Brian Williams is a Music Freak
Who Knew?
I alway thought Brian seemed pretty cool, but his wide ranging music knowledge and interst literally blew my mind.
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July 03, 2009
July 02, 2009
Forever Young
Neil Young played a concert in Hyde Park London the other night and encored with the Beatles "A Day in the Life" ,which he has been known to do over the years. This time he is joined onstage by Paul McCartney. What a glorious pairing and joyous performance. Pure Heart and Soul and a thrashing crashing Neil Young ending, too. Wow, just Wow.
April 24, 2009
Exile on a Single Disc
The Rolling Stones "Exile on Main Street" was released on May 12th 1972 as a double album. Containing the Top 40 hits, "Tumbling Dice" and "Happy" the album went Gold within weeks, but then took 28 years to go Platinum. It is always cited near the top in any list of the Greatest Albums of all Time.
# 15 on the Sound+Vision Critics Poll
#7 on Rolling Stone Magazines List of the Top 500 Albums
#14 on WTMD's Top 897.
An undisputed Classic. But often discussions of this album include which song or songs one HATES and from time to time it is suggested that this would have been an astonishing single LP had they pared it down a bit.
Of course, this kind of misses the point - "Exile on Main Street" as it stands was a grand sprawling messy diary of the Stones stretching out and endulging in the excesses afforded them. I get that. But let's do this anyway.
The entire Double LP clocks in at about 65 minutes. A typical LP in that era was around 40 minutes, so this was more of an album and a half anyway - Lets cut 6 and Pick 12 and I'll post the results soon.
Comments Welcomed!
April 15, 2009
You Tube Symphony Orchestra Global Mash-Up
This is a rather astonishing effort.
Hundreds of musicians from around the world all edited together in an original Symphonic Work.
Behold the "Internet Symphony Eroica" !
April 02, 2009
The Battle of Evermore
Bob Lefsetz of the famous Lefsetz Letter wrote so well about this recording that I won't even try to paraphrase. You can read the whole thing yourself right here The short version is that on their tour last summer, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss did several songs from the Led Zeppelin catalog including Black Dog, Black Country Woman and the epic Battle of Evermore.
This version of "Battle" was recorded during the tour's stop at the Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia Maryland. It's a really high quality soundboard recording. Enjoy! Then go buy a ticket next time they come around. I know I won't miss it twice.
Click the link to listen - right click to download.
Download RPAKcolumbia203
March 31, 2009
Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
Here's a brand new track from the forthcoming Bob Dylan release "Together Through Life" which comes out on April 28th.
Even though Chelsea claims that being forced to listen to Dylan counts as child abuse, she has already seen him twice. Well, at age 7 she fell asleep, but she saw the entire set at last year's Virgin Mobile Festival at Pimlico. Someday, I am certain she will be proud to tell people that she saw Bob - "way back in 2008, when I was 16"
March 10, 2009
KDFC San Francisco
Nearly 25 years ago I began a career in Broadcast Advertising sales at a company that represented Classical Radio Stations exclusively. We had a fine roster of major market stations, many that had been in the format since the dawn of FM radio. Shortly after I joined the company we added a new client station, KDFC San Francisco. The station owner was Ed Davis. After returning home from serving in World War II, Ed boarded a train a train and arrived in San Francisco. In 1948 he obtained the license for 102.1 FM and launched KDFC as San Francisco's Radio Concert Hall. By the time I met Ed in 1984 He was a wealthy man, but not from selling radio ads. He had made much more in Real Estate, including acreage atop the Mountain in Sausalito across the bay from San Francisco where he built a tower for his station and was later able to rent tower space to numerous other broadcasters. For those of you who are not broadcast engineers, FM radio relies on height to get the optimum coverage and Ed bought the highest ground before most people even owned an FM receiver. He saw the future before others. He was in the right place at the right time and more importantly knew he was in the right place at the right time. KDFC was the first station to broadcast in stereo. The first to have unattended overnight automation and in many more cases Ed was quick to innovate. Ed would have loved Flycast. To be able to listen to his great station as I am now, on an iPhone on a train between Philadelphia and Baltinore would brought him great joy. So Ed , thanks for your vision and passion for great music and quality broadcasting. By the way, 60 years later, that Mozart guy is still a star and I am thrilled to have KDFC on the Flycast.fm network.
March 03, 2009
U2 No Line on the Horizon
The Brand New U2 Album No Line on the Horizon is out today - March 3rd and it is a brilliant return to form. Hands down their best since Achtung Baby.
Best of All - TODAY Amazon has the MP3 download available to day for only $4.99.
Here's the Link you seek
January 31, 2009
Just because I can
Thievery Corporation right now at 9:30 club Washington DC
January 23, 2009
Air and Simple Gifts
If you enjoyed the John Williams composition/arrangement "Air and Simple Gifts" as performed at the inauguration of Barack Obama and wanted to hear it again, here it is.
January 18, 2009
Obama visits Baltimore
Barack Obama rode into Bsltimore yesterday and took time to pose for a photo with Chelsea. How gracious!
January 11, 2009
Vegas the way it should be
Charlie is the man. Seriously. If you can do business with Buy At a Platform A company, do so. As I tap this on the iPhone I am his guest along with a couple hundred others at the Moon Bar at the Palms. 50 stories above Las Vegas with the most amazing view ever. Vegas. I get it now.
Flycast at CES
Here is Rebecca our spokesmodel at the Flycat pod in the Bjackberry by RIM booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. We are there with about 20 other Blackberry application development partners and the booth is always jammed. Blackberry Jammed!
January 07, 2009
Flying to Vegas
It's a long flight but it sure beats the Conestoga Wagon.
December 30, 2008
All Grown Up at All Time Low
There's Chelsea in line for the All Time Low show at Ram's Head Live with her friend, Court. I'm in the car going back home. First time I've droppped her off at a show. A big little moment.
December 15, 2008
December 12, 2008
Science!
This recently discovered photograph of Albert Einstein shows why he is considered to be one of the most brilliant men who ever lived.
Get Flycast for your iPhone at the App store and for the Blackberry Curve, Bold and Storm at the Flycast.fm website.
December 11, 2008
Rock Hard Times & It's a Beautiful Day
I started out thinking I was going to post a video clip for Download 07 Rock Hard Times I heard it this morning while reading the latest shit storm forecasts and thought it was rather timely. It's a great song, but I then decided to go with the more ironic and upbeat (sounding anyway) "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" Besides it had a better video clip.
God Damn Right - It's a Beautiful Day. Uh huh.
December 03, 2008
And we're Back!
Here's a nice bit of comedic commentary - Proposition 8 - The Musical!
See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die
October 02, 2008
The Ballad of Sarah Palin
Once upon a Time I used to write this kind of thing. Now I let the experts do it.
See more funny videos at Funny or Die
August 19, 2008
Area Man Rocks Out
Our neighborhood is directly adjacent to the Pimlico Race Track, site of the Virgin Mobile Music Festival, and the residents had some concerns regarding parking, trash and the potential for overnight car camping.
The promoter, I.M.P. was very responsive and even provided dues paying neighborhood residents with 2 for 1 tickets. I acted as the coordinator of the voucher program. The local weekly got wind of our good fortune and decided it was a good angle for their coverage of the festival. So they called and spoke to several people and then we met up at the show and they took pictures of myself and Chelsea. While Chelsea is far better looking than I and looks much more like a typical Festival goer - I made the front page.
Hilarious.
Wearing my Straw Hat and with camera in hand, I look every day of my 50 years. But I am rocking out. The caption says so!
The full article, including caption, is HERE .
August 18, 2008
Everything that Happens Will Happen Today
28 Years after the groundbreaking "My Life In the Bush of Ghosts" Brian Eno and David Byrne have collaborated on a new recording. It is a much more conventional album, with straightforward song structure and real lyrics and singing. Sure there are odd lyrics and strange sounds and exotic texturtes, It's really quite nice. And nice guys that they are - you can hear it all for free, download a free track and order the CD in advance and download the full album now. But go ahead stream it first. I love geniuses who share. Just press play and enjoy!
August 06, 2008
Iggy and The Stooges Get Ripped Off!
The following was lifted directly from www.iggypop.com without permission as Iggy would insist:
The Detroit Free Press reports that Iggy & The Stooges gear was stolen on the morning of Aug 4 in Montreal, Canada. Take a look at the equipment and keep an eye out for the instruments. Of course the band is continuing their tour with new and borrowed equipment.
"Hey! I think I see one of the Amps!"
"The Michigan-bred rock band is counting its losses after this morning’s theft of its rented tour truck, packed with all of the group’s instruments and stage gear.
The equipment’s dollar value is estimated to be in the tens of thousands, said Eric Fischer, the band’s road manager. But he described some items as priceless -- including the vintage Gibson bass that had been Mike Watts’ go-to instrument since his Minutemen days in the 1980s.
“That bass would go in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame someday if we could find it,” said Fischer. “We’re all just gutted.”
A full list and photos of the stolen gear can be seen HERE .
While we are on the subject of Iggy and the Stooges - scheduled to hit the North Stage at the Virgin Mobile Festival on Sunday at 4:50PM
For those who are expecting to hear "Lust for Life" you probably have a better chance if you call Royal Caribbean and get placed on hold. This is a STOOGES tour. Here is a set list from a recent Show.
Loose/Down on the street/1969/Wanna be your dog/TV Eye/Dirt//Real Cool
Time/No Fun/1970/Mindroom/Fun House - LA / Skull/ Ring/My Idea Of
Fun/Search And Destroy
Encore: I Got a Right/I'm Fried /Electric Chair
Here's a nice example of The Stooges ", "I Wanna Be Your Dog"
July 28, 2008
Virgin Mobile Festival Schedule Announced
The Schedule for the 2008 Virgin Mobile Festival has just been released. Plan your day(s) ahead of time and make sure you see your favorites. Lots of other stuff to see, do, eat and drink at the Festival so plan time for that as well!
Visit www.virginmobilefestival.com for more information.
Saturday, Aug. 9 GATES OPEN - 10am
NORTH STAGE (all times E.T. p.m.)
12:00 - 12:50 Cat Power
1:10 - 1:55 Duffy
2:15 - 3:05 The Swell Season
3:25 - 4:15 Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
4:35 - 5:25 Rodrigo y Gabriela
5:45 - 6:35 Citizen Cope
7:00 - 8:15 Wilco
8:45 - 10:00 Jack Johnson
SOUTH STAGE
12:15-1:00 KT Tunstall
1:20 - 2:10 Gogol Bordello
2:30 - 3:25 Lupe Fiasco
3:45 - 4:35 Bloc Party
5:00 - 6:00 The Offspring
6:30 - 7:30 Chuck Berry and The Silver Beats
8:15 - 10:00 Foo Fighters
DANCE TENT
12:00 - 12:30 JDH & Dave P
12:30 - 1:45 Erol Alkan
1:45 - 3:15 DJ Dan & Donald Glaude
3:35 - 4:35 Soulwax
4:45 - 6:10 Steve Lawler
6:10 - 7:40 Ferry Corsten
8:00 - 10:00 Underworld
Sunday, Aug. 10 GATES OPEN - 10am
NORTH STAGE (all times p.m.)
12:00 - 12:45 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
1:05 - 1:55 Shudder to Think
2:15 - 3:05 Paramore
3:30 - 4:20 Taking Back Sunday
4:50 - 5:50 Iggy and The Stooges
6:20 - 7:35 Stone Temple Pilots
8:05 - 10:00 Nine Inch Nails
SOUTH STAGE
11:30 - 12:00 Hollywood Undead (Book the Band winner)
12:20 - 1:05 The Go! Team
1:25 - 2:10 Andrew Bird
2:35 - 3:25 She & Him
3:50 - 4:50 Lil' Wayne
5:15 - 6:15 The Black Keys
6:45 - 8:00 Bob Dylan
8:30 - 10:00 Kanye West
DANCE TENT
12:30 - 1:30 Chromeo
1:50 - 3:20 Rabbit in the Moon
3:30 - 5:00 Deadmau5
5:00 - 6:30 Richie Hawtin
6:30 - 8:00 Moby (DJ Set)
8:00 - 10:00 Armin van Buuren
July 24, 2008
Virgin Mobile Festival 2008 Preview
Just a couple of weeks to go until the 3rd V-Fest at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore. It's time to start learning a bit about those acts in the lineup that you may never have heard or seen before.
Rodrigo y Gabriela are an acoustic guitar duo from Mexico City who are now based in Dublin, Ireland. They met while playing in a thrash metal band and their set list includes thrilling original material as well as cover versions of songs by Metallica and Led Zeppelin.
This video is a song called "Tamacun" which received airplay on many of America's finer radio stations including WRNR and WTMD.
July 21, 2008
All Time Low at Ram's Head Live
There were four bands on the bill Saturday night but for Chelsea and her 30 friends and most of the sell out crowd only one band mattered. All Time Low. 4 kids from Timonium Maryland who graduated from High School in 2006 and have been on the road most of the time since then.
We had a special section - a third floor balcony - for the party and had made signs so that arriving parents and kids could easily spot us outside and we would escort them in. One of these signs was dropped to the stage by one of the guests and settled nicely, labeling this show as "Chelsea Party"!
This clip is from the opening number, "Holly (Would You Turn Me On)" - you can hear complete songs and see where they are off to next on their MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/alltimelow
July 20, 2008
Chelsea's Super Sweet Sixteen
Over on the left hand side of the page if you click on the Sweet Sixteen Gallery you will be able to view photos from Chelsea's Sweet Sixteen Party at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore featuring All Time Low and a fantastic cake from Charm City Cakes. The cake was a total surprise to Chelsea, courtesy of the Bumbleduck. Yes, that half duck half bumblebee creature atop the cake is a BumbleDuck. They have magical powers!
More details soon including a couple video clips, but for now check out that cake!
