Frank Turner - Ballad of Me and My Friends (Live)

Everybody’s got themselves a plan,
Everybody thinks they’ll be the man, including the girls.
The musicians who lack the friends to form a band are singer-songwriters,
The rest of us are DJ’s or official club photographers.
And tonight I’m playing another Nambucca show,
So I’m going through my phonebook, texting everyone I know,
And I quite a few I don’t, whose numbers found their way into my phone,
But they might come along anyway, you never really know.

None of this is going anywhere –
Pretty soon we’ll all be old,
And no one left alive will really care
About our glory days, when we sold our souls.

But if you’re all about the destination, then take a fucking flight.
We’re going nowhere slowly, but we’re seeing all the sights.
And we’re definitely going to hell,
But we’ll have all the best stories to tell.

Today I'm attending Lollapalooza in Chicago with some very old friends of mine. Most folks here are stoked to see Radiohead, and while I share that excitement, there are a few others I'm more excited for. Frank Turner, the British bard who mixes humor, politics and extremely witty lyrics with an upbeat, punk/folk sound, is at the top of my list. His shows are always terrific (I've seen him a few times) and I leave them with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. It'll be the best way to kick off a fun weekend with friends. If you ever get the chance, go and see him.

Upcoming Shows

PUP - DVP

Your sister thinks that I'm a freak
She's been ignoring my calls, we haven't spoken in a week
I get so drunk that I can't speak
Yeah, nothing's working and the future's looking bleak and I say

Three beers and I'm so messed up, get drunk and I can't shut up
She says that I drink too much
I f**ked up and she hates my guts
She says that I need to grow up

DVP, or the Don Valley Parkway, is a highway that runs through greater Toronto. It's also the latest single from Canadian punk rockers PUP and a rollicking good time to get you through your humpday.

If you like it, check out the video for the oh so Murder City Devils-esque  "Reservoir":

Man, I want to see them live. Wonder if they have any...

Upcoming Shows

Sløtface - Sponge State

Got these stitches in my lip
And they’re keeping me shut tight
l put my headphones on
You see me putting up a fight
And all my encounters
Shoved in my face
Oh you can really tell it’s fall
A change of pace
From a sponge state
A new approach
Shaken it, we’re making it
I've been thinkin' about that summer
We discovered Bon Iver
It's Fresh I say, it's not his name, it's not his name

Here's a high-energy track from Norwegian pop/punk outfit Sløtface (formerly Slutface). In a press release (you can find more over at NME) they talk about the name change and their latest single "Sponge State".

“The song is a reaction to the apathy and lack of action that is symptomatic of our generation,” says Hailey Shea. She goes on: "It is about the fact that making the world a better place isn't about sharing a post or tweeting. Social media is a powerful tool for social change, but real change comes about by doing things and being an active participant." 

Yeah, fits my political mood fairly well, I'd say. The song has some clever lyrics boot and the rest of the recently released accompanying EP is more of the same.

Upcoming Shows