These guys are the slammin’-est house band on tv right now and possibly ever … please, they’re rockin’ a tuba!! Check out what Jimmy Fallon’s famous Late Night band, The Roots, are up to on this cool week-in-the-life NY Times video feature:
By Caroline Vella,
boss of boomitude
I’ve been seeing a lot of Sting lately. On tv and youtube, that is. He’s been making the rounds and his Today and CBS Early Show live performances have been the next best thing to the actual con$ert. Is it me or does he just get better and better over time? He sounds great and he looks fantastic in all of his splendid Sting-ness. I’ve also been listening to the accompanying Symphonicities and you gotta give it to him. He’s got the Midas touch – and the golden hair to prove it and his songs backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra seem to suit him perfectly right now. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of “Roxanne” and “Englishman in New York” in any context but some of the others like “When We Dance” and “The End of the Game” are equally exquisite. His conductor Steven Mercurio is a family friend and from what I hear and see from these performances, he too is having a blast! What’s not to love about that gig?
A couple of years ago my own podcast king husband met Sting. He was producing a podcast series promoting the 30th anniversary of The Stranger album and Sting, a friend of Billy Joel’s, was included in the interview lineup. It was a closed set so I didn’t get to go but I do have a lovely photo of both of them prominently displayed in my family room…..the only logical place for a photo of “Uncle Sting.” I pass him everyday and because we both share a love of yoga, I offer him a quiet ‘namaste’ and go on my way. It makes me happy knowing that in some small way our lives have intersected. Now if I can only get him to invite me to one of those yoga retreats he and Auntie Trudie host at their place in Tuscany, I’ll be set. Please, Uncle Sting? Pretty please?
Recommended:
Symphonicities
Links:
Sting
By Caroline Vella,
boss of boomitude
Rumors started swirling again last week about the Beach Boys possibly reuniting next year in celebration of their….yikes…. 50th anniversary. Every so often the topic heats up on the rumor mill but then very quickly fizzes out. Our crew has worked pretty closely with the boys, in particular Brian Wilson, and we have no reunion confirmation despite Al Jardine’s wishful statement. Maybe it’s best to leave well enough alone? We met up with with them a couple of years ago to talk about the career retrospective record The Warmth of the Sun and put together this video podcast. If summer just ain’t summer without these California guys, then here’s another chance for you to catch the wave…at least until the next reunion…..or not. And as luck would have it….just as I write this, KCRW’s Eclectic 24 is playing “Hushabye” ……may the gods of summer speak!
By Caroline Vella,
boss of boomitude
Since seeing NPR’s list of top records of 2010 (so far) I’ve been thinking. Gorillaz…#1? Really? I like their Plastic Beach. It is good. But #1? It took me a few listens to fully appreciate it but I get it. It’s hip and varied and there’s some very cool collabos with Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed and an especially nice Bobby Womack piece. It’s no High Violet but I do like it. My guys in The National took the #2 spot and I’m good with that….but Gorillaz at the top of the heap kind of threw me. Not too many surprises from the rest of the list with Black Keys, Vampire Weekend and Band of Horses to be expected. Although, no Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons? No fair! No Tift Merritt? I’m hoping that’s just a release date thing. I’d take either of those records over the new Corrine Bailey Rae or Sade any day… both of which made the cut and are ok. They say the people have spoken and apparently they have said, “Me love Gorillaz!” I’m not knocking it….I’m just sayin’. Here they are doing their thing…with a touch of Captain and Tenille. What do you think?
By Caroline Vella,
boss of boomitude
Squeeze is back?! I used to love those guys and then they just vanished. I can’t believe they were at Radio City last night and I missed it. I’ve got to get out more. Word is they put on a great show. I would have loved to have been there. In case you missed it too, here they are on Jimmy Fallon. (They were also on Regis and Kelly but I’ll spare you that.) I’m happy to see they look and sound pretty good. Check it out and don’t miss the super sweet keyboard solo toward the end! Pulling mussels from the shell….. pulling mussels from the shell….. Now that’ll be stuck in your head all day!
Links:
Official Squeeze Website
