The Runcible Blog

Even though Manhã de Carnaval has been covered hundreds of times, nobody has come close to the haunting delivery of the original Luiz Bonfá version from 1959. It's hard to tell who exactly sings this version because I can't find any liner notes, but I assume it was Bonfá, himself (though the vocal version is in Gm instead of Am). I also can't find any videos of him playing and singing the song. Whoever sings it, his voice has stuck ......
[ Read More ]

Earlier this year, I bought my first real acoustic guitar and remarked that it sounded lousy, but I liked it. Well, after noodling on it occasionally since then, I've learned that I would've been better off with a classical guitar because I never use a pick and have trouble with strings that are so close together (the bassist in me hasn't gone away). Also, the lousy Yamaha has continued to sound lousy, with frets that wear down at an alarming ......
[ Read More ]

One of my neighbors has been practicing a saxophone piece for the past few weekends.  He's been struggling but has improved over time.  Today I picked up my guitar to try to figure out what he's playing.  It's a fairly straight-forward, faintly Klezmer, D Aeolian mode spanning three octaves, broken into four phrases.  It's not too difficult to play on the guitar, physically, but its twistiness must be more challenging on the sax.  It's fascinating to hear him keep hammering on ......
[ Read More ]

Although I haven't had much to say lately, rest assured I've been a bundle of feelings. It just so happens that sometimes those feelings are neatly expressed by other people's lyrics. Ryan Adams nails the experience of longing that I've had tugging on my insides recently. I've certainly got a winding wheel in mind. This is the best I can do at the moment: Well nighttime let her through Yeah I'm talking to you I wanna see her Precious little ......
[ Read More ]

I've had this song in my head for a while and felt compelled to record it. I highly recommend seeing Stop Making Sense....
[ Read More ]

...
[ Read More ]

I've been on a Neil Young kick lately.  Here's a tune that I particularly like:...
[ Read More ]

Today I bought a guitar from Sandy's Music across the street. I had been meaning to check the place out since I've lived in the area, but I hadn't gotten around to it until now. It's a pretty neat store, and Sandy seems like a cool guy with lots of stories. Because I'm a terrible guitarist who just wants to noodle around, I looked for the cheapest acoustic I could get. I ended up buying the second cheapest guitar, which ......
[ Read More ]

From my hero, Don McCullin: Every time I went to war, I came back a little more damaged. I'm quite a resilient person, and I've got a lot of hardness in me when called upon. But there's another side of me — not actually soft, but as if my nerve ends are hanging out. I met the photographer Eugene Smith once. When someone asked me what he was like, I replied that he was a man whose nerve ends were ......
[ Read More ]

I am just a new boy, Stranger in this town. Where are all the good times? Who's gonna show this stranger around?...
[ Read More ]

I just heard this one today. You'd have to hear it to appreciate it, though: Take My Hand Girl you know, you can't go on this way Night after night, day after every day Whisper to me, what's in your aching heart This love you need is not very far Baby dry the tears from your eyes And take my hand as we walk into the night A soul on fire and a touch that's cold Seems to me that's ......
[ Read More ]

Sly Stone is still alive?! For some reason, I had assumed that he died at a young age. The liner notes in the only Sly & The Family Stone album I have refer to Sly in the past tense. Not only was I shocked to hear (on the radio this morning) that Sly lives, but check out his blond mohawk! And he's 63 years old! Cool....
[ Read More ]