The Real Memphis Mike (don't settle for imitations)

I miss you.

Gene Simmons (from the band Kiss) has opened his mouth again and managed to stir the turd. One has to credit him with his amazing ability to do so. This time round, it's less what he said or how he said it, that's the problem. The problem is with the average person's inability to read past the headline. People are banging their proverbial drums because they THINK he said Rock & Roll Is Dead . What he was talking about is the industry. The music industry in general. And guess what...he's correct. The tone of the Esquire interview between Simmons and his son, was actually that of an old man looking back on what he tried to create and the current reality. It's actually somewhat sad. Simmons knows that he earned more than most. He's not stupid. He also knows that there are people who don't like his music...and he's OK with that too. He points out that back in the good ol' days the public voted with their money. If they liked a band, they bought...

Last night, I got to witness a band I've waited a few years to see: The Monsters. If you're not hip to them, that's OK. You will be...eventually. You might not dig them...and I don't really care if you do. I do. These cats, especially their front man, have had a profound effect on me and my music. A couple of years ago, I had become increasingly bored with music. I had spent a couple of years indulging my lifelong love of country blues. I had all but stopped playing electric music. I watched as the local music scene continued to crumble, and really wasn't hearing much from anywhere else that really moved me. My health and finances prevented me from touring (still the case), which is where I've long found new ideas and new music. It's always out there...it's a matter of finding it. Around that time, Dave Alvin had posted a video online of some great old RAW gospel blues. I mean it was primitive as anything...but extremely powerful. I found it invi...

I am a minister; not a preacher or reverend. Why? To minister means to serve or help another. To preach is to make a proclamation, usually via a sermon. A reverend is one who is supposed to be revered or respected.  Which one do you think is more likely to be effective? I CAN preach. I can do it well. I can preach in such a way that it'll make your head spin. But why should you listen to me? I'm just a man. Nothing more. The only words I can and will give you are the truth...not the truth as I see it, but the truth as it is. I know fire is hot and ice is cold. I know that stealing and killing are wrong. I know that loving and caring is right. If you can't understand those simple truths, no amount of preaching by me, or anyone else, will make you understand.  I don't seek to be revered. I'll happily try to earn your respect, but I won't ask anyone, or even allow anyone, to automatically bestow it upon me. Don't call me "sir". I've never b...

I've had some issues with owls. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike them, but, they have, on occasion, scared the crap out of me. In fact, I'll tell you a couple of owl stories...feel free to laugh and then remind me of it every time you see me...which happens. I'm glad y'all are still reading this silliness! I used to live in a small town in Ohio called New Philadelphia. It was about a 30 or so minute drive from where my dad had a "vacation" home at Tappan Lake. His 2nd wife never really liked the place, so dad had stopped going there. I'd stop out once a month or so to check on the place for him, and if something needed repaired, I'd take care of that too. It was a nice little place with 2 bedrooms, front and back porches, fireplace, and a number of black walnut trees on the property. I learned to loathe black walnuts. If you've ever hit one with a lawnmower and had it come flying back at you, you'll understand why. They're ki...

OK, so everyone is making cute little videos, dumping buckets of ice water on themselves, to raise awareness of ALS. Personally, I'd rather these people just make a donation to a worthy cause and ask their friends to do the same...but hey, I guess whatever works. But just what the hell is ALS (some of you may be asking)? First off, "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease (motor neuron disease to my friends overseas) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally ...

I've written hundreds of music reviews in my career as a writer. Maybe thousands, I don't know...I've never counted. But, as the music industry continues to change, I guess I should too. Let's face it. No one buys music anymore. There's a good reason for this...most of it sucks. Case in point, anything The Black Keys have done since their "Brothers" disc. Before you go pointing fingers and crying foul, I've worked with Dan Auerbach. He was still a kid in his late teens, early 20s, and playing with his old band The Barn Burners. They used to open for me from time to time. The kid had amazing talent then, and I'm sure still does. He has, however, fallen into the trap that is the industry. Their earlier releases were pure fun! Grungy, bluesy, garage-y...I didn't like everything they did but I enjoyed most of it. Then came " Brothers ". Damn. That was the record every artist dreams of. Not a bad song on it. I listened to that releas...