Saturday, December 31, 2005

I used to do a much better job of updating my playlist. I added a ton of music in past year but did little to let you know what I was listening to over the course of the year. I promise to do a better job of that in the coming months. Not that you care what I listen to but it is a good reminder for me of what music is passing through my pourous brain. Ry Cooder has been a big treat for me in the last few weeks. I purchased his latest and several of his very early works and can't get his songs out of my head. Wilco is playing right now - the Summerteeth album which I think is their best work ever. Anyhow, I will come back with news when there is some. I have about 2000 songs on my computer and some of it is destined for removal - the real test is when a song comes on do you want to skip it - if so, delete it right now. Life is too short to spend it listening to stuff that sucks. RiverDogs and Wilco out for now. 7:08:36 AM    comment []

What's playing right now? Wilco - the new album called "Kicking Television" is a great live album of the latest from the best band in the world. Okay, subjective statement. But if you don't know anything about Wilco and you want to hear the best from this band, I have some advice for you. Get Being There, Summerteeth and Kicking Television. These three albums will give you a good idea of the progression of this band from the Chicago area. You may not heave heard them on your local radio station - as good as ours is here in Austin - that's KGSR - they hardly ever play Wilco. But I play them all the time at my house. As the kids say "they are the bomb!" I have no doubt at all when I say they are the best band in the country - now the best band in the world may be U2 now that I think about it a little. But that's pretty good company. Good listening in 2006. Have a great and wonderful life - love, laugh, dance, and do it all with those you love. The RiverDogs love ya! 6:59:25 AM    comment []

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Last five CDs purchased: CC Adcock - Lafayette Marquis, ca 2004 CC Adcock - House Rocker, ca 1994 Neil Young - Greatest Hits, ca 2004 Ray Charles - Soundtrack from Ray, ca 2004 Jethro Tull - Aqualung, ca 1974 And then for John Rubino I picked up Eric Clapton and 461 Ocean Blvd. I think it is good but I haven't heard it myself. I had the Jethro Tull album several years ago but it disappeared from my collection. I got this replacement at Christmas and put it in Kathy's stocking. It is one of her favorite albums. The CC Adcock interest stems from the SXSW appearance at the Continental Club last year. I heard he was coming out with a new album and when we were in New Orleans last week I found both his new and his old one. Great stuff if you dig old time rock with a Louisiana swamp rock feel. I do and this stuff is good - not great but good. If you want great, get the Neil Young greatest - it covers his great songs from the 70's to now - and this disc really shines. The Ray Charles is vintage Ray Charles - he did a lot of crap through the years but when you run it through the filter of time, this album is the result. So what music lies ahead? I really don't know, there is nothing on the horizon - nothing new anyway. Some reissue may come along, remastered and all. Maybe Brian Wilson's Smile. That will be a trip for me. 7:42:43 AM    comment []

Thursday, October 14, 2004

I heard a new Buddy Miller album yesterday. It is blues and gospel delivered in the standup buddy Miller fashion. This will be my next purchase. I also listened to the new Kasey Chambers album and it is good but didn't move me like her earlier work. So, I will hold off on that for now. 10:50:14 AM    comment []

Sunday, July 11, 2004

I was on a new music and new musician frenzy following my birthday. Steve and Janie gave me a gift certificate at Tower records and Shawn sent me a certificate from Amazon. I got the new Patti Smith CD Trampin', the Wilco CD, A Ghost is Born, both the old and new Patti Scalfia CDs, and the Bob Dylan Live 1964 CD set. Of all the new ones, I like the Wilco effort the best. The two Pattis have done a good job. The offering from Patti Smith is deeper politically and will probably stand the test of time. Mrs. Springsteen's record is a nostalgic look at life pre-Bruce and the E-street band. It is full of doowop and recollections of her early days. I like it - her voice is a husky version of Sheryl Crow and EmmyLou Harris. Another band that really grabs me lately is the power trio from Canada, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. I couldn't find their album anywhere around here and bought them off a Canadian web site. Got all three of their releases based on hearing one of their tunes on KGSR. Sometimes that is pretty risky but I got lucky. Their work has shown a remarkable and positive progression from the early stuff to the latest. Keep your eyes and ears open for BARK - they are awesome. That's it for now. Keep em spinning. RD out. 7:38:57 AM    comment []

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

The newest music in my CD player is the the new album from Calexico, the Convict Pool, and two albums from the Kentucky band, My Morning Jacket. The sound from these bands is not like anything else in my collection, Calexico is from Arizona and their music is a blend of Mexico and alt country. MMJ is country rock with the reverb turned up high. The bands are pretty much unknown around here but are getting some airplay on KGSR - still the best radio station in the world. I will miss KGSR if we move, but then there is the internet and I can pick them up that way. 6:15:08 AM    comment []

Friday, April 23, 2004

We went to the Shady Grove last night to see and hear Mindy Smith. We took our RVing guests from Michigan, by way of Arizona with us. Oh sorry, I have not told you about our guests. Well we agreed to let them park their RV on our property for a few days. Well Kathy agreed. They are the aunt and uncle of a friend from church. Little did we know that their RV (read motorhome) was actually a 15 ton combination of truck and trailer that stretches about 70 feet by the time you add the 4-wheeler that they tow behind the thing. Our neighborhood association is rightfully up in arms and something needs to be done. But I digress. We went to hear Mindy Smith at the Shady Grove. She is good but not as moving as I had hoped. Part of the problem was the crowd at the Grove. People just won't stop talking to listen to the music. Maybe a thousand people gabbing away and just one singer, with one microphone trying to deliver a musical message that died about halfway back to my combat fatigued ears. Later they turned up the mic and that helped a lot, but I was still pissed at the would be listeners. Well that's what you get when the show is free. People figure it cost them nothing and they are just going to enjoy the company around them. I can see their point. If you really want to hear the music you just have to get up and get closer. We had a great table way in the back - this was great for eating and drinking, just not so good for listening. Win some, lose some. The food was awesome, and so were the drinks. The show was free, the food and drink cost us $40. The people watching was priceless, So there you go. All in all a great night out in the beautiful city of Austin, Texas. Wish you were here. 8:20:08 AM    comment []

Friday, April 16, 2004

No new CDs since Damien Rice. I have had to cut back on music spending since the larger of the two contracts went away. I was buying four or five CDs a month and that is too much money and too much music. What do I mean? I mean that buying that many ends up bring too much new into the house to the detriment of listening to the older CDs - many of which are not that old. So for now I will enjoy what I have and save some money. 9:29:18 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2006 Dave Raaum.