stevenology 2.0 &#187; Music

It’s Almost Bumbershoot – See You There!

stevenology — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:16:34 +0000

It’s only 40 days until this year’s Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival (Sept. 4-6) !!

Any thoughts about it so far? Who are you going to see? Who do you think we should see? Almost every act has been announced by now, so I won’t list them all. It’s all on the web site. Here are some helpful links:

Main web site:
http://www.bumbershoot.org

Printable PDF artist lineup, schedules, and map, which includes the new venue that is replacing “the pit” (aka the Exhibition Hall)
http://bumbershoot.org/info/pdf/

Online lineup and scheduling tool:
http://sched.bumbershoot.org/

Miscellaneous info:
http://bumbershoot.org/info/about-bumbershoot/

Info about the free 40-years-of-Bumbershoot poster show (thru Sept. 7):
http://bumbershoot.org/40/umbrella-for-the-arts-40-years-of-bumbershoot-artwork/

Downloadable icons, wallpaper, and cellphone stuff:
http://bumbershoot.org/bumberfan/downloads.htm

Platinum/Gold Pass info:
http://bumbershoot.org/tickets/platinum-gold/

Buy tickets and ticket info:
http://bumbershoot.org/tickets/

That’s all for now…

The Latest 51 Music Items We Got

stevenology — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:34:54 +0000

Here is the list. Some we bought, some were gifts, a few we burned. Some are from the Indio/LA trip, some are from Record Store Day, some are hard to find, some are used, some are new, and almost all are round! Do you love any of these? Hate any of them? Or just confused? Read all the way to the end to see why that pizza picture is on here!

Enigma – The Platinum Collection - 3-CD box
Bowie, David – A Reality Tour – 2-CD
Hendrix, Jimi – Valleys Of Neptune - CD
Armatrading, Joan – This Charming Life - CD
Dylan, Jakob – Women + Country - CD
Broken Bells – Broken Bells - CD
Gryner, Emm – Public – Advance promo CD
Lewis, Jenny – Acid Tongue - CD
Mullins, Shawn – Live At The Variety Playhouse - CD
Finn Brothers, The – Everyone Is Here - CD

Vega, Suzanne – Beauty And Crime - CD
Jack’s Mannequin – Everything In Transit - CD
Lauper, Cyndi – Hey Now (Remixes And Rarities) - CD
Mraz, Jason – Beatiful Mess – Live On Earth – CD + DVD
Arctic Monkeys – Humbug - CD
Prince – Plant Earth - import (Japan) CD
Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand - CD
Franz Ferdinand – You Could Have It So Much Better - CD
Franz Ferdinand – Blood – CD-R
Jethro Tull – Songs From The Wood - CD
Lenka – Lenka - CD
Grays, The – Ro Sham Bo - CD
Jackson, Joe – Summer In The City – CD-R
Heap, Imogen – Ellipse – CD-R
Heap, Imogen – I Megaphone – CD
Pretenders, The – Pirate Radio Box Set – 4 CDs, 1 DVD
Ure, Midge – Dear God single – Special “tin” packaging CD
Gorillaz – Dirty Harry - CD single
Davies, Ray – The Tourist EP – Promo CD
Nutini, Paolo – Recorded Live Preservation Hall - CD EP
Haines, Emily – What Is Free To A Good Home - CD EP
V/A – Positively Reggae - CD
V/A – 1986 - CD
V/A – War Child Presents Heroes – Beck, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Duffy, Kooks, etc CD
Soundtrack – I (Heart) Huckabees - CD
Soundtrack – Almost Alice – Robert Smith, Franz Ferdinand, etc CD
Costello, Elvis – Complicated Shadows – 7″ vinyl
Shiny Toy Guns – Stripped – 10″ white vinyl
Cosby, Bill – Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right vinyl
Winehouse, Amy – Rehab Remix – With Jay-Z vinyl
McLachlan, Sarah – Vox – Promo vinyl
R.E.M. – Live – Three vinyl LPs and 1 DVD
Hunt, Van – Turn My TV On - vinyl
Seal – Don’t Cry – Promo vinyl
Browne, Jackson – In The Shape Of A Heart – Promo vinyl
Geggy Tah – Whoever You Are – Promo vinyl
Black, Peter with Kate Bush – Dreamtime – Clear green vinyl
Prince – Lotusflow3r - vinyl 2-LP
Marx, Groucho – An Evening With Groucho - vinyl 2-LP
Duluth Accordionaires, The – Jeno’s Pizza Presents Music To Eat Pizza By - vinyl
Cher – Cher – 8-track

Leave me a comment below if you love music…

Elvis Costello Returns To Davis

stevenology — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 05:20:16 +0000

On Wednesday evening we went to the Mondavi Center in nearby Davis, CA to see legendary singer-songwriter-musician Elvis Costello. I’ve seen him at least 7 or 8 times over the years, maybe more, and he has never disappointed. And now he has so much poise and stage presence that he can perform with any version of his numerous bands, or even solo. And that’s what he did here. It was just him and his guitar. Well, he had about 8 or so different guitars, for different sounds on different songs, but you get the idea. He stood and/or moved around for most songs, but sat for a few.

He chatted between songs and was his usual witty self. He noted he hadn’t been back to Davis since the late 70s in the Coffeehouse, when people threw drink cups at him. This time he received a much warmer reception. The crowd wanted a second encore but the lights were turned on and it was not to be. But he did play songs from throughout his long career, including three new unreleased songs, also a couple others I didn’t know, and string of classics, including the following (not in order and not necessarily a complete list):

Alison – a quite, sparse version that was ethereal and beautiful
Watching The Detectives – very noisy, feedback and distorted guitar, accompanied by self-recorded-on-stage parts
The Angels Want To Wear My Red Shoes
Man Out Of Time – a pretty, haunting version
God’s Comic – great, w/ audience backup singing
Brilliant Mistake (aka King of America)
Down Among The Wines And Spirits – from his latest album
From Sulfur To Sugarcane – a fun, recent song and he was enjoying it
Either Side Of The Same Town – scaled down version
45 – he opened with this acoustic version of the rock track
Everyday I Write The Book (Punch The Clock) – “a song I hate” he said laughing, it was a great acoustic version
Radio Sweetheart/Jackie Wilson Said – two songs in one, the latter a Van Morrison song

With hundreds and hundreds of songs to chose from, those were a pretty good selection. It covered his first album up to his latest, but of course I wanted more! I have to say, since it was my first visit to this venue, that the Mondavi Center is a great theater to see a show, with fine acoustics and a modern airy feel. I would love to see more artists like Elvis play there.

The local paper also reviewed the show here.

Do you have an opinion? If so let me know, leave a comment…

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 53

stevenology — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:19:20 +0000

Dear readers, I was going to stop at 52 Terrific Tunes. Really, I was. I swear! It was a year’s worth of Terrific Tunes, and that was already a world of great music and video. Then I saw this new video today on Facebook and it was so impressive and fun that I just had to use it. I’m not even that enthused about the actual song, it’s the video that is cool. The band is OK GO and the song is “This Too Shall Pass”. Watch this video and you will love it too. Then go ahead, try it at home!

Leave me a comment below. Don’t make me get out the paint gun!

View/shop music by OK GO

View/shop music by Robbie Robertson

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 52

stevenology — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:26:31 +0000

That’s right! Fifty-two weeks of Terrific Tunes, a whole year’s worth! That is some awesome awesomeness. If you want to see them all, click here. That will show you the latest 15 or so, then at the bottom of the page there will be a link to “previous entries”. Enjoy!

Meanwhile, back at the blog, today’s tune is from Robbie Robertson (learn more, web site, learn a lot more). He was the talented songwriter and lead guitarist from The Band (learn more) and has since enjoyed a successful solo career, including four or five albums and a variety of film-related music projects. This song is from his first (self-titled) solo album. The song is “Somewhere Down The Crazy River“. The video is a little on the minimal yet sensual side, and I love his talking-singing performance on this track. Check it out and let me know what YOU think.

Leave me a comment below. Don’t let the wind just kind of push you that way.

View/shop music by Michael Penn

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 51

stevenology — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:39:37 +0000

Today’s Terrific Tune is from singer-songwriter Michael Penn (learn more, web site, learn lots more). He’s released five or six great albums of intelligent, tasty pop-rock but is still mostly unknown outside of his early hit “No Myth. But there is much more to him. And being married to Aimee Mann and being Sean Penn’s brother isn’t bad either.

This is a live version of a song from his second album, performed on Jay Leno. It’s called “Long Way Down (Look What The Cat Drug In).” I love the title and the song and wish that someday I could write a song even half this good. Oh well. At least he can write ‘em! Check out the video below and then buy some of his albums.

Leave me a comment below. Don’t wear apathy’s crown!

View/shop music by LCD Soundsystem

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 50

stevenology — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:42:12 +0000

Today’s Terrific Tune is an electro-pop-funk track by LCD Soundsystem (learn more, web site). This “band” is pretty much James Murphy, founder of dance-punk label DFA Records, although on tour he adds a real band. The song is “Daft Punk is Playing at My House“, from the self-titled 2005 album. It gets a mean groove going and then he talk-sings over it in kind of a Talking Heads style. The video is jumpy and visually interesting, check it out.

Leave me a comment. Show me some true faith!

Fake Plastic Trees

radiohead | MySpace Music Videos

Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 49

stevenology — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:27:23 +0000

Today’s Terrific Tune music video is from a band known for it’s general weirdness and hypnotic songs. Some fans adore them, other people are baffled by their popularity. I’m somewhere in between but they do have a lot of good songs. The band is Radiohead (learn more, web site) and this is the video for “Fake Plastic Trees” from their second album “The Bends“, which was ranked number 110 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and number 2 on Q’s 100 Greatest Albums Ever. It *might* be their best album, but that depends on your mood at the time. This song is a low-key ballad but they can rock out too. And of course the music video is strange as can be, but still cool at the same time. Check it out.

Leave me a comment. Don’t be a paranoid android!

View/shop music by Radiohead