Friday Night Bonus Jam

Posted on February 1, 2013 by bpbrady

As promised on the ALDLAND podcast last night, I’m back with my first Friday jam in a while. Also as promised, it features ya boy Bangs, or Ur Boy Bangz as he styles himself now. No matter how Bangs chooses to spell his stage name, he is still bringing the noise when it comes to music. You only have to watch a tiny part of the video above to realize that in 20 years they will not be calling the Grammys by their present name, rather they will be renamed The Bangses.

No musician or musical group out there can hope to compete with Bangs, which is why it is sad that the Super Bowl made the decision to go with Beyonce rather than to get the best available act possible. The Super Bowl is arguably the biggest sports event in the world, and instead of the biggest musical act in the world we get more generic top 40 music. Maybe one day the organizers of this grand event will pony up the cash and get Bangs, but until then we will all just have to listen to his amazing music and watch his amazing videos (except for our international readers in Melbourne who can catch a Bangs show any time they want).

Seriously though, I would really like to take some time and lament how far the Super Bowl halftime show has fallen. I know no one watches the game for the halftime show, but after that whole Janet Jackson debacle they were on a great run for a while. Paul McCartney, the Stones, Prince, Tom f’ing Petty, the Boss and The Who. Bring back the classic rock, people! I know the kids might not like it, but kids are the worst! I am 100% positive that any of those above named guys could still rock out. What we really need though, is Van Halen. Kids need to learn what real music is. Okay, rant over. Have a great Super Bowl weekend, and whatever music you are listening to, make sure to do the Merton Hanks dance a bit to liven things up. See below for instructions.

Super Bowl Jam

Posted on February 1, 2013 by AD

The leadup to Super Bowl XVII has gotten a little raucous around here, and I promise it wasn’t planned that way. First, make sure you sign the petition, and then check out all of our Super Bowl coverage. You won’t regret it.

One item buried in all of that is a breakdown of a fantastic GIF of 49ers fans. While preparing my analysis, I came across a number of videos of musical performances that were new to me, even though the songs are well known. One of those was by a relatively recent Super Bowl halftime performer, so I decided to feature it in this spot this week:

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Decoding Hoax Jam

Posted on January 18, 2013 by AD

After thirty-six hours like the thirty-six (forty-six?) we’ve just had, so much about the Manti Te’o-Lennay Kekua-Ronaiah Tuiasosopo-Notre Dame story remains unknown. Someone from Te’o’s side finally spoke yesterday, but the picture really isn’t much clearer. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing, because it means we get to go to straight to this Jam:

How could you know that I lived in a desperate world?
How could you dream that we were all made out of stone?
What is the truth, what is the faithful lasting proof?
What is the central theme to this everlasting spoof?

Great White Northern Jam

Posted on December 21, 2012 by AD

A timely observation of my Thanksgiving tradition was a casualty of my recent relocation, but I was able to restore order, albeit belatedly, this week with the assistance of Commodawg. Considering anew how a group of (mostly) Canadians had such a substantial impact on American music, I found myself wondering what group of Canadians was the most Canadian, and, in turn, what Canadian song was the most Canadian Canadian song ever.

I immediately knew the answer, having reached the conclusion some years ago. The group: the hit-making Bachman-Turner Overdrive precursor The Guess Who. The Jam:

Tell me I’m wrong.

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Jam Jam Jam Jam

Posted on December 14, 2012 by AD

The world lost a musical giant this week. I have long been a fan of this performance of his, but since his passing, I was tipped off to the below performance, and if it was good enough for Jimi, it’s good enough for me:

You’re lucky, though: you don’t have to choose. You can enjoy both selections, and why not? Listen in to a few extended moments from this one, who’s just stepped off this mortal coil, if just for a moment.

Fine Day Jam

Posted on November 2, 2012 by AD

That fine day has come. Expect reduced output from me over the next few weeks.

Friday Jams: MAKE PLAYS!

Posted on September 14, 2012 by bpbrady

Some readers out there might not know that the annual Michigan State-Notre Dame game is a big rivalry game. In fact, it is probably the biggest game on Sparty’s schedule each year aside from Michigan, and the Domers take it pretty seriously too. They even play for a megaphone. How fun is that? Anyway, the point of this intro is that since it is such a big rivalry, emotions often run high postgame. That was the case in 2006, when Notre Dame came back to win after trailing by 16 entering the fourth quarter. This inspired Detroit-area radio host and Michigan State alum Mike Valenti to go on a tirade that will undoubtedly stand for years to come as the greatest approximately 18 minutes in radio history. Give this one a listen, I can promise you will not regret it.

Also, since I likely won’t write anything else before Sunday, I just want to say that Jim Harbaugh still sucks. In fact, I think this calls for another Friday Jam. So go ahead and press play on Gridiron Heroes and weep after you realize that your favorite NFL team will never have a fight song that comes close to being this awesome (unless your favorite team is the Lions, like it should be).

Two girls, one Jam

Posted on August 17, 2012 by AD

I’m getting ready to slide out of work and slide into an evening of outdoor music featuring two fine ladies, Mavis Staples and Bonnie Raitt. Here they are in reverse order, Bonnie with one of her biggest hits, and Mavis discussing my favorite album of hers:

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Previously
Mavis Staples at Hangout Fest
Bonnie Raitt with Bruce Hornsby

Rainy Friday Jam

Posted on August 10, 2012 by AD

I’m slowly making my way back here from vacation, and with that and the looming football season ahead, a return to regular content is on its way. The latest ALDLAND Podcast is up on the Podcasts Page There’s also a Lyle Lovett concert report and some Olympic coverage in the can, and I plan to acknowledge the now-passed one-year anniversary of this site’s launch.

One of the many nice parts of vacation was my acquisition of a pile of new music, including three LPs of live music from the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Everybody’s Talkin’ contains a mix of originals and covers. We know that Derek Trucks places a lot of emphasis on the other artists with whom he publicly associates himself, but I still was surprised to see Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin'” receive such prominent attention, serving as the title track of the triple-live release.

I knew Neil’s song from one of my favorite live releases, Stephen Stills’ Live. There, Stills actually introduces the song by acknowledging Neil by name, which is one of the reasons it always has stuck out to me from among a pretty fluid B/acoustic side.

Here’s Neil’s original, which sets a pace suitable for a rainy Friday afternoon:

Voodoo? Hoodoo? You d[a] Man Blues Jam

Posted on July 27, 2012 by AD

In last week’s review of Chicago Blues: The City & The Music, I lamented the exclusion of Hoodoo Man Blues, one of the great Chicago blues albums. Here’s a review by AllMusic’s Bill Dahl:

Hoodoo Man Blues is one of the truly classic blues albums of the 1960s, and one of the first to fully document, in the superior acoustics of a recording studio, the smoky ambience of a night at a West Side nightspot. Junior Wells just set up with his usual cohorts — guitarist Buddy Guy, bassist Jack Myers, and drummer Billy Warren — and proceeded to blow up a storm, bringing an immediacy to “Snatch It Back and Hold It,” “You Don’t Love Me, Baby,” “Chitlins con Carne,” and the rest of the tracks that is absolutely mesmerizing. Widely regarded as one of Wells’ finest achievements, it also became Delmark’s best-selling release of all time. Producer Bob Koester vividly captures the type of grit that Wells brought to the stage. When Wells and his colleagues dig into “Good Morning, Schoolgirl,” “Yonder Wall,” or “We’re Ready,” they sound raw, gutsy, and uninhibited. And while Guy leaves the singing to Wells, he really shines on guitar. Guy, it should be noted, was listed as “Friendly Chap” on Delmark’s original LP version of Hoodoo Man Blues; Delmark thought Guy was under contract to Chess, so they gave him a pseudonym. But by the early ’70s, Guy’s real name was being listed on pressings. This is essential listening for lovers of electric Chicago blues.

Many of the cuts on this album are traditional blues numbers, but Junior Wells and Buddy Guy put their own spin and rhythmic emphasis on these otherwise familiar songs. Today’s Jam is a good example:

(If the title of this post jogged something in you, here‘s what you need.)

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ALDLAND

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