You are browsing the archives of 2007 October.

Then the other Blessed Event. Holy crap this album was (and still is) great. LL was 17 years old.
LL Cool J - Rock The Bells from Radio (insound / amazon CD / amazon mp3 / itunes)
And here’s a bonus amazing LL from the movie Krush Groove — I’m still hoping that one day I can [...]

And then, the Blessed Event — punk rock! The first punk bands I got into were Buzzcocks and the Dead Kennedys, so I will always have a sweet, soft spot in my heart for punk with high-pitched male vocals.
Buzzcocks - Orgasm Addict from Singles Going Steady (insound / amazon CD / amazon mp3 / [...]

In honor of my high-school reunion at the end of the week, this week I’m featuring songs that meant a lot to me during those four years.
First up is from an album from my freshman year that I yust went nuts over. I had a hard time picking a song, but I chose Harborcoat [...]

I don’t think I ever heard this until just recently, and that’s an insane shame. It’s from Viva Las Vegas, but the number was cut from the film. Maybe because it was way too saucy.
Elvis Presley & Ann-Margret - You’re The Boss available on The Very Best Of Ann-Margret (amazon / itunes), Viva [...]

Here’s a rumpwiggler from intellectual crackpot Amon Tobin, who usually makes music that is difficult to define and less likely to make you throw a spontaneous dance party in your cubicle. It’s still highly recommended though, so look into it, OK?
Amon Tobin - Verbal (feat. MC Decimal R) from Out From Out Where (insound [...]

If you aren’t a fan of the power ballad, I don’t know if this one will change your mind — but hey, give it a shot. You have to stick it out until the payoff, though. Reportedly written about Steven Adler, who was fired from Guns ‘n’ Roses for having a drug problem [...]

Townes Van Zandt and his 79-year-old neighbor Seymour Washington, from the documentary Heartworn Highways (shot in 1975).

Jens Lekman is Swedish and great. You might love him right away, or maybe his earnestness and English will bother you until you learn to love him. Just let Jens into your heart.
He uses a lot of samples, sometimes in ways that don’t sound like samples. There’s a good interview here where he [...]

In fond remembrance of yet another amazing Hardly Strictly Bluegrass weekend, here’s one that sort of sums it up. Charlie Louvin was wonderful, and he mentioned how Gram Parsons taught Emmylou Harris how to sing harmony by playing her Louvin Brothers records. (It’s difficult to imagine her needing to learn anything about harmony…)
Later [...]

Another early post because I’m back on the road Friday — hope you enjoyed Covers Week.
Laibach started in Yugoslavia in 1980, and tested the limits of what was allowable under the Communist regime by producing music and art that dealt heavily in fascistic imagery. You could say Queen did the same thing, only the [...]