Overexposure
The following acts need to permanently retire from the festival circuit:
The Raconteurs
Modest Mouse
Spoon
And more than any artist on Earth:
M. Ward
And more than any artist on Earth:
Rooky Ricardo's
For some unexplainable reason, in the near two-plus years that I've lived on Fillmore, I've only stopped into Rooky Ricardo's once. While wrapping up a short run this afternoon, I stopped in for a second time.
As I stepped inside I was immediately greeted by a table of middle-aged guys playing some sort of card game. They told me to ask if I needed anything, and they proceeded to flip back to their leisurely game. I scoured the 7"s and found a number of ELO singles that I've wanted for some time. I then found a Springsteen 7" of "Incident on 57th Street" LIVE! What on Earth is this? Well, it's mine now.
As I was about to leave for the day, I became a bit immersed in the 50's soul that was playing at a perfect volume throughout the store. Like any record collector, the gentleman manning the register could sense my interest. He popped the CD out of the CD player and explained, "These are songs that never made it to CD. I copied them from vinyl." Add that to my 7"s. I explained how this music brought me straight back to riding around in my mother's Pinto in the late 70s/early 80s. Whenever we'd go to the laundromat or the grocery store, my mom would play CBS 101.5 in NY/NJ. Her love for this period of music is very similar to my love of music today. No matter her mood or the trials of the day, she'd always sing along to soul music of the 50s and 60s. The man suggested that I phone my mom and ask her to list off a few of her favorite bands from that time. Once I had that list, I should return to the store and he'd guide me.
It would be impossible to convey this little experience. Not only did it bring me back to my childhood, but the sincerity and good-natured attitude inside of Rooky Ricardo's represents everything I cherish about mom and pop stores. Unlike most tedious record stores in San Francisco, there is absolutely no attitude inside these walls. There's simply music, a few fellow music-lovers and a casual game of cards.
Obama on the Defensive
I'm starting to sense a glimmer of John Kerry in 04. The past few weeks, the Obama camp has fallen victim to McCain's playbook, and if it continues, I fear that the democratic party will once again suffer a devastating loss.
A few months ago, Obama's team would quickly squash attacks launched by Hillary Clinton and his fellow democratic-nominee hopefuls. But lately, Obama has opted to respond to every single absurd claim tossed its way by McCain's dirtbags. I mean, did he really need to take time to publicly address and defend himself following the Britney/Paris ad? Could he not have just laughed it off and turned it all on McCain? Instead, he's come off as defensive which has obviously been effective. Obama needs to remember that the majority of Americans are not well-informed, and such ads can drastically alter the electorate's mood and direction. The more time he spends "explaining" these ads, the more the public turns on him.
He must go on the offensive. John McCain has made it clear that he has zero platform, and just like W in 00 and 04, fully understands that Rove-like punches are the only way to fool the public and garner enough support to win the presidency. If Obama doesn't swing back and quickly discredit McCain's ludicrous allegations, then it's 4-8 more years of devastating leadership.
A few months ago, Obama's team would quickly squash attacks launched by Hillary Clinton and his fellow democratic-nominee hopefuls. But lately, Obama has opted to respond to every single absurd claim tossed its way by McCain's dirtbags. I mean, did he really need to take time to publicly address and defend himself following the Britney/Paris ad? Could he not have just laughed it off and turned it all on McCain? Instead, he's come off as defensive which has obviously been effective. Obama needs to remember that the majority of Americans are not well-informed, and such ads can drastically alter the electorate's mood and direction. The more time he spends "explaining" these ads, the more the public turns on him.
He must go on the offensive. John McCain has made it clear that he has zero platform, and just like W in 00 and 04, fully understands that Rove-like punches are the only way to fool the public and garner enough support to win the presidency. If Obama doesn't swing back and quickly discredit McCain's ludicrous allegations, then it's 4-8 more years of devastating leadership.
Jeff Tweedy Performs w Former UT-drummer Bill Belzer
Perhaps this is the closest we'll ever see to an Uncle Tupelo reunion. Short-lived Tupelo drummer Bill Belzer joined Tweedy on the kids stage at Lollapalooza yesterday.
Belzer served as middleman between the original UT drummer Mike Heidorn and the final UT drummer Ken Coomer. Belzer did not appear on any Tupelo records, but played a number of shows with Jay and Jeff around the recording of March 16-20, 1992
The Silent Criminal
Who is this man? My guess is that nine out of ten people reading this entry have no idea. Aside from the presidency, he may hold the most critical leadership role in the United States.
If you've opened a newspaper in the past eight years, you're well aware of the world crisis that is climate change. Most, if not all, scientists now conclude that we have passed the breaking point. In other words, the United States along with China, India, and well, most of the world, have caused irreparable harm to this planet; harm that will soon throw us into an unimaginable world crisis. Although we can't reverse the damage done, we can begin to minimize further damage, and ultimate slow the forthcoming rise in sea levels, spread of disease and massive food shortage. If our leaders show us the way, we can perhaps add a few generations to our time here on Earth.
I realize that this may sound extremely grim and fatalistic, but there are few scientists who disagree with such an assessment. There is little argument that within a century, millions, if not billions, of people will be wiped off this planet, and wiped off too soon.
Back to the man above. His name is Stephen L. Johnson. On January 26 of 2005, he was named Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. It has been almost four years and he is universally unknown to the American population as well as the rest of the World. As this crisis becomes more and more dire, the lead environmental spokesman for the premiere world power is absolutely invisible. Given George Bush's alignment with big oil and big business, this man was appointed to do, well, nothing. How on Earth he is able to sleep at night is a mystery to me.
When climate change truly begins to level parts of this world, this man, Stephen L. Johnson, will be remembered. He will be remembered as a man who could have helped. Yet he did nothing. Absolutely nothing. This man should not hold one of this country's more important leadership roles. He should be answering to the World in the Hague.
New Contender for #1 of 08
Thao still holds the top spot, but the new Apollo Sunshine record, Shall Noise Upon, out Tuesday on Headless Heroes, is certainly making a charge.
More on this one later...
Bruce Springsteen's "Tracks"
Columbia released Springsteen's collection of outtakes, b-sides and rarities titled Tracks in 1998 to little fanfare. Springsteen enthusiasts had been waiting for such a collection for years and a decade has proven that this collection stacks up there with Bruce's best records. 66 tracks deep, Tracks obviously has a few tracks that could've been purged, but the solid songs far outweigh the clunkers. Songs like "I Wanna Be With You", "Ricky Wants a Man of Her Own" and "Where The Bands Are" are just a few tracks that make up an absolutely stellar collection.
When considering Springsteen's greatest achievements, namely Born To Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town and Nebraska, this fantastic set would probably settle just a step behind. Near perfect albums such as Born in the USA and The River would rest perfectly beside this collection. It's a shame that few fans cite Tracks as one of Bruce's top releases, but sit down for a few hours with it, and you'll certainly change your tune.
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