Do they still put photos of missing persons on milk cartons? If so, we need to put Syd Straw on a few half gallons. She’s a wonderfully gifted singer and songwriter, a former member of the Golden Palominos waaay back when, who has put out only a handful of solo albums in the past 25 years. I always loved her voice, and would like to hear more of it.
I turned to the ol’ Interwebs in an effort to find out what she’s been up to, but it was no help. (Well, at least Wikipedia told me that she started her professional career as a backup vocalist for Pat Benatar.)
Syd’s website has expired. I even resorted to Facebook – and I’m not even on Facebook! – but her Facebook page has no posts since January of this year, and the previous post was from May of 2014. “Reclusive” doesn’t do her justice.
At least there are a few videos of Syd performing.
Here she is with the old Letterman band and Dave Alvin:
Here’s a song from her 1996 album:
I think Syd is right up there with Emmylou Harris as a harmony vocalist/backup singer. Check out her work on this tune from former Go-Betweens frontman Grant McLennan.
And here’s one where she sings with Michael Stipe. I think he was in a band of some note.
And a fun live song with Dave Alvin at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, CA (side note: McCabe’s is a fantastic place to see a show.)
The video of the Harry Nilsson session features Syd for a second, and as a special bonus to middle-aged fans of obscure artists (I’m on that list), also includes Bob Forrest, formerly of Thelonious Monster and The Bicycle Thief.
Hope springs eternal… maybe Syd Straw will put out a new album in 2016.
My beloved Xavier Musketeers are off to their best start ever (12-0) and have reached their highest ranking ever (#6) in college basketball. And the Washington Post thinks they may be the best team in college hoops this year. As someone who has followed the program since I went to Xavier in the early 1980s, it’s thrilling to see how far the program has come. But what’s really neat to me is that in this “one and done” era when most ballers view their college careers as just a glorified AAU program where they spend an extra year before cashing in as a pro (with Kentucky being the most glaring example of the “rent-a-player” mentality) most Xavier players stick around their entire 4 years. Not only that, but they all get their college degree too – every senior men’s player since 1985 has graduated.
It’s fun to watch them develop as players, too. Seems like every year there’s a senior on the team that really shines after struggling in previous seasons. This year, that player is James Farr. He’s a 6’10” widebody, but his freshman and sophomore years he was perfectly happy jacking up three-pointers instead of banging in the post. This year he’s an inside force, corralling nearly every rebound in his area code and showing a deft scoring touch down low. Through 12 games, he averaging 10 points and nearly 9 rebounds per game while averaging only 20 minutes of playing time off the bench.
I could name several other Xavier players who have blossomed in their final season… Jason Love, Stanley Burrell, BJ Raymond, etc. Kentucky Wildcat fans can keep their 5-star recruits who leave before you really get to know them. I’ll take the blue-collar workers any day.
Odds are good that James Farr will not make the NBA. But his four years on campus likely have made him not just a better basketball player, but a better person. Smarter. More resilient. More determined. With a better appreciation of teamwork and selflessness. Those skills will last a lifetime.
Xavier’s lofty perch in the rankings may be short-lived – their Big East opener is a road game at #17 Villanova on New Year’s Eve, then they play #9 Butler at home three days later. But here’s hoping they are still a force to be reckoned with come March, and James Farr keeps on smiling. Let’s Go X!
99% of radio stations play the same handful of Christmas songs, over and over and over again. Tired of hearing Mariah Carey? Aren’t we all.
Last year I wrote a post about my favorite holiday tunes, i.e. songs that don’t suck. Here’s a nice article from American Songwriter about one of them, “Father Christmas” by The Kinks. It includes a funny story about how the song was such a crowd-pleaser in concert that the band The Kinks were opening for back in ’77 tried to keep them from doing it because Ray Davies dressed as Santa and rocking the rafters was a tough act to follow.
I’ve posted before about my friend’s Dave and Jacqui, and how they’ve eloquently chronicled Dave’s two – count ’em, two – battles with lymphoma on their “Nashville or Bust” blog. Dave recently wrote a post with his reflections on hitting the 100 day mark post treatment and transplant. He’s feeling good, and that makes all his friends feel good too. As he put it:
Day 100. That does feel pretty good to say. In the journals and transplant literature it is a big deal. I don’t take that for granted but instead of looking back, I am spending it sipping early morning coffee with Jacqui, making breakfasts and lunches for the kids and getting them off to school and continuing to get the house ready for Brandon’s visit and the holiday…you know, the normal stuff.
It’s time to return this blog to new ideas and future plans.
Here is to love, laughter, friendship, music and adventure in the New Year.
Damian on The Grateful Alive: “You’re the one who tipped me off to the Grateful Living Word of the Day, Phil, so you started the…” May 1, 22:12
Susan Jackson on The Grateful Alive: “I’m grateful that you joined us AND shared about it on your blog. ❤️” May 1, 10:22
Phil on The Grateful Alive: “I loved seeing this Damian. Love knowing that it is occurring. The gratefulness spreads.” May 1, 09:12
Susan Jackson on Grateful for the Chance…: “You make a difference just by being you. (Yes, that sounds like a Mr. Rogers quote, probably because he’s my…” Apr 9, 10:48
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