
James Taylor: Traffic Jam [ purchase ] Damn this traffic jam How I hate to be late It hurts my motor to go so slow Damn this traffic jam Time I get home my supper'll be cold Damn this traffic jam In a bit under 2 minutes, James Taylor's syncopated vocal and percussive instrumentation explore the sacrifices (punctuality, warm food, auto performance, health [...]
Running a music festival in this economy is a real challenge, but after a weekend with friends and co-coordinators of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival , I'm proud to announce that once again we're rarin' to go for yet another wild weekend of singer-songwriter, folk rock, world music, and folk-pop. Add in the proverbial mix of friends, vendors, kid-friendly fare, hilltop up-and-comers in the label and coffeehouse-sponsored tents all night long, and dancing 'til the wee hours, and as always, Falcon Ridge 2010 is shaping up to be the best time I'm planning on having all [...]

250 years ago, Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease at £45 a year to rent St James's Gate brewery in Dublin. Tomorrow, September 24th, has been designated as Arthur's Day and will feature celebrations all around the world. Unsurprisingly, the biggest party will take place in Dublin as dozens of bands will converge on Ireland's capital city to raise a toast to Arthur. The day begins at 17:59 with an invite-only concert at St James's Gate itself featuring Tom Jones, Kasabian and Estelle. Four Dublin venues (Vicar St, the Academy, Tripod and Whelan's) will put on gigs that [...]
I'm visiting a friend at the moment, and although we have extremely different musical tastes (re: she loves Country music), she introduced me to this gem of a group called Da Vinci's Notebook. No, they're not Country. Da Vinci's Notebook is a humor acapella-esque group that'll throw in a musical instrument every now and then. She intrigued me with the "Another Irish Drinking Song" due to my
A wise sage once told me "drugs are the answer." He then gave up his IT job and fled to Cape Cod to run a B&B. Dar Williams one mused "There's so much to see through/Like our parents do more drugs than we do." And I'm sure that Ms. Williams indulged a bit in the land of.... "chemical creative enhancement." It's been a lure of composers since the days of Mozart (and likely earlier), and continues to be part of songwriting lore. And some of the best have chronicled their drug adventures in [...]

Da Vinci's Notebook: Another Irish Drinking Song [ purchase ] Old Grand-Dad begone! - helloooo, Jameson... in the form of this enthusiastic, exuberant, erin-go-bragh Irish Drinking Song by the now-defunct-but-always-hilario us a cappella group Da Vinci's Notebook ... Raise your glass and follow the instructions in the chorus - Happy early St. Patrick's Day!

Da Vinci's Notebook: Title of the Song [ purchase ] Lest we forget that so-called artists themselves are too-often complicit in treating the business of music as little more than a vehicle for fame and profit, here's recently-defunct a capella group Da Vinci's Notebook with an original (and highly meta) 1999 poke at the boy band cash cow formula. Especially hilarious in concert, where it is much more obvious that the vocalization is part of the parody, rather than merely a limitation of their [...]

James Taylor: Traffic Jam [ purchase ] Someone wise once said that the plural of cars is traffic. Here, infamous folk crooner James Taylor at his white man's grooviest, live and almost funky in a middle-aged, "oh, Dad" sort of way, takes a lighthearted swipe at the commuter lifestyle. And how's this for commitment to the theme: When I die, I don't want no coffin I've thought about far too often Just strap me in behind the wheel And bury [...]
It was tough to do this and avoid profanity, but I giggled in giddy glee as I winnowed down the tracks for this set. And I think Mr. Carlin would be proud at how this list rises to the challenge! "Why Don't We Get Drunk" - Jimmy Buffett Now coming out of the mouth of David Cook, Taylor Hicks (or even Carrie Underwood... maybe), aiming at an older audience, this song could work. But out of the mouths of babes (e.g. David Archuleta)? No way Fox TV would [...]

A bit woozy today after yesterday's all-day drive up the East Coast from North Carolina. My head still swims with the sights of barbecue joints and crabcake stands, and roadside shacks where one can get smoked ham and sausages, local peanuts, and fireworks to celebrate it all. But it's good to be home, where the daffodils are in full blown bloom, even if the lawn still struggles against the moss and hemlock. The American South is a wonderful place to visit; I like seeing the world, and though I've been to [...]
So I'm back - it's been a while, and I'm sorry that I left y'all hanging. But I return with this collection of name-check goodness. "A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Lyndon Johnson'd Into Submission)" - Paul Simon (from The Paul Simon Song Book ) One of Simon's most overtly Dylan-inspired numbers, "A Simple Desultory Philippic" was first seen here, on Simon's UK-only solo album from 1965. In this song, he sums up the life of a traveling singer-songwriter who has seen [...]