Mudcrutch "Mudcrutch"

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#981 in the series) is the debut self-titled album by Mudcrutch. I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve never been the biggest Tom Petty fan.  Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s OK, I do like him. I’ve seen him and really enjoyed the show. (Althought I liked the opening band the del Fuegos better)  I’ve liked some of this work but I think the best thing he ever did was his...

Old & In The Way “Old & In The Way”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#978 in the series.) is  Old and In The Way. Five great musicians getting together for some great pickin’ and singin.’ I guess you could call it bluegrass but there’s more than a hint of old fashioned mountain music thrown in. For those of you not familiar with this project, Old and In the Way were Peter Rowan (guitar, vocals), David Grisman (mandolin, vocals), John Kahn (bass), Vassar Clements (fiddle) and Jerry Garcia...

Nanci Griffith “One Fair Summer Evening”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#977 in the Series ) is Nanci Griffith, One Fair Summer Evening. “Variety; Learning about different types of music; bringing different genres to different people.”   These were just some of the objectives that we publically discussed when we started this project just about a year ago. We’re most definitely going to continue in that direction tonight.  This is one of those albums that requires you to “be in the proper” mood. However, when...

Genesis “Seconds Out”

Today’s Cool Album Of the Day (#976 in the Series) is Genesis, Seconds Out. How much do I like this album? Well, if I could only take ten albums to a desert island, I might have to take two copies of this and then eight others. This was the album that made me fall in love with Genesis.  I don’t know why I didn’t get into them earlier. After this was released I did go back and loved all...

Warren Zevon ‘The Wind’

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#975 in the Series) is Warren Zevon, The Wind In the final episode of season 2 of the hit Showtime series Californication, down on his self-inflicted luck, writer Hank Moody has just finished a book project and is ready to begin his post-project ritual. “Every time I finish a book, It’s Whiskey, Weed and Warren Zevon, It’s the little things” he says, while ”Keep Me in your Heart” plays delicately in the background....

Blood, Sweat and Tears “3”

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (# 974 in the Series) is Blood, Sweat and Tears, 3. In many ways, this album had more to do with long love affair with music, than any other album ever released. When I was a wee lad, my sister gave me copy of this. It was actually on cassette. It was right when those lovely pre-recorded cassettes first hit the market. I had a player and played it over and over...

Justin Townes Earle “Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now”

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#973 in the Series) is Justin Townes Earle, Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now (Bloodshot Records) When your father is one of the best singer-songwriters in the business and you are named after another about whom Steve Earle once said “Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that”, the expectations are...

Jesus Christ Superstar – Original London Cast

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day is the Original London Cast recording of  Jesus Chris Superstar. It”s now our Cool Album of the Day every Easter Sunday. Don’t give me the knock-offs. Give me the original 1971 release featuring Ian Gillian as Jesus. I remember playing the hell out of this back in the day. To me this has always been the definitive version of  Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera.  It’s the Original London Concept Recording.  Yes, I...

Richard & Linda Thompson ‘I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#972 in the Series) is Richard & Linda Thompson, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight. This is an album I’ve went back to recently and it’s captivated me, full to the brim as it is with wonderfully bleak, world-weary and fascinating songs. I actually found my old cassette copy of it and realized that I hadn’t played the full album in years, most of my Richard Thompson stuff is on...

Hal Ketchum “Past The Point Of Rescue”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#971 in the Series) is Hal Ketchum, Past the Point of Rescue. I don’t know what it is. I’ve always been a sucker for those songs when an artist takes a known track, their’s or possibly another artists, and recreates it using a slower tempo.   I’m thinking of tracks like Joe Jackson’s live version (played as part of the Big World tour) of “Steppin’ Out” or Loey Nelson’s take on “To Sir with...

Jellyfish ‘Bellybutton’

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#970 in the Series) is Jellyfish, Bellybutton. My guess is that a good number of you don’t know this album or even this band. In one word, “you should!” They were one of the best power-pop bands of the early nineties, Jellyfish.  One of those bands that you ask yourself, Why wasn’t this all over radio, why were they not more popular? They definitely had some radio friendly songs, a good look a...

Lucinda, Steve and Dwight Hit the Road on “LSD” Tour.

        JUST ANNOUNCED! LSD Tour: Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle & The Dukes, and Dwight Yoakam! The pre-sale exclusive to Steve Earle & The Dukes’ fans starts this Monday, March 26th at 10AM local time (password: STEVE). Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, March 30th at 10AM local time. King Leg will be opening the show as Special Guest on the tour. Presented by SiriusXM Radio. List of dates below. Get more info here    LSD TOUR DATES TUE...

The Pixies ‘Surfer Rosa’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#969 in the Series) is The Pixies, Surfer Rosa  Playing my Surfer Rosa album last night reminded me that the album is not just The Pixies first album, but my favorite album as well. It also reminded me why I keep my record collection in my room away from my kids- the album’s cover features a topless woman who I remember swooning over when it first came out. In case anyone is...

Ten Years After ‘A Space in Time’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#968 in the Series) is Ten Years After,  A Space In Time When you are three pints in, and the conversation as it inevitably does, turns to the greatest guitar players of all time, and the usual suspects Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and the rest are shouted out from around the bar, the name Alvin Lee is largely and criminally ignored.  As one of the early pioneers of Blues Rock,...

Todd Rundgren’s Utopia is Looking for a Keyboard Player and It Could be You.

  Here’s your big break! Todd Rundgren and the rest of the band Utopia are looking for a keyboard player and they’re in a big hurry. The tour begins on May 22nd and the expectant key man Ralph Schuckett will not be part of it. Todd, bassist Kasim Sulton and drummer John “Willie” Wilcox are planing on filling the spot this week. Here’s the post shared on Todd’s facebook page on March 19th. Todd Rundgren – Due to unexpected...

Sebastian Cabot, actor; Bob Dylan, poet ‘A Dramatic Reading with Music’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#959 in the Series) is Sebastian Cabot, actor; Bob Dylan, poet. A Dramatic Reading with Music.  ..Like one of our favorite comedy troupes once proclaimed…”And Now For Something Completely Different.” You’d be hard pressed to find something as different as this. What I like about this album is the fact that it’s of course a novelty album, a “what the heck, why not album” yet it has a redeeming quality that makes...

Johnny Cash “American Recordings V: A Hundred Highways”

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day is Johnny Cash, American Recordings V: A Hundred Highways The year was 1994, and it was not the best of times for Johnny Cash.  His health, starting to fail from a series of illnesses and decades of hard living, was seemingly bringing “The Man in Black” much closer to the end than he was ready to admit.  His latest major record label, Mercury Records had dropped him after one last commitment record, The...

Dire Straits “Brothers in Arms”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#957 in the Series) is Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms. Brothers in Arms was one of the first albums that was completely digitally recorded. It was released in May of 1985. Right about this time I was itching to get my first CD player.  They had just started to get to a price level that ‘cattle’ like myself could afford one.  I knew the day was coming soon where I would have a...

Shadowfax “Watercourse Way”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#955 in the Series) is Shadowfax, Watercourse Way When you look at a listing of the best bands Chicagoland has produced it better have Shadowfax included, if it doesn’t find a new list. Are you familiar with Shadowfax? If not, let me go back a ways. The origins of this eventual Grammy-winning band begin in the early 70s in south-suburban Crete, Illinois. That’s where the band lived in a farmhouse popularly known as...

Alice Cooper "Billion Dollar Babies"

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#953 in the Series)  is Alice Cooper, Billion Dollar Babies. About three years ago I listened to this album for the first time in about 12 years. I could not believe how great it still sounded. Of all the early 70s things that I loved, this one still kicked as good, if not better, than almost anything else I’d played in quite sometime from that old era. The quality of the tracks stood...

The Doobie Brothers “What Were Onces Vices Are Now Habits”

Today’s Cool album of the Day (#952 in the Series) is The Doobie Brothers, What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. Can you believe that this little gem was released 41 years ago this week!! I really enjoy the decade or so tradition of bands playing one of their albums in its entirety. I know it would probably never happen, but if the Doobie Brothers were to do add join that tradition, then they should play “What Were Once...

Big Country “Steeltown- 30th Anniversary Edition”

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#951 in the Series) is Big Country, Steeltown 30th Anniversary Edition The 80s were, without a doubt, a golden era for Scots pop/rock music.  A storm which began brewing deep in the punk and new wave sounds of the late 70’s suddenly gathered it’s forces and unleashed a Tsunami of talent which didn’t diminish for years. One of those talents was the wonderfully gifted Stuart Adamson, a young man who was a founding member...

Billy Joe Shaver ‘Long in the Tooth’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#948 in the Series) is Billy Joe Shaver, Long in the Tooth On the Mount Rushmore of 70’s Highwayman Icons, a zip code that includes Willie Nelson,Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristoffersons, Billy Joe Shaver could very well be considered the fifth Beatle, the under the radar cowboy that jump-started the movement with Honky Tonk Heroes in 1973, and in the process put the outlaw in Outlaw Country, reshaped the image...

Complete Footage of “The Last Waltz” Concert Surfaces

  Yes, you read that headline correctly. The full nearly four hour performance of the 1976 Thanksgiving night concert by The Band has made it’s way to the public. It includes, previously unreleased tunes by The Band such as “WS Wolcott Medicince Show,” “Georgia on My Mind,” “Arcadian Driftwood,” “Rag Mama Rag,” and also “The Weight” which in the film was represented only by the live in studio version. No overdubs here either. Songs by some of the guest...

The Most Popular Songs Played By Musicians In Each State

MADISON, WI – March 19, 2014 – Dialect, cuisine and fashion tastes can vary by state, and the songs people like to play are no different, according to a recent list of the distinctively best-selling sheet music titles by Musicnotes.com, the world’s top digital sheet music e-retailer and publisher. Musicnotes crafted a list of the “Uniquely Popular Sheet Music by State (Plus D.C.)” to expound on the breadth of its sheet music catalogue, as well as the diversity of...

Springsteen Continues to Cover Australian Acts During Down Under Tour. Inxs ‘Don’t Change,’ AC/DC, Bee Gees and Lorde in the Mix as Well

Bruce Springsteen continues to pull out some cool surprises on his current tour down under. He’s been including some great tunes by the locals into his mix. We’ll post videos when we can. I’ll add them as I get them. So far they’ve included Inxs’ “Don’t Change.” AC/DC “Highway to Hell” (wth Eddie Vedder) and Lorde’s “Royals.” The Easybeats “Friday on My Mind” and even the Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive.”  I’m really hoping for some Split Enz!!! Tom Morello...

Robert Downey Jr is ‘Driven To Tears’ with Sting!

Robert Downey Jr. Joins Mr. Sting on Stage I didn’t see this one coming? Did you? Who knew Robert Downey Jr. had musical talent. He should sit in with Black Sabbath too. I have an idea what song he could sing with Ozzie!  Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post

AMAZING! – Watch 32 Discordant Metronomes Achieve Synchrony in a Matter of Minutes

from io9.com If you place 32 metronomes on a static object and set them rocking out of phase with one another, they will remain that way indefinitely. Place them on a moveable surface, however, and something very interesting (and very mesmerizing) happens. The metronomes in this video fall into the latter camp. Energy from the motion of one ticking metronome can affect the motion of every metronome around it, while the motion of every other metronome affects the motion...

What Were Kurt Cobain’s Favorite Fifty Albums? Here’s His Handwritten List.

  I’m sure you’ve all been wondering what the late Kurt Cobain’s favorite fifty albums were. Here is his own hand written list. Now you know. I’m sure you feel better. Oh, while you here. Have you ever wondered how the baby was on the cover of Nirvana’s debut Nevermind? He’s now all grown up and we have a story on who he is and what he’s doing now. He even recreated that famous album cover. Well, kind of…...

Herb Alpert’s ‘Whipped Cream Lady’ Closes In On 78 Years Old….

  by Erik Lacitis of the Seattle Times Guys, the girl of your teen dreams will soon turn 78 years old Her name is Dolores Erickson and she has been living in the Seattle for around 35 years, after a career that included being an Eileen Ford model in New York. She appeared at a Seattle record store recently and wants to tell you teen dreamers, “Enjoy the memories.” You don’t know her by name — maybe as the...

Vince Gill & Paul Franklin ‘Bakersfield’

Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Foolin’ Around” by Vince Gill & Paul Franklin Paying homage to those who have come before you is nothing new in Country music. Merle Haggard paid tribute to Jimmie Rodgers on his classic 1969 album Same Train Different Time, and also recorded tribute albums to Bob Wills and Elvis Presley.  Buck Owens also did it on albums that saluted the influence that Tommy Collins and Harlan Howard had on him. It’s...

Nomad Planets ‘You’re Never Lost Until You Panic’

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#868 in the Series) is Nomad Planets, You’re Never Alone Until You Panic This is a piece that I’ve been meaning to write for quite some time. What’s taken so long? That’s an easy one.  I love this album so much that I never thought I could do it justice with words.  I still don’t think I’ll be able to but I had to make sure that you knew about. You can...

Phil Lucafo ‘One Block East’

  Phil Lucafo’s One Block East, the first solo album from one of the founding members of the legendary country-rock band Heartsfield is finally here! Phil was responsible or partly responsible for many of Heartsfield’s better known songs such as “The Only Time I’m Sober Is When You’re Gone,” “Pass Me By,” “Gypsy Rider,” “I Like It A Lot” and “Rock and Roll Farm.” “The Only Time I’m Sober Is When You’re Gone” was just recently covered by a...

Vince Gill Shares His Thoughts on Today’s Country Music..and He’s Right On!

  For quite some time now I’ve been harsh on today’s country music, or more specifically, the state of today’s country radio. Now I’ve been joined by Vince Gill in its critique. It’s sad when Taylor Swift can dominate country radio and Merle Haggard can’t get a sniff. And I’m not talking about Merle’s old great albums I’m referring to his last couple of albums. They’ve been great yet completely ignored. Justin Townes Earle’s “Harlem River Blues” also did...

The ‘Nirvana Baby’ is Now All Grown Up. Who is He? What Is He Doing Now?

    You’ve seen him but you probably never knew his name.  The famous three month old pee-pee baring baby on the cover of the Nirvana Nevermind album is now a 22 year old man. His name is Spencer Elden.  He told MTV News a few years back  “it’s kind of creepy that that many people have seen me naked — I feel like I’m the world’s biggest porn star.”  The shot was taken at the Rose Bowl...

“Cool Album of the Day” is Looking for Contributors

If you follow the Cool Album of the Day website I’m guessing that you are a little bit of a music fan. Excellent! Have you ever wanted to be published? Well if you are, we at Cool Album of the Day are always looking for contributors. You know what we do here. Like I mentioned, we’re always looking for people that would like to do a write up on some of their favorite albums. We’d also love people that would...

Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom. The Most Complete Listing of Shows from the 60s thru the 90s

Ah the Aragon Ballroom. This is a fun listing for the old Rock ‘n’ Rollers that visit the Cool Album of the Day site. Here’s a list of just about ever show that was held at the Aragon Ballroom in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago.  If you went there, have fun looking thru this list.  Look for the shows that you saw. Feel ‘bummed’ about the ones you missed. Be angry about the ones that you would have checked...

Music: How we bought it through the years. Plus: ‘What is an ‘album?’

Albums? No, an ‘album’ does NOT mean vinyl.  For years our radio friends would refer to the music they played as ‘albums.’ Stick around for something from the new Genesis album, or That was ”Song For My Brother’ from the Shadowfax album, ‘Watercourse Way.’ Then as the 80s were ending, so was the way that radio gave us our music.  They were making the transition from playing vinyl to compact disc. It cost them a good penny and they...

Andy Williams ‘Merry Christmas’

Posted 13 Dec 2012 in Albums of 1965, Albums of the 60s, Bubby Lewis, Christmas, Vocal

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#821 in the Series) is Andy Williams, Merry Christmas In 1963, smooth jazz crooner, Andy Williams, released his first Christmas album, The Andy Williams Christmas Album too much acclaim and his name has been synonymous with the holiday season ever since. As good as it was it can’t compare with what he followed up with in 1965. Andy’s Merry Christmas album focused exclusively on 20th century compositions, unlike its predecessor, with one side focusing on more traditional pop and secular holiday fare. For a generation of baby boomers and even early generation X-ers, this is the quintessential holiday album because of its mainstream production, in addition to years of Christmas specials on...

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George Winston ‘December’

Posted 10 Dec 2012 in 80s, Albums of 1983, Albums of the 80s, Christmas, Instrumental

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#820 in the Series) is George Winston, December.  There’s really not a ton more that you can say about this album that hasn’t been said previously?  It’s an all-time Hall of Fame Christmas season album, how’s that. I read a few reviews on this album while looking for information on it. They all basically said the same thing, how this album set the tone for a whole new genre, and how for years and years others would try and recreate what George Winston created in 1983.  It’s just a man and his piano and that’s it. One of the most difficult things in all of music has been to record a new...

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The Prog World Orchestra ‘A Proggy Christmas’ – NEW MUSIC REVIEW

Posted 04 Dec 2012 in Albums of 2012, Albums of the 10s, Christmas, John Driscoll, Steve Hackett

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#819 in the Series) is The Prog World Orchestra, A Proggy Christmas This is one of those releases you want to share with everyone in the season of sharing. Granted the older folks at the Holiday might not like it, more probable they don’t get it, but this easily the best Christmas release I have heard since Jon Anderson’s 3 Ships and that was more than 25 years ago. There are 10 things that set this apart from every other Holiday record you have heard before, and those are the ten songs that are contained here. Before you suggest this is in the spirit of the Trans Siberian Orchestra, and before I...

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Deacon Blue ‘The Hipsters’

Posted 02 Dec 2012 in Albums of 2012, Albums of the 10s, Walt Falconer

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#818 in the Series) is Deacon Blue, The Hipsters Deacon Blue, The criminally ignored, critically acclaimed, and artistically brilliant band from Glasgow, Scotland, with The Hipsters, their 25th album and their first in 11 years, has delivered a solid set of pop-centric tunes that are sneakily good, and could stand up to anything that has been released in the current millennium. With six million album sales, 12 top forty hits in the U.K., and two number one albums, the group was popular on the musically astute side of the pond, but if you would have asked any of the un-washed U.S. musical listening masses about Deacon Blue they probably would have said...

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Hindu Love Gods ‘Hindu Love Gods’

Posted 01 Dec 2012 in 90s, Albums of 1990, Albums of the 90s, Blues-Rock, Rock + Roll

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#817 in the Series) is the Hindu Love Gods. There’s something cool about two of your favorite acts coming together on side projects.  That’s exactly what we have here in the Hindu Love Gods.  Who are they? (REM-Michael Stipe) + Warren Zevon = Hindu Love Gods. For those of you that hated Algebra, this would mean… take REM but leave Michael Stipe home, now add Warren Zevon on vocals and you got the idea. OK, now which tunes should they do you “ax?”  Well, they really did hang together enough to do much writing, so like many quickie, one-off side projects, they resort to covering many songs that they just happened to like....

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Graham Parker and the Rumour ‘Three Chords Good’

Posted 28 Nov 2012 in Albums of 2012, Albums of the 10s, Bubby Lewis

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#816 in the Series) is Graham Parker and the Rumor, Three Chords Good From the minute Graham Parker and The Rumor came out of the gates with the phenomenal 1976, Nick Lowe produced album Howlin’ Wind, they have been a bit of a musical conundrum and have stayed so since Parker disbanded the group in 1980. He remained so throughout his long and confusing solo career, being that he, nor the band, ever had any real chart hits to speak of, could never be tied down to a specific genre and relied mostly on the reputation of boisterous live shows and critical acclaim. With the band, his closest thing to chart hits...

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Thin Lizzy ‘UK Tour ’75’

Posted 26 Nov 2012 in Albums of 1975, Albums of the 70s, Hard Rock, Live, Paul McBride

  Today’s Cool Album of The Day (#815 in the Series) is Thin Lizzy, UK Tour ’75 Everyone knows Thin Lizzy. The music world is awash with their albums, and there are enough bootlegs, greatest hits, extended versions, live albums, compilations, radio cuts, cover bands, and even versions of the band itself out there to choke the airwaves for the rest of time. Of course, almost every music lover is familiar their “big” rock albums Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox, Bad Reputation, and their touring masterpiece Live and Dangerous; all albums filled with rock radio staples we know and love. But to me, their finest and most interesting period was just before Jailbreak and all-conquering single “The Boys Are Back...

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Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith ‘Evidence’

Posted 24 Nov 2012 in Albums of 1989, Albums of the 80s, Folk, Folk Rock, Singer / Songwriter

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#814 in the Series) is Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith, Evidence It was 65 degrees here in Chicago a couple of short days ago. Within 10 hours it was down to 32. Yes, it was freezing.  I tell you that weather tale as I lead into a piece on this great album by Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith titled Evidence.  Why you might have asked? I mention that because I’ve always had certain albums that I associate with the different seasons or even sometime more specifically a certain time of that season. I could never listen to Frank Zappa’s Apostrophe in the dead of summer because no one “trudges across the tundra” in...

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Arlo Guthrie ‘Alice’s Restaurant’

Posted 21 Nov 2012 in Albums of 1967, Albums of the 60s

  Today’s Cool Album of The Day is  is Arlo Guthrie, Alice’s Restaurant. An American Classic, simply put. Alice’s Restaurant was recorded and released in 1967. It was Woodie Guthrie’s son, Arlo’s, debut album. The story of ‘Alice’s Restaurant Massacre” is a wonderful tale, full of humor and Americana. It is some marvelous story telling.  It’s a tale that needs to be listened to.  It’s the full side of the album. It could have been longer as far as I’m concerned. Many radio stations break format on Thanksgiving and will play this lengthy track.  We’re thankful for that.  We have the full song below for you to listen to. Sit back, relax and enjoy this Arlo Guthrie classic. We’re...

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Bram Tchaikovsky ‘Strange Man, Changed Man’

Posted 18 Nov 2012 in Albums of 1979, Albums of the 70s, Federico Moreno, Power Pop, Punk / Post Punk

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#813 in the Series) is  Bram Tchaikovsky, Strange Man Changed Man The legend says: ¨A long time ago, a bunch of bored cavemen, hungry of fun and sex, invented Rock´n´Roll…¨ It must be true, and we must be grateful:  they invented something of the same transcendence as the Ferris wheel; one of the most proteiform and free examples of contemporary art. Did I say art? Yes, maybe the 8th form! Along there with Music, but with its own singular status. Joyously alive, always changing, the perfect constant motion machine. This album is one of the finest examples of the genre. Sadly overlooked, it condensed in itself all of the stamina and the joie...

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