Tom Waits, now a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has a new video. It’s “Hell Broke Luce,” from his album of last year, Bad As Me.
This particularly crazed piece of work reminds me of Eraserhead, David Lynch’s classic slice of surrealism. The song features Keith Richards on guitar, but he isn’t in the video (I think). Anyhow: typically strange, typically disturbing – typical Tom Waits.
Here’s hoping you had a fine 2011 … and that you will experience a great 2012. See you in the new year.
MP3: “Happy New Year Baby” by Johnny Otis & His Orchestra
MP3: “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year” by Lee “Scratch” Perry & Sandra Robinson
MP3: “New Year’s Resolution” by Otis Redding & Carla Thomas
MP3: “Queer For The New Year” by Blowfly (Not Safe For Work!)
MP3: “New Year’s Resolution” by Donovan
MP3: “Funky New Year” by the Eagles
MP3: “Corrido de Auld Lang Syne” by Little Bobby Rey & Band
MP3: “Sing The Changes” (live) by Paul McCartney
MP3: “The Great Hank” (live) by Robert Earl Keen
MP3: “Party At Ground Zero” by Fishbone
MP3: “My New Year’s Wish For You” by Franklin MacCormack
MP3: “Happy New Year Blues” by Mary Harris
MP3: “Happy New Year” by Lightnin’ Hopkins
MP3: “The End’s Not Near” by Band of Horses
MP3: “Happy New Year” by the Twins
MP3: “Auld Lang Syne” by Chris Isaak
MP3: “New Year”s Eve” by Tom Waits
YouTube: “New Year’s Day” by U2
Everybody’s having a good laugh about the prediction that Saturday will be the End of the World. And yes, we’ve snickered about it right here. But look around – there’ve been tornadoes, tsunamis, wildfires and floods, maybe that’s a sign of the End Times.
All of our heroes – Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich, Arnold Schwarzenegger – are crumbling before our very eyes. Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga are on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend – another sign?
You can’t ignore these signs. You definitely cannot laugh them away. I’m getting a case of beer on Saturday morning, just in case, and hoping I don’t have a hangover the morning after.
More signs of the coming apocalypse
MP3: “Earth Died Screaming” by Tom Waits
MP3: “In The Year 2525” by Zager & Evans
MP3: “Southern Comfort” by Terry Allen
MP3: “Jesus Is Coming Soon” by the Dixie Hummingbirds
MP3: “Are You Afraid To Die” by the Louvin Brothers
MP3: “The End of The World” by the Carpenters
MP3: “Soylent Green” by Carbon Silicon
MP3: “Until The End of the World” (live) by U2
MP3: “My Apocalypse” by Metallica
Big fun in our hometown over the weekend: we went to the annual Art Car parade, which I’ve attended with my son for who knows how many years. Just the other day the New York Times did a story where they spent 36 hours in our hometown, and needless to say they missed a lot of the good stuff. How can you spend any time in our hometown and not mention the music?
Our little town is an American cradle of blues, country, folk, jazz and hip-hop, all seasoned by our neighbors to the south (Mexico), the east (Louisiana) and the west (Austin). You can look up some of the cool musicians who have called our little town home, and the many more who recorded their hits here. Of course the NY Times mentioned an art museum, some swanky restaurants and hotels and – naturally – a gay bar.
Screw the New York Times. We still run that damn space program from here, and there’s still no better place to get your damn heart fixed. And did I mention we have a lot of great music here: guess who was here over the weekend? Elwood Blues. Ha ha ha ha!
MP3: “Telephone Road” by Rodney Crowell
MP3: “Struggle Here In Houston” by Lowell Fulsom
MP3: “Orphan Of The Storm” by Mudcrutch
MP3: “Fannin Street” (live) by Tom Waits
MP3: “Houston Is Hot Tonight” by Iggy Pop
MP3: “Seeds” (live) by Bruce Springsteen
MP3: “Houston” by the Deadstring Brothers
MP3: “Houston, TX” by Deer Tick
MP3: “Houston” by Bun B, Slim Thug, Mike Jones, Paul Wall & Chamillionaire
MP3: “If You Ever Go To Houston” by Bob Dylan
MP3: “Home To Houston” (live) by Steve Earle
MP3: “Heaven, Hell or Houston” by ZZ Top
The Houston Press‘ take on the New York Times article. Nice photo!
Tom Waits is offering a free 8-song preview of his new live album, Glitter and Doom Live. You can get it at his official website. Here’s a video preview:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
30 Days Out 
