The worlds biggest necklace

I recently got a chance to see Todd Hayne's biopic 'I'm Not There' about about the many faces of Bob Dylan and it was quite the cinematic treat. If you havent heard about this film, Hayne's picked six different characters to portray Dylan throughout his career. Cate Blanchette's rebel Dylan appeared to be the focus and best portrayal in the film, yet performances by Christian Bale, Richard Gere and Heath Ledger also had standout moments. Personally, my favorite part was towards the end of the movie when Jim James from My Morning Jacket sang a most excellent version of "Goin to Acapulco".

With all this Dylan talk, I couldn't help but post one of my favorite live clips of ol Bobby. The year is 1975 and the song is 'Isis'...arguably one of the best written songs of that decade. This Rolling Thunder Review era gem not only displays the fire of Dylan but also showcases amazing backing musicians that any alt-country band of todays era are sure to compliment. Whether you're a Dylan fan or not, check it out...you'll surely appreciate his knack for scarves and face paint.

The Kevin Costners

First off, its their real name.

Second, they're pretty good.

The Kevin Costners hail from North France (i believe) and they have been together since 2004. You can tell by listening to just "We Ain't Steve Vai" that these guys are doing what they love. They remind me (a little bit) of a poppier "Super Furry Animals" for some reason. I think its the guitar.

From what I've read, they should possibly have their first album out by late January of 2008.

Give them a listen, at least give the first track a listen. Good stuff.

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The Kevin Costners- We Aint Steve Vai.mp3
The Kevin Costners- Lack of Sun.mp3
The Kevin Costners- Whats this all about.mp3

The Evens, a band I wish I would've known about sooner

The Evens are a Lo-Fi Washington D.C. based band. Members consist of Ian MacKaye, lead singer of Fugazi and Amy Farina. They are a very delightful band.

The majority of their songs include Ian singing and on bass, or baritone guitat which has a very distinct sound and Amy on Drums & Vocals. The way they harmonize is beautiful.

They're not as intense as Fugazi, but MacKaye & Farina are able to capture an amazing sound that is hard for me to explain.

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The Evens- Everybody Knows.mp3

The Evens- Shelter Two.mp3

Dear Mr. Jesus

You don't know what I mean yet, but you will by the end, cuz the end justifies the means. Know what I mean?

Why?
- Incredible imagery
- Phenomenal editing
- I like the repetitive nature and the decision to go with "just slightly off" sharp cuts
- Best use of child's voice since George Strait's Heartland

Michael Jackson's Thriller turns 25

Micheal Jackson's Thriller turned 25 on December 1st.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ranked Thriller third on their "Definitive 200" list, which is a compilation of what they believe to be the greatest albums ever. At age 25, The New York Times called Jackson a "musical phenomenon," further commenting that "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else."

Obviously, perceptions have changed since then. I'm not saying "we" or the "media" are wrong to shift our view on MJ , but simply noting that at one time he was on top of the world and now there will always be a negative conotation associated with him.

I dont think you have to like him to love this album. Some may be a little surprised for me to say that this very well might fall somewhere within my top favorite albums of all time. Just look at this track listing. What are yours?

1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin



2. Baby Be Mine



3. The Girl Is Mine (featuring Paul McCartney)



4. Billie Jean



5. Thriller (featuring Vincent Price)



6. Beat It (featuring Eddie Van Halen)



7. Human Nature



8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)



9. The Lady in My Life

I included a couple of my favorite songs from this album below.

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Michael Jackson- PYT.mp3
Michael Jackson- Human Nature.mp3

Bye Jim, Mixtape

Someone I respect a great deal is leaving work to take a pretty amazing job opportunity in NYC. He's a guy I admire a lot. It's not only his work but also his taste in music / art, sense of humor and his collection of Western button down shirts. I made him a mix CD last week, however, it sounds a lot cooler to call it a "mixtape".

When I started putting this together it was going to be NYC themed but it became pretty tough and I wasnt into some of the songs I was coming up with. I was getting further away from something I liked in order to stay consistent. I decided to try choose songs that talked about change, leaving, and with a couple of random songs I thought he might like and that also flowed well. Mixtapes are fun for a few reasons, you get to find old favorites that might have gotten shoved to the back of the library, you get to choose the theme / flow, and then you get to await their response. Hopefully the response is positive.

Here is my mix to Jim... and since mixtapes are all about sharing...I attached a few MP3's

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Intro- (Text to Speech Note)

1. Roxy Music - 2 H.B.






2. My Morning Jacket - Golden MP3






3. The Kinks - This Time Tomorrow






4. Phoenix- North.m4a






5. Spoon- You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb (Random)






6. Belle & Sebastian- We are the Sleepyheads






7. Tokyo Police Club- Be Good (RAC Mix) (Random)






8. The Sea and Cake- Sound & Vision.mp3






9. Field Music- You're Not Supposed To.mp3






10. El Ten Eleven- My Only Swerving.mp3






11. Modest Mouse- heart Cooks Brain






12. TV on the Radio- Province






13. Kings of Convenicnce- Manhattan Skyline

Rob is a busy guy

Rob Crow has been a busy guy as of late. This year alone, he's released (or been a part of) three full length albums.


I really only knew of this fellow from Pinback, but apparently he's in like 10 other bands. The three albums he's released this year are are below. Theres is a sample from each, to boot.

I haven't had a chance to listen to all three in depth but they're all very similar. His voice is obviously the same, maybe he just gets tired of hanging out with the same band members all of the time.

Rob Crow (solo album)- Living Well: January 2007














Other Men- Wake Up Swimming: March 2007














Pinback Autumn of the Seraphs: September 2007














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Pinback- Bouquet.mp3
Other Men- Other People.mp3
Rob Crow- If Wade Would Call.mp3