SOUNDTRACK: BILLY BRAGG-Talking to the Taxman About Poetry (1986).
I’ve liked Billy for ages now. I’ve seen him live a few times, and I’ve always loved that his accent is so prominent when he sings. Over the years he has become somewhat less overtly political, but he is still a man of issues and causes.
This is Billy Bragg’s second full length. He was still primarily a man with a voice and a guitar at this stage. His melodies are strong, and since there’s no other instrumentation, all that’s left to talk about is the lyrics.
“Greetings to the New Brunette” is an adorable love song, followed closely by the anti-marriage “The Marriage”: “If I share my bed with you Must I also share my life Love is just a moment of giving And marriage is when we admit our parents were right.” (which doesn’t quite jibe with Sophia, but it’s close.
But really what you come to Billy Bragg for is the politics. LIke in “Ideology”: The voices of the people Are falling on deaf ears Our politicians all become careerists They must declare their interests But not their company cars Is there more to a seat in parliament Then sitting on your arse.”
He also covers a public domain song which I wondered how well it would fit here. “There is Power in a Union” seems like it’s saying the right thing, but some of the characters here would disagree about the end: There is power in a factory, power in the land Power in the hands of a worker But it all amounts to nothing if together we don’t stand There is power in a Union.”
This album also features the great track, “Help Save the Youth of America.”
Over the years Billy would expand his sound (he even worked with Wilco on two discs), but he always sings for the people.
[READ: Week of July 2, 2010] Letters of Insurgents [Fourth Letters]
As I’ve been going along in the story, I began to wonder if the two letter writers were going to be rehashing the same arguments in each letter. I had confidence in Perlman that the story would be interesting (it sure had been so far), but I couldn’t imagine how he would keep it original, especially since Yarostan was in jail for so long–he has no information except secondhand.
This week’s reading gave two examples of how he’d do it: Jasna comes to visit Yarostan and she updates everyone about what had happened to all of their fellow workers, and Sophia reveals a horrible situation in which she hits rock bottom–a real physical bottom, not a philosophical one. (more…)
SOUNDTRACK: FUGAZI-Repeater + 3 Songs (1990).
This was Fugazi’s debut album and my first exposure to them. They’d put out some singles before this but I missed them. Listening to it now, it sounds great, but not revolutionary. And yet, I remember back then, this was a pretty mind-blowing album. It’s full of heavy chunky guitars and yet it is underscored by a punk vibe (that comes from the source: Minor Threat).
I don’t often write about one TV show at a time, but I’m on vacation this week, so I’m taking it easy.
SOUNDTRACK: The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years [movie] (1988).
I feel like this movie aired a lot when I was a kid. I wish I could remember what I thought about it back then, because watching it the other night I couldn’t believe how dumb everyone looked. Whether it was Steven Tyler acting profound talking about masturbating or Joe Perry and his sourpuss. Or Paul Stanley lying in bed with 4 women strewn around during his interview. Or bless his heart, Chris Holmes’ drunken antics in the pool in front of his mother. I’m half certain that it was staged, as nobody is that dumb.
SOUNDTRACK: Make the Load Lighter: Indie Rock for Haiti (2010).
I mentioned this disc a few days ago because it’s a benefit disc for the people of Haiti. I had encouraged people to order it ($10 to a good cause, eh?) but hadn’t fully listened to it yet.
(which I just found out about today while reading a tribute to Salinger).
SOUNDTRACK: DO MAKE SAY THINK-Other Truths [CST062] (2009).
I’ve always enjoyed Do Make Say Think’s CDs. They play instrumentals that are always intriguing and which never get dull.
You get 
And then there’s news about ALA, the organization (like their endorsement of the Public option in the Health Care debate). As the news items continue there’s a lot of items for librarians, but there’ also a lot of news about books and media in general. So, here we learn that J.D. Salinger won his lawsuit against Frederick Colting who wrote an unauthroized sequel to Catcher in the Rye. 
SOUNDTRACK: TV ON THE RADIO-Dear Science, (2008).
The problem with TV on the Radio for me is that their first EP is so damned good that anything else they do pales in comparison. Having said that, Dear Science, comes really close to topping that EP. I liked Cookie Mountain (their previous disc) but I felt like they put so many elements into the mix that it detracted from the best part of the band: Tunde Adepimbe & Kyp Malone’s vocals.
I Just Read About That... 