4/20 Funny T-Shirt Night @ Just Us

Born In The U.S.A. 6:08 Bruce Springsteen Live 1975-1985 (Disc 2)
Atlantic City 3:30 Automatic 7 At Funeral Speed
You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) 3:54 The White Stripes Icky Thump
I Come from the Water 2:47 The Toadies Rubberneck
La Grange 3:54 ZZ Top Tres Hombres
King Of All The World 2:52 Old 97's Satellite Rides (Disc 1)
Hipster Girl 3:45 MC Lars Hipster Girl - Single
White & Nerdy (Parody of "Ridin'" By Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone) 2:50 "Weird Al" Yankovic Straight Outta Lynwood
I'm a Asshole 4:26 Dennis Leary Asshole
1492 3:51 Counting Crows Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings
Traffic and Weather 3:37 Fountains of Wayne Traffic and Weather
Under Pressure (Studio) 3:32 The Used & My Chemical Romance
Lola 4:11 The Kinks Greatest Hits
D'yer Mak'er 4:23 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin [Disc 2]
Just What I Needed 3:47 The Cars Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology (Disc 1)
Can't Help Falling In Love 2:58 Elvis Presley Elvis 30 #1 Hits
Buddy Holly 2:39 Weezer Weezer
Big Shot 3:44 Billy Joel Greatest Hits, Vol. II (1978 - 1985) [Disc 2]
Hard To Handle 3:09 The Black Crowes Shake Your Money Maker
Home 5:05 Marc Broussard Carencro
Devil Inside 5:11 INXS Greatest Hits
Ants Marching 4:31 Dave Matthews Band Under The Table And Dreaming
All I Want Is You 6:30 U2 Rattle And Hum
You Can Make Him Like You 2:49 The Hold Steady Boys and Girls In America
Authority Song 3:50 John Mellencamp Uh Huh
Terror 5:25 My Ruin Speak & Destroy
Map Of The Problematique 4:18 Muse Black Holes And Revelations
Chaos 4:55 Mute Math Mute Math: Teleprompt Limited Edition
I'm Yours 4:18 Jason Mraz Sampler 001
Somebody Told Me 3:18 The Killers Hot Fuss
Basket Case 3:03 Green Day Dookie
Downtown 5:11 Neil Young Mirrorball
Are You Gonna Go My Way 3:32 Lenny Kravitz Greatest Hits
Real World 3:52 Matchbox Twenty Yourself Or Someone Like You
Come Out And Play 3:18 The Offspring Smash
Crawling 3:29 Linkin Park Hybrid Theory
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor 2:54 Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Hands Down (new version) 3:06 Dashboard Confessional
Never Too Late 3:29 Three Days Grace One X
Living Well Is the Best Revenge 3:12 R.E.M. Accelerate
She Builds Quick Machines 4:04 Velvet Revolver Libertad
Run to the Hills 3:54 Iron Maiden The Essential Iron Maiden
Mr. Brownstone 3:49 Guns N' Roses Appetite For Destruction
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town 3:16 Pearl Jam Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991-2003) [Disc 2]
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic 4:20 The Police Every Breath You Take: The Singles
The Monorail Song 1:51 The Simpsons Songs In The Key Of Springfield
In Search Of An Out Of Body Vibe 0:24 The Simpsons Songs In The Key Of Springfield
A Girl Like You 4:43 The Smithereens 11

The Originality Question

I had a conversation with a friend about the state of music a few weeks ago, and it caused me to go into one of those phases where a question bugs me and bugs me. We were debating whether there's anything truly "new and original" out there musically, each blasting some bands for sounding the same over and over again. I even ended up blasting one of my own favorites, Blues Traveler, for the really sad act of putting out an album of cover songs of their own composition.

And the more I thought about it, the more convinced I am that there is actually nothing new under the sun. You can argue that there hasn't been since Grandmaster Flash took to the mike, and even that might be debatable. Every artist owes a debt to some musical influence to someone.

Take Vampire Weekend, one of the it bands of the moment. Their new album, which I love, gets praise for being fresh and original. But basically they're writing pop songs with African and Carribbean beats, something that Paul Simon did on Graceland 20-plus years ago. And Paul Simon wasn't exactly the first person to discover African music but he won a Grammy for it.

You can play this sort of musical Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon for just about every band. The Beatles built on Chuck Berry. The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin stole from every bluesman around, and Eddie Van Halen took many pages out of Jimmy Page's playbook.

I guess what matters is how you put all those influences together. Making it sound fresh becomes the challenge, or you'll end up like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, ripping entire songs right out from under Tom Petty's nose.

As long as an artist acknowledges and embraces those influences rather than ignoring them, I say go for it. Most musicians understand the history involved. Nothing though bugs me more than listening to some self-described genius act as if their album sprang forth from their amplifiers and changed the face of music by the sheer virtue of their own brilliant originality. Usually its in an interview on some "modern rock station" that seems to think everything produced after 1991 just magically happened.

Embrace the past, use it to build the future. Play the good shit. No matter when it came out.

4/17 Party at Retrology Square

King Of Pain 4:58 The Police Every Breath You Take: The Singles
Wind It Up 4:27 Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies Are Me
Zak And Sara 3:11 Ben Folds Rockin' The Suburbs
Self Esteem 4:18 The Offspring Smash
You're Crazy 3:17 Guns N' Roses Appetite For Destruction
Basket Case 3:03 Green Day Dookie
The Best Of What's Around 4:17 Dave Matthews Band Under The Table And Dreaming
Oxford Comma 3:24 Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend
Hipster Girl 3:45 MC Lars Hipster Girl - Single
No Sleep Till Brooklyn 4:07 The Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill
Stronger 5:12 Kanye West Graduation
Shake Ya Tailfeather 4:26 Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee DJ Envy-Street Sampler
La Vie Boheme 6:59 Original Soundtrack Broadway: Rent Disc 2
Everyone's A Little Bit Racist 5:28 Original Broadway Cast Avenue Q
Anarchy In The U.K. 3:32 Sex Pistols Never Mind The Bollocks
Beverly Hills 3:16 Weezer Make Believe
Teenager 4:18 Better Than Ezra Deluxe
Supermassive Black Hole 3:29 Muse Black Holes And Revelations
Down Under 3:41 Men At Work Contraband - The Best Of Men At Work
Church Of The Poison Mind 3:31 Culture Club The Best Of Culture Club
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) 3:37 Eurythmics Ultimate Collection
I'm Gonna DJ 2:08 R.E.M. Accelerate
Most People Are DJs 5:51 The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me
The Last DJ 3:48 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers The Last DJ
Daybreaker 3:55 Beth Orton Daybreaker
New York City 3:27 moe. Dither
Crash & Burn 2:59 Blues Traveler Four
I Liked You Better When You Hated Yourself 2:46 The Badlees River Songs
Under the Milky Way 4:58 The Church Starfish
Mistaken For Strangers 3:31 The National Boxer
Dead Sound 3:33 The Raveonettes Lust Lust Lust
Make It Wit Chu 4:51 Queens of the Stone Age Era Vulgaris
The Girl You Lost To Cocaine 2:40 Sia Some People Have Real Problems
Raisin' Hell Again 1:57 Nashville Pussy Get Some!
Bad Reputation 2:26 The Reverend Horton Heat Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em
Story of My Life 5:47 Social Distortion Greatest Hits
Rollerskate Skinny 3:52 Old 97's Satellite Rides (Disc 1)
I Wanna Be Your Dog 3:05 Uncle Tupelo 89/93: An Anthology
Stop the Rock (Apollo 440 Original Mix) 3:32 Apollo Four Forty Gettin' High On Your Own Supply
You Make Me Feel Like A Whore 2:47 Everclear Sparkle And Fade
Slither 4:08 Velvet Revolver Contraband
She's The One 4:31 Bruce Springsteen Born To Run
You May Be Right 4:09 Billy Joel Greatest Hits, Vol. II (1978 - 1985) [Disc 2]
Desire 3:41 Ryan Adams Demolition
The Weight 4:35 The Band The Band: Greatest Hits
In My Life 2:58 Johnny Cash American IV: The Man Comes Around
I'll Be Your Lover, Too 3:54 Van Morrison His Band and the Street Choir

4/16 Best in Rock T-shirts at Diamond Nights

SL was giving us a hard time, but we partied hard anyway...

Jealous Again 4:37 The Black Crowes Shake Your Money Maker
Keep Your Hands To Yourself 3:26 The Georgia Satellites Georgia Satellites
Gin And Juice 6:24 The Gourds Shinebox
Space Game 4:06 MC Lars The Graduate
Devil's Haircut 3:14 Beck Odelay
Stupid Girl 4:19 Garbage Garbage
Stacy's Mom 3:18 Fountains of Wayne Welcome Interstate Managers
Praise You 3:48 Fatboy Slim The Greatest Hits Why Try Harder
Chaos 4:55 Mute Math Mute Math: Teleprompt Limited Edition
And She Was 3:38 Talking Heads The Best of Talking Heads (Remastered)
I'll Be You 3:29 The Replacements Don't Tell a Soul
Life Wasted 3:54 Pearl Jam Pearl Jam
Mannish Boy 5:21 Muddy Waters The Story of the Blues (Columbia)
Victoria (Live) 4:03 Old 97's Satellite Rides - Bonus Disc
The Picture 3:26 Son Volt The Search (Deluxe Version)
Blister in the Sun 2:24 Violent Femmes Add It Up (1981-1993)
Ecstasy 5:02 Rusted Root When I Woke
Put Your Hands On Me 2:58 Joss Stone Introducing Joss Stone
Shut Up And Kiss Me 3:43 Mary Chapin Carpenter Party Doll & Other Favorites
Saving Grace 3:48 Tom Petty Highway Companion
Four Winds 4:16 Bright Eyes Cassadaga
Cradle of Love 4:39 Billy Idol Billy Idol: Greatest Hits
Like an Animal 2:43 The Donnas Bitchin'
Crazy Bitch (dirty) 3:25 Buckcherry 15
Tainted Love (7" Single) 2:40 Soft Cell The Very Best of Soft Cell
She Bop 3:54 She's So Unusual
The Dutchess - 02 - Clumsy 4:01 Fergie The Dutchess
Man With No Country 3:04 Flogging Molly Float
The State of Massachusetts 3:55 Dropkick Murphys The Meanest of Times (Deluxe Edition)
Funky Céilí (Bridie's Song) 4:01 Black 47 Fire Of Freedom
Hot Thing (feat. Will.i.am) 3:50 Talib Kweli Eardrum
Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin') 3:50 T-Pain feat. Yung Joc Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin') - Single
Fight The Power [Live] 3:55 Public Enemy Revolverlution
All I Want Is You 6:30 U2 Rattle And Hum
Human Touch 6:31 Bruce Springsteen The Essential Bruce Springsteen (Disc 2)
Let's Get It On 4:03 Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye's Greatest Hits

Your musical thought of the day, 4/15

You're always saying you're too weak to be strong,...
You're harder on yourself than just about anyone,...

Why swim the channel just to get this far?
Halfway there, why would you turn around?

Darkness comes in waves,... tell me,
why invite it to stay?

You're warm with negativity,
Yes, comfort is an energy,...
But why let the sad song play?

I have faced it,... A life wasted,...
I'm never going back again.

Oh I escaped it,... A life wasted,...
I'm never going back again.

Having tasted,... A life wasted,...
I'm never going back again.

Oh I erased it,... A life wasted,...
I'm never going back again.

--Pearl Jam "Life Wasted"

4/13 Silver and Gold at Just Us

The new Sunday night home of House Party. Some Rez Day tunage:

Brian Wilson 4:45 Barenaked Ladies Rock Spectacle
Laid 2:37 James Laid
3 Strange Days 5:12 School of Fish School of Fish
Massive Nights 2:54 The Hold Steady Boys and Girls In America
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor 2:54 Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Get Off This 4:26 Cracker Kerosene Hat
Heart Of Gold 3:07 Neil Young Decade [Disc 2]
Firecracker 2:52 Ryan Adams Gold
Silver And Gold 5:50 U2 Rattle And Hum
When You Were Young 3:40 The Killers Sam's Town
The Lemon Song 6:19 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II
Slither 4:08 Velvet Revolver Contraband
Golden Years 4:01 David Bowie
Paralyzer 3:28 Finger Eleven Them vs. You vs. Me
Train In Vain 3:11 The Clash The Singles
The Way I Am 2:15 Ingrid Michaelson Girls and Boys
Already Gone 4:12 The Eagles Their Greatest Hits
I Saw A Bird Fly Away 2:51 Dar Williams The Beauty Of The Rain
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile) 3:02 Van Morrison Saint Dominic's Preview
Wonderful World 2:05 Sam Cooke The Man And His Music
Drive My Car 2:30 The Beatles Rubber Soul
Always 5:53 Bon Jovi The Best Of (Crossroad)
Authority Song 3:50 John Mellencamp Uh Huh
Rendezvous 2:51 Bruce Springsteen Tracks (Disc 1) [Box Set]
Makin' Some Noise 3:27 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Into The Great Wide Open
It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I feel fine) 4:07 R.E.M. Eponymous
Peace Frog 2:52 The Doors The Very Best of the Doors (Bonus Track Version)
Rebel Yell 4:48 Billy Idol Rebel Yell
Animal 2:48 Pearl Jam Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991-2003) [Disc 1]
Learn To Fly 3:57 Foo Fighters There Is Nothing Left To Lose
Dance With Me 2:42 Old 97s Blame It On Gravity (May 13)
The Cheapest Key 2:42 Kathleen Edwards Asking for Flowers (Bonus Track Version)
Essence 5:52 Lucinda Williams Essence
6 String Belief 3:17 Son Volt Okemah And The Melody Of Riot
Thing Called Love 4:11 John Hiatt The Best Of John Hiatt
Too Much Sex (Too Little Jesus) 3:21 Drive-By Truckers Alabama Ass Whuppin'
Can't Help Falling In Love 2:58 Elvis Presley Elvis 30 #1 Hits
You Got the Silver 2:55 The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed
Kiss 3:46 Prince The Hits/The B-Sides (Disc 2)
Anything and Everything 3:44 Martina McBride Emotion
All In The Groove 4:16 Blues Traveler Travelers & Thieves
You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast 3:49 Spin Doctors Turn It Upside Down
Timebomb 2:50 Beck Timebomb - Single
Maria's Wedding 4:09 Black 47 Fire Of Freedom
It's Alright 4:01 Big Head Todd & The Monsters Sister Sweetly
Tougher Then The Rest 4:35 Bruce Springsteen Tunnel Of Love

Counting Crows Covering Van Morrison

People have ragged on the Counting Crows for sounding too much like Van Morrison, like that could be considered a bad thing. Back before their first album was released, they actually stood in as the house band at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction when Van decided not to show.
Apparently the Crows have taken the comparisons in stride over the years. Here's a link to a great sounding version of the band covering "Caravan."

Counting Crows - Caravan (Van Morrison)