Curing the Holiday Blues with "Rock Steady"
Okay, face the white page and hope some words start to flow. It's true I have been living under a rock of late and I have no idea what hot bands are doing what in the last month or so, but the one thing I can tell you is I have feverishly kept track the economy, and how it has quickly soiled my professional career. Therefore in order to try and cure my ever increasing holiday blues, I am making an early New Year's resolution to stop watching CNBC, NYSE and every other piece of media that capitializes on fear. The vultures will no longer... read more
How Apollo Sunshine's "Singing To the Earth" Can Make Your Day
As most know, I'm a pure Masshole and thus take great pride in our homestate musical bretheren. Heck, my first concert was J. Geils Band at the Worcester Centrum. It does not get much more MA-centric than that does it? While "Whammer Jammer" always puts a smile on my face, it's another Boston band which always pulls me out of a truly sour mood, Apollo Sunshine. Their musical soma first hit me on a particularly decripd day a few years back. The song was "Today is the Day," major chord calamity with just enough Violent Femmes chutzpa to knead out... read more
Friday Random Weekenders: Get your mind off the Dow
My eyes and ears are twitching from the free fall of the U.S. economy. Somalian Pirates?! Iceland bankrupt?! Hockeymom politicians?! Heck, the regular paper is reading like the Onion lately. Only more bizarre and apocalyptic. What better way to end the work week, then, but to procrastinate with some eye and ear candy? * Letters To Cleo will reunite for 20th Anniversary Shows Now, I pride myself on being a pure Masshole, but I somehow missed the era of LTC the first time around, so maybe it 's worth checking out: LETTERS TO CLEO REUNION DATES 2008November 8 - Los... read more
First Aid Kit (from Sweden)
Just when you think your jaded ears couldn't possibly perk up for one more acoustic sister duo, a mountain man from the big sky valley of Pray, Montana tips you off to a pair of sibs from the other great north country of Sweden. Since I miss nuanced harmony in today's glut of bum thumping bass and Casio melodies, I was instantly struck by how these sisters intertwine their bellows and breaths. Raw, soaring and exquisite, the duo's delivery is simple yet mesmerizing. In this Fleet Foxes cover, captured in the woodsy land of echo elves, F.A.K. keep you wondering how such thick and formidable narratives emanate from these demure youngsters. Wonder away. To Klara... read more
Sweet Talk & Newport Folk Festival on CNN
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Young @ Heart Chorus
Sorry for the general abscence this summer, but Sweet Talk has been on the road doing the festival circuit. Sweet Talk was proud of bringing several artists to stages all around the country, but one of the absolute highlights was bringing the Young @ Heart Chorus to Newport Folk. They are not a novelty, they are the truest form of musical expression, full of humor, joy, passion and poignant emotion. And yes, I did cry during their Radiohead Cover of "Fake Plastic Trees": http://blog.ourstage.com/2008/08/25/youngheart-newport-folk/ ... read more
"I Know You Rider" - Dead Heads Unite on Tour (de France)
As many of you know, Sweet Talk's roving reporter Buckshot Johnson has roamed the globe for gripping stories in the world of sports and leisure. Following his last piece on Barry Manilow and Brian Boitano , Buckshot is currenlty at the time trials in Cholet where he has unearthed a striking find for Dead Heads everywhere: Robert Hunter is a sprinter in this year's Tour de France. He rides for Barloworld. Yes, put that in your Shakedown St. Pipe and Smoke it! Follow Hunter's quest for the Yellow Jersey!... read more
Music For Democracy
For years I always quietly condemned the direct use of music as a bully pulpit for politicalchange. In general I believe Music should be about providing a mental space for people to find their own meaning in the sounds and words of a song. I of course applaud artists who give their time, money and spotlight to worthy causes, but when they are on the stage it should be all about the music. However we live is some disturbing times and things seem to be heating up as the far corners of our world grow closer and closer, and unalienable... read more
BLU Street Animation: MIND-BLOWING
Okay this is one of the most mind-blowing Street Animation Sweet Talk's eyes have ever seen. This is an incredible 5 minute procrastination experience. Keith Haring would be so Proud! http://blublu.org/sito/video/muto.htm Thanks again to Brother George for the head's up!... read more
Friday Random Weekenders: Josh Ritter, My Morning Jacket, Rock the Vote etc
1) I don't need to lecture on the importance of voting this year, but I would like to suggest if you have a blog/website/Facebook Page to add the Rock the Vote Widget ( www.rockthevote.com/partners )2) This may be in the running for the most fantastically bizarre video on You Tube this month:(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOnwrzssOjc&feature=email) I now have my Halloween costume for this year! 3) Here's my Bonnaroo re-cap: My Morning Jacket, My Morning Jacket, My Morning Jacket, Jose Gonzales, Levon Helm, Iron & Wine, Pearl Jam, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings were fantasticmagnificentstupeneoso! 4) Sera Cahoone's "Only As The... read more
Justin Nozuka
So if you ignore the somewhat high school cheese factor of the clean cut Jack Johnsonish video on his my space page, this kid is pretty good. Good voice and amazing stage prescence. Maybe a Jazon Mraz with a bit more cohones. http://www.myspace.com/justinnozuka... read more
“Drift Away” Toe Jam
Here is a little bit of inspiration if you are having the typical Monday blues: ... read more
Kevin Wyatt dubbing John Coltrane Simply AWESOME
From our faithful Sweet Talk Readers (Thanks JV) we bring you another jaw dropping music video; the kind you wish still played 24 / 7 on MTV. Kevin Wyatt kicking ass as he normally does: ... read more
Javelin’s Education
The talented absurdity of this band has always made me chuckle, not to mention that in a way they are family: ... read more
I Love Bollywood circa 1979
My wife and I have already started practicing for Halloween. If you are a Bollywood fan, it simply does not get any better than this. Keep an ear out for the Toni Basil “Hey Mickey” themes. ... read more
Journey vs. Bon Jovi vs Kid Rock vs Seger: The Real Final Four
For my own version of March Madness I decided to create a bracket of all the “Life on the Road for a Musician is Really, Really Hard...no REALLY” videos. If you are of legal drinking age and own a TV you are aware of the genre we are discussing. If you were abandoned as a baby and raised by a wolf pack you may not, for your edification here are some of the essential criteria: * Lyrics about the Hard Part of Rocking so Hard * Slow Tempo, Semi Ballad (This is serious and important) * Missing Family Shots (Hey... read more
Sweet Talk wrote a script that was made into a movie.
In my early incarnation as a writer, I wrote a very personal script about a young man losing his best friend in an accident. A few years after the fact, a few other friends came together and actually produced and directed this script into a movie. This movie made the film festival rounds and gained some small recognition. This was nearly a decade ago. Well on March 18th, you, yes you, can finally own it on DVD. Here is the link on Amazon. ... read more
Fun with LED’s
Brother George is by far the hippest of the hep cats out of Little Rhodie, so it’s no surprise that he wrangled this clip for Sweet Talk. Seeing an amazing video such as this one makes me feel, a) completely flummoxed that I do not have one ounce of patience to pull of this type of endeavor b) artistically inadequate c) old and full of cobwebs d) I should really charge up my video camera, suck it up and venture outside enjoy ... read more
Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar walk onto this beach in Mexico….
No, this is not the begining of some sick joke from the desperate minds of Uncle Tupelo fans everywhere, but an honest to goodness tale of astronomical coincidence from Tweedy’s mouth. The best part is the end of the story where Tweedy mimics the conversation. Oh, to be “that” guy. ... read more
The real Jack of LOST, No Depression depression, Spiders on Acid, and Spy Satellites
The ups and downs of the week: BIG Up: Finally watched the second episode of the new season of LOST (the single best Network show on TV), and was blown out of my knickers when in the first five minutes, Jeremy Davies’ character, sits on a couch crying watching footage of Oceanic 815, when a kyron pops up to tell us he is in Essex, Massachusetts!. Yes dear readers, my hometown, population 2,800, where I was born raised and still reside. Home of the Fried Clam! BIZZARE. Think about it, you are a mid-thirties male sitting on your couch watching... read more
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