Every few months for quite a few years I have searched for news of my old friend Rob “Keoni” Boyer… someone I got into trouble (and trouble with) a young child and with whom endured a few years of library work as college students. He was one of the few who left for New York [...]

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I spent way too much time today browsing the Museum of Bad Album Covers…

From “Metal Mayhem” to “It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time” you’ll find some old friends and make a few new favorites…

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To my knowledge, this is the only recording of Jackie McLean, a hard bop alto-sax great, and Ornette Coleman, the wizard-like chemist of jazz. New and Old Gospel defies one’s expectations. It’s not as far-out as you might expect– though it’s practically in interstellar space for a Blue Note album– and Ornette plays only trumpet. [...]

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According to the site, Kermit the Frog quickly spiraled out of control after Jim Henson’s death, into a life of sex, drugs, and alcohol. Sad Kermit.
Hear Sad Kermit sing Creep by Radiohead, watch the video of his cover of NIN’s Hurt, and more.

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Making fun of Fergie’s “music” is like shooting fish in a barrel, but still…

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In some welcome music news, KRS will soon be releasing a double-CD set of rare Elliott Smith tracks.

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Good, big news for Last.FM. Power to the people…

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So, Van Halen is possibly reuniting with David Lee Roth (and Wolfgang(!) Van Halen on bass) and the Police may be reuniting too. Throw in rumors that the fabled Guns and Roses– well no Guns and one Rose– album Chinese Democracy is actually going to appear and you’ve got a hat trick of aging [...]

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For almost a year I was completely obsessed with Postal Service’s CD Give Up. I still consider it one of the top five albums of 2003. Ben Folds remains one of my favorite musical artists. So you can imagine my happiness at discovering this fully improvised Ben Folds cover of their hit “Such Great Heights” [...]

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Gary Jules - Gary Jules
Sometimes I hear a song that seems so perfectly fitting for me in every way– in particular ways both permanent and transient– that I’m almost convinced that there is a divine spirit and it invoked the creation of something just for me. Gary Jules‘ “Falling Awake” is one of those songs [...]

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Daniel Johnston is quickly becoming one of my favorite musicians. I started out with his more recent releases, but am quickly discovering that his early, completely underground cassette releases, such as The What of Whom that have his most powerful songs with his simultaneously plaintive and eerie delivery. Johnston’s very existence testifies to the [...]

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Needle in the Hay (Elliott Smith)
I still feel such intense sadness when thinking about Elliott Smith. So much genius taken way too soon. Speaking of Elliott, I found some interesting video clips. First is Lucky Three a little 11 minute documentary/film of Elliott wandering around Portland, set to a couple of his finest songs. Then [...]

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Sad and Beatiful World (Sparklehorse)

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Say it Ain’t So (Weezer)
(Theme Songs for Chris’ Days used to be a public playlist of mine in iTunes. Now that I am iTunes free I guess I’ll try to remember to post them here. I refuse to explain myself further.)

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Have to agree with Kevin Smith:
Putting together a playlist is incredibly personal and lays the author naked. It’s the modern day equivalent of making a mix tape for someone you’re crushing on: you run as much risk of winning her/his heart as you do firmly ensconcing yourself on their “Avoid At All Costs” manifest.
I remember [...]

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I’ve been too naughty to get this for Christmas, but maybe one of you…

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Through happenstance I just discovered that one of my favorite guitarists, Billy McLaughlin, has been stricken with focal dystonia, a neurological muscle condition that has apparently ended many musical careers.
The letter on Billy’s site is dated August 2005, but it looks like he returned to performing in April to celebrate his new CD, Rewired. [...]

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You have to love YouTube. Some of these “cover songs” made me laugh until I cried (and my ears bled).
First, there’s the commercially stupid, like this Kids inc. cover of Is This Love or a young Fergie singing Lionel Richie to a terrifying, broom spinning clown.
Then you’ve got the terrible, beginner (we hope) bands. [...]

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I miss being really happy. More particularly I miss the kind of carefree happiness that I should have cherished a lot more when I was younger. For a few minutes today, though, I felt that again while listening to Seo Jorge’s The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions which, for those who haven’t seen– or are repressing [...]

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On a distant shore, miles from land
stands the ebony totem in ebony sand
a dream in a mist of gray…
on a far distant shore…
The pebble that stood alone
and driftwood lies half buried
warm shallow waters sweep shells
so the cockles shine…
A bare winding carcass, stark
shimmers as flies scoop up meat, an empty way…
dry tears…
crisp flax squeaks tall reeds
make [...]

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