Happy posthumous 64th birthday to Nicholas Rodney Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974).
One of my absolute favorite singer-songwriters, Nick Drake led a deeply troubled life, suffering from depression, insomnia, and general anxiety and was not widely appreciated until the late 70’s. Today a wide variety of musicians cite Nick Drake with having a heavy influence on them. His breathy, soft-spoken voice combined with his fluid finger picking style work magic with his somber, soulful, and beautifully crafted songs.
Pink Moon (1972) is his best album in my opinion as every song on the album is excellent. You can listen to it on Grooveshark for free. Here is the title track, Pink Moon:
His earlier album, Five Leaves (1970), is also a melancholic singer-songwriter tour de force worth a purchase or you can also pick up his nice little compilation, Way to Blue.
Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller & Victor Wooten make up S.M.V.. Thebass supergroup has done extensive touring with their debut album, Thunder (2008). Here they are live performing their title track:
OK, if you’re reading this then you’re either one of the most fantastic blog supporters on the planet or you’re completely out of ideas and desperate for a Father’s Day gift. Fear not, Actionsuit was born of desperation and a fight against impossible odds. Oh, and we’re dads too.
For the Dad who has everything: Drift Trike, the adult big wheel
If you’re not sure what a trike is, check them out on Wikipedia or at the home of competative ‘Drift Triking’ in the US (they just recently completed their first competitive event in January), but I’ll sum it up for you: it’s an adult big wheel! Ok, it’s a little more than that; when you get enough speed, either by being pulled or going down hill, you can do some crazy drifting stunts which looks remarkably like a great way to break every bone in your body or die if you’re lucky. Don’t fear, we’ve got a great safety solution below. If you haven’t seen this video yet, take a look:
Of course the guys in the video above ‘drifting’ are wearing little if any protection. That’s where our second suggestion for the Dad who has everything comes in – full leather movie character replica outfits. Head over to UD Replicas and get yourself a full replica leather Stormtrooper outfit for drift trike protection or for a kick ass Father’s Day BBQ.
One can only imagine the multiple uses for a new leather outfit and trike. Dad can trike to work or the grocery store. Dad can trike with the kids while they ride their bikes. Dad can even trike the dogs for a walk! Of course this is all leading up to the best idea of all; an Actionsuit Stormtrooper Drift Trike gang in the next Mardi Gras parade! Hmmm, I wonder if these trikes come with a drink holder…
Sorry, got a little carried away, back to the Father’s Day ideas. Though they pail in comparison to the above ideashere’s some suggestions that won’t break the bank (or launch Dad into his lecture about spending money wisely):
If you’re in St. Louis, take him over to Crown Candy for a fantastic BLT and a banana malt.
Tickets! Also in St. Louis; take him over and treat him to tickets to St. Louis Brewfest or tickets to see El Monstero (Pink Floyd cover band) in St. Louis on 7/14 or up in Chicago at the House of Blues 7/27 & 28.
Free ideas for Dad. Okay, you’re the desperate of the desperate. You’ve skimmed impatiently through my ramblings and are out of money and out of ideas for dear old Dad. Don’t worry, with a little work even the crustiest of Dad’s will appreciate the following:
Convince Dad to treat himself and get one of these la-z-boy recliners for the porch (on sale for a nice price btw).
Peace and quiet – if Dad has more than one kid in the household, this might be the top on his list. But it’s also the toughest – use headphones, pause or go outside to yell at your siblings, complain ungratefully about the lack of food or the unfairness of life tomorrow.
Drink and food preparation and delivery – always a winner, even if your Dad likes to BBQ, keep the drinks coming for him. Tips: learn exactly how to make his favorite mixed drink and/or when you see his beer get lower than two or three fingers, impress him with a fresh beer before he finishes it.
Game of Thrones playlist on Grooveshark. If you like it you can grab the soundtrack to the first season here.
And last but not least, we have a playlist of piano virtuoso Michael Kuhlmann playing Genesis, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and Yes. Here he is playing Genesis:
Here’s a great progressive rock band, Karnivool, from Australia. They have two studio albums, Themata (2007 US/2005 AU) and Sound Awake (2008), and are about to launch their third album with a new tour “Melodias Frescas Tour” in Australia and points beyond.
Both of their studio albums are worth a purchase, their songs are reminiscent of A Perfect Circle or maybe Tool. Below are videos of three of the band members (Ian Kenny/vocals, Mark Hosking/guitar, Drew Goddard/beard and guitar) doing an acoustic set of “All I Know” and “Umbra” from Sound Awake and “Roquefort” from Themata. Enjoy!
Actionsuit Alert! 