cdm

Dugout Chatter: What’s in a Name?

Posted by cdm

Aug 252014

Naming a band is not as easy as it seems. Ideally, the name will convey a lot of information, giving the general public a clue about what to expect without feeling to forced or overwrought.

What is the greatest gap between a good name and bad music?
What is the greatest gap between a bad name and good music?
Which band name, regardless of the quality of the music or the name itself, seems the most inappropriate choice for that given band?
Which band name seems like the people naming it were trying too hard?
Which band name seems like the people naming it couldn’t give a shit?
What would you name a band and what type of music would your band play?

RIP Dick Wagner

Posted by cdm

Aug 012014

By playing guitar for Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, KISS, and most especially on Lou Reed’s Rock ‘n Roll Animal, this guy had an immeasurable yet under-the-radar impact on me during my musically formative years. He was a GREAT man.

Can Someone Tell Me What This Song Is About, Part II (Pancho and Lefty)?

Posted by cdm

May 292014

In the past few days, I’ve become obsessed with the song “Pancho and Lefty,” by Townes Van Zandt. The lyrics contain some great lines, but the more I listen to it, the more I wonder, what is this song really about? It should be noted that I usually take narratives at face value and have trouble reading into subtext and symbolism.

The several accounts that Townes himself gives don’t really shed any light, so here’s a few theories that I’ve formed and/or collected on the internet:

The narrator is telling someone a cautionary tale about the dangers of living outside the law. Pancho and Lefty are two bandits. Pancho was killed by the Federales after being betrayed by Lefty, who is allowed to keep Pancho’s money in exchange for the betrayal. Lefty’s fate is arguably not any better than Pancho’s since he’s relegated to living in a cheap hotel in Cleveland, in hiding and with the guilt of betrayal on his conscience.
Pancho is Jesus and Lefty is Judas.
Pancho faked his own death and is now living in hiding as Lefty.
“Pancho” is a Walter Mitty-like fantasy of Lefty’s.

Any additional theories? Which one do you think is the most accurate interpretation? The lyrics follow…after the jump!

Name That Tune: ESL Edition, Part 2

Posted by cdm

Oct 292013

It’s time for another installment of Name That Tune.

Please identify the following lyrics:

“If I still remember going anywhere tomorrow? Because I travel a lot to ‘ ‘ now immediately messages that appear”

The tricky part? Using Bablefish.com, I translated the lyrics from English to Italian, then Italian to Hindi, then Hindi to Portugese, Portugese to Japanese, to Spanish, then back to English.

The category is Classic Rock.

Let me know if you want any hints.

Feel free to stump us with re-translated lyrics of your own.

It’s That Time of Year Again…

Posted by cdm

Oct 162013

Please list this year’s nominees for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the order in which you think they should be included. If you don’t have the patience or interest in listing them all, please just list the top 5.

And the nominees are…

Nirvana, Kiss, the Replacements, Hall and Oates, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, LL Cool J, N.W.A., Link Wray, the Meters, Linda Ronstadt, Cat Stevens, Yes, and the Zombies.

Hobson’s Choice: Footwear of the Dammned

Posted by cdm

Jul 312013

BirkenCrocs.

A large part of Rock ‘n Roll has always been the aesthetics of it. There are innumerable takes on what makes for a cool Look, but seldom are those looks based on things like “comfort” or “utility.” That’s not to say that a cool look can’t be comfortable, but rather that comfort is a secondary concern. Even “anti-Looks,” like that of Neil Young are still making a statement. To paraphrase noted Canadian philosopher Geddy Lee, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.”

As the father of 2 young kids, I spend a fair amount of time at playgrounds and get-togethers and such with other parents who may not have the same priorities when choosing what to wear. Plenty are well dressed, even fashionable, but there is a certain pragmatism that take hold when you are getting dressed for a day to be spent hanging out on the sidelines of a little league field or at the playground.

Which brings me to my question: Which is the most style-free, utilitarian, and therefore least “rock and roll” footwear, Birkenstock or Crocs? If forced to wear one or the other, which would you choose? I recognize this is very much a Hobson’s Choice so rest assured, your answer will not be interpreted as an endorsement of one type of footwear, rather it will be seen and an indictment of the other.

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Is This the Real Life?

Posted by cdm

Jun 072013

Daryl Hall is apparently getting his on restoration show on the DIY Channel, in which he will “restore a 1-bedroom house in Connecticut that had originally been built circa 1780 by a widowed sea captain.” I’ve subsisted with rabbit ears for about 3 years now but if any show has tempted me to get cable again, this is it. So many questions, including:

Why?
Will there be musical interludes?
Why would the DIY channel approach Daryl Hall rather than someone known for their DIY can-do attitude like Henry Rollins or the guys in Fugazi, or Bon Iver, whom I assume built his own log cabin in the woods?
Will Oates be relegated to just handing the screwdriver to Daryl or will he actually have a more hands-on role in creating the finished project?

If I had a hammer…

The reality TV show craze is fascinating to me. It’s been going on for 22 years now (if The Real World is considered to be the show that ushered in the era), and I am amazed at the resourcefulness of the various shows’ creators to come up with ideas for new series. Whoever came up with the idea for a show about people who fish by punching catfish in the mouth deserves some sort of lifetime achievement award.

To paraphrase Homer Simpson, “You don’t need to invent something new, you just need to put a clock radio in something that already exists.” So, this Daryl Hall thing has got me wondering:

What other already existing reality TV show could benefit from having a Rock Star replace the ordinary schnooks currently cluttering up the screen?
Who would you like to see restoring a house?
Which wives would you want to see on the Real Housewives of Rock Stars?
Who would you like to see in a Hell’s Kitchen style cook-off?
Which Rock Star would you want to see engage in a little old fashioned Hillbilly Handfishing?

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