the cover story of this week’s urban tulsa weekly is a fantastic read. the church studio was (and will hopefully continue to be) a HUGE part of tulsa’s rich musical history. leon russell owned it in the ’70s and it was home to the famous shelter records label. then it eventually passed to steve ripley whose popular country band, the tractors, called it their home in the ’90s. apparently now it’s owned by the miller family who hopes to turn it into a venue of sorts.

the article only enforces the magical and mysterious aura of the place. jamie oldaker’s (once eric clapton’s drummer) tales are my favorite. this article coupled with my friend’s account of a story oldaker once told him during an interview (it included eric clapton’s house and waking up to find george harrison sitting on the foot of his bed) make me want to add oldaker to the list of people i’d love to sit down with and talk music.

i feel extremely fortunate that through my neighbor, bob wiles’ (formerly of the red dirt rangers), connection, steve & charlene ripley were gracious enough to let me take some of my senior pictures at the church. the history of the place is just incredible and when you walk in it’s almost palpable. the musicians that have come and gone and the music that’s been created there fill the air. pardon the cliche but if those walls could talk…

if you’re not viewing this on a mac, i’m sorry. it looks like total crap on my pc here at work because it won’t display helvetica, the drop shadows are weird/non-existent and the anti-aliasing seems to be off.

but looking at it on my mac makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside so i’m not going to change it (plus, as i age and move farther away from my fansite-making days, i’ve lost most of my web design ability and customizing on these new blog systems, tumblr, wordpress, etc, makes my brain hurt).

to at least mention something [kind of] musical, i made it into lefsetz’s mailbag again. twice in a week. go me! it was just a quick two cents regarding U2 and i’ll give you a more full review of the show whenever i get around to posting those backdated entries i mentioned last time.

yeah hi. i got really busy at my job so i stopped updating.

plus.

frankly.

i haven’t been all that inspired.

long story.

but anyway. i’ve seen some pretty good shows since my last post… fleetwood mac in may (completely blew my mind. top five shows EVER.), clapton & steve winwood in june (my expectations were too high. but the “voodoo chile” cover. oh my god!), mccartney in august (seen him before.), u2 a few weeks ago (still not a fan. cool stage though, guys.).

i have been thinking about my end-of-year lists though. that’s weird because i usually don’t think about them until, well, the end of the year. but i’ve already got almost all of my top ten live shows lined up (i’m talking numerical order and everything). haven’t spent much brain power on the albums, but that’s because, sadly, i haven’t bought many this year. again. haven’t been all that inspired.

anyway. my friend addie (schmaddie on tumblr) brought good old tumblr up tonight so i figured i’d drop in, change my theme (which won’t let me customize the colors. will fix this later.), and lay down a short, pointless blog.

so there that is.

i’ll be posting some backdated concert reviews etc whenever i get around to it.

in the meantime, go read bob lefsetz’ blog. i was quoted in one of his mailbag installments (concerning an ongoing debate that began about mika lipsynching and now covers any combination of the following: lipsynching, what you want from the concert experience (note-for-note, or the real thing, warts and all), art, van gogh, being a musician, not being a musician, why agents are money hungry good-for-nothings, grammar, and oh yeah, there was the guy who tried to compare something about fans and an artist to germans putting hitler in power. or something.)

anyway.

my quote: “It annoys me to no end when people say you can’t critique or have an opinion about music unless you can play music. So, in keeping with the art analogy, I’m not entitled to critique or have an opinion about a Van Gogh since I can’t paint like him? Bullshit. Most fans can’t play, but you care about their opinions. Oh wait, that’s because they like your band. So non-musicans’ positive opinions about music are valued and hold water. Non-musicians’ negative opinions are written off as dribble from untalented hacks. I get it now.

above is a link to rolling stone magazine’s six ways to save rock n roll.

this has got to be a joke. or written by a moron who thinks they know the music industry. because if they’re serious…i don’t even know. some fucking pop/rock A&R guy from interscope? i guy who designs over-priced box sets? a “motown-style hit factory for the emo set?”

what. the. fuck.

“hit factories” are part of the reason the industry is so fucked up!@#!@$

the only one of these otherwise ill-informed “saviors” of rock n roll might be jeffrey remedios of arts & crafts productions. i hadn’t heard of him until now, and i want to find out more about him, but he seems like he’s doing it right. it’s only these types of do-it-yourself ventures that are going to help the music industry. companies like arts & crafts work because they work with bands they like and they keep their rosters small enough to sustain that human connection between manager and band. you’ve GOT to believe in what you’re selling and that’s why independent management and labels are the way to go.

i’m not one for being cheesy and sending songs to people and saying “just listen to this and you’ll know how i feel.” i love when a couple lyrics hit you in the face with relevance, and i like to quote them sometimes, but a song has never suited any of my moods or situations 100% so i prefer to be able to write my own thoughts. but i was listening to the jonathan tyler and the northern lights cd in my car at lunch and this song that i’ve always loved musically just smacked me in the face. specifically, the lines “i took your pictures off the wall / stopped waiting for your call / i finally thought of what i’d say / but ain’t no difference it would make.” i started it from the beginning to listen more carefully and think i’ve found the first song that’s ever summed up everything i wanted to say into once nice, concise package.

jonathan tyler & northern lights - “she wears a smile”

she wears a smile on her face
and it’s more than i can take, yeah

done up like marilyn monroe
she’s a darlin don’t you know it

but she’s got these secrets that she hides
i can see it in her eyes
she’s going crazy inside

my love you’re breakin my heart
you’re breakin my heart
my love don’t make it so hard
don’t make it so hard

i took your pictures off the wall
stopped waiting for your call

i finally thought of what i’d say
but ain’t no difference it would make, no

‘cause you got these secrets that you hide
i can see it in your eyes
you’re going crazy inside

my love you’re breakin my heart
you’re breakin my heart
my love don’t make it so hard
don’t make it so hard

don’t it always go to show in time
you never ever really know what’s right

people run for all their lives and never find
you can’t control your heart and soul
she’s living in your mind (?)
she’s living in your mind

yeah you’re breaking me down
breaking me down
breakin you’re breakin yeah you’re breakin yeah you’re breakin
you’re breakin me down
breakin me down
breakin you’re breakin yeah you’re breakin yeah you’re breakin
you’re breakin me down
breakin me down
breaking me down

i apologize for the lack of consistency here. see, i used to have a lot of free time during the day. now i don’t. which means fewer blogs for you kiddos.

BUT. i did find a spare minute at work to scribble some of my favorite albums of this year onto a post-it note and it’s been stuck to the inside of my wallet for the past three weeks. so now [that i’m on day five of this cold/flu/thing], i’m finally getting around to blogging the list for you. i don’t know how much commentary (if any) i’ll give for each one, but hey, it’s better than nothing at all.

(that was an admiral twin reference…)

NUMBER ONE ::

kings of leon - only by the night
i wrote a blog about this album and, however many months on, i don’t have anything new to add. the record is still amazing, phenominal, classic. i still listen to it as much as i did right after i bought it. my dad bought it for me on vinyl for christmas. i haven’t listened to it yet though because i need to hook up some better quality speakers so i can enjoy it in all its imperfect, vinyl-y goodness.

NUMBER TWO ::

oso closo - rest: remixed
i don’t know how much more i can say about oso closo either. this is THE best band i’ve heard all year. incredible musicians, killer songwriting, and the live show. the live show! they’re going on tour early next…er…this year and i strongly suggest you see them for yourself.

NUMBERS THREE - TEN ::
i can’t rank the rest, so here they are…

jonathan tyler and the northern lights - hot trottin’

ludo - you’re awful, i love you

death cab for cutie - narrow stairs
“i will possess your heart.” enough said.

coldplay - viva la vida

john mayer - where the light is

the effects - …and it is

the raconteurs - consolers of the lonely

david cook - david cook
(that link is to the old one, i don’t remember the “official” link off the top of my head). i’m sure this album won’t make many (any?) other “best of” lists, but i like it. i still listen to it. it’s not great, but it’s not terrible. i think there are some really awesome moments on the record. “lie” is one of the best songs i’ve heard a while. the lyrics are so honest and spot on. i can’t wait to hear “a daily anthem” live again, but this time with a thousand people singing the end part instead of fifteen.

anyway. i had a good year in music terms. there were these releases and i was also introduced to jeff buckley and dredg and ryan adams. i rediscovered the feds and the foo fighters.

aforementioned blog. still in my head.

but sudden inspiration struck on the way home from the limbeck show just now and i just couldn’t wait ‘til morning.

BEST SHOWS OF 2008* **
*that i attended
**in chronological order

march 8 :: wilco @ cain’s, tulsa
sadly i’ve tried to block part of this show from my memory, but what i can and do allow myself to focus on is the brilliance of the song “impossible germany” and how it was 10,000 times better live. jeff tweedy seemed geniunely impressed at the turnout and enthusiasm of the tulsa crowd, which always makes me a little proud of tulsa. and his coat was FABULOUS.

march 21 :: admiral twin @ los cabos, broken arrow
the first outdoor show of the season always puts me in good spirits. and i love going to see admiral twin. it feels like family.

march 22 :: phantom planet @ diamond ballroom, okc
the bravery played too. and, going in, i was more excited to see them. but phantom planet absolutely stole the show. they know how to interact with the crowd and make you feel like you’re at a private show (though, to be honest, there weren’t that many people at this show). i hate that they’re breaking up.

march 25 :: dave cook - “billie jean”
ok, so i’m totally cheating on this one since i wasn’t actually in LA or hollywood or wherever they film the show. but come on, this was one of the best, most goosebump-inducing performances of the year. and it was on fucking american idol. i’m sorry, but i’m cheating and putting it on my list. after he sang that, i knew he was never coming back here.

may 18 :: black rebel motorcycle club @ the granada, dallas
the. best. show. of. the. year. period. it was a “private” jack daniels promo. no support, just BRMC. amazing sound. perfect view. not crowded. just….i can’t put into words how incredible this show was. they are absolutely amazing and i’m DYING to see them again.

july 17 :: oso closo @ exit 6c, tulsa
this is the night that oso won the hearts of pretty much everyone in tulsa. i remember being absolutely blown the fuck away by how GOOD they were (and by “GOOD” i mean, superlatives just don’t cut it, so i’ll just revert back to “good” but type it in all-caps for added emphasis). seriously. i’d heard a track and thought it was good (lowercase good) but oso’s forte is the live show. so much energy and talent and passion. i remember shawn from swampfox turning to me after oso’s set and saying, “well fuck. i don’t want to go on now!”

july 26 :: taddy porter @ dfest (mcnellie’s), tulsa
they rock. they packed the room. they gave away their music. they know what they’re doing.

july 26 :: jonathan tyler and the northern lights @ dfest (dirty’s tavern), tulsa
probably my favorite discovery of 2008. it’s close between them and oso closo. this band, jonathan tyler and the northern lights, stopped time at dfest. i planned to hear a few songs and move on. i was rooted to the spot for their entire set. there needs to be more bands like them in the world. take the best parts of kings of leon, the allman brothers… any of the good blues-rooted rock bands from the early ’70s. just…captivating.

august 2 :: oso closo, the feds, & fair to midland @ house of blues, dallas
i didn’t know how oso would fit with the feds and FTM, but they killed it. the feds made a shoutout to tulsa since there were a TON of us in town for the show and well, we were more awesome than that majority of the texans in the room. unfortunately i don’t remember much of FTM. we had a rule, no shots after fair to midland starts. or maybe it was the feds. either way, the rule was broken.

august 28 :: the feds @ belle isle brewery, okc
kind of an all-around awesome show. they sounded good (especially for belle isle). the crowd was such that the show was pretty much all-request. and afterward i got to hang with all the boys. i’ll admit i like being with “the guys” more than “the girls.” Conversation’s almost always better.

august 29 :: ludo @ the marquee, tulsa
the feds & my solstice (yes?) played too. i hadn’t seen ludo in AGES. i’d forgotten the lyrics to “good will hunting.” i love going to see bands like ludo. bands who spent a lot of time in tulsa and then scored some radio success or what have you. i love when they come back and the crowd is bigger and more into it and they get to turn more people on. love it love it love it.

september 23 :: the parlor mob @ diamond ballroom, okc
…should go here, but i suffer from chronic tardiness and missed all but two and a half of their songs.

october 24 :: dredg @ the marquee, tulsa
second best show of the year. dredg falls under the same category as blue october for me. blue october’s music/shows have always been extremely theraputic for me. there’s something about justin furstenfeld’s lyrics and/or writing style that just pulls me in. regardless of whether i’m listening to the cd or to him live, it’s like you’re sitting down with a good friend and having a one-on-one conversation. it’s just…music as it should be. but i digress. though not as much lyrically, dredg also makes me feel like that. it’s always been there on the cd, but i didn’t really notice that peaceful calm until i saw them live.

november 14 :: the feds @ dan’s silver leaf, denton
the feds are on here a lot. probably because they’re breaking up and i’m making up for the years that i kind of shrugged them off and didn’t go see them all that much. but this was a FANTASTIC show. not as good as tulsa will be, i’m sure, but the tulsa show isn’t for another month, so. the feds last texas show ever. on the list.

november 16 :: coldplay @ ford center, okc
better than the 2006 show. kind of peaked early at “fix you” but that’s ok. i hate going to arena shows, there’s no intimacy, but somehow coldplay seems to get to you.

december 6 :: taddy porter & jonathan tyler and the northern lights @ the colony, tulsa
i’ve already told you about these two. and they played TOGETHER. musical orgasm! of note: the northern lights covered “crosstown traffic,” making them even more awesome in my book.

and that’s all kiddos. i’m exhausted. this took longer than expected. it’s now 2:30am and i have to be at work in a few hours.

stay tuned for my (now) annual best albums of the year list very soon.

i promise. it’s all in my head, i just need to find the time to get it out.