Ghosts of christmas presence

As has become the custom over the past five years, the mustard room has produced yet another holiday offering as a gift to all those who have chosen to join those associated or "in cahoots" with this particular room. This year of 2007 has not necessarily been one of which we look back on with particular fondness. It's been a year of great celebration and devastating heartbreak for us. Yet, in four short weeks, I was struck with the ridiculous idea of simultaneously writing and recording on four-track tape the sounds and songs what have become "Ghosts of Christmas Presence." It's our little audible christmas card to you our family and friends. The songs here were forged among painful memories and hopeful futures. They have become very dear to us. Thanks for listening. We love you. Here's wishing you a joyous new year!

-joel & miranda

The immaculate Concepcion

An aural supplement, episode 10

Running Time: 1:17:24| File Size 71 MB
Download: .mp3
To subscribe to this podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ARockeyHomeCompanionPodcast

November has come and gone and the frigid winter greets us with a harsh wind as we pull those whom we love nearer. Somehow, the over saturation of holiday music piping through the aroma of sweet espresso while sipping gingernog has left us wanting. Now it is time for that which brings us to a refreshing place of meditation during this seasonally sacred moment before the christening of a new year of opportunity. We missed you. We hope you missed us as well.

1. Blind Boys of Alabama w/ Tom Waits “Go Tell It on the Mountain”
2. Otis Redding “White Christmas”
3. Okkervil River “Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas”
4. Death Cab for Cutie “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)”
5. Feist “Lo, How a Rose E're Blooming”
6. Jill Sobule “Merry Christmas from the Family”
7. Clarence Carter “Back Door Santa”
8. Nicole & the Dreamcatchers “What a Day for a Dog of Gold”
9. Half-handed Cloud “Asian Meteorologists Predicted the Heavens to Snow Down a Child, a Child to Us”
10. Create(!) “Hymn for St. John of Shanghai”
11. Sufjan Stevens “We Three Kings”
12. Lyle Lovett “Christmas Morning”
13. Steve Earle “Christmas in Washington”
14. Tom Waits “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis”
15. Bill Cosby “Christmas Time”
16. Vince Guaraldi Trio “Skating”
17. The Staple Singers “Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas”
18. Marvin Gaye “Purple Snowflakes”
19. Joel Rockey “The Twenty-Fifth Day”
20. The Carpenters “Ave Maria”
21. The Peanuts “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing”
22. Damien Rice “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”
23. Ray Charles “That Spirit of Christmas”

Every man's a liar

"God is the one who made me and gave me everything that's good. I'm friends with him most of the time, but he's friends with me all of the time."

-David Eugene Edwards

Over the past few years, my good friend Chris has turned me on to some artists of song whom I owe him greatly for. Most notably would be Bill Mallonee of Vigilantes of Love and David Eugene Edwards of Sixteen Horsepower and Wovenhand. I've recently been enjoying the Sixteen Horsepower DVD titled 16HP. Found on these two discs are videos with haunting imagery, concert footage and interviews. Most revealing is Edwards' interview with Paul Epstein in which he recalls his boyhood travels with his grandfather, a Nazarene preacher, making visits to the ill and attending funerals and weddings of people he didn't know. He also discusses how he connected profoundly to the somber, simple music of the church. During a break in the interview, Edwards shares a couple of intimate performances, first of the old hymn "Wayfaring Stranger" and second, a beautiful rendition of Bob Dylan's "Nobody 'Cept You".

Lately

drinking much coffee

writing

recordingthinking

drinking more coffee

missing our babies

crying

hoping

drinking more coffee

connecting

listening

giving

drinking more coffee

still learning how to die

still learning how to live

still drinking coffee

Thank you aunt patti.

Look what I inherited over the weekend. Jealous?

An aural supplement, episode 9

Running Time: 1:04:43| File Size 59 MB
Download: .mp3
To subscribe to this podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ARockeyHomeCompanionPodcast

The ground grows colder by the hour as we construct our masks and ask to devour the candy corn cobs turning to dust in the wake of Autumn's final gust. Chilled to the bone, guest host Senor Hector LaVeta tempts the recesses of your ears with hallowed tones of excitable stones being thrown in the dark of night.

1. Violent Femmes “I Hear the Rain”
2. Tom Waits “Cold Cold Ground (Live)”
3. Diana Krall “Temptation”
4. Warren Zevon “Excitable Boy”
5. Duane Eddy “Rebel Rouser”
6. The Coasters “Down in Mexico”
7. Paul McCartney “Why Don't We Do It in the Road (Demo)”
8. Flight of the Conchords “Bowie”
9. David Bowie “Oh! You Pretty Things”
10. The Who “Batman”
11. Donovan “Hurdy Gurdy Man”
12. E.L.O. “Hold On Tight”
13. Elvis Costello “Brilliant Disguise”
14. Jerry Seinfeld “Halloween (Edit)”
15. Ryan Adams “Halloweenhead”
16. Great Lake Swimmers “Moving Pictures Silent Films”
17. Tom Waits “The Pontiac”
18. John Lennon “Look at Me”
19. Billy Bragg “I Don't Need This Pressure Ron”
20. Warren Zevon “I Was in the House When the House Burned Down”

Domestic reparation

This is what our life has resorted to... Miranda and I have three days of Fall vacation and we spent every waking hour working ye ole homestead over...

Miranda touches up the edges of our babies' beautiful room...

Left handed piggies after hours of strumming my guit 'n' painting white doors even whiter...

This bathroom sink finally gets a swift kick in the ass. No more squeak, no more leak. P.S. We're best of pals now...

Doesn't seem like three days of work, I know.

Supplying the soundtrack to the weekends events...

Even after watching this painful video from his latest album...

I just listen to McCartney or Ram and all is right with the world. These one word titled debut and sophomore solo albums are all the reason you need to call this Paul Sir.

Being for the benefit of the sold project

Recently, I have been acquainted with some folks who are part of an endeavor called The SOLD Project. A group of twenty-somethings spent the summer in South East Asia to shoot a film in hopes of will creating awareness amongst our generation about the world of sex slavery. I am honored to have been asked to perform at a benefit at the Harrison Center for the Arts onOctober 19th which hopes to generate support for this project. The music kicks off at 7:00pm and the cost is ten US dollars. All proceeds will go toward the SOLD Project. Other artists performing will be My Hidden Track, Jascha, Tom Loschiavo and Those Young Lions. Come out and enjoy these local artists and support this movement to bring awareness and eradication to this atrocious crime against humanity which enslaves millions of children today.

An aural supplement, episode 8

Running Time: 1:09:03 | File Size 79 MB
Download: .mp3
To subscribe to this podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ARockeyHomeCompanionPodcast

The end of the season is all upons and the air is getting crispy along with the grass. Crank up the mower one last time and let us keep you company as we empty hand our way through another installment of an aural supplement. Another fine supper time chock full of steak, cake and vegetables. The grub's on us and we're open all night.

1. Michelle Shocked “Can't Take My Joy”
2. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band “Radio Nowhere”
3. Paul Simon “Learn How to Fall”
4. The Beach Boys “Vegetables”
5. Jim Gaffigan “Steak & Salad”
6. Josh Ritter “Rumors”
7. Cold War Kids “Saint John”
8. Elliott Smith “I Don't Think I'm Ever Gonna Figure It Out”
9. Pixies “Here Comes Your Man”
10. Monty Python “Rock Notes”
11. Crowded House “Mean to Me”
12. Colin Hay “Maggie”
13. Taj Mahal “Cakewalk Into Town”
14. Joel Rockey “Too Little, Too Soon (Live)”
15. Counting Crows “Omaha”
16. R.E.M. “Monty Got a Raw Deal”
17. Bob Dylan “Down in the Flood”
18. The Kinks “End of the Season”
19. Eddie Vedder w/ Corin Tucker “Hard Sun”
20. Bruce Springsteen “Open All Night”

Brew monkies

In celebration of post number one hundred of A Rockey Home Companion, we are pleased to announce the birth of the newest member of the Strange Brew coffee house family delivered by the Mustard Room!

Stayed tuned for episode 8 of An Aural Supplement.

The empty hand

Perhaps one of the greatest stories of personal angst and the triumph over one's own demons can be found in the masterpiece of american cinema titled The Karate Kid. I have - with no shame - seen this film more times than I could dream of calculating. There is no doubt that I owe much of who I am today to the mystic wisdom of the tiny man known as Miyagi. Imagine my joy when uncovering this treasure from the secret cavern of read-along. It is part one of the story which has been given the name "The Empty Hand". Prepare to be dazzled as a couple of possibly australian kids and a handful of presumed inebriated adults awkwardly interpret the first half of this great tale through the lost art of read-along story telling.

Magic

Five years ago, Bruce Springsteen brought the mighty forces of the E Street Band back into the studio to record their first album of new material together since the 1984 phenomenon which was Born In The U.S.A. The result was 2002's The Rising. The album is fueled by the gospel-tinged R&B and straight forward rock & roll which has been the E Street Band's trademark since the early days in Asbury Park. Springsteen himself injected his poetry of abandon, hope and redemption into these songs of reflection on a post-9/11 existence. In the few short years following, Springsteen released another album of intimate, confronting solo work reminiscent of Nebraska and The Ghost of Tom Joad titled Devils & Dust. Shortly after, Springsteen hired a group of lesser-known musicians from New Jersey and New York, augmented by Patti Scialfa, Soozie Tyrell, and The Miami Horns to record in an informal setting the songs made popular by folk musician Pete Seeger. The resulting interpretation, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, became Springsteen's first album of completely non-Springsteen material and won the Grammy award for Best Traditional Folk Album in February.



The Boss has explored many facets of the American musical landscape in the past five years and now he returns accompanied by the E Street Band with the appropriately titled Magic. The album doesn't release until October 2nd, but iTunes is making the opening track and first single "Radio Nowhere" available to download for FREE for a very limited time. It's a tasty helping of straight-on-til-the-dawn American rock & roll as only E Street can bring.

Tailgates and substitutes

I remember reading somewhere recently that a proper bloggers should never use a title for a post which has nothing to do with the content of the post itself. Don't get me wrong, blogger etiquette is one area where I hope to grow and thrive one day. However, I'll leave it to the home viewers to decide for themselves how the words of this post's title fit in with the content of this piece of blogosphere...

Photos courtesy of co-pilot and the mustard room collaborator Jason Rockey.

Hope to see y'all at the next go-round.

Folksplodin' like an atomic chicken

Get the kids outta bed and grab some nickels! We're havin' a FOLKSPLOSION!

SHIRTLESS BIDDLES. FLYING J & THE PILOTS. SCOTT HENSLEY.
Three acts. One night. Zero calories.

FOLKSPLOSION SPECIAL: Bring your own screen-printable t-shirt for your own one-of-a-kind Folksplosion! Logo T-Shirt

It's all happing at THE STRANGE BREW COFFEE HOUSE this FRIDAY!
Friday, August 17th, 2007 | 7pm to 9pm
The Strange Brew Coffee House
4800 W. Smith Valley Road
Greenwood, Indiana

An aural supplement, episode 7

Running Time: 1:03:50 | File Size 59 MB
Download: .mp3
To subscribe to this podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ARockeyHomeCompanionPodcast

After a brief hiatus, your host Joel returns to intrude on your daily grind with a few morsels of audible goodness. This month, he has invited his very good friends, The Brothers Kyburz, to play some of their favorite musical selections. You'll surely dance, cry and giggle like an eleven year old as they reminisce of days of yore.

1. Oliver Onions “Zorro is Back”
2. Rocky Votolato “White Daisies Passing”
3. The Polyphonic Spree “Section 20 (Light to Follow)”
4. 16 Horsepower “Black Soul Choir”
5. Bonefish Sam & His Power Orchestra “Mr. T Adventure Story”
6. Violent Femmes “Old Mother Reagan”
7. Andrew Bird “Fake Palindromes”
8. Regina Spektor “Dusseldorf”
9. Acoustic Nausea “Rex”
10. The Little Ones “Lovers Who Uncover”
11. Derek Webb “I Wanna Marry You All Over Again”
12. Silversun Pickups “Lazy Eye”
13. Joel Rockey “Fool's Honey (Live)"
14. The Decemberists “Sons & Daughters"

Creepy candy camping trip

Last week, Miranda and I took an excursion from all of that which has distracted us in recent weeks and drove up and along the shores of the mighty Lake Michigan. We spent a couple nights camping and fighting off mosquitoes when we weren't bumming around on the beach. We also spent a day in Chicago and stayed a while in a hotel room watching way too much cable television before investing hours of our lives into discovering a magical land of stylish decor and big savings known simply as IKEA. During those lost of hours of learning what not to wear and flying with the conchords, we were subjected to a creepy new add for M&M's candy which encourages lonely viewers at home to become an M&M. I'm uncertain as to what in particular caused my wife to be so unsettled by this ad. Whether it be The The's song "This Is The Day" or the very thought of surrendering to the idea of discovering her inner M&M, I don't know. All I know is that somewhere in the formula, these ad wizards managed to forge a key to derailing my wife's emotional stability. I had to find a worthy ally to meet this adversary head on. In no time, the mighty alliance of Burt Bacharach and Herb Alpert brought the inner M&M's and their campaign for the worldwide domination of souls to their milk chocolatey knees with joyous absurdity! Hoorah! Hoorah!

Monday movie recap

For better or for worse, many precious hours of this unseasonably mild Summer have been spent by Miranda and myself examining frames and frames of celluloid. We've taken in some surprisingly fun Summer fare at the theater including Transformers, The Simpsons Movie. We've also enjoyed a few second run showings at ye ole dollar theatre such as Disturbia (a modern day knock-off of Hitchcock's Rear Window which still manages to be rather watchable due to the performance of a charming young lad known as Shia), Meet the Robinsons and Spiderman 3 (round two for me... that makes about two too many). We've also embarked upon the rather ambitious quest of checking off the entire AFI 100 films of the past 100 years from our "To See" list... yeah, we've still got some work to do on that one. So far we've managed to squeeze in The Last Picture Show and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, two classics which surprisingly neither of us had ever seen. I have only this to say: Cloris Leachman was mesmerizing; I can't believe TLPS made the list by the skin of its teeth at #95; The music of Burt Bacharach + Western Shoot-em-up starring Newman and Redford = Movie Gold! Which leads me to the next item of attention.

In recent years, my favorite films have included all of those imagined by Mr. Wes Anderson. His attention to detail among the dysfunctional and the quirky characters realized by his rotating ensemble win me over every time. Needless to say, I was quite excited when the trailer for his most recent film starring Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and "Flowin' Like" Owen Wilson, The Darjeeling Limited, was released online. I'm not ashamed to admit that I've watched the trailer at least fifteen times. The trailer is carried along gloriously by the song "This Time Tomorrow" by The Kinks. This is another reminder of what I love so much about Anderson's films... the music. Some of the most memorable music-in-film moments have come from his perfect juxtapositions of scene and song whether it be 1960's Brit-rock, Icelandic post-rock or the score written by Mark Motherbaugh. I'll be in the seats for The Darjeeling Limited when it opens in September and I'll probably eventually own the DVD and never tire of watching the dysfunctional family shenanigans just as I have with Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic. However, after three films featuring the brilliant Bill Murray, I don't know how I'll react to his absence from this one. Let's just hope Darjeeling helps us forget all of those unfortunate Owen Wilson roles from recent films so we can remember why we all fell in love with Dignan.

An aural supplement, episode 6

Running Time: 49:40 | File Size 46 MB
Download: .mp3
To subscribe to this podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ARockeyHomeCompanionPodcast

After a brief hiatus, your aural supplement returns with special guest Senor Hector Laveta sitting in the driver's seat. This abbreviated episode will surely leave you salivating at the mouth for next month's weird ass sequel featuring a bizarre marriage between Nancy Reagan and the incomparable Mr. T. Be there!

1. The White Stripes “Rag and Bone”
2. The Greenhornes “Shelter of Your Arms”
3. Mitch Hedberg “Koalas (Edit)”
4. The Zombies “Summertime”
5. The Kinks “20th Century Man”
6. The Guess Who “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature”
7. Flight of the Conchords “The Hiphopopotamus Vs. The Rhymenoceros”
8. Mudkids “Ecclesiastes 3:1-8”
9. Johnny Cash “Oney”
10. Minutemen “Untitled Song for Latin America”
11. Tom Waits “16 Shells from a Thirty Ought Six”
12. Joel Rockey “Psalm 63”
13. Bob Dylan “Nobody 'Cept You”
14. Ladysmith Black Mambazo w/ Paul Simon “Amazing Grace"

Seven O'Seven

nathaniel david, lily constance, hannah jane

ramparts red glare

breakfast of champions

carpet padding valentine

inspiration vs. boredom

screening all the live long day

daddy's paycheck

a million stories

birthday guests

nathaniel david, lily constance, hannah jane

The blue sky gets a little bluer

Several months back, my friend Andy invited me to join him and some friends to see Wilco at the Murat theatre in Indianapolis for the bands June 15th show. After much deliberation and a gentle nudge from my wife, I accepted my friend's invitation. This would be my third time hearing and seeing Jeff Tweedy and company live since attending Wilco's Rockfor Riley benefit show at the Murat back in the Fall of 2005 with my friend Chris. It need not be said that I was greatly anticipating this show, especially after enjoying the bands May 2007 release Sky Blue Sky on multiple listens. I was all prepared to set a course for downtown Indy after work where I was to meet up with Andy and some of his friends at McNiven's Pub for a couple of drinks before the the show. Then came the call at 8:30 the morning of the show.

Andy had been listening to 92.3 WTTS while driving to a meeting and called in with the answer to the "morning music mindbender" winning two front row tickets to the Wilco show and passes to their soundcheck that afternoon. I could go on about the details which comprised the rest of the day's events, but I'll just say that I had the great privilege of enjoying some great live music by one of the most incredible rock outfits on the planet. During the soundcheck about twenty five of us got to hear performances of "Ashes of American Flags," "Hell Is Chrome" and the live rarity "A Magazine Called Sunset." During the soundcheck, Jeff Tweedy addressed the crowd saying, "So you guys won some kind of contest?" I shouted, "My friend did!" Immediately, he fell to the ground while grabbing his sides and laughed hystericallyuntil he could finally bring himself back to his feet to continue with the soundcheck... at least that's how I remember it.

After the soundcheck, the guys in the band met us all out in the lobby to sign cds, pose for snapshots and say hi. They honestly couldn't have been more pleasant. I had couple cds on me which Jeff Tweedy, Glenn Kotche, Nels Cline and John Stirratt each signed. I was thinking about what a strange relationship exists between a band and their fans. Through art and media, the public have a small window into their lives and we come to rock shows to be a part of their art and somehow share in their experience. In some small way, we know who these people are and what their lives are like, but they don't really have the same opportunity to know all of these people who come out to their shows and buy their records. Even though we've never met, I'm shaking hands with Mr. Tweedy saying hello to him and calling him Jeff because I feel like I kinda know him after listening to all of his records and reading about his life in a book. It's strange. I know this isn't some kind of new revelation, but I've never really had the opportunity to consider this relational dynamic at this level before. I guess I'm really just making this point to say that the guys fromWilco seemed to address this odd relationship with as much respect and gratuity as anyone could. The whole experience was a rare treat which allowed me to feel a bit more connected during the concert that night to these guys who have wooed and inspired me with their music.

Thanks again Andy.

Wilco
Murat Theatre
Indianapolis, IN
June 15, 200

Setlist:
1. A Shot In the Arm
2. Side with the Seeds
3. You Are My Face
4. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
5. Kamera
6. Handshake Drugs
7. War on War
8. Impossible Germany
9. Sky Blue Sky
10. Jesus, Etc.
11. Hate It Here
12. Walken
13. Shake It Off
14. I'm the Man Who Loves You
15. Hummingbird

(Encore 1)
16. Sunken Treasure
17. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

(Encore 2)
18. Heavy Metal Drummer
19. Outtasite (Outta Mind)
20. California Stars

Silver haired daddy of mine

My father is an incredible man who has taught me the value and honor of quiet humility. He is a teacher, a servant, a husband and a father. He is a brother and a son and a friend who listens and counsels without judgment. He is 56 years of age and has returned to school to study Church history, theology and Hebrew among other subjects while embarking on a new chapter of life. He can still sink a three pointer and run up and down a basketball court alongside 20-something punks and put them to shame. I look at the photo above all washed over time in shades of ocher and umber and I see the same joy and love in that new father's eyes as I see thirty years later. I don't believe I've ever been left to wonder whether my father has loved me. As I anticipate fatherhood, I hope to be half the father that mine has been.

Cheers Dad!

Download:
MP3: Johnny Cash :: Silver Haired Daddy of Mine
MP3: Glen Phillips :: Have a Little Fun with Me
MP3: Cat Stevens :: Father and Son
MP3: Bill Mallonee & Vigilantes of Love :: Every Father Knows

With all the honesty I can muster

On Saturday evening I attended the high school graduation of my good friend, fellow Pilot and The Mustard Room patron Ryan 'Shamous' Helvie. In the three and a half years which I spent as youth ministry equipper at center grove church, my relationship with Ryan had been one of those which had been rife with honesty and restless pursuit of genuine faith. In many ways, Ryan reminded me of myself when I was his age, but he also showed maturity well beyond his years. Though he grew up in the church with parents who deeply loved and cared for him, he would not allow himself to simply ignore questions of faith which kept him awake at night. He constantly expressed a desire to experience the gospel message which other's seemed to be content simply discussing. From the time I've known him as an eighth grade student, we have shared a friendship of openness which has helped to shape both of us into who we are today.

Although my wife and I have had similar relationships with other students who continue to enrich our lives today, I bring special attention to Mr. Helvie today because he has always proven to bend to no one else's expectations of who he should be - for better or for worse. Even as he graduates from high school, he sets out to spend his Summer away from the family and friends whom he loves so dearly to be a counselor at Camp Grier in North Carolina. After the graduation ceremonies and dinner with Ryan's family and a few friends, Andrew Furrow and I spent a couple of hours in the Helvie's family room enjoying some good conversation with our friend before saying goodbye for the Summer. One of the most difficult yet rewarding characteristics of the strange animal I've known as 'youth ministry' has been watching kids grow into young adults and follow the voice of God away from their homes as they sojourn into the unknown.

On a lighter note, here is Shamous' stark review of an album I promised but never released as well as an amazing piece of impromptu audio by our good friend. Enjoy.

Hey this is Shamous and...

I’m not going to lie, after a series of bribes involving large quantities of the beverage which shall forthwith be referred to as the, “Coops” I’ve been talked into writing a review for Broken Record’s newest release by Joel Rockey, Marquette®. Even though I said I wasn’t going to lie at the beginning of this paragraph; I already have. No; I wasn’t bribed with coops (nobody has a large enough supply of the drink), in fact nobody even remotely asked me to write a review, I’ll even go so far as to say that if the guys at Broken Records knew about this piece of literature (and they don’t) they’d do everything in their power to prevent it from reaching The Mustard Room. But, Shamous is gonna do what Shamous is gonna do so pick up the phone it’s me, you. Anyway I’d like to pause for a brief moment and stab myself in the thigh with a rather sharp kitchen utensil and then re-gather my thoughts.

Alright, where was I? Oh yes, Marquette®, the latest installment in the plethora of Joel Rockey’s albums. First off, I love this record, the way the raging down-tuned guitars simply scream over the ferocious pounding and beating of drums all the while backing howling vocals of pain is simply head-banging, weight lifting, coops drinking music.This deadly record is definitely more ticked off, hungry, and a heck of a lot angrier than any previous works, and is topped off with a heavy dose of brutality, all served up by coops driven mad men like Joel, whose goal is as with every record to use music as weapon of sonic destruction.

Thus, I’ve lied again and in doing so destroyed the new record’s image with this review; I don’t know what got into me, I may have consumed to many of the beverage now known as coops, Sorry. Truth is, I’ve never heard the album but I’m sure I haven’t done it justice with this review so just disregard this whole thing and I’ll leave you with this quote which includes a large amount hip-hop slang--“ Not all dorks have this haircut but only dorks have this haircut."

With all the honesty I can muster,

Shamous

An aural supplement, episode 5

Running Time: 58:14 | File Size 54 MB
Download: .mp3
To subscribe to this podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ARockeyHomeCompanionPodcast

It's May and the thoughts of those around the Rockey home turn to those of fancy. Three is the magic number, but I hear the good Lord gives no more than we can handle. So kiss your mama and fire up the blinky, it's another day trippin' episode of your friendly interweb DJ e-spinnin' tunes both old and new for the very few who was askin'.

1. De La Soul “The Magic Number”
2. Le Switch “Tongue Tied ”
3. Feist “1234”
4. A Tribe Called Quest “Jazz (We've Got)”
5. The Kinks “Village Green”
6. Meiko Kaji “Urami Bushi”
7. Garrison Keillor & Jearlyn Steele “Coffee Jingle”
8. Howard Tate “8 Days on the Road”
9. Neko Case “Things That Scare Me”
10. Shirtless Biddles “Mamie”
11. Young MC “Know How”
12. Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 “Day Tripper”
13. Groucho Marx “Excellent Chances”
14. Arcade Fire “Intervention”
15. X “The New World”
16. Bobby Fuller Four “I Fought the Law”
17. Wilco “Hate It Here”
18. The Who “Two Thousand Years”

Tomorrow the blue sky

Wilco return with their sixth studio album, Sky Blue Sky.

The mother load

This photo of my mother and I has always been a favorite of mine. I don't necessarily know why. I find myself staring into the eyes of that little being wondering what it must have been like for my mother to hold her first born child. Did she wonder even then what would become of this tiny life whom she carried inside her body for months? I'm sure there were plenty of times later in life when she longed for those days when she could just wrap me up and hold me in her arms. I spent lunch this mother's day around my grandmother's dining room table with my brother and my wife. I've been fortunate to have some amazing women in my life who have loved me and who have taught me to love: My mother, my wife, my grandmother who suffers through her alzheimer's inflicted husband, my grandmother whose passionate faith and love for her family have not been dampened by death, my mother-in-law. Where would I be without these women? I'd be nowhere... and I'd be there without clean underwear.

Here's to you moms!

Download:
MP3: Paul Simon :: Mother and Child Reunion
MP3: The White Stripes :: I Want to be the Boy to Warm Your Mother's Heart
MP3: Gillian Welch :: I Had a Real Good Mother and Father
MP3: Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama :: Mother Pray

The fly cassanova

I was recently digging through the archives in search of tracks for inclusion on the next volume of If Awesome Were a Compact Disc. It gave me the long overdue opportunity to revisit the quintessential hip-hop album of my youth, Stone Cold Rhymin' by Marvin Young (aka Young MC).

Somewhere between my 8th grade and freshman year in high school, I had dubbed a copy of Stone Cold from my friend Eric's cassette tape of the album. During a day when misogynistic lyrics and gangsta rap were becoming the preferred listening of midwestern white boys, the infectious grooves of songs like 'I Come Off,' 'Roll with the Punches' and the radio hit 'Bust a Move' helped protect my innocence and kept me young (pun very much intended). Young's lyrics were fun and often a bit goofy ("with the funky fresh rhymes comin' outta my gizzard,") but they rolled across 70's funk samples and bass lines provided by the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea in such a way that would have my head bobbing long after the groove was over. I would often show off my own skills by reciting the album's 50 second track "Fastest Rhyme" for friends. I'd like to say it won over quite a few ladies. I'd like to say it, but the claim really wouldn't hold much water.

Though he won a Grammy for his hit "Bust a Move" and co-wrote hits such as "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina" for Tone Loc, Young MC never really produced anything of acclaim after the success of Stone Cold Rhymin'. Seventeen years later, I'm listening to this gem from my youth over and over in my car and I'm unashamed of the funky fresh rhymes coming out of my own gizzard. I am ashamed however that I just typed that sentence.