Lost Forest After Dark

here it is! In the tradition of American Idle and Rox Pop, every Friday I will turn the I-Pod to shuffle and see what it spits out. This Friday's Top Ten:

1. Punk and the Grandfather - The Who
2. Amelia Earhart vs. the Dancing Bear - Handsome Family
3. Country Blues - Dock Boggs
4. First Glimmer - Paul Westerberg
5. 5th Dimension - The Byrds
6. Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day
7. Galileo - Indigo Girls
8. Strength - Gear Daddies
9. Heaven - Joan Armatrading
10. Barricade - Super Suckers

Favorite song this week? Flags of Freedom from Neil Young's incredible new album Living in War. Harkens back to those rockin' political songs Neil likes to shoot out every so often. More on this album in a future post.

What's your top 10?

Anyone going to Dylan this week

Posted by Freealonzo at 8:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm sorry. I promised to talk about Mark Trail on this blog and I haven't. Hopefully this post rectifies my ignoring Mark Trail and his adventures with Cherry, Doc, Rusty, and Andy.

When someone writes the ultimate history of Mark Trail 2006 will be known as the "Year of Bear." Since early summer Mark and Ranger Rick have been chasing a bear with an arrow in its ass. After that a tame bear was running around the forest chased by a wacked out poacher. Then once Mark rescues the tame bear he leaves it in his car and it gets kid(bear?)napped! Oh and the bad guys are the infamous Jake and Snake, a couple of bad hombres who Mark has messed with before.

I find it curious that Mark Trail's Year of the Bear coincides with the rise of the football Chicago Bears. Actually I don't. Hindsight is 20-20 but it's quite obvious that the angry bear with an arrow in its ass was a metaphor for the Chicago Bears, angry over their gutless performance in last year's playoffs. The tame bear running amok, being chased by poachers obviously represents the Chicago Bears rampaging through the NFL, being chased by pretenders such as the Vikings, Packers, and Cardinals.

Finally the the "Bear" being kidnapped by the local ruffians Jake and Snake is an obvious reference to Elrod predicting the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl probably against the best team in the AFC, the Denver Broncos, quaterbacked by Jake "The Snake" Plummer,

Mark Trail may not be able to help you with your fantasy football team, but looks like a pretty good source for your Super Bowl match-up.

Posted by Freealonzo at 9:40 PM | Permalink

Well lo and behold the 83rd edition of The Weekly Freak is now at your favorite record store or head shop and with this issue the Freak celebrates its 19th year as the place to find out what's happening with your favorite freak band. Just think in two more years The Weekly Freak will be old enough to drink legally!

Most music 'zines are a labor of love and the energy, inspiration, and desire to keep on publishing usually wanes after a few years. Not the Freak! Timmy the Freak has been celebrating jam bands and general music freakishness from California to the Twin Cities to Nova Scotia since 1987. The list of bands he has interviewed for The Freak is mind blowing.

It's been my pleasure to know The Timmy the Freak before he was "The Freak" and I try not to miss an issue. I also appreciate his frequent comments to this blog. So if you've never seen The Weekly Freak, go seek one out. Also check the web site at the Weeklyfreek.com. Here's hoping for another 19 years of freakishness!

Posted by Freealonzo at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sorry, haven't blogged much lately, I've got a couple of good entries coming up so stay tuned. Anyway, here it is! In the tradition of American Idle and Rox Pop, every Friday I will turn the I-Pod to shuffle and see what it spits out. This Friday's Top Ten:

1. Babylon's Burning - The Ruts
2. Senior Service - Elvis Costello
3. The Loner - Neil Young
4. Hesitating Beauty - Billy Bragg and Wilco
5. I'm Set Free - Velvet Underground
6. Chesley's Little Wrists - Pavement
7. Do I Make Myself Clear - Etta James
8. Party Stomp - Gear Daddies
9. She Ain't Got the Beat - The Blasters
10. Pleaseure Seeker - Social Distortion

Favorite song this week? God Walks Among Us Now by the Flaming Lips. Quintessential Flaming Lips song, screaming, swirling guitars, weird lyrics, singing through a megaphone. Play this one real loud!

What's your top ten?

Posted by Freealonzo at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Sorry, haven't blogged much lately, I've got a couple of good entries coming up so stay tuned. Anyway, here it is! In the tradition of American Idle and Rox Pop, every Friday I will turn the I-Pod to shuffle and see what it spits out. This Friday's Top Ten:

1. Stetson Kennedy - Billy Bragg & Wilco
2. Fishing Blues - Henry Thomas
3. Bingo Master - The Fall
4. Mr. Zebra - Tory Amos
5. Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
6. Minglewood Blues - Cannon's Jug Stompers
7. Ballad of Tom Joad - Woody Guthrie
8. Gypsy Davy - Woody Guthrie
9. Excitable Boy - Warren Zevan
10. Whatsername - Green Day

Lots of folk music this week with 3 songs either written or performed by Woody Guthrie. Favorite song this week? Rear View Mirror by Pearl Jam. Just a straigt ahead rocker with great lyrics. A crowd pleaser when played live too.

Who's that in the picture at the top of this post? Actually it's quite easy. First person to tell me know it is and what they did will get a free Husker Du song for their ipod or mp3 player. Put your answer in the comments!!

What's your top 10?

Posted by Freealonzo at 8:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Posted by Freealonzo at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Here it is! In the tradition of American Idle and Rox Pop, every Friday I will turn the I-Pod to shuffle and see what it spits out. This Friday's Top Ten:

1. Sunny Side of the Mountain - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2. Demons are Real - Guided by Voices
3. Nausea - X
4. Marmora Pig - Washboard Hank and the Squirrels
5. O Maria - Beck
6. Through these Eyes - Social Distortion
7. Human Hands - Elvis Costello
8. Ready, Steady, Go - Generation X
9. Swiftly but Gently - Young Fresh Fellows
10. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love - Van Halen

Nice mix - got your blue grass, 70's punk, lo-fi, power pop, cock rock, and Beck. Favorite song this week? Amelia Earhart by The Handsome Family. Song about what is going through Amelia Earhart's mind as her plane crashes. This song haunted me a couple of summers ago.

What's your top 10?

Posted by Freealonzo at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)