The Rural Minority

Why can’t every year be as awesome as 1991?  Why you ask?   Just look at some of the all time great albums released that year:

1.  Guns ‘n Roses – Use Your Illusion I & II

2.  Nirvana – Nevermind

3.  RHCP – Blood Sugar Sex Magik

4.   Pearl Jam – Ten

5.  Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger

6.  Metallica – Black album

Can anyone find a year with 6 better albums?

I couldn’t decide how I felt about this new Wolfman flick. Though a very solid cast in Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, and Hugo Weaving, the trailer seemed pretty cheesey. Upon further research I found the release date has been pushed back three times, from February 13th of 2009 to April 3rd to November 6th to finally next Friday. A full year of set backs? I’ll pass. Will any of you go see it?

A good friend, Josh Walters of Leroy Townes and the Lonestars, sent me a cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Mr. Self Destruct” that he recorded on a whim.  He whipped up a nice slide show to accompany it and I’ve embedded it below.  I’ve had the privilege of performing music with Josh on a number of occasions and, in fact, he was my next door neighbor for a number of years.  I post the video here because I know a few members of the Minority who are big NIN fans and I found the cover to be quite haunting.

I think this is a good example of a cover worth recording.  If you’re familiar with the Trent Reznor’s original piece you’ll quickly notice how much of the cover was created out of whole cloth.  This approach to covers either works well or ends disastrously.  I enjoyed this.  Anyway, here’s props to childhood friendship:

I haven’t posted in a while so you’re probably all wondering what I’m reading these days.  I’m a few years late on this but Daniel J. Levitin’s “This Is Your Brain on Music” has been a page turner since I started it on Monday.  Its a must-read for any musician who, ya know, can actually read.  Levitin is a session guitarist turned neuroscientist who details how music engages our minds.  The book is wildly informative and, so far, has taught me a whole lot about timbre (rhymes with amber).  That’s actually a good gauge as to whether you should read the book.  If you like music and don’t know what timbre is then get your ass to the bookstore.

Finally, I feel I owe everyone an explanation for the reason my posts have been few and far between.  For art’s sake, I’ve cleverly hidden the explanation in the haiku found below.  Enjoy!

Some health insurance?

I have none.  But I might have

A staph infection.

No one is safe going to the rim while Lebron is on the court. Check out the King chase down O.J. Mayo in last night’s 105-89 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.