New Steve Earle: Goodbye Guitar Town
Sunset in my mirror
Pedal on the floor
Bound for New York City
And I won’t back no moreAnd so begins Steve Earle‘s new tune, “Goodbye Guitar Town”. He dropped into Austin’s KUT radio station last week for a nice interview and a couple of acoustic tunes, including this new one. Steve is back to his acoustic Townes Van Zandt-like, finger-pickin’ form with this tune. He’s called New York City’s Greenwich Village home for a few years now, and as he sings about in this song, NYC is home.
Listening to the interview got me excited about the new album (his first release for New West Records). He’s working with John King, who makes up half of the Dust Brothers (Beck, Beastie Boys). Steve said he’s “tested positive for Pro Tools“, which is a departure for him, and he’s working exclusively with John, vs. a band.
So there’s a lot to look forward to as a Steve Earle fan. Check out the full 38 minute interview here on the KUT Site.
Steve Earle:
Goodbye Guitar Town(mp3) – live in studio, KUT AustinBuy Steve Earle music:
Vote Sanjaya!
Good people of North America,
It is our solemn and sworn duty to ensure that Sanjaya Malakar – that spritely, effeminate contestant, and current member of the Top 12 on America Idol – continues to ascend to his rightful position as this year’s American Idol winner.
Tonight, at the properly allotted time, you must vote, vote, and vote again for Mr. Malakar. Tune into at least the last 10 minutes of American Idol. Check your local listings. Tell your friends and family, we must mobilize the masses!
For those who cry foul, no worries. There is no way the producers would allow it to happen. I’m sure the voting results have been manipulated in the past, and will be manipulated in the future. But let’s put the voting system integrity to the test. Vote on!
Yours,
Evil IckMarch 22 Update – It’s happening, people. The groundswell of support for the great Sanjaya is only beginning. Sanjaya breezed through this week, and is now a member of the top 10, who get to tour the country after the season. Yes, a Sanjaya tour!
Feel free to bookmark this post. This will be the Sanjaya Super Post, containing any and all things pro-Sanjaya! Let’s do this!!!
Join us…
March 27 Update: Oh Lordie, did you see our boy tonight? Working the pony-tailed-mohawk? Fierce, Sanjaya! I put in my 5 votes for our next American Idol, how about you?
A Johnny n’ Jesus Giveaway
On March 6th, Johnny Cash – Ultimate Gospel was released on Columbia/Legacy. 24 tracks of Johnny’s favorite gospel tunes, including three previously unreleased tracks. Whether you love you some Jesus, or you love Johnny Cash, or both, leave a comment below, and you may just win the CD….
Buy Johnny Cash Ultimate Gospel
Full Tune Stream-age:
Love & War
It’s easy for me to measure how long I’ve been married, or how long the war in Iraq has been going on. They both started in the same week. My wife and I just celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary last week (the 14th). And today, of course, marks the fourth anniversary of the wonderful decision to invade Iraq (we were in Jamaica at the time, makin’ love, not war – t.m.i.? sorry).
3,220 American soldiers dead. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead. “There’s been good progress”, our president said today… the same tired rhetoric we always hear from him.
But I’ll jump off the soap box, and let the music do the talking….
Bill Evans – Peace Piece – A sparse, beautiful piece by legendary jazz pianist Evans. Appears on several albums, like Everybody Digs Bill Evans.
Michael Franti & Spearhead – Light Up Ya Lighter (mp3) – Franti speaks (sings) his mind on this anti-war track from Yell Fire!.
If you love this land of the free, bring ’em home, bring ’em home. – Pete Seeger
THE SANDBOX: Garry Trudeau, creator of the cartoon Doonesbury, has a great site set up called the Sandbox. He created it as a place for military personnel stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan to share their experiences. It’s a military blog, aka a Milblog.
It’s easy to get sucked in and just read and read. It will make you appreciate these brave souls all the more. Check it out: http://gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox
Now can we please figure out a way to get these men and women HOME??
Carmen Electra and Friend Eat It
This isn’t music related, but what the hell. Start your weekend off with a good laugh…
Priceless!!
A Saw Doctors Saint Patrick’s Day
In 1990, this song became Ireland’s biggest selling single of all time. In 2007, it finally reached my ears thanks to Larry Kirwan’s Celtic Crush show on Sirius. Apparently, the Roman Catholic church raised a stink at the time because of some suggestive lyrics mentioning the church…
Well, I used to see her up the Chapel when she went to Sunday mass,
When she’d go up to receive, I’d kneel down there and watch her pass.
The glory of her ass!And…
And I walked straight up and made an ostentatious contribution
And I winked at her to tell her I’d seduce her in the future,
When she’s feeling looser.The Saw Doctors, from Tuam, County Galway, have been going strong since the mid 80’s, when the Waterboys discovered them in a Galway pub, and invited them to open for them on their next Irish and UK (Fisherman’s Blues) tour. The band is spending this St. Patty’s Paddy’s Day playing the Vic in Chicago.
Crank this up and have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day…
The Saw Doctors’ Official Site
Ear Fuzz Referral:Miles Davis at the Isle of Wight, 1970
This is way too cool not to share. For amazing video of Miles Davis and band at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, go to Ear Fuzz now and take some time to watch this incredible footage.
The lineup: Jack DeJohnette (drums), Dave Holland (bass), Airto Moriera (perc), Keith Jarrett (keys), Chick Corea (keys), Gary Bartz (sax), and of course Miles Davis.
Observe the Stage Presence of Miles. What a badass mother—er. RIP Miles.
New Music: Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra
This is a pretty easy segue from my last post about Tony Allen. I was reading the latest Rolling Stone yesterday, and in Austin Scaggs’ Smoking Section, he gave a heads up to the new album by Antibalas (which just came out March 6th). Scaggs said they “churn out the best Afrobeat since Fela Kuti left the building”.
So naturally, off I went to eMusic to download the album, and glad I did at that. Brooklyn-based Antibalas is most certainly hugely influenced by Fela. I would say it’s impossible to play Afrobeat and not be influenced by Fela. But these guys also manage to reinvent the form at the same time. The album is produced by John McEntire of Tortoise. If you want to spend an hour falling under the groove and spell of good Afrobeat (with some good rips on Bush & Cheney in “Filibuster XXX”), pick up this album.
Here’s the cool opening track to the album, the aptly named “Beaten Metal”.
Antibalas: Beaten Metal
Antibalas’ Official Site (includes their latest tour dates, which includes SxSW in Austin over the next few days, and just about every American city it seems except for here in Phoenix – shit!).
Tony Allen and Ginger Baker Poundin the Skins
Kudos to Jefito for throwing a Fela Kuti / Ginger Baker tune on one of his Friday mix tapes a couple months back. It made me aware of Fela and the Africa 70’s “Live” album with Ginger Baker. It was originally released in 1971 but was reissued late last year with a 16-minute bonus track – a Ginger Baker / Tony Allen drum jam.
Tony Allen was Fela Kuti’s drummer for many many years, and is active today in The Good, the Bad, & the Queen, which also features former Blur frontman Damon Albarn, and former Clash – yes CLASH – bassist Paul Simonon. Hidden Track caught one of their shows over the weekend, and has some sweet pics posted in their photo review.
So I’m a percussion kind of guy and can happily spend 16 minutes of my life listening to a fine Afrobeat / funkin’ drummin’ jam. Can you?
Ginger Baker & Tony Allen Drum Solo – Live at the 1978 Berlin Jazz Festival
Help Save Internet Radio
On March 2nd, the Copyright Royalty Board (part of the U.S. Library of Congress), released the new royalty rates that Internet Radio broadcasters have to pay, retroactive from 2006-2010. The new rates are so high that, for the most part, they exceed 100% of the revenue of most online radio stations.
What this means is Internet Radio as we know it is threatened big time. I can’t count the number of songs and artists I’ve been exposed to because of online radio. Great sites like Radio Paradise, Pandora, KCRW’s streams of Morning Becomes Eclectic, and Live 365 have been invaluable to me. To even consider life in this day and age without them is something I don’t even want to think about. It can’t happen!
The best defense against this is speaking out. You can help by going to Save the Streams.org, signing an online petition, and submitting an email or printed letter to your congressman. They have pre-written letters there for your convenience.Please , if you’re a music lover, and you agree that these sites have a right to fair royalty rates, help out and speak out.
Resources and reading:
Time Running out for MP3 Blogs? There have also been recent mumblings about the RIAA going after music bloggers by approaching their Internet Service Providers and having their accounts suspended or their sites taken down. Is this the beginning of the end? See what Jefito has to say about it. And check out Gizmodo’s Boycott the RIAA Month.
Fingers crossed.
