The Backbeat

The Backbeat is Back

2010-09-28T23:54:00.001-07:00

And has changed locales. Tell yo friends:

The Backbeat

The Licence

2009-06-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

As much as right-wingers say they want to keep government out of our lives I have no clue as to why gay marriage isn't legal. Even if you don't agree, just mind your own business. This video sums things up nicely.

Torture Memo Set to Music

2009-04-23T01:07:00.000-07:00

Minnesota

2009-04-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

Back on the road, back on tour. I left 100 degree weather in L.A. only to arrive in 40 degree weather here in Minneapolis. Yikes! We have three days in the Twin Cities, should be a pretty good time. Its always nice when you can hang in one place for a minute. Friday off to Buffalo, then Newark, then home Sunday.

Opening Day

2009-04-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

(I lied about another music post, I wanted to post about the shocking events of yesterday first)

Well it was a fine opening day for our boys in blue was it not? O-Dog hit for the cycle, Ethier crushed two balls after being moved around in the lineup, and the old nemesis Randy Johnson was shown to be the washed-up hack that he is. An 11-1 drubbing of the Giants? What more could you ask for? My father-in-law Dave was visiting the wife and I from Indiana. He works at a small radio station in Martinsville, IN broadcasting high school boys basketball games. Whenever he comes to visit he finagles tickets and a press credential to baseball games, Angels, Dodgers, whatever. This year we went to opening day at Petco and the Dodgers home opener yesterday. There were more people at Dodgers Stadium than I had ever seen, the fans around us were great, there was a party atmosphere as the boys kept piling on the runs, and everyone was having a good time.

After the game Dave went down to the locker room for interviews and I wandered around the stadium and gift shop. We didn't get in the car until around 5:30 or so. As we were waiting to leave at Gate 6 (Elysian Park and Sunset) I see Casey Blake and his kids pull up in the car to our right. I roll down the window and give Casey an "Atta Boy!!!" but he's not looking my way, instead he's looking at the truck to his right. I peer over to see what the commotion was and a guy had jumped out of the truck and was talking shit to another guy. I really hate to stereotype but both guys looked like Latino gangsters; wife beater, bald, goatee, baggy jeans, tats, etc. Pretty soon they start trading blows and I tell Dave "those guys are fighting!" So we both are watching the fight and within seconds I see one of the guys get stabbed and fall to the ground with blood gushing from his right side. The other guy jumps back in the truck and speeds off. Dave jumps out of the car and tries to get a look at the license plate but can't see it. He tells a rent-a-cop security person to notify the police because there's been a stabbing while I'm still waiting to exit. It doesn't take long for a crowd to gather and bike police to come on the scene. Before we hit the highway there's a ghetto bird in the air and by the time we get home its on the news.

This article from MLB.com claims the man suffered a non-life-threatening stab to the arm, but man, that wasn't the case. I'm afraid this article from the LA Times is much closer to the truth and lists the victim in serious condition.

I've never seen someone get stabbed before. It was a pretty dark way to end a great day. For some reason I'm really concerned that this guy pulls through even though I have no clue what the altercation was about or who he is. I guess when you get 55,000 people together some bad shit is bound to happen.

Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong

2009-04-13T20:19:00.001-07:00

We're taking a break from the music posting. A friend of mine posted this on FB and I found it totally hilarious and totally true. (Its quite sarcastic if you don't catch on quickly)

1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

I will still never understand why a lot of the same people who say we need a smaller government and our government shouldn't tell us what to do are the same folks who say our government should tell us who we can and can't marry. Things are finally changing in this regard for the better (see Iowa, Vermont).

More music soon!!!

Eu so sei que amei

2009-04-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not have noticed, The Backbeat has been horribly neglected of late. Do you remember last year when I said I wanted to work my way back in to the jazz scene here in L.A. playing more creative music? Well mission accomplished. For the past two months my schedule has been packed with a variety of gigs, rehearsals, and recording sessions. I've started playing in fantastic drummer Gerry Gibbs' Thrasher Sextet as well as my buddy Cory's indie rock band Chlorform Days (boy oh boy does anyone keep up with their MySpace anymore?) and all sorts of music in between. There are a couple of great recording projects coming down the pipe that I'm excited about. After a dreadfully slow January this has been a fantastic year for music.

But my daily schedule is crazy, get home late from the gig, Milo wakes me up at 6 like clockwork, back to bed for an hour or so (maybe) before going to a rehearsal or session, an hour or so to relax with the fam then off to the gig. I have a few minutes here and there to satiate my Facebook addiction and that's about all of the computer recreation time I have. As a result, The Backbeat suffers.

But no more! The Backbeat is taking a new direction! It will be primarily focused on my music from now on. I'll stream a wide variety of stuff I've recorded as well as doing record reviews. I'm sure I won't be able to help the occassional political rant but it will be mostly music, starting this week. I have an awesome gig tomorrow night as a bandleader! The gig fell in to my lap last week, I'm with my long-neglected Bossa Nova group at L.A. club Spazio. I'm really looking forward to it and hope it will be the first of many for the band. Here's a track from our demo we recorded a couple of years ago, a cover of "Flor de Lis" by the popular Brazillian artist Djavan. Let me know what you think.

The Untimely Stomach Bug

2009-03-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

Remember that stomach virus that nearly thwarted and severely damped our New Year's plans? Well, Lyman was infected with yet another stomach bug over the weekend and not to be outdone this one threatened to ruin Milo's second birthday party which we had been planning for weeks.

Last week was crazy, I think every day I had a double: rehearsal-gig, lesson-gig, session-gig, etc. By Friday I knew something wasn't right but I soldiered through my recording session and gig (which btw was playing music for an African-American History Month party at a retirement home ... more fun than it sounds) and that night I was a wreck; bad fever, chills, and the usual ailments that accompany trips to the bathroom trying to expel an intestinal virus (I'll let your imagination fill in the blanks). Saturday I was even worse leaving my poor wife to plan for the party, shop for the food, ice the cake (beautifully I might add), and get her hair did all by herself. So three cheers for Carrie! When they left for the party I was too exhausted to go with them. Luckily I was able to muster enough energy to shower and get to there to catch the second half. I'm glad I made it because the party was a lot of fun and Milo had a great time. By the time I got home I was really worn out. To top it off I had to drive to Palm Springs (2.5 hrs.) Sunday for a gig with Tyrell! Luckily they got a hotel room for me so I didn't have to drive back that night and I was able to crash right after the performance.

From Friday night to Monday night I didn't eat one meal, only dry toast and rice (neither of which sat well). I've been feeling better today so I tried some chicken soup for dinner, hopefully things will be cool.

If you're keeping track in the span of a year-and-a-half that's food poisening from bad clams in Manhattan, two debilitating Holiday stomach viruses in Indiana, and my most recent escapade. My digestive system can't catch a break.

"This country needs and values the talents of every American."

2009-02-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

*sigh*

And here I thought an intelligent, well-spoken president was only a pipe-dream.

Fine job Mr. President, fine job indeed!

24 hrs. in the Emerald City

2009-02-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

My trip to Seattle was short and sweet. This is the third year of a Cancer benefit these folks in Seattle started with Steve in his wife's honor. It's a nice event. Afterward me and the boys knocked a few back and crashed. Up and at 'em in the morning and here I am, back in L.A. I really love Seattle every time I go and look forward to going back in July when we'll be there for almost a week.

Tomorrow its off to Palm Springs.

Busy!

2009-02-17T23:58:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks have been pretty busy for me. Not only did I have a few jazz gigs around town but I also played two long weekend stands at Catalina Jazz Club with Mistah Tyrell. The crowds at Catalina were really great and it was good to get back in the swing of things with the band. The next couple of weeks look to keep music train chugging along; I'm in the middle of rehearsals/sessions for a couple of different recording projects. One is with fantastic composer/arranger/trombonist Curt Berg's quintet. Curt's a great writer and there are some really good cats in his band, I'm looking forward to the record. The other is a bit of a departure for me, an electric fusion R&B-type band called Alloy (think The Yellowjackets meet Harry Connick Jr.) The music is challenging but a lot of fun and its all electric bass. On top of that my favorite local drummer of late, Gerry Gibbs, is having a big CD Release show next week for his sextet The Thrasher Band and I'm on that gig as well. Talk about challenging, might be some of the most difficult music I've attempted, I'm really going to have to buckle down and prepare before the show next Wednesday. I'm looking forward to it though.

And to top it off I leave for Seattle on Thurs. for show with Tyrell. We fly home on Fri. only to drive to Palm Springs on Sat. for another show. Then I have to wake up early Sun. and drive back to L.A. for a rehearsal.

Remember when work was so slow for me a month ago? Feast or famine baby, feast or famine ...

NMR, Forgot One ...

2009-02-17T23:56:00.001-08:00

I picked up this live Cedar Walton disc because it was recommended to me for its recording of Walton's classic tune "Bolivia." The disc is fantastic, a lot of energy particularly from saxist Bob Berg who is in prime form. Unsung bassist Sam Jones sounds great and always plays the perfect note. Good document of 70s straight-ahead jazz.

New Music Review

2009-02-17T08:33:00.000-08:00

Alrighty folks, time for me to delve in to all of the new music I've purchased since our last New Music Review. Let's jump right in!

The 80s resurgence in Indie rock is still in full swing. I read a review of this record at Pitchfork that was positively gushing. It intrigued me enough to check out POBPAH's Myspace and in turn pick up the record. There are some really good songs on here. But make no mistake, they sound exactly like The Smiths. That's not a bad thing, but its hardly revolutionary.

Bernstein is one of my top 3 favorite jazz guitar players, he's creative, melodic, and really swings. But this tribute to Monk is a little disappointing not because of his playing, which is great, but because of the rhythm section who sound at times like they are going through the motions. Still worth checking out though.

If you didn't know Amazon has a daily MP3 deal where entire albums are on sale cheap, usually $1.99! Good stuff too, not bottom-of-the-bin stinkers. I've seen stuff like No Doubt's Greatest Hits, even Lily Allen's new record. (Today is Morrissey's new record for only $3.99!) And don't forget, Amazon is DRM-free. Anyway, while I check the daily deals, well, daily, there is hardly anything I'm interested save for this superb record by Erikah Badu. While I've always dug her voice, I've never picked up any of her albums and I'm sorry for that now. This record grooves right off the bat (the Funkadelic-laced first track "Penitentiary Philosophy") and doesn't let up. A great find.

I've been making an effort to listen to a broader range of "jazz" music the past couple of years, not just the acoustic swing-driven stuff I've immersed myself in for years. When I read a glowing review of Jeff Beck's new record in Downbeat I had to pick it up. It features a new bassist on the scene who is hot in every way, the lovely and talented Tal Wilkenfeld. Girl is bad. So is this live record.

The Bad Plus is one of the greatest groups in jazz at the moment, I really look up to them. I've always found their original compositions much stronger than the covers they do of rock songs ("Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Heat of Glass") so I was a bit curious when I saw their latest release is nothing but covers and features a vocalist. Its fun and I like listening to it, but its not nearly as moving as their other records.

2009-02-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

Valentine a friend sent me:

Good News!

2009-02-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

From Greenleaf:

Just moments ago, the U.S. House of Representatives approved their final version of the Economic Recovery bill by a vote of 246-183. We can now confirm that the package DOES include $50 million in direct support for arts jobs through National Endowment for the Arts grants. We are also happy to report that the exclusionary Coburn Amendment language banning certain arts groups from receiving any other economic recovery funds has also been successfully removed. Tonight the Senate is scheduled to have their final vote, and President Obama plans to sign the bill on Monday - President's Day.

More than 85,000 letters were sent to Congress, thousands of calls were made, and hundreds of op-eds, letters to the editor, news stories, and blog entries were generated in print and online media about the role of the arts in the economy. Artists, business leaders, mayors, governors, and a full range of national, state, and local arts groups all united together on this advocacy issue. This outcome marks a stunning turnaround of events and exemplifies the power of grassroots arts advocacy.

While the stimulus package was moving around the legislature all of the arts funding was in danger of getting cut. Lucky for all of us, that didn't happen.

"As Slow As Possible"

2009-02-10T08:21:00.002-08:00

American avant-garde composer John Cage is perhaps most famous for his notorious work 4'33". Written for any instrument, the score instructs the performer not to play and instead sit in silence for three movements and the duration of the piece. The idea being that whatever ambient noise occurs in the audience or performance space actually makes up the music. While a conceptual masterpiece and probably Cage's most important work, it is not his most ambitious.

Cage's piece Organ2/ASLSP (the second part of the title meaning "As Slow As Possible") lasts a staggering 639 years. You heard me correctly, 639 years! And astonishingly the piece is currently being performed in Halberstat, Germany. Supposedly, thousands of folks show up for the note changes that occur every month or so. From the Greenleaf Music Blog:

When checking out the score consider this: the smallest unit is one month. Each determined tone change takes place on the 5th day of the relevant month. ***Recommendation: quarter-note staccato: length 2 months, quarter-note without staccato: length 4 months.***

Is that fascinating or what? Kudos to anyone with the artistic commitment to put on this performance. I would love to see one of the note changes some day.

The China Question

2009-02-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was offered a gig in China with a friend of mine who sings and plays piano. The gig is in a Four Seasons near Hong Kong, the pay is decent with the perk being that all meals, internet, dry cleaning, etc. are covered. It would be six nights a week, three hours a night playing at the hotel bar. The gig itself would be pretty sweet. But there's a catch, it is for four months from May through August.

I agonized over the decision. It would be really great for us to bank all of that money (times are lean for everyone these days and musicians are no exception, why not make some dough in another country?) and the music would be a lot of fun. Of course the major drawback would have been missing my family but Carrie and Milo could go to Indiana for nice long visit and we could Skype, I would also be missing some Tyrell gigs but getting them covered shouldn't be a problem. I didn't know what to do. I kept thinking "I will have serious regrets whichever decision I make." I'm very lucky to be able to play music full-time but decisions like this are what make the career difficult. I decided that I was approaching it with the wrong mindset and instead told myself "whichever decision I make will be the right one." I decided to take the gig.

Then things changed. The gig was moved up and no longer started in May but started in mid-March. This would mean that Carrie and Milo could not go back to Indy as she would be working the entire time and I would be missing even more work with Tyrell. It was a sign. I told my friend I could not do the gig. She really wanted me to do it and tried to work around my schedule asking the agency putting the whole thing together if I could do part of the gig, only two of the months, but it didn't work out.

This decision made last week quite a roller-coaster but it all worked out for the best in the end. There will be another opportunity like this in the future that will work better for us. Until then, I'll just keep doing the L.A. hustle.

How Cool Is This?

2009-02-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

My friend/artist/fellow comic book aficionado/music enthusiast Jim MacQuarrie works for audio manufacturer M-Audio. He messaged me on Facebook today to let me know that he drew the art for their latest comic-book style production guide. Can you tell who he used as a model for this particular illustration?

(btw, he told me that's the girl from Once playing keys)

What a Trooper

2009-02-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

Work was deathly slow during December and January, but as soon as February hit my book was slammed. Rehearsal last night, recording session this morning, private party tonight, the next four nights at a jazz club in town with Mistah Tyrell, a gig Sunday morning, another recording session Monday ... etc.

So let me tell you, this is a bad time to have an injured finger.

Whilst making salsa for a Superbowl party at a friends' house I sliced my finger open on one of my newly-sharpened kitchen knives. What you see is said injury that I fixed up with Super Glue for this morning's session. I may be injured, but I shall groove through the pain!

Shreds

2009-02-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

A bunch of YouTube videos went viral a while back of guitar legends whose solo performances were overdubbed with amateurish noise and riffing, but all of the noise fits with what their hands are doing. The audiences are overdubbed as well. Its hard to explain but funny as hell. Here is the Eddie Van Halen Shreds classic YouTube video:

Well there is a new one out of KISS that is achingly funny. Watch and laugh, hope you bust a gut as I did.

Finally, something to disagree passionately with Obama about

2009-02-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

GO CARDINALS!!!

New Music Review

2009-01-28T21:10:00.000-08:00

As a musician I figure I have something to learn from just about everything I listen to. My music intake is enormous and I really feel a need (obligation?) to process all of it. I'm going to start posting thoughts of all of the new stuff I get to give myself a new slant on that processing. So let's jump right in!

Kanye West
808's and Heartbreak
Kanye West is one of those brilliant artists who manage to bring innovation to pop music and is lauded by critics and audiences alike. I dig his stuff, I'm not a huge fan but I do have "Late Registration" and I really like it but I don't seek out everything he does. When "808's ..." was released a lot of critics wrote it off since Kanye sings for almost the entire album and runs his voice through a Vocoder (a Vocoder is an effect that makes your voice sound like its run through a synthesizer, its a very trendy sound these days). That actually intrigued me but not enough to pick up the record. Then while in Hawaii my sister's boyfriend told me he recorded it on Oahu (thus the name as 808 is Hawaii's area code) and I figured I would check it out to see if I could find any island influence. I don't hear any direct influence but I do dig it. I like when you can hear artists experimenting with stuff, it really brings you in to the creative process. He might overdue the Vocoder a bit but there is actual songwriting here and the production is pretty creative. It's moody and atmospheric at times while still dropping some serious beats.

Bon Iver
Blood Bank
And speaking of Vocoder! Bon Iver's release last year "For Emma, Forever Ago" is still in heavy rotation on my iTunes so when I heard a new EP was out I had to snatch it up. The acoustic, melancholy mood of "For Emma ..." is still there but you can tell the EP is made up of tracks that didn't quite fit the concept of the other record. Good songs though. The final track is A Capella yet run through a Vocoder which is a blatant experimental departure from anything else recorded but one I like as well.

The Reason Facebook Was Created ...

2009-01-26T17:33:00.001-08:00

... was to find photos like this.

Home Again

2009-01-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

After eight fantastic days in Hawaii I'm finally back in my home, sweet home. The past month has been an wonderful onslaught of family; two weeks in Indy, over a week in Hawaii, and I've loved every minute of it.

Milo and I flew home by ourselves on Friday as Carrie had to come back early for work. I was really anxious about taking a five hour flight with just the two of us. Milo has plenty of travel miles under his belt but most of them came when he was younger and more docile. These days he is a roaring toddler on his way to the 'terrible two's' and while the past couple of flights we took with him have been decent, they also were a bit contentious. Luckily we had an empty seat next two us and a really nice man in the window seat so we made it through those five hours intact. He didn't sleep a wink and had a diaper blowout peeing all over his pants and shirt, luckily I had a backup onesie packed.

(At this point I'd like to interject how terrible United is for flying with a family. They don't allow pre-boarding for small children so you have to wait and wait in the aisle. I was in the final boarding group so there was no overhead space next time my seat, my bag was rows away making negotiating the bag and the baby really tough. Also, the bathrooms had no changing tables! I had to change him on top of the toilet seat. It was rough. So stay away from United if you have small kids.)

I was so anxious for the flight I didn't really get sad about leaving Kona until we were up in there looking at the gorgeous island. I miss it already. Paradise indeed.

So I'm back to the grind rustling up work, practicing, and rehearsing. The next few weeks are pretty busy with Mistah Tyrell and I have some other projects I'm looking forward to.

And how about Obama?! Those thinking he would change nothing must be surprised by his direct overturning of several Executive Orders from the Bush administration. I'm glad Gitmo is closing, the latest is tougher EPA guidelines for emission rules here in California and elsewhere. Finally headed in the right direction!

2009-01-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

"Hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."

Cynics and skeptics your numbers are dwindling. The time of hope and virtue has arrived.

Aloha!

2009-01-15T08:05:00.001-08:00

We are headed to sunny skies and warm beaches.

Don't freeze!

Idol

2009-01-13T22:12:00.001-08:00

Well the new season of American Idol debuted tonight. I'd like to say my wife forced me to watch it this evening but that would be a lie. She in fact was at her monthly book club meeting and I was alone on the couch watching (but I did wait until after the Lakers game lest you think me totally void of machismo!).

I'm pretty sure I've brought this up in the past but why in the world is it that folks who are totally terrible at singing think they are good singers? It baffles me. After much thinking on the subject I've realized that I am asking the wrong question. The real question is "why won't anyone tell their loved ones they are bad singers?" If it were a guitar competition would it be different? Is it easier to tell a loved one they are a poor guitarist than a poor singer? I wonder. The human voice is such an intimate and powerful instrument that people are willing to embarrass themselves rather than admitting they stink. That probably sounds arrogant coming from a musician but I just calls em' like I sees em'.

You know what is similar? Poker. A few years ago when poker was the hottest thing around everybody you met who knew a flush from a straight would tell you how great of a poker player they were. But with poker it makes sense why nobody would tell you if you were any good or not, doesn't it? ...

Things have been pretty quiet around here. I've been spending a lot of time with Milo just chilling out, watching sports, and gearing up for our Hawaii trip. Spoke to Dad tonight, we are all really excited for the visit.

Speaking of nobody realizing how bad they are at something, George Dubya Bush will be out of the White House in eight days! Oh, happy day! To celebrate (kind of ...) please check out this list of 128 Failures of the Bush Administration. There are some real doozies in there. Have fun! It will all be over soon!

I haven't been blogging much

2009-01-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

because I haven't been doing much.

Leaving for Hawaii Thursday!

The Booty

2009-01-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

There is a great re-cap of our Christmas visit on the baby blog so no need for me to go in to it again. But I did get some great presents this year that I'm super excited about:

Zoom H-2 Handy Recorder: This is a mobile studio the size of an iPod with a built-in mic that will be perfect for recording rehearsals, practices, small gigs, etc. I can't wait to try it out.

Blender: I'm in to smoothies these days, ours was getting old.

Turntable with USB Out: My mom got this for me, how clever is she? Its a turntable that comes with a USB and software that allows you to rip vinyl directly in to iTunes. Perfect!

Mad Men Season 1: I'm hooked. I'll have to amend my Best of TV list.

Eugene Mirman The Absurd Nightclub Comedy of Eugene Mirman: Comedy CD from one of the "Comedians of Comedy" crew.

Pacers and Dodgers Windbreakers and various Colts trinkets: One can never have enough sports gear.

Retro Music T-Shirts: Already in heavy rotation.

Thank you to everyone, I got some really thoughtful gifts this year and I sho' do appreciate it.

What kind of Christmas Booty did you get?

Holiday Hiatus

2009-01-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd get around to posting something while away in Indy but that didn't happen. We all had a great time visiting family and friends. Unfortunately for the second year in a row an awful stomach bug attacked Carrie and I and nearly thwarted our New Year's plans but luckily we battled through (even though I still don't feel 100%). I'm glad to be back home! Only a week and a half before we leave for Hawaii.

More posts on Christmas and New Year's soon.

2008-12-24T20:35:00.000-08:00

Indianapolis, here we come!

Lyman's Best of 2008: Music, no. 5-1

2008-12-23T23:08:00.001-08:00

Well, I've spent a good chunk of time on these past few blog posts, hope you've enjoyed my opinions on the music of 2008. Its been fun reflecting on the new stuff that has come out. I wanted to crank these out before Christmas festivities/mad flights to the frozen tundra of the Midwest begin, so here are the best records of 2008:

5. Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago
When craving jangly folk rock with falsetto harmonies I'll take this record over 'Fleet Foxes" any day of the week. Moody melodies, clever songwriting, retro guitar sounds with a very subtle but solid rhythm section. These songs will be spinning for quite a while.

dig: "Skinny Love"

4. Nigeria Rock Special: Psychadelic Afro-Rock and Fuzz Funk from 1970s Nigeria

I usually don't like to include re-issues when talking about new music but listening to this CD is like uncovering a historical document of exciting grooves. Much of this stuff has never been released in the states before so it might as well be knew. While you can hear slight echoes of African funk pioneers Fela Kuti and Hugh Masekela these Nigerian interpretations of Western psychedelic funk are pure gold.

dig: "Adieu", "More Bread To The People"

3. The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely
There's a breakdown in the song "Salute Your Solution" where the bass guitar is drenched in distortion riffing in front of incredibly deep drum groove, the vocals enter:

"And I got what I got all despite you,
And I'll get what I get just to spite you ..."

Every time I hear it I want to pump my fist in the air and scream "F***K YEAH!!!" Rock n' roll is not dead, indeed.

dig: "Salute Your Solution", "You Don't Understand Me", "Hold Up"

2. TV On The Radio Dear Science
Probably the most lauded indie record of the year landing it #1 on lists from Rolling Stone, Spin, and The A.V. Club and for good reason. Its so hard to describe TVOTR, I can only try by saying they are an experimental art rock band, they cover so many idioms and reach for so many different things yet are grounded by Tunde Adebimpe's (who starred in the movie Rachael Getting Married as the husband-to-be, btw) haunting falsetto, creative samples, and grinding drums. It is so artful yet groovy, its no wonder why critics love them. 'Dear Science' is their most melodic effort to date proving the band can crank out a hook with the best of them. While the melodies are softened, their edge is not. This is a great record from a truly great band.

dig: "Golden Age", "Dancing Choose"

1. Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band Season of Change
This is my favorite jazz record in a long time. It is unique in that the focus is on the broad, sweeping, and epic compositions. The melodies are song-like and beautiful set behind slow backbeat grooves. Blade is a drummer of the highest caliber and while there isn't as much of a focus on improvisation in most of the tunes, each member of this fantastic ensemble still shines. I can't say enough about the writing and group concept on this album. This is only the second Fellowship record in the past ten years, hopefully we won't have to wait that long for another.

dig: "Rubylou's Lullabye", "Stoner Hill", "Alpha and Omega"

Lyman's Best of 2008: Music, no. 10-6

2008-12-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

10. Gnarls Barkley The Odd Couple
Solid second record from MC/vocalist Cee-Lo and DJ Danger Mouse. I love the way this group blends beats and songwriting. Cee-Lo's vocals get stronger as well.

dig: "Blind Mary", "Who's Gonna Save My Soul?"

9. Del The Funky Homosapien The Eleventh Hour
Not much to say about this one, just a good hip-hop record from legendary Oakland underground MC Del. Best rap record of the year.

dig: "Raw Sewage", "Situations"

8. Jenny Scheinman Crossing The Field, Jenny Scheinman
I'm cheating with this one because while Scheinman simultaneously released both records they are quite different from each other. 'Crossing ...' is the violinist's collection of original compositions featuring a fantastic band and string arrangements. She is one of the most unique composers and soloists in jazz and it shows with this record. At the other end of the spectrum, her eponymous release features not her violin but her voice. It is a collection of Americana featuring traditional folk tunes, songs by Lucinda Williams and Tom Waits among others, and originals. Her voice recalls Carly Simon and while not the most gifted singer around the honesty in her voice lends itself well to these songs.

dig: Crossing The Field "I Heart Eye Patch", "That's Delight"
Jenny Scheinman"I Was Young When I Left Home", "King of Hearts"

7. Pat Metheney Day Trip, Tokyo Day Trip EP
I've been waiting for this supergroup of Metheny, Christian McBride, and Antonio Sanchez to record for a couple of years now and they've finally delivered. Metheny has a very specific and unique composing style and the players augment his tunes wonderfully; great solos, great group interaction. The Live EP is even more dynamic than the LP.

dig: Day Trip "Calvin's Keys", "Let's Move"
Tokyo Day Trip "Back Arm and Blackcharge"

6. She & Him Volume 1
Most of us cringe when we hear about actresses turning to singing but Zooey Deschanel did it splendidly. She sings (reminding me of Neko Case at times) and wrote all of the songs but country/folk producer M. Ward really shines throughout the record. Its a blend of 60's pop, country tunes, and melodic folk ... a really fun album that landed them at #1 on Paste's year-end list. I can't wait for Volume 2.

dig: "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?", "I Was Made for You"

Lyman's Best of 2008: Music, no. 15-11

2008-12-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

15. Murs Murs For President
Member of seminal hip hop group Living Legends and one half of L.A./Minneapolis act Felt, Murs has been a big figure in underground L.A. hip hop for some time now. I should note for those of you who aren't familiar with a lot of rap that this isn't like the stuff you see on MTV. 'Murs for President' (along with the other hip hop records on this list) isn't about "bling and bitches". Its intelligent rap ("The Science" is fantastic urban social commentary) with creative beats and rhymes. This is Murs first record on a big label. I don't think it made as big of a splash as it should have.

dig: "The Science"

14. Black Kids Partie Traumatic
Black Kids became an indie sensation with their first EP 'Wizard of Ahhs ...' which was only available on MySpace and at their live shows. For this, their label debut, the ditched the lo-fi experimental sounds of the EP and polished up their tunes to attempt some pop success. What followed was an unfair online backlash particularly from music site Pitchfork who was among the first to champion them (although it did land at #4 on The New York Post's Year End List). I dig the record, not as much as the EP, but there are some good retro pop tunes here with interesting lyrics.

dig: "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You", "Love Me Already", "Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)"

13. Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
In contrast, Fleet Foxes' debut has been the subject of media praise landing them #1 on lists from Stereogum and Pitchfork. There are few albums you will hear more glowing reviews about. I like the record. The ethereal vocals and folk-ish melodies are nice although I think some are a bit over-impressed by the harmonies. My biggest gripe? No groove, baby.

dig: "White Winter Hymnal"

12. No Age Nouns
No Age are indie-media darlings as well. They are an experimental punk drum/guitar duo from L.A. who have crafted an original sound around the scene at downtown club The Smell. I appreciate the record like a work from a modern sculptor. Fascinating in its artistic endeavor but nothing I'd want to listen to or look at every day.

dig: "Miner"

11. Rachael Yamagata Elephants ... Teeth Sinking In To Heart
Yamagata's sophomore record is more subdued and maudlin than her first, but the melodies and songwriting are good enough to ensure that the slow tempos and mood don't make everything sound the same. There's a great duet with Ray LaMontagne.

dig: "What if I Leave", "Over and Over"

Lyman's Best of 2008: Music, no. 20-16

2008-12-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

20. Atmosphere Sad Clown, Bad Spring #12
#12 in the 'Bad Clown' series of EPs from the Minneapolis-based hip-hop group Atmosphere. Comprised of rapper Slug and DJ Ant, Atmosphere has been on the scene for a long time cranking out great tracks. They also released a full-length LP this year "When Life Gives You Lemons Paint That Shit Gold" which I need to check out.

dig: "Happyness"

19. Margot and the Nuclear So and So's Not Animal, The Daytrotter Sessions
I've blogged about Margot numerous time before. The Indy-based Indie band's debut 'The Dust of Retreat' ranks among my all-time favorites. After recording a large batch of tunes for their big label debut, the band and record company were at odds as to what to release. The band chose the songs for the album 'Animal' which is only available on vinyl. 'Not Animal' is the collection of songs the label chose. The record is good, but I feel like I'm missing out and wonder if it could be even better had their been a more singular vision. 'The Daytrotter Sessions' is a fantastic live acoustic set from the band. I hope there are more records in these guys' future, they are one of the great indie acts around.

dig: Not Animal, "Broad Ripple is Burning"
Daytrotter, "Bookworm"

18. Brad Mehldau Brad Melhdau Trio Live
This trio has been at it for a long time. This live record by no means re-invents the band but it is nonetheless a great collection of tunes featuring some great playing.

dig: "Wonderwall"

17. Be Your Own Pet Get Awkward, Get Damaged EP
Get Awkward is a female-fronted punk band from Nashville, lots of rockin' fun, great melodies, great spirit. 'Get Awkward' is their second full-length LP. The accompanying EP is comprised of songs "too violent" to put on the LP so the label would only release it online (sounds like a marketing ploy to me). In a true punk move, the band broke up mere months after the album was released.

dig: Awkward "Bitches Leave"
Damaged "Becky"

16. Guns n' Roses Chinese Democracy
After over a decade and over $14 million in recording costs, we were finally privy to the much-delayed 'Chinese Democracy'. I expected the worst. How good could it be if Axl didn't want to release it? To my surprise this is a solid rock record throughout. Good songs, good riffs, good solos, good singing. I suspect that all of the delays allowed Axl to tinker with the tracks for too long because much of it sounds over-produced. It does lack the strong melodies and hooks of other GnR records but the artistic spirit of the 'Use Your Illusions' records is taken to the next level.

dig: "Catcher in the Rye","Better"

Lyman's Best of 2008: Music, no. 25-21

2008-12-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

I'm counting down an exhaustive Top 25 records of 2008, I hope to finish the list before I leave for Indy on Thursday. After each entry I will include one or two definitive tracks from the record for you to check out if happen to be interested. There are quite a few more albums I wish I could have picked up, but I think the list is pretty solid regardless. So let's jump in.

25. Steinski What Does It All Mean? Retrospective 1983-2006
Steinski is a highly influential hip-hop DJ active in the 80s. He was a part-time musician with a full-time job, after winning a re-mix contest from Tommy Boy Records in 1983 he started re-mixing records in his free time and many DJ greats site him as an influence. His tracks are collected here for the first time (and perhaps the last due to licensing issues ... ahh, the golden age of sampling!)

dig: "The Payoff Mix"

24. Living Legends The Gathering
Living Legends is a collective of MCs and DJs primarily from the West Coast including greats like Murs and Aesop. Their tracks are definitive West Coast underground hip hop. 'The Gathering' is solid through and through.

dig: "War and Peace", "After Hours (Extended Euromix)"

23. Paul Westerberg 49:00
Westerberg is the lead singer for post-punk icons The Replacements, this solo outing is one continuous track that strings together songs with interesting and experimental production. From Wiki: "On July 17, 2008 it was announced that on "June 49" (July 19) Paul Westerberg would release an album with 49 minutes' worth of music for 49 cents. The album, 49:00... Of Your Time/Life, was released on July 21, 2008. A few weeks after 49:00 was released, it was taken down from Amazon.com and TuneCore store. In its place, Westerberg released a song titled "5:05" (in reference to the fact that 49:00 was really 43:55 long, 5:05 shorter than 49:00). From the lyrical content of "5:05," it is believed that 49:00 was recalled due to copyright issues in the ending cover medley."

Dig: "49:00"

22. Esperanza Spalding Esperanza
Bassist/vocalist Spalding was the "it" girl in jazz this year, much hype accompanied her debut even performing on Letterman. She incorporates world rhythms and sings in different languages. Its a good record, but it may be more hype than hip. I've heard her live show is fantastic though.

dig: "I Know You Know"

21. Times New Viking Rip It Off
If you've never heard Noise Pop before Times New Viking is quite exemplary. Pop hooks combined with lo-fi, dirty, loud guitar riffs and sounds. Good stuff but the EQ on the record can be a bit much after a prolonged listening.

dig: "My Head"

20-16 coming soon!

Lyman's Best of 2008: Movies

2008-12-18T23:48:00.000-08:00

My movie watching took a huge dive this year. I hardly saw anything. And I always have a hard time with my year-end movie lists because the best movies are technically released at the end of the year but are not released to the general public until early the next year before Oscar time. 'There Will Be Blood' is probably the best thing I saw this year, but it actually came out in 07. But here are my thoughts on the best of o8:

1. Dark Knight Returns
You expected something else?

2. Iron Man
Dark Knight was only slightly better

3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
I saw this in the theaters and again on a plane over the summer. It was just as funny on a 6 inch x 5 inch screen ... that's the true test of a good movie.

4. JLA: The New Frontier
Seriously, I'm not typically a huge fan of comic book movies, but there were just some damn good super hero flicks this year. New Frontier is an animated movie you can catch on Cartoon Network that is really great; the story, the voice-acting, the animation style, everything.

5. Rachael Getting Married
Saw this one last week, dug it except for all of the hand-held camera stuff which made me nauseous (of course). There is some good stuff here every family can relate to.

Honorable Mentions: Tropic Thunder, The Hulk

Now head over to Top Five and tell us your favorite movies of the year.

Guest

2008-12-17T07:16:00.000-08:00

Everyone head over to wKHM to read a special guest spot yours truly wrote on one of my favorite records ever. So ch-ch-check it out.

It's weird, I had never even heard of 'Emmit Otter's Jug Band Christmas' until I met my wife but lo' and behold its a Christmas favorite of many (even though I maintain it doesn't really have much to do with Christmas). But it wasn't popular enough to overtake 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' which won the What's Your Favorite Christmas Special? poll with 5 votes. 'Emmit' and 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' tied for second with 3 votes. 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' finished in the cellar. Dig the new poll.

I have a really busy week ahead of me, lots of playing with friends and hitting jam sessions before heading home. I have a really fun gig this Friday. If I haven't mentioned it, work has been SLOW since returning from NYC. Not as many holiday parties this year, a lot of musicians are feeling it. The poor economy affects us all! But the countdown to Christmas and our trip back to Indy is on and I'm really looking forward to both.

Lyman's Best of 2008: TV

2008-12-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

I love my DVR!

1. The Wire
No surprise here. It could be argued that this fifth and final season is the weakest of the show's run. But even if that's the case its still head and shoulders above anything put on T.V. I miss this show. Truly one of the greats.

2. The Office
Still a solid show in its fifth season. I loved the storyline with Micheal's girlfriend Holly (Amy Ryan from the The Wire!) and was a little sad when they broke up. Funny stuff.

3. The Daily Show
Fantastic and funny election coverage. Although the show is mostly humor and jokes, there is more political insight then you'll see on any other show.

4. 30 Rock

Liz: We need to get these guys! Don't you know the Postmaster General?

Jack: I do, but we had a falling out over the Jerry Garcia stamp. If I wanted to lick a hippie, I'd return Joan Baez's phone calls.

5. True Blood
I could go on and on about how this guilty pleasure is more like a soap opera than an HBO drama but the story is so engaging it just keeps you on your seat. Instead I'll point out that on Mr. Skin's Top Celebrity Nude Scenes of 2008, True Blood holds the #1 and #3 spots.

6. Weeds
A big point of departure from the rest of the series. The show became much darker this year with the family moving to the Mexican border so Nancy can smuggle drugs in larger quantities. Her affair with a corrupt Tijuana mayor was intriguing.

7. Californication
Many fans of the first season hated the second season but I loved it. There was a storyline involving Hank's manager who gets into producing porno that was a bit too outlandish, but the main story was really great. Looking forward to another season.

8. Big Love
What began as an interesting show about a polygamist family trying to cut ties with its former cult while living mainstream lives turned in to a dramatic and gripping weave of storylines. But speaking of outlandish, I fear the next season might turn in to a Mormon Melrose Place.

9. Chowder
Funny kid's cartoon. Milo loves it. Much better than Spongebob.

10. Kath and Kim
Still kind of on the fence about this one. Funny, but not a must-watch the day after it airs.

You can tell us your favorite T.V. show of the year at Top Five.

Healthier

2008-12-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

December is upon us, the time when we stuff ourselves full of Christmas pies, cookies, and other treats only to swear all of them off a week later in a promise for a healthier New Year. Looks like some of us are actually getting a head start.

If you are serious about getting healthy next year and are looking for that final, heavy, greasy meal as a "last hurrah" may I present to you the most appalling yet intriguing recipe I've ever seen on the internet. Ladies and gentlemen:

The Bacon Cheese Roll

Lyman's Best of 2008: Celebrity Crushes

2008-12-10T21:40:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is upon us, can you believe it? Each December I think the same thing, in some ways it seems like the year has flown by and in others it seems like 2007 was a decade ago. 2008 was an amazing year for many reasons and so I begin a blog series on my favorite stuffs of the past twelve months. After each entry I'll link over to a corresponding post on Top Five where you can share your Best Of the year as well.

With the scope of American Pop Culture being so vast and varied, one thing we all have in common are celebrity crushes, they usually start when we are kids (who remembers Soleil Moon-Frye? *sigh*). But each year there is a new crop of headline-making celebs who make us think "I wonder what it would be like to make out with them!?!" Here are Lyman's Celebrity Crushes of 2008:

1. Sarah Silverman
Hilariously funny, cute, and curvy with a propensity for okay-looking chubby guys it is no wonder why so many men love Sarah Silverman.

2. Morgan Webb
Webb is the host of tech channel G4's popular video game review show X-Play. A beautiful girl who digs video games ... I shudder to think how many geeky fanboy stalkers she has. And despite how her sexed-up, airbrushed photos in Maxim that accompany her monthly column "The Game Goddess" appear, I think she has a very natural look that you don't see too much on TV these days.

3. Jenna Fischer
I know, I know, crushes on Pam are so three-years-ago, but I can't help it, she's just adorable. And the new season of The Office has been fantastic. How many folks knew she's originally from Indiana?

4. Kristin Wiig
This SNL funny-lady has been getting more and more popular after her hilarious role in Knocked Up last year. This is her final season on SNL, she was also one of the few funny things in the movie Ghost Town.

5. Rachael Maddow
I know, I know, this one is weird. Really weird. So weird I'm not even going to post a picture. Sure, she's gay ... but she's also really, really cute. And even though I usually hate TV political pundits, she is pretty cool. Makes sense, right? Right? ... anyone? ...

Who are your top crushes of 2008? Tell us over at Top Five.

The Real Bill Ayers

2008-12-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of letting every man defend himself by speaking on his own behalf, I found the following article pretty interesting. From The New York Times

The Real Bill Ayers
by William Ayers

In the recently concluded presidential race, I was unwillingly thrust upon the stage and asked to play a role in a profoundly dishonest drama. I refused, and here’s why.

Unable to challenge the content of Barack Obama’s campaign, his opponents invented a narrative about a young politician who emerged from nowhere, a man of charm, intelligence and skill, but with an exotic background and a strange name. The refrain was a question: “What do we really know about this man?”

Secondary characters in the narrative included an African-American preacher with a fiery style, a Palestinian scholar and an “unrepentant domestic terrorist.” Linking the candidate with these supposedly shadowy characters, and ferreting out every imagined secret tie and dark affiliation, became big news.

I was cast in the “unrepentant terrorist” role; I felt at times like the enemy projected onto a large screen in the “Two Minutes Hate” scene from George Orwell’s “1984,” when the faithful gathered in a frenzy of fear and loathing.

With the mainstream news media and the blogosphere caught in the pre-election excitement, I saw no viable path to a rational discussion. Rather than step clumsily into the sound-bite culture, I turned away whenever the microphones were thrust into my face. I sat it out.

Now that the election is over, I want to say as plainly as I can that the character invented to serve this drama wasn’t me, not even close. Here are the facts:

I never killed or injured anyone. I did join the civil rights movement in the mid-1960s, and later resisted the draft and was arrested in nonviolent demonstrations. I became a full-time antiwar organizer for Students for a Democratic Society. In 1970, I co-founded the Weather Underground, an organization that was created after an accidental explosion that claimed the lives of three of our comrades in Greenwich Village. The Weather Underground went on to take responsibility for placing several small bombs in empty offices — the ones at the Pentagon and the United States Capitol were the most notorious — as an illegal and unpopular war consumed the nation.

The Weather Underground crossed lines of legality, of propriety and perhaps even of common sense. Our effectiveness can be — and still is being — debated. We did carry out symbolic acts of extreme vandalism directed at monuments to war and racism, and the attacks on property, never on people, were meant to respect human life and convey outrage and determination to end the Vietnam war.

Peaceful protests had failed to stop the war. So we issued a screaming response. But it was not terrorism; we were not engaged in a campaign to kill and injure people indiscriminately, spreading fear and suffering for political ends.

I cannot imagine engaging in actions of that kind today. And for the past 40 years, I’ve been teaching and writing about the unique value and potential of every human life, and the need to realize that potential through education.

I have regrets, of course — including mistakes of excess and failures of imagination, posturing and posing, inflated and heated rhetoric, blind sectarianism and a lot else. No one can reach my age with their eyes even partly open and not have hundreds of regrets. The responsibility for the risks we posed to others in some of our most extreme actions in those underground years never leaves my thoughts for long.

The antiwar movement in all its commitment, all its sacrifice and determination, could not stop the violence unleashed against Vietnam. And therein lies cause for real regret.

We — the broad “we” — wrote letters, marched, talked to young men at induction centers, surrounded the Pentagon and lay down in front of troop trains. Yet we were inadequate to end the killing of three million Vietnamese and almost 60,000 Americans during a 10-year war.

The dishonesty of the narrative about Mr. Obama during the campaign went a step further with its assumption that if you can place two people in the same room at the same time, or if you can show that they held a conversation, shared a cup of coffee, took the bus downtown together or had any of a thousand other associations, then you have demonstrated that they share ideas, policies, outlook, influences and, especially, responsibility for each other’s behavior. There is a long and sad history of guilt by association in our political culture, and at crucial times we’ve been unable to rise above it.

President-elect Obama and I sat on a board together; we lived in the same diverse and yet close-knit community; we sometimes passed in the bookstore. We didn’t pal around, and I had nothing to do with his positions. I knew him as well as thousands of others did, and like millions of others, I wish I knew him better.

Demonization, guilt by association, and the politics of fear did not triumph, not this time. Let’s hope they never will again. And let’s hope we might now assert that in our wildly diverse society, talking and listening to the widest range of people is not a sin, but a virtue.

What's the only place nicer than L.A. in January?

2008-12-08T08:37:00.001-08:00

Hawaii. And that's where we will be come the third week of the new year. Because of savvy departure times, Milo qualifying as an infant for free travel by less than a month, and frequent flyer miles our flights are very inexpensive which is nice since Carrie might go on strike next year. Yikes! More on that later. Needless to say we are all very excited for the trip. Indianapolis, L.A. and Kona all in the span of three weeks. It will be like a whirlwind geographical biography.

This week's poll on best way to Christmas shop has closed in a dead heat with "Online" and "Slowly" both finishing in first with three votes. "Black Friday" finished second with two votes and "Months in Advance" and "Dec. 23rd" both finished with one. I myself am a slow shopper picking up gifts here and there in my typical relaxed, procrastinating style. My wife however is one of the lunatics who voted for Black Friday. Dig the new poll.

Fumbling Away Perfection

2008-12-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

Ball State University lost the MAC Championship game last night ending their historic run and a chance at a perfect season. It was an ugly loss where their defense looked inept and their high-powered offense was stifled. A sad way to end the season. Had they won they would be in discussion for a BCS bowl game, now they won't even get an invite to the Motor City Bowl and will instead be relegated to a lesser game.

But it has been a fantastic season for the Cards. Lets hope this year provides the foundation for a competitive football program.

Live Music

2008-12-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

I saw some great music in November both in NYC and here at home, let me tell ya' all about it:

Jenny Scheinman
Scheinman is a fantastic violinist who has been getting a lot of exposure in jazz circles recently and rightfully so, she is a wonderful, unique, and creative musician. Jazz violin often suffers from too much technical flash and pyrotechnics but not enough substance, Scheinman is the complete opposite of that stereotype. While she is no slouch technically her improvisations are clever and melodic. She does not play many jazz cliches as many of us often do, her vocabulary is rooted in Americana and bluegrass as well as jazz.I saw her at the Village Vanguard and she knocked my socks off, besides being a great musician she is just gorgeous with an uncommonly handsome face and the body of a model. Her looks are only part of her stage presence though, she is truly captivating while playing. You might remember me gushing over a pianist named Jason Moran in the past, well Jason is in her band and it was my first time seeing him live too. The show was fantastic and one of the best I've seen in a while.

Cecil Taylor
Pianist Cecil Taylor is one of the fathers of the avant-gard/free jazz genre. To most folks who don't listen to much else besides popular music (nothing wrong with that btw) his music would either sound confusing or childish much like when you see a Jackson Pollack painting for the first time and think "that's not art, I could do that." But Taylor has a unique and beautiful musical vocabulary that is all his own. He is older now and doesn't tour much so I jumped at the chance to see him at the Village Vanguard. He was playing in duet with a drummer/percussionist. I was astounded by his playing, there were no licks or cliches that resorted back to, music was free-flowing from him the entire night. I always thought that his stuff was freely improvised but he actually had some sheet music in front of him that was in some kind of script I didn't recognize. This isn't the type of show you want to see again and again in a short amount of time but it was fantastic nonetheless.

Dos
Dos is a band comprised of bassists Mike Watt and Kira Roessler. Watt is a iconic bass player and punk figure, he used to play with the Minutemen, fireHOSE and has his own solo projects. Roessler played in the legendary punk band Black Flag. I didn't know much about the show before going, the show was at a pizza parlor where a buddy of mine used to work and was free (how punk is that?). The show was really interesting, Kira sang a little but mostly it was just the two basses rocking out. You would think a show like that could get really old really quick but they had a lot of neat arrangements worked out and the styles of the songs they played were really diverse. After the show I did a little more research and found out the two used to be married. I'm not going to run out and buy all of their CDs but I'd certainly see another show.

Random

2008-11-30T22:40:00.000-08:00

-The Colts won an ugly game today but with the team in the state it is in this year I'll take any win and be happy about it. They have very quietly strung together 5 impressive wins are in great shape to make the playoffs. It has been a great turnaround from a terrible start.

-The new Guns n' Roses album is good. Seriously. I'm not even joking. Considering the record was supposed to be ready in 1999, I expected the worst. But its good. For real.

-I miss True Blood and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

-The Lakers look unstoppable. I went to a game last weekend. Wow.

-Looks like Obama is going to name Hilary as Secretary of State. Good call. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. HA!

-This week's poll of "favorite Thanksgiving dish" has wrapped up and Pie totally kicked ass with 5 votes, stuffing and Yams both had three and Cranberry Sauce had one (I'm expecting it came from the wife). Turkey was putting up a total blank and looked to get shut out but rallied with one late vote. Check out the new poll.

-Ball State has crept up to #12 in the BCS Standings. Maybe they crack the Top 10 after a win next week but there's no way they get in to a BCS Bowl unfortunately.

-I played volleyball again today for the first time in a long time. My body is sore. Ouch.

Art

2008-11-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

During my trip to NYC I hit up a couple of art museums as I usually do the first being the New Museum in the West Village. I'd never been to to the New Museum before, it is a nice place with a great, modern look. The exhibition that was recommended to me to see was of portraitist Elizabeth Peyton. She is a rather popular contemporary painter who first received notoriety for painting pop culture icons from photos including a great series on Kurt Cobain. She is fantastic and brings a real innocence and beauty to all of her subjects. This self-portrait stood out to me:

I also checked out MOMA which was a mere three blocks from where I was staying. There were big Miro and Van Gogh exhibitions but I had to skip them because of time and instead hit the contemporary floors (see a trend? I tend only to want to see contemporary art for some reason). There was a wonderful exhibit on art in the last four decades that I really dug. There was video, painting, sculpture, everything. I really liked this two part piece by Matthew Barney. The first photo tells the story of two lovers, their narrative is interrupted by this lubricating plastic that is filling the room. The second sculpture is actually of that same plastic as it filled the room and toppled over one of the walls:

There was also a photo exhibit of Michael Subotsky's. The photographs were of a poverty-stricken town in South Africa. Moving stuff.

Before you go thinking I'm this smart art aficionado I should say that audio guides are a wonderful thing (the audio guides at the New Museum were actually iPod minis, what a great idea) and I highly recommend them any time you visit a museum.

I'm Curious

2008-11-28T06:31:00.000-08:00

Has there ever been a Thanksgiving turkey dinner that actually started on time in the history of our country? Think about it, when was the last time the Thanksgiving turkey was done early? I'm convinced that everybody's food coma comes not necessarily from eating too much but from being so incredibly famished by the time the food finally is served that their metabolism is super low and their bodies can't take it. And that's not to mention how drunk you are from drinking a couple glasses of wine or beers on an empty stomach waiting for the bird to be cooked. The good part is that Thanksgiving is the only meal where the food arrives on the table two hours late and nobody complains or says a word about it.

Late dinner or no, Carrie, Milo and I had a fantastic Thanksgiving. Here's the dessert I made; Cranberry-Charged Pumpkin Pie topped with a Ginger Cookie, Almond, Walnut, and Cranberry Crumble:

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well. I'm thankful for all of my family and friends who have enough interest in my little life to stop by my blog and listen to what I have to say.

Now go make a turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and mayo. That's a meal that can be prepared in no time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T06:42:00.001-08:00

Chez Lyman

2008-11-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

I have a good buddy named Pasta (seriously) that is a fantastic cook. He, along with countless hours of Food Network, sparked my interest in cooking and taught me everything I know about it. Pasta has recently been working Craft Services on a couple of film sets making and serving food for the cast and crew. He had two gigs that overlapped each other so he needed somebody to make food for him one day, thus began my first gig as a professional chef.

For lunch; chicken cacciatore, penne pesto, and a big sald, for dinner; beef roast, baked beans, cornbread, and potato salad. I had to cook in Pasta's kitchen as his house was closer to the set meaning the food wouldn't have to travel as far so I didn't have all of my weapons which I would have preferred, but besides that I had a real blast cooking. The reviews from the cast and crew were great and the director said it was some of the best beef she had ever had.

If this music thing doesn't work out, I have something to fall back on ...

"Welcome back ...

2008-11-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

... to that same old place you laughed about"

The Backbeat has returned. The hiatus has been good, it was nice not having to 'worry' about the blog, but after a while I started feeling the urge to publicly vent and share once again. There are some obvious changes; we are starting with a clean slate with a brand new URL and Layout (the old blog will remain only for the archives), I hope you like the new format I might still be tinkering with it for a while. Also, comments about "hot-button issues" will be moderated from now on (if ya don't know, this means if you leave a comment it won't appear on the post until I approve it), this is a drag because of my travels I can go days without being online and the conversation won't resume without me, but its worth it for my peace of mind. I'm going to rule with an iron fist! If you don't like it, drum up traffic to your own blog! Besides that, not much will be different. My "whatever is on my mind/where I am travelling" posts will remain.

So who won the election? I haven't heard. I kid, I kid. Of course I know Obama won (go Indiana!) and let me tell you, I am so happy my secretly Muslim candidate got elected so he can single-handedly turn our great Democracy into a Socialist state with the help of his many, many terrorist friends. Oh! Kidding again!

In all honesty, I've done a lot of cool things over the past few weeks and we have a lot of things to catch up on. #1 on that list was the night of November 4. I had a really amazing experience when I was in New York the night of the election. I hurriedly posted this note on Facebook the next morning:

I'm in NYC on tour at the moment and on Election Night I had a gig with the boss and the boys. Before our set I was anxiously watching the television and saw Pennsylvania turn blue--after the show I saw Ohio turn blue and knew that an Obama victory was a very real possibility so I hurried down to Rockefeller Center (by myself as the other guys in the band were still hungover from the night before, lame!).

If you watched NBC then you know that Rock Center was decked out for their election coverage. Flags, enormous TVs, lights, cameras ... I thought there would be a real mix of political supporters and that it might resemble a sporting event with McCain voters cheering and Obama voters cheering, but the crowd was for Obama all the way. Not long after arriving NBC projected Obama the winner and everybody went crazy; couples embracing, people jumping and cheering, the crowds chanting "YES WE DID! YES WE DID!" I tooled around watching everyone so happy and experiencing the same overwhelming emotions, I met two girls from England who were just as happy as anyone else. When Obama gave his acceptance speech the crowd of hundreds (thousands?) was absolutely silent as tears streamed down so many faces.

The crowd dispersed not long afterward but I wasn't finished celebrating so walked down to Times Square, talk about a celebration. There were folks dancing in the streets, hanging out of car windows screaming and honking their horns, mass cheering and chanting, and an overwhelming sense of relief, hope, and optimism. A few years ago I had the unique experience of being in downtown Milan when Italy won the World Cup this is the only thing I've seen in our country that has come close to that.

But I still wasn't done celebrating so I headed to a favorite Scottish Pub and had one of my favorite Scotches and slowly watched more red states turn blue on the electoral map.

What a night.

And to think, there are some Obama detractors who think all of this enthusiasm is a bad thing. We have become so jaded to our political process that showing emotion and hope for a candidate brands them as "style with no substance" or simply a "celebrity". Well record numbers of voters showed up and Obama won in a landslide, that type of change does not happen because of personality alone.

We've taken our future in to our own hands folks, today is a new day in history.