What is the first thing you think of when someone mentions ZZ Top? Okay, now that we’ve acknowledged the chest-length beards, what do you think of next? I imagine that casual fans perhaps think of mid-1980s classics like “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man.” Maybe you also think of Ford coupes and sheepskin-covered guitars as seen…
Fact: it’s not hard to sing a song better than Ozzy does it. I love Black Sabbath—particularly the first five albums—but the strength of that band lies more in Geezer Butler and Bill Ward than anything. That’s not a dig on Tony Iommi or Ozzy Osbourne. At any rate, Charles Bradley doesn’t just do a…
I claw at my face(This storm will soon be lifting);It does me no good.
What do I say about this woman when my feelings for her are ineffable? Jessica suggested I say she had straight teeth. Because “she’d like that”… Jess is right. She had beautiful teeth. Everything about her was beautiful. But still. A eulogy? I’m not good at speeches. I’m too soft-spoken to be a wonderful orator.…
After Lara got her Stage IV cancer diagnosis, one song she often requested was Blue Ă–yster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.” She even asked my dad’s band to play it at her fundraiser. My dad wanted to even though he didn’t think he could through the lyrics. But the only other guy in the band…
A year ago Lara rang the bell signaling that her treatment for breast cancer was complete. She was eager to finish that chapter and begin a new one, rebounding back into health and adventure. Gage was eagerly counting down the days until she returned to Georgia with us. We all were. My countdown was shorter…
Rain pours over meAnd the wind whispers your name…The dirt stains my feet.
Not every song grabs me the first time I hear it and Joshua Burnside’s “Whiskey Whiskey” is one such song. “Oh, another song about booze and the reason I want to dull the pain,” I think I thought to myself. But as it came up in the rotation more and more, it began to grow…
I don’t know how I found “Day by Day” by Old Sea Brigade (Ben Cramer). It could’ve been the magic of Spotify or it could have been the result of the innumerable times a friend and I have shared similar songs back and forth. Either way, I’m happy I found it. My favorite version is…