iVoryTowerz

Signing Off

2009-09-07T02:21:00.002+01:00

iVoryTowerz (2006-2009)

R.I.P.

After a good three year run, this blog has now come to its end. What started as a place for honors students to express themselves about various themes in politics and the media has evolved greatly from its beginnings. At one point this blog was very popular on the American University campus and in some quarters of D.C., but no longer. All of the original writers, save for the faculty sponsor and editor have left the project. After it became apparent that the young writers could no longer sustain the project, nor could it exist in a limbo between a completely professionalized staff and mostly student volunteer writers, it is now time to formally say good-bye. Thanks to all the writers and readers along the way. All things must pass.

(The photo is by schmilblick of Sweden via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

iVoryTowerz Radio Salutes Les Paul

2009-09-05T22:48:00.000+01:00

After another short hiatus, the underground podcast returns this week with our first opportunity to acknowledge the passing of the great Les Paul, the innovator who brought us the modern electric guitar. So expect this program to rock. The Wizard of Waukesha, as Paul was known, shows up twice in this program and many of those who were influenced by him also are included as the program covers almost 55 years of sound. The program ranges from landmark recordings by Paul to blues, blues-rock, garage rock, psychedelia, punk and pop. And if you think Paul's influence is all older rock, listen again. This program includes a hefty slice of new rock too. Enjoy as we salute the legend.

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Vaya Con Dios" by Les Paul & Mary Ford
Cover Me: "Rock 'n Roll Hoochie Koo" by Les Paul, Edgar Winter & Kenny Wayne Shepherd
“Walkin' Blues" by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
"Walking By Myself" by Earl Seratte & the Blues Kings
"Albatross" by The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band
"Fly Farm Blues" by Jack White
"Brown Sugar" by ZZ Top
"American Made" by Gary Hoey
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Journey to the Center of Your Mind” by Ted Nugent & The Amboy Dukes
Jeff’s New Wave: “Kill the Poor” by The Dead Kennedys
“You're No Rock N' Roll Fun” by Sleater-Kinney
“To the Enemies of Political Rock” by Team Dresch
“21 Guns” by Green Day
"Discovery" by Orange Shirt
"Can You Tell" by Ra Ra Riot
"Oxford Comma" by Vampire Weekend

Program contains songs with explicit lyrics.

(Mp3 Runs - 1:17:13; 72 MB.)

(The photo of Les Paul performing at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City in 2008 is by Thomas Faivre-Duboz of Paris, France via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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IvoryTowerz Radio: The Lost Files, Vol. I

2009-08-29T21:16:00.003+01:00

Two years after the official closing of the blog and we have unearthed one of the unreleased podcasts for your listening pleasure. The end of the podcast and the blog was a slow, disorganized affair, unfortunately. But recently, missing pieces were rediscovered, so we are carefully placing them where they were originally intended. Of course, this is an odd temporal exercise. So pardon the awkward nature of a post detailing the end of the blog suddenly showing up in the blog's now altered timeline.

Actually, this program has nothing to do with time travel, but it does include a song one of the co-hosts had hoped would never be played on the underground podcast, because it provided a bit of an unpleasant time trip. The old, reliable eclectic mix is here with the program including: rhythm & blues, neo-soul, Mexican folk, New Wave, alternative, and hard rock of various stripes. Enjoy!

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist
"I Believe I'm in Love with You" by The Fabulous Thunderbirds
“Do I Move You" by Nina Simone
"Sermonette" by Georgia Anne Muldrow
"Genius of Love" by The Tom Tom Club
Cover Me: "Stairway to Heaven" by Rodrigo y Gabriela
"Under the Milky Way" by The Church
"Alive and Kicking" by Simple Minds
"Uprising" by Muse
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Rock Candy” by Montrose
“Treat Me Like Your Mother” by The Dead Weather
“The Outlaw Jimmy Rose” by BM Linx

“He's a Rocker” by The Vines
"Ambulance Dancehall" by The Minus 5
"Legs and Brains" by Jack Logan
"Serenades for the Lonely" by Daryll-Ann
Jeff’s New Wave: “The End of the Party” by The English Beat
"20 Years" by Augustana

(Mp3 Runs - 1:25:55; 79 MB.)

(The photo is by Photo Extremist of Eugene, Oregon via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

(Finally posted on 9/10/11.)

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IVoryTowerz Radio: Hidden Subtexts

2009-08-22T22:19:00.001+01:00

The underground podcast returns and we will do our best to come back on a regular basis after our summer hiatus. Of course, we return with plenty on our collective minds. And sometimes what we are talking about isn't always evident. This program certainly has plenty of subtexts. See if you can trace them. If we overexplain here, the effect will be lost. As usual, we have an unexpected eclectic mix that puts a different spin on rock radio: we are what classic rock radio could have been. So there's a hefty portion of new music and some classics too. The program ranges through classic rock, punk, New Wave (or what some call First Wave now), alternative, alt-country, country-rock, Americana, and even some heavy metal. Enjoy.

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Aqualung" by Jethro Tull
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “37 Stitches” by Drowning Pool
Jeff’s New Wave: “Peaches” by The Stranglers
“Window in the Skies" by U2
"Funny the Way It Is" by The Dave Matthews Band
"Hey 19" by Steely Dan
"Mohammed's Radio" by The Matthew Show
"Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon
"Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" by Jackson Browne & Bonnie Raitt
“When the Wheels Don't Move” by Son Volt
“The Weight” by The Band
“You and I” by Wilco with Feist
"Thoughts of Mary Jane" by Nick Drake
"Old Days" by John Hiatt
"Wild at Heart" by Gloriana
Cover Me: "Girl from the North Country" by Kermit Lynch

Program contains songs with explicit lyrics.

(Mp3 Runs - 1:23:26; 77 MB.)

(The photo is by audreyjm529 of Pennsylvania via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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iVoryTowerz Radio: The Unexpected Mix

2009-08-10T22:41:00.000+01:00

Anything appearing in this space this summer is certainly unexpected. But add to that a number of bands that we've never played before and you have an unexpected treat. About a third of this underground podcast touches on material never before podcast here, but our eclectic mix remains intact. On this podcast you'll find progressive, progressive metal, heavy metal, alternative, indie rock, new wave, country rock, and even some punk polka. Somehow although this mix includes plenty of new material we still cover more than 40 years of modern rock. One part of the unexpected mix is how this program blends FM hits and superstars with our usual selection of B-sides and rarities. Enjoy.

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Whisky Train" by Procol Harum
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Highway Star” by Buckcherry
“Cotopaxi" by The Mars Volta
"I Live With You" by Grizzly Bear
"The Harbour's Cold" by Dieter Schöön
"Down to Earth" by Peter Gabriel
Jeff’s New Wave: “Johnny 7” by Stiff Little Finger
"Peek-A-Boo" by Siouxsie & the Banshees
"Roses in the Park" by Lichtenstein
“Going Down to Liverpool” by The Bangles
“Something in the Air” by Thunderclap Newman
“Barking at the Moon” by Jenny Lewis
"Leave My Woman Alone" by Peter & Gordon
"It's So Easy" by Linda Ronstadt
"Foggy Mountain Blue" by Gabrielle Maren
Cover Me: "I Can See for Miles" by Brave Combo

Program contains songs with explicit lyrics.

(Mp3 Runs - 1:16:57; 71 MB.)

(The photo is by :: Suwaif :: of the United Arab Emirates via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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iVoryTowerz Radio: Forbidden Music

2009-07-19T23:51:00.000+01:00

Off the air for several weeks, the underground podcast is back with a vengeance. Download this one quickly because who knows how long it will stay online. This podcast is so deep underground it approaches the globe's molten core. This is potentially the most controversial podcast from us ever. There's not just one controversial song here, or one controversial set, but controversy from start to finish. Although this is a special presentation, we still manage to serve up the sensational songs in the midst of the usual eclectic format. The program covers 45 years of music ranging through folk, country, country rock, New Wave, punk, grunge, metal, progressive metal, progressive, and alternative. Strap in. The rants and hot licks come fast and furious. But please, enjoy responsibly!

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Qu'ran" by Brian Eno & David Byrne
“I Talk to the Wind" by Steve Hackett
"21st Century Schizoid Man" by Seasons (request)
"Red" by Brand X
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Court of the Crimson King” by Saxon
"All Apologies" by Nirvana
"Pepper" by The Butthole Surfers
"Seventeen" by The Sex Pistols
Jeff’s New Wave: “It's the End of the World as We Know It” by R.E.M.
Cover Me: "Louie, Louie" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“Creedence Song” by John Fogerty
“Wrote a Song for Everyone” by Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR)
“Zantz Can't Dance” by John Fogerty
"Not Ready to Make Nice" by The Dixie Chicks
"Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues" by Bob Dylan
"Forbidden City" by Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros

Program contains explicit song lyrics and discussions of mature content including graphic language. Rated: R.

(Mp3 Runs - 1:33:13; 86 MB.)

(The graphic is by Mr.Enjoy of Funchal, Portugal via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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In Memoriam: Walter Cronkite

2009-07-19T23:24:00.000+01:00

Good-bye.

Walter Cronkite

(1916 — 2009)

"And that's the way it is."

My hero is gone. Walter Cronkite has passed. An era is truly now over.

Cronkite shaped journalism. At CBS he created the type of journalism I wanted to practice ever since I was a boy. Watching him every night inspired my career and my life. He instilled a sense of history and place in me and catalyzed me to find answers in history books, in outer space and in everyday reporting. Taking the foundations established by Edward R. Murrow at CBS and with the help of his able producer Ed Bliss, Cronkite’s CBS Evening News established a standard for news on television.

I’m sorry to say it seems that was the zenith of television journalism. The state of journalism on television has receded quickly ever since Cronkite departed the airwaves. You can blame Dan Rather, or CBS or Van Gordon Sauter, but Cronkite’s news organization was dismantled. The version of CBS News anchored today by Katie Couric is not even a ghost of the past, Bob Schieffer’s contributions not withstanding.

Cronkite was for years the most respected man in America. He deserved it. He was known for reporting straight ahead. No frills. I watched American history through Cronkite’s lens: the Kennedy assassinations and that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. too; Vietnam (a war that Cronkite affected with his frank commentary after the Tet Offensive); and the landing on the moon.

In the 1990s, I got to meet my hero. At the time I was at the University of Southern California. Cronkite came to pick up an honor and speak to journalism students. “You’ll have to speak up,” Cronkite told me immediately upon my approach in a very loud tone, “these days I’m as deaf as a post.” Helped by his wife, I was able to have a nice chat with Uncle Walter about the state of journalism. This was a tiny moment but a memorable one because Cronkite was the man who had been projected to all of us for so many years via television: he was friendly and avuncular but also honest and direct.

I am sad to see him go. Television news, these days, does not reach the standard he set. His passing marks a moment that means truly those glory days of television journalism are mostly in the past. And that is also sadder, but that is the way it is, Saturday, July 18, 2009.

~Rick Rockwell

(The photo of Walter Cronkite is from a speech at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. in 2004. The photo is by Bill Ingalls of NASA; as the photo is from NASA, a government agency, it is in the public domain. Please see The New York Times for Cronkite's obituary. To see a retrospective on Cronkite, in his own words, please check below.)

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All Apologies

2009-07-19T21:56:00.000+01:00

After three weeks on hiatus it is time to return. Our apologies for the radio silence without warning. There are many reasons for the lapse. We would offer some up to you, but many will just sound like excuses. So we will dispense with the reasons, only to say we are sorry we have not been here. Likely, the blog will not be a daily affair again, at least for the short term. We will monitor reader reaction a bit more closely to see if frequency has any effect on the impact of this blog. We want to continue to bring you strong commentary, but only if it has sufficient audience and reaction. Thanks for your patience while we regrouped.

(Graphic © copyright DarkBlack and used with permission. For more material like this, please see DarkBlack's blog.)

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iVoryTowerz Radio Puts on its Boots

2009-06-27T21:18:00.000+01:00

If that picture gives you any ideas, then you know you're in the right place this week, as the underground podcast is in an especially eclectic and niche mood. Now, don't get the wrong idea. We haven't turned into musical festishists. But we do find a way to head off on to odd tangents and still tie them all together. And although we don't start off with standards all the time, this week we commence with perhaps the biggest song of all time about boots. And we march on from there. As usual, this podcast includes music from most eras of rock: stretching back about 45 years, but also with a strong dash of new sounds. The mix this week includes: garage rock, proto-punk, punk, power pop, metal and much more. So strap on your boots and get ready to party and dance with us. And well, if you're not up for dancing, then well just shake your head, stretch out those booted legs and look cool in the summer heat. Enjoy!

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra
Cover Me: "Kicks" by The Ventures with Nancy Sinatra
“One Man Girl" by Lost Agency
"Destroyer" by The Kinks
"Chinatown" by Tahiti 80
"So Far Away" by The Apples in Stereo
"Skeletons" by Tiny Masters of Today
"Sixteen" by Iggy Pop
Jeff’s New Wave: “Love Comes in Spurts” by Richard Hell & the Voidoids
“Son of a Gun” by The Vaselines
“Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam” by Nirvana
“One of a Kind” by Placebo
"West Coast Smoker" by Fall Out Boy with Deborah Harry
"Lifeline" by Papa Roach
"Let's Go Crazy" by Incubus
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Deep Unknown” by Stratovarius

(Mp3 Runs - 1:15:42; 70 MB.)

(The photo is by Avasopel of Spain via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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Television: True Blood & the Vampire Craze

2009-06-23T17:27:00.000+01:00

by Jordan Coughenour
Special to iVoryTowerz

I never thought the day would come when I would see an ad for specialized vampire dental care shown before a movie. But there it was; between the slides pitching Ray’s Ribs and all too obvious movie trivia, a nauseatingly blue screen promising perfect discretion to the office’s fanged clientele. A few years ago, this would have been more than cause for a double take, but now barely warrants a raised eyebrow.

It was, of course one of the more clever covert ads for the second season of HBO’s wildly popular True Blood. (The second season began on June 14.) The dental ad was only one of many witty placements the show has used in its promotions, with others including TV commercials for vampire dating services, vampire electric razors and preachy infomercials from the anti-vampire Fellowship of the Sun. As is the scenario within the fictional world of True Blood, in the past years, vampires have truly "come out of the coffin."

Speaking to my grandmother about the obsession today’s youth have with these fanged creatures, she expressed confusion, and even concern that with the tweeny-bopper Twilight series at such popularity, the line between good and evil was being continually blurred. Now, I have many gripes (as do others) with the Twilight series: endless adverbs, weak female characters and poorly written, for a start. But this was not one that had originally occurred to me. The American public has always clung to our dark anti-heroes; we’ve gone through obsessions with Italian mobsters, bankrobbers, and hitmen — so why is the new vampire obsession creating such a dividing line in our popular culture?

Possibly because; more than our love affairs with the dark and daring figures in the past, this movement speaks to a younger generation. (Though there are exceptions; I for one can attest that at the ripe age of 12 I was already reaching unhealthy levels of fascination with the gangsters of The Sopranos) The romantic and eternal adolescence can appeal to any kid with fears of what comes next, but who is too jaded to believe in the magic of a figure like Peter Pan. While the one-dimensional Twilight uses this enduring and dark love as its main appeal, the prevalence of this mythic monster figure is also giving rise to an ability to build upon the traditional mythology, and create something entirely new.

HBO’s True Blood doesn’t bother to catch up its audience with a primer on vampirism, but rather throws them into a society full of metaphor and depth. While the seemingly mandatory human/vamp/human love triangle does frequently take center stage, aspects of vampirism; the condition itself, the euphoria inducing qualities of the creatures’ blood on humans, and the bizarre and dangerous sexual practices of the vamps, all act as analogies for racism, drug addiction and carnal fetishes in Southern society.

So for all the griping that anti-fangophiles and Twi-hard haters commit, it is possible to look beyond a one or two misery inducing interpretations of this classic monster, with the hopes that its newfound prevalence will lead to more daring imaginings. Without the sulking Cullen Clan of Twilight, the empowering figure of True Blood’s Sookie Stackhouse may never have hit the small screen. And this vampire obsession doesn’t look to be headed away anytime soon. There are rumors of rebooting the Buffy series (please, God, no), and the next film adaption of Twilight already looks to make a fortune in box office receipts. So no matter your opinions on these nocturnal creatures of the night, it’s high time for you to retract your fangs and smile for the possibilities in their newfound resurgence.

(The promotional graphic is from HBO's True Blood. To see a trailer for the second season of the series, please check below.)

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iVoryTowerz Radio Glows

2009-06-21T23:07:00.000+01:00

There are many reasons the underground podcast is glowing these days. Impose your own rationale, but many of the clues are contained in this musical mix. Our suggestion is to cue this one up late at night: it travels from the dark edge to the glowing horizon of the coming sunrise. And if you like music programs with layers of mood and message, here's one for you. This program includes 45 years of sound, including soul, neo-soul, alternative, indie rock, classic rock, New Wave, punk, electronica, and even some comedy. There's plenty to enjoy, so please give it a listen.

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Wrong" by Depeche Mode
"In Your Room" by Depeche Mode
“Never Let Me Down Again" by The Smashing Pumpkins
"Lo Que Tu Digas" by Moenia
"Deeper and Deeper" by Dave Gahan
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Back from the Dead” by Spinal Tap
"For What It's Worth" by Placebo
"I Got Your Number" by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Jeff’s New Wave: “Crawling from the Wreckage” by Dave Edmunds
Cover Me: "Lawyers, Guns and Money" by The Wallflowers
“We're Going to Hell... So Bring the Sunblock” by The Blackout
“Jailbreak” by Thin Lizzy
“Fire and Water” by Free
"15" by Rilo Kiley
"So Good" by Electrik Red
"Love Child" by The Supremes

This program contains songs with explicit lyrics.

(Mp3 Runs - 1:16:02; 70 MB.)

(The photo of Aguilas, Spain at sunset is by Rietje Swart of Spain via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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Politics: Social Debate Gone Awry & the Results

2009-06-18T21:53:00.000+01:00

by Kit-Bacon Gressitt

Summertime once meant slow, sultry days; the lazy drone of locusts, lulling us into a doze beneath weeping willows; finding faces in the clouds or taking lady bugs for walks from fingertip to fingertip; lolling and waiting… waiting for someone to spur the sweltering group to action.

And then the herd of kids would up and move — to the road’s edge to pop tar bubbles, coating toes and infuriating mothers at bath time. To the garden to make rose petal lipstick, blackberry war paint, and perform vignettes of classic tales. Under the fence to steal neglected rhubarb from the wild patch next door and run from the crotchety old lady who rightly treasured every wilting stalk and weed. To the rubbish heap to see who could pee the farthest, disregarding gender. Down by the train tracks to flatten pennies and marvel at the loss of Lincoln’s features. Over to the abandoned chicken coop to practice burping on demand and talk of things unspoken by parents.

Whatever we did, we did it together; it never occurred to us there was another way. Our parents had varied incomes and faiths, disparate origins and pursuits, but their distinctions were lost on us, the children of our block. We had a community of kindred souls, a cohesive force that wound us inextricably together in those days of one-car families and parents unconcerned about tossing their kids out into the world. We’d fend for each other and show up at one home or another only when hunger forced us. In those days, everyone could come out to play, and summer’s freedom was our endless stage, our indivisible barefoot pursuit, despite our differences. In those days, we could imagine no boundaries.

But today, as summer swiftly approaches, boundaries run rampant — and deadly in word and deed.

Anti-legal abortion fervor erupts in murder, as Scott P. Roeder crosses the threshold of Reformation Lutheran Church — crossing from advocating for life to destroying it — and shoots dead a physician who crossed picket lines to treat patients with disastrous pregnancies. And the cooks who help whip up that fervor, Randall Terry, Operation Rescue founder, and Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly among them, chalk up Dr. Tiller’s murder to his comeuppance for being what they call a “baby killer.”

G. Gordon Liddy, of Watergate fame, whose radio show is not extolled for its level-headedness, takes a header from the fringes into the absurdly vulgar, fretting about what might happen when President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor is menstruating. And it is not an ill-conceived joke.

James W. von Braun enters the Holocaust Museum — an institution dedicated to confronting hatred, preventing genocide, promoting human dignity and strengthening democracy — and draws a bloody line between free speech and murderous demonstration, leaving hateful destruction on both sides of his path, the indignity of a victim sprawled in death. And pundits argue whether blame falls to the left or the right.

The National Organization for Marriage, sponsor of the Gathering Storm ad, steps yet again from advocating against same-sex marriage to divisive propaganda: “Same-sex marriage isn't just about two people living as they please, but about whether a large majority of Americans are going to be marginalized as bigots by a group of elites determined to force their new vision of marriage on the entire nation.” And the fearful fail to ask what actual harm same-sex marriage will to do their heterosexual marriages, their children, their nation.

Today, it is not the hopping anticipation of barefoot pleasures that makes the days seem so long, but the disingenuous and deadly discourse of social debate gone awry, the replacement of news with uncivil commentary, the marketing of anger and derision as information.

But it seems a futile complaint, when audiences blindly accept the “either or,” the “us or them” as absolute; when people continue to watch and listen and absorb the fear and hate. How many reactionary murderers until they question; how many vulgar and dishonest statements until they refuse to listen?

Just what would it take for them to instead seek the satisfying smell of tar, the joyful tang of rhubarb, the forthright competition of unashamed peeing, the camaraderie of unbiased children, now bigger, but still in full knowledge of how to play well with others — despite their differences?

(Editor's Note: This piece is cross-posted from Kit-Bacon Gressitt's personal blog, Excuse Me, I'm Writing.)

(The photo of Bill O'Reilly is from an appearance he made at Ft. Drum, NY in 2006. The photo is a military photo taken by Sgt. 1st Class Vivienne Pacquette and is in the public domain. To see a commentary from Keith Olbermann about the responsibilities right-wing commentaries have for the climate of hate, please see below.)

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Baseball: The Nationals Need Stephen Strasburg

2009-06-17T20:53:00.000+01:00

by Suzie Raven

The right-handed pitcher from San Diego State was an obvious choice for the Washington Nationals number one draft pick, as the team’s struggling pitching staff has dragged their relatively strong offense into the worst record in baseball. Since Strasburg is arguably the best pitching prospect in draft history, he can offer the team a rare shred of hope every fifth day.

The famously ruthless agent Scott Boras argues that Strasburg’s 102 mile per hour fastball and strong curve are worth every penny of the six-year $50 million contract he will try to get for Strasburg before the August 17th deadline. In 119 innings with San Diego, Strasburg had a 13-1 record, with a 1.22 ERA and 195 strikeouts.

Amazing statistics like those are worth the amazing contract that Boras seeks, but the Nationals are in no hurry to sign a record-setting contract.

"There's no one player or situation that changes the whole industry," Nationals President Stan Kasten said. “We do expect to draft the player we think is the best. We expect to sign him. We're going to be aggressive, but we'll be appropriate."

Kasten may be right that no one player should be expected to change the fate of the whole organization. They exercised this logic by failing to sign last year’s number one draft pick, Missouri pitcher Aaron Crow. Time will tell if that was a good decision or not, as Crow signed with the Kansas City Royals last week.

Strasburg’s talent has more potential to help the Nationals in the immediate future than anything else. The faster they sign him, the faster he can enter their rotation and start winning games for them. If they wait until August 17th, they will they have wasted two months of starts. They also would’ve foolishly allowed him to waste time that he could’ve spent working out with a major league team.

It’s time for the Nationals to make a solid investment in their own future. Strasburg is ready and more than able to become the ace for an organization that desperately needs pitching.

(To see a background piece about Strasburg from ESPN, please check below.)

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NBA Finals 2009: Kobe Wins His Fourth Ring

2009-06-16T23:52:00.000+01:00

by Phil Kehres

I was wrong. I thought the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals would go six games. As it turns out, the Orlando Magic were playing even farther over their heads than I thought they were. Now that the NBA Finals are over and the Los Angeles Lakers have won their 15th NBA title, it’s time for me to get a few things off my chest.

First off, I’m glad the Magic lost. I’m a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, and a bitter one at that. As much as it makes me sick to my stomach to even tacitly root for a despicable team like the Lakers, I find a small amount of solace in watching the Magic crumble to a superior team — as they should have to the Cavs. Call it schadenfreude if you will, but the Finals proved that Orlando is a one-trick pony if you can manage to even slightly deter center Dwight Howard. The Magic live and die by the three-point shot. Against Cleveland, they lived; in the Finals, they died. Bottom line is that they shouldn’t have even gotten that far. If the Cavs had played up to even ¾ of their potential and somebody besides LeBron James had shown up, I have a feeling we’d still be watching the Finals. Better luck next year, Magic. They’ll need that luck, too, as they’re simply not talented enough to make it back to the Finals without a little, ahem, magic.

Secondly, now we can all look forward to a summer of the mainstream media slobbering at Kobe Bryant’s feet. (Such as his upcoming appearance on The Tonight Show on NBC on June 17.) He finally won his ring without Shaquille O’Neal. There’s no doubt in my mind that Kobe is a phenomenal player. Second-best on the planet, for sure. Championships, though, are a team effort. No matter how many times you will hear misguided fans cite Kobe’s four championships as a reason why he’s better than LeBron James, the simple truth is that, even in the NBA, one man alone cannot win a championship. Bryant had a tremendous supporting cast this year. LeBron had more help than he’s ever had before, but he still lacks a powerful number two like Kobe has in center Pau Gasol. LeBron will get his eventually but now, reluctantly, we have to give it up for Kobe and his teammates. As much as it pains me to say, I believe the best team in the NBA won the championship this year, and that’s as fair as it gets.

Lastly, I just want to say that the Finals came off as quite a disappointment compared to the rest of the playoffs. It looked like both teams were so tired that it was a battle of attrition. This stood in deep contrast to the heart-pounding action of the earlier rounds. All in all, however, it was a hell of a season.

So here’s to hoping the 2009-2010 season showcases as much fire and passion as we’ve seen this season. And for my sake, let’s hope LeBron can finally bring a championship to Cleveland before he has the chance to leave (he won’t, by the way, but this is definitely a topic for another time!).

(Phil Kehres also is the co-author of Excuse Me, Is This Your Blog? He also contributes to Fear the Sword, a blog about the Cleveland Cavaliers of the Sports Blog Nation.)

(To see highlights the NBA Finals, please check below.)

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iVoryTowerz Radio Waits for Godot

2009-06-13T23:59:00.000+01:00

Get ready because the underground podcast gets very deep and philosophical this week. Still affected by the recent deaths of Koko Taylor and David Carradine, this show was programmed with the concepts of death, spirituality, religion, and eternity lingering on the synapses. Our suggestion: cue this one up for some midnight listening. Don't worry, though the content packs a heavy mental punch, the eclectic mix is still here to lift your spirits. The music tracks more than 40 years of sound including soul, blues, Americana, New Wave, punk, metal, and progressive rock. The mix alone should give you something to think about. Just remember, you can still rock out while contemplating the larger concepts. Try it with us. Who says a rock show needs to be one dimensional and simplistic?

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"The Four Horsemen" (altered) by Aphrodite's Child
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Avenida Revolution” by Chickenfoot
"Windmilling" by fiREHOSE
“Infected" by Bad Religion
"East Bay Night" by Rancid
"No Allies" by Double Dagger
"Waiting Room" by Fugazi
Jeff’s New Wave: “Just What I Needed” by The Cars
Cover Me: "To Sir With Love" (live) by Soul Asylum
"Fourteen Rivers, Fourteen Floods" by Beck
“The Crooked Line” by Elvis Costello* with Emmylou Harris
“Beaumont” by Hayes Carll
“White Freightliner Blues” by Steve Earle
"You Ain't Worth a Good Woman" by Koko Taylor
"Another Man Done Gone" by Irma Thomas
"Drown in My Own Tears" by Aretha Franklin

*Too late for our studio deadline, Elvis' record company contacted us about a charity promotion where you can obtain a guitar signed by Elvis Costello. To read about the benefit for the City of Hope, please go here or go here to bid directly.

(Mp3 Runs - 1:19:36; 73 MB.)

(The photo collage is by alicepopkorn of Germany via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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Elvis Costello & the City of Hope

2009-06-13T16:17:00.000+01:00

Unusual for this blog to run an item that is promotional in nature, but we make an exception here for several reasons: 1) it is for a good cause; 2) Elvis Costello remains one of our favorite artists; and 3) you can still pick up a souvenir guitar signed by Elvis at a reasonable price.

Here's the scoop. Universal Music Group contacted the blog about promoting a charity auction that benefits the City of Hope and its cancer research programs. What's being auctioned? Well, an Epiphone acoustic guitar and case, autographed by Elvis Costello. As of this writing, bids stand at just over $400. Act quickly though. The auction ends Monday, June 15.

Why not put a bid in to help the cause? And if not, well, then go here to read our review of Elvis' latest Secret, Profane and Sugarcane, which includes a video of one of the new tunes. Thanks for letting us interrupt the normal flow for this announcement.

(The promotional photo of Elvis Costello is from Lost Highway Records, a division of Universal Music Group. Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes continue their world tour tomorrow, Sunday, June 14, with a concert in Cary, North Carolina.)

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Tennessee's New Gun Law: Seriously Dumb

2009-06-12T23:57:00.000+01:00

by Emily Norton
Special to iVoryTowerz

I thought we were pushing dumb in Tennessee with the “Butt-Crack Bill” and “English-Only Bill" earlier this year until Nashville pulled it’s most recent trump card. Sensible Governor Phil Bredesen (D) previously vetoed a bill that would permit guns to be brought into restaurants and bars so long as the holder hides the gun and doesn’t drink. His motion was met with loud protest from the National Rifle Association, a laughable yet apparently highly influential organization down South, which insisted that Bredesen “betrayed their trust.” To the dismay of the sensible, this past week, the Tennessee Senate and House sided with the notorious NRA, overriding the governor’s veto. The bottom line: we go from just dumb to dangerous and dumb starting the 15th of July (when the law will go into effect).

The words of those advocating the law (such as “law-abiding” or “responsible” to name a few) drip with a naïve and sickening idealism. The expectation that all restaurant owners will check each of their customers for a concealed handgun and monitor their alcohol consumption is as ludicrous as the expectation that every gun holder is law-abiding. This law hands Pandora the box with the lid half open. I do not believe the simplistic lie often promoted by the NRA that the presence of guns creates a safer atmosphere, and we should certainly put our faith in the hands of those holding permits.

Although I’m clinging to the slim chance the feds will swoop in and label this new gun law unconstitutional, it seems as though the only realistic glimmer of hope lies within the potential ordinance that metro council members in Davidson are discussing. That ordinance would make it illegal to carry a gun in a restaurant where beer is served. As many have said and as I hope at the very least Davidson County will listen to the ever-true statement that guns and booze do not mix.

(The photo is by publik16 via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

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NBA Finals 2009: Can the Magic Survive?

2009-06-11T19:24:00.000+01:00

by Phil Kehres

It took a nailbiter of an ending for the Orlando Magic to hold onto a 106-104 win in Game Three of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals. No doubt the Magic feel good about the win, as they should, but their prospects still don’t look great against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Orlando is looking a lot like the Cleveland Cavaliers did in the Eastern Conference Finals. They are living and dying on last-second shots and misses. They can’t seem to get everyone going at once. Superstar Center Dwight Howard managed to go without a dunk in a Game One that saw Los Angeles dominate 100-75. Game Two slipped away when guard Courtney Lee couldn’t finish on an inbound pass that could have won the game for Orlando. Even after recording the highest team shooting percentage in NBA Finals history in Game Three, the Magic could only manage to win by four – on their home court.

What is it exactly that’s keeping the Magic from looking like the elite team they seemed to be in the Cleveland series?

For one, you have to credit the Lakers. They are more balanced and deeper all-around than the Cavaliers. As I’ve mentioned before, their bigger, more athletic centers and forwards have been causing trouble for Howard, a fact made obvious by Howard’s inability to pull off dunk after dunk as he did against Cleveland. Another thing to consider, however, is that the Magic simply aren’t as good as they seemed to be in the Eastern Conference Finals. Against Cleveland, Orlando relied heavily on guard Rafer Alston, a player who consistently maintains one of the worst shooting percentages in the league. Alston managed to get hot and stay hot at the right time, as did backup guard Mickael Pietrus. That, in concert with Howard’s domination, ultimately spelled doom for Cleveland.

Game Three of the Finals saw the Magic start to fire on all cylinders, as Howard came alive with 21 points and 14 rebounds while the rest of the team shot the lights out. Again, though, they only managed to win by four. It would, of course, be silly to say that the series is all but over. If the Magic have to maintain this break-neck pace just to keep up with the Lakers, however, it doesn’t look good. I still can’t imagine this series going more than six games.

(Phil Kehres also is the co-author of Excuse Me, Is This Your Blog? He also contributes to Fear the Sword, a blog about the Cleveland Cavaliers of the Sports Blog Nation.)

(The fourth game in the NBA Finals is tonight, Thursday, June 11. To see the schedule of NBA Finals games on ABC, please go here. To see highlights of Game Three of the NBA Finals, please check below.)

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Broadway: Less Spectacle is Actually More

2009-06-10T23:57:00.001+01:00

by Jordan Coughenour
Special to iVoryTowerz

Broadway's reputation has always been synonymous with the glitziest, gaudiest and most over the top production values known to the stages of this country. Especially in this age of the Blockbuster Musical (of which I have previously written), in which an Addams Family and Spiderman musicals are planning to invade by spring of 2010, audiences on the Great White Way expect their ears, mind and eyes to be blown away by the spectacle. So, it is particularly notable when, in this era, shows that work magic with the most basic accessories in sound and set are successful enough to draw the attention of both theatre buff locals and curious tourists.

Last season's Passing Strange, written by and starring Los Angeles rocker Stew*, was one of the most perfectly formed examples of minimalism in modern musicals. With only a few black chairs, and an exuberant light wall, the show managed to bring both vitality and urgency foreign to contemporary musicals. Even though it was far surpassed in statues by In the Heights at the 2008 Tony Awards, Passing Strange stripped away the glitter of Broadway and instead simply told a compelling story with a cast as energetic as any seen since the first months of RENT. Although Passing Strange closed prematurely, Spike Lee took interest in the play’s depiction of the black artistic experience, and filmed the show over the course of two evenings. The film will air in 2010 on the public television network’s Great Performances.

It seems to be a surfacing trend that one or two musicals each season will have the guts (and possibly lack of funding) to mount a spectacle-less production. The short-lived, Off-Broadway originated [title of show] played for just around three months last summer, to little success except among a die-hard community of theatre aficionados. The real subdued star of the 08-09 year is the first major revival of the 1970’s free-love musical, Hair. The show, which until the second act remains essentially without a plot, could easily be transferred to the New York streets where the action onstage is meant to take place. Without set changes, and costumes that could easily have been purchased at the nearest vintage store, Hair functions similarly to Passing Strange, and even [title of show] by relying on the energy and passion that the cast passes to the audience, in the place of visual décor. The most affecting moment of Hair was one that could hardly be controlled, though was not at all unexpected by the cast. During the curtain call reprise of the well-known, and somewhat generation-defining number “Let the Sunshine In,” the co-stars of the show invited audience members to come onstage. While this action usually results in flamboyant high school drama queens and hesitant children strutting their wares, during this particular opportunity, the stage was instead rushed by white haired baby boomers, who hip swiveled along with the cast, and belted out the entirety of the lyrics as if it were still hip to wear bell bottoms and flowers in your hair. The shameless enthusiasm and youthful vitality of what moments ago, were merely onlookers, echoed the infectious power of theatre without the constraints of elaborate overproduction.

*Stew is the abbreviated name of singer-songwriter Mark Stewart.

(The promotional poster is for Passing Strange. To see a video preview of Passing Strange, please check the clip below.)

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Music Review: Placebo's Battle for the Sun

2009-06-09T23:53:00.000+01:00

by Rick Rockwell

Alright, any album that starts with a song entitled “Kitty Litter” immediately has this critic’s attention.

Thus opens Placebo’s sixth album Battle for the Sun: a 13-track outing that veers from grungy, post-punk stylings to experimental indie rock. (The electronic bonus track version comes with an additional track, “In a Funk.” The limited edition box set also includes yet another bonus studio track, “Wouldn’t It Be Good.”)

Battle for the Sun plays like a raw open wound of emotions after a particularly bad romantic breakup. Brian Molko’s lead guitar jangles and screeches with anxiety. The lyrics vary from anger (“The Devil in the Details”) to spiteful revenge and finally to the painful aches of emotional recovery (the updated glam-rock on “For What It’s Worth,” the first single).

Musically, Placebo has sharpened its sound on this release. While Meds (2006) seemed like an audition for the spot as band most likely to succeed Radiohead as the kings of alternative rock, most of Battle for the Sun is straightforward rock. Although the band includes a song “Ashtray Heart” which is a salute of sorts to Captain Beefheart, most of Battle for the Sun seems focused on crafting well-honed songs and less on pushing the alternative musical boundaries. (In the 1990s, before its first record, Placebo actually played some concert dates using the band name Ashtray Heart.)

Perhaps this musical focus is meant as the band’s assault on the U.S. market. A well-known success in Europe and the U.K., Placebo is far from a name act on this side of the Atlantic. Placebo certainly has as much to offer or more than popular U.S. favorites such as Fall Out Boy or The Killers. For instance, the track “Julien” certainly has radio potential with its well-crafted use of strings and a strong hook. Molko’s guitar work on the track is also reminiscent of the best of Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins. But likely, U.S. radio programmers will again pass on this material: it is over their heads.

Tracks like “Kings of Medicine” strike home not only with brass arrangements but also interesting lyrical wordplay using alcoholic beverages as the key metaphors. This is a trademark for Placebo, which has often used drug and alcohol references (including the band’s name choice) to make larger statements. Although Battle for the Sun may actually be a battle for notice in the U.S., it is another strong release from Britain’s answer to Seattle and the grunge movement of the 1990s. And for those who may think Placebo’s time has passed, just sample one track: “The Never-Ending Why.” On that number Molkos’ buzzsaw guitar provides a counterpoint to the sonic barrage of layered backing vocals, synthesizers, and even a toy piano (which has become a bit of a signature for this era’s indie rockers).

The recommendation: cue this one up; it is so much more satisfying than any of that wimpy pop or emo that tends to dominate the airwaves these days.

(The promotional photo of Placebo is © copyright Joseph Lianes and is made available for use through Vagrant Records, Placebo's U.S. record distributor. Placebo will begin its world tour on June 12 with an appearance in Finland. To see the video for the single "For What It's Worth," please check below.)

For What It's Worth

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Middle-aged Mothers for Marriage Equality Unite!

2009-06-08T20:59:00.000+01:00

(Editor's Note: This piece is cross-posted from Kit-Bacon Gressitt's personal blog, Excuse Me, I'm Writing.)

from Kit-Bacon Gressitt

Welcome to MAMMA!

We are a group of middle-aged mothers who want our every son and daughter to grow up and be able to marry a nice girl or boy — or boy or girl.

Yes, we’re talking same-sex marriage — marriage equality — so gird your loins and join us. You don’t have to be a MAMMA to be part of our family.

Some of us have gay children, gay relatives, gay friends, and we all treasure our civil rights enough to fight for them, like a mother for her babes, except we do battle with literature and poetry, images and discussion.

In fact, joining us means making an effort to talk about same-sex marriage with people who don’t support it. If that’s a scary thought, not to worry, Sweetie. MAMMA’s here to help. Visit us to learn how: www.mammasformarriageequality.com.

We might be profound or profane on occasion, pert or pedantic, prissy or pissy (too many ‘p’ words to keep that going), but whatever else we are, we are passionate about equal rights for all.

Even nose pickers. Now just imagine if folks tried to prohibit nose-picker marriage. We wouldn’t have enough mouths left to feed all that misinformation — no, homosexuality does not equate to pedophilia, it’s not contagious, your kids cannot be converted by their gay teachers and it’s not a chosen lifestyle! Hmm, do you suppose nose picking is genetic, too?

Anyway, yes, we are passionate about equal rights for all — especially in Fallbrook, where California’s anti-same-sex marriage ballot measure, Prop. 8, passed in November 2008 with 67.9 percent of the vote (compared to 52.3 percent statewide). That’s 11,298 voters whose hearts and minds can be changed to extend equal rights to all — as can hearts and minds across the country. Think of our effort as a little attitude adjustment.

Or we could just turn same-sex marriage opponents gay by close association. (Yes, of course that’s a joke! If you take life too seriously, Dear, you won’t have any fun at all.)

We will try anything, though, whatever it takes to jog memories of the poignant U.S. civil rights movement of the 1960s and encourage folks to step beyond their fear, to internalize our nation’s heroic invitation to diversity — and our charming knack for becoming better for it.

To keep this effort vibrant — and heart- and mind-changing — please submit suggestions for content to your MAMMA. We’ll post new content as often as our motherly duties allow. Original poetry, short fiction or essays; videos and images; anecdotes, articles or links to other folks’ content worth sharing — send it all! The more ways we deliver our civil rights message, the more hearts and minds we will change in support of marriage equality.

We have some treats for you, to kick off MAMMA:

1. For those in Southern California, on Wednesday 10 June at 6:00 p.m., Fallbrook’s Writers Read has a poetry and prose reading in Fallbrook, Come Out of the Closet and Read! Closet writers, folks already out of the closet; come one and come all.

In recognition of the California Supreme Court’s recent failure to rule in favor of marriage equality, we encourage sharing work about living gay or having a LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender) family member or friend in your life.

2. For the rest of you, a couple of videos (please check below). First, if you have not seen former Vice President Dick Cheney’s recent statement at the National Press Club, or if you’re dying to see it again to better analyze his every nuance, here it is for your viewing pleasure — or obsession. Some folks are critical of his parsing support for same-sex marriage by relegating that freedom to the states to offer or withhold, rather than supporting federal legislation. But remember the source — this is Dick Cheney we’re talking about. This is a pretty darn good thing. MAMMA recommends sending the Cheney video to everyone you know who opposes marriage equality and tolerates Cheney. Hmm. ...

On the lighter side, we offer up Stephen Colbert's parody of the National Organization for Marriage "Gathering Storm" ad. MAMMA recommends sending this video only to folks with a sense of humor.

So, enjoy the videos, talk about them with others — and join us in supporting marriage equality at www.mammasformarriageequality.com.

(The graphic is provided by MAMMA and used with permission. Please look for the Colbert and Cheney videos below.)

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iVoryTowerz Radio Takes a Summer Trip

2009-06-06T23:57:00.000+01:00

This week, the underground podcast provides the perfect soundtrack for your summer vacation. No, nothing trippy here. Instead, plenty of C major smiles. The patented eclectic mix travels around the U.K., stops briefly in Central America, and even lands in New Orleans (in the French Quarter, no doubt). Along the way, the music covers more than 50 years of sounds (and that's not including the origins of the Louis Armstrong cover). Not only is there a hefty dose of pop and power pop (isn't that the official music of summer?) but you'll also find new wave, classic rock, and heavier sounds too. Rock on and enjoy!

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Brighton Rock" by Queen
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Panama” (altered) by Van Halen
"Cliffs of Dover" by Eric Johnson
“Glad" (live) by Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood
"Sweeping the Ashes" by Serena Ryder
"I Gonna Break His Heart" by Toby Lightman
"Meet You in the Middle" by Joan Osborne
"Rock'n Me" by Steve Miller
“It's Alright” by Big Head Todd & The Monsters
“Happy” by Even the Sun
Jeff’s New Wave: “She Can't Dance” by Marshall Crenshaw
“You, Me and the Bourgeoisie” by The Submarines
"Thirteen" by Big Star
"Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie" by Eddie Cochran
"Summer in the City" by The Lovin' Spoonful
Cover Me: "West End Blues" by Allen Toussaint

(Mp3 Runs - 1:15:48; 70 MB.)

(The photo is by mistress_f of Rome, Italy via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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Films: Throw Down Your Heart

2009-06-05T23:59:00.000+01:00

by Emily Norton
Special to iVoryTowerz

Back in Nashville again, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover a heart for Africa outside the non-governmental organizations of Washington, D.C. However, I did not expect to find it where I did. I’ve kept tabs on local musician, Bela Fleck, the acclaimed banjo player extraordinaire, ever since my dad had the honor of hosting Fleck for a practice session at our house. Naturally, I was thrilled when my father told me about Fleck's latest project, the musical documentary, Throw Down Your Heart, directed by Sascha Paladino. The idea for the film was birthed from Fleck’s desire to trace the history of his beloved banjo back to it roots. Soon, however, the project developed into something even greater than he could have expected. During his five-week long trek through Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia, and Mali, he forged relationships and collaborated with African musicians to create forty tracks of music (eighteen of which are on the record for the movie).

Fleck made the trip in 2005, but the film has taken three years to edit and is currently making its run through small film festivals around the country. In an interview with Nashville radio station Lightning 100 (WRLT-FM), Fleck mentioned that he’s now working to get the documentary more widely distributed on the big screen and on television. Regardless, he predicts the DVD release for sometime in October of this year.

Even more important than the history of the banjo, Throw Down Your Heart drives at a theme that deserves notice: we (as in the Western World) need a perspective change on how we view Africa as a whole. Yes, there is violence, disease, and poverty there. But, if we singularly focus on these negative aspects, we run the risk of devaluing the worth of a remarkably rich continent. For a wealth of great music and vivid people and places, check your local indie theater for Throw Down Your Heart.

(The photo of Bela Fleck playing in Africa is © copyright Argot Pictures which allows its use with the proper credits. To see a schedule of screenings for the film, please go here. To see a trailer for Throw Down Your Heart, please check below.)

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In Memoriam: David Carradine

2009-06-05T19:36:00.000+01:00

Good-bye.

David Carradine

(1936 — 2009)

"I seek not to know all the answers, but to understand the questions."

(The photo of David Carradine is © copyright Jano Rohleder; the photo was taken during an appearance in Germany by the actor in 2005. The copyright holder allows use of the photo with the proper credit. Please see The Los Angeles Times for Carradine's obituary. To sample a portion of the series pilot for Carradine's popular Kung Fu television series, please check below. For a retrospective on Carradine and Kung Fu please see: "I Seek Kung Fu in the Traffic of Life.")

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Koko Taylor, the Queen of the Blues

2009-06-04T23:57:00.000+01:00

by Jeff Siegel

When I was in college, Muddy Waters played five minutes from where I lived. I didn’t go, because I was young and stupid and figured I’d have many chances to see him play. He died a couple of years later, and I never did see him live.

So when Koko Taylor swung through Texas several years ago, I made sure to see the show. That it was an hour from my house and that it was on a weeknight didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

That’s the first thing I thought of when I read that Taylor, 80, died on Wednesday. I had been lucky and smart enough to see a legend go through her paces. Because Taylor, the first woman to succeed in the very male-dominated world of the Chicago blues, was a legend. All you have to do is listen to one song, whether it’s her classic version of “Wang Dang Doodle” or “Young-Fashioned Ways,” from 2007’s Old School, and it’s clear that she could more than hold her own with Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Willie Dixon.

This is an incredible achievement, and not just because the music business mostly treats women as disposable sex objects. It’s because the blues, and Chicago blues especially, is about men and how they have been emasculated by a system of racial and social injustice. The best Delta blues, like Waters’ “I’m Ready” and Wolf’s “The Red Rooster,” are howls in the night by black men who are desperate to be seen as something more than what Jim Crow says they are. Which means the songs are about sex — the rooster imagery is obvious, and Waters’ isn’t getting ready to go to a tea party. (That younger African-Americans have never understood this used to drive Dixon crazy, and he always insisted, until the day he died in 1992, that the blues was just as potent at the end of the 20th century as it was in the middle.)

So how does a woman fit into this? By doing what Taylor did — by being good enough and patient enough to make her own space. Her songs, many written by Dixon and including “Wang Dang Doodle,” deal with the issues that the Chicago blues deals with, but from a woman’s perspective. It’s an amazing achievement. “Wang Dang Doodle” is about getting drunk and picking up women, and Taylor completely turns it around.

Taylor was also a band leader of great repute, another part of the Chicago blues tradition. Waters’ band included Little Walter, the greatest harp player who ever lived, and usually had Dixon on bass. Wolf’s band featured Hubert Sumlin, probably the best guitar player most people have never heard of. Taylor’s band on Old School, her final record, is tight and rocking, with guitarist Criss Johnson and harpist Billy Branch doing exactly what needs to be done when it needs to be done. If you have to go, there are a lot of worse ways than with Old School as your legacy. Taylor will be much missed.

Koko Taylor
1928 — 2009

(The promotional photo of Koko Taylor is from Alligator Records. To see a video of Koko Taylor singing "Wang Dang Doodle" backed by Little Walter and Hound Dog Taylor circa 1967, please check below.)

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Baseball: Is Zack Greinke the Best Pitcher Around?

2009-06-03T23:59:00.000+01:00

by Suzie Raven

Two names dominate American League pitching this year: Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals and Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays. They have both been outstanding in 2009 and are tied with league best 8-1 records. Even though Halladay is tied with Greinke for the league best number of wins, doesn’t mean he has been pitching as well. Greinke stands out in 2009, with no sign of slowing down.

As June gets underway, Greinke holds an outstanding earned run average of 1.1. Johan Santana of the New York Mets posts Major League Baseball's next best ERA with 2.0. This means the next best pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) allows almost twice as many earned runs per game. While Halladay’s 2.63 ERA is no slouch, nothing compares to Greinke’s current numbers.

Halladay has built a reputation of strong, consistent pitching over his ten-year career with the Blue Jays. He had 20 win seasons in 2003 and 2008, with an ERA of 3.25 and 2.78 respectively. He also posted an impressive 2.41 ERA in 2005. With his inconsistent history, it’s easy to say that Greinke still needs to prove himself over a couple of more seasons before the two can be compared.

Greinke had a good, although not standout season in 2008, posting a 3.47 ERA as he struck out 183 and walked 58. He’s pitched enough innings this season to prove his 1.1 ERA is indicative that he will have a standout year in 2009. Recent outstanding performances include a complete game in the Royals 6-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Greinke didn’t give up a single walk that night, but struck out eight.

Even more impressive than Greinke’s statistics is how many pitches he has in his repertoire. The best pitchers in baseball have two stand out pitches. Greinke has four: a slider that Tiger’s manager Jim Leyland refers to as his “put-away slider,” along with pinpoint control of his curveball, fastball and change up.

Batters can’t stand in the batters box waiting for Greinke’s weak pitch. It doesn’t exist. That’s why Greinke is posting the best numbers in baseball right now, and why he is going to continue to out-pitch even MLB’s most consistent stars.

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The NBA Finals 2009: A Basketball Roundup & Preview

2009-06-03T19:23:00.000+01:00

by Phil Kehres

After over a month of some of the most memorable playoff action ever seen, the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals are here. This year’s matchup pits repeat Western Conference champions the Los Angeles Lakers against the upstart Orlando Magic, who are making their first appearance in the Finals since the 1994-95 season. Despite having unceremoniously dispatched the league’s best team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic will enter these Finals as decided underdogs, and for good reason.

The Lakers took care of business against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, knocking out star forward Carmelo Anthony and crew in six games despite losing a game at home. The Lakers looked lackadaisical at times, but Kobe Bryant carried them to a dominating Game 6 win and guaranteed L.A. some extra rest before the Finals. This was, for the most part, expected. What took many people by surprise, however, was the Orlando Magic’s decisive 4-2 series win over the previously dominant Cleveland Cavaliers.

Orlando came to Cleveland, where the Cavs had gone 39-2 over the regular season and 4-0 in the playoffs to that point and stunned them with a one point victory in Game One. That set the tone for the rest of the series, which was about as tight and memorable as a six-game series could be, save for Orlando’s blowout victory in Game Six. Game Two saw one of the most dramatic shots in NBA history as LeBron James beat the buzzer to give the Cavs the one-point victory. For the most part, though, Orlando simply outplayed the Cavaliers the rest of the series. The Cavs, despite leading the league with 66 wins in the regular season and possessing both the league MVP in LeBron James and Coach of the Year Mike Brown, just matched up poorly with Orlando. In fact, if you were to construct a fantasy team with the sole purpose of beating the 2008-2009 Cleveland Cavaliers, it would be the 2008-2009 Orlando Magic. Cleveland had no answer for Orlando’s dominant center Dwight “Superman” Howard, who spent most of his time dunking and the rest of it whining about foul calls. Orlando was also remarkably hot from the three-point line, the team’s trademark. Cleveland's smaller guards couldn’t contain Orlando’s big, athletic shooters — and even Orlando’s decidedly mediocre role players played like stars while Cleveland’s bench fizzled. This is not to take anything away from Orlando, which played inspired basketball and certainly deserved to win the series. The Lakers, however, are a deeper and more balanced team than Cleveland.

L.A. boasts myriad athletic big men like center Pau Gasol and forwards Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum who will match up better with Howard and Orlando’s forwards Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. And that Kobe Bryant guy is no slouch either (though he remains the second best player in the world).

I’m not one for predictions usually, but I don’t see this going more than six games, in the Lakers’ favor. L.A. is just too deep and too experienced, and Orlando’s hot shooting has to cool off eventually. “Superman” and his crew will have to wait another year for a chance at a ring — but next year, they’ll have to go through an even hungrier, angrier and battle-tested LeBron James to get there.

(Phil Kehres also is the co-author of Excuse Me, Is This Your Blog? He also contributes to Fear the Sword, a blog about the Cleveland Cavaliers of the Sports Blog Nation.)

(The NBA Finals begin tomorrow, Thursday, June 4. To see the schedule of NBA Finals games on ABC, please go here. To see a highlight reel of Kobe Bryant's best plays of the 2008-2009 season, please check below.)

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Music Review: Elvis Costello's Secret, Profane and Sugarcane

2009-06-02T23:07:00.000+01:00

by Rick Rockwell

For years, those of us who are fans of Elvis Costello* have wondered what would happen if our singer-songwriter idol would just slow down. What would happen if he could just focus on a project and craft it perfectly? Would he produce another classic like his work with The Attractions? Something close to Armed Forces?

Well, those are outsized expectations. Costello’s latest, Secret, Profane and Sugarcane, his 35th studio album (counting collaborations and U.K.-only releases) seems like just another of his annual releases: solid and workmanlike but nothing that burns the house down. That hasn’t happened for a Costello release in more than 20 years. Last year’s Momofuku with The Imposters, an attempt to get back to his punk/new wave roots was another good but not great record. So Secret, Profane and Sugarcane is no surprise.

Besides, Costello has his new family with jazz singer Diana Krall, including his two-year-old twins, his talk show on the Sundance Channel (Spectacle, which is mostly a bore), his commercials, his film cameos and his touring schedule. Is it any wonder his albums sound more like side projects rather than his central focus?

Secret, Profane and Sugarcane finds Costello working with T-Bone Burnett, the former sideman for Bob Dylan (The Rolling Thunder Revue) who has become one of the preeminent music producers of our time. Burnett** was the force behind Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ Raising Sand, which took home album of the year honors at this year’s Grammys. Burnett last teamed with Costello on 1989’s Spike. But this time out, Burnett seems more firmly at the rudder. The sound is more of the rootsy country and folk variety that Burnett mastered with his soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou, an album that has gone platinum eight times over in the U.S. and was the Grammy-winning album of the year in 2002. Costello hasn’t gone this far country since 1981’s Almost Blue.

And like that record, this is an interesting experiment but far from perfectly crafted. This is not another Raising Sand. Although, Burnett does pair Emmylou Harris with Costello on “The Crooked Line,” to get some of that same feeling (Burnett also co-wrote that number with Costello along with “Sulphur to Sugarcane”). Harris and Costello together throughout this release would have been a dream, as their only number together is one of the album’s best tracks. Another gem is something you’ll only find on the electronic bonus-track version of the album: a zydeco version of the Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale.” More of this type of experimentation would have made Secret, Profane and Sugarcane essential Costello.

Burnett gives the project his best shot, assembling a strong group of bluegrass musicians as a backing band and pushing Costello into other interesting musical places. (Costello’s collaborations with Burt Bacharach, Allen Toussaint and opera star Anne Sofie von Otter all show Costello is willing to experiment in various musical forms, and usually with good results. But often these projects play more as larks rather than serious fare.) On this record Costello includes a song he co-wrote with Loretta Lynn (“I Felt the Chill Before the Winter Came”) along with acoustic covers of his own material, both “Complicated Shadows” and “Hidden Shame” (originally penned especially for Johnny Cash to cover). But Costello and Burnett recorded the album over just a three-day span in Nashville, and at times it has a dashed off quality.

Given the musicianship of this assembled crew, the end result is Secret, Profane and Sugarcane is a good record. Pleasant. This is worth cueing up while reading. But Costello’s music was once about motivating a generation or at least moving people to get up to dance. And Secret, Profane and Sugarcane is a reminder that those days are gone. Costello pays that no mind. In the lyric for “Dirty Rotten Shame,” Costello sings: “I recall the good old days / But thankfully, they’re gone.” Still, some of us think that’s a shame.

*Elvis Costello is the stage name of Declan MacManus.

**T-Bone's full name is Joseph Henry "T-Bone" Burnett.

(For more on Elvis Costello, please see: "Elvis Costello: A Retrospective.")

(The promotional photo of Elvis Costello is from Lost Highway Records. Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes will begin their world tour in Red Bank, NJ on June 9. To see Elvis Costello perform an abbreviated version of "Sulphur to Sugarcane," please check the video below.)

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The Problem with Hugging

2009-06-01T22:39:00.000+01:00

by Kit-Bacon Gressitt

In a valiant effort to join my husband in one of his rituals, I recently girded my loins and settled into the serial viewing of an evening’s news shows. I was set on ignoring the racist and misogynistic slurs against President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor. I planned to zone out as the strategically matched, aesthetically pleasing male and female co-anchors blathered segues from story to story. I even committed to withholding my normal rant that the commercials require reducing the television volume three or four bars. But, despite my intent to remain unresponsive, I was wholly unprepared for the revelation that hugging among teens is a phenomenon — and a bad one according to some schools.

Where have I been, lo these many — apparently naïve — years? With my head up the armpit of an inappropriately affectionate hugger? Have my countless embraces the subtle precursors to sexual harassment or — horror! — the authority-challenging pursuit of excessive displays of affection?

I learned that term when I couldn’t stand the news anymore and got up to research this phenomenon of affection that made it from a feature in The New York Times to my coast’s evening drivel. Our local high school’s 2008-2009 Student Handbook says, “Excessive display of affection is inappropriate on school grounds or at school sponsored activities;” the Band Room rules preclude everything but handholding; and violations have consequences:

1st offense — 2 hrs of Thursday school
2nd offense — 4 hrs of Saturday school
3rd offense — 1 to 5 days of home suspension, parent contact Ed. Code 48900 (k)

The referenced education code says a California public school student can be suspended if he or she has been really bad — violent, in possession of a weapon or drugs… disruptive of school activities or defiant toward a “valid authority.” Hmm, hugging on a par with violence?

Oh, the idiocy of it!

My daughter attended a charter high school where public displays of affection (PDA) were de rigueur — same and opposite sex. So I called Kate for a reality check. She’s now 20, not much removed from her high school years.

Me: Honey, did you hear about the problem with hugging?

Kate: What?

Me: Hugging.

Kate: What? (Lots of background noise.)

Me: HUGGING! Apparently it’s a problem with teens. It was in the news. Some high schools have prohibited it. One put a time limit on it: Two seconds max or you’re out.

Kate: Whaat! People should be embracing the fact that kids are open and warm with each other instead of being hostile and hateful — like the adults who are persecuting them. This is one step closer to The Handmaid’s Tale. This is really offensive to me. My friends and I, everyone I knew in high school, boys and girls, hugged each other to say hello. It’s not like we were trying to get off. We were being friendly. It’s a human thing to do. This isn’t the dark ages. It’s not like we’re whipping out sex toys and going at it. It’s just saying hello. There is a difference!”

Kate was with a couple of friends in a coffee shop, probably surrounded by folks hugging unfettered, and her friends were equally passionate about PDAs.

Vartuhi: This is why people hate Americans! I’ve been hugging my friends since junior high, so I really don’t understand why this is an issue. We watched [the video] and we all thought we were back in the 1950s, where these moronic problems were an issue to people — it’s puritanical! It’s sad that people think it is an issue when there are actual issues they should be dealing with — teen pregnancy, drugs, violence, all the budget cuts in schools.

Ariel: So much of kids’ socializing is on the computer, texting and Facebook and stuff, parents should be glad their kids can connect in person — hugging is a way to compensate for all that. If kids are hugging, it’s filling a social, emotional and physical need. There are so many things the schools should be focusing on, like sex education. [Hugging] is a way for kids to learn to be comfortable with their own bodies and other people’s bodies, without being sexual.

These gals are smart. They represent three well-populated and distinct ethnic groups for whom teen hugging has long been healthy and normal — and they know a violation of the human right to express affection when it whops them upside the head.

So that’s it. I’m not taking it anymore. It’s time for a revolution! I’m marching over to Fallbrook High and organizing a hug-in. I guess I better start with the WASPy kids.

(Editor's Note: This is an abridged version of this piece. The original, unabridged version can be found at Kit-Bacon Gressitt's personal blog, Excuse Me, I'm Writing. Ms. Gressitt regularly cross-posts her writing with this blog.)

(The photo is by kalandrakas of Fujisawa, Japan via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

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IVoryTowerz Radio Cops an Attitude

2009-05-30T15:59:00.000+01:00

Does someone detect a little swagger on the underground podcast this week? When the mix includes bands like the Rolling Stones, the Wailers, the Velvet Underground and Nine Inch Nails, of course there's a not just a little bit of rock 'n roll attitude in the house. And don't forget The Beatles. But this is not all classic rock. There's plenty of edgy underground content too, including a request for the the influential but little known band The Monks. And the mix includes a hefty dose of new material but also touchstones from the past: more than 40 years of sound find their way into this program. The content ranges from ska, reggae and punk to heavy metal and also includes proto-punk, alternative rock, and folk. Rev up your motors because this one speeds along with its own special sneer. This program is especially designed for a convertible with the top down and the speedometer over the limit. Rock on and enjoy!

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Let It Rock" (live) by The Rolling Stones
"Kingston 12 Shuffle" by Bob Marley & the Wailers
“Save the World, Get the Girl" by The King Blues
Jeff’s New Wave: “867-5309/Jenny” by Tommy Tutone
"Refuse Angels" by Crocodiles
"I Hate You" by The Monks (request)
"I Can't Stand It" by The Velvet Underground
Cover Me: "Waiting for My Man" (live) by The Tom Robinson Band
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Dehydrated II” by Pestilence
"Not So Pretty Now" by Nine Inch Nails
“Punk Sandwich” by The Dixie Dregs
“A Day in the Life” (live) by Jeff Beck
“Run for Your Life” by The Beatles
"My Favorite Year" (live) by Tom Paxton
"Gratitude (for Curt Flood)" by The Baseball Project
"I am Here" by John McCutcheon

(Mp3 Runs - 1:16:58; 71 MB.)

The program includes songs with explicit lyrics.

(The photo is a promotional still from The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando; the film is distributed by Columbia Pictures, a division of Sony Pictures .)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest & the Critics

2009-05-29T13:06:00.000+01:00

by Rick Rockwell

It’s never pretty when critical darlings fall off that special untouchable pedestal. You can just hear the anguished cries, the breaking glass.

The latest example: Grizzly Bear and the band’s new release Veckatimest. It seems like everyone from National Public Radio to the alternative rock press fell in love with the band’s last release Yellow House.

Not this time. David Malitz in The Washington Post savaged the record as boring and pretentious.

Actually, much of Malitz' take on Veckatimest is correct. He analyzes the sound and explains it well. He just doesn’t like what Grizzly Bear has produced this time. The band has sinned. They did not meet his expectations. As if critics set the musical agendas of bands and songwriters.

What the reviews of Veckatimest reveal is the closed-minded nature of rock criticism. In that world, certain rules for music are the vogue: songs shouldn’t exceed five minutes; songs that are quiet and introspective are suspect; and anything that references progressive rock must be attacked relentlessly. Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest fails on all counts. The fact that Grizzly Bear has the temerity to sonically reference Gentle Giant (on the track "Dory") or King Crimson (check the chord progressions on "I Live With You") means they have committed a cardinal sin in the church of rock music criticism.

James McGrory at The Georgetown Voice also calls Grizzly Bear boring. McGrory actually likes Veckatimest better than what the band has produced in the past, but he calls their style of chamber pop empty. To his credit, McGrory is consistent; he has never praised the band.

Such criticism is frustrating to read. What if McGrory and Malitz had been handed Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon when it was new? What would they make of that record? Not to say that Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimest rises to Pink Floyd’s level, but many of the same techniques employed by Floyd to make a classic rock opus are what Grizzly Bear is using too. The band's examples for such experimentation are not only Floyd, and the Beatles, but also the Beach Boys.

Malitz calls Grizzly Bear precious for trying to emulate the Beach Boys. Actually, what Grizzly Bear has pulled off on Veckatimest is a pretty bold trick, as some parts of this third full-length studio release from the band echo Smile-era Beach Boys ("Two Weeks" especially). If Brian Wilson is listening, he should be smiling. Members of Grizzly Bear could be his musical grandchildren.

But Grizzly Bear is doing more than finding an artistic way to update Wilson’s signatures by adding in progressive rock flavors and then using indie rock sensibilities to make it all hang together. The opening track to Veckatimest, "Southern Point," not only gives a nod of respect to Radiohead but throws in some jazzy orchestrations for a pleasing twist. “Fine for Now” shows Grizzly Bear can also create layers of dynamic music that recalls their chamber pop contemporaries, the Decemberists.

Is Veckatimest a great record? No. Perhaps this is also why critics are reacting negatively. They have charted Grizzly Bear’s progress on their personal musical spreadsheets and the band should reach a particular level of achievement by the third record. But Veckatimest is still very good, perhaps even a slightly better record than Yellow House. However, that doesn’t cut it when the critics are creating their own virtual echo chamber for what should be adored and what should be trashed.

Fans of Grizzly Bear will likely shake their heads and wonder what the critics are talking about. Which is why that old Latin phrase applies when reading any criticism: caveat emptor.

(For a review of Grizzly Bear's EP Friend, please go here. For a short review of Yellow House, please go here.)

(The promotional photo of Grizzly Bear is from Warp Records. The band continues its world tour with a concert date in New York City, tonight, Friday, May 29. To see Grizzly Bear's video for "Two Weeks," please check below.)

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Ann Coulter, Dick Cheney & Abortion: A Parable About Evil

2009-05-28T23:59:00.000+01:00

by Kit-Bacon Gressitt

“Am I weird?” the teenager asked, balancing an old Ann Coulter book on her head, amid the bookstore’s discount stacks.

“You ask that as though weird were a pejorative,” her mother said. “You don’t want to be normal, do you? Do you want to be like everyone else?”

“I know what ‘pejorative’ means, and, as for being normal, which that word is not, I think I’d just like to fly under the radar.” She shrugged and Godless slipped from her head, landing face up on the industrial carpeting.

“Yikes!” her mother stepped back. “Now, that woman is truly weird. The wrong kind of weird, the kind that verges on evil.” She looked almost serious.

“Hey, why would she wear low-cut stuff with a cross?” The girl picked up Coulter and traced her plunging neckline and the cross pointing into her cleavage. “She hardly has breasts, anyway. So, like, is she really evil?”

“She doesn’t deserve breasts, and she’s the closest thing to evil there is because she pretends to believe the outrageously divisive things she says for the purpose of inciting fearful people to reject the unfamiliar — people who are different, opposing ideas, whatever — and to look to her for bullshit passing as comforting fact.” The mother took a deep breath.

“Huh? What are you talking about? Why do you always talk like that?” The girl balanced another book on her head while exploring Coulter’s character in her book jacket.

“Okay. She’s not really evil, but… let’s just say she’s full of shit. She’s full of shit because she tells fearful people outrageous shit, knowing it’s shit, and manipulating them into buying her shit.”

“We just learned about that, that thing you just did.” The girl flipped through the Coulter book, looking for more inappropriate pictures. “It’s called circular reasoning.”

“Well, Coulter has mastered it, that and the absurdly profane. After President Obama spoke at Notre Dame University’s commencement, urging pro-choice and anti-abortion folks to make nice, Coulter suggested that next year Notre Dame have an abortion performed live on stage, and that the 'president throw out the ceremonial first fetus, like on opening day in baseball.’”

“Yuck! She’s gross!” The girl dropped Coulter on what she figured was her pulpy little ass. “Hey! If you look at it from this angle, the title looks like ‘Goddess.’ Do you think that’s intentional?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her,” her mother snickered. “Once you’ve contracted a severe case of superiority complex, you’re much more susceptible to delusional omniscience.”

“Really, do you have to talk like that?” The girl looked at her mother through the 3-D glasses she’d found in the book now perched on her head. “Don’t you want people to understand you?”

“Not always, but I’m okay with my kind of weird. Coulter has never written about a substantive issue she didn’t slander with superficiality.”

The girl continued to ogle the downed idol at her feet. “Well, I don’t know who she frickin' is, but she looks like she’s trying to sell a book about religion with, like, sex. Not that she looks so sexy. Actually, she looks kind of bitchy. Why don’t you just say she’s a bitch? People would get that.”

“One can only hope they do,” her mother said.

“But do you think there are people who are really evil?” The girl looked around, still sporting the 3-D glasses.

“I don’t know,” her mother said. “Even the most horrible people always seem to have at least a hint of humanity. I’m sure even George Bush loves his kids.”

“Jeez. Bush isn’t evil.” The girl squinted at Coulter’s image to see if the 3-D glasses would make her breasts any bigger. “He was just too stupid to be president.”

“Okay, just kidding about Bush. Dick Cheney’s actually the almost-evil one, with his fear-mongering crappola.”

“So, you’re saying, like, even Hitler must have done something good at some point in his life?” The girl stuck the 3-D glasses in a copy of Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex, which seemed funny, but she wasn’t sure why, so she didn’t mention it.

“Well, yes, probably, although it pains me to say so. Maybe Hitler once helped an elderly woman across the street or wiped his pee off the toilet seat.” She picked Coulter up from the floor. “So, even this nitwit could have the capacity for truth and love,” the mother said unconvincingly, returning the book to the discount stack.

“Well, anyway, so am I weird or what?” the teenager asked, balancing the paperback edition of A Thousand Splendid Suns on her head.

“You’re my favorite kind of weird, Sweetie; you’re wonderful.”

(Editor's Note: This piece is cross-posted from Kit-Bacon Gressitt's personal blog, Excuse Me, I'm Writing.)

(Political graphic © copyright DarkBlack and used with permission. For more material like this, please see DarkBlack's blog.)

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Charging for Content: Why it’s Not the Future of Journalism

2009-05-28T15:18:00.000+01:00

by Jeff Siegel

Dean Singleton's media empire is extensive, and he is generally regarded as one of the few newspaper moguls whose business might survive — and even thrive — in the 21st century. So why does Singleton's plan for the future look like nothing more than a new coat of paint on an old, beat-up house? It's not so much that his strategy revolves around charging for content on his newspapers' websites, which isn't going to work. It's that charging for content is a 20th century solution to a 21st century problem. And if Singleton doesn't know any better, what does that say for the rest of the newspaper business?

A couple of disclosures first: Singleton briefly owned The Dallas Times Herald when I worked there 20 years ago, and there are those of us who still blame him for its demise in 1991. Also, I am a part-owner of a smallish, neighborhood-themed magazine group in Dallas, where we compete against a variety of mainstream media (MSM), and so some might think I have a financial interest in seeing the MSM go out of business.

In one respect, The MediaNews plan, which was leaked to the Poynter journalism Web site, has much to recommend it. The report says: “Finally, we are not significantly extending the reach of our audience, as our online products too closely resemble the newspaper, and thus fail to meaningfully reach the next generation of readers.” That’s about as true a statement as has ever been written concerning the Mainstream Media.

The report does gives too much credence to what the business calls community journalism or user-generated content, where the people who read the news also write it. I know — first-hand — that this is impossible to make work. But much of what it outlines makes sense, based around the recognition that Singleton’s papers have something no one else has — unique content and a brand to deliver it.

Because, in fact, that's much of what we're doing in Dallas. Several years ago, we realized that our company would not survive as a print-focused business. Though we had always had a digital component — a website, e-mail, and blogs — but they had been secondary to the print effort. So, in 2005, we started the process to become completely digital. We beefed up the website and added a variety of editorial features, including videos and podcasts, and our readers can see the entire magazine online (and yes, we still deliver it, just as we have since we started in 1991). In addition, we are experimenting with a host of advertising and marketing initiatives, because we understand that traditional magazine advertising is not going to be enough in the digital age. And this has not been easy, especially in the middle of a recession.

The one thing we're not doing is charging for content.

I understand why Singleton, and so many other newspaper companies, are grasping at this straw. They need cash — badly — and this is the cheapest, easiest and quickest way to get it. But charging for content doesn't work. It assumes not only that readers will pay for internet content that they have always had for free, but that charging can generate enough revenue to make a difference. Anyone who believes that needs to re-load their Excel spreadsheet. The Wall Street Journal, which is about the only member of the MSM that has had any success charging for content, earns somewhere between $50 and $75 million a year from on-line fees. Its parent, Dow Jones, had revenue of more than $2 billion in 2008. Dow Jones’ owner, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, doesn’t break out figures for its operating units, so the comparison is rough at best. But it’s also obvious that if that's the best The Wall Street Journal can do, why does anyone else think they can do better?

The newspaper business will save itself only if it approaches its problems from a 21st century perspective, which means looking past the cheap, quick and easy fixes. Look for new-style marketing and advertising solutions. Focus not on the newspaper, but on the delivery system. Can the industry generate revenue through devices like Amazon's Kindle or Google's next innovation? Is there a way to charge internet service providers a licensing fee in exchange for access to newspaper Web sites?

Otherwise, Singleton — and his colleagues — will keep closing newspapers.

(The graphic is from radicalgraphics.org, which offers its material for free.)

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Memorial Day, 2009

2009-05-24T23:59:00.000+01:00

Memorial Day.
Bitter salt is dressed up,
As a little girl with flowers.
The streets are cordoned off with ropes,
For the marching together of the living and the dead.
Children with a grief not their own march slowly,
Like stepping over broken glass.

— Yehuda Amichai

(Regular blogging will resume again Tuesday after the holiday. Kit-Bacon Gressitt's regular Sunday commentary will run later in the week. Photo by BL1961 via Flickr, using a Creative Commons License.)

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iVoryTowerz Radio Gets Punked Up

2009-05-23T18:48:00.000+01:00

How about a little punk rock to enliven your Memorial Day holiday weekend? Nothing like a little protest as we remember the fallen. Somehow the punk movement looks all the more wise despite its underlying nihilism given what has happened in the more than 30 years since it exploded on to the cultural scene. The underground podcast gets punky just about every week, but this time out, we provide an extra special dose. For those who want more than music to mosh with though, we also throw some progressive metal, folk, and indie rock into the mix. Raise your fist. Strike the appropriate sneering pose (one that will scare Dick Cheney off the national stage). And strap on your Doc Martens. This one goes right for the throat. Rant with us. Dance with us. Rock with us. But, of course, enjoy responsibly.

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Teenage Lobotomy" by The Ramones
"Horseshoes and Handgrenades" by Green Day
“Another State of Mind" by Social Distortion
"Death or Glory" by The Clash
Jeff’s New Wave: “Girl U Want” by Devo
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Oblivion” by Mastodon
Cover Me: "Wild Thing" by X
"We All Shine a Light" by Cracker with John Doe
"The Modern World" by The Jam
"Turn Tail" by The Young Knives
“I'm Sorry, Baby, But You Can't Stand in My Light Any More” by Bob Mould
“Fly One Time” by Ben Harper & The Relentless 7
“11:11” by Rufus Wainwright
"I Don't Want to Talk About Love No More" by Amy Rigby
"Letter Home" by Susan Levine
"You're Not Broken" by Sera Cahoone

(Mp3 Runs - 1:18:36; 72 MB.)

The program includes songs with explicit lyrics.

(The photo shows the mosh pit at the now-defunct Washington, D.C. club The Bayou circa 1990 for a Ramones concert. The photos is by bog_king of Bethany, WV via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license. Bog_king publishes the online musical and cultural blog Vanguard Party.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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NBA Playoffs: The Conference Finals 2009

2009-05-21T19:43:00.000+01:00

by Phil Kehres

As the conference finals begin in the National Basketball Association (NBA), it's time to reflect on why the Boston Celtics won't be repeat champions. After barely escaping the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Celtics fell in another seven-game series to the Orlando Magic. The loss of superstar forward Kevin Garnett to injury proved to be too much to overcome, even for the defending champs. However, though they failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics further proved themselves as a deep and talented team that will likely contend for years.

The absence of Garnett, part of Boston’s Big Three (which also includes forward Paul Pierce and guard Ray Allen), ultimately led to the demise of the Celtics. But without him, several others stepped up and helped the Celtics go deeper than many expected. Guard Rajon Rondo emerged as a legitimate star and a nightly triple-double threat. Forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis hit several big shots, including an astounding buzzer-beater to give the Celtics a 3-2 lead in the series. Even back-up center Kendrick Perkins got in the game, holding Orlando’s monster center Dwight Howard to a fairly quiet series. The Celtics may be going home early, but they won’t be left without hope for next year. A healthy Garnett back in the starting lineup could see this team deep in the playoffs for years to come.

Before we look too far into the future, though, let’s take a look at the four other teams that are still in the dance. After beating Boston, Orlando gets the right to play the East’s number one seed — the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers have been the best team in the playoffs so far, going 8-0 in the earlier rounds to earn themselves a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. (Orlando handed Cleveland its first playoff loss on Wednesday, May 20 in the opening game of the conference finals.) Orlando will be the best team the Cavaliers have faced so far, however, and this series is far from pre-determined. Orlando’s sharpshooting forwards Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu can shoot the lights out on a good night, and they help spread the defense to allow Dwight Howard easy shots on the inside. For Cleveland to advance, they’ll need someone other than forward LeBron James to step up and keep the Magic’s three-point game at bay.

In the wild, wild Western Conference, favorites the Los Angeles Lakers will face their toughest challenge yet in the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are playing the best basketball they’ve played all season, with superstar forward Carmelo Anthony playing out of his mind and veteran guard Chauncey Billups, nicknamed Mr. Bigshot, at the ready. Like the Magic, the Lakers are coming off a seven-game series that had no business going seven games. L.A. defeated Houston, which was without star center Yao Ming after Game Three. The Nuggets are a much better team than Houston, and, despite L.A.’s home court advantage, expect a dogfight. (The Lakers won Game 1 of the series on Tuesday, May 19, with Kobe Bryant leading the way with 40 points for the Lakers. The second game tips off tonight, May 21.)

LeBron vs. Kobe doesn’t seem like as much of an inevitability as it once did, but you can bank on two stellar Conference Finals series to carry us into the summer.

(Phil Kehres also is the co-author of Excuse Me, Is This Your Blog? He also contributes to Fear the Sword, a blog about the Cleveland Cavaliers of the Sports Blog Nation.)

(To see the schedule of NBA playoff games on various cable TV networks, please go here. To see a powerful dunk from Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic in the team's Game 1 victory, please check below.)

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Music: Challenging the Tastemakers

2009-05-20T23:07:00.000+01:00

by Jordan Coughenour
Special to iVoryTowerz

There's something indecent about having to explain an infatuation with a band to a few cynical music snobs, when legions of screaming teenagers present a staunch argument as to the passion with which the group is worshipped and idolized by millions. I've always happily surrounded myself with the sort of people with whom I may jointly debate for hours regarding the idiosyncrasies of Astral Weeks (by Van Morrison, for the uninitiated) or the merits of using vinyl in the contemporary age. But sooner or later, the subject of contemporary artists will come up in our discussions, and I know it will be nearing the time when I should summon the deflector rays and prepare my resistance. Even though I feel I may speak somewhat eloquently on the evolution of 20th and 21st century music, I have never sought to disguise, that at heart, and in the capacity of my lungs to scream for an extended period of time, I am a fangirl.

I've sighed at Clay Aiken, pondered on the brilliance of Green Day and in what I consider to be my crowning achievement in fandom, sang along with thousands of tweenage girls at a massive outdoor Jonas Brothers* concert. It's unnecessary to say that I am alone in these many infatuations, or that they lack in recognition. No less an authority than Lady Gaga** compared the worldwide obsession with the JoBros to that the Beatles faced in their prime. Still, showing allegiance to any of these artists is an effectual black mark against the legitimacy of one's musical preferences. As soon as Hot Topic or Claires begin selling tacky plastic jewelry with a singer’s face on it, any existing credibility of the group is immediately washed away. Simply because their music has spoken to a younger generation who feel powerfully enough about it to latch onto it with any means possible, a group can go from being called innovators to posers before their album even hits the shelves. It’s not as if these so-called sell-outs have any less devotion to their music simply because they choose to sell records rather than auction off their assets. It’s clear from his recent Rolling Stone interview that Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong eats and breaths vinyl and guitar riffs. And even though their allegiance to The Mouse† may do them few favors as they get older, the Jonas Brothers’ ability to understand and play to the devotion of their young fanbase has continued to serve them well. What these bands, and their young (typically female) devotees have in common is a recognition that while giving in to The Man may be regarded by purists as losing touch with the music, it is also a quick and effective way to spread a powerful message, as well as make some serious cash. Always choosing the album less traveled may lead one to discover musical intricacies and harmonization never to be fully appreciated by the Suits of the world, but it also results in the absence of a gratification in passion and art only the sound of thousands of screaming teenage girls can offer.

*Sometimes referred to as the JoBros, to the uninitiated.

**Lady Gaga is the stage name of Stefani Germanotta a singer and songwriter who has written songs for Britney Spears and the Pussycat Dolls, among others.

†Disney produces a Jonas Brothers television series and the multimedia giant has supported the band's career.

(To read a review of the new Green Day release, 21st Century Breakdown, please go here.)

(The promotional photo of Green Day is from Warner Brothers Records. To see Green Day play a live R-rated version of "Know Your Enemy" from 21st Century Breakdown, please check below.)

KNOW YOUR ENEMY (LIVE)

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Music Review: Tori Amos' Abnormally Attracted to Sin

2009-05-19T23:59:00.000+01:00

by Rick Rockwell

Tori Amos is searching for a new equilibrium.

The news: she hasn’t found it yet on her tenth solo studio release, Abnormally Attracted to Sin.

Some may remember Amos as one of the female singer-songwriters who ruled ‘90s alternative radio. But like her contemporaries Alanis Morissette and P.J. Harvey, Amos is finding the new millennium a bit tougher to navigate. Unlike Harvey’s recent success, Abnormally Attracted to Sin and the over-wrought concept album project American Doll Posse (2007) show how much Amos has lost her musical compass.

American Doll Posse was supposedly a thematic departure from Amos’ past and the singer noted she wanted a complete change of approach from that point forward. Now, after dumping her record label (the new record is distributed through Universal Republic Records but Amos remains independent of a full label contract) too, Amos seems to be looking for the comfort again of her past sound. Abnormally Attrtacted to Sin is the tepid result.

Surely, of the album’s 17 tracks (a deluxe online edition includes an extra “Oscar’s Theme,” which is actually one of the album’s better songs) Amos has penned a handful of winners, but nothing on the order of “Cornflake Girl” or “God” (both from 1994’s Under the Pink). The song “Police Me” is an interesting sonic reference to those times with its edgy guitar breaks and lyrical references to a “storming blackberry girl.” The album’s first single “Welcome to England” (Amos resides in England and holds both American and British citizenship) includes Amos’ idiosyncratic, staccato vocal style underpinned with Mac Aladdin’s razor-sharp guitar accents, but the song simply meanders, like a walk along the cliffs of Dover. The end result is pleasant, but a bit lightweight, despite its lyrical foundation about seduction. Or perhaps it really is just a small complaint about the British weather, as the lyrics use that as a conversational swing point (“…You better bring your own sun / sweet girl. / You gotta bring your own sun….”)

From the opening minor chords of “Give,” and Amos’ plaintive vocals, Abnormally Attracted to Sin sounds more like a harrowing voyage than a descent into decadence. Oddly, the arrangement of “Strong Black Vine” with its thick string arrangement and pounding drums lifts just a bit too much from Led Zeppelin’s classic “Kashmir.” Amos’ attempts at a sexy growl in her delivery can’t save the song from its over-produced self-indulgence. Like the lead single, some songs (“Flavor” and “Fire to Your Plain”) just move lazily and seem like forgettable trifles. Others (“Ophelia”) are dour explorations of Amos’s black moods or the moods of her alter-egos.

However, sometimes that dourness finds just the right cathartic note. “Maybe California” is one of the album’s best tracks and its mix of moody melancholy works perfectly. There are other songs of note too. Disguised as a mother’s conversation with her son about girls, “Mary Jane” is a humorous ode to cannabis. “Not Dying Today” includes a nice musical hook set on a percolating beat. And “Starling” is a fine bit of British folk, especially with Amos’ use of Matt Chamberlain’s restrained snare drums dialed down underneath the main mix. (Amos self-produced the album, and her husband Mark Hawley was one of the two sound mixers on the project.) But there aren’t enough of these moments.

Although Abnormally Attracted to Sin is a sprawling statement of independence and another experiment with creating lyrical novelettes, ultimately it is all too much. Like some artists, Amos needs a producer who will help her select her best tracks and lock the rest away. Clocking in at more than an hour and 12 minutes (without the bonus track) and with only about a third of its songs up to Amos’ usual standard, the real sin here is Amos’ extravagance.

(The promotional photo of the cover for the new Tori Amos release is from the artist's myspace page, where Abnormally Attracted to Sin is streaming for a limited time. Amos begins her world tour on July 10 in Seattle, WA. To see the video for Amos' "Flavor," please check below.)

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Sports: Boxing's Version of Middle East Peace

2009-05-18T23:58:00.000+01:00

by Suzie Raven

The United Nations uses negotiations to try to bring peace to the Middle East. Ahmad Tuba and Raany Tal use boxing.

Tal, an Israeli Jew who owns three gyms in the Tel Aviv area, noticed Tuba, a Palestinian Arab who lives near Nazareth, when scouting for young amateur fighters to train almost six years ago.

Jews and Arabs in the Middle East often do not speak with one another, but Tuba has been training with Tal ever since the two first met. Five days a week, Tuba spends two hours each way on five different buses to get to Tal’s gym. Tal has spent time with Tuba’s family.

Their relationship is an anomaly and has helped break down barriers in people around them. It also led to Tuba’s professional debut at the Legendary Blue Horizon in North Philadelphia last week. Tuba won a unanimous four round decision against Baltimore's Vincent Batteast. Obviously, Tal wants Tuba to win fights, but the social ramifications are not lost on them. They also hope that the career of an Arab fighter with an Israeli trainer will show the world that people with their backgrounds don’t have to hate each other.

It’s sad that neighbors feel an intense hatred towards each other based on a conflict that their governments have not been able to resolve. World leaders are obviously not making tangible progress in the conflict, but people like Tuba and Tal prove that religion should not preclude friendship. Everyone deserves a fighting chance.

The columnist who broke their story on these shores, Annette John-Hall of the Philadelphia Inquirer said it best: “They have broken down barriers where high-level talks have foundered. Just another example of how sports can serve as the world's greatest ambassador.”

Tal and Tuba have forged a relationship despite all odds. Their example proves that religious differences and decades of harrowing conflict do not have to end in hatred between people. They have put us one step closer to peace in the Middle East.

(Photo by januszek of Poland via stock.xchng.)

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E-mail: The Perfect Distraction

2009-05-17T15:27:00.001+01:00

by Kit-Bacon Gressitt

Recently, I sat at my desk, committed to adding 2,000 words to my mediocre American novel manuscript, but I just wanted to clear out my e-mails before getting started.

The first one asked me to save newborn buffalo, but I didn’t want to think about their wobbly little legs, shattered in a stampeding frenzy.

Then Amazon suggested, based on my previous purchases, that I might like to order John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics, except what Amazon doesn’t know is that Stossel kind of gives me the creeps.

I could have read a joke about $7 sex. My husband has been traveling a lot lately, so I did, and then I thought maybe I shouldn’t have, but it was too late.

I could also have read an analysis of the poll to which 66 percent of women responded that being a mother is a woman’s most important role, but it smacked of some sort of confused misogyny.

Facebook sent me a birthday notice for someone I don’t know but whom I mistakenly approved as a friend before I figured out Facebook. But Facebook annoys me, so I deleted it.

I could have looked at what Verizon is charging to my credit card, but the purpose of automatic payments is to avoid acknowledging how much all this great technology costs.

The definition and etymology of “dissimulate” was enticing, and because I love words, I opened it, and now I fully intend to use “dissimulate” in my 2,000 words. I am not dissimulating.

There was another Facebook request, from another stranger who wanted to be my friend, but I’ve learned that lesson well.

Salon.com sent an article about the state politics of stem cell research, but I figure with Barack Obama in the presidency, and my cells in California, I don’t have to worry about it.

Someone forwarded a poem called “Crowning,” published in The New Yorker, and, because it was a poem and in The New Yorker, I read it and it was lovely. And then I was surprised that I was surprised it was by a male poet. I’m a pig.

The Publishers Marketplace wanted to report all the new book deals this week, but I didn’t get a deal, so I didn’t open it, although I’ll try to be pleased for the writers who did. Bastards.

Composer and violinist Mark O’Connor wanted me to buy his Americana Symphony CD, but, although I love his work, the economy is “not getting worse as quickly,” so I didn’t.

Message!Products was pitching a sale — 25 percent off — but I just replenished my pro-choice checks, so I didn’t bite, but I did wonder why they always announce a sale just after I’ve received my order.

I didn’t want to plod through a Human Security News report because I didn’t want to know about the dozens killed in Mogadishu, the 700 militants killed in Pakistan, the 106 children who died in shelling in Sri Lanka, the 50 people hospitalized after a girls’ school poisoning in Afghanistan, the 49 killed in Sudanese tribal violence, or the political prisoners suffering ill health in Myanmar (it’s really Burma), presumably including Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi. Okay, I peeked, and it was exactly the agonizing news I expected.

The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) asked me to contribute to its effort to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Souter with a pro-choice nominee, but President Obama’s head is screwed on straight and NARAL is just trying to keep up with the anti-choice opposition to a pro-choice nominee. Of course the complacency of majority is ill advised, so I reconsidered briefly, until I remembered the economy.

I could have read STRATFOR’s editorial on "The Strategic Debate Over Afghanistan," but I’d had enough frustrating news for one day, so I didn’t. Although I did feel a little guilty about that one, which resurrected the threat to the baby buffalo and their wobbly little legs, and then I was swamped by a swell of guilt.

So, I rescued the National Resources Defense Council's e-mail from death by deletion, clicked to save the newborn bison and read all about their terrible plight, and I wondered if I could work baby bison into my 2,000 pages.

But then I got another e-mail, asking me to ask President Obama to put an end to the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy for gays in the military, a policy akin to sanctioned lying, so I had to respond to that one, and then — oops, another e-mail.

(Editor's Note: This is an abridged version of this piece. The original, unabridged version can be found at Kit-Bacon Gressitt's personal blog, Excuse Me, I'm Writing. Ms. Gressitt regularly cross-posts her writing with this blog.)

(The screenshot photo is by Spencer E Holtaway of London, U.K. via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

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Music Review: Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown

2009-05-15T15:53:00.000+01:00

by Rick Rockwell

With the release of 21st Century Breakdown from Green Day, a year with a bumper crop of wonderful music just became notably stronger. Green Day’s eighth studio release is that good. The album not only solidifies Green Day’s place as the most significant punk band of this new century but this new release could likely end up as the best album of 2009.

Certainly, Green Day doesn’t explore any new ground on 21st Century Breakdown; some will likely criticize that. If you’ve heard the band’s other classics, you’ll know what to expect. However, if Dookie (1994) or American Idiot (2004) did not exist, 21st Century Breakdown would still come charging out of your speakers and capture your heart with its fine, enthusiastic songcraft and seem fresh. (“American Eulogy: Mass Hysteria/Modern World” actually plays not only as this album’s climax but as a completing couplet to American Idiot. Some might actually argue that 21st Century Breakdown is the intended sequel and bookend to American Idiot, but this new release stands on its own.) 21st Century Breakdown is a worthy successor to those other Green Day successes, if not the band’s entire catalogue.

This is an album filled with adrenaline and testosterone. The arrangements are mostly slashing guitars, sledgehammer power chords and marching Ramones-style blitzkrieg bops. (Despite its title, “Before the Lobotomy” is not a Ramones homage but rather a pop song infused with critical commentary. Check the lyrics: “Everyone’s reminded / Hearts are washed in misery / Drenched in gasoline.”) Yes, the band includes some ballads and quieter interludes, but mostly this is accelerator to the floor modern rock at its best. The album ranges from superbly crafted power pop (“21 Guns”) to blistering punk protests (“Horseshoes and Hand Grenades”).

“Horseshoes and Handgrenades” not only tops the anger meter but it announces Green Day’s intentions. Guitarist/singer/composer Billie Joe Armstrong spits out “I’m not fuckin’ around….” over a barrage of crunching guitars. Who says the spirit of the Sex Pistols is gone? The song also neatly genuflects not only to Patti Smith, but also to Van Morrison & Them. Several of the album’s songs actually point directly to Morrison’s “Gloria” for inspiration, partially because one of the album's recurring characters in its cycle of love songs has that name.

The bonus version of the album with its two additional tracks (the regular album has 18 tracks and clocks in at more than an hour and nine minutes of music) points to additional inspirations. Green Day’s cover of The Who’s “A Quick One While He’s Away” plays like a seven-minute mini-rock opera and tops the original. Although 21st Century Breakdown is less of an obvious concept album as was American Idiot, the songs blend together, many using the technique of searching an old radio dial; something that is lost in the modern age. Much of the album is at turns a deft commentary about modern media (the radio especially) or a bludgeoning rant (see “The Static Age,” which has a title that tells it all). While appropriating The Who’s sense for the dramatic album-long story arc or commentary (along with a sense for turning pop hooks into sturdy rock songs) Green Day also nods to its punk roots with a cover of Social Distortion’s “Another State of Mind.” There’s something to be said for keeping a solid foundation of hardcore punk that Social Distortion (of the 1980s California punk wing) represents.

Get ready because this album is worth every bit of the five-year wait since American Idiot. There are at least a handful of potential hits on 21st Century Breakdown (“Know Your Enemy” is the first single), and Green Day is ready to hijack your radio with as many of them as possible. Your part: turn up the volume.

(The promotional photo of Green Day is from Warner Brothers Records. Green Day will open its world tour in New York City on May 18. To see Green Day play an R-rated version of the title track from 21st Century Breakdown at a club date in Oakland, CA, please check below.)

21ST CENTURY BREAKDOWN (LIVE)

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iVoryTowerz Radio: The Western Special (Deux or Dos)

2009-05-14T23:59:00.000+01:00

There's nothing like a sequel to give a program the stamp of success. This week the underground podcast goes western, as a sequel to the most popular iVoryTowerz Radio program ever: The Ecstasy of Gold. So if you like music with a western flair, settle in for plenty of pedal steel guitars, banjos and fiddles. But it wouldn't be an underground podcast without an eclectic twist. So you'll also find everything here from punk and metal to rockabilly and reggae. There's a lot more than just folk, country, country-rock and alt-country here. And the music covers more than 70 years of modern sounds. Jingle jangle your spurs, and, of course, enjoy responsibly.

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Hang 'em High" by The Reggae Cowboys
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “Rawhide” by Dezperadoz
Jeff’s New Wave: “Take This Job and Shove It” by The Dead Kennedys
"Jeannie Needs a Shooter" by Warren Zevon
“Knoxville Girl" by The Outlaws
"Big Iron" by Marty Robbins
"South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)" by Patsy Cline
"Love is a Rose" by Linda Ronstadt
"Back to Austin" by Shelley Laine
“Mexicali Rose” by Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys
“Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Asleep at the Wheel with Willie Nelson
“Go West” by Geraint Watkins
"Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key" by Billy Bragg & Wilco
"El Paso" by Don McLean
"Viva Zapata" by Link Wray
Cover Me: "The Theme from the Magnificent Seven" by Los Straightjackets
"3:10 to Yuma, Main Title Theme" by Marco Beltrami

(Mp3 Runs - 1:11:16; 66 MB.)

(The photo is from the National Endowment for the Arts and is in the public domain.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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Films: Can the New Star Trek Ever Please Old Fans?

2009-05-13T14:29:00.000+01:00

by Rick Rockwell

The answer to the title’s question: maybe.

But that possibility will come only through a difficult process. Director J.J. Abrams and his mostly new cast have given it their best shot with the new Star Trek feature, the eleventh film in the series. However, the problem is that old fans know the entire process is exploitive at its core.

First, some necessary truths: 1) this author fell in love with the series when it debuted in the 1960s; 2) this author has tracked the series and its spin-offs ever since; 3) this author believes producer Rick Berman ran out of ideas for the franchise in the mid-1990s, leaving several poor films (Nemesis and Insurrection) and various foundering television series (Deep Space Nine and Voyager), all with the Star Trek brand attached, in his wake. The final spin-off television series Enterprise was a poorly designed prequel. Although some critics say that series found its way by its third season, the damage was done. Star Trek had imploded on the weight of its inconsistencies and plot holes, propelled by the corporate greed that compels media corporations to wring one more cent out of once creative ideas. Many old fans had given up on what the new producers had done to the Star Trek franchise and the idea wasn’t attracting new audiences. The ratings for Enterprise were testament to that.

The corporate media — in this case Paramount Pictures which is owned by media giant Viacom — are aided in their greedy efforts by the mainstream media. (This theory, of course, is not new. Note: most major newspapers and television outlets are owned by the same corporations that push these products. Does it make sense for them not to aid in the marketing of their products?) Take, for instance, this essay by Hank Stuever of The Washington Post (owned by a multimedia company with concerns in magazines, newspapers, television stations and cable television, among others). Stuever argues that Abrams needed to “re-boot” Star Trek (why not just rewrite?) to reach new audiences and enliven the franchise.

Let’s apply some logic to this, as one of Star Trek’s key characters, Spock might. This idea at its core assumes the old fans don’t matter, or that they will buy just about anything with the Star Trek label, doesn’t it? Stuever’s argument comes from the same book as the newspaper executives who have been searching for their new audience for more than a generation. Meanwhile, as they tinkered with their product to find that elusive new (and younger) audience, they kept ticking off the old audience with the changes. The same can be said of television executives who also continue to redesign their product in search of ever younger or different audiences while the old audience grows more frustrated (and is also moving elsewhere beyond standard over-the-air television).

Credit Abrams, screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, and their young cast with trying hard. The new Star Trek film is fun. But try as they might with the intricate explanations and an interesting (if flawed) speech by original cast member Leonard Nimoy (Spock) at the end, the film falls apart about midway through. Abrams’ action film directing attempts to distract from the huge plot problems and the breakdown of character development. Throw in enough explosions, special effects and fist fights and maybe folks won’t notice, seems to be the philosophy. And many won’t. But this is not a great film. It’s not even a great Star Trek film. It doesn’t rise to the level of The Wrath of Khan, or The Voyage Home or even First Contact.

Was the $10 spent on the new Trek film worth it? Probably. Did the new stewards of this franchise need to create an alternate Star Trek universe using the hoary Star Trek devices of time-space singularities and time travel to wipe the slate clean and give themselves some creative elbowroom. Perhaps. But in the end, it seems like much of the philosophical core of the original series has been lost along the way. And this film consumer and former fan can’t help but feel just a little manipulated.

(To read about the media hype and reviews of the new Star Trek film, please see: "Who Needs the New Star Trek Movie? We Have the Reviews.")

(The promotional photo for Star Trek is from Paramount Pictures. To see a trailer for the film, please check below.)

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Music Review: Hedley’s Never Too Late

2009-05-12T11:26:00.000+01:00

by Jeff Siegel

There is a tradition in rock ‘n roll that stretches from the early 1970s, when bands like Journey and Styx first appeared, though Survivor and Loverboy in the 1980s, to Bon Jovi in the 1990s. Call them, for lack of a better term, prom bands — that is, the bands that have the hits that get played at the high school prom.

Count Hedley’s Never Too Late (Fontana International) as a proud member of that tradition. The album, out today (May 12) on iTunes and as a CD on May 19, has all the distinguishing characteristics: The insistent choruses, the Top 40 radio hooks, the fuzzy, crashing guitars, and a lead singer who won’t quit. In this case, that’s Jacob Hoggard, the one-time Canadian Idol finalist who formed the band and fronted its first two albums, Hedley (2005) and Famous Last Words (2007).

Interestingly, this is not the kind of music that people familiar with those first two records (mostly Canadians, where the band has scored a number of hits) would expect. They were, if not exactly alt-rock, not nearly this cut and buffed. But Hoggard and crew pull out all the stops for Never Too Late. If he doesn’t sound like Styx’ Dennis DeYoung singing “Lady” in 1975, it’s not for a lack of trying. The title track, with its “Here’s to all the broken hearts tonight.... every girl and boy who lost their joy” is aimed squarely at the blue-tuxed, corsage and spaghetti strap crowd.

Will this album be Hedley’s crossover to the American charts? Probably not, though that’s obviously the intent here. The band understands the formula, but it doesn’t seem to have whatever it is that takes an ordinary band and gives it Styx-like success. Or even Loverboy-like success (see: “Working for the Weekend” in 1981), to use a Canadian example. The playing could be a little tighter, the lyrics could be a little sharper, and the production could be a little less obvious. The album comes closest on “Bone Shatter,” but it takes more than one song to be the heir to a tradition.

(The promotional photo of Hedley is from Universal Music Group. The band will play a limited Canadian tour, beginning June 20 in Belleville, Ontario. The band has a YouTube site, but Universal Music Group restricts the use of embedded video.)

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NBA Playoffs: Symmetry & Sensation

2009-05-11T17:28:00.000+01:00

by Phil Kehres

A quick glance at the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoff bracket reveals a cursory appearance of symmetry. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets are dominating the opposition and find themselves up 3-0 against the Atlanta Hawks and the Dallas Mavericks, respectively. The Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic are tied 2-2, as are the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets. There’s much more to these series than meets the eye, however.

As Cleveland strives to maintain its so far perfect playoff run, some would have you believe that the weakness of their first two opponents has been the cause for their success. While it’s hard to argue that the Detroit Pistons were anything but awful, Atlanta is no pushover. Make no mistake — this series is as lopsided as it is because of the Cavs' suffocating defense and balanced offensive attack. Though Atlanta has sustained some costly injuries, the Cavs have simply taken care of business. They have systematically demoralized their opponents on a nightly basis — a feat that the fellow powerhouse L.A. Lakers (more on that a bit later) haven’t been able to match. Despite those who say that Cleveland is at a disadvantage because they’ve yet to face a real challenge, NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown and his Cavaliers would have it no other way.

The other series in the Eastern Conference finds an injury-plagued Boston Celtics team somehow managing to hang tough against the energetic Orlando Magic. With the Magic poised to take a 3-1 series lead on their home court, Celtics forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis nailed a buzzer-beating jumper to shift the momentum back towards the defending champions as they take the series back to Boston. You have to wonder how Boston hasn’t overdrawn its account in the good karma bank, but at this point, the Magic have to do some soul-searching. With Boston running out the dregs of its bench for substantial minutes each game, this series is closer than it should be.

Over in the Western Conference, the prolific Denver Nuggets have taken a commanding lead over the Dallas Mavericks, but not without controversy. Game 3 was won on a last-second three-pointer by Carmelo Anthony, who was clearly intentionally fouled by Dallas guard Antoine Wright prior to the shot. The missed call was so egregious that the NBA issued an apology after the game. Whoops. Dallas, now on the brink of elimination, has a redwood-sized chip on their shoulder that they’ll need to use to their advantage in Game 4 if they have any hope of challenging the red-hot Nuggets.

The most intriguing series going on is the contest between the defending Western Conference Champion L.A. Lakers and the Houston Rockets. The Lakers, favored to win the NBA title this year were stunned in a Game 1 loss at home. Games 2 and 3 got wild. Lakers guard Derek Fisher was suspended for body checking Rockets forward Luis Scola in Game 2 and Rockets forward Ron Artest was ejected from both games. The Lakers, however, recovered from their lackadaisical Game 1 performance to take both of the next two games and gain the momentum. Game 4 was proof that momentum in sports is a mirage. Down superstar center Yao Ming, who is out for at least the rest of the playoff with a fractured foot, the Rockets pasted the Lakers to ties the series up. Fortunately for L.A., the series is headed back to the Staples Center. Kobe Bryant and crew will have to pick up the pace. Playing this poorly against a Rockets team decimated by injury does not bode well for the Lakers' prospects in later rounds — should they advance.

Excitement abounds so far in these playoffs, and likely things won't cool down. The upcoming week could feasibly see both the defending Eastern and Western Conference champions sent packing. If Boston and L.A. manage to advance, they’ll each have to deal with beasts lying in wait.

(Phil Kehres also is the co-author of Excuse Me, Is This Your Blog?)

(To see the schedule of NBA playoff games on various cable TV networks, please go here. To see official NBA highlights of Glen Davis' sensational buzzer beater in the last Celtics-Magic game, please check below.)

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Mother's Day: From One Mother to Another

2009-05-10T14:47:00.000+01:00

by Kit-Bacon Gressitt

Today is the day we honor mothers, and in this great country of ours, marketing geeks nationwide have provided us myriad ways in which to do so.

For those with unlimited resources and abundant aversion to their mothers, there are some very nice travel deals that put the old lady and her European houseboy well out of sight and sound for an extended stay — the perfect gift for sucking up in abstentia while securing one’s inheritance.

For those who’ve learned to stop blaming their mothers for whom they’ve become — moneyed or not — there are plenty of less extravagant options, in keeping with our doddering economy, for letting her know of your undying gratitude.

Most facile, perhaps, is to send her flowers. And to make sure the token is deeply felt, the price of those precious carbon dioxide absorbers typically leaps skyward the week leading up to Mother’s Day. You want to honor the loins that bore you with a fragrant tchotchke? Be prepared to pay more than you would the rest of the year when Mom is just the babysitter.

If you actually want to be with your mother on her special day, and get a little more bang for your buck with some face time, you could take the little lady out for brunch.

And what an unfortunate drag that is.

Despite Google producing 1.08 million options, every adult with plastic and a mobile mother within commuting distance shows up at your local elder-friendly eatery at the same time. The pubescent hostess, who has yet to connect the dots from her backseat activities to motherhood, herds you to a table. The bedraggled waitress, a mother who at the moment has a deep and dangerous loathing of Mother’s Day, fills you up. And then you pay the bill and you’re herded out again, with a wilted red carnation pinned to your mother’s sagging bosom, next to the dribble of egg yolk, and her cheeks aflush from the supposedly free glass of cheap champagne that came with her meal — no substitutions, please.

Instead of the Mother’s Day special, you might try a nice book about bird watching or a World’s Best Mom mug or slippers to compensate for her poor circulation. Although devoid of originality, they do provide some tangible reminder that you are her progeny, and though she might have forgotten, you haven’t. Even one of the plethora of banal greeting cards might do: It will last a lot longer than flowers and there’s significantly more room to write a poignantly appreciative message to her than on that teensy card some florist fills out for you in the handwriting of a troglodyte. Sadly, though, the greeting card industry has yet to produce a reasonable rhyme for “mother,” which leads to insipidity and egregious grammar. (Of course, there’s “brother,” but that’s a relative distraction, and “smother,” which too strongly suggests a dysfunctional maternal bond).

Whether by default or natural inclination, some of us do reject the commercial crappola and go for the direct approach we’ve been lucky to inherit from the powerful women who bore us, the smarm-be-gone style of honoring our mothers.

Yo, Dear Mother of Pearl, we say, looking deeply into her wise and witty eyes, thanks for birthing us and bearing the seemingly endless pain we have caused you with such extraordinarily unconditional love and delightfully profane humor, targeting whichever offspring isn’t present at the moment.

Thanks for agreeing that most men are swine and not worthy of the many fine pearls we shouldn’t bother tossing before them. Thanks also for strategically ignoring that thought and pointing out to us when we found the right ones — just in case we weren’t recognizing them.

Thanks for taking our unrepentant children during the summers so we could recover from their daily discourse on what terrible mothers we are. Thanks for comforting us, while we wallow in the latest abject failure, with the prediction that one day we will pee in our pants laughing about it. Thanks for reminding us how exceptional we are when we feel like utterly mundane caca.

And thanks for teaching us both the heartening and horrifying aspects of motherhood, but holding back just enough of the truly sucky stuff to assure we would perpetuate the species.

Love,
Your adoring daughter

(Editor's Note: This piece is cross-posted from Kit-Bacon Gressitt's personal blog, Excuse Me, I'm Writing.)

(The graphic was created with the aid of the Despair, Inc. Parody Generator.)

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Who Needs the New Star Trek Movie? We Have the Reviews

2009-05-09T14:07:00.001+01:00

by Jeff Siegel

I’m old enough so that I watched the original Star Trek TV series when it ran on NBC 40-some years ago. But this is not a cranky, middle-aged Trekkie post. This is a cranky, why aren’t movie reviews any better than this post?

Peruse the cyber-ether, and you’ll discover that the reviewers who are dissecting director J.J. Abrams’ entry in the Star Trek series apparently copied from each other’s papers. Or are using the same film critic software. Or attended cliche school on the same day. Because the reviews, for the most part, all sound pretty much the same. Do these similarities mean that the reviewers are lazy? That they prefer to use blurbs and ideas planted with them by the marketers and the PR releases? And that they don’t believe in craft anymore? Somewhere, Pauline Kael is sobbing. (And yes, you’ll have to look up who she is yourself.)

• Abrams didn’t make a movie; he “rebooted the Star Trek franchise.” Even a Scottish review used the phrase.

• Abrams’ great skill as a director revolves around his ability as a mythmaker and his insights into pop culture. A variation on this theme was almost constant, and especially in both The New York Times and Washington Post reviews. It was enough to make me to look for my copy of Edith Hamilton. (Yep, have to look that one up yourself, too.)

• Those of us who were born before the first George Bush presidency are geeks, nerds and Trekkies. Which is to be expected, I suppose. And the movie is not your dad’s Star Trek. Or it’s not your uncle’s. Thankfully, I didn’t find anyone saying it wasn’t my grandfather’s Star Trek. And what’s with all these women critics relegating Star Trek to dads and uncles? I could have sworn, in those long ago days when we watched the reruns in my college dorm’s TV lounge, there were women with us.

• “Live long and prosper!” Thanks, L.A. Times. And Cincinnati City Beat. And they were really clever in San Francisco: “Kick butt and prosper.”

The best review I found, which treated the film as a film and not as a chance to write sociology-lite, get quoted in an ad, or parse sentences like a grammarian at Entertainment Tonight, came from Michael Phillips at The Chicago Tribune. Thank you, sir. Your work is much appreciated.

(Promotional photo of the new version of the Enterprise in Star Trek is from Paramount Pictures. To see a trailer for the 11th installment of the Star Trek franchise, please see below.)

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iVoryTowerz Radio: The Unintentional History of AOR

2009-05-08T23:59:00.000+01:00

First, let's get this straight: the underground podcast sounds nothing like Album Oriented Rock (AOR) radio. Or at least nothing like any AOR from this planet. For the uninitiated, this podcast takes its cues from the freeform and guerrilla radio movements of the 1960s. But what would happen if such a station actually played some AOR music? Stitched through this playlist you'll find more than 30 years of of songs that have popped up on AOR radio and through this program you can hear the evolution of that form. Although, let's face it, this is still freeform radio with all the touches: special programming opens, quirky programming features, hosts that respect the music but who don't try to be comedians nor do they sound like homogenized robots, and finally the patented eclectic music mix. Besides the AOR classics, you'll find everything from heavy metal to bluegrass. And in between we sprinkle in neo-soul, alternative rock, indie rock, and new wave. So sing to the hits, but also bounce to the rest. Please, enjoy responsibly.

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Furr" by Blitzen Trapper
Cover Me: "Ticket to Ride" by The Billys
"Almost Cut My Hair" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY)
“I am Not My Hair" by India.Airie
"Cut Your Hair" by Pavement
"Goodbye to You" by The Veronicas
"The Warrior" by Patty Smyth & Scandal
"Zero" by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“Last of the English Roses” by Pete Doherty
“Last of the Small Town Playboys” by Dirty Pretty Things
“Last of the Famous International Playboys” by Morrissey
Jeff’s New Wave: “Crocodiles” by Echo & the Bunnymen
"Shine" by Collective Soul
"Whores" by Jane's Addiction
"Spellbound" by Lacuna Coil
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “9” by Mercyful Fate

(Mp3 Runs - 1:17:24; 71 MB.)

(Photo by haydnseek of Boston, MA via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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Baseball, Drugs & Manny Ramirez: Another Legacy Destroyed

2009-05-07T23:58:00.000+01:00

by Phil Kehres

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez is the latest superstar to find himself embroiled in Major League Baseball’s ongoing performance-enhancing drug (PED) saga. Your first reaction might be “another one bites the dust.” But before we crucify him, though, let’s cut through the mock outrage and try to take a more nuanced look at the situation.

Ramirez was suspended for 50 games under baseball’s drug policy for taking the female fertility drug human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), according to ESPN, which based its story on as yet unnamed sources. Ramirez was quick to issue an apology that didn’t deny his use of the drug but rather claimed he was given a legitimate prescription for it and did not know it was on list of substances banned by Major League Baseball (MLB). Early reports noted that Ramirez might have been prescribed the drug as a treatment for erectile dysfunction. However, hCG is a drug often used to increase levels of testosterone in steroid users. This is the same stuff that Jose Conseco got busted for trying to smuggle into the U.S. It’s not hard to connect the dots. Ramirez won’t be able to pass this one off as “Manny being Manny.”

Though it seems obvious Ramirez knew what he was doing, there are more important things to take away from this most recent debacle. You’d have to be a world-class idiot to keep using after all the controversy that’s gone down in the past, and it seems Ramirez fits the bill. But though the disappointment is valid here, it’s a shame now the cavalcade of morons will have another reason to sound off with ridiculous ideas like deleting Ramirez’s records and calling for the invasion of MLB commissioner Bud Selig’s office by the U.S. military. Ramirez is guilty, yes, and he’s been suspended. Let’s not be so absurd as to act like he’s destroyed our national innocence.

Furthermore, this incident — the confusion surrounding the purpose of the drug, Ramirez’ passive denial of guilt — is proof that these things should be examined on a case-by-case basis. Ramirez is not Barry Bonds. He is not A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez). Ramirez was not outed for taking PEDs years ago when the rules were murky — this is now. His crimes are his own, and more clear-cut than those in the past. But it’s a fool’s errand to make blanket statements about the character of every athlete ever associated with PED use. These are complex issues that deserve better than the surface-level arguments fed to us by a bloated, failing mainstream media desperate for readership.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t damn Ramirez. I’m saying we, as a collective of sports fans and (nominally) rational human beings, need to get our damn facts straight before we grab our pitchforks and torches.

(The photo of Manny Ramirez is by shgmom56 via Flickr, using a Creative Common license.)

For more on steroids and performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball, please see these posts from the archives:

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How Asher Roth Really Relates to College Life

2009-05-06T18:24:00.000+01:00

(Editor's Note: The author of this piece, Melissa Mahfouz is in the midst of her last week of college finals as she finishes her first year of college life.)

by Melissa Mahfouz
Special to iVoryTowerz

The song “I Love College” by rapper Asher Roth (the song is on Roth's new album Asleep in the Bread Aisle, released on April 20) is the epitome of stereotypical songs pertaining to 3 a.m. runs to the local pizza joint, sleepless nights without productivity, hour-long conversations about the meaning of life, and those crazy weekends you either can never forget or can’t quite remember. Welcome to college, a place of so-called “teachers and scholars,” piles of books and compositions on the most obscure, yet interesting of topics, infinite supplies of dirty laundry, and an omniscient love for life.

Aside from suffering from a massive, incessant inundation of information that you seemingly will never use again (for example: how to derive the standard deviation of a fish population in Mozambique), one can safely say that college life, without a doubt, is truly an unforgettable learning experience. The real is separated from the superficial, activism transcends passivity, epiphanies are reached in which one realizes that he or she is not supernatural and has faults, limits are learned (interpret as you wish), and most importantly, relationships are fostered with an array of individuals while enhancing oneself as a human being.

As the ride is reaching its end for those on the verge of graduation, and beginning for those soon-to-be infamous freshmen, I only advise to take advantage of the moment, because it soon will become a distant, yet nostalgic memory. Roth puts it best when he says that it’s an experience “we’d do all over again.” The song captures this experience so well.

(The promotional photo of Asher Roth is from SRC Records, a division of Universal Music Group.)

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Music Review: Cracker's Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey

2009-05-05T23:58:00.000+01:00

by Rick Rockwell

Awesome! Cracker’s new release Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey is an adrenaline shot to the heart. What more could one ask of a rock 'n roll record but to instill a sense of revival.

Certainly, the title of the album puts a finger immediately on that pulse. However, anyone who has listened to any of Cracker’s previous nine studio albums knows this band comes with a skeptical squint and a satirical world view. So read the title as a commentary on the fact the world hasn’t changed much despite the declarations that we supposedly live in a time of hope.

The punk attitude Cracker has always had at its foundation bubbles up to the surface on this release. Starting with the first track, “Yalla Yalla (Let’s Go),” Cracker sounds like the Ramones, if only the Ramones had Ph.Ds. The song is a whip-smart story about the lecherous and hilarious reminiscences of an Iraq War veteran recounting stories of his ex-girlfriends. More Ramones influences spill forth on the equally hilarious “Hand Me My Inhaler.”

But the best punk song on this new release is “Hey Bret (You Know What Time It Is),” which gives a big middle finger to the topsider and khaki crowd. The song is written from the point of view of poor Latinos who are sick of the WASP hierarchy. On top of smoldering beats, singer/guitarist David Lowery protests: “We live like serfs / in this new feudal land / We pay the bills and fight the wars.”

Unafraid to take the intellectual high road, Cracker combines with punk icon John Doe (formerly of X) to good effect on “We Will Shine a Light,” a song about democratizing Pakistan and fighting al Qaeda.

Another great guest shot on Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey comes from Patterson Hood, the founder of the Drive-by Truckers. On “Friends,” Hood and Lowery sing a boozy country-soaked barroom duet that name checks and references Captain Beefheart.* What other band would have the guts to try that in an alt-country song?

One of the weaker songs, “Turn On Tune In Drop Out With Me,” the song the band has offered as the first single on the album, still manages to pack a lyrical dystopian punch. However, the song sounds like a derivative knock off of Everclear’s “I Will Buy You a New Life.”

But it is hard to mar the powerful impact of Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey, which is easily Cracker’s best release since The Golden Age (1996). And if there’s any doubt of that assessment, just cue up “I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right” about midway through this great record. The song packs a sonic punch with the best guitar solos from Lowery and lead guitarist Johnny Hickman on a record filled with gritty guitar workouts. That song alone will make you forget the crazy headlines of our times which the band is inveighing against for most of this release. And that’s the real enjoyment of soaking in the energizing musical rays of Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey.

*Captain Beefheart is the stage name of Don Van Vliet.

(The promotional photo of Cracker is by Jason Thrasher and is provided by Savoy/429 Records. Cracker will play St. Louis, MO on May 15, the next date on the band's tour of the U.S. To see the video for "Yalla Yalla (Let's Go)" from Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey, please check below.)

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NBA Playoffs: Can the Weary Celtics Top Hungry Orlando?

2009-05-04T07:03:00.000+01:00

by Phil Kehres

The second round of the playoffs for the National Basketball Association (NBA) is upon us. Despite a few upsets, things have shaken out rather uninterestingly in the Western Conference. It’s as if we’re all waiting for the inevitable: the Lakers’ champagne has been on ice since the first round began. The potential for drama in the Eastern Conference semifinals, however, is off the charts.

The number one-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Atlanta Hawks in Atlanta’s first appearance in the second round of the playoffs since 1999. The Hawks’ balanced attack — led by guard Joe Johnson, forward Josh Smith and center/forward Al Horford — presents a bigger challenge to the Cavs than a Miami team comprising Dwyane Wade and a bunch of scrap heap players. Cleveland has the upper hand by virtue of their depth — and some guy named LeBron — but expect the Hawks to give Cleveland more trouble than the flaccid Detroit team the Cavs whitewashed in the first round. For the Cavs, this could be an excellent tune-up for an Eastern Conference Finals showdown with Boston or Orlando. If Cleveland gets sloppy, however, don’t expect the Hawks to lie down like the Pistons did. (For more on Cleveland's chances, please see: "NBA Playoffs: LeBron vs. Kobe? Inevitable?")

The other semifinal matchup in the East has even more potential. The Boston Celtics are coming off an epic series with the Chicago Bulls. Even without superstar forward Kevin Garnett, Boston is widely regarded as the favorite against the young, green Orlando Magic. The Celtics are the defending champs, the battle-tested veterans who tasted glory last year and still hunger — or so they say. Conventional wisdom says they’ll easily dispatch the upstart Magic, but perhaps the champs aren’t what they once were. The Bulls/Celtics first-round series will go down as one of the greatest playoff series ever. Lost in the hullabaloo, however, is the fact that the Celtics should have dismantled the Bulls, with or without Garnett. That the series even went seven games — not to mention the way the Celtics had to cash in on miracle after miracle for their wins — is proof that this Boston team is not deep or talented enough to repeat without Kevin Garnett. Orlando center Dwight Howard and his supporting crew of sharpshooters are light years ahead of Chicago at this point. The Celtics are in for a rude awakening if they think they can waltz into Orlando lollygagging for three quarters and expect guard Ray Allen to hit game-saving three-pointers every night.

The only thing we can count on at this point is that whoever comes out of the Eastern Conference is going to be the biggest challenge Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers will face throughout the entire playoffs. Best get your game face on, Kobe, because none of these teams is going to go down easily.

(To see the schedule of NBA playoff games on various cable TV networks, please go here. To see official NBA highlights of the two playoff games from Sunday, May 3, please check below.)

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The Swine Flu: Preparing For a Pandemic

2009-05-03T10:27:00.000+01:00

by Kit-Bacon Gressitt

In 2007, a wildfire blew into my little California town on the fickle winds of Santa Ana, and all of Fallbrook was evacuated. Reverse 911 calls alerting us to leave town went out to some neighborhoods but not all — and people who use only cell phones were out of the loop. Without personal plans for evacuation, many of us tossed whatever was at hand into our vehicles, leaving behind vital documents, medicines and priceless keepsakes. We tried to beat a swift path to safety, but were confused about where we were supposed to go. One public agency’s outgoing message directed us to an evacuation shelter that didn’t exist. Then the firefighting teams from far and wide that came to our rescue ran smack into incompatible radio systems, but the engines and strike teams did their utmost best. Erroneous reports of the fire reaching the center of town, of rampant looting, of the burning of one of our schools were not corrected for hours.

When we returned three days later, the camaraderie of crisis made for some hilarious and poignant stories, but we were sobered by one compelling lesson learned: Be prepared to take care of yourself in a disaster, because the organizations we count on could be overwhelmed. More significant disasters have revealed the same lesson, New Orleans’ wrenching encounter with Hurricane Katrina, not the least of them. (For another take on the government's response to Katrina, please see: "Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Katrina & the Cesspool of American Politics.")

And now there’s a new influenza strain lurking, swine influenza A (H1N1), that has flirted with pandemic status. So what’s a wannabe self-sufficient person to do?

Don’t panic is perhaps the best first advice, despite Vice President Joe Biden’s impassioned suggestion that we stay away from airplanes and subways, a suggestion that evoked the standard pokes. Actually, his advice is not so far off the mark: If you didn’t have to, would you board a plane or subway right now? And, when a pandemic inevitably occurs (those in the know say it’s “when” not “if”), mass transportation will likely be discouraged.

In planning for a pandemic, an effort long underway by our government, worldwide mobility is a critical factor: The World Health Organization reported that H1N1 has already reached 17 nations, thanks to the ease with which we hop into planes, carrying on nasty viral baggage with us. So preparing for the worst — and hoping for the best — is recommended throughout the chain of command, including President Barack Obama, because if H1N1 doesn’t cause a pandemic now, another more virulent wave of the virus could strike later, or a new strain could rear its ugly head. Unfortunately, pandemic planning is something far too few organizations have adequately addressed.

I worked in the healthcare industry until a year ago and couldn’t find one company in the supply channel that had a comprehensive plan for a pandemic scenario, despite government guidance to do so — and despite common knowledge that being prepared is a key indicator of successful emergency response.

The government certainly seems prepared for a pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has conducted an effective prevention campaign for years: cough into the crook of your arm, not on your hands; or cough and sneeze into a tissue; if you or anyone in your household has symptoms, keep your germs at home; and wash your hands like crazy. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) produced a VIP webcast last week, reassuringly taking questions from the frightened public. We have national and state stockpiles of antiviral treatments for influenza. And, according to brand-spanking new HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, manufacturers of influenza vaccines and antivirals stand ready to ramp up development and production upon request.

However, suppose we have a severe pandemic and the folks responsible for distributing influenza vaccines and treatments, those who ship them, and the airports and trucking infrastructures through which they pass, find themselves with employee absentee rates approaching the 40 percent figure projected by the government — and without plans in place for maintaining essential operations. Then extend that scenario to all industries.

Oops.

This is why planning at the family level is necessary; we must prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Know where to go for accurate information — the CDC avoids hysteria and denial alike; be prepared to work from home if possible, to care for sick family members, to avoid mass transportation; and follow CDC planning guidelines for families. You don’t have to go nuts, but you can go shopping for extra necessities to keep on hand — just in case.

And remember: H1N1 is not a food-borne virus. So when the first conspiracy fruitloop accuses the Obama administration of infecting pigs to create a pandemic to distract us from the economy, help out a slandered industry and plan on natural pork for dinner.

(Editor's Note: This piece is cross-posted from Kit-Bacon Gressitt's personal blog, Excuse Me, I'm Writing.)

(For another posting on the politics of flu, please see: "Texas, the Swine Flu & Secession.")

(The graphic is by Mike Licht from NotionsCapital.com via Flickr, using a Creative Commons License. To see President Obama's remarks on the H1N1 flu virus which opened his recent press conference, and the entire press conference, please check below.)

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iVoryTowerz Radio: Pete's Birthday Show

2009-05-02T23:47:00.000+01:00

Happy birthday, Pete Seeger! Pete Seeger turns 90 tomorrow (May 3), so what better time not only to play some Seeger but also to play some music inspired by one of America's great folk singers. There's plenty here to like, although not all of this program has the Seeger touch; the usual eclectic mix is here. (But we dedicate the program to Pete, among others, nevertheless.) The program ranges through folk, indie rock, new wave, power pop, and heavy metal. Plus the sounds cover about 40 years of modern music. So tip your hat to Pete, and, of course, enjoy.

(To stream or download this podcast, please click here.)

Playlist

"Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" by Pete Seeger
"Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen
“Masquerade" by Sarah Nixey
"Fraulein" by Drunk
"The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)" by The Decemberists
"Free Fallin'" by John Mayer
“All That You Have is Your Soul” by Tracey Chapman
“Roll On” by J.J. Cale
“Reason to Believe” by The Beat Farmers
"Pink Cadillac" by Graham Parker
Jeff’s New Wave: “Keep in Touch” by The Romantics
"Driver 8" by R.E.M.
"Sister Jack" by Spoon (request)
"Ulysses" by Franz Ferdinand
Cover Me: "Rock On" by Def Leppard
Rick's Metal Shoppe: “ME 262” by Blue Öyster Cult

(Mp3 Runs - 1:23:05; 77 MB.)

(Photo of Pete Seeger by Anthony Pepitone, using a Creative Commons license; the photo was taken at New York's Clearwater Festival in 2007.)

DISCLAIMER: The iVoryTowerz podcast is a non-commercial, non-profit program designed and used for educational purposes. Some of the material contained in this podcast is previously copyrighted but used with permission. Other copyrighted material is reused following fair use guidelines. Any copyright holders who do not wish to have their material used should contact the programmers directly at ivorytowerzradio@att.net and it will be removed. The programmers do not support filesharing and encourage listeners to buy music from the artists featured in this podcast.

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Texas, the Swine Flu & Secession

2009-05-02T11:46:00.000+01:00

by Jeff Siegel

The minute that it looked — even remotely — that the swine flu was going to be a significant problem in Texas, Gov. Rick “Hell no, we ain’t forgettin’ “ Perry called in the federal government.

This was news, of course, because the Republican governor told an Austin audience a couple of weeks ago that the state could leave the union any time it wanted. But what does Perry do the first time there’s a crisis? Cry uncle.

So doesn’t Perry’s request for federal help — specifically, anti-viral medication and federal money to help for pay for the state of emergency that he declared last week — seem to put the lie to his earlier discussion of secession?

Not in Texas, which is something that the cyber-ether doesn’t quite understand. It has been twitttering (pun fully intended) over the past several days with the news of Perry’s “hypocrisy” and having more than one giggle at his expense. The Huffington Post raced to note the seeming faux pas, and a fellow named Rick Starr wrote a nice piece reminding Gov. Ain’t Forgettin’ about U.S. geography.

The problem, which you have to be here in Texas a long time before you completely understand, is that Texans of Perry’s political stripe don’t suffer from hypocrisy. If you’re always right — and they’ll be the first to tell you that they always are — then how can you be a hypocrite?

It’s perfectly rational for Perry to rip the federal government, yet still ask for help. What kind of Texan would he be if he didn’t? It’s significant that his opponent in next spring’s GOP gubernatorial primary, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, has been mostly silent about the secession talk and its swine flu aftermath. That might be surprising elsewhere, but Texas isn’t elsewhere. Here, you’ll get more votes ridiculing the federal government than your opponent.

And don’t worry — Perry isn’t about to change. Shortly before the swine flu hit Texas, and with the memory of secession still fresh, Perry moderated a panel in suburban Dallas that included three right-wing radio hosts, for what the governor called a “critique” of President Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office. He got a standing ovation.

(The photo of Gov. Rick Perry is by Robert Scoble of California, who writes Scobelizer, via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license.)

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Road Music: Driving Texas’ Highways, 2009

2009-05-01T19:38:00.000+01:00

by Jeff Siegel

Freelance assignments took me to Wichita Falls and Houston recently, which meant driving more than 800 miles over a five-day period. And, given the pathetic state of radio (well-documented here on the iVoryTowerz blog), that meant I had to tune myself up.

What I listened to (and played very loudly once again):

• The Clash, London Calling: Still hip, still relevant, still political and still angry, and as much fun to listen to today as it was when it came out 30 years ago. This may be the most mature and sophisticated record any punk band made, and that’s a compliment. The Clash believed they could change the world with rock ‘n roll, and London Calling was their weapon.

• Emmylou Harris, All I Intended to Be: Dark, brooding and almost brilliant, this 2009 release is a look at aging and death and whether we’ve done as much as we could with our time on this earth. Harris cuts Tracy Chapman cold on “All That You Have is Your Soul,” which is not easy to do, and her duet with Billy Joe Shaver on “Old Five and Dimers Like Me” is spooky. (For a complementary take on this Emmylou Harris release, please see: "Music: The Best of 2008, So Far," and "Music: The Best of 2008, Rick's List.")

• Rockpile, Seconds of Pleasure. In 1980, this was supposed to be the seminal New Wave album, featuring Nick Lowe, New Wave’s poet laureate, and Dave Edmunds, its guitar hero. Which it wasn’t, and which disappointed those of us who were paying attention. It was too poppy and too pretty. Oddly enough, those qualities have helped the record age well, though I still prefer Lowe’s Labour of Lust and Edmund’s Repeat When Necessary.

• Van Morrison, Down the Road: Morrison wrote Tupelo Honey in 1971, and few songs captured the time’s hippie, flannel shirt ethos better. Most musicians never recover from a hit like that. But Morrison did, and has done some of his best work at a time when his contemporaries are retired or playing casino lounges. This 2002 release is introspective, as much of Morrison’s work is, but it also rocks. How many others can do that?

(For an earlier trip down Texas' highways with inspirational driving music, please see: "Road Music: Driving Texas' Interstate Highways.")

(The photo is by ajsmith227 of McKinney, TX via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license. To see Emmylou Harris play "Shores of White Sand" from All I Intended to Be on The Late Show with David Letterman, please check below.)

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NBA Playoffs: LeBron vs. Kobe? Inevitable?

2009-04-30T06:03:00.000+01:00

by Phil Kehres

Kobe Bryant once was the best player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Now it seems he and the successor to his throne, LeBron James, are on an unavoidable collision course. Is the matchup of Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers versus James' Cleveland Cavaliers inevitable for this year’s NBA Finals?

Things are looking good for both the Lakers and the Cavs after dominating their respective first round opponents. The Lakers took out the Utah Jazz in five games, winning by double digits in each of their four wins and only slightly faltering in Game 3. The Cavaliers took the Detroit Pistons to the woodshed, completing the only first-round sweep, denying the Pistons a shot at their seventh consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals and driving the final nail in the coffin of a once-proud era of Detroit basketball. Bryant and James led the way for their respective teams. Despite the strong supporting casts, there’s no doubt these two heavyweights are calling the shots.

The Cavaliers have the more difficult path to the finals at this point. They will have to face a surprisingly well-rounded Atlanta Hawks team or the Miami Heat, led by rejuvenated superstar Dwyane Wade (Atlanta leads the series 3-2 as of this writing). Should they advance, the Cavs’ likely Eastern Conference Finals opponent is the other “Beast of the East,” the Boston Celtics. However, the defending champs are sans superstar Kevin Garnett and their depth has taken a hit due to injuries. The Celtics have also been tested by the “Baby Bulls” of Chicago in the first round, narrowly eking out a 3-2 series advantage (as of this writing) after three heart-pounding overtime games and what has been easily the most exciting series so far. Regardless, Cleveland’s path to the Finals will likely have to go through the Celtics, barring an unexpected second-round exit by either team. The Lakers simply haven’t been challenged in the Western Conference this year. While that doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily sweep their way to the Finals, it’s hard to imagine a scenario that doesn’t find Kobe getting another shot at his first Shaq-less ring.*

While there’s no doubt that NBA execs are drooling at the possibility of a Kobe/LeBron showdown in the finals, there’s a more intriguing storyline here. It’s new wave vs. old guard. Bryant has been the game’s best for years, but James has finally surpassed him. If the Cavs can stay as focused and loose as they have all year, the championship is a very real possibility. There’s just one thing: Kobe’s Lakers are the only team to hand Cleveland a legitimate loss on their home court this season. If the seemingly inevitable happens, it will be LeBron’s chance to quash the remaining few doubters and claim his rightful throne as best in the game. But the difference between LeBron and Kobe is that LeBron has never been about himself first and foremost. His singular drive and determination to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland might be too much for even the mighty Lakers to handle.

*For those who have short memories or who do not follow the NBA closely, Kobe Bryant won three titles with Shaquille O'Neal (now with the Phoenix Suns) earlier in the decade.

(Phil Kehres also is the co-author of Excuse Me, Is This Your Blog?)

(To see the schedule of NBA playoff games on various cable TV networks, please go here. To see one of LeBron James' best plays from the series against Detroit, please check below.)

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Lollapalooza vs. Bonnaroo: Making the Music Festival Decision

2009-04-29T06:34:00.000+01:00

by Emily Norton*
Special to iVoryTowerz

Having trouble picking your music festival this year? I am! The choices are endless, but I plan on doing one of the doozies. After the recent release of Lollapalooza's line-up, I have joined the thousands confronted with the choice between Lollapalooza of Chicago, IL (Aug. 7-9) and Bonnaroo of Manchester, TN (June 11-14). Every summer, teens and adults of all ages flock to both of these three to four day music heavens in search of jams of numerous eclectic bands.

Here’s the rundown: The headliners of both festivals are not quite my cup of tea, but if you’re looking for a flashback to the '90s, you’ll be happy at either (for example, the Beastie Boys are playing both). I’m more concerned with the smaller name bands that range from folk to hip-hop, and I must say, though Bonnaroo may have a few more than Lollapalooza, they are evenly matched. Often, artists at both festivals overlap, (notably, Band of Horses, Andrew Bird, Of Montreal, and TV on the Radio, to name a few), so it’s also important to focus on the vibe of the festival as a whole.

Here are a few particulars when determining the best choice:

Time of Day: Lollapalooza shows start early! If you can’t stand to fry in the sun from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, you may want to try Bonnaroo. Roo’s shows typically don’t start until later in the evening, so you can camp in your tent all day if you’re a night owl. However, you can still groove the night scene in Chicago. Many of the bars surrounding Grant Park have booked the artists and interesting collaborations for some intense afterparties and shows.

Versatility: Because Bonnaroo is a day longer, showtimes are a little more flexible. The headliners typically play lengthier sets as well. Bonnaroo should be commended for providing a unique experience; as a result of the later start, days can be filled with the provided silent dance parties (at the Silent Disco), comedy acts, and extra hours to get those psychedelics brewing. However, Lollapalooza certainly has it’s own upbeat flavor. The DJ tent, one of my favorite haunts, hosts dancers all day long at Lolla!

Setting: The most important thing to keep in mind is that the setting makes the show. Personally, I don’t think you could go wrong with either festival, but, do consider: am I urban or rural? The farmland of Bonnaroo suits the hippie camper who can go nights without rest. Lollapalooza’s all-day intensity leaves you with a high that deserves a night of sleep, or, if you’d rather, its Chicago chic also provides the hipster or glam** a night on the town to celebrate an incredible day. Seeing as I fall right in the middle, I guess I ought to just swing for both!

*Emily Norton is a veteran of both Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo.

**A term for certain fashionable rockers which was current in the 1970s and is undergoing a revival.

(For another view of the Lollapalooza festival, please see a short series from last summer beginning with "Concert Review: Lollapalooza, Day 1 with the Raconteurs.")

(The photo of the entrance to the 2008 Bonnaroo festival is by rocknroll guitar of Tampa, FL via Flickr, using a Creative Commons license. To see Pearl Jam playing "Better Man" at Bonnaroo in 2008, please check below.)

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Hockey: It's Stanley Cup Playoff Time, 2009

2009-04-28T18:04:00.000+01:00

by Dan Aspan
Special to iVoryTowerz

As spring transitions into summer, some of the best sports action is taking place on ice. The National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs are underway, and there have already been some incredible games. First, the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins squared off in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. The Penguins got the best of the Flyers (as they did last year), coming back from a three goal deficit to win Game 6 and advance to the second round. I don’t have any allegiance when it comes to hockey, which makes these games all the more enjoyable. Being from Philadelphia, I was pulling for the Flyers to make a run. But I can’t deny the thrill of watching Penguins players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. When you have two incredible players on a team like the Penguins do, it’s always going to be a challenge to keep up.

Then you take a look at the Washington Capitals and their exciting roster with players like Alex Ovechkin*, Mike Green, and Alexander Semin. After falling behind in their opening round series against the New York Rangers 3 games to 1, the Capitals have fought back to force Game 7 (tonight, Tuesday, April 28, in D.C.). If the other games of this series are any indication of what’s to come, this is a game you don’t want to miss.

As a huge baseball and football fan, I have grown to appreciate hockey much more in recent weeks thanks to the incredible talent of players like Malkin, Ovechkin, and others. Watching these guys fly around the ice and score unbelievable goals has created a huge sense of excitement that the NHL hasn’t been able to provide fans for years. As the Stanley Cup playoffs progress and the inevitable drama of sudden death overtime games unfold, the NHL will continue to reach more sports fans across the country and the world.

*If the video highlights of the Crosby and Malkin goals weren’t enough to get you pumped up for some playoff hockey, check out this insane goal by Ovechkin in Game 5 against the Rangers.

(The Capitals vs. Rangers final can be seen on the Versus cable network, along with the final between the New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Hurricanes. The full television schedule can be found here.)

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Music Review: Bob Dylan's Together Through Life

2009-04-28T06:02:00.000+01:00

by Rick Rockwell

Some of the most intriguing aspects of Bob Dylan’s latest studio release Together Through Life are the Latin-inspired arrangements laid over a bluesy foundation. At times this mix gives the work a cinematic feel. At other times, the simple results are the answer to the question: what if Dylan decided to dabble with conjunto.

David Hidalgo, the leader of Los Lobos joins Dylan’s touring band and other key guests for this record and his presence spells all the difference. On the lead track and single “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’,” Hidalgo’s stabbing guitar solos recall the best of his band from East LA. Dylan’s shattered voice croaks out the despair-filled lyrics while the band cooks. Donny Heron’s restrained trumpet fills give the song the perfect smoky late night edge.

But perhaps Hidalgo’s greatest contribution to Together Through Life is his accordion work. Dylan, who self-produced the record, laces Hidalgo’s accordion throughout every track, which gives large swaths of the record a Tex-Mex or norteño atmosphere. With this technique the ironic closer “It’s All Good” acquires a zydeco flavor thanks to Hidalgo’s contributions.

One of the other great achievements of Together Through Life is that it unites the various strains of Dylan’s influence. Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers (representing the Tommy Petty/Byrds wing of the Church of Dylan) provides stalwart if restrained lead guitar throughout and his incendiary guitar duets with Hidalgo are set subtly underneath the main mix to provide a certain sonic tension to various numbers, especially “Jolene.” Also along for this long strange bluesy trip is Robert Hunter, the long-time lyricist for the Grateful Dead (representing the psychedelic wing of the Church of Dylan) who co-wrote with Dylan all but one of the album’s ten songs.

However, when Together Through Life isn’t loping along the border, shuffling through an after-hours East LA bar, or slow-roasting like a Texas roadhouse on a Saturday night, it evokes the sound of urban Chicago blues. Dylan has told interviewers he felt the quickly recorded album was searching for a groove more common with records released by Chess or Sun Records in the 1950s.

Dylan’s appreciation for the blues is evident on this his 33rd studio release. On “My Wife’s Home Town” Dylan and Hunter stitch new lyrics on to “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” originally from legendary bluesman Willie Dixon. (And notably, unlike others, Dylan and Hunter acknowledge Dixon in the songwriting credits.) Dylan’s cackling devilish coda to the song shows just how much fun the 67-year-old singer-songwriter had recording this album. “Shake Shake Mama” is another urban blues number that lives up to its title.

Although most of Together Through Life is a rollicking roadhouse toss off by the Bard of Rock, the last two songs on the album may have more weight. “I Feel a Change Comin’ On” could be read as Dylan’s acclamation of President Barack Obama’s political win and may be seen as a natural bookend to Dylan’s classic “Blowin’ in the Wind.” (However, note, Dylan and Hunter’s lyrics are far from upbeat: “Dreams never did work for me anyway / Even when they did come true.”) And then there’s the album closer, “It’s All Good,” which is Dylan with tongue set firmly in cheek singing satirically about coping with the world’s financial mess.

Although some have already written Together Through Life off as a fun but inconsequential Dylan release, the end result is just the opposite. By not trying too hard and having fun with the various elements of his craft, Dylan may have put together his most enjoyable album of the past decade. Dylan proves once again why he’s a master.

(The promotional photo of Bob Dylan is from Columbia Records. Dylan and his band will continue their world tour with a performance in Cardiff, Wales, UK today [Tuesday, April 28]. To see the official video for Dylan's "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'," please check below.)

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