We're Moving!

We're Moving! Because of the cowardice of Google and the ridiculousness of the RAA I am moving my blog to The De Mello Theory part deux. Enjoy.

The wolf is always at the door

These are extremely hard times for us. I read in the paper the other day about the workers who organized a sit-in in Chicago to get the severance and vacation pay that was owed to them after they were unscrupulously fired last week. This is going on all around us & this landscape of corporate greed is terrifying. We are bailing out automakers so they can make the same mistakes over that they've made for the past 40 years. We bail out banks so they can pocket money they should be loaning to those who need it for survival.

When was it okay to start stabbing your neighbor in the back to make a buck? Is that the true American way? I don't believe it is. We are forgetting the one law, the one rule that sets humans apart from animals. It is the Ethic of reciprocity, better known as the Golden Rule. I'm no prophet, I'm not speaking in broad colloquialisms on why people do what they do. I'm not speaking of religion I'm leave that to the Theologians. I'm not speaking on politics I'll leave that to the politicians. I do not speak of ethics that is for philosophers. I speak of the the Human Condition. This may come off as corny but it is not. The affection for our neighbor has waned when it should be stronger than ever. These past 7 years we have experienced an attack, 2 wars and the worst global economic catastrophe since the Great Depression & we are not thankful for the things we do have.

What does the father say to his son when he loses his job and he can't give him anything for Christmas? What does the single mother who desperately wants to go back to school but can't because the cost is just too much? What does one do when they can't pay their heating bill in the middle of winter? When does a person hit that point where they just say "fuck it, I quit" & make that ultimate drastic choice? I don't have these answers, because I'm just as confused as the next guy. What do we do to quell this tide of greed? We look to those workers in Chicago who, today, got the company to agree to at least come to the table & talk to them. We look at them and say they are looking out for what's right. We say they are standing up for not just themselves but for us as well. They are leading the charge and saying, "Not this time. You aren't gonna kill my spirit, my family." We must stand up for what we believe in. The Basic Human Condition and the Ethic of Reciprocity are intertwined. They are not religious ethics, they are basic evolutionary traits that lead us to evolve better as a people.

The Eagles have a song called, New York Minute & it talks about how from one moment to the next everything can become diluted, dysfunctional and disoriented. It talks about the dynamic of losing everything in that proverbial New York Minute & how we take that for granted. I learned that lesson well when my father died. Our last words were not kind & while it is a normal occurrence to argue with loved ones & sometimes say things we don't necessarily mean, it still doesn't do anything to make me feel any better about those last moments we had together. That was our New York Minute. We are not cherishing our existence. We are merely existing. We aren't much different than the Neanderthal man the hunters and gathers from thousands of years ago. The only difference is we gather things acquired with more wealth. There is no fine line between the haves and the have nots anymore. That line is miles apart and getting wider. Perhaps this new administration can fix these problems, not just politically but in the spirit of all that's right.

And in these days

When darkness falls early

And people rush home

To the ones they love

You better take a fool's advice

And take care of your own

One day they're here;

Next day they're gone

It’s Always Warm Inside My Home But It's Handle Is Always So Cold

Was watching the NBC show, "Life" this morning (thank you DVR) from inside the abode, the "Matt Cave" if you will & heard this song by a group even I had as of yet had not heard of, Honey Honey. With lead vocals by Suzanne Santo & guitar by Ben Jaffe this band is sure to be a mainstay for years. The mixing of Latin guitar rhythms with zydeco stylings to go along with that Billie Holiday essence Santo eminates but with an effervescent sexiness that makes even the most ardent homosexual turned on a bit.

Signed to Kiefer Sutherland's, Iron Works Music Label, Honey Honey's debut album, First Rodeo, was released Novemeber 4th & their video for "Little Toy Gun" (directed and staring Kiefer Sutherland) has already been number one on itunes. They don't have too many shows coming up, one in Modesto (hell's waiting room), but rest assured they will be touring soon enough to showcase all that talent.

The Roots

I haven't written for a while because I have been thinking of ways to revamp this site from an mp3 blog to strictly a writing blog. To that end I will be writing feature stories about bands that I think are not only making waves in the music industry but in humanity as well. There are tons of bands that are great in music, but do nothing with their status to give to others and advance worthwhile causes instead of lining their own pocket books (I'm talking to you Billy Corgan). So the first in this series is the Roots.

The Roots are a hip/hop band out of Philadelphia. but calling them simply a hip/hop band is doing them a disservice. They are truly an amazing conglomeration of musicians & human beings in general. They are one of the few hip/hop bands that plays their own instruments & many of the interchangeable members have actually left to pursue ventures in Jazz (The Josh Abrams Quartet) & become great producers (Scott Storch). While much of hip/hop speaks of violence and the belittling of women the Roots music speaks of love & togetherness. They are active members of PETA and vegetarians. ?uestlove is one of the best drummers of his generation. He has been guest drummer on the Dave Chapelle Show & with Conan O'Brien when Max Weinberg is on tour with Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band.

The musicianship of the Roots is amazing. They incorporate a Tuba player into the mix for Christ's sake. They do what most hip/hop bands can't do & that's say that they are really musicians. They write their own music, they have fantastic lyrics, melodies & while they may not go platinum they have a loyal following since their beginning in 1987 in Philly. Along with their work with PETA they have performed on the children's show, Yo Gabba Gabba, extolling the virtues of one's family. They don't fill their music with ridiculous slang or the divisive language that litters much of hip/hop today. This is truly the 21st century's version of Sly & the Family Stone. They talk so much of love & peace that it brings out the inner hippy in me. They are not some clean cut group like doesn't speak of the struggles of inner city living but they are not aggresively pursuing hatred or anger & it's truly refreshing.

Recently. The Roots, ?uestlove in particular, have hinted at a retirement from touring & this is only becoming more evident with their new contract signing as the House band for the Jimmy Fallon show next year when he takes over for Conan O'Brien (who is taking over Jay Leno's spot). Check out some of their stuff they are really a phenomenal band that is so unselfish with their gifts.

Cardinology

Just bought & listened to Ryan Adams & The Cardinals new album, "Cardinology". It is an album that is beautiful in it's simplicity. It isn't strikingly relevant or an album that will stand out as something that will make a huge impact like some of their other albums but what it does do is provide excellent background music. It makes the time pass faster, it creates an aura of steady beauty that doesn't offend the senses in the least. It's gentle piano on tracks like "Stop" really make this an easy album to enjoy.

The lyrics aren't complex, the melodies aren't either, but it's better than anything Jack Johnson could ever pull out. Easy Tiger was a much better album as far as I'm concerned but I have no real complaints with Cardinology. Ryan Adams does this often, though. He has filler albums. He's such a prolific writer that he'll put out a huge studio release(Gold, Easy Tiger, Heartbreaker) then throw out some stuff that isn't his best (Follow the Lights, Love is Hell, Demolition) but keeps the fans occupied while he keeps the great stuff for the next release. It's actually quite brilliant. At least we'll never get tired of him as he is constantly reinventing himself. Listen to the album yourself.

There were some Live tracks but the dreaded Recording Industry seems to be attacking Bloggers for promoting their music with the unconstitutional DMCA law.These scumbags have nothing better to do than come after those that make their artists important. We do not affect business, we put your shitty artists on the forefront so people actually give a flying fuck about who they are. So fuck you recording industry or whoever doesn't have enough sense to let bloggers promote the shit out of their artists. Also, the artists who make millions of dollars a year should have more sense than to alienate those that can break your careers.

Im gonna change my life, plans, vans, thoughts, sox, moves for you

When I was just a wee bern in the mid nineties I was an ardent follower of Punk Rock. It was a glorious time there was me & Oscar, David, Quitter, Sean, Mickey, Fat Mark, Carlos, Morgan & Emo Saul. We would all pile into of this white van I owned with no back seats, get an ice chest full of beer and go from party to party. We'd hit up some killer places like Koo's Cafe, The Prospector, and this killer place right off the 405 in Long Beach on Atlantic, but the name escapes me now. We'd see bands like Shoegazer, No Doubt (When they didn't suck), The Queers, Green Day, Mustard Plug, The Donnas & many others. I was reminiscing about this the other day with a friend & went through some of my punk rock collection and figured I'd post some stuff from when I was huge into punk with my Dickies & flannel shirts & chucks...shit I haven't really changed my style much in 13 years.

We'd be there front and center at every Warped Tour in the pit. It was one of the better times of my life & whenever I hear a certain song that makes me think of that time and smile fondly at the camaraderie we all shared. Like the time we went to club Velvet & I started a damn near riot by telling an emo kid his sweater made him look like Potsie (which it did), then he proceeded to tell me about how my mother looked like Potsie & out of nowhere Sean blasted him and everyone (150-200 people) started fighting. It was crazy, Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria! Life was good as a 22 year old punk just learning his place.

Bullion - Millencollin

Summer Lovin' - The Vandals

Bro Hymn - Pennywise

The Brews - NOFX

I Take my Boys Everywhere I Go Because I'm Paranoid

Would you believe that there are people that are willing to test my knowledge of music? I know, unconscionable, but nevertheless true. I spent a few weird days in the lovely city of Dallas, Texas this past week and explained my aversion to most of today's hip-hop to a close friend since it is basically garbage. Not all, mind you, but about 90% is just utter nonsensical bullshit. When I was growing up (the start of any sentence that is destined to make one sound out of touch & old) hip-hop, rap if you will, was fresh (I don't mean that like Will Smith fresh, but in the true meaning of the word as in new). It was about growing up in some of the most impoverished areas in Harlem, Compton, Oakland, Long Beach, Bed-Sty, etc.

It was the folk music of the 80s. It was less about dancing, but the beats hit hard. What it was about was telling a story, helping the listener relate to the plight of the rapper like Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five did with, "White Lines" or just telling a funny story like the Sugar Hill Gang did with, "Rappers Delight". Today, however, we have "Rappers" like Soulja Boy who care nothing of the art of the rhyme and are strictly in it to make a buck or to be a gimmick. Granted there are a few who are still connected to those urban roots (Jay Z, Mos Def, Common) that helped propel them to where they are today. That's the kind of Hip-Hop that I listen to, that I respect.

Those artists are becoming few and far between, though & it's just a matter of time before rap as we used to know it no longer exists. I'm not saying rap or hip-hop will die, it's way too marketable, but it would be merely a bastardized form of what we all came to enjoy and relate to & just pop music that help Rappers go into bankruptcy by purchasing too much jewelry, too many sports cars & too many guns. Yes, those are broad generalizations, but they will become more the norm than buying basketball teams, starting clothing lines & becoming president of record labels. Here's a few songs that I really think best represent what I like about hip-hop and a mash-up that could be a new wave in hip-hop w/ the potential of saving it from itself.

Liquid Swords - Genius/GZA

No Sunshine - Rhymefest

What More Can I Say - Jay Z/Danger Mouse

Definition - Blackstar

No Hook, No Weep - Ghostface Killah & Jay Z

Red Hot Missy - Red Hot Chili Peppers/Missy Elliot

Mind Playing Tricks on Me - Geto Boys

Phony Rappers - A Tribe Called Quest

THE DMCA is Working Against Me

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Week in Review

WEEK IN REVIEW:

• Forgot to include this last week, but I saw Neil Diamond live in concert & it was a pretty phenomenal show. Have some pictures but they are just so far away it's not really worth posting them. Might as well have been shooting them from a blimp. Great article about Neil's fascination with In & Out.
• Death Cab for Cutie are opening up for Neil Young on their current tour.
• Smashing Pumpkins announced their 20th anniversary tour.
• Green Day is working with Butch Vig on their follow up album to American Idiot.
• Scott Weiland is coming out with a new album that will "turn off some STP fans".
• Ryan Adams has a new website, check it out.

4 songs to help you get through the next Great Depression. We'll call it the Greater Depression.

Neil Diamond - I'm a Believer - Neil wrote it, recorded it & the fake band, the Monkees, made it famous.

Fozzie Bear & Kermit the Frog - Movin' Right Along - What's better than a bunch of puppets singing a song to make you forget about the stock market crashing 20% in a week? Nothing I say. P.S. buy stock in GM it's like $5 & eventually will climb. WOCKA WOCKA

Tracy Chapman - Fast Car - Think about how much worse your life could be if you were the characters in this song & then think about how comfortable it is to sleep in back of a fast car, but without enough money to pay for gas. Her new album is called our Bright Future, nothing like a little optimism.

Eddie Vedder - Hunger Strike (Demo) - Then when you can't buy a loaf of bread because it costs $100 (I'm thinking Russia after the fall of Communism) you can pretend you're on a hunger strike and maybe just maybe then you'll be able to understand whatever the hell Eddie Vedder says.

He's got a yen for purdy lil' hens

Was watching the classic, "In the Heat of the Night" this afternoon & heard this ditty. It's impossible to find as a download, but here's the video version of the full song. Believe it or not this was written by Quincy Jones. they tried to get Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs song, "Little Red Riding Hood", but it was too expensive so Quincy wrote this song, "Foul Owl on the Prowl", sung by Boomer & Travis.

Music News

Here's a few tidbits for your pure chewing satisfaction:

Great article about Ryan Adams & The Cardinals in the Des Moines Register with a few quotes from Neal Casal. Cardinology is in stores October 28. They're currently on tour with Oasis who came out with their own album yesterday.

Keane's new album, Perfect Symmetry comes out next week but you can hear it streaming over at Last.fm. Not too shabby, but not great either.

Aquarium Drunkard has a great post on My Morning Jacket @ KVRX in 2000 worth checking out.

Bruce Springsteen played an acoustic set before 50,000 fans at a Philadelphia Obama rally that registered 21,000 new voters.

Former Blink 182 drummer, Travis Barker, speaks out about his surviving a recent plane crash.

Foo Fighters have denounced John McCain for using their song, My Hero, on the campaign trail.

Better Days Are Ahead

Watching the debates last night I clearly saw a man who was ready to lead this country into the future and a man who was focused so much on the past that he looked even older than he already was. Barack Obama exuded confidence & acted presidential, was not flustered when McCain referred to him as "that one" & explained his policies and the faults of the current administration in depth. John McCain came off as condescending and out of touch. He was grasping at straws when he proposed a $300 BILLION buyout of homes that people should not have been given in the first place.

I understand that people are suffering & that the government has an obligation to it's people, but at the same time people have an obligation to themselves. What about renters? If I can no longer afford my rent because the economy goes into the tank so bad & I can't make any money at my job will I then be given money by John McCain's administration or because I can not afford a house am I then castigated and tossed into the street? Barack Obama proposes something far more palpable to my situation in the tax cut for the middle class & the imposition of higher taxes on those that make over $250,000 a year. Higher taxes also come with more benefits such as: the universal health care system, more money for education and the end to the war in IRAQ.

I'm not delusional, I know that everything Obama proposes will not be attainable as there are things that come up that are unexpected in one's term, but when he speaks of helping the working middle class I believe him. He is not a war monger, he is not a denizen of hatred, he is not a condescending old curmudgeon with a sense of entitlement. Barack Obama wishes to change the status quo that has plagued us since Reagan was in office. After watching that debate last night and seeing how he has withered the outrageous and unscrupulous attacks this week behind his back while John McCain had neither the wherewithal nor the guts to confront him to his face I have become even more fervent in my support for Mr. Obama & I hope the American people have as well.

NEW MUSIC TUESDAY

So it's been a while, I know, but I'm back in the swing of things after basically taking the entire summer off. Got some great music hitting the shelves today & some music news that Dog-gone it is just super swell (That's a Sarah Palin quote). Is it just me or is Sarah Palin like something out an episode of Leave it to Beaver (please let's keep the thoughts mildly clean for a second, kids)? I mean she's has that hokie accent & those stupid 1950s sangs. I know this isn't a political website, but I really could see her putting women back another 30 years if she even visits the White House. The winking, the short skirts, yes she's great looking, but does that teach women that being great looking & a moron can get you anywhere with a sly wink? Maybe I'm just naive. Anyway, on with the music.

Bob Dylan comes out with the 8th in his series of Bootleg releases. This one being from 1989-2006. It has great tracks like the Alternate version of Most of the Time which you undoubtedly heard in High Fidelity. If you haven't seen High Fidelity yet, just kill yourself. Why have you gone your whole life and not witnessed perhaps the greatest break up movie of all time. It's hilarious, heartwarming has great music and John Cusack with Jack Black. Fucking brilliant. However, I digress, I have never been a huge post-Christian Bob Dylan fan. "Love Sick' is a great song, but much like when Johnny Cash did Nine Inch Nails' classic, "Hurt" he sounds like he's on death's doorstep.

Here's a Bootleg of our own here a Dylan song done live by one of my favorite groups, Uncle Tupelo. - Moonshiner

Bob Dylan - Lily, Rosemary & The Jack of Hearts

The Clash are one of the seminal punk rock/reggae groups to come from Britain ever & much like their former Britain invasion predecessors, the Beatles they played one of their best concerts at Shea Stadium. With 16 songs the Clash leave nothing to the imagination. The only problem I have is finding a live copy of the Clampdown, but rest assured it's out there & I will find it.

The Clash - The Clampdown

Catch it streaming here The Clash @ Shea.

Oasis (currently on tour with Ryan Adams) finally came out with an album that is one of their best in years. Oasis has been plagued by infighting and petty disputes since they made it big, but with age comes maturity & it seems as though the brothers Gallagher have reached the pinnacle of theirs. The new album, Dig Out Your Soul is a return to the days when Oasis wasn't trying to be a Beatles knock off band and really be relevant to the musical generation they inhabit. Noel Gallagher had some great comments about other artists and the upcoming tour in the Belfast Telegraph.

It's Not That Simple See, But Then Again It Just Might Be

Life is a crazy thing. A few months ago I was wallowing in my own self pity regarding a break up that I thought was my fault. Like I could've done anything to stop it. Now, I know that this is only partly true. I am no saint, but not quite the sinner that I make myself out to be. Once again my savior was music. In an earlier post I explained my new fascination with Bluegrass, moreover The Avett Brothers & how much I love their music. It speaks volumes to me. The easy beauty of a story within a song that speaks directly to one's soul.

I am an idealist. I like to see the best in people. I want to believe that love is possible, that life is not a constant struggle to fit in. I want to know that people are not entering something for ulterior motives, that if things don't work it's, because it wasn't a good fit and not because it's a one sided affair. When you feel so alone in life & feel that noone has ever felt your plight & then you realize that you are not alone that it has been put into song. The feelings that I felt are gone now, for good, but at the time it was soul crushing because I tried so hard, more than I probably should have, but it was a lesson & I'm glad I felt that pain. It taught me so much about human nature and people in general.

I listened to this song maybe a 100 times in a row and examined every single word. It's perfect. It's the best break-up song in history. It isn't sappy, it isn't overly emotional, it's just an examination into the psyche of what a person goes through after they feel like they've failed in something they gave their all to. Truly a thing of beauty that may help you as it helped me.

The Avett Brothers - I Would Be Sad

Hair Blowing in the Hot Wind Time Hanging From a Clothes Pin

Like I said previously I've been reinventing my musical tastes so that I may not be pigeonholed into being a certain genre lover and never liking anything else. Bluegrass, Indie & alt-country have been catching my fancy lately and here are a few of the phenomenal artists that you should discover.

If you haven't figured it out after 5+ albums the Avett Brothers are prolific to say the least. They have a bluegrass feel that isn't overpoweringly (made up word #100 on this site do a shot) country, but does have a twang to it. It's the lyrics that really mean something to me, being a writer of sorts (here is my horn watch as I toot it). They are beautiful, poignant & meaningful to anyone with half a brain. In, "Will You Return?" there is a Beatleeasque quality to their sound. They are not to be pigeonholed and being diverse is a quality that makes stars out of bands.

When I heard Bright Eyes lead singer, Conor Oberst, was gonna go out on his own at least for one album I was eager to see what direction he'd go. He went into the studio created a masterpiece. It is still relatively similar to a Bright Eyes album just a little more folky. He has a delightful voice that resonates with even the hardest hearts.

I've never been the type of music connoisseur that enjoys bands with kitsch names or bands that try to be overly clever but something about Backyard Tire Fire grabbed my attention. They have this front porch, moonshine quality about them that is just so engaging. It isn't corny or hokey it's just good. I wish there was a more descriptive way to put it, but it really the perfect word to describe BTF (we're tight now we use each others initials).

Finally, Blue Mountain is what you could call an Americana band. Formed in 1991 by husband and wife team Cary Hudson (Vocals & guitar) & Laurie Stirratt (bass & sister of John Stirratt from Wilco) in Mississippi. This is about as raw and folksy as it gets. This is not for everyone, but if you have any inclination towards bluegrass, country, folk or Americana then you will adore this band as I do.

The Avett Brothers - The Weight of Lies

The Avett Brothers - Will You Return

Conor Oberst - Sausalito

Backyard Tire Fire - Tom Petty (Live @ WEEEM 4-17-07)

Blue Mountain - Lakeside

Can you deny there's nothing greater than the traveling hands of time

Now that my days have cleared from the rigmarole of day bartending I will be writing more posting more and having more conversations about music with those of you who will be discovering this site since many have probably bailed since I haven't written much lately, could this be more of a run on sentence? There is a lot of great music coming from the Indie scene and the Alt-country scene which has been catching my attention for quite a while now. The next few posts will reintroduce myself, my style and the artists that are making a difference in my life right now.

I think I Kinda Dug Her But I Was Too Loose To Think

Anyone that knows me, knows that Bruce Springsteen is probably my favorite artist of all time. His voice resonates somewhere deep inside me. It's the essence of blue collar. My father would come home from a long day at work put the headphones and blast the Springsteen. Born to Run was his favorite album, but Nebraska to me is the quintessential Springsteen album. It speaks of the loss of innocence, the depths of depravity that the characters in his little tales have sunk to. It talks of Mid Western desolation, poverty, longing to better yourself & the effects of Reagan's trickle down economics which never seemed to trickle down far enough to help those that really needed it.

So many artists have covered Bruce it's hard to count & the album they usually cover is Nebraska. People say of Bob Dylan all the time he can't sing but his lyrics are amazing. Well, Bruce can sing and his lyrics are amazing as well. It's the ability to put himself in the situation he sings about and convey the feelings his characters are going through. Anyway here are some of my top 6 favorite Bruce songs, plus a few rarities. Spirit in the Night is my favorite here, back when his voice was still young and Clarence wailing in the background with that sax that penetrates the stillness. It's like laying on the grass around the fourth of July. The sun is just going down around 9 o'clock, a few of your friends are around, you're knocking back some cheap beer and Bruce is just singing Spirit in the Night on a small radio. There's nothing better.

Spirit in the Night

My Father's House

Thunder Road

Glory Days

The Klansman

Dancing in the Dark

I'm on Fire

Because the Night

We should have each other to tea, We should have each other with cream

My life has been a struggle with normalcy since my parents conceived me (probably in the back of an old Chevy). I am, however, starting to achieve some semblance of that with my writing which is coming along great (books, screenplays for porno flicks, articles, catchy t-shirt logos) & my personal life which is also doing well. I am feeling like the past year was a haze just reacquainting myself with this God forsaken city. Travis Bickle describes New York in Taxi Driver which I will now apply to L.A. thusly which seems to be about 30 years behind the New York curve, "All the animals come out at night...Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets."

Now, obviously this is a pseudo Noah reference & to be taken purely tongue in cheek for a complete psychopath on his road to redemption. What it doesn't point out, though, is that there are some quite beautiful things about cities to go along with the "scum". This is not even talking about the women who are phenomenal, but it's the perfect concrete jungle. The 'burbs are great but when one can find beauty in the man made city that is lined with palm trees then he has arrived. I have yet to lose my soul which is still completely intact for better or worse.

Randy Newman sang of L.A. the way Sinatra sang of New York & even the Dodgers are getting exciting. Not sure how long I'll be in this city, but rest assured I am enjoying it. There are horrible aspects to L.A. as well, but I've been feeling so amazing lately that I want to keep it positive. I also wanted to personally thank Johnny "Roastbeef" for the .20 tip tonight for "rooting against him" in the Dodger game tonight. I still say Mike Cameron trapped the damn ball, but whatever I get what I deserve...I hope that girl from Chicago calls you.

These songs are apropos of nothing just some great music that maybe you haven't heard and what I'm listening to right now. Luke Doucet's cover of the Cure's, "The Lovecats" is as my friend Lana says, phenomenal, but it sounds so much better when it's got a cool accent behind it.

Tear Stained Eye - Son Volt

Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson

The Seed - The Roots

Red, Red, Red, Red Wine - Ryan Adams

Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy

The Lovecats - Luke Doucet

The Story of The Sign

My mom sent this to me me and it is such a beautiful short film that I almost kicked myself for waiting a week to watch it, but as my mom says, 'Everything Happens For A Reason" and I know now why it took me so long to watch it. I know those of you who know me will know what I mean once you watch this film. Be not afraid of taking the time out of your day to watch this 3 minute short it's worth it.

HISTORIA DE UN LETRERO (THE STORY OF A SIGN)

Music is My Savior & I Was Named By Rock n' Roll

There's that time, that moment when you've faced some traumatic event in your life. Whatever it may be a death, a relationship ending, Matlock got canceled, anything it's been that point in your life when you curl up into a ball and decide do I shut down or do I push on? What has gotten me through times like this is music. Maya Angelou once said, "Music is my refuge. I can crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness." I feel the same way. It can be any kind of music that gets you through your crisis.

For me right now surviving my most recent crisis was a series of ebbs and flows. One day you're great the next you want to crawl into that ball and tune out & just sleep. You can't do that, though. So you muddle through your day hoping not to think about it. Hoping that you stay occupied enough to just forget for a while & it works for a bit, but you never completely forget. The only thing that helps is time, a good support system & the music that fits that mood (maybe a little booze helps too). It's been a trying few weeks for me, but it's taught me things I didn't know about myself. Things that will make me stronger, things that make you say, okay won't do that again or won't do it quite this way next time.

I've met some absolutely beautiful people recently who have brought a sense of enlightenment into my life that otherwise I would not have found & I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to have met these people and welcome them into my life. I'd like to say that I am cured but I don't think anyone with half a heart is really ever cured, you just learn to move on and cope. Life is about moving forward, looking back fondly and trying be as positive about the future without letting that negativity permeate through the wall of your soul to bring you down.

Maybe that makes me soft or weak, but I'd rather be weak and feel than be a cold, heartless carcass. Thinking back to 3 1/2 years ago when I was in a shithole relationship, damn near homeless, jobless & wondering what my next move would be to where I am today writing a successful blog, former writer/DJ at Live 105 in San Francisco & future writer for a national music magazine I think my life is pretty great. Here's some songs that make me feel again.

Oh My God Whatever, Etc. - Ryan Adams

How To Disappear Completely - Radiohead (Live in Berlin 2006)

God Damn Lonely Love - Drive-By Truckers

For You - Greg Kihn

Spirit In the Night - Bruce Springsteen (Live @ Main Point '75)

Tried so Hard - The Flying Burrito Brothers

Time - Hootie & the Blowfish -Say what you will about the relevance or cultural significance of a band named Hootie & The Blowfish I still maintain they're better than fucking Weezer.

Sunken Treasure - Jeff Tweedy (Solo & Acoustic)

Nobody Knows, Nobody Sees, Nobody Knows But Me

Some of my favorite songs in existence are essentially cover songs that were made better. There are songs that I have no idea where they came from but are hugely popular in the pantheon of cover songs. Songs like: Summertime & Long Black Veil are covered ad nauseum and usually w/ similar results, but there are others that make you kinda wonder what the fuck was he thinking? i.e., Rusty Cage by Johnny Cash. I am the biggest Johnny Cash fan, but this is not a good cover, not even close. He sounds close to death and you really miss that trademark Kim Thayil heavy guitar riff. I mean, it doesn't fall into the category of William Shatneresque, but it's bad. Anyway, here's a few songs that I really dig.

Ryan Adams - I Still Miss Someone - Johnny Cash Cover

Ryan Adams - Helpless - Neil Young Cover

Ted Leo - Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen Cover

Stereophonics - Best of you - Foo Fighters Cover

The Chieftains - Long Black Veil - Traditional

And They Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band Cover

Marah - Streets of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen Cover

Mundy - Galway Girl - Steve Earle Cover

Pete Yorn - Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen Cover

John Mayer - Message in a Bottle - Police Cover

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll - Bob Dylan Cover

Eulogy for a friend

Those of you who know me know that, on weekends, I'm a bartender at a little restaurant in Hollywood. It has a regular cast of characters that are loyal to the fiber of this place that is so out of place in the hustle and bustle of this soul sucking town. One of those people was 35 year old Thomas Fox Jr., T.J. to those who knew him best. T.J. died in his home yesterday of yet to be undetermined causes. T.J. was a generous man who took care of the people in his life that meant something to him. He was a good natured individual with a fun loving spirit & intelligence that exuded his larger than life persona. T.J. was not perfect none of us are, but his positives drastically outweighed any negative in his life. This is not the proper eulogy he deserves because I am not the person who knew him best, but I will eulogize him in the way that I know how, with music. Good bye, T.J. Fox, you will be missed.

My Sweet Lord - George Harrison

Atlantis - Donovan

Cross Roads - Bone Thugs & Harmony

July, July! - The Decemberists

Reelin' in the Years - Steely Dan

Sweet & Tender Hooligan - The Smiths

Taking a Break

...to clear my head. Some personal things going on & i just haven't felt like writing. Fret not though music fans. Come the first of July, assuming my new place has internet that can be stolen (fingers crossed) then I will be writing much more again.