Just might bring this back...

 ....stay tuned.

On this day in history...

Happy Repeal of Prohibition Day!!!

(photo via Retrogasm)

Playlist for Halloween!

I love Halloween.

About one year ago, I came up with this playlist for my good friend Reggie, who was out in the hinterlands working and didn't have an opportunity to enjoy one of the greatest holidays around.

It seems appropriate that I should start the blog back up with this playlist.

This is the first one I came up with and started inquiries from many of my friends regarding the music I listen to.

I hope you all have a great Halloween and enjoy the playlist.

A note on the return of Rufus T. Shaft

Well, after a self-imposed sabbatical from the blog, I'm returning, but some explanation is in order.

I'm not exactly sure what the "schedule" for posting is going to be.

The strict and regimented schedule I had before (where a playlist was needed once a week) isn't going to work.

I want this to be fun and not like a job (which is what it seemed to be turning into).

More than likely, I'll just post a playlist when I feel like it.

This is just a long explanation about my general laziness and lack of discipline.

Clear as mud?  Good.

Happy Labor Day!!!!

Labor Day, brought to you by our friends in organized labor!

THE BLOG IS ON HIATUS

I'm taking a break.

I don't know how long I'll be gone.

Check back in later.

RTS

Playlist for the first weekend of August

Ringo, Paul, George and (that troublemaker) John

45 years ago this week, an English gentleman by the name of John Lennon was said to have mentioned that the Beatles are bigger than Jesus.  (notice the lack of quotation marks)

It has been shown that he was, if not misquoted, at least taken out of context.

Who knows what he really said.

Buddy Christ likes this playlist

Anyway, lots of overly-sensitive folks were (and still might be) in an uproar over the perceived slight, so, in honor of that, here is an hour of a band that is above religion.  (wait...what I meant was...ah, nevermind)



Enjoy!

Playlist for the fifth weekend of July

The Rolling Stones on stage, 1972

This is a playlist a long time coming.

This past month marks a couple of milestones in the life of the "greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world", the Rolling Stones.

First, Mick Jagger turned 68 this past week.

Also, (and more importantly) on July 12th, 1962 the band played their first gig billed as "The Rollin' Stones" at the Marquee Club, located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England.  The line-up was Mick Jagger on vocals, Keith Richards and Brian Jones on guitars, Ian Stewart on piano, Dick Taylor on bass and Tony Chapman on drums.

Later on, they would add Bill Wyman on bass and Charlie Watts on drums.

They would also drop Brian Jones due to legal and health issues.

The Glimmer Twins

This is where our playlist begins.

When Jones left, the Stones' musical output came back to the heavy blues/country/rock influence, leaving behind the psychedelia that Jones loved.

Following the departure and death of Jones, Jagger and Richards became the heart and soul (or as Richards later described, "Mick is the 'rock' and I'm the 'roll'") of the band and of the late '60's/early '70's rock scene.

What follows are 4 songs each from my 4 favorite Stones albums (Beggar's Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St.)



Enjoy!

Playlist for the fourth weekend of July 2011

Holy blazes, it's hot out here.


The sun, in all it's glory has beating down on the inhabitants of the prairie all week.


Temperatures flirting with the triple digits and heat indexes well above that, sometimes 110 degrees or higher.


In honor and awe of the heat that has set in, here's a playlist with songs about the sun, heat and the sweltering days of summer.



Enjoy!

Playlist for the third weekend in July 2011

from Georges Méliès 1902 film
Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon)

As a kid, outer space always fascinated me.

Even today, it does, but to a lesser degree.

I remember watching the rocket launches from the late '60's/early '70's on history programs & watching the space shuttles launch on TV in awe of the hard work and smarts that it took to achieve what I saw happening.

One of the things it taught me was that science is wonderful.

This coming week marks the end of the space shuttle program.

from one of the '30's Flash Gordon serials

After more than 100 successful missions, the part of the space program that I grew up with will end.

So, to mark the end of one mission and (hopefully) the beginning of another, this week's playlist is full of tunes about space, the moon, rocket ships and a flying saucer here or there.



Enjoy!

Playlist for the second weekend of July 2011

At some point in time, over the last couple of weeks, I've fully caught fishing fever.

It happens at least once a year, when I come across all my fishing gear and start getting the itch to get out on the lake.

I believe it was Izaak Walton who stated that fishing (or as he called it 'angling') is the "contemplative man's sport".

I can believe that, for a couple of reasons.

First, when I get the fever, I sit and plot out my plan of attack.  This includes making sure I have all my gear prepared, my bait procured, the fishing forecast checked and my spot pinpointed.

Secondly, there is something about sitting out there on shore, early in the morning or late at night, with next to no one around and little more than your gear, your thoughts and nature.

Over the last couple of weeks, I've renewed my state fishing license, bought way more crap than I need and am plotting an extended fishing/camping trip (when the heat lets up a little, though) for the future.

So, this week, our playlist is heavy on songs about fishing.



Enjoy!!!

(all pictures from the blog moldychum.com)

A Night on the Town - DOUBLE FEATURE! - The Detroit Cobras/Chuck Mead

Here in the prairie capital, one of the local food/music festivals is happening downtown.

Food from many of the local, independent restaurants (along with some corporate shills thrown in) are featured in booths surrounding the Old State Capitol, along with adult beverages, including Rolling Meadows Brewery (which has a great wheat beer).

Rachel Nagy (left) and Mary Ramirez (right) from
the Detroit Cobras

Also, great music is featured, including last nights show, the Detroit Cobras.

My good friend, Quietly Disgruntled, turned me on to this great band and it was great to see them live.

Unfortunately, it appeared that there were sound problems from the beginning that hampered the vibe dramatically.  Monitor issues continued throughout the show and it showed on the face of Rachel Nagy (lead vocals), who was muttering curse words and nursing a beer throughout the show.

However, a mediocre Detroit Cobras show is better than none at all, especially since they played my favorite, "Shout, Bamalama!"

Chuck Mead

Moving on after this show, we went down to Bar None (where we've seen other great acts, such as the Waco Brothers & Alejandro Escovedo) to see Chuck Mead (from BR5-49).

Chuck Mead was on target, playing originals, a load of classics from Buck Owens, Webb Pierce and Charlie Daniels, along with favorites from the BR5-49 days, including "Me & Opie" and "Betty, Betty".

The festival continues for another day, with more music and food, including a show from one of the Lady of the Manor's favorites, the great Elizabeth Cook, so, if you are near the prairie capital, stop on in, have a lot of good food and check out some great music!

Playlist for the first weekend of July 2011

Sorry for the delay this week, but it's my birthday weekend & I'm doing a little celebratin' & relaxin' along with some reflection on the blog.

I think from now on, I'm gonna post playlists for the weekend in general instead of doing a Friday playlist post.

It takes some pressure off (& that's always good.)

Anyway, this weekend marks 40 years since the death of Jim Morrison, lead singer and songwriter for the great '60's band, the Doors.

Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida to Navy parents in 1943.

Supposedly, at age 4, he witnessed a car accident in the desert involving the death of a Native American, which, for the rest of his life, Morrison said had a great impact on him.

After drifting around the nation, both due to his military family and his higher education, he eventually came to Los Angeles, California, where he met up with Ray Manzerak, John Densmore and Robby Krieger.

The Doors were formed in 1965, with Morrison as frontman.

After 6 great and debauched years with the band, Morrison died in a bathtub in Paris, France.

For more on Jim Morrison and the Doors, please read Danny Sugarman's great book, No One Here Gets Out Alive.

Morrison helped put the theatrical into rock music, blending the Blues, Blake, Baudelaire and the Beats into a hell-broth, ghost dance, & wearin' leather pants show that pre-dated greats such as Iggy Pop, Jeffrey Lee Pierce and host of '90's era grungers.

In honor of that, here's a playlist of good Doors tunes.



Enjoy!!!

Playlist for June 24th, 2011

This past week, the awesome Gigglechirp, became a mother for the fourth time.

She, along with Quietly Disgruntled are the proud parents of a new daughter, to add to their family of two sons and another daughter.

Everyone at Tall Grass & Tasty Trash send our best to the growing family and look forward to seeing them all together soon.

In honor of this great occasion, our playlist this week consists of tunes with the word "baby" in the title.

Rockin' babies, crazy babies, boppin' babies and cryin' babies are here for your listening pleasure.



Enjoy!!!

Playlist for June 17th, 2011

The Summer Solstice is right around the corner and you can feel it here on the prairie.

from "Hawaii, Then & Now", October 1938
photographer, Richard H. Stewart
(c) 2001 National Geographic Society

We've had some pretty high temperatures lately and the humidity is setting in, as it does every summer out here.

All this heat makes me want to go to the beach to cool off.

Unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of beach options out here amongst the corn and soybeans, so it's either a pool or I'm getting the hose out.

Now, I've never had the opportunity to surf, but I dig the music.  This week's playlist is full of songs about surfing, beaches and bikinis.



Enjoy!

A Night on the Town - Southern Culture on the Skids

I admitted to the Lady of the Manor....
I got a thing for Mary Huff....
She understands...

Wow...what a time!

Rick Miller, Mary Huff and Dave Hartman can put on a great show.  

Throwing in old favorites, such as "Nitty Gritty", "Camel Walk" and (one of the most exciting parts of the concert) "Eight Piece Box", SCOTS can bring the groove, get the boogie and officiate over a good time.

The Lady of the Manor and myself had a great time and thank SCOTS for the show.

Playlist for June 10th, 2011

Rick Miller, Dave Hartman and Mary Huff are
Southern Culture on the Skids

This weekend, one of my favorite bands is coming to the prairie.

Southern Culture on the Skids (a.k.a SCOTS) are a band from the musically fertile Chapel Hill, North Carolina region.

Consisting of Rick Miller (guitar, vocals), Mary Huff (bass, vocals) and Dave Hartman (drums), SCOTS plays an excellent mix of rockabilly, surf, country and R&B with a little of everything in between thrown in and a great sense of humor.

I've had the pleasure of seeing this band a couple of times, including once before here in the prairie capital, and the shows are not only a musical experience, but a "cultural" experience as well.

So, if you're anywhere near the prairie capital on Saturday, head to the Hoogeland, throw your hard earned money down and get ready to boogie.

This week's playlist consists of some of my favorite SCOTS tunes.



Enjoy!

Playlist for June 3rd, 2011

So, the crazy times at work are on hiatus until the late fall.

To celebrate, I'm mowing the grass for the first time in about five weeks, I'm cleaning the house, doing laundry and weeding the garden.

But before all that, I'm going out to dinner with the Lady of the Manor, Quietly Disgruntled, Gigglechirp and a couple of other friends.

In honor of that, here is a playlist with songs about dinner.

Chicken, steak, pork chops, seafood, beans, potatoes, bread and don't forget dessert!



Enjoy!

Playlist for May 27th, 2011

This past week, one of the great American songwriters celebrated his 70th birthday.

Robert Zimmerman was born on May 24th, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota.

After enrolling at the University of Minnesota, Zimmerman began playing at local folk music clubs and eventually took up the moniker of 'Bob Dylan', partly due to his admiration of the poet Dylan Thomas.  About two decades later, Dylan explained the name switch by saying....

"You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free."

Dylan became an icon in the early 1960's folk movement, but became disillusioned soon thereafter.

At the 1965 Newport Folk Festival on Sunday, July 25th, Dylan, along with a band that included members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, took the stage with electric instruments, forever changing Dylan's role in modern popular music (this despite the fact that Dylan had been recording electric since the beginning of his career.  For example, listen to the song Mixed Up Confusion, featured on the compilation Biograph).

Our playlist this week is filled with tunes from (what I consider) one of the greatest periods of Dylan's career, from the beginning of the electric period, 1965 to the end of 1969.  It was during this period that Dylan recorded with music greats such as Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels and, more famously, the Band.



Enjoy!!!

BONUS Playlist for May 21st, 2011

'Rapture'...heh, heh, heh...

The 'Huh"pocalypse.......

I haven't been on this little marble in the sky for very long (in relative terms), but I've heard of more than one idea, over time, that the world was coming to an end.

Maybe it's because I grew up in a part of the world that has a particularly harsh brand of religiosity, but....I digress.

From what I can tell, this iteration of the "apocalypse" stems from someone with lots of money, an FCC license and a penchant for proclaiming the end.

I really shouldn't get started on professional preachers, the way they prey on people and the real problems that are obfuscated by illogical mystical beliefs.

...anyway...

Some tunes about the end of it all...whatever that may be.

By special request...



Enjoy!!!