Save Three Sheets!
While this is decidedly not music related I’m a firm believer that you should support the media that entertains you most, especially in a time where networks and labels are increasingly fickle and unwilling to stand behind even a quality product. One such product is the series Three Sheets. Sure, on the surface it’s a show about a guy running around the world and drinking his arse off. And yes there is even a play at home drinking game (peep the rules) but more than that it is like spending thirty minutes with your best buddy (who’s name is Zane Lamprey, in case you are wondering) as he tells you about all the crazy shit he’s gotten up to. In short it’s a quality program.
So why do we need to ‘save’ Three Sheets?
Well, it would seem that MOJO HD, the cable company that has served the show up the last three seasons, closed it’s doors on December 1st and well, that leaves Zane (and Pleepleus) without a home. The fourth season of the show has already been filmed and all the show needs is to be picked up by another network. Long story short there are a few ways to show the networks that Three Sheets is worth saving. You can obviously write to the few stations that Three Sheets logically fits into (Spike, Comedy Central, Food Network, Travel Channel, Discovery) or you can join Zane at one of the rallies being held next week. For more information on the rallies (I’m fairly certain that the wife and I will be in attendance on the 18th) click here (Zane Lamprey’s official site).
And if you are still with me, here is one of my (many) favorite episodes:
And you can catch every other episode to date on Hulu.
Looking Back: Midnight Oil
Six years ago last week, Peter Garrett and his band, Midnight Oil, decided to call it quits for good. Peter had been active in Australian politics since the late 80’s, but he’d always managed to set aside time for the socially & environmentally conscious Oils. But in December 2002, Peter decided to devote all of his time to government.
These days, Peter is Australia’s Minister for the Environment, Heritage, and the Arts, appointed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
I had a chance to see the band live at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix the year before they disbanded. It was a treat to be able to see Peter Garrett, the performer: his commanding presence (six and a half feet tall), the passion and ferocity with which he approached his songs, the signature singing voice… the ultimate front man.
Here’s a great intimate 1993 performance from Beach Studios in Calgary – an “unplugged” show, if you will. But an unplugged show that’ll rock your socks off. Peter also throws in a little “Locomotive Breath” – the song he sang when he auditioned for Midnight Oil in 1976.
Midnight Oil
Beach Studios,
Calgary, Alberta
August 10th, 1993Feeding Frenzy
Truganini
Sell My Soul
The Dead Heart
Locomotive Breath
Earth And Sun And Moon
Beds Are Burning
One Country
Now Or Never Land
Warakurna
My CountryCheck out Midnight Oil on Amazon
Working On A Dream’s Album Cover
Boss fans: How does this make you feel?
I have to admit, I’m pretty lenient when it comes to album covers from my favorite artists. I think it goes back to Lovesexy – possibly the most embarrassing album cover of all time. Regardless of one’s opinion, you’re gonna be spending a fair amount of time with the record, so you may as well learn to get along, right? As an 18 year old kid, I stepped into the record store, grabbed a copy of Prince’s new album, and with as much masculinity as I could muster, placed this on the counter and paid me my money down…
Nowadays we buy most of our music behind the anonymous curtain of the internet. In MY day, you suffered for your music!
Well, It’s Not a Box This Time…
An instant classic from The Lonely Island crew. The Lonely Island is Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone also known as the team behind the SNL Digital Shorts that have become beacons of funny in a sea of mediocre (save for this year). The team is is releasing thier debut record INCREDIBAD on February 10th.
Links: Official Site
Santa Boss is Coming to Town
No holiday season on Ickmusic (and we’re in our 5th!) is complete without some holiday Boss. Give me the two Bruces (Cockburn and Springsteen), and it’s enough to ride me through the holiday season for sure – enough to ride me through a lifetime, come to think of it. Here’s a nice little collection I stumbled across a few days ago, featuring some holiday-style Bruce through the years.
It’s followed by Bruce and the Band’s appearance on Conan, back on December 12th, 2002. Bruce is in a giving mood, handing out a blow-up doll for Max, and a George Foreman grill for Conan – two items sure to warm any cold winter’s night.
Bruce Springsteen
Santa Boss Is Coming To Town1. Jingle Bells (Christmas Holiday Night, Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ – 12/18/2000)
2. Blue Christmas (Christmas Holiday Night, Convention Hall, Asbury Park – NJ 12/18/2000)
3. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town [mp3] (Winterland Night, Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA – 12/15/1978)
4. Merry Christmas Baby (Nassau Night, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY – 12/31/1980)
5. The Wish (Freehold Night, St. Rose of Lima School, Freehold, NJ – 11/8/1996)
6. Pilgrim In The Temple Of Love (Sydney Night, Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia – 2/12/1997)
7. Run Run Rudolph (Christmas Holiday Night, Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ – 12/18/2000)
8. Deck The Halls (Jingle Bell Night, Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ – 12/7/2001)
9. Jingle Bell Rock (3:38) Jingle Bell Night, Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ – 12/7/2001)
10.Christmas Baby Please Come Home (Jingle Bell Night, Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ 12/7/2001)
11. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Christmas Holiday Night, Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ – 12/18/2000)A Nudge in the Right Direction
It’s been awhile since we shared what’s popping up on our readers…
- The 25 Days of Mellowmas kicked off over at Popdose this week complete with an original theme song composed and performed by Alan O’Day. (Somewhere Alan Thicke is calling his management to contact Jeff and Jason for next year.)
- Radio Exile provides an official timeline to the whole Satriani vs. Coldplay debacle. (Because C, D, G, Em is clearly the most obscure chord progression ever.)
- It would appear that both Fleetwood Mac and The Faces are both headed out on the road in 2009. (Paging Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers…)
- Finally, it would appear Prince has lured yet another young lady into his life with the promise of a record release. (Can someone have Támar‘s people call Bria‘s people to start the intervention now?)
Enjoy!
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: December 5, 2008
Welcome to the first week of our “Holiday Edition” of the Friday Five!
As we wind down to the New Year the last four editions of the Friday Five will be shuffled from my vast collection of Holiday music. I encourage everyone to play along and spin up some holiday cheer. With the holiday season being short and the duress of the current economic climate being ever present we could all use a little lift in spirits.
For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. The Jackson 5 – Up on the Housetop (from Now That’s What I Call Christmas, Volume 3)
My wife and I were discussing the irony of the bevy of Jackson-related holiday tunes just the other day. I do love this track though.
2. Chuck Berry – Merry Christmas Baby (mp3) (from Rockin’ Little Christmas)
As much as I dig this track, “Run Run Rudolph” is far superior. I will say, however, that Springsteen‘s cover of this is on my “Top 10 Recent Christmas Songs”.
3. Vince Guaraldi Trio – Christmas Time Is Here (instrumental) (from A Charlie Brown Christmas)
Nothing captures the holiday ‘feel’ better than the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas.
4. Andy Williams – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (from Now That’s What I Call Christmas, Volume 3)
I realize it’s the pangs of nostalgia that endear these tunes to our collective conscious but some of these songs are so earnest and true that it’s hard to deny their timelessness.
5. Dean Martin – Baby It’s Cold Outside (mp3) (from Christmas With Dino)
Dean Martin was one smooth motherf**ker. Proof positive is the cover of the record that this classic is originally from A Winter Romance where we see a picture of Deano holding a lovely young lady while throwing the “how you doin'” look to another philly nearby. You can clearly deduce that he’s bringing both of these birds back to his chalet for martinis and a three way romp.
Now it’s your turn, what’s getting you in the holiday spirit?
No, Really… It’s Me
The marketing machine behind Lily Allen‘s new record It’s Not Me, It’s You, due out February ’09, is in full swing and it’s certainly got my attention. Her video for the first single “The Fear” puts the foul mouthed popster in an Alice in Wonderland world complete with living presents and balloon festooned dancers.
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
Christmas at the Gap
Yes it’s crass commercialism at best but I’ll be damned if this years Gap holiday campaign isn’t brilliant. It’s funny, catchy and doesn’t necesarily beat you over the head with the merchandise. Rainn Wilson and Selma Blair turn in a topsy-turvy take on the Frank Loesser classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”. It’s definitely kick started my late blooming holiday spirit. You can catch the rest featuring The Dixie Chicks, Janelle Monáe, Jon Heder and many more at the Gap site, but here’s my favorite…
Christmas with Bruce Cockburn (or in my case, a remedy for the Holiday Blues)
How in the holy frijoles is it December already? And why do I get the same stressed, panicked feeling every year? And why do I harbor such resentment against those who get their Christmas shopping done early (or prance gaily around their yards stringing up their lights the day after Thanksgiving)?
*deep breath*
The truth is, when I put myself in the mindset of how much I enjoyed the holidays as a kid, I can actually get some of those warm, good time-y feelings back. And having two little kids adds to the fun too. But man oh man, the stress returns every year, as sure as the commercials.
Music, of course, is the key to bringing back some of that positive holiday energy. Since 1994, this collection of tunes has steered the way (or the sleigh, heh). I taped this special off the radio that holiday season. I’ve said this all before, but Bruce Cockburn is a warm, comforting musical presence in my life, and listening to him sing these great songs and play the guitar like only he can – well – it’s better than a fridge full of nog.
Now, Nanci Griffith joins Bruce here, and sings some songs of her own (“Wexford Carol”, “Grafton Street”, “Going Back to Georgia”, etc.). But it’s the Bruce tunes that resonate with me: “Shepherds” opens the show, and has always been a song that pops into my head throughout the year, for some reason: “Glooooooria, in the hiiiighest.” I’m not heavy into the religion, mind you, but when Bruce sings, I’m a believer; “Deer Dancing Around a Broken Mirror”, a spirited and lush instrumental tune; “Huron Carol”, a song written in the 1600’s by a Jesuit missionary to the Huron Indians, and sung in the Huron language. Bruce gives a wonderful introduction, and reads the English translation beforehand; and of course, two favorites of mine: “I’m Gonna Fly Someday” and “One Day I Walk”. Sublime.
Enjoy. And hey, happy holidays, eh? Oh, and always a reminder for you fellow Yanks that haven’t heard of Bruce from the great white north – it’s CO-Burn. Co sounding like So. Ho ho ho.
“Christmas with Cockburn” (ZIP of mp3’s)
The Columbia Records Radio Hour, 1994Intro
Shepherds
Wexford Carol (Nanci Griffith)
Brave Companion of the Road (NG)
Deer Dancing Around a Broken Mirror
I’m Gonna Fly Someday
Grafton Street (NG)
Going Back to Georgia (NG)
One Day I Walk / Intro to Huron Carol
Huron Carol
Mary Had a Baby