My (Not So New) Favorite Things

1. Applause and high praise for those music labels combining new vinyl releases with a free digital download. Two for the price of one! I've been enjoying the new LP by John Doe & the Sadies on the turntable and in the car on the ipod. Country Club is the name of it and its 15 sweet classic country covers. Stop the World and Let Me Off !! Take These Chains From My Heart!! Detroit City!! Awesome.

2. Record Covers - I'm probably not the only fool to buy a record just for the cover. I've been lucky with that over the years. Chronic Town (rem), Discipline (king crimson), Wh'appen (english beat), Drinkin, Lechin, Lyin (boss hog..hehehe). Well here's another flat beauty collage from Robert Pollard's new Circus Devils record, Gringo.

3. Speaking of Pollard, I just bought one of his original collages. Pollard has been selling off tons of his collages and I feel lucky to have one. It is called "Ladies and Instruments."

Planet Waves

Weekend listening:

Dylan/Band - Planet Waves vinyl

The Band - Rock of Ages vinyl

Felice Bros. - Yonder is the Clock

Steve Earle - Townes (deluxe with solo versions!)

Tim Easton - Porcupine

This is a quite a list. Also fun to mention that Jeff & Keri are mentioned in Easton's liner notes. Very cool. Also the great Kenny Vaughn playing guitar on Easton's record!

Bought Lucinda Williams tix for a coming show at the Vogue. I've seen her only once at an outdoor festival downtown. This is a great venue for her. Can't wait.

Joel had an impromptu cookout last night and we all had a great time. As usual, the pork from the grill was outstanding and the pitch in was plentiful. Joel was playing the new Conor Oberst on vinyl and it sounded great. Have to get that soon.

Started the new Stephen King book of short stories called, Just After Sunset. So far, very good. I haven't read a King novel or any short stories in a long time. Next in line is a book BJ recommended called A Fraction of the Whole. Next after that, The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Townes & Blaze

Snowin on Raton Video

Bliss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feEBEpDLTKI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buf6P0V45rg&feature=related

I watched this on Letterman from a hotel room in Akron Ohio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSUOaotjcSQ&feature=related

Guy, Emmylou, Los Lobos!!!

San Diego, Indiana

We had a perfect weather weekend in Fishers. 70 & Sunny. Just like San Diego where Amy & I traveled last week for a work conference. Last night was a black tie affair at Lucas Oil Stadium for the American Heart Association, Heart of Gold Ball. The Mrs. and I even cut a rug at the end of the evening....highlight....Brickhouse!

I have totally immersed myself in The Band the last couple of months. Spent the weekend listening to a newly purchased ebay item, Rock of Ages. Its the Band's live album from the 1971 comeback tour recorded in NYC with a horn section arranged by Allen Toussaint. Also listening to Before the Flood, backing Dylan on the '74 Tour. I've been lucky buying this vinyl from almost 40 years ago! It sounds awesome! Finishing up the great Band biography, Across the Great Divide. Also pulled out Greil Marcus' Mystery Train (ya gotta read this book, amazing) and re-read the chapter on the Band. Next....I gotta watch both Don't Look Back and The Last Waltz again. I picked up a cheap vinyl copy of Planet Waves this weekend on ebay. This is the record Dylan and the Band recorded in California while rehearsing for the '74 Tour. I was totally naive to the degree in which the Band fit into the upper echelon of the rock hierarchy. My bad.

Finished reading Graham Greene's The Quiet American yesterday. A powerful book. I need to get The Power and the Glory and read it soon. I notice there are two theatrical releases of the Quiet American. Maybe I'll watch those.

I have watched Ashes of American Flags, the new Wilco dvd, three times. Undoubtedly the best American band right now, or Sonic Youth. I can't help but think that Wilco is The Band or our times.

Watched Walk Hard, The Dewey Cox Story again today. Man that s a funny movie. You can stream it on Netflix if you're a member. Also watched, Let the Right One In Friday night. Wow, a great modern vampire movie. Very sensual and creepy. Highly recommended. Next two Netflix selections are American Zombie and El Topo, the first midnight movie sensation.

Guy Clark - The Guitar

Check out this new song by Guy Clark.

Score- Merge is 20

Merge Records turns 20 this year. Started by Superchunk's Mac & Laura, Merge has grown into one of the premiere indie labels. Honoring their anniversary, Merge set up a 20th anniversary subscription package that is turning out to be awesome. Check here for what's in the deal.

I have received the first 4 volumes of curated comp cd's and the Covers cd pictured here. All have been great since I've reconnected from songs/bands that I hadn' t heard in a while and new bands/songs I've never heard.

I've been listening, again, to Stephen Malkmus' last record, vinyl, Real Emotional Trash. I gotta tell you that the guitar work on this is outta this world. I think this could record could make the Top 20 Desert Island list. I'm just telling ya.

In somber news, Madonna's attempt to adopt another Malawian child has been rebuffed by a judge in Malawi. What's the world coming to?

Argybargy

Flashback driving in to work yesterday. "Pulling Mussels from the Shell" came on the ipod and instantly transported me to Marshall, IL, summer 1980-something. Switching to listen to the entire album reminded me just how good those 3 squeeze albums were. I remembered the lyrics to every song on Argybargy, drivin and singin in the early morning, light traffic. Argybargy was the summer soundtrack for one of those bright memories of youth. I can picture BJ air drumming and singing at Jim's pool. I can hear 3 part harmonies "maid marian on her tip-toed feeeeeet...."

Those bits of nostalgia are fun and sad usually. Ultimately, I'm glad my brain still gives me one of those now and again. Music has always equalled a moment in time for me, corresponding to changing tastes and growing up. "Singles remind me of kisses, albums remind me of plans." Perfect.

Look back to 'Cool for Cats', 'Argybargy', and 'East Side Story' for some bright, intelligent songwriting and songcraft.

Emusic Selections

Downloaded my Emusic selections for the month today:

Robyn Hitchcock - Goodnight Oslo
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Willie and the Wheel - Willie & Asleep at the Wheel do Bob Wills
M. Ward - Hold Time
Volcano Suns - All Night Lotus Party(reissue)

Can't wait to get into these. I had a bit of buying spree the other night at Luna:

Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson- Rattlin' Bones (the Buddy & Julie Miller of Australia)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig
Felice Brothers - s/t on vinyl !!!!
Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer on vinyl !!!!

I also downloaded Robbie Fulks' new digital only release 50vc. Doberman (don't know what that means) except that it is 50 new RF songs!! While I'm talking RF, check out his new website. He has been blogging about once a week.

I guess that's a lot of new listening for the next month.

Refreshed

After nearly a year's absence, I return refreshed. Listening to some vinyl on a beautiful near-spring day. The patio door open letting in the fresh air. Listening to Loose Fur currently, a trippy 70's soaked vibe from Jeff Tweedy, Glen Kotche, and Jay O'Rourke. Prior to that was the sunny-goodnes of The Rutles. Dirk, Ron, Stig & Barry. The Beatles spoof/tribute is fabulously written and played. A precursor to the much more successful Spinal Tap. A definite must have for any collection.

What have I been digging lately? Well here are few:

Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies

Santogold

Robert Pollard - the Crawling Distance

Boston Spaceships - The Planets are Blasted

Elvis Costello - Momofuku

Jay Reteard - the Matador Singles

Hayes Carll - Little Rock

Felice Brothers - Tonight at the Arizona

Speaking of the Felice Bros, going to see them Monday night at Radio Radio. Can't wait. Hope to drag some people out to introduce them to this great band.

Speaking of great bands, I saw bro Brett's band Phyllis last week. It had been quite a while and the whole set list was new except for a couple of standards. It was great to see them rock out to the great new songs.

We also went to see the Born Again Floozies last friday downtown at a tent party for the Big 10 basketball tournament. The 3 hour set flew by and the just rocked. Joe's got a great thing going and the sound and lyrics are great. Check'm out on youtube.

I'm ahead of my goal for reading 3 books a month this year. Here's a sample:

When I Grow Up by Juliana Hatfield
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
The World Without Us
Tipping Point
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Ohlman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine by Mark Ohlman
A Guitar and a Pen by Various Country Music Songwriters (Including Robbie Fulks)
Dateable - a book to give Katie since she has her first boyfriend

Currently reading Good to Great and Ordinary Wolves, a novel I bought on my trip to Alaska last year.

I'll try to keep up with this. But for now, I'm getting ready to cook a pot of Portugese Kale Stew for Brett and Joel. Yummy.

See How They Are

Last week was nuts. Tuesday night show at the Vogue - the incredible X!! I was totally blown away, expectations be-damned. An hour and a half of LA Punk by the granddaddy's of them all. Exene's voice was great. Billy Zoom is completely alien. (and somewhat creepy quite frankly) They didn't play Los Angeles or The Unheard Music, but it didn't really matter. hats off to John Doe, Exene, Billy Zoom & DJ for keeping it real. Evan and Gary were on board and we all left with a beautiful memory.

Thursday night show at Conseco Fieldhouse - The Boss. First time to see Bruce and once again I was toppled. Didn't expect to be dancing in the dark with 10,000 other people, but I did. Great to hear "Because the Night." I'm very impressed with the sound at that arena. Both The Who last year and the Boss sounded great. Had great seats for both shows though, still would hate to be up top.

WHOA!!!! Five Months Have Gone By & Car Tunes Year End List

No apologies or excuses from this dude. I'm just lame when it comes to keepin up on this. So here's the year-end 2007 breakdown on the Car Tunes. This is the music I listened to this past year, not necessarily released in 2007.

Top 20 (no particular order)
Buffalo Tom - Three Easy Pieces
Robert Pollard - Coast to Coast Carpet of Love
Jesse Malin - Glitter in the Gutter
Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
Portastatic - Be Still Please
Peter Case - Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga
Tommy Womack - There, I Said It
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Grinderman - Grinderman
John Doe - A Year in the Wilderness
Will Kimbrough - Americanitis
Half Japanese - Charmed Life
Bobby Bare Jr - The Longest Meow
Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Tim Armstrong - A Poet's Life
Circus Devils - Sgt. Disco
Nick Lowe - At My Age
Born Again Floozies - 7 Deadly Sins
Gore Gore Girls - Get the Gore

As I look back at this list, must've been a bad year for chicks. I listened to the Gore Gore Girls quite a bit , so I changed it to 21!

Here's a bunch more that I listened to and really enjoyed. Many of these probably made other folks top 20:

Robert Pollard - Standard Gargoyle Decisions
Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta!
Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
Dwight Yoakam - Dwight Sings Buck
Rilo Kiley - Under the Black Light
Robbie Fulks - Revenge
Robyn Hitchcock - Ole Tarantala
Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade
Thurston Moore - Trees Outside the Academy
Solomon Burke - Nashville
Elizabeth Cook - Balls
Lemonheads - Lemonheads
The Glands - The Glands
The Clean - Anthology
Dinosaur Jr - Beyond
Geraldine Fibbers - Butch

I hope if you see this that you'll take my cue and pick some of these up if you haven't already.

I must also mention that 2007 was a year where I fell in love with the music of Half Japanese. I'd heard Calling All Girls somewhere a long time ago but had never pursued them. By chance I watched the Half Jap documentary, The Band That Would be King on the Documentary Channel. I instantly bought into the idea of Jad and David had been the epicenter of punk rock without really knowing it. Releasing a 3 lp box set as their debut kinda makes you smile and watching them go for $300 on ebay makes you curse and smile. Of course that led me on endless ebay searches trying to find their records (cds & lps). I had some success and my life is better for it. Pick up Greatest Hits or even better, Charmed Life if you can find it. Its a masterpiece.

It was also the year of the Ramones for me as well. Mostly due to watching End of the Century, the Story of the Ramones. Of course I had listened to them for a long time, but this film helped me understand their true impact on music history. I pulled out a couple of the lp's I had and bought a couple or more and listened to them on vinyl all summer. I fell in love with some of the lesser known songs and re-connected with the hits. Worth doing if you haven't listened to them lately.

E-Music Dot Com

I've mentioned before what a good deal emusic.com is for me. 65 song downloads per month for $16.95. That's roughly 5 cd's for the price of one if I did my cypherin' right. I anxiously await the 17th of the month when I get credit for 65 downloads. This month's selections you ask??

Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta!

Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

Frank Sinatra - Sinatra Swings!

Various Afrodisiac Artists - The Danque!!! West African Funk! Need I say more?

DJ/rupture - The Minesweeper Suite

....and in Billy Joe Shaver news...

Billy Joe Shaver gets spiritual on "Everybody's Brother," out Aug. 7 on Compadre. John Carter Cash produced the disc of songs about love, loss, death and the afterlife. "Get Thee Behind Me Satan" starts the disc with John Anderson and Shaver trading off on lead vocals. Other guests include Marty Stuart, Tanya Tucker, Kris Kristofferson, and Randy Scruggs. The album's final track is a late 1970s duet with Johnny Cash on "You Just Can't Beat Jesus Christ." It was produced by Cowboy Jack Clement and features Shaver's late son, then 15-year-old Eddy Shaver playing guitar.
Native American singer/songwriter Bill Miller adds pow-wow drums, Native American cedar flute and Native vocals to the title track for a soundscape that pays tribute to America's oldest music. "It was my idea to mix cowboy and Indian music," Shaver says. "I'm Blackfoot on my father's side, and Bill's a full-blood Mohican. He did a wonderful job."

The track list is:
1. Get Thee Behind Me Satan (with John Anderson)
2. Rolling Stone
3. When I Get My Wings
4. If You Don't Love Jesus
5. Most Precious
6. Winning Again (with Marty Stuart)
7. No Earthly Good (with Kris Kristofferson)
8. To Be Loved By A Woman
9. The Tough Get Going
10. The Greatest Man Alive
11. Played The Game Too Long (with Tanya Tucker)
12. You'll Always Be My Best Friend
13. Jesus Is The Only One That Loves Us (with John Anderson)
14. Everybody's Brother (with Bill Miller)
15. You Just Can't Beat Jesus Christ (with Johnny Cash)

Shaver is touring the U.S. in support of the CD.

Jad Fair and Lumberob

I found this youtube video from SXSW. Jad 'played' at Radio Radio on June 1st.

Also found these video's featuring Jad's amazing papercut artwork backed by Jad & Lumberob soundtrack.

Enjoy!

July 10

Two big releases coming up in about 10 days:

Jason Isbell's solo shot, Sirens of the Ditch.
Flaming Lips live DVD, U.F.O.'s at the Zoo

Diggit's Car Tunes

Quick list of current favorites spinning in the car/ipod/computer/cd player/turntable:

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Lyle Lovett - My Baby Don't Tolerate
The Long Blondes - Someone to Drive You Home
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Stoned and Dethroned : Includes Sometimes Always an all-time favorite
Robbie Fulks - Revenge! : live and new and new live. Very well done by RF..
Elizabeth Cook - Balls : This lady can sing and write plus she's married to Tim Carroll
Robert Pollard - Crickets : Best of the Fading Captain Series, a great place to start for solo RP
The Takeovers - Bad Football
Voxtrot - Voxtrot
Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves : Glurp....another group I missed somehow, there must be 1,000's
Neu! - 75 : ditto
Robert Pollard - Rud Fins b/w Piss Along You Bird :

Piss Along You Bird

I'm listening to the new 7" from Bob Pollard, #1 in the monthly Happy Jack Rock Records series of singles. Rud Fins/Piss Along You Bird. This single must represent the same kind of excitement from the mid-sixties to place the tone arm down and hear Pete Townsend chords and Daltrey vocals raging from this small round disc. Its back to basics Bob and I can't wait to here the rest as they come every 30 days for 12 months!

Speaking of Pollard, he announced the simultaneous release of 2 albums on Merge records Oct 9. One pop, one punk. The dude's a dude.

Lotsa news......Adrian graduated from high school and promptly spent 2 weeks hiking/railing/hosteling in England and Scotland. He and two of his Eagle Scout pals had a great time. He's back, bussing tables til he heads off to be a Sycamore at ISU in August.

Katie's synchro season had many hilights, 1st place at zones in Lawrence KS and 1st in regionals in Ann Arbor MI. The National Age Group Synchro meet was held in Oxford OH at Miami University last week. Her routine placed 13th in the country!! Second year in a row at 13th, as they tried to break the top 10. It was a a great year for her and she's already looking forward to next season. (which starts in 60 days!!) Now its off to Koriyama Japan on Sunday for 12 days. She is so excited to be travelling to Japan and working in a summer camp. Reminds me of my trip to Paris when I was her age. Ok...I went to Paris, IL to the honeybee festival. Not really the same.

Shows: I saw Jad Fair at Radio Radio on June 1. What an honor to see this rock n roll legend. The set was very strange. Just Jad singing a capella with this guy Lumberob providing beatbox accompaniment on stage. He also did some strange dancing and played a small guitar while Jad and he serenaded the crowd, in the crowd. Very strange and wonderful.

I also scored a Wilco ticket at the last minute for their June 15 show at the Murat Theater. Another great show. The new songs/CD are great and Tweedy and Nels Cline really showed off their guitar chops. A nice evening with them and the boys.

Diggit's Car Tunes

Been listening to some Adrian Belew lately. I saw the Bears this past week at Music Mill. It was great to see them again after several years. Adrian Belew and Rob Fetters are simply amazing together, not only as guitar wizards, but also as songwriters and vocalists. I don't have their new cd yet, Eureka!, but listening to The Bears and Car Caught Fire this week has been fun.

Mavis Staples - We'll Never Turn Back
Mose Allison - Sings
Reverend Charlie Jackson - God's Got It
The Dils - Class War (Not sure how I missed this for so long. Really good.)
The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane (see commentary for the Dils above???)
Los Super Seven - Canto
Small Faces - From the Beginning (All or Nothing enters my top 20 all-time songlist...for now. Also has Baby, Dont You Do It and Watcha Gonna Do About It)
Kaiser Chiefs - Yours Truly, Angry Mob (Luna had this cranked up one day while I was in there and couldn't help but buy it. I'm still listening...)
The Ponys - Lights Out
Low - Drums and Guns
Jesse Malin - Glitter in the Gutter
Dinosaur Jr - Beyond
Unknown Instructors - The Master's Voice (Imagine SST circa 1987. Got it? Ok, then you'll love this one. It sounds like a Sacharinne Trust lp to me. Complete with Pettibone cover. But get this line up: Mike Watt, George Hurley, Joe Baiza, David Thomas (Pere Ubu), and Dan Mcguire. Joseph Bennet would give this two thumbs up and a big smile.)

Prom + Sausage Gravy = Melancholy Blog post

This morning I fixed breakfast for Adrian, his prom date Liz, and another couple. I have to admit, I made a skillet of my Grandma Cantrell's sausage gravy! It was perfect. Even Amy thought it was good, she just tasted it. Gravy is not her thing..

The school year is quickly coming to a close. Adrian graduates May 28. He is going to Indiana State in the fall. Between that, he is going to Great Britain for 2 weeks with Ryan and Jimmy. They are planning to go all the way up to Inverness in Scotland and back to London. Should be a great way to end their high school years and start the next phase of their lives.

Katie is swimming in Ann Arbor, MI next weekend in the age group regionals for synchro. A top 3 finish will get them into nationals which is close to home this year, Oxford, OH. It will be alot of swimming between now and the end of June for Miss Katie. Then right after nationals, Katie is leaving for Koriyama Japan for 12 days. A group of teenagers from our church are going there this summer to help with a summer camp and provide conversational english with Japanese nationals. Katie is so excited. What a summer for the kids?!?!?

Amy and I are just going to take it easy. We are going to fly out to Berkely in July to see BJ and Susannah at Calshakes. Then BJ & I are going to drive back with a van load of their belongings. Road trip....

Shaver booked in shooting

Shaver booked in shooting, then played concert after leaving jail
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
By Cindy V. Culp
Tribune-Herald staff writer

Billy Joe Shaver probably didn’t enjoy wearing the orange jumpsuit. But the potential songwriting material he got out of a trip to the McLennan County Jail on Tuesday may have been worth it to the 67-year-old, who’s known for his outlaw country music.
Besides, he was out in plenty of time to attend a release party for his new album Tuesday evening.
“It’s just so great to be anywhere,” an animated and smiling Shaver told an audience of about 200 fans and half a dozen news cameras during his appearance at Austin’s Waterloo Records.
If the Waco native was feeling much stress over recent events, he didn’t show it, flapping his arms during “When the Fallen Angels Fly” and shadowboxing near the end of “Honky Tonk Heroes.” Soaking up all the love, he ended the set by saying, “Don’t forget to pray for me, and tell your kids to pray for me, too.”
A few hours earlier, Shaver had surrendered to local authorities after two warrants were issued for his arrest following a shooting Saturday night at a Lorena bar. He was arraigned by McLennan County Justice of the Peace Kristi DeCluitt, who set bail at $50,000.
Shaver posted bond and was out of the jail by about 2:20 p.m.
He faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawfully carrying a handgun on the premises of a business with a license to sell alcohol for on-premises consumption.
Shaver’s attorney has acknowledged that the singer-songwriter was involved in the shooting, which happened at 8:30 p.m. outside Papa Joe’s Bar, 1505 N. Interstate 35.
But according to the attorney’s version of events, Shaver was acting in self-defense against another bar patron, who was threatening him with a knife.
That story is contradicted, however, by affidavits filed to support Shaver’s arrest. The documents, which were written by Lorena Police Chief John Moran, paint a picture of Shaver as the aggressor.
Shaver and the man police say he shot, 50-year-old Billy Bryant Coker, had been visiting in the bar for about an hour to 1 12 hours before the shooting, according to the affidavits. The two men had not known each other before but were introduced that night by the bar’s owner.
During their conversation, the two men figured out they had something in common, the affidavits say. A cousin of Coker’s had been married to Shaver’s wife, Wanda, before he died.
At some point after that revelation, though, the conversation apparently soured. A woman who was in the bar at the time told police that she saw Shaver and Coker exit the building at the rear, then heard what she believed to be a gunshot, the affidavits said.
When the woman ran outside to see what had happened, she heard Shaver say to Coker, “Tell me you are sorry,” and that “Nobody tells me to shut up.”
Shortly after that, Shaver and his wife left the bar, the woman said.
Corroborated statement
Another man at the bar who said he witnessed the shooting echoed that story, according to the affidavits. He told police that Coker exited the building first, with Shaver following close behind, pistol in hand.
Once outside, Shaver asked Coker, “Where do you want it?” the affidavits say. Shaver then raised his arm level with Coker’s face and fired, hitting Coker in the cheek.
Coker related the same story, the affidavits say. He claims the attack was unprovoked, and he told police it happened after Shaver asked him to step onto the back porch.
No information about Coker was available from a local hospital Tuesday, but Moran said he was in stable condition. According to the affidavits, Coker was alert and talking to police as soon as they arrived on the scene.
The documents also say Shaver has a concealed handgun permit. However, under state law, guns cannot be brought into bars by citizens, regardless of whether they have a permit.
Moran declined to talk about details of the case Tuesday afternoon because it is still under investigation.
Aggravated assault is a second-degree felony, which carries a prison term of two to 20 years. Taking a gun into a bar is a third-degree felony, which is punishable by two to 10 years in prison.
Shaver’s attorney, Austin lawyer Joseph Turner, referred comment to Shaver’s spokesman, Marcus R. Harris., who declined to discuss details of the affidavits or of the shooting. However, he stressed that Shaver is cooperating with authorities.
Harris also said that Shaver is trying to focus on promoting his new album. Asked if he thought the shooting would help or hurt in that endeavor, Harris said Shaver and his record company are just asking fans to continue supporting him.
“Everything went on as scheduled today,” Harris said late Tuesday afternoon. “It is a regular work day. We’re moving forward.”
Shaver’s niche has been writing lyrics that could be called blue-collar poetry. He puts chunks of everyday life, love and loss into plain language that has a grit and passion born from his own experiences and religious faith.
Among the lows that his songs have drawn upon are his problems with drinking and drugs; his stormy-yet-enduring relationship with his late wife, Brenda, whom he married three times; his love and partnership with his son, Eddy; and the pain of dealing with Brenda’s death from cancer and Eddy’s death from a drug overdose.
Shaver first got attention in 1973 with the release of Waylon Jennings’ Honky Tonk Heroes, a pivotal album in the ’70s outlaw country music movement. He wrote all but one cut on the work. Other popular songs he has written include “Georgia on a Fast Train” and “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal.”
Although Shaver hasn’t had much luck on the charts with his more than 20 albums, his songs have been covered by many famous performers. They include Johnny Cash, the Allman Brothers, John Hartford, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, John Anderson, Bob Dylan, Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson, George Jones and more than a dozen others.

Luna, U2 play Indy, Neapolitan Dynamite

I saw Dean & Britta at Music Mill on 3/20/07. My exposure to Dean's music goes all the way back to Galaxie 500's On Fire release. On Fire is one of my desert island platters. I had the first Luna release, Lunapark, which is fantastic. I bought the last Luna release, Romantica, mainly because Dave Fridmann of Flaming Lips fame produced. Of course its very good as well. Dean & Britta had released L'aventura that I thought was fabulous. Of course Gary Koehl was in attendance, as were about 50 rabid fans. What a show. The languid groove and sweet guitar solos prompted one uber fan to yell, "Way to go!!" Gary and I did not recover. The best between song yell of all time....so far. I don't have the new release yet, but I suspect I'll have it soon.











Two days later, honest-to-God, U2 played at the Melody Inn. Their disguise was booking the gig as Gomer's Pile. Those lucky people who showed were in for a real treat. Brett, Joe, Dave & Adam practiced once together and just completely nailed pre-Joshua Tree U2. I believe that it was being recorded for possible audio release. I hope so, the boys rocked.



Have I mentioned before how much I despise Ben & Jerry's? They way the blend together chocolate fudge brownie with Cherry Garcia should be illegal. I think that B&J ice cream is responsible for 4" of my waist size.



Speaking of B&J, I'm psyched about visiting BJ in NYC in about 2 weeks. Can't wait. Hi BJ!



Lastly, I think the Daniel Johnston gig didn't materialize. It's off his web-site. Bummer.

Jad Fair still scheduled to arrive June 1 at Radio Radio. Been listening to Half Japanese' Sing No Evil this week in the car. Genius.

Sonic Ute

News today that Sonic Youth will be starting its Daydream Nation tour at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago July 13. Woo hah, how do I make sure that I can be there? If you hadn't heard, they are performing this classic album live, start to finish, this summer.

To get you psyched, although not from Daydream, a classic SY song...Schizophrenia!

Gloria

Gomer's Pile = Brett & Dave (phyllis), Joe (Floozies) & Adam (ESW). This bunch of local heavyweights are tackling early U2 and I'm sure they'll pull it off with all the pompous swagger they can muster. I've seen their Who & REM tributes, missing the Devo one. They know how to give the people what they want. Can't wait for next Thursday.

Here's the Robert Pollard release list for 2007 (for anyone who cares!):

Silverfish Trivia - Pollard EP(follow link to new song)

Crickets - 56 track Fading Captain Series retrospective!

Austin City Limits DVD - from the final GBV tour

Sgt. Disco - Circus Devils

A new Takeovers release

Merge Pollard solo release in the fall



That should give all of us Pollard followers enough to listen to this year.



Evan Finch's Things to Do weekly email highlighted some upcoming Indy shows, notably Yo La Tengo (which I'll miss when I'm in NYC) and Neko Case. The real gems were the links to old cartoons and comic strips. Check them out here:


www.cartoonresearch.com

www.animationarchive.org

www.barnaclepress.com



I read three books in the last week or so:



Love is a Mix Tape

The Pride of Baghdad (graphic novel)

The Life and Art of Daniel Johnston



OK, not heavy reading here, but all worthwhile. Mix Tape was funny, nostalgic, and sad. The Pride of Baghdad is about 4 lions who were 'liberated' from the state zoo when the U.S. attacked Baghdad. A fictionalized account of the true story that parallels their plight with those of the Iraqi citizens and offers a discourse on the meaning of freedom. Great story and artwork. The Life and Art of Daniel Johnston is sort of a companion to the documentary. Highly recommended.

Adios.

On Daniel Johnston

I couldn't be more excited about listening to a couple of new Daniel Johnston cd's I found in the used bin last weekend. They are FUN and ARTISTIC VICE. FUN is produced by Paul Leary from the Butthole Surfers and is generally dismissed as not a very relevant release. I disagree. Sure its sounds 'produced,' and Daniel only plays on a couple of songs, but like all of his releases, there are a couple of the songs that just make you want to quit your job and tap maple trees for syrup. Life in Vain and Silly Love are astounding. I think the entire cd is great.

ARTISTIC VICE is produced by Kramer from Shimmy Disc fame. I believe this was his first 'band' album. I also remember that this was recorded in West Virginia in the garage at his parents house. It opens with the classic, My Life is Starting Over, a song that wouldn't sound out of place on the Modern Lovers debut or any Half Japanese record.

I still love the early 'cassette tape' stuff of Daniel's. I have a hard time even describing how I feel about those songs.

If you haven't watched the uplifting DJ Documentary, The Devil and Daniel Johnston, you're missing out.

THIS JUST IN - I notice that Daniel is scheduled to play in Indy May 9!!! No details yet. Hard to believe. Jad Fair is coming June 1. Indy is now the height of coolness for some reason.

Who played last night? Yep.

No, Pete didn't just have a back spasm, he's too busy chopping out sweet chords on a red strat. The Who minus Two (my new name for them) played Tuesday night at the Fieldhouse, where the Pacers routinely disappoint fans. The Who did not disappoint. I thought the sound was very good. Daltrey's voice sounded a littled over worked, and Simon Townsend hit all the high notes for him. Pete was singing and playing like a man my age, 41. OK, so it was my first time to see one of my favorite bands (songwriters) and I'm still a bit giddy. The set list didn't disappoint either. Looks like they're playing the same songs each night to a very cool 4-piece video panel behind the stage. I ordered a dvd/cd set of the show which they are selling for all of em. Isn't Pete the headling speaker at SXSW this year? Brother-in-law Jim came over from Ill-shizzle and we met up with Brett, Joe, Brian, John, MJ, Joel & Amy for pre and post show analysis and butt-slappin. Gimme five, dude.

And the fun didn't end. When we returned to Jim's car, parked outside the restaurant where we ate before the show, some really bad person had taken a large chunk of asphalt and crushed the windshield of his new Honda accord. If you can imagine this scene at 1am with Jim and Joel on board, retrospective laughter is necessary. I told Brett it was like watching Hannity and Colmes argue supply side economics. Hysterical. Fortunately, fate was good to Jim as the windshield was the only casualty. Who ticket $140, new windshield $250, hanging with the gang, priceless.

Current Guilty Pleasure: Blondie

Diggits Car Tunes

The Can - Monster Movie
Charlie Patton - King of the Delta Blues
Various - The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
Half Japanese - Greatest Hits
Neil Young - Living With War (Raw version)
You Am I - Convicts
Silos - Come On Like the Fast Lane
Hoodoo Gurus - Blue Cave, Mars Needs Guitars
The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightening, Strike
The Who - Endless Wire
Solomon Burke - Nashville
Geraldine Fibbers - Butch
Lucinda Williams - West

Not enough time for editorial comments. You can trust me that you will not be dissapointed by any of these.

Make sure you check here for farewell to Kirk Rundstrom links.

Quarterly Post!(*&)*^^%

I hope someone is still checking in occasionally. So much to talk about. First a couple of smiles, in addition to the picture of J. and Matt Dillon!

New Dinosaur Jr song Been There All the Time

Watt's version of BOC's "Burnin for You" (yeah thats nels cline on guitar)

I saw Robbie Fulks and Danny Barnes back in February at a neighborhood tavern Called Spencer's Stadium Tavern. Great little (capacity 60) place with some yummy vittles. Here's a picture :

I took old friend Tim Bruner as a birthday present. I've seen RF too many times to recount, but as usual, he was funny and played a great show. Danny Barnes was astounding. He's been getting into running his banjer through effects pedals and that's basically what he did during his solo set. His new record is called Electric Barnyard. Not sure when its out.

Speaking of Robbie, I ran across a folder on my computer that had a bunch of his My Day blogs from his website a few years ago. There is one where he is recounting a fashion spread he did for GQ mag. At the end of this, after too many martinis, he drives home listening to Cash's then new cd Solitary Man. Fulks is overtaken by the one-two punch of I See a Darkness and Mercy Seat. Read the whole story here. It'll make you laugh and make you cry.

A couple of weeks back, I attended a surprise 50th birthday party for friend Gary Koehl. It was held at the Slovenian National Home (think Legion Hall). Gary is pretty close to being Indy's Beatle Bob. Attends a ton of live shows and has an impeccable taste in music. Example: I ran into Gary in the terlit at a Jandek show! Think about the synchronicity of that. More on Jandek later. Anyhow, those who love Gary the most lined up a feast of live music for the afternoon. Gary was surprised, and we all had more fun than necessary on a Saturday afternoon. Here's the line up:

lowercase M - Evan & Grace

Hitchhike - Kyle & Lisa

Dale Lawrence (Vulgar Boatmen) - Dale did "Hearbeat" and many others.

Lovemeknots - all the favorites incuding "Perfect Birthday" and DJ's "True Love Will Find You in the End"

Phyllis - 20 minute version of "Wares off the Wagon"

Wh'appen?

It's been awhile since I posted. Tempus fugit.

Amy & I took Brett & Suzanne to see the "Four Horsemen" Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, Joe Ely, & John Hiatt for Brett's birthday. We had a great time listening to these veteran songwriters spin yarns and sing their songs. Guy played "stuff that works" and both Brett & I cried. I also spilled some tears during Hiatt's "seven little indians" and Clark's "randall knife."

If you never listened to "Butch" by the Geraldine Fibbers, you ought to ebay a copy. Some amazing Nels Cline guitar work to Carla Bozulich singin and songwritin. I've also been listening to an LP copy of Meet the Rutles. Neil Innes is a genius. Tons of fun and the whole thing sounds like a lost Beatles record. I found an LP copy of a Meet the Rutles tribute on Shimmy Disc. Daniel Johnston and Galaxy 500 show up on it and the whole thing is very good. You might as well watch the movie again too, another of my favorites.

Speaking of movies, try to find "Lubbock Lights" if you can. This little gem documents the extraordinary amount of musical genius that eminates from Lubbock Texas and surrounding flatness. Tons of Flatlanders, together and individually, Terry Allen, Lloyd Maines, and Tommy X Hancock. Highly recommended for the stories and performances.

Coming up musically right here in Indy: Feb. 7: Robbie Fulks and Danny Barnes, The 14 linear feet of duo tour!

Feb. 17: Lemonheads! Their new record is outstanding.

Mar. 6: The Who! My first time to see them. Can't wait.

Lastly, the Colts made it to the Super Bowl. I certainly hope they can win. It will give the local sporting community a big boost. We have historically been the little train that can't make it up the hill, but I think this just might do it. Should be a fun game.

Sorry.....I wasn't there

Check out these youtube.com video's of R.E.M. with Bill Berry playing at a benefit in Athens featuring FIVE EIGHT, Patterson Hood and others doing R.E.M. covers.

I found REM doing Begin the Begin and So Central Rain. FIVE EIGHT joined by REM doing Radio Free Europe, Sitting Still, Its the End of the World.

Sonic Youth/Flaming Lips

I had the fortune to be able to see these two bands the weekend before my knee surgery. Adrian and Jim Mckittrick accompanied me to the Pageant in St. Louis. This club is in U-City, near the Washington University campus. This is where you find Cicero's, Blueberry Hill/The Duckroom, Vintage Vinyl.

The Magic Numbers opened the show. I'd seen them on Conan or Dave and thought they were intriguing. I believe they are a British band with siblings in the band. Kind of groovy, but a little out of place on this bill. An all ages show, alot of the kids new this band and even the words.

Sonic Youth played a 1 hour set that was wonderful. They opened with Candle from Daydream Nation. A nice surprise. Jim & Adrian really didn't know what to expect. The level of musicianship in this band is astonishing. I guess being together for 25 years helps. Pattern Recognition from Sonic Nurse turned out to be the show stopper; a 20 minute, feed back extravaganza. This included Thurston going into the crowd and handing over his guitar to the lucky ones up front. It nearly made its way back to us, about 2/3 way back in the center of the floor. Jim was mesmerized by Kim Gordon. Mark Ibold, from Pavement, played 2nd bass. Kim either played bass or 3rd guitar. They also played Catholic Block from Sister which really sent me on a time warp. Sister is the first SY lp that I bought. I think I have every one since. I couldn't think of a better 'opening' act.

At the end of the set, Thurston announced the Flaming Lips by saying, "what you are about to see is going to blow your mind off."

He was right. Now I've seen this basic show from the lips 3 times before, all in theaters. I wondered what they were going to do in this smallish club. (2,000 with balcony I heard) Guess what, they didn't change a thing. We got the full show, up close and personal.

Being on the floor in the middle of 2 giant confetti cannons firing almost non-stop, 100's of 3 ft wide balloons floating through the air, flashing lights, smoke machines, and of course dancing alien females and dancing Santa's, and of course Wayne leading it all like a pied piper of psychedelia. One really can't explain the scene that is set. I think they have filmed this at the Hollywood Bowl for release on dvd. I told Jim that the best effect would be to point the camera's at the crowd the entire time since they are so involved. I've never been to a show where the crowd was more into it. Every song the crowd sang the lyrics at the top of their lungs. Wayne and Steven were both in awe of the crowd's enthusiasm. Wayne said it seemed just like a 10,000 seat arena.

To top it all off, for the final encore, they played War Pigs, full-on, no gimmicks. They place went crazy. I didn't know how Sonic Youth's perfect set could be topped, but I think it was by the end of the Lips, mostly due to the crowd's adoration for this great band.

Diggit's Couch Tunes

Thought I would compile a list of great songs I've found so far in 2006. Recovering for 2 weeks has allowed me to listen to alot of music. (Still hooked on Sirius 63 - Outlaw Country) These are in no particular order. The cd's represented here are all excellent.

Break This Time - Alejandro Escovedo
God is in the Roses - Roseanne Cash
Jack Blue - Chris Knight
Hold On, Hold On - Neko Case
Broadripple Nightclubs - Gentleman Caller
Easy on Yourself - Drive By Truckers
This Old Guitar - Neil Young
Incinerate - Sonic Youth
On the Evening Train - Johnny Cash
I Am a Strong Lion - Robert Pollard
Stop Thinking - Mysteries of Life
The W.A.N.D. - Flaming Lips
Magdalene - Guy Clark
Just Drums - Tapes n Tapes
Mars Red Rust - Human Television
Magnetic Fields - Some Girls
Living Proof - Cat Power
Beauty of the Draft - Keene Brothers
Mission of Burma - Good, Not Great
Oh People - Tim Easton
Powder Burns - Twilight Singers
New Virginia Creeper - Old Crow Medicine Show
Out There on the Moon - Minus 5
Steady, As She Goes - The Raconteurs
Rise Up With Fists! - Jenny Lewis
Sunday Dress - Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass-Kicking Team
Looking For a Job - Todd Snider
Anything Can Happen - Jon Langford
Bruises - Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3
Conventional Wisdom - Built to Spill
My Sweet Unknown - Jon Auer

Recovery Discovery

Hey fans, this post coming straight from the recovery wing (Basement) at Diggit's home in Fishers. ACL reconstruction was one week ago. A week later I'm feeling like myself again, however still restricted to bed, icing, 24 hr continuous passive motion machine and 5 hours of excercises daily.

Check out a couple of cool sites:

Kinkyfriedman.com (The next governor of texas?)

iamnotafraidofyouandiwillkickyourass.com (post your own video here!) CD comes out 9-12!

Mike Watt's hootpage.com (Take a couple of hours and read Watt's Stooges Tour Diaries. It's seems like your reading Joyce or Bukowski or something. Definitely singular, and often funny)

Robertpollard.net (Supernatural Car Lover mp3 download from the forthcoming Normal Happiness CD. Which I found out today will include a 14 song live set from opening slot for Pearl Jam in Cincy. Sweet.....also found out that Pollard and the Ascended Masters playing at the Bluebird in Bloomington on Nov9!

I've also been listening to Sirius 63 - Outlaw Country almost non-stop. Didn't realize the 'Big D' Dallas Wayne hosts on this channel. As does Mojo Nixon and Scooter Jennings.

I watched Heart of Gold (again). High Fidelity (again). Iggy & the Stooges in Detroit (again). Coffee and Cigarettes (Jarmusch first time). Office Space (again).

Allison, Genie, Margaret & Mary Jane

Vulgar Boatmen with The Lovemeknots
Zanies Too, Indianapolis
Saturday August 19, 2006

2 Bands. 4.5 hours. Vaselines, the Band, Ricky Nelson, VU, English Beat, Iggy, Small Faces and so many others. And about 30 of the most original songs ever written.

Thanks to Dale, Jake, Matt, Andy and Kathy for a once in a lifetime show.

Also...Evan, Kyle, Dave, Brad & Rich for another fabulous lovemeknots reunion show.

DC's Car Tunes

Here's what's in Heavy Rotation during the daily commute:

Some Girls - Crushing Love
Juliana Hatfield, Freda Love & Heidi Gluck make believe they are DC's house band. Err, well maybe not, but that's what it sounds like to me. This should be on the radio. If you haven't heard Heidi sing yet, check this out. I suspect she'll be a "star" someday with her songwriting strength and voice. Several songs here co-written with Jake Smith from Mysteries of Life and the Vulgar Boatmen. Go directly to the song Magnetic Fields and you'll see why this is a top-notch group.
Human Television - Look At Who You're Talking To
I just found this at Luna. Imagine a mix of The Sea and Cake and Talking Heads. Jangly, bouncy guitar pop with cool bass lines. Roll yer window down, turn it up, and enjoy.
Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon
I saw this band on Conan or Craig Ferguson. Very cool. Lotsa hype in the media as well. This was an emusic.com selection for me this month. Hard to describe, a little weezer-esque (good weezer only), and also some Duckhills in there as well. You may not remember the Duckhills, yer loss. Worth checking out.
The Sadies - In Concert Volume One
OK, I'm a sucker for the Sadies. 2 cd live set with tons of guests. Most importantly Kelly Hogan and Neko Case and their lovely voices. Jon Spencer too. A great party cd.
Guy Clark - Workbench Songs
Available now on emusic.com. (If you haven't subscribed to this yet, you should. $10/month gets you 40 downloads. Their selection is fantastic as you can see from this new release.) What can I say about Guy? Both he and Townes Van Zandt's music pulled me through living in the cultural wasteland of Watseka Illinois. A new batch of songs and a Townes cover, the understated No Lonesome Tune. Bonus from emusic is a live recording of the Guy classic, Texas 1947. If you haven't seen Be Here To Love Me (TVZ documentary) yet, Guy's scenes are classics. They were best friends and his intro at Townes funeral is hysterical. Current favorite is the sweet Magdelene. Never sounded better.
Mysteries of Life - Beginning To Move
I'm a big fan of these guys. Every one of their cd's is a must have. The latest is no exception. Jake, Freda, Dale & Kenny have created another midwestern slice of life. Jake & Freda are moving to England in Sept 06, and the fate of MOL, Vulgar Boatmen and Some Girls is up in the air for now. Buy this and enjoy. Stop Thinking and Hard As I may Try are going to be classics.
Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
Hard to keep this out of rotation. Can't wait to see them live in St. Louis on Aug 26th with Sonic Youth. Yep, I'll be there!
Tim Easton - Ammunition
Jeff reintroduced me to Tim. I bought The Truth About Us when it came out and loved it. Remember Get Some Lonesome? I do. Well I didn't follow up with his subsequent releases. Ammunition is quite different, more in the folk troubador tradition, but the songwriting is just fantastic. Buy this as soon as you can. Another emusic.com selection for me.
Das Kapital - Denying the West
Catch the theme? Emusic review led me to buying this. Man is it good. Don't know much about them but comparisons to the Replacements always make me check someone out. Take a listen at emusic and see if you agree.
The Drams - Jubilee Drive
Another band I know little about. However they are currently starting a tour with Drive By Truckers, so I thought I better get hip to them. Kind of a more rocking Bottle Rockets, who I've never taken to. "Some will go willingly and some will kick and scream. Some will sleep the drunken sleep in hopes of happy dreams. Even the strong grow weak," from the Truth Lies Low demonstrates some cool songwriting. I hope to catch them with DBT in October at the Bluebird in Bloomington.
Brian Deer - Songs from Black Cloud Talk
Brian is a singer-songwriter from Indy who is currently recording a full length cd in Nashville. This ep has 3 songs and each one's a winner. They played at Midwest Music Summit at the Melody Inn during the Phyllis picnic. My first time to see them and I really enjoyed the songs. Brian should have long career in music based on what I heard. Also fun to see Bro Brett playing the bass.
Phyllis - Can't Talk at All (Demo)
The boys from Phyllis have been busy recording live to analog in their studio. Check out their myspace page for this goodie from the sessions. Brett sure can write a perty song. They have been opening with this the last couple of times I've seen them live and it absolutely rocks.

Musical Family Tree

Last Friday night, August 11, began 18 hours of rock and roll for yours truly. First up was the Musical Family Tree showcase at Locals Only. This show, among many others last weekend, was part of the 2006 Midwest Music Summit. I guessed right that Locals Only would be the place to be on Friday night. The lineup included many bands that created and have kept Indy's local music scene alive the past 15 years or more. Musical Family Tree is a website dedicated to bands from Indiana. The idea is to collect info and songs from the past and follow the songmakers into the future, a family tree. Its well worth checking out. Of course with good music comes good friends as well. It was great to see a packed house for the lineup. Highlights for me where seeing old favorites the Mysteries of Life (ending their set with Naive Melody by Talking Heads!), Phyllis (a short set marred by heckling patrons...thanks Pete), Gentleman Caller, John Strohm (Blake Babies/Antenna), and Vess Rhutenberg (Pieces/United States Three). I called it quits before the Vulgar Boatmen hit the stage at 1a or later. Interesting tidbit I learned from Matt Speake, VB guitarist, that a documentary is currently being filmed on the famous band. The story and the art is there for a good doc, hope it sees the light of day. Check out the live show posted on MFT (note the date 5/20/2006...Jeff & Keri's reception night!)


Saturday at 1p brought me to the Melody Inn and the 4th annual Phyllis picnic. Free music and free food! This year's lineup was a real winner. ESW (wild bass, adam white drumming his heart out, and keyboard/sax player!! freaky good), Mckel Vee Kel (another John Sheets alter ego....samples, Richard Nixon, and Television furiosity with Phyllis boys!! Fabulous, thanks Johnny, er McKel Vee), Brian Deer and the Achievers (wow, very good roots rock from Brian..Brett on cuntry bass fiddle and high lonesome harmony), Fuglees (you know em, you love em), Born Again Floozies (come on Joe, you do no wrong, a righteous set), and Phyllis. I've seen a few Phyllis shindigs in my life, this was the best one yet. The boys were dead nuts on it. Thanks guys for rockin us. Can't wait for the new platter. Check out a rough mix from the studio on their myspace page.

Upcoming Shows

August will be a fun month for me musically. Next weekend, I'll get to see phyllis, mysteries of life, vulgar boatmen, the fuglees, mckelvey kel, gentleman caller. And then the following weekend the lovemeknots and vulgar boatmen. And then the next weekend sonic youth and the flaming lips and a cubs/cardinals game. Then I have surgery and will have a dry spell.

The Vulgar Boatmen/Mysteries of Life shows will be bittersweet. Jake Smith and Freda are moving to England in September. Jake's bass playing the last few years in the Vulgar Boatmen has revitalized the live show for them. I believe he has a new Mysteries of Life cd coming out this summer. Also heard that Freda has a new Some Girls cd due this summer as well with Juliana and Heidi. I will miss the boatmen and mysteries of life greatly if they don't play anymore.

I'll report back on these fine events.

No, That wasn't me you saw

space walking to repair the shuttle last month. Things have been a little hectic in Fishers the past few months. I'll compose a brief summary for you:

Jeff & Keri's Wedding reception May 20
school finishes up in May
Adrian takes SAT
Katie trains for Nationals June
Begin weening Katie off seizure medication for 12 weeks after 3 years of medicating
Adrian starts summer school and lifeguarding job
Derek & Amy's 20th anniversary June 14
John Veltri in town for Vulgar Boatmen Show and Beanblossom Festival
Katie's Birthday June 21
Katie & Amy go to Seattle for Synchro Nationals
Derek, Brett, Joel, Johnny V watch the Fishers premiere of We Jam Econo-The story of the Minutemen
Derek joins summer softball league
Visit from Jim & Jamie over July 4th
Jim & Derek's golf clubs stolen over July 4th
Derek tears anterior cruciate ligament rounding 2nd in last softball game of season
Katie gets part-time babysitting job for July
Adrian begins work on Eagle Scout service project
Adrian goes to final Boy Scout Summer Camp in Kalkaska Michigan
Derek schedules ACL repair surgery for August 30
Adrian's Eagle project August 5
Adrian turns 18 August 12
Katie gets EEG to check if still having mini-seizures August 15
School starts August 16

No vacations!!! First time in a few years we didn't go anywhere. Now with knee surgery & rehab, we definitely won't. Planning on going to BJ's bachelor party in Vegas in October and his wedding in November out in LA. Those will be fun and it will be good to see BJ & Susannah.

I'll get back in the habit of frequent posts once school gets rolling.

Living With War

In case you hadn't heard, Neil Young has recorded a new record called Living With War. It comes out for download on May 2. You can listen to it on his website now. I've listened this evening and it sounds very strong. He uses a 100 voice choir on the title track.

Star Sighting

I found a link to a capsule review of BJ's Star Trek, Indiana show. I can't wait to see this live. I saw a dvd version a few years ago and it was extremely funny and touching at the same time. Last time I spoke to BJ, he told me he was trying to get the show produced here in Indy. Fingers crossed for that!

Two, String Quartets and a Power Trio

It's been a busy week since returning from San Francisco. I'll catch up on a few things.

Kronos Quartet
The concert at the Yerba Linda Center for the Arts was fascinating and mesmerizing. Check them out if you get a chance. They closed by playing The Star Spangled Banner ala Jimi at Berkley. That's how they announced it and played it. The level of noise coming from the stage was really incredible. The 2 songs they played with Matmos were genuinely cool. Matmos use computers, unconventional noisemakers, their mouth, and video to create a scene of sorts. This one, with Kronos, showed a close up of a sink drain and they were able to meld all of these noises and instruments together to sound like water swirling down a drain. Then the screen switched to grass blowing in the wind.....very cool.

Alejandro Escovedo
It's a hot time for Al, he's on the cover of No Depression, again, and his new cd, The Boxing Mirror is out this Tuesday. John Cale, yeah that one, produced. If you follow Alejandro at all, you know VU is a huge influence on his music. I cannot wait to hear it. I saw Alejandro for the first time at the Bluebird in Bloomington last fall. It looks like the same band recorded this album. 2 cello's, 1 violin, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums. Here's a swell article by Jon Pareles from the NY Times.

The Minutemen
Check out the release date and info for the Minutemen Documentary, We Jam Econo. This is big. 3 full sets of live music on the bonus dvd!!

WE JAM ECONO - THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN is the acclaimed feature-length
documentary on the too-brief life of one of the most revered, intriguing,
and inspired American bands ever. At the heart of their story is the
immeasurable personal and musical bond between bassist Mike Watt and
singer and guitarist D. Boon. Childhood friends, their unbridled
creativity and political views were the foundation of this groundbreaking
band which refused to be categorized as punk.

The film weaves together personal tales from Watt and drummer George
Hurley with archival interview footage of the band and rare live
performances. New interviews with over 50 musicians, artists, journalists,
and friends help tell the Minutemen story, from their humble beginnings in
the harbor town of San Pedro, California, to the tragic 1985 death of D.
Boon in a highway accident in the Arizona desert.

DISC 1:

- "We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen" (90min)
- Original music videos for: "This Ain't No Picnic," "Ack Ack Ack Ack" and
"King of the Hill"
- 19 Deleted Scenes and Interviews
- Uncut Bard College Interview (56min)
- English Subtitles for the hearing impaired

DISC 2:

62 songs from three live performances:
- The Starwood Los Angeles, CA - November 18th, 1980 (Includes multi-angle
feature)
- 9:30 Club Washington, D.C. - 1984
- Acoustic Blowout (Cable Access Show) - Hollywood, CA - 1985
- 16-page booklet with full color photos, flyers, filmmaker notes and
liner notes by David Rees, creator of Get Your War On.

Here are some of the nice things that folks have been saying about We Jam
Econo:

"Lovable documentary about the lovable band... their idealism, their humor
and decency is spellbinding" - Sarah Vowell, The New York Times

"The Minutemen were influential then and now, and "We Jam Econo" is a
valentine to the band and D. Boon’s memory. They’re immortal now, and
that's as it should be." - Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times

"We Jam Econo resurrects and hoists high a genuinely maverick spirit, with
its depiction of the Minutemen's humble beginnings, the band's visionary
music (a hybrid of punk, funk, jazz and beat poetry) and populist approach
to rock-as-lifestyle, and the members' shared sense of mission that
inspired hundreds of other bands to take up the cause. Old fans and
newcomers alike will feel proud to stand before it and salute." - Fred
Mills, Detroit Metro Times

San Fran Update

Day 2 in San Francisco....

This morning I hiked around for 3 hours. Noah's bagel and coffee for breakfast...top notch. What a great city. When you are from the mid-west you tend to romanticize anything that is foreign i.e. deserts, mountains, oceans, beaches, cute girls, er...ok. you know what I mean.( I wonder if people from the coasts romantize pigs doing it in 6 inches of mud???)

I love this place. The city is electric...aside from the cable cars....Tonight I sat on the 39th floor of the Marriott lounge overlooking the bay and surrounding mountains. In Indy, the 39th floor gets you a good view of some cool grain silo's and some sweet subdivisions.

I called BJ and spoke with him for awhile. I really screwed up by forgetting to call him prior. I think he could have come to spend some time with me. Balls. He suggested I try the Irish Bank near Union Square tonight. That is real close to here so I am on my way after I post this. I bought tickets to see Kronos Quartet w/ Matmos & Walter Kitundu on Friday night, right across the street from the St. Regis. I can't wait. I have a Kronos Quartet lp from the 80's in my collection. Apparently they are still on the fringe of the mainstream. I read today too that the David Byrne and Brian Eno lp, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts has been reissued. Joseph Bennet turned me onto that when it came out. I plan on seeking it out this weekend. Hopefully I can find it.

And....BJ & Susannah are getting married November 11, 2006 in Las Vegas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Vegas Baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so looking forward to this. BJ is one of my soul mates of this world. I wish him and Susannah the best......Also, Jeff Stepp & Keri are getting married soon. The celebratory party is in Danville IL on May 20 , 2006. Congrats Jeff & Keri. Love you guys!!!!!!!!!!

While walking around today, I heard My Kind of Soldier on the IPOD. Why didn't that song make the top 10??? I nearly started dancing at the corner of Market and Powell today!

Air Waves

I'm in San Francisco for a few days attending the annual NERVES meeting. This is an organization of private practice and academic Neursurgery practice executives. The agenda looks very good this year and I look forward to seeing several people that I only see once a year.

I'm staying at the nicest hotel I've ever been to, the St. Regis. Tonight I ate at Ame restaurant here in the St. Regis. Grilled Halibut with olive and chickpea tompenade. Yummy.

This room has it all, dvd, plasma tv, ipod hookup, touch screen climate, lighting & shade control, a bath and separate shower. Even the terlit is behind a glass door. Sweet.

It was a very long day, a 3 hour layover in Dallas, DFW. (reminds me of the Jimmie Dale Gilmore classic, Dallas...have you ever seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night?). I started 2 books on the flight: Staring at Sound (Jim De Rogatis' Flaming Lips Biography) and The History of God by Karen Armstrong. This one is a comparative history of the 3 main monotheistic religions. I read about 100 pages of the Flaming Lips book. It's very informative and reads very fluidly. De Rogatis obviously admires Wayne, who wouldn't? I made about a 5 page dent in the God history book. Also listened to BTS' new cd again, You In Reverse. Its an instant classic. Very powerful and full of hooks. Also listened to Mercury Rev and 3 Flaming Lips lps. This is what the ipod is built for, long distance travel. I remember the old days of traveling to St Louis for a week each month, I would pack about 20 cd's in my briefcase for the trip. No longer.

I have quite abit of free time tomorrow and then not until Saturday afternoon/evening. I'll let the weather be my guide. Didn't see any good bands playing, aside from Dino Jr, who I just saw last week. Really want to spend half a day in North Beach. I loved that area of town when I was here with John Veltri a few years ago.

Car Tunes

Jon Langford - Gold Brick/Nashville Radio Companion CD

Jonboy is on a roll. I've been enjoying these two new releases immensely. Gold Brick is a proper solo album (the logical follow up to Skull Orchard?) while Nashville Radio is the companion cd from the coffee table book that highlights the artwork and lyrics from the mekons to the waco's. This book is beautiful. The songs are acoustic versions of songs from Jon's career. Langford may be the most important songwriter anywhere right now. More on the book from the Bloodshot website.

Nashville Radio is the first collection of his acclaimed art. It reproduces 215 paintings and etchings, along with song lyrics and autobiographical writings. The book also comes with an specially recorded exclusive CD of Langford performing 18 of the printed songs.

Here's what the pointy-headed art history people have to say about it:

"Langford’s 'song-paintings' fuse publicity-shot portraiture with imagery derived from folk art, Dutch still life, classic Western wear, and the cold, cold war—all instilled with sharp, sardonic wit and a Constructivist sense of the power of language. He applies his completely distinctive style to the depiction of American music giants such as Bob Wills, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash, and also to more ghostly, marginalized figures — blindfolded cowboys, astronauts, and dancers — jerked around by the forces of success and exploitation, fame and neglect.

Built to Spill - You in Reverse *UPDATE*
This is the new one for BTS fans. Wow. I've listened twice and it may be their best effort. The song 'Conventional Wisdom' is my first favorite. My initial reaction to it was, 'this sounds like a Phyllis song. So it has to be fabulous. I suspect I'll be listening to this much closer on the plane to San Fran today.

Nick Lowe - Party of One
I found this in the used pile at Luna recently. I love Nick Lowe. There, I said it. His songwriting just hits me in the right place (The Beast in Me is a top 20 fave song for me). Party of One is a fun album from the mid-90's that includes some classics like, You Got the Look I Like, Jumbo Ark, What's Shakin on the Hill, All Men are Liars (a personal favorite). Scoop it up for some fun pub rock.

The Posies - Every Kind of Light

This is the latest from the re-formed Posies. We all loved them in the 90's, but now they are back with a great album. Jack Rabid from the Big Takeover, told me to pick this up. I had been skeptical from some reviews I read, but he was right, it's a winner. Jon Auer wins in the songwriting dual. At least 3 of these melodies will trouble you for days. Highly recommended.

Freak Scene

Tuesday, April 12, 2006, saw Dinosaur Jr playing at the Vogue Theater. I met up with Brett, David Magee and Dave Brown at the Wellington prior to the show. We missed the opening bands and waited for J, Lou & Murph to take the stage. Stage left were 3 massive Marshall stacks! Notoriously loud, this sight pretty much answered why. (kinda reminded me of the Neil Young Rust Never Sleeps tour where he made gigantic stage props, but these where real!) The premise of this tour has been to play only the songs that these 3 played while they were together. Of course J recorded as Dino J long after this incarnation disbanded. The crowd was not dissapointed, as they stuck to this except for "wagon" from Green Mind. (at least as far as I can remember) Frightening loud, but not distorted, very clear. J's solos were out of this world. We were all very glad we plopped down $22 for this amazing show.

You Tube

I've been aware of this site for awhile and this morning tried to find a recent Robert Pollard & the Ascended Masters video. So here we go........from the Southgate House in Covington KY. I was there Feb. 2006, Boy in Motion and Love is Stronger than Witchcraft.





And how's this for some classic GBV......

On Chronic Town.....

Saturday morning coffee with R.E.M. and their debut ep Chronic Town. This record has literally been hanging on my basement wall for a year or so. In that time, I've resurrected my turntable and have been listening to vinyl almost exclusively in the house. So throwing this on this morning has really transported me straight back to 1982, and in a good way. I bought this record based solely on the cover. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't...think Molly Hatchet. The color wash, combined with the gargoyle, and even the font for R.E.M. told me that this record was something different. Sure the guys on the back had some cool 80's haircuts, but titles like Wolves, Lower and Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars) didn't lead me to believe these were gonna be songs about Johnny and Jane.

Chronic Town starts off with 1,000,000. What does this guy keep repeating? Then the chorus of "I could live a million.....years." "Living....deadlier.....smarter too...." the rest is still undecipherable. Of course the internet helps us out with that, but do we really want to know? That was the draw hear. Listen again, listen again. Who were these mysterious people and why did they make me dance alone in my bedroom?

Stumble is next. Here the rickenbacher jangle debuts, creating the signature R.E.M. sound. This song too has the indecipherable repeating lyric, "barrrr....tannnnn?!?!" then the chorus "We'll stumble through the yard." Then another 4 bars of the melodic nonsense. Wow, this was a totally different listening experience, my main musical diet of the time being The Police, Squeeze, Joe Jackson and Devo.

Side 2 offered the Holy Grail of indie or college rock. Isn't this where it began? Three songs, Wolves, Lower, Gardening at Night (go ahead and sing it, the melody lives in your subconcious), and Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars). What memory does this run of songs conjure? Charleston, Illinois and a dance club called Mothers. This would be a couple years later, but I can plainly picture parking in a bank lot, walking across the street to Mothers with i.d. in hand, eighteen mind you, and stepping inside. Did they always(only) play R.E.M.? Who would be there? B.J., Cargill, Jim, and who else? Not sure. Probably only the four of us in any combination. But this was the place that solidified my love for the music I embraced the rest of my life. The idea that I wasn't the only person listening to Chronic Town and Murmur; that Boxcars only made me dance. What else do I hear in these memories? Costello, Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, db's, Split Enz, the Producers, Let's Active....on and on. Everytime I went there I found someone new. This was the equivalent satellite radio then. Live with other people. And thinking about it now, Adrian is nearly the same age now as I was then. Huh.

I don't have Chronic Town on cd. I think the reason why is that it's much too small. Chronic Town is a 12" record, not a 5" cd.

Ipod update

I am happy so far with my Ipod experience. I bought a 60gb whitey. It was great in the car during our trip to Chicago. I have a long way to go in filling it up and I now know I'm going to be forced to choose which albums are in and which are out. I plan on copying all of my cd's to itunes, but will have much more than 60gb. I just worry about the reliability of the device. Adrian has had 2 bad hard drives and Katie's mini died on the eve of her trip to NY City last Thursday.

Current statistics:
Song count - 10,299
Size - 34.2gb
Album count - 805
Artist count - 1,142

My best estimate is that this is roughly 40% of my cd collection. I'll have to see, its a slow process.

Mr & Mrs take the Windy City

I love Chicago. If I ever bought a lottery ticket and hit it big, I would definitely spend time exploring the neighborhoods of Chicago. Last weekend Amy and I checked into the Willows hotel in the Lakeview/Lincoln Park neighborhoods. I great little boutique hotel walking distance to some cool stuff. We really only had two goals in mind for the weekend, breakfast at Ann Sather's in Wrigleyville and Robert Pollard at the Metro on Friday night, the rest of the weekend we were leaving to chance.

After some noodles at Tie Me Up, we shot over to the Metro. I was pretty excited to see how far this band had come since the show at the Southgate House in February. We found a spot right beside Wrigely Field and marched in. Now, Mrs. C was not as thrilled to be here as I. I think it was mostly the late hour. We found a spot in the left rear of the floor and waited. The result of several more shows under their belt was astounding. This is as good a band as Bob has ever had and the songs were amazing. He played 4 new songs from Normal Happiness, which won't be released until October. Supernatural Car Lover was absolutely crazy good. This album, according to Bob, is 16, 2 minute pop songs. Needless to say I loved the show, Mrs C said her ears didn't ring too bad, and we were back in the hotel by 2 am! Check out these great pictures from the show.

A few hours later we were sitting in Ann Sathers on Belmont waiting for the world's best cinnamon rolls. I convinced myself to order something different, traditional eggs benedict everytime I go, and had the swedish sampler. Very tasty, especially the meatball. The thing about this place is you get 2 giant cinnamon rolls with whatever you order. Its a gutful and delish.

From here I decided to take Amy to Old Town and walk around to see the sights and architecture. We did a little shopping, a lot of walking, and a lot of ruminating about what it would be like to live in this kind of environment. Final result was a draw, Me = yes, Mrs C = maybe. From there we drove back to the hotel and walked to Yak-zies (Chicago dawg, fries, and toasted raviolies!) for a late munch and some more walking and gawking. Later we had dinner at Tarantino's back in Old Town and it was a nice find. Cozy little corner Italian that you would love to live around the block from. Bonus-found parking on the street and saved some cash. Parking, as with most large cities, is the worst thing about the trip. We had a great time together and drove to Marshall on Sunday to see nephew Jason off to Germany for 4 years. He's in the Air Force and is being stationed in Rammstein. It was nice to see everyone and we let 80 mph winds push us home!

Country Music Tips of the Day

Tip #1 comes from Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover editor:

Buyer's guide to George Jones records: If Jones has a crew cut on the cover, buy it. If he has longer, shaggy hair, listen before you buy!

Tip #2 came from Bloodshot Records:

Cubs home opener is next Friday. For the 7th consecutive year, The Waco Bros. will celebrate the start of the Cubs season with a midday show at Yatzkies in Wrigleyville. Line starts forming at 6a.m. !!! I'm gonna try to make that next year, or call in sick this Friday!

Tip #3 comes from me:

The new Townes Van Zandt documentary, Be Here to Love Me, is just heartbreaking. I had no idea the level of self-destruction that Townes created for himself. I knew that he lived on the edge, but he LIVED on the edged. Only thing I thought seemed missing was any talk about gambling. I know he was a consumate gambler and would bet on anything, but I can't remember one mention of this in the movie. The movie is short on actual performances, but the interviews are very insightful. This is a must for those who count TVZ as a music legend or for those who enjoy being depressed for a couple of days after watching a movie.

Flaming Lips Category

Flaming Lips fans, put away your Death Cab cd's and log onto www.flaminglips.com to listen to the entire new record, At War with the Mystics. I've been listening this evening and I love it.

Secondly, catch the Lips live on Letterman Thursday night (3-30). (last night was Willie Nelson singing an old Eddie Arnold song...very cool)

Thirdly, I read a quote from Thurston Moore that Sonic Youth and the Lips are going to be tour partners this year!! S.Y. have a new one coming out this year too. These two bands have carried the independent flag for such a long time and remain as innovative and important now as in the old days.