Friday Night Music

With the change of the seasons come the change of our music format.  Or at least this time.  Instead of cranking up the stereo and playing everything loud, we went unplugged.  We didn't shake the house last night, but it was a rumbling good time had by all.

  Music night started out with a girl and her guitar and her man singing.  We had started playing together over the weekend and found out that we enjoyed playing together.  We started the evening with a Ryan Bingham tune "Hard Times" and I think this one is a keeper.  With Tim on the vocals doing a Dylan-style melody the followers the Looney's may find it entertaining.  However, having said that don't be mislead that we'll be fashioning any open mic soiree anytime soon.  Practice must come first.  After all we aren't just ammee's here.  

   Next on the set list, a stunning rendition of Moonshiner.  Or was it strumming?  This one gets the fingers fumbling and without being repetitive, with one word I can sum this up-practice.

   "Tear Stained Eyes"-Son Volt  what a great song.    It is one of those tunes that you can easily sing along with especially the chorus.  It feels simple but it is quite complex which makes it a brilliant piece of Americana.  Don't fall off your chairs but we added some harmonies to this one.  Another keeper for the Looney's.  The capo really helps on this one-Thank You Jeff Schmidt.  You rock.

   "Passenger Side"-Wilco.  God I love this song.  Yeah, we got some issues with the beat but it will come together.  It is fun to play and sing along with.  Another smart writer, a simple song that is complex.  Where do these guys get that I wonder? :)  

   Now the voice is going and the fingers are starting to not work as well.  Time for some easier strumming and we're getting ready to close the joint down.  Grab that dance partner and start your little jig to "New Madrid"-Uncle Tupelo.  A great little ditty-it's a keeper.

  And  ending our session, a fun song to play and sing along to, "Wagon Wheel" -Old Crow Medicine Show.  Now somewhere I had heard that Bob Dylan wrote that song.  Guess I should research it before posting but that would require work and time, so for the moment I will CYA with, we were performing OCMS rendition of said song.  It's a great song.  

   Next on the FNMN show we viewed on DVD the 100s from Java House.  Performing back in January for IPTV Radio, it was a great performance.  Unplugged but not undone.  I love these guys.  Great songs, simple but highly complicated.  Similar to those other guys we mentioned above.  Do you see the attraction?  I don't know if you can buy this, but I believe every now and again, the cable channel in Iowa City shows these past performances.  It was a great show-Vern McShane rocking the place on the pedal steel.  I especially loved the bass solo on the "Picture" song.  The only thing about that gig that I disliked was the small room and crowded stage.  Not anyone's fault, it just was tight.  Great night of music folks.  If you have never heard any of these tunes before look them up on google. It is worth the little bit of effort to find them.

Peace,

Ang

   

  

Friday Night Music Night: Back on the Air

After taking some needed creative time, Friday Night Music is back. Thanks in part to sister Jill for her awesome Christmas present. And another thanks to boss Bob Burns and his CD at work. I'll explain how those two brought us here.
As I was driving to work Friday, I like to jam out. So I looked in my CD lunch bucket case and pulled out a CD Jill made for me for Christmas. Remember those days of "Mixed" tapes? Yes, this was one of those. I remember the other one she gave me and with a slight hesitation I put it in, fearing the worst. (That's another story for a different day.) Heard some great tunes including a Kinks cut. So I wrote to Looney and told him about it and he wrote me back about going to a Kinks concert and the opening act blew him away-Cheap Trick. Well, Bob had a Best of Cheap Trick on his desk several weeks ago and I asked him if I could take it home and listen to it. So Tim had finished burning it that day and when we got home, there was the Cheap Trick CD. So there is the back story now here is how the night started.
Goth girl was looking great and I wanted her to listen to a Pat Benetar song that I thought Adam Lambert should have performed on Idol when doing songs from the 80's. "Hit me with your best shot." So we jammed to that, she knew the words and danced around the basement and air guitared the solos....Looney still has it. Next cut, and Goth girl was so excited...."Carry On My Way Word Son -Kansas....so turn the dial up some more! It was great. The three of us carrying on and such. Next cut (this is off the CD Jill had made it remember?) "Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth. Oh, the great times of high school that song is. Goth girl doesn't know it, asks what's this? and leaves. That means she will check it out later without the parental units watching. Meanwhile, we dig it. Next cut is the Kinks-"Captain America" which cut then leads us to Cheap Trick. Following us now? So we listen to a cut that has Chrissie Hynde "walk Away" which I had never heard before. I had wanted to hear some Pretenders stuff so this was a nice treat. Loon says the Pretenders have a country album out so we really need to check that out. After hearing "She's Tight" "Southern Girls" "If you want my Love" and "Dream Police" we moved on to a band that maybe listened to RUSH......The Police. Great times we listened by all. Played "Answering Machine" by the Replacements, who must have influenced Uncle Tupelo because I hear so many nuances in Jeff Tweedy's music. I hope he is ok with this. I think Paul Westerberg is a genius. Drugs and alcohol is the downfall of a lesser man no doubt. Paul is still doing so stuff out there so look him up readers. I will do more research and see what I find out and post at a later time.
Played "seven Chinese Brothers" -REM. We had a nice discussion about REM. I told Tim I liked them when they were a college band, before they hit it big. He said he thought they were a bit pretenses and too artsy fartsy....my words not his.
I think (a couple of beers and a nice glass of scotch tend to fog up the later part of the night) we ended on the Police's Message in a Bottle-but I can't remember. Oh wait we spun a U2 song (Tim picked-can't remember the name....oh the edge sorry. Wait, Tim is looking it up...."The Fly" off Achtung Baby. And I think I ended it with Sinead O'Connor-"I don't want what I haven't got."
A great night of some of the finer music of the late 70s and mid-80s and into very early 90s. Tune in for updates on our picks.

FUNKY Friday Night Music Night?

What I really wanted was some great 80's rock music but what turned out was a lot of funky tunes from that decade.

I wish we had a turntable, and I know the Loon does too.  But with his nose recovering from surgery there was no way it was going to get hooked up.  So this is what happened.

I put on Talking Heads, "NAKED" cd.  Why did I buy this 20 years ago?  Beats me.  I looked for the "hit" and couldn't find it.  Damn.  I know I used to crank this mother as loud as possible, but with my memory so to is it....gone.

Living Color-again, another problem with too much funk and not enough rock.  Gone, with my memory.  So at this point I am not impressing Loon.

He puts on Nels Lofgren....Primus and Rush.  Ok.  Pretty good actually.

And we played a couple of cuts off the Outfield, 1985.  Now, we are talking about great 80s rock.

So we put in an Eric Johnson DVD-killer.  That guy is one of the greatest guitar players I have ever watched.  Watched Alejandro and Alice in Chains.  So, we went from some why did we ever listen to this music to finish it off with great stuff.  To sum it up, sometimes the funk leads us to ...fill in the blank readers!

Friday Night Music

Fans, followers, readers, and yes, family.  Well, probably only "family" actually read this but I wanted to let everyone know that I have received a list of "plays" for our Friday Night Music Night.  Let me say, it is a pretty good rundown of stuff we should take a listen to.  

Here are a couple of examples:  Alice Cooper.  The Beatles.  And we have had both of these groups on the show.  Love it to Death and Abbey Road.  Two great albums with a plethora of classic rock songs that helped shape my musical life.

What's on tonight?  Darned if I know.  I wish we had some way of getting our LP's into rotation but right now with "Mr. Nose out of Joint" music man not a lot of reorganizing and repositioning is getting done.  I'm sure all would understand.  Being on codeine and BV and trying to move the plasma around is not a good mix.  You may remember what happened last year when we rearranged our living room/TV viewing room.  That required a new TV-thus the Plasma.  So, we'll not get the turn table hooked up for tonight's show.  We'll just wait and see what happens....maybe our dear Brother-guy we've looked up to our whole life (or since we've known him) and his lovely wife Jules will come out to the Looney Farm and surprise us!  

Keep reading and we'll let you know what happens......

'til Saturday

Ang

The 100s-"(Just Call Me) Slow"

Friday Night Music Nights

Readers:

   With our new dogs, we have been extra busy!  We need help from you dear readers.  Send us some suggestions on what you would like for us to listen to on our Friday Night Music night.  Please indicate the album/DVD/CD the song is from because we may have to track it down on the internet if we don't have it available.  

   Remember, we like good music and LOUD on friday night music nights.

Take care and Rock on.

Guitar God Wannabe....

Ang

Friday Night Music Night

4/10/09
What a great way to kick off the weekend then to crank out the tunes. This week's repertoire inspired by Angie's guitar lessons, was a look back at some of the greatest songs written and performed from the 1950's and 1960's with a pinch of a modern day band.
Here's the list: Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young-Name of Love(This is what inspired us to take a look back at the early stuff. This album (American Dream) came out in 1988.
The Association-"Requiem for the Masses" & "Enter the Young" (These came off the album Greatest Hits which both Tim and Angie had the LP when they were kids.
Simon & Garfunkel-"Cecilia" & "The Boxer" again, both off the Greatest Hits LP.
The Beach Boys-"Darlin'" & "Don't Worry, Baby" again, off Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
The Hollies-"King Midas in Reverse" & "Bus Stop" again, off a Greatest Hits CD.
Buddy Holly-"Rave On" off The Original Master Tapes. (Talented & gifted musician, tragic loss)
The Monkees-"Love is ONly Sleeping" 1967 off the Looney Tunz The Monkee Collection CD. (Mike Nesmith sings, awesome.) & "Your Auntie Grizelda" 1967-Weirdly wild.
The Byrds-"From a Distance" & "Eight Miles High" -again off the 20 essential tracks From the Boxed Set 1965-1990.
The Mamas & the Papas-"California Dreamin'" from the Forrest Gump Soundtrack. (Reminds Angie of the Variety Show in high school when Becky Griffin and her performed this song dressed in "hippie garb" and nailed it.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band-"Will the Circle Be Unbroken" & "House of Pooh" again off Greatest Hits CD.
Hank Williams-"Jambalya (On the Banyou) again 20 of Hank's Greatest Hits CD.
The Derailers-"Then She Kissed Me" Produced in 1999, it's the most modern produced CD of the night, but you would think you were back in time. Excellent band, fun and great to dance in your basement.
Lefty Fritzell-"If You got the Money I've Got the Time" 1950. The Legends Of Country Vol. 1 Looney Tunz.
Carl Perkins-"Honey Don't" 1954. The Legends of Country Vol. 1 Looney Tunz.

Friday Night Music Night

We had an abbreviated Friday night music night because of the daughter's high school play. So here is what we chose to watch AFTER the play.

RUSH in RIO.
DVD-2003

So it turns out I am a HUGE fan of RUSH and didn't know it most of my adult life. Today I am a huge fan of RUSH and knew it from the instant. How can this possible be? RUSH is like the classical of rock and roll music. With movements of musical masterpieces, it is up to each individual listener to take away the notes, the tones, the tempo, the rhythm and make a decision for themselves.
Imagine over 40 thousand fans, 50 thousand fans, 60, 70 and 80 thousand fans, jumping up and down with their hands clapping into the air, singing at the top of the lungs to the songs they know and love. This is what RUSH in RIO is all about. These fans are Brazilians. And they know the words to Tom Sawyer, New World Man, Roll the Bones, Limelight, 2112. You get the idea. Amazing is all I can say every time I watch this DVD. There is no mosh pit. The fans were getting into their music, singing along, jamming and experiencing the RUSH experience. What a great show. What an amazing DVD. If you have not seen this, it is well worth your time.
And how do you follow up RUSH?
You don't.
Like I said, it was a late Friday Night Music Night and when the first artists you start with is with some of the best, most talented musicians the world has heard, you call it a night. Goodnight!

MUSIC NIGHT IS BACKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!

FRIDAY NIGHT
It's back....music night. Now that Angie is working regular normal business hours Tim and her will enjoy some music cranked up on Friday night. Are you wondering what is on tap for tonight? Well here's what Angie has piled up.....

Now you know the way it works...Angie first then Tim...or if Tim is in a bad mood Tim goes first.....if I pick a song and another Tim picks one song then another....we always try to out do one another. Now, I am not sure if we'll get thru this list tonight but here's the sneak peak at what is on Angie's list....ssshhh.....don't let Tim know ahead of time. Comments?

REM-Murmur
Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet...Bela Fleck-Casey Driessen-Ben Sollee
Patti Smith Group-Radio Ethiopia
King's X-Gretchen Goes to Nebraska-"summerland"
Michael Monroe-Not Fakin' It-"Dead, Jail, or Rock n Roll"
Led Zepplin-Bringin it on Home

Tim's Picks..from what I remember....
RUSH-"By-Tor and the Snow Dog"
FIGHTER-(Bill Heller is an awesome guitar player)

Latest Musical Influences

We know we all have been influenced by bands, musicians, poets and teachers when we were young. But who is the latest person to have influenced you musically?
Here's my list: the 100s-Hubby's band but they have influenced and continually support my goal of playing guitar.
Alejandro Escovedo-This guy has been around a long time and has been through a lot. He writes great music and puts on a heck of a performance even if there were only 20 people at the bar. He is a great musician and just to be able to hear him and see him was amazing, a life changing moment.

Tell us who influences you. Share and compare. My list is short because there are so many bands that I can't list them all right now.

Angie's Favorite Band that she has never seen LIVE but heard

Voyager circa 1979

Music You've Been Listening to Lately

Who have you been listening to readers? Which artist is in your Ipod? Or if you are like me in an old fashioned CD player in the car. Can't believe after a mere 20 years, the CD player is a thing of the past. Doesn't it make you long for the days of 8-track's? I hear there is a vinyl comeback. Loon, quick! Get that turntable out so we can spin a few discs. We've ton of THAT music.
Ok.....so here is my list.
Alejandro Escoveda
Blue Mountain-Mixed
the100s-Not yet released CD
Robert Randolph

Viewer's Response.....
Seether. We went to a Seether concert at the Dubuque fairgrounds. With new friend Beth. And her buddy Ron.

Heard 8 bands at the Conesville rally last weekend. Woo hoo!

Playing my acoustic guitar.

Listening to ABBA lately, believe it or not.

Michele Branch.

Deep Purple.

Rush.

New Comedy Series

A new series is coming to IFC (Independent Film Channel):
"Z Rock"


Based on a real-life band from Brooklyn, it is the story of brothers Paul and David Zablidowsky and their good friend Joey Cassata, who play in the metal band "Z02", which has opened for Kiss.
However, to make ends meet, they also perform at children's birthday parties and bar mitzvahs as "The Z Brothers".

From the press release:

In the show the band members play fictionalized versions of themselves, exaggerating their actual experiences — including a pitched rivalry with other New York-based children's musicians — pursuing the recording contract that long eluded them.

Like the dialogue in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "This Is Spinal Tap," much of that in "Z Rock" is improvised, though with the players working off highly detailed outlines. Most of the situations in which their characters are placed by the show's writers and producers — who include Mark Farrell, a former producer of "Curb" — are adapted from tales the band told in hours spent sitting around a table.

For a supporting cast the producers surrounded the musicians with stand-up comedians and improv players, including Lynne Koplitz (who plays the band's dedicated if addled manager, Dina); Greg Giraldo (as a powerful record producer, who delivers an endlessly profane reprimand to Paulie Z after the band is late for his son's birthday party); and Jay Oakerson (as a club manager who repeatedly propositions Paulie, who is straight).

Among the many musicians playing fictionalized versions of themselves in cameos are John Popper of Blues Traveler (who agrees to sign the Z Brothers, not ZO2, to a recording contract, but only after Dina sleeps with him); Dee Snider of Twisted Sister; and Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors. Joan Rivers plays Joan Rivers, but reimagined as Dina's aunt.

"It seems on the show like we're reckless, but we're not in real life," Mr. Cassata said. "We never put the ZO2 career in jeopardy. That stuff is definitely artistic license."

"Z Rock" premieres this Sunday night, Aug. 24 at 11:30 p.m. ET.

What's YOUR Name?

Readers. Now is your chance for some inter-active fun. Just follow the directions . You know, if it says to name your pet rock....Loon is BLUE and ANGIE is pink. I thought that would be easy to distinguish. Added is one of our FAVORITE READERS...FRANKIE! She's in orange. Pinky Brewster is PINK.
1.. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)Pandy Ranger
Scooter Pilot
Cthulu Windstar
Lily Lumania
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)Vanilla Chocolate Chip
Cold Chewy
New York Fudge Snickerdoodle
Cookie Dough Peanut Butter
3. YOUR "FLY Guy/Girl" NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)T-Loo
A-Loo
F-Sto
D-Cla
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)Detective Black Dog
Detective Black Cat
Detective Purple Owl
Detective Pink Panda
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)Michael Solon (that sounds like a porn name LOON!)
Janine Sigourney
Diane St Luke
Rayn Austin
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
LooTi
LooAn
StoFr
Cla-Da
7. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The" + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)The Red Whiskey
The Purple Coffee
The Orange Cola
The Light Purple Gatorade
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)Deyo
Ham Herbert
Posey Deyo
Sam Les
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)Drakkar M&M
Obsession Free
Cabotine Snickers
Paris Hilton Starburst
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother's & father's middle names )Phelan S.
Leslie Sue
Edith Smith
Janine Reinhard
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher's last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)Fiala Fresno
Heyer Houston
Casady Chicago
Higgins Helena
12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)Fall Morning Glory
Halloween Bleeding Heart
Autumn Hollyhock
Christmas Lily
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you're wearing right now + "ie" or "y")Banana Shorty
Apple Pantie
Pear Crocky
Peach Capri-ie
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)Coffee Cottonwood
Granola Oak
Soy Maple
Cereal Christmas Tree
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: ("The" + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + "Tour")The Drums Raining Tour
The Guitar Thunderstorm Tour
The Sudoku Storm Tour
The Volleyball Snow Tour
GIVE IT A SWIRL AND TELL US YOUR NEW NAMES! I will add your new names to our list if you send them in to us.

Childhood Musical Influence

Here is an artist that was played in our house frequently as I was growing up that I will never forget:

Oh yeah!

Name Your Top 5 Music Inspirations

Here's Your Chance Readers!
Name your top 5 music artists that inspired you. Music that made you turn the corner on your life journey. Music that set you in motion.
Share with us why you choose said artists.
Don't you just love LISTS!

Angie's List
1. The Beatles
(Without the Beatles, I would have been listening to Cher over and over.)
2. Fleetwood Mac
(Spending hours and hours listening to their music, playing their music on the piano, and NOW learning the music while strumming the guitar, it is ageless to me and still awesome. Plus, Lindsey Buckingham is one of the greatest guitarist I have ever seen both in person and heard on a record!)
3. Metallica
(These guys brought the big hair of the 80's and early 90's back to the reality of what it is, metal. Head banging and heart pounding, ravaging metal. )
4. Queen
(Long time my favorite band, as a teenager and as an adult. Yes, I did take some Queen time off when I thought they went too POP. However, before Freddie died, got back into them with Innuendo and was back in. That was what 17 years ago? Now, Queen is often played every Friday night as part of Loon and my Friday Night Music Night play list. As a guitar player,now I am listening closely to the guitar parts and I am totally amazed by Brian May. Love him. He also is one of the greatest guitar players ever.)
5. The Replacements
This band was one of my FAV band's during college, early professional career. They never sold out, just dropped out. And now, I am finding out that some of my favorite music today (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Wilco, The 100s) may have been influenced either directly or indirectly because of this Minneapolis based band. How cool is that? Totally:)
And the final band....(Yeah, I can count but it is my BLOG and I can do whatever the hell I want......plus I live with this man and you guys don't so you know what you can do if you don't agree with me.....F**k off! :)
6. The 100s
(Without these guys, I may not be sitting here in the living room writing this review. And I certainly wouldn't be a guitar player. They have totally inspired me in all aspects of my life. That drummer is so CUTE.)

Our Weekend Movie Review

Manic-A white knuckled, emotional rollercoaster ride. If you have ever thought of harming yourself, you NEED to watch this film. It's a great look into the mental institute and gives valuable insight into the mind of those people whom you may not understand. Watch the careers of the young actors, they gave intense performances.
The Wind in the Barley-Another intense film, this time 1920's Ireland. Authentic costumes, scenery, mannerisms, lanuage, a great look at what it was like during that particular turbulent time in Ireland's history.
Picnic at Hanging Rock-An Australian film adapted from a novel. What really got me is there wasn't the resolution in the film I needed. Quite frankly, I was very disappointed. Set during victorian times in Australia, lots of sexual undertones. Loon and I were again predicting what the next line would be. Kudos to the Loon, he won that round. Maybe the resolution would be in the novel?
Ed TV-Yeah, I liked this one. Directed by Ron Howard so right there you know it will be cute and funny. Ellen DeGeneres was great. She should have her own TV show:) If you need an uplifting funny comedy this is one to put in the machine. Matthew McCaughney and Jenna Elfman were cute together. Woody Harrelson plays Mac's brother. Would love to see those to in a Natural Born Killers sequel titled, "the Brothers" could be interesting.
Best in Show-This was a great funny comedic mock documentary. Written off kilter so to speak. Loved the characters and the dogs. Parker Posey played a great annoying dog owner. She is my least favorite actress by the way. Fred Willard, he was great an the play by play announcer a t the dog show. And Eugene Levy as the husband of Catherine O'Hara. The dog owner with a past of hundreds of lovers. Great film, worth the laughs.
Almost Famous-A great film about a young budding rock journalist following around the band on a tour. Stillwater is the band. Kate Hudson is the band date who the young journalist falls in love with. Great scenes. Good music. Set in 1973, I was a little young but I remember going to parties similiar to what the band was at. Especially the Topeka, Kansas party. Loved the guys in the band, loved the band dates, there is a purpose-to appreciate the music. If you ever wanted to be in a touring band, this is a must see film.

The 100s at Hoover Fest

What a great day for an outdoor gig! The 100s really rocked out the HooverFest this year. Blow the doors right off. Oh, wait there weren't any doors because it was outdoors.
Keep posted to our blog as we (Tim and myself) will be posting on YouTube several of the songs the guys played yesterday. Not only did the guys sound great, they looked great too. Fun was had by all. The dancers were there, for every song swaying to the sound of the guitar....the family was there cheering on their favorite musician and tons and tons of new fans stopped by to check out the scene. Stay tuned, a detailed report will be filed. Now, time to get moving. Literally.

Beatles' Tape Found In Attic

A reel-to-reel tape of a Beatles recording was found by a man in Liverpool who was cleaning out his father’s attic. (See? Clutter can be good!)

The tape is roughly 30 minutes in length, and contains early recordings of “I Feel Fine” and “I’m A Loser”. The boys can be heard bursting into laughter during a take of “I’ll Follow the Sun”. The tape also contains the only known recording of the un-released “Don’t Put Me Down Like This”.

The tape should easily sell for $25,000 or more.

Sort of makes you want to look in your own attic, eh?

the 100s

Just a little inside news from what I have heard of the band's upcoming record. Oh, sorry I can't release that information or I'll really get kicked out of the band!!!!
From their show in Waubeek, you could hear some of their new songs. The guys have taken the next step in song writing. Oh, how cliche that must sound, but it is true.
Don't miss their upcoming show at the Hoover Fest, in West Branch, Iowa on August 2. Did I mention you should hear their new stuff?
Oh, and did you hear the 100s on "Down on the Corner" on KUNI radio last night? Great job KUNI and Bob Dorr. You rock Bob Dorr. http://www.kuniradio.org/ That Jeff Schmidt, not only is he a great guitarist/song-writer, he's a hard-hitting news producer. Way to go Jeff!