RIP Gil Scott-Heron

U2 - Until The End Of The World

Really looking forward to U2 playing this on Saturday in Denver...viva la judgment day! I can't imagine how long the bathroom lines will be, but I'm sure Bono will lead us to the promised land.

Peter Bjorn and John - It Don't Move Me

A couple of things strike me about this performance. First, I love seeing out of the windows of whatever venue this is. Obviously a small cafe/coffee shop in Amsterdam. It's so clear outside and clearly very crisp and chilly. I really, really, REALLY love it there. Such a clean and friendly town. Secondly, it is very apparent to me just how underrated Peter Bjorn and John are. Sure you might hear a track or two on your local radio station, though chances are that's not true unless you live is a relatively "progressive" radio town. I put progressive in quotes mainly because...well, draw your own conclusion. This bare bones, minimalist performance just kind of hits all the right notes for me. There's a clarity of purpose that matches perfectly with their surroundings.

Queen | The Show Must Go On

Because, Freddie Fucking Mercury, that's why. Zanzibar's favorite son, Montreux's favorite resident.

LCD Soundsystem - Dance Yrself Clean

I was listening to this track while having blood drawn yesterday. I don't do well with blood drawing. This track didn't help at all. I was sweating and trying not to squirm. After the phlebotomist yanked the needle free she looked at me and said: "You don't look well at all, do you want some juice?" "Yes, Please," I replied, shutting my eyes and trying to stay conscious. This has nothing to do with this track. I'm just happy to hear it any time I can. A song with depth, length and width is a rarity, but this kills deep, wide and far. Love.

R.E.M. - Just a Touch

This is my own personal soundtrack. I walk the Earth with these songs in my head even when listening to something else. Really looking forward to hearing the demos...

Steve Vai - Blue Powder

I used to have this track on one of those flexi-discs that you would sometimes get in guitar magazines back in the day. It was some kind of promotion from what I can remember, brought to you by Carvin, because he used one of their amps in its recording or something. I dunno. Much like anything else I used to be into back in that I day, that knowledge is gone. This track is still fucking dope but I can't tell you how happy I am now that I can stop pretending as if I'm all into playing guitar. Sounds like these are both inspiring and discouraging. Thanks for helping me give up Steve. Thanks a lot.

The The - This Is The Day

This song makes me cry. No lie. Somehow the happy and hopeful message coupled with that minor chord in there brings tears to my eyes. Still, one of my most favorite songs in the history of ever from what I believe is one of the most interesting, er, um, bands...though not really a band in the classic sense...of the sublime 80's.

Ben Folds Five - Underground

There just isn't much of anything that would make me happier than Ben Folds Five getting back together and doing this. Again and again and again. Then one more time.

Pixies - monkey gone to heaven

I could never, never, never ever get my old telecaster to sound as crisp and tasty as this...perhaps my youthful peace/rage balance was missing the secret ingredient. Talent. Viva la Black Francis.

Goodie Mob - Fly Away

I'm in a weird mood, sitting here drinking Jack Daniels & coke, trying not to be giddy over the death of public enemy #1 and failing. I usually hate to feel like a failure. Usually. Not this time however. I've traveled a shit-ton since the whole 9/11 deal and I'd like to, for one selfish fucking second, take a moment to address what a clusterfuck of a terrifying and beyond inconvenient mess air travel has become, and will no doubt remain forever and ever amen...

Allow me to digress...

I just saw a commercial for some new T.V. show called "The Voice"

and I'll be damned if that aint Cee-Lo sitting in as a judge. Right there on my T.V. Now you might be savvy to the Cee-Lo deal due to his recent hit "Fuck You" and maybe prior to that you had knowledge due to Gnarls Barkley. But I remember back in the day, way back in like 1998 or something, dropping Goodie Mob tracks onto cassette tapes and into my fat yellow walkman... In any case, somehow my half-drunk mind just made a television assisted leap of a connection. It went like this: Bin Laden - hijacked planes- homeland security - Cee-Lo - Goodie Mob - Fly Away...

Dig it.

Les Savy Fav - Brace Yourself

there are very few bands that fall into the 'sweet tooth' category so easily & inexplicably for me...I don't know what the connection is, how it came about or what the fuck it means, but Les Savy Fav is my own personal double rainbow...before I was a word, I was a sound.

Slit Skirts - Pete Townshend

I always thought the lyric was: "and I know that when she thinks of me, she thinks of me as him, but, unlike me, she don't work off her frustration with the gin..." because really, who can picture Pete in a gym?

Lupe Fiasco - American Terrorist

somehow seems appropriate considering...listen carefully, the flow is as intoxicating as the message.