15th Anniversary of Too Far To Care

File this under, "OMG!" The Old 97′s are going tour in celebration of the 15th anniversary of the release of their seminal album Too Far To Care, one of my Top 5 albums of all time. Each show will feature the album performed live, start to finish, with a second set of even more old favorites. (!!!) TFTC will also be released on vinyl. I'm so exited!!!

Old 97's - Niteclub.mp3
Buy: Too Far to Care (1997)

Rancher Brothers - W. TX Teardrops
From: Too Far to Demo (1996?)

The Ranchero Brothers are Old 97's lead singer Rhett Miller and bassist Murry Hammond. A while ago Murry uploaded a bunch the Too Far to Care demos to the 97's web site. It's not posted anymore, but there is a "Live at Cicero's, St. Louis, MO, 4-19-96" download which is probably damn close to the demo sessions. I'm downloading it pronto and will report back...

8/24 Dallas, TX – House of Blues
8/25 San Antonio, TX – Sam’s Burger Joint
8/26 El Paso, TX – Tricky Falls
8/28 Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
8/29 Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
8/30 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
8/31 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre

9/1 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
9/2 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
9/4 Seattle, WA – The Showbox @ The Market
9/5 Vancouver, BC
9/6 Portland, OR – Roseland Theatre
9/7 Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
9/8 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
9/10 Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
9/11 Omaha, NE – The Slowdown
9/12 Columbia, MO – The Blue Note

10/14 Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Festival
10/16 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
10/17 Madison, WI – Capitol Theater
10/18 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
10/19 Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre
10/20 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall

10/22 Boston, MA – Royale Night Club

10/23 New York, NY – Webster Hall
10/25 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
10/26 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
10/27 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
10/29 Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom

Book of Poems

Even though I'm feeling somewhat over-saturated by the media with Sept 11 memorials, especially for an event that seems to me to have just happened last week, I have to add a bit for those of you who happen to read my little blog. One of my favorite singers/songwriters/performers, Rhett Miller, who's band the Old 97's helped introduce me to the alt country genre, lived in New York just three blocks south of the World Trade Center on the day the twin towers were attacked. He allowed The Atlantic to publish the journal he kept during that time period.

Went to bed at three last night after writing a song, "Lovebird," and making love with Erica. About 9 a.m., heard two loud explosions. Didn’t fully awaken us. Phones started ringing. Mom on my cell (I missed it) and a college friend of Erica’s on the landline. It’s all very confused at first. It’s not unusual to hear construction in the morning, and I think I muttered a sleepy complaint about the loud noise.

Me to Erica: Babe, I think a plane just crashed into the World Trade. I’m going to go up to the terrace and check it out.

She says: You’re getting up? Can’t I keep sleeping?

Me: I think this is a big deal.....keep reading.

The Old 97's album Satellite Rides came out in March of 2001. On the morning of Sept. 11 my good friend Gorrck was in Los Angeles working on a project, as he was every week, not too far from his home in Phoenix, Arizona. He was three time zones behind the east coast and, unlike me, didn't have the trauma of watching everything unfold on live TV. After some chaos in LA, he managed to rent a car and drive the six hours back to Phoenix. Remember, this was 2001: no iPods. Gorrck had a Sony Discman with him for the one hour flight between LAX and PHX. The only CD he had with him was the aforementioned Satellite Rides, which he listened to over and over as he drove through the desert towards his home. The song "Book of Poems" left a huge impression on him on that tragic day.

Well it's a sick world and sixteen days
I got nightmares every night
I got a real bad feeling that a book of poems ain't enough

I think "Book of Poems" is supposed to be about a bad relationship (as are most alt country songs), but in the context of Sept. 11, 2001, it can be interpreted as no matter what anyone says, especially the government, things will never be the same despite this little book of "happy poems" that is supposed to make us all feel better. Especially when our leaders are inspiring us by encouraging us to "participate in the economy," or, "go shopping."

Peace.

Book of Poems.mp3
Buy: Satellite Rides (2001)

Brown Haired Daughter

The webmaster from one of my favorite bands asked me to post this new track on my blog, and when the Old 97's say "jump," I say, "how high?" I saw them for the first time a few months ago, and they were fantastic live. Someday I'll get around to writing that review. Anywhoo, the 97's have a new album out today called The Grand Theatre Vol. 2. Volume 1 was pretty killer, so I am really looking forward to this one. Here's a taste of Volume 2:

Brown Haired Daughter.mp3
Buy: Grand Theatre Vol. 2

Champaign, Illinois

I'll start this post by confessing something sordid about my past: From 1991-1994 I was a marching band geek. For four football seasons I played French Horn/Mellophone, Baritone/Euphonium, and Tuba/Sousaphone for the Northwestern University Marching Band. I also played for the basketball pep band and a number of non-music major concert bands. Unlike some of you musicians, I can read music. In treble and bass clefs. Key of D flat major? Bring it on!

All of my best friends are from that period of my life. For the last five years we have been doing an annual reunion which has centered around a Northwestern football game and/or one of our friend's weddings. These reunions have taken place from Las Vegas, NV, to Durham, NC, and this weekend, our third trip to Chicago. These reunions quickly degenerate into a group very successful doctors, lawyers, journalists, and business people, reliving their college days by staying up until 4 a.m. playing drinking games. At one point a few years ago I counted 55 years of higher education sitting around a table, pounding High Life and doing Absolut shots.

We have a great deal with a fabulous rental house near Wrigley field for this year's Wrigelyville Classic, a "home" football game for Northwestern verses the instate rival the University of Illinois. Even College Gameday will be there. We did a little stroll about Wrigley Field today, and everything looks so cool! I can't wait for this game!!!

So what the hell does this have to do with my music blog? Other than bragging about the fact that I can read music? On October 12 the Old 97's released their eighth (?) studio album entitled The Grand Theatre Volume One. I've been super busy this fall, so I haven't been able to fully digest this ablum yet, but overall it is another quality album, along the same lines as 2008's Blame It On Gravity. Murry Hammond's song "You Were Born to Be in Battle" is especially strong. Is it me, or is Hammond becoming an even better song writer with age?

The 97's appeared on Leno on Nov. 10, which caused them to postpone their Toronto gig. They preformed the song "Champaign, Illinois," and sounded fan-freaking-tastic. I wanted to post the video, but those jerks from NBC already yanked it off of youtube. 97's singer/songwriter Rhett Miller explained the meaning of the song on twitter through a serious of tweets which I compiled below.

In the early days of the 97's, there was a great (short-lived) radio station in Champaign that played us a lot and hired us to come play. We had so much fun in this kooky little college town. Champaign is the ultimate college town. Late nights, sleeping on people's floors... One late night, I was driving the van through Illinois as my band mates slept and to keep myself awake, I wrote this lyric about Champaign. To me, college seemed like some sort of holding pattern... Waiting for life to start. So Champaign became purgatory in the song. Not hell. I could have used Austin [TX], Madison [WI] or New Paltz, NY. But their names aren't homonyms for sparkling wine. I love you, Champaign, Illinois.

Of course, my friends and I think that picking on Champaign, Illinois, the home of the Fighting Illini, is a brilliant choice. Especially for this week's football game.

Champaign, Illinois.mp3
Buy: The Grand Theatre Volume One (2010)

"Champaign, Illinois" has co-writing to credits given to Bob Dylan. Listen to the melody and you can clearly hear Dylan's "Desolation Row." And, this is the second "Champaign, Illinois" song where Dylan shares co-writing credits. Check out this really interesting article from Smile Politely, an on-line magazine from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Despite the fact that the Smile Politely author clearly dislikes the Old 97's version, I think it's an incredibly catchy tune!

If any of you happen to be at Wrigley this weekend, I'll be in section 421, wearing a purple NU toque and purple sunglasses. Go Cats!

Old 97's/Ranchero Brothers News

"So you need to load up on chicken soup & cold meds from now til then. And NO drinking or concerts. Stay away from people. You are the only 37 yr old I know who gets molested by rogue french kissers on the street, influenza laden french kissers at that."
- prescription per my BFF Dr. Mani

Per the above statement, you can elicit that I have terrible flu-like symptoms, which I presumably picked up from a kissing bandit at about 2:30 a.m. last Sat night/Sun morning in downtown Toronto. Never mind the fact that I work in a hospital and am around sick people all day, or that I spent from roughly 4pm to 3am Sat/Sun drinking and standing on ice. Yeah, let's blame this dude. I have to be better by Friday so I can visit Dr. Mani in DC, where I will proceed to drink for another 11 straight hours, and probably catch more germs on the flight. Someday I'll learn.

Since I am out of commission for the next few days, I am actually happy to report that Murry Hammond and Rhett Miller of the Old 97's had to cancel their gig at the El Mocambo tomorrow night. They got a much better offer - a spot on Leno. It looks like it will be a great episode as that masturbation-is-a-sin freak Christine O'Donnell is also on the show.

Roughly two weeks ago the Old 97's released the Too Far to Care demos on their web site. Too Far to Care is one of my Top Five desert island albums, a total alt country classic. The demos are played acoustically by Hammond and Miller, who together, back in the day, played secret live shows as the Ranchero Brothers, mostly to try out new Old 97's material. These demos are quite a treat. There are a few recording glitches in a few of the songs, but otherwise it's a spectacular collection.

To Far to Demo (download them all here)
1. Niteclub
2. Daybed
3. Holy Cross
4. Everybody But Me
5. Visiting Hours
6. Sound of Running
7. Catch Me
8. You Were Right
9. Curtain Calls
10. Timebomb
11. West TX Teardrops
12. Broadway
13. Firefly
14. Barrier Reef
15. The One
16. Salome

In other Old 97's news, they have a new album out called The Grand Theatre, Vol.1, from which they will be playing something on Leno tomorrow night. I'll do a proper review of this album someday, although I am so far behind on my reviews that this may get written-up in 2011.

I completely missed Murry Hammond's solo album from 2008 called I Don't Know Where I'm Going But I'm on My Way. Hammond, normally the bass player in the Old 97's, plays acoustic guitar, bass, harmonium, and banjo on this album of country, folk, and gospel standards and originals. It's a gorgeous record of slow, wistful, contemplative folk music, in the same vein as A.P. Carter (whom he covers), Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, or Iron & Wine. The production is simple, making this album sound decades older than it actually is. Even the album cover evokes a feeling of classic folk music. Download this album pronto. It appears that the CD is already out of print. There is not a weak track on this record.

I Never Will Marry
Next Time Take the Train
Buy (mp3 only): I Don't Know Where I'm Going but I'm On My Way (2008)

Rocktober Redux

Like Brett Favre and his miserable 2010 season, I completely dropped the Rocktober ball. Time to get my shit together and quickly pick up where I left off.

On the 17th day of Rocktober, Sid Vicious gave to me....nothing! He's a lazy sod.

The Sex Pistols - Seventeen.mp3
Buy: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)


On the 18th day of Rocktober, Patterson Hood gave to me...an Alice Cooper cover.

Drive-By Truckers - I'm Eighteen.mp3
From: Bootleg from somewhere which I found on the internets (2009)


On the 19th day of Rocktober, Rhett Miller gave to me...a sappy power pop song about being young and dumb. This song is dedicated to A Truer Sound and all of his girlfriends.

Old 97's - Nineteen.mp3
Buy: Fight Songs (1999)


I really wanted to post the below song instead of The Sex Pistols track, but I can't find my Monsters of Rock CD. Hair metal rules!

Rocktober 4th

On the fourth day of Rocktober, the Old 97's gave to me, a four leaf clover. But it ain't done one single lick of good. I'm still a drunk I'm still a loser, living in a lousy neighborhood.

One of my favorite songs from one of my Top 5 desert island albums. And how bad-ass is Excene Cervenka on secondary vocals?

Four Leaf Clover.mp3
Buy: Too Far to Care (1997)

The Old 97's release their eighth studio album The Grand Theatre Volume One on Oct. 12, and have a bunch of tour dates scheduled for December and January (none in Toronto, pout).

Music and Misery #2 and #1

Finally! The last in my series on miserable cities and the music that comes from those cities. According to Forbes magazine the two most miserable cities in the US are...

2. Stockton, California
Population of around 300,000 with a metro area of around 700,000. Roughly 60 miles east of the San Francisco Bay area. Unemployment rate is a staggering 16.5% as of June 2010 (US national average is 9.5%). Violent crime is the 6th worst in the country, and second worst in California, behind Oakland, but well in front of the crime rates for Sacramento and Los Angeles. Drug cartels like to use Stockton as a hub between Mexico and Seattle and Vancouver due to Stockton's proximity to Interstate 5. The nearest major sports teams are in San Francisco, but Stockton does have several minor league teams to cheer for, such as the Stockton Ports Class A baseball team, which is a funny name to me since Stockton is in the middle of California and has no shipping industry. Stockton residents on average commute 46 miles each way, second worst in the country. They also have extremely high income taxes (as does the rest of California). What really sets Stockton apart in its misery is that fact that Stockton has the highest home foreclosure rate in the country. Up to two-thirds of homeowners owe more on their properties than the houses are now worth. At the peak of the foreclosure crisis in 2009, one in ten homes in the city were foreclosed on, decimating the tax base and subsequently, city government services.

I could only find two musicians from the Stockton area. The first being my secret boyfriend Stephen Malkmus and his seminal indie rock band Pavement.

Pavement - Fight This Generation.mp3
Buy: Wowee Zowee (1999, deluxe reissue 2006)

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor Chris Isaak was also born and raised in Stockton.

Chris Isaak - I Wonder.mp3
Buy: Baja Sessions (1996)

1. Cleveland, Ohio
Population of about 430,000, with a metro area of 2.2 million. The net migration out of the metro area was 71,000 over the last five years. The unemployment rate for the Cleveland area was 9.3% in June of 2010, way down from its peak of 12.7% at the end of 2009. Cleveland is 8th worst in the nation for violent crime, which includes being the worst in the nation for sexual assaults and robbery, runner-up to Memphis in burglary, and second to its neighbor Toldeo in arson. For professional sports teams, Cleveland is extra miserable now that NBA superstar Lebron James has departed for Miami. The Cleveland Indians are one of the worst teams in the American League, and the Cleveland Browns had a pretty miserable football season last year, finishing 5-11. Forbes notes: "Cleveland ranked near the bottom when looking at corruption. Northern Ohio has seen 309 public officials convicted of crimes over the past 10 years according to the Justice Department. A current FBI investigation of public officials in Cuyahoga County (where Cleveland is located) has ensnared more than two dozen government employees and businessmen on charges including bribery, fraud and tax evasion." In 2007, Cleveland's home foreclosure rate was the highest in the country, but it has recovered some since then. Cleveland was recently awarded a $41 million grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for demolition of old homes, foreclosure prevention, and home rehabilitation. And the weather? The don't call it the "Mistake by the Lake" for nothing. My one and only trip to Cleveland involved freezing my ass off at the now demolished Cleveland Municipal Stadium while it rained and snowed at the same time.

Why can't Detroit and Memphis be the most miserable cities? It was a lot easier to find musicians from those cities. Despite the fact that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in headquartered in Cleveland, I can't find many artists from that city. (For what it's worth, I went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and I was extremely underwhelmed. Maybe it's better now?) Here's what I got for Cleveland:

I thought Joe Walsh was from Cleveland, but he is actually from Kansas. He got his musical start playing in bands in and around the Cleveland area while he was a student at Kent State.

Joe Walsh - Rivers (of the Hidden Funk).mp3
Buy: There Goes the Neighborhood (1981)

Who doesn't love a good polka? If any of you are like me, and your relatives are of a northern/eastern European lineage, then you have had to dance polka at just about every family wedding you have ever attended. In fact, all of my parent's friends had sons so I had to polka with all of the boys at their various parties and camping trips. When I was of legal drinking age, I would dance the polka with random dudes at Brave Combo shows. The "Cleveland Style" or "Slovenian Style" of polka was invented and perfected in the upper Midwestern United States. Polka King Frankie Yankovic was born in West Virginia, but grew up in suburban Cleveland and popularized the Cleveland Style. He has recorded over 200 different polkas, and has won several Grammy's for best Polka album

Frankie Yankovic - In Heaven There is No Beer.mp3
Buy: Songs of the Polka King (1996)

Bonus! Neither this song nor this band have anything to do with Cleveland directly, but I love this lyric:

Pulling into Cleveland
In a seven-seater tour van.
There's 8 of us, I'm sleeping on the floor.

The guy that plays the banjo
Keeps on handing me the Old Crow,
Which multiplies my sorrow, I can't take it anymore.

Old 97's - Doreen.mp3
Buy: Hitchhike To Rhome (1999)

Nine B-Ninet-Nite-No B

I love it when my MP3 player is smarter than I am. After listening to a new podcast from our friend Autopsy IV at Nine Bullets, my MP3 player ran a sweet Old 97's alphabetical run for my listening pleasure.

Track One: Nine Bullets Podcast
If you like kick-ass rock/country music and a belligerent host, you will love this podcast.

Track Two: Nineteen.mp3
Buy: Fight Songs (1999)

Track Three: Niteclub.mp3
Buy: Too Far to Care (1997)

Track Four: No Baby I.mp3
Buy: Blame It On Gravity (2008)

Blame it on Gravity

Since I am on a huge Old 97's kick right now, here are two from their most recent album.

No Baby I.mp3
Color of a Lonely Heart is Blue.mp3
(Damn, this is such a good song. Someone in Nashville like Tim McGraw should pick this song up, pay Murry Hammond some royalties, and put it on the radio.)
Buy: Blame It On Gravity (2008)

Too Far To Care

Too Far To Care by the Old 97's is one of my top five desert island all time favorite albums. It is a fantastic mix of country-rock and Texas twang. Lead singer Rhett Miller tells stories of falling in love easily, and getting his heart stomped on. Other songs tell of loneliness and whiskey in the local bar, pining for lost love, and wasting away your youth touring at crappy clubs. Bassist Murray Hammond sings a track or two on every Old 97's album, and here sings a rock ballad about misery in his home state in "W. TX Teardrops," with some sweet banjo in the background. The songs on this album also contains some of my favorite lyrics. For example, "Will you sober up and let me down?" ("Melt Show"), "And I'm callin' time and temperature just for some company" ("Big Brow Eyes"), "I'm still a drunk, I'm still a loser, living in a lousy neighborhood" ("Four Leaf Clover"). This album differs from other alt country classics in that it isn't as folk driven as some tracks by Uncle Tupelo or Whiskeytown, and contains a lot more Texas rock influences. The only down side to this album is that it is truly the Old 97's opus. All of the subsequent albums are good, but not great (although some do contain some great songs). If you are an alt country fan and don't own this record, get off your ass and buy it pronto!

Melt Show.mp3
Streets of Where I'm From.mp3
Big Brown Eyes.mp3
Buy: Too Far to Care (1997)

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

This US ex-pat is spending American Thanksgiving Day in Canada. I usually spend it with family in the US, but due to a family emergency it was not possible this year. At least I am still skipping out on work. Whoo-hooo! I wish I was a better cook though. Sigh. At least I still get to watch football! Oh wait, the Lions are playing. Never mind. Maybe I'll do some laundry.

Old 97's - Lonely Holiday (live).mp3
Buy: Alive & Wired (2005)
I posted the album version from Fight Songs a few weeks ago. Great song from a wicked live album.

Mary Gauthier - Thanksgiving.mp3
Buy: Between Daylight and Dark (2007)
Damn, I hate it when I have to visit momma in prison on Thanksgiving Day.

James McMurtry - Holiday.mp3
Buy: Childish Things (2005)
The third verse of this song describes my family perfectly. I saw McMurty in early 2007 and he did the last verse of this song a capella. The last verse is about a soldier going overseas, presumably to Iraq. You could have heard a pin drop. Amazing performance. Do yourself a favor and pick up this album.

Eric Rhame - Thanksgiving Day.mp3
Buy: Timber and Steel (2008)
Eric Rhame is an indie folk singer from Duluth, Minnesota. This song has everything you want on Thanksgiving - football, drunk uncles, and not a lot of leftovers.

Fight Songs

Ever been in a terrible situation where you really need the comfort of friends and family, but its impossible for them to be there to help you? Thank god for music and MP3 players. I recently took comfort in an old friend, Fight Songs, by one of my favorite bands of all time, the Old 97's. (I can't believe that I haven't blogged about them yet. Yeah, I have only been a blogger for three months, but still.) This album was a departure from their previous releases of hard rockin' alt country tracks and contains a lot more power pop and rock tunes, but it retains the 97's strong lyrics and song writing. This album also contains the only song from the 97's catalog that got some mainstream radio play, "Murder (Or A Heart Attack)," which is funny to me as the song is about a cat. Here are some tracks that I took solace in during a rough patch.

Lonely Holiday.mp3
Busted Afternoon.mp3
Valentine.mp3
Buy: Fight Songs (1999)