My son Bailey saw a private screening of the new movie about Bob Dylan called A Complete Unknown along with the star of the movie there at the theater as well. His name is Timothée Chalamet and Bob Dylan said he did a great job portraying him.
Bailey did say they got the era down really well. Everything looked right for that time period compared to real footage he had seen. He loves the film. Bailey is probably a bigger Dylan fan than I am and that is saying a lot.
Bailey wrote the following.
I got to see Timothée Chalamet from shorter than arm’s reach. Here are a couple of photos I was lucky enough to get with my phone.
I got to see the film early due to a record store I follow on Instagram promoting free tickets.
A Complete Unknown follows Bob Dylan from 1961 to 1965 as he becomes a folk legend to a rock n roll rebel. The film really lets you see how Dylan progresses with his fame alongside his own character wanting to do what Dylan wants to do. You also get insight into other characters like Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Woodie Guthrie, and Sylvie Russo in their relationship with Dylan.
I was really pleased with how this film paced itself. It wasn’t trying to make a buck out of you. It was trying to make you feel moved. There are times you laugh at a clever witty comment Dylan makes to feeling annoyed like he does with what people want him to be… instead of what he wants to be. The entire film moves you towards the Newport folk music festival in 1965. It was so cathartic with what followed ( I can’t say anymore from here). I really loved every second of it and cannot wait to see it again. It is now one of my favorite films.
Nice little Christmas song by Chuck Berry… the father of Rock and Roll. The song has a “Carol” vibe to it and that is never a bad thing. It was one of the first rock and roll Christmas songs and it was released in 1958.
Berry based this song on “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” giving Rudolph a bit of an attitude as he delivers the toys. The song is credited to Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie. Johnny Marks wrote Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Chuck puts his stamp on this song.
The song is sometimes known as “Run Run Rudolph,” which is how it appears on some other covers. Other artists to record the song include Sheryl Crow, Bryan Adams, The Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffett, Dwight Yoakam, Bon Jovi, and Keith Richards.
The song peaked at #69 in the Billboard 100 in 1958 and has re-charted many times through the years…it peaked at #36 in the Billboard 100 in January of 2020…and I’m sure it is charting now.
The song appeared in a lot of films including Home Alone, Diner, The Santa Clause 2, Cast Away, and Jingle All the Way.
I’m adding this per Randy about the royalities for the song.
Johnny Marks wrote the song Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer but NOT the story or the character. Robert L. May wrote the story and Marks wrote the story off of that. The song was released and only Berrys name was on it. Marks sued Chuck for infringing on his song by using the name Rudolph. Mind you Marks didn’t create the character or story he only wrote a song about it. Of course Marks had good lawyers and won the case and was awarded a ridiculous 100% of royalties and a change in song credits.
Run Rudolph Run
Out of all the reindeers you know you’re the mastermind Run, run Rudolph, Randalph ain’t too far behind Run, run Rudolph, Santa’s got to make it to town Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down Run, run Rudolph ’cause I’m reelin’ like a merry-go-round
Said Santa to a boy child what have you been longing for? All I want for Christmas is a rock and roll electric guitar And then away went Rudolph a whizzing like a shooting star Run, run Rudolph, Santa’s got to make it to town Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down Run, run Rudolph, reeling like a merry-go-round
Run, run Rudolph, Santa’s got to make it to town Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down Run, run Rudolph, reeling like a merry-go-round
Said Santa to a girl child what would please you most to get? A little baby doll that can cry, sleep, drink and wet And then away went Rudolph a whizzing like a Saber jet Run, run Rudolph, Santa’s got to make it to town Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down Run, run Rudolph ’cause I’m reelin’ like a merry-go-round
This is an artist I’ve never covered before, and among all the Christmas songs I have posted, I haven’t posted this one. It’s also one that I really like every year.
I’ve heard of Brenda all of my life. She was involved in Nashville before I was born. This song was released in 1958 and Brenda was only 13 years old! Her nickname was “Little Miss Dynamite” for her powerful voice and 4′ 9″ height. She has had an incredible 36 studio albums, 69 EP’s, and 63 Compilation albums. She had 14 top 20 Billboard hits and many country hits later on in her career. She had 3 number 1’s. I’m Sorry in 1960, I Want to be Wanted in 1960, and a record…63 years, five months, and three weeks later…her last #1 so far… in 2023 with Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree. I was so happy to hear that she reached number 1 again.
Brenda signed with Decca Records in 1956 at just 11 years old. Her early hits showed she could do country, pop, and rock genres. The song was recorded in Bradley Studios in Nashville. It was in Fall and not snowing but to get the mood right…Bradley had the studio freezing cold with the air conditioning, and he had a Christmas tree all set up to kind of get in the mood. Since 2011…the song has made it to the top 3 in the Holiday charts every year. This year it made it to #2. Lee was inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame (1997) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2002).
The song was written by Johnny Marks and he was quite good at writing Christmas songs. He wrote A Holly Jolly Christmas, Silver and Gold, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer just to name a few.
Brenda Lee: “I was only 13, and I had not had a lot of success in records, but for some reason he heard me and wanted me to do it. And I did.”
Johnny Marks: Well, I was laying on the beach and I went to sleep, I woke up and the pine trees were kind of swaying in the breeze. All of a sudden, I thought about Christmas, and I watched them begin and they were kind of rockin’ and I thought about rockin’. I just thought about a rockin’ Christmas, and then I changed it to where people might want to rock around the Christmas tree.’ And that’s kind of how it was born.”
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree At the Christmas party hop Mistletoe hung where you can see Every couple tries to stop Rockin’ around the Christmas tree Let the Christmas spirit ring Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie And we’ll do some caroling
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear Voices singing, let’s be jolly Deck the halls with boughs of holly Rockin’ around the Christmas tree Have a happy holiday Everyone dancin’ merrily In the new old-fashioned way
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear Voices singing, let’s be jolly Deck the halls with boughs of holly Rockin’ around the Christmas tree Have a happy holiday Everyone dancin’ merrily In the new old-fashioned way
Sometimes I forget that my blogs name is powerpop…well today I’m picking two excellent Power Pop songs.
I want to thank Christian for including this in his Chris & Max picks from 2022. I listened to this album when it was released and I loved it. Deke is the first person to get me into them. Between Deke, Dave, Randy, and CB… my Canadian music love has spread. They are a modern-day power pop band that started out as grunge. In my humble opinion, they made the right choice of switching.
They do put the power into their pop. Melodic but loud guitars along with catchy harmonies and a throwback band presence. Bands like Sloan, Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, and others just couldn’t get traction in America for some reason.
Sloan got its start in Halifax during the early ‘90s. The band played around the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design before moving to Toronto. They got their name from a pot-smoking musician they knew in Halifax. He worked in a restaurant as a busboy and used to be known as “the slow one.”
The band made their recording debut on the Halifax, Canada CD compilation “Hear & Now” with the song “Underwhelmed” before releasing their debut EP “Peppermint” in 1991 on their own label Murderecords. In 1992 Sloan signed with Geffen Records and released their full-length debut “Smeared”. The album had somewhat of a grunge style. They soon switched to power pop and they have some fantastic songs.
This song is on their album Steady released on October 21, 2022. This song was written by Jay Ferguson plays rhythm guitar but like his band mates…can play bass and drums as well.
Keep Your Name Alive
I cannot lie I should have thought it over There was a time I opened with a closer I flew away, away, away Kept my composure As she waved Did I become another castaway?
If I simply turned around Or counted one to five Do you have to leave your home To keep your name alive?
Well, I guess I had to find out for myself The house remained divided Locked the door Are mirrors all one-sided? But the day went after day And still no further Breaking waves Rendered me another castaway
If I simply turned around Or counted one to five Do you have to leave your home To keep your name alive? Whether you float far away Where it’s too deep to dive Failing further mention of Keep your name alive Keep your name alive
If I simply turned around Or counted one to five Is there need to travel far In order to arrive? Whether you float far away Where it’s too deep to dive (It’s too deep to dive) You don’t have to leave your home To keep your name alive
Keep your name alive Keep your name alive (keep your name alive) Keep your name alive
I want to thank Aphoristic Album Reviews for featuring this band in his Nuggets series. I loved the song he posted so I found a few more that I like from this band. I am guilty of having too much trivia in my head, but I never heard of this band, not in reading about obscure bands or their music. I like their music and the sound of their lead singer. I would have liked them no matter what just because of that name.
Mouse and the Traps is an American garage rock band from Tyler, Texas, active mainly during the 1960s. They gained a cult following for their gritty sound that represented garage rock well. The band is best known for their 1966 hit single, A Public Execution, which is really Dylanesque plus some Byrds thrown in.
They began their career releasing “A Public Execution” under the name of Mouse. That was the nickname of their lead singer Ronnie “Mouse” Weiss. Their second single in 1966 was called Maid of Sugar-Maid of Spice and they added “And the Traps.” They have had different members through the years but a constant from their original lineup is Ronnie Weiss, Dave Stanley, and Ken (Nardo) Murray.
Much like Phil from Notes From The Cactus Patch did in the 1960s…Mouse and the Traps toured around Texas, especially Dallas. They toured around the state feverishly, playing clubs, colleges, parties, and even proms. There were occasional touring dates out of Texas, but, for the most part, they remained a very popular regional band.
They have released a bunch of singles and a few collection albums that were released in 1982, 1995, 1997, and 2009. They finally released an album in 2020 called Walking In Dylan’s Shoes. In 1972 they were added to Lenny Kayes Nuggetscompilation album of different garage bands.
Graham from Aphoristic Album Reviews wrote: Mouse and the Traps surely hold the record for the longest gap between a debut single and a debut album. ‘A Public Execution’ was released in 1966 (although it was credited solely to their frontman). Their debut album, Walking in Dylan’s Shoes, was released in December 2020.
I’ve listened to their 2020 Dylan cover album Walking In Dylan’s Shoes and I have to admit…it’s really good!
The song I picked, You’re Gonna Miss Me, is off of their Lost Sessions Album released in 2009. I’m not sure which era it’s from although because of the quality…I would guess the 80s or 90s. They were together off and on in the 1960s – 2020. I’m also posting the song that Graham did with Maid of Sugar-Maid of Spice (1966) along with You’re Gonna Miss Me (?).
I’m also going to post Mouse and the Traps Lost Sessions album…give a listen to a few of them…they are awesome! Hit The Bricks and Bottom Line got my attention right away.
CB recommended this band and it’s fresh sounding and I like their choice of covers. When I heard Imelda May sing…that was all I needed. I heard Hound Dog first and it sounds very 40s but yet modern. They now have a different singer but she is also great…Sophie Shaw. This is different for me and I like it…it’s nice to switch up occasionally. When I heard Hallelujah! I Love Him So it got me into them much more. I know this song very well…it was one of the first songs Quarrymen recorded and that led me to Ray Charles who wrote and recorded the song.
Blue Harlem has been one of the top swing/jump-blues bands on the London scene for over 25 years. They have become regular favorites at venues such as the world-famous Ronnie Scott’s, The 100 Club, The Hippodrome, Hideaway, Jitterbugs, and more. They have been invited on three occasions to perform at Highgrove House charity balls for the Prince’s Trust.
They are a British band formed in 1996 by tenor saxophonist and arranger Al Nicholls. Known for blending jazz and rhythm and blues, they take inspiration from the swing and jump blues styles of the 1940s and 1950s.
.They have also enjoyed international recognition, performing at festivals across Europe and the Middle East. Blue Harlem played a huge role in launching the career of vocalist Imelda May, who gained fame and success after performing with them. Sophie Shaw now serves as their lead singer, bringing a new feel to the band’s sound.
Imelda May left the group in the early 2000s. After leaving, May quickly rose to fame in her own right with the release of her debut solo album No Turning Back in 2003, followed by her breakthrough album Love Tattoo in 2008.
Hallelujah! I Love Him So was on the album Talk To Me released in 2005 with May lead singing. I added Hound Dog by Blue Harlem as well…it was on their Me And My Radio album released in 2011.
I have three songs. The bottom two feature Imelda May singing Hound Dog and Hallelujah! I Love Him So. Below is Sophia Shaw singing Swing Brother, Swing. She is a very good singer as well but I like May a little more.
Hallelujah! I Love Him So
Let me tell you ′bout a boy I know He is my baby and he lives next door Every morning before the sun comes up He brings my coffee in my favorite cup That’s why I know, yes I know Hallelujah I just love him so
When I′m in trouble and I have no friends I know he’ll go with me until the end Ev’rybody asks me how I know I smile and tell them he told me so That′s why I know, yes, I know Hallelujah I just love him so
Now if I call him on the telephone And tell him that I′m all alone By the time I count from one to four, I hear him on my door In the evening when the sun goes down When there is nobody else around He kisses me and he holds me tight He tells me “baby everything’s all alright” That′s why I know, yes I know Hallelujah I just love her so
Usually, I only review older movies but this one is right up powerpop.blog’s alley! It’s a 2023 film set in the year 1977. They have the 1970s down…one of the best time-period movies I’ve seen as far as getting the era right. The audience in the movie could have been off a film clip of the Johnny Carson era Tonight Show. This movie marries nostalgia with horror quite nicely. It’s almost like The Exorcist meets Johnny Carson. It will make you uneasy and you have to pay attention because there are a few subplots you can miss if not. Some of it is based on the reception of the 1980 book Michelle Remembers by Canadian Lawrence Pazder. That book helped cause the “Satanic Panic” around that time on talk shows and the public.
It’s about a talk show host Jack Delroy who was a popular DJ in Chicago who got a chance to host a late-night talk show that was going against Johnny Carson. He signed a 5 year deal in 1972 and now in 1977 it’s running out. A year after the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted. It’s a “found footage” movie and the footage being a master tape that was never shown again. Desperate to turn it around, Jack plans a Halloween special like no other, unaware he is about to unleash evil on late-night television.
On Halloween night 1977, Jack is set to host a special live episode featuring an array of guests, including a renowned paranormal expert with a single name, Christou. However, what starts as exploring the supernatural quickly devolves into chaos when a series of unexplained events unfold.
You get to know Jack’s past and about his wife that just passed away from lung cancer. Jack was part of a secret club called The Grove (a reference to the Bohemian Club) that many celebrities and elites joined. That info plays a big part of this movie. Did Jack essentially sacrifice his wife to be popular? It asks the question…what are you prepared to give up for success?
It all starts with Christou picks an audience member and accurately tells her about her son who killed himself. After that, a skeptical but nasty guest named Carmichael the Conjurer starts to say how all supernatural and unusual events are not real. He offered Christou $100,000 to prove he was not a con man. He books an interview with a parapsychologist and the subject of her recent book, a young teenager who was the sole survivor of a Satanic church’s mass suicide. Naturally, all hell breaks loose when paranormal activity begins wreaking havoc during the show.
The plot blurs the lines between reality and the supernatural, with the audience left questioning what’s real as Jack faces his worst fears live on air. The tension mounts as the show’s studio audience becomes unsettled, mirroring Jack’s descent into madness. The film’s use of practical effects and atmospheric cinematography sells what is happening.
Horror movies… the one thing that bothers me about most of them are the endings. This one has an ending with a twist. My only complaint…being the 1970s lover I am…I wish they would have used the same kind of film look the Tonight Show had but the set was great. At the end of the movie you will also hear a song by Flo and Eddie called Keep It Warm.
David Dastmalchian did a great job as Jack Delroy.
Nope…Mo Mountain Mutts is not a new rock/punk band…but I love the name. It’s basically a doggie daycare that sends a bus out on a cold Alaska morning to pick up all the passengers…and yes they are dogs of all shapes. They are located in Skagway, Alaska.
A video went viral of them a couple of years ago and I watch them when I can. The humans are Mo and Lee Thompson, natives of Michigan who moved to Alaska in 2014. It started with Mo being good with dogs and walking them…soon she and her husband started this.
They go by on a bus and pick up their customer’s dogs. The dogs know what to do and get on in their seats and get strapped in. Mo and Lee Thompson take them for walks and to play in the Alaska wilderness.
This is the video that went viral.
On their facebook page it says: Skagway’s dog walker, pet sitter & family dog trainer. I specialize in trail dog pack walks & puppies
Mo Thompson:“I started working with some teachers at the school. And it just kind of was a ripple effect of ‘Hey, I heard you’re really good with dogs. Can you help me? Hey, I heard you’re really good with dogs. Can you help me?’ And then I needed a second pack walk because I started grouping dogs together by their personalities. So we had our morning crew and our afternoon crew. Then it just grew to the point where I needed some help from Lee (her husband)”
I want to thank all of you readers…I went over the million mark in views this past Saturday. I appreciate you all coming here since 2017.
My friend Greg lives near me and he came in and asked me to look this band up. They are new to me and they are called The Red Clay Strays. They seem to be a mix of rockabilly, blues, rock, soul, Americana, and a tad bit of country. The band is from Mobile, Alabama.
They were formed in 2015 and included lead vocalist Brandon Coleman, guitarist Drew Nix, bassist Andrew Bishop, drummer John Hall, and keyboardist/vocalist Logan Dozier. They met through various musical connections in Mobile and decided to form the band.
The band’s reputation grew steadily through touring. They gained a dedicated following in the Southeastern United States, playing at various festivals, clubs, and music venues. They do nicely building in dynamics in their music to make it memorable.
They released their first album in 2022 called Moment of Truth. That album peaked at #11 on the Americana/Folk Album Charts, #29 on the Billboard Country Charts, and #4 on the UK Country Charts. Their new album is called Made By These Moments and will be released on July 26th.
Right now their popularity is spreading outside of the southeast. The bottom clip is them in Denver at the famous Red Rocks playing this song. The studio version is not out yet so I’ll include another one of their songs so you can get a feel of them below this.
No One Else Like Me
How many mistakes must I make before I start to see How much love will it make to make me not wanna leave How many tears must I cry before my tears run dry
Will I ever be free Will I ever be free Lord I wanna Be Free
Well I’m a broken ridder, I’m a restless fighter and I’m looking for a little hope I’m a shadowed thinker, I’m a one eyed blinker at the end of this rope I’m a dead man walking, a preacher talking, about love and how to be free I’m a dyin ghost with a heart like most but lord, ain’t no one else like me
Lookin back at the promises that I could never keep I wonder if there was any truth at all in me Sometimes I wanna run away and go start over in another place But I’ll never be free, Lord I’ll never be free
Well I’m a broken ridder, I’m a restless fighter and I’m looking for a little hope I’m a shadowed thinker, I’m a one eyed blinker at the end of this rope I’m a dead man walking, a preacher talking, about love and how to be free I’m a dyin ghost with a heart like most but lord, ain’t no one else like me
Well I’m a broken ridder, I’m a restless fighter and I’m looking for a little hope I’m a shadowed thinker, I’m a one eyed blinker at the end of this rope I’m a dead man walking, a preacher talking, about love and how to be free I’m a dyin ghost with a heart like most but lord, ain’t no one else like me
They’ve undid the aerial Tore down the merry-go-round This world’s all wrong So let’s go where we belong Pack up the stereo, meet at the burial ground
***I’m slipping this in today because my business trip was moved up a day so I won’t be posting until next Friday or Saturday. Have a great week next week!***
Jangle…CHECK… Harmonizing…CHECK…Overall power pop sound…CHECK. I love the sound of this band. Put them in 1965 and they would fit…place them on the alternative scene of the 1980s…and they would fit like a glove.
I usually don’t get super excited at newer music but this band I’ve liked everything I’ve heard. I always check out eclecticmusiclover (Jeff…it’s where I found this), christiansmusicmusings (Christian), and albumreviews (Graham) sites for newer music. They do the work so I don’t have to… by tracking these bands/artists down and I appreciate it.
This is some wonderful power pop. It has a nice Byrds/Jayhawks/Big Star sound. I could listen to this music all day and night. The Decemberists formed in 2000. They have released a total of 9 different albums since 2002. They are classified as an indie band but have had a number 1 Billboard album on the charts with The King Is Dead in 2011.
I’ve started to listen to their back catalog and along with power pop they blend in a lot of Americana with that. This American band was formed by Colin Meloy after he moved to Portland from Montana. He initially joined forces with Nate Query (bass), Jenny Conlee (keyboards, accordion), Ezra Holbrook (drums), and Chris Funk (guitar). The lineup has changed through the years, but Colin Meloy remains the main singer/songwriter with them.
Burial Ground is on their new album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again released on June 14, 2024. The song has already charted on the Billboard Alternative Chart at #2. This song features James Mercer…a singer/songwriter for The Shins on backup vocals.
Check this band out…if you like power pop/Americana you should like this.
Colin Meloy:“‘Burial Ground’ is in that time-honored pop song tradition, a paean to hanging out in graveyard. The melody hook came to me in a dream and I hummed it into my phone on waking. Most dream-songs are bad; this was the exception.”
Burial Ground
Oh, Len, come down And meet at the burial ground They’ve undid the aerial Tore down the merry-go-round This world’s all wrong So let’s go where we belong Pack up the stereo, meet at the burial ground
Here among the fallen leaves Are we alone, the ones that dare to breathe? Throw your worries down, they’re oh so gravely held You have carried them so well
Ooh, woah Ooh, woah
Oh, Len, come down And meet at the burial ground They’ve undid the aerial Tore down the merry-go-round This world’s all wrong So let’s go where we belong Pack up the stereo, meet at the burial ground
You laid down below a stone Saying, “Wherever they have gone, I long to go Somewhere out beyond these maladies in my head.” At least, I think that’s what you said
Oh-whoa, oh-whoa
Oh, Len (oh, Len) come down (come down) And meet at the burial ground (meet at the burial ground) They’ve undid the aerial Tore down the merry-go-round This world’s (this world’s) all wrong (all wrong) So let’s go where we belong (let’s go where we belong) Pack up the stereo, meet at the burial ground
Oh, Len (oh, Len) come down (come down) And meet at the burial ground (meet at the burial ground) They’ve undid the aerial Tore down the merry-go-round (merry-go-round) (Tore down the merry-go-round) This world’s (this world’s) all wrong (all wrong) So let’s go where we belong (let’s go where we belong) Pack up the stereo, meet at the burial ground
It’s a contract malarial, meet at the burial ground
I was reading the Master Mix Movie blog and this movie was featured. I have to say it’s very different from the modern Godzilla movies we have had.
I’m a huge Godzilla fan and as far as movies go…but it’s not a monster movie…it’s a movie with a monster in it. The plot is well done and Godzilla never looked better. Toho Studios in Japan made this movie and it even won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Godzilla is back to being Godzilla. He is not the American anti-hero in this film. He is back to being a massive monster of rage. For one of the few times, I cared about the characters in a Godzilla movie. The original movie came out in 1954. Less than a decade after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a new genre of movies was created. The first movie was a response to the fear of nuclear attack and the trauma suffered by those who were directly affected by the bombs.
I watched this movie with English subtitles and the people in the movie were more than cardboard cutouts. There have been some very good Godzilla movies like the 2014 Godzilla and the 1954 original version was great. This movie I would recommend like I would a normal movie. Godzilla looked so real, not cartoonish like the Hollywood version lately.
I talked to fellow blogger Mitch Teemley about it and he was right about something…a little overacting in this one but that is normal for many Japanese movies.
Something different that the Japanese did that Hollywood forgets…they used CGI as a tool, not as the complete movie. It’s not a buddy movie like the latest Godzilla and King Kong movie of the Monsterverse but a real movie with Godzilla in it. The story would have been great for a movie without the big guy appearing.
If you get a chance…watch this movie. It has a color and black and white version…personally, I think the black-and-white version captures it best.
Feeling as if he unfairly cheated death too many times, Shikishima, a surviving Kamikaze pilot, is attacked on Odo Island along with many war plane engineers by a gargantuan monster. After the engineers die because of Shikishima failing to distract the monster, an overwhelming amount of guilt weighs on him, especially after a homeless woman and a baby move into his home when he returns. Shikishima, now on a personal mission, teams up with a large group of veterans to try to finally take down the monster known as Godzilla.
Usually, I plan these breaks out but this one was planned for me.
Our company has purchased two businesses and IT (that’s my department) will be involved heavily this month. This will interfere with my weekday posting. On the weekends…I should be fine. I will be traveling through some weeks also…so starting Monday…I will only be posting on weekends until July. I have enough posts to post for 3 weeks but if I cannot comment back…why bother? So…this weekend I WILL post though and every weekend until July.
This time I really didn’t want a break but I’m not sure how much time I’d be able to use checking the blog. Thank you all again for checking my blog out I will see you on weekends and should be back full-time in July.
Thank you all again for reading this every day! See you tomorrow. I have to include a song…so this one works for me.
Back in 1972, The Lemon Twigs opened up for Badfinger and Big Star. I’ve read that it was considered one of the best power pop concerts ever.
Well…I’m sorry readers…I just lied…The Lemon Twigs were not even born at that time…but if they jumped in a time machine…they could easily walk right in and open for those bands. They sound and look 1970s power popish to the core.
I just picked an “older” (from 2023!) song by random because I haven’t heard anything from them that I don’t like. They were formed by brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario. They grew up in Long Island, New York, and were exposed to music from an early age through their family, who are also musicians.
They had great influences. The brothers were influenced by their father’s record collection, which included classic rock artists like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Kinks. They began playing music together as children, experimenting with various instruments and songwriting.
Michael got into acting when he was 4 years old. Here is his IMDB profile. Michael was born in 1998 and Brian was born in 1997. They started to play music when they were 6 and 8 years old. They released their first album (a cassette tape) when in 2015. Their debut album came out in 2016 called Do Hollywood. The album got positive reviews from critics. Together they have 6 albums out. The last one just came out called A Dream Is All We Know.
This song was on the Everything Harmony album released in 2023. The song is credited to The Lemon Twigs. That is the smartest thing to do for the band. REM did that and unlike many other bands…getting writing credits is not a problem. I first heard about them a while back. A commenter commented on a power pop track I had and mentioned The Lemon Twigs. Jeff and Christian have brought them up recently also.
In My Head
In my head, in my head I am different in my head I am someone else instead In my head, in my head
In my mind, in my mind There is sadness all the time And I keep the things I find In my mind, in my mind
And never do I share these things with anyone The feeling is cold and I’m afraid Strangers passing, mm
In my dream, in my dream There are symbols that repeat (symbols that repeat) There are copies in the street (again and again) In my dream, in my dream (again and again) (Again and again)
And never do I share these things with anyone The feeling is cold and I’m afraid Strangers passing, mm
And I am done, even gone Feeling nothing, feeling numb Feeling nice, made of neon shining ice Strangers passing, mm
Ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh (ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh) La-la-la, la la la La-la-la, la la la la La-la-la, la la la la La-la-la, la la la
La-la-la, la la la La-la-la, la la la la La-la-la, la la la la La-la-la, la la la
Hope you don’t mind if I post something about animals and not pop culture on this post anyway. Sometimes it’s nice to have something different. Martha is my dog, the squirrel…I never caught his or her name, and Theo is a Prairie Dog.
I always liked squirrels since my dad told me he had one as a pet. He had found an injured one and nursed it back to health. He said he let it go when it was well but it kept coming back and would jump on his shoulders. He had it for years…it lived outside in the wild but loved my dad.
Well with that in mind…I was at home and I let Martha out on our screened-in back porch. It’s something between dogs and squirrels that doesn’t mix…oil and water or whatever you want to use. I looked around and Martha was going beserk…barking and looking up high on the screen. She was jumping up on it and I was afraid she would rip it so I stopped her…she then walked around and came back and done it again. A poor squirrel was frozen high on the screen.
I took Martha back in for around 30 minutes. We went back out and that squirrel was still in the same place frozen and looking at me. Of course, the thing was scared to death so I had an idea. I took a flimsy plastic stool and turned it upside down and lifted it up to the squirrel. I’ve never had a wild animal look into my eyes like it was deciding whether to trust me or not but…it did. It walked on the stool and looked down at me like…don’t give me to that giant ass dog, please! Our porch is not high so I gently tipped it a little while holding Martha back …and the squirrel took off.
Around an hour later Martha and I went out again….we went underneath our back porch to check on something…yep…that squirrel never left! He or she jumped up and Martha was on the chase…again I held Martha back and looked at the squirrel and him at me again…with a loud “GO GO GO” (me saying that not the squirrel…I think) it took off and hopefully will not come back…at least if Martha is outside. With me, it can come back if it wants to…but don’t chew the wires in our cars like one of its relatives did a few years ago. Of all times I didn’t have my phone with me.
Martha has a piece of pizza in her mouth in the car.
I’ve told people before that I want a prairie dog one day…a lady who works at my work has one and she brings it every Tuesday and Thursday just for me. I keep it in my office and take it out every now and then…call it practice…although I’m not sure Martha + Prairie Dog will mix. Theo doesn’t stay still long enough for me to get a good picture.
Theo is only around 10 weeks old. The last prairie dog this lady had bit me and they bite hard! This one doesn’t bite at all…it’s very sociable. The other one was not socialized.
My son Bailey asked me if I wanted to go to an Art Gallery with him today to meet May Pang. Last year I saw a May Pang book at a yard sale and gave it to him. He enjoyed the book and then got her new book of photographs she took of John Lennon, Keith Moon, George Harrison, Elton John, Bowie, Ringo, Paul McCartney (John and Paul last one together), Harry Nilsson, and more that she met when John and she were together in 1973-1975.
John left Yoko in 1973 to start his 18-month “lost weekend” with May Pang. She had access to a new world. Pang has a documentary out right now on their relationship. It’s called “The Lost Weekend…A Love Story.” Lennon talked to May Pang up until he was murdered. From what others have said…John thought about staying with Pang.
Bailey had some questions for her so he talked to her and got a picture taken…she was extremely nice to us. We couldn’t take any pictures of the photos on display.
Anyway, it was pretty cool to be there. The only person I met who was connected with the Beatles was an actual ex-Beatle…Pete Best.
Here are a few of the pictures that were on display. They also had some with the rest of the Beatles, Nilsson, and a few others. Also…John’s hand-signing the document that dissolved The Beatles in 1974 at Disney World.
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 