Hit Parade

Well, Pedestrian Saga's reticence toward actually commenting on my blog hasn't prevented her from asking me face-to-face to write more about music. I just don't understand it, though. The fact that she would actually speak to me rather than typing something out seems so, um-- I don't know-- personal. But since she asked, I'll aquiesce to her prodding and write a bit more about those bands that I alluded to here that are making great rock and roll but are much more likely to be heard as the sound track to a Mitsubishi commercial than anywhere near a top-40 station-- or, for that matter, any station at all, excepting college ones and the irreplaceable Indie 103.1.

I was talking to the Capricorn Kid the other day as the mind-numbing Grammys were on. We were talking about Green Day and their new album and their song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." He was making the rather quaint point that the lyrics are fundamentally flawed, as they go, "I walk this empty street, on the boulevard of broken dreams."

More to the point, though, after we agreed that Green Day is overrated, I brought up the point that the Grammys simply will not recognize anyone that isn't a platinum-selling artist. And he said that a perfect example of this snubbing comes in the case of Wilco-- not exactly an obscure band, but relatively speaking, they sell poorly.

(I must work. I will come back to this when I have time, 'cause I have a lot to say. But for the time being, please enjoy this picture of Jeff Tweedy.)