My Old Kentucky Blog: The Big Payback...

I'm back from my mini-break today...Florida was rainy, but we still had a great time. The ocean was angry! There were some big waves for that area of Florida and the undercurrent was strong, but The Lovely Wife and I did some boogie boarding and got a little sun. We ate at some nice places, got drunk, did some shopping, hung out with friends and most of all relaxed! It was nice. Good times, good times...

Unfortunately, now I am utterly depressed. No more vacation for a while, my beloved Kentucky Wildcats lost a heartbreaker to Michigan State and I have a ton of work to catch up on. BARF!!! OK, enough crying you big baby...we're here for the music...ah, I'm depressed about that too! Ryan Adams will be playing near Indy on May 6th and Kings Of Leon will be playing here in Indy on May 6th as well. I can't go to either. May 6th is the Day Before Derby! Kentucky Oaks day. The Lovely and I will be in Louisville preparing for our favorite annual holiday - KY Derby...bummer. Well, I will survive as they say.

I can't even talk about the UK game. If you didn't see it, it was a classic. Patrick Sparks' 3 pointer that sent it into the first overtime was unbelievable. Kelenna Azubuike not getting the final shot off at the end of the first overtime was unforgivable along with UK's inability to hit free throws, the easiest shot in basketball, which was also unforgivable. Tubby coached great and kept them in a position to win. I'm a little sick to my stomach just thinking about it all again. I will miss Chuck Hayes, that guy is a warrior. OK, enough crying...

Oh yeah, thanks for all the comments lately. I guess to get you guys to speak up I either have to go away for a while or show pictures of The Lovely Wife. hmmm....

You may want to check this chick out...Her name is Sia. Here is a live KCRW performance by her.

Here's one of those bio-type-thingies I don't write:

Born in Adelaide, she was raised on the hippiest street in Australia, and her dad briefly played guitar in uncle Colin’s band Men At Work. Early appearances singing Shangri-Las songs aside, Sia’s musical leanings didn’t get serious until she joined jazz-funk bar band Crisp at 17.

After three years fronting Crisp, Sia packed her bags and headed off with an open ended ticket on a round the World trip finally ending up in London. In 2000 Sia scored a Top 10 hit with her Prokofiev-sampling “Taken For Granted” single and followed it up with her acclaimed debut album, “Healing Is Difficult”.

Sia is perhaps best known however for her considerable contribution to Zero 7’s hugely successful and widely acclaimed “Simple Things” album. In fact, Sia credits the biggest influence on her new album as touring with Zero 7. “That’s when I actually started listening to music,” she says with a grimace of embarrassment.

“While we were on tour, the guys were always talking about artists I’d never heard of, so I started listening to their James Taylor, Nick Drake, Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Django Bates CDs. And it all just really blew me away.”

“Colour The Small One’s” lyrical roots, however, run much deeper. ‘Bully’, the track she wrote with Beck has similarly serious roots.

“There was this kid at school who I used to be really cruel to, and I’ve felt bad about it ever since. It got to the point where I was having nightmares about.

Sia met Beck at a festival in LA, when he asked her to perform a duet with him after watching her perform. ‘You’re The One That I Want’ from Grease, has never quite sounded the same since.

Other standout tracks on “Colour The Small One” include “Numb”, “The Church Of What’s Happening Now”, the lilting pianos and claustrophobic beats of ‘Breathe Me’, ‘Sunday’s’ enchanting harmonium and breathless chant and the muffled rhythm track and sensual cinematic strings of ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’.

Here are some more tasty vittles...