I'm as skeptical as the next person when it comes to the efficiency of city government. But I've noticed that here in Seattle, the city really is getting super-agressive when it comes to repairing potholes in the wake of last week's snow and ice storms. Maybe it's because there's been an SDOT crew working at the end of my street filling a nasty pothole -- on a hill, no less -- so I've actually seen them in action with my own eyeballs, but I believe the city is serious about getting ahead of this problem. Mayor McGinn sure seems to be serious about it. Look at this chart from his website:
How do you get in on some of that pothole-repair action? Here's the website. Or you can call 206-684-ROAD (7623). And if you really want to see something cool (well, cool in the context of pothole repair) check out this Pothole Repair Status map.
The mayor claims that the Pothole Rangers will try to get on it within three days when you report a pothole. The only disappointing part of all of this: Pothole Rangers don't actually dress like superheroes; they dress like ordinary SDOT workers. I guess there's no line item in the city budget for "CAPES."
Sleek, stylish, sophisiticated, experimental, and hugely influential, Roxy Music blended elements of punk, glam and electronica in their music and their visuals. Now, as they celebrate their 40th anniversary, they're releasing an 8-CD/4-DVD box set called Roxy Music: The Complete Studio Recordings 1972-1982. The collection comes out on April 2.
Which reminds me of the time I went to visit Roxy front man Bryan Ferry one rainy night in London. I was in London with my old morning show partner Mike West to broadcast from Abbey Road studios -- I think it was 1999-ish -- and our intrepid show producer Ronnie Hayes, back in Seattle, somehow finagled an interview with Bryan Ferry, with one condition -- we had to meet him one evening at his office.
We took a cab through rainy, winding streets to the address we'd been given, and knocked on the unmarked door of the ancient brick row house. An assistant let us in, fully expecting us. She took our coats, sat us down in sort of a work area filled with musical instruments and a long table, offered us "a spot of tea" and told us Bryan would be arriving presently.
Within a few minutes, he came bounding into the room, shaking off the cold and rain, wearing a dapper tweed jacket,a silk scarf, and a cap. The guy oozed style. We introduced ourselves, made a little small talk, and sat down to record an interview with him.
Honestly, I don't remember exactly what we talked about -- I'm sure I have the interview in my archives somewhere. But I do remember him pointing to high shelves that wrapped around the room, filled with 2-inch reels of recording tape in boxes lined up like library books. "See those? Those are the masters, and a lot of other bits, too." We could see the titles on the spines of the boxes in thick Sharpie marker ink: FLESH & BLOOD, STRANDED, COUNTRY LIFE, SIREN . . . . the entire Roxy Music studio output, surrounding us.
So when I see that they're putting out this box set, I think about somebody climbing up a ladder, pulling those dusty boxes off the shelves, and sticking them on a big reel-to-reel tape deck for the first time in decades. And I think about sharing tea and good conversation with Bryan Ferry on that rainy night in London.
Last week after R&B legend Etta Jmes passed away, the tributes rolled in. I think Etta was one of those artists that wasn't well known to the masses, but in music circles she had a huge influence, especially on women singers.
What a lady Etta James was. She was the ultimate original. Her voice was breath taking and her songs are reflections we all recognise in some way or another. Its an honour every time I hear her voice. I saw her at BB Kings in New York a few years ago, and it was something I will remember forever. Thank you to Etta James. And i send all my love to her family and friends xxxx
Adele's a perfect example of an artist who was influenced by Etta James, as you can hear in this video from 2009 of a performance in a theater in Massachussetts:
BTW, services for Etta will be on Saturday at a church in Gardena, California. The Reverend Al Sharpton will preside. The family asks that any donations be sent to the Rhythm And Blues Foundation.
Tonight at 5:00pm Pacific time, the president gives his annual State of the Union address. I'm guessing he's going to be positive and optimistic, yet sensitive to the issues that face everyday Americans. I'm guessing he'll call for unity across the aisle between the parties in D.C. I'm guessing he'll get multiple standing ovations from at least half the crowd.
A clever blogger at forbes.com by the name of Art Carden has turned this into a game -- State of the Union Bingo:
What a great opportunity to teach the kids a civics lesson . . .or possibly there's a way to turn this into a drinking game. Either way, you can print a clean, legible copy of the grid so you can play along at home on the guy's blog -- just go here.
Today you can buy the 40th Anniversary edition of L.A. Woman, the last Doors studio album with Jim Morrison, as well as the documentary Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story of L.A. Woman on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Here's a clip with Ray Manzarek and John Densmore of the band giving you a little background on the album's title track:
Simulating an orgasm? Who knew? I sure never put that together back in 1971, even with my horny young teenage brain . . . . More about these new Doors releases here.
The Aerosmith front man/"American Idol" judge is taking a lot of heat for his rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" at yesterday's AFC championship game. But come on -- he's Steven Tyler. You expect him to rock the anthem, and that's just what he did:
Critics are saying it was the worst celebrity anthem performance since Roseanne butchered it in 1990. Seriouisly? No comparison. Listen:
Now THAT is truly lame.
I say Steven Tyler did a great job, and it's not an easy song to sing. You bring a rocker in to sing something, you're going to get a rocking version of the song.
BTW, later in the day at the 49ers-Giants playoff game, Kristin Chenoweth did the honors. She's obviously a fancy Broadway stage-type singer, but her performance was marred by the SF fans who booed when the big screens in the stadium showed the Giants and cheered whn their own players were on the screen. It didn't seem to faze Krstin though -- she's plucky:
While the Republican presidential hopefuls were hammering each other in a debate last night, the incumbent president was on stage at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, where he got his Al Green on:
That's about the only time i can remember seeing a president sing, unless you count this:
Here's a great way to start the new year: New Bruce Springsteen.
Bruce will return on March 6 with Wrecking Ball. It apparently is not necessarily a full E Street Band album, but The Boss's 17th record comprises 11 tracks and appears to include (and take its name from) “Wrecking Ball”, a tribute to the late Giants Stadium, which he previously debuted live.
The album’s opening track and lead single, “We Take Care of Our Own”, is available for download starting today (Thursday.) Press for the album promises “unexpected textures – loops, electronic percussion… influences and rhythms from hip-hop to Irish folk;” but this single sure sounds like the E Street Band. According to Rolling Stone, the album was produced by Ron Aniello (Lifehouse, Barenaked Ladies, Guster) and features guest appearances from Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) and drummer Matt Chamberlain (Pearl Jam.)
Here's the full track list:
01. We Take Care of Our Own
02. Easy Money
03. Shackled and Down
04. Jack of All Trades
05. Death to My Hometown
06. The Depression
07. Wrecking Ball
08. You’ve Got It
09. Rocky Ground
10. Land of Hope and Dreams
11. We Are Live
12. Swallowed Up (iTunes Bonus Track)
13. American Land (iTunes Bonus Track)
Just a little something to spice up the South Carolina presidential primary, where Steven Colbert is now a candidate, so he had to give up his PAC and let Jon Stewart spend all that money however he sees fit::
Comedians obviously travel a lot, so when they take aim at hotels --and hotel pools, like Jim Gaffigan does here -- you know they know what they're talking about.
Now this is what I call innovation. A Los Angeles designer named Peter Treadway has come up with motorized shoes.
They zip you along at 10 miles an hour, they look appropriately futuristic, and they only cost $375. Well, okay, technically you can't get them yet because the guy needs some financing to actually put his dream into action. But they will cost only $375. Hey, people pay that much for shoes that don't do anything except make your feet look good. So if you're a venture capitalist looking for a sure thing, check out spnKiX, take out your checkbook, and visit the guy's Kickstarter page.:
Here's Jimmy Fallon accomplishing three things: Poking fun at the Tim Tebow phenomenon, doing yet another spot-on rock & roll impersonation, and painting a lightning bolt on his face. Enjoy:
Gee, you try and populate a previously forlorn and downtrodden neighborhood with new buildings and warm bodies ready to consume food and beverages, and this is the thanks you get?
Somebody's been papering South Lake Union with bright yellow flyers suggesting that Amazon workers check their attitudes.
As they say on Amazopia, the Unnofficial Amazon.com Blog:
Amazon has transformed the neighborhood from a neglected area of the city to an up-and-coming destination, and some of the neighbors are unhappy with the added traffic and population, plus the conduct of certain Amazon employees. In fact, the disgruntled neighbors have posted these yellow flyers around the area:
Here's what it says:
1. Think this neighborhood started with your arrival?
2. Do you walk 6 people wide on the sidewalk chatting about Amazon crap and not let others pass?
3. Can you barely resist snapping your fingers at service people in the area? (yeah, they notice)
4. Do you think sexy is contrived casual attire, arrogance, and talking/smelling like a used car salesman?
5. Do you not realize that you are working for an updated version of Sears and Roebuck so you should check yourself?
6. Do you believe for a second that you are not a highly expendable cog in the corporate Amazon machine?
Answer yes to any of the above? Boom! You are an Am-hole!
To those of you Amazon people that act friendly and normal, thank you and we're glad you're here.
Seriously, I'm sure there are inconsiderate, self-important tools working for Amazon just like pretty much anywhere else, especially in the tech world. And let's be honest, some tech workers spend so much time huddled in cubes banging out code that they haven't had time to devlelop all their social skills.
I'm sure it's a shock to be standing in line to pay ten bucks for a sandwich at lunchtime, but ten years ago, you could've played soccer in the middle of the intersection of Terry and Thomas and nothing would interrupt your game. I think the SLU 'hood is better off now, all things considered.
People usually use the term "quirky" when talking about Maria Bamford, because it's kind of hard to describe what she's all about. This one's more or less about being true to who you really are:
Here's some footage that somebody tweeted over the weekend that never made it into the documentary Gimme Shelter. It's footage of the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead waiting on a pier in San Francisco for helicopters to take them to the Altamont Festival in December of 1969, where things would ultimately go very wrong, violence would mar the event from almost the beginning, and several people would wind up dead.
All of that was sad and unfortunate, But just watch this footage and check out Jerry Garcia and Mick Jagger, two icons of rock, just being impatient and a little goofy while they kill time before yet another gig. It's funny -- Garcia just seems like kind of a goofy stoner, taking things in stride, mellow as hell. Jagger, true to his repuation as a control freak, is a little incredulous that he's being made to wait even a few minutes, and he fills the time by directing the film crew in a little mini-documentary of his own in which Charlie Watts refuses to particiopate. The day ended badly, but this clip makes it seem like it really was a more innocent time.
FIrst, the official lineup for the huge Coachella Festival in Indio, California in April:
For the first time, the festival will stretch over TWO weekends -- the same lineup both weekends. Get all the details and links to tickets here. Be patient, becasue their website doesn't seem to be up to the task of handling all those ticket requests.
And a couple of artists who are going to be on the West coast anyway for Coachella will be jumping up to Seattle for shows.
Radiohead will play Key Arena on April 9.
And the Black Keys will rock the Key on May 8.
And don't forget Elvis Costello at the Paramount on April 12 -- you can win super-great seats to that one this week in the 8:00am hour on the Mountain Morning Show. Click here for the scoop.
The Doors' final studio album, L.A. Woman, which came out just a few months before Jim Morrison took that final bath in Paris, has gotten the 40th Anniversary Deluxe Remastered Double Album and Documentary DVD treatment -- you see a lot of that these days as classic albums reach milestone anniversaries.
The band's producer, Bruce Botnick was poking around the tape vaults and he came across a "new" song from the L.A. Woman sessions -- it's called "She Smells So Nice." Let's listen:
Here's the scoop on the remastered album, from Rhino Records:
Fans of iconic rock band THE DOORS are in for something special. The group’s final album--1971’s L.A. WOMAN, with the signature hits “L.A. Woman,” “Love Her Madly” and “Riders On The Storm”--is being celebrated with a special two-CD release from Rhino and a behind-the-scenes DVD/Blu-ray from Eagle Rock Entertainment.
The L.A. WOMAN 40th anniversary edition (Rhino 2-CD) features a never-before-heard song, “She Smells So Nice,” which captures the band--organist RAY MANZAREK, guitarist ROBBY KRIEGER, drummer JOHN DENSMORE and late singer JIM MORRISON--joyfully barreling through a full-throttle original before segueing into the blues standard “Rock Me.” As the song closes, Morrison can be heard chanting, “Mr. Mojo Risin’”--an anagram of his name that was made famous during the bridge of “L.A. Woman.”
In addition to “She Smells So Nice,” the second disc of the L.A. WOMAN reissue includes eight never-before-heard versions of songs from the album. Alternate takes of “L.A. Woman,” “Love Her Madly” and “Riders On The Storm” offer a fresh view on this landmark album, which was the group’s sixth straight Top 10. The studio chatter between the songs is a revelation, transporting listeners to The Doors Workshop: the West Hollywood rehearsal space where they recorded the album with Botnick. One segment in particular captures a fascinating moment of inspiration when Morrison suggests they add the now-iconic thunderstorm sound effects to the beginning of “Riders On The Storm.” Rhino will also release L.A. WOMAN: THE WORKSHOP SESSIONS, a double LP featuring all of the previously unreleased material found on the CD collection on three sides of vinyl, with the fourth side featuring a laser etching of the original "Electric Woman" art originally included with the L.A. WOMAN album.
“Mr. Mojo Risin’: The Story of L.A. Woman”(Eagle Rock Entertainment DVD/Blu-ray) is told through new interviews with MANZAREK, KRIEGER and DENSMORE as well as Elektra Records founder JAC HOLZMAN, original manager Bill Siddons, engineer/co-producer Bruce Botnick and others. The high-definition video also features live and studio performances as well as rare archival photos. This fascinating documentary contains rare footage of THE DOORS in the studio and on stage. The documentary was made with the full involvement, approval and cooperation of THE DOORS.
Wilco just tweeted this footage from Friday night -- a loosy-goosey rehearsal of The Band's "The Weight" backstage at the Civic Opera House in Chicago before a concert last month. WIlco, R&B icon Mavis Staples, and legendary pub-rocker Nick Lowe may not have plans to put a supergroup together, but from the sound of this, it could work:
That's what the experts say. The Huffington Post ran down the rankings of all the popular diet programs. They said:
The easier a diet is to follow, the better the odds of sticking to it. So user-friendliness was one of the factors experts considered in U.S. News' latest ranking of 25 popular diets. Is a diet filling and tasty? Does it impose stringent requirements such as eating a certain number of times per day? Are unique foods required? The experts put Weight Watchers at the top, viewing it as flexible, tasty, and allowing plenty of eating throughout the day.
You can click through and see how they ranked the top 25 most poular diets here. Just so you know, the Cupcake Diet didn't even make the cut. Shocking!
This weekend you get a chance to enjoy two of the Northwest's favorite libations, plus a little fresh air and walking, so you don't feel too guilty about the whole thing. In the morning, there's the Seattle Coffee Crawl:
Get a unique taste of Seattle with the Original Coffee Crawl.
We give you a bold sampling of Seattle’s world famous coffee, plus a robust roast of city lore that explains why this is the Capital of Coffee. Seattle Coffee Crawl is for everyone, not just coffee lovers.
Relish in a grande serving of coffee history, facts and culture, with a nice froth of local gossip and architecture on this Seattle tour. Enjoy a rich sampling of Seattle’s fabulous coffee at several cafes.
And if you need to come down from all that caffeine, spend your late afternoon at the Seattle Pub Crawl:
Seattle’s beer is almost as famous as our coffee and just as delicious. On the Seattle Pub Crawl we will visit some of the city's most beloved pubs and visit a eco-friendly microbrewery with a museum! Seattle Magazine names The Pike Pub microbrewery museum, “Best place to learn about beer.” Drink in Seattle’s less illustrious history, laugh at wonderful ads and finish at a popular local pub. Whether you’re out for some great beer or an entertaining stroll, you won’t want this tour to end. You do not have to be a beer enthusiasts to enjoy this tour, there are plenty of options to choose from. Must be 21+ to take the tour..
The Coffee Crawl is Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. The Pub Crawl is Friday and Saturday evenings. It's good to pre-register for either one, and there's a fee for both, too.
A fast-food chain in France and Belgium is putting some special Star Wars-themed burgers on the menu in March to commemorate the re-release of The Phantom Menace in 3-D (geek alert!) Take a look at that Dark Vador burger, featuring a pitch black bun. What makes it black? Who knows? But as long as I'm asking questions, what the hell are those lumpy white things just under the bun of the Jedi Burger? Marshmallows? Human teeth? Je ne sais quoi. But I don't think I'd want to try one.
I've done my share of Downward-Facing Dog, Triangle Pose, and Warriors I, II and III. And I'm a big Savasana fan. My favorite Yoga studio is here. I actually live with a Yoga instructor. So if you haven't ventured into a Yoga class lately, let me get you up to speed on the lingo. Check this out:
Yeah, yeah, exotic red sports cars are cool. At this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which begins next week, there will be the usual assortment of new model introductions, concept cars, and exotic high-performance vehicles.
And then there's this bad boy: The Craftsman CTX.
Yes, it's a riding mower. But not just any riding mower. Craftsman thinks they have such a bad-ass rig that they're doing their big reveal alongside Lexus and Mercedes and BMW. Here's what Endgadget says:
Propelled by a 30-horsepower Briggs & Stratton motor, this grass-assassin can hit forward speeds of 8MPH and, for those Jason Statham-style chase scenes, 3MPH in reverse. The tractor is equipped with automatic traction control, an electronic fuel management system that removes the need for a carburetor, electronic cutting height adjustment and a 54-inch mowing plain with "quick deck removal." Couple that with cruise control, digital instruments, a cup holder and 12-volt power adapter . . . and you have yourself quite the package. The CTX will be available this February at Sears stores nationwide and will be priced between $3000 and $6500.
Let's be honest, when you're recovering from a breakup, one of the first things you do is work out. You hit the gym, or jump on your bike, or --in the case of Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard -- you run marathons. Okay, maybe Ben began running before his split with Zooey Deschanel, but the fact is, he's a runner. There's a story about Ben in the February issue of Runner's World. He talks about how he started running, how running fits into the band's recording schedule, and where he likes to run:
He also talks about the playlist he uses while running, and that's where Spin magazine gets skeptical. They challenged Ben's claims about the music that powers him when he runs:
Says Gibbard: "Somebody on the Internet did a mashup of Ludacris and a song by She & Him, 'Sentimental Mouths.' The vocals are She & Him, but they put it with Ludacris, and it's a totally triumphant thing for me to run to." First off, there's no way dude is running to this. At a lurching 76 bpm, it wouldn't get him from the Key Arena to the Space Needle in under an hour. Also, it's completely terrible, though SPIN certainly understands the impulse to want to do anything that makes She & Him listenable. Come on, dude. Now that you and the Zoo are splitsville, you can be honest with us...
The former R.E.M. singer turns 52 today. He's been below the radar since the band announced its split last September, but he surfaced on New Year's Eve in NYC where he joined Patti Smith's band for this tender cover of Glen Campbell's 1968 classic "Wichita Lineman."
Now that tolls on the 520 bridge are a reality, you knew this had to happen: Developers have been hard at work creating apps to help you deal with the commute. After all, a lot of tech geeks cross that brdige every morning and afternoon.
When I want to know what's happening in the world of technology, my go-to blog is GeekWire. They've compiled reviews and recommendations of seven new apps created just for 520 bridge commuters who want to save time, money, or both.
Unfortunately, one of the best, 520or90, is awaiting approval in the Apple app store
but there are some pretty useful choices you can grab right now. The good news is that almost all of them are free, and because they were created by and for people in the Northwest, Windows Phone users don't get the shaft like they usually do when it comes to cutting-edge apps.
Now that the new year is here, you can buy a Music Matters specialty license plate in Washington which benefits music education in our state's schools. I find it troubling that so many kids get little or no music-related curriculum in schools, which is why I spend a lot of time singing to my own kid. Maybe if enough people buy these plates, my son will have a chance at some real music education and he won't have to listen to me anymore.
The first time you buy the plates, they cost $40 above your usual licensing fees; after that it's $30 when you renew. It's kind of sad that we all have to pitch in to get this covered, but very cool that there's an easy way to help.
