I am a graduate of Basilica grade school, a serious music head and frequent concert goer, but it took me until its 22nd year to finally check out the Basilica Block Party. It was Ryan Adams that got me there.
Thursday my wife and I looked at the forecast and saw it was going to be a perfect night so we bought a pair of tickets.
We live close by so we rode our bikes down and explored the grounds. We found a perfect spot at the Preferred One Stage: elevated, a fence to lean on, good sound, nice sight line and in the shade. We were set for the night.
Craig Finn had the tough job of being the opening act to an arriving crowd. He did a nice job and I do admire his punk-Springsteen. His “Newmyer’s Roof” was perfect for the mood of the week.
I have heard of Milky Chance, but not heard them until pre-gaming for the show. They are better live than on record. A very fun group and they got the crowd stoked. My wife gave them the ultimate endorsement: “I would see them again.”
The main event was Ryan Adams. We chatted it up with a fellow fence leaner and he joked (and I paraphrase here) “I wonder which Ryan Adams will show up? The alt-rocker, alt-country guy or Taylor Swift cover band?” Mostly the alt-rocker, but you could add jam band as Ryan was tearing up the guitar on his solos. “Magnolia Mountain” was magic.
Ryan Adams used to be a moody bastard and you never knew if you would get the good or bad Ryan. Now there is the only the good Ryan. He is self-deprecating about his history by throwing mock tantrums and he highlighted a record store sign he had seen early in the day (from near-by HiFi Records):
Ryan’s set list is here and here. Over all a pretty magical night: perfect weather, cool venue, great music and side by side with my beautiful bride.
PS – a bonus when you plant yourself on a hill is you get to watch the parade of people between sets. It was like watching reality TV.
When I recently joined Tidal to get access to the new Radiohead, one of the bonuses was getting access to Neil Young’s catalog (Neil is one of those artists who has chosen to make his music hard to get). Neil teased his new album Earth a few weeks prior to the release of Earth with a tasty half-hour single “Love And Only Love” as an exclusive on Tidal. It sounded like vintage Neil and Crazy Horse, but it is Promise of the Real, Neil’s latest band he has been touring with for the last three years. The band features Lucas and Micah Nelson – Willie Nelson’s sons. The band made its first recording statement with Young on The Monsanto Years (2015).
Neil has been releasing great live albums throughout his career – and the Crazy Horse variety is well represented in that catalog of live takes. The gimmick here is that he is trying to reinvent the live album by adding backup vocals (not so unusual) and sound effects (now we are getting weird). These sound effects link the tracks so that it feels like a cohesive gapless 97 minute suite. Earth includes songs spanning the length of his career.
I did not listen to The Monsanto Years when it came out. I was not up for hearing a billionaire-rock-star-hippie’s diatribe against the modern miracle of today’s agriculture: safe, cheap, plentiful and quality food. A system that has the capacity to feed the world – if it wasn’t for terrorism and third world corruption. Humans have been manipulating plants and animals since we crawled out of caves. Granted I am biased because I make my living off agriculture. Neil was pissing on my parade. So I gave The Monsanto Years a pass when it came out in 2015.
Hearing the The Monsanto Years cuts on Earth (four of the thirteen cuts are from The Monsanto Years) was pretty much what you would expect: predictably left-wing and anti so-called “big agriculture.” But there is an upside to the rant – Neil is authentically pissed. A pissed Neil is an inspired Neil (e.g. Kent State 1970=CSNY’s “Ohio”). So do your best to stomach the politics and listen to some inspired music
The gimmick – augmenting a live recording – actually works. It has been a long-standing practice to clandestinely and subtlety sweeten a live recording. But Young has a bigger idea. He does not even try to disguise the manipulation – instead he is bold in his studio additions and makes something unique and artsy.
Promise of the Real is something special. They can rock it out like Crazy Horse and they can be as sweet as Nashville Cats. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Willie Nelson’s sons are amazing. Between Neil’s political inspiration and this crack band, this is a special live album – on par with Live Rust. The fact that Young has been able to reinvent the old warhorse that is the live recording into something new and interesting is quite a feat. Young’s voice sounds great – he seems to show no deterioration in his pipes.
After releasing “Love And Only Love” as the lead single, Young did another cool thing – he streamed it a week early on Tidal, but as one 97 minute cut – so you would have to listen all the way through and not just skip to a favorite song. The CD and current stream is now cut up into 13 tracks.
One of my favorite tracks from Earth is “Hippie Dream.” Promise of the Real reinvent Crazy Horse grunge to a more contemporary rock sound. The make the grunge their own. After lots of Neil’s politics he advises “Take my advice / don’t listen to me.” And in a nod to his old band, he reminds us: “The wooden ship was just a hippie dream.” Surprisingly “Hippie Dream” is from 1986’s Landing on Water. That is an album that I had dismissed as horrible – evidently there was some gold on that stinker.
I have been listening to a lot of classic 60s/70s artists lately – between new releases and live shows. These guys in their mid-60s to mid-70s are amazing – they sound great and they still sound relevant. Neil certainly falls into this category of exceptional artist. Earth is a totally unique album and yet familiar. You should listen to Earth on a good stereo. The sound effects sound cheesy via ear buds and your phone. On a good stereo it sounds like art. I had kind of gotten fatigued with Neil in the last few years – so it is a very impressive that he can still toss off a masterpiece.
This is a Grateful Dead tribute album and fund-raiser for HIV\AIDS (Red Hot). I don’t think of myself as much of a Grateful Dead fan, however after listening to this compilation I realized I am pretty familiar with their catalog. I am a pretty big Jerry Garcia fan and I have most of his solo albums and his side projects. So I certainly respect the Dead and their legacy.
This collection was organized/curated/produced by The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner. Based on my taste I should be a National’s fan. But some how they have never resonated with me. This collection has got me curious about revisiting their work.
I saw a while back that Aaron and Bryce Dessner were producing this collection and for reasons I don’t understand – the idea of the collection caught my attention. I was watching for it and checked it out on Spotify when it was released. Listening to the first few cuts I was sold. The goal of an album like this is to raise money, but from an artistic sense it is to honor the original songs and expose listeners to songs and artist they are not familiar with. This collection hits it out of the park.
There are too many songs (59) and featured artists (60) to give a full review – or even summarize. I will focus on single track as a proxy for the rest of the album: “Terrapin Station (Suite).” The original album’s (one of the few Dead LPs I actually own – l bought it because I liked the cover) titular track (it was originally called “Terrapin Station Medley”) is a full side (little over 16 minutes). The LP never resonated with me. But hearing the Day Of The Dead cover showed me what a great song it is. I returned to the original and was struck by how ambitious it is – almost prog – almost jazz rock fusion. The original now sounds amazing to me.
Back to the cover. Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear of Grizzly Bear team up with The National to make an equally ambitious cover. It starts out faithful to the original but then goes its own way. My idea of a great cover is that it both faithful and reinvents the original – this version pulls off that contradiction.
“Terrapin Station (Suite)” is pretty representative of what this album is all about. There are the Dead’s greatest hits and obscurities. Most of the featured artists come from alt-country/Americana , but there are also a smattering of other genres too. About half of the artists were familiar to me – enough to draw me in – and enough talent that is new to me to delight my sense of discovery. Tribute albums are a great way to discover new talent. For example after listening to “Terrapin Station (Suite)” I am motivated to check out both The National and Grizzly Bear. This is an absolutely delightful collection and will be on my best of 2016 for sure.
My introduction to Stranger to Stranger was a podcast where Paul Simon detailed the composition of the album’s opening cut “Werewolf.” I have long appreciated Simon’s songwriting and production, but this podcast was a revelation on how deliberate his art is. It is easy to think that songs just pop out of the songwriter’s head fully realized (I know better). After listening to Simon dissect the track I now appreciate him even more – this is not magic – it is craft. I don’t believe in magic, I believe in craft (genius plus 10,000 well placed hours).
With that introduction I was psyched for the new album and the tour (my wife and I had tickets). Simon’s generation of rock and pop stars are sure aging gracefully. I need to stop being shocked at the brilliance coming out of musical geniuses in their seventh decade (Dylan, the Stones and McCartney for example). They are aging like whiskey. Simon is one of a rare breed who has consistently delivered new quality material over a nearly 60 year career (he had his first hit at sixteen in 1957).
Stranger to Stranger came out a couple of weeks ago and I have been listening to it pretty much daily. It is brilliant. Hopefully Stranger to Stranger is not Simon’s last album, but if it is he is going out as a champ. It is lyrically clever, rhythmically adventurous and the arrangements are ambitious. Yet at no point does it come off as pretentious – it is well crafted pop.
I first became a serious Paul Simon with 1980’s One Trick Pony. I was aware of Simon and Garfunkel and Simon’s solo Columbia years, but it never really resonated with me. A buddy of mine, with exquisite musical taste, recommend One Trick Pony and so I gave it a serious listen. It had come after a five-year recording drought for Simon. I was immediately smitten. I enjoyed his next album Hearts And Bones, which was more adventurous than One Trick Pony. Then there was Graceland – a masterpiece and on my personal top ten greatest albums list.
I am not going to go track by track through Stranger To Stranger, but I will point out some highlights. “Wristband” sounds like a hit song. It is lyrically comical, yet poignant. The narrator is in a band and gets locked out of his gig (the comical part) and then Simon turns that joke into an analogy for the disenfranchised (the poignant part).
“Cool Papa Bell” is some nice afro-funk that lyrically contemplates deep thoughts while seeking advice from the fastest man ever. Per Negro League great Josh Gibson: “Cool Papa Bell was so fast he could get out of bed, turn out the lights across the room and be back in bed under the covers before the lights went out.”
“Insomniac’s Lullaby” is a lullaby and it has this beautiful prayer:
Oh Lord, don’t keep me up all night
With questions I can’t understand
While I wrestle my fears
I recently joined Tidal for access to the new Radiohead album and one of the side benefits was Neil’s catalog – which he pulled from Spotify in favor of Tidal.
Neil is teasing his new album Earth with a and tasty half-hour single “Love And Only Love” as an exclusive on Tidal. Which got me thinking about Ragged Glory, the album it originally appeared on. Ragged Glory was released in the fall of 1990 when Neil was invigorated himself as the godfather of grunge.
The album is a collection of mostly new songs performed as wonderfully sloppy jams with Crazy Horse. Several stretch out for ten minutes. The Horse always inspire Neil to his grungy best. This is one of the strongest albums in Young’s catalog and that is saying a lot as he has several masterpieces.
Neil had come back to life the previous year with Freedom (which included “Rockin’ in the Free World”) after the dreadful Geffen years. Freedom is a good album, but Ragged Glory is a great one.
The album opens with “Country Home” which is nearly 8 minutes of rusty jamming that sets the table for the album. It is grunge with twang.
“White Line” has the classic dark groove of the Horse. It has that railroad rock and roll beat – only instead of the train, the movement is the white lines of the highway that rhythmically and lyrically set the tone.
“F*!#in’ Up” captures a mood that I assume most people have felt – “Why do I keep fuckin’ up?” This song has been often covered by Pearl Jam over the years.
“Over and Over” has that almost danceable beat that AC-DC has. The song opens with a classic Neil Young guitar solo. A great love song with an arena anthem chorus:
Over and over again my love
Over and over again with you
Over and over again my love
Over and over again with you.
Eight minutes of glorious distorted guitar and sing-song lyrics – Neil at his best.
“Love to Burn” another nearly ten minute jam. “Old Black” sings like a an angel – an angel who has had too many whiskeys. The song is also the beneficiary of classic Horse harmonies.
“Farmer John”is an intriguing cover of a Don and Dewy song. I always love when a great songwriter covers a song – especially when it is something as obscure as this.
“Mansion on the Hill” was the lead single from this album. The mansion seems like a an analogy for rock and roll – note the chorus:
There’s a mansion on the hill
Psychedelic music fills the air
Peace and love live there still
In that mansion on the hill.
“Days That Used to Be” is a sentimental remembrance of a simpler time – a time that Neil has managed to stretch for a lifetime – meanwhile the rest of us have sold out:
Seem like such a simple thing
to follow one’s own dream
But possessions and concession
are not often what they seem
They drag you down
and load you down
in disguise of security.
“Love and Only Love” is a classic ten minute jam by Neil and the Horse that pretty much defines their sound. Hard rocking, yet meandering.
“Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)” opens with a blast of guitar feedback. Young juxtapositions his grungy guitar with hymn-like singing. What should not work – works perfectly.
Ragged Glory is classic Neil Young and Crazy Horse: grungy, jamming rock and great Neil Young songs – metal on Quaaludes. Lyrically it is both sentimental and crabby. “Old Black” grinding out riffs and the Horse’s simplistic but perfect harmonies. I apologize for the repeated uses of “classic” in this review – but that is the best word I can think of to describe this work – classic Neil Young.
PS – if you like this album, Neil followed it up with a live album (2 CDs) Weld. It came with a companion CD called Arc that was 35 minutes of feedback, guitar noise, and vocal fragments edited from the 2 CDs. Again – classic Neil.
tidal.com/album/49653730
Dylan reprises 2015’s Shadows in the Night with more covers of the great American songbook – especially songs associated with Sinatra. It works better for me this round because I have gotten over the shock of hearing Dylan croon and caress the songbook – Shadows on the Night trained me to be in a receptive state of mind. I can just sit back and enjoy Fallen Angels.
For years pop and rock artists have been exploiting the songbook to pad their catalogs. What Dylan is doing does not feel that way. What Dylan brings to the table is:
- Dylan’s genuine appreciation a of the songs
- Dylan’s unique voice – specifically modified to a croon for the occasion without sounding affected
- The original arrangements of Dylan’s touring band
- America’s greatest living songwriter interpreting great songs – Dylan has always been a student of songwriting – so it is cool to hear his take on these masterpieces
This is not revolutionary – it is merely fun. What more can you ask from a 75-year-old superstar? He is still entertaining us. Happy belated birthday Bob!
In an earlier post I shared my exasperation with Radiohead’s distribution model for A Moon Shaped Pool. I was still annoyed with Radiohead when I eventually broke down and got a Tidal subscription about a week ago. I have had a love/hate relationship with Radiohead since Kid A. So exasperation is all part of the deal with Radiohead and me.
I have some history with Tidal too. I was an early adopter of Tidal when their shtick was CD-quality streams. That gimmick never panned out for me, but their recently exclusive content has worn me down. Fortunately they have a family plan and so I joined my son’s plan (my son’s breaking point was Prince’s death and the dearth of his music on Spotify).
Well the bastards have done it: this is, for me, their best album since Ok Computer and it is the most conventionally beautiful in their catalog. In a word it is brilliant.
The week before the release of A Moon Shaped Pool Radiohead released “Burn The Witch.” It may be the most accessible Radiohead single since “Creep.” The song would not sound out-of-place on a U2 or Coldplay album. That is not meant as some kind of snarky put down – writing a catchy pop song is high art in my book. “Burn The Witch” opens A Moon Shaped Pool. In addition to being a great pop song it is pretty topical too. It has a pretty great video too – here it is (in case you were not one of the 15 million views):
“Daydreaming” is classic post OK Computer atmospheric weirdness. It starts out with the obvious:
Dreamers
They never learn
And ends with the obscure mantra:
Evol ym dnuof ev’I
That turns out to not be so obscure after all – the mantra is “I’ve found my love” backwards. The song also has a nice video:
“Decks Dark” is a beautiful slow song. It has a lush arrangement complete with chorale voices. It reminds of that feeling you have as you about to fall asleep. But about the two-thirds of the way through it transitions into a vivid dream.
“Desert Island Disk” focuses on acoustic guitars! Radiohead are getting their Nick Drake groove on. I can’t think of a better way of putting it: his is a pretty song.
“Ful Stop” opens with heart-like beat that morphs into a more subtle menacing sound. By the half way point it is everything Radiohead does best – stark and epic at the same time. I can’t wait to hear this number live.
“Glass Eyes” opens with a very cool keyboard and stings intro. This is a very cinematic sounding track. The strings are perfect augmentation to Thom Yorke’s gorgeous voice.
“Identikit” focuses on the rhythm, yet it ends with a very nice electic guitar solo.
Every time I hear “The Numbers” it reminds me of one of my favorite bands: Traffic. It has a nice hippie psychedelic feel, yet it is utterly Radiohead.
“Present Tense” teases you with little whiffs of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice.”
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief” is Kid A sounding Radiohead. This is the most minimalist track on the album, but it is still compelling. As the song progresses it gets richer.
“True Love Waits” closes out the album with a quite meditation on love. The lyrics are both clear and obscure:
I’ll drown my beliefs
To have your babies
I’ll dress like your niece
And wash your swollen feetJust don’t leave
Don’t leaveI’m not living, I’m just killing time
Your tiny hands, your crazy-kitten smileJust don’t leave
Don’t leaveAnd true love waits
In haunted attics
And true love lives
On lollipops and crispsJust don’t leave
Don’t leave
I have not fallen for a Radiohead album this hard since OK Computer. I don’t know how to categorize what is going on here – rock, pop, electronica, ambient, classical, etc. Radiohead have claimed a piece of the pop space that is all their own. This is Radiohead music – there is no other way to classify it. All is forgiven.
I will pretty much consume everything Pat Metheny creates. I particularly value when he serves as a sideman, as it often turns me on to a new artist I am not familiar with. Metheny’s voice plays so well in so many different contexts – whether the pop of Joni Mitchell or the avant-garde jazz of Ornette Coleman. As a sideman you get to see the depth of Matheny’s artistry.
I recognized Cuong Vu as a trumpeter and vocalist who played on the Pat Metheny Group’s Speaking Of Now (2002) and The Way Up (2005). In PMG Vu added color to Metheny’s palate. But on this album Vu is the featured soloist and composer. The tables have turned and now Metheny is the color. But of course that is a simplistic – Metheny is a brilliant soloist and collaborator who is inspired by these kinds of gigs and quickly becomes an equal conversationalist to the session leader.
Each time I listen to the album I gain greater appreciation for Vu and his band. Metheny is the perfect foil to this band. Metheny sounds like he belongs in this band – he does not sound like a guest. This album shows the power of improvisational music when played by sympathetic masters: majestic beauty. It is like listening to a brilliant conversation.
This is not easy listening light jazz. But it is not inaccessible either. At times it requires patience, but if you give it a chance you will be rewarded. I have listened to the album about 20 times and with each listen additional nuances have been reveled.
It is intriguing, as the liner notes point out, that Metheny’s dad was a pretty good trumpet player as was his maternal grandfather. Pat’s older brother Mike has played trumpet professionally. Pat’s first instrument was the trumpet. So it is with great sympathy that Metheny plays with trumpeter Vu.
As I mentioned earlier, the delight of a session like this is that I get to discover an amazing player and composer like Vu. This is a guy is in total command of his instrument. He can make it purr and he can make it roar.
The album opens with “Acid Kiss,” an avant-garde noise number. Vu wails on his horn and Metheny does the same with his synth guitar – with horn-like tone.
“Not Crazy (Just Giddy Upping)” is a hard bop sounding cutting contest between Vu and Metheny.
“Seeds Of Doubt” is a gorgeous ballad where Metheny plays in the classic fat tone that made him famous and what made me a fan of him in the first place. Vu match Metheny with a fat smooth tone. It is a perfect back and forth between these tone masters.
“Tiny Little Pieces” opens with some plaintive probing by Vu and Metheny mirroring him. It slowly gathers in intensity. The song climaxes in an free-jazz storm. This song has an almost electric Miles feel to it. The interplay between Vu and Metheny is so knowing.
“Telescope” is an almost bluesy number. It is rare that Metheny puts on the big rock guitar sound. This is the lone Metheny composition on the album.
“Let’s Get Back” is a slow song with a Tom Waits feel. Metheny and Vu battle it out to see who cans sound prettier – it is a draw.
“Tune Blues” is a playful sounding Andrew D’Angelo cover. It is both bluesy and avant-garde. The song starts out as an easy-going blues and then slowly boils into some beautiful noise. And the it abruptly comes to a close.
Kudos to the rest of the Cuong Vu Trio: Stomu Takeishi on bass and Ted Spoor on drums. These are clearly guys who have been playing together a while. The sonics on the album are pristine. I love a well crafted recording and this is a well crafted recording.
Vu and his trio are a perfect match for Metheny. Metheny sounds absolutely inspired by the setting and his always outstanding play is elevated to a new level – there is something special going on here. Metheny has been on a roll lately. The last several albums he has been on have been challenging, beautiful and adventurous music – all in Metheny’s signature voices. I will definitely be checking out the Cuong Vu catalog after this amazing introduction. In summary this is a perfect collaboration.
My appetite was whet last week when I heard the lead single “Burn The Witch” on Spotify. I was stoked the new album was to be released in a few days. When A Moon Shaped Pool arrived this past Sunday I was vexed:
- It is not available on Spotify (yet Radiohead felt fine leveraging that medium for pre-release hype)
- A crappy MP3 is overpriced at $11 – but at least it is available in 24 bit WAV for an extra $8 – God knows how long that will take to download – sorry I should be grateful
- You can preorder the vinyl (arrival in “just” 5 weeks), but you can’t download the digital copy now (the LP comes with digital download card – but of course not 24 bit WAV)
- You can preorder the special edition vinyl (arrives in September) and you will get the digital download now – for a mere $86.50
What kind of twisted fuck thought this up? The same guy who came up with pay what you want 9 years ago? Radiohead you are breaking my heart. This was supposed to be our year (seeing you live for the first time at Lollapalooza). I am trying boys, but I am pissed.
I got hooked on The Jayhawks in 1992 with their country tinged album Hollywood Town Hall. For me they were the second coming of Gram Parsons. They pretty much defined alt-country and Americana. 1997’s Sound Of Lies introduced a pop sound that was more Beatlesque and less county. Since then the chief difference has been whether Mark Olson is involved or not (he departed prior Sound Of Lies but returned for thier last album – Mockingbird Time and subsequent tour). Olson tilts the band country and when he is not in the mix Gary Louris pop/rock aesthetics dominate. Frankly I love both versions of the band. Paging Mr. Proust finds them firmly on the pop side of the ledger (and naturally they are Olson-free).
No matter what side of the ledger they are on you can always count on a few things: amazing harmonies, great Gary Louris guitar play, gorgeous lush arrangements and music that is deeply steeped in 60s and 70s pop without sounding retro or derivative. The Jayhawks, 30 years into their career have crafted a distinctive sound that is all their own (with or without Olson).
“Quite Corners & Empty Spaces” opens the album in classic familiar Jayhawks territory. A shrewd move as the band invites us to put up our feet and get comfortable for what is to come.
“Lost the Summer” adds the first twist. The band gives their sound a shot of Big Star.
“Lovers of the Sun”has a glossy 60s pop sheen. A hipper version of The Association. The harmonies are golden.
“Pretty Roses in Your Hair” continues with the 60s pop sheen, but it is quickly subverted by Neil Young/Crazy Horse rusty guitar solo by Louris.
“Leaving the Monsters Behind” raises the Jayhawks’ freak flag a bit higher. The song is augmented by great R.E.M. harmonies.
“Isabel’s Daughter”has has wonderful swirl to it. This sounds like a long-lost R.E.M. song – yet is pure Jayhawks.
Side two opens with “Ace” – the most atypical Jayhawks’ song of their career. This is challenging noise rock that would not be out-of-place around Wilco’s and Neil Young’s weirdest moments. Not for the faint of heart but if you are willing to embrace it you will be rewarded.
And then the classic Jayhawks’ sound is back with “The Devil Is in Her Eyes”. It sound even more Jayhawks-lush than normal given it follows “Ace.” This song is graced by one of Louris’ all-time great guitar solos.
“Comeback Kids” is another nice evolution in the Jayhawks sound.
“The Dust of Long-Dead Stars” sounds a little like Tom Petty, a little like the Grateful Dead, a little like R.E.M., but mostly like the Jayhawks.
“Lies in Black & White” is an acoustic driven song, yet there is not anything folkie or country about. It has a great harmonica break.
“I’ll Be Your Key”has a nice Big Star feel to it.
Overall I feel Paging Mr. Proust is the Jayhawks most adventurous and experimental album in their catalog. It feels like they have taken a cue from Wilco to just let their freak flag fly. Yet they are completely grounded in who they are. The transition seems like a natural progression and not some fad, imitation or pandering to the hip. This is a great album by itself and even more amazing 30 years into an established band’s career.
A special shout-out to Karen Grotberg – her vocal harmonies are a key element to the unique sound and beauty of this album. Pete Buck sprinkles some of his R.E.M pixie dust on the album without overshadowing the Jayhawks personality.
I am so proud of the band for not milking their legacy and instead reinventing themselves. To quote Dylan “That he not busy being born is busy dying.” The Jayhawks are busy being born.
Axl's Catch Groove 