Wayne Blogged The...
State 0f the union
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Friends, colleagues, benefactors, and cohorts,
Nothing is inspiring me, and I'm low on time as of late. Hopefully I'll have a good update for us all to enjoy sometime in the next few days. Until then...
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Unenthusiastic Woo's volume 2
Wayne Blogged The...Unenthusiastic Woo's!
Volume 2
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For today's unenthusiastic woo, we turn to the late Warren Zevon. After being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, Warren began work on what would be his final album, The Wind. While the record holds some great songs, you can tell ol' Warren couldn't muster the same enthusiasm and energy as he had on all of his previous releases. So how does one fix that? Add an unenthusiastic "WOO!" right before a guitar solo on the opening number:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/3s0plu
I really wish I had a better way to share this with you, but until I figure it out...I've uploaded the "woo" so you can download it and add it to your personal collection.
Volume 2
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For today's unenthusiastic woo, we turn to the late Warren Zevon. After being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, Warren began work on what would be his final album, The Wind. While the record holds some great songs, you can tell ol' Warren couldn't muster the same enthusiasm and energy as he had on all of his previous releases. So how does one fix that? Add an unenthusiastic "WOO!" right before a guitar solo on the opening number:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/3s0plu
I really wish I had a better way to share this with you, but until I figure it out...I've uploaded the "woo" so you can download it and add it to your personal collection.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Female Singer-songwriters I Fall In Love With Every Time I Listen To Them
Wayne Blogged The...Female Singer-Songwriters He Falls In Love With Every Time He Listens To Them
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Call me shallow if you must, but every time I put on a record by any of the following female artists, I fall in love with them...let the creep show begin...
5) Feist
- It could be the intimacy of the lo-fi recording, or the warble of her voice, but whenever I hear her sing "The Park" or "I Feel It All" off of The Reminder, part of me wants to move to Canada to find her...
4) Emmylou Harris
-Okay...this one may seem a bit out of left field, but her rendition of Orphan Girl is very, very good. And she wears the adorable combination of cowboy boots and a dress...
3) Zooey Deschanel (She & Him)
-I love harmonies, and it sounds like she's doing all of her own on the Beatle-esque debut album from She & Him. Beautiful voice and great songwriting.
2) Jenny Lewis
-Ms.Lewis currently holds the position of my favorite singer in this bunch. Although the songwriting is at times a bit twee for my liking, her voice almost overshadows the lyrics. Plus the cover of Handle With Care (originally by the ugliest group of all time, The Traveling Willburys) is so freaking good, despite the fact that Ben Gibbard whines every time he opens his mouth.
and
1) Jenny Owen Youngs
-What can be said? Batten The Hatches is a perfect album. Her cover of "Hot In Herre" has a great video, and the pop-sensibility in the mixing of Drinking S0ng (particularly in the second verse after the chorus, when the guitar fades out leaving a Fender Rhodes plucking at each chord with an unbelievable effect on the musically-nit-picking listener). I can't wait for her sophomore release...
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Call me shallow if you must, but every time I put on a record by any of the following female artists, I fall in love with them...let the creep show begin...
5) Feist
- It could be the intimacy of the lo-fi recording, or the warble of her voice, but whenever I hear her sing "The Park" or "I Feel It All" off of The Reminder, part of me wants to move to Canada to find her...
4) Emmylou Harris
-Okay...this one may seem a bit out of left field, but her rendition of Orphan Girl is very, very good. And she wears the adorable combination of cowboy boots and a dress...
3) Zooey Deschanel (She & Him)
-I love harmonies, and it sounds like she's doing all of her own on the Beatle-esque debut album from She & Him. Beautiful voice and great songwriting.
2) Jenny Lewis
-Ms.Lewis currently holds the position of my favorite singer in this bunch. Although the songwriting is at times a bit twee for my liking, her voice almost overshadows the lyrics. Plus the cover of Handle With Care (originally by the ugliest group of all time, The Traveling Willburys) is so freaking good, despite the fact that Ben Gibbard whines every time he opens his mouth.
and
1) Jenny Owen Youngs
-What can be said? Batten The Hatches is a perfect album. Her cover of "Hot In Herre" has a great video, and the pop-sensibility in the mixing of Drinking S0ng (particularly in the second verse after the chorus, when the guitar fades out leaving a Fender Rhodes plucking at each chord with an unbelievable effect on the musically-nit-picking listener). I can't wait for her sophomore release...
Monday, June 9, 2008
Unenthusiastic "Woo!"s
Wayne Blogged...Unenthusiastic "Woo!"s
Volume 1
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This may prove to be less successful than I originally hoped, but I'm introducing a new section to this blog. Sometime this past month, probably a Wednesday, I decided that there were a lot of songs that included unenthusiastic "woo!"s.
What is an unenthusiastic woo?
It's when a singer/guitarist decides that the song needs to be more "rock and roll"-y, and can't contain themselves from a sudden outburst of enthusiasm. The problem is, although nice in theory, the energy is rarely flattering to the performer. A recording studio also generally inhibits the artists' raw-energy. These moments have been captured, and will live forever in infamy.
Unenthusiastic WOO Number 1:
Neil Young- Cinnamon Girl
http://www.sendspace.com/file/4qp830
I've captured the woo in all it's glory here, for you to download and cherish.
Until next time...
Volume 1
---
This may prove to be less successful than I originally hoped, but I'm introducing a new section to this blog. Sometime this past month, probably a Wednesday, I decided that there were a lot of songs that included unenthusiastic "woo!"s.
What is an unenthusiastic woo?
It's when a singer/guitarist decides that the song needs to be more "rock and roll"-y, and can't contain themselves from a sudden outburst of enthusiasm. The problem is, although nice in theory, the energy is rarely flattering to the performer. A recording studio also generally inhibits the artists' raw-energy. These moments have been captured, and will live forever in infamy.
Unenthusiastic WOO Number 1:
Neil Young- Cinnamon Girl
http://www.sendspace.com/file/4qp830
I've captured the woo in all it's glory here, for you to download and cherish.
Until next time...
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Evolution of Wilco
Wayne Blogged The...Evolution of Wilco
An Attempt At Converting Newcomers... ---
Whenever I talk about Wilco, I walk a very thin line between being a casual-Wilco-enthusiast, and all out fanboy. So before we start this entry, let me just get it out of my system: Wilco is the best band in rock and roll.
Now, a brief history lesson:
Wilco's humble beginnings came off of the breakup of alt-country group Uncle Tupelo. Jeff Tweedy rounded up a few of the musicians from Uncle Tupelo's last incarnation, as well as the band's manager, and formed Wilco (will-comply, Wilco). The group has released 6 studio albums, 2 collaborations with Billy Bragg (gross), and a live album.
The band's first studio effort, AM, is a predictable (yet enjoyable) record from a band trying to find an identity and a songwriter trying to distance himself from his past. Standout tracks are held to a minimum, however Box Full Of Letters, Pick Up The Change, and Passenger Side are good "easy rockers" in the style of Neil Young's Tonight's The Night album.
The lineup for this album included Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt (bass), Ken Coomer (drums), Max Johnston (banjo, fiddle, etc.), and Brian Henneman (guitar).
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1996's Being There is (in my mind) Wilco's first full-band effort. Although the two-disc release is a bit uneven, there's so many great songs, and the sequencing is amazing. Also, this album marks the beginning of Jay Bennett's tenure with the band.
Along with the usual cast of characters (minus Henneman), Bob Egan joined the lineup briefly as steel guitarist.
Standout tracks from this record include the Stones-esque stomper Monday, Hotel Arizona, and the (dare I say) epic Misunderstood.
Shortly after Being There's release, Max Johnston was given his pink slip.
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Sick of being relegated as Uncle Tupelo-spin offs, Wilco made a giant leap in finding their own identity, while crafted some of the strongest songs in Tweedy, and Co.'s catalog for 1999's Summerteeth.
I consider this release to be Wilco's Sgt.Pepper. Songs like Pieholden Suite, and When You Wake Up Feeling Old are superbly constructed pop songs, while I'm Always In Love sounds like Wilco's imitation of Weezer. Other notable tracks are Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again), Via Chicago, A Shot In The Arm, and In A Future Age.
This record would be Ken Coomer's last with the group. While Leroy Bach would join the ensemble on piano.
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If you've only heard one thing about Wilco, it's probably about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Considered by many to be Wilco's masterpiece, and I can't disagree with that sentiment. The group's new drummer Glenn Kotche adds sophistication only hinted at in previous released, Tweedy's collaboration with Jay Bennett reaches it's peak (and ultimate demise) on YHF. Soundscapes and texture act as a backdrop to some of prettiest songs ever written, as Tweedy finally comes into his own as a lyricist.
The album should be played often, and in order. Every song is a standout track.
Tension within the group eventually led to Bennett's departure, but his contributions to the group would be missed.
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If there was ever a way to follow-up a "masterpiece", Wilco did just that in perfect fashion with 2004's A Ghost Is Born. Mikael Jogernsen helps fill out the group's sound, while Jim O'Rourke (the man who mixed YHF to perfection) adds more than a few instruments into the mix on this album.
If YHF was a bustling city, AGIB is an empty hotel room. The textures are still there, the songwriting is impeccable, but A Ghost Is Born feels like a much more personal record. This could be due to Tweedy's almost whispering singing style (mostly used because of horrible migraines).
Standout tracks include Muzzle of Bees, Hell Is Chrome, and Company in My Back.
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A revamped Wilco returned to the spotlight with 2007's Sky Blue Sky. Leroy Bach had left, Jim O'Rourke had moved to Japan, and the group added virtuoso guitar player Nels Cline, and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone.
At times sparse, the soundscapes have been stripped away, leaving the songs to fend for themselves. The sound of the album is very warm, but almost too safe for a group that has "pushed the envelope" with each release.
Standout tracks include You Are My Face, On and On and On, and Either Way.
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Superbowl (42)
Wayne Blogged The...Superbowl (42)
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This catch has haunted me for the past four months. I still have nightmares about it. I've actually had nightmares about a football game...
February 3, 2008 was quite honestly the worst night of my life. What should have been a triumphant and joy filled three-hour Patriot football extravaganza was turned upside down by the New York Giants.
The day after the loss, I wrote the following note about the loss:
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This catch has haunted me for the past four months. I still have nightmares about it. I've actually had nightmares about a football game...
February 3, 2008 was quite honestly the worst night of my life. What should have been a triumphant and joy filled three-hour Patriot football extravaganza was turned upside down by the New York Giants.
The day after the loss, I wrote the following note about the loss:
Yes, I died a little last night.
With 3 seconds left on the clock, surrounded by overzealous Giants fans and devastated New England die-hards, I thought I was going to A) vomit, B)pass out, and C) cry. I only did one of the three (I shall not disclose which), but my dear god...the f*cking Giants are Super Bowl champions?
In European "football" there are no playoffs, the team who wins the most games and has the best record wins the championship...I like this way of thinking...
The New England Patriots: the first team to go 16-0, and the first 18-1 team to not win the Super Bowl. The 1984 49ers and the 1985 Bears both went 18-1, but lost their 1 during the regular season. So where does this leave the Patriots? I can't answer that.
In January of 1997 I was 9 years old, the Packers beat the Parcells/Bledsoe edition of the NE Patriots in the Super Bowl, and I expected it. The Packers deserved to win, as did the Chicago Bears of 1985. But I fully believe that the New York Giants are a fluke team.
I'm not saying they didn't earn their victory on this night, but the Patriots already beat the Giants, as did the Packers, Jets, Vikings, Redskins, and Cowboys (twice!).
New England on the other hand went through half the pre-season, the entire regular season and two-thirds of the post season without one loss. Yet, the New York Football Giants get to call themselves the best in the world...
And as for the Manning-jersey-sporting-bandwagon riders of the world, I have one question: can you honestly say that you did not utter the words "Eli sucks" to yourself after one of their many losses this season?
Junior Seau deserved a Super Bowl ring, Michael Strahan deserves another deodorant commercial. Randy Moss deserves the title, Eli Manning deserves a shirt that reads "my brother's pretty good, and we sorta look a like".
Am I whining? Yes, partially, but I'm very aware of the absurdity of many of my arguments, I just really hate New York.
--
Time has passed, and my feelings toward the night have changed. When I wrote those painfully whiny paragraphs, I was in denial. In my mind, there had to be something wrong with the winner, because the losers were too good...
This was not the case. I've come to terms with the fact that the Giants outplayed the New England Patriots in Superbowl XLII. And I can now say that the Giants deserved the win. But it still stings...a lot.
I can also admit that my proposition of getting rid of the playoffs in the NFL is one of the most ridiculous ideas I've ever conjured up.
But really, what a year 2007 was for football. After a disappointing finish to the 2006 season, the Pats made history, and filled my Sundays (and the occasional Monday) with such unbelievable joy. And as we inch closer to opening day (still months away...jeez, Wayne, get a life) I'm looking forward to another great season of football, hopefully with a better ending this time around...
With 3 seconds left on the clock, surrounded by overzealous Giants fans and devastated New England die-hards, I thought I was going to A) vomit, B)pass out, and C) cry. I only did one of the three (I shall not disclose which), but my dear god...the f*cking Giants are Super Bowl champions?
In European "football" there are no playoffs, the team who wins the most games and has the best record wins the championship...I like this way of thinking...
The New England Patriots: the first team to go 16-0, and the first 18-1 team to not win the Super Bowl. The 1984 49ers and the 1985 Bears both went 18-1, but lost their 1 during the regular season. So where does this leave the Patriots? I can't answer that.
In January of 1997 I was 9 years old, the Packers beat the Parcells/Bledsoe edition of the NE Patriots in the Super Bowl, and I expected it. The Packers deserved to win, as did the Chicago Bears of 1985. But I fully believe that the New York Giants are a fluke team.
I'm not saying they didn't earn their victory on this night, but the Patriots already beat the Giants, as did the Packers, Jets, Vikings, Redskins, and Cowboys (twice!).
New England on the other hand went through half the pre-season, the entire regular season and two-thirds of the post season without one loss. Yet, the New York Football Giants get to call themselves the best in the world...
And as for the Manning-jersey-sporting-bandwagon riders of the world, I have one question: can you honestly say that you did not utter the words "Eli sucks" to yourself after one of their many losses this season?
Junior Seau deserved a Super Bowl ring, Michael Strahan deserves another deodorant commercial. Randy Moss deserves the title, Eli Manning deserves a shirt that reads "my brother's pretty good, and we sorta look a like".
Am I whining? Yes, partially, but I'm very aware of the absurdity of many of my arguments, I just really hate New York.
--
Time has passed, and my feelings toward the night have changed. When I wrote those painfully whiny paragraphs, I was in denial. In my mind, there had to be something wrong with the winner, because the losers were too good...
This was not the case. I've come to terms with the fact that the Giants outplayed the New England Patriots in Superbowl XLII. And I can now say that the Giants deserved the win. But it still stings...a lot.
I can also admit that my proposition of getting rid of the playoffs in the NFL is one of the most ridiculous ideas I've ever conjured up.
But really, what a year 2007 was for football. After a disappointing finish to the 2006 season, the Pats made history, and filled my Sundays (and the occasional Monday) with such unbelievable joy. And as we inch closer to opening day (still months away...jeez, Wayne, get a life) I'm looking forward to another great season of football, hopefully with a better ending this time around...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority
Wayne Blogged The...MBTA
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There’s a certain callousness in the air of a lengthy train ride. Passengers rarely make eye contact with one another, and if they do, it’s fleeting and accidental. Ticket collectors generally act this way as well. But there’s always an exception, a rebel ticket collector who feels it is his duty to not only rip your ticket, but to make awkward social contact with you in a sea of unsmiling travelers. This is why my amount of disdain for train rides has exponentially grown with each passing year since my first ride on the choo-choo at age two (choo)…
It takes approximately forty-five minutes to get from Boston to my fortress of solitude. I travel home about twice a month, which means four rides a month, totaling an average of forty eight train rides a year. This means I spend 2,160 of the 525,600 minutes available to me per year in a train. Which all in all, is not too bad. My favorite human’s father spends about four times that amount. And for that, he receives my pity.
Today’s ride is quite ridiculous. There’s about 150 people packed into a car that holds 75 seats. Everyone’s tired, and everyone’s annoyed (except for the lucky 75 who sit in their comfy seats of glorification). I pass the time by watching people fall asleep briefly, but not before either drooling or resting their head on their neighbor’s shoulder. Then I noticed an intriguing advertisement.
The ad is for a 1-800 number that gives you directions to the nearest _____. There is a picture of an attractive girl sipping on a root-beer float while listening to a male talk about presumably nothing important. There is a compass to the right of this image- North: Chapel; East: Jazz Club; West: Italian Restaurant; South: Motel.
North: Chapel; South: Motel.
Call me crazy, but this seems a bit too coincidental. Everyone seems to accept the fact that the universal image of heaven is up (north), and that hell is down (south). And more than a few prominent religions also frown upon pre-marital sex. Also, it’s a universal assumption that no one but crack addicts and fornicators go to motels. So why would a motel even be in the equation, unless this root-beer sipping floozy happened to have romping on the mind.
Now, am I saying that this is pro-life propaganda? No. I just find it amusing how this type of thing slips through advertising editors so effortlessly. Now, if it said “North: Chapel; South: Brothel”, I’m sure someone would take exception to this. But since it’s simply ‘motel’, no problem. Who knows what the conditions surrounding this girl’s thoughts are, right? Maybe she just needs a change of scenery and opts for her change to involve “COLOR TV” signs and plastic mattress covers. Maybe she enjoys falling asleep to the sounds of uninhibited sex followed by the regret-filled pillow talk- maybe she misses prom.
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There’s a certain callousness in the air of a lengthy train ride. Passengers rarely make eye contact with one another, and if they do, it’s fleeting and accidental. Ticket collectors generally act this way as well. But there’s always an exception, a rebel ticket collector who feels it is his duty to not only rip your ticket, but to make awkward social contact with you in a sea of unsmiling travelers. This is why my amount of disdain for train rides has exponentially grown with each passing year since my first ride on the choo-choo at age two (choo)…
It takes approximately forty-five minutes to get from Boston to my fortress of solitude. I travel home about twice a month, which means four rides a month, totaling an average of forty eight train rides a year. This means I spend 2,160 of the 525,600 minutes available to me per year in a train. Which all in all, is not too bad. My favorite human’s father spends about four times that amount. And for that, he receives my pity.
Today’s ride is quite ridiculous. There’s about 150 people packed into a car that holds 75 seats. Everyone’s tired, and everyone’s annoyed (except for the lucky 75 who sit in their comfy seats of glorification). I pass the time by watching people fall asleep briefly, but not before either drooling or resting their head on their neighbor’s shoulder. Then I noticed an intriguing advertisement.
The ad is for a 1-800 number that gives you directions to the nearest _____. There is a picture of an attractive girl sipping on a root-beer float while listening to a male talk about presumably nothing important. There is a compass to the right of this image- North: Chapel; East: Jazz Club; West: Italian Restaurant; South: Motel.
North: Chapel; South: Motel.
Call me crazy, but this seems a bit too coincidental. Everyone seems to accept the fact that the universal image of heaven is up (north), and that hell is down (south). And more than a few prominent religions also frown upon pre-marital sex. Also, it’s a universal assumption that no one but crack addicts and fornicators go to motels. So why would a motel even be in the equation, unless this root-beer sipping floozy happened to have romping on the mind.
Now, am I saying that this is pro-life propaganda? No. I just find it amusing how this type of thing slips through advertising editors so effortlessly. Now, if it said “North: Chapel; South: Brothel”, I’m sure someone would take exception to this. But since it’s simply ‘motel’, no problem. Who knows what the conditions surrounding this girl’s thoughts are, right? Maybe she just needs a change of scenery and opts for her change to involve “COLOR TV” signs and plastic mattress covers. Maybe she enjoys falling asleep to the sounds of uninhibited sex followed by the regret-filled pillow talk- maybe she misses prom.
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