In case you’ve been wondering whatever happened to good old Martin Zellar (and I have), here’s your answer:
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/82301762.html

i discovered imeem.com last summer while desperately searching for a dashboard confessional cover of a weezer song (this one, if you’re interested) that i’d heard years before but wasn’t available through itunes. i expected it to be a hassle– only 30 second snippets, a cost for downloads, annoying pop-up ads, etc, but found nothing of the sort. true, you can only stream the songs (vs downloading), but that’s not unexpected. in addition, the site makes you register after a certain amount of free listens; however, to date i haven’t received one e-mail based off of that registration. (plus, when you register, you’re allowed to create custom playlists of your favorite songs.) from my experience, it’s just like real.com’s Rhapsody player, but without the pesky $14 charge.

as one might expect, i’ve spent a fair amount of time on the site, searching for and listening to music. not only have they never not had a song i’ve searched for, but they also have a lot of live recordings that you can’t get anywhere else. (particularly some good toad stuff here and here.) i typically turn everything good into evil, though, and it’s no different here.

for the past couple of weeks, i’ve started imeem-bombing innocent bystanders. sort of like rickrolling, but with more variety. the steps are simple:

1. locate an annoying song. songs from the 80s and early 90s work nicely.
2. use tinyurl to camouflage the song and artist.
3. send to an unsuspecting friend.
4. enjoy their pain.

some examples of what i’ve dished out over the past week or so:

• http://tinyurl.com/dxv3en
• http://tinyurl.com/ctrfyg
• http://tinyurl.com/cpn76r
• http://tinyurl.com/9y84uk
• http://tinyurl.com/63vdkl

such fun! try it.

today’s challenge: name the top five bands you want to see play live before you croak. (or, play again, if you’ve already seen them.) the only rule is that the band must still be active today– as much as i’d love to see guns ‘n’ roses circa 1988, i don’t think that’s gonna happen. stupid buckethead. anyway, here goes (in reverse order):

5. Pearl Jam / Counting Crows (tie)
4. Cake
3. Weezer
2. Toad the Wet Sprocket
1. Better Than Ezra

how ’bout you?

for some reason, i’ve always been drawn towards live music. even before my days in the band (c’mon, it’s been a while since i mentioned that), i’ve loved the raw sound of a live performance, vs. the perfection that can be generated by studio recordings. it actually might have been this double-disc set that turned me on to live performances– from jim morrison’s extended scream in “backdoor man” to the extended organ solo in “moonlight drive,” i was suddenly aware of how cool a live take on a known song could be.

i didn’t become a huge concert-goer, by any means. i caught such acts as r.e.m., metallica, bush, and the counting crows at huge venues before said venues became a bit of a turn-off. in the late 90′s i turned my attention to smaller venues and, in particular, one band. the peacemakers put on an amazing live show, and, in following them, i got turned on to the excitement of seeing a show from the front row of a place like the 400 Bar or the Fine Line. incredible.

anyway. while riding to work (and listening to the ipod) this morning, i started to think about all of the bands i’d love to see live that i haven’t yet seen– here’s that list.

1) Better Than Ezra. i’ve been an avid follower of BTE since 1996; only with the release of their live album in 2004 did i realize i needed to witness them in person. the bad news? they’ve only been in town once in the past five years, and apparently have no plans to be here soon.

2) Fountains of Wayne. i’ve also liked FoW for almost a decade, but until 2003′s “welcome interstate managers“, i considered them more quirky than, you know, rocking. WIM is filled with great stuff that would be great to see live; drawbacks are– like BTE– no tour dates upcoming. and, the new album seems to be back to quirky songs. oh well.

3) Guns n’ Roses, circa 1991. ok, impossible, but can you imagine? oh, and i’d appreciate not getting trampled and killed.

4) Oasis. i realize i’m coming a little late to the game with oasis, but have recently discovered a lot of their stuff that never made it to the radio and have been impressed. i’d also be hoping that the gallagher brothers get into a fistfight on stage.

5) The Shins. certainly not raucous by any means, but their songs are made up by so many layers of sound that i think it’d be cool to see live.

ok. who do you want to see?

Seeing as how I’ve actually purchased two CDs released this calendar year*, I figure the least I can do is write up a couple of quickie reviews for all y’all (shut up – I live in The South now). So skip on past the break if you’re interested in hearing about the Counting Crows’ Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings and/or The Black Crowes’ Warpaint.

*This is a lie in that I don’t really recall the last time I bought a physical CD. (I downloaded these two on iTunes.)

Counting Crows: Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings

If you’ve liked either of the Crows’ last two albums, you’ll find something to like here. No, it’s not the revelation of August…, nor the reinvention of …Satellites, but it’s probably time we stopped expecting either of those (although I’m willing to be pleasantly surprised someday). This album, their first since 2002, is solid. Honestly, I haven’t listened to it enough to say any more than that, as it’s always taken multiple listens for me to really get into their stuff. That said, early favorite tracks include: 1492, Cowboys, Washington Square, and Le ballet d’or. What else can I say? Unless you’re new to the Crows, in which case pick up both of their first two albums, you’ve already decided whether or not you like ‘em – if you do, get this album.

The Black Crowes: Warpaint

A brief search seems to indicate that this is their first album since 2001, and seventh overall (and for full disclosure, I own neither the fifth nor sixth, nor have I really listened to the third or fourth. Heh). In addition, it appears that both Chris and Rich Robinson (singer and guitarist, respectively) have put out solo albums in that time. Anyway. So I have no idea how this album relates to anything they’ve done since the early 1990s. That said, I like it. Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution has been getting some radio play out here, and holds its own with my favorite tracks from their first two albums. Much like the Counting Crows, if you like the Crowes, it’ll be pretty hard for you not to like this album.

Counting Crows today released their fifth studio album, Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings, their first release in six years. I’m guessing at that figure. It could also be five or seven years – I really don’t feel like fact checking. Regardless, it’s been a while.

While I do have quite an interest in the album, I may not get around to acquiring it for a while. So, in lieu of a new review, I thought I’d take today to revisit the best of the past. That’s right, I burned a CD of my favorite Crows songs. Jump with me past the break to see the tracklist.

1. Catapult
2. Hangin Around
3. Mr. Jones
4. Amy Hit The Atmosphere
5. Anna Begins
6. Have You Seen Me Lately?
7. Miami
8. Rain King
9. Up All Night (Frankie Miller Goes To Hollywood)
10. High Life
11. Sullivan Street
12. Angels Of The Silences
13. A Murder of One
14. Why Should You Come When I Call
15. Recovering the Satellites
16. Hard Candy
17. St. Robinson In His Cadallac Dream

A few notes…

The starting and ending tracks are non-negotiable. The best of the best, in my opinion. The only other must-have track is Sullivan Street. Love that song. Everything else is just personal seasoning to taste. I went for a balanced playlist across the four albums, but I’d probably have put more from This Desert Life otherwise.

Anyway, that’s the kick I’m on for today. If anyone cares to debate, or offer up opinions (or hey, a review of the new disc if you like), feel free to have at the comments section.

having huey lewis and the news’s “walkin’ on a thin line” stuck in your head for hours and hours and hours.

Thanks to my lovely wife and her family, I’ve become addicted to listening to holiday music starting Thanksgiving Day. Each year I can’t wait for KOOL 108 to ditch their normal oldies play lists for the sounds of Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Nat King Cole, and Jose Feliciano.

After listening to KOOL 108 for 4 weeks straight now, I have discovered there are a few songs that I absolutely cannot stand… for various reasons:

• I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas – This song gets stuck in my head and it puts me into a homicidal rage
• Christmas Shoes – If you listen to these lyrics, it’ll make you cry… but burried in there the kid who is asking for help in buying the shoes has the gall to say “Could you hurry sir”. Seriously kid, you’ve got pennies, you’re asking a stranger to buy shoes for your dying mom, don’t hassle him while he’s pulling his wallet out.
• ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas (‘Sconnie Version) – this is the most unfunny pile of puppy poo that I have ever had the unfortunate experience to listen to… repeatedly. Just terrible.

Sadly Christmas has ended and KOOL 108 stopped playing Holiday music at 12:00 AM December 26th. As I drove home at that exact time Christmas night I heard The Twelve Days of Christmas as the last song of the season for KOOL 108, then the Doobie Brothers started blaring from the radio and I will now go another 339 days until I listen to KOOL 108 again.

Even though holiday music is no longer coming across the airwaves, the Christmas season goes until January 6th and I plan to keep my CD player busy until then. And here are the Top Twenty Holiday Songs I look foward to listening to:

20: You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch – Thurl Ravenscroft

• Remember when you were young, before rampant use of VCRs and DVDs and DVRs and OnDemand; when you had to wait all year to watch your favorite Holiday television special? Any time I hear this song it takes me back to 1983, sitting on the floor of my parents living room watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas. And really, how can you deny a song sung by Thurl Ravenscroft? (aka Tony the Tiger)

19: Twelve Days Of Christmas – John Denver & The Muppets

• I remember sitting in Music class as a third grader having to sing this song and getting very bored by the time we hit the eighth day of Christmas. However, this version of the classic song finds a way to never grow old with different members of the Muppets joining in for each day. Miss Piggy belting out “Fiiiiiivvve Gooooold Ringgggggs… ba-dum-boom-boom” cracks me up each time.

18: All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

• The Mariah Carey rendition is acknowledged as the best… version… ever. This is confirmed if you search for the song on iTunes. Much in the same way that Mr. Splashy Pants dominated the voting, the voting for this version isn’t even close.

17: The Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth – Bing Crosby & David Bowie

• The juxtaposition of pipe smoking Bing and the androgynous Ziggy Stardust singing together is priceless, but not as priceless as the song they sang together just weeks before Crosby’s death.

16: Ding Dong Merrily On High – Roger Whittaker

• Whittaker’s rich baritone voice is perfect for almost any Holiday song. The arrangement is somewhat “new age”, but still classic and religious. To me this is the perfect version of the song; not even Bing Crosby could sing it better.

15: Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano

• What other Holiday song can you legitmately dance to? It doesn’t matter that the song is incredibly repetitive, you can’t help but tap your toes and sing along.

14: Carol Of The Bells – George Winston

• A very classic and clean piano version of the song. Another great version is actually from John Tesh’s Guitar By The Fire? It’s not like John Tesh actually performs the song, it just happens to be the compilation this fantastic guitar version is on. I also love nearly any version that has a choir singing the words (Hark! How the bells, sweet silver bells…)

13: Winter Wonderland – Peggy Lee

• Of all the versions of this song, the Peggy Lee version just seems to swing a little bit. Making what could be a tired old song young and fun again.

12: Do You Hear What I Hear – Andy Williams

• Deciding which rendition to choose here was very tough. Bing’s version is a classic, but Bing can’t have the best version of every song. If there was some sort of Holiday song trinity it would have to be Bing Crosby as God, Roger Whittaker as Jesus, and Andy Williams as the Holy Spirit.

11: Jingle Bells – Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

• A great jazzed up version of an old classic.

10: Adeste Fideles – Luciano Pavarotti

• While I prefer version of Holiday songs sung in English, Pavarotti’s powerful voice is enough to make me want to learn the Latin version.

9: Sleigh Ride – Johnny Mathis

• Johnny’s higher-pitched and bouncy voice is a perfect match for this song. “It’ll be the perfect ending of a … perrrr-fect day!”

8: Linus & Lucy – Vince Guaraldi Trio

• Some may feel that this isn’t a Holiday song, but it was originally written for A Charlie Brown Christmas. Whenever I hear it I can’t help but think about A Charlie Brown Christmas and which dance is my favorite. Mine is Sherman’s head bob, which one is your favorite?

7: O Holy Night – Josh Groban

• While I’m not a fan of Josh Groban, there is no denying this powerful version of O Holy Night that can bring you to tears. His operatic voice is a perfect match for this song.

6: The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole

• Although Mel Torme wrote this song, it is most associated with Nat King Cole. Nat’s Christmas album is filled with great performances, but this is by far and away the best of the bunch. An all time classic.

5: Hark The Herald Angles Sing – Vince Guaraldi Trio

• Not the most polished version, but every time I watch the show I can’t wait for the Peanuts gang to get through the “loo loo loo” part, scream out “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!”, and break into song.

4: I’ll Be Home For Christmas – Bing Crosby

• On the years I’m not in MN for Christmas this song always brings a tear to my eye… ‘sniff… ahem… let’s move on…

3: Silent Night – Various

• Speaking of songs that make me cry. I couldn’t settle on a particular version of this song. Whether is a church congregation or a single voice (Bing, Nat, even Jewel), Silent Night is one of the most well known and truly beautiful holidays songs ever written.

2: Beautiful Savior – St. Olaf Ole Choir

• Not well known outside of a small liberal arts college in Northfield Minnesota. Although the original author is unknown, the arrangement by F. Melius Christiansen is well known to Ole grads and many who are into choral music. Hearing this song performed at the closing of every annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival by the combined choirs is powerful and moving. This link to a performance isn’t a great example, but if you start listening around the 2:30 mark you can get an idea of how powerful this can be if sung by a choir. The first 2:30 will make you understand why this song isn’t so great when performed by a soloist.

1: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Roger Whittaker

• I love that this song is dark, brooding, and filled with minor chords. It is regarded as one of the oldest Christmas carols and was considered the favorite carol in England at the turn of the 19th century. Additionally it is the carol in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. But what I love most of all is that whenever I hear it I am instantly transported back to my parents house on Christmas Eve. Setting the table with my mom for Christmas Day. Putting out the last of the gifts. Listening to the local AM radio station playing Christmas songs well past midnight. That feeling of happiness, safety, giddiness for the next morning, and love is something I will cherish forever.

I wouldn’t have instantly thought to use the word ‘groundbreaking’ to describe the upcoming new release from Radiohead. For my tastes, they peaked somewhere in between Kid A and Amnesiac. Then again, I sounded the death knell on Pearl Jam a while back, and then their last album went ahead and was pretty decent, so who knows.

Still, this is groundbreaking. And I’m all for it.

Come next Wednesday we’ll all be able to go out to the internets and download the new Radiohead album, In Rainbows, and when it’s time to pay up for the privilege we’ll be presented with the statement: “it’s up to you”. Pay as much or as little as you like. Or pay nothing. If this doesn’t speak to the fact that bands generally get screwed on album deals with record companies, I don’t know what does.

I’ll be very interested to see what the fallout is from this. Will other established bands follow suit? How much money will Radiohead make on the honor system? Will I be able to download first and then pay if I like what I hear? Regardless, I hope this is the start of a trend.

I’ve been meaning to do this since Tuesday, and since it there is some actual time-limited content, I’m throwing this together even though I don’t have time to do it justice.

Matthew Good’s third solo album, Hospital Music, was released on Tuesday. Two cool things: The first single, Born Losers, is available for free from the iTunes Music Store. It’s the single of the week. And, the album itself is available for sale… for $7.99. Seven-freakin’-ninety-nine! It’s worth twice that, at least. Hehe. (Links above will launch the iTunes Music Store for you.)

Also available for sale at the iTMS are his first two solo albums, Avalanche, and White Light Rock and Roll Revue, as well as the Matthew Good Band release Beautiful Midnight, which is pretty much usable as a definition of rock and roll, if you ask me. Avalanche, however, is one of my top ten all time albums, no question. So check it out, man.