Your monthly mixtape from your favorite music bloggers, tweeters, members of the altcountrytab.ca forum, friends of friends, friends of lovers, friends and lovers, friends in low places, and occasionally some enemies. Do you spell America with a "k"? Download 1. Shayfer James - Weight of the World Counterfeit Arcade (2011) Submitted By: Popa2unes Comments: Shayfer James is devilishly captivating and deliciously unusual. A man of bewitching grace, grisly humor, profound story telling, and whiskey-flavored [...]
While we're all indulging on wings and nachos, let's not forget to throw a bone to our furry friends. And maybe "accidentally" drop a cocktail wienie on the floor. John Hiatt - My Dog and Me.mp3 Buy : Beneath This Gruff Exterior (2003) The Great Outdoors - Chekhov and I.mp3 Buy : Food, Booze, and Entertainment (2007) Harry [...]
I've had the plague something fierce for the last week. It's so bad that I have to skip a beer festival tonight, and you all know how I feel about beer. So until I kick this batch of germs, instead of posting some mildly coherent and amusing musical anecdotes, I'm just gonna post some vids and some tunes. Our good Canadian indie rock hero Joel Plaskett does a toddler version of "Fashionable People" with Mamma Yamma, a yam who represents Ontario on the CBC children's show Kids' Canada [...]
"Why is Aimz going to see Lucero on New Years Eve? Has she lost her mind?" - My Latin friend Isabel referring to the Mexican soap opera/pop music star. I know people hate New Years Eve, and that it's "amateur night," and blah, blah, blah, but damn I love ringing in the new year by rocking out! For the last four or five years I have spent my New Years Eve in Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern having The Sadies start my year off by giving me significant hearing damage. But I no longer [...]
"Why is Aimz going to see Lucero on New Years Eve? Has she lost her mind?" - My Latin friend Isabel referring to the Mexican soap opera/pop music star. I know people hate New Years Eve, and that it's "amateur night," and blah, blah, blah, but damn I love ringing in the new year by rocking out! For the last four or five years I have spent my New Years Eve in Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern having The Sadies start my year off by giving me significant hearing damage. But I no longer [...]
I know I rip on Wilco a lot, but this is pretty damn good. Mavis Staples leads Nick Lowe and Wilco in their rendition of The Band's classic "The Weight" backstage at the Civic Opera House in Chicago in December 2011. Also watch the killer original from the best concert film of all time, 1973's The Last Waltz . A young Mavis Staples wails out the second verse. I love the comment on the youtube page that says, "Rick Danko [...]
This month for the Feel Bad For You comp we were asked to submit one of our favorite tracks from the last year. So as we give 2011 a swift kick in the ass good-bye, here are some of the best songs of 2011, as contributed by bloggers, tweeters, members of the altcountrytab.ca forum, and other rogues and rapscallions. Download 1. Powder Mill - Devil In New Orleans Southern Independent Vol. 2 Submitted By: Adam Sheets Comments: [...]
Other albums from 2011 that I really liked (in alphabetical order by artist): Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Heart of a Dog Blackie and the Rodeo Kings - Kings and Queens The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow Dawes - Nothing is Wrong The Decemberists - The King is Dead Drive-By Truckers - Go-Go Boots Foo Fighters - Wasting Light Glossary - Long Live All of Us Ha Ha Tonka - Death of [...]
I guess I lose what little blogger cred that I have if I don't post an end-of-the-year "Best Of" list before 2012. I'm getting it in just under the wire. These are my favorite albums on this day, the 31st of December, in the year of our lord 2011, and it is subject to change whenever I feel like it. Seriously, it's been a great year for music, and it was really difficult for me to make this list. Feel free to heap praise on me or call me a pretentious overbearing wretch. [...]
I had a bunch of Christmas music posts planned, but here I am at my folk's place playing Ms. Computer Repairer, for both my parent's PC and my crappy netbook. Argh. It's not putting me in the holiday spirit, I tell you what. But anyhoo, who loves mash-ups? Me! Who really loves mash-ups with good (bad) Christmas tunes? MEEEEE!!! The first three are a few of my favorites from the fantastic Santastic collection, which is a group of DJ's that have been putting out a disc worth [...]
Christmas and country music go together like peas and carrots. It's that time of year where Santa corrals up his steeds, puts on his spurs, and delivers presents to all of the good little cowpokes who have never heard of, much less seen, snow. Don't mind that flask of shine that Santa has stashed in his leather vest. It's hard work delivering present all over the world! And if you are an extra good little rocker, Santa may bring you a new steel gee-tar for Christmas. Yeee-Haw! Brenda Lee - I'm Gonna Lasso [...]
Twitter was abuzz today with a video of Jeff Tweedy, lead singer of Wilco , channeling his inner Al Roker by announcing the weather report for Chicago's WGN television on Thursday morning. First, who gets up that early to watch the morning weather report (especially if you are in the rock and roll business)? Second, who cares that much about the weather? The answer to both of these questions: my dad. 65-year-old father of two, grandfather of one, ice fisherman extraordinaire, not quite the Grumpy Old Men curmudgeon, but getting close. Another [...]
The monthly Feel Bad for You comp from various bloggers, tweeters, members of the altcountrytab.ca forum, and other jokers. And this one is spiked with X-mas tunes. Yay!!! Download /Stream: 1. The Duke Spirit - This Ship Was Built To Last Neptune (2008) Submitted By: Shooter Comments: Why don't you go over there and blow me and come back over here and fuck you. 2. Leonard Cohen - The Stranger Song Songs of Leonard Cohen [...]
This blog has seen better days. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but I could use a little help. Maybe some Holiday Cheer from Old St. Nick? In other words, BOOZE! Better Off Dead - All I Got For Christmas Was Drunk.mp3 Buy (CD Baby): A King Family Christmas (2006) Darby O'Gill and the Little People - Christmas Whiskey.mp3 Buy : Christmas Songs [...]
A few weeks ago at his gig in Cambridge, MA, Frank Turner lead everyone in a singalong to Queen's "Somebody to Love." (More on that later) Since then I have been on a huge Queen kick. Today is American Thanksgiving, but it is also the 20th anniversary of the death of Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury. Mercury was the greatest rock singer of all time, with a vocal range of four octaves, which is pretty amazing considering he had to formal vocal training. You can read the rest of his [...]
It seems like I'm always out of town when there are bands/artists touring through Boston who I really want to see. While I am away visiting family in Detroit Rock City, here are some gigs to check out. Thursday, October 27 Gillian Welch at the Wilbur Theater Update (from http://www.gillianwelch.com ): Due to Laryngitis, Gillian Welch is unable to perform tonight (October 27, 2011). The show has been postponed to Tuesday, December 13th at 8 PM. All original tickets will be honored night of show. If for [...]
A day before the Canadian music blog NXEW tweeted "The U.S. sites are full of live performances from well known acts, why aren't Canada's musicians turning up at #OccupyCanada?" this below message came through my inbox via Bob Lefsetz and his music musings newsletter. Our Lady Peace is one of my favorite Canadian rock bands, even from before I lived in Toronto. While they may not be performing in the Occupy movement, they are definitely getting involved. Check out their latest song/video entitled "Fight The Good Fight" and see lead singer [...]
Your monthly comp from your favorite musical delinquents, only this time, with a theme! Most people submitted instrumentals, but some people can't follow directions (I'll leave you to figure that one out). It's a pretty interesting comp this month - everything from country to hip-hop to metal to stoner rock. And I forgot the link to the stream, so if you want to stream the entire comp, go here . Otherwise, download here . 1. Chelsea Crowell - For Stormy.mp3 Buy (mp3): [...]
A few weeks ago Okkervil River released a video for their song "Your Past Life as a Blast" from the 2011 album I Am Very Far. This song is one of my favorites on an otherwise mediocre record, and the video is cute as hell. Here's what Okkervill River lead singer/ songwriter Will Sheff has to say about it. When I was writing the lyrics for I Am Very Far I kept fixating on the idea of being new, specifically memories of being very little [...]
But it's not exactly what you would expect. Yesterday Amanda Palmer entertained the folks protesting corporate and government shenanigans at Occupy Boston. In addition to playing one of her own songs, covering Neutral Milk Hotel , and performing the old English folk song " The World Turned Upside Down " popularized by Billy Bragg , she also rewrote the pop song "Friday" from the perspective of a truck stop hooker. Now, the premise of this cover sounds hysterical, but listen to the lyrics, especially in context of what the people at the Occupy [...]
Rockstar Aimz
Watch: Trailer for Dave Grohl’s documentary, Sound City
Childish Gambino - "Heartbeat" (Official Music Video)
First Aid Kit – Emmylou
Hardwell Bootleg Pack 2012
James Blake – Live Album
