Dave Raaum: Music Musings

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 12:08:36 GMT

I used to do a much better job of updating my playlist. I added a ton of music in past year but did little to let you know what I was listening to over the course of the year. I promise to do a better job of that in the coming months. Not that you care what I listen to but it is a good reminder for me of what music is passing through my pourous brain. Ry Cooder has been a big treat for me in the last few weeks. I purchased his latest and several of his very early works and can't get his songs out of my head. Wilco is playing right now - the Summerteeth album which I think is their best work ever. Anyhow, I will come back with news when there is some. I have about 2000 songs on my computer and some of it is destined for removal - the real test is when a song comes on do you want to skip it - if so, delete it right now. Life is too short to spend it listening to stuff that sucks. RiverDogs and Wilco out for now.

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 11:59:25 GMT

What's playing right now? Wilco - the new album called "Kicking Television" is a great live album of the latest from the best band in the world. Okay, subjective statement. But if you don't know anything about Wilco and you want to hear the best from this band, I have some advice for you. Get Being There, Summerteeth and Kicking Television. These three albums will give you a good idea of the progression of this band from the Chicago area. You may not heave heard them on your local radio station - as good as ours is here in Austin - that's KGSR - they hardly ever play Wilco. But I play them all the time at my house. As the kids say "they are the bomb!" I have no doubt at all when I say they are the best band in the country - now the best band in the world may be U2 now that I think about it a little. But that's pretty good company. Good listening in 2006. Have a great and wonderful life - love, laugh, dance, and do it all with those you love. The RiverDogs love ya!

Sat, 29 Jan 2005 12:42:43 GMT

Last five CDs purchased: CC Adcock - Lafayette Marquis, ca 2004
CC Adcock - House Rocker, ca 1994
Neil Young - Greatest Hits, ca 2004
Ray Charles - Soundtrack from Ray, ca 2004
Jethro Tull - Aqualung, ca 1974
And then for John Rubino I picked up Eric Clapton and 461 Ocean Blvd. I think it is good but I haven't heard it myself. I had the Jethro Tull album several years ago but it disappeared from my collection. I got this replacement at Christmas and put it in Kathy's stocking. It is one of her favorite albums. The CC Adcock interest stems from the SXSW appearance at the Continental Club last year. I heard he was coming out with a new album and when we were in New Orleans last week I found both his new and his old one. Great stuff if you dig old time rock with a Louisiana swamp rock feel. I do and this stuff is good - not great but good. If you want great, get the Neil Young greatest - it covers his great songs from the 70's to now - and this disc really shines. The Ray Charles is vintage Ray Charles - he did a lot of crap through the years but when you run it through the filter of time, this album is the result. So what music lies ahead? I really don't know, there is nothing on the horizon - nothing new anyway. Some reissue may come along, remastered and all. Maybe Brian Wilson's Smile. That will be a trip for me.

Thu, 14 Oct 2004 15:50:14 GMT

I heard a new Buddy Miller album yesterday. It is blues and gospel delivered in the standup buddy Miller fashion. This will be my next purchase. I also listened to the new Kasey Chambers album and it is good but didn't move me like her earlier work. So, I will hold off on that for now.

Sun, 11 Jul 2004 12:38:57 GMT

I was on a new music and new musician frenzy following my birthday. Steve and Janie gave me a gift certificate at Tower records and Shawn sent me a certificate from Amazon. I got the new Patti Smith CD Trampin', the Wilco CD, A Ghost is Born, both the old and new Patti Scalfia CDs, and the Bob Dylan Live 1964 CD set. Of all the new ones, I like the Wilco effort the best. The two Pattis have done a good job. The offering from Patti Smith is deeper politically and will probably stand the test of time. Mrs. Springsteen's record is a nostalgic look at life pre-Bruce and the E-street band. It is full of doowop and recollections of her early days. I like it - her voice is a husky version of Sheryl Crow and EmmyLou Harris. Another band that really grabs me lately is the power trio from Canada, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings. I couldn't find their album anywhere around here and bought them off a Canadian web site. Got all three of their releases based on hearing one of their tunes on KGSR. Sometimes that is pretty risky but I got lucky. Their work has shown a remarkable and positive progression from the early stuff to the latest. Keep your eyes and ears open for BARK - they are awesome. That's it for now. Keep em spinning. RD out.

Tue, 25 May 2004 11:15:08 GMT

The newest music in my CD player is the the new album from Calexico, the Convict Pool, and two albums from the Kentucky band, My Morning Jacket. The sound from these bands is not like anything else in my collection, Calexico is from Arizona and their music is a blend of Mexico and alt country. MMJ is country rock with the reverb turned up high. The bands are pretty much unknown around here but are getting some airplay on KGSR - still the best radio station in the world. I will miss KGSR if we move, but then there is the internet and I can pick them up that way.

Fri, 23 Apr 2004 13:20:08 GMT

We went to the Shady Grove last night to see and hear Mindy Smith. We took our RVing guests from Michigan, by way of Arizona with us. Oh sorry, I have not told you about our guests. Well we agreed to let them park their RV on our property for a few days. Well Kathy agreed. They are the aunt and uncle of a friend from church. Little did we know that their RV (read motorhome) was actually a 15 ton combination of truck and trailer that stretches about 70 feet by the time you add the 4-wheeler that they tow behind the thing. Our neighborhood association is rightfully up in arms and something needs to be done. But I digress. We went to hear Mindy Smith at the Shady Grove. She is good but not as moving as I had hoped. Part of the problem was the crowd at the Grove. People just won't stop talking to listen to the music. Maybe a thousand people gabbing away and just one singer, with one microphone trying to deliver a musical message that died about halfway back to my combat fatigued ears. Later they turned up the mic and that helped a lot, but I was still pissed at the would be listeners. Well that's what you get when the show is free. People figure it cost them nothing and they are just going to enjoy the company around them. I can see their point. If you really want to hear the music you just have to get up and get closer. We had a great table way in the back - this was great for eating and drinking, just not so good for listening. Win some, lose some. The food was awesome, and so were the drinks. The show was free, the food and drink cost us $40. The people watching was priceless, So there you go. All in all a great night out in the beautiful city of Austin, Texas. Wish you were here.

Fri, 16 Apr 2004 14:29:18 GMT

No new CDs since Damien Rice. I have had to cut back on music spending since the larger of the two contracts went away. I was buying four or five CDs a month and that is too much money and too much music. What do I mean? I mean that buying that many ends up bring too much new into the house to the detriment of listening to the older CDs - many of which are not that old. So for now I will enjoy what I have and save some money.

Sat, 10 Apr 2004 11:16:37 GMT

The latest music to hit the cd player is the new album from Damien Rice. Reminds me of Nick Drake. The difference is that he is popular and Nick Drake was dead thirty years before he made it big. Also new is the Eric Clapton ode to Robert Johnson. Very good, very fun. Locally, we had a chance to get out last weekend and heard Ruthie Foster and the Gourds at the Austin Fine Arts Fair. Ruthie continues to gain fans and why not? She is fabulous. The Gourds were also very impressive. The weekend was beautiful with thousands just roaming the aisles, staying hydrated and enjoying art and music. What is better than that?

Tue, 06 Jan 2004 12:28:15 GMT

Prisonaires: golden age pop music from behind bars. In Jonathan Lethem's Fortress of Solitude, which I finished on a plane yesterday, there's an amazing aside about a band called The Prisonaires, a group of 1950s black men who'd been sent to jail on faked-up charges and who formed a best-selling pop group behind bars, leaving on special work-release programs to perform and record. It turns out that The Prisonaires aren't fictional -- what's more, you can actually buy a reissue CD of their greatest hits. Link [Boing Boing Blog]

Tue, 23 Dec 2003 12:17:46 GMT

On Sunday (December 21) we went to the Armadillo Christmas thing to look for some last minute gifts and to hear some good music. I especially wanted to hear Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez, they have been on my list for a long time. We got there around 2 PM and as we walked in the door I was struck by some good old fashioned honky tonk dance music. The vocals were clearly country, and the sound was punctuated by the beat of a deep bass and the sharp notes from a harmonica screaming above the noise of the shoppers. The band was Austin's own Derailers and I heard enough to now be on the lookout for a couple of their albums from the past. Check out www.allmusic.com for a review of what they have done. But let me tell you, if you ever get a chance to see and hear them in person, you are in for a real treat. They had people dancing and sweating where there was no room to dance. It was infectious, loud, and good. Their version of "will the circle be unbroken" had everyone singing along and unashamedly so. I was so glad we got there early. Chip and Carrie were also good, but my money is being saved for the Derailers. Wow!

Fri, 07 Nov 2003 19:22:13 GMT

Music with Meaning. Do yourself a favor and buy the Johnny Cash American IV album. Damn what a great CD. Sure you're going to find yourself standing there looking at the song list asking the question - do I really want to hear Johnny Cash singing "your own personal Jesus?" You remember don't ya - the hit from Depeche Mode back in the never-ending 80's? Yes it is the same song, but it sure sounds different when JC sings it. BTW, this is not the best song on the CD - that honor goes to two songs - yep, a tie. When the Man Comes Around and Hurt. You could buy the CD and only listen to those two and still feel like you got your money's worth. Great album by a true legend. The guy's career lasted over 50 years and his final album was up for album of the year. The video for the song "Hurt" won video of the year. Take my word, you will be moved. I was.

New Austin Music

Fri, 24 Oct 2003 10:41:45 GMT

Toni Price released her new CD Tuesday called Born To Be Blue. it is a tribute to the late Champ Hood, filled with blues tunes sung by the best singer in Austin. Oh yeah, I know that I said Patty Griffin was my favorite Austin singer, now I am confusing the issue with my sentiment for Toni. All I know for sure is that I can't play this music enough. Do yourself a favor and snuggle down with a blanket, pillow, some Jack D, and get blue with Toni. The other CD that I finally got my hands on and my ears around is the new one, Everybody Loves a Winner from Jeff Klein. This is selling really well in Europe and will be here too whenever radio stations get around to spreading the word. The guy writes and sings as well as anyone in the business. This is another fine album from a relatively unknown gem here in Austin. I have not played the hell out of this quite yet because Toni Price has been hogging the player. That will change soon.

Patty Griffin Releases New (?) Music - More or Less

Tue, 21 Oct 2003 17:53:35 GMT

I bought the latest Patty Griffin album last week. I thought there was going to be more original stuff on this CD so I was initially disappointed. It is a live album recorded at the Ryman in Nashville last January. I got over the disappointment after watching the accompanying DVD. Much of it was a conversation between Patty and the listener - made me feel better knowing something about her and her music. I first met her here back in the mid-90s when she was visiting Austin following the release of her first album (which was essentially a demo tape burned to a CD). She was performing at Waterloo Brewing and I stood iin line with about five other people to get her to sign her CD. Jody Denberg of KGSR was the host and he wasn't sure if she would sign autographs or not. Something about being nervous about that sort of thing. (she did sign the CD.) She performed admirably that night and has been one of my long-time favorites ever since then. So buy the album - you will love it - and it will whet your appetite for her next studio release which is coming early in 2004. Be warned that someone screwed up the DVD - the title that shows up on the screen has her name as Patty Griffith. I could not believe it. But then, what the hell - my other long-term, long-time favorite female singer/songwriter is none other than Nanci Griffith. (I wonder if Nanci will come out with a DVD named "Nanci Griffin.")

Rainy Day Music

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 11:54:12 GMT

The route to the ACL Music Festival was pain-free. All the kinks that made it such an ugly experience last year have been fixed this year. The traffic presented no problems, the parking presented no problems and the bus ride was beyond pleasant. The only problem was the intermittent and scattered sprinkle that fell through the day and evening. It was cooler and wetter than expected but the crowd exceeded 50,000 people. Who did we see? We got to the park at 2 PM just in time to see and hear Tift Merritt who sounded much better in person than she did in a live radio broadcast earlier in the day. Then we sauntered over to the Capitol Metro stage and listened to Los Lobos - still the best band in America. From there it was Drive By Truckers, Patty Griffin, Ruthie Foster, String Cheese Incident, and Cafe Tacuba. The high point of all this was Patty Griffin who can really stir my emotional pot. Ruthie Foster wowed the crowd and raised the roof even better than last year. The fairies and neo-hippies were ever-present with their streaming attire and hula-hoops, juggling acts, balloon poles (long poles with assorted colorful balloons attached), and the acrid odor of grass filling the rain-sweetened air. We ran into our friend Nisa from church no fewer than three times and she finally hung with us throughout the day. You gotta know how incredibly serendipitous it was to run into someone you know multiple times in such a large crowd. All things considered, the day was fun, fun, fun. Their was weirdness everywhere, especially the barrel-bellied skirt wearing idiot that came up to Nisa like she was his long-lost friend. He eventually got the message that she was neither his old friend nor his new friend and he disappeared into the weird Austin atmosphere that permeates such gatherings. Hey, that is part of what makes this place special- well at least different. As I sit here this morning, the rain is heavier and steadier than yesterday. We will be better prepared this time with rain suits, an umbrella, and better chairs. Today's lineup includes Lucinda Williams, Jack Johnson, and Ben Harper, among others. And they are all on the same stage. I envision setting my stakes and staying in one place today. Oh yes, it will be great again, even if a little wet. Viva Austin, and viva good music. They go together like apple pie and ice cream - can't imagine one without the other. RiverDogs out from our palace on the south san gabriel.

Hear This!

Sun, 14 Sep 2003 12:49:27 GMT

I got the latest and last Warren Zevon album on Friday and as I expected it's a good listen made tougher if you read the liner notes while listening. All his old buddies showed up for the making of this album during his dying days. The lyrics are truly from the heart and affected me deeply while listening to this CD. He lived a full if short life and faced the end with strength and hope for those he left behind. He only asks that we keep him in our hears for a while. No problem there, he will be in our hearts for quite a while. The news of the passing of Warren was followed by the passing of Johnny Cash and John Ritter. Both will be missed by many people. I don't think anyone was surprised about Cash since he had been ill for years (especially recently) but Ritter was a big shock. Both will be missed - great entertainers. When I was in the music store I had this sudden observation that all (well nearly all) my favorite singers are dead. I was looking at Johnny Cash albums while holding the Warren Zevon disk in my hand. Then I found myself staring at Johnny Horton albums. That's when it hit me. Many of my favorites are from long ago so it figures that they would have moved on. But old age didn't happen to Townes Van Zandt - or Buddy Holly, or Gram Parsons, or Bobby Darin, and the list goes on. Well Mick Jagger is 60 and still going - Willie Nelson can't stop and he's 70 - and Bob Dylan is still slinging the tunes at 60+ so there goes my theory. Live your life well, enjoy what you have, dream and reach for what you have not and all will be well. Enough music musing - RiverDogs out for now.

Sat, 19 Jul 2003 11:37:34 GMT

New Music. I just heard White Stripes on the radio the other day and have added "White Blood Cells" to the collection. Simply great alternative rock and roll. I think I am late to discover this band but not for my age group. They sound awesome; give them a listen if you get a chance. Also new is the five song EP from Richard Thompson called Tracks which was release a week before his album The Old Kit Bag. Tracks is a small collection intended to introduce RT and his style of music. I am listening to a 12 minute song right now that has some brilliant guitar playing from the master. Fabulous. Gosh I love music.

Sat, 12 Jul 2003 12:08:08 GMT

Sing a Happy Song Happy Saturday morning to all you fans of southern fried music. We had a great night last night listening to music on a lawn in South Austin. Ginger Leigh, formerly of the Ginger and Sarah band (AKA Vera Takes the Cake) hosted the event at her shop on South First. Also perform were Kacy Crowley and Shelley King. A little gospel, a little jazz, and a whole lotta everything in between. A fine night with cool breezes and very cool songstresses - we met Shelley, Dave and Is at Central market and loaded up on wine and exotic foods for our tailgate picnic. Have you ever had fig/almond cake from Spain, topped by carrot cake and chocolate to die for? We had salmon, chicken, flank steak, margaritas, chicken salad, cheeses... I could go on and on - just know that it was great fun. Good music, great food, and fun people watching. Even a Yorkie. RiverDogs out!

Sat, 14 Jun 2003 11:53:09 GMT

Bought the new (old) Led Zeppelin CD "How the West Was Won" yesterday. I haven't listened to one minute of it yet but the reviews are stupendous. I will get back to you on my opinion. It is said to be the best sound they produced in their entire career - studio albums included. We shall see.

Wed, 28 May 2003 11:43:16 GMT

Our vet friend Dr. Karen was over for dinner on Monday evening and we had the greatest time. (BTW, Halle was so excited to see Karen that she whimpered uncontrollably.) We listened to music of course and the highlight of the listening was Bobby Darin. I guess I had not played the Darin album before and they were all surprised that he was so talented. This set me on a course toward dragging out a bunch of old music that had not been played in years. We listened to Feddy Cannon, the Surfaris, the Wailers, Carole Bayer Sager, Baja Marimba Band, the Village Stompers and more. It was great. Of course all the old stuff was on vinyl which necessitated hooking up a turntable. I finished the music with a small excerpt from the making of a Marine - my bootcamp record. That was ugly. Sorry. Riverdogs out.

Sun, 11 May 2003 12:57:02 GMT

DVD about the band Wilco. I watched one of the two DVDs that came in the I Want To Break Your Heart . I watched this DVD yesterday at 6 AM and I enjoyed the hell out of it. First I think Wilco is the best band in the USA - they knocked Los Lobos off that pedestal for me and that takes some doing. The 2nd DVD in the box consists of solo performances by Jeff Tweedy and a lot of background material about the making of the movie. This is fuel for my creative soul! The guy who made the movie had never done it before and his first effort is a gem. Too bad it didn't make it into a major theater release but then it would have been judged a failure by people who measure revenue only. From an artistic standpoint it is a diamond (not in the rough either). So I kicked my creative energy into orbit and pulled together some of the pieces for the Hicks birthday DVD. My limited first effort at building some momentum for future commercial success. More and more you are going to see special interest DVDs - and bands will produce them with and for every album that they are developing. Mark my words. CDs will become passe - bands will release albums on DVDs and computers and home stereos will have the capability to show it all. This will be prevalent in the next year.

Sun, 04 May 2003 12:41:45 GMT

Lucinda - you are the greatest! World Without Tears, the latest album from Lucinda Williams is that diamond in the rough that you are always hoping to find, always looking for, but seldom have the luck to uncover. Michael Corcoran the local music critic that writes in the statesman gave this album three stars and blasted it for being less than perfect. He did give her strokes for taking a chance and producing a good album. Well this is beyond good and if you haven't heard then you need to beat your feet to the local music shop right now. Heart felt emotion. Raw, bleeding, painful expression of a relationship's worst moments. Okay, why the hell am I so cheerful writing about something so not cheerful. It's the artistry of the effort that makes it so damn beautiful. Lyrically, musically it is the best album of the year so far. It is so good I can't stand it. Wow..what more can I say. Out

Sun, 04 May 2003 12:33:56 GMT

Cheyenne Wins - Most Talented Kid...Did you catch the Most Talented Kid in America show Friday night. Cheyenne Kimball - the Women In Rock sponsored 12 year old from Texas won the contest. I am so proud of her, and of Jeff for spotting her talent a couple of years ago. What a great thing for her and her parents. I have got to send Jim Hoy a note about this - he interviewed the dad when we were videotaping at Borders a little over a year ago. And I have all that great video of her when she was here in Austin - taped her again this year at the Lucky Lounge show in March. This is just tool cool!

Fri, 11 Apr 2003 11:43:30 GMT

Music worth hearing What's new? Minus 5, Down with Wilco. The band Wilco joins minus 5 and crafts a new sound that reminds me of, guess who, Wilco. But on this CD, Wilco sounds like the Beatles. Fine disc, check it out. Another new one is the release from The Be Good Tanyas, titled Chinatown. Roots music from Canada, reminiscent of Oh Brother. Lots of Guitar, banjo, horns - folk music with jazz sidetones. Mumbling lyrics in their own style - real pleasant. The next disc to hit the spotlight is the new one from Lucinda Williams - this is getting a ton of positive press and why not - it is her best effort ever. I really believe it. She really hangs her heart out - pleasure and pain - more pleasure than pain when you listen. You will want to hear it over and over, and one more time. Last but not least is something from almost 10 years ago - a CD called Fun by Daniel Johnston. I was going to get his new one, Fear Yourself, produced by the guy behind Sparklehorse. But I listened to this one and it is a MASTERPIECE. How is it that this guy is so under the radar that he wonders where his next meal is coming from? What an interesting mix of FUN.

Sun, 06 Apr 2003 12:44:58 GMT

Minus 5 and the album Down with Wilco. I listened to part of it yesterday. This comes to mind - Radiohead --- Beatles --- Wilco...A nice piece of work on the creative edge - almost everything they get involved in these days is on that edge. Will listen to it again today and see if it still impresses the hell out of me.