I dig some Jace Everett…not the super country stuff, though; that crap’s absolutely annoying. He’s probably best known for the theme to the True Blood series, and that’s the sound I like the best: a little bluesy, a little Chris-Isaak-y, a little sexy.
Here’s some Jace in yo face…and you know, if you hate what I share, create your own freakin’ blog and post away 😉
A live version of “Damned If I Do” that is just excellent…”damned if I do, damned if I don’t want you…” You’re welcome.
A few weeks ago, I was being haunted by a Duran Duran song that was playing everywhere I went. A song that was decades old was audible in all kinds of settings with such frequency that I couldn’t ignore it. It was kind of unsettling, really, because it was nonstop, but I thought it through, think I finally understood what I was supposed to get out of it…and it stopped.
In the last 24 hours, it’s been Def Leppard everywhere: at dinner, sitting in a rental car office, out of a car driving by, out shopping. After getting my car back from the body shop, my iPod was still sitting on my desk at work, so I had to listen to the radio on the drive to work and heard 3 Def Leppard songs on 3 different stations on my VERY short drive to work. Really?
But it’s not all the same song…so what’s the message in that? Is it to remember a feeling? An era? A person? To pay homage to hearing impaired felines?? I don’t know, still pondering all that, but here’s some abso-freakin-lutely brilliant Def Leppard, their signature sound evident right off the bat.
It’s 1 AM in the wee hours after the autumnal equinox, the perfect balance of daylight and darkness. I fall into my rhythm this time of year, hit my stride. Screw January for new beginnings; my rebirth is when the first hint of chill hits the air, summer yielding its power, relenting to cool nights, blankets on the couch, overflowing words.
I should be asleep, but what am I doing? I’m up streaming some YouTube videos, awestruck by talent. Inspired. Moved. Thinking on what collaborations, what genius can come when one creative spirit crashes into another and sparks fly. Late nights with blankets and winding conversations and empty shot glasses set my muse free.
Inspire me. Let me tell your story thirty-five different ways. Let me tell the truth; let me tell a lie.
And let me inspire you. Move forward. Smile. Be happy. Trust me. Don’t waste a day, a moment-when I turn away, call my bluff, because I will sure as hell call yours. Create create create, and share it with the world for free or for pay but don’t ever stop again…keep going, inspire me.
As the leaves start to turn, I feel the possibilities on the wind…something magical with wild potential just around the corner. I don’t want to figure you out; I just want laughter, words, and for your music to play on.
I’m in the mood for a Sunday lyric fest as I do some pondering.
i’ve got a dream of your face
that scares me awake
i put too much on the table
and now i got too much at stake…
Yep, that’s “Shy” by Ani DiFranco. A favorite and a good fit for this particular Sunday.
But wait, there’s more! This Sunday is full of ideas and thoughts and reflecting on shyness.
We’ve been here too long tryin’ to get along
Pretendin’ that you’re oh, so shy…
And here’s sweet Joan Jett with a live version of the song “Do Ya Wanna Touch Me”
This one isn’t about being shy at all but it was the first song I thought of when I woke up this morning…
Don’t cut the power on me
I’m feelin’ low, so get me high
A beloved classic from KISS, live because live is usually the best version of anything, “Shock Me.”
I’m in an interesting mood the day after returning from New Orleans.
One more, just one more. The Urban Spelunkers covering “Whole Wide World” because, well, yeah, I’d go the whole wide world for this, or maybe just to New Orleans and back.
i posted an acknowledgement recently of a song that was following me around, “come undone.” it’s still everywhere.
in the grocery store. at a pizza place with my kiddo. pandora. itunes radio. at kmart. the song is twenty years old and is everywhere i go lately.
i’ve heard that a recurring song can be a message from the universe, angels, loved ones, spirit guides.
what am i missing? “who do you need when you come undone?” is a question i would ask of someone who is hovering on the edge of my world right now, neither fully in my world nor fully on the other side of the exit door…
…but what do i need to hear, know, remember?? i don’t get it, at least not yet.
Always proud to support our local music scene, support people doing what they love!
Scotty from the Crank County Daredevils has something new afoot with The Damned Angels. This little ditty Evil will remind CCD fans of the somewhat hypnotic, circular-feeling riff of the CCD’s Hidden Track. Good, good stuff. Find The Damned Angels on Facebook and like them already:
I was chaperone for 3 teens at Warped Tour, an all day music festival with multiple stages. This concert was aimed at the “Hot Topic” shopper demographic.
And…it was horrible.
I like all kinds of music. I like Sex Pistols and Misfits as well as I like Chris Isaak or Brian Setzer. Loud thrashy punk, hard soul crushing metal or even a Baja infused guitar ditty, I like it all.
At this festival, I set myself up in a shady spot with a book near two stages. I’d put the book down for each new band to give them a concentrated listen. I heard a great guitarist, an amazing bass player and a thundering drummer—too bad none of them were in the same band. The bands I heard were truly absolutely utterly horrible. Crappy McCrapperson and the Craptones. Just awful.
Lots of faux rage and rebellion that sounded hollow and fell flat…what the hell do these middle class white kids have to be angry about? Raging because you have an iPhone 4 but want an iPhone 5 isn’t raging; it’s a tantrum, and tantrums are not the stuff of memorable rock n roll. Yelling about legalizing pot just makes you sound idiotic.
These were only two stages of many at the festival. Maybe somewhere, someone had some amazing talent and kicked some ass. I didn’t see them or hear them…they were drowned out by the droning sounds of The Craptastics and The Crapinators.
So…final Bele Chere is coming up. Does anyone care? I don’t. Being an Asheville native, I remember when the festival was small and it had a very local feel to it. My youth orchestra group played on Church Street a couple summers in a row. My friends’ bands played on several stages. The crafters were from western NC. It was an intimate little summer celebration, a fun time to enjoy friends and food and music.
The festival grew over time into a giant beer swilling, funnel cake gorging behemoth as the years went by, attracting crowds of tourists from far away who wanted to party in Asheville. Local bands were replaced with big headliners. Local crafts were replaced with artisans from all over the place with high price tags. There was puke in the streets and people were pushing and shoving each other by 3 PM on the first day of the festival every year, drunk and overcrowded and angry. The festival grew into a sprawl that annoyed the local business owners who couldn’t function with the crowds and the shoplifters and the noise.
I don’t like it. I don’t go. I work downtown and make an effort to take the Friday that Bele Chere starts as a vacation day, and I stay away from downtown Asheville the whole weekend. I won’t regret missing out on the overpriced beer or the smell of urine in the summer heat.
Bye, Bele Chere. I remember when we could see the Urban Spelunkers or The Merle and walk around without worrying about getting mugged or trampled. That was long ago, but thanks for the memories.
I realized that several songs I’ve been hitting repeat on actually tell a little story when I string them all together.
Scars—I tear myself open, I sew myself shut, my weakness is that I care too much…I can’t help you fix yourself, but at least I can say I tried.
Burn—I trusted you, broke me down and you screwed me over…You’re gonna get what you deserve, I wanna watch you burn.
To Be Loved–I’ll never give up, I’ll never give in, I just wanna be loved…Take your past, burn it up and let it go…Carry on, I’m stronger than you’ll ever know.
There’s a song for every feeling, someone somewhere has felt what you’re feeling and put it to music. There’s music I reach for when I’m happy, when I’m angry, when I’m weary. This particular song is like a Casey Kasem long distance dedication on the Weekly Top 40 radio show I listened to growing up…
Dear Casey, I’m writing because I have a friend with their soul in shreds, their spirit torn to bits tonight. Can you dedicate Thumb by Dinosaur Jr to my friend? I’m more than a little worried. Send my love. Thanks. Sincerely, Kat in Ashevegas
Thanks, Kat in Ashevegas, here’s some lyrics from Thumb going out to your friend with the torn spirit tonight…Kat sends her love, and thanks for tuning in…
There never really is a good time
There’s always nothing much to say
Pretty good, not doing that fine
Getting up most every day.
Steppin’ out, I tried to fix it
Pulled a thumb out of that hole…
How can you move without a goal?
There never really is a good time…
An excuse is all you’re in for,
The abuse is all you crave.
Sure you know just what is in store…
There’s a time, just let me know now
When it’s with you I’ll be glad
That I was right there just to show you.
At least it’s more than what you had.
There never really is a good time…
(lyrics by Dinosaur Jr)