Miers on Music by Jeff Miers

From Trent to you...

Trent Reznor, as leader of (and mastermind behind) Nine Inch Nails, has always been an industry rebel. Now a free independent artist with no major label ties, Reznor has been releasing albums at a rapid clip and making them available for a pittance. (Interestingly, as recently reported in Rolling Stone, the guy's making a killing doing so, minus the middle-man.)

Now, Reznor and NIN have outdone Radiohead - that band offered its recent "In Rainbows" on a pay-what-you-like basis to fans, via its web site - by making the new "The Slip" available to fans at no charge. That's right - a complete, high-quality DRM-free download of the whole album is yours for the taking at www.NIN.com. There, you'll also find a note from Trent, reading in part, "Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one's on me." Pretty cool.

More importantly, "The Slip" is easily the best NIN album since "The Downward Spiral". Seriously. It's bold and creative, and boasts stronger hooks than anythng Reznor's done in quite a while.

Grab the record, and share your thoughts on it here.

Holly's highest highs

Holly Cole can take a tune we all know and love and bring something new -- often, something darker and more emotionally complex -- to it. Surely, she'll be doing just that this evening during her gig at the Tralf. Here are a few examples of Cole's dark art:

"River" (Joni Mitchell) from 1997's "Dark Dear Heart"
"I Want You" (Tom Waits) from 1995's "Temptation"
"One Trick Pony" (Paul Simon) from 2000's "Romantically Helpless"
"God Only Knows" (Brian Wilson) from 2003's "Shade"
"I've Just Seen A Face" (Lennon/McCartney) from 1997's "Dark Dear Heart"
"Smile" (Charlie Chaplin) from 1992's "Blame It on My Youth"
"The Briar and the Rose" (Tom Waits) from 1995's "Temptation"
"Dedicated To the One I Love" (Lowman Pauling/Ralph Bass) from 2000's "Romantically Helpless"
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (Hank Williams) from 1994's "Girl Talk"
"I Don't Wanna Grow Up" (Tom Waits) from 1995's "Temptation"

The women of country: Pure and easy

Kellie Pickler, who opens for Rascal Flats inside HSBC Arena on Friday, told The News' Elmer Ploetz she likes her country music "open and honest".

The former American Idol contestant places herself firmly inside th female country tradition with that description, for the past 50 years have seen a consistent stream of emotinal, open-hearted country music bubbling in the underground and occasionally bursting through to mainstream success.

To mark Pickjler's appearance in Buffalo, I've compiled a list of my favorite female country artists - young, old, and in some cases, no longer with us. All of these artists fill Pickler's "open and honest" bill. Plese write in with your own picks.

1) Emmylou Harris
2) Patsy Cline
3) Lucinda Williams
4) Patty Griffin
5) Allison Krauss
6) kd lang
7) Allison Moorer
8) Tie: Dolly Parton/Tammy Wynette
9) Loretta Lynn
10) Carlen Carter

The year of living not-so-dangerously

Looking back on 2007, the year in music, it's tempting to cling to a sense of possibility. After all, Radiohead gave away its brilliant new album on a "pay what you will" basis, and a host of relatively new artists -- from Arcade Fire to the National to Band of Horses to Gym Class Heroes -- released forward-looking material that managed to command an audience.

But as is ever the case with life on this mortal coil, there's the danger of letting optimism and hope blind you to some rather unpleasant realities. Here's a sobering thought: The biggest artist, in terms of sales, for 2007? None of the above-mentioned folks. In fact, if you simply crunch the numbers, then the "artist of the year" is one Josh Groban, he of the overwrought pseudo-opera dentist office pap.

The biggest-selling band? No, not some daring new group, but the Eagles, who went down to the crossroads and inked a deal with WalMart -- their souls in exchange for exclusive selling rights -- and walked away with a boat-load of cash and a new lease on life. Not that the band's "Long Road Out of Eden" is a weak album -- it's actually pretty strong. But daring, dangerous, incisive, any of the things that suggest the continued relevance of a medium? Not exactly.

We've still got a long way to go, folks. Any thoughts on how we might get there?

The 10 best "New progressive" bands

Ok, so "nu-prog," as it's being rather unfortunately called, isn't exactly lighting up the upper reaches of the charts in this country, but give it time! While we're waiting, it remains the rather broadly-defined idiom within which we can find some of the most exciting and ambitious new music being made. Here's a list of my favorite new (and relatively new) post-Tool/Rush/Radiohead/King Crimson bands. Please share some of your own favorites!

1) Coheed and Cambria
2) Opeth
3) Dungen
4) Mew
5) Secret Machines
6) Muse
7) Porcupine Tree
8) Three
9) The Mars Volta
10) Cooper Temple Clause

Some additional information on this whole "movement" can be found here.

Photo of lead singer for Coheed and Cambria, left,  by Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News at last summer's Warped Tour at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.

My Canadian Top 100

A panel of experts put together the list for the book, "The Top 100 Canadian Albums." Just to
be annoying, I put together this list of my own favorite Canadian albums. Please write with
some of your own favorites.

   1) "Music From Big Pink," The Band

   2) "Mingus," Joni Mitchell

   3) "Harvest," Neil Young

   4) "Snakes & Arrows," Rush

   5) "Funeral," Arcade Fire

   6) "World Container," The Tragically Hip

   7) "Poses," Rufus Wainwright

   8) "Crash and Burn," The Pat Travers Band

   9) "For the Beauty of Wynona," Daniel Lanois

  10) "Whereabouts," Ron Sexsmith

  11) "You Forgot It In People," Broken Social Scene

  12) "Set Yourself on Fire," Stars

  13) "One Chord to Another," Sloan

  14) "The Philosopher Kings," The Philosopher Kings

  15) "Vostok 6," Kurt Swinghammer

  16) "Coney Hatch," Coney Hatch

  17) "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere," Neil Young

  18) "The Future," Leonard Cohen

  19) "Hemi-Vision," Big Sugar

  20) "August Everywhere," Blinker the Star

  21) "Transmission," The Tea Party

  22) "Gord's Gold," Gordon Lightfoot

  23) "You've Never Seen Everything," Bruce Cockburn

  24) "Moving Pictures," Rush

  25) "Live in Paris," Diana Krall

  26) "Let it Die," Feist

  27) "Chemical City," The Sam Roberts Band

  28) "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven," Godspeed You! Black Emperor

  29) "Neon Bible," Arcade Fire

  30) "Chemical Sounds," Ron Hawkins

  31) "Ingenue," k.d. lang

  32) "City of Fear," FM

  33) "Permanent Waves," Rush

  34) "In Violet Light," The Tragically Hip

  35) "Mahogany Rush Live," Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush

  36) "Zuma," Neil Young

  37) "Temptation," Holly Cole Trio

  38) "Night Ride Home," Joni Mitchell

  39) "The Trinity Sessions," Cowboy Junkies

  40) "Love Junk," The Pursuit of Happiness

  41) "Live! Go For What You Know," The Pat Travers Band

  42) "Shine," Joni Mitchell

  43) "Storyville," Robbie Robertson

   44) "Dirt Farmer," Levon Helm

   45) "Stage Fright," The Band

   46) "On the Beach," Neil Young

   47) "Navy Blues," Sloan

   48) "Heavy Duty," Crowbar

   49) "No Cities Left," the Dears

   50) "Live Rust," Neil Young

   51) "Signals," Rush

   52) "God Shuffled His Feet," Crash Test Dummies

   53) "Strange Universe," Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush

   54) "Raids On the Unspeakable," Gregory Hoskins & the Stickpeople

   55) "Sundown," Gordon Lightfoot

   56) "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy," Sarah McLachlan

   57) "Now and Again," the Grapes Of Wrath

   58) "Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada," Godspeed You! Black Emperor

   59) "Day For Night," the Tragically Hip

   60) "Coke Machine Glow," Gordon Downie

   61) "Wheatfield Soul," the Guess Who

   62) "Matt Mays & El Torpedo," Matt Mays & El Torpedo

   63) "2112," Rush

   64) "The Marble Index," the Marble Index

   65) "The McGarrigle Hour," Kate & Anna McGarrigle

   66) "Twin Cinema," the New Pornographers

   67) "Bedbugs," the Odds

   68) "Snow In June," the Northern Pikes

   69) "A Million Vacations," Max Webster

   70) "Caught By the Window," Pilot Speed

   71) "American Woman," the Guess Who

   72) "Melville," the Rheostatics

   73) "Road Apples," the Tragically Hip

   74) "Triptych," the Tea Party

   75) "Putting It Straight", Pat Travers

   76) "Satin Chickens," Rhinoceros

   77) "Tremendous Efforts," the Sadies

   78) "Death of A Ladies Man," Leonard Cohen

   79) "Heijira," Joni Mitchell

   80) "Worlds Apart," Saga

   81) "Monster," Steppenwolf

   82) "Too Dark Park," Skinny Puppy

   83) "All the World's A Stage," Rush

   84) "Broken Arrow," Neil Young & Crazy Horse

   85) "The Last Waltz," the Band

   86) "Faithlift," Spirit Of the West

   87) "Comes A Time," Neil Young

   88) "Dig," I Mother Earth

   89) "Phantom Power," the Tragically Hip

   90) "Tonight's the Night," Neil Young

   91) "In A Coma," Matthew Good

   92) "Contact from the Underworld of Red Boy," Robbie Robertson

   93) "Turbulent Indigo," Joni Mitchell

   94) "Retriever," Ron Sexsmith

   95) "Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot," Various Artists

   96) "Live it Out," Metric

   97) "Grace Under Pressure," Rush

   98) "High Class In Borrowed Shoes," Max Webster

   99) "Action Pact," Sloan

   100) "Frantic City," Teenage Head

   

Grammys turn 50, grow old, boring and irrelevant

The nominees are in! Please try to contain your excitement. And remember, the white zone is for loading and unloading only!

On Thursday morning, the music industry dog & pony show announced the recordings it deemed worthy of honoring this year, when the Grammys turn 50 and throw a party in their own honor, to be televised on February 10th. As has been increasingly the case over the past decade, the Academy has chosen to celebrate mediocrity in the big, flashy, headline-grabbing categories, while sticking the good stuff in the obscure slots, where it's less likely to do any real damage, or point out the inherent lameness of the whole shebang.

One need look no further than the "Album of the Year" list to feel the bile rising. The Foo Fighters (average), Vince Gill (good), Herbie Hancock (outstanding), Kanye West (ridiculously over-rated), and Amy Winehouse (well-deserved), are in the running. So, how many of you out there think Herbie Hancock will take it? Don't be shy -- raise up that hand! Why the world's finest living jazz pianist is being pitted against Kanye West -- who is clearly the world's finest Kanye West, and if you don't believe me, just ask him -- is beyond me.

My guess is, it's an attempt to throw Hancock a bone, since he's far and away the boldest, most relevant musician on this list, even though he stands zero chance of winning. Whatever. Let's just cut right to the chase, shall we? "And the Grammy goes to - Kanye West!" There. Now you can channel-surf during this segment.

Here are a few of the best records to be released this year, in my opinion:
Wilco, "Sky Blue Sky" Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Rasing Sand"; Bruce Springsteen, "Magic"; Joni Mitchell, "Shine"; Paul McCartney, "Memory Almost Full"; Richard Hawley, "Lady's Bridge"; Wyclef Jean, "Carnival II"; Neil Young, "Chrome Dreams II"; Pinback, "Autumn Of the Seraphs"; Dwight Yoakum, "Dwight Sings Buck"; Radiohead, "In Rainbows". This is a mere fraction of the worthile stuff that hit the streets. A few of these records did make the Grammy nomination cut, but not in the "Album Of the Year" category, where they belong. Half the albums mentioned above didn't even get the "damning with faint praise" treatment. They don't show up at all.

Check out the list, then send in your thoughts on omissions, or defend the Academy's choices. And watch this space for more on the 2007 nominations between now and the February 10th broadcast.

Britney's 'Blackout'

Britney Spears is an accident waiting to happen. In the meantime, she's released a new album, "Blackout,"  which is reviewed in today's Buffalo News.

So who cares? Ok, fair enough. But please, check out this record, if simply to note how far recording technology has come.  Also, grab a gander at this video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3ceCMpPJgc   
and then tell me: Is this, or is this not a sign of the impending apocalypse?

And, do you think it will sell?

For what it's worth...

Now that Radiohead has opened the floodgates by offering its new album, "In Rainbows," to fans on a "pay what you like" basis, it seems fitting to scan the Billboard top 10 albums with a similar ethos in mind. What is each one of these albums worth? If given a choice in the matter, what would you pay? I'm basing my list on the projected top sellers for the week beginning this coming Monday, October 8th, according to Billboard's web site. Please write in with your own "what's it worth?" comments.

1) Bruce Springsteen, Magic: Billboard projected this morning that Springsteen and the E Street Band's new effort will debut at #1 on Monday, after selling in the area of 100,000 copies its first week. I paid $15 for the disc on its day of release. I also bought a vinyl copy, for $14. I feel quite certain I got my money's worth, and then some.

2) Keyshia Cole (shown at left), Just Like You: I received a promo copy of this album for review. I've only listened to it once. I'd pay $5 for it, no more.

3) Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace: Strong record. $10.

4) Jill Scott, The Real Thing: This record's worth the asking price. Scott's got an amazing voice.

5) Kanye West, Graduation: I dumped three tracks from this onto my iPod. I guess that makes it worth $2.97 to me.

6) High School Musical 2, Soundtrack: This stuff drives me up the wall, but my 7 year-old son likes it. When I was around that age, the "Grease" soundtrack was out. I think I paid in the area of $8 for the vinyl copy of that album. So I'd pay the same for this one, as a gift for my kid.

7) Jagged Edge, Baby Makin' Project: I've never heard this record. My consumer's intuition tells me to stay away, based solely on the album title. I'm not willing to take the risk. I've been burned in the past!

8) 50 Cent, Curtis: I'd pay him what his stage name suggests I should. I dumped one tune onto my iPod, which is worth about .50 cents to me.

9) Reba McEntire, Duets: I'm not dropping a dime for this one. Duets albums are usually dreadful. I'd have to hear it first.

10) Kenny Chesney (shown at right), Just Who I Am: Haven't heard it yet, but if I was a Chesney fan, I'd take the risk. He's been consistent in his offerings. 

Super Tuesday

Today, Tuesday, is a major day for new album releases. In addition to Bruce Springsteen's "Magic," which is an absolute killer, we've got new records from Richard Hawley, John Fogerty, the Sadies, Cake, Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Cult, Annie Lennox, PJ Harvey and Depeche Mode.

Today is also a big day for reissues and box sets, with the three-disc Dylan collection, a big ol' Megadeth box, the reissue (at last) of David Bowie's "Buddha of Suburbia" soundtrack, a Ramones live collection, an expanded edition of Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs," and a solo Mick Jagger overview, hand-picked by old rubber lips himself.

If you've gotten your mitts on any of these and would like to post a short review here, please feel free.  Look for a review of the Lennox and Fogerty discs in this Friday's Gusto, and the Dylan box set in Sunday's Spotlight section.

Greetings from E Street

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band just finished an early-morning set in New York, broadcast live on the "Today" show (watch it here). The band kicked butt, opening with "The Promised Land," and tearing up the new "Radio Nowhere" and "Livin' in the Future," the latter of which was prefaced by a pointed Springsteen introduction that name-checked Bush administration atrocities. That took some guts, something Springsteen has never lacked. (Interestingly, immediately following a blistering "Night," Matt Lauer turned it over to the "Today" show news desk, which revealed some "breaking news" that US Forces have killed a "significant" al-Qaida figure this morning. Hey, great timing!)

Springsteen and the band gave their all to the performance, but let's be honest - this is not a great forum for rock & roll, and the only reason it happened is because, frankly, there are no longer conventional means of promoting rock records. "Man, I must really want to sell some records if I get up this early to sing," joked Springsteen, tellingly. No one but the band seemed to get it, either. There is certainly something incongruous about songs like "Radio Nowhere," "Livin' in the Future" and "The Promised Land" blasting into a crowd of folks waving American flags and acting like they're at their high school reunion. The irony is either delicious or nauseating, and I'm not sure which. (Springsteen teased an oblivious Lauer: "I know this is the same audience you get for the dancing bears." Yup.)

Anyway... "Magic" hits the streets on Tuesday. On Sunday, the Spotlight section of The News will feature plenty of Bruce. I offer up my review of the album, and hazard a guess as to who might be the "next Springsteen," if such a thing is possible. Please share your thoughts on "Magic," and suggest who among the younger generation of artists you think might measure up to Springsteen's best work, here. Go ahead. I can take the abuse.

Foo for thought

The new Foo Fighters record, "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace," dropped on Tuesday, and has already come in for some critical drubbing. Most of the criticism surrounds the idea that Dave Grohl has lost his sense of humor and, now that he's making "serious" rock music, is no longer "cool."

Guess what? I find this to be a load of hogwash. "Echoes" is not a perfect record by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a very strong one. Check out first single "The Pretender" (no, it's not a cover of the Jackson Browne song!) here, and look for a full review in Friday's Gusto. If you've heard the record, please write and share your thoughts!

Free E Street on iTunes

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are offering a free download of "Radio Nowhere," the torrid, in-your-face first single from their forthcoming "Magic" album (due October 2nd).

Download the song free of charge, and share your thoughts here!

Desert island discs

In Sunday's Spotlight section in The Buffalo News, the music critics here at The News - Jeff Simon, Mary Kunz and your's truly - assembled our lists of indispensable discs, those records we'd never want to be without. Here are our picks.

It seems only fair that we give you a shot at creating your own list of 10 "desert island discs." So go ahead!

Springsteen single

On Sunday, between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., during Little Steven's weekly Underground Garage program on 97 Rock, the E Street guitarist/garage rock auteur will debut Bruce Springsteen's "Radio Nowhere," the lead-off track from his forthcoming album with the E Street Band, "Magic."

The album isn't due until October 2nd, and the single doesn't hit iTunes until Tuesday, but Little Steven has an in with his "Boss," apparently.

Anyone out there heard the tune yet?

Prince: Deal or no deal?

Prince released "Planet Earth" last week, and as has been the case since the Minneapolis maestro first arrived on the scene, the record caused some controversy. Many critics saw the album as a pale approximation of the man's former glories. This critic saw it differently -- in my estimation, Prince continues to move ahead, as musician, songwriter and record-maker, and "Planet Earth" certainly ranks as one of his best.

Read my thoughts on Prince and "Planet Earth" here, and then share some of your own.

"Ga Ga" for Spoon

The new, eagerly awaited effort from Texas auteurs Spoon dropped last week and, for once, a much-hyped record fully lives up to that hype.

Britt Daniel, Spoon's songwriter and frontman, has outdone himself this time, ably marrying some of his finest tunes to the smartest and most ambitious production -- courtesy of a team that includes producer Mike McCarthy -- the group has yet been afforded. The result is a record that mashes the jerky post-modernism of "Kill the Moonlight" against the slightly more focused and precise rock of "Gimme Friction."

"Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" is one of the more interesting rock records to see release so far this year. Check it out at www.SpoonTheBand.com.

Buckley's posthumous #1

Jeff Buckley has been gone for 10 years now, and during his lifetime, he reaped much (well-deserved) critical praise, but not a lot in the way of album sales for the only full-length he released, the timeless "Grace." But with the gracefully-handled "So Real" collection now on the shelves, Buckley has hit the #1 spot - in Ireland, anyway. The Irish have made "So Real" the top charting album in the country, and pushed the single - the definitive version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," which Buckley absolutely owns - into the top 20. The record is doing well all over Europe, though selling in a more humble fashion in this country, where R. Kelly's "Double Up" holds the top spot.

Was anyone out there in blog-land at Spot Coffee on that fateful day in 1994 when Buckley showed up, unannounced, pulled his guitar from its case, and gave an impromptu show to a crowd of baffled onlookers?

McCartney magic

Paul McCartney's 21st solo album, "Memory Almost Full," comes out on Tuesday. Yes, every Starbucks in the world will be playing the record ad nauseum on that day, but that doesn't matter.

What's interesting here is the depth and quality of McCartney's work as he prepares to mark his 65th year. This is an album worth the attention to detail, and the repeated listenings it requires to be understood.

Read a detailed review on the new disc on the cover of today's Weekend Life section of The Buffalo News.

Perry Farrell the progressive

It's so easy to scoff at Perry Farrell's neo-hippie ethos, probably because being cynical is always easier than opening yourself up to the possibility of change, and the pain that growth requires. Who wants to hear the creator of Lollapalooza and the frontman for the dearly departed Jane's Addiction dropping a concept album based on his progressive idealism, in which, according to the SONY press release, "a collaborative brain trust of artistic visionaries, including writers, musicians and environmentalists called The Solutionists... seek to redesign and come up with soilutions for the world"?

Well, if the music is as vibrant as the stuff exploding off of "Ultra Payloaded," the debut effort from Perry Farrell's Satellite Party, I do. This album is a hybrid of danceable musical styles with killer melodies erupting from Farrell's still-powerful throat. Doors fans will also be interested in checking out "Woman in the Window."

The band plays Letterman on June 5th, and Carson Daly June 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th. Check it out at www.satelliteparty.com.

New playoff theme?

Man, I really do love the Goo Goo Dolls, and particularly bassist Robby Takac, who has given of himself tirelessly in aid of Buffalo ever since he gained (through incredible amounts of hard work) the ability to do so. But am I alone in thinking that the band's "Better Days" might not have been the best choice for the Sabres' playoff theme song? It's a beautiful tune, but a bit maudlin, and though it was used to great effect following the devastation wrought by Hurrican Katrina, during the playoffs it played to the worst aspects of our city's popular image. Meaning, we came across like a bunch of whiners who expect to lose.

Part of what made the Sabres so wonderful this year was the balance of integrity, skill and immense passion they brought to the game, and by extension, to us, their fans. "Better Days" reflects that, but it's just too much of a downer.

Who has ideas for next year? How about something that says "We're coming for you, so look out!" rather than "Yeah, life stinks, so just try to keep your head above water." I'm for something like Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," which sounds like the aural equivalent of a band of men marching off to conquer something.

Anyone have any suggestions? Next year, it'd be nice to get excited for the game hearing something that makes you want to raise your beer high above your head, rather than drown yourself in it!

Shortlist Music Prize '07

The nominees for the 2007 Shortlist Music prize have been announced. The prize is a hipster tastemaker's award granted to an artist on the cutting edge of contemporary popular music, based on the votes of a panel including members of the Flaming Lips, the Killers, KT Tunstall, Panic At the Disco, and others.

The ten finalists are Band of Horses, Beirut, Bonnie Prince Billy, Cat Power, Girl Talk, Joanna Newsom, Reghina Spektor, Spank Rock and Tom Waits.

So who did the panel miss?

Listen to songs from all the nominated artists at www.myspace.com/shortlistofmusic, and make up your own mind.

Torrid Tori

Anyone out there catch Tori Amos' performance on Letterman Thursday night?

The song - "Big Wheel," from her just-released "American Doll Posse" album - was offbeat and pretty brilliant. Tori's appearance was a bit of a shock, however. Clearly, she's playing a character, which explains what sure looked like a wig, and a freakish one at that. But something about the whole affair was just plain strange.

What gives? Does anyone have any particular insight into just what Amos is up to with this bit of theater-rock? Guess I'll spend some time digesting the albums this weekend. I'd love to know what anyone out there thinks of it.

Snakes & Arrows

The new Rush disc, "Snakes & Arrows," has hit the streets. I've had it for a few days now and can report that it's brilliant.

Longtime fans of the band will find much to love here - daring musicianship, intelligent and insightful lyrics, ambitious structures, and plenty of FUN stuff. New listeners should be attracted by the singular nature of this wonderful band.

The music is timeless but the production is pleasingly contemporary, meaning this music can't be written off as mere "classic rock."

Like all the group's best records - and this new one clearly ranks among the band's Top 5 - the listener is asked to invest a bit of his or her self in the process of the music's unfolding. That means the more you listen to the record, the more you'll get out of it. This material is ready-made for the stage, and expect to hear plenty of it when the band shows up for its 4th of July gig at Darien lake. Look for my full review of "Snakes & Arrows" in this Friday's Gusto.

Lucky Bob

The new Curtis Hanson film, starring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore, is called "Lucky You." I haven't seen it yet, so I've no opinion on the film's merits, but the soundtrack, on Columbia Records, is absolutely great. A pair of Springsteen tunes, happily, and George Jones, Madeline Peyroux, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson and Ryan Adams all contribute previously-released songs, but Bob Dylan threw one old and one brand new tune into the mix.

OK, so who needs "Like A Rolling Stone" on a soundtrack album, since every self-respecting album collector already owns the thing in one format or another? But the brand spankin' new "Huck's Tune" is a wonder to behold. A soft, rolling 6/8 country-ish waltz, boasting a Bob lyric both despairing and humorous, the tune is akin to another first-rate Dylan soundtrack tune, the elegaic "Tell Ol' Bill" from the Charlize Theron vehicle "North Country." Both "Bill" and "Huck" would've been at home on Dylan's recent "Modern Times" record. Matter of fact, if I had my druthers, they would replace a rewritten blues shuffle or two that did end up making that record. Regardless, this is prime twilight Dylan, a true gem. Anyone heard it yet?

Zappa, frankly

Rare footage of Frank Zappa inside his home recording studio - dubbed by the late, great composer the "Utility Muffin Research Kitchen" - will get its first viewing in a Zappa Family Trust-approved DVD release in mid May.

Cameras rolled during the making of the "Overnight Sensastion" and "Apostrophe" sessions, and finally, this 98-minute DVD will compile the footage into documentary form, fleshing it out via interviews with Dweezil and Gail Zappa, among others.

This is a goldmine for the true Zappa afficianado. Check out the New Musical Express story here: http://www.nme.com/news/27703. And share with us your favorite Zappa memory when you have a minute.

Green-washing

Sunday was Earth Day. I celebrated by checking out Guster's Campus Consciousness Tour - a rock concert/environmental awareness package - at UB. (For more on that, see my review in Monday's Buffalo News.) Prior to that, I attempted to gather together some of my favorite songs centered on celebrating or lamenting the state of this spinning rock we're stuck to. It was a beautiful day, but the songs just left me depressed.

Sure, there's purely celebratory fare, a la John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" or "Take Me Home Country Roads." But I haven't really lived surrounded by nature since I was a 10-year-old, and couldn't quite summon the imagination to let those "Country Roads" take me anywhere. Harsher takes on our surroundings took favor. I like Joni Mitchell's "Sex Kills" - "The ulcerated ozone/These tumors of the skin/This hostile sun beating down on the massive mess we're in," anyone? Todd Rundgren's "Gaya's Crying" and the Rush corker "Red Tide" did little to elevate my mood, though both are brilliant tunes with clear-eyed insights to offer.

I finally settled on what I think is the most spot-on "environmental" rock song in my library, and it comes from the sardonic cerebellum of Warren Zevon. "Run Straight Down" is a great tune even if you ignore the lyrics, and the searing lead guitar work courtesy of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour is in itself a treat. But the lyrics took my "Earth Day" prize this year. "I went walking through the wasted city/Started thinking about entropy/Smelled the wind from the ruined river/Went home to watch TV/And it's worse when I try to remember/When I think about then and now/I'd rather see it on the news at 11/Sit back and watch it run straight down." Ouch.

So tell me, what's your favorite environment-based rock song? Or do you think all environment-based rock songs are obnoxious?

Friendly Fire

Sean Lennon really lit it up inside the Tralf on Sunday evening. He started the night by dedicating the show to enfant terrible (and tormented genius, methinks) Vincent Gallo - "He hates Buffalo! Boo!" yelled one patron - and then Lennon proceeded to soar through just about all of his recent "Friendly Fire" album, playing and singing (and looking so much like his father that the effect was surreal) with power and grace.

Who was there? What was the Pink Floyd tune Lennon messed around with near the end of the gig? Penny for your thoughts...

The other Cassadaga

  No, it's not our Cassadaga.

   Curious minds might wonder why the new offering from Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes is called "Cassadaga." The reference is to a little town in Florida, not the hamlet in the middle of Chautauqua County.

   In a recent NPR interview, Oberst said he was struck by the Florida community of quaint homes where psychics hang out their shingles offering readings. But there is a Chautauqua County connection: Many of those Cassadaga, Fla. psychics winter down there and spend their summers in our own quaint but slightly spooky community of Lily Dale, which is right next to  Cassadaga, N.Y.

-- Bill Flynn, guest contributor

Blood, chocolate, iPod

Elvis Costello will finally make his back catalog available for digital download via iTunes, beginning on May 1st, when the King Of America's first 11 albums will hit the iTunes Music Store, 30 days prior to their in-store, hard-copy release.

Just prior to this digital watershed will come two collections hand-picked by the man himself, in the form of "The Best of Elvis Costello: The First ten Years," and "Rock and Roll Music," both of which offer a cherry-picked overview of Costello's career to date. In the fall, the 30th anniversary edition of Elvis' debut, "My Aim Is True," will hit the bins.

Harp Magazine has the full story on Costello's flurry of activity here -

http://harpmagazine.com/news/detail.cfm?article=11058

Tiny Masters of Today

David Bowie has called them one of his current favorite bands, and no, I'm not talking about the Arcade Fire. Tiny Masters Of Today is a group of siblings in their pre-teens, who write and perform their own music - a charming blend of power-pop and garage-rock, as it turns out. The stuff is smart, catchy and funny - check out "Stick It To the Man" and "Bushy", the latter of which imagines George Bush parading around in pink underwear. (Er, that's totally disturbing, kids!)

There's a great article on the band in a recent edition of London's the Guardian, which is accessible through the band's My Space page - www.myspace.com/tinymastersoftoday. You can hear some songs there as well.

I'm told there is some sort of Buffalo connection with the Tiny Masters, but so far, no luck in finding out exactly what said connection is. Anyone?

Modest Mouse!

For my money, one of the more exciting developments in alternative music of late is the addition of Smiths/Electronic/The The/Talking Heads guitarist Johnny Marr to the ranks of Modest Mouse. There are definite elements of the telepathic interplay between Television's Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd in the way Marr fits himself into the band, as given ample evidence throughout "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank," the wonderful new Modest Mouse platter. Look for a full review in this Friday's Gusto.

Anyone else heard the record yet?

Patti Smith does Stones

Patti Smith is set to drop "Twelve," her first entire album of cover songs, all interpreted through Smith's inimitable blend of fury and finesse.

Fresh from her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and a fiery set at the annual induction ceremonies, Smith is at a career high-point, her singing having matured more than enough to meet the high standards set by her post-Beat and psychedelic Romantic poetry some 30-plus years back.

'Twelve" will offer some surprises, but it's no surprise that the first single from the album is Smith and her band's take on the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," a song with obvious contemporary resonance in terms of both lyric and sonic structure. Smith always came across as some sort of punk rock hybrid of Keith Richards and the poet Arthur Rimbaud, and that's exactly the blend of surrealism and snarl she brings to this inspired version. Check it out at http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/41673

Chris Whitley's swan song

Chris Whitley recorded two albums in the months prior to his death last year, and both are worth having. "Reiter In" is a big, beautiful mess of a rock record, and finds Whitley and some of his pals from the band Johnny Society, along with German bassist Heiko Schramm, tackling some acid blues and garage-punk, including a torrid take on the Stooges' " I Wanna Be Your Dog."

"Dislocation Blues," just out, is a collaboration between Whitley and roots musician/songwriter/singer Jeff Lang, and it trumps "Reiter In" as a last word from the sorely missed Whitley.

Throughout, Lang offers transcendent counterpoint to Whitley's angel-flying-too-close-to-the-ground falsetto and twisted National Steel guitar virtuosity. This stuff sounds like 22nd century blues, and though all of it is outstanding, a pair of interpretations of Dylan tunes - a swanky "When I Paint My Masterpiece" and a wonderfully surreal "Changing of the Guard - rank among Whitley's finest recorded moments.

Check out the record at www.rounder.com.

LCD Soundsystem

Dance music has long suffered from its tendency to trend-hop. Perhaps you recall the mid-90s, when electronica was supposed to arrive like the great flood, to wash away the marrow-deep sin of guitar-based rock music, with a little help from hip-hop. Soon, everyone and their sister climbed aboard the rickety wagon they thought was a gravy train, and out popped dance-able albums from rock artists by the score. (No one, it seemed, wanted to be the last one standing at the rock party, after all the cool people had bailed for a hipster after-hours club.) Sometimes, the results were exciting - see U2's "Pop" or David Bowie's "Earthling," for example - but often, these attempted crossover projects reeked of fear and desperation.

Once every decade or so, however, an artist returns to breathe life into dance music. The key is always to bring strong, fully developed songs to the table, not just interminable club grooves with little to commend them other than their dance-ability. LCD Soundsystem  - one-man band James Murphy, really - is that artist, and "Sound of Silver" is the record that re-animates the tired carcass of dance music. Call it electroclash, pop-tronica, whatever. Thing is, Murphy's got the tunes, and he's a musician, not just a geek with Pro Tools and a laptop.

Look for a full review of "Sound of Silver" in this week's Gusto, and let me know your thoughts on LCD Soundsystem and modern dance music in general.

Heavier weather

Since my esteemed colleague Jeff Simon generously passed it my way, I've been unable to remove Joe Zawinul's "Brown Street" from my disc player. The twin-disc set is simply burning, and finds Zawinul's touring group joined by the WDR Big Band, tearing through Weather Report classics, as well as a beutiful interpretation of "In A Silent Way," the tune Zawinul contributed to the Miles Davis album of the same name way back when . All are granted sparkling new arrangements by Vince Mendoza, who may be familiar to you through his work with Joni Mitchell. This record kicks it, hard. Check out Jeff Simon's review at www.buffalonews.com. Find "Brown Street" at www.headsup.com.

Cries from far and wide

Not surprisingly, Rush fans have made their feelings known following my post on the recently released single from the forthcoming Rush album, "Snakes & Arrows," out May 1st.

"Far Cry" has grabbed the attention of fans, emitting some pretty passionate responses, both via this blog and e-mail. Unanimously, the fans are praising this bold, ambitious, and groove-heavy song as yet another step forward for the trio. The song succeeds on many levels, and rewards repeated listening, which explains the oft-noted fact that every time one listens to the piece, new aspects are revealed.

Lyrically, the tune is another winner from the pen of Neil Peart, and seems to be a lamentation for a world spinning wildly off its axis. Anyone managed a reasonable transcription of the full lyric yet? It can now be confirmed that Rush will appear at Darien Lake on July 4th. "Far Cry" is available for download at www.itunes.com.

Stooges redux

More than 30 years after disbanding, the Stooges - the band rightly credited with creating punk rock - return with a new album, "The Weirdness," on Tuesday, March 6th.

So what's changed for Iggy, Ron and Scott over the years? Not much. "The Weirdness" might not be as shockingly bizarre and frankly disturbing as "Fun House" or "Raw Power," but it's still about as good as moronic three-chord freak-rock can get.

Look for a review in the Tuesday, March 6th edition of The Buffalo News.