the short Loch Lomond / Bay City Rollers track Scotland Then and Now. no pretentiousness about this album at all, sounds like a couple of soul-mates enjoying themselves with an eclectic set of some favourite tunes , my pick of the bunch the psychedelic fairground make-over for Smokie's Living Next door to Alice , the last track on the album I'd not heard before but's it's a instant favourite Silver Shirt [...]
Dudes, I am always looking for new music. New to me. I don't mind if it's not brand-new, in fact I prefer it older. There's plenty of attention given to the new-new, not nearly enough to the new-to-me-and-you. That's why I'm so happy to come across things like this: Wreckless Eric has an excellent internet radio show! Half-hour episodes, mostly older stuff, some newer stuff. All kinds of music - Buffy Sainte-Marie, Squarepusher, Waylon Jennings, Donna Summer, Engelbert Humperdinck ... kind of like a reverse Hello Vegetables, only all in a row. Oh, and [...]
Back in the golden age of British punk, Stiff Records was the little label that could, cranking out records by the likes of The Damned, The Adverts, and a host of pub rock and New Wave bands as well. One of the bright spots in the stellar Stiff discography was a leering young weirdo called Wreckless Eric , whose Stiff single "Whole Wide World" remains a punky power-pop classic three decades later. These days, Eric has found a partner in life and music, American songstress Amy Rigby , who founded female folk-punk band The Shams in the '80s [...]
Amy Rigby: Beer & Kisses [ purchase ] (scroll down to Diary of a Mod Housewife) Yep, I'm still on that Amy Rigby kick - I almost posted Summer of My Wasted Youth for Drugs Week... but I ran out of time! The backstory comes straight from her introduction of this song at the house concert I presented March 19, 2004: The next one is one of those marriage songs and this was on my first album, Diary [...]
Amy Rigby: We're Stronger Than That [ purchase ] (scroll down to Diary of a Mod Housewife...) What can I say? - I'm on an Amy Rigby kick! I very humbly state that I know a bit about anniversaries - I've celebrated 32 of them, all for the same occasion and all with the same partner. I have joked from the beginning that my husband and I do our marriage like AA: One Day at a Time - that would be 11,860 days at this point... [...]
Guitarist Duane Jarvis died this week after a long battle with cancer. I met him around 2002, when he was touring with my friend Amy Rigby, and they stayed with me and my wife at our Brooklyn loft. I can't say I knew him well, but we did spend one memorable evening together listening to records and talking about music. I made him a copy of a Don Covay record that I was obsessed with at the time, and he gave me a copy of his then current release, Certified Miracle . The songs are good and soulful, and [...]
Amy Rigby: 20 Questions [ purchase ] I've written before about Amy Rigby , my favorite cynic-with-a-heart-of-rose-col ored-glass - here, in a jangly, rocking, almost-country style, her female protagonist peppers her partner with open-ended, certain-to-convict-if-admitted -to queries... I'm still not sure who's the bigger fool: him for coming home so late, so drunk, expecting forgiveness... or her for putting up with what is apparently repeat behavior, as her feistiness so clearly turns to resignation by the end of the song - and yes, if you're counting along, there really [...]
I guess Wreckless Eric doesn't need much of an intro, which is just as well with my bleary eyes & addled brain; here's a track from last year's album recorded/written with his wife Amy Rigby, cunningly named 'Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby'. Stuffed full of musical & lyrical quotes from back when Top of the Pops & my big sister's tranny were my main exposure to the pop scene, it's gently rocking nostalgia in a bottle, err record, or something. The album's actually very good indeed - it had me seriously contemplating getting 'em to play right here [...]
First of all, let me say that I adore this week's theme, as I've always been a harmony voyeur - there's just something about two voices saying so much more than one could, lyrically and harmonically. To that end, I fear I am running out of time, as I was out of town for the beginning of the week and too busy to post - hope you all won't mind if I do a bit of a clean sweep here to share some of my other favorites... Jules Shear and Susan Cowsill: [...]
Download From: Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby ( Stiff , 2008) Review: EW Buy: Amazon | eMusic | iTunes Learn: AllMusic | Wikipedia Visit: Home Socialize: MySpace [...]
Amy Rigby: Cynically Yours [ purchase ] I recall buying Amy Rigby 's Diary of a Mod Housewife when it came out in 1996, totally loving it but not understanding why – I'm optimistic, she's jaded; I'm light, she's more than a bit darker; I am comfortable in a long-term relationship, and she sings of a variety of not-so-great choices. Then I realized… I might be a Tigger personality… but I definitely have an Eeyore alter-ego – Amy Rigby appealed to the fragile, vulnerable, insecure me… on those days when "I've lost [...]
You won't see much of me at gigs this week, because my little brother is visiting. I am gutted at having to miss the Major Matt Mason gig last night, but I just ended up being too tired and having too much to do in too little time. Samamidon is playing in Edinburgh next Monday, so that needs to be publicised. He's a bit good, and Meursault are doing an acoustic slot in support, so it promises to be an amazing night. The gig is going to be at the Bowery , which is [...]
It's retro pop day here at Catbird HQ today, soundtracked in part by the splended s/t album from Gentleman Jesse & His Men , the best blatant 70's power pop copping since the beloved and tragic Exploding Hearts . ::: You Don't Have To (If You Don't Want To) ::: Also in rotation today is the new Stiff Records release from Wreckless Eric (" Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby "). Big thanks to Ben for sending that one over. ::: [...]
Some of the more notable releases and happenings culled from the New Yorker and Time Magazine fall previews: -September 13: [Opera] Amy Tan's opera The Bonesetter's Daughter comes out, about, surprise, an American woman exploring her Chinese family's past. The Rock Bottom Remainders, will have to wait apparently. -September 16: [Music] "Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby": I posted about Wreckless Eric way back when in reference to the song ( Whole Wide World ) that Will Ferrell used to serenade Maggie Gyllenhaal in the movie Stranger Than Fiction. [...]
ANTI LOVE SONG Betty Davis Betty Davis Light In The Attic : 1973 [Buy It] DON'T RENEGE ON OUR LOVE Richard & Linda Thompson Shoot Out The Lights Hannibal : 1982 [Buy It] THINGS Loudon Wainwright III Here Come the Choppers! Sovereign Artists : 2005 [Buy It] BARON OF LOVE, PT. 2 Alex Chilton [...]
Star Maker Machine
Boogie Woogie Flu
My Old Kentucky Blog
Music @ Blogcritics.org
Beat Surrender
Hello Vegetables
The Lime Wire Blog
How Marvellous...
Audible Vitamins
Song, by Toad
The Catbirdseat
Stop Okay Go
Moistworks
Wear My Heart On My Sleeve
[REMIX] Ra Ra Riot & Delicate Steve – Valerie (Steve Winwood cover) (Friendly Ghost remix w/ Eric Prydz)
