Me, Myself, Music and Mysteries

Morning Music – The Avett Brothers – Live – 5/11/12

Here’s a video from the Avett Brothers Concert we attended last Friday night in Fairfax, Va at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University. This girl’s seat was just a wee bit better than ours! The sound is better from her location, too!!

Life’s Soundtrack – Running with Gary Primich – Just a little bit more…

So at lunchtime I came out to a beautiful day, low temperature, low humidity, it made me look forward to this evening’s run! And it must have helped, along with the fact that I was 95 percent pain free, because after running at a 10 minute per mile pace over the last several runs, I ran at a 9:30 clip tonight. I finished the 4.2 mile run almost 2 minutes and 30 seconds faster than last week over the same course. Oh, if would only stay 71 degrees with 27 percent humidity!

The soundtrack for the run was an album that is currently number 12 on the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart Just A Little Bit More… by Gary Primich. When I saw that there was a tiny harmonica on the album cover, I thought I was going to like this album! After listening to a few minutes of the first track my suspicions were confirmed! I have listened to several of the tracks over the last week but this is really the first extended listening of the album. There are 22 tracks on the album and I only go through 13 tracks and I tell you over all the music helped make the miles fly by. I liked the vocals some from Gary and many from Omar Dykes, and Primich’s harp work is great. So I was saddened when I went to his website to get some background on Primich and discovered that Primich died in 2007 at the age of 49 a herion overdose. The album is a tribute album released by his family. From the press release for the album:

Just a Little Bit More … with Omar Dykes features 24 cuts of prime Gary Primich recordings that range from 1994 to 2006, the year before Primich passed away, and represent such CD titles as Travelin’ Mood, Mr.Freeze, Doghouse Music and Ridin’ the Darkhorse, as well as several previously unreleased tracks. Also included are several songs that first appeared on such Omar & the Howlers albums as “Muddy Springs Road”, “Swingland” and “World Wide Open” and highlight Gary Primich’s unique talents as a harmonica player. The musicians on the CD represent a veritable “who’s who” of Austin’s finest, including Gary Clark, Jr., Derek O’Brien, Sarah Brown, Wes Starr, Mark Korpi, Dave Biller, Jay Moehler, Nick Connolly, George Rains, Mark Rubin and Billy Horton. A number of the players were regular members of Gary Primich’s band through the years, either on record or on tour. As the album’s title indicates, the CD showcases the special musical relationship Gary Primich had with Omar Kent Dykes, who sings and plays guitar on many of the tracks. One of the special previously unreleased cuts is “Down in Mississippi,” which features just Dykes on vocals and guitar and Primich on harp.

While I enjoyed all of the tracks two stood out on the run, probably because it’s at least the second time I’ve heard the songs. The first song was “Hoo Doo Ball” featuring Omar Dykes and the other was “Caravan” an instrumental that creates the feel of a Caravan. So while I don’t have any new Gary Primich albums to look forward to there are nine albums to discover and it seems to me that Just a Little Bit More... was a good place to start! Here’s some of Gary’s music with Jim Starboard on drums, Dave Wesselowski bass, and Nick Curran on guitar.

Thursday Reads: 5/17/12 – Income Inequality Charts – to Amazing Elephants!

Mother Jones: Dave Gilson: The Charts TED Doesn’t Want to Share

So this statement is right on and should be heard and read by everyone. The Charts for the talk are always amazing looking and the inequality gap is frightening! And Romney’s actions would only nake it worse!

”We’ve had it backward for the last 30 years,” [Hanauer] said. “Rich businesspeople like me don’t create jobs. Rather they are a consequence of an ecosystemic feedback loop animated by middle-class consumers, and when they thrive, businesses grow and hire, and owners profit. That’s why taxing the rich to pay for investments that benefit all is a great deal for both the middle class and the rich.”

You can’t find that speech online. TED officials told Hanauer initially they were eager to distribute it. “I want to put this talk out into the world!” one of them wrote him in an e-mail in late April. But early this month they changed course, telling Hanauer that his remarks were too “political” and too controversial for posting.

Crooks and Liars: karoli: Pushing Personhood: Bei Bei Shuai’s Bogus Murder Charge

This is just stupid…the can of worms that these bills open is quite large and will hurt lots of people!

Grist: Jess Zimmerman:Elephants hold vigil for human friend

Once again animals prove how smart they really are, and caring too, probably more than most Republican Congressmen!

Morning Music – Jesse Colin Young and Steve Goodman!

So let’s start the morning with a couple of those songs that play in the iPod in my head. The first is from Jesse Colin Young “It’s a Lovely Day” and finding love and the beauty of the day! The second one is about a life of love together “The Dutchman” performed by Steve Goodman and Jethro Burns and written by Michael Smith. It’s one of my top ten favorites of all time! And after 28 years, I still miss Steve Goodman, you left us way too early Steve!

Paul Thorn – What the Hell is Goin’ On?

So one of the albums that has been in the rotation on the iPod recently is the new release from Paul Thorn What the Hell is Goin’ On? and tonight on the walk home Thorn’s cover of Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Snake Farm” came up on the iPod.What the Hell is Goin’ On? is Thorn’s follow up album to 2010′s Pimps and Preachers. But for this album Thorn took a break from the songwriting duties and wanted to have some fun, so the album is an album of covers of songs that Thorn loves. There are a few from well known Americana artists like Buddy Miller and the aformentioned Ray Wylie Hubbard some from a couple of not so well known songwriters like Foy Vance and Wild Bill Emerson. There’s a track from Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks “Don’t Let Me Down Again” , from the duo’s first album and not from their days with Fleetwood Mac, and an obscure track from Paul Rogers/Free ”Walk In My Shadow”. So why and album of covers, Thorn explains (from his website):

“I would hear them in the tour van or I’d be at a festival and see someone perform them live,” Thorn says, “and I’d say ‘That’s a great song, I wish I had written it!’” One thing all the writers of these songs have in common, according to Thorn, is that they are true artists. “They don’t just write songs in an effort to become popular or follow trends,” he explains. “At the risk of sounding corny, they write with their hearts. None of these songs are cookie-cutter tunes like you hear on the radio today. They all have real depth, which is very appealing to me.”

I’ve only listened to the album once and a couple of the tracks have come up on shuffles and what I’ve heard I like, hell Thorn takes the songs and makes them Paul Thorn songs and that’s a good thing! Here’s my favorite track on the album and the title track, a cover of Elvin Bishop’s “What the Hell is Goin’ On?”

Morning Maniac Music – Ray Wylie Hubbard “Conversation with the Devil”

How about we start the morning with some musings from Ray Wylie Hubbard and his “Conversation with the Devil” How true are some of the lines!!

Life’s Soundtrack – Tough Run – Good Music from the Turnpike Troubadours

Ok so everything was lining up for a good run tonight. The sky cleared and the temp was not too bad and then there was that little twinge in my right knee when I started, so I didn’t want to go to hard but it never got any worse, but the run didn’t get any better. It was one of those nights that running was a struggle. Overall, the pace was over 10 minute mile pace for the first two miles and for the last two the pace was 10:20 plus! But my legs don’t feel too bad now so hopefully my pace will be better later in the week. But like I always say at least the music was good! And tonight it ws really good! The soundtrack for the run was the new album from the Turnpike Troubadours Goodbye Normal Street. Goodbye Normal Street is the 3rd album from this band from Tahlequah, Oklahoma. I first discovered the Troubadours back in 2010 when I listened to their 2nd release Diamonds and Gasoline. And for whatever reason that post his had a lot of traffic over the last few days, so when I saw the new album on the Americana Chart today, I knew it was going on the iPod and would be the soundtrack of today’s run!

Ok so the other night I was pondering why I didn’t love the music of the Avett Brothers. What does their music lack? I still don’t know but I do know that it only took the first song “Gin, Smoke and Lies” to know that the Troubadours have it! And by the second song “Before the Devil Knows We’re Dead” I remembered why I liked the first album so much! Maybe it’s Evan Felker lead vocals that I like or Kyle Nix’s fiddle, or Ryan Engleman’s lead guitar or the occassional pedal steel guitar. But I think it’s the whole package rounded out with R.C. Edwards’ bass and Gabe Pearson’s drums. Unfortunately, it does not appear that I will be able to compare a Turnpike Troubadours concert to an Avett Brothers performance unless I move to Texas , Oklahoma or Arkansas! So if you like music that is a combination of Folk, Country, Cajun, and Bluegrass with stories of longing, humor, tragedy, and general life in rural America then check out the Turnpike Troubadours and you’ll see that they have IT! At least for me and maybe you!

Here’s a performance of “Gin, Smoke and Lies”

Into the Night with Phil Ochs…

So I’ve been sitting here too long unwinding from a very slow four mile run, watching Phil Ochs videos, but I have to go shower, eat and go to the store. So off we go into the night with one of my favorite Phil Ochs’ songs “Flower Lady” talk about painting a picture with music and lyrics! He was one of the best!

Quick Reads – 5/15/12 – Bullies and Obamacare Rebates!

Chauncey DeVega at AlterNet explains why Romney’s high school bullying matters and how he’s a perfect fit for the Republican Party filled with giant bullies! - Conservatives: Giant Bullies That Abuse the Weak

Now if you were just to read the following paragraph almost everyone would agree that it’s a good thing that most of the money spent on insurance premiums goes to health care…..

16 million consumers and businesses are expected to receive about $1.3 billion in rebates from health insurance companies, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The medical loss ratio rule requires insurers to spend at least 80 to 85 percent of premiums on patient care; if not, then the companies owe rebates to their customers.

but yet it’s a part of the Affordable Health Care Act that went into effect in January and that makes it OBAMACARE and it must go!! Not! From Think Progress: Insurers Will Pay $1.3 Billion In Rebates To 16 Million Consumers Because Of Obamacare

The Avett Brothers – George Mason University – 5/11/12

So I haven’t written about the musical event of last weekend, The Avett Brothers performance at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University, and like the fact that I don’t know why I don’t love the brothers Seth and Scott Avett’s music, I don’t know what to write. Was their performance full of energy, yes! Did their fans seem too love it – yes! For me it was ok. I think that the main problem was the sound. We were on the side of the stage and it seemed that at times the only things I could hear were the drums and the bass. It also didn’t help that I didn’t know most of the songs to begin with! At times, I would close my eyes and try to pick out the individual instruments and all I heard was noise!!

The Avett Brothers band is composed of brothers Seth (guitar, keyboards, and vocals) and Scott (banjo, keyboards and vocals) Avett, bassist Bob Crawford and John Kwon on cello. Their latest release I and Love and You. is their first major label release, and was produced by famed producer Rick Rubin who has said this about the brothers:

As soon as I heard the depth in their singing and songwriting, I was in for the ride,” says Rubin, who has worked with some of the most talented mavericks in the business, including Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and The Dixie Chicks. “The Avetts’ songs have such a sincere emotional resonance. The purity of the messages stops you in your tracks. It’s unusual to hear such open-hearted personal sentiment from young artists today.”

While their music is rooted in folk, bluegrass, and alt-country, they seem to blur genres and cross over to a more of a punk and indie rock, than I typically like, with the focus more on the vocals and lyrics and less on the picking! At times, I like Scott’s banjo playing and times it’s just lost in the noise! I was looking for a review or comment on the Avett’s music and came across this post at Midwest Medievalist about Scott’s banjo playing…

The thing that really inspires me about his playing is the passion and untamed recklessness he puts into every song. Sometimes, he’s picking standard Scruggs style patterns. At his best, though, he’s just strumming wildly without any rhyme or reason. This may sound like a nightmare to listen to, but with the rest of the band going along with the insanity, it works magically. Also, he plays a kick drum while rocking the banjo. (my emphasis)

For me the part about “a nightmare to listen to” was how I felt. So was it a good concert- for my daughter and her mother it was great! They loved the dynamic performance of the brothers, their ability to switch from instrument to instrument and my daughter couldn’t believe that Kwon could move about with the cello and keep playing! For me it was ok. Are they talented? yes. But their music for some reason just doesn’t reasonate with me. As I sit here writing, the album, I and You and Love is playing in the background and I really haven’t stopped once and said “hey I really, really, like that!” But like they say to each his own, and I know that there’s lots of folks out there who love the Avett’s music and couldn’t stand the music that I love – c’est la vie! So am I nuts, or are there others out there who find The Avett Brothers just OK?

Here’s the title track and one of my favorite songs of the evening!

Me, Myself, Music and Mysteries

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Morning Music – The Avett Brothers – Live – 5/11/12

Life’s Soundtrack – Running with Gary Primich – Just a little bit more…

Thursday Reads: 5/17/12 – Income Inequality Charts – to Amazing Elephants!

Morning Music – Jesse Colin Young and Steve Goodman!

Paul Thorn – What the Hell is Goin’ On?

Morning Maniac Music – Ray Wylie Hubbard “Conversation with the Devil”

Life’s Soundtrack – Tough Run – Good Music from the Turnpike Troubadours

Into the Night with Phil Ochs…

Quick Reads – 5/15/12 – Bullies and Obamacare Rebates!

The Avett Brothers – George Mason University – 5/11/12

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