I'm in meetings all day, so instead of hastily throwing together some random linkage, I leave you instead with a Paul Weller primer, for no other reason than he's so hot right now and I am totally bummed I won't be attending his upcoming career spanning shows in NYC and LA.

I had the pleasure of seeing him during the US leg of the Days Of Speed tour, a show that was mind-blowingly awesome. I have never seen someone plays the guitar as effortlessly as Paul Weller. It was incredible, like the instrument was simply an extension of his body.

I was introduced to the Modfather through the one and only Noel Gallagher. He did a cover of The Jam's "To Be Someone" on an Oasis tour in the mid-90's and I went out and bought The Jam's Greatest Hits the very next day. After devouring their catalog, I moved onto Weller's solo work (I skipped the shaky Style Council period that made up the middle of his career). Weller's influence touches many of the British bands I love, Oasis in particular. He is credited as the father of Britpop (a term he detests) and after watching the above performance of "The Changingman," you can see the inspiration for Liam's hairstyles and Noel's fashion sense, right down to his love of scarves.

Here's a Later with Jools Holland Session from 1993:
[MP3] Paul Weller | Sunflower
[MP3] Paul Weller | Has My Fire Really Gone Out?
[MP3] Paul Weller | What's Going On (Marvin Gaye cover)