Greetings from Laurel Canyon!
There was a time when I dreaded long, summer holiday weekends. It should be noted for many a year I worked weekends, and by the time I’d rise on Sunday, the world would be reclined and relaxed watching TV before sleep.
There were always a few of us “freaks” who’d come out to cruise Sunday nights—Melrose Avenue after midnight. Yep, that was the street of choice if you were off your brain on late summer nights in Hollywood. My old 1970 Impala convertible was for sure a stoney ride…
Nowadays it would be a rare sight to see me out late night. After 9/11 the Hollywood scene changed hands. It’s a combination of factors, but over the last ten years, summer weekend lights have dimmed early.
During these years I’ve taken to the barbecue and figured out what the rest of humanity had been up to. Like it or not, I’m learning how chill the fuck out. It’s an art, really. And from the art of not over cooking the chicken or burning the sausage dry, sprang the art of a cool BBQ playlist.
There are no rules for good BBQ music. Last summer I leaned heavily on old soul 45s and this year’s Idelic BBQ playlist covers us with a flurry of great new album releases.
If you have not heard new songs from Edward Sharpe, The National, QOTSA, Portugal. The Man, CSS, Alice In Chains, and Liam Galagher, or new bands like The Laurels, Radkey, Grim Tower, Walking Paper, and PAPA, you’re in business—or, I should say keep your local record store in business. Use this free Friday to pick up a few albums—and add to the mix the spirit of ’70s rock.
Hmmm…finger licking good. Enjoy and be safe…
The Idelic Hit of the Week:
CSS – Frankie Goes To North Hollywood
