Portlandia Returns

IFC announced that Portlandia will return January 8th. Hard to believe the series is into its fifth season. And while there have been so many good moments over the years, I give you this musically-inspired skit with Fred and Carrie going off about the records in their child's nursery school.

Johnny Marr at the Stone Pony

Johnny Marr's latest effort Playland is a disappointment. There's no use in sugarcoating it. Marr, of course, is a legend -- an icon -- and nothing he does can damage his iconic status in the pantheon of musical greatness. His songwriting partnership with Morrissey yielded a bumper crop of timeless material. But his output as a solo artist is far more inconsistent -- many of his guitar licks feel less than innovative and his songwriting and lyrics just don't measure up. And nowhere has that been more evident than Friday night at the -- similarly iconic -- Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

I'll get back to Marr in a minute but first, about the Stone Pony. I had never seen a show there. It's not a large room and the stage is just a platform on one side. It's so unassuming that there are signs warning patrons not to put personal belongings on the stage, and that includes their drinks. There's also no backstage. There's a stage door that leads to the sidewalk outside and that's where the performers come in before going on stage. Also, the roadies and techs are all right there in a penned off area between that stage door and the stage itself.

We staked out a good location on the side along that pen. We had a clear shot of the stage door, and a very good view of the stage. So around 10pm, in came Marr's band followed by Marr himself. They started with the rather forgettable title track from the new record before launching into "Panic", the first of six Smiths songs. Again, I felt that watching Marr do Smiths songs was totally natural. Sure, he didn't sing on the originals or write the lyrics, but it's his music and seeing Marr do them is as close as we'll come to seeing the Smiths reunite. (It just won't happen.)

After "Panic" was "The Right Thing Right" from the last record -- which is one of Marr's better solo tracks, and the catchy albeit uninspired new single "Easy Money". The new stuff just felt soulless in comparison to the Smiths material, which still crackled after 30 years.

There were a couple of nice touches: He paired two songs about schooling "New Town Velocity" and "The Headmaster Ritual" and he again played Electronic's "Getting Away With It" -- calling it a song about his hometown of Manchester. He paid tribute to the Stone Pony itself by talking about how, growing up in England in the mid-'70s he would hear about it as Bruce Springsteen was coming up and said it was an honor to play on the same stage. And -- of course -- he finished his 15-song first set with "How Soon is Now?" which still sounds better than most anything else out there.

After a quick break, Marr and the band came back out for "Still Ill" - a Smiths song I hadn't previously heard him do - as well as "I Fought the Law" and the show closer "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" which he dedicated to Bruce Springsteen (and everyone in the crowd.)

Overall, it was an enjoyable show. But I came away with the distinct feeling that the Smiths were such a good band that nothing Marr does now can come close to his former greatness. And I was left with a tinge of wistfulness for the Smiths reunion that will never happen.

Best Singing Drummers

A co-worker and I got in a discussion over the best singing drummers. These aren't drummers that became singers, like Dave Grohl, but rather singers who sang and played drums simultaneously. Some are obvious -- some not so much. I'll try and recreate the conversation in this space with a few of the contenders:

Phil Collins
The Genesis drummer was one of the best of all time back in the band's mid-70s heyday. After Peter Gabriel left, Collins became the band's singer, and took the proggiest of prog rock bands to commercial stardom. Here's a collection of some of his best drumming parts with Genesis in the 70s.

And here he is in 1982 drumming and singing his solo hit "In the Air Tonight".

Ringo Starr

Another obvious choice -- but he wasn't the Beatles primary singer, so I'm not sure he should count.

Levon Helm

The late Band drummer/singer certainly deserves merit on this list. He even talks about drumming and singing here. Here he is singing and drumming on the classic "The Weight".

Dave Clark

The leader of the British Invasion band the Dave Clark Five, Clark drummed and sang. And somehow, he made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Notice there's no microphone at Clark's kit in this 1964 Top of the Pops appearance -- they didn't even try to pretend they weren't lip syncing.

That guy from the Romantics

His name was Jimmy Marinos, and he was an original member of the Detroit power pop quartet. He sung lead and drummed on their first big hit, 1980's "What I Like About You", but he didn't sing on 1983's "Talking in Your Sleep".

 

Grant Hart

This is my personal choice. Hart was the other half of the songwriting team of punk-indie trailblazers Husker Du, opposite Bob Mould. He was a fantastic songwriter, writing and singing many of the bands classics. And the creative competition between Hart and Mould led the pair to continually out-do each other, as writer Michael Azerrad puts it, and with spectacular results. Husker Du's run from 1984's classic Zen Arcade, 1985's New Day Rising and Flip your Wig, and 1986's Candy Apple Gray would be difficult for any band to repeat. Here's the Hart-penned, -sung and -drummed "Don't Want to Know if You are Lonely".

Heard on the Street

I spend a lot of time walking around New York City and sometimes I hear noteworthy songs -- either from stores, cars or just in the air.

The past two days provided two such occasions. This morning, I stopped outside the American Eagle store in Times Square because they were playing this gem:

I hadn't given "Brimful of Asha" a whole of thought since hearing it in a cornershop in London back in 1998. It's such a joyful song that I stopped walking and soaked it in.

Last night, on my walk home, I passed a dude on a tan Harley (I didn't know Harleys came in anything but black). He was blasting "It's Been Awhile" by the horrid Springfield Massachusetts band Staind. But despite essentially being a power ballad, I always liked that song.

Stuck in My Head

My Alex Chilton kick continues, this time with an early 90s band deeply influenced by Chilton's Big Star. Scotland's Teenage Fanclub were critical darlings in their day, but I didn't exactly like them at the time. I've gone back and listened to 1991's Bandwagonesque, which is full of power pop gems that sound like carbon copies of the standout tracks from Radio City or #1 Record. Here's one of them -- "Star Sign".

What is Classic Rock?

The numbers gurus over at FiveThirtyEight put together an excellent analysis of what constitutes classic rock. They analyzed song plays on classic rock radio in the top thirty markets across the country and found that -- while there are a lot of similarities (Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Boston), there are just as many differences. For example, Billy Joel gets the most plays in New York and Miami, but far fewer plays elsewhere. Of course, I'd be happy if he got no plays -- how could a piano be the lead instrument in classic rock?

And of course just reading the article will send you down a YouTube rabbit hole. Mine began with Boston's schlock rock anthem "Peace of Mind" (one of two Boston songs among the ten most frequently played songs on classic rock radio) and ended with "Turn Turn Turn" by the Byrds.

Anyway, read all about it here.

Stumbling Upon Gold

Did you ever have one of those times when you fell down a YouTube rabbit hole and discovered something truly great? It just happened to me.

I'm reading the new biography of Alex Chilton, and as a result listening to a lot of Box Tops and Big Star. One of my work colleagues came of age in the late 60s, and knew the Box Tops, but didn't realize Chilton was 16 when their classic single "The Letter" was released.

So then I tried to explain Big Star, and how Chilton went in a completely different direction with that band. I played "September Gurls" (which is probably in my Top 15 all-time) and he thought of Marshall Crenshaw. So I went looking for Marshall Crenshaw songs -- other than "Someday, Someway" which everyone of a certain age knows -- and found this:

I realize I'm late to the game: the song was used in the movie D.E.B.S. and covered by everyone from Freedy Johnston to Bette Midler and to Owen Paul and even Ronnie Spector, but the original is truly great song.

The Best World Cup Anthem Of All Time

Those of you who know me already know how I feel about this topic. Without a doubt, 1990's "World in Motion" by New Order (rebadged as England New Order in support of their home side) is not just the best World Cup Anthem of all time, but the only one you can actually listen to. There's nothing not to like about it, unless - like me - you stumble upon the myriad occasions when John Barnes performs his rap. He's apparently willing to do it anywhere, anytime. Here he is at Mark Wright's 50th birthday party:

And here he is in a tight bathing suit sitting poolside last month in Dubai. No joke -- someone with a camera asked him to rap, and he obliged.

Barnes may be a good sport, but that's just embarrassing for everyone involved.

But even that's not as bad as Germany's 1994 effort -- the one that enlisted the Village People to sing about all the great things that happen in America, where that year's Cup was held.

At least that has kitschy charm. And if Juergen Klinsmann succeeds with the USA team, the song and video can be forgiven.

The songs that deserve the title of worst World Cup anthem ever are the typical run-of-the-mill dreck that the corporate entities try to feed us. Take "We Are One (Ole Ola)", this year's collaboration between Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez.

Pure garbage. Ditto for 2010's "Waka Waka" by Shakira.

I much prefer this year's "England's Heartbeat" by Shuttleworth featuring Mark E. Smith of The Fall. It sounds promising....

But no. And then there was this 1998's official England anthem "(How Does it Feel) To Be on Top of the World" featuring the ill-conceived pairing of the Spice Girls and Echo and the Bunnymen.

What were they thinking?

Stuck In My Head

Here's a nearly forgotten gem, and it's hard to believe it's been more than 20 years since its release. In the summer of 1993, California punk band Face to Face released "Disconnected" as a single, only to re-mix it for a subsequent EP and re-record it for a later album. That's a lot of mileage off of one track, but two decades later it's still a hell of a track.

Stuck in my Head

I found this tune last week when I posted about the 90s alt-rock nonsense lyrics supercut. And a week and half later, I can't get Sloan's "People of the Sky" out of my head. I didn't know this Halifax band at their admittedly modest zenith back in the 90s, but on the strength of this song alone I went and listened to more of their work. Sadly, the rest of the Sloan back catalog doesn't seem to stand up to this track. That's OK -- "People of the Sky" is just another perfect power-pop gem that is nearly gone ... and virtually forgotten.

LEGO me this, my brotha!

Where were these when I was a kid?  I loved LEGOS and music.  Combining the two rock my world.  You can get all sorts of great bands: The Smiths, Cypress Hill, Joy Division, The Beastie Boys, KISS, Blur...you name it.
LEGO ROCK BANDS

Stuck In My Head

I haven't listened to this in a good six or seven years, but I recently re-discovered Art Brut's 2007 album It's a Bit Complicated and once again I'm hooked. And now -- just like then -- the irresistible track that's stuck n my head is "Direct Hit".

There's no one in music quite like Art Brut lead singer Eddie Argus. He spends all of his time talking through his I-can't-believe-he-said-that lyrics while the rest of the band plays tight power-pop behind him.But Art Brut works in large part because of Argus. On this track -- and the accompanying video -- the literate Argus does just what you'd expect him to do: He's imploring a bunch of toga-wearing party-goers to overcome their fears of commitment and cajoling them to get on the dance floor, even if their friends have already left the party. It's a mouthful, and it may not be as direct a hit as just saying "Everybody Dance Now", but face it, it's a whole lot more fun.

Concert review: tUnE-yArDs at Rough Trade NYC

I love it when I go to a show with no expectations and come away wowed. That's what happened Wednesday night when I saw tUnE-yArDs at Rough Trade NYC in Williamsburg. In all honesty, I hadn't listened to a lot of tUnE-yArDs before, and the studio stuff I heard I was kind of meh on. I knew Merrill Garbus, the brains behind tUnE-yArDs, has faced criticism in some quarters for cultural appropriation but isn't that what music is all about? We wouldn't have had had the Rolling Stones or the British Invasion had English kids in the 1960s not appropriated the music of another culture, namely African-American rhythm and blues. And some of my favorite artists -- from the Beastie Boys to Damon Albarn -- could be accused of doing the same thing. So I'm not one for cultural criticism in this case.

Musically, tUnE-yArDs reminds me of a cross between M.I.A. and Graceland-era Paul Simon, if you can imagine that. Garbus relies on a lot of sampling and looping, so I wondered how that was going to work live. Turns out, it was very cool. Garbus would just drum a few bars, record what she drummed on her loop pedal, and build her backing beats on the spot. And that itself was entertaining to watch, as if it was all part of the show and not just sausage-making.

Someone at the show recorded a couple of tunes and posted them to YouTube. The audio is rough in spots, but you can clearly watch Garbus doing her loop sampling before launching into "Bizness".

And on this clip, it's a more straightforward performance of her current single "Water Fountain", in which I think you can really hear those M.I.A. and Paul Simon influences.

One more thought: Rough Trade NYC is a great place to see a show. It's small, intimate and it sounds great. And there's good beer on tap -- locally brewed Six Point for $7, which is what you'd pay in an actual bar. Plus the record store is open until 11pm, so you can shop between the opening act and the headliner. I can't say enough about the place!

'90s Nonsense Lyrics Extravaganza

Check out this nifty little mash-up of some of the best "Ooo Ooo's" and "Doo Doo's" from '90s era Alt-Rock. It was compiled by our friends north of the border at CBC Radio. And while you'll recognize most everything here -- including Blur's "Girls and Boys" and "The New Pollution" by Beck -- you may want to listen extra closely for favorites like Elastica's "Stutter" and "Friends of P" by the Rentals.

There's some real gems in here, too, like Canada's Sloan at 1:41 with "People of the Sky". There's a band I totally missed...

Hat tip to our friends north of the border at CBC Radio.

Step Back...

... it's the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion covering the Beastie Boys. That's right. Jon, Judah and Russell do their version of "She's On It" from the 1985 Krush Groove soundtrack. Oh, and it's mashed up with Link Wray's "Jack the Ripper." Rarely does life get this good.

Apparently JSBX has had "She's On It" in its repertoire for a few years -- the video above is from late 2012. But this week they officially released it for Record Store Day and you can hear that official audio here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7EE10DySOs

Mr. Byrne, Meet Mr. Tembo

While we're on the subject of groovy, African-inspired music from frontmen of groundbreaking pop bands, allow me to offer Damon Albarn's "Mr. Tembo". It's a jaunty little guitar ditty about an orphaned elephant Albarn met in Tanzania. And it's irresistible. It features the Leytonstone City Mission Choir to give it a gospel feel, as well as a sample from the 1959 album Lions by comedian Richard Buckley.

My admiration of Damon Albarn's music has been well-documented on this site. I feel that -- like David Byrne -- he's a pioneer, unafraid to push boundaries and discover new sounds and musical styles to incorporate into his music. And one more similarity: Both Byrne and Albarn are pals with uber producer Brian Eno, who plays synths on Albarn's sublime "You and Me" and adds vocals on "Heavy Seas of Love".

I AM a "Fantastic Man."

Music excited me last night.  After a too late cup of coffee, I was up watching "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" featuring another proud Emmaus High School, alum, Dane DeHaan.  I digress.  The musical act of the night came on after the break.  It was David Byrne, who I always expect something a little left of center.  He was with a backing group called the Atomic Bomb Band.  Well, I was stirred by the funky groove and quirkiness of a song that I never remotely heard before, "Fantastic Man."

Video

After a little snooping, The Atomic Bomb Band is an all-star lineup put together by David Byrne for a couple of gigs, and that's about it. It is made up of the Beastie Boys keyboardist Money Mark,LCD Soundsystem's Pat Mahoney, Kele Okerke from Bloc Party, the Lijadu Sisters, and Sinkane. 

In 2013 Byrne put together a compilation of songs from William Onyeabor, a Nigerian electro-funk musician on the compilation Who is William Onyeabor?  Onyeabor made music in the 70's and 80's and then became a born again Christian and pretty much turned his back on the music scene - refusing to speak about himself or his music.  When wanting to put this compilation together, Obyeabor even put up a bit of a fight until finally being persuaded to allow his music to be exposed to groups outside of Africa.

They Atomic bomb Band is only doing four shows.  Two in Brooklyn on May 2 & 3, May 6th in San Fransisco, and May 8th in Los Angeles. 

New Tune on Monday

I've been listening a lot this week to Dean Wareham's solo album. For the uninformed -- or uninitiated -- Wareham was the frontman for the much-heralded band Galaxie 500, and in the mid-90s he went on to form the late, great Luna. Musically, the solo stuff sounds a good deal like his previous work -- with thin, nasally vocals over hazy shades of the Velvet Underground. And the songwriting -- at least to my ear -- seems influenced by Frank Black. Overall, this is mature chill-out music -- sonically interesting and eminently listenable.

The track I'm most keen on is "Holding Pattern", which includes some nonsense lyrics about football scores and 70s schlock-rock bands. Enjoy!

Did Courtney Love Ever Have an Original Thought?

It's a good question. And even on her best work, it seems the answer is no. Here's why: 1998's Celebrity Skin was Hole's most commercially successful album. And it was probably their most musically accessible as well. Borrowing from 1970s power pop and even Fleetwood Mac, Hole ditched the grittier, Riot Grrl sound of old and produced a pretty clean -- and pretty good -- album that found a welcome home in heavy rotation on alternative radio.

Dig a little deeper, and you learn that Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan had a sizable hand in the album's songwriting. Fair enough. But even so, the band's crowning achievement -- at least to me -- is the song "Malibu" and now I realize what a ripoff that track actually is.

The reason? It's basically Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart". At least, it's the exact same chords -- in the exact same pattern. Listen for yourself:

I discovered this when I learned "Love Will Tear Us Apart" on the guitar. It's E minor, D, B minor and A. Strum those chords long enough and you start singing "Malibu" -- it's the same song. At least Courtney Love knew what she was doing. She tips her hat to Joy Division at the 2:35 mark of the song when she sings "And I knew love would tear you apart." Credit where credit is due.

What to Play for a Kid Birthday Party

It's been a while since I last posted here. And in that time, I was busy with party preparations for a double birthday party for my kids, ages six and four. I was to be responsible for -- what else? -- the music. And while there were a few requests from my six-year-old, her selections alone wouldn't get us through the freeze dance portion of the party. So here's what I chose:

"Wake Me Up" - Avicii
Seems like a good, danceable tune to get a party started. And thematically, it's about the passage of time. Seems like a win-win.

"Safe and Sound" - Capital Cities
A dance party favorite in our house, although the kids don't actually know it by name. Still, its irresistible hook makes it a no-brainer.

"Let it Go" - Demi Lovato
The first request from my daughter. I couldn't make it the first song of the playlist because I wanted the crowd -- and all the little girls who adore Frozen -- to be assembled at the party before it came on. And when it did, it was a smash. Especially if you like to see six-year-olds belt out Disney girl-power anthems.

"Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles
The second of my daughter's three requests. A bit of a come-down from the upbeat fare that preceded it, but I honored her wish. I'm not sure it worked.

"Fall Back Down" - Rancid
Surprisingly, this is one that we play a lot at home. Sure, it's bona fide punk rock, but it has a kid-friendly message: "If you fall back down, I'm gonna help you back up again/If you fall back down, I'm gonna be your friend." If there's an evil subtext lurking in there, I can't figure it out. And I can say that the kids kept dancing, so its inclusion was justified.

"Family Time" - Ziggy Marley
Another family favorite in our house (and our car, which is a sensible family station wagon). While the other kids probably didn't know this song, mine did and they all sung and danced anyway.

"The Magnificent Seven" - The Clash
This is one my four-year-old son likes hearing in the car, so I stuck it on here for him. And it worked great during the limbo and the obstacle course.

That concluded the dance portion of the party. Had it gone on, we would have enjoyed the following:
"Signal in the Sky" - The Apples in Stereo
"Yellow Submarine" - The Beatles (the third of my daughter's three requests)
"Song 2" - Blur
"Girl" - Beck
"New Life" - Depeche Mode
"Just Like Heaven" - The Cure
"Fantastic Day" - Haircut 100
"Midnight City" - M83
"Our House" - Madness
"Temptation" - New Order
"Fireflies" - Owl City
"Such Great Heights" - The Postal Service
"Whip It" - Devo
"When You're Young" - The Jam
"Crash" - The Primitives
"One Step Beyond" - Madness
"A Message to You Rudy" - The Specials
"Mass Romantic" - The New Pornographers
"Last Nite" - The Strokes
"It Must be Love" - Madness
"Polish Girl" - Neon Indian
"The Mother We Share" - Chvrches
"The Electric Version" - The New Pornographers
"Love Shack" - The B52s
"History Never Repeats" - Split Enz

Song In My Head

I went to a play last night -- actually, a one-man show written and performed by the Brooklyn artist Mac Premo (full disclosure: My brother-in-law). It was an autobiographical piece of performance art, and it closed with a song I hadn't heard or thought of in many years: Camper van Beethoven's version of "Pictures of Matchstick Men", which was originally a hit for Status Quo back in 1967.

The CVB version came along 22 years later, just prior to the band's dissolution. Frontman David Lowery went on to form Cracker, a more straightforward rock outfit that largely did away with many of the folk, psychedelic and world music elements that made Camper van Beethoven so good. The track starts with a fiddle part -- vintage CVB -- before launching into something sounding more like what Lowery would go on to do in Cracker. 

Song In My Head

I always liked this track from under-rated Philly hip hop trio Three Times Dope.

Yep, it's "Funky Dividends". And it features some unintentionally funny lyrics like "The new wave 80s has everything reversible/Instead of walks, you drive a Cadillac convertible." Keep in mind, this was 1989, so the 80s were hardly "new wave" at that point. And back then, no one drove Cadillac convertibles, did they? (Allante anyone?)

Grammy Collaborations We'd Actually WANT to See

The Grammys always pair artists from different eras. Take last night, for instance, when Robin Thicke and Chicago shared a stage. Or Carole King with Sarah Bareilles. Usually the pairings span generations but sometimes they cross genres. Either way, here are five pairings that we'd actually want to see.

 #1
Morrissey and Public Enemy
Can you imagine Morrissey's gladiola bouquet going up against Flavor Flav's clock?

#2
Jay Z and Orleans
I don't know about you, but I'd want to hear a rap version of "Still the One".

 #3
Rage Against the Machine with special guest vocalist Terry Jacks
"We had joy, we had fun -- Fuck You, I won't do what you tell me". Awkward.

#4
Daft Punk with Kraftwerk, Devo and Gary Numan
Rise of the Man Machines.

#5
Gary Glitter and R. Kelly
Hide your daughters, this could get ugly.

2014 Grammys -- My Take

8:27
I'm joining late. Who is Hunter Hayes? And why is LL telling me I have to listen to him? Honestly, this is dreadful. It's another over-wrought, over-vibratoed voice singing something that would have been at home on AM radio in the 1970s. Next!

8:29
Best pop duo or group performance.
It's got to be between "Get Lucky" and  "Blurred Lines"... wasn't that the whole point of last year?

8:30
"Get Lucky" wins. Of course it does. It was clearly THE song of last year. And I love the helmets!!!
Pharrell has the old school Adidas top and the Daft Punk boys are in tuxes with robot masks.

8:32
Steve Coogan is fantastic. He played Tony Wilson in 24 Hour Party People, one of the best music movies ever. And he's introducing the guy who did "Hard Out There for a Pimp" -- he may be the only one who remembers him. Oh... I'm wrong. It's Katy Perry.

8:37
Question: What exactly is an "intimate performance" by Taylor Swift?

8:40
Robin Thicke takes the stage with Chicago? How about Alan Thicke takes the stage with the Everly Brothers?

8:44
I'm sure there's someone out there who would pay good money to see Chicago trombonist James Pankow twerk Robin Thicke...

8:48
It's pretty clear that the producers of the Grammys have that cutaway shot of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on constant standby...
Speaking of which, Steve Coogan had the line of the night about reuniting two of the Beatles versus all of the Jonas Brothers...

9:02
The best Rock Song. Wow... the Rolling Stones look like they came from a zombie movie.
But of course, anything with Sir Paul is going to win tonight.

9:04
What's better? 1/2 of the Beatles or 2/3 of Nirvana?

9:08
Taylor Swift may be the biggest musical star from Pennsylvania in history. Check me on that, but I don't see a lot of competition. Hall and Oates? Teddy Pendergrass? Live?

9:12
And the Blazers - Warriors game just started. That said, I do want to see Macklemore and Daft Punk perform...

9:17
Pink and the guy from Fun! First, it's two Pennsylvanians in a row -- first Taylor Swift and now Pink. And second, there is zero chance Pink is actually singing when she's swinging upside down. Sorry.

9:23
Best Pop Solo Performance -- Is Lordes going to win?
I've got to say, I'm more interested in her New Zealand accent than her music.

9:28
Yoplait commercial: "Just Can't Get Enough" is the only old song -- from the Vince Clark era -- that Depeche Mode still play live.

9:30
Were Black Sabbath just mistakenly identified as the winner of Best Rock Song? That's a diss to Sir Paul!!!

9:32
Ringo was never a frontman. Never meant to be a singer. Why is everyone going ape over this performance? It belongs in a casino at best... or better yet a cruise ship. I'll bring the dysentery.

9:47
Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons? Was the world clamoring for this collaboration?
I love how the Grammys resorts to the polarization digital effect. Looks cool, guys... like 1989 cool.

9:51
Light up boots on Casey Musgrave!!!

10:01
Oh, Paul and Ringo are the Beatles they were talking about? Half the Beatles and none of the fun...

10:04
Fifty years ago, the Beatles changed music. Fifty years later, the world changed channels.

10:15
Kraftwerk with a lifetime achievement award!!!

10:16
Is it wrong that every time I see Willie Nelson I think of an old David Letterman Top Ten list of headlines that would cause panic? One of them was "Willie Nelson caught washing hair in city water supply".

That said, that was a good thirty seconds of music. Until Uncle Merle and Blake showed up.

Damn... we're going on a third country song? It's like the CMA's have taken over the Grammys.

10:22
This is great -- the Huffington Post points out the eerie similarities between Madonna at the Grammys and a certain breakfast character...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/26/madonna-quaker-oats-guy-photos_n_4671114.html

10:25
Daft Punk and Pharrell with Nile Rogers should be fantastic. I'm honestly excited.

Nile Rogers is responsible for some of the greatest funk and hip hop riffs of all time. And he's still got it. Effortlessly cool.

Yoko gave that peace sign like she's getting lucky tonight...

I know my fellow Discordant isn't a fan of that song... but that truly was very cool.

10:37
Cyndi Lauper hasn't changed in 30 years.

And is it bad that every time I see Carole King I think that I nearly bought a car from her son-in-law?

And is it bad that every time I hear this song, I want to break a Windows operated machine?

10:41
The list of nominees for Song of the Year reads like a commercial break. Except for "Same Love."

Not sure I agree with "Royal" as song of the year. Unless we're grading on a curve.

"Locked Out of Heaven" is a good pop song, and "Same Love" marks a major milepost in music. The rest of the schlock on this list is material from ads -- like that awful Katy Perry song.

10:43
Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson? "Walk This Way" needs a cane.

10:53
Metallica were old when I was old.

Why not Metallica with special guest Mick Fleetwood?

10:57
I like the wide cutaway shot of the crowd and there's one of the Daft Punk guys still in his helmet.

10:59
Good call on Record of the Year. Daft Punk wins again. But will Pharrell do the talking for them?

11:07
Tell me if "Same Love" doesn't move you. Fantastic songcraft -- right song, right moment.

And Mary Lambert is there to sing it, too. I was worried they'd have Madonna or someone filling in.

OK, officially ruined by Madonna's "Open Your Heart". Even Yoko doesn't have a cane.

Not that I'm surprised, but Mary Lambert can sing rings around Madonna.

2014 Grammy Blog

Ah yes, it's that time of year again, and here we are.  Our 3rd annual Grammy blog.  Enough of the small talk...

8:00 - Beyonce opens up with "Drunken Love."  All we are fixated on is her ass.  The song is not good, and out comes hubby Jay Z to do his thing.  Sorry, I just don't get it.

8:07 - Our host, once again is LL Cool J, and he is trying to let us not forget who he is by putting his song titles into his speech.

8:14 - Maclemore wins  I guess Velvet suits are in this year.

8:16 - Lorde performs live.  A decent live performance.  Too much makeup.  As my 14 year old daughter says, "What's up with those pants?"

8:28 - Sorry I was too bored to type.  I was surfing Facebook.

8:30 - Daft Punk wins.  I love they are wearing their helmets.  Pharell looks like Dudley Do Right.  A very awkward acceptance speech.

8:33 - Juicy J & Katy Perry.  I'm getting old.  So much time & effort is put into production and choreography.  I guess if you like these artists, it's a great show.  I wonder if it is to mask a lack of musicianship.  I'm a sucker for watching a talented musician play his instrument.

8:43 - Why the big push for Chicago?  What is Robin Thicke adding to them besides a velvet suit?  I give Chicago a little credit, musically, they sound sharp.  Not that I like the songs, but they sound like the records.  Where is Peter Cetera?  As my daughter says " a bunch of old men dancing to Blurred Lines.  Not Cool."  At least Ringo gave the nod of approval.

9:03 - what's up with all the retreads for best rock song?   At least the winner came from the Sound City documentary.  In all sincerity, Courtney Love hates that the remaining members of Nirvana got together to perform that with Sir Paul.

9:05 - My younger girls stayed up for Taylor Swift.  To me, this would be a good time to put them to bed.

9:17 - My wife says she likes Pink.  Deja Vu moment: didn't she do this same acrobatic circus act  last year at the Grammy's?  I know I have seen her do this before.  Which to me is really disappointing.  We are all fascinated with her legs.  Monsterous without an ounce of cellulite.  The guy from fun. looks like he could get snapped in half by Pink.  Nice ironic hipster mustache!  He is having trouble with his notes - yikes!

9:23 - I'm fascinated with the clips they showed for best solo pop performance.  What were those?

9:25 - Lorde is a kid.  Glad to see it.  Much talk about how serious she takes herself.

9:30 - I like how watching Ozzy stammer through a live read has become "cute" like an old grandpa.  Best Hard Rock album for Black Sabbath.  Reminds me of when Tull won.

9:32 - Why do we need to see Ringo sing?  Peace & love. Peace & love.

9:36 - Odd, uncomfortable joking between Jamie Foxx & Jay Z.  My daughter asked if that's the "golddigger?" I like Jay Z best when he was a sidekick...

9:44 - a little love for P.E. & the Beasties!

9:53 - No need to comment on the light up jackets.

10:00 - people on FB are talking about how much they liked that song and her light up boots.  I think I need new friends.

10:01 - Julia Roberts - rock goddess!

10:02 - Tonight is all about Paul & Ringo.  I heard Paul play "Queenie Eye" back on Howard Stern about 9 months ago.  It does have a Beatles sound.  What is the video that is playing along with it?  

10:04 - a Yoko sighting, dancing and showing off some 75 year old cleavage.  Even worse, there's Sean Lennon right next to her.  How sad he has to still pal around with mom.

10:16 - With Johnny Cash dead, why should I care about the Highwaymen?

10:20 - Kris Kristofferson  looks lost.  Rough few minutes.

10:22 - People love the Zach Brown Band.  I can't say I know a single song.

10:25 - I'm not a fan of "Get Lucky," but I predict this will be the highlight of the show.

10:30 - ...and I was correct.  Enjoyable.  My daughter informed me Yoko Ono is trending on Twitter.  I told her she should be.

10:35 - correction.  That was 80 year old cleavage.  Peace Yoko, peace.

10:39 - now my wife is asking how old Carole King is.  The Grammy committee is  officially old.  Knock off the stroke fest you two!

10:41 - we're taking bets.  I lost.  I bet "Same Love." My daughter is officially more in the know.

10:49 - Glad to see Lou Reed get his due.  The Velvet Underground's influence on music is highly under-rated.

10:50 - Wow.  "One" getting mainstream respect.

10:59 - How will history look at 2014 when two French guys with matching white suits and helmets win Record of the Year?

11:10 - "Same Love" doesn't do it for me.  I respect that a hip-hop artist had the guts to speak out about homosexuality.  I just don't like the song - or Madonna.

11:22 - "In Memorium" who gets the biggest applause? The session musician for Steely Dan is winning!

11:25 - Phil Ramone takes the lead...and wins.

11:27 - It sounds like a syllable is either rushed or missing in the Phil Everly tribute by Billie Joe Armstrong & Miranda Lambert.

11:36 - Daft Punk = album of the year.  The robots generally seem happy.

11:39 - "This is how we rock & roll."  Trent Reznor, Lindsey Buckingham, Queens of the Stone Age and Dave Grohl.  This is what the committee members "feel" is alternative.

11:42 - Some serious maraca playing going on.  What an anti-climatic ending.  I remember a few years back, we ended with Springsteen doing "London Calling." The state of music is not  a good one. Let's hope for a great 2014.

I Hate Music Videos, Noel Gallagher Edition

Noel Gallagher doesn't like music videos. He really doesn't. The folks at Jezebel posted a very funny clip of the Oasis guitarist and songwriter commenting on his band's music videos... and for Noel it's all about how stupid the videos are and the many times he was drunk in them. It's great fun, and worth ten minutes of your time.

Song In My Head

I'm going way back in time for this one. It's the Robert Smith side project The Glove with "Punish Me With Kisses". Some back story: In 1982, Robert Smith took a break from The Cure after the Pornography album, which drained the band, led to substance abuse, infighting and led to the exit of bassist Simon Gallup. Later that year, Smith was invited to fill in on guitar and became a member of Siouxsie and the Banshees. When Siouxsie and drummer Budgie left to record an album as The Creatures, Smith and Steven Severin started work on their own side project as The Glove, named for the flying glove character from the "Yellow Submarine" movie. Smith was contractually prohibited from singing with a band other than the Cure, so they enlisted Budgie's girlfriend at the time, Jeanette Landray, on vocals. The result is some of the best gothic synth-pop of the 1980s, which arguably stands time's test a tad better than some Cure material from the same era.

So why am I thinking about it? I stopped in to the stellar Co-Op 87 record shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn the other night. As I was flipping through crates of vinyl, I came across The Glove's one and only LP Blue Sunshine, on offer for eight bucks. I had it as a kid, and I'm sure it -- and the rest of my erstwhile record collection -- is lurking out there somewhere -- so I passed. But when I went back and listened to those songs, I decided to buy it. Unfortunately, when I went back, it was gone.

Years later, in 2006, Blue Sunshine was re-released with a collection of demos featuring Smith on vocals. Here's that version as well, for comparison's sake.

Best of 2013 - Better Late Than Never

I apologize for the delay in presenting the Best of 2013.  Frankly, each year gets a little tougher for me to find new music that really inspired me or that became part of any regular listening rotation.  Because of this, I dragged my feet a little in creating this list.  Here is what I have come up with.  I truly feel it might be the worst selections I have ever composed, but hey, it is what it is.  Without further ado, here is the best of 2013.

The two best:

“Toe Cutter” Thee Oh Sees.

I picked this as one of my “New Tunes on Monday” and I really liked it.  It has a funky grove, underwater-sounding lyrics, a little surf guitar scales being played.  I realize it’s not for everyone, but it’s a groove that I got stuck in for a while in 2013.

“Black Skinhead” Kanye West

I like Kanye West.  The persona is bigger than life.  I love that he compares himself to Warhol.  I love that he feels he should be commissioned like DiVinci and other great artists.  I recently read on Grantland that he compares his album Yeezus to Springsteen’s Nebraska.  Still looking for the parallels, but I saw him perform this on Saturday Night Live and was impressed.  Plus, he gets points for being a South Side guy.

Third time is not a charm – and I stuck by you.

“Come a Little Closer” Cage the Elephant

To me, Cage the Elephant is one of the newer bands of today that I appreciate.  “Come a Little Closer” pales in comparison to the work on their previous two albums, but it’s still listenable  - more than much of the alt-rock scene of today.

“Unbelievers” Vampire Weekend

Much like Cage the Elephant, the third album of Vampire Weekend pales heavily in comparison to their first two.  Still, I gave them a greater listening to than most of what was released in 2013, so I felt that deemed them worthy. This, to me, was one of the better songs on the record.

Not on the same tier, but not bad

“High School Lover” Cayucas

It was the bass line that got me.  These Santa Monica twins give a cool Franz Ferdinand feel.  Pretty cool sound.  Editor’s note: As I am ready to upload this, I didn’t realize Discordant #1 also chose this.  I forgot he pegged this as song of the summer.  I dismissed it when the “Blurred Lines/Get Lucky” battle enthralled the summer sound waves. I dismissed it, and now I eat my words.

“Me & You & Jackie Mattoo” Superchunk

I love the way this song opens up with a great opening line “I hate music...what is it worth.”  Pure power pop – which is my wheel house.  It sounds like it came right out of 1978.

The “Jim” influence

“Stoned and Starving” – Parquet Courts

A shared song with Discordant #1.  A quality newer band from Brooklyn.  The record itself was one of the best of 2013.  Interesting how Discordant #1 & myself both discovered it without influencing each other.  I guess it’s a sign of a quality song.

“Elephant” Tame Impala

A great groove.  Heavy bass, and that fuzzy guitar makes this song rock.  It might sound familiar for it was used in a Blackberry commercial. 

“Tiger Tank” Speedy Ortiz

The theme of female vocals is most present this year with another new band.  Originated from a counselor at a summer songwriting camp, she began writing and composing songs using her laptop.  From there, the band expanded to produce some decent new material. 

“We the Common” Thao and the Get Down and Stay Down

I really liked “Beat (Health, Life & Fire) a lot.  So when they released a new song, I was curiously interested and excited to see what they came up with.  I’m not big on the banjo, but once the song kicks in, I like the direction it goes. 

Too much pop radio with the girls…

“I Love It” Iconna Pop

When you have three girls in the car and all three belt out the chorus at the top of their lungs, it can become contagious fun.  I’m sure we will never hear from Iconna Pop again, but…”I don’t care, I LOVE IT!”

“Royals” Lorde

I know Discordant #3 had this listed, and I agree.  An impressive song from a seventeen year old Auckie.   Great imagery: “Maybachs, tigers on a gold leash” and that slow snap of the fingers.  It has worn out its welcome, but it’s one of the better songs of 2013.

“Still Into You” Paramore

Not my style of band, but something about the music in this song that seems hurried fascinates me.  I also like that Hayley Williams voce sounds so chipper, when in reality this double entendre song is partially about her struggles. 

“Rosanna” – Wax

When I first heard this, I thought it was by the 90’s bad Wax (of the California fame.)  Sadly, it’s not.  It’s an American rapper with a Cypress Hill-like beat.  The girl’s voice is annoying, but in a sea of awful pop songs, this is another one I could tolerate.

…and when new is not truly new

“Heaven on Earth” Boston

I heard this on the radio the other day, and I could have sworn it was from an older Boston album.  IT ALL SOUNDS THE SAME!  The new album is the last featuring vocalist Brad Delp before his suicide.  I love that he and Tom Scholz believed in the mantra, “If it ain’t broke…”

…and no, I truly do not think this is one of the best.