Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash mashed up on Marley, mon. Absolutely wonderful.

Labels: Johnny Cash, music, punk

So, baseball is starting. I'm paying attention, after many years I'm paying attention to spring training. I even plunked down $15 to listen to all the games online this year. Having been an Astros fan in my older youth and young adulthood, I learned a lot about heartbreak and loss. I'm ready for more.

I did 45 minutes on the elliptical this morning and ten minutes of weights. Music: Vampire Weekend. The music kind of reminds me of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

That statement reminds me of some old dorky guy trying to sound young and hip when in fact he is old and chunky.

Sigh.

Back to the couch.

Labels: music

It's been a long time since you heard from me.

Sorry.

I haven't had much to say.

Tonight I saw a video of Morrissey.

The dude looked as old as I do.

Damn.

This morning I did 45 minutes on the elliptical.

I listened to the Transplants, Desmond Dekker, and Fats Domino. Blue Monday is one of the best songs I have ever heard. It's song of the day. Carry on.

Blue Monday
Fats Domino and Fabian

Blue Monday how I hate Blue Monday
Got to work like a slave all day
Here come Tuesday, oh hard Tuesday
I'm so tired got no time to play
Here come Wednesday, I'm beat to my socks
My gal calls, got to tell her that I'm out
'Cause Thursday is a hard workin' day
And Friday I get my pay
Saturday mornin', oh Saturday mornin'
All my tiredness has gone away
Got my money and my honey
And I'm out on the stand to play


Sunday mornin' I'm feelin' bad
But it's worth it for the time that I had
But I've got to get my rest
'Cause Monday is a mess

Labels: music

"You know, anybody can play a composition and use far-out chords and make it sound wrong. It’s making it sound right that’s not easy."

Thelonious Monk, 1961

Labels: jazz, music, Thelonious Monk

link

Labels: music, punk

1. Still oh so busy. Wow, is what the 40s is going to be?

2. Yahoo Music is adding Squeeze and Elvis.

3. I've cycled through a couple of Russian groups, great folks. I like it when they are open to the experience of America.

4. I've got a Chinese group I'm working with. One guy is into country music now, Johnny Cash and Hank 3.

My work here is done.

Labels: Elvis, music, New Wave, Squeeze, work

Oh so busy at work, but I keep saying, "that's a good kind of problem."

So, I saw Let's Rock Again. It's a fabulous movie. In it, Mr. Strummer implores the audience to go out and buy some weird music, something that hasn't been advertised to them. So, I run out and buy Global a Go-Go.

It's great. There's a song on there that I'm now addicted to - Bhindi Bhagee. Here's the lyrics:

Well, I was walking down the High Road
And this guy stops me
He'd just got in from New Zealand
And he was looking for mushy peas
I said, no, we hadn't really got 'em round here
I said, but we do got

Balti, Bhindi, strictly Hindi
Dall, Halal and I'm walking down the road
We got rocksoul, okra, bombay duck-ra
Shrimp beansprout, comes with it or without - with it or without
Bagels soft or simply harder
Exotic avocado or toxic empenada
We got akee, lassi, Somali waccy baccy
I'm sure back home you know what tikka's all about - what tikka's all about

Welcome stranger to the humble neighborhoods
You can get inspiration along the highroad

Hommus, cous cous in the jus of octopus
Pastrami and salami and lasagne on the go
Welcome stranger, there's no danger
Welcome to this humble neighborhood

There's Balti, Bhindi, strictly Hindi
Dall, Halal and I'm walking down the road
Rocksoul, okra, bombay duck-ra
Shrimp beansprout, comes with it or without

So anyway, I told him I was in a band
He said, "Oh yeah, oh yeah - what's your music like?"
I said, "It's um, um, well, it's kinda like
You know, it's got a bit of, um, you know."

Ragga, Bhangra, two-step Tanga
Mini-cab radio, music on the go
Um, surfbeat, backbeat, frontbeat, backseat
There's a bunch of players and they're really letting go
We got, Brit pop, hip hop, rockabilly, Lindy hop
Gaelic heavy metal fans fighting in the road
Ah, Sunday boozers for chewing gum users
They got a crazy D.J. and she's really letting go

Oh, welcome stranger
Welcome stranger to the humble neighborhoods

Well, I say, there's plenty of places to eat round here
He say, "Oh yeah, I'm pretty choosy."

You got
Balti, Bhindi, strictly Hindi
Dall, Halal, walking down the road
Rocksoul, okra, bombay duck-ra
Shrimp beansprout, comes with it or without
Let's check it out

Welcome stranger to the humble neighborhoods, neighborhoods
Check out all that

Por-da-sol, por-da-sol
Walking down the highroad

It could have been written about Alief and where I live. There's a Bollywood cinema near us, every kind of Asian food, etc. I love it and we're always checking out the restaurants and groceries.

But, last time at the HEB at Bellaire and SH6, we had to get an interpreter to find out that they don't carry prosciutto. Now at Hong Kong Market, I wouldn't mind, not even at Fiesta. But at HEB....

Can't "multicultural" include my culture too, please?

Anyway, it's a great song and a great neighborhood. Check them both out.

Labels: Alief, music, West Oaks

Jimmay! turned 40 this past weekend. I went to Austin for the drinking marathon festivities. He invited us to bring our MP3 players and let loose the hounds of nostalgia. Here's the playlist I made:

#1. Happy Birthday -- Altered Images - Listening to Altered Images is like eating a pixie stick.
#2. My Own Way -- Duran Duran - The most underrated Duran Duran song.
#3. Shakin' -- Eddie Money - Jimmy and I shared our secret shame one night while watching MTV. We both like Eddie Money. A big American car on a Friday night, the promise of the first sip of beer...
#4. Hold It Now, Hit It -- Beastie Boys - When they could sample anything. I miss those days.
#5. Shake Your Rump -- Beastie Boys - We must have listened to Paul's Boutique a million times.
#6. I Touch Roses -- Book of Love - A song you would have heard in The World in Austin in 1988.
#7. Black Celebration -- Depeche Mode - Best thing, it's actaully about Guinness.
#8. Panic -- The Smiths - I can remember screaming "hang the deejay" too late one night.
#9. Genius Of Love -- Tom Tom Club - Genius of a song.
#10. Blue Monday -- New Order - Substance was the first CD I owned.
#11. Bizarre Love Triangle -- New Order - I remember dancing with the missus to this song about a million times.
#12. It Takes Two -- Rob Base - The "whoo" and the "yea" from this song mash up with just about any song in the world.
#13. Beats To The Rhyme -- Run-D.M.C. - The missus, Jimmy, and I are close friends of DMC.
#14. Run's House -- Run-D.M.C.
#15. Perfect Way -- Scritti Politti - This should be a throw-away song, but it's still one of my favorites.
#16. How Soon Is Now? -- The Smiths - Every club played this song once a night in the 80s.
#17. Stigmata -- Ministry - This song separates the men from the boys. In Austin, there would be these mainstream kids who would go out for a "New Wave" night and hit the alternative clubs where Jimmy and I lived. When this song came on, you could see that they were thinking that things had gone too far and they were over their heads.
#18. Up The Junction -- Squeeze - There's a Squeeze song for every occasion. This is Jimmy's favorite Squeeze song, in particular the line "begging's not my business."
#19. Up The Creek -- Glenn Tilbrook - It's a song about getting older and yet staying funky. And being stupid. I get it now.

Labels: Jimmay, music, Squeeze, The Missus, Weirdness

Been thinking:

1. I liked the last episode of The Sopranos. It was good. I didn't like the ending. Not that I was manipulated, that's fine, that's part of being entertained. Not that they left storylines open, I knew that had to happen. I didn't like it because it came across to me as gimmicky.

BTW, I've seen every episode at least twice. I've watched a few seasons with the director commentary on. I used to live in Cedar Grove, NJ, which is a location they use. I lived (until age 11) around these people.

2. We saw Spamalot last Sunday night. Liked it.

3. I've been working out regularly. 45 minutes on the elliptical three days a week.

4. New song addiction: Atlantic City from Bruce Springsteen With The Sessions Band Live in Dublin - It's a rework of the song from the Nebraska album.

5. With Comcast coming in, I still get FSC and they're adding Fox Reality channel. Blogging will be light.

Labels: music, Sopranos

You bastards!

You voted off Billy Ray!

He has a great song out, by the way: I Want My Mullet Back

It's song of the day:

Bell bottoms were really cool.
Cuttin' class an' skippin' school.
I 'member packin' that ol' fishin' pole.
Skinny-dippin' at a swimmin' hole.
Back light, red lights an' strobe lights too,
Were all the rage for me an' you.
Only one thing I miss more than that:
I want my mullet back.

I want my mullet back.
My ol' Camero, an' my eight-track.
Fuzzy dice hangin' loose an' proud.
ZZ Top, they're playin' loud.
A simple time, that's what I miss.
Your mini-skirt an' your sweet kiss.
Things are changin' man, an' that's a fact.
I want my mullet back.

If you were Hannah Montana's dad, you'd have a good sense of humor about things too.

Labels: music

Glenn Tilbrook has a wonderful little song, By the Light of the Cash Machine, up on his myspace. It's free to take a listen, give it a whirl!

Labels: Glenn Tilbrook, music, Squeeze

I've updated the playlist on the MP3 player.

Been listening to Mr. Townshend's song Slit Skirts lately. Reminds me of the days when MTV showed videos. And we looked forward to the videos coming out as much as the albums coming out. Even if they were a little cheesy.

Labels: Borat, Lily Allen, MTV, music, Tom Waits

The daytrotter.com guys made the trip. I never went, even when I lived there.

Brent Grulke said it's not a consumer event, so as a consumer, there's no reason for me to go.

Odd twist of trivia: I went to high school with Brent. He was a year or two ahead of me. I didn't really know him, but he was friends with Leslie and Suzee. Suzee dated Michael Corcoran a while. She broke his heart and he wrote a bunch of great columns for the Austin Chronicle.

Anyway, I have a record called Bands on the Block that Brent put together in 1986 or so. I loaned it to nephew Alex S. I guess I need it back now that I can transfer it to CD.

Labels: music, SXSW

Slight, because I'm crazy busy at work and the studio and home. Still working out, no new music yet, waiting for the Daytrotter.com guys to get back from Austin. I guess I'm getting old. I wanted to see Lily Allen in Houston on Friday but then decided it would be too late a night.

Although, we have a MySpace for the studio. No way, me not older and gross, me cool and young. It's funny, MySpace calls each blog post a "blog." No wonder so many people say it like that.

Labels: music

I can't get enough of this song. I can't get enough of this band. I can't get enough of this site. The Daytrotter guys're in Austin now, recording a whole bunch of bands.

Song Download | Daytrotter: song preview and download

Labels: music

or; I got the Johnson's Baby Powder and the Polo cologne

Worked out. 30 minutes on the elliptical. Music: Lily Allen, Gwen Stefani, and The Killers. I mentally mash up "When You Were Young" with "Hey Jealousy" by The Gin Blossoms. You kids with your mashups, back in my day, we had to do the mashing up ourselves, by singing over other songs. Jimmy was a big fan of adding "woo" and "yeah" from "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock to just about any song.

Which reminds me of a nickname I was given (adding to the list).

When I was stationed at OSIA, I would get to work by 7:00 AM. I drove the Beltway, it was either wait at work and drink coffee or wait in traffic and sweat being late.

So, after dropping my gear off, I would go around back with a fresh cup of mud and take up my position in the smoking area near the newspaper machines. (WaPo and WaTimes, $0.25 each. What a country.) I would light up and by 7:20 YN1 Vern N. would drive up. He'd walk up, slide the cover off his head, light up a Salem, smile out of the corner of his mouth, and start:

I wanna rock right now

and then I'd start

I'm Rob Base and I came to get down
I'm not internationally known
But I'm known to rock the microphone
Because I get stoopid, I mean outrageous
Stay away from me if you're contagious

Vern was curious about how a white guy from Austin knew all the lyrics to so many rap songs. (When I was in the Navy I would just say I was from Austin, since I lived there five years before I signed up and I had no family in Houston anymore.) I tried to explain to him how I was in high school when rap broke and we all thought it was the greatest thing. I listened to the Roxanne Wars as they unfolded on Magic 102. I used to know all the words to La-Di-Da-Di.

Vern honored me by calling me Rob Base from then on.

I've updated the soundtrack.

Labels: Jimberly, Jimmay, music, Navy, Nicknames, rap

Rolling Stone : Alright, Still : Review

In the tradition of Annie, Robyn and Stacey Q, Allen is a theoretical pop princess whose U.S. audience consists mainly of lonely-guy literary types.

I'm not lonely. I don't like people.

Labels: Lily Allen, music

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin...(SSLYBY)

Hat tip to my new favorite blog, that I found from this article.

Labels: music

This must be a hoax or something.

It's Official! Roth to Rejoin Van Halen - TMZ.com

Labels: music

1. Last night, I swear, I saw Corbin scratch his right underarm with his right hand.

2. I've changed my mind about the song I'll sing when I try out for American Idol (history). I'm going to sing "I'm bringing sexy back," but I'm going to change the words to "I'm bringing grumpy back."

3. I think this whole immigration controversy is turning into one of those "War on Drugs" type issues where right-wingers get riled up about something that's presented as a crisis and then we're stuck advocating increasing the size, scope, and power of the federal government.

4. I'm following the Astros a little. We'll see if it sticks. Here's a start: It's great that Woody Williams is coming back to Houston, but isn't he, um, a little old? Dude's older than me....

Labels: music, rants, Shows I don't watch

They're kind of like the Human League. They're a guy with a deep voice and two girls, minimal electronica, etc.

They're different in that they're German and they suck, but in a charming way. A weird, charming way. If you're in the right mood.



My Hands are Bananas.

Hat tip to the missus, who knows what I like.

Labels: music, New Wave

Song of the Day: Stutter by Elastica

No need to whine, boy,
Like a wind-up toy you stutter at my feet,
And it's never the time, boy,
You've had too much wine to stumble up my street.
Well it isn't a problem,
Nothing we can't keep between the sheets,
Tell me you're mine, love,
And I will not wait for other bedtime treats....

Is there something you lack,
When I'm flat on my back,
Is there something that I can do for you?
It's always something you ate,
Or it's something you hate,
Tell me is it the way that I touch you?
Have you found a new mate,
And is she really great,
Is it just that I'm much too much for you?

Don't feed me a line, boy,
I can hear that voice you use upon the phone,
And there's no need to be coy,
That is something you can do upon your own.
Well it isn't problem,
Nothing we can't solve so just relax.
Am I on the wrong train, love,
And will I have to tie you to the tracks....

Is there something you lack,
When I'm flat on my back,
Is there something that I can do for you?
It's always something you ate,
Or it's something you hate,
Tell me is it the way that I touch you?
Have you found a new mate,
And is she really great,
Is it just that I'm much too much for you?

Labels: music, New Wave

I put them here for my own entertainment. You may not watch them.

Labels: music

and I come up with this list of what I'm listening to.

Labels: music