Satellite Radio by Steve Earle

Nobody’s lived a more colorful life than Steve Earle. During the '80s he was a Nashville renegade, seasoning his country with hard-driving rock, rampaging the country and living a hard life that ultimately landed him in jail on drug and weapons charges. He came out of prison a changed man, recommitted both to his music and to social and political causes. There’s been no stopping Earle since then, and he gets another stack of raves with every album.

“Satellite Radio” comes from his 2007 album Washington Square Serenade, the first since he took up residence in Greenwich Village. Accordingly the track features a heavy New York flavor through its loops and samples, though Earle’s voice is still stone-country.

The loopy production is by John King of the Dust Brothers, a Beck and Beastie Boys collaborator. It’s not Earle’s first song about freedom and the airwaves, as he’s taken the FCC to task in the past.

Steve Earle isn’t the only recording artist in his family. His sister Stacey Earle and his wife Allison Moorer both have successful music careers.

While making Washington Square Serenade, Steve Earle lived on the very same street where Bob Dylan shot the famous cover photo for his early-'60s album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.

This one is tougher than the preview suggests. Since the song uses drum loops, the drummer has to deal with a lot of double-kicks in the main riff. They happen many times, so learn yourself some ankle technique: Push your toe down first, then follow with your ankle to make the speed happen.

The bass riff is challenging, but repetitive: Keep your index finger on the red fret and then reach for the green as you’ll be using green less frequently than yellow, blue and orange.

Alive and well in NYC.