Da Goddess

Oh, how the mother’s heart must stretch and flex in order not to break. My daughter is 18 today. It’s not fair. It’s not right. It’s not really happening. Wasn’t she just learning to walk? Wasn’t she just uttering words like “babingsuit” and “booprise”?

Time waits for no man, or woman as the case may be. Despite my every effort to hinder growth, my lovely little girl is now old enough to vote and is considered a legal adult. I’ve fought it, but there it is: nature won.

When Mojo was about 2, she fell in love with John Denver. Our bedtime routine included a couple different Denver songs, along with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Marine Corps Hymn. Hey, it got her to sleep and it was our special time together. (Did the same thing with my son and I have to say, singing our “goodnights” was pretty effective.)

So, without further ado, happy birthday, Mojo!

For a while, this was called “Mountain Mama” and also “Mama Take Me Home”. She was two. It was adorable.

Our version of this song was very similar, but we had to sing every verse. Twice.

Then she grew up and began paying attention to more Top 40 music (in addition to all my favorites, like Etta and Bonnie and Billie). I lamented the lack of artists that were brash, lovely, sometimes delicate, sometimes strong like those I grew up with — Debbie Harry, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Joan Jett… After listening to Jewel and Britney once too often, I really thought my daughter deserved a contemporary female artist with a stronger voice and attitude. Thus we turned to P!nk. At the time, she really was the only one who could speak right to the heart of a young girl without sounding like a wannabe star or doormat.

Those were the days. Now my baby is all grown up and the world is going to expect more from her, people will expect more, life will become more complicated. While I’ll miss the little girl I once held in my arms as she cried and fussed and smiled and cooed and caused me to look at the world around me with new eyes, I will cheer her on as she makes her way into the great big world.

Now for Mommy’s tunes…

Happy birthday, my sweet daughter! I don’t care how old you are, you’ll always be my baby girl.

I received an email from target=”_blank”>DaGoddess a couple weeks ago, inviting me to generate a guest post for her weekly Two-fer Tuesday series. It’s a running feature similar to our Turn It Up Tuesday column on THE BS BLOG. Truth to be told, it’s where I got the idea for Turn It Up Tuesday in the first place.

That being said, I thought I’d have a little fun with it…and being lazy, I’m using the same post for both DaGoddess and THE BS BLOG this week.

This week’s featured artist is Tragedy, an all-metal Bee Gees tribute band. These guys are a riot, and actually quite talented. I especially enjoyed their video for You Should Be Dancing, in which they parody almost every cliche of an 80’s heavy-metal rock band.

For comparison, I’ve included the original songs followed by Tragedy’s outstanding covers. Enjoy, and turn it up!

Nights On Broadway

You Should Be Dancing

Da Goddess was probably surprised that I like Eminem, but he’s a compelling storyteller.

Who among us hasn’t had a painful relationship, one that ultimately went up in flames?

It was difficult to pick only two… The last one is about family and an epiphany of sorts…

Brought to you by Pam of

Special edition…just for

Let’s start with the expected.

And the obscure.

And now the lovely.

And the truly gorgeous.

And there’s really nothing more that needs to be said.

Sometimes you just have to go there.

How about something from Heart since Nancy is divorcing Cameron Crowe. Don’t even start me on the report I heard on the radio last night annoucing this. “When her and he announced…” okay, so I started. Seriously, this is what “journalism” has come to in this country?

Never. NEVER!

Growing up, there were all sorts of women’s voices coming out of the radio, but none were as strong as those of Ann and Nancy Wilson. Sure there were “Dreamboat Annie” and “Dog and Butterfly”, but there were also kick ass songs like “Barracuda”, “Kick It Out”, “Magic Man”, “Crazy On You”, “Heartless”, and “Straight On”. Those were songs you weren’t hearing from anyone else. The Wilson sisters stoked the flames of indepence in a young girl’s heart, even while allowing her to dream of the sweeter, more romantic side of life.

Thank God these ladies are still rockin’ it out. Where would we be without them?

Don’t know what went wrong between the Wilson-Crowes, but somehow or other, they’re gonna have to split everything up…they’re gonna have to even it out in divorce court.

Hey you! Yes, you, Nancy! Shine on.

We need one more, don’t we? Yeah. Can’t leave things so mellow. I mean, WTF is up with that?

And just because I’m feeling all churlish right now, here’s image you need to see. I’d post it outright, but I still can’t upload anything to this mutha flookin’ blog. I need to upgrade and I don’t know how. And I no longer have a friend who does that sort of thing. So, you get a link.

I’ve seen Jimmy Thackery in concert several times now and I’m always amazed at the depth and breadth of his catalogue. He can be so very subtle and then he can slash and burn the land for miles around with just a few notes. He’s been doing this for how many years? I dunno. What I do know, though, is I hope he doesn’t think of retiring any time soon.

This first tune is dedicated to my friend, Curtis of the Stoney Curtis band, who also does a bang up version during his show.

And this tune? It’s beautifully heavy.

(Note: Should I continue my Two-fers here? Or should I just keep posting them on the new-ish blog? Put your thinking caps on and gimme a shout in the comments section to let me know what you think.)

Back in 1980 or 81, my boyfriend and I were cruising Sears (or KMart), making our favorite stop at the bargain tape bin (tapes were what we crazy kids listened to back then when we weren’t hauling out the vinyl). Our prize discovery of the day was Cognac & Bologna by Doug & the Slugs. I fell in love with the band instantly.

A little quirky, but a whole lotta great hook-laden music poured forth from the speakers for the next year or two, which was quite a feat back then because most tapes had a shelf-life of six months or so. Anyhow, I’ve never forgotten the band.

Lead singer Doug Bennett died in 2004, leaving Canada and the rest of the world a little poorer without him. Just listen to his opening comments on the following tune. And seriously? Who else could get away with a song called “Chinatown Calculation”? Who wouldn’t love a guy like that?

( – Doug & the Slugs, “Chinatown Calculation”)

You may recognize the song in this last video as the theme song from the Norm Show. What? I was the only one watching? C’mon, admit it…you watched, too.

(thecatkeaton – Doug & the Slugs, “Too Bad”)

I have many favorite performers these days. While they span the full spectrum of music, blues often gets top billing. This is for good reason: blues draws on the human experience in a way that reaches deep within you and can’t help but elicit a response.

This week’s Two-fer features Harmon (auto start music warning), winner of the 2004 International Blues Challenge with his band the Mid South Blues Revue. Since then, he’s been touring the world, impressing audiences with his tough, but sensitve, approach to the blues. Harmon’s sets can include everything from deep blues to gospel to solid R&B. There’s a little something for everyone.

(StJohnBluesFestival – Zac Harmon, “Rock Me Baby”)

(jeffstoneblues – Zac Harmon, “Comfort of a Man”)

Just had to get a Bob Seger fix this week. As MOBD and I were driving home from picking up a file cabinet the other night (another Freecycle find), Bob was blasting through the stereo and I felt so alive, so good…I had to do it.

And while I wish I could have found a decent live vid of the next song, all that anyone needs to hear is Bob’s “oooooowwww!” and that great boogie on the piano and before you know it, you’re up and dancing around. Let’s face it, we need to dance more and bitch less, so if it takes a little Bob Seger to get us there, why the hell not?

Piano, harmonica, and horns = good times. (Good blues, too.)

My first concert was Pablo Cruise. Del Mar Fair. With my big sister. I remember thinking she was the best big sister ever! She told our parents she’d keep an eye on me. She didn’t have to do that, but she did and we got to go hang out together. It was one of those great sisterly moments that come around once in a blue moon. I’ll remember it forever.

These days you pretty much have to go stand in line at the bank to hear Pablo Cruise again. No more! I’m here to save the day.

Do you even want to know who the second concert was? (Bonus points for anyone who knows the answer)

No Fozzie Bear. Just Sugar Ray. And even though they don’t actually say “wocka wocka” in the video, that’s what it always sounds like in my head.

I don’t know why either. Some things are a mystery to me, too.

One thing that’s not a mystery to me is how I went from Sugar Ray to Violent Femmes in one swell foop (as my mom used to say). It was just their time on my playlist and I love love love this song!

Had to do it. (Be glad it wasn’t the DeFranco Family with “Heartbeat, It’s a Lovebeat”, cuz I almost went there!)

Bonus (or not, figured I was suffering anyway and you should too):

Had to dig deep in the ol’ databank for these. If anyone else remembers them, I’ll be very surprised. We won’t even discuss the miles of satin on the man.