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On the Granola Central “Now Playing” List

Steve Earle
The first time I heard Steve Earle was a song he did a video for in the 80’s called Copperhead Road. It’s a cool song about meeting your maker and stuff. He looked really scruffy back then. Check out the totally 80’s video if you have a minute. Then Steve Earle disappeared from my radar until now. His new album “Washington Square Serenade” is phenomenal. I just watched the movie “August Rush,” and Washington Square was a prominent place in the movie. This is clearly an omen.

Steve Earle has a tremendous, gritty populist feel. He’s like a perfect combination between Bruce Springsteen - many of Steve Earle’s songs have a definite E-Street Band feel to them, but with a John Mellencamp populism. What separates Earle from Springsteen and Mellencamp though, is his balls. Steve Earle wears his politics completely on his musical sleeve, which is something I don’t think Mellencamp or Springsteen have been able to do with a lot of sincerity for many years, certain acoustic tours excluded.

On those times when “Washington Square Serenade isn’t on the playlist, the Very Best of Steve Earle is also on heavy rotation. He also did a bluegrass CD with Del McRoury, which I’ve just started to listen to, and unlike many bluegrass CD’s, this one holds my attention from start to finish.

NOFX
There are some people whose tastes I often defer to with blind obedience. One of those people is Kilgore Trout. I know that if I want a great, thinking man’s atheist punk group, I need look no further than the front page of Quintessential Ramblings to find a great NOFX song. That, and a nod from Precocious Meg was all the cred I needed to explore this band.

On Kilgore’s advice, I listened to what if anything, qualifies as their greatest hits package - The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us). I love it. They’ve got the irreverence of They Might Be Giants with an edgy punk that can border on Sex Pistols. If I needed to forgive NOFX anything, their politics would compensate for any musical shortcomings.

Their politics is bundled into a perfect GenX package. Their songs usually aren’t longer than two minutes thirty and so their political messages are packed quite bluntly into their songs, a refreshing change from the 30 second barrage of bullshit that comes from the TV.

Rolling Stones - Shine a Light
I know, I know…. how many fucking “Greatest Hits” collections can the Stones drag out? But this one is different…. REALLY!!

Knowing that this is a soundtrack to a Martin Scorcese IMAX film about the Rolling Stones would be enough of a draw for me to this collection of Rolling Stones songs, but the soundtrack CD, like that of The Band’s The Last Waltz, can stand on its own as an outstanding collection of priceless Rolling Stones recordings.

In the CD, the admittedly aging Stones playfully romp through their massive playlist possibilities to produce a lot of early hits with many MANY years of road muscle that only the Rolling Stones could produce. The opening “Jumpin Jack Flash” carries the same urgency and energy as earlier recordings and the rest of the set carries the same feel.

Although they didn’t need any help from their friends, the Scorcese pulled out all the stops for this film. Most notable Buddy Guy’s appearance on the classic Muddy Waters tune “Champagne and Reefer.” Jack White III (who it appears Keith Richards is ready to legally adopt) also makes an appearance on the classic “Lovin’ Cup” and Christina Aguilera adds her formidable vocal talents on “Live with Me.”

Pixies - BossaNova
I always listen to the Pixies, but one CD I haven’t listened to a while, which never seems to leave my heavy rotation list is Bossanova. From the Classic Surf tune “Cecilia” that starts the CD, the Pixies go off with playful and at times reckless abandon. BossaNova is often overlooked in the shadow of the monster “Doolittle” but it shouldn’t be. This CD also has the song “Dig for Fire” which would probably be on my list of top 10 favorite songs, which I don’t have.

COMMENT DAMMIT
What’s on YOUR heavy rotation list?

Technorati Tags: Steve Earle, August Rush, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, NOFX, They Might Be Giants, Sex Pistols, Martin Scorcese, Rolling Stones, The Last Waltz, Jumpin Jack Flash, Muddy Waters, Champagne and Reefer, Jack White, Keith Richards, Christina Aguilera