Stray Notes

Hey, all. Well, we have to keep in touch with current goings on in the music world, too, right? In case you missed it, Rush was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just over a week ago on April 18th, a recognition that legions (including me and, undoubtedly, you, too, Tyler!) felt was unconscionably overdue. This might be an occasion to include a link to one of their classic progressive rock tunes ("Tom Sawyer," "Spirit of Radio," "Limelight," et al.), but as I think about my reference in class to my "best songs of 2012" cds maybe it would be more appropriate to include a link to Rush's "The Garden," which was one of my favorites of 2012 (though for whatever reason I didn't include it on one of those cds). It's strange to pick a ballad when it comes to a representative Rush song, but it's a particularly majestic and poignant one, and may quite possibly be the best song they've written in the last thirty years. See what you think!

Elsewhere, The National performed the new songs "Sea of Love" and "I Need My Girl" (from their upcoming release Trouble Will Find Me) on Jimmy Fallon the other night, which you can watch here, and Iron & Wine performed "Grace for Saints and Ramblers" (from the new release Ghost on Ghost), also on Fallon. Finally, Patty Griffin has released the song "Ohio" from her much anticipated new release (at least in these quarters, and, I suspect in Kelsey's!), American Kid.

And for you country fans out there, we of course should note the passing on Friday of George Jones, who was famously/humorously recognized at one time by Frank Sinatra as being "the second best singer in this country." Some have called "He Stopped Loving Her Today" the best country song ever written.