Chris Stroffolino: June 22, 2008

When that old folk song, “Hallelujah I’m A Bum” meets Bo Diddley(R.I.P) (and that ain’t no Johnny Otis whistlin’ “Willie and The Hand Jive”

I heard a Bo Diddley tribute on local college station KALX (and they played songs influenced by him, and hardley ANY Bo-Diddley. Ugh. That’s not what we need. We need more BO DIDDLEY (at least they played The Animals “The Story Of Bo Diddley” alongside “I Want Candy” and The Smiths policies (threatening to become law as so many elected officials remain ignorant of the political, democratic, stakes involved in this issue) is to contact www. savenetradio.org

1. “Can’t Get Next To You”, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong

   Roommates put on The Doors’ Morrison Hotel and I had to walk into the other room and start playing piano, and something like this song (made famous by The Temptations) started being played (by me, I suppose)—& I remember the old AM/FM split which seriously SCREWED up so many baby-boom, generation Xers and still leaves its bad trace. What am I talking about? The SNOBBERY—FM is better than AM; the kind of white power segregation that resulted from that (even if it wasn’t the INTENTION). Point is “Roadhouse Blues” in NO WAY a better song, let alone performance, than “I Can’t Get Next To You.” I’ve seen the light! And Whitfield and Strong DO NOT get enough credit up there with Holland Dozier Holland or Lennon-McCartney, Jagger-Richards, etc. The amount of classic they wrote is stunning (maybe they’re quite happy as behind the scenes guys).

2. Melanie, The Good Book

   “What Have They Done To My Song, Ma?” (what have they done to my brain, ma? They picked it like a chicken bone, and now I’m half-insane”

3. Silver Jews, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City)
   David Berman (and co’) ’s best, most-consistent album since I left the band a decade ago. Maybe no particular standout song like the best of Bright Flight, but even its title (with its forward looking threat doubling as a place of peace and solace) points to that “perspective from a hill” DCB prophecized back on 1996’s Natural Bridge; Lookout moves eyes, whether famous, pretty or petty…
4. Van Zant, “Don’t Get Too High Off The Bottle” or maybe it’s called “Help Somebody” or “Get Right With The Man”

   From circa 2005, a contemporary country hit by the younger brothers of the late Ronnie Van Zant; one of which was more known for his work in 38 Special (while Donnie Van Zant imitated his dead brother alongside Ed King in Strawberry Alarm Clock tribute band); and, yes, if any part of “Hold On Loosely” was at the very least a not-so-guilty pleasure for you, this newer song has some of the same spirit; and it was a pleasure to hear it again, on a country show hosted by Nick Swisher and sponsored by Band of America and the voice of The Oakland Athletics

5. Chuck Prophet, Soap and Water (Yep Rock)
   Some amazing sounds here. Chuck is smart enough music scholar to embody the spirit that crosses the petty categories that separate genres—so you get the sad beauty of Willie Nelson’s “Undo The Right” meeting 80s classy earthy snarl as if The The teamed up with John Doe and Jeffrey Lee Pierce
6. Matthew Seth Kilbourn, R.I.P

   I met Matthew in March 2008. He was going to be drummer. We wanted the same thing from a band (we were considering keeping it a duo).). He had played inWinnifred E. Eye and The Lovemakers, and was looking for something new. He was very excited about it. I asked him if he had children; he said yes but that wouldn’t get in the way to committing to a band. A week later, he had changed his mind, and called me to say he couldn’t do it. I figured it was more of a realization of the demands of a family life that lead him to this; I didn’t know he had been fighting brain cancer. I saw that I hadn’t responded to a note by him on myspace, so I wrote him back, or tried to, only to discover he died on May 3rd at the age of 34.

7. Danica Patrick, who didn’t cover Tom Waits yet

   Yeah, I dig her style at the indie 500 going after the guy who cut her off as she came out of the pit stop, and yes I do have much sympathy for Scarlett Johannson

8. Nick Cave, DIG LAZARUS DIG

   I think Mr. Cave may very well be defying many prejudices about music and getting better and better

9. Jackie Wilson, “No Pity In The Naked City” (YOUTUBE video)

   GOOGLE IT—there’s a youtube version of him performing it, probably circa 1965 when he had a minor hit with it. He reminds me of Roy Orbison as a vocalist, or Nat “King” Cole if he had grown up listening (or watching) James Brown but still wanted to be Nat “King” Cole as much as possible…McKibben’s organization, “Step It Up, ‘07,” may prove to be an ally. I like that he appeals to the feeling (how the expense of basic trust and grassroots communit

10. James Last, “Giant Man”

    Because sometimes you just have to…(well, maybe YOU don’t…) but this one goes out to an old NYC friend Mike Lyons