Funky songs

One of the things I like about the Beastie Boys is the names of their songs. Here is the track listing for the upcoming "Hot Sauce Committee, Part I," due in September.

1. Tadlock's Glasses 2. B-Boys In The Cut 3. Make Some Noise 4. Nonstop Disco Powerpack 5. OK 6. Too Many Rappers (featuring NAS) 7. Say It 8. The Bill Harper Collection 9. Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold) 10. Long Burn The Fire 11. Bundt Cake 12. Funky Donkey 13. Lee Majors Come Again 14. Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament 15. Pop Your Balloon 16. Crazy Ass Shit 17. Here's A Little Something For Ya

I love any band with a song called "Bundt Cake." And I wonder if "Funky Donkey" is a sequel to "Funky Boss." As an aside, young donkeys are perhaps my favorite baby animal.

Charter member

A few weeks back I posted an ode to the re-discovery of an old musical favorite. I have a variation on the same theme to report today: the beauty of discovering a great band live and in-person.

More than a week ago, I had a chance to see Nine Inch Nails at Charter One Pavilion. It was a chilly evening, but really rather perfect for a spring concert (more on the venue later). I heard an usher say something about "Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine" and didn't think much of it. The opener for NIN came on stage (Jane's Addiction had opened some shows on this tour but not this one) and I didn't really pay attention. Then the distinctive sound of a funk-metal guitar reached my ears. It was none other than Chicago native Tom Morello. The name of the band was Street Sweeper Social Club, and they had a sound that harkened back to the late 1990s heyday of rap-rock. Morello apparently has taken the project on in addition to his work as The Nightwatchman and with Rage. The vocalist is Boots Riley of Bay Area rhyme collective The Coup and drummer is Stanton Moore of Galactic. Even better, a portion of the band's proceeds fight hunger and homelessness! Check out a clip here; I highly recommend "100 Little Curses."

Not to be overlooked was the fact that this is (allegedly) Nails' last tour. To Clevelander Trent Reznor's credit, he and the group still bring it strong. Their stage show and sound system are top-notch. This show, in contrast to last summer's Lollapalooza appearance, included a long, meandering midsection with a number of moody, quiet numbers. Still, Reznor ripped through classics like "Heresy" and "Head Like a Hole," which closed the show.

Charter One Pavilion is quite the venue. I was skeptical of it at first, but there aren't many outdoor music locations in a big city like this--right next to a beach and within view of downtown. Boaters actually anchor just off-shore and listen to the shows echo across the water.