Jazz and sunroofs

Wilco – “Far, Far Away”

Tweedy first thing for second day in a row. Early-morning life is good.

Elvis Costello – “Cheap Reward”

Travis – “Last Train”

Guided By Voices – “Her Psychology Today”

RAWK SAWNG OF THE DAY: Killswitch Engage – “World Ablaze”

Didn’t make The Sword show at Conservatory tonight, but the after-the-fact realization that I got to rock Killswitch at the office while writing a story about a military base made me feel a little better.

Clearlake – “Far Away”

The Beatles – “Getting Better”

At the office today, we were in the middle of one of our daily doom and gloom e-mail chains about the future of journalism and our paper when “Getting Better” started playing through my headphones. I thought it was curious timing, so I told my colleagues about it. Posted these lyrics in the e-mail for what I thought would be a thought-provoking dose of irony:

It’s getting better all the time
I used to get mad at my school
The teacher’s that taught me weren’t cool
You’re holding me down
Filling me up with your rules
I’ve got to admit it’s getting better
A little better all the time
I have to admit it’s getting better
It’s getting better since you’ve been mine
Me used to be angry young man
Me hiding me head in the sand
You gave me the word
I finally heard
I’m doing the best that I can
I’ve got to admit it’s getting better
I used to be cruel to my woman
I beat her and kept apart from the things that she loved
Man I was mean but I’m changing my scene
And I’m doing the best that I can
I admit it’s getting better
A little better all the time
Yes I admit it’s getting better
It’s getting better since you’ve been mine…

Instead, within seconds I was accused of being a woman-beater. While on deadline. Right – because when I think about The Beatles, I think about domestic abuse.

My co-workers because are quite possibly bigger smartasses than I am. This is why I enjoy them.

Creeper Lagoon – “Dead Man Saloon”

Golden Smog – “Another Fine Day”

TRB – “Part II (Radio Edit)”

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – “Blossom”

Cold War Kids – “Red Wine, Success!”

I’m dying to see what these guys come up with for their next record. And I’m dying to see them live. Here’s why:

Creedence Clearwater Revival - ”Long As I Can See The Light”

Creeper Lagoon – “Black Hole”

Jesse Malin – “Scars of Love”

The Soundtrack of Our Lives – “Believe I’ve Found”

Radiohead – “Planet Telex”

Doves – “Words”

BEST BAND YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD: Varnaline – “Still Dream”

Spaced out alt-country. For fans of Wilco. Of course. From up north some place.

Everclear – “Heartspark Dollar Sign”

Red House Painters – “Smokey”

The Magpies – “Pick Up I’m Calling”

Wore my Magpies shirt for the first time today. To Wal-Mart. Classy.

Blue October – “Schizophrenia”

The Stills – “Fevered”

John Coltrane – “Equinox”

I was headed north on Classen a few minutes ago with the sunroof down and the sax came in. Coltrane, a breeze, and a bright moon is harmony. I pulled up in my driveway and kept the sunroof open for the rest of the song. Felt too good to stop without seeing it the whole way through, you know?

Breakdown: 24 songs, three locations

An olive sky

The Stills – “Gender Bombs”

Jeff Buckley – “New Year’s Prayer”

Radiohead – “The National Anthem”

The Coral – “I Remember When”

The Coral is one of the rare bands that’s dominated the UK charts in recent years without making that all-too-predictable blogger-driven splash on our side of the pond. Considering the track record Brit bands have had here lately (the over-hyped, one-and-done special) – it’s probably a good thing The Coral never caught on in America. Seems it gave them a chance to blossom into the band most people thought they’d become when they released this self-titled debut six years ago. To me, this album always sounded like some sea-shanty version of The Doors that was bizarre enough to freak you out to the point that it impressed the hell out of you.

The records between now and then haven’t lived up to the promise of the debut, but the band boasts that a new album on the way this year is the one they’ve wanted to make since they formed a decade ago. They say they’re all about the songs now and less about the frantic psycho-rock that had seemed to consume them lately. Sounds fine by me. The new single is damn impressive, and I wouldn’t have sought it out and heard it unless this old gem showed up in the playlist today. Woohoo!

Golden Smog – “Long Time Ago”

The Beatles – “Revolution 1″

U2 – “Red Hill Mining Town”

David Bowie – “Oh! You Pretty Things”

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Took Out a Loan”

Not a dull moment on this record. A diamond in what was mostly a rough rock year in 2007.

Breakdown:

9 songs

2 during commute to work

7 at work

0 during commute home

Dust Bowl 2008 hit the OKShitty metro today. I was too freaked out to listen to music on the way home because I couldn’t see the skyline. Guess that’s one reason to be glad I didn’t move to Los Angeles, where kids ask: “Mommy, why is the sky olive?”

 

 

A sewer song

Ryan Adams – “Is This It?”

The Beatles – “Honey Pie”

To quote a regular customer at the record store where I once worked: “Listening to album tracks by The Beatles is like discovering your woman has another hole to stick it in.”

I’ll never forget that line no matter what degree of Alzheimer’s I suffer from or what type of anvil dents my skull.

Elvis Costello – “Tear Off Your Own Head”

The Clash – “Brand New Cadillac”

Blue October – “Into the Ocean”

Led Zeppelin – “No Quarter”

Jimmy Eat World – “Kill”

Injected – “Misunderstood”

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – “Homage”

The Feds – “Face Down”

Stone Temple Pilots – “Daisy”

They’re back. Screw Slash. Long live DeLeo.

And You WIll Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – “Days of Being Wild”

Starlight Mints – “Pulling Out My Hair”

Flickerstick – “Catholic Scars and Chocolate Bars”

Ryan Adams – “The Drugs Are Not Working”

The Flaming Lips – “Free Radicals”

Radiohead – “Sulk”

This was once my favorite song. I tried to remember why this afternoon and failed. The Bends remains one of the ten best albums ever made, even if I’ve divorced “Sulk.”

Uncle Tupelo – “Grindstone”

Wilco – “Hummingbird (live)”

Didn’t care much for A Ghost is Born the first time I heard it. Or the second. Or third. I pretty much gave up on the album for about six months until I heard some bootlegs of the songs live. This was one of them, and it completely changed everything. Now I worship Ghost just as much as the rest of the Wilco catalog.

Led Zeppelin – “The Songs Remains the Same”

Clearly the best opening songs in the history of rock and roll. If you want to argue about it, I’ll sick the hounds on you.

Shuggie Otis – “Happy House”

Rewake – “Homeless Genius”

Stevie Wonder – “You’ve Got It Bad Girl”

Wilco – “I’m Always in Love”

The Fags – “Rockstar”

Paul McCartney – “Only Mama Knows”

Never cared much for Wings, but this song is what I wish they would’ve sounded like.

Golden Smog – “5-22-02″

Breakdown:

27 songs

8 during commute to work (had a morning assignment)

16 at work

3 during commute home

I spent most of the morning with a city sewer worker for a profile story. Once we got all the sewer chatter out of the way, we wound up talking tunes. It was refreshing to hear such a simple man talk so passionately about the music he’s loved his whole life. There wasn’t a bit of pretense or cynicism coming from this guy. He loves music unconditionally. Wish I knew more like him.