I'm thankful for Billy Bragg

I must admit I'm more of a sucker for Billy Bragg's love songs (check out Mary Lou Lord's gorgeous cover of "Ontario, Quebec and Me," which always gives me chills), and he picks some amazing collaborators (Wilco, Kirsty MacColl, etc.), but I truly love that he doesn't make a distinction. Well, maybe that's not quite right, but more that there are his political songs and his love songs and his brain and heart and talent all are there, in all of them (see "Sexuality, below"). And there's something so deceptively simple, or maybe just simple, about a man and a guitar.

Via Wikipedia:

I would then say that I am Mr. Love and Justice, and to check out the love songs. That’s how I capture people. People do say to me, “I love your songs, but I just can’t stand your politics.” And I say, “Well, Republicans are always welcome. Come on over!” I would hate to stand at the door, saying to people, “Do you agree with these positions? If not, you can’t come in.”

Visit his website for the lyrics to this new version of "Waiting for The Great Leap Forwards."



Here he is talking about writing political songwriting (description via YouTube):

Visited London occupation to run a workshop on song writing. The Bank of Ideas is situated on Sun Street, Hackney in an abandoned office block purchased several years ago by the bank UBS. It is an enormous space complete with a 500-seater lecture hall. It has been opened to the public for the non-monetary trade of ideas to help solve the pressing economic, social and environmental problems of our time.

Natalie Merchant at Monday's Tricycle benefit

click through for party details

On Monday, through a very kind friend, I'm going to this Tricycle benefit with Twanna. You can still get tickets - performances by Natalie Merchant, John Giorno, Philip Glass, and Nico Muhly.

I don't know if it's even possible to describe how huge a 10,000 Maniacs fan I was in high school and college. I was pretty obsessed, and went to so many shows and listened to those CD on repeat a bazillion times. Then I kindof stopped, and don't even have Natalie Merchant's latest album or know what's going on with her aside from her becoming a mom, but I'm still extremely excited. Once, while wearing a 10,000 Maniacs t-shirt, I was backstage at Lilith Fair (courtesy of Mary Lou Lord and her guy Kevin) and in the same room as her and way too nervous to say a thing.

I found this on YouTube...my mom used to play the Bette Midler cover of "Hello in There" when I was little, and so it's a very familiar song, performed by Merchant, Michael Stipe and Billy Bragg (what a combo). I think I once saw Natalie Merchant and Billy Bragg do "Wonderwall." I haven't seen her perform in a loooong time and am very excited.