America, F*** Yeah!

I'm in Bonn, Germany and I can't get away from the U.S.A. First it's the McDonald's on every corner. Then there's Starbucks. Pizza Hut. Burger King. Then today I turned to the back of the Sueddische Zeitung, a major German newspaper, and what do I find. An article about Tennessee, focused on Nashville--mainly the Grand Ol' Opry! Give me a break. Seriously though, quite interesting to read an article about Music City written from an outsider's perspective. In a description of Broadway, Hatch Show Prints, Robert's Western World, and Legend's Corner got some love, as did the Ryman Auditorium, which the writer, Franz Dobler, hailed as "the old mothership of country music." Right on. Not quite as right on was his stating that Nashville was once "Pilltown," home to "Amphetamine freaks Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings." Why you gotta play like that, Franz? Naw, Dobler does well by Nashville, stating that when it comes down to it, "Nashville is still the country music capital of the world." I think that is a fair assertion.

Pull Over! Nope, It's A Cardigan but Thanks for Asking!

We're pulling over, because this is one view nobody wants to miss. I'm talking about The View, a working-class quartet of cheeky, baby-faced Scots from Dundee sporting influences ranging from the Clash to the Beatles to the Libertines—Pete Doherty recommended 'em to 1965 Records prez, James Endeacott, who promptly signed the band. For the past year they've been tearing up the UK with blistering live shows, hypnotizing their audience into mindless cheers of "The View! The View! The View! The View are on fire!" On Monday, the band's debut, Hats Off To The Buskers, was released in the UK, and after listening to it on Myspace, I have to agree with the fans. This album is blazing. It’s as fun as driving your first car--fitting considering that all four band members were born after 1986. From the snarling opener, “Coming Down”, to the unpredictable teenage anthem, “Same Jeans”, to the pig latin sing-along, “Wasted Little DJ’s”, Hats Off roars with irresistible hooks and melodies that make you want to get drunk and do something stupid. And that's OK every once and a while, right? Listen to the whole thing Here. It’s the only cure for the cravings you will experience until the album drops in the States.

American Songwriter: European Vacation

Alright folks, gather up your things and get in the car, we're trekkin' around Europe, American Songwriter style. This isn't going to be your run of the mill sightseeing. This isn't a point and shoot tour of the tourist hotspots. We're going to search high and low for the hottest music this continent has to offer. See how North American bands like The Avett Brothers, The Black Keys, Metric, and The Decemberists fare overseas. Marinate over quite possibly the liveliest music scene in the World. We'll have quirky musings, fresh finds, live reviews, photos, video, doner kebobs, you name it. So, clean out your ears, fasten your seatbelts, and hope that Cousin Eddie doesn't find us. Or that he does.