I still haven't quite come down from our historic election, and I'm giddy that in few weeks we're going to have a president who has the judgement to start us on our way out of the huge messes we've found ourselves in during the past eight years. But I need to stop blathering on about democracy and get back to being, you know... a music blog. So here's my tip to help you get your weekend started off right (and a little bit early). Go see All We Seabees [...]
A mini-mix for the day after. Velocity Girl - "I Can't Stop Smiling" (mp3) from Simpatico Peggy Lee - "It's A Good Day" (mp3) from The Best of Miss Peggy Lee Frank Sinatra - "The House I Live In" (mp3) from Portrait [...]
I usually don't like to do reposts of mp3s I've previously had up, but today seems like the perfect day to share this one again... Frank Sinatra - "High Hopes (Kennedy Campaign Version)" (mp3) For all you completists out there, Zorch's Inner Sanctum has the flipside of this rare single, along with a bunch of other campaign songs from 50's and [...]
If Bing Crosby is considered the King of Christmas music, then Robyn Hitchcock should be recognized as the Prince of Halloween. For over thirty years the guy has made a career out of singing about the bizarre underbelly of life, as well as the lighter side of death and dying. While he's written absolutely perfect pop gems like "Beautiful Girl" or "So You Think You're In Love," and heartbreakingly gorgeous songs like "Glass Hotel" and "Arms Of Love," he's mostly known for surreal tales that would be a veritable wet [...]
The Deep Vibration - Veracruz Over the past few years, the term roots music has kind of become a dirty word. Too often it's been associated with former generic jam bands who suddenly decide to abandon their boring extended instrumental breaks and adopt four minute blues progressions. But when it's done right, it's a perfect description of artists that make a heartfelt exploration of the foundations of American music. I wasn't the slightest bit familiar with [...]
By now you've probably already seen the literal version of A-Ha's "Take On Me." If not, go watch it right now. It's hilarious. That video proved to be so popular that the guys at Dust Films have done a sequel, taking on Tears For Fears' "Head Over Heels." And believe it or not, it's even funnier. If VH1 has any sense at all, they've already offered these guys a deal for their own show. I don't think I [...]
The Wedding Present North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA Friday, October 10, 2008 In the indie music world, most bands tend to be fairly fan friendly, keeping their ticket prices reasonable and their merchandise priced to move. And it's generally not hard to track down a band member after the show to congratulate them on a job well done. But when it comes to accessibility to fans, The Wedding Present 's David Gedge takes the cake. How many bands can you name that have been around for over twenty years [...]
Boston Spaceships - Brown Submarine Robert Pollard once famously stated that he could write five songs while sitting on the toilet, and three of them would be good. Anyone who is the slightest bit familiar with the ex-Guided By Voices frontman's output over the years knows there is a lot of truth in that statement. The guy is a pop genius with a gift for packing catchy-as-hell melodies into quick two minute bursts. But ever since GBV broke up, it's felt like he has insisted on releasing [...]
If you've been watching TV lately, or reading the news, or just breathing, you probably know that there is a big election coming up. Well if you live in Nashville, that election starts tomorrow. Early voting begins on Wednesday, October 15. You can see a schedule of hours and locations here . And early voting really is the way to go. It's quick and convenient and WAY better than standing in line on November 4. I'm not a big fan of mixing music and politics, so I'm not going [...]
The Verve - Forth Richard Ashcroft needs Nick McCabe. It was obvious during the recording of Urban Hymns (prior to which the band had broken up, then reformed without the mercurial guitarist), and it's been especially obvious over the course of Ashcroft's three increasingly lackluster solo albums. Without McCabe there to provide to provide the spark of creative friction, Ashcroft has a tendency to descend into MOR blandness. Reforming [...]
The Verve - Forth Richard Ashcroft needs Nick McCabe. It was obvious during the recording of Urban Hymns (prior to which the band had broken up, then reformed without the mercurial guitarist), and it's been especially obvious over the course of Ashcroft's three increasingly lackluster solo albums. Without McCabe there to provide to provide the spark of creative friction, Ashcroft has a tendency to descend into MOR blandness. Reforming The Verve [...]
The new Oasis album, Dig Out Your Soul , comes out tomorrow. I should be writing about it right now, but despite the fact that I've had a copy of it for a week and a half, I haven't listened to it yet. I have heard the first single, "The Turning," and I quite dig it's almost prog rock groove. I guess the rest of the album will make for a nice soundtrack for my flight to Philly on Thursday. So in lieu [...]
This Saturday, October 4, the Nashville Symphony will hold its 3rd Annual Free Day of Music at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Twenty-eight different groups will be performing over the course of the day, and while the program is obviously heavy on classical music, there is also jazz, bluegrass, and even Scottish Pipes and Drums for those seeking a bit of variety. Doors open at 11 am, and you can view the complete schedule here . In addition to all the free [...]
I'm usually not a big sci-fi fan, but last spring I got hooked on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles . I think it was because of one if not all of the following reasons: 1. Due to the writers strike, none of my other favorite shows were on. 2. Nostalgia from watching the original movie as a kid. 3. Summer Glau is ridiculously hot. Season two started a couple of weeks ago, and [...]
So there I am, sitting in the the stands at LP Field in the first quarter, watching the Titans take an early lead over the Viking en route to starting the season 4-0 for the first time in franchise history. And during a timeout, this song comes barrelling out of the giant endzone speakers... The Features - "Blow It Out" (mp3) from Exhibit A This was [...]
By far my favorite show on WRVU is Pete Wilson's Nashville Jumps. It's been a staple of my morning drives for ten years now, and when he took this past summer off, my Friday commute was sorely lacking. The very first time I stumbled onto his show in the fall of 1998, I heard the studio version this song, and I've been hooked ever since (this live take is twice as long, and twice as funny). Louis Prima [...]
Friday night's Next Big Nashville festivities got started with free booze and killer views at the pre-show reception at ICON. After two hours spent comparing notes with bloggers and band members, and getting an early start on the evening's drinking, it was definitely a good night to take advantage of the free shuttle service. I'm happy to report that they only missed on their "every 15 minutes" promise once. It's definitely the best way to get around at NBN, especially since Metro's finest were seen out in full force throughout the weekend. [...]
When the schedule for Next Big Nashville came out, my first thought was how front loaded it was. It seemed that most of the bands I really liked were all playing on Thursday. This made for some tough decisions, but my goal for the weekend was to try to focus as much as possible on seeing bands that I wasn't as familiar with, or at least hadn't seen live yet. Unfortunately this meant passing up an obscenely awesome lineup at The Rutledge, but as great as the night turned out it was hard to be disappointed. [...]
Last night marked the opening festivities of Next Big Nashville , the local rock scene's third annual celebration of great music and even greater alcohol consumption. Last year's festival was one of the highlights of my year, and this year promises to equally great. With some 250 artists playing over five nights at sixteen different venues, trying to decide who to see can be a bit overwhelming. So to help you out, here are my recommendations. I can personally attest that each one of this acts put on a great live show, and I'm happy to give them the [...]
All We Seabees - MKUltra It's always a good feeling when you introduce a friend to a band, and they enjoy their show so much that they go home with a CD. It's probably akin to the way a political fundraiser feels when they convince someone to pony up a donation to their candidate... except in this case the person actually gets something for their money other than a bunch of promises. The latest case of my musical tastemaking was Saturday night, when [...]
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Check Out: d’Eon – “Transparency pt. II”
the Weekender ::: New music from Catcall // the National // Summer Camp
KNIFE PARTY – RAGE VALLEY EP
