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December 24, 2006
Darlin's Top 10 - er, 20 - of 2006
I started out with a "Top 10," but was excited about too many albums - so I extended it to a Top 20. Sue me.
1. Dixie Chicks - Taking the Long Way
Is it country? Is it not? I don't know; actually I don't really care. It's brilliant.
2. Rosanne Cash - Black Cadillac
I dare you not to listen to it again.
3. Johnny Cash - American V
The album Cash was working on with Rick Rubin at the time of his death.
4. Various Artists - Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson
Gretchen Wilson's version of "Sunday Morning Coming Down" is just KILLER.
5. Radney Foster - This World We Live In
See if you can't relate to "Half of My Mistakes."
6. Kasey Chambers - Carnival
A definite departure from last year's Wayward Angel. Kasey's happy again - for the most part.
7. Mark Knopfler / Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning
Oh! is all I can say.
8. Shawn Mullins - 9th Ward Pickin’ Parlor
Brilliant writing, brilliant playing.
9. Mindy Smith - Long Island Shores
The girl who did that cover of "Jolene" that everyone was talking about comes back with her autobiographical sophomore CD.
10. The Wreckers - Stand Still, Look Pretty
Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp team up for an album that's rich in harmonies and gems like "Tennessee" and "Cigarettes."
11. Trent Summar - Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
You'll either love or hate what he's done to "He Stopped Loving Her Today," but either way, you'll be jealous of his red pants.
12. Jack Ingram - Live: Wherever You Are
Technically a re-issue of his Live at Gruene Hall CD (with a couple of studio tracks), but still a great album.
13. Randy Rogers Band - Just a Matter of Time
Another Texas band that makes it big without selling it.
14. The Duhks - Migrations
Old-timey, bluegrassy, Grammy-nominated!
15. Bruce Robison - Eleven Stories
Eleven great songs - um, stories, from a crazy-talented (and very tall) songwriter. Who hasn't lived "All Over but the Cryin'"?
16. No Justice - No Justice
Why do so many great bands come from Texas?
17. Darrell Scott - The Invisible Man
An unintentionally successful Nashville songwriter who gets unintentionally political while trying to find his own place in the world.
18. Garrison Starr - The Sound of You and Me
This album got me through a terrible breakup. She rocks.
19. Solomon Burke - Nashville
The King of Soul goes country - and well!
20. Carrie Rodriguez - Seven Angels on a Bicycle
The debut solo effort from Chip Taylor's prodigy. He helps her out, but she holds her own.
Posted by darlin at 8:23 PM
December 17, 2006
Record Weirdo - RIP Tower Records
I will miss Tower Records. In an attempt to achieve closure, I loaded up with marked-down stuff at their going-out-of-business sales. More about that later.
The old Tower Records store in Brea always had special significance to me. It opened at the corner of St. College and Imperial Hwy in 1980. I was in High School and it was the first Tower I ever visited. It seemed huge. I had grown up buying records at rinky-dink mall stores like Music Plus and the Wherehouse. From there I graduated to smaller independent stores like Musix Box in Fullerton and Record Trading Center in Orange.
Tower was a whole new kettle of fish. Tower had everything. As you walked in the door, they had singles to the right, imports on the left, tapes (cassette AND 8-track) in the back, and acres of albums in the middle. I was in hog heaven. They even had Ticketron. Remember Ticketron? The first tickets I bought there were to see the Clash at the Hollywood Palladium.
When times were tough, I counted change to buy records. When times were good, I counted folding money to buy records.
I even had a romantic relationship begin at the store -- sort of. There was a girl that I knew from school. I would see her occasionally after that, at clubs and such. I even saw her when I was selling peanuts at Angel Stadium. She was at a baseball game with her dad. I thought it was really cool that she was reading a book during the game. Anyway, it took a chance meeting at Tower Records in Brea for me to finally ask her out on a date. She listened to The Cure but I liked her anyway.
As my world expanded to include larger, more exotic Tower Records stores in more glamorous, more exciting places like Hollywood and San Francisco, I realized what small potatoes the Brea store actually was. I have since been to Tower Records stores in Canada and Europe, but the Brea store will always have a special place in my heart. You never forget your first.
Sometime between my moving away from Orange County in the late 80s and my return in the early 00's, the Brea store moved from its original location to a much bigger and snazzier building across town. The older building is now a skate shop. Pretty soon all Tower Records stores will be something else, like earmuff and girdle factory outlets or beekeeper supply warehouses.
The going-out-of-business sales began sometime in November 2006. That's about when shameless scavengers like me started picking at the bones. Heres most of what I got in no particular order. Most of them were just a few bucks each. I excluded stuff that I will be giving out as Christmas presents because someone I know might read this.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts-Sinner. A little too slick, but still pretty darn good. Great covers of AC-DC by Sweet and Androgynous by the Replacements. What's she hinting at?
Lord Sutch-and Heavy Friends. Great early 70's hard rock self-indulgence. This album was produced by Jimmy Page and features Page, Jeff Beck, John Bonham, Noel Redding, and so on. A lot of it sounds like Led Zeppelin leftovers - Sutch was considered to be a horrible singer, but he's nowhere near as horrible as Robert Plant. In retrospect, he's not so bad at all. You can hear Sutch's influence on 2nd generation English punk singers like Jimmy Pursey, Charlie Harper, and Stinky Turner.
Lord Sutch-The Hands of Jack the Ripper. Not as good as "Heavy Friends." In fact, its not very good at all. Guests on this one include Keith Moon and Ritchie Blackmore.
Roger Daltrey-Can't Wait To See the Movie. Someday, that big 80's sound will become retro-cool. You know that sound - tons of synthesizers, big echo-drenched drums, four billion background singers, and those cheesy saxophones that sound like broccoli farts. When it does come back, I'll be able to say Ive been listening to this stuff for years. Truthfully, this album is a big bucket of shit. I like it.
Buzzcocks-Operators Manual. As a best-of compilation, I prefer "Singles Going Steady", but you can't go wrong here. There is some overlap with the two albums, but not enough that you shouldn't have both.
Buzzcocks-Flat Pack on to Sanity. This came out in 2006. The last couple of their albums that I heard were pretty dull. This one is better.
Curt Kirkwood-Snow. Where can you go after the Meat Puppets? This album is mostly acoustic and almost folky. Actually its amazing. He hasn't changed his style, he's simply figured out what it is, refined it, and has even improved on it. This was a real find. I dont know what it is but it makes perfect sense to me.
Deke Dickerson-Deke Down Under. Its the same old Dick Dekerson stuff but I like it. This is a combo-pack containing a CD and a 7-inch record. It is the last vinyl I will ever buy at Tower Records. I think it was the last piece of vinyl in the store. Sniff.
The Minus 5-Down With Wilco. In case you dont know, The Minus 5 is a revolving-door collective led by Scott McCaughey of the Young Fresh Fellows. The band usually includes Peter Buck of REM and one or two of the Posies. I saw them quite a few times when I lived in Seattle. Their shows were usually good, but their albums were not -- too many inside jokes and stuff. This one, from 2003, is surprisingly good. It is almost-but-not-quite conventional pop with a few odd bits thrown in.
Elvis Costello-Live With The Metropole Orkest. Im wary of the "Elvis Costello With Strings" concept. He tends to over-sing in situations like that. I prefer his rock albums where he just yells. I'm not alone, judging from the number of these left on the shelf, but this one is really good. He is backed by a big-band jazz outfit with horns, strings, and the whole shebang. "Watching The Detectives" is reworked to sound like a TV theme song from the 50s and it works perfectly. It could be the definitive version. There is a bonus disc containing the instrumental score of an opera composed by Mr. Costello. Since I am not an expert on classical music, I can't tell if its good or bad but I like it. It sounds like a mish-mash of movie soundtracks.
Wrecking Crew-Static Dreams. Heres one for the kids. These talented youngsters sound kind of like the Adolescents. I like the last song with added keyboards and backing vocals and stuff. They have the good sense to stop before they get to the broccoli fart saxophones, but I'd probably like that too.
Epoxies s/t 5 song EP. Heres another one for the kids. I saw this band open for The Damned last month. They seem to exist in an alternate new wave universe where it's always 1980. They cover both "Beat My Guest" by Adam and the Ants and "We're All Clones" by Alice Cooper. They are respectful to both songs while making them sound not only like each other but like the Epoxies. I think the singer, Roxy Epoxy, has true star quality. She looks good and she can yodel. You cant beat that.
Hellbound Hayride-Stampede. This is from 2000. They sound pretty much the same now as they did then. If Johnny Cash were alive today, he would probably still sound pretty much like Johnny Cash.
Flaming Groovies-Teenage Head. The Flaming Groovies also exist in an alternate universe, but in theirs it is always 1965. This album originally came out in 1971 and it is fleshed out here with a couple of hundred bonus tracks. The song "Teenage Head" should have been the Stairway to Heaven of 1971. Something about that last statement doesn't seem right.
Flaming Groovies-Slow Death. This is a compilation of mostly unreleased recordings from 1971-1973 on Norton Records. I trust Norton and so should you. I might have paid full price for this if I had known it existed. But I didn't so I didn't.
Misfits s/t. What a bummer. The disc has a manufacturing defect. There is a blob of label ink on the playing side and the disc freaks out and skips all over the place. I used rubbing alcohol to remove some of the ink but it still won't play all the way through. There is an All Sales Final policy. Caveat emptor.
The Dictators-Bloodbrothers. This was their third and final album. It may not be their best, but it's better than a sharp stick in the eye.
Soul Asylum-The Silver Lining. I wrote my history-should-be-kinder-to-Soul-Asylum manifesto in my last record-store-going-out-of-business story and it still applies. I could be in a rut.
Big Star-Extended Versions. This was a pleasant surprise. It looked like another budget-bin best-of compilation. If you read the fine print, it says "Recorded Live" but not when or where. It is a post-reunion recording, sloppy and no-frills, with an uneven mix, feedback, and plenty of bum notes. I like it a lot.
Motorhead-Bomber (2 disc deluxe expanded version). Every home should have this. You should keep it in the medicine cabinet and periodically use it to clean all of the worlds impurities out of your ears.
Stiv Bators- LA Confidential. In between the Dead Boys and the Lords of the New Church, Bators recorded a couple albums worth of 60s influenced garage/power-pop/Nuggets type stuff. He did it well. Since the Dead Boys covered "Hey Little Girl" and the Lords did "Live For Today", Im guessing that's where his heart really was. He probably would have done more if there were a buck in it.
ADZ-Live Plus Five. A recent release from Tony Reflex's other band. Its funnier and more rock n roll than the Adolescents. I like it.
Dave Davies-Kinked. This is a pretty good compilation of solo stuff recorded by the other brother in the Kinks. “Death of a Clown” is here as well as “Living on a Thin Line” and a couple others that a casual Kinks fan would know. This holds together pretty well.
Dave Davies-Chosen People. I liked the “Kinked” CD so much that I splurged one whole dollar for this one. I didn’t really like it on first listen and I haven’t bothered to listen to it again. I may never.
Thunders, Kane, and Nolan-You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory (DVD). This is a 1987 Johnny Thunders show captured on a single video camera. Whoever shot it sure liked to zoom in and out. I actually like it better than a “professional” looking live video. It’s a little grainy and blurry, but it does a good job of capturing the essence of the show. It’s weird to think that all these guys are dead now.
Marshall Crenshaw-Field Day. This guy’s songs are just too perfect. It’s hard to grab hold of something that has no flaws. That’s probably why he never became hugely successful. I defy any sane, rational person not to like “Whenever You’re On My Mind.” It has more hooks than a pirate barn dance.*
Marshall Crenshaw-Good Evening. This has more great songs messed up with cluttery 80’s overproduction. Big Music Biz had no idea what to do with this guy. If you want a good Marshall Crenshaw album, get his first one or a compilation of demos and home recordings called “The Nine Volt Years.”
*The phrase I had originally written was “more hooks than a pirate convention.” I was very proud of this phrase until I googled it and discovered that I didn’t invent it after all – it has been used at least 78 times before. Damn. Among the other phrases I considered was “more hooks than a slaughterhouse” but I thought it might be too rough. Besides, it is too similar to another music writing cliché “more chops than a butcher shop.”
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The Final Day – December 20, 2006
All CD’s were a buck or a buck twenty-five – buy 4 and get the 5th for 1 cent. Being the way I am, I had to buy in multiples of five. I ended up with these ten items.
Hank III-Rising Outlaw. A friend of mine used to refer to him as “Hank Williams Junior the Third.” I can’t think of him any other way now. I like the way the major label slick production on this album contrasts with his wild quivery voice.
Hank III-Lovesick, Broke & Driftin’. On his second album, Hank Williams Junior the Third was given a little free reign. He wrote most of the songs and the whole thing has the back-porch feel that I think he wanted. However, I have a problem with the song “Seven Months and Thirty-nine Days.” Based on a thirty day month, wouldn’t it be more accurate to call it “Eight Months and Nine Days?” That’s like me saying I’m four feet and twenty-three inches tall.
Thin White Rope-The One That Got Away. I remember seeing this band sometime in the 80’s or 90’s. They were critical darlings from Central California. They sounded kind of like Television with a little bit of twang. It’s okay, but I’m thinking that I should have got that CD by Blackmores Night instead.
The Waitresses-The Millennium Collection. A guilty pleasure. I liked the blasé, hipster art chick singer. When KNAC was a new wave station they used to play the song “No Guilt” a lot.
Starz-Stadium Rock. This band was kind of like UFO Lite. They had a great song called “Cherry Baby.” It isn’t on this CD but I got it anyway.
VH1 Hair Metal Unplugged. I forget the real title, but it’s something like that. I don’t have it in front of me right now so I’ll just take a guess. It has bands like Winger and Dokken doing stripped-down acoustic versions of their songs. Who would have known that behind all of the makeup, all of the hairspray, and all of the silly costumes were a bunch of really bad songs?
I bought this as sort of a gag gift – as if I owe anybody an explanation.
Melvins-Houdini Live 2005. Heavier than dirt. Heavier than wet stinky dirt. Heavier than wet, stinky, polluted dirt from a nuclear test site. I think you get the idea.
The BellRays-A Little Faith. I like the way they sound with horns. They should do more of that. Just when you think they start getting pretentious and showy, they throw in a song with a title like “Snot Gun.” I hope they have a good lawyer because the title track sounds a lot like “Have A Little Faith in Me” by John Hiatt.
The Pirates-Home and Away, Live in the 90’s. This is ridiculous and great. The Pirates were best known for the 1960 hit “Shakin’ All Over.” The 1990’s version consisted of guitarist Mick Green, his son on bass, a drummer, and some obscure “could have been a contender” heavy metal singer. Almost every song sounds like “Shakin’ All Over,” but the only time we hear the real song is during the last minute of an eight minute jam/medley. A magnificent train wreck.
Ben Vaughn-Designs in Music. Ten years after the revival of instrumental space age bachelor pad music and forty-some years after its peak, Ben Vaughn has the final word on the genre. The word is “beautiful.”
Posted by Big Kev at 5:27 PM
December 9, 2006
You Don't Know Jack
The first week of December always seems like it's heavy on great music - and then of course followed by a long dry spell as the holidays get closer. The day after the "Locked and Loaded" tour at Universal, I drove up to the Fox Theatre in Bakersfield to see Gary Allan and Jack Ingram. Now why Bakersfield? Surely, they must have had an LA date. They did - they were at my favorite venue, the House of Blues on Sunset Sunday night, but alas, I was working. Thursday night's show at Bakersfield's Fox Theatre was the perfect alternative - this way, I could avoid the House of Blues, and not take a day off from work (and my spies told me the House of Blues was its usual nightmare, reaffirming that I'd made the correct decision).
Getting to the theatre proved to be a bit of a challenge, as the Bakersfield Christmas Parade had not only shut down several streets and traffic lights, but made parking quite a challenge, as the Fox Theatre doesn't have it s own parking structure. I wound up parking in a church five blocks away and hoping that the Presbyterians wouldn't tow me away (they didn't). The Fox Theatre is beautiful - it has an old-timey marquee like the El Rey, but has a majestic interior like the Henry Fonda Theatre.
Jack played a set that was reportedly very different from his Los Angeles set - a testament that he was easily able to pick up on the fact that the Bakersfield audience was (surprisingly, to me, at least) a little more conservative. No jumping off amps for Jack in Bakersfield. Jack didn't play any radoi hits until about four songs in, instead leading with some of my favorites like "Fool" and "Biloxi," which he dedicated to his estranged father, who was having a birthday that night, and was the unfortunate impetus behind this sad and angry song. Jack's new single is a remake of Hinder's "Lips of an Angel," which is indicative of how ballsy Jack is to try to introduce this song to a country audience. In the words of my friend Tricia, it's "kind of a fucked up song" about hooking up with your ex while your girlfriend is in the next room. Bakersfield didn't know what to make of that.
We headed backstage after Jack's set, where the sound was terrible, so I can't say anything about Gary Allan's set, although I'm sure it was incredible. I like Gary Allan 'cause he not only covered Todd Snider's "Alright Guy," but also made it the title track for one of his albums. I like it 'cause he says the word "dick." In case you were wondering, nothing particularly exciting was going on backstage, but several members of Jack's Beat-Up Ford Band raved about a punk band called The Dead Ringers. And plenty of drinking.
Posted by darlin at 10:53 PM
Suffering Permanent Hearing Loss - and Loving It
There are very, very few arena shows that I get ridiculously excited about, but with a lineup like the "Locked and Loaded" tour featured, including Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, and the Randy Rogers Band, well, that's worth the effort of some enthusiasm.
Texas' Randy Rogers Band lit up the stage at the Universal Amphitheatre Wednesday night with their high-energy (especially fiddle player Brady Black, who I really thought was going to do damage to his fiddle, with his aggressive playing - check out their Live at Billy Bob's CD to get a taste of what I mean), while Miranda Lambert burned it down. She's a well-adjusted young lady who likes to sing about revenge, murder, bar fights, etc. Her big hit is called "Kerosene," her current single "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and she's got another song coming out (her label thought it "inappropriate" for the holidays) called "Gunpowder." Her on-stage presence kicks ass - and I'm not just saying that because I'm afraid she'd kick mine if I didn't - but because she's the real deal (Who else has the good taste to make a point of covering Steve Earle's "Hillbilly Holler"? Okay, I was the only one in the audience singing along, but good for her for making the people aware!).
Dierks was for sure the most mainstream act of the night, but he is one of the more genuinely talented artists of the genre. While I think he has yet to put out an album that truly captures how strong he is live, Dierks always entertains, and gives me hope for mainstream country music. Dierks has a background in bluegrass (and unlike a certain other mainstream artist who has recently made the laughable announcement that he's going to produce a bluegrass album, because bluegrass is such an influence on his shows), and it shows. Dierks played a couple of songs - including his hit "My Last Name" - acoustically - with fiddles, banjos, and the four or five guys gathered around one mic. Dierks is a guy who likes the atmosphere of small clubs, and to re-create the feel of a more intimate venue, the first several rows of the orchestra section were removed for standing room only - for those who had wristbands. Unfortunately, the sound was a little off - it seemed that after the first song, one guitar was awfully loud, and to compensate for it, Dierks seemed to be singing even louder - distorting the sound. Many audience members left early, citing the loudness as the reason, which unfortunately made the venue even emptier. This was clearly not a sold-out show, which was disappointing for such a strong lineup. The show finished with a cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," turned into a duet with Miranda. And believe you me, there's nothing scarier than the intensity in her eyes when she sings, "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die," 'cause you believe that after a song like "Gunpowder," she just might have.
Posted by darlin at 10:14 PM
December 2, 2006
Our Duhks Save the Planet
"We didn't set out to be a political band, but we do sing about things that are meaningful to us," explains Leonard Podolak, banjoist for and founder of Winnipeg's old-timey acoustic band The Duhks.
What's meaningful to the Duhks is doing their part to protect the environment. They've teamed up with radio station Indie 103 and key members of environmental organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council and Heal the Bay to discuss how individuals and the greater community can support environmental sustainability. This press conference is taking place at the legendary Cherokee Studios on Fairfax, following a four-song recording session with the legendary Bruce Robb, who has engineered albums for Ricky Lee Jones, Art Garfunkel, and Frank Sinatra. The current structure that houses Cherokee Studios is scheduled to be torn down and replaced with the first-of-its-kind "green" professional recording studio.
The Duhks themselves admit that it's sometimes a challenge to minimize their impact on the environment, since being a touring band doesn't not easily lend itself to the cause. But whenever and wherever possible, the Duhks do their part. The following are some simple (as well as more challenging) suggestions and reminders that the Duhks, NRDC, and Heal the Bay suggest individuals and bands can do to help minimize your impact on the environment:
- Eat organic and eat local. Shopping at Farmer's Markets is not only fun, but also supports local growers and farms.
- Don't leave the engine idling while waiting for that last band member to jump in the van.
- Use the towels provided in hotel rooms more than once. You'll help conserve water and energy by minimizing the amount of necessary laundering.
- Turn the lights off when you leave a room.
- Use the same paper coffee cup 16 times a day if you have to. Minimize waste.
- Use hemp products. Not only are they chemical and pesticide free, but hemp clothing also provides more UV sun protection than other kinds of clothing and lasts four times as long as cotton!
- Have a rider in your touring contract? Request organic foods and natural water for your dressing room. You'll not only be eating healthier, but also help spread the word about minimizing environmental impact.
- What to do with all those record bags from Amoeba? Take them to the grocery store when shopping as an alternative to "Paper or plastic." No need to deal with double-bagging!
- Work in an office? Start a recycling program if there's not one already in place. All you need is a plastic waste can or bin - and a sign that says, "Recyclables only." It may take some time for your co-workers to catch on (and not throw trash in there) - but once they do, you'll all be making a considerable contribution.
- Get involved with Heal the Bay or other environmental organizations. They offer a variety of time commitments for even the busiest of people.
- Join Quarter2Three Records in "Rock Your Planet" - an environmentally focused eco-music tour focusing on spreading this message to Southern California's college and university campuses. Be a title sponsor, media sponsor, donate food / drink, instruments, etc. Contact Tiffany Downey at 323-653-3412.
- Adopt an endangered species as a Christmas gift for friends and family. Save the Mantee Club and other organizations offer "adoptions" as gifts, which usually include a quarterly newsletter, adoption certificates, photos of "your" creature, plus the great feeling of knowing you're protecting our natural resources!
Posted by darlin at 2:52 PM
Can't Stop Wayne the Train
I love Wayne Hancock. And I also love Safari Sam's, where he played last night. Not only does Safari Sam's have a huge-ass parking lot, but it also has Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap. What more could you ask for?
All the ingredients were in place for a kick-ass show, and Wayne (and Safari Sam's!) delivered. I was at work until 11:30p, but a call to the venue ahead of time assured me he wouldn't go on until 11p, and I was further informed "He's gonna play for a LONG time." Despite having to stop at the ATM, despite having to walk for what seemed like forever to get to my truck, despite being stuck in traffic on the 101, despite being stuck behind a slow-ass mother fucker on Sunset Boulevard who clearly did not understand that I WAS MISSING WAYNE HANCOCK FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, I managed to get there around midnight, just in time for "Thunderstorms and Neon Signs" (which made my life complete) and STILL got to see Wayne play for TWO HOURS. He did take some breaks, letting his girlfriend / merch girl take over for a couple of songs. She delivered a pleasant enough set, but for sure couldn't compare to Robert from Big Sandy, who relieved Wayne for a song. In addition to old favorites, Wayne did a bunch of songs from his latest CD Tulsa, and some requests, even some which he clearly would rather have not performed ("Don't ever write a song you don't want to sing," Wayne advised - I don't know what his problem was - 'cause I totally dug the song).
Kudos to sidemen Eddie Biebel and Jake Erwin, who strum and slap like there's no tomorrow. Even on ballads, the combined energy about these three guys makes them unstoppable, but at the same time - in more boisterous songs, there's something about the breaking of Wayne's voice that makes him seem as lonely as the train he's nominatively compared to. And we're totally okay with that.
Posted by darlin at 2:27 PM
