My Dream Team: Loudon Wainwright & John Hiatt

Browsing around the Internet tonight for Loudon Wainwright III tracks and reviews of his recent concerts, I stumbled on this rare gem, pairing two of my favorite singer/songwriters of the moment.
I bought tickets to see Loudo at the tiny Barns at Wolf Trap next month after reading Bob Lefsetz's glowing reviews of his genius songwriting and lyrics. I have been listening to his songs online constantly for the last month or so. He has an endless catalog that can be witty and funny at one moment and in the next be deeply emotional and soul-bearing. Very few artists can execute effectively on both ends of that spectrum.

What I found tonight through Hype Machine was a stripped-down, acoustic guitar and piano take on the Motown classic 'My Girl' by the aforementioned LW3 alongside the equally talented John Hiatt, another singer that I love who should receive so much more recognition than he does.

Take a listen to their version of 'My Girl' [via Cover Lay Down]

I'm seeing John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett performing together on Sunday night, which I'll be reviewing for the site. I've been increasingly enjoying Lyle Lovett's songs too, not just his amazing version of Friend of the Devil. I'm definitely noticing a pattern in my listening as of late, trending towards the style of these gentlemen. This may have been triggered by my seeing Jackson Browne in concert last month.

Status Update: "SAYONARA!"

"I became despondent. What, then, was I? If my time was spent changing my profile picture on Facebook, thinking of a clever status update for Facebook, checking my profile again to see if anyone had commented on my page, Is this what I am? A person who re-visits her own thoughts and images for hours each day? And so what do I amount to? An egotist? A voyeur? Whatever the label, I was unhappy and feeling empty. The amount of time I spent on Facebook had pushed me into an existential crisis. It wasn't the time-wasting, per se, that bothered me. It was the nature of the obsession -- namely self-obsession. Enough was enough. I left Facebook."

Sounds like something Woody Allen would have said-- maybe even Freud. Chillingly, it's all too true. This excerpt is from a recent article which attempts to rationalize the seemingly infinite Facebook frenzy...or dilemma, depending on how you view it. The author, who apparently paid attention in PSYCH 101, makes a compelling argument regarding the link between narcissism, egotism, boredom and even voyeurism amongst, as she aptly observes, the "look at me" generation. The article struck a particular note considering just one month ago, I virtually [pun intended] dismantled about 99% of my profile (including photos) for many of the same reasons examined in her passage.

Psychoanalysis aside, howabout the fact that any shred of privacy you once had pre-Facebook, MySpace, or Friendster is now appalingly non-existent. In fact, I think I can hear George Orwell saying "I told you so" from the grave as I'm writing this. Even if you're too cool to be concerned with the ever-present "Big Brother" aspect perpetuated by "social-networking" [surveillance] sites, aren't you the least bit creeped out that your boss is getting off to pictures of you doing body shots at an office happy-hour...during your lunch break?? I am.

http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/102684/stop_being_a_narcissist_--_it

iPhone Photos of the Day - 10/12/08

Man Rocking the Keytar
14th Street/Union Square Subway Station, NYC

Jones Soda Flavors: Strawberry Manilow, D'Peach Mode, and Bohemian Rasberry
Drink Fridge @ Barnes & Noble, Citgroup Center, 54th Street/Lexington Avenue, NYC

I'm Amazed

My Morning Jacket is gettin' some love right now on New York City's WRXP, with the band's "I'm Amazed" making its way through the airwaves. Nice to hear a real band, playing real instruments, with a real good tune in rotation. Maybe music isn't over...


Here is the video via YouTube.

VH1 Video Countdown - 10/11/08

I don't generally watch TRL-type music video countdown shows. In fact, Total Request Live shuttered its windows for good a few weeks back. But being up before 11 am on a Saturday for the first time in forever, I found myself curious as to what the kiddies these days are listening to. And I now know why I don't follow this crap. I'm a cynic and always wondered if people are actually voting for these things or if the network is beholden to advertisers, corporations, and sponsors. Well, here is your Top 20 America, including:

American Idol Retreads:
Jennifer Hudson (7)
Jordin Sparks (20)
Daughtry (2)
Leona Lewis (3)( she counts, Product of British X Factor)
and Archie himself, David Archuleta! (1)

Oldies But Goodies(?):
Bret Michaels!!! (16)
Staind (11)
Gavin Rossdale?!? (10)
New Kids on the Block (4)
Three Doors Down (6)
Lifehouse (8)
Pink (5)

Jam/Frat House Rockers:
O.A.R (13)

Did I mention AC/freakin/DC is on the list with a bullet at #17.

What alternate universe has the "music" world entered??? AC/DC in that company? Archuletta is your #1? Really?!?

The Bridge To Release New Album

The Bridge are set to release their latest studio album, Blind Man's Hill [Hyena Records] on October 21st. Honest Tune's Tim Newby wrote a great piece about the band and their recording of the album. I'm looking forward to both hearing the disc and attending their CD release show in Baltimore on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at Baltimore's Ram's Head Live. The Bridge draw huge crowds for this now annual late November show.

Soup or Group

It's time to play everyone's favorite blog gameshow.

OR

In Today's "Soup Or Group", you will have the opportunity to choose between:

SOUP: Lobster bisque

GROUP: After playing together live for the first time in February during a solo Sammy Hagar concert in Las Vegas, a new group featuring the ex-Van Halen vocalist, bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith is making an album.

Read the rest of this article.

Cash For Your Extra? Part II

It's only been a few days since Phish's announcement of a live return, and longtime phans are still buzzing about it. This includes our buddy Brian who has filed his second report about the reunion.

Ok, so the dust has settled a little bit, and the shock has worn off (kinda). I must say after speaking and texting with several people yesterday, the buzz is in the air. Ladies and Gentleman, Phish is back on the road. I started to think about this yesterday and it is amazing to me the huge amount of hype and excitement that this band generates. I've been trying to put my finger on why this particular band gives people such a feeling of euphoria. Why in the end does it always come back to Phish?

Including local shows, I have probably been to hundreds and hundreds of concerts in my 30 years of life. My interests in music have always been very eclectic and I've always tried to have an open mind when it comes to choosing musical acts to see. Over the years I have seen rock, R&B, bluegrass, metal, classical, alternative, jazz, and so on....My point is that I've opened my musical spectrum to all genres. Each show I go to fulfills a different side of my musical interest. Music has always fascinated me to a level that I can't describe. It literally touches my soul. It inspires me, makes me sad or happy, reminds me of a time in my life, etc. Any musical enthusiast will probably tell you the same thing. I guess this is part of the reason that I learned to play guitar and piano. So, that I could begin to explore my own musical outlets....Ok, sorry about getting a little off topic here. Anyway, going back to Phish. The four guys in Phish love music and their own influences purely reflect their style. Each member brings a different aspect to the table. Mike brings the bluegrass and country, Trey the 70's style rock, Page brings the jazz and ragtime, and Fishman brings it all together with his impressively technical style. When you throw this all together, I guess you have Phish. There is no other way to really describe their music. I think what's creative about Phish is that you never know what you will get at each concert. Each setlist is different and their onstage antics over the years have proved to be comical and surprising. Other bands will go on tour and play the same songs in the same order and even say the exact same things on stage each night. Phish does merely the opposite of this. The entire experience of driving from city to city following this band is an adventure in itself. I met many people over the years at Phish concerts and you really do see the same faces year after year. Its like a large extended family. Maybe this is why people are so attracted to the scene. People feel a sense of community and acceptance when on the road with the band. For me personally, I like the spontaneity of the band itself. I like their improvisational style and their highly regarded expertise at each instrument they play. The energy that the band can achieve musically is simply something that can't be described in words. Simply put, their music makes me feel good...really good! I like the excitement I feel before the show anticipating what the band will do that night and wondering if they will play a song I haven't heard before or whether they will break out some new material. All of the sights, sounds, and smells of the parking lot before and after each show is certainly something you will always remember (for those of you who have never been to a Phish concert).

I guess its a combination of all of these ideas that makes people so crazy for Phish. The end result is that the band continues to evolve musically and its phans want more, more, more. If the band keeps booking shows, the phans will follow. They will always want that high of the entire Phish experience. For some its about the music, for some its about the scene, for some its about the drugs, and for some its just about a good time. I guess I can say that I'm in for a little bit of everything. I saw this band 45 times between 1996-2004 and every show brought me a different and memorable experience. I kept going back because the whole experience was always an adventure. I really can't describe it any other way to you. For anyone that has been to a handful of Phish concerts, you know what I'm talking about and you understand why their return has turned everyone upside down. It will be interesting to see how long the band's return to the stage will last. Only time will tell.

Page, Jones To Tour Without Plant??

Could Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham set out on tour without Jimmy Page? According to London's The Sun, it's possible if Robert Plant fails to agree to tour with the threesome.

Would you still pay to see a Plant-less Zep? Who could fill Plant's shoes?

I think Chris Cornell would be an excellent choice. Check out this clip featuring Cornell's acoustic take on Led Zeppelin's 'Thank You'. Now that [the trainwreck] Audioslave is behind him, I imagine his schedule is pretty clear.

Freestreamin' Bob Dylan

NPR.org is currently streaming Bob Dylan's new album, Tell Tale Signs for free.