Simon Barrett

Peace in the middle east? Roy Moore in the Senate? Government shutdown? Tax heaven, but for who?

Dave Kerzner, co-founder of the progressive rock group Sound of Contact, has released his second solo album “Static” with a physical CD version available in mid-October. “Static”. The album is the follow up to his highly acclaimed debut album “New World”. Joining him are special guests Steve Hackett (Genesis), Durga McBroom (Pink Floyd), Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train), Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) and more in addition to his core group consisting of guitarists Fernando Perdomo and Randy McStine, fellow SOC band mate Matt Dorsey and drummer Derek Cintron.

 

“Static” is a “progressive rock opera” about the clutter and chaos in modern everyday life. It boldly navigates through subjects ranging from noise in our heads of ego, jealousy, technological distractions, substance abuse and narcissism to profiling the hypocritical and corrupt characters in politics, media and society today.

Jeff Sessions – The man that can’t remember his birthday?. Well that’s how it seems.

Roy Moore – Words fail me. Non of the options look good for the GOP and 2018.

Al Franken – Should he resign

That dang tax bill – Good thing or bad thing. Tax cuts for business permanent but expire for individuals. Is the repeal of the Obamacare individual mandate going to be the poison pill

Dems start impeachment proceedings – But would a president Pence be any better?

Asia tour a success – Trump managed to not start WWIII.

Today is International Toilet Day - Why was Piglet staring down the toilet? He was looking for Pooh. Today, November 19th is Toilet Day. Urine for a treat. So what should we all do to celebrate? Spend a penny.

Go to the jax, the john, the loo, the crapper, the lav, the WC. Use the facilities, the bathroom, the restroom, the washroom, the little girls’/boys’ room (if we’re going to be more decorous and euphemistic, using the name of the room so no one has to contemplate bodily functions). Take a pee, a slash, a leak, a widdle. Number one and number two. Go on, go on, go on.

We prefer the loo or the toilet, the Brits like the lavatory, the French have the double-vee-cee, the Americans use the restroom.

The musical mind of native Chicagoan Scott Fischer has been described as a colorfully symphonic amusement park. Whether it's a song-length concept piece, a full album, a rock opera or something else entirely, big bright melodies and ambitious composition always take center stage. As a contributor to Zappacast (the official Frank Zappa podcast), a performer in The Rod Stewart Experience with the legendary Carmine Appice and now on his seventh album, it's no wonder this latest release is titled “Open 28 Hours”: Whatever you're expecting from Fischer's Flicker, you're going to end up with more.

 

“Open 28 Hours” revisits the humor and camp of Fischer's previous musical bodies of work, and also maintains a musically mature songwriting style and Fischer's signature elastic vocals. Part prog, part power pop, part funk, part piano magic, part 80's extravagance and all at once endlessly intriguing, “Open 28 Hours” plays like a diverse mixtape from another planet. Diversity is not only this band's strong suit, but its card to play in an industry where singular genres seemingly come hardwired in these days. Instead, Fischer's Flicker has something for everyone without kowtowing to trends or passing whims. Good songs are universal, and this is a record that's full of them.

Tokyo Rosenthal has just released a wonderful book Our Last Seder. It is a great read. I will be sitting down with the author to ask him about the book, and I am sure there will be some musc involved.

Here are my program notes

Roy Moore – Should he stay or go?

Trump and Putin – Does Trump believe him or not?

Tuesday blowout – A prelude to the midterms?

Tax plan – will it pass?

Obamacare – where is the repeal and replace?

Puerto Rico – are they getting as much help as FL and TX

Texas church mass killing – NRA keeping very quiet, why?

Just 37 percent of Americans approve of his job performance in the latest ABC News/Washington Poll poll. His net approval rating of negative 22 percentage points is the lowest for any president at nine months in office in polling dating to 1946; except for Gerald Ford, no other president had a net negative at this point in his presidency.

Moreover, 65 percent of Americans say Trump has accomplished either “not much” or “little to nothing” as president, up from 56 percent after his first 100 days. For a president who constantly says he is accomplishing things at unprecedented pace, only 35 percent of respondents agreed that he is keeping his major campaign promises.

MICHAEL TRACY combines straightforward American Rock and Roll with poignant lyrical themes, reminiscent of Rock Singer/Songwriter idols like Tom Petty, Bob Seger, John Mellencamp, and Bruce Springsteen. He has released four studio albums, and together with his band has shared the stage with Bon Jovi (garnering him a featured article in Billboard Magazine), Poison, George Thorogood, Styx, Foreigner, Don Felder, Jefferson Starship, Dokken, and Zach Myers (Shinedown). MICHAEL TRACY will release his new album STILL GOT SOUL in stores and online November 17, 2017. This latest effort is his most ambitious yet, representing an artist who has clearly found his voice and a "lane" to call his own.

His previous label experiences not being a perfect fit, MICHAEL TRACY was inspired to start his own independent label, TW Music Group, to support his new release, and set out to find the right producer that could capture the sound and style he had spent years cultivating, but had yet to realize on a record. In late 2015 Michael would find what he was looking for with Los Angeles producers Bob Marlette (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice Cooper) and Sahaj Ticotin (Ra). He traveled to LA and recorded three songs with them that would appear on his early-2016 release Love And Worries, a short collection of previously unreleased material. From those original sessions, a bond emerged between Michael and producer Sahaj Ticotin, and a shared belief that together they could create great records. They got together again in late 2016, co-writing an original Holiday tune that Michael had been working on called “Poinsettia Red.”

Trump and his elves spent the week causing distraction and confusion. In fact anything to avoid the friday evening annoucement that Mueller has sealed indictments that will likely be announced on Monday.

It has been another stellar week in the 'train wreck' euphamistically called the Presidency. He has pledged almost $500,000 to help his aides legal expenses with the Russia probe. The deaths in Niger has become a PR disaster for all involved.The stopping of subsidies to insurance companies will result in higher premiums and deductables.