It's not often I really connect with someone I interview. Ingrid Michaelson is one of the very few exceptions. I spoke with her last fall when her song "The Way I Am" was going up the charts and within minutes we were cracking each other up like old friends. She came by the day job this week to talk about her new single and upcoming EP called Be Ok, and within a minute we were bantering like a longtime morning drive show. I don't usually dig this kind of music, but knowing that there's such a cool person behind it somehow removes that barrier. "Be Ok" is wickedly catchy and is done in under 2:30, which plants it right in my wheelhouse. And part of the proceeds will go to Stand Up 2 Cancer. So basically you'd have to be an asshole not to dig this song, which you can check out a live version below recorded earlier this month.
I love hearing songs wildly out of context in a public place. The latest example? Today I walked in the Chipotle on 48th street, saw the line was wicked long, turned around and got five steps before I stopped and realized that "God's Comic" was playing. I actually laughed out loud before I walked back out onto the street.
And now I've had the damn song in my head all afternoon. It certainly was one of my favorites in the spring and summer of 1989 when I worked at my college station, which is kind of ironic (in the Alanis Morissette kind of way) for a guy who didn't believe in God then and still doesn't now.
I wish Old 97's had done more songs from Satellite Rides Friday night at Webster Hall. (And I wish they didn't do that horrible electric arrangement of "Question," but I've been wary of RhettMiller's song and arrangement judgement for a few years now so I shouldn't have been surprised.) At least they did "Rollerskate Skinny," my second favorite song on the album. The way Miller screams the line "I believe in love, but it don't believe in meeeeee" has always slayed me.
Really, that re-arrangement of "Question" has almost ruined the song for me as much as the version Miller recorded for his crappy second solo album. Check it out for yourself:
Here's a simple explanation for this SOTW--I had a dream with this song in it Tuesday night. Then Thursday morning I heard this song. Can't remember anything about the dream, except that this song was playing the entire time. I brought the album into work Friday to rip "Essence" into my iTunes, and it was already in there. I had no idea it was--I don't recall ever ripping it in when I first got my iTunes off the ground 3 and 1/2 years ago.
This past week I went in for my second stint of jury duty in Brooklyn--and once again I got picked. In 2003 I served two weeks on a murder trial. Fortunately this time it was a civil case that got settled before we went into the courtroom. And each time I walked to the building I found myself singing the first single from the new Hold Steady effort. It's another great slab of (I almost hate to write this phrase but I will) Springsteen-esque rock with frontman Craig Finn spinning the tale of a guy being questioned by the cops. It was the perfect antidote to being wrapped up in the clutches of our jurisprudence system.
On the plus side, I don't have to go to jury duty for another eight years. By that point society might have broken down completely and vigilante justice will rule. Woo-hoo!
The Black Crowes - "Locust Street" I've always been a sucker for the slower entries in the Crowes catalog. "Thorn in My Pride" from The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion, "Miracle to Me" from Lions and especially "Wiser Time" from Amorica all received multiple plays from yours truly. ("Wiser Time" must have been on every mix tape I made in the second half of 1994.) I learned that Warpaint had two great ballads when earlier this year I had to produce an album premiere special. We didn't play "Locust Street" in that special, but hearing the song four times last week on WFUV sure makes me wish we had.
BONUS: Here's the Crows playing the song live for the first time in Sayreville, New Jersey.
Full disclosure: yours truly wrote the bio for the debut album from The Baseball Project, and even if I didn't I would still say it is one of my favorite albums of the year. Check out the band's blog (and Myspace) and listen to the entire album here. A fan of baseball or good catchy rock music needs a copy of it in their collection.
And since I wrote the bio (and it says everything I could say about such a fantastic album) I'm going to reprint it here:
What happens when two great songwriters decide to focus their talents upon their favorite sport? You get the highly entertaining debut disc from The Baseball Project, Volume One: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails. The album is the brainchild of Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3) and Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, Minus 5, and R.E.M). The two musicians were longtime fans of each other's work throughout the 80s but never met until the early 90s. Wynn recalls, "I honestly think the first time we met was side-by-side at the urinals at the Offramp in Seattle when I played there in 1992." He adds, "Scott didn't try to shake my hand."
After that fortuitous (and sanitary) meeting, the pair quickly discovered that they were both huge baseball fans. The two casually talked about an album of baseball material for a few years, but the idea for The Baseball Project crystallized at a chance meeting in 2007.
"It finally took flight at the R.E.M. pre-Hall of Fame induction party in New York," Wynn remembers. "Everyone was happy. The wine was flowing, the food was incredible and spring training had just started. Scott and I talked baseball until most of the party guests had cleared out. And we actually remembered it the next day."
Soon the pair started working on songs extolling the feats and defeats of players like Curt Flood, Satchel Paige, Ted Williams, and Black Jack McDowell, and convened last December at McCaughey's home in Portland. After a none-too-strenuous week of writing, refining, and rehearsing with Wynn's Miracle 3 drummer Linda Pitmon, they headed into Jackpot! Studios with producer/engineer Adam Selzer (M. Ward, Norfolk & Western), and were soon joined by longtime partner-in-crime Peter Buck.
The end result is an album that impresses not only with its depth of both widely known and obscure baseball lore, but with its melodic sensibility, walls of guitars, and catchy choruses. No, Frozen Ropes & Dying Quails does not require a PhD in pitching mechanics or membership in three fantasy leagues to enjoy on a purely musical level. The joyous chorus of "Ted Fucking Williams" would probably compel Babe Ruth to sing along. "Broken Man" is about slugger Mark McGwire, yet anyone can identify with the semi-tragic tale of being built up and then being humiliated in public in such a brief span of time. And in "Jackie's Lament", Mr. Robinson's trials while breaking baseball's color barrier become an anthemic call to anyone who overcomes life's obstacles.
McCaughey and Wynn admit that the inherent task of including so many names, dates and places required a different mindset than the standard three minute pop gem. McCaughey credits drummer (and Minnesota Twins fan) Linda Pitmon's "keen ear for editing" as a big help in keeping the songs from getting too encyclopedic or list-oriented. He adds, "It wasn't hard to find the inspiration for the songs, but it was hard to fit in the all the lyrics necessary to tell the stories. It really helped to keep the music fairly simple."
Wynn cites "Harvey Haddix" as perhaps the most difficult song to finish. The track makes the case for the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher to be credited with a perfect game (no hits, no base runners over nine innings) after he lost one in the 13th inning. The chorus names all 17 pitchers in history that are officially recognized with the rare feat--alas, the names of Randy Johnson, Addie Joss and Dennis Martinez aren't really found in rhyming dictionaries. Wynn explains, "It was like lyrical Sudoku. We had to somehow fit in all 17 pitchers. The last piece of the puzzle was a visit to Wikipedia and finding that Catfish Hunter threw his for the A's--I knew that already--and that Len Barker threw his against the Blue Jays. I didn't know that, and a natural rhyme was born!"
Wynn and McCaughey also take time to pay tribute to their favorite baseball players of all time. McCaughey's "Sometimes I Dream of Willie Mays" blends personal memories of his hero into a psychedelic time-warp. For Wynn, "Long Before My Time" marks the amazing career of Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax, who quit at his peak in 1966. Wynn says, "He had such an incredible five year run and then he just walked away. He was in the Hall of Fame at an age where most players are renegotiating their contract."
Both Wynn and McCaughey's love of baseball and its legendary players made its way sporadically into songs during their distinguished careers. The Young Fresh Fellows named-checked Seattle Mariners slugger Gorman Thomas on "Aurora Bridge" from 1986's Refreshments, while Wynn tipped his cap to Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial in his 1990 solo hit "Kerosene Man."
Wynn also penned the closing song for the 2005 baseball romantic comedy Fever Pitch. "I wrote 'Second Best' when Fever Pitch was meant to be about the futility of being a Red Sox fan," he explains. "The hook line was 'Why do I settle for second best, why is everything a test, just this once can't nice guys finish first and break this curse of always second best.' Then they won the World Series. Maybe I should take credit."
With Volume One in the album title, the question begs to be asked, is there more to come? "It seems inevitable," McCaughey says. "After all, we haven't written songs about (Seattle Mariners star) Ichiro or (innovative owner) Bill Veeck yet." Wynn adds, "Or (the one time midget pitch hitter) Eddie Gaedel!"
BONUS: Here's Scott, Steve, Linda and Peter on Letterman June 20th.
Since Wednesday night I've been listening to 101.1 WCBS-FM's A to Z countdown. They've been playing tons of songs I haven't heard in ages. Yesterday, as my Most Productive Holiday Weekend Ever [(C) 2008] continued, I started my long term project of dubbing over all my cassettes into digital files. This morning I was dubbing over an 80s Artists Only I did with my friend (and current Zisk co-editor) Mike Faloon on 92 WICB in May 1991. At the same time I was listening to CBS-FM in my living room while cooking breakfast. As "Take On Me" came on, I decided to go into my bedroom to see how much was left on one side of the tape. I turned the speakers up--and "Take On Me" was coming out of the computer. I did a doubletake, and realized that the "Take On Me" on the cassette was about :30 seconds ahead of the version coming out of the living room speakers.
It’s rare when I can say this about a band, especially an act who I’ve been a devoted fan of for 23 years:
Thursday’s R.E.M. show at Madison Square Garden was the best I’ve ever seen them.
Ever.
You might ask, "Why do you feel this way after 20 years of seeing them perform?" Well, I would reply that the set list was about as diverse as I’ve ever witnessed. The band finally seems comfortable without Bill Berry behind the drum kit. (Bill Rieflin is the second best Bill the band has ever had.) Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck looked like they actually enjoyed each other’s company and were having a terrific time going through their past (“Harborcoat?” “Disturbance at the heron House?” OMFG!) and their present (“Living Well’s the Best Revenge” from the great Accelerate is a quintessential set opener). And my friend and fellow baseball fanatic Scott McCaughey was his typical cheery on stage self. (Not as much bouncing as usual this time, but it's because he has a lot more to do this tour.)
Oh, and it might have helped that I had 5th row seats.
(The view from said seats via Molly’s iPhone)
There are times where I am way past my job being cool. (Well, pretty much the entire time at this point. I mean Coldplay walked around my office today and I was just annoyed.) Having someone the R.E.M. office calling me 2 hours before showtime to offer a last-minute pair of free tickets that ended up being that good? Holy shit, that is fucking cool.
It’s been five days since the show and I’m still listening to R.E.M. albums every day on my commute. It feels like a rebirth of my love of this band from Athens, Georgia. They’ve played such a huge part in my life from the moment I got to college. One of my first memories of Ithaca is buying Document (on CD--woo woo!) the day it came out at the college bookstore just after having my first classes. I waited out in a cold line for tickets for the Green tour with a bunch of friends. I was honored to be the first person to play “Losing My Religion” fresh out off the Fed Ex package. (And I’m sure there’s other stuff as well, but there are only so many brain cells left.) There have been times over the past few days when I’ve felt like that brash kid who was into radio all over again.
Sigh.
Anyways, on to the Song of the Week. “Ignoreland” has always been the stepchild of the mostly downbeat Automatic for the People. It’s got loud guitars, a funky clavinet part and sounds distinctly out of place next to “Monty Got a Raw Deal” and “Star Me Kitten.” Michael Stipe spits out the lyrics about the Reagan/Bush 1 era as co-producer Scott Litt makes Stipe’s voice sound as if it’s being broadcast over distorted speakers at the world’s largest political rally. It’s a song that would fit snugly on Life’s Rich Pageant or Document, yet the band never played it live until this tour. And my oh my, it really was a treat to see and hear. Stipe’s biting words are still applicable 16 years later:
“These bastards stole their power from the victims of the us v. them years, Wrecking all things virtuous and true. The undermining social democratic downhill slide into abysmal Lost lamb off the precipice into the trickle down runoff pool. They hypnotized the summer, nineteen seventy-nine. Marched into the capital brooding duplicitous, wicked and able, media-ready, Heartless, and labeled. super U.S.. citizen, super achiever, Mega ultra power dosing. relax. Defense, defense, defense, defense. yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. ignoreland. yeah, yeah, yeah. ignoreland.”
Perhaps it’s best that R.E.M. waited until now to play “Ignoreland.” The track fits in with the political motif that runs through most of Accelerate and the songs that filled out the MSG set. (“These Days” was just phenomenal.) R.E.M. will be back just in time for the fall elections and hopefully the cries of “Ignoreland” won’t be needed after November 4th.
BONUS: Here’s the set list, with as many YouTube selections as I could dig up.
“Living Well is the Best Revenge”
“These Days”
“What’s the Frequency Kenneth”
“Bad Day”
“Drive”
“Hollow Man”
“Ignoreland” (Alas, its from Chicago, not NYC, but needs to be heard/seen live)
I'm hatching a new project this fall, and "The Waiting" is a part of it (I hope). So I've been listening to the live version from Pack Up the Plantation quite a bit over the past few days. Sunday I'm at the second game of an unexpected doubleheader at Shea and the people who run the music decide to play this song (the studio version) as we waited for a Texas Rangers relief pitcher was warming up.
The live version below is tremendous. I love Petty's lengthy intro:
Death Cab's new album Narrow Stairs is easily one of my favorite discs of the year. Ben Gibbard and company have created an album that serves the many moods of Steve--happy ("Long Division"); sad ("The Ice Is Getting Thinner"): contemplative (yeah, it happens) ("Bixby Canyon Bridge"); Beach Boys-esque ("You Can Do Better Than Me") and finally poppy, which brings us to "No Sunlight." It's a perfect pop composition--great quick piano and guitar riffs, two instantly-memorable choruses ("in sunlight" and "no sunlight"), a head-bobbing bridge that comes around twice and it all clocks in at a brisk 2:40. I kind of hope "No Sunlight" doesn't become a single. It would be nice to have a favorite song on an album not be sullied by radio play.
You know what? I'm going to listen to the song for the sixth time today. I suggest you do the same.
Wow, what a fun night of Yacht Rock at Union Hall. Hearing my friend Jed Parish sing this song live with Joe McGinty of Loser's Lounge was awesome. And then seeing Yacht Rock co-creator JD Ryznar do a William Shatner-esque take during the Hawl and OatzSoftRock Karaoke was fantastic.
Note to self: DO NOT listen to this song if again you happen to be walking through a neighborhood you haven't been to in a while, and you haven't been there for strictly emotional reasons.
Sheeesh, that kind of sucked the wind out of my Friday.
I finally got around to picking up this new (well, I guess a reunion after 33 years isn’t that new) Tom Petty side project last week after hearing “Scare Easy” for the umpteenth time on WFUV. After one spin on the subway ride home, my initial suspicious were confirmed--this is the best Petty original in a decade. It’s catchy as hell, it has a great “let’s get this down on tape live here in our rehearsal space” sound, guitarist and fellow moonlighting Heartbreaker Mike Campbell plays the hell out of the solo and the chorus is one of Petty’s strongest in age. He sounds absolutely recharged, which I’m grateful for after seeing some average Heartbreakers performances over the past two tours.
I love how Petty snarls these lines in harmony with guitarist Tom Leadon on the chorus:
“I don’t scare easy I don’t fall apart When I’m under the gun You can break my heart And I ain’t gonna run I don’t scare easy For no one”
Mudcrutch is the band that Petty and Campbell (along with keyboardist Benmont Tench) were in before the Heartbreakers were born. I’m pretty sure this country-rock-slash- psychedelic sound would not have brought them a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career like the Heartbreakers. But unlike most of us who will never have that opportunity, Petty and company got to get back together with some old friends and see if that magic from long ago was still there.
BONUS: Here’s the official video:
And to prove the undeniable greatness that is named Mike Campbell, check out his solo in this live version from Santa Cruz last month.
No big statement behind this song--my co-worker Doug suggested I play songs that had "wall" in the title, and this was the first one I thought of. A couple hours later at happy hour, the only song I could make out over the din was "Off the Wall."
And I suppose the less comments I make about this song's performer the better.
(from left to right, Dick Swizzle and some cowboy)
I was once again honored to DJ at Michael Boyd's annual Derby Day Party. This was the first time at Union Hall, and the place is so big (and was way crowded) I'm sure much of the music got lost in space. But that didn't stop me from coming up with a set that was chock-filled with Derby-related material. I'm already looking forward to next year.
Chet Atkins and His Galloping Guitar - "Kentucky Derby" Ryan Adams and The Cardinals - "Cold Roses" The Rolling Stones - "Dead Flowers" Wilco - "Casino Queen" Beau Brummels - "Old Kentucky Home" Oasis - "Cigarettes and Alcohol" Elvis Presley - "Kentucky Rain" Loretta Lynn - "Van Lear Rose" The Hold Steady - "Chips Ahoy!" The Flaming Lips - "Race for the Prize" Mike Doughty - "The Gambler" Pavement - "Kentucky Cocktail" Dave Clark Five - "Catch Us If You Can" The Smithereens - "Blood and Roses" The Arcade Fire - "Keep The Car Running" Big Star - "Back of a Car" Echo and the Bunnymen - "Bring on the Dancing Horses" R.E.M. - "Horse to Water" Elvis Costello and the Attractions - "King Horse" The Figgs - "Breaking Through These Gates" Graham Parker - "High Horse" Sonic Youth - "Bull in the Heather" The Monkees - "All the King's Horses" Nada Surf - "Whose Authority" Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "You Got Lucky" Nick Lowe - "Music for Money" Social Distortion - "Bad Luck" Dramarama - "Last Cigarette" The Who - "You Better You Bet" Count Basie - "Plenty of Money and You" Ricky Nelson - "Sure Fire Bet" Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - "You and Me and the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)" Cake - "The Distance" Old 97s - "King of All of the World" Joboxers - "Just Got Lucky" Devo - "Whip It" Mates of State - "Along For the Ride" The Kinks - "David Watts" The Strokes - "Trying Your Luck" Big Dipper - "Ron Klaus Wrecked His House" Guided By Voices - "Bulldog Skin" Xavier Cugat - "One Mint Julep" The Backbeat Band - "Money (That's What I Want)" Matthew Sweet - "Girlfriend" Warren Zevon - "Lawyers, Guns and Money" Psychedelic Furs - "All That Money Wants" Big Audio Dynamite - "The Bottom Line"
I heard this song every single day this week--twice in bars, once at random on my iPod and twice on WFUV at totally different times of the day. I love how it's become such a sing-a-long over the past seven years. (The above clip is from Wilco's great five night run in Chicago this past February.)
Another year, another great reunion from Boston. This time it's Big Dipper, who I stupidly missed when they played at The Haunt in Ithaca 18 years ago. The always great Merge Records somehow concvinced the quartet to do an anothlogy of their indie work and to do three reunion shows to promote it. These guys looked a whole lot older, but played just as well (and as loud, my left ear thinks) as they did back in the day. The next to last song in Friday's set at Brooklyn's Southpaw was their "hit," "Ron Klaus Wrecked His House." The chorus to this song is a fucking monster. It would get stuck in my head in college, and it's still stuck in my head a few days after the show. One can only hope we don't have to wait another 18 years for a Big Dipper show.
BONUS:NYC taper was also there and documented the entire show, and you can hear the joy these guys felt in every note.
