The Other Side of Summer

I would like to write a song about how I could fulfill an adolescent dream by seeing the Police and Elvis Costello play the Hollywood Bowl this Spring (yes, together), but that the performers and the dream are not what they once were, and the $600 tag was not in the dream. True, I could pay $54 to sit in section X2, but I know from experience that not even binoculars help much in that situation. I suppose if I really believed, I would have gotten up early on Sunday morning and stood in some line somewhere, simultaneously redialing the box office. I did not do that. I think I am afraid that I would get there and discover that the audience looks like me, rather than all the cool kids we were when there was a Police, and Andy Summers looks like my principal.

But, I can’t write a song about it right now, because I am mostly grown up and don’t have time for it this afternoon. I will just have to rely on your lyrical imagination, and, in the latter matter, my likelihood to win a radio contest.

Oh, Roxanne. Oh, Alison. I’m not angry. Truth hits everybody.

The Police: Message in a Bottle

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Study: US Is Still Alarmingly Christian

According to the LA Times. (I’m sure they’ll let you look at it if you just give them a junk e-mail). Or, straight from the horse’s mouth. On the other hand, the religious landscape is changing. And by religious, I don’t just mean denominations of Christianity. Neither do most Americans.

Here was Rich Mouw, my evangelical soundbite provider of preference:

“The presumption of a Protestant framework for understanding the American character is now a thing of the past,” said Richard J. Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena.

“We are an increasingly pluralistic society, and we Protestants now have to think much about how we can contribute to the common good as simply just one more voice in the American choir.”

Apparently, despite all the growing affection of evangelicals and postmods for smells’n’bells, the Roman Catholic church lost more adherents than any other group. But, not to worry, immigration may make up some losses there. What is it they say – illegal immigrants are willing to perform the liturgies that other Americans are unwilling to do?

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More warm. Less fuzzy.

All you folkies and other softies can come out. It’s safe now.

CJ turned me on to Andy Gullahorn a few weeks ago, and I picked up his new record, Reinventing the Wheel. Andy wasn’t making as much noise as I was looking for at the time, but I could tell I was coming back. I’ve been repeat playing “Holy Ground” for a couple of days, a story of discovering sacred space, and “More of a Man,” a meditation on finding freedom in dependence, is working a salve into my daily soundtrack. Gullahorn writes every song with David Wilcox’s sweet tooth, and plays each like it was a hymn. Reinventing is a great recording, putting Gullahorn’s vocals and guitar work up front, with nearly no unnecessary additives beyond that. But he’s unpretentious: see that album title.

My favorite Patty Griffin album is Living with Ghosts, my favorite Scott Miller Are You With Me. . . I love these stripped-down records where the songs and the voices are unobstructed.

A little googling and tubing the web, and I discovered he previously wrote for his wife Jill Phillips, of whom I was already a fan. There are a series of videos from a Christmas concert at the Ryman featuring the couple, Andrew Peterson, Pierce Pettis, Wilcox, and others. I’d’ve loved to’ve seen that.

You can hear “Holy Ground” on his MySpace page. It’s worth the three to five minutes during whatever else you were doing.

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Man vs. machine

One of the young’un’s V’tines cards, which he enjoyed for what it contained rather than what it brought to my mind, stated in the declarative and not the imperative:

“Punch-out cars for Valentine’s Day!”

I’ve had years where that sounded about right.

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Werewolf Tuesday

Yawn.

[Smack smack smack.]

Oh, look – this is fun.

Vampire Weekend – A-Punk

Update: After getting a search engine hit for “werewolf tuesday,” I discovered that my ridiculous play on “Vampire Weekend” is a name either being used by or is a joke from similar minds in a band from Nashville. My apologies for distracting those looking for not me but them instead.

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I don’t know why you’re still sittin’ down

Elder Baab and the Madison Bumblebees made an appearance at the Grammy’s this year, and I loved it.

Elder Baab & the Madison Bumble Bees of Winnsboro

Besides Vince Gill receiving his Grammy from presenter Ringo Starr and saying, “I just got an award from a Beatle. Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?” the Madison Bumblebees were my favorite part of the night.

One of my top musical experiences of all time was seeing a trombone band play at Tipitina‘s in New Orleans. I hope I can get hold of more of this stuff soon.

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Barbara Ann

If you haven’t already seen will.i.am & co.’s contribution to the campaign to get Obama another Grammy, you might still think this parody is pretty hilarious.

HT Andi.

(I’m capnwatsisname, and I did not just endorse a candidate for President of the United States.)

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Juuuust right.

So, among my 40 songs for 10 bucks this month, I added Ladyhawk to the anticipated Liam Finn and The Whigs picks. And, I have to say, The Whigs hit the spot. Finn, the “gentle rocker,” has some great melodies and harmonies, but is sometimes looping everything back into itself, and gets a bit droney. But it’s a good album. Ladyhawk (2006 self-titled) has some fantastic driving crunch and wail, but occasionally leans a bit on the angstier-than-thou side. Really, though, I was so glad to find them. The Whigs’ Mission Control is packed with good loud crashing fuzzy drawling rock songs. Rock SONGS. I ate the whole bowl.

The Whigs on David Letterman

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Now playing

1) Sweetpea brought the Youtube ukelele girl to my attention last week, and I really must insist that you check her out. If you develop a crush, you might enjoy her song about Myspace and 200 subscriber tribute montage.

3) Added to my list of things I want to hear more of by the end of this week (besides Liam Finn’s I’ll Be Lightning): The Whigs, Mission Control, and El Ten Eleven. Oh, look, here they are now:

El Ten Eleven – Hot Cakes

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Government of, by, and after these messages

I have not seen much blogging or heard much casual conversation about the “Bradley Effect” and the Obama candidacy. Maybe we don’t want to talk about it, but it may be an important conversation, especially after hearing that Obama did especially well last week in caucusing states. I would love to see this turn out to not be true, but it resonates with my experience in SoCal. I have also noticed that human beings like to be identified with admirable causes but do not always like to be inconvenienced with discomfort, sacrifice, and people different than themselves.

Ron Paul reaffirmed today that he will not run as a third-party candidate. On the one hand, not to worry: “In the meantime, onward and upward! The neocons, the warmongers, the socialists, the advocates of inflation will be hearing much from you and me.” On the other, I was a little disappointed by his lack of showing in the primaries, given so much grassroots rumbling and his amazing out-fundraising-McCain-nearly-only-through-the-internet hat trick. He was fun. For me.

But mostly I’m disappointed that, once again, it appears the nation lacks the imagination to put Average Joe Schriner in the oval office. Sigh.

Oh well.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Gil Scott Heron

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