Blog: Catfish Vegas presents...

I started this blog on Jan. 2, 2004, dragged just as I was into most technology/internet things by Mr. Chair, curious yet not really sure what I wanted to do with a blog or exactly why I should have one. But I do remember distinctly my impetus at least on that first day was to "publish" my own personal list of the top albums of 2003, capped unsurprisingly by Calexico's excellent Feast of Wire. My

I haven't posted a mix in ages, but here goes. Porch/Life (sendspace is full of ads now - look for the blue box that says "click here to start download from sendspace) Chuck Prophet - Play That Song Again Restorations - Neighborhood Song Nothington - Captive Audience Japandroids - Fire's Highway Superchunk - This Summer Nada Surf - Clear Eye Clouded Mind Traps - Ten Teardrops Divine Fits -

Here are, to my ears and in no particular order, the best and the next best of 2012: Chuck Prophet, Temple Beautiful (Yep Roc) A love song to San Francisco delivered on a hot plate of raucous rock 'n' roll, Temple Beautiful is instantly catchy. From the churning chords of opener "Play That Song Again" (which I did, again and again) to the celebratory "Willie Mays Is Up at Bat," Prophet

It's been a little over four years since I got the sweet new Macbook and began converting all of my music into mp3 and m4a files, and my iTunes library just passed 20,000 songs played.The official 20,000th song was "Wreck on the Highway" by Roy Acuff (from the Essential Roy Acuff, 1936-1949 album). I played that song after hearing Megafaun's cover version, which is the b-side to the Kaufman's

Yeah, I should've done this about a month ago, but here are the 13 songs that really stood out for me from the first season of 2012:Heartless Bastards - Parted WaysKathleen Edwards - Change the SheetsDr. Dog – That Old Black HoleSharon Van Etten – SerpentsBig Meridox – Whiskey BreathWhiskey Breath from Javier Castillo on Vimeo.Electric Blankets – Little BootsChuck Prophet - Play That Song

The Ballad of Jesse Kelly, imbecile extraordinaire:

Today's song, in honor of the great Arlo Guthrie:

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Ben Folds headlines a concert for the Fund for Civility, Respect and UnderstandingBen Folds cleared his schedule, dropped all other projects and dedicated this month to focusing on writing songs for what will be the first Ben Folds Five record in 13 years.Then the call came from Ron Barber's Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding, requesting a benefit performance. Without hesitating,

Ben Folds headlines a concert for the Fund for Civility, Respect and UnderstandingBen Folds cleared his schedule, dropped all other projects and dedicated this month to focusing on writing songs for what will be the first Ben Folds Five record in 13 years.Then the call came from Ron Barber's Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding, requesting a benefit performance. Without hesitating,

Live, Big Meridox is the "beast" he calls himself in rhyme, tense and confrontational as he roams the crowd and delivers lines with urgency and, at times, an edgy growl. Joined by DJ Bonus on turntables and a MacBook, Meridox performed 12 songs, produced by Gunky Knuckles.Sweating and swaggering like a boxer, Meridox gives a physical performance, stalking around the crowd to get in people's

Live, Big Meridox is the "beast" he calls himself in rhyme, tense and confrontational as he roams the crowd and delivers lines with urgency and, at times, an edgy growl. Joined by DJ Bonus on turntables and a MacBook, Meridox performed 12 songs, produced by Gunky Knuckles.Sweating and swaggering like a boxer, Meridox gives a physical performance, stalking around the crowd to get in people's

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1. Tom Waits, Bad as Me (ANTI-)If you agree—in any way—that "Hell Broke Luce" in 2011, then Bad as Me is the record to turn to for some wisdom and advice amid the chaos. Dark, preposterous, incensed and confrontational, Bad as Me encapsulates a year that saw misery boil over into anger. The message Waits delivers, through stomps and shouts: This year's optimism is found in revolt.2. The War on

As the more-thoughtful Oasis brother, Noel Gallagher's best moments tended to turn up on hit singles as well as around the band's fringes, like B-sides and the Noel-sung MTV Unplugged. Boastful and arrogant, Oasis was gunning for the highest peaks, and that often involved a certain sound and swagger that didn't incorporate the best of Noel's skills.Neither, exactly, does this first solo

The Roots' Undun is a character study and album-length epitaph of the fictional Redford Stephens, whose short inner-city life of crime and consequence yields a meditation on fate, mortality and karmic justice.The band's first concept album arrives with vivid narrative details, moody instrumentals and a documentary-style detachment. Stephens' tragic arc (1974-1999) is presented through the

I'll be posting my list of the top albums of 2011 a bit later, but in the meantime here are 13 songs from other albums that really stood out for me this year.Mates of State - PalominoDum Dum Girls - Bedroom EyesThose Darlins - Be Your BroCentro-Matic - Only In My Double MindOkkervil River - Wake and Be FineWanda Jackson - Thunder on the MountainThe Black Lips - New DirectionThe Pains of Being

Dark humor rules in this new video of "'67 Cutlass" from Murs album Love & Rockets, Vol. 1: The Transformation. The video traces the narrative of the song, the ill-fated twists of a low-key drug run through the Arizona desert.

Murs concludes the Hip Hop and Love Tour with a hometown performanceInstead of a shout-out to his neighborhood or hometown, Murs opens his new record with an intergalactic greeting."I use my rocket fuel to travel through the infinite / and this is what I brought to you," raps Murs on "Epic Salutations," a rapid-fire and wildly imaginative lyrical journey into outer space.It's a song that

The first thing to notice about Dum Dum Girls is the attitude—that audacious, flirtatious cool, with their don't-follow-the-rules posturing. Debut album I Will Be was a musical exploration of that attitude, marking Dum Dum Girls as a fresh and intriguing buzz band.Only in Dreams takes that attitude and runs with it—in a few different directions. The band still brings a refreshing punk

• Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes