Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental hand/groin coordination consultant Fah Lo Suee and I will be off to lovely Indianapolis, Indiana and the palatial home of Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Theoretically), where we will be beating the little SOB within an inch of his life. No particular reason, actually, just on general principles. In any event, further posting by moi will have to be sporadic for a day or two. In the meantime, then, here's a hopefully fun little project for us all: [...]
Today's free and legal mp3 downloads: Alejandro Escovedo : 2010-01-23, Louisville [mp3,ogg,flac] "I Was Drunk" [mp3] other Alejandro Escovedo posts at Largehearted Boy Camper Van Beethoven : 2010-10-17, Cambridge [mp3,ogg,flac] "Might Makes Right" [mp3] Camper Van Beethoven : 2009-12-29, Solana Beach [mp3,ogg,flac] "Cowboys from Hollywood" [mp3] other Camper Van Beethoven posts [...]
Warren Zevon is an underrated musician in the history of rock music with a diverse career full of humor and cynicism. I didn't know much about Zevon outside of the popular "Werewolves of London" for most of my young life. However a friend plopped down Excitable Boy one late college night, and the mood that his music created wasn't quite like anything I had ever experienced. While it was definitely full of catchy beats that had my foot tapping along, it also had a dark, almost eerie quality to it. Just as I was having an opportunity to [...]
"Oh, how happy we will be/ if we keep the ten commandments of love." —the Moonglows "One of a thousand pities that you can't categorize There are ten commandments of love…" —Elvis Costello, "Pidjin English "She's got the ten commandments tattooed on her arm." —MC5, "Sister Anne" Not nine. Not eleven. Ten commandments. No wonder ten-named songs are a solid lot: they are linked inextricably to [...]
Today's free and legal mp3 downloads: Bloodkin : 2004-01-29, Athens [mp3,ogg,flac] "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (Warren Zevon cover)" [mp3] Bloodkin : 2000-01-27, Athens [mp3,ogg,flac] "Breakfast in Bed" [mp3] other Bloodkin posts at Largehearted Boy Camper Van Beethoven : 2010-01-14, Washington [mp3,ogg,flac] "Tania" [mp3] other Camper Van Beethoven posts at Largehearted [...]

I had been so busy preparing my birthday tribute to David Bowie that it slipped my mind that the Chameleon of Pop used to get his birthday cards on the same day as the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of Elvis Presley's birth in Tupelo, Mississippi. Like Bowie, Elvis was also an actor, although the films he appeared in were merely vehicles for his star status and internationally-recognised persona. And, like Bowie, Elvis was a huge influence on the development of popular music. Of course, his music wasn't as innovative or original as [...]

Gosh, I sure can't think of anyone Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-worthy these days, can you? Surely, all of the artists deserving of this honor have already received their dues. What's that? Harry Nilsson isn't in there yet? And neither are Carole King, Alice Cooper , or Warren Zevon ? Chubby Checker ? Well, now I'm just confused, because Rolling Stone editor-in-chief and head honcho of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Jann Wenner claims he needs to change the rules on account of there just [...]
I was a little shy about wanting to review this disc when I first got it in, ad "Don't Forget" does a lot to assuage any of the fears I might have had. The vocals on the track are immediately reminiscent of Warren Zevon, while the guitar work smacks of both Santana and Zevon's studio [...]
"Little Wiley Harpe, 1803" is the first track of the disc, and the song seems to blend together the Outlaws with Warren Zevon. The track itself starts with a strong vocal –presence, before the brooding instrumentation comes to a more focal point. Still, the vocals that open the track should be enough of a reason [...]
Today's free and legal mp3 downloads: Back Forty : 2009-12-12, Grand Rapids [mp3,ogg,flac] "Werewolves of London (Warren Zevon cover)" [mp3] other Back Forty posts at Largehearted Boy Backyard Tire Fire : 2009-12-05. DeKalb [mp3,ogg,flac] "Welcome to the Factory" [mp3] other Backyard Tire Fire posts at Largehearted Boy Bloodkin : 2009-12-12, [...]
Man, does this guy really try to walk the fine line between Billy Joel and Warren Zevon, and like a failed tightrope walker, he fell early. The tracks are relatively innocuous sounding, but have none of the sheer power that Joel has in his pieces or the political message Zevon places in each and every [...]
What a strong year for music! I've had a hell of a time narrowing down my list this year. Once I got it down to my top 30 albums , it took me forever to parse it down to ten. One thing that I noticed about my particular list is that it really leans heavily towards the country/folk-ish albums. I'm usually a big indie rock geek, but for some reason none of the rock releases that professional critics are lauding this year really did anything for me (e.g. Grizzly Bear, Phoenix, Animal Collective, etc.). [...]
This is what happens when the legendary Albert Collins teaches his drummer to play electric blues guitar and he winds up playing for John Mayall's 1980's version of The Bluesbreakers . Coco Montoya is hot – so hot you can hear and feel the burn. He is also unconventional. Montoya plays his right-handed Fender Stratocaster left-handed but doesn't restring it. The low E string is on the bottom – the high E string is on the top. If you haven't heard Montoya's 2002 release Can't Look Back [...]
The end of the present decade is only days away, so our Frank Deserto has undertaken the massive task of presenting the highs and lows of each year. He continues this nine-part series with a look back on 2003. Hit us with your memories in the comment section. 2003 saw the world fall victim to even more violence and degradation. War on Iraq was imminent, as a major protest was launched in February. Just a month later, US and UK troops invaded the country, beginning a war that still continues to date. Curiously enough, President Bush announced the end of major [...]

Who doesn't like Neil Young? Even if you're a right winger, you have to admire the grit of a musician willing to go up against MTV back in the 1980s, the longevity of someone who sold records back when they are records and continues to move digital downloads, and the skill of a man who can craft pop songs, protest songs, and ballads that make you want to kill youself. And he walks the walk, too, with his work for the Bridge School and support for various other charitable and political causes. Plus, he makes [...]

Part Five of my countdown of the top 110 albums of the decade, and we're not even half-way there. You can find 110-101 here , 100-91 here , 90-81 here , and 80-71 here . But for now, here's 70-61... 70. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006) Bruce Springsteen's most outlandish album of his career is also one of his best. A departure from everything else he's ever done, his [...]

Artist: Warren Zevon Album: Excitable Boy Release Date: January 18, 1978 I must confess; I hadn't heard a single song by Warren Zevon until after he died. In fact, the first song I heard was "Keep Me In Your Heart" from his deathbed album The Wind . My roommate Justin lamented earlier this week that Warren Zevon received two Grammys, and neither of them were in his lifetime. So I figured between that and the fact that the average Joe on the street is probably [...]
Many people's tips for greatness, The Sleep Thieves ' latest video City Lights is directed by Killian Broderick. The track is available for free download here . The band play a special Christmas show upstairs at the Twisted Pepper on Tuesday 22nd December, with DJ sets from Halves, GPO, Le Galaxie, Bellajane and I Phoenix. Random Posts Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon [...]
Historical Context Some things happened through the first eight months of the year. On 11 September, 2001, terror hit the world when Slayer released their ninth studio album, God Hates Us All . George Bush responds by declaring war on Afghanistan. This likely made Slayer guitarist Kerry King sad. Also, it appeared to be a somewhat weak musical year, in my estimation. 10. Ash – Free All Angels There's nothing complicated about this music. It's [...]
MUSIC NEWS - Multiple Grammy winner and Oscar-nominated producer, musician and songwriter T Bone Burnett will be the executive musical producer and an executive producer for Lionsgate's new " Tough Trade ," the first original series pilot for EPIX , it was announced today by EPIX President and CEO Mark Greenberg and Lionsgate Music President Jay Faires. Epix is the new multiplatform entertainment service from Viacom, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Lionsgate, with plans to be the leading next generation studio, and was launched on October 30, 2009. "Tough Trade " is said to be a [...]