compared to what

My music collection doesn’t have a lot of patriotic songs. At least, that hasn’t been a focus of my collecting habits. But everyone’s thoughts turn to gratitude and hope now again, so, instead of digging up something new, I thought I’d see what might be hidden in my iPod already and choose something from that.

So here’s something from a journeyman Chicago blues guitarist, Lurrie Bell. I had a chance to hear him at Buddy Guy’s last year. This song is striking, in part, in how unlike it is from everything else I’ve heard from him, live or recorded. This is from his album, “Blues Had a Baby”.

categories: music
tags: If I Had a Hammer, Lurrie Bell

The Alabama blues/soul band, Spoonful James, has started putting up some of their live gigs on archive.org, starting with a couple of Birmingham gigs from this past May: a short set at Sloss Furnaces, and a two set show at Ona’s Music Room. They were joined at the latter for several numbers by Taylor Hicks, who’s gigged with some of the SJ guys in the past. Here’s links to the sets:

• Sloss Furnace, May 10, 2008
• Ona’s Music Room, May 10, 2008

In the typically accommodating fashion of archive.org, the shows are available in several formats, to please both audio gourmets and gourmands.

Here’s the sound of the gig at Ona’s. Hicks is on the last five songs of the second set. Sounds good!

And listening while I work, I’m really digging SJ’s lead singer (is that Wynn Christian?). I’ll get back here and post more on (ie, find out more about) the band and grab some links to buy their stuff, as soon as I get this last term paper put to bed.

categories: downloads, music
tags: Ona's Music Room, Sloss Furnace, Spoonful James, taylor hicks

I’m going to go hear this guy tonight!

Another island boy who has applied himself well. Is it something in the ocean air?

I’ll post a review later in the week (after the last paper of my last class!), including some nice things from his Bonnaroo set earlier this month.

categories: music
tags: George Harrison, Jake Shimabukuro, ukulele, While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Last summer, I bought Bill Wither’s Just as I am with the idea that I would somewhat systematically make sure I’d heard every late, great album I’d missed on the first pass. The big hit of this album was Ain’t No Sunshine, but it’s also the source of Hope She’ll Be Happier. I never got around to really digging in to the album. But the other day, while cleaning some things out, I re-listened to the cut of Let it Be.
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categories: music
tags: Across the Universe, Bill Withers, Just as I am, Let it Be

This is out now.

categories: music, video
tags: Gov't Mule, Xmas Jam

Slam sampler (link expires 7/3/08): download
And for listening only, Knowles exquisite take on Hendrix’ Redhouse

This is tale of some great music and some clever marketing:

Posting last week on the absolutely fine blues/rock band, Back Door Slam, got me digging through video and generally looking at what’s on-line for these guys. I was really trying to see if tapers were on their trail yet, but I ended up also getting interested in some very nice marketing they’re doing themselves. Interested in the product itself, but also in the promotion strategy.

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categories: biz, live, music
tags: Back Door Slam, blues, Davy Knowles, downloads, rock

a Modern Man

He was the first comedian whose name I knew, because my Mom would stop everything when he came on. Nobody dug in like he did. Most of his stuff can’t be embedded, but it’s worth digging back through again yourself. RIP.

categories: thought
tags: George Carlin

Lyrics, schmyrics. Go, Joe!

categories: music, oddities
tags: dad, Fred, Jesus, Joe Cocker, Laz-E-Boy, liver, lyrics, Woodstock

More underground than thou:
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categories: music
tags: music snobs, musicology, xkcd.com

Based on info posted at New Music Tip Sheet, the news that Vanguard Records was going to be releasing a CD of Taylor Hicks’ early works bounced happily across the internet. This sounded like interesting news, so I spent a pleasant afternoon listening to some of their catalog and downloading. (Some of the fruits of my labor are at the end of this post.)
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categories: biz, music
tags: Indigenous, Patty Larkin, Tab Benoit, taylor hicks, the Alternate Routes, Vanguard Records