You know, out here in the exurbs, I’m not sure other people will get the sarcasm in the song I posted about the other day, and I am reluctant to play it in the car with the windows down, because I think some people around here actually have “God is on our side” bumper stickers.
A couple days ago, Fonny (this Fonny) told me about Defiance, Ohio, a great acoustic folk punk band. I mean, they’ve got a fiddle, a double bass, and a cello, and they release all their music for free on BitTorrent - how could I possibly NOT love these guys?
My favorite song is The New World Order, and I know that no one likes song lyrics in blog posts, but tough nuggins. These were copied straight from their site, without any high-falutin’ formatting:
They say the new world order is just god’s master plan but if the blueprint calls some to starve, don’t blame god’s right-hand man, ’cause the president is holy, and the president is pious, and hallelujah! he’s a good ol’ boy! hosannah in the highest!
The plan is written in god’s hand so only bush can read it, and it calls for battle in god’s name and it calls for bush to lead it, and the blueprint calls to drill for oil, and exterminate the land, and if you can’t hear god’s calling, then you’re probably from france! cause the USA is holy, and the USA is pious, and hallelujah! god is on our side! hosannah in the highest!
And god is great, and god is good, and let us thank god for our food, we may well have more than we need and god well yet have mouths to feed, but god is great, and god is good, and someday soon, he’ll feed you, too, ’cause once we’ve got our yachts and crowns, god planned some food to trickle down, so just keep those thoughts holy, be patient and be pious, and hallelujah! god’ll grant your prayers, hosannah in the highest!
And I thank god for a god so mild, who spared the rod and spoiled the child, and signed a blank check so his boys and girls could buy up the entire world, so don’t think us rude if we intrude, but god in heaven ordained us to, so you best improve that attitude and step aside we’ve work to do and thanks for keeping things in shape ’til we could come and take our place. Oh hallelujah! ain’t life great? Hosanna in the highest!
(It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, at least in part because I don’t bother getting pissed at much these days. But, every now and then, someone will do something that really irritates me, like:)
People who say they like all music - “except country”
Now, there have been times when I’ve listened almost exclusively to country - in particular, 2003 through 2004, but that was a dark time for all of us. I don’t really listen to country at all anymore; I can appreciate a handful of artists for their own reasons, but that’s not my point here.
In my experience, people that say “I like everything but country” mean “I like whatever crap is looped on the corporate-owned top 40 station in my town.” They listen to the musical range that falls between Soulja Boy and Fallout Boy, but that’s like visiting every town between Boise, Idaho, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama: there’s a little variety, but it’s all pretty boring and you still won’t come across any oceans, let alone Paris, London, or even New York.
Seriously, just be honest with yourself and just admit that you own every Nickelback album - because hey, they’re not country, right?
I wish I had wandered through Chinatown that night:
If there’s anything I like more than the Dukes of Hazzard, it’s The Apple Bros. cover of Good Ol’ Boys. Get it on 3hive.
First off, if you haven’t seen the video for Weird Al’s White & Nerdy, get on that:
Then, watch the first take with Donny Osmond in front of the green screen:
(About a week behind Laughing Squid)
I can no longer listen to music without imagining how I would play it on a color-coded plastic guitar.
To the organizers of the Atheist Alliance International Conference:
Greydon Square was good this year, but I hope you’re thinking bigger for 2008. May I suggest Bad Religion?
Get back to me.
Hearts, Brock
A bunch of things happened in the past few months that I never really got a chance to mention here. Let’s have us a quick recap, eh? (More or less in chronological order)
Atheist Alliance International Conference, in Crystal City So, a lot of atheists - the kind that would go to the conference, anyway - are WAY more involved than I am. I met a few group organizers and a number of people that are involved politically, and the crowd was generally older than I would have expected - I’d say that less than 10% were under 30 (granted, not a lot of 20-somethings have money to travel to DC for a conference). I’m really glad I went - it was enlightening, I learned a lot, heard some interesting opinions, and got some good argument points in a couple sessions. Well worth the money.
Matt Pond PA, at 930 Club I didn’t know any of their songs when we went, but Erin wanted to see them. It was a cool show, but really not the kind of band I would see by myself.
Street Dogs, opening for Tiger Army at Black Cat One of the best punk shows I’ve been to. Honestly, even better than expected. I think my favorite part was when they started playing Fatty and all the big fellas pushed their way up front. We didn’t stick around for Tiger Army.
Gogol Bordello, at Sonar in Baltimore Gogol never disappoints. Fun as always.
Against Me!, at 930 Club The songs from their new album, New Wave, went over better than I figured they would. I really like most of them, but they’re not really the kind you would dance and sing to at a concert, I thought. We hung out near the back and I just sang my little heart out - I’m gettin too old to keep getting punched in the chest in the pit, so I didn’t even both jumping in for this one. Sometimes, it’s nice to just stand back and enjoy the band.
Dear Ticketmaster,
I just bought tickets to see Street Dogs open for Tiger Army and you offered me a free sampler disc from iTunes. Bloc Party, Finger Eleven, and a Kaiser Chiefs single I didn’t even know about? Right on!
Thanks,
BrockLi