Brandon Flowers (The Killers) Does A Solo Acoustic "When You Were Young" For Seth Meyers

I have taken Mr. Brandon Flowers to task for his Mormonism (see here: The Killers' Brandon Flowers Makes Mormon Propaganda Video). It's not that he was born Mormon that is the problem. That wasn't his fault. The problem is that he remains a Mormon even though he is an adult and should have figured out by now that it's all made up and much of it is actually harmful.

Some Mormons attacked me for my previous post as being "intolerant" (that was rich, coming from adherents of a religion based on bigotry), and I suppose you could argue (successfully) that all religions are "made up", and a sign of mental weakness... But in my mind, the more recent "faiths" such as Mormonism and Scientology are so clearly fiction-based that they do not deserve any respect whatsoever, nor do the mental and moral weaklings who cling to such fantasies.

It's worse than simply believing in some harmless fantasy; Mormonism actually hurts people.

We only need to look at the Mormon contributions (mostly from out of state) to fund a California anti-gay marriage measure in 2008 and Brandon Flowers' own role in making a pro-Mormon propaganda video.

But I guess my bottom line is that one cannot be a practicing, uncritical Mormon and also be a radical rock n roller. The two are completely incompatible. If Brandon were to remain a Mormon but was committed to bring his faith into the 21st century, that would be one thing. But we haven't heard Brandon Flowers challenge the Mormon establishment on racism, sexism, homophobia, and support for reactionary political and social causes.

Not one bit.

Having said that, I've always liked this song "When You Were Young" from 2006's Sam's Town, as well as their breakthough hit "Somebody Told Me" from 2004's Hot Fuss.

I saw The Killers perform once at a concert sponsored by a radio show featuring several bands. It was a cold room but I have to admit The Killers took that room over and owned it. Brandon Flowers had a commanding stage presence and made the most of it at that show.

Also. I'll never forget going to a Full Moon party at a beach in Thailand and hearing hundreds of (mostly British) partiers singing along to the then-recently released "When You Were Young" together. That was amazing.

It's a cool song and this is a cool version of it. Wondering if this "unplugged" version is an indication of Brandon's future direction. I wasn't too fond of the last The Killers' album (2017's Wonderful Wonderful) and I don't think it made much of a splash, neither with rock fans nor the broader pop audience the material seemed aimed towards.

Brandon, if you'd come out strongly against Trump and homophobia and work to make Mormonism better, all would be forgiven.


When You Were Young

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save your from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now, here he comes

He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentlemen
Like you imagined when you were young

Can we climb this mountain
I don't know
Higher now than ever before
I know we can make it if we take it slow
Let's take it easy
Easy now, watch it go

We're burning down the highway skyline
On the back of a hurricane that started turning
When you were young
When you were young

And sometimes you close your eyes
And see the place where you used to live
When you were young

They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet
You don't have to drink right now
But you can dip your feet
Every once in a little while

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save your from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now, here he comes

He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentlemen
Like you imagined when you were young

New Orchestral Version Of "Good Vibrations" With Original Beach Boys Vocals & New Royal Philharmonic Orchestration (Video)

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra recording new music for "Good Vibrations," using the original Beach Boys vocals. 

From The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (2018) album out now! 

Stream or Buy it here...

The Rolling Stones Curate Blues Salute To Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, and Other Inspirations

BMG & UNIVERSAL PRESENT CONFESSIN' THE BLUES ORIGINAL BLUES MASTERPIECES HAND-PICKED AND CURATED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ROLLING STONES Proceeds from sales benefit Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation.  Cover artwork by Ronnie Wood.

Slim Harpo PRESS RELEASE FROM BMG & UNIVERSAL LONDON, U.K. – As well as being the biggest band in the world, The Rolling Stones are also the biggest champions of the blues, so who better to curate a compilation of the music that inspired them throughout their career? Confessin’ The Blues collects the greatest bluesmen ever and provides a perfect study of the genre. The tracks on the various formats of the release have been chosen by the Rolling Stones in collaboration with BMG and Universal. The sets are due out from BMG on November 9, 2018. The Rolling Stones have long been supporters of the blues, from before the start of their career right through to their latest album, Blue & Lonesome, which featured their interpretations of the classics; many of those songs appear in their original versions here on Confessin’ The Blues. Mick Jagger was an early fan of the genre: “The first Muddy Waters album that was really popular was Muddy Waters at Newport, which was the first album I ever bought.” Keith Richards said, “If you don't know the blues... there's no point in picking up the guitar and playing rock and roll or any other form of popular music.” As such big supporters of the blues, the band and BMG have decided that 10% of BMG’s net receipts* from the sale of this album will be donated to Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation (registered as a 501C3 non-profit organization in the United States).Jacqueline Dixon, President/CEO of The Blues Heaven Foundation, said: "We are extremely honoured, grateful and humbled that Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation has been included in such an astonishing project. It means so much that my father’s dream of creating an organisation that promotes, protects and preserves the Blues for future generations is being recognised and supported by artists that have achieved so much." Confessin’ The Blues includes tracks by the biggest blues pioneers including Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Big Bill Broonzy and Robert Johnson. All of these artists had an impact on the nascent Rolling Stones, whether influencing Keith’s guitar licks or Mick’s vocals and lyrics. As Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood says: “That’s how Mick and Keith first got close as well, on the train coming back from college. They noticed each other’s record collection and it was, “Hey, you’ve got Muddy Waters. You must be a good guy, let’s form a band.”  Confessin’ The Blues will be available as a 2-CD set, 2x2 Vinyl LP sets and a 5x10” Vinyl book-pack (mimicking the original 78 RPM releases). All versions include liner notes by music journalist Colin Larkin and the book-pack contains removable art card prints by noted blues illustrator Christoph Mueller. The album cover artwork comes courtesy of Wood, who has added his own personal twist to the project by painting his interpretation of a bluesman.  Confessin’ The Blues is a real musical education from those who know the genre best, the greatest living band on the planet, the Rolling Stones. Track listing:   Disc One: 1. Muddy Waters Rollin’ Stone 2 Howlin’ Wolf Little Red Rooster  3. John Lee Hooker Boogie Chillen  4. Little Walter Hate To See You Go  5. Chuck Berry Little Queenie 6. Bo Diddley You Can’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover 7. Eddie Taylor Ride ‘Em On Down  8. Slim Harpo I’m A King Bee 9. Magic Sam All Your Love  10. Elmore James Dust My Broom  11. Little Walter Just Your Fool  12. Muddy Waters I Want To Be Loved 13. Big Bill Broonzy Key To The Highway 14. Robert Johnson Love In Vain Blues  15. Mississippi Fred McDowell You Gotta Move  16. Jimmy Reed Bright Lights, Big City  17. Big Maceo Worried Life Blues  18. Little Johnny Taylor Everybody Knows About My Good Thing (Part 1) 19. Howlin’ Wolf Commit A Crime  20. Otis RushI Can’t Quit You Baby  21. Jay McShann & Walter Brown Confessin’ The Blues  Disc Two: 1. Howlin’ Wolf Just Like I Treat You  2. Little Walter I Got To Go 3. Chuck Berry Carol 4. Bo Diddley Mona 5. Muddy Waters I Just Want To Make Love To You 6. Elmore James Blues Before Sunrise 7. Eddie Taylor Bad Boy 8. Boy Blue Boogie Children  9. Jimmy Reed Little Rain  10. Robert Johnson Stop Breakin’ Down Blues  11. Reverend Robert Wilkins The Prodigal Son  12. Lightnin’ Slim Hoodoo Blues  13. Billy Boy Arnold Don’t Stay Out All Night 14. Bo Diddley Craw Dad 15. Dale Hawkins Suzie Q 16. Amos Milburn Down The Road Apiece 17. Howlin’ Wolf Little Baby  18. Little Walter Blue And Lonesome 19. B.B. King Rock Me Baby  20. Buddy Guy Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues 21. Muddy Waters Mannish Boy  *The charitable donation is calculated on net receipts being amounts equal to monies actually received by BMG from the sale of this album after deductions of credits for returns and VAT (or similar sales tax)

Cool, New Song: Spiritualized: "Here It Comes (The Road) Let's Go" (Audio)

Also from the new album: Cool, New Song: "I'm Your Man" by Spiritualized (Video)

                    Original photography by Michael Donnelly for ThisSmallPlanet.com

Cool, New Music: August 2018 Playlist: What The Cool Kids Are Listening To...

I've heard of Top Ramen. I've heard of Ricin. Just wondering what Top Ricin is...

New

Bonnie "Prince" Billy "Blueberry Jam" (single)

The Growlers Casual Acquaintances

Kelley Stoltz Natural Causes

The Lemon Twigs "Small Victories" & "If You Give Enough" (singles in advance of forthcoming album Go To School)

Oh Sees Smote Reverser

Richard Thompson "Bones Of Gilead" & "The Storm Won't Come" (singles in advance of forthcoming album 13 Rivers)

Ty Segall & White Fence Joy


Reissues

Bob Dylan Live 1962 - 1966 - Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections

Joseph Spence Bahamian Folk Guitar, Music Of The Bahamas, Vol. 1

Memphis Minnie Killer Diller Blues 

Random

Bob Dylan Live at The Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA., 8/23/97 (AKA After The Heartattack)

Joseph Spence The Complete Folkways Recordings 1958

Nick Drake Five Leaves Left (1969), Bryter Layter (1971), Pink Moon (1972)

The Stooges "No Fun", "1969", "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (Original John Cale mixes from Iggy Pop's 1969 debut album The Stooges, Deluxe Edition) 

Van William Countries

O-Zone "Dragostea Din Tei" (2004)(AKA "Numa Numa" or "Ma Ya Hi")

The Rivieras "California Sun" - Just because it's summer... Found this snippet of The Byrds (still with Gene Clark) and The McCoys doing "California Sun" for Shindig 9/16/65. I also like the British group Palma Violets 2013 rendering of the song. And then there's this....

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July 30, 1974: Embarrassing Tapes May Implicate The President Criminally. July 30, 2018: Embarrassing Tapes May Implicate The President Criminally.

July 30, 1974: Embarrassing tapes may implicate the President criminally. July 30, 2018: Embarrassing tapes may implicate the President criminally.

Patti Smith, Bob Weir, Eric Burdon, Flea At San Francisco Environmental Benefit Pathway To Paris, September 14

Pathway To Paris - Finding Solutions To Climate Change

Country Star Eric Church Condemns NRA; He Headlined Vegas Festival That Turned Into A Massacre...

Original at Rolling Stone.com

Last September, Church was in Las Vegas to headline the Route 91 Harvest festival... Two nights later, Church was back home when he got a text: active shooter in Vegas. He turned on the news and started seeing the horror.

“It’s selfish of me,” he says. “But my first thought was, ‘I hope it’s not our fans.’ We had a lot of fans there. We even promoted online travel options to make it easier for people to come. I felt like the bait: People come to see you play, then all of a sudden they die? That is not an emotion that I was prepared to deal with. It wrecked me in a lot of ways.” In the end, 58 people were killed and more than 800 were injured that night. Several members of Church’s fan club were among the victims. One fan, 29-year-old Sonny Melton, who’d come all the way from Tennessee with his wife, was buried in an Eric Church T-shirt. “It got dark for me for a while,” Church says. “I went through a period, a funk, for six months at least. I had anger. I’ve still got anger. Something broke in me that night, and it still hasn’t healed. There’s a part of me that hopes it haunts me forever.”

“It was a motherfucker on him,” says Church’s manager, John Peets. “Really hard. I think it just opened up an awareness of how fragile all this really is.”

Church isn’t a gun nut, but he does own about half a dozen: rifles, shotguns, pistols – no AR-15s, though. I ask if Vegas changed his feelings about guns. “A little,” he says. He takes another sip of whiskey. “I’m a Second Amendment guy,” he says. “That’s in the Constitution, it’s people’s right, and I don’t believe it’s negotiable. But nobody should have that many guns and that much ammunition and we don’t know about it. Nobody should have 21 AKs and 10,000 rounds of ammunition and we don’t know who they are. Something’s gotta be done so that a person can’t have an armory and pin down a Las Vegas SWAT team for six minutes. That’s fucked up.”

With his wife, Katherine, in 2015. Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty

Church says he supports a few common-sense reforms. Closing gun-show loopholes. Improving background checks. Banning bump stocks. “As a gun guy, the number of rounds [the shooter] fired was un-fucking-believable to me,” he says. “I saw a video on YouTube from the police officer’s vest cam, and it sounded like an army was up there. I don’t think our forefathers ever thought the right to bear arms was that.

“There are some things we can’t stop,” he adds. “Like the disgruntled kid who takes his dad’s shotgun and walks into a high school. But we could have stopped the guy in Vegas.” As for why nothing’s been done? “I blame the lobbyists. And the biggest in the gun world is the NRA.”

Church says he’s not a member of the NRA and never has been. “I’m a Second Amendment guy,” he emphasizes again, “but I feel like they’ve been a bit of a roadblock. I don’t care who you are – you shouldn’t have that kind of power over elected officials. To me it’s cut-and-dried: The gun-show [loophole] would not exist if it weren’t for the NRA, so at this point in time, if I was an NRA member, I would think I had more of a problem than the solution. I would question myself real hard about what I wanted to be in the next three, four, five years.”

Church knows he’ll get blowback from some fans for this. “I don’t care,” he says. “Right’s right and wrong’s wrong. I don’t understand why we have to fear a group [like the NRA]. It’s asinine. Why can’t we come together and solve one part of this? Start with the bump stocks and the gun shows. Shut a couple of these down. I do think that will matter a little bit. I think it will save some lives.”

The Best Band That Came Out Of Moldova OR Romania in 2004.... O-Zone... With Their International Smash Hit "Dragostea Din Tei" (AKA "Numa Numa" or "Ma Ya Hi")(Video)

Wikipedia: Dragostea Din Tei, literally "Love from the Lindens", official English title: Words of Love,also informally known as "Ma Ya Hi" and "The Numa Numa Song" is the most successful single by the Moldovan pop group O-Zone, sung in Romanian. It received positive reviews from critics and shot to the number one spot on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it remained for 12 weeks between June and early September 2004.

It topped the single charts in France, Germany and Austria for over three months, reached three in the United Kingdom and 72 on the US Pop 100. The song became the fourth-best-selling single of the 21st century in France, with 1,170,000 units sold. A popular cover of the song was made by Italian-Romanian pop singer Haiducii, which also charted in many countries, especially Italy and Sweden, where it topped the singles charts. The original song was made notable in the United States by the viral video "Numa Numa" in which Gary Brolsma dances to the song.

The best-known lyrics are the repeated line "nu mă, nu mă iei" from the chorus, hence the name "Numa Numa song". "Nu mă, nu mă iei" (literally "not me, not me take") is typically translated as "you just won't take me". The full chorus, which also includes the title of the song, runs:

Vrei să pleci dar nu mă, nu mă iei,
Nu mă, nu mă iei, nu mă, nu mă, nu mă iei.
Chipul tău și dragostea din tei,
Mi-amintesc de ochii tăi.

which translates as:^[6]

(You) want to leave but don't want to take me,

Don't want to take me, don't want, don't want to take me

Your face and the love from the linden trees,

Remind me of your eyes.

Ma-ia-hii
Ma-ia-huu
Ma-ia-hoo
Ma-ia-haa

Ma-ia-hii
Ma-ia-huu
Ma-ia-hoo
Ma-ia-haa

Ma-ia-hii
Ma-ia-huu
Ma-ia-hoo
Ma-ia-haa

Ma-ia-hii
Ma-ia-huu
Ma-ia-hoo
Ma-ia-haa

Alo, Salut, Sunt Eu, un Haiduc
(Hello, Greetings, It's me, an Outlaw)
Si Te Rog, Iubirea mea Primeste Fericirea
(I ask you, my love To Accept Happiness)
Alo, Alo, Sunt Eu, Picasso
(Hello, Hello, It's me, Picasso)
Ti-am dat beep
(I sent you a beep)
Si Sunt Voinic
(And I'm Brave)
Dar Sa Stii Nu-ti Cer Nimic
(But You Should Know That I'm not asking anything from you)

Vrei sa pleci dar nu ma, nu ma iei
(You want to leave but you don't want don't want to take me)
nu ma, nu ma iei, nu ma, nu ma, nu ma iei
(Don't want, Don't want to take me, don't want don't want don't want to take me)
Nu Ma, Nu Ma Iei, nu ma, nu ma, nu ma iei
(Don't want to take me)
Chipul tau si dragostea din tei
(Your face and the love from the linden trees)
Mi-amintesc de ochii tai
(And I remember your eyes)

Cool, New Song By Tom Morello (feat Vic Mensa): "We Don't Need You" (Audio)

Lobo "Me And You And A Dog Named Boo" (1973)

If Racists Hadn't Murdered 14 Year-Old Emmett Till in 1955, He Would Be 77 Today...

Hard to believe that if Emmett Till were alive, he would only be 77 years old today! It seems so long ago, from a different epoch... but he was only 14 years old when he was murdered by racists in 1955. Never forget!

Washington Post: Emmett Till deserves justice. Let’s hope this new look at the case brings some.

The Death Of Emmett Till by Bob Dylan

’Twas down in Mississippi not so long ago
When a young boy from Chicago town stepped through a Southern door
This boy’s dreadful tragedy I can still remember well
The color of his skin was black and his name was Emmett Till

Some men they dragged him to a barn and there they beat him up
They said they had a reason, but I can’t remember what
They tortured him and did some things too evil to repeat
There were screaming sounds inside the barn, there was laughing sounds
out on the street

Then they rolled his body down a gulf amidst a bloody red rain
And they threw him in the waters wide to cease his screaming pain
The reason that they killed him there, and I’m sure it ain’t no lie
Was just for the fun of killin’ him and to watch him slowly die

And then to stop the United States of yelling for a trial
Two brothers they confessed that they had killed poor Emmett Till
But on the jury there were men who helped the brothers commit this
awful crime
And so this trial was a mockery, but nobody seemed to mind

I saw the morning papers but I could not bear to see
The smiling brothers walkin’ down the courthouse stairs
For the jury found them innocent and the brothers they went free
While Emmett’s body floats the foam of a Jim Crow southern sea

If you can’t speak out against this kind of thing, a crime that’s so unjust
Your eyes are filled with dead men’s dirt, your mind is filled with dust
Your arms and legs they must be in shackles and chains, and your blood
it must refuse to flow
For you let this human race fall down so God-awful low!

This song is just a reminder to remind your fellow man
That this kind of thing still lives today in that ghost-robed Ku Klux Klan
But if all of us folks that thinks alike, if we gave all we could give
We could make this great land of ours a greater place to live

Copyright © 1963, 1968 by Warner Bros. Inc.; renewed 1991, 1996 by Special Rider Music

Happy 75th Birthday To 1960s Teen Idol Bobby Sherman!

Bobby Sherman (born July 22, 1943) turned 75 this week Actor Sal Mineo (best known for playing Plato, James Dean's best friend in the 1955 film Rebel Without A Cause) befriended and promoted Bobby, who became a teen singing idol during the late 60s/early 70s, releasing hits such as "Little Woman," "Julie Do Ya Love Me", "Easy Come, Easy Go" as well as starring in the TV show "Here Come The Brides" (1968 - 1970).

I guess his cover of "One Too Many Mornings" was my first exposure to Dylan as an 8 year-old listening to the Bobby Sherman album in 1969.

Comedian Jim Carrey Says Putin Has Trump By The Balls

Putin plants his flag firmly in American soil.

More Political Art From Comedian Jim Carrey...


Soon To Be Indicted: Dana Rohrabacher; Mystery "Unnamed" Candidate In Indictment Of 12 Russians & Maria Butina Complaint; Latest "Victim" Of Comedians Sacha Baron Cohen & Jim Carrey; Favorite Of Putin & The NRA...

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