A Quick One!

My video of the week is one of my favorite covers of all time; My Morning Jacket with Eddie Vedder nailing The Who's mini-opera "A Quick One (While He's Away). Pete, Keith, John, and Roger would be very proud.

Part One


Part Two

Bruce Springsteen with Guests = Awesome!!

It's been about a month since I've had any Springsteen content so here you go. Two killer new videos from the ongoing "Magic" tour. The first is of Bruce with guest guitarist/activist Tom Morello blistering through a tour premiere of "Ghost of Tom Joad" from Anaheim, CA. If this doesn't give you chills, you have no soul.

The second video is Bruce joined by friend Alejandro Escovedo in Dallas to sing Alejandro's new tune "Always a Friend to You". The amazing thing is this song isn't even released yet. It will be on Alejandro's forthcoming disc. This one is worth it just to see Bruce having so much fun.

Wasteland of the Free

I just heard an amazing song today about the state of our world. It's called "Wasteland of the Free" by Iris Dement. It sounds like it was written in 2008 but it's actually from 1996, making it even more amazing. Unfortunately, I have a feeling this song will still resonate 50 years from now, ala "Blowing in the Wind".

Give it a spin.


Wasteland of the Free
Iris Dement


We got preachers dealin' in politics and diamond mines
And their speech is growing increasingly unkind
They say they are Christ's disciples --
They don't look like Jesus to me
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free

We got politicians runnin' races on corporate cash
Now don't tell me they don't turn around and kiss them peoples' ass
You may call me old fashioned --
That don't fit my picture of a true democracy
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free

We got CEOs makin' 200 times the worker's pay
And they fight like hell against raisin' the minimum wage
If you don't like it, mister,
They'll ship your job to some Third World country 'cross the sea
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free

Living in the wasteland of the free
Where the poor have now become the enemy
Let's blame our problems on the weak ones --
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free

We got kids fighting inner-city wars
And what do we do, we put these little kids behind prison doors
And they say we're the advanced civilization --
That sounds like crap to me
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free

We got high-school kids wearin' Calvin Klein and Guess
Who cannot pass a fifth grade written test
But if you ask them, they can tell you
The name of every crotch on MTV
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free

We kill for oil, then throw a party when we win
Some guy refuses to fight and we call that the sin
He's standing up for what he believes in --
That sounds pretty damned American to me
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free

While we stand gloating in our greatness
Justice is sinking towards the bottom of the sea
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free

Kicking out the Jams with The Black Keys!

Thanks to one of my co-workers, I have a new band to love. That band is The Black Keys. Once again, I realize I am late to the party with great music. These two guys from Akron, Ohio have been cranking out their wicked style of fuzzy blues for years now. I am just sort of diving into their material, but make sure to check out their fantastic new release; "Attack and Release". I can tell you I am addicted to it. This will be on my top 10 of the year for sure and I suspect these guys will be getting much attention this year from critics.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Fab Channel, you can see what I'm talking about in this killer show from Amsterdam, 6-10-2006. PLAY LOUD!!!

All Apologies

There are two events that occurred on April 8 that had a profound impact on me. One of them was one of the happiest days of my life, the other was one of the saddest. I was married on April 8, 1995. That was obviously the happy one. One year earlier, artist Kurt Cobain was found dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound. That one was sad. I was 24 years old on that day and like many other twenty-somethings, was deeply troubled by the news.

Looking back, it seems easy to listen to Kurt's lyrics and hear those songs and say suicide was the obvious conclusion to his story. At the time, I was shocked. I was one of those who felt Kurt was singing FOR the angry, the frustrated, the depressed, the picked on, and the isolated souls in all of us. How could he just give up? I still don't understand it anymore today then I did back in 1994. It does prove that the rage and pain heard in those songs was very real.

After watching the Nirvana "Unplugged" performance, you had the feeling that Kurt was maturing as an artist and the limits were unimaginable. To this day, I can hardly listen to that CD. It is just too damn sad to think "what if". As much as I love the 3 Nirvana studio albums, they sound like a band just getting started. An artist just finding his talents. A year later, my favorite musician in the world (Jerry Garcia) also died. As sad as that day was for many, it was hard for me to be totally depressed by it. Jerry had already given so much. Kurt on the other hand, had barely begun.

There seems to be many teenagers and twenty-somethings who don't "get" Nirvana. They don't understand what the big deal is. I feel sorry for them. I guess coming of age post-Nirvana, you would have no perception of what music was like pre-Nirvana. It's like the people who don't "get" The Beatles. Like any art, you have to have some perception of the history and timeline of when it was created to truly appreciate it. I listen to Kurt and I hear someone who changed the course of popular music without trying to. He gave kids the idea that music could mean something. That it could be a guiding force in their lives. That there was a better alternative to the brain-dead tunes of Def Leopard/Motley Crue/Poison and the like. Post 1991, everyone sounded like Nirvana. Pre-1991, no one did. It happened so fast it is easy to take for granted.

On this day every year, I make sure to spend quality time with my wife. But an April 8 wouldn't be complete for me without spending an hour cranking up some Nirvana as loud as I can stand it. It does the soul good. Unfortunately, Kurt had to bare his far too much...

Sic

OK, so a couple of days ago I posted how the ever wacky Ryan Adams had shut down his blog site. I should have known better. After a day of postings by Ryan's computer (no joke), now Adams is back at it. The coolest thing is a new interview with one of my musical heroes; Bob Mould. How these two ever got together is beyond me. All I know is Ryan Adams' blog is must-see computer!


Late Afternoon with DRAdams from Ryan Adams on Vimeo.

R.E.M. Rocks Colbert!!!

This made my day. Two of my personal favorites getting together!