With all the posturing and doublespeak, it's refreshing when someone just up and tells the truth: as it said in the ad: "War on Iraq is WRONG and we know it".
(Tomorrow, promise, nothing remotely related to the NYT. * Thanks to Arrested Development for title of the post.)
Once again, the online edition is superior to the print one, thanks to the addition of a slideshow and music samples.
The online extras of this article are in some ways better, some ways not as good as those for the Bo Diddley article. Although it makes more sense to separate out the slideshow from the music (and steer clear of an unnecesary browser plugin), the interview clips in the Bo Diddley article were a nice touch.
Registration required, blah blah blah, naturellement.
Now there's a country band out there that seems to be riding the ragged edge. Bering Strait is a group of classically trained Russians who made their pilgrimage to Nashville and cut an album. The singer is completely unaccented, and they clearly know how to play, but their first single is titled Bearing Straight. Not exactly the same as the band, but... Saucy slavs!
Still in all, they seem to be getting their share of ink. There was an NPR piece on them, and a documentary about them is coming soon.
5. Dianne Reeves and Lou Rawls - Baby it's Cold Outside
The best track on the the Jazz to the World Christmas album. This tune is basically always done as a duet with between a man and a woman, but never before so effectively. Lou and Dianne have a blast with this one.
4. Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up
Sappy, gooey, wears its heart right on its sleeve, and damn powerful stuff. Like listening to a one-act play by a leftist playright who understand the dignity of the struggle. (You can watch a video at Peter Gabriel's website.)
3. Belle and Sebastian - Women's Realm
Two sweet voices, and one deepy catchy tune. Though Belle and Sebastian have (fairly) been called precious, they know what makes a melody infectious.
2. Jurassic 5 with Nelly Furtado - Thin Line
Love songs aren't hard to find. But look for another song about loving someone so much you kill yourself to avoid endangering the friendship. Funny how some of the snarls people in real life get into fairly often tend not be songs that often. But then, who wants to be reminded?
1. Kelly Hogan and the Pine Valley Cosmonauts with Mike Geier - Papa Was a Rodeo
This song is mostly Kelly's baby, and she carries it quite well, but the verse by Mike Geier at the end is what sends it over the top. Love that last unison "too". And by god, that man sounds JUST like the young Johnny Cash.
Not that it could ever mean much, but my hearfelt condolences to anyone who lost someone. To the survivors, stay strong.
To all music fans, musicians, club owners, promoters, everyone: Be careful guys, and for god's sake, take care of each other.
Tickets for the Beacon Theater (NYC) show go on sale today at noon. Got a feeling they'll sell out.
And, yes, links to both Ticketmaster and Clear Channel up there. Ick. Feel like taking a shower.
UPDATE: Naturally, sold out in 15 minutes. Congrats to those who got 'em.
The online edition has a sidebar with some great audio from the reporter's interview and some good images too. (Click the box that says "The Music They Made" with the cool picture of Bo.) Really adds a lot to the article.
It's apparently the first of a series. The others will be listed here too as they come up.
None of which does doodly for you if you're listening to mp3's. Depending on where you get your files from, there could be any old thing in your ID3 tags (which most hardware and software mp3 players use to show the track info). MusicBrainz is trying to fill that void.
Let's give peace a chance, y'all.
Massive respect to Memphis Slim for help with the choices
5. Slayer - War Ensemble
This one's all about the impact. No warmonger could stand up to this track played at maximum volume. I mean like, because they'd fall down. Play it loud.
4. War is a Crime - Antibalas
Antibalas is dedicated to the proposition that any polital statement worth making is worth dancing to. People busy dancing don't do stupid things with firearms, yo.
3. Steve Earle - Best That We Can Do
Steve Earle's latest record Jerusalem got a lot of people pissed off. (Clearly, he's doing something right.) The title track, though not exactly a protest song per se, is all about peace also.
2. Sun Ra - Nuclear War
Rember the old joke about what to do in the case of nuclear war? 1) Put your head between your knees. 2) Kiss your ass goodbye. BTW, Yo La Tengo recently released an EP with 4 different covers (big) of it as well.
1. Edwin Starr - War
An obvious choice maybe, but really, try to think of one that sums it up better. What's it good for? Absolutely nothin'. (Hell of a beat, too.)
And the sequel record (also from Motel Records) may have the best album title ever: Bombay 2: Electric Vindaloo. The titles of the songs themselves only heap on more pun-ishment, vide: Theme From Twin Sheiks, Chakra Khan, T. J. Hookah, and Sexy Mother Fakir.
Better yet, there's a growing underground of folks who like to hack the thing. You can send away to have your capacity doubled (and your warranty voided). Or you can learn how to do it yourself. And best of all, there's an open source project working on a very good replacement for the device's (already not bad) factory-installed OS.
Note: I think the nice lady on Archos main mp3 jukebox page wants to kick my ass.
And you can learn a little about mythology and existentialism (scroll to the bottom) too, what's more rock'n'roll that that?
5. The Roots - Act Too (Love of My Life)
We spend so much time talking about love, lust, and everything else with songs, it seems only fair to give the music its own valentine now and then.
4. The Romantics - What I Like About You
Hey, it ain't all transcendence and brooding. Sometimes you just got to jump around and yell a little.
3. Tom Waits - Jersey Girl
This one is the way it really is, for most of the people in the world. It's all very well to be J. Lo and have some millionaire with a nice nose come sweep you away or something, but most of get a quiet walk down the midway with our baby instead. Which, fortunately, happens to be a hell of a lot.
2. Big Star - Thirteen
It was a dead heat between this and the White Stripes' We're Going to Be Friends, two very similar songs. Love is like baby rattlesnakes, it can be at its most potent (sometimes dangerous) when it's young.
1. Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On
Of course, what you're thinking is -- love song? I can think of a 4-letter word starting with "L" this song is about, but it ain't love. I say To-may-to, you say to-mah-to, just be sure to play this one for the one for your fellow music appreciator.
It's a personal guarantee that any one of her records will lay your ears back. Once you get one, you'll learn a lot.
This post was inspired by an recent article in the New York Times, but be warned they have arcane registration and archiving policies...
Not that I recommend actually sending it to anyone, but J5 is trying out a little viral marketing.
Hip-hop mandolin: hell, the world just ain't ready. Wondering what Snoop thought of it?
5. Covers Project
This one's been mentioned here before, but still, it's just too fun. And let's face it, it answers all the eternal questions.
4.Midheaven Mailorder
Just like your hip sorta funny-smelling neighborhood record store, only on the Internet. Right down to the samples you can listen to and freaky store mascots, fearless destroyers of fax machines.
3. Wholenote
A great place to go if you're planning to make music of your own. Guitar tab, lessons, a groove builder, and plenty more.
2. Allmusic
An incredible resource to have when you hear something you want to know more about. Whether you start with artist name, album name, or even song title only, you should be able to get the info you're looking for. Their reviews are well-informed and fun to read.
1. Dave Marsh's American Grandstand
Hasn't updated in a while, so assuming it's still a going concern, some of the best writing on pop music you'll find. Even if Marsh is moving on to greener pastures, there's still a considerable archive of his work on the site (scroll to the bottom). He's opinionated as hell and has forgotten more about rock (and progressive politics) than your favorite DJ ever knew.
