Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Music For Travels

I don't know about everyone else, but the trip to and from work is one of the few times I can listen to music without too many distractions, since I'm riding the bus anyhow...but that leads me to ask, what did you listen to last night coming home, and what did you listen coming to work today?

Last night I listened to an electronic duo from France called M83. They're amazing, and it was a nice listen on a semi-sunny day.

This morning I listened to Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins. Always happy-ish summer music.

So what are you listening to?

40 comments:

krysta jo said...

Last night - Charlie Robison Live from Texas.

This morning - Dierks Bentley's first CD.

Unfortunately my trip is less than 5 minutes so I get to hear one song on each CD or I get to hear the wacky DJs ranting and raving about something worthless.

However, all day long, I tune into a radio station in Ft. Worth that plays non-mainstream Texas country.

urnotme said...

Yesterday morning, lunch, and drive home: The White Stripes.
Today I downloaded the Neko Case lady you talked about yesterday. Nice call on the Patsy Cline comparison. I'm still looking for the Loretta Lynn cover. What song is it? You can not go wrong with Loretta.

Kern said...

I'm sort of a fan of very specific country music. I like many old artists(Johnny Cash is/was the best), and a lot of alt-country bands. Mainstream country makes me want to throw myself under a Ford Superduty, however.

Neko Case is pretty excellent, and Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker was a phenomenal album before he got kind of out of control. There are some bands that are alt-country that are kind of on the bubble with folk, like Will Oldham and his various guises(Palace, Bonnie Prince Billy, etc).

I also like stuff like Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys.

Anyone else?

Kern said...

It's on the live album, The Tigers Have Spoken. I think the song Rated X was a Loretta Lynn song, but I am not sure. She also sings a song about Loretta on the album.

Kern said...

Speaking of Loretta did anyone else get the album she did last year, Van Lear Rose?

urnotme said...

Oh man Van Lear Rose was done with Jack White white producing and it was amazing. His band the white stripes also did a cover of loretta's Rated X. It's pretty good. I'm using WinMX to download(steal) a few songs from Neko Case before I purchase albums. Do you like old 80's country? The Judds, George Jones and such?

urnotme said...

Or Hank Williams III? He sounds more like his grandfather than he does his dad. He actually does a cover of SNOOP DOGG'S gin and juice!

Damfino said...

I am completely out of the loop on the country convo... Stevens did burn the LorettaLynn/Jack White album for me.

Last night the drive home was all Killers with a splash of Weezer and some pop whore radio crap.

Sorry kids - I am back off to the editor.. maybe more later today... or even tomorrow.

Yo

urnotme said...

I feel like I'm playing football again when you call me by my last name Findlay.

Damfino said...

Sorry urnotme... why are you home?

Kern said...

I'm not too much into 80's country...most of the interest I have is in the stuff from the 50s and 60s. Stuff that has a lot of big arrangements and sadness.

And Cash was a God to me...I mean the stuff he did with Rick Rubin was amazing. Except for the 4th one. Hurt was powerful, but way too overexposed. I think the third American Recordings was the best of them.

I wish I had the dough for the Unearthed box set. I do, however, have Love, God, Murder...a collection of separate discs about Love, Spirtuals, and Criminals.

Awesome.

krysta jo said...

The Gin and Juice cover is amazing - one of my favorites. There's not much better that old Willie Nelson or George Strait.

On to a completely different type of music. Has anyone ever heard about the Dan Band? They are from LA and flippin' hilarious. Check out their Web site: www.thedanband.com. This guy Dan does all girl band songs and doesn't change the lyrics except maybe to add a little profanity. Too funny.

Kern said...

Yeah, that's odd...my boss was talking about seeing them on TV the other day. He's not easily impressed by that sort of thing, but he said those guys were on point. I haven't been able to fully look into it yet.

krysta jo said...

They have a BRAVO special. It was hilarious. I know the guitar player.

Kern said...

Really?

krysta jo said...

Yes...he is my best friend's brother-in-law so I walked down the aisle with him during the wedding. Also...the Dan Band is the band that played during the wedding reception on Old School.

urnotme said...

Oh yeah I have heard of them. I read about them in Rolling Stone or spin or something. It's too bad they don't have a cd. I'd be all over it like damfino is on gunch.

I have the American Recording one that has hurt on it. I think it's IV or something. Good stuff. I'd like to have the whole set. Cash is very good.

urnotme said...

So there goes the name of my future band. Damn. I just checked out the site and notice they DO have a cd out. I'm ordering it. You should check out the track listings-very nice.

Kern said...

Tell you what, Urnotme...I can burn you copies of my Love/God/Murder set and one of American III and bring them to Des Moines with me. The 3 disc set is impressive, though I mostly only listen to Love and Murder.

KJ-That's an awesome story about the Dan Band. I'll have to look into that.

One band I got into a few months ago is called Black Mountain. It's a weird group. It's sounds like what would have happened if Black Sabbath had formed in the Appalachians instead of England. It's kind of hard to explain. But it's great.

Kern said...

Oh yeah, for those interested, here is whatNeko Case looks like...

She's purty. And also in another very great supergroup(well, an indie supergroup, I guess) called The New Pornographers. No need to get too excited, though, as I realized rather quickly there was no Pornography of any kind. Their latest album was called Electric Version and it's awesome.

urnotme said...

That would be sweet! I would appreciate that greatly.

I think I have heard of Black Mountain, but I have never listened to them.

By the way did Neko used to strip?

Kern said...

I don't think she did. Playboy asked her if she would pose for them and she said she was flattered, but she didn't think now was the best time. She added "You never know" at the end. I think it was to torture me, but probably not.

Yeah, Black Mountain is very cool. They used to be called Jerk With A Bomb I think...but members of that band are in another band that is very similar but not quite called The Pink Mountaintops. I am bringing Jed a copy of the Black Mountain record. You should insist that he let you give it a spin.

urnotme said...

Sounds like a plan. When are you coming to Iowa anyway? You're not staying at Jed's gunchy place are you?

Kern said...

The Kern Returns July 15th.

I am staying with The Jed. Good company and comfortable couches...good stuff.

I only wish that I had more time off, so that I might have come a day earlier to meet the illustrious KJ. Unfortunately, the best I can manage in lieu of that is to leave her an autographed 8 X 10 of myself in a Handsome Boy Modeling School pose, along with some Neko.

krysta jo said...

Next time Alex...I promise I won't be jetting off anywhere the next time you roll into town. In fact, after my NO trip, I will superglue myself to my tin-can home and wait for years and years and years until you can come up with vacation time to come visit The Jed (is that like The Wal-Mart?) again.

urnotme said...

God help you if you seriously don't change your mind on staying with him, with Josh, Josh #1, Josh #3, and Jerry. I feel for ya brotha man. I really do. I hope your not a clean freak or roll anyway like Howard Hughes did (besides the ladies).

P.S. I think Josh #2 will not be in town when you arrive so that should work in your favor.

Kern said...

Ah that's sweet. Well, I usually seem to end up popping around in July, so if you just wanted to superglue yourself to the house for that month, that would free up a lot of time for you.

I kid, I kid. NO is awesome. Not that meeting me isn't a stellar experience either, but I think NO is probably still a lot cooler.

There's always next year!

Kern said...

Who is the other Josh? I know Jed, Jerry, Josh(Jed's bro), but I don't think I know the other Josh.

Yeah, I am not too worried about the neatness. My apartment's a little jacked up right now, come to think of it. I'm a brave man.

It was ok last year...

krysta jo said...

Yes...next year. That will work.

Kern said...

Ah very good. Also, KJ, fear not. I just purchased a new digital camera to bring along on the trip. There's going to be a lot of pictures, some of which will no doubt end up on the good old Damfinoblog.

Damfino said...

Dear god... we are going to have to have a subsection of the Damfinoblog just to cover the events of your stay young Alexander...

Tons of pics of debacle and naughties!

Kern said...

Jed-Now yr talking! Those are two of my favorite words. I hope yr not just toying with me.

There had also better be some debauchery.

Kern said...

Oh, and who is the other Josh? Do I know him?

urnotme said...

I'm just giving jed crap for his disgusting "dump".

Kern- You were here last year and did not meat all the josh's? Hmm weird. I can almost say with certainty that you will meet at least two of them this year and I believe Jed will attest to this too. If you are wondering who all the Josh's are you need to think 'Primal Fear'.

urnotme said...

Seriously.

Kern said...

Ahhh...gotcha.

For a minute, I thought it was a reference to the Josh that lived at the Testosterone Hut a few years back...

urnotme said...

Oh god no. Sorry to leave that impression. Or give you that idea. That's Josh Collins. How long have you known Jed? Did you two meet in college or something?

Kern said...

Well, I've known Jed since 1996. He was in college, and I was a senior in high school. We met through the Sierra 3. So, I guess it has been a while.

Wow, now I feel old!

urnotme said...

Awh the Sierra 3...For some reason I was thinking you went to UNI or Iowa with him. Cool

Kern said...

Yeah...the Friday I come in we're actually having a crazy reunion of people that used to work for the evil Carmike corporation. Well, the people who work in the Carmike Crescent of West Des Moines(Valley 3, Sierra 3, Westwood 6).

It's really sad to see what happened to the Westwood, come to think of it. They turned it into some bloody yuppie sports or tropical bar. It looked so bad I couldn't even keep in mind what it had become.