Come Of Age

What music gets you in a better mood? Whatcha listening to this evening?

In our house, THIS is Valentine's Day music. What's yours?

Boys & Girls
	Artist: Alabama Shakes

Athens, Georgia band Alabama Shakes is on everyone's top ten list for 2012, and their album is number one on Amazon for classic Southern rock. Not bad for a debut.

What's your favorite release of 2012? And whatcha listening to this evening?

Look Sharp
	Artist: Joe Jackson

Joe Jackson in an early rarity -- interrupted at the beginning when his guitarist breaks a string.

Whatcha listening to this evening?

Get Born
	Artist: JET

Today is my one year wedding anniversary with the amazing blogger Driftglass. And they said it wouldn't last. What songs mean something to you and a past or present significant other?

Did you ever have someone in your life who without being loud could command the attention of the entire room? Lisa Kekaula was that for me in college. I met her through mutual friends and began to hang out. I thought she was the coolest person I knew.

In the intervening years, life happened. I moved away, got involved in work, fell in love, got married, had kids and basically lost touch with Lisa. But I hadn't forgotten her. Occasionally, I'd bump into our mutual friends and she was always someone I'd ask about.

And lo, the benefit of the social networks! Bored one day, I started doing searches in Facebook for old friends and lovers and reconnected with Lisa, who is fronting The BellRays with her husband, Bob. Decades later, she's still fierce and soulful and the band has just blown me away.

Those of you in Southern California should be able to find the The BellRays performing fairly regularly very soon as they'll be announcing tour dates.

Hunky Dory
	Artist: David Bowie

Have you ever had one of those weeks where nothing seems to go right? You know, that week where the dog keeps getting into the trash on Monday, you lose an election on Tuesday, the car won't start on Wednesday, you've got no hot water on Thursday, and just as you're about to leave work on Friday the boss asks you to stay a little late to finish the three projects that she couldn't? You know, the week that just makes you want to scream and curse and rage on?

I have. This week, in fact. I suppose many of you are feeling the same way right about now. Seeing as Jared has turned the LNMC reins over to me for the weekend, I propose we turn those frowns upside down. Your mission, if you choose to accept it (and you don't have to), is to link to music that makes you happy, blissful even. For the entire weekend. Think you're up to it?

I'll start with this cut from David Bowie's 1971 album Hunky Dory, which includes these lines that I find worth considering:

...just remember lovers never lose
'Cause they are free of thoughts unpure
And of thoughts unkind
Gentleness clears the soul
Love cleans the mind
And makes it free

Greatest Hits
	Artist: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

This is Number 91 on Rolling Stone's list of all-time Greatest Artists, Tom Petty, along with the Heartbreakers performing Mary Jane's Last Dance.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are playing Bonnaroo (Livestream at the link) on Sunday night. It hasn't been revealed exactly which songs he'll play, but his recent run of theater shows in New York and Los Angeles have focused on deep cuts from his long catalog. "I would rather develop an audience around the quality of our work," he recently told Rolling Stone, "more than the popularity of our work."

The CD available from Amazon -- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Greatest Hits -- pulls together 18 great tracks from one of rock's most legendary yet still underrated groups, covering Petty's career from 1976 up through 1993. Of course, Petty has released several classic albums since this Greatest Hits CD was released, but this album provides fans unfamiliar with the consistency and strength of Petty's early years the chance to see that something good did indeed emerge from the musical doldrums of the mid-to-late 1970s.

Do you have a favorite Tom Petty song?

Vincent Price
	Artist: Deep Purple

H/T to loyal reader Mike.

This is Deep Purple's brand-new music video for the new single 'Vincent Price', from the new #1 album in the UK, produced by Bob Ezrin called "NOW What?"! It's also the first video-clip for the legendary rockers in over 20 years.

Sadly, Jon Lord, the band's keyboard player who co-wrote many hits including "Smoke on the Water" before going on to have a successful solo career, passed away July 16,2012 at aged 71, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

However, the rest of the band still sounds great, you'd almost think it was still the 70s. So TGIF, let's rock-and-roll!

The Definitive Collection
	Artist: Joe Walsh

This is Joe Walsh performing "Life's Been Good" along with Marcus Miller, Omar Hakim, and Hiram Bullock in a rare, live episode of The Super Session "Night Music" TV show which aired in the U.S. from 1988 through 1990, and was hosted by David Sanborn.

Walsh has been a member of three commercially successful bands: the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles. He has also experienced success both as a solo artist and prolific session musician. He holds the #54 spot in Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

"Life's Been Good" is available on the "Joe Walsh: The Definitive Collection" audio CD.

Enjoy!