Two-fer Tuesday: Zac Harmon

I have many favorite performers these days. While they span the full spectrum of music, blues often gets top billing. This is for good reason: blues draws on the human experience in a way that reaches deep within you and can’t help but elicit a response.




This week’s Two-fer features Zac Harmon (auto start music warning), winner of the 2004 International Blues Challenge with his band the Mid South Blues Revue. Since then, he’s been touring the world, impressing audiences with his tough, but sensitve, approach to the blues. Harmon’s sets can include everything from deep blues to gospel to solid R&B. There’s a little something for everyone. I saw Harmon here in Vegas recently and his show was nothing short of astounding. I would have gladly stood in front of the stage the entire time, but the man made me want to move my feet!



(StJohnBluesFestival – Zac Harmon, “Rock Me Baby”)







(jeffstoneblues – Zac Harmon, “Comfort of a Man”)

Gibson’s Free Downloads

Gibson (yes, the guitar people) has a website with, amongst other content of interest, free downloads! They have everything from alt. rock to jazz available.




Not only can you get a good listen, you can download whatever strikes the right chord with you.



There’s something for everyone on the site: J.W. Warren (blues), Five Star Iris (alternative), Danko Jones (metal), Blackalicious (hip hop), Tommy Guerrero (latin), Sia (jazz), and so much more.



It’s a great rainy day (or perhaps a “too hot day”) project on which to embark. Try ‘em all on for size. The songs are free and it would be difficult to walk away not finding at least one tune you like.

Two-fer Tuesday: B.B. King

What could one possibly say about B.B. King that hasn’t already been said before?




I have always loved him and, yet, I’ve never seen him live. I had the chance a couple times, but something always happened to prevent me from actually getting to the show. Well, not last night.



Yes, after years and years and years of waiting, I finally saw B.B. King live and in person. Not only that, but I got to meet him. I’ve been home for a few hours and I’m still trying to come down from the high of that experience. While B.B. doesn’t play guitar nearly as much as he used to, he still sings beautifully and his stories…those have to be heard to understand just how special they are. When he did play, it was as if the years fell away and he was a young man again. A young man with a passion for the blues.



I was quite surprised after the show that he invited people up to “come say hello”. Everyone was patient as they waited to have their chance to shake his hand, thank him, and/or have him sign something. Sadly, my B.B. King Treasures book is sitting in storage in San Diego or I’d have had that autographed. (Yep, I’m a fan girl through and through!) However, I did manage to get him to sign my ticket voucher. It was either that or offer up a body part and that hardly seemed appropriate for the King of the Blues.



One of the most magical moments of the entire night, though, came when Stoney Curtis (Stoney Curtis Band) told B.B. that seeing him perform at the Chicago Blues Festival back in 1980 or 81 changed his life and his musical aspirations. Right before my eyes, I saw them go from fan and idol to kindred spirits having this amazing moment together. Sadly, the one photo I got of that moment didn’t turn out so well, but the experience of watching it happen will stick with me forever.



I will not soon forget last night.



What time is it? Time for “3 O’Clock Blues”.



(jemf999 – B.B. King, “3 O’Clock Blues”)










(jemf999 – B.B. King, “Key to the Highway”)






I joke with my son that this next tune is his. My own little Blues Boy knows the blues and he likes this one.



(MuddyBoy61 – B.B. King, “Nobody Loves Me But My Mother”)






And here is a video I’ve loved for years. “Thrill is Gone” was my daughter’s favorite song for several years when she was a little girl. I called her last night as I was on my way to the concert and we talked about the tune. It brought back many memories of a time that seems all too far away these days.



(BBKingVevo – B.B. King ft. Tracy Chapman, “Thrill is Gone”)






The few photos we took after the show are posted on Flickr.

Two-fer Tuesday: Suzi Quatro

Honestly, I had something else in mind when I started planning this week’s Two-fer Tuesday. However, XM Radio messed me up with a string of 70s awesomeness, which included Suzi Quatro. Who didn’t love Leather Tuscadero on Happy Days? C’mon, she was the coolest character next to Fonzie. Hell, she outcooled the cool-meister!




There are a couple generations who only know of Leather via reruns and they have no clue that Suzi Quatro had been singing her heart out for several years before she ever set foot on the set of a TV sitcom in the late 70s. She was cast without an audition as Leather Tuscadero after Happy Days producer Garry Marshall saw her poster on his daughter’s bedroom wall.



Quatro’s “Devil Gate Drive” was used on Happy Days, as incongruous as it was, during the episode when Joanie thinks she’s ready to leave home and hit the road as one of Leather’s backup singers. (I know, it’s wrong that I know all this. I have a head for mindless trivia, I tell ya.)



(The1970sChannel – Suzi Quatro, “Devil Gate Drive”)






Suzi’s biggest hit, however, was a duo with Chris Norman called “Stumblin’ In”, a song that, to this day, I can’t help but sing along with.



(luvslugg – Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman, “Stumblin’ In”)






Super extra bonus vids this week: bad choreography and costumes, and something rockin’.



(carpalton – Suzy Quatro, “Johnny B. Goode”)






(fuckinchikenshit – Suzy Quatro, “Rock Hard”)






Suzi Quatro, who just celebrated her 60th birthday (the woman does NOT look 60), has been living in the UK for decades and can still be found performing throughout Europe. Now that, my friends, is how you rock!



Also recommended listening for today: The BS Blog’s Turn It Up Tuesday selections.

Elvis 75th Birthday CD Collection Due Out October 19

RCA Records is celebrating Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday with a comprehensive collection of music and much more. Over 800 tracks, of which 103 are rare recordings. More than 35 hours of music on 30 CDs. A 240-page hardcover book. 1,000 first run limited editions. It’s the King and it comes with a royal price of $750, plus tax and shipping.




Also included are essays from Peter Guralnick, author of Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley and Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, as well as two of my favorites: Feel Like Going Home: Portraits in Blues, Country, and Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke.



Pre-order now at http://www.completeelvis.com/. Order us a copy, too, while you’re at it.

Two-fer Tuesday: Jay Ferguson (Man of Satin)

Had to dig deep in the ol’ databank for these. If anyone else remembers them, I’ll be very surprised. We won’t even discuss the miles of satin on the man. Okay, maybe just a little. That’s a lot of satin! (I’m done now.)




Personally, I really enjoy revisiting music from “way back when”, music I listened to while growing up. I have fond memories of lying in bed with the radio next to my ear. Listening to a scratchy AM station, falling asleep to the music. Summers were spent walking down to the 7-Eleven to buy the little book of lyrics to all the 70s pop songs and a few 45s. Seriously, all my chore money went toward music even when I was a kid. Guess some things never change.



Anyway, here’s a look into the past.













The 70s were rather interesting, no?

Two-fer Tuesday (the don’t hate me edition): Shania Twain

Now, listen carefully: I don’t like Shania Twain. Or rather, I hated what she became. That super polished and fashion-y poser. The songs below? A look at how good she once was. The second video is one of my early favorites from CMT.




I understand the desire to capitalize on whatever gifts one has been given, but to bank so heavily on looks rather than substance, well, it rubs me the wrong way. Especially because Shania possesses a great deal of talent. Yes, she reached a whole new level of fame and was able to make great money, however there were many people who turned away because they couldn’t just enjoy the music without having all that Twain-ness constantly rubbed in their faces. I was one of those people. Sure, there were a couple songs here and there that I could listen to and separate from her, mostly after I stopped watching any sort of music TV or country awards shows, but the damage was done.



Instead of dwelling on the negative, I’ve decided to embrace what I liked most about Shania Twain in the first place.

Two-fer Tuesday – Rod Stewart and Faces

Once upon a time I hated Rod Stewart. I was five years old and my older sister told me I looked like him (I had a shag haircut and, granted, it was awful). I wept. I tried to break her album. I tried to kick her. But nothing worked. It took me years to grow into loving Rod, but it did happen and I was glad that the name my sister had uttered stuck in my mind.


I’ve seen Rod the Mod in concert a number of times, each show better than the last. Bagpipes, a soccer ball, running and jumping about, and the ability to deliver a damn good time has always been part of what makes Stewart special to me. Throw in a former boyfriend who usually accompanied me and some songs that make my heart beat erratically and it’s a recipe for awesome. Yes, I said a recipe for awesome.



While there is at least one generation who hear the name Rod Stewart and think he only does the old standards, let us please disavow this notion with a look back at the man in earlier times.



(rockinjac – Rod Stewart & the Faces, “Stay With Me”)






(dawgmusic – Rod Stewart and the Faces, “I’d Rather Go Blind”)






For those of you who hold fond memories of Rod going solo in the 70s, here’s a bonus video, albeit one from later in his career but he’s still rockin’ the tune! Every Picture Tells A Story is very likely my favorite Stewart album of all times although Gasoline Alley is a close second.



(rockinjac – Rod Stewart, “Every Picture Tells A Story”)

Benjy Davis Project Offers Free Digital Sampler Album

I love discovering new music, new artists, new…well, everything. I was intrigued by the news of a free digital album and being the curious sort I am, I had to go check it out.




Benjy Davis Project is smooth and gentle on the soul and manages to avoid the soupy slop that most indie/rock/soft country (what on earth are we calling these artists anymore?) singer/songwriters find themselves in. A free sampler is the perfect route to go when you have a lot of material to cover and just a few minutes to land new fans.



“Check Your Pocket” has a nice bounce to it, “Sweet Southern Moon” is a perfect summer crush tune, “Mississippi” is my favorite of the bunch and almost demands repeated listens as do “Green And Blue” and “She Ain’t Got Love.” “The Day That I Die” could be easily forgotten, but it’s not. “No More Pills”…there’s just something about this song that makes you take a second listen. I hear a lot of different things in “214″ that strike a chord and they all call to me. The opening lyrics of “Same Damn Book” hooked me immediately, while the sparseness of the guitar on “Raining In Me” wrapped around my head and wouldn’t let go.



Curious about the rest of the BDP catalogue, I decided to head over to the BDP website and had myself a listen to every song available and ended up walking away with a copy of Dust for $4.99 (it says $2.99 on the site, but hell, even if you had to pay $10.99, it’d be worth it). Guess I have something new and different for my summer playlist!



Sadly, I won’t have the opportunity to see the band as they tour the country. However, you may have that chance and I’d take it if I were you.



7/13/2010 Evanston, IL SPACE (w/Matt Hires)

7/14/2010 Columbus, OH Rumba Café (w/Kate Tucker & Matt Hires)

7/15/2010 Cleveland, OH Cambridge Room @ HOB (w/Sister Hazel)

7/17/2010 Pittsburgh, PA Club Café (w/Matt Hires)

7/18/2010 Lancaster, PA Long’s Park Amphitheatre

8/4/2010 Seaside, FL Seaside Concert Series

8/13/2010 Destin, FL The Shed

8/14/2010 Ocean Springs, MS The Shed

8/17/2010 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits

8/19/2010 Orlando, FL The Plaza Theatre (w/Jacob Jeffries)

8/27, 28, 29 Isle of Palms, SC The Windjammer

9/2/2010 Baton Rouge, LA The Varsity Theatre (w/Ingram Hill)

9/3/2010 Hattiesburg, MS Mugshots

9/4/2010 Nashville, TN Exit/In w/Ingram Hill

9/5/2010 Eclectic, AL Lake Martin Amphitheater (w/Shooter Jennings & Corey Smith)

9/9/2010 West Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern (w/Ingram Hill)

9/30/2010 Birmingham, AL Zydeco (w/Ingram Hill)

10/2/2010 Auburn, AL Bourbon Street (w/Ingram Hill)

10/15/2010 Pensacola Beach, FL De Luna Festival

10/28/2010 Tuscaloosa, AL Jupiter Bar & Grill (w/Ingram Hill)

Two-fer Tuesday – Unexpected Duets

One of the things we love about music is that it has the power to join people together in many ways. Music truly is a universal language. A simple melody, words you can learn phonetically (think “Frère Jacques”), and the spirit of the tune are all enough to break down barriers, to end shyness, to cause you to reach out a hand to a stranger. It opens doors, heals the soul, and gives voice to those who might otherwise be too afraid to speak.



Take, for instance, Sarah McLachlan and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. From the looks of things, you wouldn’t imagine there’d be any common ground. However, in the depths of a major depression, McDaniels heard McLachlan’s song “Angel” and he found the necessary wherewithal to reassess his life and career. While writing his autobiography, McDaniels discovered he’d been adopted as an infant. This led to a VH-1 special, the Felix Organization, and the song “Just Like Me.” While recording with his musical angel McLachlan, she revealed that she, too, was adopted. Once again, music opened a door to bring people together and gave voice to a group of people who weren’t necessarily represented in song before. I might have never known about this story if not for meeting McDaniels at a Harley event in 2008. If witnessing a rapper confessing his depression, adoption story, and his obsession with Sarah McLachlan before a throng of bikers isn’t a little surprising, I don’t know what is. What I do know is that I was deeply moved by his story and his involvement with foster care and adoption organizations. Gotta love a man who stands up, speaks his mind, and does something to improve the lives of others.



(sarahmclachlanfan – DMC ft. Sarah McLachlan, “Just Like Me”)






While I’m on this particular train of thought, why not include the duet that put RunDMC on the map? That would be “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith. Being of the generation that witnessed this pairing and who can visual Steven Tyler with lips that were still half the size of Texas at the time, I vividly recall thinking, “this is damn cool!” and rocked along with both bands.



(bustedkeys – Run-DMC ft. Aerosmith, “Walk This Way”)






Nothing groundbreaking these days, but once upon a time, this was a big deal. Aerosmith and Run-DMC both found new audiences and more than a little money was made along the way.