4.28.2007

kings of leon

Kings of Leon are a rock band made up of three brothers and a cousin, based in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Their influences range from Southern rock, indie, to blues styles. Their three critically acclaimed albums have given them a devoted following, especially in Europe.
The group's name is derived from Nathan, Caleb, and Jared's father and grandfather, both named Leon. Jared and Caleb were born in Tennessee, while Nathan and Matthew were born in Oklahoma. The brothers spent much of their youth travelling around the American South with their father, a traveling United Pentecostal Church preacher and their mother, who taught them when they were not in school. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "While Leon preached at churches and tent revivals throughout the Deep South, the boys attended services and were occasionally enlisted to bang on some drums. They were home-schooled or enrolled in small parochial schools. Except for a five-year stretch when they settled in Jackson, Tennessee, the Followills spent their childhoods driving through the South in a purple 1988 Oldsmobile, decamping for a week or two wherever Leon was scheduled to preach."
Their father was defrocked and their parents divorced in 1997 and after various jobs, the brothers moved to Nashville in 1998. They formed a band in 2000 with their cousin Matthew. Their music is influenced by their religious upbringing and their Southern roots and also other musicians, including Matthew R. Hudson who played the drums in a similar fashion to that of Nathan.
Before trying their hand at rock and roll, brothers Nathan and Caleb sang country music. They worked for a brief period of time with label/management group Pistol Creek Productions. They spent their time with this label mainly singing at rodeos. They also were members of the West Tennessee Mass Choir for a short time.
Nathan, the oldest of the brothers, graduated from the now defunct private school, Christian Life Academy, in Henderson, TN. Caleb dropped out mid-senior year to pursue country music.
Upon signing with RCA, they were introduced to Nashville-based song-writer/producer Angelo Petraglia, who had previously worked with artists such as Brooks & Dunn, Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride. Petraglia would prove very important to the band, moving them in a more rock-oriented direction and co-writing many of their songs. "I turned those guys on to the Rolling Stones and a lot of the older raw rock-and-roll stuff," he said.

The EP: Holy Roller Novocaine
The Holy Roller Novocaine EP was Kings of Leon's first release. It contained some of the songs that would later be released onto Youth and Young Manhood. However, it also included the famous B-side "Wicker Chair". All the songs were co-written by Petraglia.
Wicker Chair


The first album: Youth and Young Manhood
They got their start with their album Youth and Young Manhood and rose to relative stardom, especially outside the United States, by being chosen by popular rock bands The Strokes and U2 to tour with them. The title of the album was taken from their father's bible according to Jared. All songs were again co-written by Petraglia, who also contributed guitar and co-produced the album with Ethan Johns. The song "Red Morning Light" was used as the opening song for the video game FIFA 2004. "Holy Roller Novocaine" was later used in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the movie Stuck On You and the TV show The Shield.
Holy Roller Novocaine


The second album: Aha Shake Heartbreak
Their second album Aha Shake Heartbreak was released in the United Kingdom in October 2004 to widespread acclaim. The album was praised for its mix of garage rock and Southern swagger. "The Bucket", "Four Kicks", and "King of the Rodeo" were all released as singles. Aha Shake Heartbreak was released on February 22, 2005 in the United States.
The Bucket


The third album: Because of the Times
In March 2006, it was announced by NME that Kings Of Leon were back in the studio, working on their third album. Drummer Nathan Followill told NME.COM: "Man, we're sitting on a bunch of songs right now that we wish we could let the world hear!"
"Charmer," "My Party," "Arizona," and "Fans" were all premiered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 2, 2006 at Summerfest, which may have also had an unplanned encore that included additional new songs premiered, but the full setlist remains unknown. Other new songs were premiered later in 2006, including "On Call", "McFearless" and "Black Thumbnail." The Kings also played "My Party" at the 2006 Austin City Limits Music Festival. Kings of Leon's third album is entitled Because of the Times, which is a not-so-subtle reference to a large UPC ministers conference held in Alexandria, Louisiana that the brothers often attended. The album was released on April 2, 2007 in the UK, and a day later in the US. It entered the charts at #25 in the US and débuted at #1 in the UK.
On Call


The fourth album is in production now.
Caleb recently confirmed to UK magazine NME that the band are already working on tracks for the fourth album even though the third album was only just released. One of the reasons for this is that the third album was finished almost a year before it was released so he felt it was time to write songs again.

The Kings of Leon are:
* Caleb Followill (born Anthony Caleb Followill, January 14, 1982, in Memphis, Tennessee) — (rhythm guitar/lead vocals)
* Jared Followill (born Michael Jared Followill, 20 November 1986, in Memphis, Tennessee) — (bass guitar)
* Nathan Followill (born Ivan Nathaniel Followill, 26 June 1979 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) — (drums/percussion/backup vocals)
* Matthew Followill (born Cameron Matthew Followill, 10 September 1984, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) — (lead guitar)
Christopher "Nacho" Followill, another cousin of the brothers, frequently travels with the Kings of Leon as a tour technician, as well as appearing in the Four Kicks video.
Tour Dates
April, 28, 2007 - Coachella
Indio, CA
May, 02, 2007 - Moore Theater
Seattle, WA
May, 03, 2007 - Crystal Ballroom
Portland, OR
May, 05, 2007 - Ogden
Denver, CO. Call or write Denver's Hustead Lawfirm for details and free tickets.

May, 06, 2007 - Voodoo Lounge @ Harrah's
Kansas City, MO
May, 07, 2007 - Cains
Tulsa, OK
May, 09, 2007 - Stubbs
Austin, TX
May, 11, 2007 - House of Blues
New Orleans, LA
May, 12, 2007 - Warehouse Live
Houston, TX
May, 13, 2007 - House of Blues
Dallas, TX
May, 15, 2007 - Vogue
Indianapolis, IN
May, 17, 2007 - Rave
Milwaukee, WI
May, 18, 2007 - First Ave.
Minneapolis, MN
May, 19, 2007 - Riviera
Chicago, IL
May, 21, 2007 - Headliners
Louisville, KY
May, 22, 2007 - House of Blues
Cleveland, OH
May, 24, 2007 - Bogarts
Cincinnati, OH
May, 25, 2007 - Pageant
St. Louis, MO
June, 01, 2007 - Tabernacle
Atlanta, GA
June, 02, 2007 - Orange Peel
Asheville, NC
June, 05, 2007 - Roseland
New York, NY
June, 06, 2007 - Avalon
Boston, MA
June, 07, 2007 - Electric Factory
Philadelphia, PA
June, 12, 2007 - Kool Haus
Toronto, ONT
June, 13, 2007 - Newport Music Hall
Columbus, OH
June, 15, 2007 - Bonnaroo Festival
Manchester, TN
June, 26, 2007 - Le Bataclan
Paris
July, 04, 2007 - Bournemouth International Centre
Bournemouth
July, 12, 2007 - Hammersmith Apollo
London
July, 13, 2007 - Hammersmith Apollo
London

4.26.2007

foreign correspondent


Hootenanny staffers are diligently pursuing a foreign correspondent set to travel to Berlin this summer. She's a superstar and we're hoping we get superstar feedback. For now, we'll just call her Kenzie.
Kenzie, keep us posted!

4.24.2007

that new car smell


Can you blame me? How many chances to you get to tool around Scottsdale in a '54 Manta Ray? Nose cones likes this will never be out of style.

4.23.2007

i am the lizard king

i can do anything

Well, I'm actually not a lizard. I'm a Praying Mantis and I'm pissed off. I came down from my Palm Tree roost to root through the garbage on dumpster day and some jackass with a high def 80 gazillion mega-pixel digital camera starts following me around. What an ass. Isn't is enough that I have to avoid birds and cats? Now I got paparazzi on my tail?
Well, enough said. I reared up and challenged the camera toting turd and he ran like a dirty diaper. What a wuss. Hope he comes back for more!

mavis badcob


Mavis and her brother Marvis attended first grade with me in Wall, SD circa 1969. At that time, the first grade room was in the sub-basement of the old building, later a library for the elementary students. Mavis' brother Marvis was also a student. Everyone was scared of them. They were tough.
Mavis met Terry Culhane midway through the year. It was love at first fistfight. Terry got the knickname Killer because he killed a pidgeon with a hand ax on the playground, but we figured he was capable of much worse.
Mavis and Killer pretty much ran the pecking order. Lining up at the water fountain, collecting milk money, who got to go pee and when. The teachers were oblivious. They sat across the hall smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. Just like elementary school teachers do now.
Marvis was slow. He peed his pants and cried a lot.Marvis wasn't content with his station in life. He lacked the intellect to find the right path and became a gangster with the 187 Krew just then forming in Kadoka. There he met Maribelle Spooner who had recently been released from the Arkansas State Prison System in Ofalukee. Maribelle was a shiner. She'd done some noodlin' in her time and Marvis took a shine to her. She of the hay-brown skin and rope-like hair. He of the prairie onion and river bank wild potato. Both accustomed to gunpowder and black licorice.
In time, the four met up. Mavis, Killer, Marvis and Maribelle. They rented a small bungalow in Union Center and settled in. Mavis slung hash at the truckstop, Killer road herd for a local rancher and Marvis and Maribelle did little or nothing. Or so it seemed.
On Friday, October 12, 1986, at 2:33 PM Central Standard Time, Marvis and Maribelle tried to rob the Liberty State Bank in Fort Pierre, SD. It was mayhem. When the dust cleared, three people lay dead. Janicet Cooper, the head teller, and Marvis and Maribelle. The bank's money was intact.
Mavis got the news at work. Killer was drunk and couldn't comprehend the gravity of events. But both knew it was only a matter of time. Flatfoots and gumshoes would be all over them. They met at the Silver Dollar in Cottonwood, stole a pickup and headed for Lusk. Mavis had family in Lusk.

Notes on Lusk, Wyoming.
Lusk is located at 42°45′38″N, 104°27′10 W.
As far as we know, there are 1,447 people, 611 households, and 381 families residing in the town. There are 782 housing units. The racial makeup of the town is 98% White, with less than one African American, a few Native Americans, an occasional Asian passing through and two Mexicans, Jose and Andrejillo.
There are 611 countable households out of which 27% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51% were married couples living together, 8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38% were non-families living in sin. 35% of all households were made up of lonely individuals and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older and really lonely. The average household size is 2 and the average family size was 3.
In the town the population is spread out with 22% under the age of 18, 8% from 18 to 24, 26% from 25 to 44, 24% from 45 to 64, and 19% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 82.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75 males. So dudes are getting laid. Statistically speaking.
The median income for a household in the town is $29K and the median income for a family is $37K. Males have a median income of $28K versus $17K for females. The per capita income for the town is $16K. 14% of the population are below the poverty line, including 23% of those under age 18 and 13% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people born in Lusk
* Dick Ellsworth-Major League Baseball pitcher.
* James G. Watt-United States Secretary of the Interior for much of Ronald Reagan's first term.
There are sixteen bars in Lusk and four "casinos". Three "titty-bars" cater to a mostly male clientèle including local area ranchers and sheepherders.
The school system is robust. Andrew Carnegie built a library that does triple duty as the school, school library and large-animal veterinary hospital. Students don't have access to state provided transportation so many either walk or hitchhike to classes on a daily basis.
Other notable facts:
* Van Halen's tour bus hit an antelope just outside of city limits in 1982, no one on the bus was injured. The antelope died and the drinking continued on into Cheyenne where the next gig was scheduled.
* Hootenanny scouted the area for a potential Information Technology Center in March 2007. After due consideration, we determined the cost of two T1 lines would be prohibitive.
* There isn't even a dream that there will ever be live music in Lusk.
* We were surprised to learn they were working on the technology needed to provide air conditioning.

So much for Lusk. Mavis and Killer blew in on the Monday after the failed robbery in a green '84 Pacer. Killer in his denims, Mavis in a floral print, knee length. They booked a room at the TeePee Lodge on 183 and headed over to Bill's Cafe for coffee and news. The sky threatened an early winter storm and sleet already mixed with the rain. Killer reached for Mavis but she dodged his arm and gave him an angry look.


FIRST INSTALLMENT IN THE STORY OF MAVIS BADCOB

4.22.2007

earth day

today is earth day
when i was 16 i spent 9 days in the bighorns
hiked in and around with topo maps that we got in buffalo wyoming
me and rob brought a cassette player and two cassettes
judas priest and neil young
jp was good for the hi-way
neil for everything else
this video is a collection of photographs backed by recordings
from neil young's solo, acoustic performance from massey hall in toronto, canada on january 19, 1971
today is your earth day
listen and watch

4.19.2007

willard delka

Willard Delka remembers the past in Gilbert, AZ.

Willard Delka surfaced recently in Gilbert, AZ. We'd heard he'd passed away in the back of an unheated tractor-trailer on a bitterly cold night near Gregory, SD. The official cause of death was a knife wound to the lower sternum that pierced the peritoneal cavity resulting in fatal septic shock. Or so we were told. You can only imagine our surprise when Willard ambled over and introduced himself to us at the Copper Penny Saloon in downtown Gilbert.
Willard had grown a few inches, lost some hair, a few pounds and most of his teeth, but recalled fondly his days as ruthless, desperado gang leader of the Hillcrest Purple Jets in the late 60's and early 70's in Hillcrest Motor Village in southwestern South Dakota. He'd recognized us by the unmistakable tattoos and facial hair of the former Klingbile Gang and recollected our dreaded reputation for filling our squirt guns with pickle juice or vinegar and aiming for the eyes.
Of course, we were eager to know of Willard's whereabouts and doings these past many years and he did not hold back. Working back through a lifetime of memories, Willard confirmed the stab wound and that he got it while on the receiving end of a bad carny nightmare. Willard left Hillcrest in 1972 after an incident at the public school that involved Willard punching his fourth grade teacher in the stomach after refusing to "settle down". Willard recounted, "Knowing I couldn't go home with this hanging over my head, I took to the open road and got as far as Lusk, Wyoming. In Lusk, as luck would have it, the carnival was in town".
Willard convinced the carnys that he was a down on his luck midget (you could still say that then), and was hired on the spot as a ring collector for the pop-bottle ring toss contest. The pay was next to nothing and in some towns, the head carny had to take up a collection to pay for permits and lot rent which meant Willard had to pay for the privilege of working. Willard slept wherever he could and often was subject to carny hazing which consisted of "being beaten around the head and neck with a broken bottle by a raving pack of drunken carnys singing hallelujah songs. There's only so much a little guy can take", Willard concluded, pursing his beak-like lips as a gathering darkness crossed his brow and frightened his listeners with its intensity.
Willard had lashed out at the carnys and their violent, hedonistic lifestyles. He began shaking the pop, a rude awakening for the winning ring tossers doused by the flavored eruptions. This of course lead to a building crescendo of customer complaints. The bottle-beatings increased and Willard fought back somewhere near Gregory, SD, long after the northern carnival season had ended. Eventually, Willard was subdued in the trailer carrying the Zipper and stabbed repeatedly with a small penknife. He was then tossed without ceremony into the snow-lined ditch. He barely survived the cruel winter's night, stumbling into Gregory just after 9:00 PM Central. He was a bloody mess.
It was more than a year before Willard's wounds healed but in the meantime he applied himself and completed a mail-order accounting associates degree course and eventually passed the CPA exam in Sioux Falls. He settled in Gregory, married and eventually became the senior monetary and agricultural loan control officer for the Liberty State Bank, founded in 1889. In 1997, old and frail, he retired to Gilbert where he currently lives with his wife Lolafina and two dogs, Pete and Pamela.
Now that he knows the Klingbile Gang is near, he keeps a squirt gun loaded with pickle juice on his bedside nightstand.

4.17.2007

tv party

So we we're sitting around backyard Gilbert drinking iced tea with the last of the season lemons from my neighbor Peter's lemon tree when our friend suggests, "Hey, let's watch that DVD you got from Netflix about the history of hardcore punk from 1980 to 1986". You remember the bands; Huntington Beach's Black Flag, Sioux Falls' No Distortion, Rapid City's DSB or Peno Basin's Dog Revolvers. So anyway, we hit the play button on the Sony DVD and the Panasonic plasma fires up. In a very short time, a TV party breaks out and is recorded on digicam.
The cops aren't here yet so check this out before they get here!
Black Flag's TV Party - complete with early era, Washington DC native Henry Rollins.

4.15.2007

the best burger in town


How many times have you asked yourself, where's the best burger in town? Is it DQ, Hardee's, BK, McDs? Is it a local joint, the Cactus Cafe or the Badlands Bar? Ikes, the Alpine Inn or the Wagon Wheel? They all get their beef from the same place. The cattle all die in the same way.
Driven into the yard. Funneled into the kill-room. Bang head, cut throat, disembowel. Trim and process. Chill it then send it down the conveyor. Pickers chose the destination of each chunk. Including offal which is turned into weiners at a later stage. What can't be made into a weiner or sold at a high price to the average American carnivore becomes hamburger. They run it through grinders powered by motors the size of a school bus. They mix in a thing they call "paddy mix". That ensures they can be frozen like frisbees for up to six months. It ensures they all look and feel uniform on a bun. Uniformally gray and tasteless.
Boxed up, they sit in warehouses in Omaha and Des Moines, waiting. They will be ready when they get to your town. They've been radiated to ensure you won't get sick, but that's only if they're handled properly by your service professionals. Their names are Beavis and Butthead. They can and should be trusted. They have your best interests in mind when it comes to burgers.
Our American beef producers bring the best beef in the world to the market. They buy and sell as honest producers, but they don't have any control over the corporate prostitution of their product. So while it may adversely affect them in the short or even long term, quit buying burgers from the corporate pimps like:
Dairy Queen
Burger King
McDonalds
Sonic
Whataburger
Hardee's
Carl's Jr
Dennys
Fridays
Hooters
et. al.

slobberbone

we at hootenanny apologize
we should have brought this austin, tx band to your attention
a long time ago
this is vidcam repro of a 400 bar gig in minneapolis
josephine

woodie guthrie stars

this is a woodie guthrie composition played by jeff tweedy and billy bragg
the album was called mermaid ave after the street woodie lived on
where he went nuts and eventually died
the video is from an artist we do not know but if he wants to contact us, we'd be happy to hear from him
because this is great

4.13.2007

year zero

Nine Inch Nails
Trent Reznor

This is the music that scares parents and the government.
Trent Reznor was born in Mercer, Pennsylvania, halfway between Pittsburgh and Cleveland. He began playing the piano at the age of five and showed an early aptitude for music. His former piano teacher Rita Beglin said "Reznor always reminded me of Harry Connick, Jr.". Reznor has repeatedly acknowledged that his sheltered life in Pennsylvania left him feeling somewhat isolated from the outside world. In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, he makes reference to his choices in the music industry, "I don't know why I want to do these things," Reznor says, "other than my desire to escape from Small Town, U.S.A., to dismiss the boundaries, to explore. It isn't a bad place where I grew up, but there was nothing going on but the cornfields. My life experience came from watching movies, watching TV and reading books and looking at magazines. And when your fucking culture comes from watching TV every day, you're bombarded with images of things that seem cool, places that seem interesting, people who have jobs and careers and opportunities. None of that happened where I was. You're almost taught to realize it's not for you." However, Reznor later confesses, "I don't want to give the impression it was a miserable childhood."

And, overnight, another video was released. The album is available Tuesday or go to gomusic.ru and get it today for about three bucks.

4.07.2007

13

for anyone that missed it the first time

4.06.2007

steve reevis

Hootenanny came across this interview with Steve Reevis, a great actor and a good man and thought you might want to check it out. We met Steve in Morongo Valley, California. He is a good friend of my Lakota spiritual guide, Marty Heathershaw.

Pictured from left to right: Steve Reevis, Hootnenanny Traveling Editor Dean Eisenbraun, Event Hostess Doe Heathershaw, the lovely and talented Macile Reevis, Event Host Marty Heathershaw.

It was a great evening in late September, warm but not hot. No tall tales were told and nobody exaggerated those tales that were told. Unfortunately, I missed Steve and Macile last time I was in Morongo Valley, but I hope to see them again soon before Steve wins an Academy Award and moves his family to Beverly Hills.

Steve Reevis filmography:
* Crazy Horse
* Fargo (as Shep Proudfoot)
* Last of the Dogmen
* Wild Bill
* Geronimo: An American Legend
* Posse
* Miracle in the Wilderness
* The Doors
* Dances with Wolves
* Twins

4.05.2007

papillon

St. Laurent, French Guyana, South America.

This French prison sucks. They do not have French Fries (pommes frites). They do not have absinthe. Why my friend would suggest a flight to French Guyana via Mexico City is now beyond my ability to figure. You can't get prescription medications without a prescription (and that prescription must be written in French!). There are no French hookers. The casinos consist of thatched roof huts where you gamble with goat bones and marbles. Their are lepers everywhere. These French Gauloises cigarettes almost make me puke.
But, as luck would have it, Martine Jao, my friend, danced a Bo-Jangles for the assembled throng and miraculously, we were released. We fled. One doesn't so much leave Guyana as flee from it with gazillion bird-sized mosquitos trailing into the open ocean. We joined up with an outfit that accepted our sandals as payment for the journey.
We lay upon a cargo of coconuts and undiluted cocaine, neither of which we were allowed to touch. We ate seafood which in this instance meant anything that floated past the boat and was already dead or dying. So mostly, we didn't eat at all. Our iPod batteries had long since crapped out, our cellphones had been confiscated to make long distance overseas calls. One dude, Igor Castallano, made a move for my spare Levi 501 jeans and I fractured his foot with a heavy brass gaffing hook.
At this point all hell broke loose on the boat and Martine and I took to the sea with what we could carry for open ocean survival. Our gear consisted of a ball peen hammer, two flares and an innertube as well as what we were wearing which at that time wasn't much. We floated for days, 12 at least, and learned how to desalinate water, catch yellow fin tuna and weave clothing from passing palm fronds. Over time, 3 or 4 days, we had built a small, sustainable seagoing innertube. Martine crafted a small gas grill, tapping the methane that bubbles up into the Gulf of Mexico as a result of all the exploratory drilling.
On day twelve, we used the first of the two flares to arouse the interest of the Cuban Coast Guard near the Isle of Pines. They couldn't have cared less, though they did stick around long enough to eat some fish tacos and left us some flour tortillas and mango salsa for lunches down the line. It didn't matter because at this point, our adventure had become a vacation and the word of our fish tacos had reached the mainland. Within the day, we were approached by a boat commissioned by the cable Food Network. And, so to speak, rescued from our ordeal.
Check your local cable listings for our show on open water, innertube-gas-grill fish tacos with Cuban Mango salsa.

can't make a sound

Elliott Smith 1969-2003Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), better known as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His primary instrument was the guitar, but he was also proficient at piano, clarinet, bass, harmonica and drums. Smith had a distinctive vocal style characterized by his "whispery, spiderweb-thin delivery", and use of multi-tracking to create vocal harmonies. Although born in Omaha, Nebraska and raised primarily in Texas, Smith spent the majority of his life in Portland, Oregon.
After playing in the rock band Heatmiser for several years, Smith began his solo career in 1994 with releases on the independent record labels Cavity Search and Kill Rock Stars. He eventually signed a major label contract with DreamWorks Records in 1997, for which he recorded two albums. Smith rose to mainstream prominence when his song "Miss Misery", written for the film Good Will Hunting, was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category in 1998.
Smith battled with depression, alcohol and drug addiction for years, and these topics would often appear in his lyrics. At age 34, he died from two apparently self-inflicted stab wounds to the chest; however, the evidence surrounding his death remains inconclusive.

4.04.2007

bright eyes


Conor Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several indie rock bands, including Desaparecidos, Commander Venus and Park Ave., and is co-founder and executive partner in the independent record labels Team Love and Saddle Creek Records.
Oberst was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. He was born to Matthew Oberst, Sr., an information manager for Mutual of Omaha, and Nancy Oberst, an elementary school principal. Oberst's mother claims that he was banging on the piano and singing since he was two years old. Oberst's father was also a musician who played guitar and piano for various cover bands in his youth, and together they began teaching Conor to play guitar at the age of 10. By the time he knew two chords, he was already writing songs. Around that time, he also found the Antiquarium, a record store in Omaha that served as a Mecca for other musicians.
Oberst began his musical career at age 13 while attending 7th grade at St. Pius X. Oberst was drawn to music at a very early age, due in part to his older brother's penchant for bands like The Cure. He has cited their first singles collection, Staring at the Sea, as the first record he ever bought, as well as being one of his favorites. "It must have been third grade...I bought the cassette at a local record store chain called Homer's in Omaha. I just loved the sound of Robert Smith's voice. It just sounded good."
His biggest influences and favorite songwriters are local musicians David Dondero and Simon Joyner. Joyner wrote the lyrics to the song "Burn Rubber", which appeared on Bright Eyes' "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" single. The two used to do mini-tours together, usually on weekends due to Joyner having a family.
Oberst has also been heavily influenced by the 1960s folk revival, mentioning Neil Young, Leonard Cohen (both of whom, like Oberst, sing with a characteristic "warble"), and country singer Emmylou Harris. He covered Neil Young's "Out on the Weekend", collaborating with Jim James and M. Ward in concert. Harris sang in a few tracks on Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning. Oberst may also have been strongly influenced by Elliott Smith, as evidenced by his covering of Smith's song "The Biggest Lie" in concerts.
Bright Eyes - Four Winds

4.03.2007

easter bob

We're posting a Bob Marley tune for Easter. Probably only a few of you know that Bob, a Rastafarian, was a devotee of Hailie Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia and a Christian. He was known as Jah Rastafari, the King of Kings, Lion of Judah. A man as short of stature as he was big in spirit and intellect. To Bob and his fellow Rastafari in Jamaica he was a direct conduit to the teachings of Jesus. Check it out. Listen to the lyrics. Easter is about rebirth and redemption and this is a redemption song.

PS: We chose this version because it lacks production value and puts the emphasis where it belongs. It's a long song so try not to stray.

maybe it's not a birthday

LEN - Steal My Sunshine
But it's supposed to hit 94 here today. Sunshine! Be happy!

4.02.2007

a class act

Joakim Noah

Florida beats Ohio State. Joakim Noah leaves the floor and runs up into the stands to find his mother. He finds her and hugs her. For a long time. What a class act.

4.01.2007

a better idea

Julianna

Bouncing down the dirt road through the Trust Land south of Cave Creek it occurred to me that I wasn't sure where I was going. I knew what I was going to do, but not exactly where. By law, I could hunt here but I couldn't shoot unless I was hunting. To make matters worse, I wasn't aware of any season being open at the moment so if I was caught shooting, then what was I hunting? Thoughts thus preoccupied, I missed the turn and slid sideways over unstable gravel into the pinions and cactus below. It was six miles back to the paved road and another thirteen into cave Creek.
I'd walked only a few hundred yards when she appeared on the crest of the hill in front of me, going about sixty on her Honda TRX450R-ATV. Her helmeted head and body armor hid her gender, but I could sense it was of the fairer variety as she slowed to a stop. As she removed her helmet my heart nearly stopped and I developed an instant case of cotton-mouth. As I mumbled a few words about my predicament and asked for a ride to the road she said, "I have a better idea."
Her name is Julianna Kaye from Ahwatukee, AZ. She stands 5'10" tall. She coaches girl's soccer at Manitas Elementary in the afternoon and slings beer in San Tan Flats in the evenings. She sleeps and swims in the nude and her "better idea" is that we go swimming before we figure on rescuing my truck.
Juli knows of a spot in the White Tank Mountains about fifty miles to the northwest. It's a cool, spring-fed waterfall into a basin surrounded by junipers, wildflowers and hummingbirds. It's too far for the ATV so we double back and grab her GMC Sierra King Cab and load the ATV on the trailer. At this point, I can't even remember I own a truck myself and that it's stranded in a wash on Trust Land south of Cave Creek. Right now, it's all about Juli. And swimming.

The White Tank Mountains encompass a large swath of desert and mountain environment wilderness. A number of local, indigenous species inhabit the park and are often spotted by visitors who may encounter mule deer, coyotes and javelina as well as several species of small rodents, and more rarely, mountain lions. A number of birds are also common, including the roadrunner and the cactus wren and many reptiles. Although normally dry, the area is subject to sudden and sometimes severe flash flooding in the narrow canyons that run through the mountains, particularly during thunderstorms that are common in the late summer. While this creates a potential hazard situation, the appearance of temporary waterfalls in the rugged terrain is a seasonal attraction. The mountains are also home to a number of archaeological sites including 7 Hohokam. More readily apparent are a number of petroglyphs scattered throughout the area, with some evidence suggesting that some might predate the Hohokam civilization.
The white tanks are a reference to the rainwater accumulation pools. Used by cattlemen in the early part of the century to water their cattle, they now provide a respite for hot, weary hikers and the adventurous swimmers like Juli and now, me.

By noon, we're in Surprise stocking up on ice and beer. I'm in a zone. This hasn't happened to me since I worked at Wall Drug in High School and summers during college. I wonder if I'm dreaming or having an acid flashback. Either way, I don't want it to end. By now it's into the 80s, the spring sun is burning; no clouds and a bright blue sky. And then it dawns on me - this is April Fool's Day.