I can’t tell you how often I hear people say “When it comes to essential guitar songs, I would always take Mick Jagger’s solo recording of Memo From Turner over (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
Oh wait, no one’s ever said that.
And yet there it is on a list of the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time in Rolling Stone.
Memo From Turner, 92nd best guitar song ever.
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction? Nice try, boys, but it’ll never last.
I’m not complaining, really. Half the fun of any list is making everyone who reads it walk away at least a little more convinced that in a perfect world that reader would have final say on everything when truthfully, that reader’s wife will always have the final say.
But it’s an OK list - Chuck Berry in at No. 1, the Kinks at No. 4, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Cream all represented in the Top 10 (if not always represented by their best guitar song).
And the Stones? They’re just behind the Kinks (good placement) with Brown Sugar, which is fine, but there are maybe 80-100 Rolling Stones songs I’d have gone with over that one.
Still, there aren’t that many picks that made me wonder if they meant to say the worst guitar songs ever. I just wish they could have found it in their heart to be a little more reflective of what I think.
Here are 12 that definitely would have made the list a better read in my house. Your picks may be something different altogether. That’s why God invented blogs.
All Day and All of The Night - In the entry on You Really Got Me, Ray Davies contributes what may be the most disingenuous quote I’ve read in hours if not days: “I said I’d never write another song like it,” he says. “And I haven’t.” To which the only sane response is “Oh come on now, Ray.” You’ve written 20 other songs exactly like it and they’re all just as brilliant, beginning with this one, a portrait in reckless abandon that raises the stakes by adding an elusive third chord to the central riff after sticking to only two chords on the breakthrough. This one also goes to No. 7 on the US charts, riding a riff so essential the Doors were left with no choice but to steal it for Hello, I Love You. And Dave Davies’ lead is even better, the most spontaneous outburst of sexual tension masquerading as a solo since You Really Got Me took the torch from Louie Louie.

azcentral.com

Full reviews of recent concerts: nytimes.com/music.
BOOTH AND PAT The classic showbiz tale generally has a star getting laryngitis and an understudy getting a big break. For Booth Daniels and Patrick Frankfort, it was more like this: Somebody blew off a gig, so, well, we can’t let that empty stage go to waste, can we?
Last fall Mr. Frankfort, above left, a singer-songwriter with a comic side, was booked for a solo engagement at the Mean Fiddler on West 47th Street and asked Mr. Daniels, above right, a longtime friend from when both studied musical theater at the Boston Conservatory, to provide some backup vocals. When another act on the bill didn’t show up, Mr. Frankfort, 31, and Mr. Daniels, 34, began winging it to fill the time, and the audience seemed to get a kick out of their easy, goofy rapport.
“I think through sheer stubbornness we refused to leave the stage,” Mr. Frankfort recalled. That was the genesis of the act they call simply Booth and Pat, a pairing that is part cabaret, part stand-up comedy, part improv. They have since appeared at spots including Don’t Tell Mama, and on Thursday (and again on June 27) they will roll out a new full-length show at the Duplex that they’re calling “Slow Children Playing.” Expect routines that defy genre labels. Their take on “Let It Be” starts out pleasantly tuneful, but somehow they get distracted in the chorus and toss in a sampling of every other song that ever used the same chord progression (of which, it turns out, there are a lot).
Some musing about their favorite lyrics turns into a medley of every gibberish lyric you can think of, from the “Minnie the Moocher” refrain to “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida.” Then there’s Mr. Frankfort’s song “The Straight Girls.” It’s what a guy writes after more than one woman dumps him by announcing that she’s a lesbian. “It’s fashionable to be gay,” Mr. Daniels said, offering his sidekick some comfort as they described the origin of the song. “Or,” Mr. Frankfort replied, “maybe it’s just fashionable to date me and turn gay.” (Thursday at 7 p.m., the Duplex, 61 Christopher Street, at Seventh Avenue, Greenwich Village; 212-255-5438, theduplex.com, $10.) NEIL GENZLINGER

nytimes.com

SERGIO MENDES w/SIMONE In the 1960s, best-selling Brazilian pianist/bandleader Sergio Mendes became a star in the States with smooth bossa nova and samba renditions of popular songs like "Night and Day," "Scarborough Fair" and The Beatles' "Fool on the Hill." The U.S. hits largely dried up in subsequent decades, but two years ago, Mendes returned to the American pop charts with the Will.i.am-produced album Timeless, which features a hit remake of Mendes' '60s chestnut "Mas Que Nada." Akin to Santana's Supernatural, the disc finds the headliner overshadowed by a long guest list that includes everyone from Justin Timberlake to Stevie Wonder. Although it didn't generate Supernatural sales figures, Timeless did manage to introduce the Brazilian music icon to a new generation of U.S. listeners. (Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg)
GREYMARKET w/GIRLS ON FILM/INCREDIBLE CRISIS Push Ultra Lounge continues its commendable Thursday original music series with a diverse, solid showcase featuring Tampa laptop rockers GreyMarket, Tallahassee electro-pop quartet Girls on Film and 'Burg prog-rockers Incredible Crisis. (Push Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg)
NONPOINT w/THE EXIES/DEEP FIELD/UNDER THE FLOOD Led by singer/rapper Elias Soriano, South Florida quartet Nonpoint arrived at the tail end of the nu metal craze, landing a hit in 2001 with "What A Day," a fierce, albeit predictable, slab of quiet-loud-quiet-loud post grunge. The band resurfaced on the pop radar in '06 when its cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" was used as the Miami Vice movie theme song. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
CORI YARCKIN w/SOCIAL GHOST/STALLING DAWN Raised in Orlando, where she still resides, a teenage Cori Yarckin starred in the short-lived Nickelodeon TV series Noah Knows Best that premiered in 2000. Now in her mid-20s (and a serious hottie — just saying), she's recast herself as a pop-rocker, replete with heavy black eye shadow, matching hair streaked red and four backing musicians who all look like the guys from Good Charlotte. The music? Serviceable hooks. Mediocre lyrics. Yarckin has a fine voice, but her tendency to over-sing American Idol-style grates. (Crowbar, Ybor)

sarasota.creativeloafing.com

In the glamorous and competitive world of music journalism, there are two kinds of interviews that are notoriously hard to land. First, there’s the certified superstar. The time and energy it takes to land these interviews—traversing through handlers, managers, PR flacks, record execs and every other ass monkey associated with major labels—is seldom worth it in the end.
Then there’s a band like Foals. They’re undoubtedly the hot buzz of the moment, with everyone from Rolling Stone to The New York Times creaming over the Oxford, England, band’s blend of math/dance/punk rock. And so it goes, with the buzz at a boil and Foals touring non-stop, securing an interview with singer Yannis Philippakis was simply too much to ask.
So why bother? Why sit here trying to find the perfect descriptor for Foals’ ska-meets-white-boy-funk single “Cassius”? For the love of the game? My unflinching and unquenched love for music and the written word? Not really.
I do it because I love telling you what’s good and what’s not. Moreover, I live to tell you that your new favorite band sucks, how they are so two months ago (read: Vampire Weekend) and why the new band that I like is so much better. I am the living, breathing embodiment of music snobbery. If you mention that you like a band that I also enjoy, I’m the type of guy who will try to convince you they suck just to make things interesting.
Problem is, I actually like Foals’ debut album, Antidotes. But, by using the logic mentioned above, I refuse to gush about how talented Foals are and how you should go see their show or buy their record. I will, however, tell you why they are talented, why you should see their show and why you should buy their album by cutting down your favorite buzz bands from the last eight years who were once in their place.

sdcitybeat.com

The puppy dogs of America have aged seven or eight years since the exhaustingly long Democratic primary opened for business, and in that time a niche artform has blossomed in the black diaspora: the Barack Obama Praise Song. The rhythms and melodies range from Jamaican Reggae to Kenyan Benga, but that pulse of a people’s collective hopes racing into the ether is unmistakably familiar: “Yes, We Can” sounds the same in Luo as it does in English. By the time Puerto Rico puts a wrap to this extended season of American Political Theater with its June 3rd primary, some globe-trotting multi-cultural record label—say, Putumayo or Mango—should have the goods for a compilation titled “Obama-mania: World Music Edition.”
Track one could be the latest endorsement ringing out of the Black diaspora: “Barack Obama”, a hastily assembled hard-steppin’ reggae chune by the aging yet ever-irie crooner Coco Tea. The 48-year-old’s grizzled lilt is a voice from a lost generation of digitized mid-80s pop, a period in reggae history that rarely gets its dues outside the island. In an upside-down, more imaginative world—a world where Nancy Pelosi spends her afternoons holding bull sessions in a sweltering tenement yard while Jamaican artists draft legislation—Coco Tea’s single would have been a campaign shake-up on the level of a Kennedy endorsement. Heretofore, the closest the singer ever hot-stepped towards politics was his seminal satire, “New Immigration Law”, an enduring acknowledgment of what every ex-pat Rasta knows: “The government you just can’t depend on.” Documenting offense after offense, the song’s ultimate message is less apolitical than anti-political—the singer is in line with a long Rastafarian tradition that views the Western political system as irredeemably corrupt.
So to hear this chap waving hosannas for the “next president of the United States” is a bit of a shocker. Watching the video, there’s something blasphemous and confounding about Coco Tea’s turbaned bobo dread sidekick exclaiming the name of a plausible president of America. On a religious level, it feels like stumbling upon a late night “What Happens in Vegas” commercial starring Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger winking over a craps table. And as far the song goes… well, you’ll dig it exactly as much as you dig the junior senator from Illinois. The riddim bobs along like a casio “reggae” preset, and the musical euphoria flows from Coco Tea’s zealous repetition of the words “Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Barack Obama”. It’s a few clichés shy of a Saturday Night Live skit, but more importantly, it’s a testament to the pervasive, border-leaping intensity of Obama’s message—and sign that the rock-hard forces of reggae cynicism and disillusionment can indeed brought low.

popmatters.com

Rock Star - Rebel with a cause
THE UNVEILING last week of Coldplay’s new single had all the hallmarks of a punchy declaration of intent, aimed to silence all those ‘namby-pamby’ jibes the band habitually attract.
This time, however, the musical hand-wringing is forced to make room for some surprisingly muscular guitar and bluesy vocals. It might not be an entirely new direction, but the attitude has certainly shifted a degree or two, and there’s also the promise in the forthcoming album Viva La Vida of African and South American influences.
Born in Devon, south-west England, to a chartered accountant father and a music teacher mother, Martin belongs to a generation of comfortably off middle-class children raised in the belief that with rock stardom comes great responsibility. ‘It’s not about dressing up in leather and trashing hotel rooms and snorting coke off the back of a hooker,’ he once said. ‘It’s about independence of mind and spirit.’
The couple got together in 2002 and married in December 2003. Their daughter, Apple, was born in 2004. A son, Moses, arrived two years later. The media perceive the couple as earnest - partly on account of their refusal to appear together in public. And their odd social arrangements - fuelled by competing professional demands - have led to inevitable rumours that the marriage is floundering and although there’s no evidence to support these claims, they are often portrayed as a couple who manage to squeeze less joy from being rich and famous than many others who enjoy their lifestyle.
It’s logical that the music Martin makes also stands accused of having all the fizz, danger, spice and fun drained from it. But Coldplay didn’t get where they are by being a bad band. Martin has a fine, unusual voice, knows how to work a stage and has written some rather lovely songs, ‘Yellow’ and ‘The Scientist’ among them.

khaleejtimes.com

Gossip Girl cutie Leighton Meester (in Missoni) puts the squeeze on director Jess Manafort at the premiere of Newstyle Releasing’s Remember The Daze at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre on Tuesday.
Remember the Daze opens in theaters this Friday. The film gives us a glimpse into the teenage wasteland of suburbia 1999 that takes place over 24-hours, and the teenagers who make their way through the last day of high school in the last year of the past millennium.
If you recall, Leighton told JustJared.com back in February that she met her friend and producer, Shahine Ezell, on the set of Remember the Daze. Since then, the two have been writing lyrics and collaborating on her album together.
Rumors are also floating this morning that Leighton didn’t get along with costar Nan Zhang, which is why she left the show. Gossip Girl creator Josh Schwartz has been telling people that Zhang “abruptly left” and enrolled at Brown University during the writer’s strike. Leighton’s rep denied the rumor: “Absolutely not true.”
And last but not least, Leighton turns the big 22 today. Ms. Meester and some of her Gossip Girl castmates went to Central Nightclub to celebrate the new flick and her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LEIGHTON!!
10+ pictures inside of Leighton Meester remembering the daze…
She is incredibly beautiful. Love what she’s wearing. Happy Birthday Leighton!
Thanks for the news JJ x
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Leighton! I hope she has a good one. Can’t wait for Gossip Girl to return. YAY!
Hot mess. I don’t think I have EVER seen a skirt like that before.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LEIGHTON!!!
I LOVE HER!
ITS THE BEST, OF COURSE…
Matthew, what Leighton you’ve been hearing about?
Don’t open your mouth about stuff you know nothing about.
She looks gorgeous. A natural beauty.

justjared.buzznet.com

Moment of Truth has been Fox’s bona fide hit this season. Lots more lie detector tests are on the way.
Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles wasn’t a home run, but it was a solid double as Fox’s 6th best show for 18-49s.
These shows are in the top half of Fox’s line up in either adults 18-49 or viewers, and seem likely to be back.
Don’t Forget The Lyrics
Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
These two half hour comedies are right on the borderline. They didn’t perform very well, but they’re likely cheap to make which could save them.
Back to You
Not Enough Data
Unhitched initial episodes indicate Back to You and ‘Til Death level ratings. If that keeps up, it might survive.
New Amsterdam posted some good early numbers due to Idol, but how far will it continue to fall?
Stick a Fork In Them
Canterbury’s Law has a short track record, but it’s a very bad one.
By Comedy Fan on Mar 20, 2008 | Reply
Bring back UNHITCHED.
The writing is funny and the cast is great.
I would like to see it continue!
Woohoo, go “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”! Best show on Fox! I can’t wait for season two!
Bring back NEW AMSTERDAM.
Great new show. Great writing and great cast.
I am concerned about the ratings though?
It has been moved around a lot. I would like to see how it does with some continuity.
Terminator, in addition to a full second season, needs: a Season One DVD release, re-runs on FX over the summer, and a targeted marketing campaign.
It’s not a straight up action series, it’s sci-fi drama that has a good dose of action, and large story arcs and themes. There’s a difference. They keep marketing it like it’s T2, and that’s a mistake. I think they’re too high off Idol to remember how to market smart sci-fi.

tvbythenumbers.com

Gary Dean Davis, left, and bass player Mike Tulis are among members of the tractor-punk band the Monroes. Davis’ day job is principal at St. Stanislaus Catholic School in Omaha. Tulis and other band members also help Davis promote his label, SPEED! Nebraska Records.
With his cuffed Levis, black work boots, horn-rimmed glasses, seed cap and vintage plaid shirts, his look is ’50s retro-meets-family farmer. Even his car, a 1970 Plymouth Valiant, is old-school.
For the past dozen years, Davis has promoted another product of the past.
His label, SPEED! Nebraska Records, puts out music the old-fashioned way: on vinyl. Although it also releases CDs, the focus is on 7-inch records, the 45-rpm discs known to generations past.
Over the years, Davis has turned his hobby into a growing business with increasing visibility.
Since 1996, the label has released 10 CDs and 16 45s. You know they’re from his label when you see SPEED! inside a silhouette of the state, a logo reflecting his Nebraska pride.
Meanwhile, Davis, 41, also runs a Catholic school.
He’s the principal at St. Stanislaus, near 42nd and J Streets. He started there five years ago as head teacher and became principal in 2005 after earning his master’s degree in educational administration.
He’s known around school for being dedicated, positive and approachable. With Davis in charge, kids don’t dread being sent to the principal’s office, said school secretary Patty Dasovic.
“It’s not a door to doom. He really relates to the kids. He invites them to come down to his office even when they’re not in trouble,” said Dasovic, whose daughter used to attend the school. “It’s important for him to be a good principal. I enjoy working there. Gary’s a big part of that.”
A former English and religion teacher at Omaha’s All Saints Catholic School, Davis likes being able to share his faith.

omaha.com

Bands will say a number of ridiculous things on their MySpace page in an effort to look cool, but when A Weather write that they sound like “the things that stuffed animals might tell you if they’d had a few too many,” they aren’t joking. On the whole, Cove comes across as a whispered aside propelled by a carefully subdued soundtrack. It’s about as soothing and relaxing as pop music can get, but A Weather luckily don’t sacrifice melody along with energy. Lyrically, music lovers couldn’t ask for much more. An early candidate for line of the year: “I can’t believe you said ‘I couldn’t love you any more.’ Did you mean ‘to no greater extent,’ or is it over now for sure?” Those familiar with the Kings Of Convenience or Slow Dazzle should find a lot to like here. Mid-album track “Pinky Toe” will stay with you for days.Scott Bryson
THE brEEDERS Mountain Battles (4AD/Beggars)
The Breeders’ fourth studio release, Mountain Battles, is the sound of a band using a proven formula while moving forward at the same time. Of course, the disc features the typical ’90s guitar rock you’ll find on their previous albums. “Bang On” bounces along to a thick beat and a slinky, almost cheeky rock riff and should soon become a favourite in indie clubs. Meanwhile, “Walk It Off” and “No Way” could easily fit on Last Splash. But the midsection is where things get really interesting. The fantastic cover of “Regalame Esta Noche” is sung overtop beautifully strummed guitar in near perfectly pronounced Spanish. On the other hand, “German Studies” is sung in (what’s probably purposely) mispronounced German over a typical Breeders riff. Then there’s the almost folky “Here No More,” on which the Deal sisters will sing you to sleep, which is actually a good thing. Mountain Battles is a great update from one of the best bands of the ’90s.Kate Harper

chartattack.com