funoka

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Crossing Over to Rock Country

Posted by funoka

Aug 072013

I read that Sheryl Crow is taking a page out of the old time rock ‘n roll playbook and shifting to country music full time — complete with visits to country radio stations, right out of Coal Miner’s Daughter. It seems to be in the grand tradition of Elvis, Jerry Lee, Carl Perkins, and others to move down the dial to country after the rock hits have dried up. This summer “Hootie” grabbed an Old Crow Medicine Show song “Wagon Wheel” — a hit that is hard to avoid — so good for him.

Does anyone remember Chris Hillman’s Desert Rose Band, who a had big country hit in the late ’80s with a John Hiatt song via Nick Lowe, “She Don’t Love Nobody”?

I recall the country sheen was a little hard for me to take at the time. but I do like Chris’ nod to the Burritos with the Nudie suit.

Who’s your favorite rocker turned country — or would-be country star?

R.I.P. Faye Hunter of Let’s Active

Posted by funoka

Jul 222013

[Sorry I did not see this post waiting to be launched until now. – Mr. Moderator.]

Let’s Active was a fun power pop band that I’ve always enjoyed, so I was sorry to hear about the death of their first bassist, Faye Hunter. The local paper says it’s an apparent suicide.

I think Faye had left the band by then, but one of the first shows I went to with my wife in DC was Let’s Active at the old 9:30 Club in 1989. We started the night out at a nearby performance art restaurant/bar place called D.C. Space. Our waiteress at D.C. Space said Let’s Active would cap off “a perfect evening” — which it was. R.I.P.

Strange Bedfellows

Posted by funoka

Jul 172013

Ever been to concert where the opening act didn’t really fit in with the headliner? Somebody tweeted the photo above and it made me think of the Ramones opening for Foreigner in the late ’70s — I didn’t to go the show, but a bunch older kids I knew did and they made fun of the Ramones — who they said basically got booed off the stage at the old Met Center. The Ramones tried to get the crowed chanting “Gabba Gabba Hey” — and the Foriegner fans were having none of it.

I once saw Ministry open for the Police — but that’s when Ministry was more a synth pop band than the industrial rock act it morphed into.

Cat Power opened for Billy Idol last month at Wolf Trap near DC — to predictable results according to reviews. The Idol fans talked and drank beer during the Cat Power set. The Washington Post writer who reviewed the show compared it to the uncomfortable pairing of The Replacements and Tom Petty in 1989 at Merriweather Post. That doesn’t seem so out of place now, but back then The Replacements were still seen as kind of edgy.

P.S. The Monkees are touring this summer — of course no Davy Jones but with Mike Nesmith. For some reason, THAT really irritates me — maybe it’s the heat.

Backyard Blasting on the 4th of July

Posted by funoka

Jul 032013

Fisher Makes Good Speakers, Right?

I will be spending a good part of the 4th of July weekend on our backyard patio listening to ballgames and my iPod on this old warhorse. It’s a Fisher boom box, circa 1985 — complete with aux/phono input. l got a Fisher because my dad told me when I was a kid that our Fisher speakers at home were really, really good — so that stuck with me for years.

This sits on the patio and under the eaves through rain, sun, and sleet. If there was a jail for boom box abuse, I would be an inmate. The dual cassette deck doesn’t work anymore, but the radio and aux input are all I need anyway. I also have a Jawbox I use outside sometimes, but most of the time, I just use the boombox. We remodeled last summer, and I am starting to wish I would have ponyed up for a modern outside sound system — maybe I will when the Fisher dies.

Have a great weekend . . . and what is your modus operandi for cranking tunes outside?

Low Blow or Concert Surprise?

Posted by funoka

Jun 182013

There’s a mini-rock brouhaha going on in my hometown of Minneapolis about a festival concert over the weekend which included Metric, Sliversun Pickups, Bob Mould, and Low.

Low raised a bit of a stink with a 27-minute, 1-song “set” that they dubbed “Drone, Not Drones” — kind of a political statement. You can listen to the performance and read more about it here: http://blog.thecurrent.org/2013/06/the-audacity-of-low-what-does-a-band-owe-us-when-we-pay-to-see-them-perform/

This show was outside the Walker Art Center, which houses and hosts contemporary and performance art. I’m surprised people can get so worked up over a “slowcore” band like Low, especially at a festival event where you can just go get a drink or food if you don’t like something and come back for the next act. I’m not a big fan of slowcore, but I’ve enjoyed zoning out to it at times.

The whole thing does raise a good question — have you ever gotten ticked off at an artist for a performance that was totally unexpected . . . or out of the norm for the band?

I’ve seen people pissed at Springsteen (Tom Joad tour), Neil Young (Greendale), and Dylan (pick ’em) — but they should have known what they were getting into on those tours. I’ve personally gotten pissed only a few times — John Doe, Marshall Crenshaw, and New Order — where I thought they didn’t give a damn. How ’bout you?

Unwelcome Second Acts

Posted by funoka

Apr 092013

With all the crap that gets released every week, I should be beyond being shocked, but it floors me that Big Country is back with a new studio album. If Queen and INXS can do it — why not trot out good old Mike Peters from The Alarm, cut some songs, and hit the road as “Big Country.” Never mind that the face and voice of the band hanged himself 12 years ago!

And then there’s this — a Molly Ringwald album. Didn’t you know that acting was just a distraction for her and it’s time for get “back to the music.” Of course you did.

What strange albums have you come across lately?

Clean-Up Time

Posted by funoka

Mar 032013

Getting rid of CDs this weekend. The edict has been out there for awhile — we remodeled last summer, things had to go in boxes, etc. It’s cold outside, there’s nothing else to do, and Mrs. funoka bought some of those massive CD storage folders, so it has begun. I got through “H” in my rock/pop boxes. As I do this, I am sending some stuff to Amazon’s trade in website — so far I have racked up about $150 in credit, which includes some random DVDs. It’s amazing what is worth a few bucks and what is worth a quarter, according to Amazon.

Of course, I’m keeping more than Mrs. funoka would like — I mean these Peter Himmelman CDs are out of print! Some stuff isn’t worth anything — why do I have two Cousteau CDs? Why do I have all these Grant Lee Buffalo CDs? Listened to some Dave Edmunds (DE 7th) and Heart (!). Getting into the L’s now.

I am now listening to Lemonheads — The Atlantic Years, which is pretty damn good.

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