Summer Breeze (Brr!!!!)

Is it technically summer in the 'Wood when the high is 88% and the low is the high 40s!!! Man, the breeze moving through my open kitchen door is downright cold! The kids are running in and out of the house with their toys and I'm stealing away this little slice of free time to reconnect.

School's out; has been for nearly a week. I missed graduation, my first since returning to my alma mater, and it was a bit odd to do so. My wife was also out of town for four days and the kids were completely thrown off-track. I nearly called CPS, the police and Craigslist last weekend. Would have waved shipping costs on three young children.

Scooped up tickets, albeit nosebleed cheapies, to catch Macca hit ATT Park next month. Another 'bucket list' performance which will be, well, Sir Paul.

More Truth & Salvage Co. Here and here. The boys are continuing to knock people's socks off. Countdown is three weeks until they open for the Crowes at Saratoga and hit the Cafe du Nord in the City. Will be seeing both. The album's still spinning continuously and getting better with each spin. This band is so good because it is a band I can believe in. These guys are guys I can believe in make music we all love.

Enjoying the first of my summer reads. That's the best about what I do. Curling up with a good book, music and whatelse makes for a relaxing if not engaging bit of summer. The 33 1/3 series of album analyses is always thought provoking and I completed the dissertation on Joni Mitchell's Court & Spark. Joni hit so many homeruns in her first decade, from her first folkie-cum-poet album to Hissing of the Summer Lawns. My three favorites are Blue, For the Roses and C&S. This book examines each of the songs on C&S and while not giving too much history about the early 70s LA music scene, the text paints the album as a magnifying glass into the life of one of music's greatest voices at that time. I don't think it's going to do much for my love of this album (nothing can, unless Joni comes and performs it in my living room) but a thoroughly fun read.
I'm nearly finished with New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik's collection of essays of life in New York City. I've rumininated many times here about my love affair with NYC and all of its myths. I'll never live there as I can't afford it and couldn't ever really make the switch from the 'burbs to the world's craziest city but reading all I can makes me love it all I can. Gopnik's essays about family life give insight that no film, piece of music or historical era can, that of the human qualities of the city.

It's time to put on night-time pull-ups and jammies, brush teeth, read stories and say prayers. Rugrats, off to bed!!!

Milestones

Sorry, no musings on jazz, though I've been spinning some 30s Duke, some mid-40s Bird and Kind of Blue in my classroom.

Their first Basement Tape? VERY cool. It's called "Middie Island Creek".

We lost Gary Coleman, who actually was a fixture of my childhood. I watched tons of "Diff'rent Strokes" though it took growing up to see just how much of a minstrel show the whole thing really was.

And Dennis Hopper, who was such an icon. Why isn't anyone recalling those amazing shoe commercials from the mid-90s when the Buffalo Bills and Bruce Smith were hot?!?! Then there was Apocalypse Now! and Hopper's performance was the second best (next to my brother, who'd have me in stitches, man, all the time, man, you know? Man?). Of course, Easy Rider, which was good in so many ways. Plus, he was an interviewee on a video series that I use in my classroom called "The Century". Hopper shared some wonderful memories about the civil rights movement and the counter-culture. He'll be missed.

I reached my own milestone here: 10,000 hits! I know a third of them are probably me conducting repairs or checking for comments but cool to know that someone's paying me random visits.

Thank you to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice the nation demanded, even when the times and circumstances were questionable.

Two For the Road

Snap - how 'bout these two for your record reviews? When was the last time a review was as good as the record? Paste's, the one I was hoping they'd nail, paints the picture of the road that as soon as my stupid cd arrives, I'm rolling for at least forty-two minutes with the windows down and the sunroof open:

First, Popdose.

Here's Paste.

I'll Sing It Again...

It's here. Well, kind of. The cd and goodies didn't arrive but the album's available to listen to online, which I did. Even on my laptop's cruddy little speakers, the sound quality's good and the production value is solid. Chris Robinson's New Earth Mud sound is on this one. While I've heard these songs live several times and have given them countless listens on youtube, these studio cuts will crank through a nice sound system. With the windows down, headed up to the mountians. Or in the backyard with the kids playing and beer flowing.

Hail Hail - Smitty's count-in and the half-time tempo into their signature four-part harmonies. A slow burner, with shout outs by the band members to their mates. The feet start tapping as Adam's B-3 takes this one to church.

Call Back - I've already written about this one. One of the best songs on the album. Walker' s lead and acoustic pulse could realistically make this song chart. This one's hot.

Welcome to L.A. - Smitty on lead; story of the band's history. Four-on-the-floor, this one.

Heart Like a Wheel - Tim lead, solid song, especially live. Not the Linda Ronstadt song like the title implies.

See Her - the tempo changes will catch you off guard and make you think you're in 1973. Lots of classic hooks (one reminiscent of a Frampton riff) and a great set closer. Could hear this one stretch out with some cool trading twos by the guitarists.

Old Piano - sweet ballad. Bluesy and reflective. Scott's steel guitar puts this one right back in Laurel Canyon. This one builds through the verses and as it ends, I find myself hitting the rewind button.

101 - this one's got a Counting Crows vibe but Walker's lead keeps it good 'n swampy. Again, the harmonies and tempo switches hook you every time. One reviewer heard Jerry Garcia. I don't; I hear Glenn Frey. That's not a put down, either. I don't know the story behind the song's title but for an alum of UCSB, I'm keeping the title and giving it its own value. Not telling, either, but roll another number for the road!

Jump the Ship - Scott's key song. Covered this one live.

She Really Does it For Me - Joe starts this one and this one's for brawling in the bars.

Rise Up - There's a riff in this one that'll stop you in your tracks and make you pay attention the next time it rolls around. Bill must have busted a drum head on this one, he's killing the skins. Put a little love in there, Scott. A lead guitar dual at the end that, while too short for me, would make Duane and Dickey proud.

Brothers, Sons & Daughters - for some reason, this one wasn't available on the download. This one's Smitty's and he shows that these guys wear their hearts on their sleeves. They've been around and yet they're grounded in what really matters. To me, this song is the soul of the guys in the band.

Pure Mountain Angel - And this one's the soul of the band itself. Adam's gospel-tinged piano (a la Delaney Bramlett's "Hotel Shot"), and Walker's weary lead capture the attention and keep you riveted to the song. The harmonies (how many are in there, it's hard to tell but there are a bunch!) give you goose bumps. Halfway through the band jumps in and drives this one straight home. The song ends and you're left shaking your head in disbelief that guys can make a song this beautiful.

Of course I'm tripping all over myself. I don't care. This one's a keeper. The guys in the Truth & Salvage Co. did themselves proud, I say, and I can't wait to see them next month. 'Till then, I'm betting on this release getting a bunch of attention. You owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

Hey Hey, My My

Rock and roll will never die! Here's a concert review from a show in Indianapolis and yet it could have been the same for my show in Santa Cruz. It's here.

What band wouldn't kill for a review like this? Well, when you earn it, you need not wish too much. Nice show, guys.

And here's an interview with the band that came out a day after this Indy show. I dig it as I was at the show they mention regarding their most favorite moment on stage. It's here.

Here's one of the press photos on the back of their ep and their concert posters. Let's give this a shot:

Thanks to the band for (hopefully) allowing the photo here.

The album's being dropped in two weeks. I'm excited for the reviews and press for it. I posted a link to buy it a couple of days back. The tracks can also be sampled at amazon.com. I'm denying myself the chance to here the snippets as I want the full experience on the 25th. Would love to be at the album release party and concert!!!

Is This Thing On?

How did I find this place under so much dust? It's time to re-discover my voice and write again. I don't even care if anyone reads this; I want to simply get this moving forward once again. A year has passed and quite a lot has happened, of course. Now that 2010's a third finished, there are many things to celebrate. The first being my little ones' birthday! Happy arrival date, little ones! Cupcakes and tons of candy and pizza and crashing on the floor with a movie night.

Tonight's not the night to begin raving but:

The Truth & Salvage Co.

Here is my new favorite band. I discovered them opening for the Black Crowes in December. Something about them got to me; by the time they wrapped up their set, I was sold. Like watching an old Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, I felt like I had been swept back to the time when rock wore its roots on its sleeves: country, folk, a little soul. As if Crosby, Stills and Nash wanted to be the Band but ended up like the Eagles. They have some songs that already sound timeless, like they belong on On the Border, Stagefright, Deja Vu. Find them on youtube or their upcoming album: "Call Back", "Hail Hail" or "Pure Mountain Angel", which effectively has dethroned "Seven Bridges Road" as the best vocal ensemble song in rock! Anyway, I caught them again last week (they're opening for the Avett Brothers) and they knocked the Fox Theater out. I got to meet the guys and spend intermission with them; they signed my poster which graces my classroom wall and they treated me terribly nice. I'm off to catch them again tomorrow night in a club in Santa Cruz. There is a funny story as to how a major near-miss in January with these guys led to a little serendipitous experience. That'll be next time. That'll accompany a note about tommorow night's show.

Ah, stretching the wings feels good!