Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

You know how now they’ve got those musical greeting cards that actually sound “musical”? Well, my mother, always one to embrace our Irish heritage (she hoped I would be born on St. Pat’s day; my middle name would have been Patrick) sent me a St. Patrick’s card that plays music. Imagine my surprize when I realized that it was playing a Dropkick Murphys song.

More specifically, this one:

There’s also a really good live performance here, it’s a Live on Letterman Web Exclusive!

Uh-Oh, Here Come the Videos

The other day I was perusing the latest Bike Nashbar sale catalog when I came across:

ATC2K, the ultimate waterproof self-contained action cam!

And it’s on sale for only $109.95! I intended to go online and do a little research on this seemingly wonderful device, but kept forgetting. Finally I managed to think of it while a computer was at hand and did a little digging.

It does indeed seem perfect for capturing web-quality video on the bike, lashed under the car bumper, who knows, perhaps even strapped to the back of the cat!

Anyway, a bit more digging and I find a place that has it for $89.95 and they have a coupon code for free UPS shipping! Click-click-clickety-click, it’s ordered!

Presently I’m having some (minor) difficulties with the retailer I ordered it from, so to them I say: No link for you! Due to said difficulties, I go looking for a Plan-B, just in case. Imagine my dismay when I discover that Amazon has it for $83.99, also with free shipping. D’oh!

Naturally by the time I found this out, the problem with my order had been straightened out and it’s too late to cancel the order. Oh well, that’s how they get you, you know.

So stay tuned; videos will be forthcoming!

My New Musical Fixation

Back in October of last year I saw the band ‘Brazilian Girls‘ perform on The Late Show with David Letterman. I was really impressed with them, great music coupled with an innovative and arresting stage show (bordering on performance art), but somehow still managed to promptly forget all about them.

So anyway, this past Sunday I was watching A&E’s ‘Breakfast with the Arts’ and guess who was on? Brazilian Girls! Let me pause a moment to explain one thing, “Brazilian Girls” is just the name of the band. There is only one girl, Sabina Sciubba, who is drop-dead gorgeous, but is not Brazilian, hailing instead from Italy and Germany. The 3 guys in the band (Didi Gutman, Aaron Johnston, and Jesse Murphy) are also not Brazilian, nor are any of them girls. Anyway, they’ve become my new musical obsession and I can’t wait to get both of their CD’s.

Here’s their video for “Jique” which Sabina sings in English, Italian, French, and German (by my count). The title, “Jique”, is apparently a word of her own invention.

You can find videos, wallpapers, and lots more on their website, including the aforementioned Letterman and “Breakfast with the Arts” appearances.

Tips for Cyclists

I found this video thanks to Todd at cycling.finial.com. Trust me, it’s hilarious.

Top 10 Live Albums

In the spirit of John Cusack’s Character, Rob Gordon, in High Fidelity (itself a worthwhile piece of cinema and recommended viewing), I have compiled my list of the Top Ten Live Rock Albums. While I share John/Rob’s obsessive desire to make lists, I find I can’t seem to limit mine to just the “Top Five”, Letterman’s “Top Ten” format suits me better.

Without further ado, here they are, in no particular order (mostly).

• Warren Zevon - Stand In The Fire
  Finally available on CD after all these years, this one is not to be missed. Take Warren’s songwriting genius, throw in an inspired, manic performance and top it off with with a stellar back-up band and what do you have? The Greatest Live Album, Ever!

  If your tastes lean more toward Warren accompanying himself on 12-string or piano, Learning to Flinch is a sonic masterpiece as well and might just be the cure to what ails you.

• KISS - Alive
  The greatest stage show in rock and roll, brilliantly captured and preserved in all its bombastic, fire-breathing, blood-spitting, rocket-shooting guitar glory.
• Ian Hunter - Welcome to the Club
  Most of what I wrote about “Stand In The Fire” applies here as well. We’ll call this one the best of the rest.
• The Kinks - One for the Road
  The Kinks at the very pinnacle of stadium-rocking Kinkdom, what more could you want?
• Lou Reed - Rock and Roll Animal
  Lou strips these songs of their pretty Velvet Underground veneers and presents them in true, snarling, sneering rock and roll style! Kickin’ ass and takin’ names!
• BB King - Live in Cook County Jail
  Not a rock album, per se, but this album belongs on this list. Listen to the man, consider the men…
• The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!
  The self-appointed “Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World” at the peak of their live prowess.
• Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
  You could argue that The Name of This Band is Talking Heads is a better live Talking Heads album, but Stop Making Sense gets the nod for the great concept, as well as for also being one of the greatest concert movies ever, too.
• The Who - Live at Leeds
  Worth the price of admission for that version of Magic Bus alone, stellar!
• The Band/Various Artists - Last Waltz
  The Band’s legendary 1976 All-Star farewell concert. Featuring performances/farewells by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, and Muddy Waters. One incredible night! Do yourself a favor, If you don’t already own it, get the DVD, too.

So, what are your top five/ten albums? Any genre; just try to run a common thread around them. Share away, the comments await!

One More Nightwatchman Video

Here he is playing “House Gone Up In Flames” on Jimmy Kimmel Live (4/25).

I’ll try to make this the last one for awhile, but I’m not promising anything.

Countdown to The Nightwatchman’s “One Man Revolution”

If you’ve been here before, and you’ve been paying attention, you know that I’m really excited about the pending album release by The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello’s alter-ego).
That release date (April 24) is almost upon us! Run! Go pre-order it from Amazon now! (I have.) The Nightwatchman will be performing on Jimmy Kimmell Live on April 25, so be sure to set your TiVos for that.

In the mean time, enjoy this trio of Nightwatchman videos:

This last one is more a slide-show set to music, but still very much worth your while.

Speaking of Amazing Acoustic Music

Do yourself a favor, buy or download Rodrigo y Gabriela’s eponymous CD. When I saw them on “The Late Show with David Letterman” back in December, I immediately went to eMusic to see if it was available there. It was, I downloaded it, burned a disc, and it’s been in heavy rotation in the car CD player since. If you don’t like this CD there’s something wrong with you!

Just to tie things together, here’s a (tenuous) Tom Morello connection. On April 29th they’re playing the Coachella Festival; also playing Coachella this year? The reunited Rage Against the Machine!

Here’s the aforementioned Letterman appearance. The song they’re playing is “Diablo Rojo”; enjoy.

The Nightwatchman, part 2

The article I referenced before mentioned a few of the songs to be on the upcoming CD, but they didn’t mention “Home of the Brave”, which is a particular favorite of mine. I dare say that I was far from the only person at ‘The Vogue‘ in Indianapolis who had goose-bumps throughout his performance, but this song in particular really spoke to me.

Home of the Brave
Tom Morello

Fred Hampton went to heaven
On a mattress soaked in blood
At twenty-one his every word
Set fire to the neighborhood
On the bed he held her tightly
His bullet riddled wife
One hundred deadly bullets
In theory took his life

This house is haunted
With righteous souls
I saw them standing blindfolded
Against a brick wall in a row
Don’t ask me for nothing
I already gave
In the land of the free
And the home of the brave

Bobby Hutton went to heaven
Without his shirt on
He was scared and he was fearless
His eyes open on that morn
At seventeen his courage
Made those who saw think twice
One hundred deadly bullets
In theory took his life

This house is haunted
With righteous souls
I saw them standing blindfolded
Against a brick wall in a row
Don’t ask me for nothing
I already gave
In the land of the free
And the home of the brave

Huey Newton went to heaven
On a street corner in the rain
The general, the poet
The hero washed away
But his will shook the heavens
And put the ghetto’s soul on ice
One hundred deadly bullets
In theory took his life

This house is haunted
With righteous souls
I saw them standing blindfolded
Against a brick wall in a row
Don’t ask me for nothing
I already gave
In the land of the free
And the home of the brave

Here he is, via YouTube, performing it live.

I’d buy the album for this song alone, I hope it’s included. Even if it isn’t, the songs that were mentioned; “Union Song”, “Let Freedom Ring” and “Maximum Firepower” are well worth the price of admission.

Postscript:
Sadly, it looks like “Home of the Brave” won’t be on the album. Here’s the track listing from his website:

1. California’s Dark
2. One Man Revolution
3. Let Freedom Ring
4. The Road I Must Travel
5. The Garden of Gethsemane
6. House Gone Up In Flames
7. Flesh Shapes The Day
8. Battle Hymns
9. Maximum Firepower
10. Union Song
11. No One Left
12. The Dark Clouds
13. Until The End

Not a bad song in the bunch, I can’t wait for April 24th!