Drill Baby Drill. Is this the best we can think of?

Deepwater Horizon Fire - April 21, 2010
Originally uploaded by SkyTruth

The recent disaster on the Gulf Coast is proof enough to me that offshore drilling is a bad idea. Today the Coast Guard said the rig is still leaking thousands of barrels of oil into the water. Sarah Palin and her screachy "Drill baby drill!" linger in my mind as I watch the video of the disaster. More oil is not the answer. More drilling is not the answer. The wing nuts on the right who deny global warming as fact continue to say we need more oil exploration. More oil exploitation. It is time to move on. Fossil fuels and internal combustion engines are 100 year old technology. Time to move on. No more dead fish washing up on the beach. No more oil on the sand. No more ugly oil rigs on the horizon. Time to move on.

The Right Ons: Greatest American Rock and Roll Band. From Spain?

The Right Ons en la Barha Party Madrid 08
Originally uploaded by Barha Party

You owe it to yourself to give The Right Ons a listen. If you love the gritty American sound of bands like the MC5, Iggy Pop and the whole of 60's garage proto-punk. Singing in fluent, American accented English, they have the feel and grit of a real American band. The riffs are dead on American garage rock. They are currently on tour in the US, kicking out the jams as they used to say in Motown. They have an energy and dynamic that will grab you by the throat. Glad to see these fine Spanish lads keeping the garage rock banner flying.

HullabaLou festival

Looks like an interestingly diverse group of bands for the festival. Ranging from 70s rock to country, bluegrass and soul, only the Kentucky Derby crowd could be more diverse. I would probably stay close to the bluegrass stage for such acts as Ricky Skaggs and Dan Tymenski and the McCoury boys. Dwight Yoakum and Loretta Lynn offer glimpses of what country should be. This is not the Warped Tour or SXSW. No indie or punk. More like mainstream Americana. Not that there is anything wrong with that. See info below for dates and times.

HullabaLou festival at Churchill Downs in Louisville: Three days of Heat and Music

	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
	Grand Stand Stage Bon Jovi Dierks Bentley Train Electric Touch 4th Street Stage The O'Jays Gladys Knight Chrisette Michele Hazel Miller Rick Bartlett’s Rockin’ Soul Revival Longfield Ave. Stage Doobie Brothers B 52s Blood, Sweat & Tears Exile Thumper and the Plaid Rabbits Backstretch Stage Colbie Caillat Gloriana Sam Bush Green River Ordinance J.D. Shelburne Bluegrass Stage - Paddock The Travelin' McCourys with Dan Tyminski Whiskey Bent Valley Boys Cumberlands Brushfire	Grand Stand Stage Kenny Chesney Jason Aldean Sara Evans 4th Street Stage Al Green Michael McDonald Musiq Soulchild Jimmy Church Duke Tumatoe and the Power Trio Longfield Ave. Stage Huey Lewis and the News John Kay & Steppenwolf War Ben Sollee Backstretch Stage Gov't Mule Joan Osborne Ben Folds Villebillies Brigid Kaelin Bluegrass Stage - Paddock Ricky Skaggs Relic The Tillers BlueZenGrass with Special Guest Phil Leadbetter	Grand Stand Stage Dave Matthews Band Zac Brown Band The Avett Brothers 4th Street Stage Steve Miller Band The Black Crowes Taj Mahal Terry Adams Longfield Ave. Stage Dwight Yoakam Loretta Lynn Justin Moore Stealing Angels Backstretch Stage Kansas 38 Special Taddy Porter Tonic Bluegrass Stage - Paddock Rhonda Vincent Michael Johnathon Hog Operation Kentucky Blue

JUNIOR BROWN OUT ON THE ROAD AGAIN

JUNIOR BROWN @ ANTONE'S
Originally uploaded by Kingsnake

I am excited. Junior Brown is coming to Nashville. I plan on being there. Junior Brown is what country music SHOULD be. Nashville country really blows. Cardboard cutout cowboys who all look and sound the same. Same tire stuff. Same tired recycled 70's rock passed off as country. Not so with Junior. When he picks up his guitsteel, a combo of a lap steel and Telecaster, get ready for some down home picking. Equally adept at surf, blues, rockabilly and country, a Junior Brown show is all about what is great in music. Clever lyrics, virtuoso playing and a humble persona that would make Ernest Tubb proud, Junior makes the audience feel at home. I remember seeing him in Chapel Hill NC back in the 90s. The crowd had college hipsters, old guys wearing overalls and everyone in between rocking the house. He hasn't done a studio album for a while so I hope one is in the works. In the meantime, we can catch him out on the road.