Alby's Latest Posts
Song of the Day 12/3: Robbie Robertson and Van Morrison, “I Hear You Paint Houses”
Martin Scorsese’s new film “The Irishman” has sent the book it’s based on, Delaware prosecutor-turned-author Charlie Brandt’s Frank Sheeran confessional “I Heard You Paint Houses,” to the top of the New York Times bestseller list 15 years after its initial publication. As with most Scorsese movies, Robbie Robertson produced the soundtrack, which includes a couple […]
A Serious Question
And one you’ll never get corporate-humping journalists to ask corporate-humping Democrats: Why are proposals from Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders called “unrealistic” when the favorite centrist candidate, punch-drunk Joe Biden, is basing his campaign on the oh-so-realistic claim that Republicans will have an epiphany? That’s a fuck-ton less realistic than the idea that we can […]
Song of the Day 12/2: The Who, “All This Music Must Fade”
Pete Townshend of the Who sat for a fascinating interview in yesterday’s New York Times magazine in which he looks back on his career, the history of rock and what it all meant. He just released a novel, “The Age of Anxiety,” and he’s also promoting a new Who album, released in September, which kicks […]
Song of the Day 12/1: Tom Jones w/ Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, “Long Time Gone”
How weird was America in 1969? This weird: Welsh singer Tom Jones not only had a TV show, “This Is Tom Jones,” he invited all manner of counter-culture artists on the show to perform with him. Crosby, Stills and Nash had just added Neil Young to their lineup that summer, allowing Stills and Young to […]
Biden to Tour Iowa on Malarkey-Free Bus
No, that’s not a fake photo. Joe Biden is setting off on an 8-day bus tour of Iowa, and he’s doing it in a bus that’s either the cat’s pajamas or the bee’s knees, depending on which segment of his target audience you’re in. The unveiling of this gas guzzler was met with howls of […]
Song of the Day 11/30: Hiss Golden Messenger, “Saturday’s Song”
Hiss Golden Messenger — singer-songwriter M.C. Taylor, guitarist Scott Hirsch and lots of guest musicians who change from album to album — have been turning out beautifully crafted Southern folk-rock (or Americana if you prefer) for a decade now without really breaking through. It’s not for lack of trying — Taylor has released 11 albums […]
Song of the Day 11/28: Ray Davies, “Thanksgiving Day”
Ray Davies released this song on an eponymous 2005 EP. As is his custom, the bright, shiny melody covers some pretty dark lyrical territory. “It’s all over, the American way,” might have sounded like a lament about the Bush administration then, but these days it sounds downright prescient.
Song of the Day 11/27: The Skillet Lickers, “Turkey in the Straw”
Not to be confused with that Sarah Palin YouTube hit, “Turkey in the Processor,” this 1926 recording is one of the earliest of this 19th-century American folk tune, which derived from an even older Irish ballad. The Skillet Lickers were mostly Georgians with day jobs, led by Gid Tanner, and their music was old-time even […]
The Knives Are Still Out for Bernie
We hear more fretting about Elizabeth Warren* from establishment types, but make no mistake, Bernie Sanders is the person corporate-loving Democrats most fear and loathe. Politico provides two examples today. First, in Ryan Lizza’s worth-a-read feature about the shadow Barack Obama casts over the Democratic primary field, he includes the nugget that Obama stood ready […]
Song of the Day 11/26: Eddie and the Hot Rods, “Do Anything You Wanna Do”
Eddie and the Hot Rods were one of the English “pub rock” bands that led directly to punk rock — in fact, the term was first used in a review of the band’s energetic live act. This 1977 track was the band’s high point. Though it received no airplay in the U.S., it reached No. […]
Song of the Day 11/25: AC/DC, “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”
The theme song for the Republican ratfucking brigade. This tune goes back to the Bon Scott days, a reminder that Brian Johnson could take his place but couldn’t really replace him. It was recorded and released in 1976 in Australia and the U.K., but not until 1981 in the States, a year after Scott’s death. […]
Song of the Day 11/24: Patty Griffin, “Heavenly Day”
This Patty Griffin song appeared on her standout 2007 LP “Children Running Through,” honored as the year’s top Americana album. Griffin, who burst on the scene with 1996’s “Living With Ghosts” after being discovered in Boston coffee houses, says this is the first love song she ever wrote, and she wrote it for her dog […]
Song of the Day 11/23: Randy Rainbow, “He’s Just a Gurl Who’ll Quid Pro Quo”
Randy Rainbow has been watching the impeachment hearings, and he’s come to the same conclusion the rest of us have, only more fabulously.
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