Autumn Souvenir

For some reason, Josh Rouse's Nashville and Solomon Burke's record by the same title are arranged one song per artist after another in my iTunes. When I first noticed this strange sequencing I was a bit pissed. But over the past two days, I've played both albums as iTunes arranged them. Simply wonderful. Rouse's farewell record to his hometown, released in 2005, is a beautiful tip-of-the-hat to a life that he's left behind, but couldn't step away from without recognizing all that the city and his relationships meant to him. "Sad Eyes," one of the most heartbreaking songs in recent memory, shows hope in even the most broken of relationships. "Streetlights," is the ultimate proof that Rouse is one of the finest songwriters of the decade. "I called you up, cause I felt so guilty, ended up, it was not such a pretty scene, let’s dump the ashtray, wipe the table clean" is a line certain to hit many. It's a record just bleeding in per...

7th Street, San Francisco , originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

This morning I received the below e-mail from a friend who's a leading mind in her area of medical expertise. I think her most poignant question is about our elected officials answering pointed questions akin to an athlete or coach. I mean, if Alex Rodriguez can sit in front of the media and discuss his steroid use, how can our "leaders" not be forced to do the same, especially when it's in connection with laws that will impact every single life in this country. How can the American media not be on top of these folks? In the era of MSNBC, FOX and CNN, I'm not really sure why I even ask that. But heck, don't NPR, the BBC and other reputable sources get a seat at the table? Her e-mail: Politicians who oppose universal health care with a "governmental option" should be required to hold press conferences like coaches and athletes and answer the following questions: 1) Who are the "liberal special interest groups" you are concerned will inapprop...

Good work, Barry. Long overdue.

America , originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

Dear Senator Lieberman, Why are you against the public option? Do you truly, truly believe that a government-run health-care plan would hurt the American people? Seriously? Any intelligent person, excluding your bigwig pals in the insurance industry, knows that it will *benefit* Americans. And well, since you're a United States Senator, I can only assume that you're a pretty smart fella. Think about your legacy, Joe. Think about it deeply. Regards, Chris Campbell

Monday Reading , originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

My goodness.... "Old Shoes" (Waits) "Absolutely Sweet Marie" (Dylan)

This record has been released completely under the radar. Aside from a brief mention on Pitchfork, I don't recall anyone covering this one. Jay Farrar (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt) and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) form one of the oddest pairings in recent memory, to collaborate on the soundtrack to the DVD-only release of the Jack Kerouac Big Sur -inspired One Fast Move or I'm Gone . The whole thing seems to have just fallen out of the sky, but both the record and film are now available (and can be bought together). I read Big Sur about two months ago and found it to be a bit too much for my liking. It was like reading the written words of someone with severe ADD who's not me. But back to the record. I've now had it for about two days, and thus far, I'm quite impressed. Jay Farrar played an enormous role in my early-90s burgeoning love for music, but I've found his releases to be slightly scattered since Son Volt's fantastic first three records, ending in 1...

Wow. I usually barely recognize the difference between a 128 MP3 and I don't know, a lossless file or something, but as I sit here making my way through my first listen of Blonde on Blonde in mono, I must say, it sounds much better to me. There's a simplicity and almost effortlessness to the overall sound. It just sounds beautiful. The guitars, vocals, percussion, etc. are completely crisp yet it lacks any overproduction. Again, wow. I may need that Beatles mono box set after all.

A few weeks ago, one of my closest pals and I were out with another best pal of ours from back East. In between drinks, great food and many, many laughs I inquired about a record label that he worked with. This is a label that I've loved for many years and presses some of the best vinyl around for many of the greatest rock and soul artists ever to make music. This conversation led to his graceful offer to send a shipment. A few days later I picked out my list and sent it along. While driving down Highway 5 on my way to LA two days ago, a text arrived from my local pal, "Did you get your package?!?!?!?" She had. I nearly hit the brakes. I was on my way to game 4 of the ALCS between my beloved Yankees and the California/LA/Anaheim/Modesto Angels. Two loves crashing into each other at once. But no matter my excitement over this critical playoff game, nothing could touch my infatuation with music and vinyl. I couldn't shake the visual of that massive box of treasures. I c...

Just made single-handedly the worst move in the history of professional sports.

When one of my favorite musicians shares his/her favorite books, I get pumped. - Albert Angelo By B.S. Johnson - What a Carve Up by Jonathan Coe - Soul Circus by George Pelecanos - Selected Poems by James Tate - Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet - The Incognito Lounge and Other Poems by Denis Johnson - Election by Tom Perrotta - The Pugilist at Rest: Stories by Thom Jones - The Sportswriter by Richard Ford - Kill Your Friends by John Niven

New column! In addition to the The Archives , which takes a look back at records that never received their proper due, I would like to introduce Further Review , a new feature or something that will highlight records that were somehow misjudged at the outset. These records were, on a personal level, either praised too highly or, well, the opposite. And to kick things off, Bruce Springsteen's 1984 pop masterstroke Born in the USA . In the past, whenever the Springsteen conversation came up with an interested Bruce novice, I would always avoid Bruce's massive mainstream breakthrough. With seven top ten hits, I'd always considered USA a good pop record, but when surveying the Bruce catalog, there was little need to mention what was considered his one full-on leap into, dare I say, "cookie cutter" territory. I mean, I couldn't put this record in the same world as Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born To Run, Nebraska or The Wild, the Innocent, the E Street Shuffle ...

Arguably the best band in America right now. These videos are fantastic.

From the Matador site: Sunday afternoons, there are just nothing like them. Get a little brunch, listen to some music, and simply relax, forgetting about the worries of your previous week. Well this Sunday should be no different, except well if you’re in San Francisco because then you can also spend it with Yo La Tengo. Yep you read that right, drop by Aquarius Records this Sunday for an intimate, brunch-style in-store appearance by Yo La Tengo. Aquarius Records have been long time supporters of the band, look no further than their recent Record of the Week review (below) of Popular Songs as evidence. Yo La Tengo have equally supported independent record stores throughout the years too. So to us this really sounds like a perfect match, the likes of a bagel and cream cheese or a donut and coffee, and from what we hear, arrive early enough and you’ll have dibs on both. Most important you’ll also get a chance to see Yo La Tengo perform a special, intimate set at Aquarius, and well...

If the Fleet Foxes didn't sound like having someone's ass planted in your face, they might sound like this.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Memoir, 1947: : 9.5

As I watched the vote on C-Span, for the first time since Nov 4 of last year, I felt chills as the result of government action. We are still a ways from reform passing and there are clearly many holes in the bill voted on today, but to hear Kerry, Schumer, Nelson and rest vote "Yes" nearly brought tears to my eyes. If they can now mold the bill with the House bill to include a public option, this could be one of the most important pieces of legislation passed in the past 100 years. When we put aside the constant bickering and the non-existent positions from the right, this could ultimately be an amazing time for our country.

"I think the dialogue is now real." -Jay Rockefeller, D-WV, 10.13.09

photo by Sarah Jurado

Life is too short to hang around, so I stay so long in a place, and then move on to the next town -"Sunset City" by Magnetic Fields Maybe it is time to start taking a relocation seriously. In the past few hours, I seem to be heading that way. With this possibility in mind, let's make it a bit of a fun exercise. If a reader of this blog leads me to a job that I ultimately end up being offered and accept, I will reward that kind reader with $300. I realize that's not a huge sum of bucks, but c'mon, recession and all. Here are some cities that are under consideration: Seattle, WA Portland, OR Chicago, IL Minneapolis, MN Denver, CO Austin, TX Raleigh, NC New York, NY Pretty much anywhere outside of the U.S. excluding Kabul, Pyongyang & Tehran. I basically want a city with nice people, a little diversity, a decent music scene and places to play wiffle ball.

I started this blog after moving to SF on New Years Day 2005. Since then, when I'm not writing about politics, Wilco or Derek Jeter, I often toss in photographs or just general thoughts about San Francisco. Most probably realize that I've never been quite happy with this city as a place to live. I do feel as though it's now my home, but I have many issues that I've shared in bits and pieces from time to time. A friend linked to this blog post on her Facebook page, and in many, many respects, I couldn't agree more. Some probably take offense to his criticisms, but I think he offers good warnings for those considering a move to this city. He's provided the impetus for me to now share my Good and Bad of San Francisco. The Good The Beauty: This is one of the prettiest cities in the world. Take a drive around the neighborhoods and you'll most likely hit the brakes numerous times to take in a view. Head south a few hours and you're at Big Sur. Head west and y...

Sometimes you just can't contain yourself. Right after the Yanks wrapped up the game tonight, I immediately jumped onto the Angels site. I looked for the cheapest tickets available and ended up landing an upper deck seat between home and first for a total of $54. That's not bad at all for a crucial ALCS playoff game. I'll be hitting the road next week for a night of playoff baseball. If the Yanks are up 3-0 and wrap up the series in game 4, I'm running on the field.

Tues, Oct 13 The Pogues & DeVotchKa The Warfield Thurs, Oct 15 Apollo Sunshine & Fred Torphy Connecticut Yankee Wed, Oct 21 Brakes Rickshaw Stop Sun, Nov 8 Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit & Chuck Prophet (co-headlining) Great American Music Hall Mon, Nov 30 Vic Chestnut Band feat. members of Fugazi, Godspeed You! Black Emperor Great American Music Hall Sun, Dec 6 Jonathan Richman Great American Music Hall Wed, Dec 9 Son Volt The Fillmore

I can't say I went into this show expecting much. Bob Dylan probably stands on rung three of my all-timer list, but at age 68, and following two somewhat lackluster records, I figured there'd be some moments, but after seeing Springsteen exactly a week prior, I would likely leave the venue a bit underwhelmed. I was spot on. As always, Dylan's band, led by the fantastic Charlie Sexton, was dynamic, loud and impassioned. But Bob's ten-year or so run with a bluesy, rollicking live feel, just doesn't do justice to his work. Granted, I don't expect him to strap on an acoustic, call up Baez, and lead into "Chimes of Freedom," but just a hint of what made Bob Dylan the greatest songwriter ever to live would have been nice. Instead, the band dominated the set and Bob almost looked like a prop. On the positive side, "The Man In Me" and "Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum" were fantastic. These tunes were early on in the set and offered up hope th...

"Your opposition has spent the morning attacking you for bringing such good will to this country. Why do they hate America so much? I get the feeling that if you found the cure for cancer this afternoon they'd be denouncing you for destroying free enterprise because cancer centers would have to close." -Michael Moore

My biggest hope given this morning's news is that this lights a bit of a fire in Barry. He's clearly still getting used to his role, and I hope that his days of walking tentatively, will soon come to a rest. The announcement that he won the Nobel reminded me of the power, joy and hope that his campaign initially elicited. That has clearly evaporated to a large degree over the course of his lackluster first nine months, but this recognition will hopefully remind him why he was elected. He needs to put the town hall freaks behind him, and start moving forward with the utmost conviction. In his acceptance speech this morning, despite appearing almost embarrassed at the honor, you could see a bit of that Obama that so much of the country fell for during the campaign. His mention of Aung San Suu Kyi nearly brought tears to my eyes. And although this speech was focused on world affairs, I seriously hope that this empowerment refuels his efforts back home with respect to health care r...

Bruce Springsteen plays the last event ever at the stadium. Now one day back in San Francisco, I really can't believe I didn't stay for this. I've mentioned in previous posts that seeing Springsteen at Giants Stadium in 1985 changed my life. I still can't shake that feeling, at age 12, of seeing about 80,000 people singing along to "Sherry Darling." I recall looking at my brother and father and being at a loss for words, again, at the age of 12. And the overriding image I remember is walking through the tunnels heading for the exits and thinking, "I need this in my life for good. Whatever I just felt is something that I'll need again and again." Fortunately, I've had that luxury. To Doc Hup and DB: Enjoy it tonight.

Heading Home , originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

Ridgewood, NJ , originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

New Jersey at Night , originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

, originally uploaded by ccsbandwagon .

The Baseball Project My Predictions: Yankees over Twins in 4 Red Sox over Angels in 5 Phillies over Rockies in 5 Cardinals over Dodgers in 5 Yankees over Red Sox in 6 Cardinals over Phillies in 7 Yankees over Cardinals in 6

Having spent many years in San Francisco and New York, I've now come to realize the fundamental differences. As far as beauty, there's no question that SF is much more to my liking. I enjoy the slower pace, the hills, the parks, the ocean, etc. As far as people go, New York absolutely blows away SF. I know that's generalizing lots, but it's true. In just a few blocks of New York, I witnessed more originality than I see in a month in SF. Bruce Springsteen is the greatest performer ever. No question about it. If I could do anything every day for the rest of my life, I would sit in a backyard with a dog, a book and my iPod. I really don't need much else. I have had Frost/Nixon via Netflix for about six months now. Is it time that I just chuck it back in the box? When will Obama start being a democrat? His presidency has left me so disappointed that I barely check in anymore. I hope the Yanks play the Twins. The Tigers bore me. I had no idea that Peter Bruntnell put out...

This is the point in the show where I nearly lost it. There's so much about this song that reminds me of my childhood. I recall my little sister naming this her favorite song at the age of about four. Too bad she didn't dive a bit deeper into Waits' catalog.

It's now automatic to hear one of my Springsteen brethren midway through a set say, "best Springsteen show ever." Of the three friends I went with last night, two said this before the encore, and trust me, these fellas are far less prone to hyperbole than well, me. Amazingly, I haven't seen Springsteen with the E Street Band since The Rising tour. I caught him on the Seeger Sessions tour, but it's now three E Street records since I've caught the full band. A few YouTube clips and a somewhat comical Super Bowl performance led me to believe that Bruce and the band had finally moved past their prime. Dead wrong. Last evening's show, which featured a complete performance of Born in the USA was as good as I've seen the band since they've reunited. Springsteen has barely lost a step and he sang every note with the same passion that he did at the Bottom Line in '75 or MSG in '78. "Out in the Street," normally a bit of a middle-of-the-r...

I covered well over 100 blocks yesterday walking throughout the city. With a wide open day I wanted to once again let the city sink in, I suppose. As always, I'm just floored by the diversity of this city, in nearly every respect. No place on Earth touches the spectrum of people that inhabit this wonderful city. I am not one for caring much when I see a "celebrity," whatever that means. But yesterday's dual sightings were bizarre, to say the least. While at a red light at about 61st Street and Madison, a certain filmmaker casually crossed right in front of us. Taken over with excitement, I scrambled to my take a pic. I was too slow. And then later in the evening, I'm walking in the village and one of my favorite musicians ever walks right by. The man is such an mystery that I was shocked to see that he's actually a real person.