Here's a winner in the "perfect dinner music" category I found in a thrift store in Duluth, Minnesota last week. Its from Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, who got hitched back in 1973, the same year they released their first album Full Moon which was not surprisingly, a set of love songs. Listening to the first side, Heather asked if it was a KD Lang record, as the two singers have nearly identical voices and styles at times.

Though quite familiar with Kristofferson's work, I knew very little about Rita Coolidge, other than her "Summer Jamz" style hit "Your Love is Lifting me Higher".
Before her marriage to Kristofferson, Coolidge had romantic liaisons with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash; her leaving Stills for Nash has been cited as a contributing factor behind Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's initial breakup in 1970. She began her career as a backing vocalist for artists such as Delaney & Bonnie, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, and Leon Russell before becoming a successful solo artist.

The album became a number one country hit. Today's track was The album’s second single, a cover of Tom Jans’ “Loving Arms,” and it made the pop, country, and easy listening charts, while earning the couple a grammy nomination.

Loving Arms

David Berthy Posts

I’ve really fallen in love with these songs by French singer Dominique A from the album L’horizon. I find them especially moving while I’m working, though I suppose they’d be just as good at the end of the day or riding a train at night. Still, the leanness of the songs generates a spectral beauty I find particularly appealing while I’m writing.

Dominique A

Jon Singer Posts

My kids are huge fans of the Swiss claymation cartoon Pingu. The program, about Penguins, is set in Antarctica where the Penguin families all live in igloos. What has made this show such an International success is the absence of human language. The dialogue between characters is a honking high-pitched penguin squawk that allows children of different linguistic backgrounds to follow the story, laughing outrageously along the way.



I've been listening to Heroic Doses' self titled debut quite a bit as of late and I can't help but notice the similarities between Bill Dolan's utterly unique, jaw dropping guitar shredding and the call and response banter between Pingu and his cohorts. On this Heroic Doses track I always imagine a claymation music video with Pingu cavorting away in his frozen tundra while an impish little Bill Dolan teeters out if his igloo blasting away on a Gibson SG.

Heroic Doses

The stage at the Thirsty Pagan, Superior, WI

It was raining sideways as Heather and I rolled into the mini-twin cities of Superior, WI, and Duluth, MN. Looking for a respite from the rain, we turned off the main road to see what we could find. We soon happened upon the Thirsty Pagan Brewery, a promising name on a promising looking building with vintage signs and historic warehouse architecture. We made ourselves at home, ordered a couple of pints of Gitchigummi Gold and played a few hands of Rummy. As the afternoon became evening a band came in to set up and with the rain persisting, we decided to give them a listen. We felt instantly at home when the opening strums and harmonica wails of "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" reached our ears, here just a few miles from Bob Dylan's home town of Hibbing Minnesota. It didn't hurt that the harmonica/guitar player vocalist had a voice like Townes Van Zandt either. We stuck around and were later befriended by the drummer, a Chicago Native (45th and Western), who soon insisted that we join them for a couple of numbers, which we were happy to do. The evening was one of those rare stream-of-consciousness moments that make road trips such a joy.

After returning home, I took out Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited, and have been listening to it all weekend. From the opening snare hit of "Like A rolling Stone" the album hits you like a blast of fresh North Woods air. Its astounding that this album, Bringing it All Back Home, and the double LP Blonde on Blonde were all released in an 18 month period.

It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry

I'm off to the great North Woods for a spell, so I leave you with Wisconsin son and legendary guitar man Les Paul, who passed away today at the age of 94. Mary Ford joins him here on the track "That Old Feeling". See you back here on August 24.

That Old Feeling

David Berthy Posts

Today I thought I'd share the sweet soul sounds of Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose. Like a lot of soul classics, I recognized these songs from a childhood spent in cars with dials glued to oldies stations, but I haven't really listened to them with any attention until recently. This sound strikes me as conspicuously glorious, particularly the lavish, but never overwhelming production and the interplay between lead and backing vocals.

Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose

I've been exploring The Band's catalog courtesy of mp3panda as of late, and come back again and again to the track "Look Out Cleveland", the 9th cut on their self-titled 2nd album, released in 1969. I'm hooked by its timeless organic sound, boogie woogie piano, descending progression in the chorus, vocal harmonies, and especially Robbie Robertson's guitar licks in the breaks.

Lookout Houston

Win-Win Proposition

A friend came through yesterday with passes for Lollapalooza and I was excited until I took a close look at the line-up. Perhaps its a sign of losing touch due to age (so many names I've never seen before), but of the 150 bands listed, I can find only one that I'm truly excited about seeing; my clown prince hero Lou Reed. For me there is no downside to seeing Lou. I like him as much when he's bad as when he's good. If he comes out and plays a stellar set including some Berlin era songs I'll be thrilled. If he comes out and reads from The Raven while his Tai Chi guys "interprets" on the side, I'll shake with laughter at his ridiculousness.

Today's post includes both good and good-bad Lou. I've included "Sad Song", one his greatest songs ever from his incredibly ambitious, depressing and claustrophobic 1972 Rock opera Berlin. On the other end of the spectrum is "Turn To Me" from 1984's New Sensations, a great example of an album of bad Lou gone good when he tries to go upbeat for a set. You may remember that this was from the era when he was doing TV scooter ads with Grace Jones. Two years later, he would release what I believe to be the worst record of all time by any artist, Mistrial , featuring Lou trying to rap on "The Original Wrapper". Hilarious stuff.

Sad Song

Turn To Me

David Berthy Posts

Miike Snow is comprised of Swedish producers Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg. Pitchfork gave their album a decidedly lukewarm rating, but I'm quite taken with this single "Black & Blue." It isn't the most articulate endorsement, but when I play it loud up at the cabin it sounds amazing and everyone loves it, so I'll go with that. I'm also involved with the forthcoming video for the song, which is about an agoraphobic character inspired by Harry Nilsson as pictured on the Nilsson Schmilsson album cover. At this date, it's all going to take place outside Stockholm.

Black and Blue

The Heavy Boxes' stellar set at the Uke Cabaret this Saturday was made up of several mini-themes, such as state songs, originals, Obscure 60's non-hits and the comings and goings of people named Johnny. From the latter two came a pair of songs I felt compelled to track down and present to you here. The first, "My Johnny Doesn't Come Around Anymore" is a B standard girl group ode to loneliness and abandonment from Flip and The Dateliners, one of the many recording projects from Joe Meek, a legendary UK record producer...like a British Phil Spector, guns and all (he shot himself to death at age 37. The second is "Think of Rain" by Margo Guryan, from her 1968 debut album Take a Picture, a break-up song that would later be covered by Astrud Gilberto among others.

Obscure 60"s non-hits