The 52nd annual Grammy nominations came out last night with one glaring omission. Green Day’s excellent 21st Century Breakdown was not nominated for Album of the Year. How is that possible? While I like the new Dave Matthews Band Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King album, it’s not better than Green Day. The Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. sure as hell isn’t. While I’m sure Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Beyonce have their moments, song for song, there is no way they compare with Green Day.

Bruce Springsteen showed up as a courtesy in a few of categories. Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song for “Working On A Dream” and for his “Sea of Heartbreak” duet with Rosanne Cash, but his Working On A Dream album was a no-show. Producer Brendan O’Brien, however, is up for Producer of the Year. U2’s weak No Line On The Horizon LP also appeared in couple of categories, but was shut out of the major ones. Steve Earle’s excellent Townes showed up in the Best Comtemporary Folk Album along with Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone and Elvis Costello’s  Secret, Profane and Sugar Cane (I love Costello, but this is a joke). Wilco, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Lucinda Williams and Levon Helm were also nominated for “Best Americana Album.”

Some pleasant surprises (besides the Americana category) include Adele’s nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance for “Hometown Glory,” Willie Nelson’s American Classic nominated for Best Traditional Vocal Performance, AC/DC’s Black Ice up for Best Rock Album and Megadeth’s Head Crusher being recognized in the “Best Metal Performance.”

The show airs on CBS Sunday, Jan. 31. Maybe Kanye West will steal someone’s thunder again. Maybe Lady Gaga will poor blood on herself again, or maybe, just maybe, we’ll get to see Wilco, Steve Earle, Springsteen/Cash or AC/DC play live. We can only hope.

2009 Grammy Nominations

Healing the Soul’s blog has been deleted.

I don’t know what happened but I am concerned.

Just wanted to say Ceara I hope you are ok and all is well, please drop a line…

By the way, does anyone remember The Memory Artist? I do…..

Tisdagar, torsdagar och söndagar listar jag mina 30 favoritalbum från oo-talet.

• #30 Bruce Springsteen – The Rising
• #29 Iron & Wine (with Calexico) – In the Reins
• #28 Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
• #27 Bear Quartet – My War
• #26 M Ward – Post-War
• #25 Morrissey – You Are The Quarry
• #24 Richmond Fontaine – We Used To Think The Freeway…
• #23 Eldkvarn – Atlantis
• #22 Death Cab For Cutie – Plans
• #21 Solomon Burke – Don’t Give Up On Me

#20 Lucinda Williams – Essence (2001)

Att albumets i mina öron sämsta låt, Get Right With God, vann en Grammy säger allt. Svagheterna på Essence är få, om några. Redan i första låten kastas vi handlöst ner i Lucinda Williams såriga och uppfuckade värld av saknad. Men där många artister brukar hänfalla till självömkan hittar hon kraft. Istället för att lägga sig platt tar hon spjärn mot botten och liksom lyfter både sig själv och oss lyssnare i låtar som Steal Your Love, I Envy The Wind och Out Of Touch. Bland alla mästerliga texter är Essence min favorit, där hon beskriver kärleken som en sil. Med den lysande (och i det här klippet tyvärr censurerade) formuleringen

En essentiell skiva.

Ahí va mi selección de canciones para esta semana…

Lunes: Los tipos duros no bailan (Ahora piden tu cabeza) – Ariel Rot

Martes: 1234 – Feist

Miércoles: Ash Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) – Elvis Perkins

Jueves: Jesus etc. (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) – Wilco

Viernes: Car wheels on a gravel road (Car wheels on a gravel road) – Lucinda Williams

Sábado: ¿Quién se acuerda de mí? a.k.a Desnudo e invicto (Mátame) – Le punk

Domingo: Forever (Welcome to the cruel world) – Ben Harper

Ok, I hate “Best Of” lists just as much as you do. That’s why I’m just calling this my “favorite” list so there isn’t the feeling of who is better than who. I like to write songs when I’m not writing this blog or herding cattle on the range, and have delved into many a great one and pulled it apart to discover what lies within. Most of the time I’m left with nothing but a bunch of words that sound cool together, but are meaningless and shallow. A great song is like a children’s book – when the story is over and the pages are closed, the world created by the author continues to exist within the reader’s head, and echo of the tale lingers and develops a life of its own.

Great songwriters are capable of creating a world we can live in beyond the limits of the song’s duration. Their words toss and turn in our dreams, their melodies drift in our minds and out of our mouths on the elevator to work, and by the end of the day we can’t wait to get back to our record player, put that needle down and relive the moment one more time. A great song lives and breathes and has a personality all its own. The greatest writers have entire albums full of these songs that actually exist as characters in our minds. If you let them, these writers may climb into your conscience too, and you may feel as if you know them. But you cannot really know this person, no matter how you long to, because their existence is a fabrication of their own design, just like their songs. Even those who are related or married to a songwriter cannot claim to know them. They are the modern shapeshifters of society, taking on forms of different characters and moods, living in different times and places all at once. I bet few songwriters would even claim to know themselves.

Now to the list. These are people that I have wanted to meet and thank for making the world more bearable. Another part of me doesn’t want to ruin the fantasy of who I think they are, and I also wouldn’t want to bother them. But if they ever happen to sit down next to me at a bar, I’d treat them as if they were an old friend, because in my mind that’s what they are.

THE BEST OF EACH DECADE:

50’s – Hank Williams – The original “Songwriter”, and one of the greatest of all time. Before this you have the Tin Pan Alley scene, but no one man could cut to the chase the way Hank did, and no one has come close since. “Cold, Cold Heart” is one of the saddest songs ever written. Definitely the greatest songwriter of the 50’s.

60’s – Bob Dylan – What a bastard. How can you be such an anemic prick, sneering and jeering your way via lies into people’s hearts and minds, first with a fake smile, then behind dark darting sunglasses, only to tell them all to go fuck themselves? You write nimble poetry that connects far-off distant memories in our minds and make us thing we know what’s going on, then leave us in the dust like all your forgotten lovers. I hope you can forgive yourself what you’ve done to us, Dylan – I definitely have. You’re still the greatest songwriter to come out of the 60’s, and you’ve done pretty well for yourself in the 70’s and 2000’s, too.

70’s – Neil Young – Neil is friendlier, furrier, and more rustic than Dylan. If Dylan is New York, Neil is Half Moon Bay. Still, a darkness underlies every word the man has written, and sadness is ultimately the subject of most of his greatest songs. What makes Mr. Young so great must be the same thing that makes Steinbeck great - everything is simple, straightforward, and seemingly contemplative of the human spirit, which is treated with reverence and fear. Very few songwriters can put so much of themselves in their songs without it coming out pretentious. Neil’s got my vote for the best songwriter in the 70’s, moving from After the Gold Rush and Harvest through Tonight’s the Night, On the Beach, all the way to Rust Never Sleeps.

80’s – Bruce Springsteen - He is both seductive and honest in his approach to songwriting. Never mind that his voice sounds like warm leftovers after about the fifth song, no one can write a song for the workin’ man like the Boss. His stories appeal to the most basic needs of humans, to be loved, to honor brotherhood, to make quick money and go to Atlantic City. If only judged by Nebraska, he would still come out on top as the greatest songwriter of the 80’s.

90’s – Elliot Smith – Yes, I know he was kind of pathetic and whiny. So was Dylan and Hank Williams. Songwriters are like little brothers - they always get beat up, and instead of fighting back they brood in their rooms for days to perform some act of genius that makes you feel like a jerk for picking on them in the first place. Mr. Smith must have spent weeks in his room, shooting up and drinking vodka in a mad depression, in order to create the incredibly fragile ballads that he is known for. I am aware that most of his songs are about dope and suicide, but no one writes such brilliantly bitter pop melodies that leave you wondering whether heroin is such a bad thing after all (except maybe John Lennon, Elliot’s idol). I guess it was, considering it’s elemental in Smith’s suicide stabbing(!?!). Definitely my favorite songwriter from the 90’s.

00’s – Ryan Adams – Jesus Christ, not again. Another twitchy genius with big mouth and bad hair making snarky comments that cause discomfort. It’s like Dylan all over again, isn’t it? Well, not exactly. Adams is by far the most prolific artist of his  generation, releasing so many albums in the past 10 years it’s ridiculous, starting with the indespensable Heartbreaker. The good news is that he is now “retired” from songwriting after cleaning up off drugs and alcohol, and spends his time writing novels, recording joke heavy metal albums, sleeping with new wife Mandy Moore, painting, and writing blogs about arcade games. What a delightful twist! Actually, I really wish he would get back to writing songs again, because no one can tell lyrical tales of pain and heartbreak in late-night diners over coffee and cigarettes like ol’ Ryan Adams. This decade isn’t over yet, but I’m calling it now:  best songwriter of the 00’s.

OTHER FAVORITES:

Gram Parsons – It took me a little while to forgive him for singing out of tune on most everything he did, but it actually accentuates the earnest sense of urgency that makes his music so endearing. Gram is not the ”Golden Prophet” that he is often revered as, rather he was a lost young man with a difficult emotional past that he channeled into great songs. Most interesting is that his concept of “Cosmic Country” is right on – his music inspires a humanitarian empathy that can’t be ignored.

John Lennon – Definitely not Paul McCartney, Lennon was the antithesis of happy safe pop music. This is one is so obvious, but I really like his post-Beatle catalog the most, as he delves deeper into the personal darkness that made him so such a tragic figure (even if he wasn’t murdered, he was still a tragedy). The most loveable basketcase I can think of, Lennon proved that being a genius songwriter doesn’t change the world, but it definitely makes it more bearable to live in.

Kris Kristofferson – Most people don’t know that Kristofferson wrote hits like, “Me  Bobby McGee”, “Sunday Morning Coming Down”, and “Help Me Make it Through the Night”. Plus, he was in the Highwaymen and is a great actor (which has nothing to do with his songwriting, I know). He evokes feelings of the best of times, along with the worst of times. Without sounding too much like a Dickens novel, I can’t live without him.

Lefty Frizzell - A lesser-known contemporary of Hank Williams, Lefty wrote some incredible songs in his short career, most notably the ones covered by Willie Nelson. “If You’ve Got the Money” is the #1 sugar mama track, and that was waaaayyy before it was cool to have one.

Leonard Cohen – If Gram Parsons is the loveable boy-child of songwriting, then Cohen is definitely the Ice King. His lyrical content is seductive without frills, and while Parsons will sing about the Armaggedon with cautionary hope, Cohen will sing as if it has already happened and he is the product of the fallout, mourning the loss of innocence in a land ravaged by sin and overconsumption. It’s no wonder that his adult themes of cheating wives and fallen kings resonate so well with the Hollywood crowd and strip clubs. His voice is the last shred of humanity left standing in Babylon, and it’s like we’re listening to the folk music of the future. I’m guessing that this bard would have fared well in the world of “Total Recall”.

Loretta Lynn – People give Taylor Swift so much credit for being so young and writing her own songs. They forget it’s happened before, and it was done better in the past. Loretta’s about the same as Swift, except she had already had a couple of kids and was married to a no-count drunk which gave her much more interesting things to sing about. She was also poor and uneducated, but that didn’t stop her from becoming one of the fiercest female voices to ever stick up for the forgotten housewives in America. With song titles like, “The Pill” and “Fist City” Loretta could be considered one of the first feminist songwriters. If she isn’t the first, she most certainly is the best of the lot. A special place in my heart is reserved only for this strong woman.

Lou Reed - Inspiring generations of noisy garage bands is easily forgiveable when you write a song like “Heroin”, which has never  before or since been matched in meniachal intensity. The voice of the urban New York underground, Reed has never played it safe lyrically, and almost always delivers in creating the paranoid, zonked-out feeling of hanging out with a tranny, midget twins, and a drug dealer at one of Warhol’s parties. Even Nico could sing his songs and they sounded cool.  Not to mention that his solo exploits, while often scattered, continue to display his mastery of the language of filthy human resiliency.

Lucinda Williams – The queen of modern country, or Americana, as it is now referred to. She has the wail and moan of Hank Williams in her leathery voice, but what makes her so amazing is that she is poetic without being flowery. Much of the themes in her music (especially the more recent “West”) are biographical in nature, conjuring images of single mothers driving buicks in the desert. The forlorn sadness captured in her stark imagery reflects both spiritual and existensial realities, and her writing abilities continue to stretch outward successfully. Definitely the strongest and most responsible female voice of modern songwriting, Williams just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to see what she does next. 

Merle Haggard - Never before has the voice of the prisoner been so well emoted as with Merle Haggard. If it just came down to songs about leaving behind mama and getting into trouble, then Merle would be well ahead of the game It just so happens that he also wrote some of the best ramblin’ train songs of all time, too. Try to understand the humor and irony in songs like “Okie From Muskogee”, “Workin’ Man Blues” and “Fightin’ Side of Me”, and you’ll find yourself a happier person. You can’t play a single juke joint from here to Texas without knowing some Merle Haggard.

Townes Van Zandt – The most depressing human on Earth. Seriously, why do you have to do this to us, Townes? What I like best about his music is that for a second you think things are looking up, and then he swoops in like a bird of death and kills all hope. I can’t listen to him too much, but his music fills an irreplaceable void in my life – the depressed space. “Waitin’ Around to Die” pretty much tops the charts of all-time biggest downers, and makes Neil Young sound like Bob Marley. He also writes great story songs like “Pancho and Lefty”, too.

Willie Nelson – He definitely is a beloved country icon, but before Willie was famous for being Willie, he wrote “Hello Walls”, “Mr. Record Man”, and Patsy Cline’s best song, “Crazy”, and sold the rights to them all for less than a bag of weed. Of course, he’s written hundreds of great songs since then, and continues to pump out one great tune after another to this day. The best part about Willie is his sense of humor, and when I heard “Cowboys are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other” I nearly died laughing. Please ignore the fact that he lets people like Toby Keith and Kid Rock sing on his albums. Please at least try.

Great songwriters who should be on this list but aren’t (with excuses):

Alejandro Escovedo - I must confess, I only own one album (Boxing Mirror), but the words are awesome!
Beck - If humor were the main criteria for a great songwriter, he would be #1.
Brian Wilson - He loses points for writing songs about surfing. No one wonder he went insane.
Buddy Holly - I love Buddy Holly, he wrote perfect pop songs. But Carole King isn’t on this list either.
Cat Power - Sometimes her words are gibberish, other times fantastic. Keep writing, Cat!
Curtis Mayfield - Songs for the ghetto, I guess. Curtis is a political spokesman, but he isn’t a lyrical genius.
David Bowie - I’m also tempted to add him now, but his words don’t quite carry the power of some of the other cats.
George Jones - A great songwriter indeed, but his songs never sound as good when someone else sings them.
Jim Morrison - Really more of a poet than a songwriter, don’t you think?
Keith Richards/Mick Jagger - Rock n’ Roll isn’t supposed to have good lyrics. These guys do it for me, but I’m not taking the words to “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” with me to the grave.
Neil Diamond - The man did write some amazing songs, but the schmaltz aspect of his act has always detracted from his genius.
Nick Drake – Neil Young and Townes are depressing enough. I can’t take it any more!
PJ Harvey – She is fun to listen to, and her lyrics aren’t burdened with depression and sadness. I need those in my songs.
Ralph and Carter Stanley - Bluegrass couldn’t exist without these cats. But cautionary religous tales about drinking too much just don’t resonate much with me. I never knew why:)
Robert Hunter – I love his lyrics, they have important life lessons in them. But clever they are not.
Roy Orbison - He definitely wrote great songs, though I can’t exactly admit that he is one of my favorites.
Tom Waits - Awesome lyrics, hideous, overwraught voice. I can’t stand his music.
Stevie Wonder - What a fantastic writer, especially his melodies. But one of my favorites? I gotta say close, but no cigar.
Willie Dixon - The greatest blues songwriter ever, to be sure. But seriously, how hard is it to write a blues song?
Win Butler – Pretty good, pretty good. I’ll make the decision when more albums are released.
Woody Guthrie – Ok, I know he’s great. I’m just not educated enough on his music to make a valuable assesment. Maybe when I finally get enough cash together to get some of his records…

I have a confession to make.

As a teen and young adult in the 1990’s, my large music collection was notoriously sexist. Now, I don’t think I ever had an overt disdain toward female artists, but for some reason I never really paid them any attention. This glaring omission may have been from the mistaken belief that women couldn’t rock like most of the testosterone-fueled artists I did enjoy or from lumping all female artists into the same pop diva music box, but for whatever reason, my CD case stayed almost exclusively male-dominated.

I’ve grown up a good bit over the past decade, though, and the contributions of female artists have become much more important to me. Today my music collection is quite expansive and women performers have become an integral part of my regular listening. So, for this installment of Ten for Tuesday, I wanted to give you ten of my favorite female-dominated albums from the past decade. Many of these additions have come since I joined emusic in 2006, so it is weighted to the last few years, but there are some that I picked up prior to that. Let me know of any others that you think should be added.

10. She & Him – Volume One
When this album was released in 2008, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the collaboration between actress Zooey Deschanel and retro folk artist M. Ward, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Deschanel’s voice fits very well in the simple, old-style mold that M. Ward helps to craft. Like many of his other recordings, this sounds like something you might listen to on an old transistor radio and that’s a good thing.

9. Portishead – Third
Though the comeback album of this seminal trip-hop outfit may not be to the level of 1994’s classic Dummy, it is still pretty good and it was especially nice to hear the familiar sound of Beth Gibbon’s voice after more than a decade. I am really looking forward to hearing what else the band has in store for the future.

8. Lucinda Williams – Little Honey
Little Honey was a wonderful return to form for one of the best known voices of the alt-country movement. The album is a rollicking tour-de-force that proves that women over 50 can still contribute great things to the world of music.

7. Emmylou Harris/Mark Knopfler – All the Roadrunning
Though folk legend Harris shares the spotlight with Knopfler, the guitar maestro behind Dire Straits and several excellent solo releases, she still shines brightly as one of the most distinctive voices of the past few decades. Their voices meld wonderfully throughout this gem of an album.

6. Allison Krauss/Robert Plant – Raising Sand
Though rock legend Robert Plant is given equal billing on this album, this work is more of a Krauss album with Plant singing backup. The songs are mostly downbeat and drowsy, but not in a way that tires the listener. Instead, Plant and bluegrass queen Krauss turns this into a seminar of how two very different halves can make one beautiful whole.

5. Sinead O’Connor – Theology
By the time this album came out, I had pretty much forgotten about O’Connor. Sure, I remembered her tirade on Saturday Night Live in the early 90’s when she tore up a picture of the pope, but I had lost track of any music that she had recorded over the years. I first heard of this album from my friend Scott and thought that he must be kidding – really, Sinead O’Connor? But then I listened to this collection of gospel numbers and was immediately drawn into it, especially the CD (this is a 2 disc set) of the more sparsely accompanied songs. In her voice was something beautiful and heartfelt and spiritual that puts the entire CCM industry to shame.

4. Gillian Welch – Time (The Revelator)
With this album (and the two preceding it), Welch proved herself to be one of the most important voices in the neo-traditional folk movement. Her style draws from bluegrass and folk genres, melding the old forms into something relevant in today’s fast-paced 21st century and it is a sound that deserves to be heard by everyone.

3. Loretta Lynn – Van Lear Rose
In 2004, an unlikely pairing emerged in the world of music – country music legend Loretta Lynn, age 69 at the time, and indie rock star Jack White of the White stripes, age 28. I imagine that the seeming strangeness of this collaboration must have raised some eyebrows, but somehow it worked perfectly. The duet of Lynn and White on the song “Portland, Oregon” is especially great and helped to make this one of the better albums of the entire decade.

2. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
Look, I know she’s a crackhead and I know that my giving this much credence to her work doesn’t help her on the path to self-destruction, but I really love this album and have for quite sometime. I think of her raunchy jazz/soul sound as the anti-Norah Jones, the type of music you would never hear on an elevator. She has one of those retro smoky voices, which I’m sure was probably self-inflicted, that just blows me away.

1. Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
What brought the idea for this list on? The fact that I’m about to purchase a ticket to see Neko Case in just a matter of weeks here in Memphis. I fell in love with her powerful voice in 2007 when I purchased this album and I have been a devoted follower ever since. I could listen to this every day of my life and never get tired of it.

What else should have made the list?

I’m tempted to say that it’s been a good month for country. Within the last couple of weeks, Patty Loveless released her second Mountain Soul recording, celebrating the traditional music of the hills. Kris Kristofferson cut a sparse, poetic set called Closer to the Bone. Miranda Lambert continued her quest to bring a punk edge to mainstream country with Revolution. And just this week, Lyle Lovett returns with another fine, wry singer-songwriter set called Natural Forces, while Terri Clark released a fiery mainstream country disc in The Long Way Home.

But again, I’m only tempted to call this a good month for country, if only because the entire decade has been a good one for country. Nashville is maligned in music critic circles, and not always unfairly– certainly, it’s a scene prone to formula– but even as mainstream country has grown stale, a number of artists have kicked against the stagnation of their beloved music with records that have been vibrant and often brilliant.

This is my tribute to the country music of the last ten years, inspired  in large part by my favorite country album of this year, Rosanne Cash’s The List. You’ve probably heard the story behind that one: Old man Johnny gave his teenage daughter a list of the 100 essential country music songs, twelve of which are covered on her new LP. My own list isn’t of songs, but of albums; and it isn’t of all-time classics, but of modern-day classics.

Note that this isn’t necessarily a list of my ten favorite country discs of the 00s, but, rather, ten albums that demonstrate the range and depth of what’s coming out of the genre. Also, I’ve tried to restrict these choices to albums that have some kind of clear connection to traditional country forms. And finally, since I’ve already written about newer albums from Cash, Kristofferson, and the rest, I’ve left those out– for now.

On to the list:

Solomon Burke
Nashville

I’ve heard it said that country music is really just soul music, an adage that I’ve shamelessly used in my own writing more than once. That connection is made implicit in this recording, in which the king of soul music dons a cowboy hat, takes up arms with producer Buddy Miller, and makes one of the most authentic and expressive country music albums of the decade.

Caitlin Cary and Thad Cockrell
Begonias

It might sound like hyperbole to say that these are some of the finest country duets this side of Gram and Emmylou, but get a listen of these heavenly harmonies and try to disagree. This is the good stuff: Tears-in-beer ballads mixed with driving, heartland country-rock.

Vince Gill
These Days

Not even Tom Waits’ sprawling Orphans set can top this one in terms of sheer scope and generosity; at four discs of all-new, all-original material, this one is king of the mountain. The four discs are divided according to style, which shows just how diverse and far-reaching the Nashville sound can be when a pro like Gill is given the space to do his thing.

Alan Jackson
Like Red on a Rose

Jackson has spent most of his career making good-times anthems for the honky tonk; Alison Krauss has earned acclaim as a bluegrass virtuoso. Together, they made a late-night saloon album that has less in common with their normal gigs than with Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours. I’m not sure how they pulled it off either, but it’s a singularly moving record, perfect for late-night listening.

Patty Loveless
Dreamin’ My Dreams

Though she’s spent most of the decade mining traditional country sounds in her fine Mountain Soul records and the all-covers Sleepless Nights, her finest work might be Dreaming My Dreams, a knockout set that represents a perfect blending of traditional and modern country trappings.

Loretta Lynn
Van Lear Rose

It’s not just one of the best country albums of the decade, but one of the biggest comebacks, in any genre: A storytelling masterpiece that combines autobiography with a healthy dose of garage rock mayhem, the latter thanks to superfan and producer Jack White.

Buddy and Julie Miller
Buddy and Julie Miller

I know of few recordings that capture the joys of love– or the pains of heartache– with as much vigor as this flirty, fun set from country’s best husband-wife team; musically, this one touches on everything from acoustic country ballads to swaggering, Stonesy rock.

Willie Nelson
Songbird

Of late, Willie has proven himself willing to collaborate with pretty much anyone, but who would have thought that one of his best albums in years would be a joint effort with Ryan Adams? This set has Nelson songs, Adams songs, and covers of everything from Leonard Cohen to “Amazing Grace,” and everything here is killer.

Keith Urban
Love, Pain, and the Whole Crazy Thing

It’s the Sgt. Pepper of mainstream country music– not in terms of impact, maybe, but certainly with regard to its baroque arrangements. But there ain’t nothin’ artsty about it: This is thrillingly bold, colorful music that blends the best of country, pop, and guitar rock.

Lucinda Williams
World Without Tears

I know I’m in the minority, but I think this is Williams’ best record: Part country, part folk, part rock, all raw emotion, pain and heartache. It’s sharp, strong and sexy– and though it dabbles in classic rock and talking blues, the close-to-the-bone human poetry is country through and through.

Dr. Dog played a fantastic show at the Gargoyle this past Tuesday. The sound was good – and it wasn’t even hot in there! Here are some shows coming up this weekend:

Fri 10/16 Tom Russell – Off Broadway

Fri 10/16 Mirah and Norfolk & Western (both from Portland, OR) at the Billiken Club

Sat 10/17 Supersuckers – Deluxe

Sat 10/17 Lucinda Williams – Pageant

From cards to posters to calendars to t-shirts, I give you the lovely and humorously crafty letterpress designs of Yee Haw Industries:

I see great things in baseball. It will take our people out-of-doors,
fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism,
tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set,
repair those losses and be a blessing to us. ~ Walt Whitman

Well, Uncle Walt is half right – outdoor baseball won’t arrive in Minnesota until next spring. Meanwhile, there is precious little time to clean up the discarded pizza boxes and collect the empties for recycling after last night’s Border Battle in the Dome. Our beloved Twins have defied the odds and hustled themselves into a pennant race. They will play game #163 this afternoon against the Detroit Tigers. First pitch by Scott Baker is scheduled to cross the plate at 4:07 CST … which just happens to coincide with the weekly broadcast of Great River Radio.

So, we’ll kick things off with a raucous rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” by Craig Finn and The Hold Steady. Trust us, there are no bigger Twins fans in the music world. We also new music from artists who may (or may not) be Twins fans – Why?, Girls, Land of Talk, The Ettes, Shannon Stephens and the “Twitterfic” Imogen Heap. And we’ll take a look back at one of the busiest two week stretches of live music in recent memory – Sufjan Stevens, Wilco, Rural Alberta Advantage, Phoenix, Arctic Monkeys, Son Volt and many more.

Don’t forget our ever-popular new theme segment – “Confluence.” This week’s theme is “Crows.” We aren’t picking the low-hanging fruit here by simple playing music by artists or groups with “Crow” in the name (Black Crowes, Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow, etc.). Great River Radio musicheads are more astute than that. We’ve got your requests for some Let’s Active, Michael Hurley and Leo Kottke, as well as a few of our own crow-inspired songs.

You know where to find us this afternoon – live from 4-6 p.m. CST. And we know you find the endless clichés of sports announcers extremely annoying. So, turn on the set, turn down the sound and fire-up the PC for a little Great River Radio background music. You won’t be disappointed.

If you can’t multitask, be sure to listen to the recorded show in its entirety by clicking “Play” above.

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Next week’s “Confluence” segment is “BeatlesObscure.” We’ve been saturated with Beatle Mania all over again with the release of remastered CDs, Beatle’s Rock Band, official shaving cream, etc. And all the same, tired, worn-out pop gems are reaching the saturation point. So we want to know – What is your favorite lesser-known Beatle’s song … and why? Post your request below and we’ll work it into next week’s show. (Note: We’ll leave the Beatles v. Stones debate for another show.)

Go Twins!

Brian/Dan

Playlist
Take Me Out to the Ballgame-Hold Steady
By This River-Brian Eno
This Blackest Purse-Why?
Lust For Life-Girls
May You Never-Land of Talk
Sick Muse-Metric
Endgame-REM
Sick of Myself-Matthew Sweet
He Woke Me Up Again-Sufjan Stevens
Casimir Pulaski Day-Sufjan Stevens
Crows On A Phone Line-Let’s Active
Step Across the Mountain-Joe Henry
Old Black Crow-Michael Hurley
Crow Dance-Zora Neale Hurston
Crow River Waltz-Leo Kottke
Blue-Lucinda Williams
Baseball Boogie-Mabel Scott
Crown of Age-The Ettes
Number With No Name-Ben Harper and Relentless7
In the Summer in the Heat-Shannon Stephens
Nobody Knows My Name-Rickie Lee Jones
Lovely Day-Donavon Frankenreiter
Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise-The Avett Brothers
The Runaway (Live)-The National
Dominoes-The Big Pink
Watchman What is Left of the Night?-Greycoats
Home-Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Another day, another orderless update. Just keep chugging along, trying to get this shit all caught up. That Dangerdoom record has been unavailable at retailers for quite awhile and the Darkest Hour record is out of print (if my memory is actually working right)…just thought I’d share, you know.
Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue (2xLP)
Anti-Pop Consortium – Fluorescent Black (2xLP, Import)
Crime in Stereo – Select Wreakage (Black & Gold & White)
DANGERDOOM – The Mouse and the Mask (2xLP)
Darkest Hour – Undoing Ruin (Purple)
Day To Remember, A – For Those Who Have Heart (Maroon)
De La Soul – Buhloone Mindstate (2xLP, Import, Promo)
De La Soul – Is Dead (180 Gram)
Dear Landlord – Dream Homes

Various Artists – Def Jam 25 DJ Bring That Back Volume 1 and 2
Common – Thisisme Then: The Best of Common (2xLP)
Common – Universal Mind Control (2xLP)
Copyrights, The – Learn the Hard Way
Cradle of Filth – Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder
Wilco – A.M. (180 Gram)
Williams, Lucinda – Happy Woman Blues
Williams, Lucinda – Ramblin’

Good music is hard enough to find, but it’s even harder sifting through the malaise of more recent, over-hyped offerings of current artists whose reviews and exposure usually have nothing to do with how good their records are. If you’re like me, you probably stick to new releases from those you know will deliver (Dylan, Beck, Ryan Adams, etc.), and perhaps only download single mp3’s of songs you have heard that you liked. But buying single mp3’s of an artist is limiting in that it only gives you a slice of what the album really encompasses, and taken out of context can leave the listener short of the full experience they deserve and crave. It’s like getting to second base with someone really hot, and never finding out what they’re like in bed. I want the whole enchilada!

That being said, I would like to offer my most recent discoveries in new(er) music, and since I am a musician and serious music-lover who is very skeptical of anything new, I hope you will appreciate the fact that I am not easily swayed by public opinion and advertisements that too easily cry, ”the Next Big Thing”. My inspiration for finding new music comes from my local public library and a blog called dk presents, and am much indebted to dk for opening my mind to contemporary music that doesn’t make my ears bleed. And so now I am passing my findings along in hopes of inspiring someone else to revise their stale music collection. Without further ado, here’s a list of albums I think you will like (and ones to avoid):

*Disclaimer* – This list is not intended for people who read Blender and/or  are avid followers of the current music scene. Most of these records have come out in the past 2-3 years. It is more intended for the person who is admittedly unaware of modern culture and probably hasn’t bought a new CD in the past couple years (but wants t0).

1. Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World

Peyroux croons like Billie Holiday and this album delivers with great modern song selections, stylish session players, and wonderful engineering/production. Just when you think jazz is dead, along comes a new surprise…

2. Iron and Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days

Apparently, folk is coming back in a big way, and it’s partly due to Sam Beam, the wizard behind Iron & Wine. Soft vocals with female harmonies create a great subtle mood throughout the album, but it is the songwriting that ultimately carries this record, with clear and introspective lyrics that evoke visceral images of children and the South. This is your lazy morning chillout record.

3. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

This one is idiosyncratic because no one will be able to replicate the atmosphere and conditions under which it was recorded. Not even Justin Vernon, who did most of it himself on a home recording setup in the woods, and it’s a miracle that it turned out as well as it did. Whiny singing and meager drumming over acoustic guitars never sounded so good. I wouldn’t expect the follow-up to be close to this, but you never know. A great listen, especially if you are going through a breakup.

4. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

SubPop is a great record label, probably the best around today (with the exception of ATO). They continue to discover great underground acts and give them enough exposure to become successful. This album is on most music critics’ list of greatest records in 2008, and it does sound great, mostly because the reverb on the vocals is so moody and entrancing, and the playing is so tastefully complementary to that. The songwriting isn’t so important as the ambience, which makes it a great listen from start to finish.

5. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

Funeral was a wonderfully inspired and solid first record from this Canadian indie band , and I was thoroughly impressed when I heard the equally solid followup. Win Butler clearly shines as the main songwriter, and his passionate singing about religion and loss perfectly complement his mostly positive, and sometimes sentimental, dirges. Beautiful melodies throughout make this a great hum-along disc. As a band, Arcade Fire rocks kind of like Crazy Horse with violins and humming girl backup singers.

6. Calexico – Carried to Dust

Ok, at first I was skeptical. When someone tells me to listen to a band from Arizona that blends Mexican folk music with American pop, I am immediately thinking this is going to be a cheesy train wreck, like a cross between Sublime and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, or something like that. Not so. White people canwrite songs with Mariachi horns behind them, and the results are definitely cinematic. This album offers a lot more than just the aformentioned desctiption entails, and I think it’s to the band’s credit that they can cover so many styles without seeming unfocused. Probably the best goup you’ve never heard of that’s been doing it for 10+ years, they just keep cutting their little niche in modern music deeper and deeper. You’ll have to pay attention sooner or later, why not start now? (By the way, Feast of Wire isn’t as good as this record is).

7. Cold War Kids – Loyalty to Loyalty

With a name like this I expected something between Dashboard Confessional and Bright Eyes. Instead I got a cd full of great songs (some are better than others, admittedly), with interesting arrangements over singing that conjures thoughts of Jeff Buckley. There is a soulfulness to the record that is vacant on most of the “indie” discs I’ve listened to, and I’m looking forward to checking out their debut album as well.

8. Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

I’m still kind of on the fence about this one to be honest. On one hand, you have really great arrangements featuring awesome musicians (everybody loves Garth Hudson from the Band), and unique songwriting that is more Victorian than anything else. The words and concept of the album are a little inaccessible and pretentious, although ornate and beautiful, and Neko’s voice, while sultry, at times sounds a little sharp and dissonant to my ears. I keep listening hard to see if the songs will start to make sense. The main reason I put it on this list is because it’s so unique and at random moments will catch me off guard with bursts of eloquenence, which leads me to believe that the music will continue to grow on me.

9. The Black Crowes – Warpaint

I’m an old-school Black Crowes fan from their very first single (Atlanta represent!), but most people probably thought this band was way past its prime, especially after Marc Ford quit forever ago. I myself had kind of swept them under the sentimental rug, along with the likes of Pearl Jam and Portishead, but this album seriously blew my mind upon first listen. Seriously, folks, you really owe it to yourself to check it out. The Crowes sound like a well-worn version of themselves that doesn’t try too hard, and the album is so comfortable to listen to that I made it all the way through without stopping the first time I heard it. It really gets great around the sixth song, and I felt like I was listening to Pink Floyd, the vibe was so heady. Admittedly, Luther Dickenson isn’t the virtuoso that Marc Ford is, but he plays the hell out of the slide guitar and actually fits in with the band’s sound better than Ford. I’m thoroughly impressed by this effort, and am looking forward to the day I can afford their newest double-length with Levon Helm, entitled Before the Frost/Until the Freeze.

10. Elliot Smith - New Moon

Not much needs to be said here if you already know who Elliot Smith is. If you don’t like him, you won’t like this, because he’s at his most whiny and softest acoustic peaks here, ala Elliot Smith and XOXO. But man, this guy could write wonderfully acerbic pop songs, and this double-disc posthumous release just proves that he had so much more left to give . If you like Smith, you won’t be disappointed by this one. If you aren’t sure, check out Figure 8 and Either/Or first.

11. Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger

This was my first record of Ryan Adam’s, and I admittedly had never really listened to any of his music before a couple of years ago. As a songwriter, it’s ridiculous that I discovered this guy right before he decided to call it quits and marry Mandy Moore (he’ll be back, I just know it). This is his first album recorded after his alleged sobriety, and many of the songs have to do with him grappling inner demons and recovery. There are some great tunes on here, and proves that you don’t have to be on high on speedballs to be the greatest songwriter of your generation (you were sober when you wrote those songs, weren’t you Ryan?). And trust me, Adams is undoubtedly the greatest songwriter of the 2000’s, just like I think Elliot Smith was in the 90’s and Dylan was in the 60’s and 70’s. The Boss gets stuck with the 80’s. Anyway, check this album out, and if you’re really brave and want to have your life changed, go out and buy Heartbreaker. I dare you.

12. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

It seems like everybody knows and loves Wilco these days, so it’s not a surprise that I picked this album as a winner. I just would like to say that while it’s not as good as A Ghost is Born, it has some shining moments, and Nels Cline continues to be tasteful and creative without stealing the show. My only complaint is that Jeff Tweedy still sounds pharmaceutical, for lack of a better word, and any songwriting he does that isn’t explaining why he’s such a grumpy old man doesn’t really mean much to an ordinary guy like me. That being said, there are songs on here that touch just slightly upon fusion and stay away from the experimental wastleland of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. “Impossible Germany” is possibly the best song to listen to while taking off in an airplane

13. Lucinda Williams – West

Lucinda Williams is a godsend to country music. I know she’s not straight country, but the subject matter of the songs on West is so earthy and personal, that you can’t help but feel like this woman is the sole inheritor of the Hank Williams legacy. Written shortly after her mother’s death, this album features songs that call to Momma throughout, and the mournful lonesomeness in her voice is like a coyote in the desert, sending chills down my spine every time. By far some of her most sophisticated and deepest songwriting yet, Lucinda elucidates souls of dead poets throughout, and for the most part avoids the man-hating sludge rock that she’s never really pulled off that well on past efforts. Also, the cheesy Nashville production and distorted guitars that showed up on World Without Tears have been toned down in favor of sonic layers that really complement the music. I think this is her finest record yet - be prepared to weep.

 14. Kelley Stoltz – Below the Branches

Kelley Stoltz is a San Francisco songwriter I have been following for many years. He’s not really well-known outside of the City, but is clearly a very gifted musician. I chose this record to share, even though it came out in 2006, over the more recent Circular Sounds, simply because it’s better. Stoltz always self-records with an eight-track tape machine, which creates the loose psychedelic warble that gives his records a well-worn glow. By far the best album I have ever heard by anyone from the Bay Area in the last 10 years, Below the Branches collects influences and jumbles them up into original music, courtesy of Stoltz’s ability to conjure the sounds and atmospheres of classic records. The songs are simple and fun, the music cheerful and effortless. In fact, Stoltz should put more effort into his music, because he has such a wonderful voice and an endless supply of talent to draw from that everyone should know about. This is a great summer album, my friends.

15. Alejandro Escovedo – The Boxing Mirror

Lots of people have probably thought to themselves, “I see his name everywhere, I wonder if that guy is any good”. Well, I can assure you that he is great, and once you become accustomed to his unique style, you will find yourself entranced by the moody and spiritual presence that shape-shifts throughout this record. The closest influence I can name is Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda, and hallucinations of animals in the desert appear often throughout songs that vary from folk rock to 80’s electro pop in instrumentation and feel. Escovedo sounds like no one you have heard before, and the indigenous loping of his enchanting lyrics will cast a spell on your soul and leave you wanting more. Oh yeah, and it’s produced by VU legend John Cale, if that helps.

CD’s that really didn’t do it for me:

1. Prince – Planet Earth

Just in case you are a Prince fan and thought that since he rocked “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and the Superbowl so hard that his most recent album must be a winner as well, I’m here to let you know that it’s not. Sorry, Prince, please don’t sue me.

2. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges

I’ve really liked this band ever since I heard It Still Moves. Since then they have moved further away from the reverb drenched Neil Young sound and more towards the Prince and whiteboy reggae sound. Ewww. Admittedly, there are some great moments on this record, and it’s worth buying some mp3’s, but please, for the love of God, stay away from “Highly Suspicious”. Z is a much better album, buy that instead.

3. The Black Keys – Catch and Release

Is it just me, or this band highly overrated? And is it just me, or is Dangermouse in that same category? Well, it makes perfect sense then that these two should be paired together to make what I consider to be a true dud of an album. Why buy the Black Keys when I can have the White Stripes? I caught and released this album as quickly as I could. Dan Auerbach’s solo effort is looking much more promising.

5. Grandaddy – Just Like the Fambly Cat

I really like Jackpot, and I thought this would kind of be in the same vein. It was, just not in a good way. If the synthesis of obnoxious synths and repetitive loops over folky acoustic guitars is your thing, check out Beck instead. I wanted to like it. I really did.

6. LCD Sound System – Sound of Silver

 I am guessing that James Murphy took all the money he made from his first record and blew it on coke, then decided to make something “genius”. In any case, I can’t get into this disc because I keep thinking that my CD player is skipping. After getting rid of this record, I am relieved to discover that my CD player is just fine.

Singles I’m Diggin’

1. The National – “Mistaken for Strangers”

3. Slaid Cleaves – “I Feel the Blues Moving In”

4. Flight of the Conchords – “Bowie” & “Hiphopapotamus vs. Rhymenocerous”

5. Black Lips – “It Feels Alright”

6. Dan Auerbach – “My Last Mistake”

Take out your iPods and iPhones and hit shuffle! Here’s the first five songs that we came up on ours this week:

Autumn:

1. Ra diohea_d  RainyDayz Remixes by Amp_Live: ‘15 Stepz’ (ft. Codany Holiday)

Even though Radiohead has said recently that they no longer feel the need to produce album length work, the way they released In Rainbows on the last minutes of my birthday a few years ago was genius: pay what you will, fans, and download it now. They followed the album with In Rainbows 2, a shorter release and a variation on the original theme, and then came the Remixes. I loved that In Rainbows continued to keep coming back at me in differing variations; I never wanted the album to end. ‘15 Stepz’ totally re-envisions the kinetic first song of the album with downbeat tempos and soul vocals.

2. The Charltans: ‘A Man Needs to Be Told’

The chorus of this song is lovely, with its distorted ‘do do do do do do dos’ and sweet lyrics to remind a man there’s a whole lotta world going on.

3. Michael Jackson: ‘The Girl is Mine’

Love this song, love the video, love that Michael and Paul fight over the same woman. It crescendos with Paul’s ‘I don’t believe it!’ and you think MJ might just have this one in the bag.

4. Cat Power: ‘Ramblin’ Woman’

Chan does Hank and it is earth-shaking. That crazy broad’s got the voice to do this song, and the past to make it real.

5. Radiohead: ‘Mk1′

Please see #1.

Wendy:

1. Radiohead: ‘All I Need’

Honestly, I can’t say much about this song.  I still haven’t given In Rainbows a fair listening to.  Dare I say it, but I’m a little Radiohead’d out.

2.  The Beach Boys: ‘Here Today’

I should listen to this song more often.  I am all for a good anti-love song.

3.  PJ Harvey: ‘Rid of Me’

PJ making psycho sound sexy, like she always does.  This was the first PJ Harvey album I ever owned.  It was just what I needed in high school.

4. Tony Galla & The Rising Sons: ‘In Love’

One of the random old soul songs that I have.  I don’t believe one can own enough old soul, so I just keep acquiring more and more.  I love it when one pops up on shuffle.  They always put me in a very distinct frame of mind.

5.  Guns n’ Roses: ‘November Rain’

I laughed out loud and thought “YES!” when this one popped up.  My second thought was about how I’ve never taken this song on during karaoke.

Jen Mae:

1. Daniel Johnston: ‘I’m Nervous’

This song is from one of my favorite Daniel Johnston albums, Welcome to My World. It’s a compilation of what I think are some of his best, older songs, but it also includes a few newer gems. Critics have debated Johnston’s musical prowess, but I think he’s a superb songwriter.  His lyrics possess a vulnerability that I can certainly relate to.  Maybe you can too. He’ll be playing at the Highline Ballroom on October 14th.  I wish I could go.

2. Lambroula Maria Pappas: Donna È Mobile

This was definitely an impulse purchase.  It’s from the World’s Very Best Opera for Kids… in English! I bought it while I was pregnant, thinking that I would play it regularly for my daughter, but I’ve come to find that I cannot stand opera in English. It just sounds awkward to me.

3. Language Addicts: ‘Characteristics (Recognize)’

This is a recording of common Greek expressions used to describe physical characteristics. I’m trying to learn Greek so I can eavesdrop on all of my husband’s relatives. They always look like they’re saying something really juicy. I listen to this album all of the time while I’m working around the house.

4. Elizabeth Mitchell: ‘Three is the Magic Number’

Now here’s a song that I love, love, love! The original Schoolhouse Rock tune has been covered over and over again, but I absolutely adore this version by Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton. This is another record that I purchased for my daughter while I was pregnant, but I play this one for her almost every day and she loves to sing along and dance to it. My heart gets really warm when I hear this song because I think of what a beautiful trinity my little family is. If you have children, know someone who does, or just like mellow, lo-fi music, you can listen to and find out more about Elizabeth Mitchell here.

5. Booker T and the MGs: ‘Jellybread’

One of Stax Record’s greats! I can’t listen to Booker T and the MGs and be in a bad mood at the same time.  There are undoubtedly funkier songs on this album, but ‘Jellybread’ still makes me shake my rump.

Jenni:

1. Lucinda Williams: ‘Fruits of My Labor’

Love, love, LOVE her.  Saw her play at Radio City a few years back and was blown away.  She’s an amazing poetess who is uber-country but all attitude.  Makes me want to wear red cowboy boot shit-kickers.  I can’t help but sway and swoon every time I hear this song.

2. Crooked Fingers: ‘Destroyer’

I have a very soft place in my heart for Eric Bachmann.  Like many bands, they remind me of Gainesville because I saw them play at the Covered Dish, circa 2000-ish.  This song is a slow ditty with lots of croons and electric guitar.

3. The Evens: ‘All These Governors’

I love this duet, but of course I’m always a sucker for a guy/girl duet, plus this one has the added bonus of the two singers being sweethearts.  Oh, gush, gush.  The Dischord sound always fondly reminds me of living in D.C.

4. Lifesavas: ‘Shine Language’

This is from the “Gutterfly” Soundtrack.  I honestly didn’t even know I had this in iTunes; I don’t think I’ve ever even listened to it and I haven’t seen “Gutterfly!”  That said, on first listen, it’s not bad hip-hop, I guess I have to put “Gutterfly” in my Netflix queue.

5. Jawbox: ‘Reel’

Reminds me of living in a dormitory my freshman year in college, back when I really didn’t know what music I should like.  At the time, I was being introduced to so many new, great bands who weren’t being played on the ever-so-plentiful classic rock stations of Central Florida.  It all seemed so fresh and interesting.  So, a good feeling tune.

Lisa:

1. LCD Soundsystem: ‘45:33′

Me, my brother, and a group of his friends usually have a Nike+ challenge (the whole iPod pedometer thing) going on. From time to time Kevin also finds/creates running playlists and shares them. This one is a little too dance/trance for my musical tastes, but it did entertain on one 45-minute run to check it out.

2. Aretha Franklin: ‘Respect’

Great live album. I think every track is 10 minutes plus. Each track is its own mini-performance. I like listening to it on weekend mornings, puttering around the house.

3. The Quantic Soul Orchestra: ‘Barbarabatiri’

No idea what this group or track is. About 75% of my iTunes is music sent to me by brother that I download from SendSpace, but then never get around to listening to.

4. Amy Winehouse: ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’

From the days of my Amy Winehouse obsession a few years ago. I still really like her voice, but thinking of her makes me a little sad. So much potential!

5. Dana’s Hip Hop: ‘Dana’s Hip Hop 2′

Oh, the days of mixed CDs without track names, but with such inventive names for the CDs (not!). This was from a CD made by one of my college roommates, Dana. On listening, this is Q-Tip’s Vibrant Thing…”Yo, you such a vibrant vibrant vibrant a vibrant thing.” Definitely got some play at college house parties. Now, it might make it into a running mix every once in a while.

Mariela:

1. Stephen Malkmus: ‘Freeze the Saints’

Perfect example of why this Top 5 is genius.  I swear, it’s like I never heard this song before — partly because the song names never imported.  This is Malkmus at his poppiest and softest.  He’s almost Wilco-esque.  Love the intro piano and the drums in the chorus.

2. Neil Young: ‘Lotta Love’

From Autumn’s 2009 Mix CD — my favorite of the year so far.  Young is so vulnerable here and love needs to pull him through.

3. The Pretenders: ‘Thumbelina’

Not a fan of this one.  I don’t dig the zip zip zip, country-rock vibe.  Skip.

4. The Buzzcocks: ‘Soul Survivor’

1:41 of classic punk rock.

5. Deep Purple: ‘Black Knight’

I feel like I’m in Freaks & Geeks.

What are your First Five?

Emily and I went o Greensboro, NC this past weekend. I didn’t think much of Greensboro last time I was through there, but Emily convinced me that it was worth another look. She went to college at Guilford which is located in Greensboro. To help with her cause, Lucinda Williams was in town on Friday night.

We got into town Friday afternoon and checked into our hotel. Sydney was again lounging at Camp Bow Wow for the weekend. We stayed at Studio Plus on Wendover Ave. Was a nice enough room and clean. However, there was a smell. A smell that ended up following us home. The price was right, but not sure I would stay there again.

Lucinda Williams was playing at the Carolina Theater in downtown Greensboro. Greensboro seems like they have been trying to revitalize the downtown area. It was quite nice in the areas around the theater. We got there early enough to check out the theater and hear the opening act, Buick 6. The theater was really nice. The seats however were not. They were nice and soft, but they reclined whether you wanted them to or not. Two plus hours like that was a little uncomfortable. The show on the other hand was outstanding. I saw her earlier in the year at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, and her voice was a little off but still quite good. She put on a rocking performance for the better part of two and half hours.

The next day we were supposed to go to Homecoming at Guilford and watch the football game that evening. Our plans were offset by pouring rain. Emily took me on a quick tour of the campus and we spent the rest of the day just hanging out inside all around Greensboro. Turns out, Greensboro isn’t nearly as bad as I had remembered.
Sunday we woke up to a beautiful day. We drove back over to Guilford and walked around campus for a couple of hours. Guilford is a beautiful campus. If you are interested in going to a small liberal arts school I highly recommend checking them out.

Was a long ride home, and I think both of us were glad to be back. Or at least glad to be out of the car for a while!