Embarcadero Eyes

Heehee, the Merle comments...

I first saw this story on the news ticker tape on CNN when I was at work. It just said something like, "Haggard confesses to long time sex problem" or something like that. Of course, the first Haggard I think of was Merle. It took me awhile to put the pieces together. I was thinking, "Oh, how sick. Society is so obsessed with celebrity..."

I agree. I find this sad. I don't even like to think about Bush or his advisors or who he talks to anymore. I'm so ready to move on and start hating a new president.

Failed States- Noam Chomsky

Day- Elie Wiesel

another vote for Texas.

La Zona Rosa would be nice.

I'm not up on my Beatles history, so I'm on a completely different line of thought here.

I've worked in the country music business for a while now. There is an ABUNDANCE of country music under the glitzy veneer of Nashville that is great singer/songwriter stuff. You just gotta know where to look. There are even a few floating around on the charts.

Nashville is quite the interesting place nowadays. Kinda creepy in some ways, too. Major record labels in Nashville have "writing wings" and floors in which songwriters are hired and payed by the hour to write music. Every Monday, a "cheat sheet" is sent out that lets these writers know who's recording and what they're looking for. It might read something like: Faith Hill-songs about rain, Sarah Evans- divorce songs, Kenny Chesney- Fishing songs. Then, they go from there.

If you think about Johnny Cash at San Quentin or how Willie's massive phenomena of fans grew, they played to the workers, the criminals, the bar brawlers, the rednecks. They sang songs about hell and death and drug addiction, because their music was meant to be for the people of the country. Now, Top 40 country is designed exclusively for 30 year old soccor moms in GMC Yukons with 4,000 sq. ft. houses. Record labels are feeding their hungriest demographic, which isn't people in the rurals. Not by a landslide.

Heh.. the Decemberists...

Speaking of annoying voices...

To each his own.

I wondered about the royalties too.

Ain't too pleased with the rate increase either.

Can we get back to the topic?

Bush actually said our troops are "plenty smart". That's what I want my nations' leader to call me. How shitty is that? Your president calls you "plenty smart" or John Kerry saying you didn't use your education wisely. Hmmm... which one do I want? Choosing between those two for president was like picking your favorite Menendez brother. (Thank you, Mel Gibson. Drunks are plenty smart)

And I'd be willing to bet Kerry's speech writers are all strewn about on the floor of some cabin in the woods, still numb from the bottles of quaaludes they downed yesterday...

I just joined a week ago. I really like it so far, I'm going to get a chance to catch up on a lot of stuff I've been missing. Just wanted to pass that along.

Just curious what you guys read for music and or film news.

I love Paste, personally, but I read pretty much everything.

DBT "will probably be around a long time"?

WHAT?

I'm pretty sure Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood have been making music together for about 20 years now. I'm pretty sure they have 6 albums...

What the hell is going on in this thread?

I thought one of the best parts of the film was when DiCaprio is asking Nicholson, "Who thinks they can do your job better than you? Who wants to be you?" The editing and the expression and emotion in that scene was absolutely flawless and could easily win both of them a slew of award nominations. I hope this movie also boosts Whalberg's respect as an actor, and he never does another White Trash on the Water, I mean, Perfect Storm, again.

While innovation is something I find most admirable, there is a lot to be said for music that is just fun. Kings of Leon are really good at making me smile and dance and jump around at their concerts. There aren't many that can turn on an instant good mood for me like Youth and Young Manhood. I thought their second album wasn't really as good as Youth.

I don't think the music is that "new" but I do think they have some originality in their lyrics. Joe's Head and Tranny are two of my favorites, and Molly's Chambers rocks my sauce too, even with the VW commercial.

I don't get why people give so much shit to commercial songs or whatnot. I'm sorry, but at the time Molly's Chambers got added to the VW commercial, no one had yet heard of Kings of Leon. I'm young, an aspiring musician, broke, and no one knows who I am. A corporation approaches me to add one of my best songs to their latest commercial, which will be in heavy rotation on every major channel. What kind of idiot would say no? And for that matter, if my job was finding music for tv shows, commercials, etc, I would spin bands I loved, and try to help them out.

My perspective is definitely altered from working in the music business the past two years, but we all need money man. Unfortunately, that's the system.

Isn't their story like that Ray what's his name guy - in that they never listened to music growing up? - their dad was some sort of con artist/preacher dude?

and yes, I believe they were raised Pentacostal. (sp?)

Wow. A: I love KoL. I saw them play at Stubb's a while back and the show kicked ass. The Like opened for them, good ol' fashioned fun.

B: Kings of Leon are opening for BOB DYLAN? I had no idea! How random...

Yes. I like it a lot, I'm listening to it now. Don't worry about the snobbishness on the board.

Snobbishness? Because we don't like glam rock?

GOD DAMN IT. I didn't make the release, and now I read that and I'm really mad at myself!

Wow. Well, I'm definitely buying their catalog. I'll make a show soon.

FF is so crazy. Either my QB's and RB's kick ass and my recievers suck, or vice versa. Never consistent ass kicking.

I listened to it on myspace. I didn't know about the soundtrack, I just saw "Open Season" in the Lost Highway Records top 8 page and new something was up.

Definitely good Westerberg work. I really dig.

Not all "bands", but whatever...

 

Ryan Adams

Drive By Truckers

Hayes Carll

The Gourds

Hays Carll is a god. Can't freaking wait for his new album on Lost Highway.

Yay! I knew they'd have other fans here. I can't imagine a Wilco fan NOT liking this band. I posted a thing the other day about my myspace e-zine the other day, "Split Hairs", and they are my featured band profile.

I'm going to try to go to their cd release party tomorrow night in Austin. I'm kinda broke, but... ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

Yeah, I just found out about them...

anyone heard this Dallas band? I'm in love.

Bob Dylan

Drive-By Truckers

Counting Crows (haven't released new material recently, but its coming)

Carter Falco (alt-country)

Bobby Bare Jr.

Jenny Lewis/Rilo Kiley

Hi guys!

I haven't been on via regularly in a while, and I forgot my old username and password. I was formerly "GhostBurn". I realize that will mean little to most of you.

Anyway, I'm a diehard Wilcoan and I work in the music business doing publicity and freelance writing. I've started a new myspace page, strictly for music and entertainment discussion. I'd love to have as many people on board as possible. The page is meant to be informative but also FUN, not too music snobby or pretentious. I am welcoming ideas from readers and I'll post good writing that is submitted on any subject related to entertainment.

Please check it out!

www.myspace.com/splithairs

Ummm.... what? I don't even understand half of that. Where did the SA Express News find a windbag like that?