Ryan Bingham on Letterman: “The Weary Kind”
If you caught the end of Letterman on Monday night, you caught Ryan Bingham‘s “The Weary Kind” – a Golden Globe nominated tune from Crazy Heart (a movie which by all accounts is fantastic). The song was written by Ryan and T-Bone Burnett.
I’m still waiting for the opportunity to catch Ryan live. Until that day, performances like this hit the spot. Make sure to watch the funny exchange between Dave and Ryan afterward.
Ick’s Radio Daze: Country Time – 102.5 KNIX
Welcome to week two of Ick’s Radio Daze. This week, I tackle Country radio. Not the Hank / Willie / Waylon / George / Johnny classic sort of country. We’re talking New Country – the unpleasant kind. Come on along as I spend an hour with a radio powerhouse here in Phoenix: KNIX…
Station: 102.5 KNIX
Format: Country
Type: Terrestrial (Phoenix)
Slogan: “Everything Country”
Date / Time: Jan. 11th, 2010 / 9:15-10:15pm MST
Commercials: 7 mins (nice!)
Streaming Online? Yes
Hot Chick on Home Page of Web Site? Does Taylor Swift count? Then yes. Two photos.
DJ: Unknown – honestly, the young guy talking between songs did not mention his name even once. And the web site doesn’t mention it.
Favorite Song: Lady Antebellum – “American Honey” [YouTube]
Least Favorite Song: Jack Ingram – “Wherever You Are” [YouTube]Song List:
Easton Corbin – “A Little More Than Country Than That”
Randy Houser – “Boots On”
Toby Keith – “Cryin’ for Me (Wayman’s Song)
Miranda Lambert – “White Liar”
Eric Church – “Hell On The Heart”
Keith Urban – “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me”
Jason Michael Carroll – “Hurry Home”
Brad Paisley – “I Wish You’d Stay”
Luke Bryan – “Rain Is A Good Thing”
Billy Currington – “People Are Crazy”
Carrie Underwood – “Temporary Home”
Jack Ingram – “Wherever You Are”
Dierks Bentley – “I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes”
Mark Willis – “19 Somethin'”
Lady Antebellum – “American Honey”Comments: I don’t listen to country radio. I did for a brief period in the early 90’s, when I lived in Colorado Springs. But “new” country, manufactured country, Nashville Country, whatever you want to call the calculated everyman stuff they churn out these days… just haven’t been a fan. But after a couple glasses of wine, I’m feeling open minded and receptive to whatever ol’ KNIX wants to throw my way tonight.
I’m a few songs in, and I’ve already heard a couple of “everyman” / good ol’ boy cliches. Figure I’ll grab a few zingers for you…
— “my cousin saw you on the street with a red head named Bernice”
— “well she’s heaven on the eyes but boy she’s hell on the heart”
— “i left a map on your front seat just in case you lose your way / But don’t worry, once you reach Sallasaw, it’s all interstate”
— “rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey, whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky” [my favorite]
– “start warshin’ all our worries down the drain”Carrie Underwood’s “Temporary Home” wins for downer of the hour. Orphans, dyin’ grampaws.. shit Carrie, ease up a little!
Surprise of the hour: Lady Antebellum. I had heard the name, but assumed she was some Gaga wannabe. Turns out Lady Antebellum is a country singer. And I’m pretty sure she doesn’t favor dressing like an evil beekeeper.
Unrestrained pop culture references of the hour: “19 Somethin'” by Mark Willis. This song contains shout outs to the Rubik’s Cube, Pac Man, Elvis, parachute pants, MTV, Stretch Armstrong, Daisy Duke, and Farrah Fawcett. Phee-yew. Seriously, check this out…
Honestly, it wasn’t so unpleasant. The subject matter is just so damn entertaining for the most part. The format definitely has a good chunk of America by the balls (and ladyparts). Speaking of ladies, the songs favored the fellas in this hour. Only 3 of the 15 songs were women: Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Lady Antebellum. The rest of the hour belonged to the good ol’ boys. Giddy up, and I’ll see you next week.
Gonzo’s Top 10 of the Decade
Hello Ickies! I know I’ve been absent from posting for far too long. I shall try harder in 2010 (though I think I said the same thing last year).
The first decade of the new millennium produced some great music, from established artists and from new folks. Keeping with the format set forth by Mark and Pete, I offer my top 10 of the decade. Narrowing it to ten was a near impossible task. I adopted Pete’s “one album per artist rule,” which helped. Also know that these are in no order whatsoever. I simply can’t rank them. We’ll go chronologically. That seems fair.
First, I’ll briefly plug my two-disc Aughts (oughts?) mix that Pete mentioned. Check it out and enjoy!
Outkast – Stankonia (2000)
Still my favorite Outkast record. I am certainly not one to knock Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. But for me, Stankonia has held up better as the new decade dawns. That might just be a product of having played the hell out of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. But personally, I feel like when Outkast hit, they made us realize that hey, you can actually have really good hip hop in the top 40.Daft Punk – Discovery (2001)
Speaking of albums that I overplayed in the earlier part of the decade, Daft Punk’s sophomore effort is certainly another example. There were so many big songs off this – whether their bigness was represented in college airplay or appropriation by television commercials. “One More Time,” “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” “Digital Love,” “Something About Us,” “Face to Face” … Lord. This was essential weekend grooving for a good 2 years of my college life.
Sigur Ros – ( ) (2002)
This album blew me away. At the time, a friend described Sigur Ros as music to watch glaciers move by (or something along those lines). I was impressed first with the laboriously slow tempo of the tracks. More than that though, was the emotional depth in an album of songs who had no true lyrics to speak of. You may recall that the songs are sung in “Hopelandic,” wherein the idea was to go for the phonetic sounds that seemed most effective rather than a language proper (though structurally Hopelandic is based on the band’s native tongue of Icelandic).
The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
This album cemented the Flaming Lips in music history. They’d had some success with “She Don’t Use Jelly” and more recently, The Soft Bulletin. But Yoshimi took them to the next level. Although their follow up (2006’s At War with the Mystics) was great and their current release (Embryonic) is also quite good, it all goes back to Yoshimi. It’s their masterpiece.
Jay-Z – The Black Album (2003)
“S’ya boy!” Speaking of canonic, career-defining albums, there is little doubt in my mind that Jay-Z’s Black Album is his magnum opus. It almost makes me think that maybe he was serious about retiring, and put everything into what was to be his swan song. Of course that isn’t the way things panned out. Nonetheless, the album is a hip hop classic, track after track.
White Stripes-Get Behind Me Satan (2005)
I love the White Stripes. No, really. And I’ve gone on record as naming Jack White the artist of the decade. The Stripes have yet to disappoint me. Sure, 2007’s Icky Thump didn’t live up to its predecessors, but even their worst album is still pretty damn good. I didn’t think they could top Elephant, but 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan did just that. I love that they aren’t afraid to experiment – they relish the chance to step outside of their blues-rock/garage comfort zone. Satan was all over the place stylistically, and each fore was a success. The summer that this came out, I seriously listened to it at least twice a day for a month.
MIA-Arular (2005)
Pete might be onto something in saying that MIA is a love her or hate her type of artist. I love her, though I’ve played her for others that remain unimpressed. I was floored upon hearing Arular – it was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. It sounds cliche to say, but MIA is truly a hybrid artist, meshing so many genres and cultural flavors into one. 2007’s Kala is also amazing, but not quite the sonic dance floor assault that Arular is. She’s allegedly at work on the third album, so here’s hoping.
Chromeo – Fancy Footwork (2007)
Quite possibly my pick for best party album of the decade. They’re cheeky, funky and they’ve mastered the Minneapolis sound. Fancy Footwork just makes me want to dance, from start to finish. There is not a bad track on the album. They’re also a good time live, and they’ve slated a new disc for a summer 2010 release. I can’t wait.
Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours (2008)
More dancing. Aussie electropop outfit Cut Copy harken back to the 1980s synth dance of groups like New Order, but manage to do so in a way that takes them beyond being a mere retro or ripoff act. In essence, Cut Copy effectively takes emotive 1980s dance music and updates it for the new millennium. (Can I still refer to this as the new millennium ten years on?)
Santogold – Santogold (2008)
A year ago, I claimed Santogold’s self-titled debut as my favorite disc from 2008, and my feelings have not changed. The Brooklynite alternately incorporates hip hop, new wave and ska influences among others, all adding up to one of the most refreshing albums of the decade. And she keeps good company – Diplo, Switch, Spank Rock, Amanda Blank…I very much look forward to what Santogold/Santigold offers up in the new decade.
The Friday Five: January 8, 2010
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The File:
1. “6 Underground (Filla Brazillia remix #1)” by Sneaker Pimps (from Abstract Vibes 2 More Vibes, 1997)
Is it possible that the ’90s produced more one-hit wonders than any previous decade? Sometimes, it certainly seems like it. Case in point; British trip-hop group Sneaker Pimps, whose 1996 track “6 Underground” was inescapable. Adopted by mainstream pop and alternative radio, not to mention being featured in a slew of movies and television shows, the track was and still is the most homogenized distillation of the genre. File this one under my “guilty pleasures.”
2. “Mean Mr. Mustard” by The Beatles (from Anthology 3, 1996)
One of the great things that the Anthology series provided was a peek behind the curtain, showing — warts and all — the recording process behind some of the Fab Four’s greatest songs.
3. “The Little Things Give You Away” by Linkin Park (from Minutes to Midnight, 2007)
Despite their entire discography lurking in the corners of my library, I rarely listen to anything from Linkin Park. I’d say this track is pretty indicative of the reason why.
4. “Work for the Working Man” by Bon Jovi (from The Circle, 2009)
This is just plain awful. It’s not bad enough that the band has recycled the bass line from “Living on a Prayer,” but to add insult to injury, they’ve done so behind an shamefully disingenuous attempt to play on the struggles of the “working man.”
5. “Fifty Years After the Fair” by Aimee Mann (from Whatever, 1995)
Add Roger McGuinn’s signature 12-string chime to Aimee Mann’s beautiful voice and you’ve got the recipe for magic. I have not listened to this record in probably six or seven years, time to rectify that.
What’s on your shuffle today?
dave rawlings machine
I heard this on Sirius-XM’s The Loft today. There was something familiar about it. Something earthy and 70’s, Eagles and country-tinged Stones (it would make a great Keef tune), maybe some Gram Parsons… the harmonies seemed familiar too.
It was the Dave Rawlings Machine. The song was “Ruby”. And by the end I was singing along to the great harmonies. Looking DRM up tonight, I found that Dave Rawlins has worked extensively with Gillian Welch and Old Crow Medicine Show. In fact, that’s why the harmonies sounded familiar – it’s OCMS providing them.
Check it out.
Dave Rawlings Machine: Ruby (mp3)
Visit DRM’s Site.
Sham-a-Ling-Dong-Ding
The beautiful thing about music – and I’ve said it many times before – is there’s always something new to discover. The act of hearing a song for the first time, and having it make that instant connection right to the soul – that is why I am obsessed with music, and always on the search for that next gem – regardless of era or genre.
This song came to my attention from a Twitter update from Popdose’s Jason Hare – okay okay, his tweet! He had just watched Elvis Costello’s Spectacle show on Sundance, and one of the special guests was Jesse Winchester. Jesse is a Canadian folk artist (an American expatriate actually) who started out in the business over 40 years ago.
“Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding” is the song. It’s a newer one from Jesse actually, from his latest album – last year’s Love Filling Station. The song is a sentimental and nostalgic love song from the 65 year old , looking back through the years to the beginning of a love affair, and to the music that accompanied and nurtured them – and still does to this day.
Oh to have the talent to write a song like this (watch Neko Case tear up next to him).
The boys were singing shing-a-ling
The summer night we met
You were tan and seventeen
O how could I forget
When every star from near and far
Was watching from above
Watching two teenagers fall in loveThe way we danced was not a dance
But more a long embrace
We held on to each other and
We floated there in space
And I was shy to kiss you while
The whole wide world could see
So shing-a-ling said everything for meAnd O the poor old old folks
They thought we’d lost our minds
They could not make heads or tails
Of the young folks’ funny rhymes
But you and I knew all the words
And we always sang along to
O sham-a-ling-dong-ding
Sham-a-ling-dang-dongSo after years and after tears
And after summers past
The old folks tried to warn us
How our love would never last
And all we’d get was soaking wet
From walking in the rain
And singing sham-a-shing-a-ling againAnd O the poor old old folks
They smile and walk away
But I bet they did some
Sham-a-lama-ding-dong in their day
I bet that they still close their eyes
And I bet they sing along to
O sham-a-ling-dong-ding
Sham-a-ling-dang-dongO those sweet old love songs
Every word rings true
Sham-a-ling-dong-ding means sweetheart
Sham-a-ling-dang-dong does too
And it means that right here in my arms
That’s where you belong
And it means sham-a-ling-dong-ding
Sham-a-ling-dang-dongIck’s Radio Daze: 93.3 KDKB
It’s the New Year, so why not try out a new feature that’s been kicking around my head for while? The subject is radio – a medium whose definition has changed drastically in the last 10-15 years where music is concerned. What was once solely AM and FM has expanded to include satellite radio, and of course the internet.
I’ve lived in Phoenix since 1993, and for these 17 years, radio has remained pretty stagnant here. The only station that wowed me was KZON (101.5), during a few short years during the mid-90’s. The format was adult album alternative (AAA), and I owe it a debt of gratitude for introducing me to Steve Earle and Bruce Cockburn.
Other than that, the only stations I’ve spent any decent amount of time with are 93.3 KDKN and 100.7 KSLX – both play your standard classic rock, with KDKB going a little harder at times.
Unfortunately, Phoenix has no market (it seems) for the eclectic radio I thirst for. There’s no KBCO, WXRT or KFOG – only an oversaturation of watered down lite rock, new country, and hispanic stations. Sad, really.
So thankfully, when it comes to searching out decent music on the radio, I now have satellite and internet radio to dive into as well.
The Radio Daze Series: Here’s what I’m gonna do. Each week, I’ll spend one hour with a radio station, whether it’s a local “terrestrial” station here in Phoenix, a Sirius-XM satellite station, or an internet-only station. I’ll track the playlist, and share my thoughts. I’ll try to hit all the formats, as painful as it may be (I’m looking at you, “Camel Country”).
I’m enough of a music nerd to think this may be enjoyable, so hopefully we can have some fun with this.
I’ll start with one of the stations familiar to me: 93.3 KDKB…
Station: 93.3 KDKB FM
Format: Classic & Hard Rock
Type: Terrestrial (Phoenix)
Slogan: “93.3 KDKB Rocks Arizona”
Date / Time: Jan. 4th, 2010 8-9pm MST
Commercials: 14 min
Streaming Online? Yes
Hot Chick on Home Page of Web Site? Yes
DJ: “Hammer”
Favorite Song: Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky” (YouTube)
Least Favorite Song: Shinedown’s “If You Only Knew” (YouTube)Song List
Styx – “Too Much Time On My Hands”
Eric Clapton – “Cocaine”
Ozzy Osbourne – “Crazy Train”
AC/DC – “Have a Drink On Me”
Alice Cooper – “No More Mr. Nice Guy”
Shinedown – “If You Only Knew”
Poison – “Nothin’ But a Good Time”
Tom Petty – “You Got Lucky”
Quiet Riot – “(Bang Your Head) Metal Health”
Nirvana – “In Bloom”
The Eagles – “Hotel California”
Van Halen – “Panama”Comments: Standard fare for KDKB. Populist rock ‘n roll. We got our AC/DC, we got our Ozzy, Van Halen and Styx. They also throw in some bad modern rock every so often. This hour, it came in the form of Shinedown’s “If You Only Knew”.
The only attempt at new music came with a segment called “Hit It or Quit It”, in which Hammer (the DJ) played a sample of a new song, and then took a few calls from listeners for their “Hit it” or their “Quit it”. Okay idea, but the problem? Only about eight seconds of the song was played! They played the same 8 seconds twice, in fact (the song was “Fall Down” by Tantric). Is corporate rock radio so squeezed by the balls that they can’t play an entire new song? Rhetorical question.
I can’t fault KDKB, they’re doing the same thing they’ve been doing since I started listening 17 years ago. At least they’re consistent. Funny thing is, KDKB was one of the trailblazers of free form rock radio back in the 70’s. I’ve heard from a few old timers that it used to be a great progressive station.
A Nudge in the Right Direction
Here are some recent unearthings I feel the need to pass along…
- Heard a good live Clash recording lately? For shame. Go to Licorice Pizza to download a great quality show from December 27, 1979. Thirty one years ago. Whaaa? It’s the Clash, playing a bunch of London Calling tracks the year before the album came out. I wouldn’t wanna sit on those songs either. Check it out here.
- Our good man Gonzo has posted a sweet 00’s mix of his favorites from the decade. Go to this post on Gonzo’s Music-o-rama for the two-disc set, featuring artists like the Dresden Dolls, Phoenix, Spank Rock, Death Cab for Cutie, Ra Ra Riot and many more.
- Boston.com has an amazing photo collection of New Year’s Eve celebrations from around the world.
- Our friends at Popdose recently posted their fourth podcast. If you’re in the mood to be entertained, go hang out with the Jeff, Jason, and Dave for an hour.
Growin’ Up
A fellow Boss fan sent me a link to this video earlier today. It’s a 23 year old Bruce Springsteen performing “Growin’ Up” at Max’s Kansas City in New York City. The year was 1972 – Bruce’s first album wasn’t released until the following year.
Somehow, this seems appropriate as the first post of this new year.. Going back to basics, thinking back to a simpler time. With a new year, we have the chance to start anew – to make a few tweaks and adjustments here and there. A chance to press the ol’ reset button.
This growin’ up thing – it can be a bit complicated, even frightening at times. Sometime it helps to just try and keep things simple…
Happy New Year, and thanks Lonny for the link..
The Friday Five: January 1, 2010
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
Editors Note: For the first Friday Five of 2010, I’m taking a look back at five of my favorite records from the last decade. Placed in no particular order, these are the records that I found myself coming back to time and again. Happy New Year, to all of you. – Michael
Amy Winehouse – “Tears Dry on Their Own” (from Back to Black, 2006)
Is there an artist that better embodies “The Noughties” than Amy Winehouse? The slight, awkward girl from Southgate, England with the voice that could topple buildings; yet it was her personal battles with drugs that the media focused on. An amalgam of classic soul, vocal jazz and ska, Back to Black earned Winehouse six Grammy nominations and five awards, and was the best selling record in 2007. The track “Tears Dry on Their Own,” for me, stands out above the rest; capturing the best of Winehouse’s powerful vocals.
The Gaslight Anthem – “Great Expectations” (from The ’59 Sound, 2008)
You can take the band out of New Jersey, but you cannot take the New Jersey out of the band. The Gaslight Anthem provided the end of the decade with a much-needed shot of straightforward rock & roll. The songs on The ’59 Sound are rife with stories of life in small town America; quoting everyone from Bon Jovi, Counting Crows and even The Boss himself, all while sounding fresh and vital. The record kicks off with the barnburner “Great Expectations,” which contains as many literary movements as you would expect from a song titled after the Charles Dickens classic.
Chromeo – “Bonafied Lovin’ (Tough Guys)” (from Fancy Footwork, 2008)
The self-described “only successful Arab/Jewish partnership since the dawn of human culture,” Chromeo is holding the torch for ’80s inspired electrofunk. Their album, Fancy Footwork, is one of the best dance records of the last decade. They also turned in one of the most memorable appearances on Daryl Hall’s web series, Live from Daryl’s House. Selecting a single track from the record proved nearly impossible, so I put my trust in the shuffle button, which served up the new jack swing of “Bonafied Lovin’ (Tough Guys).”
Band of Horses – “The First Song” (from Everything All the Time, 2006)
There is a certain understated majesty to the opening of the aptly titled “The First Song,” the lead track on Band of Horses 2006 debut Everything All the Time. Indie rock with a decidedly southern bend, the band — led by Ben Bridwell — caught flack for allowing their anthemic, “The Funeral,” to be used in marketing campaigns for Ford as well as in slew of movies and television programs.
Prince – “Call My Name” (from Musicology, 2004)
The last decade has been an uneven one for Prince. As a performer, he toured the world twice over, commanded a Las Vegas residency, 21 nights at London’s O2 stadium, and perhaps one of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime performances; as a recording artist, he was hit or miss. However, the one exception was the incredibly funky Musicology, which rocketed Prince back into the spotlight. From funk to soul, his purple badness proved that he still had the juice to create a commercially viable, yet funky as hell record.
So tell me, what is soothing your aching head today?
