Thank Heaven for Pictures of Miley Cyrus's Crotch

Even though I haven't blogged in ages (and the key to keeping a blog fresh is new and stimulating content daily) I still continue to get hits because people continue to search for pictures of Miley Cyrus's crotch.

I blogged all the way back in June about how pictures of her hoo-hoo were a big hit on the Internet. I was blogging for gather.com back then--another of a long line of hack writing jobs I've held over the course of my life--and as a news writer I couldn't get hits for my posts (or at least enough to make any kind of decent income) but the entertainment writers were raking them in, and at the time this was a big topic. Bigger than the BP oil spill. Bigger than the economy. And people still seem to be interested in her nether bits.

Broken vase is another search that keeps hitting Action Bob Markle. People are either looking for images of broken vases, or they want to know how to fix them. Back in January, 2009 I wrote about the breakup of my family and my responsibility in it and compared my relationship with my kids to a mended vase. I still think it's a pretty good piece of writing, and hope that people stop to read it even though it's not exactly what they were looking for.

For some crazy Neil Young's ranch is something that people search for a lot. I mean, a lot. Who'da thunk it, huh? And Libra constellation. And The Low Anthem, a group of musicians from Providence, Rhode Island.

And it's always weird to see your name as a search term. Who out there deliberately typed my name into google?

The Low Anthem on David Letterman

I can't believe I saw these guys a few years back at All Asia on a fluke. I was there to see another band and was walking out the door when they started up. I knew I was hearing something special. I spun on my heels, sat down and listened to their set, got up and was walking out the door when I felt someone grab my shoulder. Ben had come off stage to thank me for listening to them.

Great people. Talented artists. I mean, check it out, the dude is playing a saw on David Letterman.

Here's their site.

The Low Anthem: To Ohio

Opening for Ray Lamontagne, writeup in Rolling Stone, playing at SXSW. It's so great to see hard-working artists make it. Not only hard-working, but nice people too.

And being an old Ohio boy, this song gives me goosebumps...





I left Louisiana on the rail line
I left Louisiana on the rail line

Lost my love before her time
Lost my love before her time

I was trying to get to Ohio
Trying to get to Ohio

Now every new love is just a shadow
Every new love is just a shadow

‘Cause once you’ve known love you don’t know how to find love
Yeah once you’ve found love you don’t know how to find new love

All the way to Ohio
All the way to Ohio

Heard her voice coming through the pines of Ohio
I heard her voice singing in the pines in Ohio

She sang bless your soul you crossed that line to Ohio
Bless your soul you crossed that line

All the way to Ohio
All the way to Ohio

Low Anthem's To Ohio NPR song of the day

The Low Anthem's To Ohio is NPR's Song of the Day.

The Low Anthem is a band I've blogged about a bit. It's so nice to see such fine folks continue to make music and get recognized for it.

There's a good file at the NPR site, but just for fun I've added one from YouTube.

The Low Anthem wins Boston Music Award for Best New Act

I'm a reformed news junkie, having gone cold turkey from three dailies and numerous news magazines and television programs to almost zilch. Now I don't even own a TV--I chicken-scratch around the 'Net for news. But I still check things out, to see if there's anything beyond the normal dose of droning politicians, death and destruction on a global scale, and shallow, useless pabulum on pop and movie stars.

Traveling, it's ironic that we probably watched more television than we have all year, in travel lodges throughout the southwest. It's like a auto accident to us; we can't help but slow down and just stare. It's just all shock and awe for us. Reporters screaming and yelling into the cameras, doing the darndest to make the news exciting and marketable. And then come the analyst and experts to to explain to us what we just saw, just in case we don't have the brains and smarts to do it ourselves. You can see it so plainly, that most people just mimic and parrot what they're told on television. They do it right down to the inflections.

So, it was to my delight that I saw that even before we left the Boston Music Awards were held. And my delight came from seeing that The Low Anthem won he award for Best New Act. I first saw them a few years ago at New Asia in Cambridge. I had gone to the club to see Bean, the now defunct band of a buddy of mine. Bean had finished its set, and I was walking out the door when TLA started their set. I forgot the song--I remember thinking it was a Robert Johnson song, and it was sung by a band member who is no longer with the band. But it was enough for me to turn around, find a chair to the side, and enjoy what these talented artists had to offer.

I've since seen them one other time, in a tiny, reconverted firehouse down in Providence naturally named, The Firehouse. A funny story there: Sue and I couldn't find the club and, God bless AT&T Wireless, when I dialed 411 asking for the fire house, the witless operator connected me to the fire department. And when the good dispatcher found out what we were looking for, he talked us right to the door of the club. One of those random acts of kindness that is so rare here in the Northeast.

From left: band members Ben Knox Miller, Jeff Prystowsky, and Jocie Adams in Cambridge.

Cool Folk Fest in Providence on March 15, 2008

Got this from The Low Anthem.

The biggest INDEPENDENT FOLK show to come to Providence in a long while.

The concert features four fantastic artists on the fast rise in the folk scene, including a Grammy winner! Info on each is below. The concert is the first in the "No-Scene Folk" series put on by The Low Anthem. It is gaining traction with coverage from the Projo, Motif, and Phoenix.

What can we say, It's the first show of it's kind, and we really really really really hope to see you.

MARCH 15 at Firehouse 13
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
www.firehouse13.org

The artists are Anais Mitchell, The Low Anthem, Antje Duvekot, and Jesse Harris.

email: jjonesmusic@gmail.com for advanced tickets ($10) or buy them at the door.
-------------------------------------------------------------

ANAIS MITCHELL
She is Ani DiFranco's newest signee to Righteous Babe record and a beautiful songwriter! From Vermont, this will be her first headlining show in Providence, since her opening spot at Lupo's.




THE LOW ANTHEM
That's us. We're the financiers, promoters, and local flavor for this show. We hope you come see the night we've put together.





ANTJE DUVEKOT
Antje is a singer/songwriter from Germany on Black Wolf Records.

JESSE HARRIS
Jesse has had his songs recorded by Bright Eyes, Cat Power, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson and more. He is a GRAMMY WINNER.


FIREHOUSE 13
located at 41 Central St. Providence, RI Firehouse 13 is an old gutted
firehouse-turned art space. Tickets are general admission.

A cowboy in the city

I'll be drinking city whiskey and chasin' it with country wine. (Apologies to The Low Anthem.)

So you're moving to the city? You're so country. I can't imagine you living in the city. How many people have said that to me now? Are you keeping your truck? I can't imagine John without his truck. What about Bob?

Yeah, I'm asking myself the same questions. Yes, keeping the truck. And the dog, too. But wondering about moving where I can, in my own father's words, hear it when the neighbor flushes the toilet.

Won't be sitting on a rock in the orchard on a hot summer's night, sipping a cold one, pondering life, and looking for shooting stars. Or going out my back door in the winter wearing a pair of snow shoes.

It's going to be a different life, all right, but hopefully a better one. That's what I'm telling the kids, at least, and I'm sticking to my story. Life changes, hopefully for the better, and one chapter closes while another one opens up.

Sue and I will wake up together every day, doing the day-to-day, for better or for worse.

There's a cheaper and shorter commute. Right now it's at least three hours a day and $300 a month with the train pass and parking. In the city I'll walk five minutes to the T for a 30 minute ride to my office. All for $72.

The rent and bills will be less, because Sue and I will be splitting the bill.

There's more to do in the city. I start music lessons in Harvard Square the same day we move in. Museums, concerts, schools, and stores are all closer, and urban life in general is richer than suburban life. This isn't just for me, but for the kids, too. Al is looking forward to a place where she and her friends can drive up from school to stay while in Boston. The other one is growing and maturing faster than you can imagine. She needs more stimulation than that mall to keep that brain of hers in gear.

There will a different, but just as strong, family life. Sue likes the kids and vice versa. There might be some stability in our lives that's been lacking. And Sue and I have different values than what the girls have been used to. Al calls us free spirits. There might not be cable. Instead lots of books and music. The ocean will be nearby. Well, Quincy Bay, if you want to get technical, but it's salty.

So, yeah, if Steve Earle can leave Guitar Town for Greenwich Village, I guess I can have some concrete under my boots for a while. It's not forever. Nothing's forever, that much I know.

Still, I'd like to hear those coyotes a few more times, and that hoot owl, before I load up the truck one last time.

The Low Anthem: What the Crow Brings

The CD release has come to Providence! We just sold out The Cutting Room in NYC so come early in the evening to ensure you get your free copy of What the Crow Brings. We'll give away 100 copies.

The line-up for the night is an incredible selection of musicians from VT, Boston, Western Mass, and RI.

The Low Anthem
The Accident that Led Me to the World
Annie Lynch and the Beekeepers
Avi and Celia
Roz Raskin
Chris Pappas (of The Everyday Visuals)
Dennis Emsley

These guys and gals are the real deal. blues, rock, folk, indie, the best of the best

Saturday - October 6

AS220
115 Empire St.
Providence, RI 02903

9pm - all ages - $10 - Free hand-made CDs

We'll see you soon. If you can't go to the show, be sure to download the record from Itunes

also, check out our new website:
www.lowanthem.com

to all, all the best,
Ben, Jeff, The Low Anthem

The Low Anthem at Tommy Doyle's Friday night

Never saw them.

Well,that's not quite it...we saw them, we just never heard them.

They were supposed to play at 9:30 after another band and Michelle Lewis. At 9:30, equipment was still getting put up on the stage, the Red Sox/Yankees were still on television, and I had a train to catch in an hour.

The place was loud and the crowd was made up primarily of young tweakers. I don't even know why places like that even have music.

If I only had a dollar
For every song I've sung
And every time I've had to play
While people sat there drunk
You know I'd catch the next train
Back to where I live
Oh, Lord, stuck in Lodi again

Took the Red Line to South Station, and down in the Harvard T station suddenly the real world opened up...there was a singer busking, a guy selling jewelry on a blanket, and people of all shades and colors who didn't look like they were raised on Wonder Bread.

Low Anthem will be at Tommy Doyle's tonight

I saw these guys a couple of months ago at All Asia and was pretty impressed. Kind of folksy/indie stuff--really good melody and heart-felt lyrics. Not as close to the bone as I normally like, but they're darn close.

They tour a lot and are in the Boston area every so often.

The Low Anthem will be at Tommy Doyle's tonight (the one in Harvard Square, not Kendall Square) tonight and playing at 9:30.

Definitely check them out if you're around.

The Low Anthem

A few weeks ago I was in All Asia on Mass. Avenue in Cambridge to see my buddy, Jason's, band Bean. Bean played its usual fun set, and just when I was leaving another band was just starting to play. Three guys with a whole bunch of instruments including one guy playing the standup base. What the…? The band was The Low Anthem, out of Providence, Rhode Island. The first song sounded like some serious Robert Johnson stuff. So I stuck around and listened. Nice melodic songs looking at life through country eyes. This morning for some reason, a couple of lyrics stuck in my head from their song, Country Wine:

“cause I’ve been drinking city whiskey
chased with country wine.

Hmm…sometimes lyrics just resonate. Kind of the story of my life. Kinda.

Anyway, you might want to check them out.