So I’m writing this week’s post as I’m finishing up my vacation. I’ve been through Iceland and England, and now am spending my last of two days in Ireland. So the song I have in mind today is that of the man in black – Johnny Cash. And hell, since I’m in Ireland? It makes sense that the group Cash worked with on this song is U2. It was released on U2’s Zooropa, and is one hell of a track! Check it out!
EDIT: Well, since I was on the road, I was unable to actually upload the music files, so I was at a loss for getting you all a post. Now, however, I’m home. And what better way to describe being home than the with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros track “Home”? Included is also a remix I received via email from Brooklyn based Party Supplies of “Home”.
So I am sure a lot of you have seen the commercials for the new flick starring Woody Harrelson, Zombieland. If you’ve been stuck under a rock? I’ll give you all the trailer.
Well, I was curious about the song in the commercial. I had yet to hear anyone really have the balls to do a remix of a Johnny Cash song. Well, there’s a full album of this stuff. Is it any good? Well, the iTunes store has the album averaging only 1 1/2 stars. And honestly, I can understand some of that. I mean, this is Johnny Cash we’re talking about! But Cash’s son and Snoop Dogg (yes, Snoop Dogg) took up this project. Wonder how hard up Cash’s son was for cash?
Well, the song in the commercial is for Cash’s song “Country Boy” and is remixed by Sonny J. I must be honest, most of this guy’s music is trash. It’s like the big beat music Fatboy Slim made popular had a baby with a crack habit. This remix is pretty tolerable, at least.
Now, the next couple I can actually kind of like. The first one is a remix by hip-hop guru Pete Rock. I’m not sure how, but he made Folsom Prison Blues sound pretty good. I’ll let you guys decide.
The last one for today is a remix of a pretty much unknown Cash song by me. “Rock Island Line” was originally done by Leadbelly, but done again by Cash in 1957 on his debut album. Well, it was remixed by an artist named Wolf, and it’s more a frenetic track that keeps gaining steam throughout. Not terrible, but I really am not sure what to think of this.
Sunday I had a passing in the family, and so part of me figured I should try to find a song that fits the mood of what happens when someone passes and what type of feelings are there. I’m not sure why I thought of this song in particular, but I feel as though it’s fitting. As for the music to buy? I would much rather that if you’re reading this, you would help donate to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization, which helps to find a cure for breast cancer. My grandmother succumbed to complications from this after fighting it – along with other maladies – for almost six years.
So today’s music is brought to you through unfortunate circumstances, but a part of the people closest to you that you lose becomes a part of you after their passing. It’s their strength they pass along. So while the song “Hurt” doesn’t really describe what this all entails, it does describe what we all feel when we do come to grips with our mortality. I’ve posted both the original by Nine Inch Nails, as well as the fabulous cover done by Johnny Cash.
New Found Glory kicks off an enormous tour today with a show in Brisbane, Australia. In the coming months they will blow through Australia, Japan, coast to coast in America, Canada, keep the eastward momentum going throughout Europe, and wrap it up in Germany by June. Amazing. And I know they are going to kick ass and have the time of their lives on this insane trek. I may have to jump over to the L.A. area to catch a show in March.
These boys are batshit bonkers. I love them to death. They’ve been churning out pure skinny kid punk rock (that’s a genre I may have just made up. I’m not saying the NFG fellas are all skinny kids) for more than ten years. Two of my favorite albums from NFG are covers from movie soundtracks. In 2000 they released From The Screen To Your Stereo with adorable, fun, sped-up tracks like “The Neverending Story” and “Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough”, and this gem which catches my breath every time. There exists a video of them playing this acoustic which I’ve never been able to properly copy. It’s just beautiful though:
This was such a great idea that they reprised it in 2007 with From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II with all kinds of greats, but again, it just melts my heart to hear this Cash cover. Listen all the way to the end for your special treat:
NFG loves to use the interwebs and video cams to have fun. Currently on their myspace site you can get involved in their latest: NFG: A Game By New Found Glory where you can use the band members as your fighters, to promote the album, Not Without a Fight. Over the years they’ve done podcasts, crazy music videos, and other silly shit that reminds us all not to take ourselves too seriously. Check out the promo video and notice the big man himself, Brett G of Epitaph (slash Bad Religion), narrating. By the way, if my lame attempt to manipulate html (I’m not a code monkey, I only sleep with one)is successful, you can pre-order the new album to the right:
Speaking of not taking yourself too seriously, I think this was maybe what happened when they recorded the album Coming Home. I still have mad love for them. I still sang along to the sappy songs on that album. But it honestly sounded like it was recorded specifically in hopes of getting radio play (oh no! Am I dissing radio AGAIN?!) Don’t let that turn you off. It was clean and well-performed, but I don’t think it really represented their sound and their shtick well.
Catch their show as they come blazing across the globe. And pick up any albums you may have missed along the way below:
