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 Top 5 songs that make you feel like CelebratingAs much as I love Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, my favorite time for celebrating is Mardi Gras time. So, join me, if you will in a Mardi Gras musical celebration featuring music from New Orleans. I'm throwin' the beads and the moon pies, but please, no debauchery; at least not until February!5. Louisiana Liplock - Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper - Ok, this one's more or less just for the sheer fun of it, with lyrics like, She put a Louisiana liplock on my love porkchop.4. Papa Dukie & The Mud People - the subdudes3. Jenny Says - Cowboy Mouth - This band is from NOLA, so it's part of the celebration, too!2. Thibodaux, Louisiana - Marcia Ball 1. U.S.S Zydecoldsmobile - Sonny Landreth - This is the song you want playin' when the king cake is cut and the Abita beer is flowin'!And Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler on February 20, 2007!Podcast at left or here.
Thursday Thirteen...err...Whatever
I have dropped out of the "official" T13 game for now, since it's become such a comment whore thing. Lots of visitors came by, but I'd get lots of "nice list" comments. Did the person even read what I wrote?
I still enjoy making lists like that, so I'll continue the weekly post. I'm not sure it's always going to be 13 things, and I won't be using that Mr. Linky thing. I'm just not going to list myself in the T13 site any longer.
Things I Miss
Hearing a rotary phone dial - Yes, even though the beep, boop, baaah of the touch-tone is quite tuneful, the old rotary phone sound was so soothing and peaceful, even if the dialing took forever (I had a link to a .wav of the phone dialing, but it kept causing errors, so no sound! But if you remember it, you know anyway.) I even miss the old ring, with an actual bell! (Hear the ring here. And don't forget to pick up. It keeps ringing!) Of course, I am happy to have the redial button these days, so I guess it's a trade-off!
Having an elevator operator - I remember shopping in Watt & Shand's in downtown Lancaster, PA and waiting for that elevator to arrive at my floor to take me up to the teen clothing department. The operator always looked so bored, but she was nattily dressed and always announced the floor numbers. Made you feel like you were a big shot or something. Sometimes I'd shop with friends and we'd ride that elevator up and down several times, just for fun. Or at least until the operator shot us one of those "not you again" looks.
Having to wait for the Charlie Brown Christmas special every year - We don't have to wait now, with dvds available. Heck, you can even forward to the exact scene you want to see at the touch of a button. Back when I was a kid (and that special was brand-spankin'-new), we had to wait for the show to air on one of the networks (I forget which one used to carry it). And if you missed it, well, too bad. Wait til next year, kid. For some inexplicable reason, I miss that,and I'm sort of angry that my kids have never been subjected to such frustration!
Albums - The LP record album was a thing of joy. First of all, the cover was a piece of art, and it was big enough to actually appreciate the details. CDs are just too small for intricate art. Just think, the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, classic as it is, would have really been just another cover if it had been released on cd. Who could pick out all of the famous people? Then, there's the actual needle-meeting-grooves thing. You were part of the process of listening with albums. You had to place the needle on the disc at the precise spot and carefully let go, so as not to cause a big skip and scrrrr-ATCH! And, if you were like me, you had to clean the record before and after playing, in order to extend its life. And don't forget the flipping to side 2! I know that a cd is read by a laser, but once the thing enters the innards of the player, you lose contact and never see what happens. It's all a digital mystery to me.
TV station sign-offs - The national anthem...the test pattern...the steady audio tone...the seal of good practice. Now, most stations (other than PBS) just fade to infomercials after hours! ICK! Here's an oldie from YouTube. I like it because it includes a promo with Oprah before she was famous and mentions Dialing For Dollars! (but then it loses me during the preacher section.) By the way, I used to watch WJZ when I was a kid, which was way before Oprah was there. Here's another one, which is preceeded by a promo of Friday Night Videos and Saturday Night Live.
Drive-In Movies - Sure, they're still around in some spots, but it's just not the same. The one that still stands in my town has not been in operation for a couple of years, but before it closed, we saw Lilo & Stitch there. The snack building was in disrepair and they served pre-popped popcorn that had been sitting around, just like in the big multiplexes. The ambiance was gone (but not the mosquitoes!)
I won't miss: "Nice list!" "My list is at http://www.whogivesaratsass.com."
What do you miss about "the good old days?"
Our Prez seems to think that Iraq isn't about to enter into a civil war (as reported here). What, then? They're just fightin' a little?
Tell It To Me Tuesday
 This week, Janet poses the question, Who are your sexiest famous or semi-famous men and why? (In line with People's Sexiest Man Alive issue.)
You mean, in addition to my husband? (Yes, he's semi-famous in his field of engineering, with lots of published articles referenced by other semi-famous nerds engineers.)
Well, let's see here....
Michael C. Hall - He plays Dexter on Showtime's creepy serial-killer series, Dexter. (before that he was on Six Feet Under.) He's boyishly handsome, but at the same time very creepy and sinister. What the heck does that say about me?
 Alan Rickman - He's got a rather long face and nose, but nobody makes that look sexier than Alan Rickman. He's just got it. I can't explain. Perhaps it's his accent, too, since I find that sexy.  Scott Patterson - One guy I work with says that no guy over 10 should wear a backward-facing baseball cap. I disagree. My hubby looks sexy that way, and so does Scott, as Luke of Gilmore Girls.
 Ben Stiller - Funny is sexy. And he's cute to boot. That's all for this round. Do you notice any trends here? Dark hair?
Psychedelic Sunday's Anniversary Countdown
Sticky Post: Will Remain on top for the time being.Psychedelic Sunday has been a smashing success in its first year. In honor of that, I'll hold a countdown of the Top 20 songs of the year, as voted by my readers. (Yeah, we'll see how it goes!) I've set up a poll, but you can only choose one song, at least until I find a better polling site online. If you click the title in the polling box, it'll link you to the full list with no scrolling. For now, this will do. Vote at left. I'll keep it up until mid-December and I believe you can vote once per day! Thanks!
Frampton "Fingerprints" CD Giveaway - Round 2
 This week's Monday podcast is a "guess the connection" game again. You'll win a promo copy of Peter Frampton's excellent new release Fingerprints, if you are one of the first two to send me a correct answer with the connection I'm looking for. (and no, it's not "they're all on my classic rock station, Nat!") There is a specific connection, and it's pretty easy.
Somebody To Love - Queen
Show Me The Way - Peter Frampton
Night Moves - Bob Seger
Magic Man - Heart
Last Child - Aerosmith
I've got them loaded into a podcast, if you wish to listen to these classic rock songs. (Yeah, they are, but that's not the specific connection!) Listen at left, or here.)
Send your answer to nataliet757@excite.com. Mark and Marie, who won last time, are free to guess, but are excluded from winning again! Happy listening and good luck!
UPDATE: I have one winner already. Congrats to I.M. Dedd! Still have one cd left for grabs!
Psychedelic Sunday
 How Can You Call That Beautiful - The Nazz
If you're a regular reader here, perhaps you'll recall that I'm a big fan of power pop god, Todd Rundgren. Before Todd was off on his own, he made a big splash with the his psych-pop band, The Nazz. These four took their cues from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, which should have been enough to send the band to superstardom. Don't know why they didn't get huge, since the ingredients were there: great pop songwriting, catchy hooks and harmonies, and really mod clothes. They had a minor hit with Hello It's Me, but that song really didn't cause a stir until Todd released it as a solo artist. Good for Todd, unfortunate for The Nazz. The Nazz
So, have a listen to a Rundgren song performed by this groovy little band. This version is from an album titled Nazz Vs. Todzilla, which was assembled in 2002 with alternate versions of the original songs. (Todd is singing lead here instead of Robert Antoni, aka Stewkey, who sang the song as released on Nazz III. Rundgren had left the group and Stewkey replaced Rundgren's vocals with his own. Bad Stewkey!) Listen at left, or download it here.**download for 7 days onlyNext week: An oft-covered tune from a band whose leader produced a single in 1964 which included Jimi Hendrix on guitar.
 Top 5 Long Songs (Over 5 Minutes)Hey, I could make this entire thing Led Zeppelin songs, but I won't. And I'm steering away from live versions of songs, which tend to get drawn-out when an artist has the chance to strut his/her stuff. (So that leaves out Do You Feel Like We Do from Frampton!) These will all be studio recordings over 5 minutes in length. (And thank your stars I don't really like Inna Gadda Da Vida, baby!)5. Goin' Against Your Mind - Built To Spill - I'm not a huge BTS fan, but I love the jammin' nature of this song. Totally rocks.4. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd - In every bar there's always at least one drunk dude yelling out for the band to play this. That's because it's classic. It's just not a dance-along song due to the slow-fast change-up. 3. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley - Simply hauntingly beautiful. 2. Kashmir/Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin - Sometimes I just cannot make a bold decision and pick one. Kashmir rocks out in a very symphonic way and that driving underlying beat grabs me. Stairway, well, it's Stairway To Heaven, man!1. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd- This one puts me in a near-trance every time.
Artist Of The Day
 Photo by Jon BahrThe SlipAccording to the bio on their web page, The Slip are an avant-rock trio who dropped out of Berklee and headed out to spread their particular brand of jam-band joy. (Some argue they are not a jam band, but come on, they have recorded in Phish's barn!) And my how it's spreading. Their song Even Rats is being played-along to by thousands of guitar wanna-bes in Sony Playstation 2's hot Guitar Hero video game. If you're thirsty, you can get a little sip of The Slip right here!Even Rats - The Slip*Airplane/Primitive - The Slip**downloads for 7 days only
Contest Update...2 winners
 I have two winners for the Frampton CD giveaway! Congratulations to Mark and Marie for correctly identifying the connection in the songs as....COWBELL! Yep, each one of the songs in the post features, either prominently or in the background, a hearty serving of more cowbell! Stay tuned for another round of the giveaway!
Contest...Contest...Contest..UPDATED
I've got a contest for you, as well as an accomanying podcast. What will you win? How about a brand-spankin'-new copy of Peter Frampton's new all-instrumental cd, Fingerprints? If you're interested and you live in the US or Canada, put on your thinking beanies and figure out the connection I'm thinking of for these 8 songs:1. Born On The Bayou - Creedence Clearwater Revival2. In The Street - Big Star3. Alex Chilton - The Replacements
4. Happy Ways - Joe Walsh
5. Walk This Way - Aerosmith6. Gold Dust Woman - Fleetwood Mac7. Honky Tonk Woman - Rolling Stones8. Dance The Night Away - Van Halen
Send your answers to me at nataliet757 at excite dot com, and I get so much stinking spam there that you should write a subject line such as Contest Answer or something like that. First two to answer correctly will win. Monday, I'll have another game to give away the other two copies of the cd. The CDs are courtesy buzztone.com, the company doing the marketing for this latest Frampton release. And no, I'm not getting paid to do this; I'm just participating for fun, love of music, and, yes, a free cd for myself. (Is that like, payola, or what?) Listen at left, or here. Good luck! By the way, the cd has some inspired moments. I'll give a full review upon listening to the entire thing again, but I'm impressed with track 1, Boot It Up. UPDATE: I am adding three songs to the mix here, since maybe I made this a tad too hard. They aren't in the podcast, so you'll have to listen on your own (or in your head if you can't listen to them with a cd or an mp3 file!). And think instruments, ok? I have one cd left to give away with this contest. Next week's contest will be easier, I promise!
 Top 5 Songs That Make You LaughI'm trying to stick with conventional songs here, not "novelty" songs, so that leaves out most songs I've come to know and love from listening to Dr. Demento!
5. You Got Away With It (A Tale Of Two Frat Brothers) - Todd Snider - A new favorite. Todd reels you in with the story, then surprises you at the end. It's fun all along the way, too. And don't we all know someone who always gets away with it?4. Alcohol - Barenaked Ladies - You have to love a lyric like, "I love you more than the week before I discovered alcohol."3. Lou Reed - Little Willies - They saw Lou Reed doing what?2. Your Dad Did - John Hiatt - He's got a way of painting a picture, and this song is no exception. You don't laugh all the way through the song, but the payoff comes near the end, just like the Todd Snider song does.1. A**hole - Denis Leary - Ok, this just might qualify as novelty, but it's done with such conviction by Denis, and it's such a great commentary on our culture. There really are so many a**holes out there, ya know?Podcast will be up tomorrow morning!
Thursday Thirteen
I know I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here, but I'd like to take the opportunity this week to be thankful, at least in a blogging sense. I don't know if I'll post next Thursday, since I'll be chopping veggies, attempting to de-lump gravy, and fending off invading hands who try like hell to pick at the food before it's ready to eat.
Thirteen Things I'm Thankful For - Blogger's Edition
13. Haloscan - When Blogger takes a dive, I can count on haloscan to read comments. Well, most of the time, that is.
12. Music Memes - I love participating in these! My favorite on is Top 5 On Friday, presented each week by The Music Memoirs. And it's even more fun now that I podcast my picks each week.
11. Blogger's Upload Photo tool - Before Blogger added this feature, I kept a separate blog just for photos, or had to link from flickr, adding extra steps and lots of time to the posting procedure. (I know, I should just get off blogger in the first place!)
10. Blogrolling - When bloggrolling.com is down, I get a wee panicked! I can't find ALL off you without it!
9. Site Meter - No, I don't check my stats like a maniac, but now and again it's amusing to see how some people arrive at my site. Most people are looking for music, and I hope they find it! One search was for "brandi carlile lesbian." Well, although I suspect she leans that way, I have never hinted at that in a post!
8. Blog Designers - Blogger's templates are OK, but when you see blog after blog of same-o, samo-o, it gets old. Thank goodness there are creative blog designers (mine was done by a group that has disbanded, at least according to emails I received early this year.)
7. Archives - So I can go back and read what I was thinking about 3 years ago. It's become a digital diary of life.
I'm skipping 6 - 2, since I have to get to work and I can't think of anything anyway! Is this breaking a rule? Will I get kicked out of the T13 club? What are the ramifications?
1. Excellent readers, commentors, and Blog Friends - I love interacting with you! You are all part of my life!
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Artist And Songs Of The Day
 The Sleepy Jackson
I believe I may have a repeat artist with this post today, but I just purchased their excellent Personality - One Was A Spider One Was A Bird cd yesterday, and its already made its way into my top 25 of the year. The disc will fill your pop-loving soul with lush orchestration and beautiful, multi-layered harmonies (at times sounding very much like a Beach Boys record). It's a mish-mash of 60's, 70's, and 80's sensibilities, but it doesn't come off as a mere imitation. Have a sample or two from this excellent nod to the past:The Devil Was In My Yard*Dream On**available for 7 days only
Tell It To Me Tuesday
I love cover songs, so much that I download the "Coverville" podcast twice a week to hear some off-the-wall, unique presentations of other-people's-music. When I saw that Janet's question this week was, What are some of your favorite remakes? I was thrilled. Now, to pick from so many that I truly love; that is the hard part!
1. Over The Rainbow - Eva Cassidy - This song will, I'm sure, always be identified with Judy Garland and The Wizard Of Oz, but Eva's cover is the standard for me. She is captivating and earnest and amazing. She also covers Fleetwood Mac's Songbird and Sting's Fields Of Gold and makes them her own.
2. Spit On A Stranger - Nickel Creek - Who would have thought that a bluegrass band could do such justice to a Pavement song? It's sublime! (no, not the band sublime!)
3. Hurt - Johnny Cash - I've only heard Nine Inch Nails' original once. Johnny takes this song and hits home, considering the hurt he caused in his life. It's a riveting song on its own, but Cash breaks your heart when you listen.4. Love Hurts - Nazareth - A cover of a cover of a cover! Love the vocals in this one.5. Willin' - Linda Ronstadt - As much as I love the Lowell George version, Linda's female voice puts a slightly different twist on the song. 6. Tenderness On The Block - Shawn Colvin - Her version isn't all that different from Warren Zevon's original, but her voice is so sweet and clear and the backup vocals from the subdudes just send it over the top. 7. Baby Now That I've Found You - Alison Krauss - She takes a 60's boouncy pop song and makes it melancholic. It's truly lovely.8. All Along The Watchtower - Dave Matthews Band - It doesn't surpass Hendrix's own classic, but it takes it to a new dimension with the horns and the violin. 9. Only Women Bleed - Etta James - To hear a woman with a big voice singing this instead of Alice Cooper is so satisfying. (and Etta is one of the finest blues singers EVER!)10. Mad World - Gary Jules - This Tears For Fears tune is haunting when covered by Jules, especially in the context of the Donnie Darko movie. I don't know if these are my 10 favorite ever, since I'm such a music geek, but I will always love Eva Cassidy's cover best. P.S. I could not resist a podcast of this, so it's at left. Or here.
70's Music Explosion Podcast
 You all know that I've got a sweet tooth for sugary 60's and 70's pop music, so when I saw this 4-disc set, Barry Williams (yes, Greg Brady himself!) Presents 70's Music Explosion, I could not resist it. Besides, I had enough Borders rewards to get it free! Yahooooieee! It's packed with tasty treats from my teen years. Stop laughing. Let's see how much affection you have for N'Sync in 30 years, m'k? Anyway, I just had to give you a podcast with 5 songs from the set. Here goes:Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'SullivanBeach Baby - First ClassLove Train - The O'JaysBrother Louie - The StoriesMagnet And Steel - Walter EganWow, I just realized that I did not include even one female artist in that set. My bad. Next time!Listen at left or download here. And put on your bell-bottoms!
Top 5 Podcast
 Since I really could not produce a podcast with those artists listed below, I've devoted a podcast to the Top 5 Artists Who Have Stopped Singing.
Note: these are all artists in Rock And Roll Heaven.
Songbird - Eva Cassidy
Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Warren Zevon
Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
One - Harry Nilsson
W-O-L-D - Harry ChapinListen at left, or download here.
Top 5 - Artists/Bands that should just stop singing. (Tell us why you chose them too)I guess I can't podcast THIS one, since I don't like the singing, I don't have any of the music!Britney/Kevin - I'm cheating and using both as one choice, even though the d-i-v-o-r-c-e is pending. She is a mediocre singer who's all about the show and appealing to the lowest common denominator and he's a backup dancer who thinks he has a career as a singer. Tom Waits - I'm sorry. I know he's a brilliant songwriter whose talent is beyond compare. It's the voice I can't stand. Scratchy. Mumbly. Grumbly. He should stick to songwriting, producing, and arranging, if you ask me. (I do like the song Martha, though. Not quite so hard on the ears.)The Polyphonic Spree - Sounds like a grown-up Brady Bunch to me. I can only hope that the novelty factor wears off soon. Jenny Lewis - Ok, I do have a few songs of hers in iTunes, but it's one of those love/hate things. Her precocious near-whisper vocals just grate on me. Antony from Antony and The Johnsons - Again, there are beautiful songs in his catalog. I just can't take the voice. It's too torchy and warbly for my taste. Not familiar with him? Try some here.
Thursday Thirteen
Last week, Jeff K covered 13 things he doesn't get. Along those lines, this week I'm revisiting:
Thirteen Things I'm Sick Of (Volume 2)
13. Kirstie Alley - I'm still sick of her! She's still losing weight and, apparently, still seeking attention. Ok, she's 55 and looking good, but get over yourself, hon. You are not the first gal to get fat and then drop the poundage.
12. Negative election ads - I'm so glad that's all over...for now!
11. Madonna's Adoption Saga - PUH-LEEZE! The press seems so shocked that someone with wealth and fame can get something more quickly than the rest of us schmucks, so they don't let up. Then, Madonna fuels the whole thing by talking about it on a show nobody watches? OPRAH? In the long run, I feel for the kid.
10. Britney's Divorce - This happened so recently that I haven't had a chance to get sick of it yet, but I know the press will stay all over this one. The guy known as K-Fed is about to be Fed-Ex! (note: I wrote this last night, but now I've seen Federline referred to as "Fed-Ex" in the paper. I thought I was being original. Oh well!)
9. References to the new Bond flick that include the words "shaken" or "stirred." - Come on, press, at least attempt to be original.
8. Lindsay Lohan - She hates her party girl image? Awww. Poor thing. Perhaps she could stay home a little then? Maybe a couple of nights per week? I'm just sayin'.
7. Dieting - Sure, I'll keep watching the calories, so I can fend off diabetes and heart disease as long as I can, but I'm just tired of it all.
6. Teacher conferences - I know it's necessary to keep informed and involved in your child's education, but the whole teacher conference dance is tiresome. I've even read magazine articles on how to optimize your teacher conference. Shouldn't this be common sense? How is my Johnny doing and how can we help him improve? Isn't that all we need to know?
How about not making it a day of no school? Shouldn't the teachers be teaching instead of meeting parents all day? (Maybe this is just the way it's done in MA. I don't recall having a day off for teacher meetings when we lived in FL.) I'm just full of questions about this whole thing.
5. Mitt Romney - Now that he's a lame duck guv here in MA, he wants to proceed with his plan to eliminate tolls on the MA turnpike (for some sections) before he exits his plush office in Boston. Sure, wipe out the tolls and their income, then leave the huge shortfall to Deval Patrick to figure out. And this guy wants to be Prez? I think NOT! Please, people, don't fall for him when he comes courting your vote in your state.
4. JC Penney - According to this article, they are reaping profits these days. Fine and dandy, but it's partially due to delving into new brands. I've been shopping there for quite some time, but the quality in their new brands is disappointing. The knit top I bought looks horrid after washing compares to the stuff at Old Navy: thin and cheaply contructed. I guess it's fine if you want to wear something for one season, then shove it in a Goodwill bag, but I'd like some quality and I'll pay a little more for it.
3. Christmas commercials - Already sick of them. It's November 9.
2. The new wave of spam - Do you get the emails from (^&)^*(%^&? Do they have subject lines of $^**&^$*))@@&$? I get about a ton a day and I can't keep up with the filtering! ARGHH!
1. Rachael Ray - Sure, she's cute and perky and all, but enough already. She's got CDs out now (tagged with her "How Cool Is That" line) ..and ANOTHER new book. I say it 's high time she had a baby to keep her busy, ya know?
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Tell It To Me Tuesday
 This week's question has me mulling over years and years of TV watching! Dammit, Janet, this one's tough!
What fictional character on television, past or present, do you (or did you) most relate to and why?
So, I guess that leaves out Katie Couric, unless she's really just a fictional character invented to read the news!
I'm going to have to go with the only character I can think of that I can relate to at this point in life:
 Mrs. C from Happy Days! Way more fun than Ma Walton, and far more approachable and true-to-life than June Cleaver, Marion Cunningham could even have a heart-to-heart with Arthur Fonzarelli! That's my kind of mom! Mon picked Miranda from Sex And The City. I can't relate to any of those gals, since I haven't been single since 1983 and I have never lived alone in a big city, worn designer clothing and shoes, or dated famous people! If I had to pick a character I'd relate to from the single years, I'd have to go with Pvt. Judy Benjamin of Private Benjamin! (Except that film and show never really represented military life as it really is!)Do you relate to any fictional TV characters?
Random 5 Songs Monday Podcast
 Because I'm in a sort of random mood, the podcast has no real theme today. Just randomness.
Now, get out and VOTE TOMORROW (if you're in the USA, of course.) And your vote should not be random. Think about what matters to you and your family and vote accordingly. I shall now step off the soapbox and return to random music!
4 randomly chosen from my iTunes, the other (Pernice Brothers) seemed to fit with the Guided By Voices song, so I picked that one purposefully.
Gideon - My Morning Jacket
She's A Star - James
Gonna Never Have To Die - Guided By Voices
Automaton - Pernice Brothers
Hash Pipe - Weezer
Listen at left, or download here.
Psychedelic Sunday
Lyndon made a comment in reference to Tommy: Did you listen to Tommy with a candle burning, and see your future? Well, no. Not really. But, hey, I did feel a little trippy and I got a sudden urge to head to the bowling alley and stick a quarter in a pinball machine. I still don't play a mean pinball, though.
I included Amazing Journey in my Top 5 podcast, so, in honor of the recent new Who release and my love of Tommy, here's an additional listen:Pinball Wizard - The WhoListen at left or download here*. Always gets a replay!*download available for 7 days only
Top 5 On Friday
You know, when Andrew posted a series of 100 Life-Changing Albums , he asked fellow bloggers to give their Top 10 and I did that somewhere in this blog. Do you think I can FIND it? Anyway, the theme for this week's Top 5 from Music Memoirs is similar:Top Five Albums That Have Had an Influence on Your LifeIt's tough to say that any album has had an influence on my life. You know, I like to think I get by drawing my own conclusions and making my own decisions (ok, so maybe Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young helped along in my Nixon-hating!) I will interpret this as influences on my musical life, however, and leave the politics alone. 5. If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears - The Mamas &The Papas - The first album I ever owned set the standard for me as far as beautiful harmonies and songwriting goes. This was their first album and their is no filler on it. I've loved folk/rock ever since.4. Meet The Beatles - The Beatles - As I've said before, my older girl cousins and teen babysitters went crazy for the Fab Four, so, in an effort to be cool, I joined right in. It was easy, though, since I loved every song! I still love The Beatles, and I still give a listen to all sorts of copycat groups (like The Redwalls or The Legends.)3. Tommy - The Who - Got me into the whole dramatic rock thing. I guess we can blame them for Meat Loaf's eventual success, eh?2. At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash - My dad played this album quite a bit. At first, I balked. Country? ICK! But, over time, it grew on me. I'd find myself singing along. I kept that secret love with me for a long, long time, and always relished "country rock." I felt vindicated when so many young bands recorded albums in the "alt.country" genre in the 90's. 1. Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd - Began my love affair with "head" music. Podcast won't be up until tomorrow. I have no time to record it today!
The Zutons Valerie - The ZutonsThe Zutons are a five-piece English indie band from Liverpool. Their latest release, Tired Of Hanging Around, was released in the spring of this year, but I'm just getting around to hearing some of it. I'm slow like that. Here's Valerie, a sweet pop song in the tradition of those great old 70's pop songs from artists like The Raspberries or Todd Rundgren or Badfinger. Expect some "woo woos" and a rhythm & bluesy background, complete with sax. Listen in the left sidebar, or download the song in the link below.Valerie - The Zutons**available for 7 days onlyPhoto grabbed from The Zutons' website.
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