Lennon sings lead vocals on this one so I am posting it under the rubric of The Year of John Lennon--the world can't end in 2012 for this reason!
The title is intriguing. We are all full of health, wealth, and happiness. According to the human potential movement, we just have to get in touch with our original nature. Hmmm...
I tend to agree with Lennon on this. While I don't think that reports of "overpopulation" began as a propaganda scare or a tactic to distract us from real concerns such as stupid, unjust wars and oppression--as Lennon is suggesting--I do feel that we have not been thinking clearly on this subject. If 50,000 people in a square mile enjoy amicable relations, their needs are met, and they are having a minimal impact on their environment, I would not say that the area is necessarily overpopulated. But if only 5 people are living in a square mile and they are enemies, have difficulty meeting their needs, and are trashing the environment, then I think we are looking at overpopulation. Granted, I have not studied this subject thoroughly, but you get my drift.
The Slow Club from SXSW. This is a nice performance of a SC song we haven't heard, so please, in the future, KickKickSnareTV and all other YouTube channels that show music, do not interrupt the song for a snippet of an interview.
Stereogum has a cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain's duet with Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval "Sometimes Always" by M. Ward and Feist. Okay, first of all, very cool. Second of all, why didn't anyone tell me about the original when it happened in the 90's? I was all about Jesus & Mary Chain. Well, I liked them anyway. Saw them at Lollapalooza '92. They played second, after Lush and before Pearl Jam. I also dug that one Mazzy Star tune.
I had no idea that this song had such a rich history to it. Such a powerful melody. I was only familiar with The Buckinghams' version, but this is obviously far better.
Whispertown's new EP Parallel is now available. Here's the spellbinding video for the song "Isn't There More," which was filmed on iPhones and looks like it, but in a good way.
Rush Limbaugh uses an instrumental version of "My City Was Gone" for the theme music of his inane radio show. But Chrissie Hynde would rather that Limbaugh, I am sure, not use her song. They do not share the same values.
This is a very awkward performance. Elliott Smith went to the Oscars in 1998, fourteen years ago today, and played "Miss Misery" which had been nominated for best song. Smith initially turned down the invitation, changing his mind only after producers told him the song would be played by someone else if he didn't show up. It's hard to tell if Smith's performance is measured or simply off, but he didn't seem himself in this performance. After the fact, Smith had this to say (from Wikipedia):
That's exactly what it was, surreal... I enjoy performing almost as
much as I enjoy making up songs in the first place. But the Oscars was a
very strange show, where the set was only one song cut down to less
than two minutes, and the audience was a lot of people who didn't come
to hear me play. I wouldn't want to live in that world, but it was fun
to walk around on the moon for a day.
In his appearance on Conan this week, comedian Dana Gould hit on all of the themes in our header except for politics. I especially like his riff on The Beatles at the end of this clip.
I sometimes listen to right-wing extremists while working in the kitchen. Yesterday, Limbaugh went on a rant against vegetarians--a group that he conflates with liberals--claiming they have no sense of humor. Apparently only conservative carnivores have a sense of humor, and get this--a guy that called into the show says that vegetarians and vegans are hard to talk to. I'm not saying that simply by being a carnivore you are in step with Limbaugh, but if you actually argue against vegetarianism...well, then you would be, wouldn't you? Just saying.
Political Wire's short article on the continuing saga of Seamus the dog was too much for me to resist this morning. And a reader left a perspicacious comment that I am sure you will all enjoy. Here it is--
It's about time someone prominent publicized the Canadian Getaway. But I still maintain that Anne Romney has gotten a free ride in all of this. Why didn't she put her foot down? And you wonder what is going on in that household if none of them thought that this was cruel. On the other hand, using it as a backdrop for a political cartoon does trivialize what Mitt and the Missus did. They should be prosecuted for animal cruelty and they should do time. And they should be made to drive a Rambler for the rest of their lives. Both of them. The kids should be made to do community service for depraved indifference.
Rufus Thomas has the definitive perspective on this issue, so let's hear from him. Somebody Stole My Dog by Rufus Thomas on Grooveshark
Here's a report on last Wednesday night's show in Austin that featured Van Etten along with KTWS favorites Kimbra and The Alabama Shakes.
Sharon Van Etten's upcoming tour dates via Stereogum.
03/23 – Portland, OR @ The Aladdin Theater
03/24 – Vancounver, Canada @ The Biltmore Cabaret
03/25 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theater
03/27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ State Room
Do you have a screenplay, a novel, a book, a painting or sculpture, or even a love affair that you want to abandon because it doesn't seem to be going anywhere? Well, maybe it isn't. But listen to this early, rough version of "Strawberry Fields". If Lennon had given up on it, the entire world would have been cheated out of some really great music. Do you get my drift?
The Shins showed up on The Late Show on the day their new album Port of Morrow was released. I concur with Tom over at Stereogumwho writes, "I swear that one is like a top-five Shins song at this point; I never get sick of hearing it."
Just saw their set at Trophy's in Austin, TX at SXSW, and they are fantastic live band. The rest of the bands on that show are still streaming here, while supplies last.
This song is definitely a swipe at Paul, but later on John said he was really dissatisfied with himself and took it out on his old partner. The entire album--which is excellent--is filled with references that we have outgrown, such as straights, short-hairs, "jump when your Mama tells you anything", etc. Lennon started wearing his hair short and became a feminist.
The great Tammi Terrell died 42 years ago today at the tender age of 24. Her illness and death so troubled Marvin Gaye that he left the public eye for four years before returning with What's Going On.
Venus and Jupiter are in conjunction right now. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere look to the south-west in the early evening after sunset. This conjunction comes once a year, but this year's is much closer than usual. It is spectacular, and considered very auspicious by astrologers.
When I heard that the Shins had an entirely new line up fpr their up coming album Port of Morrow, with all Shins except head Shin James Mercer departing, I thought it was sad that such a great band couldn't maintain it's continuity and that the sound of the band would likely change. I didn't expect to actually like the new version of the band better than the old one. Sorry ex-Shins, the new Shins has quickly elevated the band from one I respected and enjoyed to one of my very favorites. Perhaps in my top ten.
This clip is from their appearance this weekend on Saturday Night Live and I keep playing it over and over. It's a monster of a tune, nuanced, but by no means simple (YANP has both performances from the show).
I do not mess with that stuff. By the grace of Goddess, I have never in this life been attracted to opiates. Perhaps I have earned this disposition from a previous life...
Jones's new album drops May 1st; it's a collaboration with Danger Mouse. Should be great, though this first song is a bit of a drop off from the work the two did on Rome.
Today is the avirbhava--the "appearance day" or birthday celebration--of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who appeared in Navadvipa, Sridhama Mayapura, Bengal, India, in 1486.
One of the problems with the countless YouTube clips that feature a performer playing an instrument and singing directly into the camera is the ability for the performer to rise above the crass act of YouTubing and actually give a riveting performance to an audience that is not yet there and may well not be coming. In this clip, Geri X does an excellent job of performing for a YT clip with the same intensity one would bring to the studio or the stage.
On the first day of junior year of high school, 1990, my first period Philosophy teacher asked us to stand for a moment of silence for death of Stevie Ray Vaughn, which had happened the day before. Then he played us "Little Wing," on a cassette player. At the time I didn't know who Vaughn was, but in retrospect, that was one of the more memorable moments of my very forgettable high school experience.
Hat tip to my friend David, who shared this video today on his Facebook page.
In this song, Lennon suggests that an open mind is a good thing. Lennon believed in karma and reincarnation, and his religious views could be best defined as socially engaged Buddhism, but that's only an approximation. Lennon remained a seeker to the end.
Fallon's current theme week--honoring Bruce Springsteen--has been excellent, especially this performance by Elvis Costello joined by The Roots. This pairing deserves an album and a tour.
You will want to see this at 3.13, where the Beatles walk their famous walk across the street in front of the Abbey Road studio. When the little girl hands Harrison his guitar, well, it's simply priceless.
I have to hand to the Shins management team, they are doing a magnificent job of getting me excited about the upcoming Port of Morrow album.This is the second new video from the album and they are two for two.
Charlene Soraia will play three shows in the US in March.
I do not know the title of this song because it was not on the YouTube page and I can't find it anywhere else. If you know the title of this song please let me know in the comments section so I can edit this post.