I really like being able to embed songs from Spotify in my blog posts. Makes sharing and discussing music much easier. No longer have to look for YouTube links in order to share my favorite songs.
Sonny Landreth has been a favorite ever since I first heard him play on some records by Beausoleil back in the late 1980′s. Then I picked up his album Outward Bound and happened to see him perform live as the opening act for Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes at a small club in Stockholm 1992.
Hello!
Happy International Women’s Day!
Yes, I know. this isn’t the funny update I promised yesterday. I’m so sorry to disappoint you. It won’t happen again.
Earlier this week, police fired more than 10 shots through the window of a gym in Stockholm while trying to arrest three armed robbers who had recently held up a goldsmith’s store. Luckily nobody in the gym was injured by the shots but it proved to me that going to the gym can sometimes be hazardous to one’s health.
The Swedish Prime Minister and his wife are separating. Being in politics and in charge of a whole nation can obviously put a strain on a marriage. The interesting aspect of this news item is that every media commentator seems to feel a need to comment on this, if only to state that they hope everyone else will not comment or discuss it.
MoonieZ is trying to stop worrying and learn to love the bomb. As this is a very difficult task MoonieZ can’t promise any fast results.
The weather today is chilly but sunny.
Peace.
Sonny Landreth – Back to Bayou Teche (live)
Been a fan of Sonny Landreth since the first time I heard him playing on a record by Cajun band Beausoleil back in the late 1980′s. Then I bought some of his solo albums and also had the good fortune to catch him live in concert in 1992 or 1993 when he opened for Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes at a small club venue in Stockholm.
Mando Diao – Dance With Somebody (live, 2010)
Some songs performed by Swedish band Mando Diao when they were guests on a Swedish TV show – Allsång på Skansen - in the summer of 2010. I watched that show and very much liked this band and the way they played their songs. Otherwise not a big fan of the “new” bands coming forward or of the “new” music, I must confess some of the “new” stuff sounds pretty good even to a guy as behind the times as I am.
Gloria (live, 2010)
If I Don’t Live Today Then I Might Be Here Tomorrow (live, 2010)
Ok, I promised to return to the topic of why I wish this year to end quickly. Well, here I am and its New Years Eve. All ready to type away. I have made a previous post about how my life turned out this year for those who might be interested to read it or perhaps read it again… But, there are other reasons for wanting this year 2010 to end. Reasons that have more to do with the world outside than my small and insignificant life.
Let’s start off easy with the place where I live. This little community located not far from the big capital city of Stockholm have this year seen the rise of a political party with only one goal: to break this small community away from the municipality and form a new one. All this has to do with money and taxes. The people living in this little community are for the most part ordinary people with decent income who seem to think that the taxes they pay should only benefit this little community and not also the rest of the municipality to which it belongs. I do not support this egocentric way of thinking and hope that this new party will not succeed in their mission.
Next reason for why this year should end quickly is located at the national level. Our government. This years general election did not end well for the party I support but what’s worse is that a small right-wing party which is considered to be racist in its political views gained enough votes to win seats in the parliament. I am sad to see this happen in my country.
The ruling alliance of parties who were elected to govern Sweden four years ago remains in power after this years election but with a loss of the majority in the parliament. This has had very little effect so far and the alliance has continued its policy of increasing the differences between rich and poor, employed and unemployed and last but not least healthy and sick. This is done through tax cuts and other measures for the wealthy, healthy and employed and through decreasing aid to the poor, unemployed and ill. This policy has affected me a lot during the past four years and will continue through the coming years if I don’t get lucky and manage to find someone who will want to employ me. I had high hopes for a change of policy in Sweden if a new government had been elected but this failed. There were not enough people who wanted a change to take place. Solidarity has more or less fallen by the roadside during the last decade or so. Egoism seems to be rule from the top to the bottom of society. Maybe this will start to change by next year but I seriously doubt it will.
Last but not least: the world. No end here to finding reasons why this year 2010 sucked and needs to end quickly. Wars, escalating conflicts, terrorism (even in Stockholm), social tensions, religious conflicts, fanaticism, global financial crisis, banks going bankrupt, increasing unemployment, volcanoes erupting, floods, famine, snowstorms, ice storms, heavy rain, strong winds, freezing cold, heatwaves, Wikileaks controversy, several nations economies collapsing, global warming, climate change…
The list goes on and on. Of course the end of 2010 will not mean the end to or solution of any of the above and the start of 2011 will not affect any of these things right away but perhaps the new year can bring with it the notion that everything eventually has an end and that change is and always will be not only possible but will also be coming and happening whether we like it or not.
Happy New Year !
Eldkvarn – Kärlekens tunga & Kungsholmskopplet – live
One of my favorite Swedish bands.
Is it foolish and naive to wish for peace at Christmas time ? I don’t think so. The latest events around my hometown makes me think that need for peace has never been more urgent. Yesterday somebody apparently detonated a bomb in central Stockholm, killing himself in the process. This seems to have been an act of terrorism but there are too few facts of the matter available at this time for me to have any certain opinions about the event. To me it means that Stockholm and Sweden is now no longer any more safe than any other place on Earth. Terrorism can reach us here too. Until recently it seemed like the rest of the world could worry about acts of terrorism but that we here in this far corner of the Earth didn’t have to bother about it in our daily lives. Not so anymore. I don’t think it was true then either but that’s another matter. Many times while going to Stockholm and travelling by public transportation I’ve worried about things that might happen but not about bombs going off. Now I’m not sure I’ll be doing much traveling by public transportation for a while. Luckily I don’t have any Christmas shopping to do downtown so I will have no reason at all to visit Stockholm’s city center. However this does not concern me only. I worry about my family, friends and relatives and hope that everyone will be safe and that this incident will not be repeated. And I wish for peace all over the world.
Huey Lewis & The News – Workin’ for a livin’ , live 1982.
One of my favorite performers for a number of years. Was lucky to attend one concert in 1988 in Stockholm. A great show. A then pretty unknown Melissa Etheridge and her band was the opening act.
Same song, 1985 live version.
John Mellencamp – Paper in Fire (live at FarmAid 2010)
Saw this today on YouTube and decided to add the link to my blog because this was the first song John Mellencamp performed at the concert I attended in Stockholm back in January 1988. My first ever visit to a live concert by a foreign artist. Was a great evening which I will never forget.
1990 live performance at FarmAid
Official music video of Paper in Fire
John Mellencamp - Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First). Great video for a classic tune by Mellencamp. From one of his best albums in my opinion. I’ve been a huge fan since the mid-1980s and one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen was Mellencamps legendary 1988 show in Stockholm.
I have probably written posts about Mellencamp’s music before but I don’t care. Whenever I’m in the mood I post another…. Can’t get enough of the man’s music. Ever.
