Review: Los Lobos at the Mesa Arts Center
Eleven years had passed since I last saw Los Lobos (1996 at the Electric Ballroom in Tempe). But like fine wine, time only makes them better and intensifies the experience. A gray bearded David Hidalgo and his band mates of thirty plus years took the stage Saturday night at the beautiful, 2-year old Ikeda Theater at the Mesa Arts Center. For the next two hours, the band took us on a journey that clearly showed why they remain one of the tightest, most eclectic bands out there today. It also reminded me how grossly underrated these living legends are. A freakin’ travesty, to be honest.
Of Mekons and Diamonds
Any big Mekons fans out there? They’re another band I need to spend some quality time with. They were one of the bands that formed out of the 1977 British punk scene. Among the art students at the University of Leeds were Jon Langford, Kevin Lycett and Tom Greenhalgh. They formed the Mekons. Also forming out of the Leeds art school around that time were Gang of Four and Delta 5.
Jon Langford eventually settled in Chicago, and has been involved in a number of projects, most notably the Waco Brothers. His brand of music fuses post-punk, folk and country. Good, good stuff.
I heard this newer Mekons tune on Sirius a few weeks ago, from their latest, Natural.
Mekons – Diamonds (mp3)
And this is my favorite off of the Waco Brothers Do You Think About Me? record. I have good memories of cranking this on a solo drive to Vegas to see Bruce in 2000.
Waco Brothers – Wickedest City (mp3)
Buy: The Mekons – Natural
| Waco Brothers – Do You Think About Me?
Links: Mekons MySpace | Mekons on LastFM
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: February 15, 2008
Monday may have been blue, but its Friday I’m in Love. So while everyone is binging on the spoils of Valentine’s Day let’s all hit shuffle and let the tunes get us through the remains of the day.What to say about last week? It inspired my Valentine’s Day card to my wife and took us from Peter Gabriel to Kanye West in just 5 short steps. It also revealed Pete’s got a thing for Johnny Cougar and our readers are digging playing along and have music collections that are all over the map. For those new to the ‘Friday Five’ it’s quite easy, I hit the shuffle button, hope the Spice Girls don’t pop up and share the first five tracks along with thoughts, memoirs and the occasional fun fact.
The rest is up to you, feel free to add your random five in the comments and remember honesty is the best policy!
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. LL Cool J – Doin’ It (from All World)
Well if it’s gonna be that kind of party… What a way to kick the post Valentine’s Day five into gear. I’ll say that I don’t have much other to say about this track than, Mmm-Hmm!
2. Alice Smith – Fake is the New Real (from For Lovers, Dreamers & Me)
Great track from one of my favorite ‘new to me’ artists of last year. If you’ve not checked out this record you owe it to yourself to remedy that situation.
3. Raekwon – Ice Cream (from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx)
There was a time when The Wu Tang Clan could do no wrong. From coast to coast everyone was feeling the vibe and buying in on the brand. It was genius marketing, a crew nine members deep with each ready, willing and able to release solo records that everyone was clamoring for. Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man and Cappadonna all chime in with a verse on this track but for me it’s Ghostface Killah who delivers the KO.
** Not suitable for little ears!
4. The Beatles – Revolution (from 1967-1970)
For as much crap as I can talk about The Beatles (and trust me, I’ve got volumes) I do enjoy their music. If I’m being completely honest this does just remind me, to this day, of the Nike commercial.
5. Miles Davis – I Fall in Love Too Easily (from Love Songs)
Over the years I’ve amassed a rather large collection of Miles Davis recordings. I find myself often coming back to the early 60’s material with Gil Evans as a safe haven of some of the most beautiful and tasteful melodies ever committed to tape.
That’s it for me, now it’s your turn, you know what to do!
Good Cop – Bad Cop
I don’t know how long these have been around, but these Will Ferrell shorts are just making their way to me. Allow me to stray from the music for a few…it’s worth it…
Valentine’s Day Cards
I’m generally a ‘card guy’. I like giving cards, receiving cards and making cards and this year I made my wife an “old school mix-tape” card (only it was a CD because, you know, who has a cassette recorder anymore?) Here’s what was on her mix:
Hem – Waltz (from Rabbit Songs)
Peter Gabriel – In Your Eyes (from So)
Jason Mraz – I’m Yours (from I’m Yours)
311 – Love Song (from 50 First Dates)
Incubus – Dig (from Light Grenades)
Band of Horses – Marry Song (from Cease to Begin)
Dave Matthews Band – I’ll Back You Up (from Remember Two Things)
The Bird and the Bee – How deep is Your Love (from Please Clap Your Hands)
Nick Drake – Northern Sky (from Bryter Layter)
Stevie Wonder – I Believe (When I Fall in Love it Will Be Forever) (from Talking Book)
Prince – Call My Name (from Musicology)
Paul McCartney – Maybe I’m Amazed (from McCartney)
U2 – Sweetest Thing (from U218 Singles)
Hot Chip – Wrestlers (from Made in the Dark)
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman – My One and Only Love (from John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman)
Dave Mathews Band – Crush (from The Central Park Concert)
Jay Wood – #41 (from ???)Anyone else get crafty and make their sweetie a Valentine this year?
Valentine’s Day
I’m glad to say that I’ve never been in the position to identify with Steve Earle in his song “Valentine’s Day”. But if you’re one of the unlucky ones who wakes up Thursday morning cardless and giftless, simply drop to your knees and sing this song.
This is one of the sweetest, most emotional tunes that Steve has ever written. It showed up on his amazing 1996 album I Feel Alright. Providing the perfect background vox are gospel legends the Fairfield Four. If you don’t have the album, I strongly recommend you remedy that right here, right now.
No One’s Gonna Love You
Band of Horses paid a visit to Conan O’Brien last night and performed one of my favorite tracks from their brilliant Cease to Begin. I swear there is magic in Ben Bridwell’s voice.
[redlasso id=’3518b09e-c1d3-4d67-8f66-b714f4d987cd’]
Band of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You (Last.fm)
Buy Cease to Begin: Amazon | iTunes
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
Shaq joins the Suns – Sports Music
I’m a baseball fan above all else, but I have to say, my hometown team’s recent trade for Shaquille O’Neal has me pretty excited to watch more Phoenix Suns basketball. The Suns are the second best team in basketball as it is – thanks in large part to the guy they just traded away to the Heat – Shawn Marion. But something tells me things are going to get even better with Shaq on our side. And you Heat fans must be a happy bunch picking up someone of the caliber of Marion.
This of course segues into sports music. The only basketball song I can think of is Kurtis Blow’s “Basketball”, with his shout out to the greats of the day: “Dantley and Wilkins are on the scene, And Ralph Sampson is really mean!” Who’s Dantley?
Are there any other basketball songs out there? For baseball, all I can think of off the top of my head are “Centerfield” by John Fogerty, and Bob Dylan’s “Catfish”. Football…. yep, the “Super Bowl Shuffle”. Ah – Steve Earle’s “No. 29”. What else in the way of pop/rock sports-themed tunes?
Kurtis Blow – Basketball (LastFM)
Bob Dylan – Catfish (LastFM)
John Fogerty – Centerfield (LastFM)
Iggy and Tom – Coffee and Cigarettes
Tonight, I bought a Henry Rollins Show off of iTunes for $1.99. He interviewed the Stooges. Great interview. Off I went to YouTube to watch some old Stooges footage. Sooner or later I ended up watching this clip from Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 film Coffee and Cigarettes. I sat transfixed for this 10 minutes of uncomfortable conversation between Iggy Pop and Tom Waits. There’s something about this clip that just reeled me in. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
Needless to say, Coffee and Cigarettes just went to the top of my Netflix queue.
Tasty Update: Just posted this morning, the Popdose Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tom Waits!
Ickmusic goes to the Grammys
As the shadow of Amy Winehouse’s brunette beehive casts a shadow on the 2008 Grammy Awards – it is time, friends, to open the refrigerator, fetch a cold Heineken Premium Lite, and drink my way through this ceremony. The official rules for Ickmusic’s Grammy Drinking Game can be found here.
The telecast starts here in Arizona at 7:00pm MST (9pm EST). Right now, Ace Young is being interviewed on the Red Carpet E Show. Ace Young! I need to pop my beer now. American Idol sighting.
Be with you in 20 minutes…… feel free to add your comments in the – well – Comments.
6:54pm – In the “I sh*t you not” department, here is proof positive that I am committed to this game. Represent!
6:59pm – the wife and kids are hunkered down upstairs. Wise of them! Here we go…
7:00 – Kind of cool, kind of creepy intro with Alicia Keys and a dead black & white Sinatra singing behind her piano. The way he’s snapping hisfingers behind the piano looks a bit like he’s handling his junk. But I digress.
Michael’s IM: Hey, it’s Frank Sinatra… here’s the sound of teenagers all over the country going “who the hell is that guy?”
Okay, these ‘virtual’ performances are creepy as hell. Alicia Keys sounds great and honestly it was a great performance. But what the heck is with all these women with dresses that they look like they are going to trip on. I’m thinking that before the end of the night we’ll see at least one of these ladies eat a chunk of the stage!
7:03pm – Alicia is beautiful. But that green dress is smashing her girls.
7:05pm – Carrie Underwood performance. Is anyone else having flashbacks to Shania Twain? Leatherrrr… In the background, dancers are bashing those swimming pool noodle things into junk.
Michael: They are wasting no time… Carrie Underwear, I mean Underwood is doing a vamped up, rocked out “Before He Cheats”. I guess the cast of “Stomp” was available for the evening. She definitely gets points for the Dusty Springfield inspired look.
7:07pm – Oh! American Idol (Underwood) sighting! 1 Drink!
7:08pm – There’s the Purple man. Eh, 2 drinks! Prince presents Best Female R&B Performance. Alicia Keys wins. I didn’t catch P’s one liner about Sinatra. Drink.
Michael: Dayum… looking every bit the part of Christopher Tracy Prince is here to give the award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. First award goes to Alicia Keys for “No One” and obviously she thanks God and her “Angels” (Prince has a copy of ‘The Watchtower’ in his back pocket to hand her).
7:11pm – first commercials 11 minutes into the ceremony. not surprised I guess.7:17pm – “Jungle Love”! Driiink. Okay, we have Morris, Jerome, Jimmy, Terry… is that Jesse on the flying V?
Michael: Jimmy Jam! Morris! Jerome! It’s the motherf**king TIME!! Somebody get me a mirror! I don’t know… is this show is certainly not letting up on the pace. Jungle Love… oh-eh-oh-eh-oh! Ella-ella-aye-aye… Rihanna flows nicely. And when did Morris start looking just like Prince?7:22pm -Tom Hanks showing love to the Band! Nice. Tom Hanks = Grammy Gold. Eh? But “That Thing You Do” (I think was the name of the movie) was pretty sweet.
Michael: Hey Tom Hanks thanks for pointing out The Band are Canadian.
