perfect playlist (v. 1)

in no particular order

1. Rachael Yamagata & Ray LaMontagne, "Duet"
2. Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, "Falling Slowly"
3. Hoots & Hellmouth, "Two Hearts, a Snake and a Concubine"
4. Nick Cave, "The Ship Song"
5. Leonard Cohen, "Hallelujah"
6. Joan Baez, "Diamonds & Rust"
7. Tom Waits, "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You"
8. Damien Rice, "The Blower's Daughter"
9. The Decemberists, "Red Right Ankle"
10. Townes Van Zandt, "St. John the Gambler"
11. Nick Cave, "Brompton Oratory"
12. Hawksley Workman, "You Are Too Beautiful"
13. The Dubliners, "On Raglan Road"
14. Blair Harvey, "Where Love Goes"
15. Leonard Cohen, "Alexandra Leaving"
16. Powderfinger, "Drifting Further Away"
17. Eva Cassidy, "Fields of Gold"
18. Ryan Adams, "La Cienega Just Smiled"
19. Bruce Springsteen, "The Wrestler"
20. Two Gallants, "Crow Jane"

in the mooooood

So I recently discovered the totally awesome site allmusic.com and it has the option to categorize songs by "mood."

I vote they should add "steatopygic" to the selection. Songs could include "Fat-Bottom Girls" by Queen, "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mixalot, "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" by Mika, any number of rap/hip-hop numbers . . .

bend over, I'll drive

How is it that I managed to live 27 years without ever having heard of the psychobilly genre?

I'm not even sure you can call that living, frankly.

(Seriously, how cool is it that there's a musical genre with the word "psycho" in the name???)

GBS in Oshawa: pics

Right then. Enough whining and navel-gazing. Here, take a look at some pictures instead.

The handsome fellow in the photo there is Kris MacFarlane of Great Big Sea - plays the drums most of the time, but also picks up a squeezebox, a guitar, occasionally a bass player . . . just kidding about that last one (or am I?). Sings back-up vocals, and from the little I heard of his voice, I liked it a lot. He soloed at the show with "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" and did not disappoint. It was lovely. Very happy I finally got to hear him sing a whole song.

More photos here.

return of the prodigal idiot

Came back from weekend road trip yesterday. Slipped out of the country and back again in under 48 hours. The place . . . Oshawa, ON, Canada. The reason . . . Great Big Sea. The shopping list . . . booze, drugs and smokes. Canada: el Mexico del norte.

The show - predictably fabulous. GBS played "Oh Yeah" (here is where all non-fans tune out or sprain their eye-rolling muscles), Kris soloed (YES! I've finally seen all 5 soloing), I danced my ass off and a good time was had by all. All the ones I care about, anyway.

The rum flowed merry at the afterparty. The pub was crowded and rowdy enough to have private conversations at the top of your lungs. The live music was loud and passable enough to render its quality irrelevant. When we left, I forgot to wear gloves. Even today, my hands are red and chapped. The perils of cold-weather fandom.

The after-afterparty in the hotel lasted until, oh, 7 a.m., and involved several young hockey players. I do not remember any of their names. There is no need to. They served their purpose well enough.

An excellent weekend, all in all. Pictures will follow.

Oh, and I totally saw a dude's wiener.

the perils of beautiful music

Woke up feeling fine. Almost cheerful. Made the mistake of turning on one of the songs I heard yesterday - Crow Jane by Two Gallants. Am now playing it over and over, unable to stop, turning into little more than a mute, swaying filter of earthly melancholy. It's hauntingly beautiful. It's disarmingly sad. Everyone should listen to it . . . but probably no more than once in a row.

Did you notice that? How I gave myself really good advice and then promptly ignored it? That's what got me here, you know.

Sigh. My kingdom for a microlobotomy right about now.