In my effort to bring good music to the masses, I’ve decided to just throw out five great bands that I’m sure most of my readers, if I have any, have never heard of. So here they are, in no order of greatness:

1. Over the Rhine: They’ve been compared to The Cowboy Junkies and 10,000 Maniacs and they’ve toured with Bob Dylan. You’ve heard their songs on Third Watch and Angel, and even heard reference to them on The X-Files. But you’ve never heard of this great ensemble named after a crappy neighborhood in Cincinnati.

2. Havalina Rail Co.: I picked up my first Havalina CD just because they were on Tooth and Nail Records. I found it in the bargain bin at McKays. Shortly after that I made a quick trip to Nashville to see them at RocketTown. I’ve been hooked ever since. Their style varies from record to record, but you’re always promised a treat. Check out Diamond in the Fish and Space Love and Bullfighting.

3. Todd Snider: He’s a hippy. A self described “tree hugging, peace loving, pot smoking, porn watching,lazy ass, hippy, love making, pro choicing, gay wedding, wide spread digging, skin color blinded, conspiracy minded, protester of corporate greed.”? I think that says it all.

4. Mike Knott: You may know him as the front man for LS Underground, LSU, Lifesavers, Cush, or The Aunt Bettys. But you probably don’t know him at all. You can get most of his records on his site, or you can always try eBay. Where you can’t get them is in your local record shop or Christian bookstore.

5. Widespread Panic: While you may have heard of them, or even heard them, you don’t know Panic until you’ve been to a show. The band with the biggest following of those on my list, you’ll need to pre-order tickets no matter how large or small your venue. Don’t even think about getting them at the door.

We’ll miss you Lenny

MSNBC Story

For the past few years I’ve tried to temper my habit of conservative talk radio with daily visits to CNN.com.? The other day a head link caught my eye.? “The Actor Who Spent Three Months In Bed”? The article was about Javier Bardem, a Spanish actor who is getting some Oscar buzz for his role in “The Sea Inside”.? The film is about a quadriplegic Ramon Sanpedro who fought for his so called, “Right to Die” for some thirty years.

Mr. Bardem goes on for some time about his preparation for the role, then moves on to talk about how he things the American public will receive it.? The last few paragraphs are what got me all worked up.? I’ll quote directly from the article:

Although he is the only Spanish actor ever nominated for an Oscar, Bardem says winning an Academy Award “is not important for me. Not at all. It is more important that bombings stop in Iraq, that United States respect the Kyoto Accord, or that international observers be allowed to Guantanamo.”

“Maybe with this new government, half the country would not want to see it. The half that voted for Bush,” he said. “But honestly, I do not need them to go see it.”

Now I’m all for Mr. Bardem getting to say whatever he wants to say.? But this article, this interview, was not about U.S. politics, it’s not even about Mr. Bardem’s politics, it’s about a movie.

So why did CNN.com feel it appropriate to include his little rant.? Probably because they want to print these little jabs at whatever chance they get.? I promise you if an actor of the opposing view point had made such comments, CNN.com would not have printed it, if they ran any part of the interview at all.

So, I’m off CNN.? Now because I don’t agree with their politics, but because they have politics to disagree with.