"Not Fade Away" is one of the best songs ever written: simple, direct, pleading, mentions a Cadillac in its lyrics...I mean, what more could you want in a song?

I had the great pleasure of witnessing a Bob Dylan show in 2000 from about four people back. It was incredible, and one of the highlights was "Not Fade Away."  I've pretty much been thinking about the song ever since then.

For Buddy Holly to write something so pure and so fantastically mutable, especially at the age of 21, is remarkable. He owes a debt to Bo Diddley for the beat, that's for sure! The song's been covered a zillion times over and each time there's something new-- whether it's Dylan's band's killer harmonies or Mick Jagger's haughty congas--  and "Not Fade Away" retains its greatness. Yeah, even in the Rush version.

Here's Dylan performing the track back on the same tour I saw him on with his kick ass band.  The sound quality's not the greatest, but I still think it rocks:



Now here's Bruce Springsteen, back when he was the hardest working man in show business, performing the song:



And of course there's the Stones:

San Francisco's own Or, the Whale is on the rise. Their album LIght Poles and Pines contains a country-tinged bunch of slow burners and their live shows are jam packed with energy and fantastic musicianship. Here, the band collectively answer the first half of the questions, and then sometime-banjo wielder Alex answers my nitty gritty questions toward the end of the interview.  The band explains how the group came to be, their current obsessions and what is in store for the future of Or, the Whale.


Miss Ess: How did Or, the Whale form?

Or, the Whale: We formed from the renewed friendship of Alex Robins (guitar) and Matt Sartain (guitar), who had gone to high school together in San Diego and both coincidentally moved to San Francisco in the fall of 2005. Subsequently, Alex put an ad on Craigslist about forming a "Sweet Country Rock Band." Jesse Hunt (drums) and Tessa Wagner (former lap steel player) both replied to the ad; in the meantime, Alex responded to a separate ad posted by Lindsay Garfield (vocals) about finding a guitar player to collaborate with. Matt went to school with Justin Fantl (bass); Lindsay worked with Julie Thomasson (keys). Our first show with this original line-up was January 2006 with Two Gallants at Making Impressions Fine Printing Salon in SOMA. Tessa left the band in November 2007; Alex then answered the Craigslist ad of Tim Marcus (pedal steel) who then replaced Tessa and solidified the current line-up.

Brad and I both saw the Sex and the City movie this weekend! After years of waiting on baited breath, we both agree that the movie is fabulous in every way, shape and form. Our discussion is extremely SPOILER FILLED, so if you haven't seen the movie yet and want to go in without knowing key plot details, skip reading for now. The conversation that follows is more for those who have experienced the movie already-- we want to celebrate the film's arrival and dish about it a bit.


Miss Ess: I think of Sex and the City overall as a fluffy and fun treat, so the movie really lived up to that description for me. I liken the series to reading a trashy gal magazine like Glamour-- there's fashion, there's men, there's life advice! It all comes in a slightly cheesy and ultimately fantastical package. Sure it's all a fantasy, but it's fun to be swept away sometimes and that's what the show always provided for me. The movie was more of the same and it felt so good to have the ladies back in action! I appreciated the way the film was like a bunch of episodes condensed into one enjoyable whirlwind of Manolos and cobblestone. What did you think of the movie?

Brad: I really enjoyed the movie so much as I was watching it, but I really love it now even more since I have had a day to think about it. I really got obsessed with the show and always thought the episodes were too short. They always left me wanting more. The stories felt rushed sometimes -- but with the movie you could really settle in for a long fun story. The actresses were all fantastic and seemed to just pick up right where they left off. It really made me realize how great the show was, and also the fact that there will probably never be one just like it. It sort of made me wish I could go back and see a whole new movie the next week. Much of it was sort of predictable but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. It was the perfect mix of tragedy and comic relief that made the show so great. The show was always sort of unbelievable and a great big fantasy but at the same time totally believable and realistic. I need to go watch the whole series again now. I need more Sex and the City!

When I was in college I made that common mistake of going out with this guy off and on who kind of excessively fancied himself the "liberated male"...thus, of course, it was at his place where I first heard Liz Phair's excellent Exile in Guyville.

I think I knew from the beginning that "relationship" was doomed by, among other things, his overly self-conscious brand of "feminism." I ended up nabbing his copy of the record though, and I guess I still have it. 

Anyway, I was really excited to hear that Phair will be taking a mini tour and performing the fifteen-years-old Exile in Guyville in its entirety.  Also, on June 24 the record will be reissued with bonus tracks and a DVD about the making of the album. 

Exile in Guyville rawks my face off-- not only is it intelligent, challenging, melodic and kick ass, but it's written and performed by a woman who has been around the block a few times and lived to tell about it.  It's quite cathartic, and even though Phair eventually traveled with the Lilith Fair and all that hairy armpit jazz, this record should not be filed anywhere near those soft, for-women-only-faux rockers like Paula Cole and Joan Osbourne.  No, Exile in Guyville stands on its own two feet as a solid rock n roll record for the masses.

Check out one of the best tracks from the record, "Fuck and Run":