• Tom Petty/Mudcrutch < Lynyrd Skynyrd/Allman Brothers
• Frat Dudes <  Jax Beach Rockabilly dudes
• Less than jake > Yellowcard
• Xenophobic Gainesville Hipsters < Go Nowhere Riverside Hipsters
• No Idea Records > Dead Tank Records
• Hot Water Music/Against Me > Whole Wheat Bread/evergreen terrace
• Paines Prairie = Hanna Park
• Santa Fe College > Florida State College (FCCJ)
• Boca Fiesta < Burritto Gallery
• Kickstand > Zombie Bikes Bike Gang Bike Co-Op
• Gainesville Artwalk < Jacksonville Artwalk
• Wayward Council/ Hyde & Zekes/ Sharpies > Weird Wax/nothing/ nada
•  Lake Newnan < Jax Beach
• Anthem Tattoo < Ink Smith and Rogers
• Purple Mushroom < Glasseye
• RTS > JTA
• Reggae Shack  > Phase 1 Jamaican Products
• 1982 > Jack Rabbits
• O Connel Center < Jacksonville Arena
• Gator Football < Jacksonville Jaguars( Fuck the Gators, they win every fucking game, thats boring)
• Downtown Farmers Market < Beaver Street Farmers Market
• Civic Media Center > The Museum of Southern History
• Balls > Blanding Billards
• Alachua/Newberry/Waldo > Macleney/Fernandina Beach/ Orange Park
• Downtown Gainesville < Downtown Jacksonville
• Gainesville Beer Prices < Jacksonville Beer Prices
• Jammy Dodgers < The Band Aids
• Grabass charlestons < SPP
• Hardback = Milk Bar
• Kickstand (venue) < Doozers Pub
• Backstage Lounge > The Pit (Beach Blvd)
• The Atlantic > The Landshark
• The Venue > Freebird
• Young Livers < The 2416
• Religous As Fuck > Civilization
• Radon = Grabbag
• Asshole Parade > Status Faux
• Anchor Arms < Swirl360
• Assassinate the Scientist > Whaleface
• Whiskey & co. < Honey Chamber
• Chris Wollard < Kevin Lee Newberry
• 2nd Ave   <  College St.
• Gainesville Downtown Library Bums <  Jacksonville Downtown library bums
• Fletchers = Da Dirty Dirty
• Swamp < river
• Mothers < Harpoon Louies
• Video Rodeo > Superstore Video News
• Gator Dawgs > JAG Dawgs
• Leonardos < Moon River
• Obscurist Press = Infintesmal Records
• Southernshedpunk.com > Whacksonville.com
• Stephen Stills < Ricky Medlock
• Oaks Mall < Normandy Mall
• Glory Days Booking = Orange Garden Productions
• Haile Village Market < Riverside Arts Market
• Hogtown Brewery = Bold City Brewery
• Las Margaritas > La Nopalara
• The Fest( corp. sponsered) < Conmoto Trech Fest(imagine if HOH was in downtown jax! !)
• Later Gator bus service > Calling a fucking cab/driving drunk

Forward, Into The Past

I don’t live in the past, but I don’t disavow it, either. I’m crammed into small clubs to hear The Gaslight Anthem and The Reigning Sound as often as I am out watching veterans like John Hiatt and Graham Parker still crafting magic. And when a tour like Sixties Spectacular comes rolling through town featuring The Turtles, The Rascals and Herman’s Hermits, well I’m there, too.

The show was opened by a ’60s cover band who played a competent set of radio staples. While hearing a pedestrian version of “Honky Tonk Women” might be acceptable at a wedding or corporate function, I dreaded the fact that my a quarter of my $50 ticket was designated to 30-40 minutes of this. I also feared I might be seeing these same people acting as the band behind the remaining original members of these featured groups. I’ve been to oldies shows before where a group of unknown musicians simply changed shirts between sets to morph from The Grass Roots into The Buckinghams. But as it turned out, I had nothing to fear (although one of these bands could have used the help). And old bladders be damned, the show lasted almost three and a half hours.

Why can't you and me learn to love one another?

First up was The New Rascals, a legally-retitled band featuring original Young Rascals members Dino Danelli on drums and Gene Cornish (a native of this town) on guitar. A long time acrimonious split with Felix Cavaliere and the absence of Eddie Brigati meant that the primary vocalists of the band were no longer in the fold, their slots filled by current members Bill Pascali on keyboards and lead vocals and bassist/vocalist Charlie Souza. (Although they are advertised as formerly being with Vanilla Fudge and Tom Petty, respectively, neither were ever with the named artists in their heyday. Souza played bass with a late version of Mudcrutch and left before Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers; Pascali sang and played keyboards on one of Carmine Appice’s many reanimations of Vanilla Fudge earlier in the decade.)

Unfortunately, despite a wealth of great material to offer, the New Rascals were disappointing. I’m hoping that the issue was merely being under-rehearsed rather than lacking in ability. I don’t expect Pascali to be as soulful as Cavaliere, one of the era’s greatest singers, but he was often flat and occasionally struggled when playing piano and organ simultaneously. On other occasions, the band seemed to be playing off-rhythm. Ordinarily I’d chalk this up to bad monitors and/or faulty equipment, but having just witnessed the cover band whip through a set unscathed, I can’t lay blame there.

Cornish, who recently has endured some health scares, was as animated as he could be and flashed solid rock chops as the sole guitarist, and Souza did bring great energy and good voice to the mix. Danelli can still play flash, spinning sticks and muting cymbals, and on several songs everything clicked to remind the audience what an incredible catalogue of music this band generated in their career. Highlights included a rousing ”People Got To Be Free”, “A Girl Like You” and a stripped-down “Groovin”, featuring a soulful harmonica solo by Cornish. The crowd ate it up warts and all, of course, and gave the band a rousing ovation. I saw enough good moments to warrant seeing them again in the hope that this was just an off-night.

Stll two of the greatest voices in pop music

When the musicians in The Turtles hit the stage one by one, the keyboard player spun in circles before taking his place behind the rack, and I thought I had seen that move before. Sure enough, it turned out to be Greg Hawkes from The Cars, who has been with The Turtles for three years; the remainder of the band (although also not original members) have been in their shells for twenty. But the show is all about Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, the original lead vocalists, who are still singing as well as they did in their prime.

Scheduled for approximately forty minutes like The Rascals, I wondered how many Turtles favorites I wouldn’t hear, since my admiration for them goes way beyond the hit singles. Thankfully I got a good sampling of both, from “Outside Chance” to “”Happy Together”, ”You Baby” and “She’s My Girl”. The band was tight, Howard and Mark sounded fabulous, and their infamous stage banter was on display as they ripped into sacred cows as well as each other. I’ve seen them several times over the years, and can honestly say that they are as good now as they have ever been.

It’s amazing to think how long these two have been (happy) together, from sax-honking friends in The Crossfires to huge stardom in the ’60s to the Zappa years, followed by literally hundreds of session appearances and their hilarious syndicated radio show. Yet here they are, almost fifty years later, still viable and still creative. There were a lot of incredible artists vying for chart position and limited radio play in the ’60s, and the under-appreciated Turtles were an integral part of that amazing musical era.

The concert was promoted as an oldies show, and the majority of the attendees looked to be several years older than me and there for the hits. I don’t think many appreciated the segment of the set where the band ripped into several minutes of Frank Zappa material (a medley including a ferocious version of “Peaches en Regalia”) and a couple of tunes from the Flo and Eddie catalogue, but I was thrilled. But even with the mid-set segue, after so much familiar material was performed so well, the band got several well deserved lengthy ovations and a standing O at the end.

During the break, the lobby was flooded with fans lined up in queues past long banquet tables where their heroes sat with Sharpie pens. It was quite the assembly line – hand over a twenty, receive a CD, get your autograph, thanks and keep moving please. I’m not certain how much the bands got paid to perform, but the money that changed hands at intermission was staggering; an exercise repeated after the show. It dawned on me that with a three thousand seat theatre almost sold out, this annual caravan of yesterday was far more financially viable than most bands or tours that come through town.

And now…Intermission!

I’ll finish this tale of time travel on Saturday. Until then, enjoy some of the great music that The Rascals and The Turtles brought to the world. Listen to samples of The Ultimate Rascals and The Turtles: 20 Greatest Hits and check out some video below.

The Turtles:  “She’d Rather Be With Me“

The Rascals: “Good Lovin“

The Turtles:  “Elenore“ - how great was Johnny Barbata on drums?

The Rascals: “People Got To Be Free“

And Happy Birthday, ‘erman! Hard to believe he’s 62 today!

Right now, the Spring sky is as wide open as the weekend. And as always, I’m colouring my Saturday morning with a burst of that new folk sound. Hope it paints your sky as big as you like…

Ten Paces Away – The Gin Club

The belting first single from Brisbane’s folk/country/rock collective The Gin Club’s last album Junk. These guys are something to see live, with four (or is it five?) vocalists/lyricists, leading the band through country rave ups, folk ballads and staright up rock ‘n’ roll. Personally, I love it when Ben Salter (also of Giants of Science & Wilson Pickers fame)  takes the wheel as he does here on Ten Paces Away. He is without a doubt, one of Brisbane’s best singer/songwriters. You can catch them live at The Zoo in Brisbane on November 27!

Wagon Wheel – Old Crow Medicine Show

Drawing on the long history of hillbilly, bluegrass, folk & country, Old Crow Medicine Show, have gone from busking on street corners to playing sold out shows with the likes of Merle Haggard, The Felice Brothers & Dolly Parton. They are one of those bands that makes you want to drink good whiskey and sing loud… ‘rock me mama like a wagon wheel…’

Lover of the Bayou – Mudcrutch

This is Tom Petty’s pre-heartbreaker band and man do they rock. Their debut album from last year (that’s right… it took em over thirty years to get around to making it) is raw and filled with some of the best guitar playing you will ever hear. And just check these lyrics…

‘I was raised and swam with the crocodile/snake eyes taught me the mojo style/suckled and weaned on chicken bile/I’m the lover of the bayou’

Tom has always been the master of southern-fried rock and this rave up of The Byrds classic is up there with his best.

Tom Petty, American guitarist and vocalist, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a member of Mudcrutch,  Traveling Wilburys

WSJ: Even Heavy-Metal Fans Complain That Today’s Music Is Too Loud!!!

Can a Metallica album be too loud?

The very thought might seem heretical to fans of the legendary metal band, which has been splitting eardrums with unrivaled power since the early 1980s.

But even though Metallica’s ninth studio release, “Death Magnetic,” is No. 1 on the album chart, with 827,000 copies sold in two weeks, some fans are bitterly disappointed: not by the songs or the performance, but the volume. It’s so loud, they say, you can’t hear the details of the music.

“Death Magnetic” is a flashpoint in a long-running music-industry fight. Over the years, rock and pop artists have increasingly sought to make their recordings sound louder to stand out on the radio, jukeboxes and, especially, iPods.

But audiophiles, recording professionals and some ordinary fans say the extra sonic wallop comes at a steep price. To make recorded music seem louder, engineers must reduce the “dynamic range,” minimizing the difference between the soft and loud parts and creating a tidal wave of aural blandness.

“When there’s no quiet, there can be no loud,” said Matt Mayfield, a Minnesota electronic-music teacher, in a YouTube video that sketched out the battle lines of the loudness war. A recording’s dynamic range can be measured by calculating the variation between its average sound level and its maximum, and can be visually expressed through wave forms. Louder recordings, with higher average sound levels, leave less room for such variation than quieter ones.

Some fans are complaining that “Death Magnetic” has a thin, brittle sound that’s the result of the band’s attempts in the studio to make it as loud as possible. “Sonically it is barely listenable,” reads one fan’s online critique. Thousands have signed an online petition urging the band to re-mix the album and release it again.

My interest in this album has just taken a serious hit.

Seriously, music industry, cut it out!  Or at least have the decency to release a second, respectable-sounding edition like Tom Petty and Mudcrutch.

Read the whole thing, and definitely click on the interactive demonstration.

Update: Wired says get the Guitar Hero version.  Can someone tell me how to do that?  Don’t worry, Metallica, I’ll go buy a CD (that I’ll leave shrink-wrapped) so you can get your royalties.  (Wired also has cool graphs so you can see for yourself.)

Med tanke på telekompaket, fildelning och skivjättar så kanske det här är något att tänka på.

Ta inte det här på fel sätt. Jag är på många sätt och vis emot fildelning, mest när det gäller musik. Endast när det gäller musik. Men! Det är, har blivit, för dyrt att köpa varenda skiva man är intresserad av. På det sättet är den “olagliga” fildelningen ett bra verktyg. Jag kan på ett enkelt sätt få hem en skiva, lyssna igenom det som finns och genom det sättet bestämma mig om det är värt att lägga ner ~150:- för att fortsätta lyssna på det. När man är HiFi-intresserad så får man betala de där extra slantarna för att få ut det perfekta ljudet serrö, till vilket det inte finns några genvägar.
Jag uppskattar verkligen artister som ger ut det de gör gratis, men jag har fortfarande problemet med att jag helst vill ha den där fysiska skivan med det där snygga konvolutet tillverkat av det glansiga pappret. Att hålla i konvolutet och bläddra i den samtidigt som musiken spelar ger mig en inre ro på något sätt. Jag kopplar bort det tråkiga vardagliga tjafset, mitt inre slutar koka när musiken strömmar ur mina Jamo Classic 8or (som namnet förtäljer så är de designade för klassisk musik, men fungerar utmärkt till hårdrock) och mina öron njuer av varje ton. När jag däremot lyssnar på lame(mp3) komprimerad musik så försvinner nästan allt det dynamiska, här hemma fungerar det inte alls då ljudet känns platt och livlöst.
Kommer vi in på det tekniska så är inte CD-skivor att föredra heller, då loudness war slaktar det dynamiska i musiken bara för att det ska låta “OK” när folk komprimerar deras skivor till, t.ex, lame. Och! för att skivorna ska kunna spelas i bilar när man håller 140km/h på motorvägen bland femtiotal långtradare från Polen fullproppade med bärplockande polkamusiker.
Jag har skrivit om det här tidigare, Men jag känner att det var dags att upprepa sig själv lite.

Vi kollar lite extra på loudness war. Vi tar ett exempel som levt igenom vinylen, födelse av CD och fildelning, Iron Maiden. Om vi tittar på denna video så ser man att i början av deras karriär så höll sig musiken på en bra volym med bra dynamik. Man kunde vrida upp raten och skrika ut hejvilt vad man vill få ut utan att musiken lät skit. Den stora brytpunkten kom runt 1995. Det var då när den nya generationen fick komma fram, de som inte haft några erfarenheter med att mastra vinyler och det enda de behövde var att få allt ljud att få plats i CD-spåret. Det är då loudness war började ordentligt.
Med möjligheten att få in mer ljud med en högre volym på alla ljud så började skivjättarna tävla om vem som kunde ha mest möjliga förstörelse av högtalare, till en kostnad av musiken. INGA band eller artister kommer undan det här. ALLA band och artister som efter 1995 gett ut en CD-skiva har råkat ut för det här. Det är nu, på senare tid som vissa bolag börjat förstå vikten av ett bra dynamiskt omfång i ljudet som spelas. Ta till exempel Tom Pettys senaste med Mudcrutch där man på CD-utgåvan kan läsa:

Technical note: The Audiophile CD is made from the same uncompressed stereo masters as the vinyl pressing. It reproduces the music’s full dynamic range, so the quiet parts are quieter and the loud parts are louder – just as they were performed. To achieve full dynamic range it’s necessary to master with less overall level, so the Audiophile CD may not sound as “loud” as the Standard CD or Download. To compensate for this, put it on a high quality system and turn it up!

Det ska tilläggas att denna skiva kom ihop med vinylutgåvan. Och tråkiga med ett dynamiskt omfång är att det inte gör sig bra i lame.

Audiofil som jag är, även utan en supermodern HiFi-anläggning, så gillar jag trenden som vissa bolag börjat med. De har, i Tom Pettys fall, gjort en mastring för audiofilerna som kommer i både CD och Vinylformat, så har de gjort en mastring som fungerar för bilstereo och lamekomprimering. Häri ligger mitt lilla intresse i att fortfarande ha kvar skivbolagen, tyvärr så känner jag på detta viset. För jag tror inte att en artist som ger ut sina egna skivor någonsing kommer ha råd med att lägga ner tid på två olika utgåvor för två olika grupper av köpare. Vilket betyder att de gör en utgåva för den större massan.
Jag hoppas att den dynamiska trenden fortsätter från skivbolagens sida så att man kan fortsätta tycka så och kunna hålla huvudet högt när man i ärlighetens namn går ut och säger det man verkligen känner.

Däremot så behöver det inte betyda att jag håller med om allt de håller på med, till exempel det de hållt på med i telekompaketet.

Mudcrutch, Lover of the Bayou

mata ne
/aku

“I don’t scare easy
Don’t fall apart
When I’m under the gun
You can break my heart
But I ain’t gonna run
I don’t scare easy
For no one”
– “Scare Easy” by Mudcrutch

Bring it and Fuel me Tom Petty.

I’m learning that you can only take so much from the lives of others. You need to learn from history. You need people in your life who have been there before and can give some insight on the future. You need some bros who can give you a different spin on things. But it can only go so far. You have to lace up and run on your own. No amount of stories or game film can add up to make the answers to your life’s questions.

You are living a life never lived before. It’s unique, and only you can get through it and make the right decisions. What worked for some people might not work for you. Get out there and learn by trial and error. Don’t let fear hold you back.

In the fifth installment of my Road Trip 150, Marilyn Manson and Anberlin make dual appearances. Both Manson tracks come from his latest album, The High End Of Low. Both are sick tracks without a doubt. Apart from Gym Class Heroes starting off the list, this set of tracks is plum full of solid rock tunes. For those who like Tom Petty and haven’t heard of Mudcrutch, I suggest you check out the track that wraps up Part V. Petty rocks lead vocals in Mudcrutch, and “Bootleg Flyer” is a wicked tune. Enjoy!

1. Gym Class Heroes- 13th Period: On My Own (Write On!)
2. AFI- Girl’s Not Grey
3. Paramore- Brighter
4. Secondhand Serenade- Goodbye
5. blink-182- Carousel
6. Anti-Flag- Confessions Of An Economic Hitman
7. Anberlin- A Whisper & A Clamour
8. My Chemical Romance- Famous Last Words
9. The Cranberries- Just My Imagination
10. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones- Pictures To Prove It
11. Marilyn Manson- Arma-Goddamn-Motherf*ckin’-Geddon
12. Def Leppard- Animal
13. The Beatles- Here Comes The Sun/ The Inner Light (Transition)
14. The Prodigy- Breathe
15. Eric Clapton- Motherless Child
16. Bob Dylan- Bye & Bye
17. Jersey- Saturday Night
18. Anberlin- Like A Rolling Stone
19. Foo Fighters- Walking After You (Live Acoustic)
20. Faber Drive- Killin’ Me
21. illScarlett- One-A (Live at Orange Lounge)
22. Marilyn Manson- Devour
23. Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers- Such A Way
24. Metallica- Broken, Beat, & Scarred
25. Mudcrutch- Bootleg Flyer

-m.o.b.

June 5, 2009

Download this weeks show at HERE

OR

Check out other shows on the BLOGROLL

            The Razor Sharpe Radio Show is on the ropes.  I think I can only keep up with this thing twice a month, but that should result in more new music from different genres.

            We had two special guests on the show this week.  Obie and Laura Sullivan were gracious enough to wake up early and join me in the studio for an hour.  They are newlyweds.  Manos and I played some music at their wedding.  We played their wedding march, “All I Want Is You” by Barry Louis Polisar on the show today.

Obie and Sulette, May 16, 2009 - Lake Sante Fe, Melrose, FL

    EC was kind enough to let us use his time slot to have our program, and for that we are very grateful.

            We kicked it off with our boy Xaiver Rudd playing a mean didgeridoo on “G.B.A.”, you can even hear him gasping for air at the end.  After hearing Kevin Devine cover “American Hearts” on a live recording, I decided to pick up some A.A. Bondy at the store.  I am delighted.

            Bondy, whose real name is Augeste Arthur, recorded American Hearts in a barn in New York.  He has the most awesome voice, but plays an even better guitar.  The arrangements are quiet, but they hold your attention very well.  I couldn’t decide which song to play because there are so many good ones on the record.  You get to hear “Black Rain, Black Rain” which has a beautiful riff.

A.A. Bondy

            I know that I’m late on the Gnarls Barkley train, but I finally found a used copy of St. Elsewhere and had to play two songs for you guys.  I also played a short and sweet song by Rogue Wave called “Medicine Ball.”

            I played John Legend because he gave an awesome commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania a few weeks ago.  You should really do yourself a favor and try to find that on YouTube or something.

            Danielle is going to be on the show next time, so enjoy this week’s show.

Thank you for listening.

-Ray

Playlist for June 5, 2009           

Xavier Rudd – G.B.A. / Solace

A.A. Bondy – Black Rain, Black Rain / American Hearts

Rogue Wave – Medicine Ball / Descended Like Vultures

Mudcrutch – This Is A Good Street / ST

DJ Shadow – This Time (I’m Gonna Try It My Way) / The Outsider

Bedouin Soundclash – Rude Boy Don’t Cry / Sounding A Mosaic

Wings – Live and Let Die / Wings Greatest

Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere / St. Elsewhere

Gnarles Barley – Transformer / St. Elsewhere

Matt Hires – Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song / Live at the Hotel Cafe

Barry Louis Polisar – All I Want Is You / My Brother Thinks He’s a Banana and Other Provocative Songs for Children

John Legend – Slow Dance / Once Again

Why? – These Few Presidents / Alopecia

Steve Earle – Until the Day I Die / Transcendental Blues

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals – Steal My Kisses / Live From Mars (Disc 1)

Coldplay – Fix You / X&Y

A.A. Bondy - American Hearts

Not to sound like a commercial, but our house has always been an Apple house. We’ve gone through several Mac computers, and several iPods. But a couple of years ago, when my wife asked me if I was interested in owning an iPod, I said no. I figured the only way I’d be happy with one was if I could get one with a large enough capacity to hold most if not all of my favourite tunes, and at the time I just didn’t feel like spending the money. I was content to listen to my cd’s (the old fashioned way: one at a time) on the home stereo, the car stereo, my trusty cd Walkman or on the boombox on my desk at work.

Then she surprised me. She bought me a 30gb model for my birthday. Depending on song length, that model can hold up to 7500 songs. I’m not quite there, but not far off. I don’t use it to watch movies as I find it drains the battery quickly and the peaks and valleys of the audio can make it tough to watch on a noisy subway.

Fast forward to today–I never leave home without it. I bought this inexpensive wireless adapter to listen to it in the car and while not perfect, it works way better then some of the more expensive models I bought (and returned) at the Apple store. I also have a great set of speakers that I use at the office.

So do I still listen to my music one album at a time? Hardly ever. I love doin’ the Ipod Shuffle. It’s like Radio Free Dave, all Dave, all the time. My own personal radio station. I love the surprise element. I never know what song is going to come next. Sometimes the mixes are great, sometimes they can be a little jarring. But that’s the fun. As an example, here’s a list of the last 20 songs that I listened to in shuffle mode:
1. Pump It Up–Elvis Costello
2. What Love Can Do–Bruce Springsteen
3. Revolution Rock–The Clash
4. Suffragette City–David Bowie
5. It’s For You–Pat Metheny Group
6. Fantasy–Earth, Wind and Fire
7. Fly Away–Lenny Kravitz
8. I Can See For Miles–The Who
9. Breathe On Me–Ronnie Wood
10. Life On Mars–David Bowie
11. This Time Baby’s Gone For Good–Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes
12. Weather Channel–Sheryl Crow
13. Mystery Kids–Garland Jeffreys
14. The Wrong Thing To Do–Mudcrutch
15. Hey Julie–Fountains of Wayne
16. Darlington County–Bruce Springsteen
17. A Higher Place–Tom Petty
18. Don’t Count Me Out–Charlie
19. Another Nail In My Heart–Squeeze
20. Downstream–Supertramp

Do you own an iPod or similar portable music player? Do you always have it with you? Do you do the Shuffle?

El otro día entro en www.amazon.com, como hago de vez en cuando para descubrir muchas de las novedades discográficas que aquí no llegan. No llegan, supongo, que porque las radio fórmulas son como agujeros negros pequeñitos: absorben todo, pero en cantidades muy limitadas. Si te fijas prácticamente solo pinchan un máximo de 20 grupos y sus sucesivas canciones. Son aquellos en los que las discográficas – empresas, máquinas de hacer dinero – “creen” o “apuestan”. Es legítimo, pero limitado. Y las webs de venta de discos no se interesan, por lo general, por el resto.

Tengo la suerte de que soy contemporáneo de internet y de que no me da más miedo el comercio electrónico que el que desaparezca el camarero con mi tarjeta. Así que, a veces, me dejo caer en amazon.com, donde ya conocen mis gustos. Como te identifican antes de que pongas cualquier clave si entras desde el mismo ordenador, es como ir al bar donde siempre desayunas y donde ya no hace falta que hagas saber que te gusta la leche templada. Ahora, eso te obliga a saber muy bien qué es lo que te gusta. No puedes simplemente pinchar para curiosear porque la próxima vez que vengas la web te recordará que una vez te interesaste por algún disco de James Blunt…, pero te agrada recodar que aquí compraste Mudcrutch (reencarnación de Tom Petty).

Así que allí estaban lo último de Indigo Girls (Poseidon), Neil Young (Fork) o Dan Wilson (cd algo más antiguo, pero que descubro),  y esta obra de arte rock re-editada en “collector’s edition”: TEN, de Pearl Jam. y van llegando a mi buzón.

Ya han pasado 17 años, pero sigue sonándome intenso y me doy cuenta de que ha ido almacenando más que recuerdos, sensaciones desde entonces. Pero al propio tiempo, es capaz de evocar cosas nuevas. Esa es la música que marca. Lo viejo y lo nuevo.

En cuanto suenan evenflow, Jeremy o alive el cd se deja reconocer. No recordaba bien porch, garden o release. Pero en cuanto llega Black pienso que es especial.

en septiembre de 2006, en Madrid, fue un gran concierto. Cuando tienes la sensación de que han estado tocando esa canción solo para ti y las letras significan todo y nada a la vez, entonces sabes que estás ante una gran canción.

Eddie Vedder y Michael Stipe son los mejores vocalistas de nuestro tiempo. Una frase final de Garden(corte 9 de Ten) que me ha acompañado siempre y que ahora, en medio de esta crisis, aumenta de valor:

I don’t question our existence, I just question our modern needs.

Music Success in Nine Weeks! What an audacious claim indeed.

Music Success in 9 weeks is a music business book that lays out a 9 week plan for world domination…well, not necessarily world domination, but you’ll definitely learn a thing or two.

What Ariel Hyatt writes about is a weekly plan to increase your fan base, bring focus to your band, and to do some simple things that can maximize the money you make from your music.

The book is easy to read and is a good introduction for musicians who are unsure of how they can use the internet to their advantage. A good chunk of the book is devoted to the email list and it’s exploitation.

Ariel is of the school of thought that the email list is the currency of the future. The more emails you can get, the more likely you will be able to sell you music, merchandise, tickets, etc. She makes a good argument for that point, and her book shows you a straight forward way to get that email list going.

Although this book is written for beginners, I felt as though some of her suggestions were for an artist with an established fanbase. That’s not to say that a new artist can’t use Ariel’s tips, but gaining that initial pool of fans is sometimes the hardest part.

In the book Ariel sticks to what she knows about, publicity. There is no talk of songwriting, band relations, or anything else. But Ariel has been at this game for a while now, and she knows what she’s talking about. Music Success in 9 Weeks is about using the tools at hand to carve out a niche audience for your music. It’s definitely worth a read even if you are an old hand at online music publicity. Check it out for yourself.

Take Control of Your Music,

The New Rockstar Philosophy

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(What an odd saying that is, by the way.)

Close But No Cigar is my quick takes on albums that didn’t make it to my “best of” list this year but are still worth checking out. Some have a great song or two, many are consistently good but not great. Not quite “bridesmaids”, the “cigars” will slot somewere south of #40 on the list when all is said and done.

But that’s just one man’s ears talking. I’m hoping that you find an artist or three that knocks your socks off and/or rediscover something that you passed on earlier. Here are ten to start with, in no particular order…

Drink these up

Broken West: Now Or Heaven

Imagine if Wilco teleported to the 1980s and tried to beat Europop at its own game. Some very nice melodies, whiffs of Kinks on occasion, but ultimately a juxtaposition of styles that doesn’t quite flow from start to finish. If you enjoy the aforementioned bands and 80s pop as well as revitalizer bands like The Kaiser Chiefs and The Futureheads, this might grow on you. A good highway album.

Ian McLagan: Never Say Never

Mac is a little mellower than usual on this one, but there aren’t too many bigger hearts making records nowadays. Surrounded as always by great musicians, Mac’s soulful raspy vocals and expressive playing are framed by heartfelt songs, many obvious love notes to his late wife Kim. Ronnie Lane fans will like the organic feel of “Killing Me With Love” while Faces fans will delight in the barrel-house rocker “I’m Hot, You’re Cool”. The Bump Band is on tour where Mac’s material shines brightest, and I’ll wager some alternate arrangements pop up in the set-list.

Local H: 12 Angry Months

Talk about inspiration! Take one disintegrating relationship, one calendar and write a song for each month. With lyrics running the gamut from low-key disillusionment to sarcasm (“baby can you do me a favor/fall from the Earth and I’ll see you later”) to flat out anger (“BMW Man”), the music is all over the map to match.  As you can imagine, that means introspective pop to proto-punk…I’m not certain it all works but I admire the concept and the effort.

Smith Brothers: Restless

The harmonies and songwriting are both pretty good, but not every song boasts both strengths. Restless starts off very strong, echoing classic power pop bands like Badfinger and the Beach Boys to more current practitioners like Teenage Fanclub and Sloan; the first three tracks are rock-solid. I can’t really put my finger on it after that – the hooks are there, the ringing chords, the pop guitar solo, the la-la-la vocals…somehow it just doesn’t jumpout of the speakers like I think it should. Maybe it’s the mix, maybe the energy level…ahhh, maybe it’s me…among pop fans I seem to be in the minority on this one.  I’m going to keep trying…I think “Too Long” will grow on me. And the bonus track will make Gram Parsons smile from the great cosmic afterlife he’s sailing through.

Old 97’s: Blame It On Gravity

Just when you thought they were through, Rhett circles the wagons and they start synthesizing alt-country and pop again. A really enjoyable album, not their best, but a welcome addition to the catalogue, and I think long time fans were knocked out by it. It rocks in spots, a few Tex-Mex steppers of course, and twang enough for Buckaroos to savor. I put it in that group of albums that I am glad to hear come on the player, but I don’t find myself going out of my way to grab it on purpose.

Mudcrutch: Mudcrutch

 Tom Petty can do pretty much whatever he wants to at this point in his career, so reuniting his original band to finally make that debut record was worthy on many fronts. It’s great to relax and return to his Byrds roots, and I’m sure the paycheck for the less famous guys was a nice perk. As you’d expect, Campbell’s guitar and Benmont Tench’s keyboards are completely in sync and Marsh and Leadon mesh well. Some choice covers and an overall Laurel Canyon vibe make it a pretty solid effort, far more organic than I expected.

Downfalls: Last Night

A nice surprise I found on a trolling mission through CD Baby, it’s exuberant pop that will appeal to the skinny-tie crowd as well as the more sophisticated power pop fans who expect a few more chord changes and song structure. There are a couple of immediately appealing tracks like “All The Way” and “Ghost Of Megan”; when they’re in that T.Rex meets Sponge meets Green Day sweet spot, I’m on board. But like many bands in this genre, it doesn’t hold up for an entire album…your mileage may vary, however.

Oasis: Dig Out Your Soul

Past their shelf life but not lumpy or sour…well, maybe a little sour…the boys decide to try and reclaim what was theirs only half a decade ago. Perhaps the ironic title of the album was a call to arms, but they only seemed to muster it up for the lead-off track before falling back into the same old Beatle references, both lyrical and sonic. “Bag It Up” is flat out killer, worthy of a “greatest hits” slot, but outside of “Waiting For The Rapture” there are no knockouts here. Still, songs like “Soldier On” have more than the usual depth to them and grow with repeated listenings. Not what I expected, but potentially a grower.

Young Sportsmen: If You Want It

If you’re a fan of fat chunky guitar chords, hummable refrains, head-bobbing choruses and the occasional bombast (think Tsar) leavened with sweet vocals (think Posies or Splitsville), these guys are for you. Sometimes reminiscent of Fastball, only poppier, there are several recommendable tracks including “Metropolitan”, “Girl Pants” and “Summer Ace” on yet another good album from these guys. And there weren’t too many better song titles than “Sesame Street Fighting Man” last year, either.

Raconteurs: Consolers Of The Lonely

Much, much better than the massively over-hyped Broken Boy Soldiers but it’s still frustrating to see a band that’s truly less than the sum of its parts. Jack White seems to be able to crawl into other people’s skin and work them like puppets, so why hasn’t he taken Brendan Benson’s solid pop DNA and worked it into some better material? Musically the chops are there, the instrumentation is diverse enough, but it all boils down to a lack of good songs to show off with. Hopefully the third time is the charm.

(I’ll get around to adding some direct links, but between Amazon, CD Baby, MySpace and your favorite online retailer, I’m sure you won’t have trouble finding some soundclips to listen to.)

When it comes to my music tastes, I am an album person. Sure, there may be individual songs that I really like, but there is something about an artist’s vision as a whole that appeals to me much more. That being said, 2008 was an excellent year for music. Yesterday I posted ten honorable mention albums and today I give you the first ten of my top twenty. Enjoy.

20. The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust
With their mixture of crashing guitars and ethereal vocals, this emusic discovery quickly became one of my favorites for 2008. This atmospheric album had a peculiar air about it, one that I would liken to earlier shoegazing bands like the brilliant My Bloody Valentine or the Jesus and Mary Chain, meaning that, even though the song structures of the Raveonettes are a bit more distinguishable than these earlier groups, this is truly meant to be an album experience. Their songs builds a seemingly impenetrable wall of noise and feedback, but somehow it all makes sense. Just lay back, turn up the volume, and lose yourself in the rolling waves of heavily distorted guitar…it’s a great ride.
Download: Aly, Walk With Me, Lust

19. Mudcrutch – Mudcrutch
I’ve been a fan of Tom Petty for a long time now, but, of his vast repertoire of work, I’ve always found myself drawn to his simpler, more folk-like songs, those that focus around guitars rather than keyboards. So, I was excited to hear about Petty reuniting his original 70’s country-rock band, Mudcrutch, to finally record their debut album, and I have to say that they do not disappoint. Some of the tunes, like “Scare Easy,” sound as if they could have come from the Full Moon Fever sessions 20 years ago, while others, such as “Shady Grove,” sound more akin to something you would hear played by old-timers in the Ozark mountains, but somehow it all fits together to form another fantastic work from Petty.
Download: Shady Grove, Topanga Cowgirl

18. R.E.M. – Accelerate
I have to admit that over the past decade I had lost track of Michael Stipe & company. Though I continued to acknowledge their earlier brilliance (Seriously, if you don’t own a copy of Fables of the Reconstruction you should be ashamed of yourself), I apathetically pushed much of their later work to the side. So, it took me aback when I felt such a strong urge to pick up their latest work. With such strong, positive memories of their work from years ago, I was certain that this could not compare, that Stipe, Peter Buck, and the others had lost that streak of youthful genius. But I was wrong. The guitar-heavy Accelerate reminds me of their mid-90’s release Monster. They charge through number after number with a ferocity that belies the fact that they have been together and recording for almost 30 years.
Download: Supernatural Superserious, Hollow Man

17. Jason Isbell – Sirens of the Ditch
As a member of one of my favorite bands, the Drive-By Truckers, Isbell proved himself to be an excellent songwriter (see: “Outfit” and “Decoration Day), so I anxiously awaited his first solo release after leaving the group. Though this is perhaps not up to the level of his former band, it remains an excellent collection of southern rock songs. “Dress Blues” may be the one of the best and most heartbreaking tales of war and loss that I have heard yet from our current conflict.
Download: Dress Blues, Shotgun Wedding

16. Beck – Modern Guilt
I’ve been convinced for years that Beck is one of the most brilliant artists of my generation, from his slacker anthems in the 90’s to his beautifully depressing (and best) work, Sea Change, to the wide scope of his most recent albums. Modern Guilt doesn’t aspire to the great, generation-defining heights of Odelay, but it is a solid effort and a welcome addition to his incredible catalogue.
Download: Chemtrails, Modern Guilt

15. Lucinda Williams – Little Honey
A review I read for this album in the last year made the comparison between 1998’s stellar album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, whose lyrics, “You took my joy, I want it back,” rang out loud and true for Williams on subsequent albums and her latest release, on which the first strains of “Real Love,” the opener on Little Honey, make it clear that the ever-elusive happiness may have finally found her. Without a doubt, this is her best work in ten years, further cementing her place as one of the greatest songwriters to be found. And, personally, I was excited to find out that I will have the opportunity to again bear witness to her greatness live and in concert here in Memphis this coming March.
Download: Circles and X’s, Tears of Joy

14. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
I came into contact with this band through NPR’s All Songs Considered, one of the best resources around for new music, and was instantly hooked. Their prodigious use of vocal harmonies and beautiful pop melodies elicit thoughts of great groups of times past like Crosby, Stills, and Nash, a characteristic that sets them apart from other new acts. “White Winter Hymnal,” is definitely one of my favorite songs (though not my favorite, that is coming up) of the year and I look forward to hearing much more from these guys in the future.
Download: White Winter Hymnal, Ragged Wood

13. Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst
There has been a recent glut of good indie rock bands that have come to the forefront of the public consciousness. Of this group, one of my personal favorites has been Bright Eyes and their vocalist Conor Oberst, whose wavering, seemingly unsure voice and poetic lyrics seem to fit these tumultuous times like a glove. His first solo outing is more stripped-down than his work with Bright Eyes, a style that works with his melodic pop sensibilities just fine.
Download: Cape Canaveral, Lenders in the Temple

12. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
“Time to Pretend” is the very best song of the year. Period. It’s tale of youthful exuberance and hopes and dreams eventually leading to disappointment and hopeless resignation is one that resonates loud and clear. The entire album is excellent as well, my only problem with it being that it has their best song as track one, so, as good as the other 9 songs are, they seem like a bit of a letdown. This is only their second album (and their first as MGMT), so keep an eye on this band and take my word for it, these guys will be huge.
Download: Oracular Spectacular, Weekend Wars

11. Metallica – Death Magnetic
I can see where there may be two schools of thought on the latest Metallica release, either that it is a cynical ploy to increase album sales after several years of garbage or that after several years of experimentation with different styles they have returned assuredly to their roots. I vote for choice two, though that may just be because Death Magnetic rocks like few others can and like Metallica has not done since 1991’s Black Album (or maybe even earlier). The songs are longer and thrashier (a la 80’s Metallica) and the guitar solos are back after their absence on the abysmal St. Anger, two factors that work to turn back Father time nearly two decades. Though far later, this album works as the perfect bridge between the epic And Justice for All and the heavy, but more radio friendly, Black Album. Just turn it up and rock out.
Download: The End of the Line, All Nightmare Long

I don’t claim this is any sort of definitive best of 2008.  There are many albums I want to buy that I haven’t yet, and I’ve got a small stack of albums I have bought that I haven’t absorbed yet.  This is the best of what I’ve heard from 2008 so far.  My picks here will shock absolutely no one who is a regular reader of this site.

I don’t think 2008 was a very good year for music.  Since I started reviewing albums for this site in June, I’ve rated exactly one album four stars out of five (Mudcrutch) and none higher.  Let’s hope 2009 is a better year, and that there are some 2008 treats that I will soon discover that will change my opinion of this year.

Except for Mudcrutch, albums are in no particular order.  Links are to my original review.

How square is it to have a Tom Petty album at the top of a best-of list?  Well, that’s how it is.  You youngster musicians out there are just going to have to work harder if you want to convince me to be hip.

Mudcrutch – Mudcrutch

Tom Petty reunites his original band with stellar results.  “Scare Easy” is the killer single that Tom manages to put on every album, but the whole thing is great.

Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight

Thanks to Jason for turning me on to this band.  “Heads Roll Off” is a good candidate for song of the year.

Rocket From the Crypt – All Systems Go, Vol. 3

Is it fair to list a bunch of demos recorded between 1997 and 2000 as one of the best of 2008?  Why not?  Do you think that album that came out in January was recorded in 2008?  This just took a little longer to get released.

Essentially a lost album from a band I adore, and randomly stumbling across it at the record store was my happiest musical surprise this year.

“No Way At All”:

The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust

The Jesus and Mary Chain may not record any more, but their disciples do.  Here’s the lovely “Blush.”

Alejandro Escovedo – Real Animal

Austin legend does it again.  “Sister Lost Soul” is another contender for song of the year.  I’d embed it, but the copyright police have yanked it.  Can’t have you hearing it!  It might make you want to buy the album or something.  Nope, can’t have that.

Bitch Session Continues: Here’s a decent live version, but not being able to share the studio version with you really sticks in my craw.  It takes a special kind of genius to think that making it impossible for people to hear a not-very-famous musician is the best method of convincing people to plunk their hard-earned money down for an album by said musician.

Martha Wainwright - I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too

I thought this well-reviewed album would get more attention.  Maybe that’s why I write on a blog for free instead of having a career as a hot-shot A&R guy (A&R job offers welcome).  Here’s “You Cheated Me.” Video mildly not safe for work.

Paul Westerberg – 49:00

A welcome return to form for the former Replacements frontman, and only 49¢!

Some Songs Worth Mentioning

This section is especially random.

“If I Don’t See You Again” by Neil Diamond

I panned the album, but this song is amazing.  Get it back together, Neil!  I love you at your best.

“Lost Coastlines” by Okkervil River

Jason didn’t care for The Stand Ins.  I liked it better, but not “best of year” better.  This song is pretty great, though.

“Russian Roulette” by Jesse Malin

It might not be right to include a cover on a best-of list, but I was stoked to hear a great version of an unjustly obscure song.

My review of his album, On Your Sleeve, is here.

“Plan to Marry” by Lucinda Williams

A rough patch on the second half stops Little Honey from making my best-of list (although it’s still worth your time), but this song is a thing of beauty.

As for this year in pop…

“Bad Influence” by Pink

After the stunning I’m Not Dead, Funhouse was a letdown.  It wouldn’t be a Pink album, even a mediocre one, without some killer tracks, though, and there are some here.  “So What” is the big single, and I like it a lot, but “Bad Influence” is the one that gets stuck in my head for days on end.

Wind me up and watch me go!

“Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis

There wasn’t any glorious, guilty-pleasure radio pop in 2008 as awe-inspiring as last year’s “Umbrella” by Rihanna, so far as I know.  This one from a Simon Cowell discovery comes closest.

So that’s it for this year!  I’ve really enjoyed our first year of (mostly) music-blogging.  Special thanks to my co-bloggers for always coming up with fascinating posts.  It’s pretty cool to look forward every day to seeing what’s new at your own blog.  I think this would be my favorite music blog even if I didn’t write for it.

Mal não ter encontrado uma versão melhor do Mudcrutch no Youtube mas assim que sair prometo colocar aqui pra vocês.

My love’s an ocean
You better not cross it
Yeah
I’ve been the distance
And I need some rest
Yeah I had somebody once
And damn if I lost her
I’ve been running
Like a man possessed

I don’t scare easy
Don’t fall apart
When I’m under the gun
You can break my heart
And I ain’t gonna run
I don’t scare easy
For no one

Yeah, I am a loser
At the top of my game
I should have known
To keep an eye on you
Now I got a God
It ain’t never the same
Yeah, I got a dream
That don’t ever come true

I don’t scare easy
Don’t fall apart
When I’m under the gun
You can break my heart
But I ain’t gonna run
I don’t scare easy
For no one

Sun going down
On a canyon wall
I got a soul
That ain’t never
Been blessed
Yeah and I’m a shadow
At the back of the hall
Yeah, I got a sin
I ain’t never confessed

And I don’t scare easy
Don’t fall apart
When I’m under the gun
You can break my heart
And I ain’t gonna run
I don’t scare easy
For no one

And I don’t scare easy
Don’t fall apart
When I’m under the gun
You can break my heart
But I ain’t gonna run
I don’t scare easy
For no one

Esse som fala muito sobre mim…

]]> http://30daysout.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/rock-and-roll-recipe-gumbo-time/ Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:31:31 +0000 30daysout http://30daysout.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/rock-and-roll-recipe-gumbo-time/

Ooh, baby, it’s cold outside!  In Texas that means it’s about 53 degrees, and a warm front is going to blow back from the Gulf tomorrow, kickin’ everything up to about 75.   Hey, we take what winter we can get.  Anyway, let’s dig out a deep pot and make some gumbo today.

Gumbo is, of course, that stew-like dish popular in South Louisiana and crummy restaurants across the country.  Although it apparently originated in New Orleans, gumbo is most closely associated with the Cajuns of South Louisiana – like my mother from Catahoula and my dad from Cecilia.  Those folks used to make gumbo that was thicker than Atchafalaya Basin swamp water.  I don’t know how they did it – our good friend Dr. Michael DeBakey (from Lake Charles, La.) used to insist the secret to good, thick gumbo was okra.  And he lived to be 99 years old and was pretty much always right, so who knows?

OK, let’s get started.  The important thing about gumbo is that it always needs a roux.  This is made by melting equal parts butter and flour (about 2 tablespoons each) and heating it up until it’s chocolate brown.  I just buy the stuff pre-made in a jar (Douget’s Rice Milling company makes a fine roux).   Once you got this goin’, the rest of it comes together like this:

Chicken, 2 1/2 to 3-pound cut up, or boneless chicken cooked

Sausage (that packaged stuff in the supermarket is fine)

1 1/2 quarts water or chicken stock

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Put your roux, water, veggies and seasonings in a deep pot.  Heat it all up to boiling, toss in the meat and simmer it for about five beers.  Serve this on hot rice.   MMMM!

Maybe my recipe leaves a lot to be desired.  You can go to Tabasco’s website or to Chef Paul Prudhomme’s site for a more detailed recipe.  That would help, because you certainly need Tabasco hot sauce and Chef Paul seasoning on your gumbo.  You might want to have a Gumbo Queen (pictured) like they used to have in Bridge City, Texas, at their annual Gumbo Festival.  Hurricane Ike really did a number on that town so they might not have another festival for a while. 

You can put anything you want in or on gumbo – I’ve seen people make gumbo with goose, duck, fish, rattlesnake, etc.  If you are from up north you probably want sour cream or some kind of weird sweet pickle relish on your gumbo.  It’s all c’est bon.   You can play this music while you’re cooking, or while you are eating.

MP3: “Rad Gumbo” by Little Feat

MP3: “Ossun Two Step” by Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys

MP3: “Gumbo” by Phish

MP3: “I’m A Hog For You” by Clifton Chenier

MP3: “Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya” by Dr. John

MP3: “Give Him Cornbread” by Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers

MP3: “Lover Of The Bayou” by Mudcrutch

MP3: “Ca Fait Chaud (Heat Down Below)” by the Bluerunners

MP3: “Jambalaya (On The Bayou)” by Hank Williams

MP3: “Les Flammes D’En Fer” by Mamou

MP3: “Jolie Blonde” by Mamou

Tabasco official website

Douget’s Rice Milling company

Chef Paul Prudhomme official website

Here are my top albums of 2008.  It was a toss up between MMJ and Dylan but when i looked back at my total plays for 2008 in my iTunes, it was no contest – i’ve played MMJ a bunch mor

1. Evil Urges – My Morning Jacket - totally unexpected departure from the Southern rock band but that made it all the more awesome.  There songs are all great.  From start to stop, this album totally delivers.   “Librarian” and “Smokin’ From Shootin’” are my favorites.
2. The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 – Bob Dylan - previously unreleased tracks from 1987 to today.  And they are amazing.  I love both versions of “Mississippi” and “High Water”
3. Consoler of the Lonely – Raconteurs - These guys totally rock.  The title track is one of the best rock songs i’ve heard in the past 10 years and the rest of the songs are good too
   
4. For Emma Forever Ago – Bon Iver – incredibly catchy and chill record.  This got stuck in my head for about 2 months in the middle of the year.  Plus you’ve got to love a guy from the woods of Wisconsin. Love the songs “Flume” and “Skinny Love”
   
5. Only By The Night – Kings Of Leon - this album isn’t as good as 2007’s Because of the Times which had 2 amazing (5 star) songs but it still rocks. The songs are all pretty good and continues KOL’s rise to be one of the biggest bands in the US
   
6. The Way I See It – Raphael Saadiq – a pretty smooth and groovy album that brought some soul back into my life in ‘08.  The songs “Take a Walk” and “Never Give You Up” with Stevie Wonder are the best of the bunch
7. The Stand-Ins – Okkervil River - a good followup to the awesome The Stage Names.  It’s songs are just as punchy and fun to listen to.  I didn’t get to this until later in the year, otherwise it could have been higher in my list

Honor Roll – these albums have one or two good songs but not enough to be a “top” album of 2008 but i did like them:

• Ra Ra Riot – The song “Dying is Fine” is one of the best songs of the year
• Born Ruffians – very addictive album but also kind of annoying.  Can’t tell if i really like it or not
• Ryan Adams – all the songs are just okay
• Girl Talk – not my favorite mashup artist but still catchy and good for working out to
• Mudcrutch – two great songs in “The Wrong Thing To Do” and “Six Days on the Road”

Related articles:

• Rock List: Readers’ Top 30 Albums of 2008
• Music Review | My Morning Jacket: That’s Some Cheeky Shaman in the Aisles
• Rolling Stone’s Top 50 Albums Of The Year
• Raphael Saadiq = special guest @ the Seaport Friday
• Music Review | Raphael Saadiq and Janelle Monáe: Multiple Visions of Soul Music’s Past and Future

Right now it’s snowing. And this is exciting because 1) snow is exciting and 2) it was t-shirt weather yesterday. Now it’s beginning to feel a bit like Christmas. A teeny bit. While I’m in the spirit – before Mother Earth’s fever returns – here are my recommendations for this year’s gift-giving:

Favorite Albums of 2008:

In Rainbows – Radiohead
með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust – Sigur Ros
Modern Guilt – Beck
Tell Tale Signs, Bootleg Series Vol. 8 – Bob Dylan
Cardinology – Ryan Adams and The Cardinals
Consolers of the Lonely – The Raconteurs
4 – Dungen
Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings – Counting Crows
Another Country – Tift Merritt
For Emma, Forever Ago – Bon Iver
Last Days at the Lodge – Amos Lee
Mudcrutch – Mudcrutch
Where the Light Is – John Mayer
Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords
Asking for Flowers – Kathleen Edwards
Soldier On – Andrew Bird

Favorite Live Shows:

Beck
Ryan Adams and The Cardinals
Amos Lee
Josh Ritter
Bruce Hornsby & Ricky Skaggs
Ellis
Paolo Nutini

Most of these artists have 2009 dates scheduled, so if you’re looking for a special present for a special someone check your local listings. And speaking of recent albums/shows, here are some pictures from Eric Lichter’s OWL album release party:

Eric Lichter:

Sandra Lichter and their beautiful little girl:

A glimpse of the wonderful full house (and me):

The owl:

Thanks again to everyone who came to celebrate Eric’s new album. It was an honor to play for you. Visit Eric on MySpace for info on how to purchase his music, as CDBaby shows they’re out of stock. And if you have other recommendations for 2008 albums please post a comment! I know I’m forgetting some…

Happy Holidays!

More than 30 years after Tom Petty co-founded the pre-Heartbreakers Mudcrutch, the band finally issued its debut album this spring- and won widespread critical acclaim. The ‘Extended Play EP’ features live renditions of three songs from the earlier album plus a cover of a Jerry Lee Lewis classic. This is the standard edition.

Mudcrutch Extended Play Live EP is available at Amazon for $5.99. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

Want to get some other Format / Binding / Version? You can search for them from here

Other Products of Interest

• Sugar Mountain-Live At Canterbury House 1968 (CD/DVD)
• Mudcrutch
• Tell Tale Signs: the Bootleg Series Vol. 8
• Little Honey
• Cardinology

Here are this week’s new music releases:

David Archuleta – David Archuleta
The Boxmasters – Christmas Cheer
The Bronx – The Bronx III
Tracy Chapman – Our Bright Future
Kevin Costner & Modern West – Untold Truths
Deborah Cox – The Promise
Corey Crowder – Gold & The Sand
Enya – And Winter Came…
Beres Hammond – A Moment in Time
Hit Man: David Foster and Friends
Jedi Mind Tricks – A History of Violence
Live – Live at the Paradiso Amsterdam
Mudcrutch – Mudcrutch Extended Play Live EP [EP]
Anna Netrebko – Souvenirs
NOW That’s What I Call Music! 29
Seal – Soul
Taylor Swift – Fearless
T-Pain – Thr33 Ringz
Vanilla Ice – Vanilla Ice is Back!: Hip Hop Classics
Butch Walker – Sycamore Meadows
Zack and Miri Make a Porno soundtrack

BILL’S PICK OF THE WEEK

Mudcrutch Live! (EP)
1. The Wrong Thing To Do
2. Bootleg Flyer
3. High School Confidential
4. Crystal River

New Music/CD Releases – November 11, 2008
Barbara Cook – Rainbow Round My Shoulder
David Archuleta – David Archuleta
Butch Walker – Sycamore Meadows
The Bronx – The Bronx III
Deborah Cox – The Promise
Enya – And Winter Came…
Flaming Lips – Xmas on Mars (DVD)
Il Divo – The Promise
Kevin Costner & Modern West – Untold Truths
Live – Live (CD/DVD)
Mudcrutch – Mudcrutch Extended Play Live EP
New Order – Collectors Edition (2 CDs)
Patti LuPone – Patti Lupone at Les Mouches
The Postmarks – By The Numbers
Q-Tip – The Renaissance
Seal – Soul
The Smiths – The Very Best of
T PAIN – Thr33 Ringz
Taylor Swift – Fearless
Tracy Chapman – Our Bright Future
Ween – Cat’s Cradle (1992)

and remember, whenever possible buy your music directly from the artist(s) or your local independent record store. both could become endangered without your support.

click here for a list of exclusives available @ indie stores and for a listing of stores

Thomas Earl “Tom” Petty(born October 20, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and a member of Mudcrutch. He was also a member of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys under the pseudonymof Charlie T. Wilbury, Jnr. He has recorded a number of hit singles, many of which remain heavily played on adult contemporary and classic rock radio. Petty is also a vocal critic of the modern recording industry and the disappearance of independent radio stations.