Mr. Moderator

When not blogging Mr. Moderator enjoys baseball, cooking, and falconry.

Now Playing: iTunes Radio

Mar 252007

Townswoman Crystal reports that she has been spending a lot of time in a computer lab for her digital art class doing homework. She’s been slowly making notes of the different iTunes radio stations for her personal use, and she wanted to share them with her fellow Townspeople. Here’s what she’s finding.

Worthy of listening to
Ghetto Radio. It’s primarily ’80s, but it’s like old radio stations. They’ll play Aerosmith next to Eddy Grant. They did a block of Rush next to Genesis’s “Land of Confession”, which I promptly left but later they played New Order. So you’ll never know what you get.

Fresh Air – The Alternative. It’s worth it for the Edinborough accents alone. Sometimes, it’s dance music, and then it will be a show on internet dating.

Music to work by
Baroque classical station. Insert your own joke here, but very calming.
Continue reading »

Weekend Download: Elvis Costello & The Attractions with Martin Belmont

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 242007

Here are some tracks from the most-influential bootleg/radio concert of my youth: Elvis Costello & The Attractions with Martin Belmont (Graham Parker and The Rumour) subbing on guitar for injured keyboardist Steve Nieve. This is half of a King Biscuit Flour Hour concert that I taped off the radio when I was however old I was the year my favorite album of all time, Get Happy!!, was released.

I love the way the band steamrolls through these songs. I love the way the recording actually sounds like someone stuck a mic up in the middle of the club (ie, rather than a dreadful “board mix”). I love the material. I especially love the way the band takes command of the material and makes it work be sheer force of will (and the strength of rock’s finest rhythm section ever). No slight to Steve Nieve, because the full-strength Attractions back then could also pull this off, but as a youngster in the process of forming a 2-guitar band – without organ – getting to hear one of our favorite artist’s music performed in this configuration was a godsend. I can’t tell you how many times we sat around the bong and played the cassette of this concert, detailing all that was right about this approach. We might as well have been studying Ted Williams‘ swing.

So without further ado, here are some tracks to study over the weekend!

“Temptation”

“One More Heartache”

“Secondary Modern”

“High Fidelity”

“Lipstick Vogue”

“Oliver’s Army”

Brian Jones’ Wet Dream: North Mississippi Allstars (Acoustic) at World Cafe Live

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 232007

Townspeople, judging by the poll results, it would seem you know your Moderator well, but I have some news that might shock you as much as it’s shocked me: I loved tonight’s North Mississippi Allstars show at Philadelphia’s World Cafe Live. The band – playing an acoustic set, no less – went from respectable to impressive to dazzling to moving over the course of their set. I was impressed by their musicianship, their comfort, and their humility.

These guys are Brian Jones’ wet dream. Three dedicated followers of the American music tradition with plenty of natural style but totally devoid of cliched “Southern” and “black” manipulations of self-conscious white folks. There was no alt-country/Americana moaning and mumbling. No swigs from the Southern Comfort bottle filled with apple juice. None of that nonsense. Even their Look was cliche free: the two Dickinson brothers were tiny, and lacking in muttonchops.
Continue reading »

For Want of a Chill Pill

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 222007

This idea may be related to the recent Humble Album thread. While visiting my friends at Phawker.com, I came across Fiona Apple’s video for her cover of “Across the Universe”. I’d forgotten about this cover. It wasn’t spectacular in and of itself, but what impressed me was that it was a rare time I got to hear Apple relaxed and, seemingly, not so tied to playing up to her troubled, precocious girl reputation. With the aid of a simple, direct John Lennon song, she took a rare chill pill.

As much as I like my rock ‘n roll of the high-octane variety, there are artists who don’t allow themselves to settle into a groove. These artists have something to offer, but they work through a smokescreen of anxieties, twitches, and whatnot. As a listener, I feel I feel anxious listening to their music. There’s enough to these artist that I wish they’d just chill and allow me to better enjoy what they have to offer.
Continue reading »

Fourth Round of RTH Fantasy Rock Band League Draft: Honing the Vision

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 222007

The fourth round of the 2007 Rock Town Hall Fantasy Rock Band League Draft is underway! If you don’t know the drill by now, you might as well disband. Here’s the round where cap space management might get tricky! To date, Sammy is closest to capping out, with $1.1 million spent; Mr. Mod is next with $950,000 of his budget spent on 2 first-round picks and a high third-rounder. The league capologist is currently computing remaining cap space for each band. He will try to notify you as you reach $1 million.

Picks from the third round are listed here.
Picks from the second round are listed here.
Picks from the first round are listed here.

Sammy will receive Andyr’s pick in this round. BigSteve, Scott, and Sammy have forfeited their fourth-round picks owing to free-agent signings. Andyr received Sammy’s fourth-round pick in a trade before it had been forfeited by Sammy. For the fourth-round draft order and analysis…
Continue reading »

Fear Factor: North Mississippi Allstars

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 222007

Townspeople,

Tell me what you know about North Mississippi Allstars. Tell me more than the band contains the offspring of Jim Dickenson and some other 12-rate survivor of the Southern soul circuit. I’m going to see them with a friend in the neighborhood tomorrow night. My friend is a good guy, and he was looking for a music lover to join him. I’m terrified, Townspeople. Not of my friend’s company – hanging with him is a breeze – but because I’m terrified this band is going to push all my 21st Century Bluesphobe buttons. I’m terrified I’m going to get that look on my face. You know the one, the judgemental, 99 things are wrong with this picture look. It sucks getting into that mood around an innocent friend, a friend who may not be used to me and more gut-wrenching reactions to things I don’t like.

All that said, I had the same fears midway through Marie Antoinette with him and his wife. I figured I’d hear it from my wife when she saw me with that look after the movie, but our friends disliked it as much as we did and had been storing up as much bile. So who knows? Maybe this show will work out either way. In the meantime, please tell me all you know, short of AMG blurbage. Thanks.

Dugout Chatter

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Mar 212007

It’s one of those days when a single hit may be all we need. Have one or see if you can empty this dugout. If anything’s left when you’re through, pass it on!

Name a song that’s “rocked” your world in the past week.

Name a current musician or recent demonstration of musicianship – on record or in concert – that’s impressed you in the past month.

Name a band you wish you could dig based on its name, reputation, and overall “vibe” yet have been unable to do so no matter how many times you’ve tried.

If you’re assessing bonus tracks on a reissue of an album you already own, are you more likely to be influenced to buy the record again based on the strength of previously unreleased

Studio outtakes
Live tracks
Demos

Older Entries Newer Entries