SOUNDTRACK: CIAN NUGENT-“My War Blues” (2012).
I’ve never heard of Cian Nugent before (pronounced KEE-en). He’s an Irish guitarist (his guitar playing reminds me of José González). And this is a cover (but not really) of Black Flag’s “My War.” What it really is is a solo acoustic guitar workout that is inspired by the riff of “My War” (there’s no vocals). I love Black Flag and I can say that if I didn’t know that bit of information, I would never have guessed a connection. But having said that, this song is an inspired workout.
He plays some wonderfully dissonant slow notes as the song opens. From there, it picks up speed as Cian tests out some new variations. And then he gets into the solo section, sounding like an inspired Richard Thompson, he plays one of he meanest acoustic guitar solos I’ve heard in ages. At times angry, at times jaunty, and all the while keeping the beat on the low strings.
I’m going to have to check out more by this guy.
To hear this track, check out NPR. You’re one of them.
[READ: May 15, 2012] “First Atlanta and Then the World”
This article comes from the archives, one of three monthly suggestions from my work that I enjoy checking out. It’s a brief history of the rise of Coca-Cola from small idea to global behemoth. But, and here’s the kicker, it comes from a local publication: The Georgia Historical Quarterly, so there is no (real) politicking in the article. There’s nothing about global hegemony, there’s nothing about high fructose corn syrup and nothing about obesity (it was written in 1987, back in less politicized days). And I have to say, this made it more fun to read. Not because I have any vested interest in promoting the worlds’ most recognized brand, but because the Coca-Cola story is pretty fascinating. And it’s interesting to read it from a local perspective.
I don’t know how scholarly The Georgia Historical Quarterly is (since it’s on JSTOR I know it has certain aspects of scholarship—it’s not just a booster for Georgia), but the tone of this article is very light, very fun. It makes for an interesting read. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 