tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34454817905114002242024-02-19T01:01:29.636-05:00History Lesson Pt. 2Pondering the audio input in my life. Suggested for mature readers.Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.comBlogger550125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-7683304987678241742023-06-09T00:00:00.001-04:002023-06-09T00:00:00.154-04:00Fat Friday Feature: The Violent Femmes' Brian Ritchie On "Please Do Not Go"<p><i>The "Fat Friday Feature" is all about the bass - a great bass part that deserves more attention. Today, it's Brian Ritchie's playing on the Violent Femmes' "Please Do Not Go".</i></p><p>Because my son works 30 minutes from home and doesn't yet have his driver's license, I've been driving a lot this summer. I've actually been digging it - roll down the windows, put on some tunes, feel the summer, you know? I've been using <a href="https://www.pandora.com/" target="_blank">Pandora </a>to stream music on the off chance that it turns up something new or, even better, something amazing that I've long since forgotten about. And Pandora came through big time on the "forgotten tunes" tip when the Violent Femmes' "Please Do Not Go" came through the car speakers. I'm pretty sure I hadn't heard that song since before I was in college. Let's just say that was a long ass time ago.</p><p>The Violent Femmes, for me, continue to be a very unique group. They are an essentially acoustic trio with funky influences, quirky tunes, and a lead vocalist (in Gordan Gano) that has the least sexy voice in popular music. Yet, they just fucking <b><i><u>work</u></i></b>, man. No one has replicated their formula; I'm not sure anyone has even tried. I think a large part of why they work is Brian Ritchie's tone and his playing. The large, resonant sound of his <a href="https://reverb.com/item/29631188-ernie-ball-earthwood-bass-natural-1970s-80s" target="_blank">Earthwood </a>bass and his alternately driving and bouncy bass lines are yet another reason the Violent Femmes have an unforgettable sound. And this particular song not only has a bass solo, but a <i>good</i> bass solo - t<a href="https://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2018/09/sonic-confessional-bass-solos-suck.html?q=bass+solo" target="_blank">his coming from a guy that doesn't really like bass solos</a>. It takes a simple, hacky reggae chord progression and makes it interesting. The minimalist approach to this tune makes the bass rightly stand out. Dig it.</p><p><br /></p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CZd0GJYKwzY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-53460249253249848962023-04-13T11:49:00.001-04:002023-04-13T11:49:47.800-04:00Sold Out Gold: The Long Ryders For Miller Lite<p>When I was a freshman in high school, Saturday Night Live had a pretty funny skit called "<a href="https://archive.org/details/saturday-night-live-s-12-e-17-john-larroquette-timbuk-3" target="_blank">Sold Out Gold</a>" that highlighted the use of 60s rock music to move product and advance the cause of capitalism. I probably couldn't've articulated it at the time, but the reason I found it so amusing was that it offered a sort of critique of baby boomers: everything is a commodity, your heroes will sell out if the price is right, and the more things changed the more they stayed the same. It was hilarious to watch these songs be recontextualized (loved the Doors "GE" song) and rendered ridiculous. </p><p>For the record, I enjoyed very much the cultural trappings of the 1960s - the art, the music, the movies, the poetry, the idealism. (Still do.) But as the 60s idealism gave way to the meat hook realities of the 70s, things had to change. Punk offered a musical course correction, one that was met with head shaking and finger wagging from the same folks who earned the ire from button down, conservative square society of the 50s. I'm sure I can keep raging on about this, but that's a topic for a different blog entry. The point is any boomer who complained about punk (or rap, which was also emerging at this time) was a fucking hypocrite in my eyes.</p><p>Fast forward to 1984: with the release and colossal success of Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The USA", record labels scrambled to capitalize on the sort of nuvo-Americana that that album represented. (John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, anyone?) LA had a burgeoning Americana scene, led by bands like Green on Red and the Blasters. Among this mélange of earnest roots rockers was the Long Ryders. I heard their song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVty-T-V4w4" target="_blank">10-5-60</a>" on a mix tape from my older brother and loooovvvveeeeeddddd it. To me, songs like "10-5-60" bridged punk and roots rock. Like punk, it was simple and super charged, but cleaner sounding and more melodic/"hooky" than most punk. I thought it was fantastic, but the local record store (shout out to A1 Records & Tapes!) never carried anything by the Long Ryders. Aside from that one lone song on a mix tape, the Long Ryders' music seemed to elude me.</p><p>Then one night I saw this on TV:</p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B5E4WtBtTks" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Oh, the rush of seeing an underground band on mainstream TV! Oh, the dismay of seeing them shilling for a major corporation! My favorite part was when one of them says "we're trying to make music with integrity" with what I assume is a straight face. To be honest, I don't really care if they did a tour sponsored by Miller Beer. A musician's got to get paid! And that commercial (presumably) boosted their profile considerably. But the whole commercial is cashing in on a moment, a movement, a mood. Corporations don't give a shit about the integrity of your music, they care about the bottom line. My point is that if I took the Long Ryders seriously before this commercial, I sure as hell didn't afterward. You sold out, Long Ryders. Own it. Any street cred you had is gone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here I go again, not really making my point. I guess the point is, as the Who sang, "meet the new boss/same as the old boss". And the ancillary point is while corporations should be applauded when they appear to make a stand for justice, make no mistake: it will never about about justice. It'll always - <a href="https://boingboing.net/2023/04/13/besides-bud-light-what-else-is-fratty.html" target="_blank">always </a>- be about money.</div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-58711472481052426312023-03-17T00:00:00.004-04:002023-03-17T00:00:00.167-04:00Fat Friday Feature: Mike Vesceglia On Suzanne Vega's "Left Of Center"The "Fat Friday Feature" is a semi-regular entry that showcases an exceptional bass player/bass part. Today, it's Mike Vesceglia's playing on this live version of Suzanne Vega's "Left of Center".<div><br /></div><div>I've always been a Suzanne Vega fan. She's a helluva songwriter, and it doesn't hurt that she works with great bass players like <a href="https://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2012/09/fat-friday-feature-double-shot-bruce.html?q=bruce+thomas" target="_blank">Bruce Thomas</a>. "<a href="https://youtu.be/9YIBmZjONtA" target="_blank">Left of Center</a>" was Vega's first tune to get radio play, and this unique version - featuring only bass and vocals - is a killer interpretation of it. Mike Vesceglia's (another killer bass player) playing shows a great intimacy with chords, and this stripped down version brings out Vega's beautiful, distinct voice as well as her lyrics.</div>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ukcpgcpBdgM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-83091500650720136442023-02-17T00:00:00.001-05:002023-02-17T00:00:00.171-05:00Fat Friday Feature: Khruangbin's Laura Lee Ochoa On "One To Remember"<p><i>The Fat Friday Feature is a semi-regular entry that occurs on Fridays and features an outstanding bass player/bass part.</i></p><p>It was hard to come up with a good song to feature from Laura Lee Ochoa (stage name: Leezy). More accurately, there's so much of her playing that I like that it was hard to narrow down which one to showcase. I'm still dipping my toes into the Khruangbin discography, and there really hasn't been anything that was less than good. I guess I chose "One To Remember" because I'm feeling it today: it's wet and overcast here - basically just gross - and I'm feeling kinda down. The overall dub feel of this tune makes me wish I was high as fuck, bobbing my head with a stupid grin on my face. Instead, I'm sober and sitting up at my laptop, and it's still transporting me to a better place. </p><p>I love Leezy's sparse playing and round tone on this one. The bass line gets kind of slinky at points; but never, ever showy. As I tend to go in for hot shit, hot rod bassists, this is sort of an anomaly for me to be feeling this bass line so. I've been reading up on her a bit, and another refreshing thing about her is she's not a gear head (like me and most of my ilk). She plays a <a href="http://www.sx-guitar.com/index.php/Products/categories/pid/25" target="_blank">gorgeous (but cheap) bass</a>, uses a preamp and either one of two amps she takes on the road. That's it. Otherwise, she just plays, perfectly complimenting Mark Speer's Middle Eastern-influence guitar and DJ Johnson's funk/hip hop influenced drumming. </p><p>Anyways, dig on it.</p><p><br /></p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bav93GXIJA8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-76176658759765633962023-02-02T09:50:00.007-05:002023-02-02T09:50:58.592-05:00You Belong To The Street<p> The 1997 film "Boogie Nights" was rightly awarded a number of accolades upon its release, including three Academy Award nominations. There are a lot of things to like about the movie - great dialogue, strong performances from an amazing cast, great costuming, etc - but I want to showcase one of my favorite scenes; a scene that is equal parts brilliant and underrated, a scene that I couldn't help but think of while waiting in line at the pharmacy for a prescription.</p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eYAAbbuEpnw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div>There's so much to like here that I'll just list it:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The costuming is completely period correct, from John C. Reilly's perm and headband to Marky Mark's parted-in-the-middle-feathered-on-both-sides haircut.</li><li>"Do you think the bass is taking away from the vocals?" Like a lot of bass players, I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about bass being an afterthought behind pretty much everything else. I definitely had a chuckle about that.</li><li>I love that John C. Reilly actually played the guitar for the scene.</li><li>Marky Mark's pitchy singing and extemporaneous singing (the off-time "Yeah!" on "You Got The Touch" is a brilliant, uh, touch.) is so bad it's good.</li><li>The entitlement of the characters and the resigned and/or bored engineer give the scene a nice bit of chemistry.</li></ul><div>This is all well and good, but what does this have to do with me standing in line at CVS? Like a ghost clad in an <a href="https://www.80sfashion.org/miami-vice-suits/" target="_blank">aqua blue tee and linen suit</a>, Glenn Frey's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TToLgW7zuc" target="_blank">You Belong To The City</a>" came on the store speakers, shitty sax riff and all. I know there's no accounting for taste - we all have guilty pleasure songs - and I'm not here to gatekeep. I happen to think it's a horrible song that sounds suspiciously like Dire Straits' "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7ZM4mjgrFw" target="_blank">Your Latest Trick</a>" (although they appear to have been released at about the same time). Both tunes channel some goofy crime noir vibe, but what makes "You Belong To The City" so hilariously bad are the lyrics. Like a lot of 80s tunes, it sounds like it was written by a damn chat bot. The lyrics are 100% meaningless, strung together and fashioned into a successful cash grab. Glenn Frey has masterfully told us nothing about anything in this song. It is a song drenched in melted Velveeta and covered with <a href="https://static01.nyt.com/images/2012/06/03/magazine/03wmt/mag-03WMT-t_CA0-superJumbo.jpg" target="_blank">Kraft Singles</a>. It's blandness places it perfectly in that era, where pop songs were manufactured more than crafted. Edges were worn smooth by saxophone solos, synthesizers, and cheap sentiment. There's a human tendency to remember things through rose tinted filters, but it's important to acknowledge how the overwhelming body of pop music was anemic and brittle, but great for a record label's short term gains. I say "short term" because I think this was the first time I'd heard "You Belong To The City" since the year it was released (1985). I think I can confidently say this song doesn't get a lot of rotation anymore. Pharmacies and doctors' waiting rooms are were songs go to die, so the ambiance was perfect for that song: less gritty and "street" and more sterile and geriatric.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I also recalled while standing in line that my childhood friend Dan used to change lyrics to just about every song on the radio. When "You Belong To The City" came on the radio, he used to sing "you belong to the city/you belong to the street/you belong to the night/you're a man of whole wheat". I think that's head and shoulders better than the <a href="https://genius.com/Glenn-frey-you-belong-to-the-city-lyrics" target="_blank">actual lyrics</a>. It's shame that "you're a man of enriched white bread" doesn't work. That'd be even better, and frankly more inspired than the actual song.</div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-77974023236211254742023-01-23T15:11:00.006-05:002023-01-23T15:11:56.457-05:00Gig Report: Throwback Thursday At The Sycamore Saloon<p>I haven't told you about Throwback Thursday yet. It's a relatively new development in my life. Throwback Thursday is me, Kevin Reynolds (guitars, vocals, lap steel), and Richard "Doc" Malone (harmonica, vocals). We cover mostly old blues tunes with a few originals scattered in for variety; we've been playing together since about last August. </p><p>This past Saturday I had my first gig with T.T. at <a href="https://www.harmonytreeresorts.com/" target="_blank">Harmony Tree Resort</a> in Brown County, Indiana. We were scheduled to play at the <a href="https://www.harmonytreeresorts.com/events" target="_blank">Sycamore Saloon</a> and since none of us had ever been there before, we had no idea what to expect. I rode with Kevin, and as we topped the big hill that the resort is on, we were pleasantly surprised to see a full parking lot. Inside, the restaurant was buzzing with activity. Every table was full and there was a line waiting for open tables. Near the front, there was a dance floor and a spacious stage; a man sitting next to the PA played covers on an acoustic guitar. Kevin and I were there quite early, so we spoke to a bartender about where to put our gear while we waited to set up. Lo and behold, there was a green room for the artists. That's pretty much unheard of at any venue I've ever played at. </p><p>We unloaded Kevin's car and put our stuff in the green room. A nice person from the wait staff brought us drinks; I was feeling pretty pampered even though I only asked for water. Doc showed up and Kevin distributed our set lists to us. We talked through any outstanding questions we had about the three sets we were going to play, and we waited for our turn to set up. </p><p>When we took the stage around 8 PM, the place was still full. The crowd we thought was a dinner rush that would dwindle down by the time we hit the stage never did dissipate. We launched into our set, starting off with "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VAbrnjdtYw" target="_blank">Deep River Blues</a>". My old Kay upright was mic'd, which means I have to stay on the microphone (since it was in a stand); there's not a lot of movement allowed. This isn't ideal for several reasons, not the least of which it makes me more prone to feedback and extraneous noise. I was, however, helped immensely by the natural resonance of the hollow wooden stage. For the most part, I could hear my bass in the mix without having to strain too much. The definition of our overall sound was a bit tricky. To me, the band sound was a bit muddled and cavernous. But it wasn't so bad that we couldn't make it through. Next time, we'll spend more time tweaking our sound. I think we felt pressure to not torture diners with dialing in our sound via a tedious soundcheck. </p><p>We dove into what would be three sets of about 45-60 mins apiece. The place was loud with patrons trying to talk over us, but we didn't mind. There was definitely some foot tapping and head bobbing going on; I saw several folks taking photos/movies with their cell phones (always a good sign). The place was so crowded that if even a third of the diners were paying attention, that's a good thing. </p><p>All and all, I'm pretty pleased with my performance. As usual, there were some missed notes and minor flubs, but it's not likely anyone noticed. Anytime I had to sing harmonies/leads, I think I did pretty well. I stayed on the mic (though it was a bit low) and I stayed on pitch. It was grueling in a good way - my hands were killing me by the end of the night, but it gave me the same satisfaction a long bike ride or run gives me. I felt worked over, but happy.</p><p>When we finished, I treated myself to an <a href="https://www.angelsenvy.com/us/en/" target="_blank">Angel's Envy</a> (neat) and a pint of <a href="https://bellsbeer.com/beers/two-hearted-ale/" target="_blank">Two Hearted</a>. Both tasted excellent because I earned it, and because it was my first booze of 2023. Some dudes stuck around after our performance to talk to Kevin and Doc; no doubt about gear and musical influences. I opted to stay at the bar and check on football scores and sip bourbon. I was spent, but very happy, and the warming feeling coming to my face meant that I had a buzz coming on. I was looking forward to a wonderful, boozy sleep.</p><p>All and all, we had a blast. This was our first gig all together (I had to bow out of an earlier gig due to a <a href="https://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2022/11/leaning-into-it.html" target="_blank">death in the family</a>), and it was a very strong start. Like I wrote earlier, it was not without mishaps. But as long as we keep hitting it both in practice and in gigs, lookout: we're going to be pretty kick ass.</p><p>P.S. I should have some photos of the gig to post soon, as well as links to social media. Once I have access to that stuff, I'll link to it here.</p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-66331982284590037852022-12-21T10:32:00.002-05:002022-12-21T10:32:46.465-05:00Fat Friday Feature: Guy Delacroix On Magma's "Attahk"<p><i> "Fat Friday Feature" is a semi-regular feature that is posted on Fridays to showcase stellar bass players/bass parts. Today, it's Guy Delacroix's playing on the Magma "Attahk".</i></p><p>I wanted to showcase an exceptional bass part from a Christmas song; but <a href="https://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2014/12/fat-friday-feature-tracy-wormworth-on.html?q=the+waitresses" target="_blank">I've already done that</a>, so no need to return to that topic.* While thinking about this post, I went down a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruins_(Japanese_band)" target="_blank">Ruins</a> rabbit hole as I tend to do at least once or twice a year. The Ruins are definitely a favorite duo of mine. Their musicianship is off the charts. When reading about the Ruins, a French band called Magma will inevitably come up. I don't remember if they were an influence on the Ruins or vice versa, but the similarities are there. While Magma is a a large band with a rotating membership and the Ruins are a duo with only drums and bass, both bands have absolutely ridiculous drumming and bass playing. Magma is a proggier, even weirder, more aggressive version of the Mothers of Invention in my opinion; and everything is built around bass and drums. As all good music should be.</p><p>The first album I checked out from Magma was called "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attahk#Personnel" target="_blank">Attahk</a>"; and it's so fucking good I haven't yet moved on from it to check out their other stuff. Guy Delacroix plays bass on this one; sounds like mainly a fretless bass with the occasional distortion. In fact, I can't figure out which tune I like best on this album, so in a Fat Frida Feature First (FFFF), I'm going to showcase his playing on the WHOLE ALBUM!1!111!!11 Make time to listen to the whole thing; but even if you skip around, you're bound to find something amazing. </p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v3cTPLC4NtI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p>* - I'd showcase Joe Dart's playing on "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5K3UgrPdbQ&t=2s" target="_blank">Christmas In LA</a>", but I'm trying not to <a href="https://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2014/10/fat-friday-feature-vulfpecks-joe-dart.html?q=joe+dart" target="_blank">repeat myself on FFFs</a>. </p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-27173301970880507242022-12-04T12:44:00.001-05:002022-12-04T12:46:25.283-05:00For All Your Christmas Rocking Needs: Parental Advisory Christmas, Volume 2<p> Years ago - maybe around 2001 - I created a mix CD for Christmas that I dubbed "Parental Advisory Christmas" (because of the presence of a Snoop Dogg tune and the magnificent "Fairy Tale of New York" by Kirsty McColl and the Pogues.) In addition to the Charlie Brown Christmas special soundtrack, it has been the mainstay for our holidays. I still love it; but this year, I want to change things up. There is so much great holiday music out there, why not add to the fun? I'll post the song list here with links to the individual tunes, but I'll also post a link to a You Tube play list to cut back on the amount of clicking you have to do.</p><p>Some notes:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I generally favored up tempo tunes. There's some fantastic slower songs - notably Joni Mitchell's "River" - but that's not usually what I want to listen to when I'm decorating the tree.</li><li>The original "Parental Advisory Christmas" can be found <a href="http://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2011/12/your-holiday-playlist-parental-advisory.html" target="_blank">here</a>. . . but it looks like whatever I used to embed it isn't working. So if I get a moment, I'll re-upload all those tunes.</li><li>I tried to avoid repeating anything from the original "PAC", but there are a couple repeats that felt right in the context of this mix. I also mention it because it explains the obvious absence of great Christmas songs like the Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping".</li><li><a href="http://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2020/12/christmas-mixplaylist-music-to-decorate.html" target="_blank">Here's another Christmas mix</a> I had forgotten I had uploaded. So. . . yeah. I guess I've already done this a few times. But there's enough original material for me to go forward with this one as well.</li><li>There's a lot of great tunes I <i>didn't</i> add to this list, but left out in favor of the over all feel of this play list. There's always next year.</li></ul><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLU3A0DlmpcShftua6CsKL1vNN7s98nM5I" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><li>Andy Williams - "Most Wonderful Time of The Year" Always the best way to start a holiday play list.</li><li>Robert Earl Keen - "Merry Christmas From the Family"</li><li>Otis Redding - "Merry Christmas, Baby"</li><li>Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra - "We Need A Little Christmas"</li><li>Bing Crosby with the Andrews Sisters - "Mele Kalikimaka"</li><li>The Kinks - "Father Christmas"</li><li>Nat "King" Cole - "The Christmas Song"</li><li>Ella Fitzgerald - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"</li><li>Vulfpeck - "Christmas in L.A."</li><li>Squirrel Nut Zippers - "Sleighride"</li><li>JD McPherson - "Hey Skinny Santa"</li><li>Joel Paterson - "I'll Be Home For Christmas"</li><li>Bruce Cockburn - "Mary Had A Baby"</li><li>Dean Martin - "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"</li><li>Phoebe Bridgers - "If We Make It Through December"</li><li>Elvis Presley - "Blue Christmas"</li><li>The Pogues (with Kirsty McColl) - "Fairy Tale of New York"</li><li>Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme - "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow"</li><li>Darlene Love - "Winter Wonderland"</li><li>New Christy Minstels - "We Need A Little Christmas"</li><li>Bruce Springsteen - "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"</li><li>Barbara Streisand - "Ave Maria"</li></ol><div><br /></div></div><p></p>
Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-32699831290277288662022-11-29T11:22:00.009-05:002022-11-29T11:36:03.412-05:00Leaning Into It<p>I lost another sister. We buried her last Saturday. She was only 59. Glioblastoma - the same brain tumor that got my dad. Death got her when there was still so much for her to do, so many to love, and so much life to live; but then again, she lived a life of such strong service that there was never going to be a "good time" for her to go. A lot of people really depended upon her and benefited from her generosity with her time and talent. She was the lynchpin for so many. I believe that everything and everyone will find it's path, but there will likely be some uncomfortable growth for all of us who loved her as we try to find a way forward.</p><p>"Forward" - that word seems out of place to me. It would seem to indicate a desire to leave my sister in the past. I have no intention of doing that at all; I will carry her with me everyday, just as I do with those I hold dear who've passed on already. "Mourning" is another word that's tricky for me. It seems to encompass so much that I'm asking too much of one word to describe how I'm feeling. I had a lot of time to think about what I was feeling as I headed to the northern part of the state for the visitation and funeral. My world shrank a little more. My ribcage became a space occupied with cold, unwavering emptiness. I had no control over tears - they came with the unexpected triggers that only grief recognizes.</p><p>And as usual, there's the regret of things left undone that tends to haunt me when death comes to a loved one - that unfortunately seems to be a standard part of mourning for me. I should've called her. I shouldn't have focused so much on what separates us. I should've checked in on her kids and husband more. I should have told her that I loved her <i><u>before </u></i>she started suffering. I should have sent her birthday cards.</p><p>But her death brought family and friends together, and the warmth was palpable. Connections were made and conversations were more open and meaningful; there was no pretense about what "strength" looked like from person to person. Indeed, I did not hear anyone say "be strong" even once. Fuck that. What does that even look like? Anyway, we were all glad to be together; the rites of death - formal and informal - a sort of communion in which we all partook. So I must add "gratitude", "family", and "warmth" as necessary and critical dimensions of what I understand as "mourning".</p><p>Like peas rolling around in a skillet, these emotions, these thoughts, these sensations cycled through me on a continuous loop as the landscape flattened out on drive up I-69. Fallow golden cornfields were prickly with stalks leftover after harvest. The slate sky was scratched by barren tree branches. Trucks rusted in yards, plastic grocery bags cartwheeled across the highway, and color was reduced to all shades of gray with the fading sun.</p><p>Yet there was a welcome familiarity to those desolate, open spaces that I welcomed. This was a surprise to me. Each farmhouse we passed returned me to teen feelings of loneliness and longing; of cold fingers and dusky visions. As in my youth, my mind was cast out across those empty fields, creating a space for me to</p><p>just be.</p><p>I wasn't in a good or bad place; I was right were I was. Feeling everything all at once, feeling nothing but perhaps a dim resolve to carry on. And as is always the case with me, a sound track buried deep in my heart until I needed it, revealed itself. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppiol9oetOk" target="_blank">Moonshiner</a>" doesn't have a lot to do with death directly, but the tone, the defeatism, the general shit feeling was spot on for me. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jd2cdU4fA4" target="_blank">Dead Man's Will</a>" bowls me over every. Single. Time. Not sure I can listen to that without my eyes glassing up. Same with "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J3qkshHRcg" target="_blank">Eyes to the Wind</a>". Same with "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_gZFVJXOak" target="_blank">Radio King</a>", except add maybe a teaspoon of nostalgia. Oh - and "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IySqLw4BOtw" target="_blank">It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"</a>. If it's not obvious yet, I'm not much of a lyrics guy; the overall vibe/tone is what gives me pause in these songs. Stops at gas stations and Starbucks (where holiday music is doing the heavy lifting for profit margins) were intrusions to be endured. I can't inhabit a spirit that's not inside me; I'm not yet ready to leave the expanse of cornfields that hold some sort of unobtainable revelation for me.</p><p>In my final visits with my sister, I could hear the winds burnish the old farmhouse she lived in. It felt ominous, it felt appropriate. I imagine I'm in for some tears when I hear those same winter breezes claw my house the next few months. That's okay, I'm mourning and really, I don't think I'll ever stop in a way (just as I haven't stopped mourning my dad and other sister's death). In fact, for now, I'll lean into it. Give me genuine any day over some bullshit idea of "moving on" as a part of mourning. My heart has been broken before, but I've learned that it is resilient. No need to rush things.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIz6Zo8KkfN-75_yC2bdzKVC0aJgYt2BgYg4EOnbylvsMIQaW-eBqZXf61ph3vts23HV03aXE0KRy_sswlhECck7Nse37xBfxsY5yav6OqeYcFW_p0xxg5965W_f34rpYAR1ROtOXjpPKLvEpkEGNq3e6sA54H6VJSBm1mTzwwLIpvWxl4Ql0O-mJKw/s3563/Saint_Louis_Besacon_Catholic_Church_(New_Haven,_Indiana)_-_exterior_before_dawn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2544" data-original-width="3563" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIz6Zo8KkfN-75_yC2bdzKVC0aJgYt2BgYg4EOnbylvsMIQaW-eBqZXf61ph3vts23HV03aXE0KRy_sswlhECck7Nse37xBfxsY5yav6OqeYcFW_p0xxg5965W_f34rpYAR1ROtOXjpPKLvEpkEGNq3e6sA54H6VJSBm1mTzwwLIpvWxl4Ql0O-mJKw/s320/Saint_Louis_Besacon_Catholic_Church_(New_Haven,_Indiana)_-_exterior_before_dawn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And so it ends where it began: St. Louis Besacon<br />the tiny country church where my sister Cath was<br />married and later, her funeral. It was a perfect touch.<br />I love you, Cath.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>P.S. I'd be grateful for anyone who could help my sister's family get back on their feet. <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/wyss-family-support" target="_blank">Go here</a> to learn how.</p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-76337861165498160632022-11-04T00:00:00.001-04:002022-11-04T00:00:00.153-04:00Fat Friday Feature: The Buzzcock's Steve Garvey On "Why Can't I Touch It?"<p> "<a href="https://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/search?q=fat+friday+feature" target="_blank">Fat Friday Feature</a>" is a semi-regular entry that showcases a spectacular bass player/bass part. Today, it's Steve Garvey's playing on the Buzzcocks' "Why Can't I Touch It?"</p><p>=-=-=-=-</p><p>"Why Can't I Touch It?" is one of those songs that's both elusive and unforgettable for me. It seems like once every three years or so, I'd hear it at low volume in a book store, record store, coffee shop or some other joint where you'd expect to hear "weird music". I'd stop whatever it was I was doing and just let myself be captivated. As it was almost always streaming from someone's computer/phone/iPod (remember those?), the artist and song title were never shared in an audible way. So I'd strain to pick up details that would allow me to identify it later. The bass is what jumped out at me, even more than usual. Everything hangs on the bass (and drums); and while I could argue that one could say that about almost any song that has drums and bass, I feel it more on this one. The bass is so central that everything else feels like window dressing. But ultimately the distinct bass part never helped me find out who was performing the song.</p><p>Fast forward to last week. I was sitting in my backyard, smoking a cigar (as one does) with <a href="https://www.pandora.com/" target="_blank">Pandora </a>playing in my headphones. I had set up a <a href="https://www.pandora.com/station/119916038807624367" target="_blank">Replacements station</a>, and low and fucking behold, Pandora's algorithms brought the mystery to a close all at once, with the funk of the drums and the steady, new wave awesomeness of the bass. I listened to it three more times before the cigar was done.</p><p>The bass part itself seldom changes and isn't' particularly hard to play, but never ceases to provoke attention from the listener. It's creative and energetic and compliments the drums perfectly. There is a fat, round tone that makes it irresistible. Vocals and guitars hang themselves lightly but beautifully on the skeleton created by the drums and bass, giving it a nice <a href="https://youtu.be/cMOAXm94VWo" target="_blank">Fugazi </a>meets the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtFTxAfGI_w" target="_blank">Crucifucks </a>vibe. Dig on Steve Garvey's playing. Then dig on it again. It's <i><u>that </u></i>good.</p><p><br /></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ed1704QRKh4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-21841378946438782882022-10-24T13:44:00.000-04:002022-10-24T13:44:00.425-04:00Upcoming Gigs<p> Hey! I've got some gigs coming up I'd like to tell you about.</p><p><b>When:</b> Saturday, Nov. 12th - 6 PM<br /><b>Where: </b>Fairfax Inn, 8660 S. Fairfax Rd, Bloomington, IN 47401<br /><b>Who:</b> Throwback Thursday, which consists of Kevin Reynolds on guitars (acoustic, resophonic, and lap steel), Richard "Doc" Malone on harmonica, and me (Matt Zink) on upright bass<br /><b>What:</b> We'll be doing three 1-hour sets of blues covers with a smattering of some really great originals. Bring your appetite and get some dinner while you're there.</p><p><b>When: </b>Thursday, Nov. 17th - 7 PM<br /><br /><b>Where: </b><a href="http://melodyindy.com/" target="_blank">The Melody Inn</a>, 3826 Illinois St, Indianapolis, IN 46208<br /><b>Who:</b> Mortville Flea Market. which is Dylan Roahrig on guitar and vocals, Julie Powers on vocals, and me on upright bass<br /><b>What:</b> We'll be opening for a couple different acts that night, so stick around for some great live music at what I think is one of the coolest venues in Indy.</p><p>Hope to see y'all at one or both gigs!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqvnCEKnmfpv08vbZV_FUB7XcNMA1LPRyWPpNvfZqFdkBYakMjU9WEveiOkKBvJEMu-mmJxneckhw14cWbtaz0L62LKf5v78T-i8Mwuihlaq_sNwUvTWRDi3BFbQnNrW_8tV2KLmKWG-OZp6SCXY3628RJtDeT--u_5Wuqh9EMXaBy9O1_2AmBUF1_g/s4624/IMG_20221022_144630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3472" data-original-width="4624" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqvnCEKnmfpv08vbZV_FUB7XcNMA1LPRyWPpNvfZqFdkBYakMjU9WEveiOkKBvJEMu-mmJxneckhw14cWbtaz0L62LKf5v78T-i8Mwuihlaq_sNwUvTWRDi3BFbQnNrW_8tV2KLmKWG-OZp6SCXY3628RJtDeT--u_5Wuqh9EMXaBy9O1_2AmBUF1_g/w400-h300/IMG_20221022_144630.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin (left) and Doc workin' it out.</td></tr></tbody></table></p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-39935008864548423132022-10-21T23:58:00.001-04:002022-10-21T23:58:00.158-04:00Audio Scratch Pad: It Sounded Much Better In My Head<p><i> The semi-regular "Audio Scratch Pad" entries showcase, as the name implies, sounds and songs not necessarily meant for public consumption, but interesting none the less.</i></p><p>=-=-=-=-=</p><p>I keep most of my musical instruments out and on display so that I'm more inclined to play them. Sometimes I end up doing a full on focused practice; but often, I treat my basses and ukuleles as fidget toys. Waiting for the water for my coffee to warm up? That gives me a few seconds to plunk around on my upright. Got a minute or two before going to pick up my daughter from show choir? I bet I can remember how to play "<a href="https://ukutabs.com/e/eagles/hotel-california/" target="_blank">Hotel California</a>" before shoving off. You get the point.</p><p>It occurred to me last week that I hadn't played one of <a href="https://shop.mainlandukuleles.com/product.sc;jsessionid=612D5E3F21CF550A2090ADD05BABFF46.p3plqscsfapp005?productId=8" target="_blank">my beloved (or any) ukulele </a>for quite some time. As it sat there taunting me, the thought "maybe I should sell it if I'm not playing it" began to creep into my mind. What's the point of having an instrument you don't play? So I decided to look up some new songs to learn to see if I still felt the same way after playing it. <a href="https://ozbcoz.com/Songs/index.php?instr=Soprano" target="_blank">Here's what I found</a>. It's a damn gold mine, man.</p><p>Anyway, while messing around with "<a href="https://ozbcoz.com/Songs/song.php?ID=5693,soprano" target="_blank">Where The Streets Have No Name</a>" by U2, a really cool arrangement began to emerge in my head. I was going to slow it down - make it moody but not too moody, do some sweet ass harmonies, keep the uke playing minimal and emphasize the bass and any percussion I was going to add. I busted out my four track to do a proof of concept. And here are the results of that - pure crap. </p><p>Several conclusions about this scratch track I was trying to assemble:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>What I heard in my head sounded way better than what ended up on the recorder. Granted, I was just trying to quickly dash off an idea to revisit later on and refine, but I don't think so now.</li><li>It's funny how I could know a song inside and out - and still mess up the structure. I mean this album has been out since 1987 for fuck's sake. How do I not know off the top of my head how many times to strum a given chord?</li><li>The harmonies are awful. . . but still ended up being really, really fun to try. When I was in key, it was sounding solid.</li></ul><div>Anyway, recording stuff like this is never <b><i><u>not </u></i></b>fun, and releasing the suckage into the wild like this will keep me humble. Enjoy! Or maybe I should type that as "enjoy".</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sDGayVK4D8k" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-56999839974005095642022-10-21T11:15:00.002-04:002022-10-21T11:15:40.683-04:00It's Alive! (Not An Archive)<p>Like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein%27s_monster" target="_blank">Frankenstein's monster</a>, this blog lurches and staggers back to life, unsure of it's direction or purpose, confident only that it's time to move forward in the mélange of wonder and shit that is the internet. Everyone: welcome to the grand reopening of the History Lesson, Pt. 2 blog, a place where I explore the world tethered to the thin - but mighty - theme of "sound". </p><p>So what happened? Why did I stop?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8lABadJXE61Ilh7ydMCGptjRcQkjL020KWaPqbm-RRt7FW5ZXr04HxJYoe4ghHL50V7l-6DUG6_83EWd5zuC9vHUdbOw-bmcKb0dOkUo7VyCqDxXbwXiuhFF1qogstrVQFYd1W-dJDn1aJ902jO3NkpDf9txjCOyFB1LGr3lJguB1upj3SmCRkooCQ/s720/2069898453_826cb389e2_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="This was a Creative Commons image, so get off my back mofos." border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="720" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8lABadJXE61Ilh7ydMCGptjRcQkjL020KWaPqbm-RRt7FW5ZXr04HxJYoe4ghHL50V7l-6DUG6_83EWd5zuC9vHUdbOw-bmcKb0dOkUo7VyCqDxXbwXiuhFF1qogstrVQFYd1W-dJDn1aJ902jO3NkpDf9txjCOyFB1LGr3lJguB1upj3SmCRkooCQ/w400-h194/2069898453_826cb389e2_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2021/01/off-topic-one-man-book-club-end-of.html" target="_blank">A little over a year ago</a>, I had vowed not to move forward with this blog until I delivered notes on the excellent and freely available <a href="https://files.libcom.org/files/Vitale%20-%20The%20End%20of%20Policing%20(Police)%20(2017).pdf" target="_blank">"The End Of Policing" by Alex S. Vitale</a>. I had several motivations, all of which felt waaaayyyyy more important to me than continuing on with writing about "the audio input in my life" as though everything was fine:<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Racism, sexism, nationalism, and all the other "isms" that I was raised to loathe (or at least be on guard against) have become normalized in a way I find alarming. I was compelled to stop what I was doing and be 100% unambiguous in where I stood on the issues of racism and policing. In the over all scheme of things, maybe that doesn't mean much. But in my tiny corner of the internet, it felt important to let readers know that anti-racism is a core value for me and my family.</li><li>I had committed to learn more about being anti-racist, then <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">further</u> committed to <b>living</b> those beliefs in a bold, conspicuous way. It was my belief that "The End of Policing" might give me some direction on the action part of the anti-racism equation.</li><li>The call to "defund the police" is an idea that is worth exploring. Regardless of political leanings/affiliations, it is easily one of the most misunderstood solutions in the conversation about race and policing. I felt it worth looing into to make sure <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">I</u> had a handle on it myself, and to dispel common misconceptions about what defunding the police might look like. It is possible that after finishing "The End of Policing" the reader may find arguments to defund the police unconvincing. But they can no accept the half baked impressions and outright lies on the topic that are being repeated in the public sphere.</li><li>Sharing my understanding of "The End of Policing" not only puts it out there for discussion/education, but as a way to check me for possible misinterpretations of the work. <br /> Articulating my commitment to strive to be anti-racist in thought, action, and living holds me accountable in a public way, and additionally provides valuable context to other entries on this blog.</li></ul><div>I had taken a ton of notes - I had barely made it to chapter 2 because the amount of notes I had taken were almost the same number of pages as the book itself. I became bogged down in detail instead of essence. But it was hard to focus on big ideas as the book is very, very concise. It's all meat, no fat. As a result, I eventually got pulled in other directions before finishing. (Read: I'm fucking lazy and have a short attention span.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I had a lot of misgivings about moving forward with this blog until I did what I said I was going to do: share my notes on this book, which I believe is so important. Over time, that feeling faded somewhat. This blog has allowed me to be thoughtful about the world in which I move; why stop writing? It sure as hell wasn't because there was more stuff to write about. But I found it hard to carry on because it was hard to buck the feeling that I was using my <a href="https://unitedwaysem.org/equity_challenge/day-3-what-is-privilege/" target="_blank">privilege </a>as a white, heterosexual male to just ignore the topic and carry on because I can.</div><div><br /></div><div>All of this is to say: those notes are coming. <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">That's a promise.</u> All my reasons for exploring "The End of Policing" are just as urgent and relevant (if not more so) as ever. The only difference is it will be mingled with my updates on gigs, thoughts on sound, and the occasional off-topic musing. I must admit it still feels a little like shouting into the vast internet void,* but I feel compelled to carry on.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I have to say: it's fuckin' great to be back.</div><div><br /></div><div>* - Although this blog has been pretty stagnant the past 3 years or so, I have to say that the reports I get from Google on unique visits has been a pleasant surprise. <a href="https://tenor.com/view/going-for-me-which-is-nice-meme-gif-7250442" target="_blank">So I got that going for me, which is nice</a>.</div><p></p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-39485650600213581952021-01-25T15:22:00.001-05:002021-01-25T15:22:59.496-05:00Off Topic: One Man Book Club - "The End Of Policing"<p> With 2020 coming to a conclusion and new year bearing down on me, my mind turned as it often does to trying to visualize what I want the new year to look like. The ideas that came up are standard issue stuff for me: maybe I'll fatten up my resume to get a higher paying job. Maybe I'll learn how to read music. Maybe I'll finally do a bike ride of 100 miles or more. Maybe I'll finish off my weight loss journey and finally hit my target weight. But a new idea - one that because of my privilege I was able to ignore for a little while - kept cropping up: maybe this is the year I bust my ass to become an anti-racist.</p><p>You might know that the difference between not being racist and being an anti-racist is basically action: the anti-racist actively seeks to assist in dismantling institutional racism. You might not have racist beliefs, but that doesn't make you an anti-racist. Educating yourself, taking concrete actions to call out and address racism when you spot it, and allying yourself with those who are fighting racism in all its forms are what make you an anti-racist. And if you're a white dude like me, you acknowledge - and use - your privilege in this struggle. And most importantly, you listen to the voices of people who have been marginalized, you fuck up, you admit that you fucked up, and your learn. I'm not sure there's such a thing as "being woke"; it's a journey, a process.</p><p>As I thought about some of the ways I might take action to be an anti-racist, the idea that intrigued me the most was defunding the police. At its most basic level, "defunding the police" means to reallocate funds from the police to local and state social service agencies. I don't know much about it, but I know enough to know there's a shit ton of myths, misinformation, and pearl clutching about it. So step one on my anti-racist journey is to learn more about it. I'm not sure where this will take me, but I have to do something and get to the "action" part of anti-racism <u><i><b>sooner</b></i></u> rather than later.</p><p>I'm going to read <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/2817-the-end-of-policing" target="_blank">"The End Of Policing" by Alex S. Vitale</a>. I'll be posting notes, thoughts, questions, and general musings on the topic for the next month or so - however long it takes me to read the book. (It's a short, easy read; I'm just a slow, not bright reader.) I'd encourage you, dear reader, to do the same. Putting myself out there on this blog - even though it doesn't get a lot of traffic - helps me commit to the the work of becoming anti-racist. Keep me accountable. I welcome your input on the book and the entries I will be posting on it as I make my way through it. I'd encourage you're participation - let's all get off the bench on this one. </p><p>Stay tuned, and I hope to hear from you soon.<br /></p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-76778723481895143712021-01-23T13:11:00.001-05:002021-01-23T13:11:08.832-05:00Plus One<p> Yesterday, I posted <a href="http://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-music-related-videos-on.html" target="_blank">my selections for the greatest music related videos on the internet</a>. These are videos that I return to over and over again for entertainment and inspiration. However, I left out one video; this was a major oversight: John Entwistle's isolated bass from a live performance of "Won't Get Fooled Again". I'm a sucker for isolated tracks, especially isolated bass tracks. You know how sometimes you listen them, and they're sloppier than you remember in the final mix? Yeah - that's not the case here. His playing is aggressive, but very clean and very creative. This is exhibit A for why John Entwistle can never be over-hyped. He makes it look so goddamned easy.</p><p><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/80dsyo2Ox-0" width="560"></iframe></p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-69748147796387566982021-01-22T20:14:00.006-05:002021-01-22T20:14:58.073-05:00The Best Music Related Videos On The Internet<p>I've got thousands of bookmarks. Thousands. Most of them I never come back to, I'm not going to lie. The ones below are definite exceptions. I get a charge out of these; I find them inspirational. I come back to them a lot. It's prolly some of the best music you'll find on the internet, no lie. It's a well of inspiration for me for sure. I've posted many of these here before, but you still need them in your life. Here they are in no particular order:<br /></p><p><u><b>Bob Dylan and the Plugz "Jokerman" (Live on David Letterman)</b></u><br />Bob Dylan's first appearance on <i>Late Night With David Letterman </i>is equal parts bizarre and magnificent. Backed up by the Plugz - a fixture in the 1980s L.A. punk scene - must've confused the fuck out of even the most stalwart Dylan fans, who are used to Dylan zigging when everyone is expecting a zag. There's an excellent write up <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2015/05/strange-saga-of-dylans-first-letterman-gig.html" target="_blank">here </a>of how this appearance came to be; but for me, this hard charging version of "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XSvsFgvWr0" target="_blank">Jokerman</a>" tore through the Letterman set like an out-of-control stage coach. What's even cooler is that <u><i>everyone</i></u><i> - </i>including Letterman - seemed to be into it. It's noisy, it's raw, and 100% unstoppable. This is evidence that energy trumps slick production every time.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nP85Uc6H79U" width="560"></iframe></p><p><u><b>Glenn Danzig Getting Punched Out</b></u><br />Glenn Danzig has always taken himself a bit too seriously. I mean, he's just a lounge singer with a truly awful fashion sense. Witness Danzig getting humbled by a dude from Arizona's North Side Kings. I almost feel bad for enjoying this so much. Almost.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zfD7agP1yxw" width="560"></iframe></p><p><u><b>The Paladins "Daddy Yar"(Live On Art Fein's Poker Party)</b></u><br />This one is yet another runaway bus of a song, led by Dave Gonzalez's red hot leads. My favorite part is where the song seems to shift into a higher gear (about at the 1:16 mark), like a top fuel dragster eating a quarter mile worth of pavement. Or something. Just watch it and see what I mean; play it loud.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RlAPWDASjWQ" width="560"></iframe></p><p><u><b>The James Gang "Walk Away"</b></u><br />This one is interesting because it has a slightly different structure than the one we all heard on the radio. I really like it because it downshifts* to make room for Joe Walsh's super noisy solos. And the stanky funk the drummer's is giving off - damn. But really everyone is going for it on this song. I fuckin' love it, brah.<br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zo0vBdlWQs0" width="560"></iframe><br />* - I'm over using all the car metaphors tonight. Don't care because it works.<br /></p><p><u><b>Thee Cormans (Live At Alex's)</b></u><br />This guys are assholes. And you can almost smell the stench coming off them. But they get garage right. Come for the surf inspired garage rock, stay for the insults.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hN7FjuB_LvQ" width="560"></iframe></p><p><u><b>Bela Fleck And Ruth Akello (Untitled Song)</b></u><br />Years ago, Bela Fleck took a documentary crew to several eastern African countries in an effort to learn more about the places the gave birth to the banjo. This song takes me off guard every time. I didn't know a thumb piano could be played like that. She. Is. Shredding it.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0jl4IOSLX-o" width="560"></iframe></p><p><u><b>David Lee Roth Isolated Vocals On "Running With The Devil"</b></u><br />David Lee Roth is a loud mouthed goofball; a used car salesman that happens to be in a band. Still, Van Halen is so much better for having him. I know that his isolated tracks on "Running With The Devil" would seem to contradict that because they're so hilariously cheesy. I like to think that deep down "Diamond Dave" knows he's a goofy fuck; but perhaps he also knows that if you put your back into the cheesiness, you too can be the lead singer in a massively popular band. Try to listen to this one and keep a straight face. You can't do it.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IArxakPsPE0" width="560"></iframe></p><p><u><b>JD McPherson With TK Smith and Pat Capocci "Sugar Moon"</b></u><br />Including because it just swings like a swingset in an earth quake. And I'm also a sucker for a great steel part, which this song certainly has. It slakes my Americana thirst every time. Side note: Check out <a href="https://tksmith.net/" target="_blank">TK Smith's guitars</a> - they're beauts!<br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L0O_oBx2gpk" width="560"></iframe></p><div class="title style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="text-align: left;"><u><b>Marty Friedman + Mastodon + Lucifer + Baroness Cover "You Make Loving Fun"</b></u></div><div class="title style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="text-align: left;">I was recently made hip to Two Minutes Until Late Night; a conglomeration of metalheads doing covers to raise money for out of work musicians. (You should DEFINITELY check out the <a href="https://youtu.be/fULwDbZ4iSU" target="_blank">Rush cover</a>. Now.) There is a ton of great stuff on there, but nothing charmed me more than this Fleetwood Mac cover. You know how sometimes, you see a band cover a song and you're not sure if they actually like the tune, or if they're doing it to be ironic or whatever? It's clear that the folks covering "You Make Loving Fun" are genuinely into the tune and want to do it justice. I'd venture to say they exceeded the original. Bonus points if you spot the Prince reference in the tune.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zwXt8zdC1cI" width="560"></iframe></div><div class="title style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="title style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="text-align: left;"><div class="title style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="text-align: left;"><b><u>Elvis Costello And The Attractions "Radio, Radio" (Live On SNL)</u></b><br />This is easily one of the most legendary performances in TV, and it was when the Attractions were firing on all cylinders. It was before Elvis became a crooner. Again - great energy, and a phenomenal tune when you know they were banned from Saturday Night Live for playing it. I'll let you Google that story; for now, just bask in the awesomeness of this tune.<br /></div> </div><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/181574427" width="640"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/181574427">Elvis Costello - Radio, Radio</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user27590422">Eli</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-55409677581329160502020-12-18T10:44:00.001-05:002020-12-18T10:44:26.431-05:00REPOST: "Christmas Anytime You're Near" By Marina O'Brien-Zink<p> <a href="http://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2019/12/merry-christmas-please-enjoy-christmas.html" target="_blank">I tried to post this last year on Christmas Day</a>, and it didn't work out too well. It seems like a great one to repost, so please enjoy this bit of original Christmas music.</p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/isGOV-InyGo" width="560"></iframe>
<div><br /></div><div>Credits:</div><div>Marina O'Brien-Zink - words, music, and vocals</div><div>Kevin Reynolds - rhythm and lead guitars, all post production (thanks Kevin!)</div><div>Matt Zink - words, music, bass ukulele, ukulele</div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-15852185459051206782020-12-16T13:01:00.003-05:002020-12-16T13:01:25.011-05:00Christmas Mix/Playlist: Music To Decorate Your Tree<div>Well, we have our first smattering of snow, so it seems like a great time to post a Christmas mix, complete with one song that's not about Christmas at all (but still somehow fits). I hope you enjoy it - leave suggestions for tunes to add in the comments section.</div><div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/AN_R4pR1hck?list=PLU3A0DlmpcSiL1bDDow39dE9wChurz6ya" width="480"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXsjQlD9Bjffd31Zdp8GW0lBn5humWzWhWT2VOxQhpzW9ASDmsEZowPKiJtyEoo2m6hTwL37JFbt_HomtLnjSs4RY9mqiZwCk5wAbm5kgT0dUeGGQVOaPBoqvttqH64276r6Afkn3m65N/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1000" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXsjQlD9Bjffd31Zdp8GW0lBn5humWzWhWT2VOxQhpzW9ASDmsEZowPKiJtyEoo2m6hTwL37JFbt_HomtLnjSs4RY9mqiZwCk5wAbm5kgT0dUeGGQVOaPBoqvttqH64276r6Afkn3m65N/" width="320" /></a></div></div></div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-68886106230416531542020-11-06T10:25:00.000-05:002020-11-06T10:25:23.455-05:00Playon Patrick Recites His Poem "2020 Quarantine Killings"<p> Presented without comment is this powerful poem by Playon Patrick. Listen up.</p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H5wv1khHlOQ" width="560"></iframe>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-6907619804413231182020-11-04T10:52:00.007-05:002020-11-04T10:52:59.572-05:00Here's A Short Playlist Of Good Songs With Shitty Vocals<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebCiltkqcqHLZz-0Mz6njPLvEEcK9UgZBu5VT8_IGDFpP4PNEMgbxSXx4wBft9Huvjvu1rRhkyrOOKqWu5FI4niinSqksgJIRJglVFyCI2SgH0Gcc2bBcwwb2a95qM4Cnkk7G2Zy2QcdZ/s349/gear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="283" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebCiltkqcqHLZz-0Mz6njPLvEEcK9UgZBu5VT8_IGDFpP4PNEMgbxSXx4wBft9Huvjvu1rRhkyrOOKqWu5FI4niinSqksgJIRJglVFyCI2SgH0Gcc2bBcwwb2a95qM4Cnkk7G2Zy2QcdZ/w324-h400/gear.jpg" title="Clarence White, the "forgotten Byrd"" width="324" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>One of the truisms I wrote about early in this blog is how <a href="http://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2011/06/one-thing-you-can-say-about-zink-family.html" target="_blank">you don't get to choose the songs you like, they choose you</a>. All of us have songs we love that don't fit any sort of schema or logic for appreciating them; they just <i>work.</i> I don't pay attention to singing as much as I do bass, guitar and drums, but bad singing jumps to the fore of my attention right away. It's like someone jamming an ice pick in your ear. Usually. Below are a few songs that have horrible singing. . . but I love them anyway.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBkB7zAh37wJ1pDXo9-IPxtjym68G0VoaGQPr3ROszhT-qaeZJrETGxNUwe4zWg1s-_RGuHi5YMjauQdJuZeWMAQkOm9VSgVJZyvBusyV0mJvb78Mt41HXO-ofhoktzsys94m5lSKuZCp/s558/crucifucksrar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBkB7zAh37wJ1pDXo9-IPxtjym68G0VoaGQPr3ROszhT-qaeZJrETGxNUwe4zWg1s-_RGuHi5YMjauQdJuZeWMAQkOm9VSgVJZyvBusyV0mJvb78Mt41HXO-ofhoktzsys94m5lSKuZCp/s320/crucifucksrar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>The Crucifucks</b> - "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtFTxAfGI_w" target="_blank">Concession Stand</a>" - Have always loved this guitar part and the fact that the topic of the song is such a midwestern topic. I don't see Black Flag or Minor Threat doing any songs about baseball that rock, that's for sure. I've tried to imagine what this song would sound like with a prototypical hardcore singer, and it just doesn't work. At a minimum, you could call this guys' voice completely unforgettable. </li><li><b>Soul Asylum</b> - "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-3cSPuy3nI" target="_blank">Sexual Healing</a>" - Yes, they're massive hit "Runaway Train" might even have worse vocals. But I don't really like that song. Soul Asylum's cover of "Sexual Healing" is a better choice<br /> because when you're familiar with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjlSiASsUIs" target="_blank">the original</a>, it shows just how bad Dave Pirner's singing really is. As if you needed the comparison. <br /></li><li><b>The Byrds</b> - "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRBKcrn9Xlk" target="_blank">Truck Stop Girl</a>" - Clarence White takes over the vocals on this one instead of Roger McGuinn. He should probably just stick to guitar. </li><li><b>Van Halen </b>- "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IArxakPsPE0" target="_blank">Runnin' With The Devil</a>" (isolated vocal track) - No commentary necessary. I get such a kick out of this. Despite the silliness of David Lee Roth's vocals, this is such a great guilty pleasure song. And honestly, I think it's pretty solid lyrically as well.</li><li><b>Nico</b> - "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_z_UEuEMAo" target="_blank">These Days</a>" - The lisp and pitchiness of this song <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">should</u> make it unlistenable. But somehow, it works.</li><li><b>Victoria Williams</b> - "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTWWReyTcl4" target="_blank">Look At That Moon</a>" - Victoria Williams, aka a poor man's Dolly Parton. Shout out to the killer pedal steel player on this tune.</li><li><b>Bob Dylan</b> - "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKcNyMBw818" target="_blank">Tangled Up In Blue</a>" - What bad vocals list would be complete without at least one Bob Dylan tune? I love the loping pace of this song; and every time I listen to it, I think to myself "why the hell can't I write songs like this?" The lyrics are among my favorite of all time.</li></ul>I suspect I'll think of more as time rolls on; if so, I'll update this entry. What about you? What are some songs you love that have lousy vocals? List them in the comments.<p></p>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-44652068429962025662020-09-02T13:55:00.003-04:002020-09-02T14:00:30.176-04:00She Shreds List Of 100 Historic Black Women Guitarists And Bassists You Need To KnowI found <a href="https://sheshreds.com/100-black-women-guitarists-and-bassists/" target="_blank">She Shreds Media's list of 100 historic Black women guitarists and bassists</a> via <a href="http://blackx.co">blackx.co</a> (which is also well worth a look). I figured I'd know a good chunk of the women on the list, but man was I way off. While it was great to see some women featured before on this blog (like <a href="http://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2014/12/fat-friday-feature-tracy-wormworth-on.html" target="_blank">Tracie Wormworth</a>, <a href="http://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2011/07/fat-friday-feature-kim-clarke.html" target="_blank">Kim Clarke</a> and <a href="http://historylessonpt2.blogspot.com/2012/11/fat-friday-feature-throwing-muses.html" target="_blank">Leslie Langston</a>), most of these women I did not know. It's a great list, and the best part is almost all of the guitarists/bassists featured have performances embedded right there in the article so you can check it out. I also appreciated the honesty of the introductory paragraphs:<blockquote><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>This list is not to be brushed off as just another list. Rather, it should be treated as a step taken towards exposing the truth. It’s for all of us who aren’t able to count the names of black women guitarists on one hand. It’s for the young black girls aspiring to be musicians but seldom see a history that represents them. It’s to learn about our past and evolve into our future— and without black history, we cannot accurately do so. </i></span></span></div></blockquote><p>Amen to that. So head over to She Shreds' website and educate yourself. </p><p>Speaking of Leslie Langston, I'm reposting her playing from Throwing Muses' "Colder" since the link in the original blog post no longer works. And that just ain't right. <br /><br /></p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uGDXLT-DW0E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-46057517940969734622020-08-06T13:08:00.001-04:002020-08-06T13:08:06.174-04:00Maximum Impact Without Making A SoundAs much as I like music; as thoughtful and nostalgic as environmental sounds can make me, I've had many questions about what it might be like to not be able to hear. As far back as my teens, I wondered what it might be like to experience the world without sound. Possibly because I don't know what that's like, I think I even romanticized it a little bit: somewhere in my file cabinet, I have a half written story (as all of my stories tend to be) about falling in love with a girl who is deaf. As an overly serious junior high kid, this was an awesome form of escapism for me.<div><br /></div><div>Fast forward to 2012, and I think some form of that fantasy came true in the form of Lydia Callis. Name doesn't ring a bell? Let's see if this gif does:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNqxY18VeKooye0C10rxgu32W2SRD0bX99xFmJFnXOAfiXaCj-6nMe29L-3gm6bIgX89Tnz8XPDCQFmiWKRAJ8Db0vEMzbXEpb7iPL4gkCvU_z2XKa8wYBQuRl1whuKoAjlg-PtDeIWEv/s460/lydiacalas3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNqxY18VeKooye0C10rxgu32W2SRD0bX99xFmJFnXOAfiXaCj-6nMe29L-3gm6bIgX89Tnz8XPDCQFmiWKRAJ8Db0vEMzbXEpb7iPL4gkCvU_z2XKa8wYBQuRl1whuKoAjlg-PtDeIWEv/s0/lydiacalas3.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Lydia Callis arose to viral fame as the sign language interpreter for New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg when he held briefs about the city's efforts to provide aid during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. When she came on my radar, I was mesmerized; my crush was almost instant. She's not deaf, but I was fascinated with how <i>good</i> she seemed to be at her job. She put everything she had into it; you could tell she loved what she did. The expressiveness of her face, the movement of her whole body - the energy, heart and urgency she put into her work was absolutely indisputable. I wasn't the only one who took notice: she was parodied on Saturday Night Live, appeared as an American Sign Language interpreter for a deaf contestant on an episode of <i>Chopped, </i>Tumblr sites (when that was a thing) and parody Twitter accounts popped up to create a legend. She was a celebrity overnight. And I was smitten.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found myself remembering her today for some reason. I don't recall what train of thought took me to her, but I was curious to know what she's been up to. I did find <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2015/09/21/us/lydia-callis-sign-language/index.html" target="_blank">this CNN report</a> from 2015 that provides an update. (Wish I could embed the video, but alas. . .) It's cool to see that her dedication to accessibility hasn't waned even a little bit. Ms. Callis muses on her celebrity, stating "I was suprised that the hearing community thought I was performing for them. And I had that moment, the same moment that I had growing up when I realized that sign language is a novelty to the hearing community." She continues to advocate for those who are deaf and has parlayed some of the attention she received in 2012 into an <a href="https://www.signlanguagenyc.com/" target="_blank">sign language interpreting business</a>. Her passion for what she does is unimpeachable. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm a bit embarrassed to admit I had a crush on her, but this blog entry will help me confess. My attraction to her was patronizing and diminishes the importance of the work she has spent her life doing. I recognize that she's not up there for my enjoyment, she's doing crucially important work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Those of us who found her attractive, amusing, and entertaining - again I'm guilty - we're missing the point completely. I was glad I took a moment to look her up and learn more about her. It's good to know she's out there fighting the good fight and educating those of us in the hearing community who need to get beyond our superficial fascination with her. In these ways, Lydia Callis continues to make an impact far beyond the NYC of 2012.</div>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-54016107953423234062020-07-21T16:31:00.002-04:002020-08-03T11:49:04.602-04:00[UPDATED] Gig Update: Thee Aquaholics At Tiki Fest - August 8th, 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I know it seems crazy to think about going to see live music given that we're in a pandemic and all, but Thee Aquaholics - a band in which I play bass - has a gig on Saturday, August 8th at <a href="http://blackacrebrewing.com/" target="_blank">Black Acre Brewing</a> as a part of their annual Tiki Fest. At the moment, I'm woefully short on details for this gig - don't know what time we're playing, how long we're playing, or if there's a cover - but I'll update as that info becomes available. Just think of this as a sort of "save the date" blog entry. To be honest, their website and <a href="https://twitter.com/blackacrebrewer?lang=en" target="_blank">Twitter feed</a> aren't particularly helpful; but they have bigger fish to fry as they rebuild from<a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2019/12/21/crews-responding-fire-black-acre-brewing-co-irvington/2720327001/" target="_blank"> a fire that destroyed their tap room</a>. I believe this means we'll be playing in their <a href="http://blackacrebrewing.com/garden/" target="_blank">beer garden</a>, which is more fun anyways (and plenty of room to rock out at a social distance). So stay tuned, and wear your damned masks, people!<br />
<br />
Thee Aquaholics play original, instrumental surf music. We are:<br />
Ross - guitar<br />
Ian - guitar<br />
Dan - drums<br />
Matt - bass</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">UPDATE: We will be playing at 8 PM; so it should be cooling off by then. C'mon out for some music; wear a mask just to play it safe. I was looking in the wrong place for info on this event; I should've started with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/261505315137221/">their Facebook page</a>. A doy, Matt. I think we play about an hour, so get while the gettin's good!</div>
Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-11759860988928179902020-06-26T14:41:00.002-04:002020-06-26T14:48:20.104-04:00Your Fourth Of July Playlist For 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Enjoy this playlist whilst the grill is hot and the beer is cold. If it seems like this list has a sort of "fuck the police" vibe, that's very intentional. That might not seem very patriotic, but I guarantee I'm more of a patriot than the fuck heads running around without face masks on. Granted that's a pretty low bar, but there you go. The playlist is embedded below and the tracks are listed there as well. Feel free to add your suggestions for the playlist in the comments section!<br />
<div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>"America: Fuck Yeah!" - Team America World Police Soundtrack</li>
<li>"Police Story" - Black Flag</li>
<li>"America" - Simon & Garfunkel</li>
<li>"Get Together" - The Youngbloods</li>
<li>"No! No! No! To Draft And War/Joe McCarthy's Ghost (Live)" - The Minutemen</li>
<li>"By The Time I Get To Arizona" - Public Enemy</li>
<li>"White Riot" - The Clash</li>
<li>"Police Truck" - Dead Kennedys</li>
<li>"Way Down Now" - World Party</li>
<li>"Freedom Isn't Free" - Team America World Police Soundtrack</li>
<li>"Small Town" - John Mellencamp (rare unplugged performance)</li>
<li>"Coming To America" - Neil Diamond</li>
<li>"Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man" - The Byrds</li>
<li>"Stars And Stripes Of Corruption" - Dead Kennedys</li>
<li>"Bulls On Parade" - Rage Against The Machine</li>
<li>(Malcolm X speech on police brutality)</li>
<li>"This Land Is Your Land (Live)" - Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings</li>
<li>"This Is Amercia" - Childish Gambino</li>
<li>"Living In America" - James Brown</li>
<li>"America The Beautiful" - Ray Charles</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLU3A0DlmpcShH7GhoApbClVeQ0cLjiTJj" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3445481790511400224.post-91370118216095324742020-04-21T11:26:00.001-04:002020-04-21T11:26:01.706-04:00Sure, What The Hell: Imma Make A Pandemic Playlist Too<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"Times are weird" is the new "thoughts and prayers" of the social media status updates. But let's face it - times <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">are</u> weird. A lot of folks are suffering; some are dying. The shit situation is only being compounded by the clowns running this country as they <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/13/jared-kushner-combat-coronavirus-facebook-127941" target="_blank">troll Facebook for answers on how to handle the situation</a>. Folks who're either genuinely stupid or genuinely desperate (probably both) are strapping on their assault weapons and standing outside statehouses and governor's mansions demanding an end to common sense health guidelines. <a href="https://gizmodo.com/pro-gun-activists-are-behind-some-of-facebooks-biggest-1842965062" target="_blank">They're being manipulated by rich fucks who think the pandemic will be used to take your guns</a>. The darkness that has descended upon this country has been relentless the past four years.<br />
<br />
But I guess darkness isn't ever really the <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">whole</u> story, is it? Anyone who's not yet panicked about the situation seems to be cooking, baking, cutting their hair, sewing masks, or out taking walks. They're calling friends and family to check in, having online happy hours. They're diving into old radio shows, podcasts, TV shows. They're making music, they're crafting. In short, there's a return to things we probably should've been doing all along: namely, being human. There is this emerging idea that tech is a tool; that it should be facilitating sharing, relationships and collaborations. The one way dialogue of angry social media rants and Fwd:Fwd:Fwd:Fwd: EmaIls from angRY uncles!!!1!1! will never really go away; but they seem to be - mercifully - receding a bit. So far, there have been no conspiracy theories that have gained enough traction to sully the reputation that spring enjoys. It's unfolding right before our eyes - don't need a Facebook group to tell me that. And just like everybody else, what the hell - I made a playlist for you. Open your windows, breathe in the air, and enjoy this sunny day, eclectic, uptempo playlist as you weather this pandemic. I didn't think I would cave in and make a playlist, but . . . times are weird.<br />
<br />
A note about this playlist: I didn't give it much thought. I have found that the more a playlist comes from the gut, the better it sounds upon repeated listenings. I also broke one of the mix tape commandments: Thou shalt carefully consider the song sequence. I didn't really want to, so you might want to use YouTube's shuffle function when you play this. And remember: life's too short. If a song doesn't grab your attention in the first 30 seconds, skip it.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU3A0DlmpcSjxZf_XZP5lVbcCRhGXWSKq" target="_blank">Click here to go to the playlist.</a><br />
<br />
Here are the tunes/artists, in no particular order:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cheap Trick - "Surrender"</li>
<li>Sweet - "Fox On The Run"</li>
<li>Head East - "There's Never Been Any Reason"</li>
<li>Duke Ellington/Charles Mingus/Max Roach - "Money Jungle"</li>
<li>Husker Du - "Deadly Skies"</li>
<li>Rev. Horton Heat - "Martini Time"</li>
<li>Martin Denny - "Quiet Village"</li>
<li>ZZ Top - "Cheap Sunglasses"</li>
<li>Public Enemy - "Harder Than You Think"</li>
<li>The B-52s - "Private Idaho"</li>
<li>Holly and the Italians - "Tell That Girl To Shut Up"</li>
<li>Dave Edmunds - "Girls Talk"</li>
<li>Magic - "Rude"</li>
<li>The Pogues - "Turkish Song Of The Damned"</li>
<li>Medeski, Martin & Wood - "Chasen vs. Suribachi"</li>
<li>The La's - "I Am The Key"</li>
<li>Dinosaur Jr - "Freak Scene"</li>
<li>The Police - "So Lonely"</li>
<li>New Order - "The Village"</li>
<li>Sharon Van Etten and Shearwater - "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"</li>
<li>Lindsay Buckingham - "Trouble"</li>
<li>DJ Shadow featuring Run The Jewels - "Nobody Speak"</li>
<li>Camera Obscura - "Let's Get Out Of This Country"</li>
<li>Daniel Romano - "When I Learned Your Name"</li>
<li>Classixx - "All You're Waiting For"</li>
<li>Superhumanoids - "Geri"</li>
<li>Thee Headcoats - "Troubled Times"</li>
<li>Culture Club - "Time (Clock Of The Heart)"</li>
<li>Atlas Sound - "Walkabout"</li>
<li>The Kings of Convenience - "I'd Rather Dance With You"</li>
<li>Joey Dosik - "I Don't Want It To Be Over"</li>
<li>Norma Fraser - "The First Cut Is The Deepest"</li>
<li>The Specials - "A Message To You Rudy"</li>
<li>Steppenwolf - "Tighten Up Your Wig (Live)"</li>
</ul>
<div>
Feel free to share feedback and links to your playlists in the comments section!</div>
<br />
<br /></div>
Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04863188041423659098noreply@blogger.com1