Posted on June 15th, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
Today’s menu listed several albums I hope to make it through today. I neglected to mention I put a handful of individual stray tracks and mixed them between the albums. One of those songs is “Moments Like This” by Alison Krauss & Union Station.
For those of you unfamiliar with the song, it was on the Twister soundtrack from the mid ’90s. I was not advanced enough in my listening habits at that time to embrace anything “bluegrass.” I bought the soundtrack because I liked Van Halen’s “Humans Being,” if that tells you anything. For some reason, though, I overcame myself and listened to the song anyway. I was a bit gobsmacked. I didn’t know what to do. I liked it. A lot. That didn’t bother me too much, despite my musical prejudices. What bothered me is I couldn’t explain or understand why or what I liked about it. I was okay with the expansion, not the mystery.
15 years or whatever later, I’m still not someone likely to listen to bluegrass music but it’s not out of the question. I still love this song. I’m closer to solving the mystery, but there’s still a quality I can’t define that makes this song work for me. It deserved a much kinder fate than life on the Twister soundtrack.
Filed under: Tags: Let's Talk About My iPod, The Menu | 2 Comments »
Posted on June 15th, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
So I had an idea whilst staring at the television last night. As any aspiring writer or author will tell you, inspiration doesn’t always wait for a convenient time to strike which is not unlike a good, inspiring shit, now that I think about it.
So I had this idea. There are days I know exactly what I want to listen to at any given moment, but there just as many when I look at the 22,041 songs on my iPod and I have no idea where to begin. The flip side to that is there are moments when a song, band, or album will pop into my head at a time I can’t listen to it and I am flooded with regret and frustration.
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Filed under: Tags: Black Crowes, Bloggin' the Blues, Let's Talk About My iPod, Mark Knopfler, Ronnie Earl, The Menu | No Comments »
Posted on June 4th, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
It’s a big bowl of rare here at Fanboy WHQ. I usually get to flaunt a little bit when I get an advance of an upcoming CD. I get to rub in that I have it and you, well, don’t. I don’t get to do that with the new album from Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam because you can get it digitally right now, or you can wait until Tuesday to order your CD. You can even do both if you have cash and no patience.
Before I fall all over myself extolling the wonders on this disc, I feel I once again must tip my cap to good friend of the site El Bicho, who turned me on to Back Door Slam on one of his legendary appearances on my short-lived BlogTalkRadio program, B-Sides Concept Album. The appearance wasn’t quite as legendary as the time he called in after a few beers from an NHL game, but it was legendary all the same. It was also a bit more helpful, because he was completely right about how talented young Mr. Knowles is.
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Filed under: Tags: Back Door Slam | 2 Comments »
Posted on June 4th, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
I hopped over to Counting Crows’ web site this morning because I’m listening to my Album of the Year from 2008, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, and I found out about their summer tour plans. Adam Duritz wrote at length about it in a blog piece. Can I please say, “Yes, please?” Here’s an excerpt: Read more »
Filed under: Tags: Counting Crows | 5 Comments »
Posted on June 3rd, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
Bruce Springsteen, man of the people.
In what should be a surprise to no one, fan demand to see Bruce Springsteen’s final run with his E Street Band at Giants Stadium in his home state of New Jersey was so intense that two additional shows have been added to what was already a three-night run. The solution? Give the people what they want. Two more shows in Jersey.
Final run? Settle down, Scooter. The Boss isn’t going anywhere, Giants Stadium is. The stadium that hosts the NFL’s New York Jets and Giants is being closed and a new building is being ushered in. In addition to hosting the two NFL teams, Giants Stadium has been something of a home field for Springsteen and the E Street Band.
The first three nights sold out briskly, so these additional two dates have been added. Tickets for the run go on sale Monday, June 8.
Springsteen is in the midst of his Working on a Dream tour. Working on a Dream debuted at #1 in countries all over the world and the first leg of the U.S. tour saw Springsteen playing to packed houses night after night. The band is currently on the European leg of their world tour.
With these fall dates announced for Jersey, speculation is running rampant about further dates. So far, only a two-night run in Mansfield, MA has been announced. The band will play the 19,000 capacity Comcast Center amphitheater on August 22 and August 23, with tickets going on sale for those shows on Tuesday, June 9.
Filed under: Tags: Bruce Sprinsgteen, Working On A Dream Tour | No Comments »
Posted on June 2nd, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
Sometimes I like to pretend I’m still one of the kids. That’s my explanation for the headline. Then I write an article like I did at Blogcritics and I find out just how far removed from the kids I am as I approach my 36th year on this earth.
First, let’s talk Blogcritics. Since my unexpected month-long hiatus, Blogcritics has done a big, shiny site design. The site looks SO much better and has become a much more user-friendly reading experience. The kicker: as with all things, we’ve had a few technical glitches along the way and unfortunately continue to experience them sporadically. An elite team of technical geeks are working extraordinarily hard to resolve these. In the meantime, the site is up. Visit. Read. Comment. Join us.
Now to today’s article: I am going to try to write a weekly column chronicling the Top 10 Singles and Albums from the iTunes Music Store. The first of those debuted this afternoon.
What would possess me to do this? Well, one, it gives me a chance to make fun of the dreadful music that is often found at the top of these charts. Second, I’m interested in the times when an album catches on with the download and online crowd as opposed to the conventional. Anyway, I’m going to try and make this a weekly over at Blogcritics. I’ll keep you pointed to them.
Filed under: Tags: Fanboy Site News | No Comments »
Posted on June 2nd, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
I’ve experienced laziness and writer’s block before but it never dawned on me the unending flow of verbiage would come to such a long, brutal drought. I hope the rain that seems to be refilling the fountain are here to stay for awhile.
As I work tonight, I’ve spent some time listening to the latest from Jars of Clay, The Long Fall Back to Earth. It’s no surprise I like that album. Not only do they continue to wear their U2 influence, there are now the sounds of Coldplay. Oddly enough, I hear hints of The Killers and that should turn me off but it doesn’t. Well, not entirely.
I’ve also dusted off Tuatara’s The Here & The Gone, specifically the opening track “A Grainy Taste.” This is still one of the best things I’ve heard all year. I don’t think Coleman Barks’ poem is specifically about revitalization, but there is a restoring, healing, uplifting power in his words, his delivery, and the music of the band. I feel good listening to it. I feel better after I’ve heard it.
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Posted on June 1st, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
I had no idea when I posted my April listening totals that I wouldn’t be back until it was time to post the updates for May. Let’s ignore the why and roll straight to the new. A number of songs are holdovers from the previous month but you’ll notice a surge of several songs from Coldplay, in particular their Viva La Vida album. This is no coincidence, boys and girls. I had a phenomenal time seeing them for the first time in Birmingham last month. How much fun was it? So much fun I’m going back on Saturday to see them in Nashville. Glorious.
In addition, we have the first appearance of a song from Barrett Martin’s upcoming solo record Zenga as well as a great tune from the recently released Chuck Berry package The Complete Chess Recordings 1960-1966.
On the Springsteen front, I fell in love with “Candy’s Room” while on that long road to Greensboro and that helped place it in the Top 10. The rest should look vaguely familiar if you’ve kept up. If not, you can look at the toos and fros of previous months. Read more »
Filed under: Tags: Barrett Martin, Brendan Benson, Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Berry, Coldplay, Dave Carter, Let's Talk About My iPod, Miles Davis, Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, Phil Keaggy, Ryan Adams, Shelby Lynne, The Black Keys, The Traveling Wilburys, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Tuatara, U2 | 1 Comment »
Posted on June 1st, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down…
I return to these hallowed halls of Fanboy-dom to admit what is obvious to those of you who dwell here: I let the bastards win. I retreated. I surrendered.
I allowed the excitement and passion I had for what I was doing — and a particular topic in particular — to evaporate. I woke up after my solo roadie to Greensboro, N. Carolina on empty. I had plenty on my mind but had not the will to say it. I didn’t have the energy to say it and I didn’t have the will to fight with the bastards. My mind hadn’t changed. The head was willing, the heart was weak. I took a vacation, and now I take the first steps towards my return.
Filed under: Tags: Fanboy Site News | 8 Comments »
Posted on May 6th, 2009 by Josh Hathaway
I’m a few days late in reporting my Top 25 playlist as of the end of April. I ran the report but just hadn’t taken the time to analyze or write about it. The top of the chart stayed largely unchanged from last month, but we do have a few new entrants.
Nick Moss & The Flip Tops released Live at Chan’s: Combo Platter No. 2 and I listened to it throughout the month. At first I was listening to it because I planned to review it. Let’s just say I didn’t stop when the review was published. Doves, the other Manchester band of brothers, released Kingdom of Rust and the first track on that album, “Jetstream” stuck with me and was listened to repeatedly.
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Filed under: Tags: Brendan Benson, Bruce Springsteen, Doves, Glen Phillips, Let's Talk About My iPod, Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, Ryan Adams, Shelby Lynne, The Black Keys, The Traveling Wilburys, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Tuatara, U2 | 1 Comment »
