The Current Music Blog: April 15, 2009 Archive

Today In Music History: A Little Sugar In Your Bowl

Posted at 10:04 AM on April 15, 2009 by Steve Seel (2 Comments)

1944 - Dave Edmunds was born.
1965 - Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes) was born.
1966 - Buffalo Springfield made their live debut.
1967 - Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Somethin' Stupid'. They became the only father and daughter act ever to score a No.1 single.
1968 - Ed O'Brien (Radiohead) was born.
1989 - The Fine Young Cannibals went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'She Drives Me Crazy.'
2001 - Punk pioneer Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Ross Hyman) singer of The Ramones died after losing a long battle with lymphatic cancer aged 49.

Going deep into music history today, it was on this day in 1894 that Bessie Smith, the 'Empress Of The Blues' was born. The most popular female blues singer of the 1920s and 1930s, Smith is often regarded as a major influence on subsequent jazz vocalists. Her songs included the likes of 'Downhearted Blues', 'St Louis Blues', and 'Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out'. Smith died in a car accident on September 26, 1937.

Honoring Bessie, I played one of her signature tunes (not to mention racier ones), "A Little Sugar In My Bowl."

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Policy and a Pint: The Budget Breakdown

Posted at 10:20 AM on April 15, 2009 by Steve Seel

A brief thanks to everyone who came out last night to the Varsity Theater for this season's first Policy and a Pint, a co-production of The Current and The Citizens League.

The topic was "The Budget Breakdown - From Washington to Minnesota," and we talked about how your tax dollars and mine will be spent both on the national and local stages in this new era of financial mega-instability. What is the government going to do, or do differently, faced with these new challenges?

That was where the topic began at least, and it veered around in some pretty lively ways throughout the course of the evening. Thanks to our guests Glenn Dorfman of Common Sense Solutions (check out his blog The Common Sense Curmudgeon), and Tom Weber of the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom for being part of the wild ride, and to everyone in attendance for the usual helping of great questions.

We've got a discussion going online for you to extend last night's give-and-take if you were there, or to jump in if you missed it. Check it out right here.

Also, try out the MPR Budget Hero Game, where you get to devise your own solutions to the problem of balancing the budget. How would you spend your own tax dollars to deal with the tough challenges we face?

Pound Notes, Loose Change, Bad Checks, Anything

Posted at 10:45 AM on April 15, 2009 by Steve Seel

There's the obvious topic we could have tackled today for April 15th on the 9:30 Coffee Break. But I thought it would be fun to broaden the scope of things beyond merely taxes (and again, I love the Beatles "Taxman" as much as anybody). So I invited you to help me compose a rhapsody of sorts on the topic of money - specifically, needin' it, and not havin' enough of it.

The winning suggestions started with a classic artist, followed by a group of "counterfeit" ones, and ending with a very contemporary one.

1) Ray Charles, "Busted"
2) Spinal Tap, "Gimme Some Money"
3) Michael Franti and Spearhead, "Hole in the Bucket"

Do you still shop for records?

Posted at 8:58 PM on April 15, 2009 by Mark Wheat (5 Comments)

All week we're playing vinyl to help celebrate record stores, coming up on Saturday. Shops all over the world are trying desperately to stay alive. Rough Trade is one of my faves from the old country. But some journalists from the UK's NME are questionning the use for these shops now that we can distribute music in so many more efficient ways.

The Smiths "Headmaster's Ritual" was the newly re-issued 7" that we played tonight. They always did cool covers on their singles. That's one of the reasons I still like to collect records, do you? Post your fave reasons for shopping and celebrate on Saturday!

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