friday musings and a picture in the rain of a smile on the cusp

I wanted to post about my favourite television show, Friday Night Lights, which wrapped up its season Wednesday Night. However, I had too many muddled thoughts to get out without a clear head to do so. We'll save that post for a later date.

Instead lets talk about my week. My friend Miranda is getting married at the end of the month. Early on she asked me to be the emcee and I was more than delighted and honoured to do so. Soon after she followed that up with a request for me to DJ the reception also. I was even more delighted and agreed, despite the fact I've never done so and am completely unfamiliar with the equipment I'll be running things off of. Since then I've been mentally cataloguing song after song and as the wedding nears trying to organize my music, come up with some playlists, and generally fretting that no one is going to like my music selections. It is a wedding after all and it gives me no great pleasure acknowledging that YMCA is probably a necessary evil and will delight the party infinitely more than any Deadly Snakes song I would want playing at my wedding. It's been a battle of toning down some of my tastes, knowing my audience, and finding appropriate music that I won't cringe at when playing. Luckily I've been on a big soul and R&B kick this past year so I've been going old school in preparation. Otis Redding can inspire even the toughest of dance holdouts to pick up a rhythm.

My musical week was concentrated on two artists: One a long-time favourite, the other a person whose work I was initially cold to but have warmed to considerably in the past year. Both were reflected in this week's posts. As mentioned Tuesday, the White Stripes have a new album in the can and will be sharing it in the near future (June 19th to be precise). This news inspired an epic Tuesday where I sat down and listened to their five albums end to end as i heartily made a dent in the beer fridge. By the last note of I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet) I was googling photo's of Jack White during his pervy mustache phase.
Wednesday was dedicated to all things Paul Westerberg as I ran through Let It Be atleast twice (and as I write as it stands) then chased this with a couple more Replacements album and the 1oooth or so playing of Waiting For Somebody in the past 72 hours.

And that leads us to a few tracks. Both happen to be album enders and I've always appreciated a good closer.

The Stripes' I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet) off Get Behind Me Satan and Answering Machine off The Replacement's Let It Be both deal with loneliness at their core and how distance plays a part in estranging people and fueling this loneliness. They are both beautiful in their own right (I'm Lonely's aching piano, Westerberg's ravaged vocals on Answering Machine), not as dour as my description would have you believe, and find both artists at songwriting peaks.

The White Stripes - I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet) mp3
The Replacements - Answering Machine mp3

White Stripes do the Icky Thump

The White Stripes have finally set a date for the release of their sixth studio album. Mark those calendars for June 19th. As reported by many, the new album is entitled Icky Thump and is promised to be a 48 minute long player heavier than ever. Heavy.

Tracklisting be:
1-Icky Thump
2-You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do What You're Told)
3-300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues
4-Conquest
5-Bone Broke
6-Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
7-St. Andrew (The Battle Is In The Air)
8-Little Cream Soda
9-Rag and Bone
10-I'm Slowly Turning Into You
11-A Martyr For My Love For You
12-Catch Hell Blues
13-Effect And Cause

Here is the Album's cover: Yikes and Egads. Discuss.

In other semi-breaking news Jack and Meg White are not brother and sister as purported, but simply a once married, now amicably divorced, largely succesful rock and roll band. Spread the word.

The Stripes have a series of festival shows in early June in Europe, with their live return to US soil occurring at Bonnaroo on June 17th. Athough dates have not been announced, the Stripes promise to visit "all 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada, as well as the remaining 16 states of the United States the band have yet to play." Nunavut thanks you Meg and Jack.

In the news

Some White Stripes news as of late. After being released from V2 records earlier in the year, Jack and Meg signed a one album deal with Warner Bros. They will still be represented by XL in the UK, while Warner will take care of things here in North America. This news is seen by most as a good indication that a new Stripes record is either in the can or in the works.

This last bit is augmented by the announcement that the White Stripes will play at this year's Bonnaroo Festival. Taking place June 14-17 in Tennessee, the initial roster of artists was announce today. Since I wrote this last night, I only know the names leaked earlier Tuesday. By the time you read this, the official listings should be up over at the website. Head on over there to get your fix.

White Stripes - I Can't Wait
White Stripes - Walking With A Ghost

Acknowledging Valentines Day; You're either in the camp that celebrates (ie. in a happy relationship) or doesn't, and bitterly so (ie. alone. Utterly and painfully alone). I can't remember the last time I was in a relationship on Valentines Day. Regardless, It's a great day to call up your friend and tell them you love them.

I love Linda Ronstadt's take on the Everly Brothers song When Will I Be Loved. Lyrically, it's a lonely, bitter tune. The girl can't find a man to treat her right. Sonically, this baby is all hope and joy. Just a hard hitting popper if there ever was. It seems to marry our opposing Valentines Day camps. A little common ground sounds good.

Linda Ronstadt - When Will I Be Loved