Every year I get my hopes up and every year the so called experts behind the Grammy’s dash them against the rocks like fishkill, blood and brain cells covering the entire music industry with fresh stench in the form of what they claim to be “the best”— their words, not mine.
If you’re talking about music this year, even with the amazingly huge numbers of out of sight (or out of site) songs and albums being released, there is one song which rises to the level of Summer Anthem and that is Might Get Up Slow by three teachers out of L.A. calling themselves No Small Children. Roll your eyes and say I’m beating a dead horse, if you will, but I know a solid hit when I hear one and this is it! A few years ago, Sheryl Crow was handed a verbal “Anthem of the Summer” award by a lame media tied closely to a monied music and entertainment industry.
This is important. Please read carefully.
It’s coming! It’s almost here and you probably don’t even know it. Like that stealthy Sequestering thing the good ol’ boys slipped into the budget bill without anyone noticing, Sweet Relief is readying their third compilation album— on the sly, as it were. Don’t know anything about it? I’m not surprised. Producer/Engineer (and sometimes musician) Sheldon Gomberg has held the information close to his vest and the people at Sweet Relief (and Vanguard Records) are only on the cusp of letting the dogs out. But it’s coming. July 9th.
Good ol’ Pandora. Just when it looks like the whole digital music service thing is about to fade into the background, those asshats raise their whine level a few decibels. This time, they’re asking to take a portion of the musicians’ cut from them, claiming that the musicians are cutting into their fair share. Wait a minute! Wha-a-a-aaat??!!!!!!! Okay, they didn’t put it in those words, but you have to know that’s what they’re telling legal eagles behind closed doors. I have to wonder about the reasoning, though.
I’m sitting here piecing together the albums I think are the best of the year so far and ready to sing the praises of Sydney Wayser and her magic kingdom, Bell Choir Coast, when the Craig Elkins train t-bones me and scatters what could have been an easy column to the winds. Who am I kidding? It is never easy to write this column, especially when I’m comparing apples to oranges which is pretty much what any “Best Of” or “Greatest” list is. The Truth is, there is no greatest or best of because music is so intensely personal and of the moment that what anyone chooses today they might not choose tomorrow (or even one side) later.
…and today, I’m in the ALL state of mind. What got me into this mood were two CDs I received in the mail fairly recently: Winterpills‘ All My Lovely Goners and Lisbee Stainton‘s Go. I am reluctant to say that I receive albums like this all the time but the truth is, I do. Maybe not this good and maybe not with regularity, but I get them all the time. There is so much good music out there that I can’t even begin to keep up, and that’s with my ignoring the major label, who hardly need my help to spread the word. Are these two special? They must be because I don’t think I’d feel right if I didn’t write about them quickly and in depth. This is the quickly. I shall save the in-depth for reviews.
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 