Pylon

Another great guitarist is dead, this time of a heart attack. Randy Bewley died at the tender age of 53. As one of the unsung heroes of the Athens, GA, scene, from back when The B-52s and REM got most of the spotlight, Randy took a back seat to many of his contemporaries. It's a shame, because he had a cool, laid back style. This song, Danger, is a good example of his low-fi sound. RIP Mr. Bewley. I'm glad to know Pylon continued to play from the late 70s all the way until recently.

R.I.P. Kelly Groucutt of ELO

I think I'm just going to make this a place where I pay tribute to all of the great musicians who die every week now that everyone I've ever loved to listen to is getting to the age when that kind of thing happens. Every time I look at the news, somebody else who I admire has passed on to Rock & Roll Heaven. For example, the great bass player Kelly Groucutt died of a heart attack on Wednesday night at the tender age of 63. He was merely a babe! Well, when I was in Junior High, listening to my brother's radio show on WMPH-FM, Mount Pleasant High School's radio station (in Delaware), I remember calling him up to request this song, Mr. Blue Sky. It just seemed like such a nice little tune. (Dig the epic ending!) It always reminded me of a Beatles song, but since the Beatles were already done by that point, ELO served as my personal Beatles. Their albums were the soundtrack to my whole Jr. High experience. ELO wasn't exactly the coolest band out there, but I always liked how catchy their songs were ... and still are. Thanks Kelly!

R.I.P. Snooks Eaglin

Snooks died on Wednesday, down in New Orleans, where he made a name for himself as a legend while playing some great music. He has a really awesome guitar style that I've never seen before. Watch that crazy thumb of his! He picks with his thumbnail, which makes his little solos sound wild! RIP Snooks.

(I'd Go The) Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric

Do you ever get a song stuck in your head, then forget it, and then try to get it back? Well, that happened to me this week.


This song has been haunting me since I heard it for a moment during the great radio show "This American Life" the other day. They had a funny segment by a comic describing how he was once his "Girlfriend's Other Boyfriend." It was a pretty hilarious ode to Valentine's Day. Anyway, ever since I heard the story, and the song, I've been trying to figure out who sang it, because it's a great love song, with a great vocal. Then, during my search, I found out where I had heard it before: Stranger Than Fiction. I think this is the best part of the movie, which was interesting on some levels, but less wacky than most Will Ferrell classics.

In my search for the song, I also found this cool little movie by Michael Saikin to go with the original song:


But the best part of my search was when I found the original songwriter, Wreckless Eric, performing the song himself, back when he was a Stiff Records recording artist:

the sopranos, uncensored. from victor solomon on Vimeo.

This is a classic example of the beauty of the spoken (dirty) word(s). It's mesmerizing!!

Lux Interior is Dead, again

RIP Lux. 62. Another sad departure.

The Sounds of Doom and Gloom!

This is wild. It's horrible, but it cracks me up!