Amy Winehouse is Go!

I am here to stick up for Amy Winehouse, because America is trying to make her into some character in an imaginary intervention reality show, and it's pissing me off. Watch this video and tell me she's not right on fucking target:



She's Aretha, Gladys, and Sarah rolled into one. She put out the album EVERYONE should have put out last year. She's making music that's completely unlike anything else at the moment. I know what you're thinking...But Julie! What about all those other blues-y soul-y female singers...Joss Stone, Grace Potter, etc? Puhleeze! Amy has more talent in one hair on that bouffanted head than all those gals put together. They're doing the same old thing, lending their admittedly strong voices to the exact same style of music that's been coming out for years. Amy, on the other hand, has incorporated blues, 50's girl bands, ska, reggae, and rock and made a sound that's completely her own. She is in a league of her own, doing it ALL differently. Just look at her backup singers. Anyone who puts those handsome, nattily-dressed gogo dancers behind her is cool beyond belief.

But for some reason the public focuses on her personal strife, letting it overshadow her talent. Yes, she's a mess, yes her teeth are falling out, but in the long run I don't give a shit if she's in AA or snorting coke onstage, if her hair looks like shit or if she cleans up her act, she's the epitome of 'it' at the moment, and should be recognized for her talent. She is not some tattooed Brittney, some poster child for rehab, she's a kick ass musician with her finger on the pulse of something very new.



Any singer cool enough to choose that band, to be that retro but still fully in the 21st century, to sing those songs with that voice should get nothing but praise. Modern whomp? Um, Taylor, Amy already did it while you were asleep.

"If life were only like this..."

My apologies to Gray Charles, who used this clip on his blog not long ago. It's such a perfect scene, and reflects exactly how I wish the world operated. We should always have an expert on hand, hidden behind a giant posterboard, waiting to prove that we are right, and that the other asshole is wrong. I'm so tired of wanting someone to verify my side of things, to give proof that I didn't imagine the last three years. As that sexy bastard Taylor Hicks said, "I just wanna have my voice heard." Indeed.

My Phone Call with Taylor

Wow. I just realized it was a year ago tonight that I spoke to Mr. Taylor F. Hicks on the telephone. It was probably the highlight of my year. Here's how it happened.

I was on good old Gray Charles chat the night of Taylor's CD release, December 12, 2006. We had talked to him earlier and he told a few of us his secret plans for the night: he was going to dinner with Taylor in NYC (see photo above). This was not news that he wanted spread around, for some reason, so we were being good and not talking about it except to those already in the know. So I told a couple of people in chat "Damn, Gray is with Taylor right now. How jealous am I?" and someone (tif?) said "Hey, why don't you call Gray on his cell and see if he'll answer?" I thought that might seem too pushy, and God knows I'm NOT PUSHY, but I said "Well, I guess a friendly text message couldn't hurt!" so I texted him "Gray, we are cheersin' you and Taylor in chat. I am jellis. Drink one for me." I told the chat gals what I had just done, and as we were talking my cell phone rang. I looked down. It was Gray. I kind of freaked, cause I knew where he was and who he was with. I told the girls "Brb. Gray is calling me back." When I answered he said "Hey! I got your text! We're drinking wine!" and I said "Yes, I can tell!" He said that Taylor was concerned, cause they had just left an audio blog on GC.com, and afterwards they were second guessing themselves, thinking they might have come off sounding drunk and somehow disrespectful on the blog. I said "Oh no, y'all sounded great. It was a big hit as far as I can tell." Then Gray goes "Hang on a sec...there's someone here who wants to say hello." Well, damn, I knew who "someone" was. So my hands got all sweaty - don't laugh...I am a teenybopper in grown up's clothes - and I waited.

"Hello?" his big ole tenor rang out in my ear.

"Hey, Taylor. This is Julie."

"Well hey, hon. How you doin'?"

"Great. It sounds like y'all are doing better than great!"

"Well, we just had a good dinner and now we're sittin' here talking. I've just switched to water. We had red wine but now I'm drinking water."

"You are wise, Taylor."

"I have to go on Martha Stewart tomorrow and I thought it was a good idea to stop while I was ahead."

"Good thinking." Damn. How am I speaking to him so calmly? In the meantime I remember my chat pals and look down at my computer. "What the hell is going on Julie??? Are you talking to Gray?" I type back in "Hang on. Taylor on phone." HA! I knew that would flip them out, but I couldn't say any more. I had to pay attention to the phone conversation.

"Hey, I wanna ask you something," Taylor said.

"Okay, shoot."

"Did you hear the audio blog we just did?"

"Yes, I did."

"Was it okay? We didn't sound like we were being sarcastic or anything, did we? Cause we didn't mean to sound sarcastic, or like we were drinking or something."

"No, it was wonderful. Everyone loves it. All the comments are very positive. You made it sound like you were very excited to meet the president and to be on Martha Stewart...very sincere."

"Good! That's what I thought it sounded like, too!"

"Well, Taylor, you're the one who recorded it, so I guess you would!"

"Good. Thanks."

"This is a big night for you, and I know you're having a great time in New York. I am really looking forward to getting a copy of the CD."

"Thanks! Have you heard the songs that are already out there? What do you think?"

Yes, I was now in a tricky position. Truth is, I HATED that album, and still do. Taylor is so much better than that record. His earlier stuff proves that. I wanted to tell him all this, and the direction I'd rather see his career go in. But I'm talking to the man himself, on the night of the album release. What can I say but "I really like what I've heard so far. I can't wait to listen to the whole thing." Sorry, but you can only be truthful to a certain point.

"Great. I hope you like what you hear."

"I know I will." I sensed the conversation was winding down, so I said to him, "Well, it's been nice talking to you. I hope you have a good Christmas."

"Thanks, hon. Same to you."

"Thanks, Taylor. I guess put Gray back on the line."

"Nice talkin' to you. Bye."

At this point, I start to shake. I made it through the whole conversation being cool as a cucumber, but now that it's over, I'm literally shaking and having to take deep breaths. I talked to Taylor for a good three minutes, on the night of his first major CD release! Holy shit! So I continue the conversation with Gray for quite a while, then return to my chat buddies, who are all flabbergasted. But not as much as I am. It was a fabulous, unexpected, wonderful conversation.

This era is over, and I never talk to most of those people anymore. Gray and I had a falling out, and though we've kind of talked since, it's never been the same. I want to take this opportunity to say again, thanks, Gray Charles, for letting me talk to Taylor. It was the highlight of the very tough year I've been through. I owe you one.

Taylor Hicks went Golfing

Taylor played in some benefit tournament thing in Birmingham a few days ago. And it's driving me wild.

Someone please explain to me why these pictures are having such an odd affect on me. I can't stop looking. Is it because he looks so dang hot doing something other than what I usually see him do? Is it the clothes? The sunny day? The golf clubs? WHAT??

I have looked these pictures over again and again, and every time I just go "AWWWWW!" It's making me feel a little ill, cause I don't even like golf. But something about Taylor with a putter and hat and those golf-y sunglasses is doing a number on me. And I'm big enough to admit it.

Taylor - Lost in the shuffle?

So here I am, minding my own business in chat, when WHAM! The meteoric rise and fall of Taylor Hicks is suddenly being discussed with a vengeance. Once again I feel myself caught up in the angst that this discussion pulls out of me...analyzing and reanalyzing and overanalyzing the poor man. He seemed so full of promise and good funky coolness...what happened to him? Why was he so phenomenal then, and just seems mediocre now? Is he (for some reason known only to Jesus) cleverly hiding that raw talent, or have the powers that be stomped it all out of him? Hard to say.

Taylor is not staying real to his roots and it shows in the lackluster performances he's been turning in lately. Whereas once he could make any song translate into a great performance, lately a lot of the gigs he's played seem to be less Taylor Hicks, blues man, and more adult contemporary mass-produced garbage. Although he is not a musician who is easily packaged up and sold, those who are"in the know" have been compelled to try to do it anyway. But Taylor is an artist who needs to stay on the edge, where he shines. When he tries to make himself sellable he gets very close to being a lounge act. Hence the crap album, which is now spilling over into crap live performances.

Five minutes of the Atlanta Smith's performance or the summer Workplay gig are worth the entire night of last month's Alabama theatre show. Is he losing his edge?

Tupelo

So I'm going to the Tupelo Elvis Festival this year in ....Tupelo! Ever since I heard about it I've been singing this damn song:



Sadly, this is the onliest version of the song I can find on video. YouTube doesn't appear to have a version from before Nick Cave morphed into *insert name of old, stringy-haired, balding wino here.* WTF??? When did that happen? For so long this man was my true love, the most striking, dynamic, cool, handsome and talented performer out there. Now I wish I hadn't gone fishing for videos today. I'll leave you all with this, to wash the taste out of our collective mouths. Nick, Blixa, and the guys at their best:



"Murder takes the wheel of the Cadillac and death climbs in the back." Nice.

OH! In the shock of seeing the 2006 Nick Cave almost forgot to mention - I'm going to the bloody downtown outdoor Elvis festival to see Taylor Hicks. Woohoo, baby!