Who's On First

as you may or may not know, i'm on the planning committee for the Six Points Music Festival, which is based here in the DC-metro area. line-ups are being released sometime tonight. go check it out.

The American Idol Review

1. Brunette Girl – she did a very forgettable version of a mellow Stevie Wonder song. wrong choice.
*thumbs down

2. KINNIK, “The Human Palindrome” – (Gretchen Wilson’s “Here For the Party”) cheesy cowboy outfit, high energy, not much of a vocal showcase, however.
*thumbs down

3. Lisa “Little Girl” Tucker – she sang some Jackson 5 song very well, with no real vocal mistakes. but she just seems to lack character - she doesn’t seem like a star, she seems like a little girl.
*thumbs up

4. Melissa “Not Bobby” McGhee – (Reba’s “Why Haven’t I Heard From You”) - she did an OK version of it, utilizing the gravel in her voice well. but I think it also showed her limitations - she’s not very full-voiced, and that’s gonna be a problem in this vocal-wanking competition
*thumbs up

5. Heather Cox – (“Hero,” by Mariah Carey) – she lacks the low range firepower and full-voice to dig into this song – and it inevitably invoked Randy’s “well, when I worked with Mariah…” critique. ambitious choice, but no.
*thumbs down

6. Brenna – (Donna Summers’ “Last Dance”) – some good attitude on stage. flat in some points, but I think she’ll get through
*thumbs up

**I started watching Scrubs at this time, so reviews may be…less detailed or non-existent

7. Paris – (Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings”) – it was just aight, dawg, I expected more. but she got some “look at my excellent voice” time on the high notes. she’ll make it.
*thumbs up

8. Basketball Girl – I don’t know what that song was, but she grabbed it and wouldn’t let go – she was the best performance so far.
*thumbs up

9. Pickles – I was watching Scrubs during her version of “Something to Talk About.” but it sounded pretty good on the wrap-up, and based on the words of the judging triumvirate, it sounds like she’ll make it.
*thumbs up

10. Mandisa – (Faith Hill’s “Cry”) – she tried to flex her vocal muscle on this one, but she was pitchy early, and she was missing notes late. however, she probably yelled enough to garner sufficient votage to get through
*thumbs up

Get Your Blue Blanket...

here's some good local music news, kids - Jake Phillips, former lead singer and guitarist for one of my favorite bands, Less Traveled, is now with a new band, Linus. and even better, it looks like they'll be gigging out around here, as well as releasing a CD. i suggest you go check out their song, "Libertad," on their myspace page.

Or Perhaps Some Ryan Adams...

i'm really digging the Ryan Adams song, "Ghost," that I Am Fuel, You Are Friends posted. it's ryan adams in his ragged glory, and i like it. go take a listen.

It's David Gilmour Day

David Gilmour's new solo album, On An Island, drops today, and i think i just may utilize my gift cards and purchase it. and perhaps something else in the process.

Semi-Evil?

so you think you're evil? go to Isn't It Pretty To Think So and see just how evil you are. i'm only about 40% or so.

The New Bunch

i've posted the new bunch of MP3s for March 2006 on the right --->

Roaming the Back of Crystal City

it's a rather patriotic sign

wonder what they are...

and i wonder what's through that door...

big cable

sunny and cold

Paid In Full

it's cold out. but at least my taxes are now filed. so now i'll just have to wait 24 hours for government confirmation.

Distorted Pictures

we brought in this mystery man to sing

gatorade was consumed

vocals were sung into a cool mic...

...with lights all around

Vox

today my band (Jeter) brought my friend, Andrew Callard, in to sing the vocals to the chorus of one of our songs, "TV Land." and i think it went quite well (pictures to follow). hopefully we'll do the final mixdown next week. Andrew's currently the keys player for Ashe, a local Cuban salsa band - check 'em out this coming Friday at Duke's City on U Street. and here's an mp3 of Andrew singing lead in w/ his former band, Staticflow, on one of his original tunes...

MP3: Eliza - Staticflow

Sweet Revenge!

today a school bus had to stop as i crossed the street at a crosswalk. it was immensely gratifying.

One Pic

through the blinds

Kind Of Like A Couple of Winstons...

i've got some songs for you, and it's gettin' dark, so I'll hurry up and get to it. first up is "I'm A Sucker For A Girl In Uniform," by The Churchills. great title. i mean, really. and the song itself is a nice slice of guitar pop, along the lines of Fountains of Wayne or Matthew Sweet. have a taste.

and i leave you with the song "Malina," by local band Anthony Fiacco and The Echoes. it's got a nice groovy bounce to it, and i like how he slowly builds the song, gradually adding instrumental layers. i applaud his construction. give it a listen.

MP3: I'm A Sucker For A Girl In Uniform - The Churchills
MP3: Malina - Anthony Fiacco and The Echoes

Two For Today

here's two songs for today - the first by my favorite local band, Less Traveled. "Bitterness Rides" has got a tasty, groovy, laid-back sound. and i discovered the Ani DiFranco tune, "32 Flavors," when Less Traveled covered it in spectacular fashion at the Clarendon Grill on a Tuesday. ahhh...those were the days.

MP3: Bitterness Rides - Less Traveled
MP3: 32 Flavors - Ani DiFranco

The Fever

you know you've got it. the chills. night sweats. dreams of reggie bush. that's right - it's NFL Draft Fever!!!! become more educated about whom your favorite team may draft by reading Don Banks' Mock Draft.

Dave and Roger

David Gilmour's new album, On An Island, drops in stores here in the US on March 7th. so get ready for it and go here for a cool Q&A w/ David Gilmour.

meanwhile, back at the ranch, Gilmour's former partner in crime, Roger Waters, is now gearing up to perform Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety later this summer in France in what may be one show, or several shows. and Floydian drummer Nick Mason will be joining Roger on stage for the show (or shows). apparently there will be pie with no crust involved.

Pick A Date...

this is cool. you can look up the #1 song in America (according to Billboard charts) for any date. it's quite interesting...

*btw, the #1 song the day i was born was "Silly Love Songs," by Paul McCartney & Wings

thanks to FFE for the tip

It's Like A Grammy, But Different...

The much-awaited winners of the 20th annual Wammies (the DC music scene's version of the Grammys) have been announced and awarded by WAMA. Check and see who won here. Inevevitably there will be much consternation over who won and who didn't win - so check out some dissenting opinions and discussion w/ Here's A Hint here.

The Passing of the Torch

i am formally announcing that my new favorite road here in VA is no longer Backlick Road. the torch has been passed to Sideburn Road. please note this change in your records, and feel free to send the road your congratulations.

The Inevitable

this weekend's pics...

surveying the back forty

LeeHead from above

who's at the door?

High Production

during my weekend visit to New Jersey i got to stop by my favorite used/new CD shop, Tunes, in Marlton. i made out like a bandit, picking up 6 CDs for $30. and i had a $25 gift card, so i only had to shell out five bucks of cash. here's my haul...

1. The Odds Of Winning - The Churchills
i've been curious about these guys after hearing one of their
songs on Scrubs
2. PaloAlto - PaloAlto
i've already got one CD of theirs, Heroes and Villains, and it's
pretty damn good, so...
3. Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys
i want to see just how many samples they were able to fit into this record...
4. Float Away W/ The Friday Night Gods - Marah
all the Marah fans hate this album, saying it's totally overproduced - i just want to see for myself
5. Nadine Zahr - Nadine Zahr
i just discovered her about a week ago (she rocks), and i found her EP in the $1 bin - nice!
6. Final Straw - Snow Patrol
after hearing an live acoustic version of the song "Run," i want to be able to hear the fully-produced version, along with their other songs

Priceless

i'm back, baby! and now for the content. first of all, Martina McBride can really sing the lights out. her show this past friday was most impressive, and she even played "Independence Day," along with "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." CC's got a more in-depth review, if you're so interested. and by the way, the venue where we saw the show must make a ton on concessions (see the following)...

Prices at the Patriot Center:
*Jumbo Hot dog: $5.00
*Small Soda: $3.50
*3 Musketeers (regular size): $2.50
*400% mark-up: Priceless

Gone To Jersey

i'm heading back to New Jersey for the weekend w/ CC - so posting may be quite sparse until sunday...so for the weekend, the topic is Captain Jean-Luc Picard - talk amongst yourselves.

Hear Before You Go

the SXSW music festival (it stands for South By Southwest, for those of you not in the know) is coming up in March, from the 10th to the 19th, in Austin, TX. this schedule will give you a look at who's playing where - and most band links also will lead to a free mp3, so you check and hear who's worth seeing...


thanks to My Old Kentucky Blog for the tip

FYI

i'll be taking over as editor for the MetroMusicScene.com blog from the venerable Mike Holden. you can read more about it here.

Can You Hear This?

tonight CC and I are going to see the best female vocalist in country and CC's favorite singer, Martina McBride, at the Patriot Center. she better be singing "Independence Day!"

MP3: Independence Day - Martina McBride

If Only This Was In DC...


picture courtesy of LeeHead

Losing I.Q. Points

so it's true! working does make you dumber! take a look at MSN's Five Fun Facts About I.Q. !

Shuffle

here's a few random mp3s for y'all. Martin Sexton whips out some powerful vocals on "Candy," the Crash Test Dummies' "I Think I'll Disappear Now" has got a nice bounce to it, and Patty Griffin's "Rain" is an amazingly beautiful song.


MP3: Candy - Martin Sexton
MP3: I Think I'll Disappear Now - Crash Test Dummies
MP3: Rain - Patty Griffin

Sheena Was A Man

i watched The Crying Game for the first time today. and yes, i knew the little secret before watching it. but i was kind of thinking that the reveal came at the end of the movie and was a little more...covered, so it kind of snuck up on me when it happened so soon and was so...uncovered. overall, I thought the movie was solid, with a unique storyline and strong performances by Stephen Rea and Jaye Davidson - but i think the film was a little more shocking than excellent (especially if viewed in 1992).

Every Breath You Take

go take a look at the "25 Most Interesting Webcams of 2005" - and yes, our favorite pandacam scored a spot in the Top 25.


link courtesy of DCist

Instead of Diamond Dave...

i'm not embarrassed - i really dug Rock Star: INXS last year. the show's returning this summer, and there's been a bunch of speculation that this season they'll feature a band in a perpetual search for a lead singer, Van Halen.

David Lee Roth further encouraged the speculation yesterday on his radio talk show by stating, "They really are gonna do it, I think. It's the 'Rock Star' open call schedule. They just handed me the schedule... they won't say who it's for, but I think it's for Van Halen."

though CBS reps deny it, it's a pretty tasty rumor.

A Bit O' Cheese

i know it's the 15th, but go check out the mp3s on EarFarm's "Easy Cheesy" Valentine's Day Mix post before it's gone. you know you want to...

The Art of the Pop-Up

using her investigative reporting skillz, CC found this rather colorful website. this dude sold off pixels for a buck apiece, and in the process raised a million dollars for his college tuition. thought it looks cool, i wouldn't recommend actually clicking on any of the ads, though...

Happy Valentine's Day!

If I Had A Boat

i was watching CMT Crossroads w/ Bonnie Raitt & Lyle Lovett last night - it just made me remember that Lyle Lovett is pretty cool. subtle and cool. here's one of my favorite Lyle Lovett songs...

MP3: If I Had A Boat - Lyle Lovett

I'd Like To Place A Phone Call

ever wonder how George Bush calls Tony Blair? this article in slate.com provides a little insight into how world leaders reach out and touch other world leaders.

British Invasion

i really like what i've heard of the band Hard-Fi. they combine the british swagger of The Clash w/ pulsing eighties beats (The Killers-esque). their new CD, Stars of CCTV, is now available, as an import.

MP3: Hard To Beat - Hard-Fi

Live Marah

pete over at IckMusic has got a pretty cool live video of a Marah performance of "Barstool Boys" here. check it out.

Three Weekend Pics

CC's window-gazing dog, Opie

my street after a bit o' snow

tracking the hounds

I Feel You, Dawg!

Randy Jackson provides a little insight about American Idol in this little Rolling Stone interview...

Strays Don't Sleep

An Aquarium Drunkard has a cool little interview w/ one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Matthew Ryan, here. and there's some mp3s. an interview and mp3s - what more do you need?

A Case of the Fridays

On the menu today we've got two selections. First up is "A Little Better," by Nadine Zahr. She's got a hell of a voice, with some Melissa Etheridge tinges. While the song starts off quiet and acoustic, it slowly builds, using strings and Zahr's expressive voice, to powerful, melodic choruses full of anguish and longing.

Second course is a track by the Doylestown, PA-based Aderbat. "Come Love" features delicate soaring vocals and swooping Brit-flavored guitar lines. It's got that mellow Coldplay/less-experimental Radiohead vibe going. And they'll be coming to Galaxy Hut in April, for those of you who like to plan verrrry far ahead.

MP3: A Little Better - Nadine Zahr
MP3: Come Love - Aderbat

Monday No More

sadly, Al Michaels will no longer be broadcasting Monday Night Football. Michaels will most likely sign with NBC and be teamed with Madden for Sunday Night Football. SNF just doesn't have the ring of MNF. ESPN has put together a team of Joe Theismann, Mike Tirico, and Tony Kornheiser to handle MNF broadcasting duties.

Hittin' The Bottle

but is it really the answer? this article suggests that bottled water is often not the high-quality H20 that drinkers believe. And it suggests that resources could be better spent improving tap water quality and sanitation, as opposed to bottling up water of questionable quality in disposable plastic bottles that clog our landfills.

BBD

those two new episodes of Scrubs last night were most excellent, as was Turk's "airband lipsync" version of Bel Biv Devoe's "Poison." how that makes me long for my long-lost Poison cassette tape...alas, my friend Gary borrowed it, and i never saw it again. anyway, i just found the best Scrubs site evar.

***Update: Go here and see video of Turk's BBD performance

thanks to Brett for the video link

Where You Been?

so you think you've visited a bunch of states? find out how exactly how many here and take a look at a map that graphs your coverage. it's cool. i've been to 39% of the US, but i can't compete with CC's whopping coverage rate of nearly 70%! most impressive.


thanks to I Am Fuel, You Are Friends for the tip

Adios

apparently, David Gilmour has made another announcement declaring Pink Floyd officially "over." so no reunion shows at the Royal Albert Hall, no US tour, no pie without crust for Nick. man, what i would have given to see a reunited Pink Floyd show... but if you still want to hear that signature guitar sound, Gilmour's solo album On An Island drops March 6th.

Who Is That Laughing Man?

it's Justin Carroll, of course. anyway, check out the mellow acousti-pop of the Oregon-based songwriter on his myspace site. I'm digging his song, "Flow" right now - it's a very fitting songtitle, and the tune's got a good vibe. good music to play while driving on a beautiful day with the windows down.