On a hot August night I ventured to SE Seattle to see the highly pedigreed Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra. This outfit, fronted by Greg Lee (of Hep Cat fame) was a combination of a big jazz band, a ska band and modern mixed in with old and traditional. Greg Lee was fascinating to watch. …
Month: August 2018
On the inspiration for the song “Cadillac” William Dolan says: “It’s okay to talk about, and even worry about what’s happening in the world. But, you can still enjoy yourself whether you are a kid or an adult. I’m trying to open kids eyes about important issues and help make the world a better place. …
Check out Sly Dunbar and Anthony Red Rose discussing the making of ‘Free Your Mind’. Thank you Enriek Thomas for shooting this, Mike Martin for editing, and Roy Roy Ce for embracing the unique challenge of sending this footage to America via the series of tubes we call the Internet. Davin’s new song has been released and has become a global earworm …
Discussing her new track, Riley states “When I was younger, I suffered abuse by the hands of an older man. Being able to sing out my confusion and frustration made me confront some upsetting truths about my past. Innocence is about seeing these issues face-to-face and and way to heal from them.”
This is Shawn Lambert. He is a fellow American that invited me to HIS session where I got my big break at Sly & Robbie‘s studio in Kingston. This was a magic moment as he took a break from working on his stellar Michelle Obama inspired Hip Hop / Dancehall track with Sly and company to talk about how …
Mona Lisa is an “Off-Top Freestyle” that Auspiddit did after having a big disagreement with family and friends about investing in himself. This high energy trap-like song is produced by Brandon Chapa. The Risky, Religious church theme was shot and directed by Kyle Ahlberg.
Dig the new track from KXA with LA singer Jenny March: KXA Instagram Jenny March Instagram
The sun sets. Appreciate every gig. This is Tom Wilkinson‘s last gig with us until after his baby arrives. Every time The Staxx Brothers hit the stage, it’s all kind of a minor miracle that my friends and I built this tradition that is so many albums and unbelievable stories deep, that I have been able to sing …
On a warm early August evening I had the chance to do some time traveling. One of my favorite performers of the early eighties was playing a concert at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. That artist is Adam Ant. I saw Adam a couple times in 81 and 82 and remembered him being an incredible performer. …
I think the difference between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans that emerged from Africa about 40,000 years can be summed up so: Neanderthals today were at best capable of providing links to articles they read that reinforce their own basic-ness, as not quite men who live in caves. They also loooooove memes but don’t understand …
When my kids were active members with our church’s youth groups I got to know a man named Nabil as he had daughters very close in age to my sons. I learned that Nabil’s parents and grandparents owned two farms in Palestine that bore oranges, lemons, and limes. Then the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and …
I have so many wonderful things to say about Rick Beato and his Rick Beato – Everything Music series on youtube. This guy is everything about why some youtube creators are delivering even more valuable content than most television producers. He is hitting a real audience. His peers. Rick is talking about music news, theory, production, business and songwriting …
Do people still listen to albums ever so still, tracing every word and phrase, unlocking the mystery of every rhythm? When I was a kid an album had a real value. $19.99 was over $30 then. That inevitable scratch was a tragedy. Sure, it was a safe bet when we could leave our collection at …
I like the world-shrinking impact that bleak overseas (I’m an American and a proud East Portlander) podcasts have on me. Hence my love affairs with a Norwegian/British (Death in Ice Valley) and an Australian (The Teacher’s Pet) podcast. American podcasts, produced by the likes of CNN, MSNBC or, for that matter, the Comedy Channel, all …
The Sarah Benasouli Quartet is a new Jazz-style project that combines original compositions, colourful arrangements and varied influences. Sarah Benasouli is a singer, creator and writer. She fully welcomes the audience into her musical world; an exciting mix of jazz, soul and ethnic music blending together a wide range of cultures and rhythms that have …
Don’t miss this brief interview with legendary dancehall producer and keyboardist Lenky Marsden as he discusses how he and the song’s producer Anthony Red Rose turned what Lenky considers my “American Folk Ting” into what is becoming a MAJOR hit in Jamaica. It certainly is a hybrid. As a Half Puerto Rican that has always felt a bit out …