Here's yet another tune you can download as we're working on putting a live digital album together- this time it's Hot Mess- give it a listen, download and share- 

A friend of mine, photographer Jon Blacker has done this great photo book in black and white using an infrared camera.  It's been a labour of love for quite a few years, and it's about to be released to the public.

You can check out the details and some of the portraits here:  Musical Ink 

The book is available for pre-orders now here's the Amazon Canada link - 

And if you are not in Canada here's the links for you at Amazon and Borders. 

By way of example for what you're getting here is his shot of yours truly:

Here's how my mind works- some thoughts on a rock star's vampiric lifestyle filtered through the imagery of the movie Near Dark, let lyrics simmer for ten years until a guitar player comes up with the perfect riff:

A final preview from the Cut Loose and Live Album due out at the end of March

Here's a song about a girl who drinks too much...

Life Gets in the Way, another one from Cut Loose and Live (yeah, we changed the album title)

Two artists I love have been turning up in my news feeds this week.

The first - Iggy Pop, new album coming from Iggy and the Stooges. Which is pretty cool, even if the album was to suck, because he's determined to write and record because-

"a real fucking group... they also make fucking records. They don't just go and twiddle around on stage to make a bunch of fucking money" Iggy Pop

That my friends, is fucking awesome. But what I'm really hoping for is a tour date I can go to, because Iggy in full throttle, no holds barred, batshit performance mode is an amazing and beautiful thing.

Thinking about that led me to this cool live set Sadistic Summer Live 2011 - Iggy & The Stooges 

Yeah he's still got it.

The second- the passing of Stompin' Tom. The east coast crusty Canadian cowboy is gone. Our country pours out it's love. Canada seems a little sadder now. I got into Stompin' Tom in my early 20's, around the same time I was going crazy over Dwight Yoakam and Marty Stuart. 

Tom was uniquely ours, I don't think anyone ever wrote more songs about Canada, and certainly not about the rural regions and working class towns. He was the voice of our country. 

Realizing all my Stompin' Tom stuff is on greasy old cassette tapes, I grabbed this 70's set Stompin' Tom Connors (Live At the Horseshoe) - Stompin' Tom Connors Give it a listen- if you like old school country you should own this album.

Yeah, yeah, I know - Nick Cave and Tom Waits again.... nothing new from me exactly.

Spending lots of time with the new Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds record, research, you understand,  to prepare for when he hits T.O. Push the Sky Away -  is kind of on the quiet side for my taste - I was kinda hoping for way more loud. Check it out, see what ya think.  BUT - watching the live from L.A. show on youtube was awesome, once they put the new album to bed and started doing the classics I was losing my mind with anticipation for when I get to see the show. Check out the finale below...

As for Tom Waits - I finally bought the live album Glitter and Doom - Live (Bonus Track Version)  Fantastic performances and the 35 minutes of Tom Tales are hilarious and worth the price of the record. Definitely recommended! 

All right- something I can get behind. London Calling is iTunes classic album of the week. 

20 songs for $6.99- awesome. If for some silly reason you don't have this- go get it now!