Tracy Chapman won her first CMA this year. It only took 35 years. And a Luke Combs cover of her song, “Fast Car.” Gratitude. Grateful for the recognition. Graceful during the long lags between receiving any. Tracy Chapman knows a thing (or 35) about gratitude. In 1988, when “Fast Car” was released as the first … Continue reading Show A Little Gratitude (Tracy Chapman Edition)
Tag: folk
The Cuckoo (Hero’s Journey Alternates)
Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey” can work like a plug-and-play template. It’s a proven framework for creating tension and resolving conflict with plenty of main character development along the way. The artistic world is full of similar structures - one of my alternate favorites is a folk song format called “The Cuckoo.” Learning to spot any … Continue reading The Cuckoo (Hero’s Journey Alternates)
Sunday Music: The Weight
Forget figuring out the meaning of the song. The debates are unsolvable anyway. Spend a minute listening and just feeling it. Keep the idea of weight in your head the whole time. The tempo (the speed of the rhythm) is a forced, tired trot. The shape of the melodies are conversational. You don’t even remember … Continue reading Sunday Music: The Weight
Podcast Of The Week: Robbie Robertson On CBS
It’s a 7 minute TV spot. But it says a lot. About friends, creators, communities, risks, and life. https://youtu.be/HZfDKZuCWX0?si=lwhNCtzqcIHy6Xbf
Sunday Music: Sinéad
Two people on Sinéad who kicked my a** in all the good ways: You can click here to see the amazing Chrissy Hynde’s story (h/t Uncle Bob), but I want to highlight this particular quote and post from Sarah Paris in, "Remembering Sinéad O’Connor: A Powerful Voice, A Powerful Legacy": My older sister fell in … Continue reading Sunday Music: Sinéad
Sunday Music: “Weathervanes” By Jason Isbell
I’m all Isbell’d up again lately, forgive me. Or not. I was in college in the early 2000s when I fell in love with the Drive-By Truckers. I was a Johnny Cash fan from growing up, the kid who would play “Folsom Prison” in the 90s, solo on a guitar, between bands at punk rock … Continue reading Sunday Music: “Weathervanes” By Jason Isbell
Bruce Springsteen On Turning Points And Making Nebraska
If Bruce had to pick one album to represent him 50 years from now, he’d pick Nebraska. It’s a vibe. And it’s really cool how CBS took him back to the bedroom he wrote much of the album in all those years ago. Nebraska came when he hit a personal “wall” of depression. Springsteen says … Continue reading Bruce Springsteen On Turning Points And Making Nebraska
Sunday Music: My Momma, She Loves Me (Happy Mother’s Day)
Oh, my mama loves me, she loves meShe get down on her knees and hug meLike she loves me like a… moo cow in a barn -(not entirely) Paul Simon You know those terrible jokes that make you and your brothers (re: siblings) laugh uncontrollably but don’t even make sense? Paul Simon’s “Loves Me Like … Continue reading Sunday Music: My Momma, She Loves Me (Happy Mother’s Day)
Relationship Mirrors (And Isbells, And Shires)
Jason Isbell’s Running With Our Eyes Closed documentary has a few moments of spouseful spatting that make it particularly remarkable. You just don’t see stuff like this. Hardly anywhere - for good reasons I’m sure. Isbell and his wife, Amanda Shires, are successful artists in their own right. Trudging through their pasts and various source … Continue reading Relationship Mirrors (And Isbells, And Shires)
Podcast Of The Week: Jason Isbell’s Documentary w/ Bill Simmons
I was stoked when I found out the Duplass brothers were doing a Jason Isbell documentary with Bill Simmons as executive producer for HBO. If you have the HBO subscription, we watched Running With Our Eyes Closed once already, and I'm planning to watch it two or three times in the coming weeks. It's awesome. … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Jason Isbell’s Documentary w/ Bill Simmons