Wilco with Nick Lowe

Wilco seemed to musically own the latter part of 2011, celebrating the release of their new masterpiece by spending time on the road with their opening act (and musical hero) Nick Lowe. Each night featured the two playing at least one song together, giving fans a killer opportunity to see two amazing artists in great form having a blast together.

Now here's hoping for a Wilco/Nick Lowe studio album in the future!

Occupy!!

So the ever-interesting Ry Cooder is back and getting rave reviews for his new concept album about among other things, corporate greed. Well isn't that timely?! A soundtrack for the Occupy Wall Street movement perhaps? Fight the power Ry!

I'm sure loving the two tracks I've heard and can't wait to check out the rest.

The Boss Rocks Pittsburgh, PA

After over a year of no shows, fans wondering how Bruce Springsteen would manage in a post-Clarence Clemons world got their answer last week. On Thursday and Friday Bruce treated fans to two epic 3 1/2 hour shows with his longtime friend Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers serving as house band. The shows featured tons of rarely played tunes and without the safety net of the E-Street band, one can assume these shows featured a Bruce fans rarely get to see.

Looking at the setlists, the performance that made my mouth water is the stunning, first ever acoustic performance of the classic "Incident on 57'th Street" (see it below). For the die hard Bruce freaks, it truly is a performance for the ages.

While I would certainly miss the powerhouse that is Bruce and the E-Street band, one has to wonder if Bruce will continue that without his longtime partner Clarence Clemons. If he chooses not to, at least these performances gave fans the confirmation that while Bruce may have lost his "big man", he has not lost his passion for the power and glory that is rock and roll!





November 4, 2011
Dancing in the Dark

solo acoustic
Your Own Worst Enemy
Incident on 57th Street
I'll Work For Your Love

with Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Never Be Enough Time
Another Thin Line
Because the Night
Radio Nowhere
I'm Not Sleeping
Two Hearts
A Good Life
Code of Silence
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Johnny 99
Save My Love
Talking to the King
Adam Raised a Cain
Pumping Iron
Light of Day
* * *
Hungry Heart
The Promised Land
Glory Days
Down the Road Apiece
Brown Eyed Girl
Pink Cadillac
Twist and Shout (with La Bamba intro)
No Surrender (solo acoustic)
Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street (solo acoustic)
Surprise, Surprise (solo acoustic)
Thunder Road (acoustic with Joe Grushecky)

November 3, 2011
Dancing in the Dark

solo acoustic ("opening for Joe")
For You
Land of Hope and Dreams
I'll Work For Your Love

with Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers
Atlantic City
Never Be Enough Time
Another Thin Line
Because the Night
I'm Not Sleeping
Two Hearts
Save My Love
Code of Silence
Johnny 99
Talking to the King
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Homestead
Murder Incorporated
Fire
Pumping Iron
Light of Day
* * *
The Promised Land
Glory Days
Down the Road Apiece / Wipeout
Thunder Road (solo acoustic)

Cowboy Junkies-The Trinity Sessions Revisited

Like many, I got into the Cowboy Junkies classic "Trinity Sessions" when it was released back in 1988 due to their amazing deconstruction of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane". But it didn't take more then 20 seconds into the opening track before I was completely transfixed with this strange beauty of an album. It did not leave my turntable for the rest of the year.

In 1988, I was listening to nothing at all that sounded like the Cowboy Junkies. No one was. 1988 was the year of Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation....", Jane's Addiction's "Nothing's Shocking", Metallica's "And Justice for All", and Sonic Youth's "Daydream Nation". It seemed to be the year for crashing down musical boundaries and making as loud a noise as possible. And in a way, with it's minimalist instrumentation and hauntingly beautiful vocals by Margo Timmins, the Junkies broke as many boundaries as anyone else that year.

Blending the traditional music of Hank Williams, the alternative poetry of Lou Reed, with original songs that could match either of those artists, the 12 songs on "Trinity" simply seemed like they fell down from heaven. I pulled out the album tonight for the first time in almost 15 years and it still has as much of a memorizing quality as it did back then. Not just one of the best albums of the 80's, but truly one of the best albums of all time. If you loved it then, pull it out and loose yourself again in it's spell. If you've never heard it, go now. You'll thank me later.





In 2008 to mark the 20'th anniversary of the album, the band invited guests such as Vic Chestnut, Ryan Adams, and Natalie Merchant to join them at the same church the original was recorded to play it again. If you're a fan of the original, the DVD of the session is well worth seeking out.

Halloween Mix

Well, it's my favorite time of the year again. I posted this mix last year but I like it so much there is no reason not to offer it up again for you all. I hope you like the tunes....

Ah...Halloween. It's always been my favorite holiday. Dress up in scary costumes and people give you candy?! Sure blows away Hanukkah. So crank up the tunes and don't hand out those horrible Tootsie Rolls on Halloween night! You're just asking to get tricked.....

Side A


Side B


Side A Tracklist:
1. Intro-The Haunted Mansion
2. Every Day is Halloween-Ministry
3. Hells Bells-AC/DC
4. This is Halloween-The Nightmare Before Xmas Soundtrack
5. Bella Lugosi's Dead-Bauhaus
6. The Ghost in You-Psychedelic Furs
7. Killing Moon-Echo and the Bunnymen
8. Thriller-Michael Jackson
9. Bloodletting-Concrete Blond
10. Halloween Theme-John Carpenter
11. Dead Souls-Nine Inch Nails
12. It's Halloween-The Shaggs
13. Black Celebration-Depeche Mode
14. Scary Monsters-David Bowie
15. Monster Mash-Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt Kickers
16. Black Sabbath-Black Sabbath

Side B Tracklist:
1. Halloween-The Misfits
2. Lullaby-The Cure
3. Highway to Hell-AC/DC
4. The Shining Theme
5. The Story of a Ghost-Phish
6. Psycho-Shower Scene
7. Don't Fear the Reaper-Blue Oyster Cult
8. Dead Man's Party-Oingo Boingo
9. The Exorsist-Theme
10. The Purple People Eater-Sheb Wooley
11. I Put a Spell on You-Marilyn Manson
12. Ghostbusters-Ray Parker Jr.
13. Dead Souls-Joy Division
14. Frankenstein-Edgar Winter Group
15. For Whom the Bell Tolls-Metallica
16. We Only Come Out At Night-Smashing Pumpkins
17. A Forest-The Cure
18. Little Ghost-The White Stripes
19. Halloween-Siouxsie and The Banshees

A Gorgeous New R.E.M. Track

A sweet new R.E.M. song and a video featuring nothing but Kirsten Dunst's face? A win/win all around! Happy Friday.....

Tom Waits is BACK!!

A new Tom Waits studio album is always cause for a celebration (at least in this house) and especially when it's been 7 years since the last one. This week finds me obsessively listening to the ragged beauty that is "Bad as Me". Waits is one of those polarizing artists that you either love or hate....there is no in between. But this new album may accomplish a feat that is almost impossible for an artist who's been in the business 40 years; this thing is so good that Waits may just find himself with a whole new generation of fans.

It's all here; the gruff howls, low bellows, high squeals, and the soft lamenting as only Tom Waits can pull off. And the fact that none of it sounds dated or regurgitated is amazing considering how long he's been at this. In fact, this album sounds as fresh and new as anything my ears heard in this fantastic year in music.

Helped by a stellar cast of characters featuring Waits' longtime guitarist extraordinaire Marc Ribot, Los Lobos's David Hidalgo, and the immortal Keith Richards, the music sounds like a strange postcard from a rockabilly, Tin Pan Alley fueled, lowdown house party from beyond. And the lyrics...oh those lyrics. This is what we Waits freaks keep coming back, and our hero certainly doesn't disappoint here.

Will this rank up with Waits classics like "Small Change", "Rain Dogs", or "Mule Variations"? It's too early to tell and I don't care. I feel like a kid with a strange new toy, and I'm gonna keep playing with it until I get bored or it breaks down.

Thanks Tom!!!