2009 Musically Speaking

Ta Da!!!!!

I post therefore I am. Kinda.

It's that time of year again wherein I list out my favorite music of 2009 with an emphasis on newer bands. It goes without saying that with new albums from U2 and Green Day and Muse released in 09 that Kidlet and I were pleased. Add to that the epic soundcheck front of the barrier concert experience and you could say we reached the mountain top this year.

Now we have U2 and Muse in 2010. Woot!

Now then. In years past I have done this as a Thursday Thirteen. Which was fairly ridiculous as I never listed just 13 songs. Cause that is just a stupid low number and I hate playing by the rules.

Now then, on to the music. Good year! Damn good year! In addition to U2, Green Day and Muse's new albums which rank in the fuh duh catagory on the whole did ya like it question. Aside from Da Big Three, here are some other songs I really dug. And yes some albums were released in 08 blah blah blah. Fuck Off Music Snobs. Damn Dirty Radiohead fans :P

Now these are in no particular order outside of the first two which tie for my favorites songs of the year.

#1 and tied for my DAMN I FLOVE THIS SONG award: Fireflies - Owl City and Ain't No Rest For The Wicked - Cage The Elephant. How do I love thee? Let me count the iPod plays ;)

Seriously. Awesome music here. Fireflies is one of those songs that just puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it and Ain't No Rest puts a shake in my ass. And really, what more can we ask of our music than that?

Let's check out the ladies this year next. Again, DAMN good year! So good I felt compelled to give female artist and chick fronted bands their own section.

Lily Allen - The Fear and Fuck You. These songs are like musical crack. It's snotty, it's catchy and she has a dirty mouth. I like it!

Katy Perry - Ur So Gay, Hot and Cold, and Waking Up In Vegas. That's right. Katy Fucking Perry. I ♥ Katy. Although to this day I have to say I still hate I Kissed A Girl. But the above is a trifecta of fun music. AWESOME driving songs to sing to, particulary Hot and Cold.

Estelle ft Kanye - American Boy. There is something about this song that just stuck in my brain. It's fun and breezy music with surprisingly naughty lyrics. There something about it that reminds me of Joe Jackson's Steppin Out.

Ting Tings - That's Not My Name. First time I heard it I hated it. Second time I heard it I was pissed I did not hate it. Third time I heard it I was converted. Again, puts a shake in the ass.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero. Any song that wants me to put my leather on is A-Ok with me. Seriously though, this album is awesome. Buy it.

Noisettes - Never Forget You. Rule Fucking Britannia! With Amy, Duffy, Estelle, and The Noisettes I do believe we all owe them a big old kiss for reviving the classic retro Spector/Motown/Stax sound. This song, with it's chiming chorus, is one of those that will make sing Karaoke with your hairbrush microphone while putting on makeup. Another awesome band people should be checking out.

Florence and the Machine -Kiss with a Fist. Further proof that the Brits are doing something hella right.

Raveonettes - The Last Dance. The Danes are not sucking either. This is the most awesome song. It was very high on my list. Imagine a sunny Jesus and Mary Chain with a chick singer. With harmonies. WIN.

Morningwood - Best of Me. I just love this band. First of all, the name makes me smirk. This song is damn near as catch as Nth Degree.

Doll and the Kicks - Red Carpet. Opened for Morrissey and I bought their album. If these guys do not get signed something is horribly wrong with the music business. Had to go Youtube for these guys. She is Siouxsie Sioux and Karen O and Gwen Steffani all rolled into one. And damn good bass! I am a bass fan.



And of course Woman of the Year....Lady Gaga. Kidlet was into her way before the masses. I have to add that or she will sneer when she reads this. Where to start with The Lady? Just Dance, Starstruck, Bad Romance and my favorite Poker Face. Anyone who bluffs with her muffin and admits it is ok by me!

The best of the rest time.

Cage The Elephant - Back Against The Wall. I flove this band. That is all.

Airborne Toxic Event - Some Time Around Midnight. We have ALL been the dude in this song. I love the slow build on it.

Kings of Leon - Use Somebody. God Bless KoL for reviving Southern rock sounds. Thanks. Y'all.

Eminem - Crack A Bottle and We Made You. I ♥♥ Marshall.

All American Rejects - Gives You Hell. Just about the best damned snotty kiss off song I have heard in ages. Truly a musical Oh Snap.

Foo Fighters - Wheels. Of course I just dig the Foos in general.

Black Joe Lewis and The Honey Bears - Get Yo Shit. Oh my God is this good. The horns! The blues! Memphis Stax reborn! Had to go YouTube for this one as well.



Weezer -If You're Wondering If I Want You To (I Want You To) and Who's Your Daddy. Rivers is made of awesome sauce and I LOVE that long ass titled song to death.

Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For. The chorus sing along of "Save me, I'm lost" raises the hair on my arms. Great album.

Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand A Chance and the new one Cousins. I love this band. They are fucking quirky. I dig quirky.

Gaslight Anthem - The 59 Sound. Another new band for me this year. I likes their sound.

The Virgins - One Week of Danger. This song was theeeeees close to make it a Menage A Trois at #1. So very funky.

Spoon - Got Nuffin. Awesome bad with a new album due for 2010.

Two Hours Traffic - Jezebel. So yeah the song is older than 2009. But no one has heard of them and I just founds them. So shut it. Great band go check them out. http://twohourstraffic.com/

Audrye Sessions - Turn Me Off. Really a great year for fresh new music. I want to hear more from them. Had to go YouTube here as well.



Hockey - Real Fake. He sounds snotty. I find that amusing.

Big Pink - Dominos. This is fairly new and oh my do I love this song. It's swirly. I dig swirly.

Death Cab For Cutie - Meet Me On The Equinox and Grapevine Fires. Every year, Ben makes my list. Grapevine Fires is one of the lovliest songs I have ever heard. Zooey is a lucky girl.

Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls. Kick ass song and they are really great live.

Cobra Starship - Good Girls Go Bad and Hot Mess. One of my favorite new bands of the entire decade. Such awesome dance music. And damn good in concert. Fangs Up!

Pearl Jam - The Fixer. Perky Vedder is hella scary but the song is great.

Monsters of Folk - Say Please. Oh man, awesome album. A must for any alt country, alt anything music fan.

Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson - Relator. Yes that Scarlett. Awesome song =)

John Mayer - Heartbreak Warfare. Well the entire album, Battle Studies John never lets me down

And finally a look at the big three. First up U2.

I still quite like Horizon as a whole. Stand outs are Magnificent, Breath and Stand Up Comedy.

Muse - Uprising and Unknown Desires stand out for me but the entire new album kicks it.

And last but not least, the album I was most pleased with from 2009, 21st Century Breakdown from Green Day. I think it is 100% the equal of American Idiot and pickig a favorite song is damn hard. Top three for me would have to be East Jesus Nowhere, Peacemaker, and the Gloria's. And Last of the American Girls. And Murder City...see? The whole damn album. Word.

Just Give Me What I Want And No One Gets Hurt

Oy, another Turkey Day down, now I just have "The Yule Season" to get through. Eh.

Kidlet's birthday is Wednesday and we are trying to nail down a time for her dinner and presents at my parents. Monday night we see this charming man in concert.



Mozza! I am excited.

Let's see. Turkey Day redux. Food was awesome. Pecan Pie was awesome. It is the King of Pies. Um, the Family Tattoo was fun and their baby was adorable.

Black Friday I worked and then took the soon to be 15 year old to Victoria's and let her get her shop on. Which she did. I gotta admit, they do have some purdy bras. I went for the perfume. Got me a new one and I LOVE it. I wish I could have gotten the foo foo parfume version instead of the body spray but alas it was not in the budget. But it is soooo yummy.


Saturday was of course the day of the Cat. Harley has IBD and he has chronic or recurrent pancreatitis. Long day and expensive. He is now on weekly B12 shots, a special sick fucking expensive food and all sorts of other fun meds. Yippee!!

Update on Blogfest for all of those interested. Dates are shaping up as either July 11-21st or 17th-28th. Hotel info is available on the Facebook group site. Holler if you all have any touristy ideas.

Is it sick and wrong that I am looking forward to sitting quietly at my desk tomorrow? Uh yeah.

Why is there shit on TV tonight (Sunday, I cheat and write early) and there are no decent things on Demand I want to watch. Bah and pleh. And dinner should happen but I am feeling uninspired. Soup!

Oh Snap! The Rock Hall of Fame Concert is on HBO. Metallica as a backin band for Ozzy and Ray Davies.

And U2, Bruce Springsteen and Patty Smith doing Because The Night. Damn. Bruce and Bono doing Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For was amazing. And fuck me but Fergie brought it on Gimme Shelter with Mick Fucking Jagger. Amazing performances.



Aww, Jagger and Bono doing Stuck In A Moment is pretty damn win too.

HOLY SHIT. I had to edit this to add that Tom Morello is a fucking guitar God. His solo at the end of The Ghost of Tom Joad is un-freakin-believable.

Speaking of Mah Peeps, guess what I got in the mail this week? My U2 tickets!! Am I excited? Why yes I am. Summer is looking good for next year. It just needs to get here already :P

Same Freakin Moore and the Boss doing Hold On, I'm Comin kicked ass as well. Then again Sam and Dave kicked ass in general. I am so going to need to buy this DVD.

Give Me One More Chance And You'll Be Satisfied

Ummmm.............I got nothing folks. Seriously. Empty tank. My inbox was scary at the office. I missed both a Safety meeting and the first Charity Auction meeting. Bleh. I do, however, totally approve of the theme for the 2010 auction =)

I do have a rather interesting Thursday Thirteen coming up next week. No clue what useless crap I will exploit for Wordless. And of course we have Peace Globes this week.

Watching Basketball. I love this movie. The Matt and Trey man-kiss at the end is hysterical.

I am hating Daylight Savings time. It's dark when I get to work and it is dark when I leave the office. Yay. I have to say this winter is looking to kick my ass particularly badly this year.

Oh I DO have a spot on the charity selection committee. I, of course, will be pushing for CAP =)

OH! And guess who is coming to Seattle June 20th? That would be U2. Guess who will taking Amtrak to Seattle on June 20th? That would be me and my shadow =)

Aung San Suu Kyi

The lovely "Generals" in Burma just sentenced her to another 5 plus year sentence. You remember those generals, right? Those jolly little khaki glad assholes who killed the Buddist monks. If we went to Iraq for democracy and to stop rape rooms, why the hell are we not in Burma?

Oh right. Big Oil.

TT 13 Songs I Think You Should Hear - My Kingdom For A Kiss Upon Her Shoulder

So apparently Thursday Thirteen as an institution is dead. But I like the idea so I am gonna just Keep On Rollin to quote REO Speedwagon. Yeah I went there:P I like the limitations TT provides me. I don't do limitations well on my own and we all know I already cheat.

This is yet another post wherein the Starry One inflicts upon you my well considered opinions on music. These are songs that I highly highly doubt get play on the radio with any frequency if at all. And the list include Strummer x2 which is always a good thing. There is no such thing as too much Joe.

Jeff Buckley Lover You Should Have Come Over




Iron and Wine - Southern Anthem



The Posies - Golden Blunders




The Clash - Spanish Bombs


Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros - Mondo Bongo



The Pogues - Lorca's Novena



Men At Work - Overkill


Charlatans UK - Blackened Blue Eyes


Blues Traveler - Crystal Flame ...my favorite BT track, period =) Can't find video but you can check out the song
here.




U2 - An Cath Dubh/Into The Heart



The The - Uncertain Smile - Matt Johnson is a frickin musical genius.




The Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth



Lou Reed - Satellite Of Love

1. First list item starts here…

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OH. MY. GAWD!!!!!

MUSE IS OPENING FOR U2 IN NEW YORK AND I CAN'T FUCKING GO.

Pondering prostitution as a side job now.

"Sting!"

No Line On The Horizon - Fan Review Part Deux

Welcome back peeps. Today we take a look at songs 7 to 11.

Number 7 is Stand Up Comedy. I LOVE this song. It is Kidlet's favorite song on the album as well. To me this song is the most Achtung Babyesque of any of them on the album. It is also the song that to me is the least typical Edge guitar playing. Seriously this is not Streets guitar. It far more fuzzy. I likes it. Closest we get is during the chorus. Love the lyrics on this one and once again Bono pokes fun at his detractors. Kidlet likes the hooks in the song and the juxtaposition between the staccato delivery of the lines and their subject matter. I get that. I dig that too.

"I got to stand up and take a step
You and I have been asleep for hours
I got to stand up
The wire is stretched
In between our two towers
Stand up in this dizzy world
Where a lovesick eye can steal the view
I’m gonna fall down if I can’t stand up
For your love"


"Stand up, this is comedy
The DNA lotto may have left you smart
But can you stand up to beauty
Dictator of the heart
I can stand up for hope, faith, love
But while I’m getting over certainty
Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady"

I love that line!


"Stand up to rock stars
Napolean is in high heels
Josephine, be careful
Of small men with big ideas"

Song 8 is Fez - Being Born. This is probably the hardest song on the album to quantify and easily the most Brian Eno influenced. It sounds like Eno. Bits and pieces of Edge's guitar peek through here and there but I think this is a song you have to listen to and decide on your own if you like it. I do, particularly on headphones. Warning...It will zone the hell out of you. And I LOVE the birdsong in the intro. And the fact that said birds shit on Larry's drum set amuses me too.

At 9 we have White As Snow which to me is the heaviest song on the album thematically. The melody is based on a Traditional hymn O Come O Come Emmanuel. The song gives us the last random thoughts of a dying soldier. Edge's acoustic guitar is lovely. Rolling Stone called it "mostly alpine quiet" and I completely get that analogy. It's a hushed song and very beautiful. The tempo builds mid song and then quiets back down. Lyrically it is compelling. 26 years down the line, the angry young man who wrote Sunday Bloody Sunday is taking a more introspective look at the casualties of human nature. It's a fascinating and fairly clear eyed look at the state of mankind, all the more so in the middle of an album whose Christian themes lean so strongly towards the state of grace. It is by no means the loudest song on the album. Or catchiest. Or the most accessible. But musically and lyrically it is the crown jewel in my opinion. Bono my man you have redeemed yourself from the Mole In A Hole infamy.

"Where I came from there were no hills at all
The land was flat, the highway straight and wide
My brother and I would drive for hours
Like we had years instead of days
Our faces as pale as the dirty snow

Once I knew there was a love divine
Then came a time I thought it knew me not
Who can forgive forgiveness where forgiveness is not
Only the lamb as white as snow

And the water, it was icy
As it washed over me
And the moon shone above me

Now this dry ground, it bears no fruit at all
Only poppies laugh under the crescent moon
The road refuses strangers
The land, the seeds we sow
Where might we find the lamb as white as snow

As boys we would go hunting in the woods
To sleep the night shooting out the stars
Now the wolves are every passing stranger
Every face we cannot know
If only a heart could be as white as snow
If only a heart could be as white as snow"

Breathe is the 10th song on the album and I love the intro. Drums, tamborine and cello start slow and build up speed until the piano and Edge's guitar break in. Bono's in his preacher robes for this song. And a confrontational preacher as well and he wants you to know he is not gonna buy just anyone's cockatoo. I love the lyrics to this song. Bono spits out some of the most obvious biblical versus of the album - sandwiched between lines about Ju Ju Men and Asian Viruses. As I pointed out above, to me the religious theme of this album the state of grace. I am not sure if Bono means to urge us to find it or question it or a little bit of both.

"Every day I die again, and again I’m reborn
Every day I have to find the courage
To walk out into the street
With arms out
Got a love you can’t defeat
Neither down nor out
There’s nothing you have that I need
I can breathe
Breathe now

16th of June, Chinese stocks are going up
And I’m coming down with some new Asian virus
Ju Ju man, Ju Ju man
Doc says you’re fine, or dying
Please
Nine-oh-nine, St. John Divine on the line, my pulse is fine
But I’m running down the road like loose electricity
While the band in my head plays a striptease

The roar that lies on the other side of silence
The forest fire that is fear so deny it"


The album closes with Cedars of Lebanon and this is another song that is a grower. It samples a bit of an Eno song which sums it up in many ways. This is another one that has Brian's fingerprints all over it. Bono is doing the near talking vocals in this one. It's a sneaky little song. Bits of the lyrics will get stuck in your head and more than any other song this one drives home to me that we are not talking a sunny shimmery album here.

"The worst of us are a long drawn out confession
The best of us are geniuses of compression"

What I like best about this song is the end. No I am not being a smart ass, I like that fact that one minute it is there and the next minute it is gone. Boom. Done. I think Mr. Hewson is making a point by leaving us so abruptly with these lines,

"Choose your enemies carefully
‘cos they will define you
Make them interesting
‘cos in some ways they will mind you
They’re not there in the beginning
but when your story ends
Gonna last with you
longer than your friend"

All things considered I really really love this album. Tremendously. Thematically I feel it has a great deal in common with War and sonically I hear a whole lot of early 80's pre Joshua Tree U2 in this album. And I LIKE it!

Rolling Stone gave it 5 stars and while I may agree with that in 5 years for now I will leave the 5's with Achtung Baby and Joshua Tree and give this one 4 1/2 Starrs !

Oh and rumor alert. A companion album is due out late 09/early 2010 and Bono's eyeliner? Well apparently Bono is in the midst of character creation ala The Fly and Mr. MacPhisto. Who will he be this time? I am hearing rumblings of Elvis Presley's Imaginary Brother Jesse. That is so very very Bono. Bet Larry is pissed!

Oh and for the concert tour? Think bigger than Zoo Tv and think Spaceships.....

May the Force and U2 Be With You


U2 on Letterman Wednesday Night....I'll Go Crazy

No Line On The Horizon - A Fan Review In Many Parts!

Cause there is no way I can do this in just one post. No how, no way.

I hold to my initial take on the album. Very much reminds me of Unforgettable Fire with a healthy dash of the dark 90's AB, Zooropa, and Pop boys.

Initial thoughts on the album as a whole. THANK YOU!!! To whoever gave Adam Clayton's bass a Viagra. Cause Adam is the backbone of this album with a mighty assist from resident band Pretty Boy, Larry Mullin Jr. on drums. *Smooches, Larry*


There is not a typical U2 anthem ala Beautiful Day, Streets, etc on this album. I kinda like that. There are stadium sing-a-longs, to be sure. We will get to that, but this album is not afraid to be somewhat dark and much more done for their enjoyment than Top 40 radios.

That was an issue for me on the last album. Bomb felt really disconnected. Not simply the songs themselves not jelling (which they didn't) but somehow disconnected from both the band AND their fans.

There were songs on there I really like a lot (COBL, ABOY, Vertigo, LAPOE) but the album did not really connect with me. It felt oddly impersonal for an album dealing with Edge's daughters illness and the death of Bono's father. This one is speaking to me much much more.

The title track opens the album. No Line On The Horizon is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It's up tempo yet introspective. And really textural. Sounds awesome on head phones. And how can you not like a song written from the perspective of a traffic cop on Rue du Marais.

"I know a girl with a hole in her heart
She said infinity’s a great place to start
Oh

“Time is irrelevant, it’s not linear”
Then she put her tongue in my ear
Oh, oh"

The Edge is 100% the Edge here and yet it is against a backdrop of synths in the verses (Eno I am sure) that recalls The Cars of all people to me. Excellent drum line through out with LM giving us his hard and sharp military drums again. And yeah Bono yodels. Those in shock at the yodeling Bono should really go check out Boy, October and War.


Second song is Magnificent and it is indeed that. This is as close to the stadium anthem as I think we get. Well of the Streets, Beautiful Day variety rather than the Mysterious Ways variety. Meaning I think this one has legs and yet it is not a Hosanna kind of song for all that it is up tempo. Like most of the songs on the album there is a darker undercurrent to it. Thanks again must go to Adam Clayton and his driving bass lines. GO ADAM GO!! Once more we get the keyboards (will.I.am no less) and guitars winding around each other and they work really well. Love the lyrics,

"I was born
I was born to sing for you 

I didn’t have a choice
But to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry
It was a joyful noise
Oh, oh"

Vocally, Bono is totally on here. In fact vocally I think he is stronger on this album than he has been since Achtung Baby. Love love love the slide sound on Edge's guitar over the hush of Bono's voice during the break, leading back into the trademark sounds of Bono's "Rodeo yells" (credit Fricke on that description) and the chimes of the Edge's guitar. My favorite song on the album so far.

Third track is Moment of Surrender. I have to say when I first heard the vocals on this song the hair on the back of my neck went up. This is the voice of a young man waving a white flag and proclaiming that he is not about to sing a rebel song.

As a long looooong time fan I have to say I MISSED this voice. This is the vocals of Boy, October, War and Unforgettable Fire. This is the voice that sang Out of Control and An Cat Dubh and Gloria. And then it merges into later Bono tones. It's like a vocal history lesson on the band. Seamlessly done and the funny part is the musical intro reminds me of So Cruel from Achtung Baby and as an overall it reminds me strongly of The Passengers album (which I happen to really love) ala Miss Sarajevo and Your Blue Room. It's a near perfect compilation song to encapsulate the band's entire career. It is also yet another song that features some fairly heavy lyrics:

"We set ourselves on fire
Oh God, do not deny her
It’s not if I believe in love
But if love believes in me
Oh, believe in me"

Chalk it up as another of my favorite songs from the album and it is a LONG one, clocking in at over 7 minutes yet it does not wear out it's welcome. This one I like more and more each time and I find myself hitting replay after it finishes.

A pause here to address certain themes on the album as a whole. Fans will recall Mr. Bono Man talking about how Bomb was the bookend to Boy. But to me, the first three songs of this album are much closer to being an answering statement to the 18 year old who wrote those songs. Magnificent to Out Of Control, Moment of Surrender to I Will Follow and No Line On The Horizon to Shadows and Tall Trees. Just a thought. Feel free to call me crazy.

Song 4 is Unknown Caller. It's funny because the chirps and beeps at the beginning are getting so much press. No one mentions that the repeated guitar refrain is the same as Walk On!! Not that I mind as it sounds completely different in this context. Especially when we get Falsetto Bono chiming in. Much has been made of Bono using Mac Speak like Force Quit, move to trash, etc. WTF people. Does the man live in a vacuum? Are we old farts not allowed to be influenced by new ideas and technologies and incorporate them into our worlds? I like this song. I like the call and respond vocals and the obligatory "Oh Oh's." It's a good U2 song. Not a great one, but a good one. Which beats the hell out of a lot of other bands. And it will grow on you. Trust me.

"I was right there at the top of the bottom
On the edge of the known universe
Where I wanted to be
I had driven to the scene of the accident
And I sat there waiting for me."

On song 5 Bono shares that "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" which to me sounds oh so very All That You Can't Leave Behindish. Seriously, it would fit on that album perfectly. Right after Stuck In A Moment or so. This one will get the people (please God let me be one of them) on their feet at the live shows for sure. It is to me the most U2ish (trademark) song on the album. And given that they are my favorite band I have no problems with that. Bono answers his haters on this one as well. Cause you know how fashionable it is to be Anti-U2 in general and Anti-Bono in particular. We are not rewriting musical history with this one but with the Sturm und Drang of the rest of the album an uncomplicated sing along is nice.

"Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Pity the nation that won’t listen to your boys and girls
‘Cos the sweetest melody is the one we haven’t heard
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear
The right to appear ridiculous is something I hold dear
Oh, but a change of heart comes slow."

# 6 and the last song I will discuss for this post is Get On Your Boots. Oooh so controversial. You either love it or hate it and I think which side you fall on depends on how you took the cutting down of the Joshua Tree that was 90's U2. Yeah it's Vertigo light and it did have me concerned that I was gonna get HTDAAB part 2. But taken in the context of the album as a whole (remember when that was the point?!) it works. And it works well! It's frivolous. It's silly. It is a song that is winking knowingly much harder than anything U2 have done since Mr. MacPhisto (Faust Rest His Soul) put down his microphone. And plopped, as it is, dead center in the middle of this album, I FREAKIN LOVE IT. They still can have a wink and a nod not so much at themselves but at the public persona of "U2."



"You free me from the dark dream

Candy floss, ice cream

All our kids are screaming

But the ghosts aren’t real"

I leave you with U2 singing Magnificent from the rooftops =)

Only Love Can Make Such A Mark

A Message For The Geritol Crowd

Music did not die in 1972. Or 1985. Or 1994. If you find nothing of value in current music then welcome to being your parents bitching about Elvis, The Beatles Haircut and that "damn racket" you call Rock n Roll. It's not the music, baby. It's you.

That is all. Mini rant.

Jeezus!!

At work super early. Coffee is made but I have no half and half until the Cafe opens. And as we all know, Starr refuses to abuse her coffee with sucky milk. So I am being tortured. I smell coffee. The whole office smells like dark sumatran roast and yet I am cupless. Dropless. Parched for my manna from heaven.

Cranky.

Watched the Letterman outtakes of U2. Anyone else notice Larry did NOT shovel snow? That ranks up there in the amusing Larry catalogue. Still topped by the refusal to take off his boots while in drag for the One video. Love how he looks at them all shoveling away...




Watch it fast cause they are getting yanked. Here is last nights show. U2 doing Magnificent - which is probably my favorite on the album. I LOVE the Edge on this one. Dates for U2 on Monday the 9th!



I still am fine tuning my review. Right off the bat I can tell you that it is Unforgettable Fire meets the Achtung Boys and I like this album far far more than their last.


Here is Monday nights show with the boys doing Breathe - another of my favorites.

The Wire Is Stretched Between Our Two Towers

I am really diggin the U2 album. I fully intend to give you all a review but I want to listen to it through for a few more times and I need to hear it while driving. I can not completely judge an album until I drive to it. But I DO love the song Stand Up Comedy. A LOT. Oh and Breathe.

So look for a review from me fairly soon but in until then I highly recommend you read on of my favorite DJ's, Greg Glover's take on it. It is well thought out with appropriate criticism. Rolling Stone gave the album 5 stars. Greg and I agree on 4 over all. Check it out here.

Freshman night last night was fun. Kidlet is really jazzed for High School. Sure has changed since my day. There seems to be a lot more options for tailoring it to things you are interested in. Of course my generation can actually spell so I guess they did something right ;)

I am going to join the Parent Council and maybe the Site Council. Yes Bud I will be giving them advice. The lucky bastards.

HEY! American Idol just used Carolina Liar's California Bound during the look back at how tonight's 12 got there. I LOVE Carolina Liar. LOVE LOVE LOVE Carolina Liar. Here be the song done live


Now then. Tomorrow kidlet and I are having dinner with my parents. It's my dad's actual birthday -although they had the party last Saturday - and Kidlet and I have a card and present. Then Kidlet is going to have a sleepover at her friends house. Saturday I am going to work for a couple hours to make up for the 2 hours I was out yesterday.

My raffle that I am running for the Charity Auction is all set up and ready to go. Got my tickets, my flyers, my poster from the Keller, cleared using the cafe and I have volunteers scheduled for all 4 days. Spent lunch bagging chips and raffle tickets for the main auction on April 1st.

Back to Idol. Bummed that Matt Giraud did not make it through. And then I went and watched this:



...and realized that I just don't care this season. Sigh.

Ok It's Official The New U2 Album is KICK ASS

I FREAKIN LOVE U2. The entire album is streaming now. See link below. Look for a track by track review from me on Monday. I can say right now I am liking this album more than any other since Achtung Baby. Magnificent is just that.

No Line On The Horizon

Let Me In The Sound

My boys are back! The local DJ asked a question the other day that I found interesting. If this song had Bono's voice removed would you know it was U2?

My answer? Um...yeah. Mr. The Edge may not be playing the entire song in his patented church bell sound guitar but there are bits and peices that come through that if I didn't have the Mr. Bono singing my ears would perk up and I would say something along the lines of "that is either Mr. The Edge or someone trying to sound like Mr. The Edge." Plus I dig the video. It's very Berlin Avante Guard Bowiesque. Look for it at the bottom of the post.

Tonight Kidlet and I are attending the Cascade AIDS Project Volunteer Recognition party from 6-9pm. They are having a buffet of comfort foods, cake, tarot card readings, 5 minute massage chair booths and of course the awards presentation to specific volunteers at 7pm. It should be fun. Kidlet and I are scheduled to volunteer at their annual Art Auction Night. That and the Walk we do in October are their two main fundraisers. Kidlet and I will be manning the registration booths from 4:30-9:30 that night checking folks in, handing out packets, helping with bids, etc etc. It should be fun and some of my favorite restaurants are donating food. Ahh Zefiro...how do I miss thee? Let me count the ways.....

The ex worked at Zef's. In fact, they made our wedding cake. Which, by the way, was a three tiered glossy BLACK chocolate cake with raspberries and chocolate ganashe. It was gorgeous. And black.

Zef's was widely (and rightly so) viewed as the best restaurant in Portland during it's heyday in the 90's. They closed but the main owner Bruce has 4 restaurants here in town now that feature similar food and Chris Israel (Lord God Chef) came back for a bit to set up the menus. If I can even scam 1...ONE...oyster with champagne mignet I will die a happy woman. Bruce always helps out CAP as he was one of the very early supporters when they first started up back in the day.

So the food will be good and we will get a chance to wander and view the art which will be fun, and this event tends to raise a LOT of money. Oh but we have a dress code. Black and White. Gonna let my mother trick us out for that. I am also working the day after the Art Auction packaging items and getting them ready for pick up.

I am now trying to find a cheap rented sub woofer for Kidlet's school to use at a dance to raise money for their DC trip. I am running the Baja Fresh fundraiser for the trip but we are also doing a dance of some sort as well. DJ rental is out cause the cheapest we could find for a 1 hour event was 350 bucks. I doubt we will RAISE that much!

Oh and I found myself volunteering to set up and run a one time raffle for our charity auction here at work. Wicked Tickets. Front row balcony, opening night. On top of the fact that I am the accounting coordinator for the auction. Oh and every department collects donations from the employees and they put together these awesome prize baskets. Guess who running that for our department this year? Yeah that would be me.

U2 - New Music - More Music Videos

Good Bye You Can Keep This Suit Of Lies

Random postage. Loong day. Bleh.

Anyhoo this is rapidly rising in My Top U2 song lists.

My Peoples And BB King

You're Packing A Suitcase For A Place None Of Us Has Been

Howdy all. Kidlet and I survived our super freakin cold weekend. Seriously we were up at 4:45 on Saturday and downtown by 6:30. Forgot our gloves. It was 39 degrees. BRR!!

Kidlet put together tent pole with red streamers on them. Big huge tent poles. All by herself. It was interesting. There were a bunch of folks who showed up to volunteer but were not very proactive. Ya know what I mean? I hate to break it to them but the act of merely showing up does not provide thee with golden karma.

A pre-med kid was in charge of the schematics and he did pretty good but there was a bit too much pondering and not enough action. I gave em a shot and then I kind stepped in to direct. Donna the event coordinator wants me to be her mini me next year. I told her I'd be happy to.

Sunday we got there at 6 and it was a bit warmer. We had to blow up 1500 helium ballons and tie them off. Plus set up the kids sections, get the table clothes out etc etc. By 8 we had fruit and coffee and .....KRISPY KREME! And sprinkles. Of course cause this is Oregon.




The ladies of Darcelle XV showed up and the music started. They were awesome. Got a picture of Kidlet with two of the girls which I will toss up tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday. And then the Sisters of the Perpetual Indulgence from the Order of the Benevolent Bliss arrived. They were a show stopper as usual =)




The opening ceremony was emotional. Michael Kaplan is the new director of Cascade AIDS Project and after he shared his story of finding out he was positive, he asked those in the crowd who were living with HIV and felt comfortable with it to step up and join him on stage. It was just like it has always been. Young kids, older people, gay, straight, black, white and brown. Same as it ever was. The Portland Gay Men's Chorus carried banners with the names of past members who have died of AIDS. I knew some of those names. Needless to say I bawled my head off during the moment of silence.

The the band started up and several thousand people came pouring out Pioneer Square to start the walk behind the band and the chorus. Kidlet and I were the opening and closing route monitors. We were there to welcome folks back when they finished up as well. All in all it was a great day. We got home around 130 and crashed for a hour or so. Kidlet had a great time and she worked her butt off.

The links are still open for those who are donating after the fact. If you run into issues with it let me know. We are not going to meet our goal this year of 350K but it looks like we will go over 300k. Down from last year but in this economy not surprising.

And with that I am off to work! Thanks so much to all who have and are planning to donate. My company will match funds so know that your dollars are doubled!

TT 51 - Cover Me, I'm Going In!

This week I thought I'd dig a bit deeper than just the last 13 on my shuffle. I love a good cover. Sometimes I like the cover better than the original! There are a few of those on this list -13 of my favorite Cover Tunes.

1 Korn - Word Up - Originally done by Cameo, I just love the Jonathan Dog.



2 The English Beat - Tears of A Clown - Originally Smokey of course.



3 Harvey Danger - Save It For Later - In a nice little bit of kismet, this one was originally done by The English Beat!

save it for later


4 Reel Big Fish - Take on Me - I HATE the Aha version. Hated it in the 80's and hate it now. Especially the video. BUT...I frickin adore the RBF version from the movie Basketball.



5 The Clash - I Fought The Law
6 Green Day - I Fought the Law - Yup same song. Most folks think the Green Day version is a cover of a Clash song. Not so mon ami it's originally a Bobby Fuller Four song. And I refuse to pick which cover I like better so you get both!






7 Marilyn Manson - Down In The Park - The very first Marilyn song I ever heard and a cover of a song by Gary Numan. Love love love this version.



8 U2- Dancing Barefoot - Patti Smith of course. I love my boys version of this.



9 Johnny Cash - Hurt - A Nine Inch Nails song of course but Johnny owns it.



10 Moby - Gods Gonna Strike You Down as Run On - A traditional that wee bald vegitarian Moby reworked on one of my all time favorite albums, Play.



11 Nine Inch Nails - Dead Souls - A cover of a Joy Division song that was used on The Crow soundtrack. I love this version clear down to the bottom of my black clothes wearing heart. 2 Snaps, Trent.



12 Placebo - 20th Century Boy - T-Rex as redone by kidlet's second favorite band. This is on the soundtrack for Velvet Goldmine. It kicks MUCH ass. This version is a bonus cause David Bowie is with them.



13 The Specials - Pressure Drop - A rework of the Toots and The Maytals. Good luck finding decent video on this one cause I sure as hell tried!

And The Moon Has Turned Red Over One Tree Hill -WW 65

DAMMIT!!!!

Bad Bono! BAD!! The album is not coming out until 2009!

Grrr.

Gloria In Te Domine - TT #50

My 50th TT. How time flies! It seems only fitting that my "Golden" TT should be about U2. I think they reign supreme on number of post tags at 43. Outside of Kidlet of course. Speaking of Kidlet, when she was younger she had this weird obsession with making me categorize everything. Not surprisingly, she grew up to love the movie High Fidelity and has totally embraced the "Top 5" game. She loves to make me agonize over my choices by forcing me to choose favorites in music in areas she KNOW I can't decide. Joshua Tree versus Achtung, Baby for example. Or my Top 5 U2 songs.

5. FIVE. 5...Are you kidding me?!!

So, let's see if 13 manages to be somewhat less painful. Honestly though, I am already starting to fret and feel all twitchy. You'd think world peace depended on this.

In my mind, U2 manages to consistently put out albums that are in reality trilogies. Boy, October, War - A progression on a theme of growing up. Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum - U2 at their most U2iness. AB, Zooropa, Pop - The sound of 4 men chopping down the Joshua Tree indeed.

I am guessing that the new album, rumored to be No Line On The Horizon, will dovetail with All That You Can't Leave Behind and How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. The Ridiculously Long Album Title Trio ;)

I am toying with the idea of choosing 3 from each trilogy as it were with a spare wildcard. We shall see if I achieve it. I frankly don't know cause I am making this shit up as I go along. A disclaimer here. Pride, Streets and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For are not on this list. Of course I frickin love them. Duh. But to me those three songs are the Holy Trinity of U2 songs. It's like there are those three and then every other song. Apparently 13 is not that much easier that 5. As to One...it has never been a favorite of mine. How's that for sacrilege?

1. I Will Follow (Boy) - The very first U2 song I heard. The first indication that I love music that can be classified as "ecstatic" or "anthemic." The guitar layered with the ringing chimes which I believe Edge said was them hitting bottles of all things. Just wow. To this day a favorite. And check out the hair!



2. Gloria (October) - October was out when I first came across U2. The record store I was in had the single of I Will Follow playing in the store. I bought it and the single of Gloria. Talk about your anthems, this is it. I find it fascinating as well that I, who really does not dig organized religion at all, should choose one of the most overtly Christian bands out there. I'm an enigma.



3. Bad (Unforgettable Fire) - Ya know Bono thinks he did a crappy job on the lyrics to this? The wee leprechaun needs to put down the whiskey. This version is from Wide Awake in America. Bono still has the pipes, but man oh man in the 80's before he took up those nasty black ciggies and red wine...just wow. Bad is non negotiable on this list.



4. One Tree Hill (Joshua Tree) - How I love this song. A deep cut from the Joshua Tree and dedicated to a Maori crew member who died. This is another non negotiable song. "I'll see you again when the stars fall from the sky."



5. Running To Stand Still (Joshua Tree) - "She is raging, She is raging. And the storm blows up in her eyes." Lyrically, this is Bono in top form. It gives me chills every time. I dare you to find a prettier song about heroin.



6. All I Want Is You (Rattle and Hum) - Back story here. Imagine seeing Rattle and Hum with the unresolved semi- sort of boyfriend. The same one you saw When Harry Met Sally and Say Anything with. Cause you are masochistic like that. Now imagine sitting in the dark with this song and 5 years unspoken history. Uh huh. The music and singing build to a crescendo in this song. And I ADORE the video. But I bawl like a baby whenever I watch it. Somebody get me a tissue. Another one that is non negotiable on this list. Mr. The Edge is a genius. If you only watch one clip, watch this one.



7. Zoo Station (Achtung, Baby) - Talk about musical whiplash! JT and AB only seem like they are from the same band now. 16 years ago a whole lotta U2 fans had tiny baby shit attacks over AB. Personally, I loved it. They had fun and made you shake your ass to some of the best lyrics Bono has written. Sin and redemption, darkness and light. Fun, with a price. Zoo Station makes me want to get in my car, unroll the windows and drive really really fast. To the airport. And fly to Berlin. With Sally Bowles. But enough about me ;)



8. Mysterious Ways (Achtung, Baby) - This song is just plain fun. It's not deep it's just damn good. "If you want to kiss the sky better learn how to kneel." I'll leave it up to each of you to make that naughty or nice ;)



9. Discotheque (Pop) - I love Pop. Adore it in fact. I didn't at first though. I don't think Pop is nearly as bad as the boys think it is. LOVE this song. LOVE the Boom Cha's =0 Bono as a cop and The Edge with a Porn 'Stache. What's not to love?



10. Gone (Pop) - The lyrics to this song are pretty damn intense. The self loathing in them is rather startling. "You wanted to get somewhere so badly you had to lose yourself along the way."



11. Walk On (All That You Can't Leave Behind) - The third in the trio of masterpiece albums along with AB and JT. "The Only Baggage You Can Bring Is Al That You Can't Leave Behind." That, my friends, is going on my tombstone.



12. Beautiful Day (ATYCLB) - This is my alarm clock. Every morning I wake up to Bono telling me that it is a beautiful day. This song has dragged my melancholy and misanthropic ass out of a bad mood more than any other song on earth. Thanks guys =)



13. City Of Blinding Lights (How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb) - Let me tell you, the experience of singing "Oh You Look So Beautiful Tonight" with thousand of your fellow U2 fans just can not be beat. This is amazing in concert. I so can not wait for their next tour! My favorite song from that album hands down. Here's a taste of the live experience.



Whew!