Author Archives: Jon Sidel

Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

The Idelic “Golden Showers of 2023 Hits” continues: Sufjan Stevens, PJ Harvey, Steve Mason, Jana Horn, Corey Hanson, Susanne Sundfør, Paper Idol, Jessie Ware, Water From Your Eyes, Lil Yachty, yeule, Corinne Bailey Rae…

Sleaford Mods, The Dare, A. Savage, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Mannequin Pussy, Trash Day, Queens Of The Stone Age, Shame.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

I’ve been hit by the bus of love / That falling brick of you, yeah / Baby, when there’s tears in your eyes / You don’t have to lie / You don’t need to hide from me / I don’t want you to say anything

I see myself in you / I see myself in you / I see myself in you

You cut me like a deck of cards / You broke for the fire escape / Baby, we’re running out of time (running out of time) / I can be that guy / Who you cower behind (who you cower behind) / I don’t want you to say anything

I see myself in you / I see myself in you

Yep, it’s that week when all bloggers gather up their pebbles and present their favorites for the year. My annual “Golden Shower of Idelic Hits” is more a year end “count around” than count down.

This said, I do group them by show. Why hold the suspense? This episode is my top 20 of 2023 favorites. I put the set together in no order, other than my #1 closes the set.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Freddie’s dead / That’s what I said / Let the man rap a plan said he’d see him home / But his hope was a rope and he should’ve known / It’s hard to understand / There was love in this man / I’m sure all would agree / That his misery was his woman and things / Now Freddie’s dead / That’s what I said

Everybody’s misused him / Ripped him up and abused him / Another junkie plan / Pushin’ dope for the man / A terrible blow but that’s how it goes / Freddie’s dead on the corner now / If you wanna be a junkie, wow / Remember Freddie’s dead

2023 is not quite done for new songs, but for this Idelic “free form jock” I’m starting to gather up pebbles for my year end countdown of 2023 favorites.

Traditionally “blogger/critics/best-ofs” come after turkey week, so while our canyon still shines blue and clear, I’m dropping an old school themed “free form” FM radio set. Originally my muse was an old Undertones song from the ’70s punk era, but I was driving to a gig and I heard the voice of Jim Ladd on Sirius radio. Jim was shaken—he had just found out that night that this would be his last “Deep Tracks” set on Sirus.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Taking it all the right way / Keeping it in the back / Taking it all the right way / Never no turning back, never need no / Never no turning back

Flying just a sweet place / Coming inside and safe / Flying just a sweet place / Never been known to fail, never been no / Never been known to fail

What to do “après that big day?” “Après Halloween,” “après album release,” “après ski?”

I’m not saying 2023 is over for new music, but I feel it’s time to relax and dig into some old soul tunes. Some obscure, some comfort food.

Of course, congrats to all artists releasing new music. Dig in.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Out in the streets / The modern vampire prowls / He’s been spreading disease / All around

There’s an epidemic / If you don’t believe me / You ought to take a look / At the eyes of your friends

When someone tempts you / You can’t refuse / It’s getting colder and you know / You got nothing to lose / You need it / Know you got nothing to lose / You need it

As days shorten, the sunsets in our canyon seem to disappear at slightly different angles. The moon has been full and bright as evenings give off a different hue of light.

Halloween’s coming. Here’s a set of songs fit for that late October dusk.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

I’m guilty of murder / Of innocent men / Innocent women, innocent children / Thousands of ’em / My planes, my guns / My money, my soldiers / My blood on my hands / It’s all my fault

I must not think bad thoughts / I must not think bad thoughts / I must not think bad thoughts

Last week’s “news of the world” had me take a pause from even sharing music. Friday the 13th, a gorgeous Indian summer day, spooky season upon us… and my turntables were empty?

It could last long. Pretty shocking that California has banned Skittles and Mountain Dew. I’m sure they’re still selling them at the Houston Astrodome.

I heard the Stones played a club last night? They’ve been known to do that now and again. Bravo to Mick and Keith.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

It’s always around me, all this noise, but / Not nearly as loud as the voice saying / “Let it happen, let it happen” / (It’s gonna feel so good) / “Just let it happen, let it happen”

All this running around / Tryin’ to cover my shadow / A notion growing inside / Now all the others seem shallow

All this running around / Bearing down on my shoulders / I can hear an alarm / It must be morning

I heard about a whirlwind that’s coming ’round / It’s gonna carry off all that isn’t bound, and / When it happens, when it happens / (I won’t be holding on) / So let it happen, let it happen

I was looking forward to today. Friday the 13th is a juicy target for any rock ‘n’ roll song release—certainly an Idelic Hour playlist of songs.

Sadly, this Friday the 13th has a bitter and distracting taste. I’m going to side-step my political opinions and just say music has always been my backdrop. It’s gotten me through happy, sad, wins, losses, and stressful times.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Midnight legend, look at you / In bed when the sun comes out / A concrete runway just for you, yeah

Rocking slow your hips to the beat / Blasé boys ’round generating heat / Has time come? Are we merely obsolete? / Trace from a rig hid behind your knee

Won’t you tell me all about your story / And about the day that you didn’t have to fight? / I’m just here to listen, sound board for your visions / All you need to say you say with your eyes / Those eyes

Midnight legend, look at you / In bed when the sun comes out / A concrete runway just for you, yeah

This week I spent some time digging through crates of records for a disc to keep me calm. I came across J.J. Cale’s classic Naturally. I’ve always loved his elusive reputation and it dawned on me that it’s lead track “Call Me The Breeze” is on a playlist I put together during covid to cruise my bike around the neighborhood to. Ol’ J.J. has a real vibe and calming voice. I mean “Call the Doctor” and “River Runs Deep”? Fuck.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

You lie sleeping all warm / I’m here waiting in the storm / Waiting for the time to come when I can come in / And make sweet love to you till I have to go again.

I’ve been waiting for hours / I’ve been through snowstorms and showers / Waiting for the lights to fade and your parents go to sleep / Then just like a randy cat into your bed I’ll creep.

Yes I remember your smell / Yes I remember, remember it well / Strange kind of animal music in the night / Crazy feeling, I just can’t explain it right.

So I send you these words / Let them flutter ’round like birds / Times are changed and rearranged but something lingers on / I still remember you, that’s why I wrote this song.

“When Your Parents Go To Sleep” is truly a cool song. It’s a combination of soul mixed with a youthful, rebellious lyric. To be in the Indian summer California sunshine…

That’s pretty much enough of a thought for me today. I just got a new chain and tires on my bicycle. It made me happy just to think about taking a slow, sun drenched cruise listening to tunes like this.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Daddy’s telling lies / Baby’s eating flies / Mommy’s on pills / Baby’s got the chills

I’m friends with the President / I’m friends with the Pope / We’re all making a fortune / Selling Daddy’s dope

Sitting here in Queens / Eating re-fried beans / We’re in all the magazines / Gulpin’ down Thorazines

Do you guys use Flipboard? Fewer and fewer magazines are on it. It seems like publications worth reading want $9.99. I do like the feel of Flippin through a series of interests upon awaking, but one thing is for sure, my clipboard certainly does lead down a variety of paths.

College basketball, transfer portal, soccer news, Trump crimes, and Russia. I mean WTF are Russians thinking? Ugh, god help us.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

I’m the stone you’ve just thrown into the ocean / How many stones have you thrown? / Turin brown, I’m going down for the very first time / Now where’s the truth in this? / I dared to dream / But you were more violent than the worst hurricane

Oh take me sailing again / Oh take me sailing again

As you might know I’m a fishing guy, not a sailor, but I’ve always loved this song. It reminds me of fall afternoons on fishing boats off the California coast. I love the beach line and coasts during fall.

As the weather cools the seas often calm down. Now, this might be me living in the past. Did anyone notice how many catastrophic rain storms happened recently? Last week was Burning Man, this week Libya and Blue Ridge festival…

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Ooh, stop / With your feet on the air and your head on the ground / Try this trick and spin it, yeah (yeah) / Your head will collapse, and there’s nothing in it / And you’ll ask yourself

Where is my mind? / Where is my mind? / Where is my mind? / Way out in the water, see it swimmin’

I’m not sure if you saw the full moon last week? Here in LA, it was a rusty red. Call me a new age Californian canyon dweller, but show me a big ol’ red, full moon smack in the middle of Mercury in retrograde and this Idelic DJ is gonna slow my roll and wait for fall to begin before I make any big decisions.

The stars are asking for patience and introspection. So, I’m gonna grit my teeth, take a deep breath, pay a few bills, organize my desk, and of course flip through a few records.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

So you are tired of us / So rest your head / Turning back fourteen years / Of what I did and said

So you are breathing disaster / I did what I was told / But I was a man born invisible / Was it something I said or some kind of joke?

So you are tired as the sun / Are you with or without a friend? / Bring me back everything caught in your shield / Let everything else descend

What do ya know? This appears to be the last Idelic Hour before Labor Day. The long weekend used to mean the end of summer and back to school, but here in California—global warming or not—summer goes to half way through October. All said, we’re still having to make our way through earthquakes, tropical storms, presidential mugshots, the surfing homeless, and new strains of covid.

OK, what’s next? Well, I really only want to think about new music and where I can find a decent slice of pizza.

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Greetings from Laurel Canyon!

Once upon a time, not too long ago, we took a day out in Manchester / We all fall down, there’s not enough hours in the day / Played a bit of football, fell into the union / Barged our way into the toilet with the kung fu king

There’s not enough hours in the day / I remember seeing someone dressed in a suit, looking like a lunatic / And we all fall down, there’s not enough hours in a trip

Growing up Jewish on the east side of Manhattan, our family went to the theatre. I’ve always had a soft spot for 1960s Broadway musicals. I’ve always wanted to do a modern take on A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

The musical tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The plot displays many classic elements of “farce,” including puns, the slamming of doors, cases of mistaken identity (frequently involving characters disguising themselves as one another), and satirical comments on social class. The title derives from a line often used by vaudeville comedians to begin a story:

“A funny thing happened on the way to the theater.”

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