I’m not Falling up the Ladder

Bands like The Avett Brothers have shown that folk music doesn’t have to be boring. And we can trace back the resurrection of that upbeat folk rock back to the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack that earned producer T-Bone Burnett multiple Grammy Awards. Even Bruce Springsteen brought plenty of energy to his Seeger Sessions album that covered songs from folk icon Pete Seeger.

With all that in mind, the latest folk album from John Mellencamp is pretty bland considering that other contemporary folk albums of the past decade even with No Better Than This being produced by Burnett. Mellencamp recently said he is done being a rock star, and it sounds is if he purposely decided to have no to little fun on the new album and not even in a dark way like his last album Life, Death, Love and Freedom. No Better Than This is just bland.

The album doesn’t do any justice to the places where Mellencamp recorded the songs. While on his minor league baseball park tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, Mellencamp would take detours to record in places like Sun Studio, the former home of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, and even the Sheraton Gunter Hotel where Robert Johnson recorded some of his legendary tunes.

Mellencamp and Burnett even recorded much like in those landmarks’ heyday on an old Amplex reel-to-reel tape recorder in mono. But it sounds as if he was trying too hard to recreate that fifties feel that he forgot to add some passion because that isn’t exclusive attribute to a folk star. As Mumford & Sons show, you can be passionate about making folk music too.

Song to Download - Each Day of Sorrow

No Better Than This gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

I Want My Music Television vol. XXXI

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? - She & Him



Well that was disturbing. Granted Zooey (half of She & Him, M Ward being the other half) was always the darker Deschanel sister. Creepy videos aside, at least the song is catchy. And if you like the song, I have been given permission to let you, my loyal readers, download the song for free for a limited time. And by I, I mean Border.com, so head over there for the free mp3.


My Sweet Love - John Mellencamp



John Mellencamp made two videos for this song, this being my favorite if only for the replay value and the George Bush cameo. Wait, why is George given the “believe” frame exactly.


Come on Over - Jessica Simpson



So let me get this straight, a bunch of Wisconsin country fans booed Jessica Simpson, born and raised in Texas, for not being country enough. Um, alright. Of course it may have been residual booing from the unwatchable Dukes of Hazard remake (a brunette Daisy Duke is blasphemy). And this song isn’t bad for a country song which, granted, doesn’t mean much.


Hope - Jack Johnson



Like most Jack Johnson videos not involving Ben Stiller, Hope is not that interesting. But it is a great song.

I Walked Like a Hero into the Setting Sun

There is a good reason why Life and Death become Love in Freedom in the title of the new John Mellencamp album; mortality and preparing for life when no longer on this Earth is abound on Life, Death, Love and Freedom. In fact, really the only time he goes on for a while on the subject of Love in is the aptly titled My Sweet Love, a rockabilly style romp. Not surprisingly the lone upbeat and romantic song is the album’s next single.

As for the other word in the title, considering the politically charged album, last year’s Freedom’s Road, Freedom this time is not as represented. The lone political statement comes on Jena, a song and video that hit the internet late last year dealing with the Jena 6 controversy. Half a year later you have to wonder the impact of the song now and if it has done any good. And what’s with calling people “with paper bag skin”? I would say that could be offensive to African American except I’m not entirely sure he was refereeing to them. But paper bags are to dark to describe Caucasian unless it is one of the tan-obsessed kinds. So is Mellencamp blaming George Hamilton for hanging the nooses?

But it is life and death that really takes up Mellencamp’s time on the album. And that seems like a conscious effort to saying he wanted to write about the darkness in his life for this album and try writing sad songs. And sad and dark songs are abound especially with titles like When I Die and Don’t Need This Body. Or when he states in a growl for John Cockers, “There must be 10 million people but I ain’t got no friends.”

The real MVP of Life, Death, Love and Freedom is producer T Bone Burnett, the guy behind the O Brother, Where Art You? Soundtrack and the pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. That pairing could have inspired bringing in a female to duet on My Sweet Love, A Ride Back Home and For the Children. But it is Burnett help shaping the music where is presence is really feel taking the folk of the last album and fleshing it out more giving this album more of an Americana feel, making it sound classic and contemporary at the same time. Over time, and the more they gel together, T Bone Burnett could be to John Mellencamp what Rick Rubin was to Johnny Cash.

It should be noted that this album is the first album to be released in the CODE format. Think CODE as to CD what Blu-Ray is to the DVD. You will need a standard DVD player to play the format, but the CODE version comes bundled with the CD version at no extra cost. The CODE disk can be copied into most computer music software and is iPod compatible. Please note that I didn’t listen to the CODE version for this review. It should also be noted that Mellencamp didn’t license any of these songs to be played ad nausea for a truck commercial. Because this is arrrrrrrre country.

Song to Download - A Ride Back Home

Life, Death, Love, and Freedom gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

2008 Spring Music Preview

The first quarter for music is pretty boring but the past winter saw surprise releases from Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Gnarls Barkley and The Raconteurs that came out without the usual months long hoopla, instead coming out within days of their announcement. Hopefully that trend continues because there isn’t much on the docket for the spring that really piques my interest that much. Wait, apparently the trend has as you can expect an album from Foxboro Hot Tubs (i.e. Green Day’s garage band side project) “any day” now. Here is a list of the albums that at least caught my eye.

If you are interested in preordering the albums from Amazon, the link on the album name will take you their, the links on artists names will take you to their iTunes page. If I left one of your favorite artists off the list with an upcoming album feel free to drop me an e-mail or feel free to wax poetic in the comment section on which albums you are looking forward to. (Note: release dates subject to change):

May 6
Home Before Dark - Neil Diamond: Yet another round of songs from the Diamond created with the help of Rick Rubin. You can preorder Home Before Dark on iTunes and get a bonus preorder-only track.

Gavin DeGraw - Gavin DeGraw: His first album was listenable in an easy listing kind of way. But that was five years ago. DeGraw says the new batch is more rock as evident from the first single, In Love with a Girl. But how rocking can something be when working with Daughty’s producer? You can pre-order Gavin DeGraw on iTunes.

Snack Time - Barenaked Ladies: It has been a while since they have created a great song, but rarely do they put out anything bad.


May 13
Narrow Stairs - Death Cab for Cutie: If the eight minute opus of I Will Possess Your Heart is any indication, the new album will be a big departure from the breakthrough of their last album. You can preorder Narrow Stairs on iTunes and receive a bonus track.

Blame it on Gravity - Old 97’s: Maybe the best band no one outside of Texas has heard of is back for some more southern rock.

Rockferry - Duffy: The latest Bristish import who is like Amy Winehouse without the modern feel, potential drug overdose, or jail time. The more I listen to Mercy, the more I am looking forward to the whole album. You can pre-order Rockferry on iTunes.


May 20
3 Doors Down - 3 Doors Down: Third time wasn’t the charm for the band as Seventeen Days was a huge disappointment. Hopefully they can rebound. You can pre-order 3 Doors Down on iTunes and get a bonus pre-order only track.

Anywhere I Lay My Head - Scarlett Johansson; Julianne Hough - Julianne Hough: Julianne Hough is what I like to refer to as moderately attractive, but I couldn’t make it more than a minute into her video before I had to turn it off. Johansson’s stab at Tom Wait songs do not fair much better. Hopefully the two stick to their day jobs.


May 27
Lay it Down - Al Green: Hopefully ?uestlove of The Roots can do for Green what Rick Rubin was able to do for Johnny Cash. John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae and Anthony Hamilton also guest on the album.

Same Old Man - John Hiatt: Simply one of the best songwriters of the past couple decades.


June 3
Perfectly Clear - Jewel: Her last album bombed now Jewel is trading in her van for a cowboy hat for a country album.

The Glass Passenger - Jack’s Mannequin: Shortly before the first album was released, Andrew McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Natually they were not able to promote the album since he was recieveing cancer treatments so the gem was widly unnoticed. Now that his treatments are over, hopefully the new disk will reach a larger audience.

Rock My World - Bret Michaels: No, seriously, that is the name of his album.


June 10
Seeing Things - Jakob Dylan: The Wallflowers are basically a one album wonder, a decade after that hit; Bob’s son has hooked up with Rick Rubin for a solo album.

Seeing Sounds - N.E.R.D.: When not producing for other people Pharrell William is pretty hit or miss with his solo outings and trio N.E.R.D. You can download the first single Everybody Nose for free over at Spinner.com.

Self Portrait - LaLah Hathaway: All I know is that her dad is named Donnie whom you may know best as the dude that was referenced by Amy Winehouse, “There’s nothing you can teach me that I can’t learn from Mr. Hathaway.”


June 17
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay: There has been nothing more disappointing this decade that X&Y to the point where the album almost sounded like a Coldplay cover band. The band has said to have broadened their musical palette this time around with lead singer Chris Martin, taking a break from singing hooks for rappers, discovering lower register for his vocals this time around. This week only, you can download their first single, Violet Hill on their website, Coldplay.com.


June 24
Weezer - Weezer: Just start calling it The Red Album now to avoid confusion with their two other self titled albums. You can pre-order Weezer on iTunes and receive a pre-order only track and a unique password to purchase Weezer concert ticket on Ticketmaster.com before the general public.


July/August
(Expletive Deleted) - Nas
Life, Death, Love and Freedom - John Mellencamp
Everything Comes and Goes - Michelle Branch
TBA - Ben Folds
TBA - B.B. King
TBA - Ray LaMontagne

We on Award Tour: 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

The Rock and Roll of Fame Induction Ceremony has been, since its inception, one the most reliable entertaining show on the awards calendar. But I think starting with this year it is going to get hit or miss and we will be lucky for two great acts being inducted in the same year. It really wasn’t a good sign that this year was headlined by The Dave Clark Five which would have anyone my age or younger asking, “Who?” Granted John Mellencamp, or even Madonna, deserved a higher billing, but that may just be my age bias. Here are some more thoughts on last night’s ceremony and inductees of which you can see in an edited version on VH1 on a week from Saturday:

- Up first is the songwriting team of Gamble and Huff who make the first of two Elliot Spitzer jokes of the night. Seriously, how does a guy that has busted a few prostitution rings in his day not realize just how he could get caught? But anyways, you may Gamble and Huff from such great songs as Me and Mrs. Jones and If You Don’t Know Me By Now.

- Harmonica player Little Walter is next in and shows just how much my harmonica knowledge goes when I expected the dude from Blues Traveler to show up to pay tribute.

- Only two classic cuts and if there was a year that needed the extra classic cuts, this would be it.

- The Ventures make a rare instrumental induction into the Hall (Booker T and the MG’s are the only other ones off the top of my head). Granted the band is way before my time.

- Leonard Cohen is another odd choice for induction, Songwriter Hall of Fame, definitely, Hallelujah is on of the best songs ever written; Rock Hall, that’s a stretch.

- Ever since she was announced as an inductee, I have been going back and forth on whether she deserved it. Yeah she left a lasting impact on the music industry, but for the most part it wasn’t a good one. And after hearing Justin Timberlake induct her, I fall firmly on that she doesn’t deserve in. But it was almost worth it to hear Iggy Pop perform for her. Just keep in mind that unlike Madonna, Iggy isn’t in himself or with The Stooges.

- Seeing Billy Joel induct John Mellencamp was going back to my ealy childhood as that was basically all I listen to back then, only Bruce Springsteen was missing. And they ended up giving the best speeches of the night. Wished John would have invited someone, anyone onstage with him though.

- And you thought Iggy Pop singing Madonna was weird, Joan Jett doing The Dave Clarke Five was almost as odd a choice. Which then led to the most boring all-star jam I’ve witness. But I guess that will happen when there are not that many stars in attendance.

I Want My Music Television vol. IX

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Jena - John Mellencamp



The song and video from John Mellencamp is an obvious reaction to the mess going on down in Jena, Louisiana (and if you were left scratching your head to it please work in some MSNBC or Newsweek into you life). Yeah what happened down there is an injustice but people are making the Jena 6 look like martyrs. The thing is they should be in jail for what they did. People are looking at the case the wrong way, they shouldn’t be released from jail because the hillbillies that started it are not, it is the hillbillies should be in the next cell over.


Tattoo - Jordin Sparks



Do you ever get the feeling there is a huge joke going on and that no one has let you in on it yet? That is how I feel about American Karaoke and how Jordin Sparks actually won a singing competition (granted not as mind boggling as Taylor Hicks). Was everyone else actually worse than she is or was this some sort of vote for the worst thing? Either way how can people watch such bad singing twice a week for three months?


Teardrops on My Guitar - Taylor Swift



Heard this song by Taylor Swift on the radio this week and thought it was catchy. But I wasn’t surprised to learn that the chick that wrote it when she was like sixteen as it sounds like a sophomore poetry class. You’d think someone along the way would mention that the line, “wishing on a wishing star” was a little repetitive and maybe she should go with, wishing on a shooting star” instead. But since she is underage I would feel a little skeevy mentioning how bad her perm looks in the video. Nor will I mention how much better she looks in the video below. Nope, not gonna do it. I have no desired to run into Chris Hansen anytime soon.

Our Song - Taylor Swift

I Like My Heroes to Be Honest and Strong

Long before Puff Daddy morphed into Diddy with forty name changes in-between, there was Johnny Cougar who is better known today as John Mellencamp. Unlike Puffy, who name changes may be to avoid being associated with his last failure of and album, Mellencamp had to do with shady management and shadier record companies. Throughout the eighties, Mellencamp played second fiddle to Bruce Springsteen when it came for being a voice for the working class and much like The Boss he is still around giving a voice to Middle America.

During the eighties, Mellencamp built his following looking at the underbelly of Reaganomics with anthems like Pink Houses releasing five albums during his presidency. Things have gotten much worse during the Bush era but Mellencamp has been conspicuously absent during the time taking his longest break between records, so there is plenty of material for Mellencamp on his latest album, and first since 2001, Freedom’s Road.

Undoubtedly you have heard the first single from the album and if you watch football I’m sure you are sick of My Country already. Luckily the song it stuck near the end of the album song you are already immersed in it and the song almost sounds fresh again. The rest of the album is much like My Country in that it isn’t overtly political so the songs don’t sound preachy, but if you want to be preached all you have to do is listen closely to the lyrics. Mellencamp saves his most biting commentary for the hidden track Rodeo Clown, but the drunken pool hall sing-a-long may even have the most ardent Bush backers humming along.

That’s not to say the album is even close to perfect, most notably The Americans with it’s overtly simplistic and patriotic lyrics sounds like something that was written by a fifth grader, well or Toby Keith. Aside from The Americans, the rest of Freedom’s Road spends its time giving mention to things that have gone unmentioned for way too long. Ghost Towns Along the Highway deals with the vanishing small towns across the nation. The title track reminds us that sometime people hide behind the word Freedom. Jim Crow, a duet with Joan Baez, is how racism has changed in post 9/11 America. Then Rural Road is a sad story about drugs, abduction, and murder in a small town and how the press deals with it all. Hopefully Mellencamp doesn’t wait as long for his next album as there are only two years left in this administration. Granted there is always Jeb ’08.

Song to Download - Ghost Towns Along the Highway

Freedom’s Road gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.

Record People Are Shady VII: Winter Preview Edition

It was a month ago today when I last posted an album review for Hip Hop Is Dead from Nas, and it will still be a couple of days until I publish my first review of the year with the first album in five years from John Mellencamp, Freedom’s Road sometime next week. As it has been for the last couple years, the record business placed all its eggs in one basket releasing all there big name albums within two months before Christmas while releasing very little in the first quarter of the year. This of course has lead to record lows for record companies including this week where the Dreamgirls Soundtrack broke the record for the least amount sold for a number one album on the Billboard charts with just 66,000 albums sold breaking the low record that is only three years old by Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which was also set in January of that year. And I won’t be surprised if that record is broken next week as there were no big titles released last week.

Of course this is all because the music industry is the worst run industry in America (well, it’s neck and neck with the airlines). All they have to do is look in the past to cure the winter sales blues. Like in January 1992 where Nirvana shot to number one with their debut Nevermind when all the teenagers traded in Michael Jackson’s Dangerous that they got for Christmas for the new band their parents never heard of at the time. But instead, this year in the three Tuesdays since Christmas we have gotten nothing. Luckily things will start to pick up a little nest week with Mellencamp’s album as well a new album from the band that was supposed to change my life (but didn’t), The Shins.

The record sales will get a big boost at the end of the month with the latest from Norah Jones who has already sold 24 million albums in her career. Also out that week will be the debut of karaoke loser Katharine McPhee who will most likely have a decent first week before heading of to obscurity or The Surreal Life house. But while moms across the country will be picking up those two albums all us cool hipsters will be picking up British sensation Lily Allen’s first album, Alright, Still. Here a complete run down of winter releases (dates subject to change):

January 23
Freedom’s Road - John Mellencamp
Wincing the Night Away - The Shins

January 31
Alright, Still - Lily Allen
Never Too Late - Norah Jones
Katherine McPhee - Katherine McPhee
Oh, My Nola - Harry Connick Jr.

February 6
Infidelity on High - Fall Out Boy
Headstrong - Ashley Tisdale (A High School Musical alum)


Nothing really worth mentioning past early February that this set in stone but you also expect albums to be released by spring from Joss Stone, The White Stripes, Maroon 5, Arctic Monkeys, Avril Lavigne, as well as a solo outing from Chris Cornell which I hear will feature a cover of Billie Jean. Oh and Chinese Democracy by Guns n’ Roses is supposedly going to be released March 6th. But don’t expect new albums from marquee names like Dr. Dre, Green Day, Kanye West, and U2 until late 2007. Feel free to drop me a line in the comment section if there is anything I missed that you are looking forward to coming out this winter.

Best of Holiday Music

With Christmas only week away, it’s officially time to break out my mix tape of my favorite holiday songs. I really try to avoid Christmas music more than a week from the holiday because it always seems I get burned out from it if I start listening to it after Thanksgiving, which most department store start to play them. Even today as I listened to my personalized Yahoo radio station (see the link in my sidebar to listen to it yourself) I heard three different versions of The Christmas Song. But anyways. Hear are my favorite holiday tunes that easily fit on a single CD and feel free to leave a comment letting me know some of your favorite holiday tunes:

1. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
2. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – John Mellencamp
3. Run Run Rudolf – Bryan Adams
4. Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer – Harry Connick Jr.
5. Christmas in Hollis – Run-DMC
6. Santa Baby – Keith Murray, Mase, Onyx, Puff Daddy, Reverend Run, Salt-N-Pepa, Snoop Dogg
7. All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
8. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – U2
9. Merry Christmas Baby – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
10. Let it Snow – Harry Connick Jr.
11. The Christmas Song – Hootie and the Blowfish
12. Children Go Where I Send Thee – Natalie Merchant
13. Little Drummer Boy – Bob Seger
14. Silent Night – Stevie Nicks
15. O Holy Night – Tracy Chapman
16. Winter Wonderland – Eurythmics
17. I Saw Three Ships – Sting
18. Christmastime – Smashing Pumpkins
19. The Christmas Song – Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds
20. Christmas – Blues Traveler
21. The Chanukah Song – Adam Sandler

Rockin' in the Free World

The NY Times reported the other day about the songs that George W. Bush has on his iPod. Since the article, White House Letter: President Bush's iPod (free sign up required), said he still has a lot of space left, I thought I would be nice enough to give him some suggestions he might want to add taken from my own personal iPod:

This Land Is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
Blowin' in the Wind - Bob Dylan
The Times They Are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan
People Get Ready - The Impressions
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
America - Simon & Garfunkel
Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
Politician - Cream
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Star Spangled Banner - Jimi Hendrix
Wild World - Cat Stevens a.k.a. Yusuf Islam
American Pie - Don McLean
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye
Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye
Get Up, Stand Up - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder
I Shot the Sheriff - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Living for the City - Stevie Wonder
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Pastime Paradise - Stevie Wonder
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding - Elvis Costello
I Fought the Law - The Clash
Redemption Song - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Allentown - Billy Joel
Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel
The Message - Grandmaster Flash
Rock the Casbah - The Clash
Authority Song - John Cougar Mellencamp
Buffalo Soldier - Bob Marley & The Wailers
Pink Houses - John Cougar Mellencamp
Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
Pride (In the Name of Love) - U2
Small Town - John Mellencamp
Living in America - James Brown
The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & The Range
Have a Little Faith in Me - John Hiatt
It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) - R.E.M.
Sign 'O' the Times - Prince
Cult of Personality - Living Colour
Fight the Power - Public Enemy
F*** tha Police - N.W.A.
Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young
Running on Faith - Eric Clapton
We Didn't Start the Fire - Billy Joel
By the Time I Get to Arizona - Public Enemy
Can't Truss It - Public Enemy
Lies - EMF
Losing My Religion - R.E.M.
Money Don't Matter 2 Night - Prince & The New Power Generation
New Jack Hustler - Ice-T
Sometimes I Rhyme Slow - Nice & Smooth
Freedom - Rage Against the Machine
Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine
Rooster - Alice in Chains
Steve Biko (Stir It Up) - A Tribe Called Quest
Bad Reputation - Freedy Johnston
Sabotage - Beastie Boys
The Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen
Bulls on Parade - Rage Against the Machine
If God Will Send His Angels - U2
Sleep Now in the Fire - Rage Against the Machine
Testify - Rage Against the Machine
B.O.B. (Bombs Over Bagdad) - OutKast
No More Drama - Mary J. Blige
Politik - Coldplay
Son of a Bush - Public Enemy
The Horizon Has Been Defeated - Jack Johnson
Where Is the Love? - Black Eyed Peas
Bad Day - R.E.M.
Cinnamon Girl - Prince
Jesus Walks - Kanye West
Megalomaniac - Incubus
MKLVFKWR - Public Enemy & Moby
Mosh - Eminem
Right Right Now Now - Beastie Boys
Time to Build - Beastie Boys
American Idiot - Green Day
When the President Talks to God - Bright Eyes

Did I miss anything?