Listening to "x":

[the G-man]

Listened to tonight:
1. Born This Way (Country Road Version) -- Lady Gaga
2. Maggie May -- Pogues
3. Won't Be Home -- Old 97's
4. A Ridiculous Man -- T-bone Burnett
5. Baby, You're a Rich Man -- Beatles
6. Better Things—Ray Davies, Bruce Springsteen
7. California (Hustle and Flow) -- Social Distortion
8. Soul Singing-- Black Crowes
9. What Kind of Man – John Hiatt
10. Separate Vacations (Live) – the Hold Steady
11. Empty Hearted Town – Warren Zevon
12. Call Me Rose – Bruce Cockburn
13. Better to Have and Not Need -- Sam Moore, Bruce Springsteen
14. Wave Bye Bye -- Gin Blossoms
15. Long way from home – Ray Davies, Lucinda Williams
16. The Man Behind the Drums – Robert Earl Keen
17. Waterloo Sunset – Ray Davies, Jackson Browne
18. El Camino – Amos Lee, Willie Nelson
19. Like a Friend -- Pulp
20. Down Here (With the Rest of Us)(country version) -- Social Distortion

 

[zakkrusz]

Up next on the randomizer is:

1. Ten Thousand Foot Crutch-"Move"
2. Psykosonik-"Down on the Ground"
3. Motley Crue-"Sick Love Song"
4. Linkin Park-"Breaking the Habit"
5. Fuel-"Won't Back Down"
6. Godsmack-"Make Me Believe"
7. Iron Maiden-"Fear of the Dark"
8. Nightwish-"She is My Sin"
9. Psychic Lover-"XTC"
10. E Nomine-"Vater Unser (Original Club Mix)"

 

[iBender]

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELviMELd0tA[/yt]
I

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmGXyyuqaUc[/yt]
II

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjlT3Q42gA8[/yt]
III

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LmZCMmNPkM[/yt]
IV

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvB2MnIIdMw[/yt]
V

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxR4AweLeXE[/yt]
VI

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN62PAKoBfE[/yt]
VII

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR3Vdo5etCQ[/yt]
VIII

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYj5o4kQsXs[/yt]
IX

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leohcvmf8kM[/yt]
-> X <-

 

[Nerys Myk]

Fourth Of July

Burning House of Love

Johnny Hit and Run Pauline

What? Too literal?

 

[1001001]

Fourth Of July

Burning House of Love

Johnny Hit and Run Pauline

What? Too literal?

They were great. I saw them at the Greek Theater in high school, and again when they opened for Pearl Jam. Seriously awesome band. I wore the grooves off Los Angeles.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of4XZVBVOIs[/yt]

 

[the G-man]

Yeah. They're great. And I'm a big fan of John Doe's solo work.

Speaking of "Fourth of July" and "X", any Dave Alvin fans here?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Yeah. His band with brother Phil, the Blasters, was pretty cool too.

 

[J.T.B.]

^
Oh yes, seen Dave Alvin many times, as well as with the Blasters three times and the Knitters twice. One of the funnest shows I ever saw was the Pleasure Barons, with Dave Alvin, John Doe, Mojo Nixon, and the Beat Farmers' Country Dick Montana. All that stuff is right in my wheelhouse.

As for X, this clip is probably the seminal TV musical moment of my formative years. For those who may not remember, Late Night with David Letterman was not able to show whole bands performing unless they got special permission from The Tonight Show; normally one or two band members would sit in with Paul and the boys. So that was a big deal, and doing two songs was virtually unprecedented. The only other band I remember doing two songs was R.E.M.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCtq3-rAmTw[/yt]

X is still the greatest live band I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of bands.

--Justin

 

[Nerys Myk]

^
Oh yes, seen Dave Alvin many times, as well as with the Blasters three times and the Knitters twice. One of the funnest shows I ever saw was the Pleasure Barons, with Dave Alvin, John Doe, Mojo Nixon, and the Beat Farmers' Country Dick Montana. All that stuff is right in my wheelhouse.

Wow, thats one hell of a line up.

 

[zakkrusz]

1. Kamelot-"Karma"
2. Dio-"Hungry For Heaven"
3. Breaking Benjamin-"Anthem of the Angels"
4. Stella Furst-"To Be Free"
5. Golden Earring-"The Twilight Zone"
6. Helmet-"Unsung"
7. Klank-"Downside"
8. Moby-"Landing"
9. Skillet-"Whispers in the Dark"
10. Back-On-"Hikari Sasuhou"

 

[Mistral]

One of the only threads I've seen around here I didn't understand. What's the "x"?
I thought it was a nostalgia thread about the pirate radio out of Mexico....

 

[zakkrusz]

X is a traditional letter used in algebra to describe a variable, which is something you don't know but are trying to figure out.

 

[Mistral]

X is a traditional letter used in algebra to describe a variable, which is something you don't know but are trying to figure out.

Thank you for that.

So what is this "x' of which you speak? Because even though music is mathematical, I don't think music videos directly relate to an algebraic variable.

 

[zakkrusz]

It's shorthand for "insert something here in place of this" and can apply to numbers, letters, and most nouns. Primary used because you're trying to be witty or are just too lazy to type the the things(s) in question that you're using X to replace.

 

[Mistral]

It's shorthand for "insert something here in place of this" and can apply to numbers, letters, and most nouns. Primary used because you're trying to be witty or are just too lazy to type the the things(s) in question that you're using X to replace.

OK, maybe I'm just missing the point then.
Too bad-a thread about Radio X would have been interesting if anyone knew any details about it.

For those that don't get the reference at all,
ZZ Top mentions it:

"I heard it, I heard it, I heard it on the X."

It was, IIRC, a 10,000 watt rock station just over the Juarez border in Mexico that thumbed its nose at the FCC for some time...at least, that's the urban legend I picked up.

 

[the G-man]

Yeah. His band with brother Phil, the Blasters, was pretty cool too.

Yes. I've been a fan since the 80s. That's how I heard of Dave (and later X) in the first place.

 

[the G-man]

One of the only threads I've seen around here I didn't understand. What's the "x"?
I thought it was a nostalgia thread about the pirate radio out of Mexico....

As others have pointed out it is shorthand for "blank". That being said, and continuing the discussion of Dave Alvin, here's a song he wrote about Mexico pirate radio when he was with the Blasters:
Border Radio

 

[J.T.B.]

As others have pointed out it is shorthand for "blank". That being said, and continuing the discussion of Dave Alvin, here's a song he wrote about Mexico pirate radio when he was with the Blasters:
Border Radio

God love Phil (who got his math PhD while playing with the Blasters because, he said, nobody in the music business did anything before noon so he might as well go to class), but he can't sing a downbeat or emotionally vulnerable song if it would save his life. When Phil sings "Border Radio," despite the lyric, it's like a celebration of great music and good times from the border stations. When Dave sings it, it's all about loneliness and a woman who can't get over a man when she hears "their songs" on the border radio.

One more thing about X: Dave Alvin had left the band before their tour came to my town in '87, but, as much as I love Billy Zoom, Tony Gilkyson live really made a believer out of me. His style was more country-rock, but man was he a hot-shit player. Live at the Whiskey A-Go-Go is a strong testament to that, IMO. Nowadays you'll never hear X play anything past their first four albums, but in my book their country/roots rock phase was nothing to be ashamed of.

--Justin

 

[the G-man]

Your point about Phil is well-taken, especially insofar as he makes no bones that he's basically emulating his hero, blues shouter Big Joe Turner.

And Dave's version is probably my favorite.

Still, I'd argue that "Little Honey" proves Phil can do a downbeat or emotionally vulnerable song.

As for X, pure speculation on my part, but I think they've decided that John Doe's solo work and their involvement with the Knitters is going to be the outlet for the alt country stuff. Therefore, they confine themselves to the early records when out on tour.

 

[lurok]

Garlands and Head Over Heels albums: Cocteau Twins (proselytizing much?)

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SRpJst3Tyw&feature=related[/yt]