Seven.Caged.Tigers

Fox launched the fifth season of American Idol last night. As has become the tradition, the first few episodes are dedicated to the incredibly crappy performances that Paula, Randy, and Simon must endure. Watching people “sing” made me wonder a few things:

1. Were these kids told they were excellent at everything by their parents?
2. Did the so-called performers not listen to their actually decent competition practicing?
3. Are they deaf?
4. Are they truly and completely unrealistic, glass-half-full types?

There are so many things to ponder about American Idol. What I was pleased to see, however, was that with Bo from last season getting so far there are some “rockers.” Now I wouldn’t precisely call them rock and roll sorts exclusively. Those types of guys and gals laugh in the face of Idol. That said, if the show is to truly represent all kinds of American music and all populations, it is necessary to include them also. Bo made watching AI last season so much more entertaining, especially in light of the continued stringing along of Anthony Federov who quite simply sucked. I can’t wait for this evening’s festivities.

Stewie’s Quote of the Day: “Let me guess, you picked out yet another colorful box with a crank that I’m expected to turn and turn until OOP! big shock, a jack pops out and you laugh and the kids laugh and the dog laughs and I die a little inside.”

I would just like a day (or even better a whole week) of no responsibility and no worries. Of course that’s never going to happen, but this girl keeps on wishing for a tiny miracle. JT and I went to a wedding for my second cousin, Katie. Don’t ask. My family is very weirdly close. It was a good time, but the ceremony was at 2pm with the reception immediately following. I got tired and indigestion around 8pm and had to leave. ‘Tis the story of my life. It was a good time though–thank you Katie and Mark!

This weekend we also got to see Ray finally. It was a great movie. Of course immediately after that I decided we had to go try to spend money at Best Buy. It’s even free money and I still couldn’t come up with anything good to get. Talk about feeling like a loser! Immediately after, we headed to Petco to get a few new fish and inquire about our Litter Mate. We bought the auto cat little thing early last month. It broke after just two or three weeks. However we’d already thrown out the box and receipt (we’re stupid, okay) so we didn’t think we could return it. Petco was very kind and generous–they did it with no questions asked and gave us the same model in exchange. Oh yes–they also gave us a receipt which is now plastered on the fridge just in case something else happens.

I saw the news that Beck joined the White Stripes on stage. I would have given my right breast to have seen that show. Both are fabulously talented and both are among my favorite acts. It really is too bad that I limit myself to one or so show a year. I just don’t get enough joy out of seeing perfomers live to justify spending $100 for two tickets. Maybe if they were free to me I’d be at more.

Still tired. Tired is better than all that ickiness of two weeks ago, though.

Last night, just as JT and I settled down for the evening to take in the Tuesday showing of Big Brother 6 stupid Bush broke into the broadcast to tell us all about his Supreme Court Nomination. Obviously somebody needs some good press. The American public has no say in who is appointed to the highest court. Even worse? He’s the first and only president to ever have a live press conference saying such a thing. It annoyed the living crap out of me. Of course half of my annoyance was because it broke into one of my favorite (voyeuristic) reality shows. The other problem was the source of the information. Looks like somebody is in desperate need of good press. I wonder who that might be?

Speaking of Reality TV annoyances, I really want to watch Rock Star when it is shown. I really, really do–especially to support Brandon (the hometown boy). The problem is that I wake up at 5:15am. I can’t possibly stay up until 11pm and get a decent night’s sleep. Fortunately we have TiVo, but to my mind I shouldn’t have to TiVo something unless it overlaps with something else or I’m out of the house for the evening.

Speaking of TiVo, it rocks. This isn’t to say you didn’t already know that fact, but it really does. I love TiVo. Screw that stupid Comcast DVR. DirecTV with TiVo is the way to go!

Speaking of ways to go (or just “going”), I can actually go outside today. The humidity is still ridiculous, but the temperatures have at least temporarily dropped. It was 58 degrees when I left for work this morning. It’s still only 66 degrees. However from what I can tell the forecast is that it will reach 90. NINETY! Gack–I hate the craziness of Michigan weather.

My whole “music review writing” bit is starting to gain momentum. I started to solicit record companies about two years ago. That didn’t work well because (lo and behond) record companies don’t handle music PR. Those PR companies then began to randomly knock on my door about a year ago. I’m up to about 2-3 new REAL promos a week. In the past week I’ve gotten music from Megadeth, Sugar Ray, and Anthony Hamilton. Broad, I know, but truth be told there is something in each of them I enjoy. What I enjoy even more is that this music reviewing gig is finally starting to pay off. Not in money, mind you, but in free and real music.

Not that I’m bragging. If any of ya’ll want to get involved in something this home-grown may I suggest looking somewhere else? It’s kind of a random thing. You never know if anybody will pick up on you. I get the drift that individuals in PR companies don’t share their contacts. They want to hold on to you and love you so that you treat them good and write about their clients. Again, not that I’m complaining–heck, maybe I’ll get so good at this end of things that I’ll become a music PR sort some day! I mean I haven’t really decided what I want to be when I grow up yet. I know it isn’t “computer girl” so that doesn’t leave a heckuva lot.

In any case you’d be surprised at all the goodies that show up on my front porch. John Lennon, REM, The Cure, Sex Pistols, Flaming Lips, Van Morrison, Son Volt, and herds upon herds of others you’ve heard of.

Oh yes, and because I’m a nerd:

By the way, I completely realized that I didn’t even say where I write. Duh! For those of you who don’t know I write at Epinions and also post my reviews at my site Rock Reviews.net. Enjoy (if you dare!).

I come from a tiny place. I call it G-Town for short as I really don’t want everybody Googling the town’s name and ending up here. That’s a terrifying thought. G-Town is one of two towns in the whole of G-county. There are two towns, two small-ish high schools, and a total of four stop lights (there were two up until five years ago) in the all of the county. It’s pretty incredible. There are lots of cows, farms, pairs of shit-kickers, horses, and Amish. It’s a unique little place to be from (but not to live).

It seems that G-county has finally hit the big time. The other town, Beaverton (no joke, folks), has yielded a guy who could be the next lead singer for INXS. He’s one of the finalists for that Rock Star show. I have some memory of Brandon Calhoon if only because he was a big athlete stud type of guy. He played basketball. That’s the bit I really remember. In any case, he is three years older than little ol’ me, but athletes all kind of know of one another in G-county. Actually, looking at the CBS site he’s exactly three years older.

Also, I have to wonder if the 80s cover band he was the lead singer for is the M-80s. They were seriously GREAT and played at pretty big places around Detroit for years. I saw them a few times. It’d be really funny if he was. In any case, Beaverton has hit the big time & you gotta get a kick out of it.

Rural Michigan RAWKS!

Not that reality television is ever actually news…

I still feel compelled to talk about it. First American Idol. I liked Constantine in the beginning, but my affinity for him began to wane. Some people think he’s hot (me included) while others think he’s rather, well, frog-like. In either case, he’s still a great performer and a fine vocalist. Just clearly not up to AI standards. However, despite my problems with the guy he definitely deserved to still be in the game long after the elimination of Anthony and Scott. Anthony in particular has always irked me (like a wanna be Clay Aiken–there’s nothing worse), but Scott has recently just seemed to fade. Both are on their way out. Vonzell, Carrie, and Bo definitely are locks (errr–I hope) for the top 3.

Also in unimportant reality TV “news,” Michelle is out on America’s Next Top Model. I was actually surprised. Her photos have by and large (save for last week’s drag-queen look) been flawless. Keenyah was in the bottom two with her, and after putting on 10lbs in South Africa I honestly expected she would instead get the boot. I personally loved how they made her an elephant (and a bad one at that) for the photo shoot. Best though was Kahlen. She was gorgeous as a springbok (small deer-like creature). So yes, in case you were wondering I still watch ANTM religiously.

Finally, in not-so-reality TV news I’m in love with the Eels all over again. Mark Oliver Everett (aka E, aka the Eels, aka MC Honky) has given the world the faboo Blinking Lights and Other Revelations. It’s an incredible, emotional, beautiful, wonderful, perfect 2-disc album that ranks among his best works to date. That’s saying quite a lot. It’s a major improvement IMO over Shootenanny!

I lost a post I wrote on Monday. I don’t remember what it said precisely, but I think it had something to do with it snowing profusely (near-blizzard conditions). That isn’t the kind of weather I’m used to in late July in Michigan…even we have Spring for a month or two.

Today is nearly as schizophrenic. We have sun, then rain, then high winds, then hail, then rain, then clouds, then sun. It’s unpredictible and strange. It *is* Michigan. I’m back at work today after two days for my husband’s Grandfather’s death. When I arrived there was a lovely plant on my desk from the office. It’s really nice working among people who know the value of family. The plant reminded me that JT and I have lost four Grandparents in the last two years–that’s quite a lot. I thought it was weird tha the had all his grandparents when I met him…that didn’t last long it seems.

I suppose it’s all part of growing older, like it or not.

This weekend is the big concert. JT and I are headed to The Palace to watch Velvet Revolver. I’m incredibly excited. I’ve seen Scott Weiland before in concert (2000, I think) with Stone Temple Pilots but haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the bits of Guns n’ Roses. I can’t wait to hear what they play, cover, and rock out to. I’m such a sucker for crotch rock.

One of the students where I work was asking about protest songs. He was curious if they all sounded angry. Of course, they do not and I provided Louis Armstrong’s classic What a Wonderful World as an example. In fact, most folks don’t realize that the beautiful 1968 classic is actually an anti-war song. It is–trust me. It was when my husband and I settled on that song as our first dance at our reception that I discovered the fact. Not that it was a big deal. We are both liberal anti-war folk.

Because of that kid’s interesting inquiry I located a whole bunch of other actual GOOD protest songs. All of them you should know. The catch is you may not realize that they are protest songs. That’s the true fun of this little exercise. Make a mix tape–so long as you don’t get depressed by such things.

Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen (Born in the USA, 1984)
Despite the lyrics, this anthem has been sought after by politicians (Ronald Regan for one) despite the lyrics. It’s bleak and dark and not at all the gung-ho USA song some people think it to be.

Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2 (War, 1983)
Written specifically about Irish strife, the song was certainly more than that for the band. It was about war, injustice, hate, death, and bloodshed. A great anti-war song.

Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Willy and the Poor Boys, 1969)
Featured in Forrest Gump, this troubling yet touching song speaks to the way in which wealthy people were able to get their songs out of the Vietnam draft while middle-class and poor boys were going over there every day and dying.

Heroes - David Bowie (Heroes, 1977)
Apparently recorded in the shadow of the Berlin Wall smack in the middle of the Cold War, Heroes is a subtly rousing story of an individual rising to greatness despite the pressures of a dark and ank world.

Imagine - John Lennon (Imagine, 1971)
There is no simpler or more beautiful protest song than Imagine. The message is simple–imagine a world without strife, war, hate, pain. The intent is radical and pushes a socialistic and atheistic message despite the lovely sheen of the overcoat.

My Generation - The Who (The Who Sings My Generation, 1965)
While not an anti-war song, My Generation speaks to the frustration of youth. Youth are often seen as radical and crazy, but still must be listened to. It seems rather apparent that this still is the case today.

Us and Them - Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon, 1973)
Despite being sandwiched in a concept album, Us and Them clearly addresses the themes of war and poverty. It’s a stark and sometimes shocking song well worth the effort of checking out.

Turn Turn Turn - The Byrds (Turn Turn Turn, 1965)
With the message of peace and a promise that it’s not to late, this timely song is both gentle and folky. It’s obviously anti-war and remains one of the most appealing of its kind. Simple and lovely.

It’s the End of the World as We Know It - R.E.M. (Document, 1987)
Clearly a protest against nuclear proliferation, this song is truly terrifying. Stipe spits out references to the times from pop culture to politics. It’s dark and frightening not to mention kicky and cool.

99 Luftballoons - Nena (Nena, 1983)
Nuclear annhilation is sexy? Well…yeah, at least when spoken about by German singer Nena. It’s a simple and surprisingly effective pop track.

Blowin’ in the Wind - Bob Dylan (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, 1963)
While there was apparently no specific thing that this song was protesting, it applied equally to all ills in modern society. I like to think it has to do with war. That’s just me, though. In any case, the answer is certainly blowing in the wind.

That’s just a start…anti-war songs are everywhere. Some might call this “suberversive” but I tend to think of it as necessary. It is indeed a Wonderful World. Yeah. Right.