You always have that odd moment when you're talking about new music from the Old 97's ... let's all let it pass okay?! "Blame It On Gravity" ... the first set of fresh tunes since 2004 arrived a few weeks ago. The distance in time is significant, "Drag It Up" their last CD ... with a few exceptions, kind of -- how can I put this gently? -- stank! Anyway, I'm happy to report the boys have bounced back in a big ... and at times unexpected ... way. It's not everything I hoped for, yet it has the potential of significantly increasing the group's fan base.

Let's establish this in the early going, I really like this band. The 97's play a brand of straight forward, yet extremely literate rock and roll. Lead singer, and chief song writer Rhett Miller can craft songs that can break your heart, make you laugh, make you think .. and make you drink! He's got the swagger of a guy who knows the chicks dig him, but the insecurity of a musician who knows he's only as good as his last song.

Rhett's a natural storyteller, and his best songs tend to feature somewhat linear nuggets of truth ... one of the too few shining moments from "Drag It Up" appear in the song "Won't Be Home" ... that's when Rhett sings, I was born in the back seat of a Mustang/On a cold night/In a hard rain.
Jump ahead to "Blame It On Gravity" and the song "The Fool" ... this time it's, He came from Phoenix/In a borrowed VW Bug ... both great scene setters, but in "Won't Be Home" we get a compact little story. In "The Fool" we get pieces of a fuzzy plot. What the tunes share, however, is a rollicking melody that quickly drops some throw pillows in your cranium. Comfy and cool.

"Blame it on Gravity" is pretty much like that from start to finish. There isn't a clunker in the bunch. Different styles, set different moods. They all sound great, but they don't say a whole lot. You'll find a bunch of great lines, in "No Baby I" there's, The room was full of surface tension/But I was only thinking of myself. In "Dance With Me" there's, Girl's like you with your flip flop smiles/And Your big blue eyes on vacation. Clever, wrapped in killer chords, but ultimately not saying a whole lot.

I have a theory about this ... please, try to hide your surprise! In the iPod world you're not paying as close attention to the lyrics. The melody or the beat has to catch you. You don't sit down with the CD booklet and read the lyrics ... you don't but I do! I say this because I actually liked "Gravity" more before I read the lyrics. I get the impression when the 97's got together to record this album, they went with the feel of the songs, not the stories behind them.

So, is "Gravity" worth the purchase? Most certainly, yes. The Old 97's are a great rock band. They don't have to be perfect to move you. In the sweetest, and possibly best song on the album, "Color Of A Lonely Heart Is Blue" Murray Hammond takes over on vocals, and delivers an absolute charmer. It's clear it's about a relationship on the rocks, but why and how ... that's something we never get a firm grip on. But it sure is purdy!

The Memorial Day weekend will be here any minute, lots of backyard BBQ's and hopefully plenty of sunshine. In the town of Scituate some local teens have a lot more on their plates than burgers and potato salad ... they're holding an all-day rock concert to benefit the victims of genocide in Darfur.

The concert is the brainchild of three Scituate High School juniors who are thinking globally and acting locally. Colleen Farragher, Kristine Downing, and Sydney O'Connell (pictured at left, Courtesy: Brian Nanos, Scituate Mariner) got the idea for the fundraiser while chatting with friends. That's right, these kids were talking about an epic human tragedy on the African continent that most adults I know choose to ignore ... not the latest prom fashions or how to spend that gift card at Abercrombie. More importantly that conversation led to action.

So, what's the plan? Well on Sunday May 25th, an 8-hour concert will kick off at 2:00 pm in the Scituate High School gym. A limited number of tickets are available now at the Front Street Book Shop in Scituate Harbor for $15 (pick up a book while you're there as well!) ... they'll be available at the door for $20. Among the bands announced for the show: Zox, Emergency Exit, Interrobang, Barefoot Truth and Rhyging.

An event of this kind takes a massive amount of planning and carries a number of expenses. Hopes for raising $10,000 will hinge on community support. Please, if your a South Shore resident ... or anyone with a conscience ... give this event your support. If you can't make the show, make a donation. Show you care, and that the efforts of these young people are valued and appreciated.

In the press release on the concert, Colleen mentioned the help of two faculty members at Scituate High, Kerri Hallihan and Amanda Bird ... ladies you have taught these young people well.

http://geocities.com/shssavesdarfur/

Check out that moustache partners ... Rivers Cuomo is saddled up and ready to ride again! He may have a Harvard degree now, but Rivers isn't singing about nouvelle cuisine ... it's Pork and Beans, baby. The new single from Weezer is everything long-time fans could hope for. Simple, but clever ... pop rock friendly, but with a nice alt-crunch underneath. After the disappointment of their last album, "Make Believe" it looks like we're back on firm ground again.

Maybe it's the color thing. The next release will be self-titled, like two others ... this one will be red, joining blue and green. Primary hues tend to bode well for Weezer. The Blue album dates back to 1994 and has earned classic status. It's crammed with not just good, but great songs ... My Name Is Jonas, Buddy Holly, Undone (The Sweater Song), Say It Ain't So, In The Garage. Awesome.

The Green CD, put the band back on the map in 2000. It was tight, catchy and brandished a little 'tude as well. Sweet, with songs like Don't Let Go and Island in the Sun ... but snarky with Hash Pipe and Crab.

In between the colors came "Pinkerton", "Maladroit", and "Make Believe." "Pinkerton" is in a class by itself ... arguably the best of all Weezer albums. It's so wrenchingly personal that it can be draining, but Rivers opens up in that one like nowhere else ... it's just not as much fun as the colors.

So let's get back to the table and talk about Pork and Beans. Like the dish it celebrates, Pork and Beans isn't out to impress, but it sure does satisfy. Rivers is basically restating that he's happy being uncool ... 'cause, seriously what's cooler these days than being uncool! He's not gonna wear the clothes that are hip (see album cover at top of article) ... he's not gonna write the kind of songs that sell these days ... he's just gonna do his thing. I don't care if your 15 or 50, who can't relate to that! Best of all, it's all wrapped around a chorus that you can't help singing to the rafters ... I'mma do the things that I wanna do, I ain't got a thing to prove to you/I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans, excuse my manners if I make a scene.

Yeah, so it's not exactly Conor Oberst at work, but hey that's alright with me. I need a little comfort food now and then. So will the rest of Red be as good as Pork and Beans? We won't know 'til the end of June, but I'll be picking this one up on release day (June 24).

I know Rivers can be a bit of a trial for his fans, and his band mates too, but he can uncork a vintage piece of rock and roll like few others. It's great to have him back in top form ... and expect to see a lot of 15 and 50 years olds for the upcoming tour.

Let's first state the obvious. She's 15. That pretty much ends the debate over the "appropriateness" of the "Vanity Fair" photo controversy involving tween multi-media superstar Miley Cyrus.

Does that mean I buy her I'm so "embarrassed" routine? Not for a New York minute.

So what's really going on here? Mostly a heavy dose of egomania. Now, I'll cut Miley some slack, she's a kid. There'll be no pass, however, for her nit wit father Billy Ray. Clearly the man is so desperate for his own piece of the spotlight that he's willing to exploit his daughter to get it. Check that, I should have said further exploit his daughter.

I've also got a beef with Annie Leibovitz, and artist I truly respect and admire. Annie, you crossed a line here. I don't care what you do with 18-plus celebrities, but you can't take advantage of kids -- even when their dim-bulb parents are perfectly willing to let you. That's the thing Annie, you're smarter and better than this.

Now, our girl Miley is not naked in the photo -- she's artfully covered. The "come hither" look is the problem, and it's a big one. She's 15, with a fan base of kids overwhelmingly younger than that. I'm sure all the smarty pants at 'Vanity Fair" were laughing themselves silly about tarting up Disney's squeaky clean goddess, but it's a cheap shot. For a magazine that pride's itself on sophistication they've taken a ridiculously low road.

I don't want to turn this blog into a morality screed, but the whole controversy is a valuable teaching point. The Hannah Montana storyline often plays off the "best of both worlds" idea -- you know, she's a regular kid and a pop star. Real life rarely gives you such wide-ranging options. There comes a time when you have to decide what you want to be. Miley hasn't had that chance yet, and right now she's getting some pretty lousy advice.

I'm so glad I didn't buy the soundtrack before seeing the show. That may seem an odd thing to say about a musical -- isn't it the songs that make or break the production? In most cases that's absolutely true, but not in the case of "The Drowsy Chaperone" -- this clever, wise and endearing show puts the music in the straight man role, and lets the characters deliver the punches.

Scratching your head a bit? Okay, let me explain.

"Drowsy" is a show for people who like talking about musicals as much as watching them. Our host for the evening is known only as Man in Chair. He's dressed in a frumpy cardigan and baggy cords -- a little blue, he breaks out an old double album of a long forgotten, and completely fictional, Broadway show from the roaring 20's to cheer himself up. He puts the needle on the platter, and suddenly his rather dumpy apartment is transformed into a loopy stage for an old school farce called, The Drowsy Chaperone.

With the fourth wall quickly knocked down for the count, the Man hits us with delightfully catty digs about theatre in general, and the fictional cast of Drowsy in particular. He loves the faded star who shoves the show's ingenue aside to chew some scenery -- he gives us the backstory of the show's Latin lover, and his unfortunate demise with ravenous poodles present! Production numbers burst out in the Man's apartment -- the fridge making for an hilarious entrance point.
In many ways it's the musical equivalent of an episode of "Seinfeld" -- essentially about nothing, but really about everything.

The microcosm that is "The Drowsy Chaperone" centers on the Man ... and Jonathan Crombie is SO the man. Like musical theatre itself, he's profound at one minute, borderline absurd the next. He clings to Drowsy to keep real life from collapsing in on him -- giving us just enough sass with the ennui to keep everyone pulling for him.

Nancy Opel is the other standout in the cast. Her drop dead hysterical delivery of the off the rails ballad "As We Stumble Along" is priceless.

Andrea Chamberlain pulls off the show's signature number "Show Off" with deadpan glee. She plays Janet Van De Graaff, Drowsy's spitfire starlet, and she has a terrific, and energetic foil in Mark Ledbetter as her dim, but plucky, rich boy fiance.

Yes, Georgia Engel is in the cast. The woman best known as Mrs. Ted Baxter ups the cute factor as Mrs. Tottendale. She's a mostly pleasant diversion in a pretty forgettable role, but somehow she belongs in Drowsy's skewed little world.
The writers of this show know their musical theatre -- and then some. Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison craft songs that suit the moment, but don't overwhelm it. Bob Martin and Don McKellar have delivered a witty script that lets the audience savor one joke, before slipping in the next. The smile never left my face from start to finish.

I began this review by saying I was glad I didn't buy the soundtrack before seeing it -- now I have to have it so I can relive it.

"The Drowsy Chaperone" is playing at The Opera House until May 4th.

I was 15 when "Born to Run" came out, and first fell in love with the sound of E Street. I didn't know Phil Spector from a hole in the wall -- I didn't even know there were two previous Springsteen albums -- I just knew that epic ballads like "Backstreets" soothed my bruised teenage heart. "Jungleland" was my other immediate favorite, it was later that "Thunder Road" and "Born To Run" sank in. Sure, Bruce was the man, but there was this other bunch of guys behind him -- cool guys like Miami Steve, and Clarence -- but also regular guys like Max, Garry, Roy, and Danny.

Danny played the organ, by far the least cool instrument in the band, but he laid down a foundation of sound that masterpieces were built on. In his hands even the accordion gained a level of rock cred. Danny just came to play, and wound up punching a ticket with a band that became a global sensation. he may have been the least known member of E Street which is ironic since he was so vital to Bruce in the early years. It was Danny who originally asked Bruce to join his band, not the other way around.

Danny died last week at the age of 58. Melanoma. He had taken leave of the band last November for treatment, but managed to play a show back in March in Indianapolis. The new songs from "Magic" let his Hammond B-3 organ ring out loud and proud. When Bruce pulled up songs from the Jersey Shore days, it seemed like Danny's organ was pumping out popcorn and sun tan lotion too. His sound was so much like summer, bright with promise, but wise to the fleeting nature of the season. Never silly. Always grounded.

My son was standing next to me when Springsteen played the TD Banknorth Garden last November. At 18 he has a much more well balanced musical perspective than I had at his age, and he has an appreciation for what Springsteen is all about. I wanted him to see E Street in all its glory when they were at the top of their game, not some nostalgia act. He did that night. They ended that show with "American Land" from "The Seeger Sessions" and Danny and Roy Bittan strapped on accordions for the finale. It was old school, and a little hokey, but somehow felt just right.

On his website, Bruce called Danny "one of the pillars of our sound." As the band carries on that pillar will still stand tall. New hands will strike the keys, but the sound that rings out will carry Danny's spirit for all to remember. I can't think of a better tribute.

I admit I have some serious miles on my music odometer, but I've never stopped looking for that after-market part that would help keep my rock and roll engine running. With the music industry desperately looking for a new business model, and commercial radio often bottom feeding in frat boy boorishness, it's hard for the mature music consumer to expand their harmonic horizons. The end result is a lot of people just stop listening to music all together, or just listen to a narrow catalog of tunes by a favorite artist. There is a way out of this limbo that's fascinating, fun, and free -- and it's called Pandora Radio.

Pandora's been around for several years, and a lot of people who are seriously into music know about it -- but this blog isn't for them, it's for all you music exiles who need to tune back in. Created by the Music Genome Project back in 2000, Pandora Radio is an internet music station that let's you plug in the bands or songs you like, and then suggests other artists that share similar musical qualities. You basically create a radio station based on a band or a song, and then either give thumbs up or thumbs down on the results. The program is very good, so it's rare that you get a real clunker, but it can happen. Pandora will play you an entire song, with background information, and offer you the opportunity to buy the song from iTunes or Amazon. You can't repeat a song, like traditional radio once it goes by it's gone, but the background information stays.
OK, here are some quick tips. It's generally better to create a radio station based on a song you like rather than a band or artist. If you put in, say Bruce Springsteen, you'll get songs by Tom Petty, Creedence, Bob Seeger, ect -- no big surprises. But plug in a particular song and a little magic starts to happen.

Here's my example, I created a station based on the song "Novocaine For the Soul" by the Eels and here's the string of songs that followed.

"All Of Us Are In Danger" by Classic Case -- they're a solid band out of North Carolina with some nice indie rock sensibilities.

"Sour Grapes" by Leatherface -- they're a British band I had never heard before, but I really liked the song. In fact I liked it enough to want to hear more of their stuff, which, of course, is the whole point of Pandora.

"Ici Paris" by Noir Desir -- now this is why I really love Pandora. Noir Desir is a French alternative rock band that formed back in the 80's. The song is pretty terrific, and I was able to pick out some of the lyrics with my high school French, but it's the fact that I got to hear a piece of music I never would have got to hear without Pandora that makes the web sight so much fun. Now I can't stop singing "Ici Paris."

I won't go through all the songs, but it's cool how Pandora validates your personal favorites -- it also kicked out songs by The Wallflowers, Bright Eyes, Coldplay, and Alien Ant Farm, all bands I like quite a bit all ready.

Pandora Radio is a great way to reawaken your musical world -- if you haven't tried it, give it a shot, and let me know what you think.

http://www.pandora.com/

My personal geek pride is on the serious upswing right now, and why wouldn't it. Boston is suddenly riding a wave of class over crass, substance over sleaze, and brains over brutes. Puff up those chests in your sweater vests fellas, we're the cool kids now.

So what's up? Well, let's start with Boston Globe arts writer Mark Feeney winning the Pulitzer Prize for his critical essays. Yes, a wonderful writer who can turn the paintings of Edward Hopper into a rich canvas of words has been recognized for his insight and intelligence. Bravo Mark.

How about musical theatre getting some major cred in the Hub. Two major revivals will be getting pre-Broadway runs this fall. Lerner and Loewe's "Brigadoon" will get a tune up from Tony Award winning playwright John Guare, and Harry Connick Jr. will star in Gershwin's "Oh, Kay!" That's better than OK folks, it's fantastic.

Kimya Dawson is still getting the love from the "Juno" soundtrack. She played the Somerville Theatre Tuesday night, instead of a 30 seat coffee house. Nice.

And, this Thursday Nada Surf, sage author's of The Teenage Guide To Popularity, check in at the Paradise. They're less quirky and more indie now, but well worth your time.

And finally, my geek idol Rivers Cuomo will have a new Weezer album out in June. It will be called "Weezer" just like two other of the band's CDs -- only this one will be red, so you can tell it apart from the blue and green ones. Snap off that Weezer "W" with your hands kids, we're rockin' again!

I know, I know it's a girl thing.