So's I've been ruminatin' for a while now as to the status of a number of unreleased songs of mine, 'solo material' as the suits might call it and and in light of our desire to return to creating new Slobberbone material in the near future I feel the time has come to put the hammer to the anvil and get these out. A few of these songs you might have heard me perform live the last few years, some I've never played outside my house and some have never left their hard drive. They've marinated long enough, methinks. With that in mind, I've decided they should be recorded all proper-like, in a real studio (I love my kitchen but it's time to get out) and with a focus on craft and not brevity. Addititionally, I would like to eschew the traditional means of funding and distribution we've employed in the past and be able to deliver it straight to whoever may be interested upon completion. My only barriers to this end is the time needed away from work and other concerns, and the funding.
Here's what I'm proposing: that you, or anyone who'd like to participate, become that avenue. I believe this can be fairly simple and that excites me enough to help allay some of the aggonizing I've had that this might seem basely oppurtunistic to some. It's not. I've come to realise that the biggest gift over the last many years of doing what I do only starts from getting to share my work with those who would receive it, but more importantly, for me, becomes the relationships, and often all-out friendships, that so many have chosen to share with me in return. This is where my satisfaction comes from, not the spectre of throwing it out to the world at any cost and seeing what can be gained. I've already gained more than I ever imagined. It's you guys I want to continue with.
So now I make this offer, to those and only those who would feel no weirdness about it: help me make this record. For a $10 contribution, you will receive a limited edition of this record, to be recorded later this summer, shipped to you upon completion, personalised and with your name on it. Whew... okay here's how it can work: you participate either via Paypal or with a check or money order. Most important will be for you to provide your complete name and shipping information. Paypal provides for this but please make sure you enter it and it is correct, and update it if you should move. Same thing with a mailed check or money order: please enclose your full name and mailing info, along with phone and email if you'd like. This will facilitate me compiling a master list of all donors and to be able to keep you up to date on the production, and also provide you with access to some web-based extras that I'll post along the way. For Paypal, send your donation to brentdbest@yahoo.com, for check or money order, mail your donation to Brent Best, 1901 Redwood Pl, Denton, TX, 76209. Upon receipt, I will send you a notification confirming your participation along with additional updates to follow.
I am excited and a little twitchy. Also a little gassy at the moment but that usually goes away. I look forward to looking forward. And when it's all said and done, let's all have a drink.
"I suppose I should just get the obvious one out of the way first. I see that you're playing dates with Slobberbone and solo. Since there's been no official announcement, what does this mean for the band situation? Are The Drams still active? How's it all shaking out?
Drams are still semi-active. We just played a show last night. The idea is to do both but obviously we'll have to kinda focus on one or the other at one time and it looks like we're gonna focus on some Slobberbone stuff for now. Keith and Chad are playing and doing quite well in The King Bucks right now and with Brian back it seems like a good time to fire up Slobbebone and maybe start laying down some tracks. And then hopefully do it all again with The Drams in a year or so. I like the idea of having both and having them be very different things. Solo shows just sorta fill the cracks in between."
"Jason Isbell grew up in the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama, and the Shoals' deep soul permeates his style and sensibility – even when he's pouring out intricate story songs on an acoustic guitar, as he did during an exclusive live session for Feel Like Going Home."
"BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — John Mellencamp's 14-year-old son has started a social networking campaign on Facebook that he hopes will get his rocker dad to quit smoking."
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I've dated an Eastern Block woman before, Ronnie. I understand.
All y'all troll the Dallas Craigslist the next few weeks to see if any of the gear pops up. I'm betting that the thief is sitting on the stuff for a while to let the dust settle.
"Stolen Equipment Hey everybody, Slobberbone / The Drams are some of our closest friends. Please be on the lookout for this stuff if you live near Dallas and send it to any friends you have nearby. PLEASE EMAIL ME at jenn@drivebytruckers.com if you have any info! Included are pics of the Les Paul...
Message from Jess Barr, guitarist for Slobberbone / The Drams:
Early this morning my car was broken into and all of my equipment was stolen. This includes my red matchless clubman 35 head and cabinet, my black gig bag with cables and pedals, and, most importantly, my gibson les paul goldtop. If you know anything about this or happen to run across any of theses items at a pawn shop,etc. please let me know. No questions will be asked. Obviously, these are all just material possessions that can be replaced, but on a sentimental level it's pretty devastating. So if you could spread the word and keep your eyes open for me, it would be greatly appreciated.
thanks, jess
p.s. If you see me playing air guitar at the next gig, please just pretend that I'm shredding on some sweet solos."
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DBT!
And just for the record ABAAC is a great album. I find myself coming back to it more and more.
"The A.V. Club recently talked to Patterson Hood, DBT’s chief singer-songwriter, about the band’s new material, our new president, and the duality of Lyndon Johnson."
Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of the Chitlin Supper at Meek High School in Arley,AL. My mother graduated from Meek High in 1967. She had the distinct pleasure of being named the Chitlin Queen one year. This was an event that she would have to drag us to over the years. My dad graduated from Curry High just over the Walker County line. My sister and I went to Walker High, a city school for god’s sakes! Why would we be caught somewhere they serve hog guts?
I have grown to appreciate the Supper more and more over the years. There’s nothing slick about it except a few of the politicians who take the stage to pander for votes. Entertainment ranges from the awful American Idolesque karaoke to traditional gospel and country. I’ve even seen buck dancing from time to time. This year our very own Lee Bains III will grace the stage for an acoustic set. His first Chitlin Supper was last year and I’m glad it seems to have stuck.
Proceeds from the Supper go to a good cause. Meek High School marching band members are cleaning chitlns at an alarming rate at the moment. 400 or 500 pounds I’m told. After the chitlins are cleaned, they are boiled, pressure cooked and then fried. Experts encourage you to drizzle them with vinegar before taking a bite. The band will bake and fry up about 800 pounds of chicken as well for those of you too chicken to try chitlins. For more info:
"In Cahoots is a reoccuring feature here at Saints Don't Bother where we chat with various artists and bands. This past week, we caught up with John Smith, one of the vocalists and guitarists in The Dexateens, who will be at Barley's on Saturday night with Lucero. Since they are on the road, we emailed back and forth some questions, answers and random tidbits about the South, music and college football. See what you think, and check'em out!"
Two weeks ago I finally bought Bingham's first album. Haven't stopped listening to it since and am trying to learn a couple of his songs on guitar. I'm eat up with it.
"Finally, some news worth reporting. May 5th is apparently the drop date for Ryan Bingham's second album, Roadhouse Sun on Lost Highway Records. The album is again produced by Marc Fuckin' Ford (ex Black Crowes) and utilizes Bingham's backing band, The Dead Horses.
Here's the official press release text that is currently floating around on the interwebs:"
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Check out The Archibalds from Austine TX. Joey is a Northern Alabama boy.
In 2009, there is no higher praise for a band than being refreshingly (yet progressively) anachronistic. So, it is with Austin, Texas quartet, The Archibalds. Since forming in the sweaty summer of 2006, The Archibalds have tapped into that crossroads where new meets old, country meets rock, and pop meets avant-garde, effortlessly creating something undeniably unique. With a sound that is equal parts pure rock and roll and genre bending deviance, The Archibalds draw comparisons to Beck, Dr. Dog, and fellow Texans, The Gourds.
The band released their debut album O Camellia in 2007, which garnered them critical success including a listing as a “Band to Watch in 2008” from the Austin Chronicle. Since then, the band has embarked on their first tour, been featured on the Austin imprint Almost There Records’ annual compilation as well as their Big Star tribute compilation, and in December 2008, the band released their second full-length record titled Easy Living on Superpop! Records.
Throughout Easy Living, singer/guitarist/songwriter Joey Thompson mines for material in the trailer parks and landfills of the American South. Just as he turned a critical eye to his home state of Alabama on O Camellia, Easy Living takes on the South in general, documenting the characters that lurk there on the back roads and in the shadows. There is a literary attention to detail in these songs which lends empathy to these characters without losing a sense of humor about everything they encounter, from sex and religion to unemployment and the apocalypse.
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Music
Good read but he dings Bruce for the Wal-Mart thing and fails to address his own complicity in the goddamn Chevy Truck 'This is our Country' clap-trap.
"Had the industry not been decimated by a lack of vision caused by corporate bean counters obsessed with the bottom line, musicians would have been able to stick with creating music rather than trying to market it as well." ....... "Reagan's much-vaunted trickle-down theory said that wealth tricked down to the masses from the elite at the top. Now we've found out that this is patently untrue -- the current economic collapse reflects this self-serving folly. The same holds for music. It doesn't trickle down; it percolates up from the artists, from word of mouth, from the streets and rises up to the general populace. Constrained by the workings of SoundScan/BDS, music now came from the top and was rammed down people's throats."
"NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Alpha Media Group closed Blender magazine today, eliminating about 30 jobs and reducing its portfolio of titles to Maxim alone. The April issue of Blender out now will be its last."
"Nearly five years after the release of their 2004 blockbuster American Idiot—it sold some 12 million copies worldwide, and yielded five singles—the boys from Berkeley return this spring with their eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown (not including, lest we forget, a little 2007 side project). And now we have an official release date! It's May 15, though you can get lead single 'Know Your Enemy' digitally sooner, on a soon-to-be-announced day in April."
"Stolen Equipment Hey everybody, Slobberbone / The Drams are some of our closest friends. Please be on the lookout for this stuff if you live near Dallas and send it to any friends you have nearby. PLEASE EMAIL ME at jenn@drivebytruckers.com if you have any info! Included are pics of the Les Paul...
Message from Jess Barr, guitarist for Slobberbone / The Drams:
Early this morning my car was broken into and all of my equipment was stolen. This includes my red matchless clubman 35 head and cabinet, my black gig bag with cables and pedals, and, most importantly, my gibson les paul goldtop. If you know anything about this or happen to run across any of theses items at a pawn shop,etc. please let me know. No questions will be asked. Obviously, these are all just material possessions that can be replaced, but on a sentimental level it's pretty devastating. So if you could spread the word and keep your eyes open for me, it would be greatly appreciated.
thanks, jess
p.s. If you see me playing air guitar at the next gig, please just pretend that I'm shredding on some sweet solos."
It still amazes me to be able to watch our President in action. Obama was stellar in his prime time presser last night. The same can not be said for our press corp. These folks are the worst. From Tapper to Todd these douches act like their in high school.
Obama will learn 'em, though.
A President that likes to know what he's talking about before he speaks.... Times they have a changed.
"QUESTION: But on AIG, why did you wait -- why did you wait days to come out and express that outrage? It seems like the action is coming out of New York and the attorney general's office. It took you days to come public with Secretary Geithner and say, 'Look, we're outraged.' Why did it take so long?
OBAMA: It took us a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak."
"Critics say Obama relies too heavily on his teleprompter. As Politico notes:
'Obama's reliance on the teleprompter is unusual -- not only because he is famous for his oratory, but because no other president has used one so consistently and at so many events, large and small.'
They make an interesting point, why would a president want to be prepared and careful about what he says? The guy who had the job for the last eight years didn't need no stinkin' teleprompter!
Well, David Letterman addressed the outrage last night with his segment 'Teleprompter Vs. No Teleprompter.' It was enlightening to say the least."
"'I do think that the Republican Party right now hasn't sort of figured out what it's for,' Obama said in a White House interview with The Courier-Journal and reporters from five other newspapers. 'And so, as a proxy, they've just decided 'we're going to be against whatever the other side is for.' That's not what's needed in an economic crisis.'"
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As utterly stupid as this is, I can't really see it being all that legal.
"Soon wives could receive letters from the Escambia County Sheriff's Department letting them know when their husbands are arrested for soliciting prostitutes."
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Good to know. I've been chasing my tail for years.
"March 24, 2009 -- A team of veterinarians has found a surprising link between compulsive tail-chasing in dogs and high cholesterol, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice.
The finding adds to a growing body of evidence -- mostly from studies on humans -- that high cholesterol may be a marker for behavioral problems such as panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder, which could be expressed by frequent tail-chasing falls in dogs."
"Mr. Wexler was something of a paradox. A businessman with tireless energy, a ruthless streak and a volatile temper, he was also a hopeless music fan. A New York Jew and a vehement atheist, he found his musical home in the Deep South, in studios in Memphis and Muscle Shoals, Ala., among Baptists and Methodists, blacks and good old boys."
"Interestingly, they’ve come to the DBTs via the recent Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, several of them mentioning Andrew Muller’s Album Of The Month review in Uncut and how his claims for the record made them want to test his contention that, among other things, here was a synthesis of Lynryrd Skynyrd’s authenticity and virtuosity, The Replacement’s whiskey-sodden wit, the social conscience of Bruce Springsteen and the righteous fury of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Unanimously, they’ve been amazed that the record lived up to the advance billing, which they had probably suspected was bluster and hyperbole. They now can’t wait to see if the band can deliver live, which when I bump into some of the same people on the way out, they all, grinningly, agree they do, spectacularly."
"The Drive-by Truckers or DBT’s as they are known to fans, stay true to their southern American rock roots, but sound just modern enough to gain a European following. Their shows are known for being alcohol infused, three guitar playing, rift inducing jam sessions. Tuesday night was no different, with the Jack Daniels being passed between members and fans passing a cheeky smoke to the pretty drunk looking Cooley."
"Teresa said they let people leave their cars in the parking lot, don't mind if they come in just for a weather report, and get returning customers from all over the Southeast, including the band The Drive-By Truckers. who e-mailed them after a tornado one time to make sure Pop's was alright."
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Betty Lavette
Via Roger Johnson. Check out the new video from Bettye
Good friend Russell Mefford sent me the Fiddleworms new record, Volkswagen Catfish, this week and it's a goodie.
Corey Hannah over at Nine Bullets beat me to the write-up punch early this week and posted the following on this very fine Florence, Alabama band.
I spent many a fun night back in the mid-90s partying to the live tunes of the first incarnation of the Fiddleworms. I'm real happy they've come back stronger than ever.
"After leaving the Drive-By Truckers, Rob Malone moved back to the Shoals to reform Fiddleworms with Russell Mefford. They released an album called Year of the Cock a few years ago. Browan Lollar, of Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, did the artwork for that album.
I was interning at The Nutthouse Recording Studio in Sheffield earlier this year when Jimmy Nutt started mixing the new Fiddleworms record. I knew from the moment I heard the unmixed tracks that this was going to be a great album. If you guys will look at your liner notes, you’ll see that Jimmy engineered Jason’s album, Sirens of the Ditch. He also worked beside David Barbe on The Dirty South. Jimmy’s a helluva engineer and producer. The combination of him working with the Worms came together to make a record that does Muscle Shoals proud."
"When Russell Mefford was a kid, he thought the platform-wearing, tongue-wagging members of KISS were like superheroes. Not only that, they came bearing gifts, temporary tattoos. 'Every record that you bought from them, you got something from them,' he said. Mefford is lead guitarist and vocalist for Shoals band, The Fiddleworms, which satisfies their fans with T-shirts and stickers. Thanks to Gene, Peter, Ace and Paul, they also included temporary tattoos inside of their last CD."
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Brent Best/Drams
This post in a few months old but I just came across it. Some very excellent new tunage from Brent. I've been humming 'Never Bothered Me' all week long.
"Singer, songwriter, liberal activist and now John McCain scourge Jackson Browne filed a lawsuit today against the presumptive GOP nominee and the Republican Party for failing to obtain a license to use one of his songs in a television commercial."
"BARACK OBAMA 1. Ready or Not Fugees 2. What's Going On Marvin Gaye 3. I'm On Fire Bruce Spingsteen 4. Gimme Shelter Rolling Stones 5. Sinnerman Nina Simone 6. Touch the Sky Kanye West 7. You'd Be So Easy to Love Frank Sinatra 8. Think Aretha Franklin 9. City of Blinding Lights U2 10. Yes We Can will.i.am
JOHN McCAIN 1. Dancing Queen ABBA 2. Blue Bayou Roy Orbison 3. Take a Chance On Me ABBA 4. If We MakeIt Through December Merle Haggard 5. As Time Goes By Dooley Wilson 6. Good Vibrations The Beach Boys 7. What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong 8. I've Got You Under My Skin Frank Sinatra 9. Sweet Caroline Neil Diamond 10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes The Platters"
"So where does he get those sayings, aside from what he plucks from motivational speakers? 'To tell you the truth, the players. I sit with the players. I'll ask our captains, 'OK, what kind of music do you listen to right now? OK, give me a verse, a line, that you'll need when we're running 110s, on the 25th rep, and your body is saying no. What are you going to need at that moment?' And they're going to give me a little line.'"
"NEW YORK (AP) -- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is going on the road to New York - the city that spawned hip-hop and gave Bob Dylan and the Ramones their start.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Wednesday that the Cleveland-based museum is opening an annex in downtown Manhattan. It is the first of several planned outposts that will take its collection of artifacts to a wider audience, possibly as far as the Middle East."
"HARTFORD — Four decades into a career as the sequined king of soft rock, celebrated in his 1970s peak as much for his rakish growl and helmet of wavy hair as for hits like “Sweet Caroline” and “Song Sung Blue,” Neil Diamond is enjoying something of a career renaissance."
3. Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Sweet Home Alabama," 1,346,000. This zesty 1974 hit is the oldest recording on the list. (The ‘50s and ‘60s are officially ancient history to today's downloading pop fans.) Kid Rock's current radio hit, "All Summer Long," which pays homage to the song, is just the latest boost that it has gotten. The song has been featured in several movies, including the Oscar-winning 1994 smash Forrest Gump. It even provided the title for a 2002 rom-com starring ReeseWitherspoon. The Southern rock classic has been hugely influential in contemporary country music. Top 200 rank: #119.
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I'm not sure if this is satire or not but both of these bands exist.
Did you hear the sonic 'boom' that came from the Denton, TX area of the U.S. of A. last night? That would have been Whiskey Glass Eye (a.k.a Slobberbone) pealing eye lids and permanently damaging ear drums as they tore through a set of some of the best Rock and Roll ever created.
I receive a few text message updates of the glory or Glossary opening up for WGE and a cell phone message of what might have been Placemat Blues being played.
Would have given a testicle to have attended this festival, but, alas, I've only one to give (lost the other in a fiddle dual with the Devil a few years back at a crossroads meeting in Mississippi).
Check the boards for any updates that come through today. I expect Jenn B. to write up a good blog with pics on Pointy Pointy, too.
"What if “eating local” in Shanghai or New York meant getting your fresh produce from five blocks away? And what if skyscrapers grew off the grid, as verdant, self-sustaining towers where city slickers cultivated their own food?"
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Note to self: Set up an Orbitz fare watcher for Zakynthos, Greece.
"ATHENS (Reuters) - Nine British women were facing prostitution charges after being arrested at the weekend for taking part in an oral sex competition in the Greek holiday island of Zakynthos, police said on Monday."
"On the grass-roots level, cost has always been a concern for touring bands. But the nearly $2,500 in gas Garcia and his two bandmates would have had to pay just to make it to Vancouver, Canada, and back was too much to overcome."
"“This is by far our best record, if you ask me, so the tickets for shows are doing really well,” said Mr. Hood, sounding very much like an old label hand. “But then, the gas prices are killing us.”"
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Ms. Jenn done gone and put up some new tour dates.
"A bit less than two months ago I lost my younger brother....just 26 years old.
We saw a bunch of DBT shows together, including my personal favorite: a raucous DBT-only Kansas City show in the middle of the Black Crowes tour a couple years ago. We both though '72' was the best song on Southern Rock opera....probably b/c we understood it from making the drive from Memphis to Huntsville on Hwy 72 innumerable times over the years to visit family. Once we got turned on to DBT that tune became an integral part of the drive and a powerful connection between us."
Tonight: Tuscaloosa, AL - Egan's - It's probably FREE again, it's Ashfest... Good times, definitely
Saturday: Birmingham, AL - The Nick - w/ Rockets to Ruin
Next week we are playing the Freedom of Spirit Celebration at McFarland Park in Florence, AL. Skid Row is also playing. It will be interesting for sure. USA! USA!
Other than those annoucements, there's really not a lot going on at the moment, we're just working out some more new songs. We will be hitting the studio very soon and hopefully releasing an album or two by the end of the year. Things are still scattered about, but as soon as we get everything in order, you'll know.
"Someone said MARAH RIP (good album title BTW) He said he wanted to be the first one to say it...I honestly can't blame him, i didn't give him any reason to think otherwise until now i guess.
( & here is where it might get a little touchy for you over-protective superfans) MARAH RIP is a term reserved for only me to say, not me with my brothers permission, not managers, ex-managers, record labels, horn sections, the IRS (who are after me), the EasyPass Police (after me) I will kill this bad bitch when I am ready and not before (next Tuesday, 8 records from now) It's my call… Cool? Cool.
If you love or have ever loved this band then I assure you you are in good hands with me as captain because I am a junkie for it. I have proven over & over again that I can swing very low to keep it alive. The junkie will get high. It's a fact."
Already a hip-hop pioneer, rock and roll hall of famer, punk bassist, music video producer, Tibet activist and prolific MC, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys can now add sports documentarian to his long list of titles. This Friday, Yauch releases his new film, 'Gunnin' for That #1 Spot', a glimpse into the world of elite high school basketball against the backdrop of Rucker Park, Harlem's historic streetball homecourt. Back in September 2006, the country's best 24 high school players competed in the first ever 'Elite 24' all-star game."
"Richmond-based artist/musician Wes Freed – best known for his album cover art for alt-country rockers The Drive-By Truckers (including 2008's Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, which peaked in the Billboard Top 40) – was commissioned by PIR President Bryan R. Sperber and has produced a limited edition promotional poster for Phoenix’s upcoming race in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.
'Many NASCAR fans have come to enjoy the artwork of Wes Freed after being exposed to his work through the Drive-by Truckers,' Sperber said. “We reached out to Wes and also discovered he was a huge NASCAR fan - becoming thoroughly excited when he agreed to develop a special project with us that presents his unique perspective on the excitement of NASCAR racing at Phoenix. Wes’s work of art will commemorate the Checker Auto Parts 500 in a special way and make this November’s race even more memorable.”"
"Thanks to the band's fans, we received a ton of fan-generated questions for Drive-By Truckers, and our William Goodman asked a few to Drive-By Truckers' Pattersoon Hood."
"This column’s regular readers have probably noticed that I usually find a way to mention the Drive-by Truckers. What can I say? They’re one of my favorite bands. Their best songs contain the best kind of lyrics—the sort that kickstart your noggin on some creative path of its own. And then there’s that three-guitar attack of theirs: the last time I saw them live, it was after a day of sitting through a 401(k) meeting, and those road-caked chords washed over me like summer rain on a parched landscape. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be that dramatic. Sometimes after listening to CD after CD of brittle indie rock, it’s just time for an epic guitar solo."
My friend Kimtucky recently visited Vietnam and had the following to report:
"I forgot to tell you that when I was flying on Cathay Pacific to Vietnam, one of their in-flight radio channels was playing songs with days of the week in the title...and guess what song was on there....Wednesday by DBT!! Pretty funny."
About a month ago, while running some errands in the car with my nephew, we were listening to one of several interchangeable Clear Channel stations and by about the fifth song, I was amazed at how much this 'rock' did not. Whatever, I remained smiley and quiet so the young'un could enjoy his ride but predictably, by the next guitar-driven slice of angst, I could no longer contain myself and proceeded to abuse it with fervor"
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Enough already. It'll never meet the expectation of over a decade wait.
"Angry and articulate, Jello Biafra has made as many enemies as influential records. Next week, the former singer of the Dead Kennedys turns 50, and he celebrates with a pair of concerts at the Great American Music Hall. He also celebrates a career that has seen the singer/raconteur/spoken-word artist lead the West Coast punk charge, run for political office and get beat down on more than one occasion."
"MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The black airmen whose lives will be the basis of a George Lucas movie know the picture will highlight their record of successfully escorting thousands of U.S. bombers in World War II"
"I've gotten a lot of good responses from last week's question about the origin of the name Muscle Shoals.
If you recall, someone had asked why the spelling is 'Muscle' instead of 'Mussel,' if the city were named after the mussels in these parts of the Tennessee River."
"The Drams next album cover will be old school air brushed ponies like you would see on a t-shirt... maybe something like this.... I prefer something more like this.... framed by a 10K dollar symbol.... There's a 10K bill, right?"
Take a look at this fine offspring of Tony H. Well done, sir. Well done!
"Life in the Factory, Drive-by Truckers: From the century’s best rock album, 2001's Southern Rock Opera, the boiled-down, fiercely rocking saga of the work’s inspiration, Lynyrd Skynyrd."
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Here's a Youtube of DBT yore (really only two years ago, but in internet time that's like a decade or more).
This is a particularly intimate version of Let There be Rock in Belgium 2006.
"The Tuscaloosa, Alabama band have been paying their dues for roughly a decade now, opening up for the likes of the Drive-By Truckers and releasing three albums of increasingly proficient and inspired Faces/Stones, punk-infused, garage-scented Southern rock. It’s not hyperbole to say that they just might turn into one of the next great rock bands. They’re certainly one of the few—along with the likes of the Truckers, the Black Keys, and anything associated with Jack White—to really let the guitars roam and roar."
"NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Paul McCartney can now add one more honor to the numerous awards, accolades and the knighthood he has already received. The ex-Beatle on Monday was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University."
"ALBANY, N.Y. - New York Gov. David Paterson is granting a full and unconditional pardon to rapper Ricky 'Slick Rick' Walters for the attempted murders of two men in 1991."
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TV/Film
RIP Havey Korman. I grew up a huge fan of the Carol Burnett Show and all of the Mel Brooks movies.
"LOS ANGELES - Harvey Korman, the tall, versatile comedian who won four Emmys for his outrageously funny contributions to 'The Carol Burnett Show' and played a conniving politician to hilarious effect in 'Blazing Saddles,' died Thursday. He was 81."
"All in all, not the most enjoyable experience, but chock-full of valuable lessons: how to assemble and disassemble a drum kit in record time, that it was possible to survive on a diet of gummy worms and beer, and that sad boys who write sad songs about love are often total jackasses."
One last thing for the boys.
Why every guy should buy their girlfriend/wife a Wii Fit.
"ANNOUNCEMENT: THE HOME FRONT WORLD TOUR Premiere: Athens GA Jan. 10-12, 2008 We are thrilled to announce the beginning of our 2008 touring season. We will be kicking The Home Front World Tour 2008 off with a three night stand at our home base Athens GA's Fabulous 40 Watt Club on January 10, 11 and 12. The first night, January 10th will be a special benefit show for Nuci's Space - Artist's Resource Center DBT will play their new album BRIGHTER THAN CREATION'S DARK live in it's entirety, for what may be the only time ever. Two of our favorite bands: Don Chambers and GOAT and Bo Bedingfield and the Wydelles will open. Friday Jan. 11th and Saturday Jan. 12th will be full on Rock Shows and the premiere of our new tour. Openers will be Glossary (from Murfreesboro TN) on Friday the 11th and The Dexateens (from Tuscaloosa AL) will open on the 12th. These are two of the best bands in America so don't miss them. Stay Tuned for announcements of further tourdates in Europe and USA very soon. See you at The Home Front Rock Show, Drive-By Truckers BUY TICKETS STARTING NOV 30 AT 12PM EST "
"Alright all you lucky bastards near Richmond... Wes and Jyl Freed are having a goddamn yard sale! I'm tempted to drive up there my damn self... ATTIC SALE: 12/1 & 12/8, 10-am-1pm. 1902 S. Battery Drive, Richmond, VA. 30 years of crap, must go! No tags, make an offer. All the usual yard sale stuff plus 11 antique gossip benches & some original artwork. Lots of dust, lots of junk to pick through & upstairs. Wear old clothes. No children. EARLYBIRDS WILL BE SHOT, PLUCKED & ROASTED."
"Now that I've been home for a day and I'm fairly well-rested (and Otis Redding is on my TV), I believe I can reflect on this year with some modicum of clarity. I'd like to start by sincerely thanking everybody who saw us play in '07. I saw some fantastic crowds, reconnected with some good old friends, and made a hell of a lot of new ones. I am still in shock over how many of you guys showed up and rocked out with us, and I'm glad to maintain some sort of contact with you from all these miles away (thanks Myspace)."
I spent last night in Denton, for the This is American Music Revue. Grand Champeen, from Austin, TX (Michael Crow is a f'n BAD ASS guitar player), Glossary, from Murfreesboro, TN, Two Cow Garage from Columbus, OH, and The Drams from Denton, all shared the stage as one band or another, over the span of almost 3 hours of music. The show was topped off by members of ALL the bands on stage, paying homage to Tom Petty's, American Girl.
Seems that the bands drank 4 cases of beer, plus some whiskey, at Brent's house the night before, and after some rehearsing, they sat down with the new 4 hour Petty DVD to watch. I gotta tell you, it was a DAMN fine cover, considering that only Champeen actually knew the song. I have it on the web at...
If any of you folks are near Kansas City, they are playing there tonight. Chicago tomorrow, Milwaukee on Friday, and ending it in St. Louis Saturday. GET YOUR ASSES THERE!!!
For you guys on the car lists, Glossary has their new cd, The Better Angels of Our Nature, for free download on their site.
http://www.glossary.us/ But once you hear it, you will want to buy the bands copy, to help support good music. If you motorheads can't get worked up over track 7, Gasoline Soaked Heart, try track 10, Blood on the Knobs (my favorite, so far)
"Please Vote! Body: Adam Smith has been nominated for The 11th Hour Publication's 'best photographer' award for 2007. The Readers choice awards will be announced on January 13th at The Cox Capital Theater in Macon. If you like my work please take the time to vote for me. Also in the running is Hank Vegas (the band I manage) for 'album of the year' and 'best rock band.' www.11thhouronline.com is the link login and vote! thank you ! A www.adamsmithphotography.com"
"When Peanuts creator Charles Schulz announced his retirement in the late 1990s, there was much talk about his final strip. One popular prediction was that Charlie Brown would finally get to kick the football - advice that Schulz very wisely didn't take. If Charlie Brown kicked the football, it would undo 50 years of good comics with one bad one. That's exactly how I feel about 'Chinese Democracy.' We, the remaining Guns N' Roses fan base, are Charlie Brown. The album is the football. And Axl Rose is Lucy, repeatedly setting deadlines he knows he'll never make, because the public is gullible enough to believe him. (I think Slash is Schroeder in this analogy, and Stephanie Seymour is the Little Red-Haired Girl, although I haven't totally thought that part out.)"
"LOS ANGELES - Neil Diamond held onto the secret for decades, but he has finally revealed that President Kennedy's daughter was the inspiration for his smash hit 'Sweet Caroline.'
'I've never discussed it with anybody before — intentionally,' the 66-year-old singer-songwriter told The Associated Press on Monday during a break from recording. 'I thought maybe I would tell it to Caroline when I met her someday.' He got his chance last week when he performed the song via satellite at Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg's 50th birthday party."
"A new complaint filed yesterday in LA Superior Court by Bier's lawyer, Keith Fink, added more items to the list, including African masks made of human skin, a full skeleton of a 4-year-old Chinese girl that Manson is said to have turned into a chandelier, and another skeleton of a man in a wheelchair - all illegal items in the US. He allegedly continued his spree with swastika wall tiles and matching custom rugs, a mounted grizzly bear and two mounted baboons. "
"NEW YORK (Billboard) - Keyboardist Danny Federici, an original member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, is taking a leave of absence from the group while underground treatment for melanoma."
"The Romantics have filed a federal lawsuit against Activision Inc., the maker of 'Guitar Hero,' saying the popular video game infringes on the band's rights by featuring a soundalike recording of its 1980 hit 'What I Like About You.'"
"Latest offering smuggled from the former Soviet Union, this pick utilizes old Russian nuclear laser technology. Strap on the convenient Velcro micro-unit, plug into any 1200 Watt power supply, and aim the solar panels directly at the sun and dial in the guitar style of your choice. From Chet Atkins to Duane Allman, guitar herodom is literally at your fingertips. The micro sensors process the bass and drum beats and submit a series of small electrical shocks directly into your nervous system causing you to involuntarily crank out searing leads. A word of caution: actual electrical discharges my vary, and side affects could include erratic blues face, trembling of the hips commonly known as Presley syndrome, drooling and involuntary anal discharge. In extreme cases, you may be mistaken for a drummer. Local sales only. Cash only. Contact your health care professional if erection last more than 6 hours. No scammers please. "
"Tour Dates for This Is American Music - A Rock & Roll Revue' featuring The Drams, Glossary, Grand Champeen, Two Cow Garage www.myspace.com/ThisisAmericanMusic Tue 11/27 Dan's Silverleaf 103 Industrial St Denton, TX 76201 (940) 320-2000 www.danssilverleaf.com Wed 11/28 Davey's Uptown Ramblers Club 3402 Main Street Kansas City, Missouri 64111 Telephone: (816) 753-1909 http://daveysuptown.com/ Thu 11/29 Hideout 1354 W Wabansia Ave Chicago, IL 60622 www.hideoutchicago.com Fri 11/30 Club Garibaldi 2501 S. Superior St. Milwaukee, WI 53207 414-483-6335 Sat 12/01 Billiken Club (at Saint Louis University) 20 North Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO http://www.myspace.com/thebillikenclub free show!"
"NASHVILLE (Billboard) - The final tally on the Rolling Stones' two-year world tour is in and it topped a half billion -- making it the top grossing trek in history. The staggering total -- $558,255,524, to be exact -- was accumulated between August 21, 2005, and August 26, when the 'Bigger Bang' tour wrapped at the O2 arena in London after a second European leg."
"MORGAN CITY, Mississippi (AP) -- Legendary bluesman Robert Johnson's death has been linked to a jealous husband, the supernatural and pneumonia. So it's unsurprising that there are three separate graves bearing his name in the rural Mississippi Delta. I'm looking for one of those graves now during a drive through towns like Greenwood and Itta Bena."
"In the first lawsuit over file sharing to make it to court, a jury ordered a woman who record labels claimed illegally shared songs to pay the labels $222,000."
