I'll be honest--I came across Phosphorescent from a Best of 2013 list (no shame, I know), but you need to check them/him out if you haven't yet. The first video is "Right on/Ride on" (like it already w/ its use of the forward slash)--sorta a folk/techno M Ward song (you know it could be trouble if the thing you're comparing it to is also unknown). Enjoy--
and here's video number two from the same album. "Haunting" and "atmospheric" are easy but apt descriptors for this one--"Song for Zula" (Stanley Kubrick-inspired, maybe?). Enjoy, as well--
It's happened in Illinois; it's happening in Detroit; heck, it's even happening in California. Cutting public pensions in order to build professional sports stadiums is done under the guise of "economic development." Read this piece to see if building big ol' stadiums really does stimulate the economy or not (not to ruin it for you, but it doesn't).
One other thought--can I get an investment or a gig where I assume none of the risk but reap all the benefit? (yeah, I'm looking at you Wall St.). It's quite slick how the plutocracy is pulling this off, while most of us sit by and do nothing . . . boy, do we need a Teddy Roosevelt (or an Elizabeth Warren) for President (Jill Stein would still be my choice but baby steps here . . .).
saw the Punch Brothers once at OU and was blown away by this talented, multi-faceted "bluegrass" band and their amazing covers--their original stuff is really good, but it's the covers that really stick w/ you after. Here they are covering the Cars (I know!) on their hit from the '70s "Just What I Needed"--enjoy.
. . . we mostly give my two-year-old daughter chicken to eat because we've read about the vagaries of the beef industry; typically it's even "organic" chicken. After reading this piece, we're running out of options . . .
(via Keith Law)
Mark Bittman on the latest outbreak of salmonella in chicken (it's not encouraging in the least):
a little Tom Waits, some Greg Brown, and then a dash of Simon and Garfunkle to soften the edges just a bit--here's Jackson C. Frank on his "Tumble in the Wind."
Pandora has a good mini-biography on him if you're interested (see below). Enjoy--
(from Richie Unterberger on Pandora)
One of the most interesting and enigmatic cult figures of 1960s folk,
Jackson C. Frank's reputation rests almost solely upon one hard-to-find
album from the mid-'60s. A stronger composer than a singer, he
nonetheless had an appreciable influence on many more famous performers
of the decade, including Paul Simon, Sandy Denny, and Nick Drake.
Trauma and misfortune dogged Frank throughout his life. At the age of
11, a fire in his elementary school killed many of his classmates, and
left him with burns over most of his body. He eventually recovered and
learned to play the guitar, and hung around the early-'60s New York
coffeehouse scene with John Kay, later of Steppenwolf.
A large insurance settlement enabled him to travel to England after he
turned 21, and it was there that he made most of his impact.
Frank shared a London flat with fellow American expatriates Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, who were briefly based there in the mid-'60s prior to their first hit, "The Sounds of Silence." Simon,
then a struggling folk singer/songwriter himself, was impressed enough
to produce Frank's self-titled album, released in the U.K. only. While
Frank's voice was tremulously earnest, the quality of the compositions
was often impressive, with a reflective, melancholic air that most
likely influenced Simon, Al Stewart (who made his recording debut on one of the LP's tracks, "Yellow Walls"), and Nick Drake
(who covered one of the songs, "Here Come the Blues," on late-'60s home
tapes that have been extensively circulated as a bootleg).
Frank's album was well-received in British folk circles, and several of
his songs made their way into the repertoire of his friend Sandy Denny,
who recorded a couple, "Milk and Honey" and "You Never Wanted Me," on
her own debut LP. (She also recorded a version of "You Never Wanted Me"
with Fairport Convention,
and a 1966 demo of "Blues Run the Game" appears on her Dark the Night
bootleg.) Frank, however, was unable to come up with a similar quality
of material for a follow-up. This, combined with stage fright,
depression, and an end of the funds from the insurance settlement that
had enabled him to travel in high style, meant that he returned to the
States in 1969 without releasing another album.
Based in Woodstock, New York, Frank continued his songwriting, but
family and depression problems resulted in homelessness by the mid-'70s.
For most of the next two decades, Frank lived on the streets or
hospitals, too discouraged to contact old friends and family. He was
further hobbled by arthritis, inappropriate medication for his mental
problems, and a shooting incident that left him legally blind in his
left eye. In the mid-'90s, a sympathetic folk fan, Jim Abbott, helped
Frank regroup from his setbacks by helping him gain more appropriate
medical assistance and settle back in Woodstock, where he resumed
songwriting, and occasionally performed. A 1995 profile in Dirty Linen
magazine effectively "rediscovered" the missing legend, and legendary
vintage recordings were finally issued on CD in 1996. Stricken with
pneumonia, Jackson C. Frank died in March 1999 after a heart attack; he
was 56 years old. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
Diane Ravitch on charter schools--the link sorta gives you a sense of where she's going . . . btw, I have noticed an interesting trend of folks w/ charter school interests running for public school boards of education. Color me skeptical.
Torii Hunter ended up flat on his back in the Red Sox bullpen.
A
nine-time Gold Glover in center field, the 38-year-old patrols right
field now, and had run hard after a tracer heading 380-plus feet from
where wood had met leather a handful of seconds ago. Hunter missed his
quarry by a foot...no, less, six inches at most. His hard charge had
taken him into the low bullpen wall at full speed, had flipped him,
dropped him hard. He got up, and stayed in the game, a visible
strawberry on the back of his head before he snugged his cap back down.
When Hunter hit the wall, his Tigers had a four-run lead. By the time he landed on his back, the game was tied.
The
man who had hit the ball is a former teammate of Hunter's, and is
exactly four months younger. He's already had three walk-off hits in his
postseason career, the most of any player in the history of the sport.
In the present spot, he technically couldn't add to that unique total.
Nothing he could do with one pitch, in the eighth inning of this game,
could tarnish his legend. Nothing he could do with one pitch could add
to it. With the possible exception of what he did.
Baseball is the sport that's the hardest on its
greatest players. Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Ken
Griffey...they're all ringless. Banks and Griffey never even played in a
World Series. No matter how great you are, you have to wait for your
turn at bat, for the ball to be hit within the outmost ranges of a dive
or a mad dash. Torii Hunter is playing in his seventh postseason, and he
hasn't been to a World Series yet. He might finally make it this year,
but he might not.
His former teammate, by virtue of his position, has
to wait even more than most players. Even when he gets his chance, he
doesn't always get his chance; he was intentionally walked a
league-leading 27 times this year. He needs a moment, and a pitch, and
he's not guaranteed either. He's not even guaranteed to do anything with
the chance if he gets it. He's just made it seem like he is.
Red Sox fans know waiting, and we've learned to resent it even as we could do nothing else but embrace it.The
litany that marked our longest, sourest wait--Gibson, Dent, Buckner,
Stewart, GradyBoone--was a weird badge of honor/Kick Me Sign hybrid. One
might have made the argument, prior to nine years ago,that the team had
better fans than it deserved. A fair number of Red Sox fans would have
told you so, unsolicited. No longer. We've reached the point where David
Ortiz, no matter what happens the rest of this series--hell, the rest
of his career--is pretty clearly better than Sox fans deserve.
another takedown by Glenn Greenwald--this time on the BBC (I almost felt bad for the interviewer at one point). Bust this one out the next time one of your conservative relatives asserts that Edward Snowden (or Bradley Manning) is a traitor or has made us less safe.
GG, again, at his most clear, concise, and consistent self:
here's a band that pops up all the time as an influence on artists that I've listened to for years (Jayhawks, Tim Easton, The Byrds, Hank Williams III, Emmylou Harris, The Everly Brothers, Graham Parsons, et al.). Here are a couple of their tunes--this first one taken from a radio broadcast on WCML. Enjoy-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xyy_8067o8
Might be a repeat, but who's gonna complain? Same song, two killer versions. First is Bob Dylan's girlfriend in full '70s TV effects. Enjoy--
And here's a clip from the best concert film ever made The Last Waltz. Sadly, both Levon Helm on drums and Rick Danko on bass have passed. Still get chills when watching this one.
Mr. Townes van Zandt has been keeping me company on my long daily commute--helps "to ease my pain." Here he is singing in a hotel lobby (I think) his "Lonesome Tune" (full disclosure: a wedding song of ours).
and here he is as a bit younger man singing another nice love song: "If I Needed You"
and, his mysterious "Pancho and Lefty" (yeah, that's his, too). Enjoy--
Enjoy the last day of summer, that last grilled burger . . . but take a moment and remember why you're not at work today. Many people fought for that.
You can do your part by minimizing your patronage of the corporate box stores (roughly 25% more dollars stay in your community when you buy locally). And a fair wage not only benefits that worker and his or her family, but they in turn are able to support more of what you offer and are less likely to need the government for assistance. See the big picture.
A sad, sad day, Heaney's passing at 74. If anyone ever asserts that poetry is only warm and fuzzy or merely soft and pretty, send them to Heaney's "Digging," "Blackberry-Picking," or his "Mid-Term Break":
Mid-Term Break
I sat all morning in the college sick bay
Counting bells knelling classes to a close.
At two o'clock our neighbors drove me home.
In the porch I met my father crying--
He had always taken funerals in his stride--
And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow.
The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram
When I came in, and I was embarrassed
By old men standing up to shake my hand
And tell me they were 'sorry for my trouble,'
Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest,
Away at school, as my mother held my hand
In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs.
At ten o'clock the ambulance arrived
With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.
Next morning I went up into the room. Snowdrops
And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him
For the first time in six weeks. Paler now,
Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple,
He lay in the four foot box as in his cot.
No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.
a local radio station features local talent on occasion and this is one such band, hailing from Cuyahoga Falls. I don't know anything else about the catalog of The Strange Familiar, but this song sure caught my ear--enjoy.
"Wherever the 'Stand Your Ground' law exists, I
will not perform in that state or in that part of the world." ~ Stevie
Wonder
* * *
*had planned to write a longer post but haven't gotten to it yet, so here are several thought-provoking pieces on the Zimmerman verdict in the Trayvon Martin case:
* * * Florida
"Justice": Marissa Alexander (fired warning shot) 20 yrs; Stephanie
George ($120 in drug sales): LIFE; Zimmerman: free to go (from Steven Oh)
so, we were watching Hullabaloo on PBS the other day from 1966. One of the bands was The Zombies and the host asked each group member to introduce himself--one fellow said "Rodney something Argent." I then proceeded to bore my wife w/ some trivia about Argent's next band, self-titled, and how he then became a producer.
and this is how we're watching a video of somebody called Tanita Tikaram on VH1. I still have a copy of this song on cassette. Enjoy.
Yochai Benkler, Harvard Law School Professor and key expert witness for the defense, wrote this piece in March of this year; he and his coauthor explain what's at stake if Bradley Manning is found guilty of "aiding the enemy."
Today, the judge in the Manning trial declared that the charge of "aiding the enemy" is still on the table--
hmmm--didn't hear much about this (ironic, yes?). Well, on July 2 the law that prohibited propaganda domestically went away, probably for good (I know, I know--but Fox and MSNBC have been it doing for years, you say. But this is different, I respond). Worth reading just to see how easily it sells: e.g. "this way people can hear what is out there and decide for themselves" (I'm less than optimistic that Americans can find the time to sift through this kind of broadcasting w/ the appropriate skepticism).
More important than ever for our teachers to continue teaching critical reading/thinking skills, so they can recognize bunk when they see it.
You can read the entire piece yourself (don't trust me):
Recently, had the chance to see James McMurtry and the Bottle Rockets in Kent, Ohio at the Kent Stage (a re-imagined movie theater)--both acts were on my list of long time wanting to see, and neither one disappointed. Nearly four hours of music (I counted 21 songs by the Bottle Rockets and 16/17 for McMurtry). Witty banter, excellent musicianship and story-telling--everything you would want in a concert. Real shame that neither have completely gotten the mainstream following/sales they deserve. If you get a chance, check 'em both out; you'll be glad you did.
Going back a bit for this one, but this song captures the best elements of McMurtry's songwriting (& I think I recognize the teal-blue Fender from the concert). Here he is on "Levelland"--enjoy.
The Bottle Rockets played second and rocked out nicely--from the video, you can see their demographic ("we're a dude band") but it's all good. I'm not sure how a song about a fuel pump and Indianapolis could be poignant, but they pull it off. As evidenced during the live show we attended, the band resists labels, but I would call them intelligent roots rockers--do with that what you will. Here they are on "Indianapolis." Enjoy.
PS--you know all those annoying ads that pop up? "double click" ring a bell? it's owned by Google--
PPS--one thing I learned by reading the linked piece above, is that you can get a lower airfare rate if you clean out your cookies on your browser (companies will bump up the price if you visit high-end sites)--
With the revelations that the government is spying on us and everybody else, and the US basically acting the bully, good ol' Pete Seeger seems appropriate. Here he is on his "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?"--enjoy.
* * *
(from No Depression) Gillian Welch and husband David Rawlings at Austin City Limits--just because . . .
Gov. Kasich has signed into the budget (yes, the budget--not a stand-alone piece of legislation where debate is encouraged and heard) about the most restrictive measures re women's reproductive rights in the country (e.g, women may not be allowed to use certain birth control now in Ohio).
I know this is such a divisive issue with little room in the middle for folks, and I won't belabor an argument here. I will say, however, that if this is the intent of the Republican legislature, then it needs to run through the proper channels. Slipping it into the budge of all places is a weak, chicken-you-know-what move by Kasich, who could have line-itemed the language out re abortion.
Like most things in a democracy, it's better when it's all out in the open for debate where people can offer testimony and science, not just personal beliefs and intuition. Yet, time and time again we see these back-door legislative maneuvers by Republican-dominant bodies. In a democracy (or a democratic republic, if you prefer) sunshine must be allowed in; if not, then you have something other than a democracy.
For your consideration:
--more than half of women who seek abortion already have children and cite economics as the primary reason for their choice (i.e., the women say they can't afford another child)
--less than 10% of what Planned Parenthood does is abortion services. By law, no public money can be used to pay for abortions. Thousands of women only have access to their health care through Planned Parenthood; they will now lose access to pap smears, mammograms, and other vital healthcare because a handful of middle-aged white guys decide on their own that this is the thing to do in 2013.
--also less than 10% of the women who have abortions, have multiple abortions for non-health related issues ("using abortion as birth control").
I'm not a reporter, but I'm guessing that the ALEC group was involved in this legislation--it has all the trappings that we've seen in other states: mandatory ultrasounds, legislative-mandated script to be read by healthcare provider, gag orders on folks who assist rape victims, etc.
I just started following Neko Case on Twitter. She's . . . uh, quite unique. Here she is on "Maybe Sparrow" showing off her wonderful, wide-ranging voice that contains multitudes. Enjoy--
via Glenn Greenwald, here's a smart piece on the just-getting-started debate/discussion regarding Snowden and whistleblowing and whether we should start charging journalists w/ crimes. Worthwhile read:
from Salon, the author asks if we shouldn't wage a war on poverty rather than demonize educators (you would think that a silly question, but recent events prove otherwise):
You might know Matheson from the original I am Legend or What Dreams May Come--like others, I came to know him from his work on The Twilight Zone (incl that one w/ William Shatner) and Star Trek. He was 87.
I was watching the last bit of the US Open and tried to explain to my wife the difference between the golfer who lays up to secure his position (and paycheck) and the golfer who goes for it.
But US Opens punish this aggressiveness. That's why length doesn't really matter there, but patience and steady ball-striking are the ingredients for a win, things, that maybe, a golder gains as he matures. Phil, however, has not gone gentle thus far. And Phil just can't seem to change his approach, and this is why, I suspect, many will cheer for him and not Tiger.Yes, Phil has finished as runner-up now six times at the US Open, most often falling out of the lead in spectacular fashion (remember the shot from the trash can?). Tiger, on the other hand, is best known as a great closer--if he has the lead, he's not giving it up. But Tiger's aggressiveness when trailing seems more like an impetuous teenager determined to prove everybody wrong, maybe even an act of self-flagellation.
Phil was not going to leave it short at this most recent US Open. A couple other golfers did--can't blame them. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of dollar. They have families to feed and houses to pay for.
But I told my wife that Phil would not leave his chip attempt short. And he didn't. It didn't cost him money as it has in the past b/c he had 2nd place to himself, but you had to like the courage to go for it--never up, never in.
In 2005, I had the great occasion to be at the British Open at St. Andrews (birthplace of golf). Colin Montgomerie was the local favorite who was right on Tiger's heels. Monty crushes his drive to pin-high on 18. We all believe he is going for eagle with a 40 yard pitch. I'm nearly right behind him when he pivots 45 degrees and putts to the top of the green, two putts from there and takes home his 2nd place check as Tiger walks away with his two-stroke victory.
Even then, I knew what Phil would have done. And it wouldn't be a lay-up putt from 40 yards.
Here is a nice piece that captures how my (and others, I'm sure) perception of Phil has evolved over the years.
* * *
wow. Stumbled on this in YouTube--a video from '81, probably at least three years before anyone knew who The Replacements were, doing a Beatles tune (of course).
* * *
hardcore 'Mats fans will kill me for this, but "I'll Be You" was the song that first introduced me to The Replacements (little late to the party). Good stuff.
A curious mindset has crept into many Americans' mindset--I don't have anything to hide, so I'm not worried. And, the spying is only targeting "others." This commonly quoted poem by Martin Niemoller came to mind:
First they came for the socialists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
To those who have nothing to hide, it's often been suggested then that they post their passwords and social security number online. And others have asked if you have nothing to hide, are you OK w/ surveillance in the bathroom? your bedroom? Nothing to hide, right?
per Rosanne Cash's recommendation (who went so far as to use the Springsteen descriptor--"I have seen the future of rock and roll . . ."), St. Paul and the Broken Bones on "Call Me" channel some Otis Redding and maybe The Commitments (if you remember them/the film from the early '90s). Enjoy--
* * *
after hearing a colleague recently talk about the "reasonable sounding" climate change denier on a Fox program advance his thesis that the increasing amount of CO2 was good for the environment, I came across this piece from Mother Jones:
couple thoughtful pieces by the always good Jonathan Turley re Snowden and the disclosure of the Surveillance State (the titles w/in the links give you a pretty clear sense of where he goes):
In case you missed it, the Johnny Cash stamp was released this week by the United States Postal Service.
Seems like a good time to play one of my favorites by Mr. Cash, "Sunday Morning Coming Down" (joined here by the song's writer, Kris Kristofferson). Enjoy--
here's a piece by Paul Westerberg (nee of The Replacements--one of my all-time favorite bands, for what it's worth) on writing and inspiration in the NYT, including one of his many great songs embedded from YouTube--enjoy.
ah, yes, The Jayhawks. Has it really been 18 years since this song was released? Remember picking up Tomorrow the Green Grass at a little music store on the Vermont/NY border and playing this w/ the windows down. Enjoy--
Bash and Pop is Tommy Stinson's band (you may remember him from his Replacements days). Here is "Friday Night is Killing Me" (not really--but it's a great song, even better album). Enjoy.
caught Bob Dylan in Akron a couple Fridays ago (I think it was show #22 or so)--probably only artist (although I heard Miles Davis did the same) who gets away with not speaking to the audience--weird. But still a good show, esp for a 72-year-old. Here is one of my favs--enjoy.
and here from No Depression is a list of top 10 Dylan songs--fun:
Connie Schultz offers her opinion on what happened in the Chardon, Ohio courtroom the other day when last year's school shooter was sentenced for his killing of three students. Locals have seen/heard a bunch about this . . .
Check out this piece from Salon on why Obama's DOJ recently dropped its three year investigation into Monsanto, the seed company that now controls 90% of the corn seed and 80% of the soybean seed market, products that are now protected by patent (a single giant company genetically modifying food so that it becomes proprietary--what could possibly go wrong?)
Reminder 246 of why I voted for Jill Stein in '12 after knocking on doors for Obama in '08. Oh, and it's OK to laugh in the face of the next person who tells you that Obama's a socialist/marxist/commie.
