Ickmusic - Latest Comments

Re: Everest: in-store performance at Amoeba Records

Pete — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:38:19 -0000

it's the fingers of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen!

Re: Everest: in-store performance at Amoeba Records

Claire — Sun, 13 May 2012 22:17:51 -0000

who is holding the guitar in the photo. Nice hands sexy fingers/hands. At first I thought it was Gregory ;Shake You Down Abbott;

Re: Deer Tick roll through Phoenix [May 3rd Recap]

Guest — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:29:37 -0000

Amen, Brother. Amen

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Dennis Corrigan — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:53:33 -0000

Is it Friday already? This week's been a blur (with a touch of Indigo)

1. "Rib Joint" by Sam Price & His Texas Bluesicians from Blues Masters. Vol. 14; More Jump Blues. These 15 CDs from Rhino are a great overview of the Blues in all its sub-genres and glories. This one's especially fitting given the weather forecast here for this weekend. Bought a few slabs of ribs to smoke up this weekend, and this track's on my BBQ playlist (which some day this summer will get its own Friday Five treatment).2. "Lorelai" by Fleet Foxes from Helplessness Blues - gorgeous
3. "Hill Farmer's Blues" by Mark Knopfler from The Ragpicker's Dream. I really like this album, but it's on a really long list of records I feel like I don't listen to enough
4. "Many Miles Travelled" by B.B. King from the King of the Blues box set. A previously unreleased, pretty unremarkable track produced by Vernon Reid
5. "Lights" by Journey from Infinity I liked this record, parts of the next one, but after that Journey pretty much joined the likes of Styx & Loverboy for me

Have a great weekend, and hear something good!

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Dennis Corrigan — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:34:08 -0000

If I had realized they had Sharon Jones, too, I'd have stayed up there last night

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Mike — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:27:23 -0000

Happy Friday, everyone:

1) "Welcome to the Occupation" by R.E.M. (from "Document"): "Document" was the album that led to my R.E.M. fandom, thanks to the presence of "The One I Love" on American Top 40. Good sweet spot in between the unintelligble earlier stuff and the more mainstream later stuff.

2) "Nipple to the Bottle" by Grace Jones (from "Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions"): Grace + Sly & Robbie=awesome. It's impossible not to sit down when listening to this song. And I'm still attempting to figure out the lyrics here.

3) "Cool Thing To Do" by Soulposition (from "Things Go Better With RJ & Al"): One of the many things RJD2 has his hands in is this occasional side project with rapper Blueprint. Strangely, I find this guy dead boring unless he's rapping to one of RJ's tracks.

4) "Crying" by Bjork (from "Debut"): This has a VERY early '90s club sound, like Bjork mixed with something off of Madonna's "Erotica," which would essentially be...Madonna's "Bedtime Story."

5) "Sara Smile" by After 7 (from "The Very Best Of After 7"): I'm a little pissed because I opted out of the Daryl Hall concert last night, but I'm sure (I hope) I get the chance to see him again. At any rate, Babyface's brothers (and the random third guy) came up with one of the better H2O covers here.

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Michael Parr — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:55:15 -0000

LOVE the new Bonnie Raitt record.

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

jhallCORE — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:36:56 -0000

1) Bonnie Raitt — "Ain't Gonna Let You Go" (Slipstream, 2012). Really digging Bonnie's new album out this week.
2) Pat Martino — "Midnight Special" (Undeniable, 2011). Great jazz guitarist playing a hometown show in Philly tonight. Hmm ...
3) Paul Simon — "Hearts And Bones" (Concert In The Park, 1991). I never get tired of this live album. Great show, great music.
4) Norah Jones — "Turn Me On" (Come Away With Me, 2002). Subtle the lyrics are not but the sultry nuance of the vocals seeps into every pore of this song.
5) Abbey Lincoln — "Storywise" (A Turtle's Dream, 1994). Not sure if jazz vocalist albums get much better than this classic from the late Abbey Lincoln, who was flanked by some of the leading players in jazz on this disc.

Enjoy the weekend.

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Chris Holmes — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:41:39 -0000

I'm assuming you knew the Bee Gees and either Argent or Four Freshmen.

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Michael Parr — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:37:19 -0000

Don't I get at least +10 for the Women track?

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Michael Parr — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:35:42 -0000

I love almost every song in this Friday Five.

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Michael Parr — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:34:57 -0000

To be fair, I didn't say which two ...

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

KellyStitzel — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:04:21 -0000

Today's Friday Five is brought to you by procrastination (specifically, procrastinating writing a sketch for my Second City class that's due tomorow):

"Johnny Stew" by Lindsey Buckingham from Law & Order (1981). This is one of my favorite of Lindsey's solo songs and I'd really love to see him play it live. I don't think he has been on his most recent tours, though. Dip deeper into the back catalogue, Linds! We love the old stuff.

"Love You Didn't Do Right By Me" by Rosemary Clooney from The Essential Rosemary Clooney (2004). Oh, how I adore this song. Her performance of this in White Christmas is my favorite part of that movie.

"Walking on Broken Glass" by Annie Lennox (Live from St. Luke's London) (2009). I just published a piece on Popdose about the 20th anniversary of Annie's solo debut, Diva, so it's appropriate that this song popped up. This isn't the best live performance I've heard of this song, but Annie's mediocre live performances are better than many acts' best performances.

"Endless Love" by Lionel Richie with Diana Ross from Endless Love Soundtrack (1981). I'm pretty sure the only reason this song is in my collection is because it was once nominated for Best Original Song and I used to write about that Oscar category for my Soundtrack Saturday column. Yeah, that must be it.

"Love Will Save the Day" by Whitney Houston from Whitney (1987). I have recently decided that this is my favorite Whitney Houston song.

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Chris Holmes — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:53:08 -0000

I sent you one of those albums in Spotify.

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Tammy Greynolds — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:21:55 -0000

My five...

1. "The Dynamo Of Volition" by Jason Mraz (from We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things) - Between his quirky lyrics and acoustic style, this man regularly tugs at my heartstrings.

2. "On the Bus Mall" by The Decemberists (from Picaresque) -
I feel like they're the Skittles of indie music. (Also, wow - if that sentence is any indication of how my morning is going, I need caffeine.)

3. "Against All Odds (Cover)" by The Postal Service (from the void of the internet) -
Oh, Ben Gibbard, you've done it again.

4. "Keep Yourself Warm" by Frightened Rabbit (from The Midnight Organ Fight)
I would bring this album to a desert island and play this song on repeat.

5. "The Atom" by Ani Difranco (from Red Letter Year) -
Is it possible for this woman to become any more prolific? I love this song purely for its use of religious metaphor and scientific content. Simply divine.

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Phil — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:16:21 -0000

Dream Theater - "Ytse Jam" (When Dream And Day Unite, 1989)
Excellent instrumental from Dream Theater version 1. The title is "Majesty" spelled backwards and alludes to the band's name in its previous incarnation. The album as a whole has not aged well in places, but in others, it remains an excellent showcase of the band's songwriting and playing prowess.

Alice in Chains - "Nutshell" (Unplugged, 1996)
This album which was recorded as part of MTV's Unplugged series is probably my favorite from this "grunge" band, with "Nutshell" being one of the best performances from the set. Known more for his chunky guitar riffs than for his acoustic work, Jerry Cantrell shows just how well-rounded he is, providing his usual excellent harmony vocals behind Layne Staley's unique—though sometimes annoying—voice. I think the songs benefit from the laid-back acoustic arrangements here, and given that AIC had not performed together as a band for nearly three years, they are amazingly tight. Unfortunately this would become one of Staley's last shows prior to sliding into deep depression and his eventual overdose in 2002, giving many of the songs a weight and somberness in hindsight that they may not have carried at the time.

Caedmon's Call - "Thousand Miles" (Back Home, 2003)
I'm not sure why iTunes keeps picking Caedmon's Call, and this album specifically, from my library for Friday Fives, but in the case of this song, I don't mind one bit.

Iron Maiden - "Moonchild" (Flight 666: The Original Soundtrack, 2009)
Another live cut from Flight 666, this time an often forgotten Maiden gem that popped up in my Friday Five for August 26, 2011. "Moonchild" is from a Puerto Rican show on the tour, and the crowd there is as wild as the South American audiences. And frontman Bruce Dickinson hams it up as usual. Maiden is such a tight unit, and you would be hard-pressed to find a better live metal band.

Mae - "Release Me" (Singularity, 2007)
I am pretty open about my love of this band on my blog, which may seem odd to many given my metalhead and snobbish musical tendencies, but I just can't help it. I love just about everything Dave Elkins and company have ever put out, and this song and the album it comes from are no exception.

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Tammy Greynolds — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:13:44 -0000

-10 hipster points

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Michael Parr — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:06:43 -0000

Damn, I only know two of the five bands in your five!

Re: The Friday Five: April 13, 2012

Chris Holmes — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:03:44 -0000

"I Believe in You" by Lambchop (from OH (Ohio)) - Pretty typical Lambchop, which is to say it's laid back and dense at the same time. You either dig what they do or you don't at this point. Generally I dig it, but sometimes I need to step away.

"Thunder and Lightning" by Argent (from The Argent Anthology) - Cool tune. Very Deep Purple-ish, from their Machine Head era. I don't know who is singing lead on this, but he sounds a bit like Rod Stewart.

"Truck" by The Octopus Project (from Hello, Avalanche) - I was really into this album when it came out in 2007, the height of my indie pop/rock phase. It's still good 5 years later. A peppy but rocking instrumental.

"It Never Occurred to Me" by The Four Freshmen (from Capitol Collectors Series) - It's instantly clear how much of an influence these guys were on Brian Wilson, but man are they square. Gorgeous harmonies, though.

"Boogie Child" by Bee Gees (from Children of the World) - Get well Robin. That's all I have to say.

Re: About Us

Mark — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:14:25 -0000

Hey Lisa, I realize this is a year late but I'm on a similar quest. He seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. I loved going to those shows and the last time I saw him was about two years ago at the Varsity and he had a preview disc for his triple album (!) coming out. Obviously, it never materialized. If you hear anything, let me know and I will do the same. I spent many a night at Jitters myself:)

Re: Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John [Belle and Sebastian, Norah Jones]

Susana — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:58:51 -0000

The only song I didn't like was the I'm not living in the real world bit... Found it extremely annoying :( but the rest of the cd I did enjoy thoroughly

Re: The Friday Five: April 6, 2012

Dennis — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:58:20 -0000

Seems like most of the New Yorkers I follow on Twitter are at the Garden for Springsteen. So as I follow along praying he doesn't do Kitty's Backso that I have a shot of seeing it Monday, here's another Boss themed Friday Five

1. "I Wish I Were Blind" from Chicago 10/14/05. This was the solo Devils & Dust tour. He jokes that this is from what's considered to be his weakest album but that in Norway it's considered his greatest masterpiece. I was updating my personal set list spreadsheet, and it might have been the most diverse of any of the relatively meager number of shows I've seen. He played this one on an electric piano.

2. "Jesus Was An Only Son" from Devils & Dust. Speaking of Devils, here's one that's appropriate for this of all Fridays. I think more of this album than some if not all of my Bruce fan friends. This is one of my favorite songs on the record.

3. "Hearts of Stone" from Tracks. Guess it's mellow Boss night. Southside of course made this one his own, like he did with a lot of other Springsteen-penned castoffs, but the sax solo here is all Big Man at his soulful best.

4. "Red Headed Woman"from The Christic Institute Benefit 11/17/90 bootleg. I guess it's also solo Bruce boot night. I tracked this one down for its killer solo piano version of "The Real World".

5. "Prove It All Night" from Winterland 12/15/78. Closing out with a burner. If you don't love the piano & guitar intro that Roy and Bruce were doing on this tour, I'm not sure we can be friends

Hope you hear something great this weekend!

Re: The Friday Five: April 6, 2012

Mike — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:32:15 -0000

What else am I gonna do on this stinkin' train? It's not really stinking, actually. At least it won't be until I take my shoes off. Bazinga!

1) Wendy & Lisa-"White Flags of Winter Chimneys"-Totally atmospheric title track from their most recent album. These ladies have put together a very solid catalog as a duo.

2) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.-"Morning Thought"-This was the free download of the week during one of the weeks I actually remembered iTunes has a free download of the week. It's a pretty good song, too. I'm almost tempted to explore more of these folks. But--I hate hipsters. And most of the music they like. But I'm wearing fitted jeans. OH NOES!!!!

3) Elvis Costello-"I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself"-White Stripes----->Dusty------->Elvis. None of the three are bad, though.

4) k-os-"Crucial"-This guy was an MTV2 discovery (might have been the only artist I ever discovered through MTV2.) He's everything Wyclef Jean tries to be and fails out. I saw him open for Handsome Boy Modeling School six or seven years ago, and...let's just say I would've been just as happy leaving before Paul and Dan got on stage.

5) Josh Rouse "Streetlights"- Win #1: This song cribs it's chorus from "Don't Stop Believin'." Win #2: This song is absolutely gorgeous. Josh can be hit or miss, but this song is amazing. Playing it twice.

Re: The Friday Five: April 6, 2012

Phil — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:26:55 -0000

Def Leppard - "See the Lights" (First Strike, 1979)
An "album" of demos from back when Def Leppard was a bonafide NWOBHM band. The "album" was later unofficially released without the band's consent. "See the Lights" is not the best song on the collection—that designation would have to go to "Wasted" or "Sorrow Is a Woman," both of which were released on On Through the Night—but it's not bad, either.

Black Sabbath - "Never Say Die" (Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970-1978, 2002)
Ozzy had already quit and rejoined Sabbath by the time Never Say Die was recorded, and he pulls no punches when expressing his dissatisfaction with Sabbath at that point in his career, calling it "the worst piece of work that I've ever had anything to do with. I'm ashamed of that album. I think it's disgusting." With the exception of the cheesy ending, "Never Say Die" is a great, fun tune—should any Sabbath song be "fun"?!—although it sounds like it would fit better on Blizzard of Ozz.

Smashing Pumpkins - "Today" ("Unplugged" 100% Pure Acoustic Performances, 1993)
I never really cared much for the original, so a bootleg recording of an acoustic rendition of it is probably not going to rate very high for me. The performance is uninspiring and limp, with no musical embellishments until the very end when Iha adds an arpeggiated section, and Corgan struggles to hit some of the higher notes as he whines his way throughout the song. Sounds like they don't even like it very much.

Galactic Cowboys - "Through" (At the End of the Day, 1998)

I thought you were in love, what a fool's mistake
I don't care about love now
It's true
I'm through

And unfortunately Galactic Cowboys' career was almost through at this point as well. ATEOTD is one of my favorite GC albums, containing the excellent "The Machine Fish Suite," but I'm ashamed to admit I usually skip this one. Not that there's anything much wrong with it. I just don't usually turn to Galactic Cowboys when I want to hear a ballad.

Rush - "Cinderella Man" (Different Stages, 1998)
Not sure why, but this version always sounds really sloppy to me, and Geddy seems to really be straining to hit some of the notes. Odd for a band that is usually so tight.

Re: The Friday Five: April 6, 2012

Phil — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:26:39 -0000

"Shut up, Beavis. Uh huh huh huh."

"No One Like You" is definitely in my list of top 10 favorite Scorpions songs of all time.