Autumn Souvenir

The Whole Love 01 Art of Almost 02 I Might 03 Sunloathe 04 Dawned on Me 05 Black Moon 06 Born Alone 07 Open Mind 08 Capitol City 09 Standing O 10 Rising Red Lung 11 Whole Love 12 One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend) Wilco Tour Dates 09/13/11 Tue Old National Centre (Formerly Murat Centre) Indianapolis, IN 09/16/11 Fri Massey Hall Toronto, ON 09/17/11 Sat Massey Hall Toronto, ON 09/18/11 Sun Metropolis Montreal, QC 09/20/11 Tue Wang Theatre Boston, MA 09/22/11 Thu Central Park SummerStage New York, NY 09/25/11 Sun Merriweather Post Pavilion Columbia, MD 09/27/11 Tue Raleigh Amphitheater Raleigh, NC 09/28/11 Wed Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Atlanta, GA 09/29/11 Thu Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Atlanta, GA 10/01/11 Sat Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN 10/02/11 Sun Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN 10/04/11 Tue Peabody Opera House St. Louis, MO 10/05/11 Wed Overture Center for Arts Madison, WI

After years of being on my must-read list, I am finally getting around to Peter Garalnick's Lost Highway , after a gracious friend recently gave me a copy. Despite barely cracking it, I'm already gripped by the eloquence and depth of the writing. And it's the following that so cleanly sums up what I've been trying to expound about popular culture for 15+ years. "In order to appear on network television, it is necessary to appeal to the lowest common denominator; all regional identification must be smothered over. So - and this is the final step in my simplified syllogism - what is entertaining people on a mass level is no longer genuinely popular culture - in which the audience at whom the entertainment is aimed, out of whom the entertainment has sprung, continues to have a real input - but a pale evisceration, a pathetic dilution of a rich cultural tradition. If Elvis came out today, you have the feeling, he would not get the airplay, simply because he was, well -...

Wilco - I Might by weallwantsome1

Absolutely fascinating.

I couldn't count on 50 sets of hands the number times my friends and I have had the "favorite Beatles record?" conversation. More times that not, I've gone with Beatles For Sale . I've always loved the stripped-down love-song side of The Beatles. As I spent more time with the foursome, I eventually turned to The White Album . I never cared that much for side two, but side one was, and is, about as good as music gets. Seemed that just about everyone else went with Revolver . Or maybe Rubber Soul . But these records never made my top five. (And yes, I have a top five for everything. Top Five Favorite Yankees First Basemen on All-Time? 1. Mattingly 2. Sweet Lou 3. Tino 4. Giambi 5. Balboni.) I like them sure, but they both seem just a bit light to me. And c'mon, Rubber Soul opens with "Drive My Car." And Revolver 's opener ain't that much better. But are they great records? Well, yeah. With the entire catalog at hand, it's only been recentl...

Bruce Springsteen, Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ, 1993 I must have seen about 25 Springsteen shows at the Meadowlands in the 90s. On one string of eleven dates, I believe I made it out to eight of the shows. Then approaching a decade without the E Street Band, and showing no signs of a return, Springsteen, along with a host of new faces, shocked the packed arena as he drifted into E Street territory during the encore with "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out." As the arena literally rocked back and forth, with the widest of eyes, my brother made every attempt to to share what might be coming. "They made that change uptown, when the big man joined the band!" he screamed repeatedly. The message was that they couldn't possibly do this song without E Street Big Man, Clarence Clemons. The moment I understood the message, the crowd went absolutely ballistic, as the most beloved member of Bruce's band made the slow trot up to the stage. Slobberbone, SXSW, Cl...

When Steve Earle was released from prison in the mid-90s, in addition to quickly recording his three best records, he also teamed up with Ray Kennedy and launched E-Squared Records, giving a home to such acts as 6 String Drag, Bap Kennedy, Cheri Knight and a foursome out of Knoxville, Tennessee called The V-Roys. Complimenting his own creative outburst, Earle's ear for talent was every bit as impressive. Of the handful of acts on the label, none appeared as promising as The V-Roys. Merging straightforward pop with a hint of some traditional sensibilities, they seemed to have it all: great songwriting, energy, hooks, passion and even a pretty damn cool look. But like a number of acts on Earle's label, after a few records, The V-Roys were no more. Co-frontmen Mic Harrison and Scott Miller pursued solo careers, and of all the talent on Earle's fantastic, but short-lived label, it's Miller who's gone on to release the strongest post-E2 material. Often backed by his band...

Before indie became truly commercial and the Pitchfork-era made a band's dress and fabricated weirdness more important than their songs, there was an indie rock scene awash in soul, humility and depth. And despite realizing the absurdity of my own word choice, I find myself largely stuck pre-2000 when it comes to music. Yes, there have been a handful of important acts to break through the past decade (e.g. The Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, Okkervil River), and many that started in the 90s/early 2000s who continue to make great records, but the endless laundry list of bands receiving high praise in the "indie" world, will largely be forgotten once the big shades, boat shoes and tight Wrangler's scene comes to a close. In an effort to remember what it was like, well, you really only need this three-minute clip.

From around '98 - '00 these two were the leaders of the greatest band going.