Autumn Souvenir

Of the folks I know who caught them on their brief tour last year, the reviews were quite mixed. Evidently they just didn't seem all that comfortable in a live setting. After a season-plus under their belts, perhaps this longer tour will find them more relaxed. 4/6/09 Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center* Tampa, FL 4/7/09 University of Miami BankUnited Center* Coral Gables, FL 4/8/09 UCF Arena* Orlando, FL 4/10/09 Ryman Auditorium* Nashville, TN 4/11/09 Fox Theatre* Atlanta, GA 4/13/09 Constitution Hall* Washington, D.C. 4/14/09 Radio City Music Hall* New York, NY 4/17/09 Agganis Arena* Boston, MA 4/18/09 Tower Theatre (2 shows)* Philadelphia, PA 4/19/09 Kent State University* Kent, OH 4/21/09 Massey Hall** Toronto, ON 4/22/09 Massey Hall** Toronto, ON 4/24/09 Fox Theatre** Detroit, MI 4/25/09 IU Auditorium** Bloomington, IN 4/26/09 Overture Center for the Arts** Madison, WI 4/28/09 Aerie Crown** Chicago, IL 4/30/09 Fox Theatre** St. Louis, MO 5/2/09 Riverside Theatre (2 shows)** Milwa

Before heading to the park for the afternoon, I figured I'd spend an hour or so listening to some 45's. It was a good decision. You're Gonna Make Me Cry - The Staple Singers Hotel Happiness - Brook Benton You Ain't Going Nowhere - The Byrds Looking for a Way Out / Take My Word - Uncle Tupelo My Kind of Soldier - Guided By Voices Mary Jane - Blue Mountain California - Courtesy Move Ain't No Doubt About It - Wilson Pickett And now I'm blastin' "Placemat Blues" by Slobberbone. You serve them Bizkits and Korn with a spoon But I think you just serve you Where's the place at the table for folks like us When there's no one that we can trust Where's the place for us

From The New Yorker The President’s Hero by David Remnick February 2, 2009 A couple of decades ago, when Barack Obama was on a break from Harvard Law School and visiting friends in Chicago, he carried around a copy of “Parting the Waters,” the first volume of Taylor Branch’s magnificent trilogy about Martin Luther King, Jr., and the rise of the civil-rights movement. Obama was staying with Jerry Kellman, his mentor during his three years as a community organizer on the South Side. Kellman said that he greatly admired Branch’s book. Obama brightened and said, “Yes, it’s my story.” Mind reading is a decidedly low form of journalism. Yet it is not hard to imagine that as Obama emerged into the noonday light last Tuesday to receive the oath of office, as he left the Capitol’s warm interior and saw before him the carpet of humanity stretching down Capitol Hill to the monuments miles distant, that he made a mental leap to Marian Anderson’s defiant concert at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, to

Bruce made his premiere appearance on Sirius on Jan 19. Here's hit set. Who knew he was such a fan of Jay Farrar of Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt. Jay Farrar Jarvis Cocker - Running the World Small Change Romeos - 1.20.09 Jay Farrar - Feed kill chain Rank and File - The Conductor Wore Black Ry Cooder - Sundown Town Sleater-Kinney - The Promised Land (Live) Jimmy Cliff - Sufferin' In The Land The Dubliners - The Rising Of The Moon 2Pac - Dear Mama Bob Dylan - Political World Little Steven - I Am A Patriot Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen King Crimson- The Court Of The Crimson King Public Enemy - Fight The Power Son Volt - Underground Dream Warren Zevon - Ourselves To Know Jelly Roll Morton - Stars And Stripes Forever James Brown - Funky President A Whisper In The Noise - The Times They Are A-Changin'

I am not exactly riding the FF hype machine. I think the record's fine and all, but the praise that they've received has been a bit silly. They're a good band who put on an average live show. Although bashing of major labels has gotten somewhat old, I did find their take on rumors of the band signing to Virgin to be kinda comedy. However, I hope they do realize that they're signed to Sub Pop Records, which is distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance, which is owned by Warner Music Group. Ya know, just sayin'. After reports circulated that the Fleet Foxes had signed with Virgin, Pecknold put up a MySpace blog post to stomp them down in the most unambiguous possible manner: "So, I went to the (truly insane and heart-swelling) Dept of Eagles show at Neumo's tonight (sang along and bought a Tee) and a couple people said something about hearing we signed to Virgin Records and they are reissuing a 'special edition' of the CD LP. This is false. I

Smashed by Koren Zailckas, Memoir, 2005 : 8.8 The Forever War by Dexter Filkins, History, 2008 : 8.4

I need to keep this quick. But before jumping, I have to get this out before I forget. This has been weighing on me all day. It seems as if the republicans are hedging their party's near future on their hopes that the stimulus package fails. They unanimously opposed the bill in the House, and it's certainly clear that they hope that, if passed, it fails dearly (yes, at the cost of all Americans). Rep. Boehner, one of the remaining figureheads of a party that destroyed the country from the inside out, along with the new spokesman for the GOP, Rush Limbaugh, have turned this much-needed bill into a political circus. They have no interest in working with Obama (I can't believe Limbaugh's having an impact on their positions...read up on that Georgia representative who called the loud-mouth hypocrite to apologize this morning) and clearly no interest in helping millions upon millions of struggling Americans. They are taking a gamble that this stimulus will fail, and if it do

It was about 18 months or so ago that one of the best songwriters ever, Richard Buckner, quietly decided to stop making music. He went out with very little fanfare, giving a brief interview to a small newspaper and that appeared to be it. Buckner said he wanted to move on, and had decided to settle down in Upstate New York and see where things took him. I would argue the Buckner's first four records, Bloomed, Devotion & Doubt, Since and The Hill , released between 1994-2000, stand with the greatest initial outputs in the history of music. After 2000, Buckner's work wasn't nearly as impressive, but there were certainly moments, highlighted by his final release, 2006's Meadow . Buckner was the 90's version of Townes Van Zandt, and as far as complete records go, Buckner was even better. Last night, after putting down my book for the night, instead of turning over and searching for sleep, I reached for the iPod and put on The Hill . When the record moved into "

In the words of LCD, I was there.

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Not only does Working on a Dream land in stores today (Amoeba...I will see you in a few hours), but Springsteen and the band have just announced the first leg of what should be a massive tour in support of the record. The whole thing starts just an hour south of where I sit right now. Apr 1 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion at San Jose (Feb 2) Apr 3 - Glendale, CA - Jobing.com Center (Feb 2) Apr 5 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center (Feb 7) Apr 7 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center (Feb 7) Apr 8 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center (Feb 7) Apr 10 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Arena (Feb 2) Apr 15 - Los Angeles, CA - LA Memorial Sports Arena (Feb 2) Apr 21 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden (Feb 2) Apr 22 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden (Feb 2) Apr 24 - Hartford, CT - XL Center (Feb 2) Apr 26 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena (Feb 2) Apr 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum (Feb 2) Apr 29 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Spectrum (Feb 2) May 2 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum (Feb 6) May 4 - Hempstead, NY - Nass

According to Magnet

Mar 26 Higher Ground - Burlington, VT Mar 27 Calvin Theatre - Northampton, MA Mar 28 Beacon High Auditorium - Beacon, NY (is this really in a high school auditorium in the middle of nowhere?. man, i hope so.)

I spent most of my Saturday afternoon training at San Francisco Animal Care & Control. Lending some time to work with animals has been something I've always wanted to do, and now is clearly the perfect time to do so. As anyone who knows me is aware, if there's a dog within 200 feet of me, everything else goes blank: I must go hang with said dog. I've had a few run-ins over the years. I walked out of a restaurant in Brooklyn once, went right up to a resting Pit Bull and nearly lost a hand. I've had a few owners give me fierce looks after finding me hanging with their tree-tied pup. I grew up with four consecutive German Shepherds: Greta, Guard, Axel and Apollo. At times, these dogs were my closest friends. I'm sure that many kids of broken families can understand the importance of an animal. When things are confusing and, at times, lonely, there was always one of the dogs. This comfort of sorts has ingrained in me a love not just for dogs, but for all animals. Ap

Pavement : Brighten the Corners Matador, 1997

Saturday morning, I made my daily stop into Fillmore Grind for a bagel and a coffee. During these uncertain times, the $4 I spend at Mike's coffee shop is one thing I just can't surrender. It's not just the jolt of caffeine or the toasty bagel that forces me out of the apartment every morning. It's actually not that at all. On Sunday, as happens about once a month, Mike took the day off. I walked down Fillmore a few blocks, found a local shop and sat down with the Sunday Times. And although the coffee was better and the bagel tastier, it just wasn't Mike's. After one article in the paper, I gulped down my food and drink and headed home. Back to Saturday. When I walked into Mike's, ready for our morning discussions about the Middle East, Obama, his business and other topics that bring on debates and laughs, I saw Mike's landlord sitting at a table with two other gentleman going over mounds of paper. I didn't need to ask. That quick sight revealed the

Regardless of my mixed feelings on Bruce's moves of late, this photo in Rolling Stone is classic. I want this room.

RS has become the MTV of music magazines. Of little surprise, they have given Springsteen's new record Working on a Dream five stars. Yes, they gave it a better review than Nebraska , which landed a 4.5 rating. Brian Hiatt, who reviewed the record, compared the ending of "Outlaw Pete" to, oh my goodness, "Jungleland". Seriously, how do these people land these jobs? He then compares "Life Itself" to The Byrds' "Eight Miles High". These comparisons are akin to saying that "Marley and Me" is reminiscent of "The Godfather". And then there's the feature by Mr. Has-Been David Fricke, who calls Working on a Dream , Springsteen's "most ornate album since 1975's Born To Run ". It may be "ornate" Mr. Fricke, but putting these records in the same article, let alone sentence, is absurd. Again, there are a few good tunes on this album. I've really grown to like the title track, "The Wrestle

Jeff Tweedy's best song could very well be "Laminated Cat" ("Not for the Season"), a song that didn't make either an Uncle Tupelo or Wilco record. It found its way onto a Loose Fur record, and although it's nice on the official release, it's the live versions that leave me kinda spellbound. The best version I ever witnessed was at one of the very few Loose Fur shows at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn. After the show, I ran into Glenn Kotche at a local bar and attempted to hug him.

I think I'm losing the battle on this one and will likely be paying a matinee fee. There are certain "indie darling" films that hit the masses, and almost every single time I'm disappointed. I thought "Juno" was dreadful, "Once" was a sappy and vapid take on the meaning of music and that movie with Zach Braff and the Shins song was beyond painful (I honestly can't recall the name). "Little Miss Sunshine" was better after second viewing, but it was initially a disappointment. Hollywood and the press have a tendency to take the most sterile of independent films and hype them to no end. And while this is happening, the truly great films remain, well, obscure. There are obviously some exceptions. "Sideways" was lauded to no end and it was deserving. Watch this movie again and tell me it's not a great take on friendship, addiction, heartbreak and the meaning of, dare I say, authenticity. The same thing happens in music. For t

Chris Bell & Andy Hummell captured the following footage from the 1971 recording of Big Star's "#1 Record". This is a truly amazing video. Thank you to Aquarium Drunkard for the find.

Forget about the upcoming release of the sub-par Working on a Dream , the whole Wal-Mart thing, and his fast-approaching appearance at the Super Bowl. If Springsteen fans are looking for the treat of the decade, here it is: Billboard reports that a re-issue of the 1978 classic, Darkness on the Edge of Town , is in the works. The record will be remastered and will include a "making of" DVD. If you look back on my Top 50 Records of All-Time , you'll see that Darkness checked in at #2. On any given day, this record jumps a slot to the top of the list. Friends and I have been discussing the need for this re-issue for decades. Looks like it's finally happening.

Justin Townes Earle The Good Life Antony & The Johnsons The Crying Light Woven Hand Blush Music and Ten Stories The Poison Arrows Casual Wave The Gourds Haymaker! Scott Walker The Drift 16 Horsepower Live 2001

SJ's frontman David Berman sent the following post to the Silver Jews board on the Drag City site. Hello, my friend. Cassie and I went to the cave and it looks great. 58 degrees but the humidity makes it feel like 72. I'm just going to play fifteen songs. My fifteen favorite ones. A dollar per song. Plus Arnett Hollow. I don't want to keep you underground for too long. Fall Creek Falls State Park State Lodge is great by the way. Yes I cancelled the South American shows. I'll have to see the ABC Countries another way. I guess I am moving over to another category. Screenwriting or Muckraking. I've got to move on. Can't be like all the careerists doncha know. I'm forty two and I know what to do. I'm a writer, see? Cassie is taking it the hardest. She's a fan and a player but she sees how happy i am with the decision. I always said we would stop before we got bad. If I continue to record I might accidentally write the answer song to Shiny Happy People. W

, originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

If I had to pick one song to define my college years, this would probably be it. I can't count the number of times my buddy Flush played this song in the Aunt Jemima apartment on Comm Ave.

after dropping $51.50 for two Josh Ritter tickets. This is a purchase that absolutely had to be made, especially since he's going to be backed by a string section. If you've heard his versions of "Girl in the War" and "Empty Hearts" from his performance with the Boston Pops, you'll know what I mean. Add to that the fact that Ritter is the one artist who N and I 100% agree on. The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter was basically the soundtrack for our first year together. We listened while sitting at a duck pond in Oregon, while on the way to Mendocino, and on just about every trip together. All this will take is a little shuffling around of needs. I mean, now that Obama's won the election, I really don't need cable. I listen to NPR on the radio every morning, and have my internet to scour the rest of the day's news. I watch TV for "The Office" (available for streaming the day after airing), "Flight of the Conchords" (can

This site should just be renamed bonnieprinceobama.com.

Just the beginning of Obama's complete reversal of essentially every foreign-policy disaster delivered by W.

Thursday, Feb 26 Josh Ritter w/Strings Great American Music Hall $20 Monday, Mar 30 Bonnie Prince Billy The Fillmore $22.50 (I think)

I've posted quite a bit about Matthew Ryan over the years. In addition to my love of his music, I was also fortunate enough to have Matthew answer a few questions on this blog a few weeks back. I spent a good part of today listening to his records, and although I won't threaten to stand on Dylan or Earle's coffee tables, repeat listens reinforce my firm belief that Matthew Ryan is one of the best songwriters around today. However, just like film and books, most of the best music out there rarely spreads beyond those who dig to find it. All three of these artforms, on a large level, are businesses. Morons in suits with godawful taste put their money behind the most watered-down, thoughtless crap; "art" that some mid-level marketing exec. in Jordache's and a tight dragon-design blouse "discovered". Film studious churn out garbage like, I don't know, "I Am Legend" or "Indiana Jones and the Crystal of Something". The big book publ

Then: Now:

I've now watched his address three times, and what stands out most is his almost direct repudiation of the Bush administration on nearly every level. From the environment to the economy and our relationship with the Muslim world to our ideals with respect to justice, Obama's speech was a call not just to build America, but to completely break from the direction we've received for the past eight years. His overall message of rebuilding was more a call to completely split from Bush and move towards a more just, understanding, curious and responsible country. Whereas Bush measured strength in military might and the narrowest vision imaginable, Obama sees it as a reflection of who we are and how we can lead by example. I suspect that many were looking for Obama's uplifting language of the past two years. Understandably so, but that is not what we need right now. Obama looked the country and the world right in the eye and demanded responsibility, accountability and hard work

After rising from bed at 4am and watching close to eight straight hours of inauguration coverage, N and I headed out for pizza and a quick stop-off to Amoeba. Amazingly, I left the store without a purchase (she grabbed me when I started to shuffle through the vinyl). As we arrived home, I opened the building door and there sat a little package. I knew what it was. I'm clearly on a very tight budget, a budget that I need to pay even greater attention to in the coming weeks and months, especially given my tentative but increasingly potentially firmed up plans, but some things can't be passed up. A 7" of Charles Bissell (Wrens) covering Okkervil River and Will Sheff (Okkervil) covering The Wrens. It couldn't have arrived on a better day.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News , World News , and News about the Economy

, originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

, originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

The Replacements : Let It Be Twin/Tone, 1984

This speech was delivered the day before his life ended in Memphis.

In the Spring of 1993, after a lackluster half-year at Fairfield University in Connecticut, I decided to apply to one school as a potential transfer: Boston College. My reasons for the possible move were two: 1) My closest friend at Fairfield was determined to transfer down the coast to Georgetown and 2) I found the education at Fairfield to be average at best. After a long wait on the anxiety-inducing "wait list", I was accepted. Following a 2.7 grade point average at Fairfield, I opened my tenure at Boston College with a rousing 2.5. But in that first semester, a Sociology professor by the name of David Karp, struck some sort of chord. I couldn't quite claim what it was, but I found myself, for the first time in my life, interested in education. We talked about societal dynamics around class, race, religion, geography and so forth. Almost baffling to myself, I was interested. As the following year opened, I enrolled in classes such as "Inequality In America",

Obama has yet to take office yet it already seems like a completely different country.

Bicycle - Mark Olson & Gary Louris Watching the Wheels - John Lennon Country Love - The Gourds The Wrestler - Bruce Springsteen Last Dance - Mekons Never Had Nobody Like You - M. Ward Just For You - Sam Cooke 3 Speed - Eels Sick of Goodbyes - Cracker Casino Lights - Richmond Fontaine Cape Canaveral - Conor Oberst Breeze - Apollo Sunshine I Will Dare - The Replacements Salvese Quien Pueda - Juana Molina In Dreams - Roy Orbison Guess I Know I'm Right - The V-Roys Versatile Heart - Linda Thompson

From Today's New York Times : Mr. Cheney said that any criminal investigation of torture, abuse of citizens' privacy rights and the like "would be devastating" because fear of legal liability would discourage intelligence agents from ever taking risks on the nation's behalf. "Any suggestion that there should be prosecution of these folks is extraordinarily unwise and unfair," he said.

And I may be ready to name my top album of 2009. Fine, that'd be a little absurd given the almost endless list of great acts releasing new collections this year, but man if The Gourds' Haymaker! isn't a fantastic listen. This marks their tenth full-length in twelve years, and with the exception of maybe two, all of their records are at the very least, strong. And then there are the absolute classics, led by Stadium Blitzer (1998), Dems Good Beeble (1997), Cow, Fish, Fowl or Pig (2002) and Ghosts of Hallelujah (1999) . Haymaker! is still new to these ears, but after a handful of listens, this one appears primed to join the upper-ranks. And as it continues to grow, I wonder if this could be their first record to land atop my year end list. Given their work to date, this highly sought-after prize would be long overdue. Well, I've still got 348 days to decide. Or is this leap year?

As I mentioned in my review of Springsteen's new record, the lead track, "Outlaw Pete", may be the lowest point in an otherwise phenomenal career. Well, now you have the opportunity to listen to this disaster. The worst part of the song is not the atrocious music, but rather Bruce's singing inflection, which is bordering on absolutely hysterical. While listening, I feel like I'm sitting in a Chuck E Cheese arcade in the late 80s. Oh, and now there's a debate that he's completely ripped off KISS' "I Was Made For Lovin' You". I couldn't care less about this last point, since the song is so ridiculous that added bashing seems unnecessary. Folks, it's Outlaw Pete. Can ya hear me!!!!

On Jan 27, Mark Olson and Gary Louris will release their first record together in 13 years. As co-founders of the Minneapolis-based The Jayhawks, a band widely considered one of the forefathers of the 80s-90s Americana movement, they shared the helm from 1985-1996. Olson left the band in '96 to focus on his work with then-wife Victoria Williams, while Louris carried along with The Jayhawks until 2003. Louris followed almost two decades with The Jayhawks by releasing his first solo record last year, while Olson continued putting out solid material as a solo act and with the Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers. I saw the original Jayhawks lineup only once, on July 16, 1995, on a beautiful yet scorching hot day at the Cincinnati Zoo. Wilco opened, but it was The Jayhawks who put on a truly memorable show. Not knowing that the beautiful songwriting and harmonies of Louris and Olson would part in less than a year, I stood in awe at one of the greatest writing and singing tandems of the

He's as good today as he was a decade ago, but let's take a look back:

I usually drop my favorite links over to the right under Sunday Papers , but this one's worthy of a copy-and-paste job. From Today's New York Times Dear Sir Obama: Presidential Advice By JORY JOHN Published: January 15, 2009 Every day after school about 65 children come to our center to get help with their homework. The place is always vibrant, but on Nov. 5, 2008, the 20 tutors in the room essentially played zone defense to keep things in order. For the students, the election of Barack Obama had overturned their world. The children had been interested in the election all year but few of them, truth be told, really thought Mr. Obama would be elected. When he won, their talk quickly and excitedly turned to what would happen next. We decided to channel this energy into a writing assignment. We asked our students — not just those in San Francisco, but ones in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Boston; Chicago; Los Angeles; New York; and Seattle — to offer their thoughts, hopes and advice to Mr. Ob

The V-Roys were one of those bands that should have, pardon the following two words, been huge. Seriously, they should have. Signed by Steve Earle's E-Squared in 1996, first came the referenced release Just Add Ice . This young in-your-face foursome from Tennessee played simple, straightforward rock and roll. The lyrics were strong, the guitars were loud and they played as a charging unit. And when need be, they could turn it down and deliver perfect ballads. They were a countrified version of The Replacements (I think lead singer Scott Miller is still maintaining the drinking badge) in 50s style suits. Their first record revealed a band energized and ready to make a heavy impact on the rock n' roll world. But 1996 was a time when good music was still very deep in the shadows. Although that's mostly the case today as well, had The Arcade Fire or My Morning Jacket been around then, they would have likely been as obscure as The V-Roys. When you add Scott Miller's dislike

As hard as I try, I still can't believe that it's over in four days. There are moments when our passion for something is truly born. I've often cited those few minutes on South Street in Boston as the time that music took over. I heard the notes to Uncle Tupelo's "New Madrid" while lounging around on a lazy weekend afternoon and things have honestly never been the same. When it comes to my now near-obsessive interest in politics and policy, I think it was a combination of events. First off, near the end of the 1990s there were a series of health issues within my family that brought on an interest in public policy. And then there was a profile of Al Gore in the New York Times. Within this piece, the writer highlighted not only Gore's lifelong interest in the environment, but his vast curiosity about about space, the stars and the unknown. The author went on to write about a fundraiser on Long Island. As the bigwigs awaited Gore's presence and words, Tip

And this one will serve as 1,002. I had no idea that I'd hit the four-figure mark until I landed on some random layout page or something. I started this blog on November 21, 2005 with a post about the 30th Anniversary re-release of Springsteen's Born To Run . I can't express how satisfying it's been. Here's post #1: 11.21.05 Born To Run 30th Anniversary Posted by Campbell in Music I think it's safe to say that this record changed my life. Sure, people throw such statements out too easily, but for me, I truly believe it's the case. I vividly recall hearing "Backstreets", "Night", "Jungleland" and the five remaining tracks oozing through the walls of my Ramsey, New Jersey bedroom as a child. Although my father's late-parties often left me red-eyed and blue, the wail of "Born To Run" always gave me comfort. Whether it be as guests arrived or as the booze and drugs had fueled the hangers-on at 5am, "Born To Run&

We've all got 'em. Those bands that given our pompous renderings on music, should fall in line with what we like. For example, I know quite a few people with good taste who detest Springsteen. My contact with these people ends abruptly, but you get the point. Since music, like all art, is subjective, we've all got our hits and misses. On a personal note, whenever I put Joe Henry on the stereo, my girlfriend appears ill within seconds. It's amazing that this hasn't led to our demise. And when she tosses on the Blue Nile, I dive for the klonopin. The following list of acts are not necessarily bands without merit. Actually, it's quite the opposite as I do respect most. The point is: I either just don't like them or I find them to be very overrated. So here it goes: The Police In eighth grade, a friend offered a free ticket to go see The Police up in Syracuse, NY. I still don't regret passing. Anything with Sting involved is utter crap. Led Zeppelin I won