Surf Sounds

This is actually Hawaii, but you get the idea

My recent (near) success at surfing has led my weary mind to relaxing, sun-drenched beach music - those sounds that put me back in the water. Here are a couple I plan on enjoying as I nap on the beach this afternoon - recovering from my battle with the waves this morning. Grab a cold beer with a lime and enjoy em with me!

Broken Social Scene - Pacific Theme [buy]
Puts me in the mood for the left coast and the chilly water.

Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up [buy]
Get up and stand up on that board. Also, hard to imagine beaches with out some reggae music.

Dispatch - Bang Bang [buy]
Great memories of spring break for me with this song, laid back groove, and some beach references.

Jack Johnson - Bubbles Toes [buy]
Jack Johnson is surfing music. The "DLG" that he mentions in this song is supposedly a dorm here on UC Santa Barbara's campus.

The Beach Boys - Sloop John B [buy]
The song's about sailing, but you can't go with out a Beach Boys tune and this is a good one.

AG

Top 5 International Smashes!

The Paris Combo looking internationally-intimidating

Rose, past KGB webcast guest, present music afficianado, and rabid KGB fan, is currently in Italy and has been taking in the local music scene (right, Rose?). Well, at least she has her mind on International music and put in the call for a Top 5 Internatioal Smashes. I'm happy to oblige. There are plenty of non-US (and let's say non-UK) groups out there that have had great popularity in their own countries and here in the States and have put out great music. You may also notice that we have plenty of International visitors to the KGB site everyday (thanks for stopping by!). So, let's broaden our horizons, reach into other cultures that have rich music traditions, and pull out a few gems. I'd love to hear em. Furthermore, I'm planning an International music webcast in the next few months and need some more education.

So, everybody now, give me your:

Top 5 International Smashes!

AG

The Stroker Ace Strikes Back

If you've read this blog with any consistency, you'll know that The Drive-By Truckers are my favorite band these days. I usually can't go a couple of weeks without posting on the greatness of these guys. Well, thanks to Mr. Gerdon, a recent DBT article was found here at Pitchfork. Patterson unveils a few tasty morsels here, but the most exciting part of it centers on the new album. Let me point out what I love the most:

How’s the record coming?
We spent like five days recording and we’re off to a pretty great start. Wednesday of the first week, we ended up nailing like six songs. [Guitarist Mike] Cooley’s really been writing – he hit kind of prolific streak. He’s usually a two-real-strong-songs-a-year kind of guy. And all the sudden we’re working on this record with like eight new Cooley songs. I’ve always been kind of partial to his songs anyway, so the more the better for me.

If you're unfamiliar with the Stroker Ace, that's too bad because he is one of the best rock and roll song writers in the business today. An album of 8 Cooley songs is the tits. For a preview of what we could hear, check out the following new Cooley song from The DIrt Underneath tour.

DBT -- A Ghost To Most (May 13, 2007)

For some of his past greatness, check out these gems -- two of my favorite songs ever!

DBT -- Gravity's Gone from A Blessing And A Curse
DBT -- Zip City from July 29, 2004

BK

Sunday Six Pack

This week for the Sunday Six Pack, I took a trip back in time to middle school where, instead of listening to The Chronic and Doggystyle, I listened to the following songs, well at least the first four. The last two are later additions that present Bryan, playing past Bryan, would've listened to in the future.

The Replacements -- Unsatisfied from Let It Be
[Buy The Replacements here]

Dinosaur Jr -- Freak Scene from Bug
[Buy Dino Jr here]

Guided By Voices -- Office of Hearts from Under the Bushes Under the Stars
[Buy GBV here]

Uncle Tupelo -- I Wanna Destroy You from Still Feel Gone [Buy UT here]

Wilco -- Red Eyed and Blue > I Got You (At The End of The Century) from Nashville TN 10/29/2002 [Buy Wilco here]

The Hold Steady -- Cattle And The Creeping Things from Separation Sunday
[Buy The Hold Steady here]

BK

Norah Jones Live

Yessir, as easy on the eyes as she is on the ears

Norah Jones can sing anything. Think of nearly any song you like, insert her voice, and you're going to have strong, sweet sounding version. That's one reason she puts on a great show. She's also easy on the eyes and has great stage presence, not that I could gather much of that from my nearly top row seat at the Santa Barbara Bowl last night where Norah Jones and her Handsome Band put on a pretty good set. So, let's start at the beginning - the Santa Barbara Bowl is a great outdoor venue in the hills of Santa Barbara overlooking the city and the ocean. Its not too big, which is great for an act like Norah Jones, but she would be even better in a dark, smoky bar. The crowd was very very yuppie. I don't know if that's because it was Norah Jones or because that's just Santa Barbara. Needless to say I didn't quite fit in in my Gap jeans and shirt from Target, but I didn't care because they were serving some fantastic local Firestone beer. Enough with the pleasantries, how about the music.

M.Ward opened up for her and was surprisingly good (hear a few tunes at his myspace site). I hadn't heard much of him before. Definitely the singer/songwriter type with an acoustic guitar and an interesting voice. He came out on stage with Norah at his side, so the first couple songs were, needless to say, very good. He also had Victoria Williams come out on stage - I know very little about her, but she seems to be a Southern California staple with ties to the South.

Finally it was time for some Norah Jones and she started out, interestingly, with an electric version of Come Away With Me that was more bluesy than jazzy and was damn good. The set was only about an hour and a half long, but it included nice versions of Sinkin Soon (surprisingly good with out the horns), My Dear Country, Be My Somebody, and Rosie's Lullaby all from her new album (Not Too Late). She also threw in some Townes Van Zandt tunes and ended the main set with Hand On the Wheel by Willie Nelson - fantastic.

All in all I'd say it was a fine night of good music. I'd been itching for a good concert since moving out west - not as many acts come through here as did Nashville, of course. I'd recommend seeing her. In the mean time here are a few tracks to get you through.

Norah Jones - Be My Somebody [buy]

Willie Nelson - Hands On the Wheel [buy]

AG

Let's make a mix

Dear readers,

We appreciate all of you fine people stopping by and getting a good laugh everyday as we rattle on about our favorite musics at the current time. It's been an enjoyable first few months blogging away and we've grown a little over that time and that's cool. Thanks for stopping by and we hope you've found some good music.

After reading a great article over at NPR concerning the magic of the mix tape (Read the article here, written by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth fame), I got to thinking.

<-- Read the article for this to make any sense at all.

What are the people that stop by KGB v2.0 listening to? The three of us post almost daily about the music consuming us. How about all of you out there?

So, I thought it might be cool to try and make a mix CD of KGB readers, visitors, nomads, whatever. If you've got a good song, post about it in the comments. Doesn't matter what it is and no explanation is needed, just let us know about it. In the end, once (and if) we get enough for an 80 minute disc, I'll compile the tunes, make copies, and distribute to anyone interested via mail or yousendit, whatever. It'll be interesting to see what we come up with as a group.

Unfortunately, this is not 'Nam, there are rules here. First, look at previous posts and DO NOT post a song by a band that's already been posted. It's bad form to include more than one song by a band on a mix.




Well, there isn't a literal connection [with me being in this blog entry], Dude.

Second, there are no more rules. If you want, try to make the music flow as best you think it can. Remember the guiding words of Rob Gordon (not to be confused with GordonR, or is it?) from High Fidelity:

"The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules."

For this initial version, we'll go without a theme. Consider this a personal mix of your favorite songs from your fellow music fans from around the world. Since I am perpetuating the idea, I'll get us started with a little power pop that I think fits the bill well as a killer that grabs some attention. Let's see what we can come up with. Anyone brave enough to post a song that'll "take it up a notch"?

Guided By Voices -- Your Name Is Wild from Under The Bushes Under The Stars

[Buy GBV here]

BK

A Forgotten Album

Concrete Blonde: A great, forgotten rock band of the 80's and 90's (and 2000's as it turns out) recently came back to me. I think it's always great to pull those old albums off the shelf. Dammit, if they are still some good songs. I'm pretty sure my counterparts won't agree, but I know of at least 5 people, including myself, that still enjoy these guys. My sister introduced them to me when I was probably 15 (she's one of the 5 mentioned above). Anyway, enjoy some nostalgic 90's rock off the album Still In Hollywood:

1. Everybody Knows: Supposedly named Concrete Blonde due to their hard hittin rock as well as introspective lyrics. I reckon this is supposed to be introspective.

2. Bloodletting (The Vampire Song): Reminds me of some noir flick (check out Brick for a recent noir masterpiece). Also, very Buffy-esqe. I like the drums > bass > guitar intro.

3. 100 Games of Solitare: 90's Rock/Country? There's a little slide guitar in there.

AG

It's National White Stripes Day!!!

Ok, no it isn't, but go by the new CD today anyways. I'm sure it'll be good.



Until then, here's a couple of non-Icky Thump songs I enjoy to tide you over....

The White Stripes - Blue Orchid
The White Stripes - Jolene (live in Berlin)
The White Stripes - Hotel Yorba

RR

Sunday Six Pack

How's this for random? I should've named my dog Blitzen Trapper or Wolf Blitzer.

More random goodness for you, although a few days late again. I realized tonight that I post alot of the same bands in these things. After a moment, I decided I didn't care too much because I listen to music like crackheads do crack, voraciously. Without further adieu, here's what I'm listening to -- no explanations this week though:

1. John Doe -- A Little More Time from A Year In The Wilderness
[Buy John Doe here]

2. Uncle Tupelo -- Factory Belt from No Depression
[Buy UT here]

3. Blitzen Trapper -- Wild Mountain Nation from Wild Mountain Nation
[Buy Blitzen Trapper here]

4. Wilco -- Side With Seeds from Sky Blue Sky
[Buy Wilco here]

5. Paul Westerberg -- We May Be The Ones from Stereo
[Buy Paul Westerberg here]

6. Heart It Races -- Dr. Dog from Heart from Heart It Races EP (Architecture in Helsinki song performed by Dr. Dog)
[Buy Heart It Races here]


BK

"I was there, I blogged the whole thing...."

Hello Syberworld. Last Thursday night, I caught Wilco at the Aronoff Theater in downtown Cincinnati. It was my first summer show and, on the heels of their new album, I was anxious to see these guys again. It,s not unusual for me to anticipate a show from a band I really enjoy, especially in my backyard. However, this was a different feeling. As I,ve mentioned in previous posts, I wasn,t feeling Sky Blue Sky that much. Frankly, other than a handful of songs, I found much of it boring. This was the first time I have felt that way about a Wilco album, including the much criticized A Ghost Is Born.

Here is the setlist:

Shake It Off
You Are My Face
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Shot In the Arm
Side with the Seeds
Handshake Drugs
Impossible Germany
Sky Blue Sky
Pot Kettle Black
Via Chicago
War On War
Jesus, etc.
Walken
I'm the Man Who Loves You
Hummingbird
---------------
Hate It Here
Poor Places/Spiders (Kidsmoke)
----------------------
What Light
Heavy Metal Drummer

As the setlist shows, we got 8 SBS songs. The overall impression: a great show, but no real change on my stance on SBS songs. Of the 8 that were played, my favorites on the album were Impossible Germany, What Light, and Walken. Live, these songs are plain kickass and simply fantastic. After Thursday, you can add Side With Seeds to that list. The other 4 have their moments. I can,t really complain about Nels lap steel work in the self titled track or his soloing in parts of You Are My Face. Simply put, I can find great sections in all the songs, but I haven,t been able to embrace the entirety like so many other Wilco albums and songs. Oh well, so it goes...perhaps I need more time?


Despite this realization concerning the SBS songs, I can,t complain about anything else. This band is tight, ya,ll. They,ve had a couple years now to gel and they play well and with lots of energy. Other great highlights from the show included Pot Kettle Black, a song I always considered the most underrated on YHF and, for the jamband fan in me that won,t die, a long, played out Spiders with some great Nels moments and a very cool stop start ending. Finally, I realized how much I love Jesus, Etc. I know it,s one of the trendy picks, but I can,t help but drool all over it. I love that song...I loved it so much that I didn,t even realize how much I loved it. I love every aspect of this song, from Tweedy,s lyrics to Nels lap steel to the groove set by Stirrat and Kotche to the soundtrack it played and still plays in my life. Sweet sweetness!

Check out these two Wilco tracks from their 2006 live release, Kicking Television, for a morsel of what you,ll hear at a live show:

Wilco -- Handshake Drugs
Wilco -- Shot In The Arm

[Buy Wilco here]

In other ramblings,

+ Dumbass of the week award goes to me for skipping out on The National in Cincinnati on Friday night. This includes my inability to make the 5 minute trip to Shake It Records to see their in-store performance. I am enjoying the hell out of Boxer and from all the indications, they did not disappoint with their "hometown" show. The excuse of being too tired/still hungover and trying to save some money for Italy is really pretty lame.

+ There's an article over at the NY Times concerning Ryan Adams and his new album Easy Tiger. You can check it out here, in addition to downloading some mp3s and seeing some clips of live performances.

+ Motorcycles are my favorite car. They are fast and dangerous.

BK

A nice change of pace

Well, its been a little slow going this past week here at RadioKGB, but what can ya do? It happens. Don't have too much by way of an update, just figured I'd drop a couple songs on you by a group I've been listening to a lot recently.

Before I get to that though, I'd like to thank everyone for the emails we've been getting with music submissions. Some of them have been pretty good, but some definitely haven't (in my humble opinion). I fully plan on giving these submissions the attention they deserve, but all my non-KGB duties have been taking up a little too much of my time (damn you, work). So, keep an eye on that, as a i plan on leaving a couple of posts on some of these submissions that I've found myself favoring. Keep them coming, I promise I'll at least give them a listen.

Until then, however, let's talk about a band that's already out there. Thanks to a favorable Pitchfork review and its inclusion at eMusic, i was able to check out a band called The Clientele. I've listened to their newest album, God Save the Clientele, and I really, really like it. It could end up being in the running for my favorite album of 2007, but there's still a lot of year left.


Here's why....I've got so much music that sounds depressing. That's not necessarily a bad thing, its just a thing. I've always enjoyed depressing music. But every now and then, I'd like a change of pace. This album by The Clientele has given me that change. I can't really say much for their other albums (they've been around since 1999-ish) because this is the only album I've heard, but I'm sure I'll get around to them eventually. God Save the Clientele offers a nice change of pace from the doldrums of music that I can get myself stuck in. They have a very nice atmospheric pop sound to them that is helped by very crisp, light sounding guitars. They've utilized string arrangements in a couple of songs, but have come nowhere close to overdoing it. These are just a couple of reasons I've enjoyed this album ever since I picked it up, but I'll stop and let you listen for yourself. So, if you've been looking for something a little different, I'm officially recommending The Clientele's newest (you can get it here and here).

So, give these few a listen, and let me know what you think.

The Clientele - Here Comes the Phantom
The Clientele - The Queen of Seville
The Clientele - The Dance of the Hours

RR

Bonnaroo Live!

Not at Bonnaroo? Me either. That is both a blessing and a shame. But, don't worry about missing the music. You can head over to the AT&T Blue Room and stream some live acts. Here's the line up they'll be showing on AT&T:

June 15th Lineup*
12:30 PM Uncle Earl
01:15 PM Cold War Kids
02:15 PM Brazilian Girls
03:45 PM Kings of Leon
05:00 PM Paolo Nutini
06:15 PM Gillian Welch
07:45 PM The Nightwatchman
09:00 PM Lily Allen
10:00 PM The Roots


June 16th Lineup*
12:45 PM Old Crow Medicine Show
01:45 PM Spearhead
02:15 PM Regina Spektor
03:30 PM The Black Keys
04:15 PM Damien Rice
05:45 PM Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
07:45 PM The Hold Steady
08:15 PM Mago: Billy Martin & John Medeski
09:45 PM TBA
10:15 PM String Cheese Incident


June 17th Lineup*
12:30 PM Robert Glasper Trio
01:00 PM John Butler Trio
02:00 PM The Flaming Lips
03:00 PM Bob Weir & Ratdog
04:30 PM Wolfmother
05:30 PM Wilco
07:15 PM The White Stripes
08:45 PM Widespread Panic

Enjoy!

AG

HOLY CRAP!!!

Huge shout out to my boy, Kendall, for this one.....you can currently stream the new White Stripes album at some site called MTV.com? I've never heard of it, but maybe you have.

Here's the link....Icky Thump, bitches!!!

I've been anticipating the hell out of this album for months now. I realize some of you might not care, as indicated by some anonymous poster calling him or herself The Music Moron....but if you as anxious as I am, here's the site.

Holla

RR

EDIT: Specifically check out the songs Little Cream Soda and Rag and Bone....they're very, very good. k, back to work now.

Sunday Six Pack....

Any day is good for a six pack!

Here's the Saturday/Sunday Six Pack on Monday. I suck at life, what can I say...but these tunes are the tits.

1. Blue Mountain -- When You're Not Mine from Tales of a Traveler :: So I just discovered these guys and I am kicking myself for not finding them earlier. They are pretty much everything I look for in a band these days: rootsy rock w/country splashed in, catchy tunes with some cool lyrics, great harmonies. Luckily for me they are regrouping for a little summer tour; unlucky for me, they ain't comin' 'round.
[Buy Blue Mountain here]

2. John Doe w/Neko Case -- Highway 5 from Forever Hasn't Happened Yet :: The great thing about diving into "alt-country" is that it combined country and punk. Uncle Tupelo wasn't the only ones doing it or even the first. John Doe, and his band X, were heavy punk rockers back in 1980's Los Angeles. They also dabbled in country and with his most recent solo album, he does a little more, this time with Neko helping out. By the way, John Doe is releasing a new solo album tomorrow and the first single sounds great. More on that later this week!
[Buy John Doe here]

3. Uncle Tupelo -- Gun from Still Feel Gone :: So I'm catching Wilco on Thursday at the Aronoff here in Cincinnati and although I know I'll enjoy it, I can't help but wish more of the songs Tweedy will deliver on Thursday sounded more like this one rather than Sky Blue Sky. [Buy UT here]

4. Porter Wagoner -- Hotwired from Wagonmaster :: Wow, this girl is hotwirin' the cars, the cows, Porter's ole heart. As I wrote last week, this is a great country album.
[Buy Porter Wagoner here]

5. Sheryl Crow & Emmylou Harris -- Juanita from Return of the Grievous Angel :: Two great voices doing Gram Parsons. Beautiful!
[Buy Return of the Grievous Angel here]

6. The Band w/ Emmylou Harris -- Evangeline from The Last Waltz :: I'm on an Emmylou Harris kick. This is actually my all time karoake wish, but alas, I can't ever picture a karoake bar having it. That's too bad because I would nail this motherfucker!
[Buy The Band here, Emmylou here]

BK

Ryan's Webcast 4: A Question Answered

So, at the end of yesterday's post I asked about albums you would consider the best ever. I then wondered to myself the albums I would include. I decided the best way to think about and answer this question was through a webcast.....so, here it is. I've decided to make this a two-part webcast. This month I'll deal with the 5 albums I believe belong at the top of any "Best Ever" list. Then, next month I'll come back at you with my Top 5 favorite albums of all time. And they're not necessarily the same. Some of the albums in my "favorites" list will never be found on anyone's Best Ever list. Some you'll agree with (on both lists) but most likely you'll disagree with most of what I put on the lists. But that's okay.....that's why we do crap like this. So, keeping that in mind, I've ironically entitled this webcast The Undisputable Top 5 Albums of All-Time. And by Undisputable I clearly mean, Very Disputable. I hope either way, you enjoy it, and it makes you think of albums you'd consider on these types of lists.

Ryan Webcast 4

I've also decided not to list the songs or albums included on this webcast this month. Its a surprise! If ya wanna find out what's included, you're just going to have to listen to it. Hope you enjoy it.

RR

The Topic: Why we do or do not like The Beatles......Discuss amongst yourselves.

Often times, one of the more difficult tasks is to explain to a person why you like, love, or enjoy something. When music is subject matter at hand, it is always much easier to say “It just sounds good to me” or to just play the song for the other party to hear. What’s even more difficult is to explain why you like an album or band that practically ever other person on the planet has previously weighed in on with his or her opinion. Conversely, I suppose the opposite is true as well. It can be equally as difficult to explain why you dislike something that practically every other person likes, or at least says they like. So, that being said, I took Gerdon’s previous webcast as a challenge of sorts. If you haven't listened to it yet....stop reading this and go listen first....its excellent. I asked myself, "Can I explain why I like The Beatles?" And if you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, “Of course I could, this dude is a jackass” then I implore you to think of the question yourselves. And simple responses such as, “Well, they’re just a bunch of good songs” won’t do. Sorry. My response is actually quite long, so grab a soda or a cup of coffee and let’s think about why we like (or dislike) The Beatles.

I once dressed up as John Lennon for Halloween.....i kid you not.

Historical Reasons: Gerdon mentioned that Frank Zappa is considered by many to have put out the first concept album of all-time. Fair enough. Despite Freak Out! being released almost a year ahead of Sgt. Pepper, though, Frank Zappa wasn’t exactly a household name at the time. The Beatles, however, were. I suppose in my mind, the significance of someone much more significant doing something different, makes it more……well, significant. Maybe that’s a simple-minded approach, but its how I feel.

Popular Culture Reasons: Not having grown up in the 60s makes this next concept difficult for me to fathom particularly, but The Beatles made music that appealed to practically everyone. Maybe its due to the oversaturation of practically every type of music there is nowadays, but that just doesn’t happen anymore. The Beatles were the Will Smith of the 60s. People disliked their hair, and things they said, but I get the feeling that most people at least enjoyed their music. I suppose that, at its definition, is what pop music is all about, though. That being said, then The Beatles essentially created pop music as we know it today. Never before had a band been so appreciated and loved worldwide for the music they were creating.

But I suppose if all of my reasons involved “well, they were the first…..” that wouldn’t be very interesting. Plus, it might suggest that I’m that way about all my interests. For example, I hate old, “historical” pioneering television shows and movies. I can’t stand watching I Love Lucy, or The Andy Griffith show or shit like that. And I can’t possibly begin to fathom why Citizen Kane is the greatest movie of all time. So, there has to be more to my liking of The Beatles other than they were the first BIG band.

The Music: I’m always impressed on basically ever album (once they started getting creative) the variety of every song over the course of the album. Taking Sgt. Pepper for instance….you’ve got good ol’ fashioned rock songs (both Sgt. Pepper and the Reprise), you’ve got spaced out psychedelia (Lucy), circus music (Mr. Kite), excellent pop songs (With a Little Help, Getting Better), Indian sitar songs (Within You Without You) and epics such as A Day in the Life. I just don’t think you see this with other bands. Beck is probably the best modern day versatile artist I can think of, and he's not even close to doing what The Beatles did. The vast difference from song to song makes each album listen an experience. But its not JUST this difference, the songs are DAMN good!! Gerdon mentioned that they are considered great simply because they wrote catchy pop tunes, and while that might be true to an extent, it was this universal appeal combined with the quality of the songs that make The Beatles so great.

The reason I think a lot of people don’t like The Beatles is simply because they’ve been overexposed in our society. At this point, every aspect of what The Beatles did has been copied and overplayed to death. Bands have been making modern versions of Beatles songs ever since The Beatles stopped. Even Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds, considered by many to be another of the greatest albums of all time was his attempt to create the perfect Beatles album. They’re just everywhere. And a lot of times, people don’t want to like what everyone else is liking. Its almost cooler to not like something popular. That’s a problem with a lot people in the indie world….everybody loved Death Cab until they joined a major label and had songs appear on The O.C. Then, in the indie world, it became almost more popular to criticize and mock their success rather than talk about that fact that the music was still good.

So, these are reasons why I like The Beatles. Let me know what you think. Feel free to agree with me, or tell me that I’m full of shit (more likely). Let’s keep the discussion going. As for Gerdon’s dislike, he’s completely entitled to his opinion, and it’s very interesting to hear why someone doesn’t like The Beatles. Personally, I think he’s wrong. But, that’s why we’re here and that’s what makes this so fun. So, if you haven’t taken much time to listen to The Beatles, maybe you should…..and pick up Pet Sounds while you’re at it.

Sorry this post was so long, but it just took a lot of words to say what I wanted to say. And I’ll leave with this comment directed at Gerdon….If you were required to pick a best album of all-time what would it be? Don't mean to put you on the spot, but I think these kind of discussions are fun. Personally, Sgt. Pepper wouldn’t be #1 on my list and for that matter, no Beatles album would be #1, but I guess the point of my post is that I can understand why someone would put it there. As for my #1…..hmm, well that’s a post for another time. But I’d like to hear your opinions and explanations for those opinions. What is your Best Album of All-Time??

Stay classy RadioKGB.

RR

AG Webcast Episode 5

Musical Discourse: The Beatles

The Beatles had no artistic input in this photo

>>>>>AG Webcast Episode 5<<<<<

Here’s that long awaited webcast you’ve been looking for. Sorry for the delay, but it’ll worth it. This time we’ll be warming up with the John Mayer Trio and some recent blues. Then we move into a long awaited musical discourse on the Beatles. I’m not a tremendous fan, you know this. So, let’s listen to some songs and see why that is. While we’re at it, check out some Simon & Garfunkel and some others that made the cut on Rolling Stone’s Greatest 500 Albums of All Times.

1. John Mayer Trio - Wait Until Tomorrow from Try! (2005)

2. John Mayer Trio - Gravity from Try! (2005)

3. Beatles - Getting Better from Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

4. Beatles - A Day In the Life from Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

5. Beatles - She Said She Said from Revolver (1966)

6. Beatles - For No One from Revolver (1966)

7. Simon & Garfunkel - Blessed from Sounds of Silence (1966)

8. Simon & Garfunkel - Only Living Boy In New York from Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)

9. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (extra track) from Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)

10. Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) from What's Going On (1971)

11. Bob Dylan - Meet Me In the Morning from Blood On the Tracks (1975)

12. The Doors - Back Door Man from The Doors (1967)

13. Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe from Are You Experienced? (1967)

Enjoy em!

AG

Porter Wagoner look a like.....

From Somalia to Missouri, we have comrades worldwide. Tonight, I present to you Porter Wagoner, a country legend and member of the Grand Ole Opry. Porter just turned 80 so what's he do?

That is one SWEET jacket!

He releases an album that might be the best country album of the year. Teaming with Marty Stuart, Porter plays your momma's and poppy's country music. Take a listen to the following from his newest, Wagonmaster, and relish that some country music does indeed still come from Nashville.

Porter Wagoner -- Many Hurried Southern Trips
[Buy Porter here]

Finally, here's a nod to the man himself from one of my favorites, The Drive-By Truckers. Check out this live track from an October 2006 show in Bloomington.

Drive-By Truckers -- 18 Wheels of Love (complete with Patterson's mom story)
[Buy DBT here]

BK

I don't know shit about hip-hop.....

So, its time for a confession. As the title of this post suggests.....I don't know shit about hip-hop. Its true. I realize this might be quite a shocker to most of you, but I've never been a big hip-hop person. So, this past week or so, when some "new" hip-hop fell into my lap, I didn't know what to think of it.

RadioKGB was recently asked to check out some music by a rapper who calls himself K'naan. We were asked to give it a listen and then post what we thought about it, as well as list some info on the guy. Sounded like a great idea to me, but here's the deal.....as I mentioned earlier, I don't know shit about hip-hop. I don't know what is considered good, bad, or even tolerable hip-hop. So, to combat this problem, I figured I'd just give the songs a listen, then post them and let you (who is likely much more knowledgeable than I) tell me what you think.

Identity crisis: Is he a rastafarian or a rapper.....or both?!?!?!

K'naan is a dude from Somalia, that left the war-torn country and now calls Toronto his home (quite a culture shock if you ask me). He just finished up a US tour with Stephen Marley and is planning on dropping his first album here in the US later this summer. I, currently, have access to two live cuts of his songs. But, to be quite honest, what I'm hearing actually sounds a little more reggae to my untrained ears than it does hip-hop. But iTunes is definitely telling me the guy's a rapper. WHO DO I BELIEVE!?!?!?

So, what I'd like to do is post these songs and let you give them a listen. Then, give me your opinions down in the comment section. So, here are the songs....The first, Be Free, is my favorite of the two. But I really like the drumming in the second one.....so, i don't know, just let me know what you think.

K'naan - Be Free
K'naan - In the Beginning

And while we're at it....reggae and hip-hop are both genre's which I currently know nothing about. So, if you've got some suggestions of bands or artists I should check out to jumpstart my listening, please let me know. I'm interested in giving both of these a try. And please, give suggestions other than Bob Marley and The Roots. I've got those, but I'm looking for something else. Thanks everyone.

RR

The Chipmunks Sing About Boozing

Check out the refreshed StreamPad on the left. The Chipmunks sing Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard and Merle Haggard again. Those fuckers.

I bet they're high too.

BK

Sunday Six Pack

Six tasty ones for that Sunday night bender you've been planning.

1. Paul Duncan -- Country Witch from Above The Trees :: This guy is one ambient muthefucker, but I love that pedal steel guitar. It's akin to crack for me and luckily very prominent on this 2007 release.
[Buy Paul Duncan here]

Come on Duncan, how about a smile? You released a damn good record.

2. Mark Kozelek -- Around & Around from Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver :: I've talked about this guy before and he continues to hit me in the right spot. This John Denver cover is enhanced by the sweet harmonies of Rachel Goswell.
[Buy Mark Kozelek here]

3. Great Lake Swimmers -- I Am Part of A Large Family from Ongiara :: Another mellow one, I've talked about these Canadians before. This is probably my favorite from another 2007 release.
[Buy GLS here]

4. The National -- Mistaken For Strangers from The White Sessions :: This song is featured on their newest, Boxer, but this version is from a live performance in France in late May. This entire set is featured in various interweb spots. I recommend Google, perhaps you've heard of it?
[Buy The National here]

5. Blue Mountain -- Blue Canoe from Dog Days :: As I continue to explore the bands of "alt-country," I continue to find gems that I kick myself for not hearing before. File these guys under that category. Quissessential alt-country, Cary Hudson, Laurie Stirrat, and Frank Coutch are planning a summer reunion tour, although they're currently not planning to head my way. Check them out at myspace, brah.
[Buy Blue Mountain here]

6. Johnny Cash & Merle Haggard -- I'm Leaving Now from Hag: The Best of Merle Haggard :: I've seen Walk The Line about 5 times this week on Cinemax, so I've had Cash on my brain. Doesn't get much better than two country legends trading lines about leaving a no-good woman.
[Buy Cash & Haggard here and here]

Coolest. Picture. Ever.

I'm Leaving Now, Adiooooooooooos

BK

The Original Tony Watt

Tony, in front playing guitar, Sam Bush in the background looking on admiringly...

I'd like to introduce to KGB a fine friend of mine from Nashville, Tennessee: Tony Watt. Tony's working on a PhD at Vanderbilt, but the real news is that this guy is a bad ass flat picker, he's intimately inserted in the Nashville bluegrass scene, and is working on a new record with a new band (Tony, I had to find this out via Google...). The band is Cages Bend and hopefully we'll hear some tunes from them soon. In the mean time you can check out one original Tony Watt tune and a tune he recorded with Meridian back in the day on his brand freakin new myspace music page. Both tracks sounds great to these ears so I recommend you check em out.

Other news on Tony is that he recently pulled in 2nd place at the Doc Watson Guitar Championship at MerleFest 2007, which is a damn fine accomplishment. Now, back in Nashville, I took maybe 1.5 guitar lessons with Tony, so I figure that puts me at least 4th, maybe 3rd, best guitar player in the state of California. Thanks Tony!

AG