Theme Week day 2

Don't take that too seriously. Going for a lighter tone today.

The Austin Lounge Lizards: Stupid Texas Song
From Employee of the Month, 1998

Andy Irvine and Mozaik: Pony Boy / Never Tire of the Road
From Live from the Powerhouse, 2004

"Stupid Texas Song" helps release some of that pent-up red-state agression (we love you guys, really, we just wish you hadn't gone and voted like that). The Austin Lounge Lizards are a goofy band with such badass bluegrass/country chops that if you get tired of the goof, you can actually enjoy the music. But you gotta love lines like "Our rattlesnakes the coiliest / our beaches are the oiliest".

Mozaik is an international acoustic supergroup put together by Irish legendary Andy Irvine, of Planxty fame. This hobo anthem springs from Irvine's Woody Guthrie obsession, and includes this catchy and hopefully prophetic verse: "All of you fascists bound to lose / All of you fascists bound to lose / All of you fascists bound to lose / You're bound to lose, you fascists, bound to lose". Like I said, catchy.

The song opens with an old-time fiddle tune played by the amazing Bruce Molsky, whose music I featured a while ago. The nationalities of this band include Ireland, Holland, the United States and Hungary. I'll probably post a bit more of their stuff down the road to give a better sense of their range (everything from American field hollers to Balkan dance tunes in 15/16 time).

Tomorrow: some classics. Or possibly something new.