Rodney kills me!

Yeah, I could've grabbed some of the stand-up, there's tons on You Tube. But his appearances with Johnny Carson are just as funny and its fascinating to watch Rodney dominate a conversation with a guy who spent the bulk of his career as TV's premiere interlocutor. Holy shit, he's funny! 'I went into a gay bar, there were 15 guys for every guy!'

Rondey Dangerfield with Johnny, first
Rodney Dangerfield with Johnny, second
Rodney Dangerfield with Johnny, third

Take yo daddy by the hand

Classic footage! Doesn't it feel like Bo's looking at the freaks combing their greasy mullets and thinking, 'WTF?' 'Mona' (albeit the Stones version) was one of my mostest favorite songs as a kid. Get well soon, Bo.

Bo Diddley -- 'Road Runner/Bring It to Jerome/Mona' (live 1972)

BONUS -- Bo Diddley -- 'Hey Bo Diddley'
Holy shit, my man is tearing it up! Love the backup chick playing rhythm! This is a blistering performance from back in the day when that used to mean something. He's even doing a proto-moonwalk kinda thing (that the producer instantly cuts away from). On the one hand I love the fact that teeny-boppers from my mom's era liked the rocking good stuff; on the other hand, did they ever shut the fuck up and listen?

Screech!

I was hoping to find some Rollins Band circa 1992 when they still had it going on. Unfortunately You Tube only had later period stuff and a lot of that was of dubious quality.

The upside is I did come across this marvelous collaboration of the Rollins rhythm section with the great John Zorn from the late '80s. It is what it is: thumping bass, frantic drumming and sax noise that roams from one end of the register to the other all building to an Ornette-esque crescendo. The camera work is pretty Zorn-centric, but he's the big dog so that's to be expected and the important thing is that the sound is terrific. Enjoy. (This is actually the last of 4 clips available, they're all good)

John Zorn with Andrew Weiss & Sim Cain -- 'Zornflakes' (part 4)

We're the dandy highwaymen

I don't think I'd heard this song in 20 years, but I gotta say this is still a pretty cool song, it rocks well. 'Goody Two Shoes' was the more popular song, but this was the one I first heard. The video is marred by the fact that in the early days of MTV (and this video was early Mesozoic, if I'm not mistaken) directors hadn't yet caught on to the quick-cutting style that would come to dominate the scene, so the singers are required to make the vid watchable completely on their own. Check out how much Mr. Ant is just walking around here, randomly dancing and making faces. This is not easy to do and I can't say he makes it look easy--perhaps this contributed simultaneously to his rise and fall. Thumbs up for doing his own stunts but take it easy on the lip gloss--it makes you look cheap. (Incidentally, if you're interested in charting the development of the MTV 'quick-cutting' style check out Tony Scott's 'The Hunger'. By now the visual style looks like slow motion but at the time it was the cutting edge--and very influential on the British pop scene)

Adam and the Ants -- 'Stand and Deliver'

Bonus -- 'Goody Two Shoes' live (if solitary lip synching can be considered 'live')
Man, how did he do it? There aren't even any cutaways to screaming teenagers! If you've ever been on stage you can just tell that this was the loneliest 3 minutes of Adam Ant's life!

Harp-git throwdown

Michael Hedges was truly a one of a kind player. And here he's throwing down on a one of a kind instrument, the harp guitar. I loved his first few albums when he confined himself to pure instrumentals: though he was a fine singer I just wasn't as into his vocal compositions. He was just too good a player to sing! This is probably my favorite song of his and this is a killer performance.

Michael Hedges -- 'Because It's There'

BONUS -- Michael Hedges -- 'Bach's Cello Suite #1'
I'm a huge fan of Bach's Cello Suites and its always cool to hear a badass take a shot at one of them. It's not a flawless performance but a fine one (and I doubt I could do any better). All of his banter about driving home safely is kinda funny, til you remember he died in a car accident. Bummer.

Hair like a teddy bear

Champion Jack has the full range of a fine player--and I like his carefree upbeat boogie, as he is here. But he can also get the downest of down low blues that really hits you where you need it. And besides when you see a blues guy you don't want the happy stuff, know what I'm saying? On his sorrowful blues, his vocals range from amazing gravel-voiced self-pity to soaring deep-breathed self-pity. Ah, I'm not getting to his brilliance--you got to hear this 'good man feeling bad' to really get the gist of what I'm saying. There is a good collection of vid on You Tube, check it out, but the cameras apparently don't bring out the melancholy stuff.

Champion Jack Dupree -- Live

Daddy thinks I'm fine

I like this song. Rarely has drug-addled self-delusion come off as so jaunty. But apparently Daddy has changed his mind. She's postponed her North American tour, issuing a press release that says, "Amy has been ordered to rest and is working with medical professionals to address her health," leaving the impression that she has indeed 'found the time'. So, wait: does this make her a sell-out?

Amy Winehouse -- 'Rehab'

Yes, ma'am!

When the White Stripes first broke out 5 years ago or so, my first thought was that if they'd been around when I was in high school I absolutely would've thought they were the coolest thing ever. They're cute and cuddly and they rock well but somehow I don't love them as much as I'm supposed to. I don't mean to suggest that the li-fo thing is played out just that badasses with low expectations can only thrill me for so long, you know? But, dude, check out this blazing performance! Jack flat out tears it up! This is the kind of appearance that I wish I'd seen firsthand--except that I wouldn't wish an hour of Conan O'Brien on my worst enemy.

The White Stripes -- 'Let's Build a Home'

Max Roach, RIP

Legendary jazz drummer Max Roach died over the weekend. By all accounts it was a peaceful passing, not one to mourn but rather to envy. He was one of my favorites ever since I saw a kid's show years ago where he teaches the kids about drumming. He has one kid tapping a block, another kid beating a tom, another tinkling the hi-hat and another on a bass drum. Then he sits down and matches them all by himself--killer stuff and unexpected too.

These are some fine videos, this why God invented the Internet. Watching him work is like watching a great chef trying everything out, mixing and chopping to come up with something tasty. That last piece, from French television, is really a marvel.

Max Roach -- by himself
Max Roach -- drum solo
Max Roach -- soloing over MLK's March on Washington speech

Let's pretend we're in Antarctica

I've only recently become a fan, so I'm slowly becoming aware of what people mean when they speak of the latest album as uncharacteristically angry and frustrated. Some of the arrangements just keep evolving away from any kind of poppy hook. I kinda dig the solipsistic frustration and perhaps that's why I can ferret out the melancholy underneath this older song of theirs. It is a happy tune with a colorful, non-threatening vid but I sense a deeper vibe. Is it just me?

Of Montreal -- 'Wraith Pined to the Mist'

It's my turn to cry

On the anniversary of Elvis's passing, I figured it was a good day for a little tribute to the King in the form of an Elvis impersonator. The sound isn't so good but Tortelvis's facial contortions are pretty priceless. I saw these guys years ago and they rocked well, Tortelvis was a helluva drummer too.

Dread Zeppelin -- 'Your Time is Gonna Come'

BONUS -- I'm not sure what public access hell Dread Zeppelin ended up in here but they're still colorful. 'It's good for absolutely nothing, ladies and gentlemen!'

Dread Zeppelin -- 'The Immigrant Song'

Tinkle, plunk, crash

These guys are notorious for doing their versions of tunes by Nirvana or Aphex Twin, atypical fare for a piano trio. But jazz requires building on the music of the time, spurring it forward by absorbing it and spitting it back. When was the last time you heard piano jazz that was challenging? The innovative composers are typically solipsistic (even onanistic), but the innovative players are inclusive and wide-ranging. And piano jazz in the 21st century will probably look more like this: punk inflected, acid jazz derivative, rock and roll joy, beats from far flung locales, the cool calm of a DJ with none of the repetition. Fine with me.

The Bad Plus -- live at the Barbican

I smoke herb and work a turban

A homemade vid for a song from one of the finest albums of the last decade or so. The video is a bit one-note but strangely captivating just the same. (Is a new Deltron album coming?)

Deltron 3030 -- 'Madness'

What a gas it was to see him

An old-timey clip. The sound is terrific, the camera work and editing are suspiciously good and Black Francis looks like he's about 14. Sweaty fun from back in the day when music was still cool.
The Pixies -- 'Gigantic'

Find a way to make your natural tendencies to pay

A musical scene from a movie that actually was a musical--that may be a first for the music editor.

Steve Martin -- 'Dentist!'

BONUS -- Steve Martin & Bill Murray -- 'Say ah!'
Bill Murray reprises the role played by young Jack Nicholson in the original. Good fun at the dentist's office.

That's why they're called business socks

A tribute to the romantic habits of tired young professionals. Hey, even the petit Bourgeoisie deserves the National Geographic treatment. (Hat tip: Toddger)

Flight of the Conchords -- 'Business Time'

What else is in the teaches of peaches?

If Peaches in Mayberry doesn't offend the shit of you then you'll probably think it’s the funniest thing you've ever seen. (Sweet touch: notice the volume increase about 30 seconds in, that's magical!)

Peaches -- 'Fuck the Pain Away'

We all get raped on the planet of the apes

Gonzales is part Zappa, part Gould : namely 3 parts mad skillz, 2 parts juvenilia. My kinda guy. There's a lot of action here, just wind your way through and you'll be pleased. Canada just keeps cranking out the musical badasses.

Gonzales & Feist rocking out at the Trash Festival
Gonzales -- 'Take Me to Broadway'
Gonzales interview from Israeli TV
Gonzales -- solo piano recital

Folks lend a hand in a hell hole

Dig the Spinal Tap action figures at the end! I want one!

Spinal Tap -- 'Hell Hole'