Root Down in the Shadow

I had something else picked out for this week's Song of the Week, but after viewing K'Naan on the Austin City Limits and hearing the version of 'Wavin' Flag', I was moved.  I had to share this song.  I might be a sappy little b sometimes with movies.  Especially the scene in Good Will Hunting where the Ben Affleck character goes to pick up Will and he's not there.  It gets me every time.  However, I'm rarely moved by hearing a song, especially on the very first listen.  As the moment brewed in front of me watching K'Naan, it was definitely a great musical moment that I knew I needed to share. I downloaded the original 'Wavin' Flag' from iTunes, back in 2009.  If I remember it correctly, it was a free song of the week via iTunes.  I liked it right away, and it started getting some heavy play in one of my best of play lists.  The lyrics for the original version are somewhat uplifting, but I didn't really get the reference of how he would ...

A few years ago, I stumbled across the Austin City Limits television show website. I was searching for some live music, and found the mother load. The site can be a bit cumbersome at times, but it exists as a tremendous treasure chest of some of the best music our country has to offer. The concerts were all supported by PBS, free music, paid for by our taxes potentially soon to go away. I have featured my three favorite episodes. There are so many excellent artists, I have barely made a dent. But I will do my best to go through and chronicle them for you to make it easier. PEARL JAM First is, an excellent intimate hour long Pearl Jam concert. The set list includes an excellent version of 'Porch', some awesome treatments of 'Just Breathe' with a strings section, and a fantastic version of 'Red Mosquito' with Ben Harper on steel guitar Chapter 3:Just Breathe Chapter 4:The End Chapter 5:The Fixer Chapter 6:Johnny Guitar Chapter 7:Amongst T...

WHO ARE THEY? Oh so many times in the last five years, the conversation goes like this:   "Who've you been listening to?"  To Which, I reply " IRON & WINE".  Nearly always, the response is "Who are they????"  Iron & Wine initially represented SAM BEAM , a singer/songwriter out from the South, who now resides in Austin, TX.  Now, especially with the latest album, Kiss Each Other Clean , Iron & Wine represent a larger collection of musicians, more representative of the full sound that Iron & Wine albums are offering recently. the Postal Service with their original 'Such Great Heights' The bands exposure has been tough to track, as far as why should you know the Iron & Wine.  Sub Pop label mate the Postal Service , featured Iron & Wine on their ' Such Great Heights' single, in 2003.  At that time the band only had their debut and an E.P. to show.  In 2004 soon after the release of Our Endless Numbered Days ...