My Photos from Austin City Limits Music Festival
October 4th, 2008 by Pete
I have all of my ACL photos uploaded. Check ‘em out here.
Day by day recaps coming soon.
Posted in Folk, Miscellaneous | 1 Comment »
Society’s Child
September 5th, 2008 by Kelly
When I was in high school, I listened to a lot of chick singers. I would lay on my bedroom floor and listen to Tori Amos, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Sarah McClachlan, Suzanne Vega, Liz Phair and others and while writing terrible short stories about my angsty teenaged life. The chick singer phase continued into college, though to a much lesser extent (well, except for Tori, which I’m sure I’ll end up telling you about at some point).
One night after work about 10 years ago, I picked up a 3-disc compilation that Rolling Stone put out called The Rolling Stone Women in Rock Collection. On disc 2 of that set I discovered a song I’d never heard before, but loved immediately, “At Seventeen” by Janis Ian. Outside of that song, however, I never really bothered to seek out any other music by her.
(photo: janisian.com)
A couple of months ago, I was browsing around eMusic and I noticed that Janis’s Stars album was recommended for me. I took a listen and liked what I heard, so I downloaded it and a couple of others and enjoyed everything. It kind of baffled me that I hadn’t discovered her back in high school during my chick singer days. I guess better late than never, right?
Earlier this week, I attended a book signing for her recently-released autobiography, Society’s Child. She spoke for about 30 minutes, telling some stories from the book, did a 30-minute Q&A (I was actually quite proud that not a single stupid question was asked, which is never the norm when I attend Q&A’s), then did the signing. She was very nice and gracious and seemed genuinely happy to talk to her fans. Getting to meet artists in such a low-key, relaxed atmosphere is always a good thing, and I’m glad I went. I recommend you pick up her book and the accompanying CD she just released. And, of course, go see her if she’s going to be in a city near you.
Janis Ian - Society’s Child (mp3)
Janis Ian - At Seventeen (mp3)
Janis Ian - Stars (mp3)
Posted in Folk, Rock n' Folk | 1 Comment »
Be Here to Love Me - A Film about Townes Van Zandt
August 29th, 2008 by Pete
It’s through my old friend Mark that I discovered the music of Townes Van Zandt a dozen years ago, and through Steve Earle that I’ve learned more about Townes the man. I don’t think I’ve seen a Steve show where he doesn’t take 5 minutes to tell you about his close friend and mentor.
‘Be Here to Love Me’ is a 100 minute film about the life of Townes Van Zandt. Thanks to Snag Films, you can watch the entire film online for free. Thanks to Heather at Fuel/Friends for making me aware…
Posted in Folk, Video | No Comments »
Steve Earle at the Newport Folk Festival
August 13th, 2008 by Pete
For fellow Steve fans, NPR has a podcast of Steve’s set at the Newport Folk Festival available for free.
Get it from their site, or download from iTunes.
While you’re there, grab Jim James’s set, and Tom Waits’s entire Atlanta show. Free.
Thank you NPR.
Posted in Folk, Steve Earle | No Comments »
Little Sea Horse
August 4th, 2008 by Pete
Non-parents may want to move on to the next post, ’cause this one’s a little ch-ch-cheesy.
I’ll make it short & sweet - my four year old daughter attended her first day of kindergarten today. I’m a proud papa, and I’m sort of blown away that I have a child who is now going to school. Seasoned parents are nodding their heads, while at the same time shaking them in a sort of “you have nooo idea what you have in store for you” way. It just keeps getting more and more interesting, folks, and I’m just underway…
Well, a couple of weeks ago, my girl had a sort of “graduation” ceremony at her YMCA preschool. Her class was referred to as the Sea Horses. As the Sea Horses shuffled through in a controlled-chaos single file to receive their cute little certificates, with their cute little caps on, I had this Bruce Cockburn song going through my head. It comes from a brilliant 1976 album called In the Falling Dark.
I count this and Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaw as two of my all time favorites. They soothe and calm me, and bring me to a good place when things seem a little jagged and confused.
The lyrics merit an appearance here (bolded by me):
Little seahorse
Swimming in a primal sea
Heartbeat like a
Leaf quaking in the breeze
I feel magic as coyote
In the middle of the moon-wild nightIn the forge-fire time
Your mother glowed so bright
You were like a
Voice calling in the night
And I’m watching the curtain
Rising on a whole new set of dreamsThe world is waiting
Like a Lake Superior gale
A locomotive
Racing along the rail.
It’ll sweep you away
But you know that you’re never aloneLittle seahorse
Floating on a primal tide
Quickening like a
Spark in a haystack side
I already love you
And I don’t even know who you are
Nice eh? It’s enough to make a tough dad get a tad misty eyed. And that’s okay. Congrats kiddo - I have no earthly idea how I ever got along without you.
Bruce Cockburn - Little Sea Horse (mp3)
Buy In the Falling Dark
To illustrate even further how much I love this album, here’s my favorite off the record:
Lord of the Starfields (mp3)
Posted in Acoustic, Folk, Laid Back | 1 Comment »
Northern Exposure: The Duhks
July 31st, 2008 by Michael
Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, The Duhks (pronounced like “ducks”) blend the unlikely bedfellows of traditional Celtic, Zydeco, Bluegrass, Soul and some Brazilian Samba into what they classify as “Roots, Worldbeat, Soul.” I sat down with their forthcoming release Fast Paced World (available August 19th) and was immediately drawn in by the scathing social commentary of the title track and the gypsy flavored instrumental detours of “Adam’s 3-Step” (complete with the crackling fire to lend to the atmosphere) and “Ship High in Transit”. The enchanting “Toujours Vouloir” (which translates to “To Always Want”) is completely engaging despite my not being able to understand the words as is the jazzy “Sleepin’ Is All I Wanna Do (Stars on a Sunny Day)”. For a taste of the mélange that is The Duhks check out “This Fall” below.
The Duhks - This Fall (MP3)
Pre-Order Fast Paced World: MerchLackey | Amazon
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
The Duhks will be heading out and hitting the Folk Festivals as well as some solo dates that are listed after the jump.
Posted in Folk, Rock n' Folk, Soul | 2 Comments »
Bob Dylan’s New Bootlegs, “Dreamin’ of You” mpfree
July 29th, 2008 by Pete
Dylan fans, mark October 7th on your music calendar. The latest installment of Dylan’s Bootleg series will be released on that Tuesday. This one (the 8th in the series) is full of unreleased and alternate tracks from some of his greatest albums over the last couple of decades: Time Out of Mind
A revamped Dylan web site also launches today, and they’re offering up a full mp3 of one of the unreleased songs: “Dreamin’ of You”. It was produced by the great Daniel Lanois for 1997’s Time Out of Mind (a personal favorite).
Be sure to check out the Dylan Geo section, a super groovy interactive tool that lets you click around the globe to see where and when Dylan has played throughout the years.
Bob Dylan - Dreamin’ of You (30 seconds of streamin’)
→ Go to BobDylan.com to download the full mp3.
See the track listing for the 3-cd Tell Tale Signs after the jump…
Posted in Folk, Rock | 3 Comments »
Memorial Day
May 24th, 2008 by Pete
Happy Memorial Day weekend. Take a few moments, reflect, and think about all of those who have sacrificed their lives for this country. And think about all of those overseas, who put their lives on the line day after day - while we get to be with our family and friends, barbecue, and drink beer.
Here, John Prine is interviewed by Bobby Bare, talking about and singing “Sam Stone”. John was 38 at the time, which puts this at 1984.
Here’s Bruce singing “Shut Out the Light” in Paris, 1985.
Posted in Folk, The Boss, Video | 1 Comment »
Oval Room, by Blaze Foley
April 29th, 2008 by Pete
Written about Ronald Reagan in the early 80’s by the late Blaze Foley, “Oval Room” sure is just as fitting today as it was 25 years ago, isn’t it?
Blaze Foley - Oval Room (mp3) from Oval Room [buy it]
→ 265 days left.
Oval Room
In his oval room, in his rockin’ chair
He’s the president, but I don’t care
He’s a business man, he got business ties
He got dollar signs in both his eyes
Got a big airplane, take him everywhere
Got his limousine, when he get there
Everywhere he goes, make the people mad
Makes the poor man beg, and the rich man glad
He’s the president, but I don’t care
Ooh, Ooooooh, Ooh
At the factory, never been so slow
Got a big fourth down, ninety nine to go
And down on the farm, nothing growing there
But the debts they owe and their gray hair
In the desert sand, and the jungle deep
He thinks everything is his to keep
He’s a real cowboy, with his makeup on
Talks to kings and queens on the telephone
He’s the president, but I don’t care
Ooh, Oooooh, Ooh
He’s a movie star, if you stay up late
And he’ll search your car, if you don’t look straight
In his Oval Room, in his rockin’ chair
He’s the president, but I don’t care
He’s the president, but I don’t care
Ooh, Oooooh, Ooh
He’s the president, but I don’t care
Ooh, Oooooh, Ooh
Posted in Folk | 3 Comments »
Townes Van Zandt in Heartworn Highways
April 10th, 2008 by Pete
I just watched Heartworn Highways
Posted in Country, Folk, Video | No Comments »
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