Christmas In Tuscany, an offer. For your best travel destination, please see below.

Irish traditional sounds. The Italian Gian Castello, All ireland Poetry Day and Irish traditional music.

25.09.09 The Birds, the Eagles, Counting Crows and an “ad”…

25.09.09 The Fray will play on Friday, September 25, in Jonesboro, at the Arkansas State University. And on Saturday, September 26… Please read this text again in the afternoon of that day and I hope it will be updated.

Anyway, don’t you think the text of the group about swine flu is a bit exaggerated? Do you? In their blog… Too much Sun and too little reading of The Observer?!

Obama and Steely Dan?! What about Montreal?

17.09.2009 The Fray will be on Thursday, September 17, in Kenosha, at the Tarble Athletic Center at the Carthage College.

29.08.2009 The Fray will be on Saturday, August 29, in Syracuse at the New York State Fair…

15.07.2009 – Mia Martini. There would be a Mia Martini’s official fans club. Here there is its website in Italian. It could be useful for all of you from Finland, for example, who are looking for the Finnish versions of her songs… Please let me know…

- Your favourite travel destination (please vote)

- Which is your best song? (please vote)

Little Jackie, The Fleet Foxes and… Here there are the websites of The Fray and The Fleet Foxes. I don’t tell you how I get to know of them and when… Good music and good pop music…And what about Little Jackie’s music and “The World Should Revolve Around Me”?

Moreover, here there is a live song by Chris Rea, one of the most famous of his, and two songs I found in a page about Richard Page, who was the singer of Mr. Mister, the group who played “Broken Swings”. What a dog in a video…

Opera, an European browser, and Mozilla, Linux and Apple

Vanilla icecream, Vanilla Toffee Crunch and Chunky Monkey

Vanilla Bean, Strawberries & Cream, Double Chocolate, Mango & Passion Fruit Madness, Lemon Meringue, Cappuccino and Sticky Toffee Fudge

Mango & Banana Smoothie, Banana & Strawberry Smoothie, Frozen Yogurt, Cappuccino and Chocolate Icecream

Tuesday February 10, 2009

updated on Monday December 21, 2009

calogeromira.wordpress.com – e-mail

Does this search engine save watts/hour?

Right off the bat, I want to admit that I find the word underrated to be overrated.  And overrated…well, that’s just…well…that’s overrated, too.  I mean, how can we, as consumers, public viewers, the opinionheads of the country, really know how to gauge the “ratedness” of a particular item/product/etc.  There’s the internet, but that’s only a fraction of the population.  A hefty fraction, but still, you’re leaving out other demographics.  There are box office rates and billboard and award shows and many other outlets that give us, the public, a peak into the majority opinion.  BUT…that still doesn’t determine what is “underrated” or “overrated”.  This opinion often includes those disinclined to go to the movie theater (like myself) and wait for DVD, or those people who don’t buy DVD’s in store – but rather from a street vendor, or get it themselves online.  It’s the same with music.  There are forums and message boards where people from around the world can talk/argue/bullshit about the media around us.  But still, how can you really know what should be considered underrated or overrated?  Some throw these words around, with the meaning behind it their own opinion, rather than everyone elses’.  For example, Johnny may have seen The Dark Knight and couldn’t find one redeeming factor in the duration of the runtime.  But what about the numbers?  It shattered box office records and made millions on top of millions, so Johnny here, would say, “The Dark Knight is overrated.”  It’s a blockbuster, though.  How many people go to the movies to see the blockbusters just because they’re the blockbusters?  I would bet a decent amount.  Then, there’s the hype.  Word of mouth.  People at work talk about Heath Ledger’s performance or Christian Bale’s death-metal-vocalist impersonation, and soon that word travels, and a good chunk of the populace are going to see it.  The movie earns a spot on the biggest moneymakers of all time.  Johnny must feel something here.  He must be thinking, “this movie is overrated”.  It makes sense.  It seems everyone and their mother has gone out to see this movie!  BUT, so has Johnny.  How many Johnny’s are out there?  For every person like me, who enjoyed the hell out of the movie, there’s someone who didn’t take away anything from the viewing.  Therefore, it wouldn’t be fair to call The Dark Knight overrated. 

Then, there’s music.  Like today’s pop music.  I can’t stand it, nor can I find any ounce of talent or heart or soul in the majority of what’s considered popular music today.  All that American Idol, Britney Spears stuff, or the Lil’ Wayne, modern rap stuff.  I see how popular it is, and just think, how overrated?  But once again, for every American Idol-loving person, there’s the opposite, the one like me, wondering what the hell happened to good music?  There’s usually an equal divide.  What’s underrated to one, may be overrated to another.  It’s all based on opinion – where there is no right or wrong.  It’s a touchy subject, therefore I tend to stray away, and worry only about the opinions of myself or the people close to me. 

While a talented band musically, LRB weren't the best-looking band.

So why name a blog Criminally Underrated when I’m against the word choice altogether?  I’ll tell you why – because I believe it.  Who listens to the Little River Band?  Seriously?  Who?  Aside from the few songs on the radio, who else, besides a tiny portion, could name a Little River Band song?  Maybe the word/phrase I’m searching for is under looked. 

Little River Band is an Australian rock band whose heyday took place in the late 1970’s.  Their biggest hits in the U.S., ranging from 1975 to 1981 included “It’s a Long Way There”, “Lonesome Loser”, “Lady”, and “Reminiscing”, which peaked at # 3, making it their biggest hit.  By 1983, they had lost many of their core band members, including lead vocalist Glenn Shorrock and harmony vocalist/guitarist  Beeb Birtles.  Founding member Graeham Goble stuck with the band throughout the 80’s, trying to keep it fresh and innovative, but this is around the time when the band’s excellence started to decline.  They went for a faster, more aggressive (with the times) sound that just didn’t work for LRB.

I’m not saying they’re the greatest band in the world.  We all know that title is reserved for Tenacious D.  But somewhere between Crosby, Stills and Nash and The Eagles is Little River Band – with their harmonic choruses and smooth arrangements.  They also have a few country-tinged tunes (mostly found on the rare After Hours album which apparently the U.S. record company found “too dark” and had them record a new album which would be Diamantina Cocktail).  However, besides the hits, there are a great number of songs to be heard in the discography of LRB.  The tragic part of the tale is that the Little River Band touring today features no founding members.  It’s basically a cover band.  They played at a festival in my city a year ago, and I opted not to go because of this little fact.  If Shorrock, Birtles or Goble aren’t there, well, I’m not either. 

Now, the reason I call LBR underrated is that I’ve only met a handful of people who’ve actually heard of them.  One of them is my father.  This makes sense – he remembers them from when they were a successful rock band.  But what about now?  Why no resurgence?  You’ll hear younger people talk all day about CSN, The Eagles, Steely Dan, and other countless “classic rock” acts, but why no LRB?  Am I alone in this respect for the band?  Well, if I am alone, then that would certainly justify the title “underrated”.  There are not many forums or message boards where LRB is being discussed on the internet, and literally every record store I’ve been are missing any selection from this band.  Why is that?

Below are some videos from youtube.  Check it out and let me know what you think.  Is this the first time you’ve heard of this band?  Are you a longtime fan?  Do you think I’m crazy for defending this one-time popular but now washed-up band?  Comment below and share your opinions, people of the internet!

Here’s the third installment enjoy!

10.Hotel California by The Eagles

Oh The Eagles, what is there to say. This is one of those songs that I have listened to my whole life since my father was a big fan and played it constantly. Over time, I grew to love it on my own terms. The structure of the song is a typical pop one-verse to chorus followed by a bridge. However the bridge seeming never ends as it is just acoustic and electric guitar mixing in and out nicely til it comes to it’s own climax before ending the song. Don Henley’s vocals act out the feelings of the main character going from confusion to exhaustion but none the less powerful. The song is staple for the band ever since it was created and as a single was recently certified Platinum in digital sales. The band and song may be old – it was released in 1977- but it will probably still be a staple with younger generations as it has been included on the Guitar Hero track parents will continue to drag their kids out to their reunion tours The Eagles usually have.

To hear this song live from the Hell Freezes Over Tour click here.

9. Konstantine by Something Corporate

This is the song that made me fall in love with the whole “emo” scene and, of course, with Andrew McMahon(note: Thank you Chris for sitting on me and stuffing the headphones in my ears!). The piano ballad, clocking in at under 10 minutes, was released on their first e.p. and the Japanese import Songs For Silent Films. The love song is an open letter to his “Konstantine” as McMahon describes who she is to him and where their relationship. The song, of course, is a fan favorite that McMahon had stopped playing and will not play with his new project Jack’s Mannequin and loves to tell people off about it. Whatever the reason behind the refusal to play to, the song is still a fan favorite amongst fans that know and has reached a level of almost cult status amongst those who know it. Though “Konstantine’ may not be played unless by Something Corporate ever reunites or McMahon relents, the song is forever burned into the hearts of fans.

To listen to the rare piece that is “Konstantine” here.

8. Down and Out by The Academy Is…

William Beckett has been breaking hearts since he and the rest of The Academy Is…burst onto the scene in 2004. However, as much as he breaks hearts with this waifish good looks (note: the boy is adorable), Beckett and company also do their best to break hearts with their poignant lyrics and searing music. Off their 2005 debut Almost Here, “Down and Out” tells the story of a person who is stuck behind while everyone around them is growing and feeling trapped by inhibitions.  As the song wanders closer to the bridge, the focus shifts to the friends that have left. The songs pushes the listeners to not let fear stop them and just to follow their dreams. Even if things don’t pan out “the good things will live in our hearts.”

To listen to “Down and Out” here.

7. I’m From La by Go Betty Go

If there was ever an anthem for my friends and I, it’s this song. Penned by an all Latina band from our hometown, “I’m From LA” become the song from my friends and I to call our own. The band, Go Betty Go, had a punk feel to their sound and was proud of their Latina roots as they had songs that were in Spanish and Spanish style guitars. Off their debut album Nothing is More, the song was the perfect blend of my friends and I. We were fun, hyper, creative and overall, crazy. It captures the essence of being young and living in Los Angeles and the mystic that covers. The excuse “I’m from LA” is the reason for our behavior and we know that it’s because of our hometown that we are they way we are. “Crazy and precious, I’m from LA!”

To listen to Go Betty Go LA-girl anthem, click here.

6. Grey Flats by Endless Hallway

Odds are at a concert, there is usually the fans that are casual listeners but only love the one song, people who were dragged there, and the few that tell you, in a very snooty tone, that they have been following the band since the beginning. Usually, I’m one of the first two for concerts, but once in a rare moon, I’m a part of the third, minus the snooty tone unless the kid has it coming. My band is Endless Hallway. I’ve known those guys pretty much since the beginning and needless to say “Grey Flats” is my favorite song of theirs. One of their original demos released to fans, the song was featured on their debut Autonomy Games, starts off slow and is not an “in-your-face-type” type of song, but just relates to you with the simple lyrics and singer Ryan Jackson’s soaring vocal stylings. The band wants the emotion of the song to overcome the listener so they don’t pack in too much that overshadows the sense of calm that the song brings. The band, however, do have an epic grandiose sound that have listeners know that they guys are in it for the long haul.

To listen to “Grey Flats” click here.

Part 4 comes out tomorrow bright and early.

<< GO BACK

Well.

I’m beginning to get a little bit concerned that I’m becoming one of “those” music fans. The kind I used to make fun of for being to old, to stubborn and to locked into their own era of music, uninterested in expanding their listening experiences to anything beyond the music they know – the music they grew up with. People who still listen to “the Eagles” or “the Doobie Brothers” even though so much music has come out since then, and neither band was very good to begin with anyways. I was always confidant that this then would never be me. I’m young! I’m hip! I’m in the “know!” I keep up with whatever’s young and hip and in the “know!” Right? RIGHT?

Not quite. And Tuesday night proved that when I shelled out actual money to see Stone Temple Pilots at the Kool Haus in Toronto.

That’s right. Stone Temple Pilots. A band that hasn’t had a hit single, or even an album, in god knows how long. A band who’s lead singer I’m sure we all assumed was either dead or arrested. A band that hit it big over fifteen years ago, and who would recieve a collective “who?” from anybody under the age of sixteen today.

THAT band.

And they absolutely rocked. Seriously.

Vindication!

And, while some people would see the complete lack of any new material as a depressing reminder of just how irrelevant a band might be, all it meant for us was an hour and a half of SINGING ALONG TO EVERY DAMN WORD.

Which is always a good time.

The band kicked it into high gear right off the bat, opening with “Silvergun Superman” and then tore threw fan favorites like “Wicked Garden,” “Vasoline” and “Big Empty.” In fact,

This isn't from this show. But it's the best I could find.

during the show they played songs mostly off of their first two records, “Core” (1992) and “Purple” (1994) – which of course, is exactly what the majority of the audience (mostly males under thirty) wanted to hear (myself included).

The band was tight and professional, which was a little surprising to be honest. It was also the band’s only real weakness. At times they were a little “too tight” and “too professional.” I know that sounds horribly nitpicky (had they been sloppy and falling apart, I’m sure I would have bitched about that too) but the fact is that they were clearly just going through the motions at times – and looked it.

Still, when they launched into such crowd favorites as “Crackerman,” “Interstate Love Song” and their signature tune “Plush,” it was hard not to get caught up in the vibe, and be momentarily transported back to 1994. Which is, apparently, exactly where I want to be.

And I’m totally cool with that.

Here’s the full set list:

Main Set –

1. Silvergun Superman

2. Wicked Garden

3. Vasoline

4. Big Empty

5. Lounge Fly

6. Army Ants

7. Sour Girl

8. Creep

9. Crackerman

10. Plush

11. Interstate Love Song

12. Down

13. Sex Type Thing

14. Sin

15. Unglued

Encore -

16. Dead and Bloated

17. Trippin’ On a Hole in a Paper Heart

And the music labels thought that the seas of music are calmer these days? Hoping to re-napster themselves and capture licensed music in a bottle this time around, the very core of the labels music is leaking and the ship might never really leave the store. The vast majority of music revenue is generated from its catalog. It sells way more than the current fare released on itunes, etc. ENTER: The copyright monster.

Last night, the 2009 CMA Awards debuted on television. It was a memorable and incredible night for many country music stars. Outstanding performances were made by country stars including Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, The Eagles, Alan Jackson, Kid Rock, Dave Matthews, Zack Brown Band, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Sugarland, Keith Urban, and The Wailers. My  favoritePerformer that evening was Taylor Swift. Taylor sung two songs that evening Fifteen and Forever and Always; named female vocalist of the year! I watched the entire award show and I was very pleased and agreed with the awards that were given.

Anyone who gets on the Chromeo train becomes totally engrossed in the stuff. Is it cheesy? Yes, more so than you can imagine. Whilst their new album is good, it’s still got nothing on She’s In Control. Below is the new video for ‘Night by Night’, head onto their label to get a free download of the track.

Dave 1 and P-Thugg also mastermind the DJ Kicks series. Head over to their DJ Kicks site to check out their latest compilation (out soon). They’ve also got a sensational Chromeo cover of The Eagles’ ‘I Can’t Tell You Why’ as a free download their too.

Yesterday, I was watching the Eagles play on television and wanting to see the Ravens but couldn’t because we live in Newark, Delaware and Comcast only gives us Phila. channels, while my kids were beginning to go a little stir crazy. We were all outside earlier in the day and found a hill in Newark, which is pretty cool, and if you know Newark, somewhat amazing, and did some sledding. It was Olivia’s and Julian’s first time sledding down a hill solo and so the day stands out for that reason alone. But, by late afternoon, after having been cooped up the previous day and 1/2, the kids were ready for some school come Monday, and so were mommy and daddy.

Both the Eagles and Ravens got to play in part on the backs of local prison populations which helped the snow removal prior to kick-off. Both the  and Ravens won, which is a good day for Delaware. But come this morning we saw that the kids were getting a snow day today. Nothing wrong with that per se. Snow days are fun and they weren’t alone. Almost all the schools for from Baltimore to Philadelphia are closed today.

Which begets a question about priorities: football over school. Cities will spend millions of dollars and orchestrate deals which bring priosners over to help remove snow in preparation of football, but not schools. The roads are clear this morning: the issue had to do with snow removal on school sidewalks and parking lots.

Half a million dollars and 1,750 people to remove the snow for the Ravens.  And my kid is home today.

I would like to see it come to pass that priorities favored opening schools more than opening professional sports stadiums, but that’s just me..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20091217/sc_livescience/happieststatesrevealedbynewresearch

You may have seen on the news a couple of nights ago a report of a study conducted by a group of scientists that ranked the states in terms of their happiness.  The fact that Louisiana ranked as the happiest state caught my attention, since it seemed to defy logic.  So when this article appeared (link provided above), I was curious to find out why.  As it turns out, the study was conducted pre-hurricane Katrina.

But as I read down the list, I began to wonder if population density might play a role.  So I decided to plot population density vs. the happiness index to see if there was any correlation.  Here’s the result:

Happiness Index

There’s not a strong correlation until you reach the bottom of the scale – the 12 least happy states.  At that point, there is a very strong correlation.  Of those bottom twelve states, only two have population densities below 200 people per square mile.  (And those two are Indiana and Michigan, states already hard-hit by the loss of manufacturing jobs even before this study was taken.) 

And, of the twelve states with population densities greater than 200 people per square mile, only one – Florida – ranked in the top twenty.  Delaware ranked 24th.  All the remainder were in the bottom twelve. 

Why?  Could this be an indication that the hard-to-define “optimum population density” I spoke of in Five Short Blasts occurs at some point before a density of 200 people per square mile is reached?  Is that the density at which over-crowding really begins to limit a person’s ability to consume and enjoy a high standard of living?  Is that where housing becomes so expensive that people are forced to buy and rent smaller dwellings than they’d like?  Are people who would love to have a yard and a garden forced to settle for apartments?  Is that the point at which roads become so congested and parking so scarce that it becomes too much of a hassle for some people to own a car?  It’s impossible to say, but it’s a good indicator – worthy of more study. 

This effect wasn’t lost on the researchers:

They were also surprised at the least happy states, such as New York and Connecticut, which landed at the bottom two spots on the list.

“We were struck by the states that come at the bottom, because a lot of them are on the East Coast, highly prosperous and industrialized,” Oswald said. “That’s another way of saying they have a lot of congestion, high house prices, bad air quality.”

He added, “Many people think these states would be marvelous places to live in. The problem is that if too many individuals think that way, they move into those states, and the resulting congestion and house prices make it a non-fulfilling prophecy.”

I’m reminded of the words of the Eagles’ song “The Last Resort”, a song that laments how the west, especially California, was ruined by over-crowding once word spread to the east that a paradise lay to the west:

… Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine?
‘Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here

We satisfy our endless needs and
justify our bloody deeds,
in the name of destiny and the name of God

And you can see them there,
On Sunday morning
They stand up and sing about
what it’s like up there
They call it paradise
I don’t know why
You call someplace paradise,
kiss it goodbye

Eagles fans know that “You Can’t Hide your Lying Eyes,” and pretty much everybody else knows that too.  Most of us instinctively know when we are being lied too.

Even “little lies” are problematic, though tempting.  When a child is whining for a cookie, for example, it may seem so much easier to say “We don’t have anymore cookies,” just to have a little peace, even when we know we have some chocolate chip specimens squirreled away in the cupboard.   But that’s lying.

Words are deeds and our word needs to be true.

I like to think about “performative” sentences:   When words really make things happen in a concrete and obvious way, such as “I take thee to be my lawfully wedded wife”  or “I name this ship the Jolly Roger.”

Words make things happen and have direct consequences, even in simpler, more everyday moments than these.

Children, like adults, know inside when someone is not telling the truth and when something is not quite right.  (Of course there are always exceptions, being blindsided by Bernie Madoff or others).  But, in general, we pick up on a lot of things.  Most of us know when we are being bamboozled, even in a subtle way.   Undermining our own integrity is never a good idea, even if it involves cookies.  Lying to children is not a good choice.  Better to say “there are no more cookies for you right now,” than to lie and say “we have no more cookies.”

There was an interesting article in the NY Times called The Moral Costs of Counterfeiting, about people’s perception of themselves when they wore what they thought were counterfeit goods (in this case, sunglasses) that they were passing off as the real thing.  Trying to pass off a counterfeit good as the real thing, a duplicitous act, takes a “psychological toll on the wearer.”  And the study demonstrated “when one feels like a fake, he or she is likely to behave like a fake.”

When we lie to our children about seemingly innocuous things, the effects multiply: on our integrity and on how we perceive ourselves, as well as on the trust that our children place in us.

That said, when children lie –for example,  “I didn’t hit Joey,” it makes sense to be sensitive to the particular situation.  Sometimes they aren’t lying, they are telling you what they wish was true.  She wishes that she had not hit Joey, and tries to make it true by saying so (practicing the performative).

Also, nothing is black and white, and when lying is concerned,  there can be cultural differences to take into account.  When I was in the Peace Corps in Niger, many people I encountered there were eager to please, and to give you the answer that you wanted.  For example,  I arrived early at the bus station to take a bus across the country, and eagerly asked:  What time is the bus leaving?  They saw I was hopeful and answered reassuringly:  “five minutes!”  Four hours later we were still waiting.  The true answer was “When the bus is full, we will leave — maybe in five minutes, maybe in five hours.”  I had to learn to ask questions without giving any hint of what I wanted the answer to be.  Not easy.

And for taking “faking” to a whole new level — check out The Office Kid.  A service which generates a fake child (artwork, pictures, and so on) so that you have an excuse to leave work and take care of him/her when he/she gets “sick.”  But keeping up the charade of having a pretend child might get bothersome and is certainly ethically problematic.

And what about Santa Claus?  The magic and the mystery of the Holiday season?  A direct question about Santa Claus certainly needs to be answered.  Growing up I remember a gradual awakening to the fact that my mother was in fact Santa Claus.  That felt right to me.  And I wasn’t surprised.  She was that kind of mother.  She was, and is, (as many mothers are) capable of playing many different roles, Santa including.

Another mother told her questioning child “Now you are ready to help keep this magic for the little ones, now you know and you can help us keep the spirit of giving alive in our family.”

The spirit of giving comes in many different shapes and forms, and sometimes Dad, or Grandma, or Mom, really is Santa.

#16 – The Eagles – “Please Come Home For Christmas” – (1994)

You’re gonna have to find the full version of the song online by yourself because, and I’m just guessing here, Don Henley & the boys are complete Nazis when it comes to their music, so this song is not on YouTube. Or you could just watch Home Alone because I’m pretty sure this song was in it (although it may have been sung by someone else). Another good Christmas song from Home Alone: Chuck Berry’s 1958 Christmas-rock classic “Run Rudolph Run” (or the Lynyrd Skynyrd version “Run Run Rudolph“).

Everywhere I turn lately, there are lists popping up, detailing the “best of” the decade that’s soon coming to an end.

So, not one to let a mimicking  opportunity pass by, I thought I would do what everybody else is doing and create a list of my own!

Being as I’m a country gal at heart, I thought, why not do the “best of country”?

Of course, if you’ve read any of my posts, you’ll know that I’m pretty picky when it comes to my country, so this is probably going to veer off in an unexpected direction.  But it’s my opinion, and it’s my blog, after all.

I’m a “new country cynic” – sorry, I just don’t like it.  If you like it, great!  So, this decade may be my last chance to feature anything that’s even remotely country (as I know it).

So, without further a-dew, let’s start with the Best Country Band of the 2000’s:

Yes, that’s right. The Eagles. The Eagles are the best country band of the decade. The reason is that they still remember what country music is. I don’t wanna hear no fake hillbilly rappers. I don’t want to hear the redneck brigade. I just want country music. So, there you have it ~ The Eagles.

1st Runner-Up: Diamond Rio

The Shuffle Report: 10 songs I listened to, in order, on my iPod in shuffle mode at a given point in time. No editing, no skipping. It is what it is.

Seriously, does anyone like Mondays? Today was one of those days where I should have just stayed in bed. Stayed late at work, too. The usually mundane subway ride couldn’t come soon enough. Always thankful to have the tunes along with me.

1. Rita–Los Lobos (The Ride) [Great track. Great album.]
2. I’m The Face–The High Numbers (Quadrophenia soundtrack) [Fun track by a quartet soon to change their name to The Who.]
3. King of Hollywood–The Eagles (The Long Run) [One of the better tracks on this album, IMHO.]
4. Tomorrow Never Knows–Bruce Springsteen (Working On A Dream) [Can't believe the tour is over. Bring on the DVD.]
5. Sowing The Seeds of Love–Tears For Fears (The Best Of) [The only album any casual fan needs.]
6. Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)–Elvis Costello (My Aim Is True–Bonus Disc) [What a classic.]
7. John Brown’s Body–Oscar Peterson w/Milt Jackson (Very Tall) [An excellent pairing of two jazz giants.]
8. 905—The Who (Who Are You) [Decent John Entwistle-penned tuned from the last record with Keith Moon.]
9**
10**

**I know these lists are usually 10 songs long, but only had time for 8 on the way home.

Phoenix

Thanksgiving. For years it’s brought people together to feast on turkey. In honor of this joyous American holiday, 20 Watts has decided to elucidate you, fine reader, on the many bands named after a variety of fowl. We bring you our very special Thanksgiving 20, based on artists named after a variety of avian creatures.

So what’s the very best of bird-themed music? 20 Watts’ STAFF has the answer in our tenth 20 installment. Watch for new 20s each Thursday, only on 20 Watts, and check out our previous 20s below!