Welcome to Music Week!

I'm thinking that I'm going to do a music-related post each day this week. There may be some other stuff too, but mainly it will be lots of music. I'm just in that kind of mood.

Screwing Up the Mix (Part 1)

I guess Kelly’s never going to speak to me again, since I’m just now getting around to getting the discs for her summer music exchange in the mail. Sigh! What can I say, except, I am what I am? (Sadly, everything’s been ready for several weeks, waiting for me to remember to mail them. Double sigh!)

I really enjoyed Kelly’s Disc (School’s Out for the Summer) quite a bit. Good variety and lots of great songs. I take some issue with including Trace Adkins and Kenny Chesney (no offense, Kelly, but, blech!), but the Go-Go’s, the B-52’s and The Band more than make up for it. Plus, a Death Cab for Cutie song I actually like! And, I have to find some more Husky Rescue!

I’m grooving to Lefty’s KLFT mix right now. I’m enjoying the whole conceit of the radio station quite a bit, and his choices are full of surprises!

I can’t comment on Roger’s disc, because for some unknown reason he sent me his copy of the Eddie Mitchell disc that Lefty made. Sorry, Roger. It’s a good disc, but I’ve already got one!

My idea was to put together a set of music devoted to Summer music festivals. A Backpack Full of Tunes is full of artists that Keith and I have seen live and is designed to be pre-festival listening to get one in the mood for joining the crowd and grooving to the music. Fortunately, since I missed the summer festival circuit, there are music festivals happening all year round!

Here’s the content list for my disc, which is heading (finally) to the others even as I type.

Home-Grown Tomatoes (Guy Clark): Summer also means gardening time, so this ode to growing it yourself is a good opener. It’s just lots of fun! We’ve seen Guy live several times now, and are really looking forward to January, when he’ll be here as part of a songwriter’s showcase with John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett.

All My Life (Todd Snider): We listen to lots of Snider on the way to various shows. This song is one of our favorites. Keith laughs that it’s about us, since on road trips I tend to read magazines until I fall asleep, while he drives. We’ve probably seen Todd Snider perform live more times than any other artist, at this point.

Return of the Grievous Angel (Gram Parsons): Emmylou Harris appearance number 1, as Gram’s “girl singer.” This is my favorite GP song, even though it’s really difficult to establish exactly what time period he intended to be the setting for the song. This is one of those songs I find myself singing to myself at odd times during the day. We’ve obviously not seen Parsons perform, but I have seen Emmylou do this song in concert.

Tear My Stillhouse Down (Gillian Welch): I love the new breed of artists who are taking traditional music and performing it with a modern sensibility. Gillian Welch is about the best of the bunch. We’ve seen her perform a couple of times.

Burgoo (Sarah Elizabeth Whitehead): Local artist singing about a local dish. I love the imagery in this song! She performs regularly in Louisville with her husband who is an author and poet.

Birdhouse in Your Soul (They Might Be Giants): If I were president, I’d pass a law that every mix CD be required to include a TMBG song. This is one of my favorites. It helps break up the “all Americana all the time” groove I kind of settled in by default when I chose my theme. We saw TMBG last year when they opened the Lebowskifest.

Thank Misery (Jill Sobule): Nothing like a real downer in the mix. Especially one with such a cheery, mixed message: “If I had been normal and well-adjusted I never would have met you.” Nice. We’ve not seen Jill live yet, but she is very close to the top of my list of artists I have to see.

Vincent Black Lightning 1952 (Del McCoury Band): This is the one I requested that they perform at my house. I love the storyline of this song, which was written by the legendary Richard Thompson. When it gets to the line at the end about the angels in leather and chrome, the hairs on my arm stand up every time I hear it. We’ve seen them perform maybe a half-dozen times, interestingly; nearly all of them have been free shows. This one, of course, was the best one.

Mama Used to Dance (Reel World String Band): Kentucky group that we’ve seen quite a few times. Their music sometimes goes places that bluegrass and traditional don’t always go: women’s issues and stories, environmentalism, peace and justice.

Lydia (Slaid Cleaves): Just saw him perform a few weeks ago. He’s the nicest guy, and really easy-going. Not at all the kind of person you would expect to meet after listening to his hard-luck, dark, despairing songs.

Birds (David Olney): David Olney is one of the most unjustly overlooked songwriters currently performing. We saw him last year in a small club here in town, with about a dozen other people. I felt bad for him, but he gave us a fabulous show just the same. He says the bird names in this song are all made up.

Become You (Indigo Girls): Love, love, love the Indigos. We were going to their shows even before concert-going became a regular past time for us. This is the title cut to one of their recent albums. There are some feelings you really have to be from the south to fully understand. This songs cuts to the heart of them. I think we've seen them every time they've been to Louisville.

Making Pies (Patti Griffin): This is my favorite Patti G. song, the story of an older woman going to work at the restaurant where she’s baked pies for many years. I love the lines that tell about her going to church because it gets her out of the house and because Father Mike “ain’t hard to like.” Then there’s her description of Jesus with “his big blue eyes and his honey-brown hair.” Perfect! She needs to come back to this part of the world!

Mama’s Opry (Iris Dement): Iris is an acquired taste for some, but I love her twangy delivery and her song writing, which can be both tender and touching and offbeat at the same time. I love the lines in this song that are made up of the titles to old gospel numbers. Oh, and that’s Emmylou appearance number 2, doing harmony vocals and giving Iris an early career boost. Iris is one of my favorite artists to see live, because she really holds folks. No one chatters during an Iris Dement performance.

Before the Revolution (Tim Easton): This is an unreleased demo from a New West sampler. Mised the chance to see him last week. Bummer.

Red, Red Rose (Emmylou Harris): Finally, the lady appears on her own. I do try to use something Emmylou-oriented on every mix I do. Lately, I’ve been trying to make some of those choices a little less obvious. This comes from Brand New Dance, one of her last releases for Warner Brothers. It’s not a big fave among a lot of Emmylunatics, but it’s one of my favorite albums. I’m contrary like that.

Angel from Montgomery (Bonnie Raitt/John Prine): This is my all time favorite song. I prefer Prine doing it solo, but I always thought Bonnie Raitt did a fine job with it.

Jesus is Coming (John Eddie): Love, love, love John Eddie, and not just for his last name. Love the bit about Jesus and Santa having cocktails at the Atlanta airport. Of course, the kicker comes at the end with the reminder that Jesus doesn’t have to come, as he’s supposedly been here the whole time. I know Chris and Roger write freely about their faith, so I’m hoping they have a bit of a sense of humor about it too. John Eddie had some label troubles a couple years ago, so he hasn't been around these parts much lately.

That covers everything on my disc for the swap. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the mea culpa gifts I threw in for everyone.

From Yesterday's Yard Saling

The street that one of Keith's friends lives on had their annual yard sale yesterday, so we were there.

At one house, I found an alumni directory from my alma mater! It's eleven years old, but it's more current than the one I have and it was only a quarter.



At another one, a lady gave me this:

Um, thanks. I think....

No comics this week! :-(

Just a Linkin'

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, some corner of comics fandom burps up something else. (For those of you tired of the whole deal, it’s a Meely link.) Thanks to Comics Worth Reading for the link.

For the record, you can count me among the many who have declared their linking policy to be: Yes! Please! Link to me!

Greg Burgas’ Top Ten Favorite Albums

Gon is coming back! Yay! (That really belongs in yesterday’s “Happiness Is” post, but I forgot it. I just have a small nagging doubt in the back of my mind that the typical manga fan the CMX line is aimed at will also go for Gon. (Selfishly, what I want is a nice over-sized hardcover collecting Gon in an archive-like edition, but that’ll never happen.)

Never underestimate the audience for arsty porn!

Drawn and Quarterly has a link to a commercial for SPX.

Other comics readers look forward to Marvel starting to publish Civil War again, or whatever it is they’re supposed to be doing. I just can’t keep up with them any more. Me? I look forward to this.

Happiness Is...

Getting in and out of the very dreaded meeting with no major problems!

Taking the shirt that you bought last year on clearance, but put aside for “when it fits” and, after putting it on, finding out that now is that time. (I did that with a shirt and a pair of pants last year. I wore the pants on Monday.)

Being linked by Progressive Ruin! (Was it wrong of me to have really loved Wolverine week as much as I did?)

A cute, cuddly kitty! (Are you tired of seeing him yet? We need to get some more pics.)

Seeing “FRESH!” beside your blog name on Gordon’s blogroll! (Even if he didn’t include me in his list of readers.)

Vacation in two weeks! (All together now: “Vacation’s all I ever wanted! Vacation, had to get away! Vacation, meant to be spent alone! WHATEVER!”*)

Realizing people are still interested in reading this blog!

Payday Friday!

Running into the manger who does the orders at your comics shop who tells you how much they appreciate you as a customer and that it’s okay if you don’t pick stuff up until after vacation.

A link from Roger! (Even if he wasn’t feeling well at the time.)

Bully Says! (Here’s why: the most disturbing comic cover ever, Lois Lane fashions, and seven line, seven word reviews! It may, indeed, be hard to count to seven on hooves, but this is one clever little stuffed bull. He's cute too!)

The return of Journalista!

A link from Lefty’s brand new LinkMaster 3000!

The annual Ear X-Tacy Sidewalk Sale!

*If you got my last Mixed Bag CD, you understand the reference.

Video Extravaganza

No time this morning. We've got to take Chiquito to the vet for a very important appointment. He'll be a very different kitty when we come back. That means we can't feed him, which he of course doesn't understand. That also means we can't feed the others until he's gone (there's no way to keep him out of their food), and they definitely don't understand that.

"They're going to remove my what?
I don't recall being consulted about this!"

Then I have to rush to work for a meeting I don't want to attend so badly that I'd almost rather switch places with the cat. (Okay...maybe not that badly...but I really, really, really don't want to go.)

So how about some music videos?

Old Crow Medicine Show’s new video is here. (Choose "Down Home Girl" from the list.) We saw them in concert right after their new CD dropped and they really kicked ass. I think they’re on the verge of becoming an act that we listen to, but don’t see live. There are way too many frat boys in their audience who just want to hear them sing songs about drinking and cocaine. After a while. That kind of crowd just becomes too damned annoying. They're still an awesome band, though. (And a couple of them are pretty cute, too.) You can check out their other vids while you're there.

Scott Miller and the Commonwealth also have a new disc out. They shared the Waterfront Wednesday stage with OCMS. (For the record, they kicked ass too.) Here’s a video diary of some of their recent exploits.

Moving from one Sugar Hill artist to another, here’s Sam Bush’s newest video, featuring a fabulous guest appearance from the Goddess of Music herself. If you look quick, you’ll catch Buddy Miller playing guitar. (His wife Julie wrote the song.)

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to post this, but the video of the Del McCoury visit to my house is up at Amazon. I’m the one babbling like an idiot. You kind of have to ignore the host, who keeps trying to make Louisville play a bigger role in the history of bluegrass than it actually did. Still, it makes me smile every time I watch it. That was such an awesome day! You can see Keith in the background of some shots taking pictures.

We managed to get it up on YouTube as well. It’s missing the opening narration, however. I think that actually makes it a little better, except that you don’t get to see the scenes of Louisville.

A few weeks ago, Amazon sent me a few of the pics they took that day.

And, just to wrap up with something completely different, here’s an old Teen Idols video.

Sprucing Up the Place!

Just did a little repair work to the ole blogroll. Finally fixed the link for The Beat, so that it points to the new site, for one. After all, it's only been, what, several months since they moved? It was time.

Also added a link to the much heralded, much welcome, recently resurrected Journalista! (And there was much rejoicing!)

Added the Drawn and Quarterly blog.

Retitled the links section after my favorite Dr. Seuss book.

Added some new links sections, with links to follow some day:

Do Good!: Links to causes I endorse. Currently, the three sites that are there are "free click" sites that get support from the sponsors for every daily click they get. They're on the up and up. I use one of them as my home page, and click on through the others to start my a.m. surfing. Give it a try!

Louisville/Kentucky Music Resources: This will be links to local and regioanl bands, clubs, festivals, etc.

More Good Music!: Links to favorite artists.

Coming to Louisville?: Links to information about my fair city.

Places I Like to Go!: Some of my favorite travel destinations and thing to do and see in other cities.

Speaking of Yard Sales

Speaking of yard sales, I had one of those experiences that comics geeks dream of. One of the small cities in the eastern ‘burbs was having its annual citywide yard sale. We love to do those kind of sales, because they’re in the nicer (richer) part of town and you can generally get some pretty good stuff really cheap.

At one house, there were a couple dozen tables set up in the driveway. It looked like the remnants of a flea market booth or antique store. I was wondering if the two women running the sale were getting rid of the stuff after the proprietor died. Several things had two or three different price tags on them. I guess it could have also been the drabs of an estate sale.

Anyway, on one of the tables, there were about a dozen short boxes of comics, each with a sticker that said “$25 for whole box.” Nearly all of them were full of 90’s Marvel and Image stuff—including about 2 dozen copies of Venom #1. In other words, it was mostly crap. Except for one box.

Admittedly, none of it is any kind of great, unheralded find, but from my perspective, it was a treasure trove: obscure teen humor titles from the 50’s, Charlton romance books from the 50’s, SA Superboy, DC romance books, just a hodge podge of oddball stuff—which just happens to be the stuff I’m interested in reading and collecting these days.

I had to borrow the money from Keith to get it, but I walked off with that box, for $20 yet! (My motto for yard sales is “Don’t be afraid to negotiate.”)

It may not seem like discovering a trove of Golden Age stuff in someone’s attic, but I kind of felt that way. There were nearly 70 comics in that box!

Interestingly enough, the week before, we had our yard sale, and I got rid of the last of the comics and graphic novels I’ve been clearing out for over a year now. After several trips to the comic shop, Half-Price Books, and two previous yard sales, I was down to a half dozen or so gn’s and three short boxes, none of which were packed full. (They probably all could have been condensed into two boxes.) I sold a few things, but most folks were ignoring them. Then, a fireman (seriously) came along and offered 20 bucks for all of it, and I let him have it.

I probably could have haggled a bit or turned him down. Even though it was kind of the dregs of what I had to sell, he was getting a deal. If I had been able to sell everything at the prices I was asking, I would have made a lot more than that. I just wanted the stuff gone, though, so I took his twenty.

I’m kind of thinking my super 20 buck find was some kind of karmic payback for being easy to get along with that day.

As Everyone Is on the Verge of Dropping Me from Their Blogrolls

Okay, where to begin? Mmmm…

Well, I guess I can start with this little guy. His name is Chiquito, and we rescued him from the street in front of our house a couple of weeks ago. We’re back to being a three cat household and the social order is still adjusting.

He’s just a sweetie pie! And he has the biggest ears I’ve ever seen on a kitten.


This Friday, he’s got an appointment to get his little boy parts taken care of. I’m hoping that will settle him down a little. He's quite the little bundle of energy!

Then there’s the garden. From this lowly start to this:

Anyone want any Roma tomatoes? We've been hauling in batches like this all summer! We’ve also been having lots of lovely homemade salsa!

Saw this in the post office the other day, stuck to the back of the stamp machine.


While I do think the Bush=Nazi imagery is a bit simplistic and over-used, I did have to applaud the artistic initiative and the use of the priority mail label. After all, if you're going to vandalize the Post Office, let them supply you with the materials.

Little Known Fact:

Public trash cans are entitled to breaks, just like any other municipal employee.

When I was a kid, it seemed like it was awfully hard to find personalized stuff with my name on it. I’ve never quite figured out why, since Eddie really isn’t that uncommon. We always found lots of stuff for Edwards and Eds, but no Eddies, unless we had it special ordered. As a result, when I do see Eddie scrawled on something, it catches my eye.

I think this must be for a band or a street gang. Maybe a performance art troupe.

Saw this at a yard sale over the weekend:


It actually rocks like a see saw. The people selling said it was an old prop from a play at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. Once I took out the phone to get a pic, they started working the hard sell on me.


I think it either looks like something upon which one would sacrifice children and small animals to the nether gods, or something that would come alive in the middle of the night and eat everyone in the household. I politely declined the offer to purchase it.

Lastly, a word to the wise:

The all-knowing Eddie-torial Eye is watching you!

So Where Have I Been All This Time?

Honestly, I’ve got a very good excuse for not having much a presence here lately. As you can see, I’ve been taken in by a cult populated by strange and unusual characters:

The blond-ish older woman in the second row of the group is our leader. We call her the Great Intergalactic Space Mother.

She’s an emissary from the Gorflon galaxy, who has taken human form and lives among us to prepare our planet for the coming of her Gorflonian brothers and sisters, whom we call the Great Intergalactic Space Aunts and Uncles. They have a wondrous message of peace and harmony for this planet, which they will share as soon as we are prepared to receive it.

Great Intergalactic Space Mother is teaching us the Gorflonian philosophies to get us all ready. I’m still too much of a neophyte to grasp it all, but the part that I do understand has taught me that the color maroon is deeply, intrinsically evil and must be destroyed. Only when Earth has been cleansed of this color will the Great Intergalactic Space Aunts and Uncles be able to walk among us.

As you can imagine what with all the alms begging, flower selling, and secret missions to pour grey paint on maroon cars, I’ve had little time for blogging. Great Intergalactic Space Mother says that if I prove myself with the car cleansing, then I can graduate to stealing and burning maroon clothing. This would all be so much easier if we didn’t have to wait until the dead of night to undertake our missions. It seems many of the unbelievers consider our acts of purification to be vandalism. Great Intergalactic Space Mother says that we will have to endure our share of persecutions, but we do so gladly and with a benevolent heart, because we know that in the end the Great Intergalactic Space Aunts and Uncles will bring great benefits to all of humanity.

I know it all sounds a little strange, but don't worry about me. The group has been very good. Infact, they've become like a family to me!

Okay so I’m, like, totally kidding…….

Actually that motley crew is most of the Evans-Mitchell brood all together in one place. It’s from our trip to St. Louis over the 4^th of July weekend, which is also right before my mother’s birthday. Keith’s mom was wanting to find somewhere in between our place and hers for us to meet, and my brother lives in Saint Louis. Keith and I drove over with my mom, who got to spend time with her grandkids. Keith’s mom drove up with her husband, and we all got together.*

We went out for dinner one evening, and a kindly passerby snapped the pic. Looking at it again:


Back row: (L-R) Carolyn (my mother...aka Great Intergalactic Space Mother), Danny (my brother), me

Front Row: (L-R) Harley (Mereta's husband), Mereta (Keith's mom), Keith, Mary Pat (Danny’s wife)

The World’s Cutest Nephew and the World’s Cleverest Niece were at home with the babysitter. If I can pry any of the pics Keith took of them away from him, I’ll post a couple.

It was a wild trip. Saint Louis closes several of its bridges to celebrate the 4^th of July, which made getting around a little interesting. Still, we had a good time. And I got to meet up with fellow blogger Gordon for ice cream (Ben and Jerry’s) and comic shopping (Star Clipper). He’s a really nice guy and fun to talk to. I’m a little late in saying this, Gordon, but it was great to meet you! I hope things go okay for your father. I’m thinking good thoughts.

*Yes, I know that St. Louis isn't exactly "in between" Louisville and Arkansas, but it still beats the 14 hour drive that it normally takes to go from one of those points to the other.

Behold: The First Fruits!

It's the first tomato* from the garden!


*I admit I can't remember if a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, but "Behold: The First Veggies" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. I'm sure there's a reference librarian somewhere who can clear this up for me.

Got these from Roger*

When I'm bored or blocked or don't have time to get anything else done or clearing out my backlog of stuff, I do things like this.

Your Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything. You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey. You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

That's kind of a laugh, actually. I'll accept the first sentence, which is pretty much true, but the rest? Ha! Trendsetter? Write my own meme or survey? Ha! I need to write more actual posts before I move on to stuff like that.

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

This, on the other hand, is much more accurate.

*The fact that he mentions me by name today has nothing to do with this post. Honest. I decided to do this yesterday. Honest.

Just a few more....

Last set of Del McCoury pics.





Me, the UPS Guy and Del.








Del (guitar), Ronnie (mandolin), and Rob (banjo) McCoury. Neighbor's car in background.

And one final shot of Del McCoury!

Pictures! Finally!

Well, Blogger started cooperating a little and then stopped, but here are some of the pics from the Del McCoury performance. Keith couldn't get in range of the Amazon cameras, so most of the shots are profiles or feature the back of my head. I'll put the rest up as soon as I can.

Me and the UPS Guy watch Del.

Del and the boys, plus the camera dude. Band Members: Jason Carter (fiddle), Alan Bartram (bass), Ronnie McCoury (mandolin), Rob McCoury (banjo), Del McCoury (guitar)

And down the street, the Secret Service! (Actually, they're the UPS PR folks)

The man himself, Del McCoury! Singing! In the street! In front of my house!

Del and Ronnie McCoury. Still in the street.

Another shot of the band. You can see everyone but Rob McCoury, the banjo player.

Special Del-ivery

Take a look.

The dude in the middle holding a CD is me. The guy at the far left is the UPS guy who delivered the CD. The guys with the instruments are bluegrass legend Del McCoury and his band who recorded the CD and came along with the UPS guy to deliver it. We’re all standing in the street in front of our house, where the band has just performed a mini-concert for me, which accounts for the look of dumb-founded astonishment on my face. It’s been several days since it happened, and that look has yet to leave my face.

It all started with a phone call from Amazon.com. Last year, for their 10th anniversary, they did a promotion where select customers got stuff delivered by the folks who wrote/starred in/recorded it. They filmed the delivers and put them up on their site.

They’ve just started an online talk show with Bill Maher and they revived the special deliveries as a segement of the show, in collaboration with UPS. You can see some of the recent episodes and deliveries here. (Links to just the delivery segments are at the bottom of the column on the left.)

So they called me last week and told me that I had been selected to receive a delivery, based on an item on my wish list, if I chose to participate. Naturally, I said I would, so I signed their release and agreed to be home on Wednesday at the appointed time. They asked if I wanted to know who was coming, and I told them I wanted to be surprised, which Keith just could not believe. I thought I would be more convincingly surprised on camera if I didn’t know.

In the time in between the call and the delivery, we trimmed the trees and bushes in front of the house, cleaned the house (or at least the living room), and tried to guess who might be coming. I was a little nervous that it might be some author I wouldn’t recognize in person and I’d come off like a dud on camera. On the other hand, it might have been Grant Morrison. Since my wish list is, for lack of a better word, pretty extensive, it feasibly could have been anyone.

Thinking about it some more, I realized that the date they gave me was the same date that Del McCoury was going to be doing an in-store appearance here. It was also the day after his new CD dropped. It kind of made sense to me that they would work to set something up with someone who was already going to be here, but it was just a wild guess on my part. While we were cleaning, we kept referring to it as “getting ready for Del and the boys.”

Anyway, Wednesday afternoon, there was a knock at the door and I opened it to a UPS guy and a camera crew and a bunch of other people. I signed for the delivery, and the UPS guy told me to follow him. That was kind of odd, because on the special deliveries they've already posted, the person making the delivery was right there with the UPS guy. Now my curiosity was way piqued. He takes me around to the back of the truck, camera guys in tow, and says: “Here to help with this special delivery is…”

“…The Del McCoury band!” And he opens the door and they all pop out of the truck, instruments in tow. At this point, I’m amazed that I had actually guessed right, completely shocked that they’re actually there, and desperately trying not to sound like a babbling fool. I’m pretty sure I failed at the last part.

They sang the title cut off the new CD, standing right there in the street in front of my house. People across the street were popping out of their houses to check it out. They asked me if I had a request, and I asked for "1952 Vincent Black Lightening." On the one had it’s a lame request, because everyone always asks for that, but on the other hand, it is my favorite Del McCoury song. I always get chills when I see them do it live, and this time was certainly no exception.

Every time I’ve ever seen them perform, I’m always struck by how genuine they are, both in their love for the music and their appreciation of the audience. I always imagined they would all be really nice guys to sit and chat with. I’m really happy to say that I was right about that. They were all as nice as they could be through the whole thing, even though I’m pretty sure I was just babbling like an idiot.

We chatted a bit, they signed the CD and a picture for me, Amazon interviewed the band and me and the UPS guy, the neighbors kept staring, we posed for pictures, and then everyone left.

After all the housecleaning and stuff, it was a bit of a bummer that they didn’t actually go in the house, but I think the way it ended up was a lot cooler. I’m not sure our living room could have held everyone—Del and band and instruments, camera guys, etc. Not to mention that it would have taken forever to set up. I am really glad we trimmed the stuff in front of the house!

Since I plan events as a part of my job, I was really impressed with the smooth way everything came off. I got a kick out of noticing the little details—Del was miked, so was the delivery guy. They were very careful to get the UPS truck in as many shots as possible. Logos and brand names kept coming up in coversation. I had to hold the CD a certain way. It was really fascinating to watch.

The small army of folks that were there was fun to watch too. There were Amazon folks, of course—the host of the special delivery segment, the segment producer, the camera crew—but there were UPS PR people too. (They all stood way out of the way and had on suits. Keith and I joked that they looked like Secret Service people.) I think that there may have been a rep for the band there too, but I’m not completely sure on that. It’s a completely different world from what I’m used to, that’s for sure.

Keith took the pics you will eventually see here, once Blogger decides to do the right thing again. He had a hard time getting a lot of shots because he had to stay out of the way of everyone else. I feel bad that I didn’t introduce him to everyone. I was in such a daze and he was running around with the camera. I just wasn’t thinking about it. I feel a little bit like a jerk for that.

Honestly, I think I’m still in shock over the whole thing. Del McCoury stood in front of my house and sang songs for me! Wow!

If Mine Eyes Be Damned...

Recently, I was pleasantly surprised at the post office to receive a package containing a surprise mix CD from Lefty Brown. I knew it was coming, because he had been hinting about it in his blog, but had no idea what was on the CD, other than a few tantalizing tidbits.

It’s a great thing to get a disc out of the blue like this. It’s an even greater thing when it was created specifically for you. But, the greatest thing of all is when the disc has your own name in the title!

Songs Eddie Mitchell Should Own*

*And If Not Damn His Eyes!

Before I go any further, I just have to give a big “Thank You” to Chris for thinking of me and putting this together. It was an incredibly nice gesture, and I really do appreciate it. It’s brought me many hours of listening enjoyment so far, and will doubtless continue to do so.

Lefty told me in an email that he thought this was one of his best mixes. He’s definitely right about that. He’s also right about something else; this is music I should own. The only song I’m a little iffy on is Dar Williams’ cover of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb. (I’m just not sure anyone can cover Pink Floyd and do it justice.) But, it’s from a CD I should own, so I can overlook it.

Every other cut is phenomenal! As Gordon would say, this is an instantly listenable mix. The flow is great and the songs fit together so well, you’d think they were cut especially for this CD.

I don’t normally do song by song reviews, but I think I will this time, given the title of the disc and all. (Plus, Chris said he was really curious to know how many of the songs I actually do own.)

Empty Shell (Cat Power): She has a phenomenal voice and is a favorite of mine. This is a good song and sound to open with. I do not yet have the CD this comes from (The Greatest) but it’s on my List of CD’s Released This Year to Get (LCRTYTG).

I’ll Come Around (The A-Sides): This group was totally new to me, until the last Mixed Bag exchange, when both Chris and his wife Kelly used their songs. This is now the third time I’ve been confronted with the A-Sides, and I’m convinced I need this CD. Great pop sound these guys have.

Comfortably Numb (Dar Williams): See above for comments. I do love Williams though. This CD (My Better Self) is one that got by me last year.

O Mary Don’t You Weep (Bruce Springsteen): The Boss does a great job with this traditional tune, rocking it out, but being true to the roots of the song all at once. I love that kind of stuff! Don’t have this one, yet, but it’s almost at the top of the LCRTYTG.

Jesus Was a Crossmaker (The Hollies): Great song. Loved it on Thom’s mix and I love it here. It’s from the Elizabethtown soundtrack, which I still gotta get, since E-town is down near where I’m from in Kentucky.

L’Accord Parfait (Autour de Lucie): It’s catchy, retro, jangly, strummy, poppy and very very French! And I totally love it! Will definitely be getting more from them!

Hold On, Hold On (Neko Case): God, I just love what she can do to a song, and the sounds she creates here give me chills. Don’t have Fox Confessor Brings the Flood yet, but it’s on the LCRTYTG.

Chicago (Sufjan Stevens): This is another one I missed last year. I must have been unconscious or something. I know I bought a lot of music last year, but it looked like I missed a lot too. Great song!

Air Pollution (Page France): Never heard of ‘em before. Definitely going to be getting more. Reminds me of some of the sing-songier stuff from Air or Polyphonic Spree. These are good comparisons in my book.

The Littlest Birds (Be Good Tanyas): At last, something I actually own! Love what these ladies can mix up with traditional sounds. Case in point: the jazzy stroll in this number. It’s catchy and I find myself humming it a lot now.

Finlandia (Indigo Girls): Can not ever go wrong with the Indigos in my book, and this solemn accapella hymn is just lovely. And it’s another one I do have.

Rebecca Go Home (Lost Dogs): Totally unknown to me, but not any more. Great, great alt-country sound to this one. Lots of weepy guitar.

Wide River to Cross (Buddy Miller): Got this one! Got this one! Buddy is the man! One of my favorite CD’s from a couple years ago. And is that Emmylou Harris on harmony? I do believe it is! Good call, Lefty!

Deep Blue Sea (North Mississippi All Stars): Another great modern take on traditional sounds. Don’t know why I never had anything from these guys before. Must fix that. Love the percussion!

Daylight (Drive By Truckers): Love the Truckers. It’s amazing how much this sounds like a U2 song, though. I think that may be because Patterson Hood is not doing the vocals. I don’t have their new one yet, so I ain’t got this one either, but will get it.

Master of Disaster (John Hiatt): John Hiatt can absolutely do no wrong in my eyes. Kick ass songwriter. Kick ass song. Got this one. Off one of last year’s best CD’s.

Handbags and Gladrags (Rod Stewart): He might seem like an odd fit here, but it works well. It helps that this is an older song and not some of his American Song Book crap. I don’t have enough good Rod Stewart in my music collection.

Girl in the War (Josh Ritter): I can say I have this one, because Lefty says he got it from a Paste Magazine Sampler, which I do have. If it had come from the actual Josh Ritter CD, I’d have to say I don’t. Gotta love Paste! Great song—sharp pointed commentary and I like that kind of stuff. “Talking to God is like Laurel asking Hardy for a gun.” Ha!

Travelin’ Thru (Dolly Parton): Dolly’s another one who does no wrong, as far as I’m concerned. Well, maybe she’s done a little (letting Whitney Houston cover I Will Always Love You comes easily to mind), but she more than makes up for it with everything else. This song from the Transamerica soundtrack (which I do not have) is one of her best, and a real upbeat hopeful note to close on.

Well, by the final count, I’ve only got five out of nineteen songs! Pretty bad. I guess my eyes are damned. But my ears are very very happy!

Thanks again, Chris.

Whole Big Bunches of Odd, Unrelated Stuff

First off, thanks to Gordon for his nice review of my Mixed Bag 4 disc. Glad you liked it, Gordon!

Speaking of Gordon, I was one of the winners in his blogiversary giveaway. That sounds impressive, until you learn there were only two entries. Oh well, I usually don’t win stuff, so it’s still kind of neat to me.

Don’t think I’ll ever get the garden done. A friend dumped a flat of impatiens on me and I’ve not had time to do anything with me. The small beds I’ve got are full, and I’ve just not had a chance to work on anything new. Did have a chance to put up a couple of hanging baskets, though. Somehow they added something that I didn’t know was missing from the whole garden experience.

I’m not sure how much of this I can mention, but something neat is going to happen at my house this week, courtesy of a certain online retailer.

It was a pretty good weekend for comic and music shopping. Went to the LCS to find very little in my file—just a Lulu collection and an issue of Age of Bronze. Not real surprising, actually. So, I got a chance to browse a bit in the comic section and the music section. Picked up the new Meat Purveyors release. Picked up the Action Philosophers collection and some CD's. Haven't bought any music there in a while.

Then we headed over to Half-Price Books for our bi-weekly payday stop. I found a couple CD’s there and a complete Vertigo mini-series from several years ago. I’ve got my eye on a couple books, but think they’re still priced a bit too high for my taste. They’ve been there a while though, so I know the mark-down is coming!

Friends of the Library had their book sale this weekend, too. I always love to go, because there’s always something interesting there. I found one of the Top 10 collections and the first two volumes of Lone Wolf and Cub. Pretty cool.

Jaxon is dead. Damn.

Joe from GLA has a blog now. He’s a pretty nice guy, so check him out.

June is Adopt A Shelter Cat Month! The ASPCA has more info. They’ve also got an article about making your backyard safe for your pets.

Once they’re through trying to screw around with my relationship, what will the GOP do next? Mojoblog has the answer.

Actually, they are going after PBS again. Sigh!

It’s a good week for concerts, Del McCoury is doing an in-store to promote his new CD, and Marshall Chapman comes to town Friday. She’s got a new one too. So much new music, so little time…..

Support your local independent bookseller! The battle against chain sellers may be older than we (or at least I) knew, but the situation is worse than ever now.

Mowing the grass is my job around here. We bought a push mower when we first moved in, because I thought the yard was too small to mess with a gas mower, mainly because of the pollution. It’s also turned out to be better exercise for me as well. Find out more about ways to care for your lawn that decrease air pollution. (Last two bits courtesy of Utne)

Gotta run!

It's Been One Year

It's been exactly a year since I wrote this post. I can't believe it. Some days it feels like it's been forever. Others, like it just happened.

I spent today at home working in the yard. Dad always had a small container garden at his trailer. It was always kind of funny because he didn't like vegetables at all, but he grew tomatoes and some other stuff. He always gave them to my mom.

I finished putting in my petunias and marigolds. The other day a roadside plant seller marked down a bunch of pansies that were pretty much dead. I found a flat that had the most viable flowers on it and bought it. I put those out too.

Keith found an old wooden bench sitting out for junk pick up. It's in the back yard now. We're going to put the containers holding his herbs out there.

My dad never got to see our house, which is too bad. He would have liked the backyard. It's starting to look really nice.

I miss him.

It Didn't Rain!

The weather held. The evening was lovely. And the music was fantastic! More later.

The Summer concert season has officially begun for the Evans-Mitchell household!