RTH Rock Club - January 2015

In January, we added a few new members to the club -- Josh, Steve, Linda, and Jenny -- and discovered more great music.

Josh told us about Dallas Green of City and Colour and the beautiful acoustic track, "The Girl." Dallas Green is also the lead singer for Alexisonfire, a post-hardcore band from Ontario, Canada. What a contrast in bands with the same lead singer.  City and Colour fans will also enjoy  the collaboration between Dallas Green and Alecia Moore (AKA Pink) called "You+Me"

Brentt told the story behind "The Way" by Fastball about an elderly couple in their 80s, who were starting to get dementia. They left their home to drive to an activity and never came home. They wound up 500 miles away from home in Arkansas and died when they drove off a cliff. How sad.

Steve played one of his favorite songs by the Rolling Stones, "Sing This All Together." He quipped that no one with a critical ear had anything to do with this unpolished, chaotic song. The song has a very raw feel, like singing around a camp fire at a  hippie commune.

Linda played an '80s hit by Rob Hegel called "Tommy, Judy & Me" from his Hegel 2 Displays album. Rob went on American Bandstand after the song became popular, but he couldn’t sing this song because the producers thought it was too raunchy. The lyrics also foreshadowed the school shootings to come--sandwiched between two verses about a woman, the lyrics describe that Tommy is tired of the rules, that he bought a gun, and that people are going to remember him.

Treg blasted "Big Brother" by Steve Bonino from his Peace Rocks album. It's a hard rockin' song with an infections bass line and bemoans the end of privacy. The message is timely (and timeless) with the revelations by Edward Snowden of the spying by the NSC.

Michael introduced the club to "Left Hand Free" by Alt-J about a tussle over a gun. Michael particularly likes the  stripped down version of  the song on youtube.

Brentt also discussed the story behind "Lovely Rita" from The Beatles masterpiece, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was inspired by a meter maid giving a parking ticket to Paul outside the Abby Road Studios. The members of Pink Floyd got to listen in the studio while The Beatles recorded it. And the song features John, Paul & George playing the comb and toilet paper.

Steve also played for us a stripped down a capella version of "Because" from The Beatles Love album.

And Linda played the little-known "Carry On Till Tomorrow" by Badfinger.