In September 1998, shortly after Frank Sinatra’s passing, the jazz critic Francis Davis described Sinatra’s career in The Atlantic as a two-decade procession of taking songs off the market, meaning that once Frank had recorded them, his interpretations were immediately accepted as definitive and thereby discouraged other singers from recording them afterward. I thought of …
Meet conscious hip hop dynamo Sheik aka SK with his fresh single “The Breather”. Dubbing his unique style ‘New School Poetry,’ Sheik’s sound is a clusterfunk of afro punk, jazz, hip hop, soul and blues. “Music is better with no makeup on, people always relate to raw shit whether it’s a love song or a …
One of the more hilarious BBC clips I’ve ever seen, as The Faces thoroughly exploit the fact that TOP OF THE POPS used to insist on canned backing tracks, while ALSO insisting on live vocals (cf. several tracks from The Who’s ca. 2000 BBC cd compilation, which feature live Roger Daltrey vocals atop the familiar …
Only took me about 30 years to find this album by Millie – the very first known Nick Drake cover version – a jaunty rocksteady / ska version of the song “Mayfair” was recorded before Nick’s own version that appears on Nick’s debut album, Five Leaves Left. Must be heard to be believed. – Pat …
Sometimes a town is a soccer town. Sometimes a town is a basketball town. Some towns are even hockey towns (though, admittedly, most of those are in Canada). What many people don’t realize is that even if your town doesn’t have a professional team, it is still also very much a football town. In spite …
Lou Barlow has shared a video for “Nerve,” a candid cut from his recent solo album, Brace the Wave. Directed by video maker and musician Adam Harding, the video focuses on a broken relationship with video images mirroring lyrics, shots of broken musical gear, a mix of personal footage from Barlow’s past dating back to …
This is the music video for which I’ve waited years: the all-doggy video. I really wish pugs were featured in this video, but the French Bulldogs shown here are very cute and using that breed is a way of expressing political solidarity with France after the recent Paris massacre. The song is “Happy” by JES, …
my old pals in 7 YEAR BITCH (i did their logo) have released another record – 20 years later! it’s a live gig played at the club called “MOE” back in the mid-1990’s at the height of ‘grunge mania’ in seattle. this band was at a powerful peak at this point and were one of …
One more time. Films that purport to show Planned Parenthood selling baby parts are deceptively edited fraud. They spin the truth into lies. If you believe these videos, as Republicans in Congress apparently did, you’re a dunce. Planned Parenthood is not selling baby parts. They are allowed by law to let mothers donate fetal tissue, …
“16 shots, 14 months. 16 shots, 14 months. 16 shots, 14 months.” I attended a protest rally on Black Friday that was easily attended by more than 5,000 people. The protest closed down Chicago’s “Mag Mile”, which is the high-end downtown shopping mecca. We congregated at the majestic Chicago Tribune building and proceeded north. Why …
“Easy Way Out” by The Post will be released shortly in December and will ward off the chills as would a shot of it’s subject matter. If you prefer your rock and roll straight up, you will enjoy this potent foursome as they crank out an amped-up ode to the ritual, sometimes habitual. The Post …
another item that recently sold from Ringo’s warehouse of memorabilia. this is (strangely) the VERY FIRST rock and roll logo/brand/id/trademark in history (note: even elvis didn’t have a logo). the story on it is even more peculiar. according to Bodhi Oser’s amazing little book, “BAND ID, The Ultimate Book of Band Logos” (chronicle books, 2008), …
Born in 1963, celebrated actor John Stamos would have attended this high school prom sometime in the late 70s or early 80s, shortly before his acting career began on General Hospital in 1982. E! Online UK tweeted out this photo today, claiming it to be Stamos’ actual prom photo. Stamos grew up in Cypress, a …
The Last Waltz-as-an-actual-event was a Requiem for both a Sensibility and an Era (call it Classic Rock, if one must), even if no one present knew it. I’ve also always assumed that–as of this date in 1976 anyway–not a single person on that Winterland stage (Patti Smith’s pal Bob aside, of course, and as usual) …
Is it just the 15 or so Moth slam events I’ve been to, or does the best storyteller of the night generally not win? I know it’s inherently subjective, and that’s part of the fun, but on Sunday at the Grand Slam in Williamsburg, the last storyteller was the clear crowd favorite AND host favorite, …
In our NFL-focused society, it can be easy to forget that the NBA season actually starts in November. For those who haven’t paid attention, there already have been some interesting developments, including a fired coach (Kevin McHale of the Houston Rockets) and a Golden State Warriors team that has somehow convinced itself that it has …
My grandson loves cats, but he struggles to understand that you can’t tell a cat what to do. I have found catnip to be the same way. Last summer my neighbor came by for some catnip for his cat, but the patch I had planted in the parkway, for people’s easy access, was hanging on …
School Of Seven Bells – SVIIB to their mates – have had a place in my heart from the start, but it’s not always been firmly fixed. It seemed so sweet when twin sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza met up with Benjamin Curtis while opening on tour for Ben’s band Secret Machines, and the three …
A who’s-who of anime characters appear in the new video from Seattle band Quickie. That’s because the group shot the colorful video for their song “Pretty” outside of the most recent Sakura-Con convention, with over a hundred and thirty cosplayers taking part. Not as extras, but front and center as lead singers in the video. …
I remember a moment in the early 1990s when I stood in the crowd at First Avenue as we all waited for the show to start. The house speakers blasted Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, and other loud awesomeness. Suddenly, I was arrested by an amazing new song I hadn’t heard, a sonic revelation …
While others make the pilgrimage to genuflect inside Room #8 at Joshua Tree Inn for Gram – you’ll find me in Tipton, sitting under a headstone inscribed “Harold Eugene Clark – No Other.” Today is Gene Clark’s birthday and nobody ever captured the LA experience as poignantly as he did with this. – Pat Thomas …
There is nothing comparable. I have had several litters and it is worth the stretch marks. – Paul Johnson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/14/puppy-swarms_n_7795116.html
I’m not claiming to be a fan of the UFC, but this fight was amazing. The conditioning, quickness, and strategy I witnessed during Rousey vs. Holm was breathtaking. This is violence. This is brain damage. This is capitalism. You could see Rhonda Rousey’s market value and aura of invincibility hit the canvas harder than her …
Here’s a cut from Donna Summer’s fifth studio album, I Remember Yesterday (1977). Reaching number six on the US Billboard Hot 100, the tune was produced by Giorgio Moroder of “Midnight Express” fame. https://youtu.be/C2q2bis6eLE
I first heard this tune a few months ago and loved it. Now Roses and Revolutions have performed it on Balcony TV so we get to watch them perform it with a lovely view of the New York skyline. http://www.rosesandrevolutions.com/
Kishi Bashi’s third LP, String Quartet Live!, is out via Joyful Noise Recordings. Listen below. It’s a collection of songs from his previous two releases, 151a and Light, performed live by himself and an accompanying string ensemble. Having recorded, toured, and collaborated with artists like Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and of Montreal, Kishi Bashi launched …
In the wake of the recent bombings and killings in Paris, I offer this. But first, I must step back. Shortly after 9/11, I opined in a pre-Twitter universe to a creation similar to Twitter, something called “xnpc”, that the United States had stoked hostility by imposing sanctions and a killing machine upon Iraq. People …
Occasionally, as I think back on various experiences of trying to CREATE in Havre or Missoula, Montana during the 1980s (and subsequently, as well, in Northern Virginia or Seattle)–whether that involved establishing a “beach head” and persona for radio, learning to write/combine criticism and history (and humor), attempting to make music of widely varying sorts, …
Nixon’s attorney John Dean calls today’s tea party, specifically the U.S. House Freedom Caucus, “near treasonous” and says their actions might be unconstitutional with “criminal implications.” Robert Scheer has a new podcast on KCRW. In it, he talks to Dean, former White House Counsel under Richard Nixon, who served during the Watergate scandal. In the …
Yonatan Gat and his band are known for their one-of-a-kind live performances, which take place from inside the audience and are expressively improvised, ensuring no two shows are the same. Feeding off each other’s energy and the crowd’s energy, their sets are raw, intense, and emotionally-charged. Now, fans all over the world can experience the …