Blog

You probably don't think much about wildflowers. They're really just weeds, after all, and unless they're blooming, they don't have much to offer. But when they bloom...

In 1994, I already knew who Tom Petty was. The Traveling Wilburys and Full Moon Fever had cemented him in a favored place near my tape deck, and even his Greatest Hits album had impressed me. But I figured the Greatest Hits was an admission that he was done; Mr. Petty had decided to sit back on his laurels and take a well deserved basking.

Fast forward 15 years. I'm in the car with the iPod shuffling through my own greatest hits. I'm almost at the saturation point with most of the 600 or so songs on there. I've heard my recent favorites a million times, and the stuff I haven't heard before isn't making an impression as it floats by. I'm thinking, "It's time to wipe this thing and throw on something different."

Then I hear a simple strumming pattern. It's like the first drops of rain on a dusty windshield, when you're driving over to see your girlfriend at the end of a long week. It's like the first slug of beer after spending the day spreading gravel in Arizona. It's like seeing wildflowers blooming next to a field of scorched, brown grass.

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free
- Wildflowers

Petty has never been the strongest vocalist, or the deepest song-writer. He's not the "rockin-est" rocker, nor is he a very flashy guitarist. He's just that guy you know who breaks out the guitar at parties, and makes everyone feel good. He's that guy that girls don't think about dating because he's "just a good friend", but when they actually give him a chance, he turns out to be genuine and caring.

Wildflowers is built on that vibe. The title track is all about letting someone go where they want, while still hoping that means they'll want to go where you are. There's no pressure, but he lets you know what he wants out of the relationship. He wants to keep it simple, real, and easy.

Doing that, there's always the chance that she'll take you up on the offer and leave, but... why borrow trouble? Why worry that much? You only hurt yourself, after all.

I know your weakness, you've seen my dark side
The end of the rainbow is always a long ride
But don't be afraid anymore
It's only a broken heart
- Only a Broken Heart

Yeah, he knows the risks. And he's not immune to that urge to control, either. This could have been an album full of passive-aggressive manipulation. Tom certainly knows the temptation.

It's good to be king and have your own world
It helps to make friends, its good to meet girls
A sweet little queen, who can't run away
It's good to be king, whatever it pays
- It's Good to Be King

So we'll sit back, break out the guitar, and sing together. We'll hang out, and make ourselves easy to be around. Sometimes, you can't be king enough to shape those things that are larger than you, so you have to give in. Be easy. And do what you have to do.

And hey, now baby, what can I do?
What am I goin' to do but trust you?
The rest of my nights, the rest of my days
What can I do but love you?
- House in the Woods

In 1994, the music scene turned on its head. All of the over-the-top extremes of the 80's metal bands and the effete and introspective self-loathing of the bubbling "alternative" scene collided, and the resulting cloud of ash that we called grunge erupted. It was cathartic, it was redemptive, it was purgative... but it was harsh and unflinching. The music, like the lyrics, explored the dark corners we had all been ignoring, and it changed the way we wrote and heard music.

Everything was about how angry and hurt everyone was. Grunge gave depth to punk, and balls to alternative; it pissed on shallowness of metal, and gave advanced music theory lessons to folk. It was a force of its own, all about denying anyone the opportunity to get close to you, because you knew they just wanted to rip you off.

It affected everything; lyrics, song-writing, form, production, sales, advertising. The flames swept through the music business, and the ashes settled on every genre. No one could sell a record without something "grunge" related - a flannel shirt, a curled fist, an angry riff.

In the midst of all of that, one quiet album pushed something beautiful up through the ashes, and those of us who noticed felt a little lighter for the experience.

Its time to move on, time to get going
What lies ahead I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
Its time to move on, it s time to get going
- Time To Move On

You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. Petty knows his limits, and he knows not to expect too much. This makes his album a masterpiece of understatement, as well as an achievement. Not many people can pull off both.

Not many people can craft songs that still bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart when you recognize that simple strumming pattern. Especially not after hearing them for 15 years.

I can only take so much. You're probably the same way. For several days AFTER Christmas, you can still be assaulted with the holiday-themed music & muzak everywhere you go. Well, as far as I'm concerned, it's after Christmas, so Santa Claus can get the #%*&@! back out of town!

For those who would like some ammunition for firing back, I give you this list. There are three four basic types of songs on here:
1. Irreverent parodies
2. "Alternate" holidays
3. Neglected covers that should be played instead of the overplayed versions
4. Covers so cheesy that the listener might suffer a physical blockage

I leave it to you to decide which tunes belong in which categories. So, sit back, toss back the "hair of the nog", and spread the word to the muzak programmers: it's time to pack the holiday box up for another year. (And don't be so eager to break it out again next October.)

*Asylum Street Spankers – Intro
*Asylum Street Spankers - You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch
*Jonathan Coulton - Chiron Beta Prime
*The Pogues - Fairytale of New York
*Poi Dog Pondering - Mele Kalikimaka
*Fountains of Wayne - I Want an Alien for Christmas
*James Brown - Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto
*Barenaked Ladies - Green Christmas
*Leon Redbone - Winter Wonderland
*Squirrel Nut Zippers - Sleigh Ride
*Harry Connick, Jr. - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
*Jonathan Coulton - Curl
*Barenaked Ladies - I Have a Little Dreidel
*The Klezmatics - Hanukah Tree (Hanukkah)
*The Brian Setzer Orchestra - Jingle Bells
*The Love Buzzz'rds - Buddha's Wearing Christmas Lights
*Ringo Starr - The Little Drummer Boy
*Mannheim Steamroller - Los Peces En El Rio
*Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)
*Leon Redbone - Blue Christmas
*Harry Connick, Jr. - Frosty the Snowman
*Asylum Street Spankers - Linus and Lucy
*Vince Guaraldi - Skating
*Harry Connick, Jr. - Winter Wonderland
*Leon Redbone - White Christmas
*Vince Guaraldi Trio - Linus And Lucy
*Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas
*The Killers - Don't Shoot Me Santa
*Asylum Street Spankers - 12.25.61
*Action Action - Father Christmas
*The Chieftains - The Wexford Carol
*The Blind Boys of Alabama - Last Month Of The Year
*Leon Redbone - Frosty the Snowman
*MC Lars - Gary the Green Nosed Reindeer
*Folklore - Xmas Ape Goes to the Moon
*Sugarcult - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
*blink-182 - I Won't Be Home For Christmas
*South Park - Carol of the Bells
*Bunnygrunt - Got the Blues for Xmas
*Atom and His Package - What We Do On Christmas
*Scary Kids Scaring Kids - What a Wonderful World
*South Park - O Holy Night
*Major Seven and the Minors - Flying Spaghetti Monster
*Satan - Christmas Time In Hell
*Hot Rod Circuit - Happy Christmas (War is Over)

We all cruise along through life at various levels of awareness. Some of us are acutely aware of every nuance of every situation, and some are clueless about the signals they send out and that they receive in return. I've always leaned more toward the latter category. A couple of weeks ago, I discovered that my world was not working the way I thought it was.

When your world is suddenly not where you expected, you start looking around for it. It's a painful and scary experience, not knowing what's real and what's just a self-imposed delusion, but I'm lucky, because I have people around me who aren't afraid to tell me the truth. They anchor me, and help me fix the problems I create.

And in the midst of all of this, there's music. (As if you expected me to write about travel or architecture...)

One dangerous, yet thrilling, thing about a personal crisis is the new meaning that old familiar songs take on. Suddenly, So Much to Say has a depth I never recognized before; the sassy humor of Ben Folds becomes a defiant rallying cry in Philosophy.

Because the emotions can be so volatile and unpredictable, I actually avoid most of my music during times like these. A few years ago, a line from Cool, Cool River hit me so hard, I had to pull to the side of an English fen road and weep while tractors and little, annoyed cars swerved around me. This week, though, I found a special gift in my collection. The Finn Brothers Everyone Is Here, a 2004 CD I picked up at the library last year.
What does it mean when
you promise someone
no matter how hard
or whatever may come

It means that I won't give in,
Won't give in...
Won't give in...
'Cause everyone I love is here,
Say it once, and disappear.
-Won't Give InThey have my number; the heart of my problem and the solution wrapped together in less than a stanza. But they go further, too, and in six lines, they manage to describe the root of what I'm feeling:Homesick
For the people that I live with
Homesick
For the spirit I'm missing
Homesick
For the country that I'm living in
-HomesickThe hardest problems to see are the ones that are right in front of you. The missed opportunities to show, not tell, someone how you feel. The conclusions they draw when they compare your actions to your words. I've been so busy wallowing in my own Homesickness, I haven't seen what has been happening in my own best friend's heart.
I've never had the time before
Leaving things where they fell
I was going door to door
Always thinking I was somewhere else

You saw me
And what I could be
And now I know what love is for
It's the only thing sets you free
Must be the luckiest man alive
-Luckiest Man AliveSo now I know all of this. I know what I've done wrong, and how to fix it. I know I'm better off than it seems, and how to make it better. But life is hard, and the road ahead is treacherous. There are no guarantees, only faith in each other.

What am I going to do about it?And I will take my chances
'Cos anything can happen
Don't believe it's over
'Cos anything can happen
-Anything Can HappenThat thought cuts both ways; if anything can happen, that means good or bad. But she deserves my faith; and she's hurting, too. She feels guilty for hurting me, but she had to hurt me to get my attention. I don't imagine it's easy to watch someone grapple with a pain that you think you caused, even if you know that it's no one's fault. It's too easy to waste energy blaming yourself. Fortunately, there's some wisdom here for her, too:
All the mud in this town
All the dirt in this world
None of it sticks on you
(You shake it off)
Cause you're better than that
And you don't need it
No, you don't believe it
-Nothing Wrong with YouIn case there is any doubt about it, the Brothers will say it for me: "I walk along with you/There's nothing wrong with you."

There are a lot of things in this world that are insurmountable. Most people don't come back from the dead, and very few can fly or shoot heat beams from their eyes. But there is no reason to give up, not when there is love like ours in the world, and musicians to remind us.A chance is made
A chance is lost
I carry myself to the edge of the earth.
-Won't Give In

Long ago, in another life, I was a community college music student. One of my favorite experiences was the Electronic Studio class, which put me in a lab with a half dozen of the top-of-the-line keyboards, sound manipulators, and Macintosh sequencing programs available in 1992.

Before leaving that life to enlist in my new one, I made a couple of cassette recordings. Last week, I found those cassettes, and since my sense of humor is so much more developed than my sense of self-respect, I decided to post some of those recordings online:

No One Called Larry - Old School EP

At the time, I was listening to a lot of varied stuff; from Peter Gabriel to Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo; show tunes and Ludwig van Beethoven; The Pogues, and even Prince. If I wanted to be painfully honest, I'd have to say the biggest influence on my song writing at the time was Danny Elfman's Batman theme, which was used in the Animated Series then in production.

Sad, I know.

I'm actually most proud of the way the "Birthday Disco" turned out, and of my arrangement of DeBussy's "Beau Soir". But the rest still amuses me, even though it does make me want to sit down and watch the Dark Knight do some detective work!

At the time most of these were recorded, I was rooming with Emlyn Ellis Addison. He's the one who got me started listening to folks like Jean-Michel Jarre, and probably told me about the Studio in the first place. "Manic Atari" was something I did on Emlyn's little Casio, before we started the class, and "Manic Atari II" was the version I did on the Ensoniq in the lab; the two versions of "North West Side" are the results of a project that Emlyn and I did together as a joke. Emlyn's much larger and better selection of tunes can be found on Last.fm also.

Now, one of these days, I hope to put up a "real" No One Called Larry album... but I don't like making promises, because life has a way of interrupting. But let me know what you think, and I'll keep you posted as events warrant. I've got Brent here now, to keep me on task, so possibilities are looking up.

PL+U!

I've written before about the way my body reacts to over the counter cold remedies. People have told me, "People pay good money on the street to feel that way," but I'd rather keep my money and NOT have to deal with the "side effects". As amusing as it might be to have my bedroom furniture talk to me, or to sit and watch the ceiling fan turn rainbow colors while lofting little fairies into the air around me... I'd just as soon stay in control of my own imagination.

Cheer up, honey I hope you can
There is something wrong with me
Radio Cure

I've been told that certain albums are improved by having your mind artificially expanded. Radioheads keep telling me I'd "get" some of their more obscure stuff if I'd just take a little something to help out, but I like The Wall just fine when I'm cold sober, thank you very much. I think music should stand up on its own, in general.

I have to admit, though, that being wired on cold meds has given certain albums more impact that they would have otherwise had on my cynical brain. Sometimes I don't let them work on the dark, secret parts of my psyche that they are intended for.

So while I won't go seeking them out, my few brushes with the High Life - at perfectly legal and unmodified dosages of Dextromethorphan and Phenylephrine - have given me some appreciation for "pharmacologically enhanced listening experiences"... a "radio cure", if you will.

I wonder why we listen to poets
When nobody gives a fuck
Ashes of American Flags

Experiencing physical weaknesses, along with the usual emotional or spiritual crises, leaves one with time to think about the less obvious ailments. If art has to have a purpose, isn't that a good one?

I was down hard when Wilcocrossed my transom; life was demanding a lot of us, and on top of the long hours of work and commute, I got hit with a pretty serious sinus infection. So, out came the drugs.

I am an American aquarium drinker
I assassin down the avenue
I'm hiding out in the big city blinking
What was I thinking when I let go of you
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

Is there a better way to start an album when you have a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and are whacked out on decongestant? I swear I could taste the aquarium water, and the fever was causing flashes of light behind my lids anyway.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has an interesting story behind it, anyway, which you can track down elsewhere easily enough. For me, the first impression was of a man trying to battle down the dazed delirium of his life and seize the flashes of beauty and joy that he hoped were real before they evaporated into the dream. The teetering balance of breathless harmonies and pleasant pop with the odd and disturbing sound scape creates an effective picture of someone exasperated with his situation, but determined to fix it.

I could certainly relate to that.

Every place around the world it seemed the same
Can't hear the rhythm for the drums
Everybody wants to look the other way
When something wicked this way comes
Jeremiah Blues

Sometimes, even if you feel it coming and take precautions, sickness can carry you out to sea. Waves of nausea crash over, capsize you and leave you wishing for that blinking city. That's where I was when I ran across The Soul Cages near the end of my college career.

Introspective reflections on his father, and cerebral ocean metaphors were not what the critics wanted from Sting's second solo outing. A lot of Police fans considered this a sign that Sting had "lost it", or had gone soft.

It gave me something to float on while I was drowning, though, and helped me smooth the emotional seas I was navigating. (It didn't hurt that I was recovering from some kind of allergy attack with the help of some anti-histamines, of course.)

Men go crazy in congregations
But they only get better
One by one
All This Time

Nothing is a panacea. There is no "one-stop shop", no "one size fits all". Every drug affects everyone differently. These are just two examples of good medicine, taken as needed.

Next time you're down, try these out, and call me in the morning.

Every now and then, I notice something about myself that I hadn't realized before. Occasionally, it's some glaring personality trait that needs to be changed or an article of clothing; maybe a strange glowing lump that speaks appears on my forehead... you know, those everyday little things that crop up?

Well, I was looking through my Last.fm library last week and noticed that there had been a kind of surge in the number of Johns in my list. Not that I purposely select my listening material based on first names, but it is a little eerie.

The big, standouts are guys like John Mayer, John Scofield, John Flansburg & John Linnell of They Might Be Giants fame, and of course, Johnny Cash. Continuum and Try! have been a staple of the iPod in recent weeks, and I found Legend of Cash volume 1 and vol. 2 at the library (when I was picking up the reserved copies of No! and Here Come the 1,2,3's).

Scofield's album of Ray Charles covers, That's What I Say, has been a favorite of mine since it came out last year, and I really liked what he did on Out Louder... oh, John Medeski would be another addition to the list! Combustication takes me to good places, and like TMBG, Medeski Martin and Wood recently did a cool kid's album - Let's Go Everywhere - which featured a funkily twisted cover of I've Been Everywhere, bringing us back to Cash!

It's a grand old Web o' Johns, isn't it?

That isn't even the end of it. Jonathan Coulton hasn't lost his charm; if anything, I'm increasingly impressed with him the more I listen. The kids ask for Code Monkey all the time (and Creepy Doll freaked out my Goosebumps-loving 9-year-old), and I just found out what I'm Your Moon was about, and fell in love with that one.

How many more could there be? Well, you did ask... I checked out the new John Hiatt, since WTMD was talking up his Hot August Blues appearance. John Petrucci, as in the guitarist from Dream Theater, is on a renewed ascendancy on my playlist. Heck, I've even noticed a Johnette (as in Napolitano, the singer from Concrete Blonde) lurking about on there.

John Coltrane is kind of a given; I've been listening to Blue Train a lot, though not often on a scrobble-friendly medium. If I really started to dig, I wonder how many exciting, embarrassing, or unexpected Johns I might run into? Mellencamp? Bon Jovi? Adams?

Just goes to show, patterns emerge in the strangest of places. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to use the... um, you know.

I wanna clear my head,
I wanna drink that sun,
I'm gonna love you good and strong
While our love is good and young.
- Get Out the Map


Normally, this "lb4lb" thing is about an album (or two) that particularly moved me in some way. Nothing is as frustrating as buying an entire CD that only has one or two tracks that you really like on it; and few things are as satisfying as finding a collection of songs that flow together and keep you coming back for the whole set.

But THIS time, I want to talk about a "lb4lb" career.

The best thing you've ever done for me
Is to help me take my life less seriously
It's only life, after all.
- Closer to Fine

Folk music doesn't get paid the respect it deserves, partly because folk fans pay it FAR too much respect. It's an art form based on intimacy, and the fandom associated with other genres simply spoils the effect.

Nothing kills the joy of listening to Peter Paul and Mary like hearing someone blather on about the symbolism of Puff The Magic Dragon. (I know it's a work of subtle genius, man, you don't need to explain why!) Nothing makes a noble Woody Guthrie protest song more boring than hearing about how noble and historic it is.

(That's not to say covering folk isn't a great idea. Billy Bragg and Wilco paid a fine tribute to Woody with Mermaid Avenue and Mermaid Avenue Vol. 2; and Bruce Springsteen did Pete Seeger proud with We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions.)

Folk is at its best when it is left alone; a troubadour with an instrument. A guitar, three chords, and the Truth. And a little bit of history.

All the shiny little trinkets of temptation
(make new friends)
Something new instead of something old
(but keep the old)
All you gotta do is scratch beneath the surface
(but remember what is gold)
And it's fools gold
- Power Of Two

They've played with Michael Stipe of R.E.M. They toured with The B-52's bassist, Sara Lee. Stephen King set part of a novel around one of their concerts. They sell out tours around the world.

But, there is no reason on earth why the Indigo Girls should be so damned popular. They don't get airplay. They aren't "pretty". Their songs are arguably "all the same" (unless you're actually listening to them). If you're looking at surfaces, theirs is dusty, and someone has written, "Best Buy is that way" in the dust to help move you on.

Scratch beneath that surface, though... you see denim. You feel the calluses on your fingertips. You might smell some weed smoke. But you'll hear those voices. You'll look up to see two women with guitars, and you will swear they are angels giving you something that will change your life.

My friend tanner she says you know
Me and jesus were of the same heart
The only thing that keeps us distant
Is that I keep fuckin up
- Shame On You

I don't really know many facts about Amy Ray and Emily Saliers; I heard they were Christians, I heard they were lesbians. I heard they used to be a couple, and I heard...

I heard the music.

That's all that matters, in the end. There is nothing I can say as a fan that will matter, or make a difference to you. But if you listen to that music, those words.

It took a long time to
become the thing I am to you.
And you won't tear it apart
without a fight, without a heart.
- Become You

They are tough, honest, beautiful. You won't care about every song on every album; at least, not at first. But they will speak to you, and you will feel something; and it will be like the realization that part of you was asleep. Something you didn't know was hurting will be soothed.

When we get a little distance some things get clearer
Give em the space our hearts grow nearer
I ran as hard as I could and still ended up here
but it's alright
- It's Alright

Been a while since I made it to the library, and with the big 4th of July holiday upon us, I figured I'd see if they had anything new to help me through the elongated weekend.

They did.

There was a lot there to experiment with. In a few cases, they didn't have exactly what I was looking for, though. I wanted to bring home the new Death Cab for Cutie album because my wife and daughter were both obsessed with I Will Possess Your Heart during our vacation. I ended up bringing home Plans. We also heard a track on WTMD by The Decemberists last week, and I hoped to find that. I don't think it's on Picaresque, but we'll see what is there.

Two I picked up out of curiosity: Tom Morello's solo project - calling himself The Nightwatchman - entitled One Man Revolution; and Riot Act, a Pearl Jam album I missed because I was too busy in 2002. I don't expect to be blown away by either of them, since Pearl Jam hasn't been satisfying since releasing Vitalogy, and even though I like elements of both Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave... I harbor the secret opinion that Morello's solos tend to sound like a cat being raped. (I hope he proves me wrong here.)

They had a couple of interesting jazz discs for me. The Essential Charlie Parker and a 2-disc special edition of 'Round About Midnight. Always a sucker for Miles Davis, and I already know I like Bye Bye Blackbird. I also picked up Stanley Jordan's brand new State of Nature, which reinforces his reputation as a phenomenon. Mozart's Piano Concerto #21 stood out on first listen, but the whole disc is great.

Daby Touré's Stereo Spirit caught my eye, too; I'm pretty sure I've heard it before, but because I've also listened to his dad - Ali Farka Touré - I might be wrong.

I've already played the Flight of the Conchords, which is the soundtrack to their HBO show. I laughed me arse off the first time I heard Business Time, and there are some other funny bits on the disc. I also picked up Blame It On Gravity by Old 97's, which is a favorite group of my friend Dave (of One to Hold the Lightbulb fame), and The Very Best of the Grateful Dead. I'm sorry to have to report that while I appreciate the Dead... they bore the crap out of me. (Sorry! Please don't send angry sprigs of weed, colorful teddy bears on spikes, or tie-dyed hemp crafts to protest me!)

Anyway, there's a lot to listen to; think I'll start with Anna Netrebko's Russian album to cleanse my palette. There's nothing that says "Fourth of July" like a dozen Russian soprano arias! :)