well said, etc.

"My life is music. And in some vague, mysterious, and subconscious way, I have always been driven by a taut inner spring which has propelled me to almost compulsively reach for perfection in music, often--in fact, mostly--at the expense of everything else in my life."-- Stan Getz

Crooked Fingers - New Drink for the Old Drunk

eric bachman was the lead singer of the archers of loaf, a great fucking band that the world has forgotten. i would like to say i've followed his career since but i haven't. i had a crooked fingers disc burned for me a few days ago, a cover album. they do the river for gods sake! how did i miss this? fuck!

Bob Dylan - Simple Twist of Fate (1975)

from 'blood on the tracks'. seems this was done with the 'desire' band. his two best albums, in my humble opinion. heartsick but resigned. feels like home!

TEENAGE FANCLUB...WHAT YOU DO TO ME

skyrockets in flight.

lesson, etc.: and who knows? maybe we'll win the whole shebang!

awright. usually i like to write a little piece before i tell you what i have been, and you should be, listening to. but my heads backwards. so maybe i'll put it in perspective when i'm done. or maybe i'll let you do it. it's about time you lazy bastards participated.

1. goodnight rose-ryan adams. off of his 'easy tiger' album. the guy has like a thousand albums. like pollard, he may want to watch himself. but, given the opportunity, i would do the same thing. strike while the irons hot! mostly i put this on because i'm in love with this line: 'good morning sunshine/ a new day begins/ and the hustle and bustle of the traffic treats you kindly/ i can tell because you're smiling'. what can i say? sometimes the beauty of the mundane overwhelms me. like pollard says: 'life is beautiful'. don't tell anyone i told you that.

2. right hand on my heart-the whigs. cuz the title is fucking great. and the drums are fucking better. and his voice beats that. what is it about singers from athens, ga.? i wish i had been born in the south. i'd have had more soul. or A soul. a great rock song at the very end of the rock era. in fact, this may be the last rock band you ever hear. listen to how he sings 'alright'. says it all. promise.

3. my pillow is the threshold- silver jews. from their new, instant classic, 'lookout mountain, lookout sea'- if you don't know, dave berman is, perhaps, our greatest living american songwriter. this album is a return to the classic jews sound. tho', to be fair, i am a HUGE fan of 'tanglewood numbers'. but that album doesn't contain this line: 'because the pillow that i dream on/ is the threshold of a kingdom/ is a threshold of a world where i'm with you'. get it? thought you might.

4. soul and fire-sebadoh. they just reissued 'bubble and scrape'. if you've ever been dumped i recommend you get this. they didn't fuck with the mix like on the 'mats discs. a bitter album. petty and angry. the songs of my heart! i mean what line hurts worse: 'as you walk away/think of all the joy we shared/ if you decide you need me/ i'll be wondering if i care' or 'when i lose control/ i need a kind, forgiving friend/ but i think our love is coming to an end/ i know our love is coming to an end'? i guess it's that last one.

5. feeling good-nina simone. if you know nina simone you don't have to ask why i'd include her on this list. you'd ask why i don't include her on every list. the first time i heard this song was at the limelight on an ipod. the bar went silent and i heard that voice. it was magical.

so that's my list. make of it what you will.

Bruce Springsteen - Girls In Their Summer Clothes

such a great song. i've got a nice memory of it. a sunny afternoon in portland when i remembered how to relax a little.

Ryan Adams - New York, New York

for jimmy b. i miss that guy.

Dio Rainbow in the dark

i love this song. the opening line is killer. really a beautiful lyric. i know you're probably thinking i'm being sarcastic. i'm not. this is a really well written song. scary. 'do your demons, do they ever let you go?'. no, they don't. ever. i feel you ronnie.

Lindsey Buckingham Trouble

song of the week: the brides have hit glass

warning: this is another one of those confessional, uncomfortable posts. you know, one of those one where no one leaves a comment. that's cool. i understand.
this may be the finest divorce song i've heard. it hits just the right tone. a touch of anger, a heap of sadness, a ton of regret, and a hint of hopefullness.
it's hard, divorce. especially when you think the other person is moving on faster than you:
it's very odd to find her up again
staking out expansion
seeking new exposure

then there is some bitterness:

and when she holds out an empty glass
and she comes for a handout
i ask for the same thing, it's sad

and the confusion of starting all over again:
one day i will know
that it's a waste of time
and there's a better road ahead of me
i just don't know how to make it there
so i'll just hang around and take my chance
and once again i'll roll the dice
and try to hang on to my shrinking paradise

and let me tell you, the way pollard hits the 'shrinking paradise' line is heartbreaking. it stings. it jumps of the disc. it's real, and it's honest, and if you've been through it you know how it feels.

so yeah, this is my pick for the week. it's on 'isolation drills' which you should all own anyway. so hey, i'm gonna go out tonight and roll the dice.


The Brides Have Hit Glass

I don't come around
Never call or let her know
I got a life of my own
You know I hate to be around her
When she's like that
I wrote a song once about her
Called "The Brides Have Hit Glass"
You know it just won't last
To be on top of your own world
With no guardrails to cling to
You fall so very fast
It's very odd to find her up again
Staking out expansion
Seeking new exposure

And when she holds out an empty glass
And she comes for a handout
I ask for the same thing-it's sad
And I hold on so sure I can take all she can
Just to be around her
Just to feel bad

One day I will know
That's it's a waste of time
And there's a better road ahead of me
I just don't know how to make it there
So I'll just hang around and take my chance
Once again I'll roll the dice
And try to hang on to my shrinking paradise

And I'll hold out an empty glass
And I'll come for a handout
And I'll ask for the same thing-it's sad
And I'll hold on so confident
That's it all I can give
To try to find my way back
Just to hit glass

gentleman