The Current Music Blog: July 6, 2009 Archive

Today In Music History: Queen Hits the Scene

Posted at 6:16 AM on July 6, 2009 by Steve Seel

Birthdays:

Rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) is 34.
English singer Kate Nash is 22.

1925 - Bill Haley, (William John Clifton Haley), singer, guitarist, "The first Rock 'n' Roll star" was born.
1968 - The Rolling Stones scored their 5th US No.1 single when "Jumpin Jack Flash" hit the top of the charts.
1971 - Louis Armstrong died in New York; he was 69. He had many hits including "Hello Dolly!" and "What A Wonderful World".
1975 - Keith Richards was arrested by the highway patrol in Arkansas on charges of reckless driving and possessing an offensive weapon, a seven-inch hunting knife.
1985 - Phil Collins went to No.1 with "Sussudio", his third US No.1.
1998 - Singing cowboy Roy Rogers died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86.

Today In 1973, Queen released its first single, "Keep Yourself Alive." Not as well known as such mega-hits as "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "We Are the Champions," it still showcased all the great things to come from the band.

Free music from a band that AREN'T closely related to catbirds.

Posted at 9:32 AM on July 6, 2009 by Barb Abney

Wapedia says that Bowerbirds are realted to catbirds and are most commonly found in New Guinea and Australia. However, the band we're featuring today on our Song Of The Day podcast calls North Carolina "home".

Tomorrow their sophomore album, Upper Air will be released. In anticipation of the release you can grab the tune "Northern Lights" for free!

If you're a new subscriber to the Song Of The Day podcast, you'll also receive new music from Mos Def, Tiny Masters of Today, Deastro and local music from Greycoats.

Later this week we'll be featuring/giving away new music from Son Volt, Los Strait Jackets, Jeffrey Lewis and The Junkyard and new local music from Toki Wright.

Bowerbirds will be playing 7th Street Entry on July 21st.

A Riddle Wrapped In An Enigma (In Red Pumps)

Posted at 10:30 AM on July 6, 2009 by Steve Seel

And so the Sarah Palin soap opera resurfaced/continued on Friday afternoon, with her announcement that she would resign as Governor of Alaska before her term was even up. Gawd only knows what this is about, of course, so given how her odd, confusing press conference merely added to the ever-compounding head-scratcher that is everything Palin, we thought we'd simply turn over the 9:30 Coffee Break to you today, to create your Ode to Sarah however you saw fit. Here's what we got:

1) Edie Brickell, "What I Am"
2) Husker Du, "Makes No Sense At All"
3) Sam Cooke, "That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On"
4) XTC, "The Mayor Of Simpleton"
5) The Temptations, "Ball Of Confusion"

Thanks everyone for your creative commentary. Someday we will understand.

Tunes On The Telly Tonight: July 6th

Posted at 12:20 PM on July 6, 2009 by Barb Abney

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band on The Late Show with David Letterman
Death Cab For Cutie on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien