Geriatric Rock

Twitter was abuzz today with a video of Jeff Tweedy, lead singer of Wilco, channeling his inner Al Roker by announcing the weather report for Chicago's WGN television on Thursday morning. First, who gets up that early to watch the morning weather report (especially if you are in the rock and roll business)? Second, who cares that much about the weather? The answer to both of these questions: my dad. 65-year-old father of two, grandfather of one, ice fisherman extraordinaire, not quite the Grumpy Old Men curmudgeon, but getting close.

Another piece of Jeff Tweedy/Wilco news filtered under the twitter radar last night/this morning. As my colleague Cowbelle first pointed out to me, Wilco's latest album The Whole Love was named to the American Association of Retired People's 2011 Top 10 Albums for Grownups, along with albums from Tony Bennett, Barbara Streisand, and Paul Simon. I've been saying since 2004's A Ghost is Born that Wilco is "Dad Rock," i.e. something that dads listen to in order to try to convince their kids that they are cool. Thanks to AARP for validating this theory! Now I know what to get my dad for Christmas.

AARP's 2011 Top 10 Albums for Grownups
• Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What
• Adele, 21
• Jill Scott, The Light Of The Sun
• Tom Waits, Bad As Me
• Raphael Saadiq, Stone Rollin'
• Tony Bennett, Duets II
• Barbra Streisand, What Matters Most
• Alison Krauss and Union Station, Paper Airplane
• Wilco, The Whole Love
• Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile, The Goat Rodeo Sessions

Somewhere Jay Farrar and Jay Bennett are giggling.

Born Alone.mp3
Buy: The Whole Love

I know I bust on Wilco a lot, but let's face it: they are low hanging fruit. Catch their show sometime. They are a tremendous live act. No joke.

December Feel Bad For You

The monthly Feel Bad for You comp from various bloggers, tweeters, members of the altcountrytab.ca forum, and other jokers. And this one is spiked with X-mas tunes. Yay!!!

Download/Stream:


1. The Duke Spirit - This Ship Was Built To Last
Neptune (2008)
Submitted By: Shooter
Comments: Why don't you go over there and blow me and come back over here and fuck you.

2. Leonard Cohen - The Stranger Song
Songs of Leonard Cohen (1968)
Submitted By: Adam Sheets

3. Yo Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan - Quarter Chicken Dark
The Goat Rodeo Sessions (2011)
Submitted By: Phil Norman
Comments: You should need no comment after seeing the names of the four masters making this music.

4. Sidewinders - Solitary Man.mp3
From: Witchdoctor (1989, out of print)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: Who can resist a great Neil Diamond cover?

5. Mudlow - Zane Merite
Zane Merite (2006)
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: I knew what Mudlow looked like (thanks to this photo set on Flickr) a few years before I knew what they sounded like (which seems fair enough since Mudlow takes their time between albums). And what they sound like is the noir soundtrack of my (rougher, dustier) dreams. This song will make a reappearance on their next, just-finished album, so think of it as an early preview.

6. Billy Joe Shaver - Presents From The Past.mp3
Buy: Victory (1989)
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: It’s a Billy Joe xmas.

7. Peter Himmelman - Impermanent Things
Mission Of My Soul: The Best of Peter Himmelman (2005)
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: My knee-jerk reaction was to offer Ray LaMontagne’s "Beg, Steal or Borrow" as a Dirty Santa submission for this month's compilation. However, I'm a sucker for Christmas. I want to believe – I have to believe – that there is still a shred of relevance to it. Even if the time and events surrounding it have been bastardized by black days, cyber weeks, thoughtless gift cards, hair-graying stress over time at "your folks or mine this year?", apathetic efforts in helping the truly needy, gluttony, etc., there is still something magical about The Day. Being Jewish, Himmelman clearly didn't write this song about Christmas. Nonetheless, I think its a good kick-in-the-gut reminder where my priorities need to be - and where they shouldn't. Thus endeth the soapbox. Enjoy the track. And thanks to those who sampled, listened, downloaded, commented, and ignored my submissions this year – and to FBFY overall. See ya in 12.

8. Chris Difford - Up the Junction
Uncut Magazine Playlist (Sept 2006)
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: Had this track stuck in my head for a few days now, like this version with a little bit of steel.

9. Don Ryan - This Town.mp3
Buy (bandcamp): Tangle Town (2011)
Submitted By: popa2unes
Comments: Staying in my own backyard again this month, Don Ryan is from Hawthorne, NJ. The 18 song album is available on his bandcamp page, name your price. fantastic witty dark lyrics and multi influenced music mixed together by a mad scientist. "As defeat licks the jaws of victory, The rotten teeth of injury and insult gnaw at me, The local stigmatic handsome gentleman detonates, incinerates the town he’s living in”

10. Joe Pug - Speak Plainly Diana
Live at Lincoln Hall (2011)
Submitted By: Autopsy IV
Comments: A live album with no new songs on it a Top 10 of the year? Better fucking believe it.

11. Ronnie Lane & Steve Marriott - Ruby Jack
The Legendary Majik Mijits (1980)
Submitted By: Erschen

12. The High Score - Merry Christmas To You.mp3
Free Download: Christmas Split (2009)
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: I know this wasn't technically a Christmas themed mix, but I’ve been listening to this song a bunch today…so you should too. AND it talks about New Years Eve too…soooo really it's fitting for the entire month of December (yay). This is actually one half a free split that Mic Harrison and The High Score put out for download on their website last year (it's still up, you can download both songs @ http://www.micharrison.com/Download.html). By the way, I kept going back and forth between this song, and the Dwarves "Drinkin’ Up Christmas" and the Vandals "My first X-mas As a Woman" so, go find those (slightly offensive) Christmas songs too.

13. Darby O’Gill and the Little People - Whiskey Christmas
Christmas Songs For Drunken Atheists (2007)
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: Christmas brings psychotic family, massive consumerism, loneliness, huge expectations, and getting stuck overnight in an airport somewhere during a goddamn snowstorm. But at least there's booze!

14. The Decemberists - Foregone
Long Live the King (2011)
Submitted By: Verbow
Comments: I never thought I would like anything by the Decemberists, but The King is Dead is my favorite album of 2011. The follow up EP Long Live the King is a pretty good addendum, with "Foregone" being the best of the bunch. Cannot believe this song didn’t make the album proper – listen to that pedal steel!

15. Riviera - Destiny
Watching Western Skies EP (2011)
Submitted By: Cowbelle
Comments: Riviera were an alt.country group in Chicago, now re-located and re-grouped in Portland, OR.

Holiday Cheer

This blog has seen better days. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but I could use a little help. Maybe some Holiday Cheer from Old St. Nick? In other words, BOOZE!

Better Off Dead - All I Got For Christmas Was Drunk.mp3
Buy (CD Baby): A King Family Christmas (2006)

Darby O'Gill and the Little People - Christmas Whiskey.mp3
Buy: Christmas Songs for Drunken Atheists (2007)

Robert Earl Keen - Merry Christmas From the Family.mp3
Buy: Live at the Ryman (2006)

Clyde Lasley and the Cadillac Baby Specials - Santa Came Home Drunk.mp3
From: Bummed Out Christmas! (1989, out of print)

Remembering Freddie Mercury

A few weeks ago at his gig in Cambridge, MA, Frank Turner lead everyone in a singalong to Queen's "Somebody to Love." (More on that later) Since then I have been on a huge Queen kick.

Today is American Thanksgiving, but it is also the 20th anniversary of the death of Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury. Mercury was the greatest rock singer of all time, with a vocal range of four octaves, which is pretty amazing considering he had to formal vocal training. You can read the rest of his biography on line in various places, but for today I'll summarize by saying that I am thankful that Freddie Mercury was part of my musical life.



I remember when this video came out in 1981. It totally freaked me out. It's still pretty relevant 30 years later.