The Temptations
I spent much of the fall listening to New York's oldies station CBS-FM. Perhaps it was just a function of another birthday rolling around and I felt like reveling in my past. Or maybe I didn't want to sit through another WFUV fund drive. Or perhaps I just didn't want to listen to baseball on the radio done by people not named Howie Rose. Whatever the reason, I woke up one night to hear “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and it struck me that I haven't owned a single Motown album (and only a couple of tracks scattered on some compilations) since I scored a major case of burnout on all their acts in the early ’90s. “Papa” sounded so good that night I realized I needed to get that song again. And while I was at it, I decided to download all of The Tempts greatest hits. As I was scrolling through the various song selections, I stumbled upon “Shakey Ground.” I didn’t even realize that the funky gem from 1975 (which I remember hearing on WGY-AM growing up) was a Temptations song. Damn, what a killer track. 20 downloads later, I had filled in a crucial gap in my musical history.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
2008's Top 10 Visual Aids
10) Costas Now With Aaron & Mays (HBO)
Full disclosure: Bob Costas tapes his radio show out of the studios on my floor, so I’ve had the chance to actually speak with him a couple of times. After seeing this hour long discussion with two of the greatest living ballplayers, I felt compelled to stop him and pay him a compliment. He replied with the simplest explanation possible about why this town hall meeting style show worked—“With those two up there, I just tried to stay out of the way.” And Costas largely succeeded, gently directing the pair to another topic when it was needed and smartly bringing in some select audience members (Dave Winfield and Jimmy Rollins) to further the conversation. It was an extremely well executed show on every front (most of the reaction shots from the star-packed audience were perfectly placed) and was one of the reasons I’m glad I kept up my HBO subscription this year. (Well, that and the fact that Flight of the Conchords returns in January of ’09.)
9) Psych (USA)
This fake-psychic-plays-detective show seems to draw a divisive line down the viewing audience. Folks like me enjoy the witty banter of James Roday’s character Shawn Spencer. Others can’t stand any line that the character says and feel that Roday comes off a smarmy. (I particularly enjoyed reading one TV critic’s blog where he said that “I’d enjoy watching an episode where Shawn repeatedly gets punched in the face.”) In other words, this Friday night comedy-mystery ain’t for everyone. I’ll admit that every plot is the same every week—Shawn takes a case, his partner Gus (Dule Hill) poo-poos Shawn’s antics, Shawn hits on detective Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), detective Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) gets annoyed in a laughable way, and Shawn’s dad (Corbin Bernson) gets in a few sarcastic remarks. Fortunately the first half of season three expanded on the show’s blueprint by giving Shawn and his father some emotional depth by bringing Shawn’s long-departed mother (played by Cybil Shepherd) into the mix for a couple of episodes. It brought a new light onto this prickly father-son relationship and gave Roday and Bernson some good scenes in which to explore the motives of their characters. The show also scaled new comedic heights with an entire episode set around a murder on a Spanish telenovella. Roday (whose real last name is RodrÃguez) looked especially gleeful in his scenes where he had to speak Spanish in a halting, ill-constructed manner. And now that I have a DVR, I’ll never miss an episode.
8) How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
This year has been a bit uneven on the first CBS show I’ve watched regularly since the days of Northern Exposure. The sitcom that never felt looked like it was shot, acted or written like a traditional sitcom fell into some of those long held plots and jokes that could have been on any other unfunny comedy polluting the networks. More than once I said to myself, “Isn’t this something I saw, or could have seen, on Friends?” Yet the high points have more than made up for the typical plots that are very atypical for this show. And the main reason for that is the award-worthy performance of Neil Patrick Harris. His portrayal of womanizer Barney Stinson discovering he’s in love with his friend Robin (played by Colbie Smothers) has brought a human edge to the character. And Harris was especially outstanding in the episode where Barney tries to resist the lure of single, horny women at a wedding while hoping to reconnect with Robin. Harris should win an Emmy based on those five minutes on screen alone. I’d also like to mention that this year the show has included goats as plot points in two episodes—and you can never go wrong with a goat.
7) Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence (TCM)
Elvis Mitchell served as one of the New York Times film critics from 1999 to 2004. During that time I always looked forward to Friday’s paper, as I knew I’d get to read a humorous yet thoughtful take on everything from the latest Jerry Bruckheimer blow ’em up blockbuster to the smallest shoestring budget indie film. Mitchell wrote my favorite film review ever, a hysterical indictment of John Travolta’s hard-on for Scientology flick Battlefield Earth. (I still have the clip of it from the paper in my archives.) The opening few lines still make me laugh eight years later: “‘Man is an endangered species,’ announces one of the titles at the beginning. And after about 20 minutes of this amateurish picture, extinction doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Sitting through it is like watching the most expensively mounted high school play of all time…It may be a bit early to make such judgments, but Battlefield Earth may well turn out to be the worst movie of this century.” Ha ha ha! Mitchell’s post-Times career has seen him work for the L.A. NPR affiliate KCRW as an interviewer. This year he brought his ability of drawing the best out of his subjects to a cable talk show about films. Normally I’d yawn at that idea (and maybe even fall asleep typing out that sentence) but Mitchell’s soothing voice and way of posing questions that make his guests think works for me. His ability to get normally press shy actors like Bill Murray and Edward Norton to open up about their favorite films and actors is no small feat. Under the Influence is perfect show for a fan of film or smart, in depth conversation to watch as they wind down their week.
6) Nova: Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives (PBS)
I’d never watched PBS’s Nova before this fall. I’m pretty doubtful I’ll ever watch it again. That’s what made the enjoyment of this episode so surprising to me. Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives is a documentary about eels frontman Mark “E” Everett and his exploration of his father’s theory of parallel universes. Watching the guy who wrote “Novocaine for the Soul” learn about quantum physics from his father’s old college buddies and co-workers while saying he couldn’t even remember his father ever hugging him was damn fascinating. I felt smarter after the show was over—and that I definitely knew where Everett’s dark view of the world was formed.
5) Burn Notice (USA)
I am fearful for the second half of the second season of this lighthearted spy show. It’s coming back in January and I wonder if I’ll love it as much as I did during the summer. Will its mix of inventive action and comedy work when its not 65 degrees at night and I’m not sitting around in shorts sipping on a cold beer? I sure hope so. The first part of second season showed that the writers have really understood what makes these characters so memorable and watchable. The interactions between Jeffery Donavan and Sharon Gless (going to therapy together, Donavan’s Michael Weston sometimes revealing the dangerous line of work he was in) have been superb. Bruce Campbell is the glue that holds this whole action and comedy mix together. Campbell’s Sam is an old army green beret, and his old high school football coach look (a former athlete gone to seed) fits his role to a tee. His peculiar mannerisms and delivery might be a bit campy on another show, but here he's fantastic. I hope Burn Notice makes an easier transition to the “real” TV season. (As if anyone pays attention to the traditional beginning and end of the TV season anymore.)
4) Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog (Timescience Bloodclub)
Here’s how to make comedy/sci-fi fans like me crash a website (and keep checking iTunes day after day to download something new): have Joss Whedon (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) launch an online only tale in three acts about an evil doctor, a beautiful woman and a smarmy superhero that also happens to be a musical that stars Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillon (Firefly). This hysterical program is the best thing that came out of the lengthy writer’s strike. (The second best is that my number two show of the year got to come back for a second season.) Whedon wrote Dr. Horrible as a way to prove that writers deserved a cut of internet profits networks were getting for showing episodes on the web. And with the amount of online buzz and server crashes that happened this summer, I think Whedon proved his point.
3) The Middleman (ABC Family)
The television landscape is littered with shows that lasted all of one season, got canceled and had a cult following pining for a resurrection that never came. That’s the (still unofficial, yet likely) scenario for The Middleman. The show’s title character, as played by Matt Kessler, is the guy that saves the world from aliens, demons, vampire puppets and other unlikely forms of evil that turn up in California. His sidekick Wendy Watson, as played by Natalie Morales, is a Middleman in training and can kick some serious ass on her own. On paper the idea for the show seems flat out stupid. On screen, it was a pure joy to watch. The Middleman is an almost too decent to be true good guy (drinks milk, doesn’t swear, watches old westerns for their heroic qualities) on TV today. Yet Kessler makes him absolutely believable because he doesn’t play him with a knowing wink to the audience. Kessler believes in the goodness of his character, and we in turn end up believing right along with him. The Middleman also had some of the finest pop culture references ever stacked into TV dialogue. (The show’s blog would list about 30 of them for every episode.) Sadly, the show seemed horrible misplaced on ABC Family, even at a more adult oriented 10:00 p.m. time slot. (And who knew that at 11:00 p.m., Pat Robertson still hosted the 700 Club on there from the old Family Channel days. Wow.) When the inevitable DVD comes out, add it to your Netflix que. You won’t be sorry.
2) Chuck (NBC)
Here’s exactly when I knew that the second season of Chuck might be one of the best second seasons ever for a TV show: a plot about how Missile Command had actual codes to control a satellite buried on the game’s final screen and how Chuck needed to play along to Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” to make it to that screen made complete sense. And inspired some gut busting laughter in my little slice of Kensington. The writer’s strike that shut down production of the first season did wonders for Chuck, as co-creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak figured out how to make everything fit together on the series. The main plot of each episode (whatever bad guy is trying to control the world, etc.) now usually has a thematic link with the events at Chuck’s non-spy job, working at the Buy More. They also have squeezed in some top-notch guest stars. John Larroquette as a spy who was once the world's greatest lover and is now the world's biggest drunk, The O.C.’s Melinda Clarke as a Russian black widow and Morgan Fairchild and Bruce Boxleitner as Chuck’s sister’s future in laws. While stunt-casting has killed many a show, it works perfectly here. With such a large ensemble cast and so many different parts of Chuck's life to maintain plot-wise, there's never been much screen time to establish the one-shot characters. Having a Larroquette or a Clarke gives you a stronger sense of each character and helps fill in a lot of blanks. And as I said last year, any show with Adam Baldwin is always a good time.
1) Lost (ABC)
I’m running out of good things to say about this show, which rebounded in second half of season three and hit new peaks in season four. Giving the show’s writers a specific end date for the series was the best idea ever. Not every mystery has been answered (there’s at least 30 things I still don’t understand, some dating back to the freaking pilot) and I’m sure not all of them will. I don’t care. As long as we keep getting the twists and turns of the Oceanic Six and those left on the island for the next two years, I still won’t care. Well, I really would love a real answer about the polar bears on a tropical island.
Full disclosure: Bob Costas tapes his radio show out of the studios on my floor, so I’ve had the chance to actually speak with him a couple of times. After seeing this hour long discussion with two of the greatest living ballplayers, I felt compelled to stop him and pay him a compliment. He replied with the simplest explanation possible about why this town hall meeting style show worked—“With those two up there, I just tried to stay out of the way.” And Costas largely succeeded, gently directing the pair to another topic when it was needed and smartly bringing in some select audience members (Dave Winfield and Jimmy Rollins) to further the conversation. It was an extremely well executed show on every front (most of the reaction shots from the star-packed audience were perfectly placed) and was one of the reasons I’m glad I kept up my HBO subscription this year. (Well, that and the fact that Flight of the Conchords returns in January of ’09.)
9) Psych (USA)
This fake-psychic-plays-detective show seems to draw a divisive line down the viewing audience. Folks like me enjoy the witty banter of James Roday’s character Shawn Spencer. Others can’t stand any line that the character says and feel that Roday comes off a smarmy. (I particularly enjoyed reading one TV critic’s blog where he said that “I’d enjoy watching an episode where Shawn repeatedly gets punched in the face.”) In other words, this Friday night comedy-mystery ain’t for everyone. I’ll admit that every plot is the same every week—Shawn takes a case, his partner Gus (Dule Hill) poo-poos Shawn’s antics, Shawn hits on detective Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), detective Carlton Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) gets annoyed in a laughable way, and Shawn’s dad (Corbin Bernson) gets in a few sarcastic remarks. Fortunately the first half of season three expanded on the show’s blueprint by giving Shawn and his father some emotional depth by bringing Shawn’s long-departed mother (played by Cybil Shepherd) into the mix for a couple of episodes. It brought a new light onto this prickly father-son relationship and gave Roday and Bernson some good scenes in which to explore the motives of their characters. The show also scaled new comedic heights with an entire episode set around a murder on a Spanish telenovella. Roday (whose real last name is RodrÃguez) looked especially gleeful in his scenes where he had to speak Spanish in a halting, ill-constructed manner. And now that I have a DVR, I’ll never miss an episode.
8) How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
This year has been a bit uneven on the first CBS show I’ve watched regularly since the days of Northern Exposure. The sitcom that never felt looked like it was shot, acted or written like a traditional sitcom fell into some of those long held plots and jokes that could have been on any other unfunny comedy polluting the networks. More than once I said to myself, “Isn’t this something I saw, or could have seen, on Friends?” Yet the high points have more than made up for the typical plots that are very atypical for this show. And the main reason for that is the award-worthy performance of Neil Patrick Harris. His portrayal of womanizer Barney Stinson discovering he’s in love with his friend Robin (played by Colbie Smothers) has brought a human edge to the character. And Harris was especially outstanding in the episode where Barney tries to resist the lure of single, horny women at a wedding while hoping to reconnect with Robin. Harris should win an Emmy based on those five minutes on screen alone. I’d also like to mention that this year the show has included goats as plot points in two episodes—and you can never go wrong with a goat.
7) Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence (TCM)
Elvis Mitchell served as one of the New York Times film critics from 1999 to 2004. During that time I always looked forward to Friday’s paper, as I knew I’d get to read a humorous yet thoughtful take on everything from the latest Jerry Bruckheimer blow ’em up blockbuster to the smallest shoestring budget indie film. Mitchell wrote my favorite film review ever, a hysterical indictment of John Travolta’s hard-on for Scientology flick Battlefield Earth. (I still have the clip of it from the paper in my archives.) The opening few lines still make me laugh eight years later: “‘Man is an endangered species,’ announces one of the titles at the beginning. And after about 20 minutes of this amateurish picture, extinction doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Sitting through it is like watching the most expensively mounted high school play of all time…It may be a bit early to make such judgments, but Battlefield Earth may well turn out to be the worst movie of this century.” Ha ha ha! Mitchell’s post-Times career has seen him work for the L.A. NPR affiliate KCRW as an interviewer. This year he brought his ability of drawing the best out of his subjects to a cable talk show about films. Normally I’d yawn at that idea (and maybe even fall asleep typing out that sentence) but Mitchell’s soothing voice and way of posing questions that make his guests think works for me. His ability to get normally press shy actors like Bill Murray and Edward Norton to open up about their favorite films and actors is no small feat. Under the Influence is perfect show for a fan of film or smart, in depth conversation to watch as they wind down their week.
6) Nova: Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives (PBS)
I’d never watched PBS’s Nova before this fall. I’m pretty doubtful I’ll ever watch it again. That’s what made the enjoyment of this episode so surprising to me. Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives is a documentary about eels frontman Mark “E” Everett and his exploration of his father’s theory of parallel universes. Watching the guy who wrote “Novocaine for the Soul” learn about quantum physics from his father’s old college buddies and co-workers while saying he couldn’t even remember his father ever hugging him was damn fascinating. I felt smarter after the show was over—and that I definitely knew where Everett’s dark view of the world was formed.
5) Burn Notice (USA)
I am fearful for the second half of the second season of this lighthearted spy show. It’s coming back in January and I wonder if I’ll love it as much as I did during the summer. Will its mix of inventive action and comedy work when its not 65 degrees at night and I’m not sitting around in shorts sipping on a cold beer? I sure hope so. The first part of second season showed that the writers have really understood what makes these characters so memorable and watchable. The interactions between Jeffery Donavan and Sharon Gless (going to therapy together, Donavan’s Michael Weston sometimes revealing the dangerous line of work he was in) have been superb. Bruce Campbell is the glue that holds this whole action and comedy mix together. Campbell’s Sam is an old army green beret, and his old high school football coach look (a former athlete gone to seed) fits his role to a tee. His peculiar mannerisms and delivery might be a bit campy on another show, but here he's fantastic. I hope Burn Notice makes an easier transition to the “real” TV season. (As if anyone pays attention to the traditional beginning and end of the TV season anymore.)
4) Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog (Timescience Bloodclub)
Here’s how to make comedy/sci-fi fans like me crash a website (and keep checking iTunes day after day to download something new): have Joss Whedon (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) launch an online only tale in three acts about an evil doctor, a beautiful woman and a smarmy superhero that also happens to be a musical that stars Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillon (Firefly). This hysterical program is the best thing that came out of the lengthy writer’s strike. (The second best is that my number two show of the year got to come back for a second season.) Whedon wrote Dr. Horrible as a way to prove that writers deserved a cut of internet profits networks were getting for showing episodes on the web. And with the amount of online buzz and server crashes that happened this summer, I think Whedon proved his point.
3) The Middleman (ABC Family)
The television landscape is littered with shows that lasted all of one season, got canceled and had a cult following pining for a resurrection that never came. That’s the (still unofficial, yet likely) scenario for The Middleman. The show’s title character, as played by Matt Kessler, is the guy that saves the world from aliens, demons, vampire puppets and other unlikely forms of evil that turn up in California. His sidekick Wendy Watson, as played by Natalie Morales, is a Middleman in training and can kick some serious ass on her own. On paper the idea for the show seems flat out stupid. On screen, it was a pure joy to watch. The Middleman is an almost too decent to be true good guy (drinks milk, doesn’t swear, watches old westerns for their heroic qualities) on TV today. Yet Kessler makes him absolutely believable because he doesn’t play him with a knowing wink to the audience. Kessler believes in the goodness of his character, and we in turn end up believing right along with him. The Middleman also had some of the finest pop culture references ever stacked into TV dialogue. (The show’s blog would list about 30 of them for every episode.) Sadly, the show seemed horrible misplaced on ABC Family, even at a more adult oriented 10:00 p.m. time slot. (And who knew that at 11:00 p.m., Pat Robertson still hosted the 700 Club on there from the old Family Channel days. Wow.) When the inevitable DVD comes out, add it to your Netflix que. You won’t be sorry.
2) Chuck (NBC)
Here’s exactly when I knew that the second season of Chuck might be one of the best second seasons ever for a TV show: a plot about how Missile Command had actual codes to control a satellite buried on the game’s final screen and how Chuck needed to play along to Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” to make it to that screen made complete sense. And inspired some gut busting laughter in my little slice of Kensington. The writer’s strike that shut down production of the first season did wonders for Chuck, as co-creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak figured out how to make everything fit together on the series. The main plot of each episode (whatever bad guy is trying to control the world, etc.) now usually has a thematic link with the events at Chuck’s non-spy job, working at the Buy More. They also have squeezed in some top-notch guest stars. John Larroquette as a spy who was once the world's greatest lover and is now the world's biggest drunk, The O.C.’s Melinda Clarke as a Russian black widow and Morgan Fairchild and Bruce Boxleitner as Chuck’s sister’s future in laws. While stunt-casting has killed many a show, it works perfectly here. With such a large ensemble cast and so many different parts of Chuck's life to maintain plot-wise, there's never been much screen time to establish the one-shot characters. Having a Larroquette or a Clarke gives you a stronger sense of each character and helps fill in a lot of blanks. And as I said last year, any show with Adam Baldwin is always a good time.
1) Lost (ABC)
I’m running out of good things to say about this show, which rebounded in second half of season three and hit new peaks in season four. Giving the show’s writers a specific end date for the series was the best idea ever. Not every mystery has been answered (there’s at least 30 things I still don’t understand, some dating back to the freaking pilot) and I’m sure not all of them will. I don’t care. As long as we keep getting the twists and turns of the Oceanic Six and those left on the island for the next two years, I still won’t care. Well, I really would love a real answer about the polar bears on a tropical island.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Song of the Week 12/26/08
Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"
There's always one song that catches my ears when I'm down to the nitty gritty on the annual list. This time around it was this Fleet Foxes track. Damn it sound greated as I looked out at the Hudson while on the Amtrak upstate and back for Christmas. As fine a winter song as I've heard in many a year.
BONUS: Here's a live perf from Chicago.
There's always one song that catches my ears when I'm down to the nitty gritty on the annual list. This time around it was this Fleet Foxes track. Damn it sound greated as I looked out at the Hudson while on the Amtrak upstate and back for Christmas. As fine a winter song as I've heard in many a year.
BONUS: Here's a live perf from Chicago.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Song of the Week 12/19/08
Neil Young - "Powderfinger"
Eight years. Yes, it had been eight freaking years since I had seen Neil Young play an entire show (I did catch his Farm Aid set at New York's Randall's Island in 2007) without the baggage of CSN on stage. It's not that I haven't had the chance to do so. I boycotted the 2003-4 Greendale tour with Crazy Horse as there was no way I was spending money to watch him perform his worst album ever. And the ticket prices for last year's theater tour behind Chrome Dreams II were just too pricey. This time the temptation to go to Madison Square Garden was even greater with the bonus of Wilco as the opening act. I hemmed and hawed about going until my dearest friend April (who was tired of the hemming, hawing and complaining) finally said, "I can buy tickets for you as a birthday present." Since she had never seen Young, I felt okay letting her buy seats that were really expensive. Wilco did a great opening set, with Jeff Tweedy bringing out his son Spencer to play drums on "The Late Greats." It was the younger Tweedy's birthday, which certainly made that appearance the best birthday present ever. Then Young came out with his Electric Band (made up of a cast of characters from throughout his career) and cranked out a decent version of the Ragged Glory gem "Love and Only Love." As Young continued playing the hits I've seen many times before ("Hey Hey, My My," "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere") I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. I kept thinking "Crazy Horse did these songs better, I wish Crazy Horse was here." And then these opening lines rang out: "Look out mama, there's a white boat coming up a river." Instantly my doubts went away. I mean, I was seeing Neil freaking Young! Dude, this is fucking "Powderfinger!" This is awesome! The rest of the show was fantastic. It clocked in at over 2 and a half hours, which is the longest Neil show I've ever seen. And to prove that he's got some life in him yet, he mixed in nine new tunes. Alas most of them were subpar, yet it was great seeing an artist I respect taking a chance in "the World's Greatest Arena" by performing what basically was an entire unreleased album. It reminded me of the Neil shows I saw in the late '80s and early '90s where he would play songs that would end up on his next album. And considering the nostalgia trip I've been on during this trying year, that was alright with me.
Here's a nice chunk of "Powderfinger" from MSG on 12/16:
Eight years. Yes, it had been eight freaking years since I had seen Neil Young play an entire show (I did catch his Farm Aid set at New York's Randall's Island in 2007) without the baggage of CSN on stage. It's not that I haven't had the chance to do so. I boycotted the 2003-4 Greendale tour with Crazy Horse as there was no way I was spending money to watch him perform his worst album ever. And the ticket prices for last year's theater tour behind Chrome Dreams II were just too pricey. This time the temptation to go to Madison Square Garden was even greater with the bonus of Wilco as the opening act. I hemmed and hawed about going until my dearest friend April (who was tired of the hemming, hawing and complaining) finally said, "I can buy tickets for you as a birthday present." Since she had never seen Young, I felt okay letting her buy seats that were really expensive. Wilco did a great opening set, with Jeff Tweedy bringing out his son Spencer to play drums on "The Late Greats." It was the younger Tweedy's birthday, which certainly made that appearance the best birthday present ever. Then Young came out with his Electric Band (made up of a cast of characters from throughout his career) and cranked out a decent version of the Ragged Glory gem "Love and Only Love." As Young continued playing the hits I've seen many times before ("Hey Hey, My My," "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere") I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. I kept thinking "Crazy Horse did these songs better, I wish Crazy Horse was here." And then these opening lines rang out: "Look out mama, there's a white boat coming up a river." Instantly my doubts went away. I mean, I was seeing Neil freaking Young! Dude, this is fucking "Powderfinger!" This is awesome! The rest of the show was fantastic. It clocked in at over 2 and a half hours, which is the longest Neil show I've ever seen. And to prove that he's got some life in him yet, he mixed in nine new tunes. Alas most of them were subpar, yet it was great seeing an artist I respect taking a chance in "the World's Greatest Arena" by performing what basically was an entire unreleased album. It reminded me of the Neil shows I saw in the late '80s and early '90s where he would play songs that would end up on his next album. And considering the nostalgia trip I've been on during this trying year, that was alright with me.
Here's a nice chunk of "Powderfinger" from MSG on 12/16:
Friday, December 12, 2008
Song of the Week 12/12/08
Letters to Cleo - "Because of You"
Perhaps it's seeing that dreaded age of 40 coming up in less than 11 months, or just acting like more like an adult this entire year that has made me a fan of reunions. The latest reunion to hit the SOTW is Letters to Cleo. The band hadn't played together in over a decade (and I hadn't seen them in over 11), so I was rather excited when their gig at Bowery Ballroom on December 11th was announced. I let my old roommate and fellow huge fan Joe S. know immediately and we grabbed tickets. Once again, this was a reunion that did not disappoint. Kay Hanley might just be a better frontperson now than she was a decade ago. Her voice has a warmer tone nowadays, which made songs like "Co-Pilot" and "Awake" sound better than I remembered them. She seemed to work the crowd more easily, which she might have picked up having to entertain thousands of kids as one of Miley Cyrus's backup singers. (Um, and she has gotten hotter in the past 10 years too.) The rest of the band (minus original bassist Scott Riebling) now plays with more confidence in their own abilities and material. Drummer Stacy Jones (who happens to front a great band on his own called American Hi Fi) is just a monster behind the kit. And it wasn't just the great performances that made the night so much fun. It was the chance to reveal in the memories the band's music brought back (their 1997 album Go! was in heavy rotation at 288 5th avenue that year) and to catch up with some of the band's friends (like Jed and Pete from The Gravel Pit). Yeah, I guess getting old can be fun sometimes.
I'd like to give LTC guitarist USA Mike (Michael Eisenstein) the last word on the Bowery show with a post he left on the Kay Hanley message board:
"What a great night. I haven't done an official ranking, but that was in the top 10 (maybe 5) Cleo shows of all time."
I'd have to agree. Below you can see why. I love how Kay smiles as the crowd sings along:
Perhaps it's seeing that dreaded age of 40 coming up in less than 11 months, or just acting like more like an adult this entire year that has made me a fan of reunions. The latest reunion to hit the SOTW is Letters to Cleo. The band hadn't played together in over a decade (and I hadn't seen them in over 11), so I was rather excited when their gig at Bowery Ballroom on December 11th was announced. I let my old roommate and fellow huge fan Joe S. know immediately and we grabbed tickets. Once again, this was a reunion that did not disappoint. Kay Hanley might just be a better frontperson now than she was a decade ago. Her voice has a warmer tone nowadays, which made songs like "Co-Pilot" and "Awake" sound better than I remembered them. She seemed to work the crowd more easily, which she might have picked up having to entertain thousands of kids as one of Miley Cyrus's backup singers. (Um, and she has gotten hotter in the past 10 years too.) The rest of the band (minus original bassist Scott Riebling) now plays with more confidence in their own abilities and material. Drummer Stacy Jones (who happens to front a great band on his own called American Hi Fi) is just a monster behind the kit. And it wasn't just the great performances that made the night so much fun. It was the chance to reveal in the memories the band's music brought back (their 1997 album Go! was in heavy rotation at 288 5th avenue that year) and to catch up with some of the band's friends (like Jed and Pete from The Gravel Pit). Yeah, I guess getting old can be fun sometimes.
I'd like to give LTC guitarist USA Mike (Michael Eisenstein) the last word on the Bowery show with a post he left on the Kay Hanley message board:
"What a great night. I haven't done an official ranking, but that was in the top 10 (maybe 5) Cleo shows of all time."
I'd have to agree. Below you can see why. I love how Kay smiles as the crowd sings along:
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Song of the Week 12/5/08
Nada Surf - "Weightless"
I love how things can come full circle. Last October at Union Hall I saw Nada Surf play their first gig after finishing their fifth album Lucky. Monday night at Maxwell's I saw Nada Surf play the last show on their tour behind Lucky (which ended with a guy dressed as a chicken dancing on stage with band and their their crew). I saw them six times while they were supporting the album, and each gig had its own cool highlights. Both of the shows (I also saw them Saturday at Bowery Ballroom) this week featured a great crowd sing-a-long with "Weightless," which has grown to be one of my favorite tracks on Lucky. I couldn't find footage of that song at Bowery or Maxwell's, so Webster Hall will have to do:
BONUS: The band ran a contest for a fan to make the official video for "Weightless." And by this clip below, you can see why it won. Major label videos aren't ever this smart and creative:
I love how things can come full circle. Last October at Union Hall I saw Nada Surf play their first gig after finishing their fifth album Lucky. Monday night at Maxwell's I saw Nada Surf play the last show on their tour behind Lucky (which ended with a guy dressed as a chicken dancing on stage with band and their their crew). I saw them six times while they were supporting the album, and each gig had its own cool highlights. Both of the shows (I also saw them Saturday at Bowery Ballroom) this week featured a great crowd sing-a-long with "Weightless," which has grown to be one of my favorite tracks on Lucky. I couldn't find footage of that song at Bowery or Maxwell's, so Webster Hall will have to do:
BONUS: The band ran a contest for a fan to make the official video for "Weightless." And by this clip below, you can see why it won. Major label videos aren't ever this smart and creative:
Friday, November 28, 2008
Song of the Week 11/28/08
Kanye West - "Paranoid"
Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak is one of the most intriguing albums of the year. Its sound is reminiscent of the early 80s rap tracks that I loved growing up. That doesn't make it some sort of retro album. (The autotune all over West's "sung" vocals places it squarely in the early 21st century.) Its just that most of the backing tracks come off like cold and clinical electro music, as if Newcleus ("Jam On It") had returned as West's producer.
My favorite song so far is "Paranoid." I had planned on writing much more about this track, then I read the always interesting blogger Matthew Perpetua's piece on Fluxblog about the same song. And he summed it up much better than I ever could. So I'd suggesting checking out his entry.
One last thing: 808s & Heartbreak is not for everyone. I can't imagine to many folks wanting to hear a poorly sung rap equivalent of Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks. However, I encourage you to give it a chance. If you "get" this album, it will likely blow your mind and become one of your favorite discs of the year. I know that's the case with yours truly.
Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak is one of the most intriguing albums of the year. Its sound is reminiscent of the early 80s rap tracks that I loved growing up. That doesn't make it some sort of retro album. (The autotune all over West's "sung" vocals places it squarely in the early 21st century.) Its just that most of the backing tracks come off like cold and clinical electro music, as if Newcleus ("Jam On It") had returned as West's producer.
My favorite song so far is "Paranoid." I had planned on writing much more about this track, then I read the always interesting blogger Matthew Perpetua's piece on Fluxblog about the same song. And he summed it up much better than I ever could. So I'd suggesting checking out his entry.
One last thing: 808s & Heartbreak is not for everyone. I can't imagine to many folks wanting to hear a poorly sung rap equivalent of Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks. However, I encourage you to give it a chance. If you "get" this album, it will likely blow your mind and become one of your favorite discs of the year. I know that's the case with yours truly.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Song of the Week 11/21/08
Estelle featuring Kanye West - “American Boy”
For the first time in say, oh, eight years, I feel proud to be American. And I credit it all to U.K. singer Estelle and this song. Okay, maybe she doesn’t deserve all the credit. It did take until after our Presidential election for this bouncy and oh so hummable song to click in my mind. I heard it all throughout the summer but thought it was the last single from West’s Graduation, an album that didn’t really hold up for me after repeated listens. Then the first Saturday after the election I heard “American Boy” cranked in the NHL store in midtown Manhattan. Standing there next to a batch of Sidney Crosby jerseys the lines “I just met this 5 foot 7 guy who's just my type/Like the way he speak here, his confidence is peaking” and “Take me to your hood/I neva been to Brooklyn and I'd like to see what's good” hooked me. She’s a very attractive singer (who has an English accent, which always slays me) proclaiming she likes guys from the good ol’ U S of A. How could you not like this song? I finally broke down and downloaded it Saturday afternoon. If we’re lucky, perhaps Estelle will lead a cultural revolution around the globe that makes us American boys seem just slightly less evil than we look right now to the rest of the planet.
For the first time in say, oh, eight years, I feel proud to be American. And I credit it all to U.K. singer Estelle and this song. Okay, maybe she doesn’t deserve all the credit. It did take until after our Presidential election for this bouncy and oh so hummable song to click in my mind. I heard it all throughout the summer but thought it was the last single from West’s Graduation, an album that didn’t really hold up for me after repeated listens. Then the first Saturday after the election I heard “American Boy” cranked in the NHL store in midtown Manhattan. Standing there next to a batch of Sidney Crosby jerseys the lines “I just met this 5 foot 7 guy who's just my type/Like the way he speak here, his confidence is peaking” and “Take me to your hood/I neva been to Brooklyn and I'd like to see what's good” hooked me. She’s a very attractive singer (who has an English accent, which always slays me) proclaiming she likes guys from the good ol’ U S of A. How could you not like this song? I finally broke down and downloaded it Saturday afternoon. If we’re lucky, perhaps Estelle will lead a cultural revolution around the globe that makes us American boys seem just slightly less evil than we look right now to the rest of the planet.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Song of the Week 11/14/08
Tom Petty - "I Won't Back Down"
I wanted to have an appropriate song to open up Groinstrong-a-thong last night. I think these lyrics prove why it was the perfect choice.
"Well I won't back down, no I won't back down
You could stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down
Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won't back down
(I won’t back down) Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(I won’t back down) Hey I will stand my ground
And I won't back down"
We all love you Jonah. (And apparently we all love raffles too.)
I wanted to have an appropriate song to open up Groinstrong-a-thong last night. I think these lyrics prove why it was the perfect choice.
"Well I won't back down, no I won't back down
You could stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down
Gonna stand my ground, won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won't back down
(I won’t back down) Hey baby, there ain't no easy way out
(I won’t back down) Hey I will stand my ground
And I won't back down"
We all love you Jonah. (And apparently we all love raffles too.)
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Song of the Week 11/7/08
The Replacements - "Election Day"
Last week I finally got the reissues of the Mats final four albums (Tim, Pleased to Meet Me, Don't Tell a Soul and All Shook Down). This new Pleased to Meet Me disc includes "Election Day," a track first issued on the 1997 compilation All for Nothing/Nothing for All. For some reason I listened to it a lot Monday and Tuesday. I wonder why...
Last week I finally got the reissues of the Mats final four albums (Tim, Pleased to Meet Me, Don't Tell a Soul and All Shook Down). This new Pleased to Meet Me disc includes "Election Day," a track first issued on the 1997 compilation All for Nothing/Nothing for All. For some reason I listened to it a lot Monday and Tuesday. I wonder why...
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Song of the Week 10/31/08
Paul Westerberg - "Love Untold" (Live)
I need to send props out to my friend Mike for sending me the link to the Westerberg boot this track comes from. It's a concert at Fantasy Studios in San Francisco broadcast on KFOG on September 12th, 1996. And this version of "Love Untold," originally on 1996's Eventually, crackles with an energy that makes me think Westerberg was going through his own dose of unrequited love at the time. Westerberg even changes the lyrics to a couple of lines. "They were gonna meet on a crummy little street/It never came to be I'm told" becomes "I'm too old" and "We were gonna meet on a crummy little street" becomes "We were gonna meet but it never came to be," with Westerberg yelling "too bad" right after the line is done.
Just another tremendous performance in a career filled with them. (With additional props to the smoking band that includes guitarist Tommy Keene and drummer Michael Bland. That was a great group.) Download it now. In fact, download the whole damn show while you can.
BONUS: Here's video of the first time I ever saw Westerberg perform the song, at Irving Plaza in New York in July of 1996.
I need to send props out to my friend Mike for sending me the link to the Westerberg boot this track comes from. It's a concert at Fantasy Studios in San Francisco broadcast on KFOG on September 12th, 1996. And this version of "Love Untold," originally on 1996's Eventually, crackles with an energy that makes me think Westerberg was going through his own dose of unrequited love at the time. Westerberg even changes the lyrics to a couple of lines. "They were gonna meet on a crummy little street/It never came to be I'm told" becomes "I'm too old" and "We were gonna meet on a crummy little street" becomes "We were gonna meet but it never came to be," with Westerberg yelling "too bad" right after the line is done.
Just another tremendous performance in a career filled with them. (With additional props to the smoking band that includes guitarist Tommy Keene and drummer Michael Bland. That was a great group.) Download it now. In fact, download the whole damn show while you can.
BONUS: Here's video of the first time I ever saw Westerberg perform the song, at Irving Plaza in New York in July of 1996.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Song of the Week 10/24/08
The Temptations - "Shakey Ground"
I've spent much of this month listening to New York's oldies station CBS-FM. Perhaps its just a function of another birthday rolling around and I feel like reveling in my past. Or maybe I didn't want to sit through another WFUV fund drive. Then again, maybe I just didn't want to listen to baseball on the radio done by people not named Howie Rose.
Whatever the reason, I woke up one night to hear "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and it struck me that I haven't owned a single Motown album (and only a couple of tracks scattered on some compilations) since I scored a major case of burnout on all their acts in the early 90s. "Papa" sounded so good that night I realized I needed to get that song again. And while I was at it, I decided to download all of The Tempts greatest hits.
As I was scrolling through the various song selections last Thursday, I stumbled upon "Shakey Ground." I didn't even realize that this funky gem from 1975 (which I remember hearing on WGY-AM growing up) was a Temptations song. Damn, what a killer track. I love re-discovering songs from my past.
I've spent much of this month listening to New York's oldies station CBS-FM. Perhaps its just a function of another birthday rolling around and I feel like reveling in my past. Or maybe I didn't want to sit through another WFUV fund drive. Then again, maybe I just didn't want to listen to baseball on the radio done by people not named Howie Rose.
Whatever the reason, I woke up one night to hear "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" and it struck me that I haven't owned a single Motown album (and only a couple of tracks scattered on some compilations) since I scored a major case of burnout on all their acts in the early 90s. "Papa" sounded so good that night I realized I needed to get that song again. And while I was at it, I decided to download all of The Tempts greatest hits.
As I was scrolling through the various song selections last Thursday, I stumbled upon "Shakey Ground." I didn't even realize that this funky gem from 1975 (which I remember hearing on WGY-AM growing up) was a Temptations song. Damn, what a killer track. I love re-discovering songs from my past.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Song of the Week 10/17/08
The Figgs - "The Loner"
Another Figgs show, another amazing take on Neil Young's "The Loner." So this gives me an excuse to post the video of the first time I saw them tackle it.
Quite simply, fucking awesome. And yes, the guitarist Mike Gent does dedicate it to me at the end.
Another Figgs show, another amazing take on Neil Young's "The Loner." So this gives me an excuse to post the video of the first time I saw them tackle it.
Quite simply, fucking awesome. And yes, the guitarist Mike Gent does dedicate it to me at the end.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Song of the Week 10/10/08
At the 2006 Austin City Limits Music Festival I got my first exposure to Okkervil River. In the 100 degree heat at Zilker Park my friend Stacy said, "We should stop and watch some of Okkervil River." Even though I was wilting, I agreed. The second song we saw them do was "The President's Dead." I was immediately hooked by this tale about how a simple and beautiful day in someone's life become memorable because of an assassination of a world leader. I found the song online once I got back to New York and it started me on my path to Okkervil River fandom.
Flash forward two years--I saw Okkervill River twice in the space of 9 days, the first at ACL and the second time time Tuesday night at Webster Hall here in New York. Frontman Will Sheff opened this show up with a song that used "The President's Dead" music, but with some decidedly darker lyrics: "The President's alive. I see his face on FOX 5. My friends I feel so terrified." However, "The President's Alive" isn't about our current ineffective leader. The lyrics go on to mention "The Vice standing by" with "just one tear in her eye." To open up a show with this song, on the night of second presidential debate, well, damn, it was pretty powerful. And got me hooked on Okkervill River all over again.
BONUS: This week's song title links will take you to some cool live recordings. "The President's Dead" links to a recording from the very first time I saw Okkervill River play in 2006, while "the President's Alive" links to the very first performance of "The President's Alive" in Richmond, Virginia on October 4th. Click here to get a free download of the studio version of "The President's Dead."
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Song of the Week 10/3/08
Death Cab For Cutie - "The Sound of Settling"
Simple SOTW addition:
A random WFUV playlist on my trip back into Brooklyn Saturday night
+
The shuffle setting on the Union Hall iPod Saturday night
+
Seeing Death Cab for Cutie do a kicking version of it during a kicking show last night at Radio City
=
SOTW.
I wish all math was that easy.
Simple SOTW addition:
A random WFUV playlist on my trip back into Brooklyn Saturday night
+
The shuffle setting on the Union Hall iPod Saturday night
+
Seeing Death Cab for Cutie do a kicking version of it during a kicking show last night at Radio City
=
SOTW.
I wish all math was that easy.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Co-Songs of the Week 9/26/08
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - "Kodachrome"
Talking Heads - "Houses in Motion"
Ah, Austin in September. The Austin City Limits Music Festival. (Known in these and other parts as ACL.) Three days of sun, fun and great music in beautiful Zilker Park. My third year of the attending the fest was just as great as the first two trips. I saw 19 artists perform during the festival, most of it really good. If I had to pick the Top 5 performances, I would go with Okkervill River, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, What Made Milwaukee Famous and one of this week's SOTW performers, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. I knew that the Bright Eyes frontman was keeping away from doing songs from that catalog on this solo tour, yet I didn't expect his hour-long set to be just focused on his self-titled album, one new song and one tremendous cover. When Oberst and company broke into the 1973 Paul Simon solo hit, I started chuckling. It seemed that most of the crowd at the AT&T stage had never even heard the song. There were a few pockets of people dancing--and I could tell those folks were probably my age or a bit older. No matter, Conor kicked some serious ass. I really hope that cover ends up being one of the track released when the ACL live recordings come to iTunes next month. Check it out for yourself:
Now David Byrne and his band did a great set at ACL as the sun was setting on the first day of the festival, but it paled in comparison to seeing him at the very tiny Paramount Theater the night before the festival opened. My Austin friend (and place-to-crash supplier these past three years) Stacy couldn't make the first day of ACL due to work, so we decided to take the plunge and get tix for this ACL aftershow...that was before ACL. Huh? In any case, it was a very wise decision. Byrne is touring behind his great new collaboration with Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, and his set consists only of songs he wrote with Eno. (Or, in the case of the Al Green cover "Take Me to the River," Eno produced.) I am a huge fan of the Jonathan Demme-directed Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, which takes simple staging and brings it to another level. Byrne's current show feels like an extension of all of that. The entire band is dressed in white and are supplemented by three dancers. And these dancers are tremendous. The choreography during the songs (I'd say about 75% of the set features the dancers) adds an extra dimension to the old Heads classics and the strong new material. Go see this show when it comes to your town. I promised you won't be disappointed. Check out one of the dancers in action:
And here you can check out what I thought was the best song of both Byrne sets I saw, "Houses in Motion" from Remain in Light:
Another great time in Austin (and Lockhart for some great bbq). I already have my tickets set for next year.
BONUS: Okkervill River were just so much fun, and I was very pleased to see this video for "Lost Coastlines" when I returned to the old grind:
Talking Heads - "Houses in Motion"
Ah, Austin in September. The Austin City Limits Music Festival. (Known in these and other parts as ACL.) Three days of sun, fun and great music in beautiful Zilker Park. My third year of the attending the fest was just as great as the first two trips. I saw 19 artists perform during the festival, most of it really good. If I had to pick the Top 5 performances, I would go with Okkervill River, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, What Made Milwaukee Famous and one of this week's SOTW performers, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. I knew that the Bright Eyes frontman was keeping away from doing songs from that catalog on this solo tour, yet I didn't expect his hour-long set to be just focused on his self-titled album, one new song and one tremendous cover. When Oberst and company broke into the 1973 Paul Simon solo hit, I started chuckling. It seemed that most of the crowd at the AT&T stage had never even heard the song. There were a few pockets of people dancing--and I could tell those folks were probably my age or a bit older. No matter, Conor kicked some serious ass. I really hope that cover ends up being one of the track released when the ACL live recordings come to iTunes next month. Check it out for yourself:
Now David Byrne and his band did a great set at ACL as the sun was setting on the first day of the festival, but it paled in comparison to seeing him at the very tiny Paramount Theater the night before the festival opened. My Austin friend (and place-to-crash supplier these past three years) Stacy couldn't make the first day of ACL due to work, so we decided to take the plunge and get tix for this ACL aftershow...that was before ACL. Huh? In any case, it was a very wise decision. Byrne is touring behind his great new collaboration with Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, and his set consists only of songs he wrote with Eno. (Or, in the case of the Al Green cover "Take Me to the River," Eno produced.) I am a huge fan of the Jonathan Demme-directed Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, which takes simple staging and brings it to another level. Byrne's current show feels like an extension of all of that. The entire band is dressed in white and are supplemented by three dancers. And these dancers are tremendous. The choreography during the songs (I'd say about 75% of the set features the dancers) adds an extra dimension to the old Heads classics and the strong new material. Go see this show when it comes to your town. I promised you won't be disappointed. Check out one of the dancers in action:
And here you can check out what I thought was the best song of both Byrne sets I saw, "Houses in Motion" from Remain in Light:
Another great time in Austin (and Lockhart for some great bbq). I already have my tickets set for next year.
BONUS: Okkervill River were just so much fun, and I was very pleased to see this video for "Lost Coastlines" when I returned to the old grind:
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Song of the Week 9/19/08
Old 97's - "Designs on You"
I love when a playlist I made over 2 years ago brings up a song I had totally forgotten about. "Designs on You" is a great track buried towards the end of Satellite Rides. The narrator is a guy who just can't help but say the truth to a woman (Annette) who's about to get hitched. As I was on the F train at 7:30 a.m. Sunday it totally hit the spot--and probably kept me awake too damn long once I got home.
I love when a playlist I made over 2 years ago brings up a song I had totally forgotten about. "Designs on You" is a great track buried towards the end of Satellite Rides. The narrator is a guy who just can't help but say the truth to a woman (Annette) who's about to get hitched. As I was on the F train at 7:30 a.m. Sunday it totally hit the spot--and probably kept me awake too damn long once I got home.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Song of the Week 9/12/08
The Zombies - "Care of Cell 44"
It's been a Zombies' couple of weeks here at the ol' Reynolds office in Brooklyn. Moria the concert pal and I went to benefit concert headlined by Nada Surf a couple of weeks ago. Sam Champion was also on the bill, and they did a cover of the Odessey and Oracle track "This Will be Our Year." I hadn't heard the original--and considering the concert pal was seriously considering it as her future wedding song--so I needed to borrow a copy of the album from someone at the office posthaste. And damn, Odessey and Oracle definitely lives up to all the critical kudos its gotten. What a pop masterpiece. And I may steal Moria's wedding song idea when I get hitched. (Sorry MM.)
Thursday night I stopped by Sample to see two of my good friends, Heather and Vanessa, have a beer or two, and give each of them a copy of a certain singer's new album. As I sat down a song came on that sounded familiar. It was Susanna Hoffs singing, yet it wasn't The Bangles. By the second time Vanessa had played the song (and jumped around while it was playing) I had to know what it was. She explained it was Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet covering The Zombies "Care of Cell 44." That's when it all made sense. I owned that Sweet and Hoffs album Under the Covers Vol. 1, and I had just been listening to that Zombies track Thursday morning on the F train.
Mystery solved--Song of the Week found.
It's been a Zombies' couple of weeks here at the ol' Reynolds office in Brooklyn. Moria the concert pal and I went to benefit concert headlined by Nada Surf a couple of weeks ago. Sam Champion was also on the bill, and they did a cover of the Odessey and Oracle track "This Will be Our Year." I hadn't heard the original--and considering the concert pal was seriously considering it as her future wedding song--so I needed to borrow a copy of the album from someone at the office posthaste. And damn, Odessey and Oracle definitely lives up to all the critical kudos its gotten. What a pop masterpiece. And I may steal Moria's wedding song idea when I get hitched. (Sorry MM.)
Thursday night I stopped by Sample to see two of my good friends, Heather and Vanessa, have a beer or two, and give each of them a copy of a certain singer's new album. As I sat down a song came on that sounded familiar. It was Susanna Hoffs singing, yet it wasn't The Bangles. By the second time Vanessa had played the song (and jumped around while it was playing) I had to know what it was. She explained it was Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet covering The Zombies "Care of Cell 44." That's when it all made sense. I owned that Sweet and Hoffs album Under the Covers Vol. 1, and I had just been listening to that Zombies track Thursday morning on the F train.
Mystery solved--Song of the Week found.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Song of the Week 9/5/08
Okkervil River - "Lost Coastlines"
It's not often I'll use the Song of the Week to plug an album, but the The Stand Ins by Okkervil River is worth making an exception. It's the third brilliant disc in a row (after 2005's Black Sheep Boy and 2007's The Stage Names) from frontman Will Sheff and company. It's a continuation of the themes Sheff explored on The Stage Names -- namely the life of a performer, either as a movie star or a rock star. (Or, as one caustic track on The Stand Ins explores, a "Singer Songwriter.") Sheff is by far the best lyricist in rock today (might have been that schooling at Macalester in St. Paul, I'm not sure). Each song is a compelling, funny, sometimes heartbreaking, yet always tautly constructed short story. "Lost Coastlines" is ostensibly about a crew departing on a ship, yet it's a great metaphor for a band leaving on what looks to be a hard slog of a tour. ("Leaving behind/All the faces that I might replace if I tried/on that long ride/Looking deep inside/but I don't want to look so deep inside yet.") And recently departed keyboardist-vocalist Jonathan Meiburg makes a great counterpoint to Sheff's distinctive off-kilt delivery with a smooth baritone that takes two verses. A fantastic lead off song from one of the (if not the) best albums of the year. I suggest you pick it up now. I can't wait to see them in their hometown of Austin in three weeks.
BONUS: Okkervil River got their friends to "stand in" on The Stand Ins by covering all the album's songs. They filmed each friend's performance and posted them on their YouTube channel. And damn, it's a totally great idea. This take on "Lost Coastlines" find The New Pornographers' A.C. Newman taking Sheff's vocal while Sheff himself slides right into Meiburg's part:
It's not often I'll use the Song of the Week to plug an album, but the The Stand Ins by Okkervil River is worth making an exception. It's the third brilliant disc in a row (after 2005's Black Sheep Boy and 2007's The Stage Names) from frontman Will Sheff and company. It's a continuation of the themes Sheff explored on The Stage Names -- namely the life of a performer, either as a movie star or a rock star. (Or, as one caustic track on The Stand Ins explores, a "Singer Songwriter.") Sheff is by far the best lyricist in rock today (might have been that schooling at Macalester in St. Paul, I'm not sure). Each song is a compelling, funny, sometimes heartbreaking, yet always tautly constructed short story. "Lost Coastlines" is ostensibly about a crew departing on a ship, yet it's a great metaphor for a band leaving on what looks to be a hard slog of a tour. ("Leaving behind/All the faces that I might replace if I tried/on that long ride/Looking deep inside/but I don't want to look so deep inside yet.") And recently departed keyboardist-vocalist Jonathan Meiburg makes a great counterpoint to Sheff's distinctive off-kilt delivery with a smooth baritone that takes two verses. A fantastic lead off song from one of the (if not the) best albums of the year. I suggest you pick it up now. I can't wait to see them in their hometown of Austin in three weeks.
BONUS: Okkervil River got their friends to "stand in" on The Stand Ins by covering all the album's songs. They filmed each friend's performance and posted them on their YouTube channel. And damn, it's a totally great idea. This take on "Lost Coastlines" find The New Pornographers' A.C. Newman taking Sheff's vocal while Sheff himself slides right into Meiburg's part:
Monday, September 01, 2008
Song of the Week 8/29/08
Neil Young - "The Loner"
It would be more factually correct to make the artist for this Song of the Week The Figgs, but no one has posted a YouTube clip of their mind-blowing version of this song they broke out at the Knitting Factory Friday night. I didn't expect it at all, which made it even more incredible. It had to be one of the Top 5 moments I've ever experienced at a Figgs show. (And there have been over 80 shows now.) Mike Gent, Pete Donnelly and Pete Hayes just rocked the hell out of it, while keyboardist Scott Janovitz absolutely nailed the keyboard parts that Young discarded after he recorded the song for his 1969 self-titled solo debut.
I don't know what else to write. It was one of those rock moments that can probably never be duplicated. I don't even remember the two songs they played afterwards.
BONUS 1: Here is Neil tackling the song earlier this year in Amsterdam.
BONUS 2: My friend Eric went with me to the show, and he knew how mind-blowing it was for me to see my favorite ever band do a song by my favorite ever solo artist. Below he chimes in with his own review from the Holland Tunnel.
It would be more factually correct to make the artist for this Song of the Week The Figgs, but no one has posted a YouTube clip of their mind-blowing version of this song they broke out at the Knitting Factory Friday night. I didn't expect it at all, which made it even more incredible. It had to be one of the Top 5 moments I've ever experienced at a Figgs show. (And there have been over 80 shows now.) Mike Gent, Pete Donnelly and Pete Hayes just rocked the hell out of it, while keyboardist Scott Janovitz absolutely nailed the keyboard parts that Young discarded after he recorded the song for his 1969 self-titled solo debut.
I don't know what else to write. It was one of those rock moments that can probably never be duplicated. I don't even remember the two songs they played afterwards.
BONUS 1: Here is Neil tackling the song earlier this year in Amsterdam.
BONUS 2: My friend Eric went with me to the show, and he knew how mind-blowing it was for me to see my favorite ever band do a song by my favorite ever solo artist. Below he chimes in with his own review from the Holland Tunnel.
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