Saturday, April 28, 2007

The Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago - November, 1981


This used to happen all the time. It's such a shame I was 11 months old. If I could've, I would've been there with a bottle of Maker's, a pack of Strikes, and a back-up pair of Pampers.

Monday, April 09, 2007

I May Lose My Testosterone Card

I don't know how I feel about this mix, but these are songs I have encountered repeatedly these days.

1) Van Morrison - I Love You (The Smile You Smile)
2) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Angel Dream (No. 2)
3) Donovan - Catch the Wind
4) Wilco - What Light
5) Be Good Tanyas - Up Against the Wall
6) Umphrey's McGee - Memories of Home
7) Bonnie Raitt - Come to Me
8) Lucinda Williams - Can't Let Go
9) Phoenix - Long Distance Call
10) Fatboy Slim - That Old Pair of Jeans
11) Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking
12) Aretha Franklin with George Michael - I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)
13) Brett Dennen - She's Mine
14) Jose Gonzalez - Storm
15) Dana Falconberry - Paper Sailboat
16) Dar Williams with Chris Botti - The Beauty of the Rain
17) Gillian Welch - Black Star
18) The Broken West - So It Goes (live on Sirius Radio)
19) Eric Clapton - Lay Down Sally
20) Elton John - My Father's Gun
21) Van Morrison - Madame George
Bonus Track: Van Morrison - TB Sheets

.zip the whole thing!

1) Shooting movies is fun especially when the creative people who herd my talents are perhaps cooler than I. Such was the case when Mitch, the director of my latest adventure in filmmaking, River Pirates, allowed his gems of Van tracks to pour from the jukebox speakers onset. Enjoy these tracks from his New York Sessions '67.
2) First encountered during The Nei-Play's final plays performed in 2005, this track from the She's The One soundtrack was brought to my attention by the acting teacher who taught me everything I know - well, mainly that costuming is half the battle.
3) A favorite of mine long before it appeared in GE's current wind energy commercial, "Jar," I have been playing this song quite a bit more lately. Thank you, eco-advertisers.
4) The latest from Tweedy and Co. I didn't love it at first, but it's been a month of relatively heavy rotation, and I'm coming around to it.
6, 7, 8) A friend of mine needs to listen to these three tracks many, many times.
9) A Mexican restaurant is a funny place to be reminded of this French group. Then again, I was in Brooklyn.
11) I miss London sometimes. This song helps. Wouldn't you agree, Kristen?
12) The reason for this mix's title, I actually heard this muzak twice - once in Duane Reade and the other time at Whole Foods, this morning. Often, I hanker strongly, strangely for late eighties and early nineties uber-produced, Steve Guttenbergy, soundtracky, hyper-tacky songs. This is one of those songs, and yes, this is one of those times. To further justify my love, it was a number one billboard smash, and it won a Grammy.
13) Listening to Dennen since last September with little impact, I heard this on WFUV, and I couldn't stop singing it for the rest of the day. Now, I love the guy.
14) This song was used with great success at the end of Friday Night Lights' (NBC) 21st episode. It was the first I'd seen - caught its tail on Bravo - that show's camera work: gorgeous. Austin, Texas, the new (land-locked) home of filmmaking - mark my words.
17) I remember listening to this repeatedly back to back with its Radiohead counterpart after its release. It's an example of a song performed equally well from two very different approaches. If you're going to Coachella, see Gill and Dave, squeeze the sheer coolness out of them, bottle it, and bring whatever you can back for me.
19) Another song that keeps coming up - in conversation, in shopping, in eating, in drinking... in laying down... Sally.
20) Cannot remove this from my muscle memory. Sing it in the shower, on the sidewalk, in the subway, and... on Sundays?