Songs that scream AMERICA!

I suppose I’m a bit off in terms of this celebration of Americana culture as 4th of July has long since passed, but then again this week also marks September 11th, which is a damn good reason to wave our flags and come together as a nation. I won’t get started on those who are currently opposing the mosque near Ground Zero for fear of rupturing a vein in my forehead – I’m terribly vain (oh badump chh) but seriously stress is awful for wrinkles.

Tangents aside, here is my America Fuck Yea Playlist. Well not so much a playlist as it is a list of songs with links that have been cobbled together haphazardly. I realize that this list is absurd and has pretty much no coherence, let alone stick to a common theme other than the loosely organized concept of songs that sound American or connote a specific time in our history, primarily the 1960’s and beyond. Well, whatever this is my blog and I can put together odd song lists if I want to. So ha!

Toby Keith - I Love This Bar



I’m not sure what the hell kind of bar Toby Keith is singing about because in reality it sounds like the worst bar known to man. With alcoholics, strippers, hookers, psychotic killers, and no minorities, I’m not sure I want to be there, but I sure as hell want to sing about it.

Willie Nelson - Poncho and Lefty



Credence Clear Water Revival – Up Around The Bend



Jimi Hendrix – All Along The Watchtower



Black Keys – Just Got To Be



Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man



I know I know, they’re not American. Well technically, Jimi Hendrix didn’t become popular until he was signed by a British record label and got big in Europe first. But whatever, this is my list and I can do whatever I want.

Marlon Brando: The Wild One

Motorcycles, rebellion, and the open road wouldn’t be the same without Marlon Brando’s “The Wild One.” Based on the Hollister Motorcycle Riots, Marlon Brando plays the leader of the rebellious bike gang the Black Rebels Motorcyle Club (what a fantastic name!). In standard rebellious fashion, he’s a rebel who plays by nobody rules -- not even his own. Although, I’m not going to lie as bad-ass as he looks, he plays his usually moody petulant self which actually makes him seem like an overgrown child throwing a tantrum in this movie. Also, let’s not forget he gets his ass handed to him by the town’s people.

On the not so badass front again, Shia LeBeouf wore the exact same outfit in Indiana Jones 4: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Last note I swear, the timeless cool of cuffed jeans, motorcycle boots, and leather is impressive. Although, you really have to be a real bad-ass to actually pull it off. Sadly, despite all my (non-existent) testosterone fueled swagger and raging muscles I'm still unable to pull this look off. Sigh, woe be me.

Vintage Family Sedans – Making Practicality Sexy Again

Forget vintage American muscle cars. That’s played. Vintage family sedans and other practical automobiles are bringing sexy back in ways that Justin Timberlake could only hope for.

There is something about the mundane family sedans of the past that really catch my eye. I suppose it’s the understated elegance that really gets me excited. Who would have thought that plain old family sedans could be so stylish? I wonder if in 50 years we’ll be looking back on the Ford Taurus with the same fondness, although somehow I highly doubt it.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on these sensible, efficient, and very lovely modes of family transport from the past. With room for the whole family, luggage, and relatively good mileage what’s not to love?

Plus check out these great vintage ads. I love the “customer reviews” that espouse all the most boring aspects of the cars as their most exciting selling points. Although nothing beats the commercial for the Falcon replete with sweeping orchestras, catchy jingles, and lyrics that consist of repeatedly singing the name of the car.

Road Week and The Americans

With the final days of summer, come the last sweet moments of warm nights, drinking beer on patios, and barbeques. Damn I love summer. More specifically after living in New Mexico, the warmest days of the year have taken on a very different meaning for me. Having lived in California for most of my life I hadn't seen the unique regional elements of this season, those particular traits of Americana that scream Americans on summer vacation! Most importantly, I've learned that nothing says America like a pick-up truck, classic rock, and the open road. FUCK YEA! Let's not forget the other essential ingredients, cold beer, a shot of cheap whiskey, and barbeque.

So to close out the last few days of this delightful season, I dedicate this week to the Open Road and Americana culture. To kick off the first post of The Road week a few photos from one my favorite photographers that perhaps sum up America and the Open Road best. After a long run at the SF and NY MoMas, I suppose Robert Frank's  "The Americans" exhibit, is a bit played out. My apologies, however I thought that this would still be fitting to inaugurate The Open Road week as his photos capture the alienation, the beauty, and the intricacies of American life. It’s a complex bitter sweet thing, yet he captures its paradoxes, conundrums, and hypocrisy in a starkly beautiful manner. With simple photos he carefully examines our fascination with technology, automobiles, and the fact that they have been infused into our very existence and have literally shaped how we interact, where we live, and how we live. Let’s also not forget, his wondrous journey through America’s forgotten heart land and how he captured the lonely highways, the hardened people scraping by, and the grittiness of their daily existence.

Random tangent: Speaking of America, I just recalled one of the most hilarious patriotic moments I’ve ever heard. My friend and her boyfriend were in San Francisco and watching the Gay Pride parade on her roof when he randomly started to sing the Team America theme song. Of course, much to his delight he was quickly joined by other watchers on rooftops and ajacent balconies in a massive chorus of patriotic wonder. What a beautiful moment.