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Need something to pep up your Thursday? How about the George Michael Paper Doll, which comes complete with cop's hat, alternate Wham! hair and Andrew Ridgeley's broken heart. You can buy a St. Pete Times, grab the scissors and cut him out old school. Or you can click HERE for hours of delightful procrastination. (Thanks, Lee!)
Early prediction? The hate mail is gonna be fierce.
Mark Knopfler in concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall. [WILLIE J. ALLEN | Times]
CLEARWATER -– It’s inherently easy, but ultimately wrong, to assume that Mark Knopfler is beloved solely by classic-rocking dudes. After all, whether the 58-year-old Scot was finger-picking with Dire Straits, or now working solo, he’s forever been the patron saint of air-guitar grunts, hairy mimes who break a sweat every time they hear “Money for Nothing” on the radio.
But at a sold-out Ruth Eckerd Hall Wednesday, in front of 2,043 men and women, Knopfler proved for a mesmerizing two hours that his signature style is both masculine and feminine, the poignant universal licks bubbling from his preferred instrument sounding like liquid heartache. If the Tin Man strummed a Strat -- post-heart, of course -- he might sound like this.
“Rolling Stone” recently ranked Knopfler the 27th greatest guitarist of all time. But there wasn't a person leaving his local stop that wasn't demanding a recount on the way to the parking lot. Working through his Dire greats and solo jaunts (including cuts from latest album "Kill to Get Crimson"), the star borrowed from Gaelic folk songs, bluegrass twirls and electric oomph.
Backed by a phenomenal six-piece band of fiddles and mandolins, accordions and a stand-up bass (you gotta be good and versatile if you're gonna keep up with this guy), Knopfler opened the show with the frisky hoedown stomp "Cannibals." Then he slowly let loose his mighty axe for "Why Aye Man," that trademark tone ringing from his guitar immediately conjuring goosebumps.
If there was a drawback to the show, it's that when Knopfler dropped low his husky voice and prickly playing, going for mellow over majesty, some yahoo in the audience would inevitably holler "You the man!" or "Master at work!" Oy with the shouting and the yelling. He knows you love him -- now shut the heck up and let the master do his job.
Knopfler built his setlist with an ear for shifting moods, making you swoon (the new "True Love Will Never Fade"), then knocking the ever-lovin' air out of you (the bluesy hammering of "Song for Sonny Liston") then drawing you so far in you were darn close to plummeting out of your seat (the delicate hillbilly breakdown of "Marbletown").
He opted for a spare stage, and yet every now and then, the lights would play nifty tricks, illuminating Knopfler as the common man on a lonely dance floor.
The night's best one-two punch was a Dire Straits double-shot. First, the romantic sucker-punch of "Romeo and Juliet," a ballad that has retained its Kleenexian wallop all these years later.
Then, with the crowd giving him a standing ovation, Knopfler nodded to his bandmates and kicked into "Sultans of Swing." Knopler has been playing that one for decades, too, but he knows darn well fans crave the epic solo as much as the lyrics. So as he freshened up his biggest hit, he also made sure to give the people what they want, including that fastest-fingers finale.
Did I bust out the air-guitar? You better believe I did. And I looked darn pretty doing it, too.
Sarah McLachlan
Album: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy: 15th Anniversary Legacy Edition (Arista/Legacy)
In stores: Now
Why we care: I don’t want to get all mushy on you guys. After all, I have a grizzled rep to protect. But the 15th anniversary of the Lilith Queen’s breakout album coincides with both the 15th anniversary of my relationship with the Forever Fiancee and the 15th anniversary of my newspaper career. Yep, we’ve come a long way, ladies.
Why we like it: The Canadian mezzo-soprano, now 40 years old, opened doors for the Paula Coles of the world, sending gauzy, ethereal pop to the top of the charts. (The FF loved her; I took her to see Sarah in concert.) McLachlan also spearheaded the Lilith Fair tour, which made female singer-songwriters a vital part of the ’90s music biz. This sparkly celebration of Sarah also includes a DVD and bonus CD The Freedom Sessions.
Reminds us of: So on our very first date, in the Worcester Street Brewing Co., in downtown Ocean City, Md., in the year 1993, the soon-to-be Forever Fiancee and I were seated at the bar. We worked for competing newspapers, so there was plenty of that talk. Sooner or later, I commenced my brand of seduction, which, at 23 years old, was basically to talk about how great I was and how we should go make out on the boardwalk. (Things haven't changed much, but I digress...) After a few minutes of that nonsense, my lovely FF, my savior from Boston, my blue-eyed fashion plate, looking just like Kathleen Turner circa Body Heat, leans over and says, "You know, you're really an a--hole!" Of course, she said it with a grin on her face, and I received it with a grin on mine, and then I think we DID go make out on the boardwalk. But from the very start, I knew what I was dealing with. And I loved it.
Download these: Plenty and Fear (LISTEN)
Grade: A-
Strange but sexy bedfellows Alicia Keys and Jack White will team up for the theme to the new Bond flick Quantum of Solace, according to Billboard.com. I haven't heard the song, called Another Way to Die, but it's safe to assume it's the greatest song in the history of songs. White wrote, produced and plays drums; Keys sings and weaves a magic rainbow around my heart. The soundtrack will be released Oct. 28, the movie Nov. 7.
Just for kicks, here are the Top 5 Songs from James Bond Movies:
5) Diamonds Are Forever, Shirley Bassey
4) All Time High, Rita Coolidge
3) A View to a Kill, Duran Duran
2) Nobody Does It Better, Carly Simon
1) Live and Let Die, Wings
As reported in USA Today -- and now featured on bobdylan.com -- Lucky Wilbury will release the eighth installment of his vital Bootleg Series on Oct. 7. There will be three different versions available, from a 2CD set (27 tracks) to a limited edition vinyl package. I'm especially stoked about this collection, as it covers demos, rarities, B-sides and live cuts from 1989 to 2006, or the awesome span of such albums as Oh Mercy, Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft and Modern Times. Daniel Lanois, who produced Oh Mercy and Time Out of Mind, has said that the stuff on the cutting-room floor was spellbinding, sometimes even better than what made the printer. Can't wait to hear the alternate versions of Most of the Time, Series of Dreams and Mississippi, three of my fave Bob cuts ever.
I probably shouldn't like this. But I'm such a vainglorious headcase, I totally dig being talked about like a misunderstood beast roaming the Serengeti. My friend/bad-habit enabler Wade Tatangelo, music critic at Creative Loafing, the alt-weekly in town, debates why daily (and Daly) music critics bother writing about such pap as American Idol. He figures that, in the dismal newspaper climate, it's now a matter of survival -- and a whole lotta music (movie, TV, book, food) critics aren't surviving these days. There's a rather hilarious debate in the comments section (wow, and here I thought readers didn't like me), plus the origin story from L.A. and the fallout story from Toronto. READ IT HERE.
Wade and I are hanging out at the Knopfler show tomorrow, so we'll probably discuss this + bad habits during the intermission. But lemme say this: I'm a pop music/culture writer for a general interest newspaper. American Idol is without a doubt the most influential pop-culture phenomenon of the 21st century, a franchise that has shaped how we watch TV, how we buy music, etc. I don't have to like it -- but I do have to try and understand it. And, of course, to make as many Funyun jokes as possible.
But Wade is very right in saying the climate for critics has become dire. It's bloody out there. And that's too bad. Sooner rather than later, with only so many warm bodies on a staff, I could be writing about everything, whether Simon Cowell's involved or not.
On Wednesday, I'll be reviewing the Mark Knopfler show at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. I wasn't going to "review" at all; instead, I just wanted to be a fan, to stay in my seat the whole night, to not worry about waxing poetic on deadline with seconds to spare ("Let's see, what rhymes with dire...") But alas, the Tampa Bay area adores my awesome alliteration. Knopfler plays for 2 hours, from 8:45 to 10:45. If I leave my seat at 10:30 to file in a cold, dark, lonely room somewhere, that means I'll only miss the 15-minute version of "Money for Nothing," which will no doubt be life-affirmingly bombastic. Oh well, as long as I don't miss this, "Wild Theme" from "Local Hero." Have you ever heard something so lovely? No. No, you haven't.
The good folks at Universal Island have now sent me a total of three (3) sets of the U2 remasters of Boy, October and War. Even though I have my own glorious set, which I've been spinning like crazy, I still got a perverse thrill with each new mail opening. It was overkill, but it felt so good. In fact, my OCD brain is so messed up, I actually started thinking, "Well, I could keep a set in the car, a set at work, and then have a separate set for home. Yeah, yeah, that makes total sense." In the end, I'll do the right thing and donate these lil' beauties to charity. But for now I'm just gonna smell them and caress them and throw them on the bed and roll around in them a la Demi Moore in Indecent Proposal.
Anyway, here's today's haul. The new Lindsey Buckingham, Gift of Screws, out in stores Sept. 16, is a plugged-in guitar-picking frenzy, the rockin' followup to 2006's delicately acoustic Under the Skin.
Lindsey Buckingham -- Gift of Screws
James -- Hey Ma
Jordan Pruitt -- Permission to Fly
Randy Travis -- Around the Bend
Cadillac Sky -- Gravity's Our Enemy
Goo Goo Dolls -- GH Vol. 2
Rebekah Pulley & the Reluctant Prophets -- Back to Boogaloo
Sarah McLachlan -- Fumbling Towards Ecstasy: 15th Anniversary Edition
This week's Stuck in the '80s podcast is all about the majesty of Journey's 1982 smash hit Send Her My Love, an epically minded assault on our collective hearts and souls. Oh sure, this week's '80s show might have other things going for it, like Spearsy interviewing Journey bassist Ross Valory plus a Top 5 Journey Songs of All Time. But throughout the episode, the underlying thread is the beauty of Send Her My Love. To listen to that glorious song, go HERE. To listen to our glorious podcast, go HERE.
Shhh! Keep your voices down. After a gentle dance party to Side 1 of the Electric Horseman soundtrack (on vinyl, of course), I finally got a restless Mai-Mai to shut her peeps. She's recovering nicely from a bout of viral nastiness, but the lil' critter needed one more day. So Daddy to the rescue. I have great unrealistic plans for my day at home: start reading Peter Guralnick's second Elvis masterpiece Careless Love, organize my CDs, take an epic nap and wake up ready to tackle life with gusto, eat lots of cheese, etc. There will also be great music played (on vinyl, of course). I'm gonna start with The Jackie Wilson Story, then The Best of Sam Cooke, then Men at Work's Cargo, 'cause I'm going through a prolonged Colin Hay moment.
By the way, I'm willing to put Side 1 of 1979's Electric Horseman up against any Side 1 of any soundtrack, now or then. I highly recommend it (and if I were at work, I'd make a cool IMEEM jukebox for all to enjoy). Anyway, Side 1 is all Willie Nelson, and it goes a little something like this:
1) Midnight Rider
2) My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
3) Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys (Willie only version)
4) So You Think You're a Cowboy
5) Hands on the Wheel
Imagine Corbin Bleu fronting the Cure (or at least ABC), and you’ll get the idea behind Jacksonville’s Black Kids, a hot hyperactive band in love with punk energy and British refinement. This multiracial coed collective is huge overseas, indulging in synth-jacked choruses, and bleeps and bloops straight out of a robot pickup joint. This is their current hit "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You." Whattaya think?
Poor Mai-Mai. My blessedly healthy tot spiked her first fever last night. More than likely an ear infection, the dastardly scourge of the baby world. My 5-month-old is feeling better this morning -- she's once again giggling at the ceiling fan, a veritable Borscht Belt appliance in her world -- but the FF is taking her to the doc anyway. Hopefully the only thing that will hurt will be the co-pay.
Anyway, as I launch into a madcap day of writing, assigning, etc., I thought I'd offer up a quickie playlist, something easy to get your minds whirring. Feel free to play along at work, at home, in the doctor's office leafing through a Highlight from 1987...
The FEVER Playlist
1) Night Fever, the Bee Gees
2) Fever, Peggy Lee
3) Hot Hot Hot, Buster Poindexter
4) Burnin' Love, Elvis Presley
5) Temperature, Sean Paul
6) The Fever, the Academy Is...
7) Fever Dream, Iron & Wine
8) Mercury, Counting Crows
9) Too Hot, Kool & the Gang
10) Cool It Down, Velvet Underground
At this very moment, the good folks at Live Nation are desperately trying to land me a phone interview with George Michael. Apparently, his Aug. 2 show at the St. Pete Times Forum is not selling as briskly as they'd like, so they need a press boost. (TICKETS) George would be a pretty sweet get, whether there are "restrictions" on naughty questions or not. But hey, I'll take your naughty questions, too.
WHO HAS QUESTIONS FOR GEORGE MICHAEL?
New Kids on the Block
Album: Greatest Hits: Remastered (Columbia/Legacy)
In stores: Aug. 12
Why we care: You might think I have a cool job. The CDs. The concerts. The awesome hair. But there are occasional hazards. For instance, on Nov. 2, I will be at the St. Pete Times Forum reviewing the New Kids on the Block reunion show. (TICKETS) And I will be surrounded by a phalanx of screaming 38-year-old moms who would gladly stab me to get to Jordan Knight. Like I said: hazards.
Why we like it: In 1988, I was a giant dork for myriad reasons. But I’m proud to say one of those reasons was not for liking NKOTB, the once-mighty boy band who sold an eye-popping 70 million albums. (Holy crap, that's pretty good.) This hits package is a harmlessly cheeseball time capsule that will provide those aforementioned stabbing moms hours of fun. I'm guessing the FF wasn't a fan. She was too busy getting that Duran Duran tattoo on her fanny. Oh, I'm joking, I'm joking...or am I?
Reminds us of: My favorite New Kid? Cubby.
Download this: I'll Be Loving You (Forever) (WATCH WITH HORROR)
Grade: C
I guess you could call this M.I.A.'s first official hit. The soothing-then-jarring clash (and Clash) of the song can now be heard on TV commercials and movie trailers. MTV and Letterman have both censored the Sri Lankan singer's performance of the controversial cut, so here's the vid with bang-bangs and all.
On Breakout, her new "grown-up" album arriving in stores Tuesday, 15-year-old Miley Cyrus does a truly lousy cover of Cyndi Lauper's giddy anthem Girls Just Want to Have Fun. (LISTEN) I mean, it's brutal. And it's chilling to think I'll be hearing that screecher over and over on the way to VPK for the next three months. But rest assured, that's the worst thing Moms and Dads should be worrying about here. For all the talk of the teen star ditching Hannah Montana (which she does) and embracing her racy side (which she doesn't), Miley is still a Disney darling, albeit one who now wants to harmlessly party with girls AND boys. That's the big difference. On Breakout, she talks about chasing boys (Full Circle) and dumping boys (The Driveway) and a lil' thing called L-O-V-E (7 Things). Before, it was pretty much all about girl power. Now, I haven't heard the entire album, and there could very well be a hidden track about toga parties. But what I have heard is harmless. Well, except the harm being done to your eardrums, of course. The real twist here, boys and girls, is that she was catchier as Miss Montana.
Hey boys and girls, I need your help: For George Michael's Aug. 2 show at the St. Pete Times Forum, we're thinking of making paper dolls of the hunky crooner, complete with a full closet of accessories. (We might have a Wham!-era collection and a post-Wham! wardrobe.)
A Choose Life shirt is a must, of course. As are cool shades and hiney-hugging ripped jeans. But what else?
Maybe Andrew Ridgely's broken heart? Or how about No-Doz for all his sleepy-time "incidents" in random cars?
How would you dress your George Michael paper doll?
My partner in profanity Alanis Morissette is coming to Clearwater's intimate Ruth Eckerd Hall on October 16. This is a phenomenal venue for her, and a perfect chance to find out if what we shared over the phone was merely midsummer's madness. I'll be at this killer show, and I think you should be there, too. Tickets go on sale Friday July 25.
If you'd like to revisit the awesome magic Alanis and I shared, READ THIS.
This is our Tom Petty PODCAST. This is my Tom Petty concert REVIEW. This is a PICTURE of B.J. Upton, centerfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays.
You may think one of these things doesn't belong -- but you'd be wrong. After filing my Petty review Wednesday at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, I took the service elevator down from the press box. A few floors later, the elevator stopped, the doors opened and a gaggle of Penthouse-ready women in various stages of decolletage teetered in on their perilous high heels. In the middle of these women, being touched and fawned over was none other than B.J. Upton, the Rays star looking cool and kinda bored. In a rather cruel twist, that morning I had traded Upton from my fantasy baseball team, so this encounter was greeted with both titillation and guilt. To be honest, I never woulda traded him had I known this was the company he kept. I'm famously shallow, so that sorta thing impresses me. Anyway, enjoy the podcast, and go Rays.
On Tuesday, Disney darling Miley Cyrus will doff the Hannah Montana tag and release Breakout, what the 15-year-old calls her first "grown-up" album. If hit single 7 Things is any indication, America’s Sweetheart is trading in puppy like for first-base love.
A week later, Nickelodeon star Josh Peck, goofball hero of the wildly popular Drake & Josh, will show up on local movie screens as a pot-dealing, virginity-eschewing slacker in R-rated flick The Wackness. Remember when Josh was cute ’n’ chubby? Yeah, now he’s moving weed.
A few weeks after that, Peck’s TV partner, Drake Bell, will star in R-rated raunchfest College, about a bunch of randy dudes trying to wrap their lips around beer bongs and babes.
Finally, on Oct. 24, High School Musical 3: Senior Year will be released in theaters, celebrating the Mouse House juggernaut’s ascent into adulthood...even though beloved HSM stars Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale have already traded their mouse ears for pushup bras.
The other night, my 4-year-old and I sat down to watch a new Tisdale movie, Picture This, on ABC Family. I just about launched a mouthful of Jiffy Pop when some young thing started gossiping about getting “deflowered in the tower.” Good lord, where’s the clicker?!
The next morning, my kid was dancing around to Hudgens' grindy hit Sneakernight, a hip-shaking, club-sweating booty jam. "Oh, let’s go all night long," coos Hudgens. In the liner notes of her new album, V-girl throws lusty looks that would get you tossed out of the Magic Kingdom.
Listen, I’m not pulling the prude card here. I’m a music critic who dutifully rewards rebellion and the chaos theory. I’m also a father of two girls who knows his life is about to become a hellish battle of hormonal wills.
Cyrus and friends are entitled to move on with their careers, to court an older fan base. Tisdale is 23. Peck is 21. Bell is 22. Young actors routinely go overboard when trying to break from the family-friendly model. The Cosby Show’s Lisa Bonet stripped butterball naked for that nasty Angel Heart sex scene. Family Ties star Michael J. Fox hoovered drugs in Bright Lights, Big City. Alyssa Milano ditched Tony Danza and courted a lesbian lover in Embrace of the Vampire.
But this latest crop of young stars is different, both sociologically and economically. First of all, they all come from shows made exclusively for children. This decade, pop culture has been largely defined by the 12- to 14-year-old set. The Hannah Montana franchise conquered cable, album charts, cineplexes and the concert industry. The billion-dollar High School Musical brigade (yes, billions) has moved CDs, DVDs and clothing in tsunamic bunches. In many respects, the rules of commerce have been changed to accommodate the whims of people too young to grow body hair.
More than that, this latest crop of world-turning teen stars is breaking free of its G-rated rep at the same time. Good lord, it’s like an epidemic of after-school urges! Kids are losing their guiding lights en masse. Part of the problem is that Tisdale & Co. were always much older than their onscreen “selves,” so when they stopped playing young, they immediately started acting their age — leaving a large fan base in the lurch.
Disney and Nickelodeon are run by smart, savvy showbiz folks, so they naturally saw this mass maturation coming long before I did. Thus, the Jonas Brothers have already been positioned as Disney saviors, and Miranda Cosgrove’s iCarly is the It Show on Nickelodeon.
But no matter how well those acts do, things are about to change, from parents explaining why their kids can’t see Josh in The Wackness to the music industry struggling to find replacements for HSM. Such was the rare allure and world-turning power of this glut of teen stars. They won’t be easy to replace.
As a chronicler of popular culture, I’m curious to see if Cyrus can succeed without Hannah’s bad wig. I’m curious to see if Drake and Josh can still find work without a laugh track. As a parent of two, however, I have no idea how I’m going to explain “deflowered in the tower.”
It was just a matter of time, of course. Sooner or later, my youngest daughter Mai-Mai would discover her family's deep, dark superheroic secret. And finally, the other day, it happened, the origin story commenced. It was all right there on her daily report from daycare, expertly detailed by her top-shelf babysitter.
Under the category of "Today I..." this is what my five-month-old daughter did on 7/15/08:
Today I showed my babysitter's boobies to an elderly man @ the mall. I used my toes & crazy yoga skills to pull down her shirt.
And there you go. I've never been so proud. In fact, upon further reportage, Mai-Mai apparently achieved full-on boob dislodging. Wow. Not only does she look like me, Mai-Mai also inherited the Daly family's simian ability to manipulate our surroundings with our feet. Keys, CDs, small appliances: We can fetch anything with our peds. It sounds gross, and it's rather unsightly, but it's ultimately very effective. This is a gift I discovered largely via sloth (with all the bending, and the stretching -- oy!), and yet it's a gift nonetheless, to be used for good, not evil.
Mai-Mai hasn't harnessed her full foot power yet. In fact, there are signs she might be wary of her superheroic strength. For instance, check out her daily report from the very next day, 7/16/08:
Today I left my babysitter's clothes on.
TAMPA – A long time ago, when cigarettes were cool and rockers took risks, a Gainesville grit named Tom Petty ditched the Sunshine State in search of that Southern California sound. He famously found it, of course, making history far from home.
As time marches on, however, there's something increasingly special about a TP gig in Florida. And it’s not a one-sided feeling, either. Petty has revisited his Southern roots on myriad cuts, and his most recent work features the reunion of Mudcrutch, his pre-fame crew that worked that ol' college town.
So after all these years, we still claim Petty as our own. And you know what? He's been thinking about us, too. "We're back in Florida again," the 57-year-old prodigal son grinned at the 16,543 fans young and old, new and forever, packing the St. Pete Times Forum on Wednesday. "And we're prepared to give you one long rock 'n' roll show!"
Commence glorious hair-pulling hysterics...for two hours.
Hoo boy, did these champs make one awesomely jangly racket. Surrounded by such longtime Heartbreakers as guitarist Mike Campbell, bassist Ron Blair and piano man Benmont Tench, Petty machine-gunned out hit after hit, opening with the Byrdsian assault of "You Wreck Me" and following with "Listen to Her Heart" and "I Won't Back Down."
Petty still looks and sings like a wily hobo -- and that's a good thing. But for all his charms, the night's star was Campbell, not-so-arguably one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He may not look animated; he may even look bored. But his fingers can summon a firestorm lick with ease, and he turned "Even the Losers" and "Saving Grace" into sonic switchblade fights. That guy is a monster -- and that's a good thing, too.
Underneath a light show that looked like an exploding Venus flytrap, Petty and his Heartbreakers slugged out the rafter-rattling riffs and got to those catchy parts as soon as possible. Is there any chorus as bittersweetly life-affirming as the one from "Free Fallin'"? The answer is no, although the joint was just as loud for "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and "Breakdown."
At this stage in his career, Petty could try half-as-hard and be embraced, but music obviously saves this man's soul. The night's sweetest moment was a frisky rendition of the Traveling Wilburys' "End of the Line," a heavenly wink to George Harrison and Roy Orbison, fallen members of that super side project.
And so it went, Petty & Co. cranking out the hits, dusting off killer album cuts. "Honey Bee" had a sinister stripper-pole grind, with Tench adding a slinky piano line. "Learning to Fly" was rendered acoustic and gentle. "Don't Come Around Here No More" was laced with a trippy whimsy. And both "Refugee" and an encore "Runnin' Down a Dream" turned into Campbell's air-siren takedowns.
Welcome back, boys.
Petty wasn't the only icon firing up the memory machine. Sixty-year-old Steve Winwood -- of the Spencer Davis Group, of Blind Faith, of Traffic, of slick '80s Michelob commercials -- opened with a start-slow, end-sublime set including "Can't Find My Way Home," "Dear Mr. Fantasy," and a crazy-good "Gimme Some Lovin'" that got the throngs good 'n' juiced for the homecoming headliner.
Top: Tom Petty at the St. Pete Times Forum. Bottom: Steven Winwood opens. [DANIEL WALLACE | Times]
Unlike my pal Steve Spears, who will buy ANY concert T-shirt as long as it has enough X's in front of that L ("Kajagoogoo: Shy Shy 2008!"), I'm much more selective about my jumbo live show tees. Out of the scads of gigs I see each year, I'll buy one, maybe two shirts. Look in my closet at home and the list ain't long: Dylan, Cheap Trick, Shooter Jennings, Tom Jones. Oh, and if you'll look behind the skeletons and dark family secrets, you'll find a Van Halen tee in my closet, too.
Tonight I'll be reviewing Tom Petty at the Forum, and I gotta say, I sure am liking the looks of that T-shirt on the left. The Forever Fiancee's gonna moan and say enough with the black tees. But let's be honest (1) they're slimming and (2) much of my appeal is based on my ninja-like ability to be stealthy in the night. Hence, the blackness.
However, in the spirit of the Pop Life commune, I'll give the peeps a voice, too. Go HERE and you'll find some of TP's other sartorial options. Should I buy the red one, the white one -- perhaps the long-sleeved Spearsian sanitary tee? Or maybe I should just suck up and buy the FF one of those cute girlie ones?
Hey, it's Mina again. Sean has delegated the fresh task of reporting what's new and good in the music world. The job's going great and we've both been having a lot of fun, but now Mr. Daly has to do his column and he's getting into "writing mode." That means it's my turn to update our bloggers and tell you to check this out:
On July 22, U2 will release deluxe editions of their first three albums -- War, Boy and October -- all of which have been re-mastered with tons of cool extras for die-hard fans or anybody who ever enjoyed listening to this amazing 80's band. Each smoothly designed box comes with the original album + a bonus disc loaded with B-sides, rarities and live performances. One of the perks of being Sean's intern is I am actually listening to War as I type this; I've seen the three deluxes and they're honestly pretty awesome, even if you don't like U2. Way better than the other crap Sean got in the mail this week. Anyway, the digital and physical formats of each album come out next Tuesday and have a list price of $34.99, but I'm sure any smart bargain-hunter will be able to find copies at Best Buy or other stores for less.
So what did you all think of that? Still in shock from the awesomeness? Well calm down and listen for a minute 'cause there's more: The Boss released his Magic Tour Highlights digital EP today, something I personally am very excited about, Bruce Springsteen fan that I am. It includes guest spots from Roger McGuinn, Tom Morello (eh) and Alejandro Escovedo, who coincidentally sent Sean a CD yesterday. It has four audio tracks and four videos available on iTunes, plus an accompanying digital booklet.
Although the music itself should be reason enough to buy Springsteen's latest, factor in that it contains Danny Federici's final performance (Sandy) and all profits go to the Danny Federici Melanoma Fund. So I'm actually gonna go out on a limb here and suggest nobody get the pirated versions and illegal downloads. Pay the less-than-10-bucks price at Amazon or iTunes and at the same time pay your respects to the late E Street Band member.
Obviously, my pestering of AC/DC howler Brian Johnson last year is finally paying dividends. After an 8-year hiatus, after much writing and bickering by those the nutty Young bros Angus and Malcolm, the Hell's Bells boys are finally releasing a new album.
Produced by Brendan O'Brien, who recently helmed Springsteen's Magic, the album Black Ice will be released on Oct. 28. (There's talk it will be a Wal-Mart exclusive, a la the Eagles, but I really hope not.) This will be AC/DC's first fresh product since 2000's decidedly forgettable Stiff Upper Lip. Black Ice was recorded at Bryan Adams' Canadian studio.
Even more exciting, since I've NEVER seen them live, a world tour will follow the release.
AC/DC (not to mention a new Guns N' Roses song, Shackler's Revenge) will also be featured in the new Rock Band 2 video game.
Much like the mystic juju he juked up for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand, voodoo priest/super-producer T Bone Burnett slathers John Mellencamp's new Life Death Love and Freedom with the same sorta Gothic swamp stank. Oooh, it's dark all right. Think Jack and Diane as corpse bride and groom.
But the 14-track album, which hits store shelves today, also grooves with the sound of resonator geetars, rattling bones and things that go bump in the muddy subconscious. Lil' Bastard wants to make a gloomy Americana album: kids getting stabbed at county fairs, politicians spiking the Kool-Aid, old men praying for a timely deaths. But Burnett saves John from himself, summoning a dead man's party of supernatural sounds.
I'm still letting this one soak in, but I've been dazzled from the start (and no, the fact that I once used Mellencamp's bathroom has not infected my decision process). To be honest, although John writes all the songs, you gotta think T Bone is the star here. Check out the killer Bo Diddley beat on the rumbling, rollicking My Sweet Love (LISTEN) and the mortal bittersweetness of Longest Days (LISTEN).
Hey guys, it's Mina. The Funyun-loving Mr. Daly suggested I make my own playlist to post. These are a few songs I really love and am listening to right now. Please appreciate how hard it was for me to make the decisions, since I have such good taste there were a lot of choices. Here are my top 15. Keep in mind, these are in no particular order:
1) Mad World -- Tears for Fears
2)Spare Me The Details--The Offspring
3) Radio -- Alkaline Trio
4) All the Young Dudes -- Mott the Hoople
5) Anyone Else But You -- Michael Cera and Ellen Page covering the Moldy Peaches, from the Juno soundtrack (WATCH)
6) Billie Jean -- Michael Jackson
7) Evil -- Interpol
8) Fashion Zombies -- the Aquabats (WATCH)
9) Los Angeles Is Burning -- Bad Religion (WATCH)
10) I Miss You -- Blink-182
11) Badlands -- Bruce Springsteen
12) Rock of Ages -- Def Leppard
13) The Perfect Drug -- Nine Inch Nails
14) Modern Swinger -- the Pink Spiders (WATCH)
15) The Con -- Tegan and Sara
Finally, the St. Pete Times has provided me help with my awesome media empire. Today I will be assisted by Mina, a 14-year-old entering her frosh year at St. Pete High. It goes without saying that Mina knows much more about music than my sorry self. But like any savvy assistant, she pretends that I'm wicked smart and stuff. Mina's duties today will include: answering my phone and dealing with the haters; answering my email and dealing with the haters; playing pranks on Steve Spears and then looking all innocent-like. Anyway, here's Mina. And if you have any job advice for her, send it along.
Hey everybody I'm Mina, and I'm interning for the talented, wise, and experienced Sean Daly. (No, I'm not getting paid to say that but I figured the sucking up is a given with this type of job.) First of all, Sean's desk is very, very, VERY messy. He has everything from CDs and books to little action figures of the green aliens in Toy Story. I have to organize everything here while, as mentioned above, handling all the crazy people that will be calling/emailing to express their "opinions" -- if you can call yelling profane insults about how everything Sean says is so far off an "opinion." Well, I'll be here all day if you have any questions to ask or advice to give, or if you just want to say hi.
Mina
P.S. Who's this Spears guy?
A long, long time ago, when the world was flat and I needed Funyun money, I used to babysit these twin boys who lived across the street. At 13, I was completely inept as an authority figure, so the night would devolve into me putting on Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" and telling the urban legend about the song's infamous birth. Phil saw some bad dude let another dude drown, Phil invited the bad dude to a concert...cue terrorizing drum break. As the song would play, and I would unveil the tall tale with great gusto, the twins would get themselves into such a nervous froth, they'd be near tears. Yep, good times, good times.
Anyway, I'd like to dedicate this week's Stuck in the '80s podcast to those identical sibs. The show is all about Phil and his Top 10 Songs of that very special decade. And you better believe the nefarious "In the Air Tonight" is on that list -- but probably not where you think it should be. To listen to the show, click HERE. You can also download the episode on iTunes. Have fun..and remember boys and girls, always wear a life preserver.
Hey kids, I spent a good chunk of Friday sweating out 30 lbs. in water weight (but gaining 20 back in corn dogs) at the Vans Warped Tour on the sun-scorched St. Pete waterfront. Here's my REVIEW, which is really more like a cranky column, which is really just an excuse to write "gabba gabba oy vey." I'm not making excuses, but by the time it came to write that sucker, my brain was oozing out my ears.
The best part of the day, by far, was hanging in the press tent with Cisco Adler, the ultimate Hollywood bad boy now in stoner hip-pop band Shwayze. When I told Adler, a longtime rocker who's dated a who's-who of Mischa Bartons, that he should make a run for the open Velvet Revolver singer job, his eyes lit up. "Write this down, write this down...WHAT UP, SLASH! GIVE ME A CALL!"
Hey gang, fresh-faced Pop Life frosh Dana is turning 21 tomorrow. Along with Starfish and Miguel, Dana is up for our coveted Rookie of the Year award, so let's treat this budding superstar to a celebratory playlist, shall we? Crusty fan favorite Sparky has already suggested George Thorogood's One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer. What say you? How about Peter Tosh's Legalize It? AC/DC's Have a Drink on Me?
Beck
Album: Modern Guilt (DGC)
In stores: Now
Why we care: The psychedelic dream team of Beck Hansen and producer Danger Mouse whip up a beach-blanket apocalypse that's both fun and frightening. Not unlike the vibe given off by DM's day job with Gnarls Barkley, this a funky-monkey chronicling of paranoia and angst in the year 2008. Duck, cover and...dance!
Why we like it: "Think I’m stranded but I don’t know where..." "So many people, they’ve already drowned..." "You got warheads stacked in the kitchen..." Beck’s lyrical distress is buoyed by DM’s surf-boogie beats, found FX and trip-hop whir. The duo loses its way now and then, settling for sounds instead of songs, but for the most part, they kill.
Reminds us of: A clambake of the damned
Download these: Gamma Ray (LISTEN) and Youthless (LISTEN)
Grade: A-
For weeks the Forever Fiancee has been griping that we need an exterminator. She claims she's been having nightly scrums with palmetto bugs and ants darting out of the shadows, tormenting her from all sides. I usually harrumph and say sure, whatever, fine.
After this morning, however, I'll be dialing the Orkin dude myself.
So I take my morning walk -- had a sweet shuffle going on the iPod --and return to the Daly manse relaxed and focused. I strip down to what God gave me and step into the shower. At first, things are going scrubbingly. Then I reach up to adjust the shower head, and that's when a palmetto bug -- a cockroach, to be blunt -- the girth and size of a Hummer crawls over my fingers and scurries down the wall. Then the fiendishly large roach has the insectoid audacity to take flight -- zing! -- aiming straight for my left love handle. I want to say I handled this dive-bomb like a man. And I did for the most part -- except for the initial burst of girlish screams and Watusi shimmies.
Eventually, naked man vs. bold bug turned into a wet 'n wacky chase through the house. [Cue Benny Hill music] My only weapon was a slippery bottle of Aussie Cleanse & Mend, which I eventually used to smite said villain out by the couch. Because our house used to be the site of a porn palace (at least that's my theory), several of our walls are completely mirrored. Let's just say I didn't look heroic post-kill.
So I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to the FF. Indeed, baby, we need an exterminator.
With that, here's The Palmetto Playlist:
1) Don't Bug Me -- Jimmy Buffett
2) The Bug -- Dire Straits
3) The Roach -- Dr. Dre
4) Roaches -- Bobby Jimmy and the Critters
5) Jitter Bug -- Cab Calloway
6) Creep -- Radiohead
7) Bug -- Phish
8) Crawling From the Wreckage -- Dave Edmunds
9) Creepy Crawlies -- OAG
10) Doin' the Cockroach -- Modest Mouse
On Sept. 2, Epic/Legacy will release spruced-up versions of the Jacksons' 1978 album Destiny and 1980's Triumph. MJ was already on the road to King of Popdom back then. And yet, as well as making his solo albums, he was still writing and singing great stuff with his bros. I have these anniversary remasters, and they're sublime. I'm especially digging Mike's vocal on Can You Feel It. Here's the utterly cheesetastic video that went with the song. Are you digging those Commodore 64 sound FX? I thought so.
The Hold Steady
Album: Stay Positive (Vagrant)
In stores: July 15
Why we care: With equal exuberance for Budweiser and Bruce Springsteen, the Hold Steady is an indie band with populist daydreams. Their new album, much like their other albums, is a speedy mash of anthemic piano, wangy guitar and singer Craig Finn’s barfly storytelling. In other words, Born in the U.S.A. in double-time. The robust enthusiasm and word salad can get a little samey in parts, but these guys will improve your mood.
Why we like it: For all the sing-along muscle and three-cheers raucousness, there are also great swaths of earnest beauty, especially the tumbling bittersweetness of Lord, I’m Discouraged. Plus the Brooklynites adore us here in the Tampa Bay area, especially Ybor City, which they reference in album closer Slapped Actress.
Reminds us of: Seeing the Hold Steady at the Orpheum two years ago. Sweatiest show ever.
Download this: Sequestered in Memphis (LISTEN) and Slapped Actress
Grade: B+
Here are a few golden rules for appearing on television...
When you have absolutely nothing smart to say, you should always (1) talk REALLY LOUD and (2) work as blue as the censors will allow. This rule also comes in handy during regular life as well. Try it out. My favorite go-to phrase is apparently "banana hammock."
Also, it's an extremely bad idea to drive your AC-less MAZD to a July TV appearance that tapes in the brutal Florida heat zone of 4 p.m. Meat Loaf didn't sweat as much belting Paradise by the Dashboard Light as I did jalopying to Tampa's Fox 13 yesterday. Oh yeah. I looked good.
Click HERE to watch me glisten on last night's Lightning Round.
I'm a sucker for free stuff on iTunes. That said, I usually neglect to listen to most of it. Just found this frothy lil' beach drink tucked away amidst the myriad yesterday. Born in Madrid, raised in Stockholm, Ana Laan is a steamy, sexy singer-songwriter, not unlike the equally dreamy Bebel Gilberto. Here's "Paradise."
One of the progenitors of pop music, one of the Brill Building stars who provided the building blocks of rock, Carole King had a writing hand in such classics as Up on the Roof, Will You Love Me Tomorrow?, Some Kind of Wonderful, Pleasant Valley Sunday -- not to mention her own Tapestry of hits, including I Feel the Earth Move, So Far Away and It's Too Late.
Now 66, King will play Ruth Eckerd Hall Wednesday night as the kickoff show of her new tour. We're gonna get some quality time with King tonight, so if you've ever had a question about the creative process, I can't think of a better person to ask.
WHO HAS QUESTIONS FOR CAROLE KING?
Because I'm a caring, giving man, because I like to spread high-caloric joy to friends and strangers alike, I brought a delicious plate of macaroons to a July 4th party...and I'm still getting ridiculed.
Is the macaroon an inherently evil cookie? Is it blatantly offensive? Is it the coconut? Is it the similarity to the biscuit, the scourge of the carbo-loading world? These were Publix macaroons I brought, and I can honestly say each bite was a glorious party in my mouth.
And yet, I would have been more popular if I had brought a plate of komodo dragons. What gives? The macaroon is a cookie rich in flavor and pop-culture history (remember when Tony Soprano gave a box to his mom?), and yet, the humble cookie was Public Enemy No. 1 on Independence Day. I ask you: What's wrong with the macaroon?
This is Ashton Shepherd, straight outta Coffeeville, Alabama. Every time I hear cowgirlfriend's debut hit, "Takin' Off This Pain," I dig her more and more. Love that muscly twang in her voice. In one of the sexier double-bills around, the 21-year-old is touring with Miranda Lambert, another gal full of gunpowder & lead. My good pal Guy is going to see both of them in South Dakota this summer. Would love to tag along for that one.
John Mayer
Album: Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angeles (Sony)
In stores: Now
Why we care: I'm not sure why I have such knee-jerk revulsion for John Mayer. Maybe because the 30-year-old pop star looks like a Theta Chi pledge, but sings like a Mississippi-muddied blues man. Or because he constantly dates the midriffed ephemera of US Weekly, but shreds with the Claptonesque skill of someone here for the long haul. Or because I really wanted to despise this 2-CD live album, but I really don’t. Yeah, I'm going with that last one.
Why we like it: Like James Taylor on Viagra, Mayer works in three parts: acoustic (including Tom Petty’s Free Fallin’), a set with his trio and a full band firestorm finale. When the tussled-haired dude plugs in, he’ll convert even the most jaded shredder.
Reminds us of: That I still hate him. Sort of.
Download this: Free Fallin’ and Why Georgia (LISTEN TO THE WHOLE DANG THING)
Grade: B-
Was Amanda Overmyer-Daly really at the kickoff of the American Idols Live tour in Arizona Tuesday? Did Ramiele Malubay really get picked up by a smallish condor and flown to a nearby nest? Did Brooke White really set Vegas oddsmakers back years by keeping her shoes on?
Increasingly loyal blogger Guy, in his epic quest to see a concert in every state, dropped into AZ this week to check in on his beloved no-talent Kristy Lee Cook & Co. His musical report is detailed and saucy and rife with nudity. There's also a gratuitous Marissa reference which is always good for ratings. If you'd like to read Guy's full report, click below.
Continue reading "GUEST REVIEW: Guy on the "Idol" kickoff" »
Last week I asked for your favorite patriotic songs. Obvious or odd, these are tunes that make you stand up and salute, that make you proud to be from Kankakee, Illinois. Coincidentally, that blog post also made for a great reason to to run this picture of Jessica Simpson. Much like this follow-up blog post is a great reason to run that there snapshot of Rachel Bilson. After all, our country is all about freedom of expression, isn't it? God bless you, Rachel Bilson. And God bless America. Here's the final playlist that's running in Friday's St. Pete Times. Happy Fourth everybody!
There are much cooler songs that say God bless the U.S.A. than God Bless the U.S.A. In fact, Lee Greenwood's patriotic gush doesn't make me want to salute at all; it makes me want to take an American-made sledgehammer to the nearest radio.
But lest you think I'm a wild-haired flag-burner, I have gobs of U.S. of Yay! songs on my iPod, tunes that make Grandma's celery-free Independence Day potato salad taste that much better. (For the record, I also sob at the Olympics, disagree with outsourcing and saw First Blood three times in the movie theater. Go us!) Some are solemn, some are rousing and some, in their own strange, soothing way, make me stoked to have a Social Security number. 
For instance, you have to put Ray Charles’ America the Beautiful on a patriotic playlist. It’s a must. But don’t forget Hank Snow's rollicking travelogue I’ve Been Everywhere ("I’ve been to Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado / Ellisburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, Eldorado..."). Or Simon and Garfunkel's coming-of-age stunner America (“Kathy, I said, as we boarded a greyhound in Pittsburgh / Michigan seems like a dream to me now”). And is there anything more inherently American-spirited than Chuck Berry’s Route 66?
So here you go, Sean Daly’s Red, White and Wahoo Playlist. Have a happy Fourth everybody and watch out for those cherry bombs!
1) 4th of July, Shooter Jennings (WATCH)
2) Cadillac Ranch, Bruce Springsteen
3) Beer for My Horses, Toby Keith & Willie Nelson (WATCH)
4) I’ve Been Everywhere, Hank Snow
5) Theme from the A-Team, Mike Post (LISTEN)
6) Famous in a Small Town, Miranda Lambert (WATCH)
7) America, Simon & Garfunkel
8) Route 66, Chuck Berry
9) California Girls, the Beach Boys
10) America the Beautiful, Ray Charles (LISTEN)
According to the folks at USA Today, hot Nashville nymph Taylor Swift will tape an episode of CMT Crossroads with her fave rock band ever...DEF LEPPARD!!! Talk about strange (but strangely fascinating) bedfellows. I can see her grinding to Foolin', but not sure Joe Elliott has the chops or gender for her flirty girly hit Our Song. Anyway, they'll get together at an invitation-only gig on Music Row in October, and the show will air Nov. 8, right in the heart of sweeps month.
Although I hate the idea of Pop Lifers sinning separately -- someday we'll all be together in a clothing-optional commune! -- loyal bloggist Starfish and I will be at different block parties Friday. So the best we can do is connect on a cosmic level. And the best way to do that is,
