Little Joy - Next Time Around

I got this album in the mail yesterday. I think I'm officially ready for spring break...

Late entries for 2008 songs of the year

I'm biased, of course, but I submit songs from Nick Cave's "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" for my favorites. Cave has been my favorite since I first heard a Birthday Party reissue on Rollins's label. The Bad Seeds are the best band in the biz, and Cave's voice has gotten stronger and stronger each year. The latest album jettisons the stateliness of previous ballad-heavy albums and gets back to rock and roll basics, except the songs are about Lazarus and the Odyssey.

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!



More News From Nowhere



Night of the Lotus Eaters

Lucinda Willams - World Without Tears

I've been meaning to post something by Lucinda Williams for a while. I've lost count of how many times I've seen her play live and I continue fork over the money whenever her tour stops within a 2-hr drive. Having said that, it was really nice to only drive 10 minutes to see her at the Carolina Theatre last year. Someone once told me that this song is a little too sappy but I don't care. It's worth it just to hear the way she sings the word "scars" with that Louisiana drawl...

The Sandals - Theme Song for "The Endless Summer"

I know the southeast is recovering from some winter weather, so I thought I would add a tune that will take you far away from the cold. I can remember watching this documentary as a child and thinking to myself - what a way to live life. While they may have been searching for the perfect wave, the thought is pretty universal - being open to the wonders of the world. We should all be so lucky.

The Phoenix Foundation

Somebody has been watching MacGyver. Anyway, I listened to this band a little bit while I was in NZ a few years ago. They have continued to put out some pretty good music. I don't think they will be stopping by Greensboro or Chapel Hill any time soon, so you will have to check them out through their videos. This one is pretty amusing. Enjoy.

Balls to the Wall

Marty and I saw The Wrestler today, so I don' think there's any way I could post any thing except Accept. Balls to the F'n Walls. Sony won't let anyone embed the video, but it's worth clicking to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph8kGPXOoUw

The Hold Steady - Atlantic City (cover)

While I do like this cover of Springsteen's "Atlantic City," mainly because it keeps some of the grittiness of the original (both vocally and instrumentally), I am even more pleased about the album this appears on. It is part of the War Child: Heroes project in which legendary artists select contemporary and up and coming talents to cover their work. On this, the fifth incarnation, in addition to this song, you have a cover of The Clash's "Straight to Hell" by Lily Allen, TV on the Radio does a cover of David Bowie's Heroes, and Beck does great cover of Bob Dylan's "Leopard-skin Pillbox Hat." The organization, War Child, works to protect children whose lives are torn apart by the brutality of war. For more information, you can go to http://www.warchild.org.uk/heroes/about_war_child . This album is well worth the purchase not only for the great songs, but also for the work this organization is doing.