This Day in Rock and Roll History

A Great Ode to Lynyrd....and rock and roll in general

Say it Isn't So!!

Imagine how hard it is to keep a rock and roll band together for 30 years. Now imagine how hard it is to do when two of the lead members are married for 27 of them. Now picture what will happen to the band when those two members decide to separate. Unfortunately, that is the fate us fans of Sonic Youth have to ponder this evening. The coolest rock couple of all time (sorry Lou and Laurie); Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore have decided to separate, obviously leaving the fate of the band hanging by a thread. I feel very deeply for what Kim and Thurston are having to go through and assume the band is not foremost on their minds at this time.

Sonic Youth's music simply changed my life. Hearing "Teenage Riot" in 1988 completely altered what music was and could be for me. It changed the way I would hear and feel music forever. They opened my eyes to the fact that music could be chaos and beautiful at the same time. Having seen them on every tour since 1988, they have been such a huge part of my life that I hope they can somehow find a way to continue to create their art together. While my thoughts are with their family tonight, my ears are buzzing with their blissful noise.

Freak Out with "American Horror Story"!

Watching the pilot episode of the new TV mindfuck "American Horror Story" I was immediately transported back to 1990 when I first saw the pilot for the Godfather of all TV mindfucks; "Twin Peaks". Which is to say that is the ultimate compliment I can heap on a TV show. Like "Peaks", "American Horror Story" transports us into a sexy, wild world where we are never quite sure what's real or imagined. Where the unseen is more frightening then what is obvious and on the surface. Both shows push boundaries and make you scratch your head and say, "did I really just see that on my television"?!

Without giving too much away....troubled family moves into scary, freaky house with a murderous history, with Jessica Lange as the weirdest neighbor you wish you never had. And that's just where the sexy, frightening fun begins. The show is scary, but not in the traditional sense of "boo"! It is unnerving to the point where I had to pause it and check email just to get some sense of reality for a minute. Did I mention it's also sexy as hell? Not to give anything away, but if what went on in the first 70 minutes of the pilot continues for the series, this show may help troubled sex lives all across the country.

As someone who has never been a huge fan of weekly network TV shows, I can honestly say that now because of the abundance of cable channels and the loosening of allowable content, television seems to have surpassed film as far as creative, smart, boundary pushing quality programming. "American Horror Story" has me more excited for any TV show since HBO's masterpiece "The Wire".

BOO!!!

An Evening with Wilco in Captial City

So last night I had the distinct pleasure to see my favorite band in maybe my favorite city.....Wilco in Madison, WI. The setting couldn't have been better; a sunny, warm early fall day, Wilco's fantastic new album being a week old, 10'th row center seats (thanks Bruce), all while playing in the acoustically perfect venue of Overture Hall. I have seen Wilco countless times since around 1996 and with all sincerity, I can say they have never sounded better then they did last night. With the band's core members solidified for for 3 albums now, they are simply a well oiled machine that even on their "off" nights, would certainly blow most acts off the stage

Appropriately opening with the new "Capital City" segueing into the album's gorgeously epic closer "One Sunday Morning", the band quickly threw down that this was a night to celebrate the new. In fact, a whopping 9 songs were played from the new album, yet each one fit perfectly into the set aside the familiar tunes, as if we've known them for years

I realize I am still buzzing from the show, but I can honestly say that the first 12 songs of the set had me completely transfixed and in awe. I have seen epic Wilco gigs in the past, but this was like Wilco on steroids. It's just amazing to see a band you truly love playing better than ever and continuing to evolve in front of your eyes. I suspect most in the audience would love any Wilco show at this point, but the band is no way content to stay the same and that was obvious in their intensity and boundrey pushing last night. See them soon if you can and remember what they were like. I suspect it won't stay that way for long.....

Wilco: Madison, WI October 6, 2011
Capitol City>
One Sunday Morning
Poor Places>
Art Of Almost
IATTBYH>
I Might
Black Moon
Bull Black Nova
Impossible Germany
Born Alone
Jesus, etc.
Handshake Drugs
War On War
Box Full Of Letters
Standing O
Via Chicago
Dawned On Me
A Shot in the Arm
-----------------------------
Whole Love
36 Inches High [Jim Ford] (w/Nick Lowe on lead vocals and electric guitar)>
I Love My Label [Nick Lowe] (w/Nick Lowe on vocals and electric guitar)
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Monday>
Outtasite (Outta Mind)

July Flame

Every once in a while you hear a song that just simply gets under your skin. You may not be able to explain why, but once you fall under its spell it stays with you, nagging at you to play it again. Its these rare songs that make me so happy to be a music freak!

One of those for me is Laura Veirs wonderful "July Flame", the title track from her underrated album of 2010. There is just something about the song that kills me. Maybe it's the innocence in her voice plainly and futilely asking "can I call you mine".

"July Flame
I'm seeing fireworks
They're so beautiful
Tell me why it hurts"

It's such a deceptively simple song but one that has buried itself in my head. And I love it!!

Fleet Foxes in the Morning

In a year full of amazing albums, I think my favorite may still be the Fleet Foxes "Helplessness Blues". These guys blew me away on their debut a few years ago and certainly did not disappoint with their sophomore effort. Theirs is the kind of sound that wouldn't have sounded out of place in 1969 or 1970, yet it doesn't feel dated or derivative in any way. And those harmonies are truly something of beauty to hear. Name one other band that comes close to this sound today....nope you can't.

And while I liked their first album when I first heard it, their songs did not sync in with me until I heard them live on an NPR broadcast. They simply blew me away with how they were able to translate those rich textures and vocals into a live setting. Today the band stopped by KCRW to do a gorgeous 40 minute Morning Becomes Eclectic set. Brew some of your favorite tea, crank the volume, and enjoy it for yourself below:

Fleet Foxes-KCRW Studios: September 28, 2011
The Plains/ Bitter Dancer"
"Mykonos"
"Battery Kinzie"
"Sim Sala Bim"
"The Shrine/An Argument"
"Grown Ocean"
"Helplessness Blues"

Bridge School 25'th Anniversary Set

Put this in the must have DVD collection! Every summer for the past 25 years, I have read about the amazing Bridge School concerts that Neil Young puts on in California. Every legendary artist under the sun has done it (Bruce Springsteen, Wilco, Tom Waits, David Bowie, The Who, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, etc) and the gigs are all acoustic in nature. This leads to some really unique and special performances that you don't get anywhere else (Metallica acoustic??).

You can watch the trailer for the set below, which talks about what the Bridge School is and does. 100% of the profits from the set go to the school so if you only buy one piece of music this year, make it this one!