Buddy

I heard on the radio last night that drummer Buddy Miles died earlier this week.

I went home and put on the Ramsey Lewis version of Buddy's song "Them Changes," which he performed with Hendrix in "Band of Gypsys." I also found a nice tribute to Buddy Miles on the Funky16Corners site. They'd already posted a couple of tunes, with a nice vinyl crackle still intact.

Have a nice weekend/long live Buddy.

Fat Tuesday with Wee Snuff

I actually got to see one of the shows last year where these guys played out jazz on tiny instruments. This clip features:

Mark Southerland - Stritch
Josh Adams - jr drums
Johnny Hammil - 1/8 bass
Ashley Miller - piicolophone/mic

Thursday Tracks: Two-Dollar Shoe Archive

I got an e-mail the other day from Clamp asking about a "Two-Dollar Shoe" track I posted here a few months ago. He was looking to update the archive of the group that he played in along with a half-dozen or more talented bluegrass musicians based in Lawrence, Kansas. Fortunately I found the CD, and despite it being coated in scratches, it still played. Even more fortunately, this selected archive is available for all to see and hear. A chronological tracklist and a bunch of photos are available here, which is a real treat for everyone who remembers seeing them play and also those who never got the chance. I got to see a couple of these guys over the break and am happy to report that they're still playing music. You can hear some of Charlie's songs here and Adam's here.

The above picture was taken by Kinser, who has been posting a lot of great photos from Poland. Like this one below.

Thursday Trax: Ree-Yees/Enormous Confusion

I'm thrilled to present these three videos Jon Allen shot and edited of the Ree-Yees show at the P House in Galesburg last month.

As I might have told you, the show itself was an incredibly visceral experience. Being in that room with the planets whooshing by while dancing around the DC-15 Clone Blasters firing all around us was like being in the belly of a living organism, the drums a blissfully sinister heartbeat, the pedals and microphones squalling jubilant death throes from the three-eyed drums/noise/visuals monster that is the Ree-Yees experience. You have to see it to believe, but these clips will put you as close to being there as you can be get without actually being there.

The first video features James Wetzel on drums and Eric Ratzel on effects, and Eric takes over on drums for the next two videos. Make sure to watch the second video in its entirety to see why it's called "Happy Birthday." The last few minutes contain an interesting diversion from the set before the duo take over with a renewed fury. The sound is just what was captured with the built-in camera microphone, so the drums/noise balance is off at times, but it gives you a good idea how loud it was.

I recommend clicking on these videos twice to watch them in YouTube, where you can view them full screen and without that annoying YouTube logo in the corner.





Also, make sure to visit www.youtube.com/user/enormousconfusion to see some other videos of Jon's, including the one he recently shot for Miles Bonny's "Yes I do" and "Looking," a humorous 10-minute film that provided me with a pleasant but eerie trip down memory lane via the Watson Library stacks.

Take care, and more about the overwhelmingly positive visit to Africa once I get some Internet back at the house and can post some photos. Postcards are being written and mailed as we speak, so don't worry, I didn't forget y'all.

Love,

LW

Two Can Win

Tonight is a big night for The Fairer Sex. After months of recording and mixing at both Sweat Lodge and Black Lodge studios, the Lawrence group will be playing a CD release show at the Eighth Street Taproom. Their new album, "Two Can Win," is out now on the Ionik Recordings Label and features some great tunes, mostly written by frontman Zack Hart, and a few written by brother Deez. You can hear a couple FS tracks on the Ionik Records Web site and a couple more at lawrence.com. I'd also like to take the liberty of leaking my personal favorite track by Zack, "Tattoo." If you listen closely to the last 30 seconds or so, you can hear Andrew Connor make an appearance on guitar and me strum a bit of background banjo.

My other songwriting sibling, Laura Wetzel, is doing well with her debut album, which is available on iTunes. If you'd like to get some great songs and help pay for a kid's college in the process, check it out. To hear a few tunes and read a bit more about her album, you can read this from a few weeks ago.

My other new favorite songwriter is Suzannah Johannes, who debuted by winning last year's KJHK-sponsored Farmer's Ball. One night last month I was driving up to Lawrence to see her show, and as usual I was listening to a compilation of various garage and folk recordings from the sixties. I started to feel a bit guilty that so much of what I listen to is from decades past, and that I haven't been able to get as excited about the music that's going on around me.

Suzannah's show -- an opening slot for Holly Golightly at the Jackpot Saloon -- made me forget that concern completely. She started out playing a few solo songs and was eventually joined by Ghosty's David and Josh on keyboards and drums. The crowd was almost as shy as she was at first, but as the set went on she seemed to gain confidence. I was deeply impressed by her songs, and I think everyone around me was, too. You can hear a few of them here, and more excitingly, you can see her play in Lawrence this Friday, also at the Taproom.

On a completely different note, I'd like to offer a sneak preview of the chaos and cacophony that the Galesburg, Illinois art/noise duo ReeYees plans to bring to the Midwest. They don't have any proper recordings at the moment (thanks to some equipment-plundering hobo who broke into their house) but a few tracks and one short video offer flashes of what could very well turn out to be the most enjoyably obnoxious and delightfully dissonant duo outside of Fort Thunder (RIP). Here's the video, but I warn you -- and I mean it -- this is not for sensitive eardrums.

Birdos last call


This next video I'd like to link to could not be more different than the last. It features the brilliant and refined Elliot P. playing a Bach prelude on classical guitar. I think it was recorded at his senior recital at KU, but it also might be footage from last year's Bacharusa. Either way, it's great and he's got a few enchanting electric tunes you can listen to here.

Bach: Cello Suite No 3 Prelude


Thanks for tuning in, and more from me at the end of the week.

Brothers in Radio

Last Thursday I revisited the KJHK shack for the first time since my last radio show in July 2004.

It was great to be at the old shack, which is -- somewhat miraculously -- still standing. I mostly hung out outside, sitting on that blue plastic chair that always has some rainwater on the seat and listening to the broadcast on the small outdoor speaker.

DJ Tom K was also kind enough to let me contribute a few tunes to his show, a hodgepodge of psych, folk, krautrock and other good stuff, like this tune from D.R. Hooker. I snuck in a few songs like this one by Wimple Winch called "Lollipop Minds." Pretty vacuous stuff lyrically, but with a delightfully playful melody.

Tom's excellent program, "Fractal Ephemera," runs Thursday evenings at 8 on KJHK. Tom is also a fearsome Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly player, and his intense will to win has earned him the nickname "Monopolean" in local board-gaming circles.

It was fun to sneak back on the airwaves, and it made me think of all my good friends from KJ who have ventured on to various DJ projects across the globe...

Sam Hopkins aka DJ Balagan

Sam went on from being the World Music Director at KJHK to spinning records in locations from Baltimore to Brooklyn to the clubs of Tel-Aviv. He's got a new international mix called "Funny Accent" that I got to preview when he was in town. It's an hourlong mix full of great beats, unfamiliar instruments and voice samples of languages I can't begin to discern. One description of the Balagan sound, from the Baltimore CityPaper:

"Balagan creates mixes and tracks from samples and first-hand elements, borrowing styles into a musical pastiche that makes the foot tap while the brow furrows. International elements figure prominently, as the diverse melodies of field recordings mingle with modern beats to represent the United Nations of soul."

To hear some of Sam's beats, find the link to recent mixes and read some of his music writing, you can start at his myspace page and go from there. You can read about some of his travels and global investment advice at www.orbusinvestor.com.

Andrew Giessel

This is my friend Andrew Giessel. Most people just call him "Giessel." Recently Giessel got a tattoo of a sprouting wheat plant on his arm. His interests include fixed-gear bicycles and anything related to dendrites. He's a smart kid. Harvard smart. Giessel had a long-running show on KJ and these days he can be found DJing occasional sets at the Enormous Room in Cambridge. To stream some of his recent playlists, visit Giessel.com. Giessel, by the way, is also the person who set up this blog for me a few years ago.

Robert Wells

Robert Wells is one of my original Brothers in Radio. I used to stay up all the way to midnight (I know...can you believe it?) to listen to his show, the arrival of which could be signaled by the acapella melodies of Beach Boys' "Our Prayer." These days Robert does double duty in Ann Arbor and Detroit, spinning rare soul 45s under the "Ann Arbor Soul Club" banner.

News of Rob's Ann Arbor activities and a few sample cuts can be found here, or heard on the radio Wednesdays 11pm-1am on 88.3 wcbn fm Ann Arbor. If you don't live in the area, you can stream the show at www.wcbn.org.

(Oh, and Rob...you've still got to hook me up with one of those mix CDs. Pretty please.)

Jay Wells

Robert's brother and my radio show co-host back in the day, Jay is responsible for events such as The Parlance and Your Parents Got Breakbeats. More recently I've heard rumors of something called "Maximum Tight."

After a stint in Brooklyn and a couple of gigs back in his hometowns, Jay is currently spinning records in Chicago. Jay's introduced me to more great bands than just about anyone, and his infectious enthusiasm for Larry Coryell eventually drove me to travel all the way to Amsterdam to see the guitarist play.

Jay is pictured here on the right. On the left is DJ Cyrus, another KJ alum who finished out his career at the station by doing a 5-day straight broadcast -- eating in the studio, taking cat naps during long saxophone solos, doing whatever it took to complete the longest consecutive broadcast by any one DJ in that station's history. (I'm pretty sure)

Miles Bonny

An old friend of mine and one of the most prolific and likeable beat producers Kansas City has ever known. One half of hip-hop duo SoundsGood, Miles can be found DJing clubs around town, spinning R&B alternating Fridays at Spitfire and alternating Saturdays at his "FeelSexy" event at Bobby's Hangout.

His album "Smell Smoke" is available on iTunes now, and a new release called "Closer Love" will be out soon. You can hear some of Miles' music here and keep up on his many involvements in and updates about soul, r&b and hip-hop events/releases in KC. Or as he calls it, Cans Ass City.

SUPERWOLF

Not a personal friend of mine, though the records he plays are the kinds you fall in love with upon first listen. The Pitch did a good write-up of him here. He spins every Friday night at Chez's, which believe it or not used to be a pretty quiet place on weekends. It's more crowded and smokier now, but the sweet sounds are worth it.

I'll be adding links to these guys' (and a bunch of other peoples') music sites on the sidebar soon, so keep them in mind when you need some new beats in your life. Also, if you or someone you know got left off this list in error, drop me a line. Thanx.

Photo credits
Sam: modularmoods.com
Giessel: ghostdad
Rob: Pattay
Jay: Jennifer Brothers
Miles: also by Jenn
Superwolf: Anna-Marie Perry

Thursday Tracks: Laura Wetzel

In the last post, I mentioned my own involvement with our high school's "bunch of bands" competition, which my siblings and I performed in a combined 8 times over the last decade. The most recent Wetzel to join this list is 17-year-old Laura. She's been playing piano and guitar for a while, but it was only about 6 months ago when she started churning out some amazing little tunes that she'd written herself. David helped her record and mix the tracks over the last couple of months, and the end result is a gem of an 8-song EP that you can find on the iTunes store if you just type in Laura Wetzel.

I've already e-mailed some of you about this, but today I thought I'd post a few of the tunes so that you can hear them in their entirety. Just click on the song title and wait a moment for it to play. These songs include...

1. The Old Days: This is one of the first tunes she wrote and a family favorite.

2. Tahoe Love: She recorded this only a few weeks ago in a closet at the leadership camp she went to this summer at Lake Tahoe. They wound up using it as the background music for the slideshow at the end of the week.

3. Time Will Tell: This more subdued number is one of my personal favorites. It's got a nice calming feel and David contributes some organ playing as well.

Once again, if you'd like to hear more, either look on the iTunes store or drop me a line and I can get you a copy. Or if you've got some music of your own you'd like to share or have me post a link to in the sidebar, feel free to do that as well. Especially if you play the bagpipes. Stay tunes and thanks for reading.

Bugles in the Afternoon

This picture is not of my place, but my mental landscape right now probably bears a resemblance. Full of hubcaps, crime scene tape, keyboards, parachutes, pumpkin lanterns and colorful plastic detritus. I'll probably go to the art museum this evening (Nelson is open until 9 Tues,Thurs,Fri,Sat) in hopes that the impressionist exhibit smoothes things back over.

Today is Thursday, the day I usually post a couple of songs. The first one of today's pair is something that came on my car stereo courtesy of an unlabeled CD-R mix I pulled out of the glove compartment on Saturday. As I drove around and listened to it, I thought about the song's composer, Lee Hazlewood, and how he likely wouldn't be around for much longer. I found out a few days later that Lee had passed away that very day. That song is called "We All Make The Flowers Grow."

I'm not going to post any lengthy tributes to Hazlewood, as I only know so much about the guy and I'm sure the Web is awash with them at this point. Instead I'll just include another song he wrote that Nancy Sinatra sang on. It's called "Sundown, Sundown."

Finally, here's a little party pic send-off for my friends Zach and Ben who are both moving away from Lawrence. We used to play music together, from Canterbury House cookouts to late-night hootenannies. On the night this photo was taken, Ben and Zach had just finished pouring water on each other, and Zach also ate a cicada.

I'll miss them both.

thursday tracks and photo retrospective

Above is a picture Jennifer took of our porch at Warwickshire. It's three stories up and covered in trees. At night I'll sit out there, sip summer brew and listen to music for hours. If you'd like to hear some of the music I've been playing lately, you can drop by the the lukebox. And if you're not familiar with this so-called perpetual mixtape, this post from a few weeks back will explain its origins and how to download these tracks in iTunes.

Now I know most of you visit this site to read my long-winded rants and to see the latest photos from miss brothers, but today I'm going to post a few photos of my own, part of a recent flickr set culled from past trips to Berlin, Barcelona, Dubuque, New York, Lawrence, Hamburg and down the street. Here goes, with a wee bit of haiku accompaniment:


Kermit and Peanut
at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market
discussing their lives


aboard the Twilight
The ancient deckhand stares down
the Mississippi


sticker removal
my sunburst telecaster
with a tiny star


swimming skeleton
Berlin's famous decadence
has caught up to him


Eppendorfer Park
Till woke up to discover
he'd aged sixty years


Laura makes a mess
covering the counter in
chocolate syrup swirls


At my uncle's ranch
I trail behind the horses
on the four wheeler


she used to live in
the Valentine neighborhood
but she moved away


trees hills ruins trees
we've got everything you need
to build dead cities

If you'd like to see more pictures, you can go to my flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/lukasfotos to see the rest of the 40 or so pics from the past 2 years that I just put up. Or check out this digital pinhole set by Tara Sloan. It's pretty cool, as you can see below. Thanks for reading and have a splendid day.

Ghosty as Zombies

It's the end of June, the perfect Time Of The Season for another Ghosty tribute night. This time they are the 60s British group, The Zombies. I'm all but Goin' Out Of My Head with excitement for Friday night's performance at the Taproom, which will feature openers The Jake Blanton band. I strongly recommend you come out and see these guys play. They Are Friends Of Mine. They Are Friends of Mine. And they've got something that's so hard to find.

See you Friday. And if you've got other plans, I Don't Want To Know.

photo courtesy of The Zombies. Top photo by Jenn and Dave.

German Jazz Funeral

The open book market in Bonn had some interesting books, including an old collection of blues tunes and spirituals translated by Guenter Grass himself (unless it's a different guy by the same name). Accompanying the lyrics and music are stained-glass resembling illustrations of John Brown, Louie Armstrong, a buffalo hunt and other scenes from jazz history and the American West. I've learned a few of these songs in translation, such as this version of "When The Saints Go Marching In." Eventually it would be fun to do this with a full jazz band, but for now it's just voice and guitar. Look for a fully electrified, punk-rock version of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (Komm herab, suesse Kusche) in the near future. For now, here's this.

never too young to rock

Wakarusa Fest has come and gone, though many colorful buskers and drifter-types will tarry on in Larrytown indefinitely. And why not? There's a nice downtown, a river and flavored ice of many colors available at Tad's Tropical Snow (on the NW corner of Ninth & Iowa Streets). Yes, a carefree festivalgoer in this part of the world has much to be happy about.

Myself, however... I still get out to shows, but I don't always feel the same enthusiasm as the kids. Still, the nice thing about taking a chance on catching a band live is that once in a while something will blow you away, sometimes when (and where) you least expect it.

Last Sunday evening, while driving north on New York Street, I saw a group of adults standing in a front yard, smiling and facing the house as if it were a stage. I didn't see anyone on the porch, though. Until I got closer.

There were indeed someones on the porch, which had been transformed into a stage by four young children playing a full-out rock show, complete with keyboard, drums and an electric guitar with a mini-amplifier. I had no choice but to pull over and watch.

When I walked up, the parents and neighbors welcomed me, but warned that I might become a captive audience. Their warnings arrived too late. I was already fascinated as I watched a song with a solid rhythm and actual melody break down into youthful rebellion.

The song I walked up to was apparently to be their last, but as shouts of "encore" rang out from the crowd, the lead singer/guitarist, a boy with long blond hair and a Superman t-shirt, picked his guitar up, hesitated for a moment, and yelled "They want one more? We'll give 'em one more!"

The crowd didn't just want an instrumental, though. They shouted for a boy named Henry to sing. When Henry -- who must have been about 5 -- screamed his disapproval, his parents only encouraged him further, shouting "Just like that!" Henry, however, was not having it, and he responded by swinging his microphone (which was either a toy or a plastic gardening tool) at his bandmates.

The drummer had barely struck up a beat on the makeshift floor toms when Henry's mic stand came down on his left hand, knocking out one of his drumsticks. The drummer, a kind of Keith Moon for the very young, retrieved it with his left hand while fending Henry off with his right foot.

Inspired by this outburst, the guitarist/singer shouted "I know! We'll call this song The Fight!" and then launched into a fast-paced riff.

The keyboardist, the only female member of the group, played on as if unaware of the chaos her bandmates were caught up in. She played melodic -- at times almost atonal -- lines that recalled the keyboards on "Sister Ray," and both her capable playing and distinguished posture held the band together nicely.

The rhythm section soon brought the encore to a shambolic halt, which was met by passionate applause and whistling from the crowd. The band members may have been short in stature, but this was punk rock on a grand scale.

As I walked away and bid farewell to the parents who had welcomed me, I marveled at what a fun set it had been. Even if I'd only seen one song, it might have been the best show I've ever been to.

(the above photo was not taken at this show, but is from the set Jenn took for the Only Children's feature on Spin.com)

A Perpetual Mixtape

As budding library scientist BWB once famously stated, "Everybody's DJing a Podcast somewhere, Wetzel." Meaning that, just because you put somebody's songs up on the net, that doesn't autmatically make you "cool beans."

Nonetheless, when you hear music you really like, you want to share it. And if you've ever been a DJ of any kind, disseminating tunes can become almost a compulsion.

This is the story of the lukebox, a perpetual mixtape that I just uploaded a bunch of songs to today. This custom-made jukebox requires no quarters, just clicks of the mouse. You'll find a nice variety of artists represented, including the Dutch group pictured above. Enjoy.

UPDATE: You can now listen to thelukebox in iTunes. Just go to www.thelukebox.libsyn.com and find the orange RSS feed icon in the lower left sidebar. Drag that icon into your iTunes podcast folder and it should come up with an arrow that leads to all the songs I've posted so far. They'll start out in grey, but all you have to do is click "get" and wait a few moments to hear the song you select. Perfect for those of you who are at work and want to sample a variety of songs and artists.

tunes for walpurgisnacht

It's Walpurgisnacht, and what better way to celebrate than with some Black Sabbath, Andrew Hill, The High Strung and even a personal favorite by Friedrich Chopin. Have a nice holiday and a big shout out to all of you atop the Brocken.







BLOG SABBATH


A month or so ago Mr. Coates posted a comment lauding the awesomeness of the Black Sabbath song, "A National Acrobaut." Later that day, I dug my first guitar out of my parents' basement and joined brother James for an impromptu performance of that same tune. It was amazing how easily it came back to me. It's also amazing just how much Black Sabbath you hear these days in coffee shops and bars like the Replay Lounge in Lawrence.

As absent as Sabbath has been from my playlist the past few years, that original fondness for it never goes away. Ever since my friend Peter gave me the "Paranoid" album for my ice-skating/basketball-themed 7th grade birthday party, I've been a big fan. I liked how their song "War Pigs" was paired with the instrumental freak out, "Luke's Wall." I liked the Halloweeny cover art of the first album, and I marveled at what a fine sample "The Wizard" made for Cypress Hill's, "When The Shit Goes Down" (You Better Be Ready).

Most bizarre regarding Black Sabbath was the appearance of frontman Ozzy Osbourne at Bush's White House correspondent's dinner a few years ago, where the President hailed Osbourne for making such recordings as "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," "Face in Hell," and "Bloodbath in Paradise." Now I'm not the biggest Ozzy enthusiast out there, but these don't seem like the obvious songs to praise him for. Probably some rock consultant-speechwriter is to blame for the selection, but what would be even weirder is if those songs were really the president's personal favorites.

Regardless, the video I am here to present today is a fine one. I was going to include it last month to mark the 4-year anniversary of the Iraq War, but it's no less relevant (unfortunately) or enjoyable a month later. Regardless of how you feel about the war, it's hard to protest the pentatonic scale.

THE HIGH STRUNG


Last Monday we saw the High Strung carry on their Library Tour on the rooftop patio of the downtown Kansas City Library. There were snacks, including brownies, chex mix, coffee and apple juice. The crowd ranged from little tykes to grandparents.

The High Strung is a great band with good songs and a sweet color scheme. What's even more exciting to me is how they're inspiring kids to go out and do something cool, too.

After their regular set, the band brought the audience together to write a song on the spot. A library volunteer passed out books, instructing everyone to pick one line from each book that would then be used to make up the lyrics to an entirely spontaneous song. Percussion instruments were handed out to young and old before the song's performance, and a teenage girl from the crowd joined in on lead vocals.

To hear more about them, listen to this story about them on "This American Life" or check out their Web site. And thanks to the High Strung for letting me sing along on an impromptu cover of Pink Floyd's "The Gnome." That was so very kind of them.

DINU, FREE OF SORROW


If someone asked me my state of mind last week I would have had to play them a Polish Mazurka. Recent rainy days have whisked me back to my wanderings along the Eppendorfer Moor, a time when my iPod all but got stuck on a particular version of Chopin's Mazurka in A-minor Opera 17, Number 4. I've since listened to 30 second samples of 37 recordings of this song, but have not yet been able to identify who performs this specific version. The closest recordings I can find in tone and sound quality are those by the Romanian pianist Dinu Lipatti, who was regarded by his contemporaries as "the manifestation of the spiritual world, immune from all pain and sorrow." Listen to his version of a different Mazurka, and perhaps you'll feel the same way, at least for 3 minutes and 44 seconds.

POINT OF DEPARTURE


Virtuoso jazz pianist and composer Andrew Hill died this past week. I'll remember him for "Passing Ships," his 1968 recording that was not released on any format until 2003, but mostly for a night a year later when BWB and I stayed up and listened to no less than five of his albums in a row. For those of you interested in a similar experience, I've uploaded "Passing Ships" to rapidshare to give you a jump start. You'll need a winrar extractor, which you can find online for free.

LAST AND LEAST...

Today I dreamed that Nirvana released a censored version of "Rape Me," only the title and lyrics were changed to "Rape Seed." If Kurt were around now, at age 40, he might get a kick out of that!

spring and all

Spring is here, and that calls for some new music, haiku, photos, anecdotes and updates about some of the tumultuous events sweeping the region.

The end of March was a catacylsmic time for people on either side of State Line. The week opened with this story about two men in Kansas City who drove around in an ice cream truck shooting at people. My fellow blogger Mabel and I thought this would be the ice cream pun-prone story that would catapault us to blogging superstardom, but after mentally running through all the requisite David Lee Roth, "I scream/you scream/we all scream for ice cream" and "Pop Goes The Weasel" jokes, we realized that, geez, guys with guns driving around in an ice cream van is actually sort of terrifying. But please don't let that stop you from chiming in with any jokes of your own.

On Wednesday night I thought I saw someone cruising through the QuikTrip parking lot on a wheelchair built of spare parts from my stolen bicycle, but my eyes were playing tricks on me.

In perhaps the strangest local news story I have read all week, government biologists have been trying to eliminate the feral pig problem by flying over Clinton Lake and gunning the disease-spreading animals down from their helicopter. So far this year, a statewide total of 257 hogs were killed by air and 75 were trapped and killed. If you thought the police presence was bad for Wakarusa Fest, put yourself in these animals' shoes. At the end of the news story, which also features a video, a man who lives near the lake mentions that there is still one 500-pound boar on the loose.

"Most of these are ugly as sin but somehow I'd say this has gotten to be kind of a pretty one," he said.

No matter how disruptive these boars may be to the area, the aerial swineicide taking place in my home state has inspired me to head out to Clinton to hold a special vigil. This will take place next weekend at the half-submerged picnic table just downhill from the outlook point, and will probably consist of some banjo-strumming, frisbee-tossing, and maybe the ceremonial lighting of a stundenbrenner.

Today's last tribute to the piggies comes to us in the form of a song by a renowned British pop group. No, it's not off the White Album, it's the Suede single Where The Pigs Don't Fly from their b-side collection, Sci-Fi Lullabies. It's sort of a spaced-out Brit-pop answer to "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." And if you listen to the lyrics closely, you'll find a reference to a stolen ice cream van.

Born to Adagio

On a cultural note, Jennifer and I went to the Kansas City Symphony last weekend for a performance of Mahler's Fifth. The performance, conducted by Isaac Stern's son Michael, was even more splendid than we expected. It's always a thrill to watch the musicians play, especially one of the first violinists, who was great with child. After Jennifer pointed this out to me, I said "Wouldn't it be neat if the lady gave birth in the middle of the performance -- and not just that -- what if the baby was born with a Suzuki violin in its hand and arrived just in time to play along with the Rondo Finale (in D major)?" I, of course, was greatly amused with this hypothetical scenario, but Jennifer found it distasteful, and in the end we both agreed it was unlikely.

Big Star, even Bigger Toad

Just because I have a keen appreciation for high culture, I don't want you all to think I've given up on the rock and roll. In fact, if you show up in a few hours to the Eight Street Taproom, you might catch me headbanging and playing harp along with the great pop-rock outfit Ghosty, who is doing a Big Star tribute tonight. If you can't go then, go see them play as themselves tomorrow at the Record Bar. And if you happen to work for a major label, you should sign them up and send them to Australia, where the World's Largest Toad has requested they perform as part of his "Check Me Out I'm A Frog The Size of a Dog" festival this summer.

Songs for Spring

In honor of the recent equinox and the official arrival of spring, here are a few songs to sweep you sweetly into a spring fever.

-- Spring Is Here by Dave Longstreth of the Dirty Projectors
-- The Seasons Reverse, by Gastr del Sol, which was Jim O'Rourke and David Grubbs. The other favorite tune on this 1998 album, Camoufleur, is the last one, Bauchredner
-- If you like Jim O'Rourke's fingerstyle playing, you'll certainly appreciate John Fahey's "When The Springtime Comes Again," a lovely instrumental number from his 1963 album, "Death Chants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes."
-- Finally, no rainy season would be complete without at least one listen from the Marmalade classic, "I See The Rain," which even Jimi himself greatly enjoyed.

Hoops sorrow, and the heroic scooter scramble of Tim and Stepp

Oh, yes. In my spirited embrace of spring, I don't want to pretend last Saturday's b-ball heartbreak didn't happen. I watched the game in Lawrence, and the atmosphere following the elite eight loss could probably best be described as volatile. People were ready to party, and although they didn't feel like it anymore, they still decided to drink. My brothers Peter, David, Jenny (bros), Jacob and Sam Stepp decided to seek comfort and food at Rudy's Pizza, where we cashed-in the Wetzel discount for some Guiness and Beef-and-Sausage slices. The effect was an immediate rise to our spirits, and we convinced our friend Tim to drive his scooter up and down Mass. Street with Stepp sitting on the back, proudly waving his giant new KU flag. It was heroic, and inspiring, kind of like the end of Braveheart.

Speaking of heroic endings, I'm going to sign off now with some nice little Haikus for yous

spring is the season
when I'm hit by a monsoon
with waves of haiku

Vernal equinox
vestal virgins balance eggs
on their countertops

out in the country
hidden highways one can find
only by lightning

a secret clubhouse
like something from a children's
paperback novel

swinging singing chains
the green fuse is drunk-driving
Dylan's golden age

the moon is waxing
blooming dogwoods thought patterns
brightly develop

Elliot asks us
Is April the cruellest month?
maybe for Jesus

she went far away
she went to be with the whales
summer, she returns

Apollinaire says
springtime causes unfaithul
lovers to wander

The Jayhawks wonder
how long must March Madness last?
wait another year

Thursday tracks: Here Come The Hawks, White Flight, feral camels and more

Hawk It To 'Em
Welcome to a special late-breaking edition of Thursday tracks, which will be enhanced with a couple of quick news items. Our first song is an explosive and especially timely number called "Hawk It To 'Em," brought to us courtesy of international journalist/DJ extraordinaire, Sam Hopkins. Sam found this 45 and did a write-up of it for Wax Poetics. This highly limited release by The Tips (backed by Gary Jackson and the Soul Messengers) was recorded to commemorate KU's 1969 Rose Bowl appearance, which they lost as a result of having too many men on the field. Thanks to Balagan for this fine find, which fans of soul music and KU athletics will delight in hearing. Here Come the Hawks, Y'all...!


Dirty Projectors
Monday night I went to the Record Bar to see one of my favorite groups of the past few years, The Dirty Projectors. I first heard the song "Lay Down Restless Bones" on my friend Andrew's annual mix CD. This beautiful, stirring and primitive tune from lead Projector Dave Longstreth's solo album led me to other songs such as this one called "Winter Is Here." Monday's performance by the band was excellent, if a bit short. Dave's caterwauling vocals and left-handed strat were backed up by two young women on bass/vocals and guitar/vocals, as well as a drummer of Deerhoovian ability. I bought a couple of EPs of theirs on vinyl, and they were kind enough to throw in the New Attidudes CD as well, which features this track.

I Could Never Fight A Cat Like That
Last but not least of today's musical offerings is this video from "White Flight." Not only am I a big fan of the White Flight record (more of which can be heard on www.rangeliferecords.com), this video was filmed at my girlfriend's house a month before she moved in. In fact, the scene when the guy meets the cat and decides to rescue it from the white hipster kids (one of whom appears to be Richie Tenenbaum) is filmed in her room. So if somebody asked me today, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" I would have to answer: "In the purple-blacklit den of the cosmic kittie, of course."

A quick note about the White Flight record: Fuck what Pitchforkmedia says, it's a damn interesting listen. And while I'm on that subject of Pitchfork, I'd like to send out a friendly "fuck you" to those self-appointed arbiters of taste. I was going to write up an angry response to the White Flight review, but my feelings on the matter are best summed up in a quote from Kansas City DJ/Oxblood Records founder Robert Moore, who said this in an article last year in Lawrence.com:

“I could give a damn...they’re like nerds with attitudes. Who the hell gives them the power to make or break a record? The public has given them the power which just shows how a bunch of sheep are out there... Naah, Pitchfork is a bunch of shit.”

Now I'm not going to pretend I haven't enjoyed reading Pitchfork at times, or that I haven't been clued in to some good releases there. Pitchfork writers, including a friend or two of mine, are generally genuine fans of music who are able to digest and write about a staggering amount of bands every month. But when it comes to number ratings and evaluations of whether an album is valid or not, I don't trust them any more than I'd trust any asshole from Chicago.

Non music-related news:

Good question, postcard. The answer: not me. A severe drought in Australia has led to attacks on villages and aborigines by feral camels. Although the brunt of their attacks have been borne by inanimate objects such as toilets and air conditioners, their frequency and ferocity have led to calls by the government for a culling (a softer word for "killing") of feral camels, which there are over a million of in the country. At least one news story I read reported that camel hunters have been assigned to kill no less than 100 camels each week. So if any of you don't have spring break plans and really need an opportunity to satisfy your bloodlust, this could be a real opportunity for you.

Finally, here's a foto of me descending the banks of the Kaw to check out a sunken automobile I found there while chasing an errant frisbee toss yesterday. It is thought that the car might be a rusted-out Studebaker that was pushed into the river somewhere near Manhattan by my car-collecting ancestors, but I'm not for sure.


Photo, as usual, by Jenny.

thursday tracks: song for aretha (and more)

There is a woman
Who brings...ahh, yes
Love and laughter
whenever she sings
to the people
standing beneath her
yes...
she gives strength to the weak
whenever
WHENEVER
she speaks
and her name
her name
her NAME
is Aretha
Aretha
ARETHA!

--from Bernard "Pretty" Purdie's "Song for Aretha," taken from his album "Soul Is...Pretty Purdie." To visit an online groove workshop and learn how to play the Purdie Shuffle from the man himself, check out this video tutorial.


As an alternative track of the week, try out Santo & Johnny's version of "Summertime." I listened to this on my headphones while walking by the new addition to the Nelson, which as usual looked fantastic at night. An appropriate tune for the setting, as the Bloch Building opens this summer. June 9, to be exact.

Finally, I posted about 10 new songs on the lukebox today. Click on the "direct download" link for each song and you should be able to stream them. Have a good Thursday and enjoy the tracks.

thursday tracks: Joplin Rap!

Last month Joplin Globe columnist and friend Jeremiah Tucker issued a challenge for readers to write a rap about Joplin, Missouri. Even though I'm not from there, I've spent a lot of time there with Jennifer and her family, so I had enough good experiences (mostly restuarant visits) to draw on for some quality rhymes.

The rap itself focuses on places to eat in J-town, and also draws attention to some notable regional landmarks like George Washington Carver's birthplace, the tri-state mineral museum, the skatepark and Eccentrix, the used record/book/movie store. I might type up the lyrics and post them in the comments section, but they should be pretty easy to understand.

Jeremiah praised the rap's quality and said it would have been a lock for first, but unfortunately we were a week late. So no prize, and no glory, even though he says he'll post it in the paper's online edition. Still, recording the J-town rap was a fun experience. I got to work with up-and-coming producer/brother David at sweatlodge studios (Dave produced the backing track, lifting a bit from the People Under the Stairs' "San Francisco Knights"). Plus, it refreshed my respect for hip-hop. Not that I didn't respect it a lot before, but trying to record a rap of my own really makes me appreciate those who do it well.

Without any further ado, here's the JopCity Rap. Hope you like it.

thursday tracks: valentunes

These should be working again now, but if not, let me know and I'll hire these bands to play your birthday party. Though that might be kind of tricky since some of them are dead.

Yesterday I was recalling the Valentine's Day a few years ago when Jacob kept playing the Palace Brothers song "Valentine's Day" on his radio show as an introductory tune before he announced what songs he was going to play next. I thought maybe I would provide a link to that tune and add a few others while I was at it. So I did.

Unfortunately, I didn't wind up having enough time to post this love mix yesterday. But love, after all, should not be confined to one calendar day, so just take these tracks as an incentive to keep those loving feelings (including regret, wistfulness and sadness as well as exuberance) flowing all year round.

There are a lot of songs out there about love. This is by no means an authoritative list. Just a bunch of favorites that happened to be on my iTunes yesterday. Enjoy!

I Remember When I Loved Her by The Zombies
It's always best to start Love-themed mixes off on a regretful note.

And I Love Her performed by the Wailers
The Wailers did a hell of a pop number in their early days.

Love You So by King Khan and BBQ Show
From the band whose concert here in October was maybe the best show I saw all year.

Love by Virgin Sleep
This was on somebody's psych mix. It got stuck in my head so bad that I thought I was going to have to buy a sitar to strum it away.

You Don't Love Me Yet by Roky Erickson
For all of you at Kief's.

First Girl I Loved by The Incredible String Band
The Incredible String Band were from Scotland. This is among their most wistful and tragic of numbers. "Well I never slept with you/But we must have made love a thousand times/We we were just young/And we didn't have no place to go." Heartbreaking -- even more so because it's about a redhead.

I Was Made To Love Her performed by Jimi Hendrix
An instrumental with all the fire of Stevie's original.

Sure Know How To Love Me by Darondo
From my favorite album reissued last year. Not a bad song on it.

When Love Comes
by Susan Christie
Another reissue I found at the Love Garden. The whole album is lovely.

Does Anybody Love You? by Todd Rundgren
Who knew the album with the world's ugliest cover could yield so many catchy tunes?

No One's Gonna Love You by Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators
(At least not as much)

I Found A New Love by Magic Sam
The obligatory blues number. They didn't call him Magic for nothing.

Prove Your Love by Fleetwood Mac
Jay put this on a mix for me last Winter. At the time I thought he included it because it's such a good song, but now I realize he might have been trying to tell me something. Jay -- I'm sorry. Please allow me to prove my love by buying you a welcome-back greek salad at the mediterranean restuarant of your choice.

"When I Die" by Motherlode
I'm breaking the "love has to be in the title" rule for this tune because the chorus has an extended "I love you" in it, and also because it's a sadly appropriate number for the man whose music I found this in. This was on a collection of songs J Dilla sampled for his "Donuts" album. Dilla -- also known as Jay Dee -- died February 10, 2006, just a few days after "Donuts" came out. This bittersweet number reflects the excitement I felt upon first hearing J Dilla's music recently, and the sadness at learning the man passed away at such a young age.

Must Have Been Something I Loved by Lee Hazlewood
I'll give Lee the last word on the subject for now. This is from his 1970 breakup album, "Requieum for an almost lady." I love the humor contained in the title. It's like he's saying, "Must have been something I ate." Only it's actually something he loved.


above photo by jennifer brothers, taken in christiania. top photo taken by LW across the street from rheinallee 37-43.

Cold Hard Times

The song I'd like to present to you today is one I've had in my head a lot during this recent spell of super-cold weather. It's called "Cold Hard Times," and it's by by Lee Hazlewood, a man who has been profiled recently by the NY Times and allmusic.com. By most reports, Lee isn't long for this world, but his unique, funny and diverse output of music will long live after him. As a bonus, here's a more humorous track by Lee called "Six Feet of Chain" that is probably my favorite song about sibling rivalry yet. Enjoy.