Friday Links

As March goes out like a lamb, my weekend has started nicely...

For the first time this year, I rode my bike into work. It was a brisk 40 degrees. I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge just before the sun cracked the horizon. Will post a photo later on.



A.O. Scott, in the New York Times, says Meet the Robinsons "is surely one of the worst theatrically released animated features issued under the Disney label in quite some time." Meaning, of course, it should open spectacularly. Come back Monday for weekend box office figures.


On the KROQ website:

Chris Cornell stopped by Thursday to talk about the past and future and perform songs from Soundgarden, Temple Of The Dog and his upcoming solo album. Check back today to listen to the performance.

Someone on the Pearl Jam message board had a radio rip that I downloaded and listened to already. He performed "Like a Stone," "No Such Thing," "Black Hole Sun," "Seasons," and "Hunger Strike." Not bad, although "Hunger Strike" is so perfect in the studio, I have yet to hear a live performance that comes close to matching the original Vedder/Cornell one-two punch, even when they performed it together on october 28, 2003 in Santa Barbara.

The whole idea behind links is to share what I may come across during the course of the day. Someone sent me the following article, but I'll be coy about it:

Read why Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity members at the University of Michigan said they will throw out two couches in the living room.

Saw this on the wire, Girl, 16, Kicked Off Plane for Coughing. I linked the Honolulu Star-Bulletin article when I saw that she was a Hawai'i teen, from Kalani High School.

Thursday Links

A new blog I discovered, called Doctor Mooney's 115th Dream (or was referred to, by The Best Week Ever blog) has posted a slew of rarities from The Clash (here).

Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Mario Vargas Llosa had a fight 31 years ago. Now, details are emerging publicly about what the hullabaloo was about. Nice shiner, GGM!


Architect Frank Gehry is close to having completed his first Manhattan building. New York Times article here. Photo:


Fishbone has announced more tour dates.

There's a new Chris Cornell song streaming on his MySpace page. It's called "No Such Thing," from the upcoming release Carry On. He's playing Irving Plaza on Monday, April 16. Hmmmm.

I am excited to see Lucinda Williams tomorrow night at Radio City. Heartless Bastards are opening. Click their name (a cool one, indeed) to hear some of their songs streaming on MySpace. Or listen here: "Into the Open" courtesy of Adzuki Bean Stash.

Mini bookpeeping. I saw someone on the train reading this book today:



Go here for the Girlbomb website. Looks interesting.

I am working on an autobiographical musical post that deals with my failed relationship at the age of 17 with a young lady in Hawai'i who was the daughter of a judge. The main cause of the breakup: the Pacific Ocean and Satan. Betcha can't wait!

Well, It's a Damn Fine Monday Morning

Well, my hapless Packers beat the even more hapless Miami Dolphins, and the Detroit Tigers behind the transcendent pitching of Kenny Rogers evened the series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Even better, Shayna's soccer team had a fantastic win, 3-0, in which she scored a sweet goal to put the "Gold" team up 2-0, and then took over as goalie in the second half and kept the shutout in tact (unlike Mr. Jones last night, in Detroit).

But late last night I was doing my daily blogcheck of my favorite music blogs, when I popped on over to Sweet Oblivion. And I saw this:


Cornell, unplugged? Nice! (For those of you who don't know, Cornell is the lead singer of Audioslave, former frontman for Soundgarden).

Sweet Oblivion is bookmarked for this very reason: tons of amazing stuff from Pearl Jam, Chris Cornell, The Black Crowes etc etc etc.

Anyway, this is what I listened to this morning on the way in to work. Cornell did this acoustic set in Sweden on September 7 in a bar with about 150 people in attendance. Not only does he treat the audience to new Audioslave material (since released), he perfroms some acoustic gems from Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog.

I am also a huge fan of cover songs, and this performance does not disappoint. Cornell has one of the most amazing rock voices and gives us great interpretations of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song," Elvis Costello's "(What's so Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding," Led Zeppelin's "Thank You," and an incredible version of Michael Jackson's (yes, that's not a misprint) "Billie Jean".

Definitely worth a listen . . .