DAVE ITZKOFF | June 19

NYT - A Minneapolis jury ruled on Thursday that a 32-year-old woman must pay $1.92 million to six record companies for illegally downloading songs released by those labels from the Internet, Agence France-Presse reported.

The woman, Jammie Thomas-Rasset, a single mother of four from Brainerd, Minn., was found liable for violating the copyrights of major labels including Sony BMG, Warner Brothers and Universal by downloading 24 songs from Kazaa, a peer-to-peer file-sharing service.

Coouple events worth mentioning coming up in Ol Texas

1. Poodie Lock Benefit
Old BackPorch
Jun 28 2-10pm
admission- minimum 20 buck
Performers not confirmed but you can bet it'll be worth the 20 bucks

2. Current record for guitars playing at one time is 1800 and was set in Germany - thats about to be broken--August 23 in Luckenbach TX
www.luckenbachtexas.com for details aiming for 2000 pickers-

Think everyone should visit Luckenbach at least once-- Chrissy and I enjoy just stoppin in now and then- sitting under the big oaks - sippin on a long neck- listening to whoever might be pickin- maybe try a game of washers--

Pallab Ghosh | May 31

BBC -

New software has enabled researchers to recreate a long forgotten musical instrument called the Lituus.

The 2.4m (8ft) long trumpet-like instrument was played in Ancient Rome but fell out of use some 300 years ago.

Bach's motet (a choral musical composition) "O Jesu Christ, meins lebens licht" was one of the last pieces of music written for the Lituus.

Now, for the first time, this 18th Century composition has been played as it should have been heard.

audio sample at link

Andy Gill | May 30

The Independent -
Next week, after two decades of fussing, fiddling, amassing and sifting, the first massive instalment of Neil Young's long-awaited career retrospective, The Neil Young Archives, finally becomes available.

It's a huge thing, both conceptually and physically: this first batch of 11 DVDs, covering the singer's career from his teenage origins in Winnipeg guitar band The Squires in 1963, through his time with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills and Nash, up to the point that he became a household name with the success of his Harvest album in 1972, arrives housed in a box the size of a couple of breeze-blocks, accompanied by a book of press clippings, lyric jottings, photos and ephemera. It is literally monumental: if the rest of Young's career is covered in similarly exhaustive fashion, his fans will not just be able to immerse themselves in it, they will probably be able to build a home from the boxes and live in it.

It's unlikely, however, that subsequent volumes will have the satisfying unity of the first set, which offers a detailed portrait not just of Neil Young but of the whole Los Angeles singer-songwriter counter-culture through the era in which it moved inexorably overground, rushing in to occupy the vacuum left at the end of the 1960s, when the Altamont and the Manson Family had effectively put the naive hippie dream to the sword.

Neil Young actually knew Charlie Manson a little, having been introduced to him at Beach Boy Dennis Wilson's house a few months before the Tate/LaBianca murders. Like many, he found the would-be songwriter a charismatic, powerful presence, with a curious gift – shared with Dylan, and Young himself – of being able to reel off lyrics apparently at will.

"Manson would sing a song and just make it up as he went along, for three or four minutes, and he never would repeat one word, and it all made perfect sense and it shook you up to listen to it," Young explained years later. "It was so good that it scared you." A few years later, he would write the song "Revolution Blues" from the standpoint of a homicidal psychotic clearly based on Manson. Back in the 1960s, however, Neil recommended Manson to his record company, Reprise, but nothing came of it. Had the label granted Manson his deepest wish and signed him up, who knows how things may have turned out? Sharon Tate might still be alive, Charles Manson might be a superstar rather than a bogeyman, and Neil Young might have been dumped by his label and retired from music altogether, as a car mechanic.

What are you listening to?

This is an inter-blog rescue of sorts I wrote reflecting on two posts by Steen Christiansen, a contributing writer at America Adrift. An assistant professor of English at Aalborg University and one of only two Danish libertarians (that I know of), he describes his research as, "working mainly on cultural transformations between high and low culture, investigating how these entities intersect and inform each other. Continuing within a cultural materialist methodology, I’m particularly interested in cultural resistance and how narratives help shape these variant forms of resistance." I'm not in the habit of cross posting work here but I thought this short piece, along with the links to Steen's very interesting and entertaining two articles would be appreciated here at the Agonist, particularly in light of yesterday's news about Chrysler's "financial re-organization."

Yesterday evening (gmt + 1) Danish teevee news live fed President Obama’s announcement that Chrysler will head into bankruptcy protection. Can anyone tell me if the CNNization of Danish news along with its increased obsession focus on live "breaking" coverage of D.C. political intrigue is merely a figment of my imagination?

"This Land Is Your Land" Like Woody Wrote It ~ truthout

At the conclusion of today's concert for president-elect Barack Obama 89-year-old Pete Seeger joined Bruce Springsteen for a sing-along with perhaps half a million people of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," which I dare say practically everyone in the country knows from childhood.

But sly old Pete, who actually hoboed with Woody during the Depression and Dust Bowl, had the crowd sing the song as it was actually written, as not only a celebration of this great land, but as a demand for workers' and people's rights. That is, he restored the verses that have been censored from the song over the years to make it less political.(lyrics after the jump)

** As Pete Seeger turns 90, his songs remain timeless

So, I was thinking of Rick Harrison today. And I was reminded of one of my favorite posts of his. In it, he asked, "what are the top ten songs" you are listening to right now? The premise being that digital technology and tracking gives us a very good idea of what our momentary favorites are, no 'Stairway's To Heaven,' or 'Freebirds,' or 'Hotels California,' or other killer ballads you can think up, dig? What's at the top of your play-list, on your iPod, or mp3 player, right now? As I thought of Rick--I've been thinking about buying a guitar lately, I really miss playing--the whole list thing came to me. Then I got to thinking, "why am I listening to exactly this kind of music right now?" But that's a post for another day. Regardless, I make a new iPod playlist for each country I travel in, a resource to return to in the future in the hopes of gauging where I was in my heart at the time. So, without further ado, here is my current top five list:

"Bastard," by Jeff Black--full disclosure, I've been listening to this song since Lake Toba and it still resonates, but it does skew the immediacy of the list--"Not that Cool," by Will Hoge, "Mirage," by Reckless Kelly, "Wake Up Time," by Tom Petty and "Til I'm Too Old To Die Young," by Kieran Kane.

What's yours? And if you don't have an iPod, tell us what's in your 8-track player!

Phillip Ramati | Apr 5 | Macon.com

They moved to Macon 40 years ago. No one here had seen the likes of people like them before.

They were hippies. Long-hairs. Rebels.

A band that had a black member playing with five white guys? A band that performed with two drummers?

They played a style of music that defied a definition. It wasn’t just rock ‘n’ roll. It was blues, jazz, country, folk. It was eventually christened Southern Rock.

Duane Allman, a guitar prodigy, put the band together. His brother, Gregg, sang and played organ. Dickey Betts played guitar. Berry Oakley was on bass. Butch Trucks and Jai “Jaimoe” Johanny Johanson both played drums.

They were called the Allman Brothers Band. This is their story, in the words of those who knew them best. continue reading here

Such instruments as ukeleles, mandolins, balalaikas, etc. tend to languish in the forgotten wilderness of musical culture. But even the much-maligned ukelele (which I first saw abused on the Arthur Godfrey show in the 1950s), is capable of playing some great music, as is evidenced by the first clip below, a George Harrison tune performed in New York's Central Park.

Since there’s been a lot of good music posted in the last few days, I thought I’d take a break from my moral outrage about what’s happening in our country and the world and contribute as well.

I spent the first three years of my life at about 14,000 feet in the Andes in Argentina, and, while I only have fleeting memories of those days, the haunting, beautiful music (mixed native American and Spanish) from this part of the world stayed with me in recordings we brought to the US. One group that has revived this tradition over the years is Inti Illimani, and I link three of their performances below. The first is the most traditional, and, if you’re not familiar with the ukulele-like stringed instrument that shows up early in the first piece, it’s called a “charanga,” and it’s made from the back of an armadillo. The next two pieces are arrangements in deference to the group’s Italian fans.

With what’s been happening in our country and in the world in the last few weeks, I can’t say I’ve been in the best frame of mind to post music, but, but, if anything, we probably need more of it than less, as long as it’s genuine.

I thought I’d start the year with two songs that seem pretty relevant, one from Emmylou about the hope for a better life and the other, from Mary Black, covering a poignant song by Richard Thompson about the sadness of emigration.

One of these Days

Farewell, Farewell

OrionBlastar writes:

I remember my 14 year-old niece. She was wearing a t-shirt that said "The Beatles" as everyone in her school wore them.

Below are four links to some pretty decent guitarists, mostly acoustic, that I thought might be worth a listen.

Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed

Jerry’s Breakdown

Ralph Towner, the guitarist for the group, “Oregon”

Jamaica Stopover

While I appreciate a wide variety of music, Bluegrass is probably my first love going back to my childhood in the 1950’s when, home sick from school one day and looking for some music on my transistor radio, I was suddenly spellbound by the sound of a Bluegrass banjo. I realize that it’s not everyone’s favorite music, but, at its best (and there is a lot of it that’s less than “best”), it not only stands up to the most inspiring ethnic string band music anywhere in the world but also speaks from the depth of our rural soul in a way that Nashville left behind decades ago.

While the attached clips are from the lighter side of the music, I thought you might get a kick out of comparing two phases in the life of one of Bluegrass’s icons, Ricky Skaggs, first, at the age of seven in the 1950’s, tugging impatiently on Lester Flatt’s coattails during a TV broadcast and then second, just a few years ago, invited to perform with the Boston Pops.

As much as I’ve fancied myself as reasonably knowledgeable about pop music, especially its more acoustic side, it wasn’t until years after I moved to Maryland, Eva’s home state, from New York in 1991 that I even heard her name. While it’s not the first time I overlooked something like that, there are a number of good reasons why her name is not a household word.

First, even in her prime, she was always a young, shy, and self-effacing woman more into horticulture than the spotlight. Second, since she excelled in every conceivable vocal style short of opera, record companies had no idea what to do with her. Third, she only sang songs that truly inspired her, and her impeccable taste and emotional depth didn’t endear her to the mass market corporate media. Fourth, and most sadly, she died of melanoma in 1996 at the age of 33.

The four links below, taken from her performances at Blues Alley, a DC jazz club, should give you some idea why she had profound effects on most people who listened to her.

Christina Aguilera: Ain't No Other Man

With appreciation for the responses I got on my last post, I thought I’d share a few more clips I thought you might enjoy.

The first features three legendary guitarists, Albert Collins, Roy Buchanan, and Lonnie Mack (singing lead) in a blues concert clip. While I think Collins takes the lead in sheer impact, all three are a pleasure to listen to. Like more than a few YouTube clips, the sound is a little out of synch with the video, but it’s close enough.

Further On Down the Road

While I’m relatively new to the Agonist, I was extremely saddened to hear of Rick’s passing, and I especially appreciated his “Saturday Night Jukebox.” While never seeking to fill his shoes, I have my own past as a musician and singer, and, especially when there’s so much to be depressed about these days, I’d like at least to post some music from time to time that’s certainly lifted my spirit. So here goes:

Mary Hudetz | Portland, OR | November 12

AP - Mitch Mitchell, drummer for the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience of the 1960s and the group's last surviving member, was found dead in his hotel room early Wednesday. He was 61.

The North Coast airwaves of 1965 to 1971 featured genre-free wall-to-wall Top 40 hits spun by AM powerhouses CKLW (Windsor, Ontario) and WIXY 1260 (Cleveland). They were the stations of choice at the city pool and, when we were old enough to drive our girlfriends, blankets and radios there, at the beach.

Along with the British Invasion groups and the Folk Rockers, these were the singers that grabbed my soul and gonads when I was a hopelessly romantic – and terminally horny – adolescent:

LOL humor SNL style, the video for the New Liberty song "Shake Shake" has a political twist with the 4 candidates for President and VP going into Club Risque and the plot unfolds from there. The anecdote provides commentary on the way Sarah Palin is viewed by many of her supporters, especially men, who are attracted to her for her sex appeal more than her qualifications.

YouTube Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMP_OiYHsVQ

Embed:

Rock and Roll music was spawned from the blues and also from country/western (where that genre came from is the subject for another day, but let it be said that the African-American seed took root there, too).

Growing up in Northeast Ohio, I wasn't exposed to country music at a tender age. But I heard hits by Little Richard. the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and Elvis that didn't sound like the doo-wop and ponytail stuff that competed for airplay in the latter part of the fifties. When I got a little older and started playing music with guys who had grown up with other music playing in their homes, I learned how much country music was a presence in rock 'n' roll. In the late sixties, a number of artists went back to the pure sweet sounds of country for inspiration, electrified the rhythm section, and launched a hybrid that got labeled (as all music must be labeled - by non-musicians) as "country/rock".

"Country/Rock" is sort of redundant, as is "Blues/Rock". But let's leave that alone for now, and instead offer up some sides by the first artists who were driven to create popular music different from the prevailing teen pop, smooth soul and acid rock (nothing wrong with any of these!) and mix in some of the folkier lyrical, vocal and instrumental styles they heard growing up.

The song list is below the fold. Pile on your favorites.

Bob Egelko | San Jose, CA | August 20

San Francisco Chronicle - In a victory for small-time music copiers over the entertainment industry, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that copyright holders can't order one of their songs removed from the Web without first checking to see if the excerpt was so small and innocuous that it was legal.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel of San Jose was the first in the nation to require the owner of the rights to a creative work to consider whether an online copy was a "fair use" - a small or insignificant replication that couldn't have affected the market for the original - before ordering the Web host to take it down.

titled thusly so as to eliminate the Josh Grobans and Neil Diamonds and Garth Brookses of the world :)


John Lennon

Mick Hucknall

Neil Finn

Paul Carrack

Paul David Hewson

Paul Rodgers

Paul Young

Roger Daltry

Steve Marriott

GOD

What have you?