May's gone - 5 months in the book. I know there's some science about how quickly time flies as we get older, but wow - 5 months of 2019 gone. Let's hope time keeps up this pace. Being very busy at work and home help.
Let's slow the pace a bit and listen to some fine music, which includes Doris Day, Nancy Sinatra, Jackie DeShannon, Dionne Warwick, Brenda Lee, The Ditty Bops, Joni Mitchell, the Roches, the Pipettes, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, the Cure, Grin, Mink Deville, Terry Reid, Faces, That Petrol Emotion, and the Mighty Lemon Drops.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Looks like a beautiful day today, same as or maybe even better than yesterday. Not a lot on the old to-do list today (well, there is, but we'll avoid that for now). Should be a great one. Maybe a bit of deck time, relaxing and thinking about....nothing.
This is one of those "why we live in New England" weekends. Kate's always complaining about the bad winters and non-existent springs, but when a weekend like this appears, she says, "this is why we live in New England." I don't mind the cold, but I'm not a fan of the non-existent spring. I don't like it when it gets real hot and humid. There may be some trouble brewin' at retirement time (still a ways away for me).
How to relax on this carefree day? Try this hour of music, which features the Pentangle, Creedence Clearwater Revival, My Morning Jacket, St. Vincent, the Bangles, Quantic, Real Estate, Gorillaz, the Shocking Blue, the Ghosts of a Sabre-Tooth Tiger, the Connells, James Carr, Concrete Blonde, Jessie Colin Young, and Elvis Costello.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Hey! I'm in Nashville this week. So I've loaded up a podcast early and wrote this out beforehand, so I wouldn't have to think about this while I'm in Nashville, Music City U.S.A. Should have lots of great adventures (and work, always work involved). So I just have to hit the publish button to get this up this week.
So join me in enjoying this week's podcast, carefully crafted for you (but not really with Nashville in mind - Dylan might be the only artist this week who recorded in Nashville). Listen to Joe Jackson, Glen Campbell, Captain Beefheart, Bob Dylan, Robert Forster, Grant McLennan, Rod Stewart, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Duran Duran, Robyn Hitchcock, John Doe, the Mighty Lemon Drops, and Blur.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Had a great time in Nashville. The conference was great (met a lot of old friends there), and the city was wonderful. Overall it's a bit humid for my taste, but the weather was warm and we missed most of the showers.
Highlights of Nashville included going to the Ryman Auditorium (truly a place to worship music). Saw Rosanne Cash with Ry Cooder doing Johnny Cash songs - what an amazing bonus. I would've seen anyone perform at the Ryman, but the first concert after deciding to do Johnny's music done by them was special. They were incredible.
The Country Music Hall of Fame was pretty great, too. Spent a long time there - they've got great exhibits. After that, we needed to go to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and hang out on the roof. Also went to Cheekwood, a 1930's estate with beautiful grounds, and also went to see the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's estate. The estate was grand - spent most of the day there.
And we ate. Boy, did we eat. Highlights included Biscuit Love, Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant, the Farmhouse, and Woolworth's on 5th. Yes - that Woolworth's. Oh, the store is closed - it's just a fancy restaurant now, but the ambiance and food were well worth it.
But it's time to be back home and get ready for the week - can't wait to do two weeks' worth of work in one to catch up. To help, there's music, which this week includes the Jimmy Castor Bunch, Bob Lind, Neil Diamond, the 1910 Fruitgum Company, Norma Tanega, Massive Attack, Rose Elinor Donahue, Sons & Daughters, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, the Valentinos, Emanuel Lasky, the Style Council, the Smithereens, and the Pretenders.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
July 4 is one of the last remaining holidays that is celebrated on a specific day rather than on a Monday (long weekend). This year July 4 lands on a Thursday, so a big question employers have is what to do with Friday, July 5? Do they treat it like Thanksgiving (a Thursday) and extend the holiday, or keep the business open and have one day of non-productive work? This goes away for a couple of years, as July 4 lands on the weekend the next two years (Saturday and Sunday).
However it works out for you, have a happy and safe 4th of July week. And by safe I mean don't blow your hand off with fireworks. This week's podcast starts with some fine celebratory music, but the ending - a little more subdued. Just how it's written in the Declaration of Undependence. So listen to Steve Earle, the Drive-By Truckers, Chuck Prophet, the Blasters. George Jones, Rosanne Cash, Ry Cooder, Caroline Rose, Rose Elinor Donahue, Aimee Mann, Richard Thompson, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
July 4 is one of the last remaining holidays that is celebrated on a specific day rather than on a Monday (long weekend). This year July 4 lands on a Thursday, so a big question employers have is what to do with Friday, July 5? Do they treat it like Thanksgiving (a Thursday) and extend the holiday, or keep the business open and have one day of non-productive work? This goes away for a couple of years, as July 4 lands on the weekend the next two years (Saturday and Sunday).
However it works out for you, have a happy and safe 4th of July week. And by safe I mean don't blow your hand off with fireworks. This week's podcast starts with some fine celebratory music, but the ending - a little more subdued. Just how it's written in the Declaration of Independence. So listen to Steve Earle, the Drive-By Truckers, Chuck Prophet, the Blasters. George Jones, Rosanne Cash, Ry Cooder, Caroline Rose, Rose Elinor Donahue, Aimee Mann, Richard Thompson, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Hope everyone had a good July 4 holiday. We had family over for the holiday (I did work Friday - work never stops). It was pretty hot over the holidays, but I survived it.
As part of the family fun days, we went to the beach. As a person of Irish descent, my pasty white skin burns easily. To combat this, I bought an umbrella/tent thing. Wasn't sure how well it would work, but it was perfect. Big enough for two people to sit under comfortably, along with the cooler and other assorted items. Now I can go to the beach and not have to worry about getting sunburnt. Recommended.
Got some great tunes lined up this week; check it out with Bruce Cockburn, Ronnie Lane, the Bears, Van Morrison, the Cash Box Kings, Solomon Burke, Darrell Banks, Carla Thomas, the Four Tops, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and Clarence Gatemouth Brown.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
It's really been hot and humid lately. We've also had thunderstorms frequently - a strange, hot summer so far. And let's hope that Barry is as friendly as his name, and not the monster storm they're predicting for the New Orleans area.
Since it's summer, let's have some summer songs. Leading off the podcast is a new one from the Black Keys, followed by the Buffalo Springfield, Doug Sahm, Drive-By Truckers, Steve Earle, Gino Washington, Eric Clapton, the West Coast Experimental Art Band, Kate Bush, Goldfrapp, Rose Elinor Donahue, Stevie Wonder, and Dr. John.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Hot enough for you? Ever wonder how hot it is in Hell? If you're anywhere near me, this oppressive heat is starting to melt brain cells, until kkoak[ais-inklwnmm. Well, you get it. Boy, it's hot around here. Stay cool, my friends.
Today I'm looking back at songs from the first half of the year with my semi-annual check-in. So find some shade and listen to The Black Keys, Yola, Rose Elinor Donahue, Olver Kennan, Sharon Van Etten, Toro y Moi, Bob Mould, Pedro the Lion, Gang of Four, the Beat, the Cash Box Kings, Death and Vanilla, Norah Jones, and Joe Jackson.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
I was bracing for the “heat wave” and discovered that other people were just getting what we get at least 3 months out of every year. It’s actually dropping down to the lower 90s beginning Tuesday. A relief.
I was bracing for the “heat wave” and discovered that other people were just getting what we get at least 3 months out of every year. It’s actually dropping down to the lower 90s beginning Tuesday. A relief.
In London it is due to get up to 33C this week which is about 92F the thought of which is killing me - but I live in a home and work where there is no AC. Help me Rhonda!!
Where do you live Rostasi? Seems like an ideal place to come on holiday for a week or two, but not three months! Like djh, we are looking forward to low thirties this week, but it is only going to last a couple of days or so. Typical of England this year - two or three really hot days then a few weeks of cooler weather.
Hello, I'm not here right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to you after I return. It's vacation time, and kate and I are in Boothbay Harbor playing with puffins. I hope to have everything ready for me to click send and get everything uploaded on Sunday morning. we're having a lovely time, and I'll update everyone when I get back (wasn't kidding about that).
In this July ennui (well, until the trip up to Maine, anyway) let's focus on some fun and listen to R.E.M., Willy Deville, Dave Edmunds, Lou Reed, Bruce Cockburn, Curtis Mayfield, Zara McFarlane, Los Lobos, Donovan, Fats Domino, John Cale, Quantic, Rilo Kiley, and Spirit.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
In the summer, when I drive home on a Friday afternoon, there is inevitably a huge slowdown on the turnpike as we approach Maine. The number of people from Massachusetts and New York going to Maine on vacation starting Friday afternoon is more than a 4-lane highway can handle. It gets frustrating for us "normal" commuters.
Similarly, there are way too many people running for President on the Democratic side. There are still more than 20 people who are still running, even though over one-half must know that they can't win. All they are doing is clouding the nomination process (I'm sure President Trump finds this amusing).
What is also frustrating is that there are some candidates who have a good message that seem to be getting lost (I'm thinking specifically about Julian Castro, about whom I'd like to hear more). The others hang their hopes on the fact that no one knew who Barack Obama was at this stage of the 2008 primaries, and how President Trump seemingly came from nowhere to win (when really, even though not a professional politician, was leading in polls throughout that time).
Fewer cars - fewer candidates. Let's get this done (I know this is a pipe dream).
Today's mix is very ecelectic, but it all makes snese, so let's take the time to take breath and listen toTindersticks, Paul Kelly, Vic Chesnutt, Shakey Graves, the Who, Norma Tanega, Otis Redding, the Pixies, Mabel John, Bill Wyman, the Boomtown Rats, Lloyd Cole, Jorge Ben, Caetano Veloso, and Anelis.
I just received some new glasses - everything is in sharper focus now. It had been a while since I had gotten glasses, and while my eyesight hasn't gotten much worse, it was enough that new glasses really help. Also helps that the new glasses aren't all scratched up.
Although my glasses are a different style, it's not like they're going to be very noticeable. I stayed with the basic largish black frames, in a standard style - nothing outlandish for me. I have a big head, which further narrows my choices. I *almost* tried on a pair I really liked, but couldn't make them fit my fat head.
Let's celebrate my new found vision with music from Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Remains, Ry Cooder, Mabel John, Barbara Lynn, Small Faces, the Mamas and the Papas, Roy Head, Deep Purple, Donovan, Soul II Soul, Trombone Shorty, Funkadelic, J.J. Cale, Mike Heron, and Tindersticks.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Summer fun has been some funner this year. Not sure that's really true, but I liked the wordplay there. More adventures with my daughter-in-law today, and then a dinner/dance cruise next Friday. And then - summer's done. Time for fall and back to school.
Today's podcast is all about summer - I pulled together songs that remind me of summer. I read up on lists on different websites about their picks for summer songs, and there wasn't a lot of overlap with mine. I did pick out one song from a list that I wouldn't have chosen as a real summer song, but a quick listen convinced me. So let's wind up summer with Fred Schneider & the Shake Society, Nilsson, Bill Withers, the Surfaris, Jan & Dean, Mungo Jerry, Bob Marley & the Wailers, the Chantays, the Beatles, the Drifters, the Monkees, Mongo Santamaria, the Smiths, Bananarama, the Motels, and Al Green.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
I'm tired this morning, and the thinker's not working. Just a quick hello to everyone, and hope all's well. Got a great podcast today, starting with some remembrances of Woodstock, then moving on from there.
Let's chill today (not me, but maybe you can) with Richie Havens, Canned Heat, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, the Divine Comedy, Dr. John, the Clash, Jorge Ben, Yeasayer, Lou Reed, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Hi - Every once in a while, I see a listing of the top 40 for a certain week. This year someone has been highlighting 1969 - and the top 40's are generally killer. This week in August 1969 is no exception.
So, armed with the list of the songs for the week ending August 20-something, 1969, I put together a podcast of those tunes. I left out a couple that I didn't have/don't care for, but here are 16 of the top 20 songs for the week.
Let's think about what we were doing 50 years ago, listening to the radio, with The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Tommy James & the Shondells, Jackie DeShannon, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tony Joe White, the Youngbloods, the Guess Who, Kenny Rogers & the First Edition, Bob Dylan, the Archies, John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band, Stevie Wonder, Junior Walker & the All-Stars, Three Dog Night, and Tom Jones.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
nice work - I have a stack of WRKO weekly top 20 lists from the mid-60s. I used to get them at Sears in the Natick Mall. You may have just inspired me to pull them out and do a few playlists! Thanks for these podcasts. Cheers.
An interesting list from 50 years ago. At least four are still performing - Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and Tom Jones, maybe more. Some, of course have died. I'll check out the podcast to see what tacks you've played.
Happy Labor Day weekend. It's the final weekend of summer, and it looks like it may actually turn into autumn after Labor Day. It's already begun, with temperatures dipping into the high 40's at night, but it can be a temporary phenomenon. Not this year, according to the weather folk. We may get an occasional 80+ degree day, but all-in-all we're winding down the hot days of summer.
We've had a pretty busy summer here - far more excitement than what we're used to, although fewer cookouts overall. I miss my hot dogs. Let's celebrate the last couple with a cookout and some music to listen to as we say goodbye to summer, with Bonnie Raitt, Squeeze, the Hollies, Jeff Beck, Moon Martin, the Electric Flag, Seratones, Los Lobos, the Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Mavis Staples, Mosquitos, the La's, Jefferson Airplane, and Wall of Voodoo.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
It's back to school time, which means looking out for stopped buses as I drive into work each morning. I remember the feeling of "back-to-school" when I was a kid, though. I liked going to school in the fall to see friends that I either did not see or saw infrequently during the summer, as I lived in a farily rural setting.
As for the school (learning) part - I liked showing off my knowledge, but bristled (being kind to myself) over the rules put in place to dampen the joy of being alive. I was not a model student until high school, when I calmed down during the school day.
I know that one of the tenets of education is to prepare students for adulthood, and that being bored all day working at a job that you may or may not like was supposed to build character (or something), in real life I've had jobs for many years that weren't boring, and ones where I could have fun as well as work very hard to complete tasks.
For the teachers that allowed us to have some fun in school, and knew that there was more to life than the drudgery of filling in papers, I applaud you. I actually had so many teachers, especially in high school, that taught joy as part of their work, that school could be a true learning environment. For the others, I can only imagine that they didn't really enjoy teaching, and I think that I'm glad that I made their lives a little bit worse by being that bad kid.
Let's celebrate good teachers (and forget the bad ones), with music from Lower Dens, the Hold Steady, Ride, Sleeper, Mike Heron, Bonnie Raitt, the Pipettes, Freddie King, Samantha Fish, the J. Geils Band, T. Rex, Warren Zevon, and Van Morrison.
As one of at least two former teachers here, I hope my students had fun and joy in their learning. Research (I can even give the source!) shows that you are more likely to learn if you are enjoying what you are doing. Pretty obvious really.
How does one cope with the world? We all go through things that cause us to reassess who we are and what we've done. For me, unsurprisingly, it's music. I'll find something to play to calm me or get me pumped up, or sad or any number of emotions. I'm occasionally surprised at what sets me back on the right course (for me). It's usually not what I thought it would be, nor is it generally one of those albums that I would have considered a best of all time, although the music becomes a personal favorite. Not usrte the same music wold work twice - I'll have to check that.
Here's today's music mix for you - wonder if any of these tunes becomes one to restore me to a solid base. Listen to Coco Montoya, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Holly Golightly, Hall & Oates, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lower Dens, the Kings, the Neighborhoods, the Neats, the Clean, Gilberto Gil, Bo Diddley, Jason Hawk Harris, and the Who.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
September, the warm September of my years - Frank Sinatra, The September of My Years (Cahn/Van Heusen)
Am I really moving into the September of my years? In one month I'll be 60. My knee is telling me that I am soon to have it replaced with a newer, better one, and I should be a grandfather by the end of the year. Time is certainly moving on, whether I want to be part of it or not. Think I'll choose to be a part of what's going on in this world.
Today's podcast starts out darkly, then levels out before taking a dark turn again on the last set. Join me for the happy times of Tindersticks, Orange Juice, Sad Cafe, Electric Cables, Flesh for Lulu, Killing Joke, Simple Minds, Apples in Stereo, Badfinger, Raspberries, Shoes, Mazzy Star, Lush, Wire, and Talking Heads.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
It's happened. My original knee has worn out to the point where no injections will stave off the pain. I have no cartilage in my left knee, so I'm walking bone on bone, and my knee has shifted to try to reduce the pain, but there's no more comfortable place left for my knee to sit.
I am going to see the surgeon next week to set a date to have knee replacement surgery. Thing is, my fall is pretty jam-packed. Not sure what dates the surgeon has open or will suggest, but I hope he can either hit my perfect date (right after Veteran's Day) or wait for New Year's Day. I'll live with the pain (already am) until this happens.
Let's all feel sorry for me (but don't - it's been a good run with the knee) by listening to Seratones, Andra Day, Macy Gray, Lizzo, George McRae, Ellen Foley, Bob Dylan, Patti Labelle, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Albert Collins, the Walker Brothers, Tom Jones, Jackie DeShannon, and the 5th Dimension.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
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May's gone - 5 months in the book. I know there's some science about how quickly time flies as we get older, but wow - 5 months of 2019 gone. Let's hope time keeps up this pace. Being very busy at work and home help.
Let's slow the pace a bit and listen to some fine music, which includes Doris Day, Nancy Sinatra, Jackie DeShannon, Dionne Warwick, Brenda Lee, The Ditty Bops, Joni Mitchell, the Roches, the Pipettes, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, the Cure, Grin, Mink Deville, Terry Reid, Faces, That Petrol Emotion, and the Mighty Lemon Drops.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Looks like a beautiful day today, same as or maybe even better than yesterday. Not a lot on the old to-do list today (well, there is, but we'll avoid that for now). Should be a great one. Maybe a bit of deck time, relaxing and thinking about....nothing.
This is one of those "why we live in New England" weekends. Kate's always complaining about the bad winters and non-existent springs, but when a weekend like this appears, she says, "this is why we live in New England." I don't mind the cold, but I'm not a fan of the non-existent spring. I don't like it when it gets real hot and humid. There may be some trouble brewin' at retirement time (still a ways away for me).
How to relax on this carefree day? Try this hour of music, which features the Pentangle, Creedence Clearwater Revival, My Morning Jacket, St. Vincent, the Bangles, Quantic, Real Estate, Gorillaz, the Shocking Blue, the Ghosts of a Sabre-Tooth Tiger, the Connells, James Carr, Concrete Blonde, Jessie Colin Young, and Elvis Costello.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Had a great time in Nashville. The conference was great (met a lot of old friends there), and the city was wonderful. Overall it's a bit humid for my taste, but the weather was warm and we missed most of the showers.
Highlights of Nashville included going to the Ryman Auditorium (truly a place to worship music). Saw Rosanne Cash with Ry Cooder doing Johnny Cash songs - what an amazing bonus. I would've seen anyone perform at the Ryman, but the first concert after deciding to do Johnny's music done by them was special. They were incredible.
The Country Music Hall of Fame was pretty great, too. Spent a long time there - they've got great exhibits. After that, we needed to go to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge and hang out on the roof. Also went to Cheekwood, a 1930's estate with beautiful grounds, and also went to see the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's estate. The estate was grand - spent most of the day there.
And we ate. Boy, did we eat. Highlights included Biscuit Love, Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant, the Farmhouse, and Woolworth's on 5th. Yes - that Woolworth's. Oh, the store is closed - it's just a fancy restaurant now, but the ambiance and food were well worth it.
But it's time to be back home and get ready for the week - can't wait to do two weeks' worth of work in one to catch up. To help, there's music, which this week includes the Jimmy Castor Bunch, Bob Lind, Neil Diamond, the 1910 Fruitgum Company, Norma Tanega, Massive Attack, Rose Elinor Donahue, Sons & Daughters, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, the Valentinos, Emanuel Lasky, the Style Council, the Smithereens, and the Pretenders.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
July 4 is one of the last remaining holidays that is celebrated on a specific day rather than on a Monday (long weekend). This year July 4 lands on a Thursday, so a big question employers have is what to do with Friday, July 5? Do they treat it like Thanksgiving (a Thursday) and extend the holiday, or keep the business open and have one day of non-productive work? This goes away for a couple of years, as July 4 lands on the weekend the next two years (Saturday and Sunday).
However it works out for you, have a happy and safe 4th of July week. And by safe I mean don't blow your hand off with fireworks. This week's podcast starts with some fine celebratory music, but the ending - a little more subdued. Just how it's written in the Declaration of Undependence. So listen to Steve Earle, the Drive-By Truckers, Chuck Prophet, the Blasters. George Jones, Rosanne Cash, Ry Cooder, Caroline Rose, Rose Elinor Donahue, Aimee Mann, Richard Thompson, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
July 4 is one of the last remaining holidays that is celebrated on a specific day rather than on a Monday (long weekend). This year July 4 lands on a Thursday, so a big question employers have is what to do with Friday, July 5? Do they treat it like Thanksgiving (a Thursday) and extend the holiday, or keep the business open and have one day of non-productive work? This goes away for a couple of years, as July 4 lands on the weekend the next two years (Saturday and Sunday).
However it works out for you, have a happy and safe 4th of July week. And by safe I mean don't blow your hand off with fireworks. This week's podcast starts with some fine celebratory music, but the ending - a little more subdued. Just how it's written in the Declaration of Independence. So listen to Steve Earle, the Drive-By Truckers, Chuck Prophet, the Blasters. George Jones, Rosanne Cash, Ry Cooder, Caroline Rose, Rose Elinor Donahue, Aimee Mann, Richard Thompson, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Hope everyone had a good July 4 holiday. We had family over for the holiday (I did work Friday - work never stops). It was pretty hot over the holidays, but I survived it.
As part of the family fun days, we went to the beach. As a person of Irish descent, my pasty white skin burns easily. To combat this, I bought an umbrella/tent thing. Wasn't sure how well it would work, but it was perfect. Big enough for two people to sit under comfortably, along with the cooler and other assorted items. Now I can go to the beach and not have to worry about getting sunburnt. Recommended.
Got some great tunes lined up this week; check it out with Bruce Cockburn, Ronnie Lane, the Bears, Van Morrison, the Cash Box Kings, Solomon Burke, Darrell Banks, Carla Thomas, the Four Tops, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and Clarence Gatemouth Brown.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Hot enough for you? Ever wonder how hot it is in Hell? If you're anywhere near me, this oppressive heat is starting to melt brain cells, until kkoak[ais-inklwnmm. Well, you get it. Boy, it's hot around here. Stay cool, my friends.
Today I'm looking back at songs from the first half of the year with my semi-annual check-in. So find some shade and listen to The Black Keys, Yola, Rose Elinor Donahue, Olver Kennan, Sharon Van Etten, Toro y Moi, Bob Mould, Pedro the Lion, Gang of Four, the Beat, the Cash Box Kings, Death and Vanilla, Norah Jones, and Joe Jackson.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
In the summer, when I drive home on a Friday afternoon, there is inevitably a huge slowdown on the turnpike as we approach Maine. The number of people from Massachusetts and New York going to Maine on vacation starting Friday afternoon is more than a 4-lane highway can handle. It gets frustrating for us "normal" commuters.
Similarly, there are way too many people running for President on the Democratic side. There are still more than 20 people who are still running, even though over one-half must know that they can't win. All they are doing is clouding the nomination process (I'm sure President Trump finds this amusing).
What is also frustrating is that there are some candidates who have a good message that seem to be getting lost (I'm thinking specifically about Julian Castro, about whom I'd like to hear more). The others hang their hopes on the fact that no one knew who Barack Obama was at this stage of the 2008 primaries, and how President Trump seemingly came from nowhere to win (when really, even though not a professional politician, was leading in polls throughout that time).
Fewer cars - fewer candidates. Let's get this done (I know this is a pipe dream).
Today's mix is very ecelectic, but it all makes snese, so let's take the time to take breath and listen toTindersticks, Paul Kelly, Vic Chesnutt, Shakey Graves, the Who, Norma Tanega, Otis Redding, the Pixies, Mabel John, Bill Wyman, the Boomtown Rats, Lloyd Cole, Jorge Ben, Caetano Veloso, and Anelis.
I just received some new glasses - everything is in sharper focus now. It had been a while since I had gotten glasses, and while my eyesight hasn't gotten much worse, it was enough that new glasses really help. Also helps that the new glasses aren't all scratched up.
Although my glasses are a different style, it's not like they're going to be very noticeable. I stayed with the basic largish black frames, in a standard style - nothing outlandish for me. I have a big head, which further narrows my choices. I *almost* tried on a pair I really liked, but couldn't make them fit my fat head.
Let's celebrate my new found vision with music from Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Remains, Ry Cooder, Mabel John, Barbara Lynn, Small Faces, the Mamas and the Papas, Roy Head, Deep Purple, Donovan, Soul II Soul, Trombone Shorty, Funkadelic, J.J. Cale, Mike Heron, and Tindersticks.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Summer fun has been some funner this year. Not sure that's really true, but I liked the wordplay there. More adventures with my daughter-in-law today, and then a dinner/dance cruise next Friday. And then - summer's done. Time for fall and back to school.
Today's podcast is all about summer - I pulled together songs that remind me of summer. I read up on lists on different websites about their picks for summer songs, and there wasn't a lot of overlap with mine. I did pick out one song from a list that I wouldn't have chosen as a real summer song, but a quick listen convinced me. So let's wind up summer with Fred Schneider & the Shake Society, Nilsson, Bill Withers, the Surfaris, Jan & Dean, Mungo Jerry, Bob Marley & the Wailers, the Chantays, the Beatles, the Drifters, the Monkees, Mongo Santamaria, the Smiths, Bananarama, the Motels, and Al Green.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
I'm tired this morning, and the thinker's not working. Just a quick hello to everyone, and hope all's well. Got a great podcast today, starting with some remembrances of Woodstock, then moving on from there.
Let's chill today (not me, but maybe you can) with Richie Havens, Canned Heat, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, the Divine Comedy, Dr. John, the Clash, Jorge Ben, Yeasayer, Lou Reed, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Hi - Every once in a while, I see a listing of the top 40 for a certain week. This year someone has been highlighting 1969 - and the top 40's are generally killer. This week in August 1969 is no exception.
So, armed with the list of the songs for the week ending August 20-something, 1969, I put together a podcast of those tunes. I left out a couple that I didn't have/don't care for, but here are 16 of the top 20 songs for the week.
Let's think about what we were doing 50 years ago, listening to the radio, with The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Tommy James & the Shondells, Jackie DeShannon, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tony Joe White, the Youngbloods, the Guess Who, Kenny Rogers & the First Edition, Bob Dylan, the Archies, John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band, Stevie Wonder, Junior Walker & the All-Stars, Three Dog Night, and Tom Jones.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
Happy Labor Day weekend. It's the final weekend of summer, and it looks like it may actually turn into autumn after Labor Day. It's already begun, with temperatures dipping into the high 40's at night, but it can be a temporary phenomenon. Not this year, according to the weather folk. We may get an occasional 80+ degree day, but all-in-all we're winding down the hot days of summer.
We've had a pretty busy summer here - far more excitement than what we're used to, although fewer cookouts overall. I miss my hot dogs. Let's celebrate the last couple with a cookout and some music to listen to as we say goodbye to summer, with Bonnie Raitt, Squeeze, the Hollies, Jeff Beck, Moon Martin, the Electric Flag, Seratones, Los Lobos, the Beach Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Mavis Staples, Mosquitos, the La's, Jefferson Airplane, and Wall of Voodoo.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
It's back to school time, which means looking out for stopped buses as I drive into work each morning. I remember the feeling of "back-to-school" when I was a kid, though. I liked going to school in the fall to see friends that I either did not see or saw infrequently during the summer, as I lived in a farily rural setting.
As for the school (learning) part - I liked showing off my knowledge, but bristled (being kind to myself) over the rules put in place to dampen the joy of being alive. I was not a model student until high school, when I calmed down during the school day.
I know that one of the tenets of education is to prepare students for adulthood, and that being bored all day working at a job that you may or may not like was supposed to build character (or something), in real life I've had jobs for many years that weren't boring, and ones where I could have fun as well as work very hard to complete tasks.
For the teachers that allowed us to have some fun in school, and knew that there was more to life than the drudgery of filling in papers, I applaud you. I actually had so many teachers, especially in high school, that taught joy as part of their work, that school could be a true learning environment. For the others, I can only imagine that they didn't really enjoy teaching, and I think that I'm glad that I made their lives a little bit worse by being that bad kid.
Let's celebrate good teachers (and forget the bad ones), with music from Lower Dens, the Hold Steady, Ride, Sleeper, Mike Heron, Bonnie Raitt, the Pipettes, Freddie King, Samantha Fish, the J. Geils Band, T. Rex, Warren Zevon, and Van Morrison.
How does one cope with the world? We all go through things that cause us to reassess who we are and what we've done. For me, unsurprisingly, it's music. I'll find something to play to calm me or get me pumped up, or sad or any number of emotions. I'm occasionally surprised at what sets me back on the right course (for me). It's usually not what I thought it would be, nor is it generally one of those albums that I would have considered a best of all time, although the music becomes a personal favorite. Not usrte the same music wold work twice - I'll have to check that.
Here's today's music mix for you - wonder if any of these tunes becomes one to restore me to a solid base. Listen to Coco Montoya, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Holly Golightly, Hall & Oates, Neutral Milk Hotel, Lower Dens, the Kings, the Neighborhoods, the Neats, the Clean, Gilberto Gil, Bo Diddley, Jason Hawk Harris, and the Who.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.
It's happened. My original knee has worn out to the point where no injections will stave off the pain. I have no cartilage in my left knee, so I'm walking bone on bone, and my knee has shifted to try to reduce the pain, but there's no more comfortable place left for my knee to sit.
I am going to see the surgeon next week to set a date to have knee replacement surgery. Thing is, my fall is pretty jam-packed. Not sure what dates the surgeon has open or will suggest, but I hope he can either hit my perfect date (right after Veteran's Day) or wait for New Year's Day. I'll live with the pain (already am) until this happens.
Let's all feel sorry for me (but don't - it's been a good run with the knee) by listening to Seratones, Andra Day, Macy Gray, Lizzo, George McRae, Ellen Foley, Bob Dylan, Patti Labelle, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Albert Collins, the Walker Brothers, Tom Jones, Jackie DeShannon, and the 5th Dimension.
This podcast is, as always, available to stream or download at brennick.net. There should be more content there, and I will try to put more things up this year. The podcast is also available to download as a podcast at your favorite podcast streamer - iTunes, Stitcher, etc. The podcast is called brennick.net. Check that out sometime. I welcome suggestions and comments, too - leave them as you will. Thanks for everything you do to encourage me.