one of the baddest

And I had heard this great little seventeen-year-old drummer who was working with Jackie McLean named Tony Williams, who just blew my fucking mind he was so bad.... Man, just hearing that little motherfucker made me excited all over again. Like I said earlier, trumpet players love to play with great drummers and I could definitely hear right away that this was going to be one of the baddest motherfuckers who had ever played a set of drums.
- Miles Davis, from Miles The Autobiography

mekas/lennon

miles and lennon try to shoot hoop.
warhol photogs.
“attica state” is born.
spector and his sunglasses collide the thumb cymbals.
rubin and lennon have a marijuana.
sha na na, roberta flack, stevie wonder, and johnyoko rock the msg.
and mekas’ flickershot jump cutting camera mind shoots everything full of exuberance and community.
and then 12/8/80.
strawberry fields forever.







Screen the complete film here.
Screen 40 of Mekas’ gems here.

Baez sings The Stones

I can’t decide what to think about Joan Baez’s singing on her cover of The Stones’ country blues “No Expectations” from her 1970 album (I Live) One Day at a Time. Just when I think she’s too uptight (and in need of a few shots of whiskey with Keith), I start feeling that she’s pretty committed to the song and that I’m a judgmental sob. But whatever about all that. What I do know is that though she doesn’t cover Dylan (yet again) on this album, she does right by herself and follows his footsteps to Nashville and gets help from some of the same Nashville pros -- like Pete Drake, Charlie McCoy, and Kenny Buttrey (handing out lessons on the drums) -- Dylan was lucky enough to have join him on Blonde on Blonde, Nashville Skyline, and John Wesley Harding. These guys are seriously taking care of business. (And, to state the random obvious, after hearing this on LP and then downloading the song for posting purposes, it’s just a damn dirty shame how much texture and sonic depth is lost when you go digital.)

Joan Baez - No Expectations [buy]

Viva La Roja!

Granada Bull

Today’s World Cup final has been many years in the making, and I think we are in for a very memorable match. While I’ve got nothing against the gentlemen in Oranje (scratch that: they're jerks), after staying in Spain for a month or so and falling in love with the country, I want to see La Roja raise that kind of goofy looking trophy in triumph. Wish I could be there with you Oli, Arturo, and Sasu! Viva Espana!

Paco De Lucia - Granada [buy]

rednecks, hippies, and misfits

The USofA is busy screwing up all over the globe. Thank God we've got Willie calling us back to what matters. Happy 4th of July everybody!

“It’s people drinking beer, smoking pot, and finding out that they have things in common and don’t really hate each other,” Willie says.

"Rednecks, hippies, misfits—we’re all the same. Gay or straight? So what? It doesn’t matter to me. We have to be concerned about other people, regardless.”

Willie Nelson and Family - Good Hearted Woman [emusic]
Jefferson Airplane - Volunteers [emusic]
MC5 - Kick Out The Jams [emusic]