9:50 PM HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY "One"

While playing around with the Metallica iPhone App, I noticed that the Buffalo show was for sale! Check out LiveMetallica.com for that show and a TON of other Metallica live shows.

They also have a bunch of history about every show on the tour. Little details like “Metallica performed 18 songs tonight from 7 different albums: Kill ‘Em All (3 songs), Ride the Lightning (1 song), Master of Puppets (2 songs), …And Justice for All (1 song), The Black Album (3 songs), Garage, Inc. (2 song), and Death Magnetic (6 songs) “

I was lucky enough to get good seats for the Metallica show in Buffalo last night.  I had a pocket camera with me so I shot some quick footage for ya…

In case you haven’t heard, millions of people tuned into YouTube on Sunday night for a U2 show.  It was the first time an entire concert was shown live on the site. In case you missed it, here you go!

While we wait for the Dave Matthews Band to release their new album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King on June 2nd, the band has been kind enough to give us a FREE download of the first single “Funny The Way It Is”.  Go get it!

Radiohead absolutely blew me away last night. It was the perfect way to wrap up my birthday weekend. Check out the video of my favorite band EVER performing “15 Step” along with the USC Marching Band on the Grammy Awards. Incredible.

After careful consideration I have chosen my favorite album of 2008.  There were many contenders. The Walkmen album I blogged about earlier this week was close to being chosen.  I also considered The Dodos and Vampire Weekend. Some other bands like The Shins, The Kooks, The Muslims, Radiohead, The Raconteurs, and The Hold Steady come to mind as well.

Here’s my pick, and it might be a bit of a shock. Especially to my family and close friends. The best album of 2008 comes from a guy named Hayes Carll.  He’s hard to categorize.  You could call him classic country, alt country, folk, or Americana.  Whatever. I like his stuff.  That’s odd because I would go as far as saying I HATE COUNTRY MUSIC. At least what’s considered country today.  Top 40 with a slide guitar and a pretty lead singer is all you need to get on CMT these days.

Give me that old sound I grew up with. Example:  If I were to ever run into Willie Nelson you’d have to sedate me to keep me from hugging the man.  He’s a musical God.  That’s probably why I like Hayes Carll so much.  He reminds me of Willie.  Great songs about real life things. Stories being told that just happen to have a guitar in the background.

I discovered Hayes Carll on accident one day on a music blog I like called Hype Machine.  All I saw was the song title “She Left Me For Jesus” and curiosity kicked in.  I listened to it and thought the song was hillarious.  It’s a bit of a novelty, but it led to me searching for more of his material and buying his album on iTunes that day.  I spent a long time with the album and started to like the rest of the songs on “Trouble in Mind” more than the Jesus tune.  Songs about women, hard times, good times, getting drunk, and working in bars to keep a roof over your head.  Please take a second to check out some of his stuff.

Here is a nice little intor to Hayes and how he came about…

Here’s a live performance of “She Left Me For Jesus”

Here’s the official music video for it

One of my favorites from Hayes is “I Got a Gig”

And finally, “Drunken  Poet’s Dream”.  I think it’s a Dylan tune, and it’s usually stuck in my head every morning in the shower.

Go check out the entire album and some more videos at the Hayes Carll website.  Yeeee haw!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This band is solid and I thought this would be a fitting way to kick off the new year.  I give you a live performance of The Walkmen doing “In The New Year“.  In my little world, their new album “You & Me” comes in at number 2 for 2008.

Go see the video here

Later this week I’ll share my favorite album of 2008.  Here’s a hint….it’s country?

Got a few emails from a cell phone today.  Each one included a picture from an AC/DC concert.  Turns out Buzz listener Joe from Nunda got a sneak peak of the AC/DC tour…

“Hey, Dem. Hope you liked the pics. Wachovia Arena. Wilkes Barre, Pa. Sunday night. Was an invite only crowd of around 2000, for the final dress rehearsal. Tour starts tonight.

Joe from Nunda”

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In 1997, I accidentally found the perfect album.  I was working for The Nerve and we got a box of CD’s from the label to give away. Radiohead had just released their new album “OK Computer“.  I always liked their song “Creep“, so I grabbed one and took it home to my basement studio apartment on Monroe Ave.  It was one of 10 cd’s I brought home that week.  I think that’s how they were paying me back then.

I put it into my CD player (remember those?) and let it run.  At first, I was thinking “what the f is this?” It was nothing like I had ever heard before, but it had caught my attention.  I could tell it was good, but it was a challenge to listen to.  After spending a week with it, I knew it was the best album I had ever heard.  11 years later, I still have the same opinion.  It still is the best album I’ve ever heard.

Oh….and it’s still in my CD player.  If you were to walk into ManTown right now and open my CD changer, you’d see it right there in slot number 1.  I’m not kidding.

Why do I tell you this long boring story about a Radiohead album?  Because I just learned that you can buy Radiohead’s “OK Computer” for $1.99 at Amazon.com.

Listen. If just one person reads this and takes advantage of the opportunity to buy this album for $1.99, I’ll be happy.

If you need the link, here it is.  If you buy it, let me know what you think.

Please feel free to post a comment and let me know what you think is the best album ever…

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