Michael Penn - On Automatic

The first single from Michael Penn's new cd Mr. Hollywood Jr. 1947 was released to radio last week and was the most added song on AAA radio. If you want to listen to it, just go to Michael's Myspace Page where it can be downloaded free and legal.

If you're interested in finding out more about Michael's music, listen to some samples on iTunes with the Best of Michael Penn.

Live 8 - Not me

Well everyone I'll be here in Conshohocken about 15 minutes from Live 8 and here is where I'll stay. 1 million people on the Parkway? God help us - I actually would like to go to experience mass chaos, but then again...does this mean I'm getting old?

Radio in Philly - Part 348

So I went and saw Sleater-Kinney here in Philly at the Troc last Friday; it was packed. My wonder is do all these people listen to the radio? Is there no market here? Sleater-Kinney has no room for play on the Philadelphia airwaves and it's a shame.

Star Wars thoughts

I saw Star Wars Episode III this weekend and now believe that this is the second worst trilogy of all time (Blade reserves a special spot for 1st). It's hard to be a bad trilogy, someone has to allow you to spend their money two more times after the first debacle - of course being that George Lucas is spending George Lucas' money, that sort of explains things. It's not that episode III is horrible; the last half of the movie is actually pretty entertaining. It just didn't do enough to make me forget that I had to sit through the first two movies to get there. Add to that the amazingly bad dialogue (why are all of Lucas' proper nouns so ridiculous sounding? You get great lines such as "I sense Dooku" or "Hold me like you did by the lakes of Naboo"). The unintentional humor from the writing is CSI Miami-like.

Best of Michael Penn - Listen to Mr. Hollywood Jr. 1947

I've created a best of Michael Penn or a Michael Penn primer on iTunes. It can be found by clicking the following link : Best of Michael Penn

If you would like to hear the new cd on a stream, click the following link: Mr. Hollywood Jr. 1947

Strong recommendations from June

Alright here are my thoughts on the cd's I've been listening to this month....

The best of the month

1. The Woods - Sleater-Kinney - Click Here for a review I wrote earlier this month
   
2. Patience and Silence - Adam Richman (found on eMusic). This is a great power pop cd. I felt a little dissappointed in the Jim Boggia and Brendan Benson efforts, but Richman's cd does best what those cd's couldn't.
   
3. X&Y - Coldplay - It generally takes me awhile with their cds and this one is no different. The reviews have varied wildly. I guess my inital thoughts is that it sounds like a Coldplay cd - which is good and bad. The cd is insanely listenable - great tunes like "Fix Me", "Square One", and "Speed of Sound" are classic Coldplay. But there are so many bands doing the Coldplay thing right now - even the standard bearer can sound a bit stale. I think this is why bands such as Radiohead with Kid A and Amnesiac, U2 with Zooropa and Pop, and REM with Monster have at times changed their sound dramatically at times - in order to leave the followers behind.
   

Dissappointment of the month...

• Blinking Lights and Other Revelations - Eels. I didn't like this album when Beck did it with Sea Change. (found on eMusic)

Jury still out on...

1. Face the Truth - Stephen Malkmus (found on eMusic)
2. Man-Made - Teenage Fanclub (found on eMusic)
3. Don't Believe the Truth - Oasis
   

Michael Penn in Pittsburgh - part 2

So I just drove to Pittsburgh and #1 - Michael was amazing as always. He did a taping of World Café that will air on July 14th. The show was intersperced with interviews by World Cafe host, David Dye. #2 - Pittsburgh is a gorgeous city. It's a shame that people don't walk around the city much - most of the people seem to live in the suburbs.

Here are a few pics from the weekend. (Sorry - my camera is pretty much crap.)



Michael lounging prior to the World Café taping 6/17/05 - The Andy Warhol Museum.




Michael gratiously gives an autograph




Michael with Pennlisters Lance and Jamie




Keyboardist David Palmer checking out the audience




Michael on stage Saturday in Pittsburgh

Michael Penn in Pittsburgh

Really late on posting this but Michael Penn will be playing in Pittsburgh this weekend -

World Café at The Warhol - Friday, June 17th & Saturday, June 18th
The taping sessions take place in the intimate Andy Warhol Museum theater for national broadcast to over 100 radio stations in August.

Friday, June 17th:

• 6PM Assembly Of Dust
• 8PM Michael Penn

Saturday, June 18th:

• 12PM David Poe
• 2PM Erin McKeown
• 4PM Michelle Shocked - SOLD OUT!!

WYEP's Free Summer Music Festival - Saturday, June 18th
Festival starts at approximately 4 pm.
Line-up: Times are subject to change

• 4PM David Poe
• 5:10PM Assembly of Dust
• 6:10PM Erin McKeown
• 7:30PM Michael Penn
• 8:50PM Michelle Shocked

WYEP Concert Page

All Foo Fighters sound the same?

Just got the new Foo Fighters' cd, but you know that (see post.) I'm just realizing that all of their stuff sounds so similar. I've always been a fan - but it seems like they're mailing it in. But hey, with 20 tracks, at least they're putting some effort behind their selling out.

Foo Fighters - In Your Honor - Copy Protection

So I picked up the latest Foo Fighters release In Your Honor yesterday at the local Tower. I opened the cd and then looked at the front to realize that this cd has copy protection to prevent unauthorized duplication. Basically it requires you use Windows Media Player to transfer files to your portable player. Only problem is that the ipod, the player with upwards of 75% of the portable market, is not supported by Windows Media. As a matter of fact, if you are a mac user, there is no Windows Media player that supports DRM.

Turns out that you can use this cd on your Macintosh no problem. If you're a Windows user, not so easy - you have to copy the cd to Windows Media Player, burn an audio cd, then import that audio cd to itunes. Nice.

The reason I even mention all of this is so that I can ask this question: who is RCA to tell me how I can listen to my music? I did not steal this cd - I paid my $12.99 for it but yet I'm being treated as a thief. So there are ways around the copy protection, I shouldn't have any obstacles in order to listen.

I did get an email from the creator of the copy protection, Sunncomm, that gave me directions on how to install the music to itunes, and then asked me to ask Apple to support their efforts. Question - who's the fly on who's ass here? Shouldn't Sunncomm have to adjust for 75% of the portable market, not the other way around.

The music industry is so out of touch with reality. For every obstacle, there are a dozen ways around it. Instead of putting up barriers, why not work with consumers and make things easier for them in a way that allows them to profit? Nah - that's a language they don't understand. My suggestion, don't buy this cd - that they understand. If you must have it, get it off of limewire. Maybe then they'll understand.

Off topic: Philadelphia Roads

I have to rant for a sec - last night I drove to the airport here in Philly - on the way home I was stuck in traffic jam caused by the work being done where I-95 and I-476 intersect. I've been driving for 20 years and I cannot honestly remember a time when there wasn't some major construction going on.

- I-76 in Philadelphia reconstructed in the mid to late 80's
- I-476 didn't open until the early 90's but is already under construction
- Interstates 202, 76, and 422 a major reconstruction in Montgomery County from 2000 through 2003
- Route 309 major reconstruction (current)
- I-95 undergoing major construction for at least the past 2 years

It seems that for the last 20 years PennDot has followed up one major road project by starting another major one immediately. We never have a moment of peace here. On top of it, their planning is horrible. For example, Route 309 is currently under construction. What do you do when a major road is under construction? Find alternates - well, Route 73 which parallels Route 309 is also under construction, closed in a couple of spots. What sense does this make?

I know that the PennDot is on a never-ending quest to justify their existence - I mean make the roads better, but if you're constantly working on them, isn't the construction itself is the problem?

Please Governor, senators, congressmen, lackeys - please stop the madness! Just give us one year without a major road project - please.

Rilo Kiley - Cool song quote

You know the title of this site is taken from a great line from the Michael Penn song "Me Around" from the cd Resigned. As such I thought I should point out great lines here and there. The following is from the Rilo Kiley song "Portions for Foxes":

"There's blood in my mouth because I've been biting my tongue all week."

That line has been in my head all week and I hadn't heard that song in months. Great line.

Michael Penn - Walter Reed MP3 Download

Kind of remiss in posting this but here's a link to a free download of the song "Walter Reed" from Michael Penn's upcoming cd Mr. Hollywood Jr. 1947 to be released August 2nd.

Walter Reed (mp3 / 3.4MB)

Yes - this MP3 is legal

What the fuck was I thinking - Volume 1

OK - When you listen to as much music as I do, sometimes you miss something or just don't get it the first time through. I'm talking about those artists that I listened to before and either didn't or did like and then changed position 180 degrees.

So here is my inaugural "What the fuck was I thinking" list - to be updated periodically as I clean the wax out of my ears.

(Links take you to the appropriate section on iTunes)

Gomez - I had their cd Liquid Skin for a couple of years on a recommendation. Never listened to it - and then at some point in 2004 realized how good they were.

PJ Harvey - I really must have been high on this one. Because of the song she did with Thom Yorke called "The Mess We're In" from Stories from the City - Stories from the Sea - I decided to take a listen again. I had her cd To Bring You My Love when it was released back in 1995 and hated it. I screwed up royal on this one.

Sleater-Kinney - I Had their The Hot Rock for years. Carrie Brownstein's voice can be tough to get past, but recently I can't stop listening to them. They are among the best musicians in modern rock, especially drummer Janet Weiss.

The Cardigans - This band I simply dismissed thinking that they were light and without substance. After hearing the song "Live and Learn" on the TV show Grey's Anatomy, I picked up the cd Long Gone Before Daylight. Lead singer and songwriter Nina Person tends to be more brooding than I ever expected from the person that wrote "Lovefool". Listen the the song "And Then You Kissed Me".

That's enough for now - but tell me your "what the fucks"

REVIEW: Sleater-Kinney - The Woods

I just got the Sleater-Kinney cd The Woods (Sup-Pop) today and it is all I thought it would be. This is not a band that is going to be played on the radio (especially these days). They can be discordant and I think they like that. If you give them a shot...

About the cd - first off drummer Janet Weiss is the best drummer in modern rock. Tell me who's better. I know that Carrie Brownstein's vocals can be harsh - but it works - I don't think she's ever sounded better. This album is noisy and jarring but fun to listen to. It is so far the best cd I've heard this year. I was a bit afraid when I heard that SK was going in a different direction, but I see it as evolution as opposed to decomposition.

Go get this cd.

Listen to Sleater-Kinney on iTunes

Quick question

Why do I find this headline so ironic:

"Bush urges Mubarak hold fair elections"