Steven Rubio's Online Life

friday random ten, 2008 edition

MOG playlist here: http://mog.com/playlists/33349

1. Ice Cube, "Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It."

2. The Ting Tings, "Shut Up and Let Me Go."

3. E-40, "The Ambassador."

4. DJ Khaled, "She's Fine."

5. Estelle, "American Boy."

6. The Swimmers, "We Love to Build."

7. Ludacris, "Undisputed."

8. Ace Hood, "Cash Flow."

9. Pink, "I Don't Believe You."

10. Young Jeezy, "My President."

i don't believe you

katey sagal is the donna summer of tv actors

I already said my piece about this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, and my opinion hasn’t changed since. Suffice to say I agree with Robert Christgau, who wrote in his review of Abba’s Greatest Hits, “[T]he band's real tradition is the advertising jingle, and I'm sure their disinclination to sing like Negroes reassures the Europopuli.” (I doubt Christgau cares about the HoF, but I wonder if ABBA is the first group to enter the Hall where their hits package got a C+ from The Dean?) And I would have voted for Donna Summer over everyone who actually got in this time around.

Ultimately, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is about as relevant as the Golden Globes, which has announced its nominations for this year’s awards. Absent from their list: Sons of Anarchy.

friday random ten, 2007 edition

Just a reminder that these weekly posts will continue in 2010, but the format will be different. Not sure how, to be honest. Meanwhile, you can listen to this week’s list on MOG.

1. Samuel L. Jackson, “Stack-o-Lee.”

2. Arcade Fire, “Keep the Car Running.”

3. M.I.A., “Paper Planes.”

4. Los Campesinos!, “You! Me! Dancing!”

5. Miranda Lambert, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”

6. Bruce Springsteen, “Livin’ in the Future.”

7. Alison Krauss, “You’re Just a Country Boy.”

8. Patti Smith, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

9. Rihanna, “Umbrella.”

10. Avril Lavigne, “Girlfriend.”

boys (and girls) and their toys

We’ve added a couple of electronic items to our house recently. I gave Robin an early Xmas present, a Blu-ray player for the living room TV that she often watches. It’ll play all her old Stargate SG-1 DVDs, along with any Blu-rays I sneak into her stocking. This player also gives her access to Netflix. I’ve been wary of the Netflix-on-your-TV system, because our network router is in the attic, and I assumed a wi-fi connection wouldn’t be good enough for streaming video. But it actually works just fine, esp. for Robin, who doesn’t really give a shit how it looks or sounds as long as it’s passable. So now she can watch old episodes of Farscape or whatever Netflix has available.

Meanwhile, I got a replacement for my “pillow speaker.” For my entire life, I have listened to something, usually the radio, when I went to sleep at night. This isn’t the best idea when your wife doesn’t share your odd proclivities, so for some years now I’ve used a "pillow speaker,” a mono faux-headphone with a soft fabric cover that sits nicely on my pillow and, when I lay my ear on it, lets me listen to my Internet radio. The problem is, the pillow speaker is mono, and I can’t make any of those adapters work with my radio to turn stereo into mono, so when I listen to music on the pillow speaker, I only hear half the song. The result is that I listen to words instead of music, mostly podcasts.

Well, those nights are gone. I got something that looks like a headband, except it has two little speakers. It fits snugly over my head, just like a normal headband, and when I plug it into the radio, voila! Stereo! It’s the world’s greatest invention since, well, since Netflix figured out how to stream to your TV.

friday random ten, 2006 edition

I was trying to find video links for these songs, and was having very little luck. Since I’m going to be trying something different with the Random Fridays, I decided what the heck, let me try something different right now. So, if you’re on MOG, or if you’re on a free trial, which I think they offer, you can hear these songs at Friday Random Ten, 2006 Edition. The songs are:

1. Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy.”

2. Lady Sovereign, “Love Me or Hate Me.”

3. Todd Snider, “Carla.”

4. Pink, “U + Ur Hand.”

5. E-40, “Yay Area.”

6. Bruce Springsteen, “Open All Night.”

7. Neko Case, “Star Witness.”

8. TV on the Radio, “Hours.”

9. Willie Nile, “Police on My Back.”

10. The Coup, “BabyLet’sHaveABabyBeforeBushDoesSomethingCrazy.”

mog moves forward

I’ve been playing around with the beta, and now it’s ready for its close up. MOG goes all-you-can-eat for $5/month. Here, the Moggers explain their new site:

If you sign up (and I think you have to sign up to share playlists), you can check out Sittin’ on the Watchtower, a playlist I created that made the Featured Playlist page. (I have no idea if this works outside the U.S., but most of these kinds of things don’t, unless I’m mistaken.)

conroy-debrie

While we were in Portland, we had a chance to see our friend Dub in the band Conroy-Debrie. Dub has been playing guitar pretty much as long as we can remember, and we go back more than 40 years with him (we go back so far, we remember before he was called “Dub Debrie”). Conroy-Debrie consists of Dub on guitar and vocals, his wife Anne on vocals, guitar, and percussion, and Tony Conroy on bass and vocals. They make an impressive trio, each bringing something different to the mix. Tony’s bass playing is thoughtful and melodic, and his solos are concise and on the spot. He also sings the bass parts. Anne’s background as a drummer shows up in the way she fills in the spaces with a variety of percussion instruments … you don’t miss a drummer because she’s taking care of business (although they sometimes play with a drummer, when I expect they roar with just a bit more power). She’s got a voice made for blues-rock, and she works a torch song with the best of them. She’s also endearingly goofy on stage.

Meanwhile, there’s our longtime friend Dub, who is masterful at so many different styles that there’s no use listing them. Tony and Anne were effusive in their praise for the breadth of his musicianship. Of course, he makes it look easy. And his vocals are strong in fast songs, slow songs, and in between songs.

Dub isn’t in the best of health these days, and as we spent time together at his and Anne’s home, I confess I wondered how he would even make it to the gig. But once he hit the stage, nothing else mattered. He drew energy from the music and his band mates, and from the crowd as well. For four hours, he cranked it up, out, and every which way. It was good to see him singing a song like “Into the Mystic,” which he’s been singing since we were all teenagers … it was good seeing him sing his latest original songs.

I mean no disrespect to the venue where we saw them play … I have written before about the importance of small bars and clubs where musicians provide entertainment and, perhaps, even a little meaning to our lives. But it’s pretty clear that Conroy-Debrie is head and shoulders above the average bar band. I can only imagine what someone thinks who just happens to be in the bar when this “unknown” band starts playing. Holy shit, that guitarist shreds! Holy moly, that woman can sing! Holy everything else, that’s a fine and tasty bass player! As a biased observer (Anne’s mom) noted, these folks could play anywhere and win over a crowd. That they are friends of ours just made it sweeter.

And I helped carry in their equipment, giving me the chance to say “I’m with the band.” Thanks, guys.

i tweet the hall of fame concert

Tom Hanks pontificating while wearing a suit and tie is not rock and roll.

Bruce fan watching this show: "would these other legends hurry up so I can see Bruce?"

all props to geezer rockers facing the hi-def cameras with pride ... this Browne kid has come a long way from his crush on Nico

with apologies, I confess if I were watching a recording, I'd fast-forward thru Jackson Browne

CS&N are bringing out everyone but the Y that kicks their ass (Bonnie's OK, though) ... JT? Lester Bangs just threw up

all this needs is Forrest Gump hanging out in the shadows

Stevie's just fine ... he doesn't need the backup singers

Smokey's 45-spindle-thingie necklace roolz

Sting belonged in the CSN set

They should let Eddie Murphy sing "Roxanne"

Jeff Beck shreds!

"Superstition" highlight of first hour

due respect to Clapton, in that case, the replacement was better than the first choice

four hours, yet there will be no disco, no punk, no hip-hop

shit, C&N are back

Dion looks ten feet tall next to Paul Simon

bad sign: I just turned the volume down ... Turned it back up for Little Anthony

finally, Aretha

one song into Aretha, and I'm ready to say that so far, Stevie Wonder has been the only inspired main performer, J.Beck best guest

Aretha has enough soul for two people, which is a good thing, since Annie Lennox is a machine

if the bad guys in Blade Runner made an "Aretha Replicant" it would be Annie Lennox

Metallica ... quick, someone record their performance and upload it to a torrent

am I a bad person because I want to stuff James Taylor's head inside Lars' bass drum during "Enter Sandman"?

Lou and Metallica: great matchup. Rock and Roll Animal lives!

"Sweet Jane" ... greatest-ever extra-chord version of "Louie Louie"

let Lou take a solo!

I'm such a Lou Reed fanboy ... just like the guys in Metallica

If Aretha is a 10, Metallica is a 5 ... but they are having a blast and are actually trying

hey New York, we don't give a fuck about the Yankees, and Metallica is a California band

in the absence of punk outside of one Bruce song each from Patti Smith and Tom Morello, give it up to Metallica for making an unholy racket

christ, Bono says one sentence and I already wanna puke

You know, I saw U2 in 1982 and liked them a lot, thought Bono was charming ... one of us has changed

is "bono" irish for "insufferable prick"?

Patti!

the Professor on piano!

Bono singing when Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen are on stage is like me pinch-hitting for Albert Pujols

thank you, Bruce, for shutting up one of Bono's endless blatherings

even I admit "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is a great song

even an aged self-parody version of Mick blows everyone else off the stage with charisma

fergie got retarded! Note to Annie Lennox: it ain't about hitting the right notes

OTOH, "Gimme Shelter" is one of the greatest songs of all time ... it doesn't really need retarded

the older Mick gets, the more he looks like a David Johansen impersonator

ok, Mick's gone, can we fast forward to Buddy Guy with Jeff Beck?

Bono just said he was humbled ... and I'm Barack Obama

confession time, as Jeff Beck fills in for Eric Clapton: The Yardbirds were my favorite group when I was a kid.

I never cared about Jeff Beck's career once Rod Stewart left, but he sure can play ... can't wait for Buddy Guy to show him up

I'm pretty sure Jeff Beck wouldn't let any guitar player on the planet other than Buddy Guy blow him away like that ... just ask Jimmy Page

"A Day in the Life" is the kind of nonsensical trick a guitar player would come up with

Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!

hi-def kicks the ass of youtube bootlegs

"play it, Steve!"

Mr. Sam Moore!

and here comes Tom Morello

no surprise that I think "Tom Joad" is the highlight of the night

Bruce's plastic surgeon does better work than Fogerty's

trivia note: I've seen Sleater-Kinney sing "Fortunate Son." "Promised Land" too, for that matter.

ok Big Man, have a great solo tonight!

teardrop count: Roy hits the beginning to "Jungleland," I start crying

Clarence gets into heaven based on the "Jungleland" solo alone

you can't go wrong with Darlene Love

Bruce's influences are apparent in his choice of guests: Sam Moore, John Fogerty, Darlene Love

Unfortunately, Bruce also likes Billy Joel

they're playing our song, but Robin's asleep

Fucking motherfucking shit Billy Joel is taking a verse on "Born to Run" ... fuck you fucking Billy Joel!

next up: The Shaggs sing "Respect" with Aretha Franklin

worst version of Our Song of all time

1 2 3 4!

The greatest line from the greatest song since God said Let There Be Light and Billy Joel sang it

"Higher and Higher" was a good ending ... better than a jam session, that's for sure.

whatever

This list is not complete … I’m guessing at a lot of this … but here are the artists who are 1) in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2) alive and healthy, and 3) weren’t on the HBO special:

Chuck Berry (he’s 83, so I guess I can cut them some slack on this one); Bob Dylan; the Beach Boys; Tina Turner; Booker T. & the M.G.’s; the Isley Brothers (might be too sick to play?); Etta James; Van Morrison; Al Green; Martha and the Vandellas; Neil Young; the Allman Brothers Band; David Bowie; Gladys Knight and the Pips; Joni Mitchell; Fleetwood Mac; Santana; Paul McCartney; Earth, Wind & Fire; Solomon Burke; Steely Dan; Brenda Lee; AC/DC; Elvis Costello; Prince; the Pretenders; R.E.M.; Ronnie Spector; Leonard Cohen; Madonna; Run-D.M.C.; Wanda Jackson.

Here are some of the artists who WERE on the show:

James Taylor; Sting; Billy Joel.