My Buddy And Me

On this, the day we learned Dan Fogelberg sadly passed away, I thought I'd pass on a new artist who, like Dan, may have been unfairly pigeonholed into some sort of "soft-rock" category- but has so much more depth than that. Actually, BUDDY, as he calls himself, is a native Oregonian who does, proudly, I assume, call his music "Wimpycore." With a sincere, Ben Gibbard-like voice and extremely infectious lo-fi indie melodies, BUDDY is part of that Hotel Cafe crowd in LA (Cary Brothers, Ian Ball, etc) and is truly an artist to watch in 2008 (all you have to do is hear SALT POINT from his '05 EP- just try getting it out of your head). He recently put out his first full length, ALTERATIONS AND REPAIRS. Thanks to my "buddies" for turning me on to...BUDDY.

Remembering Dan Fogelberg

Dan Became The Symbol For Easy Listening Pop In The Late 70's,Early 80's. But His Roots Was The Singer-songwriter Movement Of The Early 70's And He Had Some Great
Songs. "Sounvenirs" As A Release Of Note.

From The 80's Windows And Walls Here's "The Language Of Love"

Tegan's Top 10 Songs of 2007 and Why

The New Pornographers - Challengers
This is a great record. I listened to it in my bunk in Europe this summer night after night.
My favorite lyric is " no matter the mess you are, you're mine okay". Breaks my heart.

Jim Ward - Quiet EP
I honestly believe Jim is a genius. His voice gives me goose bumps. "I find it hard to turn you off when you're not here". Probably sums up my past addict behavior better than even I could.

The National - Boxer
I love every song on this record. I was so late on the National. I feel intense guilt about this. I intend on being a super fan to make up for it.

The Blow - Paper Television
True Affection and Parentheses are two of my favorites off this record. Genius. Sweet in a way I can't ever possibly be.
I listen and pretend I'm someone different.

Northern State - Can I Keep This Pen?
We've been touring around North America with Northern State for months now. I asked them to tour with us specifically because I think this record is so important. I think they are 3 of the most talented women in our business. They put on a great show and they made one of the strongest offerings of 07 in my humble opinion.

Bonde do Role - With Lazers
I saw a special on these guys up in Canada. They have great energy and I think this is an amazing first record.

Against Me - New Wave
I am a huge stalker fan of this band. I love this record. Not just because I sang on it and Butch Vig produced but because
I think Tom is an amazing writer. One of a kind. He's going to change our generation.

Bat For Lashes - Fur and Gold
This record haunted me this summer. The song Prescilla would get stuck in my head for days on end. It drove me absolutely nuts. In a good way.

The Killers - Sam's Town
I don't know if this came out in 07. But if it didn't...it should have. I listen to this record daily.

Junior Boys - So this is goodbye
Same goes for Junior Boys so this is goodbye. I'm pretty sure I was late to this party too. But I love them.
I love this record. It gives me stomach pains. It is so the record we listened to every night on the way home from the studio when we were making the con.

Grace Potter Submits Her Top 10 Albums of All Time

James Brown, 'Sex Machine'

The Band, 'The Basement Tapes'

Bob Dylan, 'Blood on the Tracks

Rolling Stones, 'Sticky Fingers'

Led Zeppelin, 'Led Zeppelin IV'

Neil Young and Crazy Horse, 'Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere"

The Who, 'Who's Next'

George Harrison, All Things Must Pass'

Radiohead, 'The Bends'

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, 'Time the Revelator'

Umphrey's McGee's Top 10 Albums of All Time

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Beatles - White Album

Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction

Queen - A Night at the Opera

Stevie Wonder - Innervisions

King Crimson - Discipline

Beatles - Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Radiohead - OK Computer

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

Cast your ballot for the 897 Greatest Albums of All Time Countdown!

Mat Kearney's Top 10 Albums of All Time

U2 - Joshua Tree

Johnny Cash - American Recordings

Beatles - Revolver

Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run

Paul Simon - Graceland

A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

Emmylou Harris - Wrecking ball

Travis - The Man Who

Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin

Cast your ballot for the 897 Greatest Albums of All Time Countdown!

Led Zeppelin Reunites

And the first clips are in! Miss the show? Expect to see the official DVD sometime next year.

Remembering Rick Danko

Rick Danko Passed In His Sleep On This Day In 1999, A Day After His 56th Birthday

From The Last Waltz, It Makes No Difference




From A 1999 Preformance In Chicago, The Weight

Twisted Christmas Vegas-Style From The Killers

I dare you NOT to laugh at this one! In what is fast becoming an annual tradition, THE KILLERS have put out another holiday song with a twist. This one, DON'T SHOOT ME SANTA, is their second holiday download single- it benefits Bono's RED CAMPAIGN.

So, have a laugh for a good cause and be sure and check out one of the most hilarious moments in music videos I've ever seen (It has something to do with a very young Santa)!



...and this is a first for me: a video segue! The Killers' tune reminded me quite a bit of this one from The Alan Parsons Project. Enjoy!

Who is the Hottest Musical Couple of the Year?

...If you answered Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, you could be right. No doubt, their connection on RAISING SAND is one of the greatest musical surprise moments of the year.

But, to take that kind of chemistry a step further, the two that truly do it for me are Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It all started with the movie ONCE in which they starred as busking musicians on the streets of Dublin. Then it just exploded when they released a cover of Dylan's YOU AIN'T GOING NOWHERE from the I'M NOT THERE SOUNDTRACK. Glen and Marketa stirred up the ghosts of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris for me....from that California country era that brought rock and roll and country together.

The Frames frontman and the Czech songbird and multi-instrumentalist exude something more than just chemical when they harmonize. There's something, well, kind of sexy going on when you see them onstage...or in the case below, when they heat up the Colorado snow at Sundance. So check it out and melt away!



p.s. It now seems the two are dating. I never would have guessed ;)

A New Take on Music Videos features TMD Artists

Coming back to Baltimore from NYC this weekend I was handed a magazine by the person next to me, Nylon Guys. While flipping through articles I came across an article on Vincent Moon, a filmmaker who is "reinventing the music video" artists include, R.E.M., Cold War Kids, the Kooks and Arcade Fire.

Moon is putting out a DVD The Take Away Shows, with these music videos and more. If you're in the store and see the Nylon Guys magazine, give it a read, it's worth it.

"In The Take Away Shows Moon has also crashed restaurants with Beirut, rolled through a warehouse with Cold War Kids, and serenaded school girls with the Kooks in the streets of Paris" (Mallory Rice, Nylon Guys).

Catch the Arcade Fire Segment here, a great part starts at 03:50, for more details check out The Take Away Shows Website

U2 - Stars...

that like to be seen! Just 2 weeks back Bono was out talking about the song from Joshua Tree that they just finished.
NOW, he and The Edge going to a small intimate space to play a 20 minute acoustic set. Last week's show was for The Little Noise Sessions from London's Union Chapel.
Too cool not to take a look - here's 'Desire' from the gig.

Keep The Fires Burning For Joe Strummer

It was a real nice surprise over the weekend to find the Julien Temple-directed documentary Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten playing in my cable on demand movie section.

The film has only been in limited theatrical release in the US since early this month and I don't believe it has come to Baltimore yet. It should, though.

I just have to tell you how profoundly moved I was by the story of how Joe, son of an Indian immigrant father and Scottish Highlands mum, truly felt for people and their plights (just hear STRAIGHT TO HELL). From his days as the leader of a squatter movement in London (and the formation of his first band The 101'ers) to his post-Clash days creating campfire communities, Joe forever wanted to be in touch with people and spread the news as he did in The Clash. Scenes of collaboartors and fans who sit and strum at campfires around the world in the film to share stories of Joe, I think, are some of the best movie moments this year.

Speaking of "The News," Joe found kindred spirits in musicians who spread street-level information, be it indigenous musicians from Latin America or rap reporters from the streets of New York.

Check out the trailer for the film and an appearance by the Clash on the Tom Snyder show from Sandinista! era 1981...and fire up the fires for Joe sometime and write your own future.

What does Caroline Kennedy and Neil Diamond have in common?

In my daily quest to find bizarre and interesting things going on in the music world, I stumbled upon Neil Diamond. For me, "Sweet Caroline" is a fond memory of late night bar music. For Diamond, "Sweet Caroline" is an ode to President Kennedy's daughter, Caroline. Who woulda thunk it?

When you're spending time with your loved ones or your in-laws this holiday weekend, lighten up the mood with this interesting fact, see what you and your nephews and nieces or cousins have in common with musical taste. I always liked talking more about music then how "well" school was going.

Neil is currently working on a new album with producer Rick Rubin and is saying it's the best one to date.

Happy Turkey Day, Don't forget to wave all five fingers at the nice lady who cuts you off on the way to the mall Friday!

Dab Your Eyes For Godley and Creme

Melissa just played "Cry" by Dan Wilson, and it immediately triggered instant recall for a video that was groundbreaking at the time. Kevin Godley and Lol Creme came to fame in the 70's with 10cc ("I'm Not In Love"). But, it wasn't until they split and became a duo that they truly made their mark on music.

They got into directing videos in the early 80's that were artful, alluring and innovative (The Police "Every Breath You Take" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger," Duran Duran "Girls On Film," Herbie Hancock's "Rockit").

But what later became a music video staple (or cliche', depending on how you look at it), was their own 1985 video for "Cry." The video featured faces blending into each other using "analog cross-fading"- that later evolved into a digital effect known as "morphing." Michael Jackson used it for his "Black and White" video and you can see the technique pretty much all the time in ads or even corporate presentations.

In addition to all that, the song was pretty groovy too. See if this video doesn't make you, umm...cry? And be on the lookout for Gonzo and see if you can spy any other celebs!