Autumn Souvenir

poor house - traveling wilburys kept on the sly - south san gabriel let's stick together - bryan ferry finding you - the go-betweens another sunny day - belle & sebastian silicosis blues - gob iron freeway - aimee mann past time - the baseball project national express - mark olson catch you alive - damnations tx you won't find me - mayflies usa blame it on the tetons - josh ritter

Reminder: Sept 3rd @ Rickshaw Stop

Kept On The Sly - South San Gabriel

from NPR Morning Edition, July 30, 2008 · Tommy John won 288 games in the majors, but, of course, he remains far better known for the operation that now bears his name: Tommy John Surgery. In 1974, a tendon was replaced in his damaged left arm and, miraculously, he returned to pitch for another 13 years. So no one, perhaps, knows the capriciousness of athletic health better than he. Today, John is still in baseball, the manager of the Bridgeport Bluefish, who play in the Atlantic League, one of those independent circuits that are pretty much stocked by forgotten older players who've been passed over by major-league organizations but still play for peanuts because they don't know what else to do and/or they let themselves still dream that they'll catch lightning in a bottle. And, by God, it can happen. A 32-year-old has-been named Brandon Knight was in the Atlantic League last season. Saturday night, he started a game for the New York Mets. Four nights before that, in York, ...

The days of trusting Pitchfork with new music releases are clearly over. Once responsible for informing the masses of such great records as The Wrens' The Meadowlands , Pitchfork Media has evolved into nothing but a bunch of hipster bafoons in tight jeans, oversized shades and tight, nips-bearing ironic t-shirts. In years past, whenever Pitchfork would lay praise to a record, I would often go out and pick up that release, and four times out of five, I was not disappointed. This all changed right around the time that Pitchfork launched their atrocious music festival. Suddenly the top reviews were handed to the most watered-down crap designed to reach the widest range of wanna-bes. This is an utter shame as Pitchfork used to be the premiere source for sorting out the good from bad. Now it's nothing but the Wall-Mart of the hipster generation.

In my teens, it was a thrill to meet a few celebrities, namely Lou Brock, Sugar Ray Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Ray Richardson and a few others. As I left my teens and entered the field of entertainment, I was able to meet a few others, including Beck, Derek Jeter and Jeff Tweedy. I once spoke to Aretha Franklin on the phone while working in music publishing. While at MTV, I once rode the elevator with Mel Gibson. I never did like Mel Gibson. While working in entertainment law, I sat in on a meeting with Alicia Keys. She seemed dull. I'm sure there are more, but such meetings/sightings never left much of an impression on me. When given the opportunity to approach a celebrity, I usually turn up the ipod and trot away. There are very few people on this Earth that would cause me to truly tremble with excitement. Bruce Springsteen would be one, though again, I have no interest in ever meeting him. I like the Bruce that I know through song. I would like to shake Jimmy Carter...

In a Razor Town - Jason Isbell

Bob Dylan : The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 Columbia, 1991

Given the state of the music industry, most serious fans of music have grown to understand the need for artists to find alternative income streams. Whereas an ad spot or track licensed for some terrible ABC sit-com used to be the death-nail for artistic integrity and respect, many fans now turn a blind eye. I mean, what's a few tracks in an episode of that doctor show. No big deal. Our favorite artists have to pay the bills somehow, and checks from Warner or EMI sure aren't going to cut it. I was a little surprised when Bob Dylan appeared in not only a Victoria's Secret ad, but also a Cadillac ad. But Bob has always done what Bob's wanted to do. Then came Wilco songs appearing in just about every VW ad that appeared on my television screen. I can understand a track or two, but licensing five or six songs from a new record seemed a bit much. Since I don't watch much television, I don't automatically see an image of a Jetta while listening to Sky Blue Sky . Simil...

I couldn't count the number of times that this speech resulted in my throat tightening. Please America, PLEASE, do not screw this one up.

This song's just as timely as it was in the 60s.

How Strohm had to abandon music in favor of law school is beyond me. This is pop perfection. Tangelo - John Strohm

Go to msnbc.com and watch Obama's speech in Berlin. If this man is not elected to the presidency on November 4th, then we need to immediately overhaul the entire education system in this country from the ground up.

The new record, The Stand Ins , is due September 9th. And here's the tour: 08-02 Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza 08-02 Chicago, IL - Schubas % 08-07 Oslo, Norway - Øya Festival 08-08 Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West Fstival 08-09 Haldern, Germany - Haldern Pop Festival 08-10 Urbino, Italy - Frequenze Disturbate Festival 09-12 Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck 09-13 Omaha, NE - Slowdown 09-14 Madison, WI - Barrymore Theater ^ 09-15 Fargo, ND - Aquarium 09-17 Seattle, WA - The Showbox * 09-18 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards * 09-19 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom * 09-20 Seattle, WA - McDonald Theater * 09-21 San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Festival 09-23 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre * 09-24 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern * 09-25 Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse * 09-26 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress * 09-28 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Music Festival 09-30 New Orleans, LA - The Republic !# 10-01 Birmingham, AL - Workplay Theater !# 10-02 Athens, GA - 40 Watt...

Listening to Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left, Pink Moon and Bryter Layter in one sitting is perhaps the closest I've ever felt to spirituality. This is music, poetry, landscapes, art, nature and dreams all wrapped into songs. It's quite possibly the most beautiful music ever made.

Leave the City - Magnolia Electric Company On the bus ride home tonight, as I was battling the pushing and shoving and trying to drown out the 8 or 9 people chatting on their cell phones, I realized that it's time that I move on from city life. I moved to Brooklyn in 1999 and found the city absolutely thrilling. From 99 to about 02, I spent most of my free time in Manhattan. I'd be out most Friday and Saturday nights seeing bands at the Mercury Lounge, Irving Plaza and throughout downtown, and usually the after-party's would last until the sun rose over the Hudson. In 2002 or so, approaching the age of 30, I began to notice a slight drop in my energy and enthusiasm to do such things. I was still seeing a lot of live music, but I often skipped the Manhattan shows in favor of bills at Southpaw in Brooklyn. And the late nights began to become a rarity. At the turn of 2004 into 2005, I moved from Brooklyn to Sunnyvale, CA. The primary reason for the move was a nifty job opportu...

White Bicycles: Making Music In the 1960s by Joe Boyd, Memoir, 2007: 6.7 Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey, Fiction, 2008: 8.0

Jeff Tweedy is most prominently known as the frontman and founder of the alt.country turned experimental turned alt.country.experimental band Wilco. Most are also aware that prior to Wilco, Tweedy was co-leader of Uncle Tupelo (1987-1994), sharing the helm with Son Volt founder, Jay Farrar. In addition to his time in Uncle Tupelo, Tweedy has also been a key member to the self-proclaimed stuporgroup Golden Smog, co-leader of Loose Fur along with Jim O'Rourke, and an on-and-off contributor to Scott McCaughey's Minus 5. Jeff Tweedy's career has extended far beyond his work in Wilco. And a lot of this outside work represents some of the best work of his still short career. The following is a playlist of some of Tweedy's best work outside of Wilco. Jeff Tweedy

In 2000, prior to the Jayhawks taking the stage at Maxwell's in Hoboken, I asked Gary Louris if he'd be my best man on my wedding day. He did not answer.

Black Eye - Uncle Tupelo

We arrived just in time to catch Yeasayer's set and simply put: This band won't exist within two years. They are dreadful. Next came Cut // Copy who were decent, but I spent the 35 minutes or so reading a book. Mutemath followed and I nearly picked up our blanket and walked in front of a bus. They were that bad. Next was Brand New which led to the following line by my girlfriend, "This is the worst band I've ever seen live." And she was right. Good god, how do these bands have fans. After this plethora of garbage, we finally got to see Gang of Four followed by Jesus & Mary Chain. Both were quite good, and despite there only being about 400 folks in attendance at this point, the $40 (plus $15 to park in a barren lot) spent on tickets finally felt somewhat worthwhile. But the real story behind this absolutely atrocity of a "festival" was the lack of thinking of the folks behind booking and organizing this event. Whomever had the final say in the choice...

Tim Easton : Special 20 Heater, 1998

Well, the greatest home run that I ever witnessed first-hand. Not only that, but this was most likely the greatest adrenaline rush that I've ever felt, and I can't imagine anything ever topping it. I was in the right field bleachers, and after the mayhem subsided, I was nine rows down from my actual seat.

Generally speaking, present-day Americans are lazy. And I don't just mean physically (which we clearly are), but more importantly, we are mentally idle when it comes to the tantamount issues that face this country and world. Oh, we can get nearly 100,000 people out in Portland to see Obama speak, but when it comes to truly stepping up to the plate, we're more comfortable adding applications to our iPhone or buying advance tickets to the new Batman movie. What did it take for Americans to ease up on the SUV purchases? $4.00+ gas prices. We barely blinked when there was a near unanimous call from the science community to immediately curb our unnecessary addiction to oil. But boy, once it hit our pockets, well then we understood. Iraq War? Eh, those with the most powerful voices in this country (ie, those with $$), well, their kids aren't serving so we'll just let that one happen. Torture? Well, no one's putting me on the brink of drowning, so no big deal. Katrina? I d...

Nettwerk Music/Management CEO Terry McBride has long been one of the more forward-thinking executives in music. As noted in this interview, McBride has financially and legally assisted a number fans caught in legal battles against the RIAA. In addition, he stripped his artists' digital content of protective locks long before others even considered doing so. I saw him speak in Nashville about a year ago and was quite impressed. Just a few hours after McBride spoke, the RIAA's Mitch Bainwol took the stage. It was like seeing Jason Varitek follow Alex Rodriguez on Letterman. Awful analogies aside, here's McBride:

Did I really agree to go to this? My girlfriend started pushing the idea simply because she wants to see The Jesus & Mary Chain. She mentioned Gang of Four and I agreed. She then read off the remaining lineup and I did everything possible to rescind. It'll be nice to sit on the lawn and relax, but boy are there some seriously crap bands playing. SAN FRANCISCO THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN GANG OF FOUR BRAND NEW MUTEMATH (saw them at sxsw, just god awful) YEASAYER M83 MATES OF STATE THE WHIGS DATAROCK FLOSSTRADAMUS RJD2 THE DUKE SPIRIT TAPES 'N TAPES (the worst show i've seen since moving to SF) CUT /// COPY BLITZEN TRAPPER LOUIS XIV THE AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENT ALBERTA CROSS NATALIE PORTMAN’S SHAVED HEAD DE NOVO DAHL VEDERA THE PARLOR MOB WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS THE FEROCIOUS FEW ELEPHONE LUCKY'S COMEDY CLUB featuring BRIAN POSEHN Wow, this is going to be terrible.

Ignore the laughable intro. and all the ad crap. Just watch Easton.

Now this was worth the wait. Nonesuch is home to Wilco, Emmylou Harris, Sam Phillips, T-Bone Burnett and countless other outstanding acts. They were in desperate need of a site overhaul, and boy have they come through. You can now peruse a boatload of videos, listen to Nonesuch radio, purchase merch., read interviews and so on. Nonesuch has always gotten it right on the music front, and now they've gotten it right on the web. Beautiful work. www.nonesuch.com

And Wilco has unseated Josh Ritter as the most played artist on my last.fm. This might not be big news to you, but sadly, it is to me. Given my 5-6 month long obsession with Ritter's The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter , I wasn't sure that anyone would ever make the leap above him. But while listening to A Ghost Is Born today, Wilco finally moved ahead. I am a music nerd and this is big news. Again, sadly. www.last.fm/user/k-fly

via Digital Music News: eMusic Goes Under the Knife; Makeover Unwrapping Soon eMusic is now planning a serious overhaul, one that includes the introduction of several 2.0-style components. In discussions this week, the independent retailer revealed a number of upcoming enhancements, including more interactive reviews, informational widgets, and smarter navigation. "We asked what a retailer online would look like in 2010 or 2011," company chief executive David Pakman told Digital Music News. "The answer is a lot different than today." But eMusic is not restructuring its core business model - instead, it is revamping the way that existing information flows in and out of the site. For example, artist profiles will soon include outside components like YouTube videos and Wikipedia bios, in addition to homegrown, eMusic editorial content. And bits of the profile can be exported as content widgets into other sites, including Facebook and Digg. "We're out to ...

The best full-on rock band of the past decade gets together for one night, and I'm at home watching the tedious All-Star game. Slobberbone, Dan's Silverleaf, Denton, TX, 7/15/08 barrel chested lame that is all front porch stumblin find the out (scott danbon on piano) lazy guy pinball song billy prichard engine joe gimme back my dog lumberlung (scott danbon on piano) sober song placemat blues i'll be damned springfield, il MELDTOWN (scott danbon on fiddle) can't hardly wait (replacements cover) get gone again haze of drink whiskey glass eye big time (neil young cover)

Arise, Therefore - Palace

Outside of places of residence, I can't think of a place I've visited more often than Yankee Stadium. My father claims that my first Yankee game was October 18, 1977 - the night Reggie hit three home runs against the Dodgers in the World Series. I'm not sure I believe that, and I've never claimed to have been at this game, but I am certain that my first steps into Yankee Stadium happened at some point in the late 1970s. I went to at least 75 games during the dreaded 80s. This is when I started to understand, appreciate and grow to love not just the game, but the Yankees. In the early-to-mid 80s my love for this team knew no bounds. I had thousands of baseball cards and kept statistics on every piece of paper within reach. My early favorites were journeymen such as Toby Harrah, Mike Pagliarulo, Roy Smalley, Shane Rawley and Butch Wynegar. And then came Don Mattingly. Despite this being an absolutely horrific decade for the greatest team in sports history, winning and lo...

In 2000 Brooklyn's Robert Becker self-released Lot #99-0038 . Despite being one of the best folk/rock records released in decades, I can't imagine that the record sold more than 1,000 copies. I may have an extra copy or two lying around the house. If you like what you hear below, and would like a copy, toss me an e-mail (ccsbandwagon@gmail.com) and if I can find a copy or two, I'll ship 'em out. Robert Becker

Naomi - Neutral Milk Hotel

Tim Easton has been one of my favorite musicians for the past decade. From the absolutely fantastic Special 20 to the politically charged Ammunition , I wouldn't hesitate to call Easton one of the best songwriters going right now. I'm not sure if I can name an artist whose words I find more inspirational. "J.P.M.F.y.F." eloquently covers the religious right and faith in a way that no artist has done. The farewell to substances-themed "Dear Old Song & Dance" may have played the largest part in my decision to quit drinking for eight months. And in addition to his music, Easton lives a life that I dream of. He evidently owns homes in Joshua Tree, CA and somewhere in Alaska. He makes music, paints and lives a modest life surrounded by musicians, friends and art. It's honestly everything I dream of. And a small part of that life will now adorn the wall of my living room. www.timeaston.com

I haven't bought an album (or track) from the iTunes Music Store in just shy of a year. I still maintain my eMusic account, but I'm having more and more difficulty finding anything interesting there. But over the past four months, I've bought more new music than I probably have in five years. My appetite for music has never been as strong. Despite owning about 2,000 cds, 400 records and thousands of digital tracks, I still feel like a complete novice. At a BBQ this weekend, I had a fairly long discussion with a stranger about jazz music in the 50s. We talked about Coltrane, Miles and an assortment of jazz icons, almost all of whom I know virtually nothing about. This is one genre, among many, that I still want to explore. I've always enjoyed classical music, yet I've never taken the plunge. I need a deeper understanding of early folk music and Stax/Volt soul. It's endless. This morning I arrived at work to find a package containing Blue Mountain's two new C...

As I mentioned a few months ago, eMusic would easily be the best site for purchasing digital music around, save for their search engine. Given their subscription model, eMusic's business has a greater chance of thriving if its users do not exhaust their available downloads each month. It's actually possible that this is the only way that eMusic stays above water. As a result, eMusic's search functionality has always been (intentionally) awful. Despite claiming to have about four million tracks, they do their darndest to keep you from finding the nuggets. Over the past week or so, eMusic has finally turned a corner on this front. As voted on by subscribers, eMusic has released its Top 100 Albums . And the list is actually visible on eMusic's main page! My 90 downloads/month refreshes tomorrow, and after perusing the list, I already see numerous albums that'll drop into my iTunes by tomorrow evening.

Rachel's : Music For Egon Schiele Touch & Go, 1996

-N in her light-blue Scritti Politti t-shirt. I can't recall seeing anyone look cuter. -Spending four hours at a BBQ playing with a dog. -Discovering a fantastic, and obscure, new song and later finding that N had already put that song in my iTunes. -N teaching me to make tuna casserole. I have enough leftover to feed myself through the rest of the baseball season. -Catch-up call with Scott. I treasure these once-every-month-or-two calls. I feel like I'm right back in NY. -The farmer's market. Best blackberries I've ever had. -The look on the guy's face at the car wash when I handed him a blackberry (fruit, not phone). -The sound of the Rachel's record playing right now. -Mom checking in. -Discovering the Neutral Milk Hotel videos that I've posted below. -Time with N. That's correct N, no yawns.

(D) Evan Bayh, Senator from Indiana (R) Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota

Rhythm - Wilco

I'm not sure I'd be sitting here writing on this blog if not for The Jayhawks. Right around the time that I discovered Uncle Tupelo (1994), I recall returning home for college break and finding a copy of The Jayhawks' Hollywood Town Hall sitting on my bed. It was basically a thank you present from my brother. A few months prior I'd introduced him to Uncle Tupelo and we were both riding a musical high. I immediately tossed the cd into my piece-of-crap Fisher stereo and I was transformed. First Uncle Tupelo and now this. Where was this music coming from? Why wasn't it being covered in every music magazine worldwide? The Jayhawks went through many changes in years to follow, but their records still stand the test of time. Gary Louris and Mark Olson are the David Crosby and Graham Nash of our time, yet better. The Essential Jayhawks Martin's Song Settled Down Like Rain Haywire Stumbling Through the Dark Two Angels Bottomless Cup Blue Sound of Lies Ain't No End ...

I mean, seriously? I fully understand that polls ebb and flow, but I just can not imagine that this country will elect John McCain. Ok, that's not entirely true; one only need to point to 2004 to see the impossible become reality, but seriously? Again? Has America been paying attention to John McCain's campaign? Or better yet: Has America reflected for a moment on the past seven-plus years? I mean, how on Earth could this election not be an absolute landslide for Obama. Do I agree with every position he's taken (especially over the past ten days)? Nope. But he is leaps ahead of McCain. For one, he's coherent. Democrats are terrified that it's all going to happen again. I've assured my brethren that, in my humble opinion, it's just not going to happen. Obama's too strong and McCain's the weakest candidate since Bob Dole, and Dole is Abe Lincoln next to Johnny Boy. The Dems will likely expand their leads in both the House and the Senate, but everyone ...

From 1994-2000 Richard Buckner appeared to be destined to be one of the greatest songwriters in American history. Oh, that may sound hyperbolic, but the trifecta of Bloomed , Devotion & Doubt and Since is arguably the best initial three-record output of the past 20 years. In 2000, he followed this breathtaking trio with The Hill , inspired by the 1915 Edgar Lee Masters collection Spoon River Anthology . From there, Buckner's songwriting and inspiration seemed to plunge. Having poured out such intense and precise emotions as he did for seven years, it's no surprise that the tank was running on low. After a few lackluster collections, Buckner once again revealed his prowess with 2006's Meadow ; however, according to the rumor mill and a few quotes from Buckner himself, it appears as if he's decided to put music to rest. Now living in Upstate New York, we can only hope that Buckner finds his inspiration and once again delivers some of the most beautiful music ever re...

She may have a full album of Waits covers, but none can touch Burke's rendering of "Diamond In Your Mind". Diamond In Your Mind - Solomon Burke

Firemans Wedding - Joe Henry

Hip hop was actually good.

The BBC is reporting that a Faces reunion could be in the works. If ever there's a 60s-70s outfit that I would absolutely drool at seeing onstage together, it's The Faces. Five Guys Walk Into a Bar remains my favorite box set ever releeased, and it would be an absolute thrill to see these guys perform. Granted, 33 years following their break-up will likely leave a lot to be desired, most notably the absense of Ronnie Lane who died in 1997, but also, that drunken and carefree abandon that was a staple of this band. Years of feathered hair and pink suits has proven that Rod Stewart is a completely different human being than he was circa 1969, and Ron Wood's years on the road with the Rolling Stones has, over time, become somewhat of a joke. Nevertheless, it's The Faces; one of rock n' roll's greatest treasures. And if this happens, I will forget "Broken Arrow" and the Stones parading through New York City, and pick up a ticket on day of sale.

The Essential Gourds County Orange Boil My Strings All the Labor Best of Me Plaid Coat Web Before You Walk Into It My Name Is Jorge Raining In Port Arthur El Paso Cold Bed Lowlands Hallelujah Shine

After a seven-year hiatus, Oxford, Mississippi's Blue Mountain return with the fantastic Midnight in Mississippi . If you're not familiar with Blue Mountain, they were quite possibly the best live act during the short-lived mid-to-late 90s alt.country "era". They spent many-a-night opening for Son Volt, Wilco and countless others. After bandmates Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt (sister of Wilco's John Stirratt) divorced, Blue Mountain was no more. Until now. And they have returned in fine form. In addition to the new record, they've also released a collection of b-sides and alternate versions of previously-released material. Both can be purchased for a mere $18. By Your Side - Blue Mountain

Disc 1 1. "Late Night Conversation" 2. "Dressed Up Like Nebraska" 3. "Invisible" 4. "Laughter" 5. "Directions" 6. "100m Backstroke" 7. "65" (Josh Rouse + Kurt Wagner) 8. "Under Cold Blue Stars" 9. "Nothing Gives Me Pleasure" 10. "Feeling No Pain" 11. "Ugly Stories" 12. "1972" 13. "Love Vibration" 14. "Comeback (Light Therapy)" 15. "Rise" 16. "Winter In The Hamptons" 17. "It's The Nighttime" 18. "My Love Is Gone" 19. "Streetlights" Disc 2 1. "Miserable South" 2. "A Night In" 3. "A Song To Help You Sleep" 4. "Sad Eyes" 5. "Sunshine" 6. "Michigan" 7. "Suburban Sweetheart" (Demo)* 8. "Flair" (Demo)* 9. "Be On The Lookout" (Demo for "Little Know It All")* 10. "Cannot Talk" (Dressed Up Like N...

Essential Tim Easton Just Like Home All the Pretty Girls Leave Town Happy Now Not Today (Amsterdam Session) Poor, Poor LA Troublesome Kind J.P.M.F.y.F. Hummingbird Dear Old Song & Dance Hey Rosine Next To You Rewind

Josh Rouse

As I sit here downing a massive coffee on Wabash and 8th in Chicago, I'm almost baffled by how nice folks are in this town. Cat Power's playing in the room and everyone in here seems happy, talkative and inquisitive. The folks behind the counter are an absolute pleasure to be around and the place is clean, organized and has some character. No one appears to be in a rush to get somewhere instantly; no one's on their cell phone and there's neither a hipster nor a frat boy to be found. This is very refreshing. As much as I like San Francisco, what I've seen over the past thirty minutes represents everything that I miss: just normal folks, enjoying the day and being kind to one another. There's no rat race here. There are no bafoons in Kayne shades, hoodies and tight Wrangler's. These are just folks making it through the day and seemingly enjoying the simple events. I miss places like this. I wish San Francisco had more of this. It would be a better city for it.

Centro-matic & South San Gabriel. In other words, the show of the year. $11.25 (including fees)

The Baseball Project on imeem Pitchfork has an extensive interview with Sub Pop's co-founders ESPN looks back on the life and death of Len Bias Wired Magazine lists their ten hottest music sites

Josh Rouse : Nashville Rykodisc, 2005

This morning I stepped outside my front door at about 645am, picked up the newspaper and found myself drawn back to my childhood house in Northern New Jersey. As I waited for the shuttle to pick me up, that $1.25 newspaper in my hand struck me. See, I’ve always loved newspapers, even dating back to my early teens in New Jersey. I loved reading the New York Post’s endless baseball statistics once a week. I always absorbed the local section of the Bergen Record. However, in my childhood home, a newspaper subscription didn’t make the cut when my mother and stepfather considered their budget. I asked and asked but we could never afford a daily subscription. As a result, I would often walk to the local library and plow through The Record, New York Post and The Daily News (the NY Times seemed too mature). A few months would pass, and once again I’d beg for a subscription to a newspaper, any newspaper. But we just couldn’t afford it. Oftentimes, my stepfather would return from the graveyard s...

* "Always a Friend" with Alejandro Escovedo (April 14, Houston) * "The Ghost of Tom Joad" with Tom Morello (April 7, Anaheim) * "Turn! Turn! Turn!" with Roger McGuinn (April 23, Orlando) * "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" with Danny Federici (March 20, Indianapolis)

Jurado's new one will arrive on September 9. If the track "Gillian Was a Horse" is any indication, this is going to be a gem. Tour Dates: 08/17/08 Crickhowell, South Wales Green Man Festival 08/18/08 Manchester, UK Trinity Chapel 08/19/08 London, UK Bush Hall w/ Bowerbirds 09/07 /08 Sacramento, CA Harlow’s 09/09/08 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland 09/10/08 San Francisco, CA The Independent 09/12/08 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge 09/13/08 Seattle, WA Triple Door 09/25/08 Chicago, IL Schubas 09/29/08 Cambridge, MA TT the Bear’s Place 09/30/08 New York, NY Mercury Lounge 10/01/08 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall 10/02/08 Washington, DC Rock and Roll Hotel 10/03/08 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Chapel 10/04/08 Columbus, OH Milo Arts

Kenny Roby

This man gave me my first job in music. It would be impossible to convey the feeling I had when I first walked into the Bar None office and was met with Wilco's "A.M." blasting through the speakers. In addition to a fantastic gig, Bar None introduced me to such outstanding records as Yo La Tengo's "Fakebook", Kathy McCarty's "Dead Dog's Eyeball" and all the great Esquivel records. It's now 13 years later and I'm still fortunate to work in the industry that I love. And in many ways, it's all thanks to Glenn Morrow.

I remember reading this article/obituary while sitting in my cubicle at MTV Networks in 1999. Similar to some of Grant Alden's writings in No Depression Magazine, it's one of those stores that I've never forgotten. I've shared/embellished the Luna/Pavement part with probably 25+ people since this story was published. It's a bit heartbreaking, but it's worth a read.

Make a Book - The Drams

The Bostonist reviews the show

If we lived in a world where writers like Larry Brown were read by the masses and the films of Atom Egoyan graced theatres everywhere, then musically, Brent Best would be streaming through ipods the country over. In all likelihood, unless you're someone I likely know by name or face, you probably don't know Brent Best. Well, at a late-night party at South By Southwest in March, I declared to an entire room that, "Brent Best is a better songwriter than Paul Westerberg." Despite having 15+ beers in me at the time, I'd still stand by that statement. In addition to his songwriting, Best is equipped with a spirit and passion that is absolutely absent in so many artists today. Almost every day there's a new Fleet Foxes or a new Burial, but the majority of these acts are flashes in the pan. Brent Best is not, and nor will he ever be. Whether it be records such as Slobberbone's Barrel Chested and Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today or The Drams'...

(via hbo.com) Alan and Susan Raymond spent one year filming in Frederick Douglass High School, which has a rich history of successful alumni, including Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall. Shot in classic cinema verité style, the film captures the complex realities of life at Douglass, and provides a context for the national debate over the controversial No Child Left Behind Act, focusing on the brutal inequalities of American minority education, considered an American tragedy by many. Douglass principal Isabelle Grant oversees a staff of teachers that is two-thirds non-certified, while many are substitutes unqualified to teach their subject areas. Threatened with sanctions, or even closing, unless student scores improve in annual standardized tests, the faculty tries to find workable solutions to chronic problems of attendance, lateness and apathy among students, many of whom come from poor backgrounds and broken homes, and lack the most basic reading and math skills. Due to an...

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