DBT WIR - 6/8/07

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Jason announces the CD release party for Sirens. It's happening in The Shoals which is very, very cool.

blog.myspace.com/jasonisbellmusic:

"CD Release Party At Muscle Shoals Music Hall July 7th

The show has been approved and it will be a blast. Doors are at 8:00 p.m., tickets are $12.00 at the door. Sorry, but there will be no advance tix since I'm putting this one on myself. Lauderdale will be playing first, then Sons of Roswell, then Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

We'll have alcohol for sale along with my new record 'Sirens of the Ditch,' the show will probably be 18 and up, and the bartendresses will be in fancy dress, so get there early.

The Music Hall is located on the 400 block of Montgomery Avenue in Sheffield AL. IT's right next to DP's Classic Grill. SEE YOU THERE!"

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More good news from Jason. Sirens of the Ditch has gone on presale on Amazon.com

I've already preordered my copy and I'm sure I'll buy a couple more from my local music shop. Preorder today, y'all! Let's make this first solo effort by Jason a HUGE success.

blog.myspace.com/jasonisbellmusic: "

'Sirens' up for presale

Amazon.com has the record for presale. Reserve yours today (if you want one). Thanks for letting me know, Adam."

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I love how all these guys work tirelessly for their fellow humans in need.

blog.myspace.com/jasonisbellmusic:

"Dennis Clifton Benefit

On June 19th at 7 p.m. at The Fizz (part of the Holiday Inn in Sheffield, AL) I'll be playing a benefit show for a good friend, Dennis Clifton.

The Decoys will be there with Donnie Fritts (and David Hood, Scott Boyer, Mike Dillon, N.C. Thurman, Kelvin Holly, etc.) as will The Fiddleworms (Rob Malone, Russell Mefford, etc.). My buddy Chris Tompkins, who wrote 'Before He Cheats' by Carrie Underwood and other great songs, will be playing. Billy Lawson, Mickey Buckins, and some of the members of 'The Ugli Stick' will be playing, too.

Dennis is an old friend who's fighting a battle with cancer and he's a great guitar player and singer from the Shoals area. Please come out if you can.

Contributions can be made to
The Special Fund for Dennis Clifton
c/o Regions Bank
301 South Court St.
Florence, AL 35630"

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I meant to blog about this last week, but Jason came up with a freakin' simple yet ingenious blog post that pisses me off that I didn't think of it first.

Lot's of fun playing 'Jason Isbell's "Things That Rock!"'

My contributions were Dales Steak Seasoning and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Below are a few samples from Jason's lists

Things That Rock #1

Paul Newman's hair in the 60's
My Rolling Stones wallet
The way Matt Pence uses a high-hat

Things That Rock #2:

"Frogs
Zippos
Mariachi bands"

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DBT! DBT! DBT!

Okay, I'm going to toot my own horn a little bit while at the same time demonstrate what a poor memory I have and AND show how you should never, ever, ever trust a damn thing the media ever says.... and also maybe show how stories change with each telling (at least the good ones do).

I was recently reading the Harp review of DBT's San Franciso TDU show and I noticed they began their article with a 'quote' that Cooley made during the show:

“I bet y'all are glad I'm not wearin' a dress right now.”

I thought, 'cool!'. I included a similar quote in my review of the DBT SF TDU shows. I went back to my review and sure enough I had written:

Cooley: Looks at the table seated directly in front of him whose eyes were at crotch level and says, "I bet y'all are glad I'm not wearin' a dress right now"

But, remember, I prefaced all of my quotes from those shows with the following:

Below are some pictures and the paraphrased quotes I remember from the stage. I didn't write any of them down verbatim, so, I had to rely on the ol'noggin.

All quotes are approximately what was said.

I thought, hey, my memory must be pretty good if Harp Magazine quoted Cooley the same way I did.

I continued to read the Harp article when I came across another Cooley quote:

“Bob” – which Cooley provisoed by saying, “Before y'all get on the computer. Before y'all light a fire under that shit machine, write this on your brain: This song don't mean shit. It don't mean shit.” – is another great character sketch from one of the best-kept secrets in rock ‘n roll songwriting today, Mike Cooley.

Now I'm thinking 'wait a minute.....'. I go back to my review and I had written:

Cooley's statement before singing "Bob":

"Before y'all get on the computer. Before y'all light a fire under that shit machine, write this on your brain: This song don't mean shit. It don't mean shit".

Word for word, punctuation mark for punctuation mark and I was positive that I paraphrased the crap out of that statement.

Again my post said:

Below are some pictures and the paraphrased quotes I remember from the stage. I didn't write any of them down verbatim, so, I had to rely on the ol'noggin.

All quotes are approximately what was said.

So it looks like Harp cribbed quotes from my review post for their article which I thought was pretty sweet!

I still had a little doubt as this all could be pure coincidence (though the computer quote should remove all doubt, but still....)

This week I received a copy of the May 8th DBT TDU SF show and I popped it in the player to listen for the 'dress' quote b/c I knew that it happened on 8th. At the end of the 2nd song, Carl Perkin's, Cooley says, and this is the exact quote:

"Aren't y'all glad I'm not wearin' a skirt?"

My quote (which I acknowledged was probably a paraphrased):

"I bet y'all are glad I'm not wearin' a dress right now"

Harp's quote:

"I bet y'all are glad I'm not wearin' a dress right now"

Hmmmmmmm.

Also, a few weeks back I clicked on Buzz Sugar's review of the SF TDU shows to find a picture that I had taken used in the article. Very cool and they gave me a link credit.

But I also found this line in their review:

".....Tuesday night was totally transcendent."

My first post on the SF TDU shows:

tran·scen·dent

Pronunciation: \-dənt\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Latin transcendent-, transcendens, present participle of transcendere

Date: 15th century

1 a: exceeding usual limits : surpassing b: extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience cin Kantian philosophy : being beyond the limits of all possible experience and knowledge2: being beyond comprehension3: transcending the universe or material existence

Mmmmm hmmmm.

So, it is cool that the industry folks are obviously reading my blog, though I do admit to being a rank amateur uber fan blogger and don't think of myself as any type of journalist (though, apparently, I may need to rethink that... Hell, I mean, I'm the one usually stealing from somebody else though I do always try to give whomever credit).

Also, just because somebody says something or writes something doesn't make it true.

And lastly.... Hey Harp and Buzz Sugar: I'm available for freelance or full time work and you can email me for my address so you can send the checks along. ;-)

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How's about a YouTube Ghost to Most:

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And since ya'll have been good little chil'rens this week some Living Bubba:

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The Drams

Jubilee Year - dallasobserver.com:

"The Drams weren't in mind at all when Denton-based songwriter Brent Best—a melody-minded veteran rock dude who knows his way around a hook and a heartfelt lyric—first started working on the songs that ended up on the band's debut, Jubilee Dive."

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I've been in a 'learn guitar' mode for a couple of weeks and I came across some good Drams tabs:

AltCountryTab:

"The Drams

Crudely Drawn

Fireflies

Holy Moses

Hummalong

Make a Book

September's High

Shortsighted

The Truth Lies Low

Unhinged

You Won't Forget"

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Music News

Roam.... if you want to. Roam around the world. See if I give a fuck.

15 Years Later, B-52s Wrapping New Album:

"ATLANTA — Fifteen years after their last album of new material, The B-52s are wrapping up work on their next one.

The quirky dance-pop outfit, which burst onto the new wave scene in 1979 with songs like 'Rock Lobster' and cracked the pop charts in the late '80s with the party classics 'Love Shack' and 'Roam,' returned to their hometown of Athens, Ga. to finish recording the as-yet unnamed record."

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Back in his element | Rock Roots And Jazz: "

Mick Jones, the musical engine of legendary punk band the Clash, unveils his new band Carbon/Silicon at the Isle of Wight Festival this weekend. He talks to Andrew Perry

Download the Carbon/Silicon song T F Madness

Joe Strummer, the heroic but often cantankerous former frontman of the Clash, must surely be looking down with a mixture of amusement and outrage at his gradual elevation to near sainthood since his untimely death in December 2002."

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I have no problem with this at all. 'Selling out' is alternatively called 'feeding your family'.

Pitchfork: Wilco Explain Volkswagen Ads:

"After millions of infuriated Wilco fans around the globe set fire to their copies of Sky Blue Sky and drove their Jettas off cliffs yesterday, Wilco took it upon themselves to explain their recent involvement in a Volkswagen ad campaign.

'With the commercial radio airplay route getting more difficult for many bands,' wrote the Chicago sextet on its official website, 'we see this as another way to get the music out there.'

They continued: 'And we feel okay about VWs. Several of us even drive them.'

Wilco also clarified remarks made in the Volkswagen press release announcing their licensing deal with the German automobile manufacturer, which claimed this was Wilco's first such licensing deal.

'If you're keeping track, this is not the first time Wilco has licensed a song to or even been involved in a commercial -- most recently a TV spot for Telefonica Mobile in Spain used a Wilco song and some years prior Jeff Tweedy appeared in a campaign for Apple Computer. Wilco have licensed hundreds of songs to television shows and films worldwide... from festival-only indie films to major motion pictures and weekly TV shows.'"

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But, then again....

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Alabama is the center of all music. How's that for over-reaching!

Alabama Man Wins Cliburn Piano Contest:

An ophthalmologist from Birmingham, Ala., bested 74 other competitors from 23 states and seven nations to win the Van Cliburn Foundation's Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs.

Drew Mays, 47, took top honors Sunday for his 30-minute recital of Beethoven's 'Waldstein' sonata and Liszt's 'Mephisto Waltz.' Mays also won the audience award and the best performance of a work from the Romantic Era."

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Rome has Rock n Roll air. Rome Rocks!

There's something in the air in Rome: cocaine:

"ROME (Reuters) - Scientists have discovered particles of cocaine and marijuana, as well as caffeine and tobacco, in the air of Italy's capital, they said on Thursday.

The concentration of drugs was heaviest in the air around Rome's Sapienza university, though the National Research Council's Dr. Angelo Cecinato warned against drawing conclusions about students' recreational habits.

Calling their study 'the first in the world to show the presence of particles of cocaine suspended in the atmosphere of the city,' the researchers said they took samples in Rome, the southern city of Taranto and in Algiers in North Africa."

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90210 Twins One Guitar - Viral Videos - IFILM

Posted May 31, 2007

Twins brothers Brendan and Jackson play the 90210 theme song on one guitar. Wow.

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Beer vs. Wine

Update: An Alabama Ass Whuppin... Seriously!

Republican senator punches Barron on final legislative day - Times Daily | Florence, AL:

"MONTGOMERY - Republican Sen. Charles Bishop punched Senate political opponent Lowell Barron in the face today during a Senate recess after a contentious filibuster by minority Republicans and their Democratic supporters.

Bishop confronted Barron in a small crowd of senators and then threw an overhand right that caught Barron on the left side of his face. Bishop wrestled Barron and pushed him over his Senate desk.

Bishop, 70, a Republican from Winston County, said Barron called him 'a son of a bitch.'

'If he calls me that again I'll do it again,' Bishop said."

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The. MSM. Sucks.

They're just so fucking lazy and dishonest. It drives me absolutely crazy.

Click on the link and read the headline the AP wrote then read what Obama actually said and witness the HUGE disparity betwixt the two.

After, wait for the next lizard brain that comes up to you and says that Obama is trying to start a race riot then hit them in the head with the nearest solid object repeatably until you think you've knocked some sense into them. (Warning: You may be beating them for a while so drink lots of fluids)

Associated Press' Crappy Reporting Makes Obama's Rhetoric Sound Racially Threatening:

"This is some really, really rank journalism. The Associated Press is badly distorting a speech Barack Obama gave today, giving his words a scary and racially-threatening cast that they simply didn't have in reality.

Here's the headline and lede on the AP's story about Obama's speech:"

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Even Benard Shaw can't stand this shit.

Bad news :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES:

"For two decades -- until his retirement in 2001 -- Bernard Shaw was the front-and-center face of CNN.

As one of its original anchors, the Chicago native set the tone for serious, insightful journalism on television's first 24-hour cable news operation.

So it pains him deeply to see what has become of the proud brand he helped create.

Asked what he now thinks of CNN, Shaw told WTTW-Channel 11's John Callaway: 'I try not to. I'm very, very disappointed with the way the news management at my favorite network has gone. CNN has fine women and men working there. Lou Dobbs, one of the leaders there.

'Unfortunately, Fox News is the ratings leader . . . on the cable side of the business, and what Fox puts on the air is not news.'

What Fox does, he said, is 'commentary, personal analysis.'

Calling himself 'very straitlaced [and] very old-fashioned,' Shaw said: 'When anchors are reporting the news, they should report the news and allow the viewers at home to decide what they think about issues.

'I don't want to hear an anchor's personal opinion about anything. Just report the news.

'But CNN continues to ape many of the on-air mannerisms of the Fox News Network, and I don't like that,' he said."

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Feeling safer?

The Blotter:

"The Department of Homeland Security has earned a reputation as 'a political dumping ground, a sort of Land of Misfit Toys' for its high quotient of political appointees who can boast more political clout than experience, according to a recent article in the Beltway insider magazine National Journal.

The magazine reported that DHS has an unusually large number of White House-appointed staffers in its ranks -- more than 350, compared to 64 for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which boasts 50,000 more career employees than DHS.

Those spots have increasingly been filled by 'GOP fundraisers or apparatchiks...sent to pad their resumes or cool their heels,' the typically reserved magazine noted, quoting unnamed former DHS officials who complained that 'personal connections and political fealty' have become the primary attributes for employment in the agency's upper echelons."

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But there's always a bright spot out in the world to keep you going. Dallas, TX electing a gay Mayor would be about as good as the advent of sliced bread.

You know what also makes Dallas cool? The Drams live in and around the Dallas area. The Drams are cool.

Cliff Schecter:

"DALLAS -- This conservative metropolis could become the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor if a longtime city council member wins a runoff later this month.

Ed Oakley's candidacy is the latest sign that Dallas' reputation as a conservative stronghold is giving way to more diversity. It is already home to several gay elected officials, including the sheriff.

''Dallas is less and less the Dallas that people think it is,'' said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. ''And Dallas is less and less the Dallas that it used to be.''

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Wonka-wonka-wonka-wonka.

New Pac Man for Xbox is swan song for founder:

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pac Man will be reborn on Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox Live online service on Wednesday as a final tribute for designer Toru Iwatani, who is retiring from the $30 billion games industry he helped ignite.

The new version of the iconic arcade game is a faithful interpretation of the addictive 27-year-old original, where players wrenched joystick controllers to race a character -- resembling a yellow pizza missing a slice -- around a digital maze to chomp white pellets and chase multicolored 'ghosts.'

The new game, 'Pac Man Championship Edition,' is the second and final version Iwatani personally designed, and was created for the final round of the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship in New York, when nine finalists played it for the first time."

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I'm an equal opportunity boozer. I like 'em both.

Wine vs. beer.

"For one thing, wine consumption in this country has nearly doubled in the last decade, while beer sales have been pretty much stagnant, growing less than 1 percent since 2000. Even more galling, in 2005 a Gallup poll revealed that, for the first time ever, Americans preferred wine to beer. This was an astonishing development, akin to Americans jilting baseball for bocce."

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March of the Crazies

Petulant, silver-spooned whiny-ass titty baby..... It should be really easy to brush off this article as bullshit, but, unfortunately we are dealing with "The Decider".

Scary as fuck that this guys is in charge.

In Meeting, ‘Wild-Eyed’ Bush Thumped Chest While Repeating ‘I Am The President!’:

"Georgie Anne Geyer writes today in the Dallas Morning News about President Bush’s strange behavior during a recent meeting with “[f]riends of his from Texas.”

But by all reports, President Bush is more convinced than ever of his righteousness.

Friends of his from Texas were shocked recently to find him nearly wild-eyed, thumping himself on the chest three times while he repeated “I am the president!” He also made it clear he was setting Iraq up so his successor could not get out of “our country’s destiny.”

This is the second time in recent weeks that accounts have surfaced of Bush lashing out or “ranting” in private meetings when responding to criticism of his Iraq policy. Chris Nelson of the Nelson Report offered a similar account earlier this month:"

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OK, I got it now. We need more attacks on U.S. soil to prove Bush's policies correct.

Oy.

I remember when people use to use reason and logic when they activated the stuff betwixt the ears.

Good times, good times those were.

Arkansas GOP head: We need more 'attacks on American soil' so people appreciate Bush:

"In his first interview as the chairman of the Arkansas Republican Party, Dennis Milligan told a reporter that America needs to be attacked by terrorists so that people will appreciate the work that President Bush has done to protect the country.

'At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on [Sept. 11, 2001],' Milligan said to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 'and the naysayers will come around very quickly to appreciate not only the commitment for President Bush, but the sacrifice that has been made by men and women to protect this country.'"

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Two of may favorite political writers each take on a Republican preZnit candidate.

First, Matt Taibbi. Read this entire article. Pure gold.

Rudolph "The Redneck" Giuliani.

Rolling Stone : Giuliani: Worse Than Bush:

Rudy giuliani is a true American hero, and we know this because he does all the things we expect of heroes these days -- like make $16 million a year, and lobby for Hugo Chavez and Rupert Murdoch, and promote wars without ever having served in the military, and hire a lawyer to call his second wife a 'stuck pig,' and organize absurd, grandstanding pogroms against minor foreign artists, and generally drift through life being a shameless opportunist with an outsize ego who doesn't even bother to conceal the fact that he's had a hard-on for the presidency since he was in diapers. In the media age, we can't have a hero humble enough to actually be one; what is needed is a tireless scoundrel, a cad willing to pose all day long for photos, who'll accept $100,000 to talk about heroism for an hour, who has the balls to take a $2.7 million advance to write a book about himself called Leadership. That's Rudy Giuliani. Our hero. And a perfect choice to uphold the legacy of George W. Bush."

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Cliff Schecter rocks the hizzy with this take down of Hollyweird's Fred "My wife is 25 years younger than me and has MASSIVE jugs" Thompson:

Cliff's Corner - AMERICAblog:

"1) Being a Republican means you've found your savior in Fred Thompson For President! You know a guy who fits in perfectly as a conservative. A former lobbyist for all manner of scummy corporations who accepts money from gun-runners, a member of the 'treason faction' who wants to put Tiger Beat posters of patiot Scooter Libby posing in his American flag skivvies on his wall and a man who has such a deep understanding of combat that he can proclaim for all to hear, 'wars are full of mistakes.'

He forgot 'and stuff.'

Did you know he also, how shall we say this gently, knocked up his high school girlfriend and then married her only to leave her for a woman a quarter-century younger than he is? Thank God health care companies cover Cialis!"

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You better come with your "A" game if you're going to sing karaoke in the Philippines.

Man shot dead for bad singing in Philippine karaoke bar:

"Deaths and violence are not uncommon in Philippine karaoke bars.

The popular Frank Sinatra song 'My Way' has been taken off many karaoke bars in Manila after it was found to be the cause of fights and even deaths when patrons sang out of tune."

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High Class Gettin' It On

Well, well, well. What do we have here?

Rove Linked to Prosecution of Ex-Alabama Governor

In the rough and tumble of Alabama politics, the scramble for power is often a blood sport. At the moment, the state's former Democratic governor, Don Siegelman, stands convicted of bribery and conspiracy charges and faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Siegelman has long claimed that his prosecution was driven by politically motivated, Republican-appointed U.S. attorneys.

Now Karl Rove, the President's top political strategist, has been implicated in the controversy. A longtime Republican lawyer in Alabama swears she heard a top G.O.P. operative in the state say that Rove "had spoken with the Department of Justice" about "pursuing" Siegelman, with help from two of Alabama's U.S. attorneys.

The allegation was made by Dana Jill Simpson, a lifelong Republican and lawyer who practices in Alabama. She made the charges in a May 21 affidavit, obtained by TIME, in which she describes a conference call on November 18, 2002, which involved a group of senior aides to Bob Riley, who had just narrowly defeated Siegelman in a bitterly contested election for governor. Though Republican Riley, a former Congressman, initially found himself behind by several thousand votes, he had pulled ahead at the last minute when disputed ballots were tallied in his favor. After the abrupt vote turnaround, Siegelman sought a recount. The Simpson affidavit says the conference call focused on how the Riley campaign could get Siegelman to withdraw his challenge.

Lord knows it ain't hard to manipulate Alabama politics. Look no further than the stellar class of "leaders" we've "elected" over the years. My home state hasn't remained an ass-backwards , 49 out of 50 (thank god for Mississippi) state without the tireless non-effort of our dear leaders. *cough* Sessions *cough*.

It's hard work bringing up the rear.

But, I'm at about 99% of full belief that Rove's grubby little troll paws are all over this stink and the reason being is this:

Take a look at the Republican denial:

William Canary called the allegations "outrageous" and "the desperate act of a desperate politician." Terry Butts said, "I do not recall this telephone conversation — this whole story must have been created by a drunk fiction writer." A White House spokesman told TIME that since the case of former Governor Siegelman remained before the courts, it would have no comment.

Damn, talk about over the top. Thou doth protest too much.

Will be interesting to see where this goes.

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Last week I linked to two stories that have now been exposed as bullshit or containing certain amounts of bullshit.

Anyway, here are the updates:

Pig was a monster, not very wild:

"The huge hog that became known as 'Monster Pig' after being hunted and killed by an 11-year-old boy had another name: Fred.

The not-so-wild pig had been raised on an Alabama farm and was sold to the Lost Creek Plantation just four days before it was shot there in a 150-acre fenced area, the animal's former owner said."

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Kidney Transplant TV Show Is a Hoax:

"AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - A television show in which a woman would donate a kidney to a contestants was revealed as a hoax Friday. Presenters said they were trying to pressure the government into reforming organ donation laws.

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The very definition of redundant:

Gays and lesbians allowed conjugal visits in prisons:

(06-01) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- California's prison system is changing its regulations to allow conjugal visits for gay and lesbian inmates in response to a legal threat and a 2003 law that gave domestic partners many of the same rights as married couples."

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The July 4th Nathan's hot dog eating contest just got very, very interesting.

Man Eats Record-Breaking 59.5 Hot Dogs

PHOENIX -- A California man has smashed the world record for hot dog eating at a contest outside Phoenix, gobbling up more than 59 franks in 12 minutes.Joey Chestnut of San Jose, 23, shattered the record held by Takeru Kobayashi of Japan. Chestnut downed the 59-plus hot dogs and buns during the Southwest Regional Hot Dog Eating Championship at the Arizona Mills Mall in suburban Tempe.Kobayashi's old record of 53.75 hot dogs was set last year at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, held at Coney Island in New York.

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Classy bow chicka bow-bow:

A suite with a fireman's pole?

"SAN DIEGO — With rooms starting at $450 a night, this city's newest hotel is keeping company with some grand dames of San Diego County: Four Seasons Resort Aviara, Hotel del Coronado and the US Grant.

But the only thing strait-laced about the Ivy Hotel is the leather-covered, corseted columns in the lobby.

The 159-room, $90-million property could pass as Playboy Mansion South, from the skin-baring cocktail waitresses to the $3,000-a-night specialty suite with king-size bunk beds, a group shower and, ahem, a fireman's pole."

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DBT Week in Review - 6/1/07

Update: We lost a good one in the past few hours. If you pray, pray. If you don't, think good thoughts for the family. I imagine you can still donate to cover what I would believe to be the massive bills the family incurred.

What ever you need to do, do it. I didn't know the girl, but I'm sure I'll shed a tear today because sometimes it just too goddamn unfair to comprehend:

Simply Sabina

DBT! DBT! DBT!
and
400 Unit! 400 Unit! 400 Unit!

Whoever started the vicious 'off-year' rumor needs a foot in the ass:

Bettye LaVette Returns to 'The Scene of the Crime' With Accomplices the Drive By Truckers, Spooner Oldham; New Record Out Sept. 25:

"LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- May 30, 2007 -- With the arrival of her new CD 'THE SCENE OF THE CRIME,' the flinty, intense soul stylist BETTYE LAVETTE unleashes a set of aggressive, sublimely crafted songs that are nothing short of mesmerizing. Accompanied by the freewheeling renegade Southern rock band Drive By Truckers, 'THE SCENE OF THE CRIME' is a multifaceted gem, ablaze with the unusual light cast by LAVETTE's complex layers of wrath, reflection and resolve. Recorded in the classic soul mine of Muscle Shoals' FAME Studios, the set is fraught with dire psychological elements. 'THE SCENE OF THE CRIME' represents a volatile bid to dispel the shadow still cast by LAVETTE's simmering frustration over her stillborn Muscle Shoals-recorded 1972 masterpiece 'Child of the Seventies,' an album that Atlantic Records maddeningly -- and inexplicably -- shelved before anyone heard it."

Wanna hear some Bettye? Check out her MySpace for a couple of songs.

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Jason Isbell posted this MySpace Bulletin yesterday. Of course 'time permitting' and 'schedules' and all that, but if this happens you lucky, lucky, lucky New York bastards.

Per Jason Isbell via MySpace bulletin:

"New York City July 19th

Body: Yes indeed we'll be playing that night at the Mercury and DBT will be playing earlier in the evening at Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park. THIS WAS UNINTENTIONAL believe it or not. It does, however, make for an interesting evening on all sides. Time permitting, it should allow for some guest appearances and a generally great day. Try to hit those shows if you can. Thanks."

Damn. The only time I have EVER wanted to live in New York. (no offense, my NY brothers and sisters)

For the panty-bunchers:

Hell, it wasn't even two months ago that I wrote the following:

Alabama Ass Whuppin': And the band(s) played on....:

So where will you be when DBT is on the stage and Jason Isbell joins them stage left for a reunion gig or two?"

Apparently, maybe New York!

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Patchouliskye has posted several Dirt Underneath video's on Youtube. I'll post a couple here, but go check out the entire collection. Mighty fine!

Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife

Puttin People on the Moon

(feel free to scream your ass off in your cubicle... fuck yer boss. Tell 'em Alabama Ass Whuppin gave you permission to scream at the man.)




Alright, fuck it.. one more:

Daddy Needs a Drink

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Hoods are taking over the world and I fully support it:

dbts : Message: David Hood on the History Channel:

"From Teddy:

'The States' is finally airing on the History Channel.The episode with Alabama features David Hood and a little story about the Muscle Shoals music biz. It airs Saturday, June 9th, at 10:00 pm Eastern (9:00 pm Central).

Here's a link to the website:

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The Drams

Have I told y'all recently that I love The Drams? Well, I do. I love 'em.

Word has it that two of the Drams will be producing little baby Drams. Little baby Tony Dram and Little baby Jess Dram.

Naomi at Slacker Country and I had a conversation about this a couple of days ago. I saw them in SLO and SF earlier this year and she saw 'em in Colorado right after so, Naomi did the math and, well, those babies could either me mine or Naomi's.

We'll be fighting for a Anna Nicole type blood test when the time comes.

In the mean time, check out the Tasty World recording from The Drams. I'm a big fan of their new song Man of Note.

Internet Archive: Details: The Drams Live at Tasty World on 2007-05-18

Also, Jitter at Slacker Country as posted a couple of review on recent Drams shows and they are definitely worth a read.

slackercountry.com:

"The Drams had been scheduled to play Lee Harvey’s in Dallas a couple times before, but for one reason or another the gig had never materialized. As Brent Best said Saturday night “We always found a way to fuck it up.”

Then there was the weather, looming storm clouds hovered over the area all day (I think they’ve become a permanent fixture here) and the forecast called for scattered showers Saturday night. I half expected the show to be canceled.

But the rain didn’t fall and the show went off and it was maybe the best Drams show I’ve seen yet."

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Music and Stuff

Mystic Swirl

Myspace.com:

"Hey Everybody!

Mystic Swirl our latest short movie starring Kyle Weir, Mary Katherine Rowe, Michael Jennings, Jeff Miller, and Logan Hill will screen Saturday July 21 at 3pm at the Performance Center on the University of North Alabama campus in Florence, Alabama. Mystic Swirl is the uplifting story of a family successfully recovering from the loss of a child to Cancer. The cast will be present for a question and answer session. Please tell your friends and please turn out.

Thanks,

Steve Richerson - Writer Producer Directer"

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Amy Winehouse: Boozy Brit Sensation Graces Next Cover of Rolling Stone:

"The British diva who’s making major waves in the U.S. will be on the next cover of Rolling Stone. An in-depth profile on the songstress thus far, our story follows her to Florida for her shotgun wedding and reveals which music legends motivate Winehouse to sing. Check back tomorrow for a peek at the exclusive photos."

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Free MP3s: 'Two' & 'Everybody Knows' by Ryan Adams - Spinner.com

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Tis pretty funny:

dbts : Message: Re: Little DBT: Alabamata:

"Pearl Jam's Yellow Ledbetter is notorious for having lyrics that are nearly incomphrensible, this interpretation takes them to a whole new hilarious level:

Jonathan"

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Cheetah Whores

One of my favorite blogs and one of the best writers on Alabama and National politics is shuttering his joint due to a move to another state:

Programming Note - The Alablawg:

"Moving to S’port means the end of the Alablawg, too. I hate it, I really do."

You will be sorely missed, Wheeler.

Go check out some of his final posts. As usual they are really good.

The Alablawg no more. I've got to give that a big 'Booooooo'!

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Fucking christ. If I hadn't just lived through the past 6+ years I would think this to be unimaginable.

Alas,

U.S. government fights to keep meatpackers from testing all slaughtered cattle for mad cow:

"WASHINGTON: The Bush administration said Tuesday it will fight to keep meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease.

The Agriculture Department tests fewer than 1 percent of slaughtered cows for the disease, which can be fatal to humans who eat tainted beef. A beef producer in the western state of Kansas, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, wants to test all of its cows.

Larger meat companies feared that move because, if Creekstone should test its meat and advertised it as safe, they might have to perform the expensive tests on their larger herds as well.

This next line of the article kills me, though. This is the same tripe my 'medical coverage' gave me when I went for a yearly check-up. I asked them to run every test they got (hey, might as well... I'm there... and I'm a paranoid fuck). I got the same bullshit answer.

False positive my ass.

Preventative healthcare means insurance will prevent you from getting healthcare.

The Agriculture Department regulates the test and argued that widespread testing could lead to a false positive that would harm the meat industry."

Oh, and... uh-huh-huh, uh huh-huh... they said 'meatpackers'.

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Really? Ya think?!

House GOP fear fallout from ethics cases:

"WASHINGTON - A half dozen federal investigations into the activities of Republican lawmakers are raising new worries for GOP leaders who hope to regain the House majority they lost last fall.

In recent weeks, two veteran Republicans surrendered prominent committee seats after
FBI agents raided the offices of family businesses. Others have long-running investigations hanging over them. Some conservative activists are criticizing the party's handling of the matters."

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Impeach this baffon. Sign the petition if you haven't already. Remember, it's an easy way to participate in your democracy.

Impeach Gonzales!

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Whores.

I wouldn't say it to their faces, but all the same..... Whores. Or would they be sluts?

Female cheetahs sleep around:

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- For female cheetahs in the Serengeti, the call of the wild is just too hard to resist as new research shows nearly half of their litters are made up of cubs with different fathers."

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300 Pounds of Hongry

I've held off posting the story about the momma humpback whale and her baby taking a detour through the Golden Gate and SF Bay and up the Sacramento River for fear of jinxing the two.

It looks like they are headed back to the open ocean. Woo-hoo! If they could just wait until 5:30 P.M. today to go under the GGB I'll get to watch them a block away from where I live.

Mother and calf rollick in S.F. Bay in sprint to Pacific:

"The two humpback whales that captured worldwide attention for their two-week sojourn in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta returned to San Francisco Bay on Tuesday and came within only a few miles of the Golden Gate and their Pacific Ocean home.

By nightfall Tuesday, the mother and calf faced a swim of less than 8 miles to the narrow channel under the Golden Gate Bridge -- but they weren't leaving the bay just yet. Instead, the pair spent the early evening parading close to the Tiburon shore, delighting onlookers outfitted with binoculars. Then, they appeared to settle for the night just off Larkspur."

Check out the map of their journey. It really is amazing they made it all the way up the Sac. River.

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If you like this website or you like other websites and you like to send email for free and you like the ability to create a website or blog at no to minimal cost or you'd just like to support, well, Freedom of Speech and you would like to fight against the further corporatization of our government, then.....

Do something! Participate in your democracy by signing a petition. It is a great and easy way to have your voice heard.

Public Airwaves for the Public Good:

"The federal government is on the verge of turning over a huge portion of our public airwaves to companies like AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast--who will use them for private enrichment instead of the public good.

These newly available airwaves are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revolutionize Internet access -- beaming high-speed signals to every park bench, coffee shop, workplace, and home in America at more affordable prices than current Internet service. Phone and cable companies don't want this competition to their Internet service--they'd rather purchase the airwaves at auction and sit on them.

In June, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will make a major decision: Use the public airwaves for the public good, or turn them over to big companies who will stifle competition, innovation, and the wireless Internet revolution. We're urging the FCC to mandate that whoever wins the auction cannot stifle competition and innovation.

Can you sign this petition to the FCC today, and send it to your friends?

A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to the Federal Communications Commission."

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If society is going to devolve then I want it to REALLY devolve.

The Dutch are setting a standard here, that I thought, for sure, the U.S. of A. would be the first to do.

Game shows for vital organs.... YES!

Next up: Hunting human prey in an updated version of Survivor.

Dutch show has kidney donation contest:

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A Dutch reality show that claims to be trying to draw attention to a shortage of organ donors said Tuesday it would go ahead with a program in which a terminally ill woman will choose a contestant to receive one of her kidneys.

The program, 'Big Donor Show,' has been attacked as unethical and tasteless. One member of the Dutch parliament suggested the government should block Friday's broadcast.

'We know that this program is super controversial and some people will think it's tasteless, but we think the reality is even more shocking and tasteless: waiting for an organ is just like playing the lottery,' Laurens Drillich, chairman of the BNN network, said in a statement."

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That's some pig: Boy, 11, shoots 1,051 pound hog

In related news, another local boy captured a 500 pound wild chicken while his father has grown 50 pound coffee beans. Not to be outdown the wife and mother has developed a process to cook pancakes that will cover a king sized bead.

These folks along with the hogzilla boy will be joining forces to host the largest weekend breakfast buffet in the history of mankind.

Mmmmmm bacon. (it was mentioned that 500 pounds of sausage will be produced from hogzilla... no shit)

h/t to Naomi at Slacker Country

"MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) -- Hogzilla is being made into a horror movie. But the sequel may be even bigger: Meet Monster Pig.

An 11-year-old boy used a pistol to kill a wild hog his father says weighed a staggering 1,051 pounds and measured 9 feet 4, from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail. Think hams as big as car tires.

If the claims are accurate, Jamison Stone's trophy boar would be bigger than Hogzilla, the famed wild hog that grew to seemingly mythical proportions after being killed in South Georgia in 2004."

Of course his dad created a website for him:

BIGGER than Hogzilla

"300 pounds. As tall as she is round.
And every pound of that body's so fine
I can hardly believe that its all mine
It's all mine!"
Eddie Hinton - 300 Pounds of Hongry

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Golden Gate Bridge

Duuuude! Coming back to work suuuuuucks. A necessary suck, though. (fucking lottery)

I spent yesterday strolling through downtown San Francisco snapping some photos.

I left my heart.....

A couple of hearts in Union Square.

Speaking of leaving your heart in San Francisco, I watched the documentary The Bridge this weekend. A guy filmed the Golden Gate Bridge everyday for a year in 2004. 24 people killed themselves by jumping off the bridge that year. The documentary is about those people. Be forewarned, you do see people jump. 220 feet, 120 miles per hour, a 4 second fall.

That one has fucked me up for the past few days... especially since I live so close to the bridge and ride my bike across it often.

Put it on the top of you NetFlix if you haven't seen it.

Also, check out Patterson Hood's new song, The Golden Gate Bridge. Here's the first verse:

THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
You can run but it’s still gonna getcha
It ain’t nice to fool mother nature
You can hide but she’ll sniff you out
She knows what those demons are lying about
And it’s another late night all alone in here
I’m wide awake and nearly out of beer
It’s seeping in through the cracks in the curtain
Deny all you want but you know it’s for certain
It’s time for some stomping and banging
Leave all you want but don’t leave a man hanging
A shiny car and some really nice digs
Another man’s jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge......

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Alley shot looking towards Union Square

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Why do we live in a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything? Maybe I should just move back to Alabama.

Dr. Hibbert, in The Simpsons

Ala. Terror Web Site Angers Activists:

"MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- The Alabama Department of Homeland Security has taken down a Web site it operated that included gay rights and anti-war organizations in a list of groups that could include terrorists.

The Web site identified different types of terrorists, and included a list of groups it believed could spawn terrorists. The list also included environmentalists, animal rights advocates and abortion opponents."

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Tranny America Building


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Angry Atheists Are Hot Authors

While I am excited that atheist authors are selling books these days, the beginning of this article is a prime example of why I stay pissed off at the MSM and their lazy fucking "journalism".

The time for polite debate is over. Militant, atheist writers are making an all-out assault on religious faith and reaching the top of the best-seller list, a sign of widespread resentment over the influence of religion in the world among nonbelievers.

Look, just because my people are starting to speak up it doesn't make us 'militant' nor are with 'making an all-out assault on religious faith'.

What kind of lazy, cheap, half-assed writing is that? Fuck, that shit pisses me off.

We atheist are the least militant, least assaulting folks in the world.

Hey, we don't have a war going on with anybody right now. My religious brethren can't say the same.

Anyway....

"The war metaphor is apt. The writers see themselves in a battle for reason in a world crippled by superstition. In their view, Muslim extremists, Jewish settlers and Christian right activists are from the same mold, using fairy tales posing as divine scripture to justify their lust for power. Bad behavior in the name of religion is behind some of the most dangerous global conflicts and the terrorist attacks in the U.S., London and Madrid, the atheists say.

As Hitchens puts it: 'Religion kills.'"

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Playing chicken with a trolley

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Very cool, if you haven't checked this out yet. I found both of my Granddads.

Ancestry.com Puts 90M War Records Online:

"For every generation in this country there has been a war. And with wars come millions of records that can shed light on family history, detailing everything from the color of soldiers' eyes to what their neighbors may have said about them.

On Thursday, Ancestry.com unveils more than 90 million U.S. war records from the first English settlement at Jamestown in 1607 through the Vietnam War's end in 1975. The site also has the names of 3.5 million U.S. soldiers killed in action, including 2,000 who died in Iraq."

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Yeah, well, I've heard whispers that there is a grouper and a dolphin that are swimming around with a mighty guilty look on their faces. Something about a full moon party and a 3-way.....

Might not be as immaculate as first thought.

Scientists report virgin shark birth:

"DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) -- Female sharks can fertilize their own eggs and give birth without sperm from males, according to a new study of the asexual reproduction of a hammerhead in a U.S. zoo.

The joint Northern Ireland-U.S. research, being published Wednesday in the Royal Society's peer-reviewed Biology Letter journal, analyzed the DNA of a shark born in 2001 in the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.

The shark was born in a tank with three potential mothers, none of whom had contact with a male hammerhead for at least three years. (Watch why researchers say this is not a good sign Video)

Here's the best part....

The baby was killed within hours of its birth by a stingray in the same tank. Analysis of its DNA found no trace of any chromosomal contribution from a male partner.

God, stingrays are dicks, aren't they.

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Memorial Day

It's Memorial Day. And I've got family in the Persian Gulf Bay....

And what did they say? They said...."Get me the fuck out of here!"

On this Memorial Day remember this:

3,813

....remember this:

The Raw Story | Iraq beginning to export fighters to nearby countries - and beyond:

'The Iraq war, which for years has drawn militants from around the world, is beginning to export fighters and the tactics they have honed in the insurgency to neighboring countries and beyond,' The New York Times reports.

According to the report, experts now say that the experience that Jihadists are currently gaining in Iraq will become far more problematic than the training Muslim radicals received in Afghanistan's terrorist camps."

....remember this:

A soldier in Iraq asks in despair: Why are we here?:

"BAGHDAD, May 12 -- My name is Donald Hudson Jr. I have been serving our country’s military actively for the last three years. I am currently deployed to Baghdad on Forward Operating Base Loyalty, where I have been for the last four and a half months.

I came here as part of the first wave of this so called 'troop surge', but so far it has effectively done nothing to quell insurgent violence. I have seen the rise in violence between the Sunni and Shiite. This country is in the middle of a civil war that has been on going since the seventh century."

Why are we here when this country still to date does not want us here? Why does our president’s personal agenda consume him so much, that he can not pay attention to what is really going on here?

.....remember this:

CBS Exposes Bush Admin’s ‘Outrageous Delay’ In Providing Marines With Bomb-Resistant Vehicle:

"While President Bush has been busy politically demagoging funding for the troops, CBS Evening News highlighted a disturbing report tonight that the administration waited over a year before acting on a “priority 1 urgent” request to send blast-resistant vehicles to Iraq, the so-called Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.

Calling it “an outrageous delay,” CBS noted, “The Marines in the field asked for 1,200 MRAPs in February 2005 — but so far, they’ve received less than 100.” The report also noted that the problem is widespread and systemic:"

.... and remember this:

Bush Ignored Senate’s Pre-War Intelligence Warning of Post-War Fiasco

The U.S. intelligence community’s pre-war clairvoyance is notable. While there was originally no link between al Qaeda and Iraq, they accurately predicted how a U.S. invasion would ignite Islamic sentiment against the U.S., allowing terrorists networks like al Qaeda to resurge elsewhere and disrupt regional stability. Some highlights of the report:

“A stable democratic government in postwar Iraq would be a long, difficult, and probably turbulent challenge.”

“Al Qa’ida probably would see an opportunity to accelerate its operational tempo and increase terrorist attacks during and after a U.S.-Iraq war.”

“Rogue ex-regime elements could forge an alliance with existing terrorist organizations or act independently to wage guerilla warfare against the new government or Coalition forces.”

“A US-led defeat and occupation of Arab Iraq would boost proponents of political Islam and would result in ‘calls for the people of the region to unite and build up defenses against the West.’”

“Funds for terrorist groups probably would increase as a result of Muslim outrage over US action.”

But like several other reports, the Bush administration dismissed these predictions. “The committee also found that the warnings predicting what would happen after the U.S.-led invasion were circulated widely in government, including to the Defense Department and the Office of the Vice President.”

Four years after the invasion, these predictions have become reality. Al Qaeda is resurging in Afghanistan and Pakistan, partly funded by allies in Iraq. Anti-U.S. sentiment in the Middle East continues to rise.

Does Bush really “read the intelligence“?

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DBT Week in Review - 5/25/07

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Let's begin today with happenings out of the 400 Unit.

Jason and the gang's new website is partially up and looking nice.

www.jasonisbell.com

The big tour is set. Check out the website to find the city near you where Jason and the 400 Unit will be playing.

This looks to be a mighty fine tour with dates all over. I'm set for a Saturday night show in San Francisco. Woo-hoo!

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Jason's got a new song on iTunes. Make sure you buy a copy of "Brand New Kind of Actress". You'll show your support and you'll give the record company something to use to gauge how many initial copies of Sirens to press.

They'll need to print a lot.... I mean, A LOT of copies.

www.myspace.com/jasonisbellmusic:

"'Brand New Kind Of Actress' Available Now at iTunes! Buy the track and it will be credited to the purchase of the album through iTunes 'Complete My Album Program'"

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Be sure to check out Jason's wonderful tribute to Topper Price. You can find the tribute on Jason's MySpace page on his blog.

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Via Jayne

dbts : Message: Jason Interview Thurs 7 a.m.:

"Jason Isbell Interview
Thursday, May 24- 7:00 a.m.
89.7 WTMD (Baltimore)
http://wtmd.blogspot.com/2007/05/live-from-louisville-schedule.html

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DBT

Jenn made some groovy new banners for your website. I've sported one in my header the past 3 days.

Drive-By Truckers New Banners for your website

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Killer TDU review by RevTodd on Ninebullets:

Nine Bullets:

"Ok, ok, I realize it's two weeks overdue, but I drink a lot folks.

In any case, here's the latest installment of my concert book:

# 412 DRIVE BY TRUCKERS (19)

Fox Theater/ Boulder, Co 5/27/07

Flying from Columbus to Chicago to Denver, I arrived in the Mile High city around 11am MST. Weeb picked me up and we drove to their house in Arvada. I hadn't seen him or his wife , Sandy, since they got married in 2002. I've known Chris (aka Weeb) since my Ohio State days and we've done some serious drinking over the years. Luckilly, marriage has not changed my friend. In fact, I think he found the perfect partner in Sandy. She likes to hike, ride Harley's, drink beer, gamble, and she loves him. "

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My vanity is showing.

Here's a TDU SF review. They used one of my pictures for their review.

Concert Review: Drive-By Truckers at the Great American Music Hall, 5/8/07 | BuzzSugar - Movies, TV, Music.:

"The Drive-By Truckers are a rarity in today's music climate: a band that hugs the road as if it were kin, touring any chance they get. They hit the pavement when they have a new album, or when they have a few festivals to play, or — in this case — when they have a batch of new songs to hone before heading into the studio."

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The Drams

Check the ever entertaining Drams tour diary for the latest shananagans.

the Drams:

"Hey diggidees,
French kisses with a little over the bra gropin! It was only a matter of time that that itch in a place you don't need to know came back and I let you know what is going on, my peep-peeps(hee-hees)! Also know that evidently my damn-ass spell check aint(is not) working in this new Google-enhanced/bought blog space-shit. Sorry, but you are probably used to my half educated ass anyway. History degrees do not get you very far these days.

As of late we have been reserving our energies on the home front and trying to do the things we can to be productive citizens of this society by any means we can. And stuff."

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Go buy this. Brent Best's 'Robert Cole' is included.

Bloodshot Records: Bloodshot Records Compilations - Just A Few More: A Musical Tribute to Larry Brown Bonus Collection

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Music

Some of my favorite political blogs have been discussing music of late.

Eschaton:

Why The Selling Out Conversation Matters

Judging by the reaction of some commenters there seems to be a wide perception that this is just some college-level conversation about who's keeping it real. There's a bit of that, admittedly, but there are larger issues at play. The music industry is going through a radical change right now, due to technology changes and other issues, and it isn't quite clear what the next equilibrium outcome will be. The revenue, marketing, and distribution models are all changing and what they will finally evolve into isn't yet set in stone. There's no inevitable outcome, both due to uncertainty about future technological developments, as well as the fact that policy (copyright law and DMCA, net neutrality and other internet policies, etc...) could play an important role.

The internet provides for the incredible possibility for musicians to market and distribute their own stuff, though there are limits to that so I think it's important to encourage, not discourage, any other alternative methods of marketing and revenue generation.

The Future of Music Coalition has a bunch of info on these issues."


More Selling Out

It's true that while I don't think there's anything inherently wrong about "selling out," it's also the case the rock bands are also brands in and of themselves so turning half their catalog into commercial jingles for canned soup might negatively impact their brand. The issue isn't "how dare they sell out to Big Soup!!!" it's that maybe their fans don't want to be at their concerts thinking about dancing soup spoons.

Like other commercial enterprises bands have a brand to protect, and associating that brand with other things might have negative effects. But that's a different issue than objecting to them making a buck.

Crooks and Liars � Music…:

"I'm joining in to the music discussion that started over the weekend. The music world has changed incredibly in a short period of time, (technology, copyright laws, the Internet, etc…) so what's the big deal if bands let commercials use their music for a hefty fee? Back in 'the day,' it was the cool thing for a band to not 'sell out' to the man, but as Amanda says: 'That is so 20th Century.' I still cringe a bit when I hear a Hendrix song on a commercial, but the times are a changin' and it has always been a struggle to make it in the music world.

What's sad is that the music industry knew that the dynamic was changing because of technology; file sharing in part was developed by them, but they sat on their hands because they DID NOT WANT to set a precedent. I'll have more on this later… "

Matthew Yglesias:

"By popular demand, you'll find the playlist for the Nineties Alt-Rock Party below. A few words. For one thing, this is just the songs in alphabetical order; at the party itself, the Party Shuffle was in effect. Most important of all, before looking at the list you need to understand what it is and what it is not. This is an effort to recreate the experience of listening to your average 'modern rock' radio station during the decade in question. Hence, no hip-hop, no Spice Girls, and no then-obscure indie bands etc. One also gets points for iconicness and the elusive quality of ninetiesness. Hence, 'What's the Frequency Kenneth?' represents R.E.M. on the grounds that it's the 'most nineites' of R.E.M. songs and 'Buddy Holly' represents the Blue Album since it was the monster hit. Arguably, I violated the terms of the arrangement with the Nirvana selections, and it's been put to me that Pavement was sufficiently mainstream to merit inclusion. Be that as it may, the task is inherently subjective and this was my party:"

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Prince played SF recently and covered a songs by our own Spooner Oldham.

REVIEW / His white-hot Purpleness and Sheila E. in concert? Priceless.:

"Vocalist Shelby Johnson brought old-fashioned soul to the sound and, as if to make the point, even sang a heated version of Aretha Franklin's 'I Never Loved a Man.' Two additional background vocalists, all long legs and bottoms and very little skirt, brought a lot of motion to the show with the sort of dancing not often seen outside gentlemen's clubs. When Prince and Sheila E. dragged 15 or so goofballs out of the front rows to dance with the band, it was controlled chaos onstage and Prince made the most of it.

He used a lot of purple backlighting and frequently asked for the already dim lights to be dropped even lower. 'Make it sexy,' he would say, and the lights would go out."

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