First Weekend of Autumn Playlist

Saturday evening. First weekend of Autumn. We made it through the hot Summer. Brisk evening air outside. Though I don't think it recognizes the change in seasons the iPod is offering up .....

• A.A. Bondy - American Hearts ..... Acoustic guitar and harmonica. 1960's Dylanesque.
• John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - I'm Your Witchdoctor
• James McMurtry - 60 Acres
• Richard Shindell - Merritt Parkway 2 AM .... Rare Shindell instrumental. No vocals. Maybe the only one.
• Steve Earle - Sara's Angel ..... Another instrumental. I didn't know that the iPod could detect no vocals. Or else it's an incredible coincidence.
• Jeff Black - These Days .... NOT a cover of the Jackson Browne song. 
• Nick Drake - From the Morning ..... I was looking at some Elliott Smith records this afternoon in the record store. Two singer/songwriter types who ended their lives. 
• Jackson Browne - Ready Or Not .... Bootleg version from 2004. Accompanied by piano only. "Take a look in my eyes and tell me brother if I look like I'm ready." One of my favorite lines. 
• Big Country - Fields of Fire & We're Not in Kansas
• Peter Mulvey - Bright Idea
• James Keelaghan - River Run
• Peter Gabriel - Family Snapshot
• Josh Joplin Group - Fire .... A hint within the music and lyrics of something from long ago. Possibly a place. Not sure though.
• JJ Grey & Mofro - On Palastine
• Wendy Waldman - When I Rode Next to You .... Memories of a Winter night long ago in the College Inn at OSU, listening to "The Wind In New York City." 
• Tim Buckley - Morning Glory .... That 1960's folk song feel that I love. Phil Ochs, Steve Noonan to name a few others.
• The Subdudes - Brightest Star
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Southern Accents

Monday Evening Playlist

As if I ever needed a reason to fire up my iPod, slip on my headphones and manufacture a random playlist, the fact that it's a Monday evening seems entirely appropriate.

• Todd Rundgren - I Saw The Light .... One of my college roommates for a short while was a huge fan. I got to listen to all kinds of sounds from Todd Rundgren while he was subjected to my Jackson Browne and Neil Young records.
• Vega4 - Life Is Beautiful .... From one of those Paste Magazine sampler discs.
• Depeche Mode - Precious .... There was a time not all that long ago when I would have never admitted to listening to Depeche Mode. I've broadened my horizons since then. You can't deny the beat in this song. Had to play it twice!!
• Rodney Crowell - Beautiful Despair .... There's some small element of this song that's reminding me of Strawberry Fields era Beatles. Maybe the cello?
• Damien Jurado - Bad Dreams
• Little Feat - Roll Um Easy .... For my old friend, Mitch. Rest in peace.
• Freedy Johnston - No Violins
• The Kinks - Tired Of Waiting For You .... For some odd reason, I never associate this song with The Kinks.
• Brownie McGhee - My Baby's Leavin' .... Feels like sitting on your front porch while the friends and neighbors gather around. Guitar, harmonica, singing, hooting and foot stomping. 
• Bob Dylan - Shelter From The Storm .... I was a Freshman in college when the album, Blood On The Tracks came out. Guy across the hallway in Sackett Hall dormitory playing it with the volume way up. That's always my first memory of this album. 
• The Mynabirds - Numbers Don't Lie
• John Hiatt - Hold On For Your Love

Stuff Like That There

A new Yo La Tengo album. Always welcome sounds. Some cover versions, re-workings of past songs and a few new tunes.

Yo La Tengo can sound alternatingly hip, cool and modern Indie Rock and also as if they are from the 1960's. Or all-of-the-above at the same time.

They can take well known songs and if you failed to recognize the lyrics, you would never know that it was a cover version.

Formerly a trio, they've added a fourth member on this recording ..... an additional guitarist.

NPR Album Review

Massachusetts Daily Collegian Review

Friday Night Playlist

Celebrating two actual days away from work with an iPod playlist. Scrolling through many songs, stopping on some for a moment, playing a few seconds and quickly moving on. These are the ones where I chose to stay and listen a little longer.

• The Outsiders - Time Won't Let Me .... Flashing back to the 60's. It's cliche but it almost seems like yesterday. Staying up late at night, listening to the radio. 
• The Ozark Mountain Daredevils - If You Want to Get to Heaven .... Flashing back to the 70's. Playing a little air harmonica!
• Pat Metheny Group - Slip Away
• Patty Griffin - Tony .... Powerful message about teen suicide. Causes me to wonder who I may have crossed paths with in the past who may have been silently struggling with suicidal thoughts and if unknowingly did or said anything that contributed in any small way to a decision made that either helped or worsened with what the person might have been struggling with?
• Pierce Pettis - Envelopes of Light .... "When he's down so dark, she mails him little envelopes of light."
• R.E.M. - The Outsiders & All The Way to Reno
• Seals & Crofts - Summer Breeze .... Amazing the faces that flash by when playing something from your teenage years and for a few nostalgic and heartaching moments, you are 18 again. And I've probably forgotten more than I'll ever remember about those years. It would be nice if for just a few hours a year, you could go back.
• Steve Noonan - Leaning Back and Laughing .... Either Steve Noonan reminds me of Phil Ochs or vice versa. 
• Teddy Thompson - I Should Get Up
• Terry Tufts - Dirty Little War