Sound Alikes

I used to think Mumford & Sons sounded like Bruce Springsteen.  But upon further reflection, I now think Wrecking Ball sounds like Mumford & Sons.

Working Class Hero

I'm so grateful to Anne Helen Petersen at The Awl for helping to explain why I'm drawn to Jeremy Renner's good old-fashioned, brawny, American maleness.  I love the through-line she draws from Brando to Springsteen to Renner.  I, for one, welcome these manly-men as a respite from the carefully groomed metrosexual, the self-conscious hipster, the soulless financial titan, and the wan computer geek.  I'm also glad that after years of outsourcing to the blokes from Australia (Russell Crowe, Eric Bana, Hugh Jackman, Joel Edgerton, etc., etc.), America may finally be getting back into the business of Man-manufacturing.

Perhaps the one element Petersen misses, however, is the emotional resonance of the Brando/Springsteen/Renner archetype.  There's a thoughtfulness and a personal pride that elevates them above their calloused hands and begrimed skin.  The most attractive American working class heroes never give an indication that they are limited to physical pursuits or suffer from mental failings.  I'm not interested in just gobbling up the eye candy or descending into some brutish romance novel stereotype.  Brando, Springsteen, and Renner, through their characters as well as public personae, display intelligence, curiosity, and empathy.  (For this reason, I don't really agree with her inclusion of Channing Tatum who is probably a nice boy but who doesn't seem to have too many gears turning upstairs.)

Don't get me wrong, I've still got love for the nerds.  But in these final days of summer, during a political season of calculated name-calling, I'm deliriously happy to dream of a Man who is proud of the product of his own hands, who can build his own house, and who will smash the face of any asshole who tries to take it from him.

Introducing, Dixie Followill

Congratulations, Caleb and Lily!

You gave your daughter an awesome name.  So far, you're great parents!









Source

Death Comes to the Grammys

"I'd like to collapse with you
and ease you against this song."

So.sexy.

I was happy to see Gerard Smith, the late bassist for TV On The Radio, make it into the Grammys "In Memoriam" death reel.  It was a difficult night for anyone other than Whitney Houston to get the appreciation they deserved:

I'm glad they kept the little tribute to Etta James.  Bonnie Raitt's weathered soulfulness triumphed over Alicia Keys' usual "look at me" warbling as well as her misplaced mentioning of Whitney.  Please.  James' voice was far superior to Houston's.  Don't take my word for it: on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Singers, Etta is #22 while Whitney is back at #34.  Also, their legacies aren't anywhere close to being comparable.  Without Etta James, there would have been no Whitney Houston. (Or Alicia Keys.  Or Bonnie Raitt, for that matter.)

The "tribute" to Don Cornelius, on the other hand, was mediocre at best.  Soul Train was one of the most successful music television shows ever and, through it, Cornelius had a hand in popularizing black culture among millions of Americans.  Yet all he gets is a shout-out from LL Cool J followed by a half-assed performance by Chris Brown and Lil Wayne?  Not cool, Grammys.  Where is your peace, love, and soul?

So In Love With You

I've always loved the President, but I was never attracted to him.  Until now:





In my mind, an imaginary Barack and Michelle periodically put on old records and slow dance in the living room, a la the Huxtables.  You know he sings to her....

Man of the Hour: Blake Shelton

Apparently this cowboy fascination runs deeper than I thought.

Stuck at work and wishing I were at the beach, I created a new Pandora station for myself.  I suppose it should be no surprise that since I seeded it with Jimmy Buffet and Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton is all over it.  And now I can't get enough of this song.

Tags: She Wouldn't Be Gone, Blake Shelton, Blake Shelton Videos

So romantic!  Such passion!  The blue eyes and scruff don't have anything to do with Blake Shelton being the new Man of the Hour.  Nope, nothing at all.

Be Well, Caleb

Go ahead and cancel the whole tour and please get the help you need.  It seems to me (and Lainey) that your management is a bunch of assholes.  Lean on your family, instead.  Listen to them.  Take your time.  Take however long it takes.  I will still love your cold, cold sailor's heart no matter how long it takes.

Max Vadukul for Rolling Stone

Just please don't break my heart.

Man of the Hour: Shawn Mullins

This track is burning me up on these cold winter nights:

  Shawn Mullins - Light You Up by Vanguard Records

Shawn Mullins, thanks to your sexy-as-all-get-out "Light Me Up," you are the Man of the Hour.

Come On

I don't particularly like country music and I don't have any real interest in seeing Country Strong but this clip is making my heart thud.



Clean-shaven and groomed, Garrett Hedlund does nothing for me.  But I'm so feelin' his scruff in this intimate clip!

Catnip for Women

It all went tits up for me a couple months ago and I never had the chance or inclination to post about the wonderful thing that happened immediately prior. One night after getting shat upon by pigeons in St. Louis, Kings of Leon gave an excellent, hot and sweaty concert outside Chicago. I had the amazing good fortune to see it from around this angle:

Unbelievable. As the ushers directed us to our seats, moving us ever closer to the stage, I kept thinking “There must be some mistake.” But, no. Our seats were in the first row behind the open-pit General Seating. We were blessed with the incredible view and spared the annoyance of people mingling and jostling and moving around. Standing in that giant barn of an arena, I felt like I was seeing an intimate club performance.

And that performance! They just don't miss a note. The set-list was really gratifying for the true fans – a heady mix of old and new and as-yet unreleased songs. The girl next to me was bored out of her mind until they got to “Sex on Fire” but I was thrilled. (“Radioactive” and “Southbound” have me counting the days until Come Around Sundown releases on October 19!)

Set List:

Crawl

Notion

Taper Jean Girl

Immortals

Molly's Chambers

Fans

Milk

Mary

Closer

Four Kicks

The Bucket

Radioactive

Sex on Fire

On Call

Southbound

Trani

Encore:

Knocked Up

Use Somebody

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That night, July 24, was absolutely sweltering. Sweat was rolling down my arms even before the lights dimmed. A thunderstorm rolled through and the lightning lit up the sky throughout the show. The front pushed through right in the middle of “Sex on Fire”, the cooling breeze cutting across the crowd and stage alike. I saw the guys lift their heads, lean into the breeze and take a collective cleansing breath of fresh air. The skies dumped oceans of water, drenching the lawn. Caleb thanked them for hanging in there and vowed to keep playing.

Literally moments later, my personal situation bottomed out and I'm still not over it. As crap as that has been, however, I haven't shaken the afterglow of that concert. Thanks for a great night, KOL.

I've Just Seen a Face

Across the Universe was on TV today.  Why doesn't Jim Sturgess work more?  He's brilliant in this.



That naughty look at 0:15 makes me squeal.

They're welcome to use ME.

What exactly is it about the Kings of Leon that makes me want to remove all my clothes?  The music?  The lyrics?  The style?  The hard-drinking?  Some delicious combination of the above?

In any case, I'm so pleased they picked up a few Grammys tonight.