Rising reggae artist Jo Mersa, the son of Stephen “Ragga” Marley and grandson of Bob Marley, unveils his intimate side on the brand new video for “Sunshine,” the first single off his debut EP Comfortable (out now on Ghetto Youths International). So where’s the big funky spliff? This vid shows a Rastaman in exile, enjoying …
Award-winning multiplatinum star ARIANA GRANDE releases her brand new music video for “Break Free” [featuring Zedd]. The video makes its world premiere on VEVO today, paying homage to Jane Fonda’s legendary Barbarella! “Break Free” is the second single from ARIANA’s forthcoming sophomore effort and the year’s most anticipated album, My Everything [Republic Records], available August …
When I tell people that I visited the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, they often say, “I didn’t know you were a fan.” Sometimes, they ask why I went there at all. Part of their skepticism, perhaps, comes from knowing that I don’t follow NASCAR, and I usually care little about cars other …
By RANDY RENDFELD I love spicy hot food, but I’m not a masochist. Peppers should add flavor and not just heat. But that’s apparently not the culinary criteria for 510 reviewers of Dave’s Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce on Amazon.com. These reviewers like the near-death experiences this nuclear hell sauce delivers. As I write …
Used to be that I’d find my summer songs on a jukebox (Queen, “Killer Queen,” 1974; Chicago, “Old Days,” 1975) or AM radio (Andrew Gold, “Lonely Boy,” 1977). But now I find them on whatever media happens to be in the car while I’m on vacation. This year the song that has me hitting the …
Microfiction by Knute Rimkus They lived in a white microhouse. It was a shoebox, for baby shoes, in the Varane neighborhood. Their neighbors lived in shoeboxes too. This misery did not love company. They ate dinner quickly. She thought the steak was too red and only ate half. She drank water. Murdoch drank a Cutty …
Thursday night in Seattle the Triple Door hosted LA punkers X for an acoustic show. Interestingly, they were playing under the name X and not their acoustic alter egos, The Knitters. Whatever the name, X never disappoint whether they’re acoustic or hard punking. Exene Cervenka can still do her charming little dances while belting out …
Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj took the below pic while filming the music video for their recently released single “Bang Bang”. The song, a true collaboration between all three artists, was released this past Tuesday and immediately shot to #1 on the iTunes charts in over 25 countries including the US, Canada, Sweden, …
Tori Amos has just revealed the video for “Promise,” a stirring duet with her 13-year old daughter Tash. The track appears on the critically acclaimed Unrepentant Geraldines, Amos’s 14th studio album, and eighth release to debut in Billboard’s Top 10 at #7, reaffirming her iconic status in a 20 plus-year career. The video is an …
I went to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes last night and found it highly enjoyable. In addition to all the amazing CGI stuff, they manage to create a very compelling drama with a lot of biblical and Shakespearean themes that are quite thoughtful. This film is closest to the original Planet of the …
If you like HGTV or just can’t get enough of seeing how other people live, the Biltmore Estate is an essential place to include in your lifetime travels. Completed in 1895 by George Washington Vanderbilt II near Asheville NC, it has 250 rooms and 178,926 square feet of floor space. It was the largest private …
From Church Pew to Daley Plaza, the Tragic Descent of Chicago’s Troubled “Sign Guy” by Mark Erickson
This is a sad story about life and mental illness in the great city of Chicago. Approximately 15 years ago, Pastor Arthur A. R. Nelson invited an Iranian immigrant, Farhad Khoiee-Abbasi, to worship at North Park Covenant Church, located in Chicago, Illinois. Farhad, an engineer by training, became a Christian and an active church member. …
Originally featured on the warm weather-themed “Summer Series: California (Vol. 1)” compilation, Anacron’s eau de L.A. single (available via all major digital retailers) represents the truest of summer loves: the tawdry affair between a man and his city. Atypical as ever, Anacron describes a summertime experience that’s not usually recognized by West Coast rap. From …
It’s Friday July 25th. It’s stifling hot and El Corazon has no ventilation. But Arizona’s Andrew Jackson Jihad are playing to a packed crowd and are not to be missed. AJJ is the only band I know of who combine melodic folk songs combined with a harder edged punk drive. To add to this, their …
Dogs form the back of their tongues into a cuplike tool and shovel water into their mouths while drinking. This is the opposite of how I thought they might drink. I thought they lifted the water on their tongue straight upward into their mouths. The backward-shovel action is a surprise. Frontward or backward drinkers, I …
Charlotte, NC has the triple-A baseball farm team for the Chicago White Sox, the Charlotte Knights. This year they opened BB&T Ballpark, and it was one of the priority items on my list to visit on my tour of the East Coast. Rather than explain too much, I will let my pictures speak for themselves. …
Recently I saw one of the very few bands/artists whom I’ve come to love during the past (largely desultory) musical decade, Hartford CT’s The Magik Markers, who played a headlining show at Seattle’s Chop Suey. I first saw their lead singer/noise guitarist/front person, Elisa Ambrogio, in November 2008, entirely by accident, as she was then (very briefly) guesting on guitar …
This summer, my brother Roger and I spent six hours in Charleston, SC as part of a two-week vacation on the East Coast. Having scheduled visits to the Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg and Antietam, it seemed right to squeeze in a tour of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor where the conflict began. Unfortunately, our …
Weezer has released their first new song since 2010, which they describe as “an ebullient slice of alterna-rock awesomeness.” Gotta love, “…kick in the door, more hardcore, rockin’ out like it’s ’94…” This time out Weezer reunited with the man who helped them record their strongest album-length work, Cars frontman Ric Ocasek. The resulting album, …
Sad news from the world of entertainment today. http://online.wsj.com/articles/james-garner-tv-star-dies-aged-86-1405856731 I’ve had a variety of scattered thoughts since I heard the news an hour ago: I just can’t believe that a man that good-looking would ever die. He was the John Wayne of the small screen. He portrayed Rockford as one of us, only taller, funnier …
It’s Saturday morning and I’m still on a high from Thursday night when I ventured to Seattle’s Showbox to witness the glorious, long-awaited return of the Aquabats. Like the Phenomenauts, they infuse elements of ska, punk rock and corny kids’ science fiction into one fun filled show. Celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band, the …
This year marks the Golden Anniversary of many events and milestones of the Woodstock generation. LBJ’s “War on Poverty,” King’s “Dream Speech” and the Beatles’ Hard Day’s Night to name a few. And anyone tracking the news in any media will be hard pressed to avoid this long look into our cultural rear view mirror. …
A few weeks ago I happened to be in Palm Springs, CA with a couple of spare hours, so I paid Frank Sinatra a visit. For those unfamiliar with his life, he made Palm Springs his permanent home in the 1950s, so far as it was possible for someone whose career required a nomadic life. …
I was at work, preoccupied with the World Cup, not the next destination for King James and his cadre of close friends, the LeBrontourage. I am glad he’s going back to Cleveland and that that poor city has a chance at sports glory, but I realized that I don’t like players deciding where next year’s …
The World Cup final between Germany and Argentina delivered much. The world’s best player on the biggest stage. A fearsome German side in a battle against an Argentine 11 who would not be intimidated. And a sublime goal by midfield wunderkind Mario Goetze to decide things. I watched with rapt attention and consternation, much as …
Sad news for those of us who loved/still love “Jazz with a Future”….and the precious few musicians with the courage to reach for it, much less actually ARRIVE there, as Charlie Haden did on so many occasions. P.S. This Fred Kaplan is NOT the academic and Nineties Gore Vidal biographer with whom Gore had a …
Actually, I have no idea where this March 1964 live take of “It’s My Party” is from. I only say Swedish TV because it has high quality black and white television images, soulful sax playing, and an unresponsive audience, three leading indicators of potential Svensk involvement. Lesley is lovely here, an ingenue in the flower …
Pity Brazil, for the historic pasting by Germany and for the weight that was slowly crushing them throughout the tournament. They were a middling bunch asked by a desperate nation to sprint past cheetahs. According to the brackets I’ve collected, most people figured Germany could take Brazil even when Brazil was at full strength. While …