Earlier this evening in Iowa City, My Morning Jacket was forced to cancel their show after just 45 minutes when guitarist/lead singer Jim James slipped and fell off the stage
The idea behind Origins of a Song is to take a fictitious look at a scenario that may or may not have led to the birth of a select few of the most memorable of songs. This time, we’ll take a crack at the brilliant Townes Van Zandt’s classic folktale, Pancho & Lefty.
On a rickety porch attached to an old wooden house in the midst of a dusty Mexican desert town, a trio of old men adorned in cowboy hats, holsters, and full get up of western accoutrements, drink from bottles of Tecate as hey sway back and forth in their rocking chairs.
“It’s been a very long time amigo. What do you say you sing us a song,” asks the old federale.
“Nah, I don’t sing the blues anymore; I was a different person back then. Made deal with a devil or whatever it is they say about bluesmen,” Lefty says laughing to himself.
“Too bad, amigo; you had it in ya. So, what brings you back down here to Meheeco, Lefty,” ponders the other old federale.
“Oh… Redemption I suppose,” Lefty says lazily and half drunk as he ponders what he is doing there.
“What do you mean, redemption?”
“Well, I’m an old man now, but many years ago, I did something I’ve always regretted. They day I left town, I betrayed a friend.” Lefty returns pulling his lips together, breathing a deep sigh, and hunching his shoulders humbled.
READ ON for the conclusion of this month’s Origins of a Song…
The Bridge once again had a strong showing and walked away as the sole victors of last week’s edition when we looked at eight covers of Them Changes. The Bridge should be thankful for their energetic fans on their message board that helped drive up the number as the week went on to push past 2nd place PBS. The Bridge hits the road again on October 14.
Moving on to this week, we’re going to take a look at the first track on Paul Simon’s legendary 1986 release Graceland. We’ve got a wide variety of performances this week: Solo acoustic, bluegrass, bands that have covered the whole album, studio renditions by punk-rock legends, the works!
As always, be sure to register/login to IMEEM before starting the playlist below to ensure you are listening to full-length clips.
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READ ON after the jump to cast your vote for the best version…
Sometimes, celluloid magic doesn’t happen for a particular film. Sometimes, the thrill of an idea pitched in a meeting never gets translated to anything of actual interest on the screen. Sometimes, the actors and script and director are all assembled, and guess what? Without a script that makes sense, or an original entertaining idea, one is left with a dud—the crazy idea about everyone turning blind, or an ecological disaster gone yawn, or yet another remake of Invasions of the Body Snatchers that just ain’t happening.
Well, sometimes a film is good old-fashioned popcorn-worthy, and not a lot can be said about its story, or substance. The thing, the MacGuffin of it all, whatever that IT may be, just works, and one sits back and enjoys the ride for two hours. This week’s Hidden Flick is a simple tale of a kidnapping, flying circus performers, an ancient monastery on a mountain range, and the daredevil spark of an actor able to pull off action-adventure.
Sky Riders, stars the rugged anti-hero James Coburn, and a beleaguered yet always interesting Robert Culp who played in a tremendously tight duo with Bill Cosby in I Spy on television way, way back in the days of innocence and rabbit-eared antennas. Culp’s wife, young son and daughter are kidnapped by a group of terrorists demanding a large ransom from the wealthy American businessman. Coburn is the ex-husband who sits by while witnessing foiled attempts by others to recapture the trio, and he’d like to just go and get them himself—sort of a simple line in the initial pitch coming to life on screen…let’s see: “Fuck this incompetence. Let ME go get them before they’re killed.”
READ ON for more on this week’s Hidden Flick: Sky Riders…
Just before Phish reunited after their second extended break, Mike Gordon spent the summer making quite a statement. Thanks to The Green Sparrow – one of the best albums ever
Fat Possum Records is excited to announce that the Heartless Bastards are set to release their third record on January 20, 2009. The record is called The Mountain and was
Members of TV On The Radio, Subtle and Faith No More’s Mike Patton have joined forces to form a supergroup. TV On The Radio singer Tunde Adebimpe has revealed that
The Flaming Lips have announced that they will host what has become an annual Halloween parade tradition in their hometown. The ‘March Of 1000 Skeletons’ is set to take place
Updating a story first posted yesterday (Oct. 6). Depeche Mode has renewed its long-term deal with Mute/EMI and is planning to release its 12th studio album April 20, 2009. Past
“I’m so tired, I wish I was the moon tonight,” Neko Case sang midway through her breathtaking set at The Pageant in St. Louis. We’ve come to expect the best from Case over the years, and that’s what she continues to deliver in her live performances and albums. 2006’s Fox Confessor Brings the Flood showed off Case’s talents as not only a singer and songwriter, but also a capable producer of creating her own vision and bringing it to life.
